Make plans for a local Valentine's celebration
When you book a table at any one of the restaurants at Jumeirah at Etihad Towers on February 14, you can book a double room for a special Valentine's Day rate of Dh870 for the night, including taxes, breakfast and welcome drinks (a stay in the higher category, grand deluxe room costs Dh1,218). For more information, call 02 811 5555.
The Chedi Muscat is offering a one-night stay in a double room with a complimentary 60-minute "bathing ceremony", breakfast, use of the health club and a 10 per cent discount on further spa treatments from 105 Omani rials (Dh1,001) per person, including taxes. A four-course meal at its Beach Restaurant will cost another 47 Omani rials (Dh448) per person, including taxes. To book, call 00 968 24 52 44 01.
A different kind of desert hideaway
Specialist tour operator Mantis is offering a range of adventures in Antarctica, a five-hour hop from Cape Town. White Desert is a new camp comprising seven luxurious fibreglass domes with en-suite toilet and wash facilities - there is a separate shower tent. Outdoors, enjoy sharing the ice with a colony of Emperor penguins, climb a mountain, picnic near a 60-metre ice cliff or trek to count icebergs. Tailor-made experiences range from a one-day trip to an eight-day safari. For more information, visit www.mantiscollection.com.
Spa in the privacy of your own luxury suite
The St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort has opened three new suites, each dedicated to a different spa culture. Its beautifully decorated Contemporary, Moroccan and Thai spa suites have spacious terraces with enclosed gardens, well-appointed bedrooms and bathrooms and a separate spa treatment area suitable for two guests. Each offers a menu of treatments to suit its decorative theme (the Moroccan suite has its own hammam). The themed spa suites cost from Dh4,930 per night, including taxes, breakfast and two hour-long spa treatments per stay. To book, visit www.stregissaadiyatisland.com.
A five-star boutique hotel opens in London
The Wellesley has just opened in a 1920s townhouse in one of the UK capital's most glamorous neighbourhoods, Knightsbridge. Guests who check-in to any one of the 29 suites and seven bedrooms, all beautifully decorated with Art Deco style flourishes, have the option of a Rolls-Royce transfer and the services of a butler. The Wellesley also boasts a cigar terrace offering vintage and limited-edition cigars, an Italian fine-dining restaurant and a jazz lounge. The penthouse suite overlooks Hyde Park. The hotel is currently offering a special, opening rate from £245 (Dh1,450) per night. To book, visit www.thewellesley.co.uk.
