When I heard Crystal Cruises was teaming up the Hotel Bel-Air all I could say was this is match made in nautical heaven. I love both the hotel and the cruise line. I have stayed, eaten and enjoyed the Hotel Bel-Air many times and sailed with Crystal a half dozen times. I actually did the line's first cruise on the
Crystal Harmony back in 1995--an unforgettable voyage to Alaska on one of the very first ships to raise the nautical bar on luxury. Since then Silversea, Seabourn, and the defunct SeaGoddesses (now SeaDreams) continued the trend, followed by more mainstream companies upgrading their liners with penthouse suites and upscale amenities. Even Carnival joined the crowd, excalating from a rock bottom economy product to a surprisingly semi-luxury cruise line. Ditto for Holland America and of course Princess, which always carried a touch of class, especially back in the day when it was a small luxury cruise line. Alas I digress.....
Sophistication, refined service, classic elegance, delicious cuisine, and a never-say-no policy the Hotel Bel-Air--a chic, 92-room sanctuary hidden by vibrant bouganvilla and lush tropical foliage on 11 prime acres just above Sunset Boulevard. So it was a no brainer that the hotel would team up with super luxe Crystal Cruises, also known for its excellence in service and product and a long time favorite overnight spot of passengers boarding or disembarking the ships in Los Angeles.
Beginning December 21 with the Crystal Symphony and continuing throughout 2008, Crystal passengers sailing into or out of Los Angeles can combine their vacation with a two- or three-night stay at the Hotel Bel-Air. In addition to a Garden Suite, guests receive a welcome bottle of champagne with strawberries, full American breakfast daily, and private car transfers to and from the hotel, ship and airport. For 2007, the package is available at $1,815 per person for two nights and $2,430 for three nights.
What’s more, guests can reaprewards from both brands. The hotel’s frequent guests will earn a $100 per person onboard credit on any future Crystal cruise and will receive exclusive offers from the cruise line. Meanwhile, Crystal Society repeat passengers will receive a 23 percent reduction in rates at the Hotel Bel-Air, even when they are not cruising.
Like the Hotel Bel-Air, Crystal Cruises attracts upscale travelers, many repeat passengers who eschew other lines to sail on the very best. Fresh from a $23 million stem to stern refurbishment, the 940-passenger, 50,000-ton Crystal Symphony looks spiffier than ever. Staterooms now boast a chic boutique hotel décor with Murano glass bedside lamps, Rubelli fabrics, leather headboards and 20 inch LCD flat screen TVs. Bathrooms shine with granite countertops and lavish fixtures. The Tiffany Deck, Symphony’s hub of activity, sports new colors and design elements in the Starlite Club, Casino—which now offers “Texas Hold-em and high tech slots—and an added nightclub highlighted by Phillipe Stark bar stools and glass Bizzaza mosaics.
The Bistro Café is even more inviting with decorative tillers and warmer russets and earth tone colors. And it doesn’t stop here; the Computer University@Sea is more user friendly with the addition of wireless access and new equipment.
The highlight of both ships are the lavish penthouse suites manned by personal butlers—like Simon, who pampered us during a 14-day Mexican Riviera Cruise and remained unflappable even when we opted for room service dinners half the time. “Many of our passengers enjoy dining in,” Simon reasoned as he set our table with fine china, crystal and silver. He also plied us with cocktail hour servings of caviar, bowls of mixed nuts, canapés and videos we requested from the library. An uncommon amount of shipboard space per passenger as well as an unusually high ratio of crewmembers to passengers distinguishes the Crystal Symphony and the 1,080-passenger Crystal Serenity. Private balconies grace more than 85 percent of Serenity staterooms and more than half of those on Symphony. Each boasts artful meals presented in the lavish dining room or smaller specialty restaurants, such as Jade Garden, Prego, and Silk Road, which incorporates a sushi bar.
Crystal’s entertainment and enrichment programs, worthy of worldly guests, features Broadway-style production shows, intimate cabaret, lectures by genuine experts, and the line’s acclaimed Computer University@Sea. The ships have American-style casinos, fully equipped fitness centers, feng shui-designed pamper spas, jogging tracks, oversize swimming pools, and boutiques stocked with upscale goods. For days in port, Crystal offers some of the best operated shore excursions in the industry as well as concierge service to handle any special requests, such as arranging chauffeured limousines or making shore side restaurant or golf bookings.
www.crystalcruises.com; www.hotelbelair.com
.
No comments:
Post a Comment