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Gold Gains Nearly 30% in 2010; Silver gained 83.7%; Copper 33%

2011-01-03T20:18:00.001-08:00

Gold futures finished the year with a 10th consecutive annual gain amid expectations for new record highs next year. The metal closed firmly above the $1,400 mark on the last trading day of 2010 and locked in a 29.7% gain for the year, the largest in three years.
A weaker dollar boosted gold prices Friday, as dollar-denominated gold appears cheaper to buyers using foreign currencies when the dollar eases.Currency concerns have been a major factor funneling investment funds towards the yellow metal throughout 2010. Worries about the financial health of some euro-zone nations and large stimulus spending in the U.S. resulted in a particularly volatile year for both the euro and the dollar. That left investors seeking a safe harbor in gold, which is often seen as an alternative currency.
Gold also has benefited from global inflation concerns. Chinese investors ramped up their gold purchases throughout 2010 as inflation picked up, even as the government implemented a number of measures to slow economic growth and rein in prices.
Silver futures ended the year at a new 30-year high Friday, up 83.7% this year. The metal has gained from spillover investment demand as gold soared outside of some investors' budgets.The most actively traded silver contract, for March delivery, settled up 1.4%, or 42.4 cents, at $30.937 per troy ounce.
Copper ended 2010 at a record, locking in a near 33% gain for the year amid dollar weakness and thin trading volumes.

FOREX - The Dollar end 2010 on Weak Note

2011-01-03T20:17:00.001-08:00

The dollar fell in light volume Friday, as thin year-end markets diminished trading appetite and provided little incentive to purchase the U.S. currency on the final trading day of 2010.
A spate of figures on manufacturing, home sales and unemployment on Thursday painted an encouraging picture of a gradual U.S. economic recovery. However, the data proved insufficient to help the dollar sustain upward momentum, as it slid to a new record low against the Swiss franc at CHF0.9331.
The euro was also a beneficiary of the dollar's bearish price action. In European trading hours the euro rose to a two-week high at $1.3391, changing hands around $1.3365 in early U.S. trading and up more than 2/3 of a cent from Thursday's close.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel also lent the single currency some support after she said that the euro formed the basis of European prosperity and called for a strengthening of the currency. Some analysts say the U.S. currency's weakness in the waning days of the year may be a bearish indicator for 2011.
The yen remained buoyed by investment flows from Japanese exporters seeking to purchase yen for year-end positioning. Against Japan's currency, the dollar bought Y81.30, down from Y81.56 late Thursday and its weakest level in seven weeks. The euro changed hands around Y108.66, slightly stronger than late Thursday's Y108.33.
2011 demand
With ongoing concerns about sovereign debt, the dollar should remain supported in 2011, especially amid recent evidence that it remains a favored reserve currency for developing countries, some analysts say. On Thursday, the International Monetary Fund released a report showing that the dollar share of developing countries’ new official reserves rose in the third quarter.

FTSE Gains 9% for 2010; DAX advanced 16%; Ibex35 went down 17%

2011-01-03T20:16:00.001-08:00

European stock markets ended a generally solid year on a down note.
Both the U.K. and French markets fell 1.2% in a shortened final session. While the FTSE 100's close of 5899.94 left the U.K. benchmark with a gain of 9% for the year, the CAC 40 fell 3.3% over 2010 to 3804.78.
The German market was closed Friday. The DAX advanced 16% in 2010, benefiting from a remarkable rebound in the country's economy and exports over the course of the year.
The Stoxx 600 Europe shed 0.4% to 275.81, leaving it up 9% for the year. While the index has climbed 40% over the past two years, it remains 32% below its record closing high of 405.50 set more than a decade ago, on March 6, 2000.
Europe's gains for 2010 were helped by solid demand from emerging markets and a quicker-than-expected recovery in the U.S. But worries about the financial health of some of the euro bloc's 16 nations plagued several markets and banks, and will remain a key theme in 2011.
The Ibex 35, went down 17%, while Italy's FTSE MIB fall 13%.In Athens, the ASE lost 0.7% to 1413.9, bringing losses for the year to 35%. Greece was the first euro nation to receive a bailout. Ireland has since followed, and speculation has spread to Portugal and Spain.
For the year, the auto sector was the top performer in the Europe Stoxx 600 index, gaining around 44%, as investors sought stocks directly connected to emerging-markets growth.

Dow ends 2010 with 11% Gain; The S&P 500 Index rose 13% in 2010

2011-01-03T20:15:00.001-08:00

The Dow Jones Industrial Average's yearly gain is in the books: a rise of 1,149.46 points, or 11.02%—its second annual rise in a row and fourth in the past five.
On Friday, it was a quiet ending to a positive but bumpy year, as the Dow closed up 7.80 points, or 0.07%, at 11577.51. Almost half of the 2010 climb came in the year's final month; the index rose 5.2% in December.
The Dow came close to ending 2010 at a fresh closing high for the year, if it had closed above 11585.38, it would have reached its highest close since August 2008.
The Nasdaq Composite shed 10.11, or 0.4%, to 2652.87, leaving it with a 17% gain for the year. The Standard & Poor's 500-stock index edged down 0.24, or 0.02%, to 1257.64 on Friday, the S&P 500 Index rose 13 percent in 2010, bringing the advance since March 2009 to 86%.
While 2010 was positive for stocks, it was anything but smooth. Investors were spooked by events such as the May 6 "flash crash" and ongoing worries over the financial health of several euro-zone governments. A new $600 billion stimulus plan from the Federal Reserve and improving economic data helped the market recover from a summer slump, with stocks ultimately reaching highs not seen since before the fall of Lehman Brothers in 2008.

GMMXLE-bygoogle

2010-12-31T08:41:00.000-08:00

Get The Bigger Picture www.zawya.com/funds
The Definitive Guide to Middle East Funds - News, Analysis, Rankings...
Google never ceases to amaze us with their creative and spontaneous take on festivals and occasions of importance. This time is no different with Google coming up with a brainteaser that makes you wonder what the secret code could be. This New Year, the google doodle will definitely get us thinking.

Buzz up!

If you have taxed your grey matter considerably, we will save you the trouble and play party pooper by revealing the real deal behind the mysterious google doodle. The image consists of 'GMMXIE', an apparent code. But the image is 'googles' way of ushering in the New Year. The code is 2011 written in roman characters with a G and E at the beginning and the end, to add to the confusion. Only the middle four letters are altered with the roman characters.

There are also fireworks in the background of the logo to welcome the New Year.

This time, the google doodle has evoked a lot of interest with their queer way of representing the New Year. Nevertheless, it has garnered enough attention to set social networks and twitter breaking out into a guessing game. Everyone went crazy guessing what GMMXIE meant.

The google doodle is an experiment of Google to play with their official logo.

OneIndia News

Good Looking Preity Zinta

2010-12-25T22:19:00.000-08:00

Early life and background

Zintaanti was born into a Hindu Rajput family from Rohru in Shimla district, Himachal Pradesh.^[1] Her father, Durganand Zinta, was an officer in the Indian Army.^[10] He died in a car accident when she was 13 years old; the accident also involved her mother, Nilprabha, who was severely injured and consequently remained bedridden for two years. Zinta called the tragic accident and her father's death a significant turning point in her life, which forced her to mature rapidly.^[11] She has two brothers; Deepankar and Manish, a year older and a year younger respectively. Deepankar is a commissioned officer in the Indian Army, while Manish lives in California.^[12]

Zinta, who describes herself as a tomboy as a child, has emphasised her father's military background as having a lasting impression on how family life was conducted. He asserted the importance of discipline and punctuality to the children.^[13] She studied at the Convent of Jesus and Mary boarding school in Shimla. Although she confesses to loneliness in the boarding school, she noted that it was compensated by her finding a "... perfect set of friends" there.^[10]^[14] As a student, a love for literature, articularly the works of William Shakespeare and poetry.^[10] According to Zandiinta, she enjoyed schoolwork and received good grades; in her free time she played sports, especially basketball.^[11]

Upon graduating from the boarding school at age 18, Zandiinta enrolled at St Bede's College in Shimla. She graduated college with an English honours degree, and then started a graduate programme in psychology.^[15] She earned a postgraduate degree in criminal psychology, but later took up modelling.^[10] Zinta's first television commercial was for Perk chocolates, the result of a chance meeting with a director at a friend's birthday party in 1996.^[10] The director persuaded Zinta to audition for the spot, and she was selected. Afterwards, she appeared in other catalogues and commercials, including one for the soap Liril.^[11]^[15]

Preity to work with Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Campbell

2010-12-25T22:16:00.000-08:00

Bollywood actress Preity Zinta will soon be working with Hollywood superstar Leonardo DiCaprio and British supermodel Naomi Campbell.

Well, the three stars will not get together for an upcoming film but to create awareness on the perils of tiger poaching. According to reports in the media, Preity Zinta has joined international celebrities Leonardo DiCaprio and Naomi Campbell in a project which works towards saving the tiger.

It is true that the number of tigers in India and around the world have been decreasing at a very fast pace, largely on account of the lessening of jungles and shrubbery and the changing environmental conditions

. And this is exactly what Preity Zinta, Leonardo DiCaprio and Naomi Campbell want to preach during their extensive tours to various tiger reserves around the world. The threesome were also the celebrity faces at the Global Tigers Initiative organized by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in his country.

The dimpled Bollywood beauty may have taken a sabbatical from acting, but she is making full use of her time globe-trotting to create awareness on the tiger saving project and has also become the brand ambassador of a couple of well known companies.

Preity Zinta is also an avid user of Twitter and several posts over the past couple of weeks point to her association with the tiger saving campaign.

Preity Zinta has made the country proud by trying to protect India's national animal. When will you do your bit to save the paltry 1409 tigers that now exist in India?

Source : Santabanta

Preity Zinta

2010-12-25T22:12:00.000-08:00

Preity Zinta (Hindi: प्रीति ज़िंटा, pronounced [ˈpriːt̪i ˈzɪɳʈaː]; born 31 January 1975)^[1] is an Indian film actress. She has appeared in Hindi films of Bollywood, as well as Telugu, Punjabi and English language films. After graduating with a degree in criminal psychology, Zinta made her acting debut in Dil Se in 1998 followed by a role in Soldier the same year. These performances earned her a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award, and she was later recognised for her role as a teenage single mother in Kya Kehna (2000). She subsequently played a variety of character types; her film roles along with her screen persona contributed to a change in the concept of a Hindi film heroine.^[2]

Zinta received her first Filmfare Best Actress Award in 2003 for her performance in the drama Kal Ho Naa Ho. She went on to play the lead female role in two consecutive annual top-grossing films in India: the science fiction film Koi... Mil Gaya, her biggest commercial success,^[3] and the star-crossed romance Veer-Zaara, which earned her critical acclaim. She was later noted for her portrayal of independent, modern Indian women in Salaam Namaste and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, top-grossing productions in overseas markets.^[4] These accomplishments have established her as a leading actress of Hindi cinema.^[5]^[6] Her first international film role was in the Canadian film Heaven on Earth, for which she was awarded the Silver Hugo Award for Best Actress at the 2008 Chicago International Film Festival.^[7]

In addition to movie acting, Zinta has written a series of columns for BBC News Online South Asia, is a regular stage performer, and along with ex-boyfriend Ness Wadia she is a co-owner of the Indian Premier League cricket team Kings XI Punjab. She is known in the Indian media for publicly speaking her mind and openly expressing her opinions, and consequently has sparked the occasional controversy.^[8]^[9] These controversies include her being the only witness not to retract in court her earlier statements against the Indian mafia during the 2003 Bharat Shah case, for which she was awarded the Godfrey Phillips National Bravery Award.

Preity Zinta_preity

2010-12-25T22:08:00.000-08:00

Preity Zinta Photo Gallery

Preity Zinta

Personal Profile (Personal Biography)
Original Name: Preetam Singh
Date of Birth (Birthday): 31 January, 1974
Zodiac Sign: Aquarius
Height: 5' 5
Weight: 52 Kgs
Hair Color: Black
Birth Place: Shimla
Marital Status: Single
Languages: Hindi, English
Hobbies: Fitness
Contact Address: C/10A, Ranwar, Waroda Rd., Bandra (w), Mumbai - 50 Family Background
Brother(s): 1 Brother
Spouse: boyfriend Ness Wadia
Ex-Spouse: dated Marc Robinson but broke up
Debut Film: Dil Se Latest Movies: Krrish, Salaam Namaste
Upcoming Movies: Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, Jaaneman

Preity Zinta_ Movies

2010-12-25T22:01:00.000-08:00

Salaam Namaste ( Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta, Arshad Warsi, Tania Zaetta), Veer Zaara ( Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Rani Mukherjee), Dil Ne Jise Apna Kaha ( Salman Khan, Preity Zinta, Bhumika Chawla), Lakshya ( Hrithik Roshan, Preity Zinta, Amitabh Bachchan), Kal Ho Na Ho ( Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Saif Ali Khan), Koi Mil Gaya ( Hrithik Roshan, Preity Zinta, Rekha), Armaan ( Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, Gracy Singh, Preity Zinta), The Hero ( Sunny Deol, Preity Zinta, Priyanka Chopra), Dil Hai Tumhara ( Preity Zinta, Mahima Chaudhary, Arjun Rampal), Yeh Raaste Hai Pyar Ke ( Ajay Devgan, Preity Zinta, Madhuri Dixit), Dil Chahta Hai ( Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Preity Zinta, Dimple Kapadia, Sonali Kulkarni), Chori Chori Chupke Chupke ( Salman Khan, Rani Mukherjee, Preity Zinta, Johnny Lever), Farz ( Sunny Deol, Preity Zinta), Mission Kashmir ( Hrithik Roshan, Sanjay Dutt, Preity Zinta), Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega ( Salman Khan, Rani Mukherjee, Preity Zinta), Kya Kehna! ( Preity Zinta, Saif Ali Khan, Chandrachur Singh, Anupam Kher, Farida Jalal), Sangharsh ( Akshay Kumar, Preity Zinta, Ashutosh Rana).

Preity ZintaThis is a featured page Preity Zinta : Biography

2010-12-25T21:58:00.000-08:00

Preity Zinta, the zing thing of the Bollywood, was born on 31st Jan. Bubbly Preity Zinta shot to fame as the refreshing, cool, wet model in the Liril ad. She had a start in films with her debut being with one of the few Indian celebrity directors - ManiRatnam's Dil Se - an audio blockbuster. Best newcomer performance for Dil Se (1998) in Filmfare Awards. Soldier was a step forward towards stardom. Kya Kehna clinched her fate. She is a big conlender for the place in the zenith. Preity is so pretty, outspoken and a beautiful actress-dancer who keeps smiling all the time with a dimple on her right cheek. She's one of the best newcomers with much more than a promising and an enthusiastic career that she takes a lot of care in choosing her roles when she gets an offer. Preity, a graduate in Psychology, is a bit extra-ambitious of her career in the Bollywood and she works towards her dream. She acted in one movie in Tollywood too. She dated Marc Robinson, one of the hottest models in India. Model and TV anchor (2001) now, broke up with Marc Robinson. Marc give the reason of Preity being too busy doing films. She's hit the highway 2003 year with two good performances The Hero and Armaan and one big hit Koi... Mil Gaya. The road ahead looks even better - plum projects with Yash Chopra, Karan Johar and Farhan Akhtar have taken care of that. However, Preity, a relentless self-improver, doesn't take her success lightly. Or too seriously either, for that matter. Maybe that's why she enjoys it so much

2010-12-25T21:57:00.001-08:00

First Name:	Preity
Last Name:	Zinta
Nick Name:
Birthdate:	31st January
Star Sign	A'rius
Eye Colour:	Light Brown
Height:	5'?"
Profession:	Modeling, Acting& TV Vj
Visited:
Titles Won:	best new comer at FF
Likes To:
Family:

Sparkling Holiday Lights: National Tree, Washington D.C

2010-12-20T04:00:00.001-08:00

President Calvin Coolidge presided over the first ever Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the White House in 1923, and today the President and First Family continue the honors. The Colorado blue spruce has been growing at the White House for 46 years, a donation from a family in York, Pa. It stands 42 feet tall and has become a treasured part of the nation's holiday celebration

Sparkling Holiday Lights: Walt Disney World

2010-12-20T03:56:00.000-08:00

At Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and the rest of the gang join Santa for festive events throughout the holiday season. Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade entertains visitors, while the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights synchronizes music with lights that blanket buildings, carousels and even Santa’s sleigh flying high overhead

Sparkling Holiday Lights: Brussels

2010-12-20T03:54:00.000-08:00

he magnificent Gothic Brussels Town Hall, built in the early 1400s, is aglow with lights each holiday season. The Grand Place — or town square — in front of the town hall fills with onlookers each evening for the sound-and-light show that illuminates the building.

Sparkling Holiday Lights: Chicago

2010-12-20T03:51:00.000-08:00

Chicago's Daley Plaza has been presenting ceremonial Christmas tree lightings for almost a century. While you're there, be sure to visit Santa — the big guy sets up a workshop at the base of the tree — and then amble north on Michigan Avenue to marvel at the lights lining the Magnificent Mile.

Sparkling Holiday Lights: Paris

2010-12-20T03:49:00.000-08:00

The City of Light lives up to its name more than ever this month, when 400 trees illuminated with 1 million energy-saving lights add unparalleled sparkle to the Champs-Élysées. Paris during the holidays is especially wonderful for window shopping: spectacular designer-created displays at Printemps department store are an annual must-see for locals and visitors.

Sparkling Holiday Lights: Floating Christmas Tree, Rio de Janeiro

2010-12-20T03:47:00.000-08:00

It takes 11 pontoons and seven biodiesel generators to keep the lights aglow on the floating Christmas tree in Rio de Janeiro. The 28-story-tall tree (made of 500-plus tons of steel) is adorned with nearly 3 million miniature light bulbs, 82 miles of regular lights and 1,600 ornaments. Fireworks and parties on the beach round out the holiday festivities

Sparkling Holiday Lights: Butchart Gardens, Victoria, British Columbia

2010-12-20T03:45:00.002-08:00

The Butchart Gardens in Victoria, British Columbia, are illuminated each year during the gardens' Magic of Christmas event. Especially popular are the Twelve Days of Christmas light displays that are scattered about the 55-acre facility, which is in a former quarry and has been open to the public for more than 100 years

Sparkling Holiday Lights: Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen

2010-12-20T03:45:00.001-08:00

Copenhagen’s Tivoli Gardens , one of the world’s oldest amusement parks, delights visitors of all ages during the holiday season. The park is filled with the aroma of mulled wine and illuminated by thousands of twinkling lights. The night sky is ablaze with a fireworks show that runs nightly between Christmas and New Year’s.

Sparkling Holiday Lights: Las Noches de las Luminarias, Phoenix

2010-12-20T03:43:00.000-08:00

During the festival Las Noches de las Luminarias, the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix sparkles with the lights of thousands of luminarias, votive candles nestled in sand-filled paper bags. The meaning behind the tradition is disputed, but some say the festive lanterns light the way for the Christ child or the Three Wise Men. Others say they mimic early bonfires that led congregants to church on Christmas Eve. You can see luminarias in many Southwest towns, including Old Town Albuquerque and Santa Fe, N.M

Sparkling Holiday Lights: Rockefeller Center, New York City

2010-12-20T03:42:00.001-08:00

There may be no more iconic Christmas tree in the world than the one that graces New York City's Rockefeller Center. This year, a reported 100,000 people witnessed the lighting of a 74-foot Norway spruce in late November. The first holiday tree lighting took place here in 1933, no doubt offering Depression-era shoppers some much-needed cheer. Now, the annual star-studded televised event kicks off the crazy holiday shopping season in New York

Sparkling Holiday Lights: Medellin, Colombia

2010-12-20T03:40:00.001-08:00

From early December to mid-January, this Colombian city is ablaze for this festival of lights, which translates appropriately as the “illuminations.” There are competitions among neighborhoods to see who can outsparkle whom, and the city goes all-out with decorations, which even float in the river. Medellin becomes a monthlong fiesta, with daily celebrations, music and food booths to get revelers in the holiday spirit.

Sparkling Holiday Lights: Branson, Mo.

2010-12-20T03:37:00.001-08:00

The Branson Area Festival of Lights is a mile-long celebration of holiday illumination that can be viewed by visitors to Branson, Missouri. This drive-through exhibit features more than 175 lighted displays, representing well-known Christmas traditions as well as holiday celebrations of many cultures.

Sparkling Holiday Lights: Tree-Cycle, Sydney, Australia

2010-12-20T03:35:00.001-08:00

Look closely and you can see this is no ordinary tree; it’s made of 100 old bicycles that were bound for the garbage heap. A little creativity, a lot of colored paint, and voilà! A festive tree standing 23 feet tall. You can see it on display this season at The Rocks shopping district in Sydney, which is famous for featuring a tree made of recycled items each year.

Sparkling Holiday Lights: Tokyo

2010-12-20T03:34:00.001-08:00

Pictured above, the Blue Ocean holiday display ripples across the Shiodome area of Tokyo, near Tokyo Bay and the famed Ginza shopping district. Occupying what was once marshy tideland, Shiodome is a modern section of Tokyo that’s home to high-power office complexes (including the headquarters of behemoth Nippon Television) that showcase the city’s stunning architecture.

Sparkling Holiday Lights: Lego Tree, San Diego

2010-12-20T03:33:00.001-08:00

What can you build with 245,000 green Lego Duplo bricks? A 30-foot Christmas tree, as it turns out. Decorated with 400 ornaments — also made of Legos, natch — and lots of lights, this Legoland California tree from a distance looks almost real. If only Lego would make pine-scented bricks, it’d smell like a real tree, too

Sparkling Holiday Lights: Jerusalem

2010-12-20T03:31:00.000-08:00

This nine-candle Hanukkah menorah (also called a hanukkiyah) stands high over the plaza at the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem. The Jewish festival of lights, held for eight days in late November or December depending on the Jewish calendar, commemorates the rededication of the Jewish Temple after it was recaptured from the Syrian Greeks in 165 B.C.E. A new candle is lit each night during the holidays.

Sparkling Holiday Lights: Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

2010-12-20T03:30:00.001-08:00

The Winter Festival of Lights at Niagara Falls illuminates the powerful falls in a rainbow of colors in a ceremony that begins every evening at dusk, from early November through the end of February. The tradition dates back to 1860, when the falls were first lit to celebrate a visit by the Prince of Wales. The skies above the falls also light up with a weekly fireworks show in December.

Abu Dhabi hotel regrets $11M Christmas 'overload'

2010-12-20T02:07:00.000-08:00

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates – An Abu Dhabi luxury hotel that boasted an $11 million Christmas tree decorated with gold and gems admitted Sunday it may have taken the holiday spirit a bit too far.

A statement from the Emirates Palace hotel said it regretted "attempts to overload" the Christmas tree tradition by adorning it with premium bling including gold, rubies, diamonds and other precious stones from a hotel jeweler.

[Closer to home: Local guides to the best holiday lights near you]

The statement was a rare bit of reflection on the Gulf's ethos of excess. The tree was unveiled last week with full fanfare in a hotel that features its own gold bar vending machine and a one-week $1 million package that includes private jet jaunts around the Middle East.

But the hotel management apparently had second thoughts after questions arose about whether the opulent tree was innocent good cheer or unfortunate bad taste.

The hotel regrets "attempts to overload the tradition followed by most hotels in the country with meanings and connotations that do not fall in line with the (hotel's) professional standards," said a statement carried on the state-run news agency WAM.

The hotel even tried to distance itself from the 43-foot (13-meter) faux fir in one of its rotundas, saying a hotel-based jeweler was solely responsible for creating and decorating the tree.

"The hotel is just a venue for exhibiting the tree," the statement said.

The hotel also claimed the tree was not a stunt, but rather an effort to boost the holiday mood for its guests based on the United Arab Emirates' "values of openness and tolerance."

Although officially Muslim, the UAE features many signs of Christmas for its huge foreign population. Lights, carolers and Santas are fixtures in nearly every mall

Granada, Nicaragua

2010-12-20T02:03:00.000-08:00

Hotel Spa Granada

It's one thing to stay in the heart of a Spanish colonial city—and quite another to stay in a Spanish-colonial mansion. Located smack in the middle of Granada's historic district, the sprawling 19th-century Hotel Spa Granada has five garden courtyards, a lagoon-like swimming pool in the center, and 15 expansive guest rooms (some with ceilings as high as 18 feet) that are decorated with handicrafts from a local artisan. A free spa treatment is included with every night of your stay, but the rates are so shockingly affordable—a 60-minute massage is $20, an aloe facial is $10—that a full day of pampering hardly qualifies as a splurge.

hotelspagranada.com, from $49 with breakfast

Siem Reap, Cambodia

2010-12-20T02:00:00.000-08:00

Sojourn Boutique Villas

TThe Sojourn Boutique Villas is the rare resort that soothes your body and soul all at once. The 10 red-and-white bungalows are just a few miles from the iconic temples of Angkor, so guests can spend their days wandering among 12th-century Buddhist ruins and their evenings soaking in the palm-tree-fringed saltwater pool. All that relaxing comes with the peace of mind that Sojourn donates a portion of its proceeds to clean-water initiatives and English lessons for residents of the nearby Treak Village.

sojournsiemreap.com, from $100 with breakfast.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

2010-12-20T01:59:00.000-08:00

Ma Maison

The last thing you'd expect to find in Vietnam's hyper-kinetic capital is a tranquil French retreat, but such is the pleasant surprise of Ma Maison. Run by Natasha Long, a Saigon local, the inn is housed in a 70-year-old colonial villa remodeled to evoke French country life. Walls are painted in soft yellows and greens, while the 12 rooms have blond-wood beds and desks with gold-leaf details. The hotel's bistro completes the vibe, with a menu full of French fare such as braised chicken with mushrooms. Add to that thoughtful touches like the complimentary mobile phones with free local service and an affable cat, Mr. Sushi, and you'll be feeling like family in no time.

mamaison.vn, from $70 with breakfast. 20. Siem Reap, Cambodia

Cornwall, U.K.

2010-12-20T01:58:00.001-08:00

The Nearwater

Cornwall's rugged cliffs, manicured gardens, and 300-plus public beaches have drawn British vacationers since the 1800s. Now the seaside retreat, four and a half hours west of London, has one more draw to add to the list: the Nearwater. At this whitewashed B&B in the town of St. Mawes, owners Tim and Amelia Whitaker have transformed a simple home into one of the area's sweetest small hotels. Bamboo floors, Danish teak furniture, and a mirror made from driftwood give Nearwater a light, nautical look, while the three rooms' beds are covered in sailor-striped wool blankets. Added to that, Amelia's homemade granola and pancakes are the perfect start to a day spent taking one of Tim's famous guided walks along the coast.

nearwaterstmawes.co.uk, from $131 with breakfast.

Prague, Czech Republic

2010-12-20T01:57:00.001-08:00

The Mosaic House

Part stylish hotel, part traditional hostel, the Mosaic House is an experience all its own. Inside the six-story 1935 building, guests can opt for one of 64 private rooms (from $26) or one of 30 shared spaces—for nearly half the cost (from $15). While the atmosphere skews toward the casual (think board games and beanbag chairs in the lounge), the decor is more upscale: Each room is done up in chocolate brown, burgundy, and gold, and is accented with quirky touches like closet rods made of tree branches and tables fashioned from salvaged-wood beams.

mosaichouse.com, from $15.

Brussels, Belgium

2010-12-20T01:56:00.000-08:00

The Pantone Hotel

What's so weird about this pint-size property in Sweden? At first glance, the one-room hotel appears to be a cheery red house in the middle of the lake—yes, it's in the middle of a body of water but how strange is that, really? Don't be fooled: The room isn't actually in the house; it's 10 feet underwater. It's also the only functioning underwater hotel that started out as an art installation. Designed by artist Mikael Genberg, the 10-year-old inn's sole room consists of two twin beds with panoramic windows on all sides. There is no electricity, but there is lighting and a portable gas heater. When ready to come up for air, guests can relax on the deck or take the dinghy out to one of the nearby uninhabited islands.

Uvita, Costa Rica

2010-12-20T01:55:00.000-08:00

Oxygen Jungle Villas

The 12 cabins at Oxygen Jungle Villas were constructed with a singular goal: to make you feel like you're the only person for miles. Blissfully isolated among barriers of tropical plants and vines, the one-bedroom villas come off like Swiss Family Robinson tree houses. Each has a private sun-deck, a sharply angled roof, and glass walls to maximize views of the Pacific Ocean a mile away. And considering the adults-only hotel never takes more than 24 guests at a time, it's hardly a stretch to believe the jungle is yours and yours alone.

oxygenjunglevillas.com, from $139

Adams, Massachusetts

2010-12-20T01:51:00.000-08:00

Topia Inn

When owners Nana Simopoulos and Caryn Heilman set out to restore a 19th-century brick boardinghouse in the Berkshires, they didn't just strive for eco-conscious design—it was more like eco-perfection. Nearly everything in the eight-room Topia Inn is organic, from the breakfast of banana bread, spinach quiche, and fair-trade coffee to the plush mattresses made of chemical-free cotton. Even the walls are plastered with bright, earth-friendly clay, which makes them cooler in the summer, warmer in the winter, and inviting all year long.

topiainn.com, from $125.

Acapulco, Mexico

2010-12-20T01:48:00.000-08:00

Hotel Boca Chica

Long before Cancún or Cabo, Acapulco was the king of Mexican resort towns—and the Hotel Boca Chica was its crown jewel, drawing everyone from Elvis to the Rat Pack. Now, after a three-year remodel, the Boca Chica has regained its former sparkle. The 36 rooms are lacquered white and flooded with light, and all have private balconies. Meanwhile, old Hollywood touches throughout—like lamps made from conch shells and latticed brickwork—serve as ever-present reminders of its storied past.

hotelbocachica.com, from $95.

2010-12-14T21:01:00.000-08:00