Street-food restaurant on a tricycle
24-2-2014
The ‘Ta ?i Ôtô’ is a seven-storey space on a tricycle and drives around the streets of Hanoi in Vietnam. The tricycle serves as a street-food restaurant with a kitchen at the bottom floor and above a bar and an area for guests to sit. The tricycle can also be used for other options such as a stage. The Vietnamese bar is made of old pipes and a PVC roof with a battery-powered fan and lightning. The tricycle is designed by the Swiss architecture firm ‘Bureau A’.
Wi-Fi spot search via augmented reality
24-2-2014
The ‘NAVITIME For Japan Travel app’ helps tourists by finding a free Wi-Fi spot through augmented reality. By using the function ‘Free Wi-Fi Spot Search’ tourists and locals can search offline for the nearest Wi-Fi Location. The feature comes with an augmented reality mode and users can see the nearest Wi-Fi spot with distance and directions on their screen. The app provides information on over 50.000 free Wi-Fi spots.
Accessibility of restaurants in The Hague
21-2-2014
To measure the hospitality of restaurant in The Hague for people with disabilities ‘Voorall’ has launched a contest. For people with disabilities its often the question if they can enter the restaurant with wheelchair, if the guide dog is welcome and if the dishes fit into their diets. With the contest ‘meNU Ongehinderd’ people with or without disabilities can select a restaurant in The Hague and give their opinion. Information about the accessibility of these restaurants will be added to the app ‘Ongehinderd’, which ‘Voorall’ and The Hague has launched in March.
Opening Marks and Spencer Food hall The Hague
20-2-2014
The first Marks & Spencer Food hall in the Netherlands opens its doors in The Hague today. The Food hall is approximately 750 m2, the warehouse is with 6.000m2 the largest international store of Marks & Spencer. The Food hall focuses on the Dutch market with limited proportion of pre-packed vegetables and meat specialties. Alternating with Dutch and English favorites like fresh bread, cheese and biscuits. There is a wide range of convenience food ‘for now’ and ‘food later’. Previously, Marks & Spencer opened a shop at a BP gas station in September 2013.
Temporary city in empty building
18-2-2014
Jaap Urban started a project to provide a temporary practical solution for one empty building in Groningen at the end of April or the beginning of May 2014. With the launch of tijdelijkestad.nl he motivates citizens and entrepreneurs to think along about the optimal use of a building for one week. Potential buildings can be suggested via the website, when one is found, the contents of the program and pop-up stores can be filled in. This can vary from temporary shops and sport facilities to restaurants and office space for entrepreneurs. Next that events and workshops will complement the program for the period.
Within three weeks a suitable building will be picked.
World’s highest hotel
17-2-2014
The ‘Shanghai Tower’ will open its doors in Shanghai in 2014. The building has a total height of 632 meters with 121 floors. Between the 84th and 110th floor of the building there will be a hotel with 320 rooms. This is the highest hotel in the world. The building has walls of glass so it gives a 360 degree view of the city. The ‘Shanghai Tower’ will also have a number of retail stores, offices, cultural facilities and an observation deck.
Zuidas Amsterdam pop-up store
12-2-2014
The municipality of Amsterdam appointed four locations for pop-up stores at the ‘Zuidas’, near Amsterdam Zuid train station. From 1 May onwards the locations are available to unique concepts that complement the existing offer for six months. All competitors, with both food as well as non-food concepts, can send in their plans before 5 March 2014. The four winners will be announced on 13 March. Perhaps the area will be enriched with a test sleep facility, a tasting area or a collaboration between local entrepreneurs like we’ve seen in the West of Amsterdam.
1001 Nights meets New York
11-2-2014
The QBara restaurant in the Fort WAFI Leisure Complex (Dubai) opened late 2013. The restaurant serves dishes inspired by the flavors of the region with a modern twist. Guests choose multiple dishes from the menu, which are served ‘family style’. For example we ate a few small dishes like ‘scallops, sumac and sweet & sour shallots’ and ‘tomatoes, watermelon and homemade Shanklish & mint’. The dishes we tasted were delicious with mysterious ingredients (for us) like za’atar butter and grilled vegetables ‘mechouia’. The desserts were also delicious; we loved the tempura Medjoul dates. As the alcohol consumption is less in this region, many restaurants have an extensive mocktail menu with great combinations of ingredients. All of this combined with the unique environment, with elements as the ‘magic wall’ (see a YouTube video of the wall here) and the house-Arabian music, makes for an amazing experience. The restaurant has a modern design that is enriched with oriental style. ^Marjolein
The first Dutch hot tub cinema in Amsterdam
7-2-2014
The first Dutch hot tub cinema is located in Amsterdam from 6 to 9 March. In the ‘Machinegebouw’ at the Westergasterrein are 21 hot tubs and two cinema screens. You could book a hot tub with five friends and you will get a waiter service, bottle of cava and a private bath robe but it is already sold out. After the movie there is a bathrobe after party with a DJ. The concept is inspired by the Hot Tub cinema in London.
Jaw-dropping hotel pools
6-2-2014
Tripadvisor gives an overview of 10 jaw-dropping hotel pools around the world. Like the Hanging Gardens Ubud in Bali with a beautiful view over the rainforest or the swimming pool located at the 24th floor of the Holiday Inn Shanghai Pudong Kangqiao. The video above shows ‘The Library’ hotel in Ko Samui, Thailand. The name of the hotel pool ‘The Red Pool’ says it all. The pool is not made of the standard blue tiles, but of yellow, orange and deep red mosaic tiles. The pool looks like red blood, but the red mosaic tiles give a warming and special effect. The video is a bit long, but shows the inspiring design of the hotel. Look for the other pools at Tripadvisor.
