English
Français
Deutsch
Italiano
Español
The price is right? How to know if you're competitive
In a growing market there is also increasing competition. If there are many apartments advertised in a destination, the value of bookings changes: there will be increasingly more owners interested in increasing their number of bookings, and this often leads to price declines and / or specific offers, especially in periods of low occupancy. The economic situation in recent years does not help either: more and more customers are choosing a property or even a destination for their attractive prices. To be more competitive, you must review how the apartment is ranked in the market and look into how you could improve your visibility. On Only-apartments as well as on other sites, it is possible to sort the results by price: is the fastest way to see how an apartment is ranked. While deciding your pricing, you must consider the following factors: – Number of rooms – Capacity of apartment – Location – Proximity to public transport – Services offered – Availability Deciding which prices to set in a given period of time is the result of the comparison of the above with other apartments in the same destination. Apply discounts or raise the price of your apartment On our extranet it is possible to add many offers. For periods of low occupancy or to fill gaps in a short period of time, you can use discounts and, above all, Last-minute deals. But it is important to note that prices do not necessarily have to be lowered at all times: an owner has to know what the peak seasons are and if there are special events in their destination....
Route down Pikk Street in Tallinn
Tallinn is a city of amazing historical beauty and its medieval old town is straight out of an old fairytale, with small and narrow cobbled streets and low buildings of different colours at either side of the road. One of the most important streets in Tallinn´s old town is Pikk Street, Pikk tänav in Estonian, a street of just under a mile long that goes through the old town of Tallinn from top to bottom. Just for its aesthetics, this place is worth visiting but if we also add all the places of interest that there are along it as well as the typical bars and restaurants to eat and have a drink in, a route down this street becomes a must. Start the route on the northern part of the street, where Rannamäe tee and Suur Rannavärav streets meet. Directly in front you can see a building that seems like an old watchtower, which is actually known by the name of Fat Margaret. This tower was built in the 16th century and it gets its name because it was the biggest part of the old town´s walls and it was used to defend the port of Tallinn, since the sea used to come in a lot deeper back then than it does today. Later it became a warehouse for weapons and powder and then a prison. Today it´s part of the Estonian Maritime Museum, a museum that shows the naval history of Estonia, a highly recommended visit. Follow down the cobbled street and you come across St Olav´s church, a 12th century church that took four centuries to...
Galata Tower in Istanbul
The Galata Tower is one of the world´s oldest towers. It was built under the rule of Emperor Anastasius in 507. At first it was built of wood, to control access to the city from “The Golden Horn”. The one that stands today is not the original, which was a few hundred meters from the present site. The current Galata Tower was built in 1348 to substitute the place of the old tower, destroyed during the Fourth Crusade in 1204. Its construction was ordered during the expansion of the Genoese citadel of Galata, and although its erected in a different place, it became the highest point of the city and an essential bulwark for the defense of the city. Its original name was Christea Turris, and was used as a surveillance platform to prevent attacks on the city during the Ottoman Empire, when it was partially renovated to function as an object of defense. Later, in the fifteenth century, it was used as a prison and later it resumed its role as a watchtower. As a curiosity, we must remember that the first ever flight was made from this iconic tower. The Turkish Ahmet Çelebi Hezarfen managed to make that first air trip, thanks to a complex mechanism of wood and cloth, in about 1630. His flight departed from the Galata Tower and reached the hills of Üsküdar. In the 1960s the tower underwent a complete renovation, which replaced the original interior of wood with concrete to prepared to be open to the public. they built a cafe and a restaurant at the top and became one of the...
Postojna y Škocjan, natural caves in Ljubljana
Slovenia is a perfect place to enjoy natural tourism since it has many places where you can enjoy beautiful landscapes and fresh air. The most famous natural spot in the country is probably Lake Bled, but it´s advisable to visit it during the summer months. In any case, Slovenia is a country that has many natural caves that are very interesting to visit. Out of all of them, the most famous and popular ones to visit are the ones of Postojna and Škocjan, which are 33 and 48 miles from Ljubljana respectively. Postojna The Postojna caves are karst caves of over 20,000 metres long that attract more than 500,000 visitors every year, a total of 32 millions people since they opened. The cave was discovered in the 17th century by Johan Weikhard von Valvasor and some years later another area of the caves was discovered by Luka Čeč in 1818 whilst he was preparing the caves for the visit of the Emperor Franz I of Austria. A year later, the caves were opened to the public and Čeč became the first tourist guide of the caves. Electricity was installed in the caves in 1884, before it was in Ljubljana itself, and in the early 20th century a petrol locomotive was installed to visit the caves, later replaced by an electrical one. A visit to the caves today is done in an electric train and lasts for 90 minutes approximately, with audio guides available in different languages. The cave itself is truly amazing, with stalactites, stalagmites, speleothems and calcite formations in different shapes, colours and ages. Also, the average temperature in the caves...
48 hours in Porto
Holidays are usually short and there´s no time to lose. That´s why we´ve made this quick guide to essential places to visit if you just have 48 hours to stay in the wonderful Portuguese city of Porto. Porto is the second most important city in Portugal after the capital Lisbon. It holds a rich historical and architectonical legacy. You can start our tour by visiting some of the most important monuments in the city, the Torres dos Clérigos. It´s a symbol of the city and by paying just 2 euros you can go up to the top of the tower (by foot). It´s really worth it because the views of Porto from the top are amazing. From here you can go to the Cais da Ribeira, on the banks of the Douro. This dock is a beautiful riverside walk with bars, restaurants and a lot of people. It´s the most active area in the city. Here you can go to Praça da Ribeira, the most beautiful square in the area. You can visit it by foot or hire one of the many cruises that go down the river that will allow us to admire beautiful bridges such as the Dom Luís I Bridge, which connects Porto with the town of Vila Nova de Gaia. If you´re interested in wines, you cannot miss out on a visit to the important wine-making cellars of this village. The cruise would be on board of a rabelo, which is an old wooden boat that was used to transport wine. All of this area is the most popular and busy in Porto so if you´ve...
The Nightlife in Helsinki
Despite only having 600,000 inhabitants, the capital of Finland has a wealth of places to go out and have a good time. The focus here is on quality rather than quantity, and they have something for everyone. So whether you’re interested in clubs, microbreweries or casinos, you’ll want to check this list before your next trip to Helsinki. Generally speaking, the trendy places are located in the Kamppi and Punavuori neighborhoods. In the city center near the Central Train Station one can find larger venues that are suitable for anyone. Young people congregate in the Kallio neighborhood while the Töölö is favored for older groups. To start the evening, you may want to head to one of the pubs or bars. Some also offer food and live music. If you’re looking for something different, have a vodka cocktail at the Arctic Ice Bar, which is located at Yliopistonkatu 5. With walls made of thick ice, it has a temperature set at -5 degrees. You’ll be given a warm cape and gloves at the entrance to make your visit more pleasant, so you don’t have to worry about bringing additional clothing. It’s definitely worth going just for the unique experience. The admission fee of € 10 includes one drink. At the Soumenlinna Brewery Restaurant in the Jetty Barracks you can enjoy great food and freshly brewed beers, but it is only open during good weather. Teerenpeli, located at Olavinkatu 2) and Bruuveri (in the Kamppi Shopping Center at Urho Kekkosen katu 1) are additional microbreweries you may want to visit. Once the bars close at around 2 a.m., you can...
Beijing for Kids
Beijing is not an easy city, especially for a child: enormous distances, a lot of people, confusion. However, don’t worry, there are places where children can be safe and have fun in the endless Beijing. China Science and Technology Museum Opened in Beijing in 2009, the “Museum of Science and Technology” is located to the north of the famous Olympic Stadium Bird ´s Nest and covers an area of 48,000 square meters. The new museum is divided into 3 themed rooms, starting from Hall A where you will find the ancient Chinese technology and astronomy and the main topics of modern science. And if n the hall B China´s scientific initiatives are the focus, Hall C wiil be a real surprise with its incredible Astro-vision Theater. Anyway, if you like science and nature don´t miss the Beijing Museum of Natural History, another wonder for adults and kids Happy Valley Beijing “Happy Valley” is one of the largest theme parks in China. It is located in Mount She, and is the fourth in the series after Shangai, Shenzhen and Chengdu. The complex covers 900,000 square meters, and the park has seven areas: “Sunshine Port,” “Happy Times”, “Shangri-la”, “Ants Kingdom”, “Shanghai Beach” “Gold Mine Town” and “Hurricane Bay.”Many attractions, including also the Wooden Coaster, Diving Coaster and the Mine Train Coaster. Amusement Parks The “Shijingshan Amusement Park” is located in the Shijingshan District in Beijing. It occupies 350,000 square meters and has over 100 rides and attractions, plus there are eight roller coasters and a 4D cinema. We suggest also the “Beijing World Park” a miniature park with hundread of natural...
Things you should know before traveling to Beijing
Traveling to China is a unique experience and Beijing, is one of the most interesting cities in the world for travelers. Its cultural, exoticism and history will attract you at first sight and you´ll be fully immersed in their peculiarities. But before embarking on your adventure to the far East, there are some things you should consider: Visa To enter Beijing, it is essential to have a visa along with your passport. The price ranges between 30 and 90 euros, depending on the type of visa you need. They usually get it in about 7 days, but try asking for it one month in advance to avoid problems with your trip. Currency The local currency is the yuan and you can only get this currency once you are in China. Foreign credit cards work to withdraw money, but they are not very commonly used in local business, so you need to have cash for most purchases. It is best to change your money at the airport in Beijing because it will be more difficult to find exchange offices in the city. Food The Chinese cuisine is rich and varied with hearty dishes abound to address the cold winters: pastas, stir fries, soups and meats such as lamb and chicken, seasoned with spicy sauces. The Peking duck is one of the most traditional recipes, which dates back to the X century, you should not miss it. If this is your first trip to China, take some precautions like avoiding uncooked foods, thoroughly wash or peel fruit and drinking mineral water. If you can not use chopsticks, buy some plastic cutlery...
The City of London Gin Distillery
The City of London Distillery, also known as COLD, is one of the hottest new spots to visit in London this 2013. The distillery opened its doors in November of 2012, and is the first operational distillery within the city limits for over 200 years. The distillery’s owner, Jonathan Clark, has set up a venue where the story of gin can be told and where visitors can learn about the process – and of course, sample the products offered by Master Distiller Jamie Baxter. The bar and distillery is now producing its own brand of gin and vodka, and folks are arriving in droves to find out more. Once upon a time, gin was the drink of the masses. In 18th century England, gin was cheap and free-flowing, thanks to the nearly 1700 distilleries scattered throughout London. So prevalent was gin in London’s social structure that William Hogarth created two works of art to show the unfortunate consequences of the liquor on the lower classes. Fortunately for us, COLD is once again giving gin the respect it deserves. Using more than a little clever planning, the whole distillery has been installed in a basement on the historic Bride Lane. Tucked safely behind bomb proof glass, a set of hand-made German copper stills are lined up, gleaming brightly. The distilling process purifies the base alcohol (brought in from elsewhere). The distilled alcohol may then be bottled as vodka or passed along for further processing. The copper in the stills acts as a catalyst which helps to remove some of the sulphides throughout the process. To make gin, the distillery dilutes the...
