InsideLux – The Daily Luxury News & Lifestyle News Source

African Homesteads offers luxury villas in a private game reserve on the fringe of KwaZulu Natal’s

Savour the luxury of Africa’s wide open spaces with the sky and savanna theme of The Homestead at &Beyond Phinda. Breathtakingly stylish and sophisticated yet refreshingly simple, The Homestead provides the ideal venue to reconnect with friends and family.

With the warm, friendly faces and helping hands of a full complement of staff ready to welcome you on arrival, you will instantly feel as though this is your second home.

Inviting rooms designed around retro trinkets, Zulu crafts and sleek, contemporary touches reinforce the impression that this private safari villa is designed for comfort and ease.

Galactic Suite Limited has announced that the world’s first space hotel will be ready to accept guests from 2012.   At €1m per night for a minimum of 3 nights, this hotel is reserved for the world’s richest.

The zero gravity resort will orbit the planet 15 times a day, offering a sunset and sunrise more than once an hour.  A spaceport from a Caribbean island will transport guests on Russian rockets to the resort and an introductory 8 week course prior to departure is compulsory.

The project, still in its design phase may be yet another pipe dream, but lets hope this one turns out to be a reality.

Frequented by the jet-set, Russian oligarchs and royalty – where Prince William and Kate Middleton vacationed last winter – Courcheval in the French Alps has become not only the place to be seen on some of the world’s best ski slopes, but also home to some of the most expensive real estate. Not everyone can afford a chalet in this exclusive ski destination, but for those who don’t have private villas, it’s still worth the splurge to stay at the newly renovated five-star Hotel de Charme Les Airelles. Read the rest of this entry »

Ground-breaking holidays to China and North Korea have been announced by the holiday company Remote Lands. The company is known for creating highly personalized ultra-luxury bespoke holidays in Asia, optionally by private jet and yacht, for sophisticated, demanding high net-worth clients. Based in New York and Bangkok, Remote Lands is renowned for its “white-glove” service, creative itineraries and extreme attention to detail. With their newest offer clients can travel in style and comfort by optional private jet to experience the physical beauty of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). Largely closed off to outsiders, you could now be among the first to enter one of the world’s most unspoilt destinations with a private guide on your tailor-made break. Read the rest of this entry »

5 star hotel chains have been hard hit by the worldwide recession, some even offering their garden space as a camping space in an effort to balance the books.  With luxury tourism at an all time low, Starwood Hotels & Resorts is the latest conglomerate to take drastic measures and announce that it will be downgrading some of their 5 star resorts.

“Maintaining stars requires enormous capital investment,” says Stephen Bollenbach, former Hilton CEO.  He further claims that 5 star ratings do not always gurantee the best return on investment, especially during a recession.

As holidaymakers have been forced to take cheaper vacations this year and as business budgets continue to be slashed, luxury hotel chains are reporting negative year on year occupancy rates.  Despite positive economic indicators in the US and much of Europe, occupancy rates for luxury hotels fell from 71 per cent in July 2008 to 57% for the same period this year.  The downgrading of a 5 star resort will see savings in areas such as 24 hour room service, welcoming gifts and flowers in the rooms and complimentary newspapers, savings which will allow the hotel to charge more reasonable rates and attract a wider range of guests.

Luxury lovers can now anticipate the creation of a ($168million) €115 million luxury spa hotel and adjacent housing development in Andalusia, Spain, whose first images have just been revealed by Amin Taha Architects. Read the rest of this entry »

The Mardan Palace was built in Turkey by billionaire Telman Ismailov and opened earlier this year. To describe the Hotels luxurious worth becomes very analytical but here goes…. It cost $1.4 Billion, it holds over 500 rooms, has a 12,000 ft Spa, 17 Bars, 10 Restaurants, a Crystal Staircase and even possesses it’s own beach, which contains 9,000 tons of unique grains of Egyptian sand. The interior consists of Crystals,  Italian Marble and a heck of a lot of Gold. Phew, Basically, the  definition of Luxury is the breathtaking, Mardan Palace.

Who would of thought you can now experience a disco whilst you shower, relaxing Spa treatments and explore fun, unique snow caves all at the Butlins holiday camp in Bognor Regis! The founder of Butlins had the intention of appealing to the working class family describing the Butlins experience as: “A week’s holiday for a weeks pay”, however, holiday makers can expect to pay at the most popular time of year £1,440 for a stay of seven nights, in this new £20 million Ocean Hotel. It seems even the basic of things have the potential to deliver a luxurious experience.

Is that really Butlins!?

A new exclusive private members resort called Dall House is to be created in Kinloch Rannoch, Scotland. You can join as long as you have liquid assets worth £100million or more!

Members of Dall House will pay a £2million joining fee and around £500,000 a year in further rates in order to enjoy the privacy, security and tranquility of the new luxury resort.

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The official hotel of London Fashion Week, The May Fair Hotel, is offering guests an exclusive package to celebrate the event’s 25th anniversary. The experience costs $409 and includes a King Superior Room in The 5* May Fair Hotel, a Great British Breakfast, a classic cocktail and a copy of The File – the official guide to London Fashion Week. Read the rest of this entry »