MasterCard® presents your guide to the finer things in life

destinations sharing an ideal spanning five decades —
Ten unique
Elegance without pretense, embracing and enhancing spectacular surroundings.
The difference is legendary.
GOODLIFE
MasterCard® presents your guide to the finer things in life.
WWW.ROCKRESORTS.COM
palm springs,ca ♦ sausalito,ca ♦ beaver creek,co ♦ keystone,co ♦ vail,co ♦ islamorada,fl
santa fe,nm ♦ manchester village,vt ♦ orcas island,wa ♦ jackson hole,wy
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WELCOME TO
THE GOODLIFE
“...what they see is an unusually complex and demanding strata of people who
Welcome to MasterCard International’s Global
want—and have the means—to upgrade their lives.”
Premium Collection – a portfolio of high-value
offers from the world's leading providers of travel
& lifestyle merchandise and services.
Designed for premium MasterCard cardholders –
consumers who carry Gold, Platinum, and World
MasterCard cards – The MasterCard Global
Premium Collection features unique offers with
global appeal for today's discerning cardholder.
MasterCard has negotiated special value-added
offers with these select travel & lifestyle providers
on your behalf – providing you with the opportunity to take advantage of a wide range and variety
A Good Life
State of Mind
of fashionable and upscale, resorts, hotels, destinations, and merchants.
Whether you want to shop for the latest electronic
gadget, savor a sumptuous meal aboard a luxury
liner or enjoy a relaxing, meditative spa treatment, you’ll find that the MasterCard Global
Premium Collection will enhance your experience.
Please take a moment to review the special selections available. To take advantage of these and
other special offers, call your premium card issuer
– we’re sure you’ll find these offers as delightful
and rewarding as any travel experience you’ve
ever had.
Best regards,
Nicole Risafi
Vice President, MasterCard International
I
t wasn’t so very long ago that you may have
been faced with choices for which no clear
alternatives existed. You may have been left
with the half-empty feeling of knowing what you don’t like. It
may have been when you were purchasing something significant—a car, vacation, or perhaps a house—and the choices just
seemed to fall flat. Either you compromised or you walked away.
In 2004, you’re probably experiencing the antithesis: too many
choices all well within reach. Exactly when society caught up
with demographics is hard so say, but sometime in the last decade
or so, something clicked. We earned advanced degrees in college
at unprecedented rates and were rewarded well ahead of our
parents. When we married, we opted for smaller families in a
trade-off for more time—which was good, because we are now
working harder than ever. Not given to simply working hard and
playing hard, our strata of American society has higher standards
in mind. Educated, well off, and short on time, we’re becoming
accomplished at crafting a good life.
The marketplace, for lack of a better term, has obliged with a
mind-boggling array of choices in shelter, clothing, culture, travel, recreation, and personal transportation. Sensing this yearning,
outlets opened to make possible a more refined, yet accessible,
way of living.
“Why should a computer be so drably utilitarian in form and
function?” wondered the creative brains at Apple Computer.
“Why should small be demeaning?” challenged the designers of
BMW’s groundbreaking Z3 Roadster and Mini Cooper. Similarly,
reckoned executives at Barnes & Noble booksellers, big needn’t
be Stalanesque in scope and imagination. Hoteliers caught on
early in the 1990s with the realization that high-style need not be
confined to the stuffy, musty realm of the gentry, and they
responded with a gratifying array of boutique brands and resorts
for every taste and inclination. In short, Americans and the Good
Life have met each other halfway—gladly.
In their seminal examination of American society, authors
Michael S. Silverstein and Neil Fiske capture the essence of this
phenomenon. In Trading Up: The New American Luxury,
Silverstein and Fiske hold a mirror up to Americans and what
they see is an unusually complex and demanding strata of people
who want—and have the means—to upgrade their lives. Even in
the more mundane parts of their lives. The authors marvel at how
consumers are digging deeper into their pockets for Whirlpool’s
state-of-the-art front loading washing machine.
“A number of consumers told us that the Duet actually makes
doing laundry fun,” they write. “Imagine that. The major functional advantage, however, is the effect the Duet has on a family’s
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lifestyle. It allows time-pressed, harried families to spend less
time doing chores and more time nurturing, connecting, or questing. It creates the greatest luxury of all: Discretionary time.”
This is what Good Life is all about: Making the most of our lives.
Perhaps no phenomenon better reflects the quest for the good
life than the modern
spa experience. Until
recently, neither the mix
of treatments nor style
of presentation met the
standards sought by discerning consumers. Spas
of the past certainly were
not the oasises of rejuvenation and bliss currently found in hotels,
resorts, and in communities around the world.
Today, more than 156
million people visit the
more than 10,000 spas in
the United States, accord-
ing to the International Spa Association.
Sure, people like spas for the pampering, but the majority now
considers them essential to healthy living. Because time is so
scarce in the good life, spas have responded with a variety of services to accommodate compressed schedules. Interestingly, spas
are no longer the exclusive domain of women. Men, in rapidly
increasing numbers, are availing themselves to this dimension of
good living. The spa’s allure is the divine array of options available
at both day spas and resort spas; the multitude of treatments
offered, and the emerging field of spa cuisine, which holds its own
against the very best of conventional restaurants.
“Perhaps no phenomenon better reflects
the quest for the good life than the
modern spa experience.”
Searching beyond the most heavily
frequented
destinations,
Skip
Kaltenheuser visits two Alpine villages that offer first-rate skiing and
genuine local culture. It may be
autumn, but it takes pre-season plan-
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FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL 1-877-314-8281 OR VISIT US ONLINE AT WWW.AKCONCIERGEVILLAS.COM
•• P R E M I U M C O L L E C T I O N 2 0 0 4 ••
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big pot from
Williams-Sonoma: $185
of products and services sometimes marvelous and occasionally
ridiculous, but always fun. You’ve got to work hard to come up with
a device to top Brookstone’s Grill Alert Talking Remote
Thermometer (plug it in to whatever you’re grilling and walk
away—it’ll let you know when to come back with the platter).
Robyn Taylor Parets found devices to put you back in touch
with the world in electronic high style: the Treo 600 smart phone
that all but fills in for you while you’re busy with the grill. Parets
found plenty to support the trend that better things are coming in
smaller packages these days, such as the stereo systems that prove
they should be heard and not seen.
You’re probably getting the idea. Depth and breadth of choice
are challenges and opportunities. Pursued in the right spirit, they
have all it takes to make the Good Life. ✵
(your mother’s mother’s sauce recipe: priceless)
© 2004 MasterCard International Incorporated
ning to pull off the best winter trips. Veteran travel writer
Harvey Chipkin agrees in his assessment of the huge array of
choices in cruising.
Perhaps nowhere in American culture has an entire industry
responded so enthusiastically to the widespread yearning to
break into this former province of the ultra-rich. The trick to
enjoying a cruise, Harvey Chipkin explains, is to know the nature
and details of the many services and amenities offered by various
cruise lines. One cruiser’s necessity may be another’s excess, and
the differences are well worth scrutinizing, he writes.
If our time is scarce and options plentiful, there must be ways
to minimize the former in order to optimize the latter. Relief
springs from the creative minds of inventors everywhere. Plumbing
the depths of industrial ingenuity turned up a veritable catalogue
T h e Pa r i s - C h a r l e s d e G a u l l e h u b .
16 , 0 0 0 d a i l y c o n n e c t i o n s m a d e i n l e s s t h a n t w o h o u r s .
w w w. a i r f r a n c e . c o m /u s
®
there are some things money can’t buy. for everything else there’s MasterCard.
making the sky the best place on earth
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When traveling, it’s no longer enough to simply grab a suitcase,
stuff it, and dash to the airport within minutes of departure.
Everything takes a little more careful planning, and an industry
has emerged to make it easier. No matter the season or the
destination, these products add fun components that make the
journey again worthy of the destination. Here’s a sampling of
some new or updated items to get you going.
▼
SPECTRUM OF GADGETS
At home, in the office, and on the road-it’s often the simple things
that make life easier, if not fun. For lack of a better word, you can call
them gadgets, though that would be short-changing their appeal and
usefulness. These products of modern industrial ingenuity allow us to
recreate better, work smarter, and travel easier. Many are genuinely
high tech and electronic while others can’t even claim one moving part.
But once you have one, chances are you’ll wonder how you managed
without for so long. But, it’s a cluttered field, and to help you cut
through it, here are some new and cool items that made our short list.
by Robyn Taylor Parets
3
Treo 600—Prices start at $449 at PalmOne retail stores,
as well as electronics and cellular phone stores featuring
PalmOne products. Also available at www.palmone.com.
Handspring Inc.’s Treo 600 is everything a smart phone should be
and more. The pocket-size device with a built-in keyboard, features a Palm OS organizer with wireless communication applications like e-mail, text messaging and Web browsing. As if that
weren’t enough, Treo 600 is also a digital camera. The all-in-one
device is the indispensable key to keeping organized and connected. And, you get all this functionality in a gadget that’s the size of
a cell phone.
2
1
Grill Alert Talking Remote Thermometer—$75 at
Brookstone stores nationwide (www.brookstone.com). If
you want the perfect cook-out every time, Grill Alert
Talking Remote Thermometer is a must-have barbecue tool. This
high-tech grilling accessory allows outdoor chefs to step away
from the grill without worrying about burning food. It’s simple:
just insert the stainless steel transmitter probe into the center of
the meat, push a button to select the type of meat (i.e. chicken or
beef), choose how the food should be cooked, and hook on a wireless belt-clip monitor. A voice prompt on the wireless device
alerts you when the meat is “Almost Ready” and then “Ready.” The
Grill Alert Talking Remote Thermometer can also be used inside
an oven or on a stovetop.
Hot+Cold Car Snack Box—$79.95 at The Sharper
Image stores nationwide (www.sharperimage.com).
Sick of lugging cumbersome coolers on road trips? Tired
of hot coffee turning into ice coffee before you get a chance to
enjoy it? Well, the Hot+Cold Car Snack Box is just the answer.
Simply secure the snack box between seats and plug it into the
dashboard power socket. More than a cooler, the tiny fridge can
even chill warm beverages and keep them icy cold. The durable
snack box also comes with a “hot” setting to keep coffee and food
toasty. The portable box weighs eight pounds and includes an
adjustable shoulder strap.
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4
AcoustiClear 3-CD—$475 at Brookstone (www.brookstone.com). The AcoustiClear 3-CD system is a stereo
lover’s dream come true. Redefining the boundaries of
sound through a transparent, flat-panel speaker technology,
AcoustiClear 3-CD features a booming 40-watt subwoofer and
two transparent, flat panel speakers that produce a much broader
sound than traditional speakers. The AcoustiClear system turns
any room into a private concert hall. Better yet, you can
mount the flat panel device
on the wall, converting it into
high-tech art or a cool conversation piece.
5
Packing Strategies—Save time at the airport security
line, with a see-through utility bag. Whether for
cosmetics and sundries or the necessary electronic
gadgets, Eagle Creek (www.eaglecreek.com) has a spill-proof
mesh, see-thru “Pac-It Sac.” The pleated bottom lets you stand it
upright on a counter or in a drawer. The large one (14 inches by 10
inches) lists for $12.
To compress items yet protect them from unnecessary
wrinkling, packing envelopes with Velcro closures to secure them
come in various sizes. A three-piece packing envelope set with a
small, medium, and large packer is available from several manufacturers at different price points at www.ebags.com. They also
list a four-piece “PVC Mesh Packer Set” in different sizes to store
carry-on items.
6
Identification Tips—To help
find your black bag from the
hundreds of similar ones
circling the luggage carousel, Lewis N.
Clark (www.lewisnclark.com) suggests
leather neon ID tags. Nothing timid
about these 2-inch by 3-inch add-ons in
green, pink, and yellow ($4.50).
As for baggage security, the
Transportation Security Administration
(www.tsa.org) lists manufacturers that
sell approved “open and re-lock” locks.
For example, Eagle Creek has a three-dial combination lock
($7.50) that allows TSA personnel to open a bag for inspection
purposes and then reseal it without damaging the lock, .
One way to hold all the loose pieces together is to purchase an
“LA Leash” ($85) from Flight 001 (www.flight001.com). You can
clip your ID, add your cell phone with adhesive, and keys onto the
leather lanyard leash and not have to fish around looking for all
your essentials.
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7
For Comfort—Now
you can shut off the
sights and add sounds
to personalize your travel experience. The Sound Soother Eye
Mask ($39.95) from Sharper
Image (www.sharperimage.com)
has one-inch thick foam to
block all ambient light. It comes
with sound-soother recordings
or you can enjoy your own stereo
selections with the batteryoperated program. For those
looking for a warming eye treatment, they also offer a heat sensitive
foam sleep mask ($24.95).
8
Vintage Software—Upgrade your wine knowledge with this
handy tool to read reviews and study wine and food pairings
with the Wine Master Deluxe ($49.95, www.wine
enthusiast.com). You can easily download the wine world with over
10,000 wine and spirit reviews that makes shopping for the latest vintage an easy purchase. Additional cartridges let you update information.
Personal
Entertainment
Center
Desktop
Feel-Good
Fan ®
9
TV Anywhere!™
Shower
Companion®
AcoustiClear 3-CD—$475 at Brookstone (www.brook
stone.com). The AcoustiClear 3-CD system is a stereo
lover’s dream come true. Redefining the boundaries of
sound through a transparent, flat-panel speaker technology,
AcoustiClear 3-CD features a booming 40-watt subwoofer and
two transparent, flat panel speakers that produce a much broader
sound than traditional speakers. The AcoustiClear system turns
any room into a private concert hall. Better yet, you can mount the
flat panel device on the wall, converting it into high-tech art or a
cool conversation piece. ✵
Professional
Series™
Ionic Breeze ®
Quadra®
“Bright As Day!” ™
Daylight Spectrum™
Lamp
Discover an exciting selection of products
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that vary.
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Mastercard has
all the connections.
Book a reservation at any Millennium Hotel or Resort in the United States with your Premium MasterCard ®
card, and you will receive complimentary high-speed Internet access in your guest room.
To take advantage of the offer, call 1-86 6 - 8 66-8086 or book online at www.millenniumhotels.com
PREMIUM COLLECTION
Complimentary Internet.
That's priceless.
Terms and Conditions 1. Offer is valid when you use your Premium MasterCard card to reserve and pay for your
stay at any Millennium Hotel and Resort in North America. 2. Offer is based on availability and is valid through
December 31, 2005. 3. Please mention this offer when making your reservation. © 2005 Millennium Hotels and Resorts.
Stay connected.
MILLENNIUM HOTEL, Minneapolis, MN
Store: Present this coupon.
Online: www.sharperimagesavings.com/mcpc
Phone: 1-800-344-4444 and mention code 5915Q
MILLENNIUM MAXWELL HOUSE, Nashville, TN
MILLENNIUM BROADWAY HOTEL, New York, NY
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90 Hotels. 16 Countries.
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Use your Premium MasterCard ® card and save $15 on
your purchase of $75 or more!
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Terms and Conditions:
A valid Premium MasterCard® card must be used as the form of payment. Not valid at The Sharper Image Auction site or any
of the International sites. The discount is based on merchandise prices only and excludes tax, shipping, and tax on shipping.
The Sharper Image is not required to honor this offer if any portion of it is posted in error. This offer is not valid towards previously purchased merchandise or the purchase of Gift Cards/Certificates. This offer is not valid with Price Matching Policy,
merchandise certificates or other discount/promotional offers. Not all products are eligible for discounts. See individual product pages for details. Offer expires December 31, 2005.
POS Code: 22239
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“To aid our journey, spas have revitalized menus by introducing globally-inspired
treatments meant to transport clients to faraway lands rich with tradition.”
global
harmony
You’re expected to be driven, to be perfect, to be in five places at
once. You work hard at the office and at home. But when do you
stop? When do you take time to slough off the day's worries, to
renew yourself for the next round? With so much pressure, it’s
no wonder more Americans are turning to spas for relief. Spa
treatments are no longer simply meant to pamper, they’re meant
to heal, to offer a sacred opportunity to reconnect with ourselves
and with the world.
Luxury travel leader Abercrombie & Kent, Inc. offer an exciting eight-night
stay in Incredible India, featuring the luxurious Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces,
as well as VIP extras specially for MasterCard® Premium cardholders. To learn
more, visit www.abercrombiekent.com/mastercard, call 800-323-7308, or
contact your travel agent. Mention promotion code 4INMCIIT.
•• P R E M I U M C O L L E C T I O N 2 0 0 4 ••
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To aid our journey, spas have revitalized menus by introducing
globally-inspired treatments meant to transport clients to faraway
lands rich with tradition. Whether it’s through the Mexican
temazcal, a Japanese onsen, or Thai massage, spas are more in
touch with the healing practices of other cultures than ever
before. Some rituals have been reinterpreted to keep pace with
today’s spa-goer, while others offer
the chance to step into another time
and another world. Either way, you
emerge more balanced and more
alive after the experience.
Eating a diet laden with sugar and
trans-fats, breathing air heavy with
fumes, and spending more time at a
desk than taking vigorous walks
contribute to a build-up of toxins in
the body. Working up a sweat is one
of the best ways to detoxify the
system—something the Mayans of
Mexico have known for centuries. The ritual of temazcal is a ceremony meant to purify. Similar to a Native American sweat lodge,
a temazcal is an adobe structure centrally heated by rocks. Herbs
are laid over the rocks, and both are doused with water to create a
fragrant, therapeutic steam. The attendant, or temazcalera, may
gently rub herbs on the bather to encourage deeper
cleansing. Bathers should breathe deeply and meditate on
releasing negative energy. Following the steam, bathers
are wrapped in warm blankets and often receive a
calming massage. Experience this ancient ceremony at Azulik’s
Maya Spa in Tulum, on the white-sand beaches of the Riviera
Maya, or at Hosteria Las Quintas, an eco-spa tucked away in a lush
valley of Central Mexico.
Mandarin Oriental Spa Delight
As a Premium MasterCard cardholder, take advantage of this special offer by three of our newest
and exciting hotels in Washington, D.C., New York and Miami.
Package includes:
• Luxurious accommodations
• A half-day of spa treatments for two
(4 hours of treatment rituals per person)
• Bento Box Culinary Delight for two
• Breakfast for two
• Spa Welcome Amenity
Mandarin Oriental, Washington D.C.
1330 Maryland Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20024
Mandarin Oriental, New York
80 Columbus Circle at 60th Street
New York, NY 10023
Mandarin Oriental, Miami
500 Brickell Key Drive
Miami, FL 33131
(202) 554 8588 or (888) 888 1778
from $1,895 per night
(212) 805 8800 or (866) 801 8880
from $2,700 per night
(305) 913 8383 or (866) 888 6780
from $1,850 per night
Rates are per room per night, valid through December 31, 2004, exclusive of room tax and service and valid only when a MasterCard card is used as the form of payment.
Cardholders can take advantage of this offer by calling the phone number listed and requesting “MasterCard Mandarin Oriental Spa Delight.”
•• P R E M I U M C O L L E C T I O N 2 0 0 4 ••
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treatment, Thai massage takes you to the mat where client and
practitioner move in harmony performing yoga-like poses. The
union allows the client to stretch more deeply, leaving her both
relaxed and rejuvenated. Arizona’s Golden Door Spa at The
Boulders and Miami’s Mandarin Oriental spa offer Thai massage.
To indulge in luk pra kob, try the Royal Thai Trilogy at the Paul
Lebrecque spa in New York.
These treatments may be the latest trends appearing on menus
at the most tuned in spas, but in many cultures, they are indeed
time-honored. The wisdom of ancients cultures from around the
globe have added a sensual touch of the exotic to spa treatments
and opened the door to a whole new world of well-being . ✵
“To the ancient Greeks, bathing was a way to maintain physical,
emotional, and spiritual well-being, and in 18th-century Japan
onsens were as ubiquitous as teahouses.”
Water nourishes us with its life-giving energy, whether we’re
drinking a cool glass of it or soaking in a bath. The refreshing liquid courses through our body and flushes out toxins, leaving us
refreshed and re-energized. No one can deny the thirst-quenching
power of water, but some may not know that something as simple
as taking a bath is a cultural ritual that has been practiced for
thousands of years. To the ancient Greeks, bathing was a way to
maintain physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being, and in
18th-century Japan onsens were as ubiquitous as teahouses.
Traditionally, the onsen ritual began with a scrub to rid the body
of impurities, followed by a soak in sulfur water. Immersing the
body in warm water massages the nervous system, sending signals
to the brain to let go. Lacing the water with sea salt, algae, or herbs
soothes both the skin and the senses. Many spas have taken the
sensuality of the bath and water therapies to new heights by offering hydrotherapy treatments that rehydrate and rebalance the
body. CuisinArt Resort and Spa on Anguilla has included
the Aromatherapy Journey to their menu. Clients luxuriate in a
special state-of-the-art hydrotherapy tub filled with water
enhanced with invigorating rosemary, calming lavender, or
exhilarating citrus. West Virginia’s Greenbrier and California’s
Calistoga Ranch are two of the spas that offer the sanctuary of hot
springs for natural, nourishing soaks.
The Eastern influence on our over-stressed Western society
has enlightened and transformed the way spas approach wellbeing. Traditional Thai healing has experienced a revival with its
nature-worshipping techniques. Herbs like ginger and turmeric,
plants like kaffir lime leaf and rice, the lifeline of Thai cuisine,
blend together to create a feast for the senses. An exotic treatment called luk pra kob has made its way onto American spa
menus. A heady parcel of flowers, spices, and herbs is steamed
and rubbed over the skin to soothe sore muscles. A more active
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rated the “World’s # 1 Cruise Ship” and the “Best Small-Ship Cruise Line” in the world. Weekly departures visit
Tahiti, Raiatea, Tahaa for our own private island Motu Mahana, Bora Bora, and Moorea. Discover the best value
in luxury cruising where gratuities, fine wine with lunch and dinner, watersports, soft drinks, and in-stateroom
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bar setup are always included. Now, for a limited time, FREE ROUNDTRIP AIRFARE is offered on select dates.
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RECEIVE $200 PER STATEROOM SHIPBOARD
CREDIT WHEN YOU PAY WITH YOUR PREMIUM
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For a preferred Travel Agent near you call 877-850-2082.
For a brochure call 866-272-9431 or visit us at www.rssc.com
Fares are per person, double occupancy, cruise only, based on minimum category F and subject to availability. Port/handling/security charges of $207 are additional. On free air dates, free roundtrip air
is offered from RSSC’s 86 air gateways in economy class. Airfare on non-free air dates is $379 to $599 additional, depending on gateway. Shipboard credit offer not combinable with any other offer.
Bookings must be paid for with a Premium MasterCard® card to be eligible. For new bookings only, and reservations must be made by December 31, 2004. Restrictions apply. Ship’s registry: Bahamas.
05-A190-408
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MAXIMUM
CRUISING
From spas to rock climbing, cruise ships offer something for every one (the secret is knowing what to ask for)
by Harvey Chipkin
It might make you feel good to know that a cruise ship has been designed especially for you.
Your vessel is sailing right now and it has been customized to accommodate your taste in
cuisine, destination, activities, and ambience. The key is to book “your” ship, because as any
veteran cruiser or travel expert will tell you: The success of your holiday at sea depends
almost entirely on matching your tastes and preferences to the right ship and, once you’ve chosen,
making the most of all that ship has to offer in the way of amenities, services and style.
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It doesn’t make sense to overspend on a cruise that offers the
style of luxury in which you’re simply not interested. On the
other hand, if you want to celebrate a once-in-a-lifetime event
and the sky’s your budgetary limit, then by all means go for it.
Going all out might mean a ship like Cunard’s Queen
Mary 2. Rarely has there been as much excitement about a
launch as when the majestic QM2—the world’s longest, tallest,
widest, and most expensive passenger ship—set sail earlier this
year from England. With 14 decks of sports facilities, pools,
shops, lounges, casinos, a planetarium (yes, a planetarium), a
bookstore and a college at sea run by no less than the University
of Oxford, such acclaim is well founded. QM2 passengers can
enjoy basalt massages at the Canyon Ranch SpaClub, relaxing in
the largest library afloat, or taking acting classes from members
of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Are 10 restaurants sufficient? And not just any restaurants. One offers dishes
inspired by master chef Daniel Bouloud of New York’s Daniel;
another is named for the celebrated Todd English, the TV cooking luminary known for his Mediterranean style.
It’s indisputable that QM2 has taken a certain kind of luxury
to another level. Still, luxury is not a one-level-fits-all concept.
Another ship might appeal to you by meeting and exceeding your
own requirements for luxury. Consider the following:
♦ Celebrity Cruise Concierge Class features chilled champagne,
fresh flowers, and fruit in staterooms; personalized stationery;
pillow “menus”; and a special room-service breakfast menu.
♦ Crystal Cruises guests enjoy 24-hour butler service and such
tony touches as Reidel crystal wine glasses, Aveda bathroom
products, Wedgewood bone china for tea, and Frette linens in
the restaurants and dining rooms.
♦ Royal Caribbean International’s passengers can call for complimentary room service any time of the day or night.
♦ Silversea emphasizes time, flexibility, and convenience. With
Personalized Voyages, guests can decide when and where they
embark and disembark so they can customize their vacation
experience to fit their own schedules.
And that’s the point. Cruises, once thought to be the most
stratified of vacation options, may now be the most flexible. That
applies to onboard activities and shore excursions as well. For
physical fitness buffs, there’s no reason to interrupt your favorite
exercise program while at sea.
Bob Sharak, executive vice president of Cruise Lines
International Association, says, “A cruise allows vacationers to
fit physical activity and fitness into their vacation, if they so
desire; it’s a great time to jump-start a get-in-shape program, or
to try an adventurous activity.”
Yes, spas are available on many ships, as well as onboard
opportunities to rock climb and ice skate. And for home-team
fans, many ships feature sports bars with live or taped satellite
feeds of major sporting events.
Sporting types might find the following:
♦ Golf simulators on Royal Caribbean International
♦ PADI-certified scuba diving on Windstar
♦ Fold-out Watersports Marinas on Seabourn that can be
deployed to offer swimming, snorkeling, waterskiing,
windsurfing, and more.
♦ Sunset Yoga and pilates classes on Celebrity
Activity builds appetites
and while cruise ships still
excel in quanitity, they
now emphasize choice and
quality in dining. On most
ships, passengers dine
when they want, where
they want, and with whom
they want.
And you might be
surprised at some of the
choices. Celebrity Cruises
recently unrolled a fleetwide
low-carb
menu
featuring such delicacies as tuna sashimi salad with Matsuhisa
dressing, and porcini-dusted filet mignon with grilled
asparagus. The ships even offer low-carb pastas, ice creams, and
breakfast menus.
What do you like? Your customized ship has it for you—
whether it’s fresh towels poolside on Celebrity Cruises; piano
lessons on Crystal; wireless remote Internet access on
Norwegian Cruise Line 24 hours a day wherever the ships are
located; 400 DVD players on Radisson Seven Seas Cruises’
GL
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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT
“Cruises, once thought to be the
most stratified of vacation options,
may now be the most flexible.”
Dabble in the art
of exquisite cuisine
Master Chefs. Masterpieces. MasterCard
Preferred Culinary Escapes* is your opportunity
to sample the creations of some of the world’s
most talented chefs, in some of the world’s
most uniquely luxurious locations. Every stay
at participating Preferred hotels and resorts is a
blank canvas that begins with a special offer for
Premium MasterCard cardholders:
Seven Seas Voyager; or a library with 4,000
titles on Swan Hellenic’s Minerva II.
Finding a travel agent is one of the best ways
to craft a cruise vacation. John Clifford, president of International Travel Management.com
in San Diego, says, “There are so many intangibles and unknowns attached to a cruise that can
only be addressed by a seasoned professional.”
Agents can help you anticipate your experience once you get onboard as well. Yes, there
are many dining options now—but that also
means you should make reservations as soon as
you embark.
“The biggest tip I offer clients,” says Clifford,
“is that it’s worth the extra money to get a
cabin with a balcony. For just a few dollars
more you can hear the ice crack on an Alaskan
glacier, smell the flowers of Hawaii, or see the canals of Venice
as you approach.”
It’s best—especially with the size of such mega-vessels as the
QM2—to know as much about the ship as you can before you
get onboard. If there’s 24-hour complimentary room service,
why not know about it in advance? Golf in the Caribbean? Book
the tee times in advance.
The secret to choosing your cruise is not to be overwhelmed
by either the ship or the multitude of onboard and onshore
activities. Remember, a ship hasn’t been designed to suit your
tastes, but also for particular reasons. You might want to sail on
one ship to celebrate a big event like a birthday or anniversary—taking it easy going to the spa and enjoying the itineraries. On another cruise you might want to be active—climbing
rock walls and scuba diving.
Evelyn Reid of Bloomfield, New Jersey celebrated a birthday on Celebrity’s Infinity in Alaska. Reid mixed and
matched cruise lines and services to achieve her goal of relaxation and renewal.
“The memory I cherish is the spectacular view of the mountains as the sun rose very early one morning,” Reid says. "The
mountains were gold and the sky was turning from ink blue to
dawn blue. I attempted to capture this on film, but in my mem-
ory the picture is larger and more exquisite. I didn’t want to
sleep, but to relish every moment. The cruise slowed me down
and provided the opportunity to revive my spirit through the
beauty of the ocean, the sky, the mountains and the glaciers.”
Your ship is out there. Find the right one, go at the right time,
and make the most of what it has to offer. ✵
CARIBBEAN
Crystal Cruises offers Premium MasterCard
cardholders the ‘World’s Best’ Caribbean.
■ US $100† dining credit
Leave winter’s chill behind this year and join Crystal Cruises, the only large ship luxury cruise
line to be named “World’s Best” by the discerning readers of Travel + Leisure magazine for nine
consecutive years. Convenient round-trip 7-day cruises start at just $1,495.
■ Special suite rate
After that, the indulgences are up to you.
Just be sure to make reservations before
January 31st, 2005. That is when we will clear
the table on this special Premium MasterCard offer!
Plus as a Premium MasterCard cardholder, if you book and purchase your luxury vacation with
Crystal Cruises you will receive a $200 per stateroom shipboard credit that can be used for any
onboard purchases including shore excursions and spa treatments! Ask for MSTR1 when booking
your cruise to receive this special offer.
Crystal Cruises is where refined elegance meets casual simplicity. Where classic service is warmed
by a genuine desire to please. Where space comes in abundance, choices are both numerous
and enticing, and quality is felt as well as seen. With Crystal Cruises, the best the world has to
offer is yours to experience. You deserve luxury like this. You deserve Crystal Cruises.
Premium MasterCard
cardholders can book
MasterCard Preferred
Culinary Escapes by visiting
preferredhotels.com/mccul,
calling 1-800-323-7500
or contacting your
travel professional.
Call your travel agent today to book your cruise and receive your
special shipboard credit!
www.crystalcruises.com
Fare listed is per person, in U.S. dollars, cruise only for category “G” on Crystal Harmony, based on double occupancy, subject to availability and capacity-controlled. Fare includes savings of up to 50% and include
port charges of $120 per person. Fares and savings vary by departure. No air credit is available. Air add-ons are available from Crystal Cruises’ designated gateway cities. The Premium MasterCard cardholder shipboard credit offer of $100 per person, up to $200 per stateroom, is based on double occupancy for select sailings only, valid from 7/1/2004 until 12/15/2005 and only valid if cruise is booked and purchased using
a Premium MasterCard card. Shipboard credit is non-transferable and cannot be used in the casino or redeemed for cash or credit and cannot be combined with any other credit or charge card offers. Other
restrictions may apply. ©2004 Crystal Cruises, Inc. Ships’ Registry: The Bahamas
*Based on a 2-night minimum stay. Visit www.preferredhotels.com/mccul for a complete list of participating hotels and terms & conditions.
†or equivalent in local currency. ©2004 Preferred Hotels® & Resorts Worldwide.
MCPCE.T&C
•• P R E M I U M C O L L E C T I O N 2 0 0 4 ••
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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT
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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT
“Individual preferences are what the new era of hospitality
is all about. Consider the emergence of specialtyconcierges.
Once the province of traditional European hotels,
concierges have become standard at U.S. properties.
However, many hotels seeking to maximize their guests’
experience have trained concierges who deal with pets,
electronic equipment, fitness requests, and more.”
The Hotels of Autumn
Seasoned travelers swear fall is the most sensual time for getting away
by Harvey Chipkin
Willpower withers when extraordinary
places make an irresistible offer.
The Fairmont Banff Springs
W
ho wouldn’t prefer a fall vacation?
It’s quieter; fall foliage is on full
display; and the cultural season is
heating up in big cities. So what if you have to spend a little more
time indoors? Hoteliers have made their properties sexier and
more sizzling. In the past, when friends asked where you were
heading on vacation, you might have said, “New England” or
“Florida.” Now you might just as easily explain it by choice of
lodgings—say, “The Greenbrier” or “The Four Seasons Maui.”
It’s a new era as hoteliers seek to sell an “experience” rather
than a “stay.” Those on the cutting edge are:
♦ Raising the thread count on designer sheets to levels unseen
since the Egyptians invented cotton.
♦ Outdoing each other to create the most exotic spa treatments
like the Samadhi Mud Ceremony at The Fairmont Turnberry
Isle Resort & Club, Miami.
♦ Turning “amenity creep” into an “amenity stampede” with such
services as a “butler-drawn” bath menu at the White Barn Inn in
Kennebunkport, Maine a member of prestigious Relais &
Chateaux, with such choices as an Orchid Milk Bath, a
Goodnight (Moon) Bath and a “Black Tie, Please: Dahling”
bath using a variety of scents,
herbs and oils.
♦ Opening restaurants that compete
with the finest in the city—even
if that city is New York or
San Francisco—with wine lists
to match.
Super Spas, Cool Concierges, and Blissful Beds
Services and amenities that had once been reserved for the elite are now
widely available—yet with a twist. Take the spa, traditionally an exotic
add-on. It’s now a must for any luxury lodging.
Even a venerable resort such as the Mohonk Mountain House, a
member of Historic Hotels of America, in New Paltz, New York, serving guests since 1869, is keeping up with the times. Next year, it will
add a 30,000-square-foot wing housing a fitness center, indoor pool and
spa—modern when it comes to the latest equipment—traditional in
re-creating the distinctive architectural look of the original building.
The biggest developments in hotels today are ironically the most
basic—the beds. Westin shook up the industry several years ago
when it introduced the Westin Heavenly Bed—a sinfully comfortable
piece of furniture with Hollywood-star bedding. Other chains followed suit with a counting-sheep parade of seductive beds: Sheraton’s
Sweet Sleeper; and, recently, Radisson’s deluxe Sleep Comfort beds,
which can be adjusted to each individual.
Individual preferences are what the new era of hospitality is all
about. Consider the emergence of specialty concierges. Once the
province of traditional European hotels, concierges have become
standard in U.S. properties. However, many hotels seeking to maximize their guests’ experience have trained concierges who deal with
pets, electronic equipment, fitness requests, and more.
Loews Hotels, a chain of 20 hotels and resorts, now boasts
the Family Concierge. This expert contacts families prior to their arrival
to discuss making the best use of time for travelers of all ages. Parents
receive a vacation planning package, as well as articles with travel tips
from a parenting magazine.
•• P R E M I U M C O L L E C T I O N 2 0 0 4 ••
The New Luxury
Where luxury once meant elaborate furnishings
and formal dining, now it means personal space,
escape from stress, and the ability of even the
most transient to enjoy all the comforts of home
(and more) on the road. That might mean 42inch plasma TV screens, Bose radios, or even a
yoga session right in your room.
The new luxury doesn’t always mean new
hotels. Take The Point on Saranac Lake, New
York, formerly a 19th-century Great Camp and
once the home of William Avery Rockefeller.
Talk about personal space: The Point is home to
a mere 11 lodging units spread among four
buildings. Each offers a delicious lake view,
custom-made beds and spacious private baths.
For cool fall evenings, all have huge fireplaces
created from chiseled stone.
And after a brisk canoe trip up the Upper
Saranac to view the vivid foliage, exquisite cuisine awaits—prepared by a staff trained by
Albert Roux, a three-star Michelin chef based
in London.
If foliage is synonymous with Vermont, Twin
Farms in Barnard, Vermont, has come to be synonymous with a new standard for luxury.
Sitting on 300 gorgeous acres of fields, forest,
gardens and lake, here is a place where every
A $100 bonus is just one more reason to leave the
ever yday world and retreat to a hidden enclave of luxur y. Where the revered game of golf glistens on lush,
inviting courses. Where the legendar y Golden Door
Spa helps your body and soul become one. And where
the plea sures of exquisitely thoughtf ul ser vice are
enhanced by the natural grandeur
of exceptionally dramatic settings.
Just call us or your travel planner.
800.WYNDHAM
wyndhamluxuryresorts.com
Ask for your “$100 Resort Reward”
and receive a $100 credit* toward your room, dining, onsite
recreation or whatever you like…when you use your Premium
MasterCard ® card and stay three or more consecutive nights.
The Boulders Resort
& Golden Door Spa
in the Sonoran foothills
north of Scottsdale
The Cabins & Penthouses
at The Peaks
nestled above colorful
Telluride, Colorado
Carmel Valley Ranch
on California’s
Monterey Peninsula
Grand Bay HotelIsla Navidad Resort
north of
Manzanillo, Mexico
Las Casitas Village
& Golden Door Spa
overlooking the
Caribbean in Puerto Rico
*Subject to limited availability October 1, 2004 until December 31, 2005; certain blackout dates apply. Must request “$100 Resort
Reward” offer when making reservations. Upon checkout, credit will be applied toward your bill. Any unused credit will not be
refunded. Offer good only if purchased using valid Premium MasterCard® card. Not valid for groups or with other special offers.
GL
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT
Mohonk Mountain House
Lake Mohonk
New Paltz NY 12561
(800) 772-6646
www.mohonk.com
Rates start at $379, double, including
three meals, afternoon tea, and many
recreational activities.
The Point
P.O. Box 1327
Saranac Lake NY 12983
(800) 255-3530; (518) 891-5674
www.thepointresort.com
Grand Duke Gian Gastone of Tuscany was known for refusing to leave his bed.
Rates start at $1,250 nightly per
room—inclusive of all meals and
Stay at our palace and you may have the same inclination.
activities
Twin Farms
P.O. Box 115
Picks you’ll surely fall for >
room is sumptuous in a different way; and filled with gorgeous
antiques and serious valuable artworks. At any hour of the day,
chefs will prepare a favorite dish.
Foliage lingers longer as travelers head south, and if they’re
smart and reserve well in advance, they can enjoy a dinner they’ll
savor for months as prepared by the proprietors of the Inn at Little
Washington in the Blue Ridge Mountains, one of America’s most
treasured country retreats.
While the dining room is the centerpiece at the inn, there’s plenty to do nearby: hot-air ballooning, vineyard touring, antiquing, or
playing a set of tennis and getting
a relaxing massage.
Vacationers for whom “cooler
weather” means time to follow
the birds south, the striking glass
and steel Conrad Miami has reshaped the skyline of that city
and added still more luster to a
scene where luxury hotels seem
as plentiful as palm trees.
While the fall draws sun worshippers to Florida, hopes for
Barnard VT 05031
(802) 234-9999
www.twinfarms.com
early snow tugs skiers westward to
lavish resorts like The Fairmont
Chateau Whistler in British
Columbia, considered the finest ski
area in North America. Nestled at
the foot of Blackcomb and Whistler
Mountains, the resort offers access
to over 100 marked runs and - why
not? - direct helicopter service.
And après-ski, the Fairmont’s
Vida Wellness Spa indulges with
treatments like water therapy and a
sports relief bath; or for wrap fans,
a ginger and lemongrass wrap; or
an orange and green tea wrap.
The direction in which you’re
headed is still key, as is your ultimate destination. But today it’s the
hotel that’s creating the buzz—and
fall is a good time to listen. ✵
Rates start at $950 nightly, double,
including meals, beverages and wine;
and unlimited use of all onsite recreational facilities.
Inn At Little Washington
Middle and Main Streets
P.O. Box 300
Washington VA 22747
(540) 675-3800
Rates start at $340, double
White Barn Inn
37 Beach Avenue
Kennebunkport ME 04046
(207) 967-2321
www.whitebarninn.com
Rates start at $335, double
Fairmont Hotels
(800) 257-7544
www.fairmont.com
The ultimate in urban luxury
Mandarin Oriental
(866) 801-8880
Discover the splendor and the history of The New York Palace Hotel by reveling in a Royal Suite Weekend.*
MasterCard® Premium cardholders will receive 50% off a luxury suite, a welcome amenity of chocolate tuxedo
strawberries and a complimentary bottle of Perrier-Jouët. For reservations, or to hear about other luxurious
offers from The New York Palace Hotel, please call 1-800-NYPALACE.
www.mandarinoriental.com
Preferred Hotels
(800) 323-7500
www.preferredhotels.com
Rock Resorts
(888) FOR-ROCK
www.rockresorts.com
Wyndham Luxury Resorts
(800) WYNDHAM
www.wyndhamluxuryresorts.com
•• P R E M I U M C O L L E C T I O N 2 0 0 4 ••
455 Madison Avenue, New York, NY
*
212.888.7000
www.newyorkpalace.com
Offer subject to availability. Valid through March 31, 2005 on stays of two or three consecutive nights, Friday night, Saturday night and/or Sunday night. Taxes and gratuities not included.
Offer for Deluxe King or Deluxe Double room. Reservation and final payment must be made using a Premium MasterCard card. ©2004 The New York Palace
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT
W
E njoy
the privileges reserved for presidents.
ith their varied European flavors
Moritz are terrific, but if for some reason the
and myriad summits, the Alps
night club scene wears thin, the architecture
offer an understandably potent
becomes a little too reminiscent of cookie cutter
allure for North American skiers. Yet many of
cuckoo clocks, don’t forsake the Alps. There are
their best pleasures go untried. Like obscure
many unforgetable treasures to be found in
fine wines overshadowed by more well-known
these mountains.
labels, these peaks tend to go to locals who
know the territory. The slopes of Gstaad and St.
We believe you’re entitled to special treatment. Which is why Fairmont Hotels & Resorts
created Fairmont President’s Club. Stay with us just 5 times a year and you’ll enjoy a variety
of enhanced services and personalized amenities. Like high-speed Internet access, room and
suite upgrades, a personal travel concierge, complimentary nights and much more.
eARN
DOUBLE STAY
Enroll in Fairmont President’s Club with your Premium MasterCard card and earn Double
Stay Credit for your first stay at any Fairmont Hotel & Resort. This moves you closer to
our Premier Membership tier which entitles you to even more exclusive benefits and special
CREDIT
privileges. To learn more about Fairmont President’s Club, visit www.fairmont.com
Alpine Secrets
Look beyond Europe’s obvious to
these two hidden village treasures
By Skip Kaltenheuser
Places in the heart.
43 destinations in Canada, U.S., Mexico, Barbados, Bermuda, and United Arab Emirates.
Membership in Fairmont President’s Club is complimentary. Enrollment in Fairmont President’s Club and the first stay at Fairmont Hotels & Resorts must occur between October
1 and December 15, 2004. Fairmont President’s Club Premier membership is awarded to Members with 5 stays, or to Members who spend $3500 US combined with 2 stays
in a calendar year. A valid U.S. issued Premium MasterCard card must be included in the Fairmont President’s Club Member profile to be eligible for the double stay credit.
•• P R E M I U M C O L L E C T I O N 2 0 0 4 ••
GL
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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT
The Citi® Platinum Select® / AeAdvantage® card starts you off with
up to 15,000 bonus miles.1 Where you go after
that is up to you – from the beaches of
Maui to Colorado’s soft powder. And those
One of the brightest nuggets is Grindelwald. It’s an excellent detour
for those accustomed to mainstream Swiss resort towns—one you’ll
find shared by many in the Swiss business world stealing away for a
quick ski escape. Only a small percentage of visitors are Americans—
three times as many are Japanese or British. Moviegoers have glimpsed
Grindelwald’s backdrop in the film The Eiger Sanction, where Clint
Eastwood battles a rival assassin while scaling the treacherous face of
Eiger. To the skiers zooming aside it, Eiger is less ominous, holding court
over the town with fellow alpine loyals Monch and Jungfrau. Their glow
at sunset is one of those scenes one commits to memory.
Competitive skiers know the area from the downhill races in midJanuary, between nearby towns Lauberhorn and Wengwald. They
include the longest (2.65 miles), and oldest downhill race in the World
Cup calendar, and perhaps the most daunting World Cup slalom race.
Train enthusiasts know the area as well. At 11,333 ft., Jungfrau is the top
of Europe and a train station on the mountain, encased in a tunnel, is
Europe’s highest. January also offers the six-day World Snow Festival,
an international competition of snow and ice sculptures.
are just two reasons to get the card. So why wait?
First 6 months with NO ANNUAL FEE*
$25 off an American Airlines travel purchase**
Earn miles on purchases
ers. They drop in to the Alte Post for the evening before heading out
to groom the slopes at two in the morning.
It’s a good intro for imagining the local life, which includes
villagers darting about the snow on a “Velogemel.” Invented in
Grindelwald in 1912 and unique to this town, it’s a wooden frame on two
metal runners with a steering bar, propelled by pushing with one’s legs.
The mailmen of Grindelwald find them a good leg up on snow and sleet.
When skiing the slopes, case Grindenwald for a summer
return. Nature’s generous offerings include a UNESCO World Natural
S TA R T W I T H
PERSONAL
12,500
BONUS MILES
“In winter, the best prelude to a mud bath is to listen to one’s
body signals on Oberstdorf’s 44,000 meters of downhill slopes.”
The ski region includes 50 lift facilities, 205 km of slopes, 80 km
of winter hiking paths, 50 km of sledding and tobogganing runs,
and 25 km of cross-country tracks. The crowds are not overbearing—there is plenty of room to move—and there’s an accommodating division of challenge, 30 percent easy, 50 percent intermediate,
and 20 percent difficult. Unless you’re really good, don’t get cocky
and hit some of the small impromptu jumps skiers create off steep
slopes. Less competent skiers discover too late they are banked for
back flips meant for hot doggers.
Catch Friday night dinner with the locals at the Alte Post restaurant. Ruedi and Annegret Gruber run a fine gourmet feed in the lower
part of the restaurant, serving up mountain goats Ruedi bagged himself. On the upper level, they throw a buffet for the locals. Take your
plate to the bar, being sure to include cheeses made by the Grubers—
you’ll be surrounded by snow-machine operators and snow-cat driv-
Heritage site, Europe’s only accessible glacier-waterfalls inside a mountain. Request information, including the schedule for the Velogemel
World Championships, via email at touristcenter@grindelwald.ch, or
visit the web site at www.Grindelwald.ch.
The German slopes of Oberstdorf, in the Iller Valley, can be found at
the junction of seven sunny Bavarian valleys. First known as a health
retreat, Oberstdorf attracted 14th-century nobility to the sulfur baths, a
treatment pioneered in this town for centuries.
In winter, the best prelude to a mud bath is to listen to one’s body signals on Oberstdorf’s 44,000 meters of downhill slopes, including
Germany’s longest. Skiers can go up in Germany and come down in
Austria. The aircraft buzzing overhead are parasailers. Here, you can
start your descent at the very tops of mountain ridges blessed with
stunning views of hundreds of peaks.
A mere 90 minutes from Munich, Oberstdorf is often populated
•• P R E M I U M C O L L E C T I O N 2 0 0 4 ••
S TA R T W I T H
1
BUSINESS
15,000
BONUS MILES
1
Why wait? Go to www.miles3.citicards.com.
Or call 1-800-535-4706. Start earning FREE 2 award travel today.
Bonus miles can only be earned by new Citi® / AeAdvantage® cardmembers approved through this offer. Your 12,500 bonus miles (applicable to the Citi® Platinum
Select® / AeAdvantage® World MasterCard®) or your 15,000 bonus miles (applicable to the Citi® Platinum Select® / AeAdvantage® Business card) will appear as a
bonus in your AeAdvantage® program account 8-10 weeks after your first purchase with the card. The bonus miles offer expires December 31, 2004.
2
Passenger is responsible for any applicable taxes and fees from $46-$60 for domestic free award travel and from $70-$175 for international free award travel. Award
travel may include redemption of miles earned through purchases of goods and services, including purchases made by use of the Citi ® / AeAdvantage® card.
* For the Citi® Platinum Select® / AeAdvantage® World MasterCard®: As of August 1, 2004, the variable APR for purchases is 14.24%. The APR for cash advances
is a variable rate of 19.99%. If you default under any Card Agreement the variable Default APR is 28.24%. The annual fee is $0 for the first six months, $85
thereafter. For the Citi® Platinum Select® / AAdvantage® Business card: As of August 1, 2004, the variable APR for purchases is 14.2%. The Cash Advance APR
is 19.99%. If you fail to keep this Account or any Citibank Card account in good standing, the variable Default APR is 28.29%. The annual fee is $0 for the first
12 months, $75 thereafter. For both cards: Minimum finance charge: 50 cents. Transaction Fee for Cash Advances: 3% of the amount of each cash advance,
minimum $5. Transaction fee for Balance Transfers: 3% of the amount of each balance transfer, minimum $5, maximum $50.
** $25 off certain American Airlines travel purchases. Please refer to www.miles3.citicards.com for more information on this offer.
The Citi®/ AeAdvantage® card is offered in many countries. If you are not a U.S. resident, visit www.global.aadvantage.citicards.com for information on how
to apply for the card where you live.
AmericanAirlines and AeAdvantage are marks of American Airlines, Inc.
©2004 Citibank (South Dakota), N.A.
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1
MC-BLITZ (10/04)
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT
with urban crowds and boasts an active nightlife. By happy hour you’ll
find tents at the bottoms of the slopes filled with food and drink. Culinary
surprises can be discovered in local haunts like the Jager Stube, where
game heads adorn the walls, the beer is served in miniature kegs, and
guests are entertained by a native bands fusing oom-pah-pah, zydeco and
jazz. Though pleasantly quaint, the town has aggressively adopted the latest environmental technology, from pollutant-free buses to Bavaria’s
largest communal solar power plant.
For those who haven’t been skiing for a while, fear not. Lessons are available at all of the Alps ski resorts to help you get back into the swing of things.
You’ll also find that recent advances in ski, boot, and lift design make skiing
a whole new treat. For more information, visit www.oberstdorf.de.
Beyond the slopes, there’s always the lodge and plenty of schnapps.
From the local cuisine to natural wellness treatments to out-of-theway shopping, you will be engaged by the unique wonders of the Alps.
The unadulterated beauty of these surroundings, combined with an
unmistakable Old European charm will transport you. It’s a difference
you have to experience to understand. It’s good living for those bold
enough to find it. ✵
©2004 MasterCard International Incorporated
GL
This supplement was written and produced by Partner Concepts, and did not involve the
reporting or editing staff of this publication. PARTNER CONCEPTS DEVELOPS CUSTOM
INTEGRATED MARKETING PROGRAMS FOR DESTINATIONS AND FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES.
Partner Concepts LLC, 128 Lubrano Drive, Suite 301, Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 224-7688 • www.partnerconcepts.com
Iceland.
A pristine wonderland abundant with
natural hot springs, virgin glacial lagoons, breathtaking
waterfalls and active volcanoes and geysers. From
these protected environs comes some of the freshest
fish, lamb and water known to Earth. Energetic
Reykjavik's great nightlife and hot restaurants are pure
bliss. Come get a taste for yourself.
Visit IcelandNaturally.com to learn more about Iceland and Icelandic
products. Also, register online to win an exciting adventure trip.
For product information call 212-593-2700.
For travel information call 212-885-9700.
Discover the Excitement of
Iceland this Winter and Spring!
Adventures abound, from horseback riding and
snowmobiling to enjoying Reykjavik's vibrant nightlife
and culture! Iceland Getaway Packages begin at
just $489*, including air and two nights hotel. TakeA-Break in Iceland en route to Scandinavia, the UK
or the Continent and stay up to 7 nights at no
additional airfare! Call 1 (800) 779-2899 or visit
www.icelandairholidays.com for details.
*Price per person double occupancy.
Prices valid Nov 1 - Dec 15, 2004 & Jan 6 - Feb 28, 2005.
Available at slightly higher rates Mar 1 - May 15, 2005.
Exclusive of applicable taxes and official charges by destination
of approximately $100, including the Sep 11th Security Fee.
Valid using a Premium MasterCard® card.
•• P R E M I U M C O L L E C T I O N 2 0 0 4 ••
For everything from emergency card replacements to locating the
closest cash machine, call MasterCard Global Service toll-free:
™
USA – 1-800-307-7309
Australia – 1800-120-113
Canada – 1-800-307-7309
France – 0-800-90-1387
Hong Kong – 800-966677
Japan – 00531-11-3886
Korea, Republic of – 0079-811-887-0823
Malaysia – 1-800-804594
Mexico – 001-800-307-7309
Singapore – 800-1100-113
Thailand – 001-800-11-887-0663
UK – 0800-96-4767
From all other countries call collect to the US at 1-636-722-7111.
there are some things money can’t buy.
for everything else there’s MasterCard.®