Hotel comparison site Trivago picks the top ten Valentine’s day hotels in Europe

by Scott Carmichael on

Our friends at hotel comparison site Trivago always manage to send us timely articles on European hotels. Take for example this list of the top ten romantic Valentine’s day hotels.

The lineup has some of the best kept secrets, including a small luxury hotel next door to Buckingham Palace, a renovated millhouse in the French Dordogne and a quaint hotel overlooking the Italian Umbria. Here are the top ten hotels, as picked by Trivago:

  1. Hotel 41, London
  2. Hotel Gródek, Krakow
  3. Villa Contessa, Bad Saarow
  4. Moulin d’Abbaye, Brantome (France)
  5. Amfitriti Paradosiakos Xenonas, Nafplio (Greece)
  6. Hotel The Pand, Bruges
  7. Il Cantico della Natura, Magione (Italy)
  8. Villa Carona, Carona (Switzerland)
  9. Ca’n Simó, Alcudia (Majorca)
  10. Santini Residence, Prague

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“Venue-hop” for a progressive dinner – Dining out tip

by Gadling Staff on

Venue-hopping is a great way to sample the cuisine and make any city your dining amusement park. How to “venue-hop”? Simple!

  1. Start with DRINKS at a local dive, where you’re bound to get some great recommendations on local cuisine from residents.
  2. Move on to APPETIZERS at an upscale restaurant that you might otherwise skip on a tight budget.
  3. Make sure to sample the local specialty for your MAIN COURSE at a more casual establishment.
  4. Top the evening off by ordering your DESSERT/COFFEE to-go from a local bakery. Walk the streets or find a park to enjoy your dessert.

Take a mask, take some photos, send them home – Souvenir tip

by Gadling Staff on

If a close friend or family member is unable to go on a trip with you, enlarge a photograph of their face and attach a paint-stirrer to the back with duct-tape. Take pictures of you and the face in key locations on the trip, such as at monuments and attractions.

You can then send the photos to the person in a letter to remind them that they’re there in spirit! This souvenir idea is both thoughtful and frugal!

Get $100 in Birthday Bucks from Joie de Vivre

by Amy Chen on

Joie de Vivre, a chain of 35 boutique hotels in California, is making it a little easier to justify planning a birthday getaway this year. The Birthday Bucks deal knocks $100 off a two-night stay on or within seven days of your birthday. At the Galleria Park Hotel in San Francisco, for example, weekend rates start at $109. With this b-day discount, it’s almost like getting the second night free.

The credit, which is taken off your total bill when you check out, can also be used to offset room service, dinner at the hotel restaurant, or spa treatments. To sweeten the deal, the hotel staff may also surprise you with a gift, such as a cupcake, dinner appetizer, or glass of wine. Even kids under 18, if accompanied by a parent, can redeem the $100 Birthday Bucks.

But there’s a catch: the discount is per room per stay, not per birthday per stay. So twins who share a room would have to content themselves with one $100 discount, unless of course they booked separate rooms.

Details: Book by Jan. 31, 2011 with the promo code BUCKS. Travel between Feb. 1, 2010 and Jan. 31, 2011. For a list of the 35 properties, check out jdvhotels.com.

Looks like it’s never too early to start dropping hints about your birthday.