Jetsettersblog

Free music for all this summer in one of the most beautiful parks in Paris.

It is the last stop on the Paris Metro Line 1, but there is a reason the service travels as far as Chateau de Vincennes. As well as the entertaining castle, the stunning Parc Floral plays hosts each summer to a packed programme of some of the world’s finest jazz music.

Every weekend to July 31st, visitors to the park can sit among the attractive flower arrangements and foliage and be treated to an eclectic and entertaining collection of inventive jazz music from around the world.

The festival will showcase everything from the familiar ‘big band’ style to funk, soul, circus music and Latin jazz, performed by an esteemed list of global artists, as well as some of France’s favourite practitioners of the art.

Each of these themes will be afforded their own weekend, allowing you to easily pick and choose which style of jazz to enjoy.

In addition, the Garden of Jazz will host exhibitions on subjects such as the craft of instrument-making and photograph collections.

While the event is free, there is a small fee charged to enter the park itself, but it is certainly worth it.

For the best Paris hotels to suit your requirements during your stay, visit Hotels-Paris.co.uk for a full range of wonderful boutique hotels, including the delightful Pershing Hall.

If you would like to know more about Paris Jazz Festival, visit parisjazzfestival.fr/en/home

Santorini, Greece

Hotel: Volcano View VIP Villas are Santorini’s most exclusive luxury accommodations perched high on the caldera cliffs overlooking the sea and volcano. Their 5 star accommodations offer a high level of service and many amenities.

Restaurant: A fine dining experience in The La Maltese Restaurant in Santorini is undoubtedly an unforgettable journey since the gourmet dinner is served on the luxury hotel’s candlelit expansive veranda facing the magnificent Caldera Rim of Santorini, providing amongst the most memorable and privileged experiences in the Cycladic Island in Greece.

Activity: Visit the Volcano of Santorini at sunset for a spectacular view and unforgettable experience. Walk upon the solid black lava sides of the steaming volcano and discover the volcano’s crater and other openings bursting with sulphur steam.

Spa: The Santorini Princess Hotel Spa is the only luxury spa and wellness center overlooking the captivating Caldera.

Hvar Island in Croatia

Hotel: Hovering on the waterfront promenade in the heart of the medieval Hvar Town, Riva Yacht Harbor Hotel is one of Croatia’s trendiest boutique hotels, and offers you the finest in Adriatic ambiance. It was also deemed Croatia’s Leading boutique hotel by the World Travel Awards in 2008, 2009, and 2010.

Restaurant: Macondo is a seafood restaurant off St. Stephen’s Square known for their mouth-watering gregada, a garlicky seafood stew.

Activity: The large 16th-century fortress that stands above Hvar Town once was a medieval castle.

The current structure, built by the Venetians, is worth the climb to see spectacular views of Hvar Town’s rooftops and its harbor from the ramparts

Spa: The unique Sensorí spa in the Adriana hotel integrates design elements inspired by the sensuous island environment and has both indoor and outdoor amenities on three levels, including outdoor terraces for massage, yoga, and relaxation.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean

Hotel: Palm Island Resort is an exclusive, private-island resort. This idyllic tropical hideaway is situated near the southern tip of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Restaurant: Open for breakfast and dinner, The Veranda Restaurant at The Cotton House encompasses the best of the Caribbean flavors incorporating local supplies in offering a menu that is a simple yet eclectic international gastronomic experience.

Activity: Experience one of the great sailing centers of the Caribbean by chartering a boat for the day.

Spa: The Buccament Bay Spa offers ESPA treatments that are enjoyed outdoors in a Thai pavilion on the deck or under a gazebo on the beach.

Windstar Cruises has added a bike program to its fleet, equipping its ships with 7000-series, aluminum-frame Dragon Marine folding bikes. Wind Surf has eight bikes and Wind Spirit and Wind Star each have four bikes.

Rates are $39 for a half-day rental (four hours), or $59 for a full-day rental (eight hours).

Bike helmets, locks and chains are provided.

Bikes are available for rental in most ports and guests can reserve them through the ship’s destination manager.

Windstar, which recently released its 2012 Collection of Luxury Sailings, is offering $200 shipboard credit per cabin to guests who book by June 30.

Those who book their sailing 180 days or more receive an additional 15 percent discount. Windstar’s Foremast Members receive an additional 5 percent discount on all itineraries.

Oct 1-9, 2011 and Oct 6-14, 2012

From a modest beginning in 1972 of 13 balloons launching from a shopping mall parking lot, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta has grown to 500+ balloons and hundreds of thousands of guests at Balloon Fiesta Park each fall.This year will mark the 40th time that the Balloon Fiesta has filled Albuquerque’s crystal blue skies. The Balloon Fiesta is the premier international ballooning event, powered by the perfect October climate and a phenomenon called the “Albuquerque Box,” (a combination of weather patterns and geographic landscape, the box allows balloonists to control and even retrace their adventure).

The place to be in October is at Balloon Fiesta Park. The 200 acres of grass and booths will be filled with balloons and vendors selling everything from traditional New Mexican food to Balloon memorabilia.

Each year balloon teams from around the world participate in the event and news coverage originates from more than 50 countries. It has become the most photographed event in the world.

Join in the special celebration this year – media registration will begin in August.

Visit the website for details www.BalloonFiesta.com  and follow on twitter for updates

British Airways has introduced First class on daily services between Las Vegas and London as the airline increases its capacity by 18 per cent.

British Airways has introduced First class on its daily flights to Las Vegas from London Heathrow as the airline increases its capacity by 18 percent.

The non-stop daily flights to Las Vegas from London Heathrow Terminal 5 launched in October 2009 will be served by a four class Boeing 747, enabling customers to choose from World Traveller (economy), World Traveller Plus (premium economy), Club World (business class) and award-winning First.

By moving to a Boeing 747, British Airways sends an additional 124 seats on every roundtrip, including 14 seats in First.

Customers can book luxury holidays in Las Vegas for less by booking their flights, hotels and experiences together. Home to spas, luxury hotels and many excellent attractions, Las Vegas is the perfect place to enjoy luxury holidays.

There is a good choice of luxury hotels in Las Vegas which cater to all kinds tastes. The five star Bellagio treats guests to sweeping views of the magnificent lake and classical gardens while 5* The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino recreates the glory of Venice and has suites nearly twice the size as a typical Las Vegas hotel room. The five star Aria Resort and Casino, located in the heart of CityCenter, combines architecture with sustainable design and five star The Wynn Resort Las Vegas provides food options for every taste.

Las Vegas is a hotspot of activity out in the Nevada desert. Customers looking for things to do in Las Vegas will not be disappointed by amazing helicopter rides over the Las Vegas Strip or over the Grand Canyon, nightly live performances, designer shopping and casinos on offer.

British Airways’ new First cabin allows customers to start their holiday in comfort and creates an exclusive experience based on classic design and understated luxury.

Each individual suite has its own personal wardrobe, a leather-bound writing desk that converts into a dining table, a new 15″ in-flight entertainment screen and a buddy seat to enable customers to dine together.

The lighting and electronic blinds can be modified to reflect mood and time of day.

Simon Talling-Smith, executive vice president, Americas, said: “We are so proud of the success of our Las Vegas route that we launched just over one year ago.

The demand has been great so we’re delighted to be able to increase capacity on this route. Additional seats mean more travellers get to see the best of London, the UK and the rest of the world.

“And for our high roller flyers, we are thrilled to now offer our award winning First class on this route. Our new First offers a 60% wider seat, personal electronic blinds and balanced privacy that creates an intimate private jet experience. I know our customers will love this cabin.”

LAS VEGAS – Piano! Las Vegas™ at V Theater inside Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino is adding a comedy magic act to the high-energy afternoon show.

The new addition brings a unique combination of comedy-magic and live music to Las Vegas’ afternoon entertainment options.

A rotating cast of comedy-magicians will now open the show and return midway through, performing a variety of astounding magic tricks that will leave the audience bursting at the seams with laughter.

Piano! Las Vegas star Ryan Ahern will also introduce an electrifying new arrangement of songs ranging from rock ‘n’ roll to his award-winning Boogie Woogie.

“We all love to laugh when we see a show,” said Ryan Ahern, star of Piano! Las Vegas™. “I thought what better way to entertain my fans then provide them with some added humor to an already fun and energized piano show. By inviting some of the top comedy magicians to perform on stage with me, I believe audience members will enjoy the show twice as much.”

About Piano! Las Vegas

Piano! Las Vegas, starring Ryan Ahern, is backed by six of Las Vegas’ finest musicians who entertain audiences with exciting and lush arrangements featuring red hot rock ‘n’ roll, international hits, show tunes and Flight of the Bumbleebee Boogie all topped off with Ryan’s own award-winning Boogie Woogie. Ahern presents a masterful showcase of piano technique and artistry that speaks to every audience member.

Piano! Las Vegas electrifies audiences Mondays – Thursdays and Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. at the V Theater inside Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.

Tickets start at $29.99 for general admission, $39.99 for VIP seating, and free for children 12 and under plus taxes and box office fees. Las Vegas locals receive a 50% discount.

For tickets call the V Theater Box Office at (866) 932-1818 or visit www.pianolasvegas.com

Group rates are also available by calling (702) 456-9253.

Follow Piano! Las Vegas™ on Twitter:

www.twitter.com/pianolasvegas
  Friend Piano! Las Vegas™ on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/4fc2vo8

From Big Hair to BBQ, Experience “Big D” Fun & Freebies with New Campaign, Monthly Events & Travel Packages

Everything’s bigger in Texas and the new “Summer Like a Local” campaign at Kimpton’s Hotel Palomar Dallas is
no exception. The hotel is celebrating “Big D’s” unique culture, offering travelers and staycationers the insider experience with special tips and Texas treats including locally-themed wine hour sips, bites and activities.

The hotel is also offering exclusive travel packages including a trip to the must-see Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden.

Highlights of the “Summer Like a Local” campaign at Hotel Palomar Dallas, offered now through Sept. 5, 2011, include:

Summer of Sangria & Wii Want to Play: In addition to Texas wines offered at the daily hosted evening wine hours, guests can cool down with refreshing summer sangria and seasonal cocktails and bites from Central 214’s Chef Blythe Beck. Guests can also unleash their inner child with nightly Wii competitions and board games.

Monthly “Live Like A Local” Dallas Wine Hours (Open to public): Once each month, the hotel’s evening wine hour, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., will offer guests and locals a true taste of “Big D” with Texas-sized activities:
- June 17 – Texas Flash Mob Yoga featuring Exhale Spa Yoga Masters
- July 15 –Big Hair, Barbecue & Cadillacs
- August 19 – Rope ‘em, Ride ‘em, Lasso ‘em Rodeo-Themed Fun
- September 16 – Black Gold, Big Rich Bingo with fun prizes from our favorite places to shop and eat like a larger-than-life-Texan

Additional details will be posted on the Hotel Palomar Dallas Facebook page prior to each event.

Dallas Fit: Beginning the week of June 20, guests can start their day working out with the locals. “Run with the GM” hosted by Hotel Palomar Dallas’ General Manager Andrew Wright is scheduled for every other Thursday.

Guests can also take part in the special “Big D Core Fusion” with Palomar team members set for every other Wednesday. Workout schedule available at check-in.

Perks for Passwords: Travelers that follow Kimpton and Hotel Palomar Dallas on Twitter and Facebook will have access to a different secret monthly password that can be whispered at check-in to receive complimentary extras, from room upgrades to event tickets.

The Dallas Scene: Tailored in-the-know recommendations for how to explore Dallas like a local, from staff picks on where to eat, play, shop and drink, to recommendations for incredible one-of-a-kind experiences that can’t be found in a tour book.

After a day of exploration, guests can sip complimentary
Summer Reviver concoctions, made with chamomile citrus berry tea and fresh apple juice, available in Kimpton hotel lobbies from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Breakfast Fit for Kids: Guests dining with children under 12 years of age can enjoy free breakfast all summer long at Central 214 and other participating Kimpton restaurants nationwide.

Offer is limited to one meal per child.

“This summer our guests will get a taste of living large in Texas,” Wright said. “From fun ‘Big D’ themed events at wine hour to an exclusive travel package with tickets to the Arboretum and other perks, everyone will summer like a local with us.”

SUMMER TRAVEL PACKAGES

A Room With A Bloom”

Guests will enjoy one of the region’s most popular outdoor attractions, the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, with the exclusive “Room with a Bloom” package at the vibrant Hotel Palomar Dallas. Just minutes away from the hotel, the Arboretum is home to outdoor festivals, concerts and art shows and features 66-acres of spectacular display gardens in a serene setting on White Rock Lake.

The package features:

Overnight luxury accommodations, just minutes away from the Dallas Arboretum
2 VIP Arboretum passes
Complimentary overnight valet parking
$50 dining credit for room service or acclaimed Central 214 restaurant
VIP turndown service
A yellow rose of Texas in your room

With rates starting at just $249 a night, the “Room with a Bloom” package can be booked online with the rate code BLOOMS or by calling 1-888-253-9030 and mentioning the package by name.

Summer Like A Local

Travelers seeking an explorative urban summer getaway in Dallas can book Kimpton’s “Summer Like a Local” travel package for just $10 more than the Best Available Rate to receive:
• Deluxe overnight accommodations
• $25 credit for use at Central 214
• Complimentary organic coffee, iced coffee and tea in the hotel lobby each morning
• Complimentary refreshing beverage in the lobby each afternoon
• Summer sangria at Kimpton’s hosted evening wine hour

Kimpton’s “Summer Like a Local” amenities and hotel package are available for travel through Sept. 5, 2011. Reservations can be made online or by calling 1-888-253-9030. To book the “Summer Like A Local” package online, travelers can use the PLGD booking code.

For more information on the “Summer Like a Local” campaign and offerings, please visit Kimpton’s Hotel Palomar Dallas online or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/hotelpalomar.dallas

The Globus family of brands unveiled nearly 30 special offers dubbed Value Season vacations, including holiday offers such as Christmas in Paris, New Year’s Eve in Venice and a visit to the Christmastime markets on Avalon’s new all-suite ship, the Avalon Panorama.

The selection includes holiday cruises on the Main and Danube rivers and tours across Europe ranging from seven to 29 days. Also included are six independent, all-in-one vacation packages.

“November to March is a great time for Americans to make Europe travel dreams come true,” said Steve Born, vice president of marketing for the Globus family of brands.

“They can take a vacation at a reduced price, while avoiding the crowds that converge during the summer travel months.”

Globus is offering reductions of $200 per person on air-inclusive 2011-12 Value Season Europe vacations booked before July 26, and a savings of $250 per person on air-inclusive Value Season Europe vacations on British Airways, American Airlines and Iberia Airlines booked before July 26.
Among the sale offerings are Globus Christmas in Paris and New Year’s Eve in London (nine days), priced from $1,699 land only; Christmastime in Munich and Eastern Europe (nine days), priced from $1,349 land only; Christmas in Rome and New Year’s Eve in Venice (10 days), priced from $2,299 land only; Cosmos Jewels of Morocco (10 days) priced from $789 land only; Prague, Vienna and Budapest (nine days), priced from $899 land only; The Splendors of Italy (nine days), priced from $1,069 land only; Avalon’s river cruise Christmastime in Alsace and Germany (five days), priced from $1,099 cruise only; Christmastime on the Danube (nine days), priced from $2,019 land and cruise only; Monograms’ independent vacation packages Paris Getaway (four days), priced from $598 land only; A Week in London (seven days), priced from $738 land only; and A Week in London and Paris (seven days), priced from $1,093 land only.

Littleton, Colo.-based Group Voyagers is the privately held company that markets and sells the Globus family of brands within the United States, including Globus, Cosmos, Monograms and Avalon Waterways. Established more than 80 years ago, Globus offers escorted and independent travel and river cruising programs in seven continents. For more information, visit www.globusjourneys.com  or www.globusandcosmos.com

Travel Impressions is giving two free tickets to Colombian singer Shakira’s July 15 concert at Moon Palace Golf and Spa Resort in Cancun, Mexico, to clients who purchase seven-night all-inclusive reservations to participating Palace Resorts in Cancun and the Riviera Maya or Le Blanc Spa Resort in Cancun.

Bookings must be made by July 12 for travel July 9 to 21.

Tickets for the concert are assigned in the Gold level for Palace Resorts guests and the Platinum level for guests of Le Blanc Spa Resort. Seven-night all-inclusive stays start at $1,200 per person.

Travel Impressions is also offering a $1,500 resort credit per room, per stay, at participating Mexico properties for reservations made through Oct. 31 for travel through Dec. 23, 2012.

Resort credits can be used towards tours, golf, spa and beauty services, dining, room upgrades (restrictions apply) and wedding packages.

Palace Resorts all-inclusive vacations include hotel accommodations; roundtrip hotel transfers; all meals, drinks and snacks; non-motorized water sports; daily activities; and nightly entertainment.

Airfare is available from gateways nationwide and can be easily added to the cost of the hotel package.

Sample per person rates for seven-night all-inclusive vacation packages at participating properties are as follows:

Beach Palace (Cancun), from $1,200, plus kids stay free; Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort (Cancun), from $1,200, plus kids stay free; Sun Palace (Cancun), from $1,200 (couples only); Cancun Palace (Cancun), from $1,200, plus kids stay free; Playacar Palace (Riviera Maya), from $1,218, plus kids stay free; Aventura Cove Palace (Riviera Maya), from $1,223, plus kids stay free; Aventura Spa Palace (Riviera Maya), from $1,223 (adults only); and Le Blanc Spa Resort (Cancun), from $2,047 (adults only).

The kids stay free promotion is valid for children 12 years of age and under for bookings through Aug. 27, 2011, for travel June 1 to Aug. 31, 2011.

Kids stay free only includes hotel accommodations.

Kids must be sharing a room with two paying adults and utilizing existing bedding.

Travel Impressions, founded in 1974, is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Express and one of the largest leisure tour operators in America.

The company offers FIT vacations to more than 200 destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America, Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean, Dubai, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, the Islands of Tahiti, Canada, Hawaii and the continental U.S., featuring more than 2,700 resorts, hotels and luxury villas.

For more information, call 800-284-0044 or visit www.TravelImpressions.com

European Waterways is offering $2,000 off per cabin on the July 17 cruise by the eight-passenger Scottish Highlander luxury hotel barge when booked by June 30.

Standard rates start at $3,590 per person.

The Scottish Highlander runs from Inverness on the Scottish east coast to Banavie near Fort William on the west coast. A typical cruise includes a visit to Culloden Moor, scene of the last great battle on British soil in 1746, which marked the fall of the Jacobite rebellion.

The cruise also visits the village of Fort Augustus, at the most southern tip of Loch Ness.

Passengers also will also sample single malt whiskies including Nevis, Lagavulin, Glen Moray, Bowmore and Dalwhinnie, and tour the Ben Nevis whisky distillery.

For more information, call 877-879-8808, email sales@gobarging.com or visit www.gobarging.com