English
Français
Deutsch
Italiano
Español
We have a winner of our Facebook give away
Last week we announced our give away among our Facebook fans. You had until last Monday to participate for a chance to win a stay in Vodice, Croatia and 300€ prize money. The participation was overwhelming. More than 1000 of you participated. But as these things go, there can only be one winner. Among all participants we picked out a winner with the help of random.org Congratulations to Marian Kret!!! We hope he and his companion will have a great time. Since this give away was such a great success we want to thank everyone for their participation! Follow us on Facebook for more news on travel, great offers and other give aways and...
The Best of Amsterdam
When it comes to having fun, many opt for Amsterdam, which might well be one of the most liberal cities in the entire European Union. As is well-known, prostitution and marijuana are absolutely legal in Amsterdam. For this reason, many tourists and travelers head to this city in search of action, partying and new experiences. If you´ve been to Amsterdam, you already know, of course, that you should avoid places like the touristy cafes that are found in the busiest squares where loud tourists flock at the end of the night. If you are actually interested in discovering the best of Amsterdam, you’ll have to leave behind the famous “coffee shops” and English pubs and search a bit further on. Amsterdam has great terraces that are very close to the canals and bars with delicious cocktails. The food you´ll find in these alternative venues will also be surprisingly good. Figuraten Bar This charming cafe is very popular on the west side of the city. It is located in a very nice neighborhood close to downtown and the famous Vondelpark. During the week, you´ll find students and the occasional celebrity in this typical local bar. On Sundays nights, you can enjoy delicious toasted sandwiches. And you can enjoy live music just about every day. Hiding in Plain Sight Just a few canals away from Amsterdam’s red light district, you´ll find the perfect place to have the most delicious cocktails. Hiding in Plain Sight is a small bar that is somewhat hidden from the sight of the average passerby. The atmosphere of this unique cafe will transport you back to...Comments are a key decision-making factor: how to make them work for you
Of course, price is one of the most important criteria when deciding which apartment to book. But the rise of social networking and user participation on the Internet means that, increasingly, customer decision becomes influenced by the comments left by other users. At Only-apartments, when a client leaves one of our apartments, we send them an email asking them to leave us a comment about their stay. The customer answers the questionnaire at their discretion and all comments we receive are 100% authentic and are reviewed by our Quality Department. We recommend that as an owner, you remember to ask tenants to fill out our questionnaire for your apartment: the more comments you have on your flat, the more reliable you will seem to users when selecting an apartment. We found that the relationship between the number of reviews and the number of bookings is directly proportional. Encourage them to comment! If you have any questions, please contact Only-apartments through property@only-apartments.com and we’ll help in any way we can. More tips: – Revise your pictures – The price is right? How to know if you’re competitive – Update your calendar and improve your rankings ...
Wonders of Porto
Saudade Porto is the second most important city in Portugal. Along with Lisbon, it has that traditional and historical atmosphere as well as having curious and beautiful corners that contrast with modern spaces, all of which make visiting the city an unforgettable pleasure. Despite having the reputation for being a noisy city or a bit of a slum during its times of biggest tourist flow, Porto shows us that characteristic charm of all Portuguese cities: human warmth, traditional architecture, succulent cuisine and romantic routes and walks filled with saudade. If you´ve never heard the term saudade before, it means nostalgia or melancholy in Portuguese, a deeply affectionate feeling caused by the absence of something you love. There´s no literal translation to English of this beautiful word which perhaps slides more into the meaning of melancholy but isn´t quite the same. They say that the Portuguese writer Manuel de Melo defined it as something that “you suffer at the same time of being a pain that you enjoy”. Don´t think that Porto, Lisbon or Portugal are places that will make you sad and feel lost, all the opposite. Saudade refers to a deep feeling to understand and explore the world, a pleasure and beauty that you can only discover by going to beautiful Porto. As you know, Porto is on the banks of the river Douro. If you decide to go on a walk, go towards the huge Dom Luis I Bridge and you´ll discovery this city´s romantic mystique. Crossing it will take a few minutes but the view from it is amazing. Whilst you cross it, you will be walking towards towers and bell...
Manos de Topo Concert in Barcelona
In the biographical journey of Barcelona’s pop-rock quartet Manos de Topo, which will offer a concert at the iconic Apolo concert hall (2) in Poble Sec on Friday the 29th of March, there are a number of archetypal features that serve to define the bands of their musical genre. Manos de Topo is a band originally founded by two film students who, in their autodidact DIY (Do it Yourself) spirit, which comes from the prepunk supports lots of the most exciting bands in recent decades, wanted to allude to their lack of musical skills directly through their name, as a way to shake any failure complex assuming that traits a differential hallmark through their humor and irony. Humor and irony are indeed two of the most notable features of Manos de Topo, both permeating their, in appearance, romantic songs, in a parody to many of the most prominent Spanish indie-rock bands, particularly to the Catalan bands that play music in Spanish, in a broad spectrum that covers Love of Lesbian, Astrud and The New Raemon, who took care of the production of Escapar con el anticiclón, last album of Manos de Topo. Moreover, the very particular parodic deconstruction of romantic music, through songs that somehow seem to evoke the sound of some of the most representative bands of the eighties, which used lyrics inspired by heartbreak stories that provided the audience an excuse to cry and intentionally limit the overtly pushed tune under a theatrically and exaggerated emotion discovered through Myspace, while catching the attention of different music labels as well as indie critics, some of which came to...Update your calendar and improve your rankings
Customers need to know when they can book your apartment and when it is occupied. At Only-apartments we are well aware of the importance of having an updated calendar (both to increase the number of bookings and to avoid overbooking). Therefore we are constantly increasing the ways to automatically update: you can now update our extranet calendar with Google Calendar (free tool) and Kigo (an apartment management software). We are working to increase the number of channels that allow automatic synchronization. Do not worry: for every new active channel, all owners will be notified by e-mail. But it does not end there! As we consider keeping the calendar updated extremely important, Only-apartments rewards owners who constantly review and update their calendar. With us, the more you update your calendar the more you improve your ranking in your destination. This is another trick to improve the ranking of your apartment online and increase the number of visits and bookings. By simply clicking on “My calendar is updated“, your apartment will be among those recommended in the destination page. Worth it! If you have any questions, please contact Only-apartments through property@only-apartments.com and we’ll help in any way we can. More tips: – The price is right? How to know if you’re competitive – Comments are a key decision-making...Travel Photos of the Month by Elia Locardi
On the hunt for a fresh cover photo for our Facebook page, we came across the amazing work of Elia Locardi. On his website with the catchy name “Blame the Monkey” he shares his photography and travel adventures with us. We couldn’t help, but fall in love with the beautiful images that his lens caught and wanted to know more about him and his work. Read our interview with Elia here: How long have you been a photographer? I started getting serious about photography in 2010 and turned pro in 2011. Since then I’ve flown nearly 1 million miles and have photographed 37 countries and counting. Did you study photography or did you start it as a hobby? I went to school for Visual Effects and Motion Graphics so photography was always encouraged but I never took any formal classes. Fortunately, I started working with Adobe Photoshop in 1999, so by the time I picked up a camera, I was already very knowledgeable in post-processing techniques. It only took a short amount of time — and a few fun travel destinations — experimenting with camera settings, before things started to click (so to speak). What in your personal (and professional if applicable) life inspires you to take your pictures? Well, there’s a very special feeling that occurs when elements come together and blend seamlessly to produce a beautiful moment in time. When that happens, I feel very connected to my surroundings as everything else around me seems to melt away. There’s nothing else like being able to capture a perfect moment and the first time I...
Global Kids Fashion Week in London
For a time to this part it is becoming clear that fashion has extended its reach and interest to the world of children, perhaps in a process that began back in the late last century. A kind of infantilization of casual or sport clothing that reached all age segments of the urban middle classes. Commentators observe a tendency of the fact that adults dress like children in some ways, something with very suggestive sociological and psychological implications of the phenomenon that in recent years has directly become the target of a large number of designers and clothing brands, as evidenced both by the disturbing appearance of model children (the most famous of which is perhaps Romeo Beckham) and the fact that the estimated value of the luxury garment industry for children in the UK only is over 500 million pounds. Within this process the first Global Kids Fashion week strongly emphasizes this trend (http://eu.alexandalexa.com/global-kids-fashion-week) taking place in an extremely disconcerting scenario for the event happens to take place in the headquarters of the Unified Masonic Grand Lodge of London, located in the central and distinctly theatrical Covent Garden, also famous for its market. The event, which has the support of the Victoria & Albert Museum of decorative arts, design and fashion (probably the most important of its kind in the world) and the Museum of Childhood and provides a comprehensive program of walkways, performances, exhibitions, lectures, conferences and other activities focused on children´s world luxury fashion . The list of designers participating in the event gives us a rough idea of the magnitude of it, it includes artists and...
Poble Sec Is All the Rage in Barcelona
One of the must-see spots for all travelers who seek to get to know the real Barcelona is to visit the city’s Poble Sec neighborhood, an area full of charm and authenticity where the bohemian past is still present. Poble Sec is located halfway between Mount Montjuic and Las Ramblas. It is the ideal choice for those who want to be away from the crowds of tourists that flood other areas of Barcelona but near the city center and other landmarks such as the Gothic Quarter or the multicultural Raval. What can you do? As a neighborhood of contrasts, where a quiet residential environment coexists with some of the liveliest nightlife in Barcelona, there are entertainment options for all tastes and no shortage of possiblities Here are our suggestions: Walk around Montjuic The Monte de Montjuic offers spectacular views of the Catalan capital, splendid parks and gardens to spend a day outdoors, and some of the most interesting artistic institutions in the city: the Joan Miró Foundation, the Caixa Forum Museum and the National Museum of Catalan Art. A night at the theater The Poble Sec’s relationship with theater and culture is long-standing. Since the early 20th century it has been home to the best theaters, concert cafés and cabarets of the capital, whose decadent air and popularity attracted Barcelona artists. Today, the Avinguda del Parallel has the most cultural activity in the neighborhood. There, you’ll find the legendary Apollo, El Molino, Condal and Victoria theaters, which are perfect for spending a night out. La Ciudad del Teatro, which is home to the old Flower Market and the...
