LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Welcome to the first issue of Getaway from Executive Edge Travel +Events. Every month we will bring you a special themed magazine-style newsletter which has a featured destination – this month we spotlight the great New York City in all its spectacular glory. And now there is no better time for Australians to head to the States with the 17- year high strength of the Aussie dollar.

In every issue you’ll also find the Edge Gold List which highlights the top 5 favourite resorts/hotels/rooms of one of our worldly wise staff. This month, I’ve racked my brain to choose from my inventory of beloved vacations to select 5 ‘hotels and their terraces’ of note.

Family Fun and Cruise News will provide additional innovative travel ideas for the whole family. Finally, Edge Travel diarises the inside scoop from recent trips from our staff each month.

We hope this issue, and all to follow, will inspire you to travel. Stay tuned for next month’s Best Islands issue to escape the Winter blues. Wherever your travel dreams, our expert consultants will be delighted to create personalised, imaginative and interesting itineraries for you.

We look forward to welcoming you to the Executive Edge family.

Sincerely, Kimberly Rosbe

Marketing and Communications Manager

FEATURE

Big Apple Style

A Place to Rest your Head in the City that Never Sleeps

Despite my plush surroundings in a suite at Trump Towers one New Year’s Eve day, sleep eluded me.  It was too quiet.  In New York, no matter what time of day, incessant noise exists outside your window – taxis honking, pedestrians chattering, delivery trucks roaring around, the hotel bellman whistling for a cab.  In a city that truly never sleeps, this racket is somehow part of the package, somehow accepted as necessary in a city where everything imaginable lies at your fingertips.  As New Yorkers, we get used to the constant cacophony and learn to drown it all out.  However, in those rare instances when the noise stops, we notice.

That night I rose from my 500 thread count sheets and luxurious corduroy covered down comforter and walked to the bedroom window overlooking Central Park.  The first rays of sunrise were just beginning to brighten the darkness and much to my surprise, a thick blanket of pristine snow was covering the sidewalks and streets.  This time of year never sees a heavy snowfall anymore but despite the weatherman’s predictions to the contrary, Mother Nature had different plans today.  The green of Central Park had vanished.  Everything was completely white.  The city was silent.  There was only white noise.  I’ll never forget that moment -  my partner was to propose that night.  In life, and certainly in New York, I’ve learned to expect the unexpected. Tonight, New Year’s Eve and the glittering chaos of the Times Square festivities would miraculously go on despite the two feet of thick snow outside now.  But for this instant, for a New York Minute, I revelled in the extraordinary quiet.  New York, at last, was sleeping for a moment.

Edge Favourite Sleeps in NYC:

UPPER EAST

Four Seasons New York – 57 East 57th Street

The imposing marble lobby houses a row of concierges which are without a doubt the most knowledgeable and influential in the city. If you want tickets to the sold-out Broadway show of the moment or reservations at the hottest restaurant in town, the Four Seasons’ concierge will deliver when no one else can. The service is arguably also the best in the city and the prices are to match. The overall 5* quality of this establishment is absolutely worth the expense.

MIDTOWN

Chambers – 15 West 56th Street

If you plan to attack 5th Avenue shopping with gusto, then Chambers may be the hotel to base yourself. Chambers has an impressive permanent collection of contemporary original artwork in each guest room and hallway, setting it apart from other modern hotels. Town, their in-house restaurant, is Chef/Owner Geoffrey Zakarian’s latest successful culinary endeavour.

The London NYC – 151 West 54th Street

Modern chic and London glamour combine at Gordon Ramsay’s slick new restaurant and hotel. Great place for fashionistas and the Park Avenue set to people watch and celebrity spot. The New York Times has recently awarded The London the “best room service award.”

St. Regis Hotel – Two East 55th St. at 5th Avenue

The refined elegance of this legendary hotel has been reconfirmed with its brand new Bottega Veneta suite. The 7th floor suite in the grand Beaux-Arts building has muted brown and cream tones in luxurious leather, suede and velvet. Travel & Leisure Magazine has rated the St. Regis the #1 hotel in New York.

UPPER WEST

Trump International Hotel &Tower – One Central Park West

Although the lobby and concierge are ordinary, the suites are some of the most spacious in all of New York for the money. Request a corner suite on the 6th floor (or above) and your living room will have a close-up view of Columbus Circle while your bedroom will overlook Central Park – best of both worlds.

SOHO//MEATPACKING DISTRICT/TRIBECA

The Mercer – 147 Mercer Street

In the heart of SoHo, almost hidden from view, is the boutique Mercer with its 75 loft-style rooms. It’s stylish without being too hip. A favourite among travelling celebrities because of the discreet nature of its staff. The Mercer Kitchen in the basement of the hotel is the chicest place in SoHo for a lunch or snack break from shopping.

SoHo House New York – 29-35 9th Avenue

Not to be confused with the SoHo Grand Hotel, the SoHo House is a private members club and hotel in the trendy Meatpacking District. Guests of the hotel can enjoy the members’ restaurant and bar, drawing room, screening room and best of all, the rooftop deck and pool that Sex and the City made famous. The 24 luxuriously appointed warehouse-style bedrooms ranging in size from 325-950 square feet are cleverly named Playpen, Playroom, Playhouse and Playground.

Tribeca Grand – 2 Avenue of the Americas

The rooms here were designed to give guests an authentic taste of exclusive Tribeca life – the designer has used exposed brick walls, organic colours and grass cloth wall coverings. The enormous lobby/bar is brilliant for pre-dinner cocktails.

City Focus

Frank Sinatra sung, “If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere…” Of course he was referring to the Big Apple. The Big Apple still trumps all the rest with its world-class cuisine, divine hotels and extravaganza of museums, shops, shows and vibrant neighbourhoods. Choosing from such abundance as a tourist can be overwhelming – here are 10 suggestions from our Edge team beyond the typical touristy activities:

1. Picture Perfect – New Yorkers are always looking for the next best view of their city. The 5th floor Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden, a 10,000 square foot terrace atop the Metropolitan Museum of Art, offers the ideal place to enjoy an afternoon cocktail overlooking Central Park after a day of perusing the latest art exhibit at the Met.
2. Reaching New Heights – Although one of the single most terrifying experiences of my life, the helicopter ride over Manhattan and around the Statue of Liberty is a mind-boggling awesome event. Only from this perspective can one truly understand and appreciate the monumentality of this cement city. (VIP Heliport West 30th Street and 12th Ave.)
3. Beethoven’s 5th – Dress up for a cultured evening with the New York Philharmonic to hear their long-awaited return this season to Carnegie Hall after 6 seasons’ absence.
4. The Knick’s rule – Sporting fanatics look no further. For electrifying basketball atmosphere, there was no more intense venue in America than the triple overtime game at Madison Square Garden for the Knick’s semi-final.Pick your game and experience true blue American sporting enthusiasm.
5. Skate Away – If you are visiting at Christmas, the most magical time of year in NYC, skating on the ice rink at Rockefeller Center is an absolute must. The iconic 80 foot Christmas Spruce towers and twinkles over the rink and will no doubt put you in the spirit of the season.
6. The King of Latenight – Attend a live taping of the David Letterman Show at CBS Studios. (Although your laughter will provide some warmth, bring a sweater, Dave likes his studio notoriously freezing!)
7. Break a Leg – Seeing a Broadway show is, of course, a New York City must and staple. Les Miserable is back on Broadway for an encore after a few years’ hiatus – still, in my opinion, the greatest musical of all time. Other musicals of the moment sure to entertain and amaze – Legally Blonde, The Lion King, Wicked, A Chorus Line, Hairspray, Mamma Mia and The Colour Purple.
8. Different View – If the lines for the Empire State Building are wrapped around the corner as usual, a fabulous alternative (and preferable) is the panoramic outdoor observation deck on the 74th floor of the Rockefeller Center called “Top of the Rock.” (If you suffer from vertigo, you may want to skip this one – the building top sways a bit in heavy wind.)
9. Kids Time – Keep the kids amused at Bronx Zoo, Coney Island, Queen’s Hall of Science, F.A.O. Schwarz, Staten Island Children’s Museum, American Girl Place, The NY Aquarium, a horse-drawn carriage ride in Central Park or boating in Central Park.
10. Shopping Heaven – If you stay at any of the 7 Hilton hotels in Manhattan, you’ll receive their Shop Til you Drop package including accommodation for two, $50 Bloomingdales’s gift card and 15% off purchases. If you need a little taste of home, try shopping at Elizabeth Charles in the trendy Meatpacking District for Aussie imported labels like Lover and Camilla & Marc.

A Bite of the Big Apple

(so many! – just a nibble of our favourites)

Asiate – 35th floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel – dramatic setting with sweeping views of the city with elegant first-class fusion food

Tao – 42 East 58th St@ Madison Avenue – Sex and the City popularised rendezvous graced with a large Budda in the middle of the massive double-decker restaurant serving the best Kobe beef in town

Spice Market – 403 West 13th Street – the latest cool place in Meatpacking District culinary originals, extremely unique Moroccan ambience

Nobu – 105 Hudson Street – Chef Nobu Matsuhisa and Robert De Niro’s modern Japanese haunt is still the best sushi in town in celebrity-spotting Japanese countryside decor

Le Bernardin – 155 West 51st Street – For a truly formal affair of old Manhattan glamour and class and the best seafood in New York with impeccable French service

Rosa Mexicano – 61 Columbus Avenue at 62nd (opposite Lincoln Center) – The best upscale authentic Mexican food in America in modern David Rockwell-design. The nachos are to die for!

EDGE INTELLIGENCE

New York Tips

• For backstage passes at a theatre event and meet the cast at your favourite Broadway show, we can arrange access for Legally Blonde, Lion King, Mary Poppins and Wicked.
• For discounted access to all the city’s best attractions, buy a New York City Pass. It will save you a bundle. www.citypass.com
• Want to arrive in high class? Silverjet’s new first-class only flights between London and New York are approximately $2550 return with 45 minute prior check-in, luxurious flat beds and made-to-order meals. And you get the option of a helicopter or chauffeur to transport you to and from the airport. www.flysilverjet.com
• October 6th-7th is the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. Bring your walking shoes and join in the fight to beat Breast Cancer. New Yorkers will embrace your efforts.

EDGE GOLD LIST

Kimberly’s 5 Favourite Hotel Suites (and their terraces!)

1. Cap Juluca, Anguilla, Caribbean – Villa 18B
   The villa Courtney Cox and David Arquette spent their honeymoon. I stayed a week last August in Villa 18B and I can confidently say it could be the single most spacious and well-appointed residence in the Caribbean. The Moorish style villa sits right on the beach at the very end of the property’s one mile long white beach overlooking the turquoise Caribbean with two balconies and huge floor to ceiling windows – large living room, formal dining room, kitchen, massive Master bedroom and bathroom, and private gated pool.
2. Villa Maria, Ravello, Italy – Room #3

   Snug in the hills of the Amalfi Coast, Ravello’s Villa Maria is worth the climb from the local piazza. Room #3 is truly enchanting. The enormous bedroom is decorated in decadent old world Italian furniture with colourful hand-painted floor tilings throughout. But the balcony is the standout feature. Its private wrap around terrace covers two entire sides of the building with unobstructed panoramic views of the entire Amalfi Coast and the surrounding hills. You will never want to leave your balcony the view is that sublime.

3. Las Ventanas, Los Cabos, Baja, Mexico – Oceanfront Rooftop Terrace Junior Suite

   This property commands a perfect ten in accommodation, service, food and ambiance in my opinion. The manager, Andres, himself ensures every detail is attended to. During my stay, he had overheard my mother speaking with another guest at the pool saying I had a bit of a cold. Homemade chicken soup and a certificate for a complimentary massage arrived at my suite within 30 minutes. The Rooftop Terrace Suite is the choice – your private terrace with Jacuzzi and cushioned seating leads to a spiral stairwell to a rooftop terrace with limestone floors, adobe fireplace and details evocative of rich Mexican heritage overlooking the expanse of white beach and cobalt blue Sea of Cortez.

4. Blanket Bay, outside Queenstown, New Zealand – Lodge Suite
   Blanket Bay is seemingly at the end of the earth, which makes the private lodge a favourite of celebrities wanting to holiday unnoticed. While I was there in March, a casually dressed Billy Crystal quietly enjoyed a hearty breakfast at the table next to mine. No one flinched. The natural splendour of the surrounding lake and mountains are truly breathtaking and the silence is deafening minus the occasional helicopter landing outside on the lawn. The highlight of my stay was two fold: the exquisite 5 course dinner alongside the owners (husband is the retired CEO of Levis) who were visiting from San Francisco and a glacier helicopter landing piloted by the personal pilot of Peter Jackson for 8 years during the filming of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The best room in the lodge is the Lodge Suite (one of three suites) on the upper floor on the far right side. Its 400 square foot private terrace could be the most peaceful place on earth with heart-stopping views of Lake Wakatipu and the snowcapped Humboldt mountains.
5. La Ponche, St. Tropez, France – The Blue Room #8

   In the heart of the charming Old Village of St. Tropez and only a couple of cobblestoned blocks from the port, lies La Ponche. With all the glitz and glamour of St. Tropez’s beaches and private clubs, La Ponche offers a classically French secret hideaway to recooperate and relax. The top floor is the Blue Room, named after the beloved actress Romy Schneider who regularly stayed there. It has its own rooftop terrace with two sun lounges, umbrella and dining table nested in red tiles and overlooking the town’s roofs, church, Citadelle and sea beyond.

FAMILY FUN

Winter Wonderland

Down Under weather in December dictates that Aussies spend their Christmas in thongs and shorts grilling seafood on the barbie and lounging in the sun. The idea of a “white Christmas” exists only in movies. Why not experience Christmas this year in Santa’s very own Lapland hideaway? Bentours has an extensive range of original family packages catering for the fantasy white Christmas in the Arctic Circle. The voyage begins in Rovaniemi as your “Christmas hostess” greets you and your kids at the airport with personalized letters from Santa. Bentours adventures include moonlight snowmobile rides as the Northern Lights dance in the Artic skies above, a visit to a Husky Farm and sled through the forest pulled by these wonderful dogs, icebreaker safaris swimming with Orcas and sleeping in heated glass igloos. Imagine a world of ice and snow, frost and fun – no better way to spend Christmas.

CRUISE NEWS

In 2006, Australians took a record number of cruises – up 18% from 2005 – more than double reported by the U.S. cruise industry in the same year. At the recent Seatrade Conference in Miami, it was announced that over 35 new ships are on order with a combined price tag of $20 billion. There is no better time to cruise and never before has such an abundance of ships and destinations on offer. Here is a selection of a few of the latest news/offers from some of our favourite cruise lines:

Crystal Cruises

With Crystal Private Adventures, Crystal Cruises offers families a chance to visit the place of their ancestral heritage or to explore any of our ports of call. Families can work with an expert to design a unique shore excursion program to bring them closer to their roots or simply to provide chance to travel ashore together. www.crystalcruises.com

Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Sail aboard the Seven Seas Mariner for their 15 night President’s Cruise with Regent President Mark Conroy exploring exotic and remote Southeast Asia. Regent is offering a 20% savings, complimentary shipboard credits and free Economy Class flights. Your adventure begins in Bangkok with a gala dinner with dance and music provided by the Royal Thai Navy. www.rssc.com

Silversea Cruises

For a limited time, Silversea is offering a 50% off cruise-only fares on a wide variety of voyages worldwide. Visit www.silversea.com for voyage choices.

Pacific Princess

This boutique liner will debut in 2008 in the Mediterranean offering voyages to unique destinations such as Alabania, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Croatia, Ukraine and the Holy Land. www.princess.com

Carnival Cruise Lines

Carnival’s newest ship to be launched in 2008 has just been named Cloud 9 – at 7,000 square meters it will be the largest spa facility at sea with 64 spa suites, all accessed by private lift. Passengers in these cabins will enjoy exclusive amenities including unlimited spa access, priority spa bookings and free fitness classes. www.carnival.com

Tauck World Discovery

Tauck River Cruising has launched two brand new itineraries for 2008. The Rhine and Moselle and The Black Seas to Prague. See www.traveltheworld.com for details on these unusual river cruises.

Holland America Line

Jewels of Europe/Northern Isles itinerary ventures back into Viking history as you cruise through countries including Norway, Finland, Denmark, Russia and Germany. Enjoy current savings of AU$1200 on selected staterooms on 15-18 night cruises. www.hollandamerica.com

Windstar Cruises

Bask in the Caribbean sun for Christmas on the deck of this luxurious motor sailing yacht visiting the tropical ports of St. Barts, St. Martin, Pigeon Island and Barbados. Book now and save up to AU$800 off brochure cruise fare. www.windstarcruises.com

EDGE TRAVEL

Sally’s Travel Diary to W Hotel in the Maldives

If you are looking for chic, class and luxury combined with exquisite international cuisine and uninterrupted views of the Indian Ocean, the brand new W resort and Spa is the place.

I’ve just returned from a romantic and completely relaxing week in the Maldives at the W with my partner.  Our Room was called “Retreat” and that’s exactly what it is!  A retreat in itself – totally private, the room itself huge, your private deck even bigger, incredible views through your glass floor, a plunge pool, a king sun bed, a shady pagola.  Your Retreat is also equipped with a plasma TV screen, free internet connection, Bose stereo system and, very innovatively, your own BBQ on your deck to cook your own food if you feel like it.

In the past, I’ve found that sometimes too chic and too luxurious has made me feel uncomfortable or even a bit awkward.  But somehow the W have got it totally right.  You can spend as much time in your Retreat as you want with 24 hour in-room dining available or you can mix with the rest of the guests at the super cool “wet” bar.

I must make special mention of the food because somehow out there in the middle of the Ocean they have managed to create inspiring food that doesn’t cost you your house to eat.  Their signature Japanese Seafood Restaurant produced some the best sashimi I have ever tasted.

I can highly recommend the W resort and Spa categorically.  One week actually felt like two weeks away.  I’ve been fortunate to visit so many wonderful resorts in the world, and I am comfortable ranking the W Maldives in my Top 3.

Linda’s Travel Diary to Club Med Malaysia

Last month I travelled to Club Med Cherating Malaysia with my parents and my two daughters (aged 12 & 10).  There was an abundance of activities for the kids which allowed me time to relax (apart from my attempt at the trapeze, kayaking, beach volleyball, roller-blading, tennis and bungee bounce!) The all-inclusive meals and snacking is a fabulous bonus at Club Med so I never had to dig into my pockets and worry about the kids being hungry between meals.  The kids could come and go as they pleased – signing themselves in and out of the kids club.

Cherating is such a beautiful village and I love the fact that it is quite isolated so that you don’t feel pressure to continually sightsee. Still, it was refreshing to embark on two day excursions – Quad bikes through the beach and jungle and a 1/2 day sailing cruise.

After spending 10 nights at Club Med, we also did a 3 night stopover in Kuala Lumpur to do some fabulous shopping at Sungei Wang Plaza, Lot 10, Megamall Mid Valley and, of course, the ever famous KLCC.  If shopping is not your style, there is still plenty of other things to do like visiting the Batu Caves, marvelling at the Petronas Towers, experiencing the sky bridge or even visiting the mosque, city parks and gardens.  This area always has something for everyone.