Submitted By: Christina Valhouli
on: Thu, 11/10/2011 - 11:04
If you haven't heard of Saadiyat Island, listen up because it is poised to become one of the hottest destinations in the Middle East.
This tropical island off the coast of Abu Dhabi will eventually be home to the largest Guggenheim Museum in the world (designed by Frank Gehry), as well as an out post of the Louvre. In addition to miles of beach, the island also has a Gary Player-designed golf course and academy. Luxury hotels are beginning to pop up there, including the just-opened Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas.
The overall look is modern meets Arabic decor. Each of the 306 rooms, suites, and villas has a separate balcony or terrace. Some rooms have private terraces with plunge pools, outdoor rain showers, and sun beds. In addition to the...
Submitted By: Christina Valhouli
on: Tue, 04/14/2009 - 04:22
It’s that time of year when everyone is sick of the winter
weather and craving some sun – minus a long haul flight to the Caribbean. If you’re
feeling pasty and fall into that category, consider Soma Bay in Egypt’s Red Sea
Riviera, which is home to the brand new Kempinski Hotel Soma Bay. The area is
served by oodles of direct flights from Europe (Hurghada International Airport
is just 45 minutes away) and the resort has over 400 meters of a private sandy
beach. The resort’s 325 guestrooms have been done up in a Moorish style, and
the resort is definitely family friendly, with multiple pools as well as a kids’
and baby club. For relaxing, there is a massive spa as well as two golf
courses, both with views of...
Submitted By: Christina Valhouli
on: Wed, 04/01/2009 - 10:26
One & Only resorts happen to be in some of the most luscious locations in the world, like Mauritius, the Maldives and the Bahamas. The newest location in the portfolio is Cape Town, which will open on April 3. The 131-room resort is the brand’s first urban location, and will highlight the city’s art, wine and design. Guest rooms have views of Table Mountain and Signal Hall, and the resort also has two landscaped islands, home to 40 Island suites as well as the spa. For relaxing, there is a yoga pavilion and restaurants from Gordon Ramsay and Nobu's Nobuyuki Matsuhisa. And if you want to be one of the first to experience it, Carrier is featuring an introductory offer of five nights at from £1,515 per person - saving up...
Submitted By: Christina Valhouli
on: Tue, 10/23/2007 - 23:38
Ahhh, Marrakech. It's impossible not to
fall in love with this exotic city. Spend hours losing yourself
in the Medina, browsing the stalls and breathing in the scents of
leather, cinnamon and spices. If you'd rather not stay in a big
hotel, but don't know where to start when it comes to finding a
sexy little riad, here's something to make your life easier.
Angsana
resorts, which is owned by Banyan Tree, will launch its Riads
Marrakech Collection on 1 December 2007. The collection will include eight...
Submitted By: Christina Valhouli
on: Tue, 07/17/2007 - 23:55
Heading to South Africa on safari or for a stylish city break (or
ideally, both?) Then park your bags at Johannesburg's newest boutique
hotel, the Peech Hotel. Located in between
the suburbs of Rosebank and Sandton, the Peech is all about
chilled out luxury. The look is contemporary and luxurious, and
has just 10 bedrooms. The guest rooms are packed with essentials
like Bose iPod SoundDock and WiFi.
For chilling out,
there's...
Submitted By: Christina Valhouli
on: Sun, 06/10/2007 - 21:45
During our
trip to Namibia, I felt I was on the trail of Brangelina; everywhere we
went it seemed the couple had also stayed, or did a similar
activity. While we were in Swakopmund we spent an afternoon quad
biking in the sand dunes; and yup, Brangelina did this too (well,
ok only Brad and Maddox as Angelina was eight months pregnant.
She had a picnic on the dunes with Zahara, so we're told). The
experience was incredible- all you can see in every direction is
dunes, but if you get up a high one, you can catch a glimpse of
the Atlantic Ocean in the distance. The guys went on manual bikes while the
girls...
Submitted By: Christina Valhouli
on: Sun, 06/10/2007 - 11:47
We're back from Namibia and have finally
downloaded all of our photos (all 800 of them!) and we'll be
showcasing some of the best ones here in iTravel iShop. During
our two week trip, we stayed at the magnificent Okonjima (home to
the AfriCat Foundation) where this photo was taken, as well as
the elegant Mushara and the Erongo
Wilderness Lodge, and the lovely Wolwedans resort.
Highlights of the trip? Just about everyday was a highlight, as
we drove thousands of kilometers around Namibia soaking in the
stark beauty of the remote desert plains, the sand dunes and of
course, the game. We spotted...
Submitted By: Christina Valhouli
on: Tue, 05/15/2007 - 22:11
For
the next few weeks, we'll be swapping shops
for the wind-swept dunes of Namibia. We'll start our
journey in Windhoek, winding our way north to the Etosha National
Park and stopping in plenty of safari lodges along the way- there
will even be a few nights of camping in Namibia's “1000 star
hotel” (camping will be a first for some of us at iTravel iShop!)
We won't be able to update the site while we're gone, but when
we're back we'll have plenty of stories and photos from our trip.
In the meantime, please send us some of your images and
tips from the best shops, restaurants and hotels you've
discovered around the world- we'd love to...
Submitted By: Christina Valhouli
on: Thu, 10/12/2006 - 22:31
The
newest place to park your bags in Marrakech is Terre, the latest
offering from Octogone Hotels. The resort
is the brainchild of Christian Rivadalla, a Cuban American. (And
why has he named his company Octogone? “Who wants to be square?”
he once said in an interview.) Terre will be spread out over 12
acres and will feature 52 suites, all which are shaped like an
octagon. The octagon theme may even extend to
the spa, where one treatment in the works will offer an
eight-handed massage. The property will have hundreds of palm
trees, as well as a putting green, a spa and entertainment
complex. The three restaurants will feature Moroccan,
International and a Cuban-Moorish fusion...
