Why Hotel Bills in Hawaii Are About to Go Up
Posted on 12/16/2017, 2:00 AM
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 p...
Marriott's New Shower Doors Record What You Doodle on Them
Posted on 12/12/2017, 5:00 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 technolo...
Hotel for Liberals Coming to Washington, D.C.
Posted on 11/15/2017, 12:30 AM
Well-to-do liberal travelers with lodging preferences that are more detailed than "anywhere but a Trump hotel" now have a brand aimed squarely at securing their business. In 2018, Langham Hospitality Group is relaunching its Eaton hotels, now renamed Eaton Workshop, with properties in Washington, D.C. and Hong Kong (where Langham is based). Programming, amenities, and artwork will be intended to...
Kohler, Wisconsin Is Flush with Tourism Appeal—And It's Not Just the Plumbing
Welcome to Kohler, Wisconsin—the plumbing mecca flush with history, nature, luxury, and adventure.
Dogs Now Welcome at Four Disney World Hotels
Posted on 10/18/2017, 11:30 PM
Pluto and Goofy are no longer the only dogs welcome at Walt Disney World (Goofy is supposed to be a dog, right?). The family entertainment mecca in Central Florida is now allowing pooches to stay with their human companions at four onsite hotels: Disney's Art of Animation Resort, Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort, Disney's Yacht Club Resort, and the cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort....
Hotel Chain Brings Real-Time Sign Language Interpretation to Guests
Posted on 10/11/2017, 8:30 PM
Travelers who are deaf or hearing-impaired can now make use of a cool new free service at Room Mate Hotels, a Spain-based chain with 22 properties in cities around the world, including Madrid, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Florence, and, in North America, New York, Miami, and Mexico City. Developed in collaboration with a company called Comunicados en Lengua de Signos, Room Mate's new program offers real...
After Las Vegas, Should Airport Security Measures Now Be Applied to Hotels?
Posted on 10/10/2017, 12:00 AM
The recent horrific shooting in Las Vegas has touched off a number of articles and proposals by travel writers on the relationship of hotel security measures to acts of terrorism. For example: Should the suitcases of hotel guests be subject to the same electronic inspection as the same bags undergo at airports? Should security guards enter a hotel room whose front door has displayed a “do not...
Hot Tips on Hotel Stays from Top Travel CEOs
Posted on 09/28/2017, 12:00 AM
So what do the masters of the travel universe have in store for us vacationers? I attended the Skift Global Forum, an industry conference, and in between the speeches on marketing and client acquisition by CEOs of many major travel brands, I gleaned a few tidbits that will be helpful for hotel-goers. Real loyalty: After listening to a lot of talk about points programs, it was clear to me tha...
Arthur Frommer: Resort Fees are Immoral, But More Hotels Are Imposing Them
Posted on 09/28/2017, 12:00 AM
At a large and growing number of U.S. hotels, final room prices have recently risen by thirty to sixty dollars because of "resort charges" billed to hotel guests. This has happened despite the fact that these hotels are not resorts by any stretch of imagination. And guests are being charged for indoor swimming pools, fitness rooms, vending machines and parking—the usual justifications for resort c...
One U.S. Virgin Islands Resort Stands a Good Chance of Reopening First
Posted on 09/15/2017, 5:15 PM
Back in July, it was announced that a new management company had taken over the unique tented community known as Cinnamon Bay on the gorgeous island of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The news was greeted with enthusiasm by the tens of thousands of unpretentious, cost-conscious tourists who, over the years, have used large tents as their beachfront accommodations in St. John. The new...
Industrial Crane in Copenhagen Converted to Luxury Hotel Room
Posted on 08/28/2017, 5:00 PM
Looks like we have a new entry to add to our ever-growing list of the world's strangest hotel rooms. This one can be found in Copenhagen, where an old crane once used by the coal industry has been converted to luxury digs with meeting space, a spa, an outdoor terrace, and a 538-square-foot bedroom for two. As you can see above, the exterior of the structure—straightforwardly dubbed The Krane—i...
Airbnb Now Has More Rooms Than the Top 5 Hotel Companies Combined
Posted on 08/17/2017, 12:00 AM
Airbnb passed a big milestone recently. The San Francisco-based home-sharing service now has more than 4 million listings in 191 countries. That's more inventory than what the world's five biggest hotel companies have combined. Let that sink in: With all the rooms available from Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide, InterContinental Hotels Group, Wyndham Worldwide, and Hyatt Hotels Corporat...
Replacing Maho Bay, Newly Expanded Cinnamon Bay Provides Affordable Digs in the U.S. Virgin Islands
Posted on 08/08/2017, 12:00 AM
For many years, a collection of tented bungalows called Maho Bay, on the quiet island of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands, was the world’s best-kept budget secret. Sensitive, intelligent Americans flocked to stay in these primitive digs, and thus enjoyed the cheapest tropical vacation on earth. It was a fabulous place. But Maho Bay’s lease ran out, it was forced to close, and its owners are ...
