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Ferragamo Owned Private Estate Five Miles from Florence offers over 60% savings at expansive villa from Lungarno Collection
(Florence, Italy) – During the peak summer months of July and August, guests of Villa Le Rose will have a chance to relish in the magnificent Italian Renaissance architecture and lush gardens, while taking advantage of the Special Summer Rental Rates offering over 60% savings at this romantic address from Lungarno Collection. Built amid the Tuscan countryside in the 15th century as a private residence for the Medici family, Villa Le Rose is nestled just five miles from the heart of Florence and is available for weekly rentals starting from €27,000, instead of the regular summer rates of €40,000. All rentals are available from Sunday to Sunday.

Owned by the Ferragamo family and surrounded by antique rose bushes, potted lemon trees and towering cedars, Villa Le Rose is a private estate complete with Concierge, chef and butler services, swimming pool and a 15th century manor which was expanded in the 18th century to its current size, accommodating up to 12 guests. Villa Le Rose is idyllic for reunions, romantic getaways and intimate destination weddings.

The two-story property features six deluxe rooms, as well as a library, expansive dining and living room and kitchen. On the ground floor, the main Sala delle Feste salon is decorated with original frescoes and antique furnishings, while a sizable ballroom is perfect for parties of up to 200, all at the backdrop of 18th-century architecture. The main Baldacchino Suite, also located on the first floor, is a lap of luxury highlighted by a great canopy bed and a frescoed bathroom with its own fireplace. Upstairs are five additional suites, each sized for two and embellished with original furnishings and large windows that look out onto picturesque views of the rolling hills of Chianti.

Guests will be catered to with private chef and waiter to prepare three meals daily, butler and housekeeper on staff, conveniences including air-conditioning, wireless Internet, laundry facilities, luggage assistance upon check-in and check-out, and more. For additional fees, Villa Le Rose can stock groceries, provide transportation and tours, among others.

For more information or weekly reservations at Villa Le Rose, please contact 011.39. 055.2726.4000 or visit www.lungarnohotels.com.

Villa Le Rose is situated on a private estate in the Certosa hills and surrounded by antique rose bushes and potted lemon trees, only five miles from the city center of Florence. Built in the 15th century as a private residence for the Medici, the manor is a magnificent example of Italian Renaissance architecture and accommodates 12 guests through three levels. With the comfort of guests always in mind, the villa experience includes 24-hour assistance, with chef and butler service available upon request. www.villalerose.com

Lungarno Collection is a diverse collection of Italian boutique and design luxury hotels and residences, owned by the Ferragamo family. Properties include the Portrait Suites located in fashionable Rome and several in Florence, many of which are dotted around the Arno River. The classic Florentine hotels include: Hotel Lungarno; Continentale Hotel; GALLERY Hotel Art; and Lungarno Suites. In Florence, there is also the Lungarno Apartments, Villa Le Rose and Lungarno Details, a retail store with home design and furnishings. Lungarno Collection also feature two signature restaurants in Florence, the award-winning Borgo San Jacopo and The Fusion Bar & Restaurant. www.lungarnohotels.com

Special Packages Available for Overnight Guests or Meeting Planners

Hot Springs, Virginia – Birthday celebrations come and go, but when the guest of honor reaches 245, the party is not to be missed. Come commemorate the 245th birthday of The Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia with a fun- and event-filled celebration on Saturday, August 27 including a gala dinner and an Afternoon Tea with Thomas Jefferson, performed by Rob Coles, Jefferson’s fifth great-grandson. For meetings-minded professionals, there is an enticing package available as well.

The historic resort that first opened its doors a decade before the American Revolution has been drawing guests to the Allegheny Mountains of southwestern Virginia ever since. From George Washington to Bill Clinton, no fewer than 22 U.S. Presidents have visited The Homestead, most notably Thomas Jefferson, who “took the waters,” which are now known as the Jefferson Pools.

While natural spring waters are still a local attraction, The Homestead has many adventures for active guests to enjoy. Play three championship golf courses, including the Cascades Course, considered the finest mountain course in the country, and the Old Course, featuring the nation’s oldest tee in continuous use. Take aim at skeet, trap and sporting clays at the Shooting Club or pull back and let archery fly. Find the perfect mount at The Homestead’s 48-stall Equestrian Center. Fly-fish onsite and in nearby mountain streams. Mountain bike, hike, bowl, or dip into the luxurious, European-style Spa at The Homestead.

Celebrate history and hospitality during The Homestead’s 245th Birthday Party Package for two people on August 27, 2011, including:

Luxury guest accommodations at The Homestead
Cocktail reception and Afternoon Tea with Thomas Jefferson, historical performance by Rob Coles, Jefferson’s fifth great-grandson
Seminar by the Virginia Historical Society, “How to Preserve Old Photos”
Gala dinner in the Main Dining Room with music and dancing
Commemorative hand-blown glass vase keepsake gift
Breakfast on Sunday, August 28

The Homestead’s Birthday Package starts at $379 and is based on double occupancy. Taxes and resort charge are not included. Come a day early or stay an extra day at a special rate of $169 per night.

Meeting Planners: Take advantage of a special 245th Anniversary Meeting Package at The Homestead, featuring enticing extras on select dates throughout summer 2011:

Luxurious guest accommodations at The Homestead
Breakfast and dinner daily
Morning and afternoon coffee breaks daily
$20 activity credit daily

Enjoy over 72,000 square feet of meeting space for events up to 1,000 people. Rates for the meeting packages are based on a 25-room minimum. Rates start at $245 per person, per night based on single occupancy and $175 per person, per night, based double occupancy. The offer is available on special dates including: July 10-14, July 17-21, July 24-28, July 31-August 4, August 7-11, August 21-24, August 28-September 1, September 1-5.

Open since 1766, The Homestead is one of America’s most storied resorts, offering unparalleled hospitality and Southern charm in a 3,000-acre setting within the Allegheny Mountains of southwestern Virginia. Renowned for its natural healing springs, The Homestead is distinguished by 483 luxurious guest rooms and suites, 72,000 square feet of meeting space, a wide array of fine and casual dining choices, a world-class spa, three championship golf courses that include one of the nation’s finest mountain courses (The Cascades), the South’s first downhill ski area, a 48-stable Equestrian Center and show ring, one of the top-rated Shooting Clubs and a wealth of other recreational attractions.

For more information, please contact The Homestead at (877) 549-9506 or visit www.thehomestead.com

– Mai10, a global leader in luxury travel, invites guests to be a part of history in this unique life-changing experience that will take a few lucky civilians into remote and exotic nooks of the world that are virtually undiscovered.

The Extreme Islands Expedition will allow select travelers to sail for one week alongside famed explorer Daniel Fox, photographer Jasmine Rossi and their team of prominent film-makers, scientists and explorers as they seek to visibly map the coasts and surrounding depths of close to 200 islands located around Antarctica, the Arctic and throughout the Pacific. This expedition will set new precedents in physical oceanography, cartography and the study of marine ecology for decades to come.

Through Mai10, clients will have the choice of one of 20 weeks made available for civilians to board the vessel during the five-year voyage. This once-in-a-lifetime trip places Mai10 clients on the expedition vessel for one week with the explorer team while they produce thousands of photographs, several hundred hours of film footage and priceless cartographic data from over 14 countries including the US, Canada, France, United Kingdom, Brazil, Mexico, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Russia, Samoa, Tonga and the Phoenix, Gilbert and Marshal Islands, 200 islands and four oceans.

The price is $15,000/per person for one-week of full board and transfer. Airfare not included. Mai10 will coordinate with guests which week(s), based upon availability, they will be aboard the expedition.

Mai 10 is a knowledgeable, experienced bespoke travel and destination management company in Argentina, founded by Maita Barrenechea who with 28 years of expertise is the world’s expert on travel in Argentina. Dedicated to organizing tailor-made, high-end individual and group travel, Mai 10 specializes in developing unique itineraries. Mai 10’s mission is to introduce guests to the natural and cultural beauty, history and traditions of Argentina and, most of all, to let them capture its intimate, friendly atmosphere. Programs vary from leisure family vacation to group events for board-meetings, conferences, incentive and special interest programs. Each experience is different and rewarding, combining personal enrichment with a flair for the exotic. The company is divided in two departments: Specialty Travel and Event-Planning. www.mai10.com.ar

“Transformers: The Ride-3D,” based on the iconic brand from Hasbro and film franchise, directed by Michael Bay, will revolutionize theme park ride perceptions when it debuts at Universal Studios Hollywood in Spring 2012.

The dynamic, motion-based thrill ride will tell an original “Transformers” story using one of the most elaborate roaming flight simulator ride systems ever created and featuring sophisticated special effects masterminded by Industrial Light & Magic. “Transformers: The Ride-3D” will be Universal Studios Hollywood’s most ambitious ride to date and will set a new standard in the world of theme park attractions.
www.universalstudioshollywood.com

The Upper House in Hong Kong is currently offering a Summer Retreat special featuring discounted rates in five room categories. All rooms include 400-square-foot bathrooms and walk-in rainshowers, dressing areas and free-standing bathtubs, and panoramic harbor or island views. The Sumer Retreat offer is valid for a stay until Aug. 31.

The Studio 70 Island View is priced from $437 per night, the Studio 70 Harbour View from $502, the Studio 80 Island View from $528, the Studio 80 Harbour View from $592, and the Upper Suite Harbour View from $836. The Summer Retreat offer at The Upper House includes daily breakfast for two at Café Gray Deluxe, one-way arrival transfer from the airport, in-room bar, and Wi-Fi and local calls. For reservations, email reservations@upperhouse.com and use promotional code RETREAT. For more information, visit www.upperhouse.com

In star-studded Los Angeles, don’t just stay where the stars do. Elevate your stay to a new level of luxury — at the posh properties designed by the stars.

The venerable Hotel Bel-Air, which is set to re-open Oct. 15, was restored and redesigned by architectural star David Rockwell and the Rockwell Group. Rockwell designed the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, home to the Academy Awards, as well as the sets for the 2009 and 2010 Academy Award shows. He’s invoked the glamour of Hollywood’s Golden Age with a youthful twist in the Hotel Bel-Air’s bar, restaurant and terrace. The hotel will have 103 guestrooms, including 12 new hillside accommodations and a 6,775-square-foot presidential suite.

Style-maker Thom Filicia of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy TV-show fame revamped the W Los Angeles Westwood giving a hip residential look to its 258 suites, and turned The Backyard — the hotel’s outdoor restaurant and lounge — into an urban oasis of lime green and chocolate brown.

New Design Style guru, Philippe Starck of Paris, featured on the BBC’s Design for Life reality show and whose furniture is featured in the Boston Legal and Ugly Betty TV shows, turned the SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills into a cool hot spot, with his imaginative furnishings and décor in its 297 guest rooms and two restaurants.

For power-packed executive gatherings, the oceanfront Malibu Beach Inn, on Malibu’s “Billionaire’s Beach,” is owned by Hollywood mogul David Geffen. It sports 47 chic rooms and a guests-only restaurant, revamped in 2007 under Geffen’s supervision.

Norwegian Cruise Line will launch its “Freestyle Dash” limited-time offer, which offers shipboard credit, on June 21. Guests who book a Norwegian cruise by June 24 will receive up to $250 per stateroom, based on cruise length and category. The promotion also reduces deposits fleet-wide.

In addition, guests who book a cruise on Norwegian Epic by July 31 will receive up to $300 to spend on board. Norwegian Epic’s Western Mediterranean sailings from Barcelona Spain visit Naples, Rome (Civitavecchia), Florence (Livorno), Nice (Villefranche), and Provence (Marseille), France. The Freestyle Dash offer is not combinable with the Norwegian Epic offer.

Last week, Universal Orlando Resort celebrated the one-year anniversary of “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.” The theme park commemorated the anniversary at 9:23 a.m. — the exact time “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” opened on June 18, 2010. After taking part in a countdown led by the Hogwarts Express conductor, guests and team members celebrated in the streets of Hogsmeade while “snow” confetti and gold streamers fell from the sky. Guests also enjoyed complimentary Butterbeer, cauldron cakes and Chocolate Frogs. The park has additionally introduced a new “Share Your Story” tab on its official Facebook page, providing park guests with a space to share memories and photos of their visits to “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.”

Halekulani resort on Oahu is offering the four-night “Connoisseur Package,” which offers access to the first Hawaii Food & Wine Festival, Sept. 29 to Oct. 1.

The festival will feature demonstrations, tasting workshops, seminars and field excursions highlighting Hawaii’s commitment to a sustainable eco-system of agriculture, environment and economy. Halekulani will host a Master Chefs Gala Dinner Series on Sept. 30 featuring food and wine pairings by master chefs and sommeliers.

The “Connoisseur Package,” priced from $598 per night, includes accommodations in an ocean-view or oceanfront room, breakfast daily in either Orchids or House Without a Key, access to either the opening reception or closing-night dinner of the food festival, and complimentary admission to Iolani Palace, Bishop Museum, Honolulu Academy of Arts and the Contemporary Museum.

For more information, visit www.halekulani.com

The newly renovated Hyatt at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco offers the new “Summer Splash” package that includes a room for a family of four, full breakfast for two adults and two children, one in-room movie per stay, a coupon per child per stay for one cookie from Knuckles, and a Pier 39 coupon book. Rates start at $209 per night.

A celebration add-on option is $50 and includes a six-inch cake, sparkling wine or a non-alcoholic option, and balloons. The offer is available through Aug. 31. For more information, call 800-233-1234 or visit http://fishermanswharf.hyatt.com