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Greetings!
 This has been one of the most
exhilarating seasons of travel planning in my career with so many of you
taking "dream vacations" and even one dream honeymoom. I've been
river barging in Europe, relaxing on Lake Como, driving through New
Zealand, on game safaris in Africa, golf trips in Ireland and Portugal,
Orient-Express and Rocky Mountaineer train trips, and in opulent villas and
legendary hotels in the romantic capitals of the world - and you know I get
almost as much vicarious enjoyment in the planning that you have in the
trip itself. I've shared your dinner reservations with some of the greatest
chefs in the world, and thrilled to the excitement from 5th Row Centre
Orchestra seats on Broadway, the West End, and Las Vegas. Thank you, all,
for a wonderful season!
In reality, since my last newsletter, I've enjoyed a
splendid two weeks trip directing a group on the Crystal Serenity
around the Iberian Peninsula, and an incredible weekend at Clayoquot
Wilderness Resort. I'm off, now, to the annual Virtuoso Travel Mart in Las
Vegas, and a spa weekend at Canyon Ranch.
It's a tough life, but I do it happily to ensure that each
of your travel experiences is even better than the last. Where are we going
next? I can hardly wait!
Roger Kershaw
E- mail: info@RogerKershaw.com
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Featured Hotels |
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Quinta da Romaneira, Pinhão, Northern Portugal
This new ultra-boutique hotel is housed in a pair of old wine estate
buildings by the banks of the Douro. It's a breathtaking wine estate
situated in the heart of a vineyard in the Portugal's Port wine country,
a UNESCO World Heritage.
Romaneira offers 14 rooms and seven apartments with
magnificent views over the Douro, and each building spread over the
vineyard. Romaneira is situated in Pedroso, 10 kilometers east of Pinhão.
It is one of the largest, most imposing quintas in the region.
Rosewood Mayakobá, Mayan Riviera, Mexico
Surrounded by the emerald embrace of the jungle and caressed by warm
Caribbean breezes, a resort of rare luxury is in the making. Rosewood
Mayakobá is imbued with the unique spirit of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula.
A journey to this serene world, immersed in the green perfume of the
jungle, captivates the soul with unimaginable natural beauty and pure,
simple refinement. Situated along a mile-long arc of white sand on the
Riviera Maya, Rosewood Mayakobá is the heart of a 1,600-acre luxury
resort enclave located 30 minutes south of Cancún and north of the
charming seaside village of Playa del Carmen.
Virtuoso guests receive daily buffet
breakfast, unique in-room tequila setup upon arrival, and $US 100 spa
credit.
Castello Banfi - Il Borgo, Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy
Comfortable and charmingly elegant hospitality awaits
guests touring Southern Tuscany's breathtaking wine country. Sumptuously
appointed rooms and suites accented in Tuscan country style, are a
delight for senses and spirit. Relax in the Castello's private reading
room, cloistered garden, or poolside. Dine at the informal Taverna or
Michelin-star Ristorante. Enjoy music, cooking and wine tasting events.
Walking and bike trails abound on the estate; concierge services fulfill
your dreams. |
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Flying Standby? I doubt it! |
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E ver get to the airline
check-in counter, ticket in hand, and been told "Sorry, you're on
standby. Step over there till you're called." It's possible that you
are standby, but you will certainly have known that before you get to the
counter. It will never be a surprise.
What's happened is that
the airline has oversold, and pre-assigned seat selections are capacity
controlled. The remaining seats are available only at check-in for
security reasons. Other passengers have checked in before you, and
although you have a confirmed ticket, you have no seat assignment.
I will always get a
pre-assigned seat for you when possible; otherwise, it's "seat
selection at check-in." Usually, you can check-in on line with the
airline from home, 24 hrs before departure, and sometimes even print a
boarding pass.
Regardless of whether
you have a seat assignment or not, you still have a confirmed seat, and -
if you have checked in on time - it is the airline's responsibility to
get you to your destination.
When faced with this
situation, stand firm, remain polite, assure the counter agent that you
do have a confirmed passage, not stand-by, that you understand they have
oversold your flight, and ask what they intend to do for you. |
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In the know |
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 Readers
of The Confidante may be amused to see a current periodical
featuring their latest hot hotel "discoveries" - and realize
they've read all about them here, a year ago! The most recent example was
a two-page spread to the "newest" and "trendiest"
hotel in Venice, the Ca'Sagredo. This spectacular find is already
familiar to a half dozen of my clients.
How do I find out these
properties before the travel magazines? From several sources: The two
major invitation-only trade shows that I attend annually (Virtuoso in Las
Vegas each summer and the International Luxury Travel Market in Cannes
each fall) provide plenty of opportunity to meet the General Managers of
new properties (and those face-to-face meetings can result in extra
favours benefiting you!).
I also attend
presentations by the major luxury chains and consortia, always eager to
introduce their newest properties. And of course there is Virtuoso,
always there with a proven product that is sure to delight you. Add my
personal travel to the mix (my ideal shore excursion off a cruise ship is
a list of hotels and cab driver who knows how to find them!) and you are
assured of a recommendation that will be perfect for you.
So, keep reading those
travel magazines - I like the way they encourage you to travel! - and
then let me suggest a hotel or resort that they'll be featuring next
year.
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Concierge Services |
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 Many
of you have met, or at least spoken on the phone with, Jim Lingerfelt, my
assistant and your concierge. Jim is the one who generally arranges your
dinner reservations, theatre tickets, airport transfers, spa appointments
... in short, all those finishing touches you've come to expect when you
travel with me. Jim also handles a lot of the back office processes, and
the desktop publishing that brings you this newsletter and the customized
itineraries we provide for your major trips.
This gives you the
benefit of the extra enjoyment these services can bring to your travels,
and gives me the extra time to concentrate on the intricacies of your
travel arrangements.
It also means that even
when I'm on the phone when you call, you'll still get a male voice
instead of voice mail.
An unbeatable combination.
Whatever you need to make your trip perfect, "Consider it
done!"
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Feature Destination - Clayoquot
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Remote - Refined - Remarkable
And we would add, although it doesn't echo the
alliteration, "Stupendous!"
We are just back from the most wonderful weekend at
Clayoquot Wilderness Resort. This is camping as the more-fortunate
enjoyed it in days gone by, in the largest remaining temperate rain
forest on earth, near Tofino, Vancouver Island. Delivered by float plane
from Vancouver or motorboat from Tofino, you are met by horse-drawn
carriage and transported to the outpost camp. Prospector-style tents on
raised wooden platforms, furnished with rustic Victoriana, oil lamps and
candles (and discreet electric lamps), connected by a network of
torch-lit wooden boardwalks, all leading to the cookhouse (i.e., gourmet
restaurant) and spa, worthwhile destinations are they both.
All guests receive a welcoming orientation (and glass of
bubbly) as manager John Caton explains the philosophy and operation of
the camp. In addition to providing a totally pampering luxury experience
in and with Nature, you are encouraged to take "a baby step outside
your area of comfort" - to try something you've always wanted to do
but, because of time or availability or maybe simply intimidation, you've
not done till now. For me that was kayaking (with personal guide in the
double kayak), horseback riding (with patient and complete introduction
by my personal wrangler), and even reeling in my first fish! For others
it was rock climbing, skeet shooting, archery, mountain biking ... the
list has no bounds, and the quality of instruction, and equipment, is
unexcelled. And everything is included in the price. Even wireless
Internet throughout the camp.
Catering to a maximum guest list of 36 is a staff of 60,
mostly friends and family of John & Adele. There is no shortage of
applicants for coveted crew positions in this wilderness paradise, and
they are universally enthusiastic, patient, well-travelled, intelligent
and generally young. Their 30 horses share grazing land with elk, moose
and bear. Eleven dogs jump immediately to attention to keep bears at bay,
and then return to lie on your feet by the fireside, as a staff member
tops up your wine glass and John chats about tomorrow's activities. Or
maybe you'll just spend the day reading, or listening to vintage 33RPM
records, or trying your hand at the piano (with suitably easy sheet music
provided), or billiards or table hockey or horseshoes or even just
grazing through renowned chef Timothy May's incredible snacks and
pastries.
The resort is frequented by industry scions, celebrities,
even royalty, but all are on first-name basis immediately and within a
day are sharing tales by the fire, stiff necks and egos eased no doubt by
generous pours as much as by the divine massages! The environment of
trust is illustrated by the unstaffed gift shop: help yourself to logo-ed
hats and sweatshirts or soothing ointments and balms. When you check out
you can tell Adele what you took and pay for it then.
Check out, alas, is inevitable, but is eased with hugs all
around, crew and guests, with promises to return one day soon. Never have
I wanted to keep a promise so much.
Visit
the website here...
Join me on a Baltic Cruise, July 2009
Twelve nights,
aboard the magnificent Azamara Journey: Copenhagen, Talin,
Stockholm (overnight), St Petersburg (two overnights), Lubeck,
Warnemünde, Helsinki ... from $U 340 per person per day, including
airfare. An incredible value! Details
here.
Referrals welcome!
The highest compliment my clients can give is the referral
of their friends, family and business associates. Thank you for your
support.
Life is not measured by the number of
breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
-- George Carlin
(1937-2008)
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