London's Five Most Notorious Hotels

As a modern, cosmopolitan city, London attracts its fair share of celebrities; those celebrities in turn attract their fair share of scandals. Some of the most sedate and respectable hotels in London have played host to scandalous behaviour; here are a few of the most notorious.

Portobello Hotel London

This beautiful and eclectic hotel located in Notting Hill offers guests a unique and decadent experience, as guests Kate Moss and Johnny Depp can attest; rumour has it that the two celebrity lovebirds ordered up a bathtub of expensive champagne and shared a soak together. Bathtub eccentricities are no novelty to the Portobello Hotel London staff. In the 1970s, popular heavy metal rocker Alice Cooper kept his pet boa constrictor in a tub during an extended stay.

Cadogan Hotel

For those in search of a more historic holiday experience, the Cadogan Hotel played host to Lillie Langtry's legendary trysts with the future Edward VII and was the site of Oscar Wilde's famous arrest for "acts of gross indecency." Far from concealing its scandalous past, the Cadogan Hotel celebrates its notoriety with suites named after all three of its most famous guests. Its genteel demeanour belies its eventful past; located in the West End, it offers an elegant and upscale alternative to the area's contemporary London hotels.

Dorchester Hotel London
The normally serene Dorchester Hotel London was the setting for some particularly nasty behaviour by actor Christian Bale; this notorious bad boy was charged with assault in 2008. While the crime seemed in keeping with Bale's film roles, the victims were decidedly not standard cinematic villains. Bale had apparently lost his temper with his mother and sister in their hotel room, and the police were called to the scene. Charges were dropped shortly after the incident; the hotel refrained from comment on the matter. Previously, the hotel had been the site of Peter Sellers' fatal heart attack and Prince Philip's stag do on the occasion of his engagement to then Princess Elizabeth.

Jumeirah Carlton Tower

This elite hotel was preferred by Michael Jackson and his entourage, but its real claim to notoriety comes from the financial world. Just before Christmas 2008, HSBC banker and insurance head Christen Schnor committed suicide by hanging himself in his hotel room. It is believed his suicide was due to HSBC's extensive financial investments in the Bernie Madoff schemes, which had recently collapsed.

St. Martins Lane

A recent addition to the Hall of Shame of London hotels, this popular destination for the rich and powerful was the scene of David Hasselhoff's drunken breakdown in October 2009. After several days of drinking, cursing at fellow guests in the hotel's bar, and mistaking his mattresses for urinals, and hitting the doctor whom his assistant called to help him, Hasselhoff was eventually carted off to a detox centre where he was treated for alcohol poisoning.

Many other London hotels have been touched by scandal and tragedy. The Hotel Samarkand, for instance, was the site where Jimi Hendrix's body was found dead from an overdose; the Royal Forest Arms boasts a ghost-in-residence and a haunting atmosphere for its guests. London's long history ensures there will never be a shortage of notorious destinations for holidaymakers.

Max is an author, writer and editor. He is married with two children and a cat and lives in south east London.

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Luxurious Accommodation in the Koh Samui

Koh Samui in Thailand is one of the most renowned holiday spot where people from all across the world visit every year to spend time with their loved ones. Tourists choose to visit it to take time out from their busy routine and forget their worries and problems. So if you want to take a break, Koh Samui is the ideal place to come to.

One of the major reasons why this island became popular is the range of accommodation available and friendly nature of the natives. There are accommodation choices available in all types and ranges from economical to expensive lavish ones. If you want to live luxuriously in Koh Samui, opt for Koh Samui bungalows and check their services yourself.

A few of the most important services available at the Samui bungalows include the king size private bedrooms having all the living amenities, a kitchen fitted with all the dining needs, expert staffs, lovely swimming pools, bars filled with drinks and cocktails, restaurants offering tasty cuisines, 24-hour transport service and a travel guide. The best thing you can do here is spend the day on the beaches, participate in water sports, sunbathing and coming back to the Samui bungalows to experience the luxuries.

The swimming pools in the bungalows are lovely and have a bar on deck feature. Swim with your partner for some intimate moments and have a drink on the deck. The restaurants in koh samui offer best quality food that is not only healthy but also novel.

There are lots of hotels in Samui, but Park Samui Hotel is the best.

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The Finest Fairbanks, Seward and Anchorage, Alaska Hotels

The largest state by area in the US is Alaska. It lies along the North American continent's northwest extremity. The Arctic Ocean lies on the north, the Pacific Ocean by the west and the south, Canada lies on the east and Russia lies further to the west adjacent to the Bering Strait. About half of the 683,478 residents of Alaska stay by the Anchorage metro area. The state is currently the US' least densely populated state.

Alaska Hotels
Alaska has so much to offer. Travelers who wish to visit Kenai Fjords, Denali National Park and other attractions have a wide selection of hotels and lodges to choose from. These Alaska hotels offer quality services, comfortable amenities and even the best tour package you can think of. They can help you get the most out of Alaska. Here are some hotels in Alaska to consider:

Anchorage - Clarion Suites
This hotel is situated downtown Anchorage. Its address is 1110 West 8th Avenue Anchorage, Alaska. Adjacent the hotel is the Delaney Park Strip. It's a large park in Anchorage popular to visitors and locals. Down this street is the coastal trail of Anchorage. It is a paved trail popular amongst bikers, runners and walkers.

Clarion Suites offers 110 well-appointed two-room suites having 2 queen beds, microwaves, pull-out sofas, air conditioners, refrigerators, coffee makers, complimentary wireless Internet connectivity and 2 TVs. Amenities provided include a whirlpool spa, swimming pool, exercise room and guest laundry services. They also offer breakfast buffets and complimentary parking. Airport-hotel transfers as well as shuttle services to the museum and rail depot can also be arranged.

Across the hotel are the Benihana restaurant and other Anchorage eateries you can choose from. Take note that Clarion Suites observes a strict "no smoking" policy. Check in time at the hotel is at 3pm while check out is at 11am. The nightly rate ranges from $137 to $229.

Seward - Best Western Edgewater Hotel
This hotel offers spectacular views and excellent amenities. It is near the historic downtown district of Seward, Alaska. The Alaska Sealife Center is only 1 block away.

Best Western Edgewater Hotel has 76 rooms and upholds a 100% strict "no smoking" policy. Their comfortable suites and rooms are matched with friendly staffs, convenient services and relaxation benefits. They have a cocktail lounge, conference center, 3-story glass atrium with a fireplace and waterfall landscape. Breakfast is complimentary consisting of toast, cereal, coffee/juice, English muffins and condiments.

Rooms overlook either the Kenai Mountains or Resurrection Bay. They also offer free shuttle services to the cruise ship terminal and the Alaska Railroad Depot. There are also limited shuttle services from and to the small boat harbor.

The nightly rate at this hotel ranges fro $126 to $229.
Fairbanks - Princess Lodge
This hotel is located along the Chena River's banks. It offers a relaxing and quiet setting that is enhanced with beautiful landscapes and terraced decks that extend to the riverside. Their Edgewater Restaurant provides serene views of Chena River aside from a sophisticated menu. Their Tracker Lounge provides light fares while their Riverview deck offers a place to relax by the river's edge.

The hotel has about 326 well-appointed guestrooms with cable TVs, 2 double beds, data ports, phones with voice mail, hair dryers, full private baths and wireless Internet connectivity. Other amenities include a steam room, exercise facility, coin-operated laundry and shuttle services.

Princess Lodge is close to the Fairbanks International Airport, downtown area and the Riverboat Discovery Cruise. Check in time is at 3:30pm while check out time is at 11am. The nightly rate at this hotel ranges from $119 to $239.

For more information on Alaska Cheap Hotels Guide and Alaska Heavenly Lodge, please visit our website.

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Traveling With A Boat

For those individuals who like to travel and explore new places, having a boat with them can be a huge advantage. The possibilities that a boat can offer the average traveler are almost endless. The problem is that towing along a boat can not only be expensive, but it can also be quite a pain in the butt. So how in the world does a person travel with a boat and not tow it behind their vehicle? By moving into the twenty first century and getting your hands on a quality inflatable boat, that's how. When you're dealing with an inflatable boat, traveling with a boat just got a whole lot more convenient.

Now before you roll your eyes and start thinking that an inflatable boat is out of the question, hear me out. Inflatable boats have come a long way from the type of inflatable boat that you're thinking of. Technology has enabled manufacturers to produce extremely high quality boats that happen to be inflatable. If you so choose, you can even get quality inflatable boats that a motors can be attached to without any problem. Some inflatable boats even come with very long warranties against springing leaks and such.

How convenient would it be to travel with a boat that could easily fit in the trunk of your car? Do you think being able to store your boat in a small place might be an advantage to an RV user? Of course, the answer to both of these questions is a resounding YES. The convenience and affordability that an inflatable boat has to offer is hard to beat.

The bottom line is that traveling with a boat doesn't have top be an expensive and cumbersome pain in the butt. There are alternatives that not only save in traveling expenses, but also in the cost of the boat itself. Inflatables are a fraction of the cost of a "traditional". So the next time you think traveling with a boat is more trouble than its worth remember, it doesn't have to be.

Trevor Kugler is Co-founder of JRWfishing.com Trevor has more than 20 years of fishing experience, and raises his three year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country....Montana.

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Traveling through Europe

The summer of 2005, my friend and I decided to apply for a summer program as part of our graduate degree and travel from United States to Europe and specifically to Brugges in Belgium, so as to attend an intensive seminar at The College of Europe on Politics, Policies, Lobbying and the European Union. Although I have never visited Belgium before, I was really excited to discover, while browsing the internet, that I was about to visit one gorgeous and historical city of the "Old Continent," while enhancing my academic knowledge and meeting new people.

Before leaving the US we printed any information we could find regarding the city's tourist locations, interesting cafes and historic buildings. Although Brugges is a very small town, it offers a lot of possibilities to those interested in exploring its excitements. But even if it surpassed our expectations, visiting only one European town or country seemed a waste for such a trip. Thus, we decided in advance to research the opportunities a young graduate student has while traveling around in Europe and the most convenient, cheap and interesting way to go from city to city and country to country was via train. The Eurorail trains are the simpler way people have to visit a variety of European destinations, as boarding a train actually offers to the adventure-seekers the possibility of having an extraordinary trip and admiring the countryside in the meantime.

In fact, upon the completion of the summer program, we packed our bags and traveled from Brussels to Amsterdam. The Netherlands' capital was a combination of beauty and adventure. The city streets, the people walking or bicycling around, the nice weather and its countless river docks create a unique combination of images, which are food for hungry eyes-like ours. Since we had less than 48 hours available to see as much as possible, we decided to pay a visit at the Van Gogh Museum, walk the Red District by night, and of course take the tram to travel through the city and gaze its unbelievable beat.

Next stop was Paris, France. Lucky as we were to find an available and affordable room as soon as we got off the train station, the next thing was to find a map of the city and its incredible metro system and travel around to check everything! Notre Dame, bridges, the Eiffel Tower, the Bastille, Champs-Élysées, small cafes and long walks across the Seine River or through the area of Montmartre, made our stay in Paris unforgettable. In fact, one of the best pictures we got from this trip was in front of the Arc de Triomphe and we took it by ourselves-both faces appear on the frame. Monte Carlo was our next and most expensive destination, but its beaches and sun gave our trip a legendary feel.

Next, we visited Italy. Florence and Venice, two of the most important trade cities in Europe offered us some life-time opportunities. Historical monuments, paved streets, canals, museums, restaurants and Italian cafes convinced us that Italy is actually much more than an interesting destination. In fact, I fall-in-love with almost every single building we crossed and by the time we had to catch our plain back, I though we have made a huge mistake; our eight day trip should have lasted a lifetime.

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Travel Insurance and Traveling in Mexico

If you are traveling into Mexico then you need to get insurance to do so. Most all car insurance companies in the United States do not cover you to drive into Mexico and so you need to get special coverage for your trip. Is it expensive? It can be, but you can buy it online and you can shop around. Just look up Mexican Car insurance or Travel insurance to Mexico on Microsoft Live Search or Google.

One thing we have found it that the prices vary quite a bit and the amount of coverage too. So, spending a little extra time is very important. Once you buy your insurance online from a reputable company, you need to print out the copy with all the pertinent information and keep it with you on your trip incase you are in an accident, as you do not want to be arrested there for any reason.

Travel Insurance and Traveling in Mexico is serious business but all these things are easily solvable. How do you know the company you are buying insurance online from is real and really reliable? Well check the AAA ratings and comments and ask friends or family who are seasoned travelers. A little education on this goes a long way.

One might even recommend that you contact your insurance agency and explain to them what you are doing, as they might very well be able to save you a lot of time and hardship in doing it the right way and preventing potential problems later on.

I certainly hope this article is of interest and that is has propelled thought. The goal is simple; to help you in your quest to be the best in 2007. I thank you for reading my many articles on diverse subjects, which interest you.

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Protect Your Jewelry When Traveling

Packing for air travel can be particularly challenging as you attempt to protect your valuable and often sentimental jewelry from harm without sacrificing too much space within your luggage. When you travel with jewelry, you want to ensure that it arrives at your destination and that it remains unharmed. The Transportation Security Administration recommends that airline passengers refrain from wearing jewelry that contains metal to expedite security checkpoints, but also recommends that you keep valuable items including jewelry with you rather than in checked baggage when you travel. Many people do not want to sacrifice having jewelry with them during travel, leading to the need for an efficient and protective way to secure jewelry in a carryon bag or purse.

One way to protect and transport jewelry conveniently is to purchase a jewelry travel case that is equipped to secure and protect the types and quantity of jewelry you will be carrying. Travel cases for jewelry are available from many sources and vary in capacity, price and design. In purchasing a travel case, be sure to take into consideration the types and amount of jewelry that will travel with you, and select a case that will accommodate your needs yet consume minimal space in your luggage.

Packing jewelry safely within your suitcase, however, does not have to involve investing in a jewelry case. You may safely and economically pack your jewelry by securing it with cardboard or heavy paper. Individual necklaces can be packed within cardboard enclosures created by first cutting cardboard rectangles that measure slightly more than twice the length of each chain. This may be accomplished by securing each necklace within two slits that have been cut at one end of each rectangle, and folding the rectangle in half to cover the chain. The cardboard enclosure can then be taped together or placed within a snug baggie that allows the chain minimal space to shift. Earrings and bracelets can be secured with cardboard or heavy paper in a similar manner. The goal is to create a sturdy enclosure that prevents necklaces from becoming entangled and protects all jewelry from harm brought on by potential compression and impact.

Keeping valuable items such as jewelry with you as you travel ensures that they will arrive with you at your destination in the improbable circumstance that your checked baggage does not. Whether you opt for the do-it-yourself approach or purchase a jewelry travel case to meet your needs, be aware that you may request a private security screening if you are traveling with large amounts of valuables and would prefer to protect your privacy.

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