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Welcome to the November 2007 issue of WOWConfidential, Kiwi Collection's exclusive insider's newsletter by Mary Gostelow, editor-in-chief of WOW.travel, our online luxury magazine for discerning global travellers.
Please enjoy the rest of this month's WOW.travel. Our Insider is Symon Bridle, COO of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts; our concierge is Adam Chapin, from Mandarin Oriental Tokyo, and Away-Night is Cavalieri Hilton, Rome. See also Seven Sensational End-of-year Getaways. As always, there are hosts of exciting entries in both VIP and future events and happenings. Around The World includes Bintan Island, Bratislava, Chiang Mai, Dresden, Hong Kong, the Isle of Wight, Moscow, and Tokyo Midtown.
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WOW.travel gets a sneak peek of Midtown, Tokyo
This has been such an exciting few weeks. First, WOW.travel was invited to see the sensational new Midtown complex in Tokyo (photo - Mary Gostelow with GM of The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo Ricco de Blank, taken in front of paintings by Sam Francis in the 45th floor main lobby of the hotel). For the full story of one of Japan's futuristic luxury projects, click here.The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
See other hotels in Tokyo (9)
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Dresden has the most stunning past - and it is also so futuristic
Here I am with Ronald in't Veld, GM of Hotel Taschenbergpalais Kempinski, Dresden, in the city's glass-sided 'transparent factory', where Bentleys and Phaetons are actually perfected. We were just about to lunch in the in-factory gourmet Lesage restaurant. Read all about Dresden, its palaces and art, here.Hotel Taschenbergpalais Kempinski Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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Stay afloat on board Soneva in Aqua lodging at Six Senses Resorts, Maldives
Six Senses has always had small boats at its Maldives resorts - now it plans 65 foot-long Soneva in Aqua lodging boats that can sleep up to four. Facilities will include glass viewing floors, sunken baths, jacuzzis, library, and spa area. As of late 2008, they will be used for between-resort transfers and twin-centre resort + boat stays. www.sixsenses.com
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SilverSea now offering onboard gourmet cooking classes
If you prefer bigger boats, take a cruise with Silversea, and you now have onboard gourmet cooking classes with Viking stoves - just as you might use at home, says Silversea Cruises' COO Erling Frydenberg. www.silversea.com
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The Oberoi Zahra - Luxury Nile Cruiser
If you want to cruise the Nile (photo) between Aswan and Luxor, The Oberoi, Zahra is a splendid new ship with 25 luxury suites (minimum 265 sq ft, with two 500 sq ft Grand Suites with terraces and jacuzzis). Onboard facilities during the seven-night cruise include a four-room spa, gym and swimming pool, library with cigar lounge, and an internet room. The inaugural season, which launched October 2nd 2007, finishes May 27th 2008. www.oberoizahra.com
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100th birthday party for Hotel Adlon Kempinski, Berlin
For a bit of history, think of Hotel Adlon Kempinski, Berlin - seen at its centenary on October 29th 2007, from left, MD Stephan Interthal, the Mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit, and President/CEO of Kempinski Hotels and Resorts Reto Wittwer (for story of the historic event, click here)Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin, Berlin, Germany
See other hotels in Berlin (8)
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Conrad Bangkok has a solution for the city’s traffic - Easy Rider scooters
Bangkok traffic is notorious. Conrad Bangkok has a solution - its Easy Rider scooters, with lady drivers (photo) whiz you around the city for meetings. For the less intrepid, the luxury hotel also has a Mercedes-Benz SLK200 sports roadster plus 18 S320 CDIs, all with Harman/Kardon LOGIC7® DTS surround sound system complete with 12 speakers. www.conradbangkok.com
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Hyatt hosts the launch of the 2008 Tesla Roadster
Hyatt at Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco, hosted the launch of the 2008 Tesla Roadster, a zero-emissions, 100% electric sports car from Bay Area-based Tesla Motors. Hyatt Hotels and Tesla Motors will be installing permanent charging stations for the Tesla Roadster in several Hyatt Hotels, www.hyatt.com.
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Mandarin Oriental, Chiang Mai harvests rice to benefit local orphanage
At Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, Chiang Mai, guests, including children, are invited to help plant rice, a traditional Thai ritual that has over the centuries inspired poems, songs, and legends. The rice is later harvested to benefit a local Thai orphanage – click here.Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, Thailand
See other hotels in Chiang Mai (5)
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The Farm at Cape Kidnappers opens this month!
New York-based financier and connoisseur Julian Robertson and his family open their second New Zealand lodge this month. The Farm at Cape Kidnappers is on a 6,000-acre estate at Hawke's Bay (photo), with cliffs plunging 800 ft straight to the ocean. The 40-room luxury lodge, run by GM Jay Robertson, offers Tom Doak golf, plus horseback riding, ballooning, and wine tours. www.capekidnappers.comThe Farm at Cape Kidnappers, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand
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This month InterContinental Dubai at Festival City opens
This month, also, the 424-room InterContinental Dubai at Festival City opens, under GM Tom Meyer (photo). The gleaming 36-floor building comes with enormous convention space, a ten-room spa and 75-ft pool, and its restaurants include Reflets by Pierre Gagnaire. There is a Robert Trent Jones golf course five minutes away.
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Pierre Gagnaire creates three-Michelin Star cuisine at Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong
Talking of Pierre Gagnaire, we tasted his food a couple of weeks ago at his eponymous restaurant atop Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong - www.mandarinoriental.com. Highlights were an egg cooked for two hours at precisely 66 degrees, and a quartet of mushroom dishes, sautéed in a pastry case, sliced as salad, a cream purée, and a mushroom ice cream. Then we left Hong Kong Island by the traditional Star Ferry (photo), even though its pier has been moved...Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, Hong Kong, S.A.R., China
See other hotels in Hong Kong, S.A.R. (10)
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InterContinental Hong Kong’s newest designer-chef restaurant, NOBU
On the Kowloon mainland of Hong Kong, Kiwi Collection SVP Asia Pacific Bradley Cocks joined me for the annual Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific HICAP - read more here. It was hosted by InterContinental Hong Kong (see this month's Seven Sensations), after work sessions there was time to try the hotel's latest designer-chef restaurant, Nobu (photo) - as always, his black cod with miso is totally sybaritic, www.hongkong-ic.intercontinental.com.InterContinental Hong Kong, Hong Kong, S.A.R., China
See other hotels in Hong Kong, S.A.R. (10)
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Hotel Le Bristol’s Haute-Couture Getaway
In Paris, Hotel Le Bristol offers a three- to five-day program that combines the haute couture shopping in the locale with keeping fit. The hotel has a divine yacht-like indoor rooftop pool (photo) plus an Anne Sémonin spa, and it has fitness trainer Bruno Fusien Trasan at the ready. You will be in even better shape to try the boutiques along rue du Faubourg St-Honoré. www.hotel-bristol.comHotel Le Bristol Paris, Paris, France
See other hotels in Paris (15)
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Elemis has designed an exclusive British Airways spa-treatment menu
British Airways has launched Elemis as its brand for in-flight toiletries. Elemis spas in the airline's Executive Club lounges at London's Heathrow and New York's JFK airports (photo) offer a shiatsu power back massage, and intelligent massage chair with Elemis spa-therapy concentrating on soothing the scalp, relaxing the feet, arm and hand hydrating, eye reviving or anti-age facial reviving. Elemis, which is part of Steiner Leisure, has a five year contract with British Airways, www.britishairways.com.
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Zanzibar is increasingly becoming a popular luxury resort destination
The culture-rich island of Zanzibar - with its superb watersports - is increasingly becoming a luxury resort destination, www.encounterzanzibar.com. Fairmont/IFA, Kerzner and Per Aquum are among those working on projects. Already open is the two year old Zamani Zanzibar Kempinski, which has 30 acres of grounds, fabulous beaches, and 110 rooms, all with private verandahs, www.kempinski-zanzibar.com.
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Abercrombie & Kent offers luxurious Antarctic cruises
I long to see penguins close-up (my husband took this photo of gentoo penguins, with the 35-passenger Russian m/v Grigoriy Mikheev in the background). Now, through March, is the peak Antarctic travel season, and Abercombie & Kent offers it’s considerably more luxurious Antarctic cruises on the 198-passenger Explorer II, formerly Swan Hellenic's Minerva, www.abercrombiekent.co.uk.
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Note: Add Dove Mountain to your list of places to discover
There is always somewhere new to add to the must-visit list. The 6,200-acre Dove Mountain development is in the Tortolita Mountains north of Tucson AZ. Judging by the drawing (photo) the 250r adobe-and-casita The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain and The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain opening there in two years' time will be a magnet for beautiful and healthy, fit internationalists. The luxury resort will have 36 holes of signature Jack Nicklaus golf. www.ritzcarlton.com
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Amanresorts launches Amankora, Bhutan
Amanresorts has launched its fifth Amankora facility in Bhutan. Amankora GM John Reed recommends a 12-day trip around the country: the luxury resort arranges all transport and the program takes in, in order, the resorts at Thimpu, Gangtey, Bumthang, Punakha and Paro, with trips to the Thimpu, Phobjika, and Tang valleys, and many monasteries (photo) along the way. www.amanresorts.comAmankora, Paro, Bhutan
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Kids Passports from the Victoria-Jungfrau Collection
Any time, kids staying in one of the Victoria-Jungfrau Collection hotels in Switzerland are given passports. These are packed with interesting information and details of 16 highlights in the Bern, Interlaken, Luzern, and Zurich areas. Any time any three of these highlights have been stamped, the passport holder gets a gift. www.vjc.ch
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Eurostar: Goodbye Waterloo, Hello St Pancras
The London terminus of Eurostar moves from Waterloo to St Pancras on November 14th 2007. The cross-Channel company says it will be the first train operator in the world to provide ‘carbon neutral’ journeys for all travelers, at no extra charge
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The Young Victoria movie gains Queen Victoria a lot of publicity
Queen Victoria is in for a lot of publicity, thanks to the forthcoming movie, The Young Victoria, co-produced by Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. Emily Blunt (photo) plays the title role. WOW.travel has just been to the picturesque Isle of Wight, off England's south coast, where Queen Victoria had a much-loved summer home – read more here.
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Woody Allen and the Eddy Davis New Orleans Jazz Band are back at Café Carlyle
Clarinet-player Woody Allen and the Eddy Davis New Orleans Jazz Band are back at New York's Café Carlyle, Monday nights through December 10th. The 1955-vintage Café Carlyle, in The Carlyle - a Rosewood Hotel, reopened a few weeks ago, with Eartha Kitt as opening performer. Its extensive facelift, orchestrated by designer Scott Salvator, included raising the ceiling two feet, switching the banquette coloring to blue and restoring the signature murals, by Hungarian-born artist Marcel Vertes 1895-1961. www.thecarlyle.comThe Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel, New York, United States
See other hotels in New York (34)
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Coming next month...
Coming next month, we have as our Insider Peter De Savary, whose latest projects are putting Grenada on the luxury map; Concierge Corner is from Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul, and Away-Night is Shangri-La Hotel, Guangzhou. See also Seven Sensational places to keep in shape. Note, if you have not yet signed up for our complimentary emailed newsletter, I invite you to do so now. Have a great month!
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