Vila Foz Hotel & Spa

"An outstanding experience in Porto..."

Facts

• medium-sized high-end luxury hotel in Porto (Portugal)
• member of DESIGN HOTELS with 68 rooms and suites (25 m² – 48 m²)
• seafront hotel 
• signature restaurant Vila Foz for fine dining (chef: Arnaldo Arzevedo) with focus on seafood 
• Flor de Lis (leisure) restaurant (chef: Arnaldo Arzevedo) 
• excellent bar
• spa: first class treatments; turkish bath, sauna, inside pool (access: 16+)
• gym, free bicycles for rent
• free shuttle-service to the old-town
• parking garage with valet service
• turndown service
• Check in: 14 a.m.; Check out: 12 noon.

 

Design 

Vila Foz is a smart combination of a carefully restored 19^th century villa in connection with contemporary, straight architecture which conveys the feeling of a small boutique hotel. During the restoration by the architect Miguel Cardoso from Porto, the focus was on preserving the historical substance. The famous artist and designer Nini Andrade Silva used a wide range of pattern, materials and textures for the interior decoration. The context between the new building and the traditional villa has been cleverly created through the use of lush, shimmering and glamorous design elements. The modern decoration communicates with the venerable interior and vice versa. A reference to the sea, the sandy beaches and the rocky coast is created with wave-like structures and shades between sage and tourmaline green and earth colors. The buildings are embedded in a well-arranged mediterranean garden. 

Well-being

The excellent champagne breakfast ensures your physical well-being in the morning. Everything your heart desires and more is served. 

The Flor de Lis restaurant offers a wide range of delicious local food in a relaxed atmosphere. We highly recommend the risotto. 

The fine dining, signature restaurant, with the wonderful, fantastically stocked bar, is a feast for the eyes, which the tasting menu is in no way inferior to. In both restaurants, fantastic sommeliers advice you to local wines. Try a nightcap in the in-house bar.
The spa with the Turkish bath and sauna is a calming retreat after an exciting day. The onyx, carefully laid out according to the grain, creates a calming cave atmosphere. To support the holistic experience, dry fruits, nuts and excellent teas are provided. 

If you like a traditional, holistic treatment, products from Maison Codage Paris and Elemental Herbology are used.

In the gym you’ll find everything you need for your personal workout. 

Arround

The hotel lies in the suburbs of the vibrant city Porto directly in front of the rough Atlantic sea. The district Foz do Douro is well known for excellent restaurants. We recommend for example Lapa Lapa or Praia da Luz which are located directly on the coastal promenade. In the vicinity you will find some fancy boutiques. The half hour walk to the Serralves Museum is highly recommended. There are some exciting architectural gems (private villas) to discover along the way. The Serralves Museum itself, embedded in an astonishing park, is a must for art and architecture lovers. While changing contemporary artists are shown in the museum, fixed installations by Olafur Eliasson, Ai Weiwei and others can be discovered in the park. The modernist Museum was designed by honorable Álvaro Siza Vieira. Casa de Serralves conceived in 1923 by architect José Marques da Silva on the other hand is an outstanding example of Art Deco architecture. Unfortunately, the villa was being renovated during our visit and could therefore only be admired from the outside. 
A bike trip along the coast to Praia do Aterro is a wonderful experience. On the trip you pass the surfing beach Praia de Matosinhos, the lighthouse Farol de Leca, and the large port of Porto. On the way back you will find excellent fish restaurants on Rua Herois de Franca - the street of the sardines. Or you take a walk (20 minutes) to the Felgoueiras Lighthouse and the Forte de Sao Joao Baptista from the 17^th century which lies at the mouth of the Douro River into the sea.
 
There is of course a lot to discover in the old town of Porto. 

 

Conclusio

This was an unforgettable and romantic stay in Porto - an ideal mix between the pulsating city, the wildness of the Atlantic sea and coast and the Vila Foz with all the amenities as a perfect retreat. The city offers an unforgettable experience with art, architecture, history, surfing, hiking, swimming and excellent Portuguese cuisine. We will come back. 

https://www.vilafozhotel.pt

https://www.serralves.pt

http://www.niniandradesilva.com/pt/

 
 
 
 

Family Hotel Amarin

"Pure Luxury directly at the sea in Rovinj..."

Facts

• medium-sized four star family hotel with pedagogical design concept
• located next to the sea and opposite the picturesque old town of Rovinj in between a huge park-area
• kids club, tennis court, football court, volleyball court, gaming room, small gym for kids, gym, spa and kids-spa, indoor and outdoor playground, indoor and outdoor pools for every age
• really delicious full-board
• beautiful family rooms

Design 

A modern architectural concept has been realised with a pedagogical concept. Everywhere you’ll find animation for moving as a kind of gamification. Ramps are leading you to the higher levels, which make kids run. In the lobby there’s a huge area for climbing and crawling. Stylish rocking horses invite kids to ride. In the beautiful arranged park there are letterings on the bottom, for small racing duels.
The interior has been chosen in very clean design. Even there Kids are invited to create their own artwork with pegs which they can put in the wall.
The rooms are huge and in nearly every room you have an astonishing see view. Room interior is clever and innovative. Children-beds can be stored under the master-bed. Sliding doors covers the wardrobe and in the same time the connecting door to a second room for bigger families.
Every room is spacy and can be opened to a nice loggia.

Around

The hotel is surrounded by a beautiful park which borders the sea. As you read above, there are everywhere possibilities to run, move and play. It’s perfect for taking a walk, running, cycling, swimming, snorkeling and catching little crabs and shrimps. And this all in front of the nice setting of Rovinj’s old town. It is possible to rent standup paddle boards, pedalos, bicycles, play table tennis or tennis, football or volleyball. A water taxi brings you to Rovinj every half hour. And we highly recommend the included sailing course with Djordje! For kids the program is just perfect!

Conclusio

We really enjoyed our stay! The kids as well as the parents had lots of stuff to do, but could also relax and enjoy the sea - if they liked to. We had great food, perfect weather and the staff did a perfect job to make this as an unforgettable stay.

Family Hotel Amarin (Hotel Information)

Located on a peninsula adjacent to Rovinj, amidst magical Mediterranean gardens, Family Hotel Amarin features 280 rooms. Various facilities, sports grounds, an attractive pool complex, wellness and spa, restaurants, snack bars, playrooms, and carefully designed Amarin Kids Club programmes make this hotel the best choice for families with children.

As part of the Travellers' Choice Awards presented by TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site, Family Hotel Amarin won the title of: “Best Family Hotel in Croatia in 2019”.

Hotel Amarin is situated roughly 4 kilometres north of the centre of Rovinj and 50 m from the beach.

 

Family Hotel Amarin

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25 hours Hotel Munich - The Royal Bavarian

"Bavarian history and its royal legacy!" 

Facts

- fantastic and bizarre decoration concept – “The Royal Bavarian”
- ‘Alice in Wonderland’-feeling
- Cosy rooms (165) from 18 sm to suits to 46 sm and 73 sm
- excellent oriental breakfast in cooperation with NENI.
- Boilerman Bar makes you linger and pause
- located very central, next to main railway station and center
- bikes: Sigfried, Ludwig, Viktor or Lotte for rent. 
- Car for rent in cooperation with ‘MINI’

Design

The concept of the hotel is trippy. Everywhere you look you’ll find funny details, and every detail is chosen with mindful consideration. It is a weird mixture of modern raw concrete walls and 19th century style. A good time-out place which will make you smile. 
In the concept store you’ll find well chosen, stylish souvenirs – but anyway you won’t forget your stay.  

Around 
The hotel is in front of the central station. Within a view minutes walk you’ll be in the Karlsplatz Stachus, where you’ll find the old town with it’s pedestrian area and lots of shops. In its center  ‘Der Alte Peter’ the parish church of St. Peter is guarding the scenery. 
Don’t forget to visit the English garden for a short rest and the ‘Eisbachwelle’ (river surfing). If you are into art, we recommend the ‘Pinakothek der Moderne’ with its amazing architecture. 

 

Conclusion
The 25 hour hotel in Munich is a weird location with a huge sense of humor. We enjoyed the ‘The Royal Bavarian’-theme al lot. Rooms are small but very cosy and attractive. After an amazing oriental breakfast in the NENIS, the hotel is a perfect starting point to explore a beautiful and interesting city. In the ‘Boilerman Bar’ you’ll find guests and locals and it’s a beautiful place to finish of the day. 25 hours hotels have furthermore implemented an extraordinary communication concept, with lots of nice and caring details (even your pillow talks to you…) - find out about that for yourself. 
Awesome Hotel group with exciting plans to extend their current places (Berlin, Hamburg, Zürich, Vienna)… 

25hours Hotel: Royal Bavarian!

"The 25hours Hotel The Royal Bavarian flirts with the spirit of a golden era grand hotel, while playing with its location in the former Imperial Post and Telegraph Office on the forecourt of Central Station. In the hotel you'll find myriads of ironic and iconographic allusions to Bavarian history and its royal legacy, as well as selected details, materials and accessories to create affectionate nods to its particular locality.

The 25hours Hotel The Royal Bavarian scores top points for its location in the former Imperial Post and Telegraph Office on the forecourt of Central Station. City center, numerous bars and shops are within a few minutes walking distance; public transport takes you to the airport in 40 minutes."

25 hours Hotel Munich

25hours Hotel Munich @ Tripadvisor

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Kinderhotel Dachsteinkönig - Summer Fun

"Enjoy holidays with your family in every aspect... in Winter... and also inSummer! :-)"

This year we had the chance to refresh our winter-impressions from the outstanding familyhotel "Dachsteinkönig" and we want to share our summer-impressions with you. 

As the interior design hasn’t change, we will focus on the activities around the astonishing hotel. 

What has changed since our winter-visit - what will you find in summer?

• There is a new self-service soft ice-bar, where all your dreams come true. Ice with all toppings - yam!
• Outdoor you will find a beautiful garden, where you can try herbs and typical Austrian berries - such as ‚Ribisel‘ - red current. 
• The kids enjoyed the bouncy castles a lot - great fun. 
• Also there is a small animal farm - there has been a tiny pony and donkeys - so cute!
• All kind of vehicles for free use, will make kids tired :) - and if you have a little extra budget, your kids can rent e-trials. Don’t miss this!!
• A tiny crazy golf station will show who’s the best player in your family.

Recommended Activities?

• Go Hiking
• Heilbronn: Take the Krippenstein cable car to go up to the top and enjoy an outstanding view already during the ride. There is a family-friendly trail which can be recommended in any way, as beside the beautiful landscape there are lots of things to explore for children.
• Zwieselalm: Take the Gosaukamm cable car to go up the mountains and choose one of the nice trails there. Make sure to visit the authentic Zwieselalmhütte for nice lunch and a great view.
• Boat ride 
• Go to the beautiful Gosau See, which can be reached in just some minutes by car and rent a boat there. You will have a great time cruising around the lake and watch the climbers on a spectacular track above the sea.
• Visit Hallstatt - A Unesco World Heritage Site
• The little village has a history reaching back 4000 years and is located and built directly on the Hallstätter See. Really impressive, but go there early as it is usually pretty crowded there.

“We already had a great time in Winter, but we were surprised how much we enjoyed the summer there as well. Lots of new possibilities have been established, we loved the oustanding hiking experiences and the kids couldn't be stopped riding the amazing E-Trial bikes.”

Facts 

“Leading Family Hotel & Resort Dachsteinkönig” is a 4 star superior rated family hotel in the beautiful Dachstein region of Upper Austria. It has 105 family suites with separate kids’ bedroom & 12 luxury chalets.

As it is a member of the known brand „Kinderhotels“ the offering for kids is outstanding:

- 2000 m2 indoor play area looked after by a professional team of educationists

- huge outdoor play area in the hotel garden with short slope for kids (beginners)

- bathing complex with astonishing features like a 100 m water slide and pool area including a family water park, outdoor pool (30°C all year round) & children’s indoor pool (35°C all year round)

- beginners ski slope

- kids wellness with e.g. chocolate massage

- childcare for kids all ages the whole day long in baby club, toddlers club, mini club, maxi club and youth club hosted by a professional team and a house own magician.

- petting zoo – donkeys and goats can be watched from the lobby.

- Gymnasium

- Family laundry

- Gokart area

- family bowling, air hockey, pool tables etc.

Furthermore

- Free underground parking

- Relaxing Spa area for adults only

- High class Food and beverages all day long inclusive

- Shop with ski-equipment (winter) and bikes (summer) for rent you’ll find next to the reception.

Design 

With a lot of wood in shabby-chic the interior designers created a warm and familiar atmosphere. Decoration is alpine and not too much. As it is a family hotel kids are welcome nearly everywhere and we are very pleased as the furniture for them is not “funny” but in the same colonial look as for the grown ups – so everything fits in very well.

The tale of the “Dachsteinkönig” is kind of an orientation system within the hotel. Cockerel “Luki”, Dog “Lisl”, black bull “Toni” and the boy “Godei”, the heroes of the tale, are guiding through the hotel. It is a well figured out concept.

The split-levels and alcoves divide the huge restaurant area in comfortable parts so everyone can feel homely. In the well-appointed wine cellar you’ll find specialties from all over the world.

Around

Winter

- Ski lift and “Brumsi” ski-area for kids are across the street.

- The cross-country ski runs around the hotel are astonishing (50km).

- The hotel offers transfers to a toboggan run.

- Winter hiking tours

- The Dachstein massif is breathtaking

Summer

- Hiking to Mountain pastures

- Mountain biking

- Golf course

Conclusio

Very rarely you find a hotel where parents and children are hosted in a way that everybody is so satisfied. The owner Ernst Mayer and his team have created a concept that gratifies all your individual needs as a family in a high class way – wishes are fulfilled even before you have asked for.

Often the devil is in the detail but not here – every nut, bolt and screw is well elaborated so that your holiday will be unforgettable.

Kinderhotel Dachsteinkönig (Hotel Information)

The Dachsteinkönig Kinderhotel in Gosau – a holiday for the whole family

Rated “Four-Star Superior”, the Leading Family Hotel & Resort Dachsteinkönig in Gosau, Upper Austria, lies at the foot of the Dachstein and is a model for other Kinderhotels across Europe. The best Kinderhotels in Austria distinguish themselves by their outstanding family-friendly facilities and are recognised with 5 Kinderhotel Smileys.

All-inclusive family holiday: Everything under one roof. Just the way it should be.
An exciting programme of activities for the whole family every day – a family bowling alley at the hotel – family water play area in the swimming pool – a great range of excursions in the wonderful Salzkammergut – a stone’s throw from the nearest cable car (to the Dachstein West hiking and ski area) – culinary options to suit all tastes – special dishes for allergy sufferers, vegetarians and vegans – soft drinks available around the clock – wellness activities for adults and children

“A holiday can only be called a family holiday when there is something for both children and adults. This is something I firmly believe in and is what makes the Dachsteinkönig one of the best Kinderhotels in Austria.”

Ernst Mayer, hotel owner

Kinderhotel Dachsteinkönig

Kinderhotel Dachsteinkönig @ Tripadvisor

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Barcelo Bilbao Nervion

"Explore an arty and beautiful city from a modern and very well equipped home base..."

Facts 

The Bilbao Nervión ist located in the heart of bilbao in walking distance of the old town, the Guggenheim museum and the shopping district. From some rooms you have a beautiful view at the river ‘Ria de bilbao’. The hotel offers 350 rooms or suits which are fully equipped.

• Free high-speed Wi-Fi
• 32" SAT TV with LCD flat screen
• Free access to the fitness studio
• Heating and air-conditioning
• Cots (subject to availability)
• All rooms are non-smoking
• Restaurant in the hotel is a blend of tradition and innovation, respecting the essence of Basque cuisine, recognised worldwide for its quality.
• Parking lot
• Excellent breakfast buffet

Design 

The rooms are designed with a ‘quiet atmosphere’, perfect to relax after an exciting visit at the Guggenheim, sportive actions or city experience. In every corner of the hotel you will find references to the town, of the art in town or nearby attractions – such as Oma Painted Forest. 

 

Around

Just around the corner you’ll find the ‘Funicular de Artxanda’ – the funicular – a tram-connect to the Plaza del Funicular, alongside with the Paseo del Campo Volantín, with Artxanda Mountain from which you have a beautiful view all over Bilbao city.

All around the Nervion you’ll find beautiful small wine bars and restaurants, where you can try the typical ‘pintxos” – so delicious!

As mentioned above the astonishing Guggenheim museum is reachable within 10 minutes walking distance. A beautiful walk next to the river.

Conclusio

Barcelo Bilbao Nervion is the perfect starting point to explore this arty and beautiful city. Nearly every interesting spot can reached by walking - the museums as well as the restaurants (some have  Michelin Stars!) and bars and the old town. You should definitely use the underground to visit the awesome wild and romantic beaches (e.g. Sopelana!!) and even have dinner there next to the sea. Or take some surfing lessons with the nice local surf guides. 

Hotel Information: Barcelo Bilbao Nervion - Urban and dynamic hotel

Design, technology, art, nature, modernity and sustainability join forces in the eco-urban concept of the Barceló Bilbao Nervión**** hotel.

The hotel is situated in the heart of Bilbao, next to the Town Hall and a 10 minute walk from the Guggenheim Museum, surrounded by the best areas for shopping and tasting the famous "pintxos". Perfectly connected to the train station, Termibus station and the airport, it is the perfect hotel for business trips or urban tourism.

A new concept of rest with fully equipped rooms under the B-Room rating. The hotel also offers a complete range of facilities and services for hosting conferences, conventions and all types of banquets and celebrations.

You can enjoy an excellent gastronomic offer at the Ibaizabal restaurant and the hotel’s café, famous for its creative "pintxos", which you can enjoy at your table or in the wine bar area.

The Barceló Bilbao Nervión oozes dynamism, which gives a contemporary urban vibe to stays for both business and leisure. The perfect place for getting to know the incredible city of Bilbao.

Barcelo Bilbao Nervion

Barcelo Bilbao Nervion @ Tripadvisor

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