Tips + Strategies
10.14.09
Ever find yourself daydreaming at work about booking a last-minute trip? Thanks to Jetsetter.com—the latest venture from Gilt Groupe, best known for their utterly addictive designer flash-sales—it’s easier and more tempting than ever to do just that.
Every day, the site sends registered members an email with a new batch of specially negotiated—and deeply discounted—hotel stays around the world (at press time, a City View Junior Suite at the Epic Hotel Miami was going for $169 per night—that’s $158, or nearly 50 percent, less than the hotel’s published rate!).
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10.02.09
Consider it Fresh Direct for the still-in-diapers set. Since 2004, Babies Travel Lite, an e-tailor of baby supplies, has been delivering goods to home addresses as well as hotels worldwide—taking the excess baggage out of traveling with an infant in tow.
The site has already partnered with Hyatt, giving guests who stay at a property within the brand a reduced service fee discount and streamlined ordering process. Disney Cruise Line recently joined the club—which means travel potties, bottle warmers, diapers, formula, and more can be shipped right to your stateroom on any of DCL’s liners.
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10.01.09
Some 120 industry leaders are just now sitting down to breakfast at Travel + Leisure’s bi-annual MarketWatch Summit, happening now at the Pierre Hotel in New York City. The theme is "No Regrets: Business Leaders On Tactics For A New Economy," and everyone’s looking forward to the discussion on trends not only on travel but across industries.
Our Editor-in-Chief, Nancy Novogrod, and our Publisher, Jean-Paul Kyrillos, are playing host to this gathering, which will feature a conversation with Stephen Hanson, founder and president of B.R. Guest Restaurants; a talk on travel trends from Nancy Novogrod; and a panel discussion with experts from several industries.
We’ll be live blogging for the next couple hours; check back for more.
09.30.09
My friends have been known to call me "Danny Tanner"—the super-organized-to-the-point-of-annoying dad from Full House—when it comes to my travel style. Think typed-up itineraries, folders filled with all necessary phone numbers, addresses, and confirmation codes, and even maps with directions (both to and from all major locations), just in case the GPS doesn’t work.
But things have been pretty hectic lately, which means I haven’t been able to dedicate enough time to being so anal while planning my upcoming trip to Italy. Luckily for me, Tripit.com came into my life to save the day.
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09.29.09
Hoping to get rid of dated impressions and open up its programs to adults of all ages, the 34-year-old educational travel organization Elderhostel recently changed its name to Exploritas, a combination of the words ‘explore’ and ‘veritas,’ to promote their mission of pursuing “adventures in lifelong learning,” particularly among baby-boomers.
"Elder was kind of a turnoff for me, and I'm beyond living in dorms with a backpack on my back. . .That was kind of the vision I had of it. But when I started seeing the opportunities and talking to somebody who had done it, obviously it's not the case," Jack Pickard, a 62-year-old from Ohio told the Wall Street Journal.
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09.28.09
“When friends come to me for advice about a dilemma or event in their life, I always say, 'let’s make a list',” confesses Rory Tahari,” creative director and vice chair of the Elie Tahari fashion house.
Rory has parlayed her penchant for organization into a book called Lists for Life: The Essential Guide to Getting Organized and Tackling Tough To-Dos. In this helpful read, thinking is optional; just check off what needs to be done for every eventuality.
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09.25.09
To keep Web surfers from drowning in endless oceans of information, task-focused search engines have been multiplying by the minute. Need to research a trip, or just looking for something to do on the weekend? Let Goby, which launched yesterday, do the fishing for you.
With not one, but three search bars (what you’d like to do, where and when), Goby helps travel planners reel in restaurant, activity and hotel recommendations in destinations all over the U.S. Results—sorted by relevance, distance or name—pop up with clickable tabs that provide additional images, pulled from Google and Flickr, and service information broken down in a neat table.
Like all new search engines, Goby is still working hard to iron out the kinks and to connect users with relevant results (the number one listing for a resort spa in Massachusetts? The Brahma Blue, a 12-acre “holistic oasis”…in Ambergis Caye, Belize). Only time will tell if they’ll sink or swim, but we think they're off to a smart start.
Lisa Cheng is an assistant research editor at Travel + Leisure.
Images courtesy of Goby
09.23.09
If you’ve read the October issue of Travel + Leisure, you may have noticed the debut of a new column, "The Scoop," penned by our preeminent hotel guru, Shane Mitchell. I’ll leave out the details on the new and exciting properties we’ll be covering next, but I will let you in on my own "Must Meet," a hotel staffer with an unusual story.
Jimmy Fisher, 85-year-old bellman at the Lenox Hotel (doubles from $189) in Boston’s Back Bay, has been working at the family-owned boutique hotel for 60 years. When I visited the glamorous address last month, I asked him for his expert tips.
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09.22.09
I have a shameful confession to make: I’m a horrendous packer. My guiding philosophy, which can be summed up with the phrase more is more, has resulted in numerous excess baggage charges (that full-size bottle of conditioner? Yeah, I wash my hair a lot! Those over-the-knee stiletto boots for a weekend trip to Napa? Hell, you never know!) and countless hours cooling my heels by the baggage carousel when I could have been well on my way out the airport. So when I heard our editor-in-chief say that all she took on a 10-day trip to Italy was one carry-on bag, I was inspired. If Nancy Novogrod can do it, so can I!
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09.21.09
Tomorrow, September 22—besides being the first day of fall—also marks the 10th annual World Carfree Day! It’s not that we’re anti-driving (far from it), but it’s a great moment to consider using public transportation when you’re on a trip. The bonuses: you travel like a local, save money, and usually get there faster. Here are some tips to get you started:
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