Best Holiday Lettings

Tag: international destinations

  • News: Global Travel Agency Network Virtuoso® brings its International Symposium to Buenos Aires

    Virtuoso®, the worldwide network renowned for its ability to create exceptional luxury travel experiences for clientele, welcomes its travel agency owner members and preferred travel providers to Buenos Aires for its Symposium.  Attracting greater than 400 people from 33 countries, the Symposium came about 21-25 April 2013.  Symposium meetings serve to deepen the relationships of the network’s agency owners with the foremost senior executives from the world’s leading luxury travel brands and unique providers, in addition to with the host destination and its curated Virtuoso travel providers; the result’s the elevation of Virtuoso client experiences.

    Virtuoso selected Buenos Aires from a considerable number of potential host cities following a written invitation from the President of the Argentine Nation, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner – an instantaneous results of the group’s successful relationship with the Argentina National Institute of Tourism Promotion (INPROTUR). With the connection now in its second year, Virtuoso has seen sales to Argentina rise by seven per cent year over year, with sales to numerous cities seeing substantial growth. Additionally, Argentina was named within the top-five hottest international destinations for 2013 in Virtuoso’s Luxe Report, an annual survey of the network’s member agencies at the latest travel trends. 

    “Since 2011, Virtuoso has enjoyed a successful relationship with INPROTUR, and we were deeply honored to receive a non-public invitation from President Fernandez de Kirchner to carry our Symposium in Buenos Aires,” said Matthew D. Upchurch , Chairman and CEO of Virtuoso. “Buenos Aires is a terrific destination, with its extraordinary culture, amazing cuisine and a stunning lifestyle that actually resonates with worldly travelers. INPROTUR and travel providers that belong to Virtuoso in Argentina came together to showcase their destination. This level of collaboration is the important thing to our selection process because it leads to our network’s ability to deliver richer experiences to our clients and offers our agencies’ advisors the deeper contacts to make it happen.”

    During the four-day event, attendees will enjoy a personal cocktail reception and dinner on the Bicentennial Museum, a film premiere on the Faena Art Center, city tours, private shopping excursions, culinary experiences, tango lessons or even an inside have a look at Argentina’s favorite sport – polo.  Virtuoso preferred travel providers proudly hosting this prestigious group include Alvear Palace Hotel, Four Seasons Hotel Buenos Aires, Palacio Duhau – Park Hyatt Buenos Aires, Faena Hotel Buenos Aires, INPROTUR, Mai10, and Abercrombie & Kent.

    This is the primary time Virtuoso has held its Symposium in South America.  Buenos Aires joins a majestic list of host cities, including Madrid, Spain (2011); Mexico City, Mexico (2010); Sydney, Australia (2009); Athens, Greece (2008); St. Petersburg, Russia (2007); Singapore (2006); and last year’s cruise from Rome to Monte Carlo aboard Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Seven Seas Mariner (2012).

  • Destinations where hotels are the star attraction

    We all travel for our own reasons; whether it’s to get a break from everyday life, to take a look at local cuisine, or to take a look at a well-liked attraction. But have you travelled simply to visit a selected hotel Well, if you’re searching for a break from the tried-and-true chains, or one more reason to take a holiday, the travel experts at Hotels.com® have you ever covered. For a completely unique sleeping experience Hotels.com looked to its Hotel Price Index™ (HPI™) as inspiration for this list of eight hotels where an overnight stay is also as memorable because the trip itself.

    Hotel:Featherbed Railroad Company
    Location: Nice, California, U.S.
    What makes it stand out In case you grew up with Thomas the Tank Engine, this hotel will make your childhood dreams come true. The hotel features nine railway cabooses, all individually decorated in themes starting from Las Vegas bordello to Easy Rider, which actually comes with an “Easy Glider” chair with saddlebags, Harley Davidson touches and a headboard with handlebars. In line with the HPI, if you’re Canadian you would already be planning a visit to this popular state, which has two Californian cities at the Top 10 International Destinations list. So we predict a trip to “Nice” just is sensible!

    Hotel: Capsule Hotel and Sauna Cosmo Plaza Akabane
    Location: Tokyo, Japan
    What makes it stand out Because the name suggests, it’s not a gigantic space. In point of fact it’s just large enough for travellers to crawl in and get caught up on sleep. Not for the claustrophobic traveller, this contemporary sleeping area is worth sorting out for those searching for a futuristic experience – plus if you’re on a good budget, this feature is amazingly wallet-friendly. This city is likewise increasingly popular among Canadians, cracking the end 50 International Destinations list in 2012 to take a seat at number 31.

    Hotel: Hotel Im Wasserturm
    Location: Cologne, Germany
    What makes it stand out A stay on this cool hotel gets you an inside view, literally, of a few of Germany’s history. This landmark is the largest water tower of the 1800s and even though it was redesigned inside to deal with 88 rooms, it maintains its classic heritage.

    Hotel: Jumbo Stay
    Location: Arlanda, Sweden
    What makes it stand out The Ice Hotel has some serious competition, as this pick is constructed from a grounded 747 (that’s a jumbo jet for non-plane enthusiasts). The décor and colors are an homage to the 1970s – called the golden era of air travel. There are 25 guest rooms with one located within the cockpit, plus the rooms come equipped with LCD TVs where you are able to view the schedule of exits.

    Hotel: Sarah Cruise
    Location: Venice, Italy
    What makes it stand out There’s no better solution to get into the Venetian mood than by sleeping at the water. This eco-friendly, 25-room boat is basically a bed and breakfast so that you can spend your mornings dining at the deck (weather permitting needless to say). Ever popular Venice is a go-to for love. The town sailed up four spots in 2012 at the HPI Top 50 International Destinations list to number 26.

    Hotel: Madonna Inn Resort & Spa
    Location: San Luis Obispo, California, U.S.
    What makes it stand out Contrary to its name, this property was not named after the famous entertainer – even though it is simply as unique. It includes 110 guest rooms with names like “Austrian Suite,” “Safari Room,” and “Jungle Rock” that feature a lot of eclectic designs to cater to quite a number tastes. Fans of “The Bachelor” might recognize this property because it was featured in Season 14.
    Hotel: Burj Al Arab
    Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
    What makes it stand out While this hotel isn’t for the budget-conscious (it’s upwards of $2,000 per night), it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to feel like royalty. Shaped like a sail and found on a personal island with a non-public beach, this hotel takes luxury to new levels. While we predict this extravagant city would entice everyone, it has experienced increased interest from Canadian travellers and in 2012 entered the head 50 International Destinations list at number 44.

    Hotel: Dream Cave Pension
    Location: Goreme, Turkey
    What makes it stand out This hotel is found in a place of Turkey known for its unusual rock formations, so it only is sensible that they’d build one right into a hotel, right Although the encircling area is amazingly beautiful, the choice of staying in a fairy chimney makes it an excellent enough selling point for us.

    It’s time to get inspired and simply because you sleep in a hotel, doesn’t mean it ought to be boring. For more travel inspiration, the HPI is a superb resource. Whether you’re trying to find five-star hotels that won’t leave you broke, or the following up-and-coming destination, this report and website will provide you with the interior scoop. So get packing.

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  • Hotels.com lanches HPI report

    According to the newest Hotels.com© Hotel Price Index™ (HPI®),  a biannual report in line with actual prices paid in 2012 compared with 2011, UK travellers faced price hikes in over 1/2 the international destinations in 2012, despite a powerful Pound Sterling. Of the 116 cities included within the report, prices were up in 63, flat in six and down in 47. Hotel rates overseas now look set to rise higher in 2013 because the Pound is weakened by the strengthening Euro and US Dollar, and the downgrading of the country’s AAA credit standing by ratings agency Moody’s.

    However, UK travellers found money went further in lots of major European cities in 2012, because the Euro Crisis caused prices to fall. Athens suffered the largest drop, with prices paid down by 10% to £72, with visitors get rid of by protests across Greece. Italy, which entered its fourth recession since 2001 last year, saw hotel rates within the capital of Rome fall by 9% to a standard of £106 per night. With the Spanish economy shrinking by 1.4% in 2012, prices in Madrid fell by 8%, with UK travellers spending a normal of £82 per night to remain in Spain’s capital city. The Netherlands also saw prices fall, with prices inside the capital city of Amsterdam dropping by 8% to £106, because the country entered its third recession since 2009.

    Hotel prices in London also dropped for domestic travellers, despite the summer of celebrations. With many Brits choosing to monitor the Diamond Jubilee celebrations and Games at home and international visitors staying away as a result of concerns over inflated hotel prices and transport problems,  UK travellers paid 7% less to remain inside the capital in 2012 at a normal £110 per night.

    The USA was one of many big winners within the 2012 HPI, with UK travellers paying more in all 15 US destinations included within the report. The west coast saw one of the vital biggest rises, with prices in San Francisco growing by 20% to a regular of £136. Seattle and La both reached £125 following respective increases of 14% and 13%. Elsewhere, big rises were seen in Orlando, where prices gained 18% to £73, and New Orleans where the common price per night rose to £106, up by 16% on 2011.

    Looking around the globe, 2012’s biggest riser was Sharm el-Sheikh, where prices were up by 34% to £92 as travellers’ confidence within the Middle East returned following the Arab Spring turmoil in 2011. Dubai was another big winner in 2012, with prices rising by 14% to £137, driven by high occupancy rates inside the region’s most well known destination. However, the picture in Egypt’s capital was less than rosy though with the average price paid falling by 7% to £98 per night.

    Australia delivered some of the biggest price increases in 2012. Average prices in Perth shot up by 22%, the second highest rise in the HPI, – as the country’s mining boom and the resulting increase in business traffic forced up hotel prices. Healthy rises were also seen in Sydney, where prices jumped up by 8% to £128 per night and Melbourne, where prices hit £106, up by 7% on 2011.

    Some of the biggest rises in Latin America were seen in Rio de Janeiro where UK travellers paid 13% more, as the average price per night rose to £177, driven up by increased demand from both business and leisure travellers and the country’s booming economy. With Rio playing host to the World Cup next year and the 2016 Olympics, the city looks set to attract even more tourists in the years ahead. But the impact of increased demand on hotel rates may be offset by an increase in supply as the city adds 25,000 extra hotel rooms over the next three years to meet demand during the 2016 Games, meaning that travellers will continue to find good value.

    In Asia, a number of the biggest increases were seen in Japan, as visitors returned following the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear emergency. Kyoto led the manner with prices up by 16% to £105. Prices in Osaka were up 14% to £74 and up 6% in Tokyo to £109 per night. However, Asia’s biggest riser was Siem Reap, gateway to Cambodia’s Angkor region, which saw prices climb 17% to £51 per night.

    Nigel Pocklington of Hotels.com said: “While the Eurozone crisis translated into better value city breaks for UK travellers in 2012, the Euro’s growing strength against the Pound could drive up UK prices this year. Although a weakening Pound is bad news for British holidaymakers eager to travel abroad, the UK’s travel industry will welcome the scoop. A weaker Pound will make the rustic more appealing to overseas visitors, while boosting the variety of Brits holidaying at home. With British designer goods effectively ‘on offer’, we’re hoping to peer more visitors coming to the united kingdom from the center East, Brazil, Japan and China in 2013, providing relief for the nation’s high streets.