Luxury Travel Advisor - May 2008 - (Page 30)

LAKEVIEW TERRACES at Peppers on the Point are ideal for romantic, moonlit dining. ACCESS: GETTING AROUND NEW ZEALAND Flying domestically on Air New Zealand (www.airnew zealand.com) is actually fun, and Luxury Travel Advisor readers will find it a welcome change: no long lines and, usually, no security check at smaller airports. Agents and crew are friendly, and even parking at any domestic terminal is a cinch. Air New Zealand customers flying on domestic jet services are currently enjoying a new complimentary offering called ª KoruHourº weekday mornings and evenings on B737 and A320 flights between cities that include Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and Queenstown. you' re sending clients on their honeymoon, reserve the secret grotto, reached via wisteriadraped arches, as an alternative dining room. In the upstairs lounge and dining room, your clients can cozy up next to the fireplace and join other guests at a table for 16, or dine at a private table of their own. Dinner is an event unto itself, created by Michelinrestaurant-trained Head Chef Silvio Sakrzewski. Those in the know recommend his traditional New Zealand lamb. Hot-smoked South Island salmon is a favorite, as is smoked pheasant salad, which we loved. In their leisure time, guests often are found relaxing in the Conservatory, with its 90-degree views. Additionally, thanks to Riaille' s excellent connections, your clients can indulge in any number of Rotorua' s unique activities. A helipad next to the gazebo allows easy ins and outs. If more remote privacy and exclusivity are must-haves for discerning Rotorua-bound visitors, then The Lodge at 199 (www.199.co.nz) on Lake Tarawera is the place; its location is almost ethereal, with mist rising over the water. Inside the contemporary lakefront home, which opened in November 2005, guests can relax in furniture constructed of Fijian coconut wood or black, buttercup and red leather. Chic interior design includes Irish-crystal and silk-thread curtain tiebacks, nine-foot green doors, colorful red, blue and green-striped curtains, a sizable stone fireplace and accessories by Kiwi designer Jill Main. During wintertime, a wood stove in the hall radiates warmth. Contact Manager Kay Shortland' s assistant, Kath Clark (lodge@199.co.nz). Shortland and Clark will consult with you prior to your clients' arrival so that ª when guests get here, we already know them,º says Shortland, who likes to know their dining preferences, among others. She will recommend evening dining in town or, if requested, arrange for homecooked meals. Three air-conditioned suites feature broadband Internet. Select from two lake-view suites and one garden-view suite; all include Bambury velour robes and slippers and Sheridan towels. In the bedrooms, beds are draped with brocade throws and warm wool underlays. Black leather chairs and tones of rust, gold and mint green prevail throughout. A 12-jet body shower in the corner lake-view suite helps guests rid their body of stress, a feeling that' s prolonged with a selection from the lodge' s pillow menu: goosedown, lavender (our favorite) or therapeutic. (Tip: Weekdays until 9 a.m., customers may start their day with muesli or a muffin, Gravity plunger coffee, tea, orange juice and a newspaper. Between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., selected wines from the famous Air New Zealand Wine Awards, as well as beer and other beverages, are available, along with a selection of regional Kapiti cheese, crackers and grapes. The Lodge' s famous homemade fudge and shortcake made us want more, and they await guests in-room for afternoon tea celebrations.) Outside, guests can head over to the private boat shed to pick up a kayak or catch a ride aboard a floatplane, landing on Lake Tarawera for excursions to the volcanic White Island or other ª only-in-New Zealandº sights. 30 LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR | May 2008 http://www.airnewzealand.com http://www.airnewzealand.com http://www.199.co.nz

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Luxury Travel Advisor - May 2008

Luxury Travel Advisor - May 2008 Contents Publisher's Letter Editor's Letter Park City Riviera Maya Italian Castles Rotorua China Villa Retreats The Ritz-Carlton, Powerscourt Rancho Bernardo Port Ghalib Dead Sea Spas Silversea The Professor The Pulse Jetset Report Sightings Source List

Luxury Travel Advisor - May 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.