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Vacation in Liverpool - A City Guide

Introduction

Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in the North West ofEngland. Liverpool is one of England's core cities, situated along theeastern side of the Mersey Estuary, with the city centre located about5 miles inland from the Irish Sea. Liverpool has a varied topographybeing built across a ridge of hills rising up to a height of around 70metres above sea-level at Everton Hill.

History

In 1190 the place was known as 'Liuerpul', meaning a pool or creek withmuddy water. Other origins of the name have been suggested, including'elverpool', a reference to the large number of eels in the Mersey. Theorigins of the city date back from August 1207 when patent letters wereissued by King John advertising the establishment of a the new boroughof Liverpool, and inviting settlers to come and take up holdings. Inthe 18th century, as trade from the West Indies grew on top of thatfrom Ireland and Europe, Liverpool began to grow.

The first wet dock in Britain was built in Liverpool in 1715. Liverpoolexpanded significantly in the 19th century and a number of majorbuildings were constructed. In the 1960s Liverpool became a centre ofyouth culture. The city produced the distinctive Merseybeat sound, and,most famously, The Beatles. In recent years, the city has emphasisedits cultural attractions, winning the accolade of European City ofCulture for 2008.

Place of interest

The infrastructure of Liverpool contains over 2,500 listed buildings.It is the inheritance of high-minded public spirit since the later 18thcentury, largely with Dissenter impetus, that has resulted in morepublic sculptures created than in any UK city besides Westminster inLondon.

The Anglican Cathedral has the longest nave, largest organ and heaviestand highest peal of bells in the world.

Architects well represented in Liverpool:

Giles Gilbert Scott,
Peter Ellis,
Harvey Lonsdale Elmes, and
John Foster

Sir Edwin Lutyens is represented by the completed crypt of hisprojected Metropolitan Cathedral, which was built to a simpler designby Frederick Gibberd.

Some of the famous places to visit are:

Albert Dock
Bluecoat Arts Centre
Cast Iron Shore
Cunard Building
Lime Street Station
Royal Liver Building
Oriel Chambers design by Peter Ellis.
The Philharmonic Dining Rooms
Pier Head
Quiggins
St Georges Hall
The Beatles Story
Town-Hall
Williamson's tunnels

Museums & Art Galleries

Liverpool has some greatest museum and art galleries. BluecoatArts Centre, Merseyside Maritime Museum, Museum of Liverpool Life, theBeatles Story, and Walker Art Gallery are some of them. Besides museumand art galleries Liverpool possesses some famous theatres. Theyrepresent Liverpool and its culture, and also a good tourist attractionin Liverpool. Among all the theaters Empire, Everyman, Neptune,Philharmonic Hall, The Playhouse, Royal Court, Unity are big names tomention about.

Shopping

Pedestrian shopping areas with boutiques, specialty shops, anddepartment stores include Church Street, Lord Street, Bold Street,Whitechapel, and Paradise Street. On the river, Albert Dock also housesa collection of small shops. For shopping centers Cavern Walks onMathew Street, the heart of Beatleland, or Quiggins Centre.

To buy that special piece of Beatles memorabilia, wander through theBeatles Shop, or the Heritage Shop.
For a huge selection of British crafts, famous places are BluecoatDisplay Centre, with its gallery of metal, ceramics, glass, jewelry,and wood pieces by some 350 British craftspeople.

Frank Greens is where one can find prints by this famous local artistwho has been capturing the Liverpool scene on canvas since the 1960s.These art works includes city secular buildings, churches, and streetlife.

Food & Drink

For such a world-famous city, Liverpool has yet to host a world-classrestaurant. Listed are the best non-hotel restaurants it has to offer:60 Hope St., Bar Italia, Far East, Shangri-La, Simply Heathcote's, TateCaf.

Education

Primary education is available in various forms supported by the stateincluding Secular, Church of England, Islamic, Jewish and RomanCatholic. Currently no specific Islamic secondary education is provided.

Liverpool has three universities:

The University of Liverpool
Liverpool John Moores University
Liverpool Hope University

It also has a university college, Edge Hill College of HigherEducation. Liverpool John Moores University is one of the polytechnicsgiven university status in 1992 and is named after the owner of theLittlewoods retail group. The Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine wasfounded to address some of the problems created by trade; today itcontinues as a post graduate school and is one of only two institutionson world that house the de facto standard anti-venom repository.

The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, which was set up by SirPaul McCartney in 1996, is famous for training the artistes andtechnicians.

Sports

In sporting terms, it boasts two internationally known football clubs,Everton F.C. and Liverpool FC. Liverpool Football Club (often knownsimply as Liverpool), an English football club based in the North-Westof England, are the current champions of Europe (2004-2005) and themost successful English football team.
Liverpool has won five European Cups, and 18 Football League titles ontop of being the English club to have won the most number of UEFA Cups,European Supercups and English League Cups.

Liverpool Football Club is not to be confused with Liverpool (Rugby)Football Club, which was formed in 1858 and is now known as LiverpoolSt. Helens.

Hotels & Accommodation

The dedicated team at SleepUK can assist and advise on all yourLiverpool hotel requirements. Online and offline access to Liverpoolsaccommodation network ensures travelers will be offered the bestpossible deal at the time of your visit whether you require luxuryhotels in Liverpool or budget hotels in Liverpool.

Hotels in all categories are opening in Liverpool all the time,reflecting the citys renewed prosperity and popularity as ashort-break destination.

Or travelers may choose one of the fine hotels in Wirral, theattractive peninsula between the River Mersey and the River Dee. Aswell as some fine hotels, Wirral also boast large areas of NationalTrust land, country parks and spectacular coastal scenery. To the northof Liverpool, in the graceful resort of Southport, famed for thesplendour of its Victorian shopping arcades and promenade, theres agreat choice of hotels to suit every visitor.

Accommodation in the area frequently sells out so be sure to guaranteeyour stay by booking online today. Some other hotels, listed here, varyfrom affordable to luxury hotels -Hanover Hotel, Park Lodge, The SuitesHotel, Regent Maritime Hotel,The Dolby Hotel,Radisson SASLiverpool, HopeStreet Hotel,AachenHotel, CampanileHotel Liverpool, TheFeathers Hotel, ThistleLiverpool, DaysServiced Apartments Liverpool, Liverpool City CentrePremier Travel Inn, The Sir Thomas Hotel,Throstles Nest Hotel.

Tours and Sightseeing

Organised tours in Liverpool have variety in their theme and accordingto the theme the contents also changes. The most widely chosen toursare based on Sports or on The Beatles. These tours contains place ofinterests, famous buildings, museums etc. Cavern City Tours isthe most comprehensive tour operator in the city.

Transport

There are three tunnels under the River Mersey: one railway tunnel, theMersey Railway Tunnel, and two road tunnels, Queensway Tunnel andKingsway Tunnel. There is also the Mersey Ferry, made famous by thesong Ferry Cross the Mersey by Gerry and the Pacemakers. In fact thesong is now played on the ferryboats themselves every time they prepareto dock at Liverpool.

Speke Airport was renamed LiverpoolJohn Lennon Airport, in honour of the late Beatle John Lennon.

Liverpool has a train system called Merseyrail, the sections in thecity centre are mostly underground. The lines terminate at Southport,Ormskirk, Kirkby, Hunts Cross, Ellesmere Port, West Kirby, New Brightonand Chester.

posted by ujzboi @ 5:00 PM 0 comments

Condo Hotels - What are Condo Hotels?

The latest trend in vacation homes is the condo hotel. Marketed as a condominium located in a resort hotel, these private residences offer a practical way to own a vacation home, and offset some of the costs when youre not there.

Condo Hotels first started appearing in places like Miami Beach and Ft. Lauderdale. They have increased tremendously in popularity and can now be found in places like Belize and Dubai.

Most condo hotel properties are owned by names you would recognize. Companies like Hilton, Starwood, Ritz-Carlton, Bulgari, and Trump see the condo hotel trend as a solid business venture. With names like that, if you choose to invest a condo hotel, youll know youre dealing with well-respected, successful businesses. And when you purchase a condominium in a condo hotel, youre not just buying vacation property, youre investing in the hotel business.

Heres how Condo Hotels works:

You purchase a condominium (prices range from as low as $400,000 to well over $2 million) thats located in a resort hotel. You let the hotel know when you intend to stay in your condo and they reserve the dates for you. The remainder of the time, your condo goes into a rental program, managed by the hotel, and is rented out as a hotel room.

The benefit of this type of arrangement is that you get a luxury condominium in a luxury resort, but dont have to worry about maintenance and upkeep when youre not there. In addition, because the hotel will rent out your condo, your vacation home becomes an investment property. Because hotel management handles marketing and promotion, you dont have to, and you get the added benefit of having your condo marketed as part of a well-known and respected luxury hotel. Imagine the marketing power behind names such as Ritz-Carlton and Trump! Having your vacation condo promoted under a name like that gives you unparalleled exposure.

In addition, property values for this type of investment having been steadily rising due to supply and demand. Especially for those who buy a condo during either the pre-construction or construction phase. Some have been known to increase in value by as much as 16% in the first year.

Keep in mind, theres no guarantee how often or for how long your condo will be rented while youre gone. Ideally, you could offset the costs of everything including the mortgage, but be prepared for times when that doesnt happen. Remember that this is primarily a vacation home and potential long-term investment, not a short-term, quick money maker.

Another benefit of investing in a condo hotel, rather than simply purchasing a vacation home, is that when you stay in your condo, you get all the amenities of a four or five star hotel! Most condo hotels, because they are built and marketed as resorts, have fitness rooms, spas, fine dining restaurants, and pools. Some will even have valet and concierge services, complimentary continental breakfasts, boutiques, and many will be oceanfront properties.

How is a Condo Hotel this different from a time-share?

When you purchase a time-share, youre not purchasing the property, just time at the property. You have to use the property and its facilities during the same time every year, unless youre able to trade with someone else. This can cause challenges when trying to plan a family vacation. Theres no guarantee that youll have the same two weeks free next year that you have this year. And what if you want to go more than once year? Then you have to buy several blocks of time.

In some instances, a time-share gives you a specific week or two, but allows you to choose between several properties. Youre still limited by the dates you purchased, and may not be able to find a desirable location that has your specific dates available.

With a hotel condominium, you own the condo, which means that its yours to use as often as youd like. No trading dates, or locations. You come and go as you please. While you do need to give the hotel advance notice so they wont rent your condo on the week youre planning to be there, as the owner, you get first pick. In addition, hotel condominiums are in such demand that theyre far easier to sell than a time-share.

Overall, if youre looking for a second or vacation home, a condo hotel is well worth looking into. Not only does it give you the chance to enjoy vacationing at a luxury resort, but youve got a full-time management staff that will look after things when youre not there. Because most condo hotels are luxury hotels, you get outstanding amenities and spectacular views. Add to that the fact that you can generate a little money by putting your condo in the rental program, and youve got a pretty good deal.

As with any major purchase, its wise to do some research before making any final decisions. Weigh the pros and cons carefully and be sure youre not purchasing the condo with grandiose ideas of making money hand-over-fist. Yes, it is potentially a good investment, as is most real estate, but be sure your expectations are realistic.

posted by ujzboi @ 1:33 PM 0 comments