Places of Distinction

Amsterdam an hotel with 60 rooms ranging from 1 to 5 stars...

Fashion meets architecture in the most unexpected and inspiring way. Rooms are dressed like models, allowing visitors to sleep in fashion and wake up in style.

The amount of stars refers to the size of the room and the amenities, not the décor: all of the rooms have been dressed and designed by graduates and alumni of the Amsterdam Fashion Institute (AMFI).  With an eye for detail and a love for fashion, they have turned ordinary hotel rooms into inspiring spaces.

Indulge in a room where custom-made fabrics hang from the ceiling and cover every wall in sight. Dream away in an opulent Marie Antoinette-style room where a huge dress drapes over the walls and unto the bed. Or wake up in a room, based on the old fairy tale of the Emperor’s New Clothes, where nothing is what is seems.

To reserve a specific room  a surcharge may be asked.

The 5-star rooms, which all look different, offer 'haute adventure.' Here you sleep in extraordinary concepts. The rooms feature either a balcony or terrace with views on the Beurs van Berlage or the Westertoren, which makes a truly Amsterdam experience.

 Information hotelexcellence.com then select amsterdam and diamond or email

Alessandra Manunza your "private chef"

“We are what we eat...Let’s learn how to cook and eat with style”

Alessandra Manunza, is a very exuberant, experienced and passionate chef from Sardinia, a beautiful island right in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, in Italy. She has worked in some of the best Michelin restaurants. After a long and successful career in New Zealand, and several other countries, she has decided to share her experience with all of you food lovers around the world! 

Her main aim and dream is to enhance the local cuisine and to make the most of the wide range of excellent local products, following the tradition, but revisiting old recipes with a modern touch. Experience, attention to details, excellent quality of the ingredients, innovation, creativity, presentation of her creations… These are the elements that have made her work successful all around the world.

Whether you wish to entertain your special guests for a tasty lunch, an important event, a cocktail party, a romantic dinner for two, or any other particular occasion at home, on a boat, anywhere you like, Alessandra will create a unique experience for you and your guests!

Contact Alessandra

A private bush home in its own game reserve

A private bush home in its own game reserve created to raise a family in the bush.

Situated in the malaria-free Waterberg in the Limpopo province of South Africa, it enjoys exceptional wilderness and beauty. The truly unique safari experience is a perfect blend of adventure and comfort in stylishly relaxed surroundings with exceptional personal service and a wide range of safari and bush activities. 

The lodge is beautifully built from local stone and thatch which creates a sense of harmony with its surroundings. The five large, spacious bedrooms are en-suite and decorated with natural materials and a contemporary take on colonial style. White linen with red and ebony accessories adorn the beds, shallow copper basins rest on polished vanity units and directors’ chairs beckon from private balconies.

There is a separate bunkroom allowing adults privacy and children independence and space to play, and cots are available for the youngest visitors.

For the adventurous, it’s also possible to spend a night or two camping out under canvas. Sleeping under the southern stars and waking with the dawn chorus and rising sun is a truly memorable experience.

Information on hotelexcellence.com or email

8 Trends that defined the Luxury Industry in 2012

India added a local sourcing clause to FDI, making it difficult for luxury brands to enter the local market. China overtook the United States as the world’s biggest consumer nation of luxury goods. Luxury goods brands led a mass exodus from Argentinian retail.

European luxury brands were snapped up by wealthy investors in Asia and the Middle East. Fast running out of brands to acquire, luxury conglomerates intensified acquisition of suppliers.

Luxury fashion houses made a serious foray into fine jewellery and timepiece categories. Luxury conglomerates went to court for counterfeit, copyright and everything in between. And continued to look for heritage brands of the past to bring them growth in the future.

In December 2012 Bain & Co. reported that Chinese consumers have overtakenU.S. shoppers to become the world’s biggest buyers of luxury goods. The Chinese now account for 25% of global sales through purchases at home and overseas according to the consultancy firm, as U.S. consumers account for one-fifth of the world’s luxury sales.

China’s domestic luxury sales, estimated to be worth 106 billion yuan ($17 billion) in 2011, are expected to grow 7% this year – a marked slowdown from 30% growth in 2011. In 2012 it also became clear that more and more Mainland Chinese tourists are shopping in cities like London, New York and Paris, where they can save as much as 40% on luxury goods because of the weaker euro and on differences in tax or duties.

The Heritage Revival

The current economic slowdown, combined with densely crowded prestige markets, has led many entrepreneurs to consider reanimating an old brand rather than creating a new one," explains James Lawson. “By reviving an old brand, entrepreneurs will benefit from its existing brand recognition and equity, usually defined as a combination of positive visual, verbal and emotional associations.”

A classic example is Faberge whose brand was long used for fragrances and cosmetics and only recently saw the original production of jewelled eggs restored. Similarly, LVMH acquired Moynat, a luxury leather luggage house that was founded 150 years ago but whose brand had been dormant for the past three decades. This year Tod’s resuscitated Maison Schiapparelli, a fashion brand that had been dormant since 1954.

Read full article on Luxury Society

 

 

B&B in Switerzland...

The new guide "Bed and Breakfast Switzerland 2013" is now available!

In Switzerland, bed & breakfast accommodations are booming: Contrary to the traditional hotel business, private accommodations brave the strong Swiss franc and register a growing number of overnight stays.

During the last five years, the offer of BnBs in Switzerland has doubled. More than 1000 accommodations present themselves in the quadrilingual guide "Bed and Breakfast Switzerland 2013", now divided into three regions. 

 

Bed and Breakfast Switzerland is responsible for the promotion of Bed and Breakfast accommodations in Switzerland.

Founded more than 18 years ago, the organisation takes care of the hosts' awareness of the importance of high quality offers. Precise control standards have been established by the organisation in order to assure each guest the best possible conditions for his stay.

Bed and Breakfast Switzerland has been awarded the quality label in the "Quality Programme of Swiss Tourism" for its reliability and diligence. 

Buy the B&B Swiss guide onsite