Jetsettersblog

Close House Hotel & Golf Club, Northumberland announced the second phase of a continued £7.5 million development of their golf, hotel & conference facilities in the North East. The £2.5 million state-of-the-art club house will feature floor to ceiling glass windows with panoramic views across the golf course & Tyne Valley, as well as one of the many lakes in the grounds.

It will be clad in ancient stone sourced from the existing estate to ensure it remains in keeping with Grade II listed buildings in the area.

Keeping business in the region was a priority for Sage founder and North East entrepreneur Graham Wylie, who purchased the 18th Century Hotel & Golf course in 2004 from Newcastle University. Mr Wylie appointed Durham based contractors Morgan Ashurst to carry out the building work commenced today.

Donning his hard hat for the occasion, Graham Wylie commented “it has always been my vision at Close House to create a premier golfing venue in the North East, and with the Championship golf course and clubhouse due for completion by Spring 2011, our aim is to bring business to the North East from around the UK and beyond.

“We are delighted to have appointed Morgan Ashurst as the contractors for the clubhouse project; their portfolio speaks volumes for the quality we are striving to achieve at Close House”.

Morgan Ashurst, which has local offices in Belmont Business Park, Durham, is a leading full service construction business with a strong track record in the North East.

“We are thrilled to be chosen to construct such a flagship leisure development here in the North East” says Duncan Kidd, Morgan Ashurst Operations Manager.

“We have a proven track record in delivering high quality leisure facilities. We will be using all this experience to help us deliver the best possible facilities for Close House Golf Club.

“As a local company, we are committed to spreading the benefits of our construction projects. For this reason, we will be using local suppliers and trades people whenever possible”.

Approximately 60 jobs will be created throughout the project, from the construction of the building through to employment of staff when the new club house and championship ‘Colt Course’ opens in 2011.

A Golf Academy, driving range & specialised Custom Fit Centre will be open to the public this year.

The hotel & golf course is situated ten minutes from Newcastle city centre and Newcastle airport.

This combined with the hotel’s new chauffeur service is expected to bring business into the region from across the UK and Internationally.

www.closehouse.co.uk

01661 852255

The stylish boutique hotel in Berlin wins the hearts of TripAdvisor’s and Trivago’s communities

The members of the TripAdvisor travel community, the world‘s largest online portal for travellers‘ reviews, have voted for the best and most popular hotels worldwide: In the category “Top 25 hotels in Germany” Hotel OTTO in Berlin-Charlottenburg, a member of Epoque Hotels, classes among the winners and came 6th in the overall ranking. But that’s not all.

The largest European travel community, Trivago, chooses this boutique hotel as the best design hotel in Berlin. Taken from more than 150,000 guest reviews on design hotels in Berlin, the stylish Hotel OTTO wins with the highest overall ranking of the reviews and is as of now at the top of the list of Berlin’s best design hotels.

These awards reflect the satisfaction of the hotel guests and honours the its stylish design. 46 renovated and newly equipped rooms and suites offer modern comfort in urban design.

The OTTO concept was developed by the well-known creative consultants “Kessler + Kessler” from Zurich.

Absolute highlight of the modern boutique hotel is the breakfast lounge “Etage07” on the top floor of the hotel with adjacent sun terrace and fantastic views over Berlin’s rooftops. Chic Arper armchairs, chairs and tables, light cream tones, paired with prominent anthracite and colour accents in fuchsia award the lounge with timeless style.

The modern rooms offer functional comfort and contemporary design: the fabrics of the trendy Arper armchairs are taken from the series “small dots” by Charles and Ray Eames. Various Tolomeo lamps smartly light up the generous rooms. From the desk light, to the reading lamp over the bed up to the mobile standing light everything originates from the designseries by Artemide.

The rooms are furnished with individually designed furniture from light wood.

Bright colour accents alternate with neutral colours. All materials have been produced by kvadrat, one of the top design textiles manufacturers. Technical features, like flat screen TVs in all rooms and free wireless internet in the entire hotel round off the offer.

The original hotel Westerland was built in 1965 and opened in the 70′s. The Haas sons acquired the real estate in 2006 and Rita Mueller took over the daily hotel business. In autumn of 2007 extensive interior and exterior remodeling was accomplished in spring 2008.

Life Resort Da Nang became the first new resort to open on Vietnam’s central coast beach between Da Nang and Hoi An since the global recession.

The resort, which celebrates its grand opening this week, is set on Bac My An beach, often referred to in the West as “China Beach.”

The city of Da Nang is situated close by and has its own international airport with daily flights from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Nha Trang.

Accommodation at Life Resort Da Nang begins with 158 spacious Superior and Deluxe rooms each with balconies, rising up to the Penthouse suites with Jacuzzi baths, huge balconies and sea views. In addition, there are 11 one- and two-bedroom villas available with open plan living rooms, private gardens and large luxury en-suites with generous stone baths.

The hotel includes a lobby bar, a pool bar, Senses restaurant, the soon-to-open Nang Spa, a fitness center and more.

Beyond Life Resort Da Nang, the Life Resorts owns and operates two resorts in Vietnam and manages a third.

The properties include the 94-room Life Heritage Resort Hoi An, the 63-room Life Wellness Resort Quy Nhon, and Life manages the 84-room Blue Ocean Resort.

The Dutch resort company is also developing a property on Halong Bay, scheduled to open later in 2010.

For more information, email sales@life-resorts.com  or visit www.life-resorts.com

Sunspots International, a wholesale travel company focused on New Zealand, Australia and the the South Pacific, has launched a new website for hunting trips to New Zealand.

Sunspots Safaris – New Zealand Hunting Trips

Hunting trips for trophy red stag, himalayan bull tahr, chamois, and more in New Zealand from Sunspots Safaris.

Sunspots International has launched its new Sunspots Safaris website, www.biggamehuntingnewzealand.com  featuring hunting and travel packages for New Zealand.

Packages include a wide variety of accommodations on both North and South islands of New Zealand. Species hunted included trophy red stag, Himalayan Tahr, fallow deer, chamois, South Pacific goat, feral goat, wild boar, and various game birds.

“I am an avid hunter myself–I’ve been hunting since I was 8 years old. And, I’ve been in the family business, Sunspots International, for all my adult life, providing travel experiences to New Zealand, Australia, and the islands of the South Pacific for 30 years.

“Once I discovered the fantastic hunting that’s available in New Zealand, I knew I had to combine my love of hunting with my knowledge of New Zealand travel.

“And that’s why I created Sunspots Safaris as a division of our travel business,” says Sunspots VP Rodney Smith.

Sunspots Safaris is able to combine their air carrier contracts and hotel contracts with hunting experiences from New Zealand outfitters to create a hunting vacation in New Zealand at a price the competition can’t match.

And, because of their long-standing partnerships with ground handlers in New Zealand, Sunspots is able to handle the client’s hunting trip literally from door to door, with complete confidence.

Sunspots International achieves its success by being the most dedicated, professional and accomplished wholesaler to the South Pacific today.

“We are a family owned and operated business who provides superb quality in conjunction with outstanding value. Sunspots International boasts a 37 year business history and our skilled travel professionals are South Pacific experts committed to unsurpassed service.

Luxury Travel is experienced in providing special services and unique tourism products to luxury global travelers. Luxury Travel company specializes in luxury tourism and announces bespoke holidays to upscale gays and lesbian travelers to Vietnam.

HANOI, VIETNAM – Luxury Travel is experienced in providing special services and unique tourism products to luxury global travelers. Luxury Travel company specializes in luxury tourism and announces bespoke holidays to upscale gays and lesbian travelers to Vietnam.

Hanoi, Vietnam, April 12, 2010 –The company promotes luxury and bespoke travel experiences at affordable prices during the credit crunch and Luxury Travel Company is very friendly to gays, from tour guides to drivers and all representatives.

Luxury Travel is the first travel company in Vietnam (www.luxurytravelvietnam.com ) offering tours for not only couples but also for upscale singles. This travel company offers luxury adventure, tailor made, small private group, spa, theme, and weekend trips.

Luxury Travel is a tour company highly recommended for people who love romance, have fine taste and want to do it on a budget or travel in a discounted way that is within their means.

Also, it is an informative website for people who can more than afford to go on trips as it provides them the service of being able to travel with other like minded professional upscale people.

The incredible itineraries that are chosen are to amazing places, and it leaves one to feel like they actually have more than the right amount of time, to absorb the places, and really do what guests want to do, rather than feeling really hurried, and so rushed as, unfortunately, a lot of other travel companies can do.

“Quietly, Vietnam has become a popular niche market for gay tourists. Saigon is particularly welcoming,” Dav Nguyen, Sales and Marketing Manager of Luxury Travel Group says that it’s all because of the locals’ friendly attitude: “People living here have a very open approach to gay people.”

The website to go to see their wonderful selections of inspirational luxury trips is http://www.luxurytravelvietnam.com guests can be emailed directly to luxury travel advisors at advisor@luxurytravelvietnam.com  for special interests or custom tours. Name it they deliver it in style.

“We had a wonderful trip in Vietnam-all accommodations and tour guides were fantastic.

“We enjoyed all the sights included in our schedule as well as all meals planned by Luxury Travel, so thank you! I will definitely recommend Luxury Travel Vietnam to all my family and friends. Let me stress that all guides and hotel employees were very respectful, kind, and professional and we have no complaints against any individual we encountered.

“Your company went above and beyond our expectations and we couldn’t be more pleased with the service we received,” commented Julie and Valerie, clients of Luxury Travel Company from New Orleans, LA, USA.

This way to have the freedom and privacy and yet have the convenience, the company, and the well shared travel memories of being with so many nice friendly people.

Visit http://www.luxurytravelvietnam.com

Luxury Travel Co., Ltd. (Vietnam) is a 100% fully registered and privately-owned Vietnamese company.

It was founded by luxury travel specialists since the 1990s when Vietnam had just opened its doors to worldwide tourism.

The company’s depth of experience and large infrastructure enable it to create unique itineraries with the operational confidence to fulfill client expectations.

Luxury Travel has won numerous travel awards

Centara Hotels and Resorts has become Thailand’s largest hotel chain.

The company has taken over the management of 11 Astudo properties now being rebranded under the Centara name and now has 43 properties across Thailand. Many of the Astudo properties will be rebranded under the Centara Boutique Collection, launched last year as a collection of luxury hotels and resorts. Centara aims to be operating 50 to 60 hotels and resorts under the Boutique Collection brand within the next 10 years.

For more information, visit www.centarahotelsresorts.com

Following the recent addition of three luxury hotels in Shanghai, Changsha and Hangzhou, Wyndham Hotel Group, part of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies, announced its continued expansion in China with agreements to open four additional new luxury Wyndham hotels in the cities of Chengdu, Suzhou, Shanghai and Kunming.

Soon to join the brand’s Wyndham Grand Collection are the 420-room Wyndham Grand Plaza Royale Palace Chengdu, the 311-room Wyndham Grand Plaza Royale Jingsi Garden Suzhou and the 374-room Wyndham Grand Plaza Royale Colorful Kunming. Also joining the brand is the 321-room Wyndham Shanghai Bund East. All four hotels, which are currently under construction, will be managed by Greater China Hospitality (H.K.) Limited.

“The addition of these hotels strengthens our position as the largest U.S.-based hotel company in China,” said Eric Danziger, Wyndham Hotel Group president and CEO. Wyndham Hotel Group’s 207 hotels in China represent 33,336 rooms in primary and secondary cities under the Wyndham, Ramada, Howard Johnson, Days Inn and Super 8 brands.

The Wyndham brand debuted in China in 2009 with the opening of the 588-room Wyndham Xiamen. The 337-room Wyndham Baolian Hotel is scheduled to open next year.

The Wyndham Grand Plaza Royale Palace Chengdu, now under construction in Sichuan Province, will feature 12 meeting rooms to accommodate groups up to 800 including a 430-square-meter multiple-function hall and 880-square-meter banquet hall, business center, three restaurants, six private dining rooms, cigar and wine bar, executive club lounge and lobby lounge.

Designed to be the only five-star hotel in western Chengdu, the hotel will offer free Internet access, parking and guest rooms 36 square meters and larger, all equipped with 42-inch, flat-panel televisions.

The hotel is scheduled to open in late spring this year.

The Wyndham Grand Plaza Royale Jingsi Garden Suzhou will specialize in meetings, incentive, conventions and exhibitions with 1,300 square meters of function space including 14 VIP rooms and a 1,100-square-meter banquet room. Hotel facilities will include three restaurants, lobby bar and business center.

The Wyndham Grand Plaza Royale Colorful Kunming, commanding a view of the entire southern part of Kunming, will feature two restaurants, VIP dining rooms, lobby bar, business center and meeting rooms including a ballroom.

A key asset will be its proximity to Kunming’s airport, just 7 kilometers away, and city center, just a 5-kilometer drive.

The Wyndham Shanghai Bund East, in the city’s South Bund neighborhood, will feature two restaurants, seven VIP dining rooms, lobby bar, business center, and 10 meeting rooms including an 870 square-meter banquet hall and 440-square-meter divisible multifunction room. For reservations or more information, visit the banner below.

Holidays for every taste in luxury Italian style

With the arrival of spring guests of the Baglioni group of hotels can take advantage of a wide range of special, tailor made experiences to enhance their stay. These range from the excitement of driving luxury sports cars through Italy, to wine tasting, shopping opportunities and nights at the opera.

Driving experience in Rome, Florence, Milan and Bologna: for car enthusiasts and lovers of Italian style, the Regina Hotel Baglioni in Rome, the Relais Santa Croce and the Hotel Bernini Palace in Florence, the Carlton Hotel Baglioni in Milan and the Grand Hotel Baglioni in Bologna offer exclusive stays to experience the thrills of driving a Ferrari or Lamborghini in Italy.

Every morning, an expert driver – at the wheel of a seperate car, which is constantly in touch with you by a mobile radio system – will lead you in your chosen vehicle through the Italian countryside. You will make stops in charming small villages, enjoy delicious Italian food and visit vineyards along the way.
For an even longer and deeper driving experience, a special 6 night itinerary joins together the cities of Rome, Florence and Milan.

Music in Verona: for those wishing to experience a performance in the Verona Arena, the Due Torri Hotel Baglioni offers the chance to hear the world’s greatest singers on the occasion of the 88th season of the Opera Festival.: enjoy a wonderful room, a warm welcome with sparkling wine, a tasty buffet breakfast and, before the concert, a gala dinner in the hotel’s prestigious restaurant.

Concerts featuring Alicia Keys, Michael Bublè, Rod Stewart and Stevie Wonder are also scheduled for the summer.

Shopping, in Venice and Milan: the many and varied boutiques of Venice with their wide range of fashions, world famous Murano glassware and stunning jewellery are a delight for those who love to shop.

At the Luna Hotel Baglioni in Venice you will find a warm and sophisticated atmosphere, with a special gift in the room on the arrival, an aperitif at the Caffè Baglioni, a wonderful breakfast served in the enchanting Salone Marco Polo and a tour with a personal shopper. To conclude the experience, try your luck with complimentary entrance to the famous Venice Casino.

An inviting combination of shopping, culture and gastronomy is offered by the Carlton Hotel Baglioni. You may enjoy a tour of the famous fashion district with a private guide for 3 hours or a cultural tour of the city. Add on a visit to the painting of the Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci, a SPA treatment and a dinner on the Baglioni Terrace.

Art and culture in Venice, Florence, Rome and Aix-en-Provence: if art and cultural experiences are your preference, the Luna Hotel Baglioni in Venice offers the opportunity to visit the most important attractions in San Marco and, the famous Peggy Guggenheim Collection on the Grand Canal.

Delicious lunches and dinners in the hotel’s award winning Canova restaurant will make your stay even more delightful.

On the other hand, the Relais Santa Croce suggests visits to historical places that are normally closed to the public, such as Palazzo Pitti and the Ferragamo Museum, or, to a small jewellery workshop or to the Officina Profumo Farmaceutica of Santa Maria Novella, where the perfumes conceived for the court of the Medici family are still kept and produced.

In Rome, the Regina Hotel Baglioni offers guests the opportunity to admire the works of Caravaggio, whose most important paintings are celebrated in a special exhibition from the 20th of February to the 13th of June at the Scuderie del Quirinale.

A 3 hour itinerary in search of the churches that still keep his paintings and, focusing on the origin of the artist, inviting and delicious tastings of dishes from the region of Lombardia.

Still with art, this time in France, where Villa Gallici suggests an interesting Cézanne discovery route with a guided tour of Aix-en-Provence and Saint Victoir Mountain, places that the artist loved and painted or, perhaps a visit to his famous studios.

Villa Gallici has a chic elegance and stylish, intimate atmosphere and will welcome you with handmade delicacies and a dinner under the plane trees of the terrace.

Food and wine in Florence and in Mirambeau-Bordeaux: those loving the pleasures of the table can enjoy the 8 Star Emotional Gourmet Experience, 5 stars of the Relais Santa Croce and 3 Michelin stars of the Enoteca Pinchiorri combine in tasting dinners showcasing both Tuscan food and it’s wine culture with luxury rooms, frescoed halls and historical Florentine works of art.

For wine lovers, Chateau de Mirambeau suggests a holiday dedicated to oenology, with visits to the vineyards and to the famous wine and cognac producing firms of the area. Private tasting of the local Bordeaux wines with the sommelier.

Golf and family in Punta Ala: golf lovers can celebrate the arrival of the first warmth of spring with a holiday at the Baglioni Residence Alleluja in Punta Ala in the Tuscan Maremma.

Beside one of the most important courses in Europe, with 18 holes par 72, Residence Alleluja offers warm hospitality, comfort and elegance: welcome cocktails, a luxury room or apartment, free access to the private beach services, sauna and Jacuzzi.

For those who don’t play golf there is a beautiful swimming pool set in lush gardens to relax by with the family.

Family in London: for those wishing to spend time with the family, the Baglioni Hotel London offers luxury communicating rooms, a free dvd film selection, buffet breakfast, London Eye tickets, complimentary use of bicycles, Nintendo Wii or Playstation for the whole stay.

For further information and reservations www.baglionihotels.com  (prices starting from € 470)

The Baglioni Group began in 1973 and today has 15 properties in Italy (Bologna, Florence, Milan, Rome, Verona, Venice and Punta Ala), France (Aix-en-Provence, Champillon-Epernay, Saint Paul de Vence, Mirambeau-Borbeaux, Bort L’Etang Auvergne) and UK (London). With its headquarters in Milan, Baglioni Hotels has 800 employees.

A trip to the theater can be a magical experience, but the hustle and bustle of the city isn’t for everyone.

That’s why the award-winning Marriott Theater located at the Lincolnshire Marriott Resort has partnered with the resort to offer two amazing packages that combine the tranquility of a Marriott stay with the excitement of a live performance.

Relax amongst the 175 manicured, suburban acres of the resort and indulge in an amazing steak and seafood dinner at the Kings Wharf restaurant before enjoying a world-class production at the Marriott Theater.

Whether you’re looking for a weekend outing with the family or a romantic night away, the Lincolnshire Marriott Resort has a theater package to suit your needs.

The Theater Package includes:

Overnight accommodations
Two tickets to current musical at Marriott Theater

The Escape Dinner Theater package includes:

Overnight accommodations
Dinner for two in the King’s Wharf restaurant
Breakfast for two in the Fairfield Inn restaurant
Two theater tickets for two adults (available for one or two nights)

The Lincolnshire Marriott’s Theater Packages are valid until December 30, 2010. Rates begin at $169.

Our society once again has possession of an elegant lost technology that can drastically change the landscape of tomorrow’s cities.

Delving into Egypt’s Great Pyramids can be one mysterious and surprising journey.

Anyone who is convinced that the accepted construction theories can account for the Great Pyramid will see ‘The Great Pyramid Secret: Egypt’s Amazing Lost Mystery Science Returns’ storm the gates of orthodoxy. A great demystification takes place within the pages of this new book. A great lost science emerges.

When an early draft of the book got into the hands of material scientists at Drexel University, in Philadelphia, PA, the excitement was such that an international science team was enthusiastically organized.

Their research continued for years and is still on-going. In their first peer-reviewed paper on the topic, the Drexel team wrote that the sophistication of the recovered pyramid technology is “simply astounding.”

MIT followed suit by teaching a class that tested the recovered ancient technology for construction purposes.

Our society once again has possession of an elegant lost technology that can drastically change the landscape of tomorrow’s cities. This important, now patented technology providing for massive, protective, durable mega-structuring — unprecedented in size and strength — is poised to take its place among the top ten technologies that can save the world.

‘The Great Pyramid Secret: Egypt’s Amazing Lost Mystery Science Returns’ is a major new book published by Scribal Arts. The dynamic book appears destined to become a classic. Science buffs, archaeologists, engineers and architects who dream on the scale of enduring futuristic superstructures, environmentalists concerned with sea level rises and other flooding, hurricane force winds, and the need to barricade toxic waste sites and fortify against other serious hazards, educators, students and anyone who loves to see mysteries explode will take delight in the intriguing landscape of this astonishing book.

About the Author: Margaret Morris has worked on Egyptian antiquities since 1984, starting at Barry University’s former Institute For Applied Archaeological Sciences (IAPAS).

For years she served as the Assistant Director of the IAPAS.

She has authored books and published papers and debates with geologists on this Egyptological topic in science and technical journals.

She has engaged several highly-qualified scientists and technicians over the years so that they have made valuable contributions to ‘The Great Pyramid Secret: Egypt’s Amazing Lost Mystery Science Returns’ in the interest of science.

She has co-authored on this topic with the award-winning, internationally-recognized maverick scientist Dr. Joseph Davidovits, founder of the chemistry of geopolymerization.

“Amazing new theory….

which is so simple and elegant that it is sure to become the common knowledge within a generation.” ALLBOOKS REVIEWS, March 2010

visit: http://www.margaretmorrisbooks.com