Dealing With Noisy Hotel Guests

How do you deal with unruly guests at a hotel? A. Contact the front desk staff and have them handle it B. Pound on the wall separating your room from the offender’s C. Knock on the loud guest’s door and politely ask them to keep it down D. Hail a “sleep warden” and have them kick out the belligerent guest If you are vacationing at select hotels in the United Kingdom, answer “D” is an actual option. “Sleep wardens” are all the rage at Travelodge properties in Europe. The specially trained staff members patrol the hotels’ halls making sure that … Continue reading →

Spring Into Spring: Romantic Getaways

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and if you are looking to take a weekend getaway with your sweetheart to celebrate the occasion, then consider the following romantic travel options: ARIZONA Escape the chaos of everyday life with this fabulous deal being offered by the Carefree Resort & Villas in sunny Scottsdale, Arizona. The winter blues will melt away upon your arrival at this desert haven. The resort is situated on the edge of Tonto National Forest, 2,500 feet above sea level and boasts panoramic views of the foothills of Black Mountain. While there you can relax by the … Continue reading →

A Hotel Every Parent Can Love

The good news is that some brilliant entrepreneur has just opened a hotel that provides one-of-a-kind childcare, so parents can enjoy some much needed R&R. The bad news is that it’s located in South Africa. Introducing the Baby Hotel. The upscale property is getting high praise for its unique amenities. Namely, the fact that parents can check-in their children and be assured that their tots will be well cared for while they live it up somewhere else. Technically, the Baby Hotel is more of a daycare service than an official hotel, but you wouldn’t know it by reviewing its services. … Continue reading →

Sleeping With Barbie

I’ve written about the real-life Barbie Malibu Dream House, but now fans of the iconic blonde Jill of all trades have another travel destination to add to their summer vacation list: the Barbie Suite in Las Vegas. The Palms Casino Resort, known for its Fantasy Tower, which features mega-suites that include bowling lanes, basketball courts and indoor swimming pools, is now home to a Barbie wonderland. The hotel’s newest addition, dubbed the Barbie Suite, is 2,350-square-feet of pure girly fun. In addition to a sprawling pink bedroom, complete with a princess bed decked out in pink satin sheets and powdery … Continue reading →

Calling all Travelers: Prepare for Fewer Phone Books

How many times did you use the phone book during your last hotel stay? Lodging owners say not enough to make it worth keeping them around. Some major hotel chains are giving bulky telephone directories the boot from guest rooms. Earlier this week Omni Hotels announced plans to eliminate phone books from its 45 hotels. “We found that that no one uses them anymore,” a hotel spokesperson said. “They just collect dust and take up drawer space.” What’s more, the hotel points out, they aren’t good for the environment. Omni execs say they plan to recycle more than 30,000 phone … Continue reading →

Travel Tidbits: What Not to Pack Inside a Suitcase and What to Order at a Hotel

Note to travelers: Don’t try this one on your next trip. With the skyrocketing cost of airfare, plus a slew of new (and outrageous) service fees I’m surprised someone hadn’t tried this months ago. Sure, it really is a dumb idea, but I bet it will make you chuckle. Swedish airport officials were less than amused when they found a dwarf trying to stowaway on an airplane inside of a suitcase. The prank was short-lived as the entire scene was staged by a TV comedy show. Still, that didn’t stop employees at Bromma airport from calling police when the dwarf … Continue reading →

Protecting Yourself from Dirty Hotel Rooms

By now I’m sure you are aware that neatly folded towels and wrinkle-free bedspreads don’t equate to a germ-free hotel room. In previous blogs I have discussed the studies that prove hotel staff typically don’t have the same standards of cleanliness that most of us have for our own homes. I even shared a study, which showed that a virus can live on objects like faucet handles and ice buckets for at least a day (not exactly what you want greeting you when you wheel your suitcase and kids into a $200 per night suite). With summer vacation season in … Continue reading →

Economy Hotels Getting Upgrades

Personally, as long as a hotel is not infested with roaches or bed bugs and is clean then I don’t have a problem staying in it. And with the recent news that bed bugs have been found in even the most luxurious 5-star properties it kind of makes you wonder what you’re doling out the extra cash for these days. If your risk for getting bit by bugs is the same in a room that cost $500 per night versus one that costs $50 per night, sign me up for the latter. And speaking of $50 hotel rooms, budget properties … Continue reading →

What do you look for in a Hotel?

Do you insist on getting complimentary breakfast or would you give up the free bagel for free in-room wireless Internet access? If you rather stay at a hotel that gives out complimentary waffles and OJ in the morning you might have to look a bit harder these days, according to a recent survey of 10,000 hotels conducted for the American Hotel & Lodging Association. The study also found this irony: the more you pay for your room, the less likely you are to get free Wi-Fi. Wireless Internet access is being offered by 91% of hotels, up 35% from four … Continue reading →

Hotel Woes and Pros

HOTEL WOES I’m not sure who to feel more sorry for in this next situation—-the hotel employees or the hotel guests. If you watched the news last night you might have seen the report about 40 traveling salespeople who were given the boot from a Minnesota motel for what managers there call, “very, very rude behavior.” Apparently, the three-dozen or so salespeople (reportedly all in their 20s) who were staying at the AmericInn Lodge & Suites in Moorhead left behind more than just their unwanted behavior. According to motel managers, complaints about the unruly guests started pouring in less than … Continue reading →