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December
27, 2006
W
Hotels to Offer Eco-Friendly Concept
Guests concerned about the environment don’t have
many more options for showing their green tendencies
than deciding to go a day without having housekeeping
change the sheets. As recently reported on The Stylephile.com,
W Hotels is re-imagining the eco-hotel with ALOFT, its
new division with a vision. The brand, to open in 2008,
will boast a "see green" program that includes
a shrubbery-enshrouded outdoor parking garage with preferential
parking for hybrid cars. Compartmentalized shower dispensers
for shampoo and lotions will eliminate the need for
plastic bottles, and recycled building materials will
be used throughout the properties.
To
read more about ALOFT hotels, visit www.alofthotels.com.
December
20, 2006
Hawaii’s
New Clean Environment Policy—Still a Smoking Ban
Los
Angeles did it in its restaurants. Westin and Marriott
did it in their hotels. As of November 2006, Hawaii
has done it in public places. Smoking on the islands
is definitely out—in eateries, bars, bowling alleys,
shopping centers and airports. In a recent online article
on Yahoo!, a tourism liaison for the state insisted
that the law is being viewed as a clean environment
policy and not as a smoking ban. But many in the hospitality
industry see the law, whatever its emphasis, as a possible
deterrent to tourism.
The
2005 Annual Visitor Research Report rendered by the
Hawaii Tourism Authority indicates that visitors from
the U.S. West make up the state’s highest primary
visitor market. The U.S. East ranks second, and Japan
ranks third. While Americans are used to smoking restrictions,
the smoking culture in Japan is popular among Japanese
men—45% of whom smoke. Ironically, according to
a 2006 Tobacco Trends report by the American Lung Association,
smoking by race is lowest among Asians due to the low
rate of women who smoke. Special efforts to make Japanese
tourists aware of the ban will be in place.
For more information, visit www.hawaiitourismauthority.org.
December
13, 2006
Airports the New Downtown
Tom Hanks lived in one in the film, The Terminal.
Apparently, the film’s premise wasn’t that
far-fetched.
An
airport planned as a city is known as an “aerotropolis,”
a term coined by John Kasarda of the Frank Hawkins Kenan
Institute of Private Enterprise at the University of
North Carolina. This new type of architectural community
represents a sociological trend whose time has come,
Kasarda claims, according to a recent article published
on fastcompany.com.
The article details that construction has begun on the
multi-billion dollar master-planned Beijing Capital
Airport City. Korea, India, the Netherlands—cities
in these countries are following suit. The new Suvarnabhumi
Airport complex in Bangkok, when finally completed,
will include hospitals, hotels, golf courses, shopping
malls and schools. These days, people even patronize
art—rotating exhibits hang in concourses at airports
in Philadelphia, Denver, Edinburgh, Tucson, London,
Seattle, Stockholm, Raleigh-Durham, San Francisco and
more.
A USA Today article claims that aerotropolises
are the new downtowns. Development is burgeoning at
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport with a vast
retail, commercial, hospitality and residential community.
The Albuquerque International Sunport is in the midst
of construction of one of the largest developments in
the world near an airport.
You may wonder, what about noise levels? Seems that
nobody’s talking....
To read more, please see www.fastcompany.com.
*Image by Boonlert Tangtaveevech,
Copyright Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited
December 6, 2006
Homeland Security’s Traveler Profiling
Drug
profiling is old news. It’s likely you’ve
heard about drivers traveling along established drug
routes, from Florida to New York or from Mexico to California
and beyond, who are observed and identified for the
purpose of determining whether or not they might be
trafficking drugs. Is the person traveling alone? Is
the car a late model vehicle? Are there children inside?
Does the driver have that drug trafficker “look”?
Now
we know that Homeland Security is doing the same thing
with Americans and foreigners who enter the U.S.—only
it’s being done by a computer program called the
Automated Targeting System (ATS). Personal information
being evaluated includes your departure and arrival
destinations, how you paid for your ticket, and if you’ve
ever traveled one-way. A traveler is then assigned a
risk number. What that number means is known only to
Homeland Security according to The Associated Press,
which last week reported that the system has been in
place for the past four years in an attempt to identify
criminals, terrorists and other security threats.
According
to the Homeland Security Department’s website,
the ATS was originally designed to help identify illegal
narcotics in cargo containers. The American Civil Liberties
Union has condemned the program in a press release posted
on its website. Government officials could not say whether
the ATS has led to the apprehension of any terrorists.
For more information, visit the Homeland Security Department's
website at www.dhs.gov.
November
29, 2006
India's
Booming Luxury Hotel Market
The
economic boom in India officially includes the travel
industry, which is scrambling to keep up with the demand
for more hotels. Though Hilton, Four Seasons and Sheraton—which
weighs in with a whopping twenty hotels—already
have a presence in the country, there’s a critical
shortage of mid-range venues due to an influx of mostly business
travelers.
Hotel
rooms at bargain rates until only a few years ago were
plentiful in all of India's
big cities. A night at a five-star establishment, which
ranged from $50 to $60, today has escalated to an average
of $325. According to official tourism stats for 2005,
achieving a 13.2% growth rate over 2004 (which saw a
26.8% growth rate over 2003), India has enjoyed its
third successive year of positive growth in foreign
tourist arrivals.
According
to a tourism ministry official, as reported this week
by the Associated Press, a total of 300 hotel projects
have been approved by the government. Luxury hotels
represent almost half that number. Aided by recent changes
to Indian law that allow full foreign ownership of hotels,
foreign hotel operators are eager to invest. In addition
to New Delhi, cities being targeted as outposts for
new hotels include Agra, Bangalore, Goa, Jaipur, Rajasthan
and Mumbai.
See
also hotel trends in China
November
22, 2006
Travelers Entering the United States Must Follow
New Mandate
Under
the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), travelers
heading into the United States must comply with new
requirements. Starting Jan. 23, 2007, all persons, including
U.S. citizens traveling by air between the United States
and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean
and Bermuda, will be required to present a valid passport,
Air Nexus card (enrollment is limited to citizens of
Canada and the United States, lawful permanent residents
of the United States and permanent residents of Canada)
or U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Marine Document. The WHTI
will not affect travel between the United States and
its territories. U.S. citizens traveling directly between
the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands,
Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa
will be able to use established forms of identification
(valid driver’s license or government-issued ID
card) to board a flight and for entry. The new mandate
is a result of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism
Prevention Act of 2004, which requires the Department
of Homeland Security and Department of State to ask
all travelers to present documents that denote identity
and citizenship when entering the United States. By
standardizing documentation, it allows the Department
of Homeland Security to accurately identify a traveler
and facilitate entry into the country. For more information,
visit www.travel.state.gov.
November
15, 2006
Bob
Marley's New Resort
They’re
jamming in the Bahamas. Rita Marley, Bob Marley’s
widow, will open the sixteen-suite Marley Resort and
Spa on Cable Beach in Nassau Feb. 6, 2007---the day
would have been the musician’s 61st birthday.
The resort, formerly a governor’s mansion, is
located in an area known as the “Bahamian Riviera”
and had been used as a summer getaway by the Marley
family for years. Thirteen master suites will be named
after Marley’s songs such as “Jammin”
and “Three Little Birds.” The three royal
suites will feature specific themes and furnishings,
such as Rita Marley furniture in the Royal Rita suite,
a separate living room and bar in the Legend suite and
an in-room Jacuzzi and two rainfall showers in the One
Love honeymoon suite. The menu at the resort’s
restaurant, Simmer Down, will offer some of Marley’s
favorite dishes accompanied by the sounds of acoustic
reggae rhythms and live performances. Pricing starts
at $495 per room, per night. For more information, visit www.marleyresort.com.
November
8, 2006
Even More Friendly Skies:
Join United Airlines' Luxury Travel Club
Elite
travel clubs are for discriminating professionals who
expect the best but also love a bargain. United Airlines'
luxury travel club Ameniti is currently offering great
deals on car rentals. Now through Dec. 31, 2006, members
can receive Special Rates plus Triple Mileage Plus Miles
for the Jaguar X-TYPE ($95/day), Jaguar S-TYPE ($101/day),
Jaguar XJ-8 ($105/day) and other posh rides. This is
just one example of the many services and bargains offered
to members of Ameniti, part of United Airlines. Other
exclusive membership benefits include: free companion
tickets on United or Singapore Airlines, double miles
from top hotel (such as Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts
and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide), car rental
and cruise partners, up to 25,000 additional bonus miles
on qualifying cruise lines, two single-use United Red
Carpet Club airport lounge passes and much more. For
more information or to join, call 1-877-AMENITI or visit www.ameniti.com.
November
1, 2006
Miami's Designer Hotel
Todd Oldham, former runway designer turned furniture
and home accessories designer, and chef Tony Mantuano
from Chicago’s Spiaggia Restaurant are teaming up to open The Fairfax, a luxury
boutique hotel on a swank strip in South
Beach, Miami. Located on 18th Street and Collins
Avenue, the 53-suite fractional ownership hotel is scheduled
to open in 2007 and will feature Enoteca Spiaggia, the
first expansion of the acclaimed Chicago eatery.
Inspired by chef Mantuano’s unique take on Italian
cuisine, Oldham is custom-designing all aspects of the
hotel and restaurant—including everything from
the bedding to the plates and cutlery—to reflect
the whimsical yet sophisticated flavors in Mantuano’s
cooking. Spiaggia, which means beach in Italian, will
feature a coral bar that will serve Italian artisan
mozzarella and crudo.
October
25, 2006
Doubletree dishes out free cookies
This
Halloween, you don’t have to be a guest at your
local Doubletree hotel to receive one of their freshly-baked
cookies. On Oct. 31 from 12:01 a.m.-11:59 p.m., Doubletree hotel locations across North
America will provide a complimentary chocolate chip
cookie to anyone who walks in the door, from costumed
treat-seekers to parents in plainclothes. On an average
day, Doubletree hotels hand out 30,000 freshly-baked
cookies to customers, but you won’t have to pay
to get one this time. After one of these tasty treats,
you’ll be hungry for more, but don’t go
knocking on any hotel room doors—trick-or-treat
only extends to the hotel lobby.
October
17, 2006
Disney
Introduces Healthier Menus at Theme Parks
Winnie
the Pooh’s honey pot may soon be replaced by a
cup of apple sauce and carrot sticks. The Walt Disney
Company announced this week that the menus in their
American theme parks will now be comprised of healthier
foods. The amount of calories, fats and sugars will
be reduced in the park’s new food choices, while
trans-fats will be eliminated entirely by the end of
2007. Even candy and bakery goods will be made healthier.
In kids’ meals, Disney will replace soda with
low-fat milk, 100-percent fruit juice and water, while
unsweetened apple sauce and baby carrots will substitute
for French fries. Parents will still be able to order
the unhealthier items if they wish. In addition to in-park
foods, Disney will gradually remove its name and licensed
characters from foods that do not meet its new health
guidelines.
“This is a terrific initiative because it makes
it easier for parents, even while on vacation, to provide
their children with a well-balanced meal with kid appeal,”
said Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.
“An overwhelming majority of parents tell us they
prefer the more nutritious meals for their children
over other options.”
October
11, 2006
A Southern California Landmark Reopens
On
your next visit to the City
of Angels, make sure to visit Griffith Park Observatory,
the legendary cultural landmark atop Mount Hollywood.
After five years and a $93 million renovation, it is
ready to offer close-ups of the universe when it reopens
November 3. This 1935 Art Deco masterpiece has been
a star in its own right, immortalized by James Dean
in the movie “Rebel Without a Cause” and
is the place where Arnold Schwarzenegger emerged as
a cyborg from the future in “The Terminator.”
Visitors can now experience this state-of-the-art facility
which features exhibits where you can touch a 395-pound
meteorite and learn about the seasons, tides and phases
of the moon. There’s also the main event planetarium
which has been upgraded with plush seats, a new dome
and a Zeiss projector from Germany.
Wolfgang Puck’s Café at the End of the
Universe offers nourishment and special presentations
will take place at the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon theatre.
But mostly, the Griffith Park Observatory is a place
where you can gaze at stunning 360 degree views of the
city. Reservations are now required both for the Observatory
and for seats on the shuttle to and from the park. For
more information and to make reservations, call 888-695-0888
or visit, www.griffithobservatory.org.
October
4, 2006
Stardust
Vegas Razed to Make Way for Luxury Resort
Come
November 1, the Stardust
Resort and Casino, a hold-out from the 1950s Vegas
hey-day, will cease to exist. For stalwart Stardust
fans, that means no more dynamic duo performances by
Steve (Lawrence) and Eydie (Gorme) or Tim Conway and
Harvey Korman. The property, located at the northern
end of the strip, will be razed to make way for a $4
billion Echelon Place development slated for completion
in 2010. The new mega-complex will include four hotels—the
Echelon Resort and three other Vegas-style versions
of well-established luxury brands. The Shangri-La Hotels,
which includes some of Asia’s premiere properties,
will open a 400-room hotel and spa. Morgan’s hotel
group known for their popular boutique brands, will
launch in Sin City with a Vegas version of their Miami
hotel, the Delano (600 rooms) and their West Hollywood hot spot, the Mondrian (1,000 rooms). Included with development is Echelon’s
Las Vegas ExpoCenter, a proposed 140,000-square-foot
casino and retail promenade. For more information, visit www.echelonresort.com.
September
27, 2006
TSA
Partially Lifts Liquid Travel Ban
The
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced
that starting Sept. 26, it is lifting the total ban
on liquids, gels and aerosols in baggage carried on
board. Travelers will be allowed to carry travel-sized
toiletries (three ounces or less) that fit comfortably
in one quart-size, clear-plastic, zip-top bag. Once
through security, they will be able to buy items, like
beverages, from secured airport areas and take them
on-board.
“After the initial, total ban, we have learned
enough from the UK investigation to say with confidence
that small, travel size liquids are safe to bring through
security checkpoints in limited numbers,” Assistant
Secretary for TSA Kip Hawley said. “We have also
taken additional security measures throughout the airport
that make us comfortable allowing passengers to bring
beverages and other items purchased in the secure area
on board.” For more information visit www.tsa.gov.
September
20, 2006
LAX
Introduces Remote Check-In to Shorten Lines
With
recent security measures causing more passengers to
check their luggage, the already long check-in lines
at Los Angeles International Airport have gotten even
lengthier, sometimes snaking outside the terminals.
In an attempt to combat these long queues, Los
Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has announced
the creation of remote check-in, a program that allows
passengers to drop their bags off and pick up their
boarding passes at one of four locations before arriving
at the airport. These locations are Van Nuys FlyAway,
Union Station FlyAway, the Los Angeles Convention Center
and the Port of Los Angeles World Cruise Center in San
Pedro. From there, the bags are transported to an LAX
facility where they are inspected by the Transportation
Security Administration and placed on passengers’
flights. Bags are accepted up to two and a half hours
before take-off. The $5 service is only for domestic
flights operated by American, Alaska, Continental, Delta,
Horizon, Northwest and United. Although this program
is in theory a useful way to ease airport line times,
it seems more remote locations are needed before a significant
difference will be noticed. Only the Van Nuys location
is in a convenient residential area, while the others
cater to a very specific type of traveler. For more
information, visit www.lawa.org.
September
13, 2006
Celebrate
the Fall Harvest by Picking Your Apple a Day
With
the fall harvest upon us, now may be the ideal time
to plan a visit to one of the many apple festivals happening
in October across America. Taste test apple butter,
apple pie, apple sauce, apple cider and maybe even take
a few recipes home with you. Learn the difference between
a Blushing Gold and a Melrose and, if you like, go into
the orchards and pick familiar favorites like Fuji and
Granny Smith. If you’re lucky, maybe you’ll
stumble upon some Applejack, a strong alcoholic beverage
made during the Colonial Period from—you guessed
it—apples.
To
learn more about all the apple festivals in the U.S.,
as well as in Britain,
Canada and Australia, go to www.pickyourown.org/applefestivals.
September
7, 2006
The
New Eco-Friendly Fleet at Hertz
With
gas prices soaring and the threat of global warming
looming, Hertz is making it easier for travelers to
help save the environment and money on fuel with their
new Green Collection. All of the 35,000 cars in this
fleet are EPA highway rated at 28 miles or more per
gallon, including models such as Toyota Camry, Ford
Fusion, Buick
LaCrosse and Hyundai
Sonata. Most carry the EPA's Smartway certification
and are available at 50 major airports nationwide.
For
more EPA-certified tips on improving gas mileage while
driving your rental or personal car, visit www.fueleconomy.gov.
August
24, 2006
New
Electronic Passports to Contain Computer Chips
From
now on, would-be spies looking to forge a passport are
going to need a lot more than a photo and Elmer’s
glue. By the end of this year, all American passports
will be issued with a highly secure integrated computer
chip that will possess all of the physical document’s
information. Not only will the new chip made by Infineon
speed up inspection times, but more importantly, with
more than 50 individual security mechanisms, it will
significantly improve the passport’s privacy and
resistance to forgery. The U.S. government estimates
that 15 million of these new electronic passports will
be issued in its first year, joining or replacing the
more than 67 million already in circulation. The 27
countries that participate in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program
(most Western European countries, plus Japan, Australia,
New Zealand and Singapore) will be required to start
issuing electronic passports by October 2006, and many
have already done so. The chip itself is read by a scanner
operated by an immigration officer and contains the
bearer’s name, date of birth, validity period
and a digital photo that is compatible with facial recognition
technology. The electronics passports will also incorporate
a new colorful design that includes background photos
of Mt. Rushmore, the Liberty Bell and a satellite orbiting
the Moon.
For
more information on the new passport, visit travel.state.gov
August
18, 2006
Fairy
Tale Flights of Fancy in Frankfurt
Should
you find yourself in the Frankfurt,
Germany, airport, the guy on a stage spouting gibberish
in Hungarian is not crazy. Rather, he is one of nine
story tellers from across Europe who have been invited
by Lufthansa to recite and perform fables, legends and
fairy tales in their mother tongue. Stories from Germany,
Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, the Netherlands,
the Czech Republic and Hungary will be orated for passengers
without props, relying simply on their voice and gestures.
“We
want to span a bridge with this event between languages,
cultures and countries,” said Andreas Döpper,
Lufthansa station manager at Frankfurt Airport. “Our
aim is to stimulate the curiosity of our passengers
and encourage them playfully and imaginatively to take
an interest in foreign languages.”
One
has to wonder if seeing these fairy tale orations will
be like watching a foreign film without subtitles, but
without any accompanying images. Regardless, it should
make waiting for your Lufthansa flight a little more
interesting.
August
9, 2006
New
Manhattan Bohemian Hideaway
Entrepreneur
Ian Schrager has opened the bohemian Gramercy Park Hotel,
with design help from painter Julian Schnabel. The lobby
hosts a fusion of design schemes, furnished with hand-woven
rugs, Moroccan tiles and 3-D paintings. The guest suites
are intended to mirror European hotel rooms through
their use of Renaissance color palettes and unique art,
while the private roof club and landscaped garden are
inspired by turn of the century rooftop entertaining.
Says the man behind the Delano in Miami Beach and the Mondrian in West Hollywood, Calif.,
“The Gramercy Park Hotel is the ultimate anti-brand
and anti-design hotel. It is a celebration of the idiosyncratic.”
August
9, 2006
New
Barrière Hotel Opens on the Champs Élysées
Experience
all the lights and romance of Paris this fall at the Hôtel Fouquet Barrière,
a new hotel located just steps from the culture, fashion
and luxury of the Champs Élysées. Copying
the nearby Hausmanian building’s exterior, architect
Edouard François transformed a block of historic
buildings into one hotel built around an indoor garden.
This was done to accommodate Paris’ strict historic
building protection laws. The landmark Fouquet’s restaurant not only serves as the inspiration for the
hotel’s name, it’ll also serve its guests
a taste of classic Paris with its French cuisine and
turn-of-the-century décor. For private functions,
a rooftop terrace will be available that affords sweeping
views of Paris, including the Eiffel Tower. Its 120
luxury rooms will be complimented with a trendy bar,
spa, fitness center, steam room, an indoor swimming
pool and Le Diane restaurant set in the indoor garden.
August
2, 2006
San
Diego’s Keating to Blend Historic and Modern Italian
Design
Opening
this fall in the heart of San
Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter is The Keating, a
chic boutique hotel. Conceived by Italian design house
Pininfarina, which is famous for creating Ferraris,
The Keating will feature a sleek, modern Italian interior
contrasted by a Romanesque Revival façade. The
35 guestrooms or “stanzas” will boast high
ceilings, exposed brick walls and oversized windows
in combination with color and modern, custom furnishings
to create a thoroughly chic environment. Walls that
traditionally separate “warm and wet zones”
(bedroom and bathroom to you) have been omitted to provide
an open feeling. The hotel’s small size will also
lend itself to a greater amount of personalized service,
as well as a guests-only lounge under the hotel.
“The
Keating is one of San Diego’s oldest buildings,
which will now become one of San Diego’s newest
attractions…combining historical architecture,
cutting edge design and innovative services, to evoke
a modern destination with subtle sex appeal,”
said Robert Watson of the hotel’s operator BOND
Urban Habitat.
For
more information, visit www.thekeating.com.
July
26, 2006
Hilton
Sisters Dive Into the Family Business
They
got their fame and fortune from the hotel business (well,
maybe not the fame). Now Paris and Nicky Hilton are
carrying on the family legacy with new hotels of their
own. The younger and less notorious sister announced
her new luxury brand Nicky O first, an all-suite hotel/condo
concept debuting in South Beach, Miami,
and later Chicago.
Both will be renovated existing hotels and will feature
a look described as French Regency meets modern Hollywood.
Nicky has been involved with much of the design elements,
from all common areas to the guestrooms and even the
staff’s uniforms. “Having grown up in the
family business, I certainly have an understanding of
the day-to-day operations at a successful property,”
Nicky said.
Paris,
meanwhile, announced she will be starting her own chain.
"It's going to be lots of fun," Paris told
SFgate.com. "My hotels will be like the Sanderson…The
first one will be in Las
Vegas. I love poker and blackjack. And I always
win—I've played it since I was 12, when I won
$15,000." There’s no word about what Paris'
hotel will be called, but it’s a safe bet it’ll
be something "hot."
July
19, 2006
Marriott
Hangs No Smoking Sign on All Hotels
Where
there’s smoke…there’s certainly no
Marriott hotel. In September, every hotel and corporate
apartment in the Marriott International, Inc. group
in the United States and Canada will be completely smoke
free, from the guest rooms to the restaurants, lounges,
meeting rooms, public spaces and even the employee work
areas. Ninety percent of Marriott’s guest rooms
are already non-smoking, but reacting to new information
from the Surgeon General on the hazards of second-hand
smoke, the company decided to go completely smoke free:
“Our family of brands is united on this important
health issue and we anticipate very positive customer
feedback,” said J.W. Marriott, Jr., chairman and
chief executive officer of Marriott International, which
operates and franchises hotels under the Marriott, JW
Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton and Renaissance brand names,
among many others.
July
12, 2006
Bermuda
Hotels Offer Hurricane Guarantee
Their
national drink might be the Dark
‘n Stormy, but Bermuda’s
taking steps to make sure its tourists’ vacations
are anything but. Sixteen Bermuda resorts are offering a “Hurricane Guarantee”
that gives travelers refunds and rain checks should
their trips be cut short or cancelled by a hurricane.
•
If a storm is predicted to pass within 200 miles of
the islands, guests will be able to cancel their reservations
without penalty within five days.
• Should a hurricane strike during a stay, room,
food and beverages will be provided gratis until the
hotel’s normal operations can resume.
• If the hotel is damaged and unable to resume
normal operations, guests have one year from the property’s
reopening to resume their vacation.
Participating
hotels include: Cambridge Beaches, Coral Beach &
Tennis Club, Elbow Beach Bermuda, Fairmont Hamilton
Princess, Fairmont Southampton, Fourways Inn, Granaway
Guest House & Cottage, Grape Bay Hotel, Grotto Bay
Beach Resort, Harmony Club, Horizons & Cottages,
The St. George’s Club, Rosedon, Surf Side Beach
Club, Waterloo House and Wyndham Bermuda. For more information,
visit www.bermudatourism.com or check out our Bermuda
Travel Guide.
July
5, 2006
James
Bond Hooks Up with Virgin...the Airline
The
last virgin James Bond allied with was Jane Seymour's
Solitaire in 1973's "Live and Let Die." Thirty-three
years and three Bonds later, 007 has gotten together
with an entirely different type of Virgin: the airline.
Along with its founder and chairman Sir Richard Branson,
Virgin Atlantic will make an appearance in "Casino
Royale," the newest Bond adventure starring
Daniel Craig as the timeless British spy. Branson (pictured
with film co-star Caterina Murino) will make a cameo
during a check-in scene at the Miami airport.
"James
Bond is original, cool and sophisticated—just
like an airline I know," Branson said. "Having
met Daniel Craig and the rest of the team on set, I
have no doubt 'Casino Royale' will be one of the most
successful James Bond films ever."
Bond
movies practically invented the art of product placements,
and Virgin's participation is only one of the new film's
partners. Ford will debut its new Aston
Martin DBS in the movie, along with the 2008 Ford
Mondeo. Bond changes airlines almost as often as women.
In the past, 007 has flown Pan Am, British Airways,
Lufthansa, and an Air France Concorde.
June
21, 2006
Heralding
Holistic Wellness at Jamaica's Half Moon Resort
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