A Luxury Travel Blog

The Leading Hotels of the World annual directory for 2010 was released worldwide this week.  There are 13 new Leading Hotels in the handsome hardcover volume which showcases more than 450 members in over 80 countries across the globe.  They are as follows:

Royal Spa Kitzbühel, Jochberg, Austria
The Augustine, Prague, Czech Republic
Kameha Grand Bonn, Cologne, Bonn, Germany
Verdura Golf & Spa Resort, Sicily, Agrigento, Italy
Hotel Villa Magna, Madrid, Spain
One&Only Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Chateau Star River, Guangzhou, P.R. of China
Zendai Hotel Yin, Shanghai, P.R. of China
Capella Singapore, Sentosa Island, Singapore
Banyan Tree Mayakoba, Riviera Maya, Mexico
Grand Velas All Suites & Spa Resort, Riviera Maya, Mexico
Bristol Buenaventura, Buenaventua, Panama
Tivoli São Paulo Mofarrej, São Paulo, Brazil

Don’t you just hate it when you turn up somewhere, only to find someone else is wearing an identical garment?  I wonder how Rihanna felt when she emerged from the Hotel de Rome in Berlin today and found herself being upstaged by the doorman…

The Mövenpick Hotel Berlin is offering a particularly attractive package to coincide with the start of the 2009 anniversary year. “Berlin Changing Times”: two nights’ accommodation with a lot of extras for EUR 169 per person.  With 2009 marking the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the whole world is turning to the German capital. Countless venues and events have been organised to illustrate the way in which the capital has changed, with a multitude of attractions to appeal to visitors. The Mövenpick Hotel Berlin is located in the listed building complex of the former Siemenshöfe and features a particularly striking and impressive combination of historical ambience and modern design. It is situated in a prime location between the former East and West on Potsdamer Platz, making it the ideal starting point for a journey through time and the city’s impressive history.

The hotel’s tailor-made package, with all the trimmings: two nights’ accommodation in a spacious double room with generous breakfast buffet included, dinner at the Restaurant Hof zwei, buffet or three-course menu at the chef’s discretion, use of the Hotel’s very own fitness and sauna area, a Berlin City Tour Card (72 hours of free travel on all public transport in Berlin and surroundings, and discounts on admissions to many Berlin highlights). Guests will also receive a Berlin book with information on the historical changes the city has experienced. The offer is available on request and subject to availability, for the period from 2nd October to 30th December 2009.

The results of the World Airport Awards from Skytrax are out. Congratulations go to Incheon International Airport in Seoul which beat last year’s winner (Hong Kong International Airport) into second place.  The top 10 were as follows:

1. Incheon International Airport
2. Hong Kong International Airport
3. Singapore Changi
4. Zürich
5. München
6. Kansai
7. Kuala Lumpur
8. Amsterdam
9. Centrair Nagoya
10. Auckland

What is your favourite airport in the world and why?

At the Propeller Island City Lodge in Berlin, there’s a bed with a difference. Their “flying” bed can be found in one of the hotel’s many themed rooms.  The king size wooden bed is in fact suspended from the roof but a floor with a 15-degree incline helps to complete the illusion, as does other furniture in the room which has been specially adapted to take the slope into account. On the ceiling are painted the words ‘Distorted Room’. Other rooms at the hotel are similarly unusual, with beds ‘under the floorboards’, coffin beds and a bed surrounded by mirrored kaleidoscope walls.

The trend towards luxury train travel appears to be increasing for travellers who enjoy a relaxing time watching the world go by in sumptuous surroundings, whilst also knowing exactly how their budget is being spent (being that many such journeys include most meals and drinks). And travellers should be pleased to know that short European breaks are now an option with the ultra-luxury holiday train The Danube Express.

The launch of the Bohemian Short Break adventure – a 5-day fully escorted trip from Budapest to Brussels – means that those with a penchant for luxury rail travel can enjoy a scenic voyage through the changing landscapes of the heart of Europe. The break begins with two nights in Budapest before joining the Danube Express at Budapest Nyugati station, where passengers will begin with a Champagne reception for the journey through Europe to Brussels, via Vienna, Prague and Carlsbad. Arriving in Brussels at the end of the holiday, guests will say farewell to the Danube Express to board the Eurostar for journey’s end – London St Pancras.

The Danube Express offers the Bohemian Short Break from £1,890 per person, including two nights’ half board hotel accommodation in Budapest, two nights’ full board with wine, beer and soft drinks onboard the Danube Express, outbound BA flight London-Budapest, Eurostar Brussels-London in Leisure Select, transfers, full sightseeing programme and the services of a Tour Manager. The trip departs 2nd September 2009.

Andrea Wren is a freelance journalist and owner of Wren Elite Travel.

The Regent Berlin’s Fischer’s Fritz Restaurant has been awarded two Michelin stars for the second year running. Led by Chef de Cuisine Christian Lohse, one of Germany’s most prestigious chefs, Fischer’s Fritz is a haute seafood restaurant featuring French culinary influences and fresh, locally sourced produce. And Lohse is no strange to top-rated Michelin restaurants having previously worked at Charles Barrier in Tours, the three-star Guy Savoy in Paris, the three-star L’Esperance in Vezelay, and The Dorchester in London (where he was personal chef to the Sultan of Brunei).

Tripadvisor sent me an email yesterday, outlining their top 10 European luxury hotels.  In numerical order, they are as follows:

1. The Ritz-Carlton Berlin, Germany 
2. Mykonos Grand Hotel & Resort, Greece
3. Hotel Le Palais, Czech Republic 
4. The Chesterfield Mayfair Hotel, England 
5. Hotel Prinsenhof, Belgium 
6. Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal, Hungary 
7. Rudding Park Hotel, England 
8. Swissotel Berlin, Germany 
9. Four Seasons Hotel George V Paris, France 
10. Riverside Hotel, Czech Republic

No doubt you’ve been to a hotel that you think ought to be in the list, but isn’t.  Tell us by clicking on the comments link.

Earlier this year I met an accommodation provider whose property had a four-star grading, and probably a good four star at that. When I quizzed him as to whether he would be pursuing a fifth star, he was a little hesitant. He said that he probably wouldn’t, arguing that it would make his business less profitable.  His argument was that guests staying in 5-star accommodation understandably expected the very best.  Modest wear and tear on furnishings wouldn’t be acceptable and so he would have to continually invest and replace and improve anything that wasn’t completely up to scratch.

More recently I read about how some top-rated hotels in France and Germany were looking to shed a star from their ratings in order to improve business.  Hotels in Berlin belive they are losing business from the pharmaceutical industry if they carry the top ratings, whilst 3-star hotels in France have been known to decline an additional star because it takes them into a new tax bracket.  Interesting stuff.

Are you aware of other instances where hotels don’t strive for the highest grading possible?

Looking for the best in trendy hotels?  Look no further… Tripadvisor claim to have found them in their ‘top 10 hot hotels’ list.  Here it is:

1. Sanderson Hotel London, England 
2. Front Hotel, Denmark 
3. Rocco Forte Villa Kennedy, Germany  
4. Britania Hotel, Portgual 
5. Dream Bangkok, Thailand 
6. DO & CO Hotel, Austria 
7. Hotel Yasmin, Czech Republic 
8. duoMo hotel, Italy 
9. Aimia Hotel, Spain
10. The Glasshouse, Scotland

Of course, this is highly subjective, but it does strike me as a little strange that only one is outside of Europe.

How important is a really good quality bed to you?  It’s an issue that I’ve paid attention to more and more in recent times (my wife had a slipped disc that required surgery, just over 12 months ago) and so I was interested to hear that the Vi Spring is the bed of choice for the Beckhams. Theirs retails in Harrods for £24,275. And it’s also the bed of choice for many leading hotels around Europe, including the Palais Coburg Residence, Hotel Ravenstein, Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin, Langshott Manor, Villa Trompenberg and The Zetter to name just some.  But it’s by no means the most expensive bed out there.  That dubious honour no doubt goes to the $1.5 million (yes, you read that right) floating bed designed by Janjaap Ruijssenaars.

What’s the best bed you’ve ever slept in?  Or – if you work in the luxury hotel industry – where do you get your beds?

Founded by Pedro Castro, Attitude Hotels is a new hotel brand specifically geared towards gays and lesbians of a discerning nature. They offer a selection of over twenty-five hotels in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and the USA. By next year, the objective is to propose a selection of over 100 hotels worldwide.

• The Ritz-Carlton Berlin – Berlin, Germany
• Mykonos Grand Hotel & Resort – Mykonos, Greece
• Hotel Le Palais – Prague, Czech Republic
• The Chesterfield Mayfair Hotel – London, England
• Hotel Prinsenhof – Brugge, Belgium
• Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal – Budapest, Hungary
• Rudding Park Hotel – Harrogate, England
• Swissotel Berlin – Berlin, Germany
• Four Seasons Hotel George V Paris – Paris, France
• Riverside Hotel – Prague, Czech Republic

Come back tomorrow for the best in Asia!

Since reunification in 1990, Berlin has evolved into a dynamic, sexy and creative city where a surprising lightheartedness lurks beneath an austere exterior. It has emerged as Europe’s avant-garde cultural hub, and New York architect Tony Chi has embodied the spirit of the city in this wonderful hotel. Grand Hyatt Berlin Hotel anchors the newly built heart of Berlin at Potsdamer Platz with powerful architecture and innovative interior design that encompasses an exceptional, modern art concept throughout the hotel. Grand Hyatt is conveniently located within walking distance of the Berlin Tiergarten, the Mitte district, the Reichstag and the Brandenburg Gate, making guests’ stay in the city a truly authentic experience.

Lufthansa has begun flying all-business-class Boeing 737 flights between Frankfurt and Newark, arriving in the Big Apple at 11.20am local time. The planes have 44 “lie-flat” seats, power ports for notebooks, integrated reading lamps and generous tabletop areas. Passengers also get their choice of a dedicated limousine shuttle to and from Manhattan or a helicopter service to city heliports (at either to East 34th Street or to the East River Piers), free until 31st March 2008.

Munich’s Oktoberfest invariably grabs all the media attention when it comes to German beer festivals, so spare a thought for the Berlin Beer Festival which takes place from 3rd to 5th August 2007. The event is free to attend (don’t get too hopeful… presumably you pay for any beer you consume) and takes place at the Karl Marx Allee in Berlin.  It is apparently home to the world’s longest beer garden.