Jetsettersblog

As part of the five-year development plan for The PGA Centenary Course at The Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire, Scotland, golfer Jack Nicklaus will return to the course he originally designed to oversee refinements to the layout in preparation for the 2014 Ryder Cup to be played at the property.

Work is scheduled to begin this coming winter, with the initial focus being on the 7th, 10th and 18th holes.

The intent is to modernize the holes for today’s game and technology, as well as create some slight aesthetic changes and a better flow for spectators. Nicklaus’ original design opened in 1993 and he has since been kept abreast of the course’s progress. Following a visit in 2009, he made some suggestions designed to help with the overall preparation of the course for the 2014 Ryder Cup.

A member of Virtuoso, The Leading Hotels of the World, American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts and Connoisseurs Scotland, Gleneagles is set in 850 acres in Perthshire, Scotland.

The hotel features three of the finest inland courses in the world – The PGA Centenary, the King’s Course and the Queen’s Course as well as the Spa at Gleneagles by ESPA, a destination spa with an extensive menu of the latest ESPA therapeutic treatments.

Sporting opportunities include the Shooting School, the Equestrian School (featuring one of Europe’s most impressive riding centers), the British School of Falconry (for an opportunity to fly Harris hawks), and the Gundog School (the first of its kind in the world).

Additional active pursuits such as off-road 4×4 driving on two specially developed courses, tennis, fly fishing, swimming, croquet and more.

Four restaurants covering a range of dining options from casual Mediterranean to formal and elegant including the two-Michelin-star dining establishment Andrew Fairlie.

It also has extensive meeting space with 13 private venue rooms, varying in style, capacity and technical facilities.

Gleneagles is located one hour’s drive from Glasgow or Edinburgh, both of which are easily accessible with direct flights from various U.S. gateways.

For more information, call 866-463-8734 or visit www.gleneagles.com

The Gleneagles Hotel — The historic Gleneagles Hotel, a complete resort set in its own 850-acre estate and surrounded by breathtaking Perthshire scenery, is elegant and spacious with luxurious and welcoming guest rooms

Staggered (www.iamstaggered.com ), the UK’s leading men’s wedding website has launched a new resource for wedding businesses who want to access new customers.

The Staggered Suppliers Map is a media rich map which allows companies to put themselves on the map and include pictures, video and audio showcasing their business to nearly a million readers per year.

Best of all the pricing structure starts at the ever-popular level of free.

www.iamstaggered.com/suppliers

If you or your clients’ businesses have contact with weddings, stag or hen dos or honeymoons then a place on the Staggered Suppliers Map is essential.

The sort of companies this opportunity would be relevant for include:

- honeymoon venues
- places to propose
- wedding venues
- stag and hen activities
- stag and hen friendly accommodation
- tailors
- formal hire companies
- jewellers
- bridal wear
- wedding fairs
- wedding planners
- wedding gifts
- grooming (e.g. men’s barbers, etc)
- wedding entertainers
- wedding transport

If your company operates nationwide or on the internet only then you can still feature on the map.

The media rich services mean you can embed photos of your work, YouTube videos, MP3s and best of all SEO rich links that will help you in your quest for Google rankings.

NO technical knowledge is needed to add your business.

Have a look at the businesses who have already taken this opportunity and join them by visiting www.iamstaggered.com/add-your-business

For more information contact Andrew Shanahan

andrew@iamstaggered.com  

or visit www.iamstaggered.com/suppliers

MyLondonInfo now has a list of more than 1,000 restaurants in the Central London region.

Having partnered with livebookings.com, the MyLondonInfo website now offers an online booking functionality for the majority of these restaurants.

Not only will users be able to book their preferred time and venue but they will also be able to take advantage of special offers and deals made available by the restaurants.

Now in its second year, MyLondonInfo is keen to offer its listed restaurants the opportunity to interact electronically with their customers.

In order to promote this, restaurant customers are encouraged to leave reviews, both good and bad.

These reviews are published on the individual London restaurants page as well as on a scroll bar on the Mylondoninfo homepage.

Users are also encouraged to contact the restaurants directly through the website interface.

All reviews are then published and enquiries are followed up by the Mylondoninfo team to ensure everybody is happy.

The majority of the restaurant listings are focused on the West End including Piccadilly Restaurants and Soho Restaurants.

Many of the restaurants offer deals to those who will vacate their tables by 7:30 p.m. Over time the plan is for the team to keep expanding the area covered whilst all the time keeping the quality of the reviews first class.

For more information, visit

www.mydestinationinfo.com

With less than two years to go until the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, VisitEngland, the official tourism body for England, is highlighting sports that visitors might not necessarily expect to find throughout the country.

From unexpected sports including surfing and underwater hockey, to unusual games such as shin-kicking and pancake races, England offers activities for every level of athlete and sports enthusiast.

Cornwall is one of Europe’s top surfing destinations, offering over a dozen beaches, catering to surfing novices and pros alike. Situated on the southwest tip of England, Cornwall is easily accessible by train from London and also benefits from some of the country’s mildest weather allowing surfers to ride the waves year-round.

Beginners can attend one of the many surfing schools or take a private lesson while more experienced surfers can challenge themselves to an extra strenuous workout riding the waves with a variety of reef and beach breaks scattered along both the north and south coasts. For especially adventurous surfers, kite surfing — a fusion of windsurfing, surfing, wake boarding and power kiting — has become a mainstay with Cornwall’s beach crowd.

At the time of the 2012 Games, England be will be celebrating the 400th anniversary of its Olympic roots — Robert Dover’s “Cotswolds Olympicks.”

Started by a local barrister, Capt. Robert Dover, the world’s inaugural “Olympick Games” were staged on a Cotswold hillside in 1612.

Today the annual event, held at the start of June, attracts thousands of spectators as “athletes” partake in country-side games such as obstacle courses and tug-of-war, in addition to unique sporting competitions such as shin-kicking. The Olympicks conclude with a bonfire and firework display followed by a torch-lit procession to the town square, where celebratory dancing and entertainment takes place.

England’s contribution to the modern Olympic movement can also be traced back to Much Wenlock, a tiny market town in nearby Shropshire, which boasts a small museum and a tourist trail around the town where the world’s biggest festival of sport began. It was in Much Wenlock, in 1850, that Dr. William Penny Brookes first established the basis for an “Olympian Society,” which, in turn, laid the foundation for the modern Olympic Games. Born in Much Wenlock, Brookes was concerned by the lack of educational opportunities for the working classes in the town and set about creating an “Olympian Class” for “the promotion of moral, physical and intellectual improvement” — inspired, it is believed, by Dover’s Cotswolds Olympicks.
Every year, lively women run through the streets of Olney donning traditional housewife apparel, including a skirt, apron and scarf, for the Olney Pancake Race in Buckinghamshire. The 415-yard dash is held every Shrove Tuesday when women toss pancakes then run through the town streets before tossing the pancakes again at the finish line. Once the race has finished the town celebrates with a Shriving Service at the local Parish Church where official prizes are presented.

The race, which began in 1445, became an international event in 1950 when the U.S. town of Liberal, Kans., joined the festivities to compete against Olney. The participant with the shortest time is declared the winner, determined during a phone call between the two cities.

Bodyflight Bedford in the East of England is the world’s largest indoor skydiving facility, offering jumps for both novices and world-champions. It provides visitors the opportunity to encounter what it feels like to jump out of a plane — but within the safety of a large wind tunnel with wind speeds of up to 180 mph which support the body in mid air, classes are available to suit every experience level from complete beginner to professional.

Visitors wanting to try BASE jumping without the fatal risk of jumping off a building or bridge, can safely imitate the experience at Vertigo, Bodyflight’s thrilling simulated BASE jump. Jumpers are attached to a bungee cord as they climb 125 feet to the top of the wind tunnel tower where they can enjoy the beautiful views of Bedfordshire, before safely “BASE” jumping to the ground. For those preferring water sports, Bodyflight Bedford’s FlowHouse facility offers flowboarding — a mix between surfing, skateboarding and wakeboarding.

Underwater hockey, also known as Octopush, was started in the early 1950s as a way to do aquatic aerobic exercise without simply swimming laps. Teams of up to 10 players, each wearing a mask, snorkel and fins as well as a water polo hat, use a small stick to push the puck toward the opposing team’s goal. Similar to tag wrestling, the game requires players to take turns surfacing for breaths of air while working together to push the puck into their opponent’s goal to score. Underwater hockey teams are located throughout England with several leagues including the North East Regional Octopush Club.

The Haxey Hood game, held each Jan. 6, takes place in the unassuming village of Haxey in Lincolnshire. The Haxey Hood is a reenactment of a chivalrous act that occurred during the 14th century as tradition is told, when Lady de Mowbray, wife of landowner John de Mowbray, was riding one day when her silk riding hood blew off and was blown across the field.

Thirteen farm workers hurried across the field chasing the hood until one of the workers finally caught the hood and returned it to Lady de Mowbray. So impressed that her hood was returned, she donated 13 acres of land, a parcel for each of the workers who ran after her hood, with the condition that the chase would be reenacted each year. Resembling a rugby scuffle, “The Haxey Hood” has been played for over 700 years and involves the “Hood,” a long leather cylinder, being thrown into the air to launch the proceedings before participants attempt to sway the hood out of the field, through the streets and back to their favorite pub, where it remains until the next year’s game.

For over 150 years, since 1852, Grasmere Sports has been one of the most popular and largest traditional events to be held in the Lake District, with main events including Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling, fell running and hound trails. Judged not only on their wrestling ability but also “costume,” Cumberland wrestlers are encouraged to wear very decorative attire to determine the “best dressed” wrestlers, which must have their initials built into the design. The hound trails is a competition featuring trained hounds that race after the scent of aniseed over the fells, and in recent years mountain bike races have been held. Festivities also include events, crafts and antiques stands as well as plenty of refreshments.

Designed to make the game of polo more accessible, since it is played on a bicycle instead of a horse, Bicycle Polo has been played in England for over a century and was a demonstration sport in the 1908 Olympics held in London. The game is traditionally played on a rectangular grass field, but in the past few years, “Hardcourt Bike Polo” has become increasingly popular, played on a hard surface such as a tennis court or street hockey rink. Both Bicycle and Hardcourt Bike Polo can be found throughout England, with Sheffield, South Yorkshire, being a recent addition.

Every July on the River Thames, from London Bridge to Cadogan Pier in Chelsea, London, the oldest single sculling race in the world, the Doggett’s Coat and Badge Race, is held. Attracting thousands of spectators, it is the oldest organized race in English history, which was started in 1715 by Irish actor and comedian Thomas Doggett in honor of King George I’s accession to the throne. The course runs 7.24 kilometers (4.2 miles) and is open to six men and women under the age of 26 on the day of the race. The winner is awarded a Waterman’s red coat and silver badge, a tradition that dates back to a ceremony held many years ago in Fishmongers’ Hall at London Bridge. For more information, visit www.VisitEngland.com

Burkhard Kieker, CEO of Berlin’s tourism marketing company, unveiled the city’s completely overhauled tourism website, and introduced the new visitBerlin corporate name, brand and logo.

Effective immediately, visitBerlin will be used in all worldwide communication, replacing the former company name, Berlin Tourismus Marketing GmbH. VisitBerlin relates to Berlin as a modern, dynamic, and attractive tourism and convention destination.

“The term ‘visit’ is an internationally recognized invitation and we are now presenting Berlin with an easily understandable brand,” Kieker said “‘VisitBerlin’ creates a memorable, emotional point of reference for all visitors to the city.”

The tourism organization’s newly designed website, www.visitBerlin.de,  reflects the revamped image. The site features a cool contemporary look, easy-to-navigate pages, clearly organized information, as well as optimized e-commerce and social media platforms.

Building on the city’s status as a must-visit trend destination, visitBerlin is encouraging locals, but also visitors, to contribute editorial content, feedback and personal experiences. “Ultimately,” Kieker said, “Berliners know their city best and visitors will definitely benefit from that expertise and knowledge.”

The website’s home-page menu points “See,” “Experience,” “Plan,” “Book” and “Berlin WelcomeCard” are presented clearly and lead the visitors to tips of the day and featured highlights.

They also present information on the city and its sights, Berlin’s creative scene as well as stages and events. In addition, the site offers information for special interest groups, such as young people, families, high-end travelers, LGBT visitors, and more. Hotels, event tickets and the Berlin Welcome Card can also be booked directly through the online booking site.

New portals dedicated to the travel industry and a media room are designed to give the organization’s business partners easy access to industry-specific information, images and contact personnel.

Beginning on Jan. 1, visitBerlin will officially become “Berlin Tourismus & Kongress GmbH” so as to reflect the increased importance of the congress and conference business for the city.

For more information, visit www.visitBerlin.de

Carnival Cruise Lines’ new ship, the 130,000-ton, 3,690-passenger Carnival Magic, will unveil some firsts when it starts operating in May.

Among them are Carnival’s first-ever pub, the Red Frog, with its own private label beer, an authentic trattoria, and an expansive outdoor sports complex featuring a ropes course, outdoor weight-lifting area and a huge water dump bucket. The ship’s features are detailed at www.carnivalmagic.com.

Carnival Magic’s Caribbean-themed RedFrog Pub will offer island-inspired snacks and drinks, including ThirstyFrog Red, a private-label draught beer brewed especially for Carnival Magic.

Located on Promenade Deck 5, the 100-seat indoor/outdoor pub will offer Bahamian conch salad, grouper fingers, firecracker Jamaican chicken wings, and other Caribbean favorites. RedFrog Pub will also offer tastings of Caribbean rums and beers.

The nautical-themed interiors will feature rich wood details, tile work, portholes, and images of ships at sea, along with foosball and shuffleboard tables and a jukebox.

Cucina del Capitano — Italian for “The Captain’s Kitchen” — will pay homage to Carnival’s Italian line’s captains.

The trattoria will offer pastas, risotto and Italian specialties; many served family style and many from recipes selected by Carnival’s captains.

The restaurant, which will charge a fee for dinner, features framed archival photographs, many from the captains’ personal collections, wood-beam ceilings, and wrought iron. During the day, the space is utilized as a casual made-to-order pasta bar with items offered on a complimentary basis.

The SportsSquare complex will feature the cruise industry’s first ropes course where guests can traverse across nets suspended above Spa Deck 12 and offering views to the sea nearly 150 feet below.

Surrounded by an one-eighth-mile jogging track, the SportsSquare complex also includes the first outdoor weightlifting area on a cruise ship, along with Carnival’s first two-level miniature golf course, a Vita exercise course, a lighted multi-purpose court for basketball, volleyball and soccer, along with ping pong and foosball tables.

A full bar with a large flat-screen display is available. Carnival Magic’s other top-deck amenities include the WaterWorks aqua park with a “Twister” spiral water slide and the Aqua Play splash park for youngsters and their families, featuring a 500-gallon dump bucket.

Cruisers will also find a variety of signature “Fun Ship” elements on Carnival Magic, including more than 19,000 square feet of space catering to kids and families; Serenity, the adults-only relaxation area with chaise lounges, hammocks, umbrellas and two jumbo-sized whirlpools; and the Cloud 9 Spa with thalassotherapy pool and thermal suite.

With 1,845 staterooms, Carnival Magic offers two-bathroom/five-berth cabins, connecting staterooms that appeal to families, cove balcony cabins closer to the water line, and spa staterooms providing special access and benefits.

The Carnival Magic is slated to debut in Europe with a series of seven- to 12-day Mediterranean cruises operating May 1 to Oct. 16, 2011. Following a 16-day trans-Atlantic crossing, Carnival Magic will launch seven-day Caribbean service from Galveston on Nov. 14, 2011, becoming the port’s largest year-round cruise ship.

The Four Seasons Residence Vail has announced that it will open Dec. 11 in Vail Village, about a year behind its original opening date.

The property will offer 121 hotel rooms, as well as 16 whole-ownership residences and 19 fractional-ownership residences ranging from one to five bedrooms.

Hotel accommodations feature gas fireplaces and options for connecting rooms and suites, allowing parties from two to 16 to customize combinations of living and sleeping areas.

The residences feature open floor plans with Rocky Mountain West décor, contemporary finishes, gourmet kitchens and five-piece bathrooms.

Property amenities will include a ski concierge at the base of the Vista Bahn lift with private lockers, a lounge and ski and snowboard equipment;

an 11,000-square-foot spa with 13 indoor/outdoor treatment rooms, a hair and nail salon, and a relaxation lounge;

a courtyard with a 75-foot all-season outdoor saltwater pool, whirlpools and fireplace; a fitness center;

Flame Restaurant, a fine dining restaurant specializing in steak, chops and local game served family style;

the Fireside Bar and Lounge, specializing in Latin American cocktails, as well as tapas and sushi; and the Kids for All Seasons program, plus a children’s activity center with childcare services and a young adult center.

For more information, call 800-819-5053

or visit www.fourseasons.com/vail

Virgin Chairman Sir Richard Branson announced at the National Business Travel Association International Convention and Exposition that Virgin airlines — Virgin Atlantic Airways, Virgin America and V Australia/Virgin Blue — known around the world for their innovative and value-based flying experience, are teaming up to offer each airline’s loyalty program members the opportunity to earn miles or points when taking flights on their sister-branded airlines.

As of now guests flying on Virgin Atlantic, Virgin America, and V Australia/Virgin Blue are all eligible to earn miles or points for their flights that can later be redeemed under any of the carrier’s frequent flyer programs.

The reciprocal agreements enable Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club members to earn Flying Club miles/status points; Virgin America’s Elevate members to earn Elevate points; and V Australia/Virgin Blue Velocity members to earn Velocity points — wherever they are flying on a Virgin-branded carrier around the world.*

Also as of Aug. 10, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club members and V Australia/Virgin Blue Velocity members can redeem their miles on either of the airlines. V Australia/Virgin Blue Velocity members and Virgin America Elevate members will be eligible to spend their miles or points to fly on either airline as of the fourth quarter of 2010.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club members and Virgin America Elevate members will be eligible to spend their miles or points on either airline as of the second quarter of 2011.

To celebrate this Virgin milestone, each Virgin airline is offering members who fly with at least two of the four Virgin branded airlines between now and January 31, 2011, the chance to win a week holiday in the British Virgin Islands on Sir Richard Branson’s private island Necker.

For more information, visit www.virginatlantic.com , www.virginamerica.com  or www.vaustralia.com

For the Official Rules for the Sweepstakes, including complete details, visit www.virginatlantic.com  , www.virginamerica.com  or www.vaustralia.com

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced the debut of its Aloft brand in Oklahoma with the opening of Aloft Tulsa. Owned by Anish Hotels Group and managed by LodgeWorks, L.P., this new destination sensation features 136 open rooms, a tech-forward sensibility and a vibrant, social atmosphere.

Aloft Tulsa is ideally located in south Tulsa.

The new hotel is just a few blocks from the 71st Street shopping and dining district, Woodland Hills Mall, historic downtown Tulsa, Oral Roberts University and the concerts and sporting events at BOK Center.

Also nearby are Hard Rock Casino, River Spirit Casino and Tulsa’s scenic RiverWalk.

Offering more than 1,000 square feet of meeting space, Aloft Tulsa is convenient to the offices of Cox Communications, Metlife Insurance and Hilti Corporation.

Guests will enjoy fast and free hotel-wide Wi-Fi and complimentary shuttle service within five miles of the hotel.

Aloft Tulsa boasts atmospheric public spaces where guests can mix and mingle, read the paper, work on laptops, play a game of pool or grab a drink with friends at the re:mix communal lobby area and w xyz bar.

Visitor fees at a selection of Kenya’s premium and wilderness parks are set to increase during high seasons in 2011, in order to fund development programs across Kenya’s 58 national parks and reserves.

Fees at premium parks Lake Nakuru and Amboseli National Park will rise from US$60 to US$75 per day, whilst fees at wilderness parks Tsavo East, Tsavo West and Meru National Park will increase by US$10 to US$60 per day.

Parks fees will also rise for children aged 3-18 years to US$40 per day.

The new fees will come into effect in 2011 and will be applicable for the high season months of January, February, July, August, September and October. All remaining months will be charged at the existing rates.

Income from the park’s visitor fees helps to support conservation projects by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), a core partner of the Kenyan government in implementing strategies for tourism and the sustainable use of natural resources.

A number of projects to improve infrastructure in Kenya’s national and marine parks are scheduled to take place in 2011 including: management of specific wildlife populations, securing of wildlife migration corridors, development of tourism investment programs for local communities and improvement of visitor facilities at selected locations.

Key national tourism stakeholders such as KWS, Kenya Association of Tour Operators and the Kenya Tourist federation carry out the review of fees every two years, as a result of an ongoing national tourism recovery plan which aims to preserve parks whilst keeping pace with visitor demands.

For more information on Kenya’s world-class national parks visit

www.magicalkenya.com