Monthly Archives: January 2011

Estate of the Day: 133 Pelican Drive

133 Pelican Drive

Situated at the tip of Avalons prestiguous Pelican Drive is a waterfront home unparalleled on Seven Mile Island.

Don Zacker Architects designed this Nantucket masterpiece in 2001 to capture the endless, unobstructed water views as well as the astounding sunsets.

Influenced by trips to the island Nantucket, a simplistic yet elegant design can be admired throughout the 2 stories of gracious living.
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valentines hotel room

Valentine’s Day Hotel Packages

valentines hotel room

If you’re looking to whisk a loved one away this Valentine’s Day (February 14), several luxury hotels are offering special deals to tempt you.

Moevenpick is offering a full-on month of romance at all of its Middle East and Asian properties between February 1-28, which includes 50% off a second night, a romantic welcome gift and an in-room breakfast for two.

Luxury chain Four Seasons has turned the US city of Chicago into a romance hotspot, offering a free night for couples who splash out for a bottle of Dom Pérignon on February 14 at the Four Seasons Chicago and a ‘Sweetheart Special’ weekend menu at the deca Restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton Chicago, a Four Seasons Hotel.

valentine's day

Its Las Vegas property is even offering a “Romance Concierge”, on hand to arrange romantic experiences such as a private dessert lesson with the hotel’s pastry chef, a picnic under the stars on the floor of the Grand Canyon and a private shopping experience at the Graff Diamonds store in Las Vegas.

Affinia Hotels in New York, Chicago and Washington are offering a Kiss & Tell Getaway, which includes a room upgrade (where available) and a turndown with sweets, rose petals and champagne from  $194 (€145) per night in New York City, $134 (€100) in Chicago and $204 (€152) in Washington, D.C.

In London, Swissotel‘s The Howard is offering a Valentine’s Day Tea special from £35 (€42), although staying in the luxury W London Leicester Square on February 14, its opening night, could be an equally good treat.

InterContinental Hong Kong infinity pool

Big-spending  romantics may also want to check in to the InterContinental Hong Kong‘s HK$1 million Valentine’s Date, although it’s not for the faint-hearted.

The night, available February 11-14, includes a stay in Hong Kong’s largest Presidential Suite, chauffeured airport transfers in a Phantom VI Rolls-Royce (with a bottle of champagne en route), 1000 roses, a HK$150,000 shopping spree with a personal shopper, a custom-made menu from one of the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurants, a live string quartet in your suite, a champagne and caviar breakfast and — in case that wasn’t enough — a Valentine message displayed by banner via private boat, which can be seen from the suite’s terrace.

Infinity pool Presidentianl Suite Intercontinental Hotel Hong Kong

Gold Diamonds Fiat 500C

The €500,000 Fiat 500C

Gold Diamonds Fiat 500C

Commissioned by a mysterious Chinese client, Italian styling house Fenice Milano has teamed up with exclusive gadget designers Stuart Hughes to create the 500,000 Euro ‘Fiat 500C La Dolce Vita Gold and Diamonds 200hp’.

The interior of the Fenice Fiat 500 Convertible Abarth has been decked out with teak inserts, special leather and diamonds.

The console is embellished with a gold framed instrument panel and teak and 24K gold inserts dashboard, whose profiles are hand-shaped by FM’s artisans.
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The Old Manse

Scottish B&B voted best in the world

The Old Manse

Traveler review site TripAdvisor has named a bed & breakfast (B&B) in a remote Scottish village as the best B&B in the world.

The Old Manse in Invermoriston, a village that sits on the banks of the famous Loch Ness, topped TripAdvisor’s list of the best B&Bs.

Described by TripAdvisor users as “like staying in your own stately home,” the property is set in woodland and large gardens and offers guests four-poster beds, private lounges and log-burning fires.
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Lady Gaga mugler

Lady Gaga makes music for Thierry Mugler

Lady Gaga mugler

Lady Gaga has announced her plans to debut new music from her upcoming Born This Way today at a Paris fashion show by Thierry Mugler.

“I’m the musical director for the MUGLER fashion show,” she said on Twitter. “I’m remixing/previewing a record on Born This Way, tailored for the show + garments.”

She did not detail which song she would preview. According to a post on her website, fans will be able to listen to the new song on Mugler’s official website beginning on Thursday, January 20, at 6 p.m. Central European Time (9 a.m. PST).
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Hapag-Lloyd europa

Cruise line plans world’s most spacious ship

Hapag-Lloyd europa

German cruise line Hapag-Lloyd has announced plans to build the world’s most spacious cruise ship, due to debut in 2013.

The Europa 2, which will launch in spring 2013, is set to use an all new design which offers the largest amount of space per passenger on a cruise ship.

Despite being eleven decks tall, Europa 2 will carry only 516 passengers in 258 suites — all of which will offer verandas and at least 28 meters of space.
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MONACO FETE NATIONALE 2010

Armani Will Design Monaco’s Royal Wedding Dress

MONACO FÊTE NATIONALE 2010

Charlene Wittstock has chosen Giorgio Armani to design her dress for her wedding to Monaco’s Prince Albert II.

“Yes, I want to declare, I will make the wedding dress,” Armani confirmed to reporters after his fashion show in Milan on Sunday.

Former Olympic swimmer Charlene attended Armani’s shows in Italy in 2008 and 2009 and often wears the designer’s clothes to events.
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Golden Well hotel rooftop

Prague hotel tops world’s ten best

Golden Well hotel rooftop

A Prague hotel has been voted the best in the world by users of the hotel review site TripAdvisor, according to data released January 19.

The Golden Well (U Zlate Studne) hotel in the Czech capital topped the list from TripAdvisor for the second year running — last time it was recognized as the best luxury (4 & 5 star) hotel in the world.

Despite having only 17 rooms and two suites, the hotel offers the services of a much larger property, such as wine upon arrival and a rooftop restaurant.
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Tag Heuer Carrera MP4-12C

Tag Heuer Carrera MP4-12C

Tag Heuer Carrera MP4-12C

Swiss watch maker Tag Heuer have released a new watch, the MP4-12C is inspired by the McLaren MP4-12C road supercar.

The dial has a carbon-fibre style pattern with a large central window, which allows you to see the Chronograph and date functions at work.

The layout is dominated by a large Orange zero at the 12 o’clock position in a nod to the speedometer design of the road car (Orange is McLaren’s traditional colour).
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Disney Cruise

2011 cruise trends: unexplored routes, river cruising…

Disney Cruise

A survey from The Cruise Line International Association which represents the world’s cruise lines has identified some of the seaborne trends expected to dominate 2011.

The CLIA said that it believes that more people will cruise this year than in 2010, and will be taking to previously unexplored routes.

Members of the group said that river cruising — which requires smaller ships than ocean cruising — was expected to grow in popularity, particularly on European rivers where cruises in general were expected to become shorter.
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Michelin Guide UK Ireland 2011

Pubs honoured in 100th British Michelin guide

Michelin Guide UK Ireland 2011

The Michelin restaurant guide for Great Britain and Ireland celebrated its 100th birthday Tuesday by highlighting the culinary excellence of the country’s “gastro-pubs”, or pubs with fine food.

French female chef Helene Darroze (below) gained two stars in the 2011 edition of the famed foodies’ guide, less than a year after she lost a second star in Paris.

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay kept his prized three stars, as did fellow Briton Heston Blumenthal and Frenchmen Alain Roux and Alain Ducasse.
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Voila hotel rewards

Loyalty programs for independent hotels

Voila hotel rewards

Independent hotel loyalty program Voilà announced that it has landed in the US January 11, setting the scene for increased competition in a new market that allows guests to earn points for staying in non-chain hotels.

Voilà, which allows consumers to earn loyalty points at some 250 independent four and five star hotels in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, debuted its program at two hotels in New York, The Court and The Tuscany.

Guests staying at either of the mid-market hotels, which do not belong to any of the major chains, will be able to earn points to redeem at one of Voilà’s other hotels worldwide, in much the same way that guests can earn free nights using programs such as Hilton HHonors or InterContinental’s Priority Club.
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JLC Memovox Tribute

Jaeger LeCoultre – Memovox Tribute to Deep Sea

JLC Memovox Tribute

The Memovox Deep Sea, the first Jaeger-LeCoultre diver’s watch, represents a milestone instrument in the history of the brand.

Following the success of of the re-editions of the Memovox Tribute to Polaris 1965 and the Memovox Tribute to Polaris 1968 unveiled in 2008, Jaeger-LeCoultre has now recreated the 1959 Memovox Deep Sea.

The 1959 model was created in two variations – one aimed at European sports fans and the other at American divers.
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Hainan Airlines

Chinese carrier Hainan Airlines joins airline elite

Hainan Airlines

Chinese carrier Hainan Airlines has become the seventh airline in the world to win a five-star rating from airline reviewer Skytrax.

The prestigious ranking is awarded by Skytrax and is the highest rating an airline can achieve, signifying a “truly consistent and high quality of Product and Service.”

Hainan Airlines was the first mainland Chinese airline to be awarded four star status in 2009 and was elevated to five star last week, with exceptional rankings in long haul business and economy classes and short haul first class service.
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Heidsieck champagne

World’s oldest Heidsieck bottles found in shipwreck

Heidsieck champagne

Champagne experts have discovered what are believed to be the oldest existing bottles of Heidsieck champagne, salvaged from a shipwreck in the waters south of Aaland, a Finnish-controlled archipelago of 6,500 islands in the Baltic sea.

Divers stumbled across a cargo of around 150 champagne bottles last July in a two-masted schooner which had run aground sometime between 1825 and 1830.

And by last November experts had already identified the world’s oldest Juglar and Veuve Clicquot brands among the bottles.
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scarlett johansson moet chandon champagne 2011

Scarlett Johansson, Moët & Chandon 2011 Campaign

scarlett johansson moet chandon champagne 2011

Moet & Chandon Champagne has unveiled their new campaign featuring Scarlett Johansson, who has been the brand’s celebrity ambassador since March 2009.

For the 2011 Moët & Chandon Ad Campaign, British photographer Tim Walker photographed Johansson at Trianon in Epernay, North East of Paris last Fall.

Wearing a strapless pearl blue/grey dress, Scarlett is surrounded by castles of empty wine glasses as she poses on a ladder.
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Citroen Ds3 Orla Kiely

Citroen DS3 by Orla Kiely Collection

Citroen Ds3 Orla Kiely

Citroen DS3 by Orla Kiely Collection is the name of the latest collaboration-project between Citroen and the world-famous designer Orla Kiely.

Citroen DS3 by Orla Kiely Collection is limited to 500 units and features the designer’s iconic style inside and out.

Available in four body colors and four different roof designs – featuring Orla’s signature stem or acorn patterns, the special edition vehicles come with colored door mirrors; stem print rear window graphics, and black or white 17” alloy wheels.
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Skema Business School

French Business School Offers Luxury Degree in China

Skema Business School

The phrase “made in China,” once anathema to luxury brands for its suggestion of counterfeiting, is acquiring new meaning in the context of professional education.

Beginning in September of 2011, Skema Business School , which is among the largest of France’s Grandes Écoles, will offer the degree of master of science in luxury and fashion management at its Suzhou campus in China.

The yearlong program includes a compulsory three-month internship at an Asia-based firm and is designed to combine French managerial experience with China’s tradition of fine craftsmanship with valuable materials like silk and porcelain.
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Warhol Charles Diana

Warhol portraits of Charles and Diana go on sale

Warhol Charles Diana

Two matching portraits of princess Diana and Prince Charles by pop art icon Andy Warhol have gone on display for the first time since 1982, ahead of being sold.

The paintings show Charles in naval attire against a blue background. His first wife Diana wears a formal dress and is pictured against a pink background.

They were made using synthetic polymer and silkscreen ink on canvas and marked the couple’s wedding in 1981.
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TripAdvisor airlines

TripAdvisor to Allow Users to Rate Airlines

TripAdvisor airlines

Consumers are now able to rate airlines using review site TripAdvisor in the same way they can rate hotels, the site confirmed January 12.

In a move which will see traveler reviews displayed alongside the flights that it sells, the Expedia-owned travel giant has added a new feature that allows travellers to rate airlines on different categories.

Users will be able to offer their thoughts on service areas such as baggage handling, check-in experience, in-flight amenities, punctuality and seat comfort.
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