Showing posts with label hotelsclick. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hotelsclick. Show all posts

Have a Tampa Tantrum

Greetings!
I can't think of another city with so much going on that is so often overlooked as a travel destination. Sure, Disney is down the road, and Miami a few hours further south but Tampa has it going on in spades. Situated on the gulf coast it has some of the best beaches in all of Florida, great sports teams and events, a chilled University town spirit, historic Ybor and Busch Gardens. Close to the cultural city of Sarasota, Tampa is a great base to spend some time exploring the beautiful west coast of Florida.

Tampa- the QT
The Tampa Bay area consists of the cities of Tampa, Clearwater and St Petersburg and has a population of almost 3,000,000 inhabitants. By Florida standards, Tampa is a great grandaddy of a city and makes the very most of its 200 year history. The area had been inhabited by Seminole Indians and their influence on the area is well documented in the city's museums. However, Tampa was nothing but a swamp pit with less than 800 inhabitants until 1883 when phosphate was discovered in Bone Valley. In the 100 years following the discovery Tampa became the third biggest city in the South East of the USA, behind only Atlanta and Miami.

Tampa is the proud home of the cigar in the USA and nowhere is this more obvious than Ybor city (where 500,000,000 cigars were rolled a year at the height of its prowess), a hispanic quarter of Tampa, where cigar shops, the cigar museum and the older men of the neighbourhood congregate im sure, just to make the place look atmospheric.

Tampa is a very temperate place all year around. We were in Tampa in December and the temperature reached 25°c and above every day, even as high as 32°c on some days. The area is prone to tropical weather but no major hurricane has hit Tampa in 80 years. We recommend Autumn and Winter as the best times to visit Tampa.

Who flies to Tampa?
Tampa has its own airport but the only international flight is from London. However, Orlando is 1 hour from Tampa so flying into Orlando could prove the better option. We chose to fly to New York from Rome, and then take the 2 hour flight down from JFK to Tampa airport. You can fly to New York or Orlando from almost every major airport in the UK and Europe.

What hotel deals can you offer me?
Tampa, Clearwater and St Petersburg have some fantastic old fashioned hotels as well as hi tech business hotels and resorts. We've chosen the best value hotel we have in each of the 3 cities. The price is based on the 22nd February 2008, 1 week, 2 adults.

Click to see all TAMPA HOTELS

What can I see and do in Tampa?

The metropolitan area of Tampa, Clearwater and St Petersburg has a wealth of attractions spread out over a very large area. Whilst transport isn't poor, we highly recommend you rent a car. Tampa itself is the financial, business and cultural centre of the area. The city is home to several museums, including the excellent Tampa Bay history centre, the Children's museum and theTampa Museum of Art. If you prefer exploring a city by foot, the areas of Ybor and Hyde Park are the most interesting for a stroll.

Clearwater is a laid back small city of around 100,000 inhabitants and is most famous for its beautiful sandy beaches and being the seat of new religion, Scientology. Clearwater is home to some interesting events throughout the year including the Ford Ironman competition, Hispanic Heritage festival and the Imagine International Film Festival.

St Petersburg, the sunshine city, is the most popular holiday destination of the 3 cities making up this metropolitan area. St Petersburg also has some great beaches and a fantastic harbor where million dollar yachts are lined up in all their glory. The city has a great Baywalk area with shops, cinemas and a small aquarium. However, it is the beaches of St Petersburg that are its true attraction with Fort Desoto beach ranked as the number 1 beach in America by Dr Beach in 2005.

Sports - Florida is obsessed with sports and the good folk of Tampa Bay are no exception. The pride of the area is the Super Bowl 2002 winning Tampa Bay Buccaneers, owned by Manchester United supremo Malcolm Glazier. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers play at the Raymond James stadium in Tampa.

If you prefer your Baseball you can catch the Tampa Bay Devil Rays who play their major league baseball at Tropicana Field in St Petes.

Tampa even has a major league Ice Hockey team in Tampa Bay Lightening, however, they are currently bottom of the Eastern conference. The Lightening play at St Pete's Forum.

The Museums and Galleries of the Tampa Bay area are varied and of a very high quality. The museums we would most highly recommend to you would be the Ybor City Museum, Tampa Bay Historical Centre, Museum of Science and Industry, Tampa Museum of Art, The Childrens Museum in St Petersburg, Museum of Fine Arts (St Petes), The Holocaust Museum (St Peters) and the Salvador Dali Museum (St Petes).

We visited the all these museums but the Tampa Bay Historical Centre really gives you the best overall view of Tampa and how the area grew up. The best "museum" is centro Ybor itself. The area is a treat with many bric a brac shops, great restaurants and funky nightlife. Spend an entire day and night in Ybor to get a true feel for the area.

Attractions- As good as they are, nobody goes to the Tampa Bay area for its museums. People coming to the area are looking, for sea, sand and nightlife and this is what Tampa does best. With a student population keeping the town young and funky, the city has loads of gay and straight bars and nightclubs.

Tampa Bays main attractions are the beaches. Fort De Soto is heralded as the best in the area and it's very hard to argue. However, for nightlife, St Petes and Clearwater beaches are where it is at with plenty of bars and nightclubs to keep you going into the wee hours. The best nightlife in a 100 mile radius is Ybor City, check out Club Prana, Empire & Climax and Orpheum.

Tampa's #1 event is the annual Gasparilla Pirate Festival (on this weekend, late january each year) celebrates the apocryphal legend of José Gaspar (Gasparilla), supposedly a Spanish pirate captain who operated in southwest Florida.

The theme is an "invasion" by Gasparilla and his men, which begins when the "Krewe" (made up of residents of the city) arrives on a 165' long pirate ship, the Jose Gasparilla, in Tampa Bay and land near downtown Tampa. The mayor of Tampa then lends the key of the city to the pirate captain and a parade ensues down Bayshore Boulevard, one of Tampa's major streets. The krewes throw beads, coins and other items while shooting blank pistols from floats during the parade. The average attendance for the event is over 400,000 people.

Can we write about Florida without mentioning Theme Parks? We nearly did it. That would be a huge disservice though to the fabulous Busch Gardens. Busch Gardens is a grown up and FUN Disney, real rides, less queueing and less expense. If you don't enjoy heart stopping white knuckle rides then Busch Gardens also has excellent and educational Safari trips and great 3D shows. Tickets for Busch Gardens are $64,95 for adults and $54.95 for children under 10, however, look out for discounts and coupons that can be found everywhere from Walmart to your hotel.

Where can I eat in Tampa Bay?
There is a very strong Caribbean/Mexican influence in Tampa and so the traditional regional cuisine could be considered to have a certain hispanic flair. Floridians like to eat, and they like to eat cheaply. You will be fed very well for surprisingly little in the Tampa Bay area.

Here are some recommendations (£ - Inexpensive - under £10 for a main course - ££ - Reasonable £10-£15 for a main course - £££ - Pricey £15-£24 for a main course- ££££ - Expensive £25-£35 for a main course - £££££ - Daylight Robbery - £35+ for a main course)

  • Berns - The areas best restaurant for wine freaks, huge cellars. Steak House - £££
  • Columbia - Spanish/Cuban flamenco dancing but exceptional quality - £££
  • Dockside Daves - Excellent fish restaurant in St Petersburg- £
  • Frenchy's Cafe - Excellent Surf and Turf in Clearwater- £
  • Bernini - Outstanding Italian restaurant in Centro Ybor- ££


You can easily spend a full week in the Tampa area and not be tempted over to the Disney Corporation! Consider Tampa for your own "spring break".

Ciao for now HotelClickers!

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New York, New York

Greetings!
Finally back from my trip stateside and have four great guides to bring you about the American east coast cities of New York, Tampa, Orlando and Miami. Lets start with the big apple. This was my first trip to New York though the city is familiar to everyone from film, television and photographs. It's Christmas time so lets plan for a great time in New York, the January Sales and the Valentines period.

New York- the QT
New York, the world's most famous city, doesn't need much introduction. The home of US big business, high fashion, the best in new music, theatre and shopping New York is the first city in the world richest country. New York has gone through a massive transition in the past 20 years. What used to be a filthy, crime ridden and dangerous city; New York has cleaned up its act.

Today New York is a living city, families with babies continue to stay in the city, it's sanitized, safe and suburban. This is great for people visiting New York to see the sights, Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty, Rockerfeller Center but there are those who miss the old New York. The New York that didn't have a Starbucks on every corner, where graffiti artists shook their cans creating a colourful and exuberant city. New York has lost its graffiti and its edge but is still the worlds most exiting city.

Who flies to New York?

What hotel deals can you offer me?
Hotels in New York are notoriously expensive. The weak dollar means it is the best time to go to New York and stay in some kind of luxury. Any hotel with 3 stars+ should be very comfortable although New York's accommodation is famous for being a little hit and miss. Here are our recommendations based on price, location and our customers own reviews. Prices are based on two sharing a double or a twin room for 4 nights from the 8th of February 2008 taxes included.

Click to see all NEW YORK HOTELS

What can I see and do in New York?

The City is actually 5 boroughs, Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island and the Bronx. Most visitors to New York spend the entire trip in Manhattan and only enter the other boroughs (or even New Jersey) when they catch their flight home. Manhattan is New York to many people but you should not discount Brooklyn and Queens if you are staying in New York for a longer visit. Brooklyn would be the USA's 5th most populous city were it not part of New York and offers many charming parks and river walks. Prices for accommodation, food and shopping are all cheaper outside of Manhattan. Many of the sports events also take place in Queens, the US tennis Open at Flushing Meadow, Queens and the baseball team the New York Mets at Shea Stadium.


Manhattan - the cultural, financial and fashion centre of the world, Manhattan is the world in miniature. The world's rich and poor live here, nationalities from every country of the world can be counted among the 1.5 million Manhattanites currently on the Island. Manhattan is anything you want it to be and has a niche for everyone, no matter what your flavour you will find it has a home in Manhattan. Filled with trips, tours, museums, shops, galleries, events, theatres, restaurants, it's a tourist paradise, whatever you are in Manhattan you are not bored.

The Museums and Galleries of New York are wonderfully thorough and perfectly maintained, interesting and appreciated. The most famous museums and galleries, the Natural History Museum, Moving Image Museum, Ellis Island Museum, Frick Collection, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Television and Radio and the Museum of Modern Art are all world class museums that you can not possibly visit all in one trip.

More specialist museums that I enjoyed were the Museum of Jewish Heritage down by Battery Park. Spanning the last 200 years of Jewish history the museum focuses on the Holocaust and Palestine as well as documenting the rise to fame of Jewish stars and the Jewish lifestyle in America including a section dedicated to the Jewish influence in Miami and the Catskills.

The less well known, Museum of Sex is a tasteful and interesting look at how sex is portrayed, sold and played out across the states. The museum is an eye opener looking at sex and sexuality from every angle, literally!

Sports in New York get about as passionate as you can get. The cities major teams, The Mets, The Yankees, The Giants, The Jets, The Knicks, The Rangers all have a loyal and vocal following and attending a sports match is really the quintessential New York experience. Depending on the time of year there will almost certainly be a game on during your stay, Football, Hockey, Baseball or Basketball.

If you can we recommend a Baseball game at either the Yankee's up in the Bronx or the Mets in Queens to get you out of Manhattan and into real living and breathing New York and New Yorkers.

Shopping - Two dollars to the Pound and one fifty to the Euro means that your greenbacks are really stretching nicely in the States. Even in New York you're going to find yourself chuckling merrily at the prices in comparison to London.

New York's got it all, electricals, fashion items, gifts, jewellery and everything you may ever desire. The typical and famous New York shopping hot spots are Barneys, Bloomies and Saks. The ladies will enjoy countless hours in these stores but for a younger crowd looking for some lesser know designers at better prices check out the Meatpacking District.

If electricals and laptops are more your thing, try going into the East Village and Soho where there are some great low cost stockists.

In Chinatown you can pick up many a cheap fake item head into China town via Broadway and you'll be amazed at the amount of street vendors asking "Gucci, Fendi, Prada, you buy?"


Where can I eat in New York?
Certainly New York is the USA's number 1 city for dining. People from every culture came together to create New York an nowhere does this strike you as more obvious than when making a restaurant reservation. The possibilities are endless, Chinese, Thai, Italian, Mexican, Hungarian, Polish, Jewish, English, Irish, Korean, Japanese, Argentinian, Cuban and even... American!

Here are some recommendations (£ - Inexpensive - under £10 for a main course - ££ - Reasonable £10-£15 for a main course - £££ - Pricey £15-£24 for a main course- ££££ - Expensive £25-£35 for a main course - £££££ - Daylight Robbery - £35+ for a main course)

  • Babbo - Greenwich Village Italian food mecca, Exceptional - ££££
  • Katz Deli - famous Pastrami sandwiches in this Jewish cafe. East Village - £
  • Momo Fuku - Greenwich village multi cultural, Chinese meets Mexican meets ??? - ££
  • Union Square Cafe - Top chef, great service and expansive wine list, class - ££££
  • Sushi Yasuda - finest Sushi restaurant in New York - ££££


No one can ever wrap up New York in a few words. These are our personal recommendations for great things to do in New York. Don't forget to write to us and let us know about your own experiences in the world's favourite city.

Ciao for now HotelClickers!

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No place like Rome

Greetings!

Well, the football is over and England are out. The face behind the blog is very upset today but I will try and pull myself together and write a blog entry about my favourite city and the headquarters of HotelsClick, Rome.

Rome - the QT
Rome is surely on everyones "top 10 places to visit" list. Everyone I know either has been or desperately wants to visit Rome and with good reason. Rome is all things to all men with an ancient quarter, gothic quarter and modern areas. Rome is also all things to all women with Via Condotti (high end shopping), the world's most fabulous Ice Cream and Italian men dressed as Gladiators. Surely there can be no finer city to visit? That's right, there isn't. Wonderful cuisine, museums and public spaces make Rome my favourite city and if you come in Spring, the best time of year, it may just be your favourite city too. Just do yourself one small favour... leave the car at home. The Romans drive like today is their very last day on earth and everyone is going to pay! Look both ways before crossing the road people!

Who flies to Rome?

  • EasyJet fly daily from Belfast, Bristol, East Midlands, Gatwick and Newcastle.
  • RyanAir fly daily from Glasgow, East Midland, Dublin, Liverpool, Stansted and Luton.
  • British Airways fly from Heathrow, Gatwick
  • Alitalia fly from Heathrow.
What hotel deals can you offer me?
Roman hotels can be a hit and miss affair. There are many budget options around Termini but whilst this area if convenient and well connected it is a little "dodgy" shall we say. Below we've recommended some hotels in the safer area's of Rome. These prices are an example of 11 January, 2 Nights, 1 Double Room.
Click to see all ROME HOTELS

What can I see and do in Rome?

The City of Rome is more compact than you'd imagine and it's quite possible to walk from the sights in the East (Colosseum and Forum) to the sights in the West (St Peters and the Vatican) though taxi's are cheap and frequent. Much of Rome is covered by the local Metro although some areas, notably Piazza Navona, are not covered by Metro due to the possibilities of endangering many historically important buildings by digging underneath them and the constant vibrations from a metro could cause damage. So, it's out with the old comfy trainers to see Rome on foot. The summer in Rome can be extremely hot with temperatures regularly soaring over 40°c. Many Romans leave the city in August and Rome basically shuts down including many shops, business' and restaurants. The best time to visit Rome is just after Easter, after the christian pilgrims have left the city or in September and October when temperature can stay in the pleasant 25°c range.

The Holy See and the Must See - It's impossible to write about Rome without mentioning the Collosseum, the Forum, the Vatican, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps and St Peters but please, we all know about these. Half of us have visited these before, and maybe more than once so what I want to talk about today is the lesser know tourist attractions; the path less travelled. I am not recommending that you don't see these wonderful attractions, of course, if you've never been to Rome these are must see, 5 star attractions and among the very best spectacles anywhere on the planet. Today we're going to talk about the Roman Catacombs, Villa Borghese and Trastevere.


The Roman Catacombs are not as famous as their Parisian counterparts but still intriguing in a morbid way. All history buffs should set some time aside to visit the catacombs. A burial place from the 2nd Century for Christians and Jews the catacombs have lived a chequered life. Originally just a place of burial they have served also as a place of refuge from persecution and the shrine of actual Christian martyrs. The catacombs came into effect simply for financial reasons. Unable to afford to bury their dead spread out across expensive Rome, they had to dig down, creating an underground world full of corridors and, well, dead bodies. The catacombs continued to be used until the 5th century after the fall of Rome and invasion of the Barbarians.
The relics and jewels once buried with their owners were then taken away to churches throughout Rome away from the hands of the Barbarians. With their removal there was no longer an urge to visit or guard the area and the catacombs were deserted and well into the middle ages were considered "lost", noone knew where they were anymore. Not until the 17th century were the catacombs found once more and are considered amongst the most important archaeological sites of Christian history. At the catacombs you can witness the burial chambers in something of a labyrinth, many of the inscriptions on the "tombs" remain as well as some emblems and relics.

Trastevere is my favourite area of Rome. This medieval district on the left bank of the Tiber was once home to the poor of the city and looked down upon by the grand Imperial Romans. Today Trastevere is the most trendy area of Rome with the best restaurants and bars in the city. With an international atmosphere it is common to walk around hearing as much English as Italian. Many American and British Ex-pats have made Trastevere their home seeing the potential in this medieval quarter that looks more like Barcelona's Barrio Gotico than anything resembling Rome. It's also home to many famous Italians as well an International artists who have helped raise the areas profile, and it's property prices.

Filled with antique stores, books shops and quaint old knick knacks you can spend a day walking its narrow streets and just enjoying Trastevere for its ambiance. The area's life focuses around the famous church and the square in which it sits, the Santa Maria in Trastevere. Wonder around, get lost and enjoy a long lunch at one of the great traditional Italian trattoria's.

Villa Borghese is hardly a secret but it's still under appreciated. It's the best place to bring kids in Rome with huge outdoor spaces and a zoo. As the best open space in Rome, home to a fantastic art collection, and host to outdoor events all year round it's a hub of Roman life in the same way Hyde Park is in London. It's huge. If you've had the fortune to walk around the circumference of Villa Borghese then you know you've put in some km's and deserve that Spaghetti Carbonara.

The Bio Park, the city's zoo, is a valiant attempt to educate Rome's young about the plight of animals and the dangers of global warming. The message gets lost in the cute monkeys and lion cubs though.

Galleria Borghese, is an impressive 17th century villa housing the work of famous artists including Bernini and Canova. The museum is more for history fans as its first floor is dedicated to Roman antiquities, busts and mosaics. The Galleria Borghese is open all year round.

Where can I eat in Rome?

Where can't you eat in Rome? All the districts have traditional trattoria's as well as cheap pizza stands where you can get yourself a filling slice of pizza for €1.50. No matter what your budget you can eat well in Rome.

Here are some recommendations (£ - Inexpensive - under £10 for a main course - ££ - Reasonable £10-£15 for a main course - £££ - Pricey £15-£24 for a main course- ££££ - Expensive £25-£35 for a main course - £££££ - Daylight Robbery - £35+ for a main course)

  • GUSTO - Upmarket Italian restaurant - ££££
  • IL PASTARELLARIO - famous restaurant in Trastevere - £££
  • REMO - best place for traditional roman pizza- ££
  • IL CON VIVIO - One of Rome's most fashionable restaurants, great foodie place - ££££
  • DAGNINO - 50's style Sicilian patisserie, great food and ambiance - £
That's it for Rome. There are a million other attractions worth seeking out but hopefully we gave you some new ideas to get excited about.

Ciao for now HotelClickers!
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Strasbourg - The Christmas Markets

OK so probably you don't really want to think about Christmas right now. Bah Humbug right? Well, we're making no apologies for it, we at HotelsClick love Christmas. It's a great excuse to live life to excess, eat too much, drink too much and steal a kiss from people way out of your league. It's also a perfect time to visit places that don't normally show up on the holiday radar. We're going to talk about the famous Berlin, Prague and Brussels markets but also some places we might consider "Serie B" in the travel industry, Cologne, Brugge, Antwerp and Strasbourg.

Today we're going to focus on Strasbourg on the French/German border.

Strasbourg - the QT
Strasbourg Xmas Markets run from Nov 29 to Dec 24. This is one of the largest Christmas markets in France, and the setting in front of Strasbourg Cathedral is breathtaking. In its 431st year, this market in Alsace is the oldest Christmas market in France. Be sure to visit La Petite France, a cozy neighborhood of timbered fairy-tale buildings with Christmas shops and a gingerbread bakery. While you are this close to Germany, cross over the river and visit the Christmas markets there, too.

Who flies to Strasbourg?

  • Air France fly daily from London Gatwick.
  • Click Here to view all incoming flights into Strasbourg Airport.

What hotel deals can you offer me?

Well I'm glad you asked. Let's choose a budget, tourist and luxury class hotel. These prices are based on two nights, in one double room and include breakfast. The price is for the entire stay for the room. These prices are an example of 7 December, 2 Nights, 1 Double Room.

Click to see all Strasbourg Hotels

What else can I see and do in Strasbourg?

Strasbourg Cathedral is the highlight of the city. Completed in 1439 it is thought to be, along with York Minster, one of the finest example of Gothic architecture in the world. Between 1625 and 1847 it was the world's tallest building stading at 142 meters tall. As well as being a breathtaking masterpeice of architecture the cathedral also houses a wonderful 18 meter astronomical clock.


The City of Strasbourg is a chocolate box scene of black and white timber frame buildings probably one of the best examples of a Rhineland cityscape. The photo shows Place du Marchè aux Cochons de Lait but many of the central streets follow the same style. The main square, Place Kleber, is the best viewpoint to sample the true flavour of Strasbourg.

Musée d'Art Moderne et Contemporain de Strasbourg is among the largest modern art museums in France and is one of many brilliant museums in the city. The museum is renowned for its large collection of works by Gustave Doré, Jean Arp and Victor Brauner and for owning the most important French ensemble of contemporary German artists (Jörg Immendorff, Markus Lüpertz, Georg Baselitz). Also worth checking out are the excellent Musée des Beaux-Arts, the Musée de l'Oeuvre Notre-Dame and the Musée zoologique de l'ULP et de la ville de Strasbourg which houses a collection of over 18,000 birds.

Where can I eat in Strasbourg?

There are a vast amount of places to eat in Strasbourg for all kinds of different budgets. Some of the best food can be found on the street from the vendors in the central square serving up traditional crêpes both sweet and savoury.

Here are some recommendations (£ - Inexpensive - under £10 for a main course - ££ - Reasonable £10-£15 for a main course - £££ - Pricey £15-£24 for a main course- ££££ - Expensive £25-£35 for a main course - £££££ - Daylight Robbery - £35+ for a main course)

OK, so that's a pretty good skinny on Strasbourg. We hope you enjoyed this quick overview of Strasbourg, if you have any questions about Strasbourg Hotels then you can email us at info@hotelsclick.com and we'll do our best to help make your trip pleasurable and easy on the old wallet.

On Monday we will review the town of Cologne and take a look at its Christmas markets. Ciao for now HotelClickers!

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