Daily Pampering: Romance and a Tiffany & Co. shopping spree at Park Hyatt Washington

by McLean Robbins on

Want to really wow your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day? It just might take you $8,000 … but you can do it. The Park Hyatt Washington is offering a special “Suite Romance” package that includes accommodations in its Presidential Suite, dedicated butler service, valet parking, Champagne and strawberries, an en-suite couples massage for two and a set of monogrammed robes.

Wow her with a private $2,000 shopping spree at Tiffany & Co., with chauffeured, round trip transportation in Park Hyatt Washington’s BMW 7-Series sedan. After, you’ll enjoy a specially-created, decadent five-course tasting menu for two with wine pairings at the hotel’s Blue Duck Tavern, the same restaurant where President and Mrs. Obama celebrated their anniversary. The meal will be accompanied by a live pianist and followed a private moonlight tour of the famed monuments and a rose petal bath in the suite’s handcarved travertine tub. Any one of those moments would be perfect for popping the question, but if you really want to wait … there’s also en-suite breakfast the next morning.

This special offer is only valid ON Valentine’s Day, so get hopping!

Want more? Get your daily dose of pampering right here.

[Flickr via ohad*]

Free instant Hilton HHonors Silver status with fast track to Gold

by Scott Carmichael on

In the world of frequent guest programs, the Hilton HHonors gold and silver cards are probably the most common – but if you’ve been feeling left out, or just want a quick way to get your own shiny plastic card, check out this promotion from the hotel chain.

On the promo page, enter your existing HHonors account number (or create a new one) and you’ll be granted instant silver status and a 2000 point bonus. Then, complete four stays within 90 days, and you’ll get a gold card in the mail.

The only fine print is that you need to set your account to “double dip” with United Airlines as your partner – which means you’ll also need a United Airlines Mileage Plus account.

Silver status won’t get you any real benefits other than a 15% point bonus and free access to the hotel health club. Gold gets a bit more generous, with free Wi-Fi access, 1000 bonus points per stay and room upgrades. Just keep in mind that these “upgrades” usually mean the same room on a better floor – not necessarily access to the presidential suite on each visit.

Craigslist user scams New York Times writer in London

by Elizabeth Seward on

Being victimized by internet scam artists isn’t hearsay–it’s happening all over, to all kinds of people, and all of the time. New York Times writer, Seth Kugel, published his personal testimony yesterday–a testimony of innocent trip-planning gone wrong.

While organizing his pending trip to London, Kugel found himself on Craigslist looking for attractive sublets in good neighborhoods. When he came across a Notting Hill studio available for a seemingly fair price (around $73 a night), he emailed the address in the ad and was responded to right away.

When the respondent requested that Kugel wire the money directly to his bank account, red flags should have been waving wildly in his face. But in Kugel’s defense, he’d recently lived in Brazil for two years; a country he claims utilizes wire transfers for even everyday expenses, like medical bills.

But he was duped. And that’s really all there is to it. Myriad are the ways in which internet scammers trick users out of their money, but it sure seems like accommodations, be them temporary or ostensibly permanent, are among scam artists’ favorite lures.

The good news? Kugel pieced together an insightful and resourceful list of ways in which we all can better avoid being scammed. You should read it here.

[photo by Elizabeth Seward]

GadlingTV’s Travel Talk – Thailand Part 1: The First 48 Hours

by Stephen Greenwood on

Gadling TV’s Travel Talk, episode 31 – Click above to watch video after the jump

Travel Talk is back! After our fall hiatus we are excited to bring you our greatest adventure yet: Thailand.

From the vibrant heart of Bangkok to the remote countryside, we traveled by foot, car, boat, motorbike, ox cart and elephant to savor the the splendor of ancient temples, the energy of the muay thai ring, the serenity of rural life, and every single spicy bite of Thai cuisine. We’ll be bringing it all to you in the coming weeks as part of our special 12-part feature: Travel Talk Thailand.

In this first episode, we start off our odyssey at full throttle: going a full 48 hours on nothing but jet engine addled sleep as we travel from LAX to BKK, settle into thai life, prepare for our dinner with the Prime Minister and get our first full dose of Bangkok nightlife.

If you have any questions or comments about Travel Talk, you can email us at talk AT gadling DOT com.


Subscribe via iTunes:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V).
[RSS M4V] Add the Travel Talk feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.

Hosts: Stephen Greenwood & Aaron Murphy-Crews
Special guest: Joom!
Produced, Edited, and Directed by: Stephen Greenwood & Aaron Murphy-Crews
Special thanks: Tourism Authority of Thailand, Thai Air, Conrad Bangkok

Travel Talk took Thailand by storm on invitation from the Tourism Authority of Thailand. No editorial content was guaranteed and Aaron & Stephen were free to openly share all adventures that they embarked upon.

5 reasons you should use AirBnB

by Elizabeth Seward on

I lived in New York City for over eight years. I spent many months out of those eight years traveling. With expensive rent due in each month I was away, I quickly mustered up the temerity necessary to regularly relinquish my apartment to a subletter from Craigslist. Craigslist did the trick well enough to keep me afloat and mobile all of those years in NYC, but Airbnb.com is better. At least for subletting arrangements. Here’s why:

1. Airbnb has profiles. Instead of opening up your house to, or crossing your fingers and staying with, total strangers, Airbnb has a profile system for users that allows you to take a closer look. You can read friends’ recommendations of users and you can check out reviews other folks they’ve worked with from the site have left. Granted, you’re still hosting or staying with complete strangers, but being able to scope their photos and interests will at least give you a better idea of who you’re going to stay with or host.

2. Airbnb pays you. If you read the above paragraph and thought, “Well, couchsurfing.com has profiles, too”, you’re right. Couch Surfing does have profiles. But with Airbnb, you can actually rake in some dough. List a room or two in your house, or the entire place, for whatever amount you want per night. And people pay to come stay with you–people who you get to look over and approve as guests first.
3. Airbnb allows you to be a guest. If you sublet through craigslist, you’re a subletter. If you travel using Couch Surfing, you’re a couch surfer. But if you accommodate yourself while traveling with Airbnb rooms, you’re a guest. Each host is different, but you can at least count on breakfast, clean sheets, and clean towels.

4. Airbnb is a good place to make real-life friends. You can also make friends using the popular sources I’ve been citing, like Craigslist and Couch Surfing, but why not make some more?

5. Airbnb backs you up. They might not be obligated to protect you when things go wrong, but they have practices in place that will help out along the way. From setting up a security deposit to having staff readily available to mediate any situation that goes sour, Airbnb just feels a little more reliable to me.

[photo by Elizabeth Seward]