Pack your bags for Tunisia! A new Radisson Blu Resort & Thalasso has opened in Monastir. It's the second Radisson Blu in Tunisia and boasts 280 rooms on beachfront property -- facing the Gulf of Hammamet in the Mediterranean Sea. The resort has 264 guestrooms, 14 junior suites and two senior suites, all equipped with high-speed access (no fee!) and a private balcony or terrace overlooking the pool and sea.

Of course, it's nice to have a comfortable room, but when you really want to unwind, you're looking for the spa. The Radisson Blu in Monastir has a 150,000-square foot facility in the Royal Elyssa Spa Cinq Mondes & Thalasso, with a 48,000-square foot Thal'ion Thalasso center that specializes in restorative treatments using seawater. The spa facilities are set to open early next year and will also have a fitness club and salon. The saunas, hammams and treatment rooms are great, but you'll want to get to the top floor, where you'll find 20 spa suites, many of which will boast private Jacuzzis.

Will space tourism stays be possible in just a couple of years? A Spanish company has said that their Galactic Suite Space Resort orbiting hotel will open in 2012. The company is offering a three-night stay for €3 million. It sounds exorbitant but that price does include an eight-week training course on a tropical island and the travel on a rocket to reach the hotel which will float 280 miles above the earth. The company says that they already have 43 reservations.

The Independent reports that "an anonymous billionaire space enthusiast" has given the company more than €2 billion to finance the hotel. The hotel will rotate the earth 15 times per day offering a trip around the world in just 80 minutes. The modular space habitat willl be built around a central docking platform. Each pod has a window at the base and tourists will be experiencing weightlessness during their stay.

The Ritz-Carlton has something new up its sleeve: a collection of smaller, unique, boutique-style hotels in stunning natural locations. The first Ritz-Carlton Reserve will be opening December 22, 2009 on Phulay Bay in Krabi, Thailand.

"Ritz-Carlton Reserve will feature signature, one-of-a-kind boutique resorts positioned in unique settings, each with a distinctive personality and sense of place reflecting its history and culture," says Simon F. Cooper, president. "Phulay Bay in Thailand is a natural choice for the first Reserve."

Why? Because it's awesome. Phulay Bay, on the Andaman Sea, is surrounded by rocky forest hikes with hidden waterfalls and sandy beaches. From the resort, you'll be able to fly around the coast via sea plane, take a meditation class with local monks, ride elephants and visit ESPA, the swanky new spa. Can you think of anything else you'd like to do on your luxury vacation? Just let them know; they'll figure it out.

"We want guests to enjoy and discover the extraordinary diversity and beauty in this part of the country in a setting of relaxation and rejuvenation," says Estelita Sebeto, the resort's General Manager. "We have worked with nature to maintain a setting that evokes the very best of the natural environment of the hotel and sourced local and sustainable materials in its construction and styling. We see the resort as an ambassador for the local environment and for the tradition of the land here in Phulay Bay."

The fabulous boutique hotel and 54 adjoining villas comes with extra-special service, so the price is extra-special as well. The rooms start at approximately $582.18 per night, and the villas at $809.99.

Visit the website for more information or to book.

Here are Luxist we love hotel deals. Here comes another one but you will have to act fast. Omni Hotels is offering a sale on hotel stays between December 2 and February 10 but you have to book in the next couple of days. Their 72-hour sale has already started and ends Thursday. The sale offers as much as 40 percent off hotel rooms in Austin, Chicago, Dallas, New Orleans, Houston and other cities. These are some of the same cities that both Southwest Airlines and American Airlines offered deals on last week

[via USA Today's Hotel Check-In]

It should be more widely known that Canadians are a giving people. The folks in the geographical apartment above ours invented provided the pager, the foghorn, and basketball. We also have them to thank, or perhaps curse, for the Blackberry. As for talent, or something close to it, Canadians Alannis Morissette, Leonard Cohen, Keanu Reeves, and Natasha Henstridge have all come down to borrow our proverbial cups of sugar.

And although the Maple Leafers didn't give us The Fairmont Hotels -- that's a San Francisco invention -- they own them now, and they're offering you ten days of deals. Book a room in a Fairmont between November 10-19, and you can spare your bank account up to 25% off the normal rate or get a night free.

Of course there are terms and conditions, because even honey comes with bees. Still, when The Fairmont Orchid Hawaii can be had for $299, The Fairmont Southampton in Bermuda for $199, The Fairmont Singapore for $195, and for you devil-may-care MI6 types The Fairmont Monte Carlo for $370, well, bees be damned. Should you wish to visit the company's on its home turf, The Fairmont Le Château Frontenac in Québec City (pictured) is just $165. While you're there, have a Reese's Cup -- they were invented by Pennsylvanian H. B. Reese, but peanut butter and candy bars are yet more Canadian gifts to the world...

Todd Rome co-founded Blue Star Jets in 2001 (with CEO Ricky Sitomer) in response to the inefficiencies in the private jet marketplace. It is now one of the world's largest private aircraft charter brokers, offering an unparalleled level of personalized service; their motto is "Any Jet, Any Time, Any Place." Blue Star Jets grants clients freedom from the financial constraints of fractional jet ownership; the savings of paying only for trips taken; and the flexibility to choose the best aircraft according to a trip's specific budget requirement. With its ShareAJet Exchange, Blue Star Jets has lowered the barrier of entry for the private aviation industry for commercial fliers.

By creating a network of charter companies, Blue Star Jets now has access to over 4,000 aircraft worldwide, ranging from helicopters to Boeing business jets. Prior to Blue Star Jets, Mr. Rome ran a successful broker-dealer firm on Wall Street. He is also Co-Chair of the Diabetes Research Institute, and has made numerous appearances on CNN, CNBC and FOX, among others. When not traveling or working at his office in New York, Mr. Rome enjoys spending time with his family at home in the Hamptons, where Blue Star Jets was one of the key sponsors of the Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge. In the gallery, Rome reveals his 10 essential luxuries and explains what makes them a must.

W Hotels and Bliss Spas have been an unshakable combination for Starwood Hotels. But after a tough year for the travel and tourism industry Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. has sold off the Bliss spa unit for $100 million to Steiner Leisure Limited. The Bliss and Remede brands will stay at the Starwood's W Hotels and St. Regis Hotels. Bloomberg News quotes Chief Executive Officer Frits Van Paasschen who said during a conference call in October that the company was looking at "assets that are non-core or that are so attractive that we can still get a good multiple."

The Bliss spa brand was founded in 1996 in New York City. The brand quickly grew and has become famous for its playful approach ot beauty and skin care treatments. The Bliss brand includes not just the Bliss and Remede spas but also branded products. Bliss products are also sold outside the spas through an e-commerce and catalog business and distribution in Sephora and many major department stores.

The brand is a natural fit for Steiner Leisure Limited which is a provider of spa services. The company operates spas and salons on 126 cruise ships and in 51 resort spas and two luxury day spas for brands that include Carnival Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Harrah's Entertainment, Hilton Hotels, Holland America Line, InterContinental Hotels and Resorts, Marriott Hotels and many others. Steiner Leisure also owns and operates five schools that offer degree and non-degree programs in massage therapy and,skin care, training spa professionals for health and beauty positions at Steiner spas and salons.

I visited L'Auberge de Sedona very early in 2009, when this long-time favorite retreat in Arizona's long-time favorite retreat town was just in the beginning phases of an extensive, $25 million renovation. This property now has 64 rooms (up from 56), between its cozy lodge and its private cottages set near wooded Oak Creek. The older cottages were given comprehensive face-lifts designed to reduce the separation between indoors and out -- there are bigger windows, expanded decks and totally private outdoor showers, the 13 new cottages include "spa cottages", designed with jacuzzi tubs.

The second phase of renovations are set to end in April 2010, and will include the addition of eighteen new cottages, set up on the hill overlooking the existing property. These cottages will have a view of Sedona's famous red rocks -- just about the only key feature that this property has lacked in its 25 year history.

Yesterday, while browsing at the incomparable Idelwild, a travel book store in New York's Union Square, I learned that the store is having trouble keeping South American guide books in stock -- the weather starts to get super nice down around those parts just as North American weather takes a nose dive.

If you're looking for a good South American destination to aim for, try Cartagena -- which has been called the next Buenos Aires. There's a new place to stay, too: The Tcherassi, a boutique hotel owned and designed by Latin fashion designer Silvia Tcherassi. She restored and renovated a 250 year old colonial mansion in the heart of the old city for the project, creating a hotel with just seven rooms, each named after a fabric she works with. The result seems a decidedly happy marriage of the old with sleek contemporary lines. (The roof pool is pictured here, see the gallery below for other images.) If The Tcherassi lives up to its promise, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see it become a regular on hot design hotel lists.

All those who bought Beanie Babies in the hope that they would only go up in value might enjoy a bit of schadenfreude with the news that Ty Warner, who made a fortune on selling those plush toys, is facing a cash crunch of his own. The Wall Street Journal reports that Warner is struggling to get a extension on his $345 million securitized mortgage on four of his luxury hotels because of, what else, a lack of cash flow.

The servicer overseeing the mortgage handed it off to a special servicer, Capmark Financial Group. The four hotels haven't been able to generate the $44.6 million in annual cash flow necessary to qualify for a one-year extension of the loan according to debt-rating company Realpoint LLC. The four hotels are the Four Seasons in Manhattan, The Four Seasons Biltmore in Santa Barbara, the San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara and Las Ventanas in Baja. Occupancy in the four hotels has declined around ten percent over the past six months.

Warner bought the hotels between 1999 and 2004 after amassing his Beanie-infused fortune. He now must struggle to reach a compromise with the special servicer to revise the mortgage and get an extension. This is something that may be in the best interest of the mortgage holder in a time when more and more hotels are facing difficulties. All the hotels remain open during the crisis. And you can still rent the Ty Warner suite, shown at right, in the New York Four Seasons for around $35,000 a night.

Five years ago, contemporary art collector Frieder Burda opened a museum right in the heart of Baden Baden, Germany. As one of the world's original resort towns, tradition tends to trumps trendiness in Baden Baden, and this museum, in a building designed by Richard Meier, and the modern and contemporary art exhibits on offer, definitely set tongues a-wagging in town. When I visited this past Spring, the Burda museum was in the midst of an atypical show of 18th century art, including seven giant tapestries. I'd assumed that regular museum goers might be upset about the turn away from contemporary art, but was assured by a local that response was more like relief.

Short-lived, I suppose, since the Burda museum returned to its modern and contemporary art mission. Still horizons have been stretched, five years have passed, and more than a million visitors have passed through the museum's door, Now until November 8th, the museum is exhibiting "Blue Rider" movement paintings, which were first exhibited in early 20th century Munich. (These paintings are usually at the Lenbachhaus in Munich, which is now under renovation. See a few of the works on display in the gallery below.) Next up, starting on November 21st, is an exhibit of the work of German artist Georg Baselitz. The artist himself is involved in the curation of the exhibit, which will be shared with Baden Baden's museum Staatliche Kunsthalle. The Burda will exhibit Baselitz paintings, the Staatliche Kunsthalle will exhibit Baseltiz's sculpture.

Famed French fashion house Dior has created a bespoke, Art Deco-inspired dressing table service for guests of Claridge's, the landmark London hotel (above) whose devotees include Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Nicole Kidman, Kate Moss, Mick Jagger, Madonna and Victoria Beckham. Designed as the ultimate luxury amenity for glamorous occupants of the hotel's Viscount David Linley-designed suites, the service offers all the essentials necessary for a glamorous night out on the town. The Dior Dressing Table includes a carefully curated range of timeless accessories, including an elegant silk Claridge's dressing gown and slippers; a cashmere eye mask; a selection of classic Dior fragrances and beauty products; cocktails from a special 1930s menu; and era-appropriate books and music for entertainment.

[via JustLuxe]

I've visited London a few times over the past couple of years, and my visits have ranged from being a bit on the pricey side to being punishingly expensive: when it took just shy of two dollars to buy a pound, I thought twice about shelling out for the Tube. At eight bucks a go, my irrational version of travel budgeting had me figuring I'd rather spend the additional money on a taxi. (Hey, I'm a writer, not an accountant.)

Avoid all of the currency calculations when you book "The Capital Idea" package at London's Capital Hotel, in Knightsbridge. The hotel has just announced fixed-dollar rates for 2010, which includes, among other things, full breakfast, luxury chauffeured car to and from Heathrow, London City Airport or the Eurostar Terminal. The package is for three nights, singles to junior suites from $1,199 to $2,530, with additional nights from $320 to $550.

Take your savings and spend them at nearby Harrods. At least that's what I'd do.

Could we be seeing another Southern California hotel in trouble? The LA Times is reporting that the Borrego Ranch Resort & Spa, which re-opened last November under the Borrego Ranch name after a major renovation, might be closing down. Officials at the Borrego Ranch Resort & Spa and Montesoro Golf & Social Club have told employees the hotel could shut down as early as November 30. There is still a chance that the project may find additional investors or new funding and stay afloat. The LA Times quotes Sasha Itzikman, senior vice president for Borrego Ranch who says the company is looking for investors but is also open to a full sale. The Borrego Springs area in San Diego County has tried to style itself as a resort community similar to Palm Springs.

For now the resort remains open. It has 44 rooms and 19 casitas. The casitas range in size from one to four bedrooms and most have a wood-burning fireplace and private pool or spa and all include a wet bar, compact refrigerator and microwave. The spa offers massage, skin care, hair care, manicures and pedicures. The resort has an impressive amount of activities to keep you busy from golf and tennis to fitness classes, hikes, swimming and bicycle and horseback riding. There is also life-size chess, shuffleboard, bocce ball, a putting green, an archery range and championship croquet courses. The resort is currently offering the Borrego Ranch Experience starting at $295 per person, per night (2 night minimum, double occupancy required) which includes accommodations, a spa treatment of golf and all meals (excluding room service or alcohol).

I've been known to rant a bit about the experience of traveling on a large cruise ship -- basically, they strike me as floating shopping malls/theme parks, neither of which I'd ever choose to spend time on.

Even if I'm surrounded by open ocean, which I happen to adore.

But I put smaller ships in a different category, more like a communal yacht, so I was pleased to learn that Silversea, the small ship cruise ship line, plans to launch a new vessel on December 23rd. I was even more pleased when I found out that the new ship, the Silver Spirit, sports a fabulous Art Deco design, and, among its six restaurants, includes one that offers a slow food concept. Check out the gallery for some interior views.

The boat is all-suite, the suites are larger than any the line has offered to date, including two flatscreen televisions, a pillow menu, Carrera marble bathrooms, and a butler assigned to each suite. The maiden crossing from Lisbon to Fort Lauderdale is sold out, but consider signing on for the 91-day inaugural cruise around the Americas departing January 21, 2010, which includes the Christening party and VIP tickets to Rio's Carnival.