JIMBARAN: The Ayana Resort and Spa Bali was voted one of the top 25 spas and resorts and top 25 leisure and conference hotels by Smart Travel Asia magazine’s Best in Travel Poll 2009.

Ayana was third in the poll, while Bali was once again voted Asia’s top holiday destination.Ayana was also the only hotel in Bali - and Indonesia - to make the list of Asia’s top 15 resorts in Travel + Leisure magazine’s World’s Best Awards 2009 readers’ survey, and was ranked Bali’s number one resort by leading Japanese travel magazine AB-Road. The honors come just months after Ayana rebranded to become an independent property under the management of the US-based West Paces Hotel Group. Read the rest of this entry »

Alan Thomas has been promoted to the position of Managing Director, Maldives and Sri Lanka, from his previous role as General Manager of Six Senses Hideaway and Evason Hua Hin, Thailand.

In his new role he will oversee the Soneva Fushi by Six Senses, Soneva Gili by Six Senses, and Six Senses Latitude Laamu - which is scheduled to open early 2010. Read the rest of this entry »

Sri Lanka’s second international hotel chain, Six Senses is opening up a luxurious resort at Dutch Bay Kalpitiya. Titled ‘Dutch Bay Resorts’, this joint venture between Six Senses and Swarna Dweep, will be an up-market luxury resort.

The land, on the Dutch Bay Island, is bordered by the lagoon on the East and the Indian Ocean on the West. The 60 mangrove boutique chalets are located within the inland water bodies while the 20 two storey Signature Villas are situated along the Lagoon. Read the rest of this entry »

HUA HIN, Thailand (Fortune) — Yue-Sai Kan — one of the most recognizable women in China with a cosmetics empire and her own TV show — often needs to get away from the grueling pressures and polluted skies of Shanghai and Beijing, where she lives.

Her refuge of choice? A health spa in Thailand called Chiva-Som. “The service is amazing, and the food is amazing, too,” she says of the wellness center in the beach resort town of Hua Hin, where patrons are offered lemongrass tea all day as a diuretic and eat only healthy salt-free, oil-free, sugar-free food. “I go sometimes more than once a year, from three days to 12, depending on what time I have. But I would love to stay six months. That would really make me healthy!” Read the rest of this entry »

The Majestic Malacca is a boutique hotel where modern comforts and the charms of Malacca’s bygone era come together beautifully.

If buildings could talk, YTL Hotels’ The Majestic Malacca (TMM) would surely have a few stories to tell. Read the rest of this entry »

Luxury spas at US hotels have experienced further falls in profitability as less people look to use top-end services amid the deepening recession.

In the latest update of its Spa STAR report, research company STR revealed that revenue per available treatment room hour (RevPATH) declined 13 per cent during the year to June 2009 (from US$136.79 in June 2008 to US$120.88 in June 2009) at hotel spas. Read the rest of this entry »

Francisca Rocha Antunes has been appointed spa director of the Six Senses Spa at Sharq Village & Spa in Doha.

She will be responsible for daily spa operations and management of staff to ensure outstanding customer service.

Prior to joining Six Senses, Antunes was general manager of the Sheraton Moorea Lagoon Resort and Spa in French Polynesia where she was responsible for the four-month transition of the Starwood brand to a Hilton Worldwide Resort. Details: sixsenses.com

North Lake Tahoe, CA (Vocus/PRWEB )  — The Ritz-Carlton Highlands, Lake Tahoe announced today that the Northern California mountain resort will open its doors to guests on December 9, 2009, in time for the upcoming ski season in Northstar-at-Tahoe.

The Ritz-Carlton Highlands, Lake Tahoe”There is a lot of anticipation and excitement around this resort opening on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe,” said Allen Highfield, General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton. “As we approach the three year anniversary of the ground-breaking, we are pleased to announce that guests may begin arriving on December 9.” The $300 million resort development broke ground nearly three years ago, on July 19, 2006 and has been on schedule to open in late 2009. Read the rest of this entry »

Asia Luxury Travel Market, the region’s leading event exclusively for the luxury travel industry, took place in Shanghai from 15th – 18th June for the third consecutive year, with exhibitors describing it as “the best yet”.

The three day event brought together the top 300 Asian luxury travel buyers from 19 countries, close to 280 exhibitors from 36 countries and over 100 media from 11 countries. Read the rest of this entry »

There’s no better season than monsoon for spa therapies. The downpour rids the air of dust while the moisture in the air opens the pores of your skin and makes your body more receptive to the goodness of aromatic oils.

The Four Fountains Spa presents ‘Monsoon Mist’ - a new aromatic massage to celebrate the magic of monsoon. This massage combines the techniques of the classic aromatherapy massage and uses a blend of Patchouli and Cedarwood essential oils to evoke memories of the first showers of the season. Read the rest of this entry »