Spend five minutes talking to your seatmate – Airplane tip

by Gadling Staff on

We’re accustomed to two extremes: the gregarious seatmate who talks through the whole flight, and the one who has his eyes closed from the start. Most of us prefer the latter, but we may be cheating ourselves out of a business contact or an interesting story.

In my opinion, here’s the best greeting to use to help find that middle ground:

Hi. Nice sitting with you. Would you mind giving me five minutes about you, then we can each read/work/listen to music/sleep, having had our lives enriched by knowing another interesting person.

You never know, you may wish you had a longer flight.

The Oberoi Mumbai reopens tomorrow

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Luxury digs are coming back to Mumbai. The Oberoi is set to reopen tomorrow, following a substantial renovation and restoration. The atrium lobby stretches 14 storeys high, features white Thassos marble and serves as the gateway to 287 guestrooms and suites. Ziya is the hotel’s new Indian specialty restaurant and offers the creations of Michelin-starred chef Vineet Bhatia. Other dining options include Fenix (world cuisine) and Vetro, which has Italian dishes. If you’re looking for wine, this is the place to go, with more than 1,200 bottles from which to choose.

Mr. P.R.S. Oberoi, Chairman, The Oberoi Group said, “We are pleased to re-open The Oberoi, Mumbai. We look forward to welcoming guests to the hotel which has been completely renovated to offer the highest standards of facilities as expected at all hotels of The Oberoi Group; this will be complemented by personalized and gracious service extended by our well-trained and dedicated staff.”

Now, be ready to write a big check. Rates start at $700 a night for a luxury room, but you’re worth it … right?

Memorable in Manhattan: Package for first-timers

by Tom Johansmeyer on

You’ll never forget your first time. It may have been thrilling or awkward, but it was memorable. Many are still waiting for their first … their first trip to New York City. If you’re only exposure to this city is what you’ve seen on television or the big screen, this is your chance to experience it for yourself. The Crowne Plaza Times Square‘s First Time in New York Package will make it easy to give up your city virginity.

I don’t remember my first time in the city (let’s just say I was young), but I do remember my first stay at the Crowne Plaza Times Square. It was only a few weeks after Y2K – and the world didn’t end, in case you were wondering. I remember the feeling that came with stepping onto the sidewalk: the rush of energy was incredible. And then, I got sick – probably a combination of weekly travel, 80-hour work weeks and a diet that looked strangely like a menu at a baseball stadium. So, I really saw little more than the inside of my room, from which I stumbled when I was finally able to handle travel again, and grabbed the 1/9 train down to Penn Station for the ride back to Boston.Hopefully, your first time will be more pleasant! Doubtless, it will be. While the Crowne Plaza can’t immunize you from the nagging diseases that could screw up your trip, it can be all the protection you need when it comes to boredom. As part of the First Time in New York package, you’ll receive two 48-hour passes for the Classic New York Double Decker Bus Tour; tickets to the Empire State Building’s Observation Deck, ferry to the Statue of Liberty and the Natural history Museum; a detailed New York City sightseeing map; a New York City’s Official Visitor Guide; and a commemorative picture frame. At $598 for two nights, this is an absolute steal.

Your first time should be a memory to cherish and a story to tell. Treat yourself to two nights in Manhattan, and you won’t be stuck wondering what it feels like when you watch it on TV.

Phony IRS agent gets probation for lying to live in hotel

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Eventually, the law will catch up with you. Sherry Lynn Vertoch just got probation and was ordered to repay $55,000 to the people she affected. What did Vertoch do? Well, she accumulated that monstrous tab while posing as an IRS agent and stiffing the Inn Marin hotel in Novato, California. The five-year probation sentence was sent down largely because of her illnesses, including diabetes and high blood pressure.

At first, Vertoch’s stays weren’t long. After 2008, she effectively moved in, staying for two years without paying her bill. Her home, room 121, cost $79 a night … well, it should have. To keep the hotel staff off her back, Vertoch told them she was an IRS agent working on an investigation. The story wore thin, however, and a co-owner of the hotel, Robert Marshall, reached out to the IRS to verify her story. It didn’t check out, and Vertoch ultimately wound up in cuffs.

Robert Marshall noted, “The real crime is, we’re a local family business. We don’t have deep pockets, and basically she’s taken money from our children and the families of all our employees. It’s tough times right now.”

Sterilize baby bottles using the hotel room coffee machine – Hotel tip

by Gadling Staff on

Traveling with baby and need to sterilize bottles? Try this —

  1. Wash bottles, nipples and rings thoroughly using the hotel soap and hot running water.Rinse and set aside.
  2. Plug the bathroom sink. Place clean bottles, nipples and rings in sink.
  3. Fill the coffee machine with water and turn on (do not add coffee, tea or filter packets! Just water!).
  4. Let water heat up and fill the carafe.
  5. Pour hot water from the carafe over the bottles, nipples and rings.
  6. Repeat until the bottle items are completely submerged in hot water.
  7. Let sit for five or more minutes.
  8. Remove from water and use as needed.