From the 15th to the 18th of February, the beautiful city of Barcelona, in Spain, becomes the place for mobile leaders to collaborate and gather as well as exhibiting their advances in mobile phones.

In 2009, Mobile World Congress hosted approximately 47,000 mobile professionals from 182 countries. In addition, more than 2,400 members of the press reported from the event, representing more than 1,500 media groups from 76 countries. This year, even with the crisis, the numbers will be quite similar. Although some handset makers (such as one of the leaders in the market, NOKIA) have skipped this year’s congress, there is still plenty of mobile industry news about cell phones, carriers, services, and software applications.

Some of the highlights of the event this years are the cheapest mobile phone in the world, a mobile phone that turns into a projector, phones for aged people… and the Windows Phone 7, the phone that Microsoft will launch at the end of the year. If you want to know more about this congress visit www.mobileworldcongress.com.

For those of you who are in love but don’t have the time or money to spend a weekend in Paris, City of Love, why not treat yourself and your partner with a few of these sweet ideas?

We all know that chocolate and love always go together. Chocolate is one of the best ways of saying “I love you”, especially if it’s given with a smile. But you might need a hint about where to get a special box of chocolates. So we just thought we’d help you with some suggestions for the city of London. The store Rococo Chocolates in Motcomb Street is a great example of passion for chocolates. Charbonnel et Walker are the royal chocolate producers, so their chocolate must be quite good. And last but not least, Hotel Chocolate, a British company whose tasting club is delicious.

Our second suggestion is related to perfumes and colognes. Who doesn’t like remembering his or her love through a smell? Especially if that smell is the one we chose! Perfumes are a great gift and the variety is so wide that there is a fragrance for everyone. Where to get them? Here are some hints: The family-run business Les Senteurs is a good choice and a safe bet. And so is Floris, a traditional shop in which you can find the most traditional fragrances.

Hurry and get your lover a gift before the stores run out of stock!

If you like travelling and your girlfriend/boyfriend likes it too, in stead of a bunch of flowers and a nice card, Valentine’s day is the perfect excuse to flight somewhere and spend a romantic weekend with your partner. And what could be more romantic than Paris?

Paris has always been known as “the city of love”. Nobody knows exactly what it is but we all agree on the fact that Paris has “that something”. The small streets, a walk by the Seine, the Tuileries Gardens… everything will seem perfect for the lover’s eyes. From having a dinner for two in a cruise through the Seine, with some romantic music and the views of the wonderful Eiffel Tower or the Louvre, to hiring a bike and going around the city on two wheels, plans for each and every pocket and all different tastes.

However, if this is not the plan for you, it is maybe a bit too sentimental or you don’t have a couple to share this with, wait for the next few posts on Blogtelopia. We will give you other ideas on how to celebrate the day of love, even if you are single!

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!

China has so many outstanding places to visit and such a good gastronomy that it is difficult to choose where to go and what to eat. Shanghai is a vibrant economic centre, with great shopping and a mix of things to do that are relatively unique in China. Xian is the old capital of the Empire. And last but not least, Beijing is a must. The current capital offers a great number of attractions of which you cannot miss The Great Wall, the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace.

However, the news today bring us to a different aspect of China, known as “The Great Firewall”. The Government of China has a very strict legislation. Google and other big Internet companies have had to adapt to this legislation in which some politically sensitive terms could not be displayed when looked for.

Nevertheless, Google rebelled against this legislation about two weeks ago, arguing that they had been attacked by hackers of the Chinese Government and declaring that they will close their web page google.cn unless this censorship ends. Nowadays the debate is still on, Will Google leave such a strong market or will the Government give up to the Multinational?

Lisbon is a great city that has undergone significant regeneration and investment over the years to make it one of the first choices on the European city break trail.

The city is filled with history and tradition, from visiting St. George’s castle, to partying the night away to the sounds of Fado in Bairro Alto.

However, redevelopment has also seen a massive variety of fashionable international bars and restaurants pop up around the Parque das Nações area, the site of the 1998 Expo. 

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Steve Job, Apple’s Chief Executive Officer unveiled his company’s last gadget on Wednesday: the iPad. It is, as he defined it, a mixture between an iphone and a laptop, it is a tablet device the size of a book, a centimetre thick but what can this device do for us?

As travellers, we will focus on the characteristics that will change travelling costumes: for example, to refer to how long the battery lasted, Steve Job said you could watch movies in a flight from San Francisco to Tokio non stop, that is ten hours! Another program the ipad includes is a map application, which of course is something we have already seen in the iTouch or other smartphones but what about travel guides?

As the iPad is also an e-book but with GPS and internet technology, will we have normal travel guides in it? Or will they be more than just e-travel guides, more interactive? Pictures, how to get there from where you are, the distance between where you are and where the place is… Could this be a whole new life for travel guides? What do you think?

Sherlock Holmes is one of the most famous detectives of the world. He lived in London where he investigated murders and other mysterious cases, always followed by his loyal friend Watson. With the new film out, we have been investigating about this character, and guess what we found out?

Elementary, my dear Watson, Sherlock Holmes itinerary! It is a walk around London in which you can go to the most famous places named in his novels. First stop couldn’t be other than 221b Baker St, the detective’s address, where his Museum and statue are located.

If you are going to visit London soon you can’t miss this opportunity. Find out more by going into a Tourist Office, they will tell you everything about it!

Haití is one of the poorest countries in the world. More than 80% of its population lives on less than $2 a day. However, the situation has become even worse since last Monday, 12th of January, when an earthquake hit the country, its epicentre only 15 km away from the country’s Capital, Port-au-Prince. The whole country has been devastated, especially the capital where almost every building has been flattened. People who survived the disaster are now trying to survive without the bare necessities. Food, water and sanitary conditions are almost depleted. There are only a few hospitals working, and they are all crowded with the thousands of injured and sick, these number only mounting.

Hotelopia UK wants to focus its attention today to all those who survived the earthquake. Those who have nothing left; those who are in danger of being forgotten by the international community. International Humanitarian Aid has started to arrive but getting these supplies to those who need them the most is proving difficult and these is an ever growing shortage. If you, like us at Hotelopia are concerned with this catastrophe and want to help we suggest http://www.google.com/intl/en/relief/haitiearthquake/ where you can read about where and how to donate to this just cause. What could be as little as a pound from you or i, could mean the difference between life for them, please help!