Jetsettersblog

As part of the company’s green hotels initiative, throughout April Fairmont Hotels & Resorts will raise awareness and funds to protect endangered fish.

Chefs in Fairmont dining rooms will demonstrate how good the alternatives can be by highlighting their favorite sustainable seafood entrees. Dining room guests will be invited to donate $1 (or local equivalent) to the National Geographic Society (NGS) in support of ocean conservation and the restoration of living marine resources. Fairmont’s commitment to ocean sustainability means working with reputable suppliers who purchase fish that are resilient to fishing pressure and harvested in ways that limit habitat damage.

The sustainability of marine species will be the focus at Doha, Qatar, on March 13 when governments will meet to discuss endangered wildlife trade, which includes Atlantic and Mediterranean blue fin tuna.

In an effort to create more sustainable seafood menu items, in 2008, Fairmont removed blue fin tuna and Chilean sea bass from its menus and began working with local seafood watch organizations, ensuring that Fairmont guests feast on a wide variety of fish caught or sourced in ways that contribute to their continued survival. Fairmont Hotels & Resorts’ dedication to the environment goes well beyond marine conservation.

The luxury hotel brand maintains a comprehensive commitment to purchasing local, organic, sustainable food items whenever possible. With a long commitment to developing “green hotels,” environmental stewardship and responsible tourism, Fairmont is a sponsor of the National Geographic Mission Programs as well a member of the WWF global Climate Savers program. For complete information on the National Geographic Society, please visit www.nationalgeographic.com/donate. For more information on Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, visit www.fairmont.com

Marriott opened its Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa, the recipient of the AAA Four-Diamond Award. Formerly The Resort at Singer Island, the newly rebranded Marriott property has adjusted to meet the demands of the sophisticated traveler.

Now the Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa, the resort is the picture of Marriott’s perfected accommodations and personalized service.

The new four-diamond Florida destination is made up of over 200 condo-style Palm Beach suites, complete with full granite kitchens boasting stainless steel appliances, marble bathrooms, flat-screen TVs and other high-end amenities.

The AAA Diamond Rating Process is North America’s premier hotel rating program, which includes approximately 32,000 hotels throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.

Marriott’s newest Four-Diamond Singer Island hotel, located between Jupiter and Palm Beach on Florida’s Gold Coast, is set amidst the aquamarine waters and sandy beaches of the Atlantic Ocean.

For more information, click the banner below.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide opened The Westin Austin at The Domain, the first Westin hotel to open in Austin, Texas.

Opening festivities featured a performance by local music talent, Ryan Harkrider, highlighting Austin’s reputation as the Live Music Capital of the World. Owned by White Lodging and Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group, The Westin Austin at The Domain offers 340 guestrooms and suites and the full suite of the Westin brand’s signature amenities and services.

The newly constructed hotel has a prime location within The Domain, Austin’s prestigious, upscale lifestyle center, just steps from a variety of upscale shops, restaurants and entertainment. Less than 15 minutes from downtown Austin, The Westin Austin at The Domain is convenient to the live music venues on Sixth Street, the lounges of the Warehouse District and top-rated University of Texas sporting events.

Also nearby are the Arboretum mall, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, a choice of premium golf courses and numerous corporations including Dell Computer, IBM and Apple.

A venue for weddings, social galas and business functions, The Westin Austin at The Domain offers nearly 17,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space, catering and event planning services, and the latest in meeting technology.

Additional facilities include Urban restaurant and lounge, a 24-hour WestinWorkout Gym, business center and heated outdoor pool.

Crowne Plaza Today New Delhi Okhla, a 208-room upscale business hotel spread over 2.1 acres, is reaching final stages of completion.

The capital city’s newest hotel is expected to launch later this month.

Situated in the heart of South Delhi, Crowne Plaza Today New Delhi Okhla is barely 27 kilometers from Indira Gandhi International Airport and 25 kilometers from the Domestic Airport. Crowne Plaza Today New Delhi Okhla will boast of as high as 60 to 65 percent guest area to receive natural day light, which is one of the highest among hotels in Delhi.

This will reduce the electricity consumption in lighting up lobbies and other areas in day time, besides adding a distinct freshness to the hotel premises.

The hotel provides views of the historic Tughlaqabad Fort, and is within close proximity of Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range on Surajkund road, the newly renovated sporting venue for the Commonwealth Shooting Championship.

The hotel is also easily accessible from business districts like Nehru Place, New Friends Colony, NOIDA, Mohan Cooperative and Faridabad. Commonwealth Games Village and Pragati Maidan are also within few kilometers only.

For more information, visit the banner at right.

Architectural plans revealed at official opening of Gary Player-designed course

Plans for a Frank Gehry-designed clubhouse were revealed this week by Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC), the Abu Dhabi-based master developer of Saadiyat Island and its Saadiyat Beach Golf Club.

The clubhouse, which is the world-renowned architect’s first golf-related project, will be the centrepiece for the stunning Gary Player-designed Saadiyat Beach Golf Course – the Arabian Gulf’s first and only beachfront course.

The 18,000 sqm clubhouse will boast unique design statements, incorporating Saadiyat Island’s stunning natural beauty to create an instantaneously recognisable international landmark.

The clubhouse has been designed to meet Estidama regulations, the Abu Dhabi-specific building sustainability methodology, and is scheduled to be completed in 2013. TDIC will put the project out to tender later this year.

“We wanted someone who could push design boundaries to create visual architecture that makes bold statements. Frank Gehry ticks that box emphatically,” said Ahmed Hussein, COO of TDIC and deputy director general of Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority.

“A truly world-class course, designed by the world’s most successful golfer of all time, in the heart of one of Arabia’s most breathtaking natural settings, deserves an outstanding clubhouse that sets the benchmark globally.

“Frank’s unique design philosophy will form the centrepiece of this spectacular project and will serve to reinforce Abu Dhabi’s emergence as a sought-after destination on the international golfing map.”

The Saadiyat Beach Golf Club gives a significant boost to the United Arab Emirates capital’s credentials as a top-tier sports and cultural destination of distinction.

This first-of-its-kind clubhouse builds on the emirate’s growing portfolio of iconic architectural designs, which includes Zayed National Museum, designed by Lord Norman Foster, Louvre Abu Dhabi, designed by Jean Nouvel; and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, designed by Frank Gehry.

The utilisation of space was a key facet in the clubhouse’s design, and careful consideration has been given to blend indoor and outdoor settings. Harnessing Saadiyat Island’s striking landscapes, Gehry has opted to emphasise large terraces with sweeping glass canopies to maximise visitor viewing opportunities of the surrounding landscape.

The clubhouse, which overlooks the scenic Arabian coastline, will include a boutique hotel with 26 deluxe rooms, two restaurants, a spa and a pro-shop.

“We are just at the beginning of the detailed design of the clubhouse and are very pleased with the progress thus far.

“The design is intended to be an ephemeral mirage floating above the greens,” said Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning Gehry.

The Saadiyat Beach Golf Club got its global public debut this week with the staging of the Saadiyat Beach Classic hosted by Gary Player – a top-tier international charity tournament which has attracted leading international golfing names and celebrities from the world of sport.

Leading the star-studded player field will be golfing prodigy and world number 11, Rory McIlroy – who finished 3rd in last week’s 5th annual Abu Dhabi Golf Championship.

He will be joined by a wealth of other respected golf names including Sam Torrance OBE, Darren Clarke, Peter Mitchell, Costantino Rocca, Catriona Matthe, Melissa Reid, Maria Verchenova and Henrietta Zuel.

The Classic also boasts rugby stars Gavin Hastings and Victor Matfield, cricket’s Allan Lamb and BBC Sports News Presenter, Sarah Stirk.

Gary Player, arguably the most successful golfers of all time and designer of more than 300 courses worldwide, believes the charity tournament and addition of a Gehry-inspired clubhouse will be critical factors in the establishment of the emirate as a highly-sought after golf and leisure destination.

“Frank Gehry is one of the living, iconic architects of our time and to have an instantly recognisable structure, in the Guggenheim-style, as a clubhouse will be a world first.

There is no doubt Abu Dhabi has arrived as a major force on the international golfing scene and will continue to be a future magnet for the sport’s leading players and avid fan base globally,” said Player, who has 18 Majors to his name.

“This week’s Saadiyat Beach Classic marks the development’s final evolution of becoming a highly-sought after golfing destination.

It should serve as an inspiration to others around the world and, more importantly, will provide another important platform for younger generations to connect with the sport, a key facet in golf’s continuing development in the region.”

At the centre of the Classic will be an 18-hole tournament, where teams of four – including a top international golfer or celebrity – will battle it out on Saadiyat Beach Golf Club’s lush fairways and greens.

According to Steve A. Lassman, vice president and general manager of Villas of Distinction, the newest trend in villa rentals is combining a stay in the villa with destination-specific experiences.

“In Tuscany & the Amalfi Coast, we are offering both a la carte as well as pre-packaged experiences,” Lassman said. Examples include a hands-on Tuscan cooking lesson with Chef Attilio Di Fabrizio of Villa San Michele; an adult-child experience, where the adult learns to cook and the child learns to make bread, collecting fresh ingredients from the Ercolani Garden and then making pizza, and then samples homemade gelato; a day trip to the medieval walled town of Lucca with a local expert guide; and a half-day cycling tour around Lucca’s piazzas and city walls.

The company also offers personal shopping trips, museum tours, wine tastings, and olive oil tastings and offers similar experiences in France and in Costa Rica, ecological experiences. “Another growth driver of villa rentals is the trend of resort properties that are including villas in their room allocations,” Lassman said.

“Ritz Carlton in St. Thomas, Half Moon and the new Palmyra Resort in Jamaica, Sandy Lane in Barbados, to name a few, have recognized that they can sell these units to investors, thereby reducing their capital risk in the development and that these villas can be rented.

Demand for villa product is growing and thus villas will be a component of many new resorts.”

“Villas are less expensive on a per bedroom basis than a comparable hotel,” Lassman said. “With a villa, travelers get to enjoy the same appointments of a luxury hotel room; however they also have their own living room, dining room, kitchen, family room, private pool and patio, and a staff to cater to their needs.

All villas come with housekeeping, and many also include the services of a full-time butler, chef, gardener, and houseman. Further, food in villas is less expensive than food in resorts, and gourmet meals are prepared to order, based on the consumer’s desires, not a pre-set menu.”

He also stresses that “each villa offers a unique experience; unlike resorts and national chains, no two villas are the same.

A villa vacation affords the guest the opportunity to vacation in privacy, yet experience the local flavor of the destination.

Villas afford each member of the traveling party the ability to enjoy ‘their’ vacation, without infringing on each other.

For example, if someone wants to do work, they can find an area in the villa, outside the bedroom, which is the only space most resorts offer.”

The Villas of Distinction sales team has an average tenure of seven years. Twenty-five percent of the staff has more than 15 years experience.

They travel to the destinations three to four times a year and can offer customers recommendations on restaurants, events and sightseeing.

The company is currently working on a project to add insider tips to their web-site.

The concierge offers an array of services; arranging for sightseeing, car rentals and/or chauffeurs, massages, transfers and making restaurant reservations and golf tee-times.

For more information, visit www.villasofdistinction.com

The Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek is celebrating its 30th year with a major redesign.

The new design begins in the lobby, with custom, limed oak reception and concierge desks. The lobby furnishings and textiles are a juxtaposition of shapes, materials and color. The lobby is anchored by a pair of neutral-colored Michael Taylor sofas.

The look is punctuated by lattice-backed occasional chairs and four art-modern club chairs with coral and white Fortuny fabric, as well as two exaggerated wing chairs in embossed yellow leather.

Paying homage to The Mansion’s history, antique, stone-topped consoles original to the hotel were restored.

The new color scheme mixes off-whites with light grays and sand colors, accented by peach, coral, red, brown and black. Throughout the property are prints and original creations by Texas artists.

The guest rooms feature Egyptian cotton sheets and residential furnishings.

For more information, call 888-767-3966 or visit www.rosewoodhotels.com

Marrakech’s La Mamounia hotel received two internationally recognized awards — the property has been named “Best Resort” in Travel + Leisure’s 2010 Design Awards, and “Hotel of the Year” in the Tatler Travel Awards 2010, affirming the hotel’s standing as one of the most desirable properties in the world.

La Mamounia recently underwent a three-year restoration project led by internationally acclaimed interior designer Jacques Garcia, in which Garcia incorporated his trademark style with the impressive and powerful Moorish architecture already in place to recreate the luxurious mood of the legendary hotel.

La Mamounia features 136 guest rooms; 71 suites, including seven Signature Suites; and three Riads, each with three bedrooms, Moroccan salons and a private terrace complete with a swimming pool. In addition, the hotel has a 27,000-square-foot La Mamounia Spa; three signature restaurants headed by two-Michelin-starred chefs — Alfonso Iaccarino (L’Italien) and Jean-Pierre Vigato (Le Francais) — as well as Chef Rachid Agouray, who brings gourmet Moroccan cuisine to life at Le Marocain; a pool restaurant; five lavish bars; and 20 acres of historic gardens noted for its ancient olive groves and wide array of flora. The rebirth of the historic La Mamounia was celebrated in a Grand Re-Opening Gala on Nov. 26, 2009, attended by guests such as Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Adrien Brody and Salma Hayek.

For reservations or more information, visit www.mamounia.com

Anyone travelling to Prague later this year may be pleased to learn that the city’s castles will reopen to the public on April 1st.

PRAGUE, March 04, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ — People who have booked hotels in Prague in order to explore some of the historic sights that the city has to offer will not be disappointed if they time their visit to coincide with the beginning of the so-called “tourist season”.

From April 1st, many of the castles and palaces in the capital will reopen their doors to the public after their annual winter closures.

The dust sheets will come off and everything will be made ready for visitors to explore the historical buildings and their ornate contents.

Among the buildings to be on show to the public is the Lobkowicz Palace , which is located by the eastern gate of Prague Castle .

Prague.net recommended that anyone who visits the palace should take in the banqueting hall, which promises “mythological frescoes from the 17th century”.

Entry costs 20 Czech koruny (70p) and offers a host of stunning baroque decorations throughout its rooms.

Anyone with children may be able to keep them happy too because the toy museum is situated opposite the palace.

Featuring a history of playthings, which date back to ancient Greece , right through to some more familiar novelties, it should keep adults and kids entertained.

The new colour supplement from West Country specialists, Helpful Holidays, features forty self-catering cottages and country houses increasing their existing portfolio to nearly 650 holiday homes. Sleeping two to twelve guests in a variety of scenic locations throughout Devon and Cornwall, with a smaller selection in Somerset, many have stunning views across rolling countryside or out to sea.

Highlights include a stunning house for twelve beautifully converted from stone barns on a working farm near South Tawton and a contemporary house for ten with sensational sea views at Bigbury-on-Sea.

There’s also a great choice of smaller places such as a 17th century thatched cottage sleeping six two miles from Branscombe in East Devon and the curious gothic-style gatehouse at Dartmoor’s Bovey Castle, which has space for four guests.

And for those seeking total privacy, a lovely detached holiday home for ten is hidden in two acres of woodland gardens deep in Exmoor.

Prices range from £205 up to £2,825 per week.

Everyone taking a break with Helpful Holidays will receive a free ‘What shall we do today?’ booklet containing around 80 savings vouchers for use at a huge range of attractions throughout the West Country.

It also gives information on local farmers’ markets to ensure you can get some of the top quality local produce to enjoy in your holiday home, plus recommendations for the best beaches, coast and country walks and special places to visit.

For those short of time, Helpful Holidays have now introduced two-night weekend breaks with a late 6pm check-out available from October to Easter 2010, as well as three and four night stays. Two night breaks can only be booked within 28 days of departure.

For a copy of the new supplement and the main brochure call Helpful Holidays on 01647 434063; or search, check availability and book online at www.helpfulholidays.com

The Pick of the Best:

Here are some of the finest examples from the new supplement across a range of sizes:

Amongst the larger houses is Rock Barn near South Tawton in mid-Devon, which sleeps twelve in five bedrooms.

Converted from stone barns which once served as a grain store, the interior of this huge property has been stylishly decorated using white with contrasting darker browns and blacks, while vaulted ceilings, oak beams, a real open fire and bright red and pink accessories give it the wow factor.

A week’s stay at Rock Barn starts from £531, pets welcome. (For details, see page 11 of the colour supplement or visit www.helpfulholidays.com  and search for ref J22).

Just 350 yards from the vast sandy beach at Bigbury-on-Sea with panoramic sea views over Burgh Island in South Devon, Hillcrest is a stunning contemporary house for ten. Inspired by the beach houses in Sydney and furnished with flair, it has sliding walls of glass, lime-washed walls and exposed wood.

A four-person sauna is accessed through the master bedroom ensuite, while outside the lawned garden, decked terrace and hammock are finely positioned to enjoy the ever-changing sea view. A week’s stay at Hillcrest starts from £995, (For details, see page 17 of the colour supplement or visit www.helpfulholidays.com  and search for ref L114).

About half a mile back from the coast path near Branscombe, East Devon is Dunscombe Cottage, a picture-postcard Grade II thatched cottage for six.

Dating back to the 17th century, it has white cob walls, low lintels, heavy beams, huge inglenook with woodburner and the original backened oak spiral staircase.

A week’s stay at Dunscombe Cottage starts from £376. (For details, see page 12 of the colour supplement or visit www.helpfulholidays.com  and search for ref G33).

The detached, gothic-style gatehouse to Bovey Castle Hotel on Dartmoor, Devon is just inside the main entrance gates with views over the 18 hole golf course.

Built in 1907, Rose Cottage now sleeps four in two bedrooms. The quirky interior has been decorated with bold dark colours in the living rooms and jet black walls with down-lighters in the kitchen, while upstairs there are two light, bright bedrooms. Guests can enjoy the pool, gym, sauna and steam room at the hotel and all those over 16 also receive a complimentary round of golf; other activities are available at extra charge.

A week’s stay at Rose Cottage starts from £415, pets welcome. (For details, see page 23 of the colour supplement or visit www.helpfulholidays.com and search for ref A104).

Hidden in a deep Exmoor valley near Parracombe is Cowley Wood, a lovely detached house for ten set within two acres of private woodland gardens. A beautiful and tranquil place to stay with no visible neighbours other than visiting deer and badgers, the house has recently been renovated and refurnished.

A week’s stay at Cowley Wood starts from £366, pets welcome. (For details, see page 7 of the colour supplement or visit www.helpfulholidays.com and search for ref F44).

Sleeping five, Wassail Cottage near Stoke Gabriel in South Devon has been cleverly converted from a Grade II listed cider barn – it still overlooks neighbouring orchards. Insider the large circular stone pillars have been retained and complemented by fresh modern decor.

A week’s stay at Wassail Cottage starts from £285, pets welcome. (For details, see page 14 of the colour supplement or visit www.helpfulholidays.com and search for ref L119).