Concorde Hotels turns up the heat with summer deal

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The euro has never been lower, and Europe is calling. With the Concorde Hotels & Resorts “Summer Offer,” you can get on a plane and out the door without breaking the bank. The Hotel Lutetia in Paris and Hotel de la Paix in Geneva are on the list, with rates as low as $159 a night – a savings of up to 30 percent.

Travel by the end of August, and you’ll also get a buffet breakfast daily and a special amenity (per person) waiting for you in your room every night, as long as you stay between two and four nights. And if Europe doesn’t turn you on, Concorde has locations in Japan and Africa, too.

Take advantage of the discounts now. With the economy turning around, 2011 is expected to be the first year of a hotel recovery.

France in summer: Three ways to do it in style

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Skip your usual vacation spot this summer, and go to France. You need a break from the norm (I sure do), and there are some great deals all over the country that make it hard to resist getting on a plane for seven hours of smelling the passenger crammed in next to you.

Focus on what happens when you hit the ground: it’s worth it.

Bessé Signature Hotels has put together three hotel deals in France that make the burden of air travel worth shouldering. Step off the plane and head to some of the country’s unique contemporary hotels, and you’ll forget all about having your sweaty neighbor’s head on your shoulder for the entire trip across the Atlantic.

Girls: Check out the Hotel Edouard 7 for a girls’ getaway, and you won’t be disappointed. The “Girls Night Out” package includes a suite for three, limousine transfers to and from the airport and three sets of Princesse tam tam pajamas – not to mention a variety of Keihl’s products and a bottle of champagne every day(!). The best part, I suspect, is the three VIP passes to Le Printemps, complete with personal shopping services and a 10 percent discount on all your purchases. As if this isn’t enough, you’ll score breakfast and dinner en suite every day. The deal is good through the end of August and starts at 380 euros a night.

Golf: Pack the ladies of to the Hotel Edouard, and take the guys out to Domaine de la Bretesche, in the Brittany region. Dinner for two every day at the Michelin-starred Montaigu is a nice touch, but that doesn’t compare to having your greens fees covered every day for 18 holes of golf. Get the frustration of the links rubbed out every da at the Spa de la Cour Carree, and you’ll have the perfect golf experience. Rates start at 800 euros a night for two guests, through August 31, 2010.

City: Beat the currency fluctuations with a guaranteed rate of $395 a night at theHotel Bel-Ami in Paris. Good through the end of the year, this deal includes a double superior room and breakfast every day. Explore the city, and dodge the beggars that lurk under the Eiffel Tower. It’s a great time.

Russia pushes visa-free Russia-EU travel

by Alex Robertson Textor on

At the 25th European Union-Russia summit in Rostov-on-Don, Russia yesterday proposed that both parties mutually abolish visa requirements. Currently, the two entities impose reciprocal visa requirements upon each other’s citizens.

In the name of improving business and tourist links, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced that Russia is ready to drop its visa requirements of EU citizens. He also tacitly acknowledged that several EU member states have reservations regarding any mutual lifting of visa restrictions.

As it now stands, Russian citizens have to apply for Schengen visas to visit the 27-country European Union, and citizens of European Union countries, in turn, have to apply for visas to visit Russia. Tourist visa costs are relatively low for all parties, at around €35 for Russians entering the EU, and also €35 for the citizens of most European Union states seeking to enter Russia.

Meanwhile, in an independent but fascinating development, Russia and Kazakhstan are moving toward a customs union. Starting July 1, the two countries will charge identical tariffs on trade with the external world while enjoying internal free trade on a bilateral basis. Originally, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus were supposed to join a three-country customs union, but Belarus has opted out over details related to oil export duties.

Russia is trying to coordinate its accession to the World Trade Organization in a small bloc alongside Kazakhstan and Belarus, a decision announced last year to widespread head-scratching among trade experts. Joint accession to the World Trade Organization is unprecedented.

(Photo: Flickr/timo_w2s)

Photo of the Day (6.1.10)

by Stephen Greenwood on
June has finally arrived, which can only mean one thing – the World Cup is just less than two weeks away! When traveling abroad, it’s easy to see that football really is the most widely played sport on Earth; scenes like this one are a familiar occurrence.

This photo was taken by Flickr user pirano, on the steps of the beautiful Sacré Cœur in Montemartre, Paris. I love the beautifully balanced black & white tones and unique perspective that offsets the distinct backdrop of Parisian buildings with photo’s subject.


Do you have a shot of people playing football in an interesting location? Care to place your bet for World Cup outcomes in the comments? Head over to Flickr, submit your photos to our pool, and you could be featured as the Photo of the Day!

Concorde may once again fly – thanks to $22 million and a lot of hard work

by Scott Carmichael on

October 23rd 2003 is a date many aviation nuts will remember as the end of the era of supersonic passenger transportation.

It was the day the final Concorde flight took place, ferrying celebrities into London Heathrow airport.

Of course, her fate had already been sealed when Air France flight 4590 crashed just outside of Charles De Gaulle airport in July 2000 killing 113 people.

Her retirement may soon come to an end, if a team of engineers get their way. The engineers are part of two groups – the British Save Concorde Group, and the French group Olympus 593 (named after the amazing Concorde engines).

The purpose of the collaboration is to get a Concorde back in the air – on time for the 2012 London Olympics opening celebration. The Concorde in question is currently parked at the Le Bourget Air and Space Museum. With $22 million in available funding, the first step is to determine whether the engines on the plane can be started, and whether the plane can be taxied.

After that, there will still be a long way to go, especially if the plane is to receive a certificate of airworthiness. Still – as someone who was lucky enough to fly her several times, the prospect of seeing her take to the skies makes me very, very happy.