When Richard Branson says he is developing Virgin hotels, you somehow know that it will be a concept like no other. Although the first Virgin luxury hotel in London is still two years from opening, at a recent hotel conference Branson let slip that he wants his Virgin hotels to be based on the same concept as his Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse lounge at London’s Heathrow Airport.
If you have ever had the pleasure of spending time in the high-class VA lounge, you will know it is like no other airport lounge anywhere in the world. Set out on two levels, small areas are separated by chest-high dividers providing cozy corners for working, small bistro tables for dining or comfortable home-from-home armchairs for enjoying the vast array of magazines and newspapers. There’s even a full-size billiards table provided.
All the latest facilities are available for those wanting to check their emails, but that’s pretty standard these days. What’s different in Branson’s Clubhouse lounge is that there are freebies at every turn, from notepads to shoeshine. Giant jars of candy invite you to dip in and even gourmet meals are served without charge from breakfast through dinner at the deli or a la carte restaurant. Waiters are on hand to bring you a drink from the full-service bar.
The stylishly modern and spacious lounge is a virtual playground with hanging chairs to swing in, phones on hand, office supplies, showers and even a Bumble and Bumble hairdresser standing by for a quick trim or blow-dry. However you feel when you arrive at the Clubhouse Lounge, you will leave feeling refreshed and invigorated. I guess it’s the only place in Heathrow where passengers are reluctant to leave.
No doubt that is exactly how Branson intends his Virgin hotel guests to feel after a stay, and whatever the price, you can be sure there will be plenty of inclusive benefits thrown in. We’ll keep you posted.
by Gillian at Luxique Luxury Hotels
Even the best luxury hotels worldwide do not always make teeth cleaning easy if the bathroom water is less than pure. A new idea from Archtek has the perfect solution – chewable toothpaste tablets. I can think of three great advantages over regular toothpaste straight away for travelers.
First of all, you can pack it in your hand luggage without having to put it in your clear Ziploc and declare it as a liquid. Secondly, it is accessible after your flight meal to freshen your mouth before and/or after sleeping. Thirdly it can be used without water, so you don’t have to open a bottle of expensive spring water just to brush your teeth in areas where the water is not up to drinking standards.
The instructions seem simple enough – just pop it in your mouth and brush as usual. Hard to imagine, but I presume all will become apparent when you try it for real. Available for just $3.25 for 60 it’s a gadget that won’t break the bank either.
This clever idea (aren’t the best often the most obvious?) caught the eye and imagination of the Travel Goods Association who were promoting it, along with 90 other new travel products, at the recent Travel Goods Exhibition in Chicago. In case you were wondering, the winner of their “Buzz Award” for best offering in the show was a “Blankid Buddy”, an animal shaped accessory that can be used as a backpack, cuddly toy, pillow or blanket. Sorry, that’s one strictly for the kids!
by Gillian at Luxique Luxury Hotels
Morgans Hotel Group in London has announced the launch of its green bicycle program. Just to be clear that’s the environmentally friendly scheme, not the color of the bicycles!
Their two major luxury hotels in London, the Sanderson and St Martin’s Lane, are offering stylish bicycle hire from their concierge. The bikes are the sturdy Dutch inspired Public J7, so no cowhorn handlebars or racing tires on these tried and tested designs, which were specifically designed for city riding. With the step-through frame, riders can even wear a skirt with modesty and the rear rack can carry a surprising amount of weight.
Londoners seem to have adopted this form of transport over the traditional but crowded Tube since the Mayor of London introduced a city-wide bicycle scheme in 2010. There are now 110,000 registered subscribers, and probably not enough bikes to go round if they all wanted to ride at once. This clever scheme has pick-up and drop-off points all over the city, making it easy to cycle to a destination and not have to worry about securing it while you go to work or go shopping. Simply drop your bike off and pick up another one later for the ride home.
With the drier summer months ahead, the idea of hiring a bicycle and ordering a Sanderson’s Mad Hatters Afternoon Tea to go seems a great way to visit some of London’s leafy green parks for a picnic and to feed the ducks with the left-overs. Both the Starck designed Sanderson and the St Martin’s Lane luxury hotels are listed on Luxique.com, along with 68 more luxury hotels in London. Bicycles are optional!
by Gillian at Luxique Luxury Hotels
The Dutch are innovators at overcoming rising tides and for practical purposes they need to be. Dutch Docklands, who specialize in floating architecture, have just come up with an idea which may be a godsend to the Maldives – luxury resorts on floating islands. Their first project, at a cost of $500 million, is to build three islands and float them out to the Maldives where they will be seeded and landscaped to create 27 holes of idyllic golf.
Water hazards make take on a new significance but the government approved scheme should be implemented with no damage to the pristine coral reefs. Some hazards which have already been addressed by the planners include avoiding pesticides entering the sea and sourcing desalinated water for irrigation. The run-off from the course will be collected and recycled in freshwater lakes within the golf course, and then reused to irrigate.
The state-of-the-art golf course will be accessed from the clubhouse via underwater tunnels – a little like the underwater aquaria at places like SeaWorld – only this time the scenery will be truly authentic with corals, anemones and fish swimming by in the ocean. The golf course will be ready for play at the end of 2013 and the full development of luxury hotels and villas will follow shortly after.
by Gillian at Luxique Luxury Hotels
Can you believe that it takes an Engineering Degree to hang toilet paper? Apparently highly educated folks have been paid to study the best way to hang the roll – either with the loose end hanging under or over the main roll.
The in-depth look into the advantages and disadvantages of toilet paper orientation was created as part of a viral marketing campaign for Engineering Degree, a resource for would-be engineers, but the interesting results can say a lot about the staff in any luxury hotel. Try putting it to the test.
Apparently hanging the toilet roll with the loose end hanging over the roll away from the wall is the preferred method of 70% of us. Not only does this method avoid scraping your knuckles on the wall, it also makes the paper easier to grab and tear off. For the technically minded this method results in kinetic friction with coefficient µ>0 which may be sufficient for accidental tearing.
This option apparently indicates the person hanging the roll is an over-achiever, stays organized and likes to be in charge. Isn’t this the sort of person you expect to be cleaning your room and making your hotel bed?
Meanwhile those hanging the roll under, so the loose edge hangs down next to the wall, are laid-back, artistic and dependable types who know that this method has less chance of unraveling during an earthquake and less chance of the cat or small child unraveling it. Above all, it looks tidier.
But beware of tampering with the said roll. Apparently 50% of us notice the way the roll is hung and 20% of us get annoyed if it is facing the wrong way and proceed to turn it around to suit our own preference. In fact the average American wastes half an hour per year looking for the end of the roll.
Next time you are staying in a luxury hotel, chances are you’ll never look at the toilet roll (or your room maid) in the same way again!
by Gillian at Luxique Luxury Hotels
How would you feel if you returned to your hotel room and found a 14K gold pendant necklace featuring a half carat of brilliant round-cut diamonds under your pillow? This is what the Ritz-Carlton has in store for 10 lucky guests staying at the luxury hotel in Miami Key Biscayne Resort as part of their 10th anniversary celebrations in July.
Realizing that many other guests may also like to enjoy the fun, this Five Diamond Resort has planned some other neat deals too. Throughout the month of July there will be ten resort-view guest rooms for just $10 on selected nights. The small print stipulates that reservations for this deal can only be made on June 10 between 10 and 2pm EST by calling 305-365-4582, so better set the alarm on your PDA now.
Every Wednesday through July at this luxury resort there will be a selection of $10 spa treatments including the Key Lime Body Treatment (50 minutes) or the renowned Deluxe Sundae Pedicure (45 minutes). There will also be the chance to purchase $10 mango candles – that’s half-price.
If you’re around on July 14, glasses of Moet Chandon Ice Imperial Champagne, made exclusively for upscale resorts, will be just $10, as will the accompanying Kobe Beef Sliders.
Those who enjoy champagne by the bottle should take the opportunity to dine at the resort between July 10-15 and 17-22. As well as the chance to enjoy three-course meals for $10 at the in-house restaurant Cioppino, one menu will hold a voucher for a complimentary bottle of champagne.
Not forgetting those ten diamond necklaces beneath the pillows of ten lucky overnight guests. Better start making your travel plans for July right now!
by Gillian at Luxique Luxury Hotels
Those planning to stay in a luxury hotel in New York this summer should add the newly upgraded Empire State Building to their list of places to visit. One of the immediate benefits you will notice is that waiting times have been reduced to 90 minutes or less, according to an Empire State Building spokesperson.
The tower accommodates hundreds of businesses and draws thousands of visitors every day to look down on the city from the observatories on the 86th and 102nd floors. So what’s new?
After its $550 million renovation the Empire State Building is proudly once again the tallest building in the city. It has reduced its carbon emissions by over 38% and expects to save over $4 million in energy bills.
The new-look lobby has had the drop ceiling removed to reveal a beautiful celestial ceiling mural made of aluminum leaf and 23 carat gold. Externally there are nine different colors which can be used to light up the building for various special events, and by combining the colors there are 405 possible shades.
For those who want to dine first, the last elevator up is at 1.15 am and the observatories close at 2am every day of the year.
by Gillian at Luxique Luxury Hotels
Travellers wanting to book inter-continental rail journeys across Europe currently face a nightmare of red tape when booking each stage, country by country. The exceptions currently are Eurostar and Thalys high-speed rail services but their services are limited to certain central European cities.
The European Union has now paved the way making it as easy to book rail journeys between countries as it is to book flights, with a combination of stops and destinations to suit the needs of both business people and tourists. The EU is adopting new regulations to force the standardization of rail passenger data on fares and timetables right across Europe.
In 2012, by law, rail operators must bring their computer systems and practises inline, making it easy for travel agents and individuals to book tickets to and from most destinations, hassle free.
One of the main reasons behind this approach from Brussels is that inter-city travel by rail is far more environmentally-friendly than travel by car or by air. Rail travel considerably reduces harmful emissions and the effects on global warming, possibly making it the recommended method of travel for forward-thinking governments of the future.
by Gillian at Luxique Luxury Hotels
Everybody’s idea of affordable luxury is different. What some consider a reasonable sum for a luxury hotel per night, offers may consider a fortune. However, reports show that some luxury villas cost the same per night as an average family sedan.
Take the 2011 Ford Taurus, for example. Described as a balance of beauty and strength with a well-appointed console of features, prices for a basic model start from $26,245. Not a bad price for hopefully seven years of comfortable family motoring. But would you be happy paying that same amount per night for a luxury villa?
The Caribbean island of St Barts is where the wealthiest travelers seek rest and relaxation, far from the stresses of the remainder of the world. But a six-bedroom, six-bathroom estate at the Sand Club apparently costs between $21,428 and $35,714 per night, depending upon the season.
A beachfront location, stunning pool deck and a wine cellar are included along with breathtaking waterfront views across Flambards Beach and staff at your disposal 24/7. Alternatively, checkout the luxury hotels on Anguilla, St Martin and St Barthelemy for great value with Luxique.com and put the savings towards that new sedan!
by Gillian
TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel information site, recently announced its Top 10 Travelers’ Choice Destinations Awards based on feedback from literally millions of travellers who had experienced worldwide destinations.
The #1 surprise was Cape Town in South Africa, no doubt massively helped by its successful hosting of the World Cup Soccer in 2010. Calvyn Gilfellan, CEO of Cape Town Routes Unlimited, commented that being selected above amazing destinations such as Sydney and New York showed that Cape Town was a first-class destination for business and leisure guests despite the economic recession.
Cape Town beat Sydney, Australia into second place. Machu Picchu, Peru was in third place showing the adventurous spirit of many modern-day travellers. Paris, an old favourite was fourth ahead of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. New York City, Rome in Italy, London UK and Barcelona in Spain were no surprise in positions 6-9 respectively and number 10 was Hong Kong, China.
The results showed a surprisingly eclectic mix with no particular theme. The 14th century Machu Picchu site, built by the Inca’s at 7,970 feet above sea level is a remote and historic destination which is poles apart from city sights found in New York, Paris and London.
Sydney, Rio de Janeiro and Barcelona are all within easy reach of some of the world’s best beaches with almost guaranteed sunshine, so there’s something for world travellers of every age, budget and taste. Of course a wide choice of luxury hotels in all these top destinations can be found on Luxique.com.
by Gillian at Luxique Luxury Hotels
