Sleeping in a honeycomb hotel at festivals
13-3-2014
No more difficulties with tents at festivals, but sleep in this luxe honeycomb hotel called ‘B&Bee’. The honeycomb hotel consists of several boxes in the shape of hexagonal cylinders. The boxes can be stacked up to four floors and each box offers place for two persons. There is space for luggage, power supply and the honeycomb hotel is fire- and weatherproof. Developer Barbara Vanthorre got the idea for this hotel after a night out in Ghent and this summer they are testing the ‘B&Bee’ at various festivals in Ghent.
Slow food at the Milano Centrale station
11-3-2014
In the home of the slow food movement (northern Italy) Autogrill (from the resto stops) has opened Bistrot Milano Centrale in collaboration with the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo. In the former 3rd class waiting room of the Central Station of Milan, one serves local traditional dishes, taking into account the seasons and as healthy as possible preparations, like the use of sourdough and of traditional maturing and ageing processes. The Bistrot Centrale is a vibrant ambience evoking a typical covered market, where high quality goes hand in hand, with food islands like a bakery, cafe, street food, wine bar and gourmet cuisine. The objective is to provide a sustainable venue, with a special focus on respect for the natural environment, local culture and economy, also through use of natural materials, the limiting of waste and the promotion of virtuous practice amongst the clientele as well.
Fizz Las Vegas in co-crreation with Sir Elton John
10-3-2014
Champagne lounge and bar Fizz Las Vegas opened in November 2013 inside Caesars Palace . FIZZ Las Vegas features a selection of high-end champagnes by the glass and carefully-curated spirits. Working with David Furnish and Sir Elton John’s personal chef, exquisite choices of caviar, gourmet paninis and small plates complement the beverage selection. The 2,750-square-foot lounge celebrates the crossroad between champagne and couture cocktail offerings with art, fashion and design. The art consists out of Elton John’s and David Furnish’s extraordinary colored photography collection.
The making of restaurant Het Witte Paard
10-3-2014
The self-service restaurant of the Efteling, named ‘Het Witte Paard’ (the white horse) has been renovated and reopened on 1 March. The new restaurant looks like a tea house of the early 1900’s, with six different rooms each unique and nostalgic. The video above shows the making of the restaurant. A nice way to show the ambience and progress of the rebuilding of the restaurant.
Street Lofts
7-3-2014
In Vienna you have Street Lofts. The Urbanauts project turned abandoned stores in design hotel rooms for adventurers. You can sleep in a spacious and comfortable Street Loft where the history of the former shop is still visible. Explore Vienna from your loft. Check in via a key-safe and for breakfast, spa or dinner they have made arrangements with the neighbors of the loft (nearest breakfast cafe etc …) The brainchild of a group of local architects.
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.
Hotel bar I-Dock
14-2-2014
Restaurant, Bar & Marina Terrace I-Dock, located on the ground floor of the new Room Mate Hotel Aitana Amsterdam, opened its doors at February 8. The hotel bar I-Dock is a place where hotel guests and passers-by can enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner or drinks. The menu is Mediterranean oriented with the concept of small dinners. Guests can taste different dishes or share the small bites with each other. At night the hotel bar transforms into a night club with DJs and live bands. I-Dock is a initiative of business caterer Vitam.
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 Burger Shed
6-2-2014
The famous Australian chef Justin North opened ‘The Burger Shed’ last year. He is the first of many chefs to develop a gourmet burger food concept. Because of the financial crisis in Australia, many customers choose for the opportunity of dining out inexpensively. ‘The Burger Shed’ is designed by Mima Design based on the concept; an inviting restaurant that expresses quality and affordability. The burger restaurant has brick walls, a concrete floor with elements of wooden pallets, raw materials and industrial lighting. Back-to-basics. The menu of ‘The Burger Shed’ focuses on the use of local and high-quality products. The menu offers four types of burgers (beef, lamb, chicken and Portobello), fish tacos and chicken tortillas.
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.
