Hotel Concierges To Cure Your Hangover And Fix Your Love Life

by Reena Ganga on

If you’re like many hotel guests, you probably just waltz right past the concierge desk without a second thought. After all, unless you need a hard-to-get restaurant reservation or last minute theater tickets, you can probably figure out whatever you want to know with a quick search of Google. But what if we told you your concierge might be able to help you quell that nasty hangover, or that they could put the spark back into your love life?

A growing number of high end hotels are bringing in specialty concierges whose job is to provide more personalized services to hotel guests. For example, Westin Hotels & Resorts has recently employed a running concierge who can share advice and help guests achieve their fitness goals. Meanwhile the Viceroy Riviera Maya has its own soap concierge for the traveler who just can’t bathe without some hand-shaved artisanal soap.

One specialty concierge we can imagine being in high demand is the Ritz-Carlton New Orleans’ “Recovery Concierge.” Guests who partied a little too hard can head to the concierge for hangover help, and might find themselves being prescribed a hair of the dog treatment, an in-room massage, or some fresh fruit to give them a healthy energy boost. And then there’s the “Romance Concierge” at the Rendezvous in St Lucia. Her job is to help romantically challenged individuals woo their partner by organizing private dates on the beach, musical serenades, and private sunset cruises, among other things.

What kind of fantasy concierge service would you like to see in a hotel?

SkyMall Monday: Anniversary Gifts

by Mike Barish on

Last week, my fiancée and I celebrated our two-year anniversary. We met and went out on our first date on the same day (I work fast). We’re getting married next Spring, so we’ll soon have a new anniversary to celebrate. Do we stop celebrating our initial anniversary date? Do we celebrate both anniversaries? How does that work? Anyway, it was obviously a festive week at SkyMall Monday headquarters. Naturally, it had me thinking quite a bit about presents. Thankfully, SkyMall has gift guides organized by occasion, so they do all of the thinking for you. Whether you and your betrothed have been together for a year, a decade or what seems like an eternity, our favorite catalog has the right gift to say all the things that words cannot express. Choose your gift carefully, however, because what you select says a great deal about you and your relationship.There are 125 gifts listed in SkyMall’s “Anniversary Gifts” category. I have chosen to ignore all of the jewelry and flowers. Why? Because those are obvious and traditional gifts and you don’t need SkyMall’s help to be dull. You’re probably doing a bang up job of that all by yourself. You’ve turned to SkyMall because you need inspiration to be creative and keep your relationship spicy.

Now, let’s take a look at some of SkyMall’s best anniversary gifts and what they say to your special someone:

Love You More Wood Plaque

From the product description:

You’ve played the flirty back-and-forth game. Now you can finally have the last word.

What it says to your significant other: I wish you wouldn’t make me end all of our phone calls by saying, “I wuv you, Snugglebottoms,” while I’m out with my friends.

Soap Roses

From the product description:

Display them and softly scent a room. Peel off a petal and lather between your hands. Sprinkle a handful of petals in warm bath water…

What it says about your relationship: After years together, we’ve lost our physical intimacy and I’ve taken matters into my own hands while in the shower.

Yukata Cover-Up

From the product description:

Yukatas are pieces of wearable art – no two are exactly alike. Our 100% spun crushed Japanese Rayon is the most luxurious of all Rayons and meets the highest fashion standard.

What it says about you: You’re a connoisseur of rayon. You never got over your Asian fetish.

Bonus fun fact: The Yukata Cover-Up is produced by Jams World, the same company that made those extra long boardshorts that I wore in the 1980s.

Bonus video: If you enjoy lounge music, beach scenes and attractive women with their arms akimbo, then this is the video for you.

Large Organic Fruit Sampler

No product description needed or provided. We all know what a fruit basket is.

What it says about everything: I think you’ve gotten fat.

Happy anniversary!

Check out all of the previous SkyMall Monday posts HERE.

Try the ‘traveler’s washing machine’ – Packing tip

by Gadling Staff on

Here’s how to make a “traveler’s washing machine” —

  1. Pack a large, thick plastic bag and a small bottle of laundry soap.
  2. When it’s time for laundry, fill the bag with about a gallon of water and add a scoop of detergent.
  3. A few sloshes of the bag renders the water soapy.
  4. Drop in the clothes, and shake the bag some more.
  5. Leave the clothes to soak for at least 5 minutes.
  6. Dump the water out and fill with fresh water to rinse.
  7. Shake.
  8. Dump out this water and squeeze any excess water from the clothes.
  9. Hang the clothes on anything convenient to dry.

This saves a trip to the laundromat — and money.

[Photo: Flickr | Alexik]

SkyMall Monday: Goldfish in a Bag Soap

by Mike Barish on

SkyMall Monday loves kids. We’ve looked after them when their noses bleed and when they are embarrassed by their baldness. But this week we’re not here to solve their problems or help take any pain away. Today we’re going to discuss something that every kid wants. Something that every kid begs his or her parents for. Something that kids cherish and love more than anything else. That’s right. We’re talkin’ hygiene! We’re talking Goldfish in a Bag Soap!

Oh, did you think I was going to say, “pets?” Yeah, I could see how you might have made that mistake. What, with the picture of the fish and the talk of children cherishing things. But what kids really love is a good glycerin soap. Trust me, I’m a 30-year-old single male with a history of short, self-destructive relationships. I know children.

Kids today have short attention spans. They’ll be bored with regular bar soap. Liquid hand soap? Go back to 1988, grandpa! Is that a loofah? Geez, you might as well just ask the kid to bathe with Brussels sprouts. If you really want to connect with your child, then you need to be on the cutting edge. You need Goldfish in a Bag Soap.

Think I’m crazy? Think soap that looks like a goldfish that you won at a carnival from a rigged game run by a bunch of grifters is bizarre? Then read the product description and begin drafting your apology to me:

This looks just like your little pet-except it’s a bar of soap. The more you shower or bathe, the closer you’ll get to the toy goldfish inside.

You see, people?! It’s not the destination, it’s the journey. With each wash, you’ll inch ever closer to the toy goldfish inside! And what happens when you reach it? What fate does this cleansing gift from SkyMall have in store for us? What did I just tell you about it being about the journey?! Geez, it’s like you don’t even pay attention to me.

So, the next time you come home and your kids come running to ask you if you bought them a gift, tell them to close their eyes, hold out their hands and get ready. Then pour some water on those hands, give them the Goldfish in a Bag Soaps and tell them to scrub hard. Kids are filthy.

Check out all of the previous SkyMall Monday posts HERE.

A way easier soap for traveling

by Annie Scott on

When I first saw the Anti-Bacterial Paper Soap (right) at Flight 001 in Brooklyn (58 Fifth Avenue, 718-789-1001), I thought it was gonna be a little slip of paper that somehow dissolved in my hand, like a cross between Purell and those paper mints people eat. I was wrong.

The paper soap does indeed require water. But I still like it. You take a slip of the paper between your hands, stick your hands in running water, and as you rub, it becomes soap-like and actually very pleasant smelling (the fragrance I have here is mint and eucalyptus) — and it’s just the right amount. It works better in warm water. ‘Cause, you know, science.

Do you need it if you’re going to a fancy hotel with tons of soap in the shape of like, seashells and stuff? No. But think about taking it with you to the amusement park or to the restaurant where you know they’ll be out of soap. Also, if you’re backpacking, staying in hostels, or going anywhere without the usual modern conveniences, packing these is a lot easier than dealing with a wet bar of soap. A lot.

$6.00 for 30 sheets. Not bad! Thanks to Quynhster, who helped me at Flight 001.

For more small paper toiletries (it’s a whole market, people), click here and read Scott’s reviews!