Jetsettersblog

England’s Prince William and Kate Middleton, whose royal wedding is in less than three months on April 29, are the theme of a Cheapflights.com web promotion. Cheapflights.com’s London travel insiders put together a special guide for travelers who want to spot them on their special day.

Cheapflights.com’s insider’s guide to the royal wedding has all the details on getting to London, staying there (or nearby), how to navigate the city, where to stand to see them, plus the latest bachelor/bachelorette party and honeymoon news. Cheapflights.com outlines ways for travelers to plan their own destination wedding, bachelorette party, and honeymoon. “Our guide offers secret tips on what to expect along the wedding route, where to stay, and your best chances of seeing the royal couple out and about,” said Andrea Mooney, site editor for Cheapflights. “And, since we’re all about travel inspiration, we provide concrete tips on planning your own destination wedding as well.” For more information, visit www.cheapflights.com

There are several new hotel developments in Paris. The Radisson Blu Ambassador Paris Opéra, close to the Palais Garnier opera house and the major department stores, occupies a Haussmann building dating back to 1927. Fully renovated by English designer Paul Bevis, the hotel and its 297 rooms and suites have a new contemporary decor, which enhances the establishment’s major asset, the refined atmosphere of an elegant Parisian residence. Materials such as marble, wood, leather and fabrics are used with warm tones in shades of purple and beige. The rooms feature contemporary furniture, tapestries, carpets and padded bed heads. Rooms on the upper floors have a view of rooftops, the Palais Garnier opera house and the Eiffel Tower. Most of the bathrooms, decorated in shades of beige and brown, benefit from daylight.

The standard services of an international chain hotel are offered: access to broadband Internet throughout the establishment, Nespresso machines in business rooms and suites, and the “one-touch service,” which enables clients to have one unique contact person whatever their request might be. The Lindbergh Bar, where the famous crossing was celebrated in 1927 in the presence of the pilot, has been extended with a mezzanine opening out onto the lobby. Part of the renovation work includes the creation of an “executive lounge” situated on the eighth and top floor, entirely devoted to the welcoming of VIP clients. For more information, visit www.radissonblu.com/ambassadorhotel-paris.

The Mercure Paris Austerlitz Bibliothèque is close to the Gare d’Austerlitz, the Gare de Lyon and the Bibliothèque Nationale de France and the Palais Omnisport de Paris Bercy. Fully renovated, this hotel with its lobby, 88 rooms, and restaurant and bar now has a business corner with free Internet, and is accessible for disabled people. The hotel has a meeting room for up to 25 people and a bar “Le Marina” with tapas service, capable of hosting 28 people. For more information, visit www.mercure.com.

The Mercure Plaza Pont Mirabeau, near to the Parisian bridge celebrated by Apollinaire in his poem of the same name. The hotel has just had a complete makeover and now offers fully renovated and redesigned spaces including 49 comfortable rooms with contemporary decor, two of which are accessible to physically disabled people. The lobby and other common areas are decorated in warm grey and red colors, whilst the lounge is in a baroque style, with contemporary lamps and lights. In addition to the renovation work, new services for business travelers and leisure tourists have been introduced: baggage handler, room service, free Wi-Fi, safe and courtesy tray in guest rooms, and the creation of two “discovering Paris” jogging itineraries, specially designed for hotel guests. Some rooms also offer a view of the Seine. For more information, visit www.mercure.com.

The Pullman Paris Montparnasse, a major conference hotel in the centre of Paris is the former Méridien Montparnasse has just been taken over by Pullman. The hotel comprises 953 guest rooms and a conference center capable of hosting up to 2,000 people for meetings, congresses and major events. The Pullman Paris Montparnasse is situated in the heart of the Left Bank, a stone’s throw from the Montparnasse train station and a few minutes on foot from the Latin Quarter. The 49 modular reception rooms offer multiple possibilities for organizing all types of meetings, seminars and banquets for from 10 to 2,000 people. The establishment rounds off Pullman’s hotel offer in the Parisian region which already accounted for six hotels, all four-starred and with a total capacity of 2,360 guest rooms strategically situated throughout the entire capital — Pullman Paris Tour Eiffel, Pullman Paris Bercy, Pullman Paris Rive Gauche, Pullman Paris La Défense, Pullman Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and Pullman Versailles Château. For more information, visit www.pullmanhotels.com. For general destination information, visit http://en.parisinfo.com

The Hotel De L’Europe will soon complete its $81 million renovation that will see the hotel fully opened by June. The recently opened Dutch Masters Wing is an all-suite annex of 23 loft-like quarters each with a different replica painting from the nearby Rijksmuseum National Gallery — a full-picture reproduction plus two thumbnail details. The Dutch Masters Wing is temporarily home to Hoofdstad Brasserie and Freddy’s Bar, named for Alfred “Freddy” Heineken, who entertained here, and donated the original Dutch Masters paintings adorning the walls. Hotel De L’Europe’s original Rondeel Building, a city-designated landmark is undergoing a full refurbishment. For more information, visit www.leurope.nl.

The Dorchester Collection’s new luxury country house hotel and spa, Coworth Park, formed a new a partnership with nearby Wentworth Club, allowing guests to play the three 18-hole championship golf courses during their stay, among other special perks. Each of the 18-hole courses are considered best in class in the U.K., and players will follow in the footsteps of golfing greats Arnold Palmer, Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Ernie Els, Tiger Woods and Lee Westwood.

Coworth Park is now offering guests the “Wentworth Club Golf Experience,” priced from £565 ($911) per night, subject to availability. The package includes a round of golf for two at Wentworth Club on the East or Edinburgh Course, overnight accommodation in a deluxe double, a treatment per person at The Spa at Coworth Park (from a selected menu), champagne upon arrival to the spa, and English Breakfast the following morning.

In addition to the “Wentworth Club Golf Experience,” Coworth Park’s guests can choose the West Course, home to the BMW PGA Championship, at the golf and country club, the Edinburgh Course or the East Course. For those on a tighter time frame, there’s the 9-hole par 3, or an hour’s lesson with one of Wentworth’s top golf professionals. Coworth Park guests can also use a shuttle service for the short distance from the hotel, while on arrival at Wentworth Club, guests are treated to a forecourt welcome from the Wentworth Golf Concierge, access to the Clubhouse, a boot room shoe cleaning service, individual caddies, golf cart hire and use of the practice facilities. Arrangements can also be made at Wentworth Club for keen golfers having a group event or meeting at Coworth Park.

Wentworth Club Tee Time fees for Coworth Park hotel guests start from £110 ($177) subject to availability, and terms of playing apply. To book golf at Wentworth Club during a stay at Coworth Park, you are advised to make enquiries with Guest Services at time of reservatio

The Rome Cavalieri, The Waldorf Astoria Collection added six new large fresco paintings by Gian Domenico Tiepolo, son of artist Giambattista Tiepolo, to its grand ballroom, Salone dei Cavalieri. Known for its private art collection, Rome Cavalieri is thrilled to complement the hotels’ triptych of Tiepolo paintings (the father’s work located in the lobby) in the largest congress facility of any European five-star deluxe hotel. The artwork sets a backdrop for any event (wedding, meeting, conference, cocktail party, etc.) in the ballroom and hotel guests can also arrange to see the pieces through the concierge. For more information, visit www.romecavalieri.com

Sitting in prominence above the Ayrshire coastline, the five-star Turnberry Resort is home to championship golf courses, spa treatments and numerous outdoor pursuits. This summer, the resort invites guests to enjoy all of these amenities on a “Luxury Holiday at Turnberry” which includes a seventh day for free. Guests can play a round of golf on an Open Championship course, voted No. 1 U.K. Golf Course and No. 3 Worldwide Golf Course 2010 in Today’s Golfer & Golf World Magazine; dine in Turnberry’s array of restaurants; or take advantage of the natural surroundings with trout fishing, walking tours, horseback riding, mountain biking, falconry, clay and rifle shooting and a kids club. Valid from May 1 to Sept. 30, the special offer includes seven nights accommodation for the price of six in one of the hotel’s 291 rooms, full Scottish breakfast each morning and VAT, all from £1,329 ($2,154).

Originally built more than a century ago under the guidance of architect James Miller, the property underwent an impressive $48 million renovation in 2009, restoring the property to its original grandeur while simultaneously providing guests with a host of modern features. The 800-acre estate has seen some of the best moments in British Open history, as golfers such as Tom Watson, Greg Norman, Nick Price, and most recently Stewart Cink in 2009, have taken home the coveted trophy. Those preferring more relaxing modes of therapy find it at the Spa, which offers a comprehensive selection of ESPA treatments aimed at creating mind-body harmony: massage therapy, hot stone therapy, envelopments, body scrubs, facials, hydrotherapy and more.

Connoisseurs Scotland’s 24 members include three of the world’s finest golf resorts, Gleneagles, Turnberry and Old Course; Inverlochy Castle, recently voted the best hotel in Europe; several city centre properties including Prestonfield, Edinburgh’s only Five Red Star hotel, and recently refurbished Sheraton Grand; a 19th century castle health spa; a collection of intimate country house hotels; the ultimate luxury train; the finest hotel afloat; and an exclusive-use property. Five of the members have Michelin-starred restaurants. For more information, visit www.luxuryscotland.co.uk

VisitBritain and STA Travel launched a joint Facebook application, Unite the Invite, as part of a new campaign, targeting the Gen Y market in the U.S. The application tests the idea of whether we’re all connected by six degrees of separation. It may be the first time a tourism board has targeted students and young professionals in this way.

Unite the Invite tests the power of social reach. The premise is simple: the participant registers, uploads a picture of himself or herself and is matched with another Facebook user, who is also involved in this “social experiment.” The participant must post their picture to their wall and ask their friends to share it. The challenge is to find a match faster than anyone else. If they do, they’ll win an exclusive trip for two to London, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, Edinburgh or Cardiff.

Unite the Invite gives each participant a virtual invitation to the U.K., but they only get half of it. The other half is given to the mystery person they have to find on Facebook. If they find them and unite their invite faster than anyone else, they’ll each win a U.K. adventure that has been organized by STA Travel’s experts.

Unite the Invite launched on Feb. 14 and can be accessed by visiting www.facebook.com/LoveUK. The social experiment will run until March 13 at 11:59 p.m. ET. The fastest pair to “Unite their Invite” will each win a trip for two to the U.K. and can choose from six different prizes — London, Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Glasgow or Cardiff. Americans made 3 million visits to the U.K. in 2009 and spent $3.3 billion, placing them in the U.K.’s top three most important markets for visitors. For more information, visit www.visitbritain.us , www.visitbritainshop.us  or www.statravel.com

Paris’ Musée du Luxembourg reopened after a year of renovation work. In 10 years and despite the absence of permanent collections, the Musée du Luxembourg has forged a reputation as a major exhibition venue in Paris. The renovation involved a major overhaul of the building and services for the public. The layout for visitors has been made more fluid, and waiting time reduced, thanks notably to modernized booking tools. The bookshop-boutique now has more books, products for children, as well as product lines dedicated to the Musée and Jardin du Luxembourg.

The layout of the public areas was entrusted to Japanese architect Shigeru Ban. The Musée du Luxembourg will host a major project, on the themes of “Renaissance in Europe” and “Art and Power,” combining monograph exhibitions of the greatest names of the Renaissance with, for example, “Cranach in his time,” the first exhibition for the reopening. The Musée du Luxembourg proposes a program celebrating the history of the Palace, the Garden and the Museum and a look at modern art. For more information, visit www.museeduluxembourg.fr

The Paris Tourist Office is highlighting the city’s unusual bars. Many Parisian hotels have a bar, and some establishments have given their bar an especially cozy or sometimes quirky atmosphere. The success of these bars usually stems from several elements that make them places that clients want to return to — the decoration, often the work of a well-known contemporary designer, the musical atmosphere adapted to the clientele, and the talent of the barmen and the originality of their often exclusive creations.

Such is the case at the Ice Kube (www.kubehotel.com), the bar of the hotel of the same name. The new decor of this bar in ice is a copy of one of the hotel’s guest rooms with bathroom, bedroom and private bar in ice. For a 30-minute session, and after having dressed in the necessary warm clothing (down jacket designed by Alexis Mabille, fur mittens and chapka), clients enter this unusual place with its temperature of minus-20 degrees C for a series of vodka-based cocktails, served in glasses of ice. Like the bar counter, the large armchairs and the rest of the furniture are cut out of blocks of ice.

The Hemingway bar at the Ritz (www.ritzparis.com) is a memorial of sorts. It was here that Ernest Hemingway celebrated the Liberation of Paris on Aug. 25, 1944, and nothing seems to have changed since. Comfortable leather armchairs, wood paneling on the walls, black and white photos of the author of “A Moveable Feast,” an old typewriter and bust of the writer create the atmosphere. The head barman, Colin Field, who has been shaking cocktails here for more than 30 years, is the living memory of the place and serves alcohol and cocktails that were dear to the writer, including the famous Bloody Mary. History has it that one day Hemingway asked the barman of the time to concoct an odorless cocktail for him, to avoid any caustic remarks from his wife about his breath, when returning to his hotel suite in the early hours of the morning after heavy drinking. Writers from around the world can have a letter sent to them here where it will be carefully kept until they visit the bar.

At the Plaza Athénée (www.bar-plaza-athenee-paris.com), the bar decorated by Patrick Jouin, featuring a transparent counter illuminated by touch when a glass is placed on it, and a mirror above the chimney place where flames are displayed on a plasma screen, has very quickly become one of the trendiest places of its kind. The head barman, Thierry Hernandez, is always creating new cocktails, like Fashion Ice — cocktails with an ice lolly in assorted flavors and colors in a glass.

Original in its concept is the Soiréebus (www.soireebus.fr or www.paris-night-ride.com), organized by Bus Event and taking place aboard a bus, which changes from an ordinary means of transport into a venue for partying. Fully-equipped (video screens, lighting and sound system, DJ, cloakroom and toilets), the vehicle takes clients on a “mobile” soirée around Paris enabling them to admire the streets of the city, the Palais Garnier opera house, the Eiffel Tower and Place Vendôme and the Champs Élysées. The bus can host up to 60 people, including 23 people seated. It may be rented by groups for an evening, but may also be boarded by individuals during the Paris Night Ride evenings on Friday evening, when the bus shuttles between three partner pubs, in three different districts.

At Au Pompon (www.lepompon.fr), a former synagogue transformed into a bar and nightclub, DJs or live bands offer a variety of rock, electro or hip-hop. Created by Charaf, from Pain O Chokolat and Omar, the owner of the famous couscous restaurant of the same name, the place became one of the trendiest places in the capital in just a few months. Vodka fans will find glasses to their taste at the Molotov, an opulent little Russian bar, all in red and black and decorated with paintings and objects on the theme, tongue-in-cheek of course, of Soviet propaganda, with portraits of Stalin and uniforms of the Red Army. More than 50 vodkas are on offer and the place is purposely offbeat in its ironic concept and decoration. Another place for fans of Russia is the piano-bar of the restaurant Le Raspoutine. Serge Gainsbourg was a regular in the 1980s. Vodka is the drink here and the atmosphere is lively with dances and songs taken up in chorus as the night advances.

In a different genre, Le Footsie offers an atypical concert, as the price of cocktails varies according to the offer and demand in the establishment. Taking its name from the equivalent of the English CAC 40, the place displays the prices of drinks on plasma screens and it requires the art of a trader to order at the right time — when the client’s favorite cocktail is displayed at a low price.

The Crystal Lounge (www.crystallounge.fr) is one of the capital’s newest trendy venues. Installed on the premises of a former oriental cabaret, the place has been fully renovated and now has a modern design and atmosphere over 650 square meters, inspired by that of some of the finest London clubs. Evenings from Thursday to Saturday are held on different themes with resident DJs, fashion evenings, etc. The venue is also available for private hire on other nights of the week for private or professional events.

Installed in a former art deco function room dating from 1923, Le Renard (www.renardrenard.com) has retained the latter’s volumes which are shown off to great effect with Asian-style interior decoration and the play of light. This vast area which is both a restaurant and night bar offers an atmosphere that mixes architecture of the past with a program of contemporary music.

Le Petit Bain (www.petitbain.org) is another spacious venue: open in summer on a terrace along the banks of the Seine, it will from this summer onwards be housed on a huge barge. This “floating cultural space” which will serve as a bar, restaurant, concert hall and a place for art, will be able to host up to 400 people.

The Bar à Champagne (www.tour-eiffel.fr) at the Eiffel Tower offers a magical view of Paris. At Flûte l’Étoile (www.flutebar.com), housed on two levels, the atmosphere is cozy on the ground floor with seating for couples and groups in the lounge atmosphere of the mezzanine. Flûte Paris is a spinoff of the two New York Flûte bars which have existed for 10 years or so. It offers a wide selection of champagnes, by the flute or by the bottle.

The Louis 25 (www.louis25.com), conceived by the former boxer Louis Acaries, is a champagne bar housed in a listed mansion house at the bottom of the Champs Élysées. La Grande Dame, at the Hôtel Sezz (www.hotelsezz.co), is a bar dedicated to the champagne Veuve Clicquot, where champagne buffs can taste all the different champagnes from this Reims champagne house. At the Radisson Blu Le Dokhan’s Hotel (www.radissonblu.com/dokhanhotel-paristrocadero), the champagne bar boasts some 60 different champagnes, including some old vintages, in a baroque setting dominated by gold and black colors. Every evening, the bar organizes tastings led by a sommelier and proposes tastings by the glass, or associating three types of champagne — dry, pink and vintage. For general destination information, visit http://en.parisinfo.com.

The Belgian Brewers’ association and the “Chevalerie du Fourquet des Brasseurs,” in collaboration with the City of Brussels, will present the annual Belgian Beer Weekend on the Grand Place from Sept. 2 to 4. Many small, medium and large Belgian breweries will present their best selections of beers. Beer aficionados interested in learning about Belgium’s over 650 different styles of beer should also check out the Beer Lovers guide at www.visitbelgium.com/?page=beer-lovers. Also Belgium is dedicating 2012 to the flavors of Belgian cuisine. Belgium is a gourmet paradise, with among the highest density of Michelin star-rated restaurants in Europe. Eat your way through Belgium with beer and chocolate tasting tours. For more information, visit www.belgium.com