Thursday 30 June 2011
Luxurious Mediterranean Estate
Tuesday 28 June 2011
Hotel Luxury World
Luxury World Hotel is located in Phnom Penh, a convenient 2 km from the Central Market. It offers free Wi-Fi and free parking. Karaoke rooms and a sauna are available.
Rooms at Hotel Luxury World are air conditioned and come with a cable TV. Each has a minibar and personal safe. Private bathrooms are equipped with a bathtub and hot water showers.
Guests can spend an evening singing at the karaoke room or relax with a pampering massage treatment. Luxury World also provides a 24-hour reception and car rentals.
Asian and Western dishes are served at Rooftop Musical Restaurant. For a quick bite in the afternoon, a snack bar is available.
Luxury World Hotel is a 15-minute drive from Phnom Penh International Airport.
Rooms at Hotel Luxury World are air conditioned and come with a cable TV. Each has a minibar and personal safe. Private bathrooms are equipped with a bathtub and hot water showers.
Guests can spend an evening singing at the karaoke room or relax with a pampering massage treatment. Luxury World also provides a 24-hour reception and car rentals.
Asian and Western dishes are served at Rooftop Musical Restaurant. For a quick bite in the afternoon, a snack bar is available.
Luxury World Hotel is a 15-minute drive from Phnom Penh International Airport.
Welcome to Burj Al Arab, Dubai
Arrive in absolute awe, stay individually inspired.
In its relatively short tenure on the Dubai coastline this legendary and symbolic hotel has attracted international attention and awe, ensuring its place as one of the most photographed structures in the world, and consistently voted the worlds most luxurious hotel. Designed to resemble a billowing sail, Burj Al Arab soars to a height of 321 metres, dominating the Dubai skyline. Illuminated at night by choreographed lighting representing water and fire – Burj Al Arab is simply individual, inspired, impressive.
This all-suite luxury hotel in Dubai reflects the very finest that the world has to offer. With a discreet in-suite check-in, private reception desk on every floor and a brigade of highly trained butlers, you can be assured of the ultimate in personal service throughout your stay. Upgrade your experience at Burj Al Arab with your chauffeur driven Rolls Royce.
Luxury hotel in Prague - Ambassador Zlatá Husa
See more in our photo gallery of our prestigious events.
Major conferences during the Presidency of the Czech Republic in the Council of the European Union
Ambassador Group organised major conferences during the presidency of the Czech Republic in the Council of the European Union in 2009 for following Ministry: :
Mr & Mrs Smith Make your escape…
Post Hotel Weggis
Post Weggis Hotel
Overlooking Lake Lucerne in the pretty resort of Weggis/Lucerne
Hip city design meets lakeside cool in the 45 rooms at Post Weggis Hotel with wonderful views of the lake and decorated in warm colours that enhance relaxation. All have a balcony and are equipped with a Playstation and an IPod docking station.
In summer, take a boat trip, a steam train excursion or a enjoy game of tennis followed by drinks and snacks on the BoHo Bar terrace overlooking the lake. In winter, head for the ski slopes at Gratalp, or go cross-country skiing or Nordic walking and return to Post Weggis Hotel for a warming dinner in the restaurant.
Location
Weggis, Lake Lucerne. 65 kms from Zurich Airport.Things to enjoy
Superb lakeside location, illuminated pool, lakeside bar, terrace and POHO bar, traditional Swiss restaurant and funky restaurant, wine cellar, gym, spa with beauty treatments, sauna, steam bath, solarium, watersports, boat rental, boat cruises, bike rental.
Near Post Hotel Weggis
Mountain hiking, swimming, boat trips, cable-car rides, fishing, golf, tennis, Lucerne.
Services
The POHO in Weggis combines urban lifestyle with pure pleasure. It is situated at the very heart of the village, on the waterfront of Lake Lucerne. Each of the 45 rooms is an individual chillout room – with a lake-side balcony and state-of-the-art entertainment: from the flatscreen TV and PlayStation 3 to the LED-illuminated bathtub, the furnishings leave nothing to be desired. When it’s time to kick back, a trendy spa with an indoor pool, sauna, steam bath and relaxation room awaits the guests. A modern gym with the latest machines by Technogym will get you going again. At the POHO Lakeside Center it's all about bikes and oats. Rental, cruises, wakeboard, waterski, tubing, taxi boatr...! Our own lakeside terrace with mooring for boats is the place to be on warm summer days, whilst the nightlife starts in the POHO Bar, the meeting place for locals and hotel guests. The new way of funky kitchen is servedin the avant-garde POHO Dining Lounge, whilst over 500 wine varieties await connoisseurs in the POHO Wine Cellar. There is a rustic and truly snug feel to the Weggiser Stübli: hearty fare from Bratwurst to Bauernrösti is served here.
Dunraven Arms
Dunraven Arms Hotel Adare Limerick
Set in the picture-perfect village of Adare in County Limerick
Dunraven Arms Hotel succeeds in achieving a warm, relaxed atmosphere with a genuine country house feel. Welcoming staff, open wood fires, antique furniture, and good food and wine is what makes this charming retreat so special. Wander through the manicured gardens to the River Maigue for a delightful riverside walk.
Take a horse riding trek with the local equestrian centre or opt for a round of golf at one of the many courses close to Dunraven Arms Hotel. Rest those weary limbs with an aromatherapy massage back at the hotel, before dinner in the award-winning restaurant.
Location
Adare, County Limerick. Within an hour of 22 golf courses and the majestic Cliffs of Moher. 15 minutes from Limerick town and 39 km from Shannon International Airport.Things to enjoy
Country house atmosphere, award-winning cuisine, cosy bar, indoor pool, sauna, gym, massage and beauty treatments, aqua aerobics and yoga classes, pretty gardens.
Near Dunraven Arms
Horse riding at Clonshire Equestrian Centre, fishing, walking, cycling, Limerick Race course, several famous golf courses – including Lahinch, Ballybunion, Doonbeg and The Old Head within 1-hour drive, Bunratty Castle, The Burren, The Cliffs of Moher, Blarney Castle, The Hunt Museum, University Concert Hall, Limerick, Thomond Park, King John's Castle, Adare Heritage Centre, Curraghchase Forest Park, Bunratty Castle and Foynes Flying Boat Museum.
Services
Dining
Maigue Restaurant - Renowned as one of the best Dining Rooms in the South of Ireland using all the best fresh produce of Irish origin. The Hunters Bar - Solid oak panelling with leader banquette seating giving an old club feeling for this famous bar. Informal dining available throughout the day and evening. Best Hotel Bar 2009.Spa
Bio Energy Healing / Private Swim LessonsLeisure
Extensive Leisure Centre with 17m Swimming Pool, sauna, gymnasium, and beauty and therapy rooms. Several shops in the village including antique shops, gift shops, Adare Heritage Centre and boutiques. Nearest city for shopping is Limerick City 10 km.Albert Premier Hotel
Albert Premier Hotel
A short walk to Place d’Armes in the centre of Luxembourg City
Dark woods, low square sofas and chairs, soft down lighting and accents of colour create a warm and inviting ambiance throughout Hotel Albert Premier. Vases with white orchids further enhance the sophisticated feel. Upstairs, the contemporary theme continues with rooms and suites decorated in a stylish mix of white, caramel and dark brown.
The city is wonderfully compact and easy to get around by foot. Explore the turreted Grand Ducal Palace surrounded by delightful cobbled streets in the Old Town. Then go to the Chemin de Corniche with its stunning city view. Return to Hotel Albert Premier and sit on the terrace, a quiet spot for contemplation and perfect for pre-dinner drinks in warm weather. Be sure to dine in the gourmet Restaurant Mahi for superb, inventive cuisine.
Location
Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. A 20-minute, 10 km drive from Luxembourg Findel Airport.Things to enjoy
Central location, contemporary styling, gourmet restaurant, library, terrace, massage services, fitness and steam room.
Near Albert Premier Hotel
UNESCO World Heritage Site in Old Town, Place d’Armes, cafes, restaurants, boutiques, galleries, museums, viaduct, cathedral, churches, historic sites.
Romantic Escapes
Welcome to Small Luxury Hotels of the World™
Barbie™ and Hot Wheels™ Rooms at Hôtel Plaza Athénée, Paris
Barbie™ returns to Hôtel Plaza Athénée for the second consecutive year and this time there’s something for the boys too!Dedicated to making their younger guests’ dreams come true, Hôtel Plaza Athénée is introducing the Hot Wheels™ bedroom for the first time ever, in addition to the iconic Barbie™ bedroom following the success of its debut in 2010.
For the month of August 2011, Hôtel Plaza Athénée's youngest visitors will have the chance to stay in a luxury room decked from ceiling to floor with Barbie™ or Hot Wheels™ accessories. Fulfilling every little boy’s dream, the Hot Wheels™ room will have a custom car bed flanked with Hot Wheels™ blue and orange bedside tables as well as custom cars, tracksets, stunts, games and gadgets.
New for 2011, girls can choose between two styles of room: the ‘Barbie™ Modern Princess’ room for young princesses staying at the hotel and the ‘Barbie™ Fashion Icon’ for aspiring fashionistas. In addition to Barbie™ pink twin beds, sofas, rugs and desks, the ‘Barbie™ Modern Princess’ room will have a pet grooming table and the ‘Barbie™ Fashion Icon’ will have designer furniture and a computer where trend-setting tweenagers can log on to the hotel’s VIC blog for advice on Paris’ best shopping haunts and trendiest boutiques.
The Hôtel Plaza Athénée Barbie™ and Hot Wheels™ Packages, which include one Barbie™ or Hot Wheels™ room and one Deluxe room or a suite for the parents (connecting), starts from ¤1,700 a night. Daily continental breakfast is included for both children and parents. www.plaza-athenee-paris.com
How to See the Caribbean in Sheer Luxury: Cruise Vacations
If your heart is set on visiting the tropical paradise that waits in the Caribbean Sea, skip the airport and book the vacation of your dreams on a cruise ship. Soon after you set foot on board, you will be gliding through the open ocean and your most pressing worries will involve what kind of drink to order next.
Accommodations
The cabin fare you book for the cruise represents the bulk of the price you will have to pay. This fee often covers several meals and other basic amenities as well, but usually does not include extras like alcoholic drinks or performance tickets. As in a large hotel, prices vary depending on room size and location.
The most inexpensive cabins aboard any cruise ship are always located on a lower deck toward the ship's center. This usually translates to a room without windows that may feature cramped quarters as well. However, these rooms may cost only a fraction of premium berths.
The most luxurious rooms on your cruise ship will be located on a side of the boat, offering large windows and sometimes even private balconies, letting you enjoy spectacular sunsets and views of the open sea from the comfort of your room.
Of course, these more spacious premium rooms beg the dearest prices as well. Before you make a final decision, weigh your personality type and preferences. Party animals may hardly see their rooms, while guests who cherish their privacy will appreciate an occasional escape to their cabins.
Activities on Board
More than ever before, the modern cruise ship can be likened to a floating resort town. Activities you can expect to find on board encompass nearly anything you would expect to find on solid ground and beyond.
Most ships offer world-class entertainment all day and night long. You can relax and enjoy a swinging jazz band, crack up with a comedian, catch a movie, or watch a full-scale Broadway-style show on an average day out to sea.
The more relaxation-oriented passengers will enjoy specialty spas that offer soothing massages, rejuvenating facials, or mud baths. Adventure seekers will find plenty to occupy their time as well, as most ships offer huge water parks and wave pools, all sorts of sports, and special treats. One cruise line now offers a full-sized rock climbing wall while another features a fully accessible ice skating rink!
What about the Kids?
Sometimes families are reluctant to opt for a cruise vacation because of fears that cruises are adult-only affairs. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Today, nearly every cruise ship (perhaps barring some specialty honeymoon liners) offers tons of staff and custom activities dedicated to kids and the whole family.
Different cruise lines and ships offer varying levels of engagement for the kids, so doing a bit of careful research before you finally choose a trip will pay dividends during the vacation. A family cruise ship always offers day camp programs filled with water parks, video games, creative activities, and even educational games so the kids can have fun while mom and dad slip away to enjoy themselves together.
Shore Side Adventures
Although it can be loads of fun aboard your cruise ship, the real excitement of cruising comes with that first stop at port. The average Caribbean cruise, lasting from five to seven days, visits three or four beautiful port towns along the way, so you can expect to enjoy varied island cultures and adventures. Although activities may be different from island to island, there are some favorites that many cruisers like to take advantage of universally.
• Snorkeling and Scuba Diving
Perhaps the quintessential adventure for visitors to the tropical islands, the Caribbean offers some of the world's greatest diving, with warm, clear ocean waters and thriving ecosystems of marine animals.
• Jungle Tours
These popular excursions can take place on foot, horseback, or via guided safari jeep. The ecosystems of the Caribbean islands vary greatly from place to place, and there is no better way to get a personal view of their special geography, flora, and fauna than with a guided off-road tour.
• Water Sports
With so much beautiful ocean available, the Caribbean is a natural place to try your hand at water sports like surfing, windsurfing, or even parasailing.
Cruises have something amazing to offer nearly every type of traveler. They encompass exotic travel, the ultimate in relaxation, and nonstop fun. Take some time to research and book the cruise of a lifetime now - you will not regret it.
1,020 Luxury rooms, 1 antique alarm clock
London’s first brand new hotel since the 1940’s is now open for business, and boasts a host of top new AV facilities. Chris Fitzsimmons reports from the Park Plaza Hotel at Westminster Bridge.
Main mechanical and electrical contractor Electra, engaged Barkai as the lead AV systems integrator, and they in turn hired TGM Solutions to manage the installation project on the ground in London. Director Ian Kerson was the project manager for TGM.
Complete AV system design for the Hotel was managed by Audio Visual Design (AVD), also from Israel, under the management of Daniel Fichman.
The Hotel’s construction itself is an engineering marvel. Built in three short years from 2007 to 2010, the innovative method involved laying foundations and supporting steelwork, before simultaneously digging down for the subterranean levels and building up to create the building’s above-ground floors.
At the same time, much of the hotel’s interior was constructed in modules at a separate location in Essex, before being shipped to the site and installed complete. Regular readers of InAVate may remember that this isn’t the first modular building we’ve looked at. The Assuta Hospital in Tel Aviv, which we reported on in May 2009, used the same methodology for rapid civil construction.
Whilst the hotel itself contains some 960 guest rooms, of particular interest are the business and leisure facilities offered by the Park Plaza to both guests and visitors. These include a 1,000 capacity grand ballroom, a dedicated re-configurable conference suite covering around 2,500 m2 and also numerous meeting rooms as part of the business centre. These also benefit from movable partition walls allowing the hotel to cater for most events and requirements.
The lower levels of the hotel house an extensive wellness centre with a pool, health and exercise facilities. Further leisure features include a restaurant and bar on the first floor, as well as a lobby café.
Underpinning the specific technologies installed in all of these areas is a significant Crestron control network. It controls all of the AV gear in the meeting and conferencing spaces, as well as performing audio distribution duties for the wellness centre in the guise of an Adagio system. To crown is all, the lighting in the Hotel is controlled by the UK’s largest installation of Crestron lighting equipment to-date.
AVD's designers made extensive use of QuickMedia throughout the building, providing individual space users with control over their lighting, audio and AV systems, and allowing the Hotel to be administered via a network cabled infrastructure.
Barkai’s MD Ronen Brookstein said: “Quick Media was the perfect solution for this project. Any hotel has many disparate electrical audio-visual and IT systems running through it. Being able to operate them on a single platform is hugely beneficial, and with QM we were able to achieve that.
“The QM platform gives the hotel management a fully integrated, but ultimately flexible approach to managing lighting and AV in the hotel lobby, lounges, ballroom and spa.”
Thanks to QuickMedia’s remote management features, during much of the installation and trouble shooting process Barkai’s engineering and design team was able to bug-fix and amend the control programme remotely from its offices in Ramat Gan in Israel. This made commissioning the time-pressured project considerably easier than it might have been, given that the lead contractor was based several thousand kilometres even away.
Much of the installation work overseen by Barkai / TGM Solutions was infrastructural in nature. Displays and projectors themselves were supplied by the Hotel’s in-house AV partner AVC, which holds a long term contract for the maintenance and supply of equipment. And, when it came to programming the control system, Barkai worked with AVC to make sure the Crestron network was configured correctly.
Background music throughout the hotel is handled largely using Tannoy CVS6 ceiling loudspeakers driven by Biamp MCA-8150 amplifiers. Several racks of these are located around the hotel providing power to the various distribution zones. Signal distribution and zone control is provided by Crestron’s Adagio audio distribution network. The content itself comes from an outside source. An outfit called Music Concierge was engaged to provide tailor made background music selections for the hotel. These play lists are streamed into the hotel over the internet, and a simple audio feed from the receiving PC is fed into the Adagio AADSI server. This would normally serve only six zones, but the addition of a pair of AAEI expansion units takes the system’s capacity up to 24 zones.
In each of the key locations, Crestron C2N-DB6 six button keypads provide channel selection and local volume control for that particular zone. Be it the restaurant, bar or coffee shop. In addition several locations are fitted with an iPod dock, and local inputs.
In a couple of locations there is a variation on this musical theme. Firstly in the wellness suite, Barkai opted to go for TOA’s F-2353SC dome-shaped ceiling speaker. This gives a wider dispersion profile, reducing the required ceiling speaker density.
The second variation comes in the Bar / Lounge. Here, whilst the Tannoy CVS6 is more than up to the task of producing good quality background music, something a little different was needed in the VIP area.
The bar itself features its own small performance stage, equipped with Tannoy V12 stage monitors and Beyerdynamic wired and wireless microphones. Live sound for the bar audiences is provided by a duo of Meyer Sound UPJ-1Ps backed up by two UMS-1P subwoofers.
Performances on this stage can be relayed live to a small, VIP seating area, around the corner from the rest of the bar. In this exclusive nook, a live HD camera feed from the stage can be shown on an 85”, full 1080p Panasonic plasma display. This is coupled with a pair of Tannoy i7 speakers built into the wall above it.
Elsewhere, the first floor business centre contains 13 individual meeting rooms, which can be combined via partition walls. Each of these has its own credenza located control system, comprising a C2N-DB push button controller with local inputs provided by QM-WMC / QM-WMIC panels.
The projection system comprises a variety of Sanyo models, supplied by AVC, and mounted on Galil ceiling lifts. They fire onto motorised projector screens, also from Galil, which remain concealed in the ceiling when not in use.
The first sub-level, known as –1, contains a business conference suite of seven combinable rooms. In addition there are a couple of reception areas, which can be combined as required with the conference rooms.
Audio reproduction again is provided by Tannoy ceiling speakers, driven by further Biamp MA-8150 amplifiers. In these spaces, due to the possibility of feedback from more open microphones, Biamp NEXIA CS units are also employed. Larger panasonic PT-series projectors are also in use here, coping with bigger screens and more demanding content.
The conference suite’s spaces are all fully flexible, with partition walls able to create a variety of configurations. To facilitate effective combination of the audio zones within these configurations, Barkai specified Biamp’s NEXIA SP speaker processor.
The hotel’s largest single event space is the 1000 capacity grand ballroom. Located on level –3, it provides a focal point for visiting events. Here again, much of the AV equipment installed by Barkai and SGM is the infrastructure. For large live events or conferences, rental firms will supply much of the necessary equipment, programme sound and amplification.
On the permanent side, the key component is the lighting. Each of the sectors in the ceiling can be lit individually, with LED lighting scenes pre-programmed and then controlled via a DMX processor from Lite-puter and the Crestron system.
A Crestron 12” TPMC wireless panel has been supplied giving users full control over the lighting pre-sets from the floor of the ball room.
Lighting in general throughout the hotel played an important role, so much so that Red Sea Group founder Eli Papouchado took a personal hand and interest in the design of the lighting scenes.
The ballroom also includes more Tannoy CVS6 speakers, and again Galil projector screens and lifts are in play, currently holding Panasonic PT-D series projectors.
Another major building-wide system is the digital signage network. This is again out-sourced to a third party, who makes use of the Cat-5 infrastructure specified and installed by Barkai.
It’s a combination of Exterity IPTV, news tickers and additional content. This includes floor plans of the hotel, advertisements for hotel facilities, and welcome messages for hosted events. The displays used are a collection of LG and Samsung LCDs on Galil bracketry. Signage is on view in the lobbies, bar, coffee shop, outside the restaurant and located in the reception areas of the conference facilities.
The modular process by which the installation process was carried out mirrors the construction methods of the building. Barkai fabricated all AV and lighting dimmer racks at its Israeli site, tested them, and then shipped them to London for final installation in the Hotel.
Barkai managing director Ronen Brookstein commented: “This is without doubt a really prestigious project for us. We’re very pleased with the result, and the client is as well. I can say that we are already working on another hotel project with the Red Sea Group following this one.”
As the first new Hotel built in the capital for almost 70 years, the Westminster Bridge hotel certainly represents a striking addition to the capital’s landscape. It’s unique exterior, creatively lit and finished interior and incredible flexible internal spaces mark it out as a truly modern building.
Its environmental credentials are also considerable. The hotel will have an on-site filtered water bottling 'factory' using a carbon filter process and there-by eliminating the need to transport and dispose of an estimated one million bottles of water per year.
The hotel utilises the latest building insulation technology with triple glazed, energy retaining-cladding for heat and cold retention to maximise energy efficiency. Furthermore, the hotel produces around 15% of its own energy using a biomass electric generator. The construction involved the recycling of 4,500m³ of concrete from the demolished GLC building that was retained on site for use in the new build process. We always knew the GLC was good for something!
“Nice decorated, fair but not a valued accommodation!”
“Great location, elegant rooms”
“Good for a short break away, but had quite a few faults”
I visited this hotel in February. Good location, very close to the Vatican and to a metro station which was useful for getting around. The first problem with the hotel is that it's difficult to find. Athough it is signposted, the signs arent enormously clear, and the only signage outside the actual hotel was a small brass plaque above head level, so we did spend a while looking for it! Once we got inside we spent a good 10-15 minutes looking for a member of staff to check us in, eventually we managed to find a cleaner who clearly had no idea what he was doing, but after a couple more minutes someone appeared who did know what to do. The staffs english was extremely limited, so although they were all very friendly, I wouldnt exactly describe them as being helpful, as they couldnt really understand what we wanted help with!
The room itself was lovely, beautiful furniture and all very, very clean! We were provided with plently of towels and we had a kettle and a fridge so we could make drinks. However, we were only provided with one pillow each. Sounds like a small thing, but after a couple of nights sleeping with one (very flat!) pillow it does tend to give you neckache! The staff didnt understand when we asked for another one either. The bed was also a little too firm for either of us, it actually got uncomfortable after a while.
The room was also, although beautiful, very small. Okay for a weekend away, but any longer than that and I'd suggest you stay somewhere else!
One main point with the room is that it had an amazing jacuzzi bath in it! Very luxurious and just generally a nice touch! However, it did become neccessary to use the bath as the shower was useless and flooded the bathroom everytime we used it! Not ideal.
We were provided with keys so we could come and go as we liked, which was excellent, and as I've mentioned already, good location! Several nice restaurants nearby, and grocery stores too which was useful.
The best bit about the hotel was the breakfast, you got to choose from a menu and choose a time for it to be delivered to your door. The breakfast itself was lovely, but they did get our orders wrong every morning and it was also late every morning.
Despite the hotels faults, I would stay there again, I'd just have to get a very good deal! None of the faults were massive, and we still had a lovely stay, it was really just niggly bits that I can imagine, if you stayed there for longer than we did (3 days) would get annoying.
The room itself was lovely, beautiful furniture and all very, very clean! We were provided with plently of towels and we had a kettle and a fridge so we could make drinks. However, we were only provided with one pillow each. Sounds like a small thing, but after a couple of nights sleeping with one (very flat!) pillow it does tend to give you neckache! The staff didnt understand when we asked for another one either. The bed was also a little too firm for either of us, it actually got uncomfortable after a while.
The room was also, although beautiful, very small. Okay for a weekend away, but any longer than that and I'd suggest you stay somewhere else!
One main point with the room is that it had an amazing jacuzzi bath in it! Very luxurious and just generally a nice touch! However, it did become neccessary to use the bath as the shower was useless and flooded the bathroom everytime we used it! Not ideal.
We were provided with keys so we could come and go as we liked, which was excellent, and as I've mentioned already, good location! Several nice restaurants nearby, and grocery stores too which was useful.
The best bit about the hotel was the breakfast, you got to choose from a menu and choose a time for it to be delivered to your door. The breakfast itself was lovely, but they did get our orders wrong every morning and it was also late every morning.
Despite the hotels faults, I would stay there again, I'd just have to get a very good deal! None of the faults were massive, and we still had a lovely stay, it was really just niggly bits that I can imagine, if you stayed there for longer than we did (3 days) would get annoying.
Some luxury hotels renting rooms by the hour
"One customer called and asked if she could book it every weekend," Marisa Zafran, the hotel's marketing director, told the newspaper.
These posh rooms-by-the-hour aren't just targeted at couples planning a clandestine tryst but also shoppers who want to rest their weary feet, guests in need or a power nap or travelers in search of a quiet place to wait for a late plane or cruise ship boarding.
In Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for example, cruise ship passengers with time to kill before embarkation can pay $250 for a few hours at an oceanfront cabana at the posh Ritz-Carlton, where they can sunbathe, relax and enjoy spa amenities including showers. Regular in-season overnight rates start at $409.
In trendy Malibu, Calif., weary shoppers who pay the $270 day rate can get a cabana room just steps from the sand and a three-course lunch at the Malibu Beach Inn. Prices for oceanfront rooms usually start at $385 a night.
Historic hotels
Hôtel Ritz in Paris, France
…And We’re Back! Plus, a Day in the Life
Hello again dear readers! It’s been too long; I’ve missed your smiling faces (or at least my imagination of said faces). How’ve you been? A quick recap of the past month or so:
Apropos: As we were moving our last couple boxes out of our old apartment, the cops were at our house looking for the landlord’s grandson… again.
Torture: Navigating furniture and a metric ton of boxes into a 3rd floor walk-up.
Traumatized: Our cats for the entire 10 hours worth of moving from one place to another (Fitzy was balled up in his carrier throughout the entire experience)
Boxed Chaos: The first week or so of our new 450 sq ft apartment. Just about everything aside from the tchotchkes has found a place, though there still is one lone box of random junk in the living room, taunting us.
Borderline Chaos: Just about every children’s kung fu class I’ve taught at my new job so far. Things are getting incrementally better as we are increasingly standardizing the curriculum and partitioning classes into concise and dependable “blocks.”
Magnificent: The amount of sunlight we’ve been waking up to every morning.
Positively Delightful: Being able to cook in an awesome kitchen! There’s a dishwasher and everything!!! (While this may seem trivial to some, I assure you this makes our lives infinitesimally more pleasant.)
I had this Monday off, so I thought I would start things back up with a tour of what I eat when I’m left to my own devices.
Breakfast:
(Apparently, the cat helped make my tea.)
Nothing fancy, eggs over easy on Trader Joe’s english muffins, slathered in Frank’s Red Hot. Normally I’d just make toast, BUT there was not bread to be had. At least, not until…
The inaugural first batch of sourdough bread was ready!
oooo, an oven light. How novel!
It’d been almost a month since I’d baked some bread, so believe me, I was going through withdrawal. Luckily, my sourdough starter “pet” is a hardy soul. All starters tend to be nearly impervious to death, but I like to think mine is PARTICULARLY hardy (despite my constant pampering and cooing).
Lunch:
The bread was out and cooled enough in time for lunch, where I made a sandwich of sorts from the leftover Moqueca that was in the fridge (I’ll share my recipe soon, don’t worry!).
Dinner:
I decided to go lazy/fancy, with some spicy breaded lime chicken, mushrooms & garlic in vinegar, corn on the cob and a salad.
Sorry the dinner pictures are so horrible, we were starving and didn’t really want to wait around while I plated things nicely.
The highlight of dinner turned out to be the chicken; absolutely delightful! I’d added some dried chilis to the bread crumbs, which gave it the perfect zing. Here’s the recipe in case you want to give it a try:
Spicy Breaded Lime Chicken
Juice of 2 limes
Bread crumbs
4-6 dried chilis chopped finely
Salt & pepper
2.5lbs chicken breasts (sliced across to make thinner)
2-4tbsp evoo
1. Pour lime over chicken breasts, let sit for 5-15 minutes
2. Combine bread crumbs, chili, salt and pepper in a bowl
3. Dredge chicken pieces in batter
4. In a large pan, heat oil to high temperature, then fry chicken on both sides until batter is browned
5. Transfer done pieces to a plate with a paper towel to drain
Apropos: As we were moving our last couple boxes out of our old apartment, the cops were at our house looking for the landlord’s grandson… again.
Torture: Navigating furniture and a metric ton of boxes into a 3rd floor walk-up.
Traumatized: Our cats for the entire 10 hours worth of moving from one place to another (Fitzy was balled up in his carrier throughout the entire experience)
Boxed Chaos: The first week or so of our new 450 sq ft apartment. Just about everything aside from the tchotchkes has found a place, though there still is one lone box of random junk in the living room, taunting us.
Borderline Chaos: Just about every children’s kung fu class I’ve taught at my new job so far. Things are getting incrementally better as we are increasingly standardizing the curriculum and partitioning classes into concise and dependable “blocks.”
Magnificent: The amount of sunlight we’ve been waking up to every morning.
Positively Delightful: Being able to cook in an awesome kitchen! There’s a dishwasher and everything!!! (While this may seem trivial to some, I assure you this makes our lives infinitesimally more pleasant.)
I had this Monday off, so I thought I would start things back up with a tour of what I eat when I’m left to my own devices.
Breakfast:
(Apparently, the cat helped make my tea.)
Nothing fancy, eggs over easy on Trader Joe’s english muffins, slathered in Frank’s Red Hot. Normally I’d just make toast, BUT there was not bread to be had. At least, not until…
The inaugural first batch of sourdough bread was ready!
oooo, an oven light. How novel!
It’d been almost a month since I’d baked some bread, so believe me, I was going through withdrawal. Luckily, my sourdough starter “pet” is a hardy soul. All starters tend to be nearly impervious to death, but I like to think mine is PARTICULARLY hardy (despite my constant pampering and cooing).
Lunch:
The bread was out and cooled enough in time for lunch, where I made a sandwich of sorts from the leftover Moqueca that was in the fridge (I’ll share my recipe soon, don’t worry!).
Dinner:
I decided to go lazy/fancy, with some spicy breaded lime chicken, mushrooms & garlic in vinegar, corn on the cob and a salad.
Sorry the dinner pictures are so horrible, we were starving and didn’t really want to wait around while I plated things nicely.
The highlight of dinner turned out to be the chicken; absolutely delightful! I’d added some dried chilis to the bread crumbs, which gave it the perfect zing. Here’s the recipe in case you want to give it a try:
Spicy Breaded Lime Chicken
1. Pour lime over chicken breasts, let sit for 5-15 minutes
2. Combine bread crumbs, chili, salt and pepper in a bowl
3. Dredge chicken pieces in batter
4. In a large pan, heat oil to high temperature, then fry chicken on both sides until batter is browned
5. Transfer done pieces to a plate with a paper towel to drain
A meal with a message
It seems there are very few eateries without a mission, a philosophy or a dream to share with the diner. What restaurant rhetoric really gets your goat?-
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L'Enclume restaurant in Cartmel, Cumbria, where "time can stop". Someone should tell Stephen Hawking. Photograph: Murdo Macleod for the Guardian
I suppose you can't blame them really. In a world of endless criticism, 140 character reviews and a general Urbanspoon-type consensus dictating opinion, perhaps it's only right and fair that restaurants should try to big themselves up. If everyone from the most feared critic to the iPhone-toting enthusiast is sharing harsh words, thoughts, theories and opinions on anywhere flogging food, why shouldn't the sellers try to redress the balance? For years I've been consistently entertained by the results of their efforts to do so, an endless stream of self-aggrandising tosh from all corners of the restaurant world.
Firstly, there are restaurants that review themselves in their names. Burger places are particularly prone - Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Fine Burger Company and The Ultimate Burger spring immediately to mind - but everyone from Chinatown's Haozhan ("a great place to eat") to Edinburgh's La Favorita, Glasgow's Nams Fine Dining and Newcastle's Raval Luxury Restaurant & Bar is at it. Thanks for the suggestions, guys, but we diners will be the judge of that.
This sort of bluster extends to menu literature, where items are often mouth-wateringly good, irresistible or world-famous. "Award-winning" is a phrase that's particularly popular with local restaurants, a claim that it's always worth investigating. North London's Yumyum has the words emblazoned on their homepage. Their most recent award? The Hackney Gazette Food and Drink Awards: Best Thai Restaurant in N16, back in 2008. They're far from the only ones.
Simon Majumdar took umbrage with "zesty", "hearty" and "flavourful" in a blogpost last autumn and Word of Mouthers numbered the likes of "jus" and "coulis" among their bugbears. Anything wilted, moist, loaded, stacked, pan-fried, muddled, puddled, smashed or freshly cooked was also put forward for the chop. Then of course there are the restaurants whose menu terminology is so impenetrable they have to include a definitions section. One culprit is L'Anima on Liverpool Street in London, whose handy dictionary includes entries like "Colatura: anchovy water". Incidentally, L'Anima means "the soul".
The hub of all restaurant rhetoric, though, is the website, where they can really get down to defining what they do. From concise phrases to long waffly screeds, these can be anything from "visions" (in the case of Otarian) to full-blown "philosophy" sections. I like the latter better.
This is where restaurants find their vocations. It's where Cumbria's L'Enclume manages to "come to grips with who it is" and, rather surprisingly, assert that "in full immersion, time can stop". In Spain, the Celler de Can Roca's concept "is best described as a triangle with three vertices – Joan, Josep and Jordi – which, in the most perfect harmony, delineate a scenario where emotions and sensations excite and fill the palate". There's plenty more on the website.
It's an imaginative world, sometimes soundtracked by upbeat lounge muzak or chill out tunes, where meals aren't just meals: they're journeys offering enlightenment and enrichment; they're an expression of the soul; they're works of art; they're basically anything except food on a plate. At Arzak they're symphonies. "Every day we experiment and investigate with the flavours, textures and elaboration's processes," they declare. "From there comes up the 'score' that, once on the menu, our cooks will perform to the palate's delight".
Musical metaphors are rife. Pete Goossens at Belgium's Hof Van Cleve sees himself "as a composer of flavours". On his site he insists: "Elegance is the hallmark of the tempo we have chosen. Elegance of the flavours, colours, materials, fragrances and smells". He also has a new job description for the front of house staff: "With their own personalities they act out a succession, a sequence of events. Their role is equally to amplify and multiply the scale of your sensations".
Many restaurateurs feel they're offering a spiritual retreat, where if the food's up to scratch you're in real danger of some sort of epiphany. Feeling uninspired? Head to Sergio Herman's website for Oud Sluis, where to the strains of funky guitar breaks and flute flourishes you'll learn that "originality is somewhere hidden in your mind, but you need to be able to access it, which has got everything to do with emotions". Italy's Osteria Francescana, meanwhile, invites you to "test your tongue … satisfy your heart and soul; your stomach will follow. Nourishment is not mathematical, it is emotional".
Sometimes they quote, anything from Flaubert to French culinary forefather Fernand Point, as do Guernsey's Bella Luce: "If the divine creator has taken pains to give us delicious and exquisite things to eat, the least we can do is prepare them well and serve them with ceremony" (although the words melt away almost before you get a chance to read them, as if they're somehow embarrassed to be there). And in California they're so ferociously proud of their manifestos they go the extra mile to protect them. Pismo Beach's Cracked Crab is in the business of "serving the finest seafood available, in a most casual style.™"
Restaurant rhetoric is everywhere. A lunch I bought the other day from Chipotle is "not just a burrito. It's a foil-wrapped, hand-crafted, local farm supporting, food culture changing cylinder of deliciousness", a revelation that hints at the immense sociological and environmental burdens the Mexican chain has to bear (if you brush over the foil bit).
Last but not least, let's not forget the many retellings of "Our Story". Few places launch nowadays without a narrative recounting the heroic journey from humble dream to happy outcome via inspiration, temporary setback, personal sacrifice and perseverance whittled down into two heartwarming paragraphs.
Firstly, there are restaurants that review themselves in their names. Burger places are particularly prone - Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Fine Burger Company and The Ultimate Burger spring immediately to mind - but everyone from Chinatown's Haozhan ("a great place to eat") to Edinburgh's La Favorita, Glasgow's Nams Fine Dining and Newcastle's Raval Luxury Restaurant & Bar is at it. Thanks for the suggestions, guys, but we diners will be the judge of that.
This sort of bluster extends to menu literature, where items are often mouth-wateringly good, irresistible or world-famous. "Award-winning" is a phrase that's particularly popular with local restaurants, a claim that it's always worth investigating. North London's Yumyum has the words emblazoned on their homepage. Their most recent award? The Hackney Gazette Food and Drink Awards: Best Thai Restaurant in N16, back in 2008. They're far from the only ones.
Simon Majumdar took umbrage with "zesty", "hearty" and "flavourful" in a blogpost last autumn and Word of Mouthers numbered the likes of "jus" and "coulis" among their bugbears. Anything wilted, moist, loaded, stacked, pan-fried, muddled, puddled, smashed or freshly cooked was also put forward for the chop. Then of course there are the restaurants whose menu terminology is so impenetrable they have to include a definitions section. One culprit is L'Anima on Liverpool Street in London, whose handy dictionary includes entries like "Colatura: anchovy water". Incidentally, L'Anima means "the soul".
The hub of all restaurant rhetoric, though, is the website, where they can really get down to defining what they do. From concise phrases to long waffly screeds, these can be anything from "visions" (in the case of Otarian) to full-blown "philosophy" sections. I like the latter better.
This is where restaurants find their vocations. It's where Cumbria's L'Enclume manages to "come to grips with who it is" and, rather surprisingly, assert that "in full immersion, time can stop". In Spain, the Celler de Can Roca's concept "is best described as a triangle with three vertices – Joan, Josep and Jordi – which, in the most perfect harmony, delineate a scenario where emotions and sensations excite and fill the palate". There's plenty more on the website.
It's an imaginative world, sometimes soundtracked by upbeat lounge muzak or chill out tunes, where meals aren't just meals: they're journeys offering enlightenment and enrichment; they're an expression of the soul; they're works of art; they're basically anything except food on a plate. At Arzak they're symphonies. "Every day we experiment and investigate with the flavours, textures and elaboration's processes," they declare. "From there comes up the 'score' that, once on the menu, our cooks will perform to the palate's delight".
Musical metaphors are rife. Pete Goossens at Belgium's Hof Van Cleve sees himself "as a composer of flavours". On his site he insists: "Elegance is the hallmark of the tempo we have chosen. Elegance of the flavours, colours, materials, fragrances and smells". He also has a new job description for the front of house staff: "With their own personalities they act out a succession, a sequence of events. Their role is equally to amplify and multiply the scale of your sensations".
Many restaurateurs feel they're offering a spiritual retreat, where if the food's up to scratch you're in real danger of some sort of epiphany. Feeling uninspired? Head to Sergio Herman's website for Oud Sluis, where to the strains of funky guitar breaks and flute flourishes you'll learn that "originality is somewhere hidden in your mind, but you need to be able to access it, which has got everything to do with emotions". Italy's Osteria Francescana, meanwhile, invites you to "test your tongue … satisfy your heart and soul; your stomach will follow. Nourishment is not mathematical, it is emotional".
Sometimes they quote, anything from Flaubert to French culinary forefather Fernand Point, as do Guernsey's Bella Luce: "If the divine creator has taken pains to give us delicious and exquisite things to eat, the least we can do is prepare them well and serve them with ceremony" (although the words melt away almost before you get a chance to read them, as if they're somehow embarrassed to be there). And in California they're so ferociously proud of their manifestos they go the extra mile to protect them. Pismo Beach's Cracked Crab is in the business of "serving the finest seafood available, in a most casual style.™"
Restaurant rhetoric is everywhere. A lunch I bought the other day from Chipotle is "not just a burrito. It's a foil-wrapped, hand-crafted, local farm supporting, food culture changing cylinder of deliciousness", a revelation that hints at the immense sociological and environmental burdens the Mexican chain has to bear (if you brush over the foil bit).
Last but not least, let's not forget the many retellings of "Our Story". Few places launch nowadays without a narrative recounting the heroic journey from humble dream to happy outcome via inspiration, temporary setback, personal sacrifice and perseverance whittled down into two heartwarming paragraphs.
California's $19 luxury hotel room without a bed
BYO bed ... Mike pumps up his mattress for a night at Rancho Bernardo Inn in San Diego
Destination California is not its usual robust self. Hotel foreclosures are up, room occupancy is down, and according to a report released by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAECD), "tourist activity literally fell off the table" at the end of last year. The picture is notably bleak in San Diego, where the average daily room rate fell by 13.1% in the first half of 2009.Despite that decline, it still came as a surprise to find a vertiginous 91.6% reduction in the rate at San Diego's Rancho Bernardo Inn — a high-end suburban resort north of the city on Interstate 15. Through a special deal launched in June, then repeated to cover late August and early September, the hotel offered a room normally listed around $219 per night at a remarkably low $19 (£11.50). They called it the "Survivor Package", and naturally, there was a catch: no lights, no toilet paper, no towels ... and not even a bed.
The Rancho Bernardo Inn, it should be pointed out, is no backwoods flea-pit. Quite the opposite. There are antique stone fountains, red Spanish tiles and brickwork, super-sized butterflies in the skies, floppy-eared rabbits on the turf, rosemary and jasmine bushes everywhere. With its top-notch spa and a fine-dining restaurant (El Bizcocho), it represents a picture-perfect version of the southern Californian good life — where happiness is measured in manicured fairways, and bright is the flash of pristine white sports sock against sun-dried, walnut-coloured leg.So what does 19 bucks get you? In my room, a free-standing tent had been set up in the space where the bed would normally go, and two strips of yellow "caution" tape were plastered over the (disabled) air conditioning switch. All the light bulbs had been removed, but I had planned for that in advance by packing, along with an inflatable bed, a bedside reading lamp. Behind the original headboard there was an artful spray of dried twigs — an original interior design feature which fortuitously doubled as a woodland accent to the tent. The room's slatted windows overlooked that ultimate symbol of wild nature subordinated to man's will: the golf course.
The $19 Survivor Package doesn't allow the traditional hotel pleasure of stealing off with tiny bottles of shampoo and mouthwash, because there aren't any, but you do get access to the swimming pools and hot tubs (the spa costs extra, though). To keep on-site dining costs low, you can munch on a reasonably priced thin-crust pizza at the hotel's friendly, tartan-carpeted sports bar. On top of the $19, there's also a self-parking fee, a resort charge, and tax, bringing the actual billed total to just under $40 (£24) — but by any standards, that's still exceptionally low.
There is the option to upgrade the package depending on your budget – for an extra $20 you can get the bed back, for example. But if you want the pillows, sheets, linens lights and toiletries you're looking at $139. If you're simply not feeling peckish you can miss breakfast and save $20.
The ruse was the brainchild of general manager, John Gates, who ran the initial June promotion as a way of drawing attention to the hotel's presence on Twitter, and it looks like his strategy has paid off as a marketing ploy. Thanks in part to national TV coverage, the August/September version of his package sold out in six days. The hotel business in California may not be out of the woods, but at Rancho Bernardo Inn the recession's bitter pill has, apparently, been sugared.
Welcome to the Ambassador Brighton
24 en-suite rooms - 9 Extra Large Rooms for 2 - 4 persons for Groups of Friends, 8 double and 7 single rooms with Sea Views and Pier Views, balconies, quiet rooms overlooking our garden from the contemporary to traditional design in style. A mini suite with private walled garden. All rooms in our B&B Guest House hotel accommodation are ensuite with private bathroom
There is a well stocked licensed residents bar and night bar, comfortable lounge, and an attractive breakfast day room complete with original 18th century range. Green Tourism Business Scheme Gold Award Bed and Breakfast Hotel. Cooked traditional English breakfast includes local farm produce with vegetarian and vegan full English choice also.
View Miss Ada's Room - A Luxury Room at the Gore Hotel in London
Individual decor extends, as well, to the standard doubles, which are modestly priced by London standards. Most have tester beds velvet draperies, lace curtains and feature deep, Victorian-style color schemes.
Rooms have all the modern features guests expect - flat screen televisions with DVD players, wi-fi hubs, in-room bars - tucked discreetly out of sight.
As another thoughtful, modern touch, the Gore has turned a balcony overlooking its grand staircase into a tiny office where guests can check their emails, surf the Internet or print out a document free of charge.
Luxury Living Rooms: Ideas & Inspiration from Roche Bobois
With images that look as though they are ready to pop out of the screen, French furniture company Roche Bobois entices us with their new range of luxury furniture for the living room. Much like the 2009 set which we featured a while back, the company stays true to its high color-high impact philosophy. Roche Bobois ropes in rock star designers to create its furniture and they encourage them to give each piece a personality.
According to them:
According to them:
A Roche Bobois furniture piece is above all furniture with a unique character, inspired by multiple personalities: The personality of the creator who designed it, with his sense of talent and ingenuity, and your personal touch of freedom and creativity. Customization in any detail, choice of shapes, colors, leathers, woods and finishes… Each furniture piece becomes unique, exclusive and truly created for you.You would hardly call any of these traditional living but if you are the type who doesn’t mind standing out (or paying that extra dollar) you would find this very interesting.
Tuesday 14 June 2011
Lamborghini Miami Car Rental
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