Jetsettersblog

The Hong Kong Flower Show is taking place at Victoria Park from March 16th to 25th 2012.
HONG KONG– Copious amounts of beautiful blooms will be on display at the forthcoming Hong Kong Flower Show, which is taking place soon at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay.

Organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department to promote horticulture as part of its Green Hong Kong Campaign, the festival runs from March 16th to 25th 2012 and will feature the hyacinth as its theme flower this year.

Potted plants, floral arrangements and landscape displays are being created by exhibitors from around the world for the show, while stalls will be selling flowers and other horticultural products.

A wide variety of educational and leisure activities will also be on offer, ranging from student drawing and photo competitions to floral art exhibits, cookery demonstrations, music shows and cultural performances.

Events will run on each of the ten days from 09:00 to 21:00 local time, with regular tickets costing HK$14 (GBP1.20).

Free entry is available to children, students, senior citizens and people with disabilities during weekdays, though tickets will cost HK$7 for these groups on weekends.

Lovers of plant life can browse a generous selection of Hong Kong hotels at AsiaRooms.com, such as the Kings De Nathan.

Full details about the festival can be found at http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/green/hkfs/2012/en/index.php

The Wuzhen Clubhouse, located in Wuzhen, China, recently underwent renovation of three separate riverside ancient timber houses that were originally built in the eras of the Ming and Qing dynasties.

They have now been restored to provide accommodation in a boutique hotel with elegant rooms and suites, fine dining restaurants and a holistic spa.

One of the properties, the Heal Town House places emphasis on health and healing and is set next to an ancient pharmacy. All of the Wuzhen Clubhouse properties are decorated with traditional courtyards, intricate wood and stone carving, beamed ceilings, gabled roofs and four-poster beds. Historic Wuzhen is known for its cobblestone streets and abundance of bridges that cross the town’s intricate network of rivers and canals that have contributed to it being awarded UNESCO World Heritage status.

The 36th Hong Kong International Film Festival will take place in the city from March 21st to April 25th 2012.

HONG KONG– The Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF), one of the biggest annual events of its kind in Asia, is set to return to the city towards the end of March.

Movie fans, filmmakers and other industry figures are expected to attend the 36th HKIFF, which will take place at venues across Hong Kong from March 21st to April 5th 2012.

More than 330 movies from over 50 countries will be screened during the event, which reaches an audience of greater than 600,000 people.

“As a lifestyle event, festival-goers can enjoy world-class films, attend seminars hosted by leading filmmakers from around the world, visit film exhibitions, join celebration parties and more,” the organisers explained in a statement.

Several acclaimed filmmakers will have their work showcased at this year’s event, including Hong Kong director Peter Ho-Sun Chan, who will have 12 films screened during the festival.

Meanwhile, films on the HKIFF bill last year included award-winning works such as Little Children, Peace, The Sun Beaten Path and Winter’s Bone.

For more information on the festival, visit http://www.hkiff.org.hk

The Peninsula Beverly Hills Renovation — The Peninsula Beverly Hills has just completed its final phase of its year-long renovation of all 193 rooms, suites and villas with the unveiling of its four grandest suites and The Peninsula Villa, each with a unique style and color scheme.

The Beverly Hills-based interior design firm of Forchielli Glynn LLC tapped local artisans for many of the furnishings and artwork, creating a new look that enhances the connection between the interiors and surrounding gardens while preserving the hotel’s original DNA – the essence of Southern California living in a setting evocative of a luxurious but relaxed Beverly Hills estate. The Grand Deluxe Suite was designed by American design icon Nancy Corzine, who is known for her contemporary luxe style and signature line of furnishings.

The Peninsula Suite at The Peninsula New York (May 2012) –The Peninsula New York will reveal a glamorous new look for The Peninsula Suite designed by Bill Rooney, featuring more than 3,000 square feet of living space and panoramic views over 5th Avenue and the glittering skyline of Manhattan.

The Peninsula Hong Kong New Guestroom Design & Enhancement Program (August 2012) — The Grande Dame of Hong Kong has embarked on a landmark two-phase room enhancement program. The project will see all 297 of the hotel’s guestrooms transformed, initially focusing on guestrooms in The Peninsula Tower, which will re-open in August 2012, followed by the guestrooms within the Original Building, to be fully unveiled in early 2013.

Conceived by The Peninsula Hotels in-house design team and assisted by Getty’s as executive interior designer, the newly enhanced rooms showcase the finest materials and craftsmanship, boasting a bespoke luxury residential feel, with an accent on Classic Modernity, simplicity and chic elegance.

Guest- Focused Technology Unveiled at The Peninsula Hong Kong (September 2012) – Revolutionary in-room technology unveiled at The Peninsula Hong Kong will set new standards of guest personalization.

Much more is on the horizon from Asia’s oldest luxury hotel company. We look forward to sharing more news and story ideas with you in the months ahead.

The Peninsula All-Suite Hotel – “Situated on an exclusive stretch of pristine Cape coastline known as The Platinum Mile, The Peninsula All-Suite Hotel is renowned for its intimate home-away-from-home appeal. Experience the matchless style and subtle elegance of this internally acclaimed Cape Town luxury accommodation, featuring 110 indulgently spacious suites equipped with every modern convenience and private balconies affording spectacular ocean views. Within easy reach of scenic wine routes, beautiful beaches and botanical gardens, this Cape Town luxury hotel cultivates refined living with a distinctly South African approach.”

Hong Kong’s Upper House’s Café Gray Deluxe has launched a Red Roses Afternoon Tea in collaboration with leading British luxury fragrance and lifestyle brand Jo Malone to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year. The romantic afternoon tea set will be served exclusively at Café Gray Deluxe through Feb. 29.

Red Roses is a blend of seven of the world’s most exquisite roses. With crushed violet leaves and a hint of lemon, it’s surprisingly clean and sheer, unfolding like a bouquet of freshly cut flowers. Other tea choices range from classic Darjeeling and Earl Grey to herbal and flower blends such as fresh mint and roses. Priced at $24 per person or $45 for two people, the Red Roses Afternoon Tea is served daily from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. throughout February at Café Gray Deluxe with a breathtaking Hong Kong harbor view from the top.

Goway Travel published its Asia 2012 brochure, a travel planner featuring 25 countries and 225 model itineraries, including 12 adventure ideas, 14 boutique cruises, 10 rail ideas, 22 luxury ideas and 365 hotels. Programs range from adventure to seven-star luxury.

“This year we’re introducing Russia to our Asian line up, featuring a Moscow-to-St. Petersburg cruise, along with some new Korea World Expo tours; eco jungle lodges in Northern Thailand; three newly selected Stays of Distinction in Shanghai, Ubud and Taipei; and more group touring options than ever before,” said Diane Molzan, general manager, Asia.

The selection includes a two-day Pushkar Extension in India from $149 per person, a Cebu and Chocolate Hills program in the Philippines from $239 per person, an 11-day Boutique River Cruise in Myanmar for $3,185 per person, and two new Nepal treks in the Annapurna and Everest regions. The company is continuing popular programs in South East Asia, India, Nepal, Thailand and China. For more information, call 888-469-2988.

Associated Destinations Worldwide (ADW), the new Global Sales Organization (GSO) launched by Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI) in October 2011, has expanded into Asia with the addition of six luxury hotels in China, including two in Hong Kong.

Joining ALHI’s membership are the Langham Hospitality Group hotels in Beijing, Shenzhen and two in Shanghai, as well as the two Langham Hospitality Group hotels in Hong Kong.

Built upon ALHI’s more than 25 years of national sales and service experience, ADW specifically provides local GSO services to the U.S. and Canadian meetings and incentive marketplace for its member destinations, upper-tier hotels and convention facilities around the world. These new additions are ALHI’s and ADW’s first member hotels or resorts in Asia, according to David Gabri, president and CEO of ALHI and ADW.

The new ADW members Langham Place, Beijing Capital Airport (Beijing); The Langham, Xintiandi, Shanghai (Shanghai); The Langham, Yangtze Boutique, Shanghai (Shanghai); The Langham, Shenzhen (opening in 2012 in Shenzhen); The Langham, Hong Kong (Hong Kong); and Langham Place, Mongkok, Hong Kong (Hong Kong). For more information, call 866-303-ALHI.

Yes, there is surf in China. And its good….very good. Monsoon season (Nov-Jan) brings fairly constant NE winds, and with it NE windswell. A unique geographical phenomenon causes this true onshore wind to be funneled inland further up the coast of Hainan between high mountain ranges, and “spat out” of the plains behind Riyue Bay, turning it into a 3 month long offshore wind.

Props go to Surfline’s Sean and AJ Collins for identifying this venue for the first ever ISA China Cup and Hainan Classic 4 Star contest.
My experience: top 4 left handers I’ve ever surfed, along with Honky’s in the Maldives; rare corner lineup at North Crescent, Australia; and Manly Corner.

www.leisureactivist.com

OFFERS A TRUE GASTRONOMIC AVIATION EXPERIENCE
The Peninsula Hong Kong, in conjunction with sister company Heliservices, will next month unveil the “Sky High Champagne Breakfast”, featuring a sumptuous morning repast at The China Clipper, the hotel’s aviation-theme lounge, followed by an eight-minute helicopter experience traversing Hong Kong’s magnificent skyline.

After a safety briefing, guests will take to the skies from The Peninsula’s twin rooftop helipads aboard an Aerospatiale twin-engine Squirrel AS355N helicopter. Equipped with wraparound windows, this will offer them an exhilarating bird’s-eye view of the Hong Kong metropolis as they soar high above the IFC, observe Central’s skyscrapers, sweep around Happy Valley with full views of the racetrack, fly over to North Point for a photo opportunity of Kowloon and Hong Kong, then  make their way back for a landing atop The Peninsula.

The Sky High Champagne Breakfast will be available from 8th January to 24th June 2012, on Sundays and public holidays from 9:30 am to 11:00 am, with helicopter flights taking off between 9:45 am and10:45 am and it is priced at HK$1,388 per person, including a glass of Champagne.

For reservations or more information, please call (852) 2315 3146 or e-mail:
diningphk@peninsula.com

SPG Partners with China’s Leading Location-Based Social Mobile App, Jiepang
Offering Chinese SPG Members “Check-In” Rewards at over 200 Starwood Hotels and Resorts in Asia Pacific

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) today announced a partnership with Jiepang, one of China’s leading location-based social mobile apps, to launch a new digital extension to their award-winning Starwood Preferred Guest(R) (SPG(R)) loyalty program specifically designed for Chinese travelers. The Jiepang partnership builds on the success of SPG’s foursquare launch earlier this year.

Forging ahead with its leading innovation in the digital space, Starwood announced its partnership with Jiepang to provide a localised social networking platform tailored specifically to Chinese travelers. Starting today, guests can earn valuable Starpoints(R) and Free Weekend Night Awards for Jiepang activity at over 200 Starwood hotels and resorts in Asia Pacific. This further allows for hotels to engage with guests and reward SPG members for their geo-social behavior, leveraging Starpoints as a form of “social currency.” To get started, members can visit www.spg.com/jiepang to link their SPG and Jiepang accounts.

“China continues to be a major source of new loyal travelers for Starwood as evidenced by the 71% jump in Chinese enrolment in Starwood Preferred Guest last year. Following the success of the SPG global campaign with foursquare earlier in 2011, SPG’s new partnership with Jiepang localizes and redefines social ‘check-ins’ for our Chinese SPG members,” said Nelli Yong, Vice President, Brand Management, Starwood Asia Pacific. “This is yet another example of Starwood’s on-going commitment to build deeper relationships with our Chinese members in ways that are relevant to their lives.”

“We’re excited to partner with Starwood Preferred Guest to develop a “social loyalty” experience for users across the greater China region,” said David Liu, CEO and Founder of Jiepang. “Thanks to a deep integration of Jiepang with SPG, we are proud to present our users with more special rewards for ‘checking in’ on Jiepang at any of Starwood’s over 200 hotels & resorts in Asia Pacific.”

Earn 250 Starpoints by Checking in on Jiepang with Confirmed Reservation and Unlock Starwood Brand Badges for a Chance to Win a Grand Prize

From now to January 31, 2012, SPG members can earn bonus Starpoints by checking in via Jiepang with a confirmed reservation at one of more than 200 Starwood hotels and resorts in Asia Pacific. Plus, SPG members who check in via Jiepang and synchronize to at least two of their different social networks will unlock a virtual badge of the respective Starwood hotel brands in Asia Pacific including St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, W, Westin, Le Méridien, Sheraton, Four Points by Sheraton, and Aloft. By unlocking a branded badge, SPG members will automatically be entered to win a Free Weekend Stay across Starwood hotels and resorts in Asia Pacific. Members who collect all eight Starwood brand virtual badges will also be entered to win SPG’s grand prize – a five-night getaway at The St. Regis Sanya Yalong Bay Resort inclusive of domestic round-trip airfare for two.

SPG Jiepang Mayor to be Named Monthly

Every month, the SPG member with the greatest number of Jiepang check-ins across all Starwood hotels in Asia Pacific will be declared the SPG Mayor. In addition to status and special SPG perks, the Mayor will be interviewed and featured within the specials landing page and will also be asked to contribute travel tips to the SPG Jiepang tips page, www.jiepang.com/spg.
SPG membership is free and guests can begin earning Starpoints starting with their first stay. Travelers who are not yet SPG members can join the award-winning loyalty program during any stay at a Starwood hotel or resort or by visiting spg.com. For more details on the program visit http://www.china-spg.com/jiepang/  to learn about the launch offer and new monthly SPG Mayor program.

About Jiepang

Jiepang (jiepang.com) is a location-based social mobile app that helps friends share where they are offline and in real-time. By “checking-in” with Jiepang’s iPhone, Android, or other mobile application, users share that they’ve arrived at specific venues, as well as share tips, photos, and comments around those venues. Merchants and brands can use Jiepang to reach, engage, and learn about their customers in both the offline and online worlds. To date, over 300 brands have partnered. Jiepang is available for download in the iPhone App Store and Android Market, as an HTML5 or WAP mobile website at Jiepang.com, and also preloaded on all new HTC, Sony Ericsson, Nokia and other smartphone brands in China. Jiepang is headquartered in Beijing, with offices in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Taipei, and other cities as it serves its over 1M users in the major cities of greater China region.

Latest updates about Jiepang are available from the official blog and Sina Weibo (Chinese language):
http://we.jiepang.com/
http://t.sina.com/jiepang/