- Hotel & Spa Gift Card has added ten world-famous five-star hotels to its platform
- The additions include the Ritz Paris, The Savoy in London and Raffles Singapore
- They join more than 10,000 five-star properties worldwide
- The company has launched a newly upgraded booking platform
- New luxury gift packaging has been unveiled in time for Christmas
Irish company Hotel & Spa Gift Card has added ten of the world’s most famous five-star hotels to its platform for Christmas from the Ritz Paris and The Savoy in London to Raffles Singapore. They join more than 10,000 five-star properties worldwide including over 100 luxury hotels in Ireland all bookable with a single gift card. The additions coincide with the launch of the company’s newly upgraded booking platform and new luxury gift packaging both unveiled in time for Christmas.
The ten new hotels span eight countries. In France they are the Ritz Paris, Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris and Hôtel Le Kaïla in the ski resort of Méribel. The others are The Savoy in London, Hotel Sacher in Vienna, Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, Four Seasons Hotel Madrid, Andaz Prague, The New York EDITION and Raffles Singapore.
Founder Adrienne Stewart reported that everyone has someone on their list who already has everything and what they rarely have is time away somewhere they have always wanted to go. She reported the company set out to make that the easiest gift to give with the purchaser choosing the amount and the recipient choosing the adventure. The upgraded website shows live room availability and provides an AI Gifting Planner for corporate gifting. The new packaging is a gold-embossed folder in a matching sleeve-style gift bag with ribbon handles.
Adrienne Stewart shared “Everyone has someone on their list who already has everything. What they rarely have is time away somewhere they’ve always wanted to go. We set out to make that the easiest gift to give. You choose the amount, they choose the adventure.”
Nine hotels that change the game
Some of the world’s most iconic luxury hotels didn’t just follow hospitality standards. They created them. From inventing modern luxury service to creating legendary cocktails, these nine hotels helped shape the industry we know today.
- The Savoy, London (1889) One of the pioneers of modern luxury hospitality. Electric lifts, en-suite bathrooms and exceptional service were revolutionary at the time. César Ritz managed the hotel, while Auguste Escoffier led the kitchen. Together, they helped redefine luxury service.
- Raffles Hotel Singapore (1887) The birthplace of the Singapore Sling. Created in 1915 by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon, the fruity cocktail is traditionally said to have allowed women to drink alcohol discreetly in public. Today, guests still enjoy it at the Long Bar, where throwing peanut shells on the floor remains a tradition.
- The Peninsula Hotels Hong Kong(1928) Built with the ambition of becoming “the finest hotel east of Suez.” Its legendary Rolls-Royce fleet and luxury shopping helped establish its reputation as one of Asia’s most prestigious hotels.
- La Mamounia Marrakechia (1923) Its gardens date back more than a century before the hotel opened, originating as a royal wedding gift. Winston Churchill famously praised the property, and Alfred Hitchcock used it as a filming location for The Man Who Knew Too Much.
- Ritz Paris (1898) The hotel that gave the world the word “ritzy.” César Ritz introduced innovations including electricity, elevators and private bathrooms. His name became so associated with luxury that it entered the English language.
- Giraffe Manor, Nairobi (1932) Originally a private residence, the property became connected to Rothschild’s giraffe conservation in the 1970s. Today, its resident giraffes famously poke their heads through the windows at breakfast. One of hospitality’s most distinctive wildlife experiences.
- The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai (1903) Opened two decades before the nearby Gateway of India was completed. With electric lighting, lifts and sophisticated bathing facilities, it helped introduce a new standard of luxury to India.
- Mandarin Oriental Bangkok (1876) One of Asia’s most historic luxury hotels. Joseph Conrad, Somerset Maugham and Noël Coward are among the famous writers associated with the property. Their legacy lives on in its celebrated Authors’ Wing.
- Burj Al Arab, Dubai (1999) The hotel that made “seven-star luxury” famous. No official hotel rating goes beyond five stars. The seven-star description is widely attributed to a journalist attending a press preview. The label stuck and became synonymous with ultra-luxury.
These hotels didn’t become iconic just because of their architecture or price tags. They introduced ideas, traditions and experiences that guests would remember for generations. That’s what separates a luxury hotel from a legendary one.
