BEST MR & MRS SMITH HOTELS
The results for the third annual Smith Hotel Awards by luxury and boutique hotel guide Mr & Mrs Smith are in.
Regional winners include Cambodia's Song Saa Private Island (songsaa.com), an environmentally friendly resort in the Gulf of Thailand, which won the Eco Award, and the Nam Hai Hoi An resort in Vietnam (www.ghmhotels.com/en/am-hai), which won the Best Spa award.
More than 1,000 hotels in the Smith collection were considered for a place in 12 categories, including Best Pool, Best Dressed and Hottest Hotel Bar.
More than 22,000 people voted for their favourite hotels in September. The winners were then decided by panels of expert judges, which included two Asia-based judges for the first time.
For the full list of winners, go to smithhotelawards.com/2015/
FESTIVE FAMILY EXPRESS
Luxury Belmond British Pullman trains are launching their Christmas lunch, dinner and day-trip programmes to cities such as Bath and Canterbury for carolling and Christmas shopping from Dec 1 to 19.
Itineraries include a Christmas lunch on the train (Dec 8 and 12), a visit to the famous Lincoln Christmas Market (Dec 4) and a trip to Winchester.
This year, families are invited to step aboard the first-ever Festive Express.
The Big Local Community Choir from Bermondsey, London, will send the train off in style with carols and festive tunes at Belmond's private check-in lounge at the London Victoria station.
The Festive Express departs on Dec 3, 5, 16, 17 and 18. Prices for the day trip start from £370 (S$799) an adult and £295 a child and are inclusive of a festive meal, champagne and wine, entertainment and surprises for the children.
For details, call Belmond Reservations on 6395-0678, or e-mail reservations.singapore@belmond.com and quote "XFAM".
RAIL EUROPE'S ANNIVERSARY PROMOTIONS
Rail Europe is celebrating its 20th birthday with attractive deals.
They include 20 per cent discount for France Rail and German Rail passes, one free additional day of travel for a selection of Eurail One Country Passes and Eurail Regional Passes, 20 per cent off Eurail Global Pass and Eurail Select Passes, and an additional 20 per cent off the 50 per cent discount that the Swiss Travel Pass is offering for visits to the four Swiss peaks, Gornergrat, Mount Pilatus, Schilthorn/Piz Gloria and Titlis.
For more information, go to www.raileurope.com.sg.
Lydia Vasko
