Dec 31st, 2010 at 12:00PM: There's more to hotels than guest rooms and bars. The people behind the scenes - from the food and beverage staff to the spa therapists and general management - work to make your stay special. But did you ever stop to wonder just what they do when they're planning their daily guest check-ins?
I checked in with my friends at the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, to see how their year shaped up and ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
hongkong posts
Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong closes out 2010 with 'quirky' stats from spa, restaurants
Dec 31st, 2010 at 12:00PM: There's more to hotels than guest rooms and bars. The people behind the scenes - from the food and beverage staff to the spa therapists and general management - work to make your stay special. But did you ever stop to wonder just what they do when they're planning their daily guest check-ins?
I checked in with my friends at the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, to see how their year shaped up and ...Daily Pampering: Reidel Room at JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong
Dec 14th, 2010 at 4:00PM: What's better than a night of fine wine and cocktails? An evening of fine wine and cocktails served in some of the best crystal stemware available.
With around 40 wines to choose from by the glass and 170 by the bottle, the world's only Reidel Room at the JW Marriott Hong Kong ups the experience of a night out for wine lovers by offering pours in top-line Riedel crystal glassware. The elegance ...Lady Gaga now a waxwork model at eight Madame Tussauds museums
Dec 10th, 2010 at 10:30AM: Ah, Lady Gaga, what would we do without your telephone hats and nude suits?
Now the famous wax museum Madame Tussauds has unveiled Lady Gaga models at eight of their branches: London, New York, Las Vegas, Hollywood, Amsterdam, Berlin, Shanghai, and Hong Kong.
The figure at the London branch has the crazy suit shown here: a telephone hat designed by Philip Treacy and a midnight-blue Armani ...Top ten hotel rooms with a view
Nov 11th, 2010 at 10:30AM:
Hotels aren't the sum of travel, but the right hotel can bring magic to a journey. Friendly employees, amazing furnishings, and great locations can all make a good holiday great. And an exceptional view, above and beyond the rest, can stick in one's memory forever. Here are ten hotels strewn around the world, each with ridiculously stunning views.
1. Shearwater Resort, Saba. Shearwater's ...Travel to Macau: See, sleep and eat your way through Macau's top tourist spots
Nov 5th, 2010 at 3:30PM: This piece was written by Red Room contributor Jenny Block.
Macau, it's not your modern-day Las Vegas. Yes, Macau does have a number of casinos from the classic Lisboa to the enormous and glamorous Venetian. And, yes, it has gobs of neon, killer entertainment, great shopping, and over-the-top hotels. But that's just a glimpse of what really comprises Macau. There are also serene temples, ...Disguised Asian stopped in Vancouver -- best disguise ever
Nov 5th, 2010 at 12:15AM: Remember a few years back when you watched Mission Impossible III and Tom Cruise kept pulling off layer after layer of his secret masks to reveal a different identity? That stuff was all make believe, right? Right?
Well, that technology might be closer than we all thought. Canadian authorities are investigating a recent case where a young Hong Kong citizen boarded a flight bound for Vancouver ...Top ten cities with best public transit systems
Nov 4th, 2010 at 11:30AM:
These ten public transportation systems, in random rather than top-to-bottom order, are among the world's best. The transit systems profiled here include some of the most impressively massive as well as some of the best-scaled urban transportation systems. Today's focus is on international public transit systems; as such, the better US public transit systems (New York, Chicago, and Portland, ...Zombies with passports: The Walking Dead goes worldwide
Oct 28th, 2010 at 10:30AM:
In order to promote the new show The Walking Dead on AMC, swarms of zombies invaded 26 cities worldwide (including my city of Istanbul, pictured above and filmed here) earlier this week, lurching around major tourist landmarks and generally freaking out passerby. The undead began their sightseeing in Taipei and Hong Kong, then hit European capitols including London, Rome, and Athens. More arose ...Cathay Pacific wants your dessert
Oct 26th, 2010 at 4:30PM: Pastry chefs, caterers, home cooks and Mom's packing lunches, listen up: Cathay Pacific wants your dessert to feature on their international flights.
The "Art of the Dessert" contest asks travelers to create their own Asian-inspired dessert, and submit a photo and recipe on Cathay Pacific's Facebook page with a brief entry on why your dessert deserves to win.
Peter Ho, the Regional Catering ...Qantas flight attendants restrain would-be murderer
Oct 7th, 2010 at 12:00PM: A man threatened to kill the other passengers on a Qantas flight from Melbourne to Hong Kong, forcing flight attendants to restrain him. An airline spokeswoman wouldn't confirm what some were saying – that the would-be murderer was praying before threatening to kill himself and others and said, "You will all die."
The Sydney Morning Herald continues:
But an Australian passenger, Helen, ...Mandarin Oriental signs celebrities for hotel ads
Sep 21st, 2010 at 12:00PM: Would you stay at a hotel because Harry Connick Jr. told you to? Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group thinks you might, and is launching a series of new global print ads featuring Connick, as well as Hélène Grimaud and Sa Ding Ding, two internationally known musicians.
The ads will star the three celebs as part of the ongoing campaign dubbed "He's a Fan/She's a Fan." The premise? Each ...Daily Pampering: The Peninsula Hotels' $20,000 tour of China
Jul 23rd, 2010 at 4:00PM: The Peninsula Hong Kong, The Peninsula Beijing and The Peninsula Shanghai are offering China travelers a new way to see three of the country's best city, thanks the "Tale of Three Cities" – the hotels' collection of itineraries showcasing the very best of China.
Hoping to bring back the glamor in travel, the Peninsula's are hosting above-and-beyond luxury experiences at each hotel that ...Airport efficiency: the world's winners
Jul 23rd, 2010 at 2:00PM: Do you get frustrated when you walk into an airport? Even before you get there? On good days, it's a painful experience, with long lines, the security gauntlet and procedures (which may or may not be appropriate) that are guaranteed to annoy. It should come as no surprise that some are better than others. While the hope for a headache-free flight may not change your vacation plans, knowing that ...Cathay Pacific donates travel package to Los Angeles music charity
Jun 30th, 2010 at 2:00PM: In celebration of Cathay Pacific Airways' 20 years of nonstop flights between Hong Kong and the United States, the airline is awarding an Anniversary Giveaway package to Education Through Music – Los Angeles. The prize: 200,000 Asia Miles, a Business Class dinner for 20 volunteers, and $2,000 in cash.
Charities from throughout the greater Los Angeles area were invited to participate in ...Shanghai Nights: 24 hours in the Expo City
Jun 11th, 2010 at 10:00AM:
Shanghai is a city of complications and successes. It's one of the most modern cities in China, yet still holds sacred its roots in China's history. It's lived in the shadows of Beijing and Hong Kong for centuries but today offers travelers a new experience, thanks in part to its hosting the World Expo Shanghai. Shanghai is a juxtaposition of old and new on every street. A five minute walk from ...Daily Pampering: Cathay Pacific Business Class flights
Jun 10th, 2010 at 4:00PM: If you're going to fly to China, you might as well fly in style. After all, the 15-18 hour flight (depending on flight path and departure city) can seem like an eternity in a 777.
Having just completed a round-trip flight to Australia I was mentally prepared for the long flight across the Pacific. I've learned that if you're going to make the journey, you want to be comfortable, thus, my first ...Galley Gossip: Enter to win two business class tickets to Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific!
Apr 26th, 2010 at 9:30AM: Until May 31, 2010 Cathay Pacific is giving away two free tickets in business class from any city to Hong Kong, as well as three nights' accommodation at The Upper House, a portrait session with campaign photographer Andrew J. Loiterton, and eight times the Asia Miles you earn flying on Cathay Pacific from now until the end of May. Now that I have your attention, keep reading. Contest details can ...Celebrate Chinese New Year, Hong Kong style
Mar 15th, 2010 at 5:00PM: For anyone not of Chinese descent, Chinese New Year is a confusing concept. Travelers who visit Hong Kong during this important festival are likely to have questions. What's the significance? How do you celebrate? But fortunately, Hong Kong is the perfect introduction to this most significant of Chinese celebrations. Hong Kong's unique blend of familiar Western amenities and authentic Chinese ...Hong Kong goes retro
Mar 11th, 2010 at 1:00PM: Hong Kong is truly the city of the future. The city's ubiquitous skyline of shiny beveled-angle skyscrapers towers above you like a giant wall of steel and glass. Meanwhile, residents tap their Octopus cards at cash registers, magically paying for purchases without bills or coins. Yet lying beneath Hong Kong's fancy neon wizardry is a puzzling trend. It seems these days, Hong Kong is not looking ...The 20 greatest cities in the world for foodies
Mar 11th, 2010 at 8:29AM: Once upon a time, the world's food capitals were a mere few well-known locales like Paris, New York, and Bangkok. All the action (and the eyes, and the forks) were focused there.
Recently, though, many areas of the world have expanded and improved both their menus and their talents in the kitchen, resulting in far more places staking their claims in the classy world of quality dining. ...
