Could Apple fix airports?

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Maybe this is exactly what we needed – someone from outside the aviation industry to fix it. With Apple‘s latest patent, iTravel, the company stands to make some cash on mobile payments and paperless ticketing, and it could alleviate the bottlenecks we rush into at so many points while traveling. New regs look like they’ll yield a substantial paperless boarding pass/check-in market, according to a post on SocialTimes, and Apple wants a big piece of it. Hell, Apple probably wants all of it – who could blame them?

Now, it appears there’s potential beyond merely taking paper out of tickets and boarding passes. Other reservations and rentals could be brought into the system, using an approach similar to the iPhone-based payment system adopted by Starbucks. The possibilities are endless, as suggested by the hypothetical proposed on SocialTimes:

Imagine this scenario: you visit an iTravel-enabled website (or via your iPhone), book a vacation package including hotel and car rental, with details downloadable to your iPhone, which in turn triggers information for the NFC chip. A barcode or QR code on your iPhone, displayed by the iTravel app, is scanned for your airplane boarding pass. You can check in your luggage yourself, at a special unmanned kiosk, and claim your luggage on arrival at a similar kiosk, thereby reducing wait times at carousels. You arrive at your hotel without manually checking in, go straight up to your room and wave your NFC-enabled phone near the NFC-enabled security plate, and voila, your door opens. Later, when you go to the check-in desk to ask about restaurants, your iPhone gets a push notification to join an ad hoc network (courtesy of Apple’s iGroups patent) which lets you see if any contacts you know might be nearby. You also get access to special coupon offers for transportation, if you decided not rent a car. You might even potentially be able to pay transit fees with your phone – something trialled successfully in various places around the world.

Apple may not own the travel market yet, but it certainly has the potential to seize a decent portion of it. If Apple were to launch an online travel agency and integrate it with a variety of device-driven services that make lines shorter and reduce frustration, it would be an unstoppable force in this business. To see how Apple could change the business, go visit your local Tower Records. Oh, right …

White Collar Travel: A Tale of Two Meals

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Business travelers lead dual lives when they’re on the road. One is nothing short of luxurious, and the other is nothing short of depressing. This isn’t a case of good weeks and bad, and there is little they can do to engineer the frequency of the former over the latter. It all comes down to an uncertain mix of luck and timing. The contrast is most evident in the dining experience. Some meals are grand, while others are eaten from a desk, dashboard or on the corner of the bed.

When clients and your own company’s executives are involved, meals tend to be … ummmm … a tad more upscale. The restaurant is chosen with care, and reservations are made in advance. Usually, attention is paid to where in the restaurant you’ll be sitting, with a private room preferred over a meal with the masses. Several choices are evaluated, and the menus are examined for content rather than cost.

Cocktails tend to come before seating, and wine flows abundantly when the party gets to the table. You’ll go through salads and appetizers (and bottles of wine) before enjoying the entrée that you’ve been thinking about all afternoon. By the time dessert arrives, you’re stuffed … but it just looks so good! There’s always room for something sweet, and you eventually return to your hotel room fully satisfied. You start to think, “I really could get used to this.”You wish all your meals could be that tasty, especially on the nights when you experience the other side of your business travel life.

It’s well past 9 PM, and you’re sitting in a conference room with six of your colleagues. The task of the day is projected onto a screen, and the answers just aren’t flowing. Or, you’re faced with a mammoth amount of work, and a deadline is looming. Someone finally realizes that nobody has eaten since breakfast (or the night before, if you prefer sleep to food) and starts taking orders. Fast food fare eventually materializes in the conference room. The smell is a distraction, since the quarters are tight. As you chomp between clicks on the keyboard, you realize that you aren’t tasting a thing. Rather, you’re just trying to fuel up for what is going to be a long night.

Of course, not every meal is taken at the office. In some cases, you may get out at a reasonable hour. But, you’re eating alone, so you need to make your allotted food cash go as far as possible. Occasionally, you’ll treat yourself to something nice, but on other nights you’ll call for a pizza, prop the box on the desk next to your laptop and munch while sifting through your e-mail with a television show you’ve never had time to watch before blathering on in the background.

This is part of the situation to which the business traveler must adapt, of course. Over time, it becomes part of the grind. You can’t call it a routine, because randomness enters into the picture. You get used to it and learn to look forward to the meals you’ll enjoy most.

Read more White Collar Travel here.

Earth Day travel: Stay ‘green’ at eco-friendly hotels

by Melanie Nayer on

Looking for ways to stay green on Earth Day? Hotels around the world are offering some green options to get you thinking about your carbon footprint, and ways you can help protect Mother Earth. Here are a few U.S. hotel deals just for Earth Day. Grab a room and go green!

Kimpton’s new Hotel Palomar Chicago features a green roof, joining a city-wide eco-friendly initiation. The roof will be covered with grass and vegetation to improve air quality, clean and retain rainwater, and add beauty to the urban landscape. The Hotel Palomar Chicago was built with sustainability in mind, and operates with more than 70 eco-friendly practices as part of Kimpton’s brand-wide EarthCare program.

Eldorado Hotel & Spa in Santa Fe is rewarding green-minded travelers who book “Go Green, Save Your Green” with a 15 percent room discount, complimentary overnight parking for hybrid vehicles (an $18 value) and 20 percent savings on organic products at Nidah Spa. Valid throughout the month of April, nightly rates start at $149. The greenest part? The hotel is located within walking distance to the Santa Fe Plaza, the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum and more popular attractions so you can easily explore Santa Fe without use of a car. (Use promo code PROGG when booking.)

The New Orleans Marriott is in the process of implementing a hotel-wide recycling program and is partnering with the stars of TLC’s “Trashmen,” the property will be able to recycle all paper, plastic and cans using their new recycling center. At the hotel’s 5 Fifty 5 restaurant, the majority of menu items feature local ingredients and a variety of organic wine selections. You can give back while in New Orleans by volunteering at the hotel’s Voluntour Gumbo program.During the month of April, guests staying at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club in St. Petersburg Florida will receive free self parking for hybrid vehicles and complimentary bike rentals. The hotel’s Vinoy Day Spa also offers organic treatments such as the Rejuvenating Eye Treatment using HollyBeth’s natural products and the renowned Marchand’s Bar & Grill features all-natural lamb, free-range chicken and sustainable fish on the “1925 Classic Dining” menu.

Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort will be offering complimentary eco-education for kids and families April 10-24, 2010. The Tiki Tribe kids’ club attendants will host a daily free 30-60 minute activity focused on unique aspects of Marco Island’s native eco-system, i.e. Dolphin Mondays, Sea Turtle Tuesdays, etc. The majority of the Earth Day program will take place on the beach – a great way to keep participants engulfed in the local environment!

The Hard Rock Hotel San Diego (HRHSD) will plant a tree through the American Forests’ Global ReLeaf program for every guest checking in during the month of April. An estimated 5,000 trees will be planted through the hotel’s inaugural “Roots Rock” program to benefit Global ReLeaf, a program of American Forests that has planted more than 30 million trees in hundreds of projects across the United States and internationally since 1990.

Want more options? Travelocity is offering “40 Percent off 40 Green Hotels” in honor of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. During the month of April, Travelocity is hosting an “Earth Day sale” tag and only hotels that are included in Travelocity’s Green Hotel Directory are eligible to participate. The Green Hotel Directory boasts more than 1,500 eco-friendly global hotels. Travelocity’s Travel for Good® program also rents hybrid cars, for those travelers wanting to do a little extra to reduce their carbon footprint while traveling.

Springtime at Paris Las Vegas – the ultimate romance itinerary?

by Scott Carmichael on

Last week, I spent a weekend in Las Vegas as part of a press trip organized by Harrah’s Entertainment – the owners of Paris. The trip was organized to showcase how Paris is the perfect romantic destination in Las Vegas. Along with a group of fellow bloggers, we were taken on a tour of the property and introduced to the various dining choices and entertainment options at Paris – so, read on to see whether Paris lives up to its name, and whether it really is the perfect destination for some romance in Vegas.
The rooms

Romance starts with the right room – and the updated Paris “Red Rooms” certainly fit the theme. The rooms are well designed, albeit without anything really over the top. As usual, all I really look for in a room is a good bed, good climate control and good WiFi. Since this was a trip focusing on romance, I ignored the WiFi for the weekend.

The room features a nice TV/minibar cabinet, which is also home to his and hers closets, a safe and several drawers. The TV channel lineup was fairly boring, and there are (easy to access) inputs or plugs.

The bathroom is spacious, with a single sink – walk in shower and separate bath tub. Amenities are brand-less, but pleasant smelling.

(A little photo trickery using the new Olympus E-PL1)

If your budget allows for it – upgrade yourself to a front-facing (fountain/Eiffel Tower) room – you really won’t be disappointed. Turning the lights off in your room, and watching the Bellagio Fountains from the 29th floor is one memory I won’t forget any time soon.

The entertainment

You can’t do Vegas without entertainment – the two go hand in hand. Thankfully, Paris snagged one of the best shows on the strip – Barry Manilow. Now, I’ll admit right away that I’m no die-hard “Fanilow”, but boy does this man put on a show.

Helped by an 11-man orchestra, moving stage props and several amazing dancers, Mr. Manilow dazzled me in his 90 minute show. His performance includes a mix of new stuff (from his latest album) to his classics. He even spends 10 minutes introducing us to his youth – explaining who helped him get into show business. So, even if you are not “in to” Barry Manilow, a visit to this show will not disappoint.

Perhaps the most surprising show I visited was that of Anthony Cools. Anthony has a nightly show at Paris where he combines comedy with hypnosis. Personally, I usually avoid shows like this because I’m one of those people that doesn’t buy the whole hypnosis thing. I came very close to hanging out on the casino floor instead of going to the show.

But since this was a work trip, I had no choice – I went to his show and listened to the warnings (Anthony Cools personally warned me that I may not want to volunteer to go up on stage!).

In a mere 5 minutes, I realized that this would not be a normal show – and by the end of the show, I had laughed so hard that it actually hurt to talk. I won’t reveal too much about what he does, but I can tell you that if you are a skeptic (like me), you need to man up and visit this show. It is without a doubt one of the funniest things I have ever seen. And I’ve seen a lot of funny stuff in my life. Anthony Cools is a genius, and that is all you need to know. And no – I do not bark like a dog when someone mentions Snausages.


Food and drinks

Paris offers a huge variety of choices for food. There is of course a well stocked buffet, along with several other decently priced establishments, but guests looking for some more upscale choices will not be disappointed.

I had breakfast at Mon Ami Gabi – their Strip side French restaurant. And let me tell you – there is something magical about eating poached pear and caramel crepes while watching the sun come up over the Las Vegas Strip. If you want romance – this is where you’ll find it.

The pastry chef at Le Provencal performs miracles with chocolate – and delivered this amazing trio to our table. The restaurant offers a very reasonably priced selection of French favorites with impeccable service and get this – singing waitstaff.

Other restaurants at Paris include the fantastic Burger Brasserie where you can order a Kobe Beef burger for under $20 – a real bargain (and absolutely delicious).

If you got lucky at the slots, or you just want to impress someone, you can order the $77 burger – another Kobe Beef creation, but topped with imported Brie, caramelized onions, Maine Lobster and 100 year old balsamic vinegar. Got really lucky? $777 gets you that burger, along with a bottle of Dom. What better way to celebrate something than with a $777 bottle of bubbly and a burger?

Fans of the more traditional dinner will love Les Artistes steakhouse. This restaurant specializes in dry aged beef – and was where I had the best steak of my life, along with service from the best waiter I’ve ever met (thanks Dennis!). Prices are surprisingly reasonable, though adding a decent selection of wine will obviously take care of that. Oh, and if someone suggests you try the Caesar salad – listen to them, trust me.

Other things to do

Paris is not complete without a ride up the Eiffel Tower. This applies to the 121 year old version, as well as the more recent Vegas addition. The experience is very similar – you wait in a long line for an elevator, and at the top, you are wowed by the view. Sure – Eiffel Tower purists may complain about this fake version, but as someone who fell in love with his wife on top of the real tower, this one can be just as romantic, provided you are with the right company.

Halfway up the Eiffel Tower is the Eiffel Tower restaurant – which happens to be the perfect location for desert before heading up the tower. The view is spectacular, especially if you snag a table by the window.

The best part of the Vegas Eiffel Tower is being able to relax, take a deep breath and just watch the busy strip fly past you below. This is where you get away from it all, and chill for a bit.

Make no mistake – Paris is also perfect for some gambling. The atmosphere is like most other casinos on the strip – but the Eiffel Tower legs sticking up through the roof make for a really nice effect. I also found the layout to be quite relaxing – no massive gambling hall here, but a well designed area leading into various restaurants and shops.

Other “things to do” include a spa, fitness center, large pool area and a cozy Parisian shopping street with everything from “Les Enfants” (kids products) to the obligatory jewelry stores. The shopping promenade also leads to neighboring Bally’s.

All in all, this was an eye-opening trip – mainly because I was able to spend an entire weekend inside a single property and not be bored. Of course, since the trip had been arranged by the hotel, they made sure we were treated well, but by my calculations, a trip with this schedule could be planned for two people for around $600 which includes the room rate, show tickets, meals and drinks – a price in line with what I’ve usually spent for a good weekend of fun in Vegas. Of course, depending on how you do on the casino floor, the price could go up or down depending on your luck.

If this weekend matches your idea of a perfect romantic getaway, you can snag yourself a room with a nice 15% discount using this link. With your discount, you’ll be able to find rooms at Paris for as low as $68/night!

Anthony Cools, Burger Brasserie and Les Artistes photos courtesy of Scott Roeben, Pulse of Vegas Blog

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This trip was hosted by Harrah’s Entertainment. The ideas and opinions expressed in this article are 100% my own.

For the bees – Puntacana’s unexpected practice of beekeeping

by Annie Scott on


Last week, I visited Punta Cana, Dominican Republic and was delighted to discover they had a large Ecological Reserve, where they do research into ways the resort can be more environmentally friendly.

The Punta Cana Ecological Foundation has a number of unusual projects including recycling water, using worms to compost their trash and they’ve even enlisted the minds of students from Harvard to help them develop new ideas for greener properties. I toured their facility and was especially impressed (and terrified) when we arrived at the site above: the bees.

No, they didn’t just give the hives cute names; those hives house bees that were taken from the Punta Cana homes of Oscar de la Renta (I understand the bees invaded his wife’s bathroom) and Julio Iglesias (who allegedly discovered honey dripping from his ceiling). Rather than exterminate their unwanted pests, Punta Cana encourages its residents to let their hives be removed by the Ecological Foundation, who keeps them and will even gift donors with fresh honey from their very own hives.

As we wandered the area covered with plants intended just for the bees, I talked with Jake Kheel, the Environmental Director, about how the beekeeping works and why they do it. However, as I mentioned, I was terrified — so I emailed him these questions later when I got my breath back.

Gadling: So, tell us why you’ve created these homes for bees, rather than exterminating them.

%Gallery-91172%Jake Kheel: Bees are important pollinators in nature and if managed properly can be quite profitable by producing honey, pollen, royal jelly and other related products, as well as providing important pollination to local plants, vegetables, etc. We thought managing the bees to our mutual benefit made more sense than exterminating them.

G: How many do you have?

JK: We currently have 140 colonies in 5 different sites around our property. Since each colony can have around 20,000 – 40,000 worker bees alone, conservatively, we have around 2.8 million bees in our apiaries.

G: What are the colonies like? How do you keep the bees there?

JK: The bees will stay in the bee boxes as long as the queen bee is there, they can find enough food, and don’t have too many pests or predators. Our job is to make sure the bees have all their needs covered so they can do their work and produce the products we are interested in. Each colony has at least one box on the bottom level with an entrance and an exit and nine separators with wax sheets where they can make honey combs and deposit eggs and honey inside. The second and third and sometimes fourth level boxes are separated by a thin plastic sheet that the drones and queens can’t pass through. This is to make sure they don’t lay eggs in the honey we want to extract and only consume from the bottom box. We only harvest honey from the boxes that the queen and drone cannot access, to make sure they always have enough food.

G: And you sell the honey, right?

JK: We produced 370 gallons last year and sold all of it. We also have an agreement with another local producer of organic honey that supplements our production. We are currently selling the honey at the airport, at our hotels, at our shop, our Farmer’s Market on Saturdays and soon to a local tour operator.

G: Can we buy Oscar de la Renta honey?

JK: Technically, yes! We have several colonies that came from Oscar de la Renta’s and Julio Iglesias’ houses. When we extract the honey we plan to sell, all the honey is mixed together to make the process more efficient. So, technically speaking, almost all of our honey has some of Oscar’s and Julio’s honey in it!

My trip to Punta Cana was sponsored by PUNTACANA Resort & Club, but the opinions expressed in the article are 100% my own.