In January a handful of hotel guests outside of Québec City, Canada did the unthinkable: they climbed into sleeping bags for a long night’s sleep atop giant blocks of ice. It’s a ritual performed every year from January through March at the Hôtel de Glace of Québec.

The hotel is made up entirely of ice and compacted snow; construction typically begins in late November as long as the weather in the Northern Québec cooperates. The 2012 version boasts some brand-new features never before seen as well as what hotel officials describe as “amazing discoveries and lots of fun,” combining the art, culture, and history of the First Nations that once inhabited the area.

The Hôtel de Glace of Québec is certainly not the only ice hotel in the world. The concept actually dates back to a 1990 art show in Sweden where an ice igloo, which was part of the show, was used as accommodations for some of the guests because of a lack of hotel space. From those humble beginnings more than 20 years ago, ice hotels have evolved to become elaborate works of art with themed rooms, ice sculptures, full ice bars, and incredible lighting.

Nightly rates start at $199.

Hôtel de Glace Québec
http://www.hoteldeglace-canada.com/
9530 Rue de la Faune Quebec
QC G1G 4G4, Canada

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The boutique hotel is rising to new heights in New York City, as Parkview Developers plans to open the Big Apple’s first gay hotel. The OUT NYC, scheduled to open in phases throughout 2012, will be located on 42nd St. in the heart of Manhattan. Developers hope it becomes the premier resort and entertainment venue for both tourists and locals from the gay community.

The project’s first phase is the XL NIGHTCLUB, an 11,000 sq ft lounge, cabaret, and dance club set to feature noted gay entertainers John Blair and Beto Sutter. When the doors open it will be the first gay nightclub to open in the city in over a decade. Visitors can expect to see typical dance club features including several dance floors, modern LED light shows, and a state-of-the-art stage for live acts.

As for the hotel itself, current plans include a property with 105 rooms. The rooms will be designed in a chic, modern décor that speaks to the LGBT community in a way that is up-scale, classy, and sophisticated. According to officials the OUT NYC is “an idea whose time has come.” If all goes according to plans the hotel will not only be simply a place for gay tourists to stay while they’re in New York, it will become the focal point of New York City nightlife for the entire LGBT community.

To that end the hotel will also include a café and restaurant managed by the same group responsible for the success of the Eatery Restaurant in the Hell’s Kitchen district. The restaurant will include banquet space and private rooms to accommodate everything from large parties to intimate gatherings. Hotel officials also plan to provide both weddings and honeymoon packages for gay couples.

Nightly rates start at $250.

The Out
http://www.theoutnyc.com/
510 West 42nd Street
New York, NY 10036

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Tverskaya is perhaps the most famous street in all of Moscow. But it also happens to be home of the brand-new InterContinental Moscow Tverskaya Hotel. After a 10 year absence from Russia, InterContinental Hotels Group makes its return with a luxury property designed to give business and leisure travellers and experience which incorporates all Russia is. Just minutes from Red Square and the Kremlin, the hotel projects an image of classic Russian design combined with a new embrace of contemporary influences.

InterContinental Moscow Tverskaya offers a total of 203 rooms including 16 junior and senior suites. There are also three penthouse suites where luxury meets culture in one of Russia’s most important forms of art: ballet. Each of the suites honours one of that country’s most famous dancers — Isadora Duncan, Vaslav Nijinsky, and Galina Ulanova. In all of the rooms guests will be treated to traditional Russian tastes perfectly accented with cog-shaped reading tables. The design is stylish and sophisticated yet purposely reflective of the city’s industrial heart.

Although the hotel is now open for business it is not yet complete. A luxury spa is slated to open during the first quarter of 2012 along with the hotel’s gym facilities. For banqueting and meeting purposes there are 10 meeting rooms with a total of 600 square meters. The main ballroom provides for weddings, corporate events, and private dining, while the normal dining needs of guests are provided through the main restaurant featuring traditional Russian and European cuisines.

Rates start at over $400 per night.

Intercontinental Moscow Tverskaya
Tverskaya Ulitsa 22
Moscow, 125009
Russia

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Also integrated on the hotel page is Google Maps, which displays the hotel, as well as other attractions that are nearby.

This is a tremendous upgrade for The Four Seasons, and was rumored to have cost $18 million.

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When your eyes first lay hold on the Hyatt Capital Gate in Abu Dhabi, your mind has a difficult time comprehending what you see. For ascending out of the ground is an architectural structure unlike anything you’ve ever seen. As so much of new the Abu Dhabi construction is designed to be, the Hyatt Capital Gate is as much a work of art as it is a luxury business hotel. It is a modern structure in every sense of the word with a stunning 18° lean that seems to defy gravity.

The hotel’s interior is equally stunning with modern décor, stylish elegant design, and the magnificent architecture. The hotel features 189 guest rooms and suites that could be considered nothing less than five-star. Guest accommodations occupy the 18th through 33rd floors, while the areas below accommodate the hotel’s restaurants, bars, meeting rooms, and ballrooms. Guest rooms and suites all come with 24-hour room service, high-speed Internet access, dedicated work area, comfortable seating and bedding, and floor-to-ceiling windows with spectacular views. 

The 19th floor is home to the incredible Rayana Spa, designed to give the impression of an “elevated oasis” rising above the desert floor. Guests will relish time spent in the spa’s suspended outdoor pool, as well as a complete list of well-being treatments provided for the ultimate in relaxation and comfort. Made complete by panoramic views of the city, Rayana Spa may very well be the best spa in Abu Dhabi.

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The six participants include Choice Hotels International, Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt Hotels, IHG, Marriott International, and Wyndham Worldwide. All six companies own an equal share of the new company and will work together to further develop the site. They are also looking to add more hotel chains who might want to participate.

The new site is being made possible with technology acquired through an asset purchase from Hotelicopter. In addition to allowing customers direct bookings, the Hotelicopter platform provides an avenue for destination marketing that can help drive customers to member hotel websites while they search a specific locale. This added convenience is expected to boost web traffic and further the group’s marketing efforts.

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Qantas Airlines has introduced a new first-class cabin on its A380 jet that looks like something out of a science fiction film. In fact, reviewers at TechEBlog had no trouble saying it reminded them of the USS Enterprise from the popular “Star Trek” series. One look and you’ll understand why.

Designed by Marc Newson, the exclusive cabin features leather seats, full-length beds, and a common social area, all enclosed in a very sleek and futuristic package worthy of any intergalactic ship. In addition, everything under passenger control is operated by LCD touch screens. Individual “suites” include futuristic sliding doors with dark window panels.

The cabin is a must-see for all Qantas travellers, but you’ll have to book a first-class flight from Sydney to Los Angeles or London to do so. With any luck Qantas may more of the new cabins in the future.

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There are are a variety of activities to experience in Bora Bora, here are our top recommendations.

Parasailing

The island of Bora Bora is stunning, but the most beautiful vantage point may be from 300 meters in the air (that’s over 984 feet for us Westerners). Parasailing is the perfect activity for all ages and abilities; even those who are disabled or have injuries are able to easily parasail. A great fear of heights is really the only thing that should stop you from experiencing this breathtaking activity.

Parasailing is a dry sport. You take off from the back of a boat by simply floating up into the air, with the support of a colorful parachute. No matter how breezy the day, there’s a calm stillness to the journey. The views from above are so enchanting that it almost feels as if you’re soaring over a projection on a green screen; the scenery is postcard perfect.

On our parasailing excursion, we flew across many of the islands lagoons. It gives you a real view of how the depth of the water changes so rapidly throughout the reef. In the shallower parts, we saw hundreds of manta ray and stingrays, happily feeding and basking under the sun in the waters below. Flight durations are 15 or 25 minutes, and the time passes slower than you would expect. In 25 minutes you can see the entire island and its surroundings. You can parasail solo or with a companion, and we always think it’s more fun to fly with a friend. Don’t forget your camera on this one! Just be sure not to drop it. Your postcard home may just end up being of your feet dangling over the bluest water in the world.

The best way to book parasailing is arranging it through the resort your staying at or visiting the Bora Bora Activity Center.

Eco-Snorkeling Tour: Music Underwater, While Exploring Sea Life

Snorkeling in Bora Bora may sound like a common activity, and if you saw a snorkeling ‘tour’ that you had to pay for on a list of activities, you’d probably pass it up without a 2nd glance. We challenge you to take a 2nd look because this particular snorkeling tour is not only fun, but also educational, and unique to any snorkeling you can compare it to. The most unique part of this excursion is that your snorkel equipment comes complete with an underwater musical score.

The guide that led our tour is the only one in all of Bora Bora who has specially-equipped snorkels that reverberate underwater as you bite down on their mouthpieces, allowing musical sound to reach your ears under the depths of the water. He was an extremely knowledgeable guide too, giving us a 30-minute lesson on several species and coral that we could expect to encounter during our swim. In addition, he was able to answer many questions about Tahiti, Bora Bora, the plants and fruits of the island, and the people that live there; he even spoke more than 4 languages.

Before we embarked on the main eco-snorkeling tour, we were lead out to deeper waters to observe a manta ray circling below. It was attending its regular ‘cleaning station,’ where fish essentially feed off the bottom side of the ray and act as little scrub brushes. From there we traveled to much shallower waters, where we ate fruits that were brought for our tour from the local island. Wet suits, flippers, facemasks, and of course the snorkels, were provided, and we jumped in for the eco tour.

Underwater, as we swam to calming music, we saw the fish, sea life, and different types of coral we had learned about onboard. Our guide pointed things out to us as we swam along, and a tutorial would queue up in our snorkel ‘headphones’ with additional information of what we were looking at. It was a magnificent experience.

This eco-snorkeling tour is a perfect excursion for swimmers of all levels. The guide was great with those new to snorkeling, and made every participant feel confident and safe. We highly recommend this experience.

To learn more or make reservations visit Divesay Eco-Snorkeling website.

 Shark & Stingray Excursion

If you love adventure and excitement, then this excursion will leave you fulfilled. It starts off with snorkeling in an area above a populated coral reef, where fishes swarm at the sight of feed. The guides of our tour were 2 young men, born and raised on the island of Bora Bora. They embodied the island spirit and came equipped with an underwater video camera, ukulele, and drum for onboard, and underwater, entertainment.

With every stop along our adventure, the guides would throw feed into the waters below to bring the creatures out from their hiding places and into viewable sight. After a calm snorkeling jaunt, we jetted off at full speed to a shallower area where the Blacktip Shark and stingrays expect your arrival. In chest-deep water, and adrenalin rushing, the guides threw out fish for the rays and sharks to feed off of, while we stood in the midst of them. The rays, which seem almost as wide as your wingspan, glide past you, brushing up against your arms or legs. The sharks are much more interested in the fish than anything else, but the whole experience is a thrill.

The guides on this excursion will grab a stingray out of the water to show it to everyone up close. He’ll even give it a slimy, wet kiss! You’ll learn a lot about these amazing inhabitants of Bora Bora’s waters and get to touch them with your hands

The next stop on the journey is right outside the main Bora Bora reef, where the ocean waves are larger and water is much deeper. Lemon sharks swim on the ocean floor in this area, and those who are brave can swim down close enough to see them. Blacktip sharks are prominent in this area too, but are most commonly pretty timid.

The final stop is on a private island, about the size of a small plot of land. It’s time to relax, enjoy some island fruit and sweetbread, and take a look at some of the video footage captured along the way. The guides sell their videos of your unforgettable day, fully edited, which makes for a neat souvenir to take back home with you.

This is one activity we surely won’t forget. To book this excursion arrange it with your resort concierge.  The type of excursions may be different from resort to resort.

Jet Ski Lagoon Circle

If you have a need for speed and control, jet skiing may be a great activity for you. Following a guide, you’ll be able to maneuver around the island’s lagoons at high speeds. The guide will give you insight on Bora Bora and its history at multiple stopping points along the way. At some locations, you may even be lucky enough to ski alongside a stingray or group of sharks.

The tour also provides a relaxing stop in shallow water to ask questions and enjoy fruits from the local island. It’s a very fun activity that gives you an opportunity to view a lot of the outer island. Tour’s vary by resort, check with your resort concerige.

 4 X 4 Jeep Excursion

This activity is a great, unexpected adventure! Hop into a 4 X 4, open-air Jeep, with a few other people, and you’re off for a 2.5-hour excursion. It’s an exciting way to discover Bora Bora’s main island, and the guide on our tour answered every question we had.

The 4 X 4 will take you up steep, rocky paths, to the top of lookout points set among the tropical landscape. The ride up is thrillingly bumpy, so be prepared to hold on! You will travel around the entire island, see every hotel and resort, and learn all about the average life of the people who live in Bora Bora. The tour also includes a stop at a WII landmark that the Americans built during their friendly takeover of the island in 1942.

The rich, cultural perspective that you’ll gain from the native guides is priceless. We encourage you to book your tour with a company that is Tahitian-operated. It’s the greatest way to catch a glimpse of the magical wonder that is Bora Bora.

To make a reservation visit the Vavau 4×4 Adventures website.

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The American-based Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company will be making its Austrian debut during the second quarter of 2012, after being selected by Verny Capital to operate a newly acquired property located within Vienna’s historic Ringstrasse district. The announcement further solidifies the working relationship between Ritz-Carlton and Verny Capital, following the Verny acquisition of the Ritz-Carlton Moscow this past May. Verny Capital officials chose Ritz-Carlton because of their reputation as a leader in luxury hospitality.

The new hotel will be situated inside two historic, 19th-century palaces which have long been protected under Austrian preservation laws. The area in which the palaces are located is one of cultural and historic significance in part of what’s considered Vienna’s “old city.” Although specific plans have not yet been announced, it’s expected that the hotel’s 202 rooms will incorporate the city’s rich heritage as a centre for Europe’s classical music scene. Very near the site is a selection of other historically important buildings erected during the late 19th century. The location of the hotel provides easy access to all the most important sites Vienna has to offer.

Beyond the historic importance and cultural influences, the hotel is also expected to be a classic example of Ritz-Carlton’s world renowned service. The company has already voiced its commitment to making a stay at the hotel a memorable one for all guests. That said, we would expect spacious and well apportioned rooms, the best amenities, concierge service, fine linens, tasteful furnishings, and more.

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W Paris – Opéra is being designed in a partnership between Rockwell Group Europe and W Global Brand Design. It will take full advantage of the historic nature of the building to create an atmosphere of sophistication, which plays off of the designation of Paris as the City of Lights. At the centre of the design is a spectacular backlit wall that undulates throughout the core of the building with displays of The Spark; digital patterns creating abstract images that continuously change.

As for the hotel rooms themselves, the five-story property will feature a total of 91 guest rooms. Among them will be W Paris – Opéra’s 20 luxury suites and two others is being billed as “Extreme WOW Suites.” All of the hotel’s rooms include three and a half meter ceilings, a spacious and sophisticated design, and unforgettable views of the local neighborhood and the Opéra Garnier. Adding to ambience will be some of the historical elements of the building, which will remain intact throughout the hotel’s public spaces. Guests will enjoy gorgeous stained glass windows, exquisite fireplaces, marble staircases, and second-floor mosaic flooring.

The Parisian reputation as one of the most exciting places to be for fashion was part of the inspiration for choosing the site of W Paris – Opéra. W Hotels hopes their first venture into Paris will provide an exciting experience full of energy and vibrancy guests will not soon forget. To that end, everything about the hotel is meant to capture the attention of guests and stimulate them to experience all that is Paris.

http://www.whotels.com/parisopera

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