In This Issue:

 DG Amazing Experiences
by Doug Gollan

Vol. 2, Number 10

In This Issue:

Top Suites from
Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, Rio, Rome, Milan, Paris, and Gstaad



CEO Guide To Security At The Olympics

Also:

Our 
Special Reports Library
features the best places to stay in
Shanghai, Las Vegas, Los Cabos, Portugal, 
Hawaii, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, 
New York, Miami, Montenegro, Maldives, 
Oman, Nicaragua, French Polynesia, 
and Out To Sea!

Some Popular Past Stories:

Is the AX Centurion Card worth $10,000?
Read this before you drive in Cuba!
CEO guide on how to survive a terrorist attack..
Secrets perks of luxury hotel groups...
(links below)


July 2016


About Our Special Reports:

As we enjoy the nice weather of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, I've tapped into some top travel agents from the Virtuoso network of luxury travel advisors, checking in on some of their picks for favorite suites. I also added some recent top suite picks from the editors of Travel + Leisure.

You've given enthusiastic response to our CEO Security Reports, and so I've included some suggestions from AS Solution if you are headed to Rio for the Olympics. Some may be obvious, but there are some I think may surprise you.

Please email me with your comments, suggestions and feedback at 
douggollan@aol.com

PS -- From your suggestions, we have now put past issues on an easy to access website DG Amazing Experiences where you can find both newsletters and special reports.

I hope all your trips are amazing experiences!

All the best,

Editor-in-Chief
DG Amazing Experiences
 
Please Note - DG Amazing Experiences is not commercially affiliated with any of the resorts we profile or travel advisors we reference.





In This Issue: 


Sweet Suites From Around The World

suites 
To highlight a fewest of the most lavish suites out there, I tapped into the expertise of Virtuoso, Travel + Leisure and Robb Report.

Virtuoso, a network of independent travel agents who specialize in luxury travel went out to their travel advisors to ask them to select their favorite suite, not in some far-flung locale, but in their own city. Here are a few of the picks from their advisors:

Los Angeles: Presidential Suite, Hotel Bel-Air




Los Angeles-based Lucy Butler Golden picked the 2,265 sq. ft. Presidential Suite at Hotel Bel-Air. In the group's magazine, Virtuoso Life, she said, "It's the ultimate in California living...You enter through a courtyard complete with a citrus grove, private spa, and full-size swimming pool with a floating blow-up swan, the hotel's insignia."
 
London: The Apartment, The Connaught



Simona Cerchiara, a travel advisor from London, selected The Apartment Terrace, 3,068 sq. ft. of Mayfair luxury at The Connaught. "The David Collins-designed apartment exemplifies modern elegance," she said, pointing to its loft like space with wraparound balcony, adding, the suite expands into a three or nine-bedroom enclave that encompasses the entire sixth floor.
 
Mexico City: Pasaje Penthouse, Las Alcobas



"Consider this your corner apartment in the middle of Polanco, the city's best neighborhood," says Francisco Saldivar. Features include an indoor/outdoor fireplace, terrace garden, and location on Avenida Presidente Masaryk, the D.F.'s version of Rodeo Drive.
 
Rio de Janeiro: Suite 503, Belmond Copacabana Palace



Ana Cristina Villaca says, Suite 503 even comes with a telescope, but guests at Belmond Copacabana Palace won't need it to catch the action from their balcony - the 860 sq. ft. suite in the hotel's main building "delivers the 'wow' view of Copacabana Beach you'll want." Villaca adds, it provides the same look and amenities as the sixth-floor penthouses (high ceilings, natural light, antiques and Oriental carpets, an in-room wine fridge stocked with vintages selected for each guest's taste) at a better value.

 
Rome: Couture Suite, The St. Regis Rome



Jane Hedge is based in Bologna, but she travels south to the Couture Suite at The St. Regis Rome. "This one is for all the ladies who want to feel like Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday," says Hedge. The 1,615 sq. ft. suite features linen-textured walls, velvet-upholstered chaise lounges, a dressmaker's form, and large living room windows looking out on Piazza della Republica's Fountain of the Naiads.

Switching gears, below are recent picks by the editors of Travel + Leisure.  If you are wondering why there are two Katara Suites at different, seemingly unrelated hotels, Qatar-based Katara is the majority owner of both properties. 

Milan: Katara Suite, Excelsior Hotel Gallia
 
The magazine puts it this way: "At 10,000 square feet, this penthouse suite at the Excelsior Hotel Gallia, a Luxury Collection Hotel, in Milan is the largest suite in Italy and it may also be the country's most sumptuous with glitzy Art Deco-inspired décor and precious materials like marble and crystal gracing nearly every surface. The white and gold living room with slanted reflecting walls features some of the most iconic Italian furnishings like mushroom-shaped Atollo table lamps, and brilliant white Chesterfield sofas by Fendi. The penthouse's four bedrooms are every bit as dramatic as the public spaces. The diamond-inspired Princess Room has a shell shaped headboard bed with a canopy of crystal and glass that drips from the ceiling. The suite is located on the 7th floor of the hotel, and two terraces overlook Milan's Central Station. But the suite's true piece-de-resistance is a private spa with a Turkish bath and a Jacuzzi showcasing a chromotherapy overhead shower and light fixture made of 720 blown glass bubbles." Rates are from $21,495 a night.
 
Paris: Royale Oriental Suite, Mandarin Oriental Paris
 
The hotel, like the Paris palace hotels, has a number of signature suites, so it is always hard to narrow favorites down to just one. In this case, the travel magazine noted The Royale Oriental Suite's 800 sq. ft. terrace. The editors note, "It also has a retractable roof allowing it to be used as an outdoor dining and living room in all seasons. Inside the split-level suite the East-meets-West theme continues with ebony and velvet accents, a staircase embellished with sculpted butterflies and floral-patterned drapes. Upstairs, the bronze colored bedroom has an oversized headboard with embroidered flowers by Maison Lesage. The revered French embroidery house has done haute couture embellishments for Chanel, Lanvin, and Givenchy." Rates are from $16,094 a night. 

Gstaad: Penthouse Suite, Gstaad Palace
 
 
Switzerland is not just for skiing, or banking, or watches and chocolate. It is, as you probably know, an amazing summer destination as well, and Gstaad is as pleasant a venue as ever. Travel + Leisure liked the renovated and redesigned Penthouse Suite at Gstaad Palace . "Spectacular views" sealed the selection, although inwardly, editors said, "Interior designer Marina Nickel's goal was to make the three-bedroom suite feel more like a mountain residence than a hotel room and the décor, think antler chandeliers hung from wood-beamed ceilings, a roaring fireplace and plush beds with fur pillows and throws, is luxurious but comfortable. The 100-year old Gstaad Palace hotel looks like a castle and the penthouse sits on the roof between the hotel's four turrets (one even conceals a private sauna). The wrap around terrace has a Jacuzzi where you can take in panoramic views of the Saanenland region equally beautiful in winter and summer." Rates are from $8,830 a night in summer and $10,099 in winter.

Paris: Katara Suite, Peninsula Paris

 
Combine the attention to detail of Peninsula chairman Sir Michael Kadoorie and the deep pockets of Qatar's national hotel company, and you get a hotel where visitors are unanimous in their approval. The 6th Floor Katara Suite at the Peninsula Paris is "the ultimate Parisian pied-à-terre," says Travel + Leisure. The one bedroom suite has hard wood floors, soft grey rugs, contemporary art pieces like a white blown glass chandelier over the dining room table and two outdoor terraces. The 2,000 sq. ft. rooftop garden (pictured above) is the same size as the suite and offers a 360-degree view of the city including the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe. You can host a dinner party for 20 or two. If you choose the former, feel free to invite me along. Rates are from $19,000 a night.



Our CEO Security Guide To Attending The Olympics
 
olympics
With many of you headed for the Olympics in Brazil, while I know you likely have your security planned out, for you and your organization, I tapped into the experts at AS Solution in case you want an extra perspective.

By Christian West and Bob Oatman, AS Solution
 
Since the 2014 World Cup, the Brazilian recession has deepened precipitously. So, what should travelers headed to Brazil for the Olympics expect this time around? And how do they best stay safe?
 
The Basics
 
The Summer Olympics will take place from August 5 -  21, 2016.
 
Unlike the World Cup, the vast majority of Olympic events will be in Rio de Janeiro itself-although some football (soccer) games will be played in other cities around the country.
 
The focus on Rio doesn't necessarily make things easier in terms of security, however. The city will have to cope with an influx of at least 500,000 tourists. Furthermore, a record number of athletes and countries will be represented, with over 10,000 athletes and 206 countries set to compete.
 
Make Sure You Have An A-List Driver
 
Travel by road in Brazil is notoriously unsafe. The WHO estimates that nearly 44,000 persons are killed in traffic accidents annually, or roughly 22 deaths per 100,000 people. This is twice as high as the US rate, and more than five times as high as Germany's. As such, the risk of death or injury by traffic accident must be considered to be one of the most significant for any visitor to Brazil. This means hiring a reliable drive is very important.
 
The good drivers - the ones who are trained, vetted and with local knowledge - are always the first to get booked. This means that if you wait too long to make arrangements for the Rio Olympics, you could end up with a second or third-string driver from another city who won't be able to get you around the inevitable traffic jams in the fastest way possible. Smart companies will want to book early through a specialist partner who knows how to get things done in Rio.
 
Make Sure Your Car Is Credentialed
 
You should also try to arrange for a credentialed car. When crunch time hits, and the Olympics in a major city are pretty much non-stop crunch time, a credentialed vehicle is a huge advantage. This allows you easier access to controlled zones and the ability to use specially designated express lanes. It can save a lot of time.
 
Complacency Is Your Enemy
 
The country has announced tremendous measures to ensure the security of attendees, athletes, and locals. The number of security employees involved is daunting: 47,000 Brazilian security personnel will work between August and September, including 10,000 officers from the National Force who will be dispatched to Rio for the duration of the events.
 
An additional 38,000 members of the armed services will also be working security. Overall, some 85,000 security staff are expected to be present in Rio. By comparison, the 2012 Summer Olympics in London involved 40,000 people. However, visitors should not assume that their great numbers, in itself, will ensure security in all cases.
 
This festive ambience, together with tens of thousands of security personnel clearly visible in many places, can lead to a sense of complacency. People might drop their guard and think that anything goes. 'Hey - let's go visit a favela and see what all the talk is about', you might hear. Party zones with lots of drinking can be fun, but they also present risks. As security professionals, we always need to stay vigilant and combat complacency - both in ourselves and in the client organizations whom we serve.
 
Crime Doesn't Stop For Big Events
 
In terms of crime, not much has changed in Rio since the World Cup, whereas things have gotten worse in the rest of the country. 2015 saw a new peak in violence with more than 58,000 violent deaths during the year nationwide. This makes Brazil one of the countries with the highest number of violent deaths in the world. Murders remain the primary cause. Killings by police officers, on and off-duty, come in second.
 
If it's any consolation, Rio de Janeiro is safer than many other areas in Brazil. In fact, Rio didn't even make it to the top 50 of Brazil's most violent cities. Depending on the neighborhood Rio can still be risky, however, and crime remains a serious problem.
 
Popular tourist destinations should be approached with care, as tensions in the favelas and street crime continue to put a damper on safety. For example, a string of attacks and robberies along Rio's popular beaches throughout 2015 -most noticeably Ipanema and Copacabana-forced authorities to deploy over 700 police officers on weekends and set up roadblocks between tourist spots and roads leading to the poorer parts of the city.

If you're planning to stay in Rio without close protection or security drivers, the usual caveats apply: adopt basic security precautions and stick to well-known and populated areas. Despite their risks, these areas are safer than others for foreign tourists who don't know their way around town and Brazilian culture.
 
You're The Boss:  What's Your Company's Plan?
 
When we worked the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, the client had hundreds of staff and guests in town. We learned that it was best to do security awareness training for them on day two rather than the day of arrival. On the first day, people are simply too jetlagged and excited by the buzz to be receptive.
 
It's also vital to constantly update security recommendations as the games unfold and new developments occur. Things change fast, and what starts as a small demonstration in one part of town can quickly escalate into something bigger in another.
 
Terrorism: Always Lurking
 
While Brazil hasn't been a prime target for large-scale terrorist attacks, the high visibility of the Olympics always presents a heightened risk-especially after the recent attacks in Paris, Mali and Tunisia. However, Rio's state security chief has stated that no immediate changes were made to the country's security plan after Paris, "because terrorism was always treated as a priority".
 
In order to prevent an attack, Brazil is also working directly with several countries as part of its new Integrated Anti-Terrorism Center plan, which consists of a specific body of intelligence and security specialists.
 
The Zika Virus
 
The news on the rapid spread of the Zika virus is not good. There are no known cures or vaccinations, and how the games will ultimately be affected remains an open question.
 
Some point out that mosquitoes carrying the virus are likely to be less prevalent during the games, since the Olympics take place during Brazil's winter season - and because Rio is far from northeastern Brazil, where Zika infections are most prevalent. Others urge women of child-bearing age to simply stay away from any unnecessary risk - including all of Brazil.
 
If you are pregnant, or travelling with someone who is, it is of course essential to keep a close eye on the Zika situation. This is hard enough for public health experts to do; as we write this, the World Health Organization (WHO), the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Brazilian organizers are all offering different kinds of travel recommendations.






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Visit our library of previous news and reports from DG Amazing Experiences.



DG Amazing Experiences 
is by luxury expert Doug Gollan

My name is Doug Gollan. I am a strong advocate of the private aviation industry.  You can read my frequent coverage of private jets and luxury travel at  Forbes.com.
 
I've chosen you to receive  DG Amazing Experiences  because I believe you share my passion for both business aviation and the best travel and luxury experiences in the world.
 
If my name is familiar, in 2001, I started a magazine called
Elite Traveler that was distributed worldwide aboard private jets.  In the nearly 14 years I served as Editor-in-Chief, we showcased the most luxurious suites and the best resorts, hotels, villas and private islands in the world specifically for private jet travelers like you.
 
DG Amazing Experiences  is your e-newsletter guide to the best places and experiences for private jet travelers like yourself.  Each recommendation is personally selected by me with the help of some of the smartest and best travel advisors in the world.  

My goal is to give you a look ahead at what's new, what's hot, and the best of the best. To make it easy for you, the stories are short, but detailed, and I provide plentiful links to additional, relevant information.

You will know links because they are  underlined in red. Where relevant, I provide  email contacts of top travel professionals who will personally answer any questions you might have.  Key contact email addresses are  u nderlined in blue.


Share your feedback to me at douggollan@aol.com