Eerily sculpted headboards adorn rooms at the Balea Lac Ice Hotel

It's been over a year since we last reported on an ice hotel, which we took as a sign that the kitschy travel trend had seen its final day pass. But rounding out this unusually mild winter season is news about the latest contender in (relatively) cheap and chilly accommodations: Romania.

The Balea Lac is one in a series of European icy lodgings that are rebuilt to compensate for melting and other seasonal changes. Temperatures inside top off at a spine-tingling 35 degrees Fahrenheit, though rest assured, every stay includes a "specialist sleeping bag" and some furs. ]]> Heidi Atwal 2012-01-04T09:30:02-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/11/2/11858/6333

Earlier this year when swine flu first erupted, 280 people were quarantined at the MetroPark Hotel in Hong Kong, we lightly dubbed it a Swine Flu Hotel. But now we have a real Swine Flu Hotel.

Hotel Sinaia, a resort in the mountains of Sinaia, Romania, has been closed after 40 Romainian and foreign law students attending a conference caught the dreaded H1N1 virus.

Health state secretary Adrian Streinu-Cercel says 40 people were hospitalized Sunday in Bucharest, suffering from medium to severe forms of the flu.

]]> juliana 2009-11-02T08:04:20-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/4/1/91212/31700 <![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/carolparc_bucharest.png" class="imgborder"><p> <p>Urban Daddy is rolling in with the good recommendations this week--yesterday we were taken with the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/3/31/64951/2435/hotels/The_Mirage_Doesn_t_Underestimate_the_Power_of_a_Bloody_Mary">Mirage's Bloody Marys</a> and today we want to explore their tip-off for a good hotel in Romanian capital Bucharest.</p><p>The <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Carol+Parc+Hotel/ian/266461"><b>Carol Parc Hotel</b></a> is billed as Bucharest's "most exclusive luxury residence" and is walking distance from the city center. Despite opening just last year, it's gained enough attention to get an entry in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_Parc_Hotel">Wikipedia</a> which includes the fact that it's got one of the largest Murano crystal chandeliers in the world--it's taller than four storeys.</p><p>The hotel itself was formed from two existing buildings, which used to be headquarters for various communist party institutions, but nobody seems to mind. The amandak 2008-04-01T15:20:01-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2007/8/22/22386/6882 <![CDATA[<p> <i>We are suckers for a room with a killer view. &nbsp;We find that we are even more likely to forgive some minor hotel inconveniences if we can stare out the window at something pretty--yeah we are that shallow. Let's help out our fellow hotel mavens by uploading rooms with killer views to the <a href="http://flickr.com/groups/hotelchatter/">HotelChatter/Flickr photo pool</a>, or by <a href="mailto:tips@hotelchatter.com">sending the photo along to us</a>. We will feature our favorites in this space from time to time. Remember to tell us the name of the hotel and the room number of the hot view.</i><p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/3873/Marriottbudapesthotelview.jpg" class="imgborder"><p> HotelChatter tipster Tom W has just had a stay in the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Marriott+Budapest/ian/132706"><b>Budapest Marriott Hotel</b></a> on the banks of the Danube. The amandak 2007-08-23T08:52:37-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2007/7/31/0617/93820 <![CDATA[<p><b>[Ed. Note: Welcome to our Good Rate/Bad Rate feature where we look at hotel prices in the same region and decide which one most deserves your hard-earned benjamins. Rates quoted here were captured on July 31, 2007 and are subject to change. Enjoy.]</b><p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/3930/hilton_bucharest.jpg" class="imgborder"><p> <p>If you're heading to Bucharest, Romania, you can easily spend two weekend nights for less than $300, starting with this week's <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2007/7/31/0118/72450/hotels/Good_Rate_A_143_Deal_at_the_Rembrandt_Hotel_Bucharest">Good Rate</a> at the Rembrandt Hotel. If that's full, you're not hurting for choices though: European site <a href="http://www.booking.com">Booking.com</a> lists 21 hotels for under $150 a night for a August 17 to 19 and Expedia lists 15. <p>Then there's the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/ATHENEE+PALACE+HILTON+BUCHAREST/ian/135560"><b>Athenee Palace Hilton Bucharest</b></a>, where the lowest rate we could find for Tim L. 2007-07-31T11:11:21-05:00 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/