So many people travel by air these days, they forget about the classic American experience – a road trip. Car travel is the best way to get to know your national landscape because you must navigate every inch of it from the ground. Granted, some people pedal bikes across the country (takes forever), or ride motorbikes (a little too dangerous for most peoples’ tastes), but a road holiday trip is fun, safe, and always exciting. From the comfort of your own vehicle, you can discover all the sights and attractions that your country has to offer. You can plan your own route, personalizing it so you see your favorite things. To ensure that you get a superior road trip, follow these simple rules before you hit the pavement.

The most important thing about traveling by car is to have a great plan in advance. Spend weeks or even months deciding on your route. Leave room for some flexibility because you might always hear of a great attraction when you’re on the road that you didn’t anticipate. However, it’s essential to have a game plan starting out. There are hundreds of great books on the subject. Many informed authors have written about the great American road trip and the routes they have taken. You can check these books out of the library or buy them from your local bookstore. Invest in comprehensive maps as well. You will need them. No matter how well you plan, you can anticipate getting lost at least once.

When you plan your route, highlight the places where you would like to spend more than an hour or so. Decide where you would prefer to spend the night, whether you’re camping, sleeping in a trailer, or staying at a five-star hotel. Anticipate where you might want to have your meals. Great restaurants abound in big cities but you might not be so lucky with your cuisine in tiny, roadside towns. If you don’t want to spend a lot of your road budget on food, then consider packing a cooler. Every so often you can stop at a grocery store and fill up on sandwich supplies in drinks. This will save you money and time, as you will be able to stop at any rest area picnic table to dine.

Make sure that your car is in stellar shape before you hit the road. Get a complete inspection and make sure all your stickers are current. Tell a trusted mechanic that you are preparing to put thousands of miles on your car and you want everything in ship-shape. Make sure that your car’s fluids, belts, and hoses are in ideal condition. Check your tire pressure frequently, as you can save a lot of gas money by driving on an even keel. If you are planning on driving through the desert or through a winter climate, plan accordingly. You may need extra air conditioning coolant or snow tires, depending on where you’re going. Pack an emergency kit just in case. Road flares, a spare tire, and a tool box can be lifesavers on the road.

Family holidays can be fun and exciting for all ages.  Here are some pointers for finding the best holiday for your family.

First you need to determine the common interests of the family.  Ask your children what they would like to see and what they’re studying in school.  If you have very young children then usually you will know better than them but try to get them involved.  Think of you and your spouse as well; what may be great fun for the kids may be boring and annoying for the adults.  Pick somewhere that all of you will enjoy or a destination that gives you the opportunity for quiet time.  While kids tend to be unrealistic, you can usually accommodate their interest.  For example, if they want to take an African safari you could visit the immense animal park in San Diego, California.

Theme parks are fun for the kids and offer entertainment for adults as well.  Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida includes the Magic Kingdom, Epcot Center, Universal Studios and MGM Studios.  There are luxury hotels located right inside the park and a monorail takes visitors to different parts of the park so there’s no need to drive.  The park is not the only attraction; there are other nearby attractions including the Kennedy Space Center, Coco Beach and Sea World.

A trip through the historic east coast is another fun holiday that the kids and adults are sure to enjoy.  The east coast has beautiful mountains and beaches and contains most of the United States’ history.  Attractions are close to each other compared to the rest of the U.S. so a road trip is the best way to travel with the family to this part of the country.  Historic sights include George Washington’s home in Virginia and the Arlington Cemetery.  The Smithsonian Museums in Washington, D.C. are free and there is something to interest everyone.  There is the Space and Aeronautics Museum that children really enjoy with life size replicas and actual aircraft showing the history of flight. Washington also contains the U.S. political buildings such as the White House and the Pentagon.

Southern California offers many sights and is especially warm and pleasant in the late fall and early spring when most of the country is cold.  Los Angeles is the film industry capitol of the world. You can visit Universal Studios theme park and Disneyland.  You may even be able to catch the taping of a television show.  San Diego which is just about two hours south of Los Angeles is a beautiful mid size city and has many tourist options.  The San Diego Zoo is world renowned and Sea World is a must see for wildlife enthusiast.  If you have young children then be sure to visit Legoland which has rides and even replicas of famous sights made entirely out of Legos.
Family holidays can be fun for the entire family.  It’s important to find a holiday that will interest the kids as well as the adults.

When you begin planning a vacation, one of the most important steps is to book a hotel room for your stay. After you have made your arrangements to take off work and get to your destination, you will have to figure out an affordable place to stay. There are many ways to approach hotel booking, the most tried and true being purchasing a vacation package through a travel agent. However, travel agents are becoming more expensive and less practical as Internet travel booking becomes the norm.

Rather than paying a middleman to book your flights and hotels, online travel websites make it easy to compare rates, research locations and check on availability. Most hotels have their own websites where you can enter your needed dates and get a quote for your stay. You do not have to enter credit card information to research rates at most hotels, so it makes do-it-yourself comparison shopping convenient for anyone with an internet connection. Some hotels even post layouts of their buildings, so you can choose exactly which room you want, rather than taking a chance on being right next to a pool full of screaming children when you are trying to get some much-needed rest and relaxation.

There are also some websites that will do your comparison-shopping for you. Sites like Hotwire and Expedia search their databases for hotels available on your needed dates, and they list the best deals for you. You can choose to search according to location, rate range, hotel chain or room size. When using sites like Hotwire, the more flexible your dates are, the greater your chances are of getting an inexpensive rate. However, even if your dates are set in stone, you may still be able to find a cheaper hotel rate using these sites than you would on your own.

One way to use the Internet to find low hotel prices is to join a travel club. Many airlines and car rental companies offer deals for repeat customers. Through these programs, frequent travelers can arrange car rentals and flights at discount prices, and they often thrown in hotel stays for a minimal charge. Some car rental companies have partnerships with particular hotel chains, giving discounts to customers who use both companies on their trips. You can sometimes use your airline frequent flier miles to pay for hotel stays, as well. Be sure to check with your airline of choice to see if they offer special hotel rates with their frequent flier programs.

Because making reservations online is a do-it-yourself endeavor, hotels save money of staffing. This allows them to offer special online rates for those who book their stays via the Internet. Most hotel chain websites have links to special Internet deals that can save you a lot of money on your vacation lodging. If you are Internet savvy, you can sometimes even qualify for free nights when you book a week at the same hotel.

When you are ready to make your online hotel reservation, be sure to have your credit card handy. Because of high security practices, you often have to enter the three-digit code on the back of your credit card to confirm your reservation. Though some people are wary of entering credit card numbers over the Internet, most sites take great care in securing and encoding the information, making identity theft virtually impossible. However, if you are not comfortable completing your transaction online, many hotels allow you to reserve the nights and to call and complete the booking over the phone. Unfortunately, sometimes completing a transaction this way disqualifies you from receiving special Internet rates.

For many people, a beach holiday is their annual luxury; two weeks in the sun, with long sandy beaches and a tranquil sea is their idea of a perfect trip away. It doesn’t take much imagination to take a step further and turn that annual trip into a real experience by staying in a small, select hotel.

Beach resorts are one of the most ideal locations for boutique hotels. The idea of stepping out from your bedroom onto your own private beach area, or staying in an exclusive location just minutes’ walk from the sea is an attractive one to many. No chic beach resort is like another, however, so it’s worth taking a look at locations and hotels before you decide exactly what type of beach holiday is right for you.

Island getaways

There’s plenty of opportunity for boutique accommodation in the world’s island resorts. From the Maldives in the Indian Ocean to the always-popular Caribbean islands, the lure of white beaches, blue seas and a laid-back atmosphere attracts visitors from all over the world. Beach boutiques on the islands make the most of the natural environment, using colour and texture to bring the outdoors inside and creating relaxing surroundings that enable you to enjoy your beach holiday to the full. Examples of island boutiques include:

• Ostraco Suites, Mykonos, Greece
• Quilalea Island, Mozambique
• Elysian Bali Villas, Seminyak, Bali
• Montpelier Plantation Inn, St. Kitts & Nevis
• The Lone Star Hotel and Restaurant, Barbados
• Fundu Lagoon, Zanzibar

These are just some of the chic island retreats catering for guests who are looking for privacy and tranquillity within a design- and service-led hotel.

Beach resorts

It’s not just the islands that have wonderful stretches of coastline. The larger countries and continents boast hundreds of popular resorts where a boutique hotel can make all the difference to your holiday. Try the Old Quay House in Cornwall, England, where a perfect location, an historic building and sympathetic architecture and design make for the perfect coastal retreat. If you’re a lover of the Spanish coast, then take a look at the Beach House in Marbella, which is one of the coolest hotels in the country. Rio de Janeiro has a stunning coastline and a party atmosphere to match and you can make the most of both by staying at La Maison, which is hip, trendy and just a few minutes from the beach.

While it may be fashionable to show up late to the holiday office party, it is not fashionable to send your holiday gifts late. Send your holiday gifts early to make an impact. Consider sending a gift basket the week after Thanksgiving. You could also consider sending a gift to celebrate the New Year around the 28th of December. Sending holiday gifts at a different time than other companies will make your gifts stand out!

Be Creative, but Considerate

People say, “It is the thought that counts” when they receive a gift. If the gift you send, however, has nothing to do with your clients’ interests, they will think, “Wow. They did not even put thought into this gift.”

Make sure you know what your clients and employees like before selecting their gifts this year. If they are avid golfers, consider giving your clients or employees Nike Golf Bags or a gift basket filled with golfing essentials like golf balls, divot tools, and golf markers. When giving a food item, take into consideration any dietary restrictions due to religious or medical reasons. Make sure your gifts fit your clients’ and employees’ likes to make a positive, lasting impact this holiday season.

Quality Gifts Deserve Classy Wrapping

No one enjoys seeing a gift wrapped in newspaper or a paper sack. To avoid running into any last minute wrapping problems, think about the proper wrapping utensils you need to make your gift’s wrapping as spectacular as the gift it’s concealing.

-Cards

A card is not necessarily a part of the gift wrapping process, but many times, cards do come attached to gifts. Let people know how much you appreciate them by attaching a card with a thoughtful message inside. And, be sure to double-check the spelling of your client’s name because the smallest error can ruin your gift.

-Gift Wrap

Invest in nice gift wrap. You do not need to buy the most expensive wrapping paper, but you should invest in something so the recipient knows you did not just haphazardly pick up the gift the day you gave it to them.

-Ribbons and Bows and Frills

There is no need to go overboard with these gift wrapping accessories. A nice bow, however, can be the perfect finishing touch on a present.

Within the same city, across the country, or on the next continent to the East, you wont ever find two bed and breakfasts alike. They aren’t chain enterprises where cookie-cutter-like consistency is a company rule. Rather, they often share the culture of their surrounding area, and reflect the taste and personality of the owner.

For the vacationer, they provide a refreshing, home-like setting to unwind from a day of site seeing and pounding the pavement shopping. For the business traveler, with many offering wireless internet and computer services, they provide a much more relaxing and productive environment than a tiny hotel room.

No matter the reason for your travels, you’ll sleep better knowing you can go down to the kitchen in the middle of the night and have a glass of milk and cookies or take off your shoes, grab the newspaper and put your feet up on the couch!

The Host Advantage

Since your hosts usually own the home they are friendly and helpful people. You’re invited in, not just a number to a minimum wage, behind the counter employee. Because you’re not waiting in a stalled check-in line in a crowded lobby, your arrival is a welcome experience. Your hosts will take the extra time to guide you to where you want to go and introduce you to a new city.

That personal touch is much more helpful than having a map left in a hotel room for you to figure out on your own. B & B hosts know their cities well; they’ll give you first hand tips on great restaurants, shopping, and local information about the city tourists and new visitors wouldn’t otherwise know. Rely on them for safety tips while you’re out in the strange and unfamiliar, and to help you understand the customs of the locals, like tipping or hailing a cab for example.

Find Your Perfect B & B Online

Most B & Bs are advertised on the Internet. You can find many choices by going to any search engine, like Google or MSN, and type in “Bed and Breakfast Toronto” for example. Their websites will have pictures of the home, the bedrooms, prices and information on amenities. Don’t assume that every accommodation will have wireless Internet and parking available. Be sure to do your research.

Bed and Breakfasts, like hotels, will range from opulent 5 star mansions to quaint, little simple places for the budget conscious. Fine tune your search to a specific search like “Bed and Breakfast Downtown Toronto”. Some good websites that list and compare many B & Bs are:

www.lanierbb.com
www.tripadvisor.com
www.bedandbreakfasts.ca
www.bbcanada.com
www.globalbedandbreakfastlinks.com

Different Places, Different Policies

Hosts have different policies for their establishments, and it’s always best to ask questions about things important to you before you book. Do you need parking? Does it cost extra? Is there a curfew? Some other things that vary are cancellation policies, if they have internet use for you, laundry facilities, air conditioning – neither you or the host wants a surprise if there is something that you need that they don’t have it to offer.

Remember, these are people’s homes and a good host wants to provide all the services you would expect at a hotel, except for the hotel atmosphere. They’re relying on their charm and the warmth of their home to make your stay an exciting, fun, welcoming and comfortable experience for you.

Breakfast Has Many Definitions

The breakfasts themselves differ as much as the decors, locations and house types. The owners normally prepare them so you’ll have a home-made, personal touch to your first meal of the day. I’ve stayed in B & B’s that have a self-serve style, continental breakfast. These can be a tasty variety of homemade breads and jellies and treats, or they could be fruit, cereals, yogurts etc, a common standard for the continental breakfast. Don’t be afraid to ask for details on the phone. I’ve expected a delightful morning meal and sadly had to force down commercially bought, frozen, fattening and salty unfulfilling snack.

Others make a wonderful morning event, providing a menu of hot breakfast standards including pancakes, French toast, home fries and eggs. These are my personal favorites because you can bet the owner has their unique flair or a family recipe that you’re not going to find anywhere else. In fact, I visited one B & B where they grew their omelet vegetables right outside in the garden, and the jams and jellies were homemade right on site.

What to Expect

I have found that if a B & B has five or more rooms, they usually have staff to help out the owners. Just like a hotel, you’ll get your beds made and plenty of fresh towels. Personally I like the larger establishments because the house is usually more mansion-like and bursting with character, and normally they can then afford to provide a few more amenities. If you like interacting with people from all over the globe, this would be definitely for you.

I’ve met people from North and South America, Europe, Asia – basically the world. Bed and Breakfast travelers tend to be friendlier, happier and easy-going types that seem more extroverted and genuinely glad to meet each other and enjoy good company and conversation – it’s always a pleasure to compare stories and learn new things about people’s homelands.

After my first stay in a Bed & Breakfast, I was hooked. If you’ve never stayed in one, give it a try. You might be pleasantly surprised… I loved being a guest so much I decided to become an owner!

Beaches are always the center of attraction in all parts of the globe. Who wouldn’t like to stretch luxuriously on the sand and let the sun do its work in giving you a wonderful tan? Beach towns and seaside villages are major tourist centers in the United States of America, attracting thousands of visitors every year to places like Miami Beach, Virginia Beach, Myrtle Beach, Daytona Beach, etc.

And it is no wonder the hospitality industry is booming in these places; there are hotels and lodgings catering to people from all classes of society. Stiff competition and constant new entrants into the field have worked out to the advantage of visitors in these beach towns and cities. Hotels try to outdo each other in providing many amenities in a bid to satisfy the needs of all kinds of people from anywhere in the world. Indulging guests extravagantly is a way of life in these hotels.

This website aims to give you relevant information on some of the best hotels in seven major beach destinations in the United States. Taking into consideration the amenities, comforts and unique features provided by some of the hotels in areas like Miami, Virginia Beach, Myrtle Beach, Daytona Beach, Laguna Beach, Panama City Beach and Fort Myers Beach, the website hopes to give the reader or a prospective visitor a peek into how comfortable a holiday in one of these locations can be.

There are a few things that you should keep in mind when you are checking into beach hotels. The hotels require your photo identity proof while checking in, and charge your credit cards at the time of booking. They also charge $25 for cancellation of your bookings. Most hotels do not allow singles below a certain age to book rooms, and the age limit could range from 21 to 25 years.

Beautiful scenery and a multitude of cultural and outdoor activities draw visitors to Aspen, Colorado. Friendly hospitality and great service keep those visitors coming back again and again.

Not just for skiers anymore, Aspen, Colorado is a favorite destination for tourists who appreciate elegance, unparalleled ambiance and impeccable personal service. Aspen, Colorado hotels combine excellent amenities and facilities with luxurious lodgings to offer the best of all worlds.

Nestled in the downtown core of Aspen, Colorado is the Hotel Jerome. Just steps from world-class boutiques, galleries, restaurants and nightlife, visitors to this Aspen, Colorado hotel can take in a view of the majestic Aspen Mountain.
The Hotel Jerome features 92 spacious guest rooms, plus a number of luxurious suites.

Discriminating travelers appreciate the attention to service customary at The Hotel Jerome. A heated outdoor pool and Jacuzzi are just two of many amenities that make this Aspen, Colorado hotel a year-round favorite. Restaurants at the Hotel Jerome, including Jacob’s Corner, Garden Terrace and The Century Room, create distinctive American cuisine featuring some of Aspen’s most incredible dishes.

Aspen’s Sky Hotel is located on East Durant Avenue. This eclectic hotel has been described as the “ultimate intersection of old-world Rocky Mountain charm splashed with new-world fun, function, and style”. Visitors to this Aspen, Colorado hotel claim that everything Aspen has to offer can be found at the Sky Hotel. If your perfect Aspen vacation includes skiing, shopping, hiking, fishing, dining or just relaxing, the Sky Hotel is the ideal spot located right in the heart of town.

The Sky Hotel offers 90 comfortable guest rooms, all painted in a cheery sunflower yellow. The rooms feature quilted headboards with lovely curtains to compliment that pine furniture. Each room offers the amenities needed to make a weary travel feel right at home.

Of course there are more Aspen, Colorado hotels available, all providing luxurious comfort and friendly service. The Sky Hotel and Hotel Jerome are two of the most outstanding, going above and beyond for their customers.  Enjoy your next vacation at an Aspen, Colorado hotel. It’s great to visit one, and even better to come back.

Business persons and general travelers alike have to travel frequently to different parts of the world or within your own country. Many prefer to travel economy class to save expenses on airfare. You might in this case have to face the inconvenience of sitting cramped in small seats with very little leg space to move about. As an affluent business man or an executive on an important business mission, you may just get cramped, physically tired and mentally demoralized traveling in such inconvenience and may not therefore remain in the right frame of mind to execute your business transaction successfully. Inconvenience apart, your business stature cannot allow you travel economy class. The answer to this lies in traveling business class.

The seats in the economy class being cheaper usually remain overbooked, while quite a few of the costlier business class seats remain vacant for want of customers. As a result, flight companies offer certain attractive packages to lure customers to book for business class seats.

Business class is more comfortable than economy class due to ample leg space and greater maneuverability. The service and the cuisine in the business class seats are certainly better and more courteous. Again the package for business class seats takes better care of you in after-flight service. You are escorted form the airport and lodged in first class hotels commensurate with your business status. These packages may certainly be cheaper if you ask for the return ticket within a stipulated time.

If you are a frequent flier, you should stick to one airline for all of your travels. Once you are identified as a loyal and regular customer, you are offered higher rebates in your airfares and shown greater respect. That way you can sit relaxed in the business class seats, enjoy good and sumptuous meals, and be serviced more courteously. You can also do your homework or paperwork while traveling and have good nights’ sleep when your journey continues overnight.

Over the last eleven years of traveling the globe I have learned many different lessons about business travel. Whether you are a seasoned travel expert or a recent college graduate getting ready for that first trip, I am sure that you will learn a few things from my dissertation below.

Business travel is weary on the family and can cause hardships that are difficult to put into words. When you are out of town, life around your house carries on in every sense. Your grass continues to grow, your power continues to flow, your kids have recitals and ball practices, and your spouse has meetings. Don’t forget the small things and check in with your family members. Your not being around means that they have to do the things that you normally accomplish.

During your travel make sure to make time to take care of yourself as well. You will be eating at fine restaurants all over the world. You will get to sample local cuisines that you have never before had. Your body will suffer from the overload of food and beverages. Make time to go to your hotels gyms between work hours and dinner. Simply working out for 30 mins. each afternoon should keep you in fighting form for the meetings that you have coming up during the trip. It will also limit the perpetual expansion of the waste line from the foods that you are eating.

For meetings and arrival times, make sure to plan on showing up fifteen to twenty minutes before your meeting time. Showing up late to meetings is unacceptable for both your clients and for your company.

Always dress for success, never show up to your meetings in anything less than a Shirt, Tie, and Coat. Showing up in less than that attire for many companies is a sign of disrespect. While they may be sporting the latest in Golf apparel you need to sport something more along the lines of Donald Trump.

During the travel stages of your event plan on staying in mid-level accommodations. Never try to hit your company up for first class accommodations. The mid-level accommodation shows that you are willing to save the company money while not sacrificing your personal well-being. The mid-level accommodation will provide you with acceptable bedding and laundry services and a good night sleep.

As a final point keep in mind that you are representing your company. Conduct yourself at all times as if you were trying to win that coveted job spot. Because just as you interviewed for your current job. You are interviewing your company for future business with your clients.