The World's 10 Most Expensive Luxury Hotels Read more
1. Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi
Costing approximately $3 billion to build, Emirates Palace has 394 rooms and suites, 40 meeting and conference rooms, a white sand beach, a myriad of pools and fountains, a sumptuous spa, marble imported from 13 different countries and over 1,000 crystal chandeliers. It’s like a small pleasure fortress that also boasts the most prestigious marina development in the Middle East. Royalty, or those who want to feel like it, can luxuriate in one of the many palace suites, all with lavish surroundings that would befit a Sultan of old yet with enough modern amenities to please today’s top tycoons.
(Photo: Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi)
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2. Mardan Palace Hotel, Turkey
Built by Russian Billionaire Telman Ismailov in 2009 to the tune of $1.65 billion, the Mardan Palace Hotel in Antalya, Turkey boasts the largest swimming pool in the Mediterranean (fits 1,000 guests) and is touted as one of the most elite luxury hotels in Europe. Beyond the sinfully sumptuous suites and jaw-dropping interiors of gold leaf, crystal, and Italian marble, there are also ten dining spots, 17 bars, a lavish spa and a sunken aquarium full of exotic fish. 9,000 tons of white sand was flown in from Egypt for the beach alone. 24/7 personal butler service is also included.
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3. The Westin Excelsior, Rome
Built in 1906, The Westin Excelsior Rome has an impressive pedigree in the Via Veneto district. Though most rooms are affordable, their piece de resistance is the Villa La Cupola Suite that has recently been “refreshed” with a $7 million renovation. This signature luxury cocoon spans two full floors making it the largest suite in Italy. Furnished in grand old style with modern high tech gadgets, hand-frescoed cathedral style domes, its own private fitness room, sauna, steam bath and Jacuzzi, and a formal dining room, it’s a perennial favourite for those who deem money to be no object.
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4. Burj Al Arab Hotel, Dubai
Built to resemble a billowing sail, the stunning architecture of Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai makes it one of the most photographed in the world. All rooms are luxurious suites spanning two floors with state-of-the art everything and incredible views. And beyond the unique over-the-top amenities like the attached heliport and hovering tennis courts, there is a vast array of futuristic dining and nightlife options. Their guest care is also seriously intensive. Upscale extras include in-suite check-in, 24/7 personal on call butlers, and a chauffeur driven Rolls Royce fleet, all catering to an extremely well-heeled VIP clientele that often includes royalty.
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6. Atlantis Paradise Island, Bahamas
Built in tribute to the legendary lost city, Atlantis Paradise Island is a 141-acre facility touted as the premier luxury resort destination in the Bahamas. It's the resort's Royal Towers Bridge Suite on the 23rd floor that really pulls out ALL the swanky stops. It spans ten plush rooms topped by 12-ft. ceilings and full length windows and includes a grand piano, twin entertainment centers, a formal dining room with a 22-karat gold chandelier, whirlpool tubs, and more... Plus a permanent staff of seven to cater to your every whim.
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7. Palms, Las Vegas
The Las Vegas Palms is famous for high-roller living, and what better way to really indulge in Sin City than cavorting in one of their luxury rooftop suites like the Hugh Hefner Sky Villa. The suite accommodates up to 250 people for a get-together and boasts a massive rooftop Jacuzzi hanging over The Strip. A private glass elevator, rotating bed, gym, sauna, media room and full bar make these swanky digs the perfect spot to fulfill the fantasy of living in the style the world’s most famous playboy is accustomed to. (Did anyone say bachelor or bachelorette party?)
Read more at http://www.readersdigest.ca/travel/world/top-10-most-luxurious-hotels-world/
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8. The Boulders, Arizona
The wow-factor is left to Mother Nature at The Boulders, and it's just as well, as no man-made decor could possibly compete with the resort's surreal 12-million-year-old rock formations. Spanning 1,300 acres of the Sonoran Desert, the massive spa compound promises the ultimate in natural rejuvenation treatments, and the two golf courses are world class. There’s also an über private gated Villa Retreat for celebs seeking anonymity. PR rep Deborah Bridges says, “Our clientele is among the wealthiest in the world, but we’re not allowed to talk about who our VIP guests are until they’re dead.” That says it all.
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9. CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa, Anguilla
Brought to you by the same folks that created the famous food processor, CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa was originally built as a tropical playground for its owner, but later expanded to include guests. Luxury guest rooms and Moorish-inspired villas dot the massive grounds cresting Anguilla’s world class beaches. The resort's Venus Spa & Fitness complex has been rejuvenated to the tune of ten million dollars, and they have just acquired a $50 million dollar Greg Norman-designed golf course next door. This luxe hideaway is very popular among celebrities seeking barefoot luxury far from the spotlight.
Read more at http://www.readersdigest.ca/travel/world/top-10-most-luxurious-hotels-world/
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10. Marquis Los Cabos, Los Cabos
Inspired by a celestial legend of two angels seeking paradise on earth, the spectacular lobby of Marquis Los Cabos opens out onto the wildly restless sea like a temple to its creation. Gorgeous specially-commissioned sculptures, massive waterfalls, spectacular infinity pools, and a lovely serene spa set the stage for vacationing VIPs. (George Clooney’s beach villa is next door.) Luxurious rooms boast balconies where you can often spot migrating whales, and there are also private villas with personal dipping pools.
Read more at http://www.readersdigest.ca/travel/world/top-10-most-luxurious-hotels-world/
5. The Plaza, New York City
Though the Big Apple has many legendary and swanky hotels, The Plaza is often the top choice for visiting VIPs—especially for its Royal Plaza Suite that boasts the best views of Manhattan. The three-bedroom/three-bathroom suite is styled in the most opulent of old world charm with a formal dining room, a library, a gymnasium, a grand piano, full kitchen (for personal chefs), and a butler’s pantry, and is serviced by its own private elevator. Butler service is also included. Built in 1907, the iconic structure was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1969.
Read more at http://www.readersdigest.ca/travel/world/top-10-most-luxurious-hotels-world/
What is Astronomy? Definition & History
Mankind has long gazed toward the heavens, searching to put meaning and order to the universe around him. Although the movement of constellations — patterns imprinted on the night sky — were the easiest to track, other celestial events such as eclipses and the motion of planets were also charted and predicted.
Definition of astronomy: Astronomy is the study of the sun, moon, stars, planets, comets, gas, galaxies, gas, dust and other non-Earthly bodies and phenomena. In curriculum for K-4 students, NASA defines astronomy as simple “the study of stars, planets and space.” Astronomy and astrology were historically associated, but astrology is not a science and is no longer recognized as having anything to do with astronomy. Below we discuss the history of astronomy and related fields of study, including cosmology Historically, astronomy has focused on observations of heavenly bodies. It is a close cousin to astrophysics. Succinctly put, astrophysics involves the study of the physics of astronomy and concentrates on the behavior, properties, and motion of objects out there. However, modern astronomy includes many elements of the motions and characteristics of these bodies, and the two terms are often used interchangeably today.
Modern astronomers tend to fall into two fields: the theoretical and the observational.
Observational astronomers in the observational field focus on direct study of stars, planets, galaxies, and so forth.
Theoretical astronomers model and analyze how systems may have evolved.
Unlike most other fields of science, astronomers are unable to observe a system entirely from birth to death; the life of worlds, stars, and galaxies span millions to billions of years. As such, astronomers must rely on snapshots of bodies in various stages of evolution to determine how they formed, evolved, and died. Thus, theoretical and observational astronomy tend to blend together, as theoretical scientists use the information actually collected to create simulations, while the observations serve to confirm the models — or to indicate the need for tweaking them.
Astronomy is broken down into a number of subfields, allowing scientists to specialize in particular objects and phenomena.
Red spots on Jupiter, photographed on Feb. 27, 2006.
Credit: Christopher Go via NASA
Planetary astronomers, for instance, focus on the growth, evolution, and death of planets, while solar astronomers spend their time analyzing a single star—our sun. Stellar astronomers turn their eyes to the stars, including the black holes, nebulae, white dwarfs, and supernova that survive stellar deaths.
Galactic astronomers study our galaxy, the Milky Way, while extragalactic astronomers peer outside of it to determine how these collections of stars form, change, and die.
Cosmologists focus on the universe in its entirety, from its violent birth in theBig Bang to its present evolution, all the way to its eventual death. Astronomy is often (not always) about very concrete, observable things, whereas cosmology typically involves large-scale properties of the universe and esoteric, invisible and sometimes purely theoretical things like string theory,dark matter and dark energy, and the notion of multiple universes.
Astronomical observers rely on different wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum (from radio waves to visible light and on up to X-rays and gamma rays) to study the wide span of objects in the universe. The first telescopes focused on simple optical studies of what could be seen with the naked eye, and many telescopes continue that today. [Celestial Photos: Hubble Space Telescope's Latest Cosmic Views]
But as light waves become more or less energetic, they move faster or slower. Different telescopes are necessary to study the various wavelengths. More energetic radiation, with shorter wavelenghts, appears in the form of ultraviolet, x-ray, and gamma-ray wavelengths, while less energetic objects emit longer-wavelength infrared and radio waves.
This large field-of-view image of sunspots in Active Region 10030 was observed on July 15, 2002. Researchers colored the image yellow for aesthetic reasons.
Credit: Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Astrometry, the most ancient branch of astronomy, is the measure of the sun, moon, and planets. The precise calculations of these motions allows astronomers in other fields to model the birth and evolution of planets and stars, and to predict events such as eclipses, meteor showers, and the appearance of comets.
Early astronomers noticed patterns in the sky and attempted to organize them in order to track and predict their motion. Known as constellations, these patterns helped people of the past to measure the seasons. The movement of the stars and other heavenly bodies was tracked around the world, but was prevalent in China, Egypt, Greece, Mesopotamia, Central America, and India.
The image of an astronomer is a lone soul at a telescope during all hours of the night. In reality, most hard-core astronomy today is done with observations made at remote telescopes — on the ground or in space — that are controlled by computers, with astronomers studying computer-generated data and images.
Since the advent of photography, and particularly digital photography, astronomers have provided amazing pictures of space that not only inform science but enthrall the public. [All-Time Great Galaxy Photos]
Astronomers and spaceflight programs also contribute to the study of our own planet, when missions primed at looking outward (or travelling to the moon and beyond) look back and snap great pictures of Earth from space.
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