Travel Desk: opera in Prague, Dubai in Berlin and a micro-guide to Madrid

VIENNA'S RINGSTRASSE CELEBRATES 150 YEARS

Next year Vienna will mark the 150th anniversary of its celebrated Ringstrasse with a series of special events and exhibits along the city’s most famous boulevard. The Ringstrasse is home to some of the capital’s most important buildings, including the Opera House, Burgtheater (pictured) the Imperial Palace and the Parliament. The programme of events includes Too Modern for the First Row, an exhibition on Vienna’s art nouveau style in the Secession (March 19th-October 11th, secession.at); Ring – The Jewish History of a Boulevard in the Vienna Jewish Museum (March 25th-October 4th, jmw.at); and Vienna, the Pearl of the Empire: Plans for Hitler in the Vienna Architecture Museum (March 19th-July 6th, azw.at), which doesn’t shy away from the city’s dark association with National Socialism. There’ll also be one-hour tours at the Museums Quartier ( May 2nd-August 29th, 5pm; mqw.at) and a special exhibition on Gustav Klimt’s association with the construction of the Ring.

A NIGHT AT THE OPERA

Fancy an operatic performance . . . just for you? The Four Seasons Prague is offering up to eight guests a once-in-a-lifetime experience that includes a private performance of Mozart’s Don Giovanni at the neoclassical Estates Theatre (where the opera had its debut in 1787), followed by dinner on the hotel’s rooftop terrace, where they’ll be serenaded by members of the Estates Theatre Orchestra. The offer includes two nights in the Presidential Suite and a chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce for the duration.

The package, part of the Four Seasons Extraordinary Experiences collection, is available from May and September 2015 and costs ¤60,000; six months’ advance notice is required. See

[ fourseasons.com/ extraordinaryexperiences ]

NEW APP FOR HOSTELWORLD

The world’s most popular online hostel booking agency has launched a new app for Android users. The app, available for free from Google Play, showcases more than 30,000 properties (with pictures) from all over the world and allows users to filter them by price, rating or location. Customers can also leave reviews and access their account, where they can also scan their credit cards so as to not have to repeatedly type in details.

The new app follows from the iPad app, which was launched some months ago and made Apple’s Best New Apps category in over 49 countries. See

[ hostelworld.com  ]

BERLIN LOOKS TO BE THE EUROPEAN DUBAI

Berlin is looking to take a leaf out of Dubai’s book and become one of the world’s premier shopping destinations by opening the Mall of Berlin, a new 270-shop complex only five minutes from Potsdamer Platz. The mall occupies 100,000 square metres of floor space on the site of the former Wertheim department store, which was destroyed during the second World War. Tenants include Lagerfeld, Lacoste, Nike, Guess in a broad mix of high street and luxury brands; more will be added when the mall adds an extra 30,000 square metres of floor space next year.

The opening comes at an opportune time for Berlin, which has seen retail sales climb 4.7 per cent over last year and tourism grow by 8.2 per cent to 27 million annual visitors – who account for about a quarter of all retail spending.

FIVE HOTELS IN VEGAS

The Life Is Beautiful festival kicks off for three days of art, music and food in Las Vegas on October 24th. Sin City, as it happens, is a year-round destination built for entertainment. Here are five hotels worth checking out:

Aria

(

[ arialasvegas.com ]

; weekday/weekend rooms from $130/ $190) A stunning hotel in the heart of the city centre that marks a new departure for Vegas: away from the pastiche replica themes the city is famous for in favour of a sleek contemporary style.

Bellagio

(

[ bellagio.com ]

; weekday/weekend rooms from $170/ $240) You’ve seen the famous fountain show in virtually every film ever set in Vegas, but the hotel itself is far more impressive. The huge, resort-style rooms are the height of contemporary luxury, and the service is smooth and efficient.

Encore/Wynn

(

[ wynnlasvegas.com ]

; weekday/weekend rooms from $190/$250) Steve Wynn, Vegas’ most famous hotelier, opened these adjoining twin hotels three years apart. Both are lavish and pride themselves on outstanding service. Encore (the newer of the two) has bigger rooms; the casino at Wynn gets the nod from the experts.

MGM Grand 

(

[ mgmgrand.com ]

; weekday/ weekend rooms from $70/$140) Everything here is big – Vegas’ biggest hotel has a lobby the size of a shopping mall, the largest pool complex in the city and the most spacious suites in town. The regular rooms are terrific, but there’s plenty of walking to get to them.

SLS Las Vegas

(

[ slslasvegas.com ]

; weekday/ weekend rooms from $90/$130) This elegant, 1600-room hotel (small for Vegas) only opened a couple of months ago. The rooms are split between three different towers, with a choice of modern contemporary (World and Story) or French classical (LUX)

SOUTH AFRICA POSTPONES CHILD TRAVEL RULES

The South African government has postponed until June 2015 new rules governing visitors travelling with under-18s. The new regulations, to prevent child abduction and trafficking, will require visitors to provide children’s birth certs and proof of parentage.

GET AWAY AT HOME

The Fitzwilliam Hotel (

[ fitzwilliamhoteldublin.com ]

) has an October Bank Holiday package for ¤229 that includes an overnight stay in a deluxe room for two, breakfast and an afternoon tea of savoury and sweet treats. Meanwhile, guests at the Dylan (dylan.ie) can avail of its Harvest Package (from ¤219) that includes overnight for two, a “Bradyvine” cocktail (Hennessey, chardonnay, lavender syrup and fresh lemon juice topped with basil leaves) upon arrival, and a full Irish. Valet parking is also included. Belfast’s four-star Stormont Hotel (hastingshotels.com) has an Autumn Break from £85 for a double room that includes breakfast and afternoon tea.

MICRO-GUIDE TO MADRID

STAY

Hotel Meninas (Calle de Campomanes 7;

[ hotelmeninas.com ]

; room from €110) Cool, stylish boutique hotel in the middle of town.

EAT

Restaurante Sobrino de Botín (Calle de los Cuchilleros 17;

[ botin.es ]

; mains £19-28) This is officially the world’s oldest restaurant – 1725).

DO

Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (Calle de Santa Isabel 52;

[ museoreinasofia.e ]

s; €8) Feast your eyes on Picasso’s Guernica as well as the preparatory sketches in the surrounding rooms.

SOUTH AMERICA FOR €2,320

8-day all-inclusive, all-suite cruise on Silversea’s Silver Shadow from Ushuaia to Valparaiso. Flights extra. Price based on two people sharing. Book by October 31st for travel December 12th. See dawson-travel.com

NEW YORK FOR €889

4 nights B&B in the 3-star Ramada Eastside Hotel. Includes flights from Dublin, taxes and charges. Departs December 11; gohop.ie

LAKE GARDA FOR €439

7 nights in 2-bedroom Puccini mobile home at Del Garda Family Park. Includes flights and transfers; price based on four people sharing. Departs May 30, 2015; see crystalalfresco.ie