Category: Cool Service
Leading Hotels of the World for just $19.28 a night.
Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) has many of the world's best properties in its portfolio. From Antigua to Zimbabwe, LHW offers exceptional service, best-in-class amenities, and luxurious accommodations - at prices that are out of reach for many of us.But in celebration of their 80th anniversary, LHW is making a limited number of rooms available at participating properties for just $19.28 a night.
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Roof gardens on both sides of the pond.
Not long ago, we posted an item about London's Kensington Roof Gardens. We had lunch there in June, and aside from the sticker shock brought on by $25 cocktails, we had a wonderful experience - Asian pear martinis, beautiful views of the city, and a delicious lunch.
During the summer, they offer barbecues - mostly fish and shellfish - at lunch and on weekend evenings for parties of ten or more. Next time you're in London, it's worth a splurge. Because the gardens are a popular venue for private functions, reservations are essential. You can make them at http://www.roofgardens.com/restaurant/booking
But you don't have to leave the country to enjoy an evening out under the stars.
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Barcelona's free bike program.
While Paris's highly successful Velib bike-sharing program has received the most attention, Barcelona's "Bicing" celebrated its first birthday this week. Launched last year with 1,500 bikes and 100 station, the program now boasts 4,300 bikes, 286 stations, and 130,000 users.The annual subscription fee of €24 lets users take a bike for a maximum of two hours. The first 30 minutes are free, after that, the cost is .30€ for 30 minutes. The small-wheeled, red-and-white bikes are tricked out with baskets, bells, and lights. And the swipe cards used to liberate the bikes from their stands have pretty much eliminated theft.
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London Hidden Treasure: Kensington Roof Gardens
One of London's best kept secrets is the Kensington Roof Gardens. Still known to Londoners as Derry and Tom's, the gardens were laid out atop a department store in the mid-1930s. The gardens -- which cover 1-½ acres -- comprise the largest roof garden in Europe.
There are Spanish (based on the Alhambra in Granada), English Woodland -- with 30 species of trees -- and Tudor style gardens. And now, a hot nightclub and award-winning restaurant.
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Abercrombie & Kent tours for women.
Abercrombie & Kent sent me an email today announcing their "women-only journeys."To be honest, we've never been fans of women's tours. The pioneers in this field were notoriously unprofessional. Travelers who'd paid in full for their trips would often learn a couple of weeks before departure that they'd need to pay a "supplement" because too few people had signed up for their tour. And the standard of accommodation was not commensurate with the price.
But we're all for A&K entering the market. So many single women want to travel but don't want to go it alone and don't want to feel like fifth wheels in a world of couples.
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