Samstag, 19. März 2005

How not to crash a plane with your mobile phone. Like Toby Ziegler of The West Wing, the ban on mobile phones on airplanes has never made sense to me: Flight Attendant: You can't use your phone until we land, sir. Toby: We're flying in a Lockheed eagle series L-1011. It came off the line 20 months ago and carries a Sim-5 Transponder tracking system. Are you telling me I can still flummox this thing with something I bought at Radio Shack? Shoe checks and bans on knitting needles don't make a lot of sense if a passenger can bring down a plane with 3G, so it's nice to know it's not the plane in the sky that's at risk; rather, it's mobile phones on the ground: Contrary to popular belief, the main impediment to the use of mobile phones on planes is not interference with the aircraft's avionics systems. On a typical long-haul flight, 20 mobile phones are left switched on. Instead, the problem is that airborne mobile phones disrupt mobile networks on the ground. An airliner with 500 phones on board, whizzing across a city, would befuddle the network as the phones busily hopped from one base-station to the next. Since one of those 20 mobiles left on is normally mine, it's good to know my absent-mindedness hasn't brought me and my fellow passengers perilously close to a disaster of which we were unaware. In any case, new on-board base stations called picocells have now been developed, and are expected to be approved in 2005 for a 2006 service launch. Which means that ET can phone home while on the way, though the matter of in-flight telephone etiquette will still need to be sorted out. [Wanda Lust: First Class UK Travel Blog] 9:02:20 AM    comment []

Hotel QT opens on the QT. It seems every travel blog is talking about Hotel QT, the brand-spanking new New York City hotel with prices more like a Birmingham Travel Lodge. It's the spawn of Andre Balazs, who also fathered Miami's art deco paradise the Raleigh and the rebirth of LA's historic Chateau Marmont. Back to New York and the QT: Gridskipper was under the impression the hotel wasn't yet open, while our friends at Hotel Chatter thought it was open, but no longer flogging rooms at $99 per night. Hotel Chatter is right; as the nice people at QT PR told us on Monday: Although the hotel is open (70 out of 140 rooms are operational) we are still about 5-6 weeks off from the public spaces being finished. For some reason, they are not taking PR photos of the 70 availible rooms yet, and are waiting for all rooms plus the public spaces to be complete before sending in the paparazzi. Fair enough; with a room rate of $165 per room per night, it could look exactly like a Travel Lodge and still sell out in NYC. But, as soon as the PR kits are out, we'll have photos. [Wanda Lust: First Class UK Travel Blog] 9:01:30 AM    comment []

Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace wins "Best Hotel" Award. Industry professionals at the IHIF handed the Best New Development award to an establishment very high on my Hotels To Do list, the Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace in Budapest. Because sometimes even I tire of the new, swanky and chic and crave the grand, impressive and ornate that comes with very traditionally hostelry. (Somewhat sadly, I'm a big fan of the DeVere hotels for staid weekend getaways.) Housed in one of the world's finest Art Nouveau buildings, the 179-room Gresham Palace is one of central Europe's most lovingly restored and preserved architectural jewlels, complete with ornate stained glass vaulted ceilings. Situated on the east bank's Danube Promenade, its also the city's only centrally located historic hotel, and offers stunning views of the hotel's inner courtyards, the old city or the Danube. Eastern Europe is such a bargain, and rates at this grand palace of Four Seasons hospitality start at only £135 per night. Amazing bargains for what promises to be an amazing hotel stay. [Wanda Lust: First Class UK Travel Blog] 8:59:53 AM    comment []

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Bravo Villa Rentals. Bravo Villa Rentals gives you a lovely collection of fun choices for your Italian holiday. Umbria, Capri, Tuscany or maybe Sicily. Apartment in Florence, Tuscan villa or how about Il Castello an 11 suite home built in the 16th century? A week at Il Castello costs upwards of $20,000 and comes with a complete staff and a boat to ferry you over to Elba. [Luxist] 8:52:58 AM    comment []

Marquis Jets M Club. Marquis Jet has created a new private aviation club experience: the M Club. Membership in the M Club gives you access to Marquis Jet[base ']s Boeing Business Jets. These $52 million dollar planes accomodate 18 passengers and are configured with two full bedrooms, a conference/dining area, two bathrooms with showers and a lounge. The plane has a range of 6,000 miles and has multiple monitors to keep your entire party entertained. The M Club is limited to 100 club members at an introductory fee of $125,000. [Luxist] 8:49:38 AM    comment []

Skiing Luxury--Rent The Whole Slope. Want the ultimate in luxury, why not rent the whole slope? Samsung boss Lee Kun-hee is treating himself (and 80 friends) to the ultimate ski vacation. He is renting three runs at the French Alpine resort of Courchevel for two hours each day for three weeks. Netting will separate his private runs from other areas of the resort. A snow scooter will tote him around and there will be six ski instructors. Now[base ']s that[base ']s a nice spring break. [Luxist] 8:48:00 AM    comment []

Brando's Island To Become Resort. What was once Marlon Brando[base ']s private escape from the world will now become a luxury resort. The French Polynesian atoll of Tetiaroa owned by the reclusive star will become an eco-hotel called The Brando. It will have 30 villas and will be the only hotel on the island. Because we are total travel wimps, the [base "]eco[per thou] part scares us but it really means the hotel will [base "]rest lightly on it[base ']s environment.[per thou] We[base ']re thinking that means no wi-fi. [Luxist] 8:47:28 AM    comment []

Abercrombie Kent Private Jet Travel Tours. Luxury travel company Abercrombie & Kent has relaunched their Private Jet program. For the mere starting sum of just under $40,000, tourists are whisked away via a reconfigured 757 to exotic destinations in Europe, the Mediterranean and South America. Upon touchdown, they are given tours and lectures by top notch historians and artists. Tours can last upwards of 20 days. [Luxist] 8:42:48 AM    comment []

Exclusive Resorts GrowsA Lot. Exclusive Resorts, the ultra posh luxury residence club we[base ']ve blogged about before, is expanding quickly. The company announced yesterday they had added 35 new homes in four destinations, bringing the grand total to 175 homes in 32 destinations. The new locations added are Chamonix, France; St. Tropez, France; Abaco, Bahamas; and Turks & Caicos. Members pay a one time fee of $375,000, plus annual dues ranging from $15,000 to $25,000 for full membership (there is a lower priced affiliate option as well), to gain access to up to 60 days per year at any of the properties. [Luxist] 8:41:46 AM    comment []