The hotel is located on the shores of an alpine lake, 4,400 feet above sea level in the spectacular High Tatras Mountains in Strbske Pleso. The mountains are the natural border between Poland and Slovakia, forming the central section of the Carpathian mountain range, where the air is said to be pure and medically beneficial.
The historic hotel, originally built in 1906, has been completely restored. The 98 spacious rooms and suites offer views either over the alpine lake, the mountains or the vast valley; some even feature private winter gardens.
The hotel provides international and Mediterranean cuisine in its all-day dining Grand Restaurant, focusing on local specialties, prepared by a team of international chefs.
For conferences, meetings and other occasions, the hotel has two ballrooms which can cater for up to 150 people. Apart from exploring the surrounding nature on foot or mountain bike, the area is ideal for cross-country and downhill skiing, horseback riding, or tours with horse carriages or snow scooters. Bungee jumping and paragliding, bear-watching expeditions and hot-air ballooning are also available and can all be arranged by the hotel’s concierge. For young guests, special amenities and services are available, including a professionally run Kids’ Club with many activities to keep children entertained while their parents relax.
The Wellness & Spa offers a variety of Thalgo and Terrake facial and body treatments. The facilities include several saunas, themed showers, a private VIP spa suite, seven treatment rooms and a vitamin bar. Indoor pools with views over the lake and mountains bring the natural environment into the spa.
From now through the end of June, guests can take advantage of a special opening rate of 160 EUR for a single and 180 EUR for double occupancy per night, including taxes, buffet breakfast and access to the wellness and spa area.
The Grand Hotel Kempinski High Tatras can be reached by road, rail or air. The nearest international airport is Poprad-Tatry; Kosice Airport is 93 miles away. Limousine transfers as well as helicopter pickups from Bratislava and Vienna are available.
Portugal is considered Europe’s oldest nation. Lisbon is the capital and the largest city in Portugal, and its history can be traced back to ancient days, first as a Greek trading post and later as a Roman municipium.
In the early Middle Ages, Lisbon was occupied by the Visigoths and later by the Moors. Alfonso I reconquered the city from the Moors in 1147, and during the next several hundred years Lisbon developed as the capital of the kingdom and as a trading center.
So that’s the quick history of Portugal and Lisbon, but what’s new? Well, there are a number of new hotels in Portugal that you may want to keep in mind when traveling there. Here’s a European Traveler rundown:
Photo credit: Antonio Sacchetti
LISBON REGION Lx Boutique Hotel – Lisbon The Lx Boutique Hotel is the newest inn in Lisbon, located in the Cais do Sodré district and minutes away from Chiado and Bairro Alto. The $7 million hotel has 45 rooms, each with a theme related to Lisbon, from the Tejo Persona (Fernando Pessoa lived in the building for some time, and it was the once the famed Hotel Bragança), Fado, Seven Hills and Bairro Alto. With its location near the historic districts of Lisbon, it is ideal for those who want to discover the city. www.lxboutiquehotel.pt
Hotel da Estrela – Lisbon The Hotel da Estrela, first hotel of the Lagrimas Group in Lisbon and a new hotel for the School of Hospitality and Tourism of Lisbon, is located in the Campo de Ourique, in the historic Palácio dos Condes de Paraty. The four-star project, designed by architect Miguel Cancio Martins, includes 19 rooms with three meeting rooms, a restaurant/bar, a garden and an event space. The training aspect is one of the points highlighted, and part of the staff will be final-year students. www.hoteldaestrela.com
Oitavos Hotel – Estoril Coast – Lisbon Region The Oitavos, a new luxury hotel, opened in the fall and is located just 20 minutes from Lisbon. The hotel features 142 guest rooms, a golf course built around sand dunes and saltwater swimming pools. This nature-inspired property is located on the family-owned Quinta da Marinha estate, within the Sintra-Cascais National Park. www.theoitavos.com/
CS Vintage Lisboa Hotel – Lisbon This five-star hotel includes 55 rooms, vintage restaurant, spa, indoor pool and latest web technology. It is located in the city center, just minutes away from Avenida da Liberdade. www.cshotelsandresorts.com/eng/cs-hotels/lisboa-cs-hotels
Altis Avenida –Lisbon The Altis Avenida is a charming new hotel in Restauradores Square, the historic heart of Lisbon’s city center and the main shopping district. All 72 rooms are equipped with the very latest technology and designed with 1940’s décor, maintaining the original combination of styles, fabrics and furniture. The hotel is a place where the past, present and future meet in a glamorous and sophisticated atmosphere. The bar and restaurant on the top floor provide a magnificent view over the city and is the ideal meeting place for those looking for the true feel of Lisbon. www.altishotels.com
Inspira Santa Marta – Lisbon This four-star, green-designed hotel is in the heart of downtown Lisbon. It provides prime comfort and hospitality, intertwined with the latest in wellness and sustainability. Feng Shui reflects the mood and is the main theme of the hotel. Located just off of Lisbon’s main Avenida da Liberdade, the hotel has a total of 89 stylish guest-rooms designed around Feng Shui themes such as earth, fire and water. The restaurant features Mediterranean cuisine and show cooking, all made with freshly prepared ingredients. www.inspirasantamartahotel.com
International Design Hotel – Lisbon This four-star hotel is located at Rua da Betesga in Lisbon. Urban, Tribal, Zen and pop are all design themes exhibited by the hotel’s unique rooms. The hotel is located on one of the oldest streets in Lisbon, Betesga, whose origins go back to the 15th century. www.internacionaldesignhotel.com/
Altis Belém Hotel – Belém – Lisbon A new boutique hotel in Belém by the Altis Group, known for the quality, sophistication and professionalism, is opening a new hotel in the Lisbon area. It is located near the Bom Sucesso docks, an important tourist area. This new, luxury boutique hotel features 42 high quality rooms and a restaurant serving Portuguese cuisine. Hotel Altis Belém also features a bar and terraced café, spa and meeting rooms. www.altishotels.com
PORTO & NORTH OF PORTUGAL REGION Six new hotels, restaurants and museums are among a few of the new offerings from the Grand Harbor, located around the World Heritage Center. Hotels include the five-star The Yeatman, the four-star Teatro, the Intercontinental Hotel, the hotel Star Inn Porto, the under-construction four-star Inspira Flores Hotel and the Carris Porto Ribeira.
Hoteles Rail – Porto Hoteles Rail, a Spanish hotel chain, has a new four-star hotel located in the heart of the historic center and close to the Douro River. It features 90 rooms, with a business-meets-modern concept. The investment created more than 300 jobs in the area, and the project is a part of a focus on the recovery and reuse of historical buildings in Porto.
Vidago Palace – Vidago Celebrating its centennial, the 70-room and suite Vidago Palace officially reclaims its place as one of Europe’s great historical resorts. Located within a 250-acre estate, an hour from Porto, Vidago Palace has been extensively renovated and restored over the last two years. Embracing its Belle Epoque heritage, Vidago Palace is a majestic Portuguese country house with all the services of a world-class luxury hotel. www.vidagopalace.com
A room at the Yeatman
The Yeatman – Porto The Yeatman opened its doors as the first five-star hotel in the Portuguese city Vila Nova de Gaia. All the rooms overlook the spectacular Ribeirinha Porto and are decorated in a classical style. The hotel is committed to protecting the environment and devotes half of the property to elegantly-crafted gardens, including an olive tree more than 1,300 years old, a butterfly garden and endangered plants attracting an array of bird species. The hotel is integrated into the landscape, mimicking the slopes of the Douro River. It offers a total of 82 rooms, as well as the master suite hotel that is separated from the rest of the building and can be accessed from the garden. www.the-yeatman-hotel.com
CENTRO DE PORTUGAL REGION Casa da Insua This five-star boutique hotel is a converted 18th century, baroque-style manor in Penalva do Castelo. Located southeast of Porto, it features an impressivea façade and gardens. It features 21 rooms, nine suites and three one-bedroom and two two-bedroom apartments. On-site facilities include a restaurant, museum, reading and game rooms, a chapel and a wine-tasting room. The hotel also has a selection of rooms and spaces available for meetings and other events. Prices include breakfast. www.casadainsua.pt
Casa das Penhas Douradas Located at the heart of Serra da Estrela National Park, this hotel features some additional new rooms totaling 18, a spa, restaurant, heated pool and bikes. The rooms are wood birch-paneled with large windows and verandas, offering a stunning view of the mountains. Each room has an LCD television, a DVD player, and an iPod player, providing a home-away-from-home atmosphere. Casa das Penhas Douradas is located minutes away from the airport. Prices include breakfast. www.casadaspenhasdouradas.pt
Vila Galé Coimbra The city of Coimbra has the new four-star Hotel Vila Galé Coimbra. This hotel is located in the Coimbra historical center, overlooking the Mondego River. www.vilagale.pt
ALGARVE REGION Martinhal Resort Martinhal Resort was officially inaugurated in what is being touted as Portugal’s first high-luxury family resort in the Algarve town of Sagres. Located on the rocky, southwestern point of Portugal, Sagres is where the first caravels were launched during the Age of Exploration. Today, the town boasts breathtaking views of the Atlantic, many of which can be seen from the Martinhal Resort’s houses, cottages and luxury villas. The theme at this five-star resort is “Barefoot Luxury,” and the staff aims to provide a relaxed experience. All rooms have private terraces with ocean views. The on-site restaurant, O Terraço, sits atop the pavilion and offers guests the option of enjoying a simple coffee or a full gourmet meal while overlooking the sea. Nature enthusiasts will enjoy the protected lagoon, which is part of the Costa Vincentina Natural Park. www.martinhal.com/
Real Marina Hotel & Spa Real Marina Hotel & Spa is a luxury resort overlooking the Ria Formosa, a protected natural reserve. Contemporary yet traditional, the hotel caters to both the leisure and business traveler with full use of facilities for each segment of the market. Accommodations include 132 double-rooms and 12 suites. Facilities include two restaurants, two bars, heated indoor and outdoor swimming pools (including a children’s pool). www.realhotelsgroup.com
Longevity Wellness Resort Monchique – Condo Hotel The Longevity Wellness Resort Monchique was inaugurated as being a green facility with a focus on wellness and relaxation. Properties here are a mix of vacation homes and rentals. The development is in the Algarve’s mountains located around the picturesque town of Monchique, with both mountain and coastal views. It has 195 one-bedroom apartments with amenities such as outdoor and indoor swimming pools, restaurant and bars, driving range and putting green, library, cinema and the Longevity Anti-Aging Spa. www.longevitywellnessresort.com/
MADEIRA REGION Hotel da Vila Located by the beach, this property offers 16 rooms of simple yet elegant design that mixes blue Portuguese tiles with ancient wood to create a chic and rural concept. www.hoteldavila.com/
I haven’t been to perhaps more than six InterContinental hotels in my lifetime, but I have to admit that each one more than exceeded my expectations.
Many are oases in the middle of busy cities, with street noise and lots of hustle and bustle; yet, entering the lobby of the Frankfurt (Germany) hotel, I found myself already starting to relax.
The Frankfurt City Center hotel on Wilhelm-Leuschner Strasse, managed by Thomas Hilberath, who has a knack for pleasing his upscale guests, attracts a clientele with above average income. This includes many businessmen, but also leisure travelers, who come to Frankfurt to take in the sites. And when the annual Christmas Market begins in Advent, it’s just a 15 minute walk from the hotel to the Roemer Platz, where this popular event is held.
BUSY LOBBY The lobby exudes a warm atmosphere and is a very busy place at 10 a.m., with professionals having discussions in the hotel’s lobby lounges. At the same time, bags await transfer to waiting cabs, and the hotel staff keeps busy helping guests find directions, check out and check in.
This 21-story hotel towers above the Main River and affords spectacular views of the city center as well as the Main. One of my night shots of the river from the top floor could probably win a prize.
The 770 rooms available are classed as standard, deluxe and suites, and a different range of services and room footage come with each type of room.
From my corner room I got a sweeping view of the skyscrapers from one set of windows and what was going on near the river on the other side of the room out the other windows.
Standard rooms of 280 square feet feature warm room colors and are equipped with high-speed internet connections. Bathrooms feature a black and cream and gold design. Bathrobes, hair dryers, in-room safe, coffee maker/tea-maker, mini-bar and iron/ironing board are featured in all standard rooms, as is a work desk, television with cable and satellite channels.
Deluxe rooms are on the 19th and 20th floors of the River Wing (the hotel has two wings, one across the street from the other), and measure about 540 square feet. There is turn-down service at night, complimentary morning newspaper and a separate check-in area at the front desk for these guests. Deluxe rooms also feature a separate sitting area, and the bathrooms are roomier and even more upscale with more features. A valet service is also available in Deluxe rooms.
The Panorama Suites feature an elegant living room, a more luxurious bedroom, a whirlpool and even a complimentary meeting room.
24-HOUR FITNESS ROOM Strolling around the hotel, you’ll find a 24-hour health-fitness center on the ground floor, which is complimentary; massages, manicures and facials can be arranged. The business center offers high speed internet and wireless LAN in public areas such as the hotel lobby.
On the 21st floor is the Club InterContinental Lounge for guests of this floor. The bar on the first floor, which takes its name from the German stock market index, DAX, and Frankfurt’s skyscraper-inspired nickname, DAXx Mainhattan’s Bar, is located just off the lobby and stays open until 1 a.m.
Two restaurants offer guests modern cuisine as well as Italian specialties. Signatures Veranda Restaurant features a fusion of haute cuisine from across Europe, with a menu to suit every palate featuring varying themes. Regional dishes, steak, or fish are available and served in the private dining room, summer terrace or veranda, depending on the weather. The dining room is also where breakfast is served.
Breakfast is a hearty meal, with juice, eggs, scrambled or to order, sausages, bacon, potatoes, toast, tomatoes, beans, breads, jams and jellies, cold cuts, cereals, coffee and even champagne, plus plenty more for those who need to carb up for a long day. The wait staff is pleasant and courteous.
Leons Italian Restaurant, inside the hotel, is where you can enjoy a long, leisurely meal in the ambiance of a 1920s-style Italian cafe. Popular classics include pasta, pizza and meat and fish dishes, and a cold glass of beer or wine tops off the meal. The large bar area and live piano music lure young professionals, who often stop by for drinks after work.
Trip Advisor customer comments about the hotel include these two: “Excellent, quick check-in. Room may have been small, but it was clean and comfortable, along with nice large towels. Breakfast was very good with great coffee. Very close to the train station and a beautiful walk along the river to the Christmas market. “
A second comment was, “The staff (was) quick to complete the check-in formalities. The travel desk is also very informative. Breakfast is good and location is very close to main station.”
I’d stay at the InterContinental again. Good location next to the busy train station and to the main part of busy “Mainhattan,” good food and service, and a competitive price add up to what I’d call a hotel with staying power.
Prime location in the center of Frankfurt’s bustling downtown
By Don Heimburger Photos by the author
This German 297-room hotel is more than 100 years old, having been built in 1905 as a palace with 77 rooms and suites, designed in the Art Nouveau style.
There are also 220 guest rooms in the newer wing which are highlighted by clean lines and modern design. At night, the hotel’s welcoming exterior sign, in lights and in a script style of writing, gives the hotel’s entrance a unique flair.
Located within easy walking distance of the main Frankfurt train station, the hotel is convenient for leisure as well as business travelers, as the main Frankfurt Trade Fair Center is only five minutes away. The museum district is also close by.
NEAR IDYLLIC PARK AREA The hotel is located on the quiet and idyllic Wiesenhuttenplatz, and in the summer months you can sit underneath the towering chestnut trees in the beer garden La Jardin and sip your favorite beverage.
Marble lobby floors, dark wood paneling accents and plenty of room to maneuver luggage give the hotel’s entrance floor a graciousness and style. A cozy bar, the Morocco-style Casablanca with high-backed leather chairs, at one end of the lobby, beckons thirsty guests to come in for some relaxation. The sign over the bar’s door from the lobby side is a light-projected image. Just down the street is a lively bar/restaurant area should you want to mingle with the street crowd. The reception desk or concierge can direct you.
As at many of the other hotels in the vicinity, there is a choice of room types, with varying degrees of comfort, space and amenities. There are 25 Classic rooms located in the historical palace portion of the hotel, with high ceilings and real Italian marble in the bathrooms. The average room size here is about 130 square feet.
Superior rooms, and there are 177 of them, are in the modern business wing of the hotel and offer 270 square feet of space. Modern in design, the rooms feature a television with a LCD and plasma screens (and a handy mirror on the other side of the screen), a safe and a complimentary bottle of mineral water.
Executive rooms— with about 322 square feet of space—are in the historical palace portion of the building and provide decor in the Art Nouveau style but with modern amenities. The Deluxe rooms, with 355 square feet of space, offer more room for a comfortable stay. There are also Junior Suites, with about 485 square feet of space— available with separate living and sleeping areas. These are in the Art Nouveau style, and offer classical elegance with very high ceilings, inviting color tones and bathrooms featuring Italian marble. The hotel also says you receive the “VIP” treatment when you book a room of this category.
INVITING BREAKFAST Buffet-style breakfasts consist of smoked salmon, cold cuts and cheese, eggs to order, soft boiled eggs, dried cereals, yogurt, juices and coffee, fresh cut fruits, apples, oranges, bananas, jams and jellies, a variety of breads and pastries, plus more.
The spacious, modern Restaurant La Parc off the lobby, with Sven Frambach as chef, offers a mix of both traditional classics and newer dishes. Using fresh ingredients, seasonal accents and Frambach’s expertise, each dish is “a little piece of art.” The menu is a la carte, with monthly specials, and culinary events are planned throughout the year. As an example, pumpkin was recently featured through the first week of November, then goose was the specialty of the house.
The restaurant is open between 6:30 a.m. and 11 p.m. There is also a business lunch buffet that alternates specialties from time to time. Every Friday starting at 6:30 p.m. there’s a special Laurent’s dinner buffet, inspired by French cuisine and accompanied by piano music. The price also includes a glass of Laurent-Perrier champagne, a carafe of the red or white house wine and mineral water.
The White Stone Lounge wellness center in the hotel offers saunas, herbal steam rooms, massages, cosmetic treatments, manicures and pedicures and exotic applications such as lotus petal facials and body peelings. A gym is also open daily between 5 a.m. and midnight.
Having come to the hotel from the main train station, and it was raining heavily, I was glad to see the Le Meridien such a short walk from the station. The reception clerk offered a friendly greeting, and quickly I was off to my room.
Convenient location, personable employees and some historic atmosphere make for a good mix at the Le Meridien.
Steigenberger’s elegant five-star Parkhotel in Dusseldorf, Germany—located adjunct to a park—is an oasis in the middle of a popular shopping complex and entertainment strip of the Königsallee.
The prestigious hotel has just completed a multi-million dollar renovation of its entire first floor, kitchen area and more than 90 rooms and suites.
STROLL ALONG THE RIVER The hotel is located at the heart of a number of cultural and entertainment venues which are easily walkable, such as the Opera House, the Old Town, and the Rhine River is just a 10 minute walk away. There you can stroll along the river, regarded as one of the most beautiful of esplanades. Planned by Niklaus Fritschi and built between 1990 and 1997, it “joins” the city to its river. It symbolizes Düsseldorfers’ Rhenish joie-de-vivre and particularly in summer is an expression of the city’s Mediterranean lifestyle.
The Rhine embankment promenade links the traditional Altstad (Old Town) to the modern MedienHafen and is lined by cafés and bars. Thus the Steigenberger Hotel enjoys a prominent position in the life of the city which guests can take full advantage of.
The hotel’s lobby is large and welcoming, with a large vase of eye-catching flowers, a glittering chandelier in the middle, colorful contemporary paintings on the walls and rich wood registration desks, backed on the walls by more rich wood panels. I immediately felt at home in this place, especially with the attentive, personable staff.
The Parkhotel’s 130 rooms, all with high ceilings, are comprised of superior single rooms, deluxe double rooms, grand deluxe rooms and deluxe suites, all neat as a pin, roomy and comfortable. Rooms feature a flat screen television, work desk, air conditioning and access to the spa. Larger rooms include even more amenities. In addition, the rooms are quiet and feature reading lamps on each side of the bed.
HOTEL IS CENTRALLY LOCATED Rooms feature a flat screen television, work desk, air conditioning and access to the sauna and fitness area. The Hauptbahnhof is a few blocks away and guests can easily get there by cab from the hotel. The Dusseldorf trade fair building is about four miles away.
The hotel features six modular function rooms for meetings and conferences with air conditioning and state-of-the art facilities to enable users to make the most of modern multimedia.
Etoile Bar From mid-April the exclusive summer terrace of the hotel offers a chance to enjoy meals or drinks al fresco. Indoors, the dark wood-paneled Etoile Bar, where piano music can be enjoyed, is a good spot to sit a spell. There is also the Steigenberger Eck Lounge, a bistro and bar where one can have Champagne, tea or a drink, and seafood or other meal selections.
Artiste Restaurant
FINE DINING At the fine dining restaurant Artiste, chef Christoph Kaiser provides a varied range of excellent foods and fine table wines. A super appetizer of Colby fish topped with avocado cream was followed by a thick, juicy steak, creamed white asparagus and delicious small potatoes. My wife had the asparagus and new boiled potatoes, but with a delicate, flaky salmon as the main dish. All vegetables are locally grown and personally selected by the chef.
The crème brûlée for dessert, as well as the citrus sponge cake garnished with colorful fruit was the perfect ending to a memorable dinner. The service was impeccable. Another hotel restaurant, the Menuett, is also available for breakfast and special events.
HISTORICAL, STUNNING BUILDING From the outside, the first impression of this hotel is of a magnificent, stunning building, in classical German architectural style. It’s history goes back a long way.
HISTORY The hotel opened in 1902 in conjunction with the industry, trade and art exhibition in Düsseldorf. Soon after it opened aristocracy, famous industrialists and the traveling pubic frequented the hotel. As an example, in 1908 Crown Prince Wilhelm of Prussia and Crown Princess Cecilie visited there.
(left) In 1908, Crown Prince Wilhelm and Crown Princess Cecelie visited the hotel.
From 1936 to 1937 the hotel was reconditioned and modernized but was substantially damaged in 1944 during WWII air attacks, with the upper floors destroyed by fire. Between 1945 and 1951 the Steigenberger hotel was taken over by American and later British occupying forces. Later it served as the Mannesmann AG administrative building until 1953.
Today, English carpets and both modern and antique furniture evoke a synthesis of functionality and noble ambience in the hotel. The elegant interior was designed by architect Bergit Countess of Douglas. The valuable high class furniture imitates the style popular in 18th century’s France ruled by Louis XVI, evoking a sense of comfort and security through its warm wood colors and wooden materials.
In all, the Steigenberger Parkhotel is an island of calm in the midst of a bustling downtown city. Its interesting history and charm make it a prime Steigenberger property.
European Traveler 