A Luxury Travel Blog

This summer, fill up on fun without emptying your savings into your gas tank. You can get to Harrison Hot Springs Resort and home again on less than a half tank. And once you’re there, you won’t need your car keys until the drive home. To make it easier to get there, their Gas Saver Package includes two nights’ stay, a buffet dinner, $30 resort credit, plus their legendary hot springs - all for one low price, starting from $379 plus tax. The package includes a 2-night stay in West Tower accommodations and a buffet dinner one night in The Lakeside Cafe.  The offer is valid midweek in July and August 2008.

This was our second stay at The Wensleydale Heifer in the peaceful village of West Witton in the Yorkshire Dales.  Last time we made the mistake of having both lunch and dinner here (and ended up being uncomfortably full!) so this time we opted for just dinner, after a brief stop for a light lunch at Swaledale’s unique Tan Hill Inn.

We stayed in The Wensleydale Junior Suite which, with its own separate lounge area, is considerably more spacious than the Racing Room we previously stayed in.  Each room at The Wensleydale Heifer has its own theme and the Wensleydale Junior Suite has numerous Wallace and Gromit touches to remind you where in the country you are.

The room also an ultra-comfortable bed, a flat screen TV and DVD player (with a selection of DVDs available at no extra charge from reception), complimentary sherry and en suite bathroom with a powerful shower, a bath and Molton Brown toiletries.  Perhaps not the largest room you’ll find in your travels, but offering ample space nonetheless.

Dinner at The Wensleydale Heiffer is the highlight.  When a pub that is so centrally positioned within the country - a considerable distance from the nearest stretch of coastline - is declared as England’s Seafood Pub of the Year by the AA (2007), you have to sit up and take notice.  That’s down to co-owner and chef David Moss, formerly of Longueville Manor and The Crab At Chieveley.

At dinner, I opted for duck spring rolls with hoisin sauce, followed by a fish stew teeming with scallops, prawns, mussels and more.  Both were excellence and, although enough in their own right, it would have been rude not to sample the chocolate terrine with poached pear and butterscotch ice cream (pictured).

Go for the ‘Sumptuous Sunday’ offer to get the best value from the Heifer. £140 for two people includes a night in one of the themed rooms, evening meal in the restaurant, and breakfast the next morning.

Designed as a magical hideaway, Heritage Golf & Spa Resort invites those seeking the excellence and refinement of a rich past on an enchanting journey in timeless African elegance and tradition. Brought together in a lush and tropical site, this new deluxe hotel reveals classical charm and contemporary chic on the unspoilt South Coast of Mauritius.  With an amazing 18-hole international golf course, one of the most beautiful spas in the Indian Ocean, fine dining experiences and a wide array of leisure activities, the hotel offers guests unique delights to enjoy while on holiday on the island.

The 610-room Portman Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai - which last month hosted the Asia Luxury Travel Market (ALTM) - is currently underoing a major $40m refurbishment of all its rooms. The new rooms will boast a contemporary décor with Asian influences including modern Chinese artwork, and include the 500 sq m Ritz-Carlton Suite.

Situated in Lankanfinolhu, just 15 minutes from Male International Airport, lies The Haven, facing the majestic emerald backdrop of the Indian Ocean.  This 62 room resort entirely built over water is your ideal honeymoon retreat. The 40 Water Villas, 16 Haven Villas with Jacuzzi, 4 Have Suites and 2 Ocean Suites with private swimming pool, kitchen and in-room dining offer sheer comfort. Each bungalow is exquisitely furnished with contemporary decor, equipped with plasma TV with satellite channels, air-conditioning, spacious balcony, etc. The terrace features a deck with day bed clustered with cushions, a private bath and easy stairs into the lagoon.

Have you ever been downgraded on a flight or cruise?  If you’ve paid for premium seats, make sure you kick up a fuss, and don’t be tempted by vouchers - with terms and conditions associated with them - in compensation. With reference to this, read what Linda Burbank has to say when addressing two letters from readers of USA Today.

Joseph Amissah is the founder of Blue Cube Aviation and decided to set up the company to meet the growing demand for International private jet travel, for clients seeking an alternative form of transportation other than commercial airlines. Recently, the company has seen a sharp rise in the number of charter request due to the increasing number of clients wishing to escape the inconvenience of flight delays, and the hassle factor of increased security checks. They want to fly direct, do their business, and be back at the earliest opportunity. Blue Cube Aviation’s service allows them this possibility.

What is it that you do exactly?

At present I am busy setting up our European offices in Monaco, Istanbul, Marbella and Moscow, which will come under the umbrella of our UK Head Office located in Pinewood Film Studios. My time is also spent planning the various International launches where we will be promoting Blue Cube Aviation and its services.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

I have always had a passion for aviation ever since I was a child. Simply being involved in the industry brings me the most satisfaction. Especially as my father was a senior manager for a state owned airline. I see it as kind of continuing a family tradition, which I hope that one day, one of my sons will take on from me.  I love being able to visit the hangar, and could quite easily spend the whole day just walking around the aircraft that are in Blue Cube Aviation fleet.

What would you say are the 3 best places you’ve ever stayed?

Stockholm - I lived there for approximately 3 years, and loved every moment. I found the Swedes to be very warm and friendly. I try to get back out there as often as I can. Can highly recommend the Nordic Light Hotel.

Miami -  Wow… what a city!!! Stayed at the Mondrian Hotel which was just pure luxury!

Tokyo - Spent one glorious week in Tokyo a few years ago, and have it at the top of my ‘places to visit again’ list. Such a vibrant city.

What’s been your most memorable dining experience to date?

As I have a home in the South of Spain (Marbella), I guess that I am spoilt when it comes to fantastic fresh seafood. There is a great beach restaurant (chiringuito) located in Marbella called Victors Beach where my fiancé and I usually spend our Saturday afternoons. It’s great because it’s located right on the beach, where on a clear day you actually get to see the peaks of the Atlas mountains in Morocco in the far distance.  The restaurant is always full of locals, which adds to the atmosphere.

Have you rubbed shoulders with the rich and famous, either through your work or your travels?

It’s hard to be involved in the private jet industry and not come into contact with the rich and famous! It’s almost like an occupational hazard :-) With our UK office located in Pinewood Film Studios, we are responsible for making travel arrangements for a number of A-List UK and US celebrities. The important thing is not to get star struck, and focus on getting them to their destination with the minimum amount of fuss as possible.

What currently ranks highest on your travel wishlist?

Other than another trip out to Tokyo, I really want to visit the Huvafen Fushi resort out in the Maldives. That for me is the epitome of paradise on earth.

Thank you, Joseph. And good luck with getting Blue Cube Aviation on the map.

Follow in the wake of Scott and Nansen by booking a cruise on the new Silversea expedition ship, Prince Albert II. This state-of-the-art vessel set off for the Arctic last month but will head to the opposite pole later in the year for the summer in the far south.  Luxury on board combines with pure adrenalin once the ship docks, as it visits some of the world’s most remote landscapes and enters tiny ports where few cruise ships have been before.  This is not soft adventure: it is full-scale exploring, from a base that is super-luxurious, with every high-tech facility.

Audi has announced a new 5.5-litre V12 engine for its R8 supercar developing a 550bhp and with a top speed of around 200mph.  But it’s not the engine so much as what it runs on that has the whole world talking about it.  For the R8 TDI is the world’s first diesel-powered supercar, a concept that even five years ago would have been unthinkable.  But so great have the advances in diesel technology been that now you can have the power and refinement of petrol with the better economy and lower emissions of a diesel.

A luxury watercraft created by Porsche and a Miami-based boat maker named Fearless. Yours for $350,000.

For B&B elegance in a French château try the Château de L’Isle-Marie in Normandy. Near Bayeux and Mont St Michel, each of the six rooms are lavishly and luxuriously adorned. Chosen by Travel & Leisure magazine as one of fifty romantic getaways, it doesn’t get much better than this. Bask in the château gardens, stroll along the D-Day landing beaches of Utah Beach and Omaha Beach or pay a visit to the 70-metre long Bayeux Tapestry and finish the evening surverying your estate, Champagne in hand. Prices start from 279 Euros per room per night for bed & breakfast, with self-catering and catered apartments also available.  See French Connections for more information.

Rachel Webb is author of luxury travel blogs for Spain and the UK.

Guests at Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts get to design their own personalised and unique hotel stay experience through Preferences by Pan Pacific. Preferences by Pan Pacific is a new service initiative designed to deliver personalised and genuine care.  Guests enjoy guaranteed late check-out and a choice of an additional preference offered by the participating hotels and resorts. These additional preferences, which differ from hotel to hotel, and range from guaranteed room upgrade, complimentary breakfast, complimentary internet usage, airport transfers, F&B vouchers to laundry credits.

As temperatures rise and summer is upon us, thoughts turn to escaping daily routines and indulging in some truly luxurious personal pampering, either by basking in the warm tropical climes of Asia or by maximising a well-earned city break in the US at one of The Peninsula properties.  This summer The Peninsula Hotels has introduced The Suite Life, inviting guests to experience the most spacious and luxurious accommodations available. Valid from 1st May to 14th September 2008, guests can enjoy a complimentary second night when booking a two-night suite stay with The Suite Life. Validity dates may vary at each Peninsula Hotel.

American Express Travel, one of the world’s largest travel providers, and Starwood Hotels and Resorts are offering a new benefit to American Express Gold Card members.  When booking through the travel provider, AMEX Gold Card members will receive a $75 food and beverage credit at any W, Westin, Le Meridien and Sheraton worldwide.  This new benefit is part of the Gold Card Destinations program that provides Gold Card members savings on a variety of luxury travel and cruise vacations, in addition to specialized custom packages that include hard-to-get concert tickets and events.