Jonathan French, head of brand, Priority Pass, says: “To be voted as having the best business facilities in the world is a great reflection of how hard No.1 Traveller airport lounges work to support their customers. With international business travel now a significant part of our lives, it is imperative that we offer Priority Pass members the best options to balance work and travel. We therefore commend No.1 Traveller for its achievement.”

Michael Robey, head of experience for No.1 Traveller, comments: “Business passengers represent a significant proportion of the guests we look after in our lounges, and, as such, we are committed to ensuring our facilities meet their needs and allow them to keep working on the move. We provide a range of services that help make travellers’ time at the airport as productive and stress-free as possible. We are delighted this hard work and focus has been recognised with the award for Best Business Facilities at our Gatwick North lounge. The fact the award is voted for by Priority Pass members is a great endorsement and encourages us to continue developing market-leading facilities for all our guests.”

The Priority Pass Lounge of the Year Awards, established in 2005, are designed to recognise service excellence amongst the lounges in the Priority Pass programme. No.1 Traveller at Gatwick North was singled out for honour amongst more than 600 other airport lounges. With the award based on over 40,000 ratings made by Priority Pass members – frequent travellers primarily travelling on business who know a thing or two about travel – this accolade has come from an impeccable source.

The No.1 Gatwick airport lounge, North Terminal features an independent travel spa and Business Centre. The fully equipped, modern business facility includes private meeting rooms, available for hire. The space includes printing, scanning and faxing facilities, alongside free Wi-Fi and internet terminals.

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Premier Inn Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 opened its doors to the public on 6th February 2012, bringing a total of £29million to the local economy through tourism and trade.

The new Heathrow hotel Terminal 5 has also created 82 jobs opportunities for people in the local area, with 79% of positions been filled by people returning to work after long-term unemployment.

Located just one mile away from Heathrow terminal 5, it is in an ideal location for those flying from the terminal. The site includes a Costa Coffee shop, Thyme restaurant and an outdoor eating area. And for those guests with electric motors who need to top up their motor the hotel also has electric car charge points.

Dean Madge, Cluster General Manager of Premier Inn Hounslow said: “We are delighted to be opening a new hotel so close to London’s Heathrow Terminal 5. Our hotel is in a prime location for those looking to stay somewhere before or after a long flight, and we are very much looking forward to welcoming guests next month.”

Each bedroom caters for up to two adults and two children (aged 15 and under) and includes an en-suite bathroom; a king size bed; remote control TV with Freeview; tea/coffee making facilities, and a spacious desk area with WiFi Internet access. The site will also offer the All You Can Eat ‘Premier Breakfast’.

Premier Inn offers all guests a no quibble ‘Good Night Guarantee’, which means if customers are not 100% satisfied with their stay they will get their money back.

Website:  www.premierinn.com

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Andrew Crawley, commercial director, British Airways said: “We have been developing ways to make choosing the right holiday even easier, so we are excited to launch the new ‘Holiday Finder’ on ba.com.  Now customers can be inspired and find a bargain that’s just right for them at the same time.”

A new section called ‘Not sure where and when’ has been added to ba.com homepage and this is where customers will find a link to the ‘Holiday Finder’. The tool can also be accessed directly at ba.com/holidayfinder.

The new ba.com feature allows customers to find the best deal on their flight+hotel package to a range of British Airways’ most popular holiday destinations. Customers can personalise their specific requests by adding in budget, departure date, number of nights, destination or group of destinations, journey time, star rating, board basis, type of holiday and temperature.

Once these filters are added a list of holiday packages will be displayed to fit their specific criteria.

This will not only benefit anyone not sure where or when they want to go on holiday but also those looking for a good deal, anyone on a budget, holiday-makers with flexible dates and those who do not have the time to shop around.

The ‘Holiday Finder’ tool offers a more personalised experience for customers, enabling them to search for specific options including  budget, departure date, number of nights, destination, journey time, star rating, board basis, type of holiday i.e. city break or beach, and temperature.

More info here – http://www.britishairways.com/travel/holiday-finder/public/en_gb

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The exciting expansion will see Monarch flying to the beautiful and historic Italian cities of Milan, Rome, Venice and Verona. The new route launches will build upon Monarch’s growth strategy revealed in June 2011 to focus on expanding its scheduled services to new leisure destinations across Europe.

The managing director of Monarch Airlines, Kevin George said: “We are delighted to be able to bring a little bit of Italy to London Gatwick and could not think of a better way to show off our new Italian connection by showcasing this 3D artwork on the runway for our passengers to enjoy. Monarch Airlines is now firmly focused on expanding its scheduled network and we are delighted to be adding the new Italian routes to our extensive range of leisure destinations across Europe.”

The new routes will be flying from all of Monarch’s UK bases and the launch dates for the flights are:

- Manchester to Milan (from 25th March), Venice (from 27th March) and Verona (from 2nd May)
- Birmingham to Milan (from 25th March), Rome (from 25th March) and Venice (from 25th March)
- London Gatwick to Milan (from 25th March), and Venice (from 25th March)
- London Luton to Rome (from 25th March)

For further information about Monarch’s new Italian destinations visit: http://www.monarch.co.uk/offers/flights/monarch-italian-job

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North of the city across the state border into Utah is Zion National Park reached by the I-15 north and Route 9 east. The 230 square miles of canyons and waterfalls is great for action-centred sightseeing. Hike the ‘Narrows’, the spectacular higher reaches of the Virgin River where the canyon is 20-30 feet wide. You wade the shallow river (weather and floods permitting) turning corners at the base of the huge cliffs. The entire trek is a tough 16-mile slog for the most adventurous but shorter trails can be taken. In the rest of the park climbing, backpacking and boating can all be experienced in the breathtaking sandstone scenery.

From Zion, continuing on Route 9 east, go north on Highway 89 then east on Route 12 to reach the spectacular Bryce Canyon National Park in around an hour. Bryce is strictly speaking not a canyon as the series of horseshoe-shaped amphitheatres were not carved into them by a river, but by many years of frost thaw action. The resulting rock formations of fins, cracks and towers called hoodoos are unique and incredible; almost alien.

The many viewpoints around the rims of the canyon show the sunrise and sunset transform views with the shade and light showing the thousands of shades of reds and pinks in the rocks. Ponderosa pines as large as 5 feet wide and 150 feet tall line some of the canyon floors and their dark green, glimpsed through one of the many natural arches, adds to the colour palette.

There is far too much to see in one day so the various lodging and camping options should be taken advantage of. One must see point is the Grand Staircase, the highest point of the vast sequence of rock layers extending from Bryce through Zion to the Grand Canyon.

To reach Grand Canyon National Park, return to Highway 89 and head south towards Arizona and take Route 64 west. This is a 5 hour drive and can be broken by a stop in Page. There is an alternative route via Highway 89A and south on Route 67 via Jacobs Lake but this can be closed in adverse weather conditions and will take 8 hours. Either way the scenery will be amazing.

The North Rim is less well developed than the South and quieter. This takes you into the Bright Angel area of the canyon, named after one of the faults partly responsible for the formation of the canyon. Guided tours, mule rides and white water rafting are available, but for most, just gazing across the impossibly huge, colourful range of cliffs falling into the immense canyon is enough to begin with.

When you are ready to leave the Grand Daddy of canyons, take Route 46 south to the I-40 and head west, then take Highway 93 North to get back to the ultimate desert oasis of Vegas.

Article for CarHireMarket.com by Linda Endersby who is a freelance writer and bookseller who, following 19 years in IT for a large airline, loves to write about the places she and her friends have visited.

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The collapse of international airline resulted in over 4,000 travellers stuck at airports across the world. The airline reported that it had no funds to meet operational expenses so all flights were suspended, causing deserted passengers to sleep on airport floors in Phuket in Thailand and Honolulu in Hawaii.

But the thousands of wrecked trips have been somewhat salvaged from the fact that Air Australia’s rival airline Qantas, has said that it will allow people that are stuck to buy cheap flights home from them. The CEO Alan Joyce admitted that Qantas will sell stranded passengers tickets for the same price that they bought them to give them the chance to recover the full price from their travel agencies.

The Brisbane-based airline went into voluntary administration over night because it was unable to refuel its planes in Phuket which began grounding its five-jet fleet. All flights had to be cancelled and no new bookings were taken because it had run out of money to pay its bills.

It is reported that travellers who paid for tickets with credit cards, or who had travel insurance, may be given a refund.

Moving overseas or going on holiday can bring its implications as evident of the fact that the airline Air Australia went bust. But a top tip is to research the firm you are using thoroughly before choosing them and to check with the organisation the day before moving or flying to ensure that everything is working in tip-top condition.

Rest assured when using Robinsons removals UK and International services, all belongings will arrive at the destination safe and sound.

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Included in the airline’s selection of Christmas market cities is Berlin. Customers can visit Berlin, the capital city of Christmas Markets with over 60 to wander around, including the market at Charlottenburg Castle, which boasts over 150 stalls and Winter World at Potzdamer Platz. It also hosts the largest mobile toboggan run in Europe and an ice skating rink for the less daring.

British Airways will also be offering breaks in Vienna this season. Well-known for the Magic of Advent Christmas market by City Hall and the traditional Viennese Christmas market on Freyung, Vienna is also known as a place of nostalgia, romance and music. The aromas of candied fruits, cotton candy and other delicacies like Christmas punch fill the air of Vienna’s Christmas markets with festive aromas.

Prague is another city on the list of British Airway’s Christmas market destinations, with flights to Prague expected to increase in popularity during the holiday season. The Czech capital has a range of tourist attractions and Christmassy treats in what many would call a true winter wonderland setting. The Prague Christmas markets run daily in the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square and feature brightly decorated huts selling traditional Czech handicrafts and local delicacies, making Prague one of British Airway’s top selections for Christmastime city-breaks.

Paris may not be the first city one would associate with Christmas markets; however, the Parisians have their own version of this festive outdoor shopping tradition. The Christmas Market on the Avenue des Champs-Elysées is the largest Christmas market within Paris’ city limits. A cluster of wood chalets, it offers traditional holiday treats including mulled wine, gingerbread, sausages and specialties from various regions of France.

Switzerland is another destination that British Airways has included in its collection of Christmas market city-breaks. This year, Zurich will be hosting a new Christmas lighting display on Bahnhofstrasse, the city’s celebrated shopping high street, and special ‘Night and Sunday Shopping’ hours so visitors can shop late into the evening. Zurich has a packed events calendar over the Christmas period that includes the Lichterschwimmen floating candles display, Christmas circuses, the Live On Ice skating rink and a Singing Christmas Tree.

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A family from Staffordshire were the first to check into the hotel’s luxury presidential suite, which includes a separate lounge and seating area, a complimentary mini bar, bathrobes, slippers, newspapers and breakfast.

Paul Rose, of JPR Group, brought his wife Anna and daughter Roxie Marandi to experience the hotel’s offer in advance of their company’s motor racing championships awards dinner.

Paul said: “The last time I saw the presidential suite I was in a hard hat and wellies. The hotel looks fantastic today and all the staff have been very welcoming and friendly.  I have never used the East Midlands Airport Hotels before for my company but now we have this standard of hotel available, it makes perfect sense for my customers as it’s very easy to reach by road and by air.”

Of all the hotels near East Midlands Airport, this Radisson Blu hotel offers a unique experience. The four-star standard hotel includes luxury leisure and spa facilities, free high-speed wireless and a gourmet restaurant which uses the best of local produce. A feature wine room is available for wine tasting led by the hotel’s in-house experts. A regular shuttle bus provides passenger transfers to East Midlands Airport.

In addition, Radisson Blu Hotel East Midlands Airport is setting environmental standards for new hotel builds across Europe. With an Energy Performance Certification rating of 2, the hotel is the most efficient in Rezidor’s European portfolio of over 400 hotels. Designed to the highest green credentials, its carbon neutral build supports East Midlands Airport’s aspiration for its ground operations to be carbon neutral by 2012.

The 218-roomed hotel includes:

- 9 executive suites
- Full service restaurant and bar with wine cellar
- Conferencing facilities with function suite
- Full leisure and health facilities including swimming pool, sauna and steam rooms.

The hotel’s 195 standard rooms feature a flat-panel television, individual climate control and free high-speed Internet access.

Fourteen business class rooms include extra amenities designed for corporate guests and discerning leisure travellers. Added touches include the Super Breakfast Buffet, espresso coffee machine, free pay-per-view movies, daily newspaper and free high-speed Internet access.

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As a family with young kids, finding a suitable holiday each year to keep both adults and children happy is always something of a challenge. But a couple of years ago, having firstly trawled the car hire comparison sites for a good deal on a five- door hatchback, we took advice from some good friends who for the past four years had been going to Holland and booking a chalet at the Dutch Center Parcs at Zandvoort on the North Sea coast. Now, before you jump to any conclusions, let me say right away that we aren’t your classic Center Parcs sporting fanatics, and neither are our friends. No, the thing that really attracted us to Zandfoort is its brilliant location, only a stone’s throw away from Haarlem, and not much further from Amsterdam. And, of course, its other great attraction is its famous flatness and extensive network of cycle lanes.

I have to admit here that I hadn’t actually sat on a bicycle for some considerable time, so the idea of cycling did at first fill me with a little trepidation. But as a role model I clearly had an important job here to set a good example to my nine-year-old son who had only just learnt to propel himself on two wheels without stabilisers.

Center Parcs at Zandfoort is a perfectly good place to stay. It’s not exactly the height of luxury but it’s certainly good enough. The chalets were clean and had all the facilities you’d expect. In fact, I think the chalets may well have been upgraded recently, judging from the latest pictures on its website. There is a good indoor swimming pool with slides, which is free to use and a decent bakery too. But our intention was to just use the place as a base from which to drive, walk and, yes, cycle.

You can hire bicycles from the centre. Being Dutch, they have a strange system of breaking; instead of using the handlebars you have to cycle backwards. It sounds very Heath Robinson, but believe me, it works pretty well. So having parked in the car park, we ventured out on our bikes and discovered the joys of Dutch cycle ways. These are, in fact, more than just cycleways, they are separate road systems, often with two lanes, and not always running adjacent to those used by cars. So you really do feel safe, even if, like me, you’re a bit wobbly to start with.

From the centre you can cycle along the coast for miles, and like us, park at one of the many smart cafes overlooking the beach and sit with a good book while the children play on the beach.

Of course, when not cycling, there are the local cities to take in. Haarlem is a little gem of a place, with its intricate network of beautiful canals, stately canal houses and charming cobbled streets. And the Franz Hals Museum is a must. Then there’s Amsterdam with so many wonderful attractions. We just confined ourselves to the Vincent Van Gough museum and Anne Frank’s house, which is an incredibly moving experience.

The combination of cycling, sightseeing and swimming meant that the kids didn’t moan too much about being dragged around museums when they knew that we’d soon be on our bikes, quite literally.

Alex Pearl is a freelance copywriter and author of ‘Sleeping with the Blackbirds’.

http://sleepingwiththeblackbirds.co.uk http://alexpearlmini.carbonmade.com

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Feeling a little itchy-footed? In need of a swift, rejuvenating city-break, seeking some creative or cultural inspiration? Then consider the possibility of booking some cheap flights to Amsterdam this autumn-winter period – a sure cure for any of the above ailments. With flights going at a snip and many of the city’s hostels, guesthouses, hotels and attractions offering end-of-season deals, this could be the perfect way to see out 2011. Whether travelling solo, with family or friends, Amsterdam will have something to fit your needs. Adaptability, after all, is one of the city’s key traits.

The first-time visitor will be in awe of the capital’s wealth of cultural offerings. In terms of art galleries there’s the Van Gogh Museum, which boasts the largest collection of the artist’s work in the world (displayed chronologically across five ‘period’ rooms) and contains works by other renowned nineteenth-century painters. As the name suggests, it’s also a museum so you can expect a healthy dose of art history alongside the eye candy.

Alternatively, you might fancy exploring some of the creative pursuits of Amsterdam’s ever-experimental youth. In this field, there is certainly no shortage of choices. ArTicks underground contemporary art gallery specialises in urban ‘street art’, graffiti reaching into the realms of aesthetic beauty.

If the notion of ‘street art’ propels you more towards architecture, Amsterdam will impress. The city itself has been referred to as ‘a work of art’ with styles and ambiences that differ from one district to the next. Most of its sites of architectural interest date back to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, such as the canals and the narrow, quirky houses which line them; or Jacob Otten’s feat of classicism, Felix Meritis. Once again, as with the city’s art galleries, the modern is always making an appearance: seamlessly entwined with the old.

Where would art and architecture – you could even say ideas and development in general – be without the historical site for great minds to meet and ponder: the coffeehouse. Cafès in Amsterdam are far from simply ‘coffee and cake’ affairs. Yes, they serve a variety of other – shall we say – ‘delicacies’, towards which Amsterdam is known for taking a relaxed attitude; but I’m thinking more along the lines of each one’s individuality and eccentricity. Some are visually pleasing, doubling as galleries or situated in bizarre buildings. Others are thematically designed and decorated, such as the reggae-themed Rasta Baby; whilst some are straight-up tributes to bands or famed personnel, including The Blues Brothers and The Doors. In an age where high streets – especially those of large cities – are lined with chain-corporation coffee shops, Amsterdam provides a refreshing alternative; as refreshing as the beverages they serve.

Amsterdam could entertain the tourist for months on end: it has so much to offer and the prices, when compared to other European capital cities, are relatively low. And of course, you’re not restricted to Amsterdam either. Once you’re there, rail fares are low, so why not explore some other areas and cities? Rotterdam, Utrecht, The Hague, the list goes on…

Carl Stevens loves to travel at every given opportunity and to record his adventures and impressions. He is particularly interested in islands, culture and ecology, and interweaves his writing with these subjects. Carl writes this blog: www.voodoobunkbed.blogspot.com

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