Photo: Corinthia Hotel London

Londoners love their tea. As Wimbledon 2013 nears, the world famous tennis tournament will draw thousands of tennis fans to historic London.

The luxurious Corinthia Hotel London has introduced a new program that will serve Wimbledon spectators of the capital the ideal Championship Afternoon Tea.

As you enter the gorgeous lobby of the Corinthia Hotel London, guest will notice soaring dome of the “Full Moon” chandelier. The atmosphere exudes royalty as tranquillity and calm are the order of the play.

The stunning Baccarat Chandelier was made with 1,001 crystals baubles that truly illuminate The Lobby Lounge.

You can enjoy a wide array of teas that include bespoke blends developed specifically for the Corinthia London’s Tea Palace menu. Be sure to try one of the delicious, themed afternoon pastries.

For foodie lovers, consider the savory selection of delicious finger sandwiches with gourmet fillings such as Loch Var smoked salmon, creamed Innes goats cheese with cucumber and organic egg mayonnaise with micro watercress. To end the fine meal, enjoy a mouth-watering selection of scones.

For those who enjoy Champagne, try a glass of Laurent-Perrier with a Champagne Afternoon Tea.

Corinthia Hotel London is offering its Championship Afternoon Tea program each day at 3pm, between June 24th and July 9th 2013.

To book your reservation to attend the Wimbledon 2013 tennis tournament or a stay at the luxury Corinthia Hotel London, please contact The Life of Luxury below:

Photo: Le Palais des Thés

Tea company Le Palais des Thés, was first created in Paris in 1986 by Francois-Xavier Delmas.

Le Palais des Thés offers all-natural Signature Flavored Teas (‘Les Creations”), pure Single Estate Teas, and exceptional, limited edition “Grand Crus”.

All of the company’s tea products are available online via their e-boutique, plus in their first two American stores located in New York City.

Leveraging their signature “Créations”, Le Palais des Thés has now moved into the the world of fragrance with its new candle range.

Offering five amazing scents that are each inspired by a moment of pleasure, this new line of luxury candles will truly take you on a voyage around the world.

Here’s a description of each of the five new fragrance candles from Le Palais des Thés:

– Imagine yourself in the hushed, sensual and mysterious atmosphere of a traditional Chinese tea house with Thé des Concubines candle. This candle is based on a signature blend of green and black tea, with fruity, flowery, and spicy notes ($45).

– Take a hot bath in an Istanbul hammam with the Thé du Hammam candle. This azure candle is an Eastern celebration of fresh green tea, delicate rose petals and orange blossom, ripe red fruits and crystallised fruits ($45).

– Follow the scent of cherry blossoms through the shrines of Kyoto with the Fleur de Geisha candle. This chic pink candle is based on the airy and celestial fragrance of Le Palais des Thés’ signature green tea ($45).

– Dream of Sicilian orchards and London fog with Thé des Lords candle. As it burns, its fragrance intensifies – solar, unpredictable, elegant. The candle and its bright green packaging are an invitation to vitality ($45).

– Meditate at a Buddhist temple in Tibet with Thé des Moines candle. Scented with sacred plants and flowers, this warm ochre candle releases its mystical, luminous, enchanting bouquet as it burns. Perfect for a calm, relaxing environment ($45).

All five candles from Le Palais des Thés will burn for approximately 50 hours and are available for immediate purchase at http://us.palaisdesthes.com

As cooler weather begins to set in with the arrival of autumn, there’s nothing better than a sip from a hot cup of tea.

Have you ever thought of hosting your own tea party? It’s a great reason to gather with friends and family and enjoy the great taste of tea.

Dawn Bryan who is the founder of The Qualipedia (www.qualipedia.com), has put together top tips for a terrific tea party. Make your tea party a wonderful and memorable event!

TEA PARTY THEMES:
There are a variety of ways to throw a tea party. You could go the classic English tea party route, or you could throw all the rules out the window and host a memorable tea party, which does not have to adhere to any of the traditional rules and leaves a lasting impression on your guests. Non-traditional tea soirées can be anything you choose: formal, informal, for a few guests or a hundred. Consider a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party with hat decorating elements, or a fall hat exchange, or chill out with guests and have a yoga instruction followed by a traditional Zen tea ceremony.

TEA TIPS:
· Choose from many different teas including white, green, herbal, Darjeeling, and oolong among them
· Check instructions for selected tea, as teas vary in their brewing time
· Start all teas with cold fresh water
· Place 2 or 3 tea bags into pot of hot water to steep
· Cover the pot or cup while tea is steeping
· Remove loose leaf tea leaves immediately after steeping or if using tea bags squeezing the tea bag after putting it directly into a cup is a no-no, allow it to drip briefly into cup while removing.

TEA BITES:
Most tea foods are bite-size fingers foods. However, you can update the three course tradition with your favorite mini foods. Consider a gorgeous spread of nuts and dried fruits, kabobs, cheese plates, filo puffs or yummy Spanish tapas instead of the traditional small sandwiches and scones.

CONDIMENTS:
Many tea drinkers prefer their tea served plain; however, you should have sugar and other sweeteners, various milks and lemons available for your guests. Tip: Milk goes best with black teas and traditional English teas, and lemon with Chinese.

So amaze your friends and family by hosting a fun tea party. Make it one of the more enjoyable parties of the season with delicious recipes and great tasting tea!

State Guest Da Hung Pao

It’s been long reported, that the fragrance of State Guest Da Hung Pao tea can often last until the next day.

State Guest Da Hung Pao is a long-lasting tea with a delicate perfume.

Similar to oolong, which is a semi-fermented tea, tea lovers will often pay big bucks to enjoy a cup of State Guest Da Hung Pao tea.

With 40 stores across greater China, you can enjoy a cup of State Guest Da Hung Pao tea at a Wu Yi Star Teahouse.

Wu Yi Star Teahouse charges a rate of 16,800 Hong Kong dollars (US$2,160) for a small pinch of leaves weighing around 50 grams.

Don’t be fooled by the expensive price. There is strong demand for this tea but limited supply at the chain of China tea shops.

Only 100 canisters of State Guest Da Hung Pao tea are available each year and are sold out usually in less than two months.

Don’t wait to long, because the waiting list for the 2011-year harvest is already underway.

Kusmi Tea of Paris

Originally founded in 1867 in St. Petersburg – Russia, Kusmi Tea of Paris has been pleasing the taste pallets of tea lovers for many years.

The traditional Russian-style tea came to to Paris in 1917 and for over the past 140 years, has become hugely popular.

Kusmi Tea of Paris comes in a wide variety of luscious flavors and continues to become a popular choice of the Hollywood celebrities.

A small sample of celebs who love Kusmi Tea of Paris include: Eric Roberts, Dennis Quaid, Giles Marini, Angela Bassett, Neil Patrick Harris, The Bachelor’s Chris Harrison, The Good Wife’s Emmy-award winning actress Archie Panjabi, Twilight’s Peter Facinelli and Rami Malek, as well as numerous cast members from TV’s Mad Men, True Blood, The Office, Dancing with the Stars, and the CSI shows.

What keeps these tea lovers wanting more is that Kusmi Tea of Paris has perfected the art of blending unique teas that are uniquely distinguished by their exceptional flavor, aroma and quality.

In addition to the taste, Kusmi’s unique blends of green, black, red, herbal, wellness and decaf teas are also packaged in beautifully designed boxes and classic tins.

Kusmi Tea of Paris was proud to be chosen as one of the elite products included in coveted 2010 Entertainment Tonight Emmy giftbag.

You can find Kusmi Tea at their flagship retail store in New York City (located at 1037 Third Avenue near 61st Street) and in other fine stores in the tri-state area, including Dean & Deluca and McNulty’s Tea & Coffee and Zabar’s.

Kusmi Tea of Paris has recently opened a ne location in Los Angeles at Monsieur Marcel’s Gourmet Market (located at 6333 West 3rd Street, at Third and Fairfax).

For additional information on all Kusmi Tea of Paris products plus a complete list of establishments, please visi Kusmi’s online boutique: www.us.kusmitea.com

The Plaza Hotel is one of most famous hotels in the world. It’s a landmark hotel and occupies the west side of Grand Army Plaza, from which it derives its name, and extends along Central Park South in Manhattan.

The Plaza has completed a $400-million, three-year renovation to restore the hotel’s grandeur. Now tea at the Plaza is all about the food.

The harpist is back, playing lovely music and alternating with a classical guitarist. The lush, palm trees still decorate the Palm Court — the name of the lobby dining room where tea has been served since the hotel opened in 1907.

At $60 a person, it’s one of the city’s more expensive afternoon teas. There’s an alternate tea menu at the Plaza that includes lobster, black truffle, caviar and a chocolate pot de creme is even more, at $100.  Full article