Argophilia

Αργοφιλία: For the love of the journey.

Scandinavian Hotel Owner Petter Stordalen Rewinds Hospitality Ethics

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In yet another disruptive move to propel his company to the forefront, Nordic Choice Hotels boss Petter Stordalen dumps all pay TV porn at his 170 plus hotels across Scandinavia. Known in the past for creating trends, Nordic Choice’s flagship Oslo hotel, THE THIEF, has already replaced xxx video with contemporary video art. The dynamic hotelier seems set to redefine the lines in between alluring experience and tacky and sensationalist sexuality.

It’s True – Europe Entering “Mini Ice Age” – Huh?

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Here in Germany it’s cold, unseasonably cold. Spring has been and it almost gone and each morning we awake to a chill house, go to work in the cold rain, enter damp and cool offices. In France, just across the border, businesses from farming to tourism are feeling the pain of what may be the next Ice Age.

Russia’s Putin Puts Forth Rapid Rail Agenda

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Yesterday, Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin held a meeting to discuss developing high-speed railways within Russia. Taking special note of the serious investments in resource and systems required for ambitious projects of the sort, Putin also emphasized the necessity of affordability for travelers.

Club Med: Asia Moves May Prove Prudent

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News yesterday detailed an apparent buyout bid by French insurance company AXA, and the Chinese conglomerate Fosun International to control resort chain Club Med. According to reports the major shareholders offered something on the order of $719 million have been confirmed and supported by the Club Med management team.

Social Media 101 for Restaurateurs: Getting and Giving the Business

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You own a business associated with hospitality, let’s say a restaurant, for instance. The digital craze is, obviously, something you’ve at least heard about. But just how do social media, blogging, search engine marketing (SEM), and other advanced connectivity channels help your business? Is there a real return on investment from this “social” space? There seem to be more questions about the social sphere than answers, no?

A Real Russia Discovery: Kola Peninsula’s Deep Secrets

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Have you ever wondered where the deepest place on Earth where humans have ventured is? No, it’s not the Dead Sea, nor is the Mariana Trench the deepest hole on our planet. Down deep beneath even Challenger Deep where only Bathyscaphes go, the Kola Superdeep Borehole is humankind’s deepest adventure toward the center of Earth.

Summer Hotel Ideas: Grand Hotel Poltu Quatu in Sardinia, Where Else?

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Every week we spotlight great hotels and destinations you may not come across via TripAdvisor or other travel portal. Sardinia is just such a vacation wonderland, often overlooked in favor or more visible and populist destinations. And, Port Cervo’s Grand Hotel Poltu Quatu is a double shot of sometimes undiscovered travel bliss. Here’s how come.

Coast Hotels Rebrands in Purple

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Marking their 40th year in business, Coast Hotels has launched a re-branding campaign entitled “Coast Hotels Paints the Town Purple.” The international hotel chain offers accommodations ranging from classic bygone era stays to cutting edge 21st Century business digs. Not only has the hotel brand renovated their brand, but their hotels and their website as well.

Eurovision 2013 Final Set: An Inferno of Talent

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The second semi-final of Eurovision 2013 took place last night in Malmo. Ten winners move forward to this weekend’s Grand Final that will reveal Europe’s best performer and song of the year. This year’s contest is loaded with more talent than any previous contest in memory, but a lot more by way of political and artistic expressiveness too.

Croatia Flux: Airline Strikes, Railway Disenchantment, and Smugglers, Etc.

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As the Croatia Airlines strike heads into its fourth day Croatia’s Minister of Transport, Sinisa Hajdas Doncic (below) has said the carrier may go bankrupt if a restructuring plan set in motion is off the table. Meanwhile some 200 Railway Workers Union members protested outside government offices in St. Mark’s Square in Zagreb on Wednesday. By the looks of things Croatia is headed to EU membership carry some unclaimed transportation luggage.

Travel Belarus: Down On the Belarusian Farm Style

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While not the most notorious form of vacationing on Earth, farm tourism is an ever increasingly popular traveler activity in Belarus. According to a study released by the government there, this form of tourism is actually going quite viral. Svetlana Shevchenko, Deputy Head of the Central Office for Natural Persons Taxation of the Belarusian Tax Ministry there told a recent conference that farm tourism has actually increased by a factor or 15 in the last five years.