a billion dollar project of the Real Madrid Football club in UAE

UAE is now going to play host to a billion dollar project of the Real Madrid Football club. Currently in talks with the Emirate of Ras-Al-Khaimah, the Real Madrid Club folks are looking to create another artificial island resort in the Gulf Coast, which will which include a marina, 10,000-seat capacity sports arena, luxurious hotel, a amusement park, villas and also a club museum. Of course, it is now at the stage of being approved and construction is to begin on a fully fledged scale, 2015 January is when this mega-project is stated to be complete and open its doors for the public to use.

From what is being estimated, there will be approximately 1 million visitors on the Real Madrid Island Resort, per year, when it opens for operations by 2015. Perhaps this is the reason, why the investment of $1 billion has been approved for this project alone.
One ought to be profoundly surprised, when taking into account that there will be 4.6 million square foot of space to be used, which will house all the facilities mentioned before. The construction theme of the project is known to be ultra-modern and innovative, much like the Khalifa Tower and Burj Al Arab Hotel, but will be created with a similar framework, much like the Palm Island in Jumeriah, Abu Dhabi. A marina, luxury villas and hotels, large stadium, amusement parks, and other sports arena, will all come under one roof, and provide a holiday platform paralleled by only the most luxurious projects in the world.
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The W Paris

 The latest outpost of W Hotels, the long-awaited W Paris, has thrown open its doors in the French capital as Paris Fashion Week gets underway.
The W Paris offers 91 guest rooms going from €340 per night and overlooking the grandiose Opéra Garnier — Paris’s distinctly more traditional landmark opera house.
The interior of the building has clearly been designed to put a contemporary touch on the hotel’s historic buildings, with a sweeping, wrought-iron lined staircase, chandeliers in the bedrooms and antique-inspired furniture that has been brought up-to-date with new covers and designs.

Inside Arola, the hotel’s signature restaurant overseen by Spanish Michelin-starred chef Sergi Arola, Spanish specialities will be served in a room seemingly inspired by a traditional dining room, albeit with some contemporary touches of scarlet.
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The JW Marriott Marquis Dubai

When the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai opens its doors at the end of this year, it will be the new tallest dedicated hotel building in the world.
Standing at 1,099-feet tall (355 metres), the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai is just 26 metres shorter than the Empire State Building in New York.
The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong, which sits on floors 102-118 of the 1,588-foot International Commerce Centre remains the highest hotel in the world.
The twin towers will have 1,608 guest rooms — 804 in each — and around 25 per cent will be suites. The towers will have combined car parking facilities for 1,000 vehicles and 28 lifts.
The JW Marriott Marquis Dubai will open in two phases, with the first section featuring 804 rooms and numerous restaurants and lounges.

Along with more than 5,000 sq m of event space, the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai will also have nine restaurants and five lounges, along with a world-class spa, health club and two ballrooms.
The Marquis endorsement is reserved for iconic properties in the Marriott International portfolio, defined by their scale, grandeur and location.
The new JW Marriott in Dubai will be the first JW branded property outside of North America (after the JW Marriott Marquis Miami).
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Limited Edition Chanel bags for Bellagio Hotel

In celebration of the re-opening of its store in the Bellagio hotel and casino in Las Vegas, Chanel is offering an exclusive set of bags exclusive to the location. Note the dice! 
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The Habtoor Palace project

The Al Habtoor Group, a UAE-based development firm, plans to build a new triple-hotel complex in the heart of the Emirate as part of a $1.3 billion project.
The “Habtoor Palace” formed of two skyscrapers rising from a five-storey podium base, will see over 1,600 rooms added to Dubai‘s hotel scene.
The rest of the complex is designed as a ‘lifestyle experience,’ Al Habtoor says, with a luxury spa and multiple restaurants and banqueting facilities.
The attraction will also include a huge theater, complete with a hydraulic central stage, water features and movable floors.

A designer shopping arcade and sports academy will top off the project, Al Habtoor says, while 37,000 square meters of gardens will also be included.
Although the project isn’t likely to get underway until later this year and won’t be complete until 2015, concerns have already been raised about the effect of the extra rooms on the Dubai hotel scene, where supply already far outstrips demand.
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The Mykonos Grand Hotel

The Mykonos Grand Hotel, a place built in symmetry and cohesion with nature, allowing one to bask in its superb sunlight and luxury.
Situated close to Mykonos town and Paradise Beach, on the Ayios Yiannis, it greets guests with two different restaurants, each of them displaying gorgeous seasonal meals and exotic tastes. Surrounded by picturesque views, this particular beach resort offers a ground floor of 32 square meters that comprises 33 square meter rooms with views towards the garden, died in either orange or blue and large mosaic ornamented bathrooms.

Furthermore, the resort offers 33 square meter rooms, over-viewing the Aegean Sea, trimmed with Greek marble and Mykonian arches that separate the bedroom from the sitting area. Besides these, there are also superior sea view rooms, with their own Spa bathrooms, that cover 37 square meters.

The resort puts at guests’ disposal an array of suites, five kinds of them, among which we mention suites with outdoor barbecues and with or without private pools that can easily host the most squeamish of customers. Guests can also relax at the spa, squash and tennis courts, fitness center or do their customs at the stone amphitheater built for yoga sessions. The place is a real must-see and must-visit.

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Bulgari Hotel opens in London in April

Bulgari Hotel is scheduled to open in London in April in the exclusive district of Knightsbridge, just in time for the Summer Olympics and the Queen’s Jubilee events.
Bulgari Hotel is managed by Bvlgari Hotels and Resorts, a joint venture between Italian jeweller Bvlgari (owned since last year by LVMH) and Marriott International.
Bulgari Hotels and Resorts already operates properties in Milan and Bali. The opening will signify the first luxury new-build hotel in 40 years to open in the city.
It will offer 85 rooms and suites, including seven Bulgari suits which measure over 200 sq. meters, and will be designed with silver as the dominant theme by Antonio Citterio, Patricia Viel & Partners, the company behind Bulgari’s other two hotels.
Guests will be able to enjoy a dip in an indoor pool, part of a 2,000 square meter spa and fitness center, as well as relaxing in the hotel’s private cinema or dancing the night away in a ballroom.
There will also be residences available for sale. A 7th floor penthouse is available through Christie’s International Real Estate.
Although few details are currently available online about the penthouse, the Bulgari Hotel’s website indicates that it features 9,260 square feet of exquisite living space.
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The Hyatt Capital Gate hotel in Abu Dhabi

The Hyatt Capital Gate hotel, which offers 189 five-star rooms, finally opened its doors December 21 in Abu Dhabi.
The hotel leans a record-breaking 18 degrees — more than four times that of Italy’s famed Leaning Tower of Pisa, which is angled at just under four degrees.
The striking style of the building earned it a place among Guinness World Records last year, despite a two-year delay in the handover.
Now, guests will be able to sleep in guest rooms that hover over nothing but air, with the Hyatt occupying floors 18-33 of the structure — each floor protrudes by between 300mm to 1400mm.
Among the features is the Rayana Spa, a ‘sky-spa’ perched on the 19th floor offering “a refreshingly elevated oasis experience” along with a suspended outdoor pool and whirlpool.
Restaurant options include eastern Mediterranean cuisine at the 18˚ restaurant, a chic bar called Privé, the “residential-style” Lounge, a pool bar and the Lobby Café.
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The GoldenEye Hotel and Resort in Jamaica

The GoldenEye Hotel and Resort in Jamaica was the island retreat of James Bond author Ian Flemming. It has seventeen beach cottages on the turquoise blue Carribean Sea each with its own plunge pool and hot tub. It is situated near the quiet country town of Oracabessa on the north of the island. There are two highly acclaimed restaurants on the sea which serve both traditional Jamaican and modern cuisine.
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Burj Al Arab Diamond ashtray

The luxurious $7,250 diamond ashtray with the Burj Al Arab hotel logo, is made of borosilicate glass and is adorned with three fine diamonds. Each of these is a 0.15-karat diamond in G color with VVS 1 purity. The diamonds are placed in such a manner that it resembles to a crown and just beneath the diamond shines the logo of Burj Al Arab, the luxurious seven star with four-digit nightly room rates. This ashtray will reach its buyer in eight to twelve weeks.
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The Ritz-Carlton just opened in Riyadh

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company opened its first hotel in Saudi Arabia, The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh on October 24.
The palatial hotel, with 493 rooms and suites, is situated next to the Diplomatic Quarter and adjacent to the King Abdul Aziz Convention Centre.
The hotel’s stately architecture is modeled on traditional palaces with ochre facades blending gracefully with the verdant landscape of the gardens.
Remarkable features include 49 lavish and exquisitely appointed two-bedroom Royal Suites each measuring more than 430 square meters (4,630 square feet,) and 50 two-bedroom Executive Suites at 104 square meters (1,120 square feet).

All guestrooms and suites are elegantly styled using the vibrant colors and ethnic textures of the region, with subtle touches reflecting the Kingdom’s Arabic heritage.
Native palms, 600-year old olive trees from Lebanon, and water fountains abound on the property, providing an oasis of serenity amidst the city centre.
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The St Regis Florence hotel’s Bottega Veneta suite

 The St Regis Florence hotel’s most celebrated room is the Bottega Veneta suite, designed by Bottega Veneta creative director Tomas Maier in a style of ‘quiet luxury’, and furnished with a mix of pieces from the Bottega Veneta home collection.
Originally named the Grand Hotel Florence, the hotel has been treated to a ten-month restoration which has seen significant interior changes to the 18th century palace, ranked among the city’s most significant buildings.
It boasts 81 rooms and 19 suites, decorated by local artisans and including antique furniture such as hand-carved gold leaf frames and crystal chandeliers.

In collaboration with the Michelin-starred restaurant Enoteca Pinchiorri, the hotel also includes a new restaurant called Etichetta Pinchiorri, although the glassed art ceilings that date from the 19th century are still in place.

An outdoor library terrace, a vaulted cellar and a Florentine marble spa complete the refurbishment, which was officially unveiled last week.

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The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai ‘Best Hotel In The World’ 2011

The readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine in the U.S. have named The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong, China the ‘Best Hotel In The World’ in its 24th annual Readers Choice Awards for 2011.
Two top awards were bestowed upon the hotel in one evening, Best Hotel in Asia Pacific, and then Overall Best Hotel in the World.
The Conde Nast Readers Choice Awards are derived from the Condé Nast Traveler Readers Choice Survey.

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The Residence Zanzibar

The Residence Zanzibar was designed by HBA / Hirsch Bedner Associates and is a villa complex situated in a remote corner of the spectacular Zanzibar Island, Tanzania, East Africa.  The resort has no less than 66 villas and their design is said to be inspired from the Swahili, Omani, British and Indian cultures present in Zanzibar.
Each building has its own opulent personality, while showcasing an exterior that blends perfectly with the surrounding natural landscape. Moreover, the small exotic cribs all have access to generous pools and spa units.

As for the interior design of the villas, the architects over at Hirsch Bedner Associates stated that the island was a rich source of inspiration and materials. All furniture pieces that were chosen are strongly connected with the history and culture of these places. This is why visiting this resort will be not just relaxation and taking time off, but an important learning experience as well.
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Banyan Tree Al Wadi, UAE

Banyan Tree Al Wadi tops this month’s list of “10 Unique Luxury Hotels You’ll Never Forget” on TripAdvisor — the world’s largest travel website. The breathtaking resort is also the proud recipient of the travel site’s Certificate of Excellence – which it received just two months ago — the award which is considered a distinct honor based on the premier travel site’s Business Popularity Index records over 45 million travel reviews and opinions from over 85,000 cities around the globe. 

This astounding luxury property was also a big winner at the 2011 World Travel Awards which took place in May — Banyan Tree Al Wadi was named Ras Al Khaimah’s leading resort, the Middle East’s leading villa resort as well as the UAE’s leading villa resort. Pascal Eppink, General Manager of Banyan Tree Al Wadi commented on the property’s recent wins, “We are privileged to be selected for Tripadvisor’s lists. It is a testimony of Banyan Tree’s strong brand recognition and service quality, as well as the result of our core focus on providing unusual and customised hospitality experiences for guests in Banyan Tree’s first integrated desert and beach resort in UAE.

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Tiffany & Co. suite at St. Regis Hotel

New York City’s St. Regis Hotel has unveiled a specially designed Tiffany & Co. Suite which calls to mind the luxury, elegance and refinement befitting of Audrey Hepburn. 
For $8,500 per night you can lounge on plush décor while conjuring scenes from “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” within the luxurious comforts of the St. Regis’ 14th floor Tiffany & Co. suite, which was lavishly revamped and vividly brought to life under the expert direction of John Loring, design director of Tiffany & Co. 

This 1,700-square-foot suite is adorned with tons of contemporary flair — perfectly balancing its vintage sophistication, showcasing the pristine, signature ‘Tiffany’s’ hues of white and powder blue – while lavishly sprinkled with classic Tiffany & Co. accessories.

Aside from the classic Tiffany’s shade of blue adorning the room’s silver-leaf wall coverings, and the sumptuous bed’s headboard, the breathtaking dining room is undoubtedly a standout which clearly takes its inspiration from a jewel box — complete with its very own crowning jewel which comes in the form of a sparkling crystal chandelier.

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Tibet opens its first five-star hotel 12,000ft above sea level

The 5-star St. Regis Lhasa luxury hotel in Tibet, which boasts a breathtaking, surreal design, has opened its spectacular doors, standing at 12,000 feet above sea level. Further proof of the property’s remarkable height can be found in each of the hotel’s sumptuous rooms – which are notably fitted with oxygen tanks.

Introducing a new level of luxury in Tibet, the amazing property which takes its unique design inspiration from a nearby active monastery, boasts many pampering luxuries including personal butlers on-call, 150 stunning suites, 12 private luxurious villas, as well as a lavish spa, a swimming pool and fine dining options which include a wine bar and restaurants.

Tourist dollars reportedly make up 15 percent of Tibet’s economy, and the added touch of an unparalleled luxury lifestyle travel experience offered by St. Regis, is expected to provide much needed accommodations for a host of discerning travelers descending on the area to visit the nearby sacred 1419 Sera Monastery of Lhasa, as well as other Tibetan cultural and religious treasures.

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Bulgari Residences in London

Christie’s International Real Estate has announced the introduction of the Bulgari Residences in London’s prestigious Knightsbridge. The exclusive development will be designed by the Italian luxury label Bulgari — housed by its new central London luxury hotel which is set to debut in time for the 2012 Olympics. 
Six luxurious residences will be available in a phased release — including one grand penthouse – expected to be priced in the multi-million dollar range.
With two Bulgari hotels in existence globally — one in Bali and the other in Milan — both are distinguished by unparalleled concierge service, exquisite architectural design achievements, and a heritage of understated elegance and sophistication.
The Bulgari Hotel and Residences in London are located near premier shopping destinations and cultural attractions, including Harrods, Harvey Nichols, the Royal Albert Hall, the Natural History Museum as well as Hyde Park.
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L'O - Hotel L'Orologio inspired by the best watch brands

L'O - Hotel L'Orologio is unique in being inspired by the prestigious world of international high-end watchmaking as well as by owner Sandro Fratini's personal collection of over 2,000 vintage timepieces.
Inside, some of the most beautiful timepieces have been transformed into decorative elements and design themes. Each floor of the 54-room hotel is dedicated to a specific luxury watch brand from Fratini's collection: Rolex, Vacheron-Constantin and Patek Philippe. The interior design by architect Marianna Gagliardi is evocative of a traditional men's club, employing materials such as leather, parchment, burnished bronze, mahogany and velvet along with the colors and aromas of tobacco. Duplex rooms are particularly plush, while a restaurant, bar and library all offer cozy sanctuaries. 
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The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong: Hightest Hotel in the World Opens

Located at the top of the International Commerce Center in Hong Kong – the new Ritz-Carlton hotel is the highest hotel in the world occupying floors 102 to 118 in the building.

The hotel offers breathtaking views of Victoria Harbour and the iconic Hong Kong skyline. Guests will be welcomed into the arrival lobby on the 9th floor before being transported up to the hotel lobby on the 103rd floor. The rooms start at 530 sqft for a Deluxe Room, and reach 3,920 sqft for the Ritz-Carlton Suite.
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