Romée de Goriainoff, Olivier Bon, and Pierre-Charles Cros, the owners, took inspiration from New York’s bar scene and created l’Experimental Cocktail Club, a speakeasy on rue Saint Sauveur in the Second Arrondissement. Located just north of Les Halles, you are going to feel like if you are walking through the medieval Paris.

The Experimental Cocktail Club is a discreet venue but it has no secret entrance, just a black façade. Once you enter, you’ll find the perfect combination of New Yorkspeakeasy – with a piano in the corner – and Parisian charm. Step inside, through the heavy velvet curtain, and you’ll be in a  chic-neo-baroque feeling.

This is one of Time Out’s 100 best bars in Paris. L’Experimental Cocktail Club has established a place for itself in the world of fancy drinks. Cocktail fans can choose from a menu of 14 libations made by mixologist Nicolas de Soto. After Experimental Cocktail Club’s mixes, you’ll never go back to the other drinks! The mixologies bars reinvent cocktails with fresh fruit juices and subtle spices.

You can find Tommy’s Margarita Especial made of 100% agave tequila Arette mix with lime juice and organic agave honey, infused with Bourbon vanilla and cloves. Or the Bee’s Kiss, Jamaican rum Appleton VX, cream, organic floral honey and crushed Indonesian pepper. The cocktails are innovative and delicious. Try the Experience Number 1, Hendrick’s gin, lemongrass, lemon juice and fresh basil. So delicious!

L’Experimental Cocktail Club is definitely worth a visit, especially for those who like New York City life, and we do! If you are thinking of going to Paris, we hope you enjoy your visit!

37 rue Saint Saveur

75002Paris

01 45 08 88 89

M: Sentier, Etienne Marcel

M-Th 7PM-2AM; Friday/Saturday 7PM-5AM 

Wearing sneakers in a holiday suitcase is something that is becoming increasingly real. Travel and run, at last, have agreed and have found a shared space in Hotel Claris, Barcelona, and Urban in Madrid.

From Derby Hotels Collection we want to promote the practice of this sport and that’s why we have joined with Josef Ajram, triathlete and trader, to present four routes for runners who visit Barcelona or Madrid.

Josef Ajram

A new city experience

Josef Ajram’s routes are designed for those who stay in the Hotel Claris and Hotel Urban. “These are the routes that I’d choose for running in Madrid and Barcelona, explains Josef Ajram. For him, running is also “a different way to know the cities”. And that is why he has designed routes through emblematic areas of each city. In Barcelona, ​​the route passes along the Avenida Diagonal or Litoral, for example, and in Madrid you can run in el Retiro and Casa de Campo.

Josef Ajram and our runners!

Derby Hotels wants to create an experience beyond the sport, wants to experience the city in a different way. Routes, designed for beginners and experienced runners are very flexible proposals that each rider can adapt to their level or available time.

Josef Ajram’s recommendation is to run in the less busy hours. According to the triathlete “early in the morning is the best time” as there isn’t so much traffic. Josef Ajram recommends eating a piece of fruit before going out and enjoy Derby’s buffet breakfast when returning to the Hotel.

Joaquim Clos, general director of DHC with Josef Ajram

“Running in the city is a different way of living every city”, says Ajram. And Urban and Claris routes offer this possibility. “They are an original resource for tourists and for people travelling for business,” explains Josef Ajram. Moreover, the routes are so easy to follow for those who don’t know the city and could get lost.

Maps available on Derby Hotels’ Facebook – http://on.fb.me/Yj15Ev 

The itineraries are designed to be affordable and easy to use both for guests and for those interested in accessing them. They can also serve as a channel of communication and exchange of views and advices to users.

The interactive map can be downloaded from phone or computer.

Josef Ajram routes for Derby Hotels Collection 

- Route 1,Diagonal-Cervantes Park: Route for beginners with little difficulty. It can be done in less than an hour (about 9 km). Starting point is located in Hotel Claris. It is a very easy journey, impossible to get lost because once you reach Diagonal Avenue you don’t have to abandon it until you arrive to Park Cervantes. To return to the hotel you just have to follow the same route but in the other way back. Of course, it can be lengthened or shortened for convenience.

- Route 2, Coastline: Route to experts from the Hotel Claris part up to Diagonal Av. In this case the route continues towards the Plaza de las Glorias. It is proposed to seek the Rambla del Poble Nou throughCastella Street and Pere IV. Get to the Avenida Litoral down the Rambla del Poble Nou, not-traveled by tourists and very interesting to get to know Barcelona. You can run down the promenade up to the Olympic Village. Return to the hotel going up through Marina’s street to the Diagonal. It can be done in an hour.

- Route 1,Retiro Park: Route for beginners. A different way of knowing downtown Madrid and also a way to integrate into the “runner” environment of the city. From the Hotel Urban, tour begins east on Highway S. Jerome to Plaza de las Cortes. Follow along Calle Felipe IV to take the Calle de Alfonso XII and finally enter the park by the Marquis de Pontejos Paseo. From this moment the asphalt is allowed to run on land. May extend into the park as much as wants each runner. Josef Ajram’s proposal for those who have more time is to walk around Paseo dela Republica de Cuba, Uruguay Paseo, Paseo Paseo Fernan Nunez and Colombia to return along Calle de Alfonso XII and go back to the hotel.

- Route 2, Casa de Campo: The purpose of this route is to stroll through the city to get to Casa de Campo. We also offer an interesting tour of the center and some of the city’s tourist spots such as Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor and the Royal Palace. The route is quite long so it is recommended to experienced runners or those who have more time.

We expect you to enjoy the rutes, now you just need to put on your sneakers and run!

Check our Facebook to find the interactive maps:

https://www.facebook.com/DerbyHotelsCollection

http://on.fb.me/Yj15Ev 

Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday and ends on Easter Sunday.  Is the annual commemoration of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Therefore, they are a few days of intense liturgical activity within the various Christian denominations.

Andalusia, pure passion in the South

Arriving in Andalusiaduring Holy Week means smelling the aroma of incense and orange blossom, being moved by the singing of a saeta and impressed to hear the silence of a crowd.

In Andalusia there are many ways to live and feel the Holy Week and everything is in the streets of cities and towns in Andalusia. Every corner is decorated with colour, scent and flavour. And all their inhabitants are fully integrated, from orthodoxy or from a purely cultural environment.

Fraternities take the streets with pictures and sculptures, sometimes of great historical and artistic value, representing scenes from the Passion, Death and Resurrection. Many brotherhoods are accompanied by a procession of penitents or Nazarenes, wearing the habit of the brotherhood, with candles, lanterns and musical accompaniment … And, in the case of women, wearing the typical mantilla.

Andalusian brotherhoods

The Holy Week of Malaga, Granadaand Sevilleare classified as international tourist celebrations. Easter is one of the most reliable expressions of Christian Andalusian feel. Holy Week represents a socio-cultural phenomenon mostly, but it is also a tourism and economic fact.

In Seville we found La Macarena, the most popular of Seville virgins. The green tide, as they call the long line of olive Nazarenes robes, walk each year through the streets of Seville from ‘La Madrugá’ on Friday and for 14 hours before returning to the Basílica.

 Another virgin, Esperanza de Triana, also from Sevilla, leaves from the chapel of the Mariners. And this year it will be accompanied by the choir Julio Pardo, 43 voices singing Crowned Incarnation. Los Gitanos de Triana, founded in 1753 walk through all neighbourhoods ofSeville. It is the brotherhood of Cayetana, Duchess of Alba, who continues to maintain her tradition of going to watch the passing ofLa Salud at 2 am in the morning.

Together with El Silencio and El Santo Entierro, El Cristo de Burgos (XVI century) is the counterpoint of the most popular brotherhoods of Seville. This brotherhood is a serious, austere and silent in almost all the way, only accompanied by music chapel.

In Malaga, el Cristo de la Buena muerte, is one of the most popular brotherhoods in Holy Thursday. It is well known for the parade of a company of legionaries that carry the cross to the throne. In Málaga is very common to see the actor Antonio Banderas, who belongs to several brotherhoods and lives Easter with passion and commitment.

A brotherhood with a very particular history is Jesus el Rico. This brotherhood has the power to release a prisoner (without violent crime) each year, privilege granted by Carlos III.

In Granada, the passion focuses on Holy Wednesday with the Cristo de los Gitanos. Dozens of bonfires illuminate the passage of the procession while, in the caves of Sacromonte, Gypsies sing zambras and fiestas.

And if we are in Jaén, the Christ is El Abuelo, a popular brotherhood founded in 1594. The legend says there was an old man that asked for a log and he stayed alone all night. In the morning, the old man was gone and in his bedroom was a splendid image of Jesus.

If you are planning to get away and you still have no destination, Andalusiaat Easter is a good choice! After this tour of the magic Andalusian Derby Hotels wants to wish happy holidays!

Everything in the Arai breathes history. Perfectly located where Las Ramblas, the Cathedral and the harbour meet. Its location offers us two thousand years of history: Roman remains, medieval, baroque and modernist. We will also be able to life the daily pulse of the locals: markets, churches, theatres, hotels, shops, restaurants, tourists … So we are in the perfect place to experience authenticBarcelona.

Gothic Quarter, ​​a neighbourhood where the past coexists the present, an open air museum. The scenario of the best legends.

To know every corner and discover its culture background Joan Coll, director of Cultruta, with an experience of over 5 years as a tour guide, shows us some of the stories and the Gothic spaces hidden from us.

Haven’t you ever wondered where the name of Boqueria came? It comes from Boc, which in Catalan means goatling. A history dating back to the XIII century when the meat more succulent and tender of the goat was sold within the city, where wealthy people lived. But in the suburbs, where popular Boqueria market is located today, sold the boc, a tougher meat with lower quality. Managers were selling “boquers” and that’s when the Boqueria name was born.

The street names often have their origin in the history of the city itself. For example, the Puerta del Angel answers a XV century legend according to an angel guarding the city. We can still see a sculpture that references this protective figure in the Portal del Ángel. Porta Ferrisa also gets its name from an old door that was closing this road.

We are in the Jewish Quarter where we will discover, for example, a haunted house or the bridge where Santa Eulalia was locked, one of the patron saints of Barcelona. Precisely in memory of this young geese caregiver who suffered 13 shepherdess to defend Christianity; we can find today 13 of these animals in the courtyard of the Cathedral. Even thoughtBarcelona’s day is celebrated on September 24th in honor of Merce. And when it rains, they say it’s Santa Eulalia crying because nobody remembers her.

All these legends are documented in the work of Joan Amades Catalan, a folklorist, who collected all the stories, legends and myths that older people orally transmitted to their children and grandchildren. His work combines the oral culture of the Gothic and the city of Barcelona, ​​the best way to know and understand the daily lives of our ancestors.

There’s nothing unusual prima facie. But if you go deep in Altamarea’s story, you can get very surprised. What is it that makes this group different? Why is it that you can resume everything with just a word? Success!

Nationwide, most restaurants close within the first year but Mr. Ahmass Fakahany is a financier by training; he did career at Merril Lynch and he built his restaurant group like ‘the money man’ he once was. He has hired back-office members from places like Goldman Sachs and Bain Capital to help him watch expenses. But that’s not all, he also hired his former driver at Merrill Lynch to shuttle around almost everything: from clients to wine crates.

 Michael White, the chef, spent his childhood in Wisconsin and graduated from the Kendal Culinary Institute. Nowadays, he has won several Michelin Stars and has been named Esquire’s Best Chef, just to name a few awards. Not to mention that his restaurant, Marea, is one of the best restaurants in New York City (said by Zagat, The New York Times, James Beard Foundation…).

This team seems to be invincible!

Marea, from the sea to the table

Located in Central Park South, Marea can be described like “the food is so heavenly, I don’t mind going to hell”, as we just read on a blog. Three stars from The New York Times, two Michelin Stars in 2012 and many other acknowledgments from several organizations endorse this sentence.

Marea, meaning ‘tide’ in Italian, redefines the high-end Italian food. The cuisine is committed to the freshest and most seasonal fish and shellfish from theMediterranean and waters worldwide. Selections are crudo, a wide variety of oysters and clams and antipasti.

Mr. White is famous for his house made pasta, plenty of frutti di mare. The menu also includes composed fish dishes, whole fish preparations and a short selection of meat.

And after watching the pictures, the mouth is watering, doesn’t it?

For those who are planning a visit to the city that never sleeps, here’s our recommendation in New York City! Good food, nice venue and incredible business management.

Café Charlot, in Paris, is known to be one of peoples’ favorite places to have a delicious brunch with friends while you’re enjoying the incredible atmosphere. One of the best choices is to order a classic brunch menu. What can you find in this magic brunch? Fresh squeezed orange juice, hot chocolate, pain perdu, toasts, cherry tomatoes and shallots, fresh fruit salad, scrambled organic eggs with smoked salmon and soft chive cream cheese… Delicious!

In Café Charlot you can eat what most people define as ‘the perfect hamburger’. It is served with the right kind of bread (we all know French bread is extremely delicious!), a soft sesame seed bun, a perfectly cooked burger with everything it should have inside, and crispy French fries.

 If you prefer organic food you can also order chicken burger, also served with fries. Among the other gourmet sandwiches are the BLT, the hot sandwich Charlot (cheese, beef and grilled onions served on a french roll) and of course, the typical French croque. Café Charlot’s specials: le croque jeune homme and le croque jeune fille.

Le Marais

Café Charlot’s neighbourhood is Le Marais. The beautiful buildings indicate the moneyed status of the old residents. After the revolution, much of the area was abandoned by the rich, and poor bohemian types moved in. Almost the opposite of what happened in Soho inNewYorkCity.

Le Marais is now one of Paris’ significant localities for artists. Le Marais has become a fashionable district, where you can find many trendy and cozy restaurants, vogue houses, and art galleries.

 You can’t miss it!! Visit Le Marais on your next visit to Paris and chill out with a brunch at Charlot’s Café!!

The Carnival season begins! This Holidayis celebrated worldwide between February and March. The most representative start from the 2nd, 7th, 8th and 9^th of February, the Carnivals ofCadiz (Spain), Tenerife (Canary Islands,Spain),Venice(Italy) andRio de Janeiro (Brazil).

In Spain one of the most important celebrations is the Carnival of Cadiz, both for its artistic and creative value. One of the most representative acts of this party inCadizare the “chirigotas”: songs full of irony, criticism, humor and claim on current issues.Cadizlives a one-week continuous party, full of freedom of expression, feeling and costumes.

The Carnival of Tenerife is the second most popular and worldwide recognized carnival, afterRio de Janeiro, in fact these two cities are twinned for this reason. Hundreds of people take the streets of Santa Cruz de Tenerife during the week of carnival,  participating in groups with dazzling costumes, street bands, troupes, orchestras … All of this accompanied by the best weather and the best laughs.

On the 2^nd of February was the starting signal for the Carnival of Venice, the most glamorous of all. People dress up taking inspiration from seventeenth-century Venice, and take the streets to show off their clothes, whether in organized or private events. It’s one of the carnivals with more soul and elegance. If you go, don’t forget your mask …

On the streets of Rio de Janeiro the world’s most famous carnival is celebrated during  three days to the rhythm of samba, feathers, colors and brightness … The acclaimed Sambadrome, which can accommodate 50,000 people, year after year is filled with Brazilians and tourists that  don’t want to miss this great event.

Wait no longer. Prepare your most original costume and join one of these carnivals, fun is guaranteed.

What happened to the paper travel guides, folded maps, small translation dictionaries and typical trip reservations going to a travel agency or just talking with the manager of the hotel?

The world of technology is advancing by leaps and bounds and with it our understanding of travel. More than half of the population has a smartphone. A tool that has become one of the most useful devices. Given that you have millions of applications for travel: itineraries, maps, hotel deals, culinary guides, translators … We propose four of the most practical apps to make your trip more interesting, comfortable and enjoyable:

MINUBE: Offers you the option of discovering and sharing the best photos and experiences of the most special and unique places to go, where to enjoy an ideal meal and the best place to sleep. Moreover,  you can follow the activity of other users.

WORDLENDS: Allows you to translate in real time printed words from one language to another with its built-in camera video. You can use this application during vacation, on business trips or just for fun.

YELP: Yelp is here to help you out. Use the app to find places to eat, drink, shop, relax or play. You can search for nearby businesses, restaurants, bars, cafes and much more…  up to refining your searches by neighborhood, distance or price.

SEAT GURU: It’s essential for anyone traveling, offers color-coded airline seat maps,  warnings about  flight status in real time and a large flight search engine (provided by TripAdvisor Flights).

Finally! You’re a little more prepared to enjoy your trip in the most convenient and immediate way. Note! Beware of the roaming service prices when traveling abroad.

This kind of markets have they origin in the XIX century when the councillors of Paris decided that the antique dealers, second hand goods dealers, were not able to sell in the city any more and they moved to the bordering area, to the Portes of Paris.

From that moment, the regular exhibitions start to follow each other until 1885 when it was born in Saint-Ouen what we now know as Flea Market.

The movement spread until becoming what it is now: a set of different markets located throughout Paris and where you can find absolutely everything.

In order to make it easier for you to visit them, we will provide you a list of the best markets depending on what they offer.

Marché aux Puces

It is the origial market and the biggest one in the world selling antiquities. It is settled at the Porte de Clignancourt. In this amazing market, you will be able to buy clothes, renaissance furniture, musical instruments, antiquities and other vintage objects. A must that, if you get the chance to visit, we suggest you take advantage of it!

Timetable: Saturday (9 a.m. – 6 p.m.), Sunday (10 a.m. – 6 p.m.) and Monday (11 a.m. – 5 p.m.)

Marché de Montreuil

It is another one of the original markets that emerged in the city. In this case, the main product are the clothes and the accessories. You can even find Yves Saint Laurent shoes, and any second-hand piece of clothing at incredible prices. No doubt, a market full of life from where you will not be able to go out bare handed.

Times: Saturday, Sunday and Monday (7 a.m. -7.30 p.m.)

Marché Bastille

If what you are looking for is food, the Marché Bastille will not let you down. It is huge, full of people and delicious gastronomy offers: fresh fruits and vegetables, local cheeses, seafood, aged wine… anything! It is one of the most visited markets in the city by the locals. So if you want to see and taste the authentic Parisian food, you need to go have a look!

Timetable: Thursday (7 a.m. – 2.30 p.m.) and Sunday (7 a.m. – 3 p.m.)

Marché Monge

It is another must market for foodies. It is located in the heart of Paris, just next to the Rue Mouffetard, one of the most festive streets in the city. In fact, we suggest you go before you start shopping. This market is becoming a real attraction for tourists. No wonder why, given the quality of the food they offer on accurately well-decorated stands.

Timetable: Wednesday and Friday (7 a.m. – 14.30 p.m.), Sunday (7 a.m. – 3 p.m.)

Marché aux Fleurs et aux Oiseaux

One of the most original markets in the city: they only sell Parisian flowers and birds. This market has two buildings and some shops full of colour and smell: roses, orchids, lilies, tulips, bird cages, gardening books, cockatiels, parakeets and even exotic macaws! No doubt, a different experience from which you will go out far more than satisfied.

Timetable: everyday (8 a.m. – 7 p.m.)

Today, we would like to introduce to you one of the restaurants of the city that never sleeps in order to deny this myth since, even if it is not always easy to find them, New York owns a wide and delicious range of gastronomy possibilities.

In this case, we have visited the Greenwich Village, on the West side of Lower Manhattan. The neighbourhood is famous for being a bastion of Bohemia and artistic culture and have been home of successful artists such as Bob Dylan.

On the Washington Street we found the well-known restaurant “The Standard Grill” of the Hotel The Standard. It offers different menus for breakfast, lunch, dinner and it also has a wide wine and cocktail list.

As a proof of their delicious meals, several magazines and newspapers such as Vogue or the New York Magazine have qualified it as “perfection” and “delicious”. The Time Out New York wrote a whole article recommending what we should eat and drink.

The famous American gastronomy magazine, Gourmet, mentions also the chef of the restaurant, Dan Silverman, awarded with prices like the “Best New Chef” or “20 Top Table” two years in a row. The magazine of the premium life, Robb Report, also writes that “Silverman excels at taking dishes you know and love and presenting the best renditions of them”.

If you have the incredible chance to be in New York, do not miss this wonderful experience that the restaurant offers. Besides, you may be able to meet some of the celebrities that usually go to this fantastic grill!