Saturday, August 14, 2010

Barvikha Hotel & Spa - World's Most Luxurious Hotels

Barvikha Hotel & Spa - World's Most Luxurious HotelsIn the world of luxury hotels and resorts, one might expect that Moscow would be the last place to find a first-rate hotel, never mind a luxurious and modern hotel/spa hybrid thats both warm and welcoming. However, Moscow has come a long way, and the Barvikha Hotel & Spa easily stands out as one of the finest new resorts on the planet.

The hotel is located in the Barvikha Luxury Village an ultra exclusive suburb of Moscow. This high-end area, known for its style and elegance, is the quintessential spot for such a well-designed, chic property, and the design team pulled no punches when it was time to build the resort only a few short years ago.

To handle the modern design aspect of the luxury hotel, Antonio Citterioa world famous designerwas brought in. Antonio outfitted the hotels 65 suites and spa with features such as separate terraces, fireplaces, private unique massage tables, steam showers, and an overall chic and modern feel thats light years removed from how Moscow is viewed.

From the lobby and restaurants to the individual rooms, the Barvikha Hotel & Spa turns heads with its pure originality. The furniture in the rooms, and even the way the walls are angled and built, completely abandons any traditional style of construction or designing. Everything located on the property is fresh and contemporary.

The spa portion of the resort, located on the ground floor, is an expansive project, featuring an in-ground, covered pool, a restaurant with a bar, state-of-the-art gym equipment, saunas, and more. The hotel has definitely earned some high praise, receiving a grade of 96.5% by The Leading Small Hotels of the World inspection team.

The individual suites really showcase what the Barvikha Hotel & Spa is all about. All 65 rooms feature a unique, floor-heated terrace. No two terraces are the same at Barvikha. All rooms also boast climate control features, HD plasma TVs with satellite service, high speed Internet access, a safety deposit box, mini bar and even a pillow menu.

The suites bathrooms are also state-of-the-art and large, featuring steam showers, a separate bath and shower cabin, lighted mirrors, and other accessories like makeup stations and hair dryers. Some rooms also feature private massage tables, for guests who would prefer the spa treatment in the privacy of their own quarters.

Barvikha Hotel & Spa isnt overly large, so theres only one restaurant found on the property. However, this unique eatery seems to be more than enough to keep the guests happy. For starters, the restaurant is designed like the hotels rooms, only much larger. It features a large, open terrace and famous chef Anatoly Komm fills the menu with tasty and healthy dishes.

Other services of the hotel & spa include: 24-hour concierge service; 24-hour room service; an on-staff butler; babysitting; on-site florist; same-day laundry/dry cleaning service; and even a shoe shine service.

New hotel guide 2010

We have event professionals travelling the globe every day, and as such become very familiar with what hotels are out there! To help you narrow your search we’ve compiled a list of all the latest hotel openings from the big brand names, together with what we can expect to see opening in the near future…
Four seasons




2010                  
  • Four Seasons Resort Vail
  • Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake
Mercure




2010
  • Mercure Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun, South Korea – October opening
Novotel




2010
  • Novotel Rio De Janeiro, Brasil – May opening
  • Novotel Muenchen Airport, Germany – May opening
  • Novotel Jakarta Gajah Mada, Indonesia – June opening
  • Novotel Dammam Business Park, Saudi Arabia – June opening
  • Novotel Rennes Centre, France – October opening
  • Novotel Constantine, Algeria - October opening
  • Novotel Imperial Hoi An, Vietnam – November opening
  • Novotel Nanjing, China – November opening
  • Novotel Hanoi, Vietnam – December opening
  • Novotel Bangka, Indonesia – December opening
Pullman




2010
  • Pullman Jeddah Alhamra, Saudi Arabia
2011
  • Pullman Dubai Jumeirah Lakes Tower, UAE
  • Pullman Mall of Emirates, UAE
Ritz – Carlton



2010
  • Ritz-Carlton Shanghai Pudong - August opening
  • Ritz-Carlton Dubai Finance Center – September opening
  • Ritz-Carlton Riyadh – October opening
  • Ritz-Carlton Toronto – November opening       
2011     
  • Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage – October opening
  • Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong Kowloon Station - November opening
Shangri-La




2010               
  • China World Summit Wing, Beijing
  • Shangri-La Hotel, Guilin
  • Shangri-La Pudong Kerry Centre Hotel, Shanghai
  • Shangri-La Hotel, Paris
  • Shangri-La Hotel, Vienna
  • Shangri-La Hotel, Mumbai
  • Shangri-La Hotel, Doha
  • Shangri-La Hotel, Manzhouli
  • Palm Retreat Shangri-La, Bangalore
  • Shangri-La Hotel, Bangalore 
2011
  • Shangri-La Hotel, Macau
  • Traders Hotel, Macau 
  • Shangri-La’s Long Island Resort and Spa, Seychelles 
2012                    
  • Traders Hotel, Puteri Harbour, Iskandar
  • Shangri-La Hotel, Toronto
  • Jing An Shangri-La, Nanjing Road, Shanghai
  • Shangri-La Hotel at London Bridge Tower  
2013                    
  • Shangri-La at the Fort, Manila
Sofitel




2010
  • Sofitel Vienna
  • Sofitel Essaouira Mogador, Morocco
  • Sofitel Agadir Dhabi Capital Plaza, UAE
  • Sofitel Zallag Beach Resort, Bahrain
  • Sofitel Mauritius Bel Ombre
  • Sofitel Dubai Sheikh Zayed Road
  • Sofitel Dongguan Hummen Oriental, China
  • Sofitel Guangzhou Sunrich, China
  • Sofitel Phnom Pehn Phokeethra, Vietnam
  • Sofitel Mumbai, India
  • Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit, Thailand

Antalya Mardan Palace Hotel Review

Antalya Mardan Hotel, the pure gold of Turkish heavenly coasts welcomes you, if you want to feel yourself as a contemporary Turkish Sultan for a few days. Mardan Palace Hotel, the most expensive hotel in Europe opened its doors a month ago in Antalya Lara hotels region and shocked the world not only with its ultra high prices (£36 a glass of champagne, £6 for a coke) but also with its overall luxury level. The Azerbaijan billionaire oligarch Telman Ismailov easily buried at least a billion for this hotel making not only himself as famous as Abramovich but also free advertisement for Turkish tourism.

Here are a few remarkable facts about this ultra-star Antalya hotel.
  • The hotel was inspired by Dolmabahce Palace, Galata Bridge and Maiden’s Tower of Istanbul
  • The Ottoman style rooms decorated with classy objects from fashion idols like Hermes, Gucci.
  • 2,500 tons of gold, 500,000 crystals and 23,000 sqms of Italian marble was used in both interior and exterior decoration.
  • Swimming pool is one of the largest pools of the world. There is also a river like pool where gondolas can carry you in 30 minutes from one end to the other.
  • 4 large aquariums to reflect different seas
  • The private beach silky sands are brought from Egypt, 9,000 tons
  • There are over 10 restaurants featuring all types of Turkish and world cuisine and 14 bars and clubs.
If you have a chance to afford some days staying in this hotel, do not miss the life time experience.
See latest Antalya hotel prices at Booking.com











5-Star Adelaide Hotel Guide

Adelaide is the most populous city and capital of South Australia. This coastal city is located along the Gulf St. Vincent’s eastern shores, the Fleurieu Peninsula’s northern section and by the Adelaide Plains as well as in-between Mount Lofty Ranges and the Gulf St. Vincent. Its population is estimated at 1.1 million, making it Australia’s 5th largest city.
The name is given to the city to honor Queen Adelaide. Born in Germany, she was consort to King William IV. It was in the year 1836 when they founded the city to serve as the planned capital for Australia’s only “freely-settled” British province. The designer of the city is Colonel William Light who is also one of its founding fathers.
Adelaide acted as the site for many financial and governmental institutions because it is also the seat of the commercial and government center of South Australia. These are concentrated along the city center by the cultural boulevard of King William Street and North Terrace among others in the metropolitan area.
The city is currently renowned for its various sporting events and festivals. It is also appreciated for its wine, food and culture as well as its long beachfronts, large manufacturing and defense sectors. Right now, Adelaide ranks as a highly livable city. In fact, it is amongst the top 10 in the Most Livable Cities in the Economist’s World index.
Adelaide Airports

Adelaide International Airport is situated along the western section of the city. It offers the most advanced and newest terminal in the area. It serves over 6.3 million passengers every year. T is designed to simultaneously handle 27 aircrafts. It is also able to process 3,000 passengers every hour. It is about 7 km. from the CBD.
Parafield Airport is the second airport of Adelaide. It is used mostly for general aviation. It is situated 18 kilometers north of CBD.
Adelaide Hotels

Mantra Hindmarsh Square – This is one of the finest hotels in Adelaide. It is situated near the city center and it provides easy accessibility to all the major attractions in the region. It has spacious studio suites and one to two bedroom apartments with fully furnished dining as well as living areas, terrace or balcony and spectacular views of Adelaide Hills. It also features either a kitchenette or a full kitchen.
There is a fee for onsite valet parking. It’s $25 for 24 hours.
Medina Grand Adelaide – This 5-star accommodation in Adelaide is situated by the former Treasury building in Victoria Square. It is only a short walk to retail stores, the business center and many other tourist attractions.
The hotel has a bar and restaurant by their central courtyard. Their public areas feature a gym, indoor pool, Spa and sauna. Their courtyard has a fountain. Modern amenities and finishes delight guests of the hotel, especially with their studio rooms and one- to two-bedroom apartments with balconies.
There is a $10 to $12 charge for parking per 24 hours. The International airport is only 5.5 kilometers away. The nightly rate ranges from $185 to $345, depending on the room type. The address of the hotel is Corner King William & Flinders Streets, Adelaide. For inquiries and reservations, you can call them at 1-300-900-900.

Great vocation resort and Garni Hotel guide with photos

Great vocation resort and Garni Hotel guide with photos
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Garni Hotel Petra
Garni Hotel Petra is located in the romantic region of the Slapy Reservoir on the Ždáň Peninsula, only 35 km far from Prague.
Hotel Petra offers 11 double rooms with extra beds or children’s cribs upon request.
The rooms are equipped with a toilet and bathroom (type A room) or shower bath (type B room) and a balcony. Some rooms may be equipped with TV. The hotel interior is a non-smoking area; the hotel also offers its own parking facility.
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Hotel Garni Regina
Welcome in the Hotel Garni Regina in Goessweinstein in the centre of Franconian Switzerland! Our Hotel has a splendid view on the castle and the pilgrim church. Generously sunny breakfast-room and breakfast-buffet. Individually furnished guestrooms with privat bath or shower/WC/TV an some balcony. Large garden with a sunny terrace also for breakfast. Garages, also for motorbikes, and sufficient parking space are directly at the house.
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Ski holidays and deals to Mayrhofen
Cosy apartment house, on the outskirts, 1.5 km from the centre, in a quiet, sunny position on a slope. For shared use: nice garden, lawn sunning area, table tennis. In the house: central heating. Parking by the house, communal covered parking (extra) by the house. Grocers, restaurant 1....
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Ernsing's Garni Hotel - Das 3-Sterne Hotel in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler
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The Hotel Merkur Garni, situated south of Hanover and 13 kilometres away from the exhibition grounds, was newly opened in 2000 following extensive renovation work. It now awaits you with 33 guest rooms, comprising 15 double and 18 single rooms.

Hotels in Downtown Chicago

The Allerton Hotel on Magnificent Mile overlooks Lake Michigan, one-quarter mile from the John Hancock Center and North Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago, Ill. Millennium Park, Navy Pier and the Art Institute of Chicago are located one mile from the hotel. A business center offers print, photocopy, fax and scan services for a fee. Wireless Internet access is complimentary in the lobby. Function rooms accommodate from 10 to 200 people. Recreational amenities include a complimentary 24-hour fitness room equipped with television-mounted cardiovascular machines, weight-training machines and yoga supplies. This 24-story hotel offers 443 modern guestrooms furnished in blue, white and mocha tones. Rooms include high-speed Internet access for a fee, and flat-screen televisions. Chicago Hotels and Resorts.

Waling Waling Beach Hotel Boracay

Waling Waling

Waling Waling Beach Hotel Boracay is a world class, prime location beachfront resort. The rooms have balcony and ocean view, the restaurant is on the beach, as are the many open-air cabanas. In addition to the center beach location, Waling also has main road access at the rear of the resort. Waling is proud of their Filipino hospitality and is pleased to "cater to your every whim"
Pictures (click on image to view)
Waling Waling
Waling Waling
Waling Waling
Waling Waling

A Hotel’s Guide to Using Flickr (Things I learned the hard way)

Flickr is perhaps the web’s most active community of photographers, currently hosting around 3.5 billion photos viewed by over 76 million visitors last month. The site was started in Vancouver in early 2004, and bought by Yahoo a year later in March 2005. It’s interesting to note that Flickr is not the largest photo sharing site – ImageShack, Facebook, and PhotoBucket all host more photos. But those services do not provide the same level of exposure for photos, and are largely used as online storage or for sharing with a few friends. Flickr, on the other hand, is an online photography community, and is built to share photos with as many people as possible. Photographers such as Trey Ratcliff, James Neeley, and Kris Kros regularly get thousands of views for each image they post. This focus on sharing and distribution makes it ideal for hotel marketers looking to build their web media presence.
Photo by Stuck in Customers on Flickr
Photo by Stuck in Customs on Flickr
Before I dive into the “how” of promoting your photos on this site, let’s go over the “why”…
The 5 most compelling reasons for hotels to use Flickr in their web marketing
  1. Flickr increases your web presence, building awareness among potential guests and travel planners
  2. Flickr can link back to your hotel website, encouraging direct bookings and helping your search engine position
  3. Flickr hosts your images for free
  4. Flickr syndicates your photos across other websites (important in Google’s universal search – which includes media)
  5. Flickr provides the opportunity to build relationships in your online community
As a bonus, Flickr has a large international following…particularly as a percentage of its users. Many social media networks are heavily weighted in one country, so this diversity is helpful if you’re trying to reach an international market. Art really does cross the language barrier:
Search data from Google Trends
Search data from Google Trends
Registering your Hotel Flickr Account
Registration is easy. Since it’s part of the Yahoo network, an existing account there will speed the process.  I recommend you use your hotel name as your Flickr username for search optimization purposes.
Customizing your Flickr Profile
One of the first things you want to do is change the URL of your photos. By default, it will look something like http://flickr.com/photos/96576897@N00345/. That’s not very friendly to search engines or regular people. Change it to include your hotel name or important keywords. You want your permanent URL to be something like http://flickr.com/photos/yourhotel/
The rest of pretty straightforward. You can upload a small image for your hotel’s avatar. You’ll probably want to fill out the “about” section with a brief description of your hotel, and then enter your website URL.
Ideas for your Flickr Photostream
  • Professionally shot photographs of your hotel’s interior and exterior (example: Tiara Hotels)
  • Professionally staged theme photos (see Witt Istanbul’s vintage travel-themed photos for a good example of this)
  • Photos of your neighborhood
  • Photos of your city (landmarks, little-known attractions, etc)
  • Directions to your location in photos (guests arriving by foot from a nearby train station may want to know which landmarks to orient themselves by, for example)
Photo by Josiah Mackenzie on Flickr
Photo by Josiah Mackenzie on Flickr
Optimizing Flickr Photos for Increased Exposure
Just as there are adjustments for making your website appear higher in search results, there are steps you can take to optimize your Flickr photos so more people see them. As with any search optimization project, it involves putting your important keywords in prominent places:
  • Put keywords in your image title (instead of the ugly camera-generated DCGW100322…or whatever)
  • Include keywords in your image description
  • Place a keyword-rich link back to a specific, related page on your website
  • Tag your photo with relevant keywords
Here’s an example of an image from Lawrence Travel Center that is doing a pretty good job with image optimization. They have keywords in the right places and have a keyword-rich link in the description back to their website. I feel they could add a few more relevant keywords to the image, but they have the basic idea.
Power Tips 95% of Flickr Users Don’t Know About

Shhh…here are techniques that few people share, but that Flickr’s most effective users have been using to generate massive profile views and gain huge followings. I’ve noticed them by being a Flickr user myself and working with several other top accounts. If you just create an account, upload some photos, and leave you can’t expect to gain huge traffic. You have to do a little extra.
  • Be smart with your licensing. “All rights reserved” is an old mindset that doesn’t work well in new media. Creative Commons offers a great alternative – select a license that meets your needs best. Allow anyone to download or republish your photos on their site with attribution. This spreads your brand much faster than if you reserved all rights and prohibited republishing. (See David Meerman Scott’s free ebook on ‘losing control’ for more on this topic.)
  • Embed Flickr photos on your website whenever possible. Embedding increases your view count, and ‘interestingness‘ according to Flickr’s algorithm. This is why you want to use the open licensing described above.
  • Use conceptual tag themes creatively. Don’t just tag photos with obvious hotel terms. Use as many relevant keywords as possible…describing the room, your property, and so on. Top photos will also have seemingly abstract terms like “light,” “design,” and “relaxing”…because those conceptual terms are what people search for.
  • Participate in lots of groups. Groups focused around a subject like hotels or your city can be a great platform for boosting the popularity of your images. But don’t just dump your photos in the group pool and leave: get to know the other members and interact with their photos. Participation in the community is true in any social media situation, and applies here as well.
  • Create varied content. This is seldom practiced by organizations on Flickr, but very important. For example, with Witt Istanbul Suites we included a great image of the Istanbul Skyline. Not everyone will be searching for ‘Istanbul Hotel’ on the site, but quite a few searches take place for ‘Istanbul Night Skyline.’ Having a hotel-produced image of that phrase enables them to capture some traffic there.
  • Geo-tag your photos. Quite simply, this is placing your photos on a map showing visitors where the pictures were taken. It’s important for reaching people looking for photos in the area your hotel is located. (There’s a tutorial from Flickr describing the process.)
  • Create great content. That should go without saying, but developing fascinating images will make your promotional efforts much easier. If you’re taking the pictures yourself, learn how to use different lenses, lighting, and processing techniques to create captivating images. Great photography will spread organically and virally.
Photo by Josiah Mackenzie on Flickr
Photo by Josiah Mackenzie on Flickr
Examples of Hotels on Flickr
I’ve linked to several photostreams earlier in this post, but here are a couple more examples of hotels and hospitality companies on Flickr:
Hotel Groups on Flickr
Helpful Tools for Hoteliers Using Flickr
Further Resources about Flickr
I hope you’ve enjoyed this article. If you’ve found it helpful, please consider bookmarking or stumbling it. For more hotel marketing ideas, you can subscribe to this blog via RSS.

Qatar Luxury Hotel Guide

The Sheraton Hotel at nightNote - an updated and expanded version of this post is now available on our website: Qatar Visitor's Luxury Hotel Guide.

Having already posted about cheap hotels in Qatar, we decided to cover the other end of the market. We’ve also done the opposite to our cheap hotels post, starting with the most expensive hotels and working our way down. Of course hotel rates vary according to demand, and current prices are likely to be distorted by the Asian Games, so we decided the placing based on the prices provided through the Expedia booking service for next year. (We were not able to obtain prices for The Ramada or Rydges).

The Ritz-Carlton Sharq Village and Spa
Tel: +974 4256666 Fax: +974 4256660 Address: PO Box 2662, Doha, Qatar
Location: Ras Abu Aboud Street close to the Doha Club.

This is not actually open yet, but they will be shortly. Their cheapest rooms are not that expensive yet, but their most expensive rooms cost more than two and a half thousand dollars a night! (Price information from Expedia.)

Key points:
- wireless internet capacity throughout resort
- will resemble an “ancient desert village” (though you can bet it’ll be rather more comfortable)
- will feature roaming entertainers playing traditional music, reciting poetry and so on
- will feature 71,500 foot square foot “six senses” spa with 23 treatment rooms and will include plunge pools, mud baths, tai chi, yoga and crystal therapy (?)

Bavaria City Suites
Tel: +974 – 4969111 Fax: +974 – 4969112 Email: bcs.doha@bhihotels.comPost: PO Box 23488 Location: Al Dafna

This huge (2000 suites and studios) complex cannot be missed: drive into the centre of the business district towards city centre and you will see the four buildings dominating the skyline. It's only very recently opened, and not all facilities are yet available.

Key points
- right in the centre of the business district and close to Corniche
- 5,500 square feet swimming pool
- personal assistant service
- business centre
- Angsana spa

Four Seasons Hotel (five star)
The Ritz Carlton HotelTel: (974) 494 8888 Fax: (974) 494 8282 Post: P.O. Box 24665, Doha, Qatar
Location: West Bay (end of Corniche Road close to The Sheraton)
Great views over the sea front, but when I visited they served some awful coffee in the lobby. Has had mostly good reviews from travellers.

Key points:

- includes beach and marina with water sports
- sauna and spa services

The Ritz Carlton Hotel (five star – or six star according to the Qatar Explorer website!)
Tel: (974) 484-8000 Fax: (974) 484-8484 Post: P.O. Box 23400 Doha, Qatar
Location: West Bay Lagoon
This island resort, close to Doha golf club, has had very good reviews from some of its former guests.

Key points:

- situated on own island
- indoor and outdoor pools
- 235 berth marina + clubhouse
- close to Doha Golf Club
- 9 restaurant and bars

Sheraton Hotel Doha (four star)
Tel: (974) 4854444 Fax: (974) 4832323 Post: P.O. Box 6000 Doha Qatar
Location: Corniche
I have a soft spot for the Sheraton Doha hotel, as I suspect other Doha residents do. It's been here a lot longer than many other Doha hotels and has become a fmaous and familiar landmark, its pyramid design rising above the Doha Corniche. Its vast inside, but smacks of old-style charms. Its food has always been excellent when I have eaten there, and very good value. On the other hand, there have been mixed reviews of the hotel by its guests.

Key points:

- 70 acres of landscaped gardens
- private beach
- lagoon
- convention centre with capacity to host 5,000
- range of indoor and outdoor restaurants

The Millenium Hotel, Doha (five star)
Tel: +974 4411800 Fax: +974 447 8881 Address: PO Box 24249, Doha, Qatar
Location: Jawaan Street, Al Sadd
This is a very new hotel, and I have yet to see any reviews. It’s located on Al Sadd, which has a number of up-market shops.

Key points:

- No access to sea
- Indoor rooftop pool
- Spa, turkish bath + steam room

The Marriot Hotel (four star)
Tel: 4298888 Fax: Fax: 974 4 418784 PO Box: 1911
Location: Abu Aboud Street
The Marriot Hotel is next to the sailing club and has a small private beach – although it’s basically within a small harbour. When I ate there I found the food to be very reasonable in price and the service excellent (see link below). It’s also had excellent reviews.

Key points:
- temperature controlled pool
- private beach
- marina

Also see A night with a whirling dervish

Look No Further Best Rate Guarantee at Marriott.com

The Grand Regency Hotel (5 star)
Tel: +974 434 3333 Fax: +974 434 4444 PO Box 2606
Location: Next to Sports Roundabout in Al Sadd district

I’m always driving past this relatively new hotel and it does look stunning, especially at night. Its a long way from the sea, though, and is located next to a busy roundabout – expect agitated beeping if you wander outside at rush hour. I read two great reviews and two terrible reviews of the place – take your pick!

Key points

- no access to sea
- panoramic lift (no, I don’t know what it means but I can’t wait to find out)
- fat burning studio (???)

Sealine Resort
Tel: +974 476 5299 Fax: +974 476 5298 Address: PO Box: 50255, Massaieed, Qatar
Location: Masaieed – i.e. in the desert!
If you’ve come to Qatar to do business in Doha, then don’t bother coming here – it’s miles away from the city. There is a lovely beach, and loads of things to do – although it may be worth giving a mkiss on Fridays, when hordes of people descend from Doha, and the dunes around are torn up by four wheel drives. It’s also had two very bad reviews on Trip Advisor, and one on Yahoo!, out of a total of four reviews! If you walk up to the door and ask to book a room it can be ridiculously expensive, but I've seen it advertised as cheap as 88 dollars online.

Key points

- leisure activities include windsurfing, jet ski-ing, camel and horse riding
- quads for hire if you fancy trying dune bashing
- well set up for children with two pools and two bouncy castles
- at least a forty minute drive from Doha
- rooms and bungalows available

Also see: Riding camels on the sand

Movenpick hotel and resort (4 star) The Movenpick
Tel: + 974 4291111 Fax: +974 4291100 Address: PO Box 24220
Location: The Corniche

A friend who has been going to the Movenpick for years visited recently, and was absolutely shocked at the price of a drink – even beating top London hotels.

Key points:

- close to National Museum
- near Corniche (sea front) but no beach or direct access to sea
- has had both good and bad reviews

George IV Hotel (4 star)
Tel: +974 4445405 or Fax +974 4367939 PO Box: 24160

This new eight storey hotel is situated along C-ring road, on the Al Sadd traffic signals. It's not the in best of areas, although you can get to pretty much anywhere in the city in ten minutes from here.

Key points

- free internet access
- doesn't provide alcohol

Rydges Plaza Doha (four star)
Tel: +974 4385444 Fax: +974 4385445 Address: P.O. Box 22686, Doh Qatar
Location: Corniche

Rydges is opposite the Cornich, so while it’s close to the sea it doesn’t have a beach. It has a small roof top pool – very pleasant, but not sufficient for real exercise. The rooftop bar is popular with expats but can be rather loud. Drinks were more reasonable than some of the other hotels last time I went.

Key points:

-Close to the sea (not the beach) but you need to cross the road to get to the Corniche
- Excellent access to the soukhs (local markets)


Ramada Hotel (three star)Tel: +974 4417417 Address: PO Box 1768, Doha, Qatar
Location: C Ring Road
While the pool is great for kids, but the night life at the Ramada’s nightclubs can be plain seedy at times (although if you are a single man back from three months on an oil rig you might like that), and the band absolutely awful. (I though it was Karaoke Night the first time I went there). On the other hand, they are very active and put on shows and events such as the Laughter Factory (well worth a visit), and the alcohol is reasonably priced (for Qatar). It’s situated a few kilometres away from the sea.

Key points:

- lots of things on
- long way from the sea
- bars and clubs popular with expats

See also: Brunch at the Ramada

Your experiences – we’re both too poor and too mean to stay in these hotels, but if you have a positive or a negative experience in any of them we’d love to hear from you!

Book flights, hotels or cars with Expedia


Qatar Visitor Bookstore

Find the best deal, compare prices and read what other travelers have to say Qatar

Read more: http://qatarvisitor.blogspot.com/2006/11/qatar-luxury-hotel-guide.html#ixzz0wYs9xqTq

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Luxury Bahrain Hotels

A selection of Bahrain's best hotels


The Banyan Tree Resort and Spa.Banyan Tree Resort and Spa

Tel: + 973 17 84 5000
Fax: + 973 17 84 5001
Post: P.O Box 75055
Location: Al Areen
With an average price of $1600, this all-villa resort is Bahrain's most expensive as well as most luxurious hotel. The hotel made it to number five on The Independent's Top 10 Pamper Palaces in the world, and is located close to the Formula 1 circuit.
Key points:
  • business centre
  • fitness centre and spa
  • private beach
  • baby-sitting or child care
  • five minutes from formula one circuit
  • on-site shopping
Check Availability
Banyan Tree Resort and Spa: Submit your own hotel review

The Ritz Carlton Bahrain Resort and Spa.Ritz Carlton Bahrain Hotel and Spa

Tel: +973 1758 0000
Fax: +973 1758 0333
Post: PO Box 55577, Manama
Location: Manama's Sea Front
This seven storey hotel, which is the focus of a twenty acre resort located on Manama's sea front, is without a doubt one of the best hotels in Bahrain. For total luxury choose from one of its 23 beach villas.
Key Points
  • 2000 metres of private beach
  • Spa and health club
  • Plunge pools, steam rooms and sauna
  • On-site marina
  • Night club
  • Child care
  • On-site shopping
Find the best deal, compare prices and read what other travelers have to say about Ritz Carlton Bahrain
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Movenpick Hotel Bahrain.Movenpick Hotel Bahrain

Tel: +973 1746 0000
Fax: +973 1746 0001
Post: P.O. Box 24009
Location: Close to airport
This is just the hotel you need if you don't fancy a long trip after your flight - its in walking distance of the international airport. Despite this location, former guests have reported that the Movenpick was quiet, and praised the excellent service and food at this five star hotel.
Key points
  • shuttle bus from airport (surcharge)
  • health club
  • beauty services
  • massage treatment
  • technology helpdesk
  • wireless internet
  • babysitting and childcare
  • wheelchair accessible
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The Mercure Grand Hotel Seef.Mercure Grand Hotel Seef (4 star)

Tel: +973 17 584400
Fax: +973 17 584401
Post: PO Box 18084, Manama, Bahrain
Location: Road 2827 Al Seef District
If you are in Barhain for the shopping this is a superb location - in the Seef district surrounded by Bahrain's best malls. It also boasts superb and very large rooms.
Key Points
  • Health Club
  • Steam room, Spa tub and Sauna
  • Baby sitting and childcare services
  • Massage treatments
  • Separate swimming pool for children
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The Radisson SAS Diplomat Hotel.Radisson SAS Diplomat Hotel

Tel: +973 17 531666
Fax: +973 17 530843
Post: PO Box 5243
Location: Diplomatic Area
Overlooking the Arabian Gulf, this hotel has had good reports from its guests - at least not that the renovation of its pool is finished! There are some great views from the rooms, and also a nightclub at the location, so you won't need even need to head out to have a night out.
Key Points
  • nightclub
  • 4 swimming pools including a 280m2 lagoon pool
  • spa, steam room and sauna
  • complimentary airport transport
  • fitness centre and aerobics classes
  • on-site shopping
  • massage treatments
  • tennis and squash courts
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The Gulf Hotel in Bahrain.The Gulf Hotel

Tel: +973 1771 3000
Fax: +973 1771 3040
Post: PO Box 580
Location: Adliya (commercial district)
If you want an ulra modern and chic hotel this will not be the place for you, but if you are looking for something with a sense of history and a bit of character the Gulf Hotel would be a good choice. The Gulf was the first five star hotel to be built in Bahrain, and has been serving customers for over 40 years from its fourteen bars and restaurants.
Key points:
  • international cuisine including Thai, Chinese,Iranian and Lebanese food
  • 14 bars and restaurants
  • on-site shopping
  • disabled access
  • child and baby-care
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The Elite Suites Hotel.Elite Suites (4 star)

Tel: +973 17 558 888
Fax: 973 17 558 222
Location: Seef District
This may not be one of Bahrain's biggest or most luxurious hotels, but it has been highly rated by its guests. It's located close to the malls and has a small rooftop pool to cool down in.
Key points:
  • business centre
  • internet connectionn in room
  • health club with gymnasium and sauna
  • secretrial services
  • wheelchair accessible
  • business centre
  • baby sitting services
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The Novotel Al Dana Resort in Bahrain.Novotel Al Dana Resort

Tel: +973 17298 008
Fax: +973 17298 338
Post: PO Box 11073
Location: Sheikh Hamad Causeway
The Novotel give you the chance to enjoy a private beach and excellent facilities at a very reasonable price. Most impressive are a whole range of water sports that you can enjoy without leaving the hotel. The hotel has had mostly good reviews from guests.
Key points
  • wireless internet access throughout hotel
  • health club
  • spa and sauna
  • water sports including jet ski-ing, scuba diving and windsurfing available on-site
  • beauty services
  • poolside and swimup bar
  • kids club + playground
  • baby sitting and childcare
  • cribs available
  • translation services
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The Regency Intercontinental Bahrain.The Regency Intercontinental Bahrain

Tel: +973 1722 7777
Fax: +973 1722 9929
Post: PO Box 16031
Location: Diplomatic and Business district
This high rise business hotel has received mixed reviews from travellers, despite being winner of the Best Business Hotel in Bahrain by the Business Traveller Magazine. With only a small swimming pool, this hotel is probably best suited to business travellers.
Key Points
  • health club with fitness equipment
  • squash court
  • kids camp (summer time only)
  • free meals for children
  • baby sitting
  • business centre
  • internet access
  • spa with sauna and whirlpool
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The Ramee International Hotel in Bahrain.Ramee International Hotel

Tel: +973 17 727230
Fax: +973 17 727231
Post: PO Box 11538
Location: Juffair
This four star nine-storey hotel is located on the edge of the Arabian Gulf. It has had great reviews from guests, despite being one of the cheaper hotels on this guide. It's also a lively place to spend a night with a Bollywood cafe, American themed night club and an Arabian Discotheque.
Key points
  • health club
  • beauty saloon and spa including steam room and jacuzzi
  • aerobics, yoga, meditiation and massage
  • gymnasium
  • courtesy airport pick up and drop
  • business centre
  • visa assistance
  • bars and nightclubs on premises
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The Ramada Hotel Bahrain.Ramada Bahrain

Tel: +973 1774 2000
Fax: +973 1774 2809
Location: Bani Obtah Avenue, opposite Government House.
This is one of two Ramada hotels in Bahrain, so be careful not to get it confused with the Ramada Palace Hotel. With an average price of $160, this 16 storey hotel provides good value for money.
Key points:
  • babysitting and childcare
  • free airport shuttle
  • jacuzzi
  • wheel chair accessibility
  • free wireless internet in rooms
  • pool bar
  • massage
  • mini-gym
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Sheraton Bahrain Hotel

Sheraton Bahrain hotel.Tel: +973 17 533 533
Fax: +973 17530483
Location: Central Manama
Situated in the heart of Manama's business and diplomatic area, seven kilometres from Bahrain International Airport, this five star business hotel has had mostly good reviews from former guests. It's also a place where you can enjoy city wide views - while playing tennis on its rooftop court!
Key points:
  • central location
  • wireless internet throughout
  • rooftop tennis court
  • spa treatments
  • sports facilities
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