The five star Gleneagles resort in Perthshire (above) and Rocco Forte's The Balmoral in Edinburgh are teaming up to offer an incredible "Taste of Scotland" package this season, providing guests with a true Scottish gourmet experience in two legendary, luxurious and multi award-winning locations. At the historic Balmoral in Edinburgh, travelers will be welcomed into a complimentary upgraded Executive Room, complete with a bottle of Bollinger champagne on ice, and will enjoy dinner in the Michelin-starred number one restaurant. While at Gleneagles, set on 850 acres of Perthshire countryside, guests will relax in a sprawling Estate Room before sampling a Scotch whisky tasting for two in the bar and then dining at the Michelin-starred Andrew Fairlie restaurant. Gleneagles is also home to three of the top Scottish Championship golf courses, a wide range of exhilarating outdoor leisure activities and a spacious spa. The Taste of Scotland package costs £1,200, or about $1,985, for two people with two nights at each hotel.

[via JustLuxe]

The "AIG effect" is still affecting the luxury resort industry.

Indeed, businesses started toning down lavish corporate events after American International Group, the insurance giant, was widely criticized for holding a conference at a luxury resort days after it received a cash infusion from Congress in 2008.

Many resorts that have a heavy dependence on group business are still struggling. The latest victim is Amelia Island Plantation. Last week, the 1,350-acre luxury enclave overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in northeast Florida filed a voluntary petition for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The resort is very dependent on its group business, which has dropped precipitously over the past year, according to Richard Goldman, its chief marketing officer. "More than half of our business is from corporate groups that hold conferences here," says Goldman. "The AIG effect has basically scared off folks -- even businesses that could afford to have meetings -- who are afraid to hold conferences at resorts."

The company will operate as "business as usual" during the reorganization and an investor group, comprised of Amelia Island Plantation residents and club members, has already collected to aid the resort.

Amelia Island Plantation isn't the only hospitality company struggling during the recession. In Scottsdale, Ariz., the W Hotel recently staved off foreclosure and the InterContinental Montelucia Resort, also in Scottsdale, faced possible foreclosure earlier in the year. The Tropicana Las Vegas casino and the Ritz-Carlton Lake Las Vegas emerged from bankruptcy this year.

And this week, Citigroup reached a tentative agreement to sell the very same resort that started the whole mess in the first place. The St. Regis Monarch Beach resort in Dana Point, Ca., made headlines last year when it hosted a group of AIG executives at a retreat just days after the government bailout of the company. Citigroup seized the St. Regis from its owners last summer, after they failed to make payments on the bank's $70 million loan on the property.

On my recent visit to Holland, sponsored by the Netherlands Board of Tourism, we ventured up to The Hague (Den Haag) for the Dutch Fashion Awards and some museums. Though it wasn't originally on the itinerary, everyone on the trip was dying to see the Escher Museum (Escher in het Paleis).

The museum is located in the royal Lange Voorhout Palace, and features well kept original fixtures as well as several rooms dedicated to showing what the winter palace of Queen Mother Emma used to look like. Since then, the legendary Dutch graphic artist who's still blowing our minds almost 40 years after his death has been moved in, and the juxtaposition of decadence and mind-bending art is surprisingly harmonious.

If you're taking a trip to Amsterdam, a 45-minute trek up to The Hague is worth it just to see the museum, which not only has a far more extensive Escher collection than any of us believed was possible, but which also features a stunning array of crystal chandeliers in almost every room.

The chandeliers, like the enormous "Rain Cloud" in the foyer (above), are all works by Hans van Bentem (1965), a ceramics and glass artist from Rotterdam who happens to have a penchant for designing elaborate and unusual chandeliers. How unusual are they? Check out the gallery for a crystallized firefly, shark, trophy, umbrella, seahorse and more. The Hans van Bentem chandeliers are an exhibit all their own, and have appeared in the museum's formerly royal rooms since 2003. This is the full collection:

This trip was paid for by the Netherlands Board of Tourism, but the ideas and opinions expressed in the article above are 100% my own.

Planning your group stay in Las Vegas just got a little more streamlined if you are staying at one of the Harrah's Entertainment properties. The brand has launched Total Experiences, a new service that offers complimentary trip planning and insider access for friend and family travel, including milestone birthdays, bachelor parties, girlfriend getaways, reunions and golf trips.

Each group is connected with their own Total Experiences Specialist (one of the friendly faces shown above) who handles all details of the group's itinerary both before and during their stay, booking all reservations, offering insider recommendations, and arranging VIP privileges. It is available to groups of six or more who book at any U.S.-based Harrah's Entertainment resorts in Las Vegas, Atlantic City and beyond, including Caesars Palace, Paris Las Vegas, Caesars Atlantic City and Harrah's Resort Atlantic City. Guests pay for only what they book and can include upgrades like VIP check-in, access to private lounges, VIP club entry, celebrity meet-and-greets, private gaming lessons and behind-the-scenes tours. Trip planning includes on- and off-resort activities like unique insider experiences such as the exclusive chef's table at Guy Savoy or a private gaming table in the Pussycat Doll pit.

These properties spare no luxury while also keeping you mindful of your location which is smack in the middle of wild African nature -- you're asked to never go to your room at night without a watchman, and staff will keep a watchful eye out to to make sure mischievous vervet monkeys don't snatch away your mid-day snack. (When I stayed at Singita Sweni a couple of years ago, on a visit arranged through Premier Tours, I received my most favorite answer to a question I posed to a bell man, ever: "oh yes, just last week, two lions killed an impala near the pool.")

Kensington's specially priced deal is based on double occupancy. The offer is good January 15th – May 31st, 2010 and August 1st – December 15th, 2010.

One of the advantages that Park City, Utah has over other Western ski destinations is its convenience -- it lies 35 major highway minutes east of Salt Lake City's airport. So if your desire to ski exceeds the time you have available to devote to the slopes, you don't have to lose an entire day to transportation: wake up at dark-thirty almost anywhere in the United States and catch a flight into Salt Lake and board your chair lift by the afternoon.

To sweeten the deal, you don't even have to buy a lift ticket on your first day. The Quick START Vacation program allows you to convert your boarding pass into a lift ticket at Deer Valley Resort, The Canyons Resort, or Park City Mountain Resort. You need to register in advance online for a voucher, which you present along with your boarding pass, a non-Utah driver's license or other official state identification at the ticket window.

Make sure you read all the rules and regulations on the website, since there's no flexibility in these requirements. Like, if you're a person who shuns printing boarding passes at home and relies on your PDA for check-in, you're going to need to change your ways to get this deal. And if the airline wants to keep your boarding pass, you're going to need to put up a fight.

As you'd expect there are also black out dates: you're not going to get this deal over Christmas week (December 25th, 2009 to January 2nd, 2010) or from Valentine's Day weekend through March 27th, 2010.

There are more Park City deals and promotions to be had, and I'm particularly keen on is a package offered by The Sky Lodge which is throwing in a complimentary breakfast and a 50 minute spa treatment with each night's stay November 26th to April 13th, 2010. The spa treatment deal is especially nice since the Sky Lodge's Amara spa offers all of its massage and body treatment clients a soak in traditional wooden Japanese tubs called Ofuro baths. Per Japanese tradition, you shower before entering the tub, which is filled with piping hot water I'll admit that the soak made me a little nauseous when I visited this past summer (when it was nearing an unusually sultry 85 degrees outside) but it would definitely be just the thing after a day on the slopes. Once again, there are blackout dates during peak periods, so from December 26, 2009 - January 2, 2010, January 21 – 31, 2010 and February 10 – 15, 2010, you'll be paying for your own spa treatment and breakfast.

Marriott has announced a new brand within their global portfolio that will bring distinctive hotels under the Marriott umbrella. The Autograph Collection will be a new brand comprised of upper upscale and luxury independent hotels around the world focusing on major cities and resort destinations. The collection is designed to offer the individuality of an independent hotel with the assurance of the Marriott brand.

The brand plans to add approximately 25 hotels through 2010 with locations throughout the world. Each hotel will go through the same hotel and operator approval processes as other Marriott full-service hotels and the Autograph Collection will be affiliated with the Marriott Rewards guest loyalty program.

USA Today has more details on the collection including the information that Marriott is in talks with 12 to 15 hotels about being part of the Autograph Collection. The brand launches at a time when many great independent hotels are struggling due to the economy so Marriott plans to target higher-end hotels that have opened recently but might be facing hard times. Hotels that become part of the collection will benefit from Marriott's worldwide network.

Way back in 2006 I wrote about the plans for The Resort at Singer Island, a Starwood Hotels project. Now the Florida resort will no longer be a Starwood property. The Resort at Singer Island was sold to Urgo Hotels recently for $7.1 million. A presss release states that condos in this oceanfront tower were sold 78 percent under opening day prices in a bulk sale. The operator of the 239-suite hotel was changed from Starwood to Marriott. The new name is now officially the Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort and Spa. The hotel is on six acres of beachfront with 300-foot frontage on the Atlantic Ocean in Palm Beach County.

WCI Communities, the owner of the property and a luxury homebuilder based in Bonita Springs, filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection over a year ago. It announced on September 3, 2009 that it emerged from Chapter 11 as a newly reorganized, private company, eliminating more than $2 billion in debt and liabilities. It spent $210 million to build the oceanfront Resort at Singer Island, a project that comprises 66 condo residences, 239 hotel/condos, a restaurant and a spa. Urgo Hotels paid $4 million for four three-bedroom residence condos, $2.1 million for 14 hotel/condos and $1 million for the hotel operating agreement, the spa, the restaurant and the common areas.

Donald Trump's flagship hotel, the Trump International Hotel & Tower New York is getting a little sprucing up. A $30 million renovation will update the 167 guest rooms and suites beginning in January 2010. The renovation will happen in two stages timed for the slower New York City travel months, one half in January through April, and the other half in June through September. The hotel will remain open. The new decor will have a color palette of gray and aubergine with accents of ivory and caramel. Furnishings will be done in velvets and silky fabrics with rosewood, mahogany, maple and walnut finishes. Schonbek crystal chandeliers, purple velvet draperies and silk accent walls will complete the glamorous look. The renovation will be finished by next Labor Day.

Ski season has begun and winter sports enthusiasts are dreaming of soft powder and bracing trips down the slopes. A new website, SkiResorts.com has launched and promises to be the new resource for planning every detail of your trip. The site has the inside scoop on 50 mountains in North America.

On the site you can map out your entire ski itinerary online, choosing a destination, a place to stay, lift tickets, après ski massages and dinner reservations. The site also includes editorial from experts on subjects like winter style must-haves, tips for getting in shape, top ski schools and more. The site's travel booking capabilities are available through both an online engine as well as live agents and the Deal of the Day feature connects you with discounts on gear and accessories. One stop shopping for winter adventure makes planning your much-needed vacation just a little easier.

One&Only Resorts, the luxury resort company known for its stunning properties in some of the most beautiful locales in the world, will open its second property in Dubai. One & Only The Palm will open on Palm Island in October 2010. The property is being developed by His Highness Sheikh Bin Saeed Al Makthoum (right) and Sol Kerzner, (left) CEO and Chairman of Kerzner International, parent company of One&Only Resorts.

The property will have a striking location on the peninsula of Palm Island crescent with spectacular views of new Dubai's skyline. Resort guests will be able to indulge in an exclusive island feel getaway or choose to be whisked away by the resort's private water taxis or limousine to Dubai's wide array of activities, from golf at award-winning courses to world-class shopping, dining and entertainment at the most sought-after of venues.

Set in some of the most beautiful locales in the world, One&Only Resorts offer a distinctive style and personality borne of its local culture. Other locations include One&Only Reethi Rah, Maldives; One&Only Le Saint Géran in Mauritius; One&Only Royal Mirage in Dubai; One&Only Ocean Club in The Bahamas and One&Only Palmilla in Los Cabos, Mexico. The One&Only Cape Town, South Africa opened on April 3, 2009.

"We believe the government's continuous commitment to developing tourism in the region combined with all the destination has to offer, its constant innovation and its easy international access make this the perfect place for us to expand the One&Only portfolio," says Kerzner.

Located at The Palm Jumeirah, the resort's external architecture will blend Moorish and Andalucian influences, while the interiors will display contemporary, chic living environments, promoting a sense of understated elegance with privacy being of the utmost importance. Surrounded by lush landscaped gardens, the resort will provide an oasis of tranquility amid cosmopolitan Dubai.

Guest accommodations at this intimate resort will be composed of 35 suites and apartments within the grand Manor House, six independent low-rise mansions with eight to ten suites and exclusive two and three bedroom beachfront villas. Stunning and spacious with every modern amenity, guest rooms and suites will have a stylish modern design with an elegant palate of rich fabrics in hues of turquoise and purple. Sumptuous bathrooms will feature over-sized, freestanding bath tubs and rain showers with the finest inlaid marble from Italy and Spain.

All accommodations will offer outdoor terraces or private pool. Guests staying in suites, apartments and villas will also be indulged by a dedicated butler, 24 hours a day. The resort will also feature private cabanas by an 850 square meter pool, a private beach and a freestanding 2,400 square meters spa, fitness and beauty complex. The One&Only Spa will be set amidst outdoor gardens and will offer a fitness center featuring state-of-the-art equipment by Technogym and Kinesis studio, tennis court and a beauty salon.

The resort's Marina Restaurant will offer al fresco dining adjacent to the marina. Guests can reach the restaurant by private yacht or One&Only water taxis.

When I was a child, my Aunt Jean gave me one of the best gifts I ever received -- a travel jewelry case. It wasn't kiddie-ish, and I use it to this day to keep my jewelry clean, safe, and uncluttered when I'm away from home. Need a gift idea of your own? Felix Rey makes a travel jewelry case with a bit of glam. The "Bling" Travel Jewelry Case is a zip-around case with four compartments and a mirror. It has "bling" printed on one side and a smiley face on the other and is made of nylon with brass hardware. It's 3.5 inches deep and the compartments are approximately 1 inch deep. $90

Pack your bags for Tunisia! A new Radisson Blu Resort & Thalasso has opened in Monastir. It's the second Radisson Blu in Tunisia and boasts 280 rooms on beachfront property -- facing the Gulf of Hammamet in the Mediterranean Sea. The resort has 264 guestrooms, 14 junior suites and two senior suites, all equipped with high-speed access (no fee!) and a private balcony or terrace overlooking the pool and sea.

Of course, it's nice to have a comfortable room, but when you really want to unwind, you're looking for the spa. The Radisson Blu in Monastir has a 150,000-square foot facility in the Royal Elyssa Spa Cinq Mondes & Thalasso, with a 48,000-square foot Thal'ion Thalasso center that specializes in restorative treatments using seawater. The spa facilities are set to open early next year and will also have a fitness club and salon. The saunas, hammams and treatment rooms are great, but you'll want to get to the top floor, where you'll find 20 spa suites, many of which will boast private Jacuzzis.

Will space tourism stays be possible in just a couple of years? A Spanish company has said that their Galactic Suite Space Resort orbiting hotel will open in 2012. The company is offering a three-night stay for €3 million. It sounds exorbitant but that price does include an eight-week training course on a tropical island and the travel on a rocket to reach the hotel which will float 280 miles above the earth. The company says that they already have 43 reservations.

The Independent reports that "an anonymous billionaire space enthusiast" has given the company more than €2 billion to finance the hotel. The hotel will rotate the earth 15 times per day offering a trip around the world in just 80 minutes. The modular space habitat willl be built around a central docking platform. Each pod has a window at the base and tourists will be experiencing weightlessness during their stay.

The Ritz-Carlton has something new up its sleeve: a collection of smaller, unique, boutique-style hotels in stunning natural locations. The first Ritz-Carlton Reserve will be opening December 22, 2009 on Phulay Bay in Krabi, Thailand.

"Ritz-Carlton Reserve will feature signature, one-of-a-kind boutique resorts positioned in unique settings, each with a distinctive personality and sense of place reflecting its history and culture," says Simon F. Cooper, president. "Phulay Bay in Thailand is a natural choice for the first Reserve."

Why? Because it's awesome. Phulay Bay, on the Andaman Sea, is surrounded by rocky forest hikes with hidden waterfalls and sandy beaches. From the resort, you'll be able to fly around the coast via sea plane, take a meditation class with local monks, ride elephants and visit ESPA, the swanky new spa. Can you think of anything else you'd like to do on your luxury vacation? Just let them know; they'll figure it out.

"We want guests to enjoy and discover the extraordinary diversity and beauty in this part of the country in a setting of relaxation and rejuvenation," says Estelita Sebeto, the resort's General Manager. "We have worked with nature to maintain a setting that evokes the very best of the natural environment of the hotel and sourced local and sustainable materials in its construction and styling. We see the resort as an ambassador for the local environment and for the tradition of the land here in Phulay Bay."

The fabulous boutique hotel and 54 adjoining villas comes with extra-special service, so the price is extra-special as well. The rooms start at approximately $582.18 per night, and the villas at $809.99.

Visit the website for more information or to book.