Smart Women TravelersSmart Women Travelers2012-01-24T04:34:23Zhttp://www.smartwomentravelers.com/feed/atom/WordPressCarol<![CDATA[Know How Far Your Travels Take You with Flight Memory]]>http://www.smartwomentravelers.com/?p=27432012-01-16T04:56:23Z2012-01-16T14:12:58ZDuring the countless time spent in security lines, have you ever wondered to yourself how many miles you’ve traveled, or how many times you’ve flown between two cities? Flight Memory can keep track of your trips and display fun graphs and interesting statistics of your travels.
Flight Memory is free to use. Once you create an account, you can input all of your future or past flight information. How much you input is up to you, so you can detail all the information you have (Continental Flight 1586, Leaving IAH at 7:00 PM, Arriving MCO at 10:15PM, Jan. 6, 2012, on a Boeing 757, sitting in First Class with a window seat for a business trip) or you can just put in what you can remember (I flew from Orlando to Houston on January 2nd) and Flight Memory will take care of the rest.
It can be a bit laborious to put in all of your previous flights, especially for the well-traveled, but if you are a numbers nut then the payoff is worth it. Not only can you keep track of your longest and shortest flights (in terms of distance and duration), but you can find out how your travel mileage stacks up to the circumference of the Earth or the distance to the Moon. It can also tell you, if you don’t already know, your most frequent airports and routes taken. Automatic tweets can be sent with your flight info if you so desire.
But the coolest feature of this site is the poster you can have made of your travels. You can spring for a personalized world map documenting all of your trips and statistics. Show off all of the cities and countries you’ve conquered!
Flight Memory is free to sign up and is a great way to put all of your travels in perspective.
For even more features, FlightMemory’s premium membership is $39 per year with other plans available. This gives you tons more stats, zoomable maps of the world, tracking of your full journeys (car rentals, for example) to compare costs amongst trips, access to the mobile version of FlightMemory for your phone, private mail to chat with other flyers, the ability to create pdf files for printing or archiving, plus more features.
Since the year has just begun, it’s a good time to start recording your flights for 2012.
]]>0Carol<![CDATA[Travel Tech News from CES]]>http://www.smartwomentravelers.com/?p=27342012-01-13T22:03:57Z2012-01-13T19:21:15ZSmart Women Travelers isn’t just about flights, car rentals, and hotel stays. The tech toys we bring with us are all part of the fun! This year we’ve sent a SWT Correspondent to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to bring back news on what will be this year’s greatest travel companions – the gadgets we use everyday to keep in touch.
The big story from the Consumer Electronics Show this year may be Microsoft, as much for what they did as what they won’t be doing. At his keynote speech, CEO Steve Balmer talked about applying their Metro interface to the new Windows 8 platform due out later this year. It will be not only for PC’s but also tablets and phones. Hands-on experience at the show says this will be a nice improvement over Windows 7. Nokia announced their new Lumia 900 phone will use Win 8. However, the jury is out on whether the platform can make serious inroads against Apple and Google-based phones.
Most disappointing was Balmer’s announcement that Microsoft will not have a booth at future CES events. He cited the same reasons as other majors in the consumer electronics arena: Too much pressure to work their production calendar around this event because everyone expects major announcements at CES. Their presence will be missed.
Elsewhere, Samsung is offering a new smartphone with a huge 5.3″ screen, sized between a standard phone and a 7″ tablet. It comes with a stylus, which is handy if you are a graphics artist or designer or just someone who loves to write or draw on a phone. These handwritten notes can even be sent as text messages. So who would buy such a large phone? Some women may enjoy the larger size because it will still fit in a handbag easily. Those who mostly use their phones for games or video definitely will enjoy the larger, brighter images. Perhaps some seniors also will appreciate the easy reading from a larger screen. The phone will be coming to AT&T shortly.
Samsung also used CES to introduce their line of “ultrabooks”. The 13-14″ screen size may be the sweet spot for most travelers, and the 1 TB hard drive should be sufficient for nearly everyone. On the downside, the inclusion of such a large drive brings the weight to over 4 lbs. They’re beautifully designed, but not “ultra” light weight.
Other vendors were showing ultrabooks (a term coined by Intel) which are far more practical for travelers. Most have screen sizes around 13″ but use the lighter (and smaller capacity) SSD instead of the traditional hard drives. Also, they eliminate the DVD drive to bring the weight down to a very appealing 3 lbs or less. Look for them to arrive later this year loaded with Windows newest operating system. Expect prices generally higher than current laptops.
Next week: More from CES 2012 featuring handy travel products.
To receive a free copy of our ebook, 70 Secrets to Safe Travel — Because Your Life Can Change in a Heartbeat, and for more travel savvy info to help you travel smarter, safer and with more enjoyment, visit SmartWomenTravelers.com and PearlsofTravelWisdom.com. Watch for my new book, Business Travel Success – How to Reduce Stress, Be More Productive and Travel with Confidence, being published by Morgan James in early 2012.
]]>0Carol<![CDATA[Starting All Over Again]]>http://www.smartwomentravelers.com/?p=27242012-01-06T23:10:47Z2012-01-07T12:20:28ZWith the New Year comes a feeling of new beginnings – a time when we focus anew on health, relationships, wealth, and career. We plow into January with enthusiasm for the ways we’re going to improve our life. But other new beginnings happen also, whether we want them to or not.
Airline year-to-date status mileage amounts get reset to zero.
The number of hotel nights stayed gets reset to zero.
The number of rental car occurrences gets zapped.
We have to start all over again.
It’s pretty much a feeling of getting knocked down a mountain, looking up at the peak from the bottom and knowing you have to climb up all over again.
Not the type of new beginning that gets us excited – more like depressed instead.
For many of us, the previous year needed an extra month or two. You may have been oh so close to reaching a certain status level with an airline or hotel and now you’re sent back to Start.
This reminds me of the game of Parcheesi, when your token is almost home and you see the possibility of winning … when with a quick shake of the dice by your opponent, they land on your token and it gets sent back to the beginning to start the round-the-board trek again. Or how about Monopoly, when you’re just about ready to pass Go and collect $200 and instead get sent to jail? Okay, so resetting our yearly accruals isn’t that bad! But it does sort of feel like landing on Luxury Tax instead of Boardwalk or Park Place.
For others travelers, it was a squeaker in 2011 to reach status and you may have had to do a mileage or mattress run to reach your desired airline or hotel goal. I was in this category. I was 4,000 miles short of reaching 1K status on United/Continental. The day after Christmas, while many of you were celebrating Boxing Day, I was on a plane to LA for a same-day round trip mileage run to wrap up the year at their 1K level.
For the rest of you, it was either a matter of smooth sailing to your desired status level or you were so far away that it just didn’t matter. You might even be enjoying the fresh start of the yearly accruals.
Regardless of where you finished the year, we’re all at the same spot now …. Back to zero and starting over again (unless you have rollover mileage on Delta or rollover nights on Marriott or any other travel companies offering rollover). You may be wondering how this year will be for award accrual. Will you be traveling more? Traveling less? Switching travel providers?
While you excitedly move forward in your life’s new beginnings for 2012, take a gander over at the many travel blogs over at BoardingArea.com and see what deals and promotions they are talking about. You may just find one or two that you want to set your sights on. And you’ll start to get excited about the New Year’s travel award possibilities.
Wishing you a very happy, healthy and prosperous travel New Year!
To receive a free copy of our ebook, 70 Secrets to Safe Travel — Because Your Life Can Change in a Heartbeat, and for more travel savvy info to help you travel smarter, safer and with more enjoyment, visit SmartWomenTravelers.com and PearlsofTravelWisdom.com. Watch for my new book, Business Travel Success – How to Reduce Stress, Be More Productive and Travel with Confidence, being published by Morgan James in early 2012.
]]>0Carol<![CDATA[Top 10 Kid Gadgets for Holiday Road Trips]]>http://www.smartwomentravelers.com/?p=27142011-12-21T21:17:31Z2011-12-21T19:25:02ZGuest post by Ashley Grimaldo.
Talking on a cell phone while driving is dangerous. But a mid-transit chat pales in comparison to the distraction of driving with one (or two!) children wailing in the backseat. Nothing increases adrenaline and quick recall of four-letter words quite like crying kids.
As parents, we can mentally cope with crying kids to and from the grocery store. But long-distance trips need more finesse. Careful preparation and a few necessities can prevent a few glitches and keep your travel going smoothly. As you prepare for holiday travels, make the most of your trip with these handy gadgets.
1. Snack Container
A signature trademark of a kid-friendly car is a Hansel and Gretel-worthy crumb collection on every surface. If you can overlook this completely annoying parenthood perk, I applaud you; otherwise invest in some creative cups. Munchkin offers an ingenious design with handles and no spill rubber top–two for under $7. Sporting a similar design but with an attachable rope (and additional solid top) is the Spill-Proof Snack Buddy Cup from One Step Ahead.
2. Window Shade
Getting on the road is tough enough; stopping to shade a sunset shouldn’t be on your list of priorities. Grab a light-cutting window shade to curb the brightness. Measure your windows and buy the widest shade possible, making sure you have enough visibility in your back and rear passenger windows. Check out your options at Great Baby Products for window shade reviews.
3. Lacing Toys
Kids above age 3 (who don’t suffer from motion sickness) will work on lacing boards for hours. Growing Tree Toys has a fantastic range of simple lacing activities, like necklaces and ABCs, to complex connect-a-dot boards. Bring a bucket to set in your child’s lap so that she can contain the blocks without dropping them on the floor.
4. Finger Puppets
For the dramatic types in your crew, a set of finger puppets can be a space-saving lifesaver. My favorite are high-quality puppets that tell a familiar story, like Thumbelina or the Frog Prince from puppet master Folkmanis, but folks on a budget can definitely afford IKEA’s popular set of circus characters or animals for just $4.99.
5. Favorite Music
Not your favorite music, mind you. Junior may not appreciate the vocal stylings of Rihanna for hours on end (and, honestly, you shouldn’t either). Enjoy some traditional Disney favorites and throw in some award-winning movement songs from Hap Palmer and Joe Scruggs to keep the mood kid-friendly. Bring on talk radio when it’s time for a snooze.
6. Bubbles
So what if you have to clean up the residue later! Bubbles are total fun for all ages, especially when the road seems never-ending. Unless you have an older child, mom or dad needs to commandeer the liquid and blow them toward the back. The best bubbles on the market, hands down, come from Gymboree. These bubbles float forever and the solution never dries out.
7. Barf Bag
Close to 30% of people are susceptible to motion sickness, and kids are no exception. The barfies can strike at any time–there’s no guarantee that your child will or won’t get sick on a road trip. Prepare for the worst by investing in a few leak-proof barf bags with fun pictures printed on the outside and show your child how to “cough” into it if his tummy starts to hurt. And bring an extra couple of towels just in case.
8. Neck Pillow
This is a tricky one. Your younger child may or may not like the feeling of something so close to her neck. Try it on short stroller trips ahead of time to practice. If your kiddo will wear it, she’ll be far more comfortable during naps. Pillow companions like the Dora neck pillow attach to the straps of your car seat or stroller, making it a bit more accessible.
9. Small Baking Sheets
This ingenious idea from Family Fun keeps the ever-present I-dropped-it-on-the-floor wail at bay. Use a conventional (but smaller) lipped baking sheet as a drawing, magnetic and keep-it-all-in-one place surface. Glue one or two layers of foam shelf paper on the bottom to make it less likely to fall and affix white contact paper to the top for the drawing surface. Turn it into multiple activities by attaching magnets to buttons for checkers or bingo games. Older travelers might prefer a more sophisticated travel kit like this one from Martha Stewart.
10. iPad
No, I’m not a fan of hours of screen time for little eyes, but during a road trip this godsend is a total catchall. From apps for all ages to music and movies, the iPad is the perfect device for tiny travelers. Purchasing gift cards at a discount from sites like GiftCardGranny can help you pay for the pricey device at such retailers as Target and Walmart, who are currently offering deals on iPad 2 bundles. Then, let your kiddos learn letters with Starfall or everything nursery-rhyme cooky from Duck Duck Moose. When all else fails, strap it to the seat and watch a movie.
Ashley Grimaldo comes from a long line of penny pinchers and enjoys blogging on money-saving tips and advice for frugal-minded parents. She lives with her husband and three children in Bryan, Texas. Ashley has been featured among such media outlets as Redbook, The Chicago Tribune, Time.com, and CBS News-Houston.
For info on any of these great Top 10 Kid Gadgets for Holiday Road trip, contact Ashley@kinoliinc.com
To receive a free copy of our ebook, 70 Secrets to Safe Travel — Because Your Life Can Change in a Heartbeat, and for more travel savvy info to help you travel smarter, safer and with more enjoyment, visit SmartWomenTravelers.com and PearlsofTravelWisdom.com. Watch for my new book, Business Travel Success – How to Reduce Stress, Be More Productive and Travel with Confidence, being published by Morgan James in early 2012.
]]>0Carol<![CDATA[3 Easy Ways to Feel Safe and Keep Peepers from Peeping]]>http://www.smartwomentravelers.com/?p=27062011-12-19T06:06:33Z2011-12-19T12:26:43ZFeel uncomfortable when your hotel room curtains do not close all the way?
My hotel room has a 3-inch gap in the curtain closure and the room overlooks a courtyard. So it’s easy to see into rooms, especially at night when the lights are on. I know … since I took a glance out the window to see how many other rooms could be peeped into.
For times like this when you want closure to the issue, a few things will work and all depends on what may be in your suitcase:
Use duct tape to tape the curtain panels closed. A small amount of duct tape wrapped around a pencil and tossed into your bag before you travel is a good pre-emptive measure.
Use a chip clip to pull the curtains closed. Again, this needs forethought to have a multi-purpose clip in your bag … the type of clips typically sold to keep bags of chips or snacks closed.
Use a slacks hanger from the closet. Assuming the hotel hangers are not permanently affixed to the closet rod (said hotels are usually off my list once I find this!), a slacks hanger does the trick!
Option 3 worked perfectly for me in my current hotel room. I’m now comfortable in my room sitting at the desk knowing the courtyard peepers will have to find another place to peep.
To receive a free copy of our ebook, 70 Secrets to Safe Travel — Because Your Life Can Change in a Heartbeat, and for more travel savvy info to help you travel smarter, safer and with more enjoyment, visit SmartWomenTravelers.com and PearlsofTravelWisdom.com. Watch for my new book, Business Travel Success – How to Reduce Stress, Be More Productive and Travel with Confidence, being published by Morgan James in early 2012.
]]>0Carol<![CDATA[How High Can You Go?]]>http://www.smartwomentravelers.com/?p=26802011-12-08T19:03:06Z2011-12-09T12:40:57Z
Smart women on the rise often set their sights high … and so they should! We can see much further from the top and the view is so exciting. And I’m not talking about the board room!
No, some of the highest places in the world are open to tourists! In the United States if you want to go up, New York City offers you the most options with more than 216 skyscrapers over 497 ft. (150 m) tall. Since September 11, 2001, the Empire State Building is once again the tallest building. Originally completed in 1931 at 1,250 ft., it usurped the Chrysler Building completed the year before at 1,046 ft.
Currently the Willis Tower in Chicago (formerly the Sears Tower) is the tallest in the US at 1, 451 ft. The observation deck gives you a spectacular view of Chicago and the Lake Michigan shoreline. When I lived in Chicago, I worked on the 81st floor of the Sears Tower (it’ll forever be the Sears Tower to me) and loved looking down at the great skyline of Chicago.
But the new One World Trade Center will once again top the Empire State Building and the Willis Tower when it is completed in 2013. Called the “Freedom Tower,” it’s on the site of Ground Zero and will soar 1,776 ft., once again punching into the clouds and defining the Manhattan skyline with a patriotic spirit: “You might knock me down but I can pull myself up by my new high heeled leather boot straps!”
This rivalry of who’s going higher seems never ending. In Houston the JP Morgan Chase Tower is the tallest building in Texas (where their motto is “Everything’s bigger in Texas.”). At 1,002 ft. completed in 1982, it rises 75 stories to the 12th largest in the US. Its observation deck is open to the public during the working hours of 8:00 a.m. — 5:00 p.m. Monday–Friday, free of charge. In 1989 Los Angles U.S. Bank Tower (formerly the Library Tower) rose to 1,018 ft. but only 73 stories.
If you want to go even higher, several of the tallest buildings in the world are in China. So when you are in Shenzhen you’ll want to see the Kingkey 100, or the Nanjing Greenland Financial Centre in Nanjing, or the World Financial Centre in Shanghai. These scrape the skies at heights at or above the height of the Willis Tower in Chicago. From 2004 until 2010, the Taipei 101 was the highest you could go without boarding a plane. It’s 1,670 ft. tall.
Today going up, up, and away, means going to Dubai, United Arab Emirates. In 2010, the Burj Khalifa became the tallest building in the world: two thousand, seven hundred and seventeen feet high. The Observation Deck is on the 124th floor! Here are my photos of Burj Khalifa as I looked up from the ground and down from the top. Now that’s really going on an ear-popping ride!
If you want to go higher than that, I hear you can actually pay to go on a rocket into outer-space at the Spaceport America in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Now wouldn’t that be some great air miles? Keep your sights high and share your photos from skydecks around the world at the Smart Women Travelers Facebook Page.
To receive a free copy of our ebook, 70 Secrets to Safe Travel — Because Your Life Can Change in a Heartbeat, and for more travel savvy info to help you travel smarter, safer and with more enjoyment, visit SmartWomenTravelers.com and PearlsofTravelWisdom.com. Watch for my new book, Business Travel Success – How to Reduce Stress, Be More Productive and Travel with Confidence, being published by Morgan James in early 2012.
]]>0Carol<![CDATA[Final Chance to Win 2 Nights at a Marriott Courtyard]]>http://www.smartwomentravelers.com/?p=27022011-12-09T04:46:51Z2011-12-09T11:00:03ZWe’re down to just hours. By this time tomorrow the winning name will be selected. Enter now for your chance to win 2 nights at any Marriott Courtyard in the continental U.S. It’s easy, it’s fast and it’s a great holiday gift if you win. Go here for the details and I hope I’ll be contacting you shortly!
To receive a free copy of our ebook, 70 Secrets to Safe Travel — Because Your Life Can Change in a Heartbeat, and for more travel savvy info to help you travel smarter, safer and with more enjoyment, visit SmartWomenTravelers.com and PearlsofTravelWisdom.com. Watch for my new book, Business Travel Success – How to Reduce Stress, Be More Productive and Travel with Confidence, being published by Morgan James in early 2012.
]]>0Carol<![CDATA[Discover Ways to an Unforgettable Jamaica]]>http://www.smartwomentravelers.com/?p=26472011-12-08T18:45:02Z2011-12-08T18:09:44Z
Previously, on Smart Women Travelers, we discussed a fantastic hotel to stay at in the Montego Bay area. The Iberostar Grand Rose Hall provided a great all inclusive base for our Jamaican adventures. But if I’m on vacation, I’m not one to sit around the hotel all day long. There were many adventures to be had, and here is my rundown on a few attractions that made my Jamaican trip unforgettable.
Braco Stables
My favorite adventure in Jamaica was the Hike and Bike tour at Braco Stables. Tucked away on an old Jamaican plantation, the property also offers horse rides and river rafting. From the moment we arrived, we were treated as old friends rather than just tourists.
The Hike and Bike tour begins with a leisurely 30-45 minute hike up in the hills. Our tour guide Jerry was knowledgeable about the history of the plantation as well as the local fauna. If you are feeling more adventurous (and in great shape), you are offered the option of biking up the mountain in lieu of hiking. Tour guides will still accompany you, but you’ll be more focused on gears and loose rocks than the history of the plantation. However you reach the peak, you take a break at a gazebo 300 feet up overlooking the coast. You’re greeted with some cold towels to freshen up while you enjoy the view.
After the trek back down the hill, those without bikes mount up and it’s off to the beach. The route is a straight shot out on mostly even ground, meaning you shouldn’t worry if it’s been a while before you’ve been on a bike. On the coast, fresh coconuts were served. Bring along your swimsuit if you want to take a dip in the Caribbean. The tour concluded with some lemonade poolside at the Great Home located on property. A very relaxing end to a fun adventure.
Island Routes Catamaran Tour
We boarded the Island Routes Catamaran Tour at the Sandals Resort in Negril, located about an hour’s drive west of Montego Bay. This tour involves lots of sun and swimming, so make sure to bring your swimsuit and waterproof sunblock!
Just off of the coast, snorkeling gear was handed out and we had 25 minutes to explore a coral reef. These little ecosystems teeming with life are one of my favorite features of our wonderful planet and I love being able to swim over them! You’ll see the coral featured in the above video. Back on deck, the open bar starts flowing and the activities are a bit more relaxed.
Cruising west along the coast, we also stopped and swam in to a cave that has a bar built in it, we took a moment to watch cliff divers at Rick’s, and had some time at Jimmy Buffett’s to get out and swim some more. In between stops, food and drinks were included (I became addicted to the tuna salad wraps!) and most of the passengers took the time to soak in some sun. The boat also had a DJ, and when you mix music and free drinks, the dancing was sure to follow. The 2+ hour cruise was a relaxing way to spend the morning.
Chukka Ocho Rios, Good Hope, and Sandy Bay
Chukka Caribbean Adventures has many properties all over the island. We visited three of them for three very different adventures.
Our first stop was at Chukka Cove in Ocho Rios to visit the Jamaican Dog Sled Team. Yes, you read that right. Jamaica has a dog sled team that has participated in famous dog sled races like the Iditarod. The program, with the help of co-founder Jimmy Buffett, rescues stray dogs from around the island and they are well taken care of. We got to meet and play with the dogs, see a brief video about the inception of the team, and got to experience some of the dog sled training with a practice run.
Over in Good Hope, Zip-lines dart through the rainforest. If you’re new to zip-lining, the crew is very safety conscious and will help you step by step to make sure you have fun during this thrilling experience. If you’re a zip-line veteran, Good Hope has some of the longest lines I’ve ever been on! There are seven zip-line stations that take you over a river, down the mountain side, and even right through a tree canopy!
An ATV adventure was on deck for Sandy Bay. The two hour tour takes you through a small village and up the rocky trails to the fields of an old plantation. The view from the top was beautiful, and although we got a bit dirty, the real fun was had on the ATVs.
Mystic Mountain
The most hair-raising adventure in Jamaica had to be the Jamaican Bobsled Adventure on Mystic Mountain. You already know that Jamaica has its own take on the bobsled, and here you are able to experience it firsthand.
After taking a ski-lift up the top and passing through a museum about Jamaica’s sports accomplishments, you board the Jamaican bobsled in a recreation of an old railroad station. Once you’re off, you twist and turn through the rainforest at up to 40 mph. You have control over the brakes, but it’s more fun to just let go! After what seemed like an eternity (but probably more like two minutes), you slow down and are brought back up to the top of the mountain. Afterwards, there is a large water-slide in to an infinity pool to cool off and a restaurant for a bite to eat. This is a fun way to break up a business meeting and see what your colleagues are made of! The stories around the water cooler would be so entertaining!
Many thanks to the Jamaica Tourist Board for hosting an awesome trip! I can see why my friend Pam absolutely loves Jamaica and gets there with her husband every chance she gets. I’m ready to go back and am planning how some of these great activities could be team events at a corporate meeting. After all, why not combine a bit of fun team-building with a bit of business?
To receive a free copy of our ebook, 70 Secrets to Safe Travel — Because Your Life Can Change in a Heartbeat, and for more travel savvy info to help you travel smarter, safer and with more enjoyment, visit SmartWomenTravelers.com and PearlsofTravelWisdom.com. Watch for my new book, Business Travel Success – How to Reduce Stress, Be More Productive and Travel with Confidence, being published by Morgan James in early 2012.
]]>4Carol<![CDATA[Win Two Nights at a Courtyard by Marriott]]>http://www.smartwomentravelers.com/?p=26172011-11-25T20:49:00Z2011-11-23T01:27:33ZCourtyard by Marriott has been redesigning their lobbies around the county. I recently got a chance to visit an updated Courtyard, and the changes were very welcoming. The first thing you’ll notice is a large interactive touchscreen where you can learn about the weather, news, and attractions around town. The seating and decor are all updated and inviting. Outlets for my laptop were easy to come by, and a casual fare Bistro had taken over the space previously occupied by the breakfast nook.
I no longer felt the need to just retire to the room as soon as I got back to my hotel!
I wasn’t done with my Marriott experience yet. Flying out of Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental airport (Terminal E), I got to experience Courtyard Marriott’s new Airport Lobby Zone. What they are doing is giving business travelers their new Lobby experience in the middle of a busy terminal. Comfortable seating and a few outlets let me recharge (my body and my laptop) before flying out. Outside of Houston, the Airport Lobby Zones are also in Phoenix and Baltimore through December .
To celebrate the Courtyard Lobby redesign and the Airport Lobby Zones, Marriott is giving away two free nights to any continental U.S. Courtyard! This contest is open just to Smart Women Travelers and our blog (Pearls of Travel Wisdom) readers, and it’s really easy to enter.
Post a comment below and tell us what you look for most in a hotel lobby.
That’s it! The contest ends on December 9th, 2011 at 11:59 P.M. Eastern, and the winner will be contacted by email shortly. (UPDATE:A slight change to the rules. You must post a comment to be eligible, but now “Like”ing Smart Women Traveler’s on Facebook is optional. If you “Like” us on Facebook, you are now entered for a second chance to win)
I also came across this interesting video on Marriott’s design process if you’d like to see a little behind the scenes on how they put together the new lobbies.
Courtyard by Marriott has offered these nights for the contest. They’ve invited me back for a complimentary stay, as well. Maybe I’ll see you in the lobby!
To receive a free copy of our ebook, 70 Secrets to Safe Travel — Because Your Life Can Change in a Heartbeat, and for more travel savvy info to help you travel smarter, safer and with more enjoyment, visit SmartWomenTravelers.com and PearlsofTravelWisdom.com. Watch for my new book, Business Travel Success – How to Reduce Stress, Be More Productive and Travel with Confidence, being published by Morgan James in 2011.
]]>46Carol<![CDATA[Jamaica – A Room with a View (and Butler!)]]>http://www.smartwomentravelers.com/?p=25742011-11-18T19:27:36Z2011-11-21T11:52:26ZA whirlwind weekend in Jamaica is not enough! I’ve just returned to The States, and I’m already looking at my calendar to pencil in a return visit. The food, the amenities, the activites, and the people were all world class! A few of my favorite things include waking up to a beautiful view of the beach, getting out in to nature that I can’t find at home (there aren’t too many rainforests in Orlando), and having a fantastic meal with new friends. My stay in Jamaica offered all of these in spades.
I’m still on “Island Time”, but look forward to articles on great activities that you must do in a Jamaican visit, as well as another Smart Women Travelers’ “Sights From” video. First things first, I’d like to share with you one of my most pleasurable hotel stays at the Iberostar Grand Hotel Rose Hall.
The Hotel
Located just outside of Montego Bay, and just a quick jaunt from Sangster International Airport, the Iberostar Grand Hotel offered a great location for my visit. The hotel itself is, of course, on the beach, and close to some of the more adventurous activities to the East and the more leisurely attractions to the West. The Montego Bay Convention Center, the largest convention center in the English-speaking Caribbean, is a mere five minute drive away. And if you’re looking to get some golfing in, a round at nearby Cinnamon Hill Golf Course is included in your stay.
Don’t let the simple exterior of Iberostar Grand deceive you! The interior design of the hotel must be seen to be believed. From the lobby to the beachside bars, the little details all over the property were fantastic.
The Grand is just one of the three hotels on site. With 295 rooms that limit occupancy to only two people, it is the more adult friendly of the three. The other two hotels are The Suites and The Beach, with the former offering larger rooms and more amenities than the later. All three hotels are all-inclusive with both fine dining options alongside casual ones.
The Room
My home away from home at The Grand was wonderful. The bathroom included two sinks, a jacuzzi bathtub, and a rain shower head. The hallway had a daily stocked mini-fridge, as well as more storage space than I could use. Each room comes with a butler (yes, a butler!) who had no issue with me requesting more apple juice in the fridge or ordering a firmer pillow off of the room’s pillow menu.
Room Service is included at no additional charge, just in case getting out of the comfortable bed proves too taxing. My view overlooking the courtyard and pools was slightly obstructed by palm trees, but I still enjoyed some time out there on the comfortable patio furniture.
Even though it would have been nice to fully unplug from a busy life for a few days, I would have gone through withdrawal. I did find that electrical outlets were hard to come by. I had to unplug a lamp or iPod dock to power up some of my gadgets. Internet is the room is free of charge, though wired only. My butler brought me an ethernet cord and my login information, but it’d be nice if they told me during check-in or offered wi-fi that went past just the lobby. (I still can’t believe I had a butler!)
The Restaurants
The Iberostar offered three different ways to dine; the previously mentioned room service, casual dining, and a la carte dining. Aside from a few quick trips to the breakfast buffet and some late night snacks at the after-hours buffet, all of my meals were at the a la carte restaurants. A casual dress code is enforced (so don’t look like you came in right from the beach), but the fare was worth getting “dressed up” for. I wined and dined on seafood, hibachi grilled chicken, and filets, all with delicious appetizers and desserts.
The a la carte restaurants weren’t as crowded as I thought they would have been. I assume that the dress code and 24 hour advance reservations needed turned off a few guests who were in full-on relaxation mode.
ETC…
Speaking of relaxation mode, the hotel wasn’t full of “early-riser” guests. You won’t see a lot of people walking the grounds until after 8, when most of the shops and restaurants open.
At night, the hotel offers theaters, music clubs, karaoke (if you’re feeling adventurous), and a nightclub. The theaters offer a new show every night, and the music clubs have different themed nights. The karaoke was held in a bar that was a little smokey, but still fun. The nightclub was full of young people dancing way past my bed time and everyone looked to be having a great time.
Overall, the Iberostar Grand Hotel Rose Hall comes highly recommended. You get all-inclusive amenities, tasty restaurants, a great staff and fantastic Montego Bay location. Oh, and did I mention the butler?
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Samsung also used CES to introduce their line of “ultrabooks”. The 13-14″ screen size may be the sweet spot for most travelers, and the 1 TB hard drive should be sufficient for nearly everyone. On the downside, the inclusion of such a large drive brings the weight to over 4 lbs. They’re beautifully designed, but not “ultra” light weight.
