Jetsettersblog

World Extreme surfing champion Garrett McNamara reveals his secrets to big wave surfing at http://www.YogaforSurfers.com.

“Some of my friends think I’m a madman. But I like seeking out and surfing the most dangerous waves that I can find,” says McNamara, speaking to Peggy Hall at http://www.YogaforSurfers.com.

From Hawaii to Alaska and everywhere in between, big-wave charger Garrett McNamara puts himself in such heavy situations that we mortals can only look at him in awe — not even envy — unless that is, you like wondering if you’re going to make it through your next surf session alive.

How does he do it? What in nature’s name gives this extreme surfing world champion such laser focus, drive, tenacity, toughness and sheer I-Know-I-Can-Do-This confidence? Just exactly what does he do to stay in such amazing shape for big-wave surfing?

Now you can find out. McNamara himself lays it all out in a just-released video clip right at http://www.YogaforSurfers.com

Listen in as he tells Peggy Hall his secret weapon for feeling “confident and secure” in life-threatening surf.

The good news is that even if you can’t surf the unfathomable waves that Garrett does, at least you can benefit from one of his training tools.

More secrets to better surfing are revealed at http://www.YogaforSurfers.com

15 Trophy-winning Properties, 4 New Grands Chefs Relais & Châteaux

In exclusive partnership with prestigious brands, Relais & Châteaux has just revealed the list of the winners of the Relais & Châteaux Trophies which are awarded every year in recognition of expertise and excellence in the art of hospitality and fine dining.

Welcome Trophy with Moët & Chandon
The art of receiving is one of the fundamental virtues of Relais & Châteaux; ensuring your stay is unforgettable is always the priority in these properties.

Hotel Jagdhof Glashütte - Germany

Grand Chef Trophy with Taittinger
Amongst the Relais & Châteaux members, the contemporary elite of fine dining are grouped within the family of the Grands Chefs Relais & Châteaux. Passion, creativity, experience and expertise are the essential criteria for admission to the highly select circle of these Grands Chefs.

Firmin & Philippe Arrambide
Les Pyrénées - France

Jonathan Gushue
Langdon Hall Country House Hotel & Spa - Canada

Christopher Brooks
Blantyre – United States

Jason Robinson
The Inn at Dos Brisas – United States

Rising Chef Trophy with All-Clad
We single out young chefs whose creativity, imagination and commitment earmark them as the future grand masters of fine dining in the world.

Davy Tissot
Villa Florentine - France

Art de la Table Trophy with San Pellegrino
The arts of the table, atmosphere and decoration are all part of our philosophy of “receiving well”. They reflect the soul of our properties and express their personality.

Ristorante Le Calandre - Italy

Spa Trophy with Laurent Perrier
There are 5 categories of spa: Spas de Charme, Spas de Rêve, Thalassotherapy, Thermalism and Beauty.

Georges Blanc & Spa - France

Woman of the Year Trophy with Pommery
A disciplined approach to work organisation, exacting standards, the giving of themselves and a sense of welcome and detail make these women the flagship ambassadresses of our family.

Johanna Maier
Hotel Hubertus - Austria

Passion Trophy with Hennessy
Launched in 2004, the Passion Trophy is awarded to Relais & Châteaux owners who know how to make your stay truly unique: harmonious setting, perfect service, remarkable style.

Sam Beall
Blackberry Farm – United States

Corporate Trophy with Glenmorangie
Relais & Châteaux launched this trophy in 2005 to single out property owners who have distinguished themselves through their high-performance meeting facilities and the quality of the welcome afforded to business meetings or residential seminars.

Sheen Falls Lodge – Ireland

Lounge Trophy with Grand Marnier
With the Lounge Trophy, Relais & Châteaux pays tribute to the expertise of these friendly settings, a real invitation to tasting.

Eden Rock - St Barthélémy - France

Environment Trophy with Orlane
This award pays tribute to properties which have shown tenacity, commitment, impressive initiatives and respect for the environment and the natural setting.

Longueville Manor – United Kingdom

Garden Trophy with Rozes
This pays tribute to properties which have succeeded in reconciling abundant nature, expertise in enhancing the horticultural heritage and respect for the original beauty of the landscapes.

Las Mañanitas Hotel Garden Restaurant & Spa - Mexico

Innovation Trophy with Nespresso
To guarantee unique experiences and intense moments of discovery, each Relais & Châteaux member must know how to reinvent itself and be innovative.

Thierry Marx
Cordeillan-Bages - France

About Relais & Châteaux

Relais & Châteaux is an exclusive collection of 480 of the finest charming hotels and gourmet restaurants in 56 countries. Established in France in 1954, the Association’s mission is to spread its unique art de vivre across the globe by selecting outstanding properties with a truly unique character.

Furthermore, Relais & Châteaux is also a family of hoteliers and Grands Chefs from all over the world who share a passion for and a personal commitment to ensuring their guests are privy to moments of exceptional harmony, an unforgettable celebration of the senses.

From the vineyards in Napa valley to the beaches in Bali, from the olive trees in Provence to the lodges in South Africa, Relais & Châteaux offers all the stops on the finest route for discovering each special place and country.

WATERSOUND, Fla. — The St. Joe Company announces that The Origins Course at WaterSound - an innovative “concept” course designed for families and beginners by Davis Love III - will offer unlimited golf for $40, walking and $60 with cart January 1 through March 15, 2009.

Local golfers and visitors to the area can take advantage of the innovative facility to fine tune their games, or to enjoy a day of affordable fun with the entire family. Those without the time to devote to multiple-rounds can take advantage of The Origins Course’s nine- and 18-hole rates, $25 and $35 walking, respectively, and $35 and $50 with cart.

“The Origins Course is truly a local treasure and one of the most affordable and fun options for golf in northwest Florida,” says Camp Creek and Origins Course manager Will Hopkins. “The forgiving and flexible course configurations appeal to both novice and experienced players.”

Origins Course is one of the only golf facilities of its kind in North America, allowing for three distinct course setups: a six-hole layout with regulation par 3s, 4s and 5s, a nine-hole executive course with par 3s and 4s, and a 10-hole par-3 course. The nine-hole executive configuration will be available during the winter-rate period.

Junior golfers age 15 and under play free with a paying adult, perfect for families wishing to expose their children to the game in a supportive environment. Origins Course is very “walker friendly” and at just over 1,800 yards, a round of golf takes less than two hours. Golfers can enjoy lunch and refreshments at the nearby WaterSound Café located just off Highway 30A at the WaterSound Gatehouse.

Located at Watersound, Origins is eight miles east of WaterColor and 11 miles northwest of RiverCamps on Crooked Creek. For more information, call 850.231.7600, or visit www.orginsgolfclub.com

About The Origins Course at WaterSound

The Origins Course at WaterSound’s mission is to make golf more fun, accessible and attractive to families, beginners and casual golfers. A six-hole regulation course that alternatively plays as a nine-hole executive course and a ten-hole par 3 layout, The Origins Course was conceived with the “short course” concept at its core. Designed by Love Golf Design, founded by PGA Tour player Davis Love III, the course is consistent with the Scottish origins of the game, in which six, nine and 12-hole courses were commonplace. The Origins Course appeals and caters to novices via its non-penal design and manageable distance of approximately 1,800 yards. Yet its regulation-length holes and traditionally wrought green complexes provide enough challenge and strategy to retain the interest of experienced golfers. Turfed with “Sealsle Supreme Paspalum,” which requires fewer chemicals for weed and pest control and can be irrigated with salt water, The Origins Course supports St. Joe’s commitment to environmental sensitivity and preservation.

About Troon Golf
Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Troon Golf is the world’s largest golf management company, overseeing operations at more than 200 courses located in 31 states and 31 countries. Additionally, 36 Troon Golf facilities enjoy a Top 100 ranking by national or international publications. Troon Golf properties include Oneida Golf and Country Club, Green Bay, Wis.; Talking Stick Golf Club, Scottsdale, Ariz.; The Clubs at St. James Plantation, Southport, N.C.; Classic Club, Palm Desert, Calif.; Playa Mujeres Golf Club, Cancun, Mexico; and The Grove, London, England. For more information about Troon Golf, visit www.troongolf.com

oneworld® has become the first in the travel industry to sell multiairline
round-the-world air tickets on-line with its new internet booking tool for its oneworld Explorer fare. This also makes oneworld the first global airline alliance to offer any of its public fares for sale through the worldwide web.

The new on-line booking tool is available now through oneworld.com The alliance’s member airlines will add it to their own websites too or provide links from their internet sites to the oneworld.com facility – at www.oneworld.com/ow/flight-info/plan-and-book-your-itinerary
oneworld Explorer is among the most popular multi-airline tickets worldwide, enabling passengers to travel right around the globe using the flights of any of oneworld’s ten member airline and 20 or so affiliates, who together serve some 700 destinations in approaching 150 countries.

With the launch this new oneworld internet tool, customers or their travel agents can for the first time both plan their round-the-world itinerary and now book and pay for their tickets on-line. The system has a number of special features to make it as simple as possible for customers to plan oneworld Explorer round-the-world trips.

As they build their itinerary - simply by clicking on destinations displayed on the alliance’s interactive map - the system automatically checks availability and displays only flights that have seats available for each route and date selected. It also validates that the itinerary meets all the fare’s rules and conditions - and then provides an instant price for the trip. Once customers have finalised their itinerary - which can be of up to 16 sectors - they can pay online using a credit card (see notes) and print out all the details. The e-tickets for the entire trip are then sent to the customer by email.

oneworld Vice-President Commercial Nicolas Ferri said: “The tremendous value and flexibility our oneworld Explorer fares offer now combined with the ease and simplicity of planning, booking and paying on-line extends oneworld and our member airlines’ leading position for worldwide travel. We are delighted to be the first and only alliance - and indeed the first in the travel industry - to offer this level of convenience to our customers and travel agency partners, building further on our record of
innovation.”

The booking engine project has been led on behalf of all the alliance’s carriers by Qantas. Its General Manager Sales and Distribution Rob Gurney said: “With so many possibilities of places to visit and routes to take, planning and booking a round-the-world trip can be time-consuming - both for our customers and sales representatives. Our new, easy-to-use on-line booking and payment facility simplifies the entire operation, saving customers a huge amount of time and providing them with far more flexibility in planning their trips. It will also reduce costs for our member airlines and free up time of airline and travel agency reservations agents to handle other tasks.” oneworld first to sell alliance fares on-line…

Unlike other round-the-world fares, oneworld Explorer’s price is based on the number of continents visited (three to six), not the mileage flown, making planning and pricing journeys much more simple and flexible. It covers flights worldwide by all oneworld member and affiliate airlines.

With oneworld the only airline alliance with members based in South America, Australia or Asia’s Middle East, it is just the ticket for anyone who truly wants to circumnavigate the globe. It offers great flexibility and value, generating the largest portion of the US$725 million revenues earned by oneworld for its member airlines through its alliance fares and sales activities last year.

Around 50,000 people bought a oneworld Explorer round-the-world ticket last year. oneworld Explorer can be booked for travel in Economy, Premium Economy (where available), Business or even First Class, and earn frequent flyer programme mileage awards and tier status points. Prices from the USA start at US$3,900, from the UK at GBP1,349, from Euro-zone countries at EUR1,999, and from Australia at A$3,499, all excluding any taxes, charges and surcharges. For lead-in prices from other countries and full details, see www.oneworld.com/ow/air-traveloptions/
round-the-world-fares/oneworld-explorer#fare-estimate

The on-line booking tool build on oneworld’s record for innovation. More than three years ago, it became the first of the global alliances to put in place interline e-ticketing (IET) links between all members of the grouping, enabling customers to travel with the convenience of just one electronic ticket for journeys involving any combination of alliance’s member airlines. Rival alliances have only recently completed links between their own member airlines.

Initially, oneworld Explorer itineraries ticketed through British Airways (generally when the first sector flown is on British Airways) will still need to have their payment processed through a British Airways sales outlet rather than on-line. The airline ticketing the itinerary will be displayed in the reservations’ confirmation page, before the booking is completed and payment requested. oneworld Explorer sectors in Premium Economy cabins cannot at this stage be booked on-line. oneworld developed the on-line booking engine in cooperation with Innovata, the global leader in travel related content management and content distribution, and Amadeus, the global distribution system, which also supports the majority of oneworld’s member airlines.

About oneworld oneworld brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business - American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN, Malév Hungarian Airlines, Qantas and Royal Jordanian, and around 20 affiliates including American Eagle, Dragonair, LAN Argentina, LAN Ecuador and LAN Peru. Mexicana and its affiliate Click Mexicana will join the alliance in 2009.

Between them, these airlines
:
• Serve almost 700 airports in nearly 150 countries, with more than 9,000 daily departures.
• Offer nearly 550 airport lounges for premium customers.
• Carry some 320 million passengers a year.
• Employ 250,000 people and operate almost 2,500 aircraft.
• Generate more than US$100 billion annual revenues.

oneworld is the only alliance with any member airlines based in Australia, South America or Asia’s Middle East. The alliance enables its members to offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on its own. These include a broader route network, opportunities to earn and redeem frequent flyer miles and points across the combined oneworld network and more airport lounges. oneworld was voted the World’s Leading Airline Alliance for the sixth year running in the 2008 World Travel Awards, retaining the title ever since it was first presented.

THE ULTIMATE HOLIDAY GIFT

Providing access to an unrivalled world of privileges, benefits, expert knowledge and a global network of insider information, a Quintessentially membership offers the perfect present this Christmas.

Quintessentially is a unique private members’ club and global luxury lifestyle group committed to delivering nothing but the best in high quality services. Available 24 hours a day and 365 days a year, by telephone or email, Quintessentially provides unlimited access to an unrivalled package of privileges, preferential rates and bespoke services, and acts as your very own PA – any time, anywhere.

With three tiers of membership available, starting from $1500 per year Quintessentially provides an affordable and long-lasting support to help guide you through to 2009. From securing last minute hotel reservations and travel deals, to restaurant bookings and access to events and galas around the world, Quintessentially is here to help. Offering an excellent benchmark of service and a unique network of insider information and benefits, Quintessentially aims to bring you nothing but the best, making it not only an invaluable resource but, more importantly, an easily accessible time and money saving solution.

Membership also includes access to the growing number of expert Quintessentially sister companies which can cater to all your needs including the dedicated personal shopping service Quintessentially Gifts, the bespoke experience company Quintessentially Escape, the bespoke wine service Quintessentially Wine and many more including Quintessentially Art, Quintessentially Events, Quintessentially Estates and Quintessentially Flowers. Members are also sent a weekly Quintessentially newsletter, packed full of the latest news, views, events and benefits, as well as the Quintessentially Magazine, published quarterly.

Quintessentially now encompasses a staggering 44 offices in a host of major cities worldwide, in destinations as diverse as Hong Kong, Cape Town, Istanbul, Mozambique, Cairo, Panama, Los Angeles and Sydney with a number of new office launches planned in the coming months, including those in Amsterdam, Auckland, Chicago, Luxemburg and Kuala Lumpur.

Goes Farther And Faster To Achieve Top Results

New travel search engine nowfly.co.uk launches today, looking set to overhaul the standards of speed and accuracy established by other well-known market leaders. At a time when finding the best value option is more important than ever to travellers, nowfly.co.uk delivers equal or better fares than its rivals. And it is seriously quick, too.

Cleanly designed and easy to use, nowfly.co.uk was started by a group of online and travel experts with a clear objective to provide an easy, fun, and best priced way of finding a flight, hotel or car rental. The business is headed by Dan Hart, who has extensive experience in the online and travel sectors.

There are a number of factors which set nowfly.co.uk apart from its competitors:

• The site has gone through extensive usability testing and the results have shown that the site is clearly presented and easy to navigate.

• The content is broad and wide, searching more than 340 airlines with routes, fares and availability and giving the user essential information about booking their flight, hotel or car rental.

• The team studied the way flight results are presented with other travel and airlines websites and recognised that the user wants maximum flexibility when booking their flight itinerary. nowfly.co.uk uses an airline-style search, presenting results for each sector rather than lumping outbound and inbound options together.

• nowfly.co.uk searches low-cost, charter and scheduled airlines, giving a well-informed choice to the traveller, along with the flexibility to choose the best departure and arrival times.

• The site has third-party integration with leading, well-known travel sites as well as airlines, hotels and car rental suppliers.

• The website has geo-coded results for all the leading hotel chains and major consolidators, using the Google Maps Application Programming Interface (API) to visually place hotel results.

• Car rental options are found by using the leading car rental suppliers and consolidators globally.

• nowfly.co.uk uses the Ajax web application, retrieving data from the server asynchronously in the background. This means it loads before the user’s very eyes, without the need for a separate wait page.

Utilising cutting-edge technology, nowfly.co.uk is the first site in the UK to employ the full suite of the TRAVELfusion API. Dan has worked closely with TRAVELfusion over the past year. “I knew they were a great, innovative travel technology company and felt that they were the right people to work with,” Dan comments. “I believe that the combination of good content from TRAVELfusion, matched with a great user-face, is a compelling proposition for travellers booking trips online.”

Comments Moshe Rafiah, TRAVELfusion CEO: “This is exactly the kind of partnership that we envisioned when we created our XML API programme. By combining the most advanced travel search technologies developed by TRAVELfusion with innovative applications such as nowfly.co.uk, we have created a winning formula for success.”

TRAVELfusion is a world leader in constructing powerful travel search and web fare booking tools which search, aggregate, compare and book travel content from the web. Based around the company’s patented TRIPplannerXML platform, TRAVELfusion has integrated hundreds of travel suppliers including air, hotel, car, rail and ferry as well as adding its unique content generated directly by travel suppliers.

Money-saving price comparison websites have grown in reach and reputation over the last few years. According to a 2008 study undertaken by e-consultancy.com, Comparison Shopping Engines (CSEs) contributed to around 10% of online sales for retailers. Approximately 43% of these retailers claimed that their sales had increased in the last 12 months.

The next phase for nowfly.co.uk is to introduce further useful travel tips as well as community-based content to help users make better informed decisions.

The company will also run a number of marketing campaigns to keep users abreast of great travel offers, including ancillary products such as travel insurance, car parking and foreign currency. Product innovation and enhancement is key and will be driven forward to keep nowfly.co.uk looking fresh, without losing sight of the founding principle – fast and highly competitive travel search results every time.

About www.nowfly.co.uk:

nowfly.co.uk was established at the beginning of 2008. The management team comprises a mix of travel and online experts with extensive experience within these fields. The business is headed by Dan Hart, who has worked within the travel and online sectors for over 15 years. Dan worked within the Virgin Group for 12 years, initially starting his career at Virgin Atlantic and most recently with thetrainline.com.

Following the success of the flagship Hotel Gansevoort in Manhattan and the opening of Gansevoort South Hotel, Spa and Residences in South Beach, Fla., Gansevoort Hotel Group continues to expand its brand with third party management ventures in Turks & Caicos Islands, Toronto and Chicago. Gansevoort Turks & Caicos, a Wymara Resort, will debut in March 2009, followed by Gansevoort Toronto and Gansevoort Chicago, both in 2011. Gansevoort Turks & Caicos, a Wymara Resort, is a 91-room luxury property developed by Apollo Development Company. Located on the western section of Grace Bay Beach, the property boasts expansive beachfront along reef-protected ocean waters. Grace Bay Beach is situated on Providenciales, the main island in a 40-island chain that collectively make up Turks & Caicos Islands. Providenciales airport, less than 15 minutes from the property, offers direct flights several times a day from Miami, New York, Atlanta, Charlotte, Philadelphia, London, Toronto and Montreal.

Gansevoort Hotel Group will feature Bagatelle Bistrot and Beach Club as well as a beachfront Exhale Spa at its new Turks & Caicos location. Bagatelle Bistrot by The One Group will serve as the property’s gourmet dining destination along with Bagatelle Beach Club, a day and night beach bar concept. Exhale Spa will bring unique spa treatments, its trademark Core Fusion classes and innovative training methods to the resort. Along with a fully-equipped fitness center, the spa will offer classes and treatments in its beachfront pavilion. Fusing Caribbean and contemporary styles, the resort will feature a 7,000 square foot infinity edge pool that includes “lounging islands” which appear to float on the water. By day, these islands can be used for sunning and relaxing and by night, will serve as intimate, candle-lit dining areas. Gansevoort Turks & Caicos will also provide beach and poolside catering, concierge services, water sports activities and complimentary wireless throughout the property. Rates begin at $450 per night.

For more information, visit www.gansevoorhotelgroup.com

The Ritz-Carlton, Palm Beach announced its Inauguration Escape package. The Inauguration Escape offer includes accommodations in an ocean front room with access to the Club Level and Club Lounge, as well as: invitation to the resort’s inauguration festivities, including a big screen showing of the ceremony accompanied by President-elect Barack Obama’s favorite Chicago-style fare; two specially crafted, red and blue “electinis” on Inauguration Day; one half-hour spa massage; and a copy of Obama’s book, “The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream.” Guests booking the Inauguration Escape and staying in the hotel’s Presidential Suite will receive a custom-designed shoe created exclusively by Miami-based artist Robert Tabor.

The souvenir or gift is in line with the suite’s wall of shoe art. Inauguration Escape starts at $569 per night for ocean front rooms and $6,000 per night for the Presidential Suite (exclusive of tax and gratuity). Guests staying five nights will receive a $200 resort credit per stay, and those staying for seven nights will receive a $400 resort credit per stay. Offer valid at time of booking only for guests checking in Jan. 15 through Jan. 24, 2009. Maximum guest capacity is two adults and two children per room.

This package cannot be combined with other promotions or discounts.

 For more information or to make reservations, call 561-533-6000 or visit www.ritzcarlton.com/palmbeach

 

Il Lugano, a luxury hotel and resort located along the Ft. Lauderdale Intracoastal Waterway, announced special rates for guests attending any of the two South Florida BCS bowl games in January 2009. The 105 all-suite hotel and resort will provide a discounted rate of $239 per night for single or double occupancy. There will be a minimum two-night stay for the Jan. 8 national championship game between the Florida Gators and Oklahoma Sooners.

There will be no such requirement for the Jan. 1 game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and Cincinnati Bearcats. Il Lugano amenities include fully equipped kitchens, full-sized refrigerators, microwaves, washers and dryers and luxurious Bvlgari Bath amenities. Guests also enjoy complimentary high-speed wireless Internet access and can relax in the luxuriously appointed suites that feature two large flat-panel television sets, Bose Sound systems and iPod docking stations. Il Lugano offers the da Campo Osteria, a brand new Italian restaurant launched by internationally renowned chef and restaurateur Todd English.

To take advantage of the special BCS bowl game rates, football fans will be required to request the college bowl game discount during the reservation or check-in process.

For reservations or more hotel information, call 954-564-4400 or visit www.illugano.com

Whitelaw Hotel, the boutique hotel located at 808 Collins Avenue in South Beach, Fla., announced their nightly hotel rates will be left up to the weather gods.

From now until Feb. 4, hotel guests will only pay the outside local Fahrenheit temperature based on the reading by the National Weather Service at the time of check-out. At the time of check-out, nightly rates will be calculated based on the outside local Fahrenheit temperature for Sunday through Thursday stays, Friday and Saturday night rates will be offered at the check-out time temperature plus $50.

The Whitelaw’s Leave It to the Weather Gods is subject to availability with blackout dates including Dec. 30, 2008, to Jan. 1, 2009, and Jan. 7 to 8, 2009. Reservations must be booked by Dec. 31, 2008. All rates are subject to a 13 percent tax and a daily $5 resort fee.

Reservations can be made by visiting www.whitelawhotel.com/weathergodsdeal