The Luxury Hotels Specials

Every year as the leaves fall off the trees, people who get their rush by gliding down the slopes of the mountains just wait for the white blanket to cover the rugged ranges. It is that time when people who love to ski and snowboard start searching for that unique place that would allow them a dash of their choicest sport while also spending their time in leisure.

Skiing in Europe has some perks, as the mountains, especially the Alps, the Pyrenees or any one of the great ranges, are big and have greater challenging vertical drops. It is in this that the European slopes differ from the number of ranges in the US. Also the atmosphere varies in both these continents with the European holidays being the choice for the ones seeking a more relaxed holiday.

Skiing holidays in Europe has its own charms. Unlike the US ski resorts where the pistes are crowded in the morning, most of the times the skier or the boarder would encounter the morning deadness or doldrums on the jagged slopes of the ranges in Europe.

First timers don’t have to worry about safety in both the continents. Most European ski resorts has the best ski schools and professional instructors to learn from. Also the other main difference is the pricing. Holidays in Europe are cheaper in comparison; also the tickets for the ski lifts too are priced better in Europe resorts even during high season.

Most mountains in Europe open in the end of November and close in mid to late April, providing some intrinsic period for the purist or the beginner to plan and enjoy the slopes. In addition to enjoying the sport one loves, Europe resorts generally have some après ski parties. Après skiing in French means “after skiing.” Though the Europeans warm to outsiders slowly, they do become fast friends when they get to know their fellow lodgers better.

Arab News cooperated with Manaf Al-Mugait, founder of VIA, a sister company of AlMousim Travel and Tour, to come up with some choicest places in Europe where people can enjoy winter sports in luxurious settings.

In no way do we claim that these are the best ski resorts; the only reason these hotels, chalets and lodges are recommended is because they are all luxurious and have good access to ski lifts.

Bentleys House, Austria

Skiing in Austria means homely mountain huts and chalets, warm home cooking and lively après-ski.

Chalet Hotel Bentleys House consists of three individual luxury chalets: one chalet with two bedrooms and two chalets with three bedrooms. Chalets can be reserved individually or together to cater for up to 18 guests.

Centrally located in Zürs at an altitude of 1,720 meters, snow is guaranteed during the entire season and you will find ski slopes and three major lifts adjacent to the hotel, creating the perfect setting for your winter sports holiday.

Hidden Dragon, Switzerland

Hidden Dragon is a privately owned exclusive alpine lodge situated in the heart of Switzerland’s 4 Valley regions.

Nestled in fir and pine forests, this secluded mountain retreat is discreetly located in its own extensive grounds and accessed by a private road.

Perched at 1,500 m, its position offers enchanting and uninterrupted panoramic views over the Rhone Valley and offers skiers the luxury of ski-in/ski-out access. Away from the crowds, the queues, the noise and the chaos of urban life, Hidden Dragon is an idyllic mountain hideaway.

Evian Royal Kids Resort, France

This resort is perfect as a family destination, as they offer children under 15 years of age free lunch and evening meals, full board accommodations and free access to the Kid’s Resort. Your children can also enjoy five half days of skiing from Monday to Friday, taking their “stars” test on the Friday.

There are two options depending on their age. The piou piou club is for children ages four to five years old. It is an introduction to skiing in a snow garden, designed to allow children to have fun discovering the first joys of winter sports. For children aged six and up, group lessons, supervised by instructors from the ski resort, are offered.

Let your children discover endless exciting activities and make new friends at the Kids Resort or at the Royal Rider while you enjoy a little bit of freedom.

The Lodge, Switzerland

Sir Richard Branson’s stunning mountain retreat, perched high in the Swiss Alps in Verbier, is a perfect year-round escape.

Verbier, one of the world’s most popular winter resorts, is part of the “Four Valleys” so there are numerous runs challenging beginners through to experienced skiers. The main ski lift is a mere 250 m (or a one minute van ride!) from the chalet and experienced skiers can ski directly into the Lodge. There’s also cross-country skiing, sledging, snowboarding and snowshoeing.

Hotel and Spa Rosa Alpina, Italy

In the heart of one of the most beautiful winter sports resorts in the Dolomites, the village of San Cassiano (700 inhabitants) is a truly exceptional and charming setting. It is here, at an altitude of 1,535 meters, that the Hotel Rosa Alpina welcomes you for a stay devoted to fitness and relaxation. Its spa offers treatments worthy of the best beauty centers, and the panoramic views of the Dolomites are unmatched. After a day on the slopes, a hike or a climb, you can enjoy the cuisine of chef Norbert Niederkofler. Cuisine is his passion and his joie de vivre, and he creates dishes featuring local produce that artfully marry tradition and modernity.

The hotel offers golf, mountain biking, hiking, horseback riding, fishing, canoeing/kayaking, rafting, skiing, climbing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, as well as fitness, an indoor pool, a spa, sauna, Hammam and solarium.

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A QUICK guide to Venice and it’s musical heritage

Venice was made for music, and you can find music of all kinds here, but most of all you will find the music of Vivaldi. A native of Venice, a priest, music master of an orphanage and composer, Antonio Vivaldi died a pauper at the age of 63 in Vienna in 1741, his patron having pre-deceased him. He had been wildly fashionable in Venice, but demand for his style of baroque music had declined, and seeking patronage he travelled around Europe, before arriving in Vienna.

The house where he died is now part of the site of the Hotel Sacher, but it is sad that this quintessentially Venetian composer should end his days in Austria. And doubly sad that Vivaldi, having had a renaissance in the late 20th century, particularly for his Four Seasons, is now seen as hackneyed and fit only for lift music. But once in Venice, Vivaldi comes into his own again. Particularly at nights, when the narrow streets and bridges are so quiet and only the lap of water accompanies you, and you can picture the city of his day and find his music, and that of others, in the spectacular settings.

Best classical music setting

There are churches on many of the islands that have recitals and concerts, or the opera house, La Fenice, has a season of works by Vivaldi, Verdi, Puccini, Mozart and others. The setting of the restored opera house is wonderful, but even more spectacular is the main hall of the Scuola Grande di San Teordoro, where performers dress in 18th-century costumes. There are also performances in some of the private palazzos.

Best places for other music

Want something else? Venice has venues for jazz, blues, soul, rock and even Mexican music. One of the most famous for jazz and salsa is Paradiso Perduto (Fondamenta della Misericordia, Cannaregio), plus there is an Irish pub and live music in many bacaros. Or try the BBar at the Bauer Hotel (San Marco 1459), hang-out of Daniel Craig, Sting and Al Pacino.

Other things to do in Venice

Get lost. Trying to find your way through the narrow streets, up and down on the bridges, you come across more churches and museums – we found a deconsecrated church with a display of stringed instruments and a workshop showing the construction of a violin. Could we find it again? Probably not. Then there are shops. Designer shops for the wealthy tourists, and no less expensive paper-makers and silk-weavers.

Best place to stay

ONE of the grandest hotels in Venice is the five-star Bauer Il Palazzo. Positioned at the head of the Grand Canal, with views across to the Basilica della Salute and the island of Giudecca, it is a lavishly restored palace with Venetian silks on the walls and at the windows.

Best of all, it has a breakfast terrace on the seventh floor, where in summer you can luxuriate in the view and the splendid buffet, and watch the waitresses shoo away the pigeons – particularly ‘house’ pigeons Sophia and Gina, named after the two goddesses of Italian cinema, Loren and Lollobrigida.

Best place to eat

Eating like a Venetian means exploring the islands away from San Marco, where people actually live. One of the best for a glimpse of real Venetian life is Cannaregio, which contains the Jewish ghetto. Bacaro, the small bars, are a good bet for drinks and cichetti, tapas-like snacks, but if you must have a drink on the Piazza San Marco at the historic Cafe Florian, be warned, there’s a €10 per person cover charge “for the music”.

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Grand hotels aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. Lucky for you if you can afford to stay at Claridge’s when you visit London, or the Hôtel Plaza Athénée or the Bristol in Paris.

But is your fundamental experience of those cities really any richer and deeper than if you lodged at a perfectly respectable three-star hotel at half or a third of the price? Will you appreciate the sights of London, or Paris or Rome, or lazing in their pubs or cafes, any less knowing that you’ll be returning to a piece of chocolate on your pillow, that your shampoo and conditioner come from Molton Brown, and that the hotel spa boasts both a sauna and a hammam?

There is an exception to this rule, however. The Hay-Adams, a luxury 1928 boutique hotel in Washington, D.C. I discovered the place when I was working on a story in the early ’90s about women who worked at the White House. (I know what you’re thinking, but this was well before the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke; it was a perfectly tame, life-affirming piece about the thrill of passing through the White House gates each morning, serving your country, and meeting lots of celebrities.)

The Clinton White House, at least the press operation, seemed at times as distractible as the president himself. It took them months to get back to me. But once they did, a press person spent several days shepherding me from one interview to the next, while seemingly ignoring all the other reporters bombarding her inbox.

It was an unforgettable experience, made all the more so by the fact that I was staying at the Hay-Adams, a stone’s throw (if you have a good arm) across Lafayette Park from the White House. I remembered breakfast in its elegant, sun-filled dining room especially fondly. It was obviously the power place to be in Washington first thing in the morning, and the bacon and eggs weren’t bad either.

So when I returned to the nation’s capital last week I managed to reserve a room there again, receiving one overlooking St. John’s Episcopal Church—known as the “Church of the Presidents.”

Indeed, the Obamas stayed at the Hay-Adams, in the penthouse Presidential Suite overlooking the White House, for two weeks while Mr. Obama was president-elect, so that daughters Malia and Sasha could start school. “The hotel started to fill up,” manager Hans Bruland remembered. “Everyone wanted to be under the same roof as the president-elect.”

Mr. Bruland contended that the first family wasn’t treated any different or better than any other guests, the Secret Service agents swarming the area not withstanding. Service is what they’re known for. “ ‘Nothing is overlooked except the White House,’ ” Mr. Bruland said, quoting an informal Hay-Adams motto.

And since I staying there, rather than at, say, the Holiday Inn, I figured I ought to amortize the location, and also justify the expense, by attending the White House daily briefing, if possible.

Getting into the White House turned out to be easier than I expected—perhaps because my formative experience was waiting six months for the Clinton Administration to return my call.

I emailed them my full name, Social Security number, date of birth, address and nation of citizenship. I was told I’d be informed the next morning at what time to appear at the northwest gate to be admitted for the daily press briefing.

However, the next morning I learned that President Obama was traveling, so the daily briefing would be conducted on Air Force One—nixing my White House invitation, or so I thought. However, a few minutes after I received the disappointing news I got another email from the White House, this one from press aide Antoinette Rangel.

“There is no briefing today,” she wrote, “only a gaggle on AF1. So let us know if you’d still like to come even though there is no briefing.”

The email’s emphasis sounded less on “if you’d like to come,” than, “there is no briefing.”

If I was a true professional I suppose I’d have thanked Ms. Rangel and declined the invitation, having other important journalistic deeds to accomplish. But I’m something of a pushover for Washington in general and the White House in particular.

The first time I visited the nation’s capital was in 1964, the year after JFK’s assassination. My mother and I had lunch at a restaurant called Duke Zeibert’s where our waiter gave me a freshly minted silver Kennedy half dollar. I have it to this day.

We visited the FBI—somewhere there’s a souvenir bullet shell from that tour—and waited on line for the White House tour, together with a chatty school group from Macon, Ga.

Indeed, the previous evening of this visit I’d walked over to the White House and stood staring through the gates with all the other tourists—for some reason there was the delightful scent of jasmine in the air—admiring the grounds and its 200-year-old trees.

When I reported to the White House precisely at noon, as Ms. Rangel had told me to do, I was ushered into the northwest gatehouse—the bombproof door so heavy that swinging it open constituted the day’s exercise—and made my way unescorted along the path to the press briefing room.

As Ms. Rangel had warned me, there was nothing happening. A few of what I took to be cameramen or sound technicians were sitting around shooting the breeze about the Penn State situation and Joe Paterno’s future; one guy was on the phone trying to straighten out some confusion regarding a bank loan.

I didn’t try to chat anybody up. That would only have spotlighted my fatuousness. These guys worked at the White House day in, day out. It was their job. What was I going to say if someone asked me what I was doing there on a day when absolutely nothing was happening? “I just wanted to experience the thrill of walking through the front gate. I wanted to be able to say I was here.”

I answered a bunch of neglected email, loitered long enough so that the guards at the front gate wouldn’t think I was weird for coming and going so quickly (as if they could have cared less), snapped a picture of the North Portico with my iPhone, and returned to the street. And back to the Hay-Adams for an excellent lunch.

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RAVELLO is a town of name-droppers. The bigger the names and the louder they’re dropped the better. It’s practically a civic duty. In the Viale Richard Wagner (clang!) aside from the street sign itself, there are two plaques. One commemorates a film that was shot here in 1953, John Huston (ding!), Humphrey Bogart (dong!), Gina Lollobrigida (plink!), Peter Lorre (plonk!), Truman Capote (tinkle!) and Robert Capa (crash!) woz all here. Joining in, on the opposite side of the street, another plaque confirms the Dutch optical illusion artist MC Escher (boing!) woz also here. Celebrity validates Ravello.

The stars of the 20th century rained down on this small town clinging to a ridge overlooking the Gulf of Salerno. The shower was particularly dense in the 1950s and 1960s, giving Ravello, and the whole of the Amalfi Coast, an afterglow of glamour that lingers on. They came for the weather; they came for the lifestyle and, above all, they came for the expansive (and, indeed, expensive) views.

The views are promiscuous - shameless, demanding attention, teasing and seducing. You would be hard pressed to find a square inch of Ravello’s seaward flank that does not command the eyes to luxuriate and the poetic heart to soar. The super-luxe Hotel Caruso occupies one of the most breathtaking positions. The infinity pool at the apex of the ridge gives the delirious sensation of flight, inviting swimmers to follow the swallows that swoop and skim the surface of the water over the edge into the void between tumbling mountains, sea and sky. This is a pool for gods - gods with deep pockets admittedly, but if it’s a taste of omnipotence you’re after, this is a good investment.

Lunch at the poolside is a caress of the senses. Fresh buffalo mozzarella sourced from Paestum across the gulf, pezzogna (sea bream) from the ocean below, and crisp white wine from the vineyards across the valley. Does life get any better? It does.

The maitre d’ cannot contain his excitement. They have a famous Englishman here today, a footballer he thinks, and nods to a figure jabbing urgently at his iPhone on the other side of the pool. I look across and see Gary Lineker (kerrang!). I struggle to explain to the maitre d’ that Mr Lineker is so much more than a mere footballer - he is an icon of blokey sporting punditry; he is the purveyor of crisps to a grateful public. I try, and fail, to translate the concept of National Treasure. Nevertheless, the rest of lunch, now bathed in the glow of celebrity, takes on a heightened smugness.

Lineker is following in well-trodden British footsteps. You could argue the Ravello of today is, in part, created by Brits. The gardens of the Villa Rufolo and the Villa Cimbrone are credited respectively to Sir Francis Neville Reid, a Scottish aristocrat, and Ernest Beckett (later Lord Grimthorpe). In both cases, the romantic ruined properties of ancient noble families were rescued from neglect and reinvented.

Villa Rufolo’s gardens are famously said to have inspired Wagner while writing Parsifal and it is one of the venues to host the Ravello Festival. I arrive a few days too late for this year’s events, but misty-eyed locals recall the Dawn Concert that began at 5am on 11 August in the open-air auditorium.

The temporary stage is still set up, hovering seemingly on thin air over a sheer drop into the wide blue yonder; even without the music, the site induces goose bumps. You don’t need much imagination to conjure the emotional impact of Mozart, Mahler and Schubert offered up as night gives way to the dawn breaking directly behind the stage - the mountain tops catching fire and the sea beginning to shimmer. It must be magical.

Villa Cimbrone on the western spur of the town is even more impossibly romantic. The architecture can be described as eclectic if you want to be kind, or a jumble of nonsense if you don’t. It is the gardens though that demand respect. Designed with input from Vita Sackville-West and influenced by Gertrude Jekyll, this is a playground for faeries and poets.

The Bloomsbury Set frolicked here. The long and stately “Avenue of Immensity” leads, with metaphysical inevitability, to the “Terrace of Infinity”. The view here is, if anything, bigger and more panoramic than any other. Lovers and newlyweds line up on the balcony projecting from the cliff face to be photographed. Unbeknown to most, they are standing above La Rondinaia, the Swallow’s Nest, the former home of Gore Vidal. Here he played host to Rudolf Nureyev, Tennessee Williams, the Jaggers, Lauren Bacall, Princess Margaret and Paul Newman, among others. There - why fight the impulse? Name-dropping is contagious.

There is a simpler, less glittery side to Ravello - which requires only a pair of decent trainers and sturdy knees. The mountains are cross-hatched with stepped trails that were, for many centuries, the only means of access between the mountain villages and the fishing ports on the coast. From the terraces of the Hotel Caruso, the Monastero di San Nicola is clearly visible, standing proud on top of the hill across the Minori valley. Getting there involves turning your back on tourist Ravello and heading uphill through the sections of the town that the residents have reserved for themselves - the houses are less manicured; there are quotidian grocery shops and humble little churches.

It takes about half an hour to reach Sambuco at the top of the valley. Though picturesque enough from a distance, it has the purposeful feel of a working community - the steep mountainsides are laboriously carved into lemon groves and vineyards. The trail passes through chestnut and oak forests, gradually ascending to a saddle, where the views back to Ravello are as spectacular as they are revealing.

I get a proper glimpse of the auditorium the municipality commissioned of Oscar Niemeyer (the 103-year-old Brazilian architect) in a bloodrush to their collective head. Maybe they were flattered by the attention of a world-ranking architect, but to my surprise all the building does is succeed in locating my inner Prince Charles. It looks as if someone has drawn a huge sloppy graffiti rendition of Edvard Munch’s The Scream on the unsuspecting alleyways and terraces of the medieval town. It is a carbuncle by any other name.

Face the other way and you could be in any century you choose. I encounter just one walker throughout the afternoon. The St Nicholas Monastery at the top of the mountain is not inhabited these days and that simply accentuates its isolation. Those monks knew how to pick a spot. The heat is rising on currents that are aromatic with wild herbs and pine resin. It is a 1,500ft drop to the sea from here, crashing down to the coastal town of Maiori on the left and Minori on the right. For a moment, it does seem as if the world is perfectly pivoted and arranged for my well being.

In theory, the descent should be the easy part. Getting down to Minori involves thousands of steps and every one of them is an angry jolt sent up my tibia by the unforgiving earth. Halfway down, I am in trouble. My crocked knees are threatening to fold at every step. And every step is followed by hundreds more. Down through the forest, down through the steeply tiered orchards, the steps become more insistent, they multiply and increase in frequency, they have horns and sharpened pitchforks which they jab eagerly at my kneecaps. And still they come - every corner reveals hundreds more of the little devils.

By the time I stagger into Minori people are staring at me as they might if Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man, had walked down from the hills. On the seafront, the passeggiata is in full swing. I collapse at a bar and, after a restorative beer, watch enviously. Children run, old folk shuffle, a wedding party ambles, the entire population of Minori is out strolling, taking the evening air, enjoying the promenade. I am convinced I will never walk again.

When I move on to the next hotel, the Santa Caterina in Amalfi, I am determined to find less challenging means of exploring. The hotel seems to grow out of the cliff and has another of those jaw-dropping views that are fast becoming routine. The hotel pool, set on a concrete platform just above sea level, can be accessed by a lift that teeters down the cliff wall. The vertical plunge of mountain into sea characterises the Amalfi Coast stretching westwards towards Positano and beyond. There is nothing cosy about this rugged landscape and the best way to appreciate its severe beauty is from the water.

Captain Flavio Paladino knows every inch of the Costiera Amalfitana. From his boat, the Amalfi Drive - the coastal road running along the side of the cliff between Amalfi and Sorrento - looks like an optical illusion that MC Escher might have dreamt up. The road is carved from the sheer cliff in some stretches; it pierces the wall in others and is cantilevered out from the rock face in others. Mussolini, according to Captain Flavio, ordered his engineers to make the Drive into a viable modern road - until then the track had been supported by a rickety wooden substructure. It remains a vertigo-inducing scare of a drive, but before Mussolini it must have been a helter-skelter of terror.

Captain Flavio is getting warmed up, and as we make our way up to Positano he launches into a well-rehearsed spiel. Here we go again. Over there is the house and helipad of Sophia Loren (splat!); here is the discotheque frequented by Frank Sinatra (thud!), and we are just passing the beach favoured by Jacqueline Kennedy (kerpow!).

In The Americas and Caribbean, the body treatments at The Peninsula Spa by ESPA in New York (pictured) are second to none.

1. The Peninsula Spa by ESPA, The Peninsula, New York, USA 94.88

2. The Blue Spa, Carlisle Bay, Antigua 94.24

3. COMO Shambhala Retreat, Parrot Cay, Turks & Caicos 93.61

4.  The Spa, Mandarin Oriental, New York, USA 91.95

5. The Spa, Sandy Lane, Barbados 90.40

6. The Spa, Fasano Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 90.33

7. Kinan Spa, Maroma Resort and Spa, Mayan Riviera, Mexico 89.91

8. The Spa, Calistoga Ranch, California, USA 87.85

9. The Cloister Spa at Sea Island Resorts, Georgia, USA 87.84

10. The Spa, Four Seasons Resort Whistler, Canada 87.52

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Travellers visiting London before the end of the year will have the chance to try out one of the city’s newest luxury hotels - 45 Park Lane.

The property, which is part of the Dorchester Collection, opened its doors at the beginning of the month.

It encompasses 45 rooms and suites, one of which is a 1,830-square-foot penthouse suite with a wraparound terrace offering panoramic views of London.

Each guest bedroom affords views of Hyde Park.

The property’s modern American steak restaurant CUT at 45 Park Lane marks celebrity chef and restaurateur Wolfgang Puck’s first venture in Europe and serves a range of steak dishes accompanied by an extensive wine list.

Guests can also ascend a central staircase to reach a mezzanine level featuring a bar, library and private media room.

The hotel’s layout - which is described as contemporary with art deco influences - was devised by renowned architect and designer Thierry Despont.

Art and aesthetics are among the establishment’s defining characteristics, with 16 pieces from Damien Hirst’s limited edition Psalms series presented together for the first time in the restaurant.

Original works by ten current British artists are displayed in every room and suite.

The opening of 45 Park Lane brings the total number of properties in the Dorchester Collection to nine, with the London hotel joining the likes of Le Meurice in Paris, Hotel Principe di Savoia in Milan and Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles.

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Boutique hotels have become an inspiration for many designers. They are innovative in their design technique, their attention to detail is unsurpassed, and they have some of the newest technologies. If you have never had the opportunity to stay at a boutique hotel, they are a must for anyone wanting to get away and be pampered.

Boutique hotels are smaller — usually under 100 rooms — and focus on catering to their individual guests. They make you feel special and at home, which is important for those a lot of time in airports and in foreign cities. They are treasures tucked away in various parts of the world.

The Hotel Plaza Athénée, nestled on Avenue Montaigne in Paris, is one of the design wonders of the hospitality industry. Upon arrival, guests are greeted by a historical building trimmed in bright florals. The building’s neutral coloured stone exterior is accented by a vibrant red hue.

This award-winning 191-room hotel is nothing but a design masterpiece. Everything from its breathtaking architecture to its attention to detail comes together to create this chef d’oeuvre. Its facilities and services have gone beyond the bar of standards. Earlier this year, Frederic Lefebvre, Secretary of State to the ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry, has bestowed upon the hotel the prestigious title of “Palace.” This title is given to a select number of hotels that attest to the highest of quality and customer service.

The rooms and suites in this hotel are not like any other. The views are breathtaking. On one side of the hotel, there is a clear view of the Eiffel Tower, which is a sign of Paris romance. Again, there are touches of elegance and charm as we tour the different floors. On the second floor, the hotel showcases an “Art Deco” style, while for more traditional guests there are rooms on the sixth floor outfitted in Louis XVI and Regency style furniture.

For parents worried about all the “breakable things” in a room furnished with antiques, there is a solution. Design meets functionality; the hotel will actually treat the little ones as guests and have rooms designed for children during. The hotel has formed a partnership with Mattel bring you the “Barbie Room” and the “Hot Wheels Room.” Every little girl has played with a Barbie at one point or another, and boys are familiar with racing Hot Wheels around the living room floor. The children’s rooms can be booked for any child between the ages of 3-16, which breaks the heart for those who are still kids at heart.

The hotel offers many amenities that can help parents relax and rejuvenate. The hotel is equipped with a state of the art spa, the Dior Institute. In 1946, the Diors set up house at this very location, which gives you an idea of the sheer elegance and luxury of the spa. In 2008, it became the Dior Institute. It offers a wide variety of treatments and is a perfect setting for a relaxing day at the spa.

The Hotel Plaza Athénée’s customer service and elegant yet sophisticated design has brought new inspiration to my world.

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(VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA) — Howard Land Group recently announced the official launch of its newest resort development, the Comox Bay Marina and Residences. The $30 million resort includes a residential component, a restaurant, lounge and retail space all connected to Comox Bay Marina and located next to Marinaside Park in the heart of Comox.

Howard Land Group are the creators of the award-winning Oswego Hotel, a West Coast inspired boutique hotel in downtown Victoria. For the first time ever full ownership opportunities with boat slips at this Marina are now available.

Comox is located on the east coast of Vancouver Island north of Nanaimo and Victoria. With Westjet offering three flights daily from both Calgary and Edmonton, the resort offers easy access to year round boating, sailing, fishing, golf, and skiing. As well, Comox is a renowned diving and kayaking destination as much of the coast is sheltered with smooth, protected waters.

Comox Bay Marina and Residences offers an oceanfront location with an opportunity for moorage. Next to the popular Marinaside Park, Comox Bay offers something rarely found on the east coast of Vancouver Island: sunny southwest exposure with stunning ocean and mountain views.

Comox Bay Marina and Residences is comprised of 62 fully furnished suites in a three-story resort development featuring sweeping views of Comox Bay through oversized windows. Prices start in the mid $200,000s for one- and two-bedrooms suites. Sizes vary between 608 sq. ft - 625 sq. ft for one-bedrooms and 760 sq. ft - 1105 sq. ft. for the two-bedroom suites.

Buyers at the resort have the option of securing moorage at Comox Bay Marina, which can accommodate vessels up to 50 feet long. The marina is one of the largest and most popular on the east coast of Vancouver Island and has approximately 800 people on a waiting list.

RareEarth Project Marketing is overseeing the sale of the suites for the Residences. RareEarth has sold over $1.65 billion dollars of real estate in Victoria, Ucluelet, Pender Harbour, Kelowna and Osoyoos, among other prime B.C. locations.

In early 2011, rareEarth conducted a market research survey where approximately 1000 respondents in Western Canada identified key areas and amenities that vacation home owners are looking for this year.

“Our research found that 61 per cent of potential vacation home buyers would consider Vancouver Island as a destination, which is higher than both the Okanagan and anywhere in the U.S.,” James Askew, president of rareEarth Project Marketing says, “The research also shows the Alberta market is strong and they desire Vancouver Island real estate with full ownership.”

The survey revealed that 53 percent of Albertan respondents who own their primary residence are considering purchasing recreational property on Vancouver Island, and  80 percent of Albertans who own recreational property are considering the purchase of additional recreational property. Of that group, 56 percent want full ownership. When asked to evaluate recreational property, 70 percent reported they would consider buying in the Comox Valley.

As a strata-titled property, the suites at Comox Bay Marina & Residences are designed for recreational use, and can be rented out nightly through a professional management company to provide revenue to the owners.

MJM Architect Inc, the resort’s architect from Victoria has designed Comox Bay Marina and Residences with a distinctive West Coast style. The interior designer is BBA Design from Vancouver, who has designed numerous luxury resorts on the West Coast, including the Wickaninnish Inn in Tofino and Black Rock Oceanfront Resort in Ucluelet.

The Comox Valley is situated between Vancouver Island’s Beaufort Range and Comox Glacier in the West to Strait of Georgia in the East. The Valley enjoys a coastal marine climate with warm, dry summers and short, mild winters. Average July temperatures are 23 degrees celsius with average February temperatures of 7 degrees.

Comox is one of the few places in Canada where you can both golf and ski in the winter. The mild climate makes it an ideal location for hiking, fishing, boating and sailing throughout the year. Comox is a 75-minute flight from Calgary and Edmonton, 45 minute flight harbor to harbor from Vancouver. The Comox Valley is a 2.5 hour drive north from Victoria or a 75-minute drive from Nanaimo’s Departure Bay and Duke Point ferries.

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Like a jet set version of the hajj, July is the beginning of a Saint-Tropez pilgrimage uniting aristocrats and luminaries along the French Riviera. Every year, the French seaside city becomes the epicenter of celebrities and a CEO elite that hole up for multiweek stays at area hotels or private villas or simply dock at the city’s glittery port.

The European debt crisis has done little to dissipate the high-season fervor of rich and super-rich that populate Pampelonne Beach for afternoon champagne showers and $5,000 jetpack rides over the sea. But in a notably lazy season compared with hotel and restaurant openings in previous years, Saint-Tropez regulars won’t have to search for the latest it-spot. Not much has changed in the past year.

With no new nightclubs or hotels to speak of, it’s a few much-anticipated arrivals among glossy retail stores making headlines. In the center of town a Louis Vuitton resort flagship of the Paris-based retailer is set to open, with expanded collections of logo-emblazoned leather goods as well as men and women’s apparel. It joins fellow Parisian boutiques such as the newly remodeled Dior and outpost of Chanel (recently blessed by Karl Lagerfeld personally).

While fancier types such as Jay-Z and Sting come by yacht, everyone else makes the grand attempt to score a room at the city’s better hotels, whether they reflect high-end luxury or edgy design. In July, it’s not about where you want to stay but more about what hotel you can afford to get into with as few restrictions as possible. Byblos continues to be the city’s hottest property, and is essentially sold out for July and August. Its Sisley-branded spa is one of the best in the South of France, and its poolside scene is epic and soundtracked with lounge anthems that get you just drunk enough to see the value in a $17,000 jeroboam of Cristal.

Hotel Sezz is the newest hotel in town, a seaside spinoff of the much-loved Paris property that still has that “new hotel smell” as well as an eatery by Pierre Gagnaire and Dom Perignon-branded pool bar, more than making up for being a bit removed from town. Closer to the action of the port, Hotel Ermitage draws the boho and thespian-artiste crowd that prefers to party on premises than be seen at any beach or nightclub. Rooms are comfy chic with a good dose of rustic glamour that’s the antithesis of newer, glossy design properties such as the KUBE Hotel or Muse.

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Venice is romantic and unforgettable on any budget, but it can be dazzling if you are willing to splurge.

Open your wallet wide — very wide — and you’ll find suites with stunning views of the Grand Canal, poshly furnished rooms fit for a royal and Murano glass chandeliers to light up your night.

No wonder some of the world’s richest and most famous tourists feel right at home when they come to the City of Water.

“It’s a magical place,” said Joyce Falcone, owner of The Italian Concierge, who travels to Venice about twice a year — drawn, like many people, by its unique ambiance, color and history.

We asked Falcone; Venice native Roberto Agostini of Precision Travel; and Andrea Sertoli, president of Select Italy, to pick their favorite luxury Venice hotels. Here are some of their recommendations.

Hotel Cipriani

Located on the tip of Giudecca Island, this hotel has it all, Sertoli said, calling it elegant, stylish and romantic.

Stay in the main building or the Palazzo Vendramin, a 15th-century residence near the hotel. Both offer opulent rooms and suites, including the Palladio Suite, which has a private dock and sweeping views over the Venetian lagoon through floor-to-ceiling windows.

The hotel is one of only two in Venice to offer a swimming pool, Agostini said, while the surrounding gardens can be used for weddings and receptions. And come September, the Cipriani fills up with movie stars and celebrities in town for the Venice Film Festival.

But the hotel always manages to maintain an aura of serenity.

“It’s laid back because it’s away from the madness of St. Mark’s [Square]. … They also have a great pool and grounds, which is pretty novel in Venice with land at a premium,” Falcone said.

“A lot of people think St. Mark’s Square is the spot to be. For me, it’s just way too crowded. I would prefer to be away where it’s quiet and just go there when you feel like it, but then be able to escape to your gorgeous, luxurious hotel that’s away from all of that.”
Rates for a junior suite start at about $2,450 per night.

Hotel Danieli

If you do want to stay in the center of it all, the Danieli is a stunning option. Located next to Doge’s Palace and the Bridge of Sighs, it is just steps away from St. Mark’s Square.
This is the hotel that Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp checked into in “The Tourist,” and depending on the room you choose, the lagoon views can be as stunning as those seen in the movie.

Hotel Danieli is made up of three palazzi dating back to the 14th, 19th and 20th centuries, so expect luxurious surroundings that feature marble columns, antique carpets and gilded ceilings. Recent renovations have returned the hotel to the list of top accommodations in Venice, Sertoli said.
Because it is part of the Luxury Collection, many of Falcone’s clients like it because they can use Starwood points to book their stay.
“It is an old Venetian classic, and you can’t go wrong by selecting the Danieli,” Falcone said.
A lagoon view suite starts at about $2,520 per night.

Hotel Gritti Palace

Commissioned by the doge of Venice in 1525, Gritti Palace was the residence of noble families for hundreds of years until it was turned into a posh hotel at the beginning of the 19th century.
Located about three blocks from St. Mark’s Square, the palazzo faces the Grand Canal and offers guests views that extend from San Giorgio Island, to the church of Santa Maria della Salute, and over to the Accademia.
“It’s a very classical Venetian palace,” Agostini said, calling it “very luxurious.”
Splurge for a Grand Canal suite, and you will be surrounded by antique furnishings, walls hung with paintings and embroidered damask drapes. (Gritti Palace may not be the best choice if you’re not a fan of very ornate interiors. Some travelers find the hotel too stuffy, Agostini said.)

Most importantly, floor-to-ceiling windows and balconies allow you to make the most of the beautiful location.
Rates for Grand Canal suites start at about $4,000 per night. The hotel is also part of the Luxury Collection, so you can book your stay with Starwood points.

Ca’ Sagredo Hotel

This 14th century palazzo with a pink facade is a hotel, a national monument and a museum all rolled into one.
Once home to the Sagredos, a noble Venetian family, the palace opened as a hotel in 2007 after an extensive restoration. Guests will find opulent decor and incredible stucco works, frescoes, paintings, canvas and architectural features.
The hotel is a short walk away from St. Mark’s Square, between Ca’ D’Oro and the Rialto Bridge.
“We like it a lot,” Sertoli said, while Agostini called it a “fantastic” and “unbelievable.”
The Ca’ Sagredo is near the Venice Casino, so it might be a good pick for visitors who like to gamble, Falcone said.
“It’s absolutely beautiful if you get one of the rooms that are on the piano nobile — the main floor where the family did live. Those rooms are frescoed, and they face the Grand Canal and they’re huge,” Falcone said.

The Grand Canal presidential suite starts at about $1,200 per night in August.

San Clemente Palace Hotel & Resort

Located on a private island on the site of a former 17th century monastery, the resort boasts views of St. Mark’s Square, Giudecca Island and the Lido.
It’s perfect for families, because children will enjoy the beautiful, spacious grounds, Agostini said. The island also offers lots of activities for kids, like treasure hunts and tennis lessons. For fitness-minded guests, there’s golf, swimming and jogging.
“It’s a beautiful hotel,” Agostini said, praising its subdued elegance. He once leased the whole island for a group event, and he has recommended the resort for weddings and receptions.
But be warned: The hotel is big — Agostini estimated its size at about three square blocks — so be prepared to walk a bit to get to your room.
Rates for a classic suite start at about $1,075 per night in August.

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