DALLAS – May, 2012 – Want to come back from summer vacation with a big story to tell? Everyone knows thatHotels.com® is the authority when it comes to helping vacation-goers find the best deal, but this summer the go-to hotel booking site is also helping consumers go big or go home. Whether it’s the largest, tallest or grandest, Hotels.com has a recommendation for the perfect hotel for any wanderluster looking to experience a one-of-a-kind stay this summer.
Size Does Matter
- Biggest Hotel: First World Hotel, Genting Highlands, Malaysia (6,118 rooms). High among the peaks of the Titiwangsa Mountains stands the very colorful First World Hotel. It was officially crowned the biggest hotel in the world by Guinness Book of World Records for its over 6,000 modern guest rooms. It also boasts two towers that overlook a 500,000 square foot entertainment plaza with 11 restaurants, indoor and outdoor amusement parks, a rainforest and loads of shopping – just to name a few things.
- Biggest Suite: Grand Hills Hotel and Spa, Broumana, Lebanon (44,500 square feet). The Royal Residence has three floors of sprawling salons, living, and dining rooms and another three floors of luxurious bedrooms. Other perks include an in-suite wine cellar, garden and several private swimming pools.
- Biggest Lobby: Hyatt Regency, San Francisco, California (9,547,200 cubic feet). For many, this 15-story-high atrium is not just a place to check-in and out, or even an abnormally large lobby – it’s a piece of contemporary art. At the center of the 351-foot-long space is Charles O. Perry’s Eclipse, a 40-foot-high geodesic sphere rising from a reflecting pool into the soaring 170-foot-high space above.
Feel On Top Of the World
- Highest Elevation: Hotel Everest View (HEV), Namche, Nepal (13,000 feet above sea level). For a truly awe-inspiring experience, guests can stay at the HEV among Sherpas of the local villages near the base camp of Mount Everest. Every guest room has a panoramic view of the Majestic Mountain and 24-hour flow of fresh oxygen to help their bodies acclimate to the altitude shock.
- Highest Floors: Ritz Carlton, Hong Kong, China: (102-118 stories). At 1,600 feet above sea level, the Ritz Carlton Hong Kong is considerably closer to land than the HEV, but it’s nothing to shrug at, as it offers breath-taking views of another kind.
- Tallest: Park Hyatt, Shanghai, China (1,614 feet). Situated on the 79th to 93rd floors of the Shanghai World Financial Center, the Park Hyatt isn’t located quite as high as the Ritz Carlton, but it is perfect for those that want the thrill of staying in a building that towers over all but two other buildings in the entire world.
Living Large
- Largest Spa Resort: Shun Jing Hot Spring Hotel, Beijing, China (1,052,676 square feet). This Guinness World Record holder is so big it took nearly 10 years to build and for some it may take nearly as long to explore its wonders. From over 90 different Japanese-style baths to napping rooms to a movie theater, guests will be volunteering to stay for 10 years of bliss.
- Largest Pool: San Alfonso del Mar, Algarrobo, Chile (20 acres). Guests in this 66 million gallon man-made paradise never have to feel crowded as they have their choice of 3,323 feet of constantly circulated seawater. This $1.6 billion masterpiece offers a wide array of water activities, including some that you won’t find in any other hotel pool – sail boating anyone?
- Largest Bill: President Wilson Hotel, Geneva, Switzerland ($65,000 per night). The Royal Penthouse Suite offers spectacular views of Lake Geneva and Mont Blanc, but those views have a hefty price tag, the largest in the world by far. This doesn’t come as much of a surprise as Switzerland has consistently placed on the top 20 most expensive countries list, according to the Hotel Price Index™ from Hotels.com. In fact, this year, it placed 17th, with average prices rising by a notable 16 percent.
