Peer-to-peer lending
10-7-2013
The platform AirBnB where individuals can offer their homes for temporary rental to tourists or expats has now become a huge success. It appears that more branches copy this concept. We’ve spotted ‘Eat With‘, a website where users can offer their ‘kitchen’ as an alternative for the restaurants in the area. CampInMyGarden, a website that offers sleeping places in gardens and outdoor houses, a cheap night and often at central locations. Now the platform ‘Boat Bound’ is launched. Whether you are looking for a fishing boat, a sailboat or a barge, Boat Bound offers private boats anywhere in the United States, at any price. We wonder when we can rent a boat in the canals for Amsterdam at Boat Bound.
Pop-up beach
28-6-2013
It is a rainy summer in the Netherlands, but the sun is shining in Leiden this year. So put on your swimsuit and enjoy a cocktail on a beach chair! The pop-up indoor beach ‘Waagstrand’ opened yesterday in the historic building ‘De Waag’. The indoor beach consists of 20 cubic meters of sand and has palm trees, beach chairs, cocktails, beach activities and DJs. This indoor beach is an initiative of ‘Stadspodia Leiden’ and will be open from Wednesday to Sunday from 13:00 pm to 01:00 am.
Signature dishes at high altitude
28-6-2013
During a KLM flight from Amsterdam to Hong Kong passengers were surprised with signature dishes of two-star chef Richard Ekkenbus. The served dinner was part of his final test as an SVH-certified Master Chef. KLM serves meals of Dutch qualified chefs in the World Business Class for several years. But never before a Dutch chef has cooked dishes ‘live’ on board an aircraft as part of his final test to become a Master Chef. Richard Ekkenbus has completed his first part of the test successfully, the second part takes place in Restaurant Amber at The Land Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong.
Fooddrome
27-6-2013
Fooddrome will open its doors in Villa Flora (Venlo) around June 2014. Fooddrome will be a location of 7,500 m2 where retail, food service industry, education and recreation will meet. According to the initiator Gert Benders the classic supermarket sells standard products for the lowest price, while the quality of the pure products and the buying experience get lost. Fooddrome is a fresh food concept with authentic, special and sustainable products of mainly Dutch soil for consumers and business users. Healthy and honest food for an affordable price is the key for Fooddrome. The products can be tasted and bought to prepare the dishes at home. The products can also be ordered through the internet or smartphone and will be delivered refrigerated.
Shoppable store windows
25-6-2013
Clothes & Accessories store Kate Spade Saturday uses the busy sidewalks in New York City, by creating a shoppable store windows. They have placed interactive windows in formerly vacant retail stores where you can shop online. The storefronts are painted yellow with black and white elements and a selection of clothing and accessories are displayed on hangers and hooks inside the windows. Through the large touch screen display, passers by can browse the entire collection and get more information. Only a mobile phone number is required and a confirmation will be send, payment will be done at delivery, the order will be delivered for free within one hour. The four stores are open 24 hours a day between June 8th and July 7th.
Top 10 treetop hotels
24-6-2013
Tripadvisor gives an overview of ten extraordinary treetop hotels from around the world. Each treehouse is surrounded by nature and the examples varies from modern to simple treehouses. The photos are from ‘Chateaux Dans les Arbres’ in the Dordogne, France. The Chateaux Dans les Arbres offers three treehouses in the form of a castle, in the middle of the forest. The tree houses have a modern interior with furniture and elements of wood and a private hottub on the ‘balcony’. For more treetop hotels check Tripadvisor.
Maastricht hangs the laundry outside
21-6-2013
This morning Maastricht welcomed the summer in a special way. In serveral streets freshly washed laundry was hanged out to promote the quest for the ‘cleanest’ photo of the city. The promotion is an initiative by VVV Maastricht and Townhouse Designhotel Maastricht.
Sustainable geWoonboot
21-6-2013
This inspiring floating meeting room in Amsterdam is called the ‘geWoonboot’ and created by Joan Kramer and Jan Huisman. The object has 120m2 floor space and is divided in two rooms with a view on the IJ or NDSM-wharf. The boot is self sustainable in energy use and has sun collectors, waste water filtering, warmth pump and sun heated water system. It has a biological and/or local catering as well.
Starbucks tea house
20-6-2013
Earlier this year Starbucks opened a new concept near the Megura Station in Tokyo. The new store is inspired by the surrounding neighbourhood, traditional Japanese architecture and gardens. The Starbucks doesn’t look like a coffee shop but more like traditional Japanese tea house. The interior design includes elements of wooden walls and Shoji sliding doors and the store sells Japanese ceramic mugs, exclusive to Starbucks Japan. Earlier we’ve spotted a Starbucks in Amsterdam with a interior design made of old bicycle tires and the Starbucks in Japan where you are surrounded by trees.
Hot Tub Cinema
18-6-2013
Last year we posted a video about the Hot Tub Cinema on our website. Meanwhile we got these beautiful pictures that we don’t want to hold back from you. The Hot Tub Cinema is a combination of hot tubs and great films on special locations. Hire a hot tub with your friends or buy a single ticket and share the hot tub with strangers.
