Jetsettersblog

The Abbey Resort & Spa in Fontana, Wis., this year debuts marina services on Lake Geneva.

The resort will offer slips for overnight use, enabling resort guests to keep their boats in the water during their stay.

Lake Geneva boaters will now be able to boat right up to the docks to visit the Waterfront Restaurant & Bar and other resort amenities.

The Waterfront Restaurant will offer a new take-out menu, and the Waterfront Store’s snacks and packaged goods will now be more accessible to Lake Geneva boaters.

Other marina services for resort guests will include access to other activities near The Abbey’s harbor, such as ski boating, ski school, parasailing and wave running.

The slips will accommodate boats ranging from 8.5 feet wide and up to 44 feet long with the cost to rent a slip at $75 per night, which includes ramp/launch usage, 110V power, water, Wi-Fi Internet access and boat trailer parking.

A marina services manger/concierge will be on hand to meet arriving marine guests and to assist boaters and resort guests with all dockside services.

Reservations are required by calling 800-709-1323.

Located 80 miles from downtown Chicago and 50 miles from Milwaukee, The Abbey Resort & Spa is 90 acres on the shores of Lake Geneva.

The resort boasts several dining optionsand banquet facilities, nearby championship golf courses and outdoor activities.

The Abbey Resort is managed and operated by Hostmark Hospitality Group of Schaumburg, Ill.

For more information, visit www.theabbeyresort.com

The Westin New York at Times Square announced 126 new Atrium Club Rooms.

Formally named the Executive Club rooms, the redesign is the final stage of the hotel’s $24 million, four-year refreshment program that transformed the entire hotel’s look and feel.

The rooms feature a residential look. Color, specifically shades of blue, was a major factor in the redesign. The use of high-end coloration being touted in recent leading design magazines was used as a strong direction to create a haven of serenity which will make travelers forget they are above the hustle and bustle of Times Square.

The hallways feature artwork from Bernice Abbott. The soft, pillow-like blue-grey upholstered headboard extends all the way to the ceiling behind the famous, white, Westin Heavenly Bed. Rooms that have window seats use the same soft textured fabric as the headboard, giving visitors the luxury of comfortably gazing outside for as long as they please.

To the right side of the bed, a table with an open shelf and drawers is made of cerused wood, topped by a white linen-covered lamp sitting on top of marble, and the left bedside table is a lighter oak topped by a second white linen-covered lamp and a Vers alarm clock, radio, and iPod docking station.

A haven for business travelers, featuring complimentary Internet access, the work area features an oversized desk hand-wrapped in sable and topped with frosted glass with bluish tones.

Sitting on top is a fully-loaded 17-inch Apple iMac 5G computer with a wireless mouse and keyboard.

The comfortable Edwardian-style desk chair is upholstered in neutral-toned tweed.

Also perched on the desk is a 42-inch flat-panel LCD high-definition television with Energy Star rating.

Guests who stay in the Atrium Club Rooms will enjoy complimentary access to the hotel’s fitness center and the Atrium Club Lounge.

The Atrium Club Lounge features complimentary services including continental breakfast featuring Superfoods, afternoon snacks, evening hors d’oeuvres, an honor bar, unlimited beverages including water, soda, cappuccino and espresso, wireless Internet access, dedicated concierge services, and use of semi-private workspaces with computers/printers.

For reservations and or more information, call 888-627-7149

 or visit www.westinny.com

Chef Jose Andres will open two restaurants at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas in late 2010.

It will be his first foray into Las Vegas. Andres and his ThinkFoodGroup will open a new location of Jaleo, a Washington, D.C.-based restaurant, serving Spanish tapas.

His second restaurant will be a new concept that features his take on Chinese and Mexican cuisine.

For more information, call 202-638-1910 or visit www.thinkfoodgroup.com

Paris’ Muse des Letters et des Manuscripts, which presents and preserves historical writing, moved from its original address to the boulevard Saint-Germaine, and is now housed in a listed Haussmann building.

On display are historically important manuscripts of all kinds including Einstein’s writings on relativity; manuscripts of the two Manifestes du surréalisme by André Breton; the political testament of Louis XVI; scores by Mozart, Chopin, Debussy and Wagner; and letters written by Manet, Gauguin, Toulouse-Lautrec, Monet and Ingres. Some of these manuscripts are hung on the walls and others exhibited under glass display cases.

The museum has taken advantage of the move to present works in a new way, using cutting-edge technology.

Each section is now equipped with a multimedia point, with a touch screen and headphones, which enable visitors to appreciate the written works in a different way, notably accompanied by sound commentary.

Similarly, each room has a screen to browse through, which enables visitors to get a quick overview of a work, or, on the contrary, to take an in depth look stopping on each of its pages.

The new museum has a temporary exhibition program launched by the inaugural exhibition, “Proust, du temps perdu au temps retrouvé” (until Aug. 29).

For more information, visit www.museedeslettres.fr

The Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA), the nation’s largest LGBT chamber of commerce, has launched Travel Gay Seattle — Where Out is In, an inbound travel portal designed to reach and attract LGBT visitors to Seattle.

Travel Gay Seattle is a resource for travelers looking to get here, stay here and play here, offering a portal through which travelers can book their plane or train tickets and hotel stay, as well as find restaurants, shopping, unique neighborhoods and Seattle-centric activities.

The website also includes a travel blog that provides local insight, reviews, photos and tips for discovering local urban flavor.

Visitors using the site are connected directly to online travel planning resources.

To launch Travel Gay Seattle, the GSBA has partnered with Alaska Airlines, the City of Seattle’s Office of Economic Development and Sound Transit, a regional network of commuter rail, light rail, express buses and local transit resources.

Corporate sponsors include Sheraton Seattle Hotel, Amtrak and American Airlines.

For more information, visit www.thegsba.org/travel

More Than Scenic Landscape And Walking Territory

When the South Downs became Britain’s 15th National Park on 31 March, 61 years after the first was created, it was something quite unique among parks.

By far the most populated of the fifteen, and boasting historic towns, villages and hamlets within its boundaries, a short break to the new South Downs National Park will offer the stimulation of heritage and culture alongside the more obvious attractions of a wild walking landscape and rare wildlife to be found in its protected pockets.

Unlike other ‘wilder’ National Park landscapes, the majority of the South Downs is farmland and has for many years been designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Although it stretches from eastern Hampshire, two-thirds of the 70 mile park area lies in Sussex and extends from the hills, wooded estates and heathland of West Sussex to the looming Seven Sisters cliffs in East Sussex.

Dotted amongst this natural beauty are historic centres like Midhurst, Petworth and Arundel in West Sussex and Lewes and Alfriston in East Sussex, each within spitting distance of heritage attractions.

The South Downs National Park already attracts around 39 million visitors a year, more than any other National Park, and with its new status should prove a magnet for even more since 10 million people live within an hour’s travel time.

Find out more about its varied attractions, accommodation and restaurants by visiting visitsussex.org or plan a short break in one of these key areas:

ARUNDEL AND THE ARUN VALLEY

Arundel has it all: a majestic castle, gothic cathedral, pretty cobbled streets lined with antique and gift shops and the glorious Arun River running through its centre. This is the heart of the Arun Valley, a place where natural beauty comes face to face with a 1,000 years of history and culture.

STAY:

• Get back to nature in an ethnic bell tent by the banks of the River Arun at Billycan Camping (01903 882103 billycancamping.co.uk). Within walking distance of Arundel, two nights from 7 May costs £97.50 per person (two sharing) and includes a ‘get you started’ evening stew and breakfast hamper.

• Surrounded by countryside, Stane House (01798 869454 www.stanehouse.co.uk ) is a few miles north of Arundel in the pretty downland village of Bignor, with the South Downs Way practically on the doorstep. Two nights at this stylish B&B costs £75 per person (two sharing).

• Splash out on a short break in the medieval luxury of Amberley Castle (01798 831992 www.amberleycastle.co.uk ) towering over a picture-book downland village. Two nights B&B at this moated fortress starting on 21 April costs from £190 per person (two sharing).

EAT:

• Fins (01903 882844 www.finsseafood.co.uk) is a fishmonger/deli/seafood cafe in one, preferring locally-caught fish.

It opened in Arundel last December and is fast making a reputation for itself.

• Pallant of Arundel (01903 882288 www.pallantofarundel.co.uk ) showcases the best of Sussex food and drink.

This independent store has been at the centre of Arundel life for over 100 years and stocks a vast range of local foods including cheeses, hams and pies, chutneys and wine and beers.

SEE:

• Arundel Castle (01903 882173 www.arundelcastle.org) is one of the country’s most imposing castles, set in 40 acres of magnificent gardens with a 14th century Chapel.

• At the Arundel Wetland Centre (01903 883355 www.wwt.org.uk/arundel ) there are 26 acres to explore, hundreds of birds to feed and guided boat safaris which travel deep into reed beds that are home to water voles and migrant birds.

Or take a walk on the wild side at the RSPB-managed Pulborough Brooks nature reserve to spot rare wetland birds and wildfowl in a natural habitat (01798 875851 www.rspb.org.uk/pulboroughbrooks).

• 16th century Parham House (01903 742021 www.parhaminsussex.co.uk) is more a family home than a stately mansion and boasts the perfect position at the foot of the Downs near Storrington with the most English of gardens, now under the care of Tom Brown from RHS Wisley.

WALK:

• Pick up the South Downs Way above Bury and walk a stretch towards Arundel for magnificent views. Or take the pastoral – and less challenging – riverside walk between Bury and Houghton.

• Chanctonbury Ring, above Washington Village, is one of the South Downs high points. A bracing climb up a wooded path leads to the remains of a hill fort, now crowned by a circle of beech trees.

LEWES AND ABOUT EAST SUSSEX

Like Arundel, Lewes is an ancient riverside town with character shops lining a steep main shopping street that leads up to an imposing castle.

Surrounding Lewes are chalk hills, river valleys and rolling countryside with panoramic views of the sea that between them offer visitors the chance to see some of the best and most unspoilt of South Downs landscapes.

STAY:

• Pelham House Hotel (01273 488600 pelhamhouse.com), is a 16th century Lewes town house with 31 boutique rooms – most overlooking the south-facing garden and with South Downs views. A two-night B&B break from 26 April costs from £130 per person (two sharing).

• Located between Firle and Ripe, Hall Court Farm (01323 811496 hallcourtfarm.co.uk) is a listed Georgian Farmhouse offering B&B in three ensuite rooms with farmland views to the Downs. A two-night B&B break in April costs from £70 per person (two sharing).

EAT:

• Bills (01273 476918 www.billsproducestore.co.uk) is a Lewes institution and a must-visit for its splendid pies and cakes.

• The Jolly Sportsman (01273 890400 www.thejollysportsman.com) is a gastro pub hidden in the winding lanes of East Chiltington, set above Lewes. Try its locally sourced food including Ditchling lamb.

SEE:

• In Lewes itself visitors can see the splendid Norman motte and bailey Lewes Castle or the more modestly proportioned 15th century timber-framed Anne of Cleves House (01273 486260 www.sussexpast.co.uk), which formed part of Anne’s divorce settlement from Henry VIII.

• Charleston (01323 811265 www.charleston.org.uk) was the Bloomsbury Set’s country pad and key members like Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell welcomed Virginia Woolf and E.M Forster here in the early years of the 20th century.

WALK:

• Climb to Ditchling Beacon, the site of an early Iron Age hill fort and the highest point in East Sussex for stunning views across the Sussex Weald to the north and the sea looking southward.

BEACHY HEAD, ALFRISTON AND THE CUCKMERE VALLEY

At the easternmost end of the South Downs National Park, the chalk cliffs of Beachy Head are the region’s most iconic landmark, and are backed by open grasslands and the river valley – a must for keen walkers. Nearby is the chocolate-box village of Alfriston where visitors can see the first building acquired by the National Trust and St Andrew’s Church – dubbed the Cathedral of the South Downs.

STAY:

• The Birling Gap Hotel (01323 423197 www.birlinggaphotel.co.uk), sits on top of Seven Sisters Cliffs and is surrounded by rolling downland, close to the village of East Dean. A two-night B&B break from 12 April costs from £70 per person (two sharing).

• Set on the banks of the Cuckmere River in Alfriston, with four acres of gardens, Deans Place (01323 870248 www.deansplacehotel.co.uk) offers 36 luxurious rooms and a heated outdoor pool. A two-night B&B break from 23 April costs from £125 per person (two sharing).

EAT:

• The Hungry Monk (01323 482178 www.hungrymonk.co.uk) is set in the downland village of Jevington and is famous as the birthplace of Banoffee Pie, which was invented at the restaurant in 1972.

• Moonrakers Restaurant (01323 871199 www.moonrakersrestaurant.co.uk) places its emphasis firmly on locally-sourced seasonal produce and diners can enjoy views over Alfriston from the terrace.

SEE:

• The chalk cliffs of the Seven Sisters are the setting for Seven Sisters Country Park (01323 870280 www.sevensisters.org.uk), a honeypot for outdoor enthusiasts, offering walking and cycling to canoeing or bird-watching.

• Alfriston Clergy House (01323 870001 www.nationaltrust.org.uk/alfriston) is a rare 14th century Wealden ‘hall house’ and the first building acquired by the National Trust – for £10 in 1896.

WALK:

• A stroll along the iconic chalk cliffs is a must for visitors, and bird-lovers should keep their eyes peeled as Beachy Head is also renowned as a migration watch point.

• See the best of rural Sussex on a 10-mile round walk from Alfriston, taking in the River Cuckmere, Friston Forest and views of the Seven Sisters.

Jacksonville Beach, Fl – The historic Casa Marina Hotel (circa 1925) in Jacksonville Beach, Florida is the only HHA (Historic Hotels of America) property in NE Florida. 

Until  July 2010, ‘TAKE A BEACHCOMBER BREAK offers an ocean view parlor suite at $159 SUNDAY thru THURSDAY that includes:

Two Drinks and Signature Tapas in the Penthouse Lounge
Continental Breakfast in the Main Lobby
Free Parking
Wi-Fi in each suite

The Casa Marina Hotel has a full-service fine dining restaurant and penthouse martini bar that serves lunch and dinner daily.

Chef Aaron Webb has been at the helm of the hotel’s kitchen for 8 years, bringing their ala carte dining, weddings, corporate events and penthouse tapas menus to life with innovative dishes and desserts.

Each season he is inspired to create healthy, exciting specialties – always caring about what the guests enjoy and demand.

One-Bedroom Parlour Suite

Casa Marina Hotel & Restaurant
691 N. 1st Street
Jacksonville Beach, Florida
904-270-0025
www.casamarinahotel.com

Casa Marina Hotel History – A Grand Old Lady

The Casa Marina Hotel, at 84, is a grand old lady and still turning heads! Ever since it opened its doors onto the Jacksonville beaches in 1925, when every postcard of the era announced ‘world’s finest beach’, the Casa Marina has remained an alluring landmark of Florida history.

There have been many forgotten moments in the vast drama of the 1920’s, but the mystery of the Casa Marina is that she must have seen it all.

Jacksonville Beach was originally known as the town of “Ruby” (circa 1884), named by W.E. Scull, a railroad surveyor with the Jacksonville and Atlantic Railway Company, for his daughter.

By 1885, the railroad and depot were completed and ‘Ruby’ was transformed into a tent city as crowds of beachgoers arrived with tents in which to live. By then the town was renamed Pablo Beach, after the San Pablo River, a name it kept for nearly 30 years, before settling in as Jacksonville Beach in 1925.

The Grand Opening of the Casa Marina on Saturday June 6, 1925 was the height of Florida’s first land boom.

That same day the town was renamed Jacksonville Beach, while 200 guests dined and danced in the grand ‘salon’. Its construction and Spanish-Mediterranean design brought a ‘first’ to the beach…a fireproof building composed of stucco, concrete, tile and an automatic sprinkler system.

The 1920’s in Jacksonville were Hot! The train terminal opened in 1919 and everybody who was anybody came southward to Florida, from the Duke and Duchess of Windsor to Al Capone. The movie industry boomed in Jacksonville long before Hollywood and the ‘greats’ like Chaplin and Pickford made appearances.

The Casa Marina was two stories tall and had 60 rooms. Jacksonville Beach was the most alluring tourist town in NE Florida: its boardwalk, dance casinos, dining, amusement rides and wide beaches were known throughout America.

During the War Years of World War II, the U.S. government appropriated the Casa Marina for military housing.

A succession of owners followed who were passionate about restoring & remodeling the Casa Marina into private residences and an assortment of businesses…tearoom, clothing store, 37-room apartment building and restaurant.

The ‘grand lady’ finally took a well-deserved rest and closed until 1991. By this time, a verandah and 3rd-story penthouse had been added to the original structure. Today, celebrating its 83rd birthday, the Casa Marina Hotel & Restaurant offers 24 stunning bedrooms and parlor suites individually decorated to represent the distinctive and changing eras of its rich history. The Penthouse enjoys its own notoriety, with one of the most stunning views of the Florida coastline.

The Casa Marina brings a feeling of classic glamour to Jacksonville Beach, a sultry blend of history, natural beauty and sophisticated culture. One can still conjure up images of the ‘ghosts’ of the beach, the sounds of families and lovers laughing and a lineup of Model ‘T’ Fords as they enjoyed the best that life could imagine!

From the Red Fort in Delhi to the Jungle Book-style forests of Kaziranga National Park and the timeless beauty of the Taj Mahal, India is home to an unparalleled wealth of natural and man-made treasures of such importance that nearly 30 have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

These special places are the jewels in the crown of India’s fascinating natural and cultural heritage – and now it’s possible to visit seven of them in comfort and style during an 8-day journey aboard the ‘Indian Maharaja – Deccan Odyssey’, India’s first privately managed luxury train service.

Rich with the splendour of a bygone era, the Indian Maharaja transports passengers back to the days of the Raj on this thrilling overland journey between Delhi and Mumbai.

The train’s interior has been designed to evoke the opulence and grandeur that was once the preserve of India’s regal emperors, with lavishly decorated interiors and a level of comfort and service that’s second to none.

Starting in Mumbai amid the Gothic splendour of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (itself a World Heritage Site), the route passes through the beautiful and ever-changing scenery of Maharashtra and Rajasthan, traversing the very heartland of the Maharajas and Mughals and taking in no less than six additional World Heritage Sites along the way.

The first of these is the famous Anjanta Caves, a 2,000-year-old series of hand-hewn underground chambers that are home to intricate reliefs and some incredibly well preserved murals.

Like the prehistoric cave paintings in Lascaux, France, Ajanta’s fabled murals are fragile and risk being damaged by the presence of too many people, so plans are afoot to restrict access and create a replica nearby for visitors to enjoy.

The Indian Maharaja therefore offers an excellent opportunity for guests to experience this incredible site before it becomes off-limits.

Nearby lie the Ellora Caves, another World Heritage Site. This complex of 34 man-made caves was originally created as temples and monasteries that are known today for their incredible wealth of religious artworks encompassing the Buddhist, Hindu and Jain faiths.

The most magnificent of all is the Kailasa Temple, a monumental structure of columns and chambers carved from a single, enormous rock.

Equally impressive is the Agra Fort (also known as the Red Fort of Agra), once an imperial city of the Mughal rulers and today widely considered to be the most important of India’s historic forts.

Completed in 1571, the massive and imposing fortress walls are constructed from smooth, red sandstone and enclose a series of towers, pavilions, palaces and mosques, many of which are adorned with beautiful and intricate carvings.

Despite its grandeur, however, Agra Fort is overshadowed by its near neighbour, the Taj Mahal – surely the country’s most iconic monument.

Famously built in the mid-17th Century by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial to his late wife, Mumtaz Mahal, this stunning edifice of gleaming white marble is surely one of the world’s most instantly recognisable buildings.

Another highlight of the journey is a visit to the deserted city of Fatehpur Sikri, once the capital of the Mughal Empire.

Also known as the ‘City of Victory’, Fatehpur Sikri was built in the 16th Century by the Emperor Akbar to celebrate the birth of his son Jahangir. Replete with monuments, palaces and mosques, the city served as the capital for a period of just ten years before drought forced the inhabitants to abandon it and move elsewhere.

Today the surprisingly well-preserved city provides an extraordinary place to visit and marvel at the architectural splendour of the Mughals.

The final World Heritage Site on the itinerary is the Qutab Minar, a towering minaret dating from the 12th Century that dominates the Delhi skyline.

At 234 feet, Qutab Minar is the world’s tallest free-standing minaret and one of the country’s most visited monuments.

Every epic journey aboard the Indian Maharaja incorporates a city tour of Delhi, which includes a stop at Qutab Minar along with other famous sites like Jama Masjid, one of the largest mosques in the whole of Asia.

In addition to encountering these seven wonders, a journey aboard the Indian Maharaja also includes a wealth of other amazing experiences, such as a visit to the Jaipur’s Amber Fort; dinner in a Maharaja’s palace at Udaipur; and a safari through the famed tiger sanctuary of Ranthambore National Park.

The cost of an eight night escorted group tour on the Indian Maharaja – Deccan Odyssey leads in at £2,925 per person with Great Railway Journeys.

The holiday includes schedule flights from London Heathrow to Mumbai and Delhi to London Heathrow, 7 nights on board the Indian Maharaja Deccan Odyssey in a deluxe cabin, including all meals, 1 night hotel accommodation with breakfast and dinner in Delhi, all excursions as detailed in the itinerary, the services of a Tour Manager throughout, all transfers in India, flight taxes and charges.

Exclude visas.

For more details go to www.greatrail.com  or for more details on the Indian Maharaja Deccan Odyssey visit

www.theindianmaharaja.com

Emeraude Classic Cruises, which offers overnight cruises in Halong Bay, Vietnam, opened an onboard spa.

Hanoi-based Santal Spa is providing four therapists.

They will focus on feet and shoulder massages on the sun deck and full-body treatments in treatment rooms with views.

“Most spas provide little consideration for the view during treatments,” said Kurt Walter, general manager of Emeraude Classic Cruises.

“But these views — of limestone karst islands and a bay that’s shaping up as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World — add a whole new dimension to the experience.”

The Emeraude’s spa mirrors the ambience of the boat itself, a near-replica of a 19th century paddle steamer.

The aim is to evoke an era of bygone glamour.

Santal is best known for its signature massage — a four-hand massage performed by two therapists using a blend of Shiatsu, Thai, Swedish, Balinese and Hawaiian Lomi-Lomi techniques.

Other treatments include traditional Vietnamese massage, warm stone treatments, Western reflexology, Asian-style foot massages, body wraps, scrubs and facials.

The Emeraude accommodates 74 passengers in 12 superior cabins, 24 deluxe cabins and three suites.

The restaurant specializes in Western fare and freshly caught seafood. Each cabin features outdoor seating, as does the sun deck where the crew screens a movie nightly. Emeraude Classic Cruises is owned and operated by The Apple Tree Group, a French-owned, Ho Chi Minh City-based company with interests in tourism and hospitality, real estate and construction, and import and distribution all over Southeast Asia.

Its hospitality properties also include La Residence Hotel & Spa in Hue, the Press Club in Hanoi, the Kamu Lodge on the Mekong River near Luang Prabang and the Villa Maly, a boutique hotel in Luang Prabang.

For more information, email sales@emeraude-cruises.com or visit www.emeraude-cruises.com

The Sheraton Nha Trang Hotel & Spa is readying for its grand opening on Vietnam’s south central coast.

The 30-story property features sea views from each of its 284 rooms and a collection of restaurants and bars.

Three years under construction, the hotel ranks as the first international five-star brand to cultivate a beach destination within the country.

The hotel will have 10 classes of accommodation, from spacious deluxe rooms to executive suites and one presidential suite.

The Sheraton Nha Trang will offer a multi-purpose events room on the 28th floor with panoramic views of Nha Trang Bay, which was rated by www.world-bays.com  as one of the most beautiful in the world.

Other features include an infinity-edged pool, a reflecting pool with a sun deck and a kid’s pool.

It will also feature a cooking school, Vietnam’s first purpose-built cooking school.

On the 7th and 8th floors, Shine Spa will open with nine treatment rooms, therapists practice treatments borne of the Mediterranean, Arabia, India and Asia with a particular emphasis on Vietnamese traditions.