Tag: bond

Luxury Ski Chalets – How Luxe Can You Go

Luxury Ski Chalets – How Luxe Can You Go?

A little look into the winter wonderlands of the world’s very best chalets and lodges As the popularity of skiing has grown exponentially over the last 20 years, and as snowboarding and other winter sports have also taken off, the demand for high end mountain-based holidays has exploded.

In fact, so in love with snow and ice are the nation’s holidaymakers, that they now demand just as much from their Winter holidays as they do from their luxury Maldivian beach breaks and Caribbean Christmases.

The traditional and fairly basic chalets of old still exist, and business is as good as ever in that market, but the luxury chalet business is now in a league of its very own. Jacuzzis and hot tubs, swimming pools, gymns and spa rooms, private balconies and ensuite wet rooms, games rooms and bedside log fires, all come pretty much as standard in a luxury chalet these days. But there’s more too – in fact pretty much anything is possible.

Size & Capacity
Size doesn’t really matter when it comes to luxury – a high end boutique luxury chalet can be just a few hundred square metres in size. One may accommodate up to ten people, another 20 or even 30. Ski accommodation varies in size. Eight hundred square metres is very large by European standards, but if it’s size you are looking for, the luxury chalets of the American and Canadian ski resorts simply have much more space on the mountainside than those in Europe! Some have over 15,000 square foot of interior space, and 5,000 square feet of outside patio and decking (including of course an outdoor fireplace, firepit, open air spa and summer kitchen!).

Resort-wise, even the smaller resorts can now offer real high end luxury. The most top-notch prestigious resorts in the Alps such as Courchevel, Verbier, Zermatt and St Moritz can cater for the most discerning of tastes. One of the most expensive chalets in the world in fact – the Tivoli Lodge in Klosters – costs well over ?60,000 a week to rent over the New Year period.

There are companies that can make this kind of luxury a little more affordable though, and realistic. Companies like Scott Dunn, for example, can tailor the luxury quotient to what you and your guests really need. They spend much of their time and money making sure that nothing is too much trouble and that no tiny detail is overlooked. And high levels of service and decorative flair can provide real luxury without breaking the bank. This kind of luxury is all about your individual requirements and dreams for the perfect winter break, and perhaps the little things you haven’t thought about too – in chalet ski and boot fitting, ski passes waiting for you on arrival, and then things like rainforest showers, or retro red velvet cinema chairs….

Design & Decor
Design is a big deal in luxury chalets. Interior design is often inspired by the finest Italian furniture, or the most beautiful French art deco style – look out for expensive silk curtains and cushions, fine polished and buffed teak floors. But a good quality chalet design will never overlook the warmth of old and well-loved Swiss wooden beams either. All make for an atmosphere of complete beauty for family and friends – more luxury yacht than damp school trip of old!

Staff & Service
Staff wise, the best chalets have the very best staff – butler, concierge, driver, housekeeper, chef, dedicated ski guides and instructors, sports therapists, nannies, nutritionists and physios. They are responsible for the luxury of detail – fresh flowers, towels and bedlinen, home baked cakes and pastries every morning, the finest coffee, the best meat and fish and local seasonal produce. Some companies have even offered the services of celebrity chef consultants such as Tom Aikens, endless vintage Krug, Norland nannies, and Jo Malone beauty products.

A concierge is almost par for the course now with luxury chalets – a good concierge has superb knowledge of the surrounding area and excellent contacts, so that you’ll always know what to do and where to go. They can guarantee you the very best tables in the very best restaurants and bars, and the best tickets for the most ‘must attend’ resort parties. In fact they can be your private event organiser too – planning heli skiing trips or building you a personal ice bar on the mountain for some night skiing!

Ambience Away From Home
Much of these luxury chalets’s success is in providing a traditional old-fashioned escape ambience – gluhwein and log fires, mountain air and snowcapped dawns. But the 21st Century demands a contemporary high tech ‘anything is possible’ edge too. If you don’t quite want to get away from it all, if you are looking for a full working office or business centre away from home for example, so that work never quite stops, then you can find the most superbly equipped offices imaginable in a good luxury chalet. But keeping in touch with the working world occasionally isn’t so bad when you can have a hot bath drawn for you and a glass of Laurent Perrier Rose poured for you at the end of a full days skiing.

Anything is Possible
The ‘anything is possible’ tag really can apply to luxury ski chalets, and in fact things you might think only existed in James Bond films really can happen on a mountain somewhere in the world!

Whether it’s a baronial mansion just outside St Moritz, with original frescoes, panelled walls and flagstone floors, or a modernist masterpiece in Zermatt accessed by an underground cable car and private tunnel, luxury chic can easily go a little bit over the top. Are you looking for a fully stocked wine cellar and walk in humidor carved in to the mountain? Or a private nightclub and sushi bar? How about an exotic wood panelled library filled with first edition classics, or a 15 metre indoor onyx lined pool and hammam? Believe it or not, you can rent a chalet that has all things.

Tailor-Made Luxury
Much of what makes luxury ‘real’ is about guests being able to make the rules. If you want a grand piano in your living room, it can be delivered to your exact specifications. If you want to sleep until noon, then breakfast should be ready for you when you wake up. If you want to carve the first tracks in virgin snow as the sun comes up, or take a sleigh ride at dusk, then your boots should always be ready, warmed and waiting. Whichever way you look at it, these kinds of ski holidays are ones you will cherish the memories of forever. The height of luxury on top of the world – it doesn’t get much better than that.

Here the author Sara Allom writes about ski chalets. She narrates the beauty, luxury in the lap of nature, Sara Allom describes how family ski holidays are offered in the best manner as a package.

When in London

When in London

London! What a fabulous city! When you plan a trip to the United Kingdom, make sure you allot enough time in its capital, because there is so much to see and do.

The city is the cultural and economic, as well as the political, hub of Great Britain. Its port is one of the busiest in the world, as is its major airport, Heathrow. British Airways is the main carrier, and it offers nonstop flights from a number of US cities. There is an underground rail service, as well as bus lines, from the airport to the city center, along with the Heathrow airport parking options. And of course, using public transportation isn’t as difficult as in other parts of Europe, since all the signs are in English.

In addition to being the seat of Parliament and government, London is the base for the royal family, and thus home, of course, to Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, and the changing of the Guards. In addition to these sites, London boasts numerous museums, theater- and concert-going experiences, and fabulous shopping. The city is divided by the winding River Thames, with most of the tourist sights found along the northern bank.

Those who enjoy music might want to visit sometime from July to September, when the “Proms,” or promenade concerts, take place in the Royal Albert Hall. World-class musicals can be enjoyed in London’s famous West End theaters. Less famous, but also enjoyable, is the live music found in numerous music bars and concert halls.

The West End is also the place for shoppers to start. They can begin with the upscale elegance offered along New Bond Street, where retailers from Cartier to Chanel to Versace to Tiffany can be found. Nearby Savile Row is celebrated for its bespoke men’s suits. If the money begins to run out, shoppers can head to Oxford Street, where a broader range of shopping experiences await.

Museum goers can appreciate the renowned works in the British Museum and the National Gallery. Along “Museum Mile” in South Kensington, one can enjoy the extensive collections of the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum, and the Victoria & Albert Museum.

If, somehow, this isn’t enough to fulfill one’s wanderlust, travel from London to other areas is easy, with a number of options. Rail connections can be made to the European mainland from Victoria or Liverpool Street Stations. Fast trips can be made by taking a bus or taxi from the city center, or choose to park your vehicle at the Heathrow airport parking garages and head right to the terminals for quick hops to points around the continent.

Bus Hire in Sydney – Why Bus Hire is Way Better Than Hiring a Car While Touring Sydney

Bus Hire in Sydney – Why Bus Hire is Way Better Than Hiring a Car While Touring Sydney

If you are going to visit the beautiful city of Sydney in Australia, then you are probably going to be looking for an affordable and comfortable tourist vehicle. You may be thinking that renting a car can be the fastest and most reliable way for sightseeing in Sydney. If you are planning to rent a car then you may want to reconsider. Have you ever looked into a bus hire service in Sydney? If not then you may want to research this option and see the benefits and convenience of this alternative method of transportation.

A bus hire service can provide you the best choice when you are trying to to see and experience the beautiful tourist locations of Sydney. In many cases, it can actually cost less than renting a car. And if you hire a driver as well, you will have no need to walk or drive to different locations. You can enjoy your Sydney tour with your family using a reliable and affordable mini bus hire service.

When you use a car for traveling, you need to spend unnecessary extra cash on fuel and car possible insurance premiums. Using a rental car service can not provide you all the comfort and convenience to reach every tourist locations throughout Sydney, especially if you are unfamiliar with the city (which most tourists are). There can be a possible risk of getting lost using a private car service and you need to continuously check your map to find the required locations. You can eliminate all these problems by hiring a reliable mini bus service. This will provide you with much needed freedom and real enjoyment with your family while touring the city.

If you have a larger family then you can hire a 21 seater or 12 seater bus. Otherwise if you have fewer members in your family then you can hire a small 8 seater minibus. There are several private mini bus hire service providers in Sydney which provides a half-day as well as a full day touring facilities. You can conveniently find the service which suits your own needs. Some service providers even allow you to select your own favorite places to visit which is really time saving for you.

The favorite destinations you can enjoy using your mini bus service:

Bondi Beach is one of the most famous tourist’s attractions in Sydney city. You will find variety of shopping places in this area along with numerous cafes and hotels. Some of the most popular attractions of the city are: Rose Bay, Double Bay, Mrs. Macquaries Chair, Dudley Page Reserve, Opera House, Chinatown, Olympic Park, Sydney Tower, the Observatory, Fox Studios and many others. Don’t forget to visit famous museums and art galleries in the city if you are avid fan of city history and culture.

Blue Mountains is another great tourist attraction of Sydney. Blue Mountains National Park and Wollemi National Park are some of the best natural wonders to visit in this area. If you are on a full day tour then you can visit these places conveniently which also include Echo Point, Govettes Leap, Leura Mall and Cahill’s Lookout.

If you are wanting to truly enjoy visiting and sightseeing in Sydney Australia without the stresses of car rental insurance, driver’s license issues, unfamiliar driving laws and unfamiliar locations, then using a bus hire service is probably your best option. Fortunately the bus hire and minibus hire companies in Sydney provide affordable options to fit any budget.

Planning your own educational trip – By Best Hotel Rates

Planning your own educational trip – By Best Hotel Rates

If it’s just for school, for your kids or for the neighborhood kids, it’s nice to have a purposeful educational trip that will surely be enjoyed by the children as well as teach them.

Of course there is the usual trip to the museum or the so-so factory, but educational travel doesn’t necessarily end with the destination, one should also consider the preparations as well as the child before you uproot them from their playgrounds.

Aurora Lillo Editor of the “Best Hotel Deals” website — http://www.BestHotelDeals.biz — pointed out;

Who should plan the Trip?

“…If the trip is an out of school activity, whether organized by you or the neighborhood parents, there should always be somebody or a group of people willing to dedicate a snippet of their time to organizing, everything, destination, transportation, food, lodgings (if any) as well as the children involved…”

What to Bring

A pack list is also essential before a trip.  Here are a few things that should be in your or your child’s bag when you go on an educational trip.

– Snacks –there should be lots of drinks and walk foods that you can eat even while walking.

– First aid kit – an accident can easily happen, a small trip or a scratch should be mended easily. A medicine pack can also be handy for parents who develop headaches, or for children with stomach upset.

– Extra clothes – children are very active, and sometimes even parents can be over-active, so it is necessary that both bring a set of clothes for those unexpected spills.

– Walkie talkie – If your child can handle it, a walkie-talkie or a cellular phone can be very useful if he gets lost.

– Name tag – Attach a name tag to his shirt or to his bag containing your contact number (without a name) so that whoever finds him can contact you.

– One of his favorite toys – A good thing to distract a child when he gets uneasy during travel would be one of his favorite toys.

– Wipes and tissue- For that easy cleanup whenever you need it.

When you get there

Fall in line, and make travel buddy’s of two or three; the one buddy should be responsible for the other so as to prevent anyone getting left behind. This is best done with kids who don’t normally play together so they can bond and get to know each other more.

On the trip home

“…Encourage sleeping; after a long walk children can get cranky when tired, so bring some milk with you so they can sleep through the trip home…” added A. Lillo.

Further information about the cheapest rates on hotels all around the world by visiting; http://www.BestHotelRates.me