Gotta Getaway: Take On Shanghai Sustainably At URBN Hotels!
by Amber Fijolek
Jul 21, 2010 4:19 PM PDT
Eco-friendly never looked so comfortable! This time around, why not take a green getaway and give Planet Earth a little vacation too? With it's state-of-the-art modernism, it's easy to forget that there's actually a cause behind the swanky URBN Hotels. A mere peek at the chic, boutique lodging makes it hard to believe that China's first sustainable hotel is a former factory warehouse. An extensive effort has been put into the greenness of URBN Hotels, located in the heart of Shanghai, including furnishings and decor made from all recycled materials. Its environmentally friendly practices are the beginning to a new breed of hotels with carbon-neutral practices and commitments to leaving as minimal earth-harming footprints. The company even prides itself on its investment in the growth of the million-tree project, one devoted to the planting of trees reserved for the purpose of compensating for emissions. You're even offered the opportunity to purchase carbon credits to make you feel better about your flight halfway around the world! Don't get the wrong idea: the environment isn't the only thing treated like royalty at URBN. The hotel's 26 rooms, spa suite and 2 penthouses provide the ultimate in guest comfort. With in-house accommodations like their guest-only rooftop cocktail lounge and concierge options that include guided bike tours and Chinese Mandarin language tutoring, guests are guaranteed a memorable Shanghai experience. View the slideshow to take a peek at the sleek and sensible carbon-neutral model that will soon be the new craze in tourism: Shanghai's URBN Hotels!
Getaway To Celebrity and Volcanic Hot Spot -- Iceland's Hótel Rangá!
by Amber Fijolek
Jul 7, 2010 4:25 PM PDT
Imagine an Icelandic country lodge so cool, there's not only horseback riding and bird-watching, but ATV tours and river rafting! How about so cool that even celebrities are known to frequent the Four Star hotel that's not only green energy powered, but only uses hot water heated by actual nearby springs! But the coolest part about this Icelandic hotel is probably just the view of Mount Hekla and its oozing goo of fire, not to mention the Jeep-guided and helicopter tours of the active volcano. Actually, cool is truly synonymous with Hòtel Rangà for the subpolar climate. There's nothing better to heat you up, though, than the outdoor hot-spring hot tubs, which happen to offer premiere seats for eruption sightings and glacier-action underneath a sky illuminated by the Northern Lights (best seen between September and April!). With views and activities abound, there's always time to relax at a fine dining establishment situated beside a world ranked salmon river when not in your newly renovated room. Speaking of rooms, its 15 room collection of World Pavilion suites feature continent themed decor with authentically crafted furniture from each of the world's 7 geographic regions. Regardless of the themed rooms, your cultural immersion within the host country trumps all, as the hotel sits right in the heart of southern Iceland's most scenic adventure-land and most exciting cities. With celebrity sightings, adventure, and beauty galore, your stay at Hótel Rangá will be the trip of a lifetime! Checkout the slideshow for some of the sights that Hótel Rangá has in store!
