The Schooner (or Cutter) America The Auld Mug is named after I’ve not followed the intermediate legal battles in detail, although they are fascinating, but tomorrow, February 8, 2010, weather permitting the now three race only competition will start for the 33rd time at sea at Valencia, Spain. Since I attended part of the 150 year’s America’s Cup celebration in Cowes, UK, in 2001, I’m following it with more than usual interest and you can find me posting about it in my America’s Cup Category here. Off course the official site of the America’s Cup has been…
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Happy Hotelier
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America’s Cup 33: Racing will start Februari 8, 2010
6 Feb 2010 | 8:24 pm -
#TweetUpTheHague: Why attend and how to boost TweetUp success
3 Feb 2010 | 2:05 pmIt’s an omission that I didn’t post earlier about a TweetUp, especially since I attended my first Tweetup, #TweetUpTheHague no 1 already back in August 2009. What is a TweetUp? I like this definition of Paul McFredies of WordSpy: A real world meeting between two or more people who know each other through the online Twitter service I’ts as simple as that. No more no less. My reasons to attend #TweetUpTheHague Even dogs do it :-) as you can see from the photo of Oppi, the dog of Eppo. On a more serious note: To satisfy my always present insatiable curiosity: who is behind that… -
Email Marketing Software for Newsletters for Bloggers
1 Feb 2010 | 1:53 pmSome of my travelblogger friends send newsletters on a more or less frequent basis. Since I’m revamping my Haagsche Suites Sites, I would like to have a possibility to send newsletters that integrate blog posts. So I’ve been asking around and thus far came across the following possibilities which I will check: AWeber. Campaign Monitor. SendBlaster. Mailchimp My Newsletterbuilder Feedblitz Off course you can have your readers subscribe via Feedreader e-mail subscription, but I don’t like to get an email of every post somebody posts, and believe my readers here nor my future… -
Travel and The IPad – Some preliminary Thoughts
28 Jan 2010 | 2:54 pmIn an impressive presentation Steve Jobs introduced the world to the IPad. What influence will it have on travel? Some preliminary thoughts: In the preamble Steve explained that Apple is by now bigger than Nokia, Samsung and Sony profitability wise in mobile devices…It may be assumed that it will be rolled out big 60 or 90 days from now. My main question is: Will you be able to leave your laptop (or eee netbook) home for an Ipad? If so, it is a must have. You can e-mail, write, calculate and make key note presentations with it, browse the web, watch photos and videos with it and listen… -
What happened to the vintage Nested Suitcase Design?
26 Jan 2010 | 7:18 amVia Cribcandy I came across this vintage nested suitcase installation. Cribcandy found it on Mocoloco and Mocoloco found it at Design*Sponge. It made me wonder what designers do nowady with this perfectly pratical idea. If you travel you can’t have enough suitcases, but at home those darn suitcases take a lot of space…what better than to nest them in storage? I did a quick image search on Nested Suitcases, but couldn’t find any eye candy design. Did I overlook something or is the idea obsolete and am I only nostalgic? What happened to the vintage Nested Suitcase Design? is a…
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Hotel Blogs by Guillaume Thevenot
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The weekly life of a travel startup - Why is it so hard to make great burritos in London?
9 Feb 2010 | 10:21 amEvery now and then, Itamar, founder of Kukunu gives us an update about the development of his own online travel start up. Enjoy. I just came back from a fantastic trip to the US with the Seedcamp teams. For a... -
eBay gives another try to Travel with Octopus Travel
22 Jan 2010 | 3:58 amAccording to Travolution, the famous auction site eBay has reached an agreement with Octopus Travel, a hotel consolidator who works with more than 50,000 hotels. Back in the 2006, eBay attempted to break into the travel market by partnering with... -
Blog Watch #1 - The Hotel Consultant
22 Jan 2010 | 2:47 amIt's time that we focus our energy again to promote newly discovered blogs that we have found on the blogosphere related to the hotel industry. So let's start with The Hotel Consultant written by Robert Smith, a former hotel general... -
Sheraton brings a fresh look to their website
21 Jan 2010 | 11:32 amSheraton has recently redesigned their website to make it even more "social media" friendly and announces straight away from their homepage "Welcome to our community". Their e-commerce team has also integrated Facebook Connect. Unfortunately, the feature doesn't seeem to work... -
Holiday Inn warm up your bed in your room with...
21 Jan 2010 | 3:35 amAccording to The Telegraph, the US hotel chain Holiday Inn (part of Intercontinental Hotel Group) is going to warm up your bed in your room with human blankets. Apparently, people sleep sooner if the bed is warm vs. cold. So...
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Europe A LA Carte
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Ghost Bus Tour in Dublin
9 Feb 2010 | 9:09 amThere are many beautiful places to see in Dublin, but if you’re one for spooks then you should definitely catch a ride on the Ghost Bus Tour. Dublin is known to be a haunted city with a great history of supernatural occurrences. The bus takes brave visitors on a tour of the darker side of Dublin. Riders on the bus will learn the legends about how Dracula came to be, they will visit the infamous haunted steps and have an opportunity to stand in the middle of Dublin’s most haunted graveyard as they learn about the art of body snatching. The tour lasts a little over two hours and… -
Literary highlights of Tartu, Estonia
9 Feb 2010 | 12:36 amThe lovely Estonian town of Tartu certainly has a cultural bent: sightseeing highlights include the crooked art museum and the University of Tartu. Another cultural side you’ll notice if you stroll around Tartu is that they’re big on honouring writers. My personal Estonian experience certainly fits this – the first person I spoke with about Estonia, on the bus ride in from Russia, was a half-Estonian Australia whose mother was a famous enough writer to be on the high school syllabus there. In any case, you might be especially surprised (as I was) to come across a statue of… -
Vienna’s Museum of Art Fakes
8 Feb 2010 | 5:14 amI wouldn’t have even stopped had it not been for what I thought was a ‘typo.’ The sheer horror of a ‘Manet’ instead of a ‘Monet’ was enough to redirect my attention from the unusual colours of Hundertwasserhaus to the more muted glass pane before me, just a few meters from the colourful building, which as you know counts as one of the best places to visit in Europe. On closer scrutiny, I realized a number of artists shared the window pane with Manet, and they were all misspelt. This, but obviously, was Vienna’s Museum of Art Fakes. Photo Credit - Museum of Art Fakes A novel… -
Paris sightseeing: Paris Movie Walks
6 Feb 2010 | 6:39 amI was offered a complimentary copy of Paris Movie Walks by Michael Schurmann for review purposes. I’m not a great movie buff but I thought that movie themed self guided Paris walks sounded like a great idea. Paris is already renowned as being one of the best places to visit in Europe, so it would be interesting to add a movie inspired angle to your Paris sightseeing. Under the Paris Sky by Reinante El Pintor de Fuego I was really impressed by the book Paris Movie Walks, it was thoroughly researched, structured in a way to make it really easy to use and written in a humorous manner. -
Pretty in Pink in Vienna at Cafe Aida
4 Feb 2010 | 9:04 pmNew York City has the famous cupcakes of Magnolia Cafe, and of course there are the lovely scones of York. But Europe’s real foodie attraction are the pretty in pink cakes in Vienna at Cafe Aida This is a chain cafe/bakery in Austria, now I normally wouldn’t recommend a Starbucks-like brand. But with their old-fashioned neon signs, their windows full of beautiful cake creations, and their only-pink policy, I can’t think of a better recommendation for Vienna. The umbrellas are pink, the waitresses are pink, and most of the cakes have pink icing. And they’re good –…
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DeliciousBaby.com
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Avia Napa Hotel Review
9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 amWe were guests of the Avia Napa on this trip. I received no other compensation beyond the room, and the hotel did not require that I express a particular point of view. Families with kids have many hotel choices when they visit the Napa Valley. There are chain hotels, resorts where you can lounge all day by a pool, and bed and breakfasts where you might worry about your child's every noise. What appealed to me about the Avia Napa when I started my search for a hotel on this trip, was the central location in Napa's "downtown." We're out-and-about a lot when we travel, and generally don't use… -
Northern California Road Trip: Golden Gate Bridge and Mrs Grossman's Sticker Factory
8 Feb 2010 | 12:00 amI paid my own way at Mrs Grossman's Sticker Factory. Whenever I accept a free product or service for review, I will always let you know. While I'm disclosing things, I should also let you know that if you purchase a product through an Amazon link on my site, I will receive a small commission. I owe a huge thank you to Meg of Backpack To Buggy who sent me a very detailed list of suggestions about things to do and see while we were in Sonoma County. The drive from San Francisco to Napa is about one and a half hours. That's not long at all, unless you happen to have a 7 month old who hates being… -
Tallinn Estonia With Kids
7 Feb 2010 | 9:45 pmThis is a guest post from Kaare Revill who has traveled extensively with her three kids: ages 6, 4, and 2. She was kind enough to share her best recommendations for a family visit to Estonia - a family-friendly European destination that most Americans don't know much about. She blogs at Abrilliantplace By Wikipedia Location of Estonia Estonia is a small and beautifully forested country in Europe. Some people have never heard of it, and even if they have, most are pretty fuzzy on its geographical location. Its shores are washed by the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea; it is bordered on the… -
Photo Friday: New York Blizzard
4 Feb 2010 | 10:25 pmWe've all heard people talk about trips that were "ruined" by bad weather, and of course you never know what might happen when you travel. Still, there's usually some way to salvage any vacation (in part by allowing enough time that a day or two of weather or illness doesn't derail your plan entirely). Enjoying the Snow in Manhattan (Blizzard 2003) This is one of my favorite photos from New York. A huge blizzard swept in during our vacation, shutting down the city almost entirely. Offices were closed. The museums were closed. Most shops were closed. Taxis stayed home and people went… -
San Francisco With Kids: California Academy of Sciences
3 Feb 2010 | 12:00 amIt's always a treat when we find a great coffee shop near our hotel. I love sneaking out to pick up fresh pastry in the morning, and I rarely have the patience for a full sit-down breakfast. Breakfast at Farm:Table exactly fit the bill. The menu is simple, but with items like "daily toast" and fresh made baked goods it feels special. There's a cozy table tucked in the corner that made the perfect spot to snack on our bannana muffins and olive oil bread. This coffee shop is so welcoming, it almost feels as if you are entering someone's home. Farm:Table, San Francisco Next we hopped on a train…
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Travel Rants Blog
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Share your worst airline flight delays
27 Jan 2010 | 3:36 pmThe nasty weather in the UK through Christmas and the New Year meant many travellers plans were disrupted, with flights delayed or cancelled. There’s not a great deal you can do about the weather but I wish our airports and public transport in general could cope with the bad weather; it is winter after all. Airline tricks and unhelpful customer support As you can imagine my inbox was full of stories from consumers, many asking if they were entitled to compensation for being delayed or their flight cancelled. To be honest I was shocked at the types of tricks that the airlines used and how… -
Time to share my travel mistakes
25 Jan 2010 | 12:10 pmMost of us have been guilty of rushing to the airport to catch our flight, or worst still, arrived at the wrong airport. I remember reading a story about a group of Newcastle football fans who had arrived in the city where the team was playing a day early, and were flying home the day of the game. I am always giving out travel advice, yet, sometimes, I fall foul of my own stupid travel mistakes. Checked into the wrong hotel This incident happened last year. I decided to take a long weekend trip to Venice, and all was going well. I found the street where my hotel was located, checked-in,… -
Apartments abroad and Resort taxis ceased trading
21 Jan 2010 | 11:45 amI have just heard that accommodation only company Apartments abroad has today ceased trading. The company sold accommodation all over the world including popular tourist destinations in Europe and the US. They do not appear to be ABTA members, I thought they were though. Independent traveller protection issues I am not sure at this point how many consumers will be affected. Consumers were able to book accommodation via the website but I understand that travel agents also used them. The company also owns resort taxis, a specialist airport transfer service. I wanted to post this now in case any… -
Companies donate to Haiti for PR or to make a difference
19 Jan 2010 | 1:19 pmI can’t imagine what the residents of Haiti are going through and when I watch the news I wish I could do more to help. I wasn’t going to write this post but felt I needed to get it off my chest. When disasters such as Haiti we have to come together and help, and it is great that millions were raised so quickly. Helping Haiti or PR In the last week though I have seen a number of companies (including a few in travel) promoting the fact that they have helped people in Haiti by delivering some form of aid or donated a chunk of cash. I cannot help but think that this is more about PR,… -
Worst airport security experiences
14 Jan 2010 | 11:05 amOne of my least favourite parts of flying is queuing and going through airport security. It never seems organised. Airport security has been in the news a lot recently and with the introduction of full body scanners in British airports, sometime in 2010, I don’t think it’ll get any better. Baggage searched at Schiphol airport This year I will be taking my first jaunt over to the US and I cannot wait to experience the security there. I remember back to when I was 17 and travelling through Schiphol airport in Amsterdam. I must have looked guilty because all of my bags were searched,…
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The Perrin Post
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How to Maximize Your Port Sightseeing During Your Mediterranean Cruise
21 Jan 2010 | 7:12 amIt's sometimes smartest to avoid the cruise line's pre-fab group shore tours and hire a private driver and/or English-speaking local guide to pick you up at the pier, take you to the sights you want to see, and then return you to the ship shortly before it sails. -
How to Get the Flights You Want with the Miles You Have
14 Jan 2010 | 2:34 pmI hope everyone's having a happy new year. Mine's been a busy one so far. Since 2010 started I've skiied in Vermont, been to a wedding in Boston, and planned trips to Montreal, Mumbai, and Hawaii all within the next... -
How to Cope with Holiday Flight Cancellations, Overbooked Planes, and Other Airline Adversity
22 Dec 2009 | 10:14 amIf you're hitting an airport this holiday season, you should follow these steps to minimize the damage that flight delays and cancellations can do to your travel plans. -
How To Turn Your Hodge-Podge of Miles in Different Mileage Accounts Into a Free Ticket
21 Dec 2009 | 9:36 amWhat to do when you've got a bunch of frequent-flier mileage accounts, yet not enough miles in any one of them? Here are the top ten ways to turn them into a free ticket. -
Tips for the Caribbean Island of St. Lucia
8 Dec 2009 | 8:21 amA question has come in: "We are going to St. Lucia's Coconut Bay Resort on January 1st. Any tips for our week there?"
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soultravelers3
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Kid's Art, Creativity & Travel!
9 Feb 2010 | 10:41 amKid's Art, Creativity & Travel!February 9, 2009 Family travel should always include art, creativity and fun because that is how kids learn and Family travel should always include art, creativity and fun because that is how kids learn and express easily, plus it's effortless to add and makes great travel mementos! We always have a drawing pad & colored pencils in our daypack when we travel, as well as a note pad and cameras. We love how art has always been part of our family world tour and we've written about it many times like Mozart's Diary when we began… -
New York Times Q&A With Soultravelers3 on Frugal Traveler
3 Feb 2010 | 9:54 amNew York Times Q&A With Soultravelers3 on Frugal TravelerJanuary 26, 2010The New York Times Travel profile of Soultravelers3 on Frugal Traveler has changed our lives! The New York Times profile of Soultravelers3 on Frugal Traveler has changed our lives! Soultravelers3 is the subject, but "Q&A With Jeanne Dee, the Nomadic Family Traveler" is the title in this NYTimes Travel piece. Little did we know what change was in store for us. That's not what we expected when we got that Tweet and call out of the blue from one of our favorite writers, Matt Gross. -
Seth Godin, Linchpin, Education & Travel
26 Jan 2010 | 11:23 amSeth Godin, Linchpin, Education & TravelJanuary 26, 2010 Family travel and education gohand in hand, especially extended family travel or a creative ultra-mobile Family travel and education go hand in hand, especially extended family travel or a creative ultra mobile lifestyle design that includes the whole family. When you are a parent, giving your child the best possible education in this new economy, preparing them for the future is foremost on ones mine. That's why I'm so excited by Seth Grodin's new book, Linchpin, so I just dropped the post I was writing,… -
Family Travel Photo - Ireland
20 Jan 2010 | 10:56 amFamily Travel Photo - Ireland January 20, 2010 Family travel is enhanced by timein nature and sometimes it's a small thing like a beautiful flower that can Family travel is enhanced by time in nature and sometimes it's a small thing like a beautiful flower that can touch your heart. We loved these Fuschia's that were all over Dingle, Ireland. Of course we loved the traditional music and have yet to tell you about our exciting musical Pub crawl here or visiting historic Blasket Island, architecture and more in this area where the Irish language (Gaeilge or Gaelainn) is… -
Our 3 Best Kept Family Travel Secrets!
14 Jan 2010 | 8:12 amOur 3 Best Kept Family Travel SecretsJanuary 14, 2009 Do you have a nose for sniffing out the best travel secrets in both well worn tourist areas as well as off Do you have a nose for sniffing out the best travel secrets in both well worn tourist areas as well as off the beaten track? Friends have always told me I have a talent for this and it certainly is a passion of mine as I want to see every area like an insider and not just on the ordinary tourists circuit. No worries if this doesn't happen to be your strong suit because the ever growing community of travel bloggers …
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Jaunted
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Kohler: Get INTO the Cold: Kohler, Wisconsin
9 Feb 2010 | 11:15 amTrying to flee the freezing temperatures sweeping across the country is natural, but predictable. Instead, do what folks in these frigid destinations do—embrace it and get INTO the cold. The trick to staying toasty is chill-killing gear and lots of bone warming activity. So stop moping around waiting for summer to arrive and head to these five crazy cold places and get your winter wonderland on.Kohler, Wisconsin Cold Meter: Extreme A short hour drive from Milwaukee is Destination Kohler, home of the bath and kitchen product empire. Mother Nature has an icy disposition in this state come… -
Jackson: Find Love Up Above with Chairlift Speed Dating This Weekend
9 Feb 2010 | 10:00 amDo you feel like you've looked everywhere for your soul mate but haven't found them yet? Maybe you're just not looking in the right place. Forget bars, parties or the grocery store, why not try a ski lift? Black Mountain in Jackson, NH is hosting the 4th Annual Chairlift Speed Dating event this weekend. Registration for the event begins at 12:30 pm on Saturday, Feb. 13 in the Lostbo Pub. Speed dating runs from 2 pm to 4 pm and is followed by music, drinks and contests. While you're looking for the mate of your dreams, you can also enjoy 'Love Potions' from the bar and a special aphrodisiac… -
Fly a MiG Over Moscow or a Fighter Jet Over LA Without a Pilot's License
9 Feb 2010 | 9:00 amIf you watched Top Gun and longed to be hot-headed pilot Maverick, kicking ass in the skies, then get your jumpsuit ready. Incredible Adventures will not only set you up with a fighter jet, but the company will film your short escapade and you can help write a script. You get to choose whether you want to do rolls and loops in your L-39 over L.A. or San Diego, which cost $2,950, or Vegas, which is $4,950. It's the same plane that was used in Jarhead, a film that Incredible Adventures helped make. For some additional dough, you can add a paparazzo or an enemy cameo to your story. -
Dubai: Dubai's Trouble Deepens: Burj Khalifa Closes and QE2 Ship Up For Sale
9 Feb 2010 | 8:30 amRemember a couple years ago when all the cool news was coming out of Dubai, like they had all the money in the world and were using to build the adult playland of the future? Well, Dubai is still turning out all the news, but it's just that the headlines have gone sour, and this week has brought another rush of bad news for the showy Emirate. First, the newly opened 124-floor Observation Deck in the Burj Khalifa building has closed. The reason they're giving for the closure is that they've had far too many electrical problems, and with people paying $27 in advance or $109 on the spot for the… -
Beaches and Bikinis: Where Sports Illustrated Shot the Swimsuit Issue
9 Feb 2010 | 7:25 amIn case you haven't noticed (yeah right), there are pictures of hot women in bikinis plastered up all over the place; they're on billboards, payphone booths (where those still exist), in features on TV, and finally—on newsstands. It's all because the much-awaited 2010 Sport Illustrated Swimsuit Issue is out and for sale, and this year, the scenery behind the girls is just as good as the view of tan lines. So what's the lucky tropical location? The Maldives! The SI team shot the magazine way back in August of last year, and although they gave out clues on Twitter, they stayed clear of…
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Viator Travel Blog
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Biking Across Eastern Europe
8 Feb 2010 | 2:25 pmWhen you envision a biking tour, the former Iron Curtain countries of eastern Europe may not be the first places that come to mind. Yet eastern Europe has some of the most scenic and peaceful routes on the continent. And thanks to hard work from some forward-looking leaders (and cooperation from private and public groups), bike trails literally go for hundreds of miles. Bicycles are happier in the Czech Republic If you have the time, you can ride a bike from Prague to Vienna on mostly off-highway trails. The really fit can take a 254-mile trip across the Tatra Mountains in Slovakia, or from… -
Top 5 Things to Do in Cape Town
5 Feb 2010 | 4:35 pmCape Town is one of those rare cities that makes for a wonderful holiday destination – as opposed to somewhere to go for a city break – in its own right. It’s staggeringly good looking and has that winning combination of city energy, culture, history and nature. It’d be easy enough to spend a month here and not run out of things to do, but here are five of the top things to do for the time-pressed. #1 - Cycle down Table Mountain Those who have visited Cape Town will always describe how stunning Table Mountain is, but no matter how high your expectations are, the “wow”… -
[contest] Oberammergau Passion Play - Win 2 Free Tickets
4 Feb 2010 | 5:03 pmWe are giving away 2 free tickets to the Oberammergau Passion Play! Actually we’re giving away much more than just 2 free tickets to the Oberammergau Passion Play - we’re giving away a complete package for 2 people that includes: round-trip train tickets from Munich to Oberammergau departing on Monday, June 14; two nights of accommodation at the Guesthouse Ethiko in the nearby village of Ettal (half-board); and two free Category Two tickets for the Passion Play itself. The total value here is more than US $1,500 / GBP 900 / 1,100 euros! Scene from the last Passion Play, courtesy… -
Easter Week in Rome, Italy
4 Feb 2010 | 12:45 amSt Peter's Square and Basilica Holy Week in Rome. There are very few examples of Pageantry with a capital ‘P’ grander than Holy Week in Rome. The Pope himself delivers several masses between Palm Sunday and Easter, and tens of thousands of pilgrims and fellow travelers are on hand to celebrate with him. The following will give you an idea of what’s going on and when for Easter Week in 2010; most services take place in St Peter’s Square or inside the Basilica (consider a walking tour in Rome to get your bearings, or one of Viator’s Vatican tours if you arrive… -
The Hungarian Wine Story
3 Feb 2010 | 12:14 pmIt was a wine tasting gone amok, like one that should be happening in the world of nocturnal dreams instead. I saw rooms and rooms of bottles, with more than 50 of them open to try, but almost nothing on the labels sounded or looked familiar. What is a Szekszárdi Kadarka supposed to taste like? Or a Borpalota Szürkebarát? What kind of a grape is a kéknyelű? Hungarian Wines: Highs and Lows Historic wine label courtesy of Törley It was in Hungary, at the Hungarian House of Wine (now closed) in the cellar of a small building a few cobblestone-blocks away from Fisherman’s Bastion — the…
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HOTELMARKETING.COM
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Egencia fishing for new corporate accounts with global hotel study
8 Feb 2010 | 11:05 pmExpedia's business travel shop Egencia previewed results from a global study "Hotel Cost Control: Savings and Opportunities," finding that companies risk tremendous annual budget losses through unmanaged travel activity. -
Can TripAdvisor hotel reviews be trusted?
8 Feb 2010 | 11:04 pmIf websites like TripAdvisor are riddled with fake reviews, where will the traveller go for authentic advice, asks Charles Starmer-Smith of The Sydney Morning Herald. -
Ebookers unveils mobile site
8 Feb 2010 | 11:03 pmEbookers believes it has stolen a march on its rivals by taking a first strategic step into mobile with a new site designed for customers to use on their handsets, writes TravelWeekly UK. -
More about the list no hotel wants to be on
8 Feb 2010 | 11:02 pmThe New York Times talked with TripAdvisor’s chief executive, Stephen Kaufer, about the company's "dirtiest hotels list" and the fury it caused among hoteliers, especially in Europe. -
How online maps will change advertising
8 Feb 2010 | 11:01 pmWe've seen some early mashups of web applications that allow developers to overlay cool and useful information on top of Google and Bing maps. But those early applications are going to be overcome quickly by newer, more powerful applications that will be incredibly useful for marketing businesses.
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Travel + Leisure: Articles
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World's Scariest Taxi Rides
2 Feb 2010 | 8:49 amBreakneck rides through traffic, self-destructing vehicles, even drivers-turned-kidnappers. And they all still want a tip, too. -
Best Midlife-Crisis Trips
1 Feb 2010 | 9:39 amForget the Ferrari: travel can transform your life. Here are 10 trips to make it happen. -
World's Strangest Olympic Souvenirs
27 Jan 2010 | 9:58 amFrom food pins to wedding dresses, these odd mementos take the gold. -
How to Get the Best Seat in Coach
15 Jan 2010 | 10:15 amAs airlines begin charging for seat selection, T+L explains how to get the one you want without paying the price.<br /> -
America's Most Romantic Cities
15 Jan 2010 | 8:56 amFrom New York to San Francisco, the best U.S. cities to fall in love in—or rekindle romance.
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HotelChatter -
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Las Vegas: Inside The PH Towers By Westgate in Vegas
9 Feb 2010 | 11:20 amWe braved the Super Bowl madness over the weekend and checked into the new PH Towers By Westgate, adjacent to the Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. Overall, we were happy with what we got for our money, especially since we read some awful reviews on TravelPost before we got there. And being a timeshare resort we were scared that we would be kidnapped by timeshare salesmen and forced to listen to a timeshare pitch in a windowless room below the casino. (Thankfully, that never happened.)However, the biggest drawback for this hotel is that it's really attached to the Miracle Mile shops rather than… -
Toronto: Indulge Your Wonderlands with Park Hyatt Toronto's John Mayer Package
9 Feb 2010 | 10:29 amValentine's Day for hotels usually means breaking out the cases of champagne and loading up on chocolate-covered strawberries to place throughout their guestrooms. But we're not into that. We've already told you our favorite hotels for Valentine's Day but this week, we'd like to spotlight some of the most opulent V-Day packages out there. If you're going to impress your schmoopie, why not go all out? It's all well and good to spend Valentine's Day with your loved one, but you'll quickly forget what's-his-name when you get a chance to spend a night with John Mayer. The Park Hyatt Toronto is… -
New York: What Hotel Is Going Up at 48th and Lex in Manhattan?
9 Feb 2010 | 8:55 amWelcome to the corner of 48th Street and Lexington Avenue in Manhattan—and our latest burning question. What is this hotel? And when will it open? When little is released about a new property, especially one in New York City, our interest is piqued. And so it is with this glass-fronted number to be run by Hersha Hospitality. Here’s what we’ve learned about the mysterious hotel: -
Fort Myers: Sanibel Harbour Marriott Goes Buckwild with Bridezillas for Valentine's Day
9 Feb 2010 | 8:16 amHigh season for weddings may start in June but you can always count on the seriously schmaltzy types to get hitched on Valentine’s Day. Like the 48 couples who are getting married or renewing their vows at the Sanibel Harbour Marriott Resort & Spa this year. That’s right, unless you fancy yourself a wedding crasher, you may want to rethink your dates for a quiet winter getaway in Fort Meyers. -
New York: The W New York Downtown Will Be a 'W on Steroids'
9 Feb 2010 | 6:50 amUpdate: Yes, this Page Six story is from last year, but we were hungry for something new on the long-delayed W Downtown. We hope to bring you piping hot, fresh, new details on this baby very soon. Got any scoop? Let us know!As with any hotel delay, we were disappointed when we learned that the W New York Downtown opening was pushed back until May 4. But thanks to a Page Six magazine interview with real-estate scion Matthew Moinian, we think we have an explanation. “Think of it as a W on steroids,” Moinian told the mag of his pet project. Huh? The W Downtown is busy bulking up and…
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Holy Kaw!
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Google Buzz's official demo [video]
9 Feb 2010 | 11:25 amGoogle has just unveiled its latest attempt to become more relevant in the social media space—Google Buzz. The product is integrated within Gmail and will be rolled out gradually to all of the webmail service’s users over the next few days. While this development is still unfolding, you can check out Google Buzz’s two-minute demo of Buzz in action both online and via mobile. What are your initial reactions? Another soon-to-be-forgotten Google product like Wave, or a Facebook/Twitter killer? Full story at Mashable. Total Google coverage. Permalink | Leave a… -
Darth Vader’s original wimpy voice [video]
9 Feb 2010 | 11:15 amImagine a galaxy far, far away where Darth Vader sounded like any other British bloke strolling down the corridors of the Death Star. Before James Earl Jones provided the menacing voice of the Dark Lord of the Sith, English actor and bodybuilder David Prowse delivered the lines from inside the Darth costume. While George Lucas never intended for Prowse’s voice to make the flick’s final cut, it’s weird to imagine how different Star Wars would have been with a different Vader voice. Full story at Huffington Post. Tons of Star Wars tidbits. Permalink | Leave a… -
7 things you didn’t know about condoms
9 Feb 2010 | 10:14 amRubbers. Raincoats. Inconvenient. Whatever you call 'em, condoms remain a must-have in the safe sex tool box. Long before the days of Durex and Trojans, men used animal intestines to protect their willies (that sounds lovely, eh ladies?) and still to this day use lambskin condoms for latex allergies and supposed extra sensitivity. Want to learn even more fun facts about condoms that will surely impress your friends and potential lovers? Check out Asylum's seven things you probably didn't know about condoms that includes tantalizing tidbits like: Vaseline + condoms = Disintegrated rubber and… -
Horror flick mirror scare mash-up [video]
9 Feb 2010 | 9:25 amHorror movies love to rely on cliches to scare the bejeezus out of us, but does it really surprise anyone that the axe murderer is going to pop in the reflection of a mirror? Ok, yes, it still totally sparks a few pee-in-pants moments. Check out this mash-up of mirror scare moments (fair warning: don’t watch alone in a big, dark, scary house): Full story at Four Four. Boo! Tons of scary and not so scary movie news. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
7 things you shouldn't do on Valentine's Day
9 Feb 2010 | 9:13 amAh, Valentine’s day. February fourteenth marks that special moment in the year when Hallmark cashes in on our emotions and cupid gets busy shooting arrows. Whether you’re indifferent, excited, upset, or madly in love—there are seven things you just shouldn’t do on this lovey-dovey holiday. See a few do-not-do’s below: Go on a first date. First dates are hard enough, why add the extra pressure? Call your ex. Abort mission! On a day like this, it’s normal for your thoughts to drift to the one you used to be with, but you broke up for a reason. So, spare…
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NYT: Netherlands
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Sudan’s Leader May Be Accused of Genocide
3 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pmThe president of Sudan came under new legal scrutiny when appeals judges reopened the possibility that he may be charged with genocide. -
State of the Union, in Dutch
26 Jan 2010 | 9:00 pmA comparison of how six world leaders use a yearly address to lay out their agendas. -
Flight From Amsterdam to Aruba Diverted After Threats
13 Jan 2010 | 9:00 pmAn ArkeFly flight carrying 235 people was diverted to Ireland after an unruly Dutch passenger made bomb threats during the flight. The threats turned out to be false. -
Dutch Carmaker Still Pushing to Buy Saab
12 Jan 2010 | 9:00 pmG.M. is winding down the Swedish carmaker, but Spyker says it has an offer on the table and wants a decision. -
Iceland’s Leader Vetoes Bill to Repay 2 Lenders
5 Jan 2010 | 9:00 pmThe $5 billion compensation deal would have repaid the Britain and Dutch governments for their loans to compensate depositors.
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nrcnext.nl
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Even uitzichtloos leven in Parijs en Nairobi
9 Feb 2010 | 8:42 amAfrika-correspondent Koert Lindijer en Frankrijk-correspondent René Moerland schreven voor het NRC Weekblad van deze week een bijzonder stuk. Ze bezochten samen de sloppenwijken van Nairobi en de banlieues van Parijs en peilden de woede en het isolement aan de rand van de Europese en de Afrikaanse stad. Vroeger droomden inwoners van de buitenwijken nog over een leven in het rijke gedeelte, inmiddels weten ze: wie arm is, blijft arm. Nrc.tv maakte een reportage over de ontdekkingstocht van beide correspondenten: -
Greenpeace had het jaren geleden al over eco-seks
9 Feb 2010 | 7:18 amEind 2009 blogden we er al over: dé trend voor 2010, volgens trendwatchers: eco-seks. De trendwatcher ging niet verder dan een milieuvriendelijke condoom met FSC-keurmerk. Maar Greenpeace had acht jaar geleden al tips, ontdekte opinieblog Sargasso. Jawel, de organisatie die vroeger enkel de wereldzeeën afvoer om milieuvervuilers te hinderen, klopte anno 2002 al op je slaapkamerdeur. Figuurlijk gezien dan hè? In dat metafoor past de badkamerdeur trouwens ook prima, want één van de tips van Greenpeace is: neem samen een bad. Of zeep elkaar in onder de douche. Greenpeace-activist in 2006 op… -
Op de eerste rang naar ontruiming station Den Bosch kijken
9 Feb 2010 | 5:16 amMorgen in nrc.next uiteraard een artikel over het bomalarm in Den Bosch. Momenteel zoek ik via Twitter ooggetuigen. Met succes. Fabienne van der Werff woont tegenover het station van Den Bosch. Ze vertelt: “Toen de politie aan de deur kwam heb ik de tv zacht gezet en gedaan of ik niet thuis was. Ik wilde wel op de eerste rang zitten. Ik hoorde de politie tegen de buren zeggen dat ze wel binnen mochten blijven, maar wel uit de buurt van de ramen of het balkon moetsen blijven. Een paar buren in het appartementencomplex zijn toch naar buiten gegaan. Ik ben blij dat ik binnen ben gebleven,… -
Tip: stap niet in het ‘frame’ van Wilders
9 Feb 2010 | 3:45 amEen debat winnen van Geert Wilders is niet gemakkelijk. De PVV-leider is sterk in framing, schrijft de Delftse hoogleraar bestuurskunde Hans de Bruijn in zijn onlangs verschenen boekje Geert Wilders in debat. Zo zei Wilders een keer: „We raken Nederland kwijt aan de massa-immigratie, aan het Marokkaanse tuig dat scheldend, spugend en onschuldige mensen in elkaar rammend door het leven gaat.” Dat is een frame; een bepaalde manier van kijken naar de werkelijkheid, een ‘mindset’. Archieffoto Wilders door Alex MacNaughton De tip voor de concurrentie is duidelijk: stap nooit in de frame… -
Sleur een spijkerbroekmodel van z’n stoel af
9 Feb 2010 | 3:30 amZo, beste modemakers. Kijk eens op de site van spijkerbroekenmerk Wrangler voor een bijzondere manier om een collectie te presenteren. Consumenten trouwens ook, want daar is het spectaculair genoeg voor. Een hevig getatoeëerd model gehuld in denim is ‘versleepbaar’ over de site. Je kan ‘m van z’n stoel afsleuren, of een halve breakdance laten uitvoeren. En voor iedereen die op mannen valt, biedt de site waarschijnlijk nog een extra dimensie, want wrangler.com begint met het ontkleden van het model. Screenshot Wrangler De site is in flash gebouwd. Zodra je het model…
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TREND HUNTER - The Latest Trends
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Hair Massagers - The Alinco Brush Kneads Knots and Tangles (GALLERY)
9 Feb 2010 | 11:40 am(TrendHunter.com) The Alinco Brush with the incredibly long name of ‘Innovation Refreshing Pretend! Brute,’ may be a tongue twister, but it can untwist all your troubles. This little Japanese invention is an awesome shower… -
36 Zipper Fashions - Spunk Up Your Wardrobe With This Zanny Embellishment (CLUSTER)
9 Feb 2010 | 11:30 am(TrendHunter.com) One of the biggest trends to hit wardrobes recently is metallic embellishment, like zipper fashions -- not just clothes with zippers for functional purposes, but often for pure aesthetics. From hair accessories… -
Paper Leather Totes - Be Styling at the Grocery Shop With KIMKIM Bags (GALLERY)
9 Feb 2010 | 11:20 am(TrendHunter.com) KIMKIM bags are stylish totes that add the right amount of sophistication to your persona. This particular collection, Sixr, Papr and Papr II is a great way to upgrade that old office bag you’ve been carrying.… -
Charitable Corsets - Lady Gaga Auctions Costume for Haiti (GALLERY)
9 Feb 2010 | 11:10 am(TrendHunter.com) The amazing artist we all know and love, Lady Gaga, auctions her bedazzled costume for charity. Her Gary Card-designed skeleton corset will be auctioned off on the website Charity Buzz. The money raised… -
Flexible Shavers - The Folding Razor is a Sharp Invention (GALLERY)
9 Feb 2010 | 11:00 am(TrendHunter.com) The Folding razor is pretty awesome. Packed into a small pill-shaped pod, the folding razor can go wherever you go. Similar to a Fruit rollup, this razor rolls up and when it’s finally rolled out, let…
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Core77
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Jitterbug: A study of kinetics in pine and white tape
9 Feb 2010 | 10:47 amSimple, yet mind-blowing, Ryan McCaffrey demonstrates a study of kinetics made from rhombic units cut from pine and white tape. Holds its shape in certain orientations, but I still can't quite figure it out. (more...) -
Making it work in the recession: ID'er turned metal fabricator James Woggon
9 Feb 2010 | 10:40 amMaybe you graduate with a degree in ID, but times are tough and you can't find a job. What to do? Would you try to put your hand skills to use and take a job as, say, a metal fabricator on an assembly line to pay the bills? [photo credit: Gary Porter] That's the situation ID grad James Woggon found himself in, and after the recession claimed his lighting and furniture design studio he signed on with Wagner Companies on their assembly line. Wagner makes these neat Lumenrails, handrails with a self-contained light, which are essentially aluminum/stainless steel extrusions with a slot to… -
Stockholm Furniture Fair: 48m2 by Beckmans College of Design
9 Feb 2010 | 10:15 am48m2 is a collaboration between product and graphic design students at Beckmans College of Design in Stockholm. The first group created a series of products and the second a tight campaign for their exhibition. Furniture was developed by the product design students for a 48 square meter apartment, with the intent of "questioning and twisting preconceptions of home styling". In response to this work, the advertising/graphic design students developed a killer campaign for the exhibit, creating the concept "Same but Different," described below: Is a chair always a chair, an apartment always an… -
Core77 Gallery: New York International Gift Fair 2010
9 Feb 2010 | 8:35 amOur gallery from the January edition of the New York International Gift Fair 2010 is now live. Core contributor Rain Noe shares the best from this show, with new work from products from Kikkerland, Boym Studio, Gaia & Gino, Joseph Joseph, and more! >> view gallery(more...) -
Nearly complete collection of Industrial Design Magazine up for auction
9 Feb 2010 | 7:56 amIf you're a Mid-century Modernist fan looking to fill out your library, boy have we found a treasure trove for you: eBay user AllenLefferts has got a stack of more than 400 Industrial Design magazines dating back to February 1954! More specifically, ...a nearly complete set of INDUSTRIAL DESIGN MAGAZINES from Feb. 1954 through Oct. 2009. There are only 16 issues missing (out of 448). ...INDUSTRIAL DESIGN MAGAZINE is simply the most comprehensive, detailed, and complete reference resource for post-war modern design ever published. Tons of articles, photos, and even advertising that document…
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Guy Kawasaki
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How to Avoid Gullibility
8 Feb 2010 | 3:45 pmWe’ve all been sucked into doing something stupid, right? Fortunately, Steven Greenspan has written a book called Annals of Gullibility. In its conclusion he explains how to avoid gullibility, and I’ve provided a synopsis for you. Read the full story at the American Express Open Forum. More on psychology if you need the advice. -
How to Be Empathetic
4 Feb 2010 | 10:24 pmBy definition, good marketers are empathetic. That is, they have a capacity to understand and care for the needs of others. Bruna Martinuzzi explains how to be empathetic over at the American Express Open Forum. -
How to Not Be Annoying on Twitter
4 Feb 2010 | 10:19 pmAmber MacArthur explains how to not be annoying on Twitter over at the American Express Open Forum. Sage advice for you to develop a great reputation and following on Twitter. More Twitter tips. -
The Elements of Guyle: British Blogging
27 Jan 2010 | 10:06 pmWant to make your blog classier? You should blog like a Brit. I explain how to do this in ten easy steps. -
How to follow the Apple announcement
27 Jan 2010 | 7:56 amFollow the Apple announcement at Apple.alltop. We aggregate over 200 sources there.
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NRC Handelsblad | Voorpagina
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De Bakker bereikt tweede ronde toernooi Rotterdam
9 Feb 2010 | 9:42 amRotterdam, 9 febr. Thiemo de Bakker (21) heeft voor de eerste keer in zijn tennisloopbaan de tweede ronde bereikt van het ABN Amro World Tournament in Rotterdam. De geboren Hagenaar, die in 's-Gravenzande woont, was vandaag in Ahoy in twee sets te sterk voor de Tsjech Jan Hajek. De setstanden waren 7-6 (5) en 6-3. -
De kabinetsreactie op het Irak-rapport in zes punten
9 Feb 2010 | 9:31 amDe ministerraad werd het vanmorgen na weken van moeizame besprekingen eens over een kabinetsreactie op het rapport van de commissie-Davids. Wat zei de commissie en wat is de reactie van het kabinet? -
Opel vraagt om miljarden staatssteun
9 Feb 2010 | 7:45 amFrankfurt, 9 febr. Opel, de Duitse dochteronderneming van het Amerikaanse General Motors, heeft een verzoek ingediend voor Europese staatssteun voor een bedrag van 2,7 miljard euro. Daarmee wil de onderneming een herstructurering van Opel financieren. Dat heeft Opeltopman Nick Reilly vandaag gezegd. -
President Sri Lanka ontbindt parlement
9 Feb 2010 | 7:44 amRajapaksa maakt zo de weg vrij voor verkiezingen, een dag na de arrestatie van zijn tegenstander Fonseka. -
Heerema leent Spyker miljoenen
9 Feb 2010 | 7:36 amOffshorebedrijf Heerema, een vroegere werkgever van Victor Muller, leent Spyker 25 miljoen dollar voor de overname van Saab.
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Guardian Travel
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Around the world in seven gestures
5 Feb 2010 | 4:00 amHere is a sneak preview of our exclusive phrasebooks, in the form of a guide to common gestures from around the world -
The last horse fishermen of Belgium
4 Feb 2010 | 2:01 amOostduinkerke is the only place in the world where you will still see the 500-year-old tradition of fishing with horsesAlex HealeyMichael Tait -
Alternative Seattle guide
3 Feb 2010 | 7:35 amExplore our map of Seattle's best off-the-beaten-track destinations, from late-night tattoo parlours to red velvet gig venuesBenji Lanyado -
Getting a grip
3 Feb 2010 | 2:00 amA new manmade wall of ice has opened in Wyoming, giving enthusiasts the chance to try rock climbing's winter sibling -
Full-body scanners already in use at Heathrow airport
2 Feb 2010 | 11:56 amStaff have been trained to spot passengers acting suspiciously and refer them to police or security guardsA new security regime is operational at Heathrow airport in which travellers are being taken for full-body scanning if they are judged to be acting in a suspicious manner, BAA said today.Britain's biggest airport operator said the system aimed to halt terrorist reconnaissance as well as attackers, and teamed new hi-tech equipment with traditional security measures such as sniffer dogs.Staff have been trained in behavioural profiling and terminal entrances could be closed for short periods…
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Marriott on the Move
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The Dish on Hotel Dining Trends
1 Feb 2010 | 5:14 amHistorically speaking, hotels, for many years, had some of the best and most popular restaurants around. I remember when I was a young boy in grade school, my father used to take me to the Mayflower hotel. They had a fabulous restaurant with a big, beautiful glass chandelier. I remember seeing J. Edgar Hoover, the former head of the FBI, who used to eat lunch there every day. But then, the tide seemed to change and hotel restaurants got a reputation for not showcasing the latest dining trends. People made jokes about the rubber chicken syndrome. My favorite joke takes... -
TownePlace Suites Spreads Warmth to Children's Hospitals
22 Jan 2010 | 1:19 pmA few months ago, I blogged about a nice gift our TownePlace Suites team gave me “Just Because…” The associates at our TownePlace Suites hotels across the country have been doing the same thing for their guests – providing them with a small token or kind gesture “Just Because…” This past holiday season, our TownePlace Suites team took it one step further with a “Real Giving” campaign in their local communities. The brand team and associates from all over the United States made fleece blankets that were donated to local children’s hospitals. Here at our headquarters, many… -
The Earthquake in Haiti
14 Jan 2010 | 1:55 pmThe devastating earthquake that hit Haiti on Tuesday has had aftershocks all over the world. I am currently at our Harbor Beach Marriott in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where more than a third of our associates at this hotel are Haitian and have been directly affected by this terrible disaster. I talked to several of our associates who are from Haiti. They are struggling with trying to find out what has happened to their families and loved ones. They are very tender and loving people and they are extremely saddened and concerned. They have a group get-together for prayer and song... -
Poised to Come Out of the Recession on Top
6 Jan 2010 | 2:36 pmThere’s no doubt that 2009 was a difficult year. But I’m optimistic as we begin the New Year that things will get better. While we’re still very concerned about unemployment and the ability of companies to borrow money, economic activity is picking up. For Marriott, the fourth quarter looked better than we expected outside North America, while things in the U.S. and Canada were also a little better. Leisure travelers are responding to the terrific values we’re offering. We’ve also seen business travel and large meetings start to pick up, which is big for our industry. And nearly all… -
What the Movie The Blind Side Meant to Me
29 Dec 2009 | 12:55 pmMy wife Donna and I went to the Saturday afternoon movies again and we saw The Blind Side. It’s based on a true story of an NFL player, Michael Oher, who plays for the Baltimore Ravens here in Maryland where our headquarters is located. It was a wonderful film and conveyed a very important message. Michael was born to a mother who was addicted to drugs and was estranged from his father. He spent much of his childhood and teenage years in various foster homes with very little parental influence in his life and he struggled tremendously in school, when...
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Opus Hotel Blog
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What to do when things go wrong in a hotel
3 Feb 2010 | 4:55 pmPeople often corner me at social functions to tell me about a problem they’ve had in a hotel. It doesn’t matter if I’ve never worked for the hotel or the incident occurred seventeen years ago; apparently, it’s my duty to listen. Sometimes I get the impression they think I’m somehow to blame. I don’t mind, [...] No related posts. -
A hotel prepares for the Winter Olympics
31 Dec 2009 | 4:23 pmAfter a sleepy year, the hotel industry in Vancouver and Whistler is about to get a blaring wakeup call. From February 12 to 28, the 2010 Winter Olympics are expected to draw 250,000 spectators, plus top athletes, foreign dignitaries and international media. Hotels are now sold-out for sixteen consecutive nights. Given the sheer volume and related [...] No related posts. -
“A Hidden Gem” or “LAME!!!”? Online Travel Reviewers to Watch out for
4 Nov 2009 | 4:47 pmIn 2007, a traveler wrote the following review of Opus Hotel Vancouver on TripAdvisor: “The GM who thought he was Ian Fleming was a real detriment to a great trip. Shame – let’s hope the hotel sees sense and releases Daniel to make another movie.” Ouch. The comment was a reference to my James Bond namesake [...] Related posts:Online Reviews: The Bane of Hotels’ Existence or an Unprecedented Opportunity to Engage Travelers? -
Online Reviews: The Bane of Hotels’ Existence or an Unprecedented Opportunity to Engage Travelers?
20 Oct 2009 | 4:46 pmA few years ago at Opus Hotel Vancouver we relocated a couple who had driven up from Washington state to celebrate the husband’s fiftieth birthday. It was a nasty thing to do, but it happens in the hotel business, more frequently than most travelers think. Like the airlines, hotels overbook when demand is high, banking [...] Related posts:“A Hidden Gem” or “LAME!!!”? Online Travel Reviewers to Watch out forThe Tyranny of the Mistreated TravellerEmerging Trends in the Hotel Industry: A Lighthearted Approach -
So You Want to Work in Hotels, Part II: The Interview
14 Aug 2009 | 4:50 pmWhen I last wrote a post about how to get a job in the hotel industry, the economy was booming and hotels were so desperate for staff they were stopping just short of dragging passersby off the street and slapping uniforms on them. These days, occupancy rates have tanked, room attendants are dozing on beds [...] No related posts.
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A Luxury Travel Blog
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Sandals Emerald Bay, Great Exuma, Bahamas debuts!
5 Feb 2010 | 6:51 amAfter months of great anticipation, Sandals Emerald Bay, Great Exuma, Bahamas officially opened its doors yesterday, welcoming guests to another new and exciting Luxury Included® holiday destination. Following a soft-opening on 22nd January 2010, the resort additionally hosted more than 30 top tour operators and travel agents for a first-hand look at the newest property in the Sandals Resorts portfolio. Acquired in summer 2009, Sandals Emerald Bay, Great Exuma, Bahamas is a former Four Seasons, and now the 14th Sandals Resort in the Caribbean. Expanding on the company’s Luxury Included®… -
Victoria Beckham offered £25 million to design hotel?
5 Feb 2010 | 3:08 amMedia speculation claims that Victoria Beckham has been offered a cool £25 million to design rooms and staff uniforms for a luxury Dubai hotel. Isla Moda has reportedly already recruited the services of Chanel’s head designer Karl Lagerfield and it’s claimed that Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum has personally approached the former Spice Girl about the project. The Dubai Government is denying the rumour, however. Victoria Beckham offered £25 million to design hotel? is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog -
Flying hotels… the future of luxury travel?
5 Feb 2010 | 2:00 amFlying hotels… the future of luxury travel? Who knows? But an aircruise concept from Seymourpowell in association with Samsung looks to be little more than a publicity stunt to us here at A Luxury Travel Blog. Not only does it look an unlikely shape for such a vessel but the choice of hydrogen gas to get it airborne leaves us wondering whether the people behind it have ever even heard of the Hindenburg disaster. Still, it did manage to ’suck in’ all kinds of media interest, including the likes of CNN and The Independent who you would hope might have known better than… -
So close yet so far: Thailand’s hidden gems
4 Feb 2010 | 5:35 pmOn the East coast of Thailand, a mere 20 minute speedboat journey away from Koh Samui, and approximately 60 minutes between Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat airports which has 3-5 flights from Bacngkok per day, you will find the pristine beaches of the Greater Khanom Area. Pink dolphins, hidden caves and beautiful waterfalls line this coast making it truly unique to Thailand. This area is remote and untouched, perfect for those who are looking the Thailand of 30 years ago. But for those who are looking to excape in luxury Aava Resort and Spa offer exclusive accommodation on a secluded… -
Open for Winter Games: The Westin Wall Centre, Vancouver Airport
1 Feb 2010 | 5:08 pmThe Westin Wall Centre, Vancouver Airport, a sophisticated, new-build hotel in Richmond, B.C. is now open. Ideally situated less than 4 km from Vancouver International Airport, it is also within a five minute walk of the Yaohan Centre and a 20 minute Skytrain ride to downtown Vancouver. Minutes from downtown Richmond, the new hotel also offers easy access to the Aberdeen Centre, River Rock Casino and Royal Canadian College as well as the nearby Richmond Olympic Oval. Its 176 guest rooms and eight unique suites all feature the iconic Westin Heavenly Bed and a 32 inch High Definition flatscreen…
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Front Desk
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IHG Loyalty Promotion Sticks it to Hilton
3 Feb 2010 | 9:29 amIHG today announced its “Luckiest Loser” competition, which takes direct aim at competitor Hilton. IHG is offering jilted Hilton HHonors members a chance to win big Priority Club Rewards points. Hilton recently adjusted its loyalty point values, in essence devaluing members’ points by about 20 percent. IHG is offering its Priority Club Rewards members a chance to earn back lost Hilton points. The ‘Luckiest Loser,’ the PCR member who has the highest verified HHonors points balance, will earn two million Priority Club points, enough to redeem about 80 free hotel… -
ALIS Attendees Ask: Where Are The Deals?
2 Feb 2010 | 4:56 amAs the lodging industry moves sluggishly toward recovery, the common wisdom was we would now be knee-deep in hotel transactions of all sorts—individual properties, portfolios of hotels and even a chain or management company or two. With plenty of hotel real estate in distress and a pile of equity money burning holes in a lot of pockets, I and many others thought dealmakers would be hard at work by now linking buyers and sellers.It just hasn’t happened, and no one I talked to at last week’s ALIS Conference in San Diego had a definitive answer as to why. Here are a few possibilities:•… -
ALIS Wrap
27 Jan 2010 | 3:31 pmSitting in the suddenly quiet lobby at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, I’m still trying to wrap my mind around what went down at ALIS. I guess it’s not a surprise there was very little, if any, news to come out of the event, but the positive vibe and optimistic feel from most of the 2,000 attendees were moderately surprising after the dismal results of 2009.Traditionally a time for major announcements and new product offerings from the major hotel companies, the only real legitimate news to come from the event was Marriott’s announcement that the seven Kessler Collection… -
Awkward Moments Ahead For Starwood, Hilton Executives
19 Jan 2010 | 6:33 amJust last month, some bloggers were speculating that Hilton and Starwood were about to reach a settlement in the nasty corporate spying lawsuit that first blossomed last April. Instead, earlier this month the situation got even nastier as Starwood amended its filing to accuse 44 of Hilton’s top executives of being involved in the plot or having knowledge of it.In the original suit, Starwood claimed two of its former executives—Ross Klein and Amar Lalvani—went to work for Hilton and took with them proprietary company information they used to develop Hilton’s Denizen brand. Once the… -
Narayan Out As Red Lion Chief
14 Jan 2010 | 1:57 pmAnupam Narayan is out as president and CEO of Red Lion Hotels. In a terse announcement this afternoon from the Washington-based chain, Jon Eliassen was named interim head of the company. Narayan’s departure was only explained by saying his “employment ended on Jan. 13.”I wish Narayan all the best. At Red Lion and Best Western before, I always found him to be a serious, thoughtful and creative lodging industry leader. Perhaps he left on his own accord, but it doesn’t sound like it. I sure, however, he’ll be sought by another hotel company or even a business…
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elliott.org
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Is the Transportation Department really “open”? No, but it’s getting there
9 Feb 2010 | 6:30 amThe Department of Transportation yesterday claimed to be a leader in the administration's open government initiative, which is supposed to transform the federal bureaucracy into a "transparent, collaborative, and participatory government" that touches the lives of citizens. -
In a twist, Florida levels new charges against Palm Coast Travel
9 Feb 2010 | 3:32 amOnly a few weeks ago, Palm Coast Travel, one of three large travel agencies the state of Florida last year alleged had sold unlicensed insurance, seemed to have everything going for it. The state's investigation into its activities appeared to have hit a dead end. The company, which runs the site... -
What’s new on Elliott: Accidental tourists, when travel companies sue you and an apology to sharks who practice bondage
9 Feb 2010 | 12:43 amAre you an accidental tourist? Plus, when travel companies sue and an Australia tour that wasn't meant to be. -
A sincere apology to the sadomasochistic sharks who practice bondage
8 Feb 2010 | 3:53 amNow there's a headline I never thought I'd write. In one short week, it seems I've offended sadomasochists and great white sharks with my commentary. I feel an apology is in order. -
Hotel fees that must die — and how to kill them
7 Feb 2010 | 4:44 amResort fees. Mandatory tips. Concierge surcharges. If you’ve stayed at a hotel in the last few years, you’ve become accustomed — if not anesthetized — to these annoying extras. You expect them. You’re indifferent to them when they appear on your bill. You shouldn’t be.
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Travel Blog - Mr & Mrs Smith Boutique & Luxury Hotels
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Standard issue: haute hostesses at QT Bar
8 Feb 2010 | 6:14 amIt’s time to re-assess the wardrobe when the waitresses at the bar I’m in are wearing better outfits than me. OK, these weren’t just any old waitresses. In fact, I don’t think we’re even allowed to call them waitresses, they’re way too cool for that. These were glowing, silk-sheathed ‘hostesses’ serving Manhattan’s best martinis from the QT bar at the very hip Standard NY hotel. 18 floors below on the streets of the Meatpacking district, it was a toe-numbing minus seven (hence me eschewing the peep-toes and cocktail dress for boots and… -
Hotel of the Week: Turtle Inn
5 Feb 2010 | 10:21 amFrancis Ford Coppola – what a legend, eh? Not only because he’s responsible for some of the greatest gangster movies ever to grace our screens, but also because he’s a pretty hip hotelier, too. Top of our list of Coppola-backed boutique boltholes to visit (and possibly never leave) is Turtle Inn in Belize… Why this week? Clearly feeling the pre-Valentine’s love, Turtle Inn is offering Smith members a seductive 25 per cent off stays of two nights or more, valid from 1 May to 31 July 2010. On top of that, you’ll still get the normal Smith offer – a half-hour Thai massage… -
Fabulous February finds by seas, trees and skis
5 Feb 2010 | 1:44 amWith Cupid on the cards mid-month, there’s more reason than ever to splash out on (boutique) bedded bliss. Luckily, our ceaseless search for seductive stays has resulted in eight new additions, spread across cool coasts, colour-rich countryside and snow-kissed slopes. First up are two Greek treats on the idyllic islands of Kefalonia and Ithaca – Perantzada Hotel, a peaceful portside mansion with colourful, quirky interiors, and Emelisse Hotel, a cypress- and cedar-fringed haven styled with chic simplicity. Both hotels come with dazzling sea views, romantic rooms and lashings of… -
Haiti appeal: bid to win a luxury weekend at the Crosby Street Hotel
1 Feb 2010 | 3:39 amThe very least we felt we could do in response to the Haiti earthquake is organise an auction prize to give you the opportunity to take a stylish weekend away in New York, in return for a donation to the Disasters Emergency Committee. Thank you to the Crosby Street Hotel, Unis menswear, Bill Amberg and Graham & Green for making this prize happen. To enter our auction on eBay, click here. To make a contribution to DEC Haiti Earthquake Appeal, click here. Dinner, bed and breakfast for two at the Crosby Street Hotel Two nights accommodation in a suite in this stylish SoHo hotel (worth over… -
Hotel of the week: Hotel Sezz
29 Jan 2010 | 9:48 amAs the world’s top models spent the week showcasing France’s finest fashion delights, our thoughts turned to summoning some Parisian style of our own. Leaving the Côte d’Azur behind, we’re staying in France to soak up the chic, sleek and sexy surroundings of Hotel Sezz… Style Discreet, sexy, arty Setting Seine-set tranquillity Why this week? As the stores begin to fill with new season collections, we can’t resist nipping across the Channel to shop in the city where the word chic was invented. Glamorous jaunts to the world’s style capitals require suitably…
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Get A Room!
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Get A Room... the Kindle Edition
8 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am"Get A Room!" is now being published for Amazon.com's Kindle reader!Now you don't have to be tied to a pesky computer to keep up with posts on this blog. The link to subscribe to the Kindle Edition of "Get A Room!" is http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0036ZANFI.The Kindle Edition of "Get A Room!" is available on a 14-day free trial, and will be auto-delivered to your Kindle each time a new blog is posted.You can purchase the Kindle from Amazon.com by clicking here.Hat tip to Kathy at The Junk Drawer for showing me how to publish for Kindle! You can subscribe to the Kindle Edition of The Junk… -
Choice Hotels Launches New Website Design
5 Feb 2010 | 5:00 amChoice Hotels International has launched a more user-friendly website this week.With two Outer Banks Comfort Inns in the Landmark Hotel Group portfolio, I had to take a gander as soon as I received the news.After having the chance to poke around it for a few minutes, I have to admit that it's way easier to navigate than their old site, and has a much crisper design that doesn't confuse your eyes as you're scanning the page. In addition, the deals and special offers are no longer difficult to find, and the information I was most interested in finding was positioned where I needed it to… -
2010 Will Be What YOU Make It
3 Feb 2010 | 6:04 pmIf I read one more expert's opinion on how 2010 will play out for those of us in the hotel industry, I think my head is going to explode.The economy still stinks. It's "the year of the deal." Flat to minimal growth compared to dismal 2009. We get it. The only predictions for this year that I found even remotely interesting were the predictions listed on Daniel Edward Craig's blog, which are probably as accurate as any of them out there, and way more entertaining to read. So while the economists and hospitality industry experts continue to spew figures that may or may not add up at the end of… -
ABA Ties a Yellow Ribbon Around Marketplace 2010
25 Jan 2010 | 3:00 amOne of the things I love about the people in the American Bus Association is their willingness to give back to the communities that host their annual Marketplace.In a moving opening ceremony at last week's Capital Region ABA Marketplace at National Harbor, many of us were introduced for the first time--by none other than Tony Orlando--to an organization called the Yellow Ribbon Fund. If you're unfamiliar with this worthwhile cause, as I was until this year's convention, here's a snippet from their website:The Yellow Ribbon Fund was created in early 2005 to assist our injured service members… -
TripAdvisor's 2010 Traveler's Choice Awards
22 Jan 2010 | 4:55 pmTripAdvisor has released its 2010 Traveler's Choice Awards featuring the best bargain, best all- inclusive, family, luxury and trendiest hotels, B&Bs and Inns, hotels featuring the best service, as well as Europoean favorites.Is your favorite hotel on the "best of" list, or this one, which features 2010's Top 10 Dirtiest Hotels?
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LA Times Travel
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San Francisco Bay Area: Cavallo Point achieves LEED Gold certification
9 Feb 2010 | 8:58 amSince making a grand entrance in July 2008, luxury hotel Cavallo Point, the 21st century’s first new national park lodge, has earned many awards and accolades in its still-short life. And now it can boast about its LEED Gold. The resort at Fort Baker in Golden Gate National Recreation Area said last week it achieved [...] -
Climb aboard for Kimpton Hotels’ train-travel deal
9 Feb 2010 | 5:58 amForget taking a gas-guzzling road trip and hit the rails. If you’ve got the extra time, a train can provide fun and memorable transportation for your next vacation —plus, it can save you money on accommodations, thanks to Kimpton Hotels’ “Ride the Rails” promotion. Deal: Take 15% off of a participating hotel’s “best available” rate when [...] -
Five tips for finding hotel deals in 2010
8 Feb 2010 | 1:14 pmPenny-pinching travelers got a great ride in 2009 — U.S. hotel rates last year fell nearly 9% on average. But fasten your seat belts: 2010 may be rougher going. Average room rates will continue to slide this year but only by about 2% as more travelers hit the road, predicts expert Scott Berman, U.S. [...] -
Solvang hotels: The more the merrier with free-room deal
8 Feb 2010 | 5:57 amFebruary may be traditionally a month to celebrate just the two of you, but here’s a deal that encourages you to invite the whole gang along on your next getaway. And the best part is that you don’t have to go very far to experience a taste of “Little Denmark”: The fun village of Solvang [...] -
Miami: Five budget-friendly hotels, post-Super Bowl
7 Feb 2010 | 10:02 amIf you’re not already in Miami for the Super Bowl, then all the buzz might just get you thinking about taking a trip there soon. Beaches, balmy evenings, hopping nightlife and superb Cuban food are just a few of the city’s lures. Despite the inflated price tags surrounding Super Bowl weekend, a stay in Miami, during [...]
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Intelligent Travel: From National Geographic Traveler
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Great Backyard Bird Count
9 Feb 2010 | 11:10 amCasual birders take note: This weekend is your chance to contribute to some serious scientific research. Alison Brick has the details. There are certain times when you realize that the phrase "in your own backyard" really covers some ground, and this weekend is one of them. The 13th annual Great Backyard Bird Count will run from Friday, February 12 through Monday, February 15, and you're invited to join in. The project relies on us "citizen scientists" to count birds in our own neighborhoods for a comprehensive, real-time snapshot of bird populations across North America.The results… -
Bus2Antarctica: Bolivian Border Control
9 Feb 2010 | 8:45 amAndrew Evans provides a cinematic retelling of the story of his border crossing into Bolivia.Screenplay for a short film. All dialogue takes place in Spanish with English subtitles. The setting is the tumbledown Peru-Bolivia border town of Desaguadero, on the shores of breathtaking Lake Titicaca. Pan across the bright blue watery expanse and the brown Andes Mountains, then down to the fields of yellow flowers and rows of reed boats drawn up on the lakeshore. Camera sweeps through the muddy streets of the Peruvian village, past burros carrying colorful loads and into a colorful Latin American… -
Daily Radar: 02.09.10
9 Feb 2010 | 5:00 amWhile living in New Zealand, I developed a love for Cadbury Moro bars (tip: try them deep-fried in Dunedin) but alas, I cannot taste their chocolatey goodness outside the Southern Hemisphere. For those of you who have a love for a certain foreign treat, check out Steve.Portigal's Musuem of Foreign Groceries on Flickr, and you might just find a photo of foreign food you've been looking for. [Gadling]More airports across Europe are joining the effort to reduce their carbon emissions. The Airport Carbon Accreditation has awarded four different levels (Mapping, Reduction, Optimization and… -
Bus2Antarctica: Bus 2 Bolivia
8 Feb 2010 | 12:00 pmAltitude sickness, dueling ventilation systems, popped tires and more awaited Andrew Evans as he boarded his bus in Bolivia. Some buses are better than others. In South America, bus companies attract passengers based on levels of bus quality, comfort, security, entertainment, and sleeping space. When leaving Lima I chose the Peruvian bus company Ormeño because I had already taken them in Ecuador and liked their big buses and nice service. The bus line also holds a Guinness World Record for the longest single stage commercial bus route in the world (from Lima to Buenos Aires--72 hours). I… -
A Galapagos Post Office (Without Stamps)
8 Feb 2010 | 11:00 amWiFi's ever-extended reach has changed the way we travel--we upload photos and videos to our Facebook pages while we're on vacation, or tweet our way through a day at the beach. One unfortunate side effect to all this connectivity is the dropoff in my postcard-writing. Yes, I still love jotting down these short notes, but I find that they typically arrive so far after I've returned that it's anti-climactic in a way. So I loved the sentiments behind a recent article in the Washington Post about a unique mailbox in the Galapagos. Despite not using postage, a fair share of its postcards actually…
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Living with Legends: Hotel Chelsea Blog
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Arthur Miller’s Room in Landmark Chelsea Hotel on Chopping Block
4 Feb 2010 | 9:02 amThe present, illegitimate, management this week began demolition/“renovation” in room 614 of the National and City Landmark Chelsea Hotel. This is the room where the great Arthur Miller lived in the 1960s, and where he penned his play “After the... -
Live Bloggin the Martha Stewart Show
14 Jan 2010 | 7:07 amWe're blogging live this morning from the Martha Stewart show. The topic: greedy developers and rampant gentrification in NYC. Just kidding, folks. It's really about blogs and bloggers. We are in the very back because we ignored the orders to... -
Pick Your Poison, Bohemians
12 Jan 2010 | 4:20 pmSugar and lard or pure grain alcohol. We’ve got it all at the Chelsea Hotel. In addition to Mark Isreal’s proposed doughnut shop, we have now received news that the Chelsea Hotel is getting not one but two bars on... -
Blame the French for the Chelsea Hotel
11 Jan 2010 | 3:32 amIn a recently published article, Sherill Tippins traces the origins of the Chelsea Hotel’s role as nexus of the artistic community to the French utopian socialist philosopher Charles Fourier’s influence upon architect Phillip Hubert. It’s Tippins contention that when Hubert... -
Clogged Arteries at the Chelsea
1 Jan 2010 | 8:06 am
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Traveling Mamas
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Those Plastic Beads Aren’t Cheap
5 Feb 2010 | 7:51 amHave you ever wondered just what is involved with planning a Mardi Gras parade? I know I have. We take our family to parades in Baton Rouge and New Orleans during Carnival Season. I’ve had friends ride on floats and I’ve even been inside the Rex Den, but I never actually thought about how much those plastic little beads really cost. Many months ago, I was invited to see what is involved in the planning of a Mardi Gras Parade. I was sworn in as a member of Baton Rouge’s all female krewe – The Krewe of Artemis. I was nervous as I went to my first meeting, held at Embassy… -
Luxury Watch Cures a Traveling Mama’s Jetlag
3 Feb 2010 | 3:16 amI get many press releases daily, but every once in a while I get one that strikes a chord with me. This morning, while feeling a bit tired and rundown from a recent trip to Canada, I checked my email to find this title: HEALING FOR THE CONSTANT JET SETTER COMES IN THE FORM OF A WATCH I went on to read the release, which mentions globe-trotting celebrities and socialites, but also mentions average Joes (or in my case, mamas). The crazy part of all this is that the release was for a product I’ve owned for five years – a Philip Stein watch. This timepiece is a pricey luxury item, but… -
Romantic Escape in Victoria, BC
1 Feb 2010 | 7:34 pmLocated at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Victoria offers a taste of how life used to be. This charming and intimate town offers the perfect location for a romantic getaway. Its strong British influence is all things romantic with its gardens, afternoon tea and antique shops. Victoria also offers golf for those in search of the greens, award winning restaurants and art galleries galore. Surprisingly, its nightlife is alive all year round. Many visitors know of The Fairmont Empress Hotel and its Tea Lobby. This is a well-known attraction, but since I didn’t actually experience… -
What is a Nordic Spa?
31 Jan 2010 | 5:29 amHave you ever heard of a Nordic Spa? I’ve found that they are very popular in Canada’s Quebec Province. Last year I checked out a Nordic spa near Quebec’s Ice Hotel and it was a screamer. This year, I found an indoor spa in downtown Montreal right around the corner from Le Petit Hotel on Rue Saint-Paul E. Nordic spas are also called thermal spas and treatment includes a series of visits at different areas. The first part opens the pores and starts with choice of a 10-15 minute visit to thermal bath, eucalyptus steam room, or Finnish sauna. The second step is the closing of… -
Interview with a Traveling Mama – Alice Griffin
26 Jan 2010 | 7:14 amAlice Griffin is the author of the informative and inspirational book Tales From a Travelling Mum: Navigating Europe with a Babe-in-Arms It is chock full of useful tips and advice on traveling with little ones. Alice was kind enought to answer a few questions for TravelingMamas.com readers. When did you first develop a love for travel? Growing up with parents who often spoke about travel and road trips they had taken with my siblings (I missed out there being the youngest!) I think my love of travel is deep-rooted. Really I have been dreaming of far-off places for absolutely as long as I can…
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What a Trip
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Otterbox iPhone Commuter TL Case
5 Feb 2010 | 12:00 amPosted by Nancy D. Brown OtterBox iPhone Commuter TL Case ReviewYou know you have a winner in your hand when your teenage daughter claims it for her own. What did she borrow from dear old mom? My daughter snatched the Otterbox iPhone Defender Case before I had opened the package. However, I wasn't going to part with my iPhone case. The good folks at Otterbox shipped us the iPhone 3G/3GS Commuter TL Case for review. City Slicker or Stylish Traveler The Otterbox iPhone Commuter TL Case is not as bulky as my iPhone Defender Case. In fact, it was designed to slide easily out of your purse,… -
How to Work with Travel Bloggers
29 Jan 2010 | 12:00 amPosted by Nancy D. Brown Working with travel bloggers as easy as online dating? While the title may sound arrogant, some might describe the world of travel blogging as yet uncharted territory. If only the relationship between travel bloggers and public relations professionals were as easy as online dating. Instead of filling out a form listing our physical characteristics and our favorite activities such as walking on the beach at sunset, we could describe our blog and tell our potential suitor what we're looking for in crafting the perfect post. As a… -
Best Things to See and Do in Calistoga, California
27 Jan 2010 | 12:00 amPosted by Nancy D. Brown Castello di Amorosa photo by Nancy D. BrownMy favorite tips and locations for visitors to Calistoga, California. The first place I take a visitor from out of town is a downtown walking tour of Carlo Marchiori murals: Starting at Miquel's restaurant,1437 Lincoln Ave. See facing murals which show old Calistoga painted by this Italian-born muralist. Insider Tip: When looking at these murals, Marchiori is the figure in the barber chair; the man reading the paper in an upper window is based on his brother; the dogs peering out the door are Marchiori's. His partner, Tony,… -
Best Things to See and Do in Napa, California
22 Jan 2010 | 11:04 amPosted by Nancy D. Brown My favorite tips and locations for visitors to Napa, California. The first place I take a visitor from out of town is wine tasting or for a lunch ride on the Napa Valley Wine Train. When I crave wine country cusine, I turn to Celadon in downtown Napa. The butternut soup is delicious. To escape work I walk down to the Napa River or head to Dillon Beach. For complete quiet, I can hide away at the roof top at Avia Napa. If you come to Napa, get your picture taken on the upstairs terrace at Opus One. If you have to order one thing off the… -
Fancy Food Show 2010, San Francisco
17 Jan 2010 | 5:22 pmPosted by Nancy D. Brown Nancy's Candy Co. - A Gourmet DelightYou've heard of the diamond's four c's? Color, cut, clarity and carat are all characteristics that are important to a diamond. Well, I've discovered the three c's and a g at the San Francisco Fancy Food Show. Chocolate, cheese, caramel and granola are important to the quality of my life. In its 35th year, the Winter Fancy Food Show offers specialty food retailers a peek and a taste into what's new and what's next in the ever competitive gourmet food world. I decided to approach this year's show, January…
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Hotel Law Blog
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Hotel Lawyer: California foreclosure traps for unwary lenders: California's one action and anti-deficiency rules. What one top expert tells lenders about avoiding the pitfalls of foreclosing in California on hotels and other mixed collateral.
7 Feb 2010 | 9:55 pmBy Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group® Hotel Lawyers | Authors of www.HotelLawBlog.com 07 February 2010 Hotel Lawyer with tips for lenders on defaulted California mortgages. California now leads the nation in defaulted mortgages for hotels and commercial real estate. As lenders start to review their options, they must formulate asset plans that will avoid violating California's tricky one action and anti-deficiency rules, or they may be in for some nasty surprises. To help lenders avoid unnecessary pitfalls, we asked Guy Maisnik, one of the senior member of our real estate… -
Atlas 2009 Year End Hotel Survey . . . and what it means
1 Feb 2010 | 4:22 pmBy Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group® Hotel Lawyers | Authors of www.HotelLawBlog.com 1 February 2010 Hotel Lawyers with grim reports from the field. If lenders are looking for some encouraging news on their distressed hotel asset sales prospects, they are not going to get it anytime soon. That is what the Atlas 2009 Year End Hotel Survey shows, but it does offer some valuable tips for dealing with continued distress in 2010. Here is an executive summary. -
Hotel Lawyer: ALIS brings optimists to earth. Lenders make new evaluations. Realism is cold and gray.
31 Jan 2010 | 9:44 pmBy Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group® Hospitality Lawyers | Authors of www.HotelLawBlog.com 31 January 2010 Hotel Lawyer: A new realism settles on the hotel industry. We've already given up 2010 and 2011 won't be that much better . . . then a long, slow "jobless recovery." "Realism" was the defining word for the ALIS conference held in San Diego on January 25-27, 2010. ALIS attendance was roughly half or less of last year, and the experts officially declared 2009 one of the worst years for the hospitality industry. They have already thrown in the towel on the industry for 2010, and… -
How they are going to make you pay TOT on revenues your hotel never received
20 Dec 2009 | 3:50 pmBy Jim Butler and Jim Abrams | JMBM's Global Hospitality Group® Hotel Lawyers | Authors of www.HotelLawBlog.com 20 December 2009 In early November, we warned the readers of the Hotel Law Blog that the multi-year fight over "lost" transient occupancy taxes (TOT) that has been raging between local governmental entities (state, city, and county) and the various online travel companies (OTCs), such as Travelocity, Orbitz, Hotels.com, Priceline.com, and Expedia, was reaching the point where it was going to start impacting hotels financially. Unfortunately, we are there NOW, and things don't look… -
Hotel Lawyers and the ADA: Is the DOJ's ADA Compliance Survey Coming to Your City Soon? What to do when you receive the DOJ's ADA Compliance Review questionnaire.
10 Dec 2009 | 1:52 pmBy Jim Butler and JMBM's Global Hospitality Group® Hotel Lawyers | Authors of www.HotelLawBlog.com 11 December 2009 Even if you don't have a hotel in Manhattan, you will want to know about the "Manhattan Hotels ADA Compliance Review Survey" conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). The DOJ's reach is nationwide and other cities are targeted for the same kind of survey and enforcement. In an interview on the Hotel Law Blog earlier this year, Coming to a Theater District Near You: The DOJ's ADA "Survey," my partner, Marty Orlick, described the sweeping scope of the DOJ's ADA…
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My Jet Set Life
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Once in a Lifetime: Rob & Kim Go VIP in Tuscany!
26 Jan 2010 | 6:37 amThe world is fascinated by Italy’s most famous region, Tuscany. There are countless books written about a person’s first hand experience living amongst the Italian Cypress trees in the rolling vineyard covered fields of this great region. Probably the most famous area within Tuscany is the wine producing region of Chianti. Specifically, the Chianti Classico region is definitely one of the most visited. It offers a multitude of vineyards, hill top medieval villages and quaint farm houses that have been converted into restaurants, villas and hotels. Patrons rush to this area to… -
Online Bake Sale for Haiti!
22 Jan 2010 | 9:45 amWe’ve all watch the news, heard the stories and have seen the pictures of Haiti. Maybe you have already donated some money to the numerous charities that are sending volunteers, supplies and food to ravaged Port-au-Prince. It’s also possible that maybe you don’t have a ton of money to donate and wish that you could help. I have the perfect answer for you! One of my fellow bloggers, Diana from The Chic Life , was inspired by this vegan bake sale taking place in NYC by Super Vegan, that she decided to organize an Online Bake Sale for Haiti! She’s a great girl who’s harnessing the… -
Mooo…ve Over, XV Beacon Has Boston’s Best Steakhouse!
9 Jan 2010 | 9:11 amOver the past week I’ve discovering the best hidden restaurants in Florence, Italy! As you can imagine, the food was amazing, almost everywhere we went. But who would’ve guessed that one of my favorite meals, would have been the one I had the night I returned from beautiful Tuscany on my stop-over in Boston! Not me, for sure. Here’s the story. After 12 hours of air travel, only to land in a freezing cold New England blizzard, we just wanted a hot shower, a warm meal and a comfy bed . The closest that we were getting to being home, was my home in Beantown, XV Beacon. Rob and… -
Jet Set Body: The Results
3 Dec 2009 | 6:47 amOn August 9, 2009 I made a commitment to myself. On that day, with the urging on my husband I made the decision to compete in the upcoming Ms. Bikini America National Championships. I had tons of reasons why NOT to do it, but I made the commitment anyway. Just in case you missed Jet Set Body Part 1, here’s the link. My Team ~ The Savage Girls Six Weeks Out From Showtime! My last blog regarding my results was in early October ‘09. I had proudly lost 8.5 lbs and many inches. I had done well, I had the experience and the background to do this. But at that point, my goal shifted. I… -
Guest Blog: Getting the best airfare deals this holiday season!
27 Nov 2009 | 8:16 pmWith the holidays in full swing and airfare prices increasing, even Jet Setters appreciate travel tips that will tell us how to get a great deal on air travel! Here are a few straight from travel blogger Aldo Singer of Cheapoair. The Holidays usually mean some family time is on its way and there is pretty much nothing you can do about it. How you get there is definitely something you CAN do about it. A lot of people travel during the holidays but there a few secrets that can help traveling during the days a little easier on you. Here are some tips to consider before you purchase your…
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Gadling
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Stranded in Washington, DC? Get to The Jefferson
9 Feb 2010 | 11:00 amFiled under: United States, Travel DealsThe Jefferson Hotel Washington, DC is offering some special deals for snowed-in travelers, so send this to your needy friends. The Winter Storm Special is taking place tonight and tomorrow night (February 9 & 10), and it features Deluxe rooms which usually go for $380 for just $195. This is a great opportunity to make lemonade out of your lemons and stay in a luxury Relais & Châteaux member hotel on the cheap. While the snow has shut down the operations of the hotel's main restaurant, Plume, the bar, Quill, is open. They serve comfort food… -
Second chance for swinger cruise
9 Feb 2010 | 10:00 amFiled under: North America, Bahamas, United States, CruisesIt's not the waves that are rocking the boat. This year, YOLO Cruises is bringing back its swingers trip. Since you only live once (YOLO), the reasoning goes, you should get out on the water and work up a sweat. YOLO's last Swingers Cruise trip was a bit controversial, but that hasn't stopped the company from giving it another run. It's chartered a Carnival vessel for a three-night voyage to the Bahamas, which is set to depart Miami on October 29, 2010. Once you cross into international waters, there are no rules, aside from common… -
Free King Tut passes in San Francisco
9 Feb 2010 | 9:30 amFiled under: United States, Budget Travel, Travel DealsOn Feb. 21 and 22, the de Young Museum is giving away free passes to the King Tut exhibit in San Francisco. Tickets to "Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs" are normally pretty pricey. For a family of two adults and two kids between the ages of 6 and 17, you're looking at shelling out $98 on admission passes alone if you visit on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday (kids under 5 are free). Details: Tickets will only be handed out on site on either of those days. Sponsored by Target, the giveaway is limited to four tickets per adult. -
Travel-sized everything: 3floz.com
9 Feb 2010 | 9:00 amFiled under: Gear3floz.com is a new website featuring the best of what comes in a TSA-approved size. The site is a collaboration between two travelers with 11 years of experience in the beauty industry, Kate Duff and Alexi Mintz. They used to travel together, and Kate would check a bag with all her beauty products, whereas Alexi would carry her bags on -- and then have to borrow Kate's stuff. This wasn't an ideal situation, and the two spent hours scouring beauty websites looking for 3oz versions of their favorite products. They didn't exist. And so, 3floz.com was born, with a brand list… -
Lunar New Year souvenirs
9 Feb 2010 | 8:30 amFiled under: United StatesLunar New Year falls on Valentine's Day this year. While hunting for souvenirs in Seattle's Chinatown last month, I spotted these cute tote bags that feature the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac ($20). I caught up with the designer Joyce Wan at New York City's International Gift Fair last week to learn more about Wanart, her five-year-old collection of greeting cards, infant apparel, and canvas totes that are still screen-printed by hand. It turns out that Wanart's Zodiac Zoo line is not just a lucky Chinatown find, but is actually carried in several museum shops…
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Tony Wheeler
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Teach First in London
5 Feb 2010 | 7:03 amMaureen and I went back to school in London this week. Teach First is an innovative campaign that puts young university graduates on a fast track teaching programme which propels them into often challenging school environments. Maureen and I went along to talk about how geography had influenced our careers. You’d expect us to be enthusiastic about geography wouldn’t you? Maureen went to Mellow Lane School in Hillingdon, just north of Heathrow Airport while I headed east to Debden Park High School, where I joined Teach First’s Hamish Reid with his Year 9 (age 13 and 14 class)… -
The LP Magazine India
29 Jan 2010 | 1:53 amMaureen and I are in Mumbai for the launch of the Indian edition of the Lonely Planet magazine. The UK edition launched 12 months ago and our partners BBC-Worldwide are launching more editions around the world including – on Friday 29 January – in India. So we're in India helping to launch their edition, an activity that includes a Bollywood style party tonight. With 2000 people! The magazine takes some of the UK content, adds a lot of local content and gives the whole thing some real local flavour. The first issue came in at a bulky 226 pages and it looks great. It’s… -
100 Million Books
24 Jan 2010 | 8:55 amWay back in 1973 Maureen and I published the first Lonely Planet guidebook. We were living in a basement flat in the Paddington, a suburb of Sydney. That's Maureen 37 years ago at the kitchen table where we put together that first book. She's still a Dylan fan. Across Asia on the Cheap, our very first book, cover- ed all the way from London to Sydney in 96 pages. It sold 8500 copies, all of them in Australia and New Zealand. Fast forward to 2010 and our 100 millionth book has rolled off the presses, a copy of our current bestseller Australia. Click here to read more about how… -
Poor Haiti
14 Jan 2010 | 9:35 pmI visited the country in 2008 and despite the many problems the Caribbean nation faced I had an extraordinarily interesting time there and never felt unsafe. Even when I had to find a ride back to my hotel in Port-au-Prince on the back of a motorcycle taxi in the early hours of one morning. I’d been catching the regular Thursday night racines – ‘roots music’ or voodoo jazz if you prefer – performance of RAM at the Oloffson Hotel. The Oloffson was the model for the Hotel Trianon in Grahame Greene's novel The Comedians. The hotel survived the earthquake in… -
Bruny Island
8 Jan 2010 | 11:19 pmMy laptop on the table at the place we stayed, the view out the windowThe year’s travels for Maureen and I kicked off with a trip with some friends to Bruny Island. Go to Hobart, the capital city of Australia’s island state Tasmania. Drive south from Hobart for 32km to Kettering, jump on the ferry and 10 minutes later you’re on Bruny Island. You can’t get much further south in Australia than Cape Bruny, the southern tip of the island, but we stayed just outside Adventure Bay, just south of the sandy isthmus which divides the island into southern and northern halves.
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Budget Travel Tips - EuroCheapo
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“NFT London” Giveaway: Share your best London budget tip and win a book!
9 Feb 2010 | 7:55 amWe love London. We love to stroll through Borough Market; we love to browse through antique doodads on Portobello Road; we love the many gardens and plentiful greenery; and we certainly love a good Sunday roast. But if there’s one thing about London we wouldn’t mind changing, it’s the cost. Alas, the city that brought us J.M. Barrie and Virginia Woolf can also bring prohibitively high prices to travelers who don’t mind the wallet gap. But fear not, Cheapos, there are many ways to save during your next trip to London. We’ve included many within our London city… -
The Barcelona Card Revisited: Is it still worth it?
8 Feb 2010 | 7:34 amThe CosmoCaixa science museum. Photo by Alan Bell. By Regina Winkle-Bryan in Barcelona— Visitors to Barcelona (especially those who stop by the tourist office) will no doubt learn about the Barcelona Card for museum and transportation discounts. A couple years ago, we were not sure if the Barcelona Card really packed enough bang for the buck. In fact, our conclusion was simple: the Barcelona Card? Not for us. This year, we’ve changed out minds a bit, and offer you another look at this discount card. Barcelona Card. Photo courtesy of the Barcelona Card site. What to consider before buying… -
Rome: Top 5 Vatican attractions
5 Feb 2010 | 8:52 amThe fountain in St. Peter's Square. Photo by xiquinhosilva. By Samantha Collins in Rome— A visit to Rome is not complete without seeing the Vatican. With its world-famous St. Peter’s Square, imposing dome, rather nice painted chapel ceiling, and fairly well-known resident, it has plenty of attractions. But with so much to see, where should you start? 1. St. Peter’s Square This vast space is famous for being the home of Papal Addresses (and for being integral to the plot of Dan Brown’s “Angels and Demons“). It can accommodate up to 300,000 people, a number that puts the… -
Helsinki: Three budget-friendly cafes in Helsinki
4 Feb 2010 | 7:46 amOutside Cafe Ekberg. Photo by BjørnS. Other photos by Sarah Silbert. By Sarah Silbert— To be perfectly frank, Helsinki doesn’t offer much in the way of exciting, inexpensive eats. Sure, if you’re willing to shill out for Michelin-rated Scandinavian cuisine and seafood, you’ll find no shortage of gourmet options. For those of us on a budget, however, choices are limited to kebab and pizza joints, as well as “grillis,” which serve up hot dogs and other greasy, filling treats. A cinnamon roll and coffee at Cafe Esplanad. Are your taste buds unstimulated? Not to… -
Europe’s minor airports offer interesting travel opportunities
3 Feb 2010 | 7:50 amThe town of Lübeck, not far from Hamburg. Photo by lokenrc. By Nicky Gardner and Susanne Kries— It has become fashionable for minor airports across Europe to seek prominence through association with major cities that are often many miles away. And airlines that serve these minor airports, largely because of their cheaper landing fees, are happy to join in the game. Exploring Allgäu from “Munich West” Canny Cheapos know that Germany’s Frankfurt Hahn airport is nowhere near Frankfurt. Likewise, one discount airline has now decided that the name “Memmingen…
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World Hum
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Facebook and America’s Social Geography
9 Feb 2010 | 9:45 amHere’s a fascinating map put together by PeteSearch, showing the regional connections between America’s Facebook users. The data creates some unexpected clusters and movement patterns: For instance, users in the northeastern states—dubbed “Stayathomia”—tend to have more local and fewer long-range connections, while users in the “Nomadic West” generally have more far-flung friendship networks. (Via Kottke) -
76-Second Travel Show: For the Love of Luge
9 Feb 2010 | 9:03 amJust in time for the Vancouver Olympics, Robert Reid on places to try the "fastest sport on ice" -
Photo You Must See: Flocking to Geumgang Lake, South Korea
9 Feb 2010 | 7:32 amA flock of teals fly over Geumgang Lake in Gunsan, about 168 miles south of Seoul. -
‘Distance and Difference are the Secret Tonic of Creativity’
9 Feb 2010 | 6:54 amAnother welcome addition to the Why We Travel canon, this one from Jonah Lehrer. He recently wrote about the cognitive benefits of travel in the San Francisco Panorama: Travel, in other words, is a basic human desire. We’re a migratory species, even if our migrations are powered by jet fuel and Chicken McNuggets. But here’s my question: is this collective urge to travel—to put some distance between ourselves and everything we know—still a worthwhile compulsion? Or is it like the taste for saturated fat, one of those instincts we should have left behind in the… -
Haiti: Give Aid or Deal With the Roots of the Problem?
8 Feb 2010 | 12:57 pmOn the question few people are asking about Haiti after the earthquake
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Get A Room!
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Get A Room... the Kindle Edition
8 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am"Get A Room!" is now being published for Amazon.com's Kindle reader!Now you don't have to be tied to a pesky computer to keep up with posts on this blog. The link to subscribe to the Kindle Edition of "Get A Room!" is http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0036ZANFI.The Kindle Edition of "Get A Room!" is available on a 14-day free trial, and will be auto-delivered to your Kindle each time a new blog is posted.You can purchase the Kindle from Amazon.com by clicking here.Hat tip to Kathy at The Junk Drawer for showing me how to publish for Kindle! You can subscribe to the Kindle Edition of The Junk… -
Choice Hotels Launches New Website Design
5 Feb 2010 | 5:00 amChoice Hotels International has launched a more user-friendly website this week.With two Outer Banks Comfort Inns in the Landmark Hotel Group portfolio, I had to take a gander as soon as I received the news.After having the chance to poke around it for a few minutes, I have to admit that it's way easier to navigate than their old site, and has a much crisper design that doesn't confuse your eyes as you're scanning the page. In addition, the deals and special offers are no longer difficult to find, and the information I was most interested in finding was positioned where I needed it to… -
2010 Will Be What YOU Make It
3 Feb 2010 | 6:04 pmIf I read one more expert's opinion on how 2010 will play out for those of us in the hotel industry, I think my head is going to explode.The economy still stinks. It's "the year of the deal." Flat to minimal growth compared to dismal 2009. We get it. The only predictions for this year that I found even remotely interesting were the predictions listed on Daniel Edward Craig's blog, which are probably as accurate as any of them out there, and way more entertaining to read. So while the economists and hospitality industry experts continue to spew figures that may or may not add up at the end of… -
ABA Ties a Yellow Ribbon Around Marketplace 2010
25 Jan 2010 | 3:00 amOne of the things I love about the people in the American Bus Association is their willingness to give back to the communities that host their annual Marketplace.In a moving opening ceremony at last week's Capital Region ABA Marketplace at National Harbor, many of us were introduced for the first time--by none other than Tony Orlando--to an organization called the Yellow Ribbon Fund. If you're unfamiliar with this worthwhile cause, as I was until this year's convention, here's a snippet from their website:The Yellow Ribbon Fund was created in early 2005 to assist our injured service members… -
TripAdvisor's 2010 Traveler's Choice Awards
22 Jan 2010 | 4:55 pmTripAdvisor has released its 2010 Traveler's Choice Awards featuring the best bargain, best all- inclusive, family, luxury and trendiest hotels, B&Bs and Inns, hotels featuring the best service, as well as Europoean favorites.Is your favorite hotel on the "best of" list, or this one, which features 2010's Top 10 Dirtiest Hotels?
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nerd's eye view
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On Writing: Ten Dollars Worth of Crazy
7 Feb 2010 | 10:25 pmI spent about an hour on Sunday morning trying to calculate what kind of travel experience I could have for ten dollars. I figured I could take the bus downtown, get a drip coffee and maybe a cookie, and then, take the bus back again. I could drive to Tacoma and back in my car on about ten bucks worth of gas, I might also be able to get a soda or a candy bar, but not both, from a 7-11. There’s some stuff I could do locally for free — walk over to the park or ride my bike down to the beach or hey, there’s the library, it’s a godsend, right? But travel, on ten dollars? -
Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
4 Feb 2010 | 5:17 pmI was saddened to read about the death of ‘Masa’ Murakami in yesterday’s Seattle Times. The Murakami family ran the Higo general store on Jackson Street in the neighborhood that used to be called Nihonmachi, or Japan Town. Before Higo became the design conscious place it is today, it was a complete hodge podge of a place, selling flip flops and kitchen ware — there were hat mannequins that looked to be from the 40s on high shelves on the west wall. We used to go in there to browse the chopstick rests and soup bowls and dish scrubbers and giant metal woks. I still drop… -
Review & Giveaway: Westport Weekend
3 Feb 2010 | 7:25 pmDisclaimer: Our stay at Vacations by the Sea and our dinner at the Half Moon Bay Bar & Grill were comped. I did not think that I was stressed out, but nothing will help a person unwind quite so fast as a view of the ocean. While I am very much a land creature — I get seasick — I love the ocean with my whole heart. I love the way it smells, I love watching the surf, I love it when a beach is covered in thick white fog and when the sand is so hot it bakes you completely when you stretch out on it. I’m crazy for the coast and think the Pacific the grandest of sights. As… -
Coconut Humu
2 Feb 2010 | 5:31 pmSo, um, yeah, I’m in this ukulele group. And you could come see us play and help raise money for a Good Cause. Get your tickets here. -
Tell Me a Story @ TBEX 2010
1 Feb 2010 | 5:00 amTBEX is the Travelblog Exchange, a conference for travelbloggers. It’s in year two and this year, I’m co-hosting the community keynote with Mike Barish. 1. At a guest house in the Austrian Alps, I met an old farmer who sat out WWII because he was captured by American soldiers his first day in uniform. He spent the entire war in a POW camp in Texas and loved it so much he didn’t want to go home. 2. My sister in law did not believe the things I wrote on my blog about crossing the street in Hanoi. After we returned the US, she called my husband and I overheard him retelling how…
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Galavanting Online Women's Travel Magazine - Current Issue
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7 weeks in Kyrgyzstan
8 Feb 2010 | 7:00 amAs our new Kazakh friend noticed that a male (the apartment owner and host) was so kindly pouring everyone tea from a dainty silver teapot, he asked in a bewildered yet serious tone, “Wait, there’s a girl here. Why are you pouring the tea?” His comment very clearly relayed the idea that I automatically had a role to play because of my gender, and I was having none of that. I started walking down the streets of Bishkek thinking, “Watch out, Kyrgyz boys! You’re not snatching this one! -
Paniolo-Style Horseback Riding on the Big Island
21 Dec 2009 | 7:00 amThe Big Island of Hawaii isn’t the first place you expect to come across cowboy culture, but paniolos (Hawaiian cowboys) have been roping and riding on the island for over 200 years. It all started in 1793, when British Captain George Vancouver gave Hawaii’s King Kamehameha five longhorn cattle as a gift. -
Princess Cruises Ultimate Ship Tour: The Crown Princess
18 Nov 2009 | 5:05 pmAside from the many shore excursions at each port, the Galavanting Gals got to take a trip through the ship itself during a sea voyage we recently took. It turned out to be a fun highlight. The Ultimate Ship Tour aboard the Crown Princess is normally a three-hour tour for which a limited number of Princess Cruises passengers can pay $150 for a behind- -
Tokyo's Tsukiji Market
1 Nov 2009 | 5:10 pmFrom scouting for the freshest ingredients to the way food is prepared and presented in both restaurants and private homes, Japanese people are serious about their fish. -
Altared States
22 Sep 2009 | 7:09 pmWhat if death was not the last destination, but just an exit on a larger cosmic freeway? This is the way many Mexicans have programmed their philosophical GPS systems, and their Dia de los Muertos—or Day of the Dead—holiday, celebrated each autumn, is the result.
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Nomadic Matt's Travel Site
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Bungy Jumping the Nevis
9 Feb 2010 | 4:35 amNew Zealand is known for its adventure activities. People come from around the world to white water raft, hike, glacier trek, sky dive, and bungy jump. And one of the best places to do a bungy is in Queenstown, New Zealand. Queenstown is home to a lot of bungy operators, the most famous of which is AJ Hackett Bungy. AJ Hackett is the creator of bungy jumping and his company runs the biggest bungy in the region- the 134 meter high Nevis Bungy Jump. Take a look: If you aren’t looking to jump, you can go as an observer for $50 NZD. If $250 NZD is too expensive for you or the Nevis is too… -
How to Pick a Good Hostel
7 Feb 2010 | 12:58 pmGood hostels are always hard to come by. Places can be very hit or miss and usually, the reason a hostel is good has more to do with the people staying there than the physical place. I’ve stayed in dumps where I had fun in because of the people there. Hosteling is, after all, about the people you meet. However, staying in a place that is clean is always good because it adds to the experience. When trying to pick a good hostel, here is my advice on what to consider: Cheaper is Not Better – Budget travelers have a natural inclination to go with the cheapest thing around. However,… -
The Weekly Photo: Beachcomber Island
5 Feb 2010 | 3:15 pmBeachcomber Island, Fiji ©Nomadic Matt's Travel Site. Learn to have your blog pay for your travels! -
Are We All Flashpackers Now?
4 Feb 2010 | 5:47 amFlashpacking is a term used to describe backpackers who upscale their travels. They travel with a backpack but they stay in nicer digs, carry fancy electronics, tend to be a bit older, have a bit more money to spend, and don’t cook in hostels every day. They are backpackers with means. This distinction has been around for a few years and, as I’ve traveled around this past year, I think is totally meaningless. In fact, I believe we have all morphed into a “flashpacker.” The old way of travel- a backpack, a few bucks, a worn guidebook is well behind us. When I first started… -
Hostel Etiquette
1 Feb 2010 | 6:09 amLately, I’ve encountered a number of backpackers who believe that a ten bed dorm means they’re the only one sleeping there. Or that their mom will clean up their mess in the hostel’s kitchen. Sometimes I think that before everyone goes away, there should be class on how to properly behave in a hostel. That way you are remembered for being the totally awesome person you are instead of the jerk that woke everybody up at 3am. So before you go hosteling around the world, here are some good hostel etiquette tips to inspire love not hatred from your fellow travelers: Be Quiet…
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WritingTravel.com
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Update from Sandra Basgall on her travel to the eastern frontier of the Congo
8 Feb 2010 | 11:11 amNote: This is Sandra's January 22 report from Goma. Next stop on her itinerary is Bukavu. I am anxiously awaiting more news. Goma in Eastern DR Congo has a frontier town feeling. Beautifully situated on Lake Kiva, one of the African Great Lakes, and the Micumba Mountains, this eastern border town lies along the Great Rift Valley where many of the African Great Lakes are found as well as many active volcanoes. The most active volcano in Africa, Mount Nyiragongo, sits to Goma’s north. In 2002, lava flowed through the center of town for the fourth time in a century. Some buildings that were… -
Join the beta test of Wazzamba and compete for a Paris getaway
8 Feb 2010 | 9:26 amI don't ordinarily post unedited press releases, but this one seems worthy of attention. And who knew there was a real place called Zug in Switzerland? WAZZAMBA TO AWARD VALENTINE GETAWAY Virtual World Players Can Win Real-World Romantic Vacation in Paris Zug, Switzerland – February 8, 2010 – Wazzamba (www.wazzamba.com), the first online virtual world to give away real-world travel prizes, has announced a contest for a romantic trip for two to Paris in celebration of Valentine’s Day. Potential players can log on to www.wazzamba.com and try for the highest daily score anytime during… -
Sandra Basgall: Settling into my Kinshasa bungalow
20 Jan 2010 | 11:17 amGuest post by Sandra Basgall, Catholic Relief Services Central Africa I may never return to the United States as my new furnished bungalow in Kinshasa is so nice. I am in a compound with about ten other bungalows and a good sized swimming pool. My bungalow is separated from the others with nice plantings and grass, and it feels quite private. There is a heavy gate with two guards that make sure the residents are safe. I have three bedrooms and three bathrooms. Now don’t get too excited, the small bath is just as you enter the house and for guests. The middle is for the… -
Week 2 in Kinshasa ... and not counting
14 Jan 2010 | 5:30 pmGuest post by Sandra Basgall, Catholic Relief Services Central AfricaThe unsung heroes in the development world are the local staff. If it were not for the regional administrative assistant, I would be completely in the dark. He has organized temporary housing and working on permanent housing; he has helped me interview and hire household help; he has made sure I have drivers to take me around and without them, I would be lost; he has made sure that I get groceries; and he has just been there to answer questions. He works long hard hours, juggles many priorities, is constantly on the… -
Shopping in Kinshasa: Tide for $28.00
14 Jan 2010 | 5:15 pmTide for $28.00, originally uploaded by congogirl.
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Suite101: Travel Articles
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Thermal Spas in Italy
9 Feb 2010 | 10:58 amAfter too many Italian indulgences, a visit to one of the country's many thermal spas can be a welcome boost to the body and the mind. Here are six of the best: -
Lundy Island for a Break with a Difference
9 Feb 2010 | 10:36 amLundy Island, isolated and rugged, can offer tourists a different kind of break, with amazing views, impressive wildlife and plenty of activities to keep them occupied. -
Etiquette and Customs in Morocco, Africa
9 Feb 2010 | 10:24 amTourists in a foreign country should familiarize themselves with basic customs and traditions. Knowing a few rules of etiquette shows respect and avoids embarrassment. -
Luxury 5 Star Hotels Tenerife, Canary Islands
9 Feb 2010 | 9:16 amLuxury 5 star hotels in Tenerife offer state of the arts amenities in superb locations, both in the north and the south of this attractive Canary island. -
Beyond Live Lobsters -- Fresh Seafood in Spain
9 Feb 2010 | 8:42 amTravellers to Catalonia should not leave without trying some of their seafood dishes. This report gives their local names and descriptions of the most extravagant.
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My Itchy Travel Feet
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Traveling with Parents
9 Feb 2010 | 12:05 amAre you planning a baby boomer trip that includes your parents? Need expert advice? Meet Sherry Ott of Ottsworld, today’s guest writer. She’s sharing her experience of planning a trekking trip to Nepal with her 73-year-old father. Neither Sherry nor her dad are technically baby boomers (born 1946-1964), but you’ll still benefit from the trip [...] -
Saturday’s scene: A Walk in New Zealand Woods
6 Feb 2010 | 12:05 amWhile on a jet boat ride on the Matukituki River near Wanaka, New Zealand, we stopped to walk in the woods. -
Winter Adventure at Hidden Meadow Ranch
4 Feb 2010 | 4:16 pmAre you a baby boomer traveler who craves winter adventure? You know—the kind that includes snow. How about horses? You’ll find both, and more, at Hidden Meadow Ranch near Greer, Arizona. When Alan and I visited Hidden Meadow Ranch, we discovered an off-the-beaten-path winter wonderland. And the best part? The Rancher’s Package came wrapped in a [...] -
Hearing the Difference with Able Planet Active Noise Canceling Headphones
2 Feb 2010 | 12:05 amAs I sit at my desk writing this review, the rich sounds of acoustic guitar reverberate through the Able Planet True Fidelity Active Noise Canceling Headphones (NC300W) that I’m wearing. The headphones are plugged into my MAC which is tuned to my favorite Pandora channel. The noise canceling switch is turned on, improving the musical [...] -
Saturday’s scene: Sitting on a Golden Throne
30 Jan 2010 | 12:05 amIn Bangkok’s Grand Palace, Buddha sits on a golden throne surrounded by semi-precious jewels that glitter in the afternoon sun.
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tripwolf | blog
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Beyond the book – tripwolf’s iPhone app
9 Feb 2010 | 1:35 amtripwolf iPhone travel guides improve on the go! tripwolf brings you the newest kind of travel guide. You’ll have access to our entire travel guide library, complete with travel tips from our community, as well as our awesome Footprint and Marco Polo guidebook content. All this, without any roaming costs! Just download and go, even if you don’t have WiFi while you’re traveling. You can download city travel guides, or even guides by region or country. We offer a free version of each guide, as well as a premium guide, where you’ll find our best content,as well as… -
Featured profile – Andreapog
8 Feb 2010 | 8:01 amtripwolf user Andreapog (Andrea Posada) has decided to share some of her amazing photos with tripwolf. Andrea, like many of us, expresses her love of travel through capturing and sharing beautiful profiles of people and cities she loves. We are happy to feature some of her photos from Portugal. Feel free to check out her gallery, or contact her to share your love! More photos, and the story in her own words… “The fado music from Portugal inspired me to visit the city in black and white. This old tradition remindss me of the old port capital, with old, cracking paved streets… -
Where to Eat: Trattoria Il Giova
2 Feb 2010 | 9:53 amLast night I had a dream about this place – but it was more of a nightmare… The luscious filetti were deep fried and tough, and the home-made ravioli shaped like mezzaluna never showed up. Does this make me a food addict? Perhaps, more on that later, and more to drool over, now. I’m talking about Trattoria Il Giova, a small cozy restaurant along Borgo La Croce, an easy walk from the center of Florence. The house wine is served in unlabeled bottles – grown and produced by the owners themselves. I have never found more honest food at a restaurant. Each dish is… -
tripwolf at Online Revealed 2010
28 Jan 2010 | 10:40 amI was lucky enough to fall in with Canada’s edgy e-commerce crowd at the Online Revealed conference, held in Montreal’s Delta Centre-Ville this week. Produced by a couple of chicks e-marketing and radonicrodgersdesign+marketing, this was the 5th year of Online Revealed. The design of the conference is in its name – any person in the travel industry with an online persona will benefit from the great discussions all aimed at revealing the secrets of being successful online! There were discussions lead by leaders in the travel industry, such as Jim Brody from tripadvisor,… -
Where to Eat: Kuma’s Corner, Chicago
27 Jan 2010 | 11:42 amMy hometown of Chicago is basically one big homage to meat. What do you expect from the former capital of meatpacking and slaughterhouses? If you love meat, every day is your lucky day when you’re in Chicago and my favorite place to start is with a burger at Kuma’s Corner. Photo of Pantera Burger courtesy of lobstar28's Flickr stream As if burgers weren’t awesome enough as it is, Kuma’s Corner a) dares to put them on a pretzel roll, and b) names them after heavy metal bands. F–k yeah! Normally I’m not a big fan of gimmicks, but I’ll make an…
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Hotel Buzz
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Deep Discounts at Aruba Resort
6 Feb 2010 | 6:43 amEscape the winter blues this season with jaw-dropping rates at the Holiday Inn Resort Aruba. Now through March 31, the hotel is offering 60 percent off rack rates (normally $325/night and up) from only $130/night. (Rates are for its European Plan package which doesn’t include meals.) This offer should appeal to singles, couples, and families alike – prices are based on single or double occupancy, and kids under 17 stay and eat free when sharing a room with their parents. There’s plenty to keep guests of all ages busy at the beachfront resort, from snorkeling and parasailing to the… -
Quito’s First Boutique Hotel Gets a New Home
4 Feb 2010 | 8:54 amThe beloved bohemian hotel, Café Cultura—known for whimsical frescoes, blazing hearths, and a cozy, lived-in feel—has traded its postcolonial villa for a princely mansion in the same New Town district of Quito, Ecuador. Built in 1937, the mansion’s former incarnation was as the elite Club Pichincha where the crème de la crème of society would gather. A striking mixture of Art Deco details and Republican–style architecture, the structure won Quito’s most prestigious architectural award in 1937. “The new house was an opportunity we couldn’t resist,” says owner László… -
An Arizona Spa That Rocks the Kasbah
1 Feb 2010 | 1:15 pmProof that hammams are hot? The gorgeous Joya Spa at the InterContinental Montelucia Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona, which opened a little over a year ago. It imports the old-world, Mid-East bathing ritual—and makes it the basis the spa’s chic design. Call it a terrific example of mod Maroc. The look is all thanks to Sylvia Sepielli, a doyenne of spa design, who used handmade Moroccan tiles, carved-wood furniture, silk pillows, copper bathtubs, and even Bedouin jewelry as design accessories. Despite the spa’s grand size—19 treatment rooms and two floors that encompass a salon, gym, and… -
One-stop Shopping at Caribbean Resorts’ New Online Grocery Store
29 Jan 2010 | 2:36 pmLooking for the ingredients for the perfect picnic lunch on your Caribbean getaway? How about some snacks to keep the kids fueled up for a day at the beach? With Divi Resorts’ new online grocery service, you can order all the essentials before you even leave home, and find your fridge stocked when you arrive. Divi recently introduced the service at Divi Little Bay in St. Maarten and Divi Southwinds and Divi Heritage in Barbados, with plans to expand to the brand’s other six resorts. With a quick click on each hotel’s website, guests can pick from a range of meals, snacks, drinks, and… -
New Andaz Wall Street Capitalizes on Smart Design
28 Jan 2010 | 1:23 pmHyatt’s newest brand, Andaz, opened its first New York hotel in the heart of the Financial District on January 18. I manhandled my way down to Wall Street (battling the 5pm exodus from the neighborhood) to check out David Rockwell’s latest digs. Like its boutique sisters in London and Los Angeles, the “Andaz experience” is just as exceptional as its smart, space-conserving rooms (room video preview above). THE CONCEPT The idea behind the Andaz brand is to remove the barriers between the guest and the employee. At the Andaz Wall Street, there’s no check-in desk in lobby. Instead…
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Amenity Watch
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Eco Chic
4 Feb 2010 | 12:56 pm“Eco” and “luxury” are terms often incongruous with each other. Going green has traditionally meant skimping on comfort, and enjoying plush amenities has meant turning a cold shoulder to the environment. It is, however, 2010 and the two avenues of thinking are starting to come together, with exquisite results. These days the words ‘eco’ and ‘luxury’ go together as easily as ‘The Fairmont’ and ‘Lexus Hybrid’. The Grand Dame of luxury resorts, the Fairmont San Francisco has teamed with Lexus to create their “Eco Is… -
Old City, Modern Art in Poland
2 Feb 2010 | 7:15 amFan of the ultra-mod? Want to be part of an art project? Want a complimentary iPhone during your stay? Blow Up Hall 5050 in Poznan, one of Poland’s oldest cities is calling your name. The concept behind Blow Up 5050 is that 50% of every project should be art, and this place takes that concept to heart. To check in, you don’t pick a room you pick a card, which then corresponds with an aptly decorated room. You could tap into the animalistic in a zebra-striped suite, empty your mind in a sterile white room, or retain a bit of normality (boring?) in a more traditional space. So… -
One-stop Shopping at Caribbean Resorts’ New Online Grocery Store
29 Jan 2010 | 2:36 pmLooking for the ingredients for the perfect picnic lunch on your Caribbean getaway? How about some snacks to keep the kids fueled up for a day at the beach? With Divi Resorts’ new online grocery service, you can order all the essentials before you even leave home, and find your fridge stocked when you arrive. Divi recently introduced the service at Divi Little Bay in St. Maarten and Divi Southwinds and Divi Heritage in Barbados, with plans to expand to the brand’s other six resorts. With a quick click on each hotel’s website, guests can pick from a range of meals, snacks, drinks, and… -
Elvis Lives On
28 Jan 2010 | 7:13 amJanuary 18th is a day of infamy. Although not a national holiday (yet) it is, for many, a day of observance. For it marks the birth of a king. The King of Rock ‘N Roll. While Elvis’ birthday may have already come and gone, Music City is ready to keep the party going in honor of the King turning 75. And the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel, where Elvis recorded some of his greatest hits, is planning the party. The Nashville hotel is going all out with a specially-themed package sure to delight the die-hardest Elvin fan. The package includes luxury accommodations fit for a King, a private… -
A Luxurious Bundle of Joy
26 Jan 2010 | 7:23 amHaving a child is a wonderful thing. A stressful, busy, nerve wracking, wonderful thing. Amidst all the preparation for an addition to your family, it can be easy to forget about taking care of other things. Like yourself. Luckily, the hotel industry feels your labor pains. Expectant couples now have relaxing options to take their final vacation alone, and pamper themselves before the big day. But where should you go before the big day? The Westin Kierland Resort in Arizona has created the “Bundle of Joy” Babymoon package, with partnerships with SpOILed Mamma skin care products…
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RickSeaney.com
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Cheap Flights to Ireland to See “United Breaks Guitars” Guy
9 Feb 2010 | 10:11 amYes, United Airlines’ least favorite troubadour will be touring in Ireland at the end of this month, and you can hear him in person thanks to FareCompare’s cheap flights to Dublin. I’m not sure what’s on Dave Carroll’s playlist, but he has just announced that the third song in his “United Breaks Guitars” trilogy will be released March 2, along with a video. You may recall how his hilarious first video and the follow-up were huge hits that related the story of United baggage handlers flinging Dave’s guitar through the air and breaking it. This… -
Best and Worst Things about American’s New $8 Blanket Fee
9 Feb 2010 | 7:03 amStarting on May 1, American Airlines will start charging $8 for a blanket and pillow in coach – but I don’t think this is anything to get too excited about. After all, JetBlue and US Airways already charge $7 for the same deal (though I wouldn’t be surprised if that price creeps up a buck to match AA). That said, there are good and bad things about this, mostly good. Best Thing: You know your blanket will be fresh and clean (it comes in sealed plastic) and that’s great for staving off colds or even the N1H1 virus (what used to be called “swine flu”); close… -
No More Pilots on Laptops Who Overshoot Their Destinations?
8 Feb 2010 | 12:33 pmRemember last October when those two Northwest pilots overshot their Minneapolis destination by 150 miles because of some argument or discussion or something while both were on their personal laptops? Now, Delta (which merged with Northwest) is taking steps to see that won’t happen again by “making software and avionics changes” on some of its planes, according to the Wall St. Journal – changes that will enable Delta dispatchers to use “sound alerts” to raise distracted pilots. You might remember that everyone in the world seemed to be trying to reach those… -
“On the Wings of Love” – Will JAL Choose American or Delta?
8 Feb 2010 | 11:22 amUPDATE: JAL has spoken – it has spurned Delta in favor of continuing its relationship with American. EARLIER: You have to admit, this whole thing with JAL (Japan Airlines) sounds kind of like a primetime soap opera. The Asian carrier which declared bankruptcy last month is the “bachelor” (sort of) in a triangle that pits American and Delta fighting to win JAL’s love – or rather, a partnership with the airline. Actually American Airlines and its Oneworld alliance of global partners has the longstanding alliance with JAL, but in wake of the bankruptcy, the carrier… -
Valentine’s Day Gift Idea: Cheap Flights to Romantic Beaches for Two
8 Feb 2010 | 10:14 amWhat do women (men, too) want for Valentine’s Day? Forget roses and chocolate* and give the gift of your time. People are so busy these days, that getting away together is a very big deal – but getting together in just the right spot is key. Where to go? How about the Caribbean? Our “When-to-Fly” Flight Finder for Caribbean destinations shows you all the deals to the best beaches, instantly. I just saw this deal for a cheap flight from New York to the Bahamas for just $229 roundtrip. Rather be skiing in the Rockies or savoring a charming bed and breakfast in New…
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Hotel News
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MGM Mirage may drop casino
9 Feb 2010 | 9:39 amMGM Mirage has said it may unload its stake in an Atlantic City casino resort to settle a fight with US gaming regulators over the company's Macau business partner. -
Palin the mild one at shrill Tea Party
9 Feb 2010 | 2:00 amSarah Palin speaks during the National Tea Party Convention at Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee, Feb. -
Holiday Inn could be built at airport by fall 2011
8 Feb 2010 | 5:37 pmInterContinental Hotels Group, owner of the Holiday Inn hotel brand, expects construction of a Holiday Inn & Suites at the Dayton International Airport will start this summer and be done by fall 2011. -
MGM Mirage amends credit facility
8 Feb 2010 | 9:26 amLAS VEGAS a ' MGM Mirage is seeking amendments to its aggregate $5.55 billion of senior credit facilities, which would extend the maturity of a substantial portion of those credit facilities from Oct. -
Comfort Inn wins Platinum Hospitality Award
7 Feb 2010 | 9:36 pmThe Comfort Inn & Suites hotel on National Highway was recently announced as a recipient of a prestigious 2010 Platinum Hospitality Award from global lodging leader Choice Hotels International, Inc., franchisor of the Comfort brand.
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USATODAY.com Travel (Hotels) - Top Stories
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Hotels' new-tech TVs have guests fuming
8 Feb 2010 | 8:45 pmHotel-room televisions' fuzzy or distorted pictures or images that freeze on the screen, as well as channel selection, frustrate ... -
Richard Gere, Carey Lowell join the galaxy of star hoteliers
29 Jan 2010 | 5:16 amThe couple, who own the eight-room Bedford Post, have joined the expanding roster of marquee names who add hotelier to their ... -
Pennsylvania's Nemacolin Woodlands Resort serves up a new spa special
28 Jan 2010 | 5:54 pmA Sunday-Thursday special that runs through March 31 allows as many treatments as guests can pack in daily. -
Jamaica resort hosts Big on the Beach event for plus-size women
28 Jan 2010 | 5:28 pmThe first Big on the Beach event, June 12-20 at Hedonism II in Jamaica, is targeted at plus-size women and men who love them. ... -
Q&A: Gloria Estefan on her Florida hotels
28 Jan 2010 | 5:13 pmGloria Estefan and producer husband Emilio have made a splash in the restaurant and hotel business.
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Made to Stick
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Quote of the day
8 Feb 2010 | 8:19 pmUS Airways Customer Service Line: “Your call will be answered in: One hundred. Fifty. Four. Minutes.” -
Making math concrete
8 Feb 2010 | 5:04 amSteven Strogatz, an applied math prof at Cornell, has started a series on the NYT site to re-teach basic math from an adult perspective, with the goal to show “why it’s so enthralling.” I love the second installment, which explores the way that using rocks in place of digits (i.e., six rocks rather than the number “6″) can provide unexpected insight on seemingly tough problems: For example, instead of adding just two odd numbers together, suppose we add all the consecutive odd numbers, starting from 1: 1 + 3 = 4 1 + 3 + 5 = 9 1 + 3 + 5 + 7 = 16 1 + 3 + 5 + 7 + 9… -
Changing the Saints
4 Feb 2010 | 6:45 pmGreat story in SI by Don Banks about how the Saints defense was transformed, thanks to the efforts of new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. Forget football for a second (at least until Sunday)–this is one of the clearest organizational change stories I’ve heard in a while: If you want the short answer of how the Saints went from being a 7-9 and 8-8 team in 2007-08, to this year’s “turnaround” 15-3 NFC champions, it has everything to do with Williams and his relentless emphasis on creating turnovers. … “He came in and he made us obsessed about… -
What makes a great teacher?
29 Jan 2010 | 3:05 pmIf you’re interested in teaching, this article by Amanda Ripley in The Atlantic is a must-read. For years, people have speculated about what makes a great teacher. But now there is data. It has been gathered painstakingly by Teach For America for over a decade, and it covers hundreds of thousands of kids. TFA linked the test scores of students to their teachers, so that TFA can spot patterns in the data: Which teachers are causing big boosts in the kids’ scores–for instance, advancing them by three grade levels in one year? And what traits do those star teachers have in… -
The web’s “face-sucking” potential
28 Jan 2010 | 11:12 amStanford professor Brian Knutson describes the way the internet has changed his thinking: In terms of how I think, I fear that the Internet is less helpful. Although I can find information faster, that information is not always the most relevant, and is often tangential. More often than I’d like to admit, I sit down to do something and then get up bleary-eyed hours later, only to realize my task remains undone (or I can’t even remember the starting point). The sensation is not unlike walking into a room, stopping, and asking “now, what was I here for?” — except that…
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HowToMakeMyBlog.com
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Win the hearts of your readers in your next blog post
8 Feb 2010 | 4:02 pmI‘m not very good at writing opening lines. It’s like when I see a cute brunette sitting by herself at the bar. I want desperately to get her attention, but can’t wrangle up enough courage to go over there and give it a shot. I’ve always considered myself to be an outgoing person, though, but I’m just terrified of opening lines. I’m sure everyone has had a similar experience at some point in their lives. You see someone you want to connect with, then when you finally get a chance to introduce yourself, it seems as if nothing you do comes out exactly as… -
Increase blog reader interest with parody
1 Feb 2010 | 4:02 pmIf you’re like me, most of your blog posts are serious—that’s s-e-r-i-o-u-s. For some reason, known only by the Gods and Google, blog writers believe their writing styles must be as solemn as a funeral dirge. But what if you could write in an entertaining, purposeful way while still achieving your goals, whether it’s convincing readers to take your advice, subscribe to your RSS feed or learn something from you? You can with parody. What is parody? The dictionary defines parody as humorous exaggeration for comic effect. The word comes from the late 16th century Latin/Greek meaning… -
How to get mainstream media interest in your blog
27 Jan 2010 | 4:02 pmMost bloggers dream about having features in newspapers, magazines, radio or TV about you and your blog. Being featured in the mainstream media is seen as the haunt of the exclusive few, but it need not be. Getting the press to cover your blog isn’t too tricky, however you need to work for it. The Ideal Way – What Happened To Me & Why It Isn’t The Best I have been featured a number of times in a number of places. The Guardian, BBC Radio Wales & The North Wales Weekly News have all done a feature on me, or done stories that involve me as a blogger giving my opinion. -
Review my blog: Blog critique of Murray Newlands marketing blog
24 Jan 2010 | 4:02 pmI see Murray Newlands at different London blogging events. Murray and I have taken a bit of a different approach in content strategy and buzz building strategy so I wanted to do a review of his blog and do a blog critique on things I like and things I would change. Murray blogs at http://www.murraynewlands.com/. Good choice of theme. He is using Thesis theme. You know how much I like Thesis theme because of the look it gives any blog and because of the customization opportunities. This is definitely a good step for Murray. No header image. The first thing I notice is that there is no header… -
How to tap into your blog visitors need for new information
20 Jan 2010 | 4:02 pmRecent research shows that our brains hard-wire us to love Twitter, Facebook, Google and the search for new information. It makes us curious, it makes us gather data, look up facts and click on different links. It is important to be aware of this brain behaviour as a blogger, as it has some disadvantages but also advantages. Restless, bored, short attention span This behaviour makes us restless, this makes us easily bored, we don’t give attention to longer articles, and it just drives us to discover and explore the next tweet and the next blog post. Possibility and the anticipation of…
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Shoemoney - Skills To Pay The Bills
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ShoeMoney Marketplace Changes
9 Feb 2010 | 4:53 amA couple months ago we were getting about 10-20 solicitations a day from people wanting us to talk about their products… or their product for sale… or whatever. It seemed logical to give these people an outlet where they could get exposure on ShoeMoney.com & we could raise a decent amount for charity. So we started the ShoeMoney Marketplace. I have been pretty surprised by the response. We have been getting an average of about 15 listings a week or so. People had some requests… They were concerned we were not using SSL for the CC transactions… they wanted to be… -
Whats Your Thoughts On The Google Suberbowl Ad?
8 Feb 2010 | 2:01 pmI thought it was brilliant. Well done Google. You told an amazing story without saying a word. Very powerful. What did you think? Get a sneak peak at the all new ShoeMoney System This Post Is From ShoeMoney’s Internet Marketing Blog Whats Your Thoughts On The Google Suberbowl Ad? -
The Video Boss Puts Out Another Amazing Video
7 Feb 2010 | 12:25 pmIF you are not on the Video Boss list then you need to get on it now. Andy just released another amazing video in the Video Boss series. I just finished it. Its unbelievable. Our team watched the first video the other day and we were wondering how exactly Andy records his slides… We assumed it was with some software like screen flow or camtasia… but no… its much easier then that. Its so enlightening to watch someone do an exact step by step complete walk through on making video’s that drastically increase conversions. Everything from what camera to use, to where to get… -
This Week in the ShoeMoney Marketplace
7 Feb 2010 | 12:00 amNew listings placed this week in the ShoeMoney Marketplace: OFFCOST.com – Win a Flip Mino HD Video Camcorder by becoming a fan LogoNerds.com – Crazy Logos Under 50 LogoNerds.com – Crazy Logos Under 50 THE ULTIMATE SEO PACKAGE-NEW Strategy WIKI LINKS 25 WIKI pages 625 links INSANE SERP INCREASE RowellAuctions.com Buy Investment Property Online Quality Backlinking Packages and SEO Services For Cheap Need to get a ton of backlinks fast I have the solution Adminizio admin templates Buy PPV Landing Pages LogoMyway.com – Start A Logo Contest Sponor a custom viral prank or… -
UFC109 Relentless Randy Couture VS Mark Coleman
6 Feb 2010 | 11:35 amI am pumped for tonights UFC card. While its not a huge main card title fight there are tons of great match ups on the card. I am a pretty hardcore mixed martial arts fan and have been watching events for the last 10 years. Randy Couture Vs Mark Coleman I remember when Randy Couture came into the sport and people were saying he was too old.. Now at 46 years old he is still one of the best fighters in the world. But he has essentially lost his last 3 fights (depending if you think he beat Vera or not). Tonight Randy is fighting Marc Coleman whois pretty close in age. Both are UFC Hall Of…
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ProBlogger Blog Tips
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Blog Like a Cartoonist – Six Stunning Secrets to Help You Break Through Bloggers Block
9 Feb 2010 | 11:24 amAnd now for a guest post with a difference from Cartoonist Mark Anderson from Andertoons.com who created this comic to illustrate the writing techniques he uses to create his cartoons, and how they can help bloggers push through writer’s block. Post from: Blog Tips at ProBlogger. Blog Like a Cartoonist – Six Stunning Secrets to Help You Break Through Bloggers Block Share This -
Have a 37 Minute Coffee Break with Me [Audio Interview]
9 Feb 2010 | 5:43 amIf you have a spare 37 minutes today to grab a coffee with me (or at least are doing something that will allow you to listen to something for 37 minutes in the background) check out this interview I did with Robb Sutton late last week. Robb’s also transcribed it for those who prefer to read. In the interview Rob asks me about a whole range of stuff including: my background in blogging my philosophy on lots of sites vs focusing upon a single (or just a few) sites the process of going full time (and my wife’s six month ultimatum) my shift in focus to e-books and membership sites a… -
What Is Your Blogging Goal for February?
8 Feb 2010 | 6:22 amA few days back I asked readers a question: What Have You Been Putting Off and What’s Holding You Back? Some of the responses to the question in comments (and via email and Twitter) revealed a lot of bloggers really wanting to step things up and get what they’ve been putting off done. So – lets set some goals – what do you want to achieve by the end of February? I’m not going to be calling you up to check up to see if you’re meeting your goals – but hopefully in putting them down publicly you’ll find yourself a little more spurred on to reach… -
9 Tricks I Used To Triple My AdSense Earnings In 30 Days
7 Feb 2010 | 6:34 amGuest post by Daniel Scocco from Daily Blog Tips. I have been using Google AdSense to monetize my blogs and websites for as long as I remember. In fact it was the first method I ever tried (I made a whooping $15 on my first month… back in 2005). Over the years I migrated to other methods (e.g., direct sponsors and affiliate marketing), which made AdSense become merely an inventory filler. I was still making around $1,000 monthly from it, but whenever I could I would use other methods over it. Then some months ago I started noticing an upward trend on the CPC of my sites, and I figured that… -
How I Got Some Paying Sponsors Without Really Meaning To
6 Feb 2010 | 6:21 amA guest post by Josh Hanagarne. World’s Strongest Librarian was about four months old when I got interested in sponsors. I’d read the articles about how to do it, and none of them sounded that plausible for me and my situation. For one, my traffic wasn’t impressive, certainly not to the point where sponsors were approaching me. And, while my blog has become slightly more focused in its first ten months, it wasn’t targeted at any group of readers in particular, so I wasn’t sure how confident niche advertisers would be. It’s a little more focused now, but I can’t really think of a…
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Copyblogger
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Does Writing for People Work for SEO?
9 Feb 2010 | 8:16 amHang around web writing circles for any length of time, and the inevitable “write for search engines or write for people” debate comes up. It’s a bit strange, really. Last time I checked, it’s people who use search engines, not some other life form. So you’re always writing for people. Obviously, the debate stems from the fact that search engines are powered by computer algorithms. But as search engines have gotten smarter, writing that pleases people and satisfies spiders is not that far apart, if at all. Let’s look at four factors that work well for SEO and see how well they… -
The Art of Shameless Self-Promotion
8 Feb 2010 | 7:49 amI’ve found it just doesn’t pay to crow too much about what I’ve accomplished. Sure, I celebrate when things go well. But I’ve found that talking too much about my achievements leads not only to criticism, but to disappointment. There’s always going to be someone who’s done more or worked harder. And until they carve my name into the side of the moon, I see no reason in puffing myself up. The minute you get a big head is the same minute that reality smacks you and you realize that you aren’t as cool as you think you are. So self-adulation is something I try to stay… -
Five Areas to Focus On for Effective SEO Copywriting
5 Feb 2010 | 8:51 amWhen I first started Copyblogger in 2006, I was almost militantly against on-page search optimization. Seems strange, since I’d been a successful student of SEO since 2000. It was because I saw all these people fretting over keywords like it’s 1999, and yet they had no links. Their content was weak. Their sites weren’t trusted. You can’t optimize something that’s dead in the water. So my initial goal was to get people to focus on content that attracted attention and links first. Only then do you have something you can make better (that’s what optimize means, naturally). Fours… -
Landing Page Makeovers 2007-2009: Where Are They Now?
4 Feb 2010 | 6:46 amThis is another addition to our ongoing series of tutorials and case studies on landing pages that work. It occurred to me late last year, as I was readying yet another Landing Page Makeover, that the end of one year and the beginning of the next was a good time to do a “Where are they now?” post. So first things first, I went back and contacted all makeover participants from the very beginning of the series. Of the more than 20 contacted, I learned that one is no longer in business, MagicPumpkinArt.com (Makeover #14) and two are in the midst of developing new products or revising… -
Does SEO Copywriting Still Matter?
3 Feb 2010 | 8:28 amIf there’s any one thing that can be said about SEO with certainty, it’s that it manages to cause a lot of confusion. For example, it seems like many people’s idea of SEO was formed 10 years ago, and hasn’t bothered to change with the times. Even an online veteran like Robert Scoble is completely clueless about modern best practices for search engine optimization. So, before we go any further, let me answer the question posed by the headline . . . Yes, SEO copywriting still matters. Here’s why. Search is still the biggest game in town “Pick your survey, search remains one of the…
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Blog Directory, Blogs on Blogged
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Director Tapped For 'The Orphanage' Remake
Screen Rant It’s being reported that a director has been found for New Line’s English-language remake of The Orphanage, in the form of Larry Fessenden. Guillermo del Toro (who produced the original Spanish version) is producing and has co-written the... -
Too Old to Have a Baby?
Burning The Scale Advances in science have made it much easier to get pregnant now in your 50s, and in some cases, 60s. The case of Maria del Carmen Bousada of Spain, who had twin boys at age 66 and then died... -
myFICO 25% Off Coupon
My Money Blog Here’s a newly released coupon for 25% off real FICO scores at myFico.com. Use the promotional code FICOHELP25 to get 25% off, the best discount currently available: You enter the promo code... -
Oldest Living Man in Montana
A Dozen Steps Walter Breuning is being touted as the new “oldest living man” at age 112. He lives in a nursing home in Montana and says he’s grateful for his good health. The previous man to hold the title,... -
'Banned' Sprite ad unleashes a load of buzz
Adfreak It’s a fact of the advertising industry that roughly 99% of those “banned†ads you see on the Web were never banned at all — or even intended to be aired. It seems that has to be the case...
