Bali Boutique Hotels Provide Comfort and Luxury In A Land of Festivals
Bali has long been referred to as the “Island of the Gods”, and numerous tourists flock to the island each year. While any time of year will be filled with different sights and activities, those who visit during certain times will experience an added bonus to their visit. Bali is host to several different festivals that occur each year, and some of these bring excitement and sights that are unmatched anywhere else on the planet. Knowing when these festivals occur and what to expect can make planning or enjoying your stay in Bali boutique hotels even more enjoyable than normal.
Small festivals occur with regularity, due to the over twenty thousand Hindu temples that cover the island. Each temple holds its own celebratory festival twice each year, sometimes more. Funerals that occur on the island are also colourful affairs and often see the dead being cremated in extravagant rituals. While these small festivals and events are common and hard to pinpoint an exact time for, other festivals that are much larger and more significant are easier to predict and much more of an event. In some cases the Bali boutique hotels may even take part in the festivals, for better or for worse.
Every two hundred and ten days, the ten day festival known as Galungan occurs. This celebration is held in honour of the death of the ancient tyrant Mayadenawa, and bamboo poles bear gifts for the returning spirits of Gods and ancestors alike who visit the island over the course of the ten days. This is truly a spectacle and a unique experience, and you’ll likely see the signs of it from any of the Bali boutique hotels that dot the area. But all of these festivals pale in comparison to Nyepi, the Hindu New Year. This is both an extravagant celebration worth seeing but can also create hassles that travellers may not be prepared for.
Nyepi is known as the Day of Silence, and the days leading up to it will be filled with the creation of huge colourful giants and will culminate in a massive parade. The spectacle is incredible and will create a lasting memory, but the following day will not be as enjoyable. No flights will leave the island, no businesses will be open, and guests at Bali boutique hotels will be asked to remain inside and keep as quiet as possible. It can be a great excuse to relax and unwind, but you should be prepared for it if you’re visiting during the time that Nyepi falls within.
Top 5 Hotels With Underwater Rooms
Fancy spending a luxury holiday in a room with a view? How about an underwater room? With the establishment of the following luxury resorts, your dreams have been made a reality. Welcome to the modern age, where anything is possible. These are our Top 5 destinations around the world with underwater rooms.
1. Huvafen Fushi, Maldives
For the ultimate in relaxing vacations, Huvafen Fushi resort offers 43 overwater bungalows decorated in sleek lines and minimalist colours.
In 2004 the hotel owners took this concept to a whole new level and constructed two underwater treatment rooms for Huvafen Fushi’s Lime Spa. These treatment rooms reflect the spa’s philosophy, that ‘water is the equilibrium and elixir of life.’ The spa complex is laid out in a series of bungalows, with the underwater rooms accessible via a staircase.
If you can’t manage to get a reservation, don’t panic. Huvafen Fushi’s other spa-treatment rooms have glass-bottomed floors so you can still gaze off into the deep.
2. Jules’ Undersea Lodge, Key Largo
The Jules’ Undersea Lodge, named for science fiction author Jules Verne, is the only undersea hotel currently in existence. To enter the lodge, guests must scuba dive 21 feet beneath the surface, swimming past all manner of marine life on their way.
This destination is aimed at avid scuba divers. Thus, the decor focuses on functionality, as opposed to extravagance. There are two guest rooms and a common room which doubles as a galley, dining and entertainment area.
Breakfast and dinner are served in the underwater rooms, but for something a little bit extra, guests can request the services of a “mer-chef” who dives down to the hotel to prepare and serve a gourmet dinner.
3. The Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa
The Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa is spread over two islands and is famed for its overwater villas, each a massive 1,600 square feet in size and featuring their own private sun decks and outdoor Jacuzzis. Also available are spa villas, which have their own private treatment room with sea views.
But to truly experience the treasures of the deep guests can book a table at Ithaa, an all-glass, underwater restaurant. Ithaa is situated five metres below sea level. Diners enter from an overwater platform so they never even get their feet wet. The room has a domed glass ceiling and 180 degrees views of the sea, with accommodation for 12 diners.
To cap off a truly aquatic experience guests can head to the spa, which is built on stilts 110 yards out to sea.
4. Hydropolis, Dubai
Scheduled for completion late 2009, Hydropolis will be the world’s first luxury underwater hotel. Architect Joachim Hauser’s futuristic vision is taking shape 20 metres below the surface of the Persian Gulf, just off the Jumeirah Beach coastline in Dubai.
The original idea for Hydropolis developed out of the architect’s passion for the sea. It will include three elements: the land station, where guests will be welcomed, the connecting tunnel, which will transport people by train to the main area of the hotel, and the 220 suites within the submarine leisure complex. It is one of the largest contemporary construction projects in the world, covering an area of 260 hectares.
This undersea resort even features a children’s SeaWorld.
5. Atlantis the Palm, Dubai
Today, the Atlantis holds the prime spot on the outer rim of the Palm Jumeirah, a man-made island that juts from the coast of Dubai.
The 1539-room Atlantis consists of two towers, a conference centre, a spa, a private beach and the water park. Taking the mythological sunken island of Atlantis as its theme the resort aims for the wow factor right from the start, with terraced water gardens at the entry and an ornate, high-vaulted lobby.
The Neptune and Poseidon suites, which face that three-story aquarium, have private floor-to-ceiling underwater views from the bedrooms. If guests are unable to tear themselves away from watching the 65,000 marine animals, a 24-hour private butler is available to serve refreshments.
Then there are the Lost Chambers Suites – with bed and bath views directly into the underwater world of the Ambassador Lagoon.
[Top]Lindos Hotels Guide You To Historical Churches
When you arrive in the ancient village of Lindos, one of the most beautiful on the Greek island of Rhodes, you will certainly take notice of all the churches, large and small that dot the landscape. Whether your interest is religious, historical, artistic, or architectural, be sure to ask the staff of the Lindos hotels about these fascinating centers of Christian worship.
Lindos hotels can tell you where you may walk in the footsteps of the Apostle Paul. Tradition has it that in 58 AD, Paul landed at Lindos to spread Christianity. The small church of St. Paul stands there, now, to commemorate the event. There are also churches dedicated to St. George, and, of course, to the Virgin Mary.
Ask the staff of Lindos hotels to tell you where to find examples of ancient frescos from the post-Iconoclastic period to the post Byzantine period. There is a fascinating site where you can view the preserved mosaic and marble tiling of an early Christian basilica dating back to the 5th century. Not to be missed is the small Taxiarches Michael, Stratelates where you can see a preserved, post-Byzantine representation of the archangel, Michael, carrying souls to Heaven, the “Psychopompos.”
Ask your local experts of the Lindos hotels where to find the fascinating Aghios Georgios Pachymachiotis, also known as Aghios Georgios Pano (“upper.”) This is an inscribed cruciform church with cupola, dating back to 1394. There you will find beautiful frescoes featuring saints in opulent Byzantine style. You should also visit the parish church of Lindos, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and dating back prior to the 15th century. See history preserved in artwork in the frescoes found at Aghios Menas, where you will find work spanning from the 12th century, Byzantine era, to the 15th century Knights era.
[Top]Measuring Efficiency With Hotel Management Indicator
Hotel managers have the heavy task of supervising the entire hotel which includes a great deal of activities including hotel administration, marketing, accounts, housekeeping, and management of food and beverage, catering and preservation and front office supervision. With all the tasks assigned to you, you will definitely need all the help you can get from your employees as well as the hotel management tools that you can find. Among those that can aid you here is the hotel management indicator. This is better known as the hotel KPI or the key performance indicator, which assists managers in determining which processes are doing well and which are not. Aside from that, this keeps track of the efficiency of the employees, the behavior of the customers and the productivity of the hospitality business.
The hotel business world is a competitive arena so you cannot afford to let your guard down. One day, your rivals might come up with an idea that will take your clients away from you. Thus, you should always put your best foot forward especially when making decisions. You cannot make the right choices if you do not have the information wherein you will be basing your judgments upon. This is why you need the hotel management indicator.
There are hundreds and thousands of manage hotel performance indicators that you can use as of today. Depending upon your goals, your main focus and your strategy, you should be able to narrow down the number of your hotel KPI into five or less. This way, it will be easier for you to monitor the health of your company through the use of the hotel management indicator. For instance, if your main goal is to measure the efficiency of your hotel revenue management scheme, you can utilize indicators such as the REVPAR (room revenue per available room), the total revenue per available room or TREVPAR, the total profit per customer, the gross operating profit for every available room, the REVPAM which is also known as the revenue acquired from conference and banqueting per available square meter and REVPASH that pertains to the revenue from the food and beverage for every available seat and hour.
Now if your main concern is the staff or the employment, there are a number of manage hotel performance indicators that you can exploit including the percentage of wage cost, the percentage of the total labor cost, the total labor hours and the sick days of leave taken by the employees. Another example is when you have an onsite restaurant. You can use hotel management indicator like the total sales for every customers, the number of customers per day, the seating efficiency, the basket analysis and even the strike rate.
The results that you have obtained upon monitoring the performance of your hotel through the use of the KPIs can be used to make smart decisions. You can also utilize them to improve your performance and avoid problems in the future because of early detection. Compete in this cutthroat hotel business world with the confidence that will aid you in vying for reputation and prominence.
[Top]There are Some Great Weekly Hotels in Los Angeles
Travelers who need weekly hotels in Los Angeles can find some excellent choices. Besides some of the big chains that have big prices, there are many privately owned properties that have good value.
People come to this area for many reasons. There are many dozens of things in Southern California that draw tourists from all over the world. Some will come here to visit famous amusement parks for a family vacation. Others will opt to visit because of the amount of museums and artwork here. For some, a trip here will be a look-see to help decide if they want to relocate here permanently. Extended stay hotels in Los Angeles often can help them save money over other types of lodging.
Other travelers arrive because of business needs. They may be trainers who work with corporations or new hires coming from other areas. Some will be on a temporary assignment of some kind, perhaps an audit or to assist with personnel changes. Many who arrive because they have landed a new position are not residents of California. They need to learn their way around and find a permanent home of some kind. They may be selling a home elsewhere and have to wait for it to close to be able to purchase another home. People in this position will use weekly rentals in Los Angeles all the time.
These types of hotels usually have all the same features that the big chains offer. They will have king or queen beds. There are often services like cable or satellite TV, free movie rental, wireless Internet and sometimes a DVD player. There will be some nice added features like a refrigerator and microwave so people can opt to eat in the unit instead of having restaurant food all the time. This is another way that using this type of lodging can help travelers conserve cash. Most will also have things like an ironing board and iron, hair dryer and direct dial phone.
Almost every one will have free parking, often in a lot that has security cameras. These may also provide wake-up calls for those who want them. There is usually a swimming pool, some vending machines so people don’t have to travel far for snacks or sodas and possibly a fax or copy machine. Some places offer free coffee or tea in the mornings, sometimes with pastries or muffins.
People can expect the same level of service from these hotels as they would other types. These offer daily maid service to make the beds and refill towels. The bathroom will get cleaned and the carpet vacuumed. Some have on-site laundry services for people who would like to clean their clothing. Many weekly hotels in Los Angeles offer discounts to some groups like seniors or corporate travelers.
For more information on the weekly hotels in Los Angeles, please visit our website.
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