Viaggi in Avventura will take tourists to discover the region of Peruvian central plateaus, via car tracks and on foot.

The beauty of valleys, plateaus, lagoons and mountains is the scenario against which is set an authentic country, far from the masses of tourists and proud of its own tradition. Besides visiting the most important Inca archaeological sites, they will also get in touch with complex cultural realities.

One of the stops: the remote lake region Castrovirreyna, one of the least anthropized areas of Peru. In Ayacucho there is the first contact with the Huari pre-inca culture that blossomed in this area between 450 and 900 a.C. becoming the leader of the widest religious, political and military expansion prior to the foundation of the Inca empire. It will follow the five-day trip leading to the Machu Picchu. Crossing the Chinchero plateau and the Maras’ Salinas – where one side of the mountain was entirely adorned with over 6000 pools for water evaporation – they will arrive in Cusco. The visit to the Tambo Machay and Quenco temples, as well as the ancient stop over, Puca Pucara, and the magnificent fort of Sacshuayaman, will allow for a last dive into the history of this country.

Accommodation: the Mountain Lodges of Peru promote sustainable development by involving local communities in the active management of the lodges and by supporting Yanapama Peru, the NGO that specifically deals with bettering the quality of education for 150 families and with encouraging the local population to contribute to the touristy development of their land.

www.viaggiinavventura.it

Italian version

Everything is arranged by the Hotel de la Cité of Orient-Express that proposes the tasty package Short Break in the Cité with a € 75,00 credit to spend on gastronomic goods.

www.orient-express.com

Italian version

The nation is visited by those who want to spend a winter holiday on the yacht, far from the most crowded destinations. Coraline barriers, sea suitable for diving and for sailing couple with the vegetation and the charm of scarcely inhabited islands. These characteristics made the place one of the favourites destinations of famous people, from the world of music and politics.

The Pearl of the Grenadines is Mustique, small private island, about 3 miles long and less than 2 miles wide, visited by a limited number of tourists, endowed with 94 luxury villas, built and furnished in Caribbean style.

The “European” history of the island dates back to the first half of the Eighteenth century when the land was divided into seven plantations for the cultivation of sugar canes. When the production was brought to Europe the place regained its wild nature, until 1959 when it was bought by the Scottish Colin Tennant, today Lord Glenconner. In 1968 the Lord set up the Mustique Company, company that owns the island and manages the tourist reception to welcome the most demanding guests. Princess Margaret of England, Mick Jagger, Tommy Hilfiger, Hugh Grant and many more were guests on the island.

Mustique, due to its natural shores and the always present winds, is the ideal destination for the fans of marine pleasure crafts, besides being rich of creeks and beaches. Diving is also very popular, thanks to spectacular sites like All-awash, Pillories, Dry Rock South and Coral Glen.

The area is protected and surrounded by a tropical climate, featuring mangrove forests inhabited by tortoises and iguanas, among the other species.
For this reason, one of the most common activities is trekking or riding horses on the hills. Obviously there are also shops and book shops, Spa, tennis and golf fields and fitness centres.

The only hotel is the very elegant Cotton House, with twenty cottage rooms, two beaches, nymphs ponds, pools rising on an old Eighteenth century plantation, where an old windmill is left. An island of peace, where there is no TV but only music and extras like the cushions menu: you can choose among ten different types.

The villas are all hidden, high hill, each with its own feature: the Wind Rose, for instance, evokes an Etruscan temple. Each building features devoted personnel and exclusive services.

http://www.mustique-island.com/

Italian version

It comes into being the first urban hotel in Milan. Situated on the very central Corso Matteotti, overlooking the Duomo’s pinnacles, the new Boscolo Hotel Exedra opens its doors to the city. The five-star-luxury owned by the Italian chain, was conceived as a proper gathering and communication venue for all those people that experience the city of Milan: what is key are in fact the services offered, from the catering that is open 24/7, to the Spa (which closes at midnight), to the area reserved to exhibitions and art shows.

The Exedra stems out of the talent of architect Italo Rota who entirely revisited the palace on Corso Matteotti that formerly hosted the headquarters of the Imi Bank. Hotel rooms are all different from each other, so to highlight the importance of customization. The hotel hosts over 150 rooms, from the Superior Room to the Presidential Suite, whose prices range between 800 and 7000 euros per night. Clients can choose among three restaurants: one mainly serving boiled and roast meat, the second mainly serving fish and the third, serving international cuisine, is situated on the eighth floor and has a terrace with view over the Duomo.

To enrich even more the eating-venues scenario, there are Lambruscheria, managed by F&De Group (specialized in eno-gastronomic traditions of the Po Valley) and champagnerie. The Spa Suisse, stretching over 1000 sq meters, is provided with a pool with falls, sauna, hammam and six massage cabins. Among the treatments, there is also a champagne-elixir peeling with rose petals and a beauty treatment with ultrasonic-wave technologies. The director of the newly inaugurated hotel is Roberto Boscolo.

Why did you choose to open a hotel in Milan?
Milan is not a capital but it actually is as if it were one: fashion, economy, design are here. We want this hotel to be the very first work built for the 2015 Expo; the Exedra was indeed conceived not only as a hotel but also as a gathering venue for the Milanese and Milan’s guests. I wish to underline the fact that 70% of the hotel area is public. This kind of hotel launches a new way of being in the hotellerie sector. In fact this format will be maintained for the construction of the new 5 star hotels of the group and for the renovation of existing ones.

What are the common areas?
The setting of the street side conveys the idea of a city entering the hotel. In fact, big glass windows open up on Corso Matteotti, as if the people inside were the protagonists of the stage and those outside could enjoy the view of internal spaces. The common areas are the three restaurants that already exist, plus one that will be inaugurated in a few weeks and that will be headed by a very important chef whose name cant yet be revealed. The Lambruscheria, champagnerie and the day Spa are also open to anyone.

How did you choose this location?
I was visiting the building with my father Angelo, when it was still occupied by the Bank. He was walking down the aisles and could already imagine how the hotel would have been. Then he told me: “Within nine months, I will create a hotel that has no precedents, and then you manage it for the years to come.” I accepted the offer and that’s how this jewel came into being.

What can you tell us about the Boscolo group?
Today, the Boscolo Hotels Group owns seven five-star hotels that create the BoscoloHotels5 chain, and sixteen four-star hotels, the BoscoloHotels4. Atop of this there is the Boscolo Travel inside, a tour operator that specializes on group and individual trips in Italy and Europe; the division Hotel Engineering dealing with project management services for the hotel industry; the Boscolo Food % beverages; the Boscolo Academy (School of culinary arts); and the Boscolo Catering. All this means: 2000 employees, and an annual turnover that in 2008 amounted to 270 million euros.

What are your future projects?
In 2010 we will open a new four-star hotel, in Milan, hosting 300 rooms, three restaurants and a conference centre with the capacity to host 1000 people. The architect in charge of the project will be Simone Micheli that has already realized the Exedra Spa. By the end of next year we should also be opening another five-star hotel in Bari that a key-city for the southern part of Italy, but that has suffered for years the lack of a high-standard hotel facility.

Alessandra Iannello

Italian version

The Park, restaurant of the Park Hyatt Milan, represents the ideal place to live an interesting and fine gastronomic experience, set within an environment characterized by sober and refined elegance. The menu varies according to the seasons and offers a variety of dishes that merge innovation and tradition, with particular care for the selection of products coming from different regions.

The Park offers a creative cuisine, where natural products of high quality are the real protagonists, with their flavours and perfumes proper of the Italian tradition, together with balanced and imaginative combinations. A very rigorous selection of providers, mostly Italian, guarantees exclusivity and freshness. The presentation of the dishes plays a very important role: careful to the quality, its peculiarity consists of simplicity that doesn’t compromise the taste of the course. Every dish has its own personality, deriving from the presentation, the choice and combination of ingredients.

The wine menu is the result of choices that are never random, but rather of careful research and analysis; there appear the names of great and famous producers together with small wine houses, well-known at local level for their excellent wines.

The Park is distinguished by the excellence of its services that, together with the dishes and the choice of wines, contributes to making each singles soiree an unforgettable one, and one to suggest to friends and foe. The restaurant hosts 60 seats, divided into two separated rooms, surrounded by a cosy atmosphere. The walls are decorated with pastel painting by Kim Rebholz, young American artist. The porcelains by Jaunes de Chrome were exclusively realized for The Park and flower compositions are curated by Armani Flowers.

Mind and soul of The Park is the Executive Chef of the Park Hyatt Milan, Filippo Gozzoli who conveys a touch of Italian contemporary cuisine to every single dish. In a delicate period such as the one we are experiencing, in which it seems that trendy venues are the only ones there is space for, where the environment is given more care than the quality of food, The Park Restaurant, headed by the enthusiasm of Gozzoli, is definitely an address to rely on. The excellence of the service and the refined atmosphere make a difference.

Gozzoli knew that he would have become a chef since the young age of 5, when he cooked his very first smashed potatoes for his mother. When he was 13 he started working as Pasta Chef at the Ceresole restaurant in Cremona, boasting 1 Michelin star. After being awarded the diploma by the Institute of Salsomaggiore Terme, one of the most prestigious Italian hotel institutes, and having gained experience in well-known international restaurants (among which the Harris Bar, the Oak Room Restaurant – 3 Michelin stars – and the Gavroche Restaurant – also 3 Michelin stars), reached the Osteria in Los Angeles where he stayed for six months in the role of Chief Pasta Chef. Once back to italy, the experience of Filippo Gozzoli continued in restaurants of prestigious hotels until when, in 2004, he became manager of the courses for professional Chefs at the international school of cuisine of Gualtiero Marchesi.

Before arriving at the Park Hyatt Milan, his last employment was at the Bistrot Duomo, where he had the ability to offer the guests a sophisticated cuisine, thanks to innovative culinary inventions, together with a classic taste that is always most welcome by the Milanese audience. But, what is the secret of your art? “I love light and modern cuisine – explains Gozzoli – respectful of tradition, though curious enough to experience new tastes that merge the east and the west. After a period of daring experimentations, I like to go back to Italian traditional standards, which represent not only the foundations, but also the future expectations of a cuisine d’excellence. It is stimulating to re-interpret the most typical dishes, without making too much of them, respecting simplicity, cutting cooking times and making recipes lighter. I want raw materials to stand out, using vegetables that are normally unfairly disregarded as, apparently, less noble, though, I believe, able to deliver tasty combinations. I also revisited the section ‘Traditional dishes’ within which I used to suggest recipes of the Lombardy tradition; this year the regional criterion widens and draws upon dishes that are inspired by flavours of different regions of Italy.”

Do you wish to book special rates at the Park Hyatt Milan? Click here

Italian version

Luxgallery is partner of the Park Hyatt Milan, the fine 5 Stars Luxury Hotel, Via Tommaso Grossi, just next to the Vittorio Emanuele Gallery.

Luxgallery readers that wish to try the experience of a luxury and comfort stay, can make reservations at special prices, just for them. Here how to do:

-    go to the website www.milan.park.hyatt.com
-    click “Room and Rates”
-    select the dates of your intended stay
-    insert in the “Group/Corporate #” section the following code: CR51529 . The special rates reserved for Luxgallery readers will appear.
-    Conclude your booking

Italian version

Paris is a city filled with an exciting and romantic charm. Well-known for her cultural and artistic wealth, the ville lumiere has a rich and vibrating musical heart, with her two opera theatres, the Opéra Garnier and the Opéra Bastille, and the three concert halls (Théâtre du Châtelet, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées and Cité de la Musique).

During the week-end 23-25 October 2009, two important musical events will take place there: one of the most loved lyric operas and a refined concern directed by one of the promises of classic music.

On 23rd October, Anna Netrebko will play Mimi in the Boheme by Giacomo Puccini. Considered one of the most fascinating lyric voices, Valery Gergiev discovered her talent when she was cleaning the Marinskij Theater, and later led her to play, within only a few years, roles that were traditionally devolved upon the royal and fussy sopranos of the old school. From Lyudmilla by Glinka to Donizzetti’s Norina and Gilda of the Rigoletto. In 2004 her very first DVD Anna Netrebko – The woman, the voice exceeded, in Europe, the sales of Beyonce and Britney Spears’ DVDs.

The following evening, the enfant prodige of Claudio Abbado, Venezuelan Gustavo Dudamel will direct the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra in a concert entirely dedicated to Čajkovskij.
Final outcome of the FESNOJIV (Fundación del Estado para el Sistema de Orquestas Juveniles e Infantiles del Venezuela), the Simón Bolivar Youth Orchestra is one of the most important musical project of the last years, which had a significant impact on the social sphere too. When 16, Gustavo Dudamel became director of the Orchestra symbol of the Sistema, the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra. In 2009, 28 years old, Dudamel took in charge the directorship of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.

For a luxury stay, Il Sipario Musicale offers first class tickets for both shows and hotel accommodation for two nights, double bedroom and breakfast included at the Hotel Balzac or at the Jolly Lotti.

www.ilsipariomusicale.com

Italian version

In the Laurentides, Mauricie and Charlevoix regions, leaving behind the summer heat you can still practice open-air sports, like fishing and make kayak and rabaska (the long Indian canoe) excursions, or go through wood paths by foot, by bike, on a horseback or by quad.

In this moment of the year the eyes get lost in the huge maple expanses which create an unbelievable colour vibration: red, orange, gold, brown, the colours of trees losing leaves while waiting for the winter. Between peat bogs and tee-pees, lakes and red-hot woods, from one sucrerie to the other to learn how to make maple syrup, in Quebec in this period one can enjoy a sudden rise of temperature 820-22 degrees) and a fable atmosphere.

To stay in total harmony with nature, there is the Hotel Sacacomie in Saint Alexis des Monts, co-resort fully built with pine trunks, very simple oasis of rustic elegance with 109 rooms, half of which with whirlpool bath, boutique, Spa and panoramic restaurant. After an excursion at the beaver reserve, after reaching an Indian village by canoe, fishing and dining beneath trees branches, after a tour on a hydroplane unveiling the isolation of the place, one can enjoy a Swedish massage or taste a cognac in front of the fireplace.

Of a different kind is the Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello, obtained by a Victorian palace. A resort with golf field and Spa, whose building has been built with huge cider trunks, rustic luxury hitting right when entering the hall, with at the centre a monumental fireplace. The game reserve surrounding the resort is wonderful: a lodge with 70 lakes, a real escape from the world.

www.bonjourquebec.com/it
www.sacacomie.com
www.fairmont.com

Italian version

The first class in no more enough? Korean Airlines launches a new service made of comfort and attention to the person aimed at satisfying its most special clients during their medium and long distance flights.
This new luxury first class is called Kosmo Suite. As the name suggests, it is a proper mini suite.

The passenger will be immersed in absolute comfort and privacy. The seat, 15 cm longer than standard first class seats, can tilt back so to reach a horizontal position.

The classic screen is substituted by a personal television where it is possible to enjoy private video contents.
The icing on the cake is the menu. The meals are realized in collaboration with luxury Korean restaurants such as the Italian one La Cucina or the Chinese one Dorim of the Lotte Hotel, and those that really don’t want to miss a thing, an exceptional Japanese chef will be on boars so to create tasty dishes right on the spot.

Italian version

Furnished with “vintage”, ethnic and natural furniture, Il Contatto aims to offer moment of pleasure, combined with instants of reflection and aggregation, to reach the maximum contact with the self.
The search for a real status of health and beauty passes through the consciousness of the self, obtainable through steps bringing to the fore one’s own self. The philosophy on which the spa draws is exclusively eco-friendly, as well as its structure made of natural materials and with a low environmental impact.

To discover the vital energy there are old rituals and traditions brought back to the original form: hammam, water paths, ayurveda massages, Lomilomi, oriental disciplines.

There is the humid area, dedicated to water, with a pool, sauna, steam bath, Kneipp path and hammam: here one can follow various paths of complete wellness. Then there is the area dedicated to massages, ranging from the classic anti-stress and hot stones to the Hawaiian massage Lomilomi, with vegetal butters, with argan oil, with flax milk, with ginger lemon, with coffee time.

A whole room is dedicated to Ayurveda.
Through nutrition, meditation, positive hinking and the old art of body treatments, the Ayurveda rituals help find out and maintain the well-being. Kerala, Abhyanga, Pindasveda, Shirodhara, Garshan massage, are old rituals to discover, to clines the body and find harmony.

The face and body treatments, the Private Spa Suite, the Hair Spa dedicated to haircare, are the ingredients that Il Contatto offers to its guests as a wellness cocktail.
One area is destined to meetings and small and medium conventions and to groups, toning exercises, tai chi, Qi Gong, stretching and meditation.

The cosmetics used for the treatments are products without chemical ingredients and are completely natural making the most out of the elements and raw materials of the territory around Verona. The material is mostly recycled, like the wood coming from Indonesia, or recyclable like soluble-paper glasses and plates. During a day inside the centre, featuring a completely feminine staff, there is room for a break at the Break Point for a fresh and light snack based on herb tea and fruit shakes; for a visit at the Library, for a glance at the Shop. The Sparty! Contatto offers the chance to celebrate together with friends, for private or business events, with wide spaces available like the pool the spa, the massage area combined with music and drinks in total harmony.

For further information:
Il Contatto
Via Monte Pastello 14/b
37057 San Giovanni Lupatoto (VR)
Tel. 045 8753766 fax 045 8753766
http://www.ilcontattospa.it/
info@ilcontattospa.it

Italian version

In such a particular summer like the one which we are leaving to our backs, what did holidays represent?
A holiday, for tour operators like us, is nothing but a careful analysis of the best solutions and locations where our clients can de-stress and get rid of all their thoughts, through a thorough search for high quality at the best price.

How did the approach of tourists change towards the structures and services?
The guests are more and more demanding and accurate in the search for services and interesting occasions.

How did Veratour respond?
By offering interesting and cheap solutions – confirming for 2010 the same prices as in 2009 which, in turn, had been significantly lowered compared to that of 2008 -, by renovating some structure or parts of the resorts – like the rooms of the Veraclub Thalassa in Kos – and by opening new structures – like the Verclub Ranveli at Maldives, which will make its début on 29th December 2009.

What will be the new projects of the Veraclub Queen Sharm in the next months?
The project is to begin a restyling of the rooms in the historical part called beach.

What are the achievements of the summer 2009? And what is expected in the coming months?
Our firm ends the summer with the same turnover of last summer, although 2009 has been a very difficult year for the field of tourism, and, considering the context and the general economic situation, this is already an excellent result.

We are positive about the future since tourism is irrepressible and because we believe that a recovery will take place and it will be ever more evident, also because the interest that our clients show in our structures is always present and strong.

Francesca Zottola

Italian version

The theme of the project of the Atkins Design Studio is water. Particular care has been given to eco-sustainability: geothermic energy will be used while the quarry has a natural climatisation and the green roof favours thermic isolation.
The hill will be transformed in roof-gardens with terraces with a waterfall at the centre.
The first two floors of the building will be underwater, with luxury rooms and a restaurant, overlooking a ten meters deep aquarium.

For the fans of extreme sports there is the rocky gym and a Bungee Jumping. And of course there will be a waterfall with a swimming pool, besides the possibility to practice various sportive activities linked to the water world.

Italian version