click here to book or view photos for the Realm Hotel Canberra

The Hotel Realm, Canberra’s newest five star venue opened for business September 2007. For people that know Canberra well the hotel was built on the site of the old Macquarie hostel.

Located on National Circuit in Barton the Hotel Realm is an ideal location for business travelers that need access to Parliament House or various government departments. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is a few minutes walk away.

The hotel is not only for people in Canberra on business. The central location has you in within easy reach of the airport, city centre, High Court, Questacon, National Library of Australian and the Australian War Memorial.

When you enter the hotel you will notice the large foyer and atrium. There are plenty of seats to sit around and relax while waiting to meet up with other guests or just to relax and read the paper.

The hotel is located, depending on your walking speed, 5-10 minutes from the bar and restaurant scenes of Kingston and Manuka. You will find plenty of food choices as Manuka alone has over 30 restaurants catering to a wide variety of tastes. If you would prefer to stay within the hotel there are also several restaurants which are part of the complex. If you eat at the Hotel Realm there is a nice outdoor seating area to enjoy your meal.

The Hotel Realm has its own beauty salon, 25 metre swimming pool and gym.

Hotel Realm offers their guests 158 hotel and suite style accommodation rooms. The hotel combines contemporary elegance with avant-garde design. The rooms include the luxurious Terrace Suite which looks over Parliament House and features a two story layout. This opulent penthouse is perfect for entertaining. The other room layouts should have something for all travelers accustomed to luxury accommodation.

Many of the rooms that guests can select at the Hotel Realm include a kitchenette and separate living areas. All rooms have a king bed. You can watch a pay movie channel , foxtel or free to air television on the LCD televisions. There is also 24hr room service.

The Realm Hotel is a great location for a conference. Guests can attend the conference by day and enjoy the spacious rooms at night. The conference facilities have a capacity of up to 800 delegates. The national ballroom can be divided into four functional spaces. As in the past I parked in the basement of the hotel I can say it is a very popular conference venue.

If driving to visit or stay at Hotel Realm there is secure underground car parking which is available to in-house guests or for the general public. In-house guests pay $10 per day per car.

Overall if you are looking for a nice modern hotel in the heart of Canberra then the Hotel Realm is an ideal choice.

The Realm Hotel was featured in an article on the Sydney Morning Herald website in April. According to the author the hotel has a fantastic restaurant serving a great breakfast.

click here to book or view photos for the Realm Hotel Canberra

Hotel Realm Address:
18 National Circuit
Barton ACT 2600 Australia

With summer almost here now is the time to plan your summer vacation.

If you are going away usually one of the main costs is accommodation. Staying in a hotel can be great as you get the room service and access to facilities. They all have either a restaurant in the facility or one nearby, reducing the driving time needed to find something to eat. They all generally also have high-priced vending machines for those late night snacks that everyone seems to want while they gather in one room around an undersized television.

As an alternative to hotel stay vacations you could go with a more relaxed atmosphere you will find on in a Vacation Home Rental. This option is likely to give you more comfort and more convenience. How does a Vegas vacation sound? You can take advantage of a Las Vegas vacation home rental and enjoy the benefits of a home stay still with access to the best that Vegas has to offer.

If you regularly go away with a group of friends or extended family the home holiday stay option can have many advantages. With the buying power of the group you could look at the luxury vacation home rentals market and live like a movie star for a week.

There are numerous advantages to staying in a vacation home rental, including finding one large enough for everyone in the vacation party and the privacy they can afford. Many of them will have private swimming pools and hot tubs, eliminating the need to share the water with strangers. They will usually have complete kitchen facilities where you can do your own cooking, removing the expense and hassle of eating out at restaurants throughout the trip. Another bonus if you want a snack while watching late night television, you do not have to worry about getting dressed and walk to the vending machines.

Many vacation home rental units have all the comforts at home, and a few more and many can be found big enough to house several families. Buy finding a vacation home rental unit that can sleep up to 16 or 20 people, more families can share the cost of the rent and food.

Some questions to ask the owner about Vacation Home Rentals

• Talk to the owners directly. That will not only establish them as responsive individuals, it will also humanize them for the renter
• Have specific questions. Know what you’re looking for in a vacation home rental and check that the house has those features. If the answer is vague or non-committal, keep on looking
• View the photos. Only consider rentals where you can see pictures of all the key rooms – each bedroom, kitchen and living room. Ask where and when the photos were taken and whether a zoom was used. That can make it look like the house in on the beach, rather than a block away
• Is there a credit card payment option. Then, if the property is not as represented, you can walk out on it and ask your credit card company not to pay for the rental

Families Gather For Fun And Privacy

Although having up to 20 people under one roof may seem a bit crowded, most vacation home rental units have plenty of space for everyone. Many include more than one television for watching movies or regular TV, allowing those with diverse interests to be entertained in the evening. For those with an early bedtime, they can fall asleep in their own bedroom, without others having to be quiet.

Sharing the food costs and cooking and cleaning duties can save a lot of money as well. There may be one night set aside for everyone to hit their favorite nearby restaurant, while the rest of the time they can share family-style meals. For example, if 20 people go out to a restaurant in a vacation community, at an average of $20 per person, they can spend $400 just on one meal.

Just the money you can save by cooking at home can be huge. When you compare the bill for just one night out at a restaurant with what you would spend on the shopping for a week of cooking at home it is huge. A week of shopping might come in at the same price for just one meal out if you have a large group.

As you can see there are many advantages of a Vacation Home Rental. There are websites dedicated to helping you find that perfect home rental option. Here are just a few.

http://www.vrbo.com/
Vacation Home Rentals

http://www.vacationrentals411.com/

Thailand is one country I really want to visit. It has the great nightlife in Bangkok and so many beautiful beaches. A good friend of mine worked at the Thailand travel authority here in Australia so I have heard plenty of good things.

I plan to visit sometime withing the next 12 months. I have put together some information about Thailand including a Thailand Hotels page. You can check it out in the Destinations – Asia Guide – Thailand section of the cheapflightscruises.com website.

There I was enjoying a good nights sleep in my spacious Novotel Darling Harbour room when I was rudely awakened by a blaring fire alarm. I looked over at the clock and read the numbers, 2.31 am.

What was going on? My daughter was feeling a bit anxious about all of this. “Daddy, Daddy what is happening?” she cried. The next minute we heard an announcement saying “Evacuate the building”. My wife and I hurriedly dressed ourselves and our daughter and headed for the fire exit. As we went out the door into the hallway we could smell burning plastic.

Was this a real emergency? We made our way down to the street and found a fire truck and a large crowd of already evacuated hotel guests. I looked up at the building and could not see smoke or flames. As we looked around at the guests we could see some people really got out in a hurry. There were a few people just in their underwear.

Some time passed and the word came to return to the building. As we got back into bed around 3.30 am there was an announcement saying it was a false alarm caused by some steam on a sensor. I still don’t know what the smell was.

That was my experience of the Novotel Darling Harbour’s evacuation. Apart from that I have to say I really enjoyed my stay at this Sydney Hotel. Our room was spacious and well decorated. The bed was comfortable and the room also included a good sized lounge that converted to a bed for my daughter.

The Darling Harbour Novotel is located on the Pyrmont side of the city and has great views of the city skyline. It has ample parking and provides easy access to the public transport. You can also easily walk to the city. I highly recommend a stay at the Darling Harbour Novotel. Next time I will take my tennis racquet as there was a court just near our room.

Rafael Nadal has just claimed the French Open title for the third consecutive year. Tennis action now moves to the green grass. Wimbledon is the ultimate destination for many a tennis fan.

For the 2007 Wimbledon tennis championships it is not too late to book your travel package to take your seat on center court, however you will need a fat wallet to do so.

I have been looking around the net for travel packages to Wimbledon. Sportstraveller.com list ticket only packages for $2,396.00 if you are looking for a men’s final ticket. Opening day centre court tickets are listed at $898.00.

Tennistours.com have available four night packages that take in either the Quarters or the Semis. Prices start at $6196. The packages include four nights staying at either the Sofitel, St James or at the Ritz. Distance by tube to Wimbledon from Sofitel St. James- 30 minutes, Ritz Hotel – 25 minutes.

While you are in London you can take in many of the fantastic sights and sounds. Some of my favourites include a visit to Buckingham Palace, a stroll past the houses of parliament and Big Ben. Also on my to do list is a theatre performance and a stroll through the shops along Bond Street.

If you are considering a trip to the tennis you had better act now. The first ball is served on June 25, 2007.

My family and I have just returned from a weekend in Sydney, Australia. This is one city that I always miss after ending a visit. The main reason I love Sydney is the harbour. It is one of the most beautiful sights in the world. I also love the beaches. Bondi and Manly are world class.

On the weekend we spent two nights in Sydney staying at the Capital Square Hotel located next door to the Capital Theatre. Unlike our last visit which was the worst ever stay in a hotel, we enjoyed our stay. The price was $107 per night which I found through a search on the hotels combined website. This price was a lot lower than other Sydney hotels I have stayed at in the past which were around the same price range previously. The hotel room was well maintained and comfortable. It was also roomy.

As we were located close to Chinatown we used that as our base to venture out for our night time meals. One night we tried an authentic Chinese Xinjiang restaurant, on Saturday a Korean BBQ restaurant located at 35-37 Goulburn St. Sydney. Both meals were very enjoyable. When returning to the hotel we passed a very popular Japanese restaurant on the corner of Pitt and Campbell Streets. We have been there in the past and enjoyed the food. This time around there was a huge crowd just waiting to get in.

On Saturday we decided to have a family outing at Luna Park. This entertainment park has been a Sydney landmark for over 70 years. Just the view makes it a worthwhile visit as it is located on the north side of the harbour adjacent to the Harbour Bridge. Admission to the park is free however you need to pay for the rides. We purchased the day pass which was $42 for adults and $32 for our child. There is a good variety of rides and most of them were suitable for our 5 year old. She could not go on one ride because of a height restriction, while another one she decided as too scary. I really enjoyed going around on the Ferris Wheel while enjoying the million dollar harbour views.

Getting to Luna Park was easy. We caught a train from Central Station over to Milson’s Point station. After getting off the train we headed down the hill and into Luna Park. It was a five to ten minute walk from the station. The cost for return tickets for 2 adults and one child was approx $9. In the park there were plenty of choices for satisfying our hunger.

Getting back to my worst ever hotel stay, it was last November staying at the Pensione Hotel on George Street, Sydney. The hotel itself was quite nice. It was a trendy boutique hotel that was nicely decorated. The problem was that they gave us a room on the second floor which looked out at George Street. In case you don’t know this street gets extremely busy at night time. The noise of cars, people and sirens made it near impossible to sleep. Some thick glass windows would be a welcome improvement.

For day 2 of our Sydney weekend getaway check back here in a few days.

If you live in Australia or will be visiting in the near future lastminute.com.au have a great hotel deal for you. As was featured on the Getaway show this website is offering up to 75% off 4 and 5 star hotels.

The catch is that you don’t know exactly what hotel you are going to be staying at until you have made your booking. That is the concept behind the Secret Hotel deals.

For exactly how it works visit this page at lastminute.com.au

I have been over to the website and checked out some of the hotel deals on offer. It seems that the Gold Coast is very popular. The secret 5 star deluxe hotel is booked out until Thursday 26 April at a cost of $365. If you are happy with a 4.5 star 2 bedroom apartment in the heart of Surfers Paradise you can grab one for $170.

In Sydney you can get yourself a 5 star deluxe hotel with a view of Sydney Harbour for $270 or you may want a 5 star Meriton apartment from $99. That sounds like a bargain to me.

Lastminute.com.au are advertising a secret 5 star deal in Melbourne from $130. If you have romance and seduction on your mind you may be interested in a special offer that caters for you starting at $370.

If you like something different you should try the secret hotels offer.

If this is not your cup of tea and you are looking for good hotel deals I suggest you checkout the hotels combined website. This site provides a great free tool that allows you to search through multiple hotel booking systems with just one search. This is a great time saver as you do not have to jump from website to website looking for the lowest hotel price.

If anyone does try the secret hotel deal I would love to hear from you.

My wife loves shopping and she loves nothing better than finding a cheap flight to Sydney for a weekend of shopping. And the food is pretty good there too. For me I prefer the sight seeing. I just love walking around the harbour foreshores and taking in the views.

My wife is not so interested in the tourist attractions Sydney has to offer, for her it is all about the shopping. Like all great cities, Sydney has something for all tastes and budgets. You can find all the big international luxury brands or you can uncover some hot new designs from a local fashion designer. You may also discover beautiful artworks from a whole swag of artists. There is also fantastic jewellery choices and so many shoes you need to a truck to take them home. You may want to go for the budget buys you can find in a local market or the more upscale version at Paddy’s. And don’t forget there are many souvenirs you can take back home that have that true Aussie flavour. Whatever you fancy you can find it while on vacation in Sydney.

If you are vacation in Sydney and have been out to the attractions you probably are not wanting to be heading all over Sydney for your shopping experience. Lucky for you Sydney offers many options all within a compact area in the heart of the city. When we fly into Sydney we go from the airport and check-in to the hotel. After a short break it is off to Market City in Haymarket. Here you will find many fashion shops. At the bottom of the building is the very popular Paddy’s Market. In the market you will find a wide variety of goods. There is also a fresh food market. The market is open 9am to 5pm Thursday-Sunday and all public holidays. If the shopping makes you hungry you can head upstairs to the to of Market City to the food court.

After some time in Market City it is usually time to head north up either George Street or Pitt Street. There are so many shops along the streets. If you go up George Street you will end up at the historic Queen Victoria Building. I love going there just to see the old world architecture. My wife loves it for the shops. Little did we know that there is an underground city of shops that you can enter from the old building. Once you head underground you can walk your way towards the Pitt Street Mall. You will come across many different fashion lines including well known brands as well as small lable shops. Eventually you will come to a food court which is situated below the Myer city store.

If you go up you will discover a huge Myer shop with many floors of retail therapy. The lower level has cosmetics from all the big names, moving up you will come across the shoe section. They have everything from the low end of the spectrum up to the high end of town. I saw shoes that were selling for close to one thousand a pair. Keep going up for the girls and women’s fashion areas and then finally something for the male shopper. Electronic gadgets, that’s my kind of shopping. Myer has a huge range of the latest in electrical and entertainment. There is also a huge kids toy area. Something for everyone.

Once you have had enough of Myer you can head out of there and cruise through Pitt Street Mall. If you like fresh air you can follow the outdoor mall or you may choose to head back underground in one of the many malls. Just near the Myer exit that goes out to Pitt Street you will find the entrance to Sydney Tower. Now might be a good time to take a break from the shopping and head up the tower if you have not already done so on your Sydney vacation.

Normally by now I have had enough shopping and seeing Pitt Street runs down to Circular Quay I tell my wife it is time to have a break from shopping and head down to the harbour. It is not far to the spectacular Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. I suggest a lazy walk around the quay to take in the scenery.

After you sightseeing you can either catch a bus, take the train or walk south back towards the main shopping district in the heart of Sydney. If you still have time you could walk along Pitt Street until you come across a Monorail station. You can then jump on the Monorail and then head on over to Darling Harbour. Here you will find a great variety of shops combined with dining choices for all tastes. You can also just stroll around and admire the great views looking across the water over to the Sydney skyline.

The shopping can be pretty fantastic. Just keep in mind if you are flying out of Sydney don’t go too crazy as you will not want to have to pay excess baggage to the airlines. It can be pretty pricey. I have seen people at airports going through there luggage just to find things they can toss into the garbage in order to avoid the sky high excess baggage charges.

If you have any favourite shopping spots in downtown Sydney why not share them by adding a comment at the bottom of the page.

In my previous posts I have written about things to do and places to go in and around Melbourne. This post I will cover getting from the airport and some of the accommodation options for your stay in Melbourne.

If you are flying into Melbourne on your cheap flight you can catch a bus, take a taxi, hire a car or go in style by taking a limo from Tullamarine airport into the city. The airport is 25 kms from the city. Depending on traffic it takes from 25 mins up to 45 mins to go to the city. Expect to pay around $40 Australian dollars for a taxi fare to the city. Skybus offers a shuttle bus service to the city from the airport and back. The adult one way ticket cost is $15 or $24 return. There are family options. See the Skybus website for more information. Five car rental companies are located on-site at Melbourne airport. They are Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Thrifty. Some limo companies you could try are AB Crown, Royal Melbourne Limos and Limo Scene.
In Melbourne there are plenty of accommodation options. You can stay in the city or in the Albert Park area or if you like the beach you could try St. Kilda or Brighton. There are also other options not far from the city in Parkville. No matter what style of accommodation you are looking for there should be something for you. Whether it is a serviced apartment, luxury city hotel, multi-bed hostel, bush camp or rural bed and breakfast you will find it in Melbourne.

If you are looking for luxury you could look no further than the sumptuous Crown Towers. Here you have access to the Crown Entertainment Complex with cinemas, shopping, indoor theme park and the world renowned Crown Casino. For the budget traveller there is the Victoria Hotel on Little Collins street. This is a favourite of mine having stayed there on many occasions. It is ideally located in the heart of the city and within walking distance from many Melbourne attractions.
The great thing about Melbourne is the tram service. You can get around easily on the tram network that criss crosses the city so no matter where you stay you have public transport nearby.