Luxury Travel Advisor - September 2008 - (Page 20)

rounded-edge infinity pool with life-size stone elephants raising their trunks at the entry. Top-tier accommodations at the Radisson Plaza are the 10 pool villas lined up along Vembanad Lake. Each has its own infinity pool, with chaise lounges on the deck, and a small lawn abutting the lake. Note for those seeking privacy: The walls dividing villa properties are not taller than people, so you don’t have complete privacy in your pool. Location is another consideration: The rooms in each category that are nearest the lobby, main restaurant, spa and pool are Nos. 401-404 for pool villas, Nos. 301-308 among cottages and Hotel Rooms ending in 01-08 (for all accommodations, the lower the number, the closer). If guests choose not to walk from any point, they can hop onto one of the bicycles parked around the property or call for or flag down a chauffeured golf cart. An intersting note is that a lagoon sits smack in the middle of the resort. Many off-site activities can be booked through the resort, from kettuvallam cruises to tours of the nearby cities of Kottayam or Aleppey to visits to a spice, rubber or banana plantation. Special experiences include a “Backwater Village of Small Things” tour by canoe, which visits historic temples and a Kathakali dance master; a daylong four-wheel drive excursion through tea farmland for a hilltop picnic; night fishing on the lake, with the option of having the fish cooked for you right in your canoe; and a roundtrip cruise to Kochi aboard a one-bedroom yacht staffed by a butler. Rajesh Kaimal (fom@ radissonkumarakom.com) acts as concierge, and is also the person that agents should contact to book the resort (copysales@ radissonkumarakom.com). For your VIPs, reach out to General Manager Saji Joseph (gm@ radissonkumarakom.com). Our India trip concluded up north in India’s capital city, New Delhi, where the Taj Mahal Hotel (www.tajhotels.com) has accommodated everyone from Steven Seagal to Kofi Annan in its 30-year history. It has a Grand Presidential Suite that was designed for heads of state and CEOs, with such security features as bulletproof windows, closed-circuit surveillance monitors in the second bedroom and a location on the ninth floor—as opposed to the penthouse. The master bedroom of this opulent accommodation features a dressing area and bathroom with a Jacuzzi and steam room; a drawing room comprises two adjacent living rooms; and the dining room can seat up to 14. The suite also contains a study, treadmill and kitchen, and can be expanded to three bedrooms with a connecting room. If not booking the Grand Presidential Suite, still look to book clients in the Taj Club, which encompasses all rooms and suites on the seventh floor and higher. This entitles them to such privileges as personal butler service, airport transfer and use of a dedicated eighth-floor lounge, where breakfast and evening cocktails and hors d’oeuvres are served daily. Check-in is a breeze for Taj Club guests. We received a welcome drink when we arrived in the hotel lobby and were escorted to our room to complete check-in there. A bottle of wine, fresh fruit and chocolates awaited us. We also received a VIP amenity you may wish to request for your clients: an evening cordial served on a bedside tray bearing the mini bottle beside a tiny pillow and a fresh flower. Tip: Tell clients to look near their bed for HOTEL ROOMS at the Radisson Plaza Kumarakom have private terraces on the lagoon (left). The Trunk Call bar at the Radisson Plaza Kumarakom is in a building between a lake and lagoon (below). 20 LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR | September 2008 http://www.tajhotels.com

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Luxury Travel Advisor - September 2008 Contents Publisher's Letter Editor's Letter Provence India Alvear Palace Hotel Oceana Santa Monica English Country Houses Chewton Glen Summer Lodge Chilston Park Hotel Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago Park Hyatt Milan Intercontinental Montelucia Jackson Hole World Cruises French Riveria Spas Voluntourism Vacations Signature Travel Network The Pulse Profile Luxury Travel Expo Sightings Source List Leaders Speak

Luxury Travel Advisor - September 2008

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