Loews Hotels launches ‘romantic’ Twitter contest

by Melanie Nayer on

If you’re not on Twitter and haven’t reaped the benefits of Twitter-only travel deals that hotels and airlines are continually promoting, you’re missing out on some great offers. This latest one comes courtesy of Loews Hotels and it’s for romantics-only (not really, but play along for the prize).

The Loews Hotels Twitter-only contest offers hopeless romantics the opportunity to win a variety of romance-themed prizes, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Starting Monday, Feb. 8 through Friday, Feb. 12, one romantic movie trivia question will be posted on @Loews_Hotels Twitter page at 11am EST. The first follower to answer the trivia question correctly will win a DVD and a $50 food and beverage credit good for use at participating Loews Hotels. Of the five daily winners, Loews will choose one Grand Prize winner at random to receive Loews Hotels’ new “Drive-In Movie” package, which includes: 2-night weekend stay at a Loews city property of his/her choice; complimentary parking; daily in-room movies and popcorn from the lobby “concession stand.”

Daily winners and the Grand Prize winner will be announced on the @Loews_Hotels page. More information and official contest rules can be found here.

Starwood plans a Sheraton Times Square makeover

by Melanie Nayer on

The Sheraton Manhattan at Times Square is prepping for a bit of a nip/tuck, says owner Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc.

The redevelopment plan will evaluate how to best make use of the full city-block space the hotel occupies (Broadway, Seventh Avenue and 51st and 52nd Street near Times Square). Part of the makeover will include the Sheraton flying a Starwood flag. As the hotel is redeveloped, Starwood will remove the Sheraton flag and operate the hotel as a non-branded Starwood property beginning in April. The Sheraton Times Square will remain open and will continue to be a member of the Starwood Preferred Guest loyalty program.

This redevelopment is another example of Starwood’s bold entrance into the New York City hotel arena. Starwood has 13 hotels in New York City with plans to open six more in 2010, including two properties in Brooklyn and Tribeca, the W New York Downtown and the Four Points by Sheraton Long Island City. In addition, Starwood will debut its two newest brands – Aloft New York Brooklyn and Element New York Times Square West – later this year. The Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers, the Sheraton brand’s flagship New York property, will launch a $90 million renovation later this year.

TSA forces Richmond airport to issue access badge to convicted felon

by Scott Carmichael on

In today’s episode of “what did the TSA do this time?”, the agency is under fire for not only hiring a convicted felon, but demanding that his assigned airport issue him an access badge.

The unidentified TSA employee was hired by the agency after passing their background checks – but when he applied for his airport badge, Richmond airport turned him down, citing a conviction for robbery when he was 18.

When the airport denied the badge application, the TSA demanded that they reconsider, citing “unspecified consequences” if they refused. To me, this sounds an awful lot like blackmail.

The employee had not mentioned the conviction on his TSA application, and it doesn’t look like it it would have mattered, because the TSA claims he actually committed the crime when he was 17, and that they don’t really care about a conviction at that age.

The airport access badge is required to obtain access to the “sterile” area of the airport, including the baggage sorting areas and airline parking spots. Of course, the job of a TSA agent also includes passenger and luggage screening – something convicted felons should not be allowed to do if you ask me.

Politicians are now getting involved, and U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor has asked the TSA to clarify their actions. Given the recent bad press for the TSA, it never ceases to amaze me how they continue to screw up, creating even more bad PR. Lesson to be learned? If you are a criminal planning to protect our skies, make sure you don’t commit any crimes after your 18th birthday.

What do you think?

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Update: How the Toyota recall impacts your next car rental

by Amy Chen on

Though Toyota announced a fix for its problematic accelerator pedals on Monday, some car-rental companies are still trying to remove the cars from its fleets.

Enterprise Holdings, which owns the Enterprise-Rent-A-Car, Alamo Rent A Car, and National Car Rental brands, said Tuesday that it has successfully removed 83 percent of the estimated 35,000 recalled vehicles from its rental pool. This overall number is about 4 percent of its North American fleet. The Enterprise brand also has the benefit of having both airport and suburban locations, which means its inventory can be shifted around fairly quickly depending on demand.

Avis has said that if you wind up with a non-recalled Toyota rental and you prefer to drive another brand, they’ll switch you to another vehicle. This gesture of good will is naturally based on availability. With Presidents’ Day weekend falling at the same time as Valentine’s Day, it’ll be interesting to see if the car-rental companies can anticipate the demand of the holiday weekend.

If you are planning to rent a car over the long weekend, please let us know if you encounter any problems–or any unexpected perks.

Tip: Sometimes you may be upgraded at no extra cost if the rental category you reserved is no longer available. When I was in Oahu a few years back, my friend and I reserved an economy-class car through Enterprise. We were bumped up to a SUV when the rental location ran out of economy cars. As I said, this was a few years ago–before driving gas guzzlers became passé and before you had to worry about an accelerator pedal getting stuck.

Update: Automotive Traveler reports the following short-term price hikes of rentals from Hertz, Enterprise Holdings, Avis Budget and Dollar Thrifty: “Daily rates for both mid-size and full-size cars have increased an average of 46 percent at New York’s JFK airport across all four of the companies and their respective brands mentioned above. Yet prices at LAX for the same rental period and vehicle classes remained almost unchanged. At the Miami and Denver airport locations, results have been mixed depending on the vehicle class. Mid-size cars at MIA saw only a 3-percent increase, while full-size cars rose 10 percent. Data from DEN showed a 23-percent increase for mid-size cars and a 16-percent increase for full-size.”

[Thanks, Automotive Traveler]

TripAdvisor reveals America’s sexiest hotels

by Melanie Nayer on

It’s not shocking New York is home to the sexiest hotel in America – it is the city that never sleeps…
According to TripAdvisor, the Night Hotel in New York City knocks the boots off all other hotels for its ‘sexy’ factor.

TripAdvisor editors revealed their sexiest hotel list just in time for Valentine’s Day, (wink, wink). The hotels were rated based on the “sexy index,” which calculated the number of times travelers use the term “sexy” in their TripAdvisor reviews.

Turn down the shades, set the mood and get your groove on at these seducing hotels:

1. Night Hotel, New York City, New York “This modern and monochrome boutique hotel features very little light, making this the perfect spot for a romantic rendezvous with a significant other”

2. Hotel Max, Seattle, Washington “Turn your door-handle sign to ‘please do not disturb’ and enjoy the amenities within, including a “You Got It” button on the telephone, which responds to any whim, and a mini-bar complete with an intimacy kit.”

3. Hotel Palomar, Washington, D.C. “With crocodile-sculpted carpeting on the floors, faux fur throws on the beds and leopard-print robes in the closets, this is an ideal spot for romantics to say “Grrrr, Baby!”

4. Hotel Lucia, Portland, Oregon “This downtown boutique hotel offers modern surroundings, not to mention a “Kiss This” guest-package, including champagne, massage oils and dusting powders.”

5. The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada “The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino offers all the trappings to bring out travelers’ wild sides, including a room service menu featuring an array of lingerie and after-dark accessories.”6. The Setai, Miami, Florida “If money is no object, this stunning oceanfront resort in the heart of South Beach offers a spectacularly seductive spot.”

7. Hotel on Rivington, New York City, New York One TripAdvisor traveler notes, “From the unconventional layout, to the glass curtain walling, to the voyeuristic shower walls, everything about this place screams hedonistic pleasure.”

8. Glenn Hotel, Atlanta, Georgia “Follow the grass-lined hallways to the guest rooms, and travelers will be met with sleek design, comfortable furnishings and a shower featuring a peek-a-boo view in to the bedroom.”

9. The Library Hotel, New York City, New York “Room 800.001 is packed with erotic tomes, including Casanova’s autobiography, while room 1100.006 is adorned with books on love and relationships.”

10. James Chicago, Chicago, Illinois “Guest rooms feature dark wood platform beds and white leather furnishings – and if these (or your partner) aren’t enough to get you drooling, the cookie left on your pillow as part of the nightly turn-down service should do the trick.”

What’s your favorite hotel for setting the mood?

Earlier this month, TripAdvisor launched its top 10 dirtiest hotels list and the Travelers’ Choice awards, which highlights travelers’ favorite hotel from around the world.

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