hotels articles

Bangkok is world renowned for its shopping malls, rhythmic nightlife, better accommodation facilities and luxurious hotels. Tourist would love to shop in Bangkok, as there is superfluity of shops in Bangkok. And as far as stay matters; with luxury taking birth in Bangkok, you can find world-class hotels in Bangkok. They look attractive and are full of extravagance.

Bangkok dwellers are known as Thai and their friendly ways would even flatter the snot-nosed traveler. History of Thailand emerges from the Bronze Age and Bangkok was founded in 1792, hence calling it a young city would not be wrong.

Bangkok is a good blend of old and new. You can see historical Buddhist temples on one hand (e.g. Grand Palace) and high rise buildings and luxurious hotels on the other hand. Bangkok is bursting with more attractions per mile than any other city across the globe. The architectures are worth the endeavour to travel and see. As the city is growing quickly, new shopping centers and other projects are constantly being created.

It’s very easy to find a good hotel near a neighborhood in Bangkok. They are flourished in each and every corner throughout the City. All the Hotels have ample facilities and follow latest hospitality trends. Choosing a Luxury hotel is easy at Bangkok. These hotels provide excellent facilities to make the travelers visit a unique, refreshing tour of his life.

One of the best Luxurious hotels in Bangkok is Siam Hotels and Resorts. The hotel is located near to Sky train Phayathai Station. The closeness to Railway station has many benefits for the tourist as they can visit throughout the city and can come back to the hotel without any transport problems. This hotel offers tiptop facilities with unique restaurants, bars, business center and swimming pools. Once you visit this Siam Hotels, you would like to visit it over and again.

The Luxury hotels in Bangkok are well equipped with spacious well-furnished rooms, attractive bathrooms. They have eye-catching interiors, expensive upholstery. All these things are chosen after thorough advice from experts to get the most stunning traveling experience to the traveler in his life. Once you stay in a luxurious hotel in Bangkok, you have to try the rejuvenating spa treatments, which is perfect after a long day of shopping.

There are many Luxurious hotels in Bangkok. You can find excellent quality all over Bangkok in aspects of food, rooms, and other facilities. The word “luxury” can be really seen to its full extent in Bangkok. You can find real ‘Thai’ feel in architecture, designing and even at your dining table.

Bangkok is locally known as “Krung Thep” which means the City of Angels and this city offers something for everyone’s taste and needs. So, travelers from across the globe love to visit the city. Luxurious hotels in Bangkok take very good care of these visitors and fulfill each and every expectation of these visitors.

This is just small part of luxury in Bangkok; you can explore more than what you are reading here for Bangkok by really visiting Bangkok! Enjoy!

It’s a strong fascinating land of Thais that attracts more tourists when compared to any other country in South East Asia. Bangkok is the Capital of Thailand, which receives more tourists than any other city in Thailand. Bangkok is known mostly for charming scenic nature, historical architects amalgamated with modern trends and last but not
the least; fabulous people who love to welcome and take care of tourists!!

Whenever a tourist leaves his country to travel to experience new places; the most important thing, which keeps scrolling in his mind, is “Where to stay?” But nowadays, it’s very easy. Just Google the Internet for best term and you will find tons of results floating there. Plus, you can go to the hotel’s website and book online. Most of the hotels have online reservation systems integrated in there websites. So, you can book your tour in advance. Few of them showcase their luxurious rooms, business centers to give you a clean look of the hotel which can benefit you to choose the right one for your budget.

The first thing to search for is a Luxury hotel offering Spa. You can easily find the best Spa offering hotel by searching in Google. The one I used during my last visit to Bangkok was Siam Bayshore Resort and Spa. They offered great services at reasonable budgets. I can really recommend them here. Your body would relax after taking the body treatments. You can either take body treatment or a spa treatment or a cosmetic treatment. This is just small era of treatment written here. You can explore it in full and experience the feel by visiting Bangkok and taking the real adventure!

Bangkok is known for its people who whole-heartedly welcome tourists!! A visitor would not find any difficulty in finding the right luxurious hotel throughout Thailand. If you are backpacker, a hotel at Kaosan road would be the best accommodation. If you love shopping, a hotel at Sky train would be great. But, if you don’t like getting around
the city and want good atmosphere, then a hotel near Chao Phraya River would do it.

If you plan to stay in a hotel near Kaosan road, than you even don’t require booking in advance. You can always find a vacant Guesthouse nearby to Kaosan road. If you plan to get chilled and go for shopping throughout the day, then Siam City Hotel, Bangkok would be great place to check in!! It’s near to Sky train Phayathai Station plus its closeness to most of the shopping malls makes it a great place to check in.

If you are little lazy and never go out for shopping, then a hotel near to Chao Phraya River would be excellent for the cool stay. You will get a totally different but unique experience. In spite of the fact that the hotels near to Chao Phraya river are little expensive, but you will never forget this stay and it’s really more than what you
invest!! Plus, don’t forget to book a river cruise dinner at your hotel. You will love the charming beauty of the river at night.

This is just the small era of Bangkok, its natural beauty and fascinating beaches. You can experience more than what is written here once you visit Bangkok.

Condo Hotel projects are on the rise. From skyscraper hotels to luxury resorts, condo hotels dot the landscape of popular vacation destinations, such as Florida and Las Vegas. And big hitter personalities like George Clooney and Donald Trump, wanting to capitalize on its popularity, can’t wait to attach their name to a condo hotel project. Even Nicky Hilton is jumping into the condo hotel craze. Her boutique style condotel, befittingly named Nicky O, opens this November in Miami, and she has plans for another condotel in Chicago.

But because a star is successful, does that assure his/her hotel will be, too? Steven Roszell, owner and broker of CondoHotels.com and HotelsforSale.com, doesn’t quite think so. “A big name on a project does not guarantee success,” says Roszell. “Ivana Trump, George Clooney, Michael Jordan, and even the famed Hard Rock Las Vegas project are some of the most recent examples of scrapped projects.” Roszell cautions potential buyers not to invest in a condo hotel solely for its illustrious name. “Big brands, such as Marriott, Hilton, and Four Seasons, and seasoned developers and management companies are a better indication of a project’s success. This is their business—they’ve been doing it for years,” Roszell adds.

The condo hotel’s location also does not predict its success. Orlando, the world’s top vacation destination, has reached its saturation point with condo hotels. “It may come down to there is too much supply,” says Roszell. “If investors buy with the intent of flipping the property to make a fast buck, the Orlando market may not be for them.” Roszell also adds, “Investors anticipating a high rental income may need to rethink Orlando for the time being. There’s potential for too much supply.”

Roszell advises his clients to look at three factors when considering a condo hotel: location, growth, and future income. “We tell investors that a condo hotel purchase is a lifestyle investment. Buy in locations where you want to vacation for the next 5 to 25 years.” Roszell also notes how condo hotels have become prevalent in major metropolitan cities, such as Boston, Chicago, and New York. “There is a limited amount of prime location areas that can be built upon in these major cities, and in time it’ll be harder to get a room during peak season in those locations.”

Condo hotels or condotels are hotels that convert a portion of rooms into condominiums and make them available for purchase. Once a property is bought, owners may enjoy their new luxury condo and/or choose to rent it. Owners receive a percentage of any rental proceeds and hotel management takes care of maintenance and cleaning.

As with all things, nothing is ever guaranteed and even the best things in life come with some drawbacks. Although condo hotels appeal to many people and their benefits are plentiful, it’s always best to know the whole story. Listed below are the major drawbacks to condo hotel ownership.

1) The condo hotel unit may lose value over time. Just like traditional real estate, appreciation is never guaranteed. This very scenario most recently occurred in Las Vegas. Several of the more notable condo hotels have sold for less in the resale market than they did during pre-construction.

2) Local governments typically limit the amount of time owners may use their hotel room. This is done to assure room availability for visitors. In particular, you’ll often find limitations at the condo hotels that are located in cities. The Hard Rock Hotel San Diego, for example, limits owner occupancy to just under a month.

3) Financing is generally costlier than for a primary residence. Your rate may be a full point higher.

4) You will need to give notice that you’ll be staying in the hotel. Condo hotels are located in major travel destinations and are often booked up well in advance.

5) You may not be able to use your room if it has been reserved by another guest. The hotel may not be able to relocate someone from your room to another room – even if another room is available.

6) If you buy preconstruction, you may have to wait a year or two before the condo hotel is completed and ready for operation. This means you won’t be able to stay in it the moment you buy it.

7) You might have to pay extra for daily housekeeping and other services when you’re staying at your place.

8) There will be a monthly homeowner association fee. Although this is hardly uncommon for anyone familiar with condominium real estate, just be aware of all your potential costs. Some condo hotels can have low monthly HOA’s and some can be exceedingly high.

9) Rental income from hotel guests is at the mercy of travel patterns and may decline. Rental income should always be viewed as an added benefit and never something to be counted on.

10) You may have to buy extra insurance to protect against liability claims and some types of damage or loss.

11) Not all condo hotel rooms have storage lockers, so you may not be able to keep any personal possessions in the very room that you own.

You’ve heard all the chatter about condo hotels, but you’re not sure if they’re the ideal vacation home or just timeshares in disguise. Here’s what you should know.

Condo hotels are not your parents’ timeshare. They’re whole ownership of a vacation home, not the purchase of a specific week or two of annual usage. So how do they differ from other types of home ownership?

Well they’ve got all the bells and whistles of a luxury hotel. We’re talking designer-furnished rooms, a resort-style pool, a full-service spa, a variety of on-site restaurants, a fully-equipped fitness center and more. Plus, you’ll have a full complement of services at your disposal—a concierge, 24-hour room service, valet parking and daily housekeeping.

Now here’s the interesting part. You can use your condo hotel home as much as you’d like. But when you’re not there, instead of closing up your vacation house in the off-season, you can place it in the hotel’s rental program.

If the condo hotel has a well-known hotel franchise like Starwood, Trump, St. Regis, Ritz-Carlton, Hilton, Four Seasons, Sonesta or Hyatt, they’ll put their marketing program and international reservation system to work keeping your room filled.

You’ll get a share of the revenue your condo hotel unit generates. That income may offset the costs of owning your vacation home and could possibly net you a small annual return.

A professional on-site management company takes care of handling the hotel guests, maintaining the property and ensuring the smooth operation of its amenities. All of the traditional responsibilities of owning a second home are non-existent with a condo hotel.

Most condo hotel properties are located on prime real estate in popular vacation destinations like Miami, Orlando, Las Vegas, Myrtle Beach and the Caribbean. Some big cities are also getting condo hotels like Chicago, New York, San Diego and Toronto.

Like ownership of a traditional house or condo, you can choose to resell your condo hotel unit whenever you want. And like most types or real estate, there’s a good chance your property will have appreciated in value. Most condo hotel owners will tell you that appreciation is one of the major differences between condo hotels and timeshares, which often lose value and can be difficult to resell.

Is a condo hotel right for you? If you appreciate luxury accommodations when you vacation, if you want hassle-free ownership of a second home, and if you like the idea of investing in a property with appreciation potential, a condo hotel could be the perfect answer.

Baby boomers interested in buying vacation homes are now considering one of the latest trends in second home ownership: the condo hotel.

Condo hotels are a type of vacation home. They are typically located in resorts operated by some of the top luxury hotel chains, such as Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, Hilton, and Trump International, to name a few.

These upscale second homes made their debut in Miami, but the condo hotel trend has now spread across the country to markets like Orlando, Las Vegas, Chicago, and to various cities in California, Colorado and New York. They are also quite popular in exotic locales such as Mexico, Panama, the Caribbean and Dubai.

Condo hotels are a perfect fit for the lifestyle baby boomers enjoy, providing luxurious, hassle-free second homes, without all the worries of maintenance. They offer baby boomers the opportunity for easy, relaxed family vacations in desirable locations without time spent researching, planning and booking travel accommodations.

Unlike traditional vacation homes, condo hotels are furnished condominium suites located within some of the country’s most famous hotels and resorts. Owners of these suites are entitled to use all of the luxury amenities and services offered by the property, such as fine dining restaurants, fitness centers, spas, and concierge services.

Furthermore, the headaches of maintenance, guest services and housekeeping are assumed by the on-site hotel management company.

But what really sets condo hotels apart are that the individual owners can place their unit in the hotel’s rental program when they’re not there. The hotel management takes on the responsibility of finding and dealing directly with renters, leaving the owners free from these duties. The rent revenue the condo hotel unit generates helps offset the costs of ownership.

Many baby boomers looking for investment alternatives see condo hotels as a smart choice, a means to diversify into something other than stock market holdings. Because of a limited supply of land in many choice locales, the likelihood of capital appreciation on condo hotel units is increased.

Condo hotel units come in a variety of sizes and prices, typically ranging from $300,000 to over $1 million for prime properties.

Unlike a timeshare, which usually provides only a week or two per year of use, condo hotel owners are fully deeded property owners who can generally use their condo suites when and how they please. Baby boomers want vacation homes that are available when their busy schedules allow them time off.

Also, whereas traditional timeshares can be difficult to resell, condo hotels, with their luxury amenities, prime locations, limited inventory, and potential for appreciation, can be resold more readily.

For all these reasons, the condo hotel product, and the lifestyle if offers, appeals to the baby boomer generation. Look for more condo hotels to come on the market in coming years to meet this burgeoning demand.

Not Your Typical Vacation Home

What could be more perfect that owning a luxury vacation home at a landmark resort and receiving rent revenue whenever you’re not using it? Condo hotels are the newest trend in vacation home ownership. Live in it when you’re there; rent it when you’re not.

So how do condo hotels differ from owning a traditional vacation apartment or condominium? These are not your typical second homes. They are fabulously-furnished condominium suites in some of the most famous hotels and resorts around the country. The properties are usually large, high-rise, luxury hotels operated by a big name like Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton, Sonesta, Starwood or Hilton. Prices range from $200,000 to over $1 million for prime properties.

Generate Revenue to Defray Mortgage Costs

How do condo hotel owners find renters? This is what makes the program so appealing. When owners are not using their unit, it is put into the rental program of the hotel. By capitalizing on a hotel’s name recognition, advertising, national affiliations, centralized reservation system and management expertise, unit owners typically receive a higher level of rental income than they would from a traditional vacation home. Plus the hotel takes care of dealing with the renters, as well as all housekeeping and maintenance of the condo hotel units. Talk about hassle-free!

The Real Appeal of Condo Hotels Is Appreciation

While it’s nice to receive rental revenue on your vacation home, the more important factor from an investment standpoint is its appreciation. Condo hotel units have been appreciating at a far faster rate than single family homes and condos in the same areas.

Most condo hotels are purchased directly from the developer. With limited inventory, condo hotel units have been moving at lightning speed. In fact, almost all condo hotels sell out in pre-construction, long before even a single spade of dirt has been overturned. And as is the case in any situation where supply is greatly outpaced by demand, condo hotel owners have been seeing tremendous appreciation in their units.

World-Famous Resorts Attract International Attention

Most condo hotels are located in seasonal resort areas. South Florida, particularly Miami Beach and Ft. Lauderdale, is one of the country’s hottest markets with world-famous properties like the Fontainbleau, Canyon Ranch Living and Trump International leading the way. Las Vegas and some of the Caribbean Islands are also popular condo hotel destinations.

Who’s buying? The answer, in a nutshell, is everyone. That is, investors and vacationers who recognize the appreciation potential of a revenue-generating vacation home. That appeal isn’t limited to U.S. buyers. The concept of condo hotels has had international appeal with buyers from Latin America and Europe competing with Americans for the best properties.

Minneapolis-based Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY) is North America’s leading specialty retailer of consumer electronics, personal computers, entertainment software and appliances. The Company’s subsidiaries operate retail stores and/or Web sites under the names: Best Buy (BestBuy.com), Future Shop (FutureShop.ca), Geek Squad (GeekSquad.com), and Magnolia Audio Video (Magnoliaav.com). The Company’s subsidiaries reach consumers through approximately 750 stores in the United States and Canada.

Company:                Best Buy

Headquarters Address:   7601 Penn Ave. S.
Richfield, MN 55423-3645

Main Telephone:         612-291-1000

Website:                www.BestBuy.com

Ticker:                 BBY(NYSE)

Type of Organization:   Public

Industry:               Retail: Specialty

Earnings Release Dates: 1st Quarter: June 16, 2004
2nd Quarter: September 15, 2004
3rd Quarter: December 15, 2004
4th Quarter: March 30, 2005

Key Executives:         CEO: Brad Anderson
COO: Al Lenzmeier
CFO: Darren Jackson

Public Relations
Contact:              Susan Busch
Phone:                612-291-6114
Email:                susan.busch@bestbuy.com

Public Relations
Contact:              Dawn Bryant
Phone:                612-291-6119
Email:                dawn.bryant@bestbuy.com

Investor Relations
Contact:              Sandi Larson
Phone:                612-291-6111
Email:                sandi.larson@bestbuy.com

Falor Cos. has agreed to buy the 188-room Hilton Checkers hotel in downtown Los Angeles for about $28 million, according to sources briefed on the deal.

Chicago-based Falor owns mostly boutique properties that have been converted into condo hotels, where the rooms are sold to private investors but are rented out when the owner is away.

Falor has similar plans for the Hilton Checkers, located at 535 S. Grand Ave., sources said. Falor officials couldn’t be reached for comment.

Kor Group Inc., which owns the Viceroy in Santa Monica and the Sheraton Gateway LAX, among other properties, is in negotiations with Falor to take the hotel’s management contract from Beverly Hills-based Hilton Hotels Corp.

Lynn Kozlowski, a spokeswoman for Tarsadia Hotels, which owns the property, said the company wouldn’t comment.

Condo hotels have gained in popularity over recent years nationally, though few are operating in Los Angeles County, according to Neale Redington, national partner in charge of the hospitality division at Deloitte & Touche.

“It’s a fairly new concept,” Redington said. “It’s been very popular in New York but it’s just starting to pop up here in Los Angeles.”

At the price Falor is paying, the purchase would break down to about $150,000 per room, far above the $78,000 a room an unidentified investor is paying for the Hyatt Regency Los Angeles.

Political opposition to the sale is unlikely since condo hotels continue to pay city taxes on rented hotel rooms and they usually retain the existing workforce, which is still needed to run the hotel operation.

Typically, the hotel room owner and the property’s management company evenly split revenues derived from renting out the room, Redington said.

“The owner has a way to defray holding costs of the room,” he said. “And the hotel’s developer or manager finds people to use the rooms and generates fees for that service.”

San Fernando Valley Business Journal reporter Shelly Garcia contributed to this column. Staff reporter Andy Fixmer can be reached at (323) 549-5225, ext. 263, or at afixmer@labusinessjournal.com.

BEVERY Hilton landmarks, including Trader Vic’s restaurant, could be bulldozed to make way for high-end condos, according to a report obtained by the Business Journal.

The hotel, and its ballroom in particular, has gained international prominence as the home of the Golden Globe Awards and other entertainment industry events.

Though Trader Vic’s has lost much of its luster, the Polynesian-themed restaurant was a storied haunt of Frank Sinatra’s Rat Pack and a longtime entertainment industry hangout.

Community activists are already expressing skepticism at plans calling for a massive redevelopment of the 9-acre property.

“They are being overly ambitious,” said Rose Norton, a former Beverly Hills planning commissioner and a veteran community activist. “They are asking for a great deal more than they should be.”

Packard Bell co-founder Beny Alagem, who paid $130 million for the 569-room hotel two years ago from entertainment mogul Merv Griffin, wants to knock down Trader Vic’s, the Hilton Executive Conference Center. the Oasis Court and the hotel’s 514-space parking garage.

On those sites Alagem would build two 13story buildings containing 96 condominiums; a 15-story. 104-unit condo hotel; and 96 hotel rooms in two three-story structures. The hotel’s parking would be put underground and increased to 1,422 spaces.

Alagem’s investment firm Oasis West Realty LLC is expected to announce its plans at a joint meeting of Beverly Hills’ planning commission and city council on Tuesday afternoon.

Oasis West declined to elaborate on its plans until after the meeting with city officials. Hilton Hotels Corp. executives didn’t return calls seeking comment.

Norton said the plans call for too little parking, especially given that the hotel’s famed ballroom can hold more than 900 people. She also is wary of the condo towers, which would be up to 150 feet tall even though the city’s height limit is set at 45 feet.

“What they are proposing goes against the city’s general plan,” said Norton, whose husband Ben Norton is a former member of the Beverly Hills City Council

Sources involved in the project provided the Business Journal with a copy of a master plan that Oasis West Realty distributed to city officials last month.

A price tag for the project–which also includes a remodeled pool and traffic improvements–wasn’t included in the report, but sources said the final cost could be in the $200 million range.

Though the main 353-room, eight-story tower designed by noted architect Welton Beckett would remain, the plans would result in a net reduction of 121 hotel rooms.

The reduction in rooms might not be popular with city council members, who have expressed concern in recent years about a loss of hotel rooms diminishing the city’s bed taxes.

Traffic will also be a major concern of the city, according to Norton. It’s unclear how residential units will be incorporated into the hotel. located at the heavily congested intersection of Wilshire and Santa Monica boulevards. State

Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. rates the corner as the fourth-most dangerous intersection in the United States.

The massive redevelopment plans of the Beverly Hilton’s 9-acre property comes on the heels of an $80 million renovation that Oasis West recently completed to the parts of the hotel that would not be razed.

Oasis West announced in December that it hired New York-based architecture firm Gwathmey Siegel & Associates LLC to design residential additions to the hotel.

There’s one aspect of the project that Norton said likely wouldn’t be contested: The loss of Trader Vic’s. “I get the sense people think Trader Vic’s has had its day,” she said. “It’s really slipped. Nobody will miss it.”