May 20th, 2011
Paws at the Park Happy Hour
Summertime means hot dogs, and not just the delicious ones soon to be grilling in the backyard! Starting this June, Max, Buddy, Daisy, and Princess are welcome to bring along their human plus-one to cool off with some refreshing libations at Park Hyatt Washington DC’s Paws at the Park Happy Hour. Monthly pet-friendly happy hours will benefit the Washington Animal Rescue League, the oldest animal shelter in the District of Columbia. This series of events kicks off Wednesday, June 8, 2011 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm on the hotel grounds adjacent to the lobby. Mix and mingle with hotel guests and area residents, and their pets, and maybe even make a forever friend – adoptable dogs from the League will also be in attendance.
Pricing: For $12, attendees will receive two drink tickets for beer and wine, plus complimentary dog treats. A portion of the evening’s proceeds will be donated to the Washington Animal Rescue League.
Dates: June 8, July 13, August 10, September 14 and October 19 (with special Halloween-themed costume contest for dogs.)
Paws at the Park overnight Package
For those who cannot bear man’s best friend’s guilt-tripping looks while packing for a weekend getaway, Park Hyatt Washington’s Paws at the Park overnight package offers two- and four-legged guests alike the ultimate in luxury. Dogs will be treated to their own take-home dog bed, dog bowl with water, and tasty dog treats, while their owners will receive a copy of Doggie Aficionado magazine and the book First Dogs: American Presidents and their Best Friends.
Pricing: Rates start at $449 (including a non-refundable pet fee).
March 22nd, 2011
Ah, spring—the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and over in India, those celebrating Holi are throwing colored powder and water at each other. Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors, was celebrated this year on March 20th. The annual festival celebrates the arrival of spring, commemorates various events in Hindu mythology, and is generally a time for disregarding social norms and indulging in merriment. A common saying is “Don’t mind, it’s Holi!” (Hindi = Bura na mano, Holi hai.)
Also on March 20th was the Iranian holiday Nowruz, or Persian New Year. Iranians welcome the new year by wearing new clothes and setting the Haft Seen, a table containing seven items that start with the letter ‘S’: sabzeh (freshly grown greens), samanou (a traditional pudding), senjed (jujube), seeb (apple), seer (garlic), somagh (sumac) and serkeh (vinegar). Nowruz has been celebrated for over 3,000 years on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox, the first day of spring for those North of the equator.
Wishing you all a happy Holi, Nowruz, and spring from us here at Alice Marshall!
February 18th, 2011
Get those bike shorts ready! Tomorrow marks the start of Jamaica’s Fat Tyre Festival – a week-long mountain biking extravaganza! SMORBA has been running the event for the past five years and is kicking it off with a registration party at John Crow’s Tavern in Ocho Rios. The actual cycling begins on the 20th with the Jamaica Bicycle Bash with racing through Oracabessa, a skills course race, and other games and contests. Guests at nearby GoldenEye can wander over and enjoy the day dubbed, “A Celebration of Jamaican Bicycling Culture.” The festival continues with downhill racing and trails through the Blue Mountains.
February 18th, 2011
With spring just around the corner, everyone is ready to stretch those legs and come out of hibernation. COMO Hotels and Resorts has the best way to shake off the winter blues – yoga retreats in warm places! The group works with some of the top yogis from around the world to lead the immersive retreats, each with a different focus. Currently, there are three yoga retreats on the calendar for 2011:
About the Yogis
Judy Krupp
Judy has been teaching yoga for over 20 years with a zeal for educating students in the science of human movement in relation to the art of asana practice. She guides students so their bodies gracefully flow without restrictions or weakness, connecting mind, body, and breath.
Andrea Curry
Andrea has been practicing yoga for over 15 years and teaching internationally since 2000. She trained with David Goulet and Marina Hallerman in Thailand as well as with Ana Forrest in Seattle. Her passionate and focused style is inspired by Ashtanga, Vinyasa, and Forrest Yoga traditions.
Christina Curry
Christina trained with David Goulet, Marina Hallerman, Ana Forrest, and Ganga White and Tracey Rich through the White Lotus Foundation. Her enthusiasm for yoga led her to Thailand in 2002, and she has since been teaching in the Maldives, Bhutan, Bali, and the U.S. Her style is grounded in Vinyasa with influences from and exploration into Pranayama, Hatha, Raja, and Ashtanga yoga.
About the Retreats
The Art and Science of your Yoga Practice – A Therapeutic Approach
COMO Shambhala Estate, Bali
Five days of yoga classes, along with healthy eating, to explore the deeper openings of the moving body. Judy Krupp’s relaxed style and humor make her retreats unique as she brings students to explore beyond the muscular-skeletal to work more organically. Her multifaceted approach blends her fervor for the art of asana practice with the science of the mechanics of movement.
While at COMO Shambhala Estate, guests can take advantage of the state-of-the-art facilities such as the vitality pool, treatment areas beside the River Ayung, climbing wall, and outdoor gym. There are also hikes through the surrounding Balinese jungle.
Dates: February 26-March 4, 2011
Rates: Rates start at $3,860 for single occupancy and $5,615 for double occupancy
Inclusions
- Six nights accommodation
- Daily breakfast and lunch (on yoga days)
- Welcome and farewell dinner
- Five days of yoga
- Services of a Personal Assistant
- Return airport transfers
The Practice of Yoga
Parrot Cay, Turks and Caicos
The Curry sisters will challenge the students in strength and flexibility to prepare the mind and body for the subtle practice of pranayama and meditation. Each class will have elements woven in on how to lead a more comprehensive yogic lifestyle. Guests will explore physical and mental barriers to promote balance, energy, and relaxation.
Dates: April 10-16, 2011
Rates: Rates start at $6,672 for single occupancy and $9,685 for double occupancy
Inclusions
- Six nights accommodation
- Daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- Five days of yoga
- Roundtrip airport transfers
Strength and Surrender: A Journey Into Balance
COMO Shambhala Estate, Bali
In this five-day, six-night retreat, the Curry sisters will focus on the practice of asana, pranayama, and meditation to bring balance to the body, mind, and spirit. Guests will learn to step out of the ego by developing the “witnessing mind” and explore beyond physical and mental barriers to promote feelings of harmony, energy, and relaxation.
Throughout the retreat, Andrea and Christina will recommend specific COMO Shambhala treatments that will benefit each guest, from a calming COMO Shambhala Massage to a Reiki session.
Dates: October 30-November 5, 2011
Rates: Rates start at $3,970 for single occupancy and $5,630 for double occupancy
Inclusions
- Six nights accommodation
- Daily breakfast and lunch
- Welcome and farewell dinner
- Five days of yoga
- Services of a Personal Assistant
- Return airport transfers
February 4th, 2011
The NEW beautifully redesigned treatment rooms at La Réserve Spa Genève are drawing visitors to the hotel, known for its style and tranquility. Famed designer Jacques Garcia and his team oversaw the redecorating. Garcia is familiar with the property: he completed a redesign in 2003. The rooms are soothing with blue and purple accents and colors of the savannah and equatorial rainforest, punctuated with luxe velour bedcovers and black granite and mahogany bathrooms.
The hotel’s glamorous spa is outfitted with 17 treatments rooms, separate hammams and saunas for male and female guests, a large swimming pool, and a state-of-the-art fitness studio with personal trainers on hand. Luxurious treatments abound with products such as La Prairie, and spa-users can opt to dine at Café Lauren, the spa’s sleek restaurant and bar. The plush, bright café serves light but intensely flavored dishes with the only fats coming from healthy and delicate olive oil.
La Réserve Genève Spa is known for its Better Aging Program that combines complementary approaches for a complete and personalized course of action designed to delay the effects of time. The program includes a complete check-up and a personalized action plan to restore the body’s balance and to offer a new, long-term, healthier lifestyle. Through the 4-, 7-, and 14-day versions, the program combines scientific precision with alternative methods, traditional practices, and avant-garde technologies to bring harmony to both body and mind. After the medical check-up and completion of a detailed questionnaire, the team develops a treatments program involving diet, sports, balneotherapy, and massages. The treatments are devised into two stages: detox and revitalization. For detox, phytotherapy based on essential oils, oxygenation, draining cocktails, relaxing breathing techniques, massages, sauna, and an adapted diet are used together to cleanse the body and prepare it for the next stage. Revitalization is specifically designed according to individual objectives and can focus on anti-stress, slimming, quitting smoking, or restoring fitness and beauty. The program can include yoga, gi gong, and shiatsu and Thai massages.
November 23rd, 2010
We know that Voyage Privé was the pioneer in luxury travel sale sites, but it’s great to see that Condé Nast Traveler agrees! In the latest issue, Traveler announced that Voyage Privé was the very first “invite-only Web site” to put “grand hotels within reach of an aspirational audience.” That audience has grown to include over six million members in France, Italy, the UK, and the United States. For the entire article see p. 58 in the December issue, which hits newsstands this week.
For an opportunity to join Voyage Privé and enter to win a $2500 travel credit, visit the Dream Travel Sweepstakes page.
November 17th, 2010
The Rubin Museum of Art is hosting the exhibit, Gateway to Himalayan Art, through January of 2012. Make a point to visit and take in the simple beauty of traditional pieces from the remote villages of Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, Northern India, China, and Mongolia. Don’t miss the 3D installation that shows the detailed six-stage process of Nepalese metal casting in lost wax technique.
If you can’t get enough, then visit the Kumaon, Sikkim, or Ladakh regions of the North Indian Himalayas with a Shakti village experience. Plan a customized walking tour with visits to local temples and monasteries, a lecture from a village goba (chief), or just take in the view of the inspiring twin peaks of the Nanda Devi!
November 16th, 2010
Explore the famous Empty Quarter, or Rub’-al-Khali, area of the Liwa Desert with a Canon and acclaimed photographer Ira Block. Ira, who has shot for National Geographic Traveler and the Discovery Channel, and will lead the two-night landscape photography course Thursday, November 25 – Saturday, November 27 at Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara.
Ninety minutes from Abu Dhabi International Airport, the resort is in an ideal setting for a photography course, with some of the world’s largest sand dunes, some measuring up to 820 feet high. Instead of spending Black Friday in a crowded mall, trek through an untouched part of the world and have unique pictures to share with friends and family over the upcoming holidays!
October 26th, 2010
Image from: qatartourism.gov.qa
The Doha Tribeca Film Festival begins tonight at 8 with the premier of Outside the Law at the Katara Open Air Theatre. The festival will continue through Saturday and show 40 films in four categories: Arab Film Competition, World Panorama, Special Screenings, and the Arab Short Film Competition.
Check out the schedule and then sneak in some popcorn for a fabulous, culturally-enhancing evening out on the town.
September 20th, 2010
Crystal Symphony is returning to Alaska in 2011 with nine round-trip cruises from San Francisco. This is the first Alaska season since the Palin days, and Crystal Cruises is offering amazing specials to celebrate the return!
All guests will receive:
- 2-for-1 fares
- $1,000 per couple “All-Inclusive. As You Wish.” spending credits
- Free economy airfare
(more…)