Since 1969, restaurant, hotel, travel & other witty reviews by a handpicked, worldwide team of discerning professionals—and your views, too.

26

Aug

 

The US Grant hotel at night

Night view of the illuminated US Grant hotel, located in San Diego’s historic Gaslamp Quarter.

The US Grant Hotel, a San Diego landmark. 


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The Cloister on Paradise Island, The Bahamas

The Cloister at the Ocean Club on Paradise Island, The Bahamas


On a rock in The Commonwealth of The Bahamas made famous by the movies lies a cloister from a twelfth- or thirteenth-century French monastery. The story goes that the notorious philanthropist and businessman George Huntington Hartford II purchased the pieces of stone from the Montréjeau monastery of the Augustinian order that William Randolph Hearst had brought over from France and stored in a warehouse. Huntington Hartford also purchased what was known as Hog Island in The Bahamas, renamed it Paradise Island and parked his prized possession there. After another flamboyant owner by the name of Merv Griffin owned it, complete with an airline, Paradise Island is now a travel destination for all with The Atlantis Resort and Casino as the anchor piece. The cloisters sit on the property of the Ocean Club, owned today by Sol Kerzner, like the Atlantis, the One & Only luxury hotel chain and more. The hotel is featured in two James Bond films: Thunderball (1965) and Casino Royale (2006), and the cloister is prominent in The Beatles movie Help during the hit song Another Girl.

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Watts Towers

on August 11th, 2012
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11

Aug

Watts Towers in Los Angeles

Watts Towers in Los Angeles


Watts Towers, or Towers of Simon Rodia, is a collection of monumental artwork built by Italian immigrant Simon Rodia in south central Los Angeles. Reaching nearly 100 feet in height, Watts Towers were constructed over a period of 33 years, between 1921 and 1954. His creation was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1990. Check out the following photo gallery of Watts Towers.

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Burj Khalifa Dubai

on January 14th, 2012
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14

Jan

Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the world's tallest building

Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the world’s tallest building

The Tallest Building in the World


If you’ve seen Tom Cruise’s death-defying stunts in “Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol”, then you know that Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the tallest building in the world. At 2,723 feet tall — almost two times the size of Chicago’s Willis Tower (1,451 feet) — the skyscraper was created by the government to shift Dubai’s economic focus from oil, give it casino an internationally-recognizable online casino symbol and attract Australian tourists. In addition to corporate suites, a restaurant and a 124th-floor observation deck, Burj Khalifa houses the Armani Hotel Dubai in its bottom 39 floors, consisting of 160 guest rooms and suites and 144 residences.


Read more about Burj Khalifa on GAYOT.com.


Related Articles:
Burj Khalifa website
Armani Hotel Dubai
United Arab Emirates Travel Guide



A Swire Hotel Group property

The Opposite House Hotel in Beijing, China


The Swire Hotel Group’s Beijing hotel The Opposite House is a totally cool and modern, progressive place to stay while in the Chinese capital. It has a stainless steel-lined lap pool, a few restaurants and an inviting lobby called The Living Room. Excellent shopping is nearby.


See more pictures of The Opposite House Beijing in our photo gallery.


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Swire Hotels
The Opposite House hotel review
Top 10 Hotels in China