| CARRY ON Ecology meets luxury at Slovakia’s AquaCity AquaCity, “Europe’s number one carbon neutral resort”, in Poprad, eastern Slovakia, is really taking off, according to founder Jan Telensky. The health-spa-meets-water-park, fuelled by an underground spring, has the slogan “luxury that doesn’t cost you the Earth.” Luxury here means a “state-of-the-art cryotherapy chamber”, where you are exposed to temperatures of -120°F. Alleged benefits include improved circulation and easing of backache. AquaCity has two hotels and two restaurants, and there are plans to expand the 10 pools to 38, with total capacity rising to 10,000–15,000. As well as increasing numbers of Germans, Czechs and Brits, AquaCity recently hosted Brazil’s national water polo team, apparently proving that entrepreneurship and environmentalism can have a symbiotic relationship. HOTEL NEWS  The Lanesborough’s good call
London’s upscale Lanesborough hotel has announced that it is to offer free telephone calls to all landlines in the US and Europe, saying it will absorb the cost so guests still “get a perfect-quality BT line, rather than a scratchy internet-based one”. The St Regis-owned hotel says it also offers complimentary music, movies, WiFi, 24-hour butler service to every room and a staff-to-guest ratio of 2:1, one of the best in London. The nightly tariff for a deluxe double room to enjoy all these “complimentary” extras is €850. CARRY ON  Albania excels
The UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) reports that the country pocketing the most cash per tourist in 2006 was –drum roll– Albania. According to the UNWTO, Albania earned tourist receipts worth $17,500 (€12,850) for each arrival, which may be because freer-spending business travellers so outnumbered holidaymakers. The UN body says global tourism in 2007 is already higher than expected. From January through April, international arrivals worldwide rose by 6% to 252 million, up 15 million on the same period in 2006. Asia and the Pacific (+9%) achieved the strongest growth, followed by Africa (+8%), the Middle East (+8%) and Europe (+6%). The UNWTO forecasts worldwide growth in excess of 4% for 2007. TRAVEL NEWS  Silver service
Passengers travelling with all-business-class UK airline Silverjet can now benefit from a complimentary chauffeur service – if they book a fully flexible fare. The Luton-based carrier has introduced the free service for those buying the highest-priced tickets for its London to New York route. Passengers are eligible for a complimentary transfer within a radius of 60 miles of Luton Airport, while at the other end they can enjoy a fare-free taxi ride up to the value of $150 (€110) from Newark Airport. The qualifying fare for the free service is significantly higher than Silverjet’s lead-in fares, but as well as two free chauffeur drives, a flexible ticket allows for cancellations and changes at no charge. A standard ticket incurs charges of £200 (€295) for cancellations and £100 for changes.
www.flysilverjet.com CARRY ON Circular logic According to an article in the New York Times, Nova Rico, a company near Florence that has made globes for 50 years, is a master at accommodating geographic disputes. For Turkish customer, Cyprus is shown split in two, a division that Greek Cypriots do not recognise. On one globe, Chile is given parts of Antarctica that on another globe go to Argentina. And in much of the Arab world, Israel is nonexistent. Most of Nova Rico’s globes – the company produces more than a million a year – go to the European market and are of a standard type.
www.novarico.com HOTEL NEWS  London calling
Arora International Hotels has begun construction work on the £180m (€266m) 600-bedroom Sofitel London Heathrow, which will be one of Europe’s largest luxury airport hotels and convention centres. Due to open in March 2008, it will also be the only hotel at Terminal 5. As part of its strategy to develop a more modern image, Sofitel has been “harmonising its network” with major renovation at many properties. The Sofitel Berlin Gendarmenmarkt, which has just ended its joint branding with previous owner Dorint, will convert some rooms to suites next year to reinforce its position as one of the city’s top boutique business hotels.
www.sofitel.com HOTEL NEWS  Seasons greetings
The Four Seasons Hotel Alexandria has just opened in San Stefano, Egypt. It is the group’s first property in Egypt and the first Four Seasons located by the Mediterranean, which most guest rooms overlook. There are nine restaurants; the main one is Byblos, which offers a mix of Lebanese and French cuisine. Meanwhile, Four Seasons continues its suite-building frenzy. The Hotel des Bergues Geneva has added a Royal Suite after a six-month restoration costing a remarkably precise $2.455m (€1.8m). Meanwhile, the Four Seasons New York has opened its Ty Warner Penthouse, which at $30,000 per night has the dubious honour of being the costliest suite in America.
www.fourseasons.com |