Month: July 2012

Nature Trust raised €205 through its ‘Kayak against Vandalism’ event in Gozo last month.

The event was organised to raise awareness of repeated acts of vandalism in protected natural areas. Participants paid €30 each for a three-hour kayak trip, with a percentage of the money going towards supporting Nature Trust’s conservation projects.

Another kayaking trip – this time for donations for the Wildllife rehab hospital – will take place in the Dwerja Marine Protected Area in Gozo on August 17 from 5.30 till 8.30 p.m.

According to the Tourism Expenditure Survey (Egatur), compiled by the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism’s Institute for Tourism Studies, in the first five months of the year the average daily expenditure of foreign tourists in Spain has grown by 11.1%.

International tourists spent a total of 4,804 million euros in the month of May 2012, representing a growth of 7.5%, according to the survey. This was due both to the increase in tourist arrivals, up 5.8%, as well as the increase in the average cost of the trip, up 2%.

The average daily expenditure for the month was 114 euros, an increase of 3.8%, and the average expenditure per tourist, which was 886 euros, registered a year-on-year increase of 1.6%.

The region which most benefited from this increase in spending was the Community of Madrid, up 29.5%.

Madrid Barajas Airport is located 12km (8 miles) northeast of Madrid. The Airport is one of Europe’s busiest airports and is the largest in Spain. The airport serves Madrid, which is a short distance to the southwest. Our Madrid Barajas Airport guide includes information on airport facilities, transportation options, and nearby hotels. A dedicated rail connection linking Madrid Barajas Airport directly to the city centre opened in September 2011.

Madrid Barajas Airport has more than 20 information counters, located throughout the terminals, with a team of more than 100 ‘Skycaps’ also on hand to assist passengers and provide information. Additionally, there are tourist information counters in the arrival areas of Terminals 1 and 2 and the baggage hall of Terminal 4.

A free 24-hour shuttle bus transfers passengers between the terminals and the long-stay car park. The T4 building is linked to its satellite building (T4S) through a monorail. There is also a free shuttle bus which connects T4 with the other terminals (journey time: 10 minutes).

Oozing opulence, the Ritz has been Madrid’s grandest hotel from the moment it opened 100 years ago. Review by Annie Bennett. Published in Telegraph today.

Next door to the Prado and a few minutes’ walk from the Thyssen-Bornemisza and Reina Sofia museums, this is a great choice for art lovers. The Retiro park and the tapas bars around Plaza Santa Ana are nearby too.

Despite ongoing renovations, the Ritz has managed to hang onto a lot of its original features, so expect classic luxury at every turn. Sumptuous carpets made down the road at the Royal Tapestry Factory ensure that every step you take is in cushioned comfort. There are 167 rooms and suites, and no two are the same. Some have balconies overlooking the square or the hotel’s gardens, others have chandeliers and silk canopies over the bed, and most are furnished with antiques and decorated with original artworks. L’Occitane or Bulgari products add to the “pamper” factor in the bathrooms. Free WiFi. There are 167 rooms and suites, and no two are the same. Some have balconies overlooking the square or the hotel’s gardens, others have chandeliers and silk canopies over the bed, and most are furnished with antiques and decorated with original artworks. L’Occitane or Bulgari products add to the “pamper” factor in the bathrooms. Free WiFi
This is obviously not a budget option, but you do feel you are getting your money’s worth.

Sheraton Hotels & Resorts has debuted in Madrid with the opening of the Sheraton Madrid Mirasierra Hotel & Spa. Owned by Comercial Mirasierra Group, the hotel is part of Starwood’s strategic multi-billion expansion plan to open more than 60 Sheraton hotels around the world in the next three years.

Located in the residential area of Mirasierra near the buzzing city center, the Sheraton Madrid Mirasierra Hotel & Spa comprises 180 spacious guest rooms, each featuring the brand’s signature all-white Sheraton Sweet Sleeper® bed, an all-day dining restaurant, lobby bar, terrace lounge and pool bar. The hotel also offers Sheraton Fitness programmed by Core Performance, a spacious spa as well as an indoor and outdoor pool. For business travelers, the hotel features a fully-equipped business center and over 13,000 square feet of meeting space including a ballroom of approximately 9,000 square feet and eight meeting rooms. The hotel also offers Sheraton Club rooms and Lounge and the brand’s signature Link@SheratonSM experienced with Microsoft, a unique communication hub delivering the technology modern guests expect and require while on the road.