Iconic luxury chain Peninsula is planning to begin operations in India as part of its global expansion plan, the chain has confirmed.

Clement Kwok, the CEO of Peninsula owner Hongkong & Shanghai Hotels Ltd, told BusinessWeek magazine that the brand would open a maximum of 15 properties globally in the next five to ten years.

Among the new locations, which will include Paris in 2012, will be new hotels in China and India. He declined to say where the Indian location would be situated.

The design-led, all suite heritage hotel that occupies the upper floors of Hullett House offers guests a refined and elegant experience that is reminiscent of Hong Kong’s vibrant past.

Hullett House is conveniently located on Canton Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, in a magnificent white-stucco colonial building dating from 1881.

The hotel provides a collection of bespoke, individually hand-crafted suites that join the property’s five popular dining and entertainment venues in this elegant celebration of old Hong Kong.

The suites, which range in size from 800 to 1,100 square feet, feature spacious private terraced balconies and breathtaking views of Hong Kong’s famous skyline, with sweeping lawns and gardens below.

Hotels are always claiming they offer all the comforts of home — and a little bit more besides.

But the people at Fairmont Hotels &Resorts have been taking things a step further by introducing “Canine Ambassadors” at select establishments around the world.

If you miss the pampered pooch you had to leave behind on your travels, meet the likes of Zeus, a “handsome Chocolate Labrador” who has in the past month taken up residence at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa in California.

Luxury hotel chain InterContinental is to trial iPad devices for its concierge staff from next week.

InterContinental Hotels and Resorts, which owns 166 high-end properties, will roll out the devices to trial hotels in four cities as part of a global program.

A spokesman for the brand confirmed to Relaxnews that if the trial was successful, the chain will consider rolling the scheme out globally.

Using the devices, hotel staff will be able to provide high-resolution satellite maps, close-up street views and short video clips of local attractions to guests.

An architectural mashup of traditional houses, the 160-room Inntel Zaandam in the Netherlands looks as though it comes straight out of a fairytale.

The iconic green wooden houses of the Zaan region were the fount of inspiration for the hotel’s designer, Wilfried van Winden (WAM architecten, Delft).

The structure is a lively stacking of various examples of these traditional houses, ranging from a notary’s residence to a worker’s cottage.

Google has been testing a feature on their Google Maps site that may one day help you find a hotel at the right price without having to head to sites.

If permanently implemented, this feature could turn Google into one of the biggest online travel planning destinations on the planet.

“With this feature, when you search for hotels on Google Maps you’ll be able to enter the dates you plan to stay and see real prices on selected listings.