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    FAIRMONT THE PALM & SERENITY – THE ART OF WELL BEING PARTNER TO LAUNCH AN ALL-NEW WELLNESS SANCTUARY

    In the recent years, the world has experienced a major shift towards wellness with a deep desire for a healthy lifestyle. In the wake of this global surge, Palm Jumeirah is set to welcome a one-of-a-kind brand: Serenity – The Art Of Well Being, recognized several times as the best spa and wellness centre of Europe.
    Fairmont The Palm, one of the pioneering luxury hotels in Dubai, has joined forces with Portugal’s most acclaimed luxury wellness and spa brand Serenity – The Art Of Well Being, who’s recently just celebrated 7 years of exceptional brand achievements within the health and wellbeing market across Portugal. While excellence in services and innovations in holistic and signature treatments, lie behind its best core values, Serenity – The Art Of Well Being at Fairmont The Palm will offer a wide range of treatments, beauty services and massages, bringing the essence of the Portuguese wellness excellence to the city of Dubai.
    Since its inauguration in Portugal 7 years ago at Pine Cliffs Resort in Albufeira, Serenity – The Art Of Well Being has experienced significant growth, opening in two other properties (and with more coming soon). With a diverse and varied treatment menu, Serenity offers more than 100 different treatments to its guests. As one of Europe’s best and largest wellness centers, Serenity – The Art Of Well Being promises to provide memorable wellness experiences to residents and travelers with the aim of improving health and wellbeing in its broadest sense. Guests will be able to benefit from different personalised programs ranging from one-day packages, to wellbeing programs ranging to up to 14 days which include detox, weight management, fitness journey and yoga.The menu has been created for those seeking effective holistic, modern and innovative therapies that result in an improved and healthy quality of life. The spa will also include carefully selected skin care brands to provide those who seek us with the widest choice of treatments and home care options, for looking and feeling at their best.
    Set to open 01st of March 2024, Serenity – The Art Of Well Being at Fairmont The Palm will provide a transformative experience that will nurture the mind, body and soul to achieve the ultimate state of wellbeing.

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    UN Tourism Partners with Newly Rebranded Global Tourism Resilience Centre

    Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett (2nd left) is flanked by UN Tourism Secretary-General H.E. Zurab Pololikashvili (left); Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Tourism in charge of International Affairs, Sultan Mohammed Al Musallam (2nd right) and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson-Smith during a special ceremony commemorating the second annual Global Tourism Resilience Day (February 17). The event was hosted on day two of the 2nd Global Tourism Resilience Day Conference held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre from February 16-17, 2024 under the theme, “Navigating the Future of Tourism Resilience.”
    Jamaica’s position as a leader in tourism resilience building has been further bolstered following the announcement that UN Tourism (formerly UNWTO) has forged a major partnership with the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), which is being rebranded as the Global Tourism Resilience Centre (GTRC). It was also outlined that UN Tourism will continue to partner with Destination Jamaica in hosting the Global Tourism Resilience Day Conference moving forward.The announcements were made jointly by Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett and UN Tourism Secretary-General H.E. Zurab Pololikashvili as they marked the second annual observance of Global Tourism Resilience Day (February 17) at the Montego Bay Convention Centre.
    Minister Bartlett said while Jamaica has played a pivotal role in getting February 17 designated Global Tourism Resilience Day, other countries had been an important part of the initiative. Announcing the next step, Minister Bartlett said: “Now we will be establishing the Centre as a global entity in partnership with UN Tourism. We are also announcing the establishment of a Caribbean Tourism Academy, which the UN is going to work with us on as part of their global network.”
    He noted that this will pattern academies located in Saudi Arabia, Spain, Switzerland and Uzbekistan with another to be established in Brazil. The Jamaican academy will serve the Caribbean region.
    Mr. Pololikashvili said the next move would be “to create a Tourism Resilient Fund to continue the legacy of the GTRC,” which will continue to have its headquarters in Kingston. The establishment of the fund was proposed by Minister Bartlett at last year’s staging of the event.
    Meanwhile, Minister Bartlett also disclosed that he would be having bilateral talks with Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Tourism in charge of International Affairs, Sultan Mohammed Al Musallam “to discuss other areas of collaboration between Jamaica, the Caribbean and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”ADVERTISEMENTAs part of the Global Tourism Resilience Day celebration, participants also heard from Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson-Smith and Sultan Al Musallam.
    There was also an in-depth presentation by Mr. Mitsuyoshi Kawasaki, Resident Representative, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on the topic: “Towards a Framework Document for the Future of Tourism Resilience: Findings from the JICA/GTRCMC Tourism and Resilience Futures Workshop.”
    The day’s activities were held on day two of the 2nd Global Tourism Resilience Day Conference, which explored various facets of the industry worldwide through the minds of numerous experts and ran from February 16-17, 2024 under the theme, “Navigating the Future of Tourism Resilience.” The conference is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Tourism, UN Tourism and the GTRC.

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    Vienna Airport Embarks on €420 Million Terminal Expansion Project to Enhance Passenger Experience

    The new, attractively designed terminal area will provide a high-quality experience for travellers at the airport.  In this way, Vienna Airport will join the ranks of the top airports in the world. New, modern shopping and restaurant offerings will be created on an area of 70,000 m² featuring Austrian and international premium brands, spacious leisure areas and new, exclusive lounges. 18 new bus gates and a state-of-the-art security checkpoint will also be added.
    Passengers await a diversified shopping and restaurant offering with 30 new retail and food and beverage outlets spanning an area of 10,000 m² and renowned, high-quality Austrian and international premium brands. Accordingly, the airport will expand its shopping and restaurant space by 50% to more than 30,000 m² and thus a significantly expanded offering for travellers.In particular, Vienna Airport will rely on its acquired, high level of competence in leveraging digitalisation and Building Information Modelling (BIM) in planning and project management, thus ensuring a high degree of certainty in adhering to the timeline and budgeted costs. Very complex construction management is involved because work will be carried out against the backdrop of ongoing airport and terminal operations. The “ARGE Porr/Elin/Ortner” consortium won the tender and will now carry out the construction work.The Vienna Airport construction operations were completely reorganised in 2012. Since then, it has successfully implemented numerous large projects (e.g., Office Park 4, Austria’s largest photovoltaic plant, Terminal 2 modernisation and others).Project budget of € 420 million will be completely financed from the expected cash flows.Preparation work on the “Southern Terminal Expansion” construction project has been underway since July 2023. Now the airport is really getting things going. Johanna Mikl-Leitner, Governor of Lower Austria, Michael Ludwig, Mayor and Governor of Vienna along with Julian Jäger and Günther Ofner, the two members of the Management Board of the airport operating company Flughafen Wien AG, launched the intensive construction phase of the terminal extension with a budget of € 420 million.
    “Our airport is growing, passenger volume is increasing, and we are continuously among the best globally in terms of our service quality. Now we are also upgrading our terminal infrastructure to be top-notch internationally! Thanks to the new Southern Expansion project, we are laying the groundwork for Vienna Airport to join the ranks of the top airports and achieve 5-Star status. In the future, our passengers will experience a substantial improvement of the quality of their stay in a new terminal environment thanks to a considerable enlargement of the shopping and restaurant offering featuring renowned Austrian and international premium brands. There will be new and exclusive lounges, large and comfortable leisure areas, new centralised and state-of-the-art security controls, and better transfer connections for transfer passengers between all terminal areas. And all of this will take place in an exclusive and high-quality terminal environment making Austrian and Viennese elegance perceptible and palpable in a charming way. The Southern Expansion enables us to set new benchmarks in quality and ensure a comfortable stay. This project is yet another airport development milestone following the record results achieved in 2019 and the second highest passenger volume in the airport’s history in 2023,” states Julian Jäger, joint Member of the Management Board of Flughafen Wien AG.
    “The Southern Expansion is a key project within the context of our quality and investment drive over the coming years. After extensive preparation work, the intensive construction phase for the € 420 million project will now begin. It will be fully financed from our future cash flows, without the need for any loans. Our construction management was completely reorganised in 2012. Since then, it has successfully demonstrated its construction competence within the context of numerous large projects, all of which were finished on time and on budget. When it comes to planning and project management, we rely on our high level of competence in leveraging digitalisation and Building Information Modelling (BIM). In this way we can not only monitor the construction process on a daily basis, but also ensure adherence to costs and the planned timetable. Completion is scheduled for 2027,” says Günther Ofner, joint Member of the Management Board of Flughafen Wien AG, the board member responsible for overseeing construction.
    “Vienna International Airport is on a growth path. With this project, it is taking important steps to ensure the future development of the airport hub and the entire region. The airport is not only a crucial transport hub for Austria but also the largest employer in the Eastern Region and an essential flagship company for the entire federal state of Lower Austria. Thanks to investments in its terminal infrastructure, Vienna International Airport in Schwechat is strengthening its role as the gateway to the world for the Lower Austrian business, tourism and cultural landscape,” explains Johanna Mikl-Leitner, Governor of Lower Austria.ADVERTISEMENT“Vienna is one of the most popular tourism destinations in the world, and 2023 turned out to be the second-best year for tourism with new record revenues from overnight stays. Many of our guests come by plane, and thus Vienna Airport is an important calling card for the city. For this reason, I welcome the further development and expansion of the terminal infrastructure. I am pleased to see that stylistic elements of our beautiful city along with its tradition and culture will be integrated into the future terminal design,” says Michael Ludwig, Mayor and Governor of Vienna.
    Southern terminal expansion will serve as the basis for Vienna Airport’s 5-Star ranking and entry into the top league of international airportsVienna Airport, which was already awarded the Skytrax 4-Star Airport Rating, will take a major leap into the top ranks of international airports and will be put on track for a Skytrax 5-Star Airport Rating. In the future, travellers will experience an enhanced quality of their airport stay – in a league of its own. New shopping and restaurant space will arise spanning 70,000 m² or an area of ten football fields, along with large and exclusive lounges covering 6,000 m², spacious and comfortable areas, convenient transfer connections between the F, G, C and D gates as well as 18 new bus gates. All of this will be accessible via a new and large, centralised security checkpoint, equipped with the state-of-the-art technologies.
    30 new shopping and restaurant outlets with national and international brandsThe new shopping and restaurant offering in the Southern Expansion will be particularly attractive for travellers. More than 30 new outlets covering an area of 10,000 m² of floor space featuring renowned, top Austrian brands and international premium brands will create an extensive and diversified retail, food and beverage offering for passengers. Tenant acquisition efforts are already in full swing and are being implemented with digital support. In a virtual 3D tour, interested parties can explore the building’s interior areas and possible commercial space, take a closer look at passenger flows and leisure areas, and thus get a realistic impression of the entire terminal environment. On balance, Vienna Airport’s Southern Expansion will enlarge its shopping and retail space by 50% to a total of 30,000 m² and thus significantly enhance its offering for the benefit of its passengers.
    Relaxed stay in an elegant atmosphere: 6,000 m² of new and exclusive loungesThe Southern Expansion will make new and exclusive lounges available to passengers for a relaxed stay in an elegant atmosphere. Alongside the new Austrian Airlines Lounge with 4,000 m², a new Vienna Airport lounge featuring an additional 2,000 m² will be created, mainly oriented to the interior design of the very popular “Vienna Lounge”. The already identifiable design world characterised by elements, colours and textures of the Viennese Art Nouveau and the flair of Austrian and Viennese elegance will also be perceptible and palpable in the new airport lounge and the entire Southern Expansion. Accordingly, local and international passengers will not be confronted with a sterile terminal building but a modern, high-quality and exclusive terminal environment with charm and a local flavour linking passengers to the destination of Vienna.
    New and improved transfer routes for transfer passengers between the F, G, C and D gatesIn the future, access for passengers to the new terminal building will be available after leaving the check-in area of Terminal 3. The new building will also create a convenient transfer connection for transfer passengers between the F, G, C and D gates. Furthermore, 18 new bus gates will be added to the Southern Expansion, namely ten for Schengen departures and eight bus gates for non-Schengen departures.
    Implementing the southern extension of the terminal: Intensive construction phase is now commencingPreparation work for the construction project has been underway since July 2023. The construction site was cleared, the outer facade of Terminal 3 in the connection area was demolished, cable trays were laid, and shaft structures were built. Now the intensive construction phase is beginning. At present civil engineering work is in full swing using more than 900 bored piles and the foundation is being built. Subsequently construction of the six-storey building will commence, followed by the interior fittings and installation of the building technology system.
    Digital twin: the Southern Expansion is already completely virtually accessibleConstruction of the new terminal building will take place in accordance with the most modern standards and based on the use of digital technologies. The entire building has been fully digitally recorded and virtually mapped out in the Building Information Modelling (BIM) system to reflect construction plans. There is, so to speak, a “digital twin.” The entire building can be virtually entered. With just a click of the mouse, it is possible to wander through all rooms, floors and areas of the future terminal building. Not only are the walls, stairways, elevator shafts and other structural aspects presented, but also all the wiring and connections required in the future for the energy supply, building services and IT in the building. The advantage is that the actual state of construction work will be recorded in real time. Thus, all fittings and installations will also be available to the operational management.
    Sustainability is a top priority, also for the new Southern ExpansionSustainability is also playing an important role in the new Southern Expansion project. State-of-the-art building technology solutions will be integrated alongside optimised thermal insulation and a highly insulating façade. The intelligent building control system will also include highly efficient ventilation facilities with free cooling. Vienna Airport has already gained experience in constructing climate-friendly buildings. Office Park 4 with its geothermal heating/cooling supply, wind-optimised façade and sustainable construction has been seen as one of Austria’s most environmentally compatible office buildings up until today. The electricity supply will be partly derived from the airport’s own photovoltaic facilities, which will provide about 50 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually starting in 2024.

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    Award-Winning Distillery Buffalo Trace Selects Premium Barrel for Holland America Line

    Holland America Line team members were invited to Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky to join Mayville and Johnson in the private barrel selection room, located in the well-known Warehouse D.
    Holland America Line’s beverage program is introducing an exclusive single barrel select bourbon from Buffalo Trace Distillery, the oldest continuously operating distillery in the United States. This premium offering, curated by Sazerac Master Blender Drew Mayville and Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame inductee Freddie Johnson, will be available fleetwide in March while supplies last.The opportunity to serve this unique bourbon arose when Mayville, an avid Holland America Line cruiser, endorsed the cruise line for the prestigious Sazerac Barrel Select program — an honor limited to only a few participants each year. Sazerac is a family of more than 450 brands from award-winning distilleries around the world. The Sazerac Barrel Select Program allows spirits enthusiasts the unique opportunity to hand-pick a barrel from Sazerac’s award-winning collection.
    “We strive to share experiences with our guests that they won’t find anywhere else,” said Michael Stendebach, Holland America Line’s vice president of food, beverage and rooms divisions. “Collaborating with Buffalo Trace to craft a signature bourbon has been an incredible journey. Drew and Freddie guided us to select a barrel that will resonate with our guests and is the perfect representation of our two iconic brands.”
    Holland America Line team members were invited to Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky to join Mayville and Johnson in the private barrel selection room, located in the well-known Warehouse D. At the distillery, the group chose four barrels, and then Mayville and Johnson — both icons in the bourbon and spirits world — guided them through a tasting. The group ultimately chose a barrel that offers the distinct characteristics of Buffalo Trace Bourbon, with more intense notes of oak and spice on the nose with a smooth, lingering finish. Mayville reflected on the experience, stating: “We aimed to select an expressive and distinctive barrel for Holland America Line, confident that their guests would enjoy trying something truly unique to the cruise line.”
    The standout choice was Barrel #002, filled on Dec. 21, 2015, and aged in Warehouse U on Floor 5, Rick 34. This hand-selected barrel has been bottled and shipped fleetwide and will be available for guests to order in March. Enthusiasts seeking to try this exclusive bourbon will find it in the Ocean Bar on each Holland America ship, where it will be served neat, on the rocks, or as an Old Fashioned.
    Buffalo Trace joins Holland America Line’s evolving beverage program that includes partnering with award-winning bartender Ivy Mix who created new cocktails that capture the essence of Mexico and Latin America, launching its own De Lijn gin and introducing a traditional, pirate-inspired rum punch crafted by renowned mixologist David Wondrich that is available on Caribbean cruises. Additional destination-inspired beverage partnerships will be announced soon.ADVERTISEMENTFor more information about Holland America Line, consult a travel advisor, call 1-877-SAIL HAL (877-724-5425) or visit hollandamerica.com.

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    Crystal Lagoons Expands PAL™ Projects to Rome, Milan, Toulouse and Seville

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    Crystal Lagoons Expands PAL™ Projects to Rome, Milan, Toulouse and Seville

    Crystal Lagoons continues to conquer iconic cities in Europe. Having already launched in Prague, Warsaw, Bucharest, and Budapest, the company is now bringing beach life to Rome, Milan, Toulouse, Seville, and two additional Romanian cities. These Mediterranean cities will now also benefit from Public Access Lagoons™ projects, known as PAL™.
    In this way, this innovation multinational company, founded by scientist Fernando Fischmann, is expanding to Italy and France and adding projects in Spain and Romania, where it already has successful complexes such as Santa Rosalía, Alcazaba Lagoon, and Central District Lagoon City.
    The sustainability of Crystal Lagoons® technology was once again a determining factor for this agreement, the second with Forty Management, a prestigious and award-winning Romanian property developer with which the multinational has complexes in the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, and Hungary, characterized by their sustainability.
    The introduction of PAL™ projects into touristic and landmark cities like Rome and Milan demonstrates their added value, and the appeal of bringing an idyllic beach life just steps from homes. The central piece will be a large crystalline lagoon suitable for swimming and water sports, surrounded by white sandy beaches, which anyone can access for an entrance fee. The complex will be surrounded by residential areas, hotels, stores, restaurants, and other high-end commercial and entertainment infrastructure.
    “We are delighted that Crystal Lagoons, one of the world’s most innovative companies, has chosen Forty Management to expand into Europe. In partnership, we will bring beach life to the most amazing European cities and improve the quality of life through sustainable projects,” said Lucian Azoiței, CEO of Forty Management.ADVERTISEMENT“The disruptive innovation of Crystal Lagoons® technology, which allows bringing beach life in a sustainable way to any place in the world, is what generates the success of these crystalline lagoons. This has been recognized by avant-garde developers like Forty Management who, after confirming the trend in their first complex, repeat the model to develop new projects, even in cities that would be unthinkable like Rome, Milan or Toulouse,” said Jean Pierre Juanchich, Global Business Director of Crystal Lagoons.

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    Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape Launches Exclusive Women’s Retreat With Beyond

    This exclusive retreat is a celebration of womanhood, crafted by women for women. The programme blends a holistic approach to personal empowerment and self-discovery with the serene natural splendour of Bali to nurture mind, body and soul. The retreat is led by two distinguished practitioners: Beata, a life coach and psychologist known for her expertise in guiding individuals towards a deeper understanding of themselves and the empowerment to shape their reality; and Kimberley, a yoga and meditation expert who guides participants on a dynamic journey of inner peace, self-connection, and personal growth through movement and mindfulness practices.
    A curated tapestry of activities will include including mindset reframing, mind training and somatic practice.. The daily itinerary will include a curated tapestry of activities such as:
    Grounding VinyasaBreathworkIce Bath Restorative Yoga Jungle Trekking Fire Ritual Evening Meditation Canang Compass Soul Freedom JourneyNestled in the Buahan valley of Bali, Banyan Tree Escape is the perfect backdrop for this life-enhancing experience, directly engaging with nature in its unique no walls, no doors concept.
    Beyond is a digital wellbeing companion with a meticulously curated retreats programme, guided by distinguished practitioners applying its codified framework of eight pillars of wellbeing.
    A place on the seven-day Buahan Women’s Retreat starts from £4,600 based on two sharing.. The retreat includes: accommodation in a jungle pool; daily brunch, dinner and refreshments; roundtrip airport transfers; a pre-retreat wellbeing assessment call; daily group sessions and workshops; wellbeing activities; one massage and local Balinese cultural experiences.ADVERTISEMENTp >A further programme of retreats is planned for 2024/2025 with dates to be announced.

    To book, please visit https://escape.banyantree.com/retreat

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    Ten Trending Destinations for 2024 Revealed by Kuoni in New Travel Forecast

    Discovery tours of Namibia, great value beach breaks in Mauritius and glamping experiences in Thailand are all in demand for the year ahead according to the latest forecast from Kuoni.
    The report is based on a data from Kuoni’s peak January and February sales period so far and reflects places around the world which are enticing people to book.
    Even for premium travel, value for money is still a conversation many of Kuoni’s travel experts have been having with clients.  The Kuoni sales team has seen higher volumes of holiday bookings to Thailand, South Africa and India than last year, which all offer immersive travel experiences but favourable exchange rates which are amplifying the pounds’ worth.   
    Whilst iconic “bucket list” travel is still popular, Kuoni is seeing people asking about experiences beyond the well-trodden tourist trails.  The destination experts at Kuoni have created more travel options to many lesser-known regions, national parks and states, an example being a new itinerary in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, an often overlooked area that’s home to historic battlefields, mountain vistas and rich zulu cultures.
    Destinations appearing in Kuoni’s trending destinations list for 2024 include Mauritius, Thailand, Greece, Namibia, Sri Lanka, Portugal, South Africa, Canada, Grenada and India.ADVERTISEMENTThe island of Grenada, with a blend of beach plus rainforest, has climbed Kuoni’s destination chart and is becoming one of the stars of the Caribbean.  The hotel sector is evolving this year too, with Spice Island Resort making a stellar come-back after a substantial spruce-up and the much-anticipated debut of Six Senses La Lagesse in Spring set to turn heads.
    Nature and cool landscapes are a big draw for the year ahead, and Canada is enjoying an upturn in sales with independent self-drive trips and rail and sail holidays including the little-known Skeena Train which captures the beauty of British Columbia.
    Portugal and Greece are the stand-out places for premium short-haul travel.  In tune with the experiential travel wave, the volcanic archipelago of the Azores and self-drive tours in the Douro Valley and city breaks in Lisbon and Porto are drawing people to Portugal.  And in Greece, Kuoni is selling more island-hopping combinations like Santorini and Mykonos. Family bookings to Greece have risen with Ikos Resorts high on the wish list this summer.
    Sri Lanka sales are also on the rise again and it is reclaiming its place as one of the best-selling long-haul destinations for Kuoni. Looking ahead to this year, the focus is on sustainable growth and attractions like the Pekoe Trail, a new long-distance hiking route from the Hanthana Mountains to Nuwara Eliya’s hill stations.
    Thailand is also back on the map this year with rising sales.  The next series of White Lotus is creating a buzz along with a rising curiosity for more offbeat journeys.  The Bush Camp Chiang Mai, sister property to the award-winning Elephant Hills, is a top choice for seeing elephants in their natural habitat and this is being combined with glamping experiences at Raya Heritage.
    Marco Rocha, product and commercial director at Kuoni, said: “There’s a huge thirst for immersive travel this year and we’ve seen a huge diversity in terms of what people are booking so far, but with some clear trends emerging.
    We anticipated that value for money was going to be front of mind for all our customers this year, whether honeymooners, families, singles or older couples. We have been focussed on broadening our range and developing our commercial approach so we’re as competitive on price and service as we’ve ever been.
    Mauritius is winning out for Indian Ocean luxury at attractive prices. For those big trips, like South Africa and India, they are also proving great value and spending money on the ground goes a long way.  It’s great to see places like Namibia taking off as it’s something of a well-kept secret in Africa often overshadowed by the safari giants like Kenya and Tanzania. 
    We’ve had a strong start to the year, but anticipate that we’ll also see demand come through later this year as well as people assess their travel plans and budgets. But all evidence shows that travel is very much on the priority list for the year ahead.”

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    St. Maarten’s Newest Luxury Resort and Residences, Vie L’Ven, Launches Sales

    Altree Developments, a Toronto-based, multi-generational, full-service development company is set to redefine luxury living in St. Maarten and today announces they have launched sales at their newest development, Vie L’Ven (life to life), a luxury resort and residences with 280 units, that is slated for completion in 2028.“Vie L’Ven seamlessly coalesces the influences of both French and Dutch cultures which are truly represented in this incomparable development through exceptional living, dining and wellness experiences,” says Zev Mandelbaum, founder of Altree. “Serving as a love letter to St. Maarten, Vie L’Ven encourages homeowners and guests to embrace living life to the fullest, while soaking in the island’s natural beauty and tranquility, where European culture blends effortlessly with Caribbean aptitude.”
    Set in a pristine location on Indigo Bay, on the southwest Dutch side of the island, Vie L’Ven will feature a collection of fully furnished residences, alongside a luxury five-star hotel. Of the 280 units, 190 units will be hotel rooms (60 of which will be suites) and 90 private residences.
    The ResidencesThoughtfully designed by award-winning architectural firm HKS Architects, with interiors by Toronto’s internationally renowned, award-winning Studio Munge, the development is authentically inspired by both French and Dutch cultures.
    The residences, with sales and marketing being led by St. Maarten’s Sotheby’s International Realty, will range from one-, one-and-a-den, and two-and-a-den-bedroom suites that will span from 600 to 6,000 square feet and will be available for purchase in a variety of layouts. Pricing ranges from $800,000 to over $2 million. Serving as a retreat and sanctuary of privacy, the luxurious suites will boast playful patterns and woven textures, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Upon entrance, guests and homeowners will be met by a predominantly cream-white palette, accented with energetic corals or oceanic blues to reflect the island. Taking it a step further, Vie L’Ven will offer homeowners the option to upgrade with custom furniture packages, inclusive of full bedroom sets, living and dining room additions, and more.
    Vibrant Resort + AmenitiesThe resort will embrace the island’s energy and diversity and create an exclusive destination for islanders and guests by providing a one-of-a-kind, world-class experience. Upon arrival, Vie L’Ven offers awe-inspiring first impressions with striking sculptural artwork, and dispersed throughout the resort, guests can take in the visuals from the dynamic art program unfolding against a dark wood-paneled backdrop featuring intricate carved geometrical patterns. Textures and patterns such as coral stone floors, natural oak and more are implemented in the design and architecture to infuse authenticity and tactility to the resort. Amenities will include three swimming pools, 24/7 concierge services, a kid’s center, event spaces, a superb fitness center and world-class spa with an outdoor experiential bathing garden and treatment spaces. Upon request, wellness memberships and wellness suites will be made available which will include tailored programming, wellness centric elevated fixtures and more. Lastly, the resort will be home to three restaurants, including a signature restaurant, by a Michelin-starred artisan Chef who will share his incomparable cuisine with the island.ADVERTISEMENTCaptivating IslandKnown as the home of the friendly people, St. Maarten is one of the most culturally diverse destinations in the world and has established itself as the “European melting pot” of the Caribbean with its multicultural identity and range of influences. Easily accessible by air and sea, St. Maarten is on its way to becoming a “stop-and-stay” destination, bursting with languages, cuisines, and traditions from around the world. Although petite in size, the island offers an experience for everyone, whether it be exhilarating nightlife, breathtaking views, prestigious sailing, and more, creating the perfect blend of excitement and relaxation. Upon completion, Vie L’Ven will be one of two five-star resorts on the island, and will provide residence owners and visitors a new standard of unmatched luxury.

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