Grande Lakes Orlando, the 500-acre luxury resort destination located in the headwaters of the Florida Everglades, is excited to announce a new “Fall at Grande Lakes” festival, which will feature a weekend of seasonal activities and gourmet treats catered to families, guests and the local community to welcome the season. The resort, which is anchored by The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes and JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes, will also host dedicated programming for the season’s major holidays.

The Lodge, Verbier is located at an altitude of around 1,500m in the Valais region of south-western Switzerland – 51 miles east of Geneva as the crow flies. It’s just a five-minute walk from the centre of Verbier, and only 250m from the main Medran lift station.

With its stunning views, first-class amenities, and world-class service, this mountain hideaway, The Lodge in Verbier, part of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Limited Edition portfolio, more than lives up to its billing. You’ll get a warm welcome here, as service is key and it feels more like a private home than a hotel.  

Each room is different and the chic alpine décor blends contemporary luxury with traditional Swiss charm. Wooden beams, plush furnishings, and roaring fireplaces add to the mountain ambience. Huge windows and balconies offer sweeping views of the snow-capped peaks and verdant valleys.

One of the standout features of The Lodge is its commitment to gourmet cuisine. Food and drink is all inclusive, with meals crafted by the chalet’s in-house chef. The menu focuses on fresh, local ingredients, with a strong emphasis on hearty Swiss dishes infused with modern flavours.

Who for

Singles, couples and families who want a luxury base in the heart of the Swiss Alps, in winter or summer. The Lodge is also ideal for wedding receptions and special reunions.

Accommodation

The Lodge offers a boutique experience, with just nine rooms, including two grand master suites and seven bespoke double bedrooms.  An extra 6 children can take over the kids’ bunkroom, making it perfect for holidaying with friends and family. 

In winter the chalet has to be booked in its entirety, accommodating up to 18 guests, ideal for larger groups or families. In the summer, and during certain weeks in the winter, you can book individual rooms.

We stayed on the top floor in one of the two master suites.  It featured a centrepiece fireplace, underfloor heating, traditional wooden beams and private balcony with wonderful mountain views. It was connected to the other suite by a secret doorway hidden behind a bookcase.

The Super king-sized bed was complemented by comfy upholstered sofa and chairs and there was a fully stocked mini-bar. A Nespresso coffee machine and kettle are standard and the evening turn-down service delivered surprises every night. I liked the giant Toblerone.

The large luxurious en-suite bathroom had a separate shower and bathtub and robes and slippers are standard. Add double washbasins plus your own rubber ducks for the bath.

Food and Drink

Foodies are in for a treat at The Lodge, as all meals and snacks are included. Start the day with a hearty breakfast of delicious pastries, fruits, cereals, homemade jams and cooked dishes before heading out for a day in the mountains. 

A light lunch is served which can be taken outside on the terrace during the summer. In the afternoon, guests are welcome to help themselves to a slice (or two) of homemade cake and cookies and hot and cold drinks. Alcoholic drinks are freely available at any time and in the early evening everybody gathers for cocktails and tantalising gourmet snacks.

The open-plan kitchen allows you to watch the culinary team as they prepare your dinner. It’s served at a large communal dining table where you get to know your fellow guests. This feature works surprisingly well but you can also choose to dine in your room if you need privacy.

The set three-course menu includes local and international specialities and includes selections from the impressive wine cellar, including fine wines from Switzerland, France, and beyond. Don’t miss out on the additional cheese course as Verbier is famous for its Raclette and other alpine cheeses.

Facilities

The Lodge boasts an impressive range of amenities, designed to pamper guests after a long day on the mountains. The cosy living areas, with oversized sofas and floor-to-ceiling windows, are perfect for relaxation. In the basement there’s a party room, with bar and billiards, plus spa, treatment rooms and gym.

The 9m indoor heated pool is a highlight but there’s also a steam room and indoor and outdoor hot tubs to soothe aching muscles. A range of  relaxing and energising spa treatments are offered from vigorous sports massages to purifying facials. For fitness enthusiasts, there’s a fully-equipped gym, perfect for a cardio and weights work-out.

How much

Rates at The Lodge start from CHF 990 (£890) per room per night during the summer season based on two adults sharing and include all food and drink, a dedicated team, daily driver service at set times, and all local taxes. Check availability.

What’s nearby?

A walk down the road leads to the town’s main street with shops and bars plus ski lifts. In winter, guests can partake in world-class skiing, snowboarding, and heli-skiing adventures, with experienced instructors and guides. Off the slopes, there are opportunities for snowshoeing, ice skating, and even husky sledding.

During the summer months, Verbier transforms into an outdoor enthusiast’s playground. My visit coincides with the Verbier E-Bike Festival and I take the Rando Gourmande, a 35km ride through the mountains stopping at 5 different gourmet restaurants.

I’m also due to go para gliding but it’s cancelled because of the weather. Instead I take a cheese class where I make Raclette and get to take it home – a far safer alternative. Also on offer are beautiful scenic walks through alpine meadows and wine tasting tours of the nearby vineyards. For more information about Verbier visit ​www.verbier.ch.

VERDICT:

You couldn’t wish for a higher level of comfort and service and everything is top notch. Add wonderful food, marvellous mountain views and make this  your own home from home in the Swiss Alps.

You may also like: Summer fun in Verbier

The post The Lodge Hotel review, Verbier, Switzerland appeared first on The Travel Magazine.

A friend, Jeanette Chippington – OBE, MBE and longest-serving athlete in the ParalympicsGB organisation – was to participate in her eighth Games as part of the paracanoe squad, in Torcy, a little-known place on the outskirts of Paris. I was here to show my support.

Fantastic performances in kayak and va’ar weren’t enough and Jeanette missed out on a bronze by barely a second. While not adding to her 14-medal Paralympic total, she finished a golden star, revered by fellow athletes. 

The event has shone a light on the quiet park-filled suburb of Torcy to the northeast of Paris barely a three-hour drive from Calais ferry port. 

Torcy is home to Stade Nautique Olympic D’ile-de-France on vast Lac de Vaires-sur-Marne, a year-round training facility and public watersports area. The lake is on an island, a sea of greenery, between the River Marne, which joins the Seine closer to Paris, and the Canal de Chelles, which provides a bypass for some of the river’s bends and wetlands.

The town blooms with its country style, its watertower clad in Art Nouveau waterlily paintings, but the sports setting felt like the unspoilt countryside. We watched the twin disciplines of va’ar (a modern take on Polynesian craft with outrigger stabilisers) and canoe races with thousands of others over two days but this is always a popular spot, one of the world’s largest kayak and canoe sites.

Tucked away is a whitewater centre with three artificial rivers but the whole place is open to the public with rafting, canoeing, kayaking, windsurfing and stand-up paddleboard tuition and rental.

Where island and canal meet, another lake is hidden away, Isle de Loisirs, a near-Caribbean isle atmosphere with a large beach, water slides, beach volleyball nets, pedal boats, shaded picnic area, tree-dotted grassy backdrop. Also there is an equestrian centre and golf course. 

But there’s more. There’s a riverside cycle path into the city and a canal towpath that runs the length of the river’s meandering island passing through parkland and, after an hour or so’s stroll, arriving at the town of Neuilly-sur-Marne. Here’s a tranquil campsite, Camping Les Rives de Paris, a marina and riverfront bars – while we were here there was an end-of-summer festival with live music. Relaxing waterside walks in the other direction, too.

Farther afield

Torcy rail station is in the newer part of town, a 25-minute walk from the old town and an hour’s walk from the lakes. But it is on the A Line, a tremendous service that runs every few minutes and is not unlike London’s Elizabeth Line, a fast stopping service every few minutes that starts in the countryside and turns into a Tube service in the city. It’s just over 30 minutes to the Chatelet-Les-Halles interchange close to the Pompidou Centre, the Louvre, the Tuileries gardens (where we saw the giant Olympic balloon) and the Seine.

Torcy is also perfect for a family stay that combines the lakes, the city and Disneyland Paris. The theme park is only a 20-minute drive away, or a 10-minute train ride on the A line from Torcy to Marne-la-Vallee Chessy

Where to eat in Torcy

Paristanbul in the old town is a friendly Turkish restaurant in the traditional part of town; even more tucked away is Boulangerie Ambiance Gourmande, a bakery and cake shop for superb baguettes and amazing pastries and macaroons. 

Opposite the station is Bay 1 Loisirs, a modern pedestrian area, a hub of bars, coffee houses and restaurants… Chinese, Italian, American. The other side of the rail tracks is Bay 2, an indoor mall of 100-plus shops and restaurants, not least the vast Carrefour Collegien hypermarket.

Where to stay in Torcy

Paradis, a fantasy Airbnb retreat in old Torcy, full name A Little Corner of Paradise Between Disney and Paris. A discreet industrial site transformed over the past 30 years by a father and son into something between a salvage yard and antique shop. A clutch of apartments created from, and full of, ironwork, flamboyant tiles, old furniture and shopfront signs, sit behind secure iron gates. Our place had the air of a tiny café/bar, all creaking wood floors, with steps up to a cosy bedroom (with TV on which we watched the Paralympics closing ceremony) and shower room.

All mod cons – coffee maker, ceramic hob – but with a feel of the past. To one side was a yard filled with greenery, everything from palms to holly, and wrought iron; to the other was a garden with a small lawn and barbecue plus electric grill where we cooked our spicy merguez sausages before sitting down for dinner on the bench in the sunset.

CHECK OUT places to stay in Torcy

Getting to Torcy by ferry and drive

Irish Ferries, whose Dover-Calais route isn’t widely recognised, provides reasonable prices on three ships, often more than a dozen daily sailings. Club Class add-on (£12pp each way) provides a calming lounge along with free food (cheeses, charcuterie, olives, salad, croissants, coffee and even, should you not have a car downstairs, wine).

Sailing for two with car, £155 return.

The post Travel Guide to Torcy, on the outskirts of Paris appeared first on The Travel Magazine.

The region’s hospitality and tourism industry is checking into tech in a big way.  From revolutionising the guest experience to smart energy management systems, innovation today is the key to the industry’s success of tomorrow – and beyond.
Technology and innovation will be under the spotlight at Future Hospitality Summit – FHS World, with a host of dedicated presentations, debates and features, including the semi-finals of the UN Tourism Women In Tech Start Up competition.  With just two weeks before the region’s largest, most influential industry event gets under way, industry leaders share their thoughts on how tech is driving the sector forward.