Category Archives: Grand Openings
Gay Travel to Singapore Amazing Rooftop Pool
Infinity pool 55 floors above ground opens in Singapore! WOW!
While the water in the infinity pool
seems to end in a sheer drop, it actually spills into a catchment area
where it is pumped back into the main pool. At three times the length of
an Olympic pool and 650ft up, it is the largest outdoor pool in the
world at that height.
It features in the impressive,
boat-shaped ‘SkyPark’ perched atop the three towers that make up the
world’s most expensive hotel, the £4billion Marina Bay Sands
development in Singapore.
The hotel, which has 2,560 rooms costing from £350 a night, was officially opened yesterday with a concert by Diana Ross.
The
Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi, estimated to have cost £2billion
when it opened in 2004, was previously the world’s most expensive hotel.
Starwood and W Hotels spin off new hip chic ALOFT Hotels – Luxury at a Discount?
From the pictures I have seen, most of the rooms look kind of plain….but the open areas, lobby, food service areas, fitness center and such look pretty cool and hip. And that’s the idea.
For the traveler open to possibilities, ALOFT is a fresh, fun, forward-thinking alternative. Breeze into a hotel that offers more than a comfy bed and a friendly smile, and enjoy a whole new travel experience. Energy flows and personalities mingle in a setting that combines urban-influenced design, accessible technology, and a social scene that’s always abuzz.
Energizing public spaces draw you from your room to socialize, or just enjoy the hum of activity as you do your own thing. Sip a drink, read the paper, or work on your laptop in the re:mix(SM) lobby or w xyz(SM) bar, where lighting and music change throughout the day to set the perfect mood. The hotel’s open flow of features and help-yourself services inspire you to step outside the one-size-fits-all travel routine. Customize your stay and celebrate your style in a place where anything can happen.
So far there about 20 hotels open with another 70! scheduled over the next 3 years. Allegedly, they want to provide the equivalent of a $350 a night hotel for about half price. Bring the comforts of luxury hotels to those who enjoy “suites” but who could otherwise only afford a standard room.
Check them out and give us your feedback!
New York Public Library Presents Kenn Duncan Retrospective
A major retrospective exhibition of Kenn Duncan’s work, Focus on the 70s: The Fabulous Photography of Kenn Duncan, including many of the images which will be seen in the fourth coming book Divas!: The Fabulous Photography of Kenn Duncan (Photography), (October 2008, Universe Publishing)
will be on view at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center
starting this week
through October 25, 2008.
Photographs of an effervescent Bette Midler twirling barefoot in a summer dress, a sensual Alexander Gudonov staring intently into the camera, a youthful Diane Keaton with the cast of Hair, and an ethereal portrait of transgender Andy Warhol superstar Candy Darling wrapped in furs are all part of a comprehensive exhibition featuring materials from the archive of renowned portrait and fashion photographer Kenn Duncan.
Duncan was an amazing artist who truly shined in the 1970’s. This retrospective of Duncan’s 20-year career features approximately 400 photographs and includes his iconic images of Mikhail Baryshnikov, Eartha Kitt, Angela Lansbury, Peter Martins, Bette Midler, the cast of Hair, as well as selections of his nudes, his fashion portfolios, and his work with hundreds of celebrities including shock rock legend Alice Cooper, Al Pacino, and Christopher Walken.
Focus on the 70s: The Fabulous Photography of Kenn Duncan is on display in the Donald and Mary Oenslager Gallery of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, located at 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, and Admission is free!
Read more about Kenn Duncan and the NYPL exhibit online!
Pre-order the fourthcoming book
Divas!: The Fabulous Photography of Kenn Duncan (Photography) now and SAVE!
(Divas! © by The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations ,
Universe Publishing, 2008.)
The Best of Gay New York and the New Gay Travel Guide
LAS VEGAS in the news again – PALAZZO and DIANA ROSS
diana ross las vegas Palazzo siegfried and roy frank marino bernie yuman Turbo Tagger
Was it real or was it Memerox? Motown icon Diana Ross, playing before her largest Las Vegas crowd in years, kept everyone guessing and wondering: was it live or a masterpiece of music technology?
The former Supremes star raised suspicions during her nine-song performance at Saturday’s concert capping the grand opening weekend of the $1.9 billion Palazzo. – it’s called “a world-class luxury hotel, casino and resort with a design reminiscent of high-end locales such as Beverly Hills, Bel-Air and Rodeo Drive”. – 3000 rooms – 400 suites – 6 villas!
Ross’ voice was spectacular, but there were questions because she not only performed with a sound track that included backup singers and a band, she also requested that she not appear on the jumbo screens on each side of the stage. – Ross’ diva reputation remains firmly intact. She also requested that no photographers be allowed to shoot her performance — which didn’t stop hundreds from using cell phones — and she declined to attend a pre-concert VIP meet-and-greet.
One of Ross’ biggest fans, female impersonator and Riviera headliner Frank Marino, insisted it was vintage Ross.
“I was right up front and everything coming out of the mic was 100 percent her,” said Marino, who has made a career of lip-synching Joan Rivers.
“She was using a click track; it’s what people use on a corporate gig,” he said. “The tracks are laid down for your music and your background vocals are on there.
Longtime Siegfried and Roy manager Bernie Yuman and Nicole Durr, who produced the short-lived “Havana Nights” at the Stardust, are reportedly working with Hollywood heavyweight publicist Ken Sunshine on an entertainment project for the Palazzo. Sunshine, who represents Ben Affleck, Justin Timberlake and Leonardo DiCaprio, was spotted at the Palazzo concert on Saturday. …
ELSEWHERE around town, Michael Jackson and his children, were seen having lunch Sunday at Planet Hollywood restaurant (Forum Shops at Caesars) so he is still alive and well. … Chelsea Clinton was enjoying a victory dinner with friends at Koi ( Planet Hollywood Resort) on Saturday…. Drew Barrymore and actor Justin Long, catching dinner Saturday at Fix restaurant (Bellagio). … Music star Lenny Kravitz, checking into the Penthouse Suite at the Hard Rock Hotel. – SOOOO LA!
World’s First Condo-Hotel for the Gay Community Opens in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Excited crowds turned out Saturday for the inauguration of The Private Residences at Casa Cupula, the world’s first fractional condo-hotel developed exclusively for the gay community. As noted last weekend by the New York Times Travel section: Puerto Vallarta is “becoming gayer by the year and [taking over] as Mexico’s leading gay beach.” Dozens of new and innovative gay-owned businesses in the Romantic Zone are being enjoyed by tourists of all stripes. Now this innovative new project plants the seeds for a new form of vacation home ownership, which resonates with many gay professionals.
Casa Cupula has employed a successful formula combining the services and amenities of a fine boutique hotel resort with the ambience and warmth of a gay guesthouse. Named as one of the world’s “Top 5 Most Luxurious” gay guesthouses by Gay.com, “over 97% of our guests tell us they would return to Casa Cupula.”
High end hotels such as The Four Seasons and The Ritz Carlton are creating luxury fractional ownership projects worldwide, and now Casa Cupula is doing the same for gay vacationers. Having established a reputation as one of the leading luxury gay resorts in the world since its inception in 2002, Casa Cupula is responding to a real need from guests: “We have many guests who have purchased homes and condos in Puerto Vallarta after staying with us,” said developer Don Pickens, founder, Milagro Properties, “but they regretted having to trade off Casa Cupula’s ambience and services because they wanted to buy real estate. Now we can offer the best of both worlds.”
The Private Residences at Casa Cupula has also found success with an unexpected audience: younger gay professionals. Many gay people in the US live in or near major cities, where the cost of buying a first home has grown out of reach for many young buyers. Twenty-seven year old San Francisco resident and financial planner Mike Gregg, an early buyer, recounted, “Buying into real estate in the Bay Area is out of reach for me, even on a professional salary. So I chose to make my first investment at Casa Cupula. I know I’ll use the vacation time, and when I can’t, they’ll manage it and rent it out for me. With rental income offsetting the costs, it can work out to a free vacation each year. And I still get the chance for capital appreciation.”
Often confused with timeshares, which are usually time-limited usage contracts, fractional interests offer fully deeded ownership in perpetuity in four-week periods. With a minimal capital investment buyers still own part of a luxury home of the highest quality.
