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Learn how to give the perfect massage

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:27:40 +0000

This Valentine's Day, The Milestone Hotel is offering lovers a gift that keeps on giving!

The Milestone Hotel, Kensington's leading five-star boutique hotel, is launching a series of massage master classes with its world famous therapist Fiona Keane. Debuting for Valentine's Day, but continuing throughout the year, the massage master class will teach couples how to give the perfect head, shoulder or foot massage. What could be more romantic than being able to give your partner the ultimate relaxation therapy?

But it doesn't stop at lovers – this is a class that can be attended by pairs of friends or family members who simply want to learn how to take away the day's stresses and strains from loved ones by learning the right massage techniques.

Fiona, who counts celebrities and politicians amongst her client base, says:
"I'm constantly being asked by my clients what the secrets are to the perfect massage, or what techniques they can employ at home with the people they love. I've been doing this for over 30 years, and there is an art to it, but there are simple methods that novices can use to really make the difference".

The massage master classes will take place in the hotel's stunning Windsor suite and will be open for up to four couples to attend any one session. As well as being informative, the sessions will have a fun and relaxed feel, starting with Champagne on arrival, leading in to the class. On Valentine's Day, this will be combined with a sumptuous Valentine's dinner à deux in the fine dining restaurant Chenestons, followed by an overnight stay with romantic turndown in one of the hotel's beautifully romantic, individually decorated bedrooms or suites.

The complete Valentine's massage master class package at The Milestone Hotel includes:

A glass of Champagne on arrival followed by Fiona's massage master class
A one night stay in a beautifully appointed room or suite
A bottle of House Champagne and chocolate dipped strawberries in the room
A sumptuous romantic dinner in the fine dining Chenestons restaurant
Romantic turndown
Full English Breakfast
Single Red rose on arrival

The above package starts at £500+VAT based on two people sharing a double room.
The Valentines massage master class package is available on the evening of Tuesday 14 February. Subsequent massage master classes will take place quarterly, with the next one on Wednesday 16 May. They will come as part of a package including dinner for two at Chenestons and an overnight stay with Full English breakfast, costing £410+VAT based on two people sharing a double room.

The Milestone Hotel is a stunning boutique hotel in Kensington, offering the feeling of a country house hotel in the centre of London, with unparalleled views across to Kensington Palace and Gardens. It is a member of Red Carnation Hotels, an award-winning collection of five and four star family-run boutique hotels in London, Dorset, Guernsey, Geneva, Florida and South Africa. Each property has its own individual character and unique location that reflects the local environment, culture and cuisine. They all share the qualities that win Red Carnation so many prestigious awards – splendid luxury, generous hospitality, inventive and traditional cuisine, private art collections, passionate service and loyal staff committed to creating richly rewarding experiences for all their guests.

For information, please visit www.milestonehotel.com and to book, please call The Milestone Hotel on 020 7917 1000

Red Carnation Hotel Collection get 2012 off to a winning start

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:14:32 +0000

It’s been a great start to 2012 for Red Carnation Hotel Collection with the hotel group winning numerous awards across the collection. The multi award-winning Milestone Hotel, Kensington, has just won the Best Small Hotel in the UK at the prestigious International Hotel Awards. In the same week, The Milestone Hotel scooped up a further accolade when it was listed in TripAdvisors Top 25 London Hotels alongside sister hotel, the five-star Hotel 41. Both hotels were two of just three London hotels in the entire listing, which puts them firmly in the world’s spotlight for London’s top hotels.

Jonathan Raggett, Managing Director of Red Carnation Hotel Collection says:

“It has been a great start to the year for Red Carnation Hotels. We are very proud to win two awards in the space of a week. The International Hotel Awards recognise excellence throughout the global hospitality industry and the TripAdvisor awards are voted for purely from customer reviews so it is an honour to be named.

“All of the hotels in the collection operate on the basis that ‘no request is too large, no detail too small’ and each hotel goes to many lengths to ensure our guests have the best hotel experience possible. It is this outstanding service that makes our hotels like a home from home for many of our guests, and it’s why they return again and again.”

The International Hotel Awards and the TripAdvisor Awards, come on the back of another award-winning year in 2011, which culminated in the Red Carnation Hotel Collection winning Best Employers at the Hospa Awards in December.

The Milestone Hotel is a stunning boutique hotel in Kensington, offering the feeling of a country house hotel in the centre of London, with unparalleled views across to Kensington Palace.

Hotel 41 is a beautifully intimate five-star property located opposite Buckingham Palace offering sophisticated style and comfort with the feeling of a private members club.

They are members of Red Carnation Hotels, an award-winning collection of five and four star family-run boutique hotels in London, Dorset, Guernsey, Geneva, Florida and South Africa. Each property has its own individual character and unique location that reflects the local environment, culture and cuisine. They all share the qualities that win Red Carnation so many prestigious awards – splendid luxury, generous hospitality, inventive and traditional cuisine, private art collections, passionate service and loyal staff committed to creating richly rewarding experiences for all their guests. For more information about these award-winning hotels and the rest of the Red Carnation Collection, please go to www.redcarnationhotels.com

Every day in January is lazy at the Rubens at the Palace with 6pm check out for every booking

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:21:39 +0000

Guests of the Rubens at the Palace, part of the Red Carnation Hotel Collection, can be assured they will depart fully rested and rejuvenated after their stay, as every day in January at the Rubens is now a lazy day. From now until 10th February each guest staying can avail of a complimentary late check-out time of 6pm.

Whether guests are coming for business or pleasure, for the weekend or a little longer, guests need not worry about waking up early, frantically packing, or missing breakfast on the day of their departure. No, the Rubens at the Palace would like you to relax, sleep in, laze about, take a bath or a morning stroll in the park, do some last minute shopping or sightseeing and generally make the most of your last day in London at the Rubens.

No need to worry about rushing down for an early breakfast either. Any guest that doesn’t make breakfast in the restaurant that morning will still be able to enjoy a hearty breakfast as the Rubens will serve delicious bacon and egg butties, orange juice and coffee all day.

The complimentary late check-out is available to all guests staying in any of the Rubens luxury rooms or suites, whether it’s a splendid classic double, a regal executive king, or a sumptuous suite the late checkout applies to all ensuring that the only bags you leave with are your luggage.

Classic doubles at the Rubens including breakfast start from £221 incl. VAT per room per night, with executive king rooms from £257 incl. VAT per room per night and suites from £389 incl. VAT per room per night.

Located opposite Buckingham Palace, The Rubens at the Palace is a luxuriously furnished four-star boutique hotel near Victoria with recently refurbished bedrooms and a well-earned reputation for its superior standard of comfort throughout. Guests are assured of a really royal welcome!

The Red Carnation Hotel Collection is an award-winning collection of five and four star family-run boutique hotels in London, Dorset, Guernsey, Geneva, Florida and South Africa. Each property has its own individual character and unique location that reflects the local environment, culture and cuisine. They all share the qualities that win Red Carnation so many prestigious awards – splendid luxury, generous hospitality, inventive and traditional cuisine, private art collections, passionate service and loyal staff committed to creating richly rewarding experiences for all their guests. For more information about these award-winning hotels and the rest of the Red Carnation Collection, please go to www.redcarnationhotels.com.

The Milestone, 41, and Chesterfield Mayfair named in Travel + Leisure’s 500 Best Hotels in the World

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:59:27 +0000

The Red Carnation Hotel Collection, the award-winning luxury collection of family-run boutique hotels, is proud to announce three of their properties have been named in Travel + Leisure’s 2012 “500 Best Hotels in the World.” In honor of the 10th anniversary of the Travel + Leisure 500, Travel + Leisure has published “the ultimate collection of the top hotels around the globe,” and The Milestone Hotel, 41, and Chesterfield Mayfair were named among the Best Hotels in the United Kingdom. This is the third year in a row that The Milestone has received this honor, and it has been named a T+L “World’s Best Hotel” since 2009. The Milestone received an overall score of 92.45, placing it in the number two spot for London properties.

This is the first year that The Chesterfield Mayfair has been in the top 500 list and Travel + Leisure highlights it as a newcomer: “This boutique property near Green Park brings to the table two important features hard to come by at many grand London hotels: personalized service and an intimate setting. Upon arrival, the capable staff will not only ensure that you have the pillows and duvet you desire but, if you choose, that your dog has a comfy bed, too.”

Red Carnation Hotel Collections strives “to provide exceptional, memorable hospitality by meeting or exceeding guest expectations and creating an environment where guests, as well as employees, refer to the hotels as their "home away from home." “No request is too large, no detail too small” is the ethos that inspires this luxury collection, clearly reflected in the stellar ratings their hotels continue to receive year after year.

The Featured Red Carnation Properties
Situated in the heart of Kensington, the quiet and understated elegance of The Milestone is celebrated for its style, comfort, and exalted levels of personal service. This five-star hotel opposite Kensington Palace and Gardens has 56 individually designed rooms and suites, and six two-bedroom apartments, lavishly decorated with the finest fabrics and furnishings. Boasting 24-hour butler service, restaurants’ offerings ranging from traditional afternoon tea to full course dinners, this exquisite hotel is a short stroll to the Royal Albert Hall, and in easy reach of Knightsbridge and the West End.

Set in the vibrant center of London, just a short stroll from the designer shopping on Bond Street, The Chesterfield Mayfair is the perfect London address for all who value style and quality that never goes out of fashion. Discreetly tucked away off Berkeley Square, quiet, calm and efficient service blended with supreme comfort characterize this luxurious four-star hotel. The guest rooms and deluxe suites combine superb facilities with relaxing surroundings, while the Library, Butlers Restaurant, the light and airy Conservatory, and the intimate bar, cater for every culinary whim or inclination.

Four Red Carnation Hotels Voted 'The World’s Best Places To Stay' in Condé Nast Traveler's Gold List 2012

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 11:16:52 +0000

Readers of Condé Nast Traveler have again honored four Red Carnation Hotel Collection properties as “the world’s best places to stay.” The Milestone Hotel, 41, and Egerton House Hotel in London; and The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa in South Africa were all named on Condé Nast Traveler’s Gold List for 2012. This year, as a way to mark 25 years of Condé Nast Traveler, Condé Nast also celebrated the “superstars” of the Gold List in their Platinum Circle, which includes list members such as The Milestone that have made the Gold List every year for the past five years.

In addition to being named a member of the Platinum Circle, The Milestone Hotel was distinguished as a property with the Best Hotel Amenities and received a special distinction as “The Best Sugar Rush.” According to Condé Nast Traveler, “Even the most dentist-averse won't be able to resist the fleets of sweets heaped on guests at The Milestone Hotel in London: Housekeeping stops by twice a day, depositing different treats - butter fudge, toffee whirls, and Turkish delight.”

In Condé Nast Traveler’s 2011 Readers’ Choice Awards, The Milestone Hotel, 41, and Egerton House Hotel all earned high ratings and spots among the Top 40 Hotels in the British Isles. Among the Top 20 Hotels in Africa, The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa in South Africa was ranked 4th with scores in the high 90s for rooms and service and a perfect 100 for activities.

Red Carnation strives “to provide exceptional, memorable hospitality by meeting or exceeding guest expectations and creating an environment where guests, as well as employees, refer to the hotels as their "home away from home." “No request is too large, no detail too small” is the ethos that inspires this luxury collection, clearly reflected in the stellar ratings their hotels continue to receive year after year.

The Red Carnation 2012 Gold List Hotels
Situated in the heart of Kensington, the quiet and understated elegance of The Milestone is celebrated for its style, comfort, and exalted levels of personal service. Earning an impressive 97.6 for service, this five-star hotel opposite Kensington Palace and Gardens has 56 individually designed rooms and suites, and six two-bedroom apartments, lavishly decorated with the finest fabrics and furnishings. Boasting 24-hour butler service, restaurants’ offerings ranging from traditional afternoon tea to full course dinners, this exquisite hotel is a short stroll to the Royal Albert Hall, and in easy reach of Knightsbridge and the West End.

An intimately elegant townhouse, The Egerton House Hotel in Knightsbridge is a shopper’s delight with Harrods and Harvey Nichols a short stroll away, and the West End theatres ten minutes from the hotel. This luxury five-star hotel boasts 28 individually designed rooms and suites, breakfast dining room, and a 24-hour menu to enjoy in room, lounge or bar. Renowned for its impeccable levels of service, charm and attention to detail, it is the perfect place to stay while enjoying the best of London.

41 is a discreet, haven of style and comfort, residence only hotel overlooking The Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace. A chic black and white design scheme is complemented by the plentiful rich mahogany throughout the hotel, and the Executive Lounge where natural daylight floods in from the glass roof. This intimate club-like property offers the height of five-star luxury: 30 rooms and beautiful suites including two unique hospitality suites, butler service, 24-hour room service, the latest in-room technology, full concierge service, “plunder the pantry” whenever you wish, and an outstanding level of personal service.
The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa is a peaceful sanctuary nestled at the edge of the world, with staggering views of the majestic Twelve Apostles mountain range and the Atlantic Ocean. This five-star Cape Town hotel is only 5 minutes from Camps Bay and 15 minutes from the City Centre and V&A Waterfront. Guests can experience the best of both worlds - vibrant Cape Town, and a haven of natural beauty. Facilities include 70 sea- and mountain-facing bedrooms and suites including the Presidential Suite; two pools; the award-winning Sanctuary Spa; Azure restaurant; Café Grill; Leopard Bar; and a 16-seater private cinema.

The Spa at The Twelve Apostles Hotel wins Best International Spa Award

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 09:31:51 +0000

The magnificent new The Spa at The Twelve Apostles Hotel has been recognised as one of the world’s very best, clinching the SPA Traveller Awards’ Best International Hotel Spa award.

This prestigious award adds to the growing list of international accolades for the properties in The Red Carnation Hotel Collection. The Spa at Bushmans Kloof won the Unique Spa category at the 2011 Les Nouvelles Esthetiques Spa Awards; a year after The Spa at The Oyster Box received the Resort/Hotel Spa Category of the same awards ceremony.

These highly-regarded awards make a visit to The Spas of The Red Carnation Hotel Collection South Africa a must for any local or international traveller seeking an exceptional spa experience.

The inaugural SPA Traveller Awards reveal some of the world’s hidden gems, along with the best romantic getaways, family-friendly destinations and wellbeing retreats. The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa is the only South African property to be included on this prestigious international list.

The Twelve Apostles Hotel boasts unparalleled views of its stunning natural surroundings, enough to also clinch the runner-up position in The Spa Traveller Awards Best International Spa with a View category.

“Carved out of the mountain, set between the towering Twelve Apostles mountain range and the Atlantic Ocean, this dazzling white space offers a nurturing, soothing haven that looks to air and light as its elemental references,” says Horst Frehse, General Manager of The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa.

The recently-refurbished Spa was designed by Toni Tollman, whose family owns the award-winning Red Carnation Hotel Collection of boutique hotels. It features seven superbly-equipped treatment rooms for dual and single treatments with a hydrotherapy bath and rain showers, as well as a Rasul Chamber for traditional cleansing rituals using steam and mud, a Perfect Finish Salon for manicures and pedicures, a Tranquillity Lounge and Wild Lanyana Aromatherm Room for hydrotherapy treatments, or a Vichy Shower.

The Spa’s sparkling white interiors use natural stone, marble, granite and glass to create a textured feeling throughout, looking to embrace the energy of the sea and mountain. The Spa’s exclusive range of B|Africa products, inspired by the natural surroundings of all three Red Carnation Hotel Collection properties in South Africa – The Twelve Apostles Hotel, Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve and Wellness Retreat and The Oyster Box – is another pampering touch.

“We’d like to extend hearty congratulations and heartfelt thanks to our fantastic Spa team, for their dedication to their customers and their commitment to excellence,” says Toni Tollman. “We are immensely proud of our beautiful new Spa, and thrilled that our guests clearly love it as much as we do.”
The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa was also included in the Condé Nast Traveler’s 2011 Readers Choice Awards, Top 20 Hotels for Africa/Middle East.

Duke of Richmond Hotel, Guernsey, to undergo major refurbishment programme under new Red Carnation ownership

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:54:52 +0000

The Duke of Richmond Hotel in Guernsey, recent addition to the boutique Red Carnation Hotel collection, is to undergo a major refurbishment programme which will bring new levels of luxury and comfort to its guests. The refurbishments will deliver the high standards for which the rest of the award-winning portfolio is renowned.

The hotel, acquired by Red Carnation Hotels in October this year, will close from 2nd January to 30th April 2012 to allow the projects team, led by President and Founder Mrs Beatrice Tollman, to undertake the renovations. These will include a fun and hip restaurant offering casual dining and state-of-the-art open kitchen together with a brand new bar, upgrades to the meeting and banqueting space and the refurbishment of a number of bedrooms and suites.

Sumptuous interiors boasting luxurious fabrics, eclectic art and antique pieces are hallmarks of all the Red Carnation Hotels. These will be combined with technology such as flat screen TVs, iPod docking stations and complimentary wi-fi to meet the needs of business and leisure travellers alike. The refurbishment will also mean that all bedrooms and public areas at the hotel will be fully air conditioned.

Ideally located in central St Peter Port, the three-star Duke of Richmond overlooks a quiet park and the marinas, with fantastic views of the harbour and neighbouring islands of Herm and Sark. The upgrade programme will ensure it meets deluxe four-star standards.

The Duke of Richmond is just a five minute walk from sister hotel The Old Government House Hotel & Spa (OGH) which earlier this summer became Guernsey’s first and only five-star property.

Jonathan Raggett, managing director of Red Carnation Hotels commented:

“Mrs Tollman and her projects team have some brilliant plans and ideas for the Duke of Richmond. We are really excited about enhancing this much-loved three-star hotel and making it the best four-star on the island.”

For more details about Red Carnation Hotels, please visit: www.redcarnationhotels.com

For more details about the Duke of Richmond, please visit: www.dukeofrichmond.com

With the inclusion of the Duke of Richmond, RED CARNATION HOTELS is a luxury award-winning collection of fourteen five and four star family-run boutique hotels.

Winter Wonderland comes to the Montague on the Gardens in December

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 13:51:00 +0000

With the first snow-flurries of the winter season hitting Alpine villages across Europe, The Montague on the Gardens, Bloomsbury is bringing some of that white magic to London this December with the launch of its very own Winter Wonderland pop up bar ‘Montague Lodge’.

From 1st December, The Montague on the Gardens will transform its outdoor Wood Deck to resemble an Alpine ski lodge. Decorated with snow, pine trees, a ski rack to park your skis and twinkling Christmas fairy lights to create a magical Winter Wonderland tucked away in the heart of Bloomsbury. The ski lodge will be centred around a vodka bar which will offer guests a choice from the 12 Vodkas of Christmas. The Montague’s expert mixologists will masterfully blend festive flavours such as cranberry, candy cane, cinnamon and spiced apple to create the perfect après... without the ski.

Guests will also be able to enjoy the outdoor BBQ which proved so popular over the summer months, and which this winter will sizzle with bratwurst, mini turkey burgers and roasted chestnuts. And when the winter really sets in guests will be able to combat the cold with warming mulled wine, mugs of steaming hot chocolate and big woolly rugs keeping guests lovely and snug while outdoors over the long winter nights.

Montague Lodge, Bloomsbury’s Winter Wonderland will be available for private hire throughout the festive period. Those looking to call by for some après can avail of a Personal Pass which gives them 3 flavoured vodkas and a food tasting platter for £20 per person. Reservations essential.

For the ultimate Winter Wonderland experience the Christmas Party Pass includes a vodka taster on arrival (your choice of 3 flavoured vodkas), winter canapés, a Christmas themed BBQ buffet, and a DJ with dance space, for £83 per person.

Those looking to spoil themselves and their loved one over the Christmas Period can combine their Personal Pass with an overnight stay including full English breakfast and one festive afternoon tea, from £205 per room per night based on two people sharing a Superior Double Room.

Currently The Montague on the Gardens only has 10 festive flavoured vodkas and is looking for 2 more to complete the selection. Montague Lodge is running a competition offering 2 festive overnights stays to 2 lucky people who can help complete the 12 Vodkas of Christmas by simply creating a special, seasonal themed flavoured vodka. To be in with a chance to win, visit the Red Carnation Hotels Blog; http://blog.redcarnationhotels.com/ and submit your entry on the comments feed. The 2 winners will each win a one-night stay in a luxury room for 2 people , including breakfast, a festive afternoon tea and a bottle of their winning flavoured vodka to take home.*

The Montague on the Gardens, the luxury four-star hotel in Bloomsbury, is an elegant and long-established Georgian townhouse hotel overlooking a secluded private garden square. The 100 luxurious rooms and suites, including one two-bedroom apartment, are elegantly understated, furnished with luxurious fabrics capturing the timeless elegance of Bloomsbury and its literary heritage. This four-star hotel is within strolling distance of the West End and The British Museum, and a mere five minutes from the Eurostar terminal at St Pancras. Guests find themselves just minutes from London's Financial District, Covent Garden, shopping on Oxford and Bond Streets, the West End theatres and Russell and Bloomsbury Squares. The Montague on the Gardens is part of Red Carnation – a luxury collection of five and four-star boutique hotels.

The Chesterfield Mayfair announces Britain’s Tea Poet as its Poet in Residence

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:33:18 +0000

The Chesterfield Mayfair is pleased to announce Britain’s Tea Poet as its official poet in residence. Britain’s Tea Poet, Elizabeth Darcy Jones, has being charming guests experiencing the Chesterfield Mayfair’s award winning afternoon tea with her unique style of poetry over the past few weeks.

The announcement comes off the back of Elizabeth’s recent successful book launch, Distinguished Leaves: Poems for tea-lovers. The book brings different teas to life, describing Earl Grey as “such a Nigel Havers of a tea” and the lesser-known Lychee Red “as sweet as the kiss of pink gin.” Now fans of her poems will be able to come to the Chesterfield Mayfair for a more personal interpretation as Elizabeth will be a regular feature at afternoon tea, which has already received a number of accolades, including the UK Tea Council’s Award for Excellence.

Combining both poetry and afternoon tea, Elizabeth recites her own blend of poetry with a “private pot of poetea” complimentary for each guest enjoying afternoon tea. Champagne afternoon tea is always popular and a special extra treat is the Chocolate Lovers’ Tea which is so indulgent it inspired Elizabeth to write a poem about it.

An extract from Afternoon Tea at Butlers, The Chesterfield Mayfair, goes like this:

I wish I was in Mayfair where the Gods materialise
tiers of cake that cry in sweet
planting taste-buds in my eyes

I wish I was a dancer, tracing with my feet
the lines of Butlers’ menu
where tea and cake and champagne meet!

I wish I had a lover so our secret rendezvous
could be in The Conservatory
I’d order Chocolate Lover’s Tea and Starlight Rose for you

Britain’s Tea Poet, Elizabeth Darcy Jones says:

“I am excited to say that I am the official poet in residence at the wonderful Chesterfield Hotel in Mayfair. It’s the perfect choice of venue as it already has an award-winning afternoon tea. To my knowledge it is the first time poetry and afternoon tea has been married together in such a way at a UK hotel and I’ll now be bringing an extra special element with one-to-one “poetea” recital afternoons on a regular basis.”

Oliver Raggett, General Manager at The Chesterfield Mayfair, added:

“Elizabeth has recited her special blend of “poetea” at the Chesterfield on a couple of occasions now, and staff and guests alike have been struck by her charm, wit, warmth and passion for tea. The indomitable rise of the afternoon tea does not seem to have abated, and we’re pleased to be able to offer something a little extra for our guests here at the Chesterfield.”

Traditional afternoon tea at The Chesterfield starts at £25.50 per head for a selection of sandwiches, freshly baked homemade scones with clotted cream and homemade preserve, homemade pastries, cupcakes and, of course, a selection of teas.

Elizabeth will be reciting for guests at the Chesterfield Mayfair on the second Saturday of every month on a complimentary basis. For more information and to book, please contact The Chesterfield Mayfair on 020 7491 2622.

View a video snippet of our tea poet on the Red Carnation YouTube channel.