Burberry Raincoats And Other Cool Things You Can Borrow From Your Hotel

by Reena Ganga on

London may be known for its rainy climate but one hotel in the British capital has decided loaning out umbrellas just wasn’t cool enough for its elite clientele — not when you could loan out Burberry trench coats instead.

The Maybourne Hotel Group — which runs a number of high-end hotels in London — is placing the designer raincoats in suites so that guests can ward off the weather. Visitors can use the Burberry coats for free during their stay, but will have to cough up around $1,500 if they want to take them home.

Trench coats are just one of many luxurious perks hotels are offering to woo guests. Over the years, we’ve seen all sorts of cool and surprising things on loan to travelers.If you’re staying at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills, there’s no need to worry about picking up a cramped rental car. The hotel will set guests up with a nice set of free wheels — all you have to do is decide if you want to hit the road in a Porsche, Lamborghini, Rolls Royce, Ferrari, Cadillac, Mercedes or Bentley.

Earlier this year, the Burj Al Arab in Dubai announced it was letting guests play with an iPad during their stay. Of course, being Dubai, they’re not just handing out any old iPad — their blinged-out devices are plated in nothing less than 24-carat gold.

And finally, if you’re tired of everything in your suitcase, you can put together a killer new outfit thanks to the Fred Segal lending library at the Loews Santa Monica Hotel. The program lets hotel guests borrow a range of accessories such as expensive purses, necklaces and sunglasses from the upscale clothing retailer.

Have you come across any other lavish hotel perks?

Best Way to Spend a Weekend at the Grand Canyon

by Gadling Staff on

The Grand Canyon astonishes even the most seasoned travelers, but a visit here offers far more than a jaw-dropping view across a 6000-foot-deep, vermilion-streaked chasm. Park staffers point out that a significant number of visitors simply drive into the park, walk up to the canyon rim, snap a few photos and speed away. Don’t be that tourist. Give yourself 48 hours, and you’ll have the opportunity to examine fascinating exhibits on the region’s impressive human and natural history, embark on a light (or strenuous) hike and feast on local elk and trout in a grand dining room perched on the canyon’s rim. So grab your camera (and at least a 16-gig memory card) and spend some time getting to know the country’s second-most-visited national park.

See the full itinerary on MapQuest Discover>>

Homeless Tour Guides Offer Visitors New Perspective In Barcelona

by Reena Ganga on

Students, the elderly, history buffs and tour operators — these are the kinds of people who typically guide visitors on sightseeing expeditions around their city. But Barcelona is proving tour guides really do come from all walks of life, thanks to a new program that puts homeless people in charge of leading tourists.

The Spanish city says it’s aiming to improve the lives of the unemployed and give tourists a unique perspective on the city by offering some of Barcelona’s 3,000 homeless people the chance to guide travelers on the Hidden City Tours walk. The tour will provide visitors with a historic look at the city and hopes to open their eyes to the “social reality” of the region.The concept was inspired by a similar program employing homeless guides in Britain. The tours will begin in mid-October and be available in English and Spanish.

However, it’s not just in Europe where you’ll find travel industry workers who are homeless. The New York Times revealed today that many of the Big Apple’s homeless shelter residents hold down several jobs, including positions as security guards at JFK Airport.

Serial Killer’s Home Becomes Tourist Site

by Reena Ganga on

Between the beaches, national parks, vineyards and theme parks, California has plenty of tourist draw cards, but now an unlikely attraction has made the list — the home of a serial killer.

The boarding house run by Dorothea Puente, a Sacramento woman convicted of killing her elderly residents, became a tourist attraction when the city decided to add the building to its local tour of featured and historic homes.

Although the building has undergone some updates in the three decades since the gruesome murders, visitors are still able to see the room where the killer drained the body fluids from her elderly victims.While the home of a serial killer may seem like a strange attraction to visit during a vacation, macabre tourist sites are nothing new. Here are a couple other dark attractions that visitors flock to:

Choeung Ek. More than one million people were slaughtered during the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia, and Choeung Ek is one of the most well known Killing Fields. Nearly 9,000 bodies are buried in mass graves here, and visitors can see a giant glass memorial filled with 5,000 human skulls.

Auschwitz. This World War II concentration camp in Poland saw the deaths of more than 1 million prisoners at the hands of the Nazis. Each year, millions of visitors pass through the gates of the memorial and museum located at the site.

Fukushima Nuclear Reactor. It’s not quite an attraction yet, but a proposal is being considered to turn this Japanese disaster site into a tourist destination. Tourists would stay in hotels designed to protect them from high levels of radiation and would be able to take photos of the reactor while dressed in protective suits and respirators.

Three Tips To Make Your Vacation Dream A Reality

by Capital One on

With so many amazing places to visit in the world, it’s impossible to see everything. That’s why some Americans have a travel bucket list. According to a recent Capital One survey, Hawaii (57 percent) is the top destination for most Americans on their travel bucket list followed by The Grand Canyon (38 percent) and New York City (33 percent).

Interestingly, more than half of Americans don’t really have a travel bucket list. Don’t you just wish you had a little more time in your summer and a little more money in your wallet to make your travel aspirations a reality?

Unfortunately, our busy schedules and tight wallets have put the kibosh on many exciting travel plans. The good news is that with some smart planning, you don’t have to forego your next vacation – not to mention winter and spring break fun.

With Capital One Venture and its doubles miles, you can go just about anywhere and make your travel dreams come true. Here are a few tips to help you plan for your next memorable vacation:

  • Decide sooner rather than later: Money experts have said for years that if you don’t identify concrete goals, it’s much more difficult to set aside the cash necessary to obtain those goals. The same is true for travel planning. For money saving motivation, create a list of the must-see places you’d like to visit. (Hint: If you need some amazing travel ideas check out the Venture Travel #BucketList on Tumblr.)

  • Know before you go: Make sure your travel budget includes trip insurance, and the cost of any visas or other documentation you’ll need. And, if your credit card charges fees for overseas use, re-evaluate your options.

  • Plan your next vacation every day: Use your rewards card to pay for every day expenses such as gas, groceries, etc. What may seem like a run-of-the-mill purchase could help you rack up enough rewards to offset costs and make your next dream vacation a reality!

Interestingly, according to the recent Capital One Rewards Barometer – a survey that shows how consumers accumulate and redeem credit card rewards – 42 percent of rewards cardholders redeem their rewards to cover the cost of airfare.

Whether you’re using credit card rewards toward airfare, or saving cash to buy a pearl necklace in Hawaii, your vacation will be that much more satisfying when you have more in your wallet.

So what are you waiting for? Be smart with your vacation planning and before you know it you will be busy turning your travel aspirations into reality. Share your travel dreams using #BucketList with Capital One and join the conversation.