Seems as though those folks over at DesignHotels.com are re-launching soon.

Their 176 member hotels Design Hotels™ are scattered among the most exotic, beautiful, and important cities around the world. Having over 100 destinations in over 40 countries means they represent a variety of cultures, languages, and visual imagery as diverse as the unique perspectives we all have.

Rather than simply communicating their impressions of each of their destinations, they are giving amateur photographers the opportunity to have their work featured on their new website launching spring 2009.

Continuing our theme of Staycation tips, the option to stay in a hotel near your home may seem an obvious idea (and of course it’s what created the phrase Staycation), but doing it properly can still bring the feeling of a proper holiday.

The team at Metrotels.net focused their minds to come up with the second Tip in our series:

Credit Crunch Staycation Tips Part 2:  Stay in a local hotel to you.

Staycation - image courtesy of thisoldhouse.com

While thinking about our own Holiday season plans in the office recently, a number of us found we were all in a similar boat - plenty of time off, just no money to go anywhere with.

This has become a more prevalent occurrence since the credit crunch began to take hold of the world’s economy.  We got to thinking, how can we still enjoy our time off, but have the feeling we are still on holiday.

Over the next few days we thoughts we would share a few tips assembled from the Metrotels.net team, so here is Part 1:

Seems we are not the only ones highlighting how hotels can get you out of the credit crunch.

The ever excellent Travel Blog from Mr & Mrs Smith offers 10 great ways to avoid the credit crunch, yet still enjoy and treat yourself to a trip.

They offer a range of tips from staying closer to home, taking more short trips, through to taking advantage of weak exchange rates.

Check out the full article here

Design Hotels Seasonal Spaces

Sick of the dreary weather already?  Feeling the pinch of the credit crunch?  Need some space?

If the answer to any of these is yes, then get yourself over to DesignHotels.com asap.

Today saw the launch of Design Hotels Seasonal Spaces+, a special promotion aimed at counteracting winter blues.

DesignHotels.com is offering special rates at over 40 of their member properties, in destinations as varied as Bali, Barcelona, Gothenburg, Dublin, Berlin, Jakarta, Helsinki, London, Milan, Oslo or Beijing.