Starwood’s W brand is making its initial foray into England with announced plans to build in London and Manchester.

Both slated to open in 2010, W London-Leicester Square (rendering left) in the West End will feature 194 rooms and 10 two-level residences, a signature spa, a signature restaurant and W’s Living Room experience. Nine of the 194 rooms will be suites including two WOW suites and one Extreme WOW suite, all featuring custom-made furnishings, W’s signature “munchie boxes” stocked with exclusive amenities and other stylish accents.

Northwest of London, W Manchester, to be located in the city’s warehouse district, a thriving creative community, will boast 160 rooms, 7,000 square feet of meeting space, a spa, fitness facility, a W retail store and signature restaurant. The property is close to many restaurants, theatres and is within walking distance to Manchester’s main Piccadilly Station.

The Fairmont Chicago has finished a $50 million renovation, which promises a more contemporary look. This includes a new lobby, a new wine, cheese and chocolate tasting experience called ENO, renovated guestrooms and a new spa concept called mySpa, which features eight treatment rooms and elements of land, air and water to produce a tranquil setting amid the feverish pitch of Chicago.

Now in place, Fairmont Chicago has also introduced a new level of luxury with Fairmont Gold, which it calls a “hotel within a hotel.” A total of 84 rooms and suites are dedicated to the program, providing a higher level of service. Concierges greet Fairmont Gold guests at a private check-in desk on the hotel’s 15th floor. The Fairmont Gold rooms offer complimentary Internet and exclusive Cologne 1888 amenities by Miller Harris among other nuances.

The ENO wine tasting room may prove to be a big hit, particularly for lovers of wine, cheese and chocolate, all of which are on display. In August, ENO began offering ENO-versity classes, which covers the history of the three elements.

The Fairmont Chicago is located in the Lakeside East neighborhood, close to Millennium Park and the city’s business district. Luxury travel advisors with questions should contact Chris Monico, director of business and leisure travel, at chris.monico@fairmont.com or 312-565-7446.

The Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans will be folded into the Waldorf=Astoria Collection in spring 2009 and, when it does, Mark Wilson will be its director of sales and marketing. Wilson previously served as the director of marketing for the Royal Sonesta Hotel.

Wilson began his career with the San Francisco Hilton and went on to hold various positions at properties in New Orleans, including the New Orleans Hilton Riverside, ITT Sheraton and Fairmont. For the past three years he has served as president of the French Quarter Business Association.

Previously the Fairmont New Orleans, the hotel was badly damaged in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina. However, after a multi-million-dollar renovation, the famed property will reemerge in 2009 again as the Roosevelt Hotel under the exclusive Waldorf=Astoria banner, which currently is composed of five properties, but will add as many as six more by 2011, including The Palace Jerusalem.

Ted Teng, the former COO of Wyndham International, is taking over as president and CEO of The Leading Hotels of the World, which represents over 450 global hotels, resorts and spas. Teng replaces Paul McManus, who will assume the position of vice chairman of Leading Ventures and remain an active board member of the organization, said Jean-Jacques Gauer, chairman of the executive committee.

Teng assumes his new position on September 1, bringing 30 years of hospitality experience. He currently manages his own hotel investment and operations firm, Prime Opus Partners, and before that oversaw the core branded hotel products at Wyndham as COO. He also held different posts with with Starwood.

The board of directors has found Mr. Teng’s broad set of leadership skills, business acumen and operating principles to be an excellent fit to maximize the opportunities for this global hospitality organization,” Gauer said. “We are confident in his abilities to expertly lead the next phase of the company’s significant growth through further strategic development and effective operational execution.”

Jon Makhmaltchi has been promoted to the position of vice president of worldwide sales for Small Luxury Hotels of the World, a role that puts Makhmaltchi in charge of SLH’s worldwide sales team and gives him responsibility for the development of global sales strategy and the management of consortium partnership relations. In addition, Makhmaltchi will oversee SLH’s annual program of trade shows, road shows and events.

Makhmaltchi has been with the Small Luxury Hotels of the World for four years handling various senior positions in both national and worldwide sales. Before joining SLH, Makhmaltchi was director of sales and marketing at The Carneros Inn in Napa Valley. He also previously held sales positions with Hyatt.

SLH’s success is predicated on the travel agent community, which, SLH says, makes over 70 percent of reservations over the group’s “LX” GDS code. Makhmaltchi will continue to foster agent relationships while also looking to establish new ones and in new markets.

Small Luxury Hotels of the World is comprised of more than 450 independent luxury hotels in over 70 countries.

Silversea Cruises‘ expedition ship, Prince Albert II, will call French Polynesia home from mid-March to late October 2009. The ship’s deployment to Papeete, French Polynesia’s capital, will correspond with a collection of new itineraries that feature the “less-traveled regions” of Polynesia, stretching from the southernmost Austral Islands to the northernmost Marquesas Islands. The 132-passenger ship’s deployment to the region comes on the heels of successful meetings between Silversea and the government of French Polynesia.

The ship’s tentative schedule promises to be one of flexibility, allowing expeditions to be less dictated by time constraints. For example, the ship will stay longer in areas of particular interest and veer course when curiosity dictates so.

Highlights of the 2009 French Polynesia program include: the Austral Island Adventures (Prince Albert’s eight Zodiac boats will get passengers up close and personal with the unique culture, flora and fauna of Rapa, Raivavae, Tubuai, Rurutu and Rimatara on five 11-day, roundtrip journeys from Papeete); Journeys to the Marquesas (an expedition team will lead explorations of Fatu Hiva, Pua Mau, Hiva Oa, Atuona, Ua Pou, Nuku Hiva and Tahuata, as well as Manihi and Fakarava Island in the Tuamotu Archipelago and the Society Islands of Bora Bora and Tahaa); Tuamotu Expeditions (departing from Papeete on five 10-day expeditions, the ship will explore the Tuamotu islands of Tikihau, Rangiroa, Apataki, Arutua and Fakarava, as well as Raiatea, Maupihaa and Huahine in the Society Islands).

Jade Mountain, Anse Chastanet’s “resort within a resort” on St. Lucia, has rates available for travel agents.

During their stay, agents will receive a complete tour of the 600-acre property, a complimentary spa treatment, a complimentary scuba or snorkel experience, a jungle biking or kayaking pass and a half day sailing cruise on the hotel’s yacht, Serenity.

From July 30 through October 31, 2008, the industry rate is $329 per person, double occupancy, for run-of-house accommodations in an “Infinity Pool Sanctuary,” inclusive of tax/service and breakfast and dinner. Rates from November 1through December 19, 2008, the rate is $399 per person.

Alternatively, those wishing to have guaranteed room reservations in specific room categories will receive a discount on the published daily rates: 50 percent will be applied in “superior” and “beach deluxe” categories, and 25 percent in “hill deluxe” and “premium” category. Anse Chastanet’s themed weekly packages are available to agents with a 25 percent overall discount in the various room categories.

Contact jademountain@ansechastanet.com.

The fabled US Grant hotel, on the edge of San Diego’s trendy Gaslamp Quarter, has named Douglas Korn as its new general manager. He doesn’t have far to move: Korn has spent the last six years as general manager of the Westin Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego, which is minutes away by foot from The US Grant.

The US Grant emerged from a $56 million renovation in 2006 and is now a member of Starwood’s Luxury Collection. The hotel is a AAA Four-Diamond and Exxon-Mobil Four-Star hotel.

Korn says that his immediate order of business is to generate new sources of business and oversee the ongoing development of a full-service luxury spa at the hotel. The property currently boasts 270 guest rooms, including 47 suites. Of course, anyone staying at the property must eat at the Grant Grill, an institution since 1951 where movers and shakers are said to eat and “where deals get done.”

The US Grant originally opened in 1910 and has been listed on the National Registrar of Historic Places since 1979.

Ever wondered what the adrenaline rush is like when buckled in behind the steering wheel of a Ferrari? Well, Baglioni Hotels, the luxury Italian hotelier with 14 European properties (seven in Italy) and luxury tour operator, Red Travel, are making the dream reality.

The one-day Ferrari Tour is a personalized 24-hour assisted tour, which starts at the entrance of a Baglioni hotel, where clients are greeted by a brand new Ferrari (perhaps the sporty Maranello, pictured). From there it’s through the winding roads of Italy—Lazio, Tuscany, Emilia Romagna or the northern lakes. The tour is led by an experienced Ferrari driver, who is also the tour director. The director will advise clients on technique and driving secrets.

The package is available from three Baglioni hotels: Hotel Bernini Palace (Florence), Carlton Hotel Baglioni (Milan) and Regina Hotel Baglioni (Rome).

For information and reservations, luxury travel advisors can contact Paola Ragnoli (redtravelferrari@baglionihotels.com; 011-39-02-773-331).

We hear that Auberge Resorts has picked up the management contract to operate the Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa in Rancho Sante Fe, CA, along with sister property, La Valencia Hotel, in neighboring La Jolla. Along with the announcement, Auberge is installing David Friederich as managing director of both properties.

Under the agreement, Rancho Valencia will be branded as an Auberge Resort, while La Valencia will not. It will become, instead, an affiliate hotel managed by Auberge.

Rancho Valencia, located in the affluent and exclusive enclave of Rancho Sante Fe, is an all-suites property, wherein each suite features a fireplace and private garden terrace. For those who like an active vacation, the property boasts 18 hard-court tennis courts, complemented by a comprehensive tennis program. There, too, is Spa Rancho Valencia—the perfect place to unwind after a day’s worth of pounding the courts.

Sister property, La Valencia Hotel, endearingly nicknamed the “Pink Lady of La Jolla” for its pinkish exterior hue, is 82-years old and offers an assortment of room categories, along with four dining venues, all overlooking La Jolla Cove and the Pacific Ocean. The hotel is a member of Preferred Hotels and Resorts.

The properties will be under the watchful eye of Friederich, who, for the previous five years, worked at the Cloister Hotel on Sea Island, GA, most recently in the position of general manager. He also spent 11 years with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.