Vegas Hotels Guide

One of the most difficult questions to be answered when you are planning a trip to Las Vegas is "Where should I stay?". There is such a wide variety in the quality of hotels in Vegas, ranging from total luxury to spit and sawdust. It seems choosing where to stay comes down to 2 main decisions, which area you would like to be in and how much you want to spend.

The Strip - The majority of visitors to Las Vegas tend to choose to stay on the strip. This is where all the action is and you could have a great time in Vegas without going anywhere else. The hotels here tend to be quite expensive but some of them are amazing places to stay. The Bellagio, the Wynn Resort and Caesars Palace are all highly recommended. However if you want to stay on the strip and not break the bank the Stratosphere and the Sahara are good alternatives. Both hotels have quite low room rates and high quality service. They are right at the north end of the strip but they are located very near the monorail stop. Using this cheap and efficient method of transport allows you access to the whole strip in a matter of minutes.

Downtown - Some people say they prefer the charms of the downtown area of Las Vegas. This is where it all began and here you will find famous hotels like the Four Queens and Binion's Horseshoe. The Freemont Street Experience is quite impressive, it is a light show projected onto a canopy that covers the length of the street. Some of the casinos here also make an interesting visit. However unless you are visiting Vegas just to gamble or you want very cheap accommodation the strip is probably your best option.

Other factors to consider:

If you are taking the whole family then Circus Circus or the Excalibur may be good choices as they both cater to the needs of children. Conversely if you are on a stag trip or are generally going to be rowdy then these hotels are best avoided. Another point to consider is how close your hotel is to a monorail stop. You will find yourself doing a lot of walking in Vegas so a hotel next to a monorail stop will save you time as well as saving your feet. Try not to worry if the hotel you choose has a bad reputation for food. There are so many different options that you may choose not to eat at there anyway.

For more detailed information on individual Vegas hotels please visit my website at: http://vegas-hotels-guide.com/

R.J. Heaney is the webmaster at http://vegas-hotels-guide.com/, a useful resource on how to find the best hotel for your trip to Las Vegas.

Southend-On-Sea City Guide, Including Hotels

Southend-on-Sea is Essex?s largest town and its close proximity to London makes it a popular tourist destination year after year. Better still, it is located in the south east of the country in an area widely regarded as the driest part of Britain.

The town is chock-full of interesting attractions which are aimed at all the family, whether you?re looking for local history, the arts and culture, or family-oriented activities to keep you occupied. Some of Southend-on-Sea?s most popular attractions are:

Southend Pier. Measuring in at 1.33 miles, Southend Pier is the longest pleasure pier in the entire world! Built in 1830, it has recently been refurbished and hosts an RNLI lifeboat station and an exclusive Pier train. Nowhere will you experience better sights of the beautiful coastline of the Thames Estuary.

Central Museum and Planetarium. If you?ve never visited a planetarium then now?s your chance; there are live presentations throughout the day. Meanwhile, the museum reveals plenty of secrets about Southend?s eventful history.

Jubilee Beach. This sand and shingle beach stretches from the Pier to Thorpe Bay; there are also regular pleasure boat trips available.

Southend Cliffs. If you appreciate the beauty of nature, you?ll love these ornamental gardens, which also offer amazing views of the south east coast.

Prittlewell Priory. An excellent museum with the focus on educational activities, housed in the remains of a 12th century priory.

When you arrive in Southend-on-Sea you?ll discover a myriad of activities and things to do, just waiting to be discovered. The town is packed with a mixture of shops, making it one of the most popular shopping areas in the entire southeast, and there are plenty of coffee shops and restaurants where you can rest your legs and take a break. Just a few of the things to do include:

Shopping at The Royals Shopping Centre. Overhead, you?ll see a beautiful glass dome, which protects from the elements whilst letting the sun in. Down below, you?ll find shops ranging from Debenhams to Ottakars, Evans, Sarah Beth and more.

Visiting Adventure Island. This exciting theme park is host to more than forty rides and attractions that will appeal to the kids, as well as the inner child in all of us. Not only that, but the low rates make it one of the best value theme parks in the country.

Checking out Kursaal on the Eastern Esplanade. Here you?ll find an astonishing thirty lanes of ten-pin bowling, many themed restaurants and bars and a unique Mardi Gras play area. Better still, admission is free!

Taking a trip to the Sealife Centre. Lovers of nature will be in their element when visiting this marine centre, which offers an authentic voyage beneath the ocean, where you can glimpse colourful and spectacular marine life in a huge aquarium.

Take part in the Carnival! If your visit coincides with the month of August, you?ll find the annual Carnival in full swing. Events include special processions, fancy dress competitions, fairs, arts festivals, fireworks and more.

As you?d expect, Southend-on-Sea boasts a wide variety of places to eat. The scale ranges from the simplest caf?, where you can sit down with a sandwich and a cup of coffee, to the finest restaurant establishment, where you can enjoy a range of courses. There are also plenty of takeaways enabling you to grab a bite to eat and enjoy it as you stroll down the beach. Here are just a few of the choices:

The Waterfront Caf?. Choose from a wide selection of favourite English food ? fish and chips, roast dinners, or steak. Fish is freshly prepared on the premises and is cooked to order. Many other choices of meal are available, including scampi and lasagne.

The Golden Lion. Plenty of traditional English fare is on offer in this friendly pub, which also caters for special diets.

Camelia Restaurant. Offers French, Italian and English meals with a range of different specials every day. Fresh fish is a speciality; the restaurant also offers pleasant sea views to take in whilst you eat.

Mr Ping. This Chinese restaurant offers two options, eat-in or takeaway. In 2003, it was a ?Restaurant of the Year? finalist.

The Grapevine of Tuscany. An Italian restaurant serving up a la carte menus, pizzas and pasta. You?ll get a choice of eating in or a take-away; fresh homemade pasta is The Grapevine?s speciality.

As Southend-on-Sea is such a popular tourist destination, there are lots of hotels and guesthouses located in and around the town, with many of the finest quality. The good news for the visitor is that all the hotels are vying with each other to offer the most competitive rates, which means you can guarantee quality and value in equal measure. Alternative accommodation ranges from campsites and caravan parks to self-catering cottages, traditional inns and plenty more besides.

Essex County Hotel
The Gleneagles Hotel
The Westcliff Hotel
Ilfracombe House Hotel
Camelia Hotel
Tower Hotel

Southend-on-Sea has plenty of entertainment going on, meaning you?ll never get bored. The town is packed with pubs and nightclubs, enabling you to while away the long twilight hours. For the family, the Odeon Cinema is a massive multiplex that shows all the latest Hollywood blockbusters. Meanwhile, if your tastes are of a theatrical nature, then you?ll no doubt enjoy the Palace Theatre, which consists of a modernised Edwardian building hosting professional shows and entertainment. Alternatively, if you enjoy big spectacle, then the Cliffs Pavilion will be for you; this massive theatre has a huge programme of concerts, ballet, performance artists, musicals and more.

Visitors flock to Southend-on-Sea all year round and it?s easy to see why. With hundreds of things to do, ranging from numerous attractions, family-focused fun and more, it?s impossible to find yourself at a loose end. Alternatively, the town itself is close to places like Leigh-on-Sea, which offer quieter fare, so if you want to get away from the hustle and bustle, you can explore the surrounding villages and countryside. No matter what your tastes, age or needs, Southend-on-Sea is sure to provide exactly what you?re looking for as a tourist destination.

Name: Maria Williams Occupation: Traveller Website: http://www.sleepuk.com Sleep UK are an online hotel booking engine for uk hotels

Fractional Ownership, Private Residence Clubs, Condo Hotels - Buying Options

You're seriously considering buying a second home or vacation home. What are your options? Is whole ownership the right choice? What about fractional or shared ownership? What's more important to you - investment or enjoyment? This report answers these questions and more.

A second home is something many aspire to own and enjoy. You're not alone. In fact, people are buying second homes like never before. Second homes tend to be held for seasonal and occasional use or whose usual occupants live elsewhere.

The expansion of second home growth has had two driving forces behind it: increased wealth and favorable demographics. With tax laws that benefited the transfer of wealth, the stock market boom in the 1990's and renewed house price appreciation, average household net worth has risen dramatically. These demographic changes coupled with the recent languishing stock market have intensified second-home demand and contributed coincidently to the extreme rise in prices within destination resort areas. Second-home purchases are most commonly made by middle-aged heads of households in their prime earning years.

In 2004, the second home industry in North America achieved record sales volumes. A total of 2.82 million second homes were sold in the U.S., up 16.3% from 2.42 million sales in 2003. This growth trend is attributed to several factors:

* The US economy recovered from a deep recession.
* Cash in money markets languished with the lowest interest rates in decades.
* Confidence in the stock market remained and continues to remain low with consumers seeking out alternative investment opportunities.
* Consumers in the US and Canada saw second home real estate as a safe haven for investment appreciation with the opportunity to also enjoy the use of their new asset.
* Second homes also provide investment diversification, which has become a critical concern among consumers since the stock market crash in 2000 and 2001.

New Ownership Options Available to Meet New Market Demands

In response to growing demand, the resort industry has undergone substantial change in the last five years. In order to broaden market appeal, developers have crafted new second home real estate products to better respond to people's needs and desires. The most recent innovations in the second home industry are the introduction and rapidly increasing popularity of luxury fractional real estate and the condominium hotel - two of the fastest growing segments of the real estate industry today.

Fractional Real Estate and Condominium Hotels are primarily purchased for lifestyle enhancements. The variations between these products tend to be in how the owners plan to use their residences and what they hope to gain from their ownership. To better understand these differences it is important to note the two primary motivations for owning a second home - as an investment and enjoyment from use of the residence.

Similar to whole ownership purchases, fractional and condo-hotel owners are granted ownership by fee-simple deed with title insurance. Since Fractional Real Estate and Condominium Hotels are backed by deed and title, these purchases are considered equity-based investments as opposed to the non-equity based multi-site destination clubs also popular in today's market. And, just as you can with a primary dwelling, the deeded fraction or condo-hotel real estate may be resold or bequeathed.

Fractional Ownership

Fractionals are very upscale fully furnished second home properties usually located within renowned destination resort areas or select urban settings where cultural, dining and shopping experiences are extraordinary. More important to the consumer is that resort fractional projects are being located within destinations that have been family favorites for generations. These residence programs normally include superior resort services such as concierge, valet parking and personal gourmet chef services for in-home dining, as well as the use of first class quality amenities and a variety of recreational activities.

Common settings for fractional properties are ski and golf resorts and beach communities. Popular destinations include Aspen and Telluride in Colorado as well as the Caribbean. "Fractionals are typically found in resort areas where prices for second homes are very high and/or there is a scarcity of available real estate," says Richard Ragatz, president of Ragatz Associates, a hospitality market research and consulting firm based in Eugene, Oregon.

Carl Berry, CEO of Scottsdale-based Star Resort Group, notes that the luxury fractional or private residence club concept has become attractive because property values in popular resort areas has skyrocketed out of reach of all but the wealthiest buyers.

For example, Mr. Berry notes that $1 million now buys a tear-down cabin in Aspen, Colorado, whereas a fractional there costs $200,000 to $500,000, "which is chicken feed compared to what these properties are going for." Nowadays, $200,000 will buy a piece of a $1.5 million property, according to Ragatz, who notes that this concept has been around a long time. "People have been investing in second homes with relatives and friends for years, but divided-ownership property was never a true product until recently."

I like to emphasize that the popularity of the second home fractional is that it makes sense to purchasers who simply could not justify the purchase that they might only use for a few weeks out of each year. With a fractional, owners have the asset and all the advantages of second home ownership without the cost or year-round maintenance obligations. Professional management relieves owners of the worry and anguish that often accompanies second home ownership. When coupled with superior hospitality service levels, the fractional purchase is an exciting and sensible alternative in the second home marketplace. Fractional choices are broadening as developers continue to design programs that truly allow owners to use their second home as they prefer at a fraction of the cost.

What Types of Fractional Ownership Are Available?

There are several different types of fractionals that serve divergent interests. The most popular categories include Traditional Fractions and Private Residence Clubs.

Traditional Fractional
This original fractional format was first formulated in the 1980's to formalize the sharing of a single family home within a destination resort area. Traditional fractions now involve condominiums and attached townhouses as well as detached single family homes. These Traditional Fractionals are usually sold in one-fourth interests, also termed Quarter-shares. Quarter-share owners receive one week of use each month for a total of 13 weeks per year. Variations of the Traditional Fractional include: Fifth-shares with a total of 10 weeks per year and assignment of use every fifth week, and; Sixth-shares with 8 weeks of use per year and allocation of time every sixth week.

Within each traditional fractional format, the weeks are assigned through a calendar that rotates to distribute the most desirable times of the seasons in a fair and equitable manner. The owner may either use or gift their weeks, or they can place their unused time in a rental program and split the revenue with the property manager after costs. Quality of the residence and furnishings is in the 3 to 4-star ranges. Service levels are at the 3-star level, if included in the program offering.

Private Residence Club (PRC)
A Private Residence Club (PRC) is designed to meet the needs of the same affluent buyer that would normally consider purchasing a luxury wholly owned second home. The purchase decision is primarily based on the buyer's motivation to enjoy the residence and the resort area, although potential value appreciation is a factor.

Affluent purchasers recognize they have limited leisure time and are looking for real estate that is price proportionate to actual use. The Private Residence Club ownership model follows a "pay for what you need and want" philosophy in an intimate, exclusive community together with highly personalized service and a wide range of amenities. As in the Traditional Fractional, owners purchase a share or "fraction" of a Private Residence Club home. They receive a deed with title insurance.

Private Residence Clubs comprise a high-end luxury product sold on a one-seventh (1/7) to one-thirteenth (1/13) share basis. Quality of the residence and furnishings is in the 4-star to 5-star ranges. Service levels are superior with every need or request by an owner accommodated by an attentive staff.

As pioneered by principals of Star Resort Group, the defining quality of the Private Residence Club is in the owners' ability to access their time in a flexible manner and literally as often as they want, similar to a golf country club and subject to the project's Reservations Policies and Procedures.

Dave Hanna, President of Star Hospitality and a member of the first PRC development team explains, "In the Private Residence Club program, the owner's use of the residence is on his schedule and not controlled by a calendar. Generally, ownerships are granted a set amount of time, termed 'Pre-planned Vacations', to guarantee each owner access to their residence during peak seasonal times. In designing a particular use plan, we consider the length of the peak season and set a ratio of owners to each home that allows enough flexibility so owners can be assured of securing the times that they want each year. Spontaneous visits by owners are accommodated through a 'Space Available' reservation program that allows for use as little as one night at a time and up to seven nights per reservation. Some owners may use the program less in certain years, making more time available at the resort for the other owners."

Carl Berry adds a note on hospitality service levels: "Certain Private Residence Club projects prefer to promote their program with "5-star service" levels. When compared to the rating system utilized by the hospitality industry for luxury hotels, residence clubs that do not provide fine dining alternatives, butler service and other requisites that earn the 5-star rating are at 4 to 4.5-star levels. That is not to say that the service isn't excellent, for it is. It's just not 5-star by hospitality industry definitions. Owners at Star Resort Group projects appreciate the tradeoffs between having a 24-hour butler staff versus having to pay for that convenience in their annual fees."

PRCs are seldom rented, since the owners generally prefer to keep unused time available for the owners while maintaining exclusivity. The Homeowners Association supports their thinking by not facilitating or encouraging rentals. Should owners decide to rent any of their guaranteed weeks to friends or associates, the renters are treated as the owner's unaccompanied guests.

Condo-Hotels
Statistics show that the market for homes with rental income potential is nearly twice the size of the market for vacation homes that are seldom rented. However, both markets are growing rapidly in double digits. As expected, the typical buyer is at least partially motivated by investment and rental income and may be younger and less affluent that the luxury whole ownership second home buyer.

A Condo-Hotel unit is a condominium sold on a whole ownership basis with the intent of the owner using some of the time when they wish, while placing the balance of their unused or unscheduled time into a hotel rental program. An operating hotel with attendant services is critical for this program to be successful. The appeal of a condo-hotel ownership to prospective buyers is that there may be an opportunity for rental income to cover yearly operating costs. Strict rules apply toward representation of the condo-hotel product as an investment. It is first and foremost a real estate product predicated on the owner's planned use.

Although most condo hotels are sold as whole ownership, some condo-hotel regimes have structured a hybrid fractional overlay model into the mix of products in order to reduce the price point and diversify the market. Aside from the prevalent whole ownership condo-hotel model, traditional quarter shares or fifth shares tend to be the most popular hybrid within the condo-hotel platform.

Whole Ownership Second Home Options
For those who choose to use their resort residence for longer periods of time, or are inflexible in their use times, or for those who simply prefer not to share and are willing to pay the price, whole ownership of a second home is the only acceptable format.

You're One Step Closer to Your New Home

Now that you're armed with all the facts, the next step is to start shopping for your new second home. And now that you know all about your fractional ownership options and all of the benefits of only paying for what you need, you just might find yourself owning your dream home sooner than you thought possible.

For more information on fractional ownership in private residence clubs and on condo hotels, including listings and photos of available properties, visit the Star Resort Group website at http://www.starresortgroup.com

John R. Kazanjian, is Executive Vice President of Star Resort Group. He is a co-founder of The World's Finest Resorts and has served as CEO of Resort Development & Advisors. His 30-year career has focused in fractional ownership resort real estate and vacation ownership development. Visit the Star Resort Group website at http://www.starresortgroup.com for more information on fractional ownership in private residence clubs.

Airport Hotels ? The Right Way To Start A Short Break Holiday

Unless you have the dubious pleasure of living right next door to an airport one of the biggest downsides of going on holiday is catching a flight at an ungodly hour of the day. While driving half asleep at 4.00 am, with a nagging doubt you have forgot something may be some holidaymaker?s idea of fun ? for most it sounds like a bad way to start your holiday. However, help is at hand in the form of Airport Hotels, where you can spend a relaxed evening ? and even afford an extra hour or two in bed before leaving.

Airport hotels may not enjoy the best of reputations. In many peoples mind they are ranked alongside train station pubs - filled with chain smoking business men in cheap suits. However, while there is certainly a convincing argument to avoid train station pubs (you have to pay to get in the toilet for starters), airport hotels are a long way from their cheap and not-so-cheerful roots. These days the savvy traveller can pick up a great value deal at some excellent hotel accommodation situated close to their airport of departure.

One hotel that certainly fits this bill is the 4-star Arora International Hotel near Gatwick (http://www.gatwickairport.com). Situated a mere 8 minutes from the airport, the hotel boasts a health club, with state of the art facilities including a gym, jacuzzi, steam room and solarium. The quality of service and dining is also high with two bars, a deli and brassiere restaurant for those wishing to sample the culinary delights of this award winning hotel. For those using the hotel before they catch a flight there is every convenience with an Avis car rental desk within the hotel and an adjoining train station going directly to Gatwick.

Another big advantage of staying at airport hotels is many let you use their car park facilities ? at often very reasonable rates. The Cottons Hotel and Spa situated near Manchester International Airport offers some excellent deals on up to 15 days parking for guests of their hotel. The hotel itself is also 4-star and comes equipped with pool, colour therapy sauna, steam room, gym, tennis courts and spa. While you may also be confused over what a colour therapy sauna is, you have to agree it sounds enticing and certainly beats crawling through Manchester traffic to catch an early morning flight.

If you really want to banish your negative image of airport hotels once and for all then you needn?t look much further than the completely re-vitalised Sheraton Skyline near Heathrow (http://www.heathrowairport.com). Visually stunning the Al Dente Ristorante is the ultimate experience of fine dining cuisine where Marco Di Tullio's menus combine tradition, creativity and flavours based on perfect cooking techniques and obsessive research of the best market and imported products available in the UK. In the past airport hotels may have meant chicken in a basket ? at the Skyline this type of dish is very much confined to memory.

As the world of airport hotels is such a competitive area there are always great deals to be had for those looking for accommodation pre or post flight. Websites such as airport hotel specialists http://www.superbreak.com or http://www.hotelnet.co.uk have an excellent selection of deals and are worth looking at before planning a stay near an airport.

Overall, airport hotels have changed significantly over the past ten years and are no longer the realm of the odourly challenged. However, it is still recommended that the world of train station pubs is avoided unless on the look out for recreational drugs ? or at the very least have a 50p coin to get into the toilet. Michael's Website: Belfast