Columbia Hillen

Sitting on my upper-floor verandah at the Hotel Norman Paris gazing down on cobbled streets, it’s hard to believe I’m just a minute’s walk from the ever-busy Champs-Élysées.

It’s soooo quiet.

Columbia Hillen

Formerly the Vigne Hotel, the building in the 8th arrondissement ten minutes from the Arc de Triomphe was purchased by hospitality entrepreneur Olivier Bertrand, renovated for a year and opened last September. It’s named after Norman Ives, a mid-20th-century painter and graphic designer who became a major player in American modernism. 

Located on the corner of Rue Balzac and Rue de Châteaubriand, the 37-room, 5-star boutique hotel stands out architecturally, crowned as it is by a large dome with a creamy stone facade and flower boxes on each floor. 

Columbia Hillen

Curved-glass windows and metal railings at its corner indicate where junior suites with balconies are located. 

Beyond the revolving entrance door and the velvet curtain embracing it, I step straight into a cozy lounge featuring wood and leather furnishings and eclectic artworks unearthed, I’m informed later, in antique shops nationwide, all emblematic of the era in which Ives flourished. 

Columbia Hillen

Here, courtesy of French architect Thomas Vidalenc, are vintage sofas in green, blue and tan, parquet floors, thick rugs with geometric patterns, ’50s furniture, low wooden tables and American paintings of the ‘70s.  A shelf is lined with vintage brass tea caddies, marble candle-holders, mini-busts and ornamental vases. There’s even a fireplace. A bar with a speckled grey and black counter bordered by potted wild banana plants, stone pillars and intricately carved wooden stools line one side of the room.

Columbia Hillen

It’s certainly a cozy place to relax. 

In contrast, the reception desk almost seems like an afterthought, tucked away as it is discreetly in a little side room.

Columbia Hillen

My room, 305, a corner suite, featured a terrace with olive plants in pots, two chairs and a coffee table. Inside, a gleaming lacquered rosewood headboard is balanced by soft natural wool curtains. 

Columbia Hillen

Furnishings include a leather lounge chair in the middle of the room, a checkered sofa, a glass-topped coffee table, a stand-alone TV and an oak bureau with a built-in mini-bar. Abstract paintings adorn the walls and floor-to-ceiling windows permit an abundance of natural light. Interestingly, a kettle offers multi-temperature settings for tea-making. My bathroom features a bathtub with shower and a mosaic-tile floor and a marble sink on a vanity of rosewood, glass and steel. 

Columbia Hillen

Dining is in the hotel’s ground-floor restaurant with a mirrored ceiling from which hang lines of balloon-like lamps. Classic in style with square wooden tables ribbed with metal, its mood is enhanced by a sofa with vibrant, multicolored cushions and abstract paintings on the walls. Seating is either on wood and leather chairs or banquette-style. A shelf displays a range of wooden sculptures and glass artifacts. 

Columbia Hillen

Guests can also enjoy alfresco meals, in an inner courtyard with a paved stone floor, wall heaters and decorative wood panels on the walls.

Breakfast is continental buffet with some cooked dishes such as eggs Benedict, mixed-grills and avocado on toast and due to the influence of Chef Thiou (nee Apiradee Thirakomen) you can also start your day with Thai tea and crêpes in condensed milk. While I didn’t eat dinner there, the restaurant offers a selection of Thai dishes. As added relaxation, the hotel also has a sauna and dipping pool, gym and two treatment rooms in an underground spa.

Columbia Hillen

Interestingly, Bertrand, the owner, seems to have been in a restless purchasing mood over the last few years, having recently taken over two other hotels in the same neighborhood, namely the Château des Fleurs, and Hotel Balzac just down the street from Hotel Norman.

Columbia Hillen

Together with his sisters, he also owns the renowned Parisian hotels, Saint James Paris and Relais Christine, as well as the high-end tea rooms, Maison Angelina. 

If you require an upscale hotel in a central Parisian location with easy access to shopping outlets, museums and art galleries, Hotel Norman may well be the place for you. 

A NEW outdoor swimming pool could open in the UK – taking over an abandoned 115-year-old reservoir.

Kettlewell Reservoir was built in 1909 in the St Ives Regional Park in Bingley.

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However, it was left to ruin and has since been abandoned, with nature taking over it following a number of leaks.

Yorkshire Swim Works have launched a campaign to turn it into an outdoor lido complex.

It would be the first “public, naturally filtered” outdoor pool in the UK.

Along with the main outdoor 50m swimming pool there would also be a shallow play area and a smaller heated pool.

The main pool wouldn’t be heated, but plans also include sauna pods to warm up in.

Classes and lessons would be part of the swimming pool timetable, with space for casual swimmers and six lanes for the more competitive ones.

Changing rooms, a deck area and even an event area are part of the plans.

A cafe would serve snacks and drinks onsite too.

Yorkshire Swim Works Russell Bowman said the project was “ambitious” but fitting of the area.

They said: “With a young family myself, seeing investment in the area, new opportunities for them and the potential economic boost of tourists coming to the area fills me with excitement.

“I believe that YSW can be a catalyst for the next stage in Bingley’s evolution and an incredible boost to the St Ives Estate that has struggled in recent times.”

It is yet to receive any form of planning permission, so any confirmation of predicted opening dates is yet to be revealed.

However, if given the go-ahead, works would start late 2025.

If it did get the go-ahead, it would be just 20 minutes from Leeds by train.

Until then, the nearest lido to visit is Ilkley Pool and Lido, around 30 minutes away.

It’s not the only new lido hoping to open in the UK.

A multi-purpose leisure attraction with an outdoor swimming pool and sunbathing zone hopes to open in Valentine’s Park in London.

Hoping to open by autumn 2025, it would replace the current one that closed in the park 30 years ago.

Five new water attractions opening in the UK

1. Therme Manchester will have 25 swimming pools, 25 water slides and an indoor beach.
2. Modern Surf Manchester will be a surfing lagoon offering lessons to both beginners and experts.
3. Chessington World of Adventures Waterpark is set to have wave, infinity and spa pools as well as waterslides and cabanas.
4. The Cove Resort, Southport is likely to have a water lagoon and a thermal spa with steam rooms and saunas.
5. The Seahive, Deal plans to be the “surfing wellness resort” in the UK.

And a floating lido could even open in London, with plans revealed for Regent’s Canal.

We’ve even spoken to a ‘lido expert’ on where her favourite ones in the UK are.

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A CHRISTMAS market in the UK has been named one of the best in Europe.

Taking 8th place is none other than the UK’s Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market.

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Set against Victoria Square and the new Street shopping district, the market is the largest authentic German Christmas market outside of Austria and Germany.

It’s organised by Birmingham’s sister city of Frankfurt with over 100 stalls selling traditional toys, ornaments, arts and crafts.

There’s also a wide selection of traditional German food and drink on offer, including bratwurst, pretzels, schnitzels, roasted almonds, glühwein, weissbeer, and hot chocolate. 

And a free live music programme with performances from German and Birmingham musicians takes place.

Rides and attractions include a Big Wheel, a Carousel, Danters AIR (a swing, spin and loop ride), and an ice rink.

But perhaps the most famous attraction of them all is a singing moose called Chris Moose.

The Christmas moose, a faux deer head, become quite the sensation over the years by belting out Christmas classics during the festivities.

He even has his own X profile, where he keeps followers entertained with hilarious pun-based jokes.

Some of his best posts include: “I had a great joke about German Christmas cake but someone’s stollen it.”

And: “What are the best Christmas jumpers made from? Fleece Navidad!”

People who have visited the market over the years have taken to Tripadvisor to share their thoughts.

One person wrote: “Had a wonderful time on our overnight visit to Birmingham Market.

“Lots of traditional German food and drink to try, with plenty of festive entertainment around. Queue’s were not too long either.”

Another said: “Look forward to this every year, gluwein music and fun.

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“Also plenty of others bars around once you’ve had your German wurst and a pint or two.”

The city’s Christmas market was given a place in the top 10 by European Best Destinations.

The list comprises of 20 markets, which were ranked based on more than 590,000 votes of worldwide travellers.

Advent Feast at the Basilica in Budapest, Hungary was awarded the top spot, for its beautiful location, unique festive atmosphere, gastronomic adventures, and heart-warming musical and charity programmes.

Two more Christmas markets in Europe also made the list – London’s Hyde Park Winter Wonderland and Manchester’s Christmas market.

Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market will return to the city centre from Friday, November 1 and run until December 24.

In the mean time, here is Butlin’s ‘ultimate Christmas holiday weekend’ launching this year.

And here are some affordable December city breaks you can still book.

A GRANDMA has been left fuming after she was charged £75 for her oversized suitcase but ‘younger and good looking’ passengers were let off.

Maxine Haughian, 63, was stopped in the queue for her flight to Alicante by Ryanair staff at Leeds Bradford Airport.

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The mum-of-two claims her luggage fit inside the guidance rack but “stuck out very slightly” by 2cm on one side.

She was told that her suitcase was too big and she’d need to pay to place the luggage into the hold.

However, Maxine, a retired prison governor, noticed other passengers in the queue being let off for oversized bags.

She described one woman as “young and gorgeous” and even took a sneaky snap of her being let off.

Taking to Facebook, Maxine said she was “disgusted” with Ryanair.

“I’ve just been held up for 20 minutes because they said my cabin bag was too big and I must pay an EXTRA £75 for it to go in hold,” she wrote.

“It’s funny (not funny) how other bags that are exactly the same were allowed through without comment.

“It’s a good job I took the photo of this (gorgeous) girl pushing her case into the box and being allowed through.

“I’m obviously not young or good looking enough!” she fumed.

Maxine, who was travelling with her husband Jim, continued: “Eventually (using photographic evidence) I was allowed through. I’m stressed to high-hell and hope I can calm down and get into holiday mode before we land.”

Despite being pleased that she was let off, Maxine told Oxford Mail: “It was almost like letting me go justified what I was saying. I think it’s definitely a money-making exercise.

“I’m a bit older, perhaps he thought I would be compliant. A lot of people just paid the money.”

She added: “Several people had suitcases that looked exactly the same as mine and they were putting them in the rack and it was sticking out a bit, but they were allowed to go through. It was the inconsistency of it all.

The Sun has contacted Ryanair for comment.

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YOU can stay inside a unique holiday home that actively calls itself a party house with its own disco room, bar, indoor sports pitch and outdoor hot tub with mountain views.

Located just 16 miles from Manchester, the Pennines Country House sleeps up to 30 guests.

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The Manchester-based holiday home is described as a “brand-new venue” with “everything you could want or need from Party House”, according to website partyhouses.co.uk.

Its entrance hall features a conservatory with a foosball table, while the main reception room has a sofa, LED light, exposed wooden beams and a pool table.

The lounge area leads onto a disco room that’s been decorated with a glittering disco ball and photos of Queen Frontman Freddie Mercury line the walls – and it even comes complete with its own tiny bar.

There’s also another bar in the property where guests can even pull their own pints.

Other entertainment facilities inside the party house include a hot tub, which has mountain views, and an indoor sports pitch with basketball, football and tennis facilities.

The indoor sports pitch can also serve as a dance hall too, with the venue’s owners able to organise tables and chairs for large celebrations.

Guests can also get a number of activities arranged through the venue’s owners, including a wine tasting, gin and whisky tasting, cocktail making and beer making.

Outside there’s a large seating area that overlooks a climbing frame and a swing set.

The property’s open plan kitchen and dining room has a huge kitchen island with a stove, two microwaves and two ovens, with kitchen utensils and cutlery also provided.

There are nine en-suite bedrooms in the venue, with enough space to sleep 30 guests.

Each of the bedrooms have been decorated in neutral colours, with all of them able to accommodate a minimum of three guests.

Extra guests can also camp on the grounds of the property, with enough space for tents, caravans and yurts.

Holidaymakers will need to bring their own tents along with any other camping equipment, with additional guests who sleep in their own outdoor accommodation being asked to pay an extra £15 per person per night.

Overnight stays for 22 people start from £1,525 per night, working out at just under £70 per person per night.

Additional guests who are sleeping inside the party house will need to pay an extra £160 per person per night.

The Pennines Country House accepts both Hen and Stag do parties, with previous guests raving about the party house.

In an online review, one person wrote: “The house is an amazing space for parties, reunions and good times, it has everything you need and more.”

Another person added: “What an incredible place to visit, with bags of space for small children and large groups.

“We especially loved the sports hall, hot tub and the beautiful views, it really made our stay.”

A hotel shaped like a bum-hole is one of the weirdest places in the world where guests can spend a night.

A number of hotels in the UK are also out of the ordinary, having been converted from old prison buildings.

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BRITS are facing paying “hundreds of pounds more” for their family holidays abroad, a travel company boss has warned.

EasyJet Holidays chief executive Garry Wilson cited confusing new environmental fees being introduced by airlines and tour operators.

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He said that failing to demonstrate a “direct link” between the money raised and sustainability schemes would reduce bookings.

Spain, Greece and Tunisia are among locations popular with UK tourists which charge green taxes or have plans to introduce them.

In an interview at the annual convention of travel trade organisation
Abta in Costa Navarino, Greece, Mr Wilson said many destinations which suffered huge losses due to coronavirus travel restrictions decided that tourists should pay “this fee and that fee and the next fee”.

He said: “They’re named the ‘green tax‘ or ‘climate resilience’ or
whatever it might be.

“Whilst I understand the ethos, (we need to) understand what you’re doing with that money.”

Mr Wilson said it was “understandable” if taxes were introduced with a “direct link” to initiatives such as installing systems that automatically switch off air-conditioning and electric sockets when hotel rooms are empty.

He warned that if the money just goes into a “big pot” then holidaymakers will think it is just another way of operators making extra money from them.

Mr Wilson said taxes were “going up and up and up when it comes to travel”.

He added: “There has to be real thought put into what impact this is
going to have on demand.

“The way it’s being treated at the moment by a lot of destinations
isn’t necessarily helping build confidence and demand.”

A survey commissioned by Abta, which spoke to 2,000 UK adults, indicated that 38 per cent of people believed it was the responsibility of travel companies to manage the impact holidays had on the environment and local residents, rather than their own.

Some 22 per cent disagreed with the statement, while 40 per cent were neutral.

What does this mean for British holidaymakers?

Here’s why I think it’s bad news for holidaymakers as well as the travel industry.

YOU’VE saved up all year for that precious family holiday. You’re travelling at the most expensive time of year. 

So it’s just a further kick in the teeth to find the price you paid ISN’T the final amount when you check into your hotel and discover tourist taxes imposed by our favourite Med destinations are an unexpected and unwelcome extra bill.

 Spain, Greece and Tunisia are just three who have increased the daily tourist tax – often justified by saying the money raised will help fight climate change and to enable destinations to become greener.

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 But holidaymakers need to see the proof – just where is the money raised going?

Often dressed up with very oblique language – the hotel I am currently staying in charges a €10-a-day ‘Climate Resilience Fee’ – these charges do nothing to encourage us to make more sustainable choices.

But what it could well do is make us consider taking our money where we’re not being hoodwinked.

With every penny precious these days, ever-increasing tourist taxes that are not clearly being used to improve those destinations are ill-judged and could well start to see families looking elsewhere.

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The poll also indicated that the most common areas of concerns about the impact of people’s holidays was preservation of culture and heritage, waste and plastic pollution, and the welfare of animals.

Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer said: “The ultimate goal for travel
is to have great places to visit that are also great places to live.

“If a destination intends to introduce a visitor charge as part of its tourism management, then it needs to make clear how that money is going back to support the local community and local people.

“Otherwise, these charges will only serve to add costs to consumers, without addressing the tourism issues important to local residents.”

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