If you happen to see a 7 foot long bed in your room at the Renaissance Polat Istanbul Hotel, blame it on FIBA – that’s a French acronym for the International Basketball Federation.

Renaissance Polat Istanbul

That’s because hotels in Turkey are being forced to replace their beds to accommodate hundreds of basketball players.

Apparently, 6 ft 6 in is the average height of the 288 players from 24 nations who landed up in Istanbul yesterday for the competition’s opening.

The Renaissance Polat Istanbul Hotel is the official FIBA hotel for the 2010 World Basketball Championship, so they have more than their fair share of basketball players.

In addition to the 100 new extra-long beds that the hotel has ordered, they’re also adding bed extensions to existing beds.

The 27-story Renaissance Polat Istanbul Hotel offers 414 rooms overlooking the Marmara Sea, and is located 5 minutes from Ataturk International Airport and 20 minutes from the city center.

It also has 6 restaurants and bars, a health club with indoor and outdoor pools, a salon, ATM, florist and a convinience store. They also do daily housekeeping and evening turndown.

Team USA, however, is not slumming it with the rest of the Group B teams (Croatia, Brazil, Tunisia, Slovenia & Iran) at the Renaissance Polat Istanbul. Instead, the USA basbetball team is enjoying the luxury of the Four Seasons. Their accommodation costs for the competition work out to around 1 million Euros.

Team USA FIBA 2010

Inspite of all the hoop-la and expense, Team USA has not struck gold at FIBA since 1994. Here’s hoping they’ll be able to break the jinx this year, starting with the first match on Saturday against Croatia, and work their way up to the finals on Sept 12, 2010. If they don’t, I’m sure we can find them a nice comfy motel for the next FIBA Championship in Barcelona in 2014.

Photos: Team USA – RMTip21; Renaissance Polat courtesy hotel

Info: Sahilyolu Cad. No:2 Yesilyurt  Istanbul 34149 Turkey; Tel: 90 212 4141800; website

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You might have heard about babymoon hotel packages and there’s even a few  hotels which offer packages to help couples get pregnant. But a hotel package to give birth?

Marmara Manhattan

The Marmara Manhattan Hotel in New York is offering an extended stay package for pregnant aliens who want their babies to pop out all wrapped up in the star-spangled banner.

The 14th Amendment makes all children born on American soil bonafide American citizens, and it’s no big secret either.

But a hotel offering a birth package that includes a 2-month vacation in New York is probably something novel.

The 60-day Birth Package begins with an airport pickup and transfer from JFK Airport. Also includes special gift sets for the mother and the newborn, along with a crib and consultation and help services after birth.

Monthly rates for the package range from $5,100 for a studio suite to $15,000 for a 3-bedroom suite. Does not include medical charges. The total cost of a 2-month stay at the hotel plus the medical bills is likely to be in excess of $45,000.

The Marmara Manhattan is part of a Turkish hotel chain, so the Birth Package is aimed at rich Turkish families who might want their children to become Americans. 

On the hotel’s website, it says “The Marmara Manhattan, the number one choice of Turkish families visiting New York, for either leisure or long stays, before and after giving birth, has prepared an exclusive package for new mothers that wish to give birth in the USA in the year 2010. This 60 day long stay package provides mothers with all the comfort and assistance they need before and after giving birth.”

Photo courtesy – Marmara Manhattan

Info: 301 East 94th Street New York, NY 10128 (212) 427-3100; www.marmara-manhattan.com

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The Blue Mosque, also known as the Sultan Ahmet Camii, is a popular attraction in one of Turkey’s largest cities, Istanbul.  If you’re planning a trip to Istanbul to visit this and other popular sites in the historic Sultanahmet quarter, Istanbul’s Hotel Ambassador provides a great central location for your trip.

Guestroom at Istanbul Hotel Ambassador

The Ambassador Hotel is in the heart of the Sultanahmet quarter and offers guests views of the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia and the Asian side of Istanbul.  On a clear day, you may even be able to see the Princes Islands!

Read More »

What happens when a hotel’s name and the name of the place combine to mean much more than the sum of their individual identities? Here’s a few examples:-

Bato Thermal Batman Hotel

Bato Thermal, Batman - Are we talking about Batman’s thermal underwear - a very popular part of the Caped Crusader’s gear? Actually, the place in question is the historic Batman Province in Turkey, and Bato Thermal is a nice hotel there with a hot spring complex.

They’re very touchy about the whole Gotham mixup. In fact, back in 2008 when Dark Knight was released, Huseyin Kalkan – Mayor of Batman, went so far as to say that he was planning to sue Warner Bros. for using their name.

The hotel has 54 rooms, each with its own thermal bath, and two outdoor pools as well, for adults and children. The Bato Thermal Batman Hotel is ideal to spend a night or two if you are visiting Sason or Kozluk, or if you need some therapeutic rejunevation.

Super 8

Super 8 Hazard, Krypton - Included in the list of hotels in Krypton, KY is the Super 8 Hazard.  This  is one Super 8 that Superman won’t be checking-in to.

The Man of Steel, as you must know, loses his superpowers and grows weak when he’s near Kryptonite.

But for the ordinary Joe, there’s nothing radioactive about the Super 8 Hazard. Claims to be a nice family-friendly place where the amenities include “friendly smiles and clean rooms.”

Old Vicarage, Penistone

Old Vicarage, Shrewsbury Road, Penistone - Brings forth images of a crusty old Vicar lusting after shrews in a town whose name can only be said to be the result of a trashy fiction writer’s vivid imagination.

But in truth, the Old Vicarage Guest House is a nice family owned establishment in Sheffield, UK.

 They offer 10 rooms (5 en-suite) with color TV and tea and coffee making facilities. A kitchen is available for use by guests, in addition to the free breakfast served in the tea rooms.

Cole Family Inn, Hooker OK - A bit odd to see a family-friendly hotel which says Hooker OK, but in this case it’s not their fault. The Cole Family Inn is located in Hooker, Oklahoma. Also, it’s interesting to see how some travel sites are listing hotels in Hooker OK. Here’s one example:-

Search listing for hotels in Hooker, OK

Need to be a bit more careful what you put in your page titles, but can’t really blame them. A town which names itself Hooker is asking for trouble.

Photo credits – Bato Thermal, Vicarage – property owners; Super 8 – Wyndham

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