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Archive for ‘Restaurants’ Category

Jan
14

SemperOperaball & Dresden Hotels

by Justyna Piepiorka January 14, 2010, 1:35 pm

On the 15th January 2010 for the fifth time the SemperOperaball will take place in Dresden. The ball hasn’t been celebrated for 67 years and had its revival in 2006. Since then the ball established itself as an important place-to-be within Germany’s calendar of events and attracts many important visitors from politics, sports and television each year. As every year, also this time the „SemperOperaball’s Dresden Medal of St George“ will be awarded to outstanding personalities from culture, politics and sports and it will be interesting to see if this year’s awarding will be as controversial as last year when Wladimir Putin has been awarded with the medal – nevertheless, despite criticism it generated a lot of media hype.

Maybe more touching than the awarding of important personalities is this year’s motto of the SemperOperaball: „Great Couples“. Until the beginning of January couples were able to apply with an especially romantic or extraordinary story… On the 15th the winners – ten couples – will take part in the opening dance and are invited to celebrate this classical night.

Nobody will be disappointed to hear (especially a day before), that the ball is already sold out. But feel free to make plans for the next year, or – even better – celebrate with thousands of people on the Theatre Square in front of the Semperopera!

Of course, the perfect Dresden Hotel you’ll find with us…

Semperoper and Theatre Square Steigenberger Hotel de Saxe Dresden

Steigenberger Hotel de Saxe Dresden: The best way to prepare yourself for the ball is to enjoy the amazing view! The bright and ultra-modern rooms of this hotel have a fantastic view of the Dresden Frauenkirche. Also really impressing are the great luxury bathrooms with fine wooden fixtures and huge mirrors.

The Westin Bellevue Dresden: This elegant hotel is situated in the heart of Dresden, directly on the banks of the River Elbe, offering a panoramic view of Dresden’s beautiful Old Town. The perfect atmosphere to get a perfect night started…

Romantik Hotel & Restaurant Pattis: This romantic hotel consists of a group of buildings right in the middle of a park a few minutes outside downtown Dresden. Already with the aperitif, you will see that a dinner at this 5 star luxury hotel is something special. You can enjoy a drink to tantalize your appetite in the library by the crackling fire, in the rose garden out in the fresh air or at the bar. Enjoy the ball in a relaxed mood…

The Westin Bellevue Dresden Romantik Hotel Restaurant Pattis

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Category: City Hotels, Deutschland Hotels, Events, Restaurants, Stunning views, romantic hotels
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Jul
09

Paris night life: the coolest insider tips

by Holly Maguire July 9, 2009, 8:29 am

Escapio doesn’t just have the most fabulous Paris Hotels, we’ve also got the hippest hoteliers (in Paris one would say “branché”) that let us in on the best insiders tips for going out. Today we’ve got Franck Autruie to spill the beans on the hottest locations to be seen in the city.

Hotels:
Naturally, Franck cant help but recommend his own hotels, styled with the utmost chic yet still manage to be excellent value for money. Among them are Le Quartier Bercy-Square and Le General.

Restaurants:
Passage 53 is a stylish bistro in a passage near the Musée Grévin whose success just grows and grows. Intimate and friendly with fantastic owners. (53, Passage des Panoramas – 75002 Paris – 01 42 33 04 35)

La Société : the latest Costes baby in St. Germain. Cute, sleek interiors and a just a little extravagant. (4, place Saint Germain – 75006 PARIS – 01 53 63 60 60)

Bar / Restaurant:
La Cantine du Faubourg : One of the classics that remains without a doubt up with the best. (105, rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré – 75008 PARIS – 01 42 56 22 22 )

Kong : part of the Starck universe with views of the Seine from the heights of Pont Neuf (1, rue du Pont Neuf – 75001 PARIS – 01 40 39 09 00)

Concept store :
Merci : recently opened and well on its way to challenging Colette with its sophisticated crowd. (111, boulevard Beaumarchais – 75003 PARIS – 01 42 77 00 33)

Colette : This unquestionably cool store is a must for any style savvy travellers. (213, rue Saint Honoré – 75001 PARIS – 01 55 35 33 90)

Bistro in ParisLe General Hotel

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Category: Designhotels, Fashion & Lifestyle, Restaurants
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Jun
05

Luxury Hotels Berlin: The most beautiful houses in Charlottenburg

by Gesa Noormann June 5, 2009, 3:37 pm

The range of luxury hotels in Berlin is wide; it goes from high chain hotel groups to small elegant city hotels. Several are traditionally located around the “Kurfürstendamm“ in Charlottenburg. The good old city west after all is giving a lot: lordly architecture, best shopping areas and well known restaurants.

A beautiful, intimate luxury hotel for a weekend trip to Berlin is the privately managed Louisa’s Place. With love to detail the house got restored and equipped with modern living comfort. High stucco ceilings, an impressive stairways and a wonderful façade combined with high service create an oasis of hospitality. Even a pool is not to miss and this not a matter of course even for big houses. A real highlight is also the restaurant Balthazar, it serves delicate kitchen to fair prices.

Who enjoys to be centrally located, should stay in the Swissôtel Berlin close to the main station „Zoo”. This beautiful house offers a great view over the Berlin city, great furnished rooms and impeccable service. The bar and restaurant 44 itself are worth a visit, both are highly visited by locals as well. Art lovers can be delighted by the high class art in the halls of the hotel, because the owner is in the happy situation not to know where to put his works of “Markus Lüpertz“…

A good option for lovers of the classic grand hotels is the InterContinental Hotel Berlin in the Budapester Straße. In the lobby and the Marlene bar you can always get a glimpse of someone famous and because of the only existing high security system in Berlin hotels, it is favoured by state guests. The Wellness area is one of the finest in Berlin and the restaurant Hugo’s offers besides the panorama view over the city the chef cook Thomas Kammeier with Michelin stars.

Louisas PlaceIntercontinental Berlin

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Category: Berlin Hotels, Luxushotels, Restaurants
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Jun
02

How to eat out in Paris

by Gesa Noormann June 2, 2009, 9:32 am

Hotel Plaza AtheneeBistro in Paris

After having check into a nice Paris hotel, you might be hungry and willing to get some great French food. Dining out in Paris can be a perplexing experience for visitors who are do not learn the local etiquette. To avoid frustration over unfilled bread baskets and endless cries of garcon or mademoiselle, here’s how to get good service and stay smiling.

Want to avoid endless cries of garcon during a meal, here’s how to get service with a smile:

1)  French people do lunch between 12:00 and 1:30 PM, and dinner between 7:30 and 10:00 PM. If you wish to avoid the crowd, lunch at 12:00 tops and dine out from 6:00 to 7:00 PM. Restaurants rarely serve between 2:00 and 6:00 PM.

2) Having a drink at the terasse of a sidewalk cafe is a necessary experience in Paris (skip it between November and March though,except if weather permits). However, terasse drinks are often charged premium prices.

3) Although they are saddled with a reputation, cafe waiters are not necessarily rude: they’re just in a hurry. So don’t take offense if they are impatient with you. Smile and show them what you want on the menu. They won’t return the smile, but you will get your order quickly.

4) In Parisian restaurants, it is not customary for your waiter to come back to you once you are served to see if everything is allright: they assume this is the case. So don’t feel you are ignored: just call the waiter when you wish to have your bread basket replenished. If you dine out at an expensive restaurant, waiters will tend your table diligently. Otherwise, it won’t be the case.

5) Gratuity: your restaurant/cafe check already includes a 15% gratuity. If you feel like giving an extra tip to your cafe waiter, leave EUR 1 ($.97) on the table. In a restaurant, you may leave EUR 3-5 ($2.7-4.5, more if you are in an expensive place) but again, that’s not expected in either case. Your credit card receipt won’t show any gratuity line.

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Category: Gewusst wie, Restaurants
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Apr
21

Win a long weekend in Hotel Phoenicia Malta

by Gesa Noormann April 21, 2009, 3:03 pm

Colonial facadeFishing boat

British traditions and the Italian way of life; the island of Malta and its seriously chic capital, Valletta, offers the perfect balance. Strategically located on the coast, it became the island’s capital in the 16th Century and boasts fabulous renaissance architecture. For a relatively small city it is impressively pregnant with significant artworks, palaces and churches, and even for sun worshippers and night owls, a visit here is not to be missed.

Hotel Phoenicia gardenBedroom

The 5 star Hotel Phoenicia Malta is right in the centre of town, built in colonial style and continues to offer British traditions like high tea to entertain guests. A wonderful garden tempts guests to enjoy an afternoon stroll, and on wandering out of the hotel grounds you’ll soon stumble across numerous designer boutiques and shops.

Each and every room breathes historic charm, whilst offering modern services like wireless internet. Anyone with a weakness for classic luxury hotels will adore the Hotel Phoenicia and lap up the exclusive, distinguished service. The newly renovated Phoenix restaurant, pool bar and the brasserie offer guests a range of fresh local and Mediterranean gastronomy, and head chef Victor Borg has a reputation far beyond the tastebuds of the hotels own guests.

Pegasus BrasseriePhoenix Restaurant

So are you getting itchy feet and would throw a weekend bag together in no time to jet off to Hotel Phoenicia Malta?! Well, simply enter a comment on this blog article telling us what you love about this hotel and you could win three nights staying there with breakfast and dinner included. And if you’re unlucky this time, you can always book the Hotel Phoenicia at the guaranteed best price at Escapio.

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Category: Luxushotels, Restaurants
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Apr
16

Culinary indulgence in Berlin’s top hotels

by Gesa Noormann April 16, 2009, 2:20 pm

Over the last few years, Berlin has seen a boom in tourism and been welcoming a ever increasing number of visitors from all over the world. The many new hotels are testimony to this and with a range of accommodation options from hostel to absolute luxury hotel, Berlin’s guests have more than enough to experience and enjoy.

Berlin FernsehturmBrandenburger Tor

Whether you’re in Berlin for a long weekend or a proper holiday, the infinite attractions and sightseeing options guarantee to keep you entertained. Culture vultures can mosey around Museuminsel, shopaholics can stroll along Ku’damm, and the countless theatres, operas and musicals provide amusement for all ages. Anyone in Berlin for the first time should check into a Berlin hotel in the centre of town to make the most of everything on offer.

Ellington HotelPark Inn Hotel

Highly recommended is the Park Inn Berlin, which towers over Alexanderplatz, and has morphed into a pretty chic establishment since being renovated. The high rise building offers fabulous city views – for anyone not afraid of heights! A great starting point for a shopping spree is the Ellington Hotel Berlin (modern design, courtyard garden) nestled behind KaDeWe and other shopping temples and boutiques. The Currywurst & champagne here on Saturdays has become somewhat legendary, as has the reputable Restaurant Duke with contemporary fusion cuisine (see our blogspot on the delicious Valentine’s dinner).

I can personally recommend the bar’s Asian-themed finger food menu, washed down with a Duke Sprizz cocktail. Right nearby on Ku’damm is the luxurious Swissotel Berlin. Until a couple of months ago, Michelin-starred chef Tim Raue regularly cooked up a delicious fuss here – the perfect excuse to drop in for a bite. He’s recently started up his own restaurant and I’ve yet to personally rate his replacement – and cant wait to taste the new Swissotel restaurant’s creations!

Swissotel BerlinIntercontinental Berlin Spa

Berlin hotels generally seem to contradict typical hotel restaurant prejudices and seriously offer some of the best foodie spots in the city. One of the best is Hugo’s in the Hotel Intercontinental Berlin, where Thomas Kammeier reinterprets classic Berlin dishes like, of course, the Currywurst. The view across Berlin almost beats the food – and the combination is fantastic. The newly renovated spa and wellness area is so good even Berlin’s inhabitants have been known to pop in for an indulgent afternoon…

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Category: Designhotels, Luxushotels, Restaurants
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