When Athanassios Arvanitis, a Greek citizen, killed and beheaded his girlfriend Adamantia Karkali and carried her head all around his village of Vourvoulos in Santorini, Europe was shocked to learn of the grisly crime that rocked what was known to be a peaceful island paradise in Greece.

It was a crime story that seemed more fitting as the plot of a Hollywood drama. It started when Arvanitis cut off the head of a dog that belonged to Karkali with a butcher’s knife at the balcony of their house. Arvanitis then chased after Karkali, stabbing her at the armpit and then beheading her.

Afterwards, the man paraded the head around his neighbourhood. What ensued was a long chase by the police, which left two women doctors and a tourist injured. The police shot Arvanitis five times before he could be subdued.

While Santorini residents are certain that this is the most violence that occurred in the island since the Second World War, reports say that this is neither the only nor the last criminal incident that happened in Greece during the peak of the tourist season. This brings to question whether it is still safe to travel to Santorini and other destinations in Greece.

Greek Tourism Minister Aris Spiliotopoulos assured the public that his ministry will take measures that will enhance the safety of all tourist resorts in Greece, including Santorini so as not to affect the country’s booming tourism industry.

Visitors are nonetheless advised to ensure their personal safety when travelling to Santorini and elsewhere in Greece. One of the best precautions that tourists can take when holidaying in Santorini is booking their accommodations at a hotel that is known not just for comfort and convenience but also for safety.

When choosing a holiday apartment or a hotel in Fira, or a hotel anywhere in Santorini, visitors are enjoined to make certain that their accommodations are well guarded by qualified personnel, such as security guards or a doorman. Tourists are also advised to tell the receptionist in duty at their hotel of where they are going and when they are expected to return before they leave the hotel’s premises.

One of the safest Santorini hotels is Hotel Mesotopos, which is located near Fira, the capital of the island. In this hotel, guests are guaranteed to have the comfort and convenience that they expect from a premier tourist destination like Santorini. They are also assured that their stay there will be safe at all times.

For more information on Santorini Hotel Mesotopos, please visit the website www.santorinihotelmesotopos.com

Via EPR Network

Whether you plan to stay stateside or go abroad, the odds are you’ll have to book a flight. With fewer available seats to go around, the average price of a Thanksgiving domestic airline ticket is running $30 to $70 more than last year. Christmas travelers can expect to pay $35 to $80 more for an airline ticket home this holiday season according to AsianAirfares.com.

Tips & Bargains

1) Don’t wait. Book ahead or you’ll pay more.
Travelers should book winter and holiday travel early to save money and avoid getting shut out from their favorite destination, as planes fill up, remaining seats will quickly become more expensive.

2) Fly off-peak days around the holidays.
Avoid returning over the weekend; take Monday and Tuesday flights if you can.

3) Know when to book.
Cheapest fares are available on Tuesdays. Airlines tend to release new fare sales early in the week, and last-minute airfares for the upcoming weekends are plentiful on Tuesdays as well.

4) Target off-season destinations.
Cruises and Tropical destinations are usually cheaper during Thanksgiving and Christmas season.

5) Buy insurance.
During busy travel periods, there’s a greater risk that things will go wrong. Lost luggage or a canceled flight is far less aggravating when you know that you’ll be reimbursed. Travel insurance is relatively cheap and easy to buy online.

6) Fly early and non-stop.
Airport delays tend to pile up as the day wears on, creating afternoon logjams. Opting for an early-morning and, preferably, non-stop flight is your best defense against getting stuck in airport hell.

About AsianAirfares.com
AsianAirfares.com is a Global Online Travel reservation system designed to save your time and money. Visitors to AsianAirfares.com can shop securely 24/7 for the best possible deals on Airline Tickets, Hotel Rooms, Vacation Packages, Car Rentals, Cruises, and travel Activities. Travelers can select from over 115,000 hotels and resorts worldwide, leading rental car companies, major cruise lines and hundreds of traditional and low-budget airlines to book travel services instantly and securely.

Via EPR Network

To coincide with the release of the latest James Bond film, Quantum of Solace, Hotels.com have announced details of discounts for hotels in the cities visited by Bond.

The 22nd film in the Bond series sees the English spy travelling the world making stops in Haiti, Austria, Italy and much of South America. Although one of the major action scenes of Quantum of Solace has Daniel Craig trying to escape an exploding hotel, there are actually several great hotel destinations mentioned in the film with those in the Italian capital ranking high on Hotels.com’s list of top romantic getaways, with up to 30% discounts being offered on many Rome hotels, ideal for film fans wanting to relive the film.

In a separate list produced by Hotels.com, four of Bond’s hotels were selected as the best for film fans to visit. Two four-star hotels in America - Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas and Miami’s Fontainebleau Hotel - were picked alongside two five-star hotels - India’s Taj Lake Palace (Octopussy) and the Hotel Atlantic Kempinski in Hamburg (Tomorrow Never Dies).

All these hotels see pivotal scenes in their films and offer fans then chance to see where the action happened. The Hilton Hotel is where the filming for the Whyte House . in Diamonds Are Forever took place, Oddjob gave a gold makeover to Jill Masterson in Fontainebleau Hotel in Goldfinger, Taj Lake Palace saw Bond fall in love with leading lady Maud Adams in Octopussy and the Hotel Atlantic Kempinski was the location in Tomorrow Never Dies that saw Pierce Brosnan’s famous rooftop climb.

As well as the Hotel Atlantic Kempinski, Brosnan’s role in Tomorrow Never Dies saw him take in some of Europe’s finest sights and other London hotels. Some of those hotels featured in the film have also made their way on to Hotels.com’s list of recommended European breaks, in addition to some of the Paris hotels seen in Roger Moore’s last film as Bond in the 1985 classic, A View to a Kill.

While a View to a Kill was Moore’s last film as Bond, his first as 007, Live and Let Die, saw him travelling around much of America and the fictional country of San Monique. New York was the first US City visited by Moore in the film and the Big Apple provides a big focus for Hotels.com, providing 30% discounts on many New York hotels until the end of the year including family friendly, boutique and romantic lodgings.

About Hotels.com
Hotels.com is the world’s most visited hotels bookings site and the global hotels specialist. Operating in all major markets with dedicated staff, www.hotels.com offers 80,000 quality hotels worldwide. If a customer can find the same deal for less on a prepaid hotel, Hotels.com will match it. www.hotels.com also has one of the largest independent hotel teams in the industry, plus user reviews of its properties.

Via EPR Network

A new website launched this week lets independent travelers who want to do more than just ’see the sights’ connect with a local person for an authentic, local experience.

The concept has benefits for both the traveler and the local residents who provide the tours. As company President, Paul Melhus puts it, “It’s a much better travel experience when you see the reality of a place through the eyes of a local. It’s also great to know that you’re benefiting the community you visit. Travelers who purchase tours through ToursByLocals know that the money they spend goes directly into the pocket of the tour guide.

The website offers a convenient way for local tour guides to promote their travel services and for travelers to search for tours that interest them and check out how other travelers rated them. Through the website, travelers book tours directly with the guides, while ToursByLocals provides customer service, payment processing and forwarding of money onto the tour guide, once the tour is complete. The company is also there in case of problems.”

Tour guides are encouraged to set up unusual tours that reflect their interests and passions. Tours are priced per tour, not per person and travelers are encouraged to rate their tour once it is complete.

In its initial launch, ToursByLocals features tours in Vancouver, Canada, Saint Petersburg, Russia and Moscow, Russia. Travelers will find a variety of private tours, from sightseeing city tours with their own local guide, to such things as dinner with a local family or a hike in the mountains.

As the business develops, the company will expand to other areas of the world.

About ToursByLocals
Launched in 2008, ToursByLocals.com helps travelers get a better travel experience while directly benefiting the people who provide those travel experiences. Our traveler customers want to do unique things, experience the reality of a place and its culture through the eyes of a local person. They have a sense of adventure, are socially conscious and want to see their travel spending directly benefit the people who live in the communities they visit.

Our tours guides want to earn income by providing the experiences travelers are seeking. They are entrepreneurial, passionate people who are proud of the place they live. We serve those already in the travel industry as well as people who may not have been able to participate before.

We provide these services through ToursByLocals.com. The website offers a convenient way for tour guides to promote their travel services and availability and for travelers to search for suitable tours and find out how other travelers rated them. We handle the marketing of the tours, booking process, customer service, payment processing and forwarding of money onto the tour guide.

Via EPR Network

In times like these, every little penny pinched is a gift, but when cash savings come packaged with convenience and luxury, it’s a deal that cannot be missed. Embassy Suites Portland - Washington Square, has announced that it is offering a little extra incentive to guests to get out and see the world while being kind to the earth - and their finances.

Guests at the Embassy Suites Portland - Washington Square are being offered 10%* off the Best Available Rate when they use the TriMet MAX Light Rail System to reach the hotel and show their ticket upon check-in. Reserving rooms with this option is possible by booking online or by calling 1-800-EMBASSY and asking for rate plan L-MAX. A MAX Light Rail map is posted on the hotel’s home page.

Many guests who travel to a new city think of a cab or a car rental as the only way to travel from the airport to their hotel, but in lush, green Portland, there are better - and more economical - options. By utilizing the TriMet MAX Light Rail Line, guests pay just two dollars to reach the hotel from the airport, resulting in substantial savings compares with various other methods of transport. Located just outside of the airport, the rail line offers easy transport to the hotel by dropping guests off at the Beaverton Transit Center. A complimentary shuttle service then takes guests directly to the hotel. The Hall Street Station is also opening in early 2009, which will add an even greater convenience by dropping guests just two blocks away from the hotel.

“Our hotel has recently undergone renovation, which means we’re able to offer top-of-the-line accommodations with the 10% discount that we offer to guests who use the Light Rail,” said director of sales Melissa DelBalzo. “During these tough economic times, we wanted to help our guests get the best deals possible while still feeling like they’re getting pampered on the road. The savings of staying at an Embassy Suites really add up when you consider the cost of a cooked-to-order breakfast, light snacks, and free drinks of your choice - all of which we provide as a standard amenity to our guests.”

As the fourth largest hotel in Oregon, the Embassy Suites Portland - Washington Square is located only minutes away from downtown Portland on a unique property directly beside Portland’s premiere tax-free shopping experience, Washington Square. A complimentary shuttle is offered to guests for the one-block distance between the hotel and Washington Square in case of rain or heavy shopping bags. With such a central location, attractions such as the Oregon Zoo, Portland Art Museum, Portland State University, and the Rose Garden - home of the Portland Trailblazers - are close by.

Business travelers to Portland will be pleased to see that they are within a few miles of Portland’s biggest corporations, such as IBM, Intel, Verizon, Mentor Graphics, and Tektronix.

About Embassy Suites Hotels
Founded in 1984, Embassy Suites Hotels defines the upscale, all-suite segment and today has 195 hotels, with an additional 60 in the pipeline. With spacious two-room suites, engaging team members and an inviting atrium environment, guests are allowed to put their feet up and feel right at home.

Hilton Hotels Corporation is the leading global hospitality company, with more than 3,000 hotels and 500,000 rooms in 74 countries and territories, including 135,000 team members worldwide. The company owns, manages or franchises a hotel portfolio of some of the best known and highly regarded brands, including Hilton, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Doubletree, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Hilton Grand Vacations, Homewood Suites by Hilton and The Waldorf=Astoria Collection.

Via EPR Network

Noshi Webmart, an upcoming web company in India, has launched http://www.yourasianvacations.com, a comprehensive site focused on vacations in Asia. The site is the first in a series of services which would be later launched by the company.

YourAsianVacations.com is a comprehensive, innovative site covering all aspects related to tourism in Asia. The site is aimed at providing the user with information he can depend upon. A unique aspect of the site is Transport Section offering users information regarding travel between major tourist destinations of the country. Another section Travel Information has been designed to help the users plan their travel in the best possible way. Various factors related to vacations have been covered under the sections like Holidays, Activities, Travel Tips, Islands, Hill Resorts, City Guide, Province Guide and so on.

YourAsianVacations.com, which is initially focusing on South East Asia, particularly Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, will later bring all countries in Asia under its coverage.

About Noshi Webmart
Noshi Webmart is an upcoming web company based at New Delhi, the capital of India. The company aims at creating a visible difference at the crowded arena of web sites by coming with quality, reliable content-rich sites and portals, thus carving a place for itself. Post YourAsianVacations.com, the company plans to launch a series of portals at regular intervals.

Via EPR Network

With the first phase of flight operations from Emirates Terminal 3 at Dubai International proceeding smoothly as planned, Emirates has announced the launch of its the next phase from the new terminal.

After launching flights to countries on its GCC and Americas network in the first phase from the new terminal, the second phase sees Emirates launching flights to the rest of the Middle East and Africa, increasing operations to 99 flights every day, 37 per cent of all the airline’s flights. All flight numbers in the 200, 700, 800, 900 series and any extra flights on these routes will now depart and arrive at Emirates Terminal 3 at Dubai International.

The first Emirates flights in phase two are to Amman and Damascus while the first flight to arrive at Emirates Terminal 3 will be coming in from Damascus.

In the first five days of operations, Emirates Terminal 3 handled 86 flight departures, 87 arrivals and a total of 36,000 passengers. More than 47,300 pieces of luggage have been handled by the baggage system, which is the largest and deepest of underground systems in the world.

More than 4,000 customers have enjoyed the facilities at the Emirates First Class and Business Class Dubai Airport Lounges, while the Marhaba Lounge welcomed in excess of 250 passengers.

Dubai Duty Free, which operates 8,000 square metres of retail space in the new terminal, has reported healthy opening days’ sales, with perfumes and gold being amongst the favourite items for shoppers arriving to and departing from Emirates Terminal 3.

Commenting on the first week of operations from Emirates Terminal 3, Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline said: “Emirates maintained schedule integrity, the baggage systems proved robust, passenger services were exemplary and we have received excellent feedback from our passengers. We could not have asked for a better opening week and we hope to move our entire operations to Emirates Terminal 3 by December this year.”

Both Emirates and Dubai International Airport have committed dedicated teams to assist both passengers and staff at the new terminal. Around 100 Dubai Airports staff sporting large ‘May I Help You?’ badges are on hand, ready to help passengers as they enjoy the facilities and embark on their journeys.

Passengers who arrived at the wrong terminal for their flights were quickly and conveniently transferred by Dubai Airports’ shuttle buses to the right one.

Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, expressed satisfaction with the way the opening phase of transition of operations to the new facility was handled. “In short, the opening went as planned and we are happy with the results. But we won’t rest on our laurels; we are acutely aware of our objectives for the remaining three phases, as well as the greater goal of meeting and eventually exceeding the expectations of all Dubai Airports’ customers.”

Flights to Europe will take-off in the third phase, escalating operations to 168 daily flights or 60 per cent of all Emirates‘ services. The fourth and final phase will include flights to the Indian Subcontinent, East Asia and Australasia, taking the total operations to 269 flights every day.

About the Emirates Group:
Emirates, the Dubai airline, is one of the world’s most successful and rapidly-expanding airlines. Emirates is currently the only airline to operate non-stop flights to six continents from one hub.

Emirates now flies to 32 online destinations from Emirates Terminal 3.

GCC/Middle East: Amman, Bahrain, Beirut, Damascus, Dhahran, Doha, Jeddah, Kuwait, Muscat, Riyadh, Sana’a and Tehran.

Africa: Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa, Cairo, Cape Town, Casablanca, Dar es Salaam, Entebbe, Johannesburg, Khartoum, Lagos, Mauritius, Nairobi, Seychelles, Tripoli and Tunisia.

Americas: New York, Houston, Sao Paulo and Toronto. Emirates will launch services to Los Angeles from 26th October and San Francisco from 15th December.

Via EPR Network

Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa, the luxurious desert retreat owned by Emirates Hotels & Resorts, has collected yet another Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Award. Jumping six places in its overall rating from last year, Al Mahawas the only Dubai hotel to be listed in the prestigious top 20 list, for Overseas Leisure Hotels.

For the second year running, readers have placed Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa within the top 20 overseas leisure hotels in the highly competitive Middle East, Africa and Indian Ocean region. The influential readers’ survey of the world’s best destinations is conducted annually by Condé Nast Traveller. Moving up six places from the 2007 ranking to number 14 in the 2008 survey, the overall rating of the property improved from 79.59% to 83.81%.

Condé Nast Traveller is one of the world’s leading travel magazines, and has become a source of authority in the travel industry for sophisticated and discerning travellers, seeking the ultimate, unique holiday experience.

The prestigious Readers’ Travel Awards, now in their tenth year, are highly acclaimed in the industry and have become a highlight of the travel trade calendar in terms of a benchmark against which to judge the best the travel world has to offer. Resorts and hotels are ranked according to a number of different criteria including service, standard of accommodation, environmental friendliness, leisure facilities and overall ambience.

The top 20 listing of overseas leisure hotels in the region boasts some stunning resorts, including Singita Private Game Reserve in South Africa, Cape Towns’ Cape Grace Hotel, Soneva Gili in the Maldives, and North Island in the Seychelles. Once again Al Maha has the distinction of being the sole Dubai resort to be featured.

Tony Williams, Senior Vice President, Resorts & Projects at Emirates Hotels & Resorts, commented on the findings: “This is a great tribute to the staff of Al Maha, and we are obviously delighted to have received such a great accolade - in particular when it comes from the guests. Moving up in the ranking by six places this year highlights that year on year the resort and the experience at Al Maha remains not only consistent, but is improving against this world-class standard.”

Mr Williams continued: “The criteria against which we have been judged are integral to our own product philosophy, and it is heartening to see that across the company Emirates is pushing the boundaries in product and service excellence alongside some of the other great resorts in the world.”

About Emirates:
Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa is part of Emirates Hotels & Resorts, the premier hospitality division of Emirates Airline. It comprises a growing portfolio of award-winning luxury conservation-based resorts, five-star city hotel properties, spas and fully-serviced upmarket apartment hotels.

In addition to conservation-based resort Al Maha, located in Dubai, Emirates Hotels & Resorts manages The Harbour Hotel & Residence and Green Lakes Serviced Apartments. Both add diversity, luxury and a fresh dimension to Dubai’s quickly broadening accommodation landscape.

As well as being the epitome of luxury resorts for travellers, all Emirates Hotels & Resorts properties provide self-contained, stand-alone conference facilities with boardroom-style and conference-style. This makes Emirates Hotels & Resorts the ideal solution for hostingbusiness events, meetings and conferences.

Via EPR Network

Internet is increasingly becoming the place where business travelers fulfill their travel needs. With competitively priced airfare and hotel accommodation, the internet travel service is replacing the traditional corporate travel agencies for price conscious business travelers. The cost benefits of going online are substantial. The cost of using a traditional travel agent ranges from $20 to $80 per trip. In comparison, booking a flight through AsianAirfares.com carries only a $5 transaction fee. Our airfares are normally 20% less than a traditional travel agent. We also offer even greater savings on Hotel or Flight + Hotel packages.

AsianAirfares.com Business Travel section is designed for companies of all sizes It provides numerous and useful resources for companies and corporate travel managers and Travelers. Its Intelligent Online Marketplace Engines aims to aggregate inventory from over 100,000 suppliers to give business travelers a single destination to plan and manage flights, car rentals, and hotel accommodations, as well as ancillary travel expenses such as shopping, dining, and event tickets.

About AsianAirfares.com
AsianAirfares.com is a Global Online Travel reservation system designed to save your time and money. Visitors to AsianAirfares.com can shop securely 24/7 for the best possible deals on Airline Tickets , Hotel Rooms , Vacation Packages , Car Rentals , Cruises , and travel Activities . Travelers can select from over 115,000 hotels and resorts worldwide, leading rental car companies, major cruise lines and hundreds of traditional and low-budget airlines to book travel services instantly and securely.

Via EPR Network

Macdonald Hotels and Resorts has teamed up with many of the UK’s top attractions, including National Trust for Scotland properties, English Heritage properties and city sightseeing bus tours to provide guests with a host of Great Days Out discounts on activities across the country.

The Great Days Out Autumn break deals are available at over 40 Macdonald Hotels situated throughout the UK, allowing guests to take advantage of discounted short city breaks, golf and spa getaways and rural retreats in luxury locations.

The choice of hotels and attractions which are being included in this latest offer will allow guests to enjoy the highlife without the high price, whether they want to immerse themselves in a fun family holiday, share a romantic quality break, enjoy a Scottish golf break with friends on a championship fairway or simply discover the history and culture of cities like Edinburgh or Bath.

Keen to ensure that children are spoilt for choice too, Macdonald Hotels & Resorts are giving every child their own activity pack and bubble bath to soak up the fun.

The Great Days Out promotion includes the chance to visit any one of 400 family attractions around the country. With participating attractions like the Balmoral Estate in Scotland, Drayton Manor Theme Park in the Midlands, Dinosaur Isle on the Isle of Wight, Milennium Stadium Tours in South Wales, The Jorvik Viking Centre in York, and Portmeirion Village and Gardens in North Wales, there are many activities to suit both adults and children alike.

This autumn children under 12 can stay and eat breakfast for free when sharing a room with a parent or guardian, and guests who book one of the Autumn breaks will receive a late check out on a Sunday up until 4.00pm to really make the most of their weekends.

The Macdonald Hotels offer provides a cost-effective opportunity to escape and savour the beauty of autumn.

About Macdonald Hotels & Resorts
Macdonald Hotels & Resorts Limited operates 48 hotels across the UK and ten resorts throughout the UK and Spain. The company employs over 4,400 staff and operates in excess of 3900 hotel rooms. First established in 1990 by Donald Macdonald and colleagues, Macdonald Hotels & Resorts was floated in 1996 on the main London Stock Exchange. In 2003, it returned to private ownership and was one of Scotland’s biggest public to private deals at a cost of £620m, which was wholly underwritten by the Bank of Scotland. The Bank now owns 50% of the equity with the remainder held by the management.

The Group’s focus is on developing its strong portfolio of four and five star hotels, with each offering its own character and individuality underpinned with the quality and attention to detail expected of the Macdonald brand. In particular, the company prides itself on the seasonality and provenance of its food within the hotels, from breakfast through to dinner, as well as its wide range of specially selected wines.

Via EPR Network

M&S Money reports that the popularity of destinations outside the Eurozone is growing among British tourists, with Turkey emerging as a top holiday hotspot for 2008.

Foreign currency expert M&S Money has seen a 53% year-on-year increase in sales of Turkish Lira. The Turkish Lira has proved to be the second most popular ‘exotic currency’* in 2008, only being beaten to the top spot by the Australian Dollar.

According to the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the number of Brits visiting Turkey ranks third, only behind travellers from Germany and Russia. Around 1.9 million British tourists visited the country in 2007 and bookings for Turkish resorts are up 20% this year according to the ABTA website.

Currency sales have received an additional boost over the past few weeks, as millions of Brits headed abroad to make the most of the last Bank Holiday weekend of the summer.

Fraser Millar, M&S Head of Travel Services, said: “The huge increase in sales of Turkish currency is not surprising, with the relative power of the euro against the pound meaning Brits are getting more for their money by opting for destinations like Turkey. This trend is confirmed by the fact that there has also been a large increase in sales of Egyptian currency this year.”

However, travellers heading to Turkey are being warned that they should make sure that they have travel insurance. According to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Turkey is in the top 15 countries where British nationals required the most consular assistance between 1 April 2006 and 31 March 2007. During this period, 157 British passports were lost in Turkey and there were 137 hospitalisations involving British citizens.

About M&S Money
M&S Money (originally called Marks & Spencer Financial Services) was founded in 1985 as the financial services division of Marks and Spencer Group plc. The company is now a top-ten credit card provider and the second-largest travel money retailer in the UK. M&S Money also offers travel insurance as well as providing insurance for homes, cars, travel, pets and weddings, along with loans, savings and investments.

In November 2004, Marks & Spencer sold M&S Money to HSBC, one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organisations with over 9,500 offices in 76 countries and territories. The business continues to operate under the M&S Money brand, with an executive committee comprising an equal number of representatives from HSBC and Marks & Spencer.

The company employs 1,200 staff at its headquarters in Chester, delivering personal financial services to its customers, reflecting the core values of Marks & Spencer - quality, value, service, innovation and trust.

Via EPR Network

New web site focusing on the popular resort of Puerto Pollensa in the Balearic island of Majorca has been recently launched in preparation for the winter holiday booking season.

The website puertopollensa.org.uk which is owned by a father and son, who along with other members of their family, have been enjoying holidays every year in Puerto Pollensa for more than twenty years and want to share the knowledge of the resort with future holidaymakers. The site offers detailed information about all hotels and apartments in the resort as well as information about bars, restaurants and things to do and see.

The site tries tried to answer many of the questions that holidaymakers who are planning to visit Puerto Pollensa, would be keen to have answers too. and there is even an FAQ section to help in this.

Additional features include a photo gallery which gives an immediate visual indication of hotels, restaurants, shops and local views. As well as maps and general information, tips and advice, which will assist those on holiday to make the most of their break from the very first day.

The site, is already proving to be popular with users and with that encouraging feedback, a second phase of the site is to be developed further near the end of the year.

Via EPR Network

Warner Leisure Hotels has scooped the award for Hotel Chain of the Year from top travel publication TTG (Travel Trade Gazette), beating off stiff competition from a number of well-known global brands including Conrad Hotels and Resorts and Swisshotel Hotels and Resorts.

Almost 40 judges, including some of the biggest names working in the travel industry, were invited to assess the 169 entries that made it on to shortlists in 30 categories. The awards are widely regarded as being the most prestigious in the industry.

The award was presented to Warner Leisure Hotels managing director Jim Forward in a glittering ceremony held at Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane, London. It was a victorious night for the Hertfordshire-based leisure firm, with parent company Bourne Leisure also scooping the evening’s top award of Travel Company of the Year for over 100,000 passengers, and sister company Haven Holidays winning Domestic Operator of the Year.

Jim Forward commented: “We are delighted and honoured to have been voted Hotel Chain of the Year by such an influential group of industry experts. These annual awards are widely regarded as being the ‘Oscars’ of the travel industry.”

“This award reflects Warner Leisure Hotels’ commitment to investing in and developing the experience of its guests in its portfolio of properties across the UK. We are in the middle of a multi-million pound development scheme throughout our group, ensuring that we continue to innovate and enhance our guest experience, as well as maintain our high standards of accommodation, facilities and customer care.”

About Warner Leisure Hotels
Exclusively for adults, Warner Leisure Hotels’ enjoys an occupancy rate of 95% in its portfolio of 13 properties across the UK. As well as offering a wide choice and style of accommodation, each with its own personality, the hotel chain is renowned for itsExperience Breaks, offering over 600 additional activities from hot air balloon trips and antiques with tv’s Eric Knowles to a Mini Cooper Treasure Hunt and numerous dance breaks.

Warner Leisure Hotels has a wide portfolio of hotels, ranging from the majestic Thoresby Hall Hotel and Spa in Nottinghamshire and the historic Littlecote House Hotel in Berkshire, where Henry VIII courted Jane Seymour, through to the Victorian character ofAlvaston Hall Hotel in Cheshire with its own golf course and the Lakeside seaside resort on Hayling Island in Hampshire which offers relaxed accommodation in a pretty traditional seaside location.

Via EPR Network

Research by lastminute.com shows Russian holidaymakers’ willingness to spend big means hoteliers are now aiming for the Russian holiday market by offering its tour operators better deals than they would to British and German Operators.

This has led to the traditional battle between the Brits and the Germans for the sun lounges of Europe evolving into a three-way competition, with the Russians making their way to the front of the battle to take over the beaches and pools.

Previously, all Brits had to contend with were the Germans getting up at the crack of dawn to reserve the best sunbathing positions with their towels.

However, the Russians have opted for a much more brash stategy by paying hotel staff to reserve the sunbeds in advance - making them well known and popular with hotel staff.

This popularity extends to hoteliers and local businesses, as Russians’ in-resort spending far outweighs that of British and German tourists.

This has led to many hoteliers to take a large step and leave targetting the German holiday market altogether, replacing them with the free spending Russians.

The deals being offered to Russian tour operators are so good a number of tour operaters in the UK - including Thomson, Kuoni and Inghams - have already taken the step redirecting considerable resources to service the Russian tourism market.

Early signs show predictions that major UK travel brands Thomas Cook and Virgin are set to join the other UK operators.

Another advantage the Russians seem to provide hoteliers is that they will be willing to accept a lower customer service standard than more travelled tourists such as the British or Germans.

20 Years after Communism fell, a strong Russian economy has bought wealth and prosperity to many of its 145 million citizens.

Previously restricted from travelling, now Russians are marking the most of their freedom by heading to Europe’s most sought out holiday hotspots.

So far their favourite holiday destinations are Turkey, Egypt, Spain, Italy, and Greece - all made popular by British holidaymakers and all in lastminute.com’s top 10 summer holiday destinations.

Industry statistics show that more Russians visit Turkey than any other nation with 1.5 million a year taking advantage of the discount prices.

In a number of Turkish holiday resorts, the hotel cabaret is performed in Russian while nightclubs favour Russian music to entertain their growing Russian clientele.

Russia is also set to overtake the British and become the biggest tourism source market for Egypt and its expanding Red Sea Riviera, which features the resorts of Sharm el Sheikh and Taba.

Roughly one million British and Russian tourists visit Egypt every year, however the Russian market is set to overtake the British market.

There has been a number of problems with Russian holiday operators booking over their quotas in Egypt. The Egyptian Tourism Ministry has accused Russian Holiday operators of flexing their muscles and expecting the hoteliers to find rooms for them.

Reports from the Egyptian Tourist Ministry, the number of holidayers who went to Egypt last September grew by a massive 45%.

lastminute.com UK Managing Director John Bevan said: “The battle for Europe’s sun beds will be more intense than ever this summer as the Russians establish themselves as the most prominent outbound tourism market in Europe.”

“The hoteliers focus for the Russians market, mainly at the expense of German tourists, has changed the in-resort holiday experience.”

“Holidaying Brits will have to have their sun bed strategy finalised before departing if they want to come back with a tan.”

Who is lastminute.com?
lastminute.com pioneered the online travel and leisure industry by offering people a 5* lifestyle for 3* prices, selling everything from hotels, flights, gifts, gig tickets, restaurants and theatre tickets all at the lastminute.

Since its birth in 1998, conceived by the vision of cutting edge entrepreneurs Brent Hoberman and Martha Lane Fox, lastminute.com has come a long way. We now operate in 13 European countries, USA and all. lastminute.com exists to help people make the most of their free time with new, creative and unexpected ideas for every single day.

In July 2005, lastminute.com and its group of companies including car hire gurus Holiday Autos and travel agents’ best kept secret Medhotels.com all joined the Sabre Holdings Group.

Via EPR Network

Britannia Hotels, the leading privately owned hotel group in the UK, has refurbished its main Manchester property with traditional style décor and a number of additional amenities which, along with Britannia Hotels’ Sachas hotel in central Manchester, help make it an ideal city centre hotel for many, with easy access to attractions and the airport.

As a Grade II listed building, The Britannia Manchester Hotel already boasts a tremendous amount of character, with the recent refurbishment adding to the property’s allure.

The Grand Staircase, a balconied stairway extending throughout the hotel, has been repainted and restored to its former glory with the public areas surrounding the staircase now featuring plush new carpets.

All 363 guest accommodations within the hotel have also been updated with new carpets, as well as new duvets replacing the sheets and blankets that were formally the norm at the hotel. Tasteful, neutral colours adorn the walls of the rooms and new doors with key card locks have also been added, giving guests additional peace of mind during their stay.

New furniture has also been added to the in-house Crompton’s French Restaurant while the Pizzeria Restaurant has been restyled. Following these refurbishments, Britannia Hotels’ Manchester property also looks to become a leading corporate venue, with nine modern conference, meeting and banqueting rooms, capable of catering for up to 250 people.

With the refurbishment and additional amenities, Britannia Hotels aims to maintain the building’s reputation as one of the premier properties among hotels in Manchester for business and leisure travellers, with a whole host of things to do in Manchester just moments from the hotel entrance including shopping, the city’s financial district, airport, theatres and Manchester Central.

About Britannia Hotels:
Britannia Hotels is the leading privately owned hotel group in the UK, operating nationwide with 33 hotels offering nearly 7000 bedrooms. Location is the key to the success of Britannia, with hotels easily found in prime cities throughout the UK, as well as near major airports, in seaside resorts or surrounded by stunning countryside.

Britannia Hotels’ aim is to provide extremely good value for money at a time when it has become an increasingly important factor to companies and individuals when making buying decisions. Britannia not only offers extremely competitive rates but also combines this with richness in décor and facilities such as a choice of restaurants, health clubs, nightclubs, bars and complimentary Wireless Internet Access.

Via EPR Network

Embassy Suites Hotels have recently conducted its nationwide search for the best Do Not Disturb door hangerdesigns to be used in all of its nearly 190 upscale, all-suite hotels. The contest was held During September and October 2007, where a panel of Embassy Suitesjudges has choosen the cleverest design/copy submitted and picked five winners who will all win a trip to a select Embassy Suites Hotels, plus have their signs hung on hotel door knobs around the country.

Known for its own variation on the Do Not Disturb sign - “There’s a Good Reason for You NOT to Knock Right Now” - Embassy Suites (http://www.embassysuites.com/) challenges guests to up the ante on the fun.“Embassy Suites is all about giving consumers choice and control over their business or leisure travel,” said John Lee, Vice President of Brand Marketing. “We’ve gotten such a tremendous response to our Do Not Disturb sign that we thought it would be fun to give consumers some control over what their door sign says. We imagine there are many creative ways our guests would like to say ‘do not disturb me right now’.”

The contest has ended last October, and the winners selected are:

Sandra Parcher - Milites, CA;

Brian White - Chicago, IL;

Susan Suarez - University City, MO;

Amy Forgette - Stremwood, IL;

Marty Mintman - St. Louis, MO;

About Embassy Suites Hotels

Embassy Suites Hotels is a member of the Hilton Family of Hotels and opened its first hotel in 1984. It was the first all-suite upscale hotel brand (http://www.embassysuites.com/) to enter the industry and today has nearly 190 hotels. To make reservations or learn the locations of Embassy Suites Hotels in urban, suburban, airport and resort areas, travellers can visit the Embassy Suites Hotels Web site at www.embassysuites.com, call 1-800-EMBASSY or contact their professional travel agent.

Hilton Hotels Corporation (NYSE:HLT) is the leading global hospitality company, with nearly 2,800 hotels and 475,000 rooms in more than 80 countries, including 150,000 team members worldwide. The company owns, manages or franchises a hotel portfolio of some of the best known and highly regarded brands, including Hilton, Conrad, Coral by Hilton, Doubletree, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Hilton Grand Vacations, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Scandic and The Waldorf=Astoria Collection.

Via EPR Network

Warner Leisure Hotels’ Holme Lacy House Hotel near Hereford is the location of The Orchard, a brand new restaurant which looks set to be one of the region’s leading places to dine.

Situated in one of the recently restored and refurbished grand reception rooms at Holme Lacy House, The Orchard offers guests and non-residents alike the chance to enjoy fine dining in an elegant setting, with the restaurant boasting exquisite oak panelled décor and lavish furnishings and great views over the scenic gardens and grounds of the hotel.

An a la carte menu has been created by executive chef Gary Wheeler, formerly the chef at leading restaurants The Left Bank and The Castle House Hotel. Mr. Wheeler has long been recognised as one of Heretfordshire’s most respected chefs and brings with him years of experience of creating imaginative and innovative menus, priding himself in using seasonal food delivered daily from local farms and regional suppliers wherever possible. The extensive menu is accompanied by a comprehensive fine wine list.

As well as The Orchard, Warner Leisure Hotels Holme Lacy House Hotel has also opened Le Bistro, created for guests who prefer a more informal and relaxed dining experience. Le Bistro is set in a stylish and airy glass-roofed former courtyard and offers a contemporary menu with a theatre-style kitchen, giving it a modern and vibrant atmosphere.

Exclusively for adults, Holme Lacy House is set in 20 acres of landscaped grounds situated just 20 minutes from the charming riverside town of Ross-on Wye, making it one of the most scenic hotels in Hereford. The extensive facilities on offer include beautiful Georgian public rooms, a range of leisure activities and experience breaks such as croquet, boules and freshwater fishing, three restaurants and The Terrace coffee shop. Holme Lacy House’s modern, fully equipped leisure club with gym and indoor swimming pool, and Decleor health and beauty therapies, which are also proving to be very popular with non-residents.

About Warner Leisure Hotels:
Warner Leisure Hotels has thirteen properties throughout the UK and North Wales, including nine hotels, six of which are magnificent historic hotels, three charming character hotels, and four coastal resorts, offering short break holidays in stunning locations.

All breaks include en suite accommodation, breakfast, a host of recreational activities and leisure facilities, delicious three course dinners and live nightly entertainment.

Via EPR Network

Sea Trail Joins Storied Courses Like Pinehurst No. 2 And Pine Needles On Prestigious List Of The State’s Best In Its Latest Ranking

Sea Trail Golf Resort & Convention Center’s Rees Jones course has been named one of the best courses in North Carolina according to Golf Magazine’s “first-ever” ranking of the best courses in each state. The rankings were determined by Golf Magazine’s course-ranking panel, editorial staff, and “well traveled spies.” The list appears in the September issue of Golf Magazine.

“We’re extremely proud to be on Golf Magazine’s ‘first-ever’ state by state ranking,” said Tom Plankers, President of Golf at Sea Trail Golf Resort & Convention Center. “We work hard to make our courses the best they can be, and to have the Jones Course placed on the same prestigious list as Pinehurst No. 2 and Pine Needles is very rewarding.”

The Jones course at Sea Trail Golf Resort & Convention Center was also recently named one of the top 100 courses along the North Carolina coast by the North Carolina Golf Panel. That Panel’s rankings were reported in the April issue of Business North Carolina magazine in a special section spotlighting the state’s 100 best courses.

More information about Sea Trail Golf Resort & Convention Center is available by calling 888-675-9237 or online at www.seatrail.com.

About Sea Trail Golf Resort & Convention Center
Sea Trail is a 2000-acre golf resort and residential community with three courses of distinction and the largest convention facility on the North Carolina coast. A popular location for meetings and conventions, Sea Trail has over 60,000 square feet of meeting and function space. Sea Trail was the host site for the 2003 and the 2007 Governor’s Conference on Tourism.

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The recreational heart of Sea Trail is its three courses designed by Dan Maples, Rees Jones and Willard Byrd. Other amenities include a Village Activity Center with indoor and outdoor pools and whirlpools, an on-staff licensed massage therapist, supervised children’s activities and Magnolias Fine Food & Spirits. Sunset Beach, known for its extraordinary beauty and serenity, is a short drive east of Sea Trail. In addition, a huge variety of entertainment, shopping, nightlife and cultural opportunities are just south of Sea Trail along the Grand Strand.

Sea Trail is located in Sunset Beach, N.C., which is between Wilmington, N.C. and Myrtle Beach, S.C. More information is available online at www.seatrail.com or by calling 888-675-9237.

Via EPR Network

The Harbour Hotel & Residence, Emirates’ city-based hotel located in the Dubai Marina, opens the doors of its new restaurant az-u-r, Dubai’s first ‘farm-to-fork’ restaurant, delivering the kind of food which has made Mediterranean cooking the world’s most popular dining choice.

az-u-r (read ‘as you are’) is inspired by the cooking styles from countries around ‘The Med’, from Spain and Morocco in the west to Lebanon in the east. In addition, it serves many of those great traditional dishes for which French and Italian cooking have become famous.

Tony Williams, Senior Vice President, Emirates Hotels & Resorts said: “We really wanted to mirror the authentic food experienced i