Jetsettersblog

The Finnair Group is initiating the development of a business unit focused on independent travel and leisure travel groups, with the objective of establishing a strong presence in Finland’s independent travel market.

Jari Ahjoharju of Area Travel Agency has been appointed project leader.

The unit’s purpose is to serve customers in all of their leisure travel needs on the internet, in telephone service and in retail outlets.

The plan is for the new unit to start operating in the autumn.

Sales in the independent leisure travel market are growing strongly.

It is the fastest growing air transport segment.

“An increasing number of Finns are making short international trips for sport, culture, meeting friends or shopping,” said Kaisa Vikkula, Finnair’s senior vice president of travel services.

From this summer on, the Mayor of London and Transport for London will set up and operate a London Cycle Hire scheme.

Bicycles will be available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The London Cycle Hire scheme will help to alleviate congestion on the Tube and buses in London.

The scheme will launch with 6,000 hire bicycles based in the nine London boroughs and several Royal Parks that make up London’s zone one travel area, and are expected to generate around 40,000 extra cycle trips a day in central London.

Visit www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/cycling/12444.aspx

The River Thames offers your clients another way to experience London.

The Veuve Clicquot Cruise aboard London’s only super yacht, the Silver Sturgeon is priced at £99.50 ($148) per person and includes a Champagne reception, canapé, three course lunch with specially selected wines, and a three and a half hour charter from Savoy Pier on London’s Victoria Embankment.

The cruises operate from June to August. For more information, email elana@silverfleet.co.uk  

or visit www.silverfleet.co.uk

River Thames’ City Cruises feature modern, accessible boats with panoramic windows and open deck areas.

Clients can select from a lunch cruise, or a sightseeing cruise which operates between four major destination piers on the River Thames (Westminster, London Eye, Tower and Greenwich), each one on the doorstep of many popular sites and leading attractions.

For more information, visit www.citycruises.com  or www.silverfleet.co.uk

A longtime favorite haunt of the European upper class, Bodrum is often referred to as the St. Tropez of Turkey.

It’s home to yachts, modern villas, luxury hotels and casual-yet-sophisticated clubs.

The Bodrum peninsula looks seductive from the Aegean Sea, a painterly tableau of white-washed stucco homes, purple bougainvilleas, orange groves and olive-green hillsides set against dramatic bronzed slopes.

Spreading across a hilltop high above everything, Marmara Bodrum, is one of the newest landmarks there. This boutique hotel is a member of the small luxury hotels of the world and the winner of the five-star diamond award. At its center is the massive 15th century Castle of St. Peter.

For Americans, most journeys to Turkey start in Istanbul and, from there, several daily, direct flights are available to Bodrum Airport.

Another popular route is flying from Istanbul to Izmir, where a few miles drive in either direction lets travelers explore the ancient ruins of Ephesus and Pergamon. Bodrum is a three-hour drive from Izmir.

For more information, call 877-FOR-TURKEY or visit

www.tourismturkey.org

or www.goturkey.com

The soon-to-open Burgundy Paris hotel in the Madeleine district has 51 bedrooms and eight suites decorated in a style that combines classicism, elegance and modernity.

Room rates will start at 342 euros ($439).

Artists Guy de Rougemont and Marco del Re have placed their works in the glass roof and in the bar Le Baudelaire, illustrating the poems of the Fleurs du mal.

There are three categories of guestroom: Classic, Superior and Deluxe.

The eight suites have such areas as a private terrace (Suite Opéra), a walk-in-closet, a lounge, and the possibility of privatizing several communicating suites.

The royal suite on the top floor has a dining room, a huge office, a walk-in-closet and a lounge.

The hotel, which is located between the rue Royale, the rue Cambon and the rue Saint-Honoré, will also have a restaurant serving food in the “purest French tradition.”

It will also offer an upscale spa with a hammam, a sauna, a fitness room, massage cubicles and a swimming pool.

For more information, call 011-33 (0)1 42 60 34 12

or visit www.leburgundy.com

Following a year of refurbishment to create a singular boutique-style hotel on the outskirts of Lucca, the owners of the Albergo Villa Casanova have opened the hotel and it’s now accepting guests.

The Ismails, who reside in England, purchased the property in 2008 and immediately embarked on a substantial restoration of the main building to create 14 luxurious and spacious suites.

The Ismails opted to reduce the number of rooms in favor of providing enormous suites to maximize the views and overall client experience. Located 15 minutes from Lucca, Albergo Villa Casanova is well situated for visiting the ancient town which hosts numerous festivals throughout the year, including the Puccini Opera Festival.

In addition to its own bar and restaurant, Albergo Villa Casanova also has a chapel which dates back to 1860 and has been restored with a Michelangelo-style fresco.

They are able to conduct marriage ceremonies in the chapel as well provide a venue for wedding receptions.

The owners will offer specialized holidays based on local activities including walking, art, truffle hunting, fashion, vintage and classic Italian car shows and Tuscan cookery.

The property also features a restaurant, terraces, infinity swimming pool and tennis court.

For more information, call 011-39 340 383 4482 or visit www.albergocasanova.com

Moscow’s Mayor Yury Luzhkov officially opened the Radisson Royal Hotel, Moscow.

Formerly known as “Hotel Ukraina,” the building is one of Stalin’s legendary “Seven Sisters” skyscrapers, and reopened its doors after an extensive three-years renovation, now featuring 506 guest rooms and suites as well as 38 apartments.

The Radisson Royal Hotel, Moscow is located in the city center on a bow of the Moskva River at the conjunction of Kutuzovsky Prospect and Novy Arbat, two of the city’s commercial thoroughfares.

Within close walking distance from the property there are many notable locations such as the House of Government of the Russian Federation (Russian White House) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Red Square, flanked by the walls of the Kremlin, is within comfortable reach of the Hotel.

The 505 rooms and suites as well as 38 serviced apartments with kitchenettes feature Radisson Blu signature services like free high-speed Internet access, and are equipped with furniture and accessories of worldwide leading brands such as Baker, Provasi, Florence Art, Citterio, Villeroy & Boch, Penhaligon’s and Etro.

The main restaurant, Veranda, serves contemporary Mediterranean cuisine and classic international dishes, and the Tatler Club features fusion cuisine by the Russian Chef ArkadyNovikov.

At Bono, guests can have Italian specialties; Farsi invites diners to taste exotic Iranian menus; Takasa on the 31st floor serves sophisticated Japanese delicacies; and the best spot for a drink and a song after dinner is the hotel’s Trubadur Karaoke Bar with views over the city.

For more information, visit www.radisson-hotels.ru

RCI, a vacation exchange company and one of the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands, announced the addition of two affiliated resorts to its worldwide exchange network –

The Viking Club Hotel in Egypt and The Jdoudna Hotel in Syria.

The Viking Club Hotel in Sharm el Sheikh is situated within walking distance of the Na’ama Bay district and offers a view of the bay.

a’ama Bay features shopping, an array of restaurants and a night scene.

The resort has two swimming pools, a restaurant, dive centre and a private beach accessed by a regular shuttle bus service.

The resort currently operates 180 units with a further 80 under construction as part of phase 2 of its development.

The Jdoudna Hotel is located on the top of Syria’s Bloudan mountains, 1,800 meters above sea level, offering a view of the Bloudan Valley.

The resort offers an indoor swimming pool, hot tub and the Jdoudna restaurant.

For more information, visit

the banner ad below.

Viking River Cruises has partnered with musicians of the world-famous Mariinsky Theatre to feature a group of its performers aboard nine 2010 departures of the 13-day “Waterways of the Czars” cruise.

The performers include a soprano and a tenor from the Mariinsky Opera who will receive accompaniment from a pianist.

Performances will feature classical compositions, famous arias and traditional Russian favorites.

“Working with the Mariinsky musicians allows us to take our program of cultural enrichment to the next level,” said Richard Marnell, Viking’s senior vice president of marketing. “Having world-class singers and musicians accompany guests as they sail through the heart of Russia is the ultimate immersion into Russian culture and an unforgettable experience.”

The Mariinsky performers will be hosted on the following departures: Aug. 11, Aug. 23, Sept. 28 and Oct. 10 aboard Viking Peterhof, and July 18, July 30, Aug. 11, Aug. 23 and Oct. 10 aboard Viking Pakhomov.

In addition to performing, the artists will offer insight into Russian classical composers, Russian folk songs, the history of the Mariinsky Theatre and the Mariinsky today, through lectures and discussions where they will also answer questions about their background and Russian musical traditions.

Viking’s 13-day “Waterways of the Czars” cruise sails from along the Neva, Svir and Volga rivers with stops in riverside towns such as Goritzy, Yaroslavl, Uglich and the island city of Kizhi with its Open Air Museum of Architecture. In addition, guests will have multiple days in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

The Mariinsky Theatre, based in the heart of St. Petersburg, opened in 1860.

It was considered Russia’s preeminent music theater of the late 19th century where many stage masterpieces of famed composers such as Tchaikosvky were premiered.

Today, the Mariinsky Theatre is home to the Mariinsky Ballet, Mariinsky Opera and Mariinsky Orchestra.

For more information, call 877-668-4546 or visit

www.vikingrivercruises.com

Warwick International Hotels, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, welcomed into its collection another hotel in Italy: Villa & Palazzo Aminta in Stresa — Lake Maggiore.

The property joins Warwick’s other four other Italian hotels, the Hotel d’Inghilterra in Rome, the Hotel Helvetia & Bristol in Florence, Borgo La Bagnaia Resort & Spa in Siena and the Hotel Hermitage in Milan. Villa & Palazzo Aminta is a privately owned luxury resort on Italy’s Lake Maggiore.

The property features 67 rooms suites, Palazzo Aminta Beauty & Spa as well as two restaurants Le Isole and I Mori.

For more information, visit www.warwickhotels.com