Jetsettersblog

A hypersonic jet that is twice the speed of Concorde and will fly from Paris to New York in 90 minutes..

The ZEHRA, which stands for Zero Emission Hypersonic Transportation, will run on biofuel made from seaweed, causing almost no environmental pollution, will carry 100 passengers at 3125 mph, four times the speed of sound, and will rocket 20 miles above the earth, according to the Daily Telegraph.

It is hoped the jet, the brainchild of European manufacturer EADS, will begin operating commercially in 2050 while non-manned test flights should start as soon as 2020.

The Parisien newspaper reported on Sunday that the jet will run on a mix of biofuel, hydrogen and water, using no kerosene.

EADS estimated that travellers on the hypersonic jet will pay around £5000 for a return trip from London to New York.

Meanwhile Airbus experienced a set back at the show this morning when a flying display of the A380 had to be cancelled after the jet’s right hand wing touched a structure near a taxiway at Le Bourget airport, home of the show.

Las Vegas Shakespeare Company to perform the classic A Midsummer Night’s Dream

WHO:
The Village Lake Las Vegas, City of Henderson and Las Vegas Shakespeare Company

WHAT:
The Village Lake Las Vegas and City of Henderson invite guests to enjoy a production of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream performed by the Las Vegas Shakespeare Company.

Audience members will be captivated by A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the most popular of William Shakespeare’s comedies. Celebrating the vagaries of love, the play explores the conflict between social order and the freedom of the imagination embodied by young lovers.

Guests are encouraged to bring a low-back chair or blanket to the performance. The performance will take place on the main lakeside stage.

Last year, the group’s performance of Macbeth boasted a record-breaking attendance of more than 3,000 playgoers.

WHEN:
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Show time – 7 p.m.

WHERE:
The Village
15 Costa di Lago
Henderson, NV 89011

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
For more information about this performance, please visit www.thevillagellv.com. For more information about Las Vegas Shakespeare Company, please visit www.lvshakes.com For more information about Shakespeare in the Park, please visit www.HendersonLive.com

Overnight stays are available at Aston MonteLago Village Resort and Vacation Villas. To book a special weekend package at the Resort, please call 1-888-600-2688 or visit www.astonmontelago.com . For Vacation Villas, please call 702-568-1174 or visit www.lakelasvegasrentals.com

BRUCE, S.D. – Grab a paddle and a partner and get ready for an afternoon of fun on the water at Oakwood Lakes State Park near Bruce, which is hosting its 33rd Annual Canoe and Kayak Tour on Sunday, July 17.

The event features a canoe/kayak Poker Run starting at 1:30 p.m. CDT. The event features teams collecting playing cards at various points along the route to get the best hand. At 3:30 p.m., paddlers can test their communications’ skills in the Blindfold Canoe Races. In the short race, one of the paddlers will be blindfolded while the other gives directions.

“This event is great opportunity for individuals, couples and families to enjoy South Dakota state parks and glacial lakes waters in July,” said Lee Kratochvil, regional park manager. “People of all ages will have fun touring the lake and experiencing the sports of canoeing and kayaking.”

Participants should bring their own equipment. A limited number of canoes, kayaks, paddles and life jackets will be available for rent from the park.

Registration takes place prior to the races at 12:30 p.m. To participate in the day’s events, there is a $9 per person entry fee that will be used for prizes. A park entrance license is also required. Prizes and refreshments will follow the races at 4 p.m.

Oakwood Lakes State Park is located 10 miles northwest of Volga, off U.S. Highway 14. For more information on the Canoe and Kayak Tour, call the park office at 605-627-5441.

For a full schedule of special events in South Dakota state parks or to request a copy of one of the free canoe/kayak brochures, visit www.gfp.sd.gov  or call 605-773-3391.

* Kratochvil (KRAHT’-uh-vihl)

Sunday, July 31 – 7:30 p.m.

“America’s Best Dance Crew” Executive Producer Randy Jackson
to receive Living Legend of Hip Hop Award

Just Added: Meet and greet with popular dance crew ICONic Boyz from 3:30-5:30 p.m.

What:
The Orleans Arena hosts the finals for the World Hip Hop Dance Championship—an event commemorating the first ten years of Hip Hop International and celebrating the tenth World Hip Hop Dance Championship. More than two thousand of the world’s top street dancers will come together for the finals. Defending World Champions from Japan and New Zealand will return for a chance to retain the title, gold medals and $25,000 in cash and prizes.

At this event, “America’s Best Dance Crew” Executive Producer Randy Jackson will receive the Living Legend of Hip Hop Award.

The already iconic dance crew ICONic Boyz will meet and greet with all ticket holders from 3:30-5:30 p.m., prior to the finals beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Where:
The Orleans Arena
4500 West Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas

When:
Sunday, July 31, 2011
ICONic Boyz Meet and Greet: 3:30-5:30 p.m.
Finals: 7:30 p.m.

Tickets:
Reserved seating priced at $25, $39.50 and $59.50. Prices include tax.

Tickets are available online at www.orleansarena.com, by calling 702.284.7777, or by visiting any Coast Casinos Box Office or the Galleria Mall ticket outlets.

LAKE TOXAWAY, N.C. — The Greystone Inn, an historic, charming hotel located in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, is offering a special golf package so that guests may enjoy the spectacular venue to the fullest.
On Lake Toxaway Country Club’s championship golf course, designed by Kris Spence, golfers wind through beautiful mountain terrain and experience inviting fairways, dramatic elevation changes, and Augusta style approaches that demand pinpoint accuracy. Located just steps from the inn, the 18-hole, par-71, private golf course is one of the premier courses in western North Carolina and is ranked among the top Carolina golf resort’s by Links Magazine.
The Incredible Golf Package includes unlimited golf from arrival day to departure day (cart fees apply), luxurious accommodations, daily High Country Breakfast, afternoon tea with sweets and savories, champagne cruise on Lake Toxaway aboard the Miss Lucy, hors d’oeuvres, six-course gourmet dinner, tennis, formal croquet, fitness center, canoes and kayaks, pool and lake swimming, and scenic hiking through the area known as The Land of Waterfalls. Per night rates start at $485 for a deluxe room in the historic mansion, with a two-night minimum required. Play just one round a day and save over $100, or save well over $200 when playing two rounds a day.
Rates are based on double occupancy; taxes and surcharges are extra. Additional charges apply for more than two occupants per room, including children. Weekend stays require both Friday and Saturday nights. This package is available from now through November. Call 800-824-5766 or 828-966-4700 for more information or visit www.greystoneinn.com.
Lake Toxaway is located between Brevard and Highlands off US Highway 64, approximately 50 miles southwest of Asheville. The Inn is a one-hour drive from Asheville Regional Airport, and one and a half hour drive from Greenville/Spartanburg Airport. At 3000 feet of elevation, Lake Toxaway features average summer high temperatures of 80 degrees, as well as incredible foliage in the fall.
About The Greystone Inn:
Situated in the Blue Ridge Mountains, The Greystone Inn is a charming country retreat that overlooks Lake Toxaway, North Carolina’s largest private lake, and is bordered by both the Pisgah National Forest and the Nantahala National Forest. The Inn is located inside Lake Toxaway Estates, one of the area’s premier private communities. Originally the 1915 mansion of Lucy Armstrong Moltz, the Inn was restored and refurbished in 1985. The entire property includes the 16- room inn, adjacent 12-room Hillmont Building, two Lakeside Suites, and one Presidential Suite ideal for weddings, receptions, and meetings. The Greystone Inn offers luxury accommodations, gourmet dining, afternoon tea, golf at Lake Toxaway Country Club, tennis, croquet, fitness center, canoes and kayaks, pool and lake swimming, scenic hiking, and rejuvenating spa. For more information, guests can call (800) 824-5766 or visit the Inn’s Web site at www.greystoneinn.com

Enjoy a minimum of 30% off on your room rate and weekly lucky draws for iPad 2 and free stays!

Shanghai, June 23, 2011 – Stay with IHG hotels this summer to get the hottest hotel deal of the season. InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), the world’s largest hotel group by number of rooms, announces today its incredible 2011 East China Summer Promotion, which will run from July 1 to August 31, 2011. Book your stay today!

Save a minimum of 30% on your room rate when you stay for two or more consecutive nights at any of the 37 appointed IHG hotels across East China in 11 breathtaking destinations such as Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Nanjing, Ningbo, One Thousand Island Lake, Wuxi and many others.

Members of IHG’s Priority Club Rewards (PCR) programme are also eligible for a weekly lucky draw every time they stay with us during this promotion period. This fantastic bonus offers weekly chances to win a free Apple iPad2 and a free stay at InterContinental One Thousand Island Lake Resort or Crowne Plaza Hangzhou Xanadu Resort every week throughout July and August.

“IHG decided to give away cool gifts as a reward to our loyal guests. We have always given priority to our PCR members and wanted to offer something really worthwhile for their support, and hence decided to give away eight Apple iPad2, one per week for eight weeks, and free stays in Hangzhou and One Thousand Island Lake resort,” says Nick Barton, vice president, Sales and Marketing, IHG Greater China.

Four IHG hotel brands are part of this great offer: InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts and Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts. The promotion is valid only at these hotels:

InterContinental Hangzhou
Crowne Plaza Century Park Shanghai
InterContinental Nanjing
Crowne Plaza Changshu
InterContinental One Thousand Island Lake Resort
Crowne Plaza City Centre Ningbo
InterContinental Shanghai Expo
Crowne Plaza Hangzhou Grand Canal
InterContinental Shanghai Pudong
Crowne Plaza Lake Malaren Shanghai
InterContinental Shanghai Puxi
Crowne Plaza Maanshan
InterContinental Suzhou
Crowne Plaza Nanjing Hotel & Suites
Intercontinental Wuxi
Crowne Plaza Shanghai
Crowne Plaza Shanghai Fudan
Crowne Plaza Shanghai Pudong
Crowne Plaza Suzhou
Crowne Plaza Wuhu
Hotel Indigo Shanghai on the Bund
Holiday Inn Changzhou Wujin
Holiday Inn Shanghai Downtown
Holiday Inn Hangzhou City Centre
Holiday Inn Hangzhou CBD
Holiday Inn Hangzhou Thousand Island Lake
Holiday Inn Suzhou Jasmine
Holiday Inn Nanjing Aqua City
Holiday Inn Shanghai Jinxiu
Holiday Inn Shanghai Pudong Kangqiao
Holiday Inn Pudong Shanghai
Holiday Inn Shanghai Pudong Nanpu
Holiday Inn Shanghai Songjiang
Holiday Inn Shanghai Vista
Holiday Inn Shanghai West
Holiday Inn Hangzhou Xiaoshan
Holiday Inn Suzhou Youlian

Please call 400 88 40 888 or visit www.ihg.com/Chinasummer to make a reservation now!

To learn more about Priority Club Rewards or to become a member, please visit http://www.priorityclub.com.cn. Membership is free.

From to luxury hotels in Lima and Cusco, Peru has a bounty of new products for the more discerning traveller to enjoy, while discovering this diverse South American country.

Start a journey by discovering Peru’s capital city

First Westin in South America opens in Lima

Libertador Hotels, Resorts & Spas, has added another property to its collection with the Westin Lima, which opened in May. This is the first Westin in South America and Libertador’s third new hotel in partnership with Starwood. The 301-room, 30 floor hotel is located in San Isidro, the heart of Lima’s financial and shopping district. There are 31 suites including the 3,261-square-foot Presidential Suite and all rooms offer Westin’s signature Heavenly Bed ® and Heavenly Bath ® as well as WiFi access.

Its Convention Center is the largest in Peru with capacity for up to 1,900 people and capabilities for everything from teleconferences to car shows. The Spa at Westin is the largest in Lima with nearly 20,000 square feet housing 14 specialised treatment rooms, a fully-equipped gym and heated swimming pool. Overseeing the fine dining Maras restaurant is Chef Rafael Piqueras whose resume includes Antica Osteria del Teatro in Italy, and the legendary El Bulli in Spain. There is also a more casual dining restaurant at Market 770, a lobby lounge and cocktail bar. www.westinlima.com.pe

Atton Hotels to open its first property in Lima

In the second half of 2011 Atton Hotels will open its first property in Lima, the Atton San Isidro. Located in the financial center of San Isidro in Lima, this new hotel is ideal for both business and vacation travellers.

The new and modern nine-story building will have 252 spacious guest rooms, free internet access in rooms, outdoor swimming pool, sauna, jacuzzi, restaurant, lobby bar and five fully equipped meeting rooms with capacity for 208 people. www.atton.com

Mansion restored to become a luxury boutique property in Lima

Andean Experience is restoring a mansion in the bohemian coastal district of Barranco in Lima to be opened in 2012. The aptly named Hotel Barranco will feature 18 suites, a private Spa and a signature restaurant by Rafael Osterling, one of Peru’s internationally recognised chefs.

The 1914 styled Belle Epoque styled Mansion was a former summer residence for the politically attached Bedoya family during the Leguia Presidency. It complements the style of famed French architect Jean Claude Sahut, who during this time, was commissioned to work on many important buildings in Lima such as the Presidential Palace and Colon Theatre.

The Hotel will be operated by the Andean Experience Company who own and manage Titilaka, a five-star lodge located on private peninsular on the shores of Lake Titicaca in Puno. www.hotelbarranco.pe

Developments in Cusco

New Luxury JW Marriott Hotel Cusco to open in 2012

The luxury 153 room JW Marriott Hotel Cusco will open in 2012 with a customised design built around a colonial church and ancient Inca artefacts found on the site. Located in the heart of Cusco the hotel will include a museum of prominent artefacts, many of which will be preserved in-situ. Elegantly relaxed décor with a distinctly colonial feel will feature throughout the property with a stylish lobby lounge and a restaurant.

All 153 rooms and suites will be equipped with luxurious bedding and sumptuous bathrooms with soaking tub and separate shower, as well as the latest in in-room technology. At an elevation of 11,200 feet above sea level, the JW Cusco will be the first Marriott property to have an in-room supplemental oxygen system to relieve altitude sickness. The hotel will also help guests adjust to the altitude in spa treatment rooms. www.jwmarriott.com

Orient-Express to open Palacio Nazarenas, Cusco in 2012

Orient-Express is opening its latest and most ambitious project to date in June 2012, Palacio Nazarenas, a 55 suite hotel in a former palace and convent in Cusco. It will be an all suite hotel, with 16 chica suites, 29 suites, nine grand suites and one Nazarenas suite, many of which have fireplaces and views towards the hillside Inca site of Sacsayhuaman or Cuzco’s cathedral in the Plaza del Armas. All rooms have an oxygen infiltrated ventilation system to aid guests’ altitude acclimatisation. Each spacious bathroom will have under-floor heating and Peruvian travertine marble.

Amenities include complimentary WIFI, iPad for use during stay pre-loaded with Cusco city guides, newspapers, movies and restaurant suggestions, a mobile phone with city wide reception, espresso machine, in-room bar and Bose sound system. It will house Cusco’s first outdoor heated infinity edge swimming pool and an all day dining experience showcasing contemporary Andean cuisine. The indulgent Palacio Nazarenas’ spa will have four single treatment rooms and one double with private hot tub, which surround a patio reception area. www.palacionazarenas.com

Amazon Experiences

Aqua Expeditions launches new riverboat

The new design-driven luxurious M/V Aria riverboat has joined its sister ship providing visitors with three, four and seven night itineraries to explore Peru’s remote Pacaya Samiria National Reserve in the Amazon.

It features 16 specially designed cabins with floor to ceiling windows, a fully air-conditioned top deck as well as the Aqua Expeditions’ signature Amazon Grill by award-winning Executive Chef, Pedro Miguel Schiaffino. Its top deck features an observation lounge, an outdoor Jacuzzi and sun deck and it also has an exercise room. To give guests an insight into Peruvian Amazon nature, the crew consists of four world-class nature guides and there is an Amazon Wildlife reference library and air-conditioned multimedia room on board. www.aquaexpetitions.com

Delfin Amazon Cruises refurbishes Delfin II

Delfin Amazon Cruises has two luxury classic designed vessels and refurbished its Delfin II at the end of 2010 to provide fourteen opulent large guest suites. This includes four master suites with 180 degree panoramic windows and ten suites, four of which can be interconnected to accommodate families. Aboard the Delfin II is a dining room on the second deck, an observation deck, bar, entertainment centre, library, and special hammock sun deck. www.delfinamazoncruises.info

For more information about Peru, please visit www.peru.travel

We live in fast times, and now Marriott Rewards members can earn their next flight faster with the Quadruple Miles* promotion. For a limited time, members, who choose to earn airline miles in participating frequent flyer programs, will now receive quadruple the miles for stays at any of more than 3,400 Marriott® International hotels in 70 countries, beginning with the second stay. In many cases, members will earn up to 8 miles per dollar spent.

The Quadruple Miles promotion runs until August 31, 2011. Members must register by either going online at MarriottRewards.com/quadmiles or by calling 800-952-8876.

Participating airlines include:
Aeroplan (Air Canada & Star Alliance member airlines)
British Airways
Cathay Pacific Airways
Delta Air Lines
Frontier Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines
JetBlue Airways
Jet Airways JetPrivilege®
LifeMiles (Avianca-TACA)
Southwest Airlines
United Airlines
US Airways

Marriott Rewards has no blackout dates and membership is free. In addition to hotels and frequent flier miles, members can also redeem points for merchandise, cruises, car rentals and more. Marriott Rewards won the 2011 and 2010 Frequent Travel Award; a 2009 Freddie Award for “Best Hotel Rewards Program”; and has been named best hotel rewards program by the readers of Business Traveler, Global Traveler, Executive Travel and BusinessWeek magazines.

For information about Marriott Rewards or to enroll, call (52) 55 110 221 21 in Latin America; 52 55 110 221 21 in Mexico; 44 (0) 20 7584 5500 in Europe and the United Kingdom; (+971) 4 217 3579 in the Middle East; (61) (2) 8298 5250 in Australia; 60 3 2688 8080 in Asia Pacific; 852 800 938 968 in Mainland China; 800 938 968 in Hong Kong; and (81) 3 5405 1513 in Japan, visit the front desk of participating hotels, or log onto marriottrewards.com, latinamerica.marriott.com, Marriott.com.cn (China), Marriott.co.jp (Japan), Marriotthotels.co.kr (South Korea), Marriott.com.ar (Argentina), Marriott.com.br (Brazil), Marriott.cl (Chile), Marriott.co.cr (Costa Rica), Marriott.com.do (Dominican Republic), Marriott.com.mx (Mexico), Marriott.com.pe (Peru), Marriott.co.ve (Venezuela), Marriott.fr (France), Marriott.de (Germany), Marriott.co.uk (United Kingdom) .

Celebrity Cruises has opened online bookings for The Alcoves, the private cabanas on the new Celebrity Silhouette, which enters service July 23. Eight cabanas accommodate two to four guests each near The Lawn Club and its real grass. The Alcoves feature complimentary amenities including a fresh fruit plate, hand-held fans, chilled towels, four bottles of water, and all-day use of an iPad loaded with music, movies, games and magazines.

Additionally, themed picnic baskets, as well as a la carte beverages, are available for an additional charge from the Alcove Attendant. Wine and cheese under the stars also can be arranged, along with spa services, once onboard. The Alcoves is Wi-Fi equipped, although a fee applies. The Alcoves can be booked online for full-day rentals, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., or for the entire voyage. Rates are $99 per day when in port and $149 per day at sea.

The traveller that just zoomed past you to get ringside VIP seats at the Muay Thai boxing stadium advanced the queue thanks to membership in GHA Discovery – the guest loyalty programme delivering recognition and experience-based awards across 12 independent luxury hotel brands and nearly 300 hotels globally. Following GHA Discovery’s successful launch in winter 2010, the Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) now announces “GHA Discovery Experience Express,” designed for the time-challenged traveller.

Travel in Bangkok’s famed tuk tuk to make a wish at Thailand’s oldest Indian temple with Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas; enjoy a rooftop vodka tasting in Russia with Kempinski Hotels; an aroma facial in Australia with Mirvac Hotels; or cycle along the Yangtze River in China with Marco Polo Hotels. Whether your business meeting breaks early or you have a couple of hours to spare before heading to the airport, there are approximately 100 speedy experiences for the fashionable, the foodie, the history buff and outdoorsman.

Each “Experience Express” activity was designed by the local hotel to provide exclusive access to cultural and off-the-beaten path activities in 2 hours or less. The GHA Discovery programme also focuses on delivering a heightened level of personalised service while still honouring loyalty programme benefits provided by its participating brands.

“I travel all the time myself, so I can relate to the traveller who wants to take advantage of a bit of spare time on a business trip,” said Chris Hartley, CEO of the Global Hotel Alliance. “GHA Discovery’s Experience Express was built to offer fun and fascinating local experiences so that business travellers don’t need to go home, like they so often do, having seen no more than an airport terminal, a hotel and an office ”

The Experience Express awards vary by membership level – the higher the membership level, the more exclusive the reward. Of course, beyond the Local Experiences, members will also enjoy numerous benefits during their hotel stays:

GOLD (From enrolment to nine nights)
Membership profile of preferences
A Gold Level Local Experience after first stay at a GHA brand
Complimentary newspaper
Complimentary Internet access
Complimentary bottled water

PLATINUM (10 to 29 nights)
Gold Level privileges, plus:
A Platinum Level Local Experience
Upgrade to next room category
Late check-out until 3pm
Guaranteed room availability 48-hours prior to arrival
Local amenity

BLACK (30 or more nights)
Platinum Level privileges, plus:
A Black Level Local Experience
Double room upgrade
Early check-in from 9am and late check-out until 6pm
Guaranteed room availability 24 hours prior to arrival
Personal choice of local amenity
Local brand benefit (such as access to Executive Lounges, laundry service and more)

“Whether our guests at Anantara are staying for an extended period or just a short break, one aspect remains the same: a commitment to providing the sophisticated traveler with an unrivalled destination experience,” explains Senior Vice President, Anantara, Peter Carmichael. “An experience that integrates an indigenous feel with every conceivable modern convenience, creating a serene, gracious and comfortable environment peppered with true local flavor and destination experiences.”