Archive for April, 2011
Group Hotels Edinburgh
April 30th, 2011 | 
Author: Group Hotels Edinburgh
Edinburgh is a city of culture and history with magnificent architecture amongst its castles and buildings. It has a huge tourism industry with many events and festivals. The Edinburgh hotels are nearly always busy year round so you will need to book well in advance. When events are on such as the Edinburgh tattoo or Edinburgh festival you will need to book around a year in advance to be able to guarantee finding accommodation. To make group bookings you will need to find hotels that have 50 or more rooms to accommodate both their normal guests and your group. You can find a full list of hotels in Edinburgh from http://www.mygrouptour.com and there is a selection of hotels you may want to consider below. If you cant find any hotels in Edinburgh for your group you may want to consider Glasgow that is about 20 minutes away by train. You will often be able to get better rates and more availability in Glasgow.
Edinburgh City Centre
The Novotel Edinburgh Centre is an AA rated 4 star hotel in the centre of Edinburgh. Perfect for a holiday in the Scottish capital close to Edinburgh Castle and the lively Grassmarket Area 10 min walk from Princes Street shopping and the Royal Mile. The famous Arthurs Seat is 15 min walk away and Edinburgh International Airport 15 min drive. Relax with friends or family and enjoy Elements Restaurant and Bar 24 hour room service indoor pool sauna steam room gym and whirlpool. The hotel does however have limited pay parking.
Mercure Point Hotel Edinburgh The entirely non smoking award winning 3 star Mercure Point Hotel is the most stylish 139 room hotel in the centre of Edinburgh. Situated in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle the hotel is just minutes from the financial and shopping areas and the Edinburgh International Conference Centre. The hotel offers easy access to all theatres tourist amenities and the historic old town. The highly documented Point restaurant and Monboddo bar offer a relaxed and informal ambience with modern and classic dishes.
The Novotel Edinburgh Park is a modern 4 star hotel located to the west of central Edinburgh. Perfect for a business trip with WiFi internet and five meeting rooms the hotel is located in Edinburgh Park one of the leading business parks in Scotland. Easy to reach from Edinburgh Airport the M8 and the City Bypass with excellent public transport links to the city centre. Guests also enjoy our Elements Restaurant and Bar indoor swimming pool gym and steam room. Onsite parking for your convenience. This hotel is a little outside the city centre but would be great for groups due to its size with 170 rooms and its easy transport links into the city centre.
Edinburgh Outskirts
Family owned and managed in the eastern suburbs of Edinburgh the Best Western Kings Manor Hotel boasts one of the largest hotel based leisure club in the city. A 20meter pool sauna steam room gym and beauty therapy are all part of this facility. Lauders Restaurant and Options Bistro offer a locally renowned cuisine. BarZest has a range of beers wines and spirits served in a lively atmosphere with a pleasant sun terrace.
The Best Western Kings Manor Hotel offers facilities for the local business market particularly with conferences as well as to tourists looking for a convenient comfortable base to tour the area and to visit the many attractions of Edinburgh.
The Best Western Kings Manor Hotel jealously guards its local reputation for hospitality good food and value for money. The hotel has 93 rooms and is a great hotel for a more luxurious group stay.
If you want to contact hotels directly you can find a list of hotels and their details on the web site http://www.inholidayseurope.co.uk for Europe America Canada Asia and Africa. To get comparison booking quotes for group hotels try visiting http://www.mygrouptour.com
About the writer: Robert has worked in the travel industry for the past 5 years and has been involved in flight holidays escorted tours and cruising. Useful resources include: Coach hire and Hotels in Edinburgh
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Aberdeen Airport Vital To Scotland And The Oil Industry
Aberdeen Airport Vital To Scotland And The Oil Industry
The area of Dyce an area located approximately five miles from the centre of Aberdeen is the location of the city’s servicing airport. While it is not the largest of the UK’s airports passenger numbers are steadily on the increase and have been for the last decade. At the moment the airport sees around three and a half million passengers pass through annually this number is eight percent higher than the previous year and hence shows the level of growth for the site.
In terms of Scotland Aberdeen is regarded to be the third largest airport meaning that it is of vital importance to the air travel network in Britain. The British Airports Authority owns the site and over the years has worked hard to improve the facilities in the terminal; this has meant allowing shops restaurants and car hire desks to trade within the terminal building. As well as aeroplane flights Aberdeen plays a major role in servicing the needs of the North Sea oil industry.
In the early thirties the airport was opened with the goal of providing a link between the northern Scottish islands and major airports such as London’s Heathrow and Gatwick. This role however was taken over by Inverness due to a more preferential and northerly location. As with most UK airports Aberdeen was requisitioned by the military during the war years and played an important role in the protection of northern Britain. Fundamentally the role of Aberdeen was to protect the north from German bombing raids originating from Norway. Even with this ultimately important role the airport predominantly flew reconnaissance sorties in Scandinavia to assess the state of the war effort. After military control was ended the site returned to civil aviation uses.
Aberdeen was in a prime position to take advantage of the North Sea oil boom during the sixties. This meant helicopters were regularly flown from the site’s heliport to ferry workers to the numerous oil rigs in the North Sea. The role continues to this day and currently Aberdeen is regarded to be the busiest Heliport anywhere in the world. These flights form a large constituent of the airport’s income; around five hundred oil industry workers use the airport annually while around forty thousand flight movements were controlled from the site. This role is so important to the airport that it is estimated that over half of the movements at any one time are made up from helicopters.
As well as this vital function servicing the needs of the oil industry Aberdeen has increasingly attempting to court business from budget airlines to increase destinations to Europe. This increased tourist focus has meant that shops cafes and car hire provisions have been expanded to meet the needs of travellers. Additionally to service both oil rig customers and tourists a number of hotels have been built to accommodate travellers. One of these is rumoured to be part of the Hilton chain showing that not all those flying to the oil rigs are blue collar workers; plenty of executives also regularly make the journey.
As a result of government legislation Aberdeen has had to put down in writing its plans for development over the next thirty years. The executives at the airport are hoping to extend the runway by around three hundred metres. This extension if given planning permission will give the airport facilities to land flights from America a vital link for many of the oil industry players. The extension however will not just bring transatlantic flights it is also hoped a larger runway will mean European destinations further afield will become a reality.
As with many of the airports in the UK local residents are vehement that expansion should not happen in their back yard; additionally environmental campaigners have also voiced protestations. These protests however are likely to be overruled should planning permission be given. Whatever happens with the expansion plans the airport will continue to perform an important function in servicing both the Scottish nation and the oil industry.
About the writer: Air travel expert Thomas Pretty looks at how car hire Aberdeen airport services have been instrumental in the site’s development.
Entertainment At Sea
Entertainment At Sea
Entertainment…
All the worlds a stage the saying goes! And on your cruise the ship is the stage for a world of colorful entertainment and nighttime enjoyment! And best of all there is no cover charge no tickets to buy or reserve no waiting in line.
Dazzling musical revues salute the very best of Hollywood and Broadway with advanced lighting and sound systems and spectacular special effects.
Your entertainment aboard spotlights a variety of marquee performers including musicians and singers comedians and magicians. Cruise lines recruit professional performers from some of the bestknown stages on land.
The entertainers vary from ship to ship and line to line however dont be surprised if Bill Cosby or Bowser from Sha Na Na or jazz greats Manhattan Transfer are on your ship. The shows will easily rival anything you might see on land. Except that onboard your ship you dont have to remember your tickets or struggle to find a parking space.
Not only will you enjoy Broadway style reviews musicals standup comics movies and specialty acts and guest talent shows many cruise lines including Norwegian and Holland America offer theme cruises from Budd Friedmans famous Improv at Sea to a Bavarian style Oktoberfest where in addition to daily beer tastings the staff host a Bavarian Beer Garden Party and an authentic German/Bavarian dinner.
On this cruise Anheuser Busch will provide a broad selection of their turn of the century recipe beers to enjoy all week albeit at an nominal extra charge! The six man Die Bier Barons band will be on board to play traditional OomPah and polka music.
Prefer country music? No problem you can join topact headliners and other guest performers aboard footstomping kneeslapping country music cruises. Learn the latest line dancing or try not to smile as you two step your way across the Caribbean.
How much would you pay back home to catch a Broadway show enjoy the midnight buffet and then head for late night comedy before you hit the disco? Its all included aboard your cruise ship.
Norwegian Cruise Lines treats you to extravagant fullscale productions of classic Broadway musicals like Grease 42nd Street The Pirates of Penzance The Will Rogers Follies Crazy for You and George M! And again you dont pay for tickets! Just walk in to the beautiful theatre at sea and enjoy the show.
Can theatres at sea rival those on land? A threedeckhigh showroom the Palladium on Carnival Destiny is home to two showstopping Vegas style productions that combine complex sets laser technology and awesome talent that leaves you spellbound. And there is not a bad seat in the house!
After the show visit one of the many lounges to enjoy a jazz ensemble or 50s and 60s music or spend some fabulous times around the piano bar becoming a karaoke star.
Disneys Magic is a masterpiece of entertainment at sea. On this ship amazing diversions are everywhere. You can screen the ocean premiere of a new Disney film in the beautiful Buena Vista Theatre. And in the Walt Disney Theatre you will view a magnificent tribute to the grand theatrical palaces of long ago that provided the inspiration for three allnew Disney productionsa different show each night of your cruise with stateof the art staging lighting and special effects that only Disney can do!
Between your ports of call you will be surprised how much there is to do on board your ship. When it comes to nighttime entertainment your choices are as diverse as you want to make them.
From ballroom dancing to late night comedy from first run movies to dazzling shows all free and all with guaranteed seating.
Sid Kaplan
About the writer: Sid Kaplan has extensive experience in the travel business. He owned and operated a large retail cruise only agency in Canada and his wife has 25 years experience working for major cruise lines. Their website is Cruise Vacations Guide which offers advice and tips to those looking to create memorable cruise vacations. Shore excursion and land tour information is also provided. Cruise hotel car rental and vacation adventure booking online.