Archive for May, 2010
our top 5 prison hotels
There’s nothing worse than staying in a hotel and having that ‘locked-up’ feeling. So this inspired us to hunt down our top 5 prison hotels that do the complete opposite and set you free.
1. liberty hotel, boston
the gorgeous interiors of the liberty hotel
This hotel is simply stunning. The building itself was used as a prison for 120 years, untill 1973 when the prisoners revolted due to poor living conditions. But the same can’t be said of the building now. The Liberty hotel has entitled all of its 298 rooms ‘Luxury’, and that’s the least that could be said about them. Gorgeous decor, breathtaking views of the city, and the plushest bathrooms around. We absolutley love that they’ve called their restaurant ‘Clink’, their bar ‘Alibi’ and the garden ‘the yard’. Clever.
malmaison hotel
2. malmaison hotel, oxford
This Victorian prison has been converted into the lavish Malmaison hotel. Keeping in touch with its dark past, expect solid cast iron doors, heavy large bricks, and the ever recognisable prison-like staircases. But, don’t think you’ll be missing an inch out on luxury. Four poster beds, mini cinema system and a host of services at your disposal. You know you’re in for more than a treat.
the contemporay interiors of lloyd hotel,
3. the lloyd hotel, amsterdam
This building was originally built as a hotel before being converted into a prison during the second world war. Shortly after it was uses as a work shop for artists, until re-opening in 2004 as a hotel. The quirky contemporary interiors and rich character of this hotel is simply magnificent. And with 117 rooms, ranging from 1-5 stars, you’ll be spoilt for choice whatever your budget. The 5 star rooms are a definite treat, featuring a bed big enough to sleep eight, a huge fibre glass bathtub sitting in the middle of the room, and (no less) a grand piano to rock the jail-house tunes.
the four season, instanbul
4. four season, istanbul
This hotel is housed in a gorgeous mustard yellow, neo-classical Turkish prison. Its 65 rooms look out onto a breathtaking courtyard, and every rooms is spacious with a decor fit for royalty. You’ll feel far removed from staying in a prison one step inside these four walls.
the långholmen hotel
5. the långholmen hotel, stockholm
For the near prison experience without any discomforts, the Landholmen is where you’re going to get it. Rooms come by single and double cells, and the decor is kept to minimum. We love how they retained the tiny blue cells door for each rooms, giving you that authentic experience until you’re released.
(2 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)
Loading ...the four kings
At Black Tomato we sometimes stumble across a destination so amazing that we rarely want to share it, but we figure you’ll be able to keep this one between us.
the archipelagos of raja ampat
Off the west Coast of Papua Indonesia lies an archipelago of islands called Raja Ampat (the Four Kings). Comprising of over 1,500 islands, this area is scientifically said to have the richest marine diversity in the world, overriding renowned marine sites like the Great Barrier Reef and Sipadan. And lucky for you and fourteen friends, the Daram Marine Reserve is auctioning the chance to explore this magnificent world of paradise over two weeks on the Daram Project.
the luxurious villas of misool eco resort looking out to sea
But this Project doesn’t come cheap. With a starting bid at $96,500 USD you’ll receive 7 nights onboard The Seven Seas boat, accompanied by two marine scientists, and 7 nights at Misol Eco Resort. The auction closes on 31st May 2010, so get your bids started now.
But, if you’d like to retreat to Raja Ampat on your own project without the hefty price tag, get in touch with us.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...be there in a blink
With all the hoo-hah regarding certain airlines and strikes, we’re pretty tired of sitting on the edge of our seats waiting to hear the latest update. So, while some of us switch airlines, some of us turn to taxis.
Yep, taxis. But we’re not talking about the regular cabs we catch on the side of the road, we’re talking about Air Taxis. Blink is a private jet operator, establishing Europe’s first air taxi network, with ‘taxi’ ranks in 600 hundred European destinations, including all the major cities.
Travelling has never been made so easy. Forget setting off from home 4 hours before your departure time, becasue these private jets are situated in smaller airports meaning you won’t be joining the masses on your commute and you need only arrive 10 minutes before you take off. If you decide to change your mind mid-flight, no problem, just tap the pilot on his shoulder and change your destination – try doing that on a Boeing 747. And don’t worry about bolting out of the plane to beat the line at immigration, because when you land with Blink, you merely step off the plane adn straight into your car. Before you know it, you’ll be at your destination in a Blink.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...the boy did us proud
We’re not ones to blow our own trumpet but we’ve got a bit of good news to share with you today. We’re all really chuffed that our own Tommy Marchant, co-founder of Black Tomato, won a rather prestigious award last night for ‘Young Entrepreneur of the Year’ at The British Travel Industry Awards do last night.
To win this in a room full of the best in the business (we think) is really something and big big thanks to all the powers that be who decided that it was Black Tomato’s night. Thanks also to the team at BT who mix in a huge amount of love to make things happen.
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...the almighty almaty
Darius Sanai, editor of Conde Naste Contract Publishing, is currently out in the field researching for his next piece on Kazakhstan. Read on for a brief insight into his first 48 hours and the legendary tale of the Dog of Colossi:
Here in Almaty, or Alma-Ata, as it appears on my globe back home, I draw back the curtains in my hotel room to reveal a vista of jagged, snow-blanketed mountains, a 5000m-high (that’s higher than any Alp) wall of ice and rock rising suddenly from the tree-lined boulevards.
views of the snow blanketed mountains from almaty
Almaty, the main city of Kazakhstan, was built at the point where the sub-Siberian steppe gives way to the Tien Shan mountains that line the border of Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China and Krgyzstan: effectively, this is the north face of the Himalayas, because if you broach the peaks of the Tien Shan from here, the mountains don’t stop until you descend into the valleys of the Kashmir, 1000 miles to the south. It certainly beats a double espresso as a wake-up experience.
I have been here 48 hours now and in the tradition of all new cultural experiences, it feels like 48 days. Dozens of fascinating experiences swim through the head: the drive into the mountains yesterday, from sun-soaked city (it’s polo shirt weather down here) to snow in 35 minutes, up roads of unfeasible steepness, amid machinery furiously working on building new hotels and cable cars for the Asian Winter Games, due to be held here at the end of this year, and past a man holding a falcon the size of a six-year-old child.
casualy holding a falcon
There was the opera on Friday night, where the President’s elder daughter, Dariga Nazarbayeva, gave a virtuoso performance in a music-hall style tribute to the dead of the Second World War. Barberry bar last night, which hosted a wine list better than Cipriani, the highest concentration of bejewelled watches I have seen outside Baselworld, and spectacular sushi.
My favourite experience so far here is a story, told by an adventurous expat and verified independently by a local friend, about the Dog of the Colossi. The expat told me of three mountain lakes, each bigger and higher than the last, set amid scenery of Shangri-la beauty, which only the intrepid can reach. You drive for four hours, leave your car at a barely visible marked spot, and set up along the mountainside. After an hour, you reach the first lake, deep azure, glinting in the mountains. The path peters out here, and as you wonder which way to head, a stray dog appears from nowhere, points, and leads you up the mountainside. Amid rocks and mountain scrub the dog scampers, waits patiently for you to catch up, until finally you reach the next lake, and the next. The Dog of the Colossi then shows you the way down, before disappearing into the mountain.
A wonderful tale. I might try and verify it one of these days.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...behind closed doors
Eating out is always a treat, but where do you head to in Buenos Aires when you’ve dined in the finest restaurants and gorged yourself at all the street stalls? Well, back to good old home cooking of course: but this time, not at your own dining table.
Always at the forefront of any revolution, be it political, or, in this instance, culinary, Argentina’s trendy capital is currently witnessing an interesting and rapidly burgeoning trend: closed door dining. Or, as the ‘restaurants’ are known in Spanish, puertas cerradas.
So what exactly is it? Well, take a really good chef, preferably disillusioned with the restaurant world, put him in his own kitchen, let him cook up a storm and then serve it in his own dining room to a small selection of ‘guests’. The perfect recipe for a good meal we think.
the outside dining room at casa felix
There is an ever increasing number of these restaurants in Buenos Aires, but demand never falters, so booking is essential. When you arrive to your chosen home you will be welcomed as a friend, and often you will be offered a tour of the house, or more commonly, the garden (where the all veggies are grown) before you are seated. Then, all that is left to do is order a good bottle of Argentine wine and wait for the fresh, delicious fare to arrive at your table.
Almost every taste is catered to, from Mediterranean cuisine in the renowned Casa Saltshaker to the much-admired vegetarian meals served in Casa Felix at the beautiful home of Argentine chef, Diego Felix, which sits just 36 people a week.
So if you eat out anywhere in Buenos Aires, make sure it’s behind closed doors.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...designed inspired during the month of may
The month of May is exploding with design from every corner of the world. From live Grand Designs in London and Australian Fashion week in Sydney to cutting edge exhibitions at the Holon Musuem of Design in Israel. So we’ve taken it upon ourselves to join the crowd.
Check out our designed inspired experiences we’ve come up with in collaboration with Wallpaper here. And be sure to keep checking our albums on Facebook for some awe-inspiring design images throughout the month of May.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...our top 5 african safari destinations
Africa. It’s a pretty big place, so we don’t blame you if you’re not quite sure where to start. So to help you out, we’ve narrowed down our Top 5 African destinations that you simply have to go visit at least once in your life.
flamingos flocking to kenya
Famous for its scenery as much as its safari wildlife, Kenya is a must-visit destination, no matter if you’re a first timer, or an African connoisseur. From millions of vibrant pink flamingos to the sombre masses of wildebeests, rolling grass lands of the Maasai Mara to the Luna landscapes of Hell’s Gate; you’ll be amazed at the magnitude of the things to see in Kenya.
Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania isn’t just another Safari, it’s possibly the best place in the world to see the Big 5. Witness the migrations and watch as the predators follow for a snack on the run. Visit chimpanzee sanctuaries and interact with our not so distant cousins. And have we mentioned the Zanzibar archipelago? The perfect island paradise to recover from days spent following Wildebeest migrations across sweeping plains. Bliss.
the brilliant okavango delta
The jewel in the Botswana safari crown is the Okavango Delta which floods every year from March to June, bringing with it an abundance of wildlife. The perfect place to watch nature unfurl its wings as wildlife migrates towards this massive water source making the game much easier to locate. Where there’s water, there’s life.
Every safari aficionado in the world has heard of Kruger National Park and with good reason. The reserve’s untamed and unspoiled environment offers up a feast of African game just the way you’ve always imagined it. And with an abundance of luxury lodges you’ll be able to relax in style and soak up the surroundings.
go on a walking safari in zambia
Stalk the plains of Zambia through waist-high grass, traversing national parks on a walking safari that will allow you to get as up close and personal with the animals as anyone could hope. All a bit Jurassic Park (except without the Raptors). Feel at one with nature as you explore the lush landscapes with a travelling camp (luxury of course). Why safari by jeep, when you can get a whole new perspective on foot?
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...join the gang at black tomato
Great news folks, we have some amazing opportunities for you to become part of the Black Tomato team.
If you’re someone who is creative, loves writing and more importantly loves traveling and dreaming up some amazing travel experiences, why not become a Trip Designer for us. Read more about this role here.
If you’re incredibly savvy with South America and are keen to use your knowledge to create bespoke experiences for our clients, perhaps you’d be interested in becoming a South American consultant for us. Read more about this role here.
And for those looking to gain some invaluable marketing experience within the travel industry, perhaps an internship could be the thing just for you. Read more about the role here.
So get in touch, we’d love to hear from you.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...walkin’ about town
While some of us don’t realise it, its pretty easy to miss the most obvious things around us. Amanda Style reminds us what she’s been missing out on whilst beating the crowd in London and how sometimes, we all need to stop and look around.
As I wandered down my local high street in Hackney last weekend and stumbled upon a large gathering of Turkish Alevi men milling around outside the Town Hall, it struck me just how interesting London is culturally. Of course, we all live and work here and know full well that London is ‘global’ in the largest sense of the word. But are we really aware of the incredible extent of this diversity, which is literally on our doorstep? Do we sometimes (though we may hate to admit it), walk around with our eyes shut?
the bangledesh community down brick lane
The Vietnamese population in Hackney means you’re never more than minutes away from a mouth-watering, affordable BYO Vietnamese restaurant. As are so many very obvious groups, from the famous Bangladeshi community of Brick Lane, to large Afro-Caribbean populations and so on, all of whom are bread and butter to making London the exhilarating, fascinating and open-minded capital city that we all love.
But what really interests me is the countless other foreign faces that pass us by; cultural and religious identities and groups for whom London is home, and yet to you or I, may not even know exist, let alone know they’re living next door. I’ve been amazed to discover that over 300 languages are spoken in London, and over 60 non-British communities live here. How many could I name, or could any of us name?
busy streets of london
It’s so true that when we travel abroad, our eyes are instantly opened. We are on holiday. We have time to look up and around, full of wonder and excitement about the new place we are discovering, and if you’re anything like me totally addicted to the camera, wanting to capture everything.
London’s diversity literally amazes me, but half the time I’m too busy rushing from one place to another with my head down trying to beat the crowds to notice what’s around. But perhaps we need to credit the place where we live with some attention and look up once in a while.
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