Ars Electronica
If you’re a technology lover like me, you’re sure to enjoy The Museum of the Future (Ars Electronica) in Linz, Austria. (Pssst, have you entered to win a trip to Austria yet?) To stay nearby, check out the following picks:
As we say prepare to ring in the New Year tonight, we take a look back at some of our most popular posts here at the Hotels Blog from 2009.
3 Most Popular Hotels Stories In 2009
Worst Hotels in the US
We showed you the bad, the worse, and the flat out disgusting. And while we coiled in horror at the tales of mice, bugs and dirty floors, we couldn’t help but laugh at some of the reviews from unfortunate guests of the “worst hotels”, including my all time personal favorite: “Once you get past the prostitutes and drug deals going on in the parking lot, the hotel itself is a run-down, falling-apart dump.”
Royal Suite, Burj Al Arab, Dubai - Most expensive suite of 2009
World’s 10 Most Expensive Hotel Suites for 2009
P. Ling proved that some things really are recession proof, like $65,000 hotel suites in Geneva. It’s hard to imagine that while the rest of the world tightened their belts and held on to their wallets in 2009, the cost of a night in a luxury hotel went up by 10%.
Disneyland
Well at least someone is still trying to save a buck. Jenny Bengen’s breakdown of affordable hotels around Southern California’s Disneyland was one of our most popular posts of the year. Of course, that implies that people are still shelling out the cash for amusement park tickets – or rather, starting to consider it again in the near future.
Honorable Mention: Weird Hotels Around The World
Technically, Colleen squeaked this post in during the closing days of 2008, but it was by far one of our most viewed and commented on posts in all of 2009. I guess the allure of sleeping in a dog-shaped hotel is timeless.
Photo credits: TripAdvisor, Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts, Dave Q
No trip to Vienna is complete without a trip to the Hofburg Imperial Palace. Currently serving as the official residence for the President of Austria (ahem, click that link and you could win a 7 day trip to Austria), the Imperial Palace has been home to Austria’s leaders for as far back as to the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Hofburg Imperial Palace by night
The Imperial Palace offers shopping, guided tours and an extensive museum to visitors today. Book a hotel near the Hofburg Imperial Palace and visit many of the other local sights and attractions while you’re in town, including the Kunsthistorisches Museum just a few blocks away.
Steigenberger Hotel Herrenhof Wien
Steigenberger Hotel Herrenhof Wien
Herrengasse 10, Vienna, Austria
This well reviewed Vienna hotel is located within walking distance of all the sights in the Old City and Ringstrasse, and is right beside an U-bahn station. Guests will find a spa and fitness center as well as a business center and on site babysitting services.
Hotel Rathaus Wein & Design Wien
Lange Gasse 13, Vienna 1080, Austria
Translated as “Wine and Design”, The Hotel Rathaus Wein & Design Wien describes itself as a combination of “design-hotel comfort coupled with the best from Austria’s wine regions.” It is lauded as one of the best deals in the area, with quality accommodations at uncommonly low prices. Past guests raved about the food, service and location of the small hotel.
Photo Credit: Jen SFO-BCN, Steigenberger Hotel Herrenhof Wien,
Ever wonder how those high rise luxury hotels in your favorite big cities are built? Check out the time lapse video recording construction on the new Loews Atlanta Hotel.
The new Loews Atlanta Hotel opens in the Atlanta‘s Midtown arts district on April 1st, 2010 and promises to offer a great view from every room.
Loews Atlanta Hotel will feature 414 guest rooms when it’s completed, including 44 suites. Each room will be equipped with a 37” HD flat-screen TV, 300-thread-count cotton linens and a plush “Ultimate Doeskin” robe. Guests will also have access to in-room wireless Internet and wireless phones.
The new luxury hotel is looking to attract upscale business travelers with an emphasis on tech amenities like a wireless lobby bar. In addition to Internet access, the Loews Atlanta Hotel will have 24,000 square feet of “function space” available, estimating that it can host groups of as many as 1,580 people. Of course, it wouldn’t be a luxury hotel without a state of the art fitness center, spa and on site dining, all of which will be available under the Loews Atlanta Hotel’s roof.
While the doors won’t open to guests until April, you can check in on the progress of the Midtown hotel (and check out current Atlanta weather conditions) via webcam.
(video courtesy of OxBlue)
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