Barratt Developments PLC, Britain’s best-known homebuilder, began construction on the first home, which is so environmentally friendly that it would meet the criteria for zero stamp duty. The Barratt ‘Green House’, designed by architects Gaunt Francis, is situated on the BRE Innovation Park at Watford. The zero carbon house will meet the highest level six [...]

Dissatisfaction with accommodations is the second-most-common travel complaint, after airline problems.
It’s happened to every traveler. You arrive someplace to discover the hotel described in the brochure or Web site as “first class” turns out to be anything but, at least by your personal standards. Perhaps the room is too dirty, too small, too hot, too [...]

World leaders began to fly in to the German Baltic resort of Heiligendamm Wednesday morning for the three-day summit of the Group of Eight (G8) industrialized nations, due to open in the evening.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Italian Prime minister Romano Prodi and Canadian Prime [...]

Vector Hospitality, the hotel real estate investment trust (REIT), has had to cut its flotation price and delay the launch by 24 hours to get its £2 billion London listing off the ground.
The cut comes after pressure from institutions who voiced concerns over potential conflicts of interest in the role of director Richard Balfour-Lynn and [...]

Telkonet, Inc. (AMEX:TKO), the leader in providing in-building broadband access over existing electrical wiring, today announced that its Telkonet iWire System™ has been installed at the Best Western Midland Hotel in Derby, UK, to provide every guest with the freedom to choose either hard-wired or wireless broadband Internet access throughout the venue. Telkonet’s solution was [...]

Media and gaming giant Publishing and Broadcasting has made its first foray into the United States casino market, buying a US$250 million ($343 million) stake in a Las Vegas resort.
PBL said yesterday that it would buy a 19.6 per cent interest in Fontainebleau Resorts, the developer of a major new casino and resort property on [...]

An upcoming ITV documentary is set to reveal how many British real estate agents use sellers’ homes for everything from throwing parties to attracting women.
The Sunday Telegraph said after this week’s airing of the ITV special, Confessions of an Estate Agent, sellers across Britain will likely wonder exactly what their former home has been used [...]

Foreign investors are driving a boom in Malaysia’s luxury condominium market, lured by the relaxation of purchasing rules, a strong economy and low prices compared to other Asian capitals.
“Malaysia was off the international radar screen for years and it seems to have crept back in,” said general manager of sales and marketing with the high-end [...]

The sale of Rancho El Cojo and Jalama Ranch, adjoining properties north of Santa Barbara whose collective 24,000+ acres feature nine miles of ocean coastline, 20 square miles of rolling hills and the landmark Point Conception Lighthouse, was announced today by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. The firm’s Santa Barbara office represented the seller. Sotheby’s International [...]

MGM Mirage said on Wednesday it is in talks with Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Development Co. on a joint venture to develop non-gaming luxury hotels globally.
The two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding with an aim to create a joint venture by the first quarter of 2007 to build hotels beginning in Abu Dhabi, [...]

SOUTHINGTON - LePage Homes may have a site plan that’s already been approved by the Conservation Commission, but a public outcry at Tuesday’s Planning and Zoning Commission meeting showed LePage does not have the support of some vocal neighbors surrounding the proposed development.
During a public hearing that ran for more than two hours before [...]

Property & Building Corp. made its first investment in the UK by agreeing to buy a 20 percent stake in a newly formed British company acquiring Hilton hotels in London and Birmingham.
Tonstate is buying the Hilton London Metropole and Hilton Birmingham Metropole for 463 million, Property & Building said in a statement to the Tel [...]