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Lux Grand Gaube (formerly Legends) in Mauritius; as well as Lux Maldives (formerly Diva); and Lux Ile de la Reunion (formerly Grand Hotel du Lagon). The brand work for Lux has been carried out in consultation with Piers Schmidt of Luxury Branding in Cape Town, with whom Jones worked on the development and launch of One&Only, where he was previously chief operating officer. The group’s other three hotels –


Tamassa and Merville Beach in Mauritius; and Hotel Le Recif in Ile de la Reunion – will retain their names but will be “Produced by LUX”, with the essence but not all the scenes. Head of sales and marketing Jane


O’Shea said the three-strong sales team would be on the road throughout December and numerous fam trips to the resorts are planned for 2012.


■Read more about the new Lux brand in ttgluxury winter 2011


Ampersand tips Sri Lanka for 2012


SRI LANKA is set to be a leading destination in 2012 according to Ampersand Travel. Two and half years on from the end of conflict in Sri Lanka, Ampersand’s founder James Jayasundera said the country was undergoing a renaissance with a new found focus on its safari, infrastructure and new hotels. He said: “Although Sri Lanka was unable to develop during the years of civil war, this has meant that now the country can learn from other tourist destinations and avoid their pitfalls. The image of Sri Lanka is being raised by beautiful private boutique hotels with high levels of service.” Jayasundera highlighed the


country’s safari potential with its own “big five”, including leopard, Asian elephant, sloth bear, water buffalo and blue whale. Recent openings include Ulagalla


Resort in Thirappane, Chaaya Blu in Trincomalee, Maya Villa in Tangalle and Cocoon Resort in Wadduwa. In the pipeline for 2012 are


properties from Uga Resorts, Shangri-La and Six Senses.


The Cox & Kings Myth Buster


Catherine Baer, agency sales manager


New arrival: Ulagalla in Thirappane


Jayasundera said new trends included surfing around Amanwella in Tangalle and Hikkaduwa, both on the south coast, while eco-lodges, mud huts and treehouses have also come to the fore, such as Ulagalla Resort in Thirappane. A motorway from Colombo to the south coast has just opened, cutting the journey from Colombo airport to Galle from 4.5 hours to two, and a second airport is opening in December 2012, acting as a gateway to the south, and the previously “off-limits” east coast. Passekudah on the east coast has already seen the opening of hotels such as Malu Malu. On the west coast, Kalpitya will be the focus for 5,000 hotel rooms.


I am back to try and dispel popular myth number two – Cox & Kings only sells escorted group tours. Yes, we sell group tours. In fact,


we are proud of the fact we have more than 50 different group tours covering countries from Albania to Uzbekistan. And it is these lesser known destinations that lend themselves perfectly to group travel. Our escorted tours to Iran, Madagascar, Ethiopia and Burma, for example, are incredibly popular. Yet, as our clients’ thirst for


Eden grows portfolio Eden Hotel Collection has bought the Mount Somerset hotel from von Essen Hotels. The remainder of the hotels under von Essen are not in adminis- tration and continue to trade as usual.


Monastery returns Monastero Santa Rosa is to open between Positano and Amalfi in May following a 10- year restoration of the 17th-century monastery. The hotel will have 20 rooms, infinity pool and a spa.


adventure grows, so does their confidence in private travel and their wish to have a personal itinerary. Today, half of our business entails tailor-making the perfect holiday. Our specialist regional consultants can create itineraries, cherry-picking the ideal hotels and dove-tailing the travel intricacies so the holiday flows well. We can quote with or without flights, and include a private driver and/or guide for transfers and excursions. Above all, flexibility is key. Often, we work around clients taking pre- planned services for part of their trip and time under their own arrangements. After all, we all grew up gasping


NOW OPEN: Kuoni has opened two stores in Guildford and Kingston with four more to open this month in Winchester, Canterbury, Chichester and Westfield, London. Pictured are Kuoni Guildford team with the Mayor of Guildford, Cllr. Terence Patrick, his wife Angela and Kuoni’s Derek Jones.


wide-eyed at the endless choice of a traditional pick’n’mix sweet shop, so it’s hardly surprising today we prefer selecting our own favourites over a pre-packaged assortment. So what’s it to be: A bag full of blackcurrant and raspberry sweets, or will you leave clients the nasty surprise of lemon and lime?


01.12.2011 21


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