FabSearch – A website for the out-of-the-know

by Annie Scott on

Do you ever read a review of some random restaurant in a national publication and think “gosh, if I ever go to Boise, I should totally eat there?” Some people I know even keep files for this kind of thing with newspaper and magazine clippings, and my friend Josh keeps a spreadsheet.

I’m lazy. What do I do? I go to FabSearch.com.

Then, I click on the random city I’m headed to for the wedding, or the story, or the Eiffel Tower (big cities like Paris are on there, too), and recent articles about hot places to stay and places to eat from local and national publications pop up! It’s like having a friend in that city who lays around and reads magazines for you.

You can totally wow your friends with this wealth of knowledge. You could be all “Oh, I read about it in the Financial Times,” and if they tried to call your bluff and checked the Financial Times, you’d be right, even though you’re too lazy busy to read it.

Check out the site – I looked up my hometown of Minneapolis and the recommendations were all pretty good!

The floating Aerohotel

by Meg Massie on

Russian architect Alexander Asadov is fighting global warming with innovative building designs. His latest concept is a floating Aerohotel, pictured above. This floating island features a 200-meter hub containing hotel rooms or residences, cafes, winter gardens, and restaurants.

The Aerohotel is held aloft by a system of supports and three main legs anchored to the bottom of the site, and unlike man-made islands with tons of gravel fill, this design preserves the aquatic ecosystem below. Asadov’s studio states that the construction costs and environmental impact of his design are significantly lower than gravel works projects.

This design can be installed in any body of water, and the plan includes docks for boats and a landing strip for zeppelins. Because if you’re cool enough to live in a floating island, you’re cool enough to travel by zeppelin.

The design is certainly interesting and futuristic, but is it aesthetically pleasing, or is it an eyesore? The idea is very appealing, but I’m not yet sold on the look. What do you think?

New York City package deal from Carlton Hotel

by Annie Scott on

Want to have a classy winter rendezvous in New York City? Between December 21st, 2008, and March 15th, 2009, The Carlton on Madison Avenue has a droolworthy “Winter in the City” package deal.

“The Carlton on Madison Avenue has a cozy ‘Winter in the City’ package, which combines comfy delights, including a ‘Comfort Foods’ menu featuring dishes such as truffled mac & cheese, poached lobster, and peanut butter hot chocolate, exclusively created for guests opting for the package, and passes to ice-skate at Rockefeller Center.”

The package, which starts at a reasonable NYC price of $385 (pre-taxes and gratuities) per night, includes a 2-night stay at the luxury Madison Avenue Carlton Hotel, a private consultation with a furrier at Saks (I know, right?), a New York City snow globe welcome gift, and all the grand amenities of the Big Apple.

If I didn’t live here, I would beg for this for Christmas. Contact The Carlton for more information and availability!

Would you want to stay here? Wait for it …

by Jerry Guo on

Aww, isn’t this bed and breakfast nice and quaint? According to their website:

Alicja Hotel is a modern hotel facility located only a few minutes walk to the city centre and 500 meters to the covered market of international trade shows that often take place in Lodz. The outstanding location, family atmosphere and high quality of services are our good points.

Now, here is that same exact hotel from a slightly different angle. I usually I tend to stay away from places that are almost entirely hidden on Google Maps because of the smoke from the nuclear reactor in the backyard, but that’s just me.

Goes to show you not to trust completely what you find on the hotel’s own website).

And for extra points, see this unexpected sight in the bar.

Business travel in the new economy

by Mike Barish on

I happen to love business travel. It’s allowed me to visit exotic locales such as Delhi, India and Schenectady, NY. It’s helped me accrue airline miles that I’ve used for personal trips. And it hasn’t cost me a cent since my corporate card handles all the dirty work. But recently companies have started to encourage their employees to find cheap alternatives to the normal perks of business travel.

In a recent piece in the New York Times, Joe Sharkey points out corporate travel managers are actually starting to recommend that traveling employees stay with friends or family rather than book hotel rooms. Or, if a hotel is absolutely necessary, they are suggesting that coworkers share rooms. Can you imagine waking up next to Fred from Accounting who loves telling you about his Irritable Bowel Syndrome? Well, you may have to get used to it.

I can completely understand companies attempting to rein in travel expenses. Maybe they’ll make adjustments to the list of preferred hotels and eliminate some of the pricier boutique accommodations. Perhaps they’ll ask employees to share rental cars. But asking people to crash at their friends’ houses or share hotel rooms? That’s tacky and inappropriate.

Look, these are tough economic times. People are losing their jobs. Companies are going out of business. By no means am I condoning a completely irresponsible abuse of business travel. But when you travel for business, you are inconveniencing yourself. You’re leaving the comforts of your home, as well as your family and friends, behind. For that you should be compensated and accommodated. So, while I’m willing to stay in the Holiday Inn Express instead of the Ritz Carlton, I’m not willing to share a bathroom with anyone with whom I will have to share a cubicle the next day. Because Fred’s IBS stories are bad enough experienced secondhand.