01.27.11
Hotels realize that there is no single recipe for romance (though you might conclude that if there were one, chocolate-dipped strawberries and Champagne would be at the top of the ingredient list). While some guests may swoon at the sight of a petal-strewn bed, others may dismiss it as hackneyed.
Here’s a selection of ten Valentine’s Day packages that may strike your fancy: from no-holds-barred extravaganzas to simpler intimate breaks. Find the recipe that works for you.
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01.27.11
It's time again for what easily ranks as one of TripAdvisor.com's most talked-about annual lists: Dirty Hotels. Who doesn't want the dirt on where stay in Europe—and where to avoid?
eTurbo News | The list of Europe's ten dirtiest hotels was released today.
The list of shame is dominated by just three destinations, with London, Amsterdam and Turkey's Aegean coast collectively responsible for Europe's ten dirtiest hotels. The two Turkish hotels top the list, followed by four properties each in London and Amsterdam.
"Despite the average overall rating for a property on TripAdvisor rising to four out of five, it is clear that a minority of hotels are still not delivering the minimum standard of experience travellers deserve, especially in relation to cleanliness" comments Emma O'Boyle, TripAdvisor spokesperson. (Photo by iStock)
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01.26.11
As we type, fluffy snow is falling on the streets of New York City—it's no wonder we editors are highlighting special offers from three warm-weather hotels this week! Read on for more on a beachfront hideaway in Costa Rica (pictured right), a palm-strewn resort on a Thai island, and a West Coast seaside retreat tucked amid meandering lagoons.
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01.26.11
Starbucks' recent logo change to a more minimalistic design is just the latest outburst of an unfortunate trend that has caused the demise of too many strong, recognizable logos, including many in the travel industry. In recent years we've seen Holiday Inn lose its charmingly clunky script logo in favor a cartoonish letter H against a field of lime green. Effect? Meh. Hertz dropped its familiar shadow and added a background of yellow, lots and lots of yellow. Expedia eliminated its funky old airplane and replaced it with shimmering bands of light that make one pause and think, "Is that supposed to be an airplane?" And Hotels.com killed off bag-totting Benny the Bellhop because...because...who the heck knows? Personally, I miss Benny.
But at least one travel company has seen the error of its ways.
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01.25.11
Foursquare, a social media tool that encourages users to “check-in” at venues, realized a phenomenal 3,400% growth last year, with 381 million check-ins worldwide. The company just released a fun infographic that reveals the most popular places in 2010, according to its members’ updates.
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01.25.11
Late last night, while browsing through my Google Reader instead of sleeping, I happened on this short, breathtaking video on one of my favorite travel blogs, Prêt à Voyager.
Le Flâneur is the creation of American University of Paris student Luke Shepard, who made this video by stitching together a series of still photographs to create a dreamy stop-motion-like view of Paris. It makes me want to board a CDG-bound plane right now.
Lyndsey Matthews is an online editorial assistant at Travel + Leisure.
01.24.11
I was discussing with my colleagues earlier today my relative inability to unplug myself from the world, no matter where I am. So it’s fitting that, shortly after this discussion, I received an e-mail from the Lanesborough in London, telling me about their newest guest service: the installation of Mac minis in each of the hotel’s 95 guestrooms. (Which, when you think about it, is an interesting contrast: the sleek, stylish white devices surrounded by the Georgian-style décor of the hotel.)
This additional resource lets guests access more/better TV and movie choices, as well as a place to plug in their own personal iPods, iPhones, and iPads—even personal digital cameras and jump drives, if need be. (Not to mention, access to the Internet and programs standard on any new Mac, like iLife.)
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01.24.11
Imagine if your everyday hardcover book came with rules about where you could read it. Sounds crazy, but in the digital world we hardly bat an eye about similar restrictions. For instance, iBooks titles must be read on Apple devices.
For e-bookworms who love the platform, but could do without the Apple pits, Google just debuted the largest multi-platform cyber-bookshop, Google eBooks, with over 3 million titles (most of which are free). What sets the site apart—and has charmed several top travel publishers—is its quest for open access. Reading materials aren’t tied to a device; they’re stowed in the digital cloud. So, users enjoy limitless storage, as well as compatibility with more than 85 devices, including the Android, Sony Reader, and iPad.
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01.21.11
Though I’d be lying if I claimed to be an avid history buff, I am absolutely enamored with exploring old structures, browsing through authentic, antique/ancient artifacts, and feeling as though I'm traveling to another time, even if for just a few moments. And now, thanks to the efforts of the local authorities in the town of Moulins—about 190 miles south of Paris—I now feel compelled to travel to central France for just such an opportunity.
After about 100 years of sitting locked up, untouched by the outside world, a townhouse built in the late 1800s is open to the public, after a $4.7 million dollar restoration.
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01.21.11
The New Yorker Hotel in Midtown Manhattan considers itself a pet-friendly property, but management is kicking it up a notch to coincide with the canine Oscars: the annual Westminster Dog Show. The hound-happy hotel's fourth floor will be transformed into a puppy paradise February 10–14. Guests will pay an additional $50 per pooch for access to doggie treadmills, a grooming station, and "a specially designed potty area," which I am pretty sure is just for the dogs, not the owners. A highlight of the hotel's Bowser weekend will be the Big City Little Dog Fashion Show and Cocktail Party on February 11 ($25), which is great if you like to get tipsy and watch poodles parade around in booties and berets.
Smart Traveler Mark Orwoll is the International Editor of Travel + Leisure.
Photo courtesy of Jog A Dog.
