The “Suite Lovers” package
For a night to remember stay overnight St. James’s Hotel and Club and you will receive a complimentary upgrade to a luxurious Junior Suite and a welcoming chilled bottle of Champagne to celebrate. While you go for a romantic dinner, the St James’s will organise a special turndown with rose petals and candles. You can even book a table for two in Seven Park Place and enjoy all the fine offerings of a Michelin-starred menu. Its intimate and luxurious surroundings, together with the best in British produce, are the perfect match for a special dinner.

The “Suite Lovers” package is priced at £430.00 and includes:

• Free upgrade to a Junior Suite
• A chilled bottle of Jacquart Champagne
• Romantic turndown
• Delicious English breakfast in the morning

The offer is valid from 11^th February until the end of 2012, subject to availability. The rate excludes dinner, 20% VAT and discretionary  service charge.  Should you wish to reserve a table in advance please inform reservations@stjameshotelandclub.com

For reservations please call +44(0)20 7316 1651 

Valentine’s at William’s Bar and Bistro

This Valentines why not let the St. James’s Hotel and Club do the organising for you and help you spoil your loved one in style! Simply… book a ‘romantic’ table in William’s Bar Bistro and enjoy a relaxing dinner prepared by the hotel’s Michelin- starred Chef William Drabble. Take in the incredible artwork in the bar area and the exquisite surroundings whilst sipping your favorite tipple.

Surprise your loved one with a beautifully presented gift, ‘Artist’s Heart’ sterling silver pendant from the famous Scandinavian luxury lifestyle brand Georg Jensen. The gift will be beautifully wrapped and presented on the night.

The offer is just £130.00 per couple and includes:

• Dinner in the Bistro to include a main, side and dessert of your choice for two
• A Georg Jensen silver present for her / retail value of £90

The offer is subject to availability and is valid from 11^th – 18^th February 2012, subject to availability. The rate excludes beverages and a 12.5% discretionary service charge.

For reservations please call +44 (0)20 7316 1615 

Valentine’s at Seven Park Place

Intimate and luxurious surroundings combined with Michelin starred food are the perfect match for a very special evening. On Valentine’s day you and  your other half can enjoy a deliciously indulgent 4 course menu including William Drabble’s signature dishes, coffee and petit fours, for £105 per person. The Valentine’s menu is available on 14^th February 2012. Beverages and a 12.5% discretionary service charge are excluded.

For reservations please call +44 (0)20 7316 1615

For further information, please contact Mason Rose on +44 (0)20 7201 8050

Part of Grecotel Exclusive Resorts, Amirandes is located 15 min’s drive from Heraklion Airport in Crete.   Situated on a secluded sandy cove, with sprawling gardens Amirandes has been built to reflect the style of Minoan Palaces unique to Crete.  The contemporary interiors gel well with the sleek lines, and landscapes of the property which include a lagoon bar, and water front restaurants.  All 212 rooms have unique aspects which include over 60 private pools, and access to a terrace or balcony.  Events space has a neutral décor with access to an outside terrace and available for events up to 500 guests, and limitless gala dinner options between 6 Restaurants and ample outdoor space.  Grecotel Hotels also have one of the most comprehensive Environmental Policies, and also their own Agreco Farm in Crete (50 min’s drive from Amirandes) which produce olive oil and other products for the Hotels across Greece.

Amirandes Grecotel Exclusive Resort is offering the following special group rates:

Room rates from €215 per room per night based on single occupancy in a double room, including:

• Breakfast
• Complimentary room hire for residential groups
• Complimentary refreshing welcome drink and bottle of mineral water in delegates bedrooms

This rate is based on a minimum of 10 room bookings, valid throughout May and June 2012 subject to availability.

For more information, please contact Mason Rose on +44(0)20 7201 8050

Enjoy a romantic stay at Le Bristol Paris, ideal for all kinds of celebrations.

The ‘Romance’ package includes:

• American breakfast for two
• A bottle of champagne in the room
• Bristol cake, Roses
• Late check-out at 4.00pm

Rates per room per night from:
Deluxe room €850
Prestige room €950
Junior Suite: €1,050

Taxes and service are included, except daily city tax (€1.50 per person)
Offer valid from 1st April to 28th December 2012, subject to availability.

For further information, please contact Mason Rose on +44 (0)20 7201 8050

Enjoy a moment of well-being in the Spa at Le Bristol Paris. The offer includes:

• American breakfast for two persons
• A €150 voucher to be used in our brand new Spa Le Bristol by La Prairie

Rates per room per night from:

Superior room: €900
Deluxe room: €980
Junior Suite: €1,080

Taxes and service are included (except daily city tax €1.50 per person)
Offer valid from 1st April to 28th December 2012, subject to availability

For further information, please contact Mason Rose on +44 (0)20 7201 8050

Visit the City of Lights and have a memorable stay at Le Bristol Paris by experiencing the fine and creative cuisine of their three Michelin star Chef Eric Frechon.

Midnight in Paris includes:

• American breakfast for two
• A glass of champagne as welcome drink
• A lunch or dinner for two at our fine dining restaurant Epicure (seasonal menus excluding beverages)

Rates per room per night from:

Superior Room: €1,090
Deluxe Room: €1,190

Taxes and service are included (except daily city tax €1.50 per person, per day)
Offer valid from 1st April to 23rd December 2012, subject to availability.

For further information, please contact Mason Rose on +44 (0)20 7201 8050

Discover Hotel le Bristol in Paris with your family, with their 2012 Family Programme. Stay in connecting rooms or suites and benefit from a 50% discount on the second room:

• Two connecting rooms (two adults and two children under 12)
• American breakfast for four
• Children can expect to receive everything from the hotel’s mascot Hippolyte, in-room toys, rabbit-shaped cookies, bath amenities,and even treasure hunts at the hotel…

Rates are the following:

Two connecting Superior rooms €1,355
Two connecting Deluxe rooms €1,520
A Junior Suite & a Deluxe room €1,810
A Deluxe Suite & a Deluxe room €2,760

Rates are per night and based on a 2 night minimum stay, valid from 1st April until 28th December 2012 subject to availability.
Tax and service included, except daily city tax (€1, 50 per person)

For further information, please contact Mason Rose on +44 (0)20 7201 8050

Barcelona Press Trip
PR Account Manager, Caroline, jetted off to Barcelona with a group of key journalists to stay at Barcelona’s most elegant luxury hotel, Gran Hotel La Florida. The trip focused on the hotel as an ideal city break retreat with treatments in the spa and a taste of a city that offers the finest art and culture, attractions and shopping.

Harbour Club – Mixed Doubles Grand Prix
Marketing Manager, Haifa, attended the Mixed Doubles Grand Prix Final Tennis Tournament and lunch at the Harbour Club Chelsea, sponsored by Forte Village and Castel Monastero. Both properties very generously provided prizes for members, including a three-night night stay for two at Forte Village with a runners-up prize of a two-night stay for two at Castel Monastero.

The Spectator Carol Concert
PR Account Manager, Nadia, attended The Spectator carol concert at the very beautiful St Bride’s Church on Fleet Street. After exquisite singing from the Choir of St Bride’s and readings from Fraser Nelson, Rod Liddle and Jeremy Clarke, Nadia headed to the church grounds for hot winter Pimms and roasted chestnuts.

Harbour Club – Notting Hill Christmas Party
Marketing Manager, Haifa, attended another event. This time it was the Harbour Club Notting Hill Christmas party on behalf of Puente Romano, which had generously donated a two-night stay towards a prize draw. The party was attended by over 50 members and guests.

BritishAmerican Business Council Christmas Lunch
Assistant Director of Sales, Ruurd, attended the British American Business Council Christmas lunch at The Dorchester. This included attendance from over 200 companies including HSBC and Morgan Stanley. The very beautiful Gstaad Palace generously donated a three-night stay at this iconic luxury hotel with breathtaking views over the Swiss Alps. A proportion of the monies raised by the silent and live auctions were also donated to Honeypot Children’s Charity.

Babyshower
It was cups of tea and mince pies all round when the Mason Rose team got together to hold a mini-baby shower for Account Director, Elena. The team presented her with gifts for the new arrival, plus a nursery book with rhymes in both English and Spanish, which prompted some tears. We are pleased to announce that Elena has since given birth to a beautiful baby girl… we can’t wait to meet her!

Chinese New Year, Worldwide, 23 January
Celebrate the Year of the Dragon at China Towns worldwide and enjoy dancing dragons, the buzz of firecrackers and the mouth-watering delicacies of the best dim sum.

Tết, Vietnam, 23 January
The most important and popular holiday in Vietnam, Tết is the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, which is celebrated on the same day as Chinese New Year and is a time to spend with family and friends. The Vietnamese often cook celebratory dinners and hand out lucky money to children and the elderly. If a Vietnamese celebration is of interest but this year’s Tết is too short notice a visit to Hoi An for its Full Moon Festival, which takes place each month and is celebrated with lanterns throughout the town, could be the perfect solution. A trip can include a stay at The Nam Hai, a luxury all villa resort just 10 minutes from Hoi An.

Gstaad Palace Music Festival, Switzerland,  27 January – 4 February
Founded in 2001 the Sommets Musicaux de Gstaad are now considered as one of the leading winter festivals in Europe. The classical music festival features three outstanding concert venues: The Church of Saanen, the 11th century romanesque Church of Rougemont and the Chapel of Gstaad, as well as some of the most highly regarded musicians from around the world. For the ultimate festival experience, dinner parties with the artists are held at the famous Gstaad Palace and tickets can be arranged through the hotel.

Venice Carnival, Venice, 11 – 21 February
An annual event that originates from as far back as the thirteenth century and sees the city colourfully filled with masked carnival-goers parading through the streets as well as a host of cultural events and exclusive masked balls.

VILA VITA Parc Spa Week, Portugal, 18 – 25 February
For a new year detox that is as kind on cost as it is on the body, a stay at VILA VITA Parc during Algarve Spa Week offers 50 per cent discounts on all treatments at the VILA VITA Vital Spa. The resort, which has a prime cliff top location with stunning ocean views is also offering the Carnival Special for guests wishing to stay at the resort, comprising a 50 per cent discount off room rates when staying a minimum of two nights in a Residence Suite Ocean view

Las Fallas, Valencia, 17 – 20 March
One of the most unique festivals in Spain, Las Fallas in Valencia takes place every year in March and celebrates the arrival of spring and the feast of Saint Joseph. Revellers are treated to a visual carnival of bonfires, fireworks and huge, 20 foot tall paper maché figures that satirise political figures and celebrities.

Watch out for future editions of the Rose Report for more information on forthcoming events from around the world.

Mason Rose is full steam ahead with work on VILA VITA Parc, the latest PR account to be added to the collection and the first task for the Mason Rose PR team was the lovely job of visiting the resort. Isobel and Caroline spent a couple of days experiencing all that the stunning cliff-top resort, and this area has to offer, as well as being some of the first guests to dine in Ocean restaurant following its award of two Michelin stars, a great achievement as it is only the second restaurant in Portugal to boast this accolade.

Situated on the Algarve coast with outstanding ocean views, VILA VITA Parc is Portugal’s finest five star resort celebrating the very best of Portugal and is the ultimate escape, enhanced by the country’s culture and hospitality.  The resort is set within 54 spectacular acres of lush, subtropical gardens in front of a striking coastline and offers 180 rooms, suites and villas across several distinctive buildings with breathtaking views and ocean panoramas.

One of the highlights of Isobel and Caroline’s trip was the visit to the resort’s own country wine estate and organic farm, which is located an hour and a half inland in the Alentejo region. The Herdade dos Grous has almost 1,500 acres of vineyards, olive groves, orange groves and flowering gardens from which produce is enjoyed at the resort and is available to buy. Guests can visit the farm for a day trip and ride horses, watch the wine production and tour the grounds, all before a delicious organic lunch.

Isobel and Caroline also had the opportunity to experience the Cave de Vinhos, an impressive arched wine cellar situated at the resort that houses more than 11,000 bottles. The resort’s knowledgeable sommelier guides guests through various wine producing regions before sitting down for another exquisite dinner with each course perfectly paired with old and new world wines.

Whether planning a corporate event, a wedding or a relaxed holiday in the sunshine, VILA VITA Parc really does offer a host of opportunities and boasts superb amenities including:

• 6 restaurants and 5 bars onsite including the 2 Michelin starred Ocean restaurant, awarded in 2011
• 1,100 sqm VILA VITA Vital Spa featuring two jacuzzis, two saunas, steam bath and ice room
• 4 outdoor pools, 1 heated indoor pool
• Annabella’s Kids Parc (4 – 11 years) and Natalie’s Creche (6 months – 3 years), playground, dedicated children / baby pools and babysitting on request
• 5 tennis courts, volleyball court, boccia lanes, mountain bike hire, 9 hole pitch and putt, 18 hole putting green and 18 hole championship golf course nearby
• Watersports including sailing, windsurfing, yacht rental
• Herdade dos Grous, the resort’s own country wine estate and organic farm in the Alentejo, with almost 1,500 acres of vineyards, olive groves and flowering gardens
• Cave de Vinhos, the impressive arched wine cellar, with more than 11,000 bottles
• A Deutscher Biergarten, an authentic Bavarian beer garden, at the nearby village of Porches as well as a nearby resort beach club, Arte Nautica
• Seven event rooms that can accommodate up to 350 people

For further information, please contact the Mason Rose team on +44 (0)20 7201 8060

“When in Rome do as the Romans do” We all know the famous saying but when visiting this amazing historical city how many of us actually do this?

Of course the quote actually makes reference to the mafia – which is not what I’m looking for on my city break, even though the thought of eating meatballs and saying “you talking to me” does secretly appeal to me!

The route and direction of thinking is more along the lines of Saint Ambrose who once said “if you were in Rome, live in the Roman way, if you are elsewhere, live as they do there.” So I hit the ancient streets in search of this Roman way of life that inspired the 4^th Century Saint.

Luck is on my side as I happen to be staying at Hotel d’Inghilterra which is located on a 17th-century palazzo in the centre of Rome, as I head up the street I come face to face with the Spanish steps. Here you have tourists taking photos and guides giving tours…….However, look behind this and you will see the locals sitting on the steps enjoying their morning coffee.  I quickly notice the beauty and history of this city not only engulfs those visiting– but the locals here take time and enjoy their surroundings.

This impression is only heightened by my own tour guide, who is clearly knowledgeable about the deep history that formed the streets of Rome.  It is the stories which are contained in each building, street or monument that brings the City to life.  From a statue of a lady who died of a broken heart after finding out her husband had a mistress hundreds of years ago, to modern day stories of the capture of thieves who tried to steal money at night from the Trevi fountain after millions of tourists had thrown their coins in and cast their wishes.  (Don’t worry, the men were caught and the money given back to a local charity the Trevi Fountain helps support).

Rome is a city of tales and these tales will never die as each street seems to tell a story better than the one before. But it is not until I go to Villa Borghese gardens on a chilly but sunny Sunday morning that I get a glimpse of the laid back Roman life.

From these gardens which stretch over 148 acres and look over the whole city, you can see the Vatican, the memorial of the dead soldier and of course thousands of houses and streets.  It is here that the locals are enjoying their morning walks and admiring the view of their wonderful city. Local girl guides are selling cakes and coffee to raise money, families are huddled together taking family photos and loved up couples are sharing romantic moments looking out over the city with a thousand tales to tell.

Rome is a city where the pace of life is at times fast (traffic is manic and their parking ludicrous) but Romans take the time to stop and to remember to enjoy their city.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do and you won’t be disappointed.

By Kara Lockyer, MICE Sales Executive