Latest News from The Leading Hotels of the World

Members of luxury hospitality organization unveil new facilities, renovations, earn awards and accolades.

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. August 17, 2010

NEW YORK, NY - August 17, 2010 - Member hotels announce refurbishments, earn awards and certifications.

Renovations and New Facilities

Grande Real Villa Itália Hotel & Spa in Cascais, Portugal, has opened its Wellness Suite, the first in the country to have a private in-room gym. The fitness area of the suite is fitted with a Kinesis system, by TechnoGym, which enables guests to perform a full range of exercise disciplines any time they choose. Private personal training services are also available.

Beau-Rivage Palace, Lausanne, Switzerland, recently completed renovation project at a cost of approximately USD 11.5 million, revitalizing its celebrated La Rotonde restaurant and creating the connecting, glass-enclosed space La Terrasse. In La Rotonde, the original colors from the early 1900s were restored, as were details of the room's fresco. The finishing touch: natural light flowing in through the windows of the adjacent La Terrasse. The latter recreates a former terrace extension of La Rotonde. Once home to the hotel's Michelin-starred restaurant, it is open on weekdays for breakfast and for Sunday brunch.

Iguazu Grand Resort, Spa & Casino in Misiones, Argentina, has unveiled its updated lobby which had been remodeled at a cost of USD 400,000. Walls were painted in warm colors to complement the predominant Rossa Verona marble, and existing Tiffany lamps cast a glow on the new furnishings and floor covering.

Awards and Accolades

Emirates Hotels & Resorts Receives Tourism for Tomorrow Award
Emirates Hotels & Resorts was honored with the Conservation Award at the 2010 World Travel & Tourism Council's Global Summit, held in Beijing. The Tourism for Tomorrow Awards are the organization's highest-profile global accolades, recognizing best practices in sustainable tourism development, conservation and bio-diversity protection. Among the Emirates Hotels & Resorts portfolio are Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa in Dubai, Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa in Australia; both members of The Leading Hotels of the World.

The Duke's Course at St. Andrews Named “Golf Club of the Year”
The Duke's Course at the Old Course Hotel in St. Andrews was named the best Golf Club in the UK at the inaugural “Golf Club of the Year Awards” 2010, organized by Awards for Business, Ltd. In addition to securing the overall title, the course was also honored as the “Best Club in Scotland” and the “Best Club for Members” category in Scotland. The Awards are unique in the industry because, unlike others which judge course quality, the Golf Club of the Year Awards measures the complete golf experience as voted for by the people who play the courses as members, guests and societies. Clubs were recognized in four regions - Scotland, North of England, Central England & Wales and Southern England.

Culinary Accolades for La Terrazza at Hotel Eden, Rome
The 2010-2011 edition of the Gambero Rosso Roma Guidebook has granted a coveted second Fork to Ristorante La Terrazza at Hotel Eden in Rome, with a score of 80 points, making the restaurant one of only five establishments in Rome to attain two-Fork status. The accolade was granted in recognition of recent efforts and investment to enhance quality and the guest experience. A special nod was given to Chef Adriano Cavagnini for his risottos: “Their risottos are arguably the best in town; the last one we tasted was with anchovies, Mozzarella cheese and Sedano Rapa.”

Thanda Private Game Reserve Honored in Two Categories
Thanda Private Game Reserve in South Africa received 'Africa's Leading Luxury Villa' and 'South Africa's Leading Luxury Villa' for The Royal Private Villas at the 17th Annual World Travel Awards, held in July. 183,000 industry professionals from around the world participated in the voting process.

Making the Grade - Acheiving LECS and Leading SPpas Certifiication -
Six members of The Leading Hotels of the World have currently achieved LECS certification. They are:

Hotel Fouquet's Barrière, Paris, France One Aldwych, London, England, UK Sonnenalp Resort of Vail, Vail, Colorado, USA The Hay-Adams, Washington, DC, USA The Setai, Miami Beach, Florida, USA Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort, Arenal, Costa Rica

Developed to educate, as well as help luxury hotels create and implement a measurement framework in their move toward sustainability, Luxury Eco Certification Standard (LECS) is the first voluntary, global certification program of its kind. One of the only programs that feature the Triple Bottom Line (People, Planet and Profit), to adhere to the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC), it is designed to be user-friendly, while being applicable to tourism businesses of all sizes, including newcomers to sustainability, those wanting to improve their existing approach, and those that have long-standing sustainability programs in place.

Achieving Leading Spas Status

South Africa's One&Only Cape Town has recently been certified as a Leading Spa, becoming the 4th spa at a Leading Hotel in the country to achieve this distinction. To qualify as a Leading Spa, a facility must undergo an extensive, anonymous inspection process that covers hundreds of criteria covering every aspect of the spa experience from reservation and greeting, to departure. It is one of only 95 spas to meet the Leading Spas standards of excellence.

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.

About The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd.
The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd. is the prestigious luxury hospitality organization representing more than 450 of the world's finest hotels, resorts and spas, and is the operator of lhw.com and lhwspas.com - the online sources for your luxury lifestyle. As the largest international luxury hotel brand, the firm maintains offices in 22 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 hundreds of meticulous criteria spanning from product to behavioral standards. This set of standards is the most stringent in the industry.