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Posts with tag hotel

Rioja City of Wine opens September 1st

Rioja producer Marqués de Riscal is to open its City of Wine cultural centre on the 1st September. The 60 ha complex is part of a ten year plan and an investment of some US$77 million in the winery and its facilities. Central to the centre will be the new landmark Hotel Marqués De Riscal. This is designed by renowned architect Frank O. Gehry, his second creation in Spain after driving Bilbao's urban revival with the Guggenheim Museum.

The 43 room luxury hotel has a wonderful roof designed in homage to the flowing skirts of Flamenco dancers. The hotel boasts a glass elevator to the wine cellars where tours and tastings will be held. A Michelin starred chef will also host cooking and wine and food matching courses.

Blogher food and meeting a few food bloggers

Sarah had a point when she said that conference food is pretty much always fattening. I am currently at the BlogHer conference, along with a few other people from Weblogs, Inc., and even though the company is wonderful, I can say less for the food. When a hotel prepares fried food for a large group, it is inevitably greasy and heavy, so it was unfortunate that the meals centered on that. Lunch on the first day included fried chicken and dinner was a buffet of fried foods, like egg rolls and dumplings, as well as kebabs slathered in various sauces. There was no salad option at dinner, although there was a cheese plate. Any dinner dissatisfaction was quelled by the open bar, though I did hear some slightly dissatisfied murmuring about the fact that Pepsi, and not Coke, was the hotel's soda of choice. Many women opted for calcium-fortified water instead.

Continue reading Blogher food and meeting a few food bloggers

The hotel diet or the diet hotel?

When people are on a holiday, they start to say things like "it's ok, you're on vacation!" and "you should be able to enjoy yourself!" These statements are innocuous in general, but when they're applied to the second piece of chocolate cream pie on your plate during dessert, it can be problematic. People gain weight when they're on vacation and in the weeks leading up to it in a sort of pre-vacation indulgence binge. A hotel in Germany, the Hotel Ostfriesland, has an unusual pricing structure that was motivated by one guest's desire to lose weight. The owner charges by the kilogram.

It all started when a guest complained that she was gaining weight every year and, when she dropped 77 pounds in a year, joked that she should get a discount. And she did. The owner of the hotel has everyone hop on a scale to determine their room rate. Of course, he does have a maximum fee of €39 per night for a single room, which, at his rate of .50 euros per kg, comes out to be about 172 pounds. If a guest weighs less than that, they get a discount. If they refuse to get on the scale at all, there is a €51 (224 pound) double-room charge, though no one has yet refused.

At the moment, the charging structure appears to be working. The hotel owner said that he has had no complaints and that many people enjoy the fact that they can get a discount, sometimes going as far as stripping down (the men, not the women) to try and lower their rate further.

Zagat's top 100 hotel restaurants for your iPod

The folks at Zagat recently compiled a list of the top 100 hotel restaurants in America for an article in USA TODAY. Ratings were based on food quality, décor and service. The French Room in The Adolphus Hotel in Dallas, Texas, made the top of the list, which is available here. The list, complete with reviews, addresses and phone numbers, is also available for download as a notes file for your iPod. I went ahead and loaded it onto my iPod and, indeed, I was able to browse the list with my little scroll wheel. I'm not sure why this list needs to be on anyone's iPod, but nevertheless, it's available. Of the 100 restaurants listed, 20 are in California and 13 are in Massachusetts. At number three on the list is The Dining Room at Little Palm Island Resort (right), a luxury resort in the Florida Keys that can only be reached by boat. More complete Zagat guides are also available for other mobile devices like PDAs and cell phones.

Pop Food at Pop Century

Are your kids already requesting a trip to Disney World for their summer vacation, or maybe you haven't decided where to go for some rest and relaxation this year? There is no reason not to factor food into the equation and if you're looking for something really fun, the Disney Pop Century Resort in Florida may be just the ticket. Not only can you relive just about every trend of your childhood at the brightly colored complex, but the food is just as exciting as the architecture. Retro-chic classic comfort foods, like fried chicken and mashed potatoes are served in a TV tray, and tye-dyed colors swirl through timeless favorites like cheesecake and fluffernutter sandwiches. All the food is served in a casual, food court-style setting, which makes it perfect for families with small children, offering something for everyone.

Continue reading Pop Food at Pop Century

Tip of the Day

Buying ice each day for a road trip or camping journey can be such a pain. Consider (safely) using dry ice as an alternative.

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