Win a Global Culinary Journey with Langham Hotels: Dine at the New Eight Restaurant in Auckland

Foodies, rejoice! There's a buzzworthy new restaurant in Auckland, New Zealand's City of Sails. Named for its eight kitchens, the new resto at The Langham inspires diners to take a culinary journey through world cuisine. From designer sushi prepared on demand to freshly baked naan bread pulled steaming from the tandoors, the $2 million (NZD) Eight Restaurant has a team of passionate chefs who will serve up what you're looking for. These diverse kitchens were named after different journeys. Think Silk Road (wok and dim sum), Spice Route (Indian tandoori and curries), Tōkaidō (sushi and sashimi), Route 66 (New York style grille), Great Ocean Road (seafood and oysters), Garden Route (salads), Champs-Elysées (pastries, crêpes and cheese), and Dessert Road (desserts).

Langham Hotels is celebrating the debut of Eight Restaurant with a competition where one lucky winner will snag an unforgettable prize: a Global Culinary Journey staying and dining at Langham Hotels worldwide. Each time you dine at Eight Restaurant, from now through April 25, 2011, you'll be entered for a chance to win:

· Three nights luxury accommodation at The Langham, Hong Kong dining at T’ang Court (2 Michelin stars) and also Ming Court (2 Michelin stars).

· Three nights luxury accommodation at The Langham, London dining at the newly-opened Roux at The Landau, the latest restaurant by the famed Roux brothers.

· Three nights luxury accommodation at The Langham Huntington, dining at The Royce by the acclaimed chef David Féau

· Return around-the-world economy airfares for two people from Auckland to Hong Kong, London and Los Angeles. (Full terms and conditions apply)

Winter Escapes: Get Room Upgrades and More at The Peninsula Hotels

Good news for all the luxury aficionados out there: The Peninsula Hotels group has brought back its popular "Winter Escapes" offer to its hotels worldwide, doling out value-added benefits to the delight of guests. Available until March 31, 2011, the special package combines great value on gorgeous guest rooms with a range of personalized benefits, ranging from room upgrades, spa treatments, culinary choices, airport transfers, and more. For example, at The Peninsula Hong Kong, choose between an upgrade to the next room category, one-way airport transfer, or holistic body massage for two at The Peninsula Spa by ESPA. Also included: daily American-style breakfast for two in The Lobby restaurant, complimentary wired and wireless Internet, and free local calls. "Winter Escapes" is available at The Peninsula Hong Kong, The Peninsula Shanghai, The Peninsula Tokyo, The Peninsula Beijing, The Peninsula New York, The Peninsula Chicago, The Peninsula Beverly Hills, The Peninsula Bangkok and The Peninsula Manila.

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Chauffeur-Driven Mini Coopers: Now Available at The Peninsula Hotels in Chicago and New York

The New Spa at Amanpulo, Amanresorts’ Private Island Retreat in the Philippines

Dreaming of a deserted tropical island? Powdery sand, turquoise water, a colorful coral reef, not a soul in sight? Those idylls do exist... Take, for example, Amanpulo, the private island retreat in the Philippines' Sulu Sea, accessible only by private charter flight. Amanresorts, the collection of dreamy hotels started by hotelier extraordinaire Adrian Zecha, does it right with ultra-luxe amenities and stellar hospitality. And it keeps getting better. Amanpulo has just debuted a brand spanking new spa, designed in native wood with ceilings layered in capiz (shell)..

Located on a slope above the treetops with views of the sea, the Aman Spa features six spa treatment rooms in three pavilions, each equipped with a deep soaking tub, dressing room and steam shower. There's also a Yoga and Meditation Pavilion, a Pilates Studio, a gymnasium with top-notch equipment, and a Finishing Salon for hair, hand and foot treatments. All with views of the sea, of course. In March, the spa will open two steam rooms with cold plunge pools. A spa valet will pick you up at your guest room and usher you to spa reception, or you can motor over to the spa yourself, as each casita comes with a private buggy for getting around the island. So spaaaah.

Sponsored Article: The Eugenia, a Colonial-Style Gem in Bangkok, Joins lebua Hotels & Resorts

Anyone who's ever stayed at lebua at State Tower-- the all-suite luxury hotel located in the second tallest tower in Bangkok on the banks of the Chao Phraya River-- has gleaned a thing or two about lebua Hotels & Resorts. The luxury boutique hotel operator specializes in creating new concepts in luxury hospitality; lebua at State Tower has Bulgari amenities and private balconies in every suite, plus mind-numbing views of the city from the Sky Bar and Sirocco Restaurant, one of the highest al fresco restaurants in the world. lebua also owns and manages the Tower Club at lebua (the pinnacle of luxury on the top floors of State Tower) and the award-winning Lake Okareka Lodge (an exclusive hideaway surrounded by the breathtaking scenery of Rotorua, New Zealand).

Just recently, lebua Hotels & Resorts welcomed a new addition to its elegant portfolio: The Eugenia, a refined Relais & Chateaux property in the heart of Bangkok. Situated in a graceful Colonial-style house, The Eugenia by lebua is a heritage gem reflecting the values of a bygone leisurely era in the tropics. Inside the suites, you'll find antique furniture and period decor dating back hundreds of years: four-poster beds, bath tubs made of hand beaten copper and aluminum alloy, beautiful desks.

Contemporary amenities are not lacking; think Wifi Internet access and free VOIP telephone calls, along with a complimentary afternoon fruit plate with soft drinks. Outside, a garden pool and teak deck beckons for rest and relaxation. As to be expected at a lebua property, the personalized service is exceptional. Pre-pay rates are available at The Eugenia by lebua for just $181.80 with Five Star Alliance.

The Peninsula Tokyo is Awarded “Best Asian Hotel”

Awards season is upon us. Not only are we getting our red carpet fix (celebrities in haute couture dripping Fred Leighton diamonds), but we're also getting the scoop on where to sleep around the world-- as top travel magazines are coming out with their lists of the world's best hotels. It's no surprise to see that The Peninsula Tokyo nabbed the award for "Best Asian Hotel" in Conde Nast Traveler's 2010 Reader's Choice Awards. The awards ceremony was held recently at the IAC Building in Manhattan and hosted by Angie Harmon and Liev Schreiber. The Peninsula's General Manager accepted the award from actress Kelly Rutherford. The Peninsula Tokyo deserves top honors-- for its in-room technology, jaw-dropping views, and hip hotel bar.

Book with Five Star Alliance and Get Free Stuff at the Shangri-La Hotel Beijing

The Shangri-La Beijing gets rave reviews for its luxe facilities (what a spa!) and customized guest experiences, like gourmet tours of the local markets with a hotel chef. Now you can test-drive the award-winning guest rooms with special rates with Five Star Alliance. And what rooms they are! Bed down in the Deluxe Valley Wing and you'll bask in the glory of floor-to-ceiling windows, walk-in closets, spa-like bathrooms, multiple flat-screen TVs, you get the idea... Book the Shangri-La Beijing with Five Star Alliance and you'll get Internet, daily breakfast, free round-trip airport transfers, laundry and dry-cleaning, plus one 60-minute spa treatment per person. Simply choose the "Five Star Alliance" rate when reserving your room.

Southeast Asia’s Top Chefs Head to Napasai Resort, Koh Samui for February Culinary Event

Napasai, an Orient Express resort on the north coast of Thailand's Koh Samui, is already known for its authentic Thai culinary delights. (Dishes like Gai Hor Bai Toey, fried chicken wrapped in pandanus leaves, and Gaeng Massaman Phed, duck curry with shallots, are seductive palate-pleasers.) Now the beachside resort is planning a culinary extravaganza sure to delight even the pickiest of eaters. From February 23-25, the resort will welcome six chefs from top restaurants across Southeast Asia: Alexis Voisin of La Residence d'Angkor, Cambodia; Nicolas Reynard of La Residence Phou Vao, Laos; Iain Murray of The Governor's Residence, Myanmar; Bansani Nawisamphan of Ubud Hanging Gardens, Bali; and Michele Greggio of Jimbaran Puri Bali.

Napasai's Executive Chef Gilles Galli gets lavish praise from award-winning chefs worldwide. As reported by Luxury Insider's Current Affairs blog, Marc Veyrat, "the first chef to receive a perfect grade of 20/20 in the Gault-Millau Guide," said: "Chef Gilles Galli is a key figure promoting French cuisine around the world and I am very proud to support him." All profits from the event will go to Thailand's Foundation for Slum Child Care.

Sofitel Debuts First New Five-Star Hotel to Open in Phnom Penh in a Decade

Travelers to Cambodia's capital will find a new luxury hotel available to rest their heads. The first new five-star property to open in Phnom Penh in over a decade, the Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra is situated in landscaped gardens overlooking the Mekong River in the city's old quarter. Close to major attractions, the colonial style hotel has 201 guest rooms, elegant restaurants and bars, a spa, two pools, a sports club, and conference facilities that are touted as the finest in the country.

A recent interview with General Manager Didier Lamoot in The Phnom Penh Post describes how the hotel's opening has ushered in a "fresh dawn in the capital" and a boom in Cambodian tourism:

When talking about Cambodia, people immediately think of Angkor Wat. And who can blame them? It is one of the world’s marvels. For the past dozen years, so much of the interest in Cambodia, for both the leisure and the corporate traveller, has been on Angkor Wat. There’s been so much attraction to Siem Reap — gravitational attraction, inevitable attraction — that Phnom Penh has been left with the second fiddle. But the second fiddle is now asking the first violin for some time on the main stage.

Market Tour, Dim Sum Cooking Class, Chef’s Table at Shangri-La Hotel Beijing

Foodies visiting Beijing will be interested to learn about an exceptional gourmet journey offered by the Shangri-La Hotel Beijing. Start off by learning insider's tips about the local market on a tour with one of the Shangri-La's chefs. Then partake in a Dim Sum cooking class and a Chinese tea ceremony, capped off with an exclusive five-course Chef's table showcasing the Chinese, Japanese, Western and International specialties from the hotel's award-winning restaurants, paired with fine wines. All while bedding down in pure luxury in a Valley Wing Premier Room for two nights. This "Gourmet Journey" also includes access to the exclusive Valley Wing Lounge, daily buffet breakfast plus one customized chef-prepared breakfast, round-trip limousine transfer to/from the airport, a 15% discount for treatments at CHI, The Spa, and a 10% discount for a local sight-seeing tour arranged by the Tour Desk. Priced from RMB 7,200 per night. Available through July 31, 2011, subject to availability. Minimum two-night stay required.

Live in Asia? Get a Discount at Bali’s Jimbaran Puri Resort

Jimbaran Puri Bali, an Orient-Express resort in Bali, just launched a promotion targeting residents of Asia. (Ex-pats, you qualify.) Bask in the sun on one of Bali's most beautiful beaches while getting spoiled rotten with the signature service that's made Orient-Express famous the world over. With the "Between Us" promotion, you'll get the lowest available prices when you stay two nights or more. We're talking a mere $205 per night including a sumptuous breakfast for two. Valid for stays until March 31, 2011. Just a few minutes away from the popular Jimbaran market, the resort offers uninterrupted sea views from luxury cottages nestled in lush gardens. Swimming conditions are ideal from the beach.