US Executive Frank Giotto used a sleepless unscheduled overnight stay at a German airport to come up with an invention that could help the growing number of other passengers stranded in the same way. He created the Mini-Motel, a one-person tent complete with air mattress, pillow, reading light, alarm clock and dental accessories. It retails for $39.95 (£20). Giotto was asked by the New York Times what airports might think of a tent city made up of his Mini-Motels. “People sleeping in... Read Full Story

The Bunny Girl, an icon of ‘the swinging sixties’ in London, could be about to make a return. Hugh Hefner’s empire is looking at two sites in central London for a 21st Century Playboy Club. The original - on Park Lane in Mayfair - closed 27 years ago. A Playboy club that opened in Las Vegas two years ago has been a big success and a large casino and hotel is due to open next year on the Chinese island of Macau. The Executive Vice-President of Playboy, Dick Rosenzweig, said: “We’re looking... Read Full Story

I hear that Bono and The Edge have got the green light for their controversial plan to redevelop their hotel, The Clarence in Dublin. The U2 frontmen have faced opposition from heritage campaigners over the proposed 150 million Euro (£120million/$240million) reconstruction of the protected building on the River Liffey waterfront. But after a long consultation process, the Irish planning authority has given it the go-ahead. The Clarence dates originally from 1852. Bono and The Edge took... Read Full Story

A new cinema complex in Tokyo is offering the ultimate in movie-going experiences. The luxury seats at the Shinjuku Piccadilly cost nearly 30,000 Yen (£140/$280) each, but in your private box you get champagne, custom-made Italian leather sofas and a surround sound system. You have your own entrance, a private elevator and a secluded waiting room. And you get to watch the film on the biggest LCD screen in the world - all 108 inches of it. This has only been made possible because the... Read Full Story

Rome’s in the news again – this time for banning tourists from eating and drinking near its famous monuments. Officials say they want to preserve artistic treasures and decorum. Violators face fines of £40 ($80). The regulation also bans the homeless from putting down makeshift beds and takes to task people who loiter in central areas at night. Officials say these people are often drunk, leave litter on public grounds and in the fountains and also disturb the peace. The ban remains in... Read Full Story

Here’s the latest in my series of quirky museums. A few weeks ago, I gave you French fries. Now stand by for the Museum of the American Cocktail. Opening on July 21st in New Orleans, the museum will focus on the rich history of the sophisticated drinks that have been served since Thomas Jefferson was President. The museum (www.museumoftheamericancocktail.org) is located near the French Quarter and features a collection of rare spirits, books and Prohibition-era literature. There will be... Read Full Story

Officials in the US are considering re-opening the crown of the Statue of Liberty for the first time since 9/11. The statue’s base, pedestal and lower observation platform re-opened to the public in 2004 after a $20 million (£10 million) effort to enhance fire safety. But the crown and its interior viewing deck remained closed because the US National Park Service said there was no way to evacuate them safely in an emergency. The narrow spiral staircase that leads up to the crown doesn’t... Read Full Story

I know plenty of women of a certain age who would love to bump into George Clooney … and I might be able to offer some assistance. Thanks to our friends at the excellent magazine Conde Nast Traveller, I have a steer on two of his favourite luxury hotels in Italy. Clooney favours the Hassler near the Spanish Steps in Rome and the Cipriani in Venice. “I’ve been to the Venice Film Festival five or six times and I love it. Taking a boat to the premiere is a fun way to go,” he said. Both... Read Full Story

One of the most unusual landmarks in western Europe is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary. The Atomium was built in the Belgian capital, Brussels, to mark the city’s staging of Expo ’58. It’s 335 feet tall and features nine interconnected steel spheres forming the shape of a unit cell of an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times. Three spheres are currently closed to the public for safety reasons, but others are easily reachable by escalator. A two-year renovation of the structure... Read Full Story

It’s summer and things are getting hot for the sellers of fake designer goods. A couple of weeks ago, the online auction site ebay was fined £31 million ($62 million) by a French commercial court for not doing enough to prevent counterfeit Louis Vuitton and other products from being traded. Now I hear the police in Rome have raided a warehouse and seized nearly 70,000 fake designer bags, jewellery, cell phone cases and other accessories. They were destined for the city’s illegal street... Read Full Story