Latest News

02 September 2010 — Russia River Cruises for 2011 Available NOW from Select-a-tour.com!

We have great prices and availability for our popular river crusie between Moscow and St Petersburg along the Volga River. Our tried and tested programmes remain pretty much as for 2010 with full board and basic sightseeing included - additional excursions are available at additional cost, payable locally. Our local on-board representatives will take care of your every need - 24 hour support guaranteed! We have had excellent feedback in 2010 and are looking forward to continuing our excellent relationship with the crew on board! This is an English-speaking ship.

We sell the cruise only for our clients as customers book from all over the world - we do not handle flight bookings. Customers usually arrange Russian visas and flights locally prior to travel. For UK clients we offer a full visa service through our dedicated visa department. We are pleased to arrange arrival and departure transfers upon request as they are not included in our prices.

Stop Press: Alexander (our representative and recipient of much praise!) has agreed to work again in 2011. Welcome back!

Welcome to Russia!

28 July 2010 — Nice Feedback from Russian River Cruise

Dear Naomi,

We just returned from our trip St. Peterburg - Moscow by boat. (17 - 27.7)

It was really a beautiful voyage and we enjoyed it so much. The crew is kind attentive and very cooperative. The food is very good. Your Alex is a hell of a guy and we enjoyed his company and guidance and so is his colleague Zoya.

We take this opportunity to thank you for your good handling of our trip.

We shall certainly recommend this trip to our friends.

Best regards, S&PR 

15 July 2010 — A Warm Welcome to JCB Credit Cards from Select-a-Room.com

We are delighted to add the distinguished JCB credit card to our range of payment options on Select-a-Room.com - specifically for our Japanese customers booking our 40,000 discount hotels from Tokyo to 124 countries worldwide! We have added Japanese Yen as a payment option and hope that this helps to support our Japanese customers.

26 May 2010 — Group Travel With Select-a-Room.com - Worldwide!

With our huge buying power as a leading travel wholesaler, we offer great hotel deals world-wide for groups. We handle a large number of groups into all of our featured destinations - and can offer additional requirements such as transfers, tours and tailor-made programmes for groups. We do not sell flights - simply because these are generally available cheaply directly from airlines - but concentrate on what we know - big savings in hotels and land services. We handle business and leisure travel, group sports travel (both teams and supporters) and tailor made special interest programmes worldwide. From Stag parties and hen nights, through to corporate, incentive and conference groups, we can tailor a programme to suit your needs. Our experienced groups department are delighted to quote.

For group quotes, simply fill in our online Group Request form, or email us at info@select-a-room.com for quick and effective group quotes - worldwide!

Welcome to our world of discount travel!

05 May 2010 — More Than 40,000 Hotels Deals Worldwide Now Live on Select-a-room.com

Stop Press: We are delighted to advise that we now have over 40,000 hotels live on Select-a-Room.com ! We have a massive range of hotels in 124 countries worlwide on every continent and our enormous buying power and low cost base allow us to sell at massive discount to public prices! We do not advertise on hotel comparison sites and we don't spend money on TV advertising - we simply offer you the best available hotel prices at all times. We rely on word of mouth, recommendation and referral for most of our bookings. We do not pay commission to airlines and simply concentrate on what we do best: negotiating the best available hotel rates and passing these great deals on to our customers. Thank you for your continued support!

 

09 April 2010 — Web-Design Specialist Needed - Cambridgeshire UK

We are looking for a Web Site Developer to develop our wide range of travel websites. The position is based in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, England. The key skills offered by the successful candidate will be: experience in developing websites in html - experience of xml would be an added bonus; detailed knowledge of java; a keen eye for graphic design and understanding of web site dynamics; quick worker, flexible and enthusiastic; experience on a wide range of service industry websites would be a distinct advantage. Send CV's to: recruitment@aslatravelgroup.com ; Salary is dependent on age and experience. Dynamic and challenging environment in a lovely setting. No agencies or design houses please.

06 October 2009 — Regular Traveller Praises Select-a-room.com Service Standards!

"The Hotel was both clean and presentable although the breakfast should have been avoided. The facilities were excellent ant the location of the hotel was convenient to the centre of Minsk. The service was excellent once again. I will be recommending Select-a-Room.com to all those who wish to travel to Belarus and Russia. "

Editor: we publish reports - both good and bad! Contract team discussing breakfast with the hotel!

27 August 2009 — Hotels with Facilities for Disabled Visitors

Wheelchair users sometimes find it difficult to find appropriate hotels for their use - we are pleased to assist in finding the best hotel for your needs. simply contact our customer services team at: info@select-a-room.com and outline your requirements. we would be pleased to assist and offer guidance.

12 August 2009 — Exclusive Hotel Deals Worldwide from Select-a-room.com !

Our great range of hotels and strong buying power enables us to contract many hotels at recession-busting prices - including FREE NIGHT offers in many hotels, free transfers and free meals in certain hotels!

Hotels in many parts of the world control their own inventory - ensuring you have instant availability in a wide range of hotels to choose from! Great new hotel deals from Select-a-room.com ! Prices are being updated daily by thousands of hotels worldwide to give up to the minute instant availability and best available rates!

Welcome to our world of discount hotels online!

14 May 2009 — Major Price Falls for White Nights at Grand Hotel Europe - St Petersburg, Russia!

We have negotiated major discounts on our already low rates for the magnificent Grand Hotel Europe in St Petersburg - including the White nights period! This amazing deal reflects the current economic crisis - and our large volume of bookings in one of the best hotels in the world!

For a fantastic treat, enjoy the superb location, 24 hours of daylight and the magnificent city of St Petersburg - don't miss out - book now! Space is limited and bookings are coming in quickly.

 

26 February 2009 — Stop Press: Welcome to our New Travel Forums for Travel Advice Worldwide!

We are pleased to announce that we have developed our new Online Travel Forums for visitors to our discount hotel websites - the Travel Forums are is designed to allow you to ask general travel questions about our destinations, and for other members of the forum and our administrators to reply in order to enhance your planning and preparation for travel. We are pleased to receive any comments or suggestions that you may have to improve the forum and hope you find it useful. You are welcome to start new forums for different regions - or simply review questions and comments posted by others. To participate, you need to register - but to review, no registration is needed. Any questions - simply email us at info@select-a-room.com ! We hope that this will be helpful for particularly complex destinations where visas are needed or for travel to particular events where hotels are very busy.

15 December 2008 — St Petersburg: The Arts Square Winter Festival Started Sunday 14 Dec

Is St. Petersburg the place to be in winter? Internationally renowned conductor Yury Temirkanov offers a confident “yes” with his Arts Square Festival, the annual classical music event that has become St. Petersburg’s premier artistic happening during the winter months.

The festival was launched in 1999 by Yury Temirkanov, the respected artistic director of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra at the Shostakovich Philharmonic Hall on Ploshchad Iskusstv — or “Arts Square.”

Temirkanov’s idea was to restore the long-lost pre-Revolutionary tradition of a sparkling winter “season,” with concerts, balls, masquerades and parties sweeping the city during the New Year holiday. During its nine-year history, the festival has become an extensive annual event, and has encompassed celebrations for “Western” Christmas (Dec. 25), New Year, Orthodox Christmas (Jan. 7) and Old New Year (Jan. 14, according to the pre-Revolutionary calendar).

Arts Square, noted for its statue of Russian national poet Alexander Pushkin, is adorned with some of the city’s finest cultural assets. Three of them — the State Russian Museum, the Shostakovich Philharmonic Hall and the Mikhailovsky Theater — are at the heart of the Arts Square Festival.

Running a music festival isn’t very difficult, according to Temirkanov.

“A festival is no big deal, really,” he smiles. “In Europe, nearly every village now has its own festival.”

“What does present a challenge is building a symbolic concept of the event in such an historic location as St. Petersburg,” he added. This year’s Arts Square Festival opens on Sunday (Dec. 14), with a concert including world-renowned pianist Evgeny Kissin playing Brahms’ First Piano Concerto.

In addition to Kissin, performers set to appear include pianist Vladimir Feltzman, violinist Viktor Tretyakov, pianist Yefim Bronfman, the Russian National Orchestra under the baton of Mikhail Pletnyov and the Moscow Soloists Ensemble under the baton of Yury Bashmet.

On Dec. 21, the Mariinsky Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Valery Gergiev will perform Mahler’s Fifth Symphony in the Shostakovich Philharmonic Hall.

Works by Johannes Brahms are at the heart of this year’s program.

Renowned violinist Tretyakov performs a program of Brahms’s Third Symphony, Violin Concerto and Hungarian Dances on Tuesday alongside the Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra.

 U.S. pianist Feltzman appears with the same orchestra on Dec. 19 with a program of Mozart’s Concert Rondo in D Major for Piano and Orchestra, Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto and Brahm’s Second Symphony. Internationally renowned pianist Bronfman joins Temirkanov and the Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra on Dec. 24, the last event of this year’s festival. The musicians will perform Brahms’s Second Piano Concerto and Fourth Symphony.

As with previous Arts Square Festivals, Temirkanov is introducing a talented newcomer to the city’s concertgoers this year.

The name to watch is the outstanding young violinist Valery Sokolov. Born in Ukraine in 1986, the musician was the winner of the 2005 Enesco Piano Competition. In 1999, aged 13, Sokolov was awarded a scholarship, established by Russia’s Vladimir Spivakov, to study at the prestigious Yehudi Menuhin School in the U.K. at the International Pablo Saraste festival in Spain.

The first of Temirkanov’s proteges, the Chinese pianist Lang Lang, has returned to St. Petersburg on several occasions, including as a special guest at the Arts Square Festival.

“Lang Lang has a fantastic career. He gives more than 100 performances a year around the world,” Temirkanov said. “I keep close tabs on what he is doing, but I’m happy to see that he doesn’t need my help any more.”

On the other side of Arts Square from the Shostakovich Philharmonic, the revitalized Mikhailovsky Theater contributes a dash of ballet to this year’s festival with a performance on Monday of “The Moor’s Pavane: Variations on the theme of Othello.” The ballet was choreographed by Jose Limon in 1949 to music by the 17th century English composer Henry Purcell. The ballet’s four dancers represent The Moor, Desdemona, Iago, and Emilia, with Farukh Ruzimatov as The Moor.

The second half of the evening is composed of “Divertissements” that include Marius Petipa’s “Sleeping Beauty” to music by Tchaikovsky, Alexander Gorsky’s “Ocean and Pearls” to music by Cesare Pugni, “Esmeralde” (Petipa, Pugni), “Le Corsaire” (Petipa, Adam, Pugni, Delibes, Drigo, Oldenburgsky) and Maurice Bejart’s “Bhakti” to Indian classical music.

Over the years, the Arts Square Winter Festival has become popular with tourists and acts like a magnet for foreign visitors.

Book your hotels in St Petersburg - now!

15 December 2008 — Stop Press: New Hotel Listings for St Petersburg!

We are pleased to announce the launch of our new hotels listings facility for hotels in St Petersburg, Russia. Great overviews of great hotels; instant availability; free nights; online visa support and greates range of hotels from any online operator! Amazing discounts; live local help from our team in st Petersburg for ballet, opera, concerts and folklore in St Petersburg - book now!

04 November 2008 — BMI Airlines Abolishes Fuel Surcharges from Heathrow!

BMI airlines has announced that it has abolished all flight surcharges for all its flights to and from London Heathrow! Great news for our travellers worldwide and good to see that the era of high oil prices has moved on and flights are more affordable for all. Thank you BMI for passing on these surcharges - time to press ALL airlines to push for lower prices.

22 July 2008 — New Bigger Discounts in Hotels in London and Throughout England!

We have now launched a dedicated programmes of thousands of hotels throughout England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on our new-look site - massive discounts and great range of hotels with instant availability! Make the most of the great value for money if you come from the Eurozone - strling's fall of over 20% over the past year, makes England the perfect destination for cheap shopping and great sightseeing!

Welcome to Great Britain!