this month (February 2023) in luxurious journey

Friday newsletters all the time characteristic journey contests, suggestions, or information.

Today: February 2023 luxurious journey information

Every final Friday of the month, you may learn my information round-up of what’s occurring on this planet of luxurious journey. In this concern:

1. Four Seasons publicizes plans for a lodge in Taiwan’s capital metropolis Taipei
2. The Langham Venice will open in 2023
3. Singapore Airlines now presents free limitless WiFi in Business Class
4. Virgin Atlantic names its newest Airbus A330neo after Queen Elizabeth II
5. Andaz Mexico City Condesa debuts in Mexico City’s Condesa neighborhood
6. Qatar Airways and Airbus settle their Airbus A350 dispute
7. Curio Collection will open a luxurious lodge on the island of Rhodes, Greece
8. Qantas unveils Business and First Class cabins for its A350 plane
9. Cathay Pacific collaborates with Michelin starred restaurant on a brand new inflight menu
10. Virgin Hotels New York City opens its doorways

1. Four Seasons will open a lodge in Taiwan’s capital metropolis Taipei

Four Seasons Hotel Taipei will likely be situated within the Xinyi District, straight reverse to Taipei 101, one of the iconic skyscrapers in Asia and one of many tallest towers on this planet. Taipei 101 is without doubt one of the high vacationer sights within the metropolis and is house to high-end procuring, artwork galleries, and workplaces in addition to the Taiwan Stock Exchange Corporation and different main banks and organizations. The new lodge will characteristic roughly 260 light-filled rooms with each metropolis and mountain views. Dining venues on the Hotel will embody a high-end Chinese restaurant, vacation spot bar, specialty restaurant, all-day restaurant, pool bar and foyer lounge. Surrounded by expansive glass panelling on each side of the tower, the very best flooring will supply wraparound views of town and mountain ranges on the horizon. The 180 m (591 ft) tall lodge may even characteristic an govt membership lounge, health centre with an out of doors pool and spa. In addition, the property will supply intensive assembly and occasion areas. Construction of the brand new lodge is already underway, and is anticipated to be full in a number of years’ time.

2. The Langham Venice will open in 2023

With its direct frontage on the Venetian Lagoon, the 138-key Langham Venice Hotel will likely be situated on the island of Murano, lengthy revered for its centuries-old custom of glass making. The lodge will likely be housed within the former Casino Mocenigo which may hint its legacy to the early 1600s. The historic constructing is a crucial illustration of Venetian structure enriched by spectacular frescoes with classical themes devoted to music, poetry and love. The design for the visitor rooms and public areas will likely be impressed by the lodge’s wealthy historical past, resplendent frescoes, and breathtaking water views from its fascinating lagoon frontage. When the lodge opens, company might sit up for two eating places serving a number of cuisines and a cooking faculty the place company can be taught the artwork of tremendous Italian delicacies. Alfresco bars, certainly one of which will likely be situated on the rooftop, will set the scene for social celebrations, massive and small. Also featured on the lodge would be the group’s signature Chuan Spa offering wellness therapies and coverings based mostly on the traditional therapeutic philosophies of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM,) a fully-equipped health heart, a sublime ballroom, and multifunction rooms.

3. Singapore Airlines now presents free limitless WiFi in Business Class

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has rolled out complimentary limitless in-flight Wi-Fi for all Business Class passengers. In addition, members of KrisFlyer (SIA’s loyalty program) take pleasure in free three-hour Wi-Fi plans when touring in Premium Economy Class and free two-hour Wi-Fi plans when touring in Economy Class. Passengers who are usually not KrisFlyer members might reap the benefits of SIA’s simplified Wi-Fi value plans. These vary from US$3.99 (roughly S$5.25) for one hour, US$8.99 (roughly S$11.80) for 3 hours, and US$15.99 (roughly S$21.00) for your complete flight. These enhancements additional elevate the in-flight buyer expertise on board SIA flights, with the Airline’s Suites and First Class clients additionally having fun with complimentary limitless Wi-Fi. As a end result, SIA turns into one of many first airways to supply complimentary limitless Wi-Fi throughout its passenger community for its Suites, First Class, and Business Class clients, in addition to PPS Club members. Previously, Business Class company loved 100MB price of complimentary in-flight Wi-Fi. KrisFlyer members touring in Premium Economy Class and Economy Class have been provided a two-hour complimentary in-flight Wi-Fi plan that was optimized for text-only messaging providers.

4. Virgin Atlantic names its newest Airbus A330neo after Queen Elizabeth II

Virgin Atlantic has named its latest plane Queen of the Skies in honor of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The airline’s model new Airbus A330neo has the registration G-VEII, and is the second of Virgin Atlantic’s plane to be named Queen of the Skies. Back in 2004, her late majesty unveiled an Airbus A340-600 with the identical title at a ceremony in Toulouse. Corneel Koster, chief buyer and operations officer at Virgin Atlantic, commented: “Just like Queen Elizabeth during her historic 70-year reign, Virgin Atlantic is proud to fly the flag for the United Kingdom around the world. We’re delighted to soon be welcoming ‘Queen of the Skies’ to our fleet and hope that it serves as a fitting tribute to an unforgettable, much-loved monarch.” Virgin Atlantic has an extended historical past of naming its plane after inspirational girls, together with Diana in tribute to Princess Diana. Virgin Atlantic’s present fleet consists of Lade Emmeline (G-VLIB) which pays tribute to the founding father of the Suffragette motion and girls’s rights activist Emmeline Pankhurst. Fearless Lady (G-VEVE) celebrates the lifetime of Eve Branson, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson’s late mom. Eve led an unbelievable life, enlisting within the WRENS throughout World War II, taking gliding classes disguised as a boy, and dealing as a pioneering hostess on the treacherous British South American Airways routes.

5. Andaz Mexico City Condesa debuts in Mexico City’s Condesa neighborhood

Andaz Mexico City Condesa is the primary city Andaz property in Mexico and the second Andaz-branded lodge within the nation following Andaz Mayakoba Riviera Maya. Located within the charming neighborhood of Condesa, an city neighborhood radiating wealthy historical past and tradition, the brand new lodge is ideally located amongst lots of the metropolis’s most noteworthy artwork galleries, boutiques, and eating places providing company the easiest of its locale. The interiors of the lodge are reflective of the worldwide affect and progressive model discovered all through Mexico City, and pair a contemporary edge with Art Deco design. The lodge presents 213 residentially impressed guestrooms, together with 20 suites, all of which characteristic views of both the tree-lined avenues of the Condesa neighborhood, an elaborate inside courtyard or, from increased up, sweeping views of Mexico City. In protecting with the world’s repute as town’s culinary hotspot, the lodge’s eating venues complement the world’s thriving gastronomic scene. Cabuya Rooftop restaurant brings a Tulum-inspired beach-club ambiance to the lodge’s seventeenth ground terrace, which additionally contains a rooftop pool. On the lodge’s second ground, company and locals will discover respite at Pasana Spa & Wellness, a sanctuary of rest honoring Mexican ancestral traditions of salt as a supply of safety, utilizing native merchandise from Mexico.

6. Qatar Airways and Airbus settle their Airbus A350 dispute

7. Curio Collection will open a luxurious lodge on the island of Rhodes, Greece

Hilton has introduced its plans for Lindian Village Beach Resort Rhodes, Curio Collection by Hilton. Situated within the south-eastern a part of the island close to the picturesque city of Lindos, its Acropolis and a lot of historic websites dated from the Archaic interval to the post-Byzantine instances, the 196-room resort will supply gorgeous sea views and backyard views with entry to a personal, sandy seashore. Aside from its prime location, all visitor rooms of Lindian Village Beach Resort Rhodes will likely be fitted with a personal out of doors space and 85 rooms may even embody a personal pool or scorching tub. To amplify the Curio Collection aptitude for genuine, curated hospitality, the resort will characteristic 5 eating places serving a variety of native and worldwide cuisines, two bars & one gelateria, all with idea designed by Trastelis Group, proprietor of two Michelin star eating places. In addition, the lodge will characteristic an intensive calendar of children & household actions centered round tradition, nature & wellness. Amenities will embody two out of doors swimming pools, a health centre, a spa, water sports activities, a tennis courtroom and two assembly rooms that may be capable to accommodate as much as 150 individuals.

8. Qantas unveils Business and First Class cabins for its A350 plane

Qantas has unveiled prototypes of the First and Business cabins on the plane that may fly passengers continuous from Australia to New York and London from late 2025. Designed with ultra-long haul journey in thoughts, the flagship cabins are the primary to be developed from the bottom up by a mixture of aviation specialists, in addition to Australian industrial design studio Caon Design, and a multidisciplinary staff of scientists from the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre together with sleep scientists. Key to the cabin design has been giving passengers more room, made potential by Qantas’ determination to configure its 12 Airbus A350s to seat 238 passengers in comparison with the 300-plus seat structure specified by different carriers. The spacious First suite has a variety of options to make clients really feel like they’re in a mini boutique lodge room full with an extra-wide mounted mattress, separate recliner chair, private wardrobe, eating desk for 2 and a 32” ultra-high definition TV. Every Business suite can have direct aisle entry for ease of transferring across the cabin, and Qantas is incorporating sliding doorways into the suite for privateness, if desired.  The Qantas A350 can have six First suites in a 1-1-1 configuration and 52 Business Suites in a 1-2-1 configuration.

9. Cathay Pacific collaborates with Duddell’s on new inflight menu

Cathay Pacific is bringing new delights to its inflight “Hong Kong Flavors” idea with thoughtfully designed menus created along with Michelin-starred native restaurant Duddell’s to have a good time Hong Kong’s culinary heritage. The promotional menus carry a recent and curated interpretation of much-loved native specialties, highlighting the 2 manufacturers’ dedication to raise the meals tradition of Hong Kong.

• First Class passengers can sit up for a number of appetisers that may embody chilled abalone with black vinegar, minced pork with blended greens, and pomelo served with lettuce wraps and prawn crackers. New important course choices embody braised Iberico pork stomach with radish, simmered in a glaze of soy sauce and spices, and the traditional Chinese banquet dish of wok-fried lobster in white pepper sauce with spring onions and ginger. Cantonese desserts corresponding to chrysanthemum and longan jelly may even be obtainable.
• In Business Class, new appetiser dishes embody drunken prawns with aged Huadiao wine, and shredded rooster and jellyfish salad with sesame dressing. Main course choices will embody steamed halibut with cordyceps flowers, and barramundi fillets with pickled mustard greens in a scorching and bitter rice noodle soup. Desserts corresponding to ginger milk pudding will spherical out the expertise.

10. Virgin Hotels New York City opens its doorways

Virgin Hotels New York City has opened its doorways to company starting February 2023, with an official grand opening in spring 2023. Located at 1227 Broadway, and taking on your complete block between twenty ninth Street and thirtieth Street, the latest addition to the Virgin Hotels assortment sits on the coronary heart of the booming NoMad neighborhood and delivers a vibrant but subtle hospitality expertise in one of many world’s most enjoyable cities. This is the sixth Virgin Hotels in the United States and the seventh within the model portfolio. With design and structure spearheaded by MARKZEFF and Stantec, the lodge options 460 Chambers (visitor rooms), Suites, and Penthouses; entertainment-anchored areas together with Everdene (the place indoor/out of doors distinct eating and cocktail experiences paired with nightly music and leisure programming); an out of doors Pool Club unique to lodge company; and greater than 19,000 sq. ft of assembly and occasion areas – all with a picturesque backdrop of town. Travelers in search of probably the most luxurious in a single day expertise can guide a keep in Sir Richard’s Flat, a powerful duplex suite spanning the lodge’s thirty fifth and thirty sixth flooring.

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