Sanibel Marriott wants your pocket change for extra night

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Pretty pissed about the proposed 2-cent increase in stamp prices? If you’re among the Luddites still using dead-tree communication, I imagine it’s pretty annoying. To get some relief from this postal madness, head on down to the Sanibel Harbour Marriott Resort & Spa in Fort Myers, Florida.

Through the end of the month, for a three-night stay between August 22, 2010 and the end of September, you can book your third merely by putting your 2 cents in. Yep, a pair of pennies extends your stay. Since room rates start at a mere $159, the entire experience won’t drain your bank account. Remember to use discount code PK3 when booking online.

J. Lo faces possible lawsuit from Cyprus hotel

by Melanie Nayer on

Jenny from the Block might lose some of those killer rocks she’s got. A luxury hotel in northern Cyprus is threatening to sue Jennifer Lopez for $40 million after the pop star canceled a concert there, citing political reasons, according to Sky News.

Lopez was scheduled to perform at the Cratos Premium hotel on July 24, but backed out after the booking “outraged Greek Cypriots in the south of the island nation.” Apparently, J.Lo’s appearance triggered fury among Greeks who felt her concert gave legitimacy to northern Cyprus. The protesters sent thousands of notes and letters to J.Lo and her representation, causing the singer to back out of the show.

A spokesperson for J.Lo told celebrity gossip website TMZ:

“Jennifer Lopez would never knowingly support any state, country, institution or regime that was associated with any form of human rights abuse. “After a full review of the relevant circumstances in Cyprus, it was the decision of management to withdraw from the appearance. This was a team decision that reflects our sensitivity to the political realities of the region.”

J.Lo can still salvage the relationship with Cyprus, though. The hotel owner said the lawsuit will be dropped if Lopez reconfirms her concert at the hotel.

Hotel employees nailed in $20 million airline ticket scam

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The feds just threw down indictments against 38 people accused of pushing fraudulent airline tickets at hefty discounts. They were slashing between $100 and $200, usually, from the normal price of a (real) ticket. And at least two of them worked in hotels, where they were accused of swiping credit card and debit card information to keep the con afloat. Among the charges are: conspiracy, credit card theft and identity theft. The rings appear to have begun in 2001.

How did it work? In Los Angeles, according to USA Today:

The government’s 25-page indictment against Jason Burks and eight other defendants says that Raun Lauderdale Jr. was one of the people who would obtain stolen credit card and debit card information and sell it to Burks, who would then use it to fraudulently buy airline tickets. Lauderdale worked at an unidentified hotel in Long Beach, Calif. On one particular day in September 2009, Burks allegedly used a stolen American Express card number to buy $3,466.03 worth of airline tickets – an Alaska Airlines ticket from St. Louis to Los Angeles, and three US Airways tickets for travel from Los Angeles to New Orleans, records show. Prosecutors say this ring operated from July 25, 2007 to May 14, 2009.

And in Atlanta:

The government’s 31-page indictment against Steven James Palmer, based in Brooklyn, and nine other defendants based in cities such as Orlando, Los Angeles and Atlanta names another hotel worker. According to the document, Alexander Lewis, 25, of McDonough, Ga., stole credit card and debt card numbers from his jobs at unidentified Atlanta hotels. Lewis also went by an alias: “Mike Gotti,” the indictment says. Prosecutors say this ring operated between August 2008 and March 27, 2010.

The alleged scammers would pick up the tickets online with stolen credit card info and use text messages or e-mail to push discount codes to their customers, which could then be parlayed into boarding passes. To stay under the radar, the bookings were kept close to departure times. Advertising was kept to a minimum, and word of mouth was used to generate new “business.”

[photo by abardwell via Flickr]

Ten reasons to have your wedding reception at a hotel

by Annie Scott on


I’m getting married this fall, and I chose to have my wedding reception at a hotel. This is not because I’m a travel writer (and they have no idea that’s what I do; I’m not getting any special treatment). The reason was actually that I’m getting married in my hometown of Minneapolis, but I live in New York and my fiance is from Cleveland, so between us, we have a lot of out-of-town guests coming. A hotel reception seemed like a good way to simplify everyone’s travel situation.

My decision to host the reception at a hotel has proven more and more helpful as time has gone on. Here are just ten of the reasons having a hotel reception turned out to be the best idea ever:

1. They want you there.

Hotels earn a lot of their revenue from events like weddings. Not only does having your reception in a hotel bring them cash from the room rental, but they also know that even your local friends will want to crash there afterward, meaning they’ll have more rooms occupied. In my research with other possible venues, at times I felt like they weren’t really that into hosting what will surely be the greatest wedding of all time — and does any bride want to deal with feeling like an inconvenience? No.

2. They know what they’re doing.

Because weddings are so lucrative, hotels host a lot of them. Cathy Smith from The Knot informed me that about one out of five wedding receptions take place at a hotel/resort, “the second most popular venue type behind banquet halls.” Hotels know what they’re doing. Even if you have big ideas and crazy requests, they’ve probably heard worse.

3. They’ll sort out the dinner details.

While hiring a specific caterer may be hugely important to some brides, for me, I just want things to be easy. Most hotels will require you to use their caterer (though usually not for the cake), so I chose a hotel I know has terrific food. They’re providing the staff, the tables, the plates, the linens, the bar … a million details were instantly eliminated from my to-do list when I decide on using a hotel. All I had to do was taste the food and tell them how much of it I wanted.4. It’s convenient for out-of-towners.

As I mentioned, this was my original reason for choosing a hotel. Thanks to public transportation and the close proximity of the church, my out-of-towners don’t actually even have to rent cars. Any way I can help them save a buck is worth it to me.

5. You’ll worry less about people getting home okay.

Drunk driving is always a worry with events like weddings, as is getting home when you’ve been dancing for hours and you’re just plain tired. Even my local guests, when they heard the wedding was at a hotel, inquired about the …

6. Group rate.

Because a whole bunch of my friends and family want hotel rooms, they’re getting them for less. Awesome.

7. Parking.

In the case of a downtown wedding, which mine is, parking can be a nightmare. Fortunately, the hotel has ample parking and has agreed to provide it for free.

8. Recommended vendors.

Hotels have worked with just about everyone in town, from florists to photographers. They may even have ideas you hadn’t thought of, like a photo booth or building a stage for your band. Working with vendors who’ve already done hundreds of weddings at your venue makes everything a lot easier. Ask your hotel who they recommend.

9. Free perks.

Hotels want weddings, and you may be able to get some amazing perks like a free room for gifts, a free honeymoon suite for the night, a complimentary champagne toast, an hour of open bar … these are all things hotels will use to entice you to go with their hotel. If they don’t offer them, ask for them.

10. Ceremony included.

My wedding is not a destination wedding, and I’m not having my ceremony at the hotel, but in the case of destination weddings, many will do your ceremony, complete with flowers, an officiant and all the setup, for free.

[Photo credit: Annie Scott]

Scammer convicted for trying to sell London Ritz

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Got a few extra bucks to invest? Well, be wary of truck drivers selling hotels. Of course, if I need to tell you this, you should stop dining on paste for lunch.

Not only is the hospitality industry going to be under pressure for the rest of the year, which makes such an investment difficult, but there’s always the chance that the deal isn’t real. This happened in London, where Anthony Lee hit up some of the market’s top real estate pros for cash to buy the London Ritz.

A jury just convicted Lee, an unemployed truck driver, of trying to move the Ritz for a mere $380 million – a deal, when you think about it – and claiming to represent Frederick and David Barclay, the off-the-radar billionaire brothers who own the property.

Before getting busted, Lee’s efforts nabbed him $1.5 million, a down payment from property broker Terence Collins. This was far better than borrowing scratch from friends and family to pay the rent, which had been a problem for Lee.

So, why did Collins fall for it? Hell, he had a shot at one of the top hotels in the city at a crazy price. He rolled the dice with a million and a half on the table … and the wrong number came up.

[photo by takomabibelot via Flickr]