Luxury hotel brand Mandarin Oriental has launched a US$10,000-a-night helicopter package to whisk guests between two of its lakeside properties. Rose Dykins reports
The new Lake-to-Lake Helicopter Experience from Mandarin Oriental provides hotel guests the chance to transfer between properties in Italy’s Lake Como and Lake Geneva with ease, speed and style.
As Globetrender predicted in its report on Travel in the Age of Covid-19, Isolation Vacations are a big trend in 2020.
Being confined to our homes during lockdown has been a time to conjure up plans for the future, including bucket list trips. And a helicopter ride over the Alps is the kind of private, exclusive experience that will appeal in a world that’s still social distancing.
With the new two-night package, luxury travellers can combine two covetable destinations in one short trip – a Swiss city break, with an escape to Lake Como, Italy’s most famous lake.
Guests can stay at the Mandarin Oriental, Geneva and Mandarin Oriental Lago di Como, and travel between the two properties in a five-seater private helicopter.
The 75-minute chopper passes over spectacular scenery, a patchwork of snow-capped Alpine summits, idyllic mountain towns and serene lakes.
With the Lake-to-Lake Helicopter Experience, guests spend one night at a suite in each of the Mandarin Oriental hotels.
They can start at whichever hotel they prefer, and the package also includes limousine airport transfers, a bespoke three-course dining experience at each hotel, daily breakfast for two and a bottle of champagne on arrival at both properties.
Available until November 15, 2020, Mandarin Oriental’s Lake-to-Lake Helicopter Experience package is priced from US$10,000 per night.
Set along a bank of the River Rhône, Mandarin Oriental, Geneva is right in the centre of the picturesque Swiss city.
As well being one of the least air-polluted cities in the world, Geneva’s crescent-shaped lake, mountain backdrop and cosmopolitan vibe make is a desirable place to explore.
Mandarin Oriental, Geneva is famed for its Peruvian restaurant, Yakumanka, headed up by Gaston Acurio. Designed in the style of a traditional Peruvian ceviche restaurant, it has an open kitchen and a wide selection of pisco-based cocktails.
Mandarin Oriental Lago di Como is situated in the village of Blevio on the eastern shore of Lake Como. Abundant in Italian elegance and natural beauty, the five-star resort is a secluded, beautiful place to relax.
Guests can spend time exploring panoramic trails, woodlands and villa gardens, or recline by the outdoor pool floating upon the lake.
Over in Monaco, the Hotel Metropole Monte Carlo has launched a Junior suite “business” package that also includes a helicopter transfer from the airport directly to the hotel, while Oetker Collection has partnered with Sparfell Aviation to provide private charter flights to all its hotels, estates and villas around the world.
Sparfell flight crew have, reportedly, been briefed on how to avoid exposure to the coronavirus while off-duty, and turn up for work only if they are 100 per cent symptom-free. Flight attendants have received extensive training in updated hygiene protocols that include mandatory social distancing and the proper use of masks, gloves and other personal protective equipment.
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