Travelodge, the budget hotel chain, who are normally known for their cheap city accommodation are looking to expand their reach to the countryside. The company has announced plans to open 37 new hotels that will this time be in the countryside, as they focus on expanding into areas near the UK’s 15 national parks.

Currently Travelodge have 475 hotels across the UK, Ireland and Spain and they are now looking to invest £135million to expand into the countryside, to cater for people looking for affordable accommodation in the countryside. They also are looking at increasing the number of hotels to 1,100 hotels and 100,000 rooms by 2025. Plus as part of this new development drive the company is undertaking, Travelodge has recently exchanged contracts on a hotel in Glossop in the Peak District.

The company which launched in the UK in 1985 are looking to secure sites in locations near to national beauty spots such as Aviemore in the Cairngorms, Betws-y-Coed in Snowdonia, Grasmere in the Lake District and Minehead in Exmoor.

According to Chief executive Guy Parsons many more Britons are holidaying in the UK now rather than abroad in a bid to reduce costs in this difficult climate, he said: “Traditionally, Britons have opted for a coastal or city break but as more Britons explore the UK they are rediscovering new holiday hotspots and, as a result, we have seen a significant surge in rural breaks.”

The company have seen an increase in visitors to the small number of rural hotels they currently have, these include: Barnstaple in Exmoor, Porthmadog in Snowdonia, Cockermouth in the Lake District and Scarborough in the North Yorkshire Moors.

The company’s new hotels will vary in size depending on location and will be anything from 30 bedrooms to over 100 bedrooms and it’s expected that the expiation will create more than 500 jobs across the UK.

There are quite a few places where you fashion has been mixed with accommodation, such as the Armani Hotel in Dubai, Versace Hotel in Australia and the Missoni Hotel in Edinburgh. Now highstreet fashion too is getting in the mix, and there could be some fashion competition for the Missoni Hotel in Edinburgh, now that Topshop plan to join force with budget hotel chain Travelodge.

A deal has been struck with the retail giant, Arcadia Group to open a hotel that will incorporate a branch of Topshop on the ground floor. Travelodge has announced plans to open a new hotel on Princess Street in Edinburgh and the joint venture with the Acadia Group will see a Topshop situated in the ground floor on the Capitals famous shopping street.

The Travelodge will have 96 and will be companies 13th in the city including one that is currently under construction on Queen Street another on of Edinburgh’s prime shopping streets.  Both of the new hotels are scheduled to open in the summer of 2012, with the creation of at least 40 jobs.

According to Travelodge they have agreed a 35 year lease with Arcadia Group Ltd, which represents a £10m investment. Travelodge’s other hotel on Queen Street which has 85 bedrooms, is being funded by Standard Life Investments and is being built in a vacant office block owned by Standard Life’s UK Property Fund.

The hotel on Princess Street is a Category B listed building and was Scotland’s very first steel frame building. So there is a lot of history there.

Guy Parsons, Travelodge chief executive, said: “Growth in Edinburgh has been one of our major priorities. We have committed around £60m to new hotels in the city in the last few years. The demand for low cost, good quality accommodation in Edinburgh is a growing market and we are still looking to further invest in Scotland’s capital. Arcadia forward funding our new hotel in one of the most prestigious locations in Edinburgh just demonstrates how flexible the Travelodge development model is.”

The new hotel is great news for fashionistas, who will barley have to get out of their beds to go shopping in their favourite highstreet store. Plus it’s a great idea for those staying in the city and find themselves without the right outfit to wear on a night out in Edinburgh. If they are staying in the hotel you will be able to go and get a new frock whilst you’re getting ready, all without leaving the hotel.

However it all could prove too much of a temptation for some and you could find that your cheap room at the Travelodge comes with a heft hidden cost……. Clothes!

Russia is an enormous country.  Covering a staggering one-sixth of the world’s landmass, and straddling both Asia and Europe, it covers eight time zones.  It has a mighty reputation, dominating much of 20th century international politics, and two of its most well known cities, St Petersburg and Moscow, offer much to the visitor to scratch beneath the surface and understand the country’s recent history. 

St Petersburg is a testament to its Tsarist past, which looked to emulate the predominant European powers at the time in its architecture and establish a name for itself in its own right as a cultural hub.  In fact, the whole city was lauded to be the ‘Paris of the East’.  The Hermitage museum is a fine example of just that, bearing more than just a passing resemblance to the Palace of Versailles and containing works of great masters such as Van Gogh and Matisse. 

On the other hand, Moscow, though now fully westernised – with the obligatory McDonald’s restaurants spotted here and there, although the signs are written in Cyrillic – still retains an air of the beating heart of communism, housing iconic and awe-inspiring buildings such as The Kremlin and St Basil’s Church.  The Lenin Mausoleum is a major tourist attraction and draws huge crowds every morning, both tourists and Russians alike.

Russia was somewhat of an enigma in recent history.  However, as time heals the rifts of the Cold War this is a fascinating country to discover, on the doorstep of Europe.

One of the best ways for a family or group to take an economical holiday is to visit an all inclusive resort, where the food, drink and most of the entertainment is usually included in the cost of the accommodation.  This is a great way to reduce the costs of a holiday without having to give up on the fantastic experiences associated with a break, and can make planning and budgeting easier as the exact costs are usually known beforehand.

All inclusive resorts are a staple of the modern tourism industry and cater to most budgets and types of holidays.  This means that you can just as easily find an inexpensive self contained resort in the countryside offering sports, recreation, excursions and wonderful scenery as you can a 5-star resort on the beach.

While most items are included in the price of an all inclusive resort holiday, there are usually some extras which have to be paid for.  These usually include things such as imported, brand name drinks, extra meals and activities which require equipment rental or are simply too expensive to otherwise include in the all inclusive price.

Resorts usually have shops as a part of their complexes as well so that guests can buy day to day essentials; however, these items are also usually not included in the all inclusive price.  There are also usually upmarket restaurants in all inclusive resorts which allow guests to dine in style, and dining in these establishments is also not generally included in an all inclusive price.

Paris has to be one of the most romantic cities in the world, so small elegant hotels seem to be on every corner in the city centre; actually choosing one out of so many  can be a challenge.

For sheer opulence, the Hotel Napoleon, on the Avenue de Friedland, is hard to beat. It was built in the Art Deco style in vogue in the ‘Belle Epoque’, when Paris was at the height of its fame as the destination of the rich and famous.

Completely renovated in 2001, the hotel retains its traditional furniture, decoration and art work, whilst incorporating modern necessities such as air-conditioning and soundproofing. The hotel is just a few steps from the Arc de Triomphe, and the rooms with balconies have the most breathtaking views of Paris.

Nothing could be more different in style from the Napoleon than the Kube. Tucked away in a quiet street in Montmartre, the Kube exudes ultra-retro styling from behind an historic façade. If it’s 21st century modernity you’re after, this is the place. It has 41 bedrooms spread around an open air courtyard, and they are all quite unique in style.

The rooms are luminous, spacious and full of gadgets – digital imprint door openings, the latest coffee machines, high speed internet access, LCD TV with games console, and amazing lighting effects.

If you can tear yourself away from your room, the hotel boasts the first ice bar in Paris. The Ice Kube is a great experience, but don’t forget to take a coat – even in the height of summer it will be chilly.

When it comes to Valentine’s Day you may find the idea of another year of Valentines flowers, tacky cards and bland chocolates doesn’t quite cover what you want to say, now is time to do something really special and a change from your norm, a Valentine’s Day holiday for just the two of you. This year you can treat yourself and the love of your life to an unforgettable Valentines break somewhere quiet and secluded, where you can both just spend some much needed time together, away from the distractions of home and work.
There are many holiday destinations around the world which are simply perfect for a romantic Valentine’s Day break no matter what your budget. Surrounded by beautiful scenery in far flung places or somewhere that is closer to home, where you can relax and share some special moments for the Valentines break.

Flowers

Designer collaborations seem to be never ending and in the past few years many have got into the hotelier business, designing every aspect of a hotel, the latest to open in the UK is Missoni Hotel in Edinburgh, which features a lot of the fashion house’s signature style of bright patterns and clashing colours throughout. The first designer to take their brand into the hotel business was Donatella Versace with the Palazzo Versace on the Gold Coast, Australia. Every aspect of the hotel screams Versace style from antique crystal chandeliers in the gold and cream superior rooms to the detailed crystal glasses in the bar.

For young trendy fashion travelers, the Pelican Hotel by Diesel in Miami comes with individual designed rooms of varying style from room 210, named Halfway to Hollywood which features over the top decadent style seen in Hollywood to room 306, Born in the Stars and Stripes which showcases the epitome of America. If kitsch isn’t your style then why not take a look at the Bulgari Hotel in Milan which is much more understated but still very luxurious and offers a wide range of services from personal shopper and image consulting to luxury car rental.

If you enjoy the luxury of designer clothes then you will adore the designer hotels like thanks to the stylish finishing touches as seen in  the G Hotel that shows of the stylings of Philip Tracey and his wonderful use of shapes and lines that you are used to seeing in collections. Or the French fancy style in Hotel du Petit Moulin by Christian Lacroix in Paris, with a lot of things you would have seen on the catwalk.

Palazzo Versace

Picture Courtesy of steganography