We’ve culled the properties below for their strategic location, business and leisure facilities, and fine hospitality. If time and budget permit, add visiting these fine hotels to your New Year’s resolution list.

1. Nu Hotel: This boutique hotel in Brooklyn, New York opened as recently as 2008, yet word has spread quickly of the hotel’s fresh design and penchant for excellent service. The hotel sits at the center of the BoCoCa district, which encompasses three Brooklyn neighborhoods: Boerum Hill, whose streets are lined with French bistros and stylish brownstones; Cobble Hill, which showcases a unique mix of old world shops and gardens; and Carroll Gardens, an old-fashioned Italian neighborhood featuring posh restaurants and antique shops. Only eight miles away from Times Square, the hotel provides easy access to spots frequented by business and leisure travelers alike, including the Brooklyn Bridge, Wall Street, Brooklyn Botanical Gardens and Williamsburg Savings Bank Tower. Rooms boast plush mattresses with Egyptian cotton linens and 32-inch flat screen televisions. The hotel has a 24-hour fitness center and offers complimentary Continental breakfast at the onsite Nu Bar, as well as free WiFi Internet access all throughout and complimentary copies of The New York Times to help business travelers keep up with the news.

2. Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers: Steeped in history and charm, this landmark hotel – a member of Historic Hotels of America – is located in the heart of historic Back Bay and has drawn a host of U.S. presidents and celebrities since opening in 1927. The hotel is located only 200 yards from the nation’s first public parks, Public Garden and Boston Common. It was also the first hotel to include many of the standard conveniences we find in hotel rooms today, such as guestroom radios. The hotel is convenient to Newbury Street shopping, Faneuil Hall Marketplace, and Boston’s theater and financial districts. In addition, the hotel boasts nine on-site restaurants and lounges, a business center and fitness center (both open 24 hours a day), and airport shuttle service that runs daily.

3. Hotel Diva: The avant-garde Hotel Diva, set in the heart of Union Square in San Francisco, merges modern elegance with high style. It is only a short stroll from Chinatown, the American Conservatory Theatre, Curran Theatre, Moscone Convention Center, Financial District, and countless shops from Neiman Marcus to Saks Fifth Avenue. Travelers can enjoy complimentary use of a meeting room designed by renowned Architect T. Olle Lundberg, fitness room and internet lounges. They can then dine at Colibri Restaurant, famous for its Mexican tapas, or grab a cup of coffee at Starbucks, located just off the lobby.

4. Tropicana Las Vegas: Nestled in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip is Tropicana Las Vegas, which offers guests a plethora of activities and amenities. It features the 850-seat Tiffany Theater, fine restaurants, a 61,000 square foot casino, hair salon and barber shop, and three high-energy lounges. The hotel’s newly designed swimming pool is slated to open in April 2010. Business travelers can stay on task inside the business center, which offers computer rentals, photocopying and other services. But who says you can’t mix business with pleasure? The Tropicana is the only major Las Vegas casino resort to offer poolside Wi-Fi access, as guests can bring their laptops and stay connected while unwinding on the pool deck or in a private cabana. Voted “Best Las Vegas Wedding Chapel” eight years in a row, it’s no wonder so many couples say “I do” at this legendary Strip hotel. Registered guests must be at least 21 years of age.

5. Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center: Located just one mile from Walt Disney World and 20 minutes from Orlando International airport, this stunning property couples the charm of an old-world Florida mansion with the modern conveniences of a luxury resort. It boasts four-and-a-half acres of lush indoor gardens and a 20,000-square-foot Spa and fitness center, not to mention a wealth of restaurants, shops and lounges. Kids will enjoy Clearwater Cove – a water-activities playground that has a 120,000-gallon zero-entry family pool as well as several play areas around the pool deck. Travelers with business on the agenda can take advantage of 400,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, including the 178,500-square-foot Florida Exhibition Hall.

Chad is one of the countries of the Saharan Africa. It is bordered by Libya to its south, Niger and Cameroon to its east, Central African Republic to its North, and Sudan to its west. Chad is also a country that boasts of some wonderful places to visit, and here are some of them.

1.) N’Djamena

The war has brought down the liveliness of this biggest city of Chad, and after the war, Chad is tying to regain back its reputation as one of the liveliest city in Africa. Here in N’Djamena, you can still see buildings riddled with bullet holes, but despite of this, there is still some cheerful atmosphere to it as you tour its historic quarters as well as the its marketplace. You can also visit its National Museum to see wonderful artifacts from the Sarh culture.

2.) Zakouma National Park

This is a national park where you can also see the Bahr Salamat and its branches as they run across the plains. During the war, this national park lost most of its wildlife because of poaching and the effects of civil war. But now, the government of Chad has reintroduced back the animals, and so the park is what it once was, full of wildlife.

3.) Lake Chad

This is a historic site since it was once the center for the salt trade industry in Africa. But now, it is rapidly shrinking, and there are fewer animals around the lake. But still, this is a good place to visit, and it is best to visit this lake at about August to December when it is at its fullest, and you can see a lone hippopotamus or a lone crocodile swim by.

4.) Sarh

This is Chad’s second biggest city. Its main source of income is through its sugarcane and cotton plantations. What you can see and enjoy here is its national museum and the Center Artisanal where you can also buy some of your souvenirs to take home with you.

5.) Moundou

Recognized as the country’s third biggest city, it is made more popular by the Gala Brewery. You can visit the brewery for a tour and get to taste some of the most delicious beer in Chad. But you have to prepare for about a day to reach this place.

6.) Abeche

If you want to see more desert charm, then Abeche is the place for you to go to. Here, its oriental charisma is palpable. You can stroll along its streets made from cobblestones and visit some of its mosques as well as the markets.

7.) Tibesti Mountains

This is a must-see place as it is home to the Toubou Tribe. This is also popular for its racing camels. What you can see here are majestic chasms and crags, perfect for any nature lover.

8.) Restaurants of N’Djamena

It is not worth it to travel to an exotic country and not taste its foods. Here in N’Djamena, there are many French as well as authentic African restaurants that you can visit. Do not forget to taste their rice covered in peanut sauce as it is one of their specialties.

9.) Bars and nightlife in N’Djamena

If you are tired of nature and desert, then hit some of the bars in N’Djamena. Although a war-stricken city, it does its best to entertain the visitors. Drink their best beer, Gala, in these bars as well as join in some open-air dancing.

10.) Novotel N’Djamena La Tchadienne’s Casino

This is a very beautiful hotel located in N’Djamena. If you are still in need of some modern entertain, then go to its casino. Here, you can play poker and blackjack.

Jonathan Williams is the travel writer for Destination Guide TV – the place to share travel videos Visit http://www.destinationguide.tv/chad to view or share Chad travel videos

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Ethiopia hotels are known for their hospitality and great service. The country is blessed with a wide variety of flora and fauna. Also, the country gets a lot of sunshine all through the year. As a result, the most popular tourism slogan of the country is “Ethiopia – 13 months of sunshine”. A lot of tourists visit Ethiopia every year and, as a result, the hospitality industry in the country is booming.

As a tourist, you have plenty of options in Ethiopia. The country has some very good natural and manmade attractions and you can go on sightseeing tours and have a great time during the day. There are a lot of hotels where you can stay in and unwind in the evening. You can roam around in the day enjoying the scenic attractions and come back to your hotel for a nice, refreshing stay at night.

You can find a wide range of Ethiopia hotels here – from the ones that cost you only a couple of dollars a night to the ones that cost you more than a hundred dollars a night. The quality of accommodation and the quality of service might differ slightly depending on the price. Nevertheless, the hotels here are very nice to stay in.

The hotels here serve some delicious food. The national food of Ethiopia is injera – spongy, spicy bread made from the grains grown in the Ethiopian highlands. Injera is usually eaten with wot – traditional stews made with meat, spices, and legumes. Wot could be made with chicken, beef, lamb or fish.

If you happen to be a vegetarian and not a meat eater, you could still enjoy your stay at Ethiopia hotels, as most hotels here serve vegetarian food as well. The best vegetarian dish here is the shiro wot – injera served with vegetable stew. You could also find a lot of places serving Italian food, reminiscent of the brief and unsuccessful Italian occupation of Ethiopia.

The two most famous hotels in Addis Ababa are the Sheraton and Hilton. These two hotels are beautifully constructed and great to look at. If you are looking for top notch service and great facilities, you should stay at these hotels. Apart from these two, you can find a number of Ethiopia hotels – both government owned and private – that offer good accommodation at very cheap prices. A modestly priced hotel will easily meet your standards of accommodation – good food, electricity, clean water, hygiene, and good service.

In summary – a stay at Ethiopia hotels will be a memorable experience for you. The beautiful attractions, warm people, good food, and great service will make your stay here linger in your mind for a long time.

Oge Nwaozuzu writes about Ethiopian News and Ethiopia Economy on his blog Checkoutethiopia.com.

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An African safari adventure is the dream of a lifetime for many. There is something about the majestic, wide-open landscapes, the limitless horizons, experiencing the wildlife in their own habitat, which captures the imagination and changes your perspective on life. Names like Serengeti and Maasai Mara, conjure up visions of vast herds of animals on the great migration over the plains, punctuated by statuesque or twisted thorn trees and dramatic skies.

One of the most authentic ways to experience African safari travel, is to stay in a luxury tented camp, where only a layer of canvas separates you from the rhythms of the wild. Looking out at a densely starred night sky and hearing the distant calls of a lion, or the frog-like grunting of gnus as they pass through the camp, gives you the thrill of being at one with the environment. In a luxury tented camp, you can enjoy the closeness to nature without having to rough it. Hot water, showers, comfortable beds and fantastic meals under the stars are produced with seeming ease on a hillside camp overlooking a vast plain, or in the shade of jackalberry trees with a grandstand view of a water hole.

Some luxury tented camps offer a nostalgic re-creation of the early days of safari, setting tables with silver and fine crystal, providing brass lamps and wash basins and impeccable service. You could imagine yourself as an early explorer discovering these landscapes for the first time, as you switch off all electronic gadgets, zone out from the 21st century, just listen to the sounds of the natural world and relax. Other camps create a modern safari vernacular, with sleek design combined with natural materials and a dash of opulence to pamper your senses.

From a conservation point of view, these tented camps leave a very light footprint and in some cases can be moved on to another site every month or so, following the animal migrations, without leaving any lasting trace. Other camps are semi-permanent, staying in one place all season, but they share the same advantage – a tented camp can be set up where no permanent building is permitted, allowing you to be where the animals are, to stay in the middle of the wilderness that would otherwise be inaccessible from the luxury lodges in situ at the edges of many reserves.

Seek out the safari specialists if you are considering African safari travel to a luxury tented camp. It takes a lot of organization to produce this level of seamless comfort and service out in the wilds of Africa, and the excellence of the guides is another important factor in an enjoyable safari experience.

After all, if you are living a lifetime’s dream, you want more than just rushed game drives, ticking off a trainspotter’s list of animals sighted, more than just a camera full of digital snaps – you want to feel the true spirit of the land, immerse yourself in the magic of this ancient continent and come away with new understanding both of Africa and of yourself.

Kit is a contributor to Just The Planet, the online luxury travel magazine for independent travellers. Start looking for your ultimate luxury wildlife safari and discover the world of luxury travel.

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