Leisure Time Search

A Ride Down Memory Lane

Admin — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 06:11:04 +0000

Native New Yorkers and visitors to the Big Apple have been given the chance to ride a subway car dating from the 1930s.

The refurbished R-1 was temporarily put back into action on Sundays in December as part of New York City Transit’s ‘Nostalgia Train’ holiday season promotion.

The R-1, built from riveted steel by the American Car and Foundry factory in Berwick, Pennsylvania, was a workhorse of the transit system until it was withdrawn in the 1970s. It has some wicker seats, as well as dangling emergency brake cords, big exposed overhead fans and open windows.

It was with the R-1 in mind that Billy Strayhorn composed his 1939 classic tune, Take the A Train.
The ride is bumpier and noisier than New Yorkers are used to these days, but the car’s apparently had a special effect on passengers and staff alike.

Bill Wall, a New York City Transit service supervisor, said: “You come on a New York City subway, people are there, they read their papers, they’re going about their business. On this train, you see people smiling and talking to one another and saying, ‘this is a great thing.’”

by Andy Moreton

Luxique can help you book some classic luxury hotels in New York – at the best possible rates.

Cancellation, Aggravation, Compensation

Admin — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 14:11:04 +0000

A judgement in the European Court of Justice has opened the way for airline passengers to receive compensation when a flight is cancelled because of a technical fault.

The Court said airlines had to pay up unless the fault was due to exceptional circumstances such as terrorism, sabotage or a hidden manufacturing defect that suddenly came to light. Its ruling is binding on members of the European Union.

The test case centred on an Austrian family whose Alitalia flight from Vienna to Brindisi via Rome was cancelled five minutes before it was scheduled to take off. The airline refused to pay 250 Euros (£235 / $350) in compensation or 10 Euros for a phone call, blaming the cancellation on ‘extraordinary circumstances.’

But the judges decided that the airline’s definition of those circumstances – a complex engine defect in the turbine – did not excuse it of its obligation to compensate passengers.

Hendrik Noorderhaven, of Euclaim, which helps travellers fight for compensation, said: “It’s a huge victory for passengers. It will be even more difficult for the airlines to hide behind the excuses they use not to pay compensation.

“It will also cost airlines tens of millions, as the estimated value of unclaimed compensation for delayed flights in Europe is £545million a year.”

by Andy Moreton

Farewell To A Wilde Haunt

Admin — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 06:11:06 +0000

A famous old society venue in central London has closed and all its furniture, fittings and photographs are to be sold off at auction.

The Café Royal, which has been in Regent Street since 1865, is making way for a five-star hotel.

In its heyday, the Café Royal was the hub of glamour and scandal. It was frequented by writers, artists, politicians, royalty and celebrities, including Winston Churchill, Elizabeth Taylor and Noel Coward. Oscar Wilde was arguably its most famous customer; he was often the centre of attention in the Domino Room, being courted by fellow writers.

It was also the venue for Wilde’s only friendly meeting with the Marquis of Queensberry, whose son, Lord Alfred Douglas, was his lover. Shortly afterwards Wilde launched a libel case against the Marquis which ruined the playwright and saw him convicted of gross indecency.

More than 120 lots are going under the hammer at Bonham’s on January 20th including a full-sized boxing ring, which was used to host the Café Royal’s once famous black-tie sporting dinners. Other lots include a chandelier worth around £8,000, and a mahogany clock, estimated at £6,000.

Charlie Thomas, of Bonhams, said: “Bidders will have the opportunity to acquire a small piece of this iconic London institution.”

by Andy Moreton

Luxique has the pick of the luxury hotels in London, as well as a London city guide.

Back In Business

Admin — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 06:11:05 +0000

It was good to see the re-opening of some parts of the Taj Mahal Palace and Trident hotels in Mumbai after the death and destruction wreaked by terrorists on November 26.

At the re-opening of the Taj Mahal, all the 592 staff of the hotel who were on duty on that fateful day received thunderous applause from the guests.

“The Taj has been reopened, after a massive concerted effort, in dedication to all those who lost their lives in the attacks on Mumbai,” said Ratan Tata, chairman of the Taj Group of Hotels.

A memorial called The Tree of Life was also unveiled, with the names of the 31 people who were killed at the hotel inscribed at its base.

Security at all hotels in India has been tightened considerably and in the state of Goa, the authorities banned traditional beach parties between Christmas and New Year’s Eve because of possible terrorist attacks. The parties have traditionally been major tourist attractions.

by Andy Moreton

The Taj Mahal Palace, as well as other luxury hotels in Mumbai, can be booked through Luxique.

That’s Easy For You To Say

Admin — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 06:11:13 +0000

When you go on your holidays, it’s nice to know what the weather’s going to be like. Do I need a raincoat/sunscreen/ski boots?

Prior knowledge is even more essential here in the UK, where you could get all four seasons in one day.

We rely on the Meteorological Office to give us a clear and unambiguous forecast of the day ahead. Occasionally they get it wrong. And the reason they occasionally get it wrong was explained on their website:

Seasonal forecasts indicate how slowly-varying large-scale climate influences make particular seasonal conditions more likely than others. Random, unpredictable factors (’chaos’) also partly determine year-to-year variations, and these will sometimes override large-scale influences. Such uncertainty makes a probabilistic format, as used here, advisable for seasonal forecasts.

This classic piece of gobbledegook won a ‘Golden Bull’ in the annual awards of the Plain English Campaign. The Campaign said the 45-word (if we’re being generous) message could have been said in three: “We’re not sure.”

by Andy Moreton

Italy On The Fast Track

Admin — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 22:11:04 +0000

Italy’s national railway, Trenitalia, is hoping to tempt people away from flying by the introduction of its high speed Milan to Rome service.

The new Red Arrow or “Frecciarossa”, which can reach a speed of 186 mph, covers the 300 miles between Italy’s political and financial capitals in three-and-a-half hours, shaving an hour off the standard time. There are eighteen services a day.

With the turmoil surrounding the state airline, Alitalia, the air service between Rome and Milan has been uncertain recently and Trenitalia has enjoyed the benefits. It’s now hoping to attract 60 per cent of the 3.7 million passengers who fly the route every year.

However, analysts say it won’t really start taking a significant bite out of air travel until the journey time gets under three hours. That’s expected at the end of 2010 when the track between Florence and Bologna is improved.

by Andy Moreton

Check out Luxique’s luxury hotels in Rome and Milan for the best possible deals.

Fashion House

Admin — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 14:11:04 +0000

The magnificent mansion in Florida where Gianni Versace lived and died is opening its doors to the public.

Casa Casuarina

Casa Casuarina is a three-storey, Mediterranean-style home surrounded by a high wall on a fashionable stretch of Ocean Drive in South Beach and tours are now on offer for $65.

Visitors get to see the exquisite central courtyard, dining room, lounges, pool and a marble toilet with a gold seat, said to be one of only three in the world. The upstairs bedrooms are off-limits on the tour, but those willing to part with substantial amounts of cash can stay in one of the villa’s ten suites or join its private club.

Casa Casuarina Courtyard

Casa Casuarina was built in 1930 by the Standard Oil heir, Alden Freeman. It later became a hotel, but fell into disrepair and was at one point a hostel where rooms went for as little as $1 a night. Versace bought it in 1992, along with a hotel next door, and ordered extensive renovations to make the estate what it is today.

Versace was shot dead outside his home in 1997. The family sold it three years later and it’s now owned by the telecommunications mogul, Peter Loftin.

by Andy Moreton

Visit the Versace mansion and get great rates through Luxique for a fabulously chic South Beach hotel.

Starwood Announces W Maldives Prize Winner, New "Book and Win Big" Sweepstakes

Admin — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 14:11:03 +0000

Bonnie Summers of Stockton Travel Service Inc. was selected in a random drawing of more than 1,000 travel professional sat the StarwoodPro booth during the Luxury Travel Expo and won a four-night vacation to the W Retreat & Spa – Maldives. Summers has 42 years of experience as a travel professional, and is a home-based independent contractor with a specialty in exotic destinations, cruises and small groups. A long time agency owner, she has been home-based since 2006.

Located in the Indian Ocean, W Retreat & Spa – Maldives offers simple pleasures like a swim-up bar, and more adventurous opportunities to discover marine life amongst the beautiful coral, or a chance to rejuvenate the body at the AWAY Spa.

Summers is the first in a series of winners awarded by StarwoodPro. Building on its reputation with travel agents, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced this week its new “Book and Win BIG” sweepstakes opportunity for its travel professional partners. Each time a reservation is confirmed at any Starwood hotel or resort property, travel professionals are eligible to submit an entry into the StarwoodPro “Book and Win BIG” sweepstakes. The winning travel professional will receive 1 million Starwood Preferred Guest Starpoints to redeem on travel to more than 900 hotels and resorts in 95 countries across nine world-class brands.

Cold Comfort

Admin — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 06:11:04 +0000

There was a great picture in the papers a couple of weeks ago of a candelabra on a table made of ice.

An Icey Welcome

You might have thought it was the latest wacky entry for the Turner art prize, but it was, in fact, a shot of the restaurant at Snowvillage, Lapland’s largest ice hotel, which has recently opened its doors to guests.

Up to 60 visitors a night sleep on beds made of ice, with no natural light and room temperatures that never reach more than zero degrees. The ‘igloo-dwellers’ are provided with sleeping bags, fleeces and instructions on how to survive.

In the morning, hot berry juice helps to thaw out those who haven’t been driven to take refuge in one of the ‘warm’ rooms provided.

All the suites are decorated with ornate carvings and lit with multi-coloured lights. An ice bar, restaurant, walkways and lobbies have also been made in the hotel, which is situated near Kittila in Finland. Outside, visitors to Snowvillage can play on ice slides and marvel at ice sculptures.

An ice hotel has been built on the 7,500 square metre (24,600 square foot) site every winter for the past eight years; the present complex will simply melt away as temperatures rise in the Spring.

by Andy Moreton

If you prefer a warmer welcome (with ice strictly confined to your drink), Luxique can offer the best deal at Finland’s finest hotel – the Kamp in the capital, Helsinki.

Rats! This Is No Fairy Tale

Admin — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 14:11:04 +0000

The German town made famous in the fairy tale of the Pied Piper, who lured away a plague of rats, has a real-life modern problem with the rodents.

Officials in the town of Hamelin in northern Germany have expressed alarm at a surge in the rat population much like the Great Plague in 1284 on which the tale is based.

“Rats usually come in packs of 20 to 30 but these can expand up to 200 or 300 and that what’s happened in Hamelin,” said Rolf Schmidt, who works for a pest control service in the town north of Hanover.

The town, which has 58,000 inhabitants, has added teams of rat-catchers to try to contain the new plague.

In the tale made famous by the Brothers Grimm and Robert Browning, a man claims extraordinary rat-catching skills and promises to solve the town’s rat problem by playing his magic pipe. He lures the rats into the river where they drown.

But after removing the rats, the villagers renege on their promise to pay him so he takes revenge by using the same pipe to abduct the village children. Some locals believe the tale to be based on actual events.

“We do have a rat problem but this could have happened anywhere in Germany,” said Thomas Wahmes, a city council spokesman. “It’s just a coincidence that it happened here.”

by Andy Moreton

If you happen to be travelling to Northern Germany and want a taste of sheer luxury, try the prestigious Kempinski Grand Hotel at Heiligendamm on the Baltic coast. It hosted the summit of G8 leaders in June 2007.