are you up for a Triptease ?

Triptease is a place where people save and share the best of their travel. Putting images front and centre, they capture what it was really like. Taken from their description : “We love travel. We love everything about it. The hotels, the restaurants, the bars and the wild beach parties. We believe getting out your own front door and heading off to a new destination might be the healthiest thing you can do. Travel reviews are a decade out of date. Travel, perhaps the most photo-worthy of all pastimes, is overrun with dull, anonymous text reviews. It's time for a makeover. We put photographs at the heart of Triptease. The process is easy, but the result is powerful. We help you create reviews worth sharing with the world.”

Triptease is a new kind of social site for travel. However, they do have a business side, since they aim to be working together with the industry. For business owners / users, you can set up a special account so that people know who you are. By encouraging your guests to share their experiences and create, Triptease expands your info and links back to your site. Tripteasers love sharing their experiences with friends and family. Every one of these reviews can have a direct link back to your website. As per their saying : “Happy guests become an army of marketers. Help your bottom line and cut out OTAs.”

Frustration with travel reviews drove Triptease founder Charlie Osmond to develop the service after six years working in social media for big names across fashion and politics. The startup is privately funded with Osmond investing proceeds from previous ventures as well as receiving some angel investment. He is joined by co-founder Alasdair Snow, Chris Warren Gash, marketing, Elsie Rutterford, business development, Pawel Lipka, development and Andrea Perrini, design. Osmond says Triptease is going after the luxury end of the global online travel market which is worth an estimated $75b. Competition is massive between Facebook because of its volume of social conversations and reviews giant, TripAdvisor. “We’re after a higher-end audience. When it comes to review creation, a typical user for us is more likely to be someone who would never contribute to Tripadvisor. When it comes to browsing reviews, Tripadvisor is a more direct competitor.” Revenue will be drawn from affiliate fees from click-throughs and the company is also planning some secondary services and revenue streams. “At present the industry encourages guests to post ratings to third-party review sites. Every review posted drives bookings via OTAs who take a cut from the hotel. We’re taking a different approach based around review freshness (less than six months old). If a partner (hotel, agent or airline) encourages a guest to create a review on Triptease, for a period of six months, while the review is fresh, we link directly back to the partner for free – no OTAs in the way.” [1]

[1] Ref. http://www.tnooz.com/article/triptease-wants-to-refresh-the-reviews-space-putting-an-end-to-ugly-faceless-text/

the Fogo Island Inn experience

A windswept fleck of land off the northeast coast of Newfoundland, Canada, has in the last several years, been the site of an exciting project in economic renewal and avant-garde architecture. It’s an incongruous sight : sleek white boxes on stilts above the rocky, windswept coast of that small island off northeastern Newfoundland. But the 29-room Fogo Island Inn is bustling with the area’s vibe. High on a rocky promontory a world away from civilization as we know it. Yet it boasts high-end comforts like an art gallery, a talented young chef, and a rooftop sauna from which it’s possible to glimpse icebergs bobbing in the vast, coal-black Atlantic.

The building is an X in plan. The two storey west to east volume contains public spaces while the four storey south-west to north-east volume contains the remaining public spaces and all the guest rooms and is parallel to the coast. The public areas on the first floor include an art gallery curated by Fogo Island Arts, a dining room, bar and lounge, and a library specialising in the local region. The second floor includes a gym, meeting rooms, and cinema. The fourth floor roof deck has saunas and outdoor hot tubs with views of the North Atlantic. All guest rooms face the ocean with the bed placed directly in front of the view of the Little Fogo Islands in the distance with the North Atlantic beyond. Guest rooms are located on all four floors with the 21 rooms on the third and fourth floors all having a wood-burning stove. The ceilings of the rooms on the fourth floor follow the slope of the roof and the three rooms on the east are double volume spaces with the sleeping area located on the mezzanine.

The building is the latest edition to an ongoing arts residency programme being established on the Newfoundland isle. Saunders Architecture of Norway is responsible for adding this hotel and gallery on stilts to the picturesque Fogo Island. In addition, Saunders Architecture has also completed six live-in artists' studios dotted around the island. Every element of the 29-room inn was created on Fogo, a result of collaborations between residents and Canadian and European designers. The Fogo Island Inn is an initiative of the Shorefast Foundation. Shorefast is a registered charity of Canada that uses a social entrepreneurship model to contribute to cultural and economic resiliency for Fogo Island and Change Islands. From a distance, the inn almost seems to float above the landscape, yet it is a dramatic structure, as minimalist and modern as a spacecraft. “This isn’t the kind of building we wanted to hide, or sweep under the carpet,” says Saunders. “We wanted it to appear as though it were raising its head, full of pride, to look out at the sea.”

[Ref.] http://www.fogoislandinn.ca/fii/press/

[Ref.] http://www.dezeen.com/2013/10/29/fogo-island-inn-by-saunders-architecture/

[Ref.] http://www.azuremagazine.com/article/todd-saunders-breathtaking-fogo-island-inn/

the Salto Chico Lodge in Patagonia

The Salto Chico Lodge is located right at the heart of the extraordinary Torres del Paine National Park in central Patagonia. The varied and untouched landscapes of this area led UNESCO to declare it a biosphere reserve. The Patagonia hotel lodge opened in 1993 on the banks of the Salto Chico waterfall. It affords an excellent view of the unique Paine Massif and two of the three impressive torres, or towers, which give the park its name. The lodge has 49 rooms and a variety of inviting spaces adopting a design which borrows certain organic forms from the landscape itself, thus blending to it with simple elegance. It was designed to create a dialogue with its environment, putting human beings in touch with the sublimity of their surroundings. For Patagonia travel, the lodge provides the welcome surprise of comfort in a remote area; nonetheless, you are not isolated from nature, but placed “within” it.

The hotel was designed by the architect José Cruz Ovalle ; an architect, who has studied and worked in Chile and Spain, has created a substantial portfolio of award-winning work. José Cruz Ovalle is the highly regarded master architect behind the innovative and architecturally stunning explora hotels Patagonia explora (2005), Hotel Rapa Nui explora (2007) and most recently, the interior renovation of explora Atacama Hotel de Larache. You can walk around the perimeter of Hotel Salto Chico, following the "orbit" or revolving space built into the design. Thus, the interior and exterior accompany one another and enter into a dialogue at the access to the rooms. The traveler can simultaneously view both the interior of the lodge and the surrounding landscape. Apart from the main section of the building is the swimming pool area with jacuzzis and sauna - the “Casa de Baños del Ona”, or Ona Bath House– which can be reached via sloping wooden walkways. The swimming pool and jacuzzis are at the same level as Lake Pehoé, providing a continuous view of the water. The outside of this building is painted the same emerald green color as the lake.

the Aenaon Villas in Santorini

The secluded housing complex which makes up the Aenaon Villas consists of seven luxurious white washed cube shaped villas built next to and on top of one another. Situated at the highest and narrowest part of Santorini, an island in Greece, they almost balance on the very edge of the world famous Caldera between the settlements of Imerovigli and Oia. All of them are open from East to West offering breathtakingly unobstructed views of the endless blue Aegean Sea, the volcano and the most unique sunset in the world. Each villa is built in complete harmony with the region’s natural environment and follows the values of traditional Cycladic architecture whilst artfully displaying the owners’ love and devotion to elegant simplicity in every detail in the luxe white-on-white interiors.

The original decision of mechanical engineer George Alexiou and his wife Alexandra back in 1989 to buy a plot of land in Santorini and build a housing complex brick by brick, was to prove life changing. George’s brother who rejected buying the plot for himself, recommended it to the couple who then spent twenty years chasing their dream up until 2009 when 'Aenaon Villas' opened its doors to the outside world. Since then, its allure has enthralled the handful of guests from all over the world that have been lucky enough to discover it.

[Ref.] http://www.yatzer.com/aenaon-villas-santorini-greece

the Orchard Keepers retreat in Australia

Taken from their website : “Under the shade of a giant Sequoia tree, nestled in a beautiful established garden surrounded by neighboring vineyards and orchards you will find our home. From our family to yours we invite you to come and enjoy Orchard Keepers.” Originally 3 separate cottages dating back to the 1890′s & 1950′s, Orchard Keepers has been lovingly restored and transformed into a beautiful four bedroom home & separate Workers Cottage providing country chic holiday accommodation for 10 people on 10 acres  in the heart of Red Hill, Victoria, Australia. A tiny paradise in the south-east of Australia. The landlords renovation and restoration works have been particularly meticulous and tasteful. Some of the decorative works here came from all over the world, like the bath towels from Japan, organic cosmetics by local producers. A Snowy wall, a huge bed, a fireplace and unique flowering gardens and ocean views. In addition, guests are invited to forage out in the two large kitchen gardens, filled with fragrant herbs, vegetables, berries, citrus and stone fruit trees. Notes are provided & updated weekly on what is in season for the guests to pick and add to their lunch or evening meal.

they draw and cook : recipes illustrated by artists from around the globe

Nate Padavick and Salli Swindell are a brother and sister design and illustration team who have been working together for over 10 years. After creating hundreds of magazine and book illustrations including many super tasty illustrated recipes, Nate and Salli came up with the idea of They Draw & Cook while on a family vacation. They asked some of their artist pals to help, but never got enough recipes to justify printing a book, so Nate built a quick blog and Salli started to spread the word. They Draw & Cook now contains the biggest and best collection of illustrated recipes anywhere.

They Draw & Cook is essentially a recipe site that features cuisines from around the world, but its beauty and differentiation is that all the recipes are illustrated. As opposed to the text-heavy format for recipes we’re all used to, the illustrated approach challenges foodies to simply demonstrate the process for cooking a dish, but also telling a story about that dish: Its origins, its ingredients, and perhaps even the feelings and memories that come about when smelling them. The artists whose work you see on the website are a varied and talented bunch. Some of them are professional illustrators and practicing artists, while others are passionate doodlers and drawers, and a few have only recently begun to draw.

Nate and Salli were blown away by the creative energy artists worldwide pour into their recipe illustrations, and they realized that artists have similar passion for their favorite places to live and visit. So they launched They Draw & Travel, a sister site of They Draw & Cook , as a place for artists to express that passion, and for readers to discover their creations. Each map is one-of-a-kind, highlighting off-the-beaten path sites and activities that are local favorites. You won't find anything like this in a guidebook! Whether you're planning your next trip, reminiscing about places you've been or dreaming about places you want to go one day, They Draw & Travel is inspiring, useful and fun!

the National Tourist Routes in Norway

A great example of progressive government policy is 2005 Norway’s launch of The National Tourist Routes ; a vast 15-year campaign re-evaluating the concept of tourism by turning it into a culturally active product. The government turned to a stellar congregation of designers & architects like Margrete Friis, Peter Zumthor, PUSHAK arkitekter, Code Arkitektur, Manthey Kula, Snøhetta, and Jensen and Skodvin to name only a few, with a request to create their own stunning yet nature-aware rest stops, observation decks and other small-scale architectural jewels to give the face of the planned tourist routes spanning from the southern town of Jaeren to the northern city of Varenger. Hopefully, a move that will not only generate greater tourist activity for beautiful Norway but will also inspire other governments to follow in these footsteps. It is a fact worth noting, the launch of the National Tourist Routes government initiative has been followed up by a number of equally inspiring and nature-regarding commissions by foundations, national parks and private investors in Norway.

National Tourist Routes in Norway

from the website :

“There are still roads that are not merely designed to get you to your destination as quickly as possible. National Tourist Routes are beautiful drives with that little bit extra. The routes are carefully selected by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, and each of the 18 routes has its own history and character. Our job is to make sure the routes are adapted to travellers' needs. We do so by building spectacular viewpoints with service buildings, car parks, furniture, paths and art.”

[Ref.] http://knstrct.com/2011/03/01/travel-norway-the-architectural-way/

[Ref.] http://openbuildings.com/collections/beautiful-norway-collection-48674