The Expo Shangai 2010 will be, undoubtedly, one of the events of the years (together with the Winter Olympic games in Vancouver and the World cup in South Africa). It starts in exactly 53 days and will last from May 1^st until October 31^st. It is expected to have a sum of 70 million visitors and at least 200 participants.

We all know that Expos always have a mascot. Shanghai’s one is called Haibao. The name is easy to remember and it comes from Hai Bao, a typical lucky name in Chinese tradition. Its shape was developed from a Chinese character meaning people. It has already been place all over Shanghai . Moreover, the theme of Expo 2010 is “Better City, Better Life,” representing the common wish of the whole humankind for a better living in future urban environments.

The UK pavilion is still under construction. It is an outstanding, visual demonstration of the UK as a creative and innovative nation. Developed by Thomas Heatherwick, the centrepiece of the UK pavilion is a six storey high object formed from some 60,000 slender transparent rods, which extend from the structure and quiver in the breeze. This rods will illuminate the interior by day and the exterior by night.

Shanghai World Expo will be the most spectacular and important event of its type. It is an Expo for the 21st Century and every participant is working hard to make be unique and unforgetable. If you haven’t decided what to do in your next holidays, this could be a candidate! Check your hotels in Shanghai in Hotelopia.

Don’t forget that this Easter Hotelopia has special offers that will help you save up to 20%. All your favourite destinations at lower prices: book hotels in Portugal from $24 or Spain from $50! The best deals are always in Hotelopia, check it out in our webpage!

Betty Jackson (catwalking.com)

London Fashion Week was started last Friday with a bang last night, thanks to Naomi Campbell and her seasonal Fashion for Relief charity catwalk. The top model managed to get the help of some of her most famous friends by getting them to take part in the show, which was organised to raise money for victims of the Haiti earthquake.

It will be on until next Wednesday 24th and until then, the catwalk will be full of top models showing the thoughts of the most important designers about what next winter’s tendencies are going to be like. Colours, fabrics, cut… they are the Gods in fashion and tell us what we will be wearing in a year from now.

If you have tickets to go to this event you shouldn’t miss it, check out the best prices for hotels in London in Hotelopia UK!

Monday is a day everyone hates; there is no doubt about it. However, Hotelopia wants to make this day of the week as happy as any other.

How can we turn this day into a good day? Easy: every Monday, from now until we reach 5,000 fans, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. all fans of Hotelopia in facebook will have a 10% discount in hotels and apartments booked through our page, you have read it right, A 10% DISCOUNT!!

And don’t forget, if we reach the 5,000 fans it won’t only be Mondays but every day of the week!

Who said Mondays were hateful? Enjoy Mondays with Hotelopia!

HAPPY 10%, HAPPY MONDAY!

The calendar has as many pages left as there are hairs on Filemon’s head. The big question is: how and where to celebrate New Year’s Eve? Here we propose four destinations. There may not enough time now to make it for New Year’s Eve, but they have assured us that they will still be there throughout 2010, waiting to be discovered.

Lights, camera…..New York!

The Big Apple invites us to welcome in 2010 with magic. It’s cold, but in Times Square the friendly atmosphere will soon warm you up. Thousands of people congregate there every year to watch the giant dazzling ball descend as the countdown begins. This moment features musical performances, confetti, fireworks and above all, lots of hugs and kisses.

Be the first at Byron Bay

What is special about Byron Bay, apart from being a beachside paradise? It will be the first place in the world to welcome in 2010, as it is located at the easternmost point of Australia. Anyone travelling to Byron Bay will find loads of events and parties to attend, along its 30 km. of beaches and throughout the city. It is also an ideal spot to enjoy scuba diving, surfing and whale and dolphin watching.

Music in Vienna

In Vienna, a classical music concert takes place every to not only welcome in the New Year, but to bid farewell to the year that has ended. This concert has been held since 1939 and it is one of the most famous musical events in the world. The New Year Concert takes place on the morning of January 1 in the “Großer Saal” (Large Hall) of the Musikverein. Georges Prêtre was the conductor this year of the prestigious Vienna Philharmonic. Te concert includes waltzes and polkas and the last festive piece always involves the audience participating in a lively clap-along.

The first ski jumps of the year in Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Every year a traditional ski jumping contest is held at the German ski resort of Garmisch-Partenkirchen on New Year’s Day. Skiers jump up to 100 metres in length and reach speeds of up to 100km/h. It’s a very original way of starting off the New Year, don’t you think?

Bank holidays + Days owed to me at work + Long weekend + holiday time left over = time for a getaway!
Where to go? This is a question that pops up in many homes just before the Christmas season. Years ago, the only people who travelled at this time of the year were those coming home for Christmas. Nowadays though, many people take advantage of the holiday season to discover new places. Buying a plane ticket on Christmas Day, for example, is often much cheaper than buying it a few days before or after. Of course you have to be willing to give up Christmas dinner though. Are you? Are you going to take a trip over Christmas this year?

… Bon Voyage!

If you’re thinking about going to Barcelona to have a walk around the city, put on some comfortable shoes. This is because you are about to discover a city with 14 of the 20 longest streets in Spain. The Gran Vía de Les Corts Catalanes tops the list, with 689 street numbers that extend along a stretch of 13 kilometres. The second street on the list is also located in Barcelona. It is the Calle València. It is followed by the Calle Alcalá in Madrid and the Calle de La Azalea in Alcobendas (outskirts of Madrid). This ranking appears in a report presented by the telephone information company 11811. The study is based on the number of telephone subscribers on each street, i.e. the street numbers that correspond to a dwelling or business. While you are in Barcelona, if you would also like to take a stroll down the shortest street in the city, look for it in the area of Born, near the Santa María del Mar church. It only has one street number and close by there are some bars where you can sit down and have a rest after such a long excursion.

Legend has it that the Papal Basilica of Saint Peter is built on top of a church that is itself built on top of the tomb of Saint Peter. Is that true? On the occasion of Rome being the destination of the month in Hotelopia, we propose a different visit to the Vatican, located in the small country next to the capital of Italy, which will take you through its underground passages. Apparently, some excavation work recently “uncovered” a necropolis in which Saint Peter may have been buried. The route, which is still very much unknown to the majority of its visitors, is a passionate journey through the history of Rome, of Christianity and as such, of Europe itself. It also tells of the history of the Roman Catholic Church, because for years, some popes did not dare to excavate while others did, but kept the works as a secret, for fear of finding any evidence that might contradict the claims that had been defended for so many centuries. Nowadays, these excavations are of public knowledge and are even open to the public. You must however make a prior reservation, due to the fact that the forum is limited so as to ensure the area is conserved. To schedule a visit, travellers should contact the Vatican authorities directly: uff.scavi@fabricsp.va. In this email, you must specify the exact number of people in your party, the names of each person, and the language in which you would like the visit to be carried out in, the days you will be in Rome (availability will depend on the free spaces they have on those days) and your contact information. The price of the visit is approximately 10 euros per person. As long as you do not suffer from claustrophobia, why not discover a different way of seeing the Vatican?

It hasn’t been baptised as the Love Boat, but it wouldn’t be surprising if quite a few of the more than 7,000 passengers on board do find their other half while strolling along its passageways, on deck, on its artificial beaches, at the bar, the theatre or skating around the ice rink. It is none other than the “Oasis of the Seas,” the largest passenger cruise ship ever built to date. It can hold up to 6,300 passengers and over 2,100 crew members. For now, you will only ply the seas of the Caribbean on the Oasis, but plans are being made for this ship to also cruise to the Mediterranean in a few years time, mooring in Barcelona. This ship is a floating city with every service and activity imaginable on offer. It is a good option for people who like to travel by sea in the company of others. To date, the “Oasis of the Seas” has slashed a number of world records. I wonder how long it will take for another cruise ship to be built that can outdo it.