The rise of celebrity chef culture has produced some remarkable results in the food and restaurant world over the past decade. Some good, many bad. With the limelight squarely on star chefs to produce stellar results with each new venture, standards have gone up. And so has the bar to impress.

That pressure and the inherent scrutiny from the food press and public is felt more intensely at luxury hotels than the usual chef estalishments. More and more, hotel executives are coughing up major dough to lure the biggest names in the restaurant world to their lavish confines. In many instances, the restaurants, as well as the chef names associated with them, have become as big a draw as the hotels themselves.

The benefits of chef star power are many and for some hotels, the rewards far outweigh the risk and high investment costs. Whether they want to revamp a drab reputation, augment food and beverage sales in the long-term or draw in a sophisticated foodie crowd and use the restaurant as a loss leader, luxury hotels have jumped on the star chef bandwagon with gusto. With that in mind, here are the best hotel restaurants in the world.

Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s, London, England

The brash blond bulldog known as Gordon Ramsay has become a mega-industry in the past ten years, with restaurants, television shows in the UK and the United States, cookbooks and an assortment of products that bear his stamp of approval. His ascent to the top of the celebrity chef summit is a testament to his work ethic and charm but in all the hype of his persona, people tend to forget that the man can really cook. His tutelage under Marco Pierre White and in France laid the foundation for one of the most successful careers in the history of chefdom. Ramsay simply knows the game better than anyone and has the formula for successful restaurant concepts, from the kitchen to service, down pat. His restaurant at the posh Claridge’s Hotel London is no exception. To quote Ramsay himself, “it’s the best address in London.”

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When you feel you need to get away from the stress of city life and a common vacation on the beach won’t do the trick, it’s time to get back to the basics. For many of us, this means a trip to a remote village, with delicious foods, spectacular scenery and some fun rides you can’t find anywhere else. For your next holidays, we have rounded up a list with the 10 most intriguing and fascination rural destinations this year.

7. Austria has been a year-round destination for winter sports, but there are some objectives that remain undiscovered for many. Described as a place where baroque is expressed through architecture, music and art, Austria is the place that always has something new. There are plenty of wineries with tasting room for their visitors, even wine museums for your viewing pleasure. In Krems you can find centuries-old monasteries, ancient roof tops and medieval architecture. The castle ruins in Dürnstein are worth seeing if you want to see where Richard the Lionhearted was locked up. These are just few of the attractions that wait for you.

6. Florina, West Macedonia, the place “where Greece begins”, is not usually mentioned in the booklets you receive from your travel agency. Florina remained a small town for centuries until it bloomed in the 20th century, becoming an active merchant community and gate for Central Europe. Florina is explored nowadays by tourists for the beautiful Prespes lakes or the unspoiled mountainous landscape. There is also a museum where you can see some interesting pieces from the Neolithic, Iron and Bronze ages, Roman statues and Byzantine art.

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Spending a vacation in the resort town of Myrtle Beach in the Horry County in South Carolina is a sure way to have fun while getting over with a much needed break or getaway. There are numerous beaches that dot the area. Because it is flocked by tourists, there is no wonder that there are of course many Myrtle Beach house rentals and other accommodations that are in active operations

According to the town’s tourist data analysts, most of the regular visitors who take vacations in the beaches come from North Carolina, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Ohio, Virginia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Georgia. Take note that these origins are almost close and are adjacent to the borders of South Carolina. Offshore vacationers come as far as Canada and England.

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When the choice of travel destination for vacation is brought up, most families have a vocal majority supporting a beach vacation. The benefits of beach vacations are clear, as most beach resorts offer something for everyone: relaxation for adults, water sports for youngsters and a large sandbox for the smaller children.

Destination and Beach Resort

There are many kinds of beach resorts around the world that you can choose for, when planning your beach vacation. The most popular destinations include southern coasts of the US, Caribbean islands, the Mediterranean sea, and Pacific or Oceanian islands.

Whichever destination you choose for your family beach vacation, you have many different resorts to choose from. Every destination has both resorts of luxury quality and those for the budget conscious. If you, like many families, are in a tight financial situation, you should look for budget resort options.

When planning your beach vacation, the best way to find information on resort options is the world wide web. There are web sites dedicated to reviewing and comparing different travel resorts. One of these sites should point you to the right direction - a budget resorts that is of good quality.

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Hawaii dinner cruises are offered on a wide variety of sailing vessels, from state-of-the-art, multi-deck cruisers and large, engine-powered catamarans, to more intimate sailboats and sail-powered catamarans. Some offer a view of the ocean floor, coral reefs, colorful tropical fish and other underwater creatures through glass bottom viewing areas-equally spectacular during the day and when lighted during nighttime hours. Each vessel offers its own unique perspective to cater to every type of sea-going sightseer.

A Hawaii dinner cruise normally ranges from 2 to 4 hours, with check-in at the harbor scheduled slightly before sail time; however, all-day cruises including opportunities to snorkel, swim and explore island beaches, culminating in an evening meal and glorious sunset finale are also a possibility. Flexible timetables and convenient length of tour times allow many dinner cruises to be offered as part of a package, with other activities scheduled before or after departure. Be sure to check out this option with your travel reservationists. Some dinner cruises may have minimum age restrictions, while others are designed with keiki (children) in mind, including special rates per child.

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