Luxury SpaFinder magazine, recently declared sleep the new wellness frontier.

And unlike some over hyped, must-try treatments, for which the only sensible course of action is to back slowly out of the room, smiling (the facial featuring nightingale droppings, the massage that slithers snakes across your back, having your toes read), this hot trend is actually sensible.

There have been many scientific studies that have linked the lack of sleep to poor health, increased stress levels and obesity.

American spas were the first to identify that a good night’s sleep is one sure way to a spa-goer’s wallet.

Some of the best spas even employ directors of sleep. Canyon Ranch, one of the U.S.’s most influential wellness companies, was a pioneer.

Other spas take a more holistic, chimes’n’chants approach. For example, the award-winning Red Mountain Spa, in Utah, holds regular sellout Sweet Art of Sleep Seduction workshops. These courses involve “fun and experiential” discussions, teaching various ways to create the correct environment for sleep.

While New York City might bask in its well earned reputation as the “city that never sleeps”, some of its residents really wouldn’t mind a bit more shuteye.  Full article

The Mirage, which revolutionized the concept of the megaresort in 1989 (ancient history in Las Vegas) got tired of being known as yesterday’s hot property, and these days taps into the Palms/Hard Rock market of young, good looking party people. Jet, the property’s first nightclub, was conceived by The Light Group — the people behind Mist, Fix and Light. Apparently monosyllabic titles are the keys to hot reputations.

The Jet nightclub in the Las Vegas Mirage, has 15,000 square feet, three unique rooms and a multilevel environment crafted by designer Jeffrey Beers from wood, stone and arching steel.

Each room has its own dance floor, DJ booth and sound system. Option #1: rock, hip-hop and popular dance music; Option #2: house music, featuring guest and international DJs; Option #3: a little bit of everything with a dance beat, from rock to classic ’80s tracks.

Jet also boasts a one-of-a-kind light and laser grid, state-of-the-art cryogenic effects systems and four full-service bars. European bottle service is available in each room.

After the Zeydon Z60 yacht, we’ve never discussed another luxury yacht. Although this time it’s a bit smaller than the previous 230 foot megayacht, we need to understand that great things do come in smaller packages as well.

This time the Sabdes 50m Superyacht will catch people’s eyes. It’s a conceptual super yacht. Sabdes is not just a luxury icon of a yacht, but it’s also focusing to be an environmentally friendly yacht. This will help contribute to a “greener” earth.

To produce yachts that stand out from the crowd requires an intuitive knowledge of design and styling crossing many industrial disciplines.

Designer, Scott Blee, was truly thinking ahead for future system upgrades as technologies advance. In turn these changes will eliminate major redesign and structural changes.

Each yacht’s systems are carefully considered in the early stages of design in order to minimize power consumption and emissions. Hull designs are optimized for minimal surface and hull wake, reducing their impact on sensitive marine life, and shoreline erosion.

Aside from this yacht eco-sensitive slant, Sabdes yachts are ultimately designed to be stylish.

The yacht’s total power consumption will be kept to a minimum. Careful consideration was given to every technical element throughout the yacht. For example, it will have LED lighting, more reliance on natural cooling to support the A/C system, plus insulation and window materials were carefully selected.

Kim Kardashian (full name Kimberly Noel Kardashian) was born on October 21, 1980 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is the daughter of Robert Kardashian, famous attorney and she is also a socialite.

One of her best friends is Paris Hilton. Just like Paris, Kim was involved in a sex tape scandal after an unknown source sold a tape in which she and her boyfriend, Ray J, were making love. She said she will sue them.

“There is no amount of money that could ever convince me to release any tape, even if I had one. I don’t need the money.”

“I’m not poor; I’m not desperate, I would never attempt to sell a tape,” she says. “It would humiliate me and ruin my family. I don’t need the money. It’s humiliating; it’s embarrassing. It’s something I feel very betrayed by, but I’m not pointing any fingers.”

Kim Kardashian stars in Keeping Up with the Kardashians, now in its second season.

People seem to want to see how this former sex tape star and ex-best friend of Paris Hilton behaves in real life. The truth really is, that despite bringing nothing but some big breasts and a large buttocks to the table, Kardashian isn’t as annoying as most talentless celebrities.

These days, Kim Kardashian is dating NFL star Reggie Bush. She says they hope to get married one day soon.

The beautiful Barbie doll has been a treasured collectible for many decades and a long time favorite for almost every little girl. What started out as a simple doll for girls by toy maker Mattel, has turned into a massive worldwide, collectible market.

Thought to be the largest single-owner Barbie collection ever auctioned, the Dutch collection was sold in September of 2006 by Christie’s of London. The Barbie collection of over 4,000 dolls was said to include practically every Barbie ever produced. Starting from the 1959 #1 ponytail, to the current dolls of the 2000’s.

Christie’s sold the rare dolls individually and others were in lots of 10 to 12 dolls. The bidding for the lots will started at around $100 to $200. The estimate was at the time, the collection was worth approximately $185,000.

Auction house Christie’s, tells Reuters, “This is a collection of virtually everything — and most of it is in mint condition as it has never been taken out of its boxes, making it particularly highly prized.”

The first ever Barbie, wearing a zebra stripe swimsuit and white sunglasses, sold for over $6,000 to an anonymous collector.

This was a far cry from the pocket-money price of $3 when she first went on sale in 1959. In all more than 4,000 of the dolls went on sale at Christies attracting buyers from all over the world.

Sleep off your hard day at the newest luxury hotel in Liverpool – it’s “The Beatles” themed Hard Days Night Hotel.

The hotel is located in the ‘Beatles Quarter’ of the city, and features visually stunning, artwork covering many key events in the lives of John, Paul, George and Ringo.

The numerous artwork, seen throughout the hotel, features the specially commissioned ‘Shannon Collection’ and a unique statue of John Lennon, which greets visiting guests in the hotel atrium.

The hip, 110 room hotel has two extravagant luxury suites. The hotel keeps a wrap on the details of the suites as to amaze the guests of the suites. However, the rumour is that the Lennon Suite features its own white piano – paying tribute to the white piano Lennon plays on the back cover of the Imagine… Album.

John Lennon’s sister, Julia, is quoted saying the $1,300 a night suite is “stunning” and “spectacular”. The other secret suite is the McCartney Suite which is said to pay tribute to his knighthood with the suite’s personal suit of armor.

The hotel isn’t just for Beatles Fans. The four-star hotel, housed within a 19th century mercantile building, also caters to business travelers and tourists with the deluxe rooms which contain en suite bathroom and shower, luxurious double bed, a leather topped desk and panoramic views of the Liverpool skyline.

The Hard Days Night Hotel reservations can be booked on their website http://www.harddaysnighthotel.com or by calling +44 (0)151 236 1964.

As the new CTS sport sedan earns accolades and new owners, Cadillac takes the next leap forward by premiering the 2009 CTS-V, the brand’s ultimate expression of performance and luxury.

Launching in the fourth quarter of 2008, the all-new CTS-V intends to combine the serious performance of an elite sports car with the poise and elegance of a prestigious luxury sedan.

“The CTS-V represents the full extension of our design, technology and performance capabilities,” says Jim Taylor, Cadillac general manager. “The V-Series takes the award-winning CTS sport sedan and elevates it to a position within the club of the world’s most exclusive and capable cars.”

Full article

The imagination factor of most intimate hideaways rarely stretches beyond chocolate on the pillows and dinner for two. But we’ve scoured the world for the top-10 hotels that raise the temperature on the idea of romance.

1. Las Ventanas al Paraiso: Los Cabos, Mexico
Cabo’s celebrated beach retreat takes its loving so seriously it’s hired a Director of Romance. Pick from a menu of amorous experiences, including “cinema on the beach for two,” “sea & stars massage for two,” and the “men in white” program – where male guests learn how to prepare a meal for their sweethearts.

2. L’Hotel: Paris, France
A “Pavillion d’Amour” in the early 1800s, L’Hotel is now among the most seductive Small Luxury Hotels in Paris. Its six-story atrium leads off to 20 lavishly designed bedrooms, while the original cellar is home to a private steam room and Roman bath that can be booked for couples’ private use.

3. Nam Hai: Hoi An, Vietnam
Nam Hai’s private villas are set on a secluded stretch of the famed China Beach. If a private butler, outdoor shower and ocean-view vistas aren’t enough, couples can slip into the spa and have a specially prepared Love Bath, laced with “love potion” (a blend of essential oils) and flowers, topped off with champagne and canapés.

4. The Bungalows Resort & Spa: Cofresi, Dominican Republic
The magazine that gave us “Secret Sex” and “Celebrity Bastards” has, improbably, opened one of the hottest resorts in the Caribbean. To get your blood pumping, The Bungalows Resort & Spa marries high luxe with high adrenaline (think kiteboarding and couples yoga). Alternatively, you can charter their 55-foot yacht for a private sunset cruise.

5. Tides Zihuatanejo: Zihuatanejo, Mexico
Terracotta-tiled suites with personal plunge pools kiss this exclusive patch of Pacific shoreline. But it’s the resort’s private isle in an azure lagoon that sets the scene for a romantic candlelit dinner. After reaching your table by canoe, dinner begins with champagne and a menu delivered in a bottle.

6. Mykonos Grand: Mykonos, Greece
Perched above the beach where “Shirley Valentine” was filmed, the white sugar-cube boxes of Mykonos Grand offers a romantic package: Book a suite with a private pool and the hotel will throw in a personal chef, a rose petal turndown service and a Kamasutra Seduction box — which includes naughty delights like vanilla crème body soufflé and sweet honeysuckle dust.

7. The Fairmont Orchid: Big Island, Hawaii
After a massage in Fairmont’s waterfall gardens, retire to your oceanview suite for a special “Make Room for Romance” turndown. Then follow a trail of orchids leading to a floral heart on the bed. Champagne and chocolate-dipped strawberries prep you for a steamy bath laced with salts, bubbles and floating candles.

8. Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire: Hampshire, England
Reenact Darcy’s love for Elizabeth at this Georgian manor presiding over gorgeous heritage gardens. Couples can tour the estate by horse-drawn carriage or drift down wooded canals in the hotel’s own cruiser. Pause for a picnic lunch, or better yet, learn to make “a romantic meal for two” from the executive chef in a private demo.

9. The Rania Experience: Maldives
The ultimate fantasy-island experience where couples stay on their own private atoll in a three-bedroom villa serviced by 30 hosts (including chefs, butlers, spa therapists and scuba instructors.) The $12,000-per-night package also features exclusive use of an 86-foot yacht with a jacuzzi and cinema.

10. Jade Mountain: St. Lucia
Only 24 three-walled “sanctuaries” compose this exclusive hillside resort. With open floor plans, you can slip straight out of bed and into your couple-sized chromotherapy tub — or into your glass-tiled infinity pool with views of St. Lucia’s green-peaked Pitons.

Photo by Rueters

The Rolling Stones could very well the best rock ‘n roll band ever. The Beatles are always mentioned in that same breath. Mich Jagger is the Stone’s front man and at age 64, is still going as strong as ever. We should all age like Mick Jagger. His deeply lined face is full of character, he has a full head of remarkably lustrous, seemingly undyed hair, and there isn’t an ounce of fat on his body.

He’s limber and elegant in a dress shirt and sky-blue sweater, suit pants and black high-tops. His face is craggy, but from the neck down, Jagger looks 30.

Jagger’s dancing in performance  has always been like nobody else’s and, incredibly enough, still is. His voice, deeper with age, carries the Stones’ great songs with all the authority it ever had, or more. He is a wonder of nature.

Still, some may see the movie and think: These guys should have hung it up so long ago. Jagger and Keith Richards both turn 65 this year. But to listen to the Stones’ music is to forget all about the idea that rock ’n’ roll was meant only for young people.

The Rolling Stones have always been a law unto themselves. As is Mick Jagger.  Full article

Photo by Rueters

Photo by: Douglas Peebles/Corbis

In my opinion, few drives are more beautiful than the Road to Hana on Maui. It’s a curvy coastal road with views of cliffs, beaches, waterfalls, and rainforest. It’s a well paved road, but you do need to keep your wits about you when you drive it because of the many sharp curves and one-lane bridges.

Before we dive into the tips, let me be clear about what I mean about the Road to Hana. Take a look at this Google map below and notice Highway 360, also known as the Hana Highway. That’s the Road to Hana. I want to make it clear that I am not referring to the Palani Highway that brings you to Hana from the South. (Note: that rental car companies advise that you don’t drive the Palani Highway. Plus, a portion of the road is closed due to earthquake damage.)

Here are a few tips for enjoying your drive on the Road to Hana.

• Definitely plan to make a whole day of the drive there and back.
• Share the driving time with your travel companions, if possible. The drive can be stressful for one person. Consider whether you should add an additional driver onto your rental car contract as most contracts only allow one driver as a standard. Additional drivers can be added for a fee.
• Get a good Maui guidebook that will detail what to see along the way. Find one that provides references by mile markers. (I’ve used Maui Revealed in the past and found it was a good reference. Just make sure you never trespass or do any hiking or swimming that are beyond your skills. If it looks dangerous, it probably is!)
• Try to get an early start, say around 7am. You’ll avoid traffic with an early start.
• Avoid driving a long distance on this Road to Hana at night.
• If you notice a local driving behind you or a long line of cars, please be considerate and pull over to allow cars to pass as soon as you find a safe spot to do so.
• Do drive beyond Hana to the Kipahula area which about 10 miles beyond Hana. See the Oheo Gulch with the cascading pools and spend a bit of time walking around this area. Note that this area is part of Haleakala National Park. So, when you purchase entry into the park, it is valid for both entry points for 3 days from purchase.
• I like to drive all the way to Kipahula, then back to Hana and stop into the Hana Hotel for lunch on their lanai. The hotel grounds are beautiful and it makes for a nice relaxing break from all the driving.
• Don’t miss the black sand beach at Wainapanapa State Park.
• Bring sunscreen, water, snacks, and mosquito repellent (particularly if you are going to do any hikes)
• Make sure you have a full tank of gas before you start the drive. Gas stations are few and far between!
• If you think you might do any swimming, then make sure to bring beach towels.
• Always lock your car if you are going to be leaving it for a few minutes or longer.
• Don’t forget your camera with lots of film/memory and fully charged batteries.
• On your way back to your hotel, don’t miss watching the windsurfers on Hookipa beach.

Have you driven the Road to Hana?  What did you think of it?
What tips would you add?  Please share them.

When we sampled Rolls-Royce’s delectable Phantom Drophead Coupé (the perfect complement to warm Tuscan sun), the Goodwood-based manufacturer was already putting the finishing touches to the final piece in the Phantom fleet. Joining the Drophead, and sitting alongside the hugely accomplished saloon and extended wheelbase versions, is this new Drophead Coupé, a peerless four-seater based on the 2006 101EX concept.

While the Drophead had more than a hint of nautical elegance, with its teak rear deck and sisal floor mats, the Coupé is a more elegant, sporting affair, if something with the inherent grace and presence of a Rolls-Royce could be defined as sporting. Ample power is provided by the company’s vast 6.75-litre V12 (kiss goodbye to your congestion charge discount), giving the car performance that belies its hefty proportions.

The company’s designers have done well to soften the bulk, creating flowing lines that accommodate rear-hinged doors (with push-button closing, naturally), and a drop down picnic boot for two. Forward vision at tricky junctions is provided by a bumper-mounted camera, while there’s the option of having a ’starlight headlining’, a fibre-optic light show embedded in the roof lining.

Craftsmanship, engineering, materials and finish are all first rate. Although Rolls-Royce are readying a more mass-market saloon to tap into the sub £200,000 market, the Phantom Coupé demonstrates more than ever that their core customer base has no need to fret.

Photo courtesy of: Jeff Voth – CarNews Media