Jetsettersblog

Atlantis Navatek Cruises has added a Whale Watch Breakfast Cruise to its daily schedule during whale watching season.

The cruises are available from Jan. 14 through March 31, 2011.

The cruise, which takes place aboard the Navatek I, sails along East Oahu’s East Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head crater toward Koko Head.

It offers a continental breakfast buffet of pastries, muffins, bagels, yogurt, cold cereal, juice, tea and coffee.

An onboard naturalist provides commentary about the whales’ characteristics and behavior. (If the naturalist does not see a humpback, all guests are offered a complimentary return whale watch cruise with the buffet available for an added fee.)

The cruise departs at 8:30 a.m. from Pier 6 at the Aloha Tower Marketplace in Honolulu Harbor and returns to port at 10:30 a.m. Tickets are $49 general and $25 for children ages 2 to 12. Atlantis also offers a Whale Watch Lunch Cruise from Dec. 22, 2010, through April 10, 2011.

It departs at noon and returns at 2:30 p.m.

Tickets are $69 general and $35 for children ages 2 to 12. Bookings made online receive a 10 percent discount.

Prices do not include the harbor fee and general excise tax. For more information, call 800-548-6262 or visit www.atlantissubmarines.com

Kadenwood, located on Whistler Mountain, has announced the Dec. 23 opening of a dedicated gondola for exclusive use and access of residents and guests. The gondola, constructed by Doppelmayr, transports Kadenwood homeowners and their guests between the Creekside Village base and Kadenwood in approximately six minutes.

Covering a vertical rise of 228 meters (749 feet), the gondola will comfortably accommodate eight people with skis.

In the summer time, bikes and strollers can also be transported between Whistler’s valley trails and Creekside’s numerous amenities.

The neighborhood consists of 60 planned home-sites of which two-thirds have been already sold.

Nestled in the pristine forest high above Whistler Creekside, the exclusive and prestigious neighborhood of Kadenwood offers magnificent estate home-sites that represent the peak of luxury living in Whistler, BC. For more information, visit www.ecoasis.ca

The Hertz Corporation has partnered with Clean Energy Fuels Corp. to build, operate, and supply compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling stations at Hertz’s Los Angeles Airport facility. In addition to supporting Hertz’s expanding clean-burning CNG airport shuttle bus fleet, the new Clean Energy CNG fueling station will be accessible to the public 24/7.

Costing less than diesel or gasoline, compressed natural gas fuel produces approximately 30 percent less greenhouse gas emissions in light-duty vehicles, and more than 23 percent lower greenhouse gas emissions in medium to heavy-duty vehicles.

Department of Energy reports estimate that 98 percent of the natural gas consumed in the U.S. is sourced in the U.S. and Canada.

The Hertz/Clean Energy CNG fueling station will be built adjacent to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

The Hertz LAX facility will include public access fueling islands for local fleets of CNG taxis and shared-ride vans, plus hotel, parking and rental car buses.

A private Hertz island will be capable of fueling its internal fleet, simultaneously.

Station construction is expected to begin in March and be completed by the third quarter of 2011. By 2015, Hertz expects to have transitioned its entire LAX transit bus fleet to clean, green, domestic CNG gas power.

For more information, visit www.cleanenergyfuels.com

Over the next two years, the privileged position of Paris’ luxury hotels is set to be shaken up by several new openings and the introduction of an official “Palace” award to distinguish the very best 5* hotels in France.

The first new luxury hotel to open its doors will be the Raffles Royal Monceau on October 18th. The hotel will provide an exceptional service to guests with a love of culture with a private library and art gallery.

The hotel will even employ an art specialist concierge, charged with informing guests of the latest goings on in the capital’s art community.

It also features a cinema with a one hundred person capacity, a first for a luxury hotel.

In December, Le Shangri La Paris becomes the second challenger. It lays claim to the biggest rooms in the capital – the smallest being 50m² – in a building constructed by Roland Bonaparte, Napoleon’s great-nephew, in 1896. Rooms boast an exceptional view of the Eiffel Tower and guests can relax in 900m² of magnificent salons or in the interior garden.

Le Mandarin Oriental is set to open in mid 2011.

The Art Deco rooms of the 1930s are being transformed by renowned interior designer Sybille de Margerie, overseen by the former Managing Director of the luxury Crillon hotel.

The building surrounds an enormous interior patio and will also be home to Michelin Star chef Thierry Marx’s first restaurant. Shoppers will adore the hotel’s proximity to boutiques on the rue Saint Honoré and jewellers on the Place Vendôme.

Summer 2012 sees the opening of Le Peninsula Paris in the former International Conference Centre of the French Foreign Ministry, sold by the government in 2007 for €460m. A further €50m will see this building, which saw the peace treaty between the USA and North Vietnam signed in 1975, transformed into a hotel of around 200 rooms.

In total, these four hotels are set to create 1000 new jobs in the capital.

A new “Palace” label is set to be introduced by the Secretary of State for Tourism, Hervé Novelli, to award the handful of hotels which display “excellence, perfection, luxury and timelessness.” Only a fifth of the one hundred 5* hotels in France are due to receive this honour. Included in the label’s official criteria; the ability to deliver luggage to rooms less than ten minutes after arriving, an exceptional geographical location and a certain percentage of investment each year. The first official Palace Hotels will be announced by ATOUT FRANCE by the end of 2010.

Please see the attached table for a list of luxury hotels in Paris, which account for just 1.5% of all hotel rooms in the capital.

Combe House Devon, near Exeter has won the 2010 Devon Hotel of the Year category at the Devon Tourism Awards, which were presented on Thursday, 30th September at a glittering ceremony at the Thurlestone Hotel, South Devon.

As the gold winner, Combe House has been automatically fast-tracked into the South West Tourism Excellence Awards in November, and then possibly on to the national Enjoy England awards in spring 2011.

The seven award categories celebrate the cream of Devon’s tourism industry and are designed to raise the profile of the county’s high performing tourism providers. Sponsored by Clockwork Marketing & Direct Mail, the Hotel of the Year category is for town, country house and metro hotels of excellent quality.

Combe House Devon is a wildly romantic Grade I Elizabethan manor hidden on a 3,500 acre wooded estate in the thatched village of Gittisham. The stunning country hotel and restaurant has been run privately by Ruth and Ken Hunt for the past twelve years.

During this time, the Hunts and their team have transformed the house and its gardens into a truly memorable place to stay.

Thrilled with the award proprietor Ken Hunt said: “This unexpected honour for our small, country house hotel reflects back on our wonderful, welcoming, happy and hard working team. We are fortunate to be in a stunning location with a wealth of the West Country’s quality food producers on our doorstep”, concludes Ken.

Combe’s two resident Master Chefs of Great Britain, Hadleigh Barrett and Stuart Brown, are ardent about sourcing the freshest and best quality local ingredients. Around 70% of the fruit and vegetables in season is also provided by Combe’s own kitchen gardens – the chefs talk food metres, not miles.

Launch of Devon Celebration of Food

As a sponsor of the 2010 Devon Celebration of Food, Combe was also the launch venue for the event on Friday, 1st October; this was followed by a private view of renowned artist Richard Adams’ latest works, which was the first festival event. Throughout October, the hotel will be hosting a variety of lunches and events including a special seasonal menu.

The UK’s biggest food festival, Celebration of Food, which is run by Salt Media, will see over 200 events take place across the South West with 85 in Devon.

Ken Hunt added; “It’s an honour to be involved with the Devon Celebration of Food and meet with likeminded people from food and tourism industries across the county with whom we share a deep passion for food excellence.”

Combe has grown organically through a series of sustainable projects including the restoration of the derelict Victorian kitchen gardens, Thatch Cottage, Georgian kitchen and laundry and ironing rooms into the hotel’s signature Linen Suite. As a result Combe has also gained several ‘eco awards’ including the ‘national 2010 Most Excellent Innovation in Sustainable Hospitality’ from Condé Nast Johansen.

Accommodation in the main house is in fifteen luxurious en-suite bedrooms and suites, while tucked away in the woods at the entrance to the mile-long drive is the Thatch Cottage – a romantic hideaway for two with its own private walled garden.

Prices start from £179 B&B per double/twin room per night. For details call Combe House Devon on 01404 540 400 or visit www.combehousedevon.com.

For more information on the Celebration of Food and full listings of events in Devon and beyond, visit the Celebration of Food website at www.celebrationoffood.co.uk

Three years after its original introduction as a brochure promoting eco-retreats, Wightlink (0871 376 0013 www.wightlink.co.uk/greengetaways ) has relaunched its Green Getaways holiday programme to focus on accommodation set in idyllic rural locations in the Isle of Wight’s extensive ‘green belt’ and to feature a new collection of ‘back to nature’ holidays that include stays in tents, yurts and tipis.

The ‘back to nature’ options include Compton Farm, a traditional campsite-cum-working farm, not in the least bit commercialised, where campers co-exist with a 100-strong herd of suckler cows.

Set in a sheltered fold in the Downs looking across to the famous white cliffs of Tennyson Down, Compton Farm provides a safe environment where kids can play on old tractors, feed ducks and collect eggs – or run amok in acres of National Trust downland.

“The main criteria for inclusion in Green Getaways now is location”, said Wightlink Marketing Manager Kerry Jackson, “We know from our consumer research that the Isle of Wight’s unspoiled landscape is the primary reason why people visit, so the holiday accommodation that we are featuring has to be surrounded by greenery, whether in beautifully-tended gardens or adjacent to woodland or farmland.”

As a direct result, two thirds of the properties featured in Green Getaways 2010 are new introductions. The collection ranges from stone manor houses and Victorian seaside mansions for B&B stays to charming cottages and barns, many close to or within Isle of Wight farms.

Among these is Hamstead Farm Cottage, located close to the Hamstead Heritage Coast and the nationally-important Newtown Estuary in the picturesque West Wight.

Reached down a long woodland track to the sea, this self-catering cottage, sleeping up to seven people, boasts uninterrupted Solent views and is set on a 350-acre beef farm.

Another new introduction is Winterbourne, where Charles Dickens wrote the first chapters of David Copperfield. Set in mature gardens – part-English country, part-Mediterranean – stretching down to the sea at Bonchurch, Dickens called this south coast Victorian seaside mansion “the prettiest place I ever saw” and visitors can decide whether they agree on a B&B stay.

Further along the south coast at Niton, the seven five-star self-catering properties at Niton Barns stay close to the original eco-concept of Green Getaways by offering a super-efficient air-source heat pump system that provides the greenest form of heating.

“Although the focus for Green Getaways has shifted to promoting Island accommodation located in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and in the Isle of Wight’s extensive green belt, we still want to promote eco-tourism.

For this reason we are continuing to highlighting those Island properties where a significant commitment has been made to reducing their carbon footprint,” said Kerry Jackson.

Niton Barns has certainly made that commitment, but the more surprising fact about these luxurious barns, which combine modern styling – stone flooring, leather sofas and state-of-the-art kitchens – with character features like exposed beams is that holidaymakers are welcome to bring their dogs as well as children.

Green Getaways is the latest publication from Wightlink, joining a range of free themed booklets, including Secret Wight and the Wight History Trail, designed to broaden the appeal of the Isle of Wight for year-round leisure breaks. Green Getaways can be downloaded from the Wightlink website at www.wightlink.co.uk/greengetaways and free printed copies can be obtained by calling 0871 376 1000.

GREEN GETAWAYS INTRODUCTORY OFFERS

To coincide with the launch, Wightlink is offering discounted breaks at two of the new introductions. Stays at the Winterbourne offer a 20 per cent discount during October and this means that a two-night Green Getaways ferry-inclusive midweek package costs from only £121 per person (two sharing).

Alternatively six people can stay seven nights at Hamstead Farm Cottage for a total of £710 including ferry crossing (equating to around £118 each). Saving £50, the one week Wightlink package includes return car ferry crossings from either Portsmouth to Fishbourne or Lymington to Yarmouth.

Either of these two packages can be booked by calling Wightlink on 0871 376 0013.

Marriott Hotels & Resorts celebrated the opening of its milestone 500th hotel — the 416-room Pune Marriott Hotel & Convention Centre in the historic city of Pune, India.

In addition to being the headquarters hotel for the new Pune Convention Center, this hotel has been built from the ground up to be green and will apply for LEED Gold certification for its construction practices and its policies for recycling materials and reducing energy use in all areas of operations.

The hotel features M.I. Greatroom, with flexible seating areas, to a variety of food and beverage outlets on the perimeter, including a day-to-night bar, serving continental breakfast in the morning, hand-crafted beverages at night and a moderately priced menu of simple, fresh, chef-crafted food; Spice Kitchen, an all-day dining restaurant; and Pune Baking Company, a deli for gourmet coffee, pastries and take-away snacks.

Other hotel amenities include expanded fitness facilities; a 10,000-square-foot Quan Spa, with 13 treatment rooms and more than 100 treatments; a full-circuit fitness center with strength and cardiovascular equipment; and an outdoor, heated swimming pool. Guest rooms and suites are built around performance, with Marriott’s signature bedding, high-definition LCD televisions, plug-in panel, wired and wireless Internet, swivel desks, ergonomic chairs, iHome docking station, mini-refrigerators, laptop safes and headboard reading lights.

The Pune Marriott has nine different restaurant outlets, such as Indi-Chill, a rooftop Indian restaurant and night club with Indian lounge music; Shakahari, an international vegetarian restaurant; Alto Vino, an Italian restaurant and wine bar; and Bar 101, a whiskey and cigar bar serving 101 different whiskeys.

A spacious Executive Lounge on the 20th floor overlooks the city. A 24-hour business center is always available. The Pune Marriott has almost 40,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 13,000-square-foot ballroom with 22-foot ceiling, three other ballrooms for receptions of up to 600 people each and eight meeting rooms. The first Marriott Hotels & Resorts property, the 365-room Twin Bridges Marriott Motor Hotel, opened in 1957.

From fabulous sea views to countryside chic, Best of Suffolk is launching six stylish new holiday cottages this month.

Whether you are looking for a romantic hideaway for two, or somewhere special to bring your family and friends together, Best of Suffolk has a range of over 100 stylish places to stay.

New this month:

The Penthouse, Southwold, sleeps 2: This sophisticated penthouse apartment is an exceptional find. It has breathtaking panoramic views of the sea over Southwold’s South Green and Gun Hill from almost every room. www.bestofsuffolk.co.uk/penthouse.asp

1 Shellpit Cottages, Thorpeness, sleeps 6: This colourful house has a magical location down a half mile sandy lane on the edge of Thorpeness in a conservation area of outstanding natural beauty. www.bestofsuffolk.co.uk/1shellpitcottages.asp

12 Market Cross Place, Aldeburgh, sleeps 5: With a stunning sea views, this property is ideally located on Aldeburgh’s sea front near the historic Moot Hall and fishermen’s huts that line the beach. www.bestofsuffolk.co.uk/12marketcrossplace.asp

The Ellis-Miller House, Ely, Cambridgeshire, sleeps 2: This unique, stylish and award winning contemporary house was designed by the architect Jonathan Ellis-Miller as his own home and is constructed largely of steel and glass. www.bestofsuffolk.co.uk/ellismillerhouse.asp

Garden Cottage, Aldeburgh, sleeps 2: This delightfully secluded single-storey holiday cottage is situated just a 3 minute walk from the beach. www.bestofsuffolk.co.uk/gardencottagealdeburgh.asp

Church View, Orford, sleeps 5: This historic house is ideally situated in the heart of Orford opposite the Parish Church and between the river quay and the pretty market square. www.bestofsuffolk.co.uk/churchvieworford.asp

Best of Suffolk specialises in stylish holiday cottages and a wide range of over 100 cottages in Suffolk. It also has holiday cottages in Cornwall, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, found on its sister website www.best-escapes.com

St Martin’s House Grand Hall will accommodate up to 150 guests for corporate events, conferences, weddings and private parties

To coincide with the fifth anniversary of its hugely popular restaurant in Leicester, Maiyango is announcing its partnership with the new conferencing facility at St Martin’s House in the city centre. Maiyango will bring the award-winning standards of its hotel and restaurant business to the new facility, offering high quality corporate conferencing and leisure events at the new 150 capacity venue.

St Martin’s House is part of the new Cathedral Square development, serving the Diocese of Leicester, Leicester Cathedral and the people of Leicester and Leicestershire.

The new facility will be available for bookings from January 2011.

Aatin Anadkat, director of Hotel Maiyango, said: “St Martin’s House is an exciting new venue in the city and we’re delighted to be working in association with the Diocese to launch this new conferencing offer.

“We will be replicating the high quality standards of our hotel and restaurant businesses including our commitment to local sourcing and ethical management.

“This is a logical extension of our existing conference offer and we’re growing our team to ensure that we exceed expectations.”

Martin Peters, Chief Executive of Leicester Shire Promotions, added: “Maiyango has proven its quality with a clutch of awards to its name for both the restaurant and hotel.

“We are confident that Maiyango’s agreement with St Martin’s House will bring a unique new venue to further strengthen Leicester’s business tourism offering.”

Peter Hobson, Project Director for Cathedral Square, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Maiyango in bringing this new facility to the public. Generous hospitality is one of our core values and Maiyango’s reputation complements our commitment to bring the best to the people of Leicester and Leicestershire.”

This announcement follows the recent news that Hotel Maiyango and Restaurant picked up two Gold awards at the 2010 East Midlands Tourism Enjoy England Excellence Awards in October 2010, winning the Small Hotel and Taste of the Region categories.

About Hotel Maiyango:

Hotel Maiyango is the stunning 14 bedroom boutique hotel located in the heart of Leicester, one of England’s oldest cities.

The highly acclaimed atmospheric restaurant and cocktail lounge is widely regarded as one of the finest dining experiences outside of London.

The entire hotel is thoughtfully designed with bespoke handmade furniture, beautiful commissioned artwork and intimate lighting throughout and all the little touches that are sure to make your stay memorable.

www.maiyango.com

* The certification includes social, cultural and environmental standards

* ME Barcelona and Meliá Barcelona, both part of the Sol Meliá Group, the only two hotels in Catalonia to receive certification

Barcelona, 8 October, 2010.- ME Barcelona has been certified as a “Biosphere Hotel”, becoming the second hotel in Catalonia to be awarded certification by the Institute of Responsible Tourism – endorsed by UNESCO. The certificate includes the assessment of environmental, social and cultural variables which symbolise the hotel’s commitment to its environment in all of its different dimensions.

Meliá Barcelona, which also forms part of the Sol Meliá Group, became the only other hotel to receive the award in Catalonia when it was certified last year.

Unlike other certificates such as ISO 14001 and EMAS, the “Biosphere Hotel” certification has been specifically created for hotels and seeks to promote sustainable tourism, not only on an environmental level but also on a socio-economic and cultural level.

At the ME Barcelona, some of the factors assessed included selective waste collection, solar panels which provide heating for the swimming pool, energy efficiency ratios that meet Biosphere standards, and the use of environmentally-friendly products throughout the hotel.

ME Barcelona also actively involves guests in responsible behaviour. Guests may collect a “Green Package” with useful information about bicycle routes or walks to enjoy the city’s parks and cultural heritage.

The hotel also informs guests about natural and ecological products on their menus, as well as its organic breakfast.

The ME Barcelona also works with the Fias Association in recycling linen and clothing collected by both employees and guests.

The “Biosphere Hotel” certificate is awarded to hotels that have responsible relationships with their different stakeholders, taking into accounts aspects such as guest security and satisfaction, staff training and purchasing priority for local suppliers.

As noted by the Vice Chairman of Sol Meliá, Sebastián Escarrer, “tourism is an activity which is extremely dependent on its social, cultural and environmental setting.

Hotels have to be integrated within that local environment and must to behave responsibly towards it.

“We are very proud that the first two hotels to be certified as Biosphere Hotels in Catalonia both belong to our company”.

About Sol Meliá

Sol Meliá was founded in 1956 in Palma de Mallorca (Spain) and is one of the world’s largest resort hotel chains, as well as Spain’s leading hotel chain in both the business and leisure markets.

It currently provides more than 300 hotels in 26 countries on 4 continents under its brands: Gran Meliá, Meliá, ME by Meliá, Innside by Meliá, Tryp, Sol, Paradisus and Sol Meliá Vacation Club. www.solmelia.com

Sol Meliá is the only travel company included in the exclusive “FTSE4GoodIbex” Spanish stock market index and is a signatory of the United Nations Global Compact. In 2008 the company approved its Global Sustainability Policy and in 2009 it was named the first “Biosphere Hotel Company” by the Responsible Tourism Institute, supported by UNESCO. That same year the company was also awarded the Prince Felipe Award for Tourism Excellence for the second time.

The company currently employs more than 33,000 people worldwide with staff from over 90 different countries.

The company fully respects equal rights and balance in its contracting of male and female staff and 10% of its workforce is made up of immigrants.