Newscast Blows the Lid off Fake Online Reviews
Posted on 01/21/2015, 5:00 PM
Do you trust the reviews you find online? You shouldn't. Watch as PBS' NewsHour exposes user-generated review sites—that is, sites where you primarily find reviews written by past customers and not by assigned experts. In a world where a few positive reviews can make a business' reputation, people are easily tempted into stuffing the ballot box with fake reviews, and there's a booming shadow...
The World's First Drone Film Festival is Actually a Travel Film Festival
Posted on 01/14/2015, 3:00 PM
Everyone talks about drones—those small unmanned flying robot cameras—as if they're predominately a technology story. But when you look at the sort of footage that comes out of them, it's very apparent that drone filming is actually a travel trend. Most people who own drones use them as surrogates for human exploration or as extensions of the self that can fly to where human bodies cannot reach...
Cuba Opens to Travel (Eventually)!
Posted on 12/17/2014, 12:00 PM
Some wonderful news for travelers today: U.S. President Obama has announced that for the first time since 1961, relations with the Caribbean nation will move toward normalization. As a part of this, embassies will open in both Cuba and the United States and many restrictions on travel will be eased. For example, travelers will soon be able to use credit and debit cards within the country (we'd ...
Arthur Frommer's Reaction to the President's Announcement Regarding the Travel Embargo Against Cuba
Posted on 12/16/2014, 7:00 PM
"Although it will make headlines, the announcement of these embargo modifications is of far less substance than meets the eye."...
Adorable Hotel Brand Kimpton Sells Out
Posted on 12/16/2014, 1:00 PM
Travel can fill you with wonder or it can break your heart. Yesterday we learned that Kimpton, one of our favorite boutique hotel brands, has sold out. It now melts into the publicly traded monster hotel company InterContinental Hotel Group, which already owns the likes of Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza. Kimpton has always been a firm favorite among Frommer's recommendations and with guests f...
Now You Can Stay the Night at Downton Abbey
Posted on 12/15/2014, 1:30 PM
A few years ago, the condition of the English mansion Highclere Castle grew so dire—after years of benign neglect from Earls who were more interested in horses or exploring—that the roof started caving in. And so, to fund its restoration, its current owners decided to open up their glorious home to weddings and filming. They only showed the film crews to the ground floor and first floor, but...
Volunteer Your Time and Get a Free Hostel Stay For Yourself and 9 Friends
Posted on 12/10/2014, 10:45 AM
Hostelling International USA announced this week that it will be doing a good deed for those who, well, do good deeds. For the months of January and February, it will be giving away free hostel stays (of up to 5 nights) to groups of 10 who do some sort of service project. Amazingly, you only have to volunteer two hours of time to get the freebie (not that we're encouraging anyone to slack off). ...
A 12-Day Tour of India, Including Airfare, For Just $1499? Yes!
Posted on 12/07/2014, 5:45 PM
The one-time China specialist China Spree changed its name last year, but not its raison d'etre. And that seems to be to put out travel deals that make even the most cynical industry watcher's jaws drop. That's what happened recently when World Spree Travel debuted its new India tour. The cost is $1499 for a 12-day guided tours with all of the following inclusions: Round-trip airfare (o...
The World's Most Obscene Hotel Wi-Fi Charge
Posted on 12/05/2014, 11:00 AM
What would you do if you signed on to the Wi-Fi in your hotel room and saw a bill for €300 (US $391) the next morning? According to the Telegraph, that's what guests of the Majestic Barriere in Cannes are being hit with. The hotel (which isn't one Frommer's recommends) used to charge €15 a day for everyone, but like so many hotels it recently switched to a tiered system in which the more g...
This Incredible Piece of Luggage Earned $1.3 Million in a Month: Want One, Too?
Posted on 12/04/2014, 9:00 PM
Check this out: A newly invented piece of luggage just collected an astounding $1.36 million in a little over a month on crowdfunding site Indiegogo—and when you hear what it can do, that number might seem a little low. Bluesmart is not the most intuitive name for cutting-edge luggage, but hold on, because it gets better. As designed by first-year MIT student Brian Chen, this carry-on lugg...