| Greetings,
I'm writing this as an ash cloud from a
volcano in Iceland is playing havoc with the
airlines, hotels, transfer companies, and
life in general around the world. But as
each story of another stranded tourist
emerges, it is balanced by another tangible
effect of the "power of Virtuoso."
The Virtuoso network provides more than just
hotel perks (see the last article in this
newsletter) - it is a network of people who
know the right people, and never has
it been more important than this past week to
have been plugged into that network. And of
course, having a real live professional
travel agent is the essential key that
unlocks it all for you.
Happily, I can report that none of my clients
are stranded away from home this weekend.
There were delays and rebookings and some
tense moments, but all are home safe now and
planning their next destination.
Where can I take you?
Roger Kershaw
| Jail Break! |
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|
Romantic nights "under the stars" are
replaced with "behind the bars" in these
hotels and hostels.
What better way to tell your significant
other how much he or she means than with an
exclusive prison escape? These six properties
may have been prisons, but today you'll find
lavish accommodations, sweet treats, and
prices that won't break the bank.
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| Hotel Buzz |
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|
 Shakti 360-degree
Leti Shakti
was
conceived to share the rejuvenating effects
of remote surroundings, to proved privileged
access to places far removed from the noise
an declutter of the modern world, where space,
peace and epic landscapes provoke the
imagination and nourish the soul. Four
cottages set in the Kumaoni foothills of the
western Himalayas. More...
 The Opposite
House In Beijing, a
city where every
hotel brand
has been rushing in, this is the place to be,
offering design, comfort and service
without the big-hotel fussiness. This is a
brand-new and very modern purpose-built hotel
development, a roughly cubic structure clad
in green glass by the Japanese architect
Kengo Kuma. Inside is a massive central
atrium, loosely divided into distinct
semi-public spaces, unapologetically modern
in style and geometric in form. More...
Coming
Soon: My Semi-Annual Hotels
Newsletter, featuring all-new and
up-and-coming properties!
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| Great Brazil Express |
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|
If you
are a fan of luxury trains, as I am,
then here's another to add to your list: The
Great
Brazil Express.
Seven-
to ten-day all-inclusive itineraries
take you leisurely and luxuriously through
the towns and countrysides between Rio and
Iguassu Falls. Tours are included at all
stops, and overnight accommodations are in 3-
and 5-star hotels.
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| Air Canada - Best Up, Best App |
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|
Up in the Air, Air Canada has been
voted Best Airline in North America in an
international survey of business travellers
by Global traveler Magazine. Over 25,000
votes were cast by frequent travellers who
average 32 round-trip flights per year,
usually in first or business class.
And AC's new iPhone app just won Best
Mobile Application award at the recent
Canadian New Media Awards gala. The Air
Canada app is the first iPhone App from a
North American airline which makes check-in,
electronic boarding passes, flight
information, itinerary changes an dother
flight information available and convenient
to retrieve.
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| British Airways and Iberia to merge |
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London-based British Airways and Spanish
carrier Iberia have announced their merger
this spring. The two companies will continue
to operate as distinct brands, but travellers
are expected to benefit significantly from
cooperation between frequent flyer programs,
code sharing, and use of each other's
passenger lounges.
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| Credit Cards Only Onboard Air Canada |
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|
Starting May 1, 2010, you will require a
credit card to pay for all onboard purchases
on Air Canada operated flights. This
includes, Onboard Café, bar, headsets and
Duty Free.
Air Canada
recommends pre-purchasing Onboard
Café vouchers. Customers who pre-purchase
will receive one meal item or one beverage,
and one snack item for only $7 (a $9 value
when items are purchased on board).
|
| A True Story - that could make you a
hero! |
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|
A
client of mine recently turned to his
executive assistant, and asked, "Book me into
The [hotel]," which she did. It was a simple
phone call - why trouble Rog? She then called
me to make the flight arrangements.
When I
found she had made the booking
directly with the hotel, I asked the room
rate. It seemed a bit high, so I contacted
the hotel myself. My Virtuoso rate for the
same hotel was CAD 225 per night, less! I
also got an upgrade to the same room, better
view, guaranteed. But that's
not all. A
full daily breakfast for two was another of
the Virtuoso amenities, and - his four-night
stay entitled him to complimentary private
transfers to and from the airport. Add to
that a $150 voucher for hotel spa services!
I took
over the booking, and e-mailed the
changes to the EA, who now is a hero because
she could report to her boss, "I asked Rog to
book the hotel for you, and he just saved you
over $1500." Please, make your
EA look like a
hero. Remind them to call me!
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|
Feature
Destination |
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SeaDream Yacht
Club
Caribbean? The Med? The destination doesn't
matter, when it's aboard SeaDream!
I've
just completed my first cruise with
SeaDream, and the experience was like none
other. From the moment of check in (which is
handled on board, not in a winding queue on
the dock) I realized that this is a cruise
line whose philosophy is clearly devoted to guest satisfaction.
With a
maximum of 112 guests pampered by a
crew of 95, it didn't take long for everyone
to get acquainted, comfortable, and spoiled.
Attention to detail is incredible. The fact
that over half the passengers are repeaters
may be the reason the crew finds it easy to
remember everyone's name, favourite drink
recipes, and dining preferences. And the
fact that 40% of the passengers put down a
deposit on their next SeaDream cruise before
they disembark is validation of that effort.
SeaDream is independently owned by a
Norwegian industrialist (you won't find
Carnival management looking over the balance
sheets, as you will with so many brands, from
Costa to Seabourn), and promotes its style as
"yachting, not cruising." Dress is
resort-casual (no formalwear), and
everything from the Bulgari
amenities to the cuisine is upscale.
Beverages and tips are
included. The crew even seems dedicated to
ensuring that a passenger's champagne glass
is never empty in a public area! Meal seating
is entirely open, and you'll find yourself
mixing with different breakfast, lunch and
dinner companions frequently, just to enjoy
their company.
Entertainment on board is low key: movies
under the stars, a beautiful library, and a
single six-seater Black Jack table. Everyone
prefers to mix and mingle with other guests.
It is, in effect, a luxurious week-long house
party that you've been invited to: you may
not know everyone there when you arrive, but
you are comfortable striking up an
conversation with any of them. Or, as one
passenger did on our cruise, you can just
retreat to the luxury of your stateroom for
days on end (She felt there was no place
better on earth to concentrate on a work
assignment.).
What
really differentiates SeaDream is the
superb service on board; attentive,
pro-active and friendly without being
obsequious. The relationship that passengers
form with the crew is part of the experience. No wonder so
many of my Clients are also
dedicated SeaDream repeaters!
Referrals
welcome!
The highest
compliment my clients can give is
the referral of their friends, family and
business associates. Thank you for your
support.
"One's
destination is never a
place, but a new way of seeing things."
- Henry
Miller
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