Travel Tidbits: Help For Hybrid Owners and Travelers Who Dine At Hotels

Hybrid owners are getting help from an unlikely source–actor Rob Lowe. The former teen heartthrob (who currently plays a member of Congress on ABC’s “Brothers and Sisters”) appeared before real life lawmakers yesterday to promote tax credits for people who add a plug-in feature to hybrid cars and trucks. Lowe testified before a special House panel in charge of examining energy and global warming issues to plug the plug-in hybrid. He then appeared at a demonstration about three blocks from the Capitol featuring a plug-in version of the Toyota Prius and encouraged his fans to switch to “greener” forms of … Continue reading →

Hot, Hot Hotel Deals

The Fourth of July holiday may be over, but there’s still nearly eight weeks left before summer unofficially ends. So why not strike when the travel deals are hot and hit the open road for a summer trip to remember. There’s nothing like finding a great rate on a hotel room to make a trip unforgettable. The following summer deals are being offered by properties situated just off the beaten path. All of them are refurbished roadside classics, which have been reborn as boutique motels and the nightly rates will have you wondering why you didn’t seek them out earlier. … Continue reading →

Hypoallergenic Hotel Rooms

By the end of the summer our family will have stayed at five different hotels in three different states. Two down, three to go. (You’ll recall the first left much to be desired.) I’m hoping the next few will live up to their online descriptions. It’s bad enough when you see a six-legged critter scurrying across the floor of a four-star hotel, but having to worry about hair, pet dander, pollen, mold and other bacteria left behind from the previous guest—it’s enough to make you put the kibosh on family trips. Let’s face it; every time you check into a … Continue reading →

Travel Tidbits: Sleeping In Style… At Airports and Hot, Hot Hotels

SLEEPING IN STYLE Typically, when someone mentions that he or she “slept at the airport” I deduce that a flight delay or cancellation forced him or her to seek refuge on the nearest bench in a cold terminal. But, I may have to change my vision of what sleeping at an airport really entails. According to directors at the San Francisco Airport, later this year travelers will be able to snooze in style—-for a fee. Airport officials just announced they have approved a new retailer that plans to sell time slots in “napping chairs.” Weary travelers will no doubt be … Continue reading →

Green Hotels

You’ve heard of “green” homes but when was the last time you saw an ad for a “green” hotel? These days it seems as though more and more major hotel chains are jumping on the eco-friendly bandwagon and designing “greener” buildings. According to hoteliers, the trend is still in its infancy, but some larger chains such as Hilton, Marriott and Wyndham are making strides by constructing new eco-friendly and energy-efficient hotels and making sure you know about it. For the hotels, going “green” is regarded as a win-win situation: Green properties gain customers who care about preserving the environment and … Continue reading →

Travel Tidbits: Skinny Fliers and Kid-Friendly Hotels

SKINNY FLIERS Air carrier Frontier is tooting its horn again. This time they are bragging about their skinny passengers. (Earlier this year the airline was touting its decision to add more seats to its planes and providing in-flight e-mail access.) Now the carrier says it is flying light and saving money in the process. According to airline officials, the company recently conducted a survey that it says indicates its customers weigh less than the average U.S. flier. Frontier executives said its passengers and their carry-on bags “weigh 17 pounds less than the national average,” helping it save “$3.5 million a … Continue reading →

Hotel Room Woes

A couple of weeks ago we traveled out of town to attend a children’s festival. We did not make hotel reservations as we were planning to return the same day. Big mistake. The event turned out to be grander than we had anticipated and we ended up staying a lot longer than we had planned. Instead of starting the 2.5-hour drive back home we decided to spend the night at a local hotel. (I always leave an overnight bag in the car so we were covered in that respect.) Since we didn’t have hotel reservations we stopped at a local … Continue reading →

Vacation Tunes

Have you ever heard a selection of elevator music that you actually enjoyed? It’s a rare occasion when a hotel guest begs the receptionist for a copy of the tunes being played in the lobby. Now, in a bold move, Hyatt Hotels is trying to change that. The upscale hotel chain wants your vacation to have a soundtrack. Last week, Hyatt executives announced it is starting a new pilot program whereby the hotel is throwing out the elevator music and crafting unique musical offerings for its lobbies, restaurants, elevators and spas. The hotel will then post the musical selections online … Continue reading →

Travel Tidbits: Ice Cream Special, Free Vacation, and More

ICE CREAM SPECIAL Not that you needed one… but here’s another reason to visit the Windy City: getting a personalized pint of ice cream delivered to your hotel room. As part of a special summer promotion The Fairmont Chicago is offering you the chance to design your own ice cream flavor and have it delivered via room service so you can eat it in bed. You simply consult with the hotel’s executive chef in advance of your stay to design virtually any flavor imaginable. Dark chocolate mixed with pumpkin, basil, or rose petals? No problem. What about vanilla bean ice … Continue reading →

Creating A Kid-Friendly Hotel Room

In my previous blog I shared one of the most haunting moments of my career as a television journalist. It is an incident that will remain with me forever, and one that has impacted the way I travel with my own child. For starters I never book a room higher than the second floor (I always request the ground floor, but if rooms there are not available I will consider the second floor). Next, I always request a childproofing kit (some hotels offer them upon request). If you are not staying at a property that offers a childproofing kit there … Continue reading →