Daily Pampering: $10 million villas available for rent in Turks & Caicos

by Melanie Nayer on

Don’t have $10 million to buy your own villa in Turks & Caicos? Don’t worry, now you can rent the lavish Parrot Cay digs for a fraction of the price.

Escape to a private paradise and rent one of Parrot Cay’s two new three-bedroom villas. Just three minutes from the main resort by buggy, each villa has its own stretch of white sand beach and lush landscape, creating the perfect secluded retreat, equipped with personal butler service. Designed by Cheong Yew Kwan, the villas are spacious and airy with soaring 20 foot ceilings and a great room for lounging and dining. All have three bedrooms and three bathrooms, along with a study, kitchen, and separate pantry.

Live in the lap of luxury for a week, or buy the place so you have your own private hideaway any time of year.

Rates: Rental rates start at $5,808 in autumn (November 1-December 20). Villas can be purchased for $10 million.

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

Daily Pampering: Making waves in the Maldives

by Melanie Nayer on

Why settle for the beach in your backyard when you can hit the waves on the other side of the world. We found some remote islands in the Maldives that will leave you so zen your family won’t recognize you. You might need to cash in a bit on your savings account, but can you really put a price on your sanity?

Here are three great spots for soaking up the sun on the Maldives islands in the Indian Ocean:

Anantara Kihavah Villas, South Male Atoll: The opens in December and will sport 78 spacious overwater and beach villas. Think private pools, wooden sundecks, outdoor showers, and over-sized bathtubs built for two. There’s also a ‘jungle spa’ for those of you who want to test your wild side. Opening rates start at $980 for a Beach Pool Villa.

Cocoa Island, Makunufushi: Cocoa Island was recently named ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Boutique Hotel’ in the 2010 World Travel Awards. The resort is hosting some December packages inc offers seven nights for the price of six, and 14 nights for the price of 12 from November 1 to December 26, 2010. Rates start at $880 per night for a Dhoni Suite this fall and are inclusive of daily breakfast.

Naladhu, Velighandu Huraa island: This hideaway has 19 secluded houses, each with its own private pool. Your House Master will serve as your concierge, butler, and personal assistant. While you’re here, go on a Naladhu Spa Journey that includes a wellbeing consultation, skin assessment, daily private yoga classes, and a 90-minute treatment per person per day with a Master Therapist. Rates include accommodations and daily breakfast and start at $2,100 for an Ocean House.

What are you waiting for?

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

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.

Gucci to launch new hotel in Dubai

by Melanie Nayer on

As is the case in the fashion world, when one designer makes a statement the others will follow.

Enter: Italian fashion icon Gucci, who will launch its own hotel chain in Dubai, only a few months after the opening of Giorgio Armani’s hotel in Dubai’s Burj Khalifa.

Lorens Ziller, the managing director for Elisabetta Gucci Hotels says the first ever Gucci hotel will open in Dubai’s Media City by the end of the year. While construction has yet to begin on the hotel, plans are already in place to design the 87-suite hotel with the help of Elisabetta Gucci, daughter of designer Paolo Gucci. The Elisabetta Gucci website also states the hotel will offer 24-hour room service, a cigar club, a spa, fitness center and pool.

According to reports, Gucci also plans hotels in Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Oman and China.