Resorts

Ayana Resort and Spa Bali has re-opened Damar Terrace restaurant following extensive renovations by Yasuhiro Koichi, the acclaimed Japanese designer behind the Rock Bar.

Koichi, whose company Design Studio SPIN has created some of Asia’s most iconic bars and restaurants, combined comfort with modern Asian decor for relaxed all-day dining at Damar Terrace. His trademark style is reflected in the combination of traditional materials, motifs and colors, set off by cutting-edge lighting and clean modern lines softened by tranquil lotus ponds.

The restaurant’s menu has also been relaunched to feature more ‘small bite’ options and European dishes, to add to the range of Asian favorites.

What better way to enjoy Christmas than by relaxing beside your private infinity pool, high on a cliffside, cocktail in hand, watching the sun set over the Andaman Ocean? Paresa, Phuket’s acclaimed new luxury resort, is just the place to enjoy all this, plus to celebrate the resort’s first Christmas a host of additional benefits are on offer including free nights, massage treatments and complimentary dining on Christmas Day.

Located on the exclusive ‘Millionaire’s Mile’ on the western coast of Phuket, Paresa occupies a stunning setting. Built into the cliffside, 49 guest suites offer elegant and extremely spacious accommodation with panoramic ocean views and private infinity-edged pools.

On Christmas Day, all guests will enjoy a special festive gift from Paresa, in the form of a complimentary brunch buffet, served from 9am to 3pm followed by a special menu of complimentary Thai and Italian tapas served at Diavolo restaurant from 6pm. In addition, guests booking stays of ten nights or more will receive a complimentary massage per person on the day of arrival.

Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas has announced its continued global expansion with the unveiling of Anantara Lawana Resort & Spa, Koh Samui, as the brand’s seventh Thai property and their second to grace Samui’s shores. Designed in contemporary Sino-Thai style and embraced by lush tropical gardens, Anantara Lawana boasts 88 spacious rooms and 34 pool villas.

With exotic touches that open a window into the life of the island’s original Chinese merchant settlers, and occupying an enviable beachfront position just north of Chaweng Beach, the resort’s exotic location is just a convenient 6 kilometres from Samui International Airport. Anantara Lawana offers total immersion in scenic tranquility and leisurely luxury, whilst the hustle and bustle of Chaweng town’s shopping and nightlife scene is just a stone’s throw away for those who prefer to explore the heart of the island’s action.

Bristol Buenaventura, which opened last Spring, is located about 80 minutes southwest of Panama City in an exclusive gated resort community. Boasting 114 spacious guest rooms and lavish suites, as well as 18 two-story lagoon villas, the property provides for the ultimate beachside Panamanian getaway, whether for couples, families or girlfriend getaways.

In addition to the luxurious accommodations, Bristol Buenaventura also features a number of dining options, offering gourmet adaptations of traditional Panamanian dishes in a variety of locations. Additionally, the property includes the beachside El Faro Club House, serving as the meeting place for all water sports and houses the private beach butler service; as well as a private stable that is home to two Peruvian horses and ponies that can be rented for a sunset ride on the beach, around the lake or through the property gardens.

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Outrigger Hotels and Resorts in Asia has launched a dedicated website for its two resorts in Phuket. OutriggerPhuket.com makes it easy for holidaymakers to exchange information and comments about the two resorts on social media sites as well as get detailed information, browse photo galleries, and book latest offers from the two resorts.  To celebrate the launch of the site, two promotions have been launched. Both can be booked on the site.

Outrigger Serenity Terraces Resort, which opened in April 2009, is offering a “Discover Your Romance” package starting at THB 6,600 per night for a Serenity Room. Guests who stay a minimum two nights receive a full breakfast in the beachfront restaurant, a 60-minute spa treatment at the resort’s Navasana Well-Being Centre, and roundtrip airport transfers by private limousine. The rate is per night and subject to 18.7% service charge and government taxes. The offer is valid until 31st December 2010. Click here.

Outrigger Laguna Phuket Resort and Villas, which opened in December 2009 near Bang Tao beach in Phuket, is offering a 229 square meter two-bedroom villa at THB 6,000, a 457 square meter three-bedroom pool villa for THB 9,000, and a 604 square meter four-bedroom pool villa is available from THB 13,000. Rates are subject to 18.7% service charge and government taxes The offer is valid until 31st March 2011.

The Rocco Forte Collection – which currently has 13 luxury hotels in major cities across Europe –  has revealed that its first property in the Middle East will open in Abu Dhabi this Autumn. It will be followed by a 146-bedroom property opening in Jeddah in 2011, a 90 All-suite Golf, Spa & Villa Resort in Marrakech in 2011 and a 275 bedroom property in Cairo in 2013.

As the sun sets over the African bush, what could be more romantic than spending a night in a private hide-out with magnificent views and only cocktails and candlelight for company? Sleeping out under the stars, surrounded by the astounding sights and sounds of the wild, is possible at Makanyane Safari Lodge – the only lodge in the Madikwe Game Reserve to have an exclusive sleep-out hide.

Hidden deep in the bush, Makanyane’s hide overlooks a waterhole – a favourite place for the ‘Big Five’ to drink – and offers incomparable views over the vast African plains. Beds can be made up on the upper deck of the hide, offering guests the chance to soak up the incredible ambience of the bush at night. Hot and cold drinks, meals and snacks, binoculars, lanterns, torches and spotlights are all provided and guests also have the reassurance of constant contact with the lodge via radio communication – alternatively a guide will stay on at guests’ request. The experience of sleeping under the enormous African sky, even for those used to camping in the bush, is simply unforgettable.

For less intrepid guests, Makanyane’s eight secluded glass-walled suites are furnished with rich African textures and sumptuous fabrics and feature uninterrupted views of the tranquil Marico River and surrounding landscape. Makanyane also offers a handful of rustic day-time hides, which have been carefully positioned in idyllic locations on the lodge’s private land, enabling guests an ever-changing view of animals grazing nearby and moving across the vast plains.

Just a 3.5 hour drive or a 45 minute flight from Johannesburg, Makanyane Safari Lodge is ideally situated on 1,800 hectares of private ground within the 75,000 hectare Madikwe Game Reserve – home to the ‘Big Five’ as well as a myriad of other animal and bird species.

Rooms start from £365 per person per night, all inclusive and based on two sharing.

The luxurious JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa has opened its doors this week. The huge 1002-room resort is the first JW Marriott resort in Texas and offers discriminating travellers an unrivalled experience of natural elegance. Set on 600 acres of rolling hills, meandering creeks and Live Oak trees, guests can relax and explore all just minutes away from San Antonio.

As an incentive, the resort is offering Special Introductory Rates until the end of February 2010. For a limited time, room rates start at $149 a night or $288 a night with breakfast for two and a single round of golf at the all new PGA TOUR Tournament Players Club (TPC) San Antonio. (The regular room rate starts at $249.) The resort is also offering special Valentine’s Day and Super Bowl packages with dining and spa options.

Guests taking advantage of Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts Finest Clubs Package can now gain admission to top clubs. The first hotels in the international hotel chain to offer this exclusive package are Swissôtel Berlin, Swissôtel The Bosphorus in Istanbul and Swissôtel Grand Shanghai; other hotels are to follow shortly. The package was created especially for guests who enjoy clubbing and who seek entertainment in the pulsing great cities of the world.

The World’s Finest Clubs confers the World’s Finest Clubs Award on the world’s most exclusive clubs and includes them in the Finest Clubs Network. The clubs are distinguished by their unique architecture and stunning interiors, great atmosphere, exclusive admission criteria, and high VIP and entertainment standards for a discerning clientele.

Along with admission to a select club and a welcome drink, the package includes breakfast at all hours of the day or night, champagne or a cocktail at the hotel bar and the Finest Clubs magazine in guest rooms. Table reservations and limousine transfer to and from the club are also available for an additional charge. This offer is available until the end of December 2010.

Miami-based Desires Hotels has announced the latest international addition to their modern boutique collection, The Cliffs Ocean Resort, which is situated between Puerto Plata and Samana along the stunning north coast of the Dominican Republic. Opening in the Summer of 2011, room amenities will include large living areas and private terraces with unmatched views to the ocean and the mountains while being completely surrounded by a lush tropical landscape.

Built on 25 acres of ocean-side property, the resort will include a luxury spa featuring a wide array of Asian treatments that soothe the mind, body, and soul. For those wanting to relax poolside, there will be two salt-water infinity pools overlooking the Caribbean Sea along with a Beach Club that offers another form of respite in the bar and cigar lounge — the club also consists of a food and beverage outlet and area for teenagers. The resort has 24-hour room service, a Fitness Centre, helipad, and commercial shopping area. For those seeking a more active holiday there is golf practice facility, sports centre with tennis courts, and equestrian centre.