Surrounded by The Pyrenees, the resort is incredibly popular with skiers and snowboarders alike, offering a fantastic variety of runs, as well as some great places to cut off the pistes for those wanting more adventure and challenging skiing.

The Hotel itself dates back to the 19th century, and is one of the oldest buildings in the village of Arinsal.  After the hotel underwent a major facelift and refurbishment in 2009, the charm and traditional touches remain unspoiled and although steeped in history the new design offers great comfort of the present day.

If you’re interested in an unforgettable trip, visit our sister hotel’s website and receive a 10% discount on your booking by simply quoting SISPINS01.  We are also delighted to offer families with children, FREE ‘kids ski hire’ when booking direct.

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Will Whitehorn, a transport industry pioneer, has been appointed as the new chairman of the Transport Systems Catapult.

The Department for Business Innovation and Skills announced yesterday (February 22^nd) that Mr Whitehorn will take the reins at the centre, which is in the process of being set up by the Technology Strategy Board to promote innovation and efficiency in national transport systems.

Universities and science minister David Willetts hailed Mr Whitehorn as a “real expert” in the field.

“He will be able to take forward the development of the Catapult and I look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have to transport systems across the UK and beyond,” he said.

Mr Whitehorn welcomed his appointment, lauding the UK’s transport industry as a “huge global success story”.

“While facing real issues that arise from the rapid pace of modernisation at home the industry continues to operate infrastructure for tens of millions of customers every day,” he said.

Mr Whitehorn went on to praise the Technology Strategy Board for its foresight in setting up the Catapult and relished the chance to turn its vision into a reality.

He will take responsibility for meeting strategic objectives in regard to finding sustainable and efficient ways to transport people and goods across the UK by road, rail, air and sea.

In a previous role, Mr Whitehorn was responsible for the establishment of Virgin’s train franchise and more recently served as president of the company’s commercial spaceflight wing Virgin Galactic.

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The London Overground could be brought to a standstill as workers prepare to vote on the possibility of strikes.

Trade union Unite has announced that its members are to conduct a ballot on potential industrial action in response to proposed shift changes set to be imposed on engineers employed by Bombardier UK.

Thirty-nine engineers working for the company are said to be “furious” over alterations to shift patterns, which will increase expenses and cause disruption to their home lives.

Unite regional officer Colenzo Jarrett-Thorpe blasted Bombardier as “completely unreasonable”.

“Management expect staff to spend more money and more time travelling to and from work, for absolutely nothing. In fact the workers will end up spending around £1,000 a year extra on travel because of these changes,” she said.

Ms Jarrett-Thrope went on to warn the company to reconsider these proposals or face the possibility of strikes that would “grind London Overground to a halt”.

“Bombardier is actually threatening London Overground’s popular standing. The company needs to abandon these new shifts and get back to the negotiating table, so we can agree a way forward.”

The company has been given seven days’ notice in regard to the ballot, which could potentially cripple its services – which cannot operate without a maintenance crew on standby.

Image used courtesy of gagliardifoto / Shutterstock.com.

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Nick Clegg has been ambushed on his weekly radio talk show by London mayor Boris Johnson.

Speaking on LBC Radio this morning (February 7^th), the deputy prime minister was put on the spot over the issue of public transport.

In a pre-recorded message, the mayor asked:

“When are you going to get politicians out of their limos and on to public transport? How can we possibly expect government to vote for increases in infrastructure spending … when they sit in their chauffeur-driven limousines – paid for by the taxpayer?”

However, Clegg was unfazed by the surprise call and was quick to respond on the issue, stating:

“I think we’ve actually cut the amount of tax payer money used to pay for minister cars by 70 per cent. Clearly ministers drive in cars – not all the time – but I think the fact we’ve cut the bill we inherited from Labour is a big step in the right direction.”

The Lib Dem leader went on to voice his agreement with the Mayor, stating that money needs to be found for infrastructure projects.

“Tell him to get out of his limo and get the infrastructure projects we are offering moving,” he told presenter Nick Ferrari.

As part of his weekly Call Clegg segment, the deputy prime minister was also quizzed on a wide range of topics including, the resignation of Chris Huhne, North Africa and the controversial mansion tax.

Image used courtesy of Chris Harvey / Shutterstock.com.

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The Airports Commission has published two documents that mark the beginning of its consultation on airport capacity in the UK.

Stakeholders, including members of the public, have been invited to submit their ideas on the future of air hubs in Britain.

Commenting on the release, Howard Davies, chair of the Commission, heralded the release as an “important milestone” since the body’s inception last year.

“We welcome the debate that we have generated so far and we are determined to run an open and transparent process. By publishing the guidance document, we will enable everybody who wishes to make a contribution to do so as effectively as possible,” he said.

Mr Davies went on to state that the Commission would take a “broad view” on proposals and not consider the issue of airport capacity in isolation.

The documents’ release is set to help the organisation meet targets for tasks to be completed by the end of 2013, which include assessing the needs of UK airports and producing recommendations on the issue.

A final report will be submitted to the government by summer 2014, which will outline the environmental, social and economic costs associated with an increase in airport capacity.

Image used courtesy of Stephen Bures / Shutterstock.com.

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The rail route for the high speed 2 (HS2) network’s second phase have been outlined by the government today (January 28^th).

Proposals unveiled by the Department for Transport detail plans for five further stops on the extension, namely Manchester, Manchester Airport, Toton, Leeds and South Yorkshire.

In a statement to parliament, Patrick McLoughlin MP claimed that the network would bring a raft of benefits to the north of the UK.

“HS2 means our railway network will have the capacity to cope with ever increasing numbers of passengers and free up space on existing rail lines for more commuter, rural and freight services, meaning fewer cars and lorries on our roads,” he said.

Similar comments were issued by chancellor George Osborne, who described HS2 as the “engine for growth” in the midlands and north of the country.

“You have got to commit to these projects even though they take many years,” he told BBC Breakfast.

The network has not been welcomed across the board, however. Penny Gaines, chairwoman of campaign group Stop HS2 branded the project as “fundamentally flawed”.

“It should be cancelled as soon as possible so that we can concentrate on developing the transport infrastructure that will bring more benefits to more people than a fast train for fat cats,” she warned.

In his statement, Mr McLoughlin said a “fair deal” would be offered to those affected by the construction and set out a range of mitigation measures that would reduce the network’s impact on the British countryside.

Image used courtesy of Peteri / Shutterstock.com

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Heavy snowfall across the UK continues to cause nationwide travel disruption including cancelled flights, road closures and long train delays.

The ongoing wintry conditions have also caused almost 5,000 schools to remain closed for the day.

The extensive closures pose a particular threat for pupils scheduled to take GCSE or A-level papers today (Monday, January 21^st), with most schools opening just for these students.

Martin Young, Met Office chief forecaster, said:

“There is the continuing risk of some snow at times almost anywhere. The heaviest snow, however, is expected across parts of eastern England and eastern Scotland through Sunday night and Monday, bringing the risk of disruption in some areas.”

The Highways Agency advised road users to take extra care when travelling, whilst unsafe road conditions have resulted in closures on the A66 in both directions between the junctions with the A685 (Brough) and the A67 (Bowes). In north Yorkshire, the major roads A169 and are also closed.

Meanwhile, flights have been suspended at East Midlands, Manchester and Leeds Bradford airports, and Heathrow have cancelled around 130 flights. A spokesman said adverse weather conditions at other European airports meant that “further cancellations are inevitable”.

Passengers are advised to regularly check the status of their flight with the airline before setting out.

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Andrew Gilligan has been appointed as an advisor on cycling policy by London Mayor Boris Johnson.

The Daily Telegraph columnist revealed his acceptance of the position, stating that he will take the job on a part-time basis.

Writing on his blog for the news outlet, Mr Gilligan explained that he will continue working as a journalist, although he will no longer cover matters related to Boris Johnson or City Hall.

“I’m very pleased to be doing this at a time when London cycling stands on the cusp of quite ambitious change,” he said.

The new cycling czar went on to state that he had been in discussions with Transport for London and the mayor’s office,e and promised the unveiling of “ambitious” policies in the coming weeks.

“I’ve never driven a car in my life and nearly all my travel in London is by bike,” he said. “I understand cycling provision from a cyclist’s point of view.”

However, the appointment has prompted fresh accusations of cronyism in the mayor’s office and was also blasted by Labour critics.

“Boris’s arrogance apparently knows no bounds. He is going to appoint someone with no experience of making transport or cycling policy to a senior paid position at City Hall. This is truly startling,” said Len Duvall, leader of Labour’s London Assembly Group.

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Heavy snowfall has hit parts of the UK this morning (January 18^th) and is expected to disrupt transport networks throughout the country.

The extreme weather has brought strong winds and blizzards and temperatures are expected to remain below zero across the majority of Britain.

Yesterday, the Met Office issued an amber warning about the severe conditions for parts of Wales, western England, the Midlands and the south of the country.

Chief forecaster for the organisation Andy Page claimed snowfall would be heaviest throughout the morning.

“Clearly there is the potential for significant disruption to people’s plans. We should follow the advice of the emergency services and local authorities to help keep ourselves, our families and our communities safe in light of the forecast,” he said.

Met Office predictions for the weekend state that snow will have spread across London and south-east England by early afternoon, with maximum temperatures hitting 2 °C and up to 20cm of snow falling in some areas.

Light snowfall is expected to continue on Saturday, although the easterly wind is expected to ease throughout the day.

Drivers were advised to check road conditions and weather forecast before setting off this morning, with Steve Crosthwaite, head of the Highways Agency’s National Traffic Operations Centre, suggesting that motorists may wish to delay their journeys until conditions improve.

“Our traffic officers are working round the clock to monitor the network, deal with any incidents and keep traffic moving,” he said.

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London’s Victoria station was evacuated this morning (January 17^th) after a fire broke out in the undercarriage of a Gatwick Express Train.

The incident took place just ahead of rush hour and the London Fire Brigade managed to extinguish the blaze at around 7:30am.

Gatwick Express warned commuters that services to and from the station would experience “severe disruption” and predicted delays of up to 50 minutes.

Responding to queries about the incident on Twitter, Southern Rail said that “no-one was hurt, which was good”.

Eyewitness Tom Edwards, an antiques dealer who was travelling to visit his mother, explained how he had spotted flames and black smoke emanating from the train.

“There was just a little bit of flames by the wheels. They put it out and then started chucking everybody out of the building. There was no panic. It could have got pretty bad if they hadn’t done something about it straight away,” he said.

Commenting on the reopening, Gatwick Express noted that platforms 12 to 14 remain closed and informed passengers that Southern tickets would be accepted on a range of other services.

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