Monday, 13 August 2012

Motel, what is it stand for?

A motor hotel, or motel for short (also known as motor inn, motor court, motor lodge, tourist lodge, cottage court, auto camps, tourist home, tourist cabins, auto cabins, cabin camps, cabin court, or auto court), is a hotel designed for motorists, and usually has a parking area for motor vehicles. Entering dictionaries after World War II, the word motel, coined in 1925 as a portmanteau of motor and hotel or motorists' hotel, referred initially to a type of hotel consisting of a single building of connected rooms whose doors faced a parking lot and, in some circumstances, a common area; or a series of small cabins with common parking. Motels are often privately owned, though motel chains do exist.
As the provincial highways and the United States highway system began to develop in the 1920s, long-distance road journeys became more common, and the need for inexpensive, easily accessible overnight accommodation sited close to the main routes led to the growth of the motel concept. Motels peaked in popularity in the 1960s with rising car travel, only to decline in response to competition from the newer chain hotels which became commonplace at highway interchanges as traffic was bypassed onto newly constructed freeways.

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Adapted from www.rtbot.net

Monday, 6 August 2012

Guide to Sydney, Australia

Sydney: Lay of the Land

Five need-to-know neighborhoods.
CBD: The Central Business District is home to the Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge, and top hotels.
The Rocks: Centuries-old cobblestoned streets are filled with outdoor cafés and boutiques.
Darlinghurst: Bustling and chic Oxford Street is the main artery—and essentially the SoHo of Sydney.
Surry Hills: The onetime garment district is now a bohemian enclave with funky shops and some of the city’s most creative restaurants.
Bondi: This world-famous surfing beach is just a 20-minute drive east of downtown.

Getting Around
The best way to navigate the city is on foot, so pack a pair of walking shoes. Tired? Cabs are also handy ($15 for 10 minutes) and can be hailed on the street.

Sydney: See + Do

The city’s latest cultural spots (beyond the Opera House).
BreenSpace: Owner Sally Breen’s gallery may be tucked away on the third floor of a nondescript building near Chinatown, but don’t let that fool you: inside are works by Australia’s top talent, including Mitch Cairns and Simryn Gill. 17-19 Alberta St., level 3.
Carriageworks: In a converted 1880 rail yard in Eveleigh, this multi-venue performance space has been painstakingly preserved. The original cavernous brick-walled interiors house Sydney’s most progressive theater and contemporary art. A highlight: “Playwriting Australia,” a series of plays by local writers. 245 Wilson St.
MCA Australia: Carve out an afternoon to explore the new wing of Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art. On view: “Possible Composition,” part of the 18th Biennale of Sydney, which features 48 works by 26 international artists. 140 George St.
White Rabbit Gallery: The well-curated collection of modern Chinese art at this spacious gallery was assembled by longtime collector Judith Neilson, one of Australia’s richest women. Fortunately, her taste level more than matches her deep pockets. We love artist Cang Xin’s 2007 sculptural series. 30 Balfour St.

Sydney: Shop

Where to find the best Aussie designers, housewares, and more.
Swing by the Intersection Paddington (Oxford St. and Glenmore Rd.), a high-end emporium carrying avant-garde and traditional Australian labels. Browse Alannah Hill’s colorful dresses fit for Katy Perry (No. 118-120); yummy-mummy staple Sass & Bide (No. 132), with its slinky denim and vintage-inspired separates; and Dinosaur Designs (No. 339), a local mainstay known for its Day-Glo resin jewelry and housewares.

He Made She Made (70 Oxford St.) sells whimsical art and furniture, including graffiti-covered chairs, by emerging regional designers.

Donna Hay General Store (40 Holdsworth St.), on a quiet residential corner in Woollahra, is run by Australia’s Martha Stewart. The designer has converted an old house into a pastel-colored shop filled with her signature streamlined products: 1940’s-style ceramics in white or seafoam green, scented candles, and white enamel bakeware.

Drop in to Victor Churchill (132 Queen St.), even if you don’t need picnic fixings. This butcher’s shop looks like Willy Wonka’s meat-minded counterpart, down to the cast-bronze sausage links that serve as the front-door handle. Don’t miss the house-made goodies to go: mushroom tarts with Parmesan and parsley butter, duck rillettes, or galettes with smoked salmon and artichoke hearts.

Sydney: Stay

The six places to bunk down right now—each with a view of the harbor, of course.
Blue: Rooms at this gem on Woolloomooloo Wharf are loft-?style, with exposed beams and plush beds set against a chocolate-brown and aquamarine palette. Best For: Stylish quarters off the beaten path. $$

The Darling: Sexy and cutting-edge—that’s how to describe the newest addition to Darling Harbour. There’s black-and-red flecked wallpaper in the low-lit corridors, and the push of a button lowers your room’s blinds, turns on the TV, and adjusts the air temperature, all at the same time. Best For: Hipsters in search of a scene. $$

Four Seasons: From the sky-high atrium lobby to the clubby hotel bar and spacious outdoor pool, this classic in the Rocks never disappoints. Best For: Unbeatable service. $$$

Hilton: The glass-walled tower, designed by architects Johnson Pilton Walker (the team behind the Opera House makeover), is a quick stroll from the main landmarks. Best For: Easy access to sightseeing. $$

Park Hyatt: Fronting the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, the Park Hyatt occupies the city’s most coveted location. A $68 million renovation only adds to its allure, with new floor-to-ceiling windows and amenities from cult perfumer Le Labo. Best For: Knockout views. $$$$
Hotel Pricing Key
$ Less than $200
$$ $200 to $350
$$$ $350 to $500
$$$$ $500 to $1,000

Sydney: Eat

From haute cuisine to comfort-food classics, Sydney has a restaurant for every type of traveler.
Retro-style Gardel’s Bar is like a vintage supper club with comfy leather booths, leopard-skin throws, and a young, tattooed staff. Come for the juicy chorizo-and-octopus skewers and hot dogs topped with chili and fried onions, then chance a game on the 1940’s foosball table. 358 Cleveland St. $$

Hidden in the industrial backstreets of Surry Hills, Reuben Hills is the place to sample the city’s best coffee, Aussie-style: ask for a flawless flat white from the apron-clad barista strolling the floor—he’ll take your order on his iPad. 61 Albion St.

The city’s latest hot spot? Neild Avenue, in Rushcutters Bay. Meze-style dishes are the draw here—there’s four-cheese arancini (deep-fried rice balls), buffalo halloumi, and baked duck-egg custards. The funky interiors, with paintings of centaurs on the walls, were designed by Italian-Australian duo Lazzarini Pickering. 10 Neild Ave. $$$

A bright blue doorway welcomes you to El Loco, which serves some of the finest Mexican food in the city, thanks to renowned chef Dan Hong. Sydneysiders gather at the colorful tables to munch on pork, beef, prawn, chicken, and tofu tacos doused in mouthwatering toppings. 64 Foveaux St. $$

Run by bad-boy chef Matt Moran, Australia’s answer to Anthony Bourdain, Chiswick dishes up signature unfussy modern food: wood-roasted lamb from Moran’s family farm, vitello tonnato sliders, and heirloom-tomato salad with crushed green olives. Caveat: tables fill up quickly, so call at least two weeks ahead. 65 Ocean St.; 61-2/8388-8688. $$$
Restaurant Pricing Key
$ Less than $25
$$ $25 to $75
$$$ $75 to $150

Beyond Syndey

Follow the weekend crowd two hours west to the Blue Mountains, Sydney’s popular hilltop getaway. There, spend your days hiking the lush valley.
For an easier jaunt, hop a harbor ferry to the northern beaches on the city’s outer edge and stroll the Victoria Parade in Manly.
Seeking a more tropical escape? Head 138 miles south to Jervis Bay, which looks like the backdrop of The Blue Lagoon: white sands lapped by clear, blue water teeming with rays.

Adapted from and appeared as "Our Definitive Guide to Sydney" in T+L Magazine.

World's Best Hotels 2012

Top 50 Hotel - World's Best Hotels 2012

Courtesy of Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek

The resulting World’s Best Awards are a collection of the properties that go above and beyond. The voting categories stay the same—rooms, location, service, food, and value—but this year’s results showcase the hotels and destinations that are important now.

One noticeable trend: Istanbul is on the rise. The city’s Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul on the Bosphorus ranked No. 24 (it’s also the No. 1 Large City Hotel in Europe); readers love the riverfront location and the 19th-century building’s refined elegance. Elsewhere in Europe, readers are heading to Italy’s Amalfi Coast, where the family-run Hotel Santa Caterina offers antique-filled rooms and the seclusion of a private beach, terraced gardens, and citrus orchards.

Some surprising newcomers also made the ranks of the T+L 2012 World’s Best Awards: the romantic Nayara Hotel, Spa & Gardens, near Costa Rica’s Arenal volcano, debuts at No. 6 (it’s the first Costa Rican hotel to break into the Top 10); Australia’s Southern Ocean Lodge, the country’s first wilderness luxury retreat, surged to the top of the list at No. 3.

But the top 50 hotels aren’t exclusively found in far-flung destinations. In 2012, almost 20 percent of the winners are right here in the United States. That includes No. 12, Charleston’s genteel Wentworth Mansion, with its romantic restaurant and rooftop cupola’s views, and No. 21, the Osprey at Beaver Creek, CO, a recently renovated ski-in, ski-out hotel near the slopes.

No. 1 Singita Grumeti Reserves, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
No. 2 Triple Creek Ranch, Darby, MT
No. 3 Southern Ocean Lodge, Kangaroo Island, Australia
No. 4 Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur, India
No. 5 Discovery Shores, Boracay, Philippines