comming soon in Islamabad Pakistan, called Centaurus it will be built
by Atkins UK which also built the 1st 7 star hotel in the world, called
Burj Al Arab in Dubai U.A.E

Great Hotels of the World

Walking down the stairs to the bunker hotel, the Null Stern Hotel, is just about a dozen or so steps. You take a quick right and there’s a big door looking right at you. If it’s unlocked, it means the hotel is open. If it is locked, it means the Swiss army could be training in there.

The stairway leads to the Null Stern front door. (Alex Helmick, WRS)

The Null Stern Hotel forces you to interact with your fellow overnight guests. There are three large rooms: two bedrooms for seven guests each and one large lobby with a few chairs and sinks lining the walls. The bathroom has a series of toilets in a row and the showers is like your local gym… just a number of shower heads on a wall.

After word got out about that hotel was getting ready to open, volunteers came out in droves. Fourteen were accepted for a partial opening that included the media.

Bernadette Golacz and her husband, a concrete layer, came from Austria to stay here.

HELMICK: Why did you want to stay here?
BERNADETTE GOLACZ: Because it is a very nice adventure to sleep here. You can not sleep every night in a—-what’s the name for this?
HELMICK: A bunker.
GOLACZ: Bunker. Ah, bunker! OK.
HELMICK: What is it in German?
GOLACZ: Bunker! It’s the same! (laughs)

The front door to the Null Stern Hotel. (Alex Helmick, WRS)

Most of the people here are native German speakers. In fact, the 24-point code of conduct at the Null Stern is written in German.One of the codes is to expect surprises, another is that the guests select the bedtime by taking the average amount of sleep everyone wants then subtracting it from the 7am wake up time.And then there’s the Glücksrad … the Null Stern version of Wheel of Fortune.

Not all the beds are the same. Some have more padding and nicer duvets, so to choose who gets which bed names are put on an old bike wheel hung on the wall and you spin for it.

Thomas Schrettl gets one of the beds in the first class room.

HELMICK : It looks like you’re going to have to toughen up and deal with first class.
THOMAS SCHRETTL: Yeah.
HELMICK: You could trade with someone.
CHRETTL: Yeah, I’ll think about it… maybe not.
HELMICK: You’re not going to Thomas.

The first class room at the zero star hotel. (Alex Helmick, WRS)

Schrettl was in the German navy and says the room suit him just fine.

SCHRETTL: The pureness of the concrete. I like it.
HELMICK: Does it remind you of your navy days at all?
CHRETTL: Yes, kind of. Except you have a lot more space here than on the frig (frigates) that I have been. So it is much more comfortable here than it was on the ship. And it is stable, you know.
HELMICK: It’s not rocking back and forth.

But rocking the boat is exactly what co-creator Frank Riklin wants to do with this project.

FRANK RIKLIN: And we would like to have a system behind the seven stars that would be a new system that has another meaning of being in the society. That means it is not commercial it is more social.

In other words, what is a 5 star hotel? What is a four star? Are stars even necessary and does it mean you will have a nicer stay and be more fulfilled because of it?

The “less than first class room.” (Alex Helmick, WRS)

Riklin says the company that gives Swiss hotels star ratings has written him a letter saying they don’t like the idea of a zero star hotel very much.

The bearded, shaggy haired artists and his twin brother Patrik say they’re just taking a society obsessed with more and more amenities and giving it just the basics, so guests find joy in meeting new people in a quirky environment and maybe even having a drink together.

RIKLIN: We speak about, maybe we go to the restaurant and get something to drink because we are here, and so it is more than only a hotel. It is a movement. It’s a spirit.

So for one night, 14 strangers: a housewife and an electrician, an economist and a project manager— drank and laughed together in a hotel bunker in a small Swiss town.

Riklin says he hopes to spread the zero star hotel idea to other towns. The one in Sevelen should be ready for full-time service in March.

Alex Helmick, World Radio Switzerland.

welcome 3 star

Welcome to the 3 Star Elysee Hotel London

55 bedrooms offer comfortable accommodation with en suite bathroom, flat screen Satellite TV, direct dial telephone and tea/coffee making facilities, Air condition and in room safe, at a moderate price. A new 8 people lift to all the floors, WiFi access from all bedrooms and public areas.

Located within easy reach of all of London’s major attractions including Marble Arch, the hotel is near to excellent transport links, with Lancaster Gate and Paddington station just a short walk away. This location in the heart of the capital makes it the perfect base for a hotel stay in London.

Elysee Hotel caters to the needs of individuals, couples or groups. Single, double/twin, triple and quad rooms are available, perfect for families and small groups, making for some of the best, discount hotel rates for a quality 3 star hotel in London.

Elysee Hotel, London is perfect for those wanting to stay in London without wantingto compromise on quality, looking for comfortable, well located, reasonably priced Central London Hotel. For more information on our rooms

Latest News

Elysee Hotel London are proud to launch their brand new website which has a host of new features designed to help you plan your stay in London with more ease than ever before. Details of local London attractions as well as London transport links are given in a clear and concise manner and our online hotel booking facility is easier to use than ever before.

(Last year, the plan was to build a 60-storey residential tower and a 38-storey hotel.)

(Final, with extra height!)

It comprises three components: (1) Four Seasons Hotel and (2) Residences and (3) an extension retail mall of Suria KLCC. The development will be the world's tallest Four Seasons.

*** *** ***

Coincidentally, construction work has also commenced on a 60-storey office tower on the other side of the Petronas towers.

Codenamed "Lot C", it is a Grade A office tower located in between the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and the Petronas.

(Photo by Vladimir Zakharov; edited)

The podium of the office tower will host (another) extension of the Suria KLCC mall.

*** *** ***

Like other major shopping malls in Klang Valley, Suria KLCC will in future integrate new shopping areas.

Perhaps a differentiation called Suria Old Wing and Suria New Wing (lol).

Well, this is KLCC perspective skyline come 2012.

7 STAR HOTELS

With the announcement of Europe’s first six star service hotel and residential resort Palacio da Quinta on the Portuguese Algarve a couple of days back, we set out to discover some more tasty accommodation morsels to show you what living in true luxury really means if you like to travel (and rest) in style.

It seems that five star hotels are no longer the norm when it comes to bedding our heads for the night. These days it is caviar, personal butlers and Bentley that are on the menu of savvy and wealthy globetrotters.

1. Town House Galleria

First up is the seven star luxurious Town House Galleria in Milan, Italy. Located in the heart of the city, this fairly new hotel offers prestige living and a service menu that will gain you immediate entry into waiting lists that are as long as the green mile.

Offering a personal butler, Bentley and only the best in food and drink, Town House Galleria will make all wishes come true while you stay in Milan. Whether you need tickets to Da Vinci’s Last Supper, get entry to the hottest restaurant in town or need a rare import, it can all be arranged for you and seemingly fast if some reports are to go by.

2. Burj Al Arab Hotel

Dubai’s seven star Burj Al Arab Hotel has long become a synonym for grandeur, class and style. Offering limousine service, private transfer for all guests via private golf cart, private butler service and just about anything else that is being associated with luxury, the Burj Al Arab Hotel is located in the premier Jumeirah Beach area of Dubai.

3. Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi

The Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi was named the worlds finest hotel in the middle east in 2007. Featuring some out of this world indulgence, staying in this hotel would be like stepping into thousand and one night.

Huge plush pillows, plasma TV, private butler service, laptops in each room, wireless Internet, private check in and much more will delight visitors to this splendid seven star hotel.

Yet to be finished luxury hotels

There are several more planned high prestige hotels in various stages of development. Whilst some are scheduled to be completed next month other are not likely to see the light of the day till 2010.

4. Morgan Plaza Beijing

The Morgan Plaza is a super-luxury 7 star hotel under construction in Beijing, China. Although it was set to be finished last month’s, there has been no official confirmation of it completion yet but it definitely going to be completed in time for the Beijing Olympics. When completed it is rumoured to be possibly more luxurious than the Burj Al Arab and has been considered to be the official landmark of China, still in competition with the Shanghai World Financial Center.

The plaza will contain two pavilions, a temple, the world’s best Japanese restaurant and a 600 meter long corridor.

5. The Centaurus Hotel Islamabad

The $350 million, 7-Star Centaurus Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan will help to put this country on the map for international travellers once the project is completed around 2010.

6. Tameer Towers Abu Dhabi

Tameer Towers in Abu Dhabi is set to complete in 2011 and will incorporate a luxurious seven star hotel.

7. The Flower of the East, Iran

Resembling a Flower as its name suggest, the luxury Persian seven-star hotel, ‘The flower of the East’ is located on Kish Island in Iran and is due to be completed by 2010.

---

It is clear that the demand for luxurious living while on the road is very high and we are sure that this trend will continue to be strong. The Economist reported on the rise of the Gulf states on how their property boom seems to just keep going. It is therefore no surprise to see much of these seven star hotels appear in these countries.

The Burj Al Arab

Construction on the Burj Al Arab in Dubai began in 1994 and was modeled after the sail of a famous Arabian ship. The appearance was created by using teflon-coated fiberglass and white materials that resemble a mast when viewed from a distance. The hotel is an architectural masterpiece. The foundation was constructed on an artificial island and the hotel is home to the world’s tallest atrium. While the Burj Al Arab likes to believe it is the world’s only seven-star hotel, it is officially known as a five-star deluxe hotel on the standard star system.

The hotel houses a mere 202 rooms, but each floor of the hotel is double layered. The deluxe hotel rooms range in size from approximately 1,800 square feet up to approximately 8,000 square feet. A room in the Burj Al Arab costs a minimum of $1,000 per evening and can increase in price up to $25,000 per night. The hotel is home to highly acclaimed restaurants, one of which is the home of the well known chef Kevin McLaughlin.

Morgan Plaza

The Morgan Plaza, also known as a seven-star luxury hotel, is still under construction is Beijing, China but it is anticipated that construction will be complete in March of 2008. The hotel itself will be situated in the Morgan Plaza and will be one of many various buildings in the bustling district of Changan. The hotel will be situated near a myriad of national landmarks.

It is hoped that the hotel, a pivotal building in the plaza long with pavilions, a temple, and a famous restaurant, will be completed before the Summer Olympics in Beijing in 2008. China stands to benefit greatly from increased tourism due to both the Olympics and the appeal of the new plaza itself.

The Flower of the East

Located on Kish Island in Iran, the Flower of the East began construction in 2004 and officials hope to see it reach completion by the year 2010. The hotel is the centerpiece of a complex development project which will include a number of hotels, residential condos, and businesses.

The Flower of the East hotel is designed to look exactly as it sounds – like a flower. Designed with a combination of Persian and Modern architectural influences, the seven-star hotel will be surrounded by a beautiful park and will be visible from every area of the development.

The Centaurus

The Centaurus hotel will be a seven-star hotel located in The Centaurus development project upon its completion, projected to be in 2010. Officials in Packistan hope that the entire plaza will serve as a symbol of both the country’s personal and international growth. The hotel itself will be 37 stories tall.

The Pentominium

The Pentominium, in Dubai, is better known as an apartment building as opposed to a hotel. Even still, once it is complete the building will be the second tallest building dedicated to residential living in the world.

The project broke ground in 2007 and the anticipated date of completion will be in the year 2011. The complex will aim to provide luxury amenities, much like a hotel, including butler service, the use of luxury vehicles, and sailing trips.

Source: Burj Al Arab, The Morgan Plaza, Flower of the East, The Centaurus, The Pentominium