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Anantara Vilamoura Algarve resort launches in Portugal

 

Making its debut into Europe, Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas brings its authentic style to southern Portugal’s Algarve coast with the launch of Anantara Vilamoura Algarve Resort.

Nestled amongst orange groves and wetlands, the resort ensures the brand’s signature Thai hospitality paired with indigenous style and flavour.

Just a 15-minute drive from Faro International Airport, Anantara Vilamoura is located close to the ocean, marinas and beaches of the Algarve and boasts stunning views of the Arnold Palmer- designed Oceânico Golf Course.

All of the resort’s 280 newly upgraded guest rooms boast soft touches reflecting the natural woods and fibres of the region creating a chic and comforting place to relax and unwind overlooking views of picturesque gardens, swimming pools and the fairways of the golf course.

Comforts include an in-room wine humidor, pillow menu and on-call butler service. Suite guests also have exclusive access to the indoor pool and sauna at the Anantara Spa. The Presidential Suite offers an impressive terrace with a private dining area, a new Jacuzzi and a sundeck.

To make holidays a truly relaxing experience for parents and one that kids will remember forever, Anantara has partnered with World Wide Kids Company, the resort childcare specialist. The new Adventurers Crèche and the Adventurers Kids Club is fully equipped with everything for youngsters to have fun: arts, cooking classes, open air cinema, adventure safaris and more, in a purpose-built club under the professional care of well trained staff, allowing parents to relish some quiet time alone. Teens will be able to make new friends and play it cool at The Hub, as well as take part in golf clinics and the dance academy.

At a resort where indulgence blends authentic indigenous elements and international flair, the newly renovated Anantara Spa offers a wide selection of therapies including the signature Traditional Thai Massage in dedicated rooms, centuries-old Ayurveda rituals, and treatments using locally-sourced ingredients such as Algarvian citrus fruits, figs and almond powder. Healing continues through the wellness programme with yoga and tai chi sessions on offer. Keeping active on holiday is made easy with access to the 24-hour gym with dedicated Personal Trainers and tennis courts.

Anantara has worked with the local artisans TASA teams to design and develop unique products throughout the resort, showcasing the vibrancy of the region, and contributing to a more sustainable trade and workforce in this industry. Guests will be able to take part in workshops and make their purchases directly at the on-property boutique.

Culinary excellence is at the heart of the Portuguese culture. Using his deep expertise in Portugal’s culinary traditions, Executive Chef Bruno Viegas has woven his passion throughout Anantara Vilamoura’s six bars and restaurants. A new wine oriented restaurant concept comes to life at EMO, where Bruno and the resort’s Wine Guru António Lopes have masterfully created a menu that reflects the terroir heritage of the region. Focusing on Portuguese grape varieties and local produce, the duo elegantly pair dishes such as Braised Turbot, Salt Cod Loins and Pata Negra Ham with a selection of over 300 accompanying wines from the region, allowing diners to truly savour the tastes of the country.

The new lunchtime restaurant Ria will serve freshly caught fish and seafood emulating a traditional Marisqueira or seafood bistro commonly found along the secluded Ria Formosa lagoon, located a short distance away. The restaurant will showcase choice catches such as Quarteira Prawns, Goose Barnacles, and Wild Caught Turbot, with the Raw Bar serving ceviche and carpaccios from the Algarve. The fresh ocean produce will be paired with crisp white and rosé wines to round off guests’ alfresco dining experience. Poolside guests can enjoy this experience without having to leave their chaise longue as waiters will circulate the catch of the day within Algarvian wicker baskets and prepare them at the guests’ convenience.

Preserving the heritage of the hotel’s previous incarnation as Tivoli Victoria, the all-day dining restaurant Victoria carries on the legacy as a warm meeting place, gathering cultures and tastes in one place for refined à la carte or lavish buffet style dining.

Pool side dining at Palms Pool Bar comprises of classics such as Piri Piri tuna tartare, sardines and light bites, with guests at the adult pool bar Cascades being able to enjoy favourites from the new Ria menu and refreshingly delicious Champagne-based Sangria with Algarvian oranges.

The resort offers spectacular settings and venues for all types of events – from VIP dinners and weddings, to product launches and large scale conferences. The stand-alone Conference Centre has capacity for up to 800 people in its eight versatile meeting spaces, most with natural light, and offers direct access for both delegates and set up vehicles, as well as to the hotel car park.

Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts, part of Marriott International (NASDAQ: MAR), has opened The Meixi Lake Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Changsha, in China’s Hunan region. As the city’s first international luxury hotel, The Meixi Lake Hotel joins The Luxury Collection’s rapidly expanding portfolio in China, which currently includes the legendary Astor Hotel in Tianjin, Twelve at Hengshan and The Hongta Hotel in Shanghai, The Royal Begonia Resort in Sanya, The Azure Qiantang in Hangzhou, The Castle Hotel in Dalian and The Grand Mansion in Nanjing.

The Meixi Lake Hotel blends 3,000 years of history with modern urban culture and commerce. Set in the midst of the Meixi Lake Zone – a new area for business, retail and entertainment – the 52-story tower is situated next to The Mall of Splendors, Changsha’s new retail destination which overlooks the, Zaha Hadid-designed Meixi Lake International Culture & Arts Centre.

The hotel’s design is inspired by the poem “Journey to the Immortal Peach Garden” by Tao Yuanming, a piece of Chinese literature about a local fisherman who travels upstream and discovers a hidden paradise behind a grove of blossoming peach trees. Artistic elements and interior design echo the tranquillity and beauty of Tao’s secret utopian grove. From textured walls to recessed lighting to lush carpet – each area creates a transitional space. With exterior architecture by Callison RTKL, interior by HBA and all dining venues designed by Rockwell Group, the hotel’s aesthetic is the modern embodiment of Tao’s vision.

The Meixi Lake Hotel features 310 guest rooms, including six suites and a 3,000 square-foot Presidential Suite. Guests can enjoy views of the Yuelu Mountain and the Meixi Lake from their rooms. The hotel also offers a heated indoor swimming pool and a luxury spa with 14 treatment rooms, and almost 33,000 square feet of event space on the third level overlooking Meixi Lake including meeting rooms and a Grand Ballroom.

Guests can choose from four culinary experiences including the Lobby Lounge, a contemporary bar offering a selection of signature cocktails and authentic teas; The Field, an all-day dining restaurant; The Peach Garden, a farm-to-table concept that uses fresh ingredients for innovative Hunan and Cantonese specialties, and finally, the Chic & Twist on 5, a stylish steakhouse and wine cellar that transitions into a late night lounge with live music.

As part of The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts, the hotel will offer The Luxury Collection Concierge service to help guests explore and unlock the best of the destination. Each Luxury Collection Concierge is a bilingual, certified destination expert, proudly wearing the "clef d’or", the gilt insignia of the celebrated international concierge society, and eager to reveal the secret treasures of their city.

For more information, please visit www.LuxuryCollection.com/meixilak

 

River views ion newe Bangkok hotel

 

 

Rising above the banks of Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River, the world’s first purpose designed Avani hotel, Avani Riverside Bangkok Hotel, offers a blend of contemporary style and stunning views across the city.

From the top of the 26-storey hotel at the rooftop bar and pool, to the lobby, Avani Riverside gives guests a place to relax and unwind, and a base to start exploring nearby neighborhoods and popular tourist sites along the ‘River of Kings’.

On arrival guests are greeted by a view of the Chao Phraya River from the huge lobby, located on the eleventh floor. The open plan design blends reception, lounge, meeting, chill out and restaurant spaces. The interiors are spacious; the driving ethos is modernity, fused with comfort and great craftsmanship.

The interconnected communal spaces encapsulate the idea of mixing business with pleasure. Whether checking in or checking emails, here guests can connect with fellow travellers. The Long Bar serves a variety of refreshments, guests can enjoy sunrise breakfast or sunset dinner at Skyline and The Pantry serves a mix of comfort food and artisanal deli snacks around the clock. In addition the lobby also includes a secluded space for meetings or catching up with friends.

All of the hotel’s 248 guest rooms and suites, boast uninterrupted city and river views and attention has been given to guests wellbeing with all the elements required for a relaxing stay and a good night’s sleep.

The neutral décor is a blend of comfort and modernity, natural materials and high-tech equipment, along with extra conveniences such as a rain shower, dedicated work station with free WiFi and a media hub docking station. Each of the spacious River View Junior Suites features a bathroom with a view, outfitted with a freestanding tub where guests can soak whilst taking in the ever-changing river scene below and the glittering Bangkok skyline.

The rooftop space on the 26th floor is the ideal place to take in uninterrupted views of the city while relaxing at the infinity pool, enjoying a sundowner or hosting a business dinner in style.. A multi-purpose sunken lounge area located in the middle of the terrace has a retractable roof providing sunlight or shade, whatever the mood.

The new multi-purpose events complex on the 10th floor offers over 4,500 sq metres of flexible space for gala banquets for up to 1,300 guests or small intimate meetings and every option in between. It also offers an open kitchen - a highlight for any wedding, party or business function.

The hotel’s riverside location makes all of Bangkok’s attractions easily accessible. Shuttle boat services link to the Asiatique night market and entertainment complex, and also the BTS Skytrain at the central Saphan Taksin boat pier for swift connections to major commercial, shopping and entertainment districts. For those who prefer not to stray too far, Riverside Plaza adjoins AvanI Riverside Bangkok Hotel offering a variety of restaurants, bars and shops.

For more information of AVANI Riverside Bangkok Hotel please contact +66 (0) 2431 9100 or email reservations at riverside.bangkok@avanihotels.co

 

 

Secret hideaway for elite travellers

 

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The world’s elite travellers have a new secret hideaway to call home in Dubai, with the launch of Desert Palm Per Aquum’s Villa Layali. The villa takes Arabian luxury into strikingly imaginative territory. Villa Layali welcomes guests to a world where designer geometries and sensory pleasures await behind closed doors and patterns of light shift across courtyard walls and panes of water.

The three-bedroom 845-sqm villa hides amongst tall palm trees in a location some jet-setters will recognise as the site of the hotel’s original royal villa. The property’s original award-winning designer Isabelle Miaja brings her artistry to the new Villa Layali, evoking the Arabian avant-garde aesthetic that has set Desert Palm Per Aquum apart since its opening in 2008.

Just 15 minutes from Downtown Dubai, Desert Palm Per Aquum is one of the UAE’s better-kept secrets. The verdant resort hotel feels a world away from the urban energy and bustle. Set in a 160-acre polo estate, nature prevails and sophisticated design attracts the discerning. Travellers and in-the-know locals lounge amidst the peaceful grounds and rarefied surrounds.

Villa Layali takes the hotel’s intimate experience to an even more refined level. Guests arrive via a private entrance, strolling a Jordanian stone pathway adorned by water features and manicured hedges. Entering through high gates to the villa gardens and beyond to the inner luxuries, you are greeted by fountains, waterfalls and a 60-sqm swimming pool adorned in cool blue mosaic tiles.

The large courtyard evokes the sanctuary of a modern riad. Mashrabiya screens over the pool and all around the walls of the courtyard cast intricate shadows onto the pool blue and courtyard’s white tiled expanse.

Across the courtyard, the glass-enclosed Great Room entreats with its solid oak floor, private palm enclave, elevated terrace and impressive views of the championship polo field. The long oval marble table of the dining area sets a chic tableau, perfect for dinners created by a private chef. The adjacent kitchen comes extravagantly equipped, from its own wine fridge to a breakfast bar complete with leather bucket seats.

For gourmet nibbling, guests can choose their epicurean favourites from the villa’s fully stocked bounty of freshly baked breads, house-smoked meats, fish and fromagerie, as well as afternoon mezze. Decadent ice creams chill in the freezer, while waters, beers and wines are provided to be enjoyed with compliments. A bespoke leather cocktail-making set and LAYALI-created cocktail recipes cater to spirited sundowners – or ‘afternooners’.

Other fittings include a timber and brass writing desk, the globe candle lanterns of the courtyard and high-tech enhancements throughout. Ceiling-mounted BOSE speakers can be found in every corner of the villa, and personal remotes control mood lighting and sound to tailor the experience.

Natural light illuminates all three bedrooms, which overlook gardens of bougainvillea. Plush beds, fine linens and a menu of pillows beckon the deepest sleeps. Bedrooms connect to spa-like bathrooms with freestanding Bagnotec stone bathtubs, separate indoor and outdoor rain showers, twin stone basins and fog-free mirrors. REN and Eminence organic amenities add seductive aromas and soothing elixirs, while the bath salt menu offers an array of choices for sumptuous evening soaks. Tile patterns and bathroom textures add artistic touches, from minimalist Arabian patterns to bold, modern radial geometrics to classic marble.

During Dubai’s October to April polo season, the equestrian action takes place just metres from the villa. Its guests enjoy a VIP viewing platform from the Great Room’s balcony.

Villa Layali guests enjoy complimentary limousine transfer on airport arrival and departure, 24-hour stays (subject to availability), priority reservations for fine dining restaurant Rare and the acclaimed treatments at Lime Spa, as well as a private six-seat buggy for their own use to traverse the estate.

Upon booking Villa Layali, guests are contacted to select the wines and Champagnes they desire to have stocked in their private wine fridge, to prepare any personalised luxuries and to pre-book butler service and other exclusive on-request indulgences.

To make a booking or for more information about Villa Layali, please call +971 (0) 4 323 8888, email reservations.pdes@peraquum.com or go to www.peraquum.com/desertpalm

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