Rest easy, your Olympic dreams are about to come true.  The Fairmont Chateau Whistler now has a select number of rooms and suites available during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.  This February, Whistler, the Host Mountain Resort of the Games will be the place to be!

Accommodation available at The Fairmont Chateau Whistler consists almost entirely on Fairmont Gold, Fairmont’s Exclusive Lifestyle Experience, offering a private reception, exclusive lounge and numerous other special privileges including daily breakfast, hors d’oeuvres and honour bar.  To say the service and product of Fairmont Gold is unsurpassed would be an understatement.  Specialty suites as well as Fairmont Deluxe rooms throughout the hotel are also available in limited numbers during this time.  Set arrival and departure dates are required along with a minimum night stay (4 or 5 nights, depending on dates).  For those well-traveled individuals expecting a once-in-a-lifetime Olympic experience, this is their opportunity!

Now with the Peak 2 Peak Gondola open, guests can make their way over to Whistler Mountain to take in the downhill Olympic events right from The Fairmont Chateau Whistler’s backdoor and never set foot in a vehicle.  Or if they wish to carve some turns, simply ski straight out onto Blackcomb Mountain.  With over 90% of Whistler Blackcomb’s terrain open to the public during the Games, fresh tracks are sure to be found!

Reservations at The Fairmont Chateau Whistler can be made by calling 1-800-606-8244 or clicking www.fairmont.com/whistler.  Full prepayment at time of booking is non-refundable.

If you want the full Fairmont experience during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, our sister-properties The Fairmont Vancouver Airport and The Fairmont Empress, Victoria also have availability.  The Fairmont Vancouver Airport has Fairmont Gold rooms available starting from CDN $599 per night with a minimum four-night stay and set arrival dates.  Reservations must be fully prepaid at time of booking.  Contact The Fairmont Vancouver Airport directly at 1-866-540-4441 for reservations.  Just a short float plane ride away, The Fairmont Empress in Victoria has all room categories available with no minimal night requirement.  Rates start from CDN $299 CDN per night for a Fairmont room.  Call 1-800-441-1414 for reservations.

As well, The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver is offering a Powder to Podium package and The Fairmont Waterfront, also located in Vancouver, is offering a Going for Gold package.  In the months leading up to the Olympic Games, guests can take to the slopes and check out the venue first-hand, or enjoy the post-game snow after the games have wrapped.  Both offers include nightly accommodation, two adult lift tickets to nearby Cypress Mountain and an Olympic themed welcome amenity.  Available from December 1, 2009 to January 28, 2010, and again from March 9, 2010 to April 3, 2010, rates start from $249 CDN and $269 CDN per night at The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver and The Fairmont Waterfront respectively.

Every seasoned golf traveler knows there’s much more to a great golf trip than what it says on your scorecard. That’s why Fairmont Hotels & Resorts recently unveiled a slew of engaging new golf packages just in time for fall and winter travel.

The new packages feature world-class golf, breathtaking locales, spectacular accommodations, inventive spa treatments and a host of other luxuries, all delivered in Fairmont’s signature style. A sampling of the available packages is listed below (along with a few of our favorite golf holes and signature cocktails for good measure.):
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Global luxury hospitality leader, Sofitel Luxury Hotels is introducing a remarkable new programme at select Asia Pacific properties that will draw corporate decision-makers and meetings & events planners for memorable, chic, and bespoke events.

InspiredMeetings encourages Sofitel meeting and event clients to embrace their own creative vision in their event conceptualization combined with the savoir faire of the Sofitel Inspired Meetings teams, to deliver exquisite and memorable events with the renowned French flair of the Sofitel Luxury Hotels. At each participating hotel, the InspiredMeetings? team is prepared to stage any type of event from large scale conferences to intimate parties where clients are welcome to experiment with even the most unconventional requests!
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Mandarin Oriental, Jakarta has unveiled its own unique decorative fan, designed by celebrated Indonesian textile artist, Josephine ‘Obin’ Komara.

The fan will be take pride of place in the hotel’s new lobby when Mandarin Oriental, Jakarta re-opens in October of this year.

The fan has a beautiful black wooden frame and finely carved sticks. The red background is the colour traditionally used for celebrations and auspicious occasions, symbolising joy and good luck - particularly in the East. The gold ties in beautifully with Mandarin Oriental’s logo, while jasmine flowers were chosen as the fan motif. Symbolising pureness, exoticism and a sense of ceremony and beauty, jasmine flowers or melati are abundant and widely prized in Indonesia.
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Everything you ever wanted to know about beetles…and more! At the Lanna Kids Club Beetles Garden at Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, Chiang Mai, parents and children can get up close with these fascinating insects, learn about their life cycles and habits - and have a lot of fun at the same time!

The club’s friendly and informative staff will provide interesting insights into species such as the three-horned, fighting and muchi king (Japanese unicorn) beetles as well as others found in Thailand.  Did you know, for example, in Thailand female beetles lay eggs in the winter (November to December), which then hatch in the rainy season (June to October).  The rainy season is also the mating season during which time the male beetle becomes fiercely territorial.
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The Collection of nine Chic Outlet Shopping? Villages in Europe, managed by Value Retail continue to attract savvy international shoppers this season with an increase of total tax refunded sales in Q2 of 47% compared to the same period in 2008, showing a significant 51% increase year to date.

Collectively the nine European Villages outperformed their benchmark by double digit growth with clear indication that a sophisticated outlet shopping experience remains a key feature in the itineraries of travellers allowing shoppers to experience international and niche European brands at prices reduced by up to 60% every day, all year round. Host to internationally recognised fashion and lifestyle brands, of which, Vivienne Westwood, Givenchy, Matthew Williamson, Smythson, Anya Hindmarch, Temperley London and Agent Provocateur have chosen to have their only outlet boutique in Europe with one of the nine Chic Outlet Shopping? Villages. In a continued evolution, over 70 brands have opened or plan to open a boutique at the Villages during 2009, with names including Gucci, Bulgari, Armani, Roberto Cavalli Class, Belstaff, and Diesel Kids. It is clearly a compelling offer.

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Just seven minutes by speedboat from Sofitel Krabi Phokeethra Golf and Spa Resort is one of the Andaman, Thailand’s hidden gems: Hong Island. The award winning beach is surrounded by limestone cliffs, offering a secluded, desert island experience.

The property’s complimentary shuttle boat departs daily at 8:30 and returns at 15:00 with drinking water, beach towels, beach mats, snorkeling equipment and a kayak and butler included. Picnic baskets are available for 500 baht per person. Guests are encouraged to book early to avoid disappointment.

Mr. Ove Sandstrom, General Manager would like to present the beautiful Hong Island experience to all Sofitel Krabi Phokeethra guests with their premiere service of the daily complimentary shuttle so that the guests can enjoy the beach, nature and overall island experience in full.

Sofitel Krabi Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort is the first hotel to facilitate this exclusive offer.

The Beijing National Stadium,also known as the National Stadium,the “Bird’s Nest” is a stadium finished form the Olympic Games in Beijing.The “Bird’s Nest”,the main venue for Beijing’s Olympic Games,is perhaps the most iconic structure of the 2008 Olympics.It is located east of the Beijing Natinal Aquatics Centre.

The stadium will host the main track and field competitions form the 2008 Summer Olympics,as well as the opening and closing ceremonies.The stadium can seat as many as 91,000 spectators during the Olympics.The capacity will then be reduced to 80,000 after the Games.It has replaced the original intended venue of the Guangdong Olympic Stadium.the stadium is 330 meters long by 220 meters wide,and is 69.2 meters tall.The stadium uses 258,000 square meters of space and has a usable area of 204,000 square meters.It was built with 36 km of unwrapped steel,with a combined weight of 45,000 tons.The stadium will cost up to 3.5 billion Yuan.

The National Stadium is dubbed the “Bird’s Nest” because ofits innovative grid formation.The twig-like structural elements and the bowl-shaped roof are the masterpiece of the project,yet they pose great challenges to technicians and workers who need to make the building stand on its own feet.The constructors have made decisive efforts to let the “Bird’s Nest” support its own weight without relying on any of the supporting structures.

The large steel skeleton of the project weights 42,000 tons,with the roof and the hanging parts around it accounting for 11,2000 tons.To bear such a heavy load,78 supporting structures were temporarily installed and distributed in different points under stress.Through accurate calculation and careful argumentation,experts came to understand that the unloading process of the supporting frameworks should be divided into seven steps and each step should abide by the sequence of outer circle,middle circle,inner circle,middle circle and innercircle.In other words,35 mini-steps are needed to complete the whole process.

To unload a supporting structure,or to load the insitu steel skeleton,a lifting jack is used.Jacking pads with a height of 100mm to 200mm are placed on the top of the supporting structures.When the lifting jack rises,it replaces the structure to bear the load of the steel skeleton,and a jacking pad is removed.Then the jack descends slowly to give the remaining load again to the column,thus repeating a total of 35 times until the steel skeleton is able to bear its own weight.

Accuracy is required during the process.The maximum descent of the outer circle is limited to  68-286mm,the middle circle 161-178mm and inner circle 208-286mm.If the descent of the steel structure,which relies on its own supporting capability,exceeds the extent,or cracks appear somewhere in the skeleton,then problems might exist in the design,manufacturing or construction stages in the past three years.In a word,the unloading process is a proof of “the Bird’s Nest” Quality.

2009 Asia Hotel Industry Summit announced the award list of 2009 for “Top 10 Luxurious Brand Hotel in Asia”, in which The Sofitel Wanda Beijing was named. Moreover, Mr. Ian Alexandre, General Manager of Sofitel Wanda Beijing and Area General Manager Sofitel Wanda Hotels North China was named as one of the “Top 10 Hotel Managers”.

These awards further bring recognition to the Softel Wanda Beijing as being one of the best hotels in the city.

Ideally situated in Beijing’s Central Business District, the 27-storey Sofitel Wanda Beijing has 417 beautifully appointed guest rooms and suites, 4 restaurants, 10 conference rooms, a Grand Ballroom, Health Club, swimming pool, and the luxurious LeSpa. The hotel is ideal for meetings, conferences, and incentive groups as it enjoys easy access to the China International Exhibition Centre, the city subway, major tourist attractions such as the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, and shopping malls. It is only 30 minutes via airport expressway to Beijing Capital International Airport.