Unique luxury hotels, fashionable travel and much more

Frequent travellers to Europe will be familiar with the traditional trams that provide transport for commuters and tourists alike in many cities.

Some can be a bit basic and give a bumpy ride, but I’ve always found them extremely efficient, punctual and inexpensive. Here in London, trams in the centre of the city were seen to be too old-fashioned, noisy and dangerous and were withdrawn in 1952 to be replaced by buses.

However, transport planners in London have been having a re-think and the idea of a new generation of trams - quieter and more comfortable than their predecessors – seems to have found favour. There’s already a very successful tram system in Croydon, south of London, and other schemes are being looked at, including a north-south cross-river service to provide an alternative to crowded underground journeys. It would run on electricity and produce no Co2 emissions. Other British cities such as Manchester and Nottingham have had tram systems for some time.

Just over a year ago, the Mayor of Paris introduced a sleek, high-tech five-mile tramline through the city centre – the first since 1937 - and there are plans to extend it.

Planners always have to tread carefully, though, as they’re finding out in Florence. Designs for a new tram service in that most beautiful and historic of Italian cities were laid last October, but the idea has caused uproar and outrage with 13,000 residents signing a petition and taking to the streets to protest.

Everyone agrees that the congestion and pollution in Florence need to be drastically reduced, but the protesters fear that the tram’s vibrations will damage historic buildings and squares. Florence city council says state-of-the-art technology will keep those vibrations to a minimum and actually save monuments rather than damage them.

One of the problems is the sheer number of tourists – officials say the annual influx is becoming increasingly unsustainable, with the statue of David being admired by 1.3 million people a year. For more information visit the Florence Luxury Hotel and City Guide from Luxique.

By the way, if you’re a ‘tram fan’ and happen to be in New York, try the Roosevelt Island Tramway, which offers a 4-minute aerial ride from mid-town Manhattan to the island. At its peak, it climbs 250 feet above the East River. You might have seen it in Billy Crystal’s City Slickers or Sylvester Stallone’s Nighthawks.

by Andy Moreton

A man named Eric King-Turner has just emigrated to New Zealand – which is a long, long way from his home in Hampshire in southern England.

As his cruise ship, the Saga Rose, hit dry land, there was a media frenzy, with television crews battling to get interviews and Mr King-Turner battling to reach the relatives who’d come to greet him.

The reason for the furore was that Mr K-T is 102 and New Zealand’s oldest immigrant. Asked before he left England why he was taking the plunge, the retired dentist said: “I think I possibly like wandering about a bit. I somehow thought that it might be rather fun to move to New Zealand. What’s important is that when I’m 105, I don’t want to be thinking ‘I wish I had moved to the other side of the world when I was 102′.”

A recent travel survey had New Zealand as one of the top destinations for 2008. Colour supplements are trumpeting it as one of those places you must visit before you die.

A friend who’s recently been out there sent me a postcard (yes, some people still do!) which read: “We love it here! Almost every horizon a snow-capped row of peaks; weather glorious and the wildlife astonishing. We have watched blue penguins emerging from the sea at nightfall, yellow-eyed penguins clambering a hill to their nests, a pod of 200 dolphins, albatrosses squabbling over food, whales (three) and seals (by the hundred).”

And he added a postscript for his English friend: “And, of course, they drive on the left and play cricket!”

by Andy Moreton

Photograph by London photographer Jan Staffa

A six-month trial that could revolutionise the way luggage is tracked and monitored has begun at London’s Heathrow Airport.

The scheme – run by the British Airports Authority – uses radio frequency identification (RFID) to tag baggage. The £150,000 project, involving the Dubai-based airline, Emirates, is likely to track some 50,000 bags a month.

The airport was plagued with complaints about lost and back-logged luggage all last summer. Stephen Challis, of BAA Heathrow said the new system could significantly improve efficiency at Heathrow. It will enable staff to track bags at every stage of the process and so reduce the number of lost items.

The travel insurance company InsureandGo estimated that it handled an 85% increase in claims for lost baggage between January and June 2007.
The travel editor of the Independent newspaper in London, Simon Calder, said: “By August we should know whether this system might actually be used to reduce the ludicrous and very expensive amounts of luggage that get lost.”
It’s only happened to me once – on a resort holiday where I needed only a tee-shirt and a pair of shorts anyway. Once the luggage hadn’t appeared after 48 hours, I knew from reading the insurance policy small print that I could go on a modest shopping expedition at their expense which was kind of fun. And the case did eventually show up.

by Andy Moreton

A leading hotel chain recently ran a competition to design additional wording to go with the traditional ‘Do Not Disturb’ signs for its doors.
The five winners were:
• ‘Ssh. I’m hatching a plan to bust some little soaps out of here.’
• ‘Pillow fight in progress.’
• ‘There are days when I wish I could wear this around my neck.’
• ‘I’ve built a pillow fort and I’m not opening this door to anybody.’
• ‘Aww, Mom, just five more minutes … please?’
Luxique clients might just have their own ideas – but keep it clean!

by Andy Moreton

In the movie How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, magazine writer Andie Anderson sets out purposely to offload a new boyfriend by committing the worst possible dating sins. She buys matching clothes for the two of them, phones up his mother and asks for his baby photos, crashes his poker game and starts moving her toiletries into his bathroom.
The moral of the story is that romantic gestures should take into account the stage of the relationship. In the first flush, you should avoid anything that implies you are thinking too far into the future. Men can make the same mistake, too, by buying outrageously sexy underwear in those early courting days or, at the other extreme, being too comfortable with a woman and taking her to a football game with his buddies on Valentine’s Day.
For the guys, even some of the reliable Valentine’s stand-bys might be suspect. Flowers? (maybe she’s allergic); candy? (probably on a diet); a CD? (are you absolutely certain she likes Meatloaf?). The fail-safe is always, always the romantic (and, ideally secret) getaway. Luxique.com can help you choose a luxury hotel or a boutique hotel – something right out of the ordinary. Picture it – cocktails in a shared spa bath, his and hers fluffy white bathrobes, rose petals on the pillows …
So … think Valentine’s Day, think Paris. Or is that a cliché these days? Apparently not. Every survey you read insists that it remains Europe’s most romantic city by a distance. You probably did the 2-star pension in your student days, so head for the luxury of the Hotel de Crillon, a palace commissioned in 1758 by Louis XV. Let’s face it, if it was good enough for Churchill, Teddy Roosevelt, Elizabeth Taylor and Madonna among others, you might like it there too. One lucky lady from south-east England whose boyfriend proposed to her there on Valentine’s Day said: “The Crillon treated us like royalty and went out of their way to make the two days absolutely unforgettable.”
There can be no more romantic gesture than Shah Jahan’s 17th century 20-year labour of love to his beloved late wife Mumtaz – the magnificent Taj Mahal. Many cities in India have a romantic aura, but perhaps the pick is Udaipur in Rajasthan. If you’ve more than a weekend to spare, you’ll love the 18th century Taj Lake Palace, a fairytale of white marble and mosaic that shimmers over four acres on the calm waters of Lake Pichola. Parts of the James Bond film, Octopussy, were filmed there. You can have dinner on a ceremonial barge and be pampered by staff dressed in immaculate tunics who will treat you like a maharajah. “An exquisitely exotic spot,” said a New Yorker. “It should be on your ‘before I die’ list.”
New York itself may be bright and brash, but it has its romantic side – for instance, a picnic in Central Park, a walk hand-in-hand over the Brooklyn Bridge or ice-skating at the Rockefeller Center. But many Americans, it seems, would prefer to head down to the Hawaiian islands if love’s on their mind. Who could blame them when you have a paradise such as the Four Seasons Maui at Wailea? Rooms are furnished in a contemporary Hawaiian design and there are amazing places to share views of the ocean and the sunset. Apart from the facilities and services you’d expect from a top name like Four Seasons, there’s a world class spa and an impressive art collection. “Wow, this was a truly memorable stay – the personal attention was impeccable,” said a visitor from Atlanta.

OK, I’ve whetted your appetite, just one more suggestion before I let you loose on our luxury hotel website to make your choice. The Burj Al Arab in Dubai has been called an ‘Arabian Nights Fantasy.’ With its famous design resembling a billowing sail, it’s surrounded by choreographed colour sculptures of water and fire.
There are 202 duplex suites, the largest a substantial 780 square metres and all featuring remotely-controlled lighting, curtains and air conditioning. You get a 42-inch plasma screen, a choice of 13 pillows and, if you and your credit card are up to it, a chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce shopping experience. Nick from Seattle said: “They say this is the only 7-star hotel in the world and now I know why!”
There have been many surveys about what makes a romantic trip a success. Ocean views, big comfy bed, great food and discreet service usually make the top ten. But up there at number one is generally: ‘quality time with the one I love.’ Enjoy!

by Andy Moreton