HotelConnect are giving away yes GIVING away a 2 night stay at the luxurious 5 star Habtoor Grand Hotel in Dubai! This hotel is set on the stunning sands of Jumeirah Beach, it has a fantastic spa, tennis courts, gym and swimming pools. 
We've just been visiting some of the Kimpton hotels in New York and wow do we love them! The first one we stayed at was the Muse - right in the heart of Times Square. You are welcomed at reception by Ginger - the 4 legged friend of one of the staff who has apparently been there for years welcoming guests! This hotel is a little pet mad - they have yappy hour dedicated to all pets who are all welcome to stay in the hotel (there are certain rooms set aside which are used for those with pets). This is a contemporary and chic property. 
From the moment we arrived in Bangkok, we realised quite how friendly and helpful everyone is - no wonder they call it the land of smiles!
We stayed at the Bel Aire Princess hotel , which has fantastically large rooms and they are lovely and cool which was much appreciated when the temperature outside was 35 degrees! The rooftop pool is a great added extra and superb for chilling out in after a day of sightseeing and shopping. A lovely hotel in a unique destination.
On the same trip, we managed to get some time in Hong-Kong too - what an adventure! One of the highlights was visiting Lantau Island - witnessing the world's largest seated Buddha! The cable car ride down the mountain offered beautiful panoramic views of the sea and south China countryside. In the evenings we headed out to Lan Kwai Fong - there is a huge choice of wine bars and restaurants here with almost every cuisine from around the world on offer!
We stayed at the Harbour Grand Kowloon, situated right on the waterfront.
The staff were incredibly friendly, and the breakfast options were never-ending! Try the Southern Chinese breakfast - the spices will be sure to wake you up!
It also currently has a great offer of a free upgrade from courtyard room to harbour view room when you book 2 nights or more (just book before 31 May).
One of the hotels we love visiting the most is the La Playa Hotel in Sardinia. We just turn up and feel totally relaxed - mainly because of the warm welcome from the staff at this family run hotel. You can sit in the restaurant and be lulled by the jazz music (the owner Salvatore is a huge fan!), sitting by the softly lit pool and gazing out to the sunset. Sounds good doesn't it?! 
Why not enjoy a tranquil break in the Lake District or take a short stay in Stratford-upon-Avon where you can relax in the old world charm and be inspired by a performance from the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Enjoy a relaxing spa break at the sumptuous Scotsman Hotel in Edinburgh or a luxurious stay at the Goring in London. HotelConnect has handpicked hotels in all the top UK destinations and some great ideas on how to relax and unwind on your UK break.
romantic associations but, make no mistake, the appointments of your air-conditioned Bedroom will not disappoint you. All the recently refurbished Deluxe Rooms have been finished with the most meticulous attention to detail with superbly fitted bathrooms and large beds with individual duvets. 
We have handpicked some great hotels, for the perfect easter break. Take full advantage of the lovely long weekend off over Easter (2nd-5th April) and treat yourself.
Weather you fancy a bargain city break hotel or a relaxing spa hotel, we have something to tickle your fancy and with 15% off you'll have some money to spare for sightseeing or treats.
We've just got back from LA (or Ian, our Commercial Director did) - and boy what a trip it was! It just so happened to be the same night as the Grammies - we didn't get all glammed up like Pink or Lady Gaga though - we went straight to Santa Monica to hang out at the Shangri-La hotel - far far cooler. We only had 2 nights but we'd recommend going for at least a week - there is so much to do and see and we are just going to have to go back there! 
What's more with the January blues kind of hitting HC headquarters a little, we thought we could do with a bit of a giggle. So...in order to enter our competition, you need to come up with a funny caption for our romantic Paris image. Remember - keep it clean and make us laugh! You could win two nights in the exclusive 5 star Murano hotel including Eurostar or as runner up you'd win a two night stay at the 4 star K&K 
Cayre. To enter click here. 
And a very Merry Christmas to you all! We hope you ate all that turkey, drank to your heart's content and maybe even got to throw a snowball or two. We had such a good time we are now looking forward to 2010 and what it will bring.
you ever fancied getting a free upgrade? Perhaps you'd like to enjoy a junior suite or a sea view for the price of a standard room? From Barcelona to Paris, Monte Carlo to San Francisco - we have so many you'll be spoilt for choice! Check them all out here and book yourself a holiday where you'll really be treated - and for free!!! We all need a bit of that. 
There's the Aquasol Holiday Village in Cyprus with a selection of great pools (one indoor and heated - great for the winter!) and the hotel has fantastic sea views - particularly from the restaurant. I'm planning a post-Christmas recovery there - think I will be in need of a bit of chill-out time after the family gathering my great auntie has planned.
day or two off as they've been working 7 days a week for the past few weeks - can see they could do with a rest! Unfortunately there's a whole water works going on outside their house and it makes peering over the gates a little more tricky (we're going to wear our wellies tomorrow) - hope they're not disturbing the stars from getting their beauty sleep. We're still hoping they'll call upon us to put them up in one of our hotels - nice fluffy pillows, power showers and we'd keep them oh so quiet from the paparazzi and teenage girls that hang around outside the house.
£10 hotels going on sale tues (17th nov!) at 10am in the algarve!!!
We've been taking a peek or two into the x - factor house. It's just round the corner from our offices you see and I got a little bit over-excited the first time I found out where it was. It's so close I can just wander there on my lunchbreak.
a cup of coffee in his HotelConnect mug. He gave me a bit of insider info. Like the fact that Jedward were followed around yesterday in a taxi ALL day by a girl dressed as superwoman. Or the fact that there are 6 bedrooms which are now a little less squashed now there's only 1 group left and there's less fighting over who gets the bunkbeds. 
While still on the topic of luxury hotels (I've been having a great few weeks looking at some of the most fantastic hotels on offer...), I've been pottering around London with Rachel. We've been hiding away in the Hempel, a minimalist haven for celebrities - it looks just like a row of terraced Georgian houses from the outside but inside......it's just so minimalist you can barely find the doors, each room has its own unique style with some fantastic features such as sunken baths, and there's a great bar which I managed to persuade to have just one weeny cocktail in (she didn't want to; it was only lunchtime and she was ever so professsional dragging me on to the next appointment we had) but I argued that it was important for us to experience the hotel as our customers would so that we can report back the full experience. (you'd like it, trust me).
low 8 that I often read of in Hello magazine (not that I read it but some of my colleagues often leave it in the kitchen in the office and it just sits there waiting to be read and I feel sorry for it). Immediately I felt on-edge, waiting for a prince or two to just pop up round every corner but unfortunately they weren't around (I think it was a bit early for them). As Philippe Starck says of this hotel that he created, "When someone arrives here and goes through the door, it's an experience." and yes, I agree with him. 
As soon as you enter through the luminous yellow revolving doors, you feel you've come somewhere a bit special. The rooms have crisp white linen, the largest looking beds and with floor-to-ceiling windows you get great views of the city buzzing below.
They even give a 10% discount on a selection of shops nearby!! With elegant decor, this was the first American hotel in London - opening in 1955. It was founded by the polo playing Phipps family and still retains a little of its polo theme with the Polo Bar and takes part in several Polo events such as the Cartier 25th International Day.Mister blue sky please tell us why you had to hide away for so long (so long)... This song has been going through my head all morning, probably because the sky is remarkable flat and grey today! I think it's falling! Yes, I really need a break! Luckily for me the lovely contractors have put together a selection of the very finest hotels that HotelConnect have on offer... ahhhhhhhhhhh I feel better already. I am going to recline my office chair a little, hug my cup of coffee and lose myself in our luxury and spa hotels.
Imagine sinking into this bed after spending the day sauntering around Monte Carlo, wow the Metropole Hotel in the heart of Monaco really earns it's 5 star rating. I reckon I'll spend the evening getting lucky in the casino then stay all week!
If I close my eyes I'm drifting in the pool at the Hivernage Hotel and Spa, soaking up the late summer sun and the luxurious character of this fantastic boutique hotel. Surrounded by lush gardens this hotel is truly an Oasis in the heart of Marrakech the perfect escape.
Well, all this relaxing has made me rather hungry. I think a spot of posh nosh will lift my mood, nothing like some pure indulgence to chase away the grey skies. We have a fabulous collection of gourmet hotels, I rather fancy some great British grub so I'm off to the The Goring Hotel in London, they have an award winning restaurant serving the very best in British cuisine. Unfortunately I haven't booked so it looks like it's a sandwich from the local supermarket will have to suffice!
Ok I admit this may not have been my most productive morning but I feel much happier... while I munch on my sandwich I'm going to look for flights to Marrakech, that spa is calling me.
f to visit my aunt - Mama Isabella in Rome. I'm tempted by the warm sunshine, the multitude of parks to relax in, and of course a visit to the Colosseum which has been on my must-see list for quite a while. Without detracting from all those things one of the main draws for me is Mama Isabella's cooking. It's pasta, pizza, rich, cheesy, gooey, olive oily, mediterranean vegetable -licious. Why does everything out there taste so good. I've been on a diet you see - over the past few weeks I noticed my suit was a little too snug and that I'd perhaps been overdoing it so I've been on a strictly lettuce, soup and special K diet. It's been a bit dull to tell you the truth and I'm not that great at sticking to it although I have been trying out the new gym round the corner from my house. I say new it's been there for approximately 9 and a half years but I've been meaning to join since it opened. I've actually lost a few pounds so I am thinking I will reward myself with a trip to visit Isabella and a few Italian tr
eats.
