Jetsettersblog

Naturidyll and the Austrian Ecolabel go hand in hand!

And therefore, Naturidyll is proud to announce, that by the end of 2009, all of the member hotels will have achieved the standards of the Austrian Ecolabel!

The Naturidyll hotels are located at the most beautiful spots throughout Austria and in order to keep things this way they make sure to look after the environment and set an example.

Back to the (beet)roots!

The countryside is their home. The region in which the hotels are based is not just a beautiful backdrop it is also an important supplier of certified quality products from local farmers. Therefore Naturidyll hotels always try to find new partners in order to push their intentions. Regional culinary delights on the breakfast buffet, just like a Naturidyll Holiday - individual, authentic and pure!

LOHAS - Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability

The modern eco also listens to the name LOHAS - an acronym for “Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability”, and this does not have anything to do with the alternative way of living in the 70s and 80s. LOHAS want to live well and have fun. Of course ethically. LOHAS always have both in mind: pleasure and sustainability, individual welfare and the destiny of mankind. (Source: www.lohas.com) Naturidyll Hotels are at the forefront of ecologically-sound holidays.

Their promise is no sooner said than done. They respect nature and work tirelessly to preserve the harmony between man and his surroundings. Naturidyll hotels don’t just try, they promise sustainable tourism development because they want to save the wonderful scenery for further generations.

On the eve of its 150th anniversary, Breckenridge continues to be the choice resort for ski-lovers and snowboarders alike. Crystal Ski celebrates the town’s birthday with a look at it’s meteoric rise…

Despite a miniscule population of around only 2100, Breckenridge’s financial fortunes have transformed since the first ski area was opened by Rounds and Porter lumber company back in 1961.

Welcoming more than 16,000 visitors in its inaugural ski season, this would increase to more than 220,000 visitors during the 1971/72 season. The resort’s popularity continuously grew over the next 30 years, peaking with 1.4 million in 2000 and being ranked as one of the top 5 places to ski by the BBC in 2006.

Now owned by Vail Resorts, continuous investment into Breckenridge’s facilities ensures its position as the one of the most-visited ski resorts in the US. Now offering the first double-loading six-passenger chair-lift and the highest-capacity lift in the US, Breckenridge continues to push boundaries in the worlds of skiing and snowboarding.

So, what do the next 150 years have in store for this little gold-mining town in Summit County, Colorado? Only time will tell. One thing is for certain, Breckenridge will be making 2009 a year to remember with activities and special events to celebrate its 150th anniversary in the perfect way.

With the ski season set to begin on 7th November 2009, Breckenridge will be inviting skiers and snowboarders from all over the world to celebrate the rich history of this fantastic mountain village.

Don’t miss the festivities in Breckenridge in 2009 - they’ve been 150 years in the making.

For more information on the latest ski deals and skiing holidays in general, please visit

http://www.crystalski.co.uk

About TUI Ski

Crystal Ski is a division of TUI Travel PLC offering customers skiing holidays to every major ski resort in the world.

We are the market leaders in delivering holidays that meet government and industry guidelines to protect our customers’ interests.

For Crystal ski packages from the UK click the banner below for all your ski holidays in Breckenridge.

Extraordinary Resorts in Legendary Destinations

Welcome to Shell Vacations Hospitality, where a collection of 23 one-of-a-kind resorts provide you with just the right place to experience the vacation of a lifetime.

Choose from a variety of popular vacation destinations in North America and Canada including Whistler, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Napa Valley, Las Vegas, San Antonio, San Diego, Kauai, Kona, and Waikiki.

Shell Vacations Hospitality brings you friendly service, superior settings, and an array of year round activities to experience whether you are on a family vacation, a business trip, or on a romantic getaway.

At all of our resorts, guests can enjoy an impressive selection of spacious suites, some with one or two bedrooms, multiple baths and plush living areas. Many have fireplaces, jetted tubs, full kitchens or sleek kitchen-bars and oversized TVs.

Choose from an exciting array of vacation options:

Beach and Water Sport Resorts:

Enjoy the best Hawaiian beaches in Waikiki-Oahu, Kapaa-Kauai, and Kona and Waikoloa-Big Island, or relax on a floating villa in San Diego.

Golf Resorts: Tee off on some of the nation’s most beautiful and challenging golf courses in Phoenix, Tucson, Scottsdale, Napa Valley, Kapaa-Kauai, Kona and Waikoloa on the Big Island, Las Vegas, Mt. Hood in Oregon, Whistler and Northern Ontario in Canada.

Ski & Snow Resorts: Gracefully glide on cross-country Nordic tracks or ride hard freestyle on snowboard in Whistler and Northern Ontario in Canada, Mount Hood in Oregon, and Door County in Wisconsin.

Cultural Pursuits: Sample wines, stroll art galleries and museums, and fully experience the finer points of trendy travel destinations including Napa Valley, San Francisco, Las Vegas and San Antonio.

Family Friendly Resorts: At many of our resorts, enjoy spacious accommodations well suited for families. Close to family-friendly theme parks and cultural centers in Anaheim, San Antonio, Whistler, & Northern Ontario in Canada.

From European style living in the heart of San Francisco’s cultural arts district, to Mountain Lodge living in Whistler, to Southwest style casitas along the fairways of Arizona’s top-rated golf courses, to beach-front lanais overlooking the eastern shore of Kauai, you will always find more than just an ordinary hotel room waiting for you.

http://www.shellhospitality.com

With downtown Vancouver hotels nearly completely booked for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, Newwest Special Projects LP, an entrepreneurial travel company, chartered Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Star for the duration of the games.

The ship will be docked in North Vancouver from Feb. 10 through March 2, adding 10 percent capacity (1,119 rooms and suites) to the city’s downtown hotel inventory of 12,000 rooms.

The Norwegian Star will arrive in Vancouver after a four-day sailing from Los Angeles. On March 2, the ship will head south, arriving back in Los Angeles on March 6. A variety of packages are available in either three- or four-night durations during the games.

Nightly stateroom rates start at $350 per person, double, and include meals, airport transfers, daily transfers between the ship and North Vancouver’s Sea Bus Terminal, and a city tour of Vancouver.

Since the ship is a private charter, custom packages can be arranged that could include private coach transfers, multilingual guides, private meals and onboard functions for up to 1,000 guests.

For more information, call 800-661-7281

or visit www.vancouver2010cruiseship.com

It is with great joy that I can announce the rebirth of this hotel so dear to the Monegasques since 1929.

In order to provide our guests with even more than before, we have completely rethought the hotel and restored it to its former glory, whilst adding the modern touches necessary to today’s comfort.

The Monte-Carlo SBM group has undertaken the global reinterpretation of the Monte-Carlo Beach with pride. The constant policy of optimisation of our hotels is being carried out assiduously.

From the conception of the project to the opening of the hotel to the public, we have taken great care to carry out this work in perfect harmony with the preservation of our planet. This philosophy has been rewarded with the “chantier bleu” label given to construction sites with a minimum impact on the environment.
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More than a large-scale renovation, it is a new vision of the hotel trade that we are presenting to you.

The Monte Carlo Beach is now offering even more comfort, gastronomy, care, nautical activities, vegetation and space… all in a remarkable setting.

Chic and timeless, the Monte Carlo Beach perpetuates the very elegance of the Riviera and the Groupe Monte-Carlo SBM’s art of fine living.

For its eightieth birthday, it is flaunting its eternal youth — with elegance and spirit.

Bernard Lambert
CEO
Groupe Monte-Carlo SBM

The rebirth of the Monte Carlo Beach

It is the event of the spring: After a winter of backbreaking work, the Monte Carlo Beach is emerging from hibernation to present its new face. The Groupe Monte-Carlo SBM wanted to breathe new life — a fighting spirit and modernity — into this emblematic address on the Riviera. A luxurious and convivial setting, reviving the splendour and glamour of the Roaring Twenties.

Today, the Monte Carlo Beach boasts a new terracotta-coloured exterior which greatly enhances the building and creates a perfect harmony with the cobalt blue waters of the Mediterranean just a few metres away… a tribute to the great potters who made the region famous. The Monte Carlo Beach, in all its finery, seems to play with the sun all day long, each hour providing the pretext for presenting a different colour of the spectrum.

Redesigned entirely by India Mahdavi, the Monte Carlo Beach is an ode to the Mediterranean. In this new decor, the sea is omnipresent, creating an obvious and harmonious duo with the hotel— a permanent guest, much to the delight of everyone.

Although the spirit and the form remain unchanged, the Monte Carlo Beach appears completely transformed. Perspectives, materials, lines, space: A total metamorphosis has taken place. After many months of thought and work, the result presented to the world today meets everyone’s expectations.

From the moment you enter the lobby, redesigned entirely featuring a Terrazzo marble floor, you are aware of the designer’s very personal touch.

From the terrace of the Elsa restaurant to the corridors on the second floor, decorated with large portholes, there is a resolutely dynamic air about the place.

The forty airy rooms and suites are in perfect harmony. With the Mediterranean as the only horizon, the feeling of spaciousness and light is accentuated.

Here, like everywhere at the Monte Carlo Beach, almost all the furniture and objects are the fruit of India Mahdavi’s imagination.

These unique decorative items have been created in order to blend naturally into the different parts of the building and emphasize the global conceptual vision of the project.

The rooms and suites at the Monte Carlo Beach are highly innovative. State-of-the-art technology, to satisfy the clients’ fondness for all things new, is combined with a touch of all things romantic. How can anyone remain insensitive to the wall frescos exuding so much grace? Painted by Aurore de la Morinerie, these reminiscences of Matisse – for the colours – and Cocteau’s Santo Sospir period – for the charcoal – contrast with style to the stripes above the beds.

Landscaper Jean Mus has created the gardens full of bewitching fragrances which provide a serene cocoon for visitors.

Everywhere, even in the nooks and crannies, the Monte Carlo Beach brandishes proudly its restored identity.

India Mahdavi is adding her special touch
to the Monte Carlo Beach.

Opened in 1929, the hotel so dear to the Monegasques is about to be reopened. The new Monte Carlo Beach will be unveiled in May 2009.

The Monte Carlo SBM group wanted one of the most distinguished architect-designers to give back the Monte Carlo Beach its original glamour.

“It is with great pleasure that we have chosen India Mahdavi to revamp the Monte Carlo Beach. We plan to offer a completely different experience for our future guests” says Bernard Lambert, CEO of Monte-Carlo SBM. India Mahdavi’s luxurious and contemporary touch to this magnificent 1930’s seashore villa will arouse great enthusiasm.”

Architect and designer India Mahdavi is forever breathing new life and creativity into her projects, ie the Hotel Condesa DF in Mexico, the On Rivington in New York the Connaught in London, private homes in Australia, Spain, in London and Paris…

Her nomadic culture and upbringing has also greatly influenced her furniture collection, which is can be seen in her Parisian show room. Moreover, she has collaborated with luxurious brands such as Bernardaud and Ruinart, to develop special lines of products.

After having just launched Hélène Darroze’s restaurant at the Connaught in London, she has inaugurated her new version of the Parisian bistro “Germain” in association with Thierry Costes, in the heart of Saint Germain des Prés.

Meet the designer India Mahdavi

Your past creations have been very eclectic.
What have you accomplished at the Monte Carlo Beach that you have never done before?

The place itself is for me the starting point of a story, of a project. Each story is different, each project is unique, and every each is a first time.

Although I’ve already worked on a seaside hotel in Miami, working on this mythical Riviera gem is something completely new to me. I plan to revive the great epoch of the 1930’s with modernity and elegance.

What made you decide to take on this project?

First and foremost, its location. The Monte Carlo Beach is tucked away an authentic Mediterranean scenery, surrounded by cypresses and Aleppo pine trees, with an amazing view across the bay. English-speakers have a special name for exceptional places like this - a spot – and the Beach is not only a spot but a magical one.

It’s a breath of fresh air between Cap Martin, its seashore and lush vegetation, and Monaco, one of the most sophisticated places on the Riviera. Such a unique and rare challenge was too tempting to ignore ! The size of the building was just perfect for me because I don’t like hotels that are too big.

Boasting 40 rooms, the Monte Carlo Beach enables me to give the place a touch of grand villa. Last but not least, my relationship with the Société des Bains de Mer was paramount: I listened and absorbed their requirements and expectations before setting everything into motion, a process which has lasted over a year…

How do you operate?

What was the starting point of your work at the Beach?
I work on instinct, searching for the obvious, mental images … and then I go for the fragrances, colours, fabrics and lighting.

For the Beach I imagined, much more than just a tale, a romance, a timeless sentimental story, with a backdrop of images of the Riviera: brightly-coloured juxtapositions of Matisse’s collages, George Hoyningen-Huene’s black and white photographs of elegant young women in bathing suits, and the Riva boat, a symbol of a certain way of life.

My personal input fuelled the project and reinforced it: I spent part of my childhood in the hinterland behind Nice and it’s still etched in my memory. I feel I have been on a trip down memory lane by intertwining beach and mountain landscapes.
The graphic language I chose for the hotel is based on Monaco’s recurrent themes : stripes , the Monte Carlo Beach DNA, and lozenges the Principality’s coat of arms. In a nutshell, I opted for a more classical and elegant approach for this hotel rather than a “design” one.

How did you program your work on the “new” Monte Carlo Beach?
Our main purpose was to give the sea the lead role in our story.
Axes within the indoor and outdoor spaces are more fluid now, and they are all connected to the sea.
By designing a real-size mock-up room, I was able to improve my concept: the sea in the room, a porthole between the bedroom and the bathroom, sliding doors for casting shadows of light and depth. By connecting the loggia and the promenade with a private stairway, the bedrooms now looks rather like a bungalow. We had the same sort of idea for the lobby and the restaurant… they now reach out to the terrace.

Your creativity is diverse, multifaceted (interior design, architecture, scenography , which of these skills has played the major role?
All of them. I have been able to express myself in many ways throughout this project: interior design for the global concept, architecture when rethinking the spaces, scenography for redesigning the lines of the bedrooms and the suites.

To remain faithful to the tradition of “Arts Décoratifs”, we designed exclusive furniture for the hotel, we also chose the tableware, selected the materials, the colors and the fabrics.

As an Artistic Director, I surrounded myself with highly competent professionals: Jean Mus, a landscaper specialised in Mediterranean gardens, designers Ich&Kar for the visual identity, Capucine Puerari for the uniforms, and artist Aurore de la Morinerie for the frescos in the bedrooms.

During this incredible adventure, what has been your biggest challenge?

Creating a new language and a strong identity for the Monte Carlo Beach. It’s been a very ambitious artistic management mission.
Combining creativity and novelty with given logistic and time schedule requirements has been quite a challenge. I hope I’ve delivered what was expected of me!

What added value has India Mahdavi brought to the Beach?

A modernized and respectful vision of the spirit of the Société des Bains de Mer.

This hotel is a jewel in the crown of Monaco : families have had beach tents here for generations, others have learned to swim, and some have even fallen in love….! It is my wish that the Beach will charm its guests once again.

Continue reading Welcome To The Monte Carlo Beach…

SHERIDAN, Wyo —The #3 Town for Outdoorsmen in America, Sheridan is heaven for an outdoor winter weekend.

Begin on Saturday with a trip into the Big Horn Mountains with noted guide Serle Chapman to visit the site of the Fetterman battle.

Here in 1866 Captain Judd Fetterman and his 81 men went over Lodge Trail Ridge in pursuit of Crazy Horse.

What he didn’t know is that Crazy Horse was a decoy who was luring them into a battle with the lurking Lakota and Cheyenne.

Hear the story of the battle from both cultural perspectives, along with how a Cheyenne foretold the outcome of the battle. There were hundreds of survivors, but all were Indian.

On Sunday rent a snowmobile from one of two outfitters and head back into the mountains.

The Big Horn Trail System is perpetually rated in the Top 15, with 300 miles of groomed and 50 miles of ungroomed trails for snowmobilers, along with vast open meadows.

SnoWest magazine praised the Big Horns as “one of the West’s best-kept secrets – offering solitude, scenery and GREAT SNOW!”

Wildlife is abundant and large animals such as moose, elk and deer can be viewed throughout the winter months.

The Bighorns are not commercially developed which means lodging in the mountains is limited and prevents overcrowding both on and off the trails.

This is the heart of cowboy country, so at the end of the day visitors can warm up in the Old West historic downtown for its warm western hospitality, thirty historic buildings housing restaurants, western clothing and leather craft stores, the famous Mint Bar and the Sheridan Inn, where Buffalo Bill Cody lived and auditioned acts for his Wild West Show.

www.sheridanwyoming.org

Hertz New Zealand will introduce an all-diesel fleet of Toyota Prado 4WDs as part of its ongoing sustainability policy to reduce carbon emissions.

The new 3.0 litre Toyota Prado VX Diesels will be introduced progressively from 15 June, 2009, at key Hertz locations throughout New Zealand’s South Island, in perfect time for the ski season.

By 01 October, 2009, all Hertz Toyota Prados in the South Island will be diesel powered, while the North Island Prado fleet will be all-diesel by 01 March, 2010.

“The Toyota Prado is one of our most popular vehicles, particularly on the South Island where alpine and long distance driving are both very popular,” said Murray Hodges, Managing Director of Hertz New Zealand.

“By upgrading to the new Toyota Prado VX Turbo Diesel, we are achieving the dual goals of providing a more fuel-efficient vehicle for our customers and a more environment-friendly vehicle for New Zealand,” said Mr Hodges.

“Our new Prado will also meet Euro IV emission standards, the international level adopted by Hertz New Zealand as an environmental benchmark.”

In addition to providing a more fuel-efficient option for Hertz customers, the diesel Prado also incorporates a large number of safety features, including driver and front passenger airbags, plus side, front and rear curtain airbags, anti-lock braking and vehicle stability control.

Standard features of the new Hertz Prado also include a low-noise cabin, stylish leather trim interior and a six-disc MP3 CD player, enabling passengers to plug in their IPOD or MP3 device and listen to their favourite music.

A 50/50 split-fold rear seat provides the option of additional luggage space. As well, the Prado’s spacious cabin and long wheelbase combine to deliver a smooth ride.

Hertz has more than 8000 locations in 145 countries, with more than 40 locations in New Zealand and more than 200 in Australia.

For more information about Hertz visit www.hertz.com.au or call Hertz reservations on 13 30 39.

Parkdean Holidays offers a huge diversity of activities for all ages at its 24 holiday parks, set in some of the best locations the UK has to offer. Here, we focus on the three S’s: Surfing, Skiing (or snowboarding) and Scuba Diving!

Families who love taking to the piste during the winter months, can now ski and snowboard all summer long, while water-babes can ride the waves at some of the top surfing beaches in the UK, or explore the underwater world waiting for them with the help of the experienced teachers at one of Parkdean’s Scuba Diving schools.

Skiing and snowboarding

One of Parkdean Holidays Star Parks, Warmwell Holiday Park, is home to the Dorset Snowsport Centre, which boasts a Snowflex Ski Slope.

Set in acres of woodland, Parkdean’s Warmwell holiday park is the ideal setting for the two slopes, both of which have the world renowned Snowflex Surface.

The 110m main slope offers a ‘Big Kicker’, tabletop jumps, rainbow, straight rails and a quarter pipe, while the gently sloping 300m2 Nursery Slope offers two safe teaching lanes for beginners. Looking for something a bit different? Well why not book a half hour ringo session and go shooting down the slopes in a giant rubber ring!

Parkdean Holidays hosts the ever-popular Warmwell Summer Jam, which takes place in June, attracting riders from around the UK to compete on the day. You can enjoy a stay at this woodland park in a lodge holiday home from just £365.

Surfing

Three of Parkdean Holidays Parks, Ruda Holiday Park (North Devon), Newquay Holiday Park (Cornwall) and Holywell Bay Holiday Park (Cornwall) offer surfing facilities and surf schools.

Ruda Holiday Park at the UK surfing Mecca Croyde Bay (a RipCurl Best Beach) in North Devon is a Parkdean Star Park and boasts some of the best surf the UK has to offer.

The surf school; Surf South West at Ruda, has highly qualified instructors available to teach all ages and all abilities and there is an Offshore Surf Shop on park.

Ruda Holiday Park sponsors the world famous GoldCoast Oceanfest from 19-20th June, which is held just off the holiday park at Croyde Bay.

GoldCoast Oceanfest

http://www.goldcoastoceanfest.co.uk

is the single largest event in the North Devon festival, hosting over 500 athletes competing for 10 freesports titles. Showcasing over 25 live music acts on stage with top international artists, adjacent to the oceanside Croyde arena hosting a Trade Village, incorporating licensed bars and restaurants.

Grassroots events and pro workshops, adrenalin zones, workshops, exhibitions, sampling booths, simulators and hospitality suites, all add to the great atmosphere of the event.

Ruda Holiday Park is also the perfect location to witness various surf events including the world famous Christian Surfers Pro Surf Tour.

Scuba Diving

Three Parkdean Holiday Parks; Sea Acres Holiday Park (Cornwall), White Acres Holiday Park (Cornwall) and Challaborough Bay Holiday Park (South Devon) all offer Scuba Diving facilities.

Challaborough Bay Holiday Park is set in the South Hams in Devon. In addition to the beautiful countryside, the South Hams boast some of the most fantastic beaches in the UK.

Visitors to the park can benefit from the Scuba Diving Centre, which offers lessons from fully qualified PADI Instructors.

The area offers various reef, scenic and wreck dives. Burgh Island, opposite Challaborough Bay Holiday Park, allows for the most magnificent scenic dives in Devon, while the coastline has six shipwrecks to explore in addition to the most beautiful reefs in the UK. You can book in advance by calling 01548 811 260.

“We pride ourselves on offering unrivalled facilities for visitors who enjoy different outdoor experiences,” says John Waterworth, CEO, Parkdean Holidays.

“With breaks in the UK on the up, we are seeing a huge rise in bookings for this summer and with our holiday parks, we can offer a value-added experience, with fantastic locations, accommodation and facilities.”

From caravan and camping plots to spacious caravan & luxury lodge holiday homes,

Parkdean Holidays’ standard of accommodation appeals across the board, from those looking for great value family breaks to couples and groups who want a Parkdean Holidays Star Park experience.
www.parkdean.com  Tel: 0871 641 0170

Ski Republic has come up with the latest way to make a living out of winter sports. For the first time, the company, which has revolutionized ski hire in the Alps, is offering `Ski Republic’ franchises, available to those simply with a business head as well as to those with a passion for winter-sports. But CEO Mike de Souza warns “This isn’t for someone with a ski habit who wants to make a bit of money on the side. We’re looking for people who share our values and who can use their skills to make a serious business on the back of our success.”

Ski Republic, who now have 27 ski hire shops in the French Alps, since opening the doors of the first store in December 2007, claim that people who share their core values of ` Quality of service, equipment, training, marketing and management’ will be most likely to be granted a franchise and maintain that there’s no need for franchisees to be life-long skiers.

Mike de Souza continued “There’s nothing at all technical about operating a ski hire shop. The kind of key skills a franchisee is likely to have could include good people management, financial expertise and retail know-how and they’ll be hands-on managers, not invisible investors.

Ski Republic customers are those who don’t have their own equipment, who spend a week on the slopes each year and for whom good value and a quality product are important. Those values could be applied to many businesses and franchisees who recognise the opportunity for providing a good product and high service levels to a ready market can share the success of our strong brand. The rest is down to training and that’s all part of the franchise package”.

Ski Republic has created a successful business model by revolutionising ski hire. In just two seasons in the French Alps, with a very strong online presence, the company has gone from strength to strength. In the 2008/9 season online ski rental was 200% up on the previous season and the company’s 27th European shop was opened. Ski Republic also owns two shops in Australia.

Key to Ski Republic’s success is their `two for one’ offer on ski rental.

This core business model drove ski equipment hire pricing down and drew customers in, for what had previously been a commodity product, with relatively low levels of service and value.

Suddenly, ski hire competitors were faced with a newcomer who prioritized safety by including free helmet rental with ski / boot hire, who was concerned about customers’ comfort, with anti-bacterial, anti-stink supportive foot beds in their boots, and product value, with a no charge equipment replacement policy, fair and transparent pricing, inclusive damage insurance and high quality, well maintained equipment.

The ability to service the equipment at a centralized valley-based depot helped Ski Republic contain costs and keep down overheads. While ski shops with resort based servicing faced mounting overheads, Ski Republic were able to service 100,000 pairs of skis in a centralized workshop in an out of town location.

Part of the new franchise operation will include access to strategically located Service Centres to support the franchised outlets, as well as full training, marketing and branding support, with the right to use the brand and equipment for an agreed period.

No ski hire shop owner anywhere in the world can now rest on their ski poles as enquiries for franchising are already coming in from as far afield as Chile and the United States.

The mainstream European ski resorts in Austria, Italy, Switzerland and Andorra expected to be among the first to see an influx of the vivid yellow and fuchsia pink Ski Republic branding that is as distinctive as the company’s way of doing business.

For further details about franchising opportunities,

visit www.franchise.ski-republic.com

Are you a powder hound burning to escape to Sahoro? A Euro-lover pining for Switzerland?

Or just yearning for a long white downhill run in Italy, Switzerland or France?

WIN A 7 night SKI TRIP TO CERVINIA IN ITALY WORTH $10,000 all-inclusive of air-fares with Air France, lift passes, ski school, accommodation, food.

These are all great reasons to call Club Med NOW, visit www.clubmed.com.au or get into a travel agent - as the new Ski Season 09/10 land packages have just been released today with savings of AUD$250 per adult (12+) when booking before the end of July 09.

You can also go to www.clubmed.com.au for your chance to win a 7 night all inclusive holiday for 2 at Club Med Cervinia, where, at 2,050 metres and surrounded by 360 km of ski runs, you’ll experience an Italian-style ski holiday, at a refined 4 Trident retreat in the heart of the Aoste Valley, Italy.

2nd prize is a ROSSIGNOL Ski or Snowboard package designed for the Out-of-Bounds enthusiasts, valued at up to AUD$1,499; and for third prize, a ROSSIGNOL luggage and accessory pack, valued at AUD$500.

The competition is open from May 14 - entries close on July 17th

All these great new offers are available NOW at all European ski Resorts and Sahoro in Japan

When you book and pay for your Club Med, all- inclusive ski holiday experience – you’ll be delighted to note all is prepaid – in Aussie dollars before you leave – allowing you to concentrate on the white stuff not the folding stuff during your stay. (Note: airfares are not included in packages)

- A choice of accommodation including Deluxe and Suite rooms*^

- Three gourmet buffet meals per day with unlimited wine and soft drinks

- Open Bar and Snacking service

- Ski pass from 4 years old and half or full day ski school with highly qualified instructors

- Fully supervised Kids Clubs with ski school^

- Free Interconnecting room for a family of minimum 4^

- Luxurious Spa treatments available^*

- The most fabulous ski domains at the foot of the slopes^

- Live evening entertainment

- The warmest, friendliest team of professionals to ensure your ski holiday experience is exceptional

^at selected Resorts *at extra cost

As a price guide, thanks to the early bird ski booking bonus - prices for a 7 night package in Sahoro start from AUD$1500 per adult (12+) and AUD$1050 per child.

Aime La Plagne (France) from AUD$1745 per adult and AUD$1596 per child, Arcs Extreme (France) from $1780 per adult and AUD$1624 per child, Cervinia (Italy) from $2025 per adult and AUD$1820 AND St Moritz (Switzerland) from AUD$2185 adult & AUD$1876 child.

This offer is for a 7 night stay, new bookings only, and not available for group travel – for full terms and conditions, please visit www.clubmed.com.au

But get in quick, you can only book these great rates to 31st July 09

For travel from 30 Nov 09 – 2nd May 10 (Travel period depends on opening/closing dates of each s)

To Book please call Club Med on 1800 258 263