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Hikers and tourists visiting Cinque Terre, one of Italy’s most scenic stretches of coastline, have been banned from carrying plastic bottles of water.

In the peak month of August, an average 400,000 plastic bottles are discarded along the narrow strip of picturesque World Heritage coast, which lies south of Genoa. Some tumble down the steep cliffs and end up littering beaches and polluting the sea.

Now the authorities are asking visitors to pay 1 euro (86p/$1.36) for reusable one-litre metal flasks that can be filled at newly installed public water fountains along the coastline’s nine-mile hike.

Franco Bonanini, the President of the Cinque Terre national park, said the ban was being introduced because the area was being buried in plastic.

He said local shopkeepers were likely to be unhappy with a ban on selling bottled water, but should realise that it was in their long-term interests. “If the Cinque Terre is reduced to a rubbish dump in five years’ time, they will suffer the consequences,” said Mr Bonanini.

To the three million tourists who visit each year, he asked for a little understanding “in order to save this paradise for the future”.

by Andy Moreton

Luxique offers a selection of luxury hotels in Rome, Florence, Venice and many other parts of Italy.

One of the last remaining unspoiled quarters of ‘old’ Beijing, which had been earmarked for demolition, has won a reprieve after an outcry from Chinese heritage groups.

Plans to redevelop the crooked courtyard houses and narrow alleyways (known as hutongs) around the ancient Drum and Bell Towers were announced in March. A themed shopping plaza was on the drawing-board, but conservationists warned that this would mean the destruction of one of the last living architectural jewels in the city.

The Daily Telegraph’s correspondent in Beijing, Peter Foster, said such protests had frequently been ignored during China’s headlong rush for development. Mile after mile of traditional hutongs had been destroyed, but on this occasion the authorities appeared to have listened.

The area under discussion has been a vibrant part of Beijing since the days of the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) when the two towers were used to mark time in the city.

Wu Lili, the Managing Director of Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Centre, which led opposition to the plans, said: “It is great news! The cancellation gives time for everyone involved to reconsider the development plan … and think how to integrate the historical value with the need to improve residents’ living standards.”

by Andy Moreton

Let Luxique help you book a luxury hotel in Beijing – one of the most fascinating capital cities on earth.

There were two cases this week of employees at luxury hotels finding hidden ‘treasure’ in rooms they were preparing for the next guests.

In Pakistan, Essa Khan discovered more than $50,000 (£33,000) in $100 notes. They were in a bag stuffed in a safe deposit box left behind by a Japanese guest at the Serena luxury hotel in Gilgit, which stands at the foot of the Karakorum Mountains.

Mr Khan says he never considered keeping the money. “My duty with the hotel and my family upbringing teaches me nothing else,” he said. And that attitude has earned him an award from the hotel and a message of congratulation from the Governor of Punjab.

Here in London, a woman checked out of the Westbury Mayfair luxury hotel leaving behind two diamond rings, a necklace, matching earrings and a designer watch. The items, described as ‘absolutely stunning’ and estimated to be worth £500,000 ($750,000), were found in a drawer by a room attendant, who handed them in to the hotel’s management.

Both the forgetful guests were reunited with their valuables to their great relief and a certain amount of embarrassment.

by Andy Moreton

The organisation representing flight attendants in Australia wants airlines to stop portraying female cabin crew as sex objects in advertising campaigns.

The Flight Attendants’ Association of Australia singled out a recent advertisement for a Russian regional airline, Avianova, which it said was ‘demeaning’. It features four ‘stewardesses’ stripping to bikinis before suggestively washing and hosing down one of the aircraft. (Inevitably, the advert attracted more than 200,000 views on YouTube in just a fortnight.)

Speaking to The Australian newspaper, union official Jo Ann Davidson commented: “Such suggestive advertising … sends wrong messages and puts cabin crew at risk of sexual harassment and abuse.”

“It’s a sad reflection of the attitude of the airlines’ executives – dare I say more than likely middle-aged males – towards cabin crew, in particular female cabin crew, by portraying them in such a demeaning, distasteful and irrelevant manner,” added Ms Davidson.

Virgin Atlantic’s 25th anniversary campaign, featuring passengers ogling glamorous female flight attendants as they walked through an airport, has also prompted complaints of sexism.

by Andy Moreton

A holiday resort in Spain has brought in measures to try to repair its image after becoming a haven for drunken British tourists.

Salou, on the Costa Dorada south of Barcelona, is threatening fines of up to £250 for people going around the streets in bikinis or with bare chests. Swimwear is being banned from all but beachfront bars and restaurants, and those caught drinking alcohol on the streets or having sex on the beach could be prosecuted.

More than 5,000 British students aged between 18 and 23 crowded into the town over Easter to attend the ‘Saloufest’, an annual party organised by university sports clubs. Locals complained about drunken behaviour.

“We want to ensure that Salou has a good image,” said the Mayor, Pere Granados, explaining the new measures. Alberto del Hierro, Councillor for Tourism in Salou, added: “One shouldn’t be allowed to walk the streets or enter public buildings in unseemly apparel. It gives the city a low-class look.”

The Daily Telegraph’s Madrid correspondent, Fiona Govan, says the bikini ban signals a growing unease in Spain against those sunburned northern European tourists who offend the local population by walking in the streets, dining in restaurants and even doing their shopping in little more than beachwear.

Earlier this year, I reported that the regional capital, Barcelona, had stopped short of introducing a similar ban but had embarked on a campaign urging tourists to dress appropriately when away from the beach.

by Andy Moreton

Whether soaking up the sun on the beach or the culture in the city, Luxique has an unrivalled selection of luxury hotels in Barcelona and many other parts of Spain.

A French exotic dancer has caused outrage in Australia by performing a strip show on one of the country’s most famous tourist attractions, Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock.

Alizee Sery put on the show for a friend with a video camera. The video – which was posted on YouTube – shows her climbing the red sandstone monolith in conventional dress and then stripping at the top to a white bikini, white high-heeled boots and a bushman’s hat.

The 1,142ft high rock is sacred to Australia’s Aborigines, who have asked tourists to respect its significance and not even to climb it. What Miss Sery had done, said one, was the equivalent of someone defecating on the steps of the Vatican.

Ms Sery insisted that she hadn’t meant to offend anyone – it was more of a tribute to the greatness of the rock. “What we need to remember is that traditionally, the Aboriginal people were living naked. So stripping down was a return to what it was like. After such a hard climb, when you reach the top, the view and the magic of the place gives you an amazing feeling of peace and freedom. You want to sing, dance –and strip.”

This explanation didn’t cut much ice with the Central Land Council, which represents the traditional owners of Uluru. The Director, David Ross, said Ms Sery should be deported.

by Andy Moreton

Luxique offers a range of luxury hotels in Sydney, Melbourne and many other parts of Australia.

When visiting Paris, it’s always fun to go to a flea market to see what old bargains you can pick up to adorn your home. But for one unfortunate British couple, this signalled a chain of events about which they are still probably pretty embarrassed.

Their find was a 19th century live artillery shell, and it caused a major security alert when they tried to board the Eurostar train back to London. Explosives experts, firemen and police were scrambled to the Gare du Nord, the main Eurostar terminal in Paris, and services were held up for at least an hour.

The device dated back to France’s Third Republic, around 1885, when the whole country was full of live explosives following the Franco-Prussian War.

“Live explosives are strictly banned on all cross–Channel services, no matter how old they are,” said a French customs source. “All kinds of banned articles are picked up every day, but this is the first time someone’s tried to get through with a pre-First World War shell in their luggage.”

The unnamed couple, who thought their purchase was ‘a nice souvenir’, were cautioned about their behaviour before being allowed to return to Britain. The shell was confiscated and destroyed.

by Andy Moreton

The French capital is an explosion of colour and vibrancy at any time of the year. Book your luxury hotel in Paris through Luxique – we have an unrivalled selection of classic and modern.

The perils of buying counterfeit designer label goods in Italy (which I’ve written about before) have been brought sharply into focus in an incident in the resort of Jesolo near Venice.

A pensioner from Austria, Ursula Corel, was fined 1000 euros (£825/$1,195) for buying a fake Louis Vuitton handbag from a street vendor.

She was spotted handing over seven euros (£6/$8) by police officers as they scanned crowds with high-powered binoculars from a lifeguard’s watchtower.

Hotel owners, worried that tourists will be put off visiting Jesolo on holiday, have clubbed together to help pay Mrs Corel’s fine.

A spokesman for the Jesolo Hoteliers’ Association said: “We understand what the Mayor is trying to do, but at the same time there should be more communication with tourists explaining the risks they run … there are no signs warning they face fines if they buy from street vendors.”

The Mayor, Francesco Calzavara, said: “If it takes fines of this level to stop this sort of thing taking place then so be it. Tourists coming to Jesolo should think twice about buying fake goods from street vendors.”

by Andy Moreton

If you’re planning a visit to Italy, take a look at Luxique’s comprehensive selection of luxury hotels in Rome, Venice, Florence, Milan and many other cities.

A new luxury hotel in New York has opened close to the Ground Zero site, dividing opinion on whether it’s too soon for such a venture at a sensitive location.

Some of the rooms in the 169-room World Center Hotel have floor to ceiling windows that overlook the Trade Center site or the former Deutsche Bank building, which was irreparably damaged when the twin towers were destroyed and is being dismantled.

There’s a great deal of rebuilding going on in the area, including the construction of the new One World Trade Center (‘Freedom Tower’), which is expected to be completed in 2013, as well as a museum and memorial.

Cheryl Palmer, an executive from the luxury hotel, says the property “offers an accessible view of the new World Trade Center for those individuals who want to experience the rebuilding up close.” One guest said that being able to see this rebuilding was ‘phenomenal’.

However, the influential news and blog website, the Huffington Post, described the opening as shocking. “Not yet ten years since 9/11 and we have a hotel overlooking the spot where thousands lost their lives. To its credit, the hotel is steps from Wall Street and the headquarters of many companies, but who would want to stay there?”

The hotel describes itself, on its website, as ‘groundbreaking, stylish and modern.’

by Andy Moreton

If you’re thinking about a vacation or just a long weekend in the Big Apple, Luxique can help you find the best of the luxury hotels in New York City.

There are luxury hotels and budget hotels and then there are hotels that are just, well, trash.

A temporary hotel built in Rome was just that – constructed out of debris from the world’s beaches. Its five rooms and reception were lined with 12 tonnes of rubbish including toys, cans and car exhaust pipes.

Save The Beach Hotel, which was open for guests for only four days, was designed to raise awareness of European beach pollution. Last Saturday was World Environment Day.

The Danish supermodel (and environmental campaigner) Helena Christensen, who stayed at the hotel, said it was a striking work of art. She told the BBC: “When you’re inside, there are walls as there would be in a normal house, but they’re all made of inorganic waste. And then the outside is completely covered in everything that we throw on beaches.”

The hotel, which stood beside the 2nd Century Castel Sant’Angelo on the banks of the Tiber, was created by German artist Ha Schult. “We are in the trash time,” he said. “We produce trash and we will be trash. So this hotel is the mirror of the situation. We have to change the world, before the world changes us.”

by Andy Moreton

There’s no rubbish among Luxique’s selection of luxury hotels in Rome – we have only the very best.