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A-List Approved

PARIS' STARRIEST HOTEL *NEW

POSTED WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 05, 2008

It was the hotel of choice for Christian Dior, Jackie Onassis and, more recently, A-list fashion photographer Patrick Demarchelier and Liza Minnelli, and as soon as you enter the Hotel Plaza Athenée, you certainly appreciate why. As clichéd as it may sound, this is the dream Parisian experience - the hotel Sex and the City's Carrie stayed in with 'The Russian' in the last season of the series. Superbly located for those who want serious shopping, a short walk from the Eiffel Tower and with the rest of Paris on your doorstep, the hotel manages a distinctive French feel while incorporating modern luxuries and technology. Head downstairs to the Dior Institute for beauty the Athenée way: this is a spa that has fast-forwarded to the future, to a time when French beauty can be achieved by all and age really is no longer relevant.

Read all about Paris in CNTraveller.com's city guide

www.plaza-athenee-paris.com

Photo: PA

BOND-STYLE IN THE MAREMMA

POSTED THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2008

Been to the Amalfi Coast and looking for something a little bit more adventurous for your next Italian holiday? Then you really ought to invest in a trip to Maremma. Located in Tuscany, the area has plenty of picturesque villages and pretty nature, but it also has a rugged coastal line, which was once the home of pirates. In other words, it was the perfect setting for Bond-film Quantum of Solace, which was partially filmed here. Die-hard Bond fans should book a stay at Villa La Guardia, Wimco Villas four-bedroom Maremma property, which has its own starring role in the film as Bond-ally Mathis' home. The villa costs from £6,408/week and is available from August until March every year.

See CNTraveller.com's Maremma photo gallery

More Bond locations: see our guide to Panama here

www.wimco.co.uk (Villa La Guardia's villa code is BRV GUA)

Photo: PA

AMERICAN FOOTBALL AT THE GROVE

POSTED TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2008

When NFL team (that's American football for unsporty types) New Orleans Saints won their overseas game against the San Diego Chargers at Wembley on Sunday, the hotel they were staying at - Readers' Travel Awards winner The Grove in Hertfordshire - had played a not-so-insignificant part in their victory. The hotel hosted the winners before and after the game, converting the beautiful ballroom into a locker room with a state-of-the-art gym in the foyer, bringing in a massive freezer filled with 200lbs of ice for injury therapy, and Americanising the football pitch for them. No wonder the Saints charged to a 37-32 victory.

Read more about The Grove in the Readers' Travel Awards 2008
www.thegrove.co.uk

Photo: PA

PARIS' HOTEL DE CRILLON, THE A-LIST FAVOURITE

POSTED WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2008

Lanvin's Alber Elbaz uses it as the venue for his fashion shows and Natalie Portman would rather stay there than any other hotel in Paris during Fashion Week: Hôtel de Crillon has been A-list approved in decades past, and remains so today. If you are looking for an authentic - albeit luxurious - Parisian experience, you must come here. Located in the heart of Paris' fashion mecca - you're a five-minute walk from Dior, Givenchy and Balenciaga, Faubourg St-Honoré, Champs Elysées and Avenue Montaigne - the Crillon is the kind of hotel where time seems to stop and the stresses of home are forgotten as soon as you walk through the front door.

www.crillon.com

See CNTraveller.com's Paris guide here

SCARLETT'S CANADIAN WEDDING

POSTED THURSDAY, OCTOBER 02, 2008

Scarlett Johansson is now a married woman: her weekend wedding to Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds took place on Vancouver Island. With only 40 guests, the nuptials were nature-themed, with fishing, mountain-biking and horse-riding on the schedule.

Read more about Scarlett's wedding on GLAMOUR.COM

Read all about Vancouver Island in CNTraveller.com's guide

NEXT: HEIDI PACKS HER BAGS

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