Why Hotel Bills in Hawaii Are About to Go Up
Posted on 12/15/2017, 9:00 PM
On January 1, the tax on lodgings in Hawaii will increase by 1% statewide.But that's not all. The fee charged to tourists who rent rooms in hotels, condos, B&Bs, and "transient accommodations" of any other kind is going up to 10.25%. Paired with a 4% sales tax, that means state legislators will now charge visitors an extra 14.25% on top of room rates, simply for the pleasure of sleeping in para...
Neapolitan Pizza, Panama Hats Among Traditions Given UNESCO Heritage Status
Posted on 12/13/2017, 6:00 PM
As anybody who travels with open eyes and an open mind soon discovers, a place isn't made unique just by its buildings and scenery. The dishes, dances, crafts, languages, and other traditions developed there are just as important and every bit as worthy of preservation.That's why the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage was established in 2003—to bring awareness and protections to significan...
Hotel Earns Guinness Record for Whisky: 1,031 Varieties
Posted on 12/12/2017, 7:00 PM
Fans of the tipple might want to toddle off to Scotland for their next holiday. The Guinness Book of World Records has officially recognized one hotel there for having the most varieties of commercially available whiskies.With a collection numbering more than 2,500 bottles and 1,031 varieties, reports London's Daily Mail, the 38-room Glenesk Hotel, in the village of Edzell, Scotland, has taken the ...
Marriott's New Shower Doors Record What You Doodle on Them
Posted on 12/12/2017, 12:00 AM
This winter, Marriott introduces what it calls "Splash of Brilliance," which are special shower doors that record whatever guests trace onto them and emails an image of it. You probably had to read that twice, because so did we. Yes, if you draw on these shower doors with your finger, the glass remembers what you drew and can transmit it to you for later use.Marriott is spinning this technology as...
American State Department Simplifies Travel Warnings
Posted on 12/11/2017, 9:15 AM
Following a long internal review, the United States Department of State is making its travel warnings clearer. Starting in January, its notices on safety situations will be boiled down to one of four categories. Level 1: Exercise normal precautions Level 2: Exercise increased caution Level 3: Reconsider travel Level 4: Do not travelSince the State Department's travel warnings are about advice...
U.S. Government Won't Require Bag Fee Disclosure in Airfares
Posted on 12/11/2017, 8:00 AM
An Obama administration proposal designed to protect airline passengers from hidden fees has been discarded by the current Department of Transportation. Under the proposed rule—released near the end of President Obama's second term—airlines, travel agents, and websites that sell tickets would be required to disclose fees for checked and carry-on bags right from the start, so that passengers wouldn'...
An Airline Perk for Ugly Holiday Sweaters
Posted on 12/07/2017, 12:00 PM
Alaska Airlines passengers will want to raid their closets for brightly colored, snowman-bedecked, jingle-bell-festooned sweaters on December 15.In honor of National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day, the carrier is offering early boarding to all customers who show up for flights on that date wearing "festive holiday sweaters."Alaska announced that the one-day promotion will be celebrated across the airli...
Airlines Limit Smart Bags Allowed on Flights
Posted on 12/06/2017, 10:30 AM
The supposed next big thing in luggage just hit a snag. Several U.S. airlines have announced bans on technologically sophisticated "smart" suitcases with lithium-ion batteries that can't be removed.The high-powered batteries help make possible such wonders as suitcases with the capacity to charge cell phones, make their locations known via GPS, and even follow their owners around airports. But thos...
In Denver You Can Dine in a Former Air Traffic Control Tower
Posted on 12/05/2017, 11:30 AM
Although Denver's old Stapleton International Airport has been closed for more than 20 years, the air traffic control tower recently reopened.There won't be any flight coordinating going on inside, however. The tower, which is the only remaining structure of the city's primary airport from 1929 to 1995, has been converted to an "eatertainment" venue by Punch Bowl Social, a Denver-based chain that h...
UPDATED: Will American Airlines' Scheduling Glitch Leave You Stranded for the Holidays?
Posted on 12/03/2017, 7:00 PM
This post, originally published on December 1, has been updated below.American Airlines discovered earlier this week that a glitch in the internal system used by pilots to schedule vacation time had caused the accidental approval of time-off requests affecting more than 15,000 flights from December 17 to the end of the year. Unexpectedly, many flights were left with nobody to steer the plane.By Wed...
