Qatar Airways A380 First Class suites

Qatar Airways A380 First Class suites come with caviar, spa like bathrooms and Armani kits.

Up until recently, we thought that the Paul Smith blankets were a great leap for airborne-kind. But the Georgio Armani washbags on Qatar Airways’ new Airbus A380 prove there’s always more room for luxury on an airline. So much room in fact that first class cabins have 48cm HD TV screens and seats measuring 23 inches wide.

The upper deck of the new Airbus A380 features eight first-class ‘suites’ that convert into fully flat 2.2 meter-long beds and come swathed in a soft woven fabric and leather, and decorated with engraved copper. Which is something you’d have already known had service not been delayed due to first-class cabins not being high enough. Talk about “high” end.

Speaking of, each suite is kitted out with, besides 48cm personal HD video screens, a huge video library, remotely controlled adjustable lighting and electrically operated window blinds. And when they’re done fishing out hit favorites and adjusting the blinds, passengers can sink their teeth into anything from caviar to Laduree macarons.

Another advantage of the on-demand, á la carte menu on board can be experiencing it over the tables, each of which folds out to create a dining space for two people. Not hungry? Then just head to the ‘sanctuary in the sky’ for drinks! A cavernous niche serves as a lounge and bar, decked in stunning Arabian-esque chandeliers, fresh flowers and large leather settees.

And if that weren’t indulgent enough, first class cabins also feature two bathrooms, each of which reportedly ‘creates a spa-like warmth’. And boasts a large sink with sensor-operated taps in addition to a wardrobe the size of a changing room, with pockets containing slippers, pyjamas and Giorgio Armani and Christian Dior amenity kits.

The aircraft has been configured to seat 517 passengers on twin decks- eight in first class, 48 in business, and 461 in economy. Flights on Doha-London Heathrow and Doha to Paris routes will begin operation on October 10th 2014 and fare for the first class round trip between London and Doha starts at €5,000 ($6,400).

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Mandarin Oriental Barcelona

For those who want to discover the amazing city of Barcelona with a prime location on the famous Passeig de Gràcia, Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona is one of the city’s most luxurious hotels.

Contemporary Catalan design

Fusing high style with classic luxury, Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona enjoys a stunning setting in the heart of the city.

Set in a mid-19th century bank, the Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona boasts an excellent central location on the Passeig de Gràcia and is surrounded by the city’s best shopping, dining and cultural venues, as well as its most noteworthy landmarks, including Las Ramblas, la Sagrada Família, and the Gothic Quarter.

With chic contemporary interiors, a choice of enticing indoor and outdoor space, exquisite dining and one of the best spas in the Catalan capital, the Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona offers an extraordinary hotel experience.

New luxurious suites

After five successful years as one of the best hotels in the city, Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona is pleased to announce the addition of 17 spacious and luxurious suites and five additional rooms to its inventory, bringing the total room count to 120.

Located in the modernist building adjacent to the hotel on the city’s most luxurious boulevard, Passeig de Gràcia, the rooms are all easily accessible via the main building. Each of the new rooms and suites range from 44 to 124 square metres, and all have been exquisitely designed with an emphasis on style and space.

The award-winning Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola who created the original hotel, and whose highly regarded designs form part of the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, was re-commissioned to create the décor for the new rooms, following the same avant-garde and cosmopolitan style that characterises the rest of the hotel.

The new suites evoke an at-home sense of comfort, with exquisite details in the finish combined with exceptional butler service to cater to guest needs. Urquiola has created flexible spaces, using textile screens, Tai-ping carpets and unique pieces of furniture designed exclusively by the Urquiola Studio.

Spacious bathrooms have an elegant, spa-like atmosphere enclosed within light, tinted opaque glass with enormous walk-in showers.

Throughout, bronze highlights pick up the accents of warm, oak wood floors, beautifully finished carpentry frame pale rugs and brightly coloured decorative pieces, while floor-to-ceiling windows juxtapose contrasting pale and dark walls to create an overall look that is spacious, modern and light.

As well as a collection of exclusive pieces created by the Urquiola Studio in Milan, design highlights include lamps by Flos, sofas and tables by Moroso, Husk chairs for B&B, the EMU stools and Mutina mosaics.

Our heart-stopper is probably the flagship Barcelona suite that features a 123 m2 terrace complete with an outdoor Jacuzzi and solarium.  Elsewhere the interior works to bring the outside in with terraces that run the length of the building, designed not for views, but as outdoor living space, comfortably furnished by Patricia Urquiola for Kettal.

With these new luxurious suites, Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona offers guests more choice and a unique degree of luxury and exclusivity, all of which re-affirms its position as one of the most prestigious hotels in Europe, with a spectacular location in the heart of the city.

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Mare Blu, St. John, US Virgin Islands

Exciting colour, a great floor plan and superb design, lighting, and finishes distinguish this spectacular new villa overlooking Rendezvous Bay! The villa is considered to be one of St. John's most luxurious and stylish super-villas.

Built in four spacious pavilions linked together by generous outdoor living spaces, the sparkling pool and tropical gardens, there is full air-conditioning throughout the villa. Its excellent floor plan is designed so that all of the home's main living space is on one level. Six large bedroom/bath suites, a stunning indoor gourmet kitchen flanked by an outdoor kitchen dining and sitting area, and a beautifully-decorated Great Room are just a start.

Breathtaking Ladera Resort, Soufriere, St. Lucia

A thousand feet below, an intensely blue Caribbean Sea dashes against the volcanic Piton Mountains. Faintly scented tropical breezes cool your skin. 

Your private plunge pool beckons. There are only 32 suites in this ultimate rainforest open-air hideaway. Each offers fine linens, luxurious amenities and four-poster beds made of polished tropical hardwood. And each, deliberately without a fourth wall, invites the spectacular sunsets and astonishing views right inside, to be a part of your very private, very special retreat.

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