Jetsettersblog

The Boisdale Restaurant Group has re-launched its Wiltshire property, The Lamb Inn at Hindon, following a £1 million renovation of all 19 of its bedrooms.

The historic 17th century coaching inn near Salisbury features seven bedrooms dedicated to Scotland’s leading whisky distilleries – Aberlour, Chivas, Glenfarclas, Bruichladdich, Glenrothes, Oban and Glenlivet – and residents can enjoy a nightcap of each whisky from an honesty bar in each bespoke-themed bedroom.

The Scottish theme is prevalent throughout this charming ‘pub with rooms’, from its tartan décor to the Scottish inspired award-winning cuisine.

Attention to detail, such as the fresh locally sourced produce, provision of Neal’s Yard bathroom products and Sky television has made this one of Wiltshire’s finest accommodation providers.

Located in the centre of the picturesque village of Hindon, The Lamb is an ideal escape to the country, providing the perfect base from which to explore the beautiful surroundings.

Some of Wiltshire’s most exciting attractions are within a few miles of The Lamb, including Longleat, Stonehenge, Avebury and Stourhead House and Gardens.

The city of Salisbury with its beautiful Cathedral is just a few miles away by car and can also be reached by bus directly from Hindon.

Rooms at The Lamb Inn at Hindon start from just £115 per night including breakfast. Guests can enjoy al fresco lunch on the shaded terrace or dinner from the AA-Rosette winning menu in the dining room. A selection of special whiskies and cigars can also be purchased.

For further information and reservations visit www.lambathindon.co.uk  or call 01747 820573.

For general information about Wiltshire and its attractions visit www.visitwiltshire.co.uk

• The Innside by Meliá hotel brand, voted best hotel brand in Germany previously only operated in Germany.

Sol Meliá today announced the introduction of the Innside by Meliá hotel brand in Spain with the signature of an agreement for a new hotel in Barcelona which will become the first hotel for the youthful urban brand outside of Germany. In Germany the brand currently operates nine hotels and was recently voted the best hotel brand in the country by the German people.

The Innside Barcelona will open in 2011 and will be added to the company’s hotel portfolio under a lease agreement in a deal overseen by the leading hotel, leisure and tourism consultancy, Horwath HTL.

The hotel is designed for the long-stay market in Barcelona and will provide very spacious apartments measuring between 60 and 160 metres squared, all fully adapted to the Innside by Meliá brand’s standards: urban and avant-garde design, elegant and futuristic.

The hotel will be housed in a 19-floor building known as the LC Torre Europa, designed by the prestigious architect Oriol Bohigas and will be located in the Plaza Europa in l’Hospitalet de Llobregat, a new commercial and residential development in the southern suburbs of Barcelona.

The new Innside Barcelona will provide 100 apartments (33 one-room studios, 54 two-room apartments, 10 three-room suites and 3 deluxe 4-room suites), as well as a restaurant, a swimming pool with panoramic views, a roof terrace and a Fitness Centre on the 9th floor.

The new hotel adds to the growth of the brand which was announced at the beginning of the year with the agreement for the new Innside Frankfurt, ensuring the growth levels foreseen by the company as part of its strategy to diversify and strengthen its hotel portfolio using low capital intensive formulas which guarantee financial consistency.

About Innside

Innside became part of Sol Meliá in 2007, adding to the company portfolio a number of urban and avant-garde hotels in which elegance and a futuristic approach are key and for which there is an ambitious expansion plan in Europe. Atmosphere, service and pleasure ensure a relaxing stay for individualistic and discerning guests.

Innside by Meliá currently operates nine hotels in Germany with a total of 1,275 rooms in Berlin, Dresden, Dusseldorf, Munich and Frankfurt.

German customers of Hotel.de, one of the biggest online travel agencies in Germany, chose Innside by Meliá from amongst 700 hotel chains as the best hotel chain in Germany in a survey based on quality, room soundproofing, cleanliness, service quality and professionalism, value for money, food service, wellbeing and sports facilities.

Holland America Line is enhancing its shipboard entertainment with the recent launch of the 2,106-guest Nieuw Amsterdam.

Among the additions are the singing group Cantaré, a quartet of male performers with a pop music repertoire, and several production shows on Nieuw Amsterdam.

Following the shows’ run aboard Nieuw Amsterdam, they will expand across the fleet by the end of 2010.

The new shows include “N.Y.C.,” a musical tour of the Big Apple; “Ladies Night,” an all-female revue; “Live from the Avalon Ballroom,” ballroom dance and music; “Garage Band,” a ’60s and ’70s musical set in an automobile service center; and “It Takes Two,” a revue of famous duets and duos.

On several ships, performances take place in the new Showroom at Sea.

The Showroom at Sea is aboard Nieuw Amsterdam, as well as Veendam, Rotterdam, Statendam and Ryndam.

The Showroom at Sea features a redesigned main stage that introduces a new seating layout, a larger dance floor, a new sound system, enhanced lighting and high-tech video projections.

Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., has introduced The Club at The Spa at Terranea, which combines the resort’s bungalow accommodations with the spa.

Guests who book the club ocean-view bungalow accommodations will receive personal concierge service, personal escort to the bungalow, special arrival amenity and spa gift basket, complimentary all-day dining at The Spa Café, complimentary use of the spa pool and spa amenities (sauna, Jacuzzi, lockers), 10 percent savings on cabana rentals at the spa pool, and 10 percent savings on spa treatments.

Each 1,100-square-foot Bungalow Suite features a separate living room, a master bedroom, a stone master bath with separate tub and shower, a private balcony or patio, indoor and outdoor fireplaces, a guest bathroom, and a washer/dryer.

The kitchen has a full-size refrigerator, two stove-top burners and a convection/microwave oven.

 For more information, call 866-802-8000 or visit www.terranea.com

Sheraton Hotels & Resorts unveiled a new online experience for guests designed by Microsoft’s new decision engine, Bing, featuring intuitive tools that promotes a sense of discovery and captures the “pulse” of the local destination, helping guests seamlessly navigate their stay.

Designed as a social, interactive online global destination, the new “Sheraton Guest Portal powered by Bing” will be featured worldwide in the “Link@Sheraton experienced with Microsoft” in addition to in-room web access.

As part of the brand’s $6 billion revitalization effort, Sheraton Hotels have redesigned nearly 400 lobbies worldwide with the addition of its innovative Link@Sheraton experience with Microsoft, a unique lobby lounge that enables today’s travelers access to information and technology for work, leisure and social networking.

The new portal was specially designed to provide guests with an intuitive, tailored on-line experience specific to their destination — like having a personal concierge in the palm of your hand.

As part of the new online experience, guests will find constantly updated relevant content, specific to each Sheraton location, such as local maps and the top search results for area restaurants, attractions, special events and services.

The new portal uses a mix of imagery with a dashboard of tools that aggregates the top items requested from the concierge and makes them easy to find. With one click of the mouse guests can print a boarding pass, find the nearest entertainment and must see sites, get the local weather forecast, read the top news stories of the day or discover more about their hotel, such as the restaurant hours and spa offerings. The Link@Sheraton experienced with Microsoft and the Sheraton Guest Portal powered by Bing are signature components of Sheraton’s $6 billion global effort to enhance the brand and differentiate the guest experience at properties worldwide.

Denver International Airport has unveiled the conceptual design of Phase One of its South Terminal Redevelopment Program, which includes an airport hotel and a train station for a rail line into downtown Denver.

The program, which is scheduled for completion in 2016, also will include a rail bridge and a plaza.

The 500-room hotel and conference center, which has yet to be named, will be connected to Jeppesen Terminal. Phase One is projected to cost $650 million.

Phase Two of the redevelopment program includes a new parking structure and renovations to the Jeppesen Terminal Great Hall.

If airport management decides to move forward with Phase Two, it is estimated to cost an additional $250 million.

The program’s architect is Santiago Calatrava, who has designed recognizable structures like the Sundial Bridge in Redding, Calif.; the TGV Railway Station in Liège, Belgium; the new Sondica Airport terminal in Bilbao, Spain; and the Olympic Sports Complex in Athens, Greece. The hotel architect is Gensler, a global design and architecture firm with a local office in Denver.

The hotel is scheduled for completion in late 2013.

The signature rail bridge is slated for completion by early 2013; and the terminal station two years later.

The train is scheduled to be open in 2016, linking passengers between downtown’s Denver Union Station and the airport, a distance of 22.8 miles.

For more information, call 800-247-2336 or visit www.flydenver.com

RCI, the vacation exchange company and one of the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands, announced that it added 22 new resorts to its vacation exchange network in the second quarter of 2010.

This includes resorts added to RCI Weeks, RCI Points and The Registry Collection program, the world’s largest luxury exchange program, with seven of the resorts coming from existing affiliated developers and four resorts under development.

These additions bring the total number of new RCI affiliated resorts for the year to 58, further strengthening RCI’s exchange network.

New resorts added year to date include Branson’s Nantucket Resort, a lakefront property that offers a view of the Table Rock Lake in Missouri, as well as The Village at Machrihanish Dunes located on the stunning southwest coast of the Mull of Kintyre in Scotland.

In addition to adding these new resorts in the second quarter, the company also launched its RCI Points Platinum membership, which offers RCI Points subscribing members opportunities for automatic upgrades, priority exchange privileges and a myriad of exciting new travel and lifestyle benefits.

This new membership was rolled out in June, with a similar program for RCI Weeks members planned for the future, once again ensuring RCI offers the most comprehensive and innovative programs in the industry.

The second quarter also saw hugely positive reviews for RCI’s technology innovations, including RCI TV, an online network of high-definition videos that showcases resorts and gives viewers information and advice on topics ranging from how timeshare works to where to eat at some of the world’s most popular destinations. RCI TV took off quickly, reaching more than 1 million views in less than six months, a significant milestone showing that people are interested in learning more about timeshare.

The RCI YouTube channel has also seen growth with more than 100 posted videos, many showcasing RCI affiliated resorts to show members their vacation options.

The videos have received more than 100,000 views from curious timeshare members and non-members.

For more information, visit www.rci.com

Leading all-inclusive hotelier Barceló Hotels & Resorts announced several upcoming changes to its resort complex on Bávaro Beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

Barceló Bávaro Family Deluxe, a family-focused offering that debuted in December 2009, will be integrated into the new Barceló Bávaro Palace Deluxe, a collection of high-end room categories, ranging from family rooms to deluxe junior suites, as well as a new clubhouse for exclusive shopping and a la carte dining.

Additionally, Barceló Bávaro Palace, soon to become Barceló Bávaro Beach and Convention Center, will be re-branded as an adults-only hotel, offering a wide variety of adult activities, entertainment and nightlife.

For families, a deluxe family room at the new Barceló Bávaro Palace Deluxe will offer one of the most family-friendly lodgings in the entire Caribbean.

Each room was designed with separate spaces for kids and adults as well as a large common area for everyone to spend time together.

The adult room will come with a king-sized bed, a sofa bed and a private room with an outdoor terrace, complete with a private Jacuzzi.

The children’s room, with two double beds, will allow kids to enjoy the freedom they crave while giving parents peace of mind.

Barceló Bávaro Palace Deluxe will offer a long list of all-included activities for families to enjoy, whether they want to spend time on their own or together.

Kids will be able to play in the fun, adult-supervised Barcy Kids’ Club while their parents can enjoy a luxurious spa experience or a day on the resort’s 18-hole golf course, which is being redesigned by P.B. Dye.

Although nine holes are already available for play, full access to all 18 holes will be available later this year.

Families staying at the new Barceló Bávaro Palace Deluxe will have complimentary transportation throughout the resort as well as access to the new clubhouse, which will introduce a state-of-the-art shopping center as well as a variety of a la carte, fine-dining restaurants at the end of the year.

They will also have full reign of the entire 1.2-mile-long resort complex, except for a new area of the property designated as adults-only, the 388-room Barceló Bávaro Beach and Convention Center.

An ideal resort for couples seeking adventure and endless activities, Barceló Bávaro Beach and Convention Center will particularly appeal to dive enthusiasts and beach lovers alike.

For more information or reservations, call 800-BARCELO or visit www.barcelo.com

American Eagle Airlines, the regional affiliate of American Airlines, has unveiled its new location in the North Terminal of Miami International Airport (MIA). A state-of-the-art facility housing both American and American Eagle, the new terminal offers customers improved check-in and domestic baggage claim, with an array of shops and restaurants featuring the flavors of South Florida.

American Eagle has completed the initial phase of its transition to new departure areas at gates D53, D55 and D60.

The new departure lounge features two concourse-level gates with jetbridges for convenient boarding.

When the next phase of construction is complete, lower-level gates will eliminate the need for most shuttle buses to take passengers to awaiting aircraft.

A new Skytrain is expected to open in September that will whisk thousands of customers per hour along the 1.4-mile North Terminal concourse, enabling easy connections to American Airlines flights.

The move comes just in time for American Eagle’s enhanced winter schedule, offering increased daily flights to 12 cities, including two new daily nonstops to Gainesville, Fla., on Oct. 1, and two daily nonstops to Cleveland, Ohio, beginning Nov. 18. American Eagle currently flies from Miami to more than 30 cities throughout the U.S. and Caribbean.

Southwest Airlines said that it has added Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. as a new partner of the carrier’s frequent flyer program,

Rapid Rewards. Rapid Rewards members now have the option to earn one-half Rapid Rewards credit for each eligible stay at one of Starwood’s global hotel brands including St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, W, Westin, Le Meridien, Sheraton, Four Points by Sheraton, Aloft and Element.

In order to earn credits, Rapid Rewards members must be enrolled in the Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) program and select Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards as their earning preference.

Additionally, SPG members have the option to transfer Starpoints to Rapid Rewards credits.

For every 1,500 Starpoints transferred, Members earn one credit. SPG members who transfer at least 20,000 Starpoints get a valuable bonus of an additional three and a half credits.

For more information, visit www.southwest.com/rapid_rewards/starwood.html