Active Hotels

I had a nice surprise in my inbox today. The folks at Travelhacker have come up with a list of the top 100 business travel blogs and they have kindly added Active Hotels.

The Top 100 Business Travel Blogs

S ophisticated
O pen
F un
I nteresting
A ttractive

I recently had a funny experience with someone who was asking me “So where is the country Sofia located?” For those who don’t get the joke - Sofia is not the country, it’s the main capital of Bulgaria which has become a EU member in January 2007 – the bustling and attractive town has so many things to offer e.g.

• a visit of the modern Sofia mall with numerous shops (opened in 2006)
• the traditional Alexander Nevsky Orthodox Church or
• for those who prefer the nature – go to the nearby Vitosha Mountain which is the most significant part of the Plana-Zavala Mountain system. With its highest peak - Cherni Vrah (2290 m) it occupies the fourth place among the Bulgarian mountains.

Go and have a fest in the east – hotels in Sofia

This week our email marketing team bring you a selection of hotels looking at ‘beautiful Britain.’ I am overjoyed to see my hometown of Swansea being highlighted! Swansea is indeed a beautiful place and should be explored.

Britain is beautiful, and we’d like to remind you. Re-visit your favourite place, or view firsthand those stunning locations you’ve only ever seen on TV. With Active Hotels, mountains, valleys and coastlines are just a few clicks away. Summer may have gone, but why should you have to stay?

Check out the Britain is Beautiful Email newsletter here

Congratulations go to the Active Hotels/Booking.com mens dragon boat team that stormed to victory in the 2007 Cambridge Dragon Boat Race

‘The Pirates of the Cam’ (see the scurvy lot here)are now Cambridgeshire’s 2007 Dragon Boat Champions!

Yes, somehow after being second in all their races (including the
Booking.com/Active Hotels head to head), they managed to pull it together in the final
and win the whole tournament in a very dramatic photo finish.

The winning team:

Tom Crinson
Darren Smith
Taz Dhak
Stephen Thresh
Russell Logan
Keiren Wade
James Bailey
Abid Din
Robert Suttcliffe
Nick Doble
Mustapha (Drummer)

This weeks email newsletter highlights some apartments that are available to book through Active.

Check it out here:

Apartments bookable online

Whether you have a loved one off to university or you simply fancy a cultural break, Active Hotels has a wide range of hotels in university towns and cities across the UK and Europe such as Cambridge Oxford, Durham etc.

So kick off the academic year in style with a hotel to suit your needs.

Hotel Deals in University Cities

An active hotels guest sent us in the text of a sign he saw at a hotel recently. It read:

‘Children over 8 and boa constrictors will be charged according to size, age, day of the week and appetite. Children under 8 may be eaten by boa constrictors (only joking) but sorry, I do not normally take them.’

In this week’s newsletter we take a look at the top business hotels as rated by our guests.

Top Guest Rated Business Hotels Reviews

The August bank holiday is fast approaching, but with Active Hotels there’s time to grab a bargain at any number of hotels across the UK, or even abroad. Whether it’s the quiet coast or the city buzz, we know we’ll have something to brighten up your summer.

Check out this weeks Active email newsletter which highlights some great Bank Holiday Hotel Offers

It’s August in England but the weather feels like November –
why not escape for a few days to sunny Mallorca? You don’t even have to speak a word Spanish there – I just spent a week in Cala_Ratjada where you will find only Germans and German speaking locals…Explore the quiet mountains near the Luc monastery or the stunning lighthouse at Cap Formentor – or just enjoy some quiet days on the beach of Cala Ratjada or Cala Agulla.

Hotels in Cala Ratjada

Hotel Deals With Something for Everyone

Actually it’s last weeks but I thought we should include as there are some great hotels on here

It includes some lovely hotels to treat the family, why not take a look?

Family Hotels

Here is the first of many guest reviews that made us titter.

‘If you sat square on the loo or tried to stand directly in front of the mirror to shave, you burnt yourself on the very hot towel rail.

The plumber who installed the loo should be made to sit on it, naked, for a week.’

At Active Hotels we collect lots of hotel reviews from guests. These are totally independent, most are very informative and some are hilarious. We will be adding some to this blog, naturally we won’t mention the hotel in question or the reviewers’ name.

For all those thinking about visiting the lakes in Italy and more specifically Lake Garda, I would highly recommend a trip to Sirmione If you can, stay within the castle walls on the southern peninsular like we did – the whole area is for pedestrians only, so perfect for a stroll around the boutiques and to stop for a morning coffee, or to succumb to the delights of the local ice cream street!

Be warned, however, that the weekends can get pretty busy. If you want to get away from it all and soak up some of the sights that the lake has to offer -hire a speed boat for the day. It is a great way to explore what the other towns on the shore have to offer and try even more culinary delights.

Speaking of culinary delights, Sirmione itself has some fantastic restaurants. If you’re looking for something extra special and if your budget will stretch to it, try La Speranzina. The food is delightful and it has the enviable position of being on the lake front…perfect for a romantic dinner for two. If people watching is your thing, Piazza Corducci is the place to go. It is the main square in Sirmione and is lined with a number of restaurants offering standard fare. All in all Sirmione is definitely worth a visit – just bring trousers with an elasticated waste!

I could also mention that Verona is near by so offers the opportunity to go to the Opera if you are there for the annual Opera season (June to September), oh and you’ve also got the local vineyards but they are other stories, for another time….

Hotels in Sirmione

With Active Hotels, you’ve got access to hotel rooms that suit you. Treat a loved one with a romantic break; indulge yourself with a relaxing rest; or surprise the family with somewhere different – whatever your needs, we’ve got great rates on all sorts of rooms, right across the UK, Europe and beyond.

This weeks Active Hotels Newsletter