Hotels | Luxury and Cheap Hotel Offers

This week the prestigious AHA Aon Hotel Awards for Excellence (WA) 2008 were presented at a gala ball in Perth. WA’s Best Concierge and Guest Services Provider Award 2008 was won by the Concierge of the Parmelia Hilton. This is the fifth time in six years and the third consecutive year that the team has won this award and places the hotel in the AHA Hall of Fame.

Whitbread PLC, the UK’s largest hotel and restaurant group, has announced today that it is launching a new bespoke training and development programme. Named ‘The Whitbread Apprenticeship Programme’ it is the first and largest employer-led programme of its kind in the hospitality industry.

Innkeepers Sven Rudstrom and Alexandra Grabbe just gave USA-bound eco-tourists an added reason to move Chez Sven Bed & Breakfast, New England, to the top of their travel agenda. In renovating the northern wing of their old Cape Codder, Rudstrom and Grabbe paid particular attention to details, making the new space as green as possible.

Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts has opened two new Amrita Spa & Wellness Centers at Swissôtel The Bosphorus, Istanbul and Swissôtel Grand Efes, Izmir, both considered oases of tranquillity and relaxation and honoured with membership in “Leading Spas of the World.”

On 16 November 2008, 1,500 people will climb 1,336 steps up 73 storeys to the pinnacle of Swissôtel The Stamford at the Swissôtel Vertical Marathon, all for a good cause. This signature sports event aims to raise S$35,000 for the Spastic Children’s Association of Singapore through its corporate charity race.

Le Méridien Al Aqah Beach Resort in Fujairah is a key sponsor of the inaugural Spinneys Coast to Coast Challenge on 14 November, which will commence in Mirdif and end at the east coast resort. More than 250 cyclists are expected to reach the resort as the last stop on a grueling, mountainous course that finishes in Le Méridien Al Aqah’s stunning beachside setting.

This month, the largest writing contest in the world celebrates its ten-year anniversary and in celebration of The National Novel Writing Month, Holbeck Ghyll Country House Hotel in the Lake District has some exceptional mid-week writing breaks available throughout November which benefit from savings of up to £300 per person!*

On the Andaman coast of Phuket, Thailand, Kamala is one of the most sought after addresses on the island and has become known as ‘Millionaire’s Row’. It is also home to Phuket’s newest and hottest luxury resort and residential development, Paresa, scheduled to open in early 2009.

A new world-class coastal sanctuary located at Coles Bay on the Freycinet Peninsula in Tasmania has been named “Saffire”. The inspiration for “Saffire” is drawn from fire and water and is uniquely associated with Freycinet Peninsula as the location has one of the only deposits of natural sapphires in this area.

With many families looking to make the most of their getaway this winter, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is ready to help golfers plan a memorable vacation experience the entire family will appreciate, leaving them plenty of time hit the links. This includes experientially inspired family golf getaways that are sure to please golf enthusiasts like dad, but also get the thumbs up from the rest of the clan as well.

Another holiday resort will be added to the comprehensive Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts portfolio at the Red Sea beginning in 2010. A management agreement was recently signed with the owning company International Company for Tourism and Hotel Investments for the exclusive Mövenpick Resort Abu Soma with 424 rooms and suites.

Enjoy contemporary, coastal comfort for less this winter as The Hotel & Extreme Academy, Watergate Bay launches its new ‘Taste of the Bay’ offer. Guests will be able to book a special three night break at The Hotel, Watergate Bay, on the north coast of Cornwall and experience three great restaurants from only £149 per person.*

From Alaska to Maine, if you’re in-state, you’ll find a great rate at BedandBreakfast.com. Vacation dollars are tightening, yet travelers still yearn for great getaways.

Loki Hostels (lokihostel.com), the popular accommodation choice for backpackers and adventure-seekers traveling through South America, has built its first hostel from the ground up, located oceanfront in Mancora, Peru. The new hostel, Loki del Mar, is perched on the edge of the trendy and blissful Mancora beach in Peru – a strip of sand famous across the continent for its easygoing pace of life. Loki also has hostels in Lima, Cusco and La Paz.

The 5* May Fair Hotel in London has launched the first ever independent UK hotel channel on YouTube. Far from being a corporate mish-mash of literature and promotional movies, the sort we’ve all seen at team building seminars that unite a team simply on the basis of boredom, The May Fair Channel on the world dominating YouTube site is personable, stylish, honest and human.

Thanksgiving Day, an annual one-day holiday to give thanks at the conclusion of the harvest season, dates back to 1565 in Saint Augustine, Florida. Celebrated secularly in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November, this holiday is filled with blessings and family gatherings. This year, Thanksgiving falls on 27 November, when a special festive menu will be available for lunch and dinner in the cosy atmosphere of Square One restaurant at Park Hyatt Saigon.

Amboseli Porini Camp, Selenkay Conservancy has recently been recognizied as one of the Top 15 Ecolodges in Africa and Top 50 in the World, by National Geographic Adventure magazine, in the November 2008 issue.

Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel’s Lobby Lounge was conferred the distinction of ‘Bar with the World’s Most Varieties of Rum Commercially Available’ by Guinness World Records. Lobby Lounge’s selection of 102 rum varieties from different parts of the globe were individually checked and verified in an adjudication event led by Ms. Angela Wu, official adjudicator for Guinness World Records.

Long-recognized as Hawai'i's most romantic destination, Four Seasons Resort Hualalai announces a new wedding option for couples who want to give back to the environment on their special day. With the Sustainable Nuptials Package, couples vow to create a memorable experience that is socially responsible, without sacrificing elegance and sophistication.

Award-winning Asian hospitality brand, Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts marks its entry into North America with Banyan Tree Mayakoba, located on Mexico’s pristine Riviera Maya, amidst the exclusive and ecologically-sensitive Mayakoba development.

Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts’ premier lodge destination, Emerald Lake Lodge, has been ranked fourth top Canadian resort by Conde Nast Traveler’s 2008 Readers Choice Awards. The magazine’s 21st annual survey asked 32,633 readers for their ratings of worldwide hotels, resorts and transportation providers. The results will be published in the November 2008 issue of Conde Nast Traveler. Since opening as a year-round destination in 1986, Emerald Lake Lodge has offered innovative Rocky Mountain Cuisine, rooms with fieldstone fireplaces and down duvets, and a true escape from the hectic pace of modern life.

Two of Australia’s most exclusive luxury retreats have joined forces to offer food and travel lovers a gourmet blend of majestic mountain country and tropical indulgence on the Great Barrier Reef.

Guests staying at Dubai’s Tamani Hotel Marina will have a special reason to celebrate the 4 November opening of the 12 million square feet Dubai Mall - free limousine transfers from the deluxe, all-suites property! The Tamani Hotel Marina is making limousine transfers to The Dubai Mall available to all guests for a 12-week period from the opening of this giant new shopping and entertainment complex.

Following on from its acquisition by wholly owned Irish company, Edward Holdings ltd in 2007, the magnificent 5 star luxury resort hotel, Ashford Castle in Cong, Co Mayo, Ireland, has been voted the Number One Resort Hotel in Ireland, and Number Two in Europe in the Conde Nast Traveller Magazine 2008 Readers’ Choice Awards.

The five star Lindian Village has become the first ever hotel on the Greek island of Rhodes to be approved membership to The Leading Hotels of the World organisation. The Lindian Village applied to become a member of the organisation and underwent a rigorous two-day inspection by a ‘mystery guest’.

To celebrate London's St Pancras station’s 140th anniversary, hotels Number Twelve and Ambassadors Bloomsbury are offering guests the Bloomsbury Gastronomic Encounter package.

The stylish Steenberg Hotel, situated on the Cape’s oldest farm is a mere 20-minute drive from the heart of Cape Town. This boutique hotel nestles in the tranquil Constantia Valley, against the slopes of the Steenberg Mountains, offering sweeping views over False Bay.

RIU has just inaugurated the ClubHotel Riu Karamboa, the Cape Verde island of Boa Vista’s first ClubHotel and the chain’s third in the country. The 750-room, five-star resort is located right on Praia de Salines beach and joins RIU’s two other resorts on Sal Island: ClubHotel Riu Funana and ClubHotel Riu Garopa.

There is no chance of sipping cocktails by the pool with the kids about, but why would you need to at the Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi? They offer more activities and action-packed fun for all the family than anyone could possibly do in a week! Set on an exclusive 1.3 km long white sandy private beach along the shores of the Arabian Gulf, guests at Emirates Palace are utterly spoilt for choice of things to do.