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AMEX / Four Seasons offer - Make the most of the Spend $750, Get $150 Back offer
Yesterday

American Express regularly publishes great travel deals for its cardholders through its Amex Offers portal. Thanks to a new offer, if you’re a cardholder looking to visit a Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts property this summer, you’re in luck to save some money on your stay.

Only certain members will be targeted, so be sure to check your Amex Offers on the Amex app or online account to see if you were one of the lucky few. If you see the offer, make sure to click "Add to Card" sooner rather than later as Amex Offers are often capped to a certain amount of cardholders.

To get the $150 back, you’ll need to spend $750 or more at any Four Seasons properties in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, the Bahamas, Costa Rica, Anguilla, or Saint Kitts and Nevis. You don’t need to spend the $750 in 1 single stay; you can have multiple different hotel stays over time, and so long as your charges cumulatively are over $750, you’ll have met the terms of the offer.

If you spend as close to $750 as possible, you’re saving 20%, which is almost unheard of at Four Seasons properties.

In addition to staying at actual hotel properties, you can also stay at Four Seasons Private Retreats, which are very similar to luxurious condominiums in the most desirable of travel spots. These can be located in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica, Anguilla, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.

To be eligible for the offer, you must book your reservation at fourseasons.com or through a Four Seasons Preferred Partner such as our travel agency. Email us to sweeten this deal even more, as you will receive at no extra cost, additional perks such as the following:

• Daily full breakfast for 2 people per bedroom, served in a hotel restaurant or through In-Room Dining
• Hotel or resort credit of $100 to $200 per stay (guest rooms receive $100 while suites, specialty suites, and private retreats receive $200)
• Upgrade of one category (based on availability at time of check-in)
• Complimentary standard Wi-Fi in all guest rooms and premium Wi-Fi in all suites.

Your reservations can’t be through a third party or by other means — these methods will not trigger the offer. It’s also worth noting that you can’t use the offer to purchase gift cards.

Other T&C's also apply, so if you do qualify for this offer, be sure to check them out.

Marriott plans to join Red Sea development with Ritz-Carlton Reserve
24 May

Marriott today announced it has signed an agreement to debut its luxury Ritz-Carlton Reserve brand off the west coast of Saudi Arabia. Slated to debut in 2023, Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, is expected to form part of the new Red Sea destination. Nujuma will be the first property from the brand in the Middle East and joins an exclusive collection of only 5 other Ritz-Carlton Reserves worldwide, located in Thailand, Japan, Indonesia, Puerto Rico, and Mexico.

Nujuma will be situated on a pristine set of private islands, which are part of the Red Sea’s Blue Hole cluster of islands. Surrounded by unspoiled natural beauty and designed to blend seamlessly with the environment, the resort is expected to feature 63 one to four bedroom water and beach villas. Plans also include a range of luxurious amenities and exceptional services including a lavish spa, swimming pools, multiple culinary venues, a retail area and a variety of other leisure and entertainment offerings including a Conservation Center.

Marriott Bonvoy members can expect the uber luxury property to be right near the top level of points required for redemptions...perhaps even the very top...

The Red Sea Project is an ambitious regenerative tourism project, covering 28,000 square kilometers on the west coast of Saudi Arabia, of which less than one percent will be developed. The destination is expected to offer a new type of barefoot luxury experience and is being developed with the highest standards of sustainability. The development features an archipelago of more than 90 untouched natural islands, as well as dormant volcanoes, sweeping desert dunes, mountains and wadis, and more than 1,600 cultural heritage sites.

Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun to join All-Inclusive by Marriott collection
21 May

The trend towards all-inclusive properties continues.

Expected to open in late 2022, Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun is owned and managed by Blue Diamond Resorts and will join the All-Inclusive by Marriott portfolio, which includes close to 30 getaways in 8 locations across the Caribbean and Latin America - current all-inclusive resort locations include Antigua, Barbados, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica, Mexico, and St Lucia.

Set to debut in late 2022, the 1,049-room all-inclusive resort is expected to offer experiences including a theatre, bowling alley, water attractions and culinary encounters at a dozen on-property restaurants and nine bars all amidst stunning views of the Caribbean Sea.

164 million Marriott Bonvoy members will be able to access the new resort, expanding the reach of the Blue Diamond owned resort.

Marriott International entered the all-inclusive space in 2019 with the acquisition of Elegant Hotels' seven hotels in Barbados. In 2021, the company announced a long-term agreement with Sunwing Travel Group's hotel division, Blue Diamond Resorts, to add 20 hotels into the portfolio

Kempinski to launch World's First Floating Sea Palace Resort
20 May

The Kempinski Floating Palace will be anchored off an exclusive stretch of beach on Jumeirah Road, near Dubai Marina and along from The Palm.

The main building of this floating palace, structured in four parts, is connected in the middle by a glass pyramid and offers all the luxury of a 5-star hotel, from exclusive gourmet restaurants, bars, spa, pools to boutiques, banquet areas and the possibility for even larger yachts to sail in and out at the centre of the hotel.

The five-star, pyramid-topped 156-room hotel and connected floating helipad will be the hub, off which 12 floating luxury villas, for rent or purchase, will be grouped. Each villa has two floors, a roof terrace, solar panels, infinity pool and multiple bedrooms, including those for crew and staff.

Crew?  Yes, with each villa, you can cast off and motor away (at 6 nautical miles per hour), like a private houseboat. 

The Kempinski Floating Palace will open in 2023.

Also around this time is the planned opening of the much larger MGallery QE2, located about 30 minutes away, near Dubai Creek - also a floating hotel, but different...

IPrefer offering 20% bonus on gift cards purchased prior to 30 June
20 May

Members of I Prefer - the loyalty program of Preferred Hotels & Resorts will have their travel power boosted by 20% with a Bonus Card for each Gift Card purchased now through June ‌30, ‌2022.

The Bonus Card, delivered separately to the Gift Card, will have an expiry date of 6 months from date of its delivery.

If your redemption is timed to be able to use both cards, members will effectively receive a very handy 16.6% discount.

If you aren't yet an I Prefer member & want to take up the offer, I Prefer is free to join.  See our Complete Guide to IPrefer

Further T&C's apply to the offer...
Read More…

Miraval Resorts & Spa To Debut First Property Outside US | Miraval The Red Sea in Saudi Arabia
20 May

Hyatt announced that its wellness resort brand Miraval will debut Miraval The Red Sea, located on Saudi Arabia’s Shura Island, the central hub of The Red Sea Project.

The new Miraval resort is slated to open as part of the first phase of the Red Sea development. It will be Miraval’s fourth resort and its first outside the U.S. , joining Miraval Arizona, the brand’s original location in Tucson, Ariz.; Miraval Austin, its second location in Austin, Texas; and its newest location, Miraval Berkshires in Lenox, Mass.

Miraval The Red Sea will offer guests 180 guestrooms and suites, including 20 villas. The luxury wellness resort will offer a range of culinary experiences, including a central dining room, the signature Life in Balance Culinary Kitchen, and a marketplace offering mindful and healthful cuisine. Cooking classes and workshops will be offered with a focus on nutrition. There will also be approximately 4,300 square feet of meeting space for wellness-focused activities tailored to improving connections and communication for social and corporate groups.

The Life in Balance Spa will offer 39 treatment rooms and will offer new treatments, destination-inspired experiences, and a series of wellness packages. The resort will have dedicated areas such as a walking trail system, mangrove boardwalk, outdoor adventures, and several specially purposed rooms set up for art, music, wellness lectures and hands-on workshops.

Miraval The Red Sea will join Grand Hyatt The Red Sea, which is also under development, as the second Hyatt-branded hotel within the Red Sea development.

Accor's novel "floating hotel" combines luxury with QE2 history
19 May

Accor's MGallery Hotel Collection is adding a novel property to its portfolio - the world-renowned cruise ship, Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2).

After Accor taking over operations from May 2022, the cruise ship will undergo further upgrades and renovations prior to joining the MGallery Hotel Collection. Once the renovation is completed, the new MGallery Queen Elizabeth 2 will feature 447 hotel rooms, nine food & beverage outlets, ten meeting rooms, 5,620sqm area for outdoor events, six retail outlets, a swimming pool and a gym.

Permanently berthed  in Dubai’s Port Rashid, the QE2’s location will in close proximity to Sheikh Zayed Road, providing easy connection to every main attraction the city has to offer. Dubai International Airport, Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa and La Mer Beach are all located less than 20 minutes away, while the Palm Jumeirah and Mall of the Emirates are located 35 and 29 minutes, respectively.

Presumably it will participate in Accor Live Limitless (the loyalty program), but I am yet to have that confirmed.

I'm also curious to know if it will retain the capability to sail again. If so, it would have the potential to be moved to another port/location, should the need ever arise.

A novel property that will contribute to the Dubai Urban Master plan 2049, providing a sustainable urban development while increasing the city attractiveness as a global destination. Guests will be able to enjoy a unique experience while conveniently located to all of Dubai's attractions.

I'm pencilling it in for my future Middle East tour.  

Rocco Forte launches luxury rail experience
19 May

The Sicilian Railway Experience is the latest revelation from Rocco Forte Hotels.  

The journey from Central Palermo to Agrigento - Valle dei Templi on board a train from the 1920s provides a unique way of connecting the two iconic Sicilian outposts of the hotel group: Villa Igiea and Verdura Resort.

On board a vintage 1920s train from the historic transportation archives of the Italian Railway Foundation, the Sicilian Railway Experience offers a means of ‘slow travel’ -  a one-way trip takes roughly 2 hours before arriving at some of the most famous UNESCO heritage sites like the Scala dei Turchi and the Valle dei Templi.

The coast-to-coast itinerary was developed to accommodate business summits, presentations and team building trips: a new way to cater to the corporate realm with a completely customisable agenda to best suit any occasion or specific need while delivering an authentic and immersive experience. 

As part of the Sicilian Railway Experience, you can choose:
*  a local guide to accompany your guests in the discovery of the island, providing a complete narration throughout the train ride.
*  to have a bartender on board to shake up a Sicilian mixology experience while guests enjoy the spectacular panorama rolling by.

The Sicilian Railway Experience can be modified in various configurations according to the client’s needs: up to four standard train cars with original wooden seats, one car with leather seating and a freestanding baggage compartment that can be outfitted to meet the needs of the event. 

While aimed at a corporate market, I wonder if the Sicilian Railway Experience might also provide a unique "extra"  for a destination wedding - unique, memorable and private .

Rocco Forte Hotels is a collection of 14 individual hotels and resorts. All of the hotels united by their distinctive approach to service ensuring guests experience the best of the cities and surrounding areas. The Rocco Forte Hotels collection currently comprises:

Hotel de la Ville, Hotel de Russie and Rocco Forte House (Rome);
Hotel Savoy (Florence);
l Verdura Resort, Rocco Forte Villas and Villa Igiea (Sicily);
Masseria Torre Maizza (Puglia);
The Balmoral (Edinburgh);
Brown's Hotel (London);
The Charles Hotel, (Munich);
Hotel de Rome (Berlin);
Hotel Amigo, (Brussels); and
Hotel Astoria (St Petersburg).