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Top 5 Asia Hotels
 1. The Peninsula Hong Kong
The venerable Peninsula Hong Kong works hard to stay on top, which Celebrated Living readers appreciate, awarding it Asia’s best hotel. In December the hotel added 14 customized Rolls-Royce Phantoms to its fleet of cars, the largest-ever single purchase in Rolls history. Last May it opened a new ESPA spa focusing on traditional Asian wellness practices. Opulent rooms where fruit is delivered daily, the Roman-style swimming pool with views of Victoria Harbour, and the combination of fine and trendy restaurants sate every appetite. 011-852-2920-2888, www.peninsula.com
2. Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
After nine months behind closed doors and a $140 million renovation, the Mandarin Oriental’s 1963 original debuted anew last fall. All 502 rooms and suites were enlarged and updated with flat-screen TVs, WiFi and iPod docking stations, and spacious bathrooms. A Shanghai-style holistic spa dispenses traditional therapies in a contemporary setting. And nine restaurants and bars, from the hip skyline-view M Bar to the innovative food of Pierre Gagnaire, entertain on property. 011-852-2522-0111, www.mandarinoriental.com
3. Park Hyatt Tokyo
The newly opened Tokyo Suite on the 50th of the high rise’s 52 floors exhibits four paintings by artist Yoshitaka Echizenya amid understated wood and stone interiors. 011-81-3-5322-1234, www.tokyo.park.hyatt.com
4. Raffles Hotel, Singapore
Now celebrating its 120th anniversary, the gracious Raffles will commemorate the year with Cartier key rings and spa specials for guests, culminating in a September gala. (800) 637-9477 or 011-65-6337-1886, www.raffleshotel.com
5. InterContinental Hong Kong
Nobuyuki Matsuhisa’s new NOBU InterContinental Hong Kong boosts the hotel’s foodie reputation. This property also boasts the largest Presidential Suite in town, with five bedrooms. 011-852-2721-1211, www.hongkong-ic.intercontinental.com
Mainland U.S. | Hawaii | Canada | Mexico/Central America/South America | Caribbean | Europe | Asia | Africa | Australia/New Zeland/South Pacific | U.S. Business | International | Business | Family Resorts | Editor's Picks
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The Platinum List
Isn’t
it great to hear firsthand from a friend about a wonderful travel
experience, complete with tips on where to stay and where to play?
Welcome to the ever-popular Celebrated Living
Readers’ Choice Platinum List, which is like having more than 38,000
friends share their travel preferences in one superb best-of-the-best
list. And what a list it is: 130 luxury hotels, 48 legendary golf
courses, 26 sumptuous spas, and 10 top cruise lines.
Two
highlights of the survey, for me, actually take the form of statistics
— we received 10 percent more entries than last year, and a whopping 79
percent more of you reported you read Celebrated Living regularly. As editor, that’s music to my ears.
For your eyes, our Platinum List has a handsome new design, courtesy of CL’s
talented art director Marilyn Calley. The pages are fresh, engaging,
and filled with images that will make you say “I want to go there,” or,
also fun, “We’ve been there and loved it!” As one reader commented,
“These picks are a mix of places already visited and those I dream of
visiting.” See for yourself, beginning with a handy pullout compilation
list on page 49.
 Of
course, we wanted to entice and reward you for taking the time to weigh
in with your outstanding travel knowledge. Grand Prize winner Henry de
Lagarde is glad he participated. He was randomly chosen to win a
two-year lease on a 2007 Lincoln MKX, MKZ, or Navigator (he chose the
MKZ and is pictured with it here), and 500,000 American Airlines
AAdvantage miles. Ten Second Prize winners received 50,000 miles each.
Quite an incentive, I’d say.
We hope you’ll agree that the rest
of this summer issue is as entertaining and enlightening as the
Platinum List. There’s a feature story on Heidi Klum, a look at
chartering fabulous yachts, five great summer motorcycle rides and
several bikes to enjoy them with, a tour of several cool European
castles, and more. Or, for those weekends when you want to just sit
back and enjoy your own backyard, check out our cocktail story, with
recipes perfect for poolside sipping — and for contemplating where
you’d like to go next.
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