Anchors Aweigh. It's Smooth Sailing with Leading Hotels

. October 14, 2008

NEW YORK, NY, June 2, 2008. For those who love to sail - and who adore their yachts - there is no need to choose between spending time afloat or taking a respite ashore. Nautical enthusiasts can sail right up to several members of The Leading Hotels of the World and relish in both sybaritic lifestyles.

Perched above the picturesque bay of Positano, Italy's famed Le Sirenuse makes arrangements for guests to secure reservations for a mooring buoy for their yachts. Once disembarked, they are given a Sirenuse brochure with instructions on how to get to the hotel. There is an excellent porter service that can take care of guests' luggage. Should they only want to come by for lunch or dinner, the hotel is conveniently located a five- to ten-minute walk up from the beach.

At the Grande Real Villa It'alia Hotel & Spa, in Cascais, Portugal, sailing lovers can stay close to their "passions." Guests who bring their yachts can use the Cascais Marina, strategically located right next to the hotel. Offering 650 mooring berths, it can accommodate vessels up to 36 meters long, with a maximum permitted draught of six meters. The hotel can easily provide all types of catering services on board, as well as a vast range of entertainment programs.

Hotel Eden Roc in Ascona, Switzerland, offers a private marina with eight wharves for guests who want to bring their own boat to explore the 66-kilometer-long Lake Maggiore. Many guests enjoy taking their yachts and crossing the lake to enjoy dinner in Cannobio, Italy, a beautiful village with a variety of restaurants around its fabled piazza. Afterward, a member of the hotel staff will take care of everything at the marina - including preparing the guests' boat for the next excursion, providing towels, drinks and snacks, or simply covering the vessel for the night.

Situated on Australia's Gold Coast, the Palazzo Versace marina is a fully equipped, 90-berth facility, accommodating vessels from 11 to 32 meters in length. Although the majority of the berths are leased on a long-term basis, access to nineteen hotel-owned berths is provided to hotel guests on a complimentary basis. Each berth features lit walkways, phone and television outlets. Set amidst world-class boating facilities, the marina offers 24-hour security, power outlets, water supply, and a marina manager on duty seven days a week.

It may be a long voyage to reach French Polynesia, but devoted sailors will find a hidden paradise waiting for them at Tahiti's Bora Bora Pearl Beach Resort & Spa. The hotel's pontoon can accommodate two boats up to 20 meters each; there is no docking fee and no minimum or maximum stay requirement. Guests with larger vessels can anchor nearby and transfer to the resort via shuttle boat.

Braving cooler climates, sailing enthusiasts can ply the St. Laurence Seaway to tie up at the quays of the Old Port of Montreal, Canada. From there, they can transfer by taxi, limousine or even horse-drawn carriage to the elegant Hotel Le St.-James. The concierge can easily make all necessary arrangements for reserving space at the marina, and the brief transfers to the hotel.

The Mexican Caribbean is the picturesque backdrop for the marina at Paraiso de la Bonita on the Riviera Maya. Guests with vessels up to 75 feet in length are welcome to dock for an hour, a day or a week. Expert crew are on hand to assist with arrivals, as the resort is located in a coral reef area.

Located on Carters Creek on the Chesapeake Bay, The Tides Inn in Irvington, Virginia, offers a full-service, 60-slip, transient marina able to accommodate vessels up to 125 feet long. Guest amenities include a beautiful creek-side pool, wireless Internet access, tennis, and bicycles to explore the area. The marina is also home to the Premier Sailing School which offers an extensive range of sailing courses for children from age 6, as well as US sailing certificate courses for adults.

Set on the eastern coast of the Dominican Republic, Tortuga Bay at PuntaCana Resort & Club features everything necessary to sail, yacht, dock, and arrive by sea. The resort's full-service marina provides an inlet surrounded by land and a luxurious array of amenities. It boasts two docks with mooring for 43 vessels up to 70 feet in length, with an eight-foot-deep access channel protected by a water break. Marina guests have access to a picturesque swimming pool set amongst lush gardens, world-class restaurants and fueling facilities; and, as an official port of entry to the Dominican Republic, the Marina is equipped to provide immigration services for all foreign visitors.

Overlooking a bay described by novelist James A. Michener as "the most beautiful in the Caribbean," Discovery at Marigot Bay on St. Lucia welcomes guests sailing in on their own vessels. The resort is more than happy to help them organize arrangements at Marina Village, just along the docks form Discovery, and owned by the same parent company.

Petit St. Vincent is an exclusive private island resort in the Grenadines that welcomes guests who like to travel on their own yachts. Guests who call ahead can dock their vessel at the Island and bask in the luxuries the resort offers while relaxing in one of the 22 private beach-side or hill-side cottages. At Petit St. Vincent, guests can completely disconnect from the stress of everyday - there are no phones, e-mail or television in the cottages. If they need anything, they raise the yellow flag at their front door and the staff will be on hand to take care of any request. For total privacy, they simply raise the red flag and will not be disturbed.

Leading Hotels Offer Private Vessels for Aquatic Excursions

Travelers who don't own a personal craft can still enjoy their favorite pastime while on holiday at several Leading Hotels. The following hotels offer a variety of private tours and charters in exotic destinations from Cape Town to the Seychelles.

Croatia's Dalmatian Archipelago is ideal for the nautical enthusiast, and Adriana, Hvar Marina Hotel & Spa has just made it easier for its guests to luxuriate while cruising to explore other picturesque islands. A recent partnership with an operator of high-end vessels enables the hotel to offer a range of day excursions where guests can sail themselves, or relax aboard motor yacht. Combination boat-charter and land packages are available as well.

Cristallo Palace Hotel & Spa in Corina d'Ampezzo, Italy, offers Cristallo Luxury Yachting & Spa, a unique service providing a variety of boats on which guests can enjoy a range of personalized Mediterranean cruises. On-board services and amenities can include soothing spa treatments, or tempting gourmet meals prepared by the hotel's chef.

From June to September Le Sirenuse provides two daily excursions free of charge on the hotel's vintage wooden fishing boat, which can accommodate up to 11 people. The Sant'Antonio follows different itineraries every day, depending on the wind and the weather, exploring the Islands and the coast. On board, wine and refreshments are offered and it is possible to go for a swim in the ocean during the various stops. The hotel also has a classic speedboat, an impeccably kept wooden Riva Aquarama Special, built in 1973, which can be rented for the day or the evening, to sip a glass of Champagne out on the sea, watching the sun set on Positano.

For those who want to explore the picturesque region on the Swiss side of Lake Maggiore, Hotel Eden Roc offers excursions aboard one of four different luxury vessels which can accommodate up to eight passengers, skippered by an experienced multilingual captain. These outings can include a short cruise to a nearby island for a soothing massage, or an elegant champagne picnic on board, prepared by the hotel's staff.

Situated on its own quay along the Victoria and Albert Waterfront in Cape Town, South Africa, Cape Grace has just acquired a 56-foot yacht, Spirit of the Cape, solely for use by hotel guests, who can enjoy gourmet picnic lunches prepared by the hotel's team of chefs, or simply take a Champagne and oyster sunset cruise down the Atlantic seaboard. The boat holds a maximum of 12 guests, thus offering a genuine sense of exclusivity.

The newest highlight at Banyan Tree Seychelles -- located along the scenic southwestern coastline of Mahe - is the Banyan Lagoon 1 - a 47-foot twin-hulled catamaran designed and built in France. With two guest cabins, the vessel can accommodate parties of four on overnight cruises. It is fully staffed by a personal host and skipper, and is available starting at USD 3,900++ per night, including full-board meals, land transfers on Mahe and landing fees within the inner islands. Fishing, snorkeling and diving equipment are available for complimentary usage upon early reservations.

The St.-James Yacht, belonging to Hotel Le St-James in Montreal, Canada, is available for up to 12 guests for private parties or cruises on the St. Laurence Seaway. A magnificent Mangusta 80 offering opulence and high performance, the boat has a luxurious salon and three guest staterooms, each with its own bathroom with Italian marble flooring.

Paraiso de la Bonita also offers guests the opportunity to enjoy an outing on the resort's own 48-foot catamaran, La Bonita, for snorkeling, visiting other local ports and islands, sunset cocktails cruises, or savoring a romantic moonlight dinners for two.

With the addition of a 52-foot Viking sport fishing boat, Star Fish, Chatham Bars Inn on Cape Cod, now boasts a fleet of five vessels. Star Fish joins Five Star, a 55-foot Hinckley Talaria Yacht, for daytrips and champagne cruises; The Bar Tender, a custom-designed beach launch with a 22-person capacity, for charter excursions; The Wind Star, a 21-foot Nantucket Indian Sail Boat, used for the sailing camp or private lessons; and The Lob Star, a 21-foot Parker skiff, catering to the youngest crew members as they learn to set lobster traps and explore the Cape's varied ecosystems. Beginning this summer, Chatham Bars Inn will also make its entire fleet available for chartered trips to special events on the Cape and beyond.

Chesapeake Bay sailors who choose not to weigh anchor, can enjoy cruises aboard the historic Miss Ann, the 125-foot yacht belonging to The Tides Inn in Irvington, Virginia. From April to December, the hotel has a variety of scheduled offerings including cocktail, dinner and Sunday brunch cruises, and the fabled Saturday Whiskey Runs to Urbanna, recreating the Prohibition-era practice of guests traveling across the river to purchase liquor, and returning to The Tides to enjoy it. Miss Ann is also available for private functions and special events.

About The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd.

The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd. is the prestigious luxury hospitality organization representing nearly 450 of the world's finest hotels, resorts and spas, and is the operator of www.lhw.com and www.lhwspas.com - the online sources for your luxury lifestyle. As the largest international luxury hotel brand, the firm maintains offices in 26 major markets across the globe.

Since 1928, the company's reputation for excellence derives from the exacting levels of quality it demands of its members, each of which must pass a rigorous, anonymous inspection covering 1,500 separate criteria.

High resolution images and press information on individual member hotels are available for downloading at www.lhw.com/press. For reservations and information, visit www.lhw.com or telephone toll-free from the USA, Canada, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, (800) 223-6800.

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