Tagged: hotels

A New Online Travel Agency Allows Users To Hold Airfares, Without Full Payment, For Up to 21 Days

It was only a matter of time, it seems, before someone applied the rules that have long governed the “art” of Wall Street trading to the highly unstable airfare market. That…

At Westin, If You Decline Housekeeping, They'll Give You $5 to Spend

If you're cheap, you will now benefit from being a slob, too.Westin, an upscale-ish branch of the giant Starwood group of hotels, has a new idea. If you do something "great for…

Hilton Is Killing Room Service at Some Large Hotels, And Look at The Replacement

Last spring, Hilton cemented a new trend among major hotel brands when it killed all room service at its 2,000-room New York Hilton Midtown, Manhattan's largest hotel, joining its…

Rooms for $100 in New York City During 'Hotel Week NYC', coming January 3 to 12

Once again, many New York City hotels have banded together and chosen a low-season week during which to knock rates down to approachable levels. The next "Hotel Week NYC" as they…

Offended by Political TV in Your Hotel Lobby? Your Hotel Manager Chose The Channel

Hotel companies spend millions of dollars creating warm-and-fuzzy feelings about their brands and crafting the sensation that a stay there will make customers feel welcome and…

3 Sneaky Ways To Save Money on Lodgings When You Hit the Road

Sometimes you have to get creative, and perhaps even bend the rules, when looking to save money on travel. That’s particularly the case for lodgings, as hotel rates have increased a…

Scrimp vs. Splurge: When Does Spending More Actually Improve a Vacation?

Several years ago, an author I’d hired to do a chapter in a guidebook returned it to me with a major tourist sight missing from the text. He explained that he’d left this particular…

The Elimination of Room Service, Top Sheets, and More: Worrisome Changes Coming to a Hotel Near You

Those over the age of 45 will remember when flying was a glamorous, or at least an amenity-laden activity. Attractive flight attendants would flit up and down the aisles, delivering…

While You Were Out, Your Hotel Covered Your Bathroom Mirror with an Advertisement: Okay or Not?

Tonight, Instagram user @ZachHonig tweeted this image of his hotel room at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites in downtown Los Angeles. It seems that while he was out, the…

Plan Ahead or Do It On the Spot: The Conundrum of Modern Vacations

United Airlines caused a stir two days ago when it announced that travelers could now “subscribe” to its fees. Pay one lump sum in advance—$349, so that’s one big lump sum…

Add this Website to Your Vacation Planning Bookmarks: Hotel Coupons.com Can Halve the Going Rates

Think about the times you have been on a road trip and you pulled over for a quick meal at a chain restaurant. You know those piles of free booklets piled by the door of seemingly…

Israel Unveils a Sweeping 18% Tourist Tax. Will the Additional Costs Deter Visitors?

Israel is already the 8th most expensive country on the planet to visit, according to the World Economic Forum. But a new 18% tax on car rentals, hotel rooms, private guide services…

Recent Changes to Hotel Loyalty Programs That Travelers Should Know About

Here’s news that will likely keep travelers up at night: thanks to recent changes, it’s going to take significantly more loyalty points to redeem free night stays at the majority of…

That's Ridiculous! Cruise Lines and the Passengers They Carry

The complaints started pouring in even before the storm had subsided. Passengers were outraged -- outraged! -- that their ships had operated even with a hurricane approaching in late…

That's Ridiculous! The Gas Price Bait and Switch

Cheaper isn't always better. On a recent trip to Bend, Ore., I discovered that cheaper can actually mean more expensive. The scam was perpetrated by a service station selling unleaded…

Travel Troubleshooter: Are Lax Rules Slowing Down Airline Ticket Refunds?

Kathleen and Eugene Bianucci paid $5,770 for a pair of round-trip tickets between San Francisco and Dublin, Ireland, this year on Virgin Atlantic Airways. A few days before their…

The Able Traveler: Through Redwoods on a Wheelchair-Accessible Train

Although most long distance trains feature some type of wheelchair-access, that's not always the case with small excursion trains. Fortunately that's not the way things work at…

Three Nights in Los Cabos, from $739 with Air

Apple Vacations (tel. 800/517-2000; www.applevacations.com) is offering a sale on winter 2013 vacations to warm destinations in the Caribbean and Mexico, including this air-inclusive,…

Staying Online Abroad: 5 Tips for Saving Money On Global Roaming

Four hours into my trip to Spain, I got a scary message from T-Mobile (www.t-mobile.com) customer support. "You have already spent $50 on data," the text said. I immediately turned off…

Where to Ski this Winter: U.S. Resort Upgrades & Improvements

Ski resorts from coast to coast were busy this summer with all sorts of upgrades and improvements on-mountain and in the villages below. From newer and faster lifts to bigger and…

Smart Ways to Pay for Vacation Rentals

When it comes to vacation rentals and other non-traditional accommodations, how you pay is just as important as how much. The choice between offering up cash and using an online…

Nightmare Guests: 5 Tales From Hotel Housekeepers

Hotel guests often feel entitled. After all, when was the last time that you made the bed before checking out? Each day, housekeepers are tasked with restoring each room to its…

Flying 10 Years After 9-11: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Ten years after 9-11, it's both harder and safer to fly. We have fewer airline and flight choices, we pay less for tickets but more in fees, and airport security can be really, really…

Cruise Trends: New Kid-Friendly Perks & Parties

Cruise lines have been catering to kids for years now, and the perks keep getting better. The latest improvements are the optional add-ons that parents can purchase when dropping…

Cruise Makeover: Royal Caribbean Takes Ship Renovation to the Next Level

"The Pandora's box is open," said Capt. Claus Andersen, standing amidst a chaos of loose wires and open instrument panels on the bridge of Royal Caribbean's 2,100-passenger Radiance…