Following the sad news of the death of Michael Jackson today, we’ll soon annouce how those who’ve booked ticket and hotel packages to the This is It Tour though Thomson Experience can get refunded.  No comment has yet been given by the organisers.

Watch this space….

The money markets may rise and fall, but for some holidaymakers one of the greatest determining factors when booking a summer break is knowing roughly how much they’ll expect to spend on a pint.

Big drinkers can now be assured that  as well as booking a cheap hotel, they can roughly calculate beer sinkage on http://www.pintprice.com/

Considering the average price of a pint in London is £3.20, it’s worth getting out of the UK and hopping on a flight to Seville where the average price is just £1.10.

But if cashing in on the cheap beer is a big factor when it comes to planning a trip, head to Panama where a pint costs just £0.31 (if you ignore the cost of the flights).  Stay clear of the United Arab Emerites where a pint will set you back £6.36!

All eyes are on tennis’ biggest tournament Wimbledon which runs this summer, (weather permitting and Cliff Richard singing) until the 5th July.

The biggest blow for us here at Hotelopia is that Rafael Nadal isn’t playing.  This means, 90% of Majorcans including most Hotelopia staff who’d normally tune in to see their local hero play will be switching off in their droves.   Not us Brits though.  We may be few and far between in the office, but we’re throwing our weight, along with the rest of the UK, behind *Scottish player Andy Murray and the nearest we have to national talent**.

And those lucky enough to bag last minute Wimbeldon tickets can find hotel accommodation all over London.  Regardless of where you stay, getting to London’s SW19 is easy, as the public transport system is pretty well connected across the city.

*Note to all Scottish sports fans:  Just remember where your allegiance lies when it comes to supporting us during football internationals
** Whatever happened to Tim Henman?

Midsummer’s Day is about more than just tree-hugging and securing a spot at Stonehenge in almost everywhere but the UK.  And while the festival has no real significance in England (other than depressingly reminding everyone that nights are getting shorter), Europe is gearing up for one of the biggest nights on the event’s calendar,  after New Year’s Eve.

All across the coastlines in Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain, beach parties are held, offering a great opportunity to mingle with the locals.  Best of all, events are free!

Here in Palma, Majorca where Hotelopia’s based, fires are lit on the beaches all over the island.  In fact, it’s the only time during the summer when parties and bonfires on the beaches are allowed. At the stroke of midnight, as fireworks light up the night’s sky,  it’s tradition to jump over the fires and run into the sea, which allegedly guarantees luck for the year ahead.

Menorca which neighbours Majorca sees some of the most lively St John, or San Juan festivities as horses take to the streets, as do the local residents.

If you’ve missed out this year, then book early to join the free beach party for next summer.  Afterall, hotel accommodation sells out quickly in the most destinations which hold the biggest events, especially in Menorca and Alicante.

For anyone who has ever dreamt of becoming the next great travel writer should check out a website just launched in the UK.

Simonseeks.com, which is the brainchild of Moneysupermarket.com founder Simon Nixon, invites travel writers to submit destination reviews from places they have visited.

Independently written articles or User Generated Content (USG) are nothing new in the travel industry (that’s what Trip Advisor is essentially about). However sites like this are becoming increasingly popular as travellers are looking for more information before they book a break.  For example you can read from thousands of independent hotel reviews made by customers before you book on www.hotelopia.co.uk.

Writers will receive a revenue share based on the amount of clicks made on their Simonseek’s articles and while there are no promises that writers will become internet millionaires, payment will surely provide a great incentive for users to contribute to the website.

If ever there was inspiration to travel the world, it’s right here.

This Youtube social media masterpiece is the handy work of one Seattle based video game designer who quit his job to dance his way (badly) around the world.

Since the video’s launch, it’s been viewed on various websites over 75million times, making him a bigger internet sensation than any of Britain’s Got Talent dancers.

Compressed into four minutes and 29 seconds of video mastery, take time out and follow Matt’s journey across 42 countries.

If this doesn’t tempt you to quit your boring desk job and see the world, then nothing will.

Your summer holiday has just got cheaper – that’s if you’ve jumped on the social media band-wagon like we have at Hotelopia.

A few weeks ago, we announced that the first 100 friends to join us on Facebook would receive a discount voucher to use against their next hotel booking on www.hotelopia.co.uk.

The good news is that although we have 90+ friends, we still have around 29 vouchers to give away. That’s because the offer does not apply to staff members who have also been adding me to their friend’s lists.  So, staff, you’ll welcome to join, but you’re not getting a discount!

So add me now on www.facebook.com/hotelopia and you’ll receive your own discount code.  This is redeemable on any one of our 25,000+ hotels in 900 destinations, for stays up to and including 31st October 2009.

And if you miss out, stay posted for other cool money saving Hotelopia promotions coming up in the future.

At Hotelopia, we’re lucky enough to be headquartered on the beautiful Balearic Island of Majorca.  So for this month’s newsletter we included an insider’s guide to the island.  And here’s the link.

Majorca also happens to be one of Europe’s most popular holiday destinations.  But we’ve steered clear of the usual holiday hot-spots such as Magaluf and recommended visitors  stay in other areas of the island.

And no one knows the island like a local, so we asked Hotelopia employee Mateau Nicholau for his tips.   Just to be on the safe side, I had the difficult job of checking out his recommendations, and I’ve added a few of my own.

So even if you don’t get to follow the whole itinerary – let’s face it, it’s rather exhausting – pick a few off the list to ensure you see more than the average tourist here.

And don’t forget, be the first to receive news of deals, offers, and other destination guides by subscribing to receive our newsletter here.

We’re changing the way you’ll get charged should you have to cancel your hotel booking.

If you cancel your hotel, you will only be charged any costs incurred by the hotel.  Booking charges vary, but charges are likely to be between £0 – £15.

If you cancel your hotel seven days before your stay, you will be charged a flat rate of £15 plus hotel charges.

Cancellations made on bookings two days before your stay, and you’ll be charged £25 plus hotel charges.

Don’t forget though that some or all of these charges can be reclaimed on your travel insurance depending on the circumstances in which you cancel.  Please check the terms and conditions of your policy.

To celebrate 20 years since the fall of the Wall, the German Tourist Board has launched a map highlighting sites which once defined East Germany taking in Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia.

City breakers to Germany can now explore the sites which include memorials, museums, leftovers of former border installations, bunkers and restored historical buildings.

Since the reunification of Germany, many buildings, squares and city centres having been painstakingly restored to embrace the future. What used to be no man’s land in Berlin is now “Potsdamer Platz”. And in Brandenburg, the restoration of Potsdam’s historical centre will be completed with the reconstruction of the “City Palace” in 2011.

The new map is available from Tourist information offices in Germany or can be downloaded here  www.open-this-gate.com