Swissôtel Expands into Ukraine for 2012

When I stayed in Kyiv (Kiev) there was no doubt about it, there was a distinct lack of accommodation and a great deal of opportunity for some of the major hotel brands.  So I was pleased to hear that Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts is building a new deluxe hotel in the Ukrainian capital, scheduled to open in 2012.

The future Swissôtel Kiev will form part of the “Sky Towers”, a mixed use development comprised of twin towers of 34 and 47 storeys.  Sky Towers is located in Peremogy Avenue, centrally positioned close to Kiev city centre and the main train station, and is comprised of hotel facilities, serviced residences and offices.  The Swissôtel Kiev is anticipated to welcome guests for the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship and features 513 guestrooms and suites, 14 serviced residences, 4000m of conference space, as well as a 3000m spa.  Business travellers and independent tourists alike will enjoy a selection of dining experiences ranging in selection from the fine dining restaurant to the all-day restaurant Café Swiss, as well the lobby lounge and a contemporary bar.

Kyiv Swissotel

If you plan on visiting Ukraine in 2012, make Swissôtel Kiev the place to stay!

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Great Value Ski Accommodation in Slovenia

If you are looking for a winter sports experience with a difference, then head to Slovenia where two new self catering properties have been launched by Slovenian Retreats in the Julian Alps area, close to Kranjska Gora, Slovenia’s best known ski-resort and home to annual world cup slalom and ski-jumping events.

Villas Planina and Nebina offer great value ski accommodation for either those looking for individual apartments or for big groups of up to 20 people wishing to hire out the whole properties.  Villa Planina is situated on the edge of the charming rustic village of Ratece. Each apartment within the villa are finished to an extremely high quality, with luxury features such as underfloor heating, flat screen TVs, DVD players, wireless internet and a shared pool table and ping pong table, as well as a kid’s communal soft play area. The villa is situated in a unique location with uninterrupted panoramic views from each apartment towards the Julian Alps and snow capped peaks of Jalovec and Mojstrovka mountains. Local facilities in the village offer a range of restaurants, traditional taverns (or ‘gostlinas’) and a supermarket, and the villa is just a five minute drive from central Kranjska Gora or even less to the slopes at Podkoren. Prices start from €60 (Euros) per night for a loft apartment sleeping between two and four people and based on a minimum stay of three nights.

Villa Planina

Villa Nebina has been designed in more of a ‘farmhouse style’ holiday rental property and has been reconstructed on the site of a farmhouse originally built over 150 years ago in the traditional Slovenian village of Ratece, just 5 minutes drive away from Kranjska Gora. The property includes four apartments and many of the original features of the building, such as vaulted ceilings and a traditional enclosed wooden balcony, have been retained at this high quality accommodation. The four apartments are furnished and equipped to an extremely high standard with alpine solid wood furnishings seamlessly combined with contemporary facilities such as flat screen TVs & DVDs. Apartment three has its own balcony access and other apartments have shared balcony access – with magnificent mountain panoramas. Prices start from €60 (Euros) per night for a ground floor apartment sleeping between three and five people and based on a minimum stay of three nights.

Villa Nebina

A Special Launch Offer from €69 per person, per week is available for house parties – Villa Planina can sleep between 12 and 20 people and Villa Nebina can sleep between 12 and 18 people so both offer great value ski accommodation for big groups. If you wish to get a discount on renting the whole of either Villa Planina or Nebina, then there is a special launch offer available. An offer of seven nights for the price of six is available if you book the whole of Villa Planina or Nebina for a week.

So, a week hiring out the whole of Villa Planina would start from €1,380 (discounted from €1,610) – this works out at just €69 per person, per week based on 20 people sharing – and for the whole of Villa Nebina it would start at €1,740 (discounted from €2,030)- this works out at just €97 per person, per week based on 18 people sharing. This offer is not valid for New Year.

Flights from London Stansted to Ljubljana with Easyjet are priced from £22.99 per person, or from London Gatwick with Adria. Another airport within an hour’s drive of both villas include Klagenfurt in Austria (serviced by Ryanair).

To make a booking call 0208 123 2898 or for further information go to www.slovenianretreats.com or email info@slovenianretreats.com

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Explore Eastern Europe with Wicked Campers

If you are planning on getting away for a significant amount of time on a budget then Eastern Europe is a great place to head.  However, transport and accommodation can still prove pricey.  That is until now!  People can now tour Eastern Europe with Wicked Campers. Perfect for those who prefer to venture off-the-beaten-track, the budget campervan company offers the required car insurance and relevant documents to cross the borders into the more remote parts of Europe.  The bargain campervan company based in the UK provides a choice of two-seater and multi-seater Toyota vans which come equipped with an all-important bed, table, basic built-in kitchen area, camping chairs, CD player or iPod/MP3 connection and plenty of storage space. For larger groups there is the option of hiring a multi-seater van with a tent.

Wicked Camper

What’s more, Wicked Campers has depots in Austria and Italy, only a short drive or ferry trip to Eastern Europe, where customers can pick-up and drop-off their campervan. It really could not be easier!

Customers are covered in the following Eastern European countries: Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Turkey.

Prices for seven day round-trip hire in a two-seater van starts from £253. Valid for travel from 1 October 2010, the price includes pick-up and drop-off in either San Benedetto (Italy) or Verditz (Austria), insurance for one driver aged 25 and over, unlimited mileage and 24-hour roadside assistance. Prices in summer start from £453.

For more information, visit www.wickedcampers.co.uk or call 0808 234 8461

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Bargains Still to be had in Eastern Europe

Leontij Vodoca, Strumica, FYROM
Leontij Vodoca, Strumica, FYROM

Eurostat have revealed the results of their latest price survey across Europe, proving bargains are still to be had across Eastern Europe. The survey revealed that price levels in 2008 differed widely across Europe: Northern European countries tend to have the highest prices while the south-eastern European countries have the lowest prices. Southern and central European countries tend to show price levels closer to the EU average.

In Denmark consumer prices appeared 41% higher than the average of the 27 EU Member States, while in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia prices are 53% lower than this average. Among the EU Member States, the cheapest country is Bulgaria (49% below the average).

Food and non-alcoholic drinks are most expensive in Denmark and cheapest in Bulgaria. Taxes on food, alcohol and tobacco across the bloc’s 27 states are highest in Ireland and lowest in Romania. Regarding clothing prices, Britain is the least costly and Finland is the most expensive. Prices for consumer electronics are lowest in Britain and highest in Malta. Hotels cost the most in Denmark and the least in Bulgaria.

Bran Castle, Romania
Bran Castle, Romania

Eurostat examined prices of 2500 consumer goods and services across 37 European countries (27 Member States, the three Candidate Countries (Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey), three EFTA countries (Iceland, Norway and Switzerland) and four Western Balkan countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia).

The results of the surveys are expressed in “price level indices” (PLIs), which provide a comparison of countries’ price levels with respect to the European Union average: if the price level index is higher than 100, the country concerned is relatively expensive compared to the EU average and vice versa, if the price level index is lower than 100, then the country is relatively cheap compared to the EU average.

Mostar, Bosnia & Hercegovina
Mostar, Bosnia & Hercegovina

10 Least Expensive European Countries
1. Macedonia
2. Bulgaria
3. Albania
4. Bosnia and Herzegovina
5. Serbia
6. Montenegro
7. Romania
8. Lithuania
9. Poland
10 Slovakia

10 Most Expensive European Countries:
1. Denmark
2. Norway
3. Switzerland
4. Ireland
5. Finland
6. Iceland
7. Luxembourg
8. Sweden
>9. France
10. Belgium

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