Hotel News We Noted: January 4, 2013

by McLean Robbins on

Welcome back, readers! We hope you spent the last days of 2012 and the first few of 2013 in good health, great spirits and an even greater location. We rang out 2012 at one of our favorite local escapes, Four Seasons Baltimore, and spent lots of time this season reflecting on all that we experienced over the past year.

Although we’re just a few days into 2013, the hotel world is already gearing up for a brilliant year. We’re always looking for ways to spice up the column, so we’ll welcome suggestions, tips and ideas from readers at anytime – just email us.

And now, without further ado, here’s this year’s first edition of “Hotel News We Noted.”

Hotel Week 2013 Means Great Deals in NYC
Hotel Week NYC™ kicks off on January 4 and runs through January 20, 2013, bringing a much needed boost to New York City’s economy after Hurricane Sandy reared its head. This 17-day event celebrates some of the city’s most prestigious hotels at a fraction of the cost ($100, $200 and $250 per night). Now 24 properties are participating, including some of our favorites; Gansevoort Meatpacking NYC, The James New York and Hotel Chandler are just some of our favorite hotels welcoming guests. View the full list of participating hotels here.

Even More Great NYC and DC Deals
Affinia is making winter travel affordable as well. Book between January 8 and 10 at any Affinia property in DC and New York and get 25% off the best available rate. That means that stays start at just $95 in DC and $129 in New York, a great deal at any time of year.
To book, visit www.affinia.com/JAN3DY, or call 866-246-2203 and mention promotional code JAN3DY.

Opening of Note: Fairmont The Palm
The first major opening of 2013 is in none other than the trendy location of Palm Jumeirah, the world’s largest man-made island shaped in the form of a palm tree. The 381-room Fairmont The Palm is located next to Burj Khalifa, the tallest freestanding building and The Dubai Mall, the largest retail development. We can’t wait to visit!

Fashion and Fun for JW Marriott and Nordstrom
Did you know that December was the most common month for engagements of the entire year? Now newly engaged brides and grooms the country over are scouring the globe for their perfect wedding location. If you’re a JW Marriott fan, enter their new Pinterest contest and the winner will get a $4,000 credit to the Nordstrom wedding suite, plus a a five-night stay inclusive of breakfast and spa treatments at their choice of one of the ten JW Marriott Resorts in the U.S. and Mexico, valued at $3,000.

Sweet Suite: Live Like “Downton Abbey” in Canada
One of our favorite shows returns for its third season (which we may or may not have already streamed online) this Sunday, and we’re borderline obsessed with all things Downton. For that reason, “The Manor Package” at Canada’s Oak Bay sounds right up our alley – and possibly yours too. Located in scenic Victoria, this waterfront town in British Columbia is one of our all-time favorites. The 999 CAD package includes:

  • Round-trip transfers by the Oak Bay Beach Hotel chauffeured Rolls Royce – between the hotel and any Victoria terminal (airport or ferry)
  • Two nights in a signature ocean view king guest room – including nightly turndown service
  • A full English breakfast each morning
  • High Tea served in the Conservatory
  • Dinner for two in the gourmet Dining Room
  • Personalized Butler service during your stay
  • Full access to the seaside mineral pools, steam room and fitness center.

[Image Credit: Fairmont The Palm]

Rest For The Weary: 5 Great Travel-Centric Ways To Celebrate National Sleep Day

by McLean Robbins on

Despite the fact that much of America enjoyed a few days of paid vacation this holiday season, sometimes the months of November and December can leave one feeling exhausted instead of relaxed come January. Hotels are great places to get a good night’s sleep – properties have spent millions researching the perfect mattress, pillow and sheet combination to ensure you drift off to dreamland in comfort, if not comfort and style.

Here are a few of our favorite places, programs and tips and techniques to get a hotel-quality sleep at home:

Choice Hotels’ Sleep Inns
When a brand boasts the word “Sleep” in its title, we hope for a good night’s rest. At Sleep Inn, hotels leave “Dream Tips” in the room for guests. One we enjoyed? “Rest fashionably – Wear your socks to bed. They help regulate body temperature for a more satisfying night’s rest.” Rooms also feature soft lighting; warm colors; and serene, nature-oriented
artwork as well as plush bedding to encourage a restful night’s sleep.

Sleep Studies at Canyon Ranch
Sure, time at a spa or wellness resort is relaxing, but those with more deep-seated insomnia issues might want to take it to the next level at Canyon Ranch resorts. Here, medical professionals can conduct overnight sleep studies, sleep analyses and therapy sessions to help guests overcome insomnia and other sleep-related issues. The programs are pricey – therapy begins at $155 for a 50-minute “Sleep Enhancement” session or $2,380 for an overnight study, but hey – nobody functions well without their beauty rest.

Rest for the Weary in the City that Never Sleeps
New York City hotel The Benjamin is well known for its sleep program, which offers a pillow menu, sleep concierge, special pet sleep program called “Dream Dog” and a kid’s sleep amenity called the Winks’ Kidzzz Club.

Diamond Resorts International’s Three-Pound Pillow
Last year, Diamond Resorts launched a 51 oz. pillow, reported to be the heaviest on the market. The hypoallergenic pillow mimics the weight and comfort level found in high-end home pillows. Made just for the hotel chain, these pillows can also be purchased online for under $30.

Hotels With Great At Home Perks
If you love to get your z’s in a hotel bed, you can usually purchase the entire package online from a brand’s website. Shop Hyatt at Home, The Ritz-Carlton Shops, the Westin Home Collection and Kimpton Style right from the comfort of your tablet or laptop.


January is also a great month to invest in linens, as many companies host an annual “white sale” on goods like sheets and towels this month. Frette, Pratesi and Sferra linens are names commonly associated with luxury hotels.

Do Your Research
Looking for the right information about how to sleep better on or off the road? We suggest you visit the National Sleep Foundation for great tips and information.

[Image Credit: The Benjamin]

Which App Offers The Lowest Hotel Prices? Priceline, Tonight Or Hotel Tonight?

by Dave Seminara on

Finding a dirt-cheap hotel room – either at the last minute or well in advance – is an art, not a science, and I’m always looking for new tools to save money. For years, Priceline has been my go-to resource for cheap hotel rooms and rental cars because I have a system for gaming the site and it works beautifully for me.

Here’s a few examples of deals I’ve scored by bidding – not using the search function – on Priceline in the last few months.

  • Full-size rental car with Avis at LAX for a bid of $13 per day (with taxes and fees the total price came to $18.44 per day for a 9-day rental).
  • 4-star Westin Gaslamp Quarter Hotel in San Diego- $70 per night bid ($82 per night including tax and surcharges).
  • 4-star Hyatt Regency Chicago– $55 bid- ($67.66 all inclusive per night)
  • 3-star Courtyard by Marriott– Flint, MI- $50 bid ($63.25 all inclusive)
  • 3.5- star Galt House Hotel– Louisville, KY- $50 bid ($64.95 all inclusive)
  • 3-star Courtyard by Marriott, Fair Oaks, VA- $51 bid (63.94 total)

As you can see, I’ve gotten some killer deals on Priceline and I’m not really brand loyal, so I don’t mind the element of chance in bidding. But my biggest complaint with Priceline is that I sometimes get stuck with hotels that charge for Wi-Fi and have expensive parking. (If you’re looking for a list of hotels that offer free Wi-Fi click here.)

The Hyatt Regency in Chicago, for example, charges $52 per night to park, and a hotel I got on Priceline in Orange County in December charged $14 per computer per night for Wi-Fi, which works out to $28 per night for my wife and I. I almost never pay to park at the hotel I’m staying at and I’m adept at finding free parking just about anywhere, but it’s hard to get around paying for Wi-Fi, unless you can find another signal or if it’s free in the common areas.

I’ve tried other sites and apps with less than impressive results but on a recent last minute trip to Milwaukee, I decided to give two other apps, Booking.com’s Tonight and Hotel Tonight a go (the Jetsetter app doesn’t work in Milwaukee). Hotel Tonight had just four options for us, ranging from $50 at a Radisson outside the city to $189 for the ultra hip Iron Horse Hotel. But while the selection was lame, we did get a $25 credit for registering, so if we’d been up for staying at the Radisson in the suburbs, we could have snagged a hell of a good deal.

The Tonight app had almost the exact same results from a regular Priceline search (not their bidding tool) – the same hotels and the exact same prices (Hotwire, Expedia and others all tend to generate similar offers). All the downtown hotels we had our sights set on – Hilton, the Iron Horse, Residence Inn, Hilton Garden Inn and a few others were all at least $129.

So I went back to my old reliable method of bidding on Priceline, using the free rebid system, which relies on the fact that some bidding zones don’t have 4-, 3.5- or 3-star hotels. In Milwaukee, like most U.S. cities, there are several geographic bidding zones that have no 3- or 4-star hotels (you ascertain this by checking the boxes and seeing what star levels are grayed out), so I started the bidding at $35 for a 4-star hotel and after being rejected at $35 and trying again at $40, got a message stating that if I’d increase my offer to $55, I’d get my 4-star hotel.

I’ve gotten messages like these before but I never given in at this point because I figure there’s always room for an even cheaper price and usually there is. In this case, I got the 4-star Hilton City Center for a $45 bid ($59.07 total). This same hotel was on the Tonight app and in the Priceline search field at $129 not including taxes per night.



The hotel was beautiful and we even found free street parking right around the corner, which saved us $25. This is just one example, but I’ve found over and over again that there is really no substitute for bidding if you want a really low price. Some people can’t handle the element or risk or surprise, however you want to put it, but you can mitigate those risks by researching what you might get on sites like Bidding For Travel.

If you like the security of choosing your own hotel, Tonight or Hotel Tonight are worth exploring, but if you simply want the lowest rate, you are usually better off bidding.

[Photo credit: Loren Javier on Flickr]

How To Book A Better Hotel Room In 2013

by McLean Robbins on

Here at Gadling, we’re all about traveling more – for less. Whether we dive the fiscal cliff or not, travel is a luxury in this tight economy, and we’re all searching for ways that we can travel better, smarter and cheaper. Here’s what we’ve collected on how you can book a better hotel room in 2013.

Scour Social Media
You’re already aware that hotels offer specials on their Facebook and Twitter pages. Make sure to follow your favorite brands and “subscribe” to these updates. It may seem like a no-brainer, but you don’t want to miss a special or promotion because the update was buried in your news feed. Don’t forget about email either – hotel’s aren’t likely to spam your inboxes, but often send out valuable promotions and alerts via traditional e-blasts.

Pick Up The Phone
Don’t be afraid to call the hotel directly. Ask if they can match the rate you saw on a flash sale website or on Expedia. Hotels want your business. They are often willing to negotiate rates, particularly for last-minute travel when occupancy permits. On that note, join the hotel’s loyalty program wherever possible. In addition to a dedicated phone attendant, you’ll also gain points and a record of previous stays.Personalize
Hotels, particularly in the luxury market, are paying closer attention to guest preferences than ever before. Request feather-free pillows once and they should be in your room automatically on your next stay. Savvy hotels are tracking guest requests, so don’t be shy in asking for what you want … within reason, of course.

Travel “Smart”
Last-minute bookings are more popular than ever, and hotels have admitted that they’ll often discount rates if rooms are available. Not many new apps have launched, but some of our favorites, like Hotel Tonight have improved and added cities, and even our favorite flash-sale darling Jetsetter has added a “rooms for tonight” option. If you’re willing to pay full price, try a site like WantMeGetMe, which allows you to be guaranteed certain VIP perks like upgrades and late checkouts with a rate comparable to booking through the hotel’s website.

Go Boutique … or Leverage Loyalty
Smaller hotel chains are still fighting the big brands for your business. While business travelers often seek out bigger brands for their loyalty perks, consider booking independent or smaller hotels, which can offer a more personalized experience and higher-touch staff. If you’re always traveling to big brands, make sure to use your loyalty membership status when traveling for personal reasons. Even if you can’t book with points, you’ll be flagged in the system as a frequent guest.

Get An Agent
Travel agencies are making a comeback. Agencies can often negotiate preferred rates, assist with itineraries beyond the hotel, and help arrange air travel.

Have another tip we haven’t listed? Share it in the comments, below.

[Image Credit: McLean Robbins]

Eat Me: What Capella Washington’s New Restaurant Will Bring To The Table

by McLean Robbins on
A few weeks ago, we explored trends in hotel food and beverage. Now Capella Washington, D.C. has released exclusively to yours truly details about their new restaurant and bar concept. Dubbed The Grill Room and The Rye Bar, the farm-to-table restaurant along the C&O Canal will be open to guests and locals alike.
Helmed by Executive Chef Jakob Esko, formerly of Capella Singapore, the restaurant expects to open in mid-February with daily dinner service and select breakfast and lunch dishes.
The Rye Bar will feature a dozen unique Rye whiskeys, a nod to the spirit made at George Washington’s nearby Mount Vernon.
All meats – many of which will be locally sourced – will be served with a house-made alderwood smoked rye sauce, including a Wagyu bone-in rib eye, and a 14-oz. pork chop. Other dishes include a fresh pasta carbonara, a chopped lobster salad, and a 28-day aged “Capella” burger.
Guests will be able to dine indoors, or, in nice weather, along the C&O Canal. Hotel guests will also be able to order from a room service menu to the hotel’s roof deck in warm weather.

The “Birth of a Hotel” series explores what it takes to build, market and open a luxury hotel from conception to reception. Read more articles in the series, here.

[Image Credit: Capella Washington]