Take in the sights of Ukraine's capital
A luxurious and stylish boutique hotel has opened in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, close to the National Opera House. A design hotel, 11 Mirrors is currently running a "sparkling winter special" offer with three nights for the price of two on stays from December 20 to January 15 inclusive. A double room costs from €212 (Dh1,005) per night, including breakfast and taxes. The offer is based on two people sharing. For further information, visit www. 11mirrors-hotel.com.
Celebrate the season on Saadiyat Island
Check into the St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort here in Abu Dhabi this Christmas and take advantage of one of the hotel's festive offers. Stay the night of December 24 in a double room, which costs from Dh1,600, and enjoy a festive buffet for two at Oléa, its Mediterranean restaurant, as well as breakfast. An additional dinner or lunch at Oléa will cost from Dh300 for adults or Dh100 for children aged from 5 to 12 years old. Father Christmas is set to make an appearance with presents for children, and there's carol singing to set the mood. To book, visit www.stregissaadiyatisland.com.
What's new at Jumeirah at Etihad Towers
Scott's, a British seafood restaurant, is the last of the Jumeirah at Etihad Towers' eateries to open. The original Scott's, an oyster warehouse, was established in London in 1851 and the Abu Dhabi incarnation has art-deco styling as well as its own private jetty; the restaurant sits at the end of a short pier over the Arabian Gulf. On the menu is Shetland mussels, dressed Cornish crab and Scottish smoked salmon. To book a table for lunch or dinner, call 02 811 5666.
A new beach resort opens in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico's "first six-star hotel", the Ritz-Carlton Dorado Beach opened this week with 100 rooms and 14 one-bedroom suites, plus Su Casa, a renovated 1920s beachfront hacienda that will serve as a VIP villa. If lazing on the shores of this Caribbean island, once the hang out of John F Kennedy and the 1960s jetset, begins to pale, the hotel has created the Rockefeller Nature Trail, a 17km paved path around the area for walkers, cyclists and electric carts. Double rooms cost from US$1,600 (Dh5,875) per night, including taxes. Book at www.ritzcarlton.com.
Tour India's golden triangle in comfort
A new and convenient rail service linking two of India's most visited destinations - Jaipur and Agra - has just started. The Shatabdi Express has fully air-conditioned carriages and departs on a convenient daily schedule, leaving Jaipur at 07.05, arriving in Agra, 241km away, three-and-a-half hours later, and departing Agra for the return journey at 16.20. A single fare costs 430 Indian rupees (Dh29). The same express service also links New Delhi with Jaipur. For more information, visit www.indianrail.gov.in.
