Jetsettersblog

Allegiant will start nonstop jet service between Minot, N.D., and Las Vegas on Oct. 22. Fares start at $69.99 one-way.

This fare must be purchased by Sept. 5 and seats are limited.

The new flights will operate twice weekly between Minot International Airport (MOT) and McCarran International Airport (LAS), with service Monday and Friday.

The carrier will utilize a full-size, 150-seat MD-80 jet aircraft on the route.

The company offers air and hotel vacation packages with more than 40 of Las Vegas’ most exciting hotel properties, including:

Wynn Las Vegas, Bellagio, Venetian-Resort-Hotel-Casino, Paris Las Vegas, MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Caesars Palace, Red Rock Casino-Resort-Spa, Golden Nugget Las Vegas, South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa, Four Queens Hotel & Casino, ARIA Resort & Casino and many more.

For more information, visit www.allegiant.com

Hilton Worldwide has signed a management agreement with F&F Properties to introduce The Panamera, a 130-room luxury hotel in Panama City, Panama, to be managed by Hilton Worldwide under the Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts brand.

Currently under construction, the hotel is scheduled to open in the second half of 2011 and will be the Waldorf Astoria brand’s first property in Latin America, and Hilton Worldwide’s fifth development in Panama.

Located in Panama City’s trendy Calle Uruguay section less than 15 minutes from the international airport, the Panamera will also be within walking distance of the park on Cinta Costera and the banking and central business districts.

Featuring 130 guest rooms and 118 luxury residences, the Panamera will boast an exquisite elegance displayed throughout the hotel’s public areas and accommodations.

Facilities will include a 1,200-square-foot fitness center, a 2,500-square-foot spa, an outdoor swimming pool, a total of 4,600 square feet of meeting space and a business center. The hotel will also feature more than 9,000 square feet of dining options.

The Panamera will be the second collaboration in Panama City between Hilton Worldwide and companies led by F&F Properties and its president, Saul Faskha. The first project, which was announced last year, is the 351-room Hilton Panama being developed at Avenida Balboa and scheduled to open in 2011.

“Expanding our footprint in Latin America is part of Hilton Worldwide’s broader strategy of focusing more resources on building our brands internationally,” said John Vanderslice, global head, luxury and lifestyle brands, Hilton Worldwide.

The Luxury Collection brand of hotels and resorts is launching a series of expertly curated itineraries aimed at giving guests the most authentic, personal encounters within global destinations.

The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts, an ensemble of more than 70 hotels and resorts across the globe, has joined forces with specialty tour operator AuthentEscapes to bring these experiences to guests by connecting them with personal guides, genuine discoveries, and exclusive access within each destination.

Malaka and Ryan Hilton, the travel designers behind AuthentEscapes, are recognized by Travel+Leisure and Condé Nast Traveler for coordinating transformative experiences for travelers in every corner of the world.

For each Journeys by The Luxury Collection experience, a property within The Luxury Collection portfolio will provide a home base.

Seven itineraries will launch the Journeys by The Luxury Collection portfolio, with each colored by interests including Family, Safari, Food & Wine, Romance, Beach and Adventure.

Ten more Journeys are planned for 2011, with more to roll out the following year.

Journeys by The Luxury Collection itineraries, which are completely customizable and offered with optional recommended excursions, include The Treasures of Greece, with accommodations at Hotel Grand Bretagne, Athens; Vedema Resort, Santorini Island; or Santa Marina Resort and Villas, Mykonos; La Dolce Vita, with accommodations at Grand Hotel, Florence; Hotel Gritti Palace, Venice; or Hotel Danieli, Venice; An Iberian Escape, with accommodations at Hotel Maria Cristina, San Sebastian; Hotel Marquis de Riscal, Elciego; or Hotel Alfonso XIII, Seville; An Idyllic Paradise of Natural Wonders, with accommodations at Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, Bangkok; or Sheraton Grande Laguna, Phuket;

An Argentinean Adventure, with accommodations at Sheraton Park Tower, Buenos Aires; or Patios de Cafayate, Cafayate; A Majestic Venture through India, with accommodations at The Maurya, New Delhi; The Mughai, Agra;

The Sonar, Kolkata; The Kakatiya, Hyderabad; The Windsor, Bengaluru; ITC Royal Gardenia, Bengaluru; ITC Grand Central, Mumbai; or ITC Maratha, Mumbai; Inside the Crush with Dick Vermeil, with accommodations at The Palace Hotel, San Francisco; and An Arabian Adventure, with accommodations at Grosvenor House, Dubai.

For more information on Journey’s by the Luxury Collection, call 877-202-0731 or visit www.luxurycollectionjourneys.com

For more information on the Luxury Collection brand, visit www.theluxurycollection.com

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced the debut of its Aloft brand in Oklahoma with the opening of Aloft Tulsa. Owned by Anish Hotels Group and managed by LodgeWorks, L.P., this new destination sensation features 136 open rooms, a tech-forward sensibility and a vibrant, social atmosphere.

Aloft Tulsa is ideally located in south Tulsa.

The new hotel is just a few blocks from the 71st Street shopping and dining district, Woodland Hills Mall, historic downtown Tulsa, Oral Roberts University and the concerts and sporting events at BOK Center.

Also nearby are Hard Rock Casino, River Spirit Casino and Tulsa’s scenic RiverWalk.

Offering more than 1,000 square feet of meeting space, Aloft Tulsa is convenient to the offices of Cox Communications, Metlife Insurance and Hilti Corporation.

Guests will enjoy fast and free hotel-wide Wi-Fi and complimentary shuttle service within five miles of the hotel.

Aloft Tulsa boasts atmospheric public spaces where guests can mix and mingle, read the paper, work on laptops, play a game of pool or grab a drink with friends at the re:mix communal lobby area and w xyz bar.

InterContinental Hotels Group is rewarding guests by reimbursing checked baggage fees.

When travelers book two consecutive weekend nights at any one of the 4,500 IHG hotels worldwide for stays between Sept. 1 and Dec. 30, 2010, their checked bag is free.

Travelers can participate each and every weekend they stay with an IHG hotel during the “Check It Free” promotion period, when they pay for their hotel stay using their Visa card. U.S. residents simply submit for reimbursement of baggage fees and receive up to $850 in IHG Visa Prepaid Cards for qualifying visits during the promotional period by following these three simple steps:

Book a two-night weekend stay now at any InterContinental, Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites or Candlewood Suites; stay between Sept. 1 and Dec. 30, 2010, and pay using a valid Visa credit card; and download a rebate form at www.ihg.com/freebag  and submit it with copies of your hotel receipt and baggage fee receipt for the same trip postmarked by Jan. 31, 2011.

For more information about IHG’s “Check It Free” promotion,

visit www.ihg.com/freebag

The Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas has announced “Country Superstars Tribute,” a new production show that debuts Aug. 31 in the Gordie Brown Showroom.

The fast-paced, 75-minute, concert-style show features a live, five-piece band and impersonations of country music stars, including Brooks & Dunn, Willie Nelson, Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, Reba McEntire, Kenny Chesney, Big & Rich, and Keith Urban.

The show is presented at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Ticket prices range from $25 to $65, with a show and buffet package available from $34.99 per person.

To purchase tickets, go to the Golden Nugget ticket office, call 702-386-8100 or visit www.goldennugget.com

Mickey Federmann, chairman of the Dan Hotels Corporation, recently opened the group’s newest hotel, the 505-room Dan Jerusalem.

The hotel, the largest in Jerusalem, is situated on Mt. Scopus and has views of Jerusalem and the surrounding areas.

Purchased at a cost of $47 million, this property has become the Dan’s fourth Jerusalem hotel.

The Dan’s flagship is the King David, a member of The Leading Hotels of the World, and home to all visiting dignitaries and celebrities from overseas.

Dan Hotels now has 1,161 guest-rooms in the country’s capital.

Ami Hirschstein, the company’s president, said, “We are planning to invest another 20 million NIS ($5.25 million) over the next couple of years to renovate and upgrade the hotel so that it meets the Dan’s high standards.”

The Dan Jerusalem is situated on the slopes of Mt. Scopus near the Hebrew University and Hadassah Medical Center and is a seven-minute drive to the city center and a 40-minute drive to Ben-Gurion International Airport.

It is within easy reach of major tourist attractions and entertainment venues in both the old and newer parts of Jerusalem.

Within the hotel is Jerusalem’s largest spa facility. Open daily, with the option for men and women hours only, there are two swimming pools, one inside (open all year round) and one outside (only open during the summer months), a modern fitness room and a wide range of beauty treatments.

The Dan Jerusalem Hotel can provide different venues for conferences and banquets, ranging in size from 25 to 500 people.

The pool area and two terraces offer options for outdoor venues.

For more information, visit www.danhotels.com

Book a stay at InterContinental, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts before September 30 and receive up to 30% off.

With thousands of rooms on sale at InterContinental, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts throughout Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and French Polynesia, there is no better time to book that well-earned holiday.

Book online at www.priorityclub.com/holidays, or phone 137 399 and quote Advanced Purchase Breakfast before midnight AEST September 30 and receive up to 30% off the best available bed and breakfast rate for stays between September 1 and November 30.

For a luxurious, five-star escape, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts is offering rooms at nine fabulous locations including: InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa, overlooking the aqua-blue waters of Natadola Bay; InterContinental Sydney, positioned on the edge of one of the world’s most stunning harbours; the grand heritage surrounds of InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto; and the waterfront, InterContinental Wellington. With an additional three breathtaking resorts in Tahiti, as well as properties in Perth and Adelaide, now is the time to book an InterContinental experience.

Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts also has fantastic holiday locations with rooms available at a fraction of the regular price. Stay at Crowne Plaza Perth, Auckland, Melbourne , Darwin, Christchurch or Adelaide for a city escape;

Royal Pines on the Sunshine Coast, Coogee, Terrigal and Surfers Paradise to make the most of the sun with a beach holiday or witness the magic of Queenstown in spring at Crowne Plaza Queenstown.

In addition to the 30% off bed and breakfast rates, families receive additional value at Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts where kids under 12 stay and eat for free.

There is no shortage of places to take the whole family with hotels in Perth, Brisbane, Surfers Paradise, Wellington, Sydney’s The Rocks, Melbourne and Kakadu.

To take advantage of this great offer, visit www.priorityclub.com/holidays  or phone 137 399 and quote Advanced Purchase Breakfast before midnight AEST on 30 September.

Available for stays from September 1 to November 30, 2010.

New wilderness resort owners Delaware North Australia Parks & Resorts are to spend $20 million over a period of three years to carry out refurbishments across Lizard, Heron and Wilson Islands, El Questro Homestead and Wilderness Park and Kings Canyon Resort.

The refurbishments are aimed at significantly improving the guest experience and reflecting the beauty of each property’s natural surroundings.

Delaware North Australia Parks & Resorts are working with Australian interior design firm Pike Withers to carry out the refurbishments. Work has already started on a soft refurbishment of Lizard and Heron islands and is expected to be finished within three months.

Fringed with colourful coral reefs and 24 powdery white beaches, Lizard Island is a picture-perfect island for discerning travellers.

Retaining its level of understated elegance and style, an element of colour and warmth is to be injected into the look and feel of Lizard Island to reflect the colours and beauty of the Great Barrier Reef.

Osprey’s restaurant and the main lodge of Lizard Island have been re-painted with polished and stained timber floors.

The 40 guest rooms at Lizard Island will be upgraded with new furnishings, artwork and landscaping, all set to be completed over three months.

At the very southern end of the Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of Gladstone, lies Heron Island, a natural coral cay. Heron Island will receive a substantial upgrade of all the 109 guest rooms, with an emphasis on bringing the beauty of the reef into the rooms to reflect the driftwood feel and nature of the wilderness island.

Wayne Kirkpatrick, Managing Director of Delaware North Australia Parks & Resorts, said: “Our focus is on creating special experiences for our guests and refining the essential elements of world-class nature-based tourism operations. To do this we have undergone a period of time reviewing each property and determining a strategy of upgrades and improvements that need to take place.”

“The refurbishments are designed to refresh these iconic properties, reflecting their natural surroundings.”

In November last year, Delaware North Australia Parks & Resorts acquired Lizard Island, Heron Island and Wilson Island in Queensland’s World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and Kings Canyon Resort in the Northern Territory. In March, Delaware North Australia Parks & Resorts also took ownership of El Questro Wilderness Park & Homestead in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.

Have you ever flown business class and dreaded the thought of going back to economy?

That’s how a night at Urban Hotels feels. A Group of properties built on making guests completely at home – but with a few added luxuries. Travelling, commuting, and interstate business can take it out of you, but a stay at Urban will revive your spirits and have you relishing those mid-week business trips even more than a quiet weekend at home.

Three locations each with their own niche style – Urban Brisbane, atop Spring Hill with a Manhattan style Loft bar, terrace pool and art deco exterior fresh from a $15m redevelopment. Urban St Kilda, sitting on the buzzing Fitzroy Street and the boutique member of the family – 80 quirky rooms, a steel and black cocktail bar, and superb café rumoured to serve the best breakfasts in the suburb. And Urban St Leonards, tucked away from the busy CBD and showcasing a peaceful side of Sydney, with 100 chic rooms, barbecues and terrace courtyards, and the fun addition of a putting green in the hotel grounds.

So what gives Urban its unmistakeable feel good factor? Like any memorable experience, it’s the little details that make the difference.

Sick of the smoggy city smells and poor air-quality on your flight?

Urban will sort that out with the soothing scent of signature lavender throughout each location.

Desperate for a cup of quality tea when you check in? Help yourself to Urban’s T2 sachets waiting in your room.

Plagued by insomnia on your business trip? Hit the 24-hour gym (affectionately referred to as ‘Jim’ by Urban staff) for a midnight workout.

Every comfort is considered at Urban. On-site restaurants, delicious room service menus, super comfy beds (the legendary Urban Snorers) are standard.

Evo bathroom products, ‘Little Fridges’ stocked with goodies, Slippers and bathrobes are not so standard and included in every room.

It’s Urban’s special touches that have earned the Group a loyal following of guests – regular travellers are welcomed with open arms and new guests feel right at home from the moment they walk through the doors.

Whether you’re using St Leonards as a base for your North Shore business meetings, kicking back at St Kilda for a weekend trip with the family, or enjoying a night away with friends at Urban Brisbane, you’ll enjoy the full Urban experience every time you stay with us.

The Urban philosophy is simple but very effective – you won’t feel like you’ve stayed in a faceless, identikit property.

More like you’ve stayed in the home of a friend with very good taste.

www.hotelurban.com.au