Pioneering luxury eco retreat Frégate Island Private in the Seychelles has successfully completed the installation of the first phase of its new rainwater harvesting system, with average daily rainfall yielding around 30,000 litres of collected rainwater – enough to provide up to approximately 60 per cent of the island’s water requirements. Encouraged by the results, Frégate Island Private will now press ahead with phase two, doubling the collection area so that the island need rely on nothing more than the heavens above for its water needs!

Rainwater is currently collected from half of the total roof surface area of the back-of-house buildings via a system of gutters and pipes, with capacity to harvest up to 60,000 litres per day. The rainwater collects in intermediate tanks before being pumped through a filtration system – making it safe to drink – and into the island’s main water system, which can store over 450,000 litres.

The Seychelles’ rainy season, which runs from November to March, is characterised by sharp, heavy showers which quickly clear, to be replaced by sunshine and blue skies. On completion of phase two, average rainfall should allow Frégate to harvest and store approximately 6 million litres of water over the course of an average year – enough to cover the entire island’s needs.

Because of its natural softness, harvested rainwater produces better results from the quality of cooking through to laundry and other machine operation, whilst also being beneficial for the longevity of the piping system. More importantly, it dramatically reduces the need to pump and desalinate water from the island’s underground sources, reducing energy consumption by 400kwh – equivalent to the amount of energy required to keep a 40W light bulb on continually for 14 months!

The installation of the rainwater harvesting system is just the latest step in Frégate Island Private’s ongoing journey towards increasing sustainability and a harmonious, mutually beneficial co-existence with its natural environment.  Last year, Frégate established the Indian Ocean’s largest endemic tree nursery and passed the notable milestone of planting the 100,000th tree since its reforestation programme began in 1998; and in 2008 it introduced the Indian Ocean’s first fully solar-powered fleet of guest buggies. The island is also one of the most important sanctuaries for rare endemic and indigenous animals, setting an inspiring example for others to follow with conservation projects that have seen the Magpie Robin – still the world’s seventh rarest bird – rejuvenated from a global population of just 22 in 1995 to over 180 today; and the critically endangered Seychelles terrapin nurtured back from just eight individuals to over 100 today.

Hotel Lutetia in Paris announces the opening of its all new Fumoir, enabling smokers to indulge in their habit comfortably ensconced in a place on their own. Just a few steps from the Bar and down a few steps from the famous Brasserie Lutetia, “The Kitchen” is a privileged setting to enjoy a quiet smoke or savor an after-dinner cigar in an intimate ambiance.

This area is now reserved for smokers, who have been forced to light up outside the building since 2008. Today, the Brasserie Lutetia’s former grill-room serves as a backdrop to this Fumoir with a Cuban accent. Havana and its sun-drenched colors imbue this charming space with a warm and welcoming ambiance, while the leather divans and armchairs invite guests to sit back and relax, enjoying the scents and sensations of tobacco.

A remnant of its culinary past, the stove hood now houses a robust air extraction and circulation system. A place of honor is reserved for the jewels of Cuba in one of Hotel Lutetia’s most emblematic works of art: L’Ernestine by Philippe Hiquily. Veritable humidor, a prized possession of the hotel for many years now, L’Ernestine is called back into service to the delight of cigarillo, Dominican and Cuban aficionados.

“Throughout its 100-year history, our hotel has always embraced the idea of change. Hotel Lutetia already offered smoking guest rooms as well as a summer terrace for the Brasserie and wanted to treat its loyal clientele to a place they could call their own. “The Kitchen” is a privileged spot, reserved for tobacco and cigar lovers, half-way between the Bar and the Brasserie, two highlights of Parisian life!”, enthuses Jean-Luc Cousty, General Manager of this legendary Left Bank Grand Hotel.

As part of its Centennial celebrations held throughout the year 2010, Hotel Lutetia offers a program of festivities on the themes that have marked its first hundred years, ranging from Jazz to Literature and from Arts to History. Rarely has a hotel anniversary attracted so much attention! And this landmark Saint-Germain-des-Prés hotel invites all its well-wishers to join in these milestone anniversary events.

Located on the exclusive Dubai Marina, the prestigious 45-story Grosvenor House hotel first opened its doors in 2005 and quickly became one of the world’s most acclaimed hotels. “Celebrated for its exceptional location, luxury amenities and breathtaking views of the Arabian Gulf, Grosvenor House adds another jewel to The Luxury Collection portfolio.” Custom-designed to celebrate the essence of Dubai, the hotel seamlessly blends exquisite Arabian décor with contemporary sophistication. Offering the latest innovations in technology and design, Grosvenor House features 422 luxuriously appointed guest rooms, suites and apartment suites, world class cuisine, a state-of-the-art fitness facility and spa, business areas equipped with cutting-edge technology and unparalleled premium service with butlers on call 24 hours a day.

“The Luxury Collection is a portal to the world’s most enriching and desirable destinations, where nothing less than an exceptional level of service, perfect location and indigenous personal offerings will do,” said Paul James, Global Brand Leader, The Luxury Collection and St. Regis Hotels & Resorts. “Celebrated for its exceptional location, luxury amenities and breathtaking views of the Arabian Gulf, Grosvenor House adds another jewel to The Luxury Collection portfolio.”

Originated in 1906 under the CIGA brand as a collection of Europe’s most iconic hotels, today The Luxury Collection is a glittering ensemble of more than 75 of the world’s finest hotels and resorts in more than 30 countries across the globe including Hotel Danieli, Venice; Hotel Imperial, Vienna; Hotel Grande Bretagne, Athens; Patios de Cafayate, Argentina; SLS at Beverly Hills and The Phoenician, Scottsdale.

“We are excited to bring the promise of The Luxury Collection brand to the United Arab Emirates with the debut of Grosvenor House, Dubai. This hotel is a true expression of its destination, making it the perfect addition to The Luxury Collection,” says Roeland Vos, President of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Europe, Africa & Middle East. “The property’s sought-after location, impeccable service and sumptuous interior will ensure a unique and enriching experience for all our guests.”

Orient-Express Hotels has purchased two distinctive properties in Taormina, Sicily from The Framon Group.

The 83-key Grand Hotel Timeo is considered by many to be the most luxurious hotel in Taormina, and the nearby 78-key Villa Sant’Andrea has a private beach on the Bay of Mazzaro.

Commenting on the transaction, Paul White, President and Chief Executive of Orient-Express Hotels said,”These hotels typify Orient-Express Hotels’ core business – established properties with history and personality. Currently, they both punch below their weight and because they occupy a premier position in the Sicilian market, we are confident we can make significant improvements in performance, as we integrate the properties into the Orient-Express Hotels collection”

Sicily, the largest Mediterranean island, has been growing in popularity as a tourist destination and was recently voted Conde Nast Traveller UK Readers’ favorite holiday destination in the magazine’s 2009 Travel Awards. The Grand Hotel Timeo is adjacent to one of the city’s most famous attractions, the legendary Greek Theater, which dates back to the 2nd century AD. Below, looking out across the sea, Villa Sant’Andrea, built in 1830, is right on the beach. The two properties, linked by a private shuttle, have the synergy of Hotel Splendido and Splendido Mare, giving guests the best of both worlds Taormina has to offer. The city has good transport links and is located 40 minutes from Catania International Airport, which has direct flights to all major European cities and good connections to those serving the US.

Grand Hotel Timeo

Built in 1873, the Grand Hotel Timeo occupies an excellent position in the historical center of the city. From the hotel’s panoramic terrace, guests can admire spectacular views of Mount Etna and the coastline. Since the 19th century and the era of the Grand Tour, the hotel has been popular with an elite group of international travellers, who choose to vacation here. Each guest room has its own terrace and the hotel’s ‘Il Dito e la Luna’ restaurant specializes in regional Sicilian cuisine, in elegant surroundings.

The Company anticipates that post refurbishment, The Grand Hotel Timeo will trade at RevPAR levels closer to those of its key Italian properties, Hotel Cipriani in Venice and Hotel Splendido in Portofino.

Villa Sant’Andrea

Villa Sant’Andrea is located on the Bay of Mazzaro, the heart of Taormina’s seaside district. The atmosphere is that of a private villa set in lush gardens, with a private beach. Several of the hotel’s suites open onto a private terrace. The ‘Oliviero’ restaurant, on a panoramic terrace overlooking the Calabrian coast, is known for its fish and seafood specialities.

The Company anticipates that the Villa Sant’Andrea will trade, post the refurbishment which will lift it into a category of its own among the beachfront hotels, at RevPAR levels closer to those achieved at its properties Hotel Caruso in Ravello and Villa San Michele in Florence.

Orient-Express Hotels to have announced the acquisition of a fifth property in Peru. The Rio Sagrado Hotel, Villas & Spa is a 21 suite luxury hotel, which opened in April 2009.

Hotel Rio Sagrado, a rustic two storey property set in beautiful gardens overlooking the Urubamba river with an imposing mountain backdrop, is three kilometres from the town of Urubamba and fifteen minutes from Ollantaytambo, home to an important Inca village and fortress as well as the main PeruRail station stop en route to Machu Picchu. The hotel has eleven deluxe and ten junior suites plus two 250 sq m villas, constructed from natural stone and woods such as eucalyptus and cedar, with marble and onyx bathrooms and flagstone terraces. Its 230 sq m spa has a large treatment room with views of the mighty Urubamba, indoor and outdoor Jacuzzis and a sauna.

The Sacred Valley, located between Cuzco and Machu Picchu, is a popular part of holiday itineraries in Peru. Green and fertile, the valley is an important agricultural area, seen from its high towns as a patchwork of fields and Inca terraces. Attractions include the famous Sunday Pisac craft and produce market, Chinchero, according to legend the birthplace of the rainbow, as well as important Inca ruins at Ollantaytambo. PeruRail, the rail operator run by Orient-Express, stops regularly at Ollantaytambo station, as well as Cuzco and Aguas Calientes (the station for Machu Picchu), allowing guests to travel between the Company’s hotels in style, while offering fantastic views of the valley and the Andes.

Paul White, President and Chief Executive of Orient-Express Hotels said, “Expanding the Orient-Express Peruvian experience to the Sacred Valley is a natural as well as a strategic move and enables the company to provide its guests with a luxury itinerary from arrival through to departure. The key sights in this part of Peru are the city of Cuzco, the Inca sanctuary at Machu Picchu and towns, antiquities and markets of the Sacred Valley – arguably one of the most beautiful and scenic places in this wonderful country.”

We watched the series, we copied the shoes and we let ourselves imagine what it would be like to live like Samantha, Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte. And now we can, well for a little while anyway.

The Sex and the City tour is the perfect holiday for the girls and is the perfect excuse to ban your boyfriends and have some fun! Goodness knows how may times they’ve gone on a golf weekend or a ‘lads weekend’ – well ladies, now it’s our turn.

The Sex ad the City Tour is one of the most popular tours in New York City. Running twice daily at 11am and 3pm the tour gives SATC fans the chance to visit some of the most famous locations from the hit show.

First get your photograph taken on Carries apartment stoop then stop off for a cupcake at the bakery where Miranda stuffed cakes in her mouth.  Next stop is the church where Samantha met ‘The Friar’ before heading to the gallery in Soho where Charlotte worked. Finally head to a bar used in the show and have a Cosmopolitan, of course.

The tours are based around Fifth Avenue and 58th Street and tickets are $37 each.

And after you’ve seen the SATC sights why not check out the rest of the Big Apple. Don your Manolos and hit Times Square or do a spot of shopping on Fifth Avenue before you and the girls treat yourselves to a slap up meal.

Live like the Sex and the City girls and add a bit of glamour to your life!

The Harbour Hotel & Residence, a 261-unit, 52-storey building at the entrance of Dubai Marina, will join the Marriott lodging portfolio on September 15 under a recently concluded agreement with Emirates Airline and Group.

The agreement represents the second contract Marriott has reached with Emirates this year. Earlier, the company signed an agreement with Emirates to operate the under-construction 1,614-room JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai, said a top official. Following some modifications primarily to its public space and reconfiguration of some rooms bringing the new room count to 232 rooms, the property will be rebranded the Dubai Marriott Harbour Hotel & Suites later this year and will be the first upscale Marriott-branded hotel in the city. “We are very excited by the expansion of our long-standing relationship with Emirates Airline and Group and by the continued growth of our portfolio in Dubai,” said Ed Fuller, president and managing director of International Lodging for Marriott International. ‘Despite the current challenging economy, our hotels in Dubai continue to perform well and we are confident that this latest addition to our portfolio will be attractive to business and leisure travelers alike,’ he remarked. Tim Clark, president of Emirates Airline, said ‘Since the opening of The Harbour, we have received a good response from our customers, enjoyed an average occupancy of 76 per cent for the year and have a firm financial base.’ Marriott, as a leading international hotel management group operating several successful brands, has the track-record and the global infrastructure to build on our investment in The Harbour and take it to further heights. ‘The partnership will now enable Emirates Hotels & Resorts to focus on its core business of conservation-based resorts with Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, and with Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa in Australia, scheduled for ’soft opening’ in October,’ he added. The Dubai Marriott Harbour Hotel & Suites offers a combination of studio rooms, one-, two- and three-bedroom suites and four-bedroom penthouses. Each suite is tastefully appointed and features high-speed internet access; flat-screen, high definition television; in-room mini-bar and safe; and plush bed and bath amenities and linens. Dining and entertainment options comprise a lobby lounge and three restaurants including a casual, all-day outlet with seasonal outdoor seating, a specialty restaurant that will have seasonal outdoor dining and lounge seating and a larger specialty restaurant offering “action station” seating

Taj Hotels Resorts & Palaces today announced the reopening of the erstwhile Taj Coral Reef after a comprehensive makeover. The hotel has been christened Vivanta by Taj- Coral Reef, Maldives and thus becomes the Taj’s first resort hotel under the new brand.
Vivanta addresses the needs of a sophisticated, new-gen traveler with 62 delightful villas all offering unrivalled views of the sea, an eclectic choice of dining options and a truly amazing array of recreational activities. Vivanta is designed to deliver a vibrant, contemporary experience; combining the charming hospitality that is the hallmark of the Taj, with a vivacious twist!

The name Vivanta is drawn from vivacity, vividness & ‘bon vivant’: an appreciation of the good things in life. It speaks of style, refinement and living life to the full.

“The Taj has played a prominent role in developing the Maldives leisure market and we are delighted to reopen this resort under our exciting Vivanta brand & in this stunning location,” commented Raymond N Bickson, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, The Indian Hotels Company Limited. “Our pleasure is heightened by the fact that we are doing so during the Indo-Maldives Friendship Week and at the hands of His Excellency, Mr Mohamed Nasheed the President of Maldives and so many other distinguished guests, including our Group Chairman, Mr. Ratan Tata.”

Allwyn Drego General Manager, Vivanta Coral Reef explained “We are extremely thrilled to be back with a Vivanta hotel on this lovely island. Vivanta guests seek experiences which are beyond the predictable & staid; and here at Vivanta Coral Reef, they will find adventure, romance & inspiration in good measure!”

Located on Hembadhu Island, in the North Male Atoll, the resort is 32 kilometers from the airport, a distance traversed in less than an hour by luxury power-yachts.

Four Seasons Maui Resort at Wailea has just opened its $9 million Serenity Pool to rave reviews. Most of the limited complaints, in fact, came from a very specific demographic: hotel guests under the age of 21.

Strictly adults only, the 15-acre resort’s third saltwater pool was designed with a great deal of calm in mind.

“It is so quiet up there,” said Mark Simon, the property’s director of marketing. “It just adds that level of serenity and quiet that is so hard to come by, and it’s definitely a place where you can go to relax and not have to deal with Marco Polo or any of that kind of thing.”

The 4,100-square-foot Serenity Pool Terrace is home to six luxury cabanas, each occupying 160 square feet and featuring an HD TV, plush couches, oversize chaise lounges, a safe, wireless Internet access and mini-refrigerators stocked with drinks.

Nestled within a vibrant tropical garden, the pool’s infinity-edge design underscores panoramic views of the West Maui Mountains and Lanai. Two large hot tubs, along with four state-of-the-art bubble loungers, were built into the pool itself, and bathers reluctant to leave the chlorine-free water can paddle over to a swim-up bar — drier patrons are invited to frequent the terrace’s walk-up saloon.

Four Seasons guests can also sample from a range of distinctive cocktails and cuisine, facials, massages and “pampering amenities” that are, of course, all available poolside.

One of the pool’s most distinguishing details, however, awaits guests beneath the water: An underwater music system greets divers with crystal-clear tunes.

“When you dive underwater that’s when you’re like, ‘Man, that’s really nice!’ ” Simon said of the below-water melodies. “And then the weird thing about it is as soon as you pop up your head, the music is gone.”

A 15-month, $40 million renovation to the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai on the Big Island was completed Aug. 10.

“Since it opened in 1996, Four Seasons Resort Hualalai has enjoyed a reputation as best of the best,” the resort’s general manager, Robert Whitfield, said in a statement. “These new enhancements raise the bar for luxury resorts in Hawaii and solidify the resort’s reputation as a place where guests return to relax, celebrate success and create memories.”

The work included the creation of 20 new suites, extensive renovations to its 28,000-square-foot spa, beachfront restaurant, lounge and bar, and the addition of two new retail stores.

A collection of one- and two-room accommodations, the property’s 20 new suites feature between 1,150 and 1,950 square feet of indoor and outdoor living space and prominent ocean views.

The resort is offering guests a $1,000 room credit through Sept. 30 2009.

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