luxury travel advisor dec 2012

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Inspiring and Educating Sellers of Affluent Travel D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 2

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Inspiring and Educating Sellers of Affluent Travel

SPECIAL ISSUE!Awards of Excellence Nominees Revealed!

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2 LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR | DECEMBER 2012

On the cover, David Rubin of DavidTravel at Montage Laguna Beach

Cover Photo Provided By david ruBin

8 MauiLuxury: Three resorts that live up to the island’s image by Joe Pike

16 agra,india: Taj Mahal with Greavesby Ruthanne Terrero

18 Southafrica: These luxe hotels help the destination thrive by Irvina Lew

destinations

4 Publisher’s Letter

6 Editor’s Letter

50 The Pulse Tigertourism: Tour ops celebrate lifted

ban SilverCloud: Luxury vessel sports fresh

look

54 Leaders SpeakProtravel’s Priscilla Alexander

56 Sightings

58 Source List

departments

39 awardSofExcELLEncE: Celebrating the industry’s best of the best in luxury

awards

24 BoucanByhotELchocoLat: Luxury boutique meets historic cocoa estate by Joe Pike

26 thESavoy: Iconic London luxuryby Ruthanne Terrero

Hotels

34 MakingithappEn: David Rubin has a knack for off-the-beaten-path excellence by Meagan Drillinger

Cover story

28 cariBBEanSpaS: Two new island enclaves primed for pampering by Ruthanne Terrero

spas

oyStErBox,Southafrica

BoucanByhotELchocoLat

thEtajMahaL,india

fairMontkEaLani,Maui

LuxuryT r av e l a dv i s o r

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IN ITS FIRST 8 YEARS, MORE PEOPLEHAVE SWITCHED TO THAN TO ANY OTHER GLOBAL AIRLINE IN HISTORY.

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F R O M A B U D H A B I T O T H E W O R L D N AT I O N A L A I R L I N E O F T H E U A E


In everyday life we have to make decisions that always don’t seem logical. We have to steer our business down the correct path and for the most part nothing is crystal clear or guaranteed. We have disruptions that make us think twice, and we must navigate back on track.

Hurricane Sandy recently affected many members of my family and a number of friends. At first you look astoundedly at the power and destruction of the storm and don’t even know where to start. Once the shock passes, you think about one thing and that is getting your life back to normal. Our office in New York City was closed for the week and we all had to work remotely. My car became my office with my iPhone and iPad as I had no electricity in my home and my car battery was my only source of power. We adjusted and helped each other out to make sure we had no disruption in our communications to you. Others that took a direct hit will be rebuilding for years.

In the aftermath of Sandy, another storm hit and that was the announcement of Protravel selling to Travel Leaders. As with the first storm, the phone calls and e-mails started coming in with questions. What does this mean for the future of travel advi-sors, wholesalers, consortia? What is being built? The ultimate consortia made up of Protravel, Tzell, Vacation.com, Nexion and Travel Leaders? If it all comes together, will this affect my business? From experience I can tell you that this storm is not over as more alignment of distribution channels will consolidate. The great news is that this is a strong forecast for our industry. Capital doesn’t come into the market if the future

isn’t bright. More than ever you need to be aligned now with a partner that can bring a distinct advantage to your services.

The sun did come out after Sandy, and families in its path are rebuilding. I headed out to Signature Travel Network Sales Meeting & Trade Show in Las Vegas where I found travel advisors communicating with one another and gearing up for 2013. The theme of the conference was “Ahead of the Curve, Behind Every Member” and the team at Signature had a clear vision on what is needed to make every member success-ful. I am confident that Alex Sharpe, COO of Signature Travel Network (shown here with me) and his team will help navigate ahead of any storm that might come in 2013 and beyond.

Enjoy the holidays!

The Perfect Storm

JOhn MCMAhOnExecutive Vice President/Group [email protected]

Publisher’s letter LuxuryT r av e l a dv i s o r

inspiring and educating sellers of Affluent travel

Executive Vice President/Group Publisher: John McMahon [email protected](212) 895-8243

Vice President/Editorial Director: Ruthanne Terrero, CTC [email protected](212) 895-8423

Managing Editor: David Eisen [email protected](212) 895-8436

Editor, LuxuryTravelAdvisor.com: Meagan Drillinger [email protected](212) 895-8289

Contributing Editors: Joe Pike, Susan J. Young, Lindsay Lambert, Jena Tesse Fox, Meagan Drillinger, Adam Leposa, Mary Winston Nicklin, Sharri Whiting de Masi

adverTising & sales sTaffAdvertising Director: Stephanie Gordon [email protected](305) 854-1622 Northeast USA: Kevin Dailey [email protected](212) 895-8242Midwest USA: Kimberly Newbury [email protected](312) 233-2647 Southeast USA & Caribbean: Barbara Magro [email protected](954) 522-1503West Coast USA: Chris Coon [email protected](661) 775-1482Europe, Middle East & Africa: Megan Meeres [email protected]+44 (0) 20-8961-3706Mexico & Latin America: Stephanie Gordon [email protected](305) 854-1622 Hawaii: Loren Malenchek [email protected](808) 283-7122Asia: Hazel Li, InterAct Media & Marketing [email protected]+65 6728-2396

Travel agenT CusTom soluTions: Vice President of Custom Solutions: Neil Strickland [email protected](954) 296-9515

arT, CirCulaTion & ProduCTion, markeTingAssociate Art Director: Debbie Sheehan [email protected](212) 895-8429Production Director: Jamie Kleist [email protected](218) 206-2107Production Specialist: Janelle Heller [email protected](218) 206-2110Corporate Director, Audience Management/Circulation Inquiries:Lia Papismedov [email protected] (212) 895-8293Reprints: (800) 290-5460, ext. 100 [email protected] Director: Mary Woodworth [email protected](216) 895-8284 Marketing Manager: Bernadette Mari [email protected](212) 895-8264Marketing Solutions Manager: Belkis Carrasco [email protected](212) 895-8294Marketing Solutions Coordinator: Lisa Bruckenstein [email protected](212) 895-8220

CorPoraTePresident & C.E.O.: Kerry C. GumasExecutive V.P. & Chief Financial Officer: Tom CaridiExecutive V.P.: Tony D’AvinoExecutive V.P.: John McMahon

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SETTING THE COURSE FOR THE FUTURE OF LUXURY TRAVEL


In this issue of Luxury Travel Advisor, we proudly reveal our nominees for the Awards of Excellence. The suppliers you see listed on the ballot were selected by our advisory board, which comprises the luxury travel advisors who

have graced our covers since our launch in 2005. We encourage you to vote so that you, our general readership, will have the final say in who you con-sider the best in their field.

In the meantime, I wanted to share with you my top experiences for 2012. These are based on visits I made this year, either for business trips or familiar-ization opportunities. In many cases, if I was travel-ing on business to a destination, I tried to stop in to see the latest offerings. Here goes:

Top Suite: Suite 326, The Savoy, London: Read all about it in this issue. This stay goes on my personal A-list.

Top Bathroom: The Bulgari, London: Black travertine marble floors; a huge, freestanding tub with a view (shown left); and a separate room and double sinks in the WC. At night, tea candles and incense-lit tubside were a special treat.

Top Butler Service: The Bulgari, London also gets my vote for butler service. Why? Florentine wasn’t clingy or overbearing. He was consultative and helpful. When I saw him, I didn’t want to run the other way as I do in some hotels that have butlers.

Top DMC, USA: Artisan Wine Tours: A day with Lyn Durling in Sonoma will make you feel edu-cated on all things wine, plus, you’ll feel you’re best friends with some of the top vintners in the county by the time the sun is setting.

Top Hotel Worldwide: Leela Palace, New Delhi: I’ve never used the phrase “seven star” before, but I’m using it on this hotel which is larger than life, from its uber-luxe furniture and fixtures to its

very gentle, intuitive service.Top Caribbean Resort: The Crane, Barbados: A

villa with its own pool here with views of the ocean crashing in the distance is the antidote to whatever ails you...I actually had that sad “I don’t want to leave here” pang when I had to go home.

Top U.S. Hotel: The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco is buzzing with locals and classy visitors and its Club Floor is the most extravagant I’ve seen in a Ritz-Carlton, and I’ve seen a lot. It’s chic and old-world charming and on Friday night they wheeled around a cart with caviar and all the fixings.

Favorite New U.S. City: Savannah, GA: This historic city is sultry and elegant and filled with oak trees dripping with Spanish moss. I loved the Man-sion on Forsyth Park and was delighted to drive past a new Andaz hotel on a recent trip.

Best Global Car Service: Groundlink.com: I discovered this company earlier this year and have taken them in London, Beverly Hills, Miami and New York. They have access to inventory from car companies throughout the world.

Best Domestic Airline: They don’t yell at me on JetBlue and on certain days, that’s all I ask for. But the customer service is friendly and there are no bad seats on the planes, all have good legroom and the TVs are great. When I am booked on JetBlue my heart sings. It’s all about the journey.

On my bucket list for 2013? Vienna, South Africa’s wine country, more of Savannah, New Orleans and Charleston, SC. More experiences with top ground tour operators as I now see how they can make or break an experience. I want to see the tigers in India and visit Myanmar, too. Every year I say I’m going back to Paris but never quite make it. And who can ever get enough of London, especially with all the hotels opening there?

What’s on your list?

My Best Travel in 2012

RUTHANNE TERRERO, CTCVice President/Editorial [email protected]/ruthanneterreroON LUXURYTRAVEL

ADVISOR.COMThe celebration of all things luxury goes on online where you can also subscribe to our newsletter, The Dossier. www.luxurytraveladvisor.com

EDITOR’S LETTER

A Look Back: I’m shown above in Monte Carlo, another highlight of my year. This destination speaks to me because it’s all about the jet-set lifestyle and unabashedly so. Above as well is the bathroom of a Studio Suite at The Bulgari Hotel, London.

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Regardless of their destination, Hyatt makes it easy to personalize an experience to meet each of your clients’ desires. From upscale luxury to modern chic, be it overnight or extended stay, Hyatt has a brand to fi t their travel preference. Whether your clients want to enjoy the non-stop energy of a major city or unwind at an oceanfront resort, they will experience the authentic hospitality and genuine welcome found only at Hyatt. Book with chain code HY or visit HyattTravelAgents.com.

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DESTINATIONS

MAUI LUXURY

THE FAIRMONT KEA LANI Ocean View Suite comes with a spacious balcony, offering ocean views and overlooking most of the resort.

DECEMBER 2012 | LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR 9

Luxury Travel Advisor gets an inside look at two top-end mainstays on Maui and a sneak peek into the next high-end resort to open here next summer.

BY JOE PIKE

Maui has a history of having perhaps the best luxury resorts in all of Hawaii and Luxury Travel Advisor was lucky enough to get an inside look at the two hotels often credited with maintaining that reputation. We also got a sneak peek of the latest luxury resort that is expected to be a game-changer on Maui.

Situated in sunny Wailea, Maui, The Fairmont Kea Lani (www.fairmont.com/kea-lani-maui) is an all-suite resort with everything in place for an impressive getaway for both couples and families.

We stayed in room No. 304, a Deluxe Ocean View Suite. It came with a king bed; two flat-screen TVs, one in the bedroom and another, larger one in the living room; and a spacious balcony, offering ocean views and overlooking most of the resort.

While we highly recommend booking these for couples, the top rooms here, however, are any of the Kilohana Suites, the resort’s signature accommodations. While all of the 400-plus rooms at the

Fairmont are suites, the only dif-ference with the Kilohana Suites is that they offer more space. While these rooms have 1,000 square feet of space, all other rooms top off at 860 square feet.

We took a peek at room No. 302, which has a wrap-around balcony with 360-degree views. Nice Touch: Each of these rooms includes a pair of bin-oculars for VIPs hoping to catch a glimpse of some humpback whales. Note: December through February is said to be the opti-mum time for whale watching with February being the best month for it.

Luxury travel advisors shouldn’t ignore the Poolside Suites either, which are perfect for families, considering they offer easy access to the upper lagoon pool and waterslide, as well as the swim-up bar. Also for families and VIPs advisors should recommend any of the resort’s 37 villas at The Fairmont Kea Lani, which are made up of a mix of either two- or three-bedroom rooms that are either Ocean

front or Ocean view. They include a living room area with a queen sleeper sofa and a full entertainment system with a Blu-Ray player, a Nintendo Wii, vari-ous board games and wireless high-speed Internet access.

We were able to check out villa No. 18, a two-bed-room Oceanfront Villa, which basically serves as a private town-house, offering everything from stocked refrigerators to washer and dryers. Our favorite feature of this room, however, is the roomy patio that includes a gas grill and plenty of privacy from the other villas. Note: VIPs who would like to have their fridge stocked before they arrive should fill out a checklist of desired food items about one week before they check in. Nice Touch: Each villa comes with a free amenity, a gift basket filled with such items as local cheese, pancake mix, potato chips, pineapples and more. Note: VIPs can arrange for in-room dining, including wine-pairing dinners. Tip: For in-room dining, we suggest the

fish of the day, lobster tails or filet mignon. Note: Luxury car rentals are included in the room rate for all villa guests.

The resort’s massive spa includes separate men’s and women’s locker room facilities, each with marble steam rooms and a remodeled spa lounge. Advisors should book treat-ments for VIPs roughly three months in advance. Hint: The most popular treatment is the Lomilomi Massage, which uses ancient Hawaiian traditional forearm strokes to apply medium pressure. Essential oils are selected to reflect the flora and fauna of the Islands. Tip: For the Lomilomi Massage, tell VIPs to request Joni Meadows. For fur-ther spa inquires, advisors should contact Lennette Clark ([email protected]; 808-875-2220), director of spa/retail.

As far as dining goes, look no further than Kō, which means “sugarcane” in Hawaiian. It showcases the culinary history of the sugarcane plantation era. The menu includes Hawaiian,

the living room of this suite (here) at Andaz maui is perfect for families.


Opening Early 2013

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Chinese, Filipino, Portuguese, Korean and Japanese dishes, many of which are actually island family recipes that have been passed down for generations.

Executive Chef Tylun Pang, who recently penned the cook book, What Maui Likes to Eat, uses the island’s fresh produce, beef and seafood to give the authentic recipes a farm-fresh, contemporary twist.

Since it’s opening in April, it has received a number of awards, including Best Resort Restaurant on Maui. Hint: We recommend the lobster tempura and the mashed sweet potatoes. Advisors should contact Dillon David Dray ([email protected]; 808-270-5487), assistant food and beverage manager.

Note: We were told that the resort’s primary markets out of

the U.S. tend to be California, mainly San Francisco and Los Angeles; Seattle and Port-land. Some international markets include Canada, mainly Vancou-ver; Australia and New Zealand.

For other inquiries, luxury travel advisors should contact Leisure Sales Manager Erin Frank ([email protected]; 808-270-5407).

The Ritz Carlton Kapalua Sitting on the gorgeous D.T. Flemings Beach in this resort (www.ritzcarlton.com) works for both active couples and families who really appreciate a good landscape since this is one the best-kept resorts in all of Maui.

For families, we would recom-mend advisors book VIPs in any of the one- or two-bedroom Res-idential Suites. The best suites overall, however, are the Royal Pacific Suite and the Residential Royal Pacific Suite. The Royal Pacific Suite is on the top floor of the hotel with direct frontal views of the Pacific Ocean and includes two Italian marble bathrooms with separate showers and a jet bathtub and private balconies with oceanfront views. The Residential Royal Pacific Suite is also on the top floor and has many of the same amenities as the Royal Pacific Suite. Tip: Since there is only one of each of these rooms, advisors should book these for VIPs at least six months in advance. Note: Butler service is available in all rooms upon request.

The Ritz-Carlton Spa,

ADVISOR INSIGHT:“I love the Fairmont Kea Lani; they have a wonderful loca-tion in the heart of Wailea with close proximity to golf and the Shops at Wailea, where there are world famous restaurants,” says Patti Lehman of World Travel. “Book the Fairmont Gold Club Level rooms to get extra amenities. I also just sold the Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria resort [www.grandwailea.com] this year to a family and they loved the nine pools with waterslides, five restaurants and the spa. New this year are the Ho’olei Villas at Grand Wailea so now families will have even more accommodation options at the beautiful resort.”


THe mASTeR beDROOm AT ANDAz mAuI (here) overlooks the ocean.

THe 1,000-SquARe-fOOT KIlOHANA SuITeS (below) are the signature accommodations

at fairmont Kea lani.

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Kapalua includes 15 treatment rooms and two private couples’ cabanas. Like it is at the Fair-mont and most other resorts in this area, the most requested treatment here is the Lomilomi Massage. Note: VIPs 16-17 years old may receive facials and guests 15 years old and younger may receive manicures, pedicures, makeup applications, haircuts and styling. Luxury travel advi-sors should contact Spa Manager Lauren Avila ([email protected]; 808-669-6200).

For guests looking to do some shopping, there are four stores on property and the historical Lahaina Front Street shopping area is just a 20-minute drive away. Tip: A resort shuttle is available for VIPs looking to head that way.

Note: For VIPs looking to avoid big crowds, the PGA Tour event, Hyundai Tournament of Champions, takes place in January; the Celebration of the Arts festival kicks off in April;

the Kapalua Wine & Food Festival takes place in June and the Xterra Championships are in October. All the events are said to draw scores of tourists to the resort and the surrounding area. Fun Fact: The resort was recently featured in Extra’s Mansions and Millionaires segment on NBC.

The resort is about an hour away from the Kahului Airport (OGG), which flies to the main-land, and five minutes away from the Kapalua Airport (JHM), which is for interisland flights only. Tip: Luxury, private car service is available to and from the airport.

For all other inquiries, luxury travel advisors should contact Head Concierge Heidi Denecke ([email protected]; 808-665-7200).

Andaz Maui at Wailea ResortLuxury Travel Advisor toured the grounds of the soon-to-be-unveiled Andaz Maui at Wailea

Resort (www.andaz.com), a five-star resort slated to open in the Wailea section of Maui by the summer of 2013.

Advisors can book the property beginning late winter. Note: This will be the first resort at this loca-tion since the Renaissance Wailea Beach Resort closed in 2007.

Andaz Wailea will have roughly 300 rooms and suites, ranging from 456 to 2,321 square feet and including seven three- to five-bedroom villas. Note: Seventy percent of all rooms face the ocean. Among the suites will be two Premiere Suites, which are one-bedroom rooms that can connect and form a two-bedroom suite. Nice Touch: Each Premiere Suite comes with a soaking tub in the center of the room, offering VIPs an impressive ocean view while they soak. Butler service will also be available.

There will also be a total of five pools, with four of them leading into each other. In fact,

three infinity pools all end up in one relaxing lagoon pool. The fifth pool is separate and will serve as the resort’s adults-only swimming pool.

There will be two restaurants here, including the recently announced Morimoto Maui, named after executive chef and former Iron Chef, Masaharu Morimoto, perhaps one of the most well-known celebrity chefs out there. We were told the sec-ond restaurant remains unnamed at this point.

There will be a 15,000-square-foot spa, gym, lobby lounge and meeting space. The spa will have 10 treatment rooms, includ-ing one couples’ room. Andaz Wailea will house a 4,650-square-foot ballroom that can accommo-date up to 200 people.

Note: There will be transfers available to and from the airport in high-end, luxury vehicles. We were told the type of luxury vehicle has not been chosen yet by the resort. g

FAiRMont KeA LAni Ko restaurant showcases the culinary history of the sugarcane plantation era.


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When Luxury Travel Advisor headed off to New Delhi a few weeks ago for a conference we realized we’d little time left to see many of the main attractions nearby, namely the Taj Mahal. Enter Greaves Tours (www.greavesindia.com), whose experts took our very limited time frame and carved out a full day of adventure in Agra, where the iconic monument is located.

Here’s how it all went. We flew in to New Delhi via Emirates, connecting from JFK through Dubai. Safely landed in New Delhi, we were met at the airport by representatives of the Leela Palace hotel, who quickly

took hold of our large quantities of luggage (when you’re going to the Taj Mahal you need options), and whisked us to a luxury car that was awaiting us curbside. It was a Tuesday afternoon; we’d left our home on Monday morn-ing. Safely in our cushy room, we saw we had a message to call Greaves Tours. We called and made arrangements to meet at 5:15 a.m. in the lobby the next morning. That suited us just fine as we were exhausted and headed to sleep even though it was early evening. We awoke full of energy at our 3:30 a.m. wake-up call and thoroughly enjoyed the pot of coffee and pitcher of hot

milk our butler brought to us the moment we popped out of bed. Downstairs, we met with a representative from Greaves, who escorted us to a luxury vehicle with a private driver. He explained that they were taking us to the New Delhi Railway station, where we would take the Shatabdi Express to Agra. The ride would take just about two hours. We were pretty pleased to have a private escort to the train, since there were throngs of peo-ple at the station even at this very early hour. Our Greaves guide walked us to the train, boarded with us, found our reserved seats, and once we were seated, gave

us the letter that confirmed our train reservation as well as his cell phone number. He stayed with us to ensure we were comfortable and felt secure and told us that we would be met curbside when we arrived in Agra.

The train was great fun since we felt we were traveling quite independently even though we had Greaves watching our backs at either end of the ride. It isn’t super modern, but it was perfectly accommodating and because this was reserved seating, the car was not crowded. In fact, from what we could see, a police-man patrolled the car regularly to ensure anyone who didn’t belong


destinations

A Day in Agra

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to our carriage was promptly told to leave.

The Shatabdi Express even serves breakfast, which first came in the form of a big red thermos filled with piping hot water and tiny biscuits in cellophane. A while later we were given a hot plate of vegetarian curry, toast and juice. All along the way, we passed the countryside. We saw the sun rise and all sorts of sites; people living in very rural conditions, others in towns and villages. By the time we reached Agra we’d seen a lot.

When we disembarked the train, we were immediately met by another Greaves representa-

tive, who knew our name and brought us through the crowds right away to a luxury car with a private driver. The representative explained he was taking us to meet our private guide, Raj. We mentioned that we’d like to have lunch at The Oberoi Amarvilas; he cautioned us that because it was high season (we were travel-ing in October, a good time to visit India because the weather cools down), it might be difficult to get a table. However, 45 min-utes later he was able to confirm our reservation. We reached Greaves’ office, said good-bye to our rep and met Raj, our guide.

That’s the most important part of the story. The Taj Mahal did not disappoint; in fact, it’s even more stunning in person and Raj was a very informative guide who knows every intricacy of the amazing fortress, which was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth. Raj also brought us to a crafts

center where you can buy Indian goods and to the Agra Fort.

After lunch at The Oberoi, we were ready to head back to New Delhi. Greaves had arranged a private car and driver and we were able to take a new highway, which cuts the time down to just a few hours instead of five.

Lessons learned here were: You cannot go all the way to India and not see the Taj Mahal because when you come home, everyone will ask you if you saw it and if you didn’t you will just feel like a loser. Another lesson? Go with a luxury tour guide such as Greaves, which will help you avoid any pitfalls in a new coun-try that you’re just not familiar with. Aside from their excellent ability to escort us through each step of the way, we found their communication to be great. We were never left wondering what would come next, which is vital when you’re not quite sure of your footing.

Last lesson: A day trip to Agra

can be added on to a business trip to New Delhi but we suggest allowing yourself even more time than just a day, since Delhi itself is home to some amazing ancient attractions, including the Qutub Minar Complex and Humayun’s Tomb, which was the inspira-tion for the Taj Mahal. Greaves provides excellent day tours with knowledgeable guides to both.

Your contact at Greaves is its president, Carole Cambata ([email protected]; 800-318-7801 or 224-765-4545) who gladly works with travel advisors. Greaves has a number of itineraries coming up, includ-ing the World Sufi Spirit Festival (six-day tour will take place February 24-March 1, 2013); a Yoga Festival Tour, which takes place in February 2013; and the ongoing Best Exotic Marigold Tour, which combines several of India’s top attractions with some of the best parts of the British comedy-drama.

—Ruthanne Terrero

Taj Mahal (left) was built by Emperor Shah jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth.

huMayun’S ToMb (here), one of the amazing ancient attractions in Delhi, was the inspiration for the Taj Mahal.

www.luxurytraveladvisor.com DECEMBER2012|LUXURYTRAVELADVISOR17

From the inland capital, Johan-nesburg, to soaring Cape Town and seafront Durban, South Africa is thriving culturally and economically. Investment in infrastructure for the 2010 FIFA World Cup added airports, highways, stadiums, hotels and chic malls. Travelers relish the adolescent country’s sophistica-tion, world-class cuisine, art, service and…safaris.

The Saxon Boutique Hotel, Villas and Spa (www.saxon.co.za), Johannesburg’s most exclusive hotel, sits on a lush six-acre estate adjacent to Sandton, “Africa’s richest square mile.” The 53-suite, former residence of Nelson Mandela—where he edited Long Walk to Freedom—has twin, curved staircases and a glass-domed entry and show-cases contemporary African art

and artifacts. Spacious 800- to 2000-square-foot suites provide complimentary laptops and international adaptor outlets. Contact Sales and Marketing Administrator Linda Pereira ([email protected]; 011-27-11-292-6000) for top butler-served rooms: the Nelson Mandela Platinum Suite and one- (Presi-dential) and two-bedroom (Plati-num) suites within new-in-2010 three villas each with its shared lounge, dining area and splash pool. This local destination has a bi-level, six-treatment room spa which offers a signature sound treatment on a heated waterbed. Contact Wesley ([email protected]). Head Concierge Den-zilthe Arendse ([email protected]; 011-27-11-292-6000) can arrange transportation to OR Tambo International Airport

where private jets land. Ellerman House (www.

ellerman.co.za)—Cape Town’s posh, mountainside boutique hotel, just 10 minutes from the V&A Waterfront—displays the owner’s South African art collec-tion throughout and in a private, contemporary gallery. The nine-room former private villa houses top seaview suites (Eller-man Suite No. 7 or East Wing Suite No. 11) while the Ellerman Villa spoils up to 10 guests with a private entrance, butler, chef, staff and spa. Circular stairs and elevator connect sleeping and main floors in the three-story structure where the best room is the glass-walled Acqua; this room and Lilac share the upper balcony’s panoramic view. Two smaller rooms are adjacent to the two-treatment room spa.

Contact Sales and Marketing Manager Lindsy Morais ([email protected]; 011-27-21-430-3200) to book this, divide it, or reserve in a new villa slated for 2013. Exclusive to guests only are the 7500 bottles of South African wine selection and Cuban and Dominican cigars. Concierge Mitch Terry ([email protected]) books the cour-tesy car (upon availability), tours to Cape Winelands and Cape of Good Hope, adventures and vin-tage car drives. Contact General Manager Ella Cuyler at ella @ellerman.co.za.

Le Quartier Français (www.lqf.co.za), a charming Relais & Châteaux complex—with


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Oyster BOx is home to fabulous public bars and dining options that attract locals and guest alike.

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its rose-clustered courtyard, swimming pool and mountain views—is the best small country inn in the Cape Winelands. Its newly redecorated fine dining restaurant, The Tasting Room, casual bar and eatery and art gallery are on Franschhoek’s Main Street among boutiques

and galleries (about 45 minutes from the Cape Town airport). Auberge Rooms No. 17 and No. 19 have child-friendly loft rooms and two bathrooms. The Four Quarters (FQ1-FQ4) are butler-serviced family suites overlooking a pool deck fitted with lounges, kitchens and

double-sink bathrooms (most rooms are handicapped ready). Contact Auberge coordinator Louise du Valle ([email protected]; 011-27-21-878-448) for reservations up to six months in advance. General Manager Linda Coltart ([email protected]; 011-27-21-876-2151) arranges events, vintage cars, cooking classes and helicopter access in the family vineyard. Concierge Jenene Batts ([email protected]; 011-27-21-876-2151) books adult or child treatments in the one-room spa.

The gleaming white Oyster Box is situated beachfront, 10 miles from Durban’s King Shaka International Airport and near a private helicopter landing. Fabulous public bars and dining options attract locals while guests retreat to enormous suites. The Presidential Suite (No. 014) has a dedicated butler; butler service is available upon request in the Sea Facing Deluxe Suites (Nos. 004 and 005) and Sea Facing Luxury Suites (Nos. 009, 114, 214, 304 and 313), footsteps from the Indian Ocean. Families vie for Superior Garden Vil-las (Nos. 015, 016, 017, 018, 019, 020, 021 and 022), some duplex, most with double sinks. Contact Reservations Manager Candice Stanley ([email protected]) for rooms and Ginny Eslick ([email protected]; 011-27-82-414-0265) for weddings and events. Jemma du Preez ([email protected]; 011-031-514-5072/71) books treatments in the exqui-site, multistoried, stand-alone 62,000-square-foot spa, which boasts an extraordinary ham-mam. General Manager Wayne Coetzer ([email protected]) is at the ready; Terence Rice and Stephen Rowley will schedule deep-sea fishing, tours and game drives. E-mail [email protected] or call 011-031-514-5003 for details.

&Beyond (www.andbeyond.

South AfricA touriSt informAtioncurrencySouth Africa uses the rand; dollars are accepted in major cities.

credit cardsCredit cards are widely accepted.

ActivitiesGolf, tennis, watersports, hiking and safaris.

LanguageEnglish is widely spoken; many speak Zulu.

food & WineInternational cuisine reflects great products; Braai, South African barbecue, is very popular as are great Cape Winelands wines.

SAxon Boutique hoteL‘s (here) nelson mandela Platinum Suite comes with a lounge, dining area and splash pool.

Le quArtier frAnçAiS (below) is the best small country inn in the cape Winelands.


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com) provides world-class safari adventures at Phinda Private Game Reserve on a 56,000-acre tract three hours north of Durban. The oh-so-private conservation development is dedicated to restoring and man-aging wildlife populations and providing clinics, classrooms and employment to adjacent com-munities from which it leases portions of the 30-mile by 5- to 10-mile preserve. Six lodges,

set miles from each other, provide 61 accommodations. General Manager Jane Braack recommends &Beyond Phinda Homestead—the luxurious four-suite, sole-use villa with its own indoor and outdoor dining and lounging areas, a pool—where elephants sometimes come to drink—a fitness facility and staff, including innkeeper Nicci, ranger Mark, tracker Skampu, plus the chef, pastry chef, butler

and housekeepers. En suite mas-sages incorporate African plants and oils for adults and children. Vlei Lodge has six premium lodgings and two family suites are at the Mountain Lodge. Twice daily, three-hour safaris give an opportunity to watch Africa’s Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino) and 415 bird species. Excursions to the Indian Ocean include sea adventures. Travel advisors can

contact &Beyond Group Sales Manager Shaun Strydom ([email protected]; 011-27-11-809-4300) or &Beyond Manager of Groups Division Vanessa Botha ([email protected]; 011-27-11-809-4300) for group reserva-tions. Private jets land at King Shaka International Airport in Durban; small aircraft use the Phinda airstrip. —Irvina Lew

ADVISOR INSIGHT:Robert Malmberg ([email protected]), president of Malmberg Travel, says this of South Africa: “It is fabulous! It has everything: culture, tradi-tion, elegance, sophistication, not to mention the beaches, the mountains, the food, the wines, and last but not the least: the people. In the luxury travel busi-ness, we focus on delivering a memorable experience to our customers.”

OySTeR BOx (above) Presidential Suite has two lavish marble bathrooms—his and hers—with hers offering unsurpassed sea views.

elleRmAN VIllA‘s (here) best room is the glass-walled Acqua, which along with lilac share the upper balcony’s panoramic view.


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Hearts aren’t the only thing that can melt at the rustically luxuri-ous boutique hotel, Boucan by Hotel Chocolat in St. Lucia, where memories—and a whole lot of chocolate—are made.

Angus Thirlwell, co-founder

and CEO of the boutique hotel/restaurant, recently graced the offices of Luxury Travel Advi-sor to give us the skinny on his unique hotel that unites barefoot luxury with an undeniable sweet tooth.

Boucan by Hotel Chocolat, commonly referred to as Hotel Chocolat (www.thehotelchocolat.com), opened in 2011 and is a luxury boutique resort set at The Rabot Estate, a work-ing cocoa estate. The Skinny: It

has 14 luxury Cocoa Pods and Cocoa Pods Luxe, Club Boucan with an infinity pool, the cocoa-inspired Boucan Restaurant, and Cocoa Juvenate Spa with its exclusive range of wellness thera-pies. Cocoa Pods are a cozy 450

The unusual marriage of a luxury boutique hotel and a historic Caribbean cocoa

estate results in a sweet couples’ vacation in St. Lucia.

hotels

Boucan by

Hotel Chocolat


square feet while the Cocoa Pods Luxe are a bit roomier at 750 square feet. Note: Have clients who want an amazing birthday bash? Property buyouts are avail-able and include private use of the resort’s spa. Contact Serena Fidgett (serena.fidgett@hotelcho colat.co.uk; 011-0044-176-325-7766) of special projects depart-ment for information.

The Rabot Estate is St. Lucia’s oldest cocoa estate and was first established around 1745. It was bought five years ago by two UK-based entre-preneurs, Thirlwell and Peter Harris, the original founders of Hotel Chocolat. Since then, the pair has worked tirelessly to restore St. Lucia’s once thriving cocoa industry, which was reel-ing at the time of the sale.

The best rooms here are any of the eight Luxe Lodges, all set in an elevated position. The best feature of these 750-square-foot rooms is the private verandah with views of the Pitons and the Caribbean Sea. It also includes a double daybed for those look-ing to take an outdoor power nap surrounded by St. Lucia’s national treasures. Nice Touch: Each Luxe Lodge includes an open-air, twin rain forest shower.

Hotel Chocolat’s intimate two-treatment room spa, Cocoa Juvenate, is home to several unique treatments that use cocoa. Hint: Try the Cacao Detox Body Wrap. For this treat-ment, finely ground estate-grown cocoa beans are used. Masseuses finish off your experience with a light hydrating massage with silky whipped cacao mousse. Luxury travel advisors should contact Head of Customer

Relations Judy Buckley ([email protected]; 758-724-6182).

Hint: Inquire about the Tree to Bar experience, where hotel guests graft and plant their own cocoa tree. And upon their next trip, when the bean has fully transformed into a delectable dark chocolate bar, they can taste the fruits of their labor. Other activities the resort can arrange include stargazing with rum-spiked hot chocolate from the resort’s cocoa estate and vintage rum and whisky pairings with chocolate, also from estate.

The hotel’s Boucan Res-taurant, serving mostly cocoa-influenced dishes, is open to both guests and locals. The menu uses cocoa sometimes as a light and subtle spice and sometimes as a delicate infusion. Hint: The CEO’s favorite dish is the cacao butter-roasted seasonal fish. Note: Private dinners can be arranged here. Advisors should reach out to Hotel Manager Chester Francois for details (chesterfrancois@thehotelchoco lat.com; 758 724 6182).

Also be sure to check out Club Boucan, a 2,500-square-foot area reserved exclusively for hotel guests, complete with a 50-foot black quartz infinity pool and views of the Pitons.

Reclining sun loungers line the pool and there’s plenty of shade available too. Nice Touch: Your dedicated club steward is on hand to serve drinks, snacks and lunch direct to your lounger. Note: Private dinners can also be arranged here.

Hotel Chocolat is roughly 40 minutes from the Hewanorra International Airport. Note: The resort provides VIP transfers to and from the hotel and a meet-and-greet when guests arrive. For those looking to spend the holidays at Hotel Chocolat, advi-sors should book roughly four to six months in advance.

Word on the Street: Hotel Chocolat has been open for roughly a year, but Thirlwell told us that other islands have already expressed interest in bringing the cocoa-themed luxury boutique to their destinations. Several islands, including St. Vincent, Jamaica, Dominica and Grenada, had already reached out to him about expanding.

But if that’s not enough to entice you to visit, we came across scores of positive reviews on TripAdvisor that include such gleaming comments as “I want to live here” and, of course, “Won-derful boutique hotel—particu-larly if you love chocolate.”

—Joe Pike

CoCoa pods luxe (above) are the best rooms at Boucan

by Hotel Chocolat.

Guests at BouCan (here) can soak in the views of the

pitons while indulging in cocoa-influenced dishes.

DECEMBER2012|LUXURYTRAVELADVISOR25

The arrival experience at The Savoy (www.fairmont.com/savoy-london) in London can make you dizzy. Or perhaps “leave you breathless” is a better way of putting it. Consider this: As you drive up to the hotel’s porte cochere off the Strand, the iconic Savoy sign appears in full view. As you pull up to the entrance, a dapper doorman opens the door of your black cab and welcomes you warmly as your luggage is seen to by an equally posh colleague. Once inside, you’ll find a buzzing

Front Hall with a newly installed black and white marble floor and refreshened columns (all done during the hotel’s major overhaul from 2007 through 2010) where you’re greeted immediately by a hotel representative who some-how already knows you’re here and either takes you straight up to your room or to the discreet reception desk that’s now located in the former Reading Room just off the side.

We were spirited up to Suite No. 326 where our butler awaited. This River View Deluxe

Suite only made us more breath-less. A large foyer with a guest bathroom and wardrobe led to a very large Edwardian-style living room. Off to the side is a doorway to the large bedroom with one of the most comfort-able beds we’ve ever slept in. The crowning touch in the bathroom was the claw-foot tub.

Note: This is one of the larg-est one-bedroom suites we’ve ever seen in a city hotel. In fact, if you sat in one place long enough on the lovely furniture (think pale yellow and lavender hues), you’d

realize it was more than a mere hotel accommodation; it was a home, with elegant writing desks nestled into corners, built-in bookcases filled with tomes you could spend years curled up read-ing in front of the fireplace, and crystal chandeliers in every room.

Did we mention the view? You pretty much forget all about the fixtures we’ve just described when you stumble to the picture win-dows that overlook the Thames River where the London Eye is just about right in front of you. Look down to the right and you’ll

hotels

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see Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. In fact, the only downside of this suite is you’ll want to stay up here all day, watching the scene change as the day matures, only to end up taking in the views of the city all lit up at night with twinkling lights in every direction.

What makes this River View Deluxe Suite more special than the others is the little balcony tucked off the foyer. From here, you can get a glimpse of St. Paul’s Cathedral.

We like The Savoy’s location on the Strand; it’s a block or two away from the New Covent Garden Market that sells eclectic crafts and goods and has a good selection of shops and restau-rants. It’s also close to the West End theater district; and just steps away in the other direction is Somerset House (www.somersethouse.org.uk), a stunning arts and cultural center where exhibitions revolve regularly. Be sure to stop at its gift shop where you can get uniquely artistic gifts to take home that will just scream Britain. P.S.: There’s even a skating rink in winter. And, if

you want to keep exploring, you can walk across the Thames via Waterloo Bridge. Of course, The Savoy is adjacent to the Savoy Theatre (www.savoytheatre.org), where Cabaret is currently playing.

After the show, you can drop right back into The Savoy where you can nestle into the extremely sophisticated, newly gilded Beaufort Bar, where George Ger-shwin is said to have first played Rhapsody in Blue. Tip: Cabaret singers provide nightly entertain-ment here.

Head Concierge Ben Malpass ([email protected]) can organize anything from a solo cruise on the Thames to a private champagne flight on the London Eye. Luxury travel advi-sors can reach out to Director of Sales Simon Gilkes ([email protected]; 011-44-20-7420-2684) and Managing Director Kiaran MacDonald can be reached via his assistant, Olga Boeser ([email protected]; 011-44-20-7420-2351).

For more on The Savoy, see www.LuxuryTravelAdvisor.com.

—Ruthanne Terrero


Suite 326(opposite)overlookstheThamesRiverwheretheLondonEyeisjustinfront.

the one-Bedroom Suite (left)isadornedwithlovelyfurnitureandbuilt-inbookcases.

the Winter Garden(below)isonceagaintheplaceforAfternoonTeainLondon.

Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve (www.ritzcarlton.com) opens this month (December 12) on the former Laurance Rock-efeller estate in Puerto Rico as a boutique resort. While you may have heard of its three miles of

beach along the Caribbean, its four-bedroom Su Casa villa and its Ambassadors of the Environ-ment program by Jean-Michel Cousteau, you may not have got-ten the scoop yet on the spa. Well, no worries, we’ve got your back.

There are 11 large spa rooms set on five acres. Nice Touch: The pampering facility will have its own herb garden with ingredients used in treatments. The herbs, designed for relaxation and medicinal

purposes, will be available at an Apothecary Bar, where guests get to select and mix the herbs and ingredients, which will be used in their treatments. Another perk from the local culture? Guests get a “Piragua,”


DoraDo Beach, a ritz-carlton reserve has 11 large spa rooms set on five acres.

SpaS

Two New Caribbean SpasPuerto Rico and Turks & Caicos are each sporting new luxury enclaves for pampering.

Please call your tour operator or 800 33 MELIA. Book online at granmeliacancun.com or email [email protected]

C h i n a • G R E EC E • i n D O n E S i a • i Ta LY • M E X i CO • P u E RTO R i CO • S Pa i n • V E n E Z u E L a

On OnE Of ThE MOST PRiZED LOCaTiOnS in ThE aMERiCaS, ThE fiVE gleaming pyramids of Gran Meliá Cancún rise over brilliant sands and emerald fairways. Discover the lobby in an indoor rain forest. Experience the pool as a work of art. Encounter Mayan rituals at Yhi Spa. Travel beyond the expected into the realm of the exceptional, where Gran Meliá’s signature RedLevel Service renders timeless luxury with an avant-garde flair.

Timeless luxury with an avant-garde flair

GRAN MELIAR E S O R TC A N C Ú N

a shaved ice treat, to enjoy while relaxing in the spa’s Purification Garden. Contact the spa manager, Jennifer Wayland Smith ([email protected]) to set up special arrangements at the spa, which will use Natura Bisse, ILA, Uspa and Soleil Organique products.

When you’re all refreshed and relaxed, be sure to head back to one of the guest rooms that have an upper-level terrace with an infinity-edge pool (bookable only by phone for now). If you can’t snag one of those, you’ll still be fine as all rooms and suites face the water.

The closest airport to Dorado Beach is in San Juan (SJU), which is about a 30- to 45-minute drive away; transportation is available via helicopter, town car, Bentley or Escalade.

Note: The hotel has yet to name its luxury travel advisor liaison but expects to soon.

As for Su Casa, that four-bedroom hacienda, it has its own private lawn which can be used for special events; it also has an infinity-edge pool with ocean views. Su Casa guests have access to a private tasting menu provided by the resort’s chef, Jose Andres, as well as private dining on the beach. We say with digs like this, it may soon be drawing A-listers as it did in its former life when it was the Rockefeller enclave, playing hosts to such guests as Ava Gardner, Joan Crawford, Elizabeth Taylor and former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve is run by its general manager, Alejandro Helbling (alejandro.helbling@ritzcarlton).

When Luxury Travel Advi-sor visited the Regent Palms (www.regentturksandcaicos.com) on Turks & Caicos last year, we heard that the 18-room, 26,000-square-foot spa was about to undergo some changes. It did indeed, reopening this

The Spa aT The RiTz-CaRlTon will use natura Bisse, ila, Uspa and Soleil

organique products.


© 2012 Island Destinations. All rights reserved. ® Island Destinations, The Authority for Luxury Travel, are registered trademarks.

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spring with an East/West blend of cultures that helped to revamp its treatment menu (think ginger-infused salt scrub) and product line, which now includes Sothys and Zents. Even the treat-ment rooms underwent subtle upgrades in soft goods and the addition of water features by day and fire by night.

The new signature menu item at the spa is the Zareeba treatment, an “indigenous detoxification and meditative ritual designed by a practicing Caribbean herbalist exclusively for the spa.” It goes something like this: When you enter the spa, you’re given a pot filled with herbs, you’re able to stir it all up as much as you like, but you control the intensity of the amount of herbal steam you’re inhaling. That’s just one of the aspects of the treatments at the resort. We suggest you contact Spa Manager Stephanie

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Rest (649-946-8666) to get the lowdown on other treatments. Note: If you want a truly healthful experience, the resort provides a spa cuisine menu as well with heart-healthy, vegan and gluten-free options. Good to know: Children are welcome at the hotel but the spa is only for guests over 14 years of age.

Be sure you’ve gotten yourself booked into one of the top rooms at the resort, either a Deluxe Ocean Front Room or a one- to three-bedroom Bedroom Suite. They all overlook Grace Bay and all have wraparound terraces.

If you want “people” around you, be sure to check into a Penthouse Suite, which comes with butler service. There are eight in all, with vaulted ceilings, keyed elevator access, private studies, two expansive travertine terraces with a pergola, an interior “water room” with

waterfall shower, adjacent SunSuite with outdoor shower, garden and a Jacuzzi. Penthouse Suites can be booked via the GDS, but it’s suggested you get in touch with the resort personally for pre-trip assistance, such as filling up the pantry and kitchen fridge ahead of time or arranging for dinner in the suite with a resort chef. Restaurant reservations, spa appointments and excursions can also be reserved in advance.

Joanne Hogg ([email protected]), director of travel industry sales, is your onsite contact. General Manager Karen Whitt arranges for a personal greeter at the airport who assists all guests with their luggage and into the taxi cabs. The regulated fare is $11 per person and transfer time is 10 minutes. VIP transfers are also available and there’s an airport for private jets nearby.

—Ruthanne Terrero

Regent Palms’ spa (left) reopened last spring with an east/West blend of cultures.

a sPa cuisine menu at the Regent Palms (here) provides a truly healthful experience.


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DaviD Rubin at Montage Laguna beach. insider Tip: Guests here can meet with the hotel’s falconer to learn more about these birds.

Cover Story


David Rubin likes to make it happen. A Southern California-based luxury travel advisor and owner of DavidTravel (www.davidtravel.com), Rubin

designs customized luxury vacations, usually to off-the-beaten-path destinations that require the knowledge and expertise of some-one who knows the ins and outs of what really makes a trip unique and memorable.

His clientele is more than 50 percent gay travelers, all of whom have refined tastes when it comes to vacations. Another portion of his business is—as he refers to them—straight “friends” of the gay community, with an equally high-end palate for travel. The majority of his client base comes from the U.S., but he has never limited his services to the local level. Rubin works with clients across the globe, from Southern California to London, the Philippines and Thailand. He even works with international royalty.

A third group, and the most rapidly grow-ing percentage of his business, consists of clients under the age of 35. Through word of mouth and referrals, he is receiving more and more of the youth segment. “I have many young, wealthy clients in their 20s who had no idea that someone like me existed,” he tells Luxury Travel Advisor. Until they met Rubin, who is affiliated with Virtuoso agency Montecito Village Travel in Santa Barbara, CA, they had only booked their trips over the Internet and experienced travel “like everyone else,” Rubin says. “Now they tell me when I

book them at a hotel and they arrive, the gen-eral manager comes down to greet them with the push of a button and they’re treated to all sorts of upgrades.”

Rubin has a flair for over-the-top when it comes to custom-designed trips, but it’s not all about spending a lot of money. “I want clients to not only enrich themselves but enrich the local people too,” says Rubin, who relays the tale of one particular client who was traveling in Russia with his family. They were spending a week in Moscow, staying at The Ritz-Carlton in a top suite. Rubin suggested that the family visit the Moscow Circus, which is one of the oldest and highly acclaimed in the world. The wealthy family of three, wanting only the best seats, were booked in what is known as the “tsar’s box," which holds approximately 25 people. Since there was plenty of room for more, Rubin suggested that they invite children from a local orphanage to attend with chaperones. “I went to my destination management company and they thought it

was a great idea,” notes Rubin. Fully engaged, the client arranged for a

coach to transfer the kids, as well as for hot dogs and hamburgers to be provided. He also donned a Santa hat and took the children to a toy store, sat each child on his lap and said, “Anything in the store is yours.”

“It enriched their lives,” says Rubin. “This the type of things we do.”

Important to note is that Rubin also prides himself on being able to tailor vaca-tions to those who may not be billionaires, but still want a bespoke experience. “I’m not a snob,” says Rubin. “If a client describes a trip they want to take some day but says he or she needs to save up first, I find a way to make it happen for them now.”

Case in point: One particular extremely wealthy client of Rubin enjoys giving out vacations as presents. It works like this: He puts up $10,000 for each recipient and then puts them in touch with Rubin who helps them craft their trip. In one situation, an employee wanted to take his family on his gift vacation. Rubin made it happen, tailor-ing a 10-day trip for the family of five to Belize, all on the budget of $10,000.

All Roads Lead to TravelRubin began his company in 1996 selling travel to places that were important to him, such as Eastern Europe and Southern Africa. The plan was to earn a strong reputation in the small niche of luxury travel for gay and lesbian travelers and their friends, which he felt was being ignored at the time.

DavidTravel: Making it HappenDavid Rubin brings friends and family from all walks of life together to share one-of-a-kind luxury moments.

By Meagan Drillinger

DavidTravelPresident & CEO: David M. RubinHeadquarters: Corona del Mar, CAStaff: Five, excluding independent contractorsAnnual Revenue: $2 million, excluding IC productionAffiliation: Montecito Travel, VirtuosoWebsite: www.davidtravel.com


It took him several years to find the busi-ness models and relationships that worked best for him so that he could offer full travel agency services to both leisure and busi-ness travel clients. Initially Rubin used his network of friends and former colleagues from which to draw clients for business travel. Quickly, clients began calling on him for their vacations. They then began recom-mending DavidTravel to friends and family.

Interestingly, much of this from the get-go was done all online, thanks to the fact that the gay community was an early adapter to the Internet, making it easier to communi-cate. As a result, Rubin never saw the web as a threat. “I never had a problem sending a link to a client so I could give them more information. It really helped my business doing that,” he recalls. “Of course, I’d tell them not to book it online, just to let me know when they were ready to book so that I could make it all more special for them.”

Like many others in this field, Rubin’s career in travel was sparked by a need for change. Originally he was a lawyer running a successful practice. But in 1996, it was time for something new. “As an attorney, I was a litigator. I did not like that my work focused around disputes. My career change to travel has been a magical paradigm shift,” Rubin says.

The transition came naturally to Rubin, since exploring the world had been part of his life since he was 15 years old and took a teen tour to Europe, visiting England, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Italy and France. “As a child, I saw my par-ents taking a four-week trip every summer for themselves. I have to admit I resented it. I was determined to do it for myself.”

Upon exiting the legal profession, Rubin wanted to spend his life doing what he felt passion for, and that kept leading him to travel. “I met a lot of people in the travel industry, most of whom were very kind to me,” he says, explaining how he got his start. The best way Rubin was able to learn about the business was to travel to events and hotels on his own to ask questions, seeing as he was not part of a consortium at the time. “In the early stages that is how I built my network of ground operators.” Today DavidTravel is an independent contractor affiliate of the Vir-tuoso agency, Montecito Village Travel.

Cover Story


for rubin’s 50th birthday he explored southeast asia with friends and clients. the temples in siem reap were a highlight.

robert hauck (right), the GM of raffles Grand hotel d’angkor in siem

reap, with rubin, left.

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The Right ModelThere are currently five staff members and eight independent contractors working as part of DavidTravel. “My model has followed my plan of getting known in a small niche, and that has been very valuable for me,” he notes. “I very quickly got known as the guy for top quality travel for the gay community.”

DavidTravel’s annual revenue is approxi-mately $2 million, without considering independent contractors, but Rubin is looking to grow the business. “My model is working well,” he adds. “I want to grow particularly in having more ICs and agencies come through me.”

What works so well for DavidTravel is Rubin never relies solely on commission. He instead works directly with on-the-ground destination management company (DMC) offices. This way he avoids an extra level of markup because he receives a net price and then charges his clients accordingly so he can turn a profit. “It’s always nice to get a commission check, but this is not where the bulk of my business comes from,” he says. For example, Rubin, who when combined with the revenue of Montecito Village, is one of the top producers for Abercrombie & Kent, only uses A&K’s DMCs in destina-tions where they exist, like Myanmar and Thailand. Because A&K does not have an office in Indonesia, Rubin will use a different DMC so as to avoid the additional fees that A&K would charge to arrange tours in that destination.

Another way Rubin is working to expand his business is by relaunching his scheduled small-groups product, a niche he worked on in his early days of travel. The groups will be called DavidTravel “AFreeUniverse” tours (www.afreeuniverse.com). “They will bring together travelers seeking new and exciting experiences, while embracing and celebrating diversity,” he emphasizes.

Through AFreeUniverse, clients will be able to travel and develop friendships with people who share a passion for the world, and who love traveling with fellow travelers of all ages and of diverse backgrounds, irrespective of nationality, race, gender, sexual orienta-tion, religion, politics, etc.

Rubin anticipates that the AFreeUni-

verse travelers will mirror his current client base. The tours will be either under a “Best of the Best” luxury label or an “ACTIVE” label. For example, “Best of the Best” tours will include stays in places such as Singita Game Reserves and other luxury lodges, while the “ACTIVE” tours will include a Kilimanjaro climb or a hike on the Peru-vian Inca Trail.

“Best of the Best” tours will feature top properties, guides, insider access and three-to-five-night stays at most properties. “ACTIVE” tours will range from budget to luxury to ultimate adventure. For example, certain ACTIVE tours will include every-thing from barebones accommodations, like tent camping with eco-toilets and bucket showers, to cruises on Silversea’s Silver Explorer where tremendous luxury meets Antarctic trekking.

Making it HappenBut above all, Rubin continues to remain true to his mantra of bringing people together and making memorable experiences possible. He tells us another story of clients who visited Cambodia and wanted to see a traditional dance group. Rubin arranged for the couple to visit a village near Siem Reap that had a troupe that performed traditional dance. “While I was arrang-ing this, I thought, ‘Why not make life a win-win,’” he says. “There was going to be dancing and food and I suggested that the couple invite the entire village.” The couple brought together the villagers along with children from a local orphanage who could all partake in the festivities. “It brings joy to so many people. It’s great for locals to see a generous American, Jewish, gay couple,” Rubin says. “It enriches everyone.” g


WHen goRilla TRekking in Uganda Rubin uses dMCs that allow clients to meet in separate, remote sites to make the experience more exclusive and enjoyable.

Cover Story

www.luxurytraveladvisor.com DECEMBER 2012 | LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR 39

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE

2012In this issue of Luxury Travel Advisor, we proudly present the nominees for our annual Awards of

Excellence. This program, now in its fifth year, recognizes the top luxury suppliers in the travel industry. What makes it unique is that the nominees are selected by a board that comprises those luxury travel advi-sors who have graced our covers since our launch issue in 2005. Once nominees are selected, voting opens to our general readership of Luxury Travel Advisor (advisors only, please). Most exciting for this year’s voting is that winners will be honored next June 2-4, at the first-ever Ultra Luxury Exchange, where top advisors will meet with suppliers at Turnberry Isle Miami.

To vote for Luxury Travel Advisor’s Awards of Excellence, fill out the ballot on page 48 and fax it as instructed, or go to LuxuryTravelAdvisor.com/AwardsOfExcellence.

If you’re an avid reader of Luxury Travel Advisor and have strong opinions about who the best suppliers are in the industry, please vote so that your voice will be heard. The deadline is January 31, 2013.


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www.luxurytraveladvisor.com DECEMBER 2012 | LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR 41

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The Peninsula Hotels will make its debut in Paris in 2014. Nicolas Beliard ([email protected]) has been appointed general manager, effective January 1, 2013. He will oversee the launch of the talked-about hotel. Beliard currently manages The Peninsula Bangkok, and upon his departure, Katja Henke will be promoted to general manager. www.peninsula.com

Orient-Express Hotels announced the appoint-ment of John M. Scott III as president, CEO and director. Scott previously served as president and CEO of Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, where he oversaw a portfolio of 17 ultra-luxury hotels located in seven countries with combined revenues of more than $500 million. www.orient-express.com

Helen McCabe-Young ([email protected]) has returned to Kerzner International as the executive vice presi-dent, sales and marketing, One&Only Resorts. In this role, McCabe-Young is responsible for the strategic development and oversight of Kerzner’s global corpo-rate communications, as well as worldwide sales and marketing for One&Only, including retail and spa business development. www.oneandonlyresorts. com

Wildlife seekers listen up: Earlier this year the Supreme Court of India placed a ban on tiger tourism. Good news, though. We hear the ban has been lifted

and visitors can continue to look for these beasts of the jungle.

Wild Planet Adventures (www.wildplanetadventures.com) has launched a new 19-day safari, Untamed India and Nepal, to take advantage of the recently lifted ban. The safari visits Satpura and Bandhavgarh, as well as Chambal riverside wild-life sanctuary and includes cultural and spiritual experiences on the Ganges in Varanasi, the erotic temples of Khajuraho and the Buddhist stupas of Kathmandu.

We heard from Abercrombie & Kent (www.

abercrombiekent.com) that for the majority of the time that the ban was in place, the parks in India were closed for monsoon season. The luxury tour operator thought it would have to cancel the November 4 departure of one of its Marco Polo Club Invitationals—India: Tigers, Taj & Tradi-tions—but that was not needed. A&K continues to visit Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Panna national parks.

With the ban now lifted, Greaves Tours (www.greavesindia.com) updated its suggested Jungle Journey itinerary, using the newest properties like Taj and &Beyond Mahua Kothi in Bandhavgarh, Banjaar Tola Lodge in Kanha and Oberoi’s Van-yavilas in Ranthambore. Greaves has also advised its clients that one of the changes to come out of the recent closures is that the parks are all closed on Wednesdays. —Meagan Drillinger

Tiger Tourism ReturnsA FemAle BengAl Tiger in the ranthambore Wildlife Preserve in india

PULSEThE

hOT LEADS


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Silversea Cruises’ (www.silversea.com) Silver Cloud is strut-ting her stuff on the high seas. We hear the vessel is sailing her first voyage following a successful three-week dry dock in Palermo, Italy, where extensive renovations were made.

A renewed lobby sports a new color palette of warm earth tones that carries over to the corridors, staircases and public spaces. Cool Touch: The Bar

is decked out in a contrasting scheme of cool teals. All new furniture, carpet, curtains and wood flooring give the Pan-orama Lounge a fresh look, while The Spa and Beauty Salon also received makeovers.

One of the ship’s crown jewels is its Relais & Châteaux restaurant, Le Champagne. The restaurant has been transformed with an upgraded entrance, a redesigned seating layout,

backlit wine displays and new flooring. La Terrazza’s updated interior includes a remodeled buffet area, new banquettes and more tables for two. The Grill is now featured aboard Silver Cloud as the existing Pool Bar & Grill area. Gourmet Touch: This new dining experience allows guests to cook meat and seafood on heated volcanic rocks at their table.

Suites are also sailing with

new décor. All carpets, head-boards, curtains and outside veranda furniture have been replaced. Each suite has a new mattress custom-made for Silversea. All bathrooms have been enhanced with new floor-ing, marble appointments and either a new bath-and-shower combo or a new walk-in, glass-enclosed rain forest shower with sitting area.

—Meagan Drillinger

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LEADING THE WAY IN RIVER CRUISING

Tradewind Aviation’s nonstop service between St Barths and Antigua has commenced operations. The first to serve this route, Tradewind Aviation’s Premium Scheduled Service is offered twice daily in a fleet of Cessna Grand Caravans and Pilatus PC-12s with air-conditioning and complimentary drinks, snacks, wine and beer onboard. Flights are scheduled to provide a link for passengers transferring on daily airline flights to and from London on British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, as well as to destinations throughout the Caribbean and to the continental U.S.www.tradewindaviation.com

HOT LEADS

P rotravel International is merging with Tzell Travel, a Travel Leaders

company. That’s no small news for the luxury travel industry. Protravel garners $850 million in revenue a year. The merged operations within Travel Leaders Group, which is pending govern-ment antitrust approval, would represent a combined annual sales volume of over $2.35 bil-lion, according to Travel Leaders executives.

And so Luxury Travel Advisor immediately sought out Priscilla Alexander, president of Protravel, to find out how the mega-deal between the two luxury power-houses was conceived. Alexander is no stranger to Luxury Travel Advisor; she was profiled on our cover in April 2005, the year the publication launched.

“It’s not difficult to tell you how it came about,” Alexander told us. “I was approached by [Travel Leaders Group CEO] Barry Liben, whom I have known for quite a long time in what I would call a respect-ful relationship with a friendly competitor. And while we were competitors, there was at least, I believe, a high degree of respect between the two companies.”

That Protravel and Tzell

Travel are both based in New York often brought Alexander and Liben together for industry events. In such cases, “you either find a way to communicate properly or there’s some level of personal comfort that you have with each other.”

When Liben approached Alex-ander about a potential deal over a year ago, she said something immediately clicked in her head that it was worth pursuing, worth listening to and worth thinking about because she felt the corpo-rate cultures were similar.

“One of the most attractive ideas about Travel Leaders as opposed to investors in gen-eral is that I didn’t have to ever explain to them the culture of my business or the ethos of how we operate. It did not have to be translated into words and then to ideas that they would under-stand. They already knew that.”

The most important thing to Alexander, she said, “is the treat-ment of the people who have been loyal and have helped to build up the company to the size of what we are and maintaining a certain reputation over the years, that must be protected above all else.” For that reason as well, Alexander announced the news personally to as many people within Protravel as possible or else sent them a letter.

“After explaining to them what we were doing and why I was doing it, I tried to find a comparable situation for them that would suit them in terms of what they understand. If you

look at New York City and you look at the Starwood Hotels & Resorts, they have Ws in New York. They’ve got a Luxury Collection hotel. They have a Sheraton and they have Wes-tins, all under the same holding company. But they compete with each other. They are going after the same kind of audience and others are not but they’re part of the same holding company.

“At this point I see Protravel and Tzell as two separate brands. I hope that in the future we will see some things that we may be able to share or not but at this point more than ever it’s that we’re part of the same family. But we have our business to do and they have their business and it’s a big city out there and it’s a lot of business out there. We haven’t stepped on each other over the years, and there’s no reason why we will now.”

Of note is the fact that while

Tzell is part of the Signature Travel Network, Protravel will remain a member of Virtuoso. “Our Virtuoso relationship is intact and as happy as ever,” said Alexander. “In the last two years, we’ve had the largest year-over-year growth of all [Virtuoso’s] members. We do have a very strong relationship with Virtuoso and it is almost part of our DNA.”

The deal with Tzell feels natu-ral to Alexander. “Often there is just an intuition. Something tells you that this sounds right and it’s going to work and other times when people approach you just walk away and it just doesn’t have the right ring to it. From the minute this idea came about there was something right about it and that’s what makes this future together very exciting. I think we’re going to have a great run together.”

—Ruthanne Terrero

Priscilla Alexander, Protravel InternationalThe president of $850 million agency and luxury travel icon speaks to Luxury Travel Advisor about her company’s merger with Tzell Travel.

Priscilla alexander: Most important with the merger was that those at Protravel ‘would be protected above all else.’

Leaders speak


Some take their luxury on a private yacht...

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SightingS

1. The Pullman SleePing Car ComPany launched regular overnight trips between Chicago and New Orleans on cars

once used by the defunct Pullman Company, which operated sleeper cars in the U.S. during much of the 20th century. From left to right,

in Chicago: Paul O’Meara, business development, Pullman Sleeping Car Company; Ed Ellis, president of Iowa Pacific Holdings LLC, the

parent company of Pullman Sleeping Car Company; Julie Lemish, Rex Travel; Jill Taylor, JetSetWorld Travel and Kimberly Newbury of Luxury

Travel Advisor 2. Shangri-la hoTlelS hosted a reception in Manhattan. Shown here are Ignacio Maza, EVP of Signature Travel

Network and Brian Windle, vp, sales and marketing, North America for Shangri-La 3. aberCrombie & KenT uSa treated its

top advisors to a week in Myanmar recently. Shown here, Fourth row, (left to right): Mollie Fitzgerald, Frontiers International Travel; Libby

Fitzgerald; Peter Carideo, CRC Travel; Mark Zancanaro; Lara Leibman, Frosch; Randi Wender; Mary Ann Ramsey, Betty Maclean Travel; Jill

Romano, Dimensions in Travel; Robert Romano, Fugazi Travel; Randy Ney, Universal Travel; Marty Greenstein; Brian Jonat; Bill North; Phil

Otterson, A&K USA and John Strong; Patrick Macleod, A&K Hong Kong. Third Row (left to right): A&K Myanmar staff; Jennifer Wilson-Butt-

igieg, Valerie Wilson Travel; Ma Thanegi; Gloria Greenstein, Protravel; Lea Ney; Joan Jonat, Protravel; Meg North, Brownell Travel and Nancy

Strong, Strong Travel. Second Row (left to right): A&K Myanmar staff; Bob Friedman, A&K USA; Eleanor Coffey, A&K Myanmar. Front Row

(left to right): A&K Guide Zaw Lyn; Thaung Htut, A&K Myanmar; Samuel Desmier, A&K Thailand. 4. aShford CaSTle’S Paula

Carroll (right) presents the resort’s new weddings program to New York media. The hotel is in Cong, County Mayo, Ireland. Jackie Gifford of

Brides magazine is shown, left.

3

2

4

1


...some on a private jet.

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Advertiser indexCompany/ Web address page #

AM Resorts Cvr2-1 www.amragents.com

AMA Waterways 53 www.amawaterways.com

Cayman Islands 32 www.caymanrewards.com

Compagnie Du Pont Yacht Cruises 15 de.ponant.com

Etihad Airways 3 www.etihad.com/why

Fairmont Raffles Hotels International 13 www.frhi.com

German National Tourist 53 www.germanwines.de

Gran Melia Cancun 29 www.granmeliacancun.com

Hyatt 7 www.hyatttravelagents.com

Island Destinations 31 www.islanddestinations.com

Mandalay Bay 19 www.mandalaybay.com

Nizuc Resort & Spa 11 www.nizuc.com

Outrigger 47 www.outriggeragent.com

Regent Seven Seas Back Cover www.rssc.com

Shangri La 45 www.tauniv.com

Silversea Cruises Cover Wrap www.silversea.com

Sunswept Resorts Body Holiday 33 www.thebodyholiday.com

The Breakers 5 www.thebreakers.com

The Palace Dubai 37 www.theaddress.com

Vacation.com 43 www.joinvacation.com

Worldwide Traveler 21 www.worldwidetraveler.com

editoriAl indexCompany/ Web address page #

&Beyond 20 www.andbeyond.com

Abercrombie & Kent 50 www.abercrombiekent.com

Amanresorts’ Amancoa 42 www.amanresorts.com

Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort 42 www.andaz.com

Banyan Tree Kerala 42 www.banyantree.com

Bemelmens Bar, The Carlyle, New York 42 www.rosewoodhotels.com

The Bristol Bar, Le Bristol, Paris 42 www.lebristolparis.com/eng

Canary Hotel 41 www.canarysantabarbara.com

Cips, Cipriani Venice 44 www.hotelcipriani.com

Compagnie du Ponant 40 En.ponant.com

DavidTravel 35 www.davidtravel.com

DavidTravel AFreeUniverse 38 www.afreeuniverse.com

Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve 28, 42 www.ritzcarlton.com

Four Seasons Lion Palace St. Petersburg 42 www.fourseasons.com

Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach 42 www.fourseasons.com

Ellerman House 18 www.ellerman.co.za

The Fairmont Kea Lani 10 www.fairmont.com/kea-lani-maui

The Goring Bar, The Goring, London 42 www.thegoring.com

Gramercy Park Hotel New York 41 www.gramercyparkhotel.com

Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria resort 12 www.grandwailea.com

Greaves Tours 16, 50 www.greavesindia.com

Halekulani, Waikiki, Hawaii 40 www.halekulani.com

Hotel Alfonso XIII 40 www.hotel-alfonsoxiii-seville.com

Hotel Bel-Air 40 www.hotelbelair.com

Hotel Chocolat 24 www.thehotelchocolat.com

Hotel Espirit St. Germain 41 www.hotel-espirit-saint-germain.com

Hotel Maria Cristina 40 www.hotel-mariacristina.com/en

Hotel Sacher 40 www.sacher.com/en

HUB – Buenos Aires 44 www.hubporteno.com

Huka Lodge NZ 44 www.hukalodge.co.nz

The Infiniti Bar, Grace Bay Club, Turks & Caicos 42 www.gracebayresorts.com

IC Bellagio, Italy 44 www.icbellagio.com

InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort, Vietnam 42 www.intercontinental.com

Kerzner International 50 www.kerzner.com

Le Bristol Abu Dhabi 42 www.oetkercollection.com/eng

Made for Spain, Madrid, Spain 44 www.madeforspain.com

Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum 42 www.mandarinoriental.com

Mukul Hotel 42 www.mukul.com

The Okura Prestige, Bangkok 42 www.okurabangkok.com

One&Only Sanya, China 50 www.oneandonlyresorts.com

Orient-Express 50 www.orient-express.com

Peninsula Hotels 50 www.peninsula.com

Le Quartier Français 18 www.lqf.co.za

The Palace Hotel, Tokyo 42 www.palacehoteltokyo.com/en

Palacio Nazerenas, Cuzco, Peru 44 www.palacionazarenas.com

Park Hyatt Ningbo Resort and Spa 42 Ningbo.park.hyatt.com

Park Hyatt Sydney 40 www.sydney.park.hyatt.com

Paul Gaugin Cruises 40 www.pgcruises.com

Regent Palms 30 www.regentturksandcaicos.com

The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua 12 www.ritzcarlton.com

The Ritz-Carlton, Montreal 40 www.ritzcarlton.com

The Ritz-Carlton, Okinawa 42 www.ritzcarlton.com

The Savoy 26 www.fairmont.com/savoy-london

Savoy Theater 27 www.savoytheatre.org

Saxon Boutique Hotel, Villas and Spa 18 www.saxon.co.za

Seabourn Cruise Line 40 www.seabourn.com

SeaDream Yacht Club 40 www.seadream.com

Sea Song Tours, Turkey 44 www.seasong.com

Seasonz, New Zealand 44 www.seasonz.co.nz

The Siam, Bangkok 42 www.thesiamhotel.com

Silversea Cruises 40, 52 www.silversea.com

Somerset House 27 www.somersethouse.org.uk

Terrazza Belvedere, Palazzo Avino, Ravello, Italy 44 www.palazzoavino.com/en

Tradewind Aviation 53 www.tradewindaviation.com

Viceroy Santa Monica 41 www.viceroyhotelsandresorts.com

Wickaninnish Inn 40 www.wickinn.com

W Singapore 42 www.starwoodhotels.com

Wild Planet Adventures 50 www.wildplanetadventures.com

Windsor Court Hotel 40 www.windsorcourthotel.com

Windstar Cruises 40 www.windstarcruises.com

58 LUXUry TraVeL adVIsor | deCember 2012

Source LiSt

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ISTANBUL TO BARCELONA | APRIL 24, 2013 | 10 NIGHTS | Seven Seas Mariner2-For-1 Fares from $5,799 per person including $2,000 Bonus Savings

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CALL REGENT SEVEN SEAS CRUISES AT 800.285.1835 OR

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Just announced NEW Lower Fares on three Mediterranean voyages.

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are extraordinary. Explore … it’s all included.

Of ers expire December 31, 2012 and their availability is limited. At the time of your purchase, fares may be higher. For current fares and promotional of ers, please see www.RSSC.com or call 1-800-285-1835. Fares listed are in U.S. dollars, based on double occupancy. All fares listed are per person and bonus savings listed are per suite. All fares and of ers are for new bookings only, are capacity controlled and subject to availability, may not be combined with other of ers and may be withdrawn at any time without prior notice. 2-for-1 Fares are based on published Full Brochure Fares; fares may not include Personal Charges, Optional Facilities and Services Fees as defi ned in the Terms and Conditions of the Guest Ticket Contract. *Air Inclusive Program applies to economy, roundtrip fl ights only from select U.S. & Canadian gateways: ATL, BOS, CLT, DFW, DEN, EWR, FLL, HNL, IAD, IAH, JFK, LAX, LGA, MCO, MIA, MSP, ORD, PBI, PHL, PHX, SAN, SAV, SEA, SFO, TPA, YUL, YVR, YYC and YYZ. Advertised fare includes all air surcharges, airline fees and government taxes. Some airline-imposed personal charges, including but not limited to baggage, priority boarding, and special seating, may apply. For details visit explorefl ightfees.com. Air routing, scheduling and air carrier are at the discretion of Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Business Class Air applies to international fl ights from the select U.S. & Canadian gateways mentioned above and may not apply to U.S. domestic or intra-continental fl ights within North America, Europe, South America, Asia or Africa. Flights beginning or ending in HNL require a supplement. Air Inclusive Program and Air Upgrade Of ers are not combinable with 3rd and/or 4th guests in a suite. FREE 1-Night Pre-Cruise Luxury Hotel Package applies for guests 1 and 2 only. FREE Unlimited Shore Excursion reservations are accepted on a fi rst-come, fi rst-served basis and number of shore excursions are subject to availability. Restrictions apply and cancellations received 36 hours prior to shore excursion start date may incur penalties. Regent Seven Seas Cruises reserves the right to correct errors or omissions and to change any and all fares or promotional of ers at any time. Complete terms and conditions may be found in the Guest Ticket Contract at www.RSSC. com. Hermès® is a registered mark of Hermès International. L’Occitane® is a registered mark of L’Occitane, S.A. Ships’ Registry: Bahamas ©2012 Regent Seven Seas Cruises

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luxury travel advisor dec 2012

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