Luxury Travel & Hotels

How to Pour Beer (video)

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) — Mar 8th 2011 at 10:31AM

Our partners at the Food Network visited an authentic
Irish pub in Dublin to learn how to pour the How to pour beer. "perfect pint". According to the experts, there are six key steps to do so. Watch the video above and find out why a 45 degree angle is so important, what the "perfect dome" looks like and what happens in precisely 119.5 seconds.

Click here to read our related post on the Best Brew Pubs in the U.S.

Tags: awards-main, beer, beer tap, brew pubs, Dublin, how to pour beer, irish pub, luxist-awards, The Food Network, video

Luxist Giveaway: Travel + Leisure's 100 Greatest Trips Book

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Mar 8th 2011 at 10:00AM

If you are planning your spring and summer travel, we've got a great book for you, the fifth edition of Travel + Leisure's 100 Greatest Trips book. This annual enterprise compiled by the editors of Travel + Leisure, is a compendium of 100 getaways to destinations around the world. The book is stuffed with more than 350 pictures from the magazine's photographers as well as mini-guides to each destination with insider tips on hotels, resorts, restaurants, shops, nightlife, and must-see spots.

The 100 featured trips cover a range of destinations and themes including culinary tours in Italy, Hong Kong, California, and New Zealand; shopping expeditions in Paris, Kyoto, New York City, and Marrakesh; beach escapes in Belize, the Bahamas, Zanzibar, and Maine and arts and culture trips in Barcelona, Beijing, Las Vegas, and Lisbon. It's like having a stack of fantastic travel magazines all in one book; it just begs for a quiet weekend afternoon, a cup of warm tea and time to curl up in a chair and dream away.

The book is available now in hardcover for $34.95 at www.TravelandLeisure.com/books and in softcover for $19.95 but we've got one hard copy to give away here on the site to a commenter chosen at random.

* To enter, leave a confirmed comment below.
* The comment must be left and confirmed before March 15, 2011 at 5:00PM Eastern Time.
* You may only enter once.
* One winner will be selected in a random drawing to receive Travel + Leisure's 100 Greatest Trips, 2011 edition with a retail price of $34.95.
* Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, and the District of Columbia, who are 18 and older.

See complete giveaway rules here.

Tags: luxist giveaway, travel, Travel and Leisure, travel books

Las Vegas To Get A Nobu Hotel

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Mar 8th 2011 at 2:01AM

Actor Robert De Niro, chef Nobu Matsuhisa and Tom Jenkin, President, Western Division of Caesar's Entertainment are posed above to celebrate the announcement that Caesars Palace Las Vegas will be creating the world's first Nobu Hotel at the Ceasar's Palace on the Las Vegas Strip. The Nobu Hotel will take over the existing Centurion Tower which will be renovated and redecorated and a 9,500-square-foot Nobu Restaurant and Lounge will open at the base of the tower. There is already an existing Nobu over at the Hard Rock Hotel. The hotel tower will have 180 guest rooms, 16 suites and a penthouse all of which will have an elegant minimalist Japanese makeover similar to the style of existing Nobu restaurants. No date has been given for the the opening of the hotel.

Tags: caesars palace, las vegas, las vegas strip, nobu, nobu matsuhisa, robert de niro, robert deniro

The Best Ski Resorts in Utah (with video)

by shira levine (RSS feed) — Mar 4th 2011 at 5:31PM

To find out if the three resorts in the Park City, Utah area really do represent "The Greatest Snow on Earth", we skied and apres-skied and learned first-hand how fabulous the town and it's amenities have become. Indeed, the area has come a long way from the area's poor, silver mining history.

During the recent Sundance Film Festival, Park City, Utah was teeming with glittery Hollywood types littering local restaurants and bars, meanwhile abandoning the perfectly powdered slopes. Over the ten-day stretch, those idyllic resort town slopes– located less than an hour's drive from the Salt Lake City airport, stand virtually empty. It's an insider secret that the week and a half is ideal for powder junkies hungry for crowd-free runs during high season.

(Good luck finding a hotel room though!) As it turns out Hollywood isn't so into that kind of snow.

Fortunately out west ski and snowboard season run long. A good year means soft, fluffy snow starts falling just after Thanksgiving until -- if you're really, really lucky -- as late as Cinco de Mayo. Utah doesn't claim "Greatest Snow on Earth" for nothing -- the trademarked white stuff maintains a unique blend of "consistency, abundance and quality," says Ski Utah's Director of Communications Jessica Kunzer, "Anyone who skis dreams of skiing out west. You might like skiing wherever you're from originally -- if it's Minnesota, or, out east in Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, [but] the general wish is to experience our soft, ice-free slopes."

The fleeting effects of Sundance come and go, but the snow steadily falls and the apres ski scene never dies. Here are three stellar spots to kick back and relax between smooth runs and story-worthy wipe-outs.

Tags: 2011+best+ski+resort, 2011bestskiresort, all-inclusive, Alta, awards-main, best+ski+resorts, bestskiresorts, Deer Valley, luxist-awards, luxury, Park City, park+city+ut, parkcity, parkcityut, resort, saltlake+utah+skiing, ski resorts, skiing, snowboarding, utah, utah+video, utahvideo

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Rare 1920s Louis Vuitton Shoe Trunk for Sale at $68,500

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Mar 4th 2011 at 11:00AM

A rare and highly sought-after piece of vintage Louis Vuitton luggage, the renowned "Malle Chaussures" shoe trunk (above) from the 1920s, is being offered for sale by London's Pullman Gallery for $68,500. The trunk "embodies the glamour and sophistication of a more elegant era, when such items were de rigeur for wealthy travelers." Featuring the iconic LV monogram on its canvas-upholstered frame, the trunk is fully outfitted for most meticulous fashion plate. It contains compartments for 30 pairs of shoes in individual shoe boxes with ancillary drawers and trays for a shoe-cleaning kit. Each of the padded drawers features a leather pull tab and nameplate. The trunk easily rivals the examples to be found in Vuitton's own archives, and is nearly identical to one featured in the amazing Louis Vuitton: 100 Legendary Trunks book we wrote about in January.

[via JustLuxe]

Tags: Louis Vuitton, Louis Vuitton monogram, Louis Vuitton trunk, louis+vuitton+luggage, louisvuittonluggage, luggage, luxury goods, Pullman Gallery, suitcases, travel, trunk, trunks, vintage lugagge

A High End, Newly Opened Mountain Retreat: Hacienda Santa Ines, Costa Rica

by Susan Kime (RSS feed) — Mar 4th 2011 at 7:01AM

Hacienda Santa Ines is an unusual combination of high end resort/sanctuary and working ranch. Set on 300 acres of farmland, it is hidden in the Tres Rios Mountains that loom 6,000 feet high over Cartago, Costa Rica's old capital city. The Hacienda is new, as it just opened for business in February.

Available for one family or small group to rent exclusively at a time, there are 11 guest rooms, with a staff of 25. iPad and iPod docks as well as wi-fi, allow the guests to remain connected to the outside world, if they want to. The theater room has a Blu-Ray library, and the game room offers pool, table tennis, and more. The spa's two masseuses specialize in four-handed treatments. The fully-equipped gym has mountain and valley views with state-of-the-art equipment. Cigars can be smoked in the paneled cigar room. The view from the indoor pool and Jacuzzi is of gardens and mountains.

The chef makes good use of the farm's fresh eggs and vast organic kitchen garden and greenhouse. Rustic lunches are served in the woods, by the lagoon, or at a variety of barbecue spots dotted throughout the ranch. Modern stables house Fresian horses, ideally suited for gentle walks or energetic adventures. A fleet of ATVs are at guests' disposal, perfect for traveling through the estate's private lands and its three micro-climates. There is an elaborate 100,000-square-foot paint-ball field. There are 300 cows. milked twice daily. Children can feed lambs, calves, rabbits, chicks and piglets at the Petting Zoo.

Located an hour from San Jose's international airport, Hacienda Santa Inés is a unique locale for a family gathering, reunion, corporate retreat, or small wedding. Costa Rica's Pacific beaches are 20 minutes away from the Hacienda's helipad. And the Hacienda is ideally located for car or helicopter excursions to San Jose, the capital, as well as rain forests, waterfalls and volcanoes, in Costa Rica's interior. Pricing ranges from $12,000 to $18,500 per day. There is an added price for children and other guests, depending on the ages, ranging from $200 to $500 per day.

More images are on the next page.

Tags: costa rica, Costa Rica Haciendas, Costa Rica high end travel, Costa Rica sanctuary, Hacienda Santa Ines, Tres Rios Mountains

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Four Seasons Houston Awarded AAA Five Diamond Status

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Mar 3rd 2011 at 2:02PM

On the heels of a three-year, $25 million renovation project that introduced re-styled guest rooms, a new resort-style swimming pool area and a fresh, modern lobby, the Four Seasons Houston has been named the the city's only AAA Five Diamond Hotel. The travel authority's highest and most exclusive rating was awarded to the hotel for an unparalleled experience of luxury and sophistication in an artfully designed setting, complemented by service that goes above and beyond. A destination in its own right, the new $4 million pool (above) at the Four Seasons Houston is downtown's only outdoor, resort-style pool.

The pool, which glows with artful lighting at night, meshes dramatic cityscape views with exotic materials such as Turkish travertine tile, environmentally-friendly Ipe wood decking, and lush tropical plants. The pool renovation included the creation of cabana-style patios, a trellis-covered event space, soothing water wall, hot tub, fire pit and poolside bar. Acclaimed San Francisco-based design firm BAMO also created custom-designed furniture and one-of-a-kind abstract artwork designed for the hotel's luxe new guest rooms.

Gallery: The Four Seasons Houston

Tags: AAA, AAA Five Diamond, awards, Four Seasons, Four Seasons Houston, hotels, Houston, luxury hotels, swimming pool, Texas

How to Ski Safely and Prevent Injuries (with video)

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) — Mar 3rd 2011 at 9:31AM

How to ski safely and prevent injuries No one wants a ski vacation cut short by an injury. So how to best protect yourself from injury? Don't ski late in the day.

Statistics have shown that most ski injuries occur toward the end of the day, according to the Steadman Clinic, which specializes in sports medicine and orthopaedic surgery in Vail and Frisco, Colorado (see video below).

"If it is 3:00 or 4:00 in the afternoon and you are thinking of taking one more run, you may want to think twice about that because more people are hurt at the end of the day," says Tom R. Hackett, orthopaedic surgeon with the Steadman Clinic in Vail who is also a team physician for the U.S. Snowboard Team.

Tags: awards-main, luxist-awards, main-pedia, ski, skiing, snowboard, snowboarding, VailColorado, winter-travel-pedia

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Four Seasons Marrakech Set to Open This Summer

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Mar 3rd 2011 at 7:00AM

Four Seasons Marrakech Set to Open This Summer
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is set to open its newest property this summer, the Four Seasons Hotel Marrakech. The luxe hotel situated in a 40-acre walled oasis will feature 140 rooms and suites, five restaurants, two pools, an extensive spa, and acres of sunlit gardens. Offering a modern take on traditional Moorish architecture, rose-hued pavilions with hand-carved details are surrounded by a lush landscape of swimming and reflecting pools, gardens, pathways and fountains. Buildings are low-rise so as not to obstruct stunning views of the snow-capped Atlas Mountains and Menara Gardens beyond the Hotel's towering palms.

Two Spa pavilions sit among gardens filled with birds and exotic flora. The main pavilion offers 15 treatment rooms for massages, facials and body treatments, plus a salon and whirlpool. Surrounding the Hotel's posh public spaces, pavilions of guest rooms and suites form a village connected by arcades, walkways and courtyards evoking a contemporary medina filled with riads. Each of the 140 guest rooms and suites, which are among the largest in the city, has its own spacious balcony or terrace with mountain and garden views.

Gallery: Four Seasons Hotel Marrakech

Tags: architecture, Four Seasons, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, hotels, luxury hotels, Marrakech, marrakesh, Morocco, resorts, spa

Marrakech's La Mamounia Offers One Million Dirham Ultimate Experience Package

by McLean Robbins (RSS feed) — Mar 2nd 2011 at 8:00PM

Famed Marrakech hotel La Mamounia has long been long been heralded as the choice for the discerning traveler. Over the years the famed hotel has hosted the "who's who" of international royalty, politicians, celebrities and uber rich jetsetters.

For the first time, the hotel is offering anyone who can afford the million dirhams a chance to experience the resort like an A-lister with their new "Ultimate Experience Package." The trip begins with private jet transport from any European city within a three hour flight time of Marrakech. Arriving guests will be met at the airport by private Jaguar transport back to the resort.

Upon arrival, guests will be whisked away their own private Riad, a three-bedroom villa with a Moroccan salon, private terrace and ozone swimming pool nestled in the heart of the resort's historic gardens. Naturally, these accommodations feature 24 hour butler service. That evening, enjoy a private wine tasting with La Mamounia's Chief Sommelier, followed by a bespoke gastronomic menu accompanied by carefully selected fine wines, a Champagne breakfast served ensuite or on the Riad's private terrace is also included.

Tags: dirham, hotel deals, hotels, la mamounia, luxury hotels, Marakkech, morocco

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The Stafford London's Royal Wedding Viewing Party

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Mar 2nd 2011 at 3:02PM

Don't have an invitation to the Royal Wedding this April, but still want to celebrate along with Prince William and Kate? The five-star Stafford London by Kempinski hotel is staging a Royal Wedding viewing party on April 29 which might be the next best thing. Located just steps from Buckingham Palace, and rumored to be frequented by the Royal Family themselves, the luxe hotel will be celebrating the momentous occasion with a party in its outdoor courtyard complete with a viewing screen broadcasting the momentous event, accompanied by classic British cocktails and cuisine. Tickets for the Royal Wedding viewing party are £85 per person and include all food and beverage. Reservations are required – to purchase a ticket call the hotel directly at +44 20 7493 0111 or email rsvp.london@.kempinski.com.

Gallery: The Stafford London by Kempinski

Tags: British Royalty, Buckingham Palace, Kate Middleton, London, luxury hotels, party, Prince William, Prince William and Kate, royal family, Royal Wedding, royalty, Stafford Hotel, Stafford London by Kempinski, UK, William and Kate

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Waldorf-Astoria Announces United Arab Emirates Hotel

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Mar 1st 2011 at 9:01PM

Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts has announced its second hotel in the Middle East the Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah. The hotel is located in the United Arab Emirates about 40 minutes away from the Dubai International Airport. The new hotel will have 349 rooms in an Arabian-themed palace hotel with outdoor swimming pools, 10 restaurants and bars, a new spa concept, meeting and ballroom space and more. The hotel is part of a development that will also have an 18-hole golf course, a private beach and a convention center with capacity for 3000 people.

Guests will also have access to the recently opened shopping mall located within the Al Hamra development. His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Saud Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Al Hamra Group dubbed Al Hamra "a stunning oasis of luxury and tranquility, where guests can come to relax and unwind." The hotel is scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of this year. Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah will be the second Waldorf Astoria property to open in the Middle East. Existing Hilton Worldwide properties in Ras Al Khaimah are the Hilton Ras Al Khaimah Resort & Spa, the Hilton Ras Al Khaimah and the soon-to-open Doubletree by Hilton Ras Al Khaimah.

The hotel group takes its name from originalThe Waldorf=Astoria Hotel in New York. All of the branded Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts offer a luxury experience including spas and culinary excellence to world-class golf and hotels extend from Orlando to Shanghai.

Tags: al hamra, ras al khaimah, uae, united arab emirates, WaldorfAstoria

Three New Villazzo VillaHotel Openings In Aspen

by Susan Kime (RSS feed) — Mar 1st 2011 at 9:01AM

VillaHotel Natasha

Villazzo VillaHotels is one component of Villazzo, the boutique villa company well-known in the US and Europe, partly because it is one of the most expensive, and luxurious, and also because it is modeled on a unique hybrid, combining the boutique hotel and villa models into one. The Villazzo VillaHotel serves celebrities and their entourages, diplomats and their families and extended families, and the like. According to President and CEO Christian Jagodzinski, those who also use Villazzo VillaHotel services are large families, or smaller families who plan multi-family reunions.

The Villazzo VillaHotel are large villas, with multiple bedrooms, ususally also with game rooms, workout facilities, pools, home theatre rooms, with boutique hotel staffs to serve the needs of each Villa guest. The VillaHotel staff includes a resort manager, personal butler, a bellboy, chefs and servers, bartenders, child care specialists and masseuses. None of the staff actually sleeps at the property; so guests have complete privacy.

Two years ago, I stayed at one of the smaller Villazzo VillaHotels in Florida and found it an exceptional experience. The food prepared by the chef was great, the peace of the villas was outstanding, and the limo driver was always ready to take me wherever I needed to go. It was on par and often above the best destination clubs and private residences clubs I have ever sampled.

Miami and Saint Tropez, are two high end destinations where Villazzo VillaHotels can be experienced, and recently Aspen, Colorado has been added to the list. Last month, Villazzo opened three new Villazzo VillaHotels, as well as an office to serve clients and their needs in a personal, high-touch way. There are three new VillaHotels, listed below. More images of the three VillaHotels are on page two of this post.

The first is VillaHotel Natasha, pictured above.

Located just 10 minutes from Aspen, the 11,000 square foot VillaHotel Natasha offers a private luxury ski resort, in a mountain contemporary style. It is a 5 bedroom, 8 bathroom lodge-inspired Aspen luxury villa, featuring a large heated deck on the second level accessible to all of the bedrooms and looks out onto the 4.5 acres of private land. Inside, VillaHotel Natasha offers large living and dining areas with vaulted ceilings, roaring fireplaces, and panoramic windows, as well as a home theatre, billiard room, gourmet kitchen and wine cellar. There is also a heated indoor pool and elevator to all floors. VillaHotel Natasha sleeps 12. Pricing ranges from $10,200 to $19,700 per night, depending on season.

Tags: Christian Jagodzinski, Villazzo, Villazzo Aspen Office, Villazzo Hotels opening Aspen, Villazzo VillaHotel Aspen, Villazzo VillaHotel Chantal, Villazzo VillaHotel Natasha, Villazzo VillaHotel Pamela, VillazzoVillaHotel

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Hotel Theodore To Get New Owners, Name Change

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Feb 25th 2011 at 9:04PM

It has been called the Mondrian Scottdale and the James Hotel but a Scottsdale, Arizona hotel known currently as Hotel Theodore will get another name change soon. The Arizona Republic reports that the Sydell Group, which owns the Ace Hotel New York and Ace Hotel and Swim Club in Palm Springs, bought the hotel for $16.25 million. The company hired Joie de Vivre Hospitality to manage the 195-room hotel and Sydell plans to renovate and rename the hotel by the fall. Look for the hotel to be regain some of its coolness. The Ace Hotel and Joie de Vivre Hospitality, which operates 34 hotels in California both have reputations for creating trendy hotels much like the original James was when it opened in 2004.

Tags: arizona, hotel theodore, scottsdale

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Starwood Sponsors First Skating Rink at Boston's Prudential Center

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Feb 23rd 2011 at 8:01AM

Luxury hotel megabrand Starwood is sponsoring the first-ever ice rink at the Prudential Center in Boston, now open through the end of March. Starwood's Boston properties – Sheraton Boston Hotel, The Westin Copley Place, The Boston Park Plaza Hotel, W Boston, and The Westin Boston Waterfront – dedicated the rink to the Boston community in the hopes that Bostonians will take the time to connect with one another on the ice. "This rink speaks to our commitment to give back to the community that has been home to the Sheraton Boston for more than 45 years," notes Colleen Keating, Sheraton Boston's Marketing Manager. All opening day proceeds went to the Bruins Foundation. In celebration of the occasion, the Sheraton Boston (above) is offering two "Share the Ice" value stay packages:

Tags: Boston, hotel deals, ice skating, sports, Starwood, W hotels, Westin, winter sports

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