Jetsettersblog

Bangkok’s newest luxury resorts, Best Western Premier Amaranth Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotel and Cottage Suvarnabhumi, are located a short distance from the Suvarnabhumi Airport, offering visitors transferring to flights to Phuket, Koh Samui, Chiang Mai and elsewhere in Thailand an overnight option.

The Amaranth Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotel provides shuttles to transfer guests the 15 minutes from the airport to the resort.

A representative stands by the gate at the airport to welcome guests and take them to the shuttle bus.

The resort is equipped with 278 rooms, an outdoor swimming pool, fitness center, a high-speed wireless network and spa, where guests can partake of the “Jet Lag Recovery” treatment to get revitalized after a long trip.

For reservations or more information, call 011-66-2315-9393 or visit www.amaranthhotel.com

The Cottage Suvarnabhumi is located five minutes from the airport.

It offers 101 rooms, each with its own balcony. It features wireless Internet, cable and air conditioning, as well as a flat-screen TV.

For reservations or more information, call 011-66-2727-5858 or visit www.thecottagebangkokairport.com

Website revamp digitally beckons visitors to Tunisia

Holidaymakers can discover the ‘Jewel of the Mediterranean’ on the ‘new-look’ fully comprehensive website – www.cometotunisia.co.uk.

Featuring an interactive homepage, visitors can use the newly integrated dynamic media player to watch video and see images, a live weather feed, travel advice and accommodation sections allow for the creation of the perfect individual itinerary.

At the heart of the site is the Travel Planner which allows visitors to see Tunisia’s varied sites and activities plotted on an embedded Google map. They can then add to their holiday ‘shopping basket’ as they plan their trip.

www.cometotunisia.co.uk also incorporates up-to-date news and information on events and festivals as well as a newly revamped press section providing downloadable media materials and images.

“The launch of the ‘new-look’ Tunisian National Tourist Office website follows another successful year for Tunisia in the UK market, which witnessed increased capacity by BA and Tunisair plus Jet2’s newly launched schedule from London Gatwick” said Anissa Ramoundi, UK & Ireland Director, The Tunisian National Tourist Office.

“Now offering a unique and innovative showcase of everything Tunisia has to offer, we hope more web users will exchange the artificial glare of the computer screen for some real sunshine in the Sahara.”

Home to an illustrious array of world-class hotels, enchanting restaurants, luxurious thalassotherapy centres and hamamms, Tunisia’s heady mix of history, culture and adventure offers UK visitors another world just two and a half hours from their doorstep.

For more information on everything happening in Tunisia in 2010, go to www.cometotunisia.co.uk

Glacier Express – A panoramic trip from St. Moritz to Zermatt

St Moritz: Silvio Martocchi of the legendary 5-star Kulm Hotel St Moritz has been named “Concierge of the Year 2010” by Bilanz, Switzerland’s leading economic journal, while his colleague Enzo Sacchiero has been named “Maitre d’ of the Year 2010”.

Mr Martocchi, who hails from northern Italy, started working at the Kulm Hotel St Moritz in 1974 as a bell boy and has been Head Concierge at the property since 1996.

He was recognised for his “boundless contacts” and “his ability to make any wish come true”. The latter remark reflects the Kulm Hotel St Moritz’s motto “Whatever you like”, whereby the hotel turns guests’ dreams into reality.

This is a level of service not provided at any other hotel in the world: the Kulm Hotel St Moritz will make a guest’s dream come true whatever it may be.

For example, to date, the hotel has arranged for one lady to drive a Zurich tram, while another had a golf lesson from her hero Jakob Hlasek, the former Swiss tennis player, and another was taught the mysteries of the Chinese lute by international star Yang Jing.

Meanwhile, 62-year-old maitre d’ and fellow Italian Enzo Sacchiero has worked at the Kulm Hotel St Moritz for 23 years, where he heads up the front of house team at the gourmet restaurant Rôtisserie des Chevaliers, which was recently renamed The K. Sacchiero was praised for his “respect vis-à-vis the guest”, the “pride in his work” and his “extensive knowledge”, followed by a recommendation that he be placed under historic preservation!

Bilanz’s annual hotel awards are announced following a written survey that is completed by 128 of the country’s top hoteliers and 75 travel industry professionals, who are asked to name their personal favourites who have provided outstanding service.

In addition to the two individual awards, the Kulm Hotel St Moritz was named the sixth best hotel in Switzerland.

For further information on the Kulm Hotel St Moritz, please visit www.kulmhotel-stmoritz.ch

Kulm Hotel St Moritz

The first hotel to be built in St Moritz, the Kulm opened its doors in 1856 and immediately became popular for summer spa and painting holidays, particularly among the British who comprised around 75% of the hotel guests.

The owner of the Kulm Hotel, Johannes Badrutt, initiated winter holidays to St Moritz from 1864, when he laid a bet with his last departing summer guests that the local weather was so good they could sun themselves on the hotel’s terrace even in deep December; if not, he would cover the cost of their vacation himself.

He won the bet and within two years, the hotel was fully booked with guests staying for the entire winter season. The Kulm Hotel St Moritz can, therefore, take credit for starting the trend for wintersports holidays.

Since the 19th century, the Kulm Hotel has changed considerably through expansion and renovation, but the fabulous location at the heart of St Moritz with views over the Lake remains the same. A member of The Leading Hotels of the World, the Kulm Hotel has 173 rooms, five restaurants (formal dining, French fine dining awarded 15 points by GaultMillau, Italian, local Engadine specialities and Japanese), the extensive Panorama Spa & Health Club (with 20m indoor pool, various saunas and steam room, a Jacuzzi, a fully-equipped gym and treatment rooms, all with stunning views over Lake St Moritz) and six conference rooms, with capacities ranging from 50 to 500 people.

Entertainment and sports facilities include the 9-hole Kulm Golf Course St Moritz, three tennis courts, a natural ice rink, a curling field and the “Marmotta Club” for children. The Kulm Hotel is inextricably linked to the Cresta Run through the Sunny Bar, where tobogganing pilots have congregated for decades; the walls are lined with trophies and images of famous people who have hurled themselves down the infamous ice track.

The summer season at the Kulm Hotel St Moritz ends on 5 September 2010.

Each wild game menu will run from October 18 to January 31 and represents the ethos of the hotel group with great tasting, interesting and seasonal food sourced from local estates.

Menus from The Bath Arms at Longleat; The Elephant at Pangbourne; The Master Builder’s at Buckler’s Hard and The New Inn at Coln St Aldwyns will include a choice of starters and main courses all focussing on local game ingredients.

The four head chefs have created over 32 dishes and diners can enjoy either one or two courses including dishes such as pressed terrine of confit game, with apple chutney and brown toast; loin of Longleat Estate Venison, sloe gin shot and celeriac pressing or Vicar’s Game wild boar and apple sausage cooked in red wine with root vegetable crisps.

In addition, each menu will contain two recipes by the head chef and diners will be encouraged to take menus home so they can try their hand at game cookery in the future.

Neil Dowson, head chef at the Master Builder’s at Buckler’s Hard and formerly of the Savoy group said:

“This is a real celebration of healthy, sustainable food and all the produce we use will be locally sourced. We hope these menus will not only appeal to game lovers but also encourage new people to come along and try the great taste of game.”

• Sol Melia introduces its thirteenth hotel in Portugal, the Melia Braga.

Palma de Mallorca, Sol Meliá, the largest Spanish hotel chain operating in Portugal, today inaugurated the Meliá Braga, a newly-built hotel; the thirteenth Sol Meliá hotel in Portugal.

The hotel is located near the University campus and the Braga International Nanotechnology Laboratory in Braga, the fifth biggest city in Portugal and one of the most important cultural centres and tourism destinations in the country.

Meliá Braga Hotel & Spa is a modern hotel with a contemporary architectural style, designer interiors, bright and open spaces, and extensive gardens.

The hotel provides 182 elegant and comfortable rooms, including 20 executive suites with a kitchenette, and 1 presidential suite.

The Bracara restaurant provides an “à la carte” menu featuring innovative Portuguese nouvelle cuisine, in addition to theme buffets and a show cooking service seating 150 diners. The hotel also provides two bars, one next to the pool and the other on the tenth floor with stunning views of the surrounding city.

The hotel’s leisure facilities include a spectacular outdoor swimming pool, an indoor pool, a Spa providing massages, beauty and diet treatments, and a fully-equipped fitness centre with exercise machines and weights. Business travellers can enjoy the excellent facilities at the business centre, also prepared to host major events and celebrations.

The new Meliá Braga allows Sol Meliá to continue to diversify its product portfolio in Portugal, where Sol Meliá already has hotels in nine destinations: Lisbon, Porto, Madeira, Coimbra, Almada, Aveiro, Castelo Branco, Covilhã and now also Braga.

If you thought Lowry’s works could only be seen in Salford, or that this renowned artist only painted pictures of crowds of people in urban settings, head to the beautiful Lake District and feast on a brand new exhibition ‘The Loneliness of Lowry’.

In the historic market town of Kendal, gateway to The Lakes, the Abbot Hall Gallery is showing the first major solo exhibition of Lowry to be on view outside of Salford in the last five years.

The ‘Loneliness of Lowry’ exhibition offers unique insights into Lowry’s inherent loneliness, focusing on seascapes, landscapes, urban landscapes and portraits. The artist travelled extensively in the North West as many of the works demonstrate.

Compelling seascapes, including The Empty Sea (1945), Seascape (1952) and The Grey Sea (1963), are joined by various dramatic landscape paintings featuring mountains and lakes, depicting scenery from around Cumbria.

Lowry claimed none of his paintings would have happened had he not been lonely. This exhibition, with its stunning landscape paintings, its vacant seascapes, moving portraits and quirky works such as Man Lying On A Wall (1957) and Man With Trilby Hat, draws on the loneliness theme in a truly moving way.

Many of the Lowry works are rarely accessible to art lovers, as they come from private collections, including those of London’s Crane Kalman Gallery. The opportunity to view these paintings, and other fabulous works, is not-to-be-missed.

The ‘Loneliness of Lowry’ exhibition, featuring around 50 of Lowry’s works in oil and on paper, runs to October 30 at Abbot Hall, Kendal.

Admission costs £5.75 for an adult and is free for children up to the age of 18, or age 25 if in full time education. Abbot Hall is open from Monday to Saturday, but closed on Sundays.

The Gallery is viewed as a jewel in the art world, due to its unique setting in a Grade 1 listed villa, next to the River Kent.

It is a relaxed, light and airy gallery and has few roped off areas. Its care in hanging works of art is one reason why it is selected to show prestigious exhibitions the envy of other galleries.

A pay-and-display car park is available right outside Abbot Hall, which is on the same site as the Museum of Lakeland Life.

A park with picnic benches and play area is also close at hand, whilst others can reflect on the exhibition in the Abbot Hall coffee shop, over a refreshment, cold snack or hot meal.

Further information is available at www.abbothall.org.uk  whilst accommodation in Kendal and the South Lakes can be sourced at

www.southlakeland.gov.uk/tourism

“The Real Draw, however, is the inventive and precise cuisine of head chef Andrew Troughton. His is a Michelin-starred restaurant waiting to happen” Gourmet Boltholes Food and Travel Magazine, June 2010

Will too many chefs be in danger of spoiling the broth when the Dormy House Hotel holds its second cookery course on 29 September 2010? We don’t think so. Delegates who sign up for the course will be in the very capable and professional hands of the Dormy’s Head Chef Andrew Troughton whose cuisine was recently described by the June issue of Food and Travel magazine as “inventive and precise”.

In this second course Andrew will take delegates, step by step, through the art of filleting and cooking fish with the cool head he is renowned for in the kitchen where he and his team of 11 preside over the Barn Owl Brasserie and Dining Room services.

There are top tips a plenty along the way, including how to maximise the use of expensive ingredients and how to present food to a professional standard.

The preparation of flat and round fish, including salmon, Dover Sole, sea bass as well as scallops is included in addition to techniques including pan-frying, roasting and poaching.

The course begins at midday with a light lunch with both Andrew and general manager David Field on hand to offer expert culinary advice. Delegates will enjoy the fruits of their labours at the end of the session with a complimentary glass of wine with the course finishing at 4.30pm.

The price of £90 is inclusive of an embroidered Dormy House apron.

A third course – to be held late November – will focus on party food for the festive season, again produced to high standards but with an economical twist.

Andrew joined the Dormy House in March 2008. His inspiration comes from locally inspired ingredients which reflect the changing seasons.

Signature dishes include Beef Cheeks which relies on the meat being cooked in a water bath for 18 hours.

Andrew says: “I like to use flavours that work well together but rely sometimes on combinations that are a little bit different. I’m also inspired by old recipes and retro dishes and bringing them into the 21st century using modern techniques”.

Marketing Manager Orazio Pollaci says “People are so much more interested nowadays in what they are eating and how it is cooked and guests who take up the option of this course will find the chance to work alongside a top chef such as Andrew an inspiration.

From a cooking, nutritional and presentational point of view – he is a font of ideas – but on a practical level he guides guests through the procedures in a simple step by step way”.

Twycross Zoo in the East Midlands, opened its new £1million attraction on Wednesday 28 July 2010. The Sri Lanka inspired elephant habitat and walkway \”Uda Walawe\”, named after Uda Walawe National Park and Elephant Sactuary in Sri Lanka, gives visitors an insight into Sri Lanka and asian elephants in their natural habitiat.

The opening marked the launch of a unique zoological and cultural attraction in the UK, as “Uda Walawe” is the first Sri Lanka themed elephant habitiat in the Western Hemisphere.

It was the brainchild of Mr Vasantha Nugegoda a world renowned Zoologist and designer of Zoological enclosures across the world. The UK office of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau has facilitated this project from its inception and together with Twycross Zoo helped plan the ceremonial opening to give visitors a truly Sri Lankan experience.

The “Uda Walawe” Elephant Experience takes visitors along a jungle pathway to a village class room environment where they are shown the diversity and cultural attractions of Sri Lanka. The highlight of the classroom is a ceremonially dressed tusker model, as seen during festivals in Sri Lanka.

A traditional village shop, farmers hut, lily filled lake and a replica of Lord Ganesh line the walkway of the elephant enclosure.

His Excellency Justice Nihal Jayasinghe, Sri Lankan High Commisioner for the United Kingdom, opened the walkway by unveiling a commemorative plaque, lighting a ceremonial oil lamp, and leading the guests along the new walkway.

Sri Lankan Drummers and a troupe of Kandyan dancers performed at the opening ceremony and mesmurized the crowds with the island\’s ancient dances.

\”Uda Walawe\” will promote the conservation of the Asian elephants and act as a shop window for crucial wildlife conservation programmes in Sri Lanka. Uda Walawe National Park was in part set up to provide a sanctuary for many wild animals. Approximately three hundred elephants are believed to permanently reside there.

The sanctuary is also home to water buffalo, water monitor lizards, sambar deer, monkeys and the occasional leopard.

It is also an important site for unique bird species, recently experienced by British expert Bill Oddie. Sensitive and well managed eco-tourism is an important source of income for local people in Sri Lanka and provides an incentive to continue to protect the wildlife.

The National Park is also the first in Sri Lanka to run a reintroduction programme for orphaned elephants back to the wild, so far they have successfully reintroduced over 15 elephants.

Suzanne Boardman, Director of Twycross Zoo announced, \”We are glad that our visitors will be able to experience a taste of Sri Lanka, as well as learning about the cultural and historical aspects of this wonderful country, including the important role that the domesticated elephant has had on the country.

Our aim is for this exhibit to forge strong links between the UK and Sri Lanka, particularly with regard to tourism.

The opening of this new exhibit will help promote the need to conserve this important species globally and highlight the importance of elephants in Sri Lanka.

It is our ambition to encourage visits to the wildlife areas of Sri Lanka and to share with our visitors the magical aura of Sri Lanka.

It is our desire to create a little piece of Sri Lanka in the UK and an opportunity for visitors to learn about and also visit Sri Lanka to see how beautiful this country is.\”

Sanjika Perera, Director of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau in the UK commented, “We are delighted to be associated with Twycross Zoo and the Uda Walawe project.

“It gives visitors an authentic, bite-size experience of Sri Lanka that will tempt them to visit Sri Lanka and explore our beautiful country. The UK is a very important source market for Sri Lanka Tourism, the Uda Walawe enclosure will certainly generate interest in Sri Lankan wildlife and the country as a whole.”

Hotel Sezz Saint-Tropez, a 37-room resort located on the Côte d`Azur, is now open.

The resort’s complex of low buildings is grouped around a central pool area.

Architect Jean Jacques Ory and designer Christophe Pillet created a hotel with contemporary architecture and design throughout the rooms, the villas and the common areas.

The resort offers five bungalows, 30 cocoons and two villas which come with a private pool.

Each guestroom provides direct access to the terrace and the garden.

Pillet created the rooms to be open and spacious. The rooms are light and airy and let the indoor and outdoor merge into one. Interiors reflect the 1950s color code with a mix of white, light grey, dark brown, light blue and saffron.

All furniture and objects have been designed by Christophe Pillet for various Italian and American furniture brands.

With the restaurant Colette, the Michelin-star chef Pierre Gagnaire goes back to his roots.

The menu focuses on Mediterranean dishes with regional ingredients ranging from freshly caught fish to grilled steaks and barbecues.

Hotel Sezz Saint-Tropez is located in a wooded park, a few minutes outside Saint-Tropez. The hotel provides an Ape Calessino shuttle service into town.

The closest beach, Plage de Canebiers, is in walking distance from the hotel.

For more information, visit www.designhotels.com

The 1,280-acre Lodge at Glendorn, in Bradford, Pa., was transformed in 1995 into a private retreat for the public.

And now, under the caring guidance of new owner J. Clifford Forest, this historic estate which is nestled next to the Allegheny National Forest, is undergoing yet another major transformation, with $5 million in enhancements being made over the next two years.

Many of the improvements to Glendorn are already visible, including adding horseback riding as a complimentary onsite service for guests, with the addition of stables for six horses and the hiring of a full-time stable master and riding instructor.

In addition to taking advantage of Glendorn’s stables and the 18 miles of riding trails, the lodge has undergone major upgrades to its wine cellar, with the creation of a Pennsylvania Blue Stone and cedar dining area right in the cellar, and a more than five-fold expansion of the cellar from an inventory valued at $20,000 to over $100,000.

Other noticeable changes include the addition of a family friendly dining room which is immediately adjacent to the more formal dining room and a completely revamped fitness center. All of the private cabins onsite are undergoing major renovations as well.

More than half of the $5 million in upgrades have been earmarked for this year including a new business and convention center and a new spa — both of which are slated for completion later this year.

For more information, call 800-843-8568 or visit www.glendorn.com