Getting More Bang for Your Hotel Buck

Is there anything more irritating to a frugal traveler than having to pay hundreds of dollars for a single hotel room that you only have access to for less than 24 hours? In many cases, hotels are cutting corners even more by pushing back check-in time to 4 p.m. and moving up check-out time to 11 a.m. What a rip-off. Fortunately, some hotels are offering budget-conscious guests a reprieve by allowing for later check-out times on Sunday morning.  For example, Westin Hotels & Resorts recently debuted a “Make Monday Better” deal for travelers looking to extend their weekend stay.  The program … Continue reading

Travel Tidbits: Easy Check-In and Another Reason to Visit Germany

American Airlines is making it even easier for passengers to check in for flights… provided you have a Web-enabled cellphone and know how to use all of its features. The airlines’ newest service won’t help cellphone-free travelers like my mom, but if you are a frequent flyer who never leaves home without your personal electronic device then I would highly recommend using American’s recently upgraded mobile website. The expanded service allows customers to check in for flights and look at itineraries on their Web-enabled cellphones. Waht’s more, in a few weeks the airline’s new service will allow travelers to book … Continue reading

Checking In At A Pod

Have you checked into a Westin Hotel lately? If you have then you may have noticed something a bit different in the lobby—gone are the traditional massive check-in counters. Out with the old and in with the new… check-in pods. What’s a pod? Hotels define them as smaller work areas that take less space and let employees provide more personable service. Basically, they look like circular stands equipped with state-of-the-art-razor-thin computer monitors. With cash transactions becoming almost obsolete hotels have designed these pods—or open desks–because security is no longer the concern it once was. Each pods is individually manned and … Continue reading