Virgin Group announces a new addition

Sir Richard Branson has announced that his Virgin Group plans to invest around £320 million in new luxury hotels, which will add to his travel portfolio which includes a global airline, Private Island, holidays, cruises and space tourism. The group has launched a website which outlines their intentions with this new project, www.virginhotels.com leads with the strap line: ‘Fancy getting into bed with Virgin’.

According to the site Virgin Hotels will be a four-star chain that aims to target ‘high income, well-educated, metropolitan “creative class” customers. To start off with they will be opening chains in North America, with destinations hinted as New York, San Francisco, Miami, Boston and Los Angeles. The company has also hinted that their long term plan is to open hotels across the globe. A message on the site reads: ‘With over 25 years in the travel sector and a reputation for delivering unforgettable experiences to millions of Virgin fans, Virgin is a perfect fit for the hotel business.’

However Virgin won’t be short of competition in its latest foray, they will probably face stiff competition from US brands who have tried to corner the ’boutique’ hotel market, such as the Starwood-owned design-conscious W brand, which has grown extensively over the last five years, or the Andaz chain, owned by Hyatt Hotels.

In an effort to distinguish themselves in the market Virgin Group have enlisted the services of Alberto Beeck and property investor Diego Lowenstein to find them the right properties, in which they aim to have between 150 and 400 rooms and ‘ample communal space’ for guests.

 

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Enjoying Spain

As one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, (attracting more than 50 million visitors a year) Spain which is also a top destination for UK tourists who wish to enjoy the sun, sand and sangria, has plenty to offer no matter what holiday your after.

For those who want easy going family holidays where all you needs are catered for then you don’t need to look further than the popular resorts such as Tenerife, Gran Canaria or Lanzarote which offer plenty of family orientated activities. If you want a faced paced party holiday then you need to be going to Spain’s world famous party capital, Ibiza or the lively resort of Magaluf. And for those who want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the busier tourist resorts you can look to stay in some traditional holiday rentals in Spain further off the beaten track such as Correalejo National Park, and the resorts of La Gomera and La Palma.

There is also more to Spain than the golden beaches, if you travel a little further in land you will find a country steeped in history with a rich culture as well as cities which boast world’s finest architecture as well as breath taking scenery. Here you also get to enjoy the real Spain, with its sights, sounds and tastes that are a world away from the bright tacky lights and British orientated food found in many of the resorts.  If you stay in holiday villas further inland you will get to enjoy the real Spain, in villages the feel like they have stood still in time.

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Take a holiday on the ‘Sunshine Coast’- Part 2

You don’t have to go far from your holiday villa in the Costa del Sol to get some grub the food in certain resorts such as Torremolinos, Benalmadena and Fuengirola offer a distinctly British affair, with the streets and promenades packed with British-style pubs and expat-owned cafés, where you can enjoy full English breakfasts, roast dinners and steak and kidney pies. However if you like to go on holiday and enjoy traditional local cuisine, fear not because the Costa del Sol and southern Spain is where the Spanish food of Tapas was born. You can enjoy traditional Spanish favourites such as their spicy chorizo and their albonigas which are meatballs in tomato sauce or jamon Serrano which is traditional salt-cured ham and yummy deep-fried, lemon-drizzled squid rings washed down with ice-cold sangria.

Jamon Serrano Tapas

Jamon Serrano Tapas

Picture courtesy of Kazutaka NAKANO

If you do stay in self catering holiday villas in Spain, it a great opportunity to go out and try all these local flavours, you can also pop to the local markets and have a go yourself at cooking tapas. You can also enjoy trying out the fresh local produce such as giant lobsters and big cheeses.

There are also plenty of places to go for a night on the town no matter what you’re looking for, some quieter resorts like Frigiliana, Marbella and Estepona have a great laidback vibe if you want to just chill out and enjoy great food, drink and local music. If you want to be a bit more energetic you could visit Torremolinos, Benalmadena and Fuengirola which have plenty of vibrant bars, clubs and pubs that offer plenty to keep you going.

Sangria

Sangria

Picture courtesy of andriesss

When you’re not enjoying the beaches here there is plenty of places to shopping here in the Costa del Sol, in some of the resorts like Marbella and Puerto Banus for example, you will find big designer-name boutiques. Over in Torremolinos and Benalmadena however you will find cheap and colourful gifts as well as the Costa’s holiday favourite blue and white Andalucian dishes, as well as handmade soft leather bags, straw baskets and flamenco shawls.

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Summer holidays, the UK and beyond!

If you currently in the process of looking for a last minute summer holiday somewhere, but not decided on a destination yet, then the world is your oyster! Travel these days has made it so much easier to see never, seen before places in far off lands, it has also made it easier to see what we have here in the UK. You can look for cheap flights to London, Glasgow, Belfast or Dublin to see the Best of British or last minute seats on flights further afield, like Turkey, Italy, America or even Australia, online and compare prices offered to make sure you get the best deals, it’s also just as easy to find accommodation for your holiday too, many places drop their price if they have a couple of rooms left to get them filled up.

The top travel destinations for 2010 are:

Turkey
Egypt
Mexico
Tunisia
Greece
Majorca
Cuba
Croatia & Montenegro
Morocco
Costa Rica

Many people warmer climes for their summer holidays because here in the UK we generally don’t get much sun over our summer, so going somewhere hotter means you can enjoy the sun you have been longing for all year and with cheap flights and bargain hotels it’s never been easier!

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Exciting family holiday destinations

If you want to take your family away this summer for an exciting action packed holiday this year then there are a huge number of destinations to choose from, you can tailor make your holiday to your specifications. Holiday rentals are great for those who want to holiday at their own pace, you are not tied to a hotel schedule and can come and go as you please, they are also great if there are a large group of, many rentals, either holiday cottages or villas can sleep anywhere between 4 and 20 people. They will include all the necessary amenities and if you are going to destinations in hotter climes you can also enjoy the luxury of your own pool in some. 

You can choose to be right in an action packed resort or you can opt for somewhere quieter and out of the way, if you are looking to stay here in the UK there are many places either in land or in coastal resorts. You can stay near places of interest either somewhere historical that offers castles and grand houses to explore or somewhere that offers thrill’s and excitement like a theme park.  You could opt for a city break and explore the Capital with many days out to choose from.

If you want to take your family further afield then Europe is a great option and staying in a holiday cottage or villa and enjoy the freedom mentioned above. You can choose a drive holiday to France or a fly drive holiday to Spain opting for favourite family destinations or somewhere a bit quieter off the beaten track.

If your tailor making the holiday yourself you can normally find better prices and could get it cheaper than a package holiday, comparing rental prices as well as travel prices for air, rail and sea, so why not have a look for yourself today and get on your way to creating those oh so important memories.

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Holiday in the UK or abroad?

When it comes to booking a holiday many people look to see if they can get the best value for money, so with many people feeling the pinch still has meant some people are looking to the UK in hope of getting a good deal however some prices here in the UK can be higher than abroad, so what’s the best option?

A lot depends on what you’re looking for in a holiday, the type of accommodation you want to stay in and what you’re happy paying for food and drink as well as travel expenses’. Some popular resorts in the UK find that businesses impose much higher prices than normal for food and accommodation especially if you want to travel with your family during the school holidays that it can work out cheap to go abroad, even when comparing holiday rentals.

Sometimes it can be cheaper to holiday abroad if you are looking to stay in all inclusive accommodation as although it costs more initially you save money during your holiday because your meals and drinks are included at your resort, however factoring in the flights can bump up the price to more than a holiday in the UK.

If your confident that you can keep to a budget for your holiday then there are ways to save money, if you take a caravan holiday at a park in the UK you can share the cost with a few people, many static caravans can sleep up to 10 people, all you need to think about then is the cost of food which can also be split. Travel may be a bit more expensive but if there are a few of you then to travel around you could hire a mini bus, splitting the cost here will also be handy.

There are plus and negatives to both staying here in the UK for a holiday or going abroad, however with careful planning and comparing deals and prices, you could get a very reasonable summer holiday.

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Large family vacations

If you and your family are looking to take a holiday and there are a large number of you wanting to go, then you will need somewhere that has a suitable amount of accommodation for you all in one place. Villa holidays are a great option for large families and large groups, accommodation starts from 4 people for a small villa all the way up to 16 people for a large villa with plenty of amenities and you will find them in and around many popular tourist destinations around Europe such as France, Spain, Italy and Turkey and further afield.

Holiday rentals are great if you are looking to travel on a budget, you will be charged a set price for renting the villa no matter how many people stay so the more of you there are the more the cost can be split. You can also rent private villas with plenty of amenities such as a pool, air conditioning, BBQ areas and car parking so you can park hire car’s to get you out and about, so staying in a villa will be like being in a home away from home except with better weather to enjoy. You will find fully equipped kitchens and plenty of bathrooms for the size, plus the location of many holiday rentals is generally right in resorts or just out of them so you can easily get supplies or enjoy a meal out.

So for your summer break this year why not check out some amazing resorts and get booked into a villa that the whole family can enjoy, no matter how many of you there are.

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Holiday fun with a self catering break

If you are looking for a self catering holiday you will find a wide range of accommodation options open to you, like holiday villas, apartments and cottages as well as exciting boating holidays and easy caravan holidays. There are no boundaries with self catering, no regimented times of eating or drinking, you don’t have to be stuck in one resort and you will find more peace and quiet from other people. A self catering holiday will also help you experience the local area more, sampling local delicacy’s and drinks instead of sticking in the hotel with all inclusive.

You can take a self catering holiday anywhere around the world, some areas it has to be said that an all inclusive hotel is better however for the most of it setting off on your own and fending for yourself in an unknown country can be quite liberating. That said local knowledge is needed or at least some basic language known so you can keep safe, aware and get the most out of your holiday. Many holiday destinations offer self catering options within the larger resorts with many different holiday apartments or villas available, here you will find many amenities you need, will most probably be only a short distance away.

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Freedom from your holiday accommodation

There are holiday alternatives for those who do not wish to stay in a hotel complex with 100’s of other people around, not have much peace or privacy and feel like you are restricted from doing as you wish. If you want to explore the surrounding area of your holiday destination, stay in different places for the duration, or have the freedom to do what you want and when then staying in the following accommodation might be just want you are looking for:

Holiday apartments, cottages and villas

When staying in holiday apartments, cottages or villas you will experience more freedom than you get when staying in a hotel complex. Many are based on self catering which means although you have to arrange your own meals you are not regimented to certain times or what you eat. All have their own amenities and some depending on where you are staying will have private or shared pools, patio areas and parking. Holiday villas, apartments or cottages also make a great base for your holiday if you hire a car you can travel around and see more of the area you are visiting, giving you more freedom. You could also if you wish to see more have a multicentre holiday staying in different destination.

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