$6.79 Breakfast Sandwich And Other Avoidable Travel Expenses

by Chris Owen on

Which airline does the best job, which hotel has the best perks and which cruise line has the best past-guest program are topics that few travelers agree on. But when it comes to extra travel fees, all seem to agree: they are something to be avoided if at all possible.

Getting to the final cost of an airline ticket was made easy with recent truth in advertising rules put in place. But nowhere in that legislation was a requirement for airlines, airports, hotels, cruise lines and other travel service providers to be fair. We have to watch out for ourselves when traveling and while some parts of our travel plan are bound to cost more on the road than they do at home, some can be controlled with a little thought.

Talking to a person can cost. Some airlines charge $25 or more if you buy your ticket over the phone, speaking to a human being. While thinking the airline employee on the other end of the phone might be able to help out when we run into trouble scheduling online is not a bad idea, be prepared to pay more for the extra service.

Unnecessary insurance can add up fast. Rental car insurance fees are often redundant. Most travelers who own a car at home are covered if they rent one on the road. Check with your personal auto insurance agent to see. While you’re talking to them, ask if you have any travel coverage for anything at all and ask that same question of your health care insurance provider. Many travelers assume that they have no coverage but many do, if not through their regular health insurance, then through credit cards they may have if travel is purchased using those cards.

Post-Security purchases at the airport can be insanely high-priced. A $6 bottle of water can be avoided by bringing an empty re-usable water container that will make it through the security check. Planning on a meal between home and your destination? Bring it with you and save. Portable foods that are nutritious and not perishable are the best bets. Planning ahead for flight delays, energy bars like KIND bars are a good choice when brought from home – $1.50 versus at the price at a convenient kiosk in the airport by the gate for $3.79.

Breakfast sandwich at McDonald’s on the way to the airport: See the dollar menu.
American Airlines breakfast sandwich in the air: $6.79.


Printing cruise documents, what was once the cause for dancing, as travelers who looked forward to their cruise of a lifetime waited for the mailman to deliver, has gone electronic on all but a few cruise lines. Many major cruise lines simply don’t have the option of paper documents anymore. Royal Caribbean still offers a printed version of cruise documents, upon request at time of booking, for a $35 fee per document.

Probably one of the worst and most avoidable extra fees is Spirit Airlines $100 Carry-On Fee, due to start in November.

The idea is to discourage their customers from making last-minute luggage decisions. The current bag charges of $20 for $9 Fare Club members, $30 for online orders and $35 for telephone reservations go up $5 each on November 6. The prices for carry-on bags paid for at airport ticket counters or kiosks go from $40 to $50. Forget to pay that before you reach the gate? $100 will be the fee. The airline still allows one free small personal item that will fit under the seat.

Check this quick video with some ways to save on airline fees.

[Flickr photo by stevendepolo]

Hotel 101: So, You Want To Open A Hotel? (Part One)

by McLean Robbins on

Let’s say that one day you woke up and decided you wanted to build a hotel (hypothetically, of course). Where would you begin? What’s next? That’s the fundamental question we’ll be asking of hoteliers and hospitality experts over the course of the next few months in “The Birth of a Hotel” series on Gadling.

To illustrate our point, we’ll be following the development, from conception to opening, of Capella Washington D.C., Georgetown, a boutique luxury property in DC that will serve as the brand’s US flagship. We’ll go inside to show you the construction process, introduce you to the key players and show you not only how a hotel is built, but how a brand establishes its presence in a new market. And, to add in a little twist, we’ll showcase the hotel in its race to the finish line, as it prepares to open in time for one of DC’s biggest events – the presidential inauguration – in mid-January, 2013.

Think of the series as a hotel reality show: “How It’s Made” meets Bobby Flay’s “Three Days to Open” meets (just a little bit) of “Hotel Impossible.” Only we won’t be giving out cash prizes and we hope to keep the on-camera hissy fits to a minimum.

So let’s begin at the beginning.

“One of the biggest misconceptions people have about the hotel business is that it’s simple,” says John Hughes, Ed.D., CHE, industry veteran and the director of hospitality management and associate professor of hospitality at the York College of Pennsylvania. “It’s not.”

We’re inclined to agree.

Hotels are often a losing gamble. The hotel industry took a huge hit post 9/11 and has been slow, particularly in the luxury sector, to recover. Choosing a location that can support your endeavor is often the first and most important step.

Step One: Where Am I Building?
Capella’s decision to establish their U.S. flagship in Washington was a smart one. While New York City is often thought of as a more traditional choice to launch a brand (and, in fact, Capella manages The Setai in the city), Washington is a grounded market offering opportunity for luxury brands.

According to Smith Travel Research, Washington, DC’s overall hotel occupancy hovered around 70% in 2011, up from just 66.5% for the nation overall. Revenue, which declined in 2009, grew in 2010 and 2011, and is predicted to grow again in 2012. Supply is also growing, showing the market is expanding, although not fast enough to meet demand. Despite the recession, opportunities in the luxury market remain high in Washington.

Step Two: Show Me The Money.
Hotels aren’t cheap – the 49-room Capella Washington will cost about $45 million, The Washington Business Journal estimated. In comparison, Donald Trump will open a $200 million, 250+ room hotel in a historic post office in 2016, and $547 million, 1,200 room Marriott Marquis is currently under construction.

Capella Washington will be a privately owned hotel, property of Castleton Hotel Partners, LLC. Capella Hotels and Resorts will manage the property, but does not have an ownership investment in it.

Step Three: What Am I Building?
There are many opportunities to build hotels at any level of service in the DC market. This year, 23 hotels are currently in the development pipeline in Washington, adding to those 121 properties and 28,000 hotel rooms in DC proper and more than 660 properties and 106,000 rooms in the greater Washington Metropolitan Region.

In contrast, 379 hotels comprising 38,909 rooms opened in the United States in 2011, STR data showed. New York’s pipeline exceeds Washington’s only slightly, with 172 hotels in development.

Step Four: What Flag Do You Fly?

Hotels can be owned by an individual, a management firm or a brand. Many names, such as Marriott, Four Seasons and Hilton, are primarily management companies – they often don’t own the hotels they operate, instead securing multi-year management contracts. Others choose to operate as independent properties. Around 70% of US hotels are branded, STR data shows.

Ownership groups, which often have multiple brands at differing levels within their portfolio, spend significant time weighing the pluses and minuses of each.

Capella Washington managing partner Bruce Bradley says that he believes Capella represents a high-quality product that is not in any way standardized, instead melding to fit the country or city the property is located in.

In terms of popularity, IHG or InterContinental Hotels Group, is the largest hotel brand worldwide, with over 650,000 rooms and more than 4,500 hotels worldwide. You may not know IHG, but chances are you’ve heard of their properties: Holiday Inn, Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites and Crowne Plaza, as well as their more upscale or boutique brands, InterContinental, Hotel Indigo, Even and Hualuxe. Each brand has unique selling points.

Names like Marriott (which also owns Ritz-Carlton, Autograph Collection, Bulgari and Edition) and Starwood (St. Regis, Westin, and W) are also in the top ten. Capella, in contrast, has just five open properties, with four more to come by 2014. Only one, The Setai, is currently open in the United States.

Nick Gregory, general manager of boutique brand Kimpton‘s newest property, Hotel Monaco Philadelphia, says that a brand name can have distinct advantages, ranging from corporate structure to a deeper talent pool to economies of scale on the sales side. The lessons learned from previous mistakes can also be valuable. And, of course, brand recognition doesn’t hurt.

Bradley agrees. The ability to cross-market and leverage Capella’s strong client base in a global capital like Washington was an important part of the decision-making process.

Many more properties operate without branded names – for various reasons. “We like to start with a blank slate,” said Abigal Tan, Director of Corporate Affairs and International Investments for London-based St. Giles Hotels. Currently, the company is renovating The Tuscany, a former Starwood property.

“I’m very hands-on,” says Hank Fried, President of The Impulsive Group, a New York-based ownership and management firm that operates, among others, independent luxury property the Sanctuary near Times Square. The freedoms afforded by eschewing a corporate brand let him incorporate the best of his travels and experience in hotels into his properties. Operating as an independent “lends itself to a much more family friendly hotel – everything is a little bit warmer,” he says.

Step Five: Where Do We Go From Here?
Think you’re ready to invest in a hotel? We’re just getting started. Next, we’ll begin the marketing, development and planning phase. Find this, and more, in the next installment of the series.

“The Birth of a Hotel” is a Gadling-exclusive series that details what happens as a hotel prepares to open. Follow along with the articles and updates at “The Birth Of A Hotel” page, here. We’d also love to hear from you, our readers. If you have a topic about hotel development or trends that you’d love to see explored, email us or leave a comment, below.

VIP Perks At Your Favorite Hotels: Want Me Get Me Promises Just That

by McLean Robbins on

Let’s just say we like the good life, and new members-only hotel booking site Want Me Get Me, is promising something that seems right up our alley. Launching today, the website promises “perks and amenities usually reserved for celebrities, rock stars, and platinum rewards status priority guests at the world’s best hotels.”

It’s not like a flash sale model – members pay standard “best available” rates – but, in turn, are added on the hotel GM’s VIP List, a room upgrade when available, and complimentary Wi-Fi.

Usually, a VIP list is reserved for high-profile guests, but the program with Want Me Get Me ensures that members will enjoy these gratis add-ons. The amenities offered are entirely left to the discretion of each hotel but can include anything from the splurge (champagne upon arrival and cocktails for two) to the more practical (free valet parking and late check-out).

“Want Me Get Me provides a way for these brands to engage an important demographic using social media and technology that is a real first for hotels and encourages loyalty and drives bookings,” said Melanie Brandman, chief curator officer, in a release.

It’s an exciting concept, and the site’s interface is fairly simple to use. Just pick your city (currently New York, Los Angeles, Miami and San Francisco are supported), your dates of check-in, and choose up to three “guaranteed perks” to narrow down the room list. On a hypothetical weekend in New York with guaranteed room upgrade, we ended up at The Chatwal, one of our favorite luxury properties.

Want Me Get Me has secured agreements with more than 200 boutique and luxury hotels including properties from Ace Hotel, Baglioni Hotels, Denihan Hospitality Group, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Firmdale Hotels, Gansevoort Hotel Group, Hampshire Hotels & Resorts, Kempinski Hotels, L’Ermitage, Luxe Worldwide Hotels, Montage Hotels & Resorts, Morgans Hotel Group, The NoMad Hotel, Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, Orient-Express Hotels, The Peninsula Hotels, Raffles Hotels and Resorts, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, The Standard, Thompson Hotels, and Trump Hotel Collection.

Want Me Get Me plans to add extra amenities, double the number of hotels on the platform and be available in all major U.S. cities by year’s end.

The bottom line? If our favorite luxury property isn’t available on Jetsetter or Sniqueaway, we’re sure to use this site on an upcoming vacation or business trip.

New Study Shows What Families Want On Vacation

by McLean Robbins on

Pools rule, say families traveling together. A new report from Hilton shows that families value pool and water activities most, followed by spacious and potentially adjoining guest rooms and all-inclusive options.

These valued options make sense, given that parents often wish to save money while on vacation. All-inclusive options keep costs down (92% of US parents were interested in this option), while pools and water activities are often free value-adds at a resort that might not have much in the way of off-property activities.

Kids’ clubs are another highly valued resort amenity for families – key considerations for kids’ club use are safety, flexibility and diverse programming.

None of these stats are particularly surprising; although, we were a bit shocked that interest in all-inclusive packages was so high, given the limited number of these types of resorts available for domestic travel.

Where are parents looking to go? Top destinations where U.S. parents want to vacation now include Hawaii, Orlando, the Grand Canyon, Southern California and Continental Europe, while U.K. parents pair their top choice of Orlando with Disneyland Paris, Italy, Mallorca and Dubai.

10 Locals To Befriend On Your Next Trip

by Jessica Festa on

When traveling, interacting with locals can really enhance your trip. From showing you lesser-known sights to teaching you about local culture and giving you offbeat tips you wouldn’t find in a guidebook, residents in the city you visit are worth getting to know. To help give you some travel insight, here are 10 locals to befriend on your next trip.

The Taxi Driver

Many travelers don’t realize when they get into a cab they are actually stepping through a portal of information. They spend their days driving people all over the city, so they know the best places to go for just about anything you’re looking for. Ask them for dining information, where to get a great view of the city, the best markets for getting a deal and what some of the more offbeat sites are. I’ll usually even ask them to put together an itinerary for me with the question: “If you had friends visiting, how would you spend a day with them?”

Additionally, taxi drivers can tell you more than just where to go and what to see. These people have seen it all, and in my experience, are usually extremely open, fun and talkative. Even when I’m home in New York, my friends and I will often get into taxis and ask the driver to pretend we’re in the Cash Cab and ask us trivia questions. I can’t think of a driver who has ever declined. When I travel I always have about 10 million questions about everything from food to dating and fashion, and my cab drivers are the ones who get bombarded with them. And unless you ask something extremely inappropriate, they’re usually happy to answer.The Hotel Staff

Whether I’m staying in a hostel, hotel or guesthouse, I always try to befriend the staff. In fact, many of these people have become friends I still keep in touch with. Their job entails helping people to discover the best the city has to offer – not to mention they live there themselves – so they’re happy to tell you the hidden secrets. After their shift, they may even offer to accompany you. On my last birthday, I was traveling solo in Mendoza, Argentina. I didn’t want to spend the day alone, and confided this to my hostel receptionist, Javier. Luckily, Javier helped me get a group together that included hostel staff, locals and himself to go out for dinner at the “best asado restaurant in town” and for drinks at “Mendoza’s best wine bar” to celebrate. It ended up being one of my best birthdays.

The Tour Guide

In my experience, tour guides are the easiest locals to befriend. It always seems as if they take on the job to not only educate the public, but also meet new people. And of course, since their job is to show tourists around the city, you’ll know they’ll be a good person to get recommendations from and explore with. On almost every tour I’ve been on, I’ve invited the guide out for drinks or to walk around the city, and it always turns into a worthwhile experience. One of the best tour guide friends I made was on San Cristobal Island in the Galapagos. My scuba diving instructor, Jens, and I began chatting on the boat, and the next day he came with me on a jeep tour of the island. The entire group was thankful, as our real guide couldn’t speak any English, so Jens was able to translate as well as add in tidbits of his own knowledge. And when my camera broke at the beach, he was able to put me in contact with someone who sold me their used camera for a very cheap price.

The Barista

Getting to know the barista at a local coffee shop can help make the city feel more like home. Not only can they give you insight into the city’s coffee culture, they’re often open to talking about life beyond the cafe, as well. And if you spend enough time relaxing with your cuppa joe in the shop, you’re likely to become fast friends.

The Local Children

Local children are great to befriend, not only because they’re cute, but also because they usually love talking to anyone and everyone. Not only that, they think everything is interesting, so you’ll get tidbits of knowledge most adults don’t deem worth mentioning. For example, when I was in Ghana I worked at an orphanage, and many of the children loved showing me their workbooks from school. Most likely, no adult is going to throw into a conversation, “so the children are learning about religion and household roles at school.” However, it was fascinating for me to learn about the education system in the country, how it differed from the one in my country and what this said about Ghanian culture.

The Student

If you’re traveling during the summer, it won’t be hard to find a local student eager to do something with their free time. Hangout at student bars, peruse message boards or head to the nearest student cafe to get to know some of these locals. Most likely, they’ll be happy to take you out for beers and give you some insider tips. In Lima, Peru, I befriended one student who actually gave me a tour of his campus, introduced me to his friends and told me about what classes were like in the city. It was an interesting excursion, and not one I would have thought to do on my own.

The Local Celebrity

Meeting a local celebrity can give you a quirky look into local culture. New York’s Naked Cowboy, the Elephant Man in Barcelona and the Egg Lady in Gimmelwald, Switzerland, are just a few that I’ve encountered. They’re usually famous for some quality they bring to the city, so meeting them is a unique experience. If you’re not sure who the local celebrity is, ask your hotel, taxi driver or any of the other above-mentioned locals.

It’s also possible to meet local celebrities. When I was living in Sydney, Australia, I won tickets to a film awards show. I had no idea what to expect, as I didn’t know much about Australian films. The event was glamorous, with a red carpet, impeccable decor and free-flowing Champagne. While I didn’t recognize any of the awarded names, I couldn’t help but feel like a teenage girl meeting Justin Bieber at the after party. It was really exciting to sit and chat with these local celebrities who people in the film community deemed to be helping to put Australian movies on the world map. If performance doesn’t interest you, you can seek out high profile locals in the communities you find worthwhile, like humanitarianism, cooking, farming or business.

The CouchSurfer

As an avid CouchSurfing member, I have spent much time abroad meeting locals through this medium. While some are expats and others have lived in the city their entire lives, all have a wealth of knowledge and are always excited to share it. Because the site is made for travelers who want to meet locals and vice versa, you know you’ll be able to find someone who is excited to show you around. I’ve gotten to have some really “behind the scenes” experiences by meeting CouchSurfers, like watching local painters at work, learning to tango for free, attending a birthday party and helping to cook for potluck suppers.

The Chef

One of best ways to get to know a culture is through food. And what better way to taste the city’s best food than by befriending a chef? Whether it’s a 5-star Michelin Chef or a street food vendor, get to know these people by sampling their cuisine and asking them how they make it and what the dish’s importance is in the community. It’s also a great excuse to indulge in delicious foods.

The Local Activist

If you want to dig even deeper into the culture, befriend a local activist. Learn about issues in the community and how people are responding. Who knows, maybe you’ll even be able to come with a solution or strategy to help the city you’re visiting.

[Images via Adam Jones, Ph.D, David McKelvey, Jessie on a Journey, Melissa Wentarmini, N A I T]