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HOWTO
How to Make the Omni Hotel's Hot Chocolate
November 6, 2008 at 5:02 PM | 0 Comments
Omni Hotels is once again bringing back their popular "Chuao" gourmet hot chocolate program just in time for the winter.
We have to give Omni some credit--luring people inside their doors by wafting the scent of cocoa. The simplicity of this marketing ploy is what makes it genius...and delicious.
The Venezuelan concoction is served both hot and cold, spicy or mild and spiked or virgin with the Los Angeles and NYC locations creating their own recipes.
If you don't think you'll be stepping inside an Omni anytime soon, here's our cheat sheet for mixing the concoction at home.
Test Hotels
HOWTO :: Become a Hotel Test Sleeper
July 31, 2008 at 11:01 AM | 0 Comments
When we checked out some of the first guest reviews of the new CitizenM hotel in Amsterdam, we noticed a couple of the contributions came from guests who had seen the property a bit early -- they had gotten the chance to stay overnight as "test-sleepers" before the June grand opening.
So, in other words, the hotel hired people to act as bed testers and stay overnight for free.
Seriously? The greatest job ever, maybe? Our calling? Your calling?
After the jump: how those lucky few scored gigs as hotel "test-sleepers" -- and how you can, too.
Hotel Technology
HOWTO :: Succesfully Set the Hotel Room's iHome Alarm Clock
June 11, 2008 at 11:01 AM | 0 Comments
The ghetto 4-button alarm clock with the red visible-from-space LCD display is on the way out, and the iPod-compatible iHome has taken its place on hotel nightstands everywhere.
So far, we've woken up next to these babies in both big-box hotel chains and boutique hotels alike. In fact, we even awarded it our Must-Have Hotel Amenity Award for 2007.
While it's great to be able to wake up to our iPods, frankly, the damn thing has a whole hell of a lot of buttons. Don't get us wrong -- we are young, tech-savvy folks and all -- but even we had to say a little prayer that the shiny little beast would function as planned the first few times we used it.
Thus, after many close encounters with hotel iHomes and a comfortably intimate relationship with the consumer version (they're a smidge different), we present to you: How to Successfully Set the Hotel Room's #%$@ing iHome Alarm Clock.
Some hotel iHome survival tips after the jump.
HOWTO
HOWTO: Deal With A Hotel That Sold Your Room to Someone Else
May 22, 2008 at 10:32 AM | 7 Comments
Last week we received a distress call from one of our friends who had just arrived after long cross-country flight in New York to the Six Columbus Hotel.
Our friend had actually booked the hotel after reading about it in our HotelChatter Reader Deals when Quikbook was offering 10% off two nights or more. He paid $360 a night for four nights in a queen-bed room.
Yet instead of being whisked away to his room to relax, our friend was pulled aside by the General Manager and over a complimentary drink at the bar, was told that the hotel did not have a room for him.
Naturally, our friend was shocked. Where was he going to go? How would he get there? The GM's only explanation for the lack of a room for our friend was this:
Sometimes people don't always check-out when you want them too.
Riiigghhht. That's really just hotel-speak for "We oversold our rooms tonight."
HOWTO
HOWTO: Score a Hotel Deal on Priceline
February 28, 2008 at 12:23 PM | 2 Comments
Over at About.com's Budget Travel site there's an excellent rundown on how to score a hotel deal through Priceline. The writer wanted to stay in downtown Indianapolis for a sporting event but didn't want to pay the $140 a night he was seeing on the usual booking sites. So he checked the message boards, went to Priceline, and scored a deal for $60.47 after fees and taxes. He doesn't say which hotel he scored, but judging by what's on the BiddingForTravel board, it was the Omni Severin or the downtown Hyatt Indianapolis.
We have had our own frequent success with this method, scoring cut-rate deals on leftover rooms at Hotel President in Kansas City, Millennium St. Louis, and the Omni Shoreham in Washington, D.C. We also managed a bargain all-inclusive deal in the Bahamas by visiting the message boards before hitting Hotwire. As we showed last year, it's even possible to score an under-$200 room in Manhattan if you do it right.
If you're the type that doesn't mind paying list price for the satisfaction of knowing which hotel you're sleeping in for the night, then never mind. But if the general location and star level matter more than which chain's logo is on the building, you can save a bundle this way.
HOWTO
How to Get Hotel Perks Like a Pro
November 9, 2007 at 9:35 AM | 1 Comment
Tokyo Dome Hotel Lobby
Ever wonder how the guy next to you gets champagne on the house when you've been downgraded to the broom closet? Getting hotel upgrades and perks isn't rocket science--in fact it's generally pretty intuitive-- but we're not sure most travelers take full advantage of what's available. We caught up with Becky Veith, travel agent extraordinaire, to see what she knew about workin' a hotel for perks.
Tips
The Obsessive-Compulsive-Disorder Way of Getting a Hotel Room You Like
November 6, 2007 at 10:53 AM | 1 Comment
We all want to get the best hotel room possible when we travel, and the UK Telegraph just put out an article with some handy tips on making sure your hotel stay is at least as good as you've hoped for.
Savvy traveler Nick Trend divides his tips into two parts: looking for the best room, and getting the best room when you actually book or check in. And like anything else in this world, you have to ask for you what you want.
Before you book, Trend suggests, you should have a chat to the hotelier (or reservations agent) about the merits of each kind of room. You should also avoid rooms near the kitchen (they're noisy, even if room service does arrive faster) and beware of rooms with a view if that side of the hotel will be on a busy (read noisy) street.
Once you have worked out which room or room category is the best for you, and you've booked it, Trend suggests getting something in writing from the hotel about what you've agreed on. Then when you arrive at the hotel--early, if possible--discuss the room some more with the receptionist, both to make sure you're getting what you asked for and in case there's any chance of an upgrade.
And if you don't like it, complain about it. But straight away, before you've started messing it up.
[Photo: marttj]
Related Stories:
· Getting the Best Hotel Room [Telegraph]
· Best Odds For a $20 Room Upgrade in Vegas [HotelChatter]
Viva Vegas
Viva Vegas: Who Has the Best Odds for a $20 Room Upgrade?
November 5, 2007 at 12:30 PM | 0 Comments
Frequent travelers who live by the maxim, "If you don't ask, you don't get" swear by the $20 room upgrade move. It works like this: when checking in to your ho-hum standard room, you casually slip an extra 20 bucks to the front desk clerk and ask if there's any chance of a "complimentary upgrade." In most cases, one of three things will happen. Either nothing (and you keep your $20), an official upsell at official prices (usually a poor value), or you score and get a much nicer room.
Judging by this site devoted to the topic called FrontDeskTip.com, your odds of $20 upgrade success in Las Vegas are far greater than they are at the gambling tables. As in a 74 percent success rate overall.
Some hotels have too limited a sample to really judge, but a few notable ones score an above-average success rate on a good sampling. These include the Venetian (pictured here), Wynn, Mirage, Bellagio, and Mandalay Bay.
But you might pull a bad hand at Flamingo or MGM Grand.
As the site reminds you, if you're going to post about your successful upgrade, please don't mention who specifically helped you out. Many front desk managers seem to have a sort of "don't ask, don't tell" policy on spontaneous upgrades (whether the money goes into the till or into a pocket), but naming names can get someone in hot water.
Related Stories:
· How to Get a Comped Hotel Room in Las Vegas [HotelChatter]
· Front Desk Tip [Official Site]
Howto
Getting Comped at Las Vegas' Plaza Hotel
June 14, 2007 at 9:37 AM | 0 Comments
A tipster who probably read our feature article, How to Get a Comped Hotel Room in Las Vegas, offers up a new place to hit up that we hadn't considered before. Laban writes:
I was a small time player for the last few days at the Plaza Hotel and Casino downtown. I started with a mere $20 initial bet [on the roulette table] and spent 2-3 hours a day going up and down. After initially doing well I probably sent most of the time with only about $10-20 dollars on the table per spin. For this small effort I was comp'd a buffet meal, a $20 voucher for the gift shop and got the impression that if I was staying longer that I might have been able to get more.
The Plaza Hotel, while less desirable than the Bellagio, is off the strip and as with most hotels off the strip and with less foot traffic, the chances of getting comps are greater because they want you to stay there longer and play/spend/lose more money. However, is a comped room really worth a chance of sleeping with bed bugs? It's up to you.
Related Stories:
· How to Get a Comped Hotel Room in Las Vegas [HotelChatter]
HOWTO
HOWTO: Get a Hotel in Manhattan For Under $200
April 6, 2007 at 11:29 AM | 4 Comments
Sure, Priceline and Hotwire work great when you want to find a deal in the Bahamas or get a chain hotel room in bizcity, USA, but what about in the high-occupancy alternate universe known as New York City? Twice in past years we've gotten a room there for less than $150 through one of these services, but as demand has risen and supply has only slightly nudged up, how's it looking now?
Not all that bad, actually, assuming there's not some convention going on and it's not a holiday weekend. When we surfed over to the NYC message board at Bidding for Travel, here are some of the recent Priceline deals people have posted. All are total nightly rates with taxes and fees:
Hilton (midtown west) $174
Grand Hyatt (midtown east) $167
Paramount (midtown west) $195
Sheraton (midtown west--pictured here) $125
Hudson Hotel (Central Park) $181
Le Parker Meridien (upper midtown) $191
Some look at that whole bidding process as a game with a great payoff, but others find it too time-consuming and daunting. If you're in the latter camp, go to Hotwire and see what's on offer. If you do some sleuthing on BetterBidding.com, you'll often get a pretty clear idea of what hotels are hidden behind the descriptions.
When we pulled up next weekend (April 13-15), we found 18 hotels on offer, but most of them in the $200 to $300 range. The obvious deal was a 4-star hotel in midtown east for $175 (plus tax and fees). We didn't dig into the listing to figure out which one that is, but the likely culprits, based on previous transactions posted, are not a bad bunch: Grand Hyatt, W New York, Omni Berkshire, and Inter-Continental the Barclay. Your mileage may vary, but any one of those would be a bargain at that price.
There are drawbacks of course. You pay in advance, without knowing the hotel, so you've got to be sure you'll get to your destination on time. If you want a specific place and a specific experience, doing it this way is risky. If you just need a reliable hotel at a good price, however, do some sleuthing. You can grab a room that the hotel would rather part with at a discount than leave empty and make nothing. Everybody wins.
[Photo: dunkindoughnuts]]
Related Stories:
· HOWTO: Scam Luxury Hotels [HotelChatter]
HOWTO
HOWTO: Scam Luxury Hotels
March 28, 2007 at 12:37 PM | 0 Comments
Well, ok, scam may be a little rough, but have you seen what the Four Seasons charges for daily WiFi? Take what you can get we say. So consider this your back of the envelope guide to staying at a luxury hotel for much less than advertised.
Our guide is compiled from our own research, but most importantly, reader tips, feedback and comments. Most of the tips we offer up are perfectly acceptable ways to score a less expensive luxury hotel stay, one way is totally unacceptable, but still appears to work in some cases.
While others pay whatever rate they are quoted on the phone and on the web, you, hotel deal seeker, are searching for what the Brit's call leeeverage.
The complete HotelChatter Guide to Scamming Five-Star Hotels is here.
Viva Vegas
How to Cope When You're Sick in Las Vegas
July 11, 2006 at 5:22 PM | 0 Comments
Most people get sick AFTER visiting Las Vegas. All those late nights drinking, gambling, drinking some more, and perhaps smoking a cigarette or two with little sleep wears on your immune system so that by the time you get back home, after a germ filled flight no doubt, the head cold has already begun.
This time however, we headed to Vegas with some minor sniffles. It didn't seem like a problem. Our energy level was fine. We just had to blow our nose every now and then and pop some Dayquil.
Bad idea. Vegas is not the place to be when sick. First off, the casinos have some of the worst air quality in the world thanks to their Smoking Allowed policy just about everywhere. Second, they blow cold air all the time since its about 100 degrees outside. And third, you're in Vegas with a stuffed nose. That's not so attractive.
Now that we are safely back home in bed we've come up with a list of How to Cope in When You're Sick in Las Vegas.
- Sit outside. Despite the fact that the desert air quality is questionable at best, the heat is actually good for you and your mucous. That's why all the old folks move to Palm Springs. Besides, no matter what the pollen count, it beats getting blown over with cold air in the casino.
- No matter how tired/weak/sick you are, get yourself to the Walgreens on the Strip where you can buy cold medicine at "normal" prices. Otherwise, you'll be stuck paying $30 for a box of nasal spray and some decongestant in the hotel's gift shops.
- If you think you are really ill and might need to see a doctor, call the hotel's front desk and ask if they have an EMT on staff who can check you out. The EMT service, which is available at the Venetian for free, allows someone to assess your condition, give you advice and tell you whether or not you should shell out money for a doctor visit.
- Look for freebies. For instance, anywhere there is complimentary water bottles, shake 'em down for a few bottles to take back to your room. Also hide the in-room box of Kleenex so that when housekeeping comes they will replace it with a new one, essentially saving you from buying more. And if you can stand the smokey air for a few minutes, pretend to play the slots while the cocktail waitresses get you free ginger ales.
- If you feel well enough to gamble, hang out in the smoke-free areas of casinos, so you can at least try your luck without losing your lungs. Similarly, if your taste buds are still working (sadly ours had malfunctioned), look for the smoke-free areas of the strip restaurants.
If you have tried all of the above and still don't feel any better, then have a drink. It might make you feel worse the next day, but at least for a few hours you will forget how miserable you are.
Image via Splorp/Flickr
Related Stories:
· Smoke Free Casino [About.com]
· Smoke Free restaurants [Las Vegas Citysearch]
