Get your courtesy wake-up call via the web

by Neil Woodburn on

If you’re like me, you simply don’t trust the morons down at the front desk to really come through with that wake-up call when you need it most. And God only knows if that bedside clock on your nightstand is going to do any better.

Well, now there is a web-based service to help you out.

Simply visit Wakerupper.com and plug in the time and date you’d like a wake-up call and the site automatically calls the telephone number of your choice at the appropriate time. Or, since the site allows users to type in a brief text message that will be converted to voice when you pick up your call, you can use it as daytime alarm to be reminded of certain deadlines.

Now, if only they could get it to work internationally….

Hotel Everland: World’s first mobile hotel room

by Martha Edwards on

What do you call a mobile hotel room? An RV? A stay at aunt Ida’s trailer? A closet-sized cabin on a train? None of the above — it’s called Hotel Everland and it’s much nicer than you might think. Yes, it’s a little bright but it looks pretty cute and cozy. Check out the photos for yourself.

And perhaps the best part? In it’s current location, sitting on the roof of Palais de Tokyo in Paris, it offers spectacular one-of-a-kind views of the Eiffle Tower and Paris.

Room rates start at 333-444 € per night, depending on whether you choose to stay mid-week or on the weekend. If this is in your budget, book quick — spots fill up fast.

(Via Hotel Blogs)

Historic hotels offer haunted hospitality

by Kelly Amabile on

Several of the National Trust’s historic hotels are famous for more than just their unique interiors and architecture. The Night Shift Nurse haunts the halls of Baltimore’s Admiral Fell Inn and the ghost of a young woman who never checked out of the Hotel del Coronado lingers at the San Diego landmark. In fact, the Trust has compiled a rather lengthy list of ghostly tales from haunted hotels across the US. There are stories of unrequited love, culinary capers, holy spirits, past life experiences and other unexplainable mysteries of the paranormal.

You could spend every Halloween from here on out visiting these possessed places! And if you’re really eager to get in on the action soon, several of the hotels are offering spooky deals beyond next Wednesday’s holiday. The Hotel Bethlehem in PA embraces its “permanent guest” with a Rooms with a Boo weekend, November 2- 4; The Hotel Galvez in Galveston will offer its phantom package through December, and the Windsor Hotel in Americus, GA will keep guests guessing during two Murder Mystery weekends in January and February 2008. More info on all historic hotel packages can be found here.

One for the Road: Great Escapes Around the World

by Kelly Amabile on

We’re featuring several heavyweight titles this week. First it was a 600-pager from Rough Guides, and now TASCHEN gets heftier with a 720-page look at Great Escapes Around the World. This new release from the stylish German publisher features a top-notch collection of accommodations hand-picked by design diva Angelika Taschen. Previous Great Escape Hotel guides from Taschen have each focused on a different continent, but this latest one combines them all.

From Kerala to Sorrento to the Napa Valley, Great Escapes takes readers on a visual tour of luxurious guesthouses, ecolodges, spas, ranches, houseboats and hotels of all kinds. Glossy photos of private beaches and lush hideaways whisper wanderlust nothings in our ears. It’s an eclectic mix that’s sure to leave folks daydreaming for beds far beyond their own.

Where Are The Most Expensive Hotels? Moscow Tops The List, For One …

by Martha Edwards on

Airfare might be getting more affordable, but even if you get to a destination, you might not be able to get a place to stay, especially if you find yourself in Moscow, Venice, New York, Amsterdam or London. In Moscow, for instance, four-star accommodations average 332 euros a night.

But all hope’s not lost — you just might have to change your vacation plans a bit. Cape Town, South Africa; Guangzhou, China and Orlando, Florida are among the most affordable places to stay. In addition, Cairo, Frankfurt, Budapest and Berlin have the best-priced four-star accomodations. So, if you’re looking into a European vacation, travelling Eastern Europe is your best bet — Poland and Hungary in particular. Sure, there’s no Big Ben, but you’ll beat the horrific crowds too.

For more handy travel stats, check out this article.