TWO UK HOTELS AMONG TRIPADVISOR’S 2012 HOT NEW HOTELS IN EUROPE LIST

TWO UK HOTELS AMONG TRIPADVISOR’S 2012 HOT NEW HOTELS IN EUROPE LIST

The Hotels Have Received High Marks from Travellers for Service and Amenities

With 2012 almost at a close, we at TripAdvisor look back at some of the hottest hotel openings in Europe throughout the year.

These hotels have all received rave reviews since opening their doors to travellers this year and we’re pleased to reveal that the UK features twice with two London hotels appearing in the list.

“While these hotels have only been open for a year, they have already made a lasting impression on many TripAdvisor travellers and it’s great to see the UK represented with two London hotels among some of the hottest in Europe,” said TripAdvisor spokesperson, Emma Shaw.

Monastero Santa Rosa Hotel & Spa – Amalfi Coast, Italy

Located on the Amalfi Coast, this hotel was originally built in the 17^th Century as a monestary. Now a boutique hotel of only 20 rooms, it sits on a cliff face overlooking the ocean and boasts an infinity pool that is sculpted into the cliff at the lowest level of Santa Rosa’s sloping cascade of gardens. As one TripAdvisor traveller commented, “This is the best hotel we have ever stayed in, bar none.” Prices from £327 per night*

 

 

Apex Temple Court Hotel – London UK

Located just off London’s Fleet Street, this hotel is the first to be built in one of London’s Inns of Court, the Inner Temple, in the heart of London’s legal district. The courtyard at Apex Temple Court leads from the Inner Temple onto the famous Fleet Street, the historical home of London’s newspaper industry. As one TripAdvisor traveller commented, “This hotel is superb, lovely rooms, the staff were very attentive, nothing too much trouble.” Prices from £131 per night*

 

 

K+K Hotel Picasso – Barcelona, Spain

This hotel is located in the El Born district of Barcelona. It is ideally situated just a stone’s throw from the Rambla, Barcelona’s most famous street, the Santa Maria del Mar cathedral and Barcelona’s beach promenades. The hotel boasts a rooftop pool that offers views of the cityscape. As one TripAdvisor traveller commented, “We found this a perfect hotel with fantastic amenities.” Prices from £95 per night

 

 

The Ampersand Hotel – London, UK

Located in the borough of South Kensington, this hotel is inspired by London’s famous museum district. The hotel’s interior design runs along five themes: botany, music, geometry, ornithology and astronomy. As one TripAdvisor traveller commented, “I had a delightful one night stay at the impeccable newly opened Ampersand Hotel. I wish it had been longer.” Prices from £150 per night*

 

 

Castello di Casole – Casole d Elsa, Italy

This hotel forms part of a restored castle dating back to the 10^th century and is located in the centre of a historic 4,200 acre estate. Being a hotel made up entirely of suites, all accommodation is very spacious. Amenities at the hotel include a welcome bottle of estate grown and produced wine and complimentary minibar. As one TripAdvisor traveller commented, “Beyond expectations, this is perfection at its best!” Prices from £227 per night*

 

 

The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna – Vienna, Austria

The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna is a historic building composed of four former Palais from the 19th century. The 202-room hotel is located on Schubertring, a part of the city’s Vienna Ringstrasse and is within walking distance of the city’s main landmarks. As one TripAdvisor traveller commented, “Our room was immaculate, spacious and the bed was very comfortable.” Prices from £260 per night*

 

 

Jumeirah Port Soller Hotel & Spa – Majorca, Spain

This hotel is nestled along the rugged coastline of northwest Majorca, and offers stunning views from every room. More than half of the 120 rooms and suites offer sea views, while the remaining look out over the quaint fishing village of Port Sóller and the sprawling Serra de Tramuntana mountain range. As one TripAdvisor traveller commented, “The location, rooms, food and service cannot be faulted.” Prices from £154 per night*

 

 

ARCOTEL Onyx – Hamburg, Germany

The ARCOTEL Onyx Hamburg is a contemporary hotel located directly on the Reeperbahn, at Millerntor, in Hamburg’s trendy neighbourhood of St. Pauli. Situated in the heart of the city, the hotel is ideal for trips to the harbour and the historical Speicherstadt warehouse district. “I loved this hotel. I travel a significant amount all over the world for work and this has to be one of my favourite stays so far.”  Prices from £72 per night*

 

 

W Paris - Opera – Paris, France

Located in the Opéra area of Paris, in an elegant 1870s Haussmann era building, the latest W hotel is situated between Paris' most famous department stores, Galeries Lafayette and Le Printemps with the exclusive boutiques of the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré nearby. As one TripAdvisor traveller commented, “The service was phenomenal. Staff were very courteous and helpful. We loved every moment at the hotel.” Prices from £200 per night*

 

 

Le Meridien Istanbul Etiler – Istanbul, Turkey

Located in the Etiler neighbourhood of Istanbul, this hotel is within walking distance to restaurants and major shopping areas. The hotel’s bar, located on the 34^th floor offers panoramic views of the cityscape. “I travel at least twıce a year to Istanbul and I have finally found the perfect hotel.” Prices from £104 per night*

 

 

Check the list out here: http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/InfoCenter-a_ctr.newhotelsEurope

*Pricing information as shown on TripAdvisor on 28^th November 2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ITALY, BULGARIA AND GERMANY OFFER EUROPE’S BEST-VALUE SKIING

ITALY, BULGARIA AND GERMANY OFFER EUROPE’S BEST-VALUE SKIING

TripAdvisor price-compares 43 popular European ski destinations for TripIndex Ski

With the ski season upon us TripAdvisor can today reveal the destinations in Europe which offer the best value for a ski trip. Our 2012 TripIndex Ski is a cost comparison of key ski destinations in Europe tracked against the British pound and is based on the combined cost of one night’s hotel accommodation, one day’s ski pass, one day’s basic ski hire, a local meal and a bottle of beer.

 

Topping the list for affordability is Italy’s Mount Etna with a total TripIndex cost of just £98.40, while Bulgaria’s Bansko takes second place with £103.82 and Spain’s Astún ranks third with £109.44.  When it comes to the best value country, Germany takes the lead, laying claim to four destinations in the top ten. This year the UK is represented among the best value destinations with Cairngorm in Scotland placing in the top fifteen totalling £179.26. 
 

Two French destinations emerge as the costliest – the most expensive is Meribel with a total TripIndex cost of £354.91, closely followed by Courcheval which totals £354.06.  Both are over three times the cost of Mount Etna (Italy), Bansko (Bulgaria) and Astún (Spain).  There are five Swiss resorts in the top ten of the most expensive resorts in Europe, with St. Moritz the priciest with a TripIndex total of £349.79. 
 

“The TripAdvisor TripIndex Ski helps British travellers to identify which European ski resorts deliver the best value for money this season. Skiing is often thought of as an expensive holiday, but TripIndex Ski shows that there are destinations where British travellers don’t have to break the bank,” commented Emma Shaw, TripAdvisor spokesperson. “The biggest driver of expense is clearly the price of hotels, but with all outlays there are remarkable differences between resorts across Europe.”

 

A bite to eat sees biggest price gap, while closest cost is ski hire

The biggest single expense is clearly the price of hotels, but with all items there are significant cost differences between resorts across Europe.  
 

·        Basic meal – The most expensive destination for a meal is St Moritz, Switzerland where the average cost of a basic meal is £28.82, compared to £4.52 in Bansko, Bulgaria – that’s over six times that of the cheapest in the list

 

·        Hotel – Meribel, France has the highest hotel cost of £286.29 per night, compared to £55.38 in Astún, Spain – over five times that of the cheapest in the list
 

·        Bottle of beer – The most expensive destination for a bottle of beer is Saas Fee, Switzerland at £4.45, compared to £1.21 in Ordino Arcalis, Andorra – nearly four times that of the cheapest in the list  
 

·        Basic ski hire – The most expensive destination for one day’s ski hire is Klosters, Switzerland at £42.07, compared to £11.98 in Bansko, Bulgaria – that’s over three times more costly  

 

·        Ski pass – The most expensive one day’s ski pass is in Zermatt, Switzerland at £50.08, compared to £18.47 in Bansko, Bulgaria - nearly triple the price

TripIndex Best Value European Ski Destinations

	Destination	Hotel	Ski Hire	Ski Pass	Food	Beer	Total
1	Mt Etna, Italy	£57.00	£12.06	£18.49	£8.57	£2.28	£98.40
2	Bansko, Bulgaria	£67.45	£11.98	£18.47	£4.52	£1.40	£103.82
3	Astún, Spain	£55.38	£16.48	£29.74	£5.63	£2.21	£109.44
4	Berchtesgaden, Germany	£88.06	£13.67	£23.96	£8.74	£2.49	£136.92
5	Kranjska Gora, Slovenia	£95.87	£13.40	£22.77	£8.84	£1.66	£142.54
6	Spitzingsee, Germany	£88.15	£19.56	£25.72	£8.44	£2.63	£144.50
7	Candanchú, Spain	£100.21	£16.08	£28.94	£6.43	£1.61	£153.27
8	Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany	£102.97	£19.83	£29.74	£9.43	£2.65	£164.62
9	Oberstdorf, Germany	£102.09	£17.95	£33.36	£9.16	£2.55	£165.11
10	Serre-Chevalier, France	£104.02	£15.19	£35.77	£12.06	£2.52	£169.56
11	Soldeu, Andorra	£113.54	£13.22	£35.37	£6.03	£1.61	£169.77
12	Formigal, Spain	£114.45	£15.01	£33.76	£5.23	£1.53	£169.98
13	Ordino Arcalis	£121.34	£12.81	£31.35	£5.23	£1.21	£171.94
14	Pas de la Casa	£117.82	£16.08	£35.37	£6.03	£1.61	£176.91
15	Cairngorm, Scotland	£110.66	£20.50	£32.00	£12.57	£3.53	£179.26

 

 

TripIndex Most Expensive European Ski Destination

	Destination	Hotel	Ski Hire	Ski Pass	Food	Beer	Total
1	Meribel, France	£286.29	£15.33	£35.37	£15.27	£2.65	£354.91
2	Courcheval, France	£276.25	£14.84	£35.77	£23.58	£3.62	£354.06
3	St. Moritz, Switzerland	£231.17	£36.67	£48.75	£28.82	£4.38	£349.79
4	Verbier, Switzerland	£241.90	£37.62	£42.74	£22.70	£3.14	£348.10
5	Gstaad, Switzerland	£226.86	£38.28	£41.40	£23.70	£3.74	£333.98
6	Zermatt, Switzerland	£212.21	£38.51	£50.08	£18.03	£4.32	£323.15
7	Klosters, Switzerland	£203.84	£42.07	£46.07	£18.92	£4.12	£315.02
8	Ischgl, Austria	£195.26	£33.23	£37.78	£10.37	£2.79	£279.43
9	Val D'Isere, France	£194.01	£18.22	£37.78	£16.91	£2.95	£269.87
10	St. Anton, Austria	£179.36	£33.76	£37.78	£9.91	£3.32	£264.13
11	Tignes, France	£195.79	£14.04	£31.75	£17.15	£2.47	£261.20
12	Baqueira Beret, Spain	£187.71	£17.97	£37.78	£6.99	£2.25	£252.70
13	Madonna di Campiglio, Italy	£178.47	£22.51	£33.76	£12.59	£2.81	£250.14
14	Val Thorens, France	£182.33	£14.62	£35.37	£15.06	£2.71	£250.09
15	Sierra Nevada, Spain	£186.32	£16.90	£36.17	£6.91	£2.01	£248.31

 

 The full TripIndex link is available at http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/InfoCenter-a_ctr.tripindex_UK_2012

TripIndex Ski methodology:

TripIndex Ski looks at 43 popular ski destinations across Europe. The list was editorially compiled using information from ski and travel experts, as well as TripAdvisor site data.

Prices were collected through a variety of research methods as outlined below.  Prices were taken in local currencies between October and November 2012 and converted into GBP (£) on 12 November 2012.

Hotels: Hotel prices shown specify the average per room per night cost of a hotel found on TripAdvisor within a five-mile radius of the destination.  In all destinations, between four and 136 hotels were included to compute the average price. On average, 59 hotels were included in the calculations for each destination. Pricing information is taken from partner booking sites on TripAdvisor.

Ski Pass: Ski pass identifies the cost of one day’s access to that destination’s ski area, sourced from suppliers in the destination.

Ski Hire:  Ski hire prices specify the average cost of a basic ski hire package (boots, skis, poles).  The cost shown is the average price of three (or the maximum number available) ski hire packages provided by suppliers in the destination.

Meal: Meal prices shown specify the average cost of one basic meal taken from three local restaurants (or the maximum number available).  Where available this is a burger and chips and where not available a meal common to that destination was used as an alternative.

Meal types:

·         Austria – Schnitzel and chips

·         Germany– Schnitzel and chips

·         Switzerland – Schnitzel and chips

·         France – Fondue

·         Andorra – Burger and chips

·         Spain – Burger and chips

·         Bulgaria – Burger and chips

·         Slovenia – Burger and chips

·         Italy – Sausage and Polenta

Beer: Beer prices shown specify the average cost of a bottle of local beer (French beer in France, Italian beer in Italy, etc.) taken from three local restaurants.