Hotel Girl

 The suite where Dannii Minogue broke the happy (or sad) news to teary X Factor contestants on Saturday night looked strangely familiar.

No, I wasn't belting out an audition of my own - I visited the Atlantis on a fam trip to Dubai in May.

The Bridge Suite is stunning. It connects the hotel's two towers, which means it has amazing views over the whole resort and the ocean.

The 10 lavishly decorated rooms are fit for even the most stroppy superstar, with a marble bath, golf-leaf 16 seater table, and personal butler service.

At $25,000 a night, the Bridge Suite is one of the most expensive hotel rooms in the world. It will be interesting to see if any of the contestants can ever afford to go back there. Hotel Girl doesn't usually comment on reality TV, but my money's on Danyl.

(above, the corridor where Dermot consoled or congratulated; right, the view from the Bridge Suite)  

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Following on from yesterday's post, it looks like Saturday's X Factor has given Dubai and Marrakech a welcome boost.

Maretta Moriarty from accommodation-only provider HotelConnect said there has been a 100% increase in searches for Dubai in the last week and a 61% jump in searches for Marrakech.

Simon Cowell's luxury pad (pictured) prompted a 76% increase in searches for Los Angeles.

However Lake Como, where the groups category auditioned for Louis Walsh, didn't do so well. As Maretta suggests, perhaps  Louis should have stuck to his traditional Irish retreat..

Maretta also said she spotted the contestants having a spot of lunch in Golders Green in North London. Apparently the blonde twins popped in to Sainsburys and were mobbed by young girls and one old lady. No accounting for taste I suppose..

Jealous, me? Never. My colleagues at Travel Weekly swung by the brand new W while in Barcelona for the ABTA travel convention.

I've never have wanted to sip champagne while admiring the views from the funky hotel bedrooms. Not at all. ..

The W has really made its mark on the Catalan city.  With its sail-shaped glass tower, infinity pool, super spa and chic cabanas, it would fit right in in Dubai or Las Vegas.

It is the first large hotel in Passeig de Joan de Borbó,  a trendy waterfront area with luxury shops, theaters and nightclubs.

Right now, the hotel is doing a special 249 euro opening offer including welcome cocktails, a manicure at the Bliss spa and VIP access to the glamourous rooftop club Eclipse.

Ok, well maybe I'm a tiny bit jealous. Now where's my diary...

Thistle has transformed its slightly fusty Bloomsbury hotel into the modern new Kingsley. The group, which is the middle of renovating and rebranding all its UK properties, has pumped £10 million into the hotel.

The chintzy old fashioned rooms now have clean, simple dector, plasma televisions and rain showers.

Thistle has retained some of the hotel's Edwardian features, including a wrought iron staircase and chandeliers, which give it a touch of character. 

One word of warning: the restaurant still seems to be having major teething problems. On my visit service was hopeless and the food tasted like it had been sitting in the fridge since the hotel reopened in May.

Far and away the best thing about the hotel is its location - just a few minutes walk from Covent Garden - making it perfect for a London shopping or theatre break. Just check out some good local resturants before you go.. 

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As the Wyndham Grand London in Chelsea Harbour comes to the end of a major facelift, its PR people have released some details about the all-suite hotel's new look.

The penthouse is now home to four luxurious suites. But these aren't just any penthouse suites..

Each one is dedicated to a fashionable area of London, such as King's Road, Savile Row and Kensington. The King's Suite has a full height Union Jack headboard (pictured) and a chair in the form of a red shoe; the Savile Suite has a paisley patterned headboard and the Kensington Suite has a pinstripe theme.

It's a cute idea, but not as daring as Choice's new Distrikt Hotel, where each of its ten floors will represent another NY hood. It's due to open this winter but, in the meantime, you can read more here.