Staying Stylish On The Road: Ideas For The Female Business Traveler

by McLean Robbins on


It’s not always easy to stay stylish while traveling for business, but today’s more casual work environments have made it easier than ever for women to put fashion first. Our favorites, below, outline pieces that work from the airplane to the boardroom to a night out at a local bar.

  • The iPad case, in neutral silver, is basic enough to carry into a meeting but pops up into an elevated desk for working on the plane.
  • The neutral pendant, like this one from David Yurman, can be worn long or short. A notable “name” piece, this pendant is stylish without being overpowering or logo-heavy, and the bright green adds a pop of color.
  • The makeup items are part of our travel musts – a shellac manicure costs about 1.5 times the price of a normal polish but lasts for two weeks without chips. A “chubby stick,” like this one by Clinique, is a steal at $16 and doubles as both a blush and creamy gloss – the perfect multi-tasking makeup.
  • The White + Warren travel wrap and slipper set is great for the plane or the hotel room. We love the added style kick of leopard print, but it looks great in neutrals too, and folds small into our bags.
  • A leather jacket is a fall must-have, and can take the place of a blazer in many office settings. Even better? It never gets wrinkled.
  • Cropped black pants are a woman’s best friend. Endlessly chic, they can be paired with flats or heels for a day or evening look. This pair from Zara is stylish and affordable.
  • We love a great white blouse, and this tunic style from Vince is ideal for weekend or work wear. Tuck into the pants during the day or leave untucked with heels for a sexy menswear look at night.
  • A stylish work bag that holds your laptop and travel accessories is a must. We prefer something large and neutral that offers the option of over-the-shoulder or cross-body carrying. When traveling for business, we prefer to avoid logos, so this Anya Hindmarch tote is one of our must-haves.
  • These Prada flats in a fall must-have metallic are stylish yet business-friendly (but also come in black). Pair with the white and black outfit shown for a “pop” of color. You can walk through airport terminals galore without worrying about sore feet.
  • We don’t know how we survived pre Clarasonic. This skincare system (pair with your own face wash) ensures we keep our faces clean and exfoliated while on the go, preventing dry, listless “I’ve spent too much time in a plane” skin.
  • We love a great travel candle to make our hotel room smell like home. Just be careful to blow it out!
  • Save the mess of a perfume bottle with the Travalo atomizer, which allows you to pump your favorite scent into a tiny carry-on sized tube.
  • Our favorite handbag organizer doubles as a great travel makeup case. Although a bit pricey, this Inouis tote offers pockets for all of our accessories, plus a separate pouch where we often store jewelry or grab as a clutch for a night out.
  • Combat Balm is our ultimate for dry travel weary skin. Use it on hands, feet, or even (sparingly) on your face. It soothes nearly all skin ailments.
What are your travel must-haves?

How To Replace Anything (Anything) Lost On A Business Trip

by Grant Martin on

What’s the independent business traveler’s worst enemy? It’s not hotel Wi-Fi. It’s Radio Shack. Have you seen how much they charge for a micro-usb cable? Twenty bucks. Same cable at monoprice? About a dollar.

Forgetting simple things like power bricks and phone adapters is one of the most frustrating side effects about business travel. Often the frustration doesn’t even come from the inconvenience – it’s always nice to have a backup phone charger – the problem comes when the charger is four times the cost that it should be. Case in point? That combo meal at the Burger King in LAX isn’t supposed to be $12. Captive audiences breed captive prices.

It’s happened to all of us, but there are a few ways around the frustrations of shopping on the road.

If you’re staying at a hotel, it’s always handy to check the lost and found. Travelers leave all sorts of things behind, and according to the Sheraton staff in Philadelphia, what’s not picked up at lost and found gets donated or distributed among the workers. It’s not just electrical widgets either. Lost contact lens case? Forgot your tennis shoes? Check downstairs. And in case you have any issues with stealing something that might eventually be claimed, you can always bring it back.Airport and airline lost and found is also a great place to find lost trinkets, just bear in mind that most repositories are outside of security, so arrive early and with plenty of patience.

If you’re hell bent on buying your replacement though, make sure to stay away from chain stores like Radio Shack or even Best Buy. Discount box stores like Marshalls and TJ Max are a great alternative source of small electronics. The headphones that I picked up in the San Juan Marshalls last Saturday for $5.99 were $14 cheaper than the ones at the airport – and the quality was just the same.

It’s also a decent idea to keep an eye out for a local Salvation Army or Goodwill, similar in concept to the discount box store but with a more random, used assortment of goods.

Not interested in making the capital investment? It’s easier than you think to rent a wide range of electronics while in transit. Cameras are a great example. Here in Chicago you can walk into a Calumet Photo and walk out with either lenses or a full rig for shooting all weekend. In New York there’s Adorama. Online, you can even use lensrentals. And the costs are fairly modest. For a five-day rental of a $1600 16-35mm Canon Lens over Labor Day, I only had to shell out $100. Shipping was included.

But what if you’re stuck in meetings all day? There are actually a few neat services that will outsource your shopping. Zaarly is a great example. Need a new power supply? Post a note in Zaarly asking for someone to pick up your electronics at the local best buy, shell out the cash and offer an extra ten bucks to have it delivered. There’s a decent chance that some poor college student is willing to help out for the beer money. Barring the new fancy Zaarly, Craigslist is always a backup.

[Flickr image via Magic Madzik]

Stay Fit On The Go: Easy Hotel Room Exercises

by Libby Zay on

Life on the road can be rough on the body. Not only do travelers often find themselves eating fatty foods and sitting in cars or on planes for long periods of time, but we also fall victim to falling out of our normal workout routines.

Although the number of hotels featuring fitness centers is on the up and up, every accommodation option doesn’t have the convenience (and in many cases, travelers don’t necessarily want to utilize the gym). Stay fit on the road with this easy 25-minute hotel room workout that utilizes an object found in nearly every hotel room: a chair.

Warm Up
5 minutes
First things first, get those muscles ready by doing shoulder circles, 15-25 calf raises, and 25-50 jumping jacks. Do all these exercises without a break and you should get your blood flowing.

Workout
20 minutesLeg Squats: With a chair behind you (or not if you are experienced), stand with your feet hip-width apart. Keep your abs tight as you bed your knees and slowly squat toward the chair. Hover above the chair for a few seconds and then lift back up by extending your legs until your back to a standing position. Repeat for 1-3 sets of 10 repetitions.

Lunges: Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart. Step your right foot approximately two feet in front of you, lowering your hips while maintaining control and balance until both knees are bent at about 90-degree angles. Make sure your front knee is directly above your ankle and your back knee doesn’t touch the floor. Keep the weight in your heels and push back up to the starting position. Repeat for 1-3 sets of 10 repetitions.

Elevated Push Ups: Place your hands on the edge of the bed (let’s face it, nobody wants their face anywhere near hotel room carpet). Scoot your feet out until you are in a diagonal plank position and proceed to do traditional push ups. Repeat for 1-3 sets of 10 repetitions.

Wall Climb: Place your hands flat against the wall with your arms straight, leaning your body at an angle with your right foot forward. Quickly bringing your left foot forward while simultaneously kicking your right foot back. Repeat for 1-3 sets of 10 repetitions.

Chair Step: Set a straight-backed chair (without wheels) against the wall or door of your hotel room so the chair seat faces you. Step up on the seat one foot at a time and then step down. Repeat for 1-3 sets of 10 repetitions.

If this is not enough of a workout for you, do another round of these exercises. Keep in mind that this simple workout is not a replacement for heavy-duty sessions, but instead a way to stretch out and break a sweat in the privacy of your own hotel room. And take caution: all exercises are attempted at your own risk. Always consult a physician before beginning any physical activity.

[Flickr image via sldghmmr]

How To Find The Best Food While On The Road For Business

by Grant Martin on

Business travel tends to bring out the worst in a traveler’s eating habits. It happens for a variety of reasons. Most business district restaurants are built around the lives of 8 to 5 employees, crescendoing at the busy lunch hour and then buttoning up service at 6 or 7 when workers have gone home to their families. At the Comcast Center, where I occasionally work in Philadelphia, the underground food court is opulent and packed at 12:30 on a Tuesday. By 8 p.m. it’s a ghost town.

There’s also the mentality of being on the road for work. Out of one’s comfort zone it’s easier to splurge on meals that are more convenient or for special occasions. It also helps when someone else is paying. But the cost goes beyond the pocketbook – your health is also on the line.

We’re all frequent travelers at Gadling Labs, so we compiled our best tips for eating well on the road and put them into this handy list for business travelers.

1. Escape the room service blues. Wouldn’t you know it? Sitting Indian style in front the television isn’t the ideal posture for consuming your after-meeting engorgement. Moving over to the desk is a better approach, but an even healthier option is to get up, get out of your room and find your food. The exercise that you get on the way will do plenty to counteract the carbs that you’re about to consume. And you’ll probably find something better than what the room service is going to provide.2. App it up. Yelp is the number one resource for any business traveler who wants to eat healthy. Those stuck in central business districts may find that the only visible nearby options are big box franchises, with smaller, more thoughtful places scattered thin. A quick search on Yelp will show the best-ranked restaurants in the area and will give the traveler an idea of what sort of fare is best received. Tip: “Healthy Food” is actually a searchable genre.

3. Home cooked meals are always the best, because you know exactly what ingredients are going into them. Check out the components of this barbecue sauce (only three tablespoons of brown sugar!) and you’ll see what I mean. The problem, of course, is that it’s difficult to cook while on the road. You can get around much of that by finding a hotel with a kitchenette. Homewood Suites and Elements are two great brands that feature stoves and utensils in each room. Stop by the grocery store on your way home; pick up an onion, a zucchini and some pasta and you’re in business.

4. The grocery store is your friend. Even if you don’t have the time or resources to bring food back to your hotel, there are myriad opportunities to find ready-to-eat meals at your local grocery store. Most outlets have prepared meals made from their produce sections, and barring that option there are big-brand-curated meals. Just stay away from the salt-rich TV dinners and you’ll be in good shape. As an extra bonus, it’s also cheaper.

5. Talk to the locals – the real locals. Think your hotel concierge has the best take on dinner options? Maybe. Or maybe he’s going to send you to the same Hard Rock Cafe that the tourists go to – or to somewhere that gives him a cut. Real locals, the ones on the street, have the best opinion on nearby food; you just have to work up the guts to ask them. Take a hint from Gadling’s culinary czar David Farley and ask a cab driver.

[Flickr image via Hamed Saber]

Where To Find Wi-Fi While Traveling

by Elizabeth Seward on

We all know the definition of ‘Wi-Fi’ these days, and that’s a start. The more nonchalantly we all refer to this wireless Internet connection we all seek fervently, both while traveling and not, the more likely it is that we’ll find it. Finding Wi-Fi today is easier than it has ever been before, but the search can still be tricky. In the future, every square foot of U.S. land will have lightning speed Wi-Fi access, but until then, here are some tips for finding Wi-Fi while traveling.

1. Transportation

The one thing every traveler does is physically travel, so the easiest way to find Wi-Fi while traveling is to utilize a network hosted by your transporter. Airports and even airplanes usually have access to Wi-Fi. You’ll have to pay for Internet on the actual plane these days, but before you cough up money for the wireless you use in the airport, make sure to do a check for free networks. You can also find Wi-Fi now on trains, buses and boats.

2. Lodging

Your lodging while traveling is often a good resource for finding Wi-Fi. Not only do most hotels, motels, inns, lodges and resorts have Wi-Fi these days, but even more surprising accommodation choices offer Internet access. You can often find Wi-Fi now at campgrounds, truck stops, hotels, vacation rentals, airbnb rentals and RV parks.

3. Work Space

If you need Wi-Fi while working on the road (which is when most of us actually need it, right?), you shouldn’t have too hard of a time tracking it down. Offices are naturally equipped with Internet access and usually Wi-Fi, but you can also find a connection in other places of work. I do most of my work while on the road in coffee shops and 75% of them seem to have Wi-Fi access. Also check for Wi-Fi at convention centers, shared workspaces and libraries.

4. Leisure Spaces

If you want to find Wi-Fi in everyday places, seek and you will find. Wi-Fi connections are available in many restaurants, bars, gyms and other fitness centers, malls and regular public businesses. I’ve found Wi-Fi in spas, bike shops and certainly computer/phone stores.

5. Everywhere Else

One of the easiest things you can do is what I do: pay a little extra every month to transform your phone into a hotspot. I usually do this before I travel so I can work no matter where I am, even if I’m in a car’s passenger seat all day long.

High-speed godspeed.

[flickr image via raneko]