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.

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.

Hotel Cipriani in Venice has created a new “Gondola Massage” that takes place in the lagoons for which Venice is known. Maurizio Saccani, vice president of Italy for Orient-Express (www.orient-express.com), which owns Hotel Cipriani, says that the gondola sailors use their expertise to find a quiet nook of the lagoon, where the massage therapist then delivers a 40-minute massage. The experience ends with a foot massage and an iced tea in the Cipriani’s garden. The price, excluding tax, is a cool $430. Book directly via the hotel’s Casanova Spa, which has also created a “Luxe 24-Karat Gold Facial” in celebration of Hotel Cipriani’s 50th anniversary. The treatment, which incorporates real gold into the treatment ingredients, lasts for 80 minutes and costs $560.

The Dolder Grand (www.thedoldergrand.com) in Zurich, Switzerland has created a special offer exclusively for travel agents. Available through GDS only, luxury travel advisors can book three nights at The Dolder Grand for the price of two for their clients. The deal is valid until September 30, 2008. The Dolder Grand offers an eight percent commission to agents.

The Dolder Grand, which is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World, re-opened in April after a four-year, $400 million transformation, which transformed the historic property into a “city resort,” with a 40,000-square-foot spa and two new restaurants. New to the resort, which is run by Managing Director Thomas Schmid, is the Spa Wing and a Golf Wing. As a result, the hotel now has 173 rooms (Junior Suite shown here), the largest of which is the two-floor, 4,000-square-foot Maestro Suite, housed in the tower of the main building. Next in line is the two-bedroom Carizza Suite on the top floor of the Spa Wing. Suite 100, meanwhile, stands out for its “Swinging Sixties” rock ‘n’ roll theme. The one-bedroom pink-and-black suite also has a meeting room for 10.

The Fontainebleau Miami Beach (www.fontainebleau.com) named John Rolfs president and general manager, replacing David Feder, who will stay within The Turnberry Group family to head up the Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort & Spa. Both Fontainebleau and Turnberry Isle are owned by the Soffer family of Turnberry Associates, a real estate development company based in Aventura. Rolfs was previously the general manager of The Ritz-Carlton Lake Las Vegas and the general manager and area vice president of The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach.

The Fontainebleau Miami Beach is set to open this fall, following a $1 billion makeover. When it reopens, the resort will have 1,500 rooms, including a 40,000-square-foot spa, 11 restaurants and lounges, an expansive pool area, beach and extensive meeting facilities.
Meanwhile, David Feder in his new position at the Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort & Spa will entail leading all aspects of the Mobil Four Star, 392-room resort, which recently completed a $150 million transformation. Feder is credited with overseeing the Fontainebleu’s renaissance. Prior to joining the Fontainebleau, Feder was the president of the PGA National Resort & Club and also served as president and CEO of Boca Resorts, Inc., where he directed the company’s unique collection of properties, including its flagship Boca Raton Resort & Club. Feder also was senior vice president and managing director of the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa.

Canyon Ranch reports that it has named industry veteran Roxanne Housley as it corporate vice president of sales and marketing. Housley has been serving as interim VP of marketing for the past seven months and has now officially been given the title and responsibilities for the marketing activities, as well as oversight of the public relations efforts for Canyon Ranch’s resorts.

Over the past 25 years, Housley has built the sales teams and programs at Canyon Ranch resorts in Tucson, Arizona, and Lenox, Massachusetts, as well as engineered the creative sales start-ups of three Canyon Ranch SpaClubs and the latest Canyon Ranch hotel and residential living community slated to open in Miami Beach this fall.

The Opposite House (www.theoppositehouse.com) in Beijing is getting ready for its early August opening (just in time for the Olympics), and here’s what we’ve found out about it so far. The 99-room hotel has 10 suites that measure 750 square feet in size. The Penthouse has two spacious floors and an extensive roof terrace.

The vibe at the new hotel was created by Japanese architect, Kengo Kuma. This is his first hotel and his goal was to provide “seamless flowing spaces with subtle movement of sound and water, layers of light and materials appealing to the senses.” The property will be an integral part of The Village at Sanlitun, a new shopping destination that is being developed by Swire Properties, which also developed The Opposite House.

The hotel, of course, is opening in time for the 2008 Summer Olympics, which has created a spate of new luxury hotels for Beijing. In July, the Park Hyatt Beijing (www.beijing.park.hyatt.com) opened on the top floors of one of the city’s newest skyscrapers.

Hotel de Russie (www.roccofortecollection.com) in Rome has created an exclusive dining experience at its al fresco restaurant, Le Jardin de Russie which allows your clients to enjoy an exclusive dinner on a secluded terrace within the restaurant’s gardens, called Le Jardin Prive.

Here’s the scoop: Diners at this special table enjoy the services of their own dedicated maitre d’ and a unique menu designed by the Michelin-starred chef Fulvio Pierangelini. The experience starts with a glass of Dom Perignon, which leads into a nine-course tasting menu, including dishes such as deep-fried courgette flowers and king prawns, ravioli with celery, olives and baby squid, risotto with spring vegetables, john dory with artichokes, grilled tagliata of veal, passion fruit sorbet and wild berries soufflé.

After such an evening, we say there’s nothing better than sinking into one of Rome’s top accommodations, the Nijinsky Suite at Hotel de Russie. This fabulous oasis has a balcony that’s no less than 2,572-square feet in size; we love its views of Piazza del Popolo, Piazza di Spagna and the Villa Borghese.

Luxury Travel Advisor Editorial Director Ruthanne Terrero talks with Melanie Cole, the new VP of sales at TCS Expeditions. Click here or on the image to go to the Digital Dossier.

Aquapura Douro Valley (www.aquapurahotels.com) in Portugal has named Maurizio Romani general manager. Luxury travel advisors will know Romani from his most recent role as general manager for Hotel L’Andana in Tuscany. He’s also had senior positions at Grosvenor House in London, Hotel Danielle in Venice and Forte Village Resort in Sardinia.

Aquapura Douro Valley opened in Portugal’s World Heritage wine region in summer 2007. We’re told that the Aquapura Hotels has plans to expand with additional property openings in Bahia and Fortaleza, Brazil; Alentejo, Portugal; Prague; Italy; Macedonia and Panama.

For more on the Aquapura Douro Valley resort, visit www.luxuryta.com, past issues, December 2007.