November Edition of TBA's Newsbytes
Tuesday, November 3, 2009 at 01:29AM 
TBA Newsbytes – The November 2009 Issue
NEW CLIENT! Qantas Airways – one of the first airlines to operate between Australia and the United States, Qantas invented Business Class in 1979, and in October 2008 introduced A380 service from Los Angeles to Sydney and Melbourne. The only airline offering A380 service from the U.S. to Australia, by late 2009 Qantas will operate daily A380 flights between LA and Sydney and three A380 flights per week between LA and Melbourne. Providing over 40 flights per week from the U.S., Qantas offers more than 30 nonstop flights from Los Angeles (to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland), five from San Francisco, a daily direct service from JFK and three from Honolulu. A leader in safety, Qantas also holds one of the industry’s most stringent standards for crew training programs. www.qantas.com
NEW CLIENT! Paul Gauguin Cruises – Now representing the luxury cruise ship, m/s Paul Gauguin, The Brandman Agency is pleased to introduce one of the most highly awarded luxury cruise ships in the world. Built in 1998, the 332-guest m/s Paul Gauguin is designed to allow unhindered exploration of the exotic ports of Tahiti, French Polynesia and the South Pacific and is currently the longest continually operating luxury cruise ship in the South Pacific. www.pgcruises.com
NEW OPENING! InterContinental Huizhou Resort is now open - located 90 minutes from Shenzhen and 120 minutes from Hong Kong, the resort offers 220 executive club guest rooms and villas with contemporary Asian design and breathtaking views of the landscape from private balconies or terraces. For an especially tranquil and private escape, 20 villas offer a dedicated personal butler, private plunge pools and individual pavilions. Five restaurants and bars include Cantonese delicacies (Zhuyuan) and Mediterranean flavor (Olives & Herbs). SPA InterContinental offers both Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western therapies by only using natural products, and the resort also includes a scenic 18-hole Golf Course. www.intercontinental.com
NEW OPENING! InterContinental Hua Hin Resort, Thailand is located on prime beachfront along Petchakasem Road – known for the mix of beach, historical attractions and great golf. Opening Dec. 1st, the resort is 2.5 hours outside Bangkok, and features 119 rooms, including 3 beachfront villas with private plunge pools and a range of suites. Golfers will flock to one of the spectacular surrounding courses: The Royal Hua Hin Golf Course - Thailand’s first championship course, the challenging Palm Hills Golf Resort and Country Club in nearby Cha-Am, or the Springfield Royal Country Club designed by Jack Nicklaus. A royal retreat since the 1920’s and Thailand’s first resort town, Hua Hin remains a favorite for a classic relaxation vacation. www.intercontinental.com
The Chatwal New York to open Spring 2010 – Occupying top billing on the “Great White Way,” the landmark Stanford White-designed building once host to America’s first professional theater club, the Lambs Club – the haunt of Fred Astaire, W.C. Fields and John Barrymore – announces its reopening as a hotel for Spring 2010. Meticulously restored and modernized in Empire Art Deco style by Master Architect and Designer Thierry Despont, the circa-1905 building will be the first member of the prestigious Leading Hotels of the World in Manhattan’s theater district. Up to the moment news can be found at the hotel’s Facebook page, www.tinyurl.com/thechatwalny; on Twitter, at www.twitter.com/thechatwalny. Further information is available at: www.thechatwalny.com
Angsana Riads Collection Morocco introduces new excursions for guests to discover the wonders surrounding Marrakech: The Oasis Excursion is a two-night stay tucked away in the Moroccan Atlas, a traditional Berber experience - leisurely walks to kasbahs and gardens to classes in preparing Berber cuisine, with indulgent Moroccan massages. Horseback excursions can also be arranged. The two-night Desert Excursion visits the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Kasbah Ait village for a night, a collection of Berber villages the following day, ending in a desert camp on the site of an ancient nomadic encampment for a Moroccan meal in one of the caïdal tents on sand dunes. Rates from US$636.00 per excursion, per person, inclusive of 3days 4x4 land cruiser use with driver, 2 nights full-board accommodation and round-trip transfers. From November 1, 2009 - April 30, 2010. www.angsana.com
Tennis, anyone? Upgrade your backhand while on holiday: two clay tennis courts are available for guests’ play at La Mamounia, and exclusive to the resort, international tennis legend Henri Leconte is developing “Tennis by Henri Leconte” to organize year-round tennis clinics featuring himself and other global tennis stars. www.lamamounia.com. At tennis courts in Mallorca (La Residencia), Rio de Janeiro (Copacabana Palace) and Portofino, Italy (Hotel Cipriani), Orient-Express can arrange a tennis pro for group or individual lessons. www.orient-express.com Tennis facilities and lessons available at a selection of Orient-Express Hotels worldwide.
Orion Expedition Cruises, the Australia-based five-star, luxury expedition cruise line offering access to otherwise inaccessible unexplored destinations, is adding the 2010 Papua New Guinea itinerary. Featuring voyages to new ports-of-call in the land of 800 languages - Tingwon, Manus, Wuvulu, Sissano, Hansa Bay and Bagabag - the cruise line’s only vessel, the luxuriously appointed MV Orion, will explore geographically and culturally diverse areas - the rugged terrain of Manum Island in the volcanic “Pacific Ring of Fire,” and the exotic Tufi, surrounded by lush rainforest and an ideal destination for scuba diving. Highlights include guest interaction with the region’s friendly villagers and local artisans. Rates for Papua New Guinea sailings start at AUD$6950. www.orionexpeditions.com
La Samanna, the Orient-Express beachfront hideaway in St. Martin is now open for the upcoming season. The celebrated Caribbean hotel welcomes award-winning Chef René Bajeux, creating exciting new menus for each of the hotel’s restaurants and room service. Mission accomplished? Try the try the Carpaccio of local tuna and conch with green papaya salad and garden herbs plantain crisp with rum. La Cave, one of the Caribbean’s largest wine cellars, has been expanded, and now offers exclusive five- and nine-course private dining options, as well as “The Chef’s Table” - a weekly dinner + wine pairings for 10. The La Samanna Spa has a fresh new look and line of products… and last but not least, introducing La Samanna’s privately made oak-barrel aged rum. www.lasamanna.com
La Résidence d’Angkor, in Siem Reap, Cambodia opens the impressive 5,000+ square foot Kong Kea Spa in a new wing of the boutique city resort - along with the introduction of eight new luxury suites. Meaning “water for the god” in the Khmer language, the Kong Kea Spa focuses on the visual and physical healing aspects of water, including a cold plunge pool, private bamboo gardens and six treatment rooms. www.residencedangkor.com
Last-minute escape before the holidays? The newly opened Banyan Tree Mayakoba, on Mexico’s Riviera Maya, is offering travelers a 50 percent discount off regular Garden Pool Villa via a Limited Online Special through the resort website – book now through December 18, 2009. Regular rates begin at $655.00USD, which means a private villa + breakfasts + one complimentary 90 minute massage for only $328.00USD++ per villa per night. (Three night stay required). www.banyantree.com/en/mayakoba
A few gems from this month’s Virtuoso-exclusive deals, offered to travelers who book through the leading luxury travel network: Paying in pence? There’s a deal for you: Through 2010, Virtuoso celebrates the 100th anniversary of London's famed Goring Hotel - stay 3+ nights, and Virtuoso guests pay 1910 rates for the first night - just 37 pence (about $.60) – Starting rates from $395. In Napa, CA, Virtuoso guests booking 4+ night stays at a selection of BeautifulPlaces' private Napa and Sonoma villas by February 8, 2010 (for travel by March 31) receive a $500 credit – think private dining at Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry. Villas from $759. Seeing the view in Peru? A new 10-day adventure exclusively for Virtuoso travelers from Big Five Tours & Expeditions includes flights over the Nazca Lines and a yacht outing to the Ballestas Islands, followed by a five-day trip down the Amazon River, complete with piranha fishing. Through December 15, 2010; from $6,350. www.virtuoso.com
InterContinental Paris Le Grand Hôtel appoints Christophe Raoux as Executive Chef, overseeing a team of 110 in the kitchen, the legendary Café de la Paix, restaurant La Verrière, and Le Bar, along with catering and banqueting. Formerly Executive Chef for the Alain Ducasse Group, Raoux’s career is peppered with collaborations with exemplary chefs, from Michel Roth to Gérard Besson. Serving the luxury hotel with 470 guestrooms, two restaurants and 21 reception rooms – Chef Raoux intends to offer Parisian cuisine at its finest - simple, delicious and unpretentious. www.paris.intercontinental.com
THE BARBADOS BEAT:
Hip, hip hooray: The Sandpiper Hotel, Barbados has been voted one of the Top Ten Caribbean hotels in the 2009 Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards! Book a stay or find out more at: www.sandpiperbarbados.com
For a jaw-dropping experience, try one of the island’s newest attractions – Aerial Trek Zipline Adventures. Experienced guides lead groups over a total of eight platforms, providing fascinating information on the environment around you. The tour includes over eight platforms. From US $90 per person. For booking information, call (246) 433-8966.
Still in need of some heart-pounding island adventure? Island expert Melanie Pitcher, of SurfBarbados.com offers lessons and surf tours, regardless of ability level, all year round. www.surfbarbados.com
Adventure abounds on-ground, too - learn with the Barbados Polo Club, formed in 1884, ensures polo is played to the highest level in Barbados – and what better place to learn than on the four fields on-island? Instructor Jeff Evelyn at Rugby Plantation in St. Thomas will ensure you can “check and turn” through the chukkers! (246) 230 -5370.
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