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  • The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal now open

    After much anticipation, The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal has opened its doors today. The 532-room luxury resort is the primary Ritz-Carlton hotel in Abu Dhabi and the ninth property inside the Middle East for the posh hotel operator.

    Inspired by 15th to early 17th century Renaissance architecture and the urban planning of town of Venice, The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal is found on the waterfront and includes ten stately buildings arranged in a crescent formation. Overlooking the 1,600 square meter pool, the backdrop of the luxurious hotel is the majestic Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. The valuables features 447 luxurious guestrooms and suites, along with 85 private one- and two-bedroom villas.

    “We are delighted to open our first hotel within the United Arab Emirates capital of Abu Dhabi, a city we’ve waited to be in until finding the absolute right location,” stated Herve Humler President and Chief Operations Officer of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. “Warm Arabian hospitality combined with legendary Ritz-Carlton service will create many unique, once-in-a-lifetime experiences for visitors from around the globe.”

    Abu Dhabi, the biggest of UAE’s seven emirates, was a fishing village known regionally for its pearl trade just 50 years ago. Today, luxury and elegance are infused with traditional values of hospitality and culture, and make this dynamic city a draw for over 2 million visitors annually. Made from 200 small islands, Abu Dhabi’s stunning beaches, expansive desert and luxurious oases provide a venue for exhilarating adventure or tranquil retreat while the old souks and majestic Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque – recently named one of the crucial world’s top visitor attractions – offer an intimate inspect Arabian culture.

    Beautifully manicured lawns, unique water features, and personal beaches over an expansive 57-acres give a right away sense of well-being to guests upon arrivel on the Venetian-designed luxury hotel and resort. Leisure and business travellers alike will benefit from the refined elegance of the 85 one- and two-bedroom villas complete with spacious outdoor terraces, separate arrival palazzo and personal butler service. The Ritz-Carlton Club Level provides a dedicated concierge, private check-in, plus five food and beverage offerings in the course of the day within an exclusive lounge boasting panoramic views of the valuables, canal and town skyline,

    The 1,550 square meter Roma Ballroom is the epitome of elegance on a grand scale. Ready to accommodate as much as 900 guests and divisable by three, the ballroom also provides an exclusive elevator directly from the personal Bridal Suite into the venue. Two expansive marble foyers with natural daylight, 14 additional meeting rooms, and a conventional majlis (literally meaning “a place of sitting” in Arabic) make sure the Ritz-Carlton is the precise venue for all special celebrations and events.

    Renowned Ritz-Carlton chefs will please every palate in any of the 10 hotel restaurants and bars including three signature restaurants created by award-winning Japanese designer Super Potato. Li Jiang, meaning “beautiful river” in Chinese, is a contemporary Southeast Asian restaurant with an open kitchen focusing on noodles and dimsum; Mijana, a modern Arabic restaurant, showcases some of the best in traditional Lebanese and regional cooking; while The Forge, a signature steak house, serves specialty cuisine in a classy setting paired with the world’s finest wines. The all-day dining restaurant, Giornotte (blending the Italian words for “day” and “night”), has an indoor seating capacity of 358 and serves light Mediterranean fare. Dolce, an Italian gelato and occasional café; Alba, the lobby lounge serving Afternoon Tea; Sorso, a normal Ritz-Carlton lobby bar; Al Fresco, the pool restaurant; plus two pool bars round out the rest food and beverage offerings on the Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal.

    A 1,600 square meter outdoor pool, among the many largest in UAE; a totally-equipped fitness center; and the Ritz Kids Club are only most of the other leisure facilities available for guests to enjoy.

  • News: Sofitel Philippine Plaza in wellness focus

    With medical tourism at the rise throughout Southeast Asia, Sofitel Philippine Plaza has jettisoned the standard spa playbook, teamed with one of the most country’s most famous wellness experts and opened the doors on a health and aesthetic institute, the primary inside a hotel in Asia.

    “Manila is an enormous destination for international travelers who want cost-effective aesthetic treatments,” said Goran Aleks, general manager of Sofitel Philippine Plaza. “They stick with us always. Watching them exit the hotel for wellness clinics (downtown) sparked an concept: Why not take it to a better level, and develop an idea that goes beyond the fast fix to full-on behavior modification”

    Called Vietura, the hot facility offers an array of customizable programs designed to assist clients look better and live healthier.

    Services range from weight-management tools akin to Calloblock — which naturally binds carbs and fats within the food you consume and hurries up the calorie-burning process — to anti-aging procedures that involve the administration of medicine directly into the fattiest layer of skin.

    Vietura also has tried-and-tested remedies for complexion problems and digestive disorders.

    All solutions are non-invasive and start with a whole-body assessment — the 1st step in Vietura’s three-step ‘Measure, Mentor and Monitor’ philosophy.

    “Vietura isn’t your typical medical spa; it’s a life-style experience,” Aleks said. “It’s for the person that understands that the trail to bigger confidence isn’t dramatic change. It’s a protracted-term holistic approach that ends up in a more natural glow and prompts friends to invite, ‘Where did you go on vacation’ rather than ‘What surgeon did you only see’” 

    Vietura’s concept was developed by its chief practitioner, Dr. Mary Jane Torres, a Filipina who spent years studying mesotherapy methods in Europe and is a troublesome-core believer in non-invasive, non-surgical solutions.

    For face contouring, she employs Platelet-Rich Plasma technology, which harnesses the healing powers of platelets present in the blood.

    For body sculpting, she uses Italian-made resonance machines, which produce electrodes that speed fat dissolving and skin tightening.

    During the process any treatment, she runs tests to make certain every move is the precise move.

    “Evidence is everything,” said Torres, who has treated one of the most Philippines’ biggest celebrities throughout the Zen Institute, a medical spa she founded in 2006.

    In addition to Torres, Vietura’s staff includes 12 registered nurses, a dietician and an approach to life coach.

    Their workplace is a suite of 20 treatment rooms located in a strategic and discreet corner of Manila’s only bayside hotel.

    The facility’s position means it is accessed via the back of the valuables — a feature Aleks expects will entice local business.

    “It’s a completely private setting so guests is also assured of anonymity,” Aleks said. “That’s a huge deal to a couple people, especially those inside the public eye.”

    There is not any common waiting area, either.

    When a guest enters, they’re escorted on to a consultation room, where soothing, ambient music is but one component of the consultation experience.

    Another is the design itself, which was imagined by Gruppo Espazio, a prolific, Manila-based interior design firm that still conceived the trendy LeSpa at Sofitel Philippine Plaza.

    In Vietura, Gruppo Espazio devised an area this is sleek yet natural, thanks largely to warm lighting and a live, vertical garden feature in each consultation room.

    “It’s anything but clinical,” Aleks added. “Vie means life and tura means nature. We would have liked to construct off that, and create something people would find calming and cozy and compatible with what Sofitel stands for to boot. i feel we’ve accomplished that.”

    Vietura’s launch comes at the heels of another debut at Sofitel Philippine Plaza.

    On Nov. 8, the hotel officially reopened Spiral restaurant after a year-long, US $11 million renovation.

    The culinary marvel now features 21 dining ateliers helmed by Eric Costille, the regional executive chef for Sofitel Asia-Pacific.

    Built in 1976 with input from former President Ferdinand Marcos and primary Lady Imelda, Sofitel Philippine Plaza has long been the address of choice for guests of the country’s capital.

    The only 5-star hotel with a resort setting in Manila is adjacent to the enduring Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and within quarter-hour of the international airport, Mall of Asia and historic Spanish walled city of Intramuros.

    At 609 rooms, the valuables is the most important in Sofitel’s portfolio and, in true Sofitel spirit, exudes a mix of French savoir faire and authentic local touches.

  • News: Norwegian Breakaway leaves Meyer Werft

    Norwegian Breakaway, the most important cruise ship to ever be in-built Germany, departed Meyer Werft in Papenburg, for her approximately 24-hour long conveyance along the Ems River yesterday morning and arrived in Eemshaven early today.

    The river conveyance demonstrated Norwegian Breakaway’s seaworthiness and marked another key milestone sooner than the ship’s highly anticipated delivery.

    Sailing backwards, Norwegian Breakaway left Meyer Werft at approximately 10:00 (local time in Germany), and made a narrow passage in the course of the ship yard’s locks, with just one.6 metres clearance separating the ship from the “bumpers” that were specially installed along the starboard side of the locks.

    This manoeuvre took approximately 1.5 hours at a maximum speed of only 0.2 knots.

    The precise navigation was led by a team of 2 located at the bridge, with one navigation officer answerable for overseeing the bow manoeuvres and the opposite overseeing the movement of the strict. After passing in the course of the locks, Norwegian Breakaway continued along the river, stern first.

    Due to the strong propulsion within the aft portion of the vessel, travelling stern first helps with manoeuvrability that is a key component when navigating the vessel through such narrow passages.

    In preparation for the ship’s conveyance, the Nautical Operations teams from both MEYER WERFT and

    Norwegian trained and practiced the suitable manoeuvres for the past several months, utilising high tech simulators and detailed schematics.

    Norwegian Breakaway presented the main challenging conveyance ever, because the ship required precise manoeuvres with a purpose to navigate through extremely narrow passages, with under two metres clearance on both sides of the vessel.

    Before reaching her final destination in Eemshaven, Netherlands early Thursday morning, heading toward the North Sea, Norwegian Breakaway gone through additional narrow passages including the locks in Papenburg, which enable only one.5 metre clearance on all sides; Weener Bridge in Weener; Jann-Berghaus Bridge in Leer; and Ems-Barrier in Gandersum.

  • NZ screen industry hits new $3 billion high

    The New Zealand screen industry has broken the NZ$3 billion barrier for the primary time due to earnings from an increased collection of feature films made within the country over the past financial year.

    At a time when the movie world is concentrating on New Zealand as Middle-earth with the making of The Hobbit Trilogy, Statistics New Zealand reports that the screen industry has grown 10% to succeed in revenue of $3.29 billion.

    A total of 40 feature films were completed in New Zealand last year and revenue from these rose almost 50% to top $1 billion for the primary time.

    Film New Zealand Chief Executive Gisella Carr says the newest results could never were dreamed of some years ago and to attain such figures within the face of intense international competition was an actual testimony to the standard and resourcefulness of the recent Zealand industry.

    “The screen business is a tender, 21st-century form of industry. Most other countries want an industry like this. New Zealand has it, and we will be very pleased with it,” Carr said.

    Film centre of excellence
    As well as creative flair and ground-breaking technology, it’s far New Zealand’s easily accessible, stunning scenery that make it attractive to international film-makers plus the country’s reputation for being this type of desirable place to live and work.

    New Zealand is recognised as a centre of excellence for the art of film-making, largely resulting from Sir Peter Jackson and the creative teams of ‘Wellywood’ in Wellington.

    New Zealand’s rapidly growing screen industry is supported by greater than 2800 businesses – up from 2739 in 2011 – and production is spread within the country with important hubs in Auckland and the Queenstown / Otago region, in addition to Wellington.

    Survey results
    The latest survey tracks revenue and other indicators in film and tv production and post-production, film distribution and tv broadcasting inside the year to one April 2012.

    It shows income from production and post-production for the 1st time made up slightly greater than 1/2 the whole, at $1.67 billion.

    “This is vital because it is the world that’s creating growth, particularly from feature films,” Carr said.
    She said government investment within the sector was bringing a very good return.

    “The outlay is inconspicuous in comparison to total revenue, but it surely is admittedly vital in bringing screen work to New Zealand. The revenue figures underline the significance of the us as our major partner.”

    Film revenue increased by 47% to $1.04 billion and tv broadcasting revenue grew 4% to $1.30 billion.

    More than 500 one-off or stand-alone television programmes were made in New Zealand.

    International attention
    New Zealand Film Commission chief executive Graeme Mason said it was “fantastic” to look films being made that created revenue and employment.
    International attention was being attracted to the local industry and New Zealand as an area to go to and do business, he said.

    The commission was currently all for greater than 20 local feature films in various stages of pre-production, production, post-production.

    “I also desire to take my hat off to the independent films being made accessible – together these efforts are having a huge effect on a screen sector going from strength to strength,” Mason said.

    Wellywood’s role
    Statistics New Zealand said “the continuing success of Wellywood” played a large role within the sector’s growth.

    Revenue from film in Wellington generated $828 million in 2012, up 67% from $495 million.

    “In 2012, Wellington was home to 60% of all post-production businesses in New Zealand, compared with 31% for Auckland and 10% for the remainder of New Zealand,” Statistics NZ reported.

    “More specifically, Wellington is a pacesetter in digital graphics, animation, and effects.”
    Kiwi-made feature films released last year include Sione’s 2: Unfinished Business, The Hobbit, The Red House and Essentially the most Fun That you could Have Dying.

    Evil Dead
    And the growing Auckland film industry has hit the spotlight with the discharge of Evil Dead – a movie shot entirely within the Auckland region which reached number 1 on the US Box Office in its opening weekend, grossing US$26 million.

    The remake of the 1981 cult horror classic have been dubbed “the most terrifying movie you can actually ever experience” and was filmed on location in Auckland’s Woodhill Forest in addition to the Riverhead and East Tamaki areas.

    Producer Rob Tapert of Pacific Renaissance Pictures has helped to position Auckland at the world stage as a movie location with television series resembling Hercules, Xena, and Spartacus.

    Auckland’s screen industry employs over 6000 people in additional than 1400 local businesses and grosses about $2.2 billion every year.

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  • News: Second Carnival ship hit by technical problems

    Things are going from bad to worse for Carnival, with news another of its ships is returning to port with technical problems.

    Carnival Legend is returning to the port of Tampa after experiencing a technical issue with one in every of its Azipod, affecting the vessel’s sailing speed. 

    The ship’s safety systems and hotel services are all functioning normally, Carnival said in an announcement.

    Another Carnival cruise, the Dream, that’s docked in St Maarten was forced to fly passengers home on
    Thursday after the ship experienced overflowing toilets and gear outages.

    It comes only a month after sister ship, Carnival Triumph, was stranded for 5 days within the Gulf of Mexico.

    The latest stranded vessel, the Legend, made its scheduled call yesterday in Mahogany Bay, Roatan, as well as visiting Cozumel and Costa Maya earlier within the week. 

    Because of the reduction in sailing speed, today’s visit to Grand Cayman was cancelled and the ship will proceed to its homeport of Tampa, where it’s expected to reach on Sunday as scheduled.

    Guests at the current voyage will receive a $100.00 per person credit and a whole refund on pre-purchased shore excursions for Grand Cayman. 

    In addition, guests will receive 50 per cent off a future Carnival cruise.

    Carnival Legend is currently at the last leg of a seven-day Caribbean cruise that departed Tampa on Sunday, March 10th.