W Hotels go on holiday W Hotels, by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, are taking their much acclaimed urban hotels on holiday, by planning on opening a resort in the Maldives in 2005. The new W Maldives-Fesdhu Resort will have 50 over water and 30 beachfront villas on the private island of Fesdhu. So far, so Maldives. But along with offering the renowned W inspired design, F&B, recreation and retail, the resort will also include the signature W service of �whatever you want, whenever you want it.� A brave claim from the middle of the Indian Ocean�

Have card, will travel Traveling the world and staying in luxury hotels could be entering a new ultra-efficient, super-convenient chapter, with the pioneering Marriott Travel Card. Guests within the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are testing the pilot scheme which means they can pre-pay their hotel stays for some of the company�s brands before leaving home. The ultimate in peace of mind� as long as you don�t take that extra bottle of water out of the minibar.

Last, but not least - Laris opens to dazzling reviews At Shanghai�s celebrated Three on the Bund, last month saw the opening of the final outlet, Laris. With a starkly white marble entrance and a fresh bright interior with panoramic views over the Bund, the restaurant makes its mark beside the infamous Jean Georges and the richly traditional Whampoa Club. For chef David Laris, most recently at the Conran Group�s Mezzo in London, working in Shanghai is a welcome return to Asia.

The Sands shifts Macau's gambling focus The opening of the 1m square foot casino, The Sands, made headlines this month, as Macau�s first Vegas style casino to break Stanley Ho's monopoly, but also because of the thousands it attracted. Gambling mogul Sheldon Adelson had to have the doors closed briefly against the stampede of Mainland and Macau residents who had queued for hours to be the first to make bets. Looks like Ho is in for some tough competition.

Chi by Shangri-La, the spa brand that reaches the parts others can't... Taking the spa concept to the next luxurious step, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts are launching some of the spa world�s most spacious and indulgent spa suites under the new brand, Chi. Guests will be able to change, sauna and enjoy their treatments, based on Chinese and Himalayan philosophies, in their very own heavenly spa suite.

Meridien steps up the pace for their Hong Kong customers Hong Kong�s Le Meridien Cyberport, following its champagne-drenched, poolside opening in April, is pushing the originality boundaries still further. Teaming up with EMI to bring some 20 different genres of music to their fitness suite, each guest will be listening in courtesy of the new Apple iPod mini. The gadget is the size of a business card, weighs a buff 3.6 ounces and yet can hold up to 1,000 songs. That�s one hell of a workout.

ANDRE BALAZS - ANYTHING BUT STANDARD Party-goer, skinny dipper and eclectic entrepreneur, previously married to Katie Ford of Ford Models, and now dating sword-wielding, Tarantino chick Uma Thurman, Andre Balazs is as infamous as the hotels he rescues from the gutter and puts back on the must-stay list. Ruggedly good-looking a la Clooney, but smoother, the Florence Nightingale of the hospitality industry has reversed the malingering fortunes of Hollywood icon Chateau Marmont and The Raleigh, Miami, and has created a whole new category of hotel � hip, high-tech, but refreshingly affordable - with The Standard siblings in LA and the new Standard Spa in Miami. And he shows no sign of stopping. GSA takes a look at the glam entrepreneur and his real-life game of hotel Monopoly. photo credit Thaddeus Harden To read the whole story click here.

TETSUYA PUTS AUSTRALIA ON THE MAP FOR RELAIS GOURMAND This year, in an unprecedented move, a Relais Gourmand award was given to a restaurant in Sydney, or more specifically to its chef and owner, Tetsuya Wakuda. Characteristically, the modest and down to earth Japanese Australian who has been cooking up the best food in Australia for years was surprised, yet according to Relais & Chateau staff there was no question in their minds. Just out, the new Relais & Chateaux guide lists some of the world�s best restaurants and hotels. There is now just the one Relais Gourmand in Australia, Tetsuya�s, and only one Relais & Chateaux hotel, Chateau Yering in Victoria. In covert operations Relais & Chateaux send their employees to sample their way around the world. It�s a tough job, but someone�s got to do it. To read more of this story click here.

Recipe of the month Tetsuya's Grilled Fillet of Veal with Wasabi and Sea Urchin Butter Using prime Australian produce, Tetsuya Wakuda picks veal which has been out at grass for 4-6 weeks and therefore has a darker colour and richer flavour. He combines sea urchin roe with Wasabi and butter which he lets melt into the fillet while it is being grilled. The result, as with all Tetsuya's creations, is a melt-in-your-mouth explosion of flavours. Enjoy! For the full recipe click here.

CHRIS LENZ - KICKING CONVENTION AGAIN Conventional is not an adjective you�d ever associate with Chris Lenz. The full-of-life Canadian made his name with the horror themed Igor�s, and since then has opened a further 12 outlets in just 6 years. This August his fourteenth restaurant, The Cavern, will open at the top of Lan Kwai Fong bringing new life to the previously quiet end of the block, with a roaring 60s creation. What does it take to be at the helm of such a meteoric growth? How does he keep up with all the different restaurants and where is he going next? GSA talks to one of Hong Kong�s biggest F&B players. To read more of this story click here.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW - IN A HANDBAG Grant Thatcher, the creator of the Luxe City Guides, is just as verbally flamboyant in real life as his minute tomes of insider travel info. So much so, that carrying a Luxe guide around with you is almost like going traveling with the irrepressible actor, turned voice-over artist, turned publishing editor, himself. Sitting outside Byte for an alfresco lunch in the middle of Hong Kong's still-being-built Cyberport, he soaked up the sun and dished the goss on the hows, whens, wheres and whys of the smallest and snazziest travel guide yet. To read more of this story click here.

NEW GROUP ADDS PAUA TO THE HONG KONG SPA SCENE Hong Kong Spa giants The Frederique Group and The Beautiful Skin Centre Group have joined forces, with directors Frederique Deleage and Lucy Whittaker taking their leading brand names to new heights under the name, The Paua Group. Pronounced power, after a beautiful Asian shell, the group will be concentrating on nurturing and educating beauty talent and spreading their expertise around the Asian region through their spa consultancy, as well as continuing to provide Hong Kongers with top treatments in their individual day spas. For more on this story click here.

ATM Dubai a record breaking success ATM Dubai 2004 saw thousands of tourism industry professionals come together to make the event one of the most successful ever. To read about it click here. June also brings a host of other events, click here to see GSA's top 5 selection.

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