Jetsettersblog

Easter is perhaps one of the most anticipated events in Rome. From the procession on Good Friday to the Pope’s Easter Sunday Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, the holiday excitement runs throughout the city. This year, the Hotel Hassler Roma is offering a special Roman pasqua (Easter) for guests looking to experience Easter in Rome. The package includes three nights in luxury accommodations, daily buffet breakfast at the Hassler’s Salone Eva, special Easter Sunday brunch created by Chef Francesco Apreda at the Hassler’s panoramic Michelin-starred Imàgo restaurant, Spumante (Italian sparkling wine) and two bottles of mineral water upon arrival, Easter surprise from the hotel’s pastry chef, and sauna and steam bath. Priced from 1,800 euros to 2,100 euros ($2,430 to $2,840), based on double occupancy, the package is valid for arrivals on April 22 or 23. For more information, visit www.hotelhasslerroma.com

The Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London and Christian Louboutin have joined forces to create the “Paint the Town Red” package. Guests will be able to check in to their room before a mani/pedi nail paint and polish by the spa team. Then it’s a quick taxi ride to Christian Louboutin’s flagship London store on Mayfair’s Mount Street where they will be welcomed into the hidden “Library Room” in the boutique, designed to be invisible to other shoppers through a series of mirrors and Perspex alcoves. There they will be able to shop in private while having a complimentary glass of champagne and treats. The evening ahead, begins with specially created “Paint the Town Red” cocktails at Mandarin Bar.

The next morning includes lunch in the Bar Boulud, London before heading home. The “Paint the Town Red” package costs from $800 based on two people sharing and includes a Winter Berry, Royal Red or Merlot red nail paint and file for two people; a private appointment in the private room at Christian Louboutin’s Mount Street store; two “Paint the Town Red” cocktails in Mandarin Bar; and a 12 p.m. brunch at Bar Boulud, London with a bottle of wine, red of course, or two Bloody Marys. Exclusive of VAT and 5 percent discretionary service charge, the program is valid until December and is subject to availability. Bookings and cancellations must be made a minimum of 72 hours in advance. For more information, call 011 44 (0) 207 235 2000 or visit www.mandarinoriental.com.

Tursimo de Portugal compiled sample prices to illustrate the country’s value proposition. Most hotels in the country are Portuguese owned and operated. Portugal saw a 13 percent increase in American visitors in 2010 Those visitors spent more than 20 percent than in 2009. According to the tourist office, five-star hotels often cost half of what they cost in Paris, London or Madrid. With an average of 84 euros ($114) per night, Portugal is the sixth most-affordable country in Europe, according to the Hotel Price Index for the second quarter of 2010. With an average cost of 85 euros ($116) per night, Lisbon is the ninth least-expensive city. For more information, visit www.hotels.com/press/hotel-price-index-summer-2010.html.

Lisbon is one of the most affordable places to stay in Europe these days, according to trivago Hotel Price Index (tHPI), which is published monthly by the hotel price comparison site www.trivago.co.uk. With an average nightly rate of 81 euros ($110), Lisbon is less than half the cost to visit the most expensive cities in Europe.

The British News of the World did a price check on a cup of coffee, bottle of Heineken, can of Coke, bottle of mineral water, suntan lotion, insect repellent, 20 Marlboros, three-course meal for two with wine, a postcard and a stamp. Portugal came in as the best value euro destination with a total cost of $47.50 versus $79.85 in France. For more information, visit www.newsoftheworld.co.uk . For general destination information, visit www.insideportugaltravel.com

Holland’s most famous garden will celebrate Germany this year. The theme for Keukenhof 2011 is “Germany: Land of Poets and Philosophers.” Highlights this year are the various inspirational gardens with a German twist, the flowering bulb mosaic of the Brandenburg Gate incorporating more than 100,000 bulbs, and a special theme route. The official opening of Keukenhof 2011 will be performed by Bettina Wulff, spouse of the German President Christian Wulff. Around 7 million flowering bulbs have been planted during the past months and as spring breaks, these will provide the traditional splendor of the international flowering bulb exhibition.

For several years, Keukenhof has chosen to feature a different theme country each season. In 2009, the U.S.-New York City was featured in honor of the Henry Hudson-NY400 year with the theme “USA, New Amsterdam — New York, 400.” Last year, Russia was highlighted with the theme “From Russia With Love.” In 2011, Keukenhof stays close to home. From March 24 to May 20, the focus will be on Holland’s eastern neighbors with the theme “Germany: Land of Poets and Philosophers.” Keukenhof will be paying colorful attention to Germany, the second most important export market for flowering bulbs and the country which supplies most of Keukenhof’s foreign visitors.

Another highlight in this theme year is the Netherlands-Germany Experience, an exhibition at the Juliana Pavilion in which the many aspects of German-Dutch solidarity will be expressed. Image, light, sound and decor will make this exhibition a truly special experience. Historically, Germany has been one of the most important trading partners of Holland. The ornamental plant and tourism sectors play a particularly important role in this, and it is no coincidence that these are the disciplines that form the basis of Keukenhof. However, it is not only the economic ties that will be in the spotlight — a chapter of the exhibition is also dedicated to the long-term soccer contacts, and visitors can experience the World Cup soccer finals of 1974 and 1988.

The most popular draw at this year’s Keukenhof is likely to be the flower bulb mosaic of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. The final bulbs for this were planted back in October by the German ambassador in Holland, Heinz-Peter Behr. Simultaneously to this event at Keukenhof, the Dutch ambassador in Germany, Marnix Krop, planted the first of a total of 55,000 flowering bulbs at the Parizer Platz near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin itself. Besides this, work is currently underway to complete the inspiration gardens with a German feel and the special 1.3-mile theme route meandering throughout the park.

Keukenhof was originally the herb garden (“keuken” means kitchen in Dutch) of the Countess of Holland, Jacoba van Beyeren (1401-1436). In 1840, the horticultural architects Zocher, a father and son, designed the park that forms the basis of the current Keukenhof. They also designed the noted Vondelpark in Amsterdam. The Keukenhof Gardens, open to the public from March 24 to May 20, can be visited daily from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (ticket office open until 6 p.m.). Entrance fee is 14.50 euros ($20) for adults and 7 euros ($9) for children. Keukenhof can be reached by train and bus, or by car and combination tickets are available when traveling by bus from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The annual flower parade from Noordwijk to Haarlem, the largest in Holland, will take place on Saturday, April 16. For more information, visit www.holland.com  or www.keukenhof.nl

Smart card technology operator, Leisure Pass Group is expanding into its sixth country and from April 1 will provide the technology that powers the Copenhagen City Card — the Copenhagen Card. The new addition to the Leisure Pass Group family follows the same company that delivers to consumers the Prague City Card, introduced in 2010. Leisure Pass Group already has operations in the U.K., U.S., Sweden and France. The business now provides the technology behind over 3 million tourist visits per year to world-leading attractions.

Amanda Truman, director of product marketing, Leisure Pass Group, said, “Over the last year we’ve focused on growing our footprint across top European cities. Our technology — the Leisure Pass Operating System — allows cashless transactions at each attraction. As cities such as Copenhagen enjoy an increase in international tourists, the Leisure Pass Group’s unique system provides a simple and cost effective route to increase visitors to key city sites.”

The Copenhagen Card includes free entry to 60 museums and attractions, as well as free transport by train, bus and Metro including between Copenhagen city centre and the airport, plus discounts on restaurants, car hire, shops and sights. Available as a 24-hour or 72-hour option, the Copenhagen Card also allows two free child passes (for children under the age of 9) with every adult card purchased. For more information, visit www.visitcopenhagen.com

Icelandair is offering $100 off all packages to Iceland when booked online by Feb. 28. Iceland has a more favorable rate of exchange than most foreign destinations, and is only five hours from Icelandair’s Northeastern gateways. Icelandair offers an array of customizable packages including the Build Your Own which includes roundtrip airfare, two nights hotel and a free whale watching tour from $389 per person.

Clients may use their $100 off in Reykjavik or opt for an adventurous trip through glaciers, geysers and waterfalls. The offer is available on any Icelandair package for travel February through April but only valid if booked by Feb. 28. Icelandair, the national carrier of Iceland, offers service to Iceland from Boston, New York-JFK, Seattle, and seasonal service from Washington, D.C., Minneapolis-St. Paul, Orlando Sanford, Halifax and Toronto. Connections through Icelandair’s hub at Keflavik International Airport are available to over 20 destinations in Scandinavia, the U.K. and Continental Europe. Icelandair also allows passengers to stopover in Iceland at no additional airfare. For more information, call 877-I-FLY-ICE or visit www.icelandair.us

For the first time, “Titanic — The Exhibition,” featuring the world’s most famous maritime disaster, is coming to Denmark. The Titanic exhibition tells the story of the disaster, and offers an opportunity meet a selected group of individuals who were on board the doomed liner. The exhibition offers a glimpse of life on board the ship, and visitors can view reconstructed suites, letters from victims and priceless original artifacts from the lost liner. Besides this there will be a special new section about the 14 Danes who were on board. The Titanic exhibition can be experienced at the H.C. Andersen Castle at Tivoli from April 10, a date which also happens to be the 99th anniversary of the ill-fated, unsinkable liner’s departure from Southampton. The exhibition will last until Dec. 30.

The exhibition, which previously has been shown at several locations in Spain as well as Berlin and Stockholm, has been seen by more than 1.25 million paying guests, most recently in Pamplona. At the entrance visitors will be handed an mp3 player, which guides them through the exhibition in a choice of languages — English, Danish, Swedish, German, Spanish and French. At several points, audio and video presentations enhance the sense of presence during the final hours before the ship plunged to the bottom.

Among the more than 200 original objects from the Titanic are letters from First Officer William Murdoch, a plate from the Third Class dining room, and a four-pound lump of coal from boiler room No. 1, where all the firemen did their duty till the end. The exhibition offers the opportunity of touching a seven-foot iceberg, and it’s a chilling experience to realize that this is a mere ice cube in comparison with the monster that tore open the Titanic in 1912. Several reproductions of Titanic details are built up in the exhibition. Among them a watertight door, a First Class Suite, and a Third Class cabin with four berths. The suite is luxurious, complete with fireplace and silk tapestry. The Titanic offered several suites, and they were so expensive that they were only available to the richest men in the world. For more information, visit www.tivoli.dk

The Hôtel Warwick Champs-Elysées, situated close to the Champs-Elysées, inaugurated its new W restaurant on Jan. 10. Chef Dorian Wicart will prepare his dishes in an open-air setting visible to diners in the restaurant. The menu will be typically French. The every day menu starts at 29 euros ($39) for a starter and dish or a dish and dessert without drink, or 35 euros ($47) with a starter, dish and dessert without drink. Opening in May, the W Bar will also be serving on the terraces of the penthouse suites of the eighth floor overlooking the roofs of Paris. W opens from Monday to Friday from 12 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, call 011-33 (0)1 45 61 82 08 or visit www.warwickhotels.com

Welcome Beyond added Tuscany’s Castello di Vicarello to its selection of vacation homes and boutique hotels worldwide. Castello die Vicarello is a working farm in the middle of the Tuscan hills, producing its own high quality organic red wine and olive oil. The medieval castle with seven suites offers complete privacy and a spa area for relaxation. The style of the rooms is an eclectic mix of Italian and Asian designer pieces. For more information, visit www.welcomebeyond.com

Shakespeare’s Globe will celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games with a multi-lingual Shakespeare Festival. Beginning on Shakepeare’s birthday, April 23, 2012, the Globe will host 38 international theater companies to present every one of Shakespeare’s 38 plays in a different language. Likely partnerships include the Madrid-based company Rakata, with a production of “Henry VIII” in Spanish, and the return of the celebrated Grupo Galpão from Brazil with a production in Portuguese.

Shakespeare’s Globe has also confirmed plans to move forward with the completion of an indoor Jacobean theatre, the shell of which already exists on the Globe site. The fundraising campaign will start this month, with a view to launch the theater, with a first winter season, in November 2013. The indoor theater will seat around 320 people, with two tiers of galleried seating and an authentic pit seating area, which will provide a uniquely intimate and intense theatre experience. For more information, visit www.shakespeares-globe.org