While many hotels offer a gym and spa services, Berlin’s new Apria Hotel is the exact opposite — it’s a state-of-the-art gym and spa with a hotel. Found in a former industrial space, this is one of the German capital’s top fitness destinations, and now in addition to the exclusive gym, spa, and roof terrace, it offers elegantly designed rooms and apartments for the most active and body-conscious travelers. Guests are free to use all of the fitness and wellness treatments, can enjoy a swim in the 25-meter indoor pool, practice some yoga or Pilates, go for a massage, and relax in the sauna or jacuzzi. Meals are served at the rooftop lounge, and you can always go for just one more workout before you check out.
More hotel and booking information here: Aspria Hotel

-See the complete Berlin city guide.
________________________________________
Back to UCityGuides.com – The Ultimate City Guides
or check out UCityGuides.com Hotels – Design, Boutique, Luxury, Cheap Hotels

The last decade has brought some radical changes to the travel industry. From low-cost airlines, to last-minute online booking, to the large number of stylish hostels, to the boutique and design hotel concept. There were even new destinations, with Eastern Europe (particularly Prague and Budapest) becoming one of the most popular city breaks in the world. Even the city break concept is new, with travels now escaping to somewhere else on a long weekend, or on a business trip, and not waiting for a longer summer vacation to go somewhere.
As one decade closes and another one begins, it’s time to wonder how and where we’ll be traveling ten years from now. What can already be predicted is that during the 2000-teens decade, some cities will stand out more than others. They will either host the world’s major events, or will unveil brand-new projects that will capture the attention of the world’s media and travelers.
At UCityGuides.com we’ve taken a look at the calendar and took our insider knowledge of the world’s top cultural cities, and came up with a list of the cities that will most grab the attention of the travel industry. From New York‘s new World Trade Center and Freedom Tower, to a cleaned up Rio de Janeiro for the Olympics, to the emergence of Lisbon as a cultural hotspot, to the rejuvenation of Seville, we give you a preview of what you’ll be excited about visiting in the near future. You’ll discover that some old destinations are new again, and that some often-overlooked cities will no longer be a secret.
For complete details, take a look at the full list of the 10 City Breaks for the Next Decade.

________________________________________
Back to UCityGuides.com – The Ultimate City Guides
or check out UCityGuides.com Hotels – Design, Boutique, Luxury, Cheap Hotels

As the world looks to Berlin’s Festival of Freedom today to celebrate two decades of German reunification, at UCityGuides we choose not to concentrate on the city’s past, but take this opportunity to remind you of the German capital’s dynamic present. After a year of Wall-themed events, we’re now ready to celebrate Berlin as it is today, an open, welcoming, vibrant city. As we say in the introduction to our Berlin city guide, when the infamous Berlin Wall came down, the city’s cultural and creative energy went up, and we have much to recommend in it among the countess new openings of the last few months. Today we highlight our three favorites.
The most important cultural opening (or better yet, reopening) was that of the Neues Museum just over a couple of weeks ago, in a building redesigned by English architect David Chipperfield. It houses an extraordinary Egyptian collection, with the most famous piece being the stunning bust of Queen Nefertiti among a total of 9000 items of display.
After an afternoon in Museum Island, check out the city’s hottest new factory conversion. It’s a restaurant in the now-trendy Kreuzberg neighborhood, and features an interior of concrete floors and exposed walls. It’s called “Sage” (pictured above) and is divided into three different areas, from a small formal dining area, to a space with a long communal table and bar, to another small intimate room. In each space guests may try different menus, from refined gourmet dishes to pizzas.
Another much talked-about new opening in the last year was MA Tim Raue in Hotel Adlon Kempinski, offering a sensational all-organic menu using regional ingredients. It’s served in a glamourous Asian-inspired interior featuring a centuries-old clay horse in the center (“MA” means horse in Chinese), and it’s already earned a Michelin star (the hotel has also been awarded 2 U_Stars).

-See the complete Berlin city guide.
________________________________________
Back to UCityGuides.com – The Ultimate City Guides
or check out UCityGuides.com Hotels – Design, Boutique, Luxury, Cheap Hotels

As the world mourns the shocking death of pop icon Michael Jackson, there will be countless images of the life of the singer replayed on TV and the internet, and one of them will certainly be that of him dangling his baby from the balcony of the Hotel Adlon in Berlin. Although the spotlight had never been so focused on that hotel before, the truth is that it had always been a magnet for the world’s most famous faces. It opened in 1907 and soon became synonymous with glamour and sophistication, allowing it to manage a comeback after a fire in 1945. It lasted until the 1970s when it closed, only to reopen in 1997 with much fanfare.
The landmark Brandenburg Gate stands only a few feet away, an image former guests Einstein, Nelson Mandela, the Queen of England, and yes, Michael Jackson may or may not have all admired as they entered the hotel in the past. They could have very well stayed at the presidential suite, renovated in the last couple of years but still including the opulence of the past, from 18th century French antiques to Persian carpets. The walls are reportedly bomb-proof and the glass bulletproof. Guests won’t be any safer anywhere else in Germany or the world.
When it’s time to eat there is the choice of the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant or a handful of other excellent eateries, and to relax guests can head to the pool and spa area inspired by ancient Roman baths. A stop at one of the bars is also essential before returning to bed, especially at the Shōchū Bar which specializes in Japanese-style cocktails.
Get additional hotel information and booking details here: Hotel Adlon, Berlin

-See the complete Berlin city guide.
________________________________________
Back to UCityGuides.com – The Ultimate City Guides
or check out UCityGuides.com Hotels – Design, Boutique, Luxury, Cheap Hotels

-See the complete Berlin city guide.
________________________________________
Back to UCityGuides.com – The Ultimate City Guides
or check out UCityGuides.com Hotels – Design, Boutique, Luxury, Cheap Hotels

-See the complete Berlin city guide.
________________________________________
Back to UCityGuides.com – The Ultimate City Guides
or check out UCityGuides.com Hotels – Design, Boutique, Luxury, Cheap Hotels

Alma | Lisbon
He’s worked at the restaurant of one of Lisbon’s hippest hotels and has also had his own TV cooking show. Now chef Henrique Sa Pessoa has opened his own restaurant in the increasingly attractive design district of Santos. The all-white interior has an almost heavenly appearance, an elegance and simplicity also presented on the plate, in the chef’s interpretations of traditional Portuguese dishes. Yes, there are the cod and suckling pig options as expected at any Portuguese restaurant, but they’re given a personal twist, and there are also risottos and two tasting menus.

Sushinho | London
A fusion of Brazil and Japan does not sound strange if you’ve been to São Paulo or have experienced the still-hip Sushi Samba in New York or Tel Aviv. But in London, this is actually a brand new concept, with the opening of Sushinho on King’s Road. You can order uramaki made with tropical Brazilian fruits, or a sakerinha – a caipirinha substituting cachaça with Japanese sake. The décor of the cleverly-lit interior is all about dark woods and bamboo pole screens, also an attractive space for lounging with a variety of cocktails.

LA SOCIÉTÉ | Paris
(4 Place Saint-Germain-des-Près | 33 1 5363 6060)
Jean-Louis Costes’ latest restaurant is already a major Parisian hotspot. Try to book a table well in advance to experience the classic-contemporary Christian Liaigre design and live jazz performances as you sample the cuisine that follows the same refinement of the other Costes restaurants. Also be sure to admire the contemporary marble sculptures dotted throughout the space.

Gitane | San Francisco
A glam 1950s-to-70s décor fills this new bar and restaurant in downtown San Francisco. There is Turkish artwork and British wallpaper on the walls, vintage French chandeliers hang from the ceiling, while the furnishings are from Tom Dixon and Anthropologie.
The menu is just as eclectic, blending Iberian and French cuisines, while at the bar there are some exotic and innovative drinks being mixed. Everything works surprisingly well, and there is also a good wine list of mostly Spanish wines.

Saj | São Paulo
Named after a pan used in Oriental cuisine, this welcoming, inexpensive, and refreshingly unpretentious Lebanese restaurant in São Paulo is the city’s newest success story. It’s perfect for a casual gathering sitting around low tables and pillows, and a place to try some excellent desserts such as the “chocolamour”, an ice cream cup dripping in hot chocolate syrup.

________________________________________

Back to UCityGuides.com – The Ultimate City Guides
and check out UCityGuides.com Hotels – Design, Boutique, Luxury, Cheap Hotels

1. New York – It defines the urban lifestyle and the ultimate cosmopolitan destination. You’ll be tempted into shopping more than you wished, paying high admissions to some of the world’s best museum collections, and find yourself having to make tough choices when it comes to dining out. New York is the city of cities, a place where you can’t help it but give in to hedonistic pleasures.
2. Paris – The world’s most beautiful metropolis is unbeatable when it comes to offering the utmost sophistication. Its boulevards invite aimless strolling, window-shopping, and café breaks, while admiring the most elegant fashions and sampling the most refined food as you go. It’s the one city that doesn’t leave anyone disappointed, as its romantic images are proven to actually be true time and time again.
3. London – The world’s best shopping experience is not always cheap, but combine a London shopping spree with sampling its outstanding restaurants and you’ll know you can’t possibly have a better time in any other city. It’s also above all a city to be experienced outdoors, an ironic fact considering its usually grey and rainy skies. But that just shows the power of London’s streets with their constant flow of creativity, edginess, and cosmopolitan spirit.
4. Rome – It’s an ancient city that has managed to survive to the present without being just a museum city. Sure its timeless landmarks can give it the feel of a huge open-air gallery, but experiencing Rome is really about experiencing la dolce vita, the feeling of living life at a slower and more laid-back pace, where stops for a glass of wine or a gelato are daily necessities. And while Milan may be the country’s shopping mecca, as the capital of Italy the city is also the place for great shopping which inevitable takes you through elegant piazzas and streets forcing you to slow down even more. There aren’t and never will be many more pleasing destinations than the eternal city.
5. Barcelona – This is an example of how cities can constantly evolve, reinvent themselves, and become an enviable metropolis. Singular architecture, some of the world’s top chefs and restaurants, cool design, and hip bars and clubs give Barcelona all the ingredients to make it one of the most fantastic cities on the planet. Add the Mediterranean beaches and an always-welcoming atmosphere and you can actually argue that this is the perfect city.
6. Madrid – Home to some of the world’s best art and nightlife, this city manages to be one of the planet’s must-do destinations without having one single instantly-recognizable monument or landmark. That’s because in addition to the outstanding art collections it’s the city’s streetlife that’s the major attraction. Its movida movement of the 80s lives on every weekend and you haven’t been to Madrid until you stay out until breakfast before you finally go to sleep on Sunday.
7. Amsterdam – It’s a symbol of freedom and tolerance, a place where everyone feels free to just be. That welcoming spirit is what makes Amsterdam a must-see city, although its art galleries and elegant canals would be enough to attract visitors to this irreverent city. Many destinations can claim that there is no other place like it, but in Amsterdam’s case you’ll discover that there’s no arguing with that.
8. Berlin – This city dares to be different. It’s an edgy 24-hour party city offering an incredible variety of restaurants, shops, and nightlife options thanks to its mixture of cultures and styles. In between its renovated old buildings and contemporary architecture are major international exhibitions and cultural events, meaning there is always something interesting going on, whether it’s a film festival, a fashion fair, or a design expo attracting international attention and cosmopolitan travelers.
9. Lisbon – It’s the world’s most underrated city and that’s because it doesn’t flash its shambolic beauty. Still, Lisbon is quietly seducing its way into the top of the European travel itinerary now that you not only get to see the continent’s most scenic capital but also its growing number of modern attractions complementing its ancient charms. See the best of modern art next to a 16th century World Heritage monument, and dine at a stylish restaurant reached through a street of potted plants and hanging laundry. It’s the birthplace of the world’s explorers and now a place to be discovered.
10. Istanbul – This city is so grand that it’s located in two continents. And by grand we’re not just talking size, but history, monumental wonders, and fascinating streets. It’s European and it’s Asian, it’s ancient but also very much in the 21st century. Watch it all from one of the many rooftop bars or restaurants and you won’t be able to resist falling for its almost mystical spirit.

——
Back to UCityGuides.com – The Ultimate City Guides
or check out UCityGuides.com Hotels – Design, Boutique, Luxury, Cheap Hotels