12 Cyber Monday hotel deals you won’t want to miss

by Melanie Nayer on

There are two types of Thanksgiving deal finders: Those who take a quick cat nap after Thanksgiving dinner so they can be in line super early for Black Friday shopping, and those who wait out the weekend then pounce on Cyber Monday sales. In the retail world, we call this power of purchase. In the hotels world, this type of consumer behavior is known as impulse shopping, and the hotels are more than happy to aid to your impulse.

Cyber Monday deals are no secret to smart shoppers, but we wrangled up 12 of the best hotel Cyber Monday deals you won’t want to miss. From New York to Costa Rica, get your fingers ready (and your credit card out) for some fast bookings:

1. Copley Square Hotel: This little boutique hotel in Boston just received it’s four-stars and is planning to celebrate with a Cyber Monday special. Book a boutique room for $129 for a Boutique Room or a Deluxe Room for $149. The deal is valid from Nov. 29, 2010 – March 31, 2011, for all dates except New Year’s Eve.

2. Westin St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands: Starwood’s Cyber Monday Sale is a brand-wide event, but we like this one in particular for its location. Head to St. John from Jan. 1- April 30, 2011, and stay a t the Westin St. John for $289 per night – a 35% discount off regular starting rates. For reservations use rate code CYBERLTO.

3. The Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club: The historic 85-year old resort in St. Petersburg, FL, will offer a discount of 30% off the best available rate for those who book online on Cyber Monday (Nov. 29, 2010) using booking code DOD. The offer is valid for stays through Jan. 8, 2011. Rates start at $112 per night.4. Broadway Hotel & Hostel, New York City: Book rooms at 15% off the best available rate on the property’s private and semi-private guest rooms. Using rate code CYBER, the offer is valid for booking Nov. 29 – Dec. 3 for stays through March 31, 2011.

5. Marrakech Hotel, New York: Guests who book two or three nights at the Marrakech Hotel, a Moroccan-themed hotel on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, will save 15% off best available rates when booking with rate code CYBER. Those who stay four nights or more can enjoy a 20% discount using the special Cyber Monday code. Booking is available Nov. 29 – Dec. 3, 2010 for visits Dec. 19, 2010 – March 31, 2011.

6. Portland Square Hotel, New York: Currently undergoing renovations to become the four-star Sanctuary Hotel, the Portland Square Hotel in Times Square will offer a 20.10% discount on best available rates to guests booking on Nov. 29 with rate code CYBER. This offer applies for stays through March 31, 2011.

7. Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino, Aruba: Buy two nights at the leisure rate and get two nights free. Rates start at $294/night and are valid for travel from April 26 – December 22, 2011. Book online and request Promo Code D52.

8. San Juan Marriott Resort, Puerto Rico: Follow @SanJuanMarriott on Twitter and any time on CyberMonday tweet “I want to book a #CyberMonday vacation at @SanJuanMarriott” to receive a reply DM with an exclusive booking code and details for a special offer. Once you receive your offer code, head to www.marriottsanjuan.com and use your twitter provided promotional code to book your room.

9. Kura Hulanda Resorts, Curacao: Buy two nights get third night free at Hotel Kura Hulanda or Lodge Kura Hulanda. Valid on all nightly room rates starting at $130/night. Travel from now until Dec 23, 2010 and Jan 03 – April 16, 2011. Make sure to mention CyberMonday when you call or email for reservations [877-264-3106 or email reservations@kurahulanda.com]

10. Marriott Hotels & Resorts of Costa Rica: Book your 2011 vacation on CyberMonday and receive $99-$119 nightly rate at Costa Rica Marriott Hotel San Jose (deluxe room), Courtyard San Jose Escazu (standard room), Residence Inn San Jose Escazu (studio); and $119.00 plus tax per room/night at Los Suenos Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort (standard room). Valid for Travel: January 1 – December 19, 2011and request promo code PR5.

11. Cuisinart Resort & Spa, Anguilla: Book seven nights but only pay for five with this CyberMonday deal at the Cuisinart Resort & Spa. Plus, you’ll receive an additional $250 food and beverage credit. With promotion, pro-rated nightly rates start at $580 per night. (Savings of $235 per night). The rates are valid for travel from January 3 – April 2, 2011.

12. Colonnade Hotel, Boston: Celebrating the hotel’s 30 percent reduction in energy usage, the Colonnade Hotel is offering 30% off select room rates through Feb. 2011 on Cyber Monday.

Renovated Opryland Hotel reopens with glitz, glam and a whole lot of country

by Melanie Nayer on

The Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center reopens today following a $270 million face lift after the May 2010 flood that shut down the hotel and convention center for six months.

Most of what took place over the past six months is repairs from severe water damage after May’s devastating floods in the region. The famed Opryland Hotel reclaims its place in hotel history when it opens with five new restaurants, flat-screen TVs that line the marble wall space behind the check-in counters, renovated rooms and the hotel’s famous atriums.

From the lobby sofas to the business center to a large, museum-quality glass sculpture that now sits in one of the hotels’ lobby, everything in this hotel is brand new. According to the hotel, the Opryland Hotel already has 11,000 rooms booked for 2011.

To celebrate the rebirth of Nashville’s favorite attraction, Gaylord is putting on one hell of holiday splash: a three-day series of Christmas-themed events featuring the Rockettes, a playground made of ice, fireworks and free concerts. For some lucky guests, a private audience with Keith Urban and Sheryl Crow are among the perks of the hotel’s opening.

The hotel staff has been hard at work since July putting together the following touches to the holiday decorations. The Gaylord Opryland Resort will revive it’s annual “A Country Christmas” from Nov. 19, 2010 through Jan. 2, 2011. Nearly 1 million guests each year experience the family-friendly shows and activities and beautiful 2 million twinkling lights that are the hallmark of the world-famous A Country Christmas at Gaylord Opryland.

German body scanner protesters remove clothes at airport

by Laurel Miller on

In Germany, a “fleshmob” of semi-naked activists from the Pirate Party staged a body scanner protest at the Berlin-Tegel Airport, reports Discover magazine. German authorities plan to begin using “Nacktscanners,” or AIT (Advanced Imaging Technology), which uses high frequency radio waves to produce images of a passenger’s naked body, across the country within the next two years.

Here and elsewhere abroad, the TSA and its international partners are increasingly employing body scanners as an airport security measure, so items like explosives, weapons, or drugs can be detected beneath a passenger’s clothing. The use of the scanners has become a subject of much public controversy, ever since the would-be “underwear bomber” was thwarted at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport on Dec. 25 of last year. Many passengers feel that the use of full-body scanners is a violation of their privacy.

Wired states that the German protesters scrawled comments such as, “Be a good citizen–drop your pants,” and “prosthetic [with arrow pointing to the wearer’s leg],” on their bodies. One flesh-toned-clothed woman bore a sign reading, “pixelated,” referring to the option modest passengers have to request a scanner be programmed to produce a blurred image of their body.

For more information on your rights as an air traveler, Reddit has created Fly with Dignity, a “site-based initiative to inform the public.” Want to personally protest body scanners? National Opt-Out Day is November 24th.

Photo of the Day (11.14.10)

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Congratulations to Flickr user twoeightnine on this absolutely stunning shot of the Grand Canyon. From the dramatic ridges and crevices of the canyon, each crisply outlined by shadow, to the fluffy white clouds drifting on a brilliant blue sky, there’s plenty of great visual intrigue to move your eye around the photo. Wondering how to take your own Ansel Adams-worthy masterpiece like this one? First start by picking the right time of day. Typically the early morning and just before sunset are best – you’ll get better shadows which add depth to your subject. Then when you’re home from your trip, don’t be afraid to edit the shot in a program like Photoshop, which will help you brighten up the colors. Don’t think of it as cheating – you’re simply making your photo look its best!

Have any great travel photos you’d like to share with the world? Why not add them to our Gadling group on Flickr? We might just pick one of yours as our Photo of the Day.

Mark Burnett casting for new adventure travel show

by Kraig Becker on

Mark Burnett, the famous television producer responsible for such reality shows as Survivor and The Apprentice, is looking for teams of contestants to compete in a new race that will send them to remote places, where they’ll solve problems and compete in various challenges.

The new show is entitled Expedition Impossible and seems to resemble The Amazing Race, at least on a cursory level. The program will pit teams of three against one another as they race through deserts, up mountains, and across rivers. In all, there will be ten legs to the race, with a new one being revealed each week, as the contestants battle it out for the, as of yet, undisclosed prize.

The casting notice can be read in full by clicking here, but in a nutshell, the three people on each team will need to have the entire month of April free to compete in this race. All competitors must also be 18 years of age or older, be a resident of the United States and hold a valid U.S. passport that is good through the end of 2011.

To be considered for the show, teams will need to send the following information to David 
Polanzak 
at 
dpo.casting@gmail.com:

•
Name,
age,
location 
and 
contact 
info 
for
 all 
three 
(3) 
team 
members

•
Recent 
photo 
of 
all 
3 
team 
members

•
Level 
of 
individual 
and 
team’s 
experience 
with 
competitions/races, 
etc.

•
Brief 
description 
of 
why 
your 
team
 is
 great 
for
 this 
competition 
and 
why
 you 
will
 win

•
Anything 
else 
that 
makes 
your 
team 
memorable 
and 
unique


Expedition Impossible sounds a bit like a project that Burnett produced back in the mid-1990’s called Eco-Challenge, which saw teams of four racing non-stop against one another through a remote course in some of the most challenging environments on the planet. It’s doubtful that this new show will come anywhere close to being as challenging as that race, but it sounds interesting for adventurous travelers looking to compete in a reality television show. I can’t wait to hear more details about the race.