Luxury travel trends for 2010

The Chic Collection’s head of global travel, Jessica Hudson, identifies luxury travel trends

Long weekend escapes

Syria is now the Middle East’s hottest destination with Vogue magazine recently holding a fashion shoot of supermodel Stella Tennant in the city. Offer The Art House, a converted stone mill and the city’s only art hotel, hosting regular art exhibitions and concerts.

India — fly with Air Arabia from Sharjah to Jaipur and stay at Samode Haveli.

Istanbul is a heady mix of east meets west and Ajia Hotel or Hotel Les Ottomans are über-chic.

Eco chic

Soneva Fushi in the Maldives is looking to go carbon neutral in 2010 and new property Scarlet in Cornwall has embraced green technology, carbon offsetting, natural power and rainwater harvesting. Other eco- chic options include Zafara Camp, Botswana; Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef, Australia; La Casona Cusco, Peru (the country’s first carbon neutral hotel); and the new Casa La Siesta, located just outside Vejer de La Frontera, which is made entirely from reclaimed materials and manages to be both exquisite and affordable.

Small but perfectly formed and a million miles away from the cookie-cutter concept of the large hotel chains, bijou chic is setting new standards in luxury travel.

Bijou chic is for travellers who adore unique style and exclusivity. One of our long-term favourites in this category is Malabar House in Fort Cochin, Kerala, a heritage hotel with 17 rooms and suites that has been owned by tradesmen, spice merchants and tea traders. Another of our favourites is Dar Les Cigognes riad in the bustling souks of Marrakech with its own boutique and a library filled with books on Moroccan handicrafts.

Located on Kenya’s South Coast, Msambweni House is lovingly run by a local family. With only three suites, two villas and one luxury tent, it is fully staffed and can be rented in its entirety for the perfect hideaway retreat.

Wilderness chic

Wilderness chic is for adventurous clients seeking off-the-beaten-track experiences but these days, an ‘Out of Africa’ sojourn no longer means camping out in the wild. Ol Seki Mara Camp is one of the most luxurious tented camps you can find, with huge beds, en-suite bathrooms and private plunge pools.

Singita Grumeti Reserves in Tanzania’s Serengeti offers guests an eco-safari adventure in style. It’s on the migratory route traversed annually by more than a million wildebeest and there are three luxury properties from which to choose including Fundu Lagoon on Pemba Island for the ultimate Robinson Crusoe island hideaway experience and just a short air hop from Zanzibar.

South Africa is good value at the moment and can be combined with a beach add-on to Mozambique with its unspoiled islands and unrivalled diving spots. Azura and Londo Lodge are our favourites there.
Bhutan is another hot wilderness chic destination.

Cheap & chic

For cost-effective boutique chic offer the Pudi Boutique Hotel in Shanghai or Hillside Su situated close to Antalya, Turkey. Both are design-focused hang outs of the hip.

:Article Source:hoteliermiddleeast.com