New Jersey hotel caters to children with autism

by Melanie Nayer on

One New Jersey hotel is hoping to help families traveling with children with autism. The Clinton Inn Hotel in Tenafly has opened its Alpine Suite, specifically designed for kids with autism.

Tony Morreale, the hotel’s manager, and parent of an autistic child, came up with the idea after having trouble finding hotel rooms that were safe for children with varying degrees of autism. The Alpine Suite in the Clinton Inn Hotel is complete with furniture with rounded corners, décor that cannot be moved and an alarm on the door to alert grownups if a child tries to leave. Other added touches include plastic glasses instead of glassware, a flat-panel television set affixed to the wall, and safety latches on all the cabinets and drawers throughout the suite.

According to reports from a New Jersey government task force, 1 in 94 children in New Jersey has a form of autism; 1 in approximately 110 children across the nation falls somewhere on the autism spectrum. The Clinton Inn is hoping to help travelers with autistic family members sleep a little easier on vacation knowing their kids are safe in the hotel room.

The Clinton Inn Hotel is located minutes from New York City, so families looking for a New York escape can easily make the trek into Manhattan.

Dubai’s Burj unexpectedly closed to the public

by Melanie Nayer on

The world’s tallest building has abruptly closed to the public after only a month of being open to the public. Apparently, electric problems are partially to blame for the closure of the Dubai’s Burj, which undoubtedly leaves many disappointed tourists looking up at the tower, instead of down from the half-mile high observation deck.

The closure of the Burj Khalifa’s (the new name appointed to the tower) viewing platform is only one part of the problem, though. The Burj was preparing to welcome permanent guests and hotel guests over the next few months, and many wonder if plans will go through as predicted.

The Associated Press reports an indefinite closure, which started Sunday. Dubai had high hopes for this spire-structure. The Burj Khalifa was slated to be a major tourist draw for Dubai, helping to increase tourist dollars to the United Arab Emirates.

Dubai opened the 160-story skyscraper on Jan. 4. The first of 12,000 residential and office space tenants were scheduled to move in later this month.
Work was still underway on the tower’s Giorgio Armani-designed hotel and adjacent shopping center. The observation deck – and the tower’s main draw – is located on the 124th floor. Tickets bought in advance cost around $27. Unfortunately, those travelers who pre-paid for tickets will now be standing in line for a refund.

Ramada hotel reservations for 50% off – as low as $28/night

by Scott Carmichael on

A Ramada hotel might not be your first thought for a romantic hotel, but what if I told you that you can reserve a room with a sweet 50% discount? I’m guessing that suddenly makes it more interesting!

The Ramada Hotels reservation site has a promotion offering 50% off their lowest rates – and this isn’t the kind of promo that makes you hunt for hours to find the “hot deal”.

I spent a couple of minutes on their site, and found plenty of properties participating, with some offering nights as low as $28 for a night. There are even hotels with availability during Valentine’s day (hint hint).

The fine print of the promotion isn’t too bad either – book between February 8th and February 12th for stays to be completed by March 31st. There is no limit to the number of stays you can book, and the rooms are available in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and Latin America.

Click here for the promotion, and please remember that we have zero control over promotions like this, so if a particular hotel is already sold out of the promotion nights, there is absolutely nothing we can do about it. Did you find yourself a great deal? Share it in the comment section!

Daily Pampering – Trump-style proposal in Chicago

by Annie Scott on

If you want to propose to your honey, you want it to be flashy and fabulous and you don’t want any of the hassle (and your assistant looked at you like you had three heads when you asked if he or she’d arrange it for you), Trump Hotel Collection has you covered.

Donald Trump knows what it’s like to be too busy to arrange the ultimate proposal. In the words of the Trumpster himself, “You have to think anyway, so why not think big?“

A coordinated proposal in idyllic conditions on the stunning 89th floor of the Trump International Hotel and Tower, Chicago includes a night in a Grand Deluxe Lake View Suite, limousine transport to and from the hotel, a welcome bottle of Champagne, an in-suite private chef dinner for two, two dozen red roses, a full day of spa treatments for two, a romantic turndown at night, an in-room American breakfast for two and complimentary 2 p.m. late check-out (if availability allows). A Trump Attaché will take care of timing, flowers and everything else you need. Best of all, the package includes the diamond ring — your Attaché will help you make your selection from the Ivanka Trump Collection.

Prices for the romantic Once in a Lifetime package at the Trump International Hotel and Tower, Chicago start at $20,100. The cost climbs with upgrades and, of course, bigger rings.

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

Hotels top target for hackers

by Tom Johansmeyer on

According to online security trade publication DarkReading.com, hackers went after the hotel sector more than any other in 2009. And, they didn’t get caught: it took hotels an average of 156 days to discover a security breach. A study by Trustwave’s SpiderLabs of 218 security breach investigations in 24 countries found that 38 percent hit the hospitality industry, 19 percent for financial services, 14 percent for retailers and 13 percent for food and beverage.

So, why are hackers poking around in hotel systems? Credit cards!

Hackers are looking for payment information that they can steal and use elsewhere. This information that can be converted to cash quickly, says Trustwave SpiderLabs executive Nicholas Percoco. Other sensitive information wasn’t nearly as popular, with the likes of financial, authentication and healthcare information good for only 1 percent of what was stolen.