Argophilia

Αργοφιλία: For the love of the journey.

Starwood to Open Four Points by Sheraton Barcelona

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Starwood Hotels & Resorts will link up with Amrey Hotels S.L. to operate a Four Points Hotel in Barcelona. The hotel, Four Points by Sheraton Barcelona Diagonal, is scheduled to open this fall spreading the Starwood Four Points brand into Spain. The hotel will offer 154 guest rooms, 24 hour dining, as well as other typical “Four Points” amenities, according to the news.

Preferred Hotel Group Picks RateGain for Intel

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RateGain, a company whose BrandGain innovation we just covered on Argo News, has just announced Preferred Hotel Group’s adoption of their iRate advanced intelligence tool. RateGain’s cutting edge rate shopping system, combined with the hotel groups iRate program, will afford managers real time advantage across multiple channels.

Crystal Cruises Transatlantic Retro Dance Voyage

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Have you always dreamed of a trans-Atlantic voyage? Maybe you yearn to dance an elegant tango aboard a stunning ocean liner? Perhaps you envision doing both, and more? Well, Crystal Cruises has just announced a “Big Band and Ballroom Dance” voyage from Lisbon to Miami this Fall. Talk about retro elegance.

Thomas Cook Celebrates 170th Anniversary

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If you’ve ever wondered how travel companies like Thomas Cook got so prominent, last weeks 170th anniversary of their founders holidays should be a clue. Thomas Cook’s first hosted tour, a train ride with 500 demonstrators back in 1841, launched maybe the world’s most respected holiday travel company.

Agoda Goes Mobile with Free iPhone App

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Agoda, the leading online booking portal in Asia, has announced a new iPhone application. Free for download, the app allows Agoda customers to view and book up-to-the-minute rates at more than 150,000 properties around the world.

Slovenia Hosts World Rowing Championships 2011

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In Summer festival news from Slovenia, coming up in August, the World Rowing Championships will be hosted at Lake Bled this year.  This will be the third time Slovenia’s most famous lake has hosted the prestigious event, but the first in some 22 years. The world’s greatest rowers will compete between August 28 and September 4th.

BioJet Offers Aviation Industry Cheap Alternative Fuel

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According to news from BioJet International Ltd., the innovative jet fuel company has released 1 billion gallons of bio-derived fuel for commercial use. The offer to the commercial aviation industry will be at a fixed rate of $2.97 per gallon.

Travel for Good Winners Picked by Travelocity

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Travelocity announced the four grand prize winners for their recent Travel for Good® program. Over the last six months Travelocity has been looking for stories of inspiration from volunteers around the world. The four winners will each receive a $5,000 grant for a so called “volunteer vacation” – where they can offer their services in some corner of the world.

A Cultural Treasure – Festival Kihnu Sea Festivity 2011

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Visitors to Estonia will have a new cultural treat to enjoy, as the Festival Kihnu Sea Festivity 2011 takes the country’s fisherman’s tradition a step farther. Beginning Friday and ending on Sunday, the Kihnu Cultural Space, in connection with Kihnu Parish Government and the Kihnu Sea Society, present an inaugural festival.

Slovakia’s Pohoda Festival Begins This Week

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For those visiting Slovakia this week, the open air Pohoda Music Festival kicks off on this Thursday 7, July – Saturday the 9th of July. One of the largest such events in Slovakia, the festival features alternative music, rock, pop, dance music, world music, house, techno, drum and bass, hip hop, and even dance and literature workshops.

Adonia Getaway Fares by P&O Cruises This Summer

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P&O Cruises announced their latest offering yesterday, so called “Getaway” prices on flights and small ship cruises to on selected selected Adonia Mediterranean excursions. These Fly Med Getaways apply to cruises of between 10 and 14 nights that depart from Oct. 29 thru January 2012, according to the company news.

Tiger Airways Grounding Stunts Australia Air Traffic

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In airline news, Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authorities (CASA) grounded Tiger Airways Australia because of what the authority called an “imminent risk” to air safety. Understandably, the industry there is in a degree of chaos now as the popular budget carrier serves tens of thousands of customers.

Longest Bridge in the World Another China Wonder

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In news from China, the longest bridge in the world over water opened yesterday to some fanfare. China’s Jiaozhou Bay Bridge, linking the port city of Qingdao with offshore Island Huangdao, allows traffic to cross the 26 miles of waterway between the two. The added two and one half miles of bridge make this longer than Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, in Louisiana, the former record holder.

Exit Fest 2011 – Serbia Rocks for All Europe

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Summer is music festival time across Europe, but nowhere more prominently than at Serbia’s Exit Festival. Beginning next Thursday, July 7th, through Sunday July 10th, Novi Sad, Serbia will be the center of Europe’s music universe. The biggest festival of sound in South Eastern Europe, kicks off at the wondrous Petrovaradin fortress in Novi Sad.