Jetsettersblog

The United Kingdom’s Hotel du Vin, working with Leighton, the digital agency behind the Tourism Australia site, and Mobile Travel Technologies, has created a website utilizing a fully integrated platform creating an easy and intuitive user journey.

Employing leading development architecture with a resilient hosting platform the site will be quicker, more stable and most importantly more secure for users.

Contextualization for registered users will enable dynamic content to be delivered enhancing the user experience delivering targeted offers and special deals.

Direct links to the booking system enables real-time visibility of availability for both bedrooms and tables in the bistro.

Enhanced tracking codes provide opportunities to re-engage with a guest who has dropped out of the booking process no matter what the reason.

The design is based around a lifestyle experience with articles and features focusing on the love of wine such as video footage of head sommelier Ronan Sayburn’s guide to wines for Christmas lunch.

Other features include details on the communities in which the hotels are located, events that visitors and guests can attend and all with an enhanced user experience.

Over the coming months this platform will continue to build with guest profiles, tailored and personalized communication, dedicated iPhone and Android-based applications, further social networking activity and engagement strategies giving Hotel Du Vin site users a voice to ensure a forward thinking and progressive future for the hotel and bistro group.

Hotel du Vin is a collection of stylish and unpretentious properties.

Each of the boutique hotels has its own location, be it townhouse, brewery, warehouse or renovated hospital, complemented by the unmistakable Hotel du Vin essentials –

French-style bistros with a modern edge, wine cellars, eclectic furnishings, Egyptian cotton linen, monsoon-like showers and hand sprung mattresses.

For more information, visit

www.hotelduvin.com

Boutique Hotel – Twenty Minutes And A Million Miles From Civilisation

After a £1 million renovation, Northumberland has launched its newest boutique hotel, Eshott Hall near Morpeth.

This elegant 11 bedroom house with its own Personal House Managers, is definitely the quintessential country home for relaxing and getting away from the stresses of modern day living.

Eshott Hall itself is one of Northumberland’s most stunning 17th century houses with high ceilings, ornate cornices and a sweeping staircase dominated by the stunning William Morris stained glass window.

Its former owners include Emerson Bainbridge, founder of the worlds’ first department store Bainbridge’s of Newcastle.

Now one of the best things about Eshott is that is it one of those rare places that offers the kind of weekend we dream about but seldom have.

Eshott is both a million miles and twenty minutes from civilization with Newcastle and its excellent rail and air links less than half an hour by car.

Outside there are 35 acres of grounds to wander in including a fernery and lake and an abundance of wildlife including red squirrels.

For the more energetic there is the chance to play tennis or organise a fishing trip with the resident gillie.

Inside the huge soft sofas in the living room and library beg for an afternoon curled up with a book or the Sunday papers.

Eshott Hall has been lovingly brought back to life by husband and wife team Dan and Louise Ball who live in the house Louise explains “We know visitors like it here at Eshott Hall because they can really adopt it as their own home for the duration of their stay. They can pop out for a game of tennis, check out the kitchen garden or drop into the kitchen for a chat.”

Louise’s eye for detail and comfort is also evident in the bedrooms. Each is individually styled and ranging from French Provencal to Oriental to the more masculine Highland Suite. All offer everything expected in today’s best hotels including fine white linen, free standing baths and ipod docks.

Everything in the hotel is locally sourced from the luxurious Natural Empathy products in the bathrooms to the food. Wherever possible, produce is seasonal including the vegetables picked fresh from the kitchen garden and then transformed by Head Chef Chris Wood.

The full Northumbrian breakfast includes Sunny Hill free range eggs, kippers from Seahouses and smoked salmon from Craster. The dinner menu changes according to season but a typical meal might include North Sea Crab Tortellini, Ingram Valley Lamb with shallot mash, creamed spinach confit garlic and apple mint jus followed by Meadowsweet Brulee or a selection of tangy Northumbrian cheeses.

Once checked in, should you wish to venture further (many guests don’t), Eshott is only a short distance from Alnwick with its historic castle, gardens and Treehouse, Bamburgh, the Holy Isle of Lindisfarne, the wild and rugged Heritage Coastline, the Cheviot Hills and the Northumberland National Park.

Eshott Hall is ideal for mid-week and weekend breaks and is available for exclusive private parties, family celebrations and weddings.

Anyone interested in receiving further information about Eshott Hall should contact: Dan or Louise Ball on Tel. 01670 787454, email louise.ball@eshotthall.co.uk  or visit www.eshott.com

Best Western International announced its collection of rider-friendly properties has grown to more than 1,200 hotel locations throughout North America as part of the hotel chain’s multi-year agreement with Harley-Davidson.

These rider-friendly hotels, searchable on www.bwrider.com and www.harley-davidson.com, offer motorcycle travelers and enthusiasts a host of amenities important to them including complimentary wipe-down towels, access to a cleaning station at the property and often times extra benefits such as reserved parking spaces, bottled water and lip balm.

Best Western also offers the industry’s only free loyalty program geared towards Harley-Davidson enthusiasts, with registered members of Best Western Ride Rewards earning 10 points for every dollar spent on qualified room rates or 250 airline miles per qualified stay at more than 4,000 Best Western hotels worldwide. Motorcycle travelers can register for Best Western Ride Rewards by calling 888-BW2BIKE or visiting www.bwrider.com

Upon registering for Ride Rewards online, riders automatically receive Gold Elite status, which includes 10 percent bonus points on every stay.

H.O.G. Members receive even greater benefits as they are automatically upgraded to platinum elite status, giving them 15 percent bonus points on every stay, complimentary room upgrades when available, plus early check-in and late check-out if available.

As a complement to Ride Rewards, enthusiasts can also use Harley-Davidson’s Ride Planner to help map and plan rides, available at www.harley-davidson.com/Experience.

The tool also makes it easy to book a stay at a Best Western hotel by indicating where each is located in correlation to the trip being planned.

Each hotel listing includes hotel descriptions along with a directory of services and amenities.

For more information on Ride Rewards and other features of the Best Western/Harley-Davidson partnership, visit www.bwrider.com  or www.harley-davidson.com/Experience.

Playboy Enterprises, announced the opening of Playboy Club Cancun, a boutique gaming and entertainment venue that features a restaurant, nightclub, casino, sports gaming and sports lounge.

The new property is located in the renowned hotel zone district of Cancun, Mexico, and will celebrate its opening on Dec. 4, with an invitation-only VIP party for Playboy Club members and a red-carpet celebrity event.

The 12,000-square-foot property, designed by Archon Design, incorporates influences from the original Playboy Club in Chicago with the ambience of Mexico.

The venue’s intricate custom design details include an authentic Mexican hand-punched metallic wall featuring the iconic Playboy Rabbit Head Design; select pieces from Playboy’s multimillion-dollar art collection; and a specially commissioned illustration of the Cancun Playboy Bunny by famed pinup artist Don Lewis.

The new property integrates gaming with contemporary nightlife, and will showcase an international mix of DJs and musical entertainment.

Playboy Club Cancun also boasts a restaurant with a tapas menu offering flavors from around the world.

Playboy Club Cancun will feature the Playboy Bunnies, who will be making their debut in Mexico.

Bunnies at the Playboy Club Cancun will work as hostesses, cocktail servers and Bunny dealers, and hail from countries including Argentina, Cuba, Canada, Russia and Mexico.

Playboy Club Cancun will be owned and operated under license by Entretenimiento De Mexico S.A. De C.V., a Mexican casino company that operates and licenses over 18 gaming venues throughout the country under the Palmas group.

The company and its subsidiaries serve over 2.5 million players a year and also own and operate two restaurants. Entretenimiento De Mexico S.A. De C.V was established in 2005 and is headquartered in Monterrey, Mexico. Playboy Club Cancun joins Playboy Club Las Vegas at The Palms Casino Resort, Playboy Club Macao, and future properties in development in Miami and London.

Boasting a Club House and Entertainment District, in addition to a variety of suites to accommodate families and singles alike, the Barcelo Bavaro Palace Deluxe has opened the doors to its new, all-inclusive mega resort in the Dominican Republic.

The all-new Club House offers entertainment and unlimited dining options.

The Club House theater features a nightclub, casino and shopping district with 16 stores. Other amenities at the resort include the new Barcelo U Spa, with a wellness center, a private outdoor pool only accessible to spa guests and a full service salon.

In addition, yoga and spinning classes are offered in the fitness center.

Barcelo Bavaro Palace Deluxe features three distinct hotel wings consisting of junior suites and family junior suites located on the beach, ocean front junior suites, family rooms tucked back in their own private area, and a section of high-end suites with Club Premium services — Panoramic, Master, and Presidential — also located on the beach.

For more information, visit

www.barcelo.com

Solmar Hotels & Resorts announced the conversion of Solmar Resort, in Baja, the inaugural property in the collection’s five existing hotels, to an all-inclusive property. The new all-inclusive concept will feature a la carte dining only as opposed to the buffet-style dining commonly associated with all-inclusive properties. The conversion became effective Dec. 1, 2010.

The new all-inclusive amenities and services at Solmar Resort will include a welcome cocktail upon arrival for all guests at Restaurant Bar Trebol; breakfast, lunch and dinner daily on property; domestic drinks and snacks at the pool bar and Restaurant Bar Trebol; social activities on property; free wireless Internet; one-time laundry service per stay; in-room coffee and bottled water; and use of the in-room service bar on first day of arrival. Also part of the new all-inclusive experience, guests of Solmar Resort can enjoy two special dinners as part of the resort’s weekly theme nights — a traditional Mexican Fiesta and fun-filled Beach Party — as well as the theme nights at sister property Playa Grande Resort & Grand Spa.

In addition, a 15 percent discount is offered for off-property dining at establishments such as Galeon, Romeo Y Julieta and Hacienda del Coyote.

Guests can also enjoy Playa Grande’s facilities during their stay at Solmar Resort, including the fitness center, tennis courts and unique Thalassotherapy Spa.

As an added bonus for booking a spa treatment, guests will be offered a complimentary treatment of equal or lesser value at the beach front Spa Cabanas at Solmar Resort.

The all-inclusive program will be optional for all Solmar Resort Club and RCI Exchange members, along with a number of new special offers.

Rates at Solmar Resort begin at $277 per person, per night based on single occupancy; $185 per person, per night based on double occupancy; and $150 per person, per night based on triple occupancy.

For more information, visit www.solmar.com

At the 36th International Relais & Chateaux Congress in Capetown, South Africa, Westglow Resort & Spa was inducted as a new member of Relais & Chateaux. Relais & Chateaux reviewed 100 candidates around the world and Westglow was one of five United States properties to earn this exclusive distinction.

The news came along with an announcement that actor Richard Gere will be the 2011 Ambassador for Relais & Chateaux. There are only 42 properties with this distinction in the United States. For more information, visit www.westglowresortandspa.com

Wraparound design secures guests in Beijing’s tallest tower

Styling the interiors of Shangri-la’s flagship 5-star hotel and luxurious office spaces in Beijing’s tallest building, the iconic new China World Tower, confronted interior designers HBA with a soaring challenge.

As Beijing’s answer to Taipei 101 and Two ifc in Hong Kong, 81 floors and 330-metres above the China World Trade Centre, views over the historic city centre are clearly unrivalled.

“Key features were the 200 intimate rooms,” HBA principal Ilija Karlusic said. “The amazing panorama was used to maximum effect by re-organising layouts ensuring views from the bed, lounge and desk.

“But as they are so high up in the building, we also wanted to cocoon guests, to give them a sense of security. The answer was a wraparound feature from the floor, across the ceiling to the other side of the room, literally cocooning the space,” added Paulo Dias, HBA Hong Kong’s associate director on the project.

Adding some complexity to the challenge was the tapered design of the building, by SOM architects, making the bedrooms space smaller the further up the building.

Corridor details were also important for this project, making each of the 50 sq metre club-style rooms “feel special” with individual entrances having a distinctive feature and foyer welcoming guests.

The overall design philosophy was in line with the Shangri-la brand, in opulent, warm golds and reds with the signature mahogany and rich woodwork. But still, a key challenge was merging the opulent interiors with the contemporary exterior and its detailed façade – essentially “making the interiors work with the outside.”

A ‘pièce de résistance’ in the lobby is a dramatic 100,000 tiger-eye wall feature made from semi-precious stones.

The wavy abstract feature may appear decadent, but it serves a genuine purpose. “The lobby area was a convoluted space, shared by both the hotel and offices, with the building’s sheer height requiring numerous lifts,” explained Mr Karlusic.

“We worked round this by extending each corner of the awkward lift shaft space, so that it created more of an even square – and then lit up each corner to create a feature and continuity for the space.”

“A lattice work inspired by old Chinese lantern patterns was designed and back lit which gave a bright effect during the day and a dramatic effect at night. On top, in the outer edges of the lobby corners, large champagne bubble style chandeliers were added, with seating spacing underneath,” said Mr Dias.

Another stunning feature is the stylish infinity pool, with amazing views from the 70th floor. Metallic blues and greys create a “very contemporary space” in sharp contrast with the hotel’s classical golds and reds.

Shangri-la was also keen to make the international offices feel luxurious and “not so corporate”, so these designs were in similar colours and fabrics to the rooms and hotel interiors.

The project was necessarily long “because of the sheer enormity of it,” occupying eight designers for nearly three years. The end result is a stunning icon for Beijing.

When the first phase of the China World Trade Center opened in 1990, it caused a sensation as the flagship for what became Beijing’s Central Business District between Jianguomenwai Avenue and the East Third Ring Road.

More than 100 Fortune 500 companies set up shop in China World, instantly establishing the CBD as the centre of gravity for international business in Beijing.

It has maintained that leading role for two decades, and far from slowing down in the midst of recent economic turmoil, the CBD’s development has now extended on completion of this phase of the China World Tower – with Shangri-la’s flagship at the hub.

About HBA

HBA creates inspired, brand-defining design experiences that evoke a distinct sense of place, while delighting the world’s most discriminating travelers. HBA’s portfolio spans more than 80 countries and encompasses the planet’s finest nameplates.

China accounts for just over half of all hospitality industry projects being completed by HBA this year, with three projects alone in Shanghai, in time for Shanghai World Expo.

Elsewhere in China, Asia’s first Waldorf Astoria opens in Shanghai, the Westin Tianjin has opened, and both the China World Trade Center Beijing and Four Seasons Guangzhou near completion.

Other Asian projects in 2010 include the stunning Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, the Siam Kempinski Bangkok and InterContinental Hanoi, Vietnam.

Playboy Enterprises, Inc. announced that on Nov. 20, 2010, Playboy will officially welcome guests to Playboy Club Macao on the top floor of Sands Macao Hotel. Following the success of Playboy Club Las Vegas, the entertainment brand is determined to elevate Macao beyond its status as a gaming center and to pioneer its move into becoming a high-end entertainment destination.

Influenced by the original Playboy Club, which was first launched in 1960, Playboy Club Macao has been designed to reflect the latest Asian trends in high-end entertainment. The entertainment and gaming venue will span 12,000 square feet and will offer stunning views of the city skyline.

With Playboy-inspired decor, the club will be reminiscent of the 1960s Playboy Clubs. Guests will be able to enjoy high specification media rooms, live entertainment and private gaming. In tandem with the Playboy Club opening will be return of the Playboy Bunny to Asia, an iconic mainstay of the Playboy Brand.

To celebrate the launch of Playboy Club Macao, Hong Kong fashion designer Pacino Wan has been chosen to add his style to the iconic Playboy Bunny costume.

Following in the footsteps of Roberto Cavalli, Pacino Wan will add Asian flare to the Bunny costume, originally created in 1960 by Hugh Hefner.

Playboy Club Macao joins Playboy Club Las Vegas at The Palms Casino Resort and Playboy Club Cancun, as well as future properties in development in Miami and London. In addition to Playboy Club Macao, Playboy and Sands China are also planning to open a 30,000-square-foot Playboy Mansion in 2012.

Integrating bars, lounges, nightclub, gaming and retail, the Playboy Mansion Macao will offer an entirely new nightlife experience capitalizing on the allure and history of the legendary Playboy Mansion. For more information, visit www.sands.com.mo

Hotel Indigo, InterContinental Hotels Group’s upscale boutique brand, hosted an event in Shanghai to celebrate its brand launch in Asia Pacific.

To mark the brand launch, a 3-D film about the hotel’s historic neighborhood was specially created for this occasion. Against the night backdrop of the Bund in Shanghai, China’s largest outdoor screening of a 3-D film on the façade of Hotel Indigo was visible from across the Huangpu River.

Keith Barr, managing director of IHG Greater China, said, “The decision to introduce Hotel Indigo into China as our first market entry in Asia Pacific demonstrates our commitment to China’s booming hotel industry.

IHG is fully confident in the Chinese market, and aim to take our leadership position to the next level by expanding our brands and hotels in the market.”

Hotel Indigo Shanghai on the Bund, the first Hotel Indigo in the region, is expected to open by the end of 2010. The hotel is centrally located at the southern end of the Bund. This 184-room property on waterfront features views.

As the industry’s first global branded boutique hotel, Hotel Indigo offers guests the design and intimate service associated with boutique hotels along with the reliability that comes from staying with the world’s largest hotel group. And, being a part of IHG’s brand family allows guests who stay at Hotel Indigo to participate in IHG’s guest loyalty program, Priority Club Rewards.

Every Hotel Indigo property is specially designed to reflect the culture, character and history of the surrounding neighborhood, with its story reflected through local works of art, furniture, fabrics and locally sourced materials.

Though only six years old, the brand has already experienced rapid growth.

Since the introduction of the brand to Asia Pacific in 2008, five hotels have been signed with owners in the region.

Apart from the Hotel Indigo Shanghai on the Bund, Hotel Indigo will be open in Xiamen, Taipei, Hong Kong and Bangkok in the next three years.