Destinology World Wide Travel Blog

Valentine's Treat - Dinner for two onboard Concorde

Emma Morris — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:57:00 +0000

Fancy surprising that special someone this Valentine’s Day but haven’t got round to booking a table at your favourite restaurant yet? Well, here’s an idea that could make you very popular... a romantic Valentine's dinner for two on board Concorde!

All in the name of love, BA have launched an auction for the prize-winning Concorde dinner at Manchester Airport’s Visitor Park. The lucky couple will receive star treatment which includes red carpet entrance, a table for two in the main aircraft cabin, romantic lighting and decoration, a three course meal and a bottle of champagne.

This is definitely a prize worth bidding for and is sure to make this Valentine’s Day especially memorable - not many people can say they’ve had a private luxury dinner on board one of the world’s most famous supersonic jets!

Bidders can email their entry amount to valentines.concorde@ba.com but only have until midnight on Sunday 12th February to enter and they will be notified on February 13th – just in time for the big day.

We hope this auction is a big success, not only are all the proceeds going to Flying Start, British Airway’s global charity partnership with Comic Relief, but it’s a lovely romantic gesture that may even persuade women to ‘pop the question’ this Leap Year Valentine’s Day!

Leading Hotels of the World

Emma Morris — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:52:00 +0000

As the largest luxury hospitality organisation in the world, membership into the Leading Hotels of the World group is quite a big deal! Hotels and resorts around the world strive to show their excellence and distinction in the hope of being welcomed into this prestigious family.

To date, the group has over 430 of the world’s finest hotels, resorts and spas as members, including iconic hotels such as Maia Luxury Resort & Spa in the Seychelles, The Bellagio Towers Las Vegas and One&Only, The Palm in Dubai. But you don’t have to travel to the ends of the Earth to find a Leading Hotel of the World... just 16 miles away from our offices here in Horwich is the Rocco Forte Lowry Hotel, popular with footballers and other celebs staying in the city centre of Manchester.

The Leading Hotels of the World group also has an impressive presence elsewhere in Europe. Hotels such as the 5 Star deluxe Capri Palace Hotel & Spa combine the beauty of short haul destinations with luxurious accommodation, Michelin starred restaurants and world-renowned spas.

With so many beautiful, un-spoilt areas in Europe that are somewhat undiscovered by tourists, there are more and more luxury hotels gaining membership into the Leading Hotels of the World family.

On the sunshine island of Tenerife, the Gran Bahia Del Duque is a classic resort, popular with couples and families alike. The astronomic observatory on the hotels highest rooftop looks out over one of the cleanest skies in the world where the Moon, Jupiter, Saturn and the stars can be seen every night… quite a magical sight I bet!

Another Spanish hotel that has achieved this famous accolade is the Kempinski Hotel Bahia Resort on the sea-front of Marbella. Fashionable, attractive and spacious come to mind when thinking of this hotel and the little added extras such as welcome champagne and spa access makes for a perfectly relaxing holiday.

Across the Med, The Mezzatorre Resort & Spa in Ischia and Kivotos Hotel Mykonos are five star properties that have rightly earned their status as Leading Hotels of the World. The fort-like Mezzatorre Resort & Spa stands on headland, overlooking the Bay of San Montano and the 16th Century Tower housing rooms & suites finished to the highest standards. I can imagine James Bond staying at this hotel in a Deluxe Grand Suite Tower, wining and dining with a beautiful companion.

With such fabulous properties in Europe, just a few hours flight away these hotels are becoming real possibilities for many people seeking a luxury Europe holiday and many hotels in the group are perfect for families, who want luxury resorts without a long-haul flight, as well as couples needing a romantic escape.

Top 5 New Hotels in the Maldives

Helen Jones — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:25:00 +0000

The Indian Ocean is once again home to some of the newest and most divine resorts and hotels in the world, where luxury knows no bounds and your every whim is catered for in one of the most heavenly places on earth – sounds good to me!

We’ve put together a quick rundown of some of the latest new luxury hotels to launch in the Maldives in the last few months, with some ready to fling open their doors any day now – all bookable with us here at Destinology…

Dusit Thani Maldives – opens February 2012
Part of the renowned Dusit Hotels Group, Dusit Thani Maldives brings their signature Thai style and blends it beautifully into this idyllic Indian Ocean setting. 100 Beach Villas, Lagoon Villas and Ocean Villas, some with private pools, Ocean Pavilions and Beach Residences each feature the very latest in mod cons, and provide privacy and relaxation even for the most hardened of travellers. You simply can’t fail to be impressed by this sophisticated retreat, where glorious views across the ocean will make your eyes water with delight, and personal service is next to none.

Jumeirah Vittaveli – opened December 2011
The brand new resort Jumeirah Vittaveli has recently begun welcoming guests and is already receiving rave reviews not just for its fantastic location and chic design, but also for its attention to detail, service and range of amenities. As we have all come to expect from any property operated by the esteemed brand Jumeirah, guests here will want for nothing. Everything you need is right there on site, from a range of restaurants and bars offering fine international dining and beachside grills and drinks to a simply gorgeous Talise Spa, which is a real sanctuary for the senses, and offers a mind-boggling array of treatments, massages and therapies. So if the panoramic seas views of glistening blue waters don’t chill you out, a few minutes in the spa certainly will!

NIYAMA – opens late February 2012
NIYAMA, A Per AQUUM resort is just about ready to open its doors and welcome guests for the first time in late February 2012. This brand spanking new resort offers the very latest in contemporary chic with a modern Maldivian twist, with bright colours, cool lines and views to die for being the order of the day – every day! A fabulous array of eating and drinking options, including the Maldives' first underwater nightclub and ‘Destination Dining’, where privately arranged options including anything from eating aboard a sailboat to sipping champagne as the sun sets by candlelight with a gourmet beachside picnic. It’s touches like this that make this resort one of the most exciting new openings to hit the islands for some time.

Viceroy Maldives – opening April 2012
61 stunning villas offer guests at the newly opened Viceroy Maldives a truly unforgettable experience, where privacy is paramount, and the seclusion that each accommodation offers is second to none. Those wishing to escape the rat-race or just enjoy real peace and tranquillity will find it in abundance here. And my oh my will it be enjoyed in luxury. 32 villas are located over the water and a further 29 on the beach, each enjoying gorgeous views of the ocean and beyond. Private gardens with outdoor showers on the beach, daybeds, floor to ceiling windows and private plunge pools over the water, the list goes on!

Park Hyatt Hadahaa – reopened in 2011
Following a rebranding, Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa opened during 2011 to much aplomb. The epitome of luxury and Maldivian charm, the resort sits on a private island amidst the North Huvadoo Atoll, which is one of the largest and deepest in the world – excellent for divers of all abilities and home to some truly awesome marine life. With just 50 villas on the island, the resort promotes seclusion and serenity, and offers both private and group yoga classes to soothe body and mind. Perfect if your other half is off at the on-site PADI 5-Star Dive Centre enjoying the organised activities beneath the water!

Go on, spoil yourself with a luxury holiday in the Maldives – you know you want to.

Happy Mondays in the Travel Industry

Chris Jones — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:22:00 +0000

Apparently today is being billed ‘Happy Monday’ by psychologists as they claim most people would have booked their summer holiday over the weekend.

Thank Goodness that's the reason, as for one scary moment I was envisiging a day when we all come into work in oversized clothing singing Shaun Ryder songs in Manchester accents.

Banish that thought, as it's being called Happy Monday supposedly because many of us have received the first pay cheque of the year and now have a holiday to look forward to, according to the Daily Mail anyway. They quote Dr David Holmes, a senior psychologist at Manchester Metropolitan University, commenting that "We all go in to work on that Monday, 30 January, with renewed vigour, buoyed by the excitement of having money in the bank again and having one of the major family events of the year - the annual summer holiday - to look forward to.

"This is a day when we feel particularly happy" he continued.

Dr Holmes went on to suggest that this weekend just gone had been predicted to be the busiest of the year for travel agents and tour operators like ourselves, and we concur! The phones here have not stopped ringing, thanks as well to some of our terrific special offers which have seen prices dramatically cut and additions like free nights and half board upgrades applied.

So, if you are one of the people who hasn't booked your luxury holiday yet, now might be the perfect time to give us a call!

And don't forget, you can take a look at our luxury resort videos on our You Tube Channel.

Sandals Chairman Honoured with Top Awards

Chris Jones — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:39:00 +0000

Sandals Resorts and the company’s Founder and Chairman, Mr. Gordon “Butch” Stewart, have been honoured with top awards at the 2012 Travel Weekly Globe Travel Awards.

Stewart was presented with the prestigious ‘Outstanding Achievement Award’ during a glittering ceremony held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on January 25. The award was given to Stewart in recognition of his contribution to the travel industry and to the communities in which his company operates.

Collecting the award, Stewart said: “I am delighted to accept this award on behalf of the 10,000 people that work within the Sandals family."

A number of travel industry greats came together to congratulate Stewart on this fantastic achievement, including Amanda Wills, Managing Director of Virgin Holidays; Sue Biggs, formerly of Kuoni and Thomas Cook and now Director General of the royal Horticultural Society; and Guy Zitter, Managing Director, Mail Newspapers. They described Stewart as “blazing a trail”, having “impressive in spades” and “changing the face of tourism”.

In addition, Sandals Resorts won the prestigious ‘Best All Inclusive Resort Operator’ award and the company’s UK & European Managing Director, Karl Thompson was on hand to receive it.

“We are honoured that Sandals has been awarded ‘Best All Inclusive Resort Operator’ and this accolade is very important to us because it is voted for by the industry,” said Thompson. “We always strive for excellence and continue to invest enormous amounts of money to elevate and modernize the product.”

The Globe Awards are widely regarded as the pinnacle of the travel industry calendar. The integrity of the Globes is paramount to their success, as it remains one of the few award ceremonies where the winners are voted solely by the industry. To ensure the highest standards and the ultimate service is recognized it is travel agents who determine the winners.

These fantastic accolades build on previous successes for the Sandals brands at the Globe Travel Awards. Sandals Resorts was awarded ‘Best All-Inclusive Resort’ for 16 consecutive years, and was voted ‘Best Caribbean Hotel Group’ for ten consecutive years. At this year’s awards ceremony Sandals was also nominated for ‘Best Trade Sales Team’ and ‘Best Trade Friendly Brand’.

Win a luxury Maldives Holiday

Chris Jones — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:30:00 +0000

In case you’ve somehow missed it, we are giving away an amazing luxury holiday to the Maldives!

That’s right, all you need to do is guess which 5* deluxe resort we are offering as a prize, and enter our competition via Facebook.

The winner will then jet off for 7 nights in paradise with return Emirates flights from London Heathrow and return seaplane transfers from Male in the Maldives thrown in for good measure.

So, if you hop over to our Facebook page you can be in with a chance to win this amazing once in a lifetime dream luxury holiday! To help people guess the resort we are offering as a prize there is a series of clues published on our Wall to help you along the way.

It’s quite something, and we’ve promised that our prize will represent the pinnacle of luxury living – so this is something you most definitely do not want to miss out on.

Safari in South Africa

Emma Morris — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:01:00 +0000

As holiday-makers demand more from their luxury breaks and request ‘holidays with a difference’ we have seen a huge increase in the popularity of Safari Holidays and Game Reserve Adventures. South Africa has become a holiday playground for couples, families and even some members of the Royal Family who want to combine luxury boutique accommodation, unique wildlife safari’s and spectacular scenery.

The Shamwari Group boasts an exciting array of wildlife reserves and luxury lodges across South Africa, with enough activities, spa treatments and outstanding restaurants to suit everyone’s tastes and needs. Nevertheless, it’s no surprise that the main reason people visit South Africa is for the game reserves and safari rides while on the hunt for spectacular wildlife!

Game drives at the Nkomazi and Shamwari Game Reserves are most popular at dawn and dusk, when the animals are most likely to be roaming the lands freely. With an expert game ranger to guide you through the open grasslands you can spend up to four hours exploring the plains and watching the wonders of The Big 5. Whether you get to see a parade of Elephants, the famous While Rhino or the elusive Leopard this is an experience of a lifetime which you won’t want to miss!

And if you are lucky enough to spot the most dominating predators that roam the safari desert, Lions or Buffalo, you will be amazed by their imposing presence but also their beauty… have your cameras at the ready!

So after an exhilarating early morning or sunset game-drive what else can you enjoy in the Shamwari Resorts? At Jock Safari Lodge you can unwind in the fully equipped Relaxation Retreat complete with sauna, steam room & hydrotherapy bath before disappearing to the comfort of the luxury thatched-roof rooms with private plunge pools.

The 5 star luxury tented accommodation at Komati Lodge, part of the Nkomazi Game Reserve, really lets you become acquainted with nature. The privacy of each tent means you can relax in the outdoor bath tub or explore the meandering pathways and South African plains.

And there’s more… the Sanbona Wildlife Reserve, just three hours outside of Cape Town, is one of the only places where the endangered White Lions and Riverine Rabbit can be found. Within this reserve the Gondwana Family Lodge most suits those with children. They have organised wildlife trails, star gazing and bead making classes, family puzzles and swimming activities for children of all ages.

It seems the Shamwari Group is quite amazing at creating perfect, unique holidays and at protecting and caring for the animals in the reserves… that’s quite an achievement!

World Travel Awards 2011 – The Grand Final

Helen Jones — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 10:27:00 +0000

The World Travel Awards Grand Final was held in Doha last week, and saw the very crème de la crème of the travel industry worldwide awarded for their excellence.

Recognised by many as being the ‘Oscars of the Travel Industry’ by the Wall Street Journal, this ceremony marked the end of a year-long search for the very best that travel has to offer, and was selected by a range of esteemed industry professionals and consumers.

A plethora of gongs was handed out on the night, most notably to Jumeirah, who took home the prestigious World Excellence in Service award, and Etihad Airways, who landed the World’s Leading Airline award for the third year in a row.

There were no surprises in the All Suite Hotel category – the palatial Burj Al Arab took this honour, for the seventh time in the 13 years of the category’s history! It also happily took home the overall World’s Leading Hotel gong on the night too for the seventh year running!

Trou Aux Biches in Mauritius, which was re-opened at the end of 2010 after an extensive refurbishment, won the award for World’s Leading Beach Destination, while the World’s Leading Eco Resort & Spa was awarded to Thailand’s Soneva Kiri by Six Senses, and World’s Leading Eco-Lodge went to Sanbona Wildlife Reserve – Dwyka Tented Lodge in South Africa.

Jamaica was the surprise winner of the World’s Leading Honeymoon Destination prize, the first time it has taken home the award since 2001, but it remained in keeping with this category’s history of always going to a Caribbean destination, with previous winners being Barbados, Antigua & Barbuda, and most prolifically of late, St Lucia.

Jebel Ali Golf Resort & Spa was awarded the World’s Leading Family Resort award, while Mardan Palace in Turkey won the World’s Leading Luxury Resort prize, and One&Only The Palm in Dubai was awarded World’s Leading New Resort.

All in all it was a fantastic night for world travel, and we are delighted that so many of our hotel and airline friends were honoured for their services to the industry.

Dubai is the place to be for luxury holidays

Chris Jones — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:31:00 +0000

So, this is the perfect place for me to tell you about our incredible Dubai Sale !

We have some fabulous discounts of up to £175 per person so what better time than now to grab yourself a luxury break whilst prices are at an all time low!

Here’s another reason to visit Dubai with Destinology:

According to recently released statistics, Dubai is one of the safest places you can visit on earth with serious crime rate index falling to below 1 per 100,000 residents according to Dubai Police. That’s quite some statistic! Dubai Police Chief, Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim announced his"great satisfaction" with this improved perception of public safety adding that the index puts Dubai “right at the top when it comes to security”

He went on to say that this rapid decline was the result of extensive security programmes conducted by Dubai Police last year including some forward thinking social initiatives.

This spells great news for us here in the travel industry seeing as Dubai is one of our most popular luxury holiday destinations and one we’re proud to promote. as you see from our holiday offers we can also offer a wealth of outstanding Dubai luxury hotels and some of the most competitive rates in the industry.

So, what are you waiting for?

Charming Cities of Thailand

Emma Morris — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:35:00 +0000

The vast & cosmic country of Thailand has so much to offer I could spend weeks writing about it. With its cosmopolitan cities, luxury beach resorts & mountain hideaways you can experience very different holidays all in this one country, and there’s more things to see & do than you could imagine! Thankfully, I’m not going to get everything into one article, but this is the first of four blogs about ‘Amazing Thailand’ which we will feature throughout 2012.

Perhaps the most famous city in Thailand is its capital – Bangkok. It perfectly combines ancient traditions and history with modern trends and contemporary life through its attractions, markets, restaurants and just its sheer size! The gleaming spires of the Grand Palace and the surrounding temples are just one of the visually spectacular attractions that are very highly recommended, although there is a dress code policy with it being one of Thailand’s most sacred sites.

Aside from the historical charms of Bangkok, it is also bustling with modern, exciting markets, shopping malls and entertaining nightlife. You can enjoy dinner while cruising down the Chao Phraya River or explore the wonders of the Chinatown district. Shopaholics will love the CentralWorld Shopping Mall with its 500 plus stores and 100 restaurants & cafes, all within a luxury air conditioned hideaway. The street markets of Bangkok are also famous, especially the Chatuchak Weekend Market, filled with an enormous variety of clothes, crafts, pets, collectibles, furniture & antiques – unsurprisingly, it can be quite chaotic!

In Chiang Mai, despite being Thailand’s second largest city, the atmosphere is much more peaceful and calm when compared to Bangkok. The warm Thai Culture can be found everywhere in Chiang Mai from its friendly locals, traditional architecture and beautiful natural landscapes. This cultural feel combined with luxury hotels such as The Chedi Chiang Mai and Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi makes for a perfect holiday. You can enjoy indulge in the comfort of your hotel or explore the city and find local restaurants and bars that offer fantastic value for money!

If you fancy visiting somewhere a bit different then Kanchanaburi will not disappoint. As home to the famous Bridge on the River Kwai, part of the Death Railway, and the Three Pagodas Pass this city has heaps of history and interesting sites to explore. The Three Pagodas Pass that divides Thailand and Myanmar by a gap in the mountains has been visited by thousands and is highly rated on Tripadvisor.

Elephant’s World in Kanchanaburi is a unique sanctuary offering care for old and neglected elephants. You can choose to visit for the day or even stay overnight in one of the on-site cottages, allowing you to see the elephants in a natural habitat anytime of the day. If you can’t make it to Elephant World you may be lucky enough to see wild elephants bathing in the River Kwai close to the city centre.

This just only a teaser of some of the wonderful activities and attractions available in Thailand’s cultural cities and it’s certainly near the top of places I’d like to go to in the not-so-distant-future. Holidays to Thailand are often designed as multi-centre breaks, meaning you can visit all these wonderful places in one trip!