Happy Hotelier and DW for 35 years wish all his readers Happy Holidays!
Happy Holidays from Happy Hotelier
Month: December 2007
T-List Ranking Update (counting 250 +)
I have now placed an alphabetical list on my T-List and L-List page. It still needs a bit refining. The last week there was a drop in the Technorati ranking . Therefore not all figures are exact.
Street Art (2): Berlin, The Invisible Billboard Pod Hotel
Where
Located on Death Strip, the piece of land along the former Berlin Wall where people used to be shot and now a waste land dedicated to sculptures, French artist Etienne Boulanger formed a one room hotel between billboards. It definitely is a Room without a View. A night costs a mere Euro 20.- (approx US $ 30.-). It is on view (or use) up to March 2008.
It is accessible by ladder and is a fully equipped as a two star hotel room.
Philip Horst, one of five artists running the Sculpture Park Berlin Centrum, said: “Boulanger’s idea was to make use of an economic cycle and use the rented out advertising spaces to finance the hotel.”
Reservations
Via Etienne Boulanger‘s website
The ITN Video on Youtube:
Via
Vacant ready and ITN UK
Christchurch: The SO Pod Hotel
The Bar of the SO Hotel
The So Hotel
Hotel SO in Christchurch, New Zealand is another and massive (284 rooms of which 190 are pod size) Pod Hotel that opened on 6 November 2007. Room rates for a double start at an affordable NZ $ 89.
Its Team
The team is made up of people from industries as diverse as property development, hotel management, marketing and advertising. They believe this diversity in backgrounds is essential in providing the fresh perspective needed to develop an experience unencumbered by the traditional ways of designing and managing a hotel.
Its Philosophy
Some hotels offer a budget experience at a cheap price. Others offer a luxurious experience at a high price. SO believes that great design, great technology and great service should be available to everyone at a great price. Other than the “strict” pod hotels like Yotel Qbic and Easy Hotel it also offers bar, restaurant and business facilities.
Its History
Looking into its history and background is interesting. The Hotel has been developed by Dave Henderson who became famous in the middle 90ies for his struggle with the NZ tax authorities. It started when he claimed a tax refund that resulted in a tax review with a huge back taxes claim. It even put him into bankruptcy from which he was able to come back when he successfully overturned the tax claim. The whole story is documented in the feature film We’re Here to Help. The NZ release of the film coincided with the Hotel opening. (Note to myself: Have to advise Filmgirl whether it is feasible to have this film released at the Rotterdam film Festival).
The funniest thing is that the hotel is located in….the former Tax Office. After Henderson bought the property he refused to extend the lease of the Tax Office and after having them vacate the building he started converting the building in a hotel.
More Reading
It is also featured by The Guardian and
USA Today
Street Art (1): Istanbul Cow Parade
Istanbul Asus Laptop Cow
Catching up, because there are many posts in statu nascendi (draft form), but every time I want to catch up , something else draws my attention.
I always wanted to start a Street Art Tag.
This summer Istanbul served as background for the Cow Parade. I took some pictures in September. The three best of The Istanbul Cowparade I would like to share with you.
Istanbul Latte Cow
I had seen Artsy Cows in other cities in the past, but I didn’t know is what a serious organization and what a mass of cows were already shown around the world by Cow parade.
Istanbul Paparazzi Cow
Photos © Happy Hotelier, off course Yours Truly Happy Paparazzi:-)