Hotel Review: The Levin, London

The Levin is a four-star townhouse hotel in London's fashionable Knightsbridge.

Double Bedroom at The Levin Hotel, London

A luxury townhouse hotel in the centre of Knightsbridge, The Levin has an air of homely comfort. The welcome is friendly and helpful staff even remember your name. What’s more, with Harrods just around the corner, this tiny, quaint hotel could be the key to shopaholic paradise.

Click on the image to enlarge:

Junior Suite

marble bathroom

restaurant

amazing staircase

Who for

Being at the heart of central London, The Levin is ideal for those wanting to make the most of the cultural sites and fancy boutiques. It’s also a great choice for the lovebirds – the romance package comes complete with red roses, pink champagne, strawberries, and breakfast in bed.

However, if you are looking for the ‘big’ hotel experience, complete with swimming pools, gyms and conference centres, the Levin is not for you. Also, the hotel is unsuitable for barflies and large groups – unless you intend to take over the entire establishment.

Accommodation

The 12 rooms at The Levin (Classic, Deluxe, and Junior Suite) are on the small side for a four-star hotel, but spacious for London. The design is stylish yet homely, with Art Nouveau furnishings and charming little touches, including a selection of Penguin classics to peruse.

The Levin is located in a relatively quiet street, although silence cannot be guaranteed. Unfortunately, the walls are a little on the thin side, so just prey your neighbours are not honeymooners or saxophone players.

The fully air-conditioned rooms are complete with luxury bedding, marble bathrooms with under-floor heating, 24-hour room service, and in-room Champagne mini bar.

Food and drink

Le Metro Bar and Brasserie is open from 7:30am each day until late, serving breakfast, lunches, afternoon teas, and evening dining. The main menu serves an assortment of international from fish and chips to Italian gnocchi.

Unfortunately, breakfast is not what you expect for the price you pay, although what you get is very good quality – fresh fruit, homemade jam, and quality cereal. It’s also a bit of a sting having to pay extra for a full English breakfast, considering the price of the room.

Facilities

The hotel goes for a chic yet ‘homely’ feel, and the facilities are simple and functional.

Overnight parking is also available at an optional charge.

What’s nearby

The hotel is a haven for boutique shopping addicts due to its proximity to Harrods (literally around the corner) and other luxury department stores. Culture vultures will be kept entertained by the vast array of nearby museums and galleries – The Victoria and Albert Museum, The Natural History Museum, and the Royal Academy of Arts are only a short walk or ride away. For classical music lovers, the illustrious Royal Albert Hall is a 20-minute walk from the hotel, although a taxi is recommended if the weather is (predictably) unfavourable.

To the north of Knightsbridge, Hyde Park and the Serpentine lake provide attractive open spaces away from the throng.

The nightlife in London is varied, offering something to suit practically every taste. Knightsbridge is best known for it’s high-class bars, swanky casinos, and glitzy nightclubs. If you haven’t already had enough of luxury department stores, head to the Fifth Floor Champagne Bar at Harvey Nicholls, where you can try a delicious array of vintage and botanical themed cocktails.

Insider’s tip: If you are banking on sleeping in glorious silence, request that you be placed in a room not facing Basil Street. Then again, this is central London, so don’t get your hopes up!

Room rates

£300 per night for the Classic Double – includes breakfast.

CLICK HERE FOR LIVE AVAILABILITY AND PRICES

Disabled access

Yes, there is one ground floor room and lift/elevator, although it is admittedly quite small.

Family friendly

While the hotel may not specifically cater for children, the Junior Suite has a separate sitting area with two sofas, one of which can be converted into a child-sized bed. For couples wanting to spend the day without their beloved offspring, the hotel offers babysitting and child services.

WiFi available

Yes, and it’s complimentary.

Getting there

The hotel is a mere stone’s throw from Knightsbridge Underground station (on the Piccadilly line), located next to Harrods. From here you will have easy access to many places of interest within and around Central London – as well as quick, direct access from Heathrow airport and St. Pancras International station.

---

Image credits: thelevinhotel.co.uk

Transported

Read More

Hotel Review: URSO Hotel, Madrid

Palatial and imposing on the outside, yet cool and contemporary on the inside. URSO makes a fabulous addition to the hotel landscape of Madrid.

Hotel Review: URSO Hotel, Madrid

Away from the city centre between the Chamberi and the oh so trendy Chueca districts of Madrid, is this rather imposing neo-classical building. Once used as a palace, URSO, a newbie hotel opened its doors in 2014 after it underwent a renovation that transformed it into a plush yet contemporary five star hotel under the watch of architect Antonio Obrado.

The large reception has a colour pallete of muted autumnal shades and large Japanese prints that are easy on the eye. Very comfy sofas and a relaxed living-room style ambience seems to beckon suited and booted people perhaps discusssing business over coffee.

Obrado conserved may original features and as a result there’s lots of delightful eccentricity amid the decorum. A gorgeous stained glass window remains adding a dash of colour to the staircase and an antique lift takes centre stage as you walk in. It has narrow glass and wood doors, a sitting bench akin to one you might have in an old style carriage and it is caged in filigree style ironworks. It looks beyond quaint especially when compared to their alternative modern lifts. And a whole lot more fun.

Accommodation

Room at Hotel Urso Madrid

Cool light-grey walls, contrasting dark wood floors, stylish armchairs and furniture combine to give off a city-chic look in their 78 bedrooms and suites and during the day the tall windows let in lashings of daylight. It is a scene of sensible luxury where a desk and free wifi means you can be working (or playing) online freely all night, perhaps refreshing with a cup or two of coffee thanks to the Nespresso machine. There’s a mini bar and flat screen TV to round off the mod cons. But amazingly I couldn’t find a pen to make notes – far too passe?

A compact marble bathroom has a separate bath and shower. It is a tad small but the huge mirror and lighting was welcome. As was their toiletries – these were designed for them by The Lab Room and their vanillaesque aroma is pleasing.

Loved the pillow chocolates.

Who for

The ambience is perfect for the corporate traveller, but then again with boutique shops nearby perhaps more precisely it’s for the city slicker. However families are not excluded as the hotel can supply cots.

Facilities

There is a small but rather lovely spa run by Natura Bisse. Its seven metre pool and lounging area is a relaxation hot spot. Actually it’s not a swimming pool it’s a hydrotherapy pool.

Hydrotherapy massage pool Urso Hotel & Spa Madrid

It sits elevated in wood decking, in a room with dim lighting and luxurious sun beds. There are a couple of treatment rooms, a sauna and a gym.

Food

A glass staircase with a water feature beneath leads to a small conservatory-style space, decorated with lush plants and wooden floors. This is where breakfast is served till around 11am and where fresh orange juice is poured into crystal goblets. People talk in whispers while they tuck into churros (a fried dough pastry) with hot chocolate or something cooked, perhaps a tortilla – Spanish omelette, eggs as you like them or even bacon and eggs, just ask.

Diner is served in their restaurant, The Table. They call it a pop-up restaurant because every month they change the chef and the menu. It’s certainly a nice space with interesting lighting and plant plumage but you never know what you will get. And it is closed on Mondays.

What’s nearby

It’s location is slightly away from the centre in the trendy Chueca district. Hip bars, Michelin starred restaurants and a whole load of blow-the-budget shopping opportunities in Serrano Street are all a few minutes a way.

Wi-Fi available

Free Wi-Fi is available throughout.

Room rates

Stays at Urso Hotel & Spa from €200 on a B&B basis in a Double Room and from €570 for a B&B basis in the Urso Hotel & Spa Terrace Suite – including breakfast and based on two people sharing

Value for Money

Great value for an almost-city centre location offering five star luxury and great service.


 Transported

Read More

Haiti's Best Hotels Thrive in the Quake's Long Aftermath

The vista from the private terrace of the John Barrymore Suite at the Hotel Oloffson in Port-au-Prince is a vision of verdant hills and a brilliant blue bay, a dramatic postcard that reveals not a hint of the mountains of rubble and trash left over from Haiti's catastrophic Jan. 12 earthquake, nor the escalating cholera epidemic, nor the slums just beyond the hotel's gate. 

The suite named for the American actor boasts an open-air, king-size bed draped in mosquito netting, two bedrooms, artisan-painted armoires, high ceilings and lace curtains -- lavish quarters that are the jewel of Haiti's most famous hotel, which served as the setting of Graham Greene's 1965 novel The Comedians. 

Up until three weeks ago, foreign visitors were advised against staying there, says the hotel's manager, Richard Morse.

Despite the advisory, the historic hotel, which began its life as a private home and served later as a U.S. Marine hospital during the American occupation, has been fully booked since Jan. 12, when a devastating tremor leveled much of the capital, claiming an estimated 230,000 lives and causing as much as $14 billion in damage. The disaster drew huge numbers of aid workers, journalists, medical personnel and volunteers, all looking for a soft bed, potable water and reliable WiFi.

Some of Port-au-Prince's largest hotels, including the upscale Hotel Montana, were leveled by the earthquake, which shrunk the market and jacked up occupancy rates. "Many hotels crumbled in the quake so those that remained standing had to serve a lot of people," Morse says during an interview on the Oloffson's wraparound porch.

A Year Later, Haitians Still Live Under Tarps

That greater demand is boosting an industry that has been battered by years of political turbulence and natural disaster. It has also inspired dreams of catered excursions outside the city for foreign workers and tourists interested in a glimpse of Haiti's mellower countryside and Caribbean beaches.

Right now, the tourism offerings for foreigners visiting Haiti are fairly limited. Cruise ships from Royal Caribbean International still deliver tourists to Labadee, a private resort port 95 miles north of the quake's epicenter, for a day of sunbathing, jetskiing and rum cocktails. The Maryland-based Choice Hotels International plans to open two hotels in Jacmel, an artists' haven 25 miles south of Port-au-Prince known for its white sand beaches. 

In the capital, residents' feelings are mixed about the big-spending foreigners. Nearly a year after the earthquake, 1.3 million people still live in makeshift camps. "The people from the NGOs drive around in their fancy cars and go to Jacmel, while a year later, we are still living under tarps," says Elie Elifort, 43, a community leader of a 4,000-family camp known as Canaan 3.

Opportunities Lost to the Quake

Thirty minutes and a world away, the Hotel Karibe, with its soaring brick-and-marble lobby, intricate iron inlays and swanky bar, is widely considered Port-au-Prince's most upscale hotel. Heavily damaged in the earthquake, it reopened its doors in October. On a recent weekend, foreign workers sunbathed around a swimming pool shaded by eucalyptus trees. 

"It's luxurious by international standards, not just by Haitian standards," says a U.S. embassy employee, lounging poolside with his girlfriend, a World Bank staffer visiting from Washington, D.C. 

Former President Bill Clinton, the U.N.'s special envoy to Haiti, chose the hotel to host a conference in October 2009 for 300 private investors to encourage a trade and investment mission. It was a high point not only for the Karibe but also for Haiti's tourism industry, said the hotel's owner, Richard Bouteau. "There was a lot of fresh air, a lot of hope, a lot of doors opened, but of course the earthquake shut it all down," he says.

After the earthquake, Bouteau spent $1.3 million for a firm to draw plans to retrofit the hotel to California building codes, replacing the brick and stone structure with reinforced concrete. 

Envisioning the Day When Sun and Culture Lure Visitors

If Port-au-Prince's hotels are doing well today, it's because of the city's massive needs, rather than its fine food or tropical weather, but hoteliers hope that will one day change. "There are not too many people on vacation right now, but hopefully, vacationers will start to come and replace the disaster tourists, because that will really determine the future of Haiti," Bouteau says.

The Oloffson's Morse, a musician and the first-cousin of Michel Martelly, a popular kampa singer and a leading presidential candidate in Haiti's Nov. 28 elections, gets a bit squeamish when asked whether Haiti's woes have been good for business.

He admits though, that, in the weeks following the January earthquake, hotel rooms were so hard to come by that he charged journalists and aid workers $100 a night to camp on his property's sprawling front lawn. 

Like Buteau, Morse says the Oloffson hasn't been entertaining many tourists lately. But he, too, envisions a time when visitors come not in response to a disaster, but to take part in Haiti's rich culture, including the exuberant Carnival, the three-day celebration before Lent, and its calendar full of festive patron saint days.

"I don't think the cruise ship should be the focus. I don't think our tourism plan should be taking people who go to the Dominican Republic and come to Haiti for a day and then go back to the DR. The focus should be: What is Haiti about culturally? It's the music, it's the food and it's these religious festivities," Morse says. "Right now I'm just talking about it, but I'm trying to get a president in power so that we can do more than talk."

 Transported

Read More

Ten American destinations most popular in the summer

America's 10 Most Popular Summer Vacation Destinations

 

Taking a summer vacation as a reward for working hard all year long is ingrained in the American culture. But the significance of these annual trips goes far beyond refreshing one's mental health. Local economies depend on tourism dollars to thrive, and, in some cases, just to function. In 2009, tourists spent $27.6 billion in Orlando alone, and the tourism industry provided 380,000 jobs -- and that's before the Wizarding World of Harry Potter even arrived on the scene.

24/7 Wall St. collaborated with hotel industry research firm STR and premiere travel blog Travelogged to identify the country's 10 most popular summer tourist destinations. Based on STR's database, these 10 markets last year sold the highest number of hotel rooms during weekends in June, July and August.

Not surprisingly, Orlando ranks high among America's most popular summer vacation locations -- Disneyland always attracts big crowds -- but it's not No. 1. Likewise, New York City and Los Angeles also made the list. Both cities have special advantages for summer visitors: L.A.'s beaches are at their best, and it's the easiest time of year to get a table at the Big Apple's best restaurants. But neither of them landed the top spot either.

As you look at this list, it's important to note that the main criteria for determining a destination's popularity was the number of booked hotel rooms: Many other popular summertime destinations, like the Hamptons, for example, don't have a lot of hotel rooms and are almost entirely residential. And even if it feels like everyone who lives in the Washington, D.C., area is heading to Rehoboth Beach, Del. -- known as "America's Summer Capital" -- that beach resort and its adjacent vacation communities have far fewer hotel rooms than America's actual capital, which did make the list.


10. Dallas, Texas
Rooms available: 1,989,260
Rooms rented: 1,086,300

Although it's only the third largest city in Texas, Dallas is the state's most popular tourist destination. It's a major convention city, and also draws a large number of casual tourists. According to the independent Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau, tourism brings $3 billion to the city each year. More than 22 million people visit each year, and according to a Dallas CVB estimate, the industry provides 50,000 jobs to the city.

9. Anaheim-Santa Ana, Calif.
Rooms available: 1,393,618
Rooms rented: 1,135,568

Anaheim and Santa Ana are the major tourist destinations in California's Orange County. Both cities are a short distance from the coast, making them especially popular for summer vacations. Disneyland calls Anaheim home, the Walt Disney Company is the city's largest employer, and According to the Anaheim & Orange County Visitor and Convention Bureau, the 42.7 million visitors to the area in 2009 spent $7.1 billion.

8. San Francisco/San Mateo, Calif.
Rooms available: 1,350,752
Rooms rented: 1,181,960

Mark Twain never actually said "The coldest summer I ever spent was in San Francisco," but the city is still is an ideal summer destination for those looking to beat the heat. The tourism industry is San Francisco's largest by tax revenue, according to The Wall Street Journal. The private San Francisco Travel Association reports that the city had 15.9 million visitors in 2010. These visitors spent a total $8.3 billion in San Francisco throughout the year. The organization attributes 67,122 jobs in the area to tourism, and calculates that $485 million in taxes were generated by tourist spending.

7. San Diego, Calif.
Rooms available: 1,502,484
Rooms rented: 1,315,778

Despite its Southern location on California's border with Mexico, San Diego doesn't enjoy warm weather year-round, so summertime is optimal for enjoying the palm tree lined paradise that is La Jolla Beach. Other favored destinations include Balboa Park and the Gaslamp Quarter. According to the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau, "The San Diego visitor industry is the third largest industry in San Diego County, employing approximately 152,300 San Diegans." Tourists spend $7 billion annually and, in 2010, 29.9 million people visited San Diego.

6. Atlanta, Ga.
Rooms available: 2,454,020
Rooms rented: 1,604,551

Long the Southeast's center for business, the home of Coca-Cola and CNN has now emerged as a top destination for tourism due to its top-tier cultural offerings. According to the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, the city boasts a $10 billion hospitality industry which provides 230,000 jobs as it caters to 34 million tourists each year. The growing industry has benefited from recent additions such as the Georgia Aquarium, the largest aquarium in the world, which opened in 2005.

5. Washington, D.C. 
Rooms available: 2,692,044
Rooms rented: 1,995,200

The nation's capital, is an extremely popular destination for both American and foreign tourists. The city welcomes about 15 million visitors each year, according to the nonprofit corporation Destination D.C. Ironically, the city has a very European feel because it was designed by Frenchman Pierre Charles L'Enfant. Over the last decade, many D.C. neighborhoods have seen a real revitalization, resulting in more dining and nightlife options. Summer is a great time to visit because you'll be spending plenty of time inside the air-conditioned Smithsonian museums. In 2007, tourists spent more than $5.5 billion in the city, contributing $620 million in tax revenue.

4. Los Angeles-Long Beach, CalifRooms available: 2,548,711
Rooms rented: 2,026,780

Summer is the leading season for tourism in Los Angeles and the surrounding region due to its beach culture. The metropolitan area also offers an appealing variety of nightlife options. The tourism sector is the No. 1 employer in Los Angeles, employing 437,000 people, according to business association LA INC. Approximately 25.7 million people visit the city each year, and in 2010, tourists spent $13.1 billion in the city.

3. New York, N.Y.
Rooms available: 2,464,931
Rooms rented: 2,098,682

Summer stands out as an exceptional time for tourists to visit New York City because it's easier to score reservations to top restaurants and tickets to popular shows as many locals have left town. If it's not too hot, visitors can enjoy Central Park and the new High Line in Chelsea. According to Tiffany Townsend, vice president of communications and government affairs at NYC & Company, the city expects approximately 12.9 million visitors this summer. In 2010, tourists spent more than $30 billion in the city and generated almost $2.7 billion in local tax revenue.

2. Orlando, Fla.
Rooms available: 3,068,620
Rooms rented: 2,185,424

Orlando welcomes "more than 50 million visitors from across the globe each year," according to Gary Sain, president and CEO of Visit Orlando. Sain added that "with seven of the top theme parks in the world opening new attractions each year, countless adventurous activities, 176 golf courses and great shopping and dining, there is no other destination on the planet that has the variety of options for visitors that also consistently adds new vacation experiences each and every year the way Orlando does." In 2009, tourists spent $27.6 billion in the metropolitan area and 380,000 jobs were provided by the tourism industry.

1. Chicago, Ill.Rooms available: 2,803,528
Rooms rented: 2,278,775

Chicago's dining, cultural and recreation options rival any city in the world. It's an outstanding choice for Midwesterners looking for a destination to which they can either drive or find a cheap flight. Summer tourists hide from the infamous heat in the air-conditioned museums and Michigan Avenue stores, or embrace the high temperatures in Millennium Park or at one of the many city beaches along Lake Michigan. In 2009, visitors spent $10.17 billion in Chicago, according to the Chicago Office of Tourism, and generated 124,600 jobs within the city.

Transported

Read More

Strong growth in Namibia's hospitality industry

Strong growth in Namibia's hospitality industry

The hospitality industry of Namibia experienced a record growth of nine percent in room and bed occupancy last year, according to new statistics released on Thursday.

"The quarterly and annual room and bed occupancy statistics report compiled by the Hospitality Association of Namibia (HAN) reveals that the Namibian tourism accommodation industry experienced a growth of some nine percent in room sales last year compared to 2013," Gitta Paetzold, chief executive officer of HAN, said on Thursday.

"In 2014, the annual average occupancy rates exceeded the 50% threshold of 2008 again and reached 57.4%," Paetzold added.

According to her, tourism in Namibia seemed to have experienced its best year in seven years during 2014 with occupancy statistics five percent higher than 2008.

After the global economic crisis, which started in 2008, tourism figures for Namibia declined from 2009 until 2011 when a low average bed occupancy of 40.5% was recorded.

From 2012 onwards more tourists visited Namibia with the highest figure of 1.3 million visitors recorded in 2013.

The official visitor statistics for 2014 will only be released later this year.

Namibia has a population of around 2.1 million and 44.5% of its total area is under conservation.

The German-speaking European market still remains Namibia's biggest source market with about 21.1% coming from either Germany, Austria or Switzerland.

South Africans made up 12% of tourists who booked an overnight stay at accommodation establishments in 2014.

According to the World Tourism & Travel Council (WTTC) direct contribution of travel and tourism in Namibia contributed 3.12 billion Namibian dollars - 3% - to the country's economy in 2013.

 Transported

Read More