The Berkeley

Set on the seventh floor of the luxury Knightsbridge hotel, this striking rooftop pool beautifully tiled in white and gold mosaic is so idyllic you can barely believe it's in London. You can swim in sunshine when the weather heats up and the pool is uncovered, while healthy treats and sun loungers designed by architect Spencer Fung are available poolside with views of west London.

Find it: Wilton Place, Knightsbridge, SW1X 7RL, the-berkeley.co.uk

Hilton London Syon Park

This impressive, 15-metre heated pool is part of the Hilton Syon Parks stylish Kallima Spa. The hotel has taken a modern approach with the pools design, including sparkling ceiling lights that reflect on the water and cosy red lounge chairs to relax in.

Find it: Middlesex, TW8 8JF, londonsyonpark.com

St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel

Thanks to the St Pancras Spa, Londoners arent too far from exotic paradise. Its Mediterranean-style heated pool is decorated with chic tiling restored from originals previously used in the hotel, which is known for its gothic, old-fashioned features. We're thinking a quick dip pre-Eurostar to Paris...

Find it: Euston Road, NW1 2AR, marriott.com

Hotel Caf Royal

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London's most spectacular hotel swimming pools

MISHAWAKA -

Valentine's Day is around the corner. And that might have you thinking about finding that special someone to share your life with. But if you've been off the market for a while, you face a radically different dating landscape than the one you grew up with. The dating pool is thinner for older people so they often try online dating for more options. Dating online can be surprisingly dangerous...for the middle aged. The Pew Research Center reported in 2013 about 20% of online daters are at least 45 or older. And they're easy targets for people looking for more than just love.

"I didn't know a lot. I do now," said Robin Cowell

57. Self-described as goofy. Says she loves midnight walks in the snow. The romance road has been rocky. She's been both widowed and divorced.

"I started doing the same thing I did in the past. You know you go to the bars. Might meet someone there," Cowell said.

But she didn't....and a good friend told her to focus on her son. So she did....for the next twelve years. But now Chris is off at college.

"Chris is my bud. Ya know. He did everything. Well my bud's on doing his own life now. It's time for Mom to start a life," Cowell said.

Friends at work encouraged her to try online dating. She signed up on a few sites. And messages started streaming in.

"When you haven't had anything positive when you've gone through what I went through. My friends say I'm pretty, but to have a man say that to you it's totally different," Cowell said.

But she soon learned that flattery was a way of reeling in victims. She met a man who said he was an engineer.

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Back in the dating game: the dangers of online dating after 50

By Brandon Cornett | 2014, all rights reserved | Duplication prohibited

For many homeowners, a swimming pool is a "must have" item for the backyard. I happen to be one of those homeowners. But when it comes to landscaping ideas for the pool area, many of these same homeowners come up short.

What plants should I use? Where should I place them? What types of plants should I avoid? The questions go on and on.

Over the years, I've learned a lot about pool landscaping through trial and error. So in this article, I'll share with you all of the ideas and techniques I've used over the years for landscaping my backyard pool areas. Hopefully you'll find something useful in all of this, and perhaps even come up with some ideas of your own.

On its own, landscape design is fairly straightforward. But when you add in a swimming pool, there is much more to consider. Here are some of the things you need to keep in mind, as you draw up the landscaping plans for your backyard oasis:

Landscape design is all about choosing the right types of plants, based on the location and the desired effect. As you think about the area around your swimming pool (and, for that matter, your yard in general), consider the points I've raised above. Make smart choices based on plenty of research, and you'll be better off in the long run.

As for plant choices, you need to figure out what types of shrubs, flowers and trees fare well in your particular climate. Many people think 'tropical' when it comes to landscaping a pool area. But if you live in the Midatlantic region or northward, tropical plants probably wouldn't make it through the winter. The ice and frost would kill them off. This is just one example of choosing the right plants for your climate. I cannot list all of the possible choices in this article, because it varies significantly from one part of the country to the next.

Here are the steps I recommend, when choosing plants for your pool landscape design:

Of course, you'll also be limited by what is available at landscape supply yards in your area. But at least you'll know which of those species have the best chance of survival.

One of the things you should consider early on, before you get deep into your landscaping efforts, is the idea of deck and patio space. When we built our pool, we had a grassy area behind it that backed up to a greenbelt area. Weed control was a serious problem in this area, because it was so close to the 'wilds' of the greenbelt. We also wanted more deck space around the back of our pool for accessibility reasons.

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Swimming Pool Landscaping Ideas - How to Landscape Your ...

Quality means no shortcuts. Using lower grade materials, undersized pipes, and engineering shortcuts can save you money initially, but will cost more in the long run. Rarely is the customer who bought the cheap pool happy in the end. Garden View uses quality material with the most up to date and tested equipment. Our many years of experience have taught us what is cost effective in the long run. A swimming pool does not need to have exorbitant cost, but rarely is the cheapest option a good investment.

Growing in value, sustainable and water-wise designs are the hallmarks of a well designed and installed landscape. Properly installed and well planned irrigation systems save water and keep the landscape growing in value for years to come. Picking the right plants and proper placement for future growth is vitally important. Our system of the client visiting our large nursery, reviewing our suggestions, and picking the plant pallet before deciding where to place them is cost and time effective. Plus the client only gets plants they like!

There are many types of hardscapesAll with advantages, disadvantages, and cost differences. Garden View has skilled crews for any type of hardscape chosen, whether it be concrete with fissure reduction techniques, pavers, flagstone, brick, tile, decomposed granite, or any other type of paving; it will be done to the highest standards and will be cost effective.

Being around water is soothing and the water feature is often the highlight and/or focal point of the yard. With the help of our expertise, choosing the right water feature, finding the right level of investment, and quality installation will make it enjoyable for many years to come. The water feature can be part of a pool or a separate entity.

The Outdoor Living room can be the best and most enjoyable room in the house. It can include outdoor TVs, furniture, dining tables, and fans to keep you cool + bugs away. Fireplaces, fire pits, and heaters can extend the enjoyment almost all year round. Cooking and dining outside is a pleasure and it can also help keep the house cool. The choices in this area are enormous from very simple to very intricatefrom a simple BBQ to a complete outdoor kitchen From a simple deck to a complete patio with pergola!

Our 12 acre nursery located in Irwindale, CA has 1000s of plants of all sizes. From flowers and annuals to trees and shrubs, we have the right plant for your landscape in all sizes and colors. Having our own nursery makes picking the right plants and trees easy for our landscape construction and maintenance divisions, plus it provides us advantages on bringing out and returning plants not used.

High quality, horticulturally proficient, and cost effective through efficiency. Our large, well trained, uniformed, and well supervised crews arrive in trucks with everything they need to be efficient. Quality maintenance is the key to sustainable landscapes that grow in value. Far too many people hire Mow, Blow & Go gardeners and slowly watch their investment in their landscape deteriorate.

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Garden View Landscaping, Nursery, and Pools

November 29, 2009 by aeschliman1

Inground Concrete Pools Inground concrete pools can providea sturdy, well-constructed, and permanent fixture for your backyard or garden. inground concrete pool will last

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Concrete Pool Coping Stepstone, Inc.is a manufacturer of Precast Concrete Pavers, Precast Concrete and Precast Concrete Wall Caps with National Distribution.

Posted in concrete pool | Tagged concrete pool pics |

November 29, 2009 by aeschliman1

Swimming Pools, Pool Contractor, Commercial Pools, Fountains is one of the leading pool companies and swimming pool contractors in St. Lucie, Martin A&G Concrete Pools, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms and Conditions

Penguin Pools Gunite & Concrete Pools There are many types of inground swimming pools and Penguin Pools of Milwaukee & Minneaspolis build them all. Gunite is a concrete type pool that is generally expensive.

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Landscape Designs | Landscape Designs

Senior Vice President of Engineering and R&D Services of HCL, Sukamal Banerjee took some time to speak with IMPO about the demand of engineering and R&D services both domestically and abroad. Banerjee explains the ins-and-outs of the factors driving demand, to changes in the industry and finally, the issue of skilled labor within engineering and R&D services.

Maura Falk: What do you think are some of the key factors driving stronger demand and growth for HCLs engineering and R&D Divisions both domestically and abroad?

Sukamal Banerjee: Following the 2008 financial crisis, R&D intensity (i.e. the ratio of expenditures by a firm on research and development to the firms sales) for all the engineering and manufacturing companies have been running flat or declined. Therefore, all engineering organizations have been re-evaluating their R&D investments to improve returns. Most of our leading customers were struggling with stagnating revenues and single digit operating margins at the time of deal.

Global OEMs & technology companies today are differentiating through software and services. These companies are increasingly expanding from core products to services driven models. For example, Xeroxis expanding from multi-functional device manufacturing to Managed Print Services (MPS).Even for the worlds most innovative OEM, software and services contribute 10 percent revenues, and is the fastest growing segment. While faster technology migrations have become the order of the day, it is also essential to ensure sustained engineering and end of lifecycle product support. The partnership model for such needs are a natural and strategic choice for product companies. With enhanced service capabilities and high domain expertise, HCL has assisted in extending the product life and in process generated hundreds of millions in revenues for customers, which would have otherwise not happened without a focused ownership.

Also, the emerging convergence of digital and platform engineering is playing a significant role in the engineering and R&D services market. We focus on proactively creating solutions for top of the mind challenges faced by OEMs through our enhanced solutions capabilities and fast-track R&D transformation for legacy products. We have seen engineering and R&D services evolve and grow to a $900+ million business at HCL Technologies.

The key factors contributing to the growth of engineering and R&D outsourcing continue to be accelerated time to market, increased complexity driven by convergence, need for access to varied and scalable talent pool. HCLs investments into the business line and developing proactive technology and process related innovations has helped us drive a disproportionate share of the market.

MF: Last year ISG reported that engineering services markets were moving abroad. Is this a trend that you have seen continue in your own firms? And is a wider global presence contributing to the increased demand for certain engineering services more than others?

SB: With the convergence of technologies, increased use of devices of varied form factors, electronic components and communication technologies, the engineering services market, like all other markets, is also hit by an accelerated need for innovation and execution. This has led close to the customer, closer to the product value chain execution. This has meant local presence is needed to work effectively with customers on such programs.

While theres an expansion of the engineering services internationally, the US continues to be an important market. Emerging markets have evolved to become prominent players in the recent years and are likely to become increasingly dominant in the future. The European market is opening up and is expected to contribute significantly in the coming years. We also see the ESO spend shifting to emerging markets like India and other adjacent Asian markets.

According to IDCs Engineering Services Buyer Study results (2013), global delivery presence contributes to about 17 percent of ESP selection. It is our ability to share risks and partner with the company that has been instrumental in the growth of the HCL Engineering and R&D Services division. We strive to co-create a conducive ecosystem for product development and also help in taking the products to the market with innovative business models like the risk & reward model and output-based model. We adopt a hybrid global delivery model based on the requirements and the nature of work involved. High-end and complex work which is more core to the customer is carried out in the onsite development centers, while context-based ground work and low-complexity services can be carried out at the offshore sites. We have seen an increase in joint innovation and development work carried out at our Onsite Delivery Centers to up to 25 percent in the recent past.

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Q&A: The Changing Engineering And R&D Landscape

How to Care for an Intex 16-Foot Above-Ground Pool

Intex above-ground swimming pools come in four styles -- easy set, metal frame, oval frame and ultra frame -- and range from 8 to 24 feet in diameter so they Read More

How to Choose an In-Ground Pool

When choosing an in-ground pool, the first thing that you're going to want to do is set your budget. Choose an in-ground pool with help from a swimming pool and Read More

How to Winterize an In-Ground Pool With a Sand Filter

Winterizing an in-ground pool with sand will require you to first adjust the chemicals that you're using. Winterize an in-ground pool with sand with help from a swimming pool and Read More

How to Drain Water From an In-Ground Pool With a Drain at the Bottom

Draining water from an in-ground pool with a drain at the bottom will require you to pay close attention to your liner. Drain water from an in-ground pool with a Read More

How to Add Color to Your Pool

You can add color to your pools in a variety of ways, including by using the right types of chemicals. Add color to your pool with help from a swimming Read More

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Swimming Pools & Spas | Landscaping & Outdoor Building | eHow

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A state senator is proposing to end the funding mechanism created last year that helps keep New Mexicos smaller hospitals afloat.

Sen. Nancy Rodriguez, D-Santa Fe is sponsoring SB117, which would end the obligation for counties to contribute to the Safety Net Care Pool at the end of 2018. That fund helps 29 primarily rural hospitals cover the cost of indigent care.

A law passed in 2014 requires all counties to contribute the equivalent of a one-twelfth percent gross-receipts tax, totaling around $24 million, into the care pool fund. Bernalillo and Sandoval counties do not have to contribute because they already have a property tax to support indigent care at University of New Mexico hospitals in their areas.

The mechanism replaced the 20-year-old Sole Community Provider program, which funded the hospitals with supplemental federal Medicaid payments and contributions from counties.

New Mexico Hospital Association President and CEO Jeff Dye said such funds have been a critical component in keeping some smaller hospitals from closing.

Dye said the federal government provides $2.38 for every dollar counties and the state contribute. He is also concerned about the level of state funding. If money isnt forthcoming from within New Mexico, federal dollars would be left on the table.

This is the lifeblood for keeping our hospitals afloat, Dye said.

An additional 185,000 New Mexicans received coverage through a Medicaid expansion in 2014, reducing the amount of uncompensated care, but Dye said its still unclear how that will play out in the long term. He said his organization views the proposed sunset date of 2018 as premature.

The changes in uncompensated care funding are new, Dye said. Were only in the second year of analysis in how this (the Safety Net Care Pool funding mechanism) works.

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Hospital fund pool targeted

TYSONS, VA (PRWEB) January 28, 2015

Construction has begun on the newest hotel to be added to the landscape of the Washington, DC area in Largo, Maryland, just minutes outside of our nations capital. Frontier Development & Hospitality Group, a Washington DC based real estate development & acquisition firm, announced its latest acquisition, the 184-room Radisson Largo MD that will be transformed into the DoubleTree by Hilton Largo/Washington DC, effective May 1, 2015. The $19M acquisition and transformation of the hotel will be managed by Crescent Hotels & Resorts, a leading operator of hotels with over 80 properties in its North American portfolio.

Largo, Maryland has emerged into a key sub market of the national capital region, and we believe this is an ideal time to add a world class brand to Prince Georges County stated Evens Charles, President and CEO of Frontier. With key government agencies, major corporations as well as tremendous residential and commercial growth, the area truly needs an upscale hotel. There has been significant business oriented growth in the market, and that is why we decided to invest our capital here.

Transition to the DoubleTree by Hilton Largo will continue through April. We are committed to transforming this investment into a best in class, business oriented hotel stated Norman Jenkins, President of Capstone Development, and a partner in the deal. We are working shoulder to shoulder with our architects, engineers, and Hilton Worldwide to ensure that we not only meet, but exceed the expectations of our guests.

All 184 guest rooms will be redesigned and outfitted with a chic, contemporary look and feel. The hotels public space, meeting rooms and food/beverage zones will also be reinvented. In addition, the hotels new design will feature a new exterior social zone that will be anchored by a fire pit. Finally, the hotel will have a new state of the art fitness center and indoor pool.

The hotel will be open throughout the transformation. For more information or to check for availability, visit: http://www.largoradisson.com/

ABOUT FRONTIER DEVELOPMENT & HOSPITALITY GROUP LLC Frontier Development & Hospitality Group LLC is a real estate development and acquisition firm with a diverse asset portfolio but a primary focus in hospitality. Frontiers invested assets include hotels, luxury residential and multi-family projects. Frontiers hotel portfolio totals over $100MM in market value and has included brands like Marriott, Hilton and InterContinental hotels. For more information, please visit http://www.frontier-development.com.

ABOUT STAY IN WASHINGTON DC Stay in Washington DC includes Crescent Hotels & Resorts hotels located in and around Washington, DC. These properties are internationally recognized brands including, Hilton, Hyatt, Sheraton, Westin, Wingate by Wyndham, Radisson, Cambria Hotels & Suites and Best Western. All hotels are in walking distance to a Metrorail or offer complimentary shuttle service that links guests to the citys world renowned Metrorail network. All locations offer various dining, shopping and entertainment options just minutes away via walking, complimentary shuttle or Metrorail. Several locations offer award winning restaurants right inside the hotels. For more information, visit http://www.stayinwashingtondc.com, like on http://www.facebook.com/StayInWashingtonDC, follow on http://www.twitter.com/stayinwashdc, follow on http://www.instagram.com/stayinwashdc, subscribe on YouTube and connect on Google+.

ABOUT CRESCENT HOTELS & RESORTS Crescent Hotels & Resorts is a nationally recognized, top-10 independent third-party operator of hotels and resorts. Crescent currently operates over 80 hotels and resorts, with close to 19,000 rooms in 29 states and Canada. Crescent is one of a small group of independent management companies approved to operate hotels under the Marriott, Hilton, Starwood, Hyatt and InterContinental flags. Crescent also operates a collection of legendary independent hotels and resorts. For more information, please visit http://www.chrco.com.

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New DoubleTree Hotel Comes to Washington DC Metro (Largo MD)

Kingwood Garden Club recognizes the February Yard of the Month

Kingwood Garden Club has recognized Dr. Hans Kells home landscape for their February Yard of the Month Award. Stone pillars accent the entrance to the property at 2403 Oakbank Drive, and flagstone pathways lead up to and around the home and its gardens. A black urn spouting flames flanks the left front entrance to the house. The backyard is breathtaking, as three giant stone waterfalls splash into the pool below its surrounding large boulders. A unique tree house, caves, outdoor kitchen and entertaining spaces complete the look of this dream backyard. The side yard leading from the back of the property to the front is unusually beautiful and makes for a vibrant winter landscape.

Posted: Tuesday, January 27, 2015 8:00 am

Kingwood Garden Club recognizes the February Yard of the Month

Posted in News on Tuesday, January 27, 2015 8:00 am.

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Kingwood Garden Club recognizes the February Yard of the Month