Luxury Supplement 2011

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August 2011

Your one stop guide

to all the latest news and developments in Luxury Holidays

Produced by

www.travelbulletin.co.uk

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All about

Luxury Holidays I

t’s been a year since the last All About Luxury Holidays supplement when I wrote about the air of austerity that had a stranglehold on the great British public’s spending habits, forcing many to take a second look at how much they spend on their annual holidays.

Fast forward 12 months and the situation hasn’t improved a great deal, with the travel industry experiencing one of its latest ever booking markets.

However, chatting to a few luxury operators, it seems people who always opt for the five-star experience are still doing the same but just shaving the cost off certain parts of the holiday, for example, flying economy instead of business class.

And while people still want their little luxuries, operators are seeing an increase in people looking for an experience-led holiday where they get to the heart of a country, visiting local communities, and in some cases, doing their bit to help them, particularly in destinations such as Africa.

As a consequence, the luxury safari holiday is performing well, with operators adding new lodges and destinations. The as-yet-undiscoverd (by tourists) country of Malawi is looking to grab its share of the safari market with new lodges opening up, while a new walking safari camp has set up shop in Zambia. Turn to page 7 to find out what the old favourites are up to and what the new arrivals have to offer.

Spa hotels have certainly evolved over the years and now they offer everything from pedicures to botox with a few wellness programmes thrown in.

To get the lowdown on the movers and shakers in the world of health and wellbeing, turn to page 12.

Parents really want a little bit of luxury on their two-week summer holiday these days and it seems the high-end hotels are rolling out the red carpet for the parents and their mini VIPs. On pages 16-19, we look at what families get expect from the fivestar resorts in terms of kids’ clubs and activities.

So remember, a big luxury holiday booking translates into good commission for you so you make sure you know the market, so you too can enjoy a taste of the high life with your extra earnings!

Angela Cronin Supplements editor

CONTENTS 4 What’s New

7 Safaris

12 Spa Holidays

16 Family Holidays

Published by

Lower Ground Floor, University House, 11-13 Lower Grosvenor Place, London SW1W 0EX Tel: 020-7834 6661 Publisher: Jeanette Ratcliffe Written and researched by: Angela Cronin Email: angelacronin2003@yahoo.co.uk Design/Layout: Ranganath GS & Prashanth AP Printed by: Wyndeham Heron Limited Cover Picture: iStock ISSN: 0956-2419

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Luxury What’s Holidays new

What’s new Upmarket operators look to 2012 with new tours that combine luxury experiences with adventures into lesser-known regions, the latest family tours, adult-only hotels and some real red-carpet treatment The new water suite on the private island of Velassaru in the Maldives

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All about Luxury Holidays

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What’s Luxury Holidays new Cox and Kings Cox and Kings has launched its new-look India brochure for 2012 featuring a comprehensive range of group and private tours, and expanded tailor-made sections.

New in the India programme is the 13day, expert-led Gujarat’s Untamed Wilderness tour which explores the wilderness of the most westerly state in India and visits the only sanctuary for Asiatic lions in the subcontinent, with prices from £4,995 per person.

Also new is the 13-day Village Walks in the Himalaya, which ends with a three-night stay on a working tea estate in Darjeeling.

Prices start at £3,095 per person.

The expanded tailor-made section of the brochure gives suggestions for exploring beyond India’s Golden Triangle such as Gwalior and there are new tailor-made travel pages for Sri Lanka, recommending tea plantations, wildlife reserves and ancient cities in the cultural triangle, and the best accommodation to stay in, to experience these regions.

The 12-day Sri Lanka: Wonders of the World private tour is also new for 2012 and offers an introduction to Sri Lanka’s diverse birdlife, flora, wildlife and marine life. Prices start at £2,495 per person.

Prestige Holidays The upmarket operator has put its dedicated winter Canary Islands brochure online, offering features including the option for agents to email pages direct to clients, print PDFs and post information on social networking sites.

It’s the first time Prestige has put an

entire brochure online and is keen to get agents feedback on the brochure. To flick through the brochure, log on to http://bit.ly/m6z8D2 Audley Travel Audley have launched their biggest ever Southeast Asia brochure featuring a wide range of products in Burma, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

New tours exploring the lesser-known areas of Burma, Vietnam, Laos and the Philippines have been introduced along

In brief Discover Egypt is offering winter sun savings on holidays to Jordan and Egypt due to the new low-cost flights now available from Easyjet to Luxor and Amman.The Classic Jordan’ seven-night tour now leads in at £1,499 per person, down from £2,199, while the 15-night Spectacular Egypt and Jordan has been reduced to £1,999 per person, down from £2,599. All prices include flights, transfers and tour as per itinerary, plus bed and breakfast accommodation in four or five star hotels.

The Saint Lucian resort of Jade Mountain is offering guests the chance to learn to scuba dive in the privacy of their own rooms, known as sanctuaries, which all have their own private infinity pools. In-suite divers are provided with custom made, rubber protected tanks to enable them to be taken into the infinity pools. A beginner’s scuba course is available from US$ 95 per person plus 10% service charge. Caribtours offers seven nights at Jade Mountain from £3,615 per person staying in a Star Sanctuary including breakfast. Price includes return scheduled flights with private transfers and use of private lounge at Gatwick.

Universal Resorts has unveiled a new water suite as the latest class of accommodation at its five-star private island resort of Velassaru in the Maldives. The suite has an outside terrace with a gazebo, an over-sized infinity pool, a decked sun-lounging veranda with steps leading down to the ocean. Guests to the suite are catered for by a private butler available 24 hours a day. In-villa daily breakfast and bespoke dining experiences are also there to be taken advantage of on request. Prices start at £912 per room per night.

Design Hotels has opened its first new property in Croatia. The 248-room Hotel Lone in the exclusive Monte Mulini neighbourhood of Rovinj has been built to resemble a sleek white ocean liner floating on the hillside. The hotel offers a wide range of places to wine and dine including three restaurants, three bars and a night club. It also features a Mediterranean-inspired wellness centre, a 600-seat auditorium and nine other meeting and conference spaces.

Centara Hotels and Resorts has unveiled plans to soft open its second property in Ao Nang in Krabi Centara Anda Dhevi Resort and Spa Krabi offers 135 rooms and suites, each room offering a furnished balcony or terrace and a spacious private bathroom.

The hotel group, Thailand’s largest operator of hotels, has opened two new hotels in Pattaya, bringing its total of properties in the ocean resort city to three. The 79-room Nova Hotel and Spa Pattaya is part of the Centara Boutique Collection brand, while Centra Pattaya Resort is part of the Centra Hotels and Resorts mid-range brand.

Meanwhile, Centara is opening a new hotel in Bangkok in the second quarter of next year. The Centara Watergate Pavillion Hotel and Spa Bangkok, a four-star property located at Rachaprarop and above the Watergate Pavillion shopping complex, is being developed at an investment cost of approximately £14 million.

All about Luxury Holidays

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Luxury Holidays What’s New

Luxury at sea

with new accommodation options in the coast of Cambodia and in the northeast.

A section on family travel in its Thailand packages with suggestions for elephant experiences, cookery lessons, cycling and kayaking, with accommodation options including eco lodges and home-stays. In Malaysia, prices are slightly down on last year with a two-week Classic Malaysia tour taking place in Malacca and George Town leading in at £2,900.

A 14-day family adventure in Thailand costs from £1,995 per person.

Virgin Limited Edition Virgin Limited Edition has put together an Escape to Morocco offer which is available from 1 September 2011 to 31 March 2012.

The three-night break includes accommodation at Sir Richard Branson’s Kasbah Tamadot in the Atlas Mountains, daily breakfast, three-course, a la carte dinner including half a bottle of house wine per person every day, private transfers between Marrakesh and the Kasbah Tamadot.

Prices lead in at €865 per person for three nights.

The operator also has a festive season offer for people looking to escape to warmer climes. A three-night Christmas offer for the Kasbah Tamadot, arriving on 23 or 24 December, includes Christmas Eve dinner, Christmas Day

lunch and afternoon tea. Activities include an excursion to the souk in the village of Asni, wine tasting, a one-hour mule ride and a two-hour trek.

Prices lead in at £1,208 per person for three nights over Christmas, with a three-night new year break arriving on 30 or 31 December costing £1,347 per person. This includes a New Year’s Eve gala dinner with fireworks and entertainment, New Year’s Day brunch and afternoon tea.

Superbreak Superbreak has unveiled its 2011/12 Luxury hotel programme under a new name – Luxury Breaks.

Previously known as the Luxury Hotel Collection, the operator has increased its focus on packaged luxury breaks such as spa and golf in the new brochure and the name has been changed to reflect this.

The entire brochure has had a redesign and 44 new hotels have been added, bringing the total now featured to 194 across 120 locations.

The new hotels include the five-star Rocpool Reserve, Inverness, the five-star Raithwaite Hall, Whitby and the five-star Missoni Edinburgh hotel, Edinburgh.

The operator has more than doubled number of spa packages featured in the brochure and there is an increased focus on golf packages with six new breaks. ■

LUXURY CRUISELINE SEABOURN has launched its 148-page The Cruise Collection featuring 212 voyages for 2012 and the first quarter of 2013 along with a separate pull-out pricing guide for the first time.

The launch earlier this year of Seabourn Quest means the cruiseline now has six ships offering sailings for next year Andrew Magowan, vice-president, sales and marketing EMEA, says there are a number of new offerings for next year. “The Cruise Collection’s new itineraries include Seabourn Spirit’s 10-day itineraries sailing round-trips from Venice to the Adriatic and Dalmatian coasts.

“Seabourn Spirit’s sister ship, Seabourn Legend, will offer two different, 10-day itineraries between Rome (Civitavecchia) and Monte Carlo. Also new is a series of cruises exploring Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia on board Seabourn Odyssey.”

There are a number of new ports of call in the Mediterranean including the Maltese island of Gozo; San Antonio on Ibiza; Lemnos and Chania in the Greek Isles and Larnaca in Cyprus.

In the Caribbean, Seabourn Spirit will operate two new seven-day voyages between St Martin and Barbados. In South America, Seabourn Sojourn will start 2012 with a series of Patagonian cruises and operate a pair of early 2013 cruises that will explore the Amazon. Seabourn Quest, will depart from Fort Lauderdale on 6 January on its 116-day world voyage.

Agent Focus Cox and Kings The bespoke luxury operator has put together a number of incentives for agents selling Cox and Kings holidays this month and next.

Any agent booking a Cox and Kings holiday before 30 September will receive a £20 John Lewis voucher. One lucky agent will win an iPad, which will be randomly drawn from all the bookings.

As part of a wider campaign, Cox and Kings has teamed up with Turismo Chile to offer agents a £75 case of wine for any bookings made to Chile before 31 October.

The operator is also running a 6

competition, which is open to everyone, to submit their photos of Chile for a chance to win a £6,000 holiday to Chile. For more details, log on to coxandkings.co.uk/chilecompetition-details.

Prestige Holidays Prestige is hosting four roadshows this October following on from the success of last year’s.

The first one will take place in Edinburg on October 10, then Stone on October 11, Ipswich on October 12 and Bristol on October 13. There will be exhibitors from Croatia, Bermuda and Turkey.

Cox and Kings features tours of Kerala in its new India programme that include overnight stays on houseboats

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Safaris Luxury Holidays

The wild life The luxury safari product is vast and varied in Africa with lodges always looking out for new ways to develop the experience. This year, there are new walking safaris in Zambia, lodges opening in Malawi and festive safari packages in South Africa

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asking in the spotlight of a visit from the White House’s first lady Michelle Obama, Makanyane Safari Lodge in South Africa’s malaria-free Madikwe Game Reserve is accustomed to rolling out the red-carpet treatment for all its guests.

Situated just an hour’s flight from Johannesburg in the Madikwe Game Reserve, the lodge is housed in 1,800 hectares of privately owned land and has eight lavish suites, all with large glass walls offering panoramic views of the game reserve and private sundecks.

The lodge’s morning and evening game drives offer guests the chance to get up close to the big five and a myriad of other animals and bird species.

Makanyane has also carved out a reputation for its quality of food, that blends European and African flavours, with dishes made from fresh local produce.

The lodge also welcomes children under 12 during the school holidays and provides a number of activities to keep them entertained, including educational activities such as basic game walks, teaching survival skills and a junior guiding course.

General manager Garth Kew said popular demand prompted the lodge to welcome children during the school holidays. He says: “To maintain Makanyane’s exclusive feel, we will have separate game drives for families.

We have also devised a Makanyane Pups Junior Ranger Course, where over six days, children can learn how to be a ranger and survive in the bush.”

Sample product: Azure Collection offers a package based on four nights at Makanyane Safari Lodge on a full-board basis and three nights at the Palace of the Lost City on a bed-and-breakfast basis. Prices are from £4,165 per person and include transfers and flights.

How to book: tel: 01244 322 770, email sales@azurecollection.com or visit www.azurecollection.com Tswalu Kalahari For safari on a big scale, Rainbow Tours recommends Tswalu Kalahari, one of South Africa’s largest private game reserves, in the Northern Cape.

Accommodation is in eight thatched suites – two of which have two bedrooms, ideal for families – or a five-bedroom villa which is suitable for larger groups.

The reserve’s 100,000 hectares of Kalahari grasslands offer a diversity of habitats and 80 species of mammals. Highlights include meerkats, cheetahs, wild dogs, black-maned Kalahari lions, Hartmann’s mountain zebras, the elusive aardvarks, aardwolfs, pangolins and many rare antelope such as roan, sable and tsessebe.

A walking safari at Sanctuary Zebra Plains

All about Luxury Holidays

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Luxury Holidays Safaris

Makanyane Safari Lodge in South Africa offers a programme of activities for junior rangers

Sample product: Rainbow Tours offers a four-night safari at Tswalu’s Motse Lodge from £3,495 per person. The price includes all flights, all meals and beverages, two daily game drives, horseback and walking safaris, baby-sitting service, laundry and valet services.

How to book: rainbowtours.co.uk; tel: 020 7226 1004

and Chibembe Rivers in the South Luangwa, the park that walking safaris first made their debut.

Sample product: Exsus Travel offers five nights for £3,440 for the first person and £2,540 for the second person and includes flights, meals, drinks, park fees, laundry and two walking safaris per day.

How to book: exsus.com; tel: 0207 337 9010

Sanctuary Zebra Plains A new kid on the block, Sanctuary Zebra Plains is a walking safari camp that opened in June.

Sanctuary Retreats offers an authentic walking safari in Zambia where guests can explore the wilderness of Zambia by foot with the help of experienced guides.

Accommodation is in luxurious classic under-canvas-style tents.

The base lodge is perched on a sand bank at the confluence of the Luangwa

Ulusaba Private Game Reserve Luxury knows no bounds at Sir Richard Branson’s private lodge in South Africa with three different lodges catering for couples and families.

This year, Ulusaba Private Game Reserve is offering Brits the chance to swap Christmas in the UK for a festive safari experience at the Ulusaba Private Game Reserve in Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve on the border of the Kruger National Park.

The right mix FOR FAMILIES WHO like a mix of many experiences on their holidays, the Cape Combo could be the perfect solution for them as it is a great combination of South Africa’s Eastern and Western Cape.

Three nights at award-winning gourmet retreat Le Quartier Francais in the Franschhoek village in the Cape Winelands kicks off the itinerary. On arrival, children receive ‘very important kids’ packs along with Wii consoles in their rooms.

They are invited for chocolate tastings and to meet the chefs to design their own menus.

Four nights at Kurland in the Tsitsikamma Nature Reserve follows so guests can enjoy forest walks, unspoilt beaches, water sports, and extreme activities. Kurland also has its own championship polo ground, private stables and tuition centre. There are children’s loft rooms which have been created above the main suites.

The experience ends with four nights at the malaria-free Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, with activites such as ‘poo safaris’ for little ones. Guests can also go on ‘rhino darting’ safaris to help with the reserve’s game management.

Sample product: Abercrombie and Kent offers the 12-day itinerary for £3,345 per person and includes flights, car hire and all accommodation. The children stay free.

How to book: tel: 0845 618 2212; abercrombiekent.co.uk 8

Guests will arrive on 22 or 23 December and go in search of the big five on an afternoon game drive before drinks at sunset around an African Boma as the local community choir sing carols beneath candlelight.

A big feast is served on Christmas Eve followed by festive African entertainment. Christmas Day starts off with guests being whisked away to a secret location in the bush for a mince-pie stop and a present-opening session. This will be followed by Christmas lunch at the guests’ lodges.

New-year packages include a search for the big five on New Year’s Eve where guests are taken to Marula, Ulusaba’s own African theatre in the bush. Guests will wine and dine around an open fire and see the new year in under the stars, with a champagne brunch the following morning to help guests get 2012 off to a sparkling start.

Sample product: prices lead in at £4,513 and are based on two people sharing a room over a five-night stay. The price includes five nights’ accommodation, all meals and beverages.

How to book: freephone: 0800 716 919 or email: enquiries@virginlimitededition.com Mkulumadzi Opened in Malawi in July this year, Mkulumadzi in Majete National Park is the latest addition to the Robin Pope Safaris portfolio. Established as a safari company in Zambia, the opening of Mkulumadzi signals Robin Pope’s intention to expand their operations into Malawi.

Mkulumadzi has eight open-fronted chalets on the banks of the Shire River in Southern Malawi. Set in 7,000 hectares of private concession, Mkulumadzi enjoys a great location at the confluence of two rivers just a few miles from the point where the river plunges into the Kapichira Falls and is suitable for those who have already seen the big five, want a taster of safari or who have an interest in conservation.

Luxury operator Exsus Travel has seen demand for Malawi with the opening of lodges and the launch of new flights to Lake Malawi from Lilongwe International Airport, which connect with daily flights from Johannesburg and Nairobi.

All about Luxury Holidays

Image courtesy of Northwinds Photography

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wildlife and wilderness experiences

Botswana Tourism 6 Stratford Place, e, London, W1C 1A AY +44 (0)207 647 1018 Email: dparr@botswanatourism.org.uk www.botswanatourism.org.uk

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Luxury Holidays Safaris

Selous Safari Company's new Jongomero camp in the Ruaha National Park in Tanzania

Sample product: Exsus offers three nights at Mkulumadzi and four nights Pumulani from £3,070 per person, including flights and transfers.

How to book: exsus.com; tel: 0207 337 9010 The Safari Collection With the portfolio of Kenyan properties on its books, the Safari Collection is guaranteed to offer guests a very varied African experience.

At Giraffe Manor in Nairobi, guests can get up close to the hotel’s resident herd of giraffes, from bumping into them at breakfast to catching their eye at a bedroom window. Guests can also share a few moments with the hotel’s family of warthogs, herd of bushbuck, duos of dik dik and 180 species of birds.

Then it’s off to Solio Lodge, at the base of Mount Kenya, where guests can learn basic bushcraft skills and follow the tracks and markings of wild animals in the Solio Game Reserve. There is also

horse riding, game drives and walks through Kenya’s most successful rhino-breeding reserve, trout fishing on Mount Kenya and leopard viewing.

At Sasaab lodge in Samburu, the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro is the perfect place to sit and watch the elephants that frequently come to the opposite bank, while more active guests can take a camel ride to visit a local village in the Samburu National Reserve.

Sample product: a 10-night best of the beach and the bush package takes in Sassab, Solio Lodge, Sala’s Camp in the Masai Mara, Giraffe Manor and Lamu Island. Prices lead in at £3,759 per person.

How to book: thesafaricollection.com Jongomero The only camp situated in the remote central southwestern sector of the Ruaha National Park in Tanzania, Selous Safari Company’s Jongomero lodge is the ultimate get-away-from-it-all experience.

It has just eight tents, a swimming pool

Cox and Kings THE LUXURY OPERATOR has introduced a fly-safari in South Africa for 2012.

A spokeswoman for Cox and Kings says the new fly-safari combines three of South Africa’s best national parks: Madikwe, Waterberg and Makalali.

“There is also a new private chauffeur-driven tour of Namibia, an itinerary combining Kenya and Tanzania, which combines the best safari of both countries. Malawi is becoming increasingly popular and we have created two new itineraries to include a southern circuit and a northern circuit,” she adds.

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and a great vantage point from which to take in the sights and sounds of the African bush. Each of the luxury en-suite tents has a large verandah with stunning views of the lake. As well as daily game drives, guests can take a boat safari on the Rufiji River and see the largest crocodile and hippo population in Africa.

Sample product: Africa Odyssey offers a six-night safari experience in Tanzania from £2,980 per person. The price includes flights, accommodation on a full-board basis with three nights at the Selous Safari Camp and three nights at Jongomero as well as daily game drives, park fees and taxes.

How to book it: africaodyssey.com; tel: 020 7471 8780 Royal Manewane Situated on the western fringe of the Kruger National Park, this lodge offers colonialstyle suites and prime big five viewing.

With room for only 20 guests, in eight free-standing suites, Royal Malewane is exclusive with a capital E. The suites have air-conditioned bedrooms with fireplaces, mini bars, antique canopied king size beds, bathrooms with a window-side Victorian bath as well as indoor and outdoor showers.

Sample product: Seasons offers prices from £1,485 per person for three nights’ all-inclusive.

How to book it: seasons.co.uk; tel: 01244 202 085 ■

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Luxury Spa holidays Holidays

Time to chill

A spa water villa at the Conrad Rangali Resort in the Maldives

From ayurvedic retreat to thalassotherapy treatments, the spa experience that hotels all over the world provide these days is more varied than ever

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hile manicures, pedicures and facials have provided the foundations of spa treatment menus at spa hotels all over the world for many years, the spa experience has really evolved over recent years.

No longer the preserve of the health and body conscious, more and more people are looking for holistic therapies to help them deal with their daily aches and pains, and spas and wellness centres are at the forefront of providing extensive menus of programmes and treatments to soothe people’s bodies and minds.

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These include anything from stressmanagement to detox and weight-loss programmes.

We find out from the experts about the movers and shakers in the world of health and wellbeing.

Thailand The all-pool villa Shore at Katathani property opened on Kata Noi Beach in Phuket last year.

The resort has 36 luxurious infinity pool villas, a restaurant, spa, wine cellar and a Secret Wedding Terrace.

The hotel’s Serenity Spa combines

modern elegance with ancient Thai culture, offering a wide range of holistic treatments at three private spa villas that incorporating herbal steam and outdoor plunge baths.

The treatments use natural products such as mango butter body scrubs, tamarind skin exfoliation and clay-bound Thai fresh fruits.

Treatment packages range from the four-hour Paradise at the Shore, which involves steam baths, skin exfoliation, Swedish massage, body packs and an aromatherapy facial, to traditional Thai massages.

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Spa Luxury holidays Holidays Additional facilities include a fitness centre, main pool, and complimentary guest activities, such as tropical fruitpicking in the Orchard, yoga classes and aqua fit.

Sample product: Kuoni offers seven nights’ bed and breakfast, including flights and transfers for £1,780 per person based on two sharing.

How do I book? Tel: 01306 747008; kuoni.co.uk Cyprus Cyprus is unrivalled as the top Mediterranean destination for luxury spa holidays, according to Photis Lambrianides, Olympic Holidays commercial director.

“The hotels’ spa facilities are a huge attraction in Cyprus and a major reason the five-star hotels do so well,” Lambrianides points out. “The quality of

the product is extremely high.”

Most of the five-star hotels on the island have spas, including the Four Seasons, the Elysium, the Anassa, the Thalassa Hotel and the Annabelle, with the Amathus Beach and the Four Seasons specialising in thalassotherapy treatments.

The Elysium has the Opium Health Spa with five wet treatment rooms and six dry treatment rooms.

The spa uses the Espa range of products providing guests with a vast menu of treatments, which include facials, firming eye treatments, hot stone therapies, holistic body care, back treatments, full body message, reflexology, Indian head massage, reiki hydro jet bath, sauna steam bath, hydro massage pool, aromatherapy and Jacuzzi.

Sample product: Olympic Holidays offers seven nights’ bed and breakfast at

the Elysium in Paphos for £825 per person, two sharing a deluxe room.

How do I book it? Tel: 0844 499 4449; olympicholidays.com Greece Olympic Holidays’ Photis Lambrianides recommends the boutique Notos Therme and Spa Hotel on the Greek island of Santorini, as the perfect place for lovers of health and wellbeing retreats. The property, which is a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World, has 28 rooms and junior suites and offers a vast selection of spa packages such as treatments that focus on cellulite and slimming, pre-natal care, post-natal care, detoxifying and rejuvenating.

Treatments include seaweed mud therapy, body peeling, Indian head massage, facial treatments and volcanic mud therapy.

A massage by the sea at the Elysium in Cyprus

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Spa Luxury holidays Holidays

The Notos Therme Hotel and Spa in Santorini, Greece

Sample product: Olympic Holidays offers seven nights’ bed and breakfast at the Notos Therme Hotel and Spa in September from £725 per person, based on two sharing a seaview twin room.

The price includes flights and transfers.

How do I book it? Tel: 0844 499 4449; olympicholidays.com Maldives If one spa is not enough for you, then head to the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island which has three spas.

There are treatments for couples in the glass-floored Overwater Spa, a range of holistic wellness programmes and natural and nutritional health advice at The Spa Retreat, while younger guests can check out the IceCream Spa for three to 12-year-olds.

The Spa Retreat is a self-contained resort-within-a-resort on a secluded tip of the main island. It has 21 Retreat Water Villas, each with their own private treatment room and mini-gym, adjoining a central spa comprising nine treatment rooms, five private pavilions with sauna and steam room and Jacuzzi or private plunge pool, an organic biodynamic spa restaurant, hair salon, boutique, sun deck, relaxation area and a natural herbal dispensary.

The Spa Retreat philosophy is based on the five elements of life - earth, air, fire, water and plant - each providing its own wellbeing characteristic and

featuring its own signature aromatherapy blend. Guests can tailormake their wellbeing programme with a spa consultant, whether it be a onehour treatment or a 10-day package. The resident naturopath and nutrionist are also on hand to offer consultations and provide supplements from the herbal dispensary.

Sample product: Conrad Maldives Rangali Island has a Sea, Plane and Simple package, which starts at $1,110 per night and includes seaplane transfers to the resort, seven nights in a spa water villa, $200 credit per day to be used on treatments.

How do I book it? conradhotels1.hilton.com India For the ultimate ayurvedic experience, Kuoni recommends the Somatheeram Ayurvedic Health Resort, just south of

In brief Luxury Greek hotel group Aldemar Hotels is serving up some new treatments for the autumn season.

The 55-minute Odyssee Anti-age is a completely new anti-ageing solution for the body, created by Thal’ion. This treatment, highly concentrated in marine AHA ingredients, stimulates cell renewal to make skin look visibly younger. Lift Absolu is also offering a new intensive, anti-ageing solution to combat wrinkles and sagging skin using a customised restructuring massage to help complexions recover their radiance.

Planet Holidays features seven nights’ half-board Relaxation Week at the Royal Mare on Crete from £1,379 per person including flights, transfers and four daily treatments for four days.

Golf widows might find themselves reunited with their absentee husbands in Bermuda, as the spa at the Fairmont Southampton has doubled the number of spa treatments for men at its Willow Stream spa with its sports and more specifically golf-inspired treatments.

In addition to its foot grooming, hand grooming and male barber treatments, the hotel has introduced the Willow Stream Facial for the Great Outdoors; the Willow Stream Golf Facial; the Golf Performance Treament Massage; and the Up to Par Body Experienc.

Classic Collection Holidays offers seven nights from £1,830 per person this September.

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Kovalam in Kerala.

The first Ayurvedic retreat in India, the holistic concept uses Ayurveda, yoga and meditation, combined with a balanced vegetarian diet.

The Kerala method of ayurveda is famous for its five-pronged treatment – panchakarma – which uses medicated oils, herbs, milk, massage and a special diet to help balance the body.

Courses about ayurveda, yoga and meditation are available for guests to help them improve their knowledge of this holistic approach to health and wellbeing, giving guests the basic tools to understand ayurvedic massage and therapies.

Guests stay in traditional Kerala-style houses or garden cottages, all created from eco-friendly materials.

Sample product: Kuoni offers seven nights’ bed and breakfast from £2,217 per person including flights and transfers.

How do I book it? (01306 747008 or www.kuoni.co.uk) The US One of Hayes and Jarvis’ best sellers is the Venetian Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, which has a Canyon Ranch health spa, that specialisies in advanced exotic treatments, from Aquavana water therapies to dedicated foot care treatments. There are also a range of fitness facilities including a 40-ft climbing wall and Kinesis equipment.

Guests can book consultations with nutrionists or personal treatments.

Sample product: Hayes and Jarvis offers four nights for £979 per person based on two sharing.

How do I book it? hayesandjarvis.com; tel: 0871 200 2211 ■

All about Luxury Holidays

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The Seychelles Islands... complete luxury Among these secluded isles - which host two UNESCO World Heritage sites and numerous world-class beaches - await the exepriences of a lifetime. Against a backdrop of luxurious 5* accommodation, we invite you to embark on a journey you will never forget!

Seychelles Tourist Office 222 Regent Street, Liberty House, Room 407, London W1B 5TR 020 7297 2127/28 seychelles@uksto.co.uk www.seychelles.travel

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Luxury Family holidays Holidays

Children can get up close to the wildlife on the island of Desroches

The family guys It’s a tough market to crack, but it looks like luxury hotels are ticking all the right boxes for families and their mini-VIPs

T

raditionally the preserve of the couples-only market, luxury hotels and operators have seen an increase in demand from parents who have become used to the finer things in life in their single life, and now they are parents, they want the same indulgent experience with kids’ clubs and activities thrown in.

From providing nannies and babysitting facilities for the youngest children to under-18s night clubs and Xbox clubs for teenager, we look at what some of the resorts are up to around the world.

Where? The Ranch at Rock Creek, Montana Why? For parents with children who like Woody from Toy Story and love nothing 16

more than playing cowboys Wild West style, then the Ranch at Rock Creek could be the dream holiday for them.

Unlike the Disney experience, this is the real thing. The Ranch offers a Little Grizzlies programme for children aged four and up where they will be involved in educational activities that focus on daily life on the Ranch, including themes such as rivers and ponds, cowboys and horses, flowers and bugs, cabins and tipis or how to build a campfire.

As well as all these cowboy-themed activities, there are picnic lunches, arts and crafts, ice skating, sledding, igloo building and the occasional make-yourown ice cream sundae.

For the grown-ups keen to discover their inner cowboy, their Wrangler (Guide) will teach them how to horse ride, rodeo, barrel race and cattle ranch as well as try out fly fishing, shooting, hiking, biking and white water rafting.

Accommodation is luxurious with interiors inspired by Western living.

How much? Abercrombie and Kent offers seven nights for £4,745 per person based on two people sharing a classic canvas cabin. The price includes flights, car hire, lodging, meals, beverages, on site activities, excursions to historic local towns and telephone calls and internet use How do I book? Tel 0845 618 2102; abercrombiekent.co.uk All about Luxury Holidays

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Family Luxury holidays Holidays Mauritius Where? The Grand Mauritian Why? The warm Mauritian welcome and the island’s safe beaches and gentle seas make the destination a great place for a family getaway, says Sunset Faraway. The Grand Mauritian is a particular hit with families due to its Explorers Club for four to 12-year-olds which have exciting day-long timetables of activities for the kids including sand sculpture on the beach, cookie making and decoration, pool activities and games, ice cream party, games competition, painting, fish feeding and pancake decoration.

How much? Sunset Faraway offers seven nights’ all-inclusive from £6,559 per family of four.

How do I book? sunset.co.uk; tel: 020 8774 74100

A family apartment at The Athenaeum in London

The US Where? Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Orlando Why? Funway Holidays marketing director Viara Challier says the five-star Loews Portofino Bay Hotel is perfect for families as it’s an on-site property for Universal Studios. Rooms can sleep

Beaches Resorts When it comes to all-round family entertainment in a luxury setting in the Caribbean, Beaches Resorts comes up every time.

There are four Beaches’ resorts, all boasting beautiful beach-side locations in Jamaica and Turks & Caicos. Beaches Boscobel Resort & Golf Club in Ocho Rios, Jamaica has recently undergone an £8.5 million refurbishment which has led to the expansion of restaurants, new entertainment areas and updated guest rooms and suites.

The resorts have water parks, Xbox 360 Game Garages where children can take on their parents with Xbox challenges, and kids’ clubs with a full schedule of age-appropriate activities as well as childcare provided by nannies.

As part of a joint initiative with Sesame Street, characters from the popular kids show get involved in daily activities and perform weekly stage shows.

There is also a new teen and tween programme that includes: dancing the night away at aqua-themed nightclub, Liquid; learning how to spin vinyl at the Scratch DJAcademy.

Kids can also try their hand at a number of water sports while their parents relax around the pool or make the most of the resort’s Red Lane Spa. How much does it cost? Funway Holidays features seven nights at Beaches Sandy Bay, Jamaica for two adults and two children (aged between two and 11) for £4,299.

How do I book? funway4agents.co.uk; tel: 0844 557 0626

up to five people, it has a beach pool with a waterslide, a kids’ camp, FisherPrice welcome gifts, kidbanas by the pool, early-park admission to Universal’s Islands of Adventure one hour before the park opens, Universal Express ride access to jump the regular queues and Universal Orlando character dining with favourite theme park characters.

How much? Funway Holidays offers seven nights for two adults and two children (between the age of 2 – 11) for £3,539 including flights with departure set for 20 February 2012.

How do I book? vaxvacationaccess.co.uk

Britain Where? The Athenaeum Why? Located in the heart of Mayfair, London, this family-friendly hotel pulls out all the stops to keep the kids busy. The hotel has recently opened Winnie The Pooh-themed, Hundred Acre Wood popup playroom which has been created by Disney especially for the school summer holidays. The idea is that parents can take their children to the playroom or they can book one of the hotels’ nanny to watch their kids there for them. There are Winnie the Pooh toys, video games and sticker books, giant Winnie the Pooh characters and One Hunderd-Acre wood-style tables.

Characters from Sesame Street provide the entertainment for children staying at any of the Beaches Resorts in the Caribbean

All about Luxury Holidays

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Luxury holidays Family Holidays The hotel has just refurbished its family apartments, which now contain sofas that pop up in to bunk-beds. They also have Disney toys and bathroom products.

There is also a kids’ concierge who provides entertainment and equipment for the kids including bikes, kites and bird-seed to take to Green Park. The concierge can also arrange tickets for child-friendly shows in the city.

How much? £450 plus VAT bed and breakfast per night for a family of four.

How do I book? athenaeumhotel.com; tel: 020 7499 3464 The Seychelles Where? Desroches Island Why? Most famous for providing the backdrop for the rekindling of the romance of the century – Kate and William – this luxury island has pulled out all the stops to show that it caters just as well for families as it does for couples.

The island has four-bedroom villas complete with games, cartoons DVD, children’s bicycles, cot, baby chair and babysitter upon request with any other children’s amenities upon request prior to arrival.

A discovery massage for children aged seven and over, as well as ‘Bake A Cake’ lessons, and a guided nature tour of the island with a member of the Island conservation team is a must.

For teenagers, the island has surfboards, stand-up paddle boards and hydro-bikes.

Sweden Where? Raison d’Etre Spa at Grand Hôtel in Stockholm.

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Why? The spa has opened up their two spa suites exclusively for use by families.

Adults have access to the full range of spa services while children can enjoy a buffet of products including birch facial masks and Nordic bathing brushes. They can also choose from a number of addon treatments, especially created for the pre-teen market, such as hand or foot packs, foot baths, hand, foot or scalp massages and the popular mini pedi/mani/facials, all of which are shorter in duration.

Anna Bjurstam, concept director at Raison d’Etre, says: “The experience is not just about being pampered; it’s great fun, too. Parents can enjoy teaching their children the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and they get a head-start on how to look after their skin and body too.”

How much? Prices begin at £395 per night based on an autumn mid-week stay, double occupancy with extra beds for children under 12.

How do I book? kiwicollection.com Spain Where? La Manga Club Why? For children who really love their sport, then La Manga Club is the place to holiday. Located on the Costa Calida just 20 minutes from Murcia, the resort gets the big sporting names in to run the sporting camps during the summer months – professionals from AC Milan coaching the football club, British Olympic legend Daley Thompson working on the new Athletics Academy and Lee Westwood holding his first overseas golf academy.

La Manga Club is popular with parents

and kids as it has extensive sports facilities for all ages, including three championship golf courses, a 28-court tennis centre and eight grass sports pitches.

It also has 13 treatment rooms, a fitness centre and 25-metre indoor swimming pool and 20 restaurants and bars.

How do I book? Tel: 00 34 968 17 5577; email reserve@lamangaclub.com or visit lamangaclub.com Greece Where? Helona, Kos, Greece – Mark Warner Select Hotel Why? Helona offers luxury, boutiquestyle accommodation located around 21 infinity swimming pools. The resort is just around the corner from Mark Warner’s Laktira resort, which boasts a whole range of facilities including sailing, windsurfing, snorkelling, kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, tennis and gym.

There are also kids clubs for four months to 17-year-olds known as the Indy Club with dinner and evening entertainment including beach volleyball and team challengers.

How much? Seven nights’ half-board for a family of four in September leads in at £3,346. The price includes flights, transfers, day care and all activities.

How do I book it? markwarner.co.uk; tel: 0844 844 3635 India Where? The Taj Safari Lodges of Madhya Pradesh.

Why? Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces has teamed up with &Beyond to relive the memories of Rudyard Kipling in the lands of the Jungle Book.

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Family holidays The lodges are situated in the jungles from which Mowgli and friends were born. From the Bengal Tiger to the Sloth Bear, the leopard, crocodile and more than 200 species of bird, naturalists will teach children about the wonders of the subcontinent. Children will also visit surrounding villages and have the chance to buy school bags for local children at the lodge shops which will drum in the value of learning.

How much? Bales Worldwide offers a luxury Indian safari from £6,195 per adult and £5,995 per child, including international and domestic flights, transfers and accommodation encompassing The Taj Mahal Palace and Towers, Baghvan, Banjaar Tola, Mahua Kothi and Pashan Garh.

How do I book? Tel: 0845 057 0600 or balesworldwide.com

Villas – a case study

Can villa holidays ever be a luxury holiday option for a family.

We asked Villarenters.com to recommend a property that would suit a family who want a home-from-home atmosphere with a luxury twist and talked to the property owner about what families expect from their holidays.

Where is the property? Villa Zeytin Koru, in Dalyan, Turkey is a large, colonial-style luxury villa that sleeps 12.

What makes the villa so popular with families? The location is key. Being a stone’s throw from the facilities of Dalyan mean that our guests can easily return to the villa, for any child care needs. They can take it turns in going out or even nip out to select from menus at restaurants and have them delivered to the villa. Also, the villa has a little summer house in the garden with chairs, various pool and garden toys etc.

The pool size with a large shallow end area, the large secluded garden with many trees and shrubs, which is not overlooked, the villa layout e.g. large rooms and flexible sleeping with downstairs and upstairs bedrooms connecting only to living areas offering more privacy for friendship groups and the upstairs extra lounge. Also the villa grounds are popular with local wild life, including jays and little owls plus tortoises, hedgehogs and occasionally the neighbouring hens.

How much? It costs 679 per week Where can I book it? villarenters.com

In brief

A different take on luxury If your idea of luxury is more about the expereince than a 24-hour butler service, then you might want to consider Hands-up Holidays, which according to the company’s director offer “luxury trips with a heart”.

They give families the opportunity to explore a destination and at the same time interact meaningfully with the local people through the medium of volunteering or philanthropy.

“These holidays are perfect for families, because they teach children to appreciate how how fortunate they are, they give them the opportunity to develop the confidence to start unfamiliar projects, interact with another culture in a meaningful way, breakdown socially constructed barriers and help bring families together as they work along each other in a project,” says Hill.

The most popular luxury family-friendly destinations are to Costa Rica, Bali, Thailand and New Zealand where families get to experience the beauty of each country but at the same time do their bit to support them. This can include conservation projects for animals and birds.

To find out more: handsupholidays.com ■

All about Luxury Holidays

Classic Collection Holidays has teamed up with child-car seat manufacturers Bubblebum to offer complimentary inflatable car booster seats to all children aged between four and 11 years who are booked to travel with the operator.

BubbleBum, the lightweight inflatable booster seats can be carried by children or adults and when deflated, the seats fit into their own drawstring bag making them easy to pack into cabin or hold luggage.

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