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Thursday 27 October 2011

Amazing hotel transformations

By Laura Tait


Sometimes, when a once-spectacular hotel has lost its sparkle and a lick of paint simply won’t cut it, there are two options. Bulldoze it to the ground... or throw millions and millions of pounds at it to restore it to its former glory, and then some. Here are some hotels that took option B.






Widely considered an architectural gem when it opened in 1873, the railway hotel earned its reputation for crossing boundaries, with such features as water-driven lifts and… wait for it… a revolving door. To be fair, it was Britain’s first revolving door so it was impressive at the time. It needed more to stand out in modern times though - and £150 million later, the St Pancras Renaissance is jaw-dropping once more, with 245 rooms, two top restaurants, extensive meeting space and a luxury spa with swimming pool and barber’s shop.

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Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund
Shanghai, China
Shanghai's Bund, once known as the ‘Wall Street of Asia’, reopened last year after a £280 million two-year restoration, and as part of the project, its century-old hotel was restored to its former glory and officially re-opened in April, complete with a huge chandelier-and-balcony clad ballroom. It has six character-packed restaurants and bars, including the legendary Long Bar. Its 34-meter bar-top counter was once the longest bar in Asia in the 1910s, and has now been restored into almost exactly what it looked like a century ago. Taxis to Gatwick airport London

El Palace
Barcelona, Spain
After a two year-closure and £22 million restoration project, this historic central hotel, which was originally built in 1919, reopened in 2009 and it’s actually a little bit surprising the price tag was that 'small'. It’s Savoy-esque in its grand old-school glamour, with its sumptuous fabrics, gilt and rugs inspired by the 19th century, has a posh Mayan Luxury Spa and a Fitness Room, state-of-the-art sound-proofed rooms equipped with all the latest technology, and there’s a Michelin star restaurant to boot.

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Hotel President Wilson
Geneva, Switzerland
An impressive multi-million pound makeover, completed last year, turned this 5-star property into arguably the best hotel in Geneva – the entire complex screams luxury, from the top-notch leisure facilities and spa and the exclusive pool terrace overlooking the Lake Geneva and the Alps to the in-room Bang & Olufsen LCD screens. This sort of decadence doesn’t come cheap though – the hotel boasts the world’s most expensive suite, at a whopping 75,000 Swiss francs (£54,000). At that price you’d be tempted to steal the grand piano, never mind a bathrobe.

The Royal Hawaiian
Hawaii
The 1920s-built Royal Hawaiian reopened in 2009 after an $85 million (£52m) renovation transformed it from a dated pink hotel into a coral palace fit for royalty. Which is quite fitting, because the 14 acres of prime Waikiki beachfront land were originally used as a playground for King Kamehameha I after he conquered the island of Oahu, and Queen Kaahumanu's Summer Palace was previously located in what is now the hotel's Coconut Grove garden. The distinctive historic architecture seamlessly melds with modern design elements with a decidedly chic result.
Travel from London Heathrow Airport Taxi

Pera Palace Hotel
Istanbul, Turkey
When it first opened in 1892, the Pera was the Ottoman Empire's first luxury hotel, being the first building other than the sultan's palaces with hot running water and electric lights. Throughout the years it became a playground for aristocrats, writers and film stars, with guests including Winston Churchill, Alfred Hitchcock, The Queen and Greta Garbo. But it slipped into disrepair a few decades ago. A two-year restoration project turned its fortune around though, when it reopened in September last year. Complete, once again, with hot water and electric lights.

The Savoy
London
It took £220 million (they had predicted £100m) and three years (they first thought it would take only one), but anyone who has visited the Savoy since it reopened at the end of 2010 might argue it was worth it. Whilst it has undergone a complete tip-to-toe makeover - from the entrance hall and the bars to every single one of the 268 bedrooms and suites, it’s managed to retain the classic glamour of the 121-year-old hotel that made it such an iconic landmark as well the glamorous backdrop for many a lavish party. Hotel Transfer London Chauffeur






Hotels Around the world


Expensive hotel rooms around the world

By Rosalind Kent




For most of us, a hotel room is an expensive luxury - even in the less salubrious establishments a room can be pretty pricey! Although most of our budgets will be more suited to the Premier Inn than the Dorchester, it doesn’t mean we can’t have a little glance at how the other half lives, and marvel in the luxuries of some of the world’s most expensive hotels. London Airport Heathrow taxis
UAE
As you would expect, the Arabs have done it in style, and with the extravagance of cities like Dubai, it is no surprise that they sport some pretty ostentatious prices. One of the most iconic images of opulence is the Burj Al Arab, shaped like a sail in imitation of an Arabian vessel called a 'dhow'. For years now it has topped the charts as one of the world’s most luxurious hotels with its (self-proclaimed) 7*’s.
A Deluxe 2 bed-roomed suite can be booked for AED 11,976.00 (around £2,000), but that’s a bit of a bargain in this hotel! Prices were not available on the hotel online booking system for the most expensive room, the Presidential Suite, but are reputed to be around AED 94,000 (about £16,000) per night.
Its nearest Dubai competitor is the Armani Hotel and Spa, housed in the iconic shard-like tower that dominates the Dubai skyline. Originally called the Burj Dubai, it was renamed the Burj Khalifa after Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan baled Dubai out of its economic crisis with a spare US$10bn he happened to have lying around!
A night in the Armani Signature Suite will cost a mere AED 8,500 (around £1,500). The Armani Dubai Suite is a little more expensive at around AED 25,000 (around £4,200), but this is a bargain compared to the Burj Al Arab. Travelling from Heathrow Airport London










America
If you want to ‘do New York in style’ then book into the Ty Warner Penthouse at the Four Seasons Hotel, where the nightly rate is around $35,000 (about £21,800). This nine-room suite has walls inlaid with mother of pearl, gold and platinum-woven fabrics, which is always important I think.
Perks include a butler, personal trainer, chauffeur and a library - because I’m sure that sitting quietly reading a book will be top of your list of priorities when visiting NYC!
For the ultimate in American excess you can do no better than the Hugh Hefner Sky Villa which sits on top of the Palms Casino Resort. It has a butler, king-sized rotating bed, Jacuzzi, spa room and sauna and is modelled on the playboy mansion, although you have to provide your own Bunnies.
It cost around US$10 million to build and costs US$40,000 (nearly £25,000) a night. Alternatively you could book the much more excitingly named Erotic Suite – expect mirrored ceilings - for a more affordable US$3,000 to US$4,000 (£1,800 - £2,500) a night. Pure class.




Europe
Topping the polls at a frankly unlikely US$65,000 (£40,500) a night price tag is the Royal Penthouse Suite in the President Wilson Hotel, Geneva.
It claims to be the largest and most luxurious hotel suite in the world and boasts maximum security for its guests, including bullet proof windows, giving an indication of the kinds of people who stay there.
Prices are hard to verify for this secretive hotel, and some reports say it is nearer the $35,000 (£21,800) mark, but either way it is annoying that for either of these prices breakfast is apparently not included!
For a more reasonable $31,000 (£19,300), you could stay at the Villa La Cupola Suite, Westin Excelsior Hotel in Rome, a lavishly decorated suite that boasts a butler, Jacuzzi, sauna and 8 screen cinema. (Do people really sit and watch films when in Rome?)

London
Things are a bit more reserved in London, but if you fancy splashing the cash a little closer to home, you could do worse than book into The Langham on Portland Place.
The most pricey room, the Infinity Suite, will cost around £6,000 per night. You get your own personal butler, no doubt serving up a lovely afternoon cream tea. If that’s not for you, then check into one of its ‘lesser’ suites for £1,550 per night.
The Lanesborough, on Hyde Park Corner, has a reputation as being the most expensive hotel in London, but the Royal Suite is reportedly ‘only’ £5,875 a night. Rates are only available upon request on the website, but the next most expensive room, the Buckingham Suite, is currently available for £2,700 a night if you want to slum it! London Chauffeur Hotel transfer Airport
Armed with this information, and a fortuitous lottery win, you now have a comprehensive run down of the best places to really throw your money away.
You might not see much of the local culture though, as every second spent out of that hotel room is money down the drain, so do remember to bring a good book, and settle down for the long haul!




Thursday 13 October 2011

'Made in Britain' makes a comeback

Shipping containers 

British Exports Hit A Record High

SymbolPriceChange
AZN.L2,982.00-23.00
Chart for ASTRAZENECA
BA.L282.10+0.10
Chart for BAE SYSTEMS
BGO.HM13.840.00
Chart for BG GROUP
CIN.L72.00-1.50
Chart for CITY OF LONDON GRP
DGEAF.PK19.640.00
Chart for DIAGEO PLC NEW ORD
, 16:31, Thursday 13 October 2011
Judging by all the doom and gloom in the papers these days, you'd think British manufacturers and exporters were in terminal decline. Actually, thanks to a weaker pound, UK exporters have done rather well recently, despite the weakening global economy.
Record exports
Indeed, we learnt today that UK exports hit a record high in August, helping to trim the UK's trade deficit to a mere £1.9 billion. Total monthly exports of goods and services hit £31.4 billion (up 0.5%), while imports declined by 0.7% to £33.3 billion.
Of course, this is good news for the UK economy, because it shows the gap between what we sell overseas and what we import into Britain has narrowed. Also, stronger-than-expected exports could give a boost to economic growth in the third quarter of 2011.
'We don't make things nowadays'
There is a common misconception that -- following a painful restructuring of the UK economy during the Thatcher government of 1979 to 1990 -- the UK 'doesn't make things any more'.
In fact, we are the world's sixth-largest exporter of goods and services, according to the British Chambers of Commerce. The UK is also the world's sixth-largest economy (behind the US, China, Japan, Germany and France), so we still punch at our weight as exporters.
A dozen British brands
From the Industrial Revolution to the late 1890s, the UK was the largest economy, manufacturer and exporter in the world. We were overtaken by America around 1900 and the US held the crown as the world's largest manufacturer for 110 years until 2010. However, the US should finally be overtaken by China this year, thanks to the latter's hard-working population of 1.3 billion.
Despite the UK's decline from its Victorian majesty, 35 of the world's largest 1,000 manufacturers are British, according to the latest IndustryWeek 1000 survey.
Here are the top 12 of these world-leading British businesses, ranked by revenues:
2011 RankCompanyIndustryRevenues ($b)
57Unilever Food59.2
88GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals44.7
90Imperial Tobacco Tobacco44.0
119AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals34.1
123BAE Systems Aerospace & Defence33.2
167British American TobaccoTobacco23.6
191Wolseley Machinery20.6
229Rolls-RoyceAerospace & Defence17.5
240BG Group Oil and gas16.4
251Associated British Foods Food15.9
251Diageo Food15.9
251Reckitt Benckiser Food15.9

As you can see, the UK has four top food firms (Unilever, ABF, Diageo and Reckitt Benckiser), two world-class pharmaceutical firms (GSK and AstraZeneca), two leading defence businesses (BAE and Rolls Royce) and two large tobacco companies.
Furthermore, lower down the list lies a host of widely admired British engineering firms, including GKN , Smiths Group and Cookson.
What Britain does best
In its Great Britain campaign launched on 21 September, the government listed these 10 areas for Britain to be proud of:
1. Countryside
2. Creativity
3. Entrepreneurs
4. Green
5. Heritage
6. Innovation
7. Knowledge
8. Music
9. Shopping
10. Sport
Perhaps we should add five key industries to this list: pharmaceuticals and biotech, defence and aviation, food and drink, communications -- Vodafone has 382 million customers worldwide -- and oil and energy expertise.
Lastly, the City of London ranks alongside Wall Street as a core hub of the financial world, while our entertainers and musicians are widely acclaimed globally. Also, don't forget the booming sales of Scotch whisky overseas!
In short, despite our ailing economy and austerity measures, Britain still has much to be proud of!