Capsule hotels come to China

by Melanie Nayer on

Following in the footsteps of Japan, China has introduced “capsule hotels” – a cheap, convenient and possibly claustrophobic option for travelers on a budget.

If your travel plans take you to Shanghai, you could enjoy a night at a capsule hotel for as little as $10 (68 Yuan). The 68 “room” hotel opened next to the Shanghai Railway Station, making it easy accessible for travelers on-the-go. The concept of capsule hotels — small pod-like spaces complete with a narrow bed, tiny TV, reading light and “shade” that you pull down for privacy — originated in Japan and book up with business and budget travelers needing a quick nap and cheap hotel option before their next stop.

The Shanghai capsule hotel imported the miniature hotel rooms from Japan, and each room is complete with a power point, clock, light, television and wireless internet. Each of the capsules is 1.1-meters (3 feet) high, 1.1-meters (3 feet) wide and 2.2-meters (7 feet) long. The hotel also has a public lavatory, shower room, smoking room and shared guest room.

As of right now, the hotel is for men only. Prices start at 68 yuan ($10) for 10 hours or 88 yuan ($14) for 24 hours.

Our friends at AOL Travel have more information.

MGM Resorts launches hotel loyalty program for Las Vegas hotels

by Melanie Nayer on

Las Vegas lovers: get ready to earn back what you lost at the tables.

MGM Resorts just announced it will launch a hotel loyalty program that includes room upgrades, casino credits, and dining and shopping rewards.

Called M Life, the program will launch Tuesday and, according to Travel Weekly, will expand into a full loyalty program later this year recognizing guest spending on hotel stays, shopping, dining and gambling.

The introduction of the loyalty program competes with MGM’s rivals on the Las Vegas Strip, many of whom offer loyalty programs and players clubs, thanks to association with larger brands. The Cosmopolitan resort (part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection) and the Venetian and Palazzo (both part of the InterContinental Hotels Group system) currently allow customers to earn loyalty points and redeem rewards at various hotels and retailers. However, MGM Resorts’ program goes beyond traditional hotel loyalty program, by introducing gaming and the casino into the mix.
The program will have four tiers (Sapphire, Pearl, Gold and Platinum) and allow “players” to gamble their way to hotel benefits including free rooms and upgrades, pre-sale tickets to concerts and shows and VIP services. The Express Comps feature will enable guests to use their card anytime to instantly redeem rewards.

According to Travel Weekly, “For instance, if a guest is playing at a slot machine and gets hungry or wants to buy a show ticket, they can instantly redeem rewards at participating venues, said MGM Resorts. Express Comps appear as dollars, making redemption transparent and simple.”

The M Life program will cover Las Vegas hotels Bellagio, Aria, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, Mirage, Excalibur, Luxor, Monte Carlo and New York-New York.

HotelPlanner.com gives away free hotel rooms for each day The Jets are in the NFL playoffs

by Melanie Nayer on

Everyone gets a little excited around playoff time, and why shouldn’t travelers who happen to be football fans capitalize on the fun? Clearly claiming their preferred team, HotelPlanner is giving away $500 in free hotel rooms every day at 2pm EST this week to its Facebook fans while their team travel partner, The New York Jets, are still in the NFL playoffs.

The secret to free hotel rooms can be found at HotelPlanner’s Facebook page. Anybody can win, even if you’re a not a Jets fan. If the Jets continue to win, HotelPlanner will continue to give away $500 in free hotel rooms every day until The Superbowl.

Yesterday’s lucky clue from their fan page: “Today’s random number is 50! If your billing zip code ends in 50 then be the first to book $500 worth of free hotel rooms online at HotelPlanner.com!”

Seems easy enough… even if you’re a Ravens fan.

The rooms can be booked at any hotel, for any time, length of stay, star rating or number of rooms, as long as the total reservation cost adds up to $500 or less and the rooms can be booked on HotelPlanner.com.

Daily Pampering: Mandarin Oriental’s ultimate car package in Munich

by Melanie Nayer on

Feel the need for speed? Mandarin Oriental, Munich, has a package just for you.

The luxury hotel group put together this ultimate dream package for car enthusiasts which includes four days’ use of a sleek Mercedes Benz to tour the scenic areas of Southern Germany, plus visits to some of the world’s most important car museums and factories: Audi, BMW, Mercedes Benz and Porsche. The world famous BMW Welt and BMW museum, as well as Audi’s largest plant in Ingolstadt, is just an hour’s drive away from Munich and the hotel.

While you’re rocking the open roadways, stop off at Stuttgart, a two and a half hour drive from the Mandarin Oriental, Munich and home to the fantastic Porsche and Mercedes Benz Museums. The Porsche Museum has approximately 80 world-famous and iconic vehicles while the Mercedes Benz museum has 1500 exciting exhibits.
The dream drive package also includes a night at The Brenner’s Park-Hotel & Spa in Baden-Baden, a small retreat surrounded by its own private parkland on the banks of the river Oos. This hotel is a member of the Leading Hotels of the World, and is located an hour from Stuttgart.

The price of this daily pampering: Package costs starts at EUR 1,477 (approximately $1900 USD) per room and includes:

  • 2 nights at Mandarin Oriental, Munich including breakfast at Restaurant Mark’s
  • 1 night at Brenner’s Park-Hotel in Baden-Baden including breakfast
  • 1 Mercedes Benz limousine for self driving for three days
  • 1 tour of the BMW Welt and BMW museum in Munich
  • 1 tour of the Audi museum and factory in Ingolstadt
  • 1 tour of the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart
  • 1 tour of the Mercedes Benz Museum and factory in Stuttgart

* Private tours and driving sessions can be arranged on request at an extra charge

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

Daily Pampering: Prague’s The Augustine luxe beer spa treatment

by McLean Robbins on

Prague’s luxe hotel The Augustine, which overlooks the Wallenstein Gardens, is a historic seven-building complex that includes the St. Thomas Monastery – a building that dates back to the 13th century. The monastery is also the home of St. Thomas beer, the brewing of which can be traced back to 1352.

Yeah, yeah, so we all know you’d like a glass of the frosty stuff. But what about a pampering treatment featuring the brew? The Augustine spa’s signature treament blends beer and hops flowers to create a luxe 90 minute package that’s surely less caloric than a few classes of the dark stuff.

This treatment starts with a relaxing footbath before moving on to a scrub of carefully blended Himalayan salts and hops flowers that are said to help improve the skin’s tone, increase blood circulation and combat dryness.

Hops, a key ingredient in beer counter cell damage and can also help to reduce blood pressure and levels of insulin in the blood. Beer can help to increase the level of HDL (beneficial cholesterol) in the body, decrease the likelihood of blood clots, and raise the level of antioxidants.

A relaxing scalp and full body massage finishes the treatment. We’re hoping a glass of the hotel’s signature brew is also available? The 90-minute treatment is $201, give or take a few pennies for the exchange rate.

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