Archive for the ‘Real Estate’ Category

July 1st, 2008

Hôtel de Crillon

  
Of all the luxury hotels in Paris, the Hôtel de Crillon is the richest in history and culture and the most intimate. Legendary and enchanting, the hotel whose design was commissioned by Louis XV, shares its incomparable history with the glorious Place de la Concorde. Its prestigious suites boast 180 degrees view over historical Paris. Offering a unique proximity to fashionable rue du Faubourg St Honoré, the palace hotel is within walking distance to the Champs-Elysées, the Louvre Museum, the Madeleine area and the Opéra.

Dining In

“Les Ambassadeurs”, awarded fine dining restaurant, invites you to discover its unique atmosphere run by Jean-François Piège, one of the best interpreter of French gastronomy. “L’Obélisque”, offers a traditional regional cuisine, also under Piège’s supervision. “Le Jardin d’Hiver”, a lounge opening onto a magnificent patio, serves afternoon tea, drinks, light lunch and snacks all day. “Le Bar Crillon” designed by the sculptor César and decorated by Sonia Rykiel opens from lunch time to late evening, serving drinks and light lunch. In-Room dining available 24 hours a day.

Recreation and Health

The Fitness Center features modern equipment such as treadmills, virtual stair climbers, and rowing machines. A personal trainer is available for classes. Our Guest Relations Department offers a special welcome to kids and also to women traveling alone.

June 20th, 2008

Hotel Martinez

  
The Hotel Martinez is known for stylish living, where comfort and technology have aesthetic overtones, and from its eminent position on the sea front, on the famous boulevard de La Croisette in Cannes, the Hotel Martinez has established itself over the decades as the flagship hotel on the Riviera. From the outside, its architectural beauty makes it timeless and establishes its elegance and eternal youth.As spacious as it is extravagant, the hotel has an extraordinary infrastructure, both in terms of guest accommodation comprising 412 rooms and suites, and in the services the hotel has to offer. On the 7th floor, The “Penthouse Suite” of 10,000 sq feet is a haven of luxury.

Dining In

The Martinez has three restaurants. “La Palme d’Or”, a 2 stars Michelin gourmet restaurant with a terrace overlooking the Bay of Cannes and the decor is dedicated to the 7th Art. In this magical atmosphere, you will enjoy the creative flavors of Christian Sinicropi, the Executive Chef.”Le Relais Martinez”, a friendly place with a terrace extending to the edge of the swimming pool, serves a varied bistro-style cuisine featuring fresh seafood and local produce.”Zplage Beach Restaurant” is a delightful open-air restaurant serving light and healthy dishes and freshly squeezed juices.For a snack or an evening drink, the piano bar “L’Amiral” and its friendly team is today an institution.

Recreation and Health

“Zplage Beach Club” proposes 400 sun mattresses spread out over the sand and the large pontoon and for the sportier guests: water skiing, huge water rings, parascending, boat trips… On the top floor of the Hotel, “The Spa Givenchy” of 9,700 sq feet is entirely dedicated to beauty and well-being: 8 treatments cabins, a fitness center, saunas, hairdresser… Not forgetting the heated outdoor swimming pool (30 degrees Celsius all the year) with solarium and the children’s program is offered in July and August.

June 14th, 2008

Pestana Palace

A stately 19-the century palace, fully restored to its original glory and classified as a National Monument, the Pestana Palace is ideally located in the heart of Lisbon, just a short drive from the Estoril Coast and its beaches. With magnificent views of a private subtropical park, as well as the Tagus River, the luxurious Pestana Palace seamlessly blends the natural beauty of its surroundings with the excitement and culture of Lisbon.

Dining In

The acclaimed Valle-Flor serves all meals daily, featuring outstanding Portuguese specialties. Casa do Lago for seasonal dining in a 19th-century pavilion. Allegro offers a light menu, cocktails and live music in the evening.

Recreation and Health

Fitness center with heated indoor pool, Jacuzzi, sauna and Turkish bath. Outdoor pool in hotel’s gardens. 18-hole golf course nearby.

June 1st, 2008

Amazing Green oasis in the kasbah

The beauty of Les Borjs de la Kasbah is that it is completely unexpected, slap in the middle of one of the busiest and dirtiest bits of Marrakesh. To get to this boutique hotel involves a short drive from the airport, in all likelihood in a taxi with no seatbelts, along roads that bear a closer resemblance to alleyways than thoroughfares, even if they do seem to hold the same amount of traffic as the average high street back home.

Eventually, you pitch up at the door and think ‘This can’t be it’, because it’s far too unprepossessing, looking as if it might be a hostel of some sort, not the environment-friendly spa-hotel you think you’ve booked. However, once you’re inside, Les Borjs is chic and entirely peaceful - you can just about hear the call to prayer, but that’s it.

As my sister, Katy, and I arrived on a Saturday morning after just six hours’ travelling door-to-door, we met Françoise Bruce-Mitford, one of the owners, who designed and built Les Borjs with her British husband to prevent them becoming bored when they retired from running their holiday company, VFB Holidays.

Though based in Wales, she comes over at least once a month for a few days, which in itself goes to show how easy it is to get to Marrakesh for a long weekend, as we were doing. It seemed incredible that we had been in freezing Britain that morning and here we were drinking freshly squeezed fruit juices and peeling off layers in the 24C sunshine.

Les Borjs is now a year old, and when setting it up the Bruce-Mitfords were concerned to use as many environment-friendly, energy-efficient and all-round ethical ploys as they could in both the spa and the main hotel. Much of the electricity comes from solar panels, and rubbish is disposed of in as eco-conscious a manner as possible. Even the lowliest potwasher in the kitchen is paid nearly double the statutory minimum wage, and the couple are involved in several local charities.

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