May 10, 2003 12:20 AM
3370 Views
(Updated May 10, 2003 12:34 AM)
Dear friends,
As always every year, I was off on a short holiday with Anant, my chum pal forever. We had been to Australia the year before last and had heard about this really grand hotel called the Palazzo Versace. And this time, we planned and did stay at the hotel at last !! Boy, you have to read on to believe the experience we had. I am writing this review as the sole purpose of bringing out the grandeur and lifestyle of this amazing hotel, not in bringing out the travel and tourism awe and factor of Australia (which I will very soon post on Mouthshut). We experienced the Palazzo Versace style and elegance for AUD $1210 for a Deluxe Broadwater Suite per day. It sure did create big holes in our pockets, along with all the other amenities and facilitites, but we had a great time, as we always do :)
Nestled between powder-white beaches of the South Pacific and the solemn grandeur of a sub-tropical rainforest, Gold Coast, Australia, playground of international crowds, now has a new attraction.
International lifestyle brand Versace has extended the brand from luxury products to luxury services and thrown open the doors of hospitality at the luxury hotel, PALAZZO VERSACE !!
A part of the glittering attraction of the Gold Coast, yet discretely separated from the bustling tourist Mecca in Australia, the Palazzo is located on a secluded and exclusive waterfront. Designed on a lavish scale, the 200-odd room hotel complemented by neighbouring exclusive villa suites echoes the glory of the baroque and late Renaissance in Europe. Its ornate ceilings, decorative walls, colonnades and luxurious finishing recall the grandeur of European palaces.
The art and style of Versace is accentuated at the Palazzo by the lavish use of colours and fabric textures, creating an atmosphere of absolute indulgence and delight. It seems that Donatella and her staff worked for months to ensure the exclusive guests here are enveloped in an authentic Versace lifestyle atmosphere. The furniture is either part of the existing Versace Home Collection or has been exclusively developed for the hotel.
The intricate floor designs have been executed in the finest marbles and mosaics, selected from Italy. Combinations of Carrara white, delicate Crema, Alpi green, Portore and blue Bahia marbles recall the opulence of Renaissance Italy, present both in the Versace family homes and boutiques.
Bronze crafted, finely hand carved lamps and wall scones, enriched with crystals, enamel or marble create the appropriate lighting. The china, exclusively produced for Versace, is a kaleidoscope of vibrant patterns, providing guests with a different Versace experience in every area of the Palazzo.
While here, you must check out the Salus per Aquum spa. One of the seven wonders of ancient Roma was the magnificent Baths of Caracalla, where royals and senators came to be refreshed with cold waters and anointed with oils. The spa at the Palazzo offers personalised training by top Australian athletes, yoga, Tai Chi, hydrotherapy, massage and beauty treatments.
The five restaurants and bars, under the direction of the highly-acclaimed restaurateur Russel Armstrong, offer fine dining in an atmosphere of exclusivity and luxury. The Versace Boutique on the ground floor offers the latest and diverse range of Versace products and the ballroom and boardroom are just the stylish setting for international conventions, product launches, board meetings, gala dinner or a romantic wedding.
Austrian-trained architect Abedian of the Sunland Group has guided the creation of a hotel that combines Versace's vision, daringly different style, elegance and sense of beauty with an atmosphere of absolute indulgence and delight.
Guys, ''SEE IT AND LIVE IT -- TO BELIEVE IT !!''