A digital concierge in Renaissance Hotels
21-2-2013
Besides the traditional concierge, Renaissance Hotels introduced a digital concierge. The hotel started working with the Navigator program last year. The Navigator offers suggestions for restaurants, shops and sightseeing in the surroundings of the hotel. The Navigator displays information that is generated by hotel employees and by Wcities, an online destination content provider. You can open the program via the site or an App.
Dutch newspaper opens a restaurant cafe
20-2-2013
The Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad opened a restaurant cafe on the ground floor of a new building in Amsterdam on 18 February. On the second floor the editors of NRC Handelsblad and NRC.next are located. The official opening is on 6 March, until then, NRC readers can test the menu. The restaurant gets a ‘newsy’ look, there are screens with the latest news and the ceiling has a see-through to the editors. Soon there will open some meeting rooms for training, lunches, dinners and meetings. From April onwards NRC will organize daily lectures, debates and courses. NRC is not the first newspaper that opens a restaurant, earlier we saw that the Canadian newspaper Winnipeg Free Press opened a cafe.
Wannemakers Amsterdam
20-2-2013
Our former colleague Christel Hendriks started working at a new hotspot in Amsterdam; Wannemakers!. Since early 2013 Wannemakers! opened its doors at the Singel in Amsterdam. At Wannemakers! you imagine yourself in a ‘La Dolce Vita’ atmosphere and surprising and enjoyment are high priorities. Wannemakers! is open from 08.00 am onwards for breakfast, lunch or dinner. But also for a cup of Single Estate coffee or a coffee-to-go. The restaurant is open Monday through Saturday and offers a French-inspired menu which is being renewed every two to three weeks. During the summer guests can relax on the terrace that is located next to the canal.
MUST in the Kurhaus
20-2-2013
After the unique locations like the ‘Laurenskerk’ in Rotterdam and the ‘Concertgebouw’ in Amsterdam, this year on 6 April the fifth edition of MUST will be celebrated in the Kurhaus Hotel in Scheveningen. The party is in the Kurzaal, with entertainment and DJ’s like Erick E and Funkerman. All of the 252 rooms of the Kurhaus hotel are available for the visitors of MUST. The sale of the hotel package starts on 21 February.
Unusual bars and restaurants in London
15-2-2013
Rachel Howard searched in the heart of London for unusual bars en restaurants. She visited more than 100 locations looking for authentic dishes, magical interiors or eccentric hosts. At the Condé Nast Traveller website she gives a preview and reveals a few of her favorites. Like the secret cinema Wirled Cinema, shown on the picture above. The cinema is intimate and has a small bar where you can order cocktails, pizza and popcorn. The cinema is hidden in an alley and hard to find. Read the whole preview at the website from Condé Nast Traveller.
The toasted sandwich factory
13-2-2013
The Toasted Sandwich Factory, a living installation about the miracle that precedes the food on your plate. Situated in the middle of Amsterdam (in de Van Gendthallen) where the Toasted Sandwich Factory becomes part of the temporary city of Mediamatic. All the ingredients used in the toasted sandwich are grown or fed in the factory. Within a couple of months grain should be ready to harvest, the pigs ready for slaughter and the cows supply milk for the cheese. Anyone can come and visit or possibly help at the factory. The factory shows the origin and the production process of the toasted sandwich. Currently, the enthusiasts behind the Toasted Sandwich Factory are looking for donations.
Luxurious container rooms in Antwerp
7-2-2013
‘Sleeping Around’ rebuilds old Chinese containers into mobile hotelrooms. Four of these rooms are located at the Port of Antwerp, as a breakfast/ lounge container and a sauna container.
Top 10 Most Astonishing Hotels
6-2-2013
Another list with special hotels this time by SweetyDesign. They show hotels with photos of their interior. We already know a couple of them from lists in the past but it included a few new hotels. Like the Boat Hotel in New Zealand and the Anantara hotel in the Golden Triangle in Thailand. The photos are from the Museumotel (spotted in 2006) in France. Each bubble has its own decor. The room in the picture should do well for Valentine’s night!
Americas most expensive tasting menus
1-2-2013
Tasting menus give people the chance to sample each delicacy the restaurant offers. With three or four dishes the chef simply can’t present his entire range of skills. The 5 most expensive tasting menu’s of America:
1. Masa***, New York City. $1160 for 2 persons
2. Joël Robuchon***, Las Vegas. $1115 for 2 persons
3. Meadwood**, St. Helena. $1080 for 2 persons
4. Ursasawa**, Los Angeles. $967 for 2 persons
5. Guy Savay**, Las Vegas. $ 891 for 2 persons
The Librije on cruise ship MS Rotterdam
1-2-2013
Once every ten days ‘The Pinnacle Grill’ restaurant at the luxury cruise ship MS Rotterdam will be turned into ‘The Librije’. The staff is trained in the Librije in Zwolle (The Netherlands) and is dressed in the same clothing as their collegues in the 3-Michelin stars restaurant. The wine is selected by Thérèse Boer and the five-course menu consists of signature dishes by Jonnie Boer.