http://www.hotelchatter.com/ Hotel Reviews, Hotel Ratings, Hotel Openings en-us Copyright 2008 - SFO Media 2008-08-28T16:23:47Z HotelChatter HotelChatter http://www.hotelchatter.com/images/hcwhite.jpg http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/Europe%20Hotels http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/7/22/91021/6175 <![CDATA[<p><img align="right" src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/3/hc_reader_deals.jpg">Some great news for Americans looking to get a taste of Europe this summer without the bitter aftertaste of a Euro-to-Dollars conversion.<p><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/WorldHotels"><b>WorldHotels</b></a> is offering a "Stay in Europe, Pay in Dollars" promotion--a one-to-one exchange--at all of their 41 hotels in Europe. Yay!<p>There is a slight catch however. The promotion is only good until August 31st and is only valid for Thursday-Monday stays. Still, it's a huge deal. The AP reports:<blockquote><p>While rates vary, [a hotel publicist] said that an average rate is about 150 euros a night, which is the equivalent of about $237, depending on daily exchange rates. If you pay that 150 euro tab with 150 U.S. dollars, however, you save $87.</blockquote></p><p>WorldHotels include the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Hotel+Le+Plaza/ian/128502"><b>Hotel juliana 2008-07-22T09:30:21-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/5/9/62133/52218 <![CDATA[<p><i>This week our roving correspondent <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/user/femmefatale"><b>Monica Guy</b></a> is writing about an oft-overlooked aspect of hotels and travel: <b>disabled access.</b> Monica knows a lot about this subject as she works and travels frequently with <a href="http://www.hawking.org.uk/text/about/about.html">Stephen Hawking</a>. However, feel free to chime in with your thoughts and experiences too. Got a question? <a href="mailto:tips@hotelchatter.com"><b>Let us know</b></a> and we'll get it answered for you.</i><p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/scandicwheelchair.jpg" class="imgborder"><p>For disabled travellers outside of the US, perhaps a better option than designated specially-designed <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/5/9/61428/00134/hotels/Would_You_Want_to_Stay_in_a_Special_Hotel_">accessible hotels</a> is to go for ordinary hotel chains who take access seriously. <p> Three cheers in this department go to the Swedish-owned <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/Scandic%20Hotels"><b>Scandic Hotel</b></a> chain. They recently won two prestigious awards for their efforts in the field of disabled femmefatale 2008-05-16T14:30:01-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/5/9/61428/00134 <![CDATA[<p><i>This week our roving correspondent <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/user/femmefatale"><b>Monica Guy</b></a> is writing about an oft-overlooked aspect of hotels and travel: <b>disabled access.</b> Monica knows a lot about this subject as she works and travels frequently with <a href="http://www.hawking.org.uk/text/about/about.html">Stephen Hawking</a>. However, feel free to chime in with your thoughts and experiences too. Got a question? <a href="mailto:tips@hotelchatter.com"><b>Let us know</b></a> and we'll get it answered for you.</i><p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/accessroom.jpg" class="imgborder"><p><i>A room at the Access Centre Hotel Marmaris in Turkey.</i>So, you're disabled and planning a holiday. Given <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/4/29/102959/098/hotels/Do_you_have_Wheelchair_Access_">all the nightmare involved in finding a reliable, accessible hotel</a>, aren't you tempted to go for specially designed and designated accessible hotel?<p> <p>Accessible hotels are gradually popping up all over the hotel scene, but particularly near seaside resorts femmefatale 2008-05-15T16:40:11-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/5/9/6313/09410 <![CDATA[<p><i>This week our roving correspondent <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/user/femmefatale"><b>Monica Guy</b></a> is writing about an oft-overlooked aspect of hotels and travel: <b>disabled access.</b> Monica knows a lot about this subject as she works and travels frequently with <a href="http://www.hawking.org.uk/text/about/about.html">Stephen Hawking</a>. However, feel free to chime in with your thoughts and experiences too. Got a question? <a href="mailto:tips@hotelchatter.com"><b>Let us know</b></a> and we'll get it answered for you.</i><p> <img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/bellechasse_disabled.png" class="imgborder"><p>When you book a hotel in, say, Paris, it's usually because you're not actually in Paris yet. That makes sense.<p> <p>What makes no sense is that if you have an access need or disability, it's almost impossible to get reliable information or make a secure, discounted booking at a hotel. Unless you're actually there in femmefatale 2008-05-14T13:27:07-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/5/13/34956/2652 <![CDATA[<p><i>This week our roving correspondent <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/user/femmefatale"><b>Monica Guy</b></a> is writing about an oft-overlooked aspect of hotels and travel: <b>disabled access.</b> Monica knows a lot about this subject as she works and travels frequently with <a href="http://www.hawking.org.uk/text/about/about.html">Stephen Hawking</a>. However, feel free to chime in with your thoughts and experiences too. Got a question? <a href="mailto:tips@hotelchatter.com"><b>Let us know</b></a> and we'll get it answered for you.</i><p> <img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/3/monicastephen.jpg" class="imgborder"><p><i>Stephen Hawking and his lovely assistants at the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Ritz+Carlton+Grande+Lakes+Orlando/local/709">Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes.</a></i><p>The USA leads the world in terms of accessible hotels. That's the conclusion I've come to after several years spent travelling around with <a href="http://www.hawking.org.uk/text/about/about.html"><b>Stephen Hawking</b></a>, the well-known disabled scientist (that's me on the left in the picture above.) <p> We've stayed in femmefatale 2008-05-13T10:17:59-05:00 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/