Not so long ago, Warsaw's luxury hotel scene consisted of a couple of cockroach-ridden establishments that seemed straight out of a John Le Carre Cold War thriller. To say that things have changed since 1990 would be something of a gross understatement. Out went the bugs - both the insect and the intelligence kind - and in came the spas, the swimming pools and the underfloor heating.
As the capital of Poland, Warsaw immediately took the lead over Cracow as a business hub. A cluster of smart hotels sprung up, complemented by a clutch of cosmopolitan restaurants. Yet although Cracow seemed to have the edge as a tourist destination, something changed around 2005, when trendy travel journalists were suddenly leaping to dub Warsaw as the peak of hip.
These days, Warsaw's luxury hotels come in all shapes and sizes. You can set yourself up in an exquisitely restored pre-war classic that's steeped in history, or bask in boutique bliss at one of the city's more diminutive exclusive hotels.
Above: The swimming pool of Le Regina, one of Warsaw's most popular luxury hotels
Top of many traveller's lists will be the Hotel Rialto. Art Deco rules the roost here, and fittingly so. The Rialto is an affectionate tribute to the era when Warsaw was one of Europe's chicest cities. During the 20's and 30's, Poland produced a galaxy of Art Deco wonders following her triumph at the Paris Exhibition of 1925. With its svelte, jazz age style, Hotel Rialto seems tailor-made for vampish film stars brandishing voguish cigarette holders - the place would have fitted in perfectly in Peter Jackson's King Kong. This is the hotel to book for a weekend of fun.
Another boutique style beauty is Le Regina. Winning top marks for luxury, this hotel has made its home in the laid back New Town. We say new, but this part of Warsaw was originally christened the New Town in 1402. Its cobbled streets were amongst the first to be revitalised after the Second World War, and today it's one of Warsaw's most picturesque spots. Le Regina has set up shop in a former nobleman's palace, but there's nothing remotely fusty about the place. Expect cool modern interiors in creamy shades, complemented by a host of quirky furniture. There's a hint of Scandinavian chic about the place, with smooth-finished wooden surfaces and elegant yet unfussy fabrics. Le Regina was voted Poland's most prestigious hotel by Forbes Magazine, and its five stars are well-merited.
Staying in five star territory, but moving to a more traditional incarnation of the luxury hotel, the Bristol Royal Meridien deserves a special mention. This neoclassical belter is one of the historic hotels of Europe, immaculately renovated in 1991. Previous guests have included Charles de Gaulle, Marlene Dietrich, Douglas Fairbanks, Bill Clinton and pantomime favourite Maggie Thatcher. With its home on the Royal Way, the hotel has location, location, location - guests can step right out into the buzzing heart of Warsaw. This is the grandest hotel in the capital, and it has some presidential suites to match.
Changing the tune again, but remaining in the luxury hotels bracket, there are a number of business style hotels that are also worth a look. The Sheraton offers the first class standards that you'd expect. The Intercontinental also has plenty of appeal. One of its winning features is a swimming pool right up on the 42nd floor. The view is square on the Palace of Culture. In other words, absolutely unforgettable. Another popular choice is the Westin, famed for its space age lift. Next door is the Radisson SAS, another reliable venue for business travellers. Both these hotels boast a handy central location, and travellers with time to spare can discover the Nozyk synagogue just over the road - Warsaw's oldest surviving example.
Given the exhilarating pace of change these days, travellers can count on more luxury hotels in Warsaw popping up soon. So watch this space for news of new additions. Meanwhile you can click on to link to book the finest Warsaw hotels of the moment!
We love Scuba Diving in Asia and have had the pleasure of diving lots of sites through out the Asian region from the fantastic wall dives of Sipadan Malaysia Cambodia's virgin reef, Koh Toa Thailand's famous Champon pinnacle to the Philippines and Vietnam to the Great barrier reef doing the Taka Live aboard as well as scuba diving in Hawaii including Waikiki Maui Kauai and Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii.SSI & PADI Scuba Diving in Asia Many people Discover Scuba Diving in Asia with some of the best adventure scuba diving in the world located here. You can start by taking a DSD, a try dive, or resort dive as it is sometimes called. For many is the first step in training to become a certified scuba diver. SSI and PADI courses will get you in the water having fun on your first day of what for many will be a lifelong pursuit. Asia especially South East Asia offers some of the cheapest dive training in the world for all courses like PADI Advanced Open Water, Rescue Diver and specialty courses and you can go pro starting with the SSI Dive Con or PADI Divemaster programs and internships.
The ‘Apeiron’ island hotel is a seven star resort with a total floor area of 200,000m�. It is 185-m high and boasts of over 350 luxury apartment suites. The hi-tech futuristic hotel screams of luxury and comfort with its own private lagoon, beaches, restaurants, cinemas, retail shopping, art gallery, spas and conference facilities. Its out of the world design is magnetic enough to deliver a spell-bounded experience to visitors. (Photo Credit: Sybarite)
Considered, unofficially, the world’s first and only 7-star hotel, the Burj al-Arab is a truly the most luxurious hotel imaginable and hence we couldn’t help including it in this list of futuristic hotels, which also perhaps triggered architects around the world to look beyond the fence.
The tallest, 321-metres (1,053 ft), hotel, designed as a sail of a dhow, is constructed on an artificial island 280-metres (919 ft) out from Jumeirah beach. The hotel boasts of the world’s tallest atrium, which is 180-meters (590 feet) tall.
The suspended helipad on the top adds to the grandeur of the hotel. The lavish interior skillfully mingles the best of design ethics from both the east and the west. The 8,000 square meters of 22-carat gold leaf and 24,000 square meters of 30 different types of marbles give the hotel an enigmatic touch.
The hotel Burj al-Arab
Posted at 11:31 PM inThe Poseidon Undersea Resort
Posted at 11:29 PM inLocation: Fiji, The Poseidon Mystery Island
Designer: Bruce Jones
Status: Under construction, will be completed by September 2008
Estimated project cost: $105 million
Cost per person: $15,000 per week
Our pursuit of unique spaces now goes straight 1,200-square feet under the sea in the lap of Poseidon undersea resort. The world’s first underwater resort will be ready by the end of next year with breathtaking coral reefs where you can literally immerse yourself.
The Hydropolis: A self-acclaimed 10-star underwater hotel
Posted at 11:28 PM inLocation: Dubai
Designer: Joachim Hauser, Crescent Hydropolis Resorts
Estimated project cost: $500-million
The Hydropolis Undersea Resort, especially designed keeping in mind that we’re around 60% water, endeavors to deliver the serene beauty of the ocean in its true colors. The one of its kind resort will encompass a whopping 1.1-million-square-foot of area offering shopping mall, ballroom, island villas, restaurant, high-tech cinema and surprisingly, a missile-defense system for your security 60-feet underwater.
Tourists can enjoy their stay in 220 theme suites within the submarine leisure complex. It is one of the largest contemporary construction projects in the world, covering an area of 260 hectares, about the size of London’s Hyde Park.
The resort is designed with a petal-like retracting roof to organize open-sky events.
Aeroscraft: The flying luxury hotel of tomorrow
Posted at 11:26 PM inDesigner: Igor Pasternak (Worldwide Aeros Corporation), Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo (WATG)
Status: Prototype under development
The ‘Aeroscraft’ is a gigantic 400-ton blimp designed to carry passengers in its spacious luxury cosmos onboard. The flying hotel with an area equal to two football fields hangs in air with 14 million cubic feet of helium, huge electric and hydrogen fuel cell powered propellers and six turbofan jet engines. The hotel can accommodate 250 passengers driving them at a speed of 174 miles per hour up to 6, 000 miles.
Flying 8,000 feet above in the air, the 165×244x647 feet airship will provide tourists hi-tech amenities including casino, restaurants and staterooms.
Designer Igor Pasternak has also plans to float a cargo-carrying version too once the project takes off. (Photo Credit: WATG)
Designer: Bigelow Aerospace, Las Vegas Location: 515-kms above Earth Status: The human space complex will be accessible by 2015 Estimated project cos
Posted at 11:24 PM inCertainly, we’ll have to stop this constant to and fro journey and make space our permanent base. And to make this a reality, the assembling of ‘CSS Skywalker’ kicked off with the launch of ‘Genesis I’ from Russia mid last year. Solar cells will power the inhabitable complex made of various sections that will inflate to take their real form in space. The sections or rooms of the CSS will allow rockets to dock. In future, the modules will be used as basis for space yachts and moon cruisers.
With a volume of 1,500.00 m3 and mass of 100,000 kg, the CSS Skywalker will have a maximum diameter of 30.00 m (98.00 ft).
The concept is a big challenge while it tests inflatable technology and fights to survive in hazardous conditions. Hope it’s made to face the wrath of the meteorites, though the hull of each module is made of three protective layers with an outer 18-inch-thick shield made of alternating woven graphite composite and foam to protect against orbital debris. (Photo Credit: CNet)
Passing reference: The Diamond Ring Hotel Location: Abu Dhabi
Posted at 11:22 PM inPRESTIGIOUS UNIQUE LUXURY HOTELS
Posted at 11:18 PM inWhat is remarkable with the Hotels representing the chain Prestigious Unique Luxury Hotels is that they have established a new meaning in refined luxury.
Situated in dream locations, they are build under unique architectural conception.
Plush facilities, which are able to satisfy every request, are the perfect backround for you to spend in, a few days of relaxed vacation, away from the every day stress, in a paradise of sensation. The services offered, unsurpassed in quality and comfort, unfold a world of utter luxury for discerning guests who demand and deserve only the best.
Belonging to major affiliations such as: The Leading Hotels of the World, Small Luxury Hotels, Orient-Express Hotels and many others, the hotel of your choice will be guaranteed to provide you the most excellent enviroment so as to experience accommodation of another level.
Relish a world of refined luxury in the Prestigious Unique Luxury Hotel of your choice. The experienced staff is waiting to welcome you and introduce you to its unique sense of cosmopolitan ambiance.
Feel just like a millionaire with the services of exquisite quality, which you are being offered. Give yourself and your loved ones the luxury that you deserve for the special vacation or even the demanding business trip.
Make the difference by selecting the top class accommodation in the world's most desirable destinations.
The World's Best Beach Resorts - 2007
Posted at 2:27 AM inIf your dream is to escape to an exotic tropical location with pristine beaches, where you can bask in the sun or immerse yourself in crisp, blue, ocean waters then our Best Beach resorts are just what you are looking for. Whether you plan on engaging in array of water sports, or lounging on the beach sipping a fruity cocktail, these hotels provide the best locations for a beach getaway with an added touch of luxury and style.
From the coastal waters of the United States to Mexico, the Carribean and Beyond - our Best Beach Resorts will indulge your yearning for that fantasy beach vacation and take you to some of the most picturesque settings in the world.
Cambridge Beaches Sandys, Bermuda
Posted at 2:26 AM inLas Ventanas San Jose del Cabo, Mexico,
Posted at 2:25 AM inElounda Beach Hotel Crete, Greece
Posted at 2:24 AM inThe Breakers Palm Beach, FL, United States
Posted at 2:23 AM inBanyan Tree Maldives Vabbinfaru North Male Atoll, Maldives
Posted at 2:23 AM inHotel Martinez Cannes, France
Posted at 2:22 AM inHapuna Beach Prince Hotel Kohala Coast, HI, United States
Posted at 2:21 AM inOne and Only Le Touessrok Trou d'eau Douce, Mauritius
Posted at 2:20 AM inShutters On The Beach Santa Monica, CA, United States
Posted at 2:18 AM inPacific Terrace Hotel
Posted at 1:10 AM inThe Dana on Mission Bay
Posted at 1:10 AM inSheraton La Jolla Hotel
Posted at 1:08 AM inHumphrey's Half Moon Inn & Suites
Posted at 1:07 AM inBest Western Island Palms Hotel & Marina
Posted at 1:07 AM inHoliday Inn San Diego Bayside
Posted at 1:06 AM inSan Diego Sea World Hotel Days Hotel - Hotel Circle - SeaWorld
Posted at 1:06 AM inHilton Garden Inn - San Diego Bay Opening in Summer 2010
Posted at 1:05 AM inOne of the most beautiful hotels in the world - coming soon Published in Architecture, Buildings Tags: China, leisure 11 Apr Atkins has won an i
Posted at 1:01 AM inThe hotel will have 400 bed resort which will stand two levels higher than the rock face of the 100 metre deep quarry.
Two underwater levels will house a restaurant and guestrooms facing a ten-metre deep aquarium. The lowest level of the hotel will contain a leisure complex with a swimming pool and water-based sports.
An extreme sports centre for activities such as rock climbing and bungee jumping will be cantilevered over the quarry and accessed by special lifts from the water level of the hotel.
Martin Jochman, the chief in design team, says “We drew our inspiration from the quarry setting itself, adopting the image of a green hill cascading down the natural rock face as a series of terraced landscaped hanging gardens. In the centre, we have created a transparentglass ‘waterfall’ from a central vertical circulation atrium connectingthe quarry base with the ground level. This replicates the natural waterfalls on the existing quarry face.”
Hotel 66 - MOLITG LES BAINS
Posted at 12:52 AM inHotel 74 - DUINGT
Posted at 12:51 AM inLuxury, dream and delight The most beautiful hotels around the world
Posted at 12:47 AM inNothing is left out when it comes to attracting today’s demanding, knowledgeable clientele, and nothing is typical about these places.
In search of originality, well-being and exclusivity, clients of ultra-luxury tourism range from the very wealthy to newlyweds on a dream honeymoon to thrill-seekers.
Of all tourists worldwide, around 20 million (or 2%) spend more than €20 000 on vacations each year, accounting for 30% of the sector’s turnover (source ODIT France).
Worth over 117 billion euros in turnover, the luxury tourism market is on an upward trend.
Duke’s Hotel
Posted at 12:47 AM inLocation: 35 St James Place, London, United Kingdom SW1A 1NY; 90 rooms; 16 miles from Heathrow.
Luxury style: Tradition reigns here, but it is of the most comfortable sort. The straightforward care for guests’ well being has led to several prestigious awards for service, an indicator of true luxury.
What we’ve heard: Duke’s Mayfair location is ideal for shoppers, in the midst swaths of fashionable shops. A long day of sightseeing and shopping can end in the legendary Duke’s Bar, a landmark in its own right.
Renovated in 2007, Duke’s Hotel guest can now have modern technological conveniences along with their port. And speaking of port, the world-famous Duke’s Bar has been a cozy gathering place since the turn of the century. Especially renowned at the bar are the excellent martinis, best sipped while ensconced in the deep softness of the blue velvet armchairs.
The dining room at Duke’s Hotel concentrates on British favorites and has an extensive wine collection that features some remarkable reds.
The renovation has made the guest rooms at Duke’s especially comfortable. They feature rich fabrics and carpets, designer lighting, individually controlled air conditioning, wireless broadband access, satellite channels with flatscreen TV. Guests are also treated to complimentary newspaper, bottled water and shoe shines.
Duke’s Hotel • London, England
Posted at 12:45 AM inDating from the Edwardian era, the elegant Duke’s Hotel evokes an era of ladies and gentleman assembling for candlelit dining and an air of gentility very rare in this modern era. Although luxe in every way, it is an underplayed and subtle emphasis on comfort, not glitz, an emphasis that has brought guests who return through the years.
Semiramis, Athens
Posted at 12:41 AM inSemiramis: Nestled in the heart of the Ancient city of Athens, Semiramis is a fresh look at minimalist architecture in hotel design. This 51 room hotel includes 4 luxurious rooftop suites and 6 cool poolside bungalows. The style of Semiramis is almost like taking a sneak peak into the future with its bright, lively colour schemes, futuristic furnishings, and smooth lines. This place has got to be one of the coolest places to stay in Greece - even the colour scheme used in the design of the pool is cool!
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