Tag: Hotels
Walking in a Winter Wonderland
by Sophia Dembling | 01.16.09 | 10:36 AM ET
Photo by Sophia Dembling I live in Texas and every now and then I get nostalgic for real winters. “I miss snow,” I’ll say to my husband, who grew up in Illinois and knows from snow.
And he always says the same thing: “That’s because you never had to shovel a driveway.”
Yes, OK. I grew up in a New York City apartment and now live where snow is here today, gone today. We do get it once or twice a year, but it rarely sticks more than a few hours. Snowmen in Dallas are a tragic sight, as much mud and leaves as snow. Still, hard as it may be to believe during this cold snap we’re having, I like traveling to where I can enjoy real snow. I’m no skier, but I like watching snow fall, walking in it, and sitting inside being warm on a snowy day. (I’m always game for an excuse to sit on a couch.)
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Yahoo! BuzzEnvironmental Responsibility Should Be ‘Part of Every Travel Company’s DNA’
by Joanna Kakissis | 01.09.09 | 11:17 AM ET
So says Christopher Elliot in a great MSNBC column on the end of green travel (at least in its current, rather poseurish form). For instance a hotel chain can tout itself as green simply by using energy-efficient fluorescent lightbulbs in their rooms. But one small agreeable change does not absolve an industry known for profligate use (and abuse) of natural resources. Elliot’s calling for a paradigm shift that would make travel operators—airlines, hotels, tour companies, and others—quiet but durable environmentalists, and compel travelers to give them (not the polluters) their business.
The Songlines of Key West: The Conch Republic, Unscripted
by Bill Belleville | 01.09.09 | 9:35 AM ET
Photo by Michelle Thatcher. In a three-part series, Bill Belleville burrows deep into the spirit of the mythic island. Part three: Into the mystery of the twilight.
Morning Links: India Security, Peruvian Shamans, Las Vegas and More
by Jim Benning | 12.30.08 | 11:08 AM ET
- Is India safe for travelers? Depends who you ask.
- The Japanese man who mysteriously moved into Mexico City’s airport four months ago and became a celebrity of sorts up and left on Sunday. Go figure.
- Peruvian shamans held a ceremony to “protect the spirits” of Barack Obama and other leaders in 2009.
- Family members of the woman who disappeared off a cruise ship near Cancun say they believe she jumped, citing “previous emotional issues.”
- The Washington Post reviews “Bad Traffic, “a new novel from Welsh writer Simon Lewis, who “first gained attention as a travel writer.”
- Which helps impoverished people in developing countries more, cell phones or laptops? Good magazine debates the question. (Via Ideas Blog)
- In October, the last month for which numbers are available, gambling revenue in Las Vegas was down “an ominous 24.3% vs. the same month in 2007.” And that’s just the beginning. But hey, it’s nearly New Year’s Eve, so get out there and help the struggling city: Double down on 17.
Morning Links: Wynn’s Encore, a ‘Sadistic’ Geography Quiz and More
by Michael Yessis | 12.22.08 | 8:18 AM ET
- Continental Flight 1404 crashed in Denver Saturday night. Thirty-eight passengers were injured. There were no casualties. Investigators are on the scene.
- The first news about the crash apparently came via Twitter—from a guy on board the plane. Here’s his colorful tweet.
- “60 Minutes” examines the state of TSA screening. It’s “security theater,” says one expert.
- Steve Wynn’s Encore opens today in Las Vegas. When asked if he’s worried about opening a new resort In this economic climate, Wynn said, “Are you nuts?” He added: “If I didn’t say yes, you would walk out of here thinking I was crazy.”
- Southwest may begin service to New York City in 2009.
- Matt Gross hit seven airports in four days in search of good eats. He talked a little about it on All Things Considered.
- Thomas Friedman “had no idea that many of those oil paintings that hang in hotel rooms and starter homes across America are actually produced by just one Chinese village.”
- Concierge’s It List 2009 is out.
- The Passports With Purpose fundraiser enters its final week. The raffle was organized by four travel bloggers, including World Hum contributor Pam Mandel.
- The latest in the Washington Post’s excellent Time Zones series: The boom in used car auctions in Johannesburg.
- John Flinn unleashes his “most sadistic geography quiz ever.” No matter how you score, just remember: When it comes to geography, you’re no Sarah Palin.
Mourning in Vegas
by Kevin Capp | 12.18.08 | 10:06 AM ET
Surrounded by the decadence of yet another nightclub opening, Kevin Capp must come to terms with the death of his grandfather
Morning Links: ‘Ugly American’ Ad, World’s Best Hotels and More
by Michael Yessis | 12.17.08 | 8:57 AM ET
- A Burger King ad featuring “Whopper Virgins,” aka “remote Chang Mai villagers,” is being called “‘corporate colonialism,’ ‘cultural bullying’ and the worst kind of Ugly Americanism.” Stacy Peralta, a legend of my childhood, directed the ad.
- A tower collapsed at Whistler-Blackcomb yesterday, injuring more than a dozen and “and trapping other skiers for hours in dangling cars during a cold snap.”
- Travel + Leisure released its annual list of the 500 best hotels in the world.
- The casinos are behind the new weekend express trains between New York City and Atlantic City.
- Why do physicians write so well? Among those cited: Sometime travel writer, the late Michael Crichton.
- Health Magazine lists America’s Healthiest Airports.
- TSA in 2008: Gadling chronicles a year of being dumb.
- It’s sad that this story—37% of Americans Unable to Locate America on Map of America—had to include a disclaimer: “This post is a satire.” Though after skimming through the dumb things the TSA did this year, perhaps I’m being a little too optimistic in my belief in the competence of my fellow Americans.
Morning Links: Jellyfish Gone Wild, Sedaris and More
by Michael Yessis | 12.15.08 | 8:35 AM ET
Catch up on links from our redesign break:
- Brave New Traveler lists The 6 Characters You’ll Meet At Every Expat Bar.
- Recession travel: Trade depressed stock for Caribbean resort stays.
- TSA critic Jeffrey Goldberg sat for an interview with Stephen Colbert.
Smoke-Free Hotels On the Rise
by Eva Holland | 11.20.08 | 12:50 PM ET
AAA now counts more than 8,000 smoke-free travel lodgings in the United States, USA Today reports. Most amazing: The number has more than tripled since 2005.
Obamania: Washington, D.C., Hotels Booked for Inauguration
by Joanna Kakissis | 11.07.08 | 4:31 PM ET
Accommodations are filling up at such a rate that Fairfax, VA, and Baltimore, MD, might currently be the best options for travelers who want to watch Barack Obama become the nation’s 44th president. Or, you can rent a bus with your friends and sleep inside. One Detroit woman is planning to do it.
Plans for U2 Tower in Dublin ‘Shelved’
by Michael Yessis | 11.04.08 | 12:33 PM ET
All four members of U2 are invested in the Norman Foster-designed building, a planned 36-story tower on the banks of the River Liffey. If it ever gets built, it will be the tallest building in Ireland. Developers wanted to break ground this year, but now they’re waiting 12 months to see if the economic climate in Ireland improves. Bono and the Edge, however, still seem to be moving forward with their plans for the Clarence Hotel.
Steve Martin’s St. Barts Villa Open for Rent
by Michael Yessis | 10.31.08 | 10:58 AM ET
It’s only $28,000 a week. For that, he should really throw in some professional show business:
Diane Keaton on the Lessons of the Ambassador Hotel
by Michael Yessis | 10.17.08 | 9:40 AM ET
A thoughtful op-ed this week from the actress, who is also a trustee of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The Ins and Outs of House Swapping
by Jim Benning | 10.14.08 | 5:36 PM ET
Budget Travel has some good tips, along with some reflection on the benefits and pitfalls of house swaps. “A born-and-bred control freak, I’ve always chosen my hotels after scouring magazine articles and grilling my friends for recommendations,” Joanna Goddard writes. “When you book a room that way, you know what you’ll get—and you pay for that reliability. House swaps, however, force you to take a leap of faith.”
Gordon Ramsay, Hotelier
by Eva Holland | 10.14.08 | 11:43 AM ET
The notoriously foul-mouthed celebrity chef unveiled his first hotel last week in London. We can only hope that expletive-laden reality spin-off shows will follow soon.
Nuclear Bunker Converted Into ‘World’s First Zero-Star Hotel’
by Valerie Conners | 10.13.08 | 2:09 PM ET
Photo by Fortyseven via Flickr (Creative Commons).
I’m not really sure staying in either a nuclear bunker or a zero-star hotel sounds like a super tempting vacation plan, but folks in Sevelen, Switzerland have embraced the concept, turning an underground bunker into a hotel complete with “artistic decoration and real hotel duvets.”
Scottish Hotel Puts Robert Burns’ Portrait on its Toilets
by Michael Yessis | 10.02.08 | 5:57 PM ET
His poem The Selkirk Grace also earned an honored spot on the lids. One of the owners of the hotel, the Selkirk Arms in Kirkcudbright, says he did it in tribute to Rabbie—the poet stayed in the hotel—and to “make customers smile.” Another point, but not one mentioned by the owners: It’s fine bathroom reading material.
Why So Many ‘Bristol’ Hotels Around the World?
by Julia Ross | 09.29.08 | 11:23 AM ET
According to the Wall Street Journal, there are nearly 200 hotels worldwide named “Bristol,” popping up in such non-English locales as Oslo, Warsaw, Paris and San Francisco. Just how did the name become so ubiquitous? No one seems to know for sure, but the working theory points to an 18th-century Earl who had lavish tastes in travel.
Exploring the Library at Amsterdam’s Ambassade Hotel
by Jim Benning | 09.25.08 | 12:51 PM ET
Novelist and blogger Mark Sarvas offers an “achingly amateur” video tour of the historic library at the Ambassade Hotel, which he calls “the literary hotel of Amsterdam.” The library is packed with thousands of books written by authors who’ve stayed there over the years.
On the Perils of Luxury Hotel Rooms
by Eva Holland | 09.25.08 | 10:13 AM ET
In his latest column, San Francisco Chronicle travel editor John Flinn dares to ask: What is the point of those deluxe shower nozzles, high-end lighting systems and cutting-edge entertainment consoles, if you can never get them to work right? “The luxury hotel room you pay $400 and up to rent for 19 hours is marketed as an oasis of comfort and relaxation,” he writes. “But far too many of them turn out to be, for me anyway, chambers of annoyance and irritation.”