Best Short Breaks Tour Operator 2010

ShortBreaks Ltd has been selling short breaks holidays since the company’s inception late 1998 and there really is nothing more important to us than striving for quality of products and service and there is nothing more rewarding than being acknowledged for this and we have just been able to add another award to those we have been given in the past.

Last Saturday, 5^th Jun I attended the workshop organised by Atout France UK, France Tourism Development Agency based in London formerly known as Maison de La France, at the newly opened Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel and they couldn’t have chosen a better venue.

This contemporary, design-led hotel is situated in London’s South Bank, within walking distance of the city’s most iconic attractions, including Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye and the London Aquarium and it is a delightful hotel place for such professional event!

Atout France did a fantastic job and the whole organization was absolutely faultless. A superb business workshop and a delightful and vibrant gala evening event. The whole package was outstanding!!

The workshop had over 90 French Exhibitors from Regional Tourist offices, accommodation providers to leisure, culture and transport suppliers all with the purpose to promote their products, destinations and services.

It was a great opportunity for me to be there and meet many of these exhibitors in the light of our future developments and potential business opportunities.

The peak of the workshop culminated with the evening special event French Travel Trade Awards 2010. The French Travel Trade Awards give special recognition to 8 operators for their contribution to the promotion of the destination France in various categories and take into account innovation, initiatives and general dedication to France in the programmes.

The evening event was held at the pillar-free ballroom which was superbly decorated for the event with a kind of seductive touch provided by the dancers dressed in a “Chicago Musical” whom kicked off what was an incredible and thrilling night for ShortBreaks.

Celebrity host of the night was Gyles Brandreth who was funny and entertaining and presented all the 8 awards.

After a delightful meal with plenty of wine served by the impeccable staff, I could already feel the pressure and tension when Giles Brandreth went back to the stage to read the programme. The award ceremony started with a massive boom as the first award presented was for the Best Short Breaks Tour Operator 2010 where ShortBreaks appeared amongst the 4 nominees.

After few minutes of suspense, the name of the winner was disclosed and guess what? We did it!!! You can only imagine my delight, felicity and pleasure. It was unbelievable, surprising, and incredible!!

French Government Tourist Office

ShortBreaks has been awarded Best Short Breaks Tour Operator 2010 beating tough competition all those demonstrating strong commitment and creativity during the very challenging economic climate of the past 2 years. I had the honor to go on stage and collect the award in front of a very excited audience and it felt awesome!! I can only describe it as the cherry on the cake!!

And how do the winners normally celebrate their successes? Of course with some good champagne!!!

In fact the party which kicked off after dinner was absolutely magical!!

The opening of two massive curtains at the end of the ballroom unveiled one of the most amazing display of flute glasses I have ever seen.

The golden colour of the champagne, its intense perlage and delicate smell raised the party to a completely different level and I can still see the amazed and astounded faces of all the guests watching at that phenomenal spectacle.

It goes without saying that we should all be proud of this great achievement and it wouldn’t have been possible without the work, commitment, dedication and professionalism that all the staff at ShortBreaks put into their your daily work.

The ShortBreaks name is up there with the best in the industry and it is imperative to continue providing and constantly improve the quality of service our clients are experiencing now. It is crucial to our ongoing success to stay ahead of the game and I can say, hand on heart, that we will do our best to stay where we belong…at the top!

As with the rest of the world’s hotel industry, the Guardian reported yesterday that the luxury 4 star end of the Paris hotel market is suffering more than the budget end. This is probably not that surprising given the current climate but what it can mean is that a stay in a really stylish individual hotel may not be out of the reach of mere mortals.

I have been lucky enough recently to stay at the stunning Trianon Palace and Spa in Versailles with it’s views of the Versailles Palace and the amazing gardens. The journey from door to door from South London via Eurostar and a 20 Minute RER journey from Gare Du Nord was about 3 hrs which even my two sons found manageable.

The hotel get the balance of luxury and relaxation just right. Right now there are one night breaks from just £169 per person including Eurostar - if you can stretch to it, ask about a room at the front of the hotel - floor to ceiling windows and batchrooms as big as my house. Of course there’s a cost, but given the current climate you may be surprised. Oh and did I mention the Gordon Ramsey restaurant……

Offers like this are around at the moment, and ones like the 3 for 2 offers at the higher end hotels in Ghent , Lille, Bruges as well as Paris are worth checking out.

For every sold out Goliath stadium tour there is a local theatre in Nottingham putting on a tribute night.

The Sound of Neil Diamond, Tribute Act

For every Led Zeppelin, there’s a Whole Lotta Led, for every Beatles, there’s The Cheatles, and for the ladies office party, there’s The Sound of Neil Diamond tribute. What of Oasis?… An initial search on one tribute bands directory resulted in not one single act listed as following in the footsteps of Manchester’s finest. Perhaps anyone who dared to don the retro sun-shades, black hooded jacket and tight fitting jeans before sneering Wonderwall into the mic, were taking outside for a good kicking. A further search of Google proved me wrong… Definately Might Be, Oasish and Soasis are all currently filling a working-man’s club or seaside pier near you.

Oasish 'The UKs Leading Tribute to Oasis'

The reason such tribute acts exist is to fulfill the gaping void left when a band acrimoniously split, burn out or, in the case of Oasis, sell out their tour dates in minutes. Hence, the Oasis tribute acts are thriving right now.

Oasis Live in Concert, Lille Zenith & POP Bercy, Paris, 2009

So, Oasis’s biggest ever UK stadium tour sells out. Now what? You could get yourself down toThe Half Brick in Worthing on the 6th December and see Oasish play live (and see Stereotonics on the same night). Or, you could see the real deal - Oasis live in Lille in January or Oasis live in concert, Paris in March. Short Breaks are offering Eurostar and concert breaks packages from only £179 (Elton John, Paris, December) as well as packages to see The Killers £189, and Oasis from £199.