Tag: Europe Hotels
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What’s Out, What’s In: Working In Instead of Out
We've started a series of what’s trending in hotels these days: What’s Out, What’s In. Do we like what we see? Think it's a dud? You be the judge!
What's Out: Trekking to the hotel gym
What's In: In-room workouts that rival a personal training session
The hotel gym. We know people use ‘em, but sometimes it’s hard to find that last bit of energy needed to drag yourself out of your room after a busy day of sightseeing or making deals. Or maybe you’re just jet-lagged and are up at 3 a.m. thinking, “Man – I could really go for a workout right now.” At these hotels, the gym comes to you.
Dorchester Collection’s new contemporary hotel 45 Park Lane in London offers you an exclusive in-room workout with fitness guru and trainer to the stars, Matt Roberts, through a bespoke and full-body in-room video program. The hotel committed to get fit during the London Olympics and got Matt to create five workouts, each video focusing on a different area of the body using the furniture at hand. (We’re not suggesting they’re copying us here at HC, but sort of like our Sweat-Worthy Hotel Room Exercises series we brought you about a month or so ago.)
When you leave you’ll also get a freebie Matt at 45 Park Lane Fitness Pack which includes step-by-step training techniques for beginners through pros, a healthy eating plan, and “in the know” tips from the trainer -- things only Matt Roberts and Naomi Campbell knew till now.
At Raffles Praslin Seychelles space is your friend if you want to have an in-room workout. In the privacy of your own 410 sq ft (minimum) villa, with a vast outdoor terrace looking out over the ocean, you can do as many Sun Salutations as you want without bumping into the furniture. All villas already include a yoga mat and, at your mere request, the resort will deliver a fitness kit consisting of a dumbbell set, skipping rope, stability ball, resistance band and a selection of exercise DVDs. If that’s not enough to get you going you can arrange for an in-room personal trainer to take you through your paces with a customized exercise program.
And don't forget, HotelChatter's Sweat-Worthy Workouts: Can't afford to hire a personal trainer to come to your room? Or more likely, are you staying in a property that doesn't have a gym or in-room fitness videos? We've got you covered with our five sweat-worthy workouts, all of which you can do in your hotel room. Watch the videos for instructions on the different body parts to work out. You're very welcome!
Two more fitness-crazed hotels below!
Hotel Packages / Ferragamo Hotels / Dan Brown / Lungarno Collection / Florence Hotel / Italy Hotels / Europe Hotels / → All Tags
Italy's Lungarno Collection Already Has a Package for Dan Brown's New Book, Inferno
With the launch this week of Dan Brown’s next magnum opus, Inferno, the Ferragamo (as in Salvatore) family-owned Lungarno Collection of hotels has come up with an Inferno Package that lets you follow in the footsteps of our intrepid hero, Robert Langdon, as he searches the hidden passageways of Florence to learn the hidden secrets to Dante’s Divine Comedy.
The Uffizi Gallery, Palazzo Vecchio and the house of Dante are just three of the places on this three-hour special access tour you'll go to before the film crews arrive and take them over to shoot the next Robert Langdon AKA Tom Hanks movie.
But that ain’t all, folks. You’ll also get:
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What's on Deck for Tomorrow at HotelTonight
We mean "tomorrow" as in the future.
"Back where it all began." HotelTonight founder and CEO Sam Shank reflects for a moment, and takes a bite of a kettle-cooked potato chip.
We're chilling at the bar in the far back of the bustling lobby of The Ace, where, in late 2010, Shank launched HotelTonight and which now inspires the interior design of the HT headquarters on the other side of the country.
Has it already been more than two years?! HT still seems like the hot new thing, though they've grown to a staff of over 80 and now support 5 languages and 6 currencies for properties on sale in 12 countries. Their most recent "big news" came only last week, as they welcomed hotels in Rome, Florence, Madrid and Barcelona to the app and showed off their snazzy SF digs in a episode of TechCrunch's TC Cribs. Heck, you know we're already fans; last week we booked three nights in two countries using HotelTonight.
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Where To Work Out The Kinks: Best Authentic Hotel Spa Treatments
Not to state the obvious, but it’s winter and you’re in need of some TLC to bring you out of your dark-day doldrums. We get it. That’s why we’ve rounded up some of the most authentic local spa treatments to kick-start your spring recovery.
Fairmont Mayakoba -- Riviera Maya, Mexico Well the world didn’t end on December 21, 2012 as the Mayans predicted, but don’t give up on them yet. They still got game. In a private canopy overlooking the mangrove forest, guests of the Willow Stream Spa can enjoy treatments that utilize Mayan ingredients such as Conchera, fossil stone and wood from the local Zapote tree. For a bliss-out treatment, try the Mayan Clay Purification which incorporates local Mayan clay and involves a massage using sage oil and Mexican obsidian stones.
Four more blissful, all-natural spa treatments after the jump!
Glamping / Boutique Hotels / Brussels Hotels / Belgium Hotels / Design Hotels / Europe Hotels / → All Tags
Brussels' Vintage Hotel Wants You To "Glamp" In Their Front Yard
When we think of Brussels, we think about the European Union, beer and chocolate. Never had we thought of the city, although scenic and somewhat quirky with its love of surrealism, as the headquarters of cool. And then in 2009 along came the 29-room Vintage Hotel (a former home for the elderly), that's in a great location close to swish shopping street, Avenue Louise. Suddenly the "it" factor went way up.
Now, in 2012, the hotel’s added a symbol of pure 1950s Americana: a refurbed vintage 1958 Airstream trailer that has all of the mod-cons one expects.Yes, Brussels has discovered "glamping" !
We got a peek at this eccentric hotel and the Airstream Room (known as "Hazel") parked in the hotel’s courtyard. Hazel is outfitted with a double bed, shower and WC, a separate seating area, WiFi, a flat-screen TV and air conditioning. (BTW, it’s the only room at the hotel that’s air conditioned.)
Learning Vacations / Hotel Packages / Europe Hotels / France Hotels / Italy Hotels / Portugal Hotels / → All Tags
3 European Culinary Vacas Teach You Mad Cooking Skills
Now that the summer rush is over, there are some great airfare deals to Europe right now. And with fall bounty in full swing, it's a good time for a culinary vacation. These cooking classes teach knife skills and the nuances of some of the world's greatest cuisines. They can be anywhere from intimate classes in a villa's kitchen to private rooms at small cooking schools taught by Michelin-star chefs.
Complete immersion is the fastest way to learn, so your course includes shopping in the markets, and wine tasting tours (of course!).
Here are some classes we found to inspire your inner chef.
Ritz-Carlton Hotels / Vienna Hotels / Hotel Openings / Europe Hotels / → All Tags
Ritz-Carlton Picks Up Shangri-La's Intended Vienna Hotel
Oh what a difference a year makes!
Remember when Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts suddenly dumped its plans to open a new hotel in Vienna, Austria? Amidst reports of opening delays, and even worse, shoddy construction quality, the property was removed from the group's expansion plans in Europe in February of 2011.
By summertime the hotel was looking forlorn and desperately in search of a new brand to put its name on the door. We even went so far to say we could probably rule out the likes of Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton to come and snap it up.
How wrong we were!
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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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:
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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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.
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.
