The Atlantis Hotel on the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai opened last Thursday with a multimillion-dollar star-spangled party, and a spectacular display of lighting and pyrotechnics.

Having spent $1.5 billion, the owners of the Atlantis hotel, which they hope will become the new symbol of excess in a region already replete with towering statements of wealth, splashed out $20 million on its opening.

In the lobby of the Atlantis about 2,000 guests sipped Dom Perignon. Outside, A-list celebrities from Robert De Niro to Lindsay Lohan walked the red carpet.

Europe plans to enter the fledgling space tourism market by offering a chance to experience weightlessness to help pay for scientific research.

Novespace, a unit of France’s CNES space agency claims to be leading the field in scientific deployment with a converted Airbus A300 jetliner. With Europe’s space ambitions facing a budget squeeze due to the weak economy, the plan to mix science with adventure was unveiled in a “zero G” flight for European space agency chiefs on a converted Airbus jet.

Passengers feel twice their normal weight during the steep climb and descent but experience 22 seconds of weightlessness along the crest of the arc when engine power is sharply reduced.

The Novespace ticket sales would not aim to make a profit but would help sponsor research carried on board. The price tag would be 3,000 euros ($3,900) for 30 parabolas or 22-second bursts of weightlessness – 11 minutes in all.

Trips like these are pretty affordable and cost a fraction of the $30-35 million paid by wealthy individuals for the ultimate ride into orbit. But the only difference with weightlessness as felt in space is the time spent afloat !

Mobil Travel Guide, the originators of the prestigious Star ratings and certifications program, today awarded Hong Kong & Macau with the most Mobil Five-Star rated hotels and spas in the company’s 50-year history. The unveiling of the esteemed properties that made Mobil Travel Guide’s coveted Star ratings list coincides with the brand’s release of their second international guide, Mobil Travel Guide: Hong Kong & Macau.

The brand awarded five new Mobil Five-Star hotels and three new Mobil Five-Star spas in Hong Kong and Macau to the coveted Mobil Travel Guide Five-Star list, a list that consists of only sixty-nine properties globally. The newest Mobil Travel Guide Five-Star properties in Hong Kong and Macau include: The Peninsula Hong Kong, the Landmark Mandarin Oriental, the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, The Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, the Wynn Macau, The Mandarin Spa, The Peninsula Spa by ESPA and the Spa at Wynn Macau.

Mandarin Oriental - Hong Kong

The honours were presented by Mobil Travel Guide and the Hong Kong Tourism Board at the prestigious ceremony at The Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong on November 6. Key leaders in Hong Kong’s tourism market, including many of the region’s top hoteliers and government officials, welcomed the brand to the local market.

Mobil Travel Guide and Mobil Travel Guide’s Star ratings system was launched in 1958 after the introduction of the United States’ first interstate highway network. The Mobil Travel Guide book series was created to provide Star ratings that would advise travelers on where to stay and dine. Launched with just one guidebook, the U.S. Southwest, the company has grown to publish more than 40 titles covering properties around the world.

Situated on the northeast coast of the Adriatic ocean, Montenegro is home to some of the most fabulous beaches in the world. There is nowhere else that you can find, in such a small place, so much natural wealth, beauty, mild beaches, clear lakes, fast rivers and gorgeous mountains !

Just a few weeks ago, Luxist reported on some ambitious new plans for the seaside destination. Now comes news on one of the biggest projects on the the Montenegrin Riviera, Royal Montenegro Grand Resort.

The resort will include a five-star 220-room hotel and conference center, a casino, nightclub, yacht club, spa, villas and condo as well as retail and restaurant space. In total the project is divided into four distinct zones and will cover some 66,000 m2. It will offer its clients an exclusive lifestyle with the ultimate levels of glamour and sophistication.

The resort is being developed in partnership between Joud Real Estate Funds and Monte-Mena. Colliers International Montenegro in co-operation with Colliers Greece, is the exclusive consultant for the project and is opening sales of residential units which are comprised of three types : palatian residences, villas and condos.

Palatial Residences, sized from 756 to 855 m2, have their own private garden, swimming pool and Jacuzzi. Cascading Villas will be slightly smaller villas (305 to 480 m2) while Sea Front Condos with ocean views will be available in two or three bedrooms and one or two levels. They will all be constructed to the highest international standards and feature the greatest privacy and luxury.

Royal Montenegro Grand Resort will be constructed 8 km south of Budva and 4 km north of Petrovac, just 1km from Sveti Stefan, at Skocidjevojka, and will open in 2010.

Designed by Philippe Starck, the Faena Hotel + Universe offers over-the-top elegance in Puerto Madero (a district of the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires), a planned waterfront district. The spacious hotel, which occupies an old grain silo, has everything from a cabaret stage to a hammam, with 110 rooms starting at $425.

The hotel also has a residential section, with properties for sale. These vary in size and price, and 20 of them are available for rent on a nonscheduled basis. Several dining, bar, and entertainment areas are in the lobby and elsewhere. The “Universe” in the hotel’s name refers to these shared elements, open to guests, residents, and the general public, with a philosophy of mingling and sharing ideas and experiences.

The most formal restaurant (above) is all white on white, with unicorn heads mounted on the wall.

I wish I could go there to experience the experience :)

Already a tourist hot spot Bangkok is now unlike any time in the past, as the readers of Travel and Leisure just acknowledged by voting Bangkok the “World’s Best City, 2008″. Being a city so rich in sights and sounds, seemingly everywhere, Bangkok can feel overwhelming at times. Luckily Bangkok hotels have made enjoying the city’s wonderful madness a little easier, by creating outstanding viewpoints to enjoy this vast city. Agoda.com salutes Bangkok and proposes top 10 hotels to check out some of Bangkok’s amazing views.

Today, Bangkok sprawls in every direction, extending beyond the horizon. Still a massive network of streets and sois, the city now bristles with skyscrapers, mega malls, elevated expressways and sky trains. The ubiquitous food stalls, markets, world class shopping and nightlife still attract tourists in droves, but it’s the elegance and modernity of the city that consistently surprises.

Michael Kenny, CEO of Agoda.com says “Bangkok is a city full of energy and beauty. It’s also a city with an eclectic mix of contradictions. The food stalls, markets, shopping and culture; all this activity happens in surroundings that are both classically Thai and ultra-modern. The churning Chao Phraya River lined with ancient temples set against a modern skyline is truly a unique sight. Bangkok hotels have embraced the city’s diverse nature, creating rooftop bars, restaurants and viewpoints that rival anyplace in the world. Those who get to live in Bangkok experience all its delights on a daily basis. It looks like the rest of the world has finally started to take notice. Bangkok deserves this award.”

Agoda.com is an Asia-based, worldwide online hotel bookings company, renowned for its expertise in the Bangkok marketplace and offers hotel reservations with 300 Bangkok hotels to choose from. The staff at Agoda has chosen the top 10 hotels where tourists can indulge in some amazing views of Thailand’s “City of Angels”.

Agoda’s Top 10 hotels showcasing Bangkok’s amazing views are:

1. Lebua at State Tower, Sirocco-Located on the 63 rdfloor of The Dome at the Lebua at State Tower, Sirocco is the world’s highest al fresco restaurant. Also one of Bangkok’s most coveted dining choices, the experience never fails to leave one mesmerized. This award-winning restaurant offers breathtaking views of Bangkok and the Chao Phraya River.

2. The Banyan Tree, Vertigo Grill & Moon Bar – Located on the 61stfloor, Vertigo is one of the landmarks of fine dining in Bangkok. The top floor of the Banyan Tree Hotel offers spectacular panoramic views of Bangkok. Even without trying the decadent menu, just witnessing the sunset at Vertigo is an unforgettable experience. The slow melt of the sun into darkness, ultimately revealing the sparkling lights of the Bangkok night, leaves guests awestruck.

3. Centara Grand at CentralWorld, A gourmet dining & grill restaurant, Fifty Five is dramatically perched on the 54 th& 55 thfloors, with amazing views of Bangkok, set to serve the very best Thailand has to offer. Red Sky a chic, urban bistro and lounge with breathtaking, al fresco vistas of Bangkok, located on the 55 thfloor. Both scheduled to open in September 2008.

4. The Dusit Thani, D’Sens – A graceful French restaurant, D’Sens is located on the top floor of the hotel. The large windows allow guests to gaze out onto all the early evening activity of historical Lumpini Park and the hustle and bustle of Silom, Bangkok’s city center.

5. The Landmark Hotel, RR & B Bar- A roof-top steakhouse and bar, RR & B is located on the 31 stfloor, offering breathtaking views of the city’s skyline and one of Bangkok’s best grills.

6. The Westin Grande Sukhumvit Hotel, Horizon Sky Lounge and Karaoke- Follow dinner with drinks, music and questionable karaoke at the Horizons Sky Lounge and Karaoke with its panoramic views of Bangkok’s sparkling lights.

7. The Baiyoke Sky , Thailand’s tallest hotel with 3 fantastic restaurants located at its peak. The Bangkok Sky Restaurant on the 76 th&78 thfloors, the Crystal Grill on the 82 ndfloor and the rocking Roof Top Bar & Music on the 83 rdfloor, Thailand’s highest entertainment venue.

8. The Oriental Hotel , The Verandah – With a massive patio extending out onto the Chao Phraya River, the elegant Verandah is the perfect spot to enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner. Renovated in 2005 the Verandah serves delectable Asian and Western cuisines in subtle Thai surroundings. The majestic Oriental Hotel was just ranked number 14 in Travel and Leisure’s Top 500 Hotels.

9.The Millennium Hilton Bangkok – Three Sixty Lounge- Sitting 32 floors up and chilling out to a little jazz, the Three Sixty Lounge provides the perfect setting to take Bangkok all in. A relaxed, romantic setting with an extensive cocktail list, this jazz bar is quickly becoming a city favorite.

10. The Peninsula Hotel , Thiptara Restaurant – Thiptara literally translates to ‘heaven on water’ and the Thiptara Restaurant is just that, set on the picturesque banks of the Chao Phraya River nestled under a huge Banyan tree. The Peninsula’s new Thiptara Thai restaurant offers authentic, Thai home-style food served outdoors, in teakwood, Thai-style pavilions. Bangkok’s outstanding Peninsula Hotel was just ranked number 17 in Travel and Leisure’s Top 500 Hotels.