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The two neighborhoods one is most likely to find a Melbourne luxury hotel, is St. Kilda and Toorak.  While there are luxury accommodations located throughout the Australian city, these two districts have histories that are steeped in old money, wealth, style and decadence.  One a beach-side resort town for the genteel and upper class residents of Melbourne, St. Kilda became a bit seedy, a bit edgy during the late 1960’s and early 1970’s.  But as all neighborhoods in cities transition, today there is an air of cool cosmopolitan style and a vibe of independence.  Many of those living in St. Kilda take to the streets.  This is a fantastic vacation destination for those wishing to bike, walk and skate through their days.  Off shore, there are many opportunities for sailing and wind surfing.

The restaurants in the neighborhood boast some of the freshest and finest of seafood cuisine.  And local nightlife is alive with a thriving local music scene.  There are locations for spa treatment, including indoor purified seawater saunas and pools.  And each Sunday there is an open air market with a special section for crafts that children can participate in.  Book stores and boutiques of fashionable clothing are popping up on Carlisle and Acland Streets.  And each January the Yalukit Wilam Ngargee festival takes place with celebrate the cultures indigenous to the country, with performers, and artists lining the streets.

For those wanting high fashion and higher priced items, the village of Toorak is the spot to shop.  Some of the celebrities of the country live here and the higher priced real estate has kept this village to those wealthy who can afford.  It is however, fun to walk through the shops and indulge in the beauty salons and barber shops offering high-class shaves to the gentlemen in the group. One of the most beautiful gardens in Australia is located close by, the Como House and Garden.  Inside the house there is a fine collection of antique furniture and art work.  This is an historical site at one time the residence of the most wealthy pioneering families of Australia, the Armytages. And just down Malvern Road sits the village of Hawksburn, wherein at one time was the location of some of the most serious chefs in the world.  And is, by the way, still one of the best locations to find fine restaurants and interesting cuisine.

Ibiza has long been the favorite hot spot for the young travelers, or for those interested in hip and happening night life and the parties that seem to never end.  There are quiet spots on the island as well, perfect for long walks or families traveling with children.  However for those wanting a truly all around serene and idyllic vacation, Menorca is the island one should visit.  There are many coves protected by the rocky shores as well as inlets which provide children with the safe swimming holes and various opportunities for exploration and shell hunting.  Mahon is the capital city of the island, and is the location of the harbor.  This island differs from the others in the Balearic chain, as the interior is still relatively undeveloped.  There are many places for nature hikes and mountain bike rides through virgin territory on Menorca.

Surrounding beaches include Cala Tirant, Santo Tomas and Playa de Fornells.  One of the legends of the islands is that there is a wind that blows across the island, and that this wind changes people, much as is the legend behind the Santa Ana winds in Southern California city of Los Angeles.  It is said that once a tourist experiences the winds of Menorca, they come back…to move there permanently.  There are many hotels Menorca beaches support, and each one of them has the distinct style of the history and the quaintness of this island.  Each of the islands has its own personality or style, and just because the island is calmer than the rest, the personality of Menorca is strong and distinct.

There are a variety of cultural event that happen throughout the year as well.  There is the very first Opera House in the entire country of Spain, the Teatro Principal was opened almost two hundred years ago.  And while it is most of time used for films these days, many acts due tour from time to time and play at the theater.  There is the eighteenth century gin distillery, the Xoriguer, which produces the famous gin of Menorca to this day.  Located throughout the city there are also numerous parks, churches and historical buildings and landmarks.  This is truly the gem of the Balearic Islands.

The long history of the city of Delhi and the length of time that this had been known as the capital of the country of India has had a great influence the city’s culture.  There are numerous monuments and public sculptures surrounding the city, and there are more than one thousand buildings that are recognized as heritage sites by the Archaeological Survey.  Many of the early rulers are responsible for the incredible architecture in the city, such as the largest mosque in the country, the Jama Masjid.  Three of the national heritage sites of India are located in Delhi, the Qutab Minar, the Red Fort and the Humayun Tomb.  When entering the city one will most likely enter through the Gate of India.  There are many temples throughout the city that incredible architectural structures as well as Memorial Tombs such as the one containing Gandhi, the Raj Ghat.  Many of these past listed buildings were the influence of the Turkish and Mogul rulers.  Several of the government buildings are of the Colonial British influences, such as the Sectretariat and the Parliament House of India.

Dehli is the location for the celebrations of the country as well as for holidays and national public events.  Many Delhi 5 star hotels fill during the Gandhi Jayanti Festival, a celebration of his birthday each year, and also for the Republic Day and India’s Day of Independence.  On that day, August 15th, the Prime Minister travels to Delhi and speaks to the country from the site of the Red Fort.  Many kites can be seen in the skies that day, as the kite symbolizes freedom.  The parade is huge with military marching and various colorful aspects of the culture as well.   And one of the most colorful and all encompassing examples of the diverse culture can be witnessed during each September, the Phool Walon Ki Sair.  A veritable festival of flowers, be they real, block printed or embroidered on materials and dancing.  Both these celebrations in August and September provide the traveler with a taste of the amazing culture, not just of Delhi, but of the entire country as well.

After the gold rush in Melbourne had come to an end, fewer immigrants from China were enter the city.  The business shifted as did the residents.  There were still Chinese owned shops, bakeries, and restaurants and cafes however.  But the draw to the neighborhood was coming from the general population on the whole.  Many Europeans had discovered the flavors of Chinatown and were frequenting the businesses.  It was the students of the 1930’s however, that made this area of the city, the ‘hip’ and cultural scene.  Many Chinese who had recently immigrated still found their social and cultural ties on these streets, however newer immigrants at this time tending to move to the out lying areas, and not into Chinatown.

And by the late 40’s and early 50’s, many became concerned, thinking that the neighborhood just may completely disappear.  Big department commercial stores began moving in taking away a bit from the charm of the area, forcing many smaller businesses and boutique hotel Melbourne supported out of commission.  Many historical and artistic architectural structures were demolished by the end of the 50’s.  But, as the 1960’s began, the times began to change and the cultural began to shift.  During the same era, the Chinatown neighborhood of San Francisco was booming, and this inspired the city in Australia.  Tourism was becoming a huge industry, and the City Council of Melbourne decided to invest in the redevelopment and revitalization of Little Burke Street, and in Chinatown on the whole.

Government funding became available and an innovative plan was begun in 1984.  Lighting and decorations were installed, as well as the rehabilitation of older buildings and street and sidewalk pavement replaced.  Many more have immigrated since that time, from Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan.  This has led to an even more diverse, but still Asian culture, with the arts and the cuisine of various nations supporting each other.  Many more Asian students have filled the universities of Melbourne as a result, and the business of the community is doing better than ever, making this one of the most fascinating locations to visit on a holiday tour in Melbourne.

For all of the countries with five star hotels, Spain has a variety that is as wide as its regions, and its people.  There are at least a dozen languages spoken, and the climate can vary tremendously from place to place.  Local variants in food can lead toward a tendency to want to take a culinary tour of the country, but this, like anything else here, would take longer than one lifetime.  There are some standards that are the same from place to place, and these are evident in the hotels.  There is a love of both tradition and innovation, and guests here can expect to find old-world hospitality coupled with new technology.  There are also all the other qualities that are standard in five-star hotels, where excellence in service, design, and amenities are just the beginning.

Spain has something for everyone, and is one of the most fascinating countries in Europe.  With an extremely rich and complicated history, cultures that have reputations for being warm and friendly, and a sensibility that embraces style and elegance, Spain is, and has always been, a superb destination.  There are also some very famous and colorful characters who come from Spain, and one of its most favorite daughters these days is Penelope Cruz.  With dozens and dozens of film roles, television appearances, and high media attention, there are very few places in the world she can go without attracting a lot of attention.

It’s a beautiful arc for this character, as her origins are a little more humble.  Born in Madrid to a middle class family, her father was a mechanic and her mother was a hairdresser.  She studied classical ballet before she got the notion, when she saw Almodóvar’s ¡Átame! (Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down!), to be an actress.  This was prescient, because not only has she become one of the most visible actresses working today, she has become one of Almodóvar’s favorites.  She had a leading role in Todo sobre mi madre (All About My Mother), and she won a very well-deserved nomination for Volver (To Return).  She has had many other roles, in films in Spanish and English, and is developing a reputation for her complex portrayals of complex characters, which might be shorthand for saying that she’s arrived.  Penelope Cruz just might be the Queen of Spain.