Epoque Hotels News

May 26, 2006

The mise-en-scene was organized by the Government and the Tourism and Convention Board in order to celebrate the Planned Progress Miami Beach project finalization.

The toasty event rolled right after start of summer solstice. It was an interesting combination of government officials, museum curators, and spectacular music melting into a the very special participation of Epoque Hotels.

May 25, 2006

Visit Epoque Hotels as the most stylish and unique travel experiences from around the world are unearthed at Conde Nast Traveller presents The Luxury Travel Fair with British Airways, Olympia, London 29 June – 2 July 2006.

From the perfect boutique hotel break in Marrakech to sailing the Caribbean in style, escaping to a private island in the Maldives or snow-covered chalets in the Alps, discover "must see" destinations from around the globe and rare and exclusive new travel experiences.

Be inspired by passionate travel experts and celebrity guests including John Simpson - BBC World Affairs Editor, eco-adventurer David De Rothschild and photographer Martin Hartley. Whet your appetite with demonstrations and tips from culinary genius Jean Christophe-Novelli, and sommelier Matt Skinner. Reserve and relax with a complimentary spa treatment, enjoy a glass of champagne and even book your next escapade all at The Luxury Travel Fair!


Tickets cost £16 on the door or £15 in advance and include admission to The Daily Telegraph/House & Garden Fair. To book call: 0870 060 6090 or visit www.luxurytravelfair.com Quoting 'Epoque'.

May 24, 2006

    Ten-foot glass doors part silently, granting access to a minimalist white lobby. A pyramid of green apples graces the glossy black reception desk, where two clerks speak to guests in the high-ceilinged room: one in perfect English, the other in perfect German. Behind another glass partition, a bar stands fully stocked with pastries and an array of libations. Geometric red chairs cluster around small black tables. Is this swank hotel located in London? No, too spacious. Berlin? No, too relaxed. The Death Star? No Storm Troopers. Can't guess? It's Prague, the leader of Eastern Europe's tourist Renaissance, and the ultra-modern yet seriously sweet Hotel Maximilian.

    Don't assume those sharp angles and glass walls translate to a chilly atmosphere, for the Maximilian has many friendly touches that feel like home. The Honesty Bar, off the lobby, is the perfect spot to down a drink after a long day of trudging up and down the castle hill and hauling that crystal decanter you brought from place to place. Pouring your own G&T and pulling a snack from the fridge feels like raiding your host's kitchen - just don't forget to write everything down on the charge list (thus, the "Honesty" Bar). Speaking of trudging, if your toes need pampering, try a foot massage at the Thai massage center on the ground floor of the hotel.

    The Maximilian sits just outside the main tourist area of Prague, an easy walk to the astronomical clock and a quick tram ride to the famous castle. Also, the hotel runs its own car service, and will send a driver to meet your train or plane at a cheaper and more reliable rate than a taxi. A range of cuisine, from traditional Czech to Thai to a bagel bakery, is less than two blocks away, along with a friendly shopping area that includes an English-language bookstore. Best of all, the hotel staff is helpful, multilingual and willing to point you in the right direction. For more information, including rates and specials, check our section dedicated to Hotel Maximilian .

Story By Blythe Butler

May 24, 2006

Hotel Quo Godoy, Madrid,  puts at your disposition its new health and beauty center for your care and enjoyment.

May 23, 2006

Football's coming home...at The Zetter

The Zetter Restaurant & Rooms – former home of Zetter Football Pools and proud supporter of the English football team - is excited to announce that its screening room has opened its doors for the 2006 World Cup! And even better than that, we’ve put together a fantastic World Cup package to enable those of you unable to make the terraces of Germany to support England in style...

...So lay those footballing worries about broken metartarsals, penalty shoot-outs and whether Theo Walcott is shaving yet - firmly to rest - and throw yourself into the spirit of the beautiful game by hosting your very own World Cup party at The Zetter!

All you have to do is check out what match you'd like to see click here for FIFA's match schedule and make a reservation. In return, we’ll provide you with your own screening room complete with 7ft screen, surround sound, a private bar, a bucketful of beer, and a fantastic football buffet (see below) – all for just £35.00 per person.

For more information or to make a booking please call +44 (0)20 7324 4401 or email events@thezetter.com



Football Buffet

Selection of sandwiches, tortilla wraps & sausage rolls
Smoked chicken & mozzarella toast bagels
Smoked salmon with coriander yoghurt

Grilled lamb kebabs & mint dressing
Roasted potato wedges & aioli
Selection of homemade pies
Margarita pizza with basil oil

Mango cheesecake
Chocolate tart
Ice-cream

This offer is valid from Friday 9th June to Sunday 9th July 2006 for parties of 20 people or more and subject to availability.
All prices include VAT, room hire and service.
www.thezetter.com

May 23, 2006

Everyone who subscribes to our newsletter database before june 30th 2006 is eligible to win 2 t-shirts (one Epoque Hotels and one Avantgarde Hotels t-shirt), 2 brochures and 2 fans.
 
Terms and conditions:

- The promotion is only for those who subscribe to our newsletter database from 23rd of May – 30th of June.

- In order to participate, the client has to sign and agree to receive our newsletter.

- Winner will be selected at random from list of emails and will be announced in 1st of July 2006.

- Name of winners will be included in the newsletter of July 2006.

- The prize consists of 2 t-shirts, 2 brochures (one Epoque and one Avantgarde) and 2 fans.

- No cash alternative.

- Your privacy is maintained with Epoque Hotels. Your contact will not be sold to any company.

May 22, 2006

We are delighted to announce that we have two new satellite websites to promote our hotels: http://www.hoteldastriestvienna.com and http://www.hotelstpaulmontreal.com.

May 18, 2006

Episode Summary

Any Given Latitude explores the Czech Republic. The journey starts in the city the Czechs refer to as “Mother Prague.” The grandeur of the Prague Castle overlooking the old town sets the tone for a wonderful day of getting to know the sights, sounds and tastes of the city.


Next we venture to the outer reaches of Moravia for a greenway bike tour. As we travel, the rural Czech landscape is dotted with vineyards and castle towns. Some hold delicious local pastries, other are home to moody but beautiful Jewish cemeteries.


The goal, though, is the delicious “new wine” of the Moravian region. Before the day is out we reach a vinter who shares with us the season’s new wine. It's so wild and fresh it can’t be bottled. Our greenway tour ends with a visit to the remnants of the Iron Curtain, where our guide, Barbora, explains what life was like behind the fence.


We finish our time in the Czech Republic by heading back to Prague. Architect Eva Jiricna explains how the city’s architecture reflects the history and spirit of the people at different times. We then stroll the cobbled streets at night for a tour of Prague’s burgeoning music scene.

View Hotel Maximilian, Prague

View Hotel Josef, Prague 

May 17, 2006

Stay at our hotels for the perfect location to discover the most important landmarks featured in The Da Vinci Code Book.

Paris – Visit the Luovre and Saint Sulpice church for clues on Priory of Sion and the Mona Lisa of Da Vinci, as well as I.M. Pei’s inverted pyramid, Arc du Carrousel, the frescoes of Eugene Delacroix, the Astronomical Gnomon, St. Sulpice Church, the Arago plaques, the St. Eustache Church, Chateau Villette, Versailles and Chartres.

Check our hotels in Paris

Milan - visit the Church of Sta Maria delle Grazie to see the original Da Vinci’s Last Supper fresco
Rome : Vatican , St. Peter’s Basilica, Castel Sant’ Angelo and Castel Gandolfo

Check out our hotels in Milan

Florence and Tuscany - Visit the city and region of Da Vinci.

Check out our hotels in Florence and Siena (Tuscan Region)

Edinburgh – Visit the site of the Battle of Bannockburn, and the Roslyn Chapel close to the city for secrets on the Code.

Check out our hotels in Edinburgh

London – Visit the Temple Church (located in the Inner Temple), King’s College, West Minster Abbey, St. James Park, National Gallery, The Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great, St Bart’s Hospital, Smithfield Market, St John’s Gate, Priory of the Knights Hospitallers.

Check out our hotels in London

May 12, 2006

Summer is quickly approaching and, one more year, the Terraza Larios (located at the fifth floor of hotel Larios) opens its doors from this Monday 15th May.

To begging with we will be offering bar & tapas service from Monday to Saturday from 16-24.00hrs.

And during the month of May we will give you two cocktail for the price of one from 18-20.00hrs

At the beggining of June the weekly cultural agenda will be offered at our restaurant L2 Bistro & Lounge. From then on the cultural agenda will be moved to the breathtaking Terraza Larios during the whole summer.

We will keep you informed on the summer events closer to the date.

We hope to see you soon!

May 03, 2006

Conde Nast Traveler has selected 2006 world’s Hot List and many of  Epoque Hotels members have been chosen thanks to their outstanding  service and unique style. This is the tenth edition of this esteemed list, where the most original and special hotels , restaurants and spas which have opened their doors in the last year are featured.

The Epoque Hotels’ members that have been selected are the following:

Maximilian Hotel - Prague, Czech Republic
Grand Hotel Central – Barcelona, Spain
Hospes Palacio de los Patos – Granada, Spain
Villa Soro - San Sebastián, Spain
San Domenico House – London, England (UK). 

May 03, 2006

David Maranzana, President of Epoque Hotels, held a Press conference call with the Mayor of Taipei, Mr. Ma Ying-jeou . The Mayor of the city, who was attending the launching of Voip (Voice over IP) on Les Suites Taipei (member of Epoque Hotels), discussed with Mr. Maranzana during a 6 minute long call about the possibilities of this new technology , about Taipei becoming a totally wireless city , and how could that affect the travel industry. They discussed about Beef Noodles, which is a specialty of Taipei , with over 165 variations !
The call was televised and broadcasted Live in TV and Radio in Taiwan on the 19 April.

Click here to check Les Suites Taipei.

May 03, 2006

We have placed an advertisement in the Italian magazine bene. This re-known magazine targets readers who want to discover the authentic Italian lifestyle.

May 03, 2006

It is announced today that One Devonshire Gardens, one of Scotland’s best known hotels, is for sale. David Reid of Christie + Co is handling the deal for the hotel’s owners, Citrus Hotels.

The hotel, which occupies a series of Victorian townhouses at the heart of Glasgow’s West End, is a firm favourite with celebrities — as a glance at its glittering guest list testifies. George Clooney, Justin Timberlake, Gwyneth Paltrow and Britney Spears are amongst recent guests to have enjoyed the hotel’s intimate and opulent atmosphere.

Under the ownership of Citrus Hotels, which acquired the hotel in 2002, One Devonshire Gardens has won a string of awards, including Conde Nast ‘Most Excellent City Hotel’ 2005.  It has also been extensively refurbished to offer 35 deluxe bedrooms, many of them suites, and recently launched one of Scotland’s largest and most luxurious suites — the £1,000 per night duplex ‘Mews Suite’. 

Citrus Hotels recently acquired house number 4, which means that for the first time in its twenty-year history, One Devonshire Gardens now occupies the entire terrace of five Victorian townhouses. House number 4 is currently undeveloped but provides a rare opportunity for new owners to extend the number of rooms to 50, and perhaps install an upmarket guest spa.

Citrus Director and General Manager at the hotel, Stephen McCorkell commented: “The last few years have seen some really exciting developments for the Hotel. As a result of a £2 million refurbishment programme and the hard work the team and I have put in, turnover has grown rapidly and the business is thriving. With a string of recent awards recognising our efforts and the purchase of House Four complete, there is scope for expansion and all of us at One Devonshire Gardens are excited about the next stage in the Hotel’s development.”

David Reid, Director of Christie + Co concludes, “There is no question that the market for the sale of hotels in Scotland is better now than it has ever been. One Devonshire Gardens is one of the best townhouse hotels in the UK. It is in a different league to most of Scotland’s other hotels and I know there will be huge levels of interest. The hotel occupies five of Glasgow’s best townhouses and shows outstanding levels of turnover growth and profits. It is therefore likely to appeal not only to wealthy investors in Scotland, but also to operators with similar 5 Star hotels.”

Christie + Co is seeking offers in excess of £8 million for the hotel. Further information can be obtained by contacting David Reid of Christie + Co on 0141 352 7300.

For more press information, please contact Lorna Byrne of Christie + Co (0207 227 0700) or Ilya Scott of Real PR (0141 572 5373) on behalf of One Devonshire Gardens.

Further information on One Devonshire Gardens
When Citrus Hotels Limited, primarily a London based property company, bought the hotel in 2002, it had a good reputation but required investment. Currently trading with 35 beautiful en suite rooms (many of them suites), the hotel trades in Houses 1, 2, 3 and 5 and the largest restaurant is currently leased to Room. The hotel also has its own resident restaurant, No 5. Citrus Hotels now also owns the whole of House 4, which is undeveloped but provides an outstanding opportunity for new owners to bring the hotel up to 50 rooms and perhaps install an upmarket spa.

Recent Awards:
Travel & Leisure 'World's Best Awards' - Top 500 Hotels Worldwide 2006
Glasgow Hotel of the Year - Scottish Hotel of the Year Awards 2005
Condé Nast - Most Excellent City Hotel in the UK 2005
Condé Nast Traveller -  Gold List Hotel 2005
Condé Nast Traveller - Top 40 European Hotels 2005
Travel & Leisure 'World's Best Awards' - Top 50 European Hotels 2005
Condé Nast Bride - Listed in the Top Five Hotels for Weddings in the UK 2005
Glasgow's only AA Red Star Hotel - Top 200 Hotels UK & Ireland 2005

Click here to view more information about One Devonshire Gardens, Glasgow.