Latest news with #Joali
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Oscars gift bags are worth over $216,000. Here's what's inside.
Distinctive Assets, a marketing company, offers select Oscar nominees a gift bag each year. This year's luxurious swag bag, worth over $216,000, includes a trip to the Maldives. The Oscars will air live on ABC on Sunday, March 2, at 7 p.m. ET. Entertainment marketing company Distinctive Assets offers luxurious swag bags to Oscar nominees in the acting and directing categories each year. While Distinctive Assets is not affiliated with the Oscars, the company's "Everyone Wins" gift bags full of vacations, cosmetics, and other prizes from over 60 brands will be available to nominees such as Adrien Brody, Sebastian Stan, Cynthia Erivo, Demi Moore, Kieran Culkin, and Zoe Saldaña ahead of the 97th Academy Awards. The gift collection includes several trips, the most expensive of which is a four-night stay in a villa in the Maldives worth over $23,000 courtesy of Joali. There's also a five-night luxury wellness retreat in Sri Lanka from Santani worth $8,500 and a 3d Virtual Wellness Retreat valued at $3,500. In addition to items like $25,000 body-contouring treatments and Miage's full line of skincare products, this year's swag bags also include resources for victims of the Los Angeles wildfires. The most valuable item in the entire collection is $50,000 worth of home renovation project management from Maison Construction, which Distinctive Assets said is transferrable to those affected by wildfires. Bright Harbor is also providing nominees with $3,500 in disaster recovery services and awarding them each 10 more vouchers to share with those in need. "While our gifts may be famous for being fun and fabulous, they also serve as a means to elevate small businesses, minority-owned brands, female entrepreneurs, and companies that give back," Lash Fary, founder of Distinctive Assets, said in a statement. "This year, on the heels of the historically tragic LA fires, we have found even more ways that our celebrity swag can do good in our community." The brands pay for their items to be included in the prize packages, though celebrities rarely redeem every single item since the IRS considers gift bags taxable income. The 97th Academy Awards will air live on ABC on Sunday, March 4, at 7 p.m. ET from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Read the original article on Business Insider
The Independent
21-02-2025
- The Independent
The resort town where you can find Maldives-like winter sun closer to home
In a world dominated by modern conveniences and digital devices, it's humbling to discover the surprising sophistication of ancient technologies. A visit to the ancient city of Side, nestled on the Turkish Riviera, reveals just that. Dating back to the 7th century BC, Side boasts ruins including a Roman forum, a theatre, and a reconstructed Greek fountain. The fountain showcases ingenious technology used to channel water into the city from the mountains. While much of the city remains unexcavated, the visible infrastructure offers marvels that could inform modern urban planning. The Romans ingeniously integrated pipes into walls rather than burying them under streets, which prevented the need to disrupt areas for repairs. According to Ismet, a local guide, Side's 2,000-year-old drainage system remains fully functional, having recently passed a test with flying colours after heavy rainfall. "This is the centre of the world," Ismet proclaims, highlighting Side's historical importance as a nexus of ancient trading routes. Overlooking the sea under the sun, modern establishments breathe new life into the city's ancient foundations. I'm one of the many tourists wising up to what's on offer along the Turkish Riviera. Around four hours flight from London, it's a place where there are 320 days of sun a year, according to Ismet. 'Autumn is the best season,' he says, when daytime temperatures hover around 27 C and the sea is still blissfully warm. Plus, in October and November, you don't have the same crowds as you would in summer. I'm staying a five-minute drive away from Side, in a resort called Bijal. The Turkish Riviera might have a reputation for cheap and cheerful package holidays, but Bijal wants to change that and bring a bit of Maldives -inspired luxury to the coastline. In fact, the owners – the Gürok Group – are also responsible for the Joali and Joali Being resorts in the Maldives. Similarly tropical and chic influences are felt in their Turkey outpost, which officially opened in spring last year. Bijal feels delightfully quiet and serene compared to the hubbub outside its walls. All 19 villas have a private pool so you really don't have to encounter anyone else if you don't want to. And while I've taken the time to marvel at ancient technology, I can't help but still appreciate the perks of modern life at Bijal – like heated pools and the high-tech gym. Art classes are one of several on-site activities designed to lure guests out of their villas. Over the course of three sessions, London -based painter and ceramicist Venetia Berry helps my creative juices flow through pottery and painting classes, with easels set up overlooking the beach and sea. I'm not very artistically talented, but luckily it's a low-pressure situation and Venetia teaches a more surreal style, which really gives a newbie like me a lot of wiggle room. 'It's very meditative,' says Venetia. 'You're looking at a beautiful view and painting, and not thinking about your phone or what meetings you have planned.' She's right. Sometimes we really need to be forced to put down our smartphones to realise how glorious it is to be disconnected. ' People will often leave school and not paint for 10, 15, 20 years and that inner child is still there,' adds Venetia. Staff at Bijal have reported that guests who were previously art novices – like myself – have taken a class on a whim and returned home to enrol in courses. When not painting, I spend time swapping between my private pool and the sandy beach – just a five-minute walk or two-minute cycle away from the villas, complete with a beach club and cabanas to stretch out in. Table tennis tables, dartboards, chessboards and various games prevent me from wasting hours doomscrolling on my phone. In just a few days, I come to realise the Turkish Riviera is every bit as appealing as the Maldives – minus the 10-plus hour journey and jet lag. And who knows, maybe I'll even have to look into some painting classes myself to keep the holiday going for months to come. How to plan your trip
