Bring an over-the-door shoe organizer – Hotel tip

by Gadling Staff on

One of the biggest frustrations when traveling is staying organized in your hotel room. An over-the-door shoe organizer is one of the most helpful items you can pack.

After you check-in, hang this on the bathroom door and fill it with all of your toiletries or other items – yes, even shoes. The clear plastic variety is the best, so you can see the contents – and so can everyone else in your traveling party.

It works great for toothpaste, toothbrushes, hair brushes/combs, hairspray, aspirin, rain ponchos, etc. Everything is at your fingertips!

Check the alarm upon arrival – Hotel tip

by Gadling Staff on

I don’t know if it’s the maid setting the room’s alarm clock as a prank, or the occupants prior to my stay. In any case, too many times I have been abruptly awakened to a blaring alarm or loud music booming at my head from the nightstand.

Not the best way to start off a relaxing vacation.

Therefore, it’s become my custom to check — and turn off! — the room-provided alarm clock when I first arrive so there will not be any surprises at dawn. Or worse: at pre-dawn.

[Photo: Flickr | Robert S. Donovan]

Save on water – Hotel tip

by Gadling Staff on

Looking for a way to reduce your travel bill but still remain hydrated? You don’t have to buy the water bottles in the room for five to ten bucks apiece, or resort to the hotel’s bathroom tap.

Go check out the fitness center in your hotel first! Most fitness centers will have a water dispenser — use that to fill up your reusable bottle, and you’ll not only be assured that you are getting it from a reliable and uncontaminated source, you could save quite a load on your bill.

[Photo: Flickr | Jason Pratt]

Bring an A/V cable for your laptop – Hotel tip

by Gadling Staff on

Many hotels offer high-speed wireless from the room, and the more upscale rooms will provide a decent-sized HDTV, as well. By bringing an audio/visual cord compatible with your laptop, you can plug right into most TVs, giving you instant access to all your online content on that beautiful in-room screen.

In addition to making use of a Netflix instant viewing account or Hulu, you’ll be able to bypass overpriced in-room movies (costing $12 or more) in lieu of a $4 new release at the Amazon On Demand Store!

Pro tip: Overcome bandwidth issues by downloading your flick before you arrive.

[Photo: Flickr | wlodi]

Germans give Iceland a reason to brag, Italians not so much

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The past few years haven’t been all that kind to Iceland. After practicing a uniquely aggressive form of finance – maybe it should have been called “Viking derivatives” – the country felt massively the effects of the global financial crisis, screwing things up for British depositors who were parking their cash in these arctic savings accounts to score double-digit interest rates for (supposedly) no risk. Then, the country had to deal with the implications of a volcanic eruption this past spring. It’s hard to find a silver lining in that volcanic cloud.

Nonetheless, the tourist season is being declared a success. Spinning adversity into triumph, Icelandair CEO Birkir Hólm Gudnason believes the volcano‘s blast could have a long-term upside for the country’s tourism business.

Meanwhile, the hoteliers are finding ways to be bullish in the near term. Laufey Helgadóttir claims to be happy with the summer, saying it could be better than last year, thanks in large parts to German tourists who are sticking to their travel plans. Italians, unfortunately, seem to be canceling. Notes Helgadóttir: “[W]e won’t complain after this tourist summer.”

[photo by Deivis via Flickr]