Photo Courtesy of BillionaireXchange

Help may be on the way for online auction sites such as BillionaireXchange and EBay.

Site traders are hoping for less restrictions on selling luxury goods under EU (European Union) regulators’ plans to knock down barriers to Internet sales.

The European Commission, who is the 27-nation EU’s antitrust regulator, is currently drafting up new guidelines on the extent to which companies can restrict trade through their own authorized dealers.

In a story from Bloomberg News, who obtained the draft plans, it details how how the Brussels-based regulator will apply competition rules to agreements between online producers and sellers.

The draft states that luxury-goods makers would be prevented from imposing any quantity limits on Web-based sales by distributors who are already authorized to sell goods through their “brick and mortar” stores.

This EU move is wonderful news, especially for luxury auction sites such as BillionaireXchange.

Hotel Meurice is one of Europe’s most fashionable hotels. The Hotel Meurice is located in the heart of Paris France, overlooking the Jardin des Tuileries.

Each of the 160 individually decorated rooms combines state-of-the-art amenities with gracious 18th-century furnishings and luxurious fabrics.

But for a pure luxury experience, stay at the most expensive Parisian hotel room there is – the Belle Etoile Suite at the Hotel Meurice.

The unique rooftop Belle Etoile Suite offers sweeping views from the 3,000-square-foot wrap around terrace.

The hotel faces the Jardin de Tuileries and is adjacent to the rue Saint Honore in Paris’ fashionable First Arrondissement. The Meurice is surrounded by delightful cafes and some of the Paris’ finest boutique shops, including Helmut Lang and Colette.

This penthouse suite is reached via private elevator. Once arriving at the top floor, it opens onto a marble entry hall. The entire Belle Etoile Suite is decorated in a Charles X style, including heavy drapery, intricate wood paneling with gilt edges, chandeliers and murals.

The Suite’s white-marble bathroom has double sinks and a round Jacuzzi tub, along with the panoramic views of the city (yes, the windows have shades).

The European capital of sun, sand and sex, Marbella on the southern coast of Spain is where the rich, famous and fabulous come to let loose and party.

The European capital of sun, sand and sex, Marbella on the southern coast of Spain is where the rich, famous and fabulous congregate to engage in all manner of sinful activities away from the prying lenses of the paparazzi. After all, the area isn’t dubbed the ‘Costa del Crime’ for nothing.

Sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll are all out on display in Marbella, from the alluring bikini babes strewn across its palm-fringed beaches to the hedonism that goes on in its decadent nightclubs.

It’s no wonder celebrities flock here in droves; Bruce Willis has been spotted mingling with a bevy of beautiful women in its bars, Britney Spears has been snapped ordering a bottle of vodka in one of its most famous nightclubs, and heartthrob Antonio Banderas and his wife Melanie Griffith even have a home here. In fact, they flew all the way from Hollywood just so Melanie could give birth here.

A home away from their Hollywood homes for many of our A-list friends, and a bachelor’s paradise for those single and free to mingle, Marbella has it all: glamour, wealth and power. Allow us to take you on a whirlwind tour of this seaside town and fashonista hotspot.

A trip to Marbella wouldn’t be a trip to Marbella without visiting this legendary port. Dubbed the ‘Port of Abuse’ by many of its heavy-drinking insiders, Puerto Banús is named after its designer (and legendary playboy) Jose Banús, who can be credited for single-handedly putting Marbella on the map.

Elsewhere in the world a day at the beach is all about dressing down and chilling out, but not in Marbella. During the hot summer weekends the cool crowd gather at Nikki Beach Marbella, a branch of the hippest beach resort chain around.

Most of us have heard about Rome’s catacombs at some point in our lives. These are ancient underground burials, dug into the rock under the city of Rome itself. There are more than forty of these catacombs, some of which have only come to light in recent years.

These catacombs are known best as burial places for Christians, but they have also hosted pagan burials as well as Jewish tombs. The catacombs came about around the second century, since there was a minimum of available land for burial and cemeteries were growing overcrowded.

The land in the general vicinity of Rome isn’t enough for regular burials, but the soft volcanic rock the city is located on is easy to tunnel in. It’s softer before the air touches it, hardening later. The city has many kilometers of tunnels, and in some places, they’re up to four stories deep.

Anyone with an interest in early Jewish or Christian art should take a trip to the catacombs. The incredible frescoes and sculptures located here represent the majority of artistic examples of the cultures prior to the fourth century.

Romans originally cremated their dead. However, at around the second century, it became popular to bury the burnt or unburnt remains of loved ones instead. In addition, Christians preferred this method, as burial was considered important for bodily resurrection.

The first big catacombs were carved through the rock outside the city, since laws at the time forbade burials inside the city limits. These were originally used not just for burial, but for memorials and religious celebrations of Christian martyrs, although they were never used for other regular worship.

In and around Rome, there are forty known catacombs, all built along roads such as the Via Ostiense and Via Appia. The catacombs often are named after saints such as Sebastian and Calixtus, who are believed to be buried in them by some.

Enormous systems of passages were built by these early Christian excavators, all between seven and twenty meters below the earth’s surface, taking up an area of about two and a half kilometers square. The levels are joined using narrow stairways, with passages about three feet wide and eight feet tall. Burial niches are located in the walls of the catacombs.

These relatively small niches contained bodies. Special burial chambers were also built for wealthier Christians. Frescoes and carvings in these tombs made them look much like mainstream Roman ones.

With the rise of Christianity to a status as a state religion, the practice of burial in catacombs declined, though this did not happen right away. As the dead were buried increasingly in churchyards, the catacombs became used only to celebrate the martyrs.

When Rome was sacked by northern invaders, these catacombs were ransacked, and by the tenth century, they were scarcely used, and all holy relics had been moved above ground. After this point, the catacombs were forgotten until the late sixteenth century, when they were rediscovered.

Over the centuries, these excavations were intermittently explored, though professional studies weren’t published until the nineteenth century. They now act as an important early Christian monument, and are maintained by the Vatican.  Author: Larry Pocobor

Photo: Vatican (Catacombs of Latium)

Berlin, the capital city of Germany is the biggest city in the country. It is most famous for its historical places, nightlife, cafes, clubs, bars, museums, palaces, and further sightseeing options.

After the fall of the Berlin War, the city has become a genuine melting pot as far as culture is concerned. It has become a place where all types of art, music, and fashion come together.

The city has numerous museums. Museums managed by the government do not need to be paid for to enter four hours prior to their shutting down each Thursday, and there is also the three day Museum Pass which lets visitors have admission to about 70 museums.

Museumsinsel, also known as Museum Island is famous for housing the Pergamon Museum which has a huge compilation of Greek and Islamic art. Additional museums on the island consist of the Altes Museum with Egyptian collections, the Alte National galleries with mostly German collections, and the Bode Museum with Byzantine art.

You can discover a lot of museums that cover the history of the country, particularly the Holocaust. In addition, Berlin is one of those few cities that do not attempt to conceal the negative sides of its history. You can view remnants of the Berlin Wall as well as Jewish museums that cover the Holocaust.

The Deutches Historisches Museum has an enormous assortment of German history items covering all ages. This museum is extremely huge, so make sure you have sufficient stamina to spend hours looking at the whole thing. The Judisches Museum is the Jewish museum. There are many historical items about Jews in Germany in this museum. In addition there is a Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe which covers one entire block. There is an underground museum with information concerning the Holocaust. This is one of the most visited as well as most striking museums in Berlin.

The Berlin Wall may not be there anymore, but a portion of it is still visible along the river. This has been preserved as a gallery, and there are very nice murals on it. There is also a Berlin War Memorial for those that died crossing the wall. There is a viewing platform that lets you imagine exactly what it must have been like when the wall was still in place. Checkpoint Charlie used to be a crossing point between the two sides of Germany, and is also well worth a visit.

The Tempelhof airport is the airport that was used for the duration of the Berlin Airlift in 1948. There is now a memorial here to remember the airlifts around the blockade. This airport has also been featured in numerous films, and has a matchless architecture. With its countless halls and buildings, it was built to become an entry point to Europe, and is still one of the most enormous buildings in the world.

Berlin is an amazing city to see for tourists, and if you can only go to one city in Germany then you should go to Berlin. Its history will help you connect to it, and you will be haunted the rest of your life by many of the historic sites you see here.  Author: Robert M Freeman

We all hate to travel – the crowded airports, long lines, rude people ….. But there are ways to make our traveling experience a little nicer and also be pampered at the same time.

Check out these luxury airport lounges that are sure to impress even the most seasoned traveler.

1. The Wing – Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong
The Wing is a 43000 sq ft open-air facility that features and 80ft bar (The Long Bar – featured above), four restaurants and a full-service day spa. This luxurious terminal lounge also features private cabins with showers, beds and Jacuzzi tubs. Top it all off with free Wifi, and executive office suites and you’ve got yourself quite the lounge. There’s no doubt why this lounge is always featured near or at the top of every one’s favorite airport lounge.

2. Premium Terminal – Qatar Airways, Doha International Airport, Qatar
First of all, you are greeted by a porter to take your bags and a concierge just to make sure you find all the other enclosed luxuries. If you are in need of secretarial or medical services, you’ll find both in here. Pretty nice. There is also a complete world-class spa where anti-aging facials and deep-tissue massages are administered. You can also take advantage of the Jacuzzis, and If you have kids there are a number of Wii consoles as well as a free nanny service. Definitely a relaxing way to get ready for a flight, or to recover from one.

3. Golden Lounge – Malaysian Airlines, Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia
KL’s airport deserves mention to this list if only for the fact that there is a rain forest enclosed within the airport itself. Within the Malaysian Airlines Golden lounge, you will also find a river that literally runs through the terminal. Other notable amenities include: a gym, private rooms, and arcade and a full-service daycare center.

4. Lufthansa Lounge – Lufthansa, Frankfurt International Airport, Germany
Lufthansa’s Frankfurt terminal consists of a 12,000 square loft-like lounge with plenty of seating, a dining area and private office space (if you travel for work). This lounge also features a cigar lounge, and if you are a first class traveler you will have a personal assistant from checkout to departure (where you will be driven out to the tarmac on a Porsche Cayenne).

5. Virgin Atlantic Lounge – Virgin Airlines, London-Heathrow, England
Virgin’s flagship at London-Heathrow features: a lounge, a den as well as a clubhouse all done in typical Virgin style. In the lounge, you can take to the roof where you can grab a drink while you wait for your flight and catch some rays. Leave the kids in the Den where billiards and video games will occupy their short attention spans until just before departure. And if you are hungry, you can take to the clubhouse to grab a drink, where you can get anything from a light snack to a hearty and tasty plate of bangers and mash.

6. Air France Lounge at Terminal #2 – Air France, Charles de Gaulle International Airport, France
The Air France lounge at CDG Terminal 3 features some of the most useful amenities: showers and massages. While all the modern bells and whistles are nice, nothing beats a nice hot shower upon arrival. And, If you weren’t able to sleep that well, or you’re just tired from the overnight flight, treat yourself to a massage. Because hey, you deserve it.

7. Terraces Lounge – British Airways, JFK International Airport, USA
British Airways is always known to up the ante, and the Terraces Lounge at JFK International is no exception. Put trickling water fountains and nature sounds together with hydrotherapy showers, and pre- and post-flight massages and you have a way to truly relax if your coming or going. Special bonus is the faint smell of cut grass in the terminal to give it an outdoorsy feel.

8. Admirals Lounge – American Airlines, John F Kennedy International Airport, USA
American Airlines flagship lounge is a 7,000 sq ft facility that features a complete business center and cyber cafe with complimentary printer and fax services. If you want to take a break from your work there is a renowned commissary complete with world-class wine list and a diverse menu from which you can eat to your heart’s content. A number of plasma TVs (so you can watch what YOU want) and private shower facilities round out some of the most useful amenities offered here.

9. Qantas First Class Lounge – Qantas, Sydney International Airport, Australia
Designed by the world-renowned/ native Australian Marc Newson, this lounge features a 180 degree view of Sydney’s beautiful Botany Bay. The main feature of this lounge is the day spa with a number of complimentary treatments to help you relax. There is also a dozen desktop computers free-of-charge, if you didn’t bring your laptop, and private office suites if you require a bit of privacy. And if you are hungry, there is a 48-seat restaurant that boasts a menu of exotic meals from around the world.

10. The Royal Orchid – Thai Airways, Bangkok Airport, Thailand
The Royal Orchid offers complimentary traditional Thai massage to its visitors, as well as a host of other amenities, most notably world-famous Thai hospitality. Complimentary, gourmet Thai cuisine makes for a nice touch, and private meeting rooms with wifi definitely can come in handy. And just to show you that you are in fact a VIP, you can expect tarmac transport from via the airlines fleet of Mercedes-Benzes.

Source: DepartureSpa (includes additional photos)

Nicknamed “The Hotel of Kings”, the Meurice has played host to everyone from Queen Victoria and the Maharajah of Jaipur to the King and Queen of Spain. For more than a hundred years the Meurice has been, for many, the quintessential French hotel.

Reflecting its uninterrupted attachment to the French art of living, Le Meurice is a magical, serene place, where the refined splendours of 18th-century architecture meet the latest in contemporary comfort and elegance. It was the place you went to for Brillat-Savarin-esque banquets and to sip tea in the red velvet salon.

And since its renovation, the Meurice has taken French-ness to new heights. Waiters swish by with their noses in the air. If you order a simple piece of toast, expect it to come on an enormous silver trolley.

Here, too, as the seasons pass, are born the creations of Yannick Alleno, the chef of the renowned restaurant, Le Meurice. Drawing his inspiration from the gastronomical treasures that abound in the Parisian region, this young French chef adds a daring touch to traditional dishes, creating a delicious, and whimsical link between past and present. The spa meanwhile offers treatments using grapeseed oil from nothing less than Château Lafite grapes.

Purists still prefer the slightly dilapidated elegance of its former reincarnation but it’s hard not to be impressed by the massive entrance across from the Tuileries and the marble interior with its chandeliers and priceless mosaic floors. The restaurant is one of the most beautiful in the city, three-tiered candelabras illuminating the heavy damask tablecloths and Limoges porcelain.

And every room is packed to the gills with an excess of old master paintings, Oriental rugs, Louis XV, XVI and Empire furniture. Bathrooms are enormous and marble, with tubs that fill in the blink of an eye, and super-sized showers that sport high speed jets.

You’ll find that the French-ness of the Meurice extends to the staff as well. Service is Gallic in both efficiency (very efficient) and in attitude (a lot). Doormen and porters who guard the door are intimidating figures who, with ineffable snobbery, act as hotel bouncers, deciding who belongs to the Meurice and showing others firmly out.

Meanwhile, the concierge will fetch your dry cleaning, fix your cellular telephone, and reserve your theatre tickets. Nonetheless, breakfast in bed at the Meurice is guaranteed to cure any ill. A white-sheeted trolley, a rose on the tray, a lot of silverware and truly ethereal croissants, while the daylight streams gently in. It’s the ultimate Parisian experience. Source: TabletHotels

Venice Italy, is an amazing city. When most people think of Venice, they think of gondola rides.

The city of Venice is actually a series of six islands at the edge of the Adriatic Sea. The “streets” of Venice are actually waterways for boat traffic.

Every year, the city’s water levels rise. The muggy summer air cooks the canals and scrapes the paint and enamel from the city’s finest pieces of art. Faithful to its origins, everything in Venice seems to be in peril.

The gondola is the primary mode of transportation throughout the canals, not to mention the enduring symbol of tourism in Venice.

Though speedboats have become increasingly more commonplace nowadays, they have not been able to drown out the traditional songs of the traditional gondoliers, with most of these ballads reciting tales of true love or the magnificent history of Venice Italy itself.

And a storied history it is. Like Genoa, Venice used its expansive waterways to develop into a powerful city, a hub for trade and commercial exploits, until it dominated a large portion of the Mediterranean, the Adriatic and hundreds of vital trade routes.

Venice thrived for centuries, becoming a center of the arts that made all others pale in comparison. Bellini, Titian, Tintoretto and Longhi all called Venice home at some point. Many of their fine works live on in the numerous art galleries and museums dispersed throughout the city’s maze of canals.

Take a gondola ride down the famous Grand Canal and it will lead you to Ca’ Rezzonico and Ca’ d’Oro, the former famous for its ornate ballrooms and aristocratic balconies, the latter for providing shelter for the great works of Titian, Mantegna and Carpaccio.

The exact origination of the gondola is unclear, but some history is available. Back in the year 1094, a boat called a gondola was mentioned in a letter from a Venetian Rupublic official. In the 1490’s, Gondolas appear in Italian paintings by Carpaccio and Bellini. Interestingly, the method of rowing that is depicted, is the same used by gondoliers today.

What most people don’t factor into their dream of a gondola ride in Venice are the crowds of people peering down at you from the city’s many bridges – which tends to ruin the whole intimate and romantic experience. But heck, this is romantic Venice. Go for it!

Roman Colosseum

The Roman Colosseum is the most famous Classical structure of Rome and one that virtually every visitor comes to admire. The structure is easily recognizable with its distinct design and architecture. When the elliptical stadium was first built, over 2,000 years ago, it was the first permanent amphitheatre of its time. It was marveled at for its grand size and structure and remains a template for the stadia that we see today.

A huge ellipse with tiered seating, the Colosseum was able to seat 50,000 viewers with standing room for an additional 10,000. There were 80 exits that allowed for efficient entry and exit of the large masses of people attending events. Gladiator events were most common, but the stadium was also used for other games or to watch criminals being attacked by wild animals.

No battle was neglected; at times the arena was filled with water to present naval battles. Entertainment at the Colosseum lasted for an impressive 450 years until the Roman Empire started weakening. The emperor Honorius ended the gladiatorial duels in 404 CE and animal shows ended by the sixth century. There are several theories to explain why the activities had ceased, but most likely it was due to lack of funding as games were expensive to produce.

The Colosseum was abandoned by the tenth century and soon became a home to houses and shops that were built within. Pieces of tufa, or stone, from the stadium were hacked off and used to build these new structures.

During the Renaissance, when Rome became more vibrant again, more stone was removed and used to build the new palazzis and numerous buildings around Rome. This constant breaking down of the walls and removal of stone is the reason that only half of the outer ring remains today. It wasn’t until restoration began in the eighteenth century that halted the destruction of the building and the focus moved to preserving the site’s remains.

East England is full of unexpected pleasures and Lindisfarne is no exception.

Lindisfarne, or Holy Island, is located 12km to the south of Berwick-upon-Tweed

Lindisfarne is connected to the mainland of Northumberland by a causeway.

What is the life of luxury? Could it be owning your own private jet with a pilot ready at a moment’s notice to whisk you away to your favorite Caribbean Island?

Or, could it be spending $37,200 a night for a room?  That’s right. $37,200 per night.

According to Forbes, the most expensive hotel room in the world is the Penthouse Suite at Hotel Martinez in Cannes, France.

So, what do you get for a year’s salary? A private entrance, four bedrooms, plasma TV, open bar, a Jacuzzi, and the most important amenity of all — bragging rights.

For more information, or to book, you can directly contact Hotel Martinez.