Exhibition curated by Kit Kemp

nyone in London should go along to the Gallery of Contemporary Applied Arts newly-opened exhibition curated by Kit Kemp, Design Director and co-owner of Firmdale Hotels (one of The Luxury Travel Bible's favourite hotel groups) to coincide with the London Design Festival. Anyone who as stayed in any of her hotels, such as Crosby Street NY, The Soho or Charlotte Street London knows Kemp has an enviable eye for interior design. She used her considerable talents to transform the gallery into a Bloomsbury Group inspired drawing room. For the exhibition she has also commissioned one-off work from dozens of top British craftspeople working in the UK today. The exhibition runs from today until 2 October 2010. http://www.firmdalehotels.com/, http://www.caa.org.uk/

Kit Kemp, co-owner of Firmdale Hotels

The wildness of being on safari

Tanya and Mikey Carr-Hartley's family have a long-standing relationship with the Solio Reserve , so it is good to see that their newest project Solio Lodge has just opened (see pictures below). Mikey' s grandfather Tom Carr-Hartley was a legendary game-tracker and Hollywood' s go-to man when movies required wild animals as co-stars. In 1962 he was asked by the then owner to remove all wild animals from the land that is now Solio Reserve. Ironically in a typically African twist, in 1971, Solio Reserve was purchased by the conservationist - minded Court-Parfets, who decided to use the land to protect and breed endangered animals so they too turned to Tom Carr-Hartley, (accompanied by his four sons) this time to repopulate the land with the animals that he had relocated ten years before. Tanya and Mikey Carr-Hartley also now own the eccentric Giraffe Manor (once owned by Jock and Betty Leslie-Melville), Sala's Camp and the Moroccan-inspired Sasaab. PR

Luxury Link: http://www.thesafaricollection.com/
 

Private jet travel in Europe

Now The Luxury Travel Bible is fond of a little private jet-setting and it is a remarkable fact that when we ask our many luxury experts (CEOs, hotel owners and the like ) which airline they prefer to fly the majority of them say 'Singapore 'with such regularity we sometimes wonder if any other airline actually has a business or first class. maybe it has soemthing to do with those A380 first class suites. We are delighted that Star Alliance partners Lufthansa German Airlines and Singapore Airlines are joining forces to offer a world first in luxury travel Europe-wise. Passengers flying from Australia can now combine their Singapore Airlines travel with Lufthansa Private Jet services, which effectively connects them in style to over 1000 more airports in Europe and the Russian Federation. Subhas Menon, Singapore Airlines Regional Vice President South West Pacific, says: "..customers now enjoy the option to travel in top-notch comfort from Australia all the way ....[and] experience the ultimate in luxury and privacy in air travel to Europe and beyond." We agree. LS

Luxury Link: http://www.singaporeair.com.sg/
 

The perfect partnering of Whisky and golf

The Whisky Bar at The Athenaeum Hotel in London's Mayfair is justly famous, so we like the sound of the 'Golf & Whisky' package the hotel is offering guests who book a three night stay or more. Guests will be treated to a complimentary tutored whisky tasting by the hotel's in-house whisky sommelier, and then whisked away 'at their convenience' for a complimentary nine holes on the Kyle Phillips-designed championship golf course at the hotel's sister property The Grove.   So it's down in one, hole in one... HD

Luxury Link:  www.athenaeumhotel.com

The sleek style of Sheraton on the Park's new bar

After attending the official opening of Sheraton on the Park's new Conservatory Bar and Terrace The Luxury Travel Bible may well have a new favourite bar in Sydney. Designer Joseph Pang has brought new life and luxury to this iconic bar and the sleek outdoor terrace gives great views over Hyde Park and St. Mary's Cathedral (it's a great location for drinks on balmy nights under the stars). Being respectful of the natural resources in the park outside 'The Great' communal table is made from recycled Timber. We approve. Should you wish to move away from mingling at 'The Great' the intimate 'Concaves' booths offer more privacy (perfect for assignations). TLTB will be very happy to be seen here with a Martini in hand. SB

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/

Melbourne's newest art hotel

The newest in the Art Series Hotels, inspired by iconic Australian artists opens in Melbourne today. The hotel is a homage to the dream -like work of Charles Blackman (b.1928). it joins sister hotels The Cullen and The Olsen to create a trifecta of boutique art hotels in some of the city's coolest locations. The Luxury Travel Bible takes a first look. Click here.

http://www.artserieshotels.com.au/

The sumptuous style of Hayman's new villas

The Luxury Travel Bible is loving our first look at the new Beach Villas at Hayman, one of the Great Barrier Reef 's premier island resorts. Due to open in December 2010 the eight absolute beachfront Villas will offer breathtaking uninterrupted views of the Coral Sea and beyond. Designed by renowned architect Kerry Hill (who also designed Alila Ubud another favourite of ours) each Villa looks as if it will provide 120 square metres of sheer luxury. And did we mention the extravagant private pools? Also to be launched before the year is out is the first Kerry Hill-designed Hayman Private Residence, ensuring Hayman will keeps its place at the top of the world's most exclusive private island resorts. HD

Mine's bigger than yours is...

Now we know that these days you can judge the size of a man's ego by the dimensions of his TV screen (and once upon a time it used to be his porsche..sigh..). Hotels too are playing a 'mine is bigger than yours is' game with in-room screens.  However P&O's latest superliner, Pacific Pearl, has blown them all out of the weater (so to speak) by annoucing it will feature a giant entertainment screen on its pool deck.

Stretching seven metres wide and four metres high, the state-of-the-art LED 'Big Screen' is a first for the cruise line. Unveiling details of the ship, which will be launched in December this year, Ann Sherry, CEO of Carnival Australia, which operates P&O Cruises, said Pacific Pearl’s Big Screen would showcase everything from sports events to latest release movies. In another first for the cruise line, Pacific Pearl feature a Swim Up Bar in one of her two pools.

Celebrity Travel

The tabloids and the fan-zines are obsessed with where the stars go on holiday . Of course The Luxury Travel Bible is above such things, after all some of the celebrities are our insiders! However they do have the money and the motivation to discover some spectacular spots, so we are always interested when they agree to share their favourites with us. Click here to view

NEW TOP TEN: Bestseller Hotels

Ahh... the joy of curling up on a sun-lounger with a good bestseller. Whether your tome of choice is an airport blockbuster or a literary classic, you don't have to weigh down your luggage with heavy holiday reads. Here are ten hotels where the term 'book-in' has a whole new meaning. Click here to view

Condoms by the bed beats complimentary chocolates

Our Editor in Chief is just back from Singapore, apart from the new Marina Bay Sands (recently reviewed by our Sing. correspondent) she thinks one of the coolest hotels in Singapore is still Naumi from the Small Luxury Hotels portfolio. Hippest touch - complimentary hotel-branded condoms by the bed, beats chocolates on the pillow any day. A full report on Naumi follows on our website shortly. http://www.naumihotel.com/, http://www.slh.com/, http://www.luxurytravelbible.com/