Luxique Contributes To Relief Effort For Burma
May 9, 2008
The boutique and luxury hotel booking site, Luxique.com, is the latest travel industry name to announce support for the relief effort in Burma (Myanmar).
Luxique is donating ten per cent of its profits throughout May to assist in the urgent task to provide help for the hundreds of thousands of people made homeless by Cyclone Nargis.
Luxique's Chief Executive, Alex Brey, said: "The TV pictures from Burma are truly appalling and we, as a worldwide travel company, wanted to show our concern for the Burmese people in a practical way. So every time a client books a chic Rome Hotel or a unique Paris luxury hotel they can take solace in the fact that they will be contributing to relief efforts half way across the globe."
European hoteliers fear that the weakness of the Dollar against the Euro will force many Americans into re-thinking their vacation itineraries. With the greenback taking a 35 percent drubbing in the last 5 years, booking that hip Paris luxury hotel or the chic Rome hotel is becoming staggeringly expensive.
And this, says the boutique and luxury hotel company, Luxique, could trigger some handy bargains for the canny non-US tourist, especially at the high end of the market.
Now that Spring in Europe is grudgingly making its appearance, all the great European capitals will be in competition for the attention of the short-break tourist.
Luxique’s CEO, Alex Brey, said: “We’re focusing on Paris and Rome this Spring – both great places for a romantic break and both with hundreds of hotels competing for business. That said, three of the top award-winning Paris luxury hotels , Ritz Paris, Four Seasons Hotel George V Paris and the Hôtel Plaza Athénée will still charge you over a 1000 dollars per night for a Deluxe Double room.”
A provocative and tongue-in-cheek blog recently suggested that Rome far outstripped Paris in terms of a pleasant European experience. Needless to say, the blog elicited some fervent comments for and against. Perhaps the best and most diplomatic summing-up was this: “Why should one be better than the other? They’re different, that’s all.”
The answer is, of course, that if you have time, visit both. There are regular flights between Paris and Rome or an overnight sleeper rail service that takes around fourteen and a half hours.
On the Luxique website, you’ll find great rates at some of the best design, boutique and luxury hotels in Paris and Rome as well as city guides with advice about what to see and how best to get around.
For more information about Luxique and their database of bookable design, boutique and luxury hotels, please contact:
Andrew Moreton – Director of Public Relations
Tel: +442084270518 (UK)
http://www.luxique.com
mail to: press@*
Love is in the air and it doesn’t get much more romantic than spending Valentine’s Day in a beautiful hotel. The boutique and luxury hotel booking site, Luxique, chooses its Top 5.
February, 2008 – On a Valentine’s Day getaway, a loved one expects nothing but the best - and that includes the hotel. With that in mind, the boutique and luxury hotel booking site Luxique has selected its top five romantic destinations for 2008.
Every survey insists that Paris remains Europe’s most romantic city and the Hotel de Crillon , a palace commissioned by Louis XV, is among the crème de la crème of luxury hotels in the French capital. Its previous guests include Prime Ministers, Presidents and pop stars, so discretion is guaranteed.
Many cities in India have a romantic aura, but perhaps the pick is Udaipur in Rajasthan. The 18th century Taj Lake Palace is a fairytale of white marble and mosaic that shimmers over four acres on the calm waters of Lake Pichola. Staff dressed in immaculate tunics make guests feel like maharajahs.
Many Americans like to head down to the Hawaiian islands if romance is on their mind, and the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea has a paradise setting with amazing places to share views of the ocean and the sunset. There’s also a world class spa and an impressive art collection.
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. The duplex suites all feature remotely-controlled lighting, curtains and air conditioning … and a choice of thirteen pillows!
For those looking for absolute romantic seclusion, there’s Le Taha’a Le Taha’a, an exclusive hideaway in French Polynesia on what’s often called ‘the Vanilla Island.’ The resort hotel has 48 over-water suites and 12 beach villas and offers a special programme called ‘Romantic Rendezvous.’
Luxique’s Chief Executive, Alex Brey, commented: “These are some of the best hotels money can buy. They all have something special about them and we’re confident guests at any of these will have an unforgettably romantic experience.”
Holidaymakers have traditionally left their cares at home … and a new survey suggests this now includes care for the environment.
The survey – by the leading boutique and luxury hotel booking website, Luxique.com – found that while many people think hotels should do more to protect the environment, only a tiny percentage actively seek out a green hotel. Nearly twelve-hundred travellers were asked how hotels could do more to reduce their carbon footprint and the most popular were:
- Make better use of solar power (41%)
- Waste less food (32%)
- Stop giving away free shampoo and shower gel (14%)
- Turn the heating/air conditioning down (7%)
The majority, however, were not inclined to pass up the complimentary toiletries or ask for smaller portions in the restaurant. The most they were prepared to contemplate was to use towels more than once.
Of the big luxury hotel chains, the Hilton and Marriott groups scored highest in the green stakes. But even if a chain of luxury hotels were to base its reputation on an environmentally friendly policy, 84% of people asked said they would not be willing to pay a fee to join the club.
The Managing Director of Luxique.com, Alex Brey, commented: “We commissioned this survey to test the potential for an environmentally friendly boutique and luxury hotel booking service.”
“The results clearly show that, despite paying lip service to green issues, holidaymakers leave all thoughts of this nature on the tarmac. We were really surprised.”
The survey also suggests that within the jungle of sky-high corporate monoliths there’s a place for the smaller hotel offering a more personal service. Brey set up his website to appeal to what he calls the ‘truly discerning traveller.’ Luxique.com now has a choice of more than 2,000 boutique and luxury hotels around the world – each offering something unique in style, design, service and location. They’ve been hand-picked and meticulously analysed by a team of travel specialists, with the best room rates and no booking fees. In addition, there’s a comprehensive guide to some 35 top destinations and a DVD aimed at first-time travellers to Europe.
“Our aim is pretty simple – we want our clients to feel special and fulfil their dreams,” said Brey. “Their trip is probably going to be a one-off, so we’ve got to make sure everything is perfect.”
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Notes to editors:
The survey was conducted in September among 1,173 hotel visitors. (See the survey results here).
For further information, please contact Andrew Moreton at andrewm(at)luxique.com or Andy Barr andy@10yetis.co.uk or +44 1452 527898.
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