Local Attraction At Virginia Beach|"Finding Affordable Hotels In Pricey Cities"

Source              :    edition.cnn.com
Category         :    Local Attraction At Virginia Beach
By                   :    Chadner Navarro
Posted By      :    Hotels in Virginia Beach North Courtyard

Local Attraction At Virginia Beach

Unless you have an unlimited budget (lucky you), deliberating about where to stay on vacation can be an exercise in financial frustration. On most trips, a major chunk of the kitty will be spent on where you sleep. Things turn for the worse when your travels take you to destinations that are notoriously pricey -- places where a cup of coffee could get you a full meal in other cities or where nightly hotel rates equal monthly rent in less expensive locales. Every year numerous reports list the cities that will take the biggest toll on your wallet. These articles are like financial warnings for potential visitors: Don't come unless you're prepared to empty your pockets. And unsurprisingly -- and unfortunately -- international favorites such as Tokyo, Paris and New York dominate the rankings. In these places you just have to put in the extra research to make the most of the money you've allotted for the trip, especially when it's time to book a place to stay. And then a little flexibility will go a long way: You may have to consider wallet-friendly options where bathrooms are shared with other guests or forgo middle-of-the-action locations for cheaper yet good-looking stays on the periphery.Japan's capital has topped the Economist Intelligence Unit's annual list of the world's most expensive cities every year but six since 1992. (The cost of living study is based on the cost of things such as transportation, food, drink and groceries.) If a two-pound loaf of bread runs $10, finding reasonably priced accommodations can be a challenge.

Try and grab one of the entry-level rooms at Claska, a beautiful boutique spot in the celebrity-approved Meguro district. The property is a bit out of the way, but great design makes up for the location. The small hotel is about to expand to 20 rooms. The most basic "modern" options (single Rooms 505 and 506) are priced just under $150 a night, with doubles starting around $200. "DIY" Rooms 701 and 702 feature wackier design schemes by contemporary Japanese creatives but are cheaper still for single occupancy at roughly $105 a night; Room 707 offers space more suitable for two people and starts at $175 a night.A cup of coffee will set you back almost $6 in Zurich, according to a 2013 survey by Mercer, which gauged the cost of living in 214 cities around the world, and don't be surprised if sandwiches are slapped with $20 price tags. To offset these eye-popping expenses, you can stay at Zum Guten Glück, but be warned that there are no private bathrooms -- only shared facilities on each floor. The 10 spare rooms are simply designed with vintage-looking furniture and accents. Single rooms start at $75 a night year-round, and even the largest units -- there are two double corner rooms with chic bay windows -- go for $120.A cup of Joe is about a dollar less in Singapore than it is in Zurich, according to the Mercer survey, but expect to pay an additional 17% surcharge on every meal you eat in a restaurant on this island nation. Seven percent of that is a "goods and services" tax, while the other 10 is just your typical service charge. For a well-priced stay, give Hotel Re! a try. The retro-looking property at the base of Pearl's Hill in the city center is a visual smorgasbord of bright '60s and '70s-inspired graphics, which are tolerable given the generous starting rates that hover around $120 a night. This includes breakfast plus free minibar access upon arrival. The 140-room property is about a five-minute walk to the nearest Mass Rapid Transit stop, but Hotel Re! provides a shuttle service every 20 minutes.It doesn't matter how pricey Paris is, the most visited city in the world will continue to attract travelers in droves for its myriad sites, world-class art and rich culinary heritage. According to TripAdvisor's 2013 TripIndex Cities, an annual survey that calculates the average cost of a night out in many cities around the world, Paris is the fifth-most expensive. Of the nearly $500 price tag for an evening and overnight out (which includes a four-star hotel, a meal, drinks and a taxi ride for two, based on summer rates), about $330 was allocated to accommodations.

At the colorful, ecologically sensitive Hi matic hotel in the central neighborhood of Bastille, committing to a nonrefundable booking can get you a room for as low as $155 a night, which includes breakfast. This rate is for the Mini Cabane, which is in fact quite mini and best suited for solo travelers, who might enjoy the youthful vibe of the hotel and its very DIY (check-in kiosks and vending machines for left-at-home amenities such as toothbrushes) setup. If you're a traveling duo looking for a little more space, upgrade to the City Cabane for $15 more a night.New York, which came in as the fourth-most expensive city for an evening out in the same TripAdvisor report, ranked highest in the hotel category. A room in a four-star property in the Big Apple easily commands a $400 a night price tag. If you don't mind sharing a bathroom with the rest of your floor, book a single occupancy cabin-style room (which typically start at $99 a night) at the Jane, a super-hip hotel in the West Village. These very cozy sleeping stations resemble luxury cabins on a train so things can be a bit tight -- even for one person. (Pairs can try for the shared bathroom bunk-bed category, with rates starting between $125 and $145.) The in-room amenities, however, are great: free wireless Internet and 300-thread count cotton sheets, to name two. Plus, the trendy vibe as well as its popular Cafe Gitane and Jane Ballroom remain major selling points for the hotel.

Two movie tickets in this Australian metropolis are an extravagant $40, while international newspapers are $7 a pop. And cutting-edge gelateria N2 charges $5 for one scoop of its treats. And no one there blinks an eye, because Australia offers some of the highest salaries in the world. A stay in Sydney's Central Business District is almost impossible to do on a budget, so consider staying a short -- and scenic -- 20-minute ferry ride away in Watsons Bay, where beach access is available. Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel is seconds away from the water, plus there's a happening bar on the property, and rates start at about $170 a night -- and if you're lucky, some of the rooms at this price come with a balconette. And breakfast is included.The Norwegian capital's sky-high cost of living leaves it atop many lists that chart priciness. A public transportation ticket, for instance, is valid for one hour and costs $5. (For comparison, a single ticket in Berlin is less than $3 and can be used for two hours.) And don't be surprised if a bottle of domestic beer sets you back nearly $15, as would a meal at a fast-food joint. For an affordable home-away-from-home, head west of the city center and stay at Ellingsens Pensjonat, which is on a quiet street steps away from a tram stop making most local attractions, such as the recently relocated Astrup Fearnley Museum, 10 to 15 minutes away. Rates top off at about $145 a night for a double room with a private bathroom, and rates drop for rooms with shared facilities, so expect a simple yet homey stay (think fuss-free decor with a smattering of floral accents). The public spaces are charming and comfortable, and if you want to get a workout in, there's a small gym in the building.

Source : edition.cnn.com/2013/10/25/travel/affordable-hotels-expensive-cities/

Local Attraction At Virginia Beach|"Aurora & Gaylord Hotel Developer File Suit Against Denver Hotels"

Source              :    denverpost.com
Category         :    Local Attraction At Virginia Beach
By                   :    Aldo Svaldi
Posted By      :    Hotels in Virginia Beach North Courtyard

Local Attraction At Virginia Beach

Aurora officials Wednesday struck back against 11 hotels seeking to overturn state tax incentives for the proposed Gaylord Rockies Hotel and Conference Center, making the fight a little more personal. "This small group of downtown Denver hotels is afraid of competition," said Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan, who hosted a news conference near Union Station to announce a countersuit. The station is where Sage Hospitality Resources, which operates five of the properties suing Aurora, is building a new hotel, with the help of public subsidies, Hogan noted. Those include $17 million from the Regional Transportation District and about $7.5 million in local tax credits out of $48 million in spending. Aurora officials called the initial complaint from the hotels last month "frivolous" and designed to thwart the Gaylord, which is raising funds to finance construction.

The legal standoff has the potential to further damage Colorado's reputation for regional cooperation and drag into the fray two of the state's biggest business names — Philip Anschutz and Walter Isenberg. "We will take depositions and have them as witnesses," Aurora's city attorney, Charles Richardson, said of the various parties involved. Isenberg is CEO of Sage. Anschutz's holding company owns the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, another plaintiff. Both declined to comment. The tit-for-tat legal action is something that economic-development officials have long feared — a public battle over incentives and future development. In one corner are backers of the 1,500-room Gaylord, which in May 2012 received approval for an $81.4 million subsidy under the state's Regional Tourism Act. The hotel, near Denver International Airport, would create 10,000 construction and 2,500 permanent jobs and draw more than 450,000 outside visitors each year, backers say. In the other corner are a group of hotels concerned that the Gaylord, with its massive public subsidies, will glut the market and cannibalize their business.

The group's chief legal argument centers on changes in the project since the application was approved. They want Aurora and its new partners, Rida Development Corp. and Marriott International, to submit updated information and undergo another public hearing. After the state's economic-development office and attorney general rejected their request this past summer, they filed a suit last month. Aurora, the Aurora Urban Renewal Authority and Rida, the hotel's developer, are plaintiffs in the countersuit, filed in Arapahoe County District Court on Wednesday. They are seeking unspecified damages for financial costs and delays, which Richardson said could reach millions of dollars. Hotels named as defendants in the new complaint include the Curtis, the Broadmoor, the Brown Palace Hotel, Denver Marriott City Center, Cheyenne Mountain Conference Resort, J.W. Marriott Denver Cherry Creek, Courtyard Denver Downtown, Magnolia Hotel, Oxford Hotel, Westin Westminster and the Homewood Suites by Hilton Downtown Denver Convention Center Hotel.

Source:denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_24369941/aurora-and-gaylord-hotel-developer-file-suit-against

Local Attraction At Virginia Beach|"Be Careful If Booking World Series Hotels"

Source              :    fox2now.com

Category         :    Local Attraction At Virginia Beach

By                   :    Jill Hampton

Posted By      :    Hotels in Virginia Beach North Courtyard

Local Attraction At Virginia Beach

World Series baseball fever has taken hold in St. Louis and Boston. Some fans are scrambling to find places to stay in both cities on game nights. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) warns fans to beware of lodging offers that don’t sound right. An ad on Craigslist offers a hotel room in Boston for $1 in the headline, but the text says “50% of the going market rate.”  According to BBB standards, such ads have the capacity to mislead. BBB warns buyers about requests to wire money to secure reservations. Craigslist flags the ad as suspicious. “Sports fans may be anxious to get a hotel room near the ballpark, without weighing the cost or the possibility that the advertised room doesn’t exist,” said Michelle L. Corey, BBB president and CEO.

“Scammers may lure people by advertising low prices – or they may charge a premium by claiming that the hotel is close to the ballpark when it isn’t,” Corey said. “Others may offer tickets with the hotel room, but you have little or no way of verifying whether the tickets are real.” BBB advises fans to ask lots of questions and be wary of an offer that requires wiring money. When you send money by wire, it is almost impossible to get it back or to trace the recipient, who may be overseas.

The following are some BBB tips for finding housing for the World Series or other special events:

• Read any ads carefully, making sure you understand what is being offered and what the total price will be.
• Ask the seller where he or she is located and for contact information that can be verified. If the seller is evasive, don’t pursue the offer.
• Ask for the name, address and phone number of the hotel where the room is located, and call the hotel to verify that the room actually exists. Check the hotel’s website or a well-known travel site to be sure that the location is convenient for getting to and from the ballpark.
• Be wary of ads that pile on incentives to make the package look better. Often the items – such as lanyards, T-shirts or other trinkets – have limited value.
• Use a credit card to make your reservation. A credit card company can assist you with obtaining a refund if the offer turns out to be fraudulent or if there are other problems with the accommodation.
• Do your research.  A variety of travel guidebooks and online reviews address services and amenities at hotels and motels.
• Make sure you get a confirmation number from the business when reserving a room.  Also, make sure you know times of check-in and check-out, and clearly understand  the type of room you are paying for (smoking or nonsmoking, queen or double beds, regular room or suite, etc.)
• If you have any concern about the quality of a motel or hotel, ask to inspect your room before moving in. You have a better chance to get satisfaction from staff or management if you have not already accepted your room.  If you spot a problem, report it to the front desk immediately.

Source:fox2now.com/2013/10/21/bbb-warning-be-careful-if-booking-world-series-hotels/

Local Attraction At Virginia Beach|"Turner Construction Led Team Picked To Tackle Cleveland Convention Hotel"

Source              :    cleveland.com
Category         :    Local Attraction At Virginia Beach
By                   :    Michelle Jarboe McFee
Posted By      :    Hotels in Virginia Beach North Courtyard

Local Attraction At Virginia Beach

The construction team that managed work on the Cleveland Convention Center complex will pick up another big-ticket gig, as design-builder of a 600- to 650-room convention center hotel on Lakeside Avenue. A committee of Cuyahoga County officials and consultants recently chose a joint venture led by Turner Construction Co. to shepherd the $260 million project from conceptual design to its planned opening in 2016. The deal requires approval from Cuyahoga County Council, which could conduct the first of several readings of legislation related to the construction-management contract on Tuesday. Turner rounds out a team of convention-hotel heavyweights tapped to design, build and brand the publicly financed project. After soliciting competitive proposals, similar selection committees picked Hilton Worldwide as the hotel manager and Cooper Carry, an architecture firm based in Atlanta, as the conceptual designer.

If council signs off on the Turner contract by mid-November and approves roughly $10 million in initial spending, crews would start to clear out the county administration building -- on the future hotel site -- before the end of the year. Demolition might begin in December or January. "It's on the same city block where we just turned over the new medical mart and convention center," said Jason Jones, Turner's general manager in Cleveland. "It was perfectly timed. The team that just finished that project will move over to work on the hotel."Turner made its pitch to the county through a joint venture with construction managers Ozanne Construction Co. and Van Auken Akins Architects, the architecture firm that crafted Cleveland's most recent plan for the downtown lakefront. The Turner group also is working with VOA Associates Inc., another architecture firm.

The other competitors were Gilbane Building Co., with Panzica Construction Co. of Mayfield, and a team led by Hunt Construction Group, also a major builder of convention center hotels. "The universe of design-builders capable of doing this, in this area, is a pretty limited universe," said Jeff Appelbaum, an attorney representing the county on the hotel project. "We had very good proposals from the other two teams. It was a robust process." Turner's recent convention-hotel projects include the Hilton Columbus Downtown, a 532-room property that opened last year. The building, owned by the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority, is tied into the Greater Columbus Convention Center by an enclosed walkway. Turner acted as construction manager on that job. Jones expects the Cleveland project, at its peak, to require a crew of 400 people. The convention center and medical mart, now called the Global Center for Health Innovation, supported more than 600 jobs at the height of construction.

Source : cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2013/10/turner_construction-led_team_p.html

Local Attraction At Virginia Beach|"Naperville's Water Street District To Include Hotel Indigo"

Source              :    dailyherald.com
Category         :    Local Attraction At Virginia Beach
By                   :    Marie Wilson
Posted By      :    Hotels in Virginia Beach North Courtyard

Local Attraction At Virginia Beach

The mystery surrounding the hotel at the center of the Water Street District in downtown Naperville was solved Tuesday as developers of the mixed-use destination announced Hotel Indigo as their choice to open in 2015. Described as an "upscale, boutique hotel," Hotel Indigo's Naperville location will have about 160 rooms and will anchor the Water Street development of shops, restaurants and offices along the south bank of the DuPage River.The Marquette Companies, the Naperville-based real estate firm developing Water Street, chose Hotel Indigo to provide a luxury stay for guests at an "approachable price point," said Nick Ryan, managing director.

People who stay at the new hotel — whether families of North Central College students, Naperville Marathon runners, participants in local weddings or guests of businesses in town — will know they're in Naperville the moment they enter, Ryan said. "By design, the brand is refreshingly local, reflecting the culture, people and personality of the community," Ryan said about Hotel Indigo in a written statement. "When you walk into our lobby, you will get the Naperville vibe immediately. We're proud of that." Developers say local history experts soon will be enlisted to help produce the "Naperville vibe" in elements of the hotel's art, photography and architecture, including interpretive photographic murals of local icons in guest rooms and public spaces. "Because we plan to involve the Naperville Heritage Society the history and culture of Naperville will be featured in the lobby, giving guests a glimpse into the life of Naperville," Jeff Prosapio, project manager for Marquette, said in a written statement. "We understand how special and unique Naperville is, and we want to celebrate that."

Highlights of the hotel's design include a second-floor lobby with a fireplace, a bistro-style dining area, a wine bar and a health facility; banquet accommodations, three meeting rooms for 15 to 60 people, a pedestrian bridge connecting two sections of the hotel and a rooftop restaurant. Naperville's Hotel Indigo will be the brand's fourth location in the area. It already operates lodgings in Chicago's Gold Coast and in Vernon Hills, while a third location is set to open near Chicago's Millennium Park next year. A Hotel Indigo also opened in 2005 in Palatine but closed in 2011. News of the hotel's inclusion in Water Street plans drew early positive reactions from Naperville's business community, with Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Mike Evans calling Hotel Indigo "chic" and praising its multigenerational appeal. "I think it'll be a great addition to the lineup we already have in our hotel portfolio," Evans said Tuesday. Also included in plans for Water Street are a variety of restaurants, shops and an expansion of the Riverwalk featuring an art wall and seating areas. Developers still are negotiating with possible future tenants, some of which could be announced in the coming months. Marquette plans to break ground on the development early next year.

Source : dailyherald.com/article/20131015/news/710159625/

Local Attraction At Virginia Beach|"TIF Commission Endorses Redevelopment Plan For Savoy Hotel"

Source              :    kansascity.com

Category         :    Local Attraction At Virginia Beach

By                   :    KEVIN COLLISON

Posted By      :    Hotels in Virginia Beach North Courtyard

Local Attraction At Virginia Beach

A redevelopment plan that would restore the historic luster of the Savoy Hotel and Grill while making it a destination for art lovers was endorsed Wednesday by a city development agency.The project to revive the six-story hotel and restaurant at Ninth and Central streets is being pursued by 21c Museum Hotels, a hotel operator that has won national accolades for its work in Louisville. The Kansas City Tax Increment Financing Commission unanimously endorsed its redevelopment plan. The company plans to spend $47.5 million renovating the red-brick hotel that opened in 1888 and the 1903 addition that houses the Savoy Grill. The total value of the development, including interest costs over the 23-year life of the TIF plan, would be $89.2 million.

The redevelopment plan, which has the backing of Mayor Sly James, now goes to the Kansas City Council for consideration later this month or early in November. The redevelopment calls for $11.7 million of the overall cost to be reimbursed by future tax revenues through a standard TIF and $18.7 million to be reimbursed from future revenues through what’s called Super TIF assistance. The Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association also will have to review the request for Super TIF incentives. A similar tax incentive package had been approved for earlier redevelopment proposals for the Savoy. Those plans, however, failed to move forward. To soften the impact on several smaller taxing jurisdictions, the Savoy developer also has agreed to a special payment that will initially be $15,000 annually and grow to $25,000 annually during the life of the TIF plan. Those entities benefiting are the Kansas City Public Library, Metropolitan Community College, the Jackson County Mental Health Fund and Jackson County Services for the Developmentally Disabled.

Craig Greenberg, president of 21c Museum Hotels, said that if the incentives are approved, construction is expected to start next year. The project also is seeking state and federal historic tax credits. A report to the TIF Commission indicated the firm would have a 6.9 percent return on its investment with the incentives. Greenberg praised the support from the TIF Commission and said the hotel would “help attract visitors from around the country.” Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson, founders of 21c Museum Hotels, opened their first venture in downtown Louisville in 2006 based on their passion for urban revival and love of cutting-edge art. That formula helped the 21c Louisville get the nod as the nation’s top hotel in 2009 and 2010 from the readers of Conde Nast. The 90-room Louisville hotel attracts 150,000 people annually, many to simply enjoy the art displayed in its 9,000 square feet of gallery space. The works are done by living local, national and international artists.

The art comes from Brown and Wilson’s collection, along with works borrowed from other museums, collectors and galleries. “We truly merge a boutique hotel with fine food and beverage and a contemporary art museum,” Greenberg said. The company has opened two other hotels since, a 156-room historic property in Cincinnati and a new 104-room hotel in Bentonville, Ark.

Source : kansascity.com/2013/10/09/4542164/redevelopment-plan-for-savoy-hotel.html

Local Attraction At Virginia Beach|"Doyle Collection Hotel Group Sees Profits Rise"

Source              :    irishtimes.com
Category         :    Local Attraction At Virginia Beach
By                   :    Gordon Deegan
Posted By      :    Hotels in Virginia Beach North Courtyard

Local Attraction At Virginia Beach

Earnings at the Doyle Collection hotel group last year climbed by 66 per cent to €35.2 million as revenues jumped by 13.5 per cent to €126.5 million. One of Ireland’s largest hotel groups, last March it renegotiated its €300 million-plus bank loans with AIB in one of the biggest refinancings of corporate debt here for some years. During the year, the group disposed of three of its US hotels for a combined total of €149.5 million. The group had bank loans totalling €323 million at the end of December last and the group’s net debt was due to be repaid in November of this year with the group now extending this out to 2017 with the State-controlled bank. Consolidated accounts for holding firm Pembase Holdings Ltd show that revenues at the hotel group last year increased by €15 million to €126.5 million. The accounts show that the group’s earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation increased from €21.2 million to €35.2 million last year. The group recorded a total profit of €65.48 million for the year and this arose mainly from a surplus on revaluation of the group’s hotels of €80.2 million.

It operates the Westbury and Croke Park hotels in Dublin; the River Lee Hotel in Cork along with four hotels in the UK and the Dupont Circle hotel in Washington DC. The group’s assets at the end of 2012 had a book value of €635.5 million. This year it has disposed of the Back Bay hotel in Boston, the Courtyard by Marriott and the Normandy Hotel in Washington DC and details of the transactions will be included in the 2013 accounts. The directors state that on the basis of the renegotiated bank terms, they are satisfied that the group has adequate resources to continue to operate for the foreseeable future. Its gross profit last year increased by 16 per cent to €89.9 million with operating profits increasing almost three-fold to €22 million. Bank interest payments totalling €12.4 million contributed to the group recording a pre-tax profit of €10.6 million. This compared to a pre-tax loss of €2.5 million in 2011. The accounts show that the group’s shareholder funds last year totalled €295.2 million. Numbers employed by the group last year increased from 1,071 to 1,178 with staff costs increasing by 16 per cent to €44.28 million.

Source:irishtimes.com/business/sectors/transport-and-tourism/doyle-collection-hotel-group-sees-profits-rise-by-13-5-to-126-5m-1.1554324

Local Attraction At Virginia Beach|"Scottsdale Hotels See Big Growth Over The Summer"

Source              :    bizjournals.com
Category         :    Local Attraction At Virginia Beach
By                   :    Tim Gallen
Posted By      :    Hotels in Virginia Beach North Courtyard

Local Attraction At Virginia Beach

Scottsdale hotels continued their recession rebound with a summer spike in July. Occupancy at hotels and resorts in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley was 50.3 percent in July, according to travel research firm STR. That was a whopping 10.5 percent increase over July 2012. Another indicator that saw double-digit growth year over year was the region’s revenue per available room. The RevPAR shot up 16.4 percent to $49.04. The average daily rate, or ADR, also posted an increase in July. Though it did not hit double digits, it still had a strong 5.3 percent growth to settle at $97.56. Year to date, Scottsdale’s occupancy growth is much higher than the national average. Specifically, Scottsdale’s occupancy is up 4.5 percent compared to the U.S. hotel industry’s 1.5 percent year-to-date growth. In addition, Scottsdale hotels’ RevPAR is up a healthy 7 percent year to date versus the national growth rate of 5.6 percent. Scottsdale’s ADR, while positive, trails the national industry. ADR is up 2.3 percent year to date for Scottsdale hotels compared with 4 percent nationally.

Source : bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2013/10/07/scottsdale-hotels-see-big-growth-over.html

Local Attraction At Virginia Beach|"A Room With 140 Characters: Hotels Embrace Twitter"

Source              :    seattletimes.com
Category         :    Local Attraction At Virginia Beach
By                   :    STEPHANIE ROSENBLOOM
Posted By      :    Hotels in Virginia Beach North Courtyard

Local Attraction At Virginia Beach

First there was vacation. Then came the “digital detox” vacation — the no-cellphones, no-Internet-allowed response to increasingly inescapable and seemingly addictive technology. Now comes the backlash (or at least the appearance of one). The first “Twitter experience hotel” (aka Sol Wave House) was introduced this summer in Majorca, Spain, where guests can ping requests to a “Twitter concierge” using hashtags like #fillmyfridge; flirt from poolside Bali beds by tweeting numbers printed atop the beds, like “How’s it going #balibed10?”; and sip cocktails while checking their smartphones for a live feed of virtual conversations bubbling up from every corner of the hotel. Meliá Hotels International, which owns more than 350 properties, including Sol Wave House, is pioneering the concept amid the still rising popularity of smartphones and social networking. The Internet is in more pockets today than ever before. In July the International Data Corp., a research group, said the worldwide smartphone market experienced 52.3 percent year-over-year growth. (In the United States, 56 percent of adults own a smartphone, up from 35 percent in 2011, according to the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project surveys.)

The number of people on social networking sites is also growing. About 1.3 billion people worldwide are now using social networks (that’s about 82 percent of the global Web population), up from about 1.2 billion last year, according to comScore. Sol Wave House was refurbished two years ago, but the Twitter theme — the “share the love” signs at the front desk, the Twitter suites and concierge — is new. “The social night-life scene is significant, so we already had a ripe environment that we were looking to augment,” said Tony Cortizas, vice president for global brand strategy of Meliá, which is based in Palma de Mallorca. The hotel itself is shaped somewhat like an amphitheater, with rooms and balconies that allow guests to peer down at public areas with pools, daybeds, wave machines and DJs. “The clientele coming in are younger,” Cortizas said.

And according to the Pew Research Center, which has been conducting one of the more thorough studies of Twitter, Internet users ages 18 to 29 in the United States are the most likely to use the network, making a Twitter theme hotel a distinct way to speak with that demographic. Cortizas said he marvels at how young people are living today. “It’s so completely normal for someone to be looking down on the street and walking into people because they’re looking at their device,” he said. “For the generations that are literally growing up that way, it’s really normal.” Sol Wave House is striving to “bring what is normal and every day for these guys and give them a sandbox to play in.” That sandbox includes a Twitter concierge that guests can instruct via tweet to “Get the Cava on ice” followed by “1 bottle, 4 glasses to the solarium,” as one visitor did last month. There are images of mustaches on mirrors in the rooms, encouraging guests to tweet goofy selfies. And on Friday afternoons at the height of the season, the concierge uses a pool party hashtag (#twitterpoolparty) to summon sun worshippers.

To create a measure of privacy, all virtual interactions take place within an internal community available only to guests through an app and the hotel’s free Wi-Fi. “In our business,” Cortizas said, “rooms are rooms and suites are suites, but in the end it’s always about what you are doing to deliver an experience to a customer. We were looking to try and do something that would differentiate us, and we were trying to do something that would be kind of fun.” The hotel bills itself as the first to create such an immersive Twitter getaway, putting it among a handful of properties that are embracing glued-to-your-smartphone experiences. At the moment, it’s still far more common for travel professionals to peddle digital detox vacations. Among the first to do so was the St. Vincent & the Grenadines Tourism Authority, which created a digital detox campaign last year to lure travelers afflicted by an “addiction to gadgets.” The tactic has mushroomed, with hotels as varied as the Westin Dublin in Ireland and the Lake Placid Lodge in New York offering digital detox packages. Some hotels, like the Quincy in Washington, offer perks like bookstore gift cards for those who lock their phones in a safe during their stay.

As if one needed further evidence of the trend, last month “digital detox” was added to the Oxford Dictionary Online. But resistance may be futile. Even spots that have been digital black holes — subways, safaris, airplanes — are adopting Wi-Fi. “There’s two sides to this story, and we’re definitely playing one side of it,” Cortizas said. “But the environment is such and the destination and the energy of the destination is such that it’s appropriate.”

Source : seattletimes.com/html/travel/2021951133_twitterhotelxml.html

Local Attraction At Virginia Beach|"The World's Most Expensive Hotel Suites"

Source              :    foxnews.com
Category         :    Local Attraction At Virginia Beach
By                   :    Christian L. Wright
Posted By      :    Hotels in Virginia Beach North Courtyard

Local Attraction At Virginia Beach

This suite with two bedrooms (mirrored ceilings in both, of course) is designed as a palace in which to indulge the lower urges—and it’s a riot. You are greeted upon entry by black-vinyl walls and an S&M table. A dark anteroom between the foyer and the master bath features a cage big enough to hold a full-grown man and a set of manacles on chains (but no way to fasten them). The living room has an inlaid carpet made of old black-leather belts.The rumor last June was that Duran Duran had recently checked in.A tiled hot tub on a terrace, and planes flying by so close that they look like toys you could pluck from the sky.This four-bedroom, six-bathroom, two–dining room suite takes up the entire sixtieth floor and is so opulent that your eyes pop out on stalks—from the mounds of dates, cookies, and petit fours to the raised green marble tub in one of the bathrooms.The suite has been occupied so little since the marble-lined private ­elevator first opened into these filthy rich rooms that there’s barely a fingerprint on the many iPads that you can use to close the sheers or summon the butler.It’s like staying in a small wing of the Smithsonian. There’s the small, wooden rocking chair given as a gift by John F. Kennedy, between the fireplace and Eisenhower’s desk. In the bedroom—modest in size and somber in décor—you can draft a speech at General MacArthur’s desk, which dates back to the years when he lived at the Waldorf with his wife. Strangely, the windows, that look out onto unremarkable midtown scenes, are not state-of-the-art bullet-proof. The suite contains four bedrooms total, each with a separate key.There are so-called presidential suites all over the globe, but this is the only one where every US president since Herbert Hoover has spent the night.

The interior looks not unlike the Oval Office, decorated in creams and golds and blues, following the presidential seal—which you’ll find on plates in the dining room’s breakfront and etched into glass on the sconces in the living room.The hyper-selective booking process. The hotel will obtain background information on new guests to ensure that he or she is "well-known" through either frequency of previous stays and/or fame, and will treat the priceless property with respect. Those who've passed muster: J. K. Rowling, whose seven-volume Harry Potter series sits alongside works by Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon; a Chinese man of means who is obsessed with US history; and special friends of the Waldorf.This duplex with a golden curving staircase has three bedrooms, each with his-and-her bathrooms, 36-foot ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, an iMac, a kitchen stocked with waters and juices, a gym with a steam room, and not so much space as acreage. The decor is exquisite and tasteful. Two full-time butlers will do everything from unpack your bags to rack up the balls on the Olhausen pool table.Popular with Chinese billionaires and Middle Eastern royalty. (A princess from Oman—with three daughters in tow—took up residence last spring for a week. All four had their hair done in the suite’s salon every day, to the tune of $220 a blowout.)

Source : foxnews.com/travel/2013/10/03/world-most-expensive-hotel-suites/

Local Attraction At Virginia Beach|"Northern Ireland Hotels Body"

Source              :    bbc.co.uk
Category         :    Local Attraction At Virginia Beach
By                   :    John Campbell
Posted By      :    Hotels in Virginia Beach North Courtyard

Local Attraction At Virginia Beach

The NIHF says the UK VAT rate of 20% puts Northern Ireland at a major disadvantage. The rate in the Republic of Ireland is just 9%. Last month the Treasury said it did not accept the case for a UK-wide VAT rate cut for restaurants and catering. A Treasury spokesman said: "A 5% reduced rate on catering services is estimated to cost around £9bn to the Exchequer." Janice Gault, NIHF chief executive, said as the matter is not devolved the executive should "make the issue a staple" in communication with the Treasury. The NIHF has launched a new report called Tourism 2020 that also calls on the Northern Ireland Executive to bring forward "an updated and more cohesive" tourism strategy.James McGinn, the NIHF president, said that while the industry had benefited from events and campaigns such as NI2012 and UK City of Culture, there needed to be "movement around the marketing of Northern Ireland".

A DETI spokeswoman said: "The tourism minister met with outgoing and incoming chairs of NIHF on Tuesday and discussed the issues raised in the Tourism 2020 document. "The minister notes that many of the points highlighted in the report fit with the overarching objectives of the Programme for Government and NI Economic Strategy and our specific commitment to grow tourism into a £1bn industry by 2020. "Our focus more recently has been on delivering the necessary tourism product, key events and global marketing campaigns to ensure that 2012 and 2013, which are crucial years for Northern Ireland tourism, are successful and bring maximum economic benefit to the local economy."

Source : bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-24372175

Local Attraction At Virginia Beach|"Israel’s Hotels Finding A New Rival"

Source              :    haaretz.com
Category         :    Local Attraction At Virginia Beach
By                   :    Rina Rozenberg
Posted By      :    Hotels in Virginia Beach North Courtyard

Local Attraction At Virginia Beach

Reuven Elkes, the CEO of Fattal, Israel’s biggest hotel chain, is looking up and down the country for new properties to develop. But while he is eyeing sites in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, his worry is less about competition from his fellow hoteliers and more about the challenge from ordinary people renting out their homes to vacationers. “I see this as a genuine threat to the hotel industry,” he says. “An unfair market is being formed here because homeowners aren’t saddled with taxes, obligations or standards like hotels are. They are in fact competing head-to-head with us hoteliers, and we at the Hotel Association will fight to change this situation.” Elkes, 44, who also serves as chairman of the Israel Hotel Association's economic committee, assumes a fiery demeanor when the subject of home rentals to tourists is broached. In recent years Israeli hotels have been forced to contend with added competition for tourist dollars. as the practice of renting private homes to tourists has become widespread with the help of websites like airbnb.com, where the volume of reservations has risen 400% in the past year.

The number of Israeli homes registered on the AirBnB website alone, through which 80,000 overnight stays were booked in 2012, jumped from 3,000 in August 2012 to 7,000 in August of this year. Other popular vacation websites like booking.com also offer homes for short stays. With a 7% decline in the number of overnight stays by tourists in hotels in the first half of 2013 from a year earlier, it is apparent that the hotels are losing a significant portion of their clientele.Elkes: "At the association we are using all the means at our disposal and will do everything we can to put this issue at the top of the agenda. We are raising the problem with municipal authorities, the tax authority and the regulators and we trust that they'll act accordingly. It's the government that needs to stand the test, not us. I must say I'm optimistic, but it takes time.""It's hard to estimate the damage, but there's no doubt this has helped bring down the number of overnight stays by tourists. A living and breathing alternative has been born within the same marketing channels as hotels, and it isn't a coincidence that they've fought it in New York. A civilized country needs to fight for properly organized tourism. Heaven forbid if a disaster occur tomorrow in some makeshift apartment, harming the entire tourism industry – making us look like a two-bit country."

This week, however, the New York City Environmental Control Board overturned a fine that had been levied on a Manhattan apartment owner who had rented out his home using AirBnB. But the reversal was only on a technicality: The man’s roommate had been home during the time that he had rented out the apartment and New York’s illegal hotels law is still on the books. "We looked for a local authority that would go along with us on a trial model of charging taxes according to tourist tax as done abroad, and according to hotel occupancy. That's how it should be done. We need to move forward and not remain captive to outmoded paradigms. We approached the Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Eilat municipalities and still haven't found a partner. We are very hopeful that Netanya will go along with us. Our goal is to slightly lower the burden on hotels and place it on the tourist. The localities won’t be hurt, and in good years they will receive more money and more tourists – generating more income for local businesses. For tourists the sums are trivial." The Dan hotel chain netted NIS 138 million in earnings last year while the Isrotel chain finished the year with profits amounting to NIS 75 million. Elkes is only ready to state that Fattal's profit level is among the top in the industry."When you look at profitability on reports it doesn't attest to the net return on assets. The return on hotels is low. If someone builds a new hotel today it can reach a 6% to 6.5% return even if it's very successful, without taking into consideration the difficult years. And there are always difficult years in Israel's tourist industry."In the meantime, Fattal is expanding apace. In two months’ time, the doors will open to the 30th hotel in the Fattal chain - and the first addition to the chain since Elkes took over as CEO a year and a half ago.

Ashkelon’s 131-room Shirat Hayam Hotel, which is owned by real estate magnate Benny Baron, will be managed by Fattal under its Leonardo marquee. What most attracted Fattal is the hotel’s location on the Mediterranean shoreline, says Elkes, like those of Herods in Herzliya and another hotel in Netanya slated to open within two years under the chain’s management. Another 60-room, NIS 40 million hotel owned by Fattal is scheduled to open in a year and a half on the Sea of Galilee. Fattal is also exploring the possibility of developing a hotel in Jerusalem and a 100-room boutique hotel in Tel Aviv in addition to its hotel in the city’s bustling Ramat Hahayal business district. “There are several deals we’re considering in Tel Aviv and I believe the chain will soon expand there,” says Elkes. “The proposals are for converting office buildings into hotels in light of Tel Aviv’s office space glut.” Elkes was CEO of the Rimonim group of 10 hotels, principally owned by Israel Land Development Company, when he was tapped by David Fattal to take over as head of the chain, which has 8,000 employees, after Rafi Sade resigned. “ILDC has various holdings and is less attentive to the hotel business, so it goes without saying that the ability to develop the company in this field is limited,” says Elkes. “In contrast, Fattal is strictly hotel-related, which makes a huge difference.”

Source:haaretz.com/travel-in-israel/travel-news/.premium-1.549992

Local Attraction At Virginia Beach|"The Ultimate Hotel Horror"

Source              :    theguardian.com
Category         :    Local Attraction At Virginia Beach
By                   :    osundefender
Posted By      :    Hotels in Virginia Beach North Courtyard

Local Attraction At Virginia Beach

Think of it as the drip-drip effect of interior design. What started as a trend for freestanding roll-top baths in hotel bedrooms, all louche and decadent, has now morphed into a trend for whole hotel bathrooms that are open plan, or have glass walls. Not only do they allow your travelling companion to witness your ablutions but, in some cases, they give a view to lucky passers-by outside. Worryingly, as a recent piece on Slate noted: "Like many hotel trends, the open-plan bathroom layout has spread to the home."

The first time I came across this phenomenon was at a hotel in Austria with design pretensions. I could just about deal with the idea that the bath and basin had glass walls opening on to the room, but the separate loo also had a door made from glass – frosted, at least, but not (if you will excuse the phrase) flush to the frame – so there was a gap of around a centimetre all the way around it. I couldn't risk this in the presence of my beloved, a man from whom I have no secrets apart from the one where I have led him to believe my digestive biology is different from every other human's and I produce only cute, inoffensive pellets (a bit like an owl), and so I had to use the loos in the communal areas. Judging by the queues, I wasn't the only one who had a problem with the in-room version.

Other hotels don't even bother with the frosting – in some rooms at the Renaissance Beijing Capital Hotel the lavatory is on show behind its clear glass walls. One suite at The Standard hotel in New York has an open-plan bathroom, right next to the bed, enclosed by floor-to-ceiling exterior glass walls (its public loos became famous for allowing people from the street a view). A huge number of luxury hotels have taken up the trend for glass walls, although some, such as the Ecclestone Square Hotel, which prides itself on being "London's most high-tech", will turn opaque at the touch of a button.

Juliet Kinsman, editor-in-chief of the boutique hotel specialists Mr & Mrs Smith, remembers her bathroom at the Hotel on Rivington in New York, which had a outside-facing glass wall: "I could see a guy standing in a building looking at me having a shower." For some hotels, an exhibitionist-friendly bathroom is a design statement; for others, she says: "It has a lot to do with the issues of converting properties that weren't traditionally hotels and adapting spaces to have a big, open-plan feel." "Some people might find it extra thrilling," says Kinsman but many won't. "Quite often, when people who go away to fabulous chic hotels together for a weekend away they haven't been together for that long." Where will it end if some hotels already have loos on view – will that ever become standard? Kinsman thinks not. "Well you're asking an arbiter of sexy hotels, and will it ever be sexy to watch someone go to the loo? I hope that will remain very niche."

Source : theguardian.com/travel/shortcuts/2013/sep/26/open-plan-bathroom-hotel-toilet

Local Attraction At Virginia Beach|"Fashola Unveils West Africa’s Tallest Hotel"

Source              :    osundefender.org
Category         :    Local Attraction At Virginia Beach
By                   :    osundefender
Posted By      :    Hotels in Virginia Beach North Courtyard

Local Attraction At Virginia Beach

The hotel located at Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria is a 23-storey building containing 358 rooms and 37 suites and a Presidential suite. The Intercontinental Lagos, a subsidiary of the Intercontinental Hotel Group, IHG, is owned by the Milan Group. Unveiling the 5-star hotel, Fashola said the edifice would surely boost the hospitality and tourism industry in the state, while urging other entrepreneurs to look inward and invest their money in hotels and public utilities such as roads. According to him, the unveiling of the hotel represented the increasing brands of hotels making Nigeria their choice destinations, saying that the tourism industry would be boosted by the new edifice.

“The tourism business is the major sector that creates jobs but sadly, this sector faces lots of challenges across the continent. The Lagos State Government is committed to providing the enabling environment,” he said. Fashola harped on collection of consumption tax and urged hotels and other in the hospitality business to help the government to collect the tax for developmental purpose. “Consumption taxes are not levied on hotels but on consumers. The role of hotel is to collect the tax and give it to us. It is by collecting this taxes that you empower us to provide schools, public utilities and others,” he stated. Chairman, Milan Group, Ramesh Valechha said the hotel would change the landscape of Lagos and boost the hospitality industry in the state. He disclosed that Memorandum of Understanding for the project was signed on 31 March, 2004 while it took two years to complete the design work before the conceptualisation of the project began. He stated that the Lagos State Government, Skye Bank and Wema Bank were supportive of the project.

Valechha disclosed the building of the hotel cost over N30 billion while 650 jobs were created for Nigerians.

Regional General Manager, IHG, Africa, Karl Hala said the hotel is the leading hotel in Nigeria, saying the group had 170 Intercontinental Hotels in 60 countries of the world. He described the unveiling of the hotel in Lagos as a significant milestone in the hospitality industry, adding that the group also had 20 Intercontinental Hotels in Africa and that the hotel was the only 5-star hotel in Nigeria. Chief Executive Officer, Design Group, Bayo Odunlami said it took lots of challenging moment in the design and conceptualization of the project, saying he was happy that the group overcame the hurdles.

Source : osundefender.org/?p=124067

Local Attraction At Virginia Beach|"Boston Hotel Nixes Drinks Named for Mayor Hopefuls"

Source              :    abcnews.go.com
Category         :    Local Attraction At Virginia Beach
By                   :    BOSTON 
Posted By      :    Hotels in Virginia Beach North Courtyard

Local Attraction At Virginia Beach

There was only one problem with a Boston hotel's plan to offer alcoholic drinks named after two city mayoral candidates: one of them is a recovering alcoholic. Officials at the Loews Boston Hotel canceled the promotion after being questioned recently by a Boston Herald reporter. The hotel had planned to sell $8 drinks named after Democratic mayoral candidates John R. Connolly and Martin J. Walsh, and offer $4 nonalcoholic alternatives to them, in its bar, Cuffs. Walsh, a state representative, has openly discussed his past troubles with alcohol during his campaign.

Loews Boston had planned to keep a tab on sales of the drinks — dubbed the J.R. Connelly and M.J. Walsh — as an unofficial, pre-election indicator of who was winning the race, the Herald reported Sunday ( http://bit.ly/19Oudnn ). "Loews Boston Hotel acknowledges the insensitivity of this recent promotion and have canceled it effective immediately," the hotel said in a statement after being questioned by the reporter. Walsh's campaign declined to comment. Walsh and Connolly, a city councilor and former teacher, were the top vote-getters in a recent preliminary election before the Nov. 5 general election. Boston Mayor Thomas Menino is stepping down in January after 20 years in office.

Source : abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/boston-hotel-nixes-drinks-named-mayor-hopefuls-20412927

Local Attraction At Virginia Beach|"Legends Walk"

Source            :   http://www.virginiabeach.com/
Category        :   Local Attraction At Virginia Beach
By                 :   virginiabeach
Posted By     :    Hotels in Virginia Beach North Courtyard

Local Attraction At Virginia Beach

Virginia Beach is a fantastic place to live and a great spot to take a vacation. There is always something to do, whether it is enjoying the waves, eating at the fine restaurants or shopping. For history buffs who think they have seen it all, a can’t-miss attraction that is often overlooked is the Virginia Beach Legends Walk.

The Virginia Beach Legends Walk is located near the oceanfront at 13th Street Park, sandwiched between the Pacific and Atlantic Avenues. The entrance is easy to spot thanks to a nice stone archway. This area is easy to access by walking and there are many other pedestrian-friendly areas to visit in the surrounding vicinity. The walk is a free experience and a lovely one at that. On a nice day you can enjoy the paved walkway and beautiful landscaping that the area has to offer. Who doesn’t enjoy a good stroll?

The walk is basically a self-guided tour in an area dedicated to great Virginians from the past, as well as present, that have in one way or another made a big impact on our country. These legendary Virginians were either born in the state or took up residency long enough to earn them an honorary title of a true Virginian.


Some of the famous names honored in the Virginia Beach legends walk include the dark poet and writer Edgar Allen Poe, the first President George Washington, and Patsy Cline the country music queen herself. Other important honorees include Pocahontas, Chief Powhatan and Captain John Smith, just to name a few.

The walk is sponsored by different corporations who currently have plans to expand it all the way out to the oceanfront boardwalk. Expansion will make room for even more inductees. Inductees can be nominated by anyone, but are officially chosen by various judges such as the heads of various historical societies, the Presidents of colleges, and the heads of public libraries, as well as other outstanding figures in the communities of Virginia. There is an annual event to announce the newest additions to the Legends Walk.

If you are a local then come brush up on your heritage. If you are visiting the Virginia Beach area then make sure you take a stroll through the Legends Walk. You are sure to learn things you never knew about all the contributions made by native and honorary Virginians! It’s a great experience for the whole family.

Local Attraction At Virginia Beach|"Las Vegas Is Title Town"

Source          :  http://www.casinocitytimes.com
Category      :  Local Attraction At Virginia Beach
By                :  Alan Snel
Posted By    :  Hotels in Virginia Beach North Courtyard

Local Attraction At Virginia Beach

Las Vegas may not see a World Series or an NBA Finals soon, but the city known worldwide for its events does host a stunning number of championships for a slew of niche sports that make Vegas America's ultimate Titletown USA.The secondary sports run the gamut from motorcycle racing, table tennis, senior softball, bowling and triathalons to rodeos, paintball, outdoor paddleball, equestrian and monster trucks.Even the World Series of Beer Pong inaugurated the New Year in Las Vegas with a $50,000 grand prize. (Imagine, a three-day Beer Pong event pass was a mere $50.) FedEx is shipping horses from Saudia Arabia to Las Vegas for the Arabian Breeders World Cup in April. And the world's premier curlers are slated to descend on Las Vegas for a unique title event that pits North America's best curlers against the best from the rest of the world in January 2014.Las Vegas' own version of the Wide World of Sports Titles is an economic driver that includes events ranging from the World Paintball Championship, which generates $2 million for the local economy, to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, which generated $60 million in local spending in 2011. The numbers for the 2012 NFR event are still being crunched."The city struggles to support a daily routine team, but as far as championship events, this city is the place to be," said Mike Newcomb, executive director of the Thomas & Mack Center, which hosts championship events from rodeos to motorcycle races. "Tell me what championship doesn't want to be here."

Feld Motor Sports returns year after year to stage the Monster Jam World Finals, the Monster Energy Supercross Finals and the Monster Energy Cup. In 2012, the three title events attracted more than 65,000 out-of-town visitors, with each averaging more than $1,600 in spending during their stay, said Mark Abernethy, senior director of brand marketing for Aurora, Ill.-based Feld Motor Sports, which stages the monster truck and motorcycle championships in Las Vegas."It's a great season-ending destination. People who buy these tickets enjoy going to Las Vegas," Abernethy said. "It's a live-event town."Hardly a week passes without some sports governing body staging a championship event in Las Vegas.In December, the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo sold out the Thomas & Mack Center daily for 10 days, and even drew 186,100 fans to the related Cowboy FanFest and the Cowboy Christmas Gift Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center.The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is still processing economic impact numbers for the 2012 NFR, which concluded Dec. 15. But in 2011, 45,000 out-of-town visitors came for the Super Bowl of rodeos and generated $60.1 million in spending, said Dawn Christensen, an authority spokeswoman.Besides the Colorado Springs, Colo.-based Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association staging its NFR event in Las Vegas, the Professional Bull Riders also has its World Finals headliner at Thomas & Mack every year."The majority of people who are attending these sports events are coming to town for that championship," said Pat Christenson, president of Las Vegas Events. "This is a championship city, both from a participatory standpoint and from the fans standpoint."Thomas & Mack was booked 10 days for the NFR, five days for the bull-riding championship, a day for the motorcycle supercross event and five days for the Mountain West college basketball championship tournament in March, Newcomb said.While Las Vegas has never hosted a college basketball Final Four event, three other college basketball conferences besides the Mountain West are staging their title tourneys in Vegas during a two-week stretch in March - the Pac 12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and the West Coast Conference and Western Athletic Conference at the Orleans Arena.

Only three days after the country's premier cowboys rode their final horse at the NFR on Dec. 15, the nation's best pingpong players came with their paddles to Las Vegas for the 2012 National Table Tennis Championships at the Las Vegas Convention Center Dec. 18-22. USA Table Tennis attracted 788 competitors, up from 560 for the 2011 championship staged in Virginia Beach, Va., USA Table Tennis CEO Michael Cavanaugh said. They ranged from youngsters to oldsters and Olympians.

Sports economists say it's hard to determine the net impact of sports events because many venues and events are subsidized by public money and taxes. The convention authority didn't offer economic impact numbers on many of the niche sports championship events, but reported that, in general, there were 330,000 sports-related visitors who spent $400 million in the 12 months ended in October.The money spent in connection with the championships transcends the specific events. For example, Abernethy said there are golf tournaments, pool parties and awards ceremonies that accompany the monster truck and motocross events that fill Sam Boyd Stadium.In most cases, championship events forge alliances with hotels. The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, which stages the National Finals Rodeo, cut a deal with the MGM Grand for the hotel to be an official ProRodeo partner. The 3 Wall Ball Championships has a partnership with the Stratosphere, which provides the championship venue in a parking lot across the street from the hotel tower. The host hotel for the U.S. National Table Tennis Championships is the Las Vegas Hotel, which is next door to the table tennis title venue.

Feld Motor Sports uses Hard Rock Hotel for its motorcycle and monster truck championship events. In 2012, the Monster Jam brought 28,000 out-of-towners, the Monster Energy drew 26,000, and the Monster Energy Cup attracted 12,000, Abernethy said. The three Feld motor sports events drew fans from 15 countries, as well as from all U.S. states and Canadian provinces.The Monster Jam, an annual championship staple at Sam Boyd Stadium, has grown so big that the oversized-truck event could attract a crowd that's twice as big as the number of fans who fill the Sam Boyd venue, Abernethy said."We have talked to people in Las Vegas about stadium plans and we can go to much bigger stadiums," he said. "Therein lies a big challenge for us as far as moving forward."The September and October period is popular for championships in Las Vegas as organizers for sports as diverse as triathlons, paintball and senior softball all have their world titles on the line.

The Ironman World Championship 70.3 is slated for September in the Henderson area. About 2,500 triathletes, including the world's elite, are scheduled to spend three to five days with their families and help contribute $5 million in spending to the local economy in connection with the event, said Steve Meckfessel, managing director of global operations for Tarpon Springs, Fla.-based Ironman.The geographic location is ideal because the hilly terrain in the Lake Mead area will help break up the groups of bicyclists that were bunched together on the flat terrain of Clearwater, Fla., the event's previous home. There are also many convenient and direct flights to Las Vegas from Australia, Asia, Europe and points across the U.S., Meckfessel said.September is also circled by Senior Softball USA, which is staging its Senior World Masters title championship in Las Vegas from Sept. 27-Oct. 6. Terry Hennessy, the Sacramento, Calif.-based senior softball organization's CEO, expects as many as 500 teams with an average of 15 players per team. That's 7,500 softball players - plus another 7,500 spectators.

Local Attraction At Virginia Beach|"The Beach Report"

Source :http://travelogged.com
Category :Local Attraction At Virginia Beach
By :travelogged
Posted By:Hotels in Virginia Beach North Courtyard

virginia beach

Are you as excited as I am?! Yesterday, I was given the opportunity to check out the newest Dave & Buster’s location (not once, but twice!), right here in Virginia Beach. What is Dave & Buster’s you ask? Restaurant, Sports Bar, Arcade, FUN – all wrapped into one!

Walking in from the outside (there’s an entrance from inside the mall too), I was already amped for how much fun I was going to have, but immediately blown away by how cool this space has transformed. I remember when a furniture store once occupied this place, and now it’s Dave & Buster’s and I know that they are NOT going anywhere!

Dave & Buster’s has a large menu with a wide variety of options. Whether you’ve got a sweet tooth, health conscious, just feel like snacking or in need of a kids plate, D&B has got you covered. I got to sample quite a bit, including the Mango Citrus Shrimp Skewers, Baked Chicken & Shrimp Alfredo, Fire Grilled Salmon and Legendary Goldfingers that I dipped in the chipotle honey sauce. Let me tell you, they were bomb! (That means delicious! Lol) I definitely had to go back for a second helping.

D&B also offers their “Eat, Play, Win” combo. For a reasonable price, you can choose certain entrées and get a $10 Power Card with 100 tickets already loaded onto the card. So basically you’ve already won, before you even started eating!

Someone once said, “Food brings the smiles, while drinks bring the laughter.” Or maybe I have that totally wrong and made it up myself. (LOL!) This Dave & Buster’s has a fully loaded bar, with a drink menu even the kids will enjoy. Complete with both spirited and non-spirited beverages, you can order up a refreshing Summer Cocktail like the “Strawberry Watermelon Summerita,” or one of their Signature drinks like the “Walk the Plank.” They all looked so colorful and tasty, sure to quench your thirst on these hot summer days.

The best part of Dave & Buster’s! Kids and adults alike can have fun with these arcade style games. Whether you’re into racing, skeeball, or just in it to win it, D&B has all types of games to pick from, sure to entertain kids of all ages. Even better, many of the games allow up to 4 players, like Pac Man Battle Royale (which I won!), so you can challenge and play against your family and friends. A little healthy competition never hurt anyone, right?

As a promo, $20 Power Cards were given out to guests so they can experience all D&B has to offer. A Power Card is used to play the games and a $20 Power Card has 100 chips. Instead of carrying around tokens, you simply swipe the card to play. Each game has a “price” of how many chips it costs to play, and once you swipe, your remaining balance pops so you know how much is left. With varying chip prices per game, you can still find something to play, even if you’re running low. However if you are running low, all you need to do is recharge! With recharging kiosks that are ready and easy to use, it is so simple to keep the fun rolling.

Many of the games spew out tickets when you have won. These tickets can be redeemed at “The Winner’s Circle” for lots of cool prizes! From t-shirts, to stuffed animals, and even iPads, it is so hard to choose. Luckily, you can save up your tickets for something you really want! I think I left with over 4,800 tickets loaded onto my card. I am a big kid at heart!

Now let me tell you a little something about me, I LOVE to watch sports! I definitely think that the Dave & Buster’s Sports Bar is the ideal place to catch a game. With a wall of TVs including three 130-inch HD projection screens, I could see the game from way across the room! There are HD TVs all over the place, ensuring you won’t miss your favorite team play. And when your team scores, you could get a crack at the “Watch, Spin & Win” wheel for a chance to win a prize for yourself, your table or the whole Sports Bar area! See, everybody wins!

Located at Lynnhaven Mall between Macy’s and Dick’s Sporting Goods, it is the 62nd store in the chain and only the second to open in Virginia. And with more than 40,000 square feet, this particular Dave & Buster’s also has function rooms that can accommodate your next private party. Suitable for birthday parties, corporate functions and the like, D&B can cater to your needs.

Dave & Buster’s Virginia Beach officially opens tomorrow, July 20.  Be sure to stop in and experience the fun for yourself! Even the Virginia Game Guy will be there challenging folks to some games and giving away a bunch of prizes! And get ahead of the game – download and print a “Free $10 Game Play with Purchase of $10 Game Play” coupon. That’s $10 for 100 chips on your Power Card, ready and waiting to be spent!

Local Attraction At Virginia Beach | "Three Prominent Attractions in Virginia Beach"

Source      :   http://cada.rozeny.info
Category   :  Local Attraction At Virginia Beach
By             :  Cada
Posted By  :  Hotels in Virginia Beach North Courtyard

Virginia Beach is a place full of marvelous attractions,104, awesome landscapes,103, blue skies and activities that will imprint deep in your memories. Virginia Beach has always been a great tourist destination and a major attraction for the tourists of all over the world. This place offers you everything right from mesmerizing natural scenic beauty to pristine beaches,111, alluring shopping experience to a great variety in dinning as it offers some marvelous seaside restaurants.

Local Attraction

It is obvious that as the Virginia is a beach destination,109, the vacations are generally concentrated around the beach and oceanfront boardwalk. The city of Virginia Beach has grabbed the position of being one of the most sought after tourist destinations and summer resort of the state. Entire city is full packed with vibrant coffee shops,110, restaurants and bars. The city is also famous for having the longest pleasure beach in the world. Apart from impressive beaches that are the major attractions for the people, one could find some other stunning attractions in form of Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge,104, Virginia Marine Science Museum,107, First Landing Cross,106, Ocean Breeze Waterpark and many other prominent attractions.

Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge is one of the most exciting places in the city of Virginia. This marvelous wildlife refuge covers an area of about nine thousand acres situated amidst the coastline of barrier islands of Atlantic and Gulf coasts. This is an ideal shelter for thousands of permanent and migratory birds. Around ten thousand snow geese and ducks visit the site every year during fall usually during the month of December. This place is also an ideal hide out for a variety of endangered species of wild creatures such as piping plovers,114, peregrine falcons,108, loggerhead sea turtles and bald eagles.

Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center is the largest aquarium in the state with more than seventy thousand gallons of water in two buildings creating separate aquarium and natural habitat for living animals,114. The museum also arranges ocean excursion for those who are interested in catching the glimpses of whales or dolphins,112. One can also go for a cheap boat tour arranged by the museum itself,108.

There is also a separate habitat created for sharks and turtles,107, where visitors can see these oceanic creatures closely and learn about social habitats. The museum also offers a 3-D IMAX theater that is able to accommodate around three hundred spectators at a time. This is the best way of capturing the larger than life version of these sea creatures. The Virginia Marine Science Museum is a perfect place for a family outing in the city.

First Landing State Park is another must visit and quite interesting site for camping or picnicking. It was also a very prominent site as Europeans landed here for the very first time. The state park covers around thirty kilometers of area offering excellent opportunities for hiking,113, cycling and jogging. The park also exhibits Chesapeake Bay Center that is a great place for gathering information about the area. This park is also designated as a National Natural Landmark for its excellent habitat.