At Parrot Cay in the Turks and Caicos, you can finally get away from it all.

Once here, most guests  don’t only choose to turn off their Blackberry; they feel compelled, for this sparkling private island in the northern Caribbean deserves full attention – the mile-long beach, the private villas opening on to the powdery sand, the healthful cuisine, the diving, Yoga and the award-winning spa, COMO Shambhala Retreat at Parrot Cay. That’s why, for 2010, Parrot Cay has launched two new couple-friendly packages to make it a year worth remembering. The ‘Babymoon’ package is designed for expecting parents to have their ‘honeymoon’ before the new arrival. It is a three-night hit of instant relaxation, and includes an indulgent 75-minute Pre-Natal massage as well as an hour-long private Yoga session and COMO Shambhala Massage. Prices start at $3,070 per couple, based on two sharing.

Parrot Cay’s ‘Romantic Runaway’ offer is for those who may be free of the kids for a long weekend, or for those who just want to steal some meaningful downtime in an entirely private corner of the northern Caribbean. The appeal of this perfect three-night  break lies in Parrot Cay’s ability to deliver a maximum experience in a short amount of time – and at a competitive price, with rates starting at $2,864 for two people, all meals included. With a couple’s massage also featured, as well as a Champagne breakfast, it’s ideal for couples seeking some good value respite under a warm Turks and Caicos sun.

Both packages include accommodation for three nights in a Garden View Room (other accommodation types are available, at an extra cost), breakfast, lunch  and dinner daily, return airport transfers on scheduled commercial flights only, a fruit bowl replenished daily, and complimentary group Yoga and Pilates classes and non-motorised watersports.

Once here, resort staff can organise numerous other excursions for couples, including some for those who like to get out and about. They include snorkelling expeditions to outlying islets, kayaking trips, diving, fishing expeditions and castaway picnics on deserted spits of sand. At Parrot Cay, guests can even dine in a private tiki hut on the beach – all available on request.

For more information email res@parrotcay.como.bz or visit the resort’s new website at www.parrotcay.como.bz

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Parrot Cay and COMO Shambhala Retreat

PO BOX 164 Providenciales

Turks and Caicos Islands

British West Indies

Tel +1 649 946 7788

Fax +1 649 946 7789

Email parrotcay@comoshambhala.bz

Website parrotcay.como.bz

FOR ANY PRESS AND MEDIA QUERY:

Crystal Seah, Director Marketing Communications

COMO Hotels and Resorts

Tel +65 6304 1488

Email crystal.seah@como.bz

Chris Orlikowski, Marketing Executive

COMO Hotels and Resorts

Tel +44 (0)20 7447 1049

Email chris.orlikowski@como.bz

EDITOR’S NOTE

Understanding COMO Hotels and Resorts: COMO Hotels and Resorts’ first property opened in 1991 – the Halkin in London’s Belgravia. The winning combination of smooth and accurate service, healthy Michelin-starred food and contemporary, understated style has since led to the creation of further properties, each different from the other while respecting COMO’s core commitments – to indulge every guest’s sense of respite, be it on a private island or a city hotel in the world’s most dynamic capitals. Currently the COMO portfolio consists of two properties in London: the Halkin an Metropolitan, London. The resort product launched in 1998 with Parrot Cay in the Turks and Caicos. In 2002, Cocoa Island in the Maldives was born, followed in 2003 by the Metropolitan, Bangkok. In early 2004, COMO Hotels and Resorts assumed management of Begawan Giri Estate in Bali. That same year saw the opening of Uma Paro, Bhutan, and Uma Ubud, Bali. In 2005, Begawan Giri was relaunched with substantial new facilities as a top-end residential wellness retreat called COMO Shambhala Estate.

Understanding COMO Shambhala: COMO Shambhala is a health concept that has been developed in line with Shambhala’s meaning (Sanskrit for ‘peace’) manifested as centres of wellbeing at all COMO Hotels and Resorts. These include COMO’s city hotels spas, known as COMO Shambhala Urban Escapes, as well as COMO Shambhala Retreats at the company’s private islands and Uma resorts. It is a consultative rather than prescriptive approach which allows consultants to respond to guests on a one-by-one, day-by-day basis. Treatments range from Yoga to shiatsu to Ayurvedic detox programmes. They distil the best of ancient Asian traditions and, where appropriate, older techniques are combined with Western advances. Bodywork is also an essential element of the COMO Shambhala experience. At all properties, Yoga facilities are available. Guests can partake in week-long programs led by the world’s best teachers. In addition, COMO Shambhala maintains on-going relationships with key health professionals, and in 2006, created a Board of Advisors made up of experts in holistic health to help direct the company’s evolution; members include Dr Robert Thurman, Rodney Yee and Donna Karan. COMO Shambhala cuisine, available at select properties, focuses on energising and organic foodstuffs. An emphasis on raw ingredients is combined with pan-Asian influences, with menus overseen by the company’s Executive Chef, Amanda Gale. COMO Shambhala also produces a range of skin and bodycare products, COMO Shambhala At Home, made from all-natural ingredients. COMO Shambhala Active Living is the company’s resort and activewear line, launched in 2007.

At Parrot Cay in the Turks and Caicos, families aren’t relegated to specific pools or parts of the property; nor are children confined to kids’ clubs. Here, whatever the age, little people are considered part of Parrot Cay’s spirit. In keeping with this approach, the resort has therefore launched new family-friendly deals for the summer, as well as a range of tailormade activities.

Until 8th September 2009, children 12 years and under eat for free from Parrot Cay’s children’s menu. In addition, we’re making it all the more affordable by offering seven nights for the price of five. This offer, entitled ‘Extend that Summer Feeling’, is valid until 20th December 2009 (certain black-out periods apply) on all room categories, including private residences. The offer is inclusive of breakfast as well as return airport transfers (for commercially scheduled flights only).

Once here, and children of every age will find vast amounts to do. For each family, the resort provides tailormade activities – at an hour that suits the guest. This is set up on the first day after a consultation with Peter Capezza, Parrot Cay’s Guest Services Manager, who will help advise on a bespoke schedule of activities. These might range from shell painting to tie-dying T-shirts, to making necklaces from fossilised shark teeth. We can organise pirate scavenger hunts as well as sailing adventures around the island of Parrot Cay or even further afield. This allows children to make friends with other kids – and have a holiday they will remember – as well as allowing parents time to recoup with an hour or two of Yoga, a treatment at COMO Shambhala Retreat, or a late dinner while the children are hanging out watching a film with a babysitter. Our staff are all experienced, nurturing and used to dealing with every age group.

We have also now developed a programme of activities that includes children and parents, from excursions to islets for snorkelling as well as castaway picnics. Parents can spend some time in the spa while their kids are making kites with our staff, and afterwards, the whole family can fly it on the beach while we prepare a beachside barbecue.

Our villas themselves keep getting better and better for family groups – a trend that’s gaining momentum even in the economic downturn. The resort has built a number of two and three-bed villas on the beach – at Parrot Cay, with its mile-long swatch of beach, everyone can find their privacy – as well as larger private residences for family gatherings of up to 18 to 25 people.

For more information about travelling with families to Parrot Cay, please email res@parrotcay.como.bz.
The resort’s new website is parrotcay.como.bz.

From 8th to 14th November 2009, COMO Shambhala Retreat at Parrot Cay will be hosting a five-day, six-night restorative Pilates Retreat. This will be led by Parrot Cay’s popular and highly experienced resident Pilates specialist, Lynda Lippin, with the Retreat open to all, including beginners.

The Retreat’s theme will be ‘Strength Without Struggle.’ It has been planned in response to a growing demand from guests who have had the opportunity to work with Lynda over the past year and a half. Lynda, who is widely respected for her nurturing style, has been practicing and teaching Pilates for over 20 years. She owned and operated awardwinning Pilates studios in the US and trains Pilates teachers for the Pilates PhysicalMind Institute®. She is also an accomplished fitness trainer, certified by the American Council of Exercise®.

Lynda will individually assess each participant in the first days of the Retreat in order to understand specific areas of pain, tension, weakness, or disease in the body. Daily group sessions will be a blend of lecture, discussion and Pilates exercise focused on the major issues within the group. Subjects will include Pilates history, basic structural anatomy, common injuries and tension patterns, posture, and exercise lessons.

Throughout the Retreat Week Lynda will also recommend specific COMO Shambhala treatments that will benefit each guest, whether it is a calming COMO Shambhala Massage or Reiki session.  Guests can dine from a choice of Parrot Cay’s menus, including the healthy and delicious COMO Shambhala Cuisine—all designed to complement the rounded physical, mental and spiritual experience.

The Pilates Method helps to improve muscle control, endurance and correct posture while enhancing positive body awareness and body confidence. The technique, which improves and changes the body’s alignment habits, has a flexibility that works for practitioners of all standards. Pilates is now growing in popularity with men as well as women.  Physiotherapists are also now recommending Pilates, if it is correctly taught, as one of the safest forms of exercise available.  Pilates can assist the super-fit, help people suffering from pain, restricted joint mobility or even people who are post surgery. It is also ideal for women seeking to get their bodies back after childbirth.

COMO Shambhala believes Pilates should be taught in a way that fully understands each guest’s particular needs. Combined with our holistic approach to eating, exercising and treatments, the client can then experience the alleviation of both physical and emotional stress – a synergistic approach to heal and balance. The relaxing environment of Parrot Cay – a peaceful, private island – ensures this focus is maintained.

Prices for ‘Strength Without Struggle’ start at $6,026 per person (single occupancy) and $9,014 (double occupancy) including tax and service charge for six nights accommodation in a Garden Room, full American breakfast daily, lunch and dinner, round-trip airport transfers, 16 hours of group Pilates and one private evaluation session.

For further information, or to make bookings, please email susan.allison@parrotcay.como.bz.

A collection of Private Residences affords perfect seclusion to the most discerning travellers.
.

.

Located a short buggy ride from the main resort, the privately-owned Residences come with an abundance of space, 24-hour butler service and your own stretch of beach as well as the option to book a personal chef.Each Residence features sophisticated, yet simplistic contemporary design and comprises between three and five bedrooms, generous living space and a magnificent pool.This is the ideal place to spend time with your family and friends. The resort offers the region’s best spa and haute cuisine, which you can enjoy at your leisure – or just stay in your own private paradise. Private Residences are available from $3,500 per night To find out more and to book, please click here.

The package is inclusive of:

• 6 nights accommodation, arriving Sunday 15th  and departing Saturday 21st June 2008
• 4.5 hours of Yoga instruction daily with Erich Schiffmann (16th-20th June)
• Full American breakfast daily – Lunch and dinner daily from special COMO Shambhala menus (excluding beverages)
• Return airport transfers (for scheduled flights only)

Package rates start from:

• $5,004 for single occupancy
• $7,644 for double occupancy
• Subject to 10% government tax and 10% service charge

For reservations and information please contact:
Tel: +649 946 7788
Fax: +649 946 7789
Email res@parrotcay.como.bz

The island’s two restaurants serve gourmet cuisine as well as organic, healthful COMO Shambhala cuisine.
Accommodation, in whitewash with chic teak finishing, includes beachside houses and villas. The island also features a collection of privately owned homes, located away from the main resort, offering guests the utmost privacy and security.

Offers and Promotions

7 FOR 6 SUMMER SPECIAL

Guests booking 7 nights between 01 June – 31 October 2008 will only pay for 6 nights.
This offer applies to all room categories and includes daily breakfast and return airport transfers (for commercial flights only). To book, please quote ‘7 for 6′.

VILLA ALTERNATIVE

The Parrot Cay Estate comprises a collection of privately owned homes, located away from the main resort, offering guests the utmost privacy and security.
At Rocky Point Dhyani House, Lucky House and Rocky Point each have three bedrooms overlooking the ocean, surrounded by a generous plot of land.
The Residence features a five-bedroom main residence and 2 three-bedroom guest villas, situated on 6 acres of beachfront property, which can be rented individually or together.

DR PERRICONE PACKAGE

Parrot Cay has teamed up with renown dermatologist Dr Nicholas V.Perricone and is proud to offer exclusive Dr Perricone Anti-Ageing Facials
The four night package includes breakfast, lunch and dinner from the Dr Perricone Three-Day Nutritional Face-lift^TM Menu(excl. meals on arrival day), 2 Dr Perricone Anti-Ageing Facials per person, Dr Perricone gift, daily fruit bowl, daily group yoga and pilates, nonmotorized water sports and return airport transfers (for commercial flights only).
Available from US$ 3,330 (rate per room based on two sharing).

COOMA SHAMBHALA EXPERIENCE

The ultimate pampering package includes 3, 5 or 7 nights accommodation, return airport transfers (for commercial flights only), daily breakfast, lunch and dinner, daily fruit basket, daily group yoga and pilates, non-motorized water sports and a minimum of 4 spa treatments (number of spa treatments depends on length of stay).
You can choose from a range of treatments, incl. Sundari Facial,COMO Shambhala massage, Shiatsu and Reflexology.
Available from US$2,655 (3 nights, rate per room, based on two sharing).

PARROT CAY HONEYMOON

For couples who seek to escape every care, Parrot Cay is where best to find total seclusion and serenity.
Couples can enjoy their honeymoon with us from US$5,292 (price per room for seven nights, based on two sharing).
This package includes return airport transfers (for commercial flights only), daily breakfast, a bottle of Champagne on arrival, daily lunch and dinner, and a half-day of indlugence at the Spa Cottage that includes a couples massage and a romantic candlelit dinner.

REJUVENATION ESCAPE

Refresh your senses at Parrot Cay.
The Rejuvenation Escape includes 3 nights accommodation, a one-hour massage and daily group yoga class, daily fresh fruit bowl, daily breakfast lunch, and dinner, a bottle of Champagne on arrival and return airport transfers (commercial flights only).
Available from US$2,554 (per room, based on two sharing).

SUN AND SECLUSION

Get away from it all and take time to relax and re-charge the batteries.
The Sun and Seclusion package includes 7 nights accommodation, daily breakfast, lunch and dinner, a bottle of Champagne on arrival, a one-hour massage per person per stay, a boat trip (Iguana Island visit and snorkelling off the reef), daily group yoga, daily fruit basket, nonmotorized water sports and return airport transfer (for commercial flights only).
Available from US$ 5,474 (per room, based on two sharing).

Parrot Cay
PO Box 164 Providenciales
Turks & Caicos Islands British West Indies
Tel +1 649 946 7788 Fax +1 649 946 7789
Email res@parrotcay.como.bz
Website parrotcay.como.bz

Why not, for example, trade crowded Bondi Beach for a view of the snow-capped Himalayas by staying at Uma Paro in Bhutan, in the region recognised as the mythical Shangri La? At this time of the year, this inland cultural retreat is bordered by clear ink-blue skies, verdant blue pine forests and sparkling crystal rivers. It is also warm enough to explore by day. At night, relax with cosy wood-burning stoves and delicious, local cuisine which is based on lost Himalayan recipes blended with contemporary accents.

There’s no need to make New Year’s resolutions, as the pujas to Taksang ‘Tiger’s Nest’ Monastery and Kyichu Lhakhang Temple will absolve visitors of all sin, ensuring you start the new year with a clean slate. Uma Paro is offering seven night, privately guided individual packages. (Bookings www.uma.como.bz)

If an exotic beachside location is more your style, then consider renting either of Donna Karan’s new houses on her estate, known as The Sanctuary, through Parrot Cay Resort, also part of COMO Hotels and Resorts. Set in the stunning, unspoilt Turks and Caicos Islands in the British West Indies, the houses are available for rent from early 2008. Each features a screened-in pavilion, four bedrooms (including the second-floor master bedroom with 360-degree island views) limestone floors and individual infinity pools with Jacuzzis. The look combines the understated style and good taste of Donna Karan with that of leading Singapore architect and designer Cheong Yew Kuan.

The private island of Parrot Cay Resort is also made up of Colonial-style, whitewashed beachside villas amidst 1000 unspoilt acres wrapped in sweeps of sand and turquoise sea. The COMO Shambhala Spa, with America’s leading ‘wellness’ specialists in attendance, was recently recognised by Conde Nast Traveller magazine as the World’s Best Spa. The Resort’s restaurants offer both casual and haute cuisine, with menus devised by Australian chef Amanda Gale. (Bookings www.parrotcay.como.bz)

The exclusive and remote Cocoa Island, located in South Male atoll in the Maldives, is found in an undisturbed archipelago where centuries of tides have sifted porcelain-fine sands into a dazzling, cushion-soft white, fringed by hibiscus and palms. Only 35 minutes by speedboat from the airport, the rooms are inspired by local dhoni boats in bleached wood with alang-alang roofs, and each is reached by planked walkways stretching over the lagoon. The restaurant, which draws on South India’s heritage, features the freshest local seafood and organic produce cooked by an award-winning chef. (Bookings www.cocoaisland.como.bz)

Closer to Australia, Uma Ubud in Bali offers total escape in a beautiful landscaped setting in Ubud, the island’s cultural hub. It’s circled by emerald forests and terraced hills, with villas featuring private gardens and courtyards complete with infinity-edged plunge pools. The resort provides easy access to a huge range of activities, including mountain biking, whitewater rafting and guided walks, as well as the opportunity to be part of the island’s rich cultural heritage. (Bookings www.uma.como.bz)

Also in Ubud, COMO Shambhala Estate, recent winner of the Crystal Awards by Spa Asia for Best Wellness Centre and Best Complimentary and Alternative Medicine Centre, as well as the UK Sunday Times ‘World’s Best Hotel 2007’, is a unique residential health retreat which combines holistic wellness with state-of-the-art facilities and exceptional villa accommodation. Christmas stresses will seem a million miles away as you enjoy bespoke Asian therapies ranging from yoga to Pilates and Tai’Chi, all with leading specialists. Regular Retreat Weeks focus on subjects ranging from Yoga to Tibetan Buddhism. The Estate, as it is known, is a place of beauty where silence reigns and guests find the energy to make informed life changes that will last beyond their stay. (Bookings www.comoshambhala.bz)

For those seeking the hip sophistication of an urban setting, The Metropolitan London is located a short walk from the city’s glamorous neighbourhoods of Mayfair, Knightsbridge and Piccadilly, with numerous suites overlooking leafy Hyde Park. While the Met Bar has become a cult classic among the music, media and fashion crowd, the hotel also features the legendary Nobu restaurant, offering exceptional, Michelin-starred cuisine which combines Japanese-Peruvian influences. (Bookings www.metropolitan.como.bz/ Xmas rates 16 Dec – 13 Jan)

The Metropolitan Bangkok, situated on South Sathorn Road beside the city’s buzzing nightlife, blends modern Oriental accents with high style, friendly youthful service and the panache that defines this dynamic city. While the cutting edge facilities in the rooms cater to business travellers, the COMO Shambhala Urban Escape salves the soul, with a pool, gym, Yoga studio, six treatment rooms and a Thai massage pavilion. For dining, guests can divide their time between acclaimed Mediterranean Rim restaurant, Cy’an, Glow for power juices and healthful COMO Shambhala cuisine, and the all-out glamour of the uber-cool Met Bar, which serves delicate Thai cuisine. Later at night, the bar morphs into Bangkok’s most sophisticated club-lounge. (Bookings www.metropolitan.como.bz)

Finally, The Halkin in London’s Belgravia is a contemporary classic which discreetly offers guests respite in huge sunlit conservatory suites featuring floor-to-ceiling marble bathrooms and crisp yet cosseting wools, silks and linens in cool taupes and creams. The Halkin is also home to Nahm, the Michelin-starred Thai restaurant run by respected Australian chef, David Thompson. For those wishing to escape the stresses of the world during the Christmas season, the concierge is legendary for his local knowledge; he can direct you into the sophisticated heart of London, or ensure you enjoy the hotel as an insider’s retreat. (Bookings www.halkin.como.bz / Xmas rates 16 Dec to 13 Jan)

Information about all COMO Hotels and Resorts is on www.como.bz
For further media enquiries and high res images in Aust/NZ:
Jane Corbett-Jones +61 417 772783
Jonica Paramor +61 416 216590