Hotel Girl

City Inn invited me to see the stage production of the Wizard of Oz at London's Royal Festival Hall last night.

It is difficult to provide the same impact as the MGM movie on stage, but the actors managed to offer a lively and colourful version of the classic tale.

Gary Wilmot is endearing as the cowardly Lion and Adam Cooper shows off some nifty dance moves as the Tin Man. Only Sian Brooke as Dorothy left me slightly disappointed, as she lacked the sparkle and charisma the role needs.

But to me, the star of the show was Bobby, the amazingly well trained West Highland terrier who playes Toto the dog. Adorable.

City Inn is offering a package, including 2 nights at its Westminster hotel with breakfast, a three course meal and 4 tickets to the show, for £249 per adult (children go free). Email: westminster.reservations@cityinn.com

I was at the official launch of the first Hilton Garden Inn in the UK today. The first hotel has been open in Luton North since July and another is planned for Aberdeen.

From what I've seen so far, it will be a nice addition to the mid-range hotel market. The idea is straightforward - a comfortable, practical place to stay for business travellers with not too much fuss.

A nice touch are the "Garden Sleep System" beds. You can adjust the firmness with a switch on the side. Doubles have controls on each side, so there will no need for arguments at bedtime. Can't wait to try that one out.

Check out a video of the official opening below.

According to the Independent today, the government of Iraq insists the troubled country will soon become a haven for tourists.

Tourist bureaux will be set up in various countries and Iraqi delegations are being sent abroad to study the travel industry. Despite the continued violence in the country, officials are still confident tourists will come if they have a "nice place to stay and a comfortable way to travel".

Good on them for looking ahead to a better time, although I think it will take a huge shift in perception before holidaymakers start considering Iraq a safe place to visit. And this quote from a city official doesn't exactly inspire confidence..

"Tourists should dress like locals and maybe dye their hair. And they should have armed guards and they should be always vigilant."

The shooting of a British couple on honeymoon in Antigua has been dominating the press this week.

Understandably, the news has frightened customers planning a trip to Antigua, and some are even cancelling or switching to another destination.

The news has also sparked fears about the safety of the Caribbean in general. Agents have called for tour operators to review the security of all the hotels they feature in the region.

What happened to Catherine Mullany and her husband is very tragic, and frightening. However, we have to keep it in perspective.

Mullany is the first tourist to be murdered in Antigua for ten years. Crime can happen anywhere and at any time. It is a shame the island - which relies heavily on tourism - has to suffer because of one horrific act.

(Above: Cocos Hotel, where the couple was staying)

If you just can't drag yourself away from the beach at the end of a sunny day, this hotel is for you.

The UK's first sand castle hotel has been built in Weymouth. The four metre high structure was built by 'sand sculptor' Mark Anderson and a team of five staff.

A night at the sand hotel will set you back £10 a night for a bed made of sand and no roof. It might cost more if the rain sweeps your bed away and you have to head for the nearest Hilton..

My colleagues Martin and Michelle had a surprise when they ordered eggs benedict at the Grosvenor Hotel in Victoria this week. There was no hollandaise sauce or ham in sight, but plenty of crisps, and er..salad.

An interesting new hotel is opening in Beijing this summer. The 117-room Opposite House aims to challenge the norms of the industry. It says it will eliminate crowded check-in desks by allowing guests to wait in their living room for a staff member to come to them.

As for the decor, the idea of combining old and new styles is nothing new, but the hotel seems to take this to a whole new level. The exterior is striking green emerald glass while inside has natural wooden floors and touches of traditional Chinese decor.

The hotel is the first of a new chain called Swire Hotels - a name to look out for as their focus for 2009 is the UK. Take a look at the pics here.

A hotel is asking guests to sign the 'Official Secrets Act' after its top secret recipe for sticky toffee pudding was leaked onto the internet.

Sharrow Bay at Lake Ullwater in the Lake District said the ingredients of the sticky treat have been kept under wraps since the hotel was founded by Fracis Coulson 60 years ago.

During a cooking masterclass, a student filmed the pudding being made and posted it onto YouTube. The hotel was livid.

A spokesman said: "Protecting the recipe of the Original Sharrow Bay Sticky Toffee Pudding is something we take extremely seriously. In gourmet terms, getting hold of the recipe is something of a culinary holy grail and we will do everything we can to safeguard it."

If you just can't live without the recipe, sign up for the hotel's cooking classes which begin in 2009.

First Choice is the latest tour operator to receive a high profile customer complaint. But this time it's not a bout of diarrhoea, but a spot of hanky panky that's caused a problem.

Ricky Dearn, 29, of Wolverhampton, took his girlfriend and three children to the Royal Park Hotel in Elenite, Bulgaria. He was furious when his fourteen year old son came across two staff members having sex in his bedroom. When he went to check, he found two staff scampering down the corridor clutching their clothes.

He told the BBC: "I found it slightly amusing at first but then I thought it could have security issues. I was adamant the hotel room got cleaned that night."

Each entry offers a full opinion and description of the hotel, as well as which operators feature it. Hotels to look out for include the trendy new boutique hotel Club in the centre of St Helier. The Savoy is another good option, having had a recent refurbishment.