The Empress Hotel, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

The Empress Hotel, Victoria, British Columbia (Explored), originally uploaded by Brandon Godfrey.

The Fairmont Empress (most commonly known as The Empress) is one of the oldest and most famous hotels in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Located on Government Street facing the Inner Harbour, the Empress has become an iconic symbol for the city itself.

The Edwardian, château-style hotel was designed by Francis Rattenbury for Canadian Pacific Hotels as a terminus hotel for Canadian Pacific's steamship line, whose main terminal was just a block away. The hotel was to serve businesspeople and visitors to Victoria, but later as Canadian Pacific ceased its passenger services to the city, the hotel was successfully remarketed as a resort to tourists. Victoria emerged as a tourist destination beginning in the mid-to-late 1920s

The hotel has 477 rooms, with most either overlooking the Inner Harbour or the hotel's rear courtyard gardens. It has four restaurants, including The Bengal Lounge, which is decorated in Victorian-era, Colonial Indian style (when Queen Victoria was the Empress of India) or Kipling's, which is named after its once frequent guest and visitor, author Rudyard Kipling. In 2005, Kipling's closed its doors to the public in order for the hotel to gain more space for private functions. The hotel has gym facilities, a whirlpool bath and an indoor swimming pool.

What some people may not know, is that The Empress was actually built on a bog. And as a result, is sinking into the ground about a quarter of an inch each year. If you're ever taking photos of it, you'll notice that the building is never straight with the horizon.

Source: Wikipedia

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Casa Monica Hotel St Augustine, Florida, USA

Casa Monica Hotel St Augustine, Florida, originally uploaded by JamesWatkins.

Casa Monica Hotel St Augustine, Florida

.Casa Monica has been totally rebuilt and is a wonderful place to stay..if you can swing it...some of the best food in town also..There are wonderfuls shops to the street side on the left..with an art gallery in the building along with a nice coffee shop...It is right on the town square (to the left out of sight), right in front of the Flagler Museum (to the right.) Shops are within walking distance along with the nearby historical district...Built in the Spanish Renaissance style...Saint Augustine is the oldest city in the United States.

When Florida was being populated, this used to be the last stop of the railroads and this hotel along with another (across the street, which was bought and is now Flagler College) were very exotic places for the rich and famous of the day for wintering. Flagler eventually extended the railroad down through Florida to the Miami area.

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai, U.A.E.

Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Beach Hotel, originally uploaded by bedoika.

The Burj Al Arab (Arabic: برج العرب‎,"Tower of the Arabs", also known as "Arab Sail") is a hotel located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. At 321 m (1,053 ft), it is the third tallest building in the world that is used exclusively as a hotel. The Burj Al Arab stands on an artificial island 280 m (920 ft) out from Jumeirah beach, and is connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge. It is an iconic structure to mimic the sail of a ship.
Several features of the hotel required complex engineering feats to achieve. The hotel rests on an artificial island constructed 280 m (920 ft) offshore. To secure a foundation, the builders drove 230 forty-metre (130 ft) long concrete piles into the sand.
Engineers created a surface layer of large rocks, which is circled with a concrete honeycomb pattern, which serves to protect the foundation from erosion. It took three years to reclaim the land from the sea, but less than three years to construct the building itself. The building contains over 70,000 m3 (92,000 cu yd) of concrete and 9,000 tonnes of steel.
Inside the building, the atrium is 180 m (590 ft) tall.
Burj Al Arab is the world's second tallest hotel (not including buildings with mixed use). The structure of the Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang North Korea, is 9 m (30 ft) taller than the Burj Al Arab, and the Rose Tower, also in Dubai, topped Burj Al Arab's height at 333 m (1,093 ft), becoming the world's tallest hotel.

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Chateau Frontenac Quebec City

Chateau Frontenac Quebec City, originally uploaded by DenaP.

The Château Frontenac grand hotel is a popular attraction in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
It was designed by architect Bruce Price, the Château Frontenac was one of a series of "château" style hotels built for the Canadian Pacific Railway company at the end of the 19th and the start of the 20th century. It opened in 1893, five years after its sister-hotel the Banff Springs. The railway company sought to encourage luxury tourism and bring wealthy travelers to its trains.
The Château Frontenac was named in honour of Louis de Buade, Count of Frontenac, who was governor of the colony of New France from 1672 to 1682 and 1689 to 1698. The Château was built not too far from the historic Citadelle, whose construction Frontenac had begun at the end of the 17th century. The Quebec Conference of 1943, at which Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt discussed strategy for the Second World War, was held at the Citadelle while much of the staff stayed nearby in the Château Frontenac.
Although several of Quebec City's buildings stand taller, the hotel is perched atop a tall cape overlooking the Saint Lawrence River, thus giving a spectacular view for several kilometres. The building is the most prominent feature of the Quebec City skyline as seen from across the St. Lawrence, and is a symbol of the city. The hotel is built near the Plains of Abraham.
The hotel is managed and operated by Fairmont Hotels and Resorts of Toronto, a firm that manages numerous prestigious hotels around the world. The hotel was sold by Fairmont on October 31, 2000 to the Legacy Hotels REIT for CAD $185 million. However, Fairmont has a long-term management agreement with Legacy Hotels, and as of August 2005, held an 11.14% ownership in the REIT.[citation needed]
In 1953 this hotel was used as filming location for the Alfred Hitchcock's drama I Confess, with Montgomery Clift and Ann Baxter as main stars.
Prior to the building of the hotel, the site was home to the Chateau Haldimand, residence of the British colonial governors of Quebec/Lower Canada.
It holds the Guinness World Record of "The most photographed hotel in the world".

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler






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Iglesia de San Marcos-León, Spain

Iglesia de San Marcos-León, originally uploaded by davizoom.

The convent of San Marcos in León, Spain, currently a luxury parador hotel, also contains a consecrated church and museum, and is one of the most important monuments of the Renaissance in Spain. It is one of the greatest architectural jewels of León, together with the Cathedral, the Basilica of San Isidoro and la Casa Botines. It has a highly ornamental plateresque facade.

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler






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MARLOW upon THAMES the PLACE to BE!

The Compleat Angler, or the Contemplative Man's Recreation, was written by Isaak Walton in 1653 as a guide to the art of fly-fishing, but in so doing it paints a reflective picture of rural England that extols the pleasure of country life, and in particular, life on the river.

Our guide takes its inspiration from Walton and takes the discerning visitor to the heart of the River Thames as it flows from the elegance of Oxford to the majesty of Richmond-Upon-Thames.

Let us help you explore one of the most beautiful parts of England that has inspired poets, writers and painters for many centuries.
Today the river meanders through some of the most beautiful and culturally rich landscapes of Britain. Away from the frantic activities of everyday life the peaceful edges of the river guard their timeless secrets.

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler






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Castello Banfi, Tuscany, Italy

Castello Banfi appears on the Tuscan horizon like a pink hilltop castle      straight out of a fairy tale. A tall, slender Rapunzel-style tower overlooks a huge estate that reaches almost as far as the nearby Mediterranean. Within this authentic medieval fortress lies a cozy courtyard; outside lies a cluster of stone cottages with narrow vine-covered streets, a hamlet that clung to the castle walls in the dark ages. The estate holds vines, olive groves, wheat fields, plum orchards, and woodlands; within those same forests live wild boar, deer, pheasant, even truffles.

   But unlike many European winery castles, this place is no fortress when it comes to visitors. It has two restaurants, one of which has a Michelin star. It has a gorgeous wine store with spacious ceramic flooring, handsome dark wood rafters, and attractive display shelves. The winery facilities with their endless rows of barrels are immaculate, as are the 14 guest rooms located in the surrounding stone cottages.

The winery even has its own onsite cooperage, where the best oak planks from France and Slavonia are custom made into barrels. If this isn't quite enough, what surely marks this winery out as a must-see in southern Tuscany is its intriguing Glass Museum, six rooms displaying glass from the present day all the way back to the 15th century B.C. Egyptian urns sit beside Babylonian vases beside ancient Roman ampules and goblets; present-day examples include decorative crystal by some guys called Picasso, Cocteau, and Dalí. It focuses your mind temporarily away from the wine onto the see-through object that holds it.

Such rich, historic splendor has its genesis in the most unlikely of places -- Long Island, New York. This is where owner John F. Mariani's father started out with an Italian wine importer called Banfi in 1919. His timing could not have been worse -- Prohibition came a year later. He limped through those dry years selling wine for "medicinal purposes," then wasted no time importing the very best from Italy when the law was finally lifted. Business boomed, and over the years Banfi introduced the finest of Italian wines to the American market, including Lambrusco, and Chianti.

The winery itself has put its faith in Sangiovese; vineyards teeming with the grape now besiege the castle walls. While the whole complex has a somewhat polished, corporate feel, rest assured that this is no Disneyland of wine -- it's the genuine article.

Contact Information:
Castello Banfi, Montalcino; tel. 39/577/840111; www.castellobanfi.com.



"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler






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sleep under a glass dome, watch the Northen Lights

James Schemberi/The New York Times

A Bed Under Glass in the Land of the Aurora
By JAMES SCHEMBARI
Published: January 18, 2009

Spend the night in a glass igloo in the tiny town of Saariselka, marveling the northern lights.

read more.....here


"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

o tempora o mores.... νεοι καιροι νεα ηθη...

Adult hotel opened in Nanning
An employee demonstrates how to use the facilities in a hotel room for adults in Nanning, South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The hotel has attracted lots of customers with each of the rooms furnished with a red bed with straps, an adult chair and a gym ball; while the owner is a little worried the hotel might be perceived as a brothel. [CFP]

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Ξενοδοχείο ενηλίκων άνοιξε στο Nanning
στις φωτογραφίες εργαζόμενος, δείχνει τον τρόπο χρήσης των εγκαταστάσεων σε ένα δωμάτιο για ενήλικες στο Nanning, στην αυτόνομη περιφέρεια Guangxi Zhuang, της Νότιας Κίνας. Το ξενοδοχείο έχει προσελκύσει πολλούς πελάτες με κάθε ένα από τα δωμάτια επιπλωμένα με ένα κόκκινο κρεβάτι με ιμάντες, μια πολυθρόνα «ενήλικης δράσης» και μια μπάλα γυμναστικής, ο ιδιοκτήτης είναι ανήσυχος γιατί το ξενοδοχείο μπορεί να εκληφθεί σαν "οίκος ανοχής". [ΚΠΕ]

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Staying in New York's Guggenheim Museum ...τι θα πληρώνατε για μία διανυκτέρευση σε ένα μουσείο;

(David Howells)

From Times Online
November 7, 2008

Susan d'Arcy spent a night in a revolving museum exhibit, the Guggenheim's one-room hotel.

Plus, five more museums you can sleep in weekend, I kicked the mayor of New York out of bed. I’m not name-dropping (though Michael Bloomberg is a billionaire) and I’m not bragging (he’s getting to an age where his eye might linger over a Stannah stairlift ad) but I was making an exhibiton of myself - literally.
Mr Bloomberg had wanted to have the second sleepover at the city’s prestigious Guggenheim Museum ......
READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE.


FIVE OTHER MUSEUM SLEEPOVERS

A Parisienne eyeful: The Hotel Everland is a capsule-hotel-cum-art-installation on the rooftop of the Palais de Tokyo, the 16th arrondissement’s trendy contemporary arts centre. It has Sixties-inspired decor (check out the vinyl records) and sparkling views over the Eiffel Tower and the Seine. Contact: everland.com the hotel costs from £263, B&B, until spring 2009.

Steamy nights: it may surprise you to learn that the world’s largest rainforest is in Germany - the largest indoor one that is. Tropical Islands, a 50-minute train ride from Berlin, is a vast botanical theme park that allows you to sleep in its tropical jungle. Contact: 00 49 35477 60 50 50, 00 49 35477 6050 50, tents from £18.50pp including bed linen.

Flight of fancy: sleep under the wings of a plane at the Canada Aviation Museum after exploring its collection by flashlight and taking the controls of a Cessna 150 - if you can prize Competitive Dad’s fingers from the steering wheel. Contact: 00 613 993 4274, as it is primarily aimed at groups of children, the minimum fee is £220, bring your own Biggles goggles.

The ultimate wild night: for a “zoopreme” experience, Wellington Zoo offers after-hours tours where guests see lions, chimps and pandas and a very unusual wake-up call - a visit from some of the park’s “friendly contact animals”. Contact: 00 64 389 3692, from £16.50pp, B&B.

A night with the stars: London’s Science Museum has Stars and Space sleepovers with hands-on workshops and an IMAX 3D film before bedding down between the exhibits. Contact: 0207 942 4777, a stay costs £30pp, B&B, with a minimum of five children (aged between eight and 11) and one adult.

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Vineyard Hotel & Spa introduces ‘green’ coffee ... η μόδα του οργανικού καφέ

e hotel@vineyard.co.za
t +27 (0)21 657 4500
f +27 (0)21 657 4501
vineyard hotel & spa
P.O. Box 151,
Newlands, 7725
Colinton Road (off Protea Road)
Newlands, 7700,
Cape Town, South Africa


διαβάστε στους παρακάτω συνδέσμους

Vineyard Hotel & Spa introduces ‘green’ coffee on menu Travelwires.com

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

A sanctuary for women by women ...Ένα ξενοδοχείο αποκλειστικά και μόνο για γυναίκες

At the Kingdoms first and only women's Hotel and Spa; We help you harness your hidden energies to reinvent a new you. In an environment that encourages maximum expression. Situated at Aread district a stones throw away from the Diplomatic Quarter and the heart of the city.

This urban retreat is the perfect sanctuary for the female traveler.

Mission: To engage actively in the design and delivery of unique hospitality and change the way women see both the world of well being and the possibility of their own lives here in Saudi Arabia. At Luthan we make a differece.

Vision: An urban retreat for lifestyle change offering opportunities to learn healthier behaviours for personal and professional growth.

History: Luthan Health Spa

The conceptualisation of the Luthan Health Spa was the culmination of having lauched and successfully managed an elite bridal and banquet facility, the investors; all women discoverd that the city of Riyadh particular and the Kingdom at large lacked a full service residential Spa facility.

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Και όμως είναι πραγματικότητα!

Ένα ξενοδοχείο αποκλειστικά για γυναίκες πελάτες με μόνο γυναίκες υπαλλήλους.

Το ξενοδοχείο Luthan Hotel & Spa δέχεται μόνο γυναίκες ως πελάτες, ενώ η γενική διευθύντρια του η κα Lorraine Coutinho, δηλώνει ότι το ξενοδοχείο της είναι "ένας μικρός παράδεισος για γυναίκες".

Για ποιες γυναίκες όμως; Για εκείνες που ζουν στο Ριάντ, την πρωτεύουσα της Σαουδικής Αραβίας, όπου οι γυναίκες στους δημόσιους χώρους δεν μπορούν να κυκλοφορήσουν ασυνόδευτες και χωρίς να φορούν τη μπούργκα που καλύπτει ολόκληρο το σώμα.

Με το που μπαίνουν στο ξενοδοχείο οι γυναίκες και ιδίως οι επιχειρηματίες γυναίκες που είναι η πλειοψηφία των φιλοξενουμένων του, μπορούν να απαλλαγούν από το ενοχλητικό μαύρο κάλυμμα τους και να κυκλοφορούν με ό,τι ρούχα θέλουν.

Το γεγονός αυτό είναι μια μεγάλη ανακούφιση, ιδίως το καλοκαίρι, που το μαύρο ρούχο δεν είναι καν υποφερτό κάτω από τον ήλιο και τη ζέστη της Σαουδικής Αραβίας.

Είναι χαρακτηριστικό ότι όλο το προσωπικό του ξενοδοχείου από τη διευθύντρια της μηχανογράφησης μέχρι και την γκρουμ στην ρεσεψιόν είναι γυναίκες.

Το πρωτότυπο αυτό boutique ξενοδοχείο είναι μοναδικό στο είδος του σε όλο τον κόσμο. "Στη Σαουδική Αραβία, άντρες και γυναίκες είναι χωρισμένοι σε όλους σχεδόν τους δημόσιους χώρους.

Βασιστήκαμε σε αυτό το έθιμο και δημιουργήσαμε το ξενοδοχείο αυτό για να εξυπηρετήσουμε τις γυναίκες και ιδίως εκείνες που θέλουν να κάνουν διάφορες επιχειρηματικές συναντήσεις, με άλλες γυναίκες φυσικά", σχολιάζει η κα Coutinho, η οποία προέρχεται από την Ινδία και έχει μεγάλη ξενοδοχειακή εμπειρία.

Το ξενοδοχείο αυτό είναι ιδιοκτησία 20 επιχειρηματιών, γυναικών φυσικά, οι οποίες μετά την μεγάλη επιτυχία τους σκέφτονται να ανοίξουν και άλλα παρόμοια ξενοδοχεία "μόνο για γυναίκες" σε άλλες πόλεις της Σαουδικής Αραβίας.

Το Luthan Hotel & Spa διαθέτει όλες τις ανέσεις spa, γυμναστήριο, πισίνα και 20 ωραία διακοσμημένα δωμάτια.

Είναι χαρακτηριστικό ότι οι γυναίκες στην Σαουδική Αραβία, όταν μπαίνουν σε κάποιο ξενοδοχείο, πρέπει πάντα να συνοδεύονται από κάποιον άνδρα της οικογένειάς τους, και σπάνια έχουν την ευκαιρία να απολαύσουν τους δημόσιους χώρους των ξενοδοχείων, όπως οι πισίνες και τα γυμναστήρια.

Μεγάλος αριθμός των πελατών του ξενοδοχείου Luthan Hotel & Spa είναι νύφες που προετοιμάζονται για το γάμο τους. "Η ελευθερία στις κινήσεις που τους δίνει το ξενοδοχείο μας τις χαροποιεί πολύ", προσθέτει η κα Coutinho.

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Unusual Hotels of the World 2008 .....παράξενα και περίεργα ξενοδοχεία

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler