Hawaii spas top-ranked by Mobil

By Allison Schaefers
aschaefers@starbulletin.com

Eight Hawaii spas, one more than last year, were named among the top-ranked spas by the well-regarded Mobil Travel Guide this year.

Hawaii could see a boost in avid travelers, those who travel often and seek the best that vacation spots have to offer, from the eight spas who were named to this year’s Mobil Travel Guide’s list of top spas.

Mobil’s latest ranking includes more than 100 three- and four-star ratings, plus and two elite five-star ratings to hotel and resort spas in the United States and Canada.

While Hawaii’s usual four-star spas prevailed in the rankings, this year they were joined by the Spa at Manele Bay, Four Seasons Resort Lanai. Hawaii standards included: SpaHalekulani, Hale-kulani; Spa Suites at the Kahala Hotel and Resort; Hualalai Sports Club and Spa, Four Seasons Resort Hualalai; Spa Grande at the Grand Wailea Resort and the Spa at Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea.

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Here comes the bride – to a monitor near you

Wedding webcasts let loved ones watch from the comfort of home

12:13 PM CDT on Monday, September 11, 2006

By KATHY A. GOOLSBY / The Dallas Morning News

The bride wore a floor-length gown, the groom a dark suit. But at least one wedding guest was clad in a bathing suit, and the bride’s brother wore shorts and a T-shirt. Etiquette experts might have frowned, but newlyweds Stephanie and Eric Nicks of The Colony didn’t mind at all. Most of their friends and family watched the couple’s Aug. 5 ceremony via the Internet from the comfort of their own homes.

Although wedding webcasts have been around a few years, wedding planners say they are on the rise as couples try to include as many friends and relatives as possible, even those who may not be able to attend the ceremony in person.

But despite the growing popularity, Eric and Stephanie had not heard of such webcasts until they began searching for a location for their nuptials.

“We went online looking for Las Vegas chapels and saw that several offered Internet viewing. After we decided to do it, we started having a lot of fun with it and invited more and more people,” said Ms. Nicks, 36, an executive administrator with Dallas Semiconductor. Mr. Nicks, 40, owns Aquatic Surfaces, a swimming pool renovation and repair company.

The invitation they sent – via e-mail, of course – wasn’t to attend the ceremony, but to log on and watch.

Live Webcast in India

Ringing, oops, clicking in the wedding bells

`A GOOD marriage would be between a blind wife and a deaf husband,’ thus said Montaigne. But, then it is said, marriage is a sweet which makes one repent if consumed and if you don’t, you repent then too. Hence, most people prefer to marry in haste and repent at leisure.

That’s why, the potential of the largely unorganised wedding market in India is estimated at Rs 5000 crore. So the wedding parties run from pillar to post to get the right arrangement yet only a few succeed.

Keeping all such problems in mind, Shaadionline.com has emerged as a saviour for many. The site virtually executes marriage. Claiming to be the only wedding planner in India, the site leaves you worry-free by organising everything from getting an invitation card designed to successfully effectuating the marriage. You can send them all your queries related to the venue, décor, catering, special guest treatment and others. They are handled offline for a flat fee of Rs. 30,000 to one lakh, be in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, UK or US.

“We take care of our clientele’s budget. We suggest them the best of catering, decor, venue and other such arrangement that is within their pocket’s reach thus freeing them from the hassle of doing a lot of running around for pre-wedding arrangements. On the day of the wedding we take care of their guests and reception and see that everything goes well,” says Jairaj Gupta, the CEO of the site. In addition, it offers novel wedding concepts like gift registry, live wedding webcast and wedding coordinating services, etc.

The site also arranges destination wedding — be in royal palaces of Rajasthan, beach weddings in Goa, a warm one in Himalayas or in God’s own country Kerala, in Agra, Benares or Khajuraho. “An innovative and interesting concept that lots of NRIs and foreigners are flocking to,” adds Gupta.

So far, the site claims to get three million hits everyday while since its inception a year back, it has got around 80 couples married. “This year we are likely to marry off 2000 people,” states Gupta.

If it is the wedding season, can fashion designers and apparel manufacturers be far behind? You might marry through a web site and make arrangements through them too, but you can certainly do with Gujralson’s wedding trousseu where a Jodhpuri collection comes Rs. 6950 upwards and a sherwani collection comes upwards of Rs. 5950. Incidentally, Gujralsons kurtas are available this season in Pintex cut and come between Rs. 1290 and 6995. And if you are more into formal Western wear on the wedding occasion, there are suits priced at Rs. 4950.

So, wedding anyone?

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