So, I’m lying on a fluffy white duvet and surfing the flat-screen TV embedded in my hotel room wall. I’ve just finished a meal of Milanese risotto flavored with saffron, washed down with a glass of chilled pinot grigio. Through the window, I can see the twinkling lights of what claims to be the oldest continually inhabited city in the world, giving way to the darkness of the plains of northern Iraq. That’s right. I’m in Iraq. In a five-star hotel. With Italian wine and Italian food, cooked by a real Italian chef. There are buckets of iced champagne sitting on the bar downstairs, and a Bulgarian pianist is playing classical music in the marbled lobby. It’s just too un-Iraq to be true — and in some ways it’s not true. Read full article > >

Here is the original post:
Kurdistan: the other Iraq

Lawyers for IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn argued at his arraignment that the hotel worker who has accused him of a sexual attack consented to the encounter. “The evidence, we believe, will not be consistent with a forcible encounter,” said one…

See the original post:
IMF Chief Claims Consent

COLUMBIA, S.C. Jon Huntsman Jr. was leaving for dinner here early Friday evening when he was greeted on the front porch of his hotel by another guest. “I’m looking forward to supporting you,” the guest said, “but I haven’t heard you yet.” The remark summed up the anticipation — and the absence of information — that surrounds the former governor of Utah. For the past two years, he was the U.S. ambassador to China, appointed by President Obama. By June, he is likely to be running for the Republican presidential nomination with the goal of unseating the man who sent him to Beijing. Read full article > >

See the article here:
Jon Huntsman, former ambassador to China, tests a 2012 presidential candidacy

Fans of Justin Bieber force the closure of a Liverpool road after they gather outside his hotel ahead of a concert.

Read more from the original source:
Justin Bieber fans shut city road

An eco-luxurious getaway hidden along Mexico’s Pacific coast If you’re after a secluded, otherworldly experience on your next vacation, look no further than Verana , an intimate boutique hotel on Mexico’s Pacific coast. Tucked in a remote hillside jungle just thirty miles south of Puerto Vallarta and accessible only by boat, Verana boasts indulgently private accommodations, a blend of old-world and modern designs and a philosophy of simple luxuries—all set against a backdrop of stunning water and mountain views. The enchantment begins upon arrival, when guests disembark onto the hotel’s small, private pier. A few stone steps lead to the full-service jungle spa, which offers aqua-therapy, scrubs, massages and the like, many of which incorporate locally grown plants. Next to the spa, the first of the hotel’s two restaurants provides lunchtime service overlooking the bay, a perfect spot to enjoy the sights (on a recent visit, I saw a whale nursing her calf in the water below), while enjoying a stellar chef’s menu, updated daily. (A weekday menu might include fresh-baked bread with roasted smoked eggplant puree, guajillo chile-encrusted octopus, and caramelized pineapple with fresh strawberries and yogurt citrus sorbet.) From there, it’s a 15-minute hike through the jungle, up winding stone steps to the hotel proper. Along the way, guests pass by a dramatic, eight-foot-tall urn, as well as rustic busts made in the likeness of Verana’s owners. (Meanwhile, mules stand-in for bell-boys.) Beautifully simple, the nine individually-designed villas dotting the hillside combine the traditional architecture with modern design, also marrying the indoors with the outdoors. The hotel’s lush natural surroundings inspired the overall color palette, and its decor (all of which had to be brought uphill by man or mule) mixes streamlined, contemporary pieces with artisan-made furniture and Mexican handicrafts, carefully selected by owners, former movie set builder Heinz Legler and set decorator Veronique Lievre. The couple originally began construction on Verana intending it to be their dream house—even sleeping in a tent the first year during construction—but soon realized they wanted to share the beauty of this locale with others in an intimate hotel setting. Describing the remote estate, Lievre says, “Verana is really about the outside setting with the option to go inside.” Guests can choose from open, tranquil palapas with traditional thatched roofs, few to zero walls and rock floors, or more modern, enclosed rooms with dramatic walls of steel-framed windows overlooking the bay. The hotel’s second restaurant and spa location blend in up here as well, where guests meet nightly for a casual cocktail hour at the outdoor bar, enjoying contemporary designs and stellar service, followed by impeccable dinners—yes, once again, overlooking the bay. (Taco Tuesdays are particular standouts at Verana, with a salsa offerings fit for the spice novice or the fiery masochist.) If you somehow tire of lounging by the spring water pool while taking in 180-degree views of the mountains and ocean on your personal terrace, or have had enough of all those pesky, relaxing spa treatments, Verana also offers private and group yoga classes, kayaking, whale and bird watching excursions, an outdoor couples starlit bath (as good as it sounds, lit only by the heavens and candlelight) and the like. The nearby town of Yelapa is just a twenty minute hike away, with a long, lovely beach and a local celebrity of sorts—”the cake lady” who walks up and down the beach carrying delicious cakes and pies on her head for sale. Plan accordingly though, the trail between Yelapa and Verana is impassible when the tide is in. For those looking for the perfect getaway, Verana’s rooms for two include three daily meals, taxes and boat transportation. Verana is open to the public 1 November-31 July each year, rack rates start at $380 a night. To reserve, contact Verana.

Continue reading here:
Verana

“Down! Down!” the man at my hotel room door said. It was 4:30 a.m. Monday in Ras Lanuf, and I had hoped to get a decent night’s sleep for the first time in weeks. Yet again, my hopes were dashed.

See the article here:
A wake-up call in Libya’s Ras Lanuf

The “behind the scenes” aesthetic of the Mondrian SoHo’s Mister H lounge reveals a hot spot for locally-sourced design In sharp contrast to the Mondrian SoHo ‘s pronounced “La Belle et la B

A Somerset school teacher is banned from teaching for buying pupils alcohol and letting a boy sleep in her hotel room during a school trip.

View original post here:
School trip drinks teacher banned

The BBC’s Alex Belfield, who is on holiday in Sharm el-Sheik, says he returned from dinner on Saturday to find his hotel barricaded and the mood of the Red Sea resort dramatically changed.

See original here:
Sharm el-Sheik: Barricaded in hotel

The BBC’s Alex Bellfield, who is on holiday in Sharm el-Sheik, says he returned from dinner this evening to find his hotel barricaded and the mood of the Red Sea resort dramatically changed.

Read more:
‘Security lockdown’ at Red Sea hotel

A Mexican getaway offering peace on the Pacific Down a winding mountain road, about five minutes outside the center of Zihuatanejo on Playa la Ropa, lies the The Tides hotel. A Viceroy property that underwent a major re-branding in 2006, it’s a slice of paradise on the west coast of Mexico, located about 150 miles north of Acapulco and conveniently 15 minutes from the Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo airport. The staff at The Tides greeted me by name upon arrival, escorting me past check-in to a beach-front suite with a private infinity pool, an outdoor seating area lined with sofas, a huge outdoor bed, and a view of the entire bay of Zihua (as the locals call it or just Z, because it’s not any easier to say it in Spanish). From there you might even be able to watch an endangered turtle crawl up the beach and lay her eggs in the guarded area the hotel’s set aside to protect the eggs until they hatch. After getting situated, I was given a tour of the property by my very gracious host, Elia Alcazar. There are three pools, two restaurants (one Mediterranean, the other Mexican/Pacific), a spa, a gym, and the beautifully cozy Coral Bar where you have your choice of 110 tequilas. The bar offers tequila tastings and a two-for-one happy hour as part of the hotel activities—in case you aren’t the sporting type who wants to take part in the wind sailing or other water sports on offer. For food-oriented visitors, there are cooking lessons or a trip to the local markets with the chef, private dinner on the lagoon island, dinner in the wine cave (they feature almost 1300 new-world labels), and lunch or dinner on the beach. I asked Elia about yoga on the tour, and when I got back to the room after a swim there was a basket complete with a yoga mat, blocks, towels and extra water—the beginning of what would be four days of impeccable service, where the word “no” is rarely uttered. When I asked about the hours for the gift shop, I was told it opens at 10am but they would open it for me at any time. Service doesn’t end at the beach either. Raise one of the orange flags next to the beach chairs and someone appears almost instantly—a convenient feature since I spent almost every minute I was there on a beach chair, head supported by a Tides neck pillow (similar to what some people use on a flight), reading my Kindle. Before I left, I asked to see some of the other rooms. The architecture, with thick adobe-inspired walls and staircases painted white in most of the interiors, is somewhat Flintstones-meet-Jetsons. Rooms boast flatscreen televisions, iHome iPod docks and WiFi, along with all the other luxuries you would expect. After the beach suites, my favorite rooms were the more modern lagoon suites. A stay in the Presidential Suite (like Britney Spears did a couple years ago) comes with a butler service they call VIP Mayordomo for pre/during/post stay planning and assistance. Apart from beach cushions that required doubling-up and breakfast-stealing birds, it was nothing short of a small piece of paradise. Rack rates start at $355 depending on season and size. Reservations can be made online through The Tides website.

Excerpt from:
The Tides Zihuatanejo

Former Haitian leader Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier is questioned by officials and later led out of his hotel by police.

Read more:
Haiti officials question Duvalier

Maybe that homecoming wasn’t such a good idea after all: Haitian police have taken Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier into custody. He was seen being led by police out of his hotel. Earlier, police said that he was wanted for questioning and “will remain…

Read this article:
Haitian Police Arrest Baby Doc

The prestigious Hotel de Crillon in the heart of Paris is sold to a Saudi royal, reportedly for around 250m euros.

See original here:
Saudis buy landmark Paris hotel

I know there are some of you out there who can’t get enough of this subject. If you happen to  be near the Ritz-Carlton Hotel on 22nd St, N.W., in Washington tomorrow at 9 a.m., you can come hear me and some actual worthies discuss this subject at a panel sponsored by the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. Info on the conference can be found here. (I’m sure if you just slip the guy at the door top-secret documents related to Iran’s missile program, he’ll let you in.) My panel includes General Yaacov Amidror, Admiral Ken Pollack, and Private First Class Reuel Gerecht. Our panel is scheduled to be followed by Gary Samore, the Obama Administration’s top non-proliferation expert.

More here:
Continuing the ‘Will Israel Bomb Iran?’ Discussion