Tagged With "hotel brands"
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Re: Airports, Airlines battle over passenger fees
The other fees that especially bother me are the ones you never see in tickets, because they come out the back door. Compare airport car rental prices with off-airport of the same brand; compare the price of gum or candy at the airport or a neighborhood store. That’s airport revenue, too, either through a direct charge (car) or super-high-rents (newsstand)
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Re: April 22, 2018: PIWO Beer Truck, Krakow
A lovely old truck, intriguingly with Berlin registration plates. Piwo, incidentally, is not a brand, but simply Polish for beer - mirroring the English word on the back.
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Re: May 31, 2016. The Sylvia Hotel, Vancouver
What an interesting place. All my trips to Vancouver in recent years yet I never made it to English Bay. Top spot on the itinerary next trip there. Thanks.
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Re: May 31, 2016. The Sylvia Hotel, Vancouver
Wow,what a great place! I hope my friends Sonny and Marine are seeing this as thy are new residents of the city!
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Re: Hotel desks disappearing in mobile age
I like having a desk in my hotel room. A sofa or easy chair would work, but I dislike working in bed. I hope we're given some options.
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Re: Campaigners ask: Can the QE2 be saved?
A sad story, but not unusual. People get attached to ships, maybe why they're called "she" instead of "it". My son was in the Navy, on the magnificent aircraft carrier USS Ranger, CV61, one of several of that name, the first in 1777, commanded by John Paul Jones. The end of his tour was also Ranger's last, after a voyage to the Persian Gulf for a goodbye battle. Retired just afterward (1993) and stored in Bremerton, WA, I read yesterday that as I write this, Ranger is sailing under tow...
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Re: Campaigners ask: Can the QE2 be saved?
I read some years ago of extensive ship-breaking on the Bangladesh coast, where labor is cheap and regulations scanty...an immense amount of dangerous work, but because the labor is cheap, the scrap profits are high, or higher than they would be if the cost of recovery were high. Which leads me to wonder: what would be the economic value of that long tow to Brownsville as opposed to scrapping the ship on the West Coast? Ideas, anyone?
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Re: Campaigners ask: Can the QE2 be saved?
There must certainly be profit to the company, International Shipbreaking, that was paid 1 penny US by the Navy to tow Ranger to Texas where they do the work and, presumably, don't do in WA. I toured Ranger but, even so, it's hard to comprehend the size of a ship where 6,000 men (and a few women) work and live, plus 2 decks for airplanes. Lots of steel there, lots of razor blades. I saw an amazing piece, probably on 60 Minutes, about the place in Bangladesh where the work you mention is done...
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Re: Jennifer Aniston "Nightmare " Ad Latest in Gulf vs US Airlines
The Emirates commercial made me feel bad for Jennifer Aniston. A beautiful actress making 5 million dollars as their brand ambassador, that's flying first class, in a lie flat bed, with showers and a bar on the plane and yet she still having a nightmare about being a budget traveler.
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Re: World's largest hotel to open in 2017
I know it sounds like sour grapes, but anyway: after experiencing big-hotel check-in at Las Vegas, I don't want to go to this one anyway.
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Re: World's largest hotel to open in 2017
Last night I had what seemed like a very long dream, hanging out with Joan Rivers. Not that it wasn't fun, but I'm as likely to think about staying in a hotel of this size anywhere as it is likely for that dream to come true.
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Re: An unusual sea crossing
I just wonder how much nicer, smoother and more pleasant the brand new high-speed catamaran might have been...
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Re: Islamic State opens 5-star hotel...do you have reservations about that?
Thanks, but I'll pass on staying at this one. So should anyone who is Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, gay, female, or the "wrong" type of Muslim.
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Re: Hotel Rewards Programs. Worthwhile or not?
Hi Doc Over the years it seems I've joined so many of these programs, but I really don't travel enough on business and I tend to use airline reward credit cards...I guess I have gotten free nights before with Hilton and Starwood.
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Re: Hotel Rewards Programs. Worthwhile or not?
The main usefulness that I have found for these loyalty programs is not the tangible rewards. The staff just seems to be more attentive and accommodating when they see that I am a regular with their company. There have been times when the extra attention has made a big difference in an otherwise harried trip.
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Re: Hotel Rewards Programs. Worthwhile or not?
I'm a Holiday Inn Express or La Quinta member. On my most recent road trip, I did get upgraded at the HIE for being a member. The free nights are always great too and that's the main goal. I've used many La Quinta free nights when I do workshops out of town. With HIE, I usually use the points for a discounted rate in expensive areas, like Sonoma or Paso Robles - wherever a vineyard may be!
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Re: Hotel Rewards Programs. Worthwhile or not?
That's what I do, too, SayMoi. I think it's a good plan. Use my rewards for expensive cities. Pay in lower priced cities and built up more points there. It is nice to get little upgrades and free nights for being a member of a program. Plus I like having a place of consistent quality I can count on. I like knowing what kind of room I'm going to get.
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Re: Hotel Rewards Programs. Worthwhile or not?
Using the points for the expensive properties works well. We have stayed at the Marriott very close to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. It was a treat just to see the Leidesplein and Vondlepark from our room . We have used points to stay at the Hotel George V in Paris, just around the corner from Champs-Élysées . Why stay extra nights in Des Moines when you can be in Paris ? Not knocking Des Moines - but, hey, Des Moinesians would go to Paris, too.
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Re: Hotel Rewards Programs. Worthwhile or not?
I've heard that in the US, the favorite destinations for people to use their rewards for free rooms are (drumroll.......)...............1) New York City..........2) Maui. No big surprises there.
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Re: Hotel Rewards Programs. Worthwhile or not?
Interesting to see this many people actually using hotel rewards programs for...hotels! I always looked for ones whose points could be traded for airline miles...not as easy as it used to be!
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Re: Hotel Rewards Programs. Worthwhile or not?
We have used the points for hotels from time to time. We did not really want to use them for hotels, but it seemed complicated to do anything "out of the system".
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Re: Hotel-Malls; Shop 'til You Drop
It's hard for me to imagine liking shopping that much. To the point I can't leave the mall and have dinner and a night's sleep somewhere else. But to each his own. It must meet a consumer demand in that market, so more power to them!
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Re: Hotel Rewards Programs. Worthwhile or not?
I like the Holiday Inn Express hotels. And I'll go out of my way to stay there when I can.
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Re: Camera Advice, Please?
Travelling as light as you do it would be an awful burden Rob. I found a lovely bargain today. A Samsung ST 72 camera. It has wifi to view the pix on my TV and its so tiny that I could tuck it into my sock. $50 US and brand new ! Its been in the stores for over a year. So its reduced ! Getting to be a collector I'm afraid ! Sounds just like your "Cup of Tea" though Rob
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Re: You CAN'T Take It All With You: Keeping the Load Light
A nicely written piece, PHeymont, with lots of good tips in it. I generally have two packing philosophies 1) Road trip (North America0. If I've got a large car trunk, then I'll take a lot of stuff along just not to have to bother with stuff like laundry. Might even throw in a heavy tripod and good pair of hiking boots, as well as a fishing rod, etc. 2) Overseas plane trip. Lighter is definitely better. A carry-on size bag like you and your wife use is idea. Especially if you will be...
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Re: Chinese visitors shop the USA
Chinese tourists like branded luxury items. With stitched in brand tags. They can buy fake goods that are made in China - but they want originals that look good ! They love English made goods with our Flag stitched in. They want Store bags that have recognisable names and Logo's to carry them in. And they want their photo with big name stores in the picture !
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Re: Experience with hotel bidding sites?
Hotwire.com has a generic "star rating" hotel, unknown to you as to which brand and exact location, at discounted prices. I've use them a few times and been satisfied with the results. For example, I got 4 star rooms in downtown Montreal for less than eighty dollars a night, probably a quarter or less of their rack rate. Generally I do like to know where I'm staying, but good luck. Let us know how this works out for you.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, November 11, 2014: Hotel Tadoussac, Quebec
What a charming and colourful Hotel DrF ! Reminds me - again - of some of the vast distances you travel in Canada. My Canadian cousin drives 200 miles for a night at the Theatre ! And 200 back ! Did you venture into the hotel for a few photos ? And definitely worth a few snaps in the snow. 200 miles in most directions and I'd be swimming around the UK.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, November 11, 2014: Hotel Tadoussac, Quebec
It is a great place, Garry, and no, I didn't get inside (was traveling with my then younger children who weren't interested in going in, much to my regret). But I expect the lobby will be every bit as appealing as the exterior. And I'm not sure looking at those white walls in the snow wouldn't blind you.....
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Re: Replacing iPhone Abroad
While I know iPhone users can be very brand-loyal, if the price is too high, consider buying a cheap Android phone and using it with your SIM. At the end of the trip, you can put it back in a new iPhone, or (dare I say?) change sides... The iPhone 5 uses yet another made-for-Apple incompatible SIM size, but phone stores will have a small plastic holder to retrofit it to the sizes used by others.
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Re: Lower Fort Garry National Historic Site, Manitoba, Canada. One of the buildings inside the fort complex
When you know more specifics, I'll be happy to help you with itinerary. Generally speaking interesting things to see: 1) Forks Market. The brand new Canadian Museum of Human Rights might be open when you visit, which is in the Forks area. 2) Legislative Building 3) Winnipeg Art Gallery (largest collection of eskimo/Inuit carvings in the world) 4) Lower Fort Gary... And there are more, time allowing.
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Re: Travelers Reveal Favorite Brands
No one admits to using Wal Mart own brand in a survey !
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Re: Ryanair cuts fees??!
To improve its brand and profits Ryanair is now selling package vacations. With it's previous rule of just "carry on" baggage it wasn't much use. To take a checked bag cost more than the Flight Ticket. So its competitors were singing their own praises over Ryanair. So its catch up time for Michael O'Leary the CEO of Irish Company Ryanair ! Its only for off-season flights. Many Summer flights are often fully booked in advance.
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Re: Paris Looking Down: A View from the Eiffel
Great pics. We were there this past August and were very impressed with the Eiffel Tower. It was truly fantastic accomplishment and the views are spectacular. The day we were there we had pre-purchased our tickets online, but did not use them. The morning of our scheduled day it was pouring down rain and we were tired, so we stayed in bed. Later in the morning the skies cleared and we went over to the tower. Since we missed our time we had to purchase another two tickets. it was still worth...
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Re: Paris Looking Down: A View from the Eiffel
Thanks, Pheymont. Even we who imagine we know the city have gotten a whole new perspective. Point of view is everything! And, having been up the tower once long ago, I'm again struck by how much higher it seems looking down than it appears from the below or from a distance.
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Re: Paris Looking Down: A View from the Eiffel
Thanks! Certainly true also about how different it can appear at different angles from below, as in Dr. Fumblefinger's blog here the other day!
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Re: Delta: Cheap inflight WiFi for Smartphones
It seems to me the smart thing for all the airlines to do would be to offer free wifi for any device, any flight, any distance. Southwest has stood out from the crowd by continuing to offer a free checked bag when others haven't and have gained loyalty as a result. May it continue. I understand that baggage fees have added a huge amount to the bottom lines but brand loyalty is worth a lot too. By giving away a $2 item and thereby correcting the notion, to a certain degree, that airlines mean...
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, April 12, 2014: Mokelumne Hill, California
I find stories of Gold Rushes to be absolutely fascinating! One that always gripped me was the Klondike Goldrush in the late 1800s. This was the last major one because after this telegraph and eventually phone lines change the world by providing more accurate information in a timely way, but in the late 1800s, everything was still word of mouth. It was at a time when stories of gold made 100s of thousands of people give up their lives, sell everything they owned, and head out to get their...
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, April 12, 2014: Mokelumne Hill, California
My gg grandfather was a 49er, headed west with his brother and cousin, then returned by ship, Panama and Cuba, to Missouri where they farmed and eventually supplied the army at Ft. Bridger in Wyoming as well as working as guides on the Oregon Trail. It was the next generation, my grandparents and g.grandparents that settled for good in California. So the stories of The West have always been the lore of our family. More places in the coming weeks.
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Re: Pancakes, Bacon & WiFi: what travelers want
I'm not very surprised that free breakfast and free wifi are important to travelers. Given a choice, I'd rather have the wifi than breakfast. I use my computer a lot and the freedom wifi gives me to go about my business is critical to my travels. I don't book rooms that lack wifi anymore.
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A Remote Canadian Village offers Indescribable Natural Discoveries
As I left the hotel in Winnipeg I was outfitted in all my brand new cold-weather gear headed for the airport and a two hour flight to the remote village of Churchill. I prayed my preparation for facing the sub-zero temperatures and brutal...
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What changes in European hotel booking could mean to you...
You may soon have a real reason to use a "metasearch" site such as Kayak or Travago to find your European hotel room, rather than an actual booking site such as Booking.com or Expedia. Up to now, almost all prices have been the same; that may be about...
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Going to Jukkasjärvi? There's a VERY cool new hotel there.
In fact, what's just opened in this Swedish town is the 25th annual seasonal ice-hotel, crafted fro hundreds of tons of ice and snow, to accommodate 16 suites. The designs, different for each room, come from 42 artists from around the world. For...
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Hotels.com: Most mobile bookings are last-minute
Hotels.com, one of the leading on-line bookers, reports that over 60% of its mobile app users are booking same-day. It also reports that mobile app users tend to shorter stays than traditional customers. CLICK HERE for more.
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Frommer's New EasyGuides: A Future for Print
Over the past past year, there’s been a lot of musing among travelers and in the travel industry about whether the day of the printed travel guide is over, in the face of vast stores of on-line information and smartphone...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, March 30, 2015: Mission Inn, Riverside
In many respects, Riverside, California, is a forgettable city -- one of dozens you drive by on the freeways of the sunny Southland. Besides its university, it does have one interesting landmark, known for its beautiful Spanish...
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AirBnB continues its growth spurt
AirBnB continues its impressive growth. It is estimated that AirBnB will, in time, surpass hotel reservations. This might not be in the distant future, as AirBnB bookings are expected to exceed those of even the large hotel chains in the...