Funmasti

15 Most Beautiful And  Prominent Hotels of the World

A hotel is more than a place to stay for a short while or a place to lighten up after a tiresome journey; it is a place that holds its unique identity, history, culture, and a exclusive standing among other vying resorts. Here I am going to introduce 15 most sizzling and prominent hotels of world and if you get a chance to stay in one of them they will definitely lure your soul to taste an excellent experience. (Prices mentioned in $US).
1. Hotel Chelsea (New York City, New York, USA)

Hotel Chelsea is famous as a long term host for top artists as Bob Dylan, Sid Vicious, and Dylan Thomas and many others. It is situated near the locality of Manhattan. Due to its uniqueness it has gotten place in books, movies, and films but besides this it does not allow longer stays now.

Cost: A one night-stay with a king-size bed = $249.

2. The Hotel Ritz (Paris, France)

This lavished deluxe hotel was built in 1898 and is considered to be the world’s oldest hotel. It formally got birth as a private residence in 1700s that was later converted to a hotel for business purpose. This hotel speaks for world class luxury to such an extent that it is considered to be as icon for quality and luxury all over the world.

Cost: A night in a basic suite = $715.

3. Kempinski Palace Hotel (Portoroz, Slovenia)

It is also called as hotel palace and was founded in 1910, also won privilege to host big personalities as Orson Welles and Yul Brynner. This hotel is a landmark in history besides this the hotel was closed in 1990 but was reopened for business in 2008

Cost: One-night stay with a king-size bed = $180.

4. The Savoy Hotel (London, England)

This hotel was established in august 1889 and was formally managed by Richard D’Oyly Carte family but now this hotel is part of Fairmont Hotels and Resorts system. It’s a piece of cultural heritage of London from a decade. Legendry personalities as Claude Monet and James Whistler had gotten chance to stay there and created their classic masterpiece as painting of River Thames. Moreover Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier met there and got married. Luckily its kitchen is also known as a birth place of Melba toast. Also “Subterranean Homesick Blues” a classic video was shot by Bob Dylan in the same chronological place.

Cost: The hotel closed for repairs in 2007 but is set to reopen in 2010.

5. The Peninsula Hong Kong (Hong Kong, China)

The Peninsula Hong Kong is one of the prominent and classy hotels of Hong Kong. It was founded in 1928 but was unfortunately destroyed badly in World War 2 but was reestablished and renovated again. It also hosts one of the oldest fashion mall and top class brands as Louis Vuitton, Cartier, and Gucci.

Cost: Rooms start at $540/night and go up to $8,757 for the Peninsula Suite.

6. Hotel Metropol (Moscow, Russia)

It was built between 1899and 1970 and is the only surviving hotel after the Russian Revolution in 1917. It is indeed a beautiful architecture comprising of 365 rooms all have distinctive and unique decoration and pattern so if you are lucky enough to stay in this hotel then you will experience exclusivity in every suite.

Cost: Rooms price starts = $400/night

7. Taj Mahal Palace & Tower (Mumbai, India)

Totally unimaginative, tremendous, royal, exquisite resort present in Mumbai- India that is famous all over the world and is considered as one of the best hotels of the world. It carries with it a cultural heritage and political and historical flavors. It was opened in 1930 and since then it is dream for almost every tourist and traveler to stay.

Cost: Rooms range from $275/night to $1,455 for the top-level suite.

8. The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel (New York City, New York, USA)

It is located in the Empire State Building at 301 Park Ave. in Manhattan. Waldorf-Astoria Hotel has hosted well-known personalities as Herbert Hoover and Douglas MacArthur have lived there in 1950’s and 1960’s similarly many stars like Marilyn Monroe had also got a chance to reside in hotel’s suits and unfortunately this hotel also had given shelter to gangsters like Bugsy Siegel and Lucky Luciano. This hotel is famous for its world known Waldorf salad and it showcases the notable Cole Porter’s Steinway grand piano.

Cost: room with king-size bed = $450/night.

9. Chateau Marmont Hotel (West Hollywood, California, USA)

It was primarily built as an apartment in 1929 but then converted into a hotel in 1931. As it is located in Los Angeles so the building is made to resist earthquake’s shocks. The hotel also processes nine cottages close to it. This hotel have also been home of many Hollywood stars and many films have been shot in the locality from decades. There is also a popular restaurant with in its premises.

Cost: Standard bedrooms = $370/night, suites = $605/night, and the bungalows = $1,800/night.

10. Rose Tower (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

It is 1093 feet high and is known to be as world’s tallest hotel. It was founded in 2007 and started its business in 2009. It is distinctive from other hotels because it is alcohol free and hence possess full day (24 hr) coffee shop. It has more then 480 rooms, suits and penthouses

Cost: Rooms can range from $95 to $230/night.

11. Raffles Hotel (Singapore)

This luxurious resort was created in 1887 and was named on founder of Singapore, Sir Stamford Raffles. It was named as National Monument in 1987 and it had survived through the disastrous World War 2. Its bar is also well known just like itself and the great Singapore Sling was made for the first time there.

Cost: Standard rooms = $500/night.

12. Grand Hotel Europe (Saint Petersburg, Russia)

This five star hotel was founded in 1875 and has hosted great people as Turgenev, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, and many more. Its name speaks for quality and luxury and has been always a remarkable territory for tourists.

Cost: One person = $625/night, and the honeymoon package = $962/night.

13. Burj Al Arab (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)
It is second tallest hotel in world and is known for its exclusive sail shape all around the world. It is built on artificial island and is residing on concrete boundaries in sand. It is one of the most popular suits in Dubai.

Cost: Rooms for one person = $1,000/ night

14. The Beverly Hilton Hotel (Beverly Hills, California, USA)

It is well known for hosting the notable Golden Globe Awards in 1961. Merv Griffin was its owner from 1987-2003 but the hotel was not that much prominent in his time. But hotel soon revitalized its lost glory after him.

Cost: Nightly rate = $184, suites run much higher.

15. The Hotel Windsor (Melbourne, Australia)

It is one of the oldest hotels of Australia which was built in 19th century. It is five star hotel hosted outstanding celebrities as kings and stars, but its lust did fade away in the period from 1960’s to 1970’s. But later its glory was reinstated to boost it to win the top rank hotel of Australia.

Cost: Traditional rooms = $160, suites = $470/night.

Liquid Keyboard Makes Touch Typing Easier   If you've ever tried to transfer your touch-typing skills onto a touchscreen tablet's virtual keyboard, you'll know what an impossible task that can be. Apart from the fact that there's no tactile guide to tell you where keys are in relation to each other, placing all of your fingers onto the screen almost always causes accidental activation of unwanted keys. Researchers from the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) claim to have overcome such issues with the development of a QWERTY keyboard interface that should allow touch typists to tap away without needing visual prompts.  Early versions of the LiquidKeyboard system were developed using HTML and JavaScript, and are said to have been inspired by a virtual keyboard from Microsoft that used a split keyboard approach. Creators Christian Sax and Hannes Lau went on to develop the system for Apple's iOS operating system for the iPad, but say that the software could be adapted for use on other operating platforms. They chose the iPad believing it to have superior multi-touch capability, and because the cost of the hardware met their strict budget criteria.  Touch typing on a physical keyboard is more than just having a mental map of key location; it's also about getting some sort of tactile feedback from pressed keys, and about getting a sense of where keys are relative to others. While LiquidKeyboard can't do much about the physical typing sensation, it splits the QWERTY keys into allocatable groups and assigns sets to individual fingers – the upshot being that when the software detects four fingers being placed onto the surface of the display, it creates a fluid keyboard underneath the fingers.  When a finger is moved, the assigned group of virtual keys moves with it. The system is said to be capable of automatically adapting to a user's hand physiology (such as different hand sizes and finger positioning), and also responds to pressure. Keys are rotated based on wrist position and the system is said to offer the same sort of key familiarity allowed by a physical keyboard, but, according to Sax, "tries to create an input method that is adapted to the platform rather than recycling an old paradigm from the physical world."  The researchers from the Engineering and Information Technology department at UTS are currently working on refining the prototype. I think that this has obvious potential for touch-typers like me, who find themselves craving a physical keyboard when typing on tablet devices. However, it could also open up new and interesting usage possibilities for note-takers in the business and student world, designers and modelers and, of course, gamers.

During the summer of 2010, a sleepy feature available to beneficiaries of life insurance policies for over 20 years came into focus. The issue, retained asset accounts (RAAs), and whether and how they should be made available to those receiving funds after a loved one dies continues to generate discussion both at the state level and in Congress.

According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, an RAA is meant to be a short-term repository for a life insurance death benefit that gives a beneficiary time to consider the financial options available. An RAA allows a beneficiary to draw from the death benefit proceeds by using bank drafts, which are similar to checks but different in a few ways.

What consumers advocates are saying about RAAs

Consumer advocate Daniel Schwarcz, an associate professor of law at the University of Minnesota Law School and a funded consumer representative with the NAIC, Kansas City, Mo., says "If it were me, I'd take the money and put it in a bank account."

Schwarcz says that one of the important points a consumer should double check before agreeing to an RAA is the ability to immediately draw on funds using the checks a company provides.

Another important point to keep in mind, he says, is that the accounts are not protected by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the entity that acts as a backstop in the event a bank fails and cannot meet its obligations. He affirms that insurance companies have guaranty fund associations, state entities that step in when an insurer becomes insolvent and assumes the role of making sure that policyholders are paid. But, Schwarcz adds, they are run individually by the different states and are not as reliable as the FDIC.

Other insurance industry experts state RAAs may have benefits

Connecticut Insurance Commissioner Tom Sullivan, one of the commissioners spearheading the NAIC examination of the issue, disagrees, noting that most state guaranty funds offer at least $300,000 in protection and in some states such as Connecticut, up to $500,000. The NAIC is wrapping up a survey of the largest companies on the issue to examine practices, such as defaulting a beneficiary into an RAA account and what disclosures are provided along with this option.

Robert DeFillippo, a spokesperson for Prudential Financial, Newark, N.J., says that there is a lot of good that comes out of the RAA, and counters criticism of the RAA feature by noting that beneficiaries have immediate access to their money and can write a check for the whole amount of the death benefit if they choose.

DeFillippo adds that allegations that RAA checks are more difficult to cash, has not been Prudential's experience. Of 500,000 drafts written in 2009, he points out that the "vast majority have had no problems." He says that when an RAA is opened at Prudential, disclosures clearly explain how it works and the fact that the money is available immediately. While the death benefits are in an RAA, they are drawing interest.
  

Life insurance beneficiaries seem to make use of RAAs

According to Prudential, about 40 percent of the money held in its RAAs is withdrawn in the first two months and typically, 70 percent of account holders write at least one check within the first three months after an account is opened.

During a hearing by state insurance regulators in August 2010, MetLife testified that a third of those who have accounts with the life insurance company close them within two months, and 60 percent withdraw all the funds and close them within a year. Interest on the balance of RAAs begins to accrue right away and ranges from 3 percent to 1.5 percent to 0.5 percent--depending on the age of the policy. Nearly half of those who have these accounts with MetLife are earning 3 percent on their money and 80 percent are earning at least 1.5 percent, according to information presented during the hearing.