The Luxury Hotel Insider: Exclusive luxury hotel deals, features and special rates from the luxury hotel experts at Five Star Alliance. Safe Travels from Five Star Alliance: Happy Memorial Day Weekend
May 22, 2009
By: Mary Winston Nicklin
Wishing you a fun Memorial Day weekend from all of us at Five Star Alliance. We'll be back soon with all the latest news and hottest deals on luxury hotels worldwide... (Pictured: The heaven-on-earth of Le Meridien Tahiti.)
Discover London for Less at Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel
May 5, 2009
By: Alison Victor
Situated in the exclusive village of Belgravia in Knightsbridge, one of London's most prestigious shopping districts, is the ultra luxurious Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel. Known for its elegant surroundings and personalized service, Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel is perfect for anyone visiting this bustling city: families and business travelers alike. Book now through July, and you can stay in their luxuriously appointed deluxe room, with complimentary Internet and continental breakfast daily for around 250 GBP.
Special offer from Five Star Alliance: Guests who make their reservations through Five Star Alliance for Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel will receive a Welcome Card from the General Manager, a Temple Spa Gift worth 35 British pounds and possible room upgrade on check-in if available.
By: Alison Victor
Five Star Alliance Deals: Free Third Night in San Francisco at the Westin St. Francis
April 13, 2009
By: Mary Winston Nicklin
Now's your chance to score a free third night in the City by the Bay at the hotel praised for its panoramic views and stellar cuisine (the high-end resto that started it all for Michael Mina). Not to mention the perfect setting directly on San Francisco's Union Square! The Westin St. Francis is offering a special package with a complimentary third night's stay. This hot offer is just one of the many fab deals found on Five Star Alliance's new page of luxury travel deals.
Bail-Out Packages, Hotel Discounts, and Hot Deals with Five Star Alliance
April 9, 2009
By: Mary Winston Nicklin
Fans of luxury value, rejoice. In addition to our daily blog-- chock full of deals and promotional specials at the best hotels worldwide-- we've just launched a page with stellar luxury travel deals, hand-picked by our team at Five Star Alliance. How does a free night in San Francisco sound? Or complimentary gourmet eats, or airport transfers? Check it out here.
Rosewood Hotels and Resorts Welcomes Sand Hill to the Family
April 9, 2009
By: Alison Victor
Rosewood Hotels and Resorts, known for such ultra-luxury properties as Little Dix Bay in Virgin Gorda, and The Carlyle in New York City, has recently opened the doors on its newest property, Rosewood Sand Hill. Situated on 16 pristine acres in Menlo Park California, Sand Hill promises to stay true to the Rosewood concepts: Exceptional architecture, flawless service, and the integration of local culture to create an enhanced guest experience. Amenities include a heated outdoor pool and hot tub, luxury spa and spa boutique, arcaded gardens, and a fine dining restaurant that utilizes an open artisan, wood burning kitchen. To celebrate their debut, Sand Hill will be offering up one night, deluxe accommodations for 225 to 250 USD.
By: Alison Victor
Countryside Luxury at Hertelendy Kastely
April 8, 2009
By: Alison Victor
Looking for luxurious accommodations off the beaten path? Look no further than Hertelendy Kastely in Kutas, Hungary. This beautiful resort is located on 150 acres of lush countryside, and is great for any type of traveler. Hertelendy Kastely is essentially a 14 room castle and accompanying Hunters Lodge with 6 fully equipped apartments.
Book here now through May, and you can stay for under 200 Euro a night. This not only includes staying in one of the beautiful apartments, but also many of the hotel's activities, including tennis, a sauna with hot and cold water tub, steam bath, deck chairs and towels by the swimming pool, bicycles, garden chess, free car parking, and daily refill of the minibar with soft drinks.
By: Alison Victor
Have Child, Will Travel In Luxury
March 18, 2009
By: Alison Victor
When planning a family vacation, it seems a top priority for people is finding a hotel that really aims to please all age groups. In fact, on a daily basis I get calls and emails from people wanting to know where to find the best child friendly hotels this world over. My recommendation is to check the World's Best Child Friendly Hotels list on the Five Star Alliance homepage. Not only does it give you many great options, but breaks it down by region, too. For example: If you were planning a luxury getaway to Rome, you would find Rocco Forte Hotel de Russie, a five-star resort in the heart of Rome. The hotel has a fabulous Children's Program, offering a variety of activities and a special welcome gift upon arrival. Rocco Forte Hotel de Russie will also provide child care and babysitting options so the adults may enjoy a romantic dinner or day out in the city.
By: Alison Victor
An Interview with the Concierge: Alessio Nuzzi of Castello del Nero
February 19, 2009
By: Editorial AdvisoryBoard
Five Star Alliance interviews the concierge at Castello del Nero, the magnificent castle-hotel, dating from the 12th century, nestled on a 400-hectare private game reserve in Tuscany...
Which restaurant do you recommend the most often and why? Who is it best for?
LA TORRE Restaurant, at Castello del Nero, is the best in the area with an unique view to the Tuscany hills . The chef's expertise of using the best local ingredients to discover new tastes and sensations – all accompanied by the excellent selection of Tuscan and Italian wines.
What activity do you recommend the most often?
The cooking class with our chef, our ESPA, hot air balloon rides and chianti tours with wine/oil tasting, outlet Shopping.
Do you have any Do's and Don'ts for travelers to the hotel and the city?
There are no don'ts only do for example visit Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, Pisa our ESPA, restaurant, cooking class, bikes tour
Because you are in a major international tourism destination, what kinds of language problems come up?
A Multilingual staff in all hotel departments has been able to assist all international guests.
Do you have any regular celebrity/famous guests?
Yes, they appreciate the tranquility of our location together with the wide range of activity and excellence of comfort and service.
What types of things have you been unable to do for guests?
All requests have been fulfilled for now. We put great attention in personalizing the service according to needs.
What are the things that you wish guests knew about the Concierge?
The Front Desk staff is available to managing any requests our guests may have.
How big is the Concierge staff at the hotel? The front desk staff.
What is your personal favorite part of the hotel?
The location, the rooms, the ESPA, the Restaurant, the Terrace, (in one word - everything).
Mobil Travel Guide Announces 2009 Winners
February 3, 2009
By: K. Clare Johnson
The results are in! This year's distinguished Five-Star winners in the Mobil Travel Guide in the US and Canada include 44 lodgings, 20 restaurants and 8 spas, while outstanding Four-Star winners span 137 lodgings, 159 restaurants and 95 spas. So, which Five Star Alliance properties made the cut? Here's the list of the North American Five Star Alliance properties that were Five-Star winners.
Ritz Carlton Naples Golf Resort
Trump International Hotel Tower
The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island
To view the whole list of winners (four-and five star) visit the Mobil Travel Guide.
By: K. Clare Johnson
Happy New Year!
December 31, 2008
By: Mary Winston Nicklin
Wishing you a happy new year from all of us at The Informed Traveler and Five Star Alliance. And tonight, we'll be enjoying one extra second because-- as the New York Times points out-- "the international authorities charged with keeping precise time will add a single second to our lives," the 24th "leap second" since 1972:
If that doesn’t sound like a big deal, consider that in one second a cheetah can dash 34 yards, a telephone signal can travel 100,000 miles, a hummingbird can beat its wings 70 times, and eight million of your blood cells can die. As the saying goes, every second counts. In the case of leap seconds, that is especially true. Leap seconds are needed to reconcile two very different ways of measuring time.
PS. Missed the fabulous celebrations in Rio (pictured at right)? You can still hit up Carnival at the Copacabana Palace, an "extraordinary visual and audio extravaganza."
