Top Five Newest and Trendy Luxury Hotels and Resorts Across Vietnam

Based on customers's satisfaction and recommendations, as well as his personal experiences, Pham Ha, reveals his picks for the top five new, trendy hotels and resorts in Vietnam for 2013.

Hanoi, Vietnam, January 8, 2013 -- Pham Ha is a CEO and founder of Luxury Travel Ltd (http://www.luxurytravel.com.vn), the first luxury tour operator in Indochina. He is also a travel guru, tourism speaker, writer, consultant and a leading designer of luxury tourism industry training programs.

1. An Lam Saigon River Private Residence
Managed by Epikurean, An Lam Saigon River Private Residence is a captivating and exquisite luxury lifestyle boutique hotel. It is located on the fringe of Ho Chi Minh City, just a 15-minute boat ride from the city's centre.

The property blends utmost privacy with serenity and exclusivity, and occupies a site of more than 6,000 square meters. The hotel comprises seven luxurious riverside villas set in vibrant tropical gardens, and offering extraordinary views of the Saigon River. The villas host a total of fifteen guest rooms, each exclusively designed and furnished with its own contemporary identity and with elegant Vietnamese touches.

Daring and dramatic, offering style, elegance, efficiency and sensational service, the focal point of the hotel are the Saigon River views, which are enjoyed from almost every room in the resort. (http://www.epikurean.ws)

2. Six Senses Con Dao
Set on the untouched island paradise of Con Dao, about 230 km from Ho Chi Minh City, Six Senses features luxurious villas with private infinity pools and unobstructed views of the East Sea.

True to Six Senses philosophy of selecting remote but accessible destinations in areas of outstanding natural beauty, Con Dao is an untouched and breathtakingly beautiful area, protected for decades as a national and marine park.

This is the first five-star resort in the archipelago and is reached by daily flights of just 45 minutes from Ho Chi Minh City. (http://www.sixsenses.com/condao)

With a passionate commitment to supporting and protecting the environment, Con Dao has been built with the very lightest ecological footprint. Elegantly designed modern accommodations offer generous personal space.

The resort offers 50 villas along a mile of sandy beach, sheltered by the green forested hills behind and with stunning vistas of the deep blue sea and the curve of the bay. Styles range from single-level to duplex and offer one, three and four bedrooms, with indoor-outdoor bathrooms. The efficient design reduces air conditioning whilst providing additional natural ventilation.

3. An Lam Villas Ninh Van Bay Nha Trang
A new property, with a total of 35 luxury villas, An Lam Ninh Van Bay Villas come in several styles providing the discerning traveller with the ideal choice of accommodation type. Every villa is open and spacious, with air-conditioned bedrooms.

The style is a blend of eco-modern with traditional Vietnamese touches and state-of-the-art technology. Details have been intelligently addressed to ensure comfort and wellbeing, from an indulgent rain-shower to a personalized in-villa bar.

And of course, there are the private plunge pools to refresh guests who may not feel like walking to the beach. (http://www.epikurean.ws)

4. InterContinental Peninsula Danang Sun Spa
InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort is redefining the luxury resort experience.

Embedded in the hills of the famous Son Tra Peninsula, the resort features beachfront villas with private pools and a range of more than 20 suites.

The resort will have a wide selection of cuisine that offers both local and international delights. From the spectacular views at Citron, to unforgettable world-class dining at La Maison 1888, to a dining in the sand experience at the Barefoot Café, there is abundant variety and excitement to cater to all. (http://www.danang.intercontinental.com)

5. Banyan Tree Lang Co
Framed by a three kilometre beach and lush countryside, the 280 hectare community resides near Lang Co Bay in the Chan May region overlooking the East Sea, an area renowned for its pristine coastline, tropical jungles, rugged mountain peaks and proximity to the country's most storied UNESCO World Heritage sites, including the ancient imperial capital of Hue, the historic town of Hoi An and the relics of My Son.

Laguna Lang Co is ideally situated to offer travellers the best of both worlds. Discover the rustic charms of nearby UNESCO World Heritage sites, and enjoy the plethora of services and facilities located at the resort, including exciting sports activities and award-winning signature spa treatments.

Banyan Tree Lang Co is built on a unique crescent bay offering privacy and unparalleled exclusivity. It is the most deluxe edition of the resort and hotel collection of the Laguna Lang Co complex. Designed and conceptualised for the sophisticated traveller, this five-star villa is primed to redefine standards of the ideal holiday destination.

Angsana Lang Co commands an unrivalled beach frontage with views of the shimmering East Sea. As part of the Laguna Lang Co integrated resort complex, the contemporary Angsana Lang Co resort features 229 stylish suites varying from 52 sqm to 179 sqm in size, and more than 100 of which come with their own private pools. (http://www.banyantree.com/en/lang_co)

Media Contact:
David Nguyen
Sales and Marketing Manager
Luxury Travel Group Ltd
05 Nguyen Truong To Str.,
Ba Dinh Dist, Hanoi 84444
Vietnam
84439274120

Timber Prices set to continue to Rise, claims FRA

FRA has welcomed a report from Investorplace.com, claiming that timber prices are not set to fall in 2013, making the asset class a good bet for investors looking to diversify this year.

Seattle, United States, January 8, 2013 -- Forestry Research Associates (FRA) has welcomed a report from Investorplace.com, claiming that timber prices are not set to fall in 2013, making the asset class a good bet for investors looking to diversify this year.

There are several reasons that the article gives for retaining faith in timber prices in the US. Writing for Investorplace.com, Aaron Levitt says, 'Driven by several forces - including a rebound in the US housing market, expanding pulp sales and a few issues with Mother Nature - timber became the commodity du jour during the last year.'

He goes on to talk about the gains in the US housing market that are expected this year. Increases in house prices in 2013 will be the first since 2006 and, in response to this, new home building is up by an impressive 42 per cent on a year ago.

This increase in housing starts is the main reason for the increase in lumber prices, according to Levitt, and FRA has welcomed this news. Its analysis partner, Peter Collins, said, "The knowledge that 42 per cent more homes are being built than a year ago in the US is a strong indicator that timber prices will be on the up in 2013 and beyond."

"Now is great time to invest in timber and timberland for a medium and long-term investment that is likely to diversify a portfolio against risk and act as a hedge against inflation," he went on to say.

To illustrate this point, the price of framing timber, which is used in new homes, has increased by 38 per cent in 2012 to around $373 per 1,000 board-feet.

FRA supports a wide range of sustainable, environmentally friendly alternative investments, including investing in sustainable plantations of non-native trees in Brazil and Canada. Investments in these kinds of plantation can be taken out through firms like Greenwood Management.

About Forestry Research Associates

Forestry Research Associates is a research and advisory consultancy that focuses on forestry management, sustainability issues and forestry investment around the globe.

Media Contact:
Peter Collins
Forestry Research Associates
620 Vineyard Lane
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
(206) 316 8394

US leads way for Commercial Property Investment, claims AAA

The US is leading the way in the bid to attract commercial property investors, according to a report from Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate (AFIRE), which has been welcomed by AAA.

Boston, MA, USA, January 8, 2013 -- The US is leading the way in the bid to attract commercial property investors, according to a report from Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate (AFIRE), which has been welcomed by Alternative Asset Analysis (AAA).

The annual survey from AFIRE has found that four of the top five cities in the world for commercial property investment are in the US for the first time since the annual survey started in 2001. AAA claims that this suggests that the outlook for the US economy is perhaps even more positive than expected, with businesses keen to move into the country and commercial property deals increases reflecting this.

AAA's analysis partner, Anthony Johnson, said, "Investing in real estate in US cities could bring very strong returns for those looking for alternative investments to balance their portfolios. Real estate, along with timberland, is a good medium to long-term investment prospect and can offer individuals with just a relatively small amount of cash to invest with a significant pension income, for example."

New York was still number one in terms of commercial property investment, with London hanging on to the number 2 spot. However, numbers three, four and five were more of a surprise to investment experts, explained AAA.

San Francisco rose to third from fifth, followed by Washington DC, with Houston, Texas coming in at number five, despite not being ranked at all last year.

"Houston was a surprise to us," James Fetgatter, the chief executive of AFIRE told Reuters. "San Francisco and Houston being in the top five global cities, it shows that this is where our people think the economy is going to revive. They believe these are where the drivers of the economy are going to be - in energy and tech."

AAA advocates alternative investments, such as real estate investment and investment in timberland through sustainable models like those used by Greenwood Management in its Brazilian plantations.

About Alternative Asset Analysis:
The remit of Alternative Asset Analysis is to analyse and provide news on the global performance of a wide range of alternative asset classes including, but not restricted to, commodities, real estate, forestry, foreign exchange, hedge funds, private equity and venture capital.

Media Contact:
Anthony Johnson
Alternative Asset Analysis
71 Commercial St
Boston, MA 02109-1320
617-939-9596