FOR THE LOVE OF MUSIC
If you’re a music lover inspired by the sound of the Ravello Festival, prepare to swoon for a once-in-a-lifetime experience at the Belmond Hotel Caruso, which is offering guests a private and exclusive sunrise concert and a champagne breakfast as a tribute to the festival’s concert at dawn, held every August in the historic gardens of Villa Rufolo. As the main event of the season, taking place every August 11, the concert is also the most exclusive, with only 750 seats available. If you’ve missed out this year, never fear – you too can wake up to the gentle notes of a mini string orchestra playing just for you while staying at Belmond Hotel Caruso. The former 11th-century palace set on cliffs beside the Amalfi Coast is already special, but nothing will prepare you for the experience of rising before dawn and being escorted by a private butler to the infinity pool, where at 5am, a quartet of musicians directed by orchestra master Giovanni Lucibello, will play just for you as the sun rises over the Amalfi coast.
PRICE €3,500 + VAT (US$3,896)
AVAILABLE Arranged through the hotel
A WHEELY GOOD STAY
A limited-edition suitcase by RIMOWA is part of the package at Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, which is collaborating with the premium-luggage brand to mark the hotel’s 140 years of heritage. Just 140 hand-made suitcases – a favourite of Brazilian supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio – have been created, ready to hand over to guests who stay in the hotel’s recently renovated, historic Authors’ and Garden Wings. The two-night package in either a Garden Suite or Garden Room also includes 24-hour personal butler service, daily breakfast for two at The Verandah, and an Afternoon Tea for two at The Authors’ Lounge, including a gift of one pot of 140th anniversary homemade jam to take home.
PRICE RIMOWA x Mandarin Oriental Bangkok package is priced from THB39,140 excluding taxes (US$1,153) per double room for a minimum stay of two consecutive nights. For Garden Suite bookings, guests will receive one piece of limited edition RIMOWA premium luggage: Check-in Multiwheel size 73 (85L volume) while for Garden Room bookings, guests will receive one piece of limited edition RIMOWA premium luggage: Cabin Multiwheel size 53 (35L volume)
AVAILABLE Year round, subject to availability
www.mandarinoriental.com/bangkok
THE CONNAUGHT’S BALENCIAGA EXPERIENCE
As the first UK exhibition to explore the work and legacy of the Spanish couturier Cristóbal Balenciaga, fashionistas have been flooding through the doors of London’s Victoria and Albert Museum for Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion. To celebrate, The Connaught, located on fashionable Mount Street is running a glamorous overnight experience that includes exclusive tickets to the show at the V&A, the official exhibition book Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion, and a private visit to the Balenciaga shop, conveniently located around the corner, arranged by The Connaught’s renowned butlers. Post-exhibition and shopping spree, the evening includes a legendary bespoke martini trolley, delivered to your door stocked with perfect ingredients necessary to make your martini of choice. With a glam tipple in your hand, it’s then time for an equally glam screening of La Dolce Vita and it couldn’t be more apropos as director Federico Fellini claimed that Balenciaga’s iconic 1957 sack dress moved him to write the film, which eventually netted an Oscar for Best Costume Design in 1960.
PRICE £795 (US$1,004) inclusive of taxes for a night stay for two people in a Deluxe King Room.
AVAILABLE Until February 18, 2018
BEVERLY HILLS PAJAMA PARTY
Affectionately known as the “Pink Palace”, there are few hotels laden with such Hollywood glamour than The Beverly Hills Hotel, especially for its bungalows loved by none other than screen-siren Elizabeth Taylor, who coincidentally spent six of her eight honeymoons at the hotel. Now you and five of your closest pals can revel in the legend with a Troop Beverly Hills-inspired vacation, staying in the newly renovated Bungalow 5 (Elizabeth’s favourite) complete with four bedrooms, full kitchen, private pool, and wrap-around patio. The package includes a special Elizabeth Taylor-themed welcome amenity featuring lavender macarons and champagne, along with Six Sant & Abel signature banana-leaf pajamas and eye masks for each bungalow guest. Once checked in, you and your friends are free to relax and enjoy as you see fit – lounging by the pool, indulging over lazy breakfast (served poolside, in-suite or in the iconic Polo Lounge), or Zen-ing out with your complimentary 60-minute signature massages or facial at the spa. Once beautified, why not schedule your photo shoot? Included in the package is a one-hour photography session in the suite or in select hotel locations – pajamas optional.
PRICE US$15,000 per night, including a breakfast credit of $600 (to be used as in-room-dining or taken in the Cabana Cafe or the Polo Lounge)
AVAILABLE Blackout dates include the entire month of July and August; a 50 per cent non-refundable deposit required at the time of booking, with 24 hours notice for the photo-shoot session
www.dorchestercollection.com/en/offers/the-beverly-hills-hotel/troop-beverly-hills
ALL ABOARD FOR THE PRESIDENT’S TOUR
It’s a very special year for the Golden Eagle. Not only does 2017 mark its 10th anniversary, the luxurious train also travels its one-millionth mile. To celebrate such a momentous occasion, the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express will depart on a journey accompanied by company president and founder, Tim Littler, crossing Russia connecting east and west from Moscow over the Urals, across the magnificent and endless steppe and alongside the shore of the world’s largest freshwater lake. Exploring Moscow, the modern Soviet city of Novosibirsk and Irkutsk, known as “Paris of Siberia”, other highlights include a dip in Lake Baikal – the deepest lake in the world – and a glimpse into Ulaan Baatar in Mongolia before returning to Vladivostok. It will be a journey to remember, not least for the stunning scenery and intriguing cultural experiences, but also for flawless luxury on-board, which includes a lavish signature gala caviar and champagne dinner party marking the occasion. Guests aboard this journey will also experience the train’s debut wellness programme on this departure, featuring yoga and meditation classes curated by specialist yoga instructor, Kate Kearns.
AVAILABLE Departure: July 23 – August 6, 2017 with a strictly limited number of Silver and Gold Class cabins remaining,
PRICE Silver Class US$16,995 per person (twin) or $24,995 (sole occupancy); Gold Class $20,595 per person (twin) or $30,995 (sole occupancy)
www.goldeneagleluxurytrains.com
SOMETHING BLUE
“Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue” – the last portion, at least, is easy to come by with an island wedding at Hurawahli Maldives. A pearl in the Indian Ocean surrounded by infinite shades of a perfectly blue sea, this is a picture-perfect paradise for an unforgettable destination wedding or renewal of vows ceremony. From the bridal preparation and ceremony setup to the moment you say “I do”, the entire day is taken care of, with traditional boduberu dancing, an intimate candle-lit dinner with a private chef and waiter, and “Dream Excursion” to a secluded sandbank. At the end of the day, a romantic turndown service waits in your tropical sanctuary, be that amid lush vegetation on the beach or propped above the lagoon’s tranquil waters, lending an extraordinary backdrop to a once-in-a-lifetime occasion.
PRICE Wedding and renewal of vow ceremonies start from US$1,500
AVAILABLE Year round, subject to availability
STAY AND PLAY
Address Montgomerie is a much-loved verdant oasis in Dubai with beautifully manicured gardens and 14 lakes, and an 18-hole, par-72 championship golf course, the undulating “links land”-style fairways designed by the illustrious Colin Montgomerie in association with Desmond Muirhead. Not surprisingly, such beautiful surroundings make it a favourite Dubai destination for avid golfers, leisure seekers and connoisseurs of the finer things in life – especially with the in-house spa and three delightful dining options. If that sounds up your street, why not take advantage a golf staycation offer, available to those booking three days in advance? The package includes a stay with the best available rate, a delicious à la carte breakfast at the inimitable Monty’s restaurant overlooking the 18th hole, and a complimentary round of golf.
PRICE From AED750 (US$204) per person excluding taxes, including golf and breakfast
AVAILABLE Offer must be booked three days in advance with the full amount due upon check-in, is subject to availability and is not valid in conjunction with any other promotion
