Inn by the Sea to cut rates, benefit Habitat for Humanity

by Tom Johansmeyer on
Inn by the Sea, an eco-luxury property in Cape Elizabeth, ME, is dropping prices 50 percent Sunday through Thursday this spring. The goodwill go guests is wrapped in a larger act of conscience – guests taking advantage of this rate will write a $35 check to Habitat for Humanity.

The “Hospitality for Humanity” program is sponsored by the Maine Innkeepers Association (MEIA), which raises cash to help put deserving Maine families in homes. It runs from May 1 – 22, 2009.

For 50 percent off plus a $35 donation, this is a hell of a deal. Inn by the Sea boasts four diamonds, and a recently completed renovation added several amenities, including a full-service spa, fireplace bar and a restaurant with ocean views.

So, you’re saving some cash, supporting a good cause and living it up at a great destination.

B&Bs publish self-serving silver lining

by Tom Johansmeyer on

A new survey by BedandBreakfast.com says that inn-goers are continuing to travel, despite news of an economic crisis and a drop-off in travel spending. North of 96 percent of respondents replied that they had stayed in a hotel in the past two years, and 85.5 percent reported staying in a bed and breakfast. A whopping 75 percent claim to be planning two to four getaways through September 30, 2009.

And, the numbers just get rosier.

More than half of the respondents are planning to take as many trips as they did last year, and 25 percent are anticipating even more. Surprisingly … (add a little sarcasm here) … 84 percent said they’re going to stay at a B&B on trips between now and the end of September. Of course, only 10 percent would admit to plans for a two-star hotel, with 46 percent ‘fessing up to three-star hotel plans. Imagine that, from a B&B site that polls subscribers!

Peer pressure’s a bitch.

Seventy-three percent are planning trips within 150 miles of home, and 62 percent are shooting for longer distances (with multiple trips between now and September 30, there’s room for some overlap).

The best part – and this comes straight from the horse’s mouth (i.e., the press release) – “BedandBreakfast.com survey respondents embrace the value represented by B&Bs.”

Word for the Travel Wise (05/27/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Yesterday, a friend of mine was schooling me to a small chain of luxury inns located in Brooklyn, Cape May, and Washington D.C. The lucky gal went ahead and booked a much needed night’s stay at the Brooklyn mansion which looks quite lovely and like a real treat from their website. The Akwaaba Mansion in NY has been around since 1995 where owners — Monique and Glen — restored the 1860’s mansion to its original granduer so that it could operate as an upscale bed-and-breakfast. How sweet of them! Be it one night or two or whether you’re coming from afar or nearby like my friend, Akwaaba seems like the perfect home away from home with added luxury.

Today’s word is a Twi word used in Ghana:

akwaaba – welcome

I’m really uncertain about akwaaba being of Twi origin, but Twi is one of the more common of tongue from Ghana, so I went ahead and said it. (Gulp!) Please feel free to correct me on this one if needed. Their website said the name was West African from Ghana meaning welcome which made me think to make it the word of the day considering I haven’t touched this country in over two months.

Pronounced ‘chwee,’ the language is spoken by some 7 million people concentrated in southern Ghana and is a dialect of the Akan language which belongs to the Kwa language family. Wikipedia is a good place to start for the background info. Unfortunately there aren’t many Twi resources on the web so I encourage you all to make some friends from Ghana, take a trip or exercise some of these useful books and CD’s found on Amazon. You could also try My Language Exchange, but the chances of there being a fully Twi speaking person wanting to swap your language knowledge for yours doesn’t seem too bright. Sorry, but worry not. I still have my list and more words to follow.

Past Twi words: akwantuo