Do It Go

Our four-star New York hotels offer luxury accommodations in the Big Apple with a difference.  Here, where the tradition of hospitality is honed to a degree of extreme perfection and care, hotels have a history almost as old as the city.  New York sees some of the best minds in the world traveling through it every year, and also has a huge share of famous residents.  Your stay here should have the splendid combination of luxuries and comforts that we can offer, so that you are refreshed and ready to make your own New York adventure.  Our lodgings feature all the latest in new technologies, a fantastic offering of choices in our restaurants prepared by world-class chefs, and service that is unparalleled.

New York is by most accounts the greatest city in the world, containing a multitude of peoples, cultures, and traditions.  One of the most exciting things about the city is the opportunity to meet different perspectives several times a day.  For this reason, it has always attracted a large share of artists and thinkers.  There is also a love of tradition here, and the roots of show business can be found in New York streets.  One of the pioneers of comedy, Morey Amsterdam found inspiration in New York City for his comic genius.

Born in Chicago in 1908 to Austrian immigrants, Morey Amsterdam began his show business career in vaudeville, playing straight man to his brother, when he was just a teenager.  His quick wit soon attracted the attention of audiences and producers, and he was on his way to fame.  He was known as a Human Joke Machine, which was both literal and metaphorical.  He attached a fake machine to his chest, which would print out jokes that he would read.  Of course, the paper print-outs were blank, and he could always count on his innate sense of humor to come through at the last minute.  Morey Amsterdam spent most of his life on the West coast, but his time spent on his own show, The Morey Amsterdam Show, gave him New York chops that would serve him through his colorful career.

Tags: hotel, Morey Amsterdam, New York
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The term ‘culture jamming’ has become the phrase used when describing the ways that artists intervene with commercialism.  The band Negativland is credited for coining the phrase.  One of the local street artists in Barcelona has been ‘culture jamming’ for years.  Jorge Rodriguez Gerada a Cuban born painter has been living in the city and has been adding to the amazing street art scene in many ways, one of which includes the altering of billboards and other forms of public advertisements of Barcelona, Spain.  Hotel walls, and street signs have been painted over by Gerada in an attempt to parody the ads and to change the messages that are conveyed.  Gerada is known as one of founders of this art form, one of the most creative and skilled.

He has been creating a series throughout Barcelona called ‘The Identity Series‘  for almost seven years.  Beginning in 2002, Gerada put large scale charcoal drawings of people on the building walls in various locations throughout the city.  Charcoal will not stand up to the elements but this fact is all part of Gerada’s process and message.  His intention in creating these works that will be destroyed eventually by the wind and the rain, is to convey the message that memory and place are two important components in the establishment of identity.  He wants to question the control enforced through the use of public property.

He questions commercialism and brand name items, and the way in which these companies advertise their brands.  He states that everyone should question those who appear to be choosing the role models and the icons of culture, and to be aware of the manipulation of corporate companies.  He creates his works using models of everyday people.  His hopes being, that when an anonymous person becomes important, people will begin to become more empathetic and aware, that even though the image will fade the memory will remain.  His works are throughout the city in Spain and should be a part of every walking tour through the street galleries of Barcelona.

Tags: Barcelona, Culture Jamming, galleries, hotel, Identity Series, Spain, street artists
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Udaipur has many beautiful and wondrous sites and cultural aspects that attract many tourists every year. One of the more remarkable city icons also offers the best of luxury accommodations for its guests. This is the Lake Palace Hotel, which is located on a natural rock formation in Lake Pichola. The hotel is situated on the rock that consists of over 4 acres of land area. It was originally built as the royal summer palace, which contributes to the feeling of splendor in the ambiance and the special attention and importance each guest receives. The little lake island is accessible by boat, and the hotel has a special ferrying service for its guests. For any tourist who is searching for a great hotel in Udaipur the Lake Palace is one of the most luxurious options available.

The palace was built in 1743-1726. It was designed to face the East, so that the inhabitants are able to pray to the Sun god at dawn. The regal white marble walls, column lined courtyards, fountains and pillared terraces all contribute to the royal feel. The hotel has 83 guest rooms that allow for great views of the lake and the city of Udaipur while providing a fabulous secluded retreat. Members of the royal family used the palace for private summer parties and ceremonial darbars. This is a tradition that has remained and the palace is often the chosen location for wedding receptions and private celebrations. The romantic gardens and fountains in the courtyard offer a unique and special setting for any occasion.

Through many years of weathering and constant use the palace began to deteriorate and was in need of repair and renovation. It had become almost totally deserted by the 1950s and it was Bhagwat Singh that decided to turn it into a hotel. He hired the American artist, Didi Contractor as a design consultant and began a major overhaul of the property. The palace has a place in Western pop culture and served as a setting for the James Bond film Octopussy.

Tags: hotel, in, Udaipur
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During the beginning of the 1990′s, the Bay at Cardiff in Wales, propositions and ideas were set forth in what was to become the redevelopment and reconstruction project for the city.  One such idea was to become the new home for the famous and internationally respected Welsh National Opera.  The company had previously held performances at New Theater, but had yet to fine a permanent residences.  What is know a well known performing arts center in Cardiff Bay, the Cardiff Bay Opera House was still just an idea during the early 90′s.  The Development Corporation for Cardiff Bay held an international competition for designers and architects interested in tackling what was considered a central and crucial aspect of the entire area’s renovation.  Zaha Hadi, and architect from Iraq was awarded the honor of creating, what was nick-named by the press as the Crystal Necklace.  However, the financial backing fell through and Hadi’s vision never came to fruition.  The organization which allocates funding for the city is the Millennium Commission.  And the Commission did not approve the project.

So the trust for the Opera set upon creating another competition, inviting once again, international architects to submit designs.  The Opera House Trust would decide on the design winner after a two round competitions.  Again, the first round was won by none other than Zaha Hadi.  She beat out for the second time, over 250 other designers.  However, her design was considered a bit modern and radical, and she was asked tocollaborate with a well known company.  Revised designs were submitted and for the third time Ms. Hadi’s design was chosen.  However, while her original design was praised by the media, this time she was attacked as presenting elitist designs and the project failed to attain the support of the city council of Cardiff.  The Council was a huge supporter of the Millennium Stadium, a project applying for funding during the same time, and the Stadium won the bid.  For the modern Cardiff hotel and business, this was a disappointment as Hadi’s design was modern, but not elitist and the Council as well as the Commission were viewed as provincial and old school in their thought and ideas concerning art and architecture.  The people of the city were hoping for the modernized building as so many in London are being constructed and revitalizing the energy of the city.  An overall Arts Center was opened in 2004, and while the Opera does perform here, it is not what was hoped for nor envisioned.

Tags: Cardiff, hotel
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