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Virgin Atlantic Recommends...

You can find hotel recommendations in the strangest of places but you rarely ever expect to see them on the back of an airline's hangover kit.

Normally, we leave the Virgin Atlantic amenities to our baby bro Jaunted but when it involves hotels, then we just have to step in and comment.

We got our hands on one of Virgin Atlantic's Party 24/747 pick you up packs after attending the airline's 20th anniversary celebration of flights from LAX to LHR. (Fittingly, the party was held at the London West Hollywood's rooftop.)

The packs come with four packets of Bender Mender, some supposed hangover cure. (We doubt this really helps since the only proven thing to cure a hangover is actually not drinking in excess in the first place. But still, it's a cute idea.) Then when we turned over the back of the box, Virgin Atlantic had listed some of their favorite party spots, a few of which are in hotels.

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Green Hotels / Eco-Friendly Hotels / Luxury Hotels / Ski Hotels / Cool Hotels / → All Tags

Attention Hoteliers: Let's Make This Sustainable Ski Slope Hotel a Reality

We've heard of ski-in, ski-out resorts, but visionary architect/artist Michael Jantzen's gargantuan eco ski-slope has taken the concept to another stratosphere.

Dubbed the North Slope Ski Hotel, Jantzen's 400-foot sustainable design has yet to be realized, as he's in hot pursuit of a client who shares his belief that "luxurious places on earth can, and should be built in an earth friendly way." Personally, we think the sustainability-minded Kimpton chain would be a good fit, giving the green brand heft with regard to cutting-edge design.

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Peru Hotel Reviews / Cool Hotels / Hotel Hell / → All Tags

Hotel Libertador Might Look Cool, But Really It Isn't

Where: Isla Esteves S N, Puno, Peru

This picture would be enough to convince us to book a stay at the Libertador Lago Titicaca Puno in Peru without doing any further research. But it seems like we might be disappointed.

This place obviously looks amazing, and definitely has the location thing going for it. It's on Esteves Island on Lake Titicaca, you get amazing views, and it even has a private dock so you can sail off across the lake at your whim.

But it's meant to be a five-star hotel, and it's hard to find anyone who actually thinks it is. Big complaints come in about the beds--we're talking "worst things I've ever slept on" and even worse for people of above-average height. The Libertador is also looking pretty dated on the inside and in need of some modernization and upgrading.

From the outside, this might look like one of the coolest hotels you'll ever stay it. Take pictures looking at the hotel from the lake to impress your friends; then stay in the hotel with low, low expectations, and everyone'll be happy. Rates for standard twin and queen rooms start at $115 a night including breakfast--from the breakfast tables you can watch sunrise over Lake Titicaca. So it's definitely not all bad.

[Photo: templar1307]

Hotel News / Europe Hotels / Cool Hotels / → All Tags

The Times Spills On Cool and New European Hotels

This weekend's UK Times published a list of what it thinks are the coolest new hotels across Europe.

We're not sure how much faith we can put on this list, since it does include the Adam and Eve in Antalya, Turkey, home to the world's slowest and most stupid bar staff. It does, however, get a bit of credibility back by adding the Chedi Milan, which probably does warrant the label of one of Europe's coolest new hotels.

So we're thinking that perhaps the new-since-last-month Mystique on the paradise of Santorini, Greece, might also be okay:

Its 18 villas are carved into the cliff face, each overlooking the caldera, and every one flat-screened and hi-fi'd. There's locally quarried limestone on the floor, original art on the walls, cushions clad in antique textiles.

Yep, definitely cool. They also give a tip on the Hotel Fouquet's Barriere in Paris which we've already decided is cool, after it opened in November last year. Perhaps it's all a matter of opinion on what's cool, but we guess a list is at least a starting point.

[Photo: newpn2000]

Related Stories:
· Europe's Coolest New Hotels [UK Times]
· A Parisian Hotel Deal [HotelChatter]
· No Paradise at Turkey's Adam and Eve Hotel [HotelChatter]

Salvador Hotels / Cool Hotels / Spaceship Hotels / → All Tags

Snapshot: Cocoon At Dusk

Where: Rua Haeckel Jose de Almeida, lote 46, Salvador, Brazil, 41613-100

Cocoon Hotel in Salvador da Bahia claims to be the first ever "spaceship hotel", and we believe 'em.

We wish we were heading to Bahia right now.

[Photo: Jacobo Zanella]

Cool Hotels / → All Tags

Lux 11: Cooler Than You

Where: Rosa-Luxemburg-Strasse 9-13, Berlin, Berlin, 10178, Germany

Could Berlin be any more hip and minimalist? Smack dab in the middle of the Mitte district (think a counterpart to NYC's Meat Packing District) is the Lux 11 Hotel, a perfect example of Berliner style: simple but luxurious and cooler than cool.

The best feature may be the chance to live like a local. The rooms are more like apartments than hotel rooms with plasma TVs, WiFi, kitchenettes and of course, more minimalist chic. You can even pick a floor plan from the boutique hotel's website.

Another restaurant lounge within the hotel should be finished soon but for the meantime guests can indulge in the signature Aveda Salon.

With rooms around 115 euros/night for a "smart room" and considering all the in-room amenities, a nice long jaunt in Germany's capital sounds not only uber-cool, but uber-realistic.

Related Stories:
· Lux 11: New and Stylish Boutique Hotel [Enter Berlin]
· Lux 11 reviews [HotelChatter]