Spotlight:: The Cosmopolitan of Vegas

I recently took my first trip to Sin City.

It is an incredibly different place to most of the places I have visited. It is somewhat like the Bangkok of America; bright lights, big shows, lots of people and a big personality. I finally realised the immensity of the place and just how many hotels there are to choose from. Apparently Las Vegas has more hotel rooms than all of Europe, and The Strip is home to 15 of the 20 biggest hotels in the world. If you've been, you'll know the sheer size is incredible.

The Basics
For my trip I chose The Cosmopolitan. This is a relatively new hotel, opened in late 2010, with just under 3000 rooms, set in two high-rise towers, over 52 floors. It's huge. Most definitely the largest hotel I have ever stayed in.

The Location
The location is excellent, it is next to the Bellagio and some of the hotel rooms actually overlook the fountains. It's central and easily accessible, yet being so high you can feel away from the bustle of The Strip.

In the basement of the hotel we were able to drop our car off at the Hertz check-in. This is a great extra to have car drop off at the hotel, though I think most hotels in Las Vegas offer this. Check in was fairly smooth, with helpful check-in guy. There weren't the long queues that we saw at Ceasars.

The Room
I stayed in a One-bedroom terrace suite. This was a large room with a living area, kitchen and bedroom. The other huge plus about The Cosmopolitan is that many of the rooms have a balcony, as ours did. This is apparently very rare in Vegas, but a wonderful addition.

Unfortunately, though we were provided with a small kitchen area, we had no cutlery or crockery, so there were limitations on what we could actually cook for ourselves. The room had a Japanese soak tub, but having been told it had a jacuzzi by the man at the front desk, I was a little disappointed.

As with all hotels in Vegas, the inside is so much more than just a hotel, with numerous restaurants, bars, clubs and shops. There are some world renowned restaurants in the hotel such as STK and it is home to one of the best nightclubs in Vegas, Marquee.

With 3 swimming pools there is plenty of choice, but all were completely packed and it wasn't even peak season. In 96 degree heat, I imagine pool space is at a premium everywhere.

My main criticism would be that our room wasn't as clean and tidy as it could have been. We found a cigarette end on the balcony which was disappointing and the bathroom wasn't as clean as I would have expected.

My Top 5: 
1. The comfort and spaciousness of the room.

2. Chandelier bar: a very chic and stylish space to enjoy drinks with friends. I didn't see many other bars with such elegance whilst in Vegas.

Chandelier Bar

3. Henry for brunch: the perfect place to begin your day.


4. The coffee table books found in the rooms: perfect Phaidon titles to leaf through whilst relaxing. A wonderful alternative to television.


5. Having a balcony to overlook the sights and sounds of Vegas.

View from my hotel room

Final Thoughts... 

The Cosmopolitan is an expensive hotel, but ultimately you are paying for quality. For location, the views and the 'cool' factor, this is a great choice for Las Vegas. 

Rates start at $160.

As every story has 2 sides...

There are some places you visit and you have a fairly good idea what to expect. Going to Istanbul I was very uncertain what I would see, things I would experience and how I would feel about it.

The city definitely reminded me of Budapest and Vienna, but also had the hustle and bustle, markets and feel of Bangkok. The mixture of European influence and Asian atmosphere was an interesting combination for the senses, in many ways it felt like the best of both worlds, since I loved Bangkok but enjoy the style of European cities. 

I went for a 4 day break and definitely could have spent an extra day or two in the city if I had the time to spare. I was fairly out of season (the weather was sunny but it wasn't super warm), yet on the Saturday the city was packed. From what I heard people come from outside the city to do their shopping on the Saturday, so prepare for Bangkok- level busy. 

Take 5: 

1. Wondering around the city at night; beautiful buildings, lively atmosphere and warm enough to wear a light jacket.

2. Climb to the top of the Galata tower for incredible views over the city. 

3. We experienced quite a mixture of food, but by far the most enjoyable thing was the selection of baklava on offer.

4. The Spice Market- a sensory overload, where you are invited to try things first. 

5. A boat trip up the Bosphorus (Istanbul Strait); windy, but a must-do, you get to see both sides of the city.

Morning Beauty

There are moments when cities can look more beautiful than you ever imagined. A morning view of London from Primrose Hill creates exactly that.

The serenity looking over the city makes it easy to forget how bustling it can be.

Do you have any serene pictures of busy world cities?

The Clean City

A while back I spent a weekend in Singapore, just a few days. It's an interesting place; a cleaner subway system than anywhere else I've ever visited, huge buildings and ridiculously sleek and fashionable women.

Experiencing huge expansion and growth in previous years, the economy in Singapore slowed up in 2011 and looks to stay much the same in 2012. It's a small country and will inevitably be effected by the economic problems in Europe.

That said, there's a lot of business in Singapore accross various industries, from banking to technology to the tourism trade. It's a popular stop-over destination for people travelling from Europe to Australia and is also popular in it's own right with first class shopping, world- renowned sights such as Raffles Hotel and the interesting island of Sentosa (it's like The Truman Show!).

Here are some of my pictures from the trip:

Thriving nightlife at Clarke Quay

Tiger made of flowers on Orchard Street

 Long Bar at Raffles Hotel, where one can enjoy a Singapore Sling (anyone can visit the bar, even if you aren't fortunate enough to be staying at the hotel.

THE Singapore Sling...

Leopards at the night safari

Bright colours at the Botanical Gardens...

Luging on Sentosa island- lots of fun!

5 of the Best in Budapest

Budapest is another interesting European city; capital of Hungary, it is neatly nestled in Central- East Europe. With the river Danube flowing straight through the middle, Buda is the name for the area on the West Bank and Pest the name for the East Bank. They estimate 20 million tourists visit the city each year, and visited for a few days, myself, I can see why. Temperatures in the winter can be bitterly cold between -4C (24.8 F) and 1C (33.8 F), but in summer they can experience blue skies and very warm weather, with highs of 28C (82.4 F).

It's always difficult to sum up all the great things to see in a city if you only a couple of days to visit it, but I've put together my top 5 below. This list takes in my personal favourites and things not to be missed.

1. Gellert Spa and Bath. Go on, spoil yourself.

2. Take yourself to Gerbeaud Cukrászda for a coffee and cake. Spoil yourself some more. The sweet treats here are delectable, delicious and divine.

3. Sit by the Danube and watch the world go by for an afternoon or evening, or even take a boat trip along the Danube.

4. If you're looking for somewhere to go out I suggest 'Rio del cafe' overlooking the Danube river. It's open air so only an option in the summer, but it has a very cool vibe, not too expensive and is a bit different to the other clubs in the city.

5. Go to Castle Hill (Varhegy) for incredible views over the city.

Budapest is a great place to wonder around and get lost in the city. Truly, one of my favourite European destinations.

Madrid, the chic and stylish city

I've long maintained that you don't have to stay at the most luxurious hotels to enjoy a chic and stylish holiday. Never is this more true than on a city break. Getting out to visit the city is far more important, with the room playing second fiddle to seeing the exciting and interesting culture the city has to offer.

So, here are my top places to visit for a stylish and chic break in my favourite city in Spain; Madrid.

Lunch
You won't necessarily get a seat and it's not waiter service, but without doubt you will find incredible food. For fantastic variety, food with great flavour and interesting creations head to Mercado de San Miguel. From sweet to savoury, traditional Spanish to global cuisine and all topped off with a drink. Usually bustling, this is well worth a trip.

Mercado del san miguel. Below left fruits, Below right sweet treats.

Day Activity
Parque del Retiro is well worth a visit, especially in the summer months. Amble through the park to see beautifully landscaped gardens, gorgeous plants and finally a boat ride. It can be fun for friends or romantic with someone special. You can hire a row boat for a little over 5 euros for 45 minutes. Enjoy the sunshine or get some exercise rowing around the lake.

Parque del Retiro in the sunshine.

Dinner
For the best tapas in the city, head to Lateral. Their restaurants are dotted all over the city, but I would head to Plaza de Santa Ana. It's lively into the night and had a great outside seating area. The tapas is both delectable to look at and delicious to taste. My top pick: Pimientos del piquillo rellenos de carne.

The best tapas in Madrid (Photo courtesy of Lateral website, linked below)

Drinks
For cocktails with the girls or if it's a romantic get away a drink with your loved one, the place to head to is The Penthouse. The best news, you only need to stumble a few yards from Lateral in Santa Ana. The Penthouse is one of those bars which has a lot going for it, great cocktails, stylish ambience and best of all unbeatable views of the city. The drinks aren't cheap, but they are worth it, you're paying for a great experience too.

So, once you've exhausted yourself with a long day in the city it won't matter whether your returning to a budget hotel or a luxurious one.

Nora x

Check out Lateral and Penthouse, below.
http://www.cadenalateral.com/inicio/inicio.html
http://thepenthouse.es/