MAY 2015 SPECIAL EDITION

$499$599 Canada

SPECIAL EDITION

AVIATION

VISIONARIES

The BRILLIANCE of Observation

Worldrsquos Best

First-Class

Airline

Cabins

PT PICKS

Around the World in 7 DaysPLUS

MAY 2015 9

WRITE AND WIN

Send us your anecdote gripe or insight on one of

our stories and it may be selected as the Letter of the

Month entitling you to a Pathfnder 22 Carry-On

with Suiter (available in black or blue) Thatrsquos a value

of $560 This lightweight fully functional roller has

an organized interior that will ensure that you arrive

at your destination rumple-free Whatrsquos more unlike

most other luggage manufacturers Pathfnder ofers an

Extra Mile Warranty that covers airline damage

To enter email lettersjarppubscom or write to

Letters to the Editor

Premier Traveler

388 Second Avenue Suite 520

New York NY 10010

We reserve the right to edit letters

HAWAII UH-0

Wonderful writing and assessments I

particularly loved the callout on the Hawaiian

Airlines attendants This is so true for when it

comes to the inter island fights Maybe they

lump the good ones onto the domestic and

international fights

Linda J Latz Esq

Scottsdale Arizona

DADDYrsquoS GIRL

Bill Kizorek is the most interesting

daddy in the world

Jessica Kizorek

Two Parrot Productions

READERSrsquo LETTERS

PRISON PENPAL

Premier Traveler

What a great surprise Thank

you very much for choosing us

as one of your PT Picks

We already got the first

booking for extreme night in

prison this year from american

youngsters I suppose it is

because of your project

Thanks Have a nice day My

best wishes and the warmest

greetings from Latvia

You are always welcome to

our prison )

CAN WE GET THE ldquoBILLrdquo PLEASEI wanted to send you an email conveying how much fun Irsquove had

reading the Around-the-World travels of Bill Kizorek in the electronic

edition of Premier Traveler I went to your sight looking for travel tips

and found myself enthusiastically reading and waiting for the next

installment of his adventures Bill Kizorek did a great job

I always have a tinge of fear when I venture out in a new foreign

land yet therersquos also excitement and it feeds my explorer spirit

After I get back whether I was lost or it didnrsquot go as frst planned

I always have a fond memory and am stronger in spirit for trying

where others or maybe even a weaker self may have avoided

venturing out solo Though I have not been to nearly the amount

of countries Bill has traveled to (150 countries and counting per

the prelude to the articles) tales from his trip helped remind me of

some of my memorable experiences Billrsquos trials and tribulations

often made me smile and I want to thank you for publishing the

articles and look forward to future installments

1 DECEMBER 2014JANUARY 2015

DECEMBER 2014 JANUARY 2015

$499$599 Canada

PT PICKS bull TRAVEL BITES bull CHEERS bull TECH TALK bull READERSrsquo LETTERS bull AIRLINE UPDATE

Being Rude on the Road

Plus

Itrsquos Not Always Lonely

at the Top

Revealing the

Award Winners

Besttof

g

2014

3Women in Motion

Monta Krafte Karosta Prison Liepāja Latvia

+371 26488200

Phil Chandler Oconomowoc WI

LETTER OF THE MONTH

MAY 2015 9

WRITE AND WIN

Send us your anecdote gripe or insight on one of

our stories and it may be selected as the Letter of the

Month entitling you to a Pathfnder 22 Carry-On

with Suiter (available in black or blue) Thatrsquos a value

of $560 This lightweight fully functional roller has

an organized interior that will ensure that you arrive

at your destination rumple-free Whatrsquos more unlike

most other luggage manufacturers Pathfnder ofers an

Extra Mile Warranty that covers airline damage

To enter email lettersjarppubscom or write to

Letters to the Editor

Premier Traveler

388 Second Avenue Suite 520

New York NY 10010

We reserve the right to edit letters

HAWAII UH-0

Wonderful writing and assessments I

particularly loved the callout on the Hawaiian

Airlines attendants This is so true for when it

comes to the inter island fights Maybe they

lump the good ones onto the domestic and

international fights

Linda J Latz Esq

Scottsdale Arizona

DADDYrsquoS GIRL

Bill Kizorek is the most interesting

daddy in the world

Jessica Kizorek

Two Parrot Productions

READERSrsquo LETTERS

PRISON PENPAL

Premier Traveler

What a great surprise Thank

you very much for choosing us

as one of your PT Picks

We already got the first

booking for extreme night in

prison this year from american

youngsters I suppose it is

because of your project

Thanks Have a nice day My

best wishes and the warmest

greetings from Latvia

You are always welcome to

our prison )

CAN WE GET THE ldquoBILLrdquo PLEASEI wanted to send you an email conveying how much fun Irsquove had

reading the Around-the-World travels of Bill Kizorek in the electronic

edition of Premier Traveler I went to your sight looking for travel tips

and found myself enthusiastically reading and waiting for the next

installment of his adventures Bill Kizorek did a great job

I always have a tinge of fear when I venture out in a new foreign

land yet therersquos also excitement and it feeds my explorer spirit

After I get back whether I was lost or it didnrsquot go as frst planned

I always have a fond memory and am stronger in spirit for trying

where others or maybe even a weaker self may have avoided

venturing out solo Though I have not been to nearly the amount

of countries Bill has traveled to (150 countries and counting per

the prelude to the articles) tales from his trip helped remind me of

some of my memorable experiences Billrsquos trials and tribulations

often made me smile and I want to thank you for publishing the

articles and look forward to future installments

1 DECEMBER 2014JANUARY 2015

DECEMBER 2014 JANUARY 2015

$499$599 Canada

PT PICKS bull TRAVEL BITES bull CHEERS bull TECH TALK bull READERSrsquo LETTERS bull AIRLINE UPDATE

Being Rude on the Road

Plus

Itrsquos Not Always Lonely

at the Top

Revealing the

Award Winners

Besttof

g

2014

3Women in Motion

Monta Krafte Karosta Prison Liepāja Latvia

+371 26488200

Phil Chandler Oconomowoc WI

LETTER OF THE MONTH

12 MAY 2015

Global media is abuzz with a series

of reports on incidents in China

where passengers did unthinkable

things on board commercial

airliners The bad behavior ranges

from throwing hot noodles at a

fight attendant on a Nanjing-

bound Thai Air Asia fight over a

seating dispute to passengers

opening emergency exits on

different airlines at various stages

of fightmdashincluding (and thankfully

unsuccessfully) in midfightmdashto

lighting up the now taboo cigarette

The reasons for the transgressions

varied to protest an extended

delay to ldquoget fresh airrdquo to ldquoget off

quickerrdquo or good old-fashioned

inebriation

Most of these passengers

ended up in jail and in response

to the malfeasance the Chinese

government introduced a ldquoNational

Uncivilized Travel Recordrdquo a no-

fy list where errant passengerrsquos

names were recorded Why As

Can you believe itrsquos been 25 years

since fights (of six hours of less)

became no smoking in the US

Not long after that all fights were

smoke free The rest of the world

soon followed The American

Heart Association and other health

organizations celebrated that

NEWSFLASHWHILE YOU WERE AWAY

living standards in China have

risen more passengers have taken

to the air for the frst time whereas

in the past the train was the

most common mode of inter-city

transportation While China has an

enviable high speed rail system

train tickets can now sometimes

cost the same as an air ticket

This madness brings back

memories of American Airlinesrsquo

introduction of ldquoValue Pricingrdquo

in 1992 which resulted in a

fare war that made fying too

cheap to pass up for people who

hadnrsquot previously fown Those

passengers new to air travel were

referred to as ldquoFIRIDrdquo in airline

lingo an abbreviation for ldquofrst

time fierrdquo However they became

better known as ldquoThe Clampettsrdquo

and that summer of full fights was

labeled ldquoThe Clampett Summerrdquo

The Clampetts were a fctional

family on a US sitcom called

The Beverly Hillbillies that ran

throughout the 1960s The laughs

were derived from the fact that

the Clampetts had struck it rich

but were unfamiliar with creature

comforts of living in a mansion

raising the eyebrows and ire of

their neighbors

Stories that summer about

novice passengers opening

windows smoking not knowing

what to do with a seat belt and

much more emerged up and

down the employee ranks These

kinds of incidents now happen

elsewhere due to the unfamiliarity

of an airplane in emerging nations

These incidents however are

far from comical they can result

in expenses inconvenience to

others and a threat to passenger

and employee safety In the

meantime when fying in China

keep an eye on your fellow

passenger as this phenomenon

is sure to pass once again as air

travel becomes more routine

RETURN OF THE CLAMPETT SUMMER

SPEAKING OF SMOKING anniversary on

February 23 of

this year This makes the presence

of those iconic ldquono smokingrdquo signs

and armrest ashtrays both a novelty

and a curiosity

Indeed some of us remember being

asked upon check-in whether we

preferred ldquosmoking or no smokingrdquo

Most airlines relegated smoking to

the rear of the cabin which meant

the back of the economy class

section and the last row or two of

frst class Essentially after takeoff

before there was the now familiar

announcement about electronic

devices there was the ldquosmoking

is now permittedrdquo PA Some

passengers in the non-smoking

section would congregate near the

rear galleys to grab a smoke On

some airlines such as Lufthansa

as I experienced smoking was

permitted on one entire side of the

aircraft ldquoto be equitablerdquo

AMEX DECLINED

Once upon a time and not

long ago celebrities fnancial

hotshots and regular folks

put their trust into American

Expressrsquo credit cards and

products in marketing and

in real life For years their

effective branding as the

one thing you could never

leave home with out is now

being kicked to the curb by

retailers investors and the

high rollers who once swore

by the miraculous piece of

blue plastic

According to Paul R La

Monica of CNNMoney AmEx

is the worst performing stock

in the Dow this year and the

once mighty giant credit card

giant reported its frst quarter

downfall in 2015 tanking 17

percent Representatives

from AmEx reason that the

strong dollar was having a

ldquosignifcant impactrdquo on its

international business but

this defects slightly from the

impending loss of credit card

partner Costco in 2016

Earlier this year Slatecom

reported the once venerable

credit-card company lost an

antitrust lawsuit over whether

it could stop merchants from

asking customers to use other

credit cards Other credit-card

companies including Visa

and Mastercard typically

MAY 2015 13

Croatia is recognized as one of

the most beautiful destinations

appreciated for its diversity

unique coast and unspoiled

nature In the northern Adriatic

Sea in the Kvarner bay lies an

island of vitalitymdashLošinj For

centuries Lošinj has been known

as a place of fragrant healing

naturemdasha point of pride that

carries on to this day

In the idyllic surroundings of the

Park Forest Čikat next to the sea

surrounded by tall pines agaves

and palm trees and sheltered

from the wind lies one of the

most luxurious hotels in Lošinjmdash

the boutique hotel Alhambra

Its private beach is perfect for

moments of contemplation by the

An impressive ldquoArkrdquo is about

to set sail at New Yorkrsquos JFK

International Airport It may not

be Noahrsquos but itrsquos designed

WHILE YOU WERE AWAY

LULLED BY

CROATIArsquoS

LOŠINJ

for the transport of domestic

and wild animals The new $48

million178000-square-foot transport

and quarantine ldquoterminalrdquo will

handle 70000 animals annually

when it opens next year The Ark

is designed with its customers

in mind to reduce the stress of

travel with an animal arrival and

departure lounge gourmet food

showers an overnight pet resort

called ldquoParadise 4 Pawsrdquo and

veterinary services

That said animal transport has

been business as usual at KLM

since 1924 Its status as the frst

airline to transport live animals

was sealed when a bull named

Nico was fown from Rotterdam

to Paris that year The reputation

has grown since and KLM still

recognized as one of the best

and largest animal transporters in

the world Zoo animals livestock

horses ornamental fsh dogs and

cats and many exotic creatures

NOAHrsquoS ARK NYC

have fown onboard JFKrsquos ldquoArkrdquo

team should take note that KLM

also boasts a special hotel for all

the animals

A SPECIAL OFFER FOR

PREMIER TRAVELER READERS

Use code ldquoPTrdquo for booking

a stay at Boutique Hotel

Alhambra to realize a 15

discount on reservations made

until July 15 2015

charge merchants that accept

their credit cards lower fees

than AmEx does The higher

fees that AmEx charges

merchants allow AmEx to

offer better rewards to the

customers who use its cards

Slate warned the T ruling

would mean cardholdersrsquo

rewards would likely to worsen

over time

It doesnrsquot stop there

AmEx has bigger issues

than currency fuctuations

Company spokespeople said

the frm would be investing

heavily this year to try and

replace business they are set

to lose in 2016 after Costco

rides into the sunset JetBlue is

also closing the door on AmEx

and opening a new window

through a new deal with

Barclays and MasterCard

Prospects for 2016 are not

looking too bright for the once

mighty blue chip company

Even with Warren Buffett

standing by AmEx as one of

Berkshire Hathawayrsquos ldquoBig

Fourrdquo stocks and praised

its managers for being ldquoboth

talented and shareholder-

orientedrdquo cautious investors

are looking elsewhere to give

credit where it is due

sea under the pleasant sunshine

from early spring until late fall

This exclusive natural

environment complements the

priceless architectural value of

this beautiful hotel built in 1912

and designed by respected

Austrian architect Alfred Keller

to provide the utmost comfort

without spoiling the natural beauty

Newly renovated the boutique

hotel Alhambra maintained the

same charm and goal offering

impeccable accommodation in

36 romantic double rooms and 15

spacious elegant suites

In communication with the

beautiful villa Augusta which can

be completely separated if rented

in its entirety the boutique hotel

Alhambra provides a full range of

services

For guests with exquisite taste

who are accustomed to superior

personalized service and elegant

comfort the boutique hotel

Alhambra is an idyllic destination

The additional amenities such

as offers of in-room wellness

motor and sailing boat rentals or

panoramic tours by plane make

Alhambra a unique hotel with

made-to-measure offers

Boutique Hotel Alhambra is

part of the Small Luxury Hotels of

the World

14 MAY 2015

UP IN THE AIR

THE NORTHERN LIGHTS SHINE

BRIGHT INSIDE AND OUT

Icelandair in recognition of the Aurora Borealis

has introduced a new livery on one of its Boeing

757s that fies back and forth between Europe

and North America via Iceland (of course) In

addition to the paint job of the plane named Hekla

Aurora the airline has ftted the interior with blue

and green LED lighting that brings the natural

phenomena inside

The company says it celebrates the Icelandic

stopovers they are known for since it is one of the

places in the world where the Aurora Borealis can

be seen most often

Airline Update

BLUE SKIESIn the days of airline cutbacks we had many choices yet lacked

competition JetBlue upgraded the commuter flight experience by adding

amenities such as in-flight entertainment a TV at every seat and Sirius

satellite radio In former CEO David Needemanrsquos words JetBlue sought

ldquoto bring humanity back to air travelrdquo JetBlue grew a cult following by

offering their extras keeping the legacy carriers on their toes

Since launching MINT service on transcontinental routes JetBlue is

recognized for its fresh take on upscale flying which includes private

suites the widest seat in the US domestic market 15-inch flat screens

and a partnership with Saxon amp Parole JetBlue will now be the only US

carrier with lie-flat seating to the Caribbean

In 2011 by introducing charter service to Cuba thanks to the now-

ended embargo JetBlue is in the prime position JetBlue currently

serves over 90 destinations with more to be added In the meantime it

continues to flex its muscle as a travel brand by making a bid to transform

JFK Aiportrsquos iconic TWA terminal into a hotel blending futurism and mid-

20th century nostalgia The airlinersquos New York-based hotel developer

partner MCR Development LLC are in advanced negotiations with the

Port Authority for the rights to the ldquospace-agerdquo 1962 architectural marvel

designed by Eero Saarinen

Truth be told Reykjavik is a cool (as in fun not

temperature) place for a stopover where 365

days a year one can breathe clean air eat fresh

seafood swim in one of the many natural indoor or

outdoor heated pools or relax in the world-class

Blue Lagoon Spa which is right near the airport

A PAL INDEED

After establishing successful routes in Los

Angeles San Francisco Honolulu and Guam

Philippine Airlines bites into an expanded

customer base in the Big Apple at Terminal 1

of New York Cityrsquos JFK International Airport

March 15 2015 marked the carrierrsquos much-

awaited network expansion with four-times-

a-week service to and from Manila with a

stopover in Vancouver Canada

PAL will utilize the Airbus A340-300 jets

which seat 36 passengers in business class

and 218 in economy In Business Class

passengers can expect PALrsquos signature ldquoat

homerdquo in-flight service offering seats that

convert to full-flat beds in-flight entertainment

systems with audio-video on demand and

gourmet cuisine designed by top international

guest chefs

Flight PR 126 departs Manila every

Tuesday Thursday Saturday and Sunday

at 1150 pm After a two-hour transit stop in

Vancouver the service continues on to JFK

arriving at 1050 pm The return service

PR 127 departs New York at 1100 am every

Monday Wednesday Friday and Sunday

arriving in Vancouver at 150 pm and landing

back in Manila at 835 pm the following day

The flight to New York 165 total flying hours

is PALrsquos longest route

16 MAY 2015

HotelUpdate

ACCOMMODATIONS

FEEL LIKE SCOTTISH ROYALTY

WITHOUT THE BLOODSHED

For those who are seduced by the vast verdant Scottish countryside seen on Game of Thrones or even JK Rowlingrsquos Casual Vacancy there is a place travelers can now visit Though at Alladale Wilderness Reserve there are no worries of beheading here instead a welcoming staff is at your beck and call

In the Highlands of Scotland Alladale Wilderness Reserve is a nature-loverrsquos paradise Encompassing 23000 acres of land visitors can enjoy the stunning coastline golf catered picnics and wilderness activities In fact naturalist and owner Paul Listerrsquos long-term vision includes plans to re-introduce wolves and bears into Scotland which were hunted out 500 years agomdasharound the time of the fictional Westeros

The lodge accommodates 12 to 14 guests It can be a romantic getaway or a dream trip for a group of friends A butler and personal chef is provided so a private getaway is definitely a reality as is a never-to-be-forgotten adventure

THE FIRST CUT IS THE DEEPEST

Sometimes the road to trouble is paved with good

intentions To curb wasteful government spending

Indonesian President Joko Widodo banned civil

servants from hosting meetings in hotels late last

year and cut the allowances they would get for

attending The hotel ban saves the government

24 trillion rupiah ($19 billion) according to the

proposed 2015 budget

However as this move slashes hotel revenues in

resort destinations like Bogor (where government

events have accounted for as much as 60 percent

of the hospitality business) it has caused an uproar

among hoteliers and others in related industries

In response to complaints the administration

announced in February that it would relax the ban

Yanti Sukamdani head of the Indonesian Hotel

amp Restaurant Association and director at Hotel

Sahid Jaya told Bloomberg Business that the

move will reduce tax revenue for local and central

administrations and the administration is not

taking into account the multiplier effect of the hotel

trade from transport to insurance She adds that

government business is even more important for

hotels in remote areas across the archipelago

ldquoHotels can survive if the occupancy rate is 55

percentrdquo said Sukamdani ldquoAnything below that

would lead to layoffs in an industry employing 11

million peoplerdquo she noted The governmentrsquos 2015

growth target ldquocannot be achieved if there is a

slowdown in hotel businessrdquo

THE JAILHOUSE ROCKS

Premier Traveler recently gave you the scoop

on Latviarsquos Karosta Prison which guarantees

the ultimate pre-Glasnost KGB jail experience

complete with bad food humiliation and

emotional torture included in the package The fip

side of that comprises former prisons that not only

reformed their former tenants but were reformed

themselves into conversation-starting hotel

properties with unusual features and perks

In Boston Charles Street Jail was transformed

from a former 19th-century prison in a state of

disrepair into an astonishingly luxurious four-star

jail with posh plush suites and gracious public

areas The Jail Hotel Loewengraben a 19th-

century prison in Lucerne Switzerland offers

simple and clean overnight roomsmdashvisitors can

upgrade to luxury suites built out of the former

library and the directorrsquos offce Every part of

the prison has been chicly repurposed while

maintaining the essence of the original layout

Oxford Castle has a storied 1000-year-old

history most notoriously as a prison in the 1800s

Now known as the Malmaison Hotel complex

the monolithic building has overnight rooms

apartments restaurants and bars Much of the

prison infrastructure is still visible to visitors

though everything has of course been upgraded

remodeled and refurbished

CUBANS WELCOME AMERICANS

ldquoHOMErdquo VIA AIRBNB

Thanks to Airbnb a country thatrsquos been off limits

to Americans for 50 years is now opening its

doors and its arms to visitors The online home

rental servicersquos decision to expand into Cuba is

illustrative of the Obama administrationrsquos loosening

restrictions from the former US trade embargo to

encourage the growth of the islandrsquos small private

sector Typing ldquoCubardquo in Airbnbrsquos search engine

yields 1000 properties across the island with 40

percent in Havana and the rest in resort areas such

as Cienfuegos Airbnb has been sending teams of

representatives to Cuba for three months to sign up

interested homeowners and plans to expand further

in the coming months

ldquoWe believe that Cuba could become one of

Airbnbrsquos biggest markets in Latin Americardquo said

Kay Kuehne regional director for Airbnb ldquoWe are

actually plugging into an existing culture of micro-

enterprise in Cuba The hosts in Cuba have been

doing for decades what we just started doing

seven years agordquo

The service for now is only open to those

Americans traveling on the existing 12 government

sanctions for travel to Cuba including family visits

educational activities and humanitarian projects

A SPECIAL OFFER FOR

THE READERS

Mention ldquoPTrdquo for booking a stay

at Alladale Wilderness Reserve

and realize 15 discount or for

booking a stay Contact andrew

therovingambassadorcom or judith

alladalecom for further information

wwwalladalecom

14 MAY 2015

UP IN THE AIR

THE NORTHERN LIGHTS SHINE

BRIGHT INSIDE AND OUT

Icelandair in recognition of the Aurora Borealis

has introduced a new livery on one of its Boeing

757s that fies back and forth between Europe

and North America via Iceland (of course) In

addition to the paint job of the plane named Hekla

Aurora the airline has ftted the interior with blue

and green LED lighting that brings the natural

phenomena inside

The company says it celebrates the Icelandic

stopovers they are known for since it is one of the

places in the world where the Aurora Borealis can

be seen most often

Airline Update

BLUE SKIESIn the days of airline cutbacks we had many choices yet lacked

competition JetBlue upgraded the commuter flight experience by adding

amenities such as in-flight entertainment a TV at every seat and Sirius

satellite radio In former CEO David Needemanrsquos words JetBlue sought

ldquoto bring humanity back to air travelrdquo JetBlue grew a cult following by

offering their extras keeping the legacy carriers on their toes

Since launching MINT service on transcontinental routes JetBlue is

recognized for its fresh take on upscale flying which includes private

suites the widest seat in the US domestic market 15-inch flat screens

and a partnership with Saxon amp Parole JetBlue will now be the only US

carrier with lie-flat seating to the Caribbean

In 2011 by introducing charter service to Cuba thanks to the now-

ended embargo JetBlue is in the prime position JetBlue currently

serves over 90 destinations with more to be added In the meantime it

continues to flex its muscle as a travel brand by making a bid to transform

JFK Aiportrsquos iconic TWA terminal into a hotel blending futurism and mid-

20th century nostalgia The airlinersquos New York-based hotel developer

partner MCR Development LLC are in advanced negotiations with the

Port Authority for the rights to the ldquospace-agerdquo 1962 architectural marvel

designed by Eero Saarinen

Truth be told Reykjavik is a cool (as in fun not

temperature) place for a stopover where 365

days a year one can breathe clean air eat fresh

seafood swim in one of the many natural indoor or

outdoor heated pools or relax in the world-class

Blue Lagoon Spa which is right near the airport

A PAL INDEED

After establishing successful routes in Los

Angeles San Francisco Honolulu and Guam

Philippine Airlines bites into an expanded

customer base in the Big Apple at Terminal 1

of New York Cityrsquos JFK International Airport

March 15 2015 marked the carrierrsquos much-

awaited network expansion with four-times-

a-week service to and from Manila with a

stopover in Vancouver Canada

PAL will utilize the Airbus A340-300 jets

which seat 36 passengers in business class

and 218 in economy In Business Class

passengers can expect PALrsquos signature ldquoat

homerdquo in-flight service offering seats that

convert to full-flat beds in-flight entertainment

systems with audio-video on demand and

gourmet cuisine designed by top international

guest chefs

Flight PR 126 departs Manila every

Tuesday Thursday Saturday and Sunday

at 1150 pm After a two-hour transit stop in

Vancouver the service continues on to JFK

arriving at 1050 pm The return service

PR 127 departs New York at 1100 am every

Monday Wednesday Friday and Sunday

arriving in Vancouver at 150 pm and landing

back in Manila at 835 pm the following day

The flight to New York 165 total flying hours

is PALrsquos longest route

16 MAY 2015

HotelUpdate

ACCOMMODATIONS

FEEL LIKE SCOTTISH ROYALTY

WITHOUT THE BLOODSHED

For those who are seduced by the vast verdant Scottish countryside seen on Game of Thrones or even JK Rowlingrsquos Casual Vacancy there is a place travelers can now visit Though at Alladale Wilderness Reserve there are no worries of beheading here instead a welcoming staff is at your beck and call

In the Highlands of Scotland Alladale Wilderness Reserve is a nature-loverrsquos paradise Encompassing 23000 acres of land visitors can enjoy the stunning coastline golf catered picnics and wilderness activities In fact naturalist and owner Paul Listerrsquos long-term vision includes plans to re-introduce wolves and bears into Scotland which were hunted out 500 years agomdasharound the time of the fictional Westeros

The lodge accommodates 12 to 14 guests It can be a romantic getaway or a dream trip for a group of friends A butler and personal chef is provided so a private getaway is definitely a reality as is a never-to-be-forgotten adventure

THE FIRST CUT IS THE DEEPEST

Sometimes the road to trouble is paved with good

intentions To curb wasteful government spending

Indonesian President Joko Widodo banned civil

servants from hosting meetings in hotels late last

year and cut the allowances they would get for

attending The hotel ban saves the government

24 trillion rupiah ($19 billion) according to the

proposed 2015 budget

However as this move slashes hotel revenues in

resort destinations like Bogor (where government

events have accounted for as much as 60 percent

of the hospitality business) it has caused an uproar

among hoteliers and others in related industries

In response to complaints the administration

announced in February that it would relax the ban

Yanti Sukamdani head of the Indonesian Hotel

amp Restaurant Association and director at Hotel

Sahid Jaya told Bloomberg Business that the

move will reduce tax revenue for local and central

administrations and the administration is not

taking into account the multiplier effect of the hotel

trade from transport to insurance She adds that

government business is even more important for

hotels in remote areas across the archipelago

ldquoHotels can survive if the occupancy rate is 55

percentrdquo said Sukamdani ldquoAnything below that

would lead to layoffs in an industry employing 11

million peoplerdquo she noted The governmentrsquos 2015

growth target ldquocannot be achieved if there is a

slowdown in hotel businessrdquo

THE JAILHOUSE ROCKS

Premier Traveler recently gave you the scoop

on Latviarsquos Karosta Prison which guarantees

the ultimate pre-Glasnost KGB jail experience

complete with bad food humiliation and

emotional torture included in the package The fip

side of that comprises former prisons that not only

reformed their former tenants but were reformed

themselves into conversation-starting hotel

properties with unusual features and perks

In Boston Charles Street Jail was transformed

from a former 19th-century prison in a state of

disrepair into an astonishingly luxurious four-star

jail with posh plush suites and gracious public

areas The Jail Hotel Loewengraben a 19th-

century prison in Lucerne Switzerland offers

simple and clean overnight roomsmdashvisitors can

upgrade to luxury suites built out of the former

library and the directorrsquos offce Every part of

the prison has been chicly repurposed while

maintaining the essence of the original layout

Oxford Castle has a storied 1000-year-old

history most notoriously as a prison in the 1800s

Now known as the Malmaison Hotel complex

the monolithic building has overnight rooms

apartments restaurants and bars Much of the

prison infrastructure is still visible to visitors

though everything has of course been upgraded

remodeled and refurbished

CUBANS WELCOME AMERICANS

ldquoHOMErdquo VIA AIRBNB

Thanks to Airbnb a country thatrsquos been off limits

to Americans for 50 years is now opening its

doors and its arms to visitors The online home

rental servicersquos decision to expand into Cuba is

illustrative of the Obama administrationrsquos loosening

restrictions from the former US trade embargo to

encourage the growth of the islandrsquos small private

sector Typing ldquoCubardquo in Airbnbrsquos search engine

yields 1000 properties across the island with 40

percent in Havana and the rest in resort areas such

as Cienfuegos Airbnb has been sending teams of

representatives to Cuba for three months to sign up

interested homeowners and plans to expand further

in the coming months

ldquoWe believe that Cuba could become one of

Airbnbrsquos biggest markets in Latin Americardquo said

Kay Kuehne regional director for Airbnb ldquoWe are

actually plugging into an existing culture of micro-

enterprise in Cuba The hosts in Cuba have been

doing for decades what we just started doing

seven years agordquo

The service for now is only open to those

Americans traveling on the existing 12 government

sanctions for travel to Cuba including family visits

educational activities and humanitarian projects

A SPECIAL OFFER FOR

THE READERS

Mention ldquoPTrdquo for booking a stay

at Alladale Wilderness Reserve

and realize 15 discount or for

booking a stay Contact andrew

therovingambassadorcom or judith

alladalecom for further information

wwwalladalecom

16 MAY 2015

HotelUpdate

ACCOMMODATIONS

FEEL LIKE SCOTTISH ROYALTY

WITHOUT THE BLOODSHED

For those who are seduced by the vast verdant Scottish countryside seen on Game of Thrones or even JK Rowlingrsquos Casual Vacancy there is a place travelers can now visit Though at Alladale Wilderness Reserve there are no worries of beheading here instead a welcoming staff is at your beck and call

In the Highlands of Scotland Alladale Wilderness Reserve is a nature-loverrsquos paradise Encompassing 23000 acres of land visitors can enjoy the stunning coastline golf catered picnics and wilderness activities In fact naturalist and owner Paul Listerrsquos long-term vision includes plans to re-introduce wolves and bears into Scotland which were hunted out 500 years agomdasharound the time of the fictional Westeros

The lodge accommodates 12 to 14 guests It can be a romantic getaway or a dream trip for a group of friends A butler and personal chef is provided so a private getaway is definitely a reality as is a never-to-be-forgotten adventure

THE FIRST CUT IS THE DEEPEST

Sometimes the road to trouble is paved with good

intentions To curb wasteful government spending

Indonesian President Joko Widodo banned civil

servants from hosting meetings in hotels late last

year and cut the allowances they would get for

attending The hotel ban saves the government

24 trillion rupiah ($19 billion) according to the

proposed 2015 budget

However as this move slashes hotel revenues in

resort destinations like Bogor (where government

events have accounted for as much as 60 percent

of the hospitality business) it has caused an uproar

among hoteliers and others in related industries

In response to complaints the administration

announced in February that it would relax the ban

Yanti Sukamdani head of the Indonesian Hotel

amp Restaurant Association and director at Hotel

Sahid Jaya told Bloomberg Business that the

move will reduce tax revenue for local and central

administrations and the administration is not

taking into account the multiplier effect of the hotel

trade from transport to insurance She adds that

government business is even more important for

hotels in remote areas across the archipelago

ldquoHotels can survive if the occupancy rate is 55

percentrdquo said Sukamdani ldquoAnything below that

would lead to layoffs in an industry employing 11

million peoplerdquo she noted The governmentrsquos 2015

growth target ldquocannot be achieved if there is a

slowdown in hotel businessrdquo

THE JAILHOUSE ROCKS

Premier Traveler recently gave you the scoop

on Latviarsquos Karosta Prison which guarantees

the ultimate pre-Glasnost KGB jail experience

complete with bad food humiliation and

emotional torture included in the package The fip

side of that comprises former prisons that not only

reformed their former tenants but were reformed

themselves into conversation-starting hotel

properties with unusual features and perks

In Boston Charles Street Jail was transformed

from a former 19th-century prison in a state of

disrepair into an astonishingly luxurious four-star

jail with posh plush suites and gracious public

areas The Jail Hotel Loewengraben a 19th-

century prison in Lucerne Switzerland offers

simple and clean overnight roomsmdashvisitors can

upgrade to luxury suites built out of the former

library and the directorrsquos offce Every part of

the prison has been chicly repurposed while

maintaining the essence of the original layout

Oxford Castle has a storied 1000-year-old

history most notoriously as a prison in the 1800s

Now known as the Malmaison Hotel complex

the monolithic building has overnight rooms

apartments restaurants and bars Much of the

prison infrastructure is still visible to visitors

though everything has of course been upgraded

remodeled and refurbished

CUBANS WELCOME AMERICANS

ldquoHOMErdquo VIA AIRBNB

Thanks to Airbnb a country thatrsquos been off limits

to Americans for 50 years is now opening its

doors and its arms to visitors The online home

rental servicersquos decision to expand into Cuba is

illustrative of the Obama administrationrsquos loosening

restrictions from the former US trade embargo to

encourage the growth of the islandrsquos small private

sector Typing ldquoCubardquo in Airbnbrsquos search engine

yields 1000 properties across the island with 40

percent in Havana and the rest in resort areas such

as Cienfuegos Airbnb has been sending teams of

representatives to Cuba for three months to sign up

interested homeowners and plans to expand further

in the coming months

ldquoWe believe that Cuba could become one of

Airbnbrsquos biggest markets in Latin Americardquo said

Kay Kuehne regional director for Airbnb ldquoWe are

actually plugging into an existing culture of micro-

enterprise in Cuba The hosts in Cuba have been

doing for decades what we just started doing

seven years agordquo

The service for now is only open to those

Americans traveling on the existing 12 government

sanctions for travel to Cuba including family visits

educational activities and humanitarian projects

A SPECIAL OFFER FOR

THE READERS

Mention ldquoPTrdquo for booking a stay

at Alladale Wilderness Reserve

and realize 15 discount or for

booking a stay Contact andrew

therovingambassadorcom or judith

alladalecom for further information

wwwalladalecom

MAY 2015 17

Loyalty Programs

MARRIOTT CONTINUES TO

EXPAND WORLDWIDE

The acquisition of the 116-property Protea Hospitality

Group last April was the tipping factor that made

Marriott the largest hotel company in Africa However

Marriott Rewards arenrsquot available at all of the locations

yet Point earning and spending eligibility has just

recently been made available at 26 of the Protea Hotel

South African locationsmdashin Johannesburg Cape

Town and Durban Rewards points are set to roll out

by the end of the year to the remaining properties

located in six African countries Zambia Nigeria

Namibia Malawi Uganda and Tanzania

ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES CONTINUES

TO MAKE AVIATION HISTORY

Ethiopian Airlines the largest and most

profitable airline in Africa and the second

fastest-growing national carrier in the world

has enjoyed a banner year

To highlight a few Ethiopian historical

moments the airlines unveiled its first Ethiopian

Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner The ultra-

modern 787 serving the Addis Ababa-Dublin-

GLOBAL REWARDS

EXPEDIA-TING WORLD DOMINATION2015 has been quite a year for Expedia as it assimilated rivals Orbitz and Travelocity into its portfolio in January Through its $133 billion deal with Orbitz Expedia gains access to the namesake brand as well as brands like CheapTickets and HotelClub This adds to a stable of ldquohousehold namerdquo travel site brands including Hotelscom and Hotwirecom

According to Expedia CEO Dara Khosrowshahi Orbitz was a particularly attractive acquisition option in part because of its highly recognized brands and loyal customers Expedia also liked Orbitzrsquo loyalty program and has installed plans to invest in it and expand upon it

Though some consumer groups expressed concern that Expediarsquos acquisitions may result in less competition and higher fares and room rates for consumers industry expert Jason Clampet head of content at the travel intelligence company Skift points out that ldquoItrsquos been a two-horse race for a while now Expedia and Priceline are the big two giants in the US but there are still a ton of ways to buy travelrdquo

LA route will offer extensive on-board comfort

to passengers for the long haul (figuratively

and literally) with greatly reduced noise higher

cabin air humidity the biggest windows in the

sky and spacious cabin interior

In March Ethiopianrsquos 787 Dreamliner

made a scheduled first visit to Dublin Airport

Earlier this year the largest airline in Africa

announced that it would commence three-

times-weekly flights direct from Dublin to Addis

Ababa and Los Angeles on the Dreamliner

ahead of its inaugural flight to Los Angeles on

June 20

In December at the ldquo2014 Best of Awards

Galardquo Ethiopian Airlines was awarded ldquoBest

Airline to Africardquo by the most prominent travel

magazine in the United States Commenting

on the award Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO

Tewolde Gebremariam said ldquoWe are honored

that Premier Traveler Magazinersquos readers in

the US have selected us as the best airline

for travel to Africa I wish to thank them for this

vote of confidence which once again reaffirms

the quality of the service and product we offerrdquo

With the addition of Dublin the airlinersquos

11th European city (now recognized officially

as their European hub) and Los Angeles

(its fourth point in the Americas) Ethiopianrsquos

international network will cover 85 destinations

across five continents

Ethiopian Airlines was also pleased to

announce that it began new services to Tokyo

Narita International Airport as of April 21

2015 in codeshare agreement with fellow

Star Alliance member All Nippon Airways

Japanrsquos leading airline The thrice-weekly

flight the only direct connection between

Africa and Japan will be operated through

Hong Kong with the aforementioned Boeing

787 Dreamliner aircraft to provide the utmost

comfort to its passengers

CHANGE NOT ALWAYS GOOD

Southwest has announced upcoming changes

regarding its Rapid Rewards program Members

have been fearing the worst devaluation Set to

go in place April 17 the airline announced that

more factors will be taken into account when

calculating the amount of points needed for a

free fight

If membersrsquo worst fears come to fruition this

change will follow suit with the point devaluation

that other airline reward programs such as

Deltarsquos SkyMiles and Unitedrsquos Mileage Plus have

gone through within the last year Long gone will

be days of the refreshing transparency Rapid

Rewards has had up until now when all you had

to do to determine the amount of points needed

for a free ticket was multiply the base fare by 70

100 or 120 for ldquoWanna get awayrdquo ldquoAnytimerdquo or

ldquoBusiness Selectrdquo tickets respectively