Barbados Settler Beach Villa Hotel

If you are seeking luxury and informality, the Settler will fit the bill. Here you choose hotel rooms or villas. Set in four acres of tropical gardens, the 22 two-bedroom cottages are arranged in a horseshoe shape near where the island's first settlers landed. There is also a one-bedroom apartment, which starts at BBD200 per night. The resort appeals to guests looking for tranquility and offers spacious accommodations for families. It is within walking distance of several restaurants and is close to the banks, post office and supermarkets.

Rooms & Charges: Singles From 197. Suites From 285.

Hotel Services: Air conditioning. Bar. Internet access. Parking. Restaurant. Swimming pool.

Conferences: No formal conference facilities are available, but areas are available for meetings throughout the property.

Special Features: The villas are single story with a central patio/atrium and two-story. Private cooks, nannies and baby-sitters can be arranged.

Buenos Aires Gran Hotel Argentino

This hotel has an interesting art-nouveau style and a primelocation. The rooms are pretty standard, but many offer panoramic views of the surrounding area, which is just two blocks away from the Obelisk. It features a well equipped health club, conference rooms, and a nice bar/restaurant and secure parking. The service is efficient and the tropical breakfast is excellent. For the price, this is a great spot for those on a budget.

Rooms & Charges: Singles From 230. Doubles From 230. Suites From 364.

Hotel Services: 24-hour room service. Air conditioning. Bar. Business facilities. Computer facilities. Fitness club. Parking. Safe deposit. Television.

Christchurch Hotel Grand Chancellor

Enjoy spectacular views of the Southern Alps and the Garden City of Christchurch. This inner-city hotel is within walking distance of the Botanical Gardens, cafes, bars and restaurants, art galleries and the casino--there is plenty to do. Spacious rooms and superior conference facilities, a business centre, car parking, car hire and ID telephone make this particularly attractive and convenient for the business traveller. Relax and enjoy the ambience and convenience of the central-city location. With buffet and a-la-carte options for breakfast, lunch and dinner, there is always a wide choice of food at Merchants Restaurant.

Rooms & Charges: Singles From 140. Doubles From 190.

Hotel Services: 24-hour room service. Bar. Business facilities. Car-hire facilities. Childcare facilities. Computer facilities. Television.

Conferences: Meeting and function rooms with theatre-style seating. Three boardrooms. Full conference facilities available for meetings of 10 to 1200 people.

Sydney Grand Hotel

Situated on the Tank Stream - the water supply for the first settlers - this is one of the oldest pubs in the city. Providing pleasant accommodation, from here you are just a short walk to the lush green of the Domain (The). In contrast, you also have easy access to the hustle and bustle that is the very heart of the city, with its varied shops and services.

Rooms & Charges: Singles From 77. Doubles From 88.

Hotel Services: Bar. Non-smoking rooms. Television.

Conferences: All rooms have radio, fridge and tea/coffee making facilities. A pool room and fax is available for guests to use.

Special Features: All rooms have radio, fridge and tea/coffee making facilities. A pool room and fax is available for guests to use.

China Shanghai Worldfield Convention Hotel

First constructed in 1990 and opened 1994, this hotel was named after its managing company, Worldfield Co. Ltd. of Hong Kong, and prides itself on its international convention and exhibition facilities. The hotel offers a Cantonese restaurant, a Japanese restaurant, an Oriental snack house, a 24-hour poolside coffee shop, a lobby lounge, the Lao Shanghai Pub and the Spark Entertainment Pub.

Rooms & Charges: Singles From 800.

Hotel Services: 24-hour room service. Air conditioning. Bar. Bureau de change. Business facilities. Computer facilities. Fitness club. Non-smoking rooms. Restaurant. Safe deposit. Swimming pool. Television.

Conferences: There is a 3,500-square-meter convention space, a grand ballroom seating 1,000 theater-style, a 600-seat multi-purpose auditorium, a 600-seat convention hall and 15 smaller rooms of varying sizes, including audio-visual equipment, a simultaneous interpretation system, a secretariat room and a convention/banquet staff.

Helsinki Cumulus Seurahuone

This hotel is located right across the street from the main railway station, and it is suitable for those who do not need a large variety of services in their hotel. It is a traditional Helsinki hotel, whose café and restaurant have long been important meeting places. The rooms are well equipped with half of the rooms having baths, and the rest having showers. There are two saunas, an ironing room and a bistro. There is a lot nearby—from department stores to casinos—and nothing in the Helsinki city center is far away. The National Theatre, Ateneum and several cinemas (e.g. Bio City) are located just a couple of hundred meters away.

Rooms & Charges: Singles From 164. Doubles From 199. Suites From 241.

Hotel Services: 24-hour room service. Air conditioning. Bar. Bureau de change. Business facilities. Hairdresser. Non-smoking rooms. Television.

Conferences: There are five conference rooms for up to 50 delegates.

Paris Lasvegas

Half-scale versions of the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe rise 50 stories above the Las Vegas Strip, drawing visitors into this resort. Your elegant guest room or suite is decorated in a French Regency style and is both opulent and comfortable. Guests will enjoy Le Boulevard district for their shopping pleasure. The Mandara Spa is the perfect place to relax and unwind. Two attractive wedding chapels are located on site. The hotel is connected to Bally's and MGM via a monorail system.

Rooms & Charges: Singles From 227. Doubles From 271.

Hotel Services: 24-hour room service. Air conditioning. Bar. Business facilities. Computer facilities. Disabled access. Hairdresser. Internet access. Minibar. Non-smoking rooms. Parking. Restaurant. Safe deposit. Sauna. Swimming pool. Television. Whirlpool.

Conferences: Seven ballrooms and salons are available, totaling 140,000 square feet of conference space. Convention hallways resemble the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles.

Special Features: Nine restaurants offering diverse cuisines can be found at the hotel. Activity areas include tennis and basketball courts and a rooftop swimming pool. Two telephone lines, voice mail and dataport available in guest rooms.

France moving troops to Chad

PARIS, France (CNN) -- The French Defense Ministry said Friday it is dispatching 140 soldiers from Gabon to Chad's capital of N'Djamena as a precaution to protect French citizens after renewed fighting between government troops and rebels.

The ministry spokesman said concerns were raised over the safety of French citizens by reports the Chad military had been fighting a rebel force hostile to President Idriss Deby north and east of N'Djamena.

A ministry spokesman said because of rebel activity in the former French colony, the decision was made to reinforce the garrison of French troops stationed in the city to "ensure the security of French citizens."

The French move came as U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said he is "deeply concerned at the resumption of fighting in Chad."

Ban's spokesman said he "deplores any action that could worsen the already grave humanitarian situation especially in eastern Chad where the international community is actively engaged in activities to provide relief and secure the voluntary, safe and sustainable return of refugees and displaced persons in eastern Chad and north-eastern Central African Republic."

On Thursday, after a series of armed attacks in the eastern Chadian town of Guereda, four staff members with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and 28 local and international staff members of UNHCR's implementing partners were relocated to Abeche, about 300 miles to the southwest. Local authorities do not have the necessary means to protect the aid workers, UNHCR said.

Only essential UNHCR staff remain in Guereda for the time being, operating in conjunction with refugee leaders at two camps, Mile and Kounoungou, where up to 30,000 Darfurian refugees reside.

Speaking from Abeche, UNHCR spokeswoman Annette Rehl described Guereda as "a place without law and order (where) people act with impunity." She cited car-jacking as the most pressing security concern there: "They need cars and telecommunications equipment."

The situation was brought to a head by tensions that have been brewing in the area since Monday between opposition forces and the Chadian National Army. She also referred to clashes between two ethnic groups, the Zaghawas and the Tamas, as affecting the local population.

Security concerns for refugees in Guereda remain high.

"If humanitarian workers are not around, it is impossible to provide adequate protection to the refugees," said Jorge Holly, head of the UNHCR field office in Guereda "But the situation here is getting out of control, and we also have to protect our staff and partners."

The U.N. refugee agency has 12 refugee camps, six field offices and over 200 employees in eastern Chad.

Asked when UNHCR staff would return to the camps, Rehl said, "We need to see how the situation moves, we are having security meetings. We have to see what happens in the political context. Tomorrow this could change. This is typical of Chad."

England Travel Tips

The days of showing up at a England hotel and paying whatever price is posted are over simply because it is so easy to find cheap England hotels and discounted England hotel rates on travelandplay.com. Some people still call up a England hotel to make England hotel reservations and pay whatever the rate is, however people are wising up to the many cheap England hotel rates to be found online and since saving money is always a motivating factor many people are shopping and booking online and as a result are receiving cheap England hotel rates for the same room in the same England hotel for the same dates.

What you may not know is there are many websites online that focus solely on providing you with discount England hotels, flights, care rentals and the like. So, finding cheap England hotel rates is as simple as searching online. To find cheap England hotel rates you first need to get on the travelandplay.com. Once there, you should go to a search engine to search for cheap England hotel rates. Be specific when using the search engine, however, because you will want to find as much specific information on cheap England hotel rates as possible while weeding out other information. Keep in mind as well that if you do not find the cheap England hotel rates you are looking for on one search engine you can always try another. However, you will find the best cheap England hotel information on some of the larger search engines.

Greece Travel Tips

Do you have your trip planned to Greece? Got the tickets and everything? Did you remember to reserve a Greece hotel room? Not to worry if you haven't. Its quite a simple task especially in the Internet world. Here are some quick tips for you to consider.
First of all, if you want to find a great deal on a Greece hotel, you should think about being as flexible as you can be. If you stay at certain times of the week, month, or even year you can possibly get a better deal. If you can't be that flexible, how about thinking about staying a little farther from your destination. Now, this only works if you are going someplace where there are many people wanting to stay as close as possible. Instead of staying really close, stay a few miles out in a nice Greece hotel. This can save you a bunch of cash. You may need to drive a little farther, but a few cents in gas compared to the extra in the Greece hotel is nothing.