TRAVEL NOTES
Six Senses Laaumu
Luxury spa resort company Six Senses – famed for paradisal outposts in Thailand and elsewhere in the East – will open a sensational new property in the Maldives next year (see pic), complete with a wine tower rising from the sea. The 97 villas, on the island of Olhuveli in the relatively uncharted atoll of Laamu, are being designed as a perfect compliment to nature, with a trademark Six Sense spa. Opens April 2011. www.sixsenses.com
Sofitel Phnom Penh
A Sofitel opened this weekend in Cambodia’s capital – the first new five-star hotel to open in the city since the 1990s. The 201-room Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra will have eight restaurants and bars, expansive meetings facilities, an impressive spa and fitness complex. Views take in the Bassac and Mekong Rivers and Phnom Penh’s charming old French quarter. www.sofitel.com
Luxe last-minute festive breaks
Seasons in Style are offering a few last-minute packages for the festive period, including five nights at Rocco Forte’s Verdura Golf and Spa beachfont retreat in Sicily for £1,295pp; seven nights at Ksbah Tamadot in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains for £3,185pp and seven nights at the Shangri-La Villingili in the Maldives from £6,295pp. For dates of departure and to book, go to www.seasons.co.uk