What is the best deal you have gotten on LuxuryLink?

[LL_Travelfan]

At $400 the Hoffmeister is still a good deal. Sorry to hear they eliminated the 6-course dinner. Yes it WAS a lot to eat, but the food was exquisite, the portions small, and the service unhurried. So for us, it was an enjoyable feast.

If you haven't already visited, do not miss the
Sternberg Palace (Sternberský palác)
Hradcanske námestí 15
Prague 1
Tel: +42 (02) 2481 0758
http://www.ngprague.cz/en/2/sekce/sternberg-palace/
The Sternberg Palace is the main building of the National Gallery, exhibiting European art from the fourteenth to the eighteenth centuries except for works by Czech artists, which are housed in St George's Convent. The collection includes a fine selection of master works by artists including Holbein, Dürer, Bruegel, Rubens, van Dyck, El Greco, Goya, Gaugin, van Gogh, Picasso and Braque.
We thoroughly enjoyed our visit there.

Also another great find was the Lobkowics Museum LEM which recently was returned to the family. They have a great little eatery in there and also, you might enjoy a nice concert there. The art collections in its original setting are wonderful.
The Lobkowicz Palace at Prague Castle is one of the most beautiful and significant cultural sites in Europe. Originally the Pernštejn Palace, it was built in the mid-16th century by Czech nobleman Jaroslav of Pernštejn (1528-1569). It was to this Palace that the Spanish-born wife of his brother Vratislav, Chancellor of the Czech Kingdom, brought the celebrated Infant Jesus of Prague, renowned even today for its miraculous healing powers. The building has borne its present name and belonged to the Lobkowicz family since the marriage of Jaroslav’s niece Polyxena (1566-1642) to the 1st Prince Lobkowicz (1568-1628).

In the centuries following that marriage, the Palace witnessed some of Bohemia’s most significant historical events. In 1618, the famous “defenestration” of Prague took place when Protestant rebels threw the Catholic Imperial ministers from the windows of Prague Castle. Surviving the fall, they took refuge in the adjoining Lobkowicz Palace. Following the Protestants’ defeat at the Battle of the White Mountain, the Lobkowicz family consolidated its influence and power base for the next three centuries.

As a result, the Palace underwent a number of changes. Yet despite this, all periods of its architectural history can still be seen today. Among these changes to the building, of particular note are the Palace’s Chapel and magnificent reception rooms, today known as the Concert Hall, the Balcony Room and the Marble Hall. These were improved and embellished in the mid-17th century by the politically powerful 2nd Prince Lobkowicz, Václav Eusebius (1609-1677). His four times great-grandson, Joseph František Maximilian, the 7th Prince Lobkowicz (1772-1816), best known as Beethoven’s most generous benefactor (dedicatee of 3 symphonies and more), was however responsible for the Palace’s present day exterior, a reconstruction he commissioned for Emperor Leopold II’s 1791 coronation as King of Bohemia.

For three hundred years, the Palace was passed down to each ruling Prince. After the First World War and following the abolishment of hereditary titles in 1918, Maximilian, son of the 10th Prince Lobkowicz, demonstrated his support for the new Republic by making several rooms available to the Prime Minister’s office. At the very beginning of World War II, the invading Nazis confiscated the Palace along with all other Lobkowicz family properties. Returned in 1945, the Palace and all their other properties were seized again just three years later by the Communist regime (1948-1989).

After more than forty years of Communist rule and a further 12 years seeking its restitution, the Lobkowicz family once again became the owners of their Palace in late 2002. On April 2nd, 2007, following more than three years of planning, careful restoration and refurbishment, it was open to the public for the first time as a private family museum. The new permanent exhibition there, entitled The Princely Collections, is drawn from the extensive Lobkowicz Collections. This completely new installation not only helps revitalize an important cultural site in the heart of Europe, but it also dramatically expands the Lobkowicz family’s efforts to make these treasures accessible to the Czech people and a vast international audience. More under History of the Lobkowicz Palace-index

[jsattapr2]

At $400 the Hoffmeister is still a good deal. Sorry to hear they eliminated the 6-course dinner. Yes it WAS a lot to eat, but the food was exquisite, the portions small, and the service unhurried. So for us, it was an enjoyable feast.

If you haven't already visited, do not miss the
Sternberg Palace (Sternberský palác)
Hradcanske námestí 15
Prague 1
Tel: +42 (02) 2481 0758
NG Prague - Sternberg Palace
The Sternberg Palace is the main building of the National Gallery, exhibiting European art from the fourteenth to the eighteenth centuries except for works by Czech artists, which are housed in St George's Convent. The collection includes a fine selection of master works by artists including Holbein, Dürer, Bruegel, Rubens, van Dyck, El Greco, Goya, Gaugin, van Gogh, Picasso and Braque.
We thoroughly enjoyed our visit there.

Also another great find was the Lobkowics Museum LEM which recently was returned to the family. They have a great little eatery in there and also, you might enjoy a nice concert there. The art collections in its original setting are wonderful.
The Lobkowicz Palace at Prague Castle is one of the most beautiful and significant cultural sites in Europe. Originally the Pernštejn Palace, it was built in the mid-16th century by Czech nobleman Jaroslav of Pernštejn (1528-1569). It was to this Palace that the Spanish-born wife of his brother Vratislav, Chancellor of the Czech Kingdom, brought the celebrated Infant Jesus of Prague, renowned even today for its miraculous healing powers. The building has borne its present name and belonged to the Lobkowicz family since the marriage of Jaroslav’s niece Polyxena (1566-1642) to the 1st Prince Lobkowicz (1568-1628).

In the centuries following that marriage, the Palace witnessed some of Bohemia’s most significant historical events. In 1618, the famous “defenestration” of Prague took place when Protestant rebels threw the Catholic Imperial ministers from the windows of Prague Castle. Surviving the fall, they took refuge in the adjoining Lobkowicz Palace. Following the Protestants’ defeat at the Battle of the White Mountain, the Lobkowicz family consolidated its influence and power base for the next three centuries.

As a result, the Palace underwent a number of changes. Yet despite this, all periods of its architectural history can still be seen today. Among these changes to the building, of particular note are the Palace’s Chapel and magnificent reception rooms, today known as the Concert Hall, the Balcony Room and the Marble Hall. These were improved and embellished in the mid-17th century by the politically powerful 2nd Prince Lobkowicz, Václav Eusebius (1609-1677). His four times great-grandson, Joseph František Maximilian, the 7th Prince Lobkowicz (1772-1816), best known as Beethoven’s most generous benefactor (dedicatee of 3 symphonies and more), was however responsible for the Palace’s present day exterior, a reconstruction he commissioned for Emperor Leopold II’s 1791 coronation as King of Bohemia.

For three hundred years, the Palace was passed down to each ruling Prince. After the First World War and following the abolishment of hereditary titles in 1918, Maximilian, son of the 10th Prince Lobkowicz, demonstrated his support for the new Republic by making several rooms available to the Prime Minister’s office. At the very beginning of World War II, the invading Nazis confiscated the Palace along with all other Lobkowicz family properties. Returned in 1945, the Palace and all their other properties were seized again just three years later by the Communist regime (1948-1989).

After more than forty years of Communist rule and a further 12 years seeking its restitution, the Lobkowicz family once again became the owners of their Palace in late 2002. On April 2nd, 2007, following more than three years of planning, careful restoration and refurbishment, it was open to the public for the first time as a private family museum. The new permanent exhibition there, entitled The Princely Collections, is drawn from the extensive Lobkowicz Collections. This completely new installation not only helps revitalize an important cultural site in the heart of Europe, but it also dramatically expands the Lobkowicz family’s efforts to make these treasures accessible to the Czech people and a vast international audience. More under History of the Lobkowicz Palace-index

This reminds me of another thread we have here in the community

BEST LUXURY LINK DEAL?

[LL_Travelfan]

jsattapr2,
Yap, you are right. The one you mentioned ended in 2009. Sorry about the duplication.

[jsattapr2]

jsattapr2,
Yap, you are right. The one you mentioned ended in 2009. Sorry about the duplication.

LL_Travelfan, there is nothing for which to be sorry. There are many thread topic duplications/similarities here in the community. And timing has a long to do with it, I am certain. I simply recalled the subject having been discussed before. What is far more interesting to me, are the names of former community members, who are no longer active.

Additionally, those of us who have remained active over the years, may have changed our opinions on what deals we may now consider the best, since we probably have new and different experiences.

Maybe we should bring up the subject each year and see what we have to say.

[LL_Travelfan]

jsattapr2,
You are right about the many duplications/similarities and some threads having disappeared altogether. I also regret that so many of the earlier contributors no longer participate.
Your idea to start a "Best Luxury Link Deal" thread each year sounds like an interesting one. Let's see what we have to say next year for 2011.

[thepiranha]

I think every deal I've gotten from Luxury Link was amazing, so it's hard to choose. I just bought a deal at La Residence d'Angkor in Siem Reap, Cambodia, for my wife and daughter. Three nights, roundtrip transfers between the airport and resort, fruit basket, breakfast every morning and $120 spa credit for only $475. Two nights with breakfast normally run around that amount. Throw in my $250 gift certificate and this was an absolute steal.

[Mountie]

Some packages seem to offer better value than others. Some are just a few hundred $ different that rack rates, while others seems to offer savings in the thousands. What is the best deal you've gotten on LuxuryLink? You know, the one you like to brag about to your friends....

I tend to think all of the trips I buy from Luxury Link are excellent deals. I always do a lot of comparision shopping before I hit the buy button.

I do have to brag a little to my friends about the Mystery Auction I recently bought in Peru at the Colca Canyon. I think any time you can save 50% on a trip you've always wanted to make is a good deal.

However, when you are able to save 75% on the same trip, it immediately becomes a great deal in my mind.