Unique luxury hotels, fashionable travel and much more

Tourist chiefs in the UK have been rubbing their hands with glee at the announcement of a royal wedding next year.

VisitEngland Chief Executive, James Berresford, said that with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympics following in 2012, the tourism industry had a tremendous opportunity to attract many extra overseas tourists.

“I’m absolutely thrilled for [Prince] William and Kate [Middleton, his fiancée], and thrilled for tourism as well,” he said. “The wedding next year will mean that once again the eyes of the world will be turned to our nation. We will have a wonderful opportunity to showcase all that is best about the country.”

Last week, the Office for National Statistics announced that the number of visits made to the UK by overseas residents in the first nine months of this year totalled 22.48 million – a 2% dip on the 2009 total.

by Andy Moreton

Whatever the occasion, whatever the weather, London remains a must-see city. Take a look at Luxique’s selection of luxury hotels in London.

Imagine glancing across the aisle of your economy (coach) class seat and seeing Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie eagerly tucking in to their in-flight platter.

That might not seem so far-fetched now that the biggest actors’ unions in the US and Hollywood’s major film studios have struck an agreement which will see actors forced to share in America’s economic pain.

The rules, which are expected to come into force next July, state that on flights longer than 1,000 miles, actors will have to fly business class where it’s available, and can upgrade to first class only ‘if deemed necessary’. But for shorter work-related trips, they must travel economy.

Actually, I was kidding about the Pitts – you’re only likely to spot B- and C-List celebrities. The industry’s biggest names would almost certainly have written first class travel into their tailor-made, watertight contracts.

by Andy Moreton

I wrote recently about the handsome refurbishment of the Savoy, the first luxury hotel in London.

Since it was opened in 1889, the Savoy has hosted Royalty, Presidents, Prime Ministers and Hollywood stars. The Queen was first seen in public with Prince Philip at a reception at the luxury hotel; Churchill and his cabinet met at the Savoy Grill during the war; Laurence Olivier first met Vivien Leigh there.

Some celebrities wanted complete anonymity; all were treated with the utmost care and attention – and that continues. “You’d have to cut my head off before I told you anything indiscreet about any of our guests,” the Head Butler, Sean Davoren, told the Daily Telegraph.

Part of the Savoy’s history is preserved in a collection of index cards, organised by name and year of stay, detailing the whims and preferences of the guests. Thousands of them are in storage, while a few are displayed in glass cabinets at the hotel.

Marlene Dietrich required, on arrival, 12 pink roses and a bottle of Dom Perignon. If you book the Marlene Dietrich suite today, you’ll be greeted by those 12 pink roses –not sure about the champagne.

These days, the information is in Sean Davoren’s computer – or in his head. “I’m always listening, always looking, even if the guests don’t notice. We build up a detailed profile … and thank God for digital cameras, which allow us to recreate a room exactly as they’d want it.”

by Andy Moreton, with acknowledgements to Iain Hollingshead

London is now brimming with top class luxury hotels to rival the Savoy. Take a look at Luxique’s comprehensive list.

Russia is making a determined pitch to become a major tourist destination by 2016.

Despite being home to some great attractions – from Red Square and the Kremlin in Moscow to the famed Hermitage museum in Saint Petersburg – Russia has struggled to attract visitors.

It suffers from having some of the most expensive hotels in the world, an inadequate tourism infrastructure, and a reputation for surly service and bureaucracy.

“We are going to do everything possible to make foreign visitors feel comfortable in Russia,” the Deputy Minister for Tourism and Sport, Nadezhda Nazina, told Agence France Presse.

She said the Russian government would soon be considering a 352 billion ruble (£7.2 billion/$11.5 billion) plan to improve infrastructure and launch a major advertising campaign.

Russia attracted only 2.3 million foreign visitors last year, according to the federal tourism agency, placing it far below the top destinations for international tourists. The top two, France and the United States, attracted 74 million and 55 million visitors respectively in 2009, according to the World Tourism Organisation.

The Russians are looking to attract up to 40 million tourists annually within five years, but Maya Lomidze, the Executive Director of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia, said she didn’t think this was feasible.

“Too many conditions would have to be met for this plan to be realised. The main necessity is that we have hotels at affordable prices. Russia is a very expensive country,” she said.

by Andy Moreton

Moscow is notoriously expensive, but Luxique will get you the best rates possible at the Baltschug Kempinski or the Golden Apple Boutique.

The popular UK consumer TV programme, Watchdog, recently revealed some remarkable hard-luck stories from people who’d parked their vehicles on off-site airport car parks.

One man left his car at a ‘secure, 24-hour patrolled parking’ lot, but returned from a holiday in Cyprus to find it had been rented out to a tourist. He discovered this only when he received a phone call from an Australian man, who’d noticed he was driving a private vehicle after finding the owner’s paperwork in the car.

The mix-up had occurred because the company was housed next to a car rental firm. The car owner received an unreserved apology and cash compensation.

The programme also featured a couple who left their car with a ‘meet and greet’ company before flying off to Tenerife. Just hours later, they received a phone call from the police, telling them the car had been written off. An 18-year-old employee, driving without insurance, had crashed and abandoned the car on a motorway.

A third case involved an owner whose car had received a parking ticket from a supermarket, when it was meant to be secure at the airport.

by Andy Moreton

The gondoliers of Venice are in the news again – this time fearing that the centuries-old tradition of crafting the boats in wood is threatened by plans to produce plastic versions.

The gondoliers’ association says it takes months to make an authentic gondola and has described plans by a shipyard in Brindisi to start producing plastic and fibreglass replicas as ‘outrageous’.

Each boat is traditionally made by hand, using eight different types of wood, and costs about £20,000. “Safeguarding the tradition of the gondola, of the materials used to build it, are fundamental,” said Aldo Reato of the association.

Venice intends to apply for the wooden gondolas to be given World Heritage status as part of the list of ‘intangible cultural heritage’. The city’s carnival will also be put forward.

A listing would not stop a private company from manufacturing plastic gondolas, but traditional makers would be able to add a stamp of authenticity to their boats.

by Andy Moreton

Luxique’s travel experts have carefully selected the finest luxury hotels in Venice to make your vacation truly unforgettable.

Tourists from abroad have been barred from visiting one of London’s most famous sights, Big Ben, because of security concerns.

The police feared that terrorists could pose as tourists and try to blow up the London landmark. Plans to vet all foreign visitors hoping to tour the world-famous tower proved too complex and costly.

British citizens are still allowed to visit Big Ben, but they must apply in writing to their Member of Parliament. The Keeper of the Great Clock, Michael McCann, said: “We don’t do public tours, but you can write to your MP with a reason for wanting to see it and they arrange a tour for you. We do a tour up to three times a day which sounds a lot, but there are only 16 people on a tour.”

Before the 75-minute visit, guests have to pass through strict security checks. Under the supervision of armed police, all visitors pass through a metal detector, and a wall-mounted camera takes a picture of their faces before they’re issued with photo security passes.

by Andy Moreton

Many of Luxique’s carefully selected luxury hotels in London will have special deals at this time. Check out the full list.

The Hotel Association of New York has denied claims that the city is suffering an infestation of bedbugs.

The group issued a statement from the President and CEO, Joseph E. Spinnato, to counter recent media reports. “The perception is simply wrong, triggered by reports of isolated incidents which have been professionally and thoroughly treated according to the most rigorous industry standard,” said Mr Spinnato.

Several high profile NYC hotels made headlines earlier this year when it emerged that guests were taking legal action after being bitten.

But Mr Spinnato said there had been a general increase in bedbugs in the United States over the past few years, which had had ‘a minimal impact’ on the vast majority of hotels.

In recent months, New York has reportedly battled bedbugs in many businesses including a movie theatre in Times Square, a Victoria’s Secret store, the offices of Elle magazine and the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office.

The latest to fall victim is the United Nations building, where dogs (searching for bugs of another kind, perhaps) detected bedbugs in conference room chairs.

by Andy Moreton

Finding a decent hotel can often be a bugbear, but Luxique has the finest selection of luxury hotels in New York City.

So now we know – airline food isn’t that bland after all, it’s the cabin noise that makes it seem so.

A team of scientists think they’ve worked out that the level of background noise affects intensity of flavour and perceived crunchiness. While louder sound reduces the reported sweetness or saltiness, it increases the measure of crunch.

“There’s a general opinion that aeroplane foods aren’t fantastic,” said Andy Woods, one of the researchers. “I’m sure airlines do their best and given that, we wondered if there are other reasons why the food would not be so good. One thought was perhaps the background noise has some impact,” he told BBC News.

In a comparatively small study, 48 participants were fed sweet foods such as biscuits, or salty ones such as crisps, while listening to silence or noise through headphones. In noisier settings, foods were rated less salty or sweet than they were in the absence of background noise, but were rated to be more crunchy.

Caterers have long been aware that they need to add large amounts of salt or sugar to the meals and the ‘white noise’ experience while flying could be the reason.

by Andy Moreton

Reflective windows seemed like a good, energy-efficient idea for MGM’s Vdara luxury hotel in Las Vegas, which opened last December.

But sunlight bouncing off the building has resulted in a dangerous concentration of rays, and a guest complained of burns from the midday sun.

The problem occurs when the sun hits the crescent-shaped south façade of the hotel, concentrating intense rays over a 15-foot area of the pool deck for an hour. Guests are encouraged to avoid the area during that time.

Some have dubbed the phenomenon ‘death rays’, but MGM Resorts prefer ‘potential solar convergence’. Spokesman Alan Feldman said a high-tech solar film had been installed on the windows, which had reduced the problem by about 70 per cent. Designers are looking at additional shading options.

“What remains are seasonal hot spots that are most acute, of course, in the summertime,” said Mr Feldman. Historic high temperatures in Las Vegas this summer have intensified the problem. Hotel staffers are aware of the hot spots and move guests around the pool deck when necessary.

by Andy Moreton

Heading for The Strip? Check out Luxique’s selection of three of the most impressive luxury hotels in Las Vegas – where you won’t need Factor 200 sun cream.