Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for hotels
London is For ME
By Linda Tancs
Just in time for the Olympics, Meliá Hotels International is debuting ME, one of its premium brands, in London. The luxe property, formerly the site of Marconi House, Gaiety Theatre and Strand Music Hall, is located on the Strand on the southern tip of Covent Garden, just a few moments from theatreland and some of the City’s best art galleries, museums, restaurants, bars, shopping and nightlife. The property boasts 141 rooms (including 30 rooms with a private balcony) and 16 suites. The duplex ME Suite offers a 360 degree panoramic view of the City sights–including the London Eye, Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square and the Thames–from both the suite and the fire pit warmed private terrace. Is the suite life for you?
Share this:
Art and Decadence in Marseille
By Linda Tancs
In the Panier quarter of Marseille is a French gallery-turned-guesthouse that proudly proclaims its marriage of art and decadence. Known as Au Vieux Panier, each room in the five-room B&B boasts a different design by a different artist, redesigned annually by a new group of creatives. The rooms have sported monikers like Purgatory Palace (a convergence of geometric patterns and biblical imagery), Catch the Wind (a 1960s style commune) and the Panic Room (a down-the-middle split between stark white and graffiti gone wild). De beaux rêves!
Share this:
Caribbean’s Longest Running Resort
By Linda Tancs
If you’d expect a centuries old, longest running resort to be a bit stuffy, then you’d be pleasantly surprised in St. Croix. The Buccaneer is the island’s (and Caribbean’s) longest-running resort, a legend that balances old-world charm with the wish list of today’s traveler, including spa treatments, a kids’ camp, and golf and tennis lessons. Connections are widely available from San Juan, and U.S. residents can leave the passport home. Book now for 20% off select rates this winter.
Share this:
The Hotel Tell-All
By Linda Tancs
Are you in search of the bare naked truth about your next travel destination? Is the beach really as pristine as those sun-kissed glossies would suggest? Wonder no more. At Oyster, they aim to expose those photo fakeouts that could upend your next holiday. Oyster visits hotels undercover and takes hundreds of photos of each hotel so their members can see the truth before they book–from Bermuda to Botswana. As the saying goes, the world is your Oyster.
Share this:
Tallest Nordic Hotel
By Linda Tancs
Only 15 minutes from Stockholm’s city centre, the brand new Scandic Victoria Tower is the tallest Nordic hotel, piercing the skyline at 34 floors and with enough glass to clear Murano of its inventory. The glass-clad tower with distinctive windows forming triangular patterns was created by architect Gert Wingårdh. All of the hotel’s 299 rooms are doubles, with free access to the gym, sauna and internet. This month the Skybar opens on the 34th floor. Enjoy the view.
Share this:
Fine Wines in the Foothills
By Linda Tancs
The foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains in Walland, Tennessee may seem like the least likely place to yield up an epicurious haven. Yet that’s exactly what you get at Blackberry Farm, one of America’s most celebrated intimate luxury hotels set on 4200 acres. Now through 22 May the greatest producers in the world of wine make for a rare gathering at the Farm at the second annual Hospice du Rhone event. Featuring Christophe Baron, Greg Harrington, John Lancaster, Robert Perkins, Sara Perez and Rene Barbier, these giants of Rhone will share their knowledge and special vintages with oenophiles. Life on the farm never tasted so sweet.
Share this:
A Distinctive Hue in Brussels
By Linda Tancs
Most hotels pander to your palate. In Brussels, though, the Pantone Hotel caters to your palette. This hotel of colors features a distinctive hue on each guest floor. Feeling a little blue? There’s a suite just for you.
Share this:
Sunshine Guaranteed in Cumbria
By Linda Tancs
Rain, rain, go away! The folks at the Samling Hotel in England’s Lake District are so sure that the sun will continue to shine in Windermere that they’re offering a sunshine guarantee. If even a drop of rain falls on their roof through 30 September, guests get a refund of £100 per stay. That may seem like quite a gamble, but a record drought in the area this season puts favorable odds on this bet.
Share this:
Poker Faces Galore in Las Vegas
By Linda Tancs
They’re making history at the World Series of Poker championships at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. For only the second time in WSOP’s history, a pair of brothers made it to the final table for the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy and $1.55 million in prize money. The action is hardly over, however. The biggest poker gathering of the year runs until 17 July, culminating in the 13-day No-Limit Hold’em Championship. Wanna play? Better pre register to guarantee a seat at the pot of your choice.
DISCLOSURE OF NO MATERIAL CONNECTION
The author has not received any compensation for writing this content and has no material connection to the brands, topics, products and/or services that are mentioned herein.
Share this:
Ukraina’s Facelift Complete in Moscow
By Linda Tancs
Warm spring weather in Moscow provides leisurely boating opportunities down the Western bank of the Moscow River. For guests at the newly renovated Hotel Ukraina, a jaunt from the hotel’s jetty makes cruising a breeze. The 1950s Gothic-style monument to Stalin’s regime strikes quite the pose against the skyline opposite the Russian Government’s White House. A stone’s throw from the commercial hustle and bustle of Novy Arbat Street, the 30-story building with a combination of 1000 rooms, suites or apartments will reopen on 1 June, offering grand panoramic views of the city. In keeping with its moniker, the hotel offers a renowned authentic Ukranian restaurant. Other amenities include a 24-hour fully equipped business center, conference facilities, on-site shopping and a sightseeing and excursion bureau, all in the heart of Moscow.
DISCLOSURE OF NO MATERIAL CONNECTION
The author has not received any compensation for writing this content and has no material connection to the brands, topics, products and/or services that are mentioned herein.
Travelrific® Travel Journal 