Daily Pampering: Marina Bay Sands Hotel infinity pool over Singapore

by Melanie Nayer on

Some of life’s simple luxuries are downright cool and some are simply awe-inspiring, and then there are those that give us goose-bumps and test our vertigo to the limit. Enter: The Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore and its rooftop infinity pool.

The $5.95 billion hotel finally opened its doors in June and is being touted as the world’s most expensive hotel, but that’s not the purpose behind this pampering. The hotel’s main attraction is a 650-foot wide infinity pool situated at the 55th floor of the hotel, making it the largest outdoor pool in the world that high. The pool’s water spills over into a catchment and then recycles the water back into the hotel’s main pool area. We don’t really care where the water goes as long as it doesn’t spill over Singapore, which is exactly how the views from this sky-high pool look (stomach turning).

In addition to the hotel’s infinity pool, guests can spend the night in one of 2,560 rooms that cost around $520 a night. The hotel also includes a casino, an outdoor plaza, a convention center, a theater and a museum.

Want more? Get your daily dose of pampering right here.

Ritz-Carlton gives Cadillac a lesson in customer service

by Melanie Nayer on

The car industry has certainly weathered its fair share of storms this year. From recalls to repairs, car owners have been dealt just about every blow. But things are about to change in the car world, if the Ritz-Carlton has anything to say about it.

Bloomberg News reports that automotive giant General Motors is bringing in hospitality specialists from the Ritz-Carlton to teach GM employees the importance of customer service. That’s right car buyers — the next time you walk into a dealership, your experience might just be a little more luxurious (and a lot friendlier).

Ritz-Carlton employees are taught to go the extra mile to make their guests feel welcome. The result? Repeat guests. Repeat guests equal repeat dollars, but can the same equation hold true for the car industry? GM is about to find out.

According to reports, the Ritz-Carlton has already held training sessions in New York, Atlanta and Los Angeles with more than 1,800 dealership owners and salespeople. Rumor has it Cadillac has already taken a tip from Ritz-Carlton and created their “credo” card for employees to carry around in their pockets, which has customer service tips.

In addition to the customer service tips Cadillac is taking from Ritz-Carlton, Bloomberg reports the car lots are going through a mini-makeover, as well. Since GM cut its dealer ranks earlier this year, there’s more room to update the look of its dealerships and make a few luxury improvements.

Have some customer service tips for the employees of GM or Cadillac? Put yours in the comments section below and who knows, maybe your tip will end up on a customer service credo card.

Cannes spa special in two nights

by Tom Johansmeyer on

You deserve to be treated like royalty. So, skip the local spa and head off to Cannes for a couple of nights. The 1835 White Palm Hotel has a great new package that provides just the quick fix you need to recharge.

The two-night “Summer Spa Extravaganza,” which is available through August 31, 2010, includes six treatments per person in the hotel’s 32,000 square foot Thermes Marines de Cannes spa, not to mention breakfast and dinner every day. The package includes four hydrotherapy treatments, a massage and an esthetic treatment. At approximately $1,100 a person, you can save close to 25 percent. And, you can add nights for around $550 each (and gain three additional spa treatments per night).

The 1835 White Palm Hotel is a new property, having been open only since May 2009. It connects to the Thermes Marines de Cannes via an underground tunnel, so you can get back to your room without encountering the stress of the outside world.

Free spa experience at the Ritz-Carlton Naples

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Any spa-lover needs to visit the Ritz-Carlton Resorts of Naples, because the Elements treatment at the beach property is nothing short of incredible. Now, the chance to visit the spa free makes this an absolute no-brainer. This is one of my favorite spas, and the deal might be enough to get me to book a flight.

Stay at either the Ritz-Carlton beach or golf resort, with the Spa Escape Package, and you’ll get a $200 spa credit, basically making your treatment free. You may want to have a little extra work done, but to have $200 knocked off the price from the start makes that a lot easier to handle. Rates start at $349 a night for the beach resort and $259 for the golf resort.

Need more incentive? From June 1, 2010, through the end of October, you can take advantage of the spa’s “Me Time” deal. When you book a 50-minute massage or facial, you can have your choice of two complimentary enhancements (a $50 value). On the list are hair masks, back scrubs, collagen masks and lip treatments. This is available every Sunday through Friday from 9 AM to 1 PM (but it can’t be combined with other promotions or discounts).

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London academy school staff dropped £4,000 on ‘team building exercise’ at luxury hotel

by Melanie Nayer on

File this under “what not to do” with excess funds from the company:

Senior managers of a north London academy school spent more than £4,000 (approximately $6,000 USD) of public money on fine food and boutique hotel accommodation for a “team-building exercise”. This same academy is facing an ongoing battle with teachers over “compulsory redundancies,” according to The Guardian.

Leaked hotel bills from the five star Threadneedles Hotel in London show nine staff members from Crest boys’ academy in Neasden dined in the hotel restaurant and spent the night in rooms that cost up to £339 (approximately $600 USD) a night.

While these kind of company events might be suitable for some businesses, the Crest boys’ academy is under hot water for this one. The academy, located in one of London’s more deprived neighborhoods, is run by E-Act, a charitable trust foundation, and four months prior to the luxury splurge let go of seven teachers, which resulted in a teachers’ strike.

The Department for Children, Schools and Families said all of the hotel bill was reimbursed from department funds except for £341, which was the company’s bar tab. Apparently, the headmaster has offered to repay that portion of the expense.