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Hotels and Resorts
Five years is a long time in the travel business. That's how long it's been since Cigar Aficionado first tackled the notion of selecting the Best Hotels and Resorts in the World. Since then, there are many more luxury hotels and resorts, despite the tough economy of the last two years.
Americans have continued to expand their travel horizons, and once-exotic destinations have become more mainstream. Hotel industry trends have come and gone, new high-end chains have sprouted, and in short, today's traveler has more and better choices than ever-making vacation planning, in a way, harder than ever.
We are sticking to our original idea. Most travel publications ask readers to weigh in on their favorite properties. But we believe that readers' polls can be grossly distorted-one good example is a recent survey that named a hotel with a single par-3 golf course as the best golf resort in the Caribbean. The results rely on single visits, from people who may or may not have had a good experience.
We have gone about our travel surveys differently every year for the last five years, focusing on topics like golf, beach or vacation resorts or some speficic segment of the travel industry. We choose a group (usually around 30 people) who work in the travel business, even major hotel executives who are then prohibited from voting for their own properties. Check out cigaraficionado.com for a list of our pollsters and the methodology under a new feature called MagPlus. This year, we are revisiting the topic of our original poll in 2005: The World's Best Hotels and Resorts.
Before we get to the results, here is a roundup of how the travel landscape has changed-or not changed-since 2005.
What's Hot: A back-to-basics approach in the hotel industry, stressing the classic strengths of top operators and managers, service and cuisine. Any investor with enough money can build beautiful rooms with plenty of marble and electronics, but today's more discerning traveler is over flash and fizzle and demands first-rate food and staffing to go with the gorgeous physical plant.
The Pacific Rim continues to emerge as one of travel's shining stars, with a staggering crop of true luxury hotels from all the top brands in both the usual suspect cities, Tokyo and Hong Kong, as well as Beijing, Shanghai, Hanoi, Macao and more. The same is true on the resort front, with impossibly gorgeous beach and spa properties throughout Thailand, Indonesia,
Vietnam and the South Pacific. South America is the other hotbed of new discoveries. For more than a decade, industry pundits have predicted the continent's emergence as vacation destination and this finally seems to be happening with wonderful lodging properties in every shape and size, from city hotels to tiny boutique lodges, tucked amongst historic city centers, ruins, mountains and rainforests, along with lavish golf and beach resorts.
Here at home, nowhere is the recent change to the luxury hotel scene more visible than in the ski business. It is hard to believe that no so long ago there was not a single luxury chain operating a slope-side hotel in this country, with just a few independents like the Little Nell and Stein Eriksen representing the entire upscale ski lodging market. Suddenly everyone has jumped in: Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton, Park Hyatt, Capella, Aman, Rockresorts, St. Regis, Waldorf Astoria, Viceroy, Montage and so on. Just between the winters of 2009 and 2010 the luxury ski hotel selection in the U.S. will have essentially doubled.
Globally, "authenticity" is the industry buzzword, leading to the demise of the cookie-cutter hotel and rise of the sense of place. As obvious as it seems, travelers to Bali want to feel like they are in Bali, but this was not always the case. This search for authenticity has increased interest in destinations like Bhutan and to ancient ruins, and birthed a market for new hotel-based activities like cooking and language classes and even indigenous spa treatments.
Finally, a slew of new, smaller or imported luxury brands that had very little name recognition-or did not even exist-five years ago are stepping up to challenge the big boys. We saw the names Capella, Como, Shangri-La, Aman, Banyan Tree, Rocco Forte and Montage a lot more than in past polls.
What's Not: Hip hotels serving up style over substance are yesterday's news. The experienced concierge who can obtain hard-to-get reservations has proven far more enduring than designer uniforms on valet parking attendants. India, though increasingly an important part of the world's economic and cultural landscape, has failed to ever, in all our polls, put one single luxury vote in the ballot box.
Eastern Europe, once heralded as the next big thing, has been largely ignored by our panelists and the once hot romance of the Greek Isles has shifted quite noticeably to our experts' beloved Italy, and its previously unsung Mediterranean islands, Sicily and Sardinia, which are trending upwards-fast. Celebrity chefs, for a brief time as vital to new hotels as spas, have slipped into the background even as hotel food quality has become more important to guests.
The Caribbean has continued to lose ground to Mexico, where wonderful hotel after wonderful hotel has opened, while in the islands, too-laid-back service standards for the high prices are increasingly being scrutinized by visitors, and in a very rare occurrence, a new Four Seasons in the Bahamas failed and closed quickly. No one heralded hotspot has fallen so far so fast as faddish Dubai, which only yesterday was touted as the "next Las Vegas." Meanwhile, with CityCenter, the Cosmopolitan and new Michelin-starred gastronomic temples, Vegas actually has good news again.
What's the Same: Italy remains the hotel and resort favorite of our experts, and given its tiny size, the nation has a vastly disproportionate number of the word's finest accommodations. Five years ago, in our very first poll, for the category "Best Small Resort, International," all but two lonely votes were cast for properties in Italy. Considering the entire world, our panel was in near-unanimous agreement over one thing: whatever the best was, it was in Italy.
Five years later, we asked them to choose the "Best Hotel or Resort Europe," this time including properties of all sizes and those in cities. It was déjà vu when all but two votes were again cast for Italian properties, large and small, city and country. La dolce vita lives!
Elsewhere, our top vote getters worldwide remained The Four Seasons George V in Paris and the Peninsula Hong Kong, though the latter is facing markedly increased competition. Among boutique urban hotels, New York City has ruled the roost and this is even truer today, with myriad new, upscale small hotels opening in recent years.
Best Large City Hotel, U.S.
TIE: The Beverly Hills Hotel & Bungalows, California; Peninsula Chicago, Illinois
The only surprise about these two standout selections is that they are not in New York, which in the past has almost exclusively ruled our domestic hotel categories, large and small. The "Pink Palace," as the Beverly Hills Hotel & Bungalows is known (uber-critic Anthony Lassman of Nota Bene insists guests opt for the bungalows), is a perfect addition to our ranks, as the hotel is coming up on a century in the luxury business and has continued to wow Hollywood stars since the 1920s. Owner of a coveted Forbes (formerly Mobil) five-star rating, "The Beverly Hills Hotel is the epitome of glamour and style with true five-star service and attentiveness," says celebrity travel agent Jason Miller, president of The Accomplished Traveler. New in 2010 are two 3,500-square-foot "ultra-bungalows."
The Windy City choice might be more eye raising were the hotel not a Peninsula, a brand that has consistently excelled in Cigar Aficionado rankings and whose Hong Kong flagship is often our number one hotel on earth. Peninsula was the second-most highly rated hotel brand in this poll, and unlike competitors, focuses almost exclusively on big-city properties, like Chicago. "This hotel has it all…Midwestern hospitality and European elegance, luxurious guestrooms, extraordinary spa, and some of the finest dining in the U.S.," said another superstar travel agent, Anne Scully, President of McCabe World Travel.
Best Small City Hotel, U.S.
The Surrey, New York City
No other city does small in as big a way as New York, which won this category handily in our original poll (The Lowell), in our Best New Hotels Poll (Gansevoort) and now sweeps the top places again. There have been a rash of hot Big Apple hotel openings, some trendy, some understated, but all more neighborhood-oriented than in the past. The Surrey is the best of the bunch, thanks in part to its exclusive rooftop bar, "open to hotel guests and 'friends of the Surrey' only, making it the most civilized place in the city for summer cocktails," according to New Yorker and ForbesLife editor Ann Abel. "I absolutely love this art-filled, sleek boutique hotel," added top Los Angeles travel agent Stacy Small of Elite Travel International. The Surrey occupies an oversized Upper East Side townhouse whose first life as a residence hotel was the choice of JFK and Bette Davis.
Runner-up: The Greenwich, New York City. The Greenwich also boasts a guest-only bar, in an interior courtyard, along with a standout spa. "It's not easy to find many 'cool' hotels that offer five-star service. I found this at The Greenwich," said The Accomplished Traveler's Jason Miller.
Honorable Mention: 21c Museum Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, which houses not only an incredible art collection and actual museum, but also the world's largest selection of bourbon and domestic whiskies. This is now the choice for Kentucky Derby bound A-listers.
Best City Hotel, International
Four Seasons George V, Paris
The George V is no newcomer to our list, having dominated Paris, one of the world's great hotel cities, in our previous polls. What stands out is that in this much more competitive era and crowded luxury hotel market, while other top vote getters are falling back to the pack, this one keeps widening its lead, and was the top vote getter in this entire survey, displacing our previous runaway favorite, the Peninsula Hong Kong.
The George V was the choice of everyone from Nota Bene's persnickety Anthony Lassman to romantic-honeymoon specialist Carrie Wallace. Several panelists noted that in addition to impeccable service and deluxe accommodations, the hotel was unique in the City of Lights for its open embrace of American travelers. "The surroundings are sumptuous and worthy of Louis XV," proclaimed longtime luxury travel journalist Debbie Karpowicz Kickham.
Runners-Up: TIE: Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi; Oriental Bangkok, Peninsula Hong Kong. The second place "Pen" was our past grand winner, and along with the venerable Oriental Bangkok, this one-two punch has long been the benchmark for global hotel excellence, while the Metropole Hanoi came out of left field to wow our panelists. "If you're going to stay at a colonial grand hotel, you have to pull out all the stops. The Metropole does that and has a perfectly central location," said Abel.
Best Beach Resort, U.S.
TIE: Four Seasons Hualalai, Hawaii; The Breakers, Florida
Our experts went bicoastal on this one, and two states, Hawaii and Florida, utterly dominated with well over 90% of votes cast. A number of hotels were worthy of ballots, but for the 50th State, Hualalai narrowly edged the recently reopened and totally rebuilt Mauna Kea, while the Breakers likewise edged out the much newer and nearby Acqualina. Honeymoon planner Wallace sums up the Four Seasons' appeal: "Among Hawaii's many high-rise resorts, this low-rise beauty really stands out. It offers the perfect mix of understated luxury, attentive service, beautiful grounds and world-class facilities." How many hotels have a saltwater swimming pool cum aquarium carved from black lava and filled with colorful fish and majestic rays? Meanwhile, the family-owned Breakers, which insists on reinvesting ludicrous amounts of money in keeping this grande dame in perfect shape, is no stranger to our poll. Five years ago it swept "Best Large Resort U.S.," thanks to two golf courses, excellent restaurants and a perfect setting. Well-known travel writer Lynn Seldon repeats what other travelers have said for more than a century: "The location, property, people and food keep me coming back year after year." Among those in hearty agreement are travel agent Stacy Small and Emmy-award-winning "CBS News" travel editor Peter Greenberg.
Runners Up: Mauna Kea, Hawaii; Acqualina Resort & Spa, Florida. Earthquake damaged Mauna Kea was totally redone, including its famous Robert Trent Jones, Sr. golf course, tweaked into better than ever shape by his son Rees Jones. TheAPosition.com founder Jeff Wallach calls it "recently renovated within an inch of its life." Acqualina was more of a surprise, and our experts were wowed by its seaside setting, which travel agent Miller describes as, "The most beautiful beach I've seen on the East Coast."
Best Beach Resort Destination, International
No destination on earth has more true luxury hotels per square mile than this fantasy island in Indonesia, where they come in all shapes and sizes, from tiny enclaves of over-the-top private villas to boutique hotels and large luxury beach resorts. Simply put, Bali has so many stunning luxury hotels that no one emerged as the clear winner, but our panel's consensus was Bali, Bali, Bali.
Favorites: Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay; Amankila; Bulgari. The first of two Four Seasons on Bali, Jimbaran Bay famously led the global luxe resort movement away from mere "rooms" and to private compounds with plunge pools. Beloved boutique operator Aman Resorts got its start here on Bali, and according to Carrie Wallace, "Amankila continues to set the standard for what a romantic beach resort should be. Balinese to the core, guests naturally absorb the local culture whether they try to or not." Bulgari's Bali property is the luxury-style company's first resort and features 59 ultra-deluxe villas.
Best Boutique Resort, U.S.
Twin Farms, Vermont
This bucolic Vermont farm, once home of author Sinclair Lewis and his wife, journalist Dorothy Parker, has been turned into a compound of architecturally unique, individually decorated and artwork-laden luxury homes that has been compared to both an adult summer camp and a stay at the home of an eccentric billionaire. Either way it works, as Twin Farms has consistently been one of the most decorated hotels on the planet, despite having less than two dozen units. It has earned the top U.S. ranking for Small Hotel from the Zagat Survey and has consistently received the five-Star rating from Forbes/Mobil.
I recently revisited it and was immediately and forcefully reminded why it is so amazing. This is the nation's most luxurious all-inclusive lodging, and though the setting leads to all sorts of oddball guest requests, nothing is too much for the attentive staff. The very elaborate and delicious seasonal farm-to-table philosophy existed here long before it became trendy elsewhere, and still excels.
Runners-Up: TIE: Amangiri, Utah; Post Ranch Inn, California. While Aman's first foray into the U.S. market underwhelmed with a Jackson, Wyoming resort far removed from the fabled ski slopes, the follow-up, this back-to-nature escape on 600 desert acres in the Four Corners region wowed our experts. "It is the only resort I have ever seen that I felt God was the head architect," says Anne Scully, who has been to a lot of beautiful resorts. The Post Ranch Inn is no surprise to travelers seeking these kinds of intimate experiences, having long been one of the nation's top such choices, combining great service with excellent food and an incomparable Big Sur setting.
Honorable Mention: Not many of our panelists have had a chance to get to the brand new Grand del Mar resort in San Diego, but those who have are wowed by this opulent up-and-comer built in the style of a European grand hotel. The buzz is already that this may be the last no-expense-spared monument to opulence built in this country for a very long time.
Best Golf Resort, U.S.
The Sanctuary Hotel, Kiawah Island Golf Resort, South Carolina
Showing just how dramatically the luxury landscape has changed in the past five years, The Sanctuary not only won a category previously dominated by Pebble Beach and Sea Island, but it won by a convincing margin. With the PGA Championship, its first Major, coming to the resort's famed Ocean Course, the Sanctuary's stock should only continue to rise. "True Southern Hospitality from the moment you arrive. Not one detail left out. World class golf!" declares Miller.
As a longtime golf writer who has been to virtually every top resort on the globe, I've long thought Kiawah's 90-holes were the best golf on the east coast, but now with The Sanctuary there is finally world class lodging to match. "I was thoroughly impressed by this South Carolina gem. The architecture seemed to capture the unique character of the region. Staff were very accommodating and helpful and the spa and golf offerings were fabulous," says Brian Richardson, vice president of rival Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, which itself operates some of the world's highest-profile golf properties. "Quite simply, Kiawah has everything for the golfer—and golf widows and widowers," says golf and travel journalist Lynn Seldon.
Second Place: Bandon Dunes, Oregon. This dichotomy illustrated the different interpretations our panelists had of "golf resort." Like the Sanctuary, third-place winners Pebble Beach and Pinehurst excelled across the board, with multiple top golf courses, several hotels and endless dining and activity choices, making these the most complete resorts. Some purists voted on the basis of quality of golf, pure and simple, and they overwhelmingly came out in support of low-key Bandon Dunes, which has the nation's top-ranked public course according to Golf Magazine, and three of the top 10. TheAPosition.com founder Jeff Wallach follows this logic: "Hands down, if golf is the most important part of this category, Bandon Dunes is the best golf resort on the planet." Where Bandon fails to shine is off the courses, with very basic lodging and dining. "The best golf is definitely at Bandon, but it's not much on the resort front," says Robert Pedrero, founder of The Golf Insider (now part of Golf Odyssey). "If you didn't play golf you'd be miserable there."
Third Place: TIE: Pebble Beach, California; Pinehurst, North Carolina. "While Bandon Dunes now offers a peerless collection of four golf courses, our choice is still Pebble Beach Resort, America's shrine to the game," declared David Baum, owner and editor of Golf Odyssey, the nation's leading critical golf travel newsletter. Pinehurst has the most courses of any domestic resort and won accolades for its southern hospitality and one-of-a-kind historic and spiritual ambiance, or as golf writer and broadcaster Michael Patrick Shiels puts it, "our St Andrews."
Best Golf Resort, International
Gleneagles, Scotland
Some things never change. While our golf rankings got pretty shaken up here at home, overseas the status quo prevailed, with Gleneagles winning again, just as it did in our initial 2005 poll and our 2006 Best Resort poll. Our voters took a much different approach than they did at home, since virtually no one believed that Gleneagles has the best golf in this category, but rather is such an incredible overall resort. It combines true luxury with first-class facilities at every turn, from Michelin-starred dining to a state-of-the-art equestrian center, a shooting compound with sporting clays, a famed off-road driving school, elaborate falconry programs, and virtually every other activity you could imagine, along with some you could not. Its classic King's and Queen's courses by James Braid are widely considered among the finest examples of "inland links style," while its much-criticized modern course by Jack Nicklaus has shrugged off the comments and was chosen to host Europe's next Ryder Cup. "It's the glaring choice, right in the middle of Scotland, close to lots of other great courses, but with the caveat that you don't go just for the golf, you go for the awesome activities," says Pedrero.
Runners Up: Kauri Cliffs, New Zealand; Old Course Hotel, Scotland; Westin Turnberry, Scotland; Mission Hills, China.
Baum champions stunning Kauri Cliffs, our previous winner for "Best Single Course Resort Overall," and not surprisingly, he describes it as "the world's finest single course getaway." The Old Course Hotel, while unaffiliated with the famed courses of the Links Trust, wins for its perfect location alongside the world's first course, plus a lavish spa and excellent restaurants. Turnberry, another previous winner, wows not with lodging or food, but rather with a British Open venue our panelists consider one of the world's very best, the Ailsa. Finally, I had to throw my support behind Mission Hills —even though many of our panelist have not been yet, it is the world's largest golf resort, has first rate courses (a dozen of them!), impressive dining, a very full array of resort facilities, eager-to-please service, and in short, would be an error of omission not to recognize. Or as Pedrero puts it, "It's the obvious answer for those who know about it, and in years to come, a lot more people are going to know about it."
Best Spa Resort, U.S.
Canyon Ranch, Tucson, Arizona
Arizona is the undisputed champ of spa vacations, according to our experts. Five years ago, they chose Tucson's Miraval, with Canyon Ranch a close second. In our all-resort poll, Sedona's Mii Amo took top position, and while both still had fans, Canyon Ranch finally nabbed the top spot, and by a sizable margin (its sister property, Canyon Ranch in the Berkshires, Massachusetts, which previously won for "Best Wellness/Fitness Hotel," also fared well). Spa, beauty and travel writer Debbie Karpowicz Kickham cannot believe the "fantastic low-calorie food," or that the chocolate chip cookies had just 85 calories, and raves about the Euphoria spa treatment. "I'm relaxed just writing about it!" Luxury travel agent Stacy Small, "CBS News" travel editor Peter Greenberg and prolific travel writer Everett Potter are among the many knowledgeable experts who loved Canyon Ranch.
Notable Mention: California's Cal-a-vie, is unique in combining a more traditional luxury resort experience and fine dining with the full destination spa experience and "ass-kicking fitness," according to Ann Abel, a longtime spa expert and former executive editor of Spa Finder magazine, who proclaimed, "Finally, a break from New Age Zen!"
Best Spa Resort Destination, International
Like our International Beach Resort category, won by Bali, this was more a matter of where to go than where to stay for our panel, who found so many great options that no clear winner emerged—especially in Thailand, where most of the votes were cast.
Favorites: Banyan Tree Phuket; Six Senses Phuket; Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle. Banyan Tree properties showed up with noticeable frequency in this poll, making it one of several successfully expanding luxury brands out of the Pacific Rim. Six Senses, a spa-specific brand, was a runner-up in our previous resort poll and has been a panelist spa favorite for years. The smallest of all Four Seasons, Tented Camp Golden Triangle, was extremely popular with panelists and also won another category outright, Best Adventure/Wilderness Resort.
Best Ski Hotel, U.S.
Four Seasons Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Our winner combines white-glove service with a prime location at the base of what many consider the best ski mountain in the country, if not the world. I've been several times and everything from "Base Camp," as the ski concierge is known, to the après-ski sushi is first in class. "S'mores and cocktails at the hot tub, a spa that my wife loves, a great concierge, all right next to the lifts and tram, plus Jackson is a great town, it just doesn't get any better," says Patrick Gallagher, our road warrior business expert who also happens to be an avid skier with high standards. Thanks to a recent onslaught of luxury slopeside properties, this turned out to be our most competitive category, and one of the most changed since our original poll. Our previous winner, the Ritz Carlton Bachelor Gulch, hung on for a second place tie, but it is clear that newer properties have raised the stakes. Expect this trend to continue, with another Four Seasons opening this winter in Vail, while the new Montage at Deer Valley, Utah may well be the most heralded luxury hotel opening of 2010.
Runners-Up: TIE: Ritz Carlton Bachelor Gulch, Colorado; Little Nell, Aspen, Colorado. Previous winner the Ritz continues to wow with its upscale log cabin aesthetic, the new outpost of Wolfgang Puck's Spago, and sumptuous spa complete with a "grotto," but some bemoan its out-of -the way location. The Little Nell, on the other hand, has the best location in Aspen's gold-plated real estate market, and after a thorough renovation this tried-and-true gem, one of the nation's original slope-side luxury hotels, is better than ever. Its exquisite Montagna restaurant is also arguably Aspen's best.
Honorable Mention: Deer Valley Ski Resort, Utah suffers from too much of a great thing. Its array of luxury hotels split the vote, and with two third-place finishers, Stein Eriksen Lodge and St. Regis Deercrest, Deer Valley was our top overall luxury ski destination. This dynamic duo will soon become a terrific trio with the addition of the new Montage this winter, and Deer Valley cements its ritzy reputation.
Best Ski Destination, International
Most of the world's top-hotel general managers learned their craft in Ithaca, New York or Switzerland, the homes of the finest hotel schools. Like its watches, Switzerland's hotels have become famous for enduring quality, precision and painstaking attention to detail, and when you throw in the Alps, this combination makes Switzerland to skiing what Thailand is to spas and Bali to beach resorts: No. 1. Our experts' consensus was simple: if you leave the U.S., the best ski accommodations are here.
Favorites: Riffelalp Resort, Zermatt; Badrutt's Palace, St. Moritz; Omnia, Zermatt. The Riffelalp's signature feature is stunning views of the Matterhorn from virtually everywhere on the property, but especially from the highest altitude outdoor pool in Europe, complete with jetted tubs and massage showers. The spa and gastronomy are first class as well. The Omnia won as Best New Ski Hotel in our previous poll, and also showcases the local icon, the Matterhorn, with floor to ceiling glass and modern architecture that led one panelist to describe it as "luxe lodgings more like something out of Singapore or South Beach than Switzerland." Badrutt's is one of Europe's classic grand hotels, but the one that happens to be in Switzerland's most sophisticated ski town, the Aspen of the Alps.
Best Safari Lodge/Property (Worldwide)
Singita Lodges, South Africa and Tanzania
Upscale safaris are among the "authentic" travel experiences that have benefitted from the changing landscape of the last five years, with more vacationers forgoing the epic scale of the traditional hotel-to-hotel East African package tour experience for the intimate seclusion and luxury that until recently only South Africa offered. Thanks in large part to Singita, a leading operator of these deluxe boutique lodges, the possibilities have expanded as they opened three similar lodges in Tanzania.
Singita tied for first in our original poll, but its collection of nine game preserve lodges broke out for a runaway win in a category where it faced daunting competition. High-powered travel agent Anne Scully's Singita favorite was Boulder Lodge, "a Zen experience in the South African Bush. This lodge lends itself to the best safari experience while enjoying fine dining, fantastic wines and world-class service. Private suites with plunge pools overlook the river." Honeymoon specialist Carrie Wallace of MoonRings does a lot of safari business and knows the product well, and she singles out Singita's Grumeti Reserve in Tanzania. "The three lodges each take advantage of their setting to deliver a quintessential Serengeti safari experience. How they deliver such a luxurious experience in the middle of the Serengeti is remarkable."
Best adventure/wilderness resort (Worldwide)
Four Seasons Tented Camp
Golden Triangle, Thailand
This Toronto-based luxury brand has consistently been our panelists' favorite since our polls began, but Golden Triangle is unlike any other Four Seasons on earth—in a good way. Comprised of just 15 tents—albeit deluxe tents with hand-hammered copper tubs and teak furnishings—this is a satellite escapist property to the larger mothership resort 175-miles away at Chiang Mai. Run like a deluxe African safari lodge, it is all-inclusive and features daily guided excursions, including elephant rides, hikes and river cruising in traditional long tail canoes. Activities, food and drink are bundled as three- or four-night packages, simply called "The Camp Experience," and this is a place to experience things, not lounge around. As Wallace puts it, "Guests have more to look forward to here than just elegant tents and fabulous service. How many of their friends can say they've been a mahout (elephant trainer)? Such a unique experience in such a beautiful setting!"
Runner-Up: Explora Posada de Mike Rapu, Easter Island, Chile. For a tiny hotel chain (four properties) based entirely in one country (Chile), Explora has lit up our polls. Its Patagonia resort, Hotel Salto Chico, won our inaugural poll in this category, then won again for Best Adventure/Eco Resort in our all-resort poll, and then this property on Easter Island won for Best New Adventure/Eco Resort. The facility is excellent, but it is the combination of location and by far the best guides that make Posada de Mike Rapu a true once-in-a-lifetime experience. As a ruins junkie myself, I have been and can safely say that other top sites such as Machu Picchu and Tulum pale in comparison with the Moai of Easter Island.
Best Hotel New York City
The Surrey
Apparently size does not matter. The Surrey won earlier for Top U.S. Small Hotel, and was also our favorite at any size in the Big Apple, the nation's most competitive hotel market. While most new hotels go through growing pains, this was not the case here, according to Abel, "I stayed here last December, just a month after opening, and not a hair was out of place." It beat our defending champion, the Four Seasons, which fell into a tie with up-and-coming Mandarin Oriental, which had previously scored in our Best New Hotels Poll.
Runners-Up: TIE: Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental.
Best Hotel London
The Lanesborough
In previous polls, London was never able to yield a clear winner, suffering from an overabundance of top luxury properties. This time, however, despite plenty of votes spread among all the usual suspects, from the timeless Connaught to the hipper Haymarket by Firmdale, The Lanesborough won, and convincingly, showing a fundamental shift in the English capital. Amy Ziff, former Travelocity editor-at-large and longtime travel journalist says, "The Lanesborough is not just a classic hotel, it has become an institution. You'll always be in style, and its fabulous location in Knightsbridge overlooks Hyde Park. Your personal butler will get you acclimated to the surroundings, and, things only go up from there."
Runners-Up: TIE: The Goring, Dorchester, One Aldwych.
Best Hotel Los Angeles
The Beverly Hills Hotel & Bungalows
Tying for the nation's Best Large Hotel, this one easily carried Los Angeles, with its combination of classic timelessness and up-to-the-minute relevance, especially among the A-listers who frequent it and the countless stars who choose it to host interviews. It also enjoys an incredible location in the heart of the city's most desirable neighborhood. "With its hidden bungalows and iconic Old Hollywood nature, the 'Pink Palace' will have you posing poolside in your fluffy robe or taking an important phone call with the other glitterati in the Polo Lounge," says golf and travel writer and broadcaster Michael Patrick Shiels.
Runners-Ups: TIE: Beverly Wilshire, Peninsula Beverly Hills.
Best Hotel Paris
Four Seasons George V
Best in Paris, best anywhere. Perhaps the only hotel on earth famed for its incredibly excessive lobby flower arrangements, the George V won in a landslide and was the world's top vote getter in this poll. Nonetheless, the other grand dames of Paris had a good showing, with votes cast for the Meurice, Plaza Athenee and Crillon, which finished second. To journalist Everett Potter the George V's appeal is simple: "They get all the details correct." Carrie Wallace is quick to recommend it to romantic honeymooners, because "they understand the mentality of their U.S.-based guests without compromising their French credentials." Not surprisingly, this hotel easily won the same category five years ago, prompting Nota Bene's Lassman to credit it with, "The finest hotel service in Europe with arguably the most polished room service of any hotel in the world."
Runner-Up: Hotel Crillon.
Best Hotel Las Vegas
Wynn Encore
This upscale tower hotel within the larger Wynn Las Vegas was a bit of a surprise, edging out the luxury non-gaming Four Seasons, new Mandarin Oriental, over-the-top Mansions at MGM, butler served MGM Skylofts, and everything else bright and shiny in town. Then again, it was Steve Wynn who repeatedly rewrote the Vegas hospitality rulebook and raised the bar over several decades, and this is his latest and greatest feat. Former USA Today travel editor Chris Gray explains the appeal: "The casino hotel for those who don't like casino hotels, Steve Wynn's Encore seems geared for Monaco rather than the masses. Plus, natural light! When's the last time you saw that in a Vegas casino?"
Runner-Up: Mandarin Oriental
Best Hotel/Resort Europe
TIE: Grand Hotel a Villa Feltrinelli, Lake Garda, Italy; Hotel Splendido, Portofino, Italy
There is no doubt about it—Italy has the world's best hotels. Feltrinelli won our original poll, and this time tied with the Splendido, a spectacular property that has the best location in what many consider the most beautiful seaside town on earth, the pastel fantasy that is Portofino. If this is not enough, the Splendido also owns the best spot on the actual harbor, maintaining a satellite restaurant, where the front row seats coveted by passing throngs are reserved for hotel guests. In the case of the Grand Hotel a Villa Feltrinelli, set in Mussolini's former villa, be careful what you wish for when booking, because Carrie Wallace reports that, "After staying at this idyllic lakeside hideaway, many clients claim that they have been 'spoiled for life.' "
Honorable Mention: The Rest of Italy. As in previous polls, Italy totally dominated the world beyond the U.S. borders, and other acclaimed choices included Verdura Resort, Sicily; Palazzo Sasso, Ravello; Il San Pietro, Positano; Four Seasons, Florence; and the Cipriani, Venice (a previous winner).
Best Hotel/Resort Caribbean
Jade Mountain, St. Lucia
One of the best new things to come online since our inaugural poll in 2005 is this fantasy creation of architect owner Nick Troubetzkoy. Untroubled by any rules of the hotel industry, Troubetzkoy indulged his every whim to create a one-of-a-kind property perched on a mountaintop, above a beach he also owns, with some of the world's greatest views, including St. Lucia's famed twin peaks, the Pitons, and the stunning sea. "It's one of the most photographed resorts in the world due to its dramatic architecture and stunning scenery, yet also one of the most exclusive. Everyone dreams of visiting Jade Mountain," says Jetsetter's Farryn Wiener. There are just 28 suites, each butler serviced, an incredible array of facilities, dining options and activities, including one of the finest scuba centers in the Caribbean, and each open-air suite is more like a luxury home. My wife's reaction upon arrival was, "this is all ours?" The suites are called "sanctuaries," and as Valarie D'Elia, host of the popular "Travel With Val" segment on NY1, puts it, "Each of the 'sanctuaries' at Jade Mountain has one missing wall exposed to the elements, facing the fuzzy Piton mountains. I felt like I was watching an IMAX movie, tuned to the same glorious scene." Every Sanctuary also has an open-air infinity pool and multilevel decks.
Runner-Up: Parrott Cay, Turks & Caicos (a previous winner)
Best Hotel/Resort Mexico
One & Only Palmilla, Los Cabos
Air conditioned golf carts on the Jack Nicklaus Signature course is typical of the spare-no-comfort approach taken at the One & Only Palmilla, especially for guests in the newer butler-served luxury wing. A complete rethinking of a longtime favorite Los Cabos hotel, this won earlier for Best New Beach Resort, Mexico, and was previously a runner-up in this category. The biggest news is that it displaced multiple previous winner Las Ventanas al Paraiso, long regarded by our panelists as the world's benchmark for luxury tropical resorts. "It boasts the only swimmable beach in Cabo. The attention to detail is impeccable—the light fixtures alone impress, and as the sun sets staffers meticulously set countless candlelit lanterns along paths and flowerbeds, and the property takes on a magical air. More than just a gimmick or glorified housekeeping, butler service here is memorable," says Elaine Srnka, editor of Virtuoso Life. Anne Scully adds, "Luxurious suites complete with butler service keep the guests coming back year after year. This resort has the best among the best in dining, golf, spa, deep-sea fishing and yacht charters," as the resort has its own marina.
Runner-Up: Las Ventanas al Paraiso, Los Cabos (a previous winner)
Notable Mention: Two newer resort communities fared very well in our polls, but simply had too much of a good thing, splitting votes between their own multiple luxury hotels. Either Punta Mita, on the West Coast, with its Four Seasons and St. Regis, or Mayakoba, on the East Coast, with its Rosewood and Banyan Tree, would be the top vote-getter if considered a single resort.
Best City Hotel Far East
Peninsula Hong Kong
Don't call for a bellman until you are ready to leave, because they might be knocking before you hang up, such is the service at this legend. Five years ago we called the Pen the "800-pound gorilla of our survey, no other hotel could touch the Peninsula." Today, that honor has shifted thousands of miles west to Paris's George V. After a massive wave of ultra-luxury openings across Asia, especially in Tokyo, Hong Kong and pre-Olympics Beijing, the margin is much, much closer but the venerable Peninsula still wins, with several properties nipping at its heels. Ironically, these include several sister hotels, or as top tier travel agent Jason Miller puts it, "Peninsula Hong Kong, Peninsula Beijing, Peninsula Shanghai, Peninsula Tokyo, Peninsula wins the prize in the Far East!"
Runners-Up: TIE: Peninsula, Tokyo; Peninsula, Bangkok; Shangri-La, Tokyo; Sofitel Legend Metropole, Hanoi.
Best Resort Far East
Four Seasons Chiang Mai, Thailand
Another previous winner in this category still claiming its throne, this property is even better thanks to its association with smaller sibling, the Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle, which shines in two other categories. "You couldn't ask for a more tranquil, quintessentially Asian setting for a resort. It's not hard to pass the entire day on your verandah gazing across the bright green rice paddies," says Wallace. Of course, if you want to get off the verandah, the resort, smack in the cultural heart of Thailand, offers a culinary school with four Thai cooking classes, plus a chef's tour of the local market, every day. There are two golf courses within five minutes, balloon rides, and many other local activities.
Runner-Up: Amankila, Bali.
Best Hotel/Resort Australia/New Zealand
South Ocean Lodge, Kangaroo Island, Australia
"I still remember the hundreds of kangaroos hopping around us at sunset…this is a visit to Jurassic Park with a five-star luxury resort attached… views of the wild southern ocean from one of the 21 suites... look for the koala bears in the trees and the wallabies running around playfully," recalls Anne Scully fondly. Despite a fine collection of urban hotels in both Melbourne and Sydney, our experts picked this tiny sanctuary on off-the-beaten-path Kangaroo Island, often called "Australia's Galapagos." The luxury lodge sits on bluffs with tremendous views and is almost entirely glass for nonstop jaw dropping.
Runner Up: Park Hyatt, Sydney.
Notable Mention: Because New Zealand is much less urbanized, and tourists visit for nature's grandeur, votes were widely split amongst several smaller, far-flung properties worthy of mention: Kauri Cliffs; Cape Kidnappers; Whare Kea Lodge. "I'm not someone who says 'Oh my God!,' but when I stayed at Whare Kea this year, OMG (or OMFG) was all I could manage for three days," recalls Abel, who made this her most impassioned pick in the poll.
Best Hotel/Resort South/Central America
Blancaneaux Lodge, Belize
First The Godfather, then fine California wines, now a beloved eco-luxury resort in Belize. Blancaneaux is the work of acclaimed director Francis Ford Coppola and has quickly garnered praise throughout the travel
industry. "Francis Ford Coppola's Blancaneaux Lodge truly feels like a movie set; perched in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, one of Belize's oldest national parks, 21 thatched-roof villas and cabanas are built into a hillside above the swift-moving Privassion Creek and waterfall…perfect for those who want a rustic hideaway with luxurious extras," says Wiener, while Srnka simply says, "Love Blancaneaux Lodge."
Runner Up: Four Seasons Peninsula Papagayo, Costa Rica.
Best Urban Hotel Spa, U.S.
Mandarin Oriental Miami
It's not enough that Miami's top hotel has a wonderful setting overlooking the Bay from Brickell Key, or that it is home to Azul, widely considered Miami's best fine-dining restaurant, but also has an incredible, three-story spa that includes half a dozen VIP suites with floor-to-ceiling windows. The spa offers every wellness bell and whistle from an elaborate treatment menu to belly dancing lessons. It has won countless awards, yet is being improved again with an extensive renovation to be complete by the end of 2010. "This celebrity-favorite city spa promises to be even better when it emerges from an October refurbishment," says Srnka.
Honorable Mention: The rest of Miami. When it comes to urban spas, this South Florida city was tops, with panelists praising several properties including the Viceroy and Canyon Ranch Miami Beach.
Favorite Large Hotel & Resort Chain/Brand
Four Seasons
This is the first time we formally added this as a category, though in all our past polls the clear majority of votes across the board went to Four Seasons. Little has changed in regards to this love affair over five years—except there are a lot more of them. While Paris's George V and the Thai and Balinese properties were the most cited favorites, our panelists praised everything from the Costa Rican golf resort to urban powerhouses in New York, Sydney and Vegas. The consistency of service was the hallmark, but in recent years Four Seasons has made great strides in avoiding a "cookie- cutter" image. "It's always reliable but not always the same," observes Amy Ziff. Debbi Karpowicz Kickham says, "They move heaven and earth to provide stellar, unexpectedly wonderful service," while Michael Patrick Shiels believes that "Four Seasons is consistently creative in an understated manner, yet there is always an elegant crispness and reliable simplicity."
Second Place: Peninsula. While the flagship Hong Kong hotel has been our dominant global winner for years, and again won its category despite stiff competition, every single Peninsula property on earth, with the sole exception of Manila, received votes in this poll. "When it comes to urban hotels, Peninsula sets the pace. Pick one in any city and you'll be happy," says Wallace. Next up is a new Paris hotel in 2012.
Third Place: Mandarin Oriental. Much larger than Peninsula, Mandarin covers much of the same ground in big cities like Tokyo, but also is by far the dominant hotel in many lower-profile destinations like Munich and Barcelona. The brand also has more resort properties, from Chiang Mai to Mexico's Riviera Maya, and the new Las Vegas hotel in CityCenter was a poll favorite.
Honorable Mention: Park Hyatt, which initially had difficulty creating its own name recognition apart from the broader Hyatt brand, is finally getting the respect it deserves, with several properties making our list and many more getting votes. Milan, Sydney, Melbourne, Beaver Creek, Colorado and Buenos Aires are among the standouts.
Favorite Small Hotel & Resort Chain/Brand
Aman Resorts
Combining the best of exquisite Asian service, an ultra-relaxing Zen aesthetic and a penchant for small hotels in perfect settings, Aman pioneered the current boutique luxury lodge craze, and has now taken its act —very successfully—to places like Beijing. Even more so than large brand winner Four Seasons, Aman manages to maintain a consistency of excellence but with radically different properties, like a string of remote outposts in Bhutan and a ranch-style Utah escape. "It's all about the guest experience, and Aman excels on all levels, from thoughtful (and often not thought of) locales to construction to design and décor and of course over-the-top service. Amanfayun in China, for example, is woven throughout a village," says Srnka. "What I love about Aman is that they strive to incorporate authentic, local culture into the guest experience. Staff training is clearly a top priority as service levels are arguably the best of any chain," said MoonRing's Wallace.
Second Place: Montage We asked for "small" chains and we got it. Our panelists loved Montage to death—though there are only two hotels open. The original Laguna Beach Montage won for Best Beach Resort, U.S., in our initial pool, and since then, Montage Beverly Hills opened with a spectacular location across the street from Spago in the heart of the glitz. But that's it, yet our panelists heaped praise and noted the great anticipation surrounding the about-to-open (late-Dec. 2010) Deer Valley, Utah, ski property, which many are predicting will be the world's best ski hotel.
Third Place: TIE: Capella, COMO Hotels & Resorts. Capella is the result of a longtime Ritz Carlton executive's desire to build an even better mousetrap, and by panelists' accounts it seems to be working, though the motto, "the world's first six-star hotel and resort management company" is a self-proclaimed boast more typically associated with cruise lines and Dubai hotels eager to award themselves ratings no one else will give them. To date, Capella has only opened in offbeat locations, from Telluride to Veldene, Austria, though major-city hotels are on the drawing board. COMO, another fast-rising Asia-based chain, competes directly with Aman and its style of properties in places like Bali and Bhutan, runs the celebrity favorite Parrot Cay in the Turks & Caicos, is a previous winner and also operates more traditional luxury urban hotels in London.
Honorable Mention: Orient-Express. Panelists largely skipped this as a brand, even while voting over and over again for its hotels. That is precisely because Orient-Express has taken great pains to not be perceived as a "chain"—there is absolutely nothing cookie-cutter about it. The main ideology is to take one-of-a-kind historic buildings and lovingly convert them into one-of-a-kind hotels, often with the absolute best setting. Their Sanctuary Lodge in Peru, for instance, is the only sound choice for visitors to famed Machu Pichhu, period. Likewise their Hotel Splendido in Portofino occupies some of the finest real estate on earth, while the Villa San Michele outside Florence still has original frescoes by Michelangelo on the wall. Several hotels made our list or got high acclaim, including the Observatory Sydney, Splendido, Cipriani and so on. The thing I personally love about Orient-Express is that almost anywhere you find one, you know it is going to be the best—and most memorable—in town.
Larry Olmsted is contributing editor for Cigar Aficionado.


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Unfortunately, the number of attempts by thieves trying to steal your clients' money is increasing every day. Every firm in our profession—advisors, broker-dealers, custodians and banks—is directly impacted by this troubling trend. Part of the challenge is how comfortable everyone, especially your clients, has become using technology to share confidential information. They might not even be using a secure method of transmission. Of course, there is also the "it won't happen to me" mentality that prevents people from worrying about it. The reality is you need to be worried and ultimately change your behavior.
Here is one scenario that is all too common: A thief impersonates one of your clients using his email address to request changes or send money to another account. First, the thief gets your client's email login credentials, generally using virus software. Once they have access to your client's email address, thieves will monitor your client's activity and learn how and with whom he communicates. Monitoring your client's email activity will provide thieves with the necessary information so that once they attempt the actual fraud, the message looks very similar if not identical to previous messages. This is not your obvious fraud email, with grammatical errors and misspellings. This makes it very challenging for the recipient to recognize it as fraud.
Given this scenario, there are several steps you should take to protect your clients and your firm. First, you and your clients need to be vigilant in protecting your email login credentials. Make sure you have virus software installed on your computer, only use devices that you control and frequently change your password using various letters, numbers and characters. Furthermore, be sure to activate extra levels of security and verification if they are offered by your email provider. For example, many of your clients may use Gmail for their personal email. If this is the case, make sure they activate Gmail's two-step verification process. This extra level of security requires you to enter a code, texted to your phone by Gmail, when you log in. This adds another barrier of protection when someone tries to log in to your account—particularly when the attempt is from an unrecognized computer.
To have a fighting chance in preventing fraud, your staff needs to be trained and actively looking for attempts by thieves. The challenge is everyone is very busy, and it is not necessarily easy to catch a fraud attempt. With hundreds of emails during the week, your staff is striving to provide great service and efficiently work through the list of requests and tasks. One of the best policies to have in place is to speak directly with clients to confirm an email request, especially if they are asking you to do something that is not consistent with past behavior: for example, a client sends an email requesting for the first time to wire money to another account. Also, it is important to not use email to confirm a client's instructions. If it is a fraud attempt, the thief will respond as the client since he or she already has access to the email account.
It is critical to review the operational tasks performed by your staff and develop procedures that make the most sense for your firm. Specifically, evaluate the potential risk of fraud with each process or task. Perhaps there are a number of requests that you would never accept via email, regardless of the client or dollar amount. Unfortunately, when email fraud attempts occur, you hear advisors say, "We were just trying to be responsive to our client's request," or "The email looked very similar to the one I received yesterday from the client." Remove the guesswork, and provide your staff with appropriate guidelines and procedures to protect everyone involved.
Not too long ago, it was extremely rare for advisors to experience an email fraud attempt on one of their client accounts. Unfortunately, times have changed. We must keep raising the bar with security, and maintain an appropriate level of caution in order to best respond to this situation.

subset: commoncrawl


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Can Leslie Knope, the consummate planner, really pull off a last-minute wedding? With a little help from her friends, the Parks and Recreation heroine will be on the way down the aisle this week!
Get the latest pilot season scoopAfter pulling off an amazing black tie gala to raise money for their park project, Leslie ( Amy Poehler) and Ben (Adam Scott) spontaneously decided to get hitched at the event. (After all, Leslie did want to invite the whole town to the wedding!) Now, the problem is actually pulling the nuptials together, a task that includes securing a marriage license. Will Andy (Chris Pratt) and April (Aubrey Plaza) come to the rescue? Check out an exclusive first look at Thursday's episode below: Tune in to NBC on Thursday at 8:30/7:30c for a double dose of Parks and Recreation.


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How to handle an Overly Aggressive German Shepherd Dog
If you are a lover of German Shepherd Dog breed, chances are that you have always liked to meet new German Shepherd owners and mingle with new dogs. By doing so, I am sure that you have, at least once in your life time, met shepherds with strange behavior. Overly aggressive German Shepherd Dogs are menace to not only the owners but also the other animals and friends of their owners they meet. The fact is it's due to the lack of knowledge of the owners that many shepherds become aggressive. Well, aggression is a genetic trait that stimulates the protective drive of the breed. Over aggression in German Shepherd Dogs is a psychological imbalance and a serious fault in the breed, being a deviation from the standard of GSD behavior.
Now this topic is all about tips and tricks to handle an overly aggressive German Shepherd Dog. The piece includes some points that may help you make your German Shepherd Dog learn good habits. The process of teaching should start at the very young age, but since most dogs start displaying aggressive behavior in the later age you need to be well equipped with the technical know-how of teaching good things that can be applied at any point of time in his/ her life. Remember German Shepherd Dog is a very intelligent breed and has the tendency to please their master. This is a very important thing to understand. Make your dog please you and show that you are pleased when he shows desirable behavior. Most GSD owners, I have come across, cannot understand how to get their overly aggressive shepherds to learn good habits. Dogs are not humans and understand things in a very different ways. So often, when an untrained trainer is training your German Shepherd Dog he is actually contributing to the behavioral problem, thereby making them worse! My first tip to solving this problem is to find the right trainer, who knows how to communicate with and train a German Shepherd Dog with all full proved techniques.
Here are four German Shepherd Dog training tips to give a try before making the decision to have them put down.
1. Most important problem area: Unscientific breeding is the most important problem area that needs to be spared a serious thought over. Overly aggressive German Shepherd Dog all through his life shows warning signs that it is not like the other friendly canine companions. Choosing the right German Shepherd Dog breeder is very important. Both the fear based aggression and dominant aggression are due to poor breeding, while territorial aggression and predatorial aggression in German Shepherds are normal and desirable to a certain degree.
2. Training sessions: To start off with you need to boost up the confidence and make your dog feel the sense of security while setting the training session. Overly aggressive German Shepherd Dogs usually have some kind of fear psychologically week with low degree of hardness trait in their character. With lack of confidence and psychological resiliency to unpleasant and strange situations you cannot solve such behavioral problems. I would suggest you to create a perfect environment around the training zone. You can invite a few friends of yours whom your dog knows well. With the gradual passage of time you can invite a stranger along with your friends and go on for stroll in the park with them and your dog. Gradually increase the number of friends and stranger. This is a very important socialization technique and should be a slow process. By making slightest haste in this you may unknowingly contribute to your shepherd's behavioral problem instead of solving it. This will pull down his stress level and make him feel comfortable.
3. Mingling with other dogs: Most aggressive dogs cannot tolerate other animals within their vicinity, which makes them show aggressive behavior towards them. This problem in the German Shepherd Dog personality can be solved, though not a very easy task. Mingling session has to be at as soon as possible. Keep your dog on the leash in a region having a few other more confident and calm dogs. Hold the leash tight and as soon as he shows signs of aggression, just give him a jolt with a sharp "NO". Repeat it whenever he shows signs of anger. Keep a constant eye on him and you can predict how he will be behaving on a specific situation a few seconds prior to he actually shows the aggression signs. As soon as you can predict his behavior, give him a jolt with a sharp "NO". It will take a lot of time to socialize your German Shepherd Dog with other dogs. You need to be patient and consistent and handle him correctly.
4. Keep your dog away from other aggressive adult dogs: Remember dogs are pack animals and they live a pack life. Their specific behaviors are usually the resultant products of staying together within the pack, which is very natural. If they do not consider their owner as the pack leader they will take it upon themselves to become the leader of the pack which tourn out to be quite detrimental. If you have a new addition to your kennel, keep the new dog or puppy away from the other aggressive members of your kennel. Studies have shown that dogs and puppies that are in contact with the other aggressive mates usually become aggressive as times pass by. Get the new dog surround with cool tempered, confident, well mannered, playful dogs with positive behavioral traits.
To conclude with I would like to say that your aggression towards the dog will never solve the problem of aggression your dogs. So don't lose your cool on your dogs. You have to be patient and tactical enough to handle a overly aggressive German Shepherd Dog. A German Shepherd Dog who have been battered can turn out to be overly aggressive at to humans. Here's how to help battered German Shepherd Dogs regain confidence.


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Bubble Nebula – NGC 7635
The Bubble Nebula is an emission nebula located in the northern constellation Cassiopeia. The nebula lies at a distance of 7,100 to 11,000 light years from Earth. It is also known as Caldwell 11 or Sharpless 162. Its designation in the New General Catalogue is NGC 7635. It was nicknamed the Bubble Nebula because of its … [Read more…]


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Mono Fish Scale Capri
Fishnet updated
Laissez-faire roaring Twenties revival
These classic fishnet capri leggings are absolutely on-trend and can also be worn as 7/8-length leggings. The wide ribbed edge at calf length plus the wide sewn-on waistband ensure you stay comfortable and keep your cool in the heat.
Order Today: Estimated Delivery Date 23/10/2020
- main material 82% polyamide, 18% elastane


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Level 1 Pole 6 Week Beginner Session.
**This session is a 6 week session that will run consecutively on the same day and time for the duration of the session. A minimum number of registrations are required for this class to run. You do not need to register for individual classes. You will be notified via email should the class be postponed.
A full routine of basic pole movements getting you moving comfortably around the pole. A step up in physical requirement to our 4 Week Intro, but still in the basic level of pole dance for fitness. Ace it, and get the variations to add so much more to your list of pole goals.
Our PFIC Certified instructors will ensure success with modifications for all levels of fitness!
Requirement: NONE
Online Registration Required. Payment Required at time of registration, via Monaris Payments, Paypal, Interac Email Transfer (use offline payment and contact studio for instructions). NO Cancellation, NO Refunds, No Exceptions.
OFFLINE Payment is for Interac Email Transfers (you must contact studio within 48hrs to confirm). No Registration is Guaranteed without Payment.
*** Sessions purchased at a discounted rate are Not Eligible for a makeup class.
|Start Date
|12-29-2019 2:00 pm
|End Date
|12-29-2019 2:55 pm
|Available Place
|Individual Price
|Khrystle Wallace
|6 Week


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See if you Qualify
divorce in Custer County, MT? We can help you with the whole Custer County Divorce process.
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- In Custer County, the terms of the divorce depend on the case complexity.
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File for divorce in Custer County with Online Divorce
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Custer County divorce filing? See other counties' relevant information below
- Divorce in Beaverhead County, Montana
- Divorce in Broadwater County, Montana
- Divorce in Cascade County, Montana
- Divorce in Big Horn County, Montana
- Divorce in Carbon County, Montana
- Divorce in Chouteau County, Montana


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What's in a name? A whole lot, if you're asking yours truly. "All Your Entertainment. Input One." Such intriguing statements were declared in a document that leaked from Redmond last summer. The slogan "All in one, input one" was on the Microsoft banners decorating the LA Convention Center for E3 this year. But this probably left many wondering: what is "input one," exactly? It didn't go unnoticed by those who follow the TV industry. Input one is commonly used in the biz to refer to the TV input most Americans use to access the majority of their content. This is the input that's displayed when the TV is turned on, and it's the input that most connect their set-top box from their cable or satellite provider to. Naturally, it's a highly coveted position in the content industry and one that is well fortified by the incumbents.
Microsoft has had its sights on input one for a long time, and this particular go-round isn't all that unfamiliar. The Xbox One intends to share input one in what I'd call a man-in-the-middle attack. How well it works won't be revealed until later this year, but clicking through will reveal how I think it'll play out, why this attempt is a direct result of industry constraints and finally, how it matches up with the competition.


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Measure aims to cut Kansas out of health care overhaul
Backers want Kansas to join a coalition of states controlling own health care plans
Conservative Kansas Republican officials who oppose the federal health care overhaul are pushing a proposal aimed at allowing the state to opt out of the program.
Secretary of State Kris Kobach and two GOP legislators urged the Kansas House Federal and State Affairs Committee Tuesday to pass a bill bringing Kansas into a compact among states that would assert control over health care policy within their borders. The committee could debate it later this week.
Most Republican lawmakers and Gov. Sam Brownback are highly critical of the federal health law championed by Democratic President Barack Obama.
AARP's Kansas chapter called the measure frivolous.
Congress would have to approve the compact and cede power to the states on health care. Compact supporters think that's a possibility if Republicans control both chambers.


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Ramu Nagatsuki
Picture DetailThis Ramu Nagatsuki pictures has 1920 x 1080 · 150 kB · jpeg. Ramu Nagatsuki is a popular picture on the internet. If this picture is your intelectual property (copyright infringement) or child pornography / immature images, please send report or email to info[at]bluedols.com to us.
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The Society for Mathematical Psychology promotes the advancement and communication of research in mathematical psychology and related disciplines. Mathematical psychology is broadly defined to include work of a theoretical character that uses mathematical methods, formal logic, or computer simulation. The official journals of the society are Journal of Mathematical Psychology and Computational Brain & Behavior.
|Other Society Meetings
2010 Cognitive Science (Portland, August 11-14)
2010 Annual Summer Interdisciplinary Conference (ASIC; Bend, Oregon, July 31 - August 5)
2010 Society for Mathematical Psychology (Portland, August 8-10)
2010 European Mathematical Psychology Group (Jyvaskyla, Finland, August 29-September 1)
2011 Psychonomics (St. Louis, Nov. 18-21)
2011 Society for Judgment and Decision Making (St. Louis, Nov. 19-22)


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> "My previous Asus MB had problems with my USB mouse, a
> recent (and short-lived) Gigabyte motherboard also did and my current
> Asus 'board does not. It's a real mess out there".
THAT much is true!
From the following link TB supplied.......
.........Note: Some BIOS vendors support only a USB keyboard
and not a USB mouse.
MS-DOS, DR-DOS, and others, never were intended for USB mouse support,
only keyboard. Mouse support from Mac to Windows has always focused on
support from within the relative OS.
I like you, would welcome stable USB mouse support in TB BIBM/IFD etc.,
But unfortunately it's not gonna happen. For us, USB mouse support is
relagated to IFW and TBiView.
I suppose we ought to count our blessings and be happy nobody's
complaining about USB keyboard issues.
Jim L.
Using - Virtual Access(OLR)
188.8.131.52 Windows Vista Service Pack 2 build 6002


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|Instrument(s): Orchestra
|Style: Baroque
|Opus: BWV 1068, Mvmt. 2
|Date of composition: Not known
|Source: Bach-Gesellschaft
|Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0
|Last updated: 2008/Oct/28. View change history
|Music ID Number: Mutopia-2008/10/28-242
|Typeset using: LilyPond, version 2.11.62
|LilyPond files (zipped)
|MIDI files (zipped)
|A4 PDF files (zipped)
|Letter PDF files (zipped)
The downloads include both the score and the individual instrument files.
Hans Hokke has made several improved MIDI (audio) files for this piece:
(Of course, Bach played the organ himself, so he may have heard the Air played in a similar setting to the third version.)
|Maintainer: jeff covey
|jeff.covey (at) pobox.com


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Clear Proof® Deep-Cleansing Charcoal Mask purifies with the power of activated charcoal.Deeply cleanse skin and reduce shine with this multitasking mask created with activated charcoal, a powerful ingredient that can bind up to double its weight in pore-clogging impurities. Smooth, creamy and beautifully fluid, this mask delivers an extraordinary sensory experience.
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- Extracts of rosemary and peppermint deliver a fresh scent to awaken your senses.
- 79% of women and men confirmed that "skin looks clearer" after use.*
- Contains honeysuckle and navy bean extracts shown to target the appearance of skin discoloration and help soothe skin.**
- Suitable for all skin types.


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Authentication Plugin
compile "org.grails.plugins:authentication:2.0.1"
Authentication Plugin
OverviewThis authentication plugin provides extensible mechanisms that are configured to work out of the box.This plugin includes support for account signup and for account confirmation (checking of email address etc).Authentication is done many different ways in different applications, for example:
- Some sites have a user id separate from email address
- Some sites require extra fields during registration, such as opt-ins and so on
- Some sites don't allow signup (account creation) and instead read from an existing user database/LDAP
- Some sites permit immediate login after signup, others don't
The AuthenticationController supplies an /index action only in development modes. In production it will NOT include this. This is because you do not typically use the supplied view or the authentication controller to show your login page, you embed the auth tags in other views of your site to provide login and signup forms.It uses events to customize behaviour, supports signup including two-phase signup where you integrate with email address confirmation services, as well as being domain-neutral so you can use the default domain class for users, or your own - or something that is not a Grails domain class at all, i.e. LDAP etc.Password encoding and password strength hooks are supplied - nothing is fixed. Password reset/reminder hooks are also provided.Taglibs are supplied to make it easier to render authentication forms, without using the HTML page to determine the full target url for success or failure, to avoid XSS attacks and abuse. There are also tags for rendering user login status and information, and conditional information based on login status.
Commercial SupportCommercial support is available for this and other Grailsrocks plugins.
Using it to add simple signup and alter behaviour based on whether a user is logged in
- Install the Authentication plugin
grails install-plugin authentication
If you are using Grails 1.0.2 you will have to manually copy the files from plugins/authentication-1.0/grails-app/views/authentication to your application's grails-app/views/authentication folder. This is due to a bug in Grails 1.0.2. This step is not required if you do not intend to use the default views, which are for example only.2. Run grails run-app and browser to http://localhost:8080/<yourapp>/authentication3. Use the sample (development-mode only) sign up form there to create an account and you will be logged in.4. Use the AuthenticationService.isLoggedIn(request) method to see if the user has a valid login:
You can also do this from filters or interceptors or other code e.g:
class YourController { def authenticationService def onlyLoggedInUsers = { if (!authenticationService.isLoggedIn(request)) { // Redirect or return Forbidden response.sendError(403) } else { … do something } } } }
...or you can check they are logged in and authorized to access the resource using the filterRequest helper method which defers to the on onCheckAuthorized event and calls onUnauthorizedAccess (see Recipes section)5. Use the GSP tags auth:form and auth:ifNotLoggedIn etc to create your own login and signup forms, and assign a custom event handler object, or override individual events, to change the behaviour.By default the plugin will use GORM for the user accounts, and will store passwords using an MD5 one-way hash. The default AuthenticationUser domain class is minimal. If you want to change constraints or add fields (you may consider using a separate class instead for extra user data) you just redefine the onNewUserObject event and return your own instance of a domain class or similar wrapper around another authentication database such as LDAPOnce you have the basics working you will want to add your own forms etc to customize the behaviour.
class YourFilters { static nonAuthenticatedActions = [ [controller:'authentication', action:'*'] ] def filters = { accessFilter(controller:'*', action:'*') { before = { boolean needsAuth = !nonAuthenticatedActions.find { (it.controller == controllerName) && ((it.action == '*') || (it.action == actionName)) } if (needsAuth) { return applicationContext.authenticationService.filterRequest( request, response, "${request.contextPath}/authentication/index" ) } else return true } } } }
Controlling what happens after authentication actionsThe authentication controller uses redirects after performing its work, and extracts request parameters that determine the parameters to pass to redirect() when the action succeeds or fails. The easiest way to set these is to use the supplied taglibs and their success/error attributes - the values are passed as redirect(thevalues).e.g:
These are always relative to the application for security reasons, and the taglibs extract controller, action and id.You are able to supply any redirect() parameters you like if you use the alternative method of specifying the map of values to use as flash variables authSuccessURL and authErrorURL - which need to be set in the action that returns the page containing the form, so that they are available for the next request when authentication is atempted. These flash variables will be used in preference to request parameters, and this allows redirects to absolute urls or other more exotic redirect options.
<auth:form authAction="signup" success="[controller:'portal', action:'newUser']" error="[controller:'portal', action:'signup']"> … </auth:form>
EventsThe list of events currently supported and their default behaviour is:Called to validate the user's chosen login name, i.e. is it too short or in use? Return true if valid
Called to validate the user's password, i.e. is it long enough/strong enough. Return true if valid
onValidateLogin:{ loginID -> true }
Called to encode the user's password prior to saving it, i.e. return digested/XOR'd password Defaults to MD5 hash, i.e. NO clear text in the database, but also no password reminders possible!
onValidatePassword: { password -> true }
Called to load the user object by login id, must retun the user object or null if not found
onEncodePassword: { password -> password?.encodeAsMD5Hex() }
Called when a new user object is required, object returned must have login, password, email and status properties
onFindByLogin:{ loginID -> AuthenticationUser.findByLogin(loginID) }
Called when a user object has been changed and needs to be saved This impl assumes its a GORM object
onNewUserObject: { loginID -> def obj = AuthenticationUser.newInstance(); obj.login = loginID; return obj }
Called when a user has logged in
onSaveUser: { user -> user.save() }
Called when a user has logged out
onLoggedIn: { AuthenticatedUser login -> }
Called on successful signup, although email may not be confirmed yet - params are the request (form) params
onLoggedOut: { AuthenticatedUser login -> }
Called when an account has to be deleted, passing in the user object supplied by onNewUserObject
onSignup: { params -> }
Called to see if email confirmation is required, return true if user cannot log in yet until confirmed
onDelete: { user -> user.delete() }
Called to see if a logged in user can access the requested resource (called by filterRequest) params has properties: request, user, controllerName, actionName
onConfirmAccount: { user -> }
Called after a denied access (called by filterRequest) params has properties: request, response
onCheckAuthorized: { params -> true }
onUnauthorizedAccess: { params -> params.response.sendError(403) }
Error handlingThe authentication controller will put an object called authenticationFailure into flash scope in the event of a problem with an authentication action such as signup or login. This object is of type authentication.AuthenticatedUser which has several properties relating to the login attempt, as well as the "result" property which is a code relating to one of the ERROR_XXX constants or other result code on that class:
static final ERROR_NO_SUCH_LOGIN = 1 static final ERROR_INCORRECT_CREDENTIALS = 2 static final ERROR_LOGIN_NAME_NOT_AVAILABLE = 3 static final AWAITING_CONFIRMATION = 4 // indicates account is created but awaiting user confirmation
Customizing behaviourThe authenticationService exposes an "events" property which supplies the default event handlers as a map of closures. You can set a new value for any of the events in BootStrap or at runtime for example in an afterPropertiesSet() implementation.Alternatively you can pass in a new events object - map or otherwise - in the "authenticationEvents" configuration variable in Config.groovy
CodecsThe plugin supplies a HexCodec, MD5Codec and MD5HexCodec for utility purposes, particularly for hashing passwords stored in the database.
Creating users programmaticallyFor test data or otherwise, you can just create an instance of the domain class used for the user. By default this is AuthenticationUser:
assert new AuthenticationUser( login:'someone', password:'secret'.encodeAsMD5(), email:'[email protected]', status:AuthenticationService.STATUS_VALID).save()
Getting the login id of the currently logged in userTypically you need to access this information from a controller. There is a taglib (detailed later in this documentation) that you can invoke from a controller:
class MyController {
def index = {
render (auth.user() == 'marc' ? "Hello Marc" : 'Who are you?') }
Creating a signup formYou can use any form to submit an signup request, it just needs to have at a minimum the following fields:
- login
- password
- passwordConfirm
You can of course add your own extra fields.
<g:if test="${flash.authenticationFailure}"> Login failed: ${message(code:"authentication.failure."+flash.authenticationFailure.result).encodeAsHTML()} </g:if> <auth:form authAction="signup" success="[controller:'portal', action:'newUser']" error="[controller:'portal', action:'signup']"> User: <g:textField name="login"/>
 Password: <input type="password" name="password"/>
 Confirm Password: <input type="password" name="passwordConfirm"/>
 <input type="submit" value="Create account"/> </auth:form>
Creating a login formMuch the same as signup, you use auth:form:
<g:if test="${flash.authenticationFailure}"> Login failed: ${message(code:"authentication.failure."+flash.authenticationFailure.result).encodeAsHTML()} </g:if> <auth:form authAction="login" success="[controller:'admin', action:'index']" error="[controller:'admin', action:'loginError']"> User: <g:textField name="login"/>
 Password: <input type="password" name="password"/>
 <input type="submit" value="Log in"/> </auth:form>
Restricting access using FiltersA helper method is supplied to establish whether or not the user is logged in, which can be called from a Filter:
The third parameter to filterRequest is the relative URL (on the same server) to redirect to if the user is not logged in.This method will return true if the user is already logged in, and allowed access to the resource they requested.Authorization to access the resource is granted or denied by the implementation of your onCheckAuthorized event handler, which is passed the request and user (AuthenticatedUser) objects. onUnauthorizedAccess is called if access is denied, and is passed the request and response, typically so that it can call response.sendError(403). Once onUnauthorizedAccess has been called, filterRequest will always return false.
class MyFilters { def filters = { adminFilter(uri:"/admin/**") { // Redirect to login if not logged in before = { if (actionName != "login") { return applicationContext.authenticationService.filterRequest( request, response, "${request.contextPath}/admin/login" ) } else return true } } } }
Changing user login/password constraints / using a custom domain class or other backing storeThe default AuthenticationUser domain class is simple and defers to events to validate the login and password, in terms of them being safe/valid values to be saved to the database. Usually this class will be enough and you can simply add any extra information required about your user to your own domain classes that have a property that matches the login string of the user.To use a completely different domain class or constraints or an entirely new backing store, you simply tell the plugin which class to use in Config.groovy:
Any new class must simply ensure it has the following properties as a minimum:
authenticationUserClass = MyLDAPUserClass
If this is still a Grails domain class and you have not changed the behaviour of the onSaveUser event, there is nothing more to do.However if this is not a Grails domain class, and for example you need to talk to a directory server to save the user's details, you must supply a new implementation of onSaveUser.
String login String password String email int status // must be set to AuthenticationService.STATUS_NEW at init
Preventing signup/account creationTo prevent account creation attempts from the controller or directly through calls to the service, in Config.groovy set:
Any groovy "true" value will disable it.
authentication.signup.disabled = true
Applying password strength constraintsTo customize the checking of passwords you just supply a new value for your onValidatePassword event:
This validation is applied by the authentication service (only if you use the default domain class) prior to saving a user's details, in addition to the normal database constraints applied to the domain class.
import org.springframework.web.context.support.WebApplicationContextUtilsclass BootStrap { def init = { servletContext -> // init auth events def appCtx = WebApplicationContextUtils.getRequiredWebApplicationContext(servletContext) appCtx.authenticationService.events.onValidatePassword = { password -> return !appCtx.myDictionaryService.containsWord(password) } } }
Adding email address or other confirmationOften you want to confirm a user's account after initial sign-up, typically by sending a confirmation email with a click-through link or a special code to enter.Authentication plugin lets you do this any way you like, you simply have to:
- Make onConfirmAccount return true for the user (which may be conditional on other information you have)
- Make onSignup trigger whatever confirmation process it is you require
- Once your confirmation process has confirmed the user, call authenticationService.confirmUser(loginID)
import org.springframework.web.context.support.WebApplicationContextUtils...def init = { servletContext -> def appCtx = WebApplicationContextUtils.getRequiredWebApplicationContext(servletContext) // this is the auth plugin bit appCtx.authenticationService.events.onConfirmAccount= { user -> // user is the domain object, AuthenticationUser unless you have changed it return true // always require confirmation no matter who it is or what their email address is } appCtx.authenticationService.events.onSignup = { params -> // params contains "user" - the domain object, and "extraParams" - all the params passed to the controller signup action myEmailConfirmationService.sendConfirmationTo(user.email) } // this is dependent on your confirmation mechanism appCtx.myEmailConfirmationService.onConfirmation = { userToken -> appCtx.authenticationService.confirmUser(userToken) } }
Sending password reminders/resetFor this you simply need to look up the user by their login / email address - which if you use the default class is a case of AuthenticationUser.findByLogin or findByEmail - and if found email them the password (if you are not encoding it in the DB - tut tut!). Alternatively change the password property and save the domain class, and email them the new value.
Using the auth: tagsThe auth:XXXX tags provide a set of useful utility functions that access the information about the logged in user in the session, or produce forms that set the parameters appropriately for authenticationController.Executing GSP code if the user is logged in:
Executing GSP code if the user is NOT logged in:
<auth:ifLoggedIn>You are logged in!</auth:ifLoggedIn>
Executing GSP code if the user is registered by the account is not yet confirmed:
<auth:ifNotLoggedIn>You need to log in man!</auth:ifNotLoggedIn>
Showing the current user login name or other user domain class property:
<auth:ifUnconfirmed>Please check your inbox for the confirmation mail!</auth:ifUnconfirmed>
Creating a form that submits to the authenticationController for login, signup, logout etc - set authAction to one of "login", "signup" or "logout":
Hello, <auth:user/>
Your email address is currently set to: <auth:user property="email"/>
Create a logout link with the success/error urls set correctly:
<auth:form authAction="login" success="[controller:'portal']" error="[controller:'userProfile', action:'loginError']"> ...fields here… </auth:form>
<auth:logoutLink success="[controller:'home', action:'newUser']" error="[controller:'userProfile', action:'error']">Log out</auth:logoutLink>


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I love waffles.
For my last birthday I received a Cuisinart Waffle Maker from my mom, making waffles a breeze!
I've been experimenting with different waffle recipes I found across the web – mostly from Pinterest – such as egg nog or pumpkin waffles. These are more autumnal and christmas seasonal recipes, so I have been on the look out for something to tide me over until spring arrives. Enter the blueberry waffles.
I found a recipe on Pinterest from Pass The Sushi blog that piqued my interest. However, I altered her recipe slightly using buckwheat flour instead of wholewheat pastry flour and plain yogurt instead of sour cream giving them a slightly savoury quality, which acts as a nice foil to the sweet/tart blueberries.
This recipe yields 14 regular sized square waffles. Since I'm the only one who eats waffles in my household, I bag them up in twos and pop them in the freezer, keeping in breakfasts for a whole week! When I'm ready to eat, I just stick them in the toaster and serve with plain yogurt.
Et voila! Waffles for any morning.


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The Central Connecticut swimming and diving team sits in third place after day two of competition at the Blue Devil Invitational at Jack Suydam Natatorium in New Britain, CT. Central earned 730 points and trails behind Vermont (1239) and Wagner (1141). Sacred Heart rounds out the four team meet with a score of 166.
In the 200 yard medley relay, the first event of the evening's finals, Central finished fourth. The team consisted of junior Kellen Power, freshman Alaina Papiro, senior Taylor Friedmann as well as junior Helene Neuhaus, who recently returned from competition at the USA Winter Nationals in Austin, TX. The squad finished the event in 1:50.04.
The Blue Devils also turned in a sixth-place performance in the event, finishing in 1:54.06. The team consisted of senior Hannah Packer, sophomore Karen Novak, freshman Julie Hansen and junior Erin Massey.
Senior Katie Lang earned a fourth place finish in the 400 yard IM, touching the wall in 4:39.64. Lang also helped earn second place for Central in the final event of the evening, the 800 yard freestyle relay. The team finished in 7:44.63 behind Wagner and included Neuhaus, Friedmann and senior Allison Rasile.
Central also placed fifth in the event with a time of 8:00.08. The team consisted of Novak and Power, along with junior Kathryn Kiely and senior Lauren Shortell.
In the 200 yard freestyle, Rasile earned fourth place with a time of 1:53.91 and was closely followed by Friedmann who came in fifth less than one second later at 1:54.12.
Other key competitors for the Blue Devils included senior Lauren O'Kelly, who completed the 400 yard IM in 4:39.05 for ninth place; Power, who finished the 100 yard butterfly in 59.49 for seventh; Papiro, who touched the wall in the 100 yard breaststroke in 1:09.77 for sixth place and Packer, who earned ninth in the 100 yard backstroke with a time of 1:01.18.
Click here for complete day two results.
CCSU returns to action tomorrow, Sunday, December 2, for the final day of competition at the Blue Devil Invitationals. Preliminary competition is set to begin at 10 a.m. and finals are scheduled for 6 p.m.


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Hunt for the Most Adventurous Stag Group in the World!
26 Dec, 2012, 09:00 GMT
NEWCASTLE, England, December 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
Stag and Hen Company Launch Their Search for the First Stag Group to Make it to the North Pole
Last Night of Freedom, based near Newcastle, have this week launched an innovative new weekend expedition to the North Pole. This trip will appeal to only the most extravagant and adventurous of stags, looking to completely break the mould on their weekend with the boys. They have now launched a hunt for a group of guys who will go where no stag has gone before. One small step for man, one giant leap for stagkind.
The trip to the North Pole includes flights from Longyearbyen to a base camp, getting dropped 5km from the North Pole by chopper and cross-country skiing to the Pole. Once there, they will camp overnight at the most Northern point in the world and celebrate with caviar and champagne. The group will be picked up by helicopter the next morning and returned to Longyearbyen.
This fantastic trip will come at a cost of £14,999 per person. This will include all internal flights and helicopter rides, accommodation, food and specialised thermal gear to handle the -35C temperatures at the North Pole.
Stags will be kitted up and guided by the Polar expedition expert, Eric Philips. Eric has successfully completed trips to the four largest icecaps in the world, and both the South and North Poles. He has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for achievements in polar exploration.
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SOURCE Last Night of Freedom