   | Firmdale Hotels London shoots its first arrow across the pond to the heart of the Big Apple, opening the CROSBY STREET HOTEL in New York on the 29th September 2009.
A major draw for guests is the vibey SoHo area, where the hotel is situated on a quiet cobbled street… yet right around the corner from the delights, smells, sights and sounds of some of the best shops, cafes, restaurants, theatres and nightlife in the world.
Owners, Tim and Kit Kemp, bring the same quirky modern ‘boutique’ elegance over from the UK – using similar tasteful designs, furniture, fabrics, art work, colours and textures that make the Firmdale Hotels in London such firm favourites.
85 spacious rooms over 11 floors boast high ceilings and full length warehouse style windows cast natural light over the stylish furnishings. Downstairs, a ground floor bar and restaurant, private leafy courtyard, cosy guest drawing room and several private event and meeting rooms offer everything a guest could want in an exclusive urban sanctuary… not forgetting a luxurious 99 seat screening room and fully equipped gym.
And to satisfy the ‘green’ guest, CROSBY STREET HOTEL is one of the first hotels in New York to be certified by LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) by the US Green Building Council, making it one of the most environmentally responsible hotel builds in the United States.
For more information, contact our Editor-in-Chief Michelle Snaddon. |
   | US Travel+Leisure have just published their 14th Annual World’s Best Awards poll and we are delighted, but not surprised, to see that some of JUST THE PLANET’S featured hotels and spas have been voted into first place!
Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve & Wellness Retreat, which our editor visited with her family and reviewed as a Family Holiday, was voted Best Hotel in the World and also Number One Lodge/Resort in Africa and the Middle East.
Cape Town’s Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa, featured on JUST THE PLANET for its gourmet cookery course and its stunning gazebo spa treatment rooms, has been voted Number One in Africa and the Middle East in both Hotel and Spa categories.
And if you're looking for a golf break, another of our featured hotels to be voted first in its region is The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs in New Zealand, with its world acclaimed golf course and beautiful private beaches.
These awards are voted for by Travel+Leisure readers and include categories for best hotels, spas, cruises, airlines, cities and islands. |
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    | One&Only Cape Town, Sol Kerzner’s first urban resort, has seriously upped the glamour factor in the beautiful harbour city. VIPs jetted in for the opening of the new property – one that Capetonians have been watching for months as it not only transformed the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront but opened ahead of schedule. Lavish suites were created by New York-based interior designer Adam D Tihany in both the seven-storey Marina Rise and the exclusive Island Suites. These retreats and the One&Only Spa are on two private islands surrounded by waterways, providing a secluded haven for guests.
Featuring no less than two celeb chef restaurants: Gordon Ramsay’s maze and master chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa’s Japanese restaurant, Nobu, One&Only sets a new benchmark for the city. Sol Kerzner believes it will become the ‘ultimate gourmet retreat’. Extraordinary views of Table Mountain and the Waterfront marina dominate the lively lobby area and Vista Bar – the place to meet for cocktails, or to taste the magnificent collection of 6,000 South African wines housed in a spectacular glass and steel loft.
JUST THE PLANET invites you to celebrate their opening with an exclusive travel package: the resort has partnered with Singita Game Reserves to take you to SA’s most exclusive game lodges in the Sabi Sand and Kruger National Park – the perfect combination of sea and safari.
Email Michelle Snaddon for details. |
 Grande Provence Estate in Franschhoek, South Africa, internationally renowned for its 5-star boutique accommodation, award-winning wines and modern French cuisine has been voted as one of the 15 most Fabulous Villas in the World by Harpers Bazaar UK edition. View their advertorial ...
Banyan Tree’s secluded new resort on China’s South Seas Island is set to open in April 2008. One hour’s flight south of Hong Kong, Sanya is a sub-tropical hideaway on Hainan Island with 49 secluded pool villas. Two state-of-the-art Presidential Villa complexes have also been designed to host heads of state and their entourages (with up to 50 guests in each).
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