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ANYONE looking for a cheap holiday with some great beach time needs to consider heading to Mamaia.

It’s one of the most popular seaside resorts in Romania and is also one of the cheapest – and has a hotel owned by a former footballer.

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Mamaia is a lively beach resort known for its nightclubs and sandy beaches that sits on a thin strip of land between the Black Sea and Lake Siutghiol.

Thanks to its location it has incredible views across the water with highs of 25C in September.

Romania itself is known for being one of the cheapest countries for a city break – you can get a local beer for just 11 lei – £1.88.

The resort is considered the ‘Blackpool‘ of Romania thanks to its affordability and party atmosphere.

In Mamaia, one hotel is even owned by a celebrated Romanian footballer who has been known to sit at the bar and chat with guests.

Gheorghe Hagi, who played for the Romania national team for 17 years, bought the IAKI Conference & Spa Hotel in 1999 and has given the hotel a big makeover since then.

Now, it has 122 spacious rooms and apartments with rates starting at €60 (£52.04).

Thanks to its location on the Mamaia strip, the hotel has either seafront or lake views.

The hotel has a first-class spa with a hot tub, yoga room, room for spin classes and a wet and dry sauna.

There are outdoor and indoor pools too and even access to a private beach.

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The IAKI beach has 220 sun loungers and umbrellas and a volleyball court.

The IAKI has three dining areas too, the Coriolis is open all-year round, has traditional Romanian food including plenty of seafood, and meat like beef tenderloin and lamb chops.

The Ballroom restaurant is where buffet meals are served for guests during the summer period.

IAKI Casino is usually reserved for special occasions, like birthdays, weddings and baptisms.

As for where to get a drink, guests can check out the Piano Bar, Sunrise Bar as well as the bar on the beach.

As the hotel is owned by a former footballer, there is of course a football pitch where both staff and guests can play.

On Tripadvisor, the hotel is rated number one in Mamaia.

One guest wrote: “It has been our 4th visit here and, as usual, the view towards the sea was magnificent, the room was prepared in advance with a baby cot for our daughter, food was excellent.

“I had the chance to see the owner in person again: Gheorghe Hagi, the best Romanian footballer of all time!”

Another added: “Our best memory represents the fact that we met “the king”- Gheorghe Hagi at the front desk and at the hotel’s bar. We took a photo with him and he gave us an autograph.”

It’s easy to get there too, with Wizz Air, you can fly direct from London Luton to Constanta Kogalniceanu from £23.

From there, Mamaia is a 30 minute drive away.

Romania is so affordable that one woman even flew to there for a spa holiday with her mum because it was cheaper than the UK – even with return flights.

And here’s another pretty European city most Brits won’t have heard of gets new cheap flights from the UK.

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A LUXURY superyacht owned by the US billionaire who transformed Starbucks into a global brand has been spotted squeezing through a murky Dutch canal.

Howard Schultz’s 254-foot vessel, named Pi, boasts a range of over 4,500 nautical miles and onboard spa facilities, including a glass-bottomed swimming pool.

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The huge yacht, believed to be worth $200m (£150m), can accommodate up to 12 guests in six cabins and a crew of 18 people.

At a staggering 254 feet long and 37 feet wide, Pi ranks as the 183rd biggest yacht in the world, according to Wikipedia’s latest list of motor yachts by length.

The vessel is powered by MTU engines, which make it capable of speeds up to 18 knots.

It features its own helicopter landing pad as well as various onboard luxury spa facilities.

Built by Dutch boat builder Feadship, it was delivered to Schultz at the 2019 Monaco Yacht Show, where it won Best Yacht in Its Class and Motor Yacht of the Year.

Schultz’s net worth surpasses $6b (£4.5b), according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

He built the bulk of his fortune as the CEO of Starbucks, initially leading the company from 1986 to 2000.

Under Schultz, Starbucks grew from a small Seattle-based chain into a global coffee empire.

Schultz returned to the helm during the 2007–2008 financial crisis, after the company faced major store closures in a bid to cut costs.

He remained CEO until 2017, then returned briefly as interim CEO from 2022 to 2023.

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It comes as the superyacht was spotted in Cornwall’s Falmouth harbour in May 2022.

Meanwhile, the luxury Four Seasons hotel franchise recently announced its plans to launch a superyacht cruise ship, dubbed the Four Seasons.

The superyacht promises to be decked with “sea limousines”, luxury restaurants, a cigar room and even a four-story private penthouse suite.

Set to launch in January 2026, the ‘sea hotel’ will sail on over 30 voyages in its first year, cruising through the Bahamas, Caribbean, and Mediterranean.

Seven nights along the rivieras of Cassis, France and Portofino, Italy, for example, will cost north of $25,000 (£18,500).

While reservations for the first voyages opened in January 2024, they are on an invitation-only basis for loyal Four Seasons guests.

The exclusivity is “driven by the need to manage extraordinary demand”, according to the luxury hotel franchise.

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United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer (pictured during a press conference at the White House in Washington, D.C., in February) resides at Downing Street but has rented out the four-bedroom home subject to an early morning fire. File Photo by Chris Kleponis/UPI | License Photo

May 12 (UPI) — Counter-terrorism police are investigating a fire described as “suspicious” at a house owned by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer early Monday.

No one was hurt and the only damage was to the property’s entrance in Kentish Town in northern London, Metropolitan Police said, according to the BBC.

Starmer, who resides with his family at his official residence on Downing Street, has rented out the four-bedroom home, The Guardian reported. Starmer, who bought the home with his wife, Victoria, in 2004, was elected Britain’s prime minister last July.

London Fire Bridge personnel responded with 10 firefighters and two engines at 1:11 a.m. local time. It was under control about 20 minutes later.

Residents told the Mirror they heard a “loud bang” during the night and woke to see flashing lights and sirens.

Dan Nicholson said a car caught fire nearby on Wednesday. “I called the police and shortly afterwards the fire brigade turned up,” he said. “It was pretty dramatic. It was mad. It feels like it might be related to the incident this morning. It seems too much of a coincidence.”

Last year, three people were found guilty of public order offenses after staging a pro-Palestinian demonstration outside the house.

“The prime minister thanks the emergency services for their work,” a spokesperson for Starmer’s Downing Street office said. “The incident is subject to a live investigation and we will therefore not be commenting further.”

The counter-terrorism officers’ investigation is “as a precaution and due to the property having previous connections with a high-profile public figure,” police said.

“The cause of the fire continues to be investigated but at this stage is being treated as suspicious.”