The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong has finally opened and boasts the title of “highest hotel in the world”, taking the title away from Dubai.

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Originally located in the Central district, the hotel ceased operation in the beginning of the year 2008.
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After three years of disappearance, the hotel is now reborn. Located at the very top of the International Commerce Centre (ICC) in the West Kowloon district and occupying floors 102 to 118.

This stylish and contemporary hotel’s major selling point is the magnificent panoramic view of Hong Kong. Guests will be welcomed into the arrival lobby on the 9th floor before being transported up to the hotel lobby on the 103rd floor where breathtaking views of Victoria Harbour and the iconic Hong Kong skyline greet them.

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Click here for more details

Just when I was getting excited about China’s first capsule hotel, the fire authorities in Shanghai have refused to issue an operating license.

The refusal was mainly due to fire and personal safety concerns. Apparently, the capsules were found to be made of highly flammable materials. In addition, inspectors said that the average space for each guest, which is measured at 2.4 square meters, did not meet the city’s basic requirement for renting houses and may pose difficulties for emergency evacuation.

The “Xitai Capsule Hotel” was set to be China’s first capsule hotel. The hotel features 68 cabinet-sized rooms imported from Japan – where capsule hotels originated – each equipped with a power point, clock, light, television and wireless Internet. The hotel is only opened to men with shared lavatory and shower facilities. It also has a designated area for snoring guests.

The hotel planned on charging 68 yuan ($10) for 10 hours or 88 yuan for 24 hours which is very cheap – even compared to budget hotels in China.

Ta Zan, the owner of the hotel who used to work for capsule hotels in Japan, said that without a license, he had never booked a guest since construction was completed last October. Ta regretted the denial of a license, but said that he would not give up the idea of opening capsule hotels in China.

via China.org.cn.

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Since the opening of The St. Regis Lhasa Tibet in November, 2010, it has received significant attention for its original architectural design that merges traditional Tibetan elements with signature St. Regis amenities into a luxury hotel literally on top of the world.

At 12,000 feet above sea level, it is one of the highest luxury hotels in the world, with unimpeded views of the Himalayas and Lhasa Valley. The resort was designed from the ground up with sustainable features including solar panels, locally-sourced produce and herbs for the resort’s three signature restaurants, as well as an underground water recycling system.

The eight-acre-resort complex is inspired by the nearby world-famous Sera Monastery, built in 1419, a place of great architectural and spiritual significance to this region.

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A hotel in China was built in just six days! This is the Arc Hotel located in Changsha.

The 15-story sustainable hotel already had its foundation prepared. By using prefabricated columns and modules as well as modern construction techniques, construction workers took just 46 hours to finish the main structural components and another 90 hours to finish the building enclosure. While the workers didn’t work all through the night, they did work until 10pm each night.

Here are some details about the hotel:

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They say Taiwanese boys are very romantic. This is mainly attributed to the pop culture of cheesy teen romance drama on TV.
(Wikipedia has a good entry on Taiwanese Drama)

Keen to please their girlfriend, Taiwanese boys put a lot of effort to create that extreme romantic feel, similar to that seen on TV.

This boy though, takes romantic to a whole new level of retard. Feeling very confident in his charming skills, he books a hotel room and spells “Happy Birthday” using candles.

The problem is that he puts the candles on the bed, and then he leaves the room to pick his girlfriend up.

You can probably guess what happens next…

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