Our regular roundup of the hottest travel industry developments, including new openings that will improve your holidays this autumn and winter.
With the busiest summer travel months behind us, September is when our team reconnects with travel partners and friends from across the globe. It’s also when we explore new partnerships and hotels.
In this roundup we have new direct flight routes to the Indian Ocean and Oman, reimagined villas with private pools at a Dubai resort, restaurant Zuma and sustainable aviation fuel. Plus a lot more.
And we’ve secured some exclusive offers and extras only for EliteVoyage clients.
Mauritius
From mid-October there will be a direct flight connection between Vienna and Mauritius, four days per week on Austrian Airlines. Great flight times too, with evening departures from Vienna and 08:00 arrivals.
We recommend the best resort in Mauritius, One&Only Le Saint Geran. They’ve just added a new kids pool and we’ve secured complimentary half board for our clients, for selected travel dates.
Dubai
A private villa with a swimming pool at a resort in Dubai? It’s something extremely rare. So we’re very excited about the reimagined royal villas at Jumeirah Dar Al Masyaf.
They’re called Malakiya and are featured in the new Explorer IV magazine – the combination of privacy and exclusivity with resort facilities will surely be a winner with our clients.
Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai has been off our recommendation list for the last 18 months, due to the intensive construction of Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab across the road. We’re assured the construction has stopped and we’ll soon be making a visit.
Peninsula Hotels
It’s been great reconnecting with our friends at Peninsula Hotels, who extended a great offer for anyone booking a Peninsula property via EliteVoyage. At any Peninsula hotel, they’ll guarantee early check-in from 6am and late check-out up until 10pm.
Do you prefer Peninsula Paris, Peninsula New York, or perhaps Peninsula London, the hotel with the best views in all of London.
Maldives
The first ever overwater Zuma restaurant has opened. It’s also the first Zuma in the Indian Ocean, located at Waldorf Astoria Maldives.
The restaurant is exclusive to Waldorf Astoria guests and we’ve secured some special summer rates that are valid all the way until mid December. These include complimentary half board, so it’s a good opportunity to discover some of the world’s best in-resort dining.
Over the last 12 months we’ve interviewed the general managers of COMO Cocoa Island and COMO Maalifushi. These resorts are becoming popular with our clients and COMO have some special extras for us – ask your travel designer about the details!
Oman
Oman is back in our imagination after the permanent resumption of direct flights between Prague and Muscat. SalamAir flies this route on Tuesday and Fridays.
Last week in Prague we met with the Chedi Muscat and the operator of an exclusive-use Omani desert camp. Ask us about Oman – various people in our team have been there, including to Six Senses Zighy Bay.
London
The biggest UK hotel opening of 2024 will be Raffles London at The OWO. You’re sure to hear about it in the media. We have invitations to the opening and will report back on the hotel.
Mandarin Oriental is also opening a new London hotel, in December 2024. That’s on our list too and you’ll be first to find out about our inspection.
Mandarin Oriental Hotels
Last week we met with many Mandarin Oriental hotels to discuss exclusive extras for our clients. Did you know about the remarkable renovation of Mandarin Oriental Ritz Madrid?
Expect to soon hear more about a new beachfront Mandarin Oriental property in Mallorca too. Plus one in the Dolomites. Both will open next year.
Sustainable Aviation Fuel
We have a new partner for sustainable aviation fuel, which will enable us to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of all the jet charters we arrange for clients.
Not only can we arrange flights between any global airports, on any aircraft, we can now secure more sustainable fuel for virtually any private jet flight leg.
Antarctica
There were two ways to explore Antarctica. Flying to the continent for a stay on land at White Desert. Or an expedition ship from Ushuaia in Argentina to the Antarctic Peninsula.
We’ve discovered a third. A new ship, the Scenic Eclipse, will be running expeditions from New Zealand to an unseen part of Antarctica. It has two helicopters and a submarine for deeper on-ship exploration.
Zanzibar
We finish with an incredible update from our Czech friends who own and operate the Tulia Zanzibar resort.
They’ve added private pools to two of their 16 villas and Le Petit Chef concept, to compliment their farm to table gastronomy.
They’re not the coolest things though. Tulia Zanzibar have been awarded a contract to open the first luxury overwater resort in Zanzibar (the five overwater villas at Isaraya Luxury Over Water Villas are not luxurious or suitable for our clients). It will be a private island resort located on small islands to the south of Zanzibar.
It won’t open until 2026 but it’s great to see pioneers from the Czech Republic redefining luxury on this beautiful Indian Ocean island.
Your Autumn & Winter Holidays
There’s more we could share. Like hotels we’ve discovered in Uzbekistan, luxury camps in Mongolia, and special offers from One&Only hotels.
But of course you know what to do. For the very latest in travel, contact us or your travel designer. We’ll give you personalised advice so you can be first to explore what’s new in travel.
