Hotel Update
Bungalow on the beach
A brand-new bungalow has opened right on the shore at renowned Kims Beach Hideaway near The Entrance, some two hours’ drive north of Sydney. Long Beach is the ultimate beachfront bungalow, its exterior handcrafted from western red cedar and its interior featuring Tasmanian oak woodwork and a beautiful polished-ironbark floor. Gaze at the sparkling ocean as you sip a sip from a cocktail from the in-room bar on your large private sundeck or watch new-release DVDs on the flatscreen television in the bedroom. Before dinner, relax in a deep, volcanic-limestone plunge bath or enjoy water cascading down your back in the double massage shower temple. Kims Beach Hideaway is well known for its relaxed setting and marvellous, high-quality buffet meals, served three times daily in the restaurant overlooking gardens and the ocean.
For more information, phone 02 4332 1566 or visit www.kims.com.au
A bedroom at the Kantary Hills in Chiang Mai
Thai treasure
The Kantary group has just opened another property in Thailand, the Kantary Hotel Ayutthaya in Thailand’s ancient capital near Bangkok. The stunning, intelligently designed hotel and serviced apartments sets a new standard of accommodation in Ayutthaya, offering both business and tourist visitors an outstanding level of service, range of facilities and standard and size of guestrooms. Guests can expect separate living room, bedroom, dining area and private balcony, as well as a working kitchen, washing machine and in-room Internet access. Recreational facilities include an outdoor swimming pool, Jacuzzi, fitness centre, sauna and steam rooms, and games and reading rooms, as well as a stylish California steakhouse.
For more information, phone contact Hotel Representation Australia on 02 9415 5810 or visit www.kantarygroup.com
Evening lights at the Kantary Hills in Chiang Mai
Reaching for the stars
Since time immemorial, poets have waxed lyrical about sleeping under the stars. At the new Park Hyatt Shanghai, you’ll be halfway there. Spanning the 79th through 93rd floors of the Shanghai World Financial Centre (SWFC), Park Hyatt Shanghai is literally the highest hotel in the world, while the 492-metre SWFC is one of the tallest buildings in the world, housing 101 storeys. While the hotel’s lower floors will be an oasis of tranquillity, the upper floors are designed to reverberate with energy and excitement. Spanning floors 91 through 93, 100 Century Avenue is the world’s highest bar, restaurant and private dining room, and is primed to be the ultimate wining and dining destination in Shanghai, with a super-restaurant featuring 25-metre floor-to-ceiling windows and two bars.
For more information, phone 13 12 34 or +86 21 6888 1234 or visit www.hyatt.com
Night view over Shanghai from the Park Hyatt
A gem in Phuket
The Cape Panwa Hotel & Spa has just opened its new Cape Spa. The stylish facility is full of sunlight, space and tranquility and includes Jacuzzis, saunas, steam rooms, relaxation areas, and treatment rooms offering pampering, soothing and rejuvenating spa treatments. The Cape Panwa is tucked away in a quiet corner of southeast Phuket, and offers seclusion and an exclusive beach without isolation, since it is only ten minutes’ drive from Phuket town. Guests can swim, sail, snorkel, surf, or simply lie on the peaceful beach surrounded by a lush coconut grove. The property’s extensive facilities also include two swimming pools, tennis courts, games rooms, and fitness centre. Water sports, scuba diving school, speedboats, yacht charters and scheduled day cruises to nearby Coral Island are also offered.
For more information, contact Hotel Representation Australia on 02 9415 5810 or visit www.capepanwa.com
By the pool at Cape Panwa
Green scene in Vietnam
The Green Plaza Hotel stands right on the riverbank in Danang, with views over the river, ocean and majestic Marble Mountains. The original art deco interior combines Vietnamese and Champa architecture, with guestrooms featuring polished timber floors and luxurious marble-and-wooden bathrooms. The hotel itself offers a spa, gymnasium, nightclub and open-air swimming pool, and a variety of restaurants. Guests can enjoy evening cocktails at the Blue Notes pool bar with stunning views over the river, and arrange boat excursions and tours to surrounding World Heritage sites, of which there are three within an easy drive of the hotel: the former imperial city of Hue; the ancient Silk Road trading port of Hoian; and the spiritual centre of the Champa civilization at Myson.
For more information, phone +84 511 322 3399 or visit www.greenplazahotel.vn
The swimming pool at InterContinental Fiji
Fresh to Fiji
InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa has just opened on Fiji’s Coral Coast. Spread across 35 acres of tropical gardens, it is the sole destination resort on Natadola Beach – the only stretch of natural, white sand beach on the main island of Viti Levu. The resort has four swimming pools, a dive centre, recreation and beach activities centre, yoga deck, entertainment lawn for indigenous and cultural shows, and full gym and fitness centre. Five restaurants and bars offer locally inspired and international cuisines and ever-changing menus, and the extensive spa features a Wai Water Zone offering gas, liquid and solid aquatherapy treatments – including Fiji’s first ice room. Opening with the resort, the Natadola Bay par 72, 7,000-yard Golf Course will be the country’s first international competition standard course.
The resort is offering opening rates until the end of the year from FJD 280 (approximately AU$170) inclusive of taxes per room per night, subject to availability.
For more information, phone 1800 221 335 or visit www.intercontinental.com/fiji
A Swarovski vision at the Naumi in SIngapore
Crystal gazing
Some unusual and spectacular architectural features have been integrated into Singapore’s Naumi Hotel in Swarovski’s first architectural collaboration in southeast Asia. Swarovski has already created stunning, crystal-embellished environments for up-market venues around the world including Hong Kong’s Champagne Bar and the Lapist Night Club in Osaka. At the Naumi, a luxury boutique hotel with a progressive design aesthetic, Swarovski has created yet another luminous masterpiece, with Crystal Strands architectural features, Crystal Bloom pendant lighting and a spectacular Swarovski LED lighting system in the hotel’s main bar. The hotel’s corridor and restrooms have been jazzed up with more Swarovski downlights, including pyramid-shaped Madison and ICE Sunset, Splendid Crystal and Flame luminaries. It’s a dazzling enhancement to the cool, yet intimate ambience of this hotel.
For more information, phone +65 6403 6000 or visit www.naumihotel.com
A jewel for Victoria
The newest hotel in downtown Victoria, capital of Canada’s British Columbia, is The Oswego. Smartly located in the residential neighbourhood of James Bay, it’s just two blocks from Inner Harbour and a five-minute walk from Victoria’s much-visited 19th-century downtown core. A sophisticated blend of rugged West Coast style and contemporary design, The Oswego offers luxury suites with custom-designed furnishings and décor and full gourmet kitchens. Each of the establishment’s stylishly fitted-out suites features large windows affording plenty of natural light and extraordinary views. Indulgent bathrooms feature custom spa products, mood lighting, fluffy robes and plush towels. The hotel also has a fully-equipped fitness center, a guest laundry and O Bistro, where guests can enjoy casual, contemporary dishes such as gingered salmon with five-spice sauce and smoked chilli wild-prawn skewers with fine British Columbian wines, as well as pleasant breakfasts.
For more information, phone +1 250 294 7500 or visit www.oswegovictoria.com
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