Taking Chessboxing to a whole new level – with a hotel

by Scott Carmichael on

It has been 4 years since Gadling devoted an article to the fine sport of Chessboxing.

Chessboxing is a hybrid sport combining chess and boxing (duh). The name describes exactly what the sport involves, but if you don’t have a very creative imagination, picture a boxing ring with a chess board. The game switches between playing chess and punching the crap out of each other.

The sport is apparently so popular, that the man behind it has opened a hotel in Berlin with the sole purpose of offering affordable living space for people who play the sport, or those that just want to be surrounded by art inspired by famous chess and boxing icons.

Located in an old East German building near the Potsdamer Platz, the hotel offers 3 different rooms for just 90€ a night. Beds are named after Muhammad Ali, Bobby Fischer, Mike Tyson, Miyamoto Musashi and Anantoly Karpov.

Source: Chessboxing rental apartment

Really At Home On The Road

by Brett Atkinson on

Martha’s recent post about apartments and home rentals as an alternative to staying in hotels was bang on. Across my last few trips I’ve tried to incorporate a few more leisurely nights staying in private homes in local neighborhoods and have usually made bookings through the Vacations Rentals By Owner website.

VRBO lists around 86,000 private homes available for rent in more countries than you’d think, and so far the standard of places I’ve rented has been great. You very quickly find local cafes for breakfast and soon develop an addiction to the local newspaper.

A few of the highlights:

  1. A houseboat in Sausalito, Califorrnia (lazy days on the deck with a bottle of Francis Ford Coppola’s wine)
  2. An apartment in the West Village, New York (hanging out with the locals downstairs at Tavern on Jane)
  3. A flat in central Prague (around 200 metres from Weneceslas Square, but totally quiet)

Thanks to casspixx on Flickr for the pic of one of my favourite New York bars.

Why You Should Stay Away From Hotels

by Martha Edwards on

I love staying in hotels, if for no other reason than I don’t have to clean up (much) after myself — I can leave the bed unmade, and fresh sheets and towels will magically appear without me having to make the trek to the laundry room. But sometimes a hotel isn’t the best option — renting an apartment or house is often the way to go, especially if you’re staying for a while. According to this article from MSNBC, there are lots of reasons to avoid hotels. Such as?

Space: Hotel rooms can be pretty limiting size-wise. Your own flat or house will come with lots of extra space, and maybe even your own yard.

Privacy: Hotels are public places; you can keep to yourself in your own apartment.

Price: It’s often a much better deal to rent your own place for a week than pay a nightly rate at a hotel — which can be really expensive! Plus, you can make your own meals in the kitchen, which saves a lot of money.

Cultural experience: Renting your own place allows you to avoid all the other tourists and get a feel for what it’s like to live like the locals. And, consider this: All name-brand hotels are basically the same, so why stay at one when you’re somewhere exotic? You might as well be staying in Poughkeepsie as far as the hotel decor goes.

Flexibility: There are rules at the hotel. In your own place? Not so much.

Don’t just look at rental apartments and houses either — keep your eyes open for unique accommodations. For instance, I stayed on a houseboat on the Seine River when I was last in Paris; it was an amazing experience.

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