|
| USATODAY.com - Hotel Hotsheet |
|
|
|
| noonSee the 'Running of the Beds' in Boston Tuesday |
(Fri, 29 Aug 2008)
|
| Today, my colleague Gene Sloan, captain of USA TODAY's Cruise Log, wrote about an upcoming sailing just for swingers that presumably will involve musical beds. I'd like to alert you to a bed-time story of a different sort: The first...
 |
|
Author: Kitty Bean Yancey |
Category: Offbeat news |
More...
|
|
| New Orleans residents book inland hotels |
(Thu, 28 Aug 2008)
|
| Fearing a hit if tropical storm Gustav becomes a raging hurricane, New Orleans residents have suddenly started booking hotels inland for late this weekend and early next week. The Daily Advertiser in Lafayette, La., reports that local reservations agents have...
 |
|
Author: Kitty Bean Yancey |
Category: News |
More...
|
|
| Celeb action at the DNC; China hotels emptying |
(Thu, 28 Aug 2008)
|
| As the torch passes from the Beijing Olympics to the Denver Democratic National Convention, here are some hotel tidbits from each city. First, Beijing hotels apparently emptied faster than expected post-Summer Games, raising questions about future occupancy. See this story...
 |
|
Author: Kitty Bean Yancey |
Category: News |
More...
|
|
| Hotel how-tos: Keeping your belongings safe |
(Wed, 27 Aug 2008)
|
| Are you the sort who leaves a wallet or watch on the dresser when you go to the hotel pool? Do you keep your laptop locked up when out of the room? Do you hide money under the mattress and...
 |
|
Author: Kitty Bean Yancey |
Category: smart consumer |
More...
|
|
| A sex-party B&B |
(Tue, 26 Aug 2008)
|
| I just heard from my brother-in-law, Glenn, about the talk of my hometown (Schenectady, N.Y.), where he and my sister live. Today's front page of Schenectady's The Gazette trumpets the Monday auction of a controversial bed and breakfast that advertised...
 |
|
Author: Kitty Bean Yancey |
Category: Offbeat news |
More...
|
|
| Worst boss contest |
(Mon, 25 Aug 2008)
|
| How bad is your boss? Betcha not as bad as the winners of a contest sponsored by Working America, an affiliate of the AFL-CIO. Here's the winner with the story voted "most outrageous": an office manager who was demoted for...
 |
|
Author: Kitty Bean Yancey |
Category: Offbeat news |
More...
|
|
| Michelle Obama's cookies at turndown in Denver |
(Sun, 24 Aug 2008)
|
| They'll be offered at the Democratic National Convention this week at the Denver Marriott City Center, a spokesman says. The shortbread treats (the recipe originally was published in Family Circle magazine and can be seen online, along with mixed reactions...
 |
|
Author: Kitty Bean Yancey |
Category: Marriott |
More...
|
|
| Star in your own travel romance novel --- really! |
(Thu, 21 Aug 2008)
|
| "Ann almost let go, relaxing her muscles to the touch of his warm palm, but what came over the speakers next was no longer the sound of their favorite Frank Sinatra song but the voice of the driver: "Excuse me...
 |
|
Author: Kitty Bean Yancey |
Category: Offbeat news |
More...
|
|
| What's the worst hotel you've been in? Top this! |
(Thu, 21 Aug 2008)
|
| A reader named Janet from Saskatchewan, Canada writes about a horrid experience at a Fort Lauderdale hotel, which shall remain unnamed because the stay was a few years ago and who knows, maybe it has cleaned up its act. "Because...
 |
|
Author: Kitty Bean Yancey |
Category: Offbeat news |
More...
|
|
| Seeking vacationers who chose extended-stay lodgings |
(Wed, 20 Aug 2008)
|
| Have you? Why and what did you think. Please e-mail me at kyancey@usatoday.com. I'm doing an article on the popularity of extended-stay lodgings and would like some feedback.I'll need to use your name and home city if quoted. Deadline is...
 |
|
Author: Kitty Bean Yancey |
More...
|
|
| Hotel how-tos: Avoiding getting 'walked' from a full lodging |
(Wed, 20 Aug 2008)
|
| I've heard this from some readers, and it has happened to me. You book a hotel. You have a confirmation number. You arrive only to find there is no room for you. The front desk staffer may be apologetic, maybe...
 |
|
Author: Kitty Bean Yancey |
Category: smart consumer |
More...
|
|
| Michael Phelps swims a victory lap Tuesday! |
(Tue, 19 Aug 2008)
|
| The octo-Olympic medalist dove into the pool at the Hilton Beijing today to swim the 6,250th and final lap of the “Hilton Swim to Beijing Relay,” a multi-city charity event that' s contributing $100,000 to the USA Swimming Foundation for...
 |
|
Author: Kitty Bean Yancey |
Category: Hilton |
More...
|
|
| The etiquette of taking hotel toiletries |
(Tue, 19 Aug 2008)
|
| A reader named Dallas who resides in Tennessee, not Texas, writes in with the following question: "A member of our church that’s an airline employee (240+ road/nights yr.) has asked me if the church would like to have the unopened...
 |
|
Author: Kitty Bean Yancey |
Category: Offbeat news |
More...
|
|
| How do hotels assure quality control? |
(Mon, 18 Aug 2008)
|
| Here's a question for you in the industry. I know department heads, hotel general managers and brand officers pay close attention (or are supposed to) to how a hotel is doing in everything from checking in guests to keeping rooms...
 |
|
Author: Kitty Bean Yancey |
Category: smart consumer |
More...
|
|
| Updates in San Juan ... What's your favorite hotel? |
(Fri, 15 Aug 2008)
|
| San Juan is not known for state-of-the-art lodgings. But Puerto Rico's historic El San Juan Hotel & Casino recently got a makeover -- too trendy for some regulars, appealing to young hipsters. Now the Condado Plaza Hotel & Casino is...
 |
|
Author: Kitty Bean Yancey |
Category: News |
More...
|
|
| Sign of the times: Half-bottle service in Vegas |
(Fri, 15 Aug 2008)
|
| Is this a sign of hard times, or a consumer service? A splash of both. New York-New York Hotel & Casino's new nightclub -- ROK Vegas -- will offer half-bottle service when it opens to the public Labor Day Weekend....
 |
|
Author: Kitty Bean Yancey |
Category: Las Vegas |
More...
|
|
| Hilton goes for the gold explaining Chinese culture |
(Thu, 14 Aug 2008)
|
| Never point with chposticks or lick them. Present gifts with both hands. As Olympic fever rises, the Hilton hotel brands have launched a website furthering intercultural awareness and understanding of Chinese customs. At behospitabletraveler.com, some U.S. Olympic team members talk...
 |
|
Author: Kitty Bean Yancey |
Category: News |
More...
|
|
| World's worst hotel guests |
(Wed, 13 Aug 2008)
|
| Concierge.com has a list, and it makes for jaw-dropping reading. Remember Michael Jackson dangling his baby off a hotel balcony? British singer Amy Winehouse trashing hotel rooms (even leaving black hair dye residue in a tub), Russell Crowe throwing a...
 |
|
Author: Kitty Bean Yancey |
Category: Offbeat news |
More...
|
|
| Hotel how-tos: How to deal with dirty laundry |
(Wed, 13 Aug 2008)
|
| This may seem silly, but it's worth discussion. A recent survey of about 180 travelers by the makers of the reusable zip-up Rojeti Travel Laundry Bag found that 86% of the female respondents used a hotel-provided laundry bag to store...
 |
|
Author: Kitty Bean Yancey |
Category: smart consumer |
More...
|
|
| Had trouble getting a fridge or cooler in a room? |
(Tue, 12 Aug 2008)
|
| Regular reader erw writes with a question I can't answer. Here it is: "I usually request a mini-fridge for a medical reason if one is not already in the room." Three of the recent hotels erw has booked "have actually...
 |
|
Author: Kitty Bean Yancey |
More...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|