Jetsettersblog

Boutique UK tour operator Trip Feast has announced two new food travel adventures for 2012 which discover the rich flavours of the Levant.

Trip Feast’s Gourmet Lebanon itinerary includes a cooking class with executive chef Georges El Murr in the famous kitchens of the luxury Le Bristol Hotel in Beirut and a lesson in the art of sweet-making from the experts, Abdul Rahman Hallab & Sons, whose famous Palais is located in Tripoli.

Sample wine in the natural caves of Ksara winery, one of the best wineries in the verdant Bekaa Valley and visit the iconic archaeological sites of Byblos – birthplace of the alphabet and once the centre of the world’s shipping.

The temple complex of Baalbek, one of the most impressive Roman sites in the world and the stunning Jeita Grotto caves are also included in this unique cultural food tour which offers an intimate taste of the Levant through its dishes, from mouth-watering mezze and heavenly hummus to delicious falafel and succulent shawarma, its people and its florid history.

Eight day tours to destinations across Lebanon depart on April 20 and October 5 2012 £1,695 per person including international flights.

http://tripfeast.com/tours/GL/Lebanon/Gourmet%20Lebanon

A Taste of Rural Lebanon is an eight day tour departing May 5 and October 6, £1,645 per person including international flights.

Visit the sophisticated capital city of Beirut with its top restaurants and excellent nightlife and experience the legendary hospitality and learn the culinary secrets of rural Lebanon. Prepare a traditional mezze in the village of Ehden, visit an organic farm in Deir El Ahmar, prepare fish the traditional way in Saida and cook with tumbleweed in Maasser Ech Chouf. Finally visit the stunning temples, mosques, courtyards and statues of the Roman site of Baalbek before discovering the delicious wines of the Bekaa Valley.

http://tripfeast.com/tours/TRL/Lebanon/A%20Taste%20of%20Rural%20Lebanon

On the Go Tours has just released a brand new brochure featuring group tours, family holidays, local festivals, private journeys, tailor-made itineraries and unique experiences to Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Israel, Syria and Lebanon. Take a look at what’s on offer …

Off the Beaten Track

Travel the Nile Valley to Siwa Oasis – 15 days

See the best of ancient Egypt then get off the beaten track and experience Mediterranean Alexandria & discover Siwa, with its centuries old customs & traditions. From £799 pp

Take a Petra Trek – 9 days

Check out Jordan’s Dead Sea before heading south to Wadi Dana, Wadi Araba and Dana Nature Reserve. Trek to the incredible Rose City against a backdrop of pristine and varied countryside entering Petra at the majestic Ad-Deir – the ancient city’s largest carved façade. From £1,149 pp

Join the Migration of the Berbers – 11 days

This expedition offers an incredibly rare opportunity to experience Nomadic Berber life with a family, as they make their bi-annual migration with their goats and sheep from the High Atlas to the lower Dades Valley. This really is a truly original, once in a lifetime experience! From £799 pp

Classic School Holiday adventures

Enjoy a Classic Family Adventure in Egypt – 10 days

Take the kids on holiday and learn about Pharaohs, pyramids, tombs, camel riding, boating on the Nile, village school visit and picking fruit in the local market. Combine this with plenty of free time to swim and relax and you’ve got a fun and educational holiday for all the family. From £799 pp

Exotic Morocco offers 1001 Berber Nights – 9 days

Head off on a Moroccan adventure! Marvel at the sights and sounds of Djemaa el Fna in Marrakech, trek on camels into the Sahara and camp out amongst the rolling sand dunes, discover legendary Ait Benhaddou and free time for fun at the swimming pool and relaxation. From £649 pp

Exotic Short Stays

ISRAEL: Tel Aviv & Jerusalem – 4 days

Take a break in Tel Aviv, Israel’s largest and liveliest city on the beautiful Mediterranean Coast and explore the sites of holy Jerusalem, one of the world’s oldest and most revered cities. From £499 pp

LEBANON: Beirut & Bekaa Valley – 4 days

Beirut ‘the Paris of the Middle East’ is back on the tourist map! Explore Lebanon’s glamorous coastal capital, discover the beautiful Jeita Grottos and the colossal Roman ruins of Baalbek. From £549 pp

MOROCCO: Marrakech & ait benhaddou – 4 days

Step into an outlandish world of snake charmers and soothsayers, vibrant souks and ancient kasbahs in captivating Marrakech, then head to the Atlas Mountains on this exotic city break! From 479 pp

A classic Middle Eastern mezze

Pyramids, Petra, Promised Lands – 18 days

Explore the highlights of Egypt, Jordan and the Promised lands of Israel – neighbouring countries, steeped in history. From the pharaoh’s greatest accomplishment – the grand Pyramids of Giza, to the architectural feat of the Nabataeans in Petra and the most sacred of biblical sites in Jerusalem and Bethlehem… join us on a journey of epic proportion. From £1,499 pp

Going Green …

Eco Egypt – 10 Days

Combine touring at some of Egypt’s best-loved sights and the chance to contribute to the environment and people of Egypt, with special initiatives such as spring-cleaning the Nile and lending a helping hand in Cairo. From £399 pp

Festivals and Events
Have a look at some the amazing FESTIVALS & EVENTS we offer around the world

On the Go tours expands even further by adding Lebanon to its portfolio of exciting destinations! The redesigned historic city centre, marina, pubs and nightlife districts of Beirut make it a top place to visit and you can soak up the delicious local cuisine in a stunning array of al fresco cafes and restaurants. Explore further and visit Baalbek – Lebanon’s greatest Roman treasure, ‘Castle of the Sea’ in ancient Sidon and more.

Beirut Breakaway – 4 days

This city-break offers the perfect amount of time to enjoy Lebanon’s glamorous coastal capital. Beirut ‘the Paris of the Middle East’ is well and truly back on the tourist map so take a look and discover the beautiful Jeita Grottos, the colossal Roman ruins of Baalbek whilst you’re there!

This departs any day of the year from £559 based on 4-star accommodation.

Lebanon Uncovered – 6 days

An excellent taste of Lebanon this 6-day escorted group tour takes you to Beirut, Sidon and the Castle of the Sea, Jeita Grottos, Beiteddine Palace, Baalbak, Harissa, Anjar and Chateau Ksara – Lebanon’s most famed producer of quality white and red wines, Arak and Brandy!

Monthly departures avail year-round from £809 based on 4-star accommodation.

Middle Eastern Discovery – 13 days
On this incredible 13-day adventure you can see the best of Jordan, Syria & cosmopolitan Lebanon. Explore the rose city of Petra and the desert of Wadi Rum, age old Damascus, sacred mosques and the crumbling ruins of Palmyra before crossing the border into Lebanon!

Departs any day of the year from £3,609 per person based on 4-star accommodation.

www.onthegotours.com
Tel: 020 7371 1113

Middle East Airlines — Air Liban (MEA), the flag carrier of Lebanon, has signed an agreement to join SkyTeam in 2012. MEA will be the alliance’s second member from the Middle East, a strategic growth market for SkyTeam.

SkyTeam is actively working to strengthen its presence in the Middle East, one of the world’s most important and rapidly growing economic regions. The addition of MEA to the alliance network will enable SkyTeam to compete more efficiently, not only within the Middle East, but also to and from Western Africa. SkyTeam in return offers MEA a complementary global network. MEA customers will be able to connect to the world through traffic flows from the SkyTeam hubs in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. For more information, visit www.skyteam.com

Butterfield & Robinson is offering the opportunity to join B&R co-founders George and Martha Butterfield on their private expedition to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.

Two rooms have just become available on this unique departure, which was designed by George Butterfield for a group of like-minded travelers he’d met during his travels last year.

As he describes it, “I’d just returned from our fantastic Wine Grand Journey with a wonderful group of people who love travel as much as I do. Conversations turned to where to go next (as they always do on a B&R trip) and the idea of biking and walking through Jordan, Syria and Lebanon was born.”

The itinerary outlines an epic journey that you won’t see in any brochure or on the company’s website.

Tour dates are March 10 to 22, 13 days/12 nights, activity level is moderate, and the tour starts in Amman, Jordan, and ends in Beirut, Lebanon.

The price is $14,995 per person ($2,500 single supplement).

To receive a copy of the itinerary and for more details, contact Jeneen Sutherland, director of bespoke custom travel, at 800-387-1147, ext. 222, or

jeneen.sutherland@butterfield.com

For more information, visit

www.butterfield.com

(6 Days, £745pp) – New Tour Launch

Discover the most captivating country in the Middle East – Lebanon – in true off-the-beaten-track style. Having emerged triumphant from its turbulent past, now is the time to explore Lebanon’s remotest corners on foot.

Hike through the verdant and historic Qadisha Valley discovering the stunning nature and fascinating history of this little visited region.

Stay overnight in an 18th Century Maronite monastery, experience a true Lebanese welcome by staying and eating with a local family, visit a hermit, hike through a stunning Cedar forest, experience the dramatic Baatara sinkhole and explore the unique Jeita’s Grotto!

Travel the Unknown’s Hiking the Holy Valleys is a 6-day itinerary that starts and ends in Beirut(www.traveltheunknown.com , tel: 0845 053 0352).

Highlights of the tour include:

- Exploring Jeita’s Grotto, the incredible caves with one of the world’s most impressive collection of stalagmites and stalactites.

- Experience the warmth of Lebanese hospitality by staying overnight with a local family overlooking the Nahr Brahim valley and Adonis river.

- See the curious ‘smoking hole’ where the Adonis River disappears underground for 70m before surging up again forming a high column of water vapour that looks like a forest fire.

- Hike through the dramatic Baatara Sinkhole and the Tannourine gorge.

- Spend the night in an 18th Century Monastery.

- Hike to the heart of the scenic UNESCO-listed Qadisha Valley, the abode of numerous monks and hermits since medieval times.

The price of £745pp includes accommodation, ground transport, most meals, 3 litres of water per day, English speaking guide, drivers, activities, entrance fees to sites and carbon-offsetting fee.

Dates:

30 October – 4 November 2010

26 March – 31 March 2011

For those who prefer a gentler cultural tour, Travel The Unknown also offer the 6-day Crusaders & Caves tour which delves into the ancient history of this fascinating and misunderstood land (£850pp).

Dubai, U.A.E – Underlining their relentless commitment to offering the best inflight entertainment in the air, Emirates has won the ‘World’s Best Airline Inflight Entertainment’ award for the sixth year running at the 2010 Skytrax World Airline Awards.

Emirates faced stiff competition from other leading airlines to win the accolade at the 2010 Skytrax World Airline Awards which took place in Hamburg on 20th May, 2010.

In an extremely competitive marketplace where many airlines are spending significant sums in their inflight entertainment (IFE) products, Emirates has maintained its leadership position by concentrating on technical innovation and quality content. Since developing ice (information, communications and entertainment), its ground-breaking audio and video-on-demand system, in late 2003, Emirates has continually improved and expanded its IFE offering and has become the benchmark for all other airlines.

Patrick Brannelly, Emirates’ Vice President Corporate Communications (Product, Publishing, Digital & Events), who received the award, said: “When we won this prestigious award for the fifth time in a row last year we knew that we could not rest on our laurels, and we immediately focused on improving ice even further. We’re thrilled that so many Emirates passengers have recognised this by voting for us.”

ice, which is available on over 80 per cent of the Emirates fleet, offers a staggering choice of up to 1200 channels of entertainment including 230 movies from around the world.

In 2009-2010 Emirates selected movies from over 15 countries that were available in over 20 languages, as well as many with the option to choose Closed Captions for the hard of hearing, still a first in the airline industry.

Since becoming the first airline in the world to install TVs on every seat, on every aircraft in 1992,

Emirates has made significant investments to offer the widest range of entertainment to passengers.

Edward Plaisted, Skytrax Chairman said: “Emirates continues to excel in this category, and yet again are a repeat winner of the Best Airline Inflight Entertainment Award.

This aspect of the travel experience gains in importance each year as customers become more demanding, and Emirates are clearly matching these expectations to have been voted the world’s best by passengers.”

The awards follow a 10 month survey between July 2009 and April 2010 of 17.9 million air travellers from over 100 different nationalities.

The survey measures over 38 different items of customer satisfaction for each airline’s product and service standards.

Hotel expects to boost sales by 10 per cent in 2010 through new sales and marketing partnership with Preferred Hotel Group

April 1, 2010

Cristal Hotel and Resorts, a luxury hospitality company, has announced that it has signed a partnership agreement with Preferred Hotel Group (PHG), a global sales and marketing conglomerate, in a move that will significantly expand Cristal Hotel’s global market presence and boost sales by an estimated 10 per cent in 2010.

The agreement also makes Cristal Hotel and Resorts the first Middle East hotel to become a member of Sterling Hotels, as part of the Sterling Design category, which is a worldwide collection of fashionable, affordable hotels that appeal to both business and leisure travellers.

The partnership agreement was signed on the sidelines of Cristal Hotel and Resorts’ participation in the Gulf Incentive, Business Travel & Meetings Exhibition (GIBTM) that was held recently in Abu Dhabi.

Cristal Hotel and Resorts has revealed that it intends to leverage PHG’s 28 international sales offices, over 60 dedicated industry sales specialists and more than 300 major corporate accounts worldwide to cultivate new markets and broaden its target audience.

Furthermore, Cristal Hotel and Resorts disclosed that both parties have agreed to expand the partnership with upcoming projects.

Peter Blackburn, CEO of Cristal Hotels & Resorts, said: “The partnership with PHG provides greater leverage for Cristal Hotel and Resorts to sustain our market expansion program.

Being the first in the Middle East to be recognised as a Sterling Design Hotel will also greatly enhance our reputation as a world-class hotel destination, which is crucial in an increasingly competitive market environment. We are confident that the partnership will deliver immediate results, as we forecast an increase in sales of up to 10 per cent this year.”

John Ueberroth Chairman and CEO Preferred Hotel Group, said: “Cristal Hotel and Resorts exemplifies the ideals of the Sterling Design Hotel, which focus on modern and contemporary style, distinct architecture, bold interiors and state-of-the-art technology.

oreover, through this partnership, PHG will help enhance the business performance of Cristal Hotel by providing support in branding, global sales and marketing, and integrated reservation services, which are all designed to increase revenues and reduce overall costs.”

Cristal Hotel and Resorts has emerged as one of the top business hotel destinations in Abu Dhabi despite opening just under a year ago.

Cristal Hotel Abu Dhabi features 192 luxuriously appointed and spacious rooms, complemented by a complete range of business facilities and world-class customer service standards.

The Rocco Forte Collection has unveiled the details of its first property in the Middle East, due to open in Abu Dhabi in fall 2010. The Rocco Forte Collection currently has 13 luxury hotels in major cities across Europe. The Abu Dhabi property marks the company’s entry into the Middle East.

The 300,000-square-foot, 281-room hotel will be located in the district set to become the new commercial center of the city, within easy reach of downtown Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi Exhibition Center, the airport and Yas Island.

The property, which will be a new build, will be housed in a 12-floor curved glass structure designed by architect WS Atkins and Partners. Interiors are being created by Dubai-based interior design specialists KCA International under the guidance of Olga Polizzi, director of design for The Rocco Forte Collection and sister of Sir Rocco Forte.

The hotel will reflect its location by using local artwork and Middle Eastern accents in accessories and fabrics.

The owner and developer of the hotel is Al Farida Investments, a conglomerate based in Abu Dhabi which primarily invests in hospitality and leisure, retail and real estate.

Guest rooms will be decorated in shades of green, yellow and terracotta and will feature large leather panels behind the headboards, curved modern sofas, workstations with leather chairs and art work by local artists and the poet Adonis.

Bathrooms will all have walk-in showers, large bathtubs and marble vanity units. There will be two luxurious presidential suites, each measuring 3,100 square feet and featuring two balconies, a large bedroom, a dressing room with walk-in wardrobes, a separate dining room, lounge, kitchen, study, bar area, bathroom, separate guest cloakroom and artwork by local artist Salwa Zeidan.

The property will feature a modern Chinese and Japanese restaurant, an à la carte Italian restaurant, a tea and coffee lounge, a mezzanine bar and a Brazilian poolside bar and restaurant.

Renowned British chef and restaurateur Mark Hix will act as a consultant for the all-day dining restaurant and Italian Michelin-starred Chef Fulvio Pierangelini will act as a consultant for the Italian restaurant.

One of the design highlights of the hotel will be the Sky Bar, which will be suspended on the fifth floor of a 10-story atrium boasting views of the city and coastline below.

For relaxation, there will be a 21,500-square-foot spa featuring seven treatment rooms, one double treatment room with a plunge pool, one hydrotherapy treatment room, fully-equipped gymnasium, yoga and Pilates studio and hairdressing and beauty area.

In keeping with local culture and tradition, there will be dedicated male and female areas of the spa with separate relaxation areas, changing rooms, indoor heated swimming pools, saunas, cold plunge pools and hammams.

There will also be a large outdoor 25-meter swimming pool and children’s pool with a large wooden deck and seating area. There will also be seven meeting rooms, a large ballroom hosting up to 500 people seated and a pre-function area with a capacity of 500 people standing. There will also be a traditional Arabic VIP majlis lounge for meetings of local dignitaries and members of the royal family.

The Rocco Forte Collection will continue its expansion into the Middle East with a 146-room property set to open in Jeddah in fall 2011, a 90-room all-suite golf resort opening in Marrakech in 2011 and a 275-room property scheduled to open in Cairo in 2013.

For more information on The Rocco Forte Collection’s new Abu Dhabi property, visit www.roccofortecollection.com

Priority Pass, the world’s leading independent airport lounge programme, announces the addition of six new lounges in the Middle East to its worldwide portfolio, making it even more attractive to frequent travellers in the region.

The addition of five new lounges in Saudi Arabia, covering Damman, Jeddah and Riyadh, as well as another in Abu Dhabi, means that coverage is even more comprehensive in the region.

Members of Priority Pass can use any of the lounges in the programme whenever they travel, regardless of which airline or which class of travel they are flying.

For members in the Middle East, this means that virtually all major city airports in the region have lounges available for their use, together with over 600 lounges at airports throughout the world.

Priority Pass now includes the following lounges in the Middle East:

Bahrain Bahrain Dilmun Lounge

Jordan Amman Crown Lounge

Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Airways Lounge
Pearl Lounge

Lebanon Beirut Cedar Lounge

Oman Muscat Oman Air Lounge

Qatar Doha The Oryx Lounge

Saudi Arabia Damman Al-Fursan Golden Lounge New for 2010
Jeddah North Terminal First Class Lounge
South Terminal Al-Fursan Golden Lounge New for 2010
Al-Fursan Golden Lounge New for 2010
Riyadh Terminal 1 First Class Lounge
Terminal 2 Al-Fursan Golden Lounge New for 2010
Terminal 3 Al-Fursan Golden Lounge New for 2010

UAE Abu Dhabi Main Terminal Al Ghazal Lounge
Airport Hotel Lounge
Dana Lounge New for 2010
Terminal 2 Al Ghazal Lounge
Dubai Terminal 1 Dubai International Business Class Lounge
Marhaba Lounge
Terminal 3 Marhaba Lounge
Sharjah First and Business Class Lounge

Soukalin Ghosh, responsible for Priority Pass business development and marketing in the region, commented, “Priority Pass has an outstanding selection of lounges across the Middle East, and adding six more for 2010 makes it an even more comprehensive selection,”

“Priority Pass membership is not only attractive to individual frequent flyers, but also to banks, telecom companies and others who wish to offer a powerful and highly-valued incentive to attract new customers to premium products, and to build loyalty among existing customer base.”