Starwood acquired the rights to the site from hotel developer Orient Express, which had a contract to buy the land from the New York Public Library but never closed.

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More recently, the Oslo peace process gave the embryonic political institutions of the embryonic Palestine a powerful foothold in the city, symbolised by the transformation of Orient House, a former hotel, into a cross between a town hall and an embassy.

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The competition is held in association with South African Airways, the official airline sponsor and The Westcliff Hotel, Johannesburg (part of the Orient-Express collection of luxury hotels) the official sponsor of accommodation for finalists and judges.

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At the Hotel Albergo, guests are treated to the opulence and luxury of the Orient, but with a French accent.

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This hotel stay was part of an all-expenses paid trip, courtesy of Orient-Express.

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