Hotels in USA in statistics

With pound standing strong against the dollar more people consider taking their holidays in US. So what can you expect from an average hotel in USA? According to American Hotel & Lodging Association :

• 91% offer Internet (15% hotels charge for it, and of those, 75% to 91% of them fit into the luxury to up upscale category)
• 82% have refrigerator in the room
• 75% have a computer in the lobby for guest use
• 70% offer a free newspaper
• 67% have weekend specials
• 66% offer healthy meals
• 58% have outdoor swimming pools
• 56% allow pets, and of those, 67% charge extra for your four-legged family member.
• 48% offer vegan meals
• 47% have indoor swimming pools
• 43% have flat-screen TVs
• 40% have only non-smoking rooms
• 25% have allergy-free rooms

On the other hand, there was a 9% drop in hotels offering free breakfast compered to last survey carried out two years ago and more hotels are charging for late cancellation.

Guys night out... kind off.

For those who have enough ado about Sex and the City, the Four Seasons in New York has perfect solution; wait for it … "It's-Not-All-About-Sex-and-the-City" package created exclusively for man.

For cool $2000 a night one will be able to enjoy:

- One round of "anything but Cosmos" in The Bar
- Steak Dinner in 57 Restaurant*
- Complimentary DVD library featuring Rambo, Die Hard and Full Metal Jacket
- "Clog Your Arteries" breakfast the following morning in the guestroom or one of the hotel's dining outlets
- Double-bedded accommodations

Am I the only one who thinks this is a conspiracy of Manolo’s devotees, who through the sneaky use of the 'open' bar and cholesterol want to dominate the world?

Most luxurious hotel to be built t in Antalya

An hotel being constructed by in southern province of Antalya's Aksu region is set to surpass world's most luxurious hotel in Dubai namely Burj al-Arab.

Mardan Istanbul Palace is expected to re-define the concept of luxury in hotels throughout the globe.

Rooms in Mardan Istanbul Palace will be rented for fees ranging from 400 USD to 20,000 Euros.

The hotel will have 500 rooms. 70 percent of all rooms will be 60-70 square meters large. Standard rooms will be 45-50 square meters large while double-bedrooms will be 200 square meters large.

In addition, there will be 20 villas each 100 square meters large and king suites on top floor of the hotel, each 2,500 square meters large.

The swimming pool, which will resemble the Istanbul Strait –Bosphorus, will be 24,000 square meters large and will be the world's second biggest swimming pool. The pool will be surrounded by restaurants.

Interior decoration of the hotel is being made by Zeynep Fadillioglu. All decorative materials resemble historical artifacts from the Ottoman era. Ismailov paid 80,000 Euros for a single sofa dating back the Ottoman era.

While the main body of the hotel will resemble the Dolmabahce Palace, the garden floor will resemble the Covered Bazaar.

Gordon Ramsay to open hotel in London

The celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay is opening a boutique hotel and restaurant in Camden, North London, in May.

It will be located in York and Albany pub in Parkway, Camden Town, which opened in 1827 and was designed and built by Regent’s Park architect John Nash and named after his friend the Duke of York and Albany.

The venue will be most likely run by one of Gordon Ramsay protégés, Angela Hartnett, formerly head chef at Mayfair hotel’s The Connaught.

“It’s Angela Hartnett’s project,” said a spokeswoman for the project. “It’s owned by Gordon Ramsay’s group but it’s very much Angela who’s taking it under her wing.”

The ugliest hotel 6 - Museumotel, France

Thanks to my mate Kirka, I have another contender for the ugliest hotel in the world. Thanks!

Museumotel in the region of Vosges, France is a group of bubble like shaped houses, which were lately renovated and now reopened to public.
Built in late 1960, the Museumotel was designed by Pascal Hausermann, whose ambition was to create practical, cheap residences, very different from the big grey concrete city districts.

Complex offers 6 small and 3 large bubble houses, all with shower rooms and internet access for an average price of €60.

While I can applaud the enthusiasts who restored the hotel to its former glory, I still cannot believe how the Museumotel managed to get into “The 1000 most beautiful hotels in Europe”… maybe it is some hobbit conspiracy (?!)

Saudi Arabia opens its first women-only hotel

The first women-only hotel opened this Wednesday in Riyadh, the capitol of Saudi Arabia.

"Inside this physical structure, we are all women. We even have bell-women. We are women-owned, women-managed and women-run, from our IT engineer to our electrical engineer," says Executive Director Lorraine Coutinho.

"This is meeting a very big demand. There are women's hotels all over the world, from Berlin to the United States to everywhere," she said.

According to Luthan Hotel & Spa website:

Luthan means “escape”, at the spa we create a world that offers you refuge from the pressures of daily life.

Luthan has 25 luxurious individually designed suites and bedrooms for those who wish to extend their day with a weekend stay at this privately owned Boutique Hotel.The rooms are an extension of the spa where treatments can be carried out en suite on request.

A wide choice of leisure activities is available for all guests to enjoy. Guests to the Luthan Hotel can also attend the regular programme of excercise classes,where a varying choice from Aerobics to Yoga are available.

From the moment you step in our doors your senses will be awakened. A spa treatment which is uniquely yours, that will restore your peace of mind. Our first consideration is your personal comfort and relaxation. This reassurance never leaves us which is why a hands on treatment is so overpowering to the body.

At Luthan we cater to all your senses, the perfect urban retreat.

Bookreading service in London hotel

During London Book Fair, starting next week, the new Andaz Liverpool Street hotel in London will offer its guests "reader-in-residence," who will be available to read aloud to them in their rooms.

Andaz Liverpool Street hotel "reader-in-residence” event is one of the series to promote hotels focus on personality. There are plans for on-site performance by the Real Hamlet Company.

Your weight in gold, so get fit

The Bioferienhotel Mandler's Landhaus hotel in Austrian Alps has quite a new idea about their pricing system – it charges per pound of flesh – literally. The rates at this all organic food hotel are determinated on arrival, when hotel guests are "weighted-in" at reception; the skinnier you are, the smaller a rate.

“It is not only encouraging health and weight awareness, it also stimulates people to do more fitness training,” a hotel spokesman said.

Source: Times Online

1 Good night in Paris?

Paris Hilton supposedly would like to open her own hotel chain. Her empire already consists of clothing, shoes, canned champagne and perfume lines.

I cannot help but to wonder if video cameras are going to be standard equipment and if next to The Bible hotel guests will find 'The Tinkerbell Hilton Diaries'?

resource: Metro

The ugliest hotel 5 - Bad Blumau , Austria

Straight from the Gaudi - Klimt nightmare comes out my next contender to the honourable name of the ugliest hotel in the world.

The designer spa Rogner Bad Blumau Hotel near Graz in Austria was designed by Austrian sculptor and painter Friedensreich Hundertwasser, who is famous for calling straight lines “the devil’s tools”.

The hotel claims to be the world's largest habitable work of art and offers 290 rooms, some underground in few differently themed areas. The spa is at the centre of the complex and provides a variety of saunas and health facilities and offers a number of wellness programmes. The hotel is also home to Europe's leading holistic health centre.

According to the hotel’s philosophy ‘The absence of kitsch makes our life unbearable, you can’t do without romance.’ Can someone explain to me how kitsch is related to romance?

The ugliest hotel 4 - Idaho, U.S.

After a glorious weekend I have another nominee for the quest to find the ugliest hotel in the world.

Welcome to the Dog Bark Park Inn in Idaho, U.S. Established in 1997, it boasts to be a home to the biggest beagle in the world; Toby, a 12-foot tall beagle statue and Sweet Willy, the bed & breakfast guesthouse.

The Dog Bark Park Inn ‘s guests enter the body of the beagle from a private second story deck. Inside, they will find twenty-six carved dogs on the queen headboard, a loft room in the dog’s head, an alcove in the muzzle and dog-shaped cookies on the pillow.

Even if one can get over this barking mad idea, honestly… it is not pretty, is it?

The ugliest hotel 3 - Ottensheim, Austria

dasparkhotel in Ottensheim in Austria is my next candidate for The Ugliest Hotel.

The hotel offers three rooms (yes three, not three dozens nor three hundred), all detached (that’s not a phrase used often when talking about hotel rooms), weights 9.5 tons and is constructed from reclaimed drain pipes.

The dasparkhotel boasts an unexpectedly comfortable interior - full headroom, double bed, storage, light, power, woolly blanket and light cotton sleeping bag. All other facilities: toilets, showers, minibar, cafe, etc are supplied by the surrounding public space.

At a "pay as you wish" pricing system customers leave a Euro amount that they can afford and with which they wish to support dasparkhotel. It is probably the best value for money hotel in the world.

You know what I am going to say – the idea is down the drain - literally.

Nonos or non-itch pyjamas

Travelodge is testing full body-hugging non-itch pyjamas in five of its hotels including Heathrow Terminal 5 Travelodge.

This high-tech pyjamas are made from DermaSilk fabric and boast to help the skin to breathe, regulate body temperature and reduce itching and scratching.

The company's sleep director, Leigh McCarron, said: "As a retailer of sleep, we are constantly investigating innovative ways on how we can help our customers attain a good night's sleep.

"Something as simple as changing your bed attire can dramatically affect your quality of sleep."

To itch or not to itch, this is a question!... of practicality over the style. For me… maybe if they would come in pink… or maybe not.

The ugliest hotel - 2

Thanks to Paul from AardvarkTravel , I have a great new contender for ‘The ugliest hotel’ ranking.

Ladies and gentlemen I present you Hotel Marqués de Riscal, created by Frank O. Gehry, the renowned architect famed for the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao.

Hotel Marqués de Riscal belongs to Starwood Hotels & Resort’s The Luxury Collection - a group of unique hotels and resorts offering exceptional service to an elite clientele. The Luxury Collection hotels and resorts are distinguished by magnificent décor, spectacular settings, impeccable service and the latest in modern conveniences and amenities.

Hotel Marqués de Riscal is located in the heart of the Rioja wine region of Spain and is supposedly ideal for a relaxed holiday. According to brochure it offers “43 guest rooms, including 11 suites, feature a modern, comfortable atmosphere and unique design”.

Unique design… you can say that again.

The ugliest hotel - project

I am trying to compile the ugliest hotel list. While searching the net I came across this… building.

It supposed to be Son of Heaven Hotel in The Son of Heaven Hotel in Yanjiao Economic-Technological Development Zone, Langfang, in Hebei Province in China, only 20 minutes from World Trade Centre in Beijing. The hotel allegedly is in a shape of Chinese Gods; Fu, Lu and Shou.

I would love to hear more about it!

Travelling on a shoestring, Monolo's shoe that is.

Ever wonder if luxury hotels offer bargains? It seems they do, well kind of. The Business Week has compiled a list of the cheapest rooms in the priciest hotels.

1. Four Seasons, New York
Most expensive: $30,000 *
Cheapest: $755

The architects designed the Tower to set back as it gently cascades down to the 90 foot street wall of East 57th Street. The 367-room hotel has a variety of guestrooms from the one-bedroom suites to the most luxurious accommodations, which is the 4,000-square-foot, two bedroom presidential suite, which occupies the entire top floor of the hotel. This Presidential Suite has 14 foot coffered ceilings, a formal dining room for entertaining, and bathrooms that have saunas and steam rooms.

2. Ritz-Carlton , Tokyo
Most expensive: $18,773
Cheapest: $625

The Ritz-Carlton occupies the top nine floors of the 53-story Midtown Tower, the tallest building in Tokyo, and provides stunning views of the city. Opened in March, 2007, the high point of Frank Nicholson's dramatic classic design is the magnificent 81-meter-high sky lobby on the 45th floor.

3. Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Moscow
Most expensive: $17,555
Cheapest: $1,370

The Ritz-Carlton, Moscow lies at the edge of the famed Red Square - site of countless coronations, conflicts and celebrations Featuring the most spacious guest room in Moscow, it is also home to three-star Michelin chef Heinz Winkler's new venture, Jeroboam.

4. Burj Al Arab Hotel, Dubai
Most expensive: $14,974
Cheapest: $2,314

This all-suite hotel reflects the finest that the world has to offer. A chauffeur driven Rolls Royce, discreet in-suite check in, private reception desk on every floor and a brigade of highly trained butlers will make sure you will have luxurious and unforgettable stay.


5. Le Bristol, Paris
Most expensive: $12,055
Cheapest: $951

Hotel Le Bristol Paris is situated in the prestigious Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore. Considered by many to be the most elegant, refined, and quietly dignified hotel in the world. Filled with soft hues, refined woodwork and sumptuous fabrics, they all feature a separate entrance hall and generous marble bathrooms. Raphael Courant, two Michelin stars Restaurant Manager, welcomes guests every day for lunch and dinner.

6. Claridge's Hotel, London
Most expensive: $10,642
Cheapest: $939

The art deco jewel of Mayfair, the home to visiting royalties oozing of style and grandeur. Allegedly, in 1947, just before the wedding of then Princess Elizabeth, a harassed diplomat telephoned Claridge's and asked to speak to the King. "Certainly, sir," was the response. "Which one?"

7.Pudong Shangri-La, Shanghai
Most expensive: $5,938
Cheapest: $283

With memorable views of the Bund and the Huangpu River, the award-winning Pudong Shangri-La, Shanghai is the city’s preeminent luxury hotel, offering warm and attentive Shangri-La service and world-class dining. The recently opened Grand Tower contains 375 luxurious rooms and suites, with the Premier rooms, at 54 square meters, being the largest in Shanghai and offering panoramic, floor-to-ceiling views of the historic Bund.

8.Raffles Hotel, Singapore
Most expensive: $5,209
Cheapest: $830

Declared a National Monument in 1987, the hotel has grown from strength to strength. It was named after Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of modern Singapore. Raffles Singapore Hotel offers hotel guests an experience that embodies absolute comfort and old world charm.


9. Island Shangri-La Hotel, Hong Kong
Most expensive: $4,103
Cheapest: $339

Known locally as "Island Shang"—because there is another Shangri-La on Kowloon—this elliptically shaped building has become a Hong Kong icon. Located in the heart of the city's Central district, its 56 floors offer stunning views of The Peak, Victoria Harbor, and the distant mountains of China.

10. The Setai Hotel, Miami
Most expensive: $3,870
Cheapest: $715

Its design vision artfully combines the rich architectural history of the neighborhood and its cultural diversity with the International Art Deco movement, particularly its influence in Asia. Infused with natural materials, space and light, The Setai bears the unmistakable imprint of legendary hotelier Adrian Zecha.


Cheap as chips, don't you think?!

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*Note, all prices are per night

Three Cunard’s Queens meeting in New York

This historic meeting took place on 13th January, when three maritime queens; the Queen Elizabeth 2, the Queen Mary 2 and the Queen Victoria met for the first time in New York.

As the Queen Elizabeth 2 will retire later this year, eventually to be converted to luxurious hotel in Dubai, this was most certainly the only time these Cunard’s Queens will ever meet.

The next ‘royal appointment’ will take place in Australia on 24th February, when Queen Elizabeth 2 and the Queen Victoria cruise liners will meet again in Sydney.

No Men Please!

‘Women Only’ trend is growing stronger in the hospitality business. The newest hotel to implement the ‘women only’ floor is Hampton Inn in Albany, New York.

Ladies staying on the third floor of the Hampton Inn hotel will receive special amenities and services and pay a premium for the room, most likely $20. The scheme is to be run from Sunday to Thursday, and male guests will be welcome on the floor Fridays and Saturdays.