Travel Guides

Bangkok’s a wonderful place to visit if you’re on a shoestring budget. And why not, when so many affordable hotels are popping up all over the place? To make your stay in Bangkok both comfortable AND cost effective, here’s a rundown on 5 little-known lodging spots that will a smile on your face, NOT a dent on your wallet!

1. The Arun Residence
Located in the Old City, guests in this charming four-storey hotel can bask in the beautiful scenery of the Chao Phraya river at dawn or dusk. We think you’d also love having your meals at The Deck, the hotel’s French-Thai restaurant. Forget your alarm clocks, it’s more pleasant to wake up to the sounds of the nearby temple bells and the roosters crowing nearby.

Looking for a little adventure when during your holidays? Getting jaded over the boring hotels you’ll be confined to when you go on your annual vacation? Well, here’s a suggestion for you: Why not take a tour or stay at one of these 5 haunted hotels featured below? One word of caution: it’s not for the faint of heart and you should also be prepared to bring your own ouija board ghost hunting equipment!

1. Castle Leslie, Ireland
This ornate castle was build more than 3 centuries ago and belonged to the Leslie family ever since. Perfect for celebrities and those who are rich and famous, this 5-star retreat offers ideal solitude with the absence of the Internet, telephones and televisions. And if you have a craving for the supernatural, do ask to stay in the Norman Room, so called based on the name of the ghostly apparition that manifests from time to time. Don’t worry, he’s harmless, only known to haunt that particular room and appear to guests as a smiling entity.

A team of British architects was hired to build the first ever revolving hotel in the world. The revolving luxury hotel will be in Croatia and it boasts of giving different views to their clientele every morning and every evening.
The architects of Studio RHE based in London will spearhead the £70 million project. It is expected to be completed by of 2012 according to a press release.

The idea of the revolving hotel solves the dream of the owners to give their guests a different view of the sea and the island of Solta in Croatia. The engineering of the structure will derive its DNA from the shipyards of Split.
The rotating portion of the hotel will be a 200 feet high 3-storey section which houses about 50 of their suites. The rooms will rotate 1.3 times everyday from their turntable middle concealed by a manmade lake.

Manhattan is a lively part of New York City, famous for its chic, sophisticated urban lifestyle and makes an excellent base from which to explore the rest of this amazing city.

The Hotel Lucerne offers luxurious accommodation in the heart of one of Manhattan’s most sought after areas, the Upper West Side, and has a wonderful European style that offers spacious and modern rooms all housed in a historic building that dates back to 1904. The Lucerne offers the ideal base for both tourists and business travelers, and the luxurious rooms feature full size desks, high speed WiFi access, printing services and 24 hour room service. The hotel also has a renowned restaurant ‘Nice Matin’, which offers breakfast, lunch  and dinner, and is popular with both locals and tourists for its relaxing, sophisticated atmosphere and high class food and wine menus.

One of the most common digestive problems being diagnosed today is that of gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat and grains. It is found in practically every loaf of bread and every grain of flour. Actually the entire population to some extent is gluten intolerant; however here are some unfortunate people that have serious reactions to it in any sort of substantial portion. Common symptoms of gluten toxin are headaches, abdominal pain, diarrhea or other flu-like symptoms. There’s actually a quite serious condition known in America as Celiac disease that actually causes the body to temporarily lower its immunity to several viruses.

China just celebrated their 60th year of founding as a republic and the whole world has its eyes on the fastest growing economy in the world.

Beijing is where everything happens. It is China’s second largest city with 12 million sharing its vastness. Aside from hosting the Summer Olympics of 2008, Beijing is known for the best Peking Duck in the world. Who will not love the crispy skin and tender meat cooked in perfection? Of course there are the nearby Great Wall of China and the TianAnMen Square.

Where do you stay when you go to Beijing? The list of choices is getting longer as thousands of tourists visit the city every year.

Among the most popular hotels in Beijing is the Shangri La Hotel with their famous Chinese garden. There is also The Peninsula which is just a stone’s throw away from the forbidden city.

The United Arab Emirates has been doing a great deal lately to become known as the ultimate country on earth for luxury tourists. With Palm islands and countless other luxury hotels, it would seem that the U.A.E is the place to be.

But it’s their latest idea that’s got everyone up in a storm as their new hotel has the potential to change the face of luxury hotels forever. If you’ve not heard of the Hydropolis then you’re certainly in for a shock when we tell you about this strange but fascinating hotel.

A new hotel has recently opened in the heart of Thailand. Located in the ever-popular tourist destination of Pattaya, the Centara Grand Beach Resort is Pattaya’s and perhaps Thailand’s first ‘theme hotel’.