……A little advertising……for once

Well dear readers, the good woman has become bored with having nothing to do except spend money all day………thankfully……..and has decided to be more formal in her assistance to foreign companies and individuals coming to Odessa.

(Lord knows how many companies and individuals she has helped out over the past decade).

So, in an unashamed plug for her newly formed company…….here is the link:

www.odessa-pa.com

Please remember, she is not your mother, wife, girlfriend or sister and she does not suffer fools gladly, so if you are a twat, call someone else as you will get short changed by her…….you have been warned…….and I know because I live with her!

Euro 2012 – Kyiv, Donestk, Lviv and Kharkiv will host……..

Despite not having enough money to finance the purchase of a Chubachub Lollypop……..and the non-issuance of the last IMF loan tranche……..it seems Ukraine has convinced (or maybe bribed) UEFA into thinking it can pull off all the necessary improvements and investment prior to Euro 2012.

……..To be bloody hoped so now then eh?

(Mind you, it will be nice to see them have to spend money outside of Kyiv for a change!)

Most Unlike My Friend!!!

Well, I am amazed to be flicking through the English newspapers, catching up with the happenings at home to find an article on a good friend of mine here.

Why am I amazed?

Because he is a very private man who keeps a very low profile……..and it is most unlike him to have articles and photographs of himself and his family splashed all over the mainstream press!

As it happens, I’m meeting him for coffee today…….as I want to borrow his yacht for some corporate entertaining at some point this summer…….and well, corporate entertaining on his yacht, or in a leaky dingy which my meager funds can run too…….which would you chose?

Anyway, I have printed the article for him……as despite it says he speaks “good English”…..that is a bit of poetic licence on behalf of the “press”…….so several coffee’s will be had whilst translation takes place.

I have already blogged about his Hotel…..the Mozart……..so find it and have a read.  If you have a spare Euro 24 Million, then I can negotiate it’s sale with him for you too……….nah, didn’t think you’d have that kind of money……me neither!!!

Anyway, here’s the link:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1169252/Rambo-ski–Hollywood-star-Sylvester-Stallones-Russian-secret.html

The Continental Hotel – Odessa

Well, I still have a large number of hotels, nightclubs and restaurants to comment upon for you dear readers…..I think I can say readers now……as I had 75 yesterday alone…….so thank you one and all!!

What?……Yes I know most of them come to look at the pictures of the ladies……I can see that because my “Admin” facility tells me what has been put into the search engine to find me.

Eh?………Yes I know some of the readers will have trouble with long words……that’s why in England we have newspapers like “The Times”…..for grown-ups and the Daily Sport for those who can only be stimulated by visual representation.

……..Yes, I’m afraid to say it is a daily “newspaper” in the UK.

Anyway, there are no “girly pics” in this post………as the Continental is a 4 Star hotel……..so therefore anything involving “girly’s” there, has at the very least, a thin veneer of respectability.

The Continental is to be found on Deribasovskaya in the City Centre.  In 2005 it under went a massive “face lift” and is now a very impressive building both inside and out.

Yes….I know, looks Ok doesn’t it.  Well it should, it was built in the middle of the 19th Century and was designed by the famous….at least in these parts……architect, Mr F.V. Gonsiorovsky.

The hotel, like all Odessa hotels, does not accommodate that many guests……..a total of 32 rooms are available at the Continental…….although the rooms are large……some as big as the average Ukrainian apartment.

The hotel also has it’s own restaurant called “Voyage”………which is pretty damned good……so good I would eat there more often, if I didn’t have 10% discount cards at 2 other restaurants!!

The hotel is orientated not only for the tourist, with it’s own indoor swimming pool, sauna, fitness centre, massage service and solarium…….but is also geared towards the business visitor and provides a 24 hour night menu for those arriving at all hours, VIP service at the airport, car hire, the usual laundry and shoe cleaning services, dry cleaning and will take care of any emergency medical difficulties you may find yourself in……..like getting your toe stuck up the tap!!

It also provides a conference room, scanning, copying, internet, secretarial, interpreter and basically a full back-office service to the business traveller…..including assistance with local legal and notarising services, together with a booking and collection service for any train or plane tickets you will require for any on-ward journey.

UEFA 2012 – Odessa – News Flash!!!

Wow – Stop The Press!!!!

Is it really possible that Odessa will host part of the UEFA 2012 football competition?

What?……..No, there has been no official announcement yet, as to who the other two cities….outside of Kyiv and Donesk, who already know they will host the tournament, will be…………BUT………

Yesterday,……..and rather sneakily………the German tour operator Tui Travel and UEFA parachuted into Odessa, well behind enemy lines and seemingly without being noticed by anybody…….and signed agreements with 10 directors of Odessa hotels there and then…..from about 50 hotel representatives present at a meeting……relating to UEFA 2012!!!

What did they sign up too?

Well, they have signed to say that they will guarantee at least 65% of the hotel space for reservations of fans for the football coming via Tui Travel and have guaranteed to meet the standards set by UEFA relating to the fans.  Some offered 90% and a few 100% of the hotel space!!!!!

That’s not all…….Tui Travel are coming back next week to sign up the rest of the hotels too…..and have agreed some kind of deal with the Odessa Marine Trading Port Passenger Terminal about “floating hotels” for this period.

Who are Tui Travel………probably the world’s second biggest tour operator, that’s who……and they came here with UEFA!!!

I am starting to think that there is a better than average chance the football will be coming here……..although this is Ukraine and therefore somebody will piss on my parade of course.

…..In fact I am so excited, a little bit of wee-wee came out!!!

I will keep you posted dear reader……..oh and the rent for my spare room, half board for the summer period in 2012 looks like it will defy the current global financial crisis!!!!

Odessa City Map Download

Free Odessa City map download………for those who will need it!!

http://www.2gis.com.ua/

Hotel Frapolli – Odessa

Unsurprising designed by Mr Franz Frapolli, this 4 star hotel is situated on Deribasovskaya.

Mr Frapolli was the City Architect for Odessa a few centuries ago and built what is now the Frapolli Hotel as his family residence.  It was completed in 1804.

Recently it was converted into a shopping mall for elite brand names and then into the hotel as it currently remain.

It consists of 26 double rooms, each with internet access, safe, mini bar and the usual facilities you would expect.  There is a restaurant, bar and conference room which can accommodate 20 people.

The “economy” rooms are windowless, however all other rooms look out onto Deribasovskaya.

Nice hotel, good central location.  Not much more to say!!

London Hotel, Odessa

The London Hotel can be found on Uspenskaya, in the heart of the City.

You cannot miss the London Hotel as the doorman is dressed as a “Beefeater”……which is obviously a very British traditional uniform dating back to Elizabeth I times…….although it looks quite “girly”.

The London, or as it is also known, Londonskaya Hotel is a 4 star “luxury hotel”.  Truth be told, it is not a bad hotel at all, but like most good hotels in Odessa, it only has a small number of rooms.  The London has only 37 rooms for guests to stay in.

All rooms are furnished well and come complete with the usual accessories that you would expect from the western hotels…..such as hairdryers etc etc.

There is not much I can tell you about the hotel that the hotel website cannot…..

http://www.london-hotel.com.ua/eng/

…….but I would question why, having named rooms, restaurants and bars after particular cities in the UK……why they called the bar, the Glasgow Bar?

The Derbyshire Bar, The Berkshire Bar or even the Norfolk Bar bring to mind, at least to the Englishman, a name which would stereotypically be much more inviting than a bar called the Glasgow Bar…….but whatever…… it’s a nice hotel.