Monthly Archives: February 2008

Hotel Sacher Wien • Vienna, Austria

Charming and exclusive Viennese hotspot

Hotel Sacher Wien, Vienna, Austria - Exterior

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Think of swirling ball gowns and glamorous soirees at the turn of the century and you can imagine the ambience and the historic Hotel Sacher Wien. Ensconced in a 19th-century historic city center property and topped with a 2-story modern addition, the hotel is set between the State Opera and the Kärtner Strasse thoroughfare. Long a favorite of celebrities and notables, the Hotel Sacher Wien maintains an enormous staff to cater to their prominent and everyday guests’ every need. Some souvenirs from famous guests included signed tablecloths (Queen Elizabeth, Rudolf Nureyev and the Bee Gees) and portraits. The hotel is also renowned and the namesake for the “Sacher torte” which can be sampled at the cafe.

The 152 guestrooms feature either traditional decor with antique furnishings, crystal chandeliers and neutral-toned walls hung with oil paintings, or bright, contemporary decor with French windows and crisp white linen.

The Hotel Sacher Wien’s spa houses a fitness room and a thermal suite with heat cabins and relaxation zones, while pampering sauna and herbal- bath treatments are available in the aroma salt steam room.

Hotel Sacher Wien, Vienna, Austria

The Anna Sacher serves traditional Viennese fare; the Rote Bar extends to a Wintergarten and offers a range of traditional Austrian and international dishes; the Blaue Bar offers snacks, drinks and light refreshments; and the Café Sacher Wien is a traditional Viennese coffee house and conservatory which serves dishes including the famous Sachertorte.

Hotel Sacher Wien, Vienna, Austria

Hotel Sacher Wien
Location: Philharmonikerstrasse 4, Vienna, Austria; 152 rooms; Vienna International Airport is 18 kilometers away and can be reached by car in approximately 30 minutes.

Luxury style: The Viennese love of beauty and charm is evident in every aspect of the Hotel Sacher Wien.  Staying at this hotel gives a taste of the most elegant and luxurious aspects of this historic city.

What we’ve heard: Enjoy a performance of the Spanish Riding School, located 300 metres from the hotel, where intricate equine displays incorporating techniques dating from the 16th century. The school was named after the distinctive grey Spanish Lipizzaner horses.

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Four Seasons Provence at Terre Blanche • Côte d’Azur, France

Secluded corner of Provence amidst vineyards and gardens

Four Seasons Provence - terrace

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Tucked away on a hillside amidst vineyards, lavender fields and flower gardens, the Four Seasons is an all-suite resort which combines luxurious comfort with all the pleasures of the French countryside.

Close to the glamorous Cote d’Azur, the resort has a first-class spa and two golf courses that can be enjoyed year-round. Other facilities and features are two tennis courts, a 40-meter pool and fitness center.

The rooms are contemporary, each with a private terrace looking out to a tranquil vista. Furnishings are luxe, yet supremely comfortable with a separate bedroom and living rooms. Every modern technological amenity is provided including high-speed Internet access, satellite TV and voice mail. The bath of each suite features deep soaking tub, separate shower and charming Provencal tiles.

Four Seasons Provence - guest room

The Spa at the Four Seasons Provence is a stunning, enormous villa on a terraced hillside location. The facility features 12 treatment rooms with, hydraulic beds and heated blankets. In addition, there are two VIP couple’s suites with double whirlpool bath, steam shower and large outdoor terrace with private cabana. There are seven treatment packages which are customized to each guest’s needs.

After treatments, the journey of relaxation can continue in the sauna, laconium, steam room and ice fountain. The spa experience also included luxury relaxation beds and a chef-designed spa cafe.

Four Seasons Provence - terrace

 

Four Seasons Provence at Terre Blanche
Location: Domaine de Terre Blanche, Tourettes, France 83550; 111 suites; 39 miles from international airport at Nice.

Luxury style: Contemporary, warm, secluded with the usual high standards of the Four Seasons chain in abundantly evident.

What we’ve heard: The ultra private suites are great for couples, but the size also makes them wonderful for families, who are warmly welcomed.

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Hotel Gritti Palace • Venice, Italy

Romance on the canal

Hotel Gritti Palace - Venice, Italy

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The Hotel Gritti Palace, a magnificent palazzo once belonging to the Doge Gritti, is a historic 16th-century palazzo situated on Venice’s Grand Canal and within 500 meters of St. Mark’s Square. The views from the canalside rooms and the terrace are incomparable. Guests entering the spell of the Gritti will stay in air-conditioned guestrooms that are carefully planned with an Imperial theme featuring richly patterned fabrics and antique furnishings.

Hotel Gritti Palace - Guest room

Amenities for the guests of the Gritti include satellite television, direct-dial phones, radios, minibars, safes and marble bathrooms with bathrobes, slippers and toiletries. Guests can browse the daily newspapers in the lobby, use the Internet or take advantage of the private boat service to the Lido.

Gritti Palace in Venice - Romantic Supper

The hotel houses a range of boutiques selling Venetian handicrafts, masks and glass, and offers cooking courses during certain months of the year. Practical amenities include a 24-hour front desk, a dry-cleaning service and a multilingual concierge service.

Two dining options are available: Decorated with Murano glass, marble and hand-made stuccoes, Club Del Doge is a romantic restaurant with an outdoor terrace overlooking the Grand Canal, serving a range of Mediterranean and Venetian specialties. Bar Longhi serves a range of snacks, drinks and cocktails in an intimate setting decorated with 18th century paintings, marble and Murano glass.

Gritti Palace restaurant

Hotel Gritti Palace
Location: Campo Santa Maria Del Giglio, Venice, Italy 30124; 91 rooms; distance from airport

Luxury style: The Gritti Palace is an extravagant, flamboyant ode to romance. It is the ultimate in the palazzo hotel, the Venetian palette of its decoration, the chandeliers of fine glass, the magnificent terrace. From Somerset Maugham to Hemingway, the Gritti has conducted a love affair with many repeat visitors for a century.

What we’ve heard: If you want to imagine the role of decadent expatriate conducting a questionable yet passionate love affair while traveling through the Continent, the Hotel Gritti Palace will fulfill all your fantasies…even if the lover accompanying you is your longtime spouse.

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