An Italian Love Affair at Monaci delle Terre Nere - Sicily

Located on a gravel road dating back to the times when monks settled at the foot of Mount Etna in Sicily, the exquisite nobiliary house ‘Monaci delle Terre Nere’ sits amidst an organic farm overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. 

This stunning home has been brought back to life by its charming host Guido Coffa, who spent five years rescuing the villa from despair investing every drop of his energy to create a relaxing and stylish retreat that couples will love. You can now stay here and enjoy the utmost of intimacy - guest numbers are kept to a minimum with only 6 bedrooms, and that Italian style is everywhere from the traditional Sicilian architecture to the contemporary art and modern designer furniture. 

Your stay here will be a true sensory experience - Guido is also always at hand to arrange whatever your heart desires: an Italian feast at a small restaurant before the other guests arrive, a private tour of Mount Etna, trips to famous Taormina with its Greek Theatre and Medieval Quarter, the fish market of Catania as well as the coast, of course, with fashionable Isola Bella in Taormina and 18km of sandy beaches stretching  between Catania and Syracuse. And being Italy, there's ample scope for wine tastings at remarkable wineries for some heavy reds and fruity whites from the region. Or from the farm itself: Guido produces an exceptional red wine that’s available for you to sample. 

It really does look and sound like a truly special experience. And that villa .... totally divine. It's amore!

Explore London's East End Like a Local

With London on the radar thanks to the upcoming Olympics, everyone is looking for the right royal treatment when planning a stay in this vibrant and trendy city! If you really want to live like a local during your next short stay in London, it pays to avoid the high cost of hotels (London is renowned as one of the most expensive cities in Europe!) and to opt for the choice of luxury serviced apartments instead. 

  

Crown Lawn Apartments has opened some new luxury serviced properties in fashionable Shoreditch, and they are perfect for those who want to enjoy the comfort of home but with all the amenities of a hotel, without breaking the bank. When you cost it all out, there are savings of up to 30% less than the cost of a hotel. And that means more money for sight seeing, dining out, shopping, and those wickedly tempting pubs, bars and clubs that we so love in London!

The latest selection of apartments in Shoreditch will be available for bookings from early August, just in time for the Olympics. But if the East End doesn't grab you (awesome as it is!), Crown Land Apartments also have a stable of more than 100 serviced apartments in exclusive central London locations including Convent Garden, Westminster, London Docklands and Kensington. 

All of their serviced properties offer free Internet, spacious living areas with flat-screen TV’s, fully equipped kitchens with dishwasher and washer/dryer, 24-hour reception, parking facilities and exclusive deals with local gyms and hire car services. Kind of makes it your home away from home, really! Savvy.

Tropical Romance at The Reef House Boutique Resort & Spa - Palm Cove, Queensland

Talk about making the most of the tropical Winter sun! Shake off the chill and head north to beautiful Palm Cove on the doorstep of the Great Barrier Reef and you're in for sun soaked days and temps averaging 25 degrees this winter! And this is where we would like to check ourselves in to: The Reef House Boutique Resort & Spa! Set right on the beachside surrounds of Palm Cove's William Esplanade, the Reef House has been designed for the utmost privacy and an intimate, romantic ambience that couples will really love. 

We like the sound of the Brigadier Beachfront Spa Suites which feature a magnificent private spa (complete with a view of the beach!) and the unexpected luxury of a hanging couples swing on your own verandah or patio - a perfect place to watch the sunset over the Coral Sea. Private access to the Brigadiers Lounge and guest honesty bar is also available with daily invitation to complimentary Brigadier Lounge punch at twilight hour - an ideal way to end a day of long walks on the sand, swimming and lazing about in style (exhausting, right?!). 

And if life just gets too much and you can't bear another cocktail, head straight to the on site day spa and indulge in a range of therapeutic treatments which fuse ancient therapies from the ‘Dreamtime’ using the uniquely Australian Li’Tya Spa Care range that is exclusive to The Reef House Spa in Palm Cove. Bliss ... so, is it time for a tropical North Queensland holiday yet? We think so!

Peppers welcomes Rundells Alpine Lodge, Mount Hotham

It's getting cold outside and we're getting super keen for a bit of snow action! So it's perfect timing to get word on the latest addition to the network of boutique Peppers Retreats and Lodges in Australia with the acquisition of Rundells Alpine Lodge in Victoria's Mt Hotham ski fields ... and a special offer to celebrate!  To be known as Peppers Rundells Alpine Lodge, it will be the first Peppers property to be located in an Australian ski region. 

Peppers Rundells Alpine Lodge is located above the snowline at 1565m altitude in the heart of the Victorian Alps surrounded by the Alpine National Park and centrally positioned just 10 minutes from both Mount Hotham Airport and Mount Hotham Ski Resort.  It is also easily accessible via Australia's newest touring route, The Great Alpine Road.

The lodge also boasts one of the best restaurants on the Great Alpine Road, Graze, where guests can indulge in fine cuisine created with the freshest of regional ingredients and presented with European alpine influences.

Pack your ski boots and book yourselves in for a Victorian High Country Experience with a Two Night Snow Getaway Package from $430 per person* which includes accommodation in a King Room, degustation dinner in Graze restaurant, breakfast daily, private access to the spa and sauna and wireless internet valid from 29 June to 5 September 2012!

Luxury Eco Tents open for "Glampers" at The Billi - Broome, Western Australia

Broome’s newest boutique villa resort, The Billi, opened in October last year and has just unveiled its latest and most unique accommodation offering - four Luxury Eco Tents catering to the new "Glamping" trend. It's a form of sophisticated camping that has inspired a major feature in our next issue of Holidays for Couples, so we were pleased to hear all about this latest Australian destination to offer a luxe alternative with a wilderness holiday.

Set within a stunning resort setting right the heart of the Cable Beach Tourist precinct, the Billi Resort's tents are accessible and affordable, and have been decked out in style - from the soft cow hides on the floor, original artwork on the walls, serene lighting , faux fur throws and a sumptuous five star pillow topped bed to a freestanding bath in the en-suite. There's even room for a well equipped kitchenette complete with refrigerator and microwave. And to bring the outdoors in, you have your own private limestone encased timber deck area, perfect for a relaxing afternoon toast to the sunset together!

If you are lucky, you will see the camel trains which pass by the front of the property throughout the day as they make their way to Cable Beach, or spot the array of wildlife that surrounds you at The Billi, including their resident frilled neck lizards, tawny frogmouth owls and many other friendly fauna. 

Laze around the resort pool, read a book in one of the many contemplative areas, ride one of the on-site hire bikes to Cable Beach or explore Broome and the surrounds in your discounted on-site hire car. 

Sounds like a great holiday to us! 

Little wonder the resort already has four weddings booked this year - The Billi Resort is small enough to be booked out by a single group for the 

ultimate private resort experience.

If you like the sound of some luxury camping, be sure to get your copy of Holidays for Couples to read about more amazing Glamping destinations in Australia and around the world, on sale June 22nd, 2012!

La Vie En Rose at Shangri-La Hotel, Paris

There really is no other city in the world that compares to the romance of Paris! I've been day dreaming about a return to the City of Lights .... quite simply, I fell in love with Paris and I've never been quite the same since our return from that dream holiday we took over a year ago. You can read all about our love affair with the city right here. So it was with great pleasure that I received word this morning from the exquisite Shangri-La Hotel in Paris announcing the new 'La Vie en Rose Dream Romance Package' , created with newlyweds, honeymooners and lovebirds of all ages in mind (that being me, and perhaps you too!). 

This is one for the blessed (deep pockets essential!). A special offer that combines the best Shangri-La Hotel, Paris has to offer with unique touches that will make a couple's trip to Paris the experience of a lifetime. Designed around a three-night stay and a series of custom-designed moments, La Vie en Rose includes:

- A romantic room or suite with views of the Eiffel Tower and personalised décor featuring flowers, champagne and celebration patisserie: upon arrival, guests are welcomed with signature haute couture pastries by Head Pastry Chef François Perret.

- A private, one-and-a-half-hour champagne cruise for two: guests may settle into an elegant and iconic Riva speedboat to admire the City of Light from an exceptional vantage point on the Seine. Champagne will be served throughout the trip to complement the moment.

- A three-and-a-half hour photo session with a professional photographer who will commemorate the visit with photographs taken at the guests' favourite Paris locations. If desired, a professional hairstylist and make-up artist can be on hand for a beauty session prior to the taking of photographs (a session lasts approximately one hour). A car service will be provided, and guests will receive the photos on a CD.

- Breakfast served in the guestroom or on the terrace every morning.

- A gourmet dinner for two especially composed by Executive Chef Philippe Labbé of L'Abeille, the hotel's Michelin-starred French gastronomic restaurant, and served on the guests' private terrace.

- A vintage-style Lomography camera loaned by the hotel for the length of stay can be used to capture memories and take amusing tinted photographs. The photos will be developed at the end of the guests' stay and compiled into a keepsake "carnet de voyage" scrapbook.

- Round-trip airport transfer with VIP greeting and a special Shangri-La Hotel, Paris signature gift upon arrival.

Sounds a little bit sublime, doesn't it? Well, it may not be on the cheap side, but no true Parisian chic escape is. And you really can't get better than a stay at the Shangri-La Paris - located in the 16th arrondissement, in what was originally the private home of Prince Roland Bonaparte, grand-nephew of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. Yep, you read that right ... like we said, sublime.

La Vie en Rose Dream Romance Package is available starting at AU$9,020 for a double room with a private terrace and view of the Eiffel Tower and AU$17,790 for a suite with a private terrace and Eiffel Tower view. The package rates are based on a three-night double occupancy stay and include VAT, visitor taxes and service. 

Wyndham Launches Half a Million Dollar Competition

Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific has announced the launch of its new competition which will give one lucky person the chance to win $500,000 cash on top of a guaranteed holiday package to the Gold Coast. 

The competition called “2012 Win with Wyndham Competition” offers the chance to win a seven-night holiday package for two adults at Wyndham Surfers Paradise (that's it pictured here) as well as the two-night accommodation and airfare package to the Gold Coast for the lucky winner to participate in a game of chance to win the major cash prize of a whopping $500,000, to be played out on 28th March, 2013! 

The competition is open to all Australia and New Zealand residents over the age of 18 years. To enter the competition and view the full details of participation visit www.win500000cash.com.au