Destination Hotels & Resorts, with 30 properties around the country including the new Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes — only 20 minutes south of LAX — is offering an inviting deal. The “Birthday Credit” promotion offers guests a hotel credit equal to their age, free breakfast (at participating hotels) and a small birthday amenity
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Terranea in Palos Verdes, L’Auberge Del Mar in San Diego — baby boomers cash in on birthday hotel deal
Even after 100 years, this hotel is “sitting pretty” as a landmark in San Francisco. The Garden Court still causes jaws to drop because of its Austrian crystal chandeliers and stained glass dome; rooms are done up in opulent style, with 14-foot ceilings and marble bathrooms. A member of the Starwood Luxury Collection, The Palace first opened its doors in 1909, entirely rebuilt after the 1906 earthquake that wreaked havoc across San Francisco
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Deals in San Francisco: The Palace Hotel Turns 100 Years Old
HA NOI — The film Choi Voi (Lonely) will compete in the 66th Venice Film Festival in early September, the first Vietnamese film to compete in the world’s oldest film festival. Choi Voi, directed by Bui Thac Chuyen and starring Vietnamese-French actress Pham Linh Dan, along with Hai Yen, Ngo Thanh Van, and Johnny Nguyen, will take part in the Orizzonti, a festival programme of world premiere films giving an overview of new trends in cinema.
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Film Choi Voi at 66 th Venice Film Fest
One San Francisco hotel is making it easier for travelers to justify indulging on their next visit to the City by the Bay. Through a new partnership with Dress for Success , the InterContinental San Francisco is offering $50 off full-price weekday spa treatments to guests who donate a gently-used handbag at the time of their visit. Dubbed the “I-Ccessorize Program” by the hotel spa, the promotion offers the discount for a new accessory each month and donates the items to the national non-profit organization devoted to providing women in need with career counseling resources and professional attire for job interviews
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Donate and Indulge for Less at InterContinental San Francisco’s I-Spa
HONG KONG – Cathay Pacific has edged to profit in the first half of 2009 as fuel-hedging gains made up for a 27 percent drop in revenue. Chairman Christopher Pratt said the decline in demand had bottomed out, but warned of further difficulties ahead, with fuel prices remaining a concern. ”The global aviation industry, hit hard by soaring fuel prices in 2008, is now having to confront one of the most severe demand downturns in living memory,” he said
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Bumpy ride, but Cathay flies back into the black-06 August, 2009
Milan’s swanky Carlton Baglioni has partnered with Red Travel to bring guests an exclusive new travel experience: a self-drive tour in a Ferrari or Lamborghini, accelerating through the winding roads of the Piedmont and Lombardy, putting your driving skills to the test. You’ll get to see some gorgeous scenery while you’re at it, skirting around Lake Como (George Clooney’s stomping grounds). You’ll have a full Ferrari briefing, a team in attendance, and the opportunity to drive the latest models, up to 200 kilometers of Ferrari driving included
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Ferrari Tour of Lake Como with the Carlton Hotel Baglioni, Milan
Rome is often referred to as the Eternal City, the Italian capital known for its music, art, and architecture. Hotel Hassler knows that there is no better time to stroll the picturesque cobblestone streets than right now, and so they are offering a special package for guests until September 10th, subject to availability. Their Summer in the City Offer consists of 3 nights in a Deluxe Double or Grand Deluxe Double room, daily buffet breakfast at the Palm Court Garden, 2 massages at the renowned Amorvero Spa with after-treatment drinks at Amorvero Terrace, and light lunch at the Palm Court for two
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Summer in the City at Hotel Hassler, Rome
For hotels these days, the one thing harder than filling guestrooms may very well be finding guests willing to indulge in expensive spa treatments and beauty services at hotel spas. After all, if there’s one thing you can easily justify cutting out of your next vacation, it’s a hotel spa treatment that more often than not costs significantly more than it would at an independently-operated day spa in your home town
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Cheaper, Faster Spa Services Debut at Marriott, JW Marriott and Renaissance Hotels
Hang out in Oscar de la Renta-designed digs in the DR. Within the Punta Canta Resort and Club, world-famous as a celebrity hang-out, Tortuga Bay is an exclusive haven with villas designed by the Dominican-born, internationally acclaimed designer. A stay here in paradise means plenty of frolicking on the white sandy beaches, dining on palate-pleasing delights, and golfing on two championship courses.
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Spontaneous Dominican Escape at Tortuga Bay, Oscar de la Renta’s Caribbean Gem
Just days out of being held in involuntary psychiatric hold, actress Mischa Barton was spotted back on the party scene at New York’s Cooper Square Hotel for a music and arts festival event, reports the New York Daily News . But celeb watchers waiting for a high-drama tale of a continued downward spiral will be disappointed: Barton apparently was quite tame at the event: Sources told RadarOnline that the 23-year-old actress drank only water and smoked cigarettes while she listened to an acoustic set by Peter Bjorn at the Cooper Square Hotel. During the party, Barton told OK! Magazine, “I’m feeling great
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Post-Hospital, Mischa Barton Parties at the Cooper Square Hotel
HANOI, Aug 3, 2009 (Asia In Focus via COMTEX) — Vietnam would remain an attractive destination for retail investment until 2012, said a US market research company, citing the country’s strong GDP growth, regulatory structure changes favouring foreign investors and increasing consumer demand for modern retail concepts. According to US-based market research consulting services company RNCOS, rapid growth in Vietnam’s retail market in the recent past has made the country an attractive destination for multinational retailers. * Vietnam Retail Analysis (2008-2012), a research report from RNCOS, also said that the retail sector market in Vietnam was much smaller compared to other developing economies in Asia, but had shown strong fundamentals, with the value of retail sales having expanded rapidly to nearly US$39 billion in 2008, from around US$23.7 billion in 2005
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Vietnam to remain attractive to retail investment until 2012
Doctors at a Hanoi hospital have been accused of cashing in by forcing cancer patients to use expensive equipment rather than the facilities their insurance policies allow them to use for free. In 2000, K Hospital, or the National Cancer Institute, bought radiation equipment for US$1.4 million and has spent around $60,000 a year since then on its maintenance. The public hospital now offers treatment for an average of 150 cancer patients per day and state insurance holders don’t have to pay to use the equipment.
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Doctors accused of illegally profiting off cancer treatment
10:29′ 02/08/2009 (GMT+7) – The number of foreign visitors to Vietnam in the first seven months of this year reached 2.17 million, a fall of 18.7 percent year on year, according to data from the Vietnam Administration of Tourism (VNAT). The number of visitors to the country for business dropped by 22.3 percent, for vacation by 21.4 percent, and for other reasons by 20.5 percent, while the number of visitors to visit relatives rose by 0.6 percent, it said. There were only 149,000 foreign visitors to Vietnam in July, 12.9 percent lower than the same period last year
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2.17 million tourists visit Vietnam this year-a drop
AirAsia X to launch hub in Middle East KUALA LUMPUR -Budget airline AirAsia X has raised the possibility of establishing a new hub in the Middle East, enabling its network to extend to north Africa and Europe. The Age reports that AirAsia X’s CEO Azran Osman-Rani said a location had already been chosen in a Gulf state but that it would not be disclosed for several weeks. “This will open up completely new markets, and we won’t always have to have the planes based in Kuala Lumpur, which limits us to an eight-hour radius,” Azran told reporters.
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AirAsia X to launch hub in Middle East-31 July, 2009
Manila dominates Philippines traffic as Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines vie for domestic dominance 24th July 2009 | Country Feature | No Comments » At Ninoy Aquino International Airport (the main international gateway to the Philippines) lucky passenger Grace Geloca – (green t-shirt) looks bewildered as she claims the impressive prize from James Go, JG Summit Holdings’ CEO (owners of Cebu Pacific), Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, (President) and Lance Gokongwei, Cebu Pacific’s CEO. The Philippines consists of over 7,000 separate islands in the western Pacific Ocean and with an estimated population of over 90 million, air travel is playing a critical part in the country’s rapid economic development. According to OAG data there are currently 38 airports offering scheduled services.
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Manila dominates Philippines traffic as Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines vie for domestic dominance
November 19th will mark the opening of the brand spanking new W Retreat and Spa on Vieques, the unspoiled island off the coast of Puerto Rico. Following the successful launch of the W Retreat in the Maldives , the Vieques property promises to be a stunner, created by a rockstar design team.
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Announcing the New W Retreat and Spa, Vieques: Alain Ducasse Comes to the Caribbean
The Ilikai in Honolulu has been making headlines this week for its reopening today following over two weeks of behind-the-scenes drama to rival that featured in the Hawaii Five-O television series responsible for turning the hotel into a pop-culture phenomenon and well-recognized landmark back in the 1970’s. Featured in the television show’s opening credits, the high-rise hotel first opened in 1964 has new owners and a new contract with union employees that will allow it to welcome guests once again.
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The Ilikai Reopens Today in Honolulu
> The Big Island’s Mauna Kea was picked this week as the future site of what will be the world’s largest telescope. The Thirty Meter Telescope will enable “astronomers to detect and study light from the earliest stars and galaxies, analyze the formation of planets around nearby stars, and test many of the fundamental laws
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Hawaii roundup: World’s biggest telescope planned for Mauna Kea; two top surf towns; USS Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor arrival
The jetsetting clientele of Alvear Palace have another reason to adore the hotel: its brand new Cigar Bar . Puff on your choice of fine Havana cigars paired with chocolates and liqueurs in a stylish Art-Deco setting. Designed to be a “gourmand’s delight,” the Cigar Bar adds a new dimension to the hotel’s fabulous restaurant offerings ( La Bourgogne Aujourd’hui is as adored as traditional afternoon tea).
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What’s Hot in Buenos Aires: The New Cigar Bar at Alvear Palace
BANGKOK – A major police crackdown on illegal taxis and unlicensed guides is to start next week at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport, the Airports of Thailand has warned. The move came after Transport Minister Sohpon Zarum made an inspection trip to the airport and ordered the AoT to step up measures to prevent extortion gangs preying on international air passengers. The Bangkok Post reports that organised gangs are allegedly operating from duty-free shops, and are “cheating tens of thousands of baht from foreign tourists”.
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Bangkok orders crackdown on airport gangs -23 July, 2009