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Ski Hotels / Europe Hotels / Winter Hotels / Ski Resorts / Luxury Hotels / France Hotels / Austria Hotels / Switzerland Hotels / → All Tags

Woosh, Woosh! Get Your (Apres) Ski On at These Three Euro Resorts

While it's possible to find passable skiing conditions any time of year, depending on location, it's winter time that ski aficionados spend the year anticipating with zeal. Europe, with its bounty of snowy climes, is home to some of the world's best and most exclusive ski chalets—locations that provide near perfect powdery conditions for "woosh-wooshing" downhill.

We've sussed out some of the continent's most luxurious ski hotels for this feature; they're places you can kick back with spiked hot cocoa if you so choose, yet still get you up close and personal with slopeside action. Take note, Jonny Moseley-types.

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Europe Hotels / Hotel Prices / Hotel News / Hotel Rates / London Hotels / Paris Hotels / Barcelona Hotels / Belgium Hotels / Hotel News Briefs / → All Tags

Start Planning That Staycation: European Hotel Rates 'Soar' to Ridiculous Highs

A hotel room high in the sky with a price to match too!

As if the weak dollar to euro/dollar to pound exchange rate wasn't enough to deter you from booking that trip to Europe, a recent surge in hotel prices provides yet another reason to plan a staycation this year.

According to a report in the U.K.'s The Independent, European hotel rates are reaching ridiculous highs, jumping "19 percent since last month," with popular destinations seeing the biggest increases of all. Per a survey by Trivago:

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London / London Hotel Scene / Service / Hotel Reviews / Hotel News Briefs / Hotels / Europe Hotels / European Hotels / → All Tags

London Hotels Can't Get No Guest Satisfaction

Surly, not sweet: London hotels slammed by a recent customer satisfaction report

The oft uttered stereotype that Brits lack grace in the service department was recently reinforced by a report compiled by Trivago, a hotel price comparison website. Measured against 1,000 cities and towns throughout Europe, London ranked dead last by way of reputation amongst travelers, followed closely behind by Birmingham.

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Marriott Hotels / AC by Marriott / Autograph Collection / Europe Hotels / Latin America Hotels / Business Travel Hotels / Antonio Catalan / Hotel News / → All Tags

AC By Marriott is Not to Be Confused With Another AC by Marriott, The Autograph Collection

The AC Vilamari Hotel in Barcelona.

Marriott Hotels announced today an agreement to form a "hotel joint venture and new "co-brand" with a Spanish hotel group which will be called AC by Marriott.

This brand, sprung from the loins of AC Hotels headed by Antonio Catalan who will remain on board, will aggressively go after the business travel and urban-leisure markets in Europe, particularly Spain, and Latin America.

“AC by Marriott” will incorporate the concept and business model of AC Hotels’ urban-style four-star hotel product, characterized by a unique blend of quality, comfort, design and technology, with Marriott International’s global systems, distribution, and sales platforms, particularly Marriott Rewards, one of the world’s largest hospitality loyalty programs with 33 million members.

Yup, that's right. Guests staying at AC By Marriott will be able to tap into the Marriott Rewards loyalty program, earning and using points during their stays.

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Deal Or No Deal / Best Western Hotels / Hotel Deals / Rome Hotels / Italy Hotels / Europe Hotels / → All Tags

Best Western's European Deal is Good But Not Great

Winter citybreaks in Europe are our absolute favourite type of shopping-and-culture trips. Hotels are cheap, flights are half empty, the monuments are queue-free and the shops are full of Christmas cheer. Plus, eating loads is obligatory to stave off the demon cold.

So Best Western’s Two Day Promotion really tickled our fancy. The deal is this: 400 BW hotels in Europe and Egypt are offering rates starting at a peasly (for Europe) €49 (£43/$72) up to €79 (£70/$118) over December, January and February (most have backout days around Christmas and New Year, but other than that you have pretty much a free run at it – check the website for individual hotel details). To secure the rates, you need to book on 20 or 21 November on this link.

But then we checked out just how good a deal it was by scoping out the cost of a few days in Rome this December. And we were sorely disappointed.

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Deal or No Deal / Hotel Deals / Concorde Hotels / Europe Hotels / → All Tags

How Special is the Special Winter Offer From Concorde Hotels?

Where: 45 Boulevard Raspail, Paris, France, 75006

Well, hello Paris. And Berlin. And Prague. And even Marbella. Christmas shopping on the Continent is looking pretty promising this year. The latest lot to offer special winter deals are the folk at Concorde Hotels. But is it worth it?

The Winter Offer which starts 1 November and ends March 31 promises bed, breakfast and a “surprise gift” if you stay two nights or more. And the rates sound pretty good – Prague from €80 ($118/£72), Berlin from €136 and Paris from €148.

Except we just looked up rezzie rates for a couple of properties, and looks like you can do better by simply paying up front, if all you want is a room with no added extras.

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Hotel Deals / Hotel Packages / Europe Hotels / Luxury Hotels / Rocco Forte Hotels / → All Tags

Three For Two With The Rocco Forte Collection

Where: Behrenstrasse 37, Berlin, Germany, 10117

Not going to Europe this summer? This might tempt you. Stay two nights at a Rocco Forte Collection hotel (with 12 to choose from in places you’d like to be anyway, like Rome, Prague, Berlin and St Petersburg), and they’ll throw in a third for free.

The only caveat – the offer is only valid for stays during high summer, between July 27 and September 4. Unfortunately, that’s also when most of the locals will have deserted places like Rome for the seaside – but hey, at least the buses will be a little less crowded.

With this offer, the Hotel de Rome in Berlin costs $861 per room for the three nights – not so bad for $287, given that it includes breakfast (although it excludes VAT). Brown’s Hotel in London, meanwhile, will set you back $950 for the full stay. So now all you have to do is choose which one.

Parma Hotels / Italy Hotels / Europe Hotels / Hotel Deals / → All Tags

More Italian Bang For Your Buck in Parma

Where: Viale Mentana 140, Parma, Italy

The dismal state of the dollar required drastic budget cuts on a recent trip to Italy, so despite the adage “All roads lead to Rome” (been there, done it, love it), we took a detour, and instead, headed to Parma.

Parma may lack the glitz (and crowds) of the Italian capital, but it still oozes with all the charm that makes Italy one of the world’s most romantic destinations – cathedrals, art galleries, castles, culture, shopping, and killer wine and cuisine.

Since Parma is a fairly affordable destination, it opens up more opportunities for accommodations, than let’s say Rome, Florence or Venice.

Big decision: stay at a swanky five star for five nights or stretch the not-so-almighty buck for a solid one-week stay? The thought of an extended vaca won out, and online, rooms hovered right around a budget-friendly $100 per night rate at Hotel Maria Luigia (booked plenty in advance). The hotel touted four star status, and sì, it delivered.

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Europe Hotels / UK Hotels / → All Tags

Top Ten Hotels in Britain List Gives Us New Ideas

So we got a bit freaked out when we read the headline at the UK Times about the top ten British hotels for 2009 -- we kinda thought 2008 only just started -- but now that we've calmed down, the list of ten independent hotels worth staying at, as picked by the Good Hotel Guide, is an interesting one.

Out of the ten hotels on the list, there are a few that sound especially interesting. The Star Castle Hotel on the Isles of Scilly (off the south-west corner of Britain) got us interested from the location alone--if you're lucky with the weather, this place sounds like the closest you can get to a tropical beach resort in Britain. Double rooms including two meals start from £144 (US$250) but it's also important to know that the Times reviewer complained about the dessert!

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Hotel Deals / Europe Hotels / WorldHotels / Hotel News / → All Tags

WorldHotels Offering Guests the Chance to "Stay in Europe, Pay in Dollars"

Some great news for Americans looking to get a taste of Europe this summer without the bitter aftertaste of a Euro-to-Dollars conversion.

WorldHotels is offering a "Stay in Europe, Pay in Dollars" promotion--a one-to-one exchange--at all of their 41 hotels in Europe. Yay!

There is a slight catch however. The promotion is only good until August 31st and is only valid for Thursday-Monday stays. Still, it's a huge deal. The AP reports:

While rates vary, [a hotel publicist] said that an average rate is about 150 euros a night, which is the equivalent of about $237, depending on daily exchange rates. If you pay that 150 euro tab with 150 U.S. dollars, however, you save $87.

WorldHotels include the Hotel Plaza Brussels, the St. George Roma and the Hotel de Sers in Paris. So get booking!

Wheelchair Accessible Hotels / Disabled Access Hotels / Hotel Websites / Europe Hotels / Ibis Hotels / Scandic Hotels / ETAP Hotels / → All Tags

Wheelchair Accessible Hotels :: Scandic Hotels Do It Best

This week our roving correspondent Monica Guy is writing about an oft-overlooked aspect of hotels and travel: disabled access. Monica knows a lot about this subject as she works and travels frequently with Stephen Hawking. However, feel free to chime in with your thoughts and experiences too. Got a question? Let us know and we'll get it answered for you.

For disabled travellers outside of the US, perhaps a better option than designated specially-designed accessible hotels is to go for ordinary hotel chains who take access seriously.

Three cheers in this department go to the Swedish-owned Scandic Hotel chain. They recently won two prestigious awards for their efforts in the field of disabled access. Unlike most chains, they employ a full-time disability coordinator, Magnus Bergland, to advise on access issues and train staff in how to deal with guests with disabilities.

In fact, he not only advises, he makes all new staff get into a wheelchair and follow the 'guest's route' round the hotel, from parking and the reception desk to the room, bathroom and breakfast area. It's only by doing this, he claims, that people gain any sort of understanding as to the difficulties faced by disabled guests.

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Wheelchair Accessible Hotels / Disabled Access Hotels / Hotel Websites / Europe Hotels / Turkey Hotels / → All Tags

Wheelchair Accessible Hotels :: Fully Accessible Hotels

This week our roving correspondent Monica Guy is writing about an oft-overlooked aspect of hotels and travel: disabled access. Monica knows a lot about this subject as she works and travels frequently with Stephen Hawking. However, feel free to chime in with your thoughts and experiences too. Got a question? Let us know and we'll get it answered for you.

A room at the Access Centre Hotel Marmaris in Turkey.So, you're disabled and planning a holiday. Given all the nightmare involved in finding a reliable, accessible hotel, aren't you tempted to go for specially designed and designated accessible hotel?

Accessible hotels are gradually popping up all over the hotel scene, but particularly near seaside resorts in the Mediterranean. They've been designed by architects to be suitable for guests with all sorts of different disabilities, from physical disabilities and wheelchair users to those with visual and hearing impairments.

Rooms often have hoists and lowering beds, wide doors, wheelchair-charging facilities, hand-bars everywhere, emergency cords, low-level switches, flashing or vibrating pillow alarms, accessible swimming pools, and all the rest, along with more disabled toilets than you can shake a walking stick at.

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