December | 2013 | Hotels and destinations

Discovering the city of Medellin

By Luke Durden in Destination December 24, 2013

Unknown to many, Medellin is a Colombian city of friendly and warm people where to find numerous events, rich cuisine and a pleasant weather all year round. Hotels in Medellin are waiting for you!

Located in a mountain valley, this quiet town has a growing interest especially in the historic centre, where you can visit the Metropolitan Cathedral, Bolivar Park, the Berrio Park, the Cathedral… Medellin is a perfect plan for an escapade.

Panoramic view of Medellin

But, besides the historical centre, the diversity of environments is one of the highlights of Medellin. In North Carobobo you can enjoy the nature, art and the knowledge of its university, while in the Barrio Prado neighbourhood you can admire an outstanding example of local architecture with houses of different styles and streets and gardens with a noble style, such as the Casa del Teatro or Tres patios.

On the other hand, the Managing and Business Area hosts the headquarters of the municipal and departmental governments, public companies, the Plaza Mayor… it is an essential location for all business travellers.

El Poblado is the equivalent of the Golden Mile of Medellin, with luxury shops, restaurants, nightlife and the long Avenue of El Poblado, ideal for a walk. It is a unique neighbourhood for leisure activities. The Lleras Park is ideal for tourists and young people, the La 10 for shopping; Via Primavera and Provenza for exclusive shops, the main park of El Poblado to relax from the hustle and the street of La Buena Mesa to experience the diversity of cuisines and restaurants in Medellin.

Staying at a hotel like The Charlee in Medellin you will discover all this and much more.

A destination guide: What to see in Ibiza?

By Luke Durden in Uncategorized December 12, 2013

What to see in Ibiza? What are the places you must visit in this Mediterranean island, those places that one should not miss? As with many places, choosing a top 5 of the most beautiful places in Ibiza is very complicated, as every traveller is different and each trip also: you will not find the same Ibiza if you travel with friends at age 20, with children at 30 or with your couple at 50… But, it is true that if one stops to think and analyse it, there are a number of places that should not be missed on a holiday in Ibiza.

Hotel in Cala Portinatx

1.Dalt Vila

The old town of the city of Ibiza, also called Vila. Its walls and cathedral stand out, both part of a historical set with a renaissance style (XVI century), which has been declared, since 1999, a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Another of its most striking landmarks, is the castle that overlooks the city and the port of Ibiza. Strolling through the streets, admiring the view from this area is always a good plan.

2. Calle Barcelona

The liveliest area of Ibiza after sunset. Very close to the port of Ibiza and full of bars, terraces, restaurants, Chill Outs, pubs and the best atmosphere on the island, to enjoy your first drink before heading back to the hotel or to start off the evening. Here, it is easy to buy discount tickets for evening shows to the most important night clubs in Ibiza and be surprised by the parades of professional go-go dancers on the street.

3. Café del Mar

Although there are many Chill Out bars in Ibiza, Cafe del Mar has become a true symbol of the most modern and eclectic island in the Mediterranean. Located on Lepanto Street, in the town of Sant Antoni de Portmany, close to the Hawaii Ibiza hotel. Worth visiting it for its sunsets with music, that have become famous worldwide. The atmosphere is very lively, with people of all kinds and from all over the world. Another similar place, less crowded, is the Kumharas, on Lugo Street of Cala de Bou, in the municipality of San Jose, very close to the Fiesta Milord hotel.

Adults Only hotel in Ibiza

4. Santa Eulalia des Riu

One of the most charming villages on the island. It is a village that best preserves the hippie spirit that reigned the “white island”, and has a large number of interesting hotels where to stay on the beach of Es Canar, the most famous of the municipality. Close, on the 12^th km of the road between Santa Eularia with Sant Carles, close to the Paraiso Beach hotel nest to Cala Marina, you find one of the busiest markets in Ibiza, the market of Las Dalias.

5. Cala Portinatx

One of the most famous and valued coves in Ibiza, is the beautiful Cala Portinatx. Open to the Mediterranean, as a sea inlet, surrounded by vegetation and beautiful landscapes, transparent turquoise waters and fine white sand, this cove is a natural paradise that surely deserves to be among the five essential key points to visit in Ibiza. At the cove, there is a hotel right facing the sea, the El Greco hotel, designed specifically for holidays with your partner or with children.

Green hotels that environmentally involved

By Luke Durden in Environmental Hotels December 11, 2013

The concept of green hotels has begun to penetrate deeply in Europe. Although there are still very few examples in Spain, there is a growing concern favouring a national tourism project that has its foundation on a sustainable industry. Hotels and services that are energy efficient, detailed and involved in the natural area that surrounds it, committed with the sustainability of the destination and its society in different dimensions.

This discussion has already reached some of the most important hotel brands in our country and there are many that have taken measures to achieve the distinction of a “green hotel” that is consolidating as an added value.

Hotels in San Miguel de Abona

In fact, in the latest edition of Fitur, there was a specific part, Fitur Green, designated to analyse sustainable tourism in our country, which was attended by some of the most prominent representatives of this particular sector, such as the Global Sustainable Tourism Council and the Institute for Responsible Tourism, among others.

A good example of the work being done in this regard by the Spanish tourism industry is found in Tenerife, in one of the hotels of the hotel chain Sandos Hotels, the Sandos San Blas Nature Resort & Golf, a resort in San Miguel de Abona, next to the nature reserve of San Blas, which includes a complete environmental program for guests, including routes and tours on rafts through the nature reserve, to a special ecological club, the Sandos Eco Club. This club organizes activities to preserve the ecological values of this volcanic territory in Tenerife and collaborates with other local institutions.

Sustainable hotels in Spain

It is an interesting model and worth praising, while it is still far from resembling what the European Union has considered the ecological hotel in Europe: Hotel Garden Court in the Holland, an energy efficient accommodation, in which no artificial climate control is used, but the construction materials themselves create optimal protection to ensure adequate room temperature at all times.

But, the Garden Court has been able to go a step further and claims to be the only hotel in Europe offering its guests a 100% bio cuisine, a characteristic that has become one of the main attractions of this accommodation that attracts visitors from all around the world.