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.”

The Mandarin Oriental, Miami has created two packages for those clients who want to enjoy Miami’s nightlife scene. Guests can tailor their evening by selecting three venues from a selection of exclusive bars, lounges and nightclubs.

The “Ultimate Miami Nights” package includes two nights in either the hotel’s presidential-style suites: The Mandarin Suite has its own spa serenity room (shown here) and The Oriental Suite has its own Media Room. Also included is a daily champagne breakfast; a chilled magnum-sized bottle of champagne and hors d’oeuvres in room upon arrival; a full Presidential Suite bar set up and 24-hour personal butler service. Day One of the program includes a private shopping tour to Miami’s designer boutiques with a personal shopping escort and limo transportation; a celebrity make-up artist to provide professional hair and make-up services prior to evening out with a VIP Nightlife Guide; a professional photo shoot with a top Miami fashion magazine photographer; a chauffeured night out to three of Miami’s most posh dinner, lounge and party venues with a personal VIP Nightlife Guide in a 14-passenger stretch Hummer limousine with bottles of champagne and VIP admission, preferred seating and table service at selected venues.

Day Two is a bit calmer, with a full day in a stunning VIP Spa Suite; use of the private “Opium” bed at the hotel’s Oasis Beach Club; a six-course gourmet dinner prepared by a private chef in the the Presidential Suite’s kitchen and dining room for up to eight people and a late 3 p.m. late check out for late risers.

The cost of the package is a cool $25,000 for a two-night stay. For reservations, contact the hotel directly at 305-913-8288 or at 866- 888-6780.

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.

Jean-Claude Messant is the new general manager of the Hôtel de Crillon, effective October 1, 2008. Messant replaces Sylvain Ercoli, who has moved over to oversee the Royal Monceau, the Paris hotel that closed on June 28 for a massive one-year-plus renovation project.

Messant (shown here) was most recently the general manager of the Hôtel Métropole Monte-Carlo; he oversaw the transformation of that property into a top luxury hotel.
Hôtel de Crillon is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World and Relais Gourmand. It is situated on the Place de la Concorde, and close to the boutiques of the Faubourg St.-Honoré, the Champs Elysées, the Louvre and the Tuileries Gardens.

The Royal Monceau will be managed by Raffles when it opens in October 2009. Upon its rebirth, the hotel will have 152 rooms and suites and a solar- energy heated swimming pool and five dining and bar options. Each level of the hotel will have a private lobby.

As the world goes into Beijing overdrive on the eve of the 2008 Summer Olympics, Mobil Travel Guide, the originator of the star ratings and certifications program, released their first-ever international guide. Mobil Travel Guide: BEIJING is a comprehensive handbook that includes more than 30 star-rated hotels as well as the capital’s top places to sightsee, dine, and shop. There’s a lot to keep up with when it comes to Beijing’s ever-changing hotel picture - it seems that new hotels are announced weekly. So which hotels received four stars (out of a possible five) and were singled out as Beijing’s best?

• Grand Hyatt
• Peninsula Beijing
• Raffles Beijing Hotel
• St. Regis Hotel Beijing
• Shangri-La Hotel Beijing

The guide also notes several hotels that were too new to rate or due to open later this year. Hotels to watch include Fairmont Beijing, JW Marriott Hotel Beijing, Mandarin Oriental, Beijing, The Opposite House, Park Hyatt Beijing, Ritz-Carlton Beijing and the Westin Beijing Chaoyang.
For more information on Mobil Travel Guide: BEIJING, and for a detailed explanation of how Mobil Travel Guide compiles its star ratings, visit www.mobiltravelguide.com.

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.

One&Only Palmilla in Los Cabos, Mexico, has announced that effective September 1, 2008, the resort’s five-year contract with renowned chef Charlie Trotter will end and, with it, the closing of “C,” the resort’s fine-dining restaurant.

One&Only Palmilla, however, isn’t in dire straits. It has announced that in November 2008, it will debut an original dining concept through a collaboration with another famed chef: Jean-Georges Vongerichten (pictured here), behind such haute eateries as the eponymous Jean Georges inside New York City’s Trump Tower at Columbus Circle.