Luxury travel news, offers & competitions (win free trips)

Friday newsletters always feature luxury travel competitions, tips, series, or news.

1. Latest luxury travel news from around the world:

• The Alila Jabal Akhdar hotel in Oman  opened its doors last this week, and it is one of the most anticipated hotel openings of 2014. Jabal Akhdar, meaning “The Green Mountain” in Arabic, is part of the Al Hajar mountains range, one of Oman’s most spectacular areas. Set 2000 metres above sea level, Alila Jabal Akhdar provides access to this magnificent landscape of untouched beauty. Ranging in size from 52 to 361 sqm, the resort’s 78 beautifully appointed suites and villas are located within the main hotel building or arranged in individual clusters of four to six suites, generously spaced out around the clifftop to maximise privacy and uninterrupted views over the mountains and down into the gorges.

• Turkish Airlines announced the launch of new, non-stop service between Boston’s Logan International Airport and Atatürk International Airport in Istanbul, Turkey. The new service operates five times a week and, beginning June 9, the number of weekly flights will be increased.  Turkish Airlines uses Airbus A330 and A340 aircraft on this route. Boston becomes the carrier’s sixth gateway in the United States, after New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Washington, D.C. Turkish Airlines was founded in 1933, and is the national flag carrier of Turkey.  The airline currently serves approximately 250 destinations worldwide and is part of the Star Alliance.

• Air France has confirmed a major upgrade of its first class cabin, unveiling a product it believes will match the best of the Asian and Middle East carriers.  The seat will enter service in September on the airline’s Paris to Singapore route and features a 79in-long bed with a futon mattress that is 30in wide. It includes a curtain divider that is used to create the effect of a private cabin. The new seats are by BE Aerospace and include an ottoman for dining with a companion plus a bedside lamp and 24in TV. The décor is an understated grey with wood accents offset by red trimming and accessories. The €50 million investment will be made to the 19-strong B777-300 fleet, but with only four seats — or suites — on each aircraft, there will be just 76 suites in total.

• Starwood announced it will open the Excelsior Hotel Gallia, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Milan, in Italy this November. The hotel will replace the former Excelsior Hotel Gallia that first opened in 1932 and is currently undergoing renovations as part of its conversion to a Luxury Collection property. The new hotel will have 235 guestrooms and suites, as well as a restaurant and rooftop bar.  The property will also host a lounge bar and cigar room, a spa, an indoor pool, and fitness center. In addition, the hotel will provide over 10,763 square feet (1,000 square meters) of meeting and event space, with two ballrooms, six meeting rooms, and a business center. Starwood currently operates 21 hotels in Italy.  The Excelsior Hotel Gallia, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Milan will be the company’s seventh Luxury Collection property in the country.

2. Our pick of the best luxury hotel deals

All these deals are weekly updated on the website as well. We hereby only mention the hotel deals that were added last week:

• The mountain defines the summer activities at Viceroy Snowmass with incredible hiking trails, biking, and family adventures. Book your family summer getaway to the Rocky Mountains and save 15%. Reserve and pre-pay for your stay at least 14 days in advance to take advantage of the savings.

• One&Only Resorts published several very interesting summer offers on its website, with – amonst others – savings up to 40% (One&Only Mauritius) or free nights & halfboard (One&Only Maldives).

3. Our pick of the best luxury travel competitions on the internet

These competitions are weekly updated on the website as well .We hereby only mention the luxury travel competitions that were added last week:

• Southern Destinations gives you a chance to win an unforgettable &Beyond Botswana Explorer Expedition valued at a totally wild US$16 000! If you’re the lucky pair, you’ll be taken on an exclusive 10-day guided luxury camping safari through Botswana’s most thrilling wildlife areas including the Okavango Delta, Savute and the Chobe National Park. End your journey at the Victoria Falls. Dine like royalty under the African stars with all meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and drinks at camp. Click here to enter the competition.

• Take a few minutes to update your newsletter preferences at Luxury Link and you could receive $250 to spend on any of our extraordinary vacation experiences

• Win a one in a lifetime experience at the 2014 Formula-1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The price includes 2 VIP passes, 2 business class tickets to Abu Dhabi with Eithad Airways, and 4 nights at the iconic Viceroy Abu Dhabi. You have to be part of Eithad’s frequent flyer program (and spend 100 miles) to enter the competition.