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Wireless Hotels Announcement
January 27, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Besides a comfortable place to sleep, I’d argue that the most important thing that a hotel can offer for its business guests is easy Internet access. Whether staying a short time or a long time, it’s essential to have the ability to keep up on the constant flow of email that doesn’t stop just because you aren’t in the office. It also is a place to do research, keep in touch with family, or relax after a long day.
Business travelers, look no further. I have some great news to share. Bring your laptop and we’ll get you online because Extended Stay Hotels now has wireless and broadband Internet access available in every one of its suites, nationwide.
This access to the Internet is quick, easy and reliable. There’s no more wondering whether or not you can get online. There’s no more struggling with a complicated login procedure. Best of all, there’s no more trudging down the hall to a computer room; instead you surf right in the comfort of your own room. It’s nice to know that when you choose Extended Stay Hotels, you will always have high-speed Internet access that will be easy to use. And all this at a hotel that can fit into your budget.
Stay at an Extended Stay Hotels property and stay connected, no matter where your travels take you.
Top Destinations
January 16, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack
The results are in and Vancouver tops the international list of best business travel destinations for 2006. The Economist Intelligence Unit ranked the world’s cities according to how favorable a destination each is for the business traveler. Some of the aspects taken into consideration were the city’s cost as well as “Crime, climate, transport and recreation.” Canadian cities rounded out the top three with Calgary and Toronto coming in after Vancouver. The United States had a strong showing, with eleven cities making it into the top 30 business travel stops. The top US metro regions for the business traveler are:
| 1 | Honolulu |
| 2 | Cleveland |
| 3 | Pittsburgh |
| 4 | Atlanta |
| 5 | Boston |
| 6 | Minneapolis |
| 7 | Washington, DC |
| 8 | Miami |
| 9 | Detroit |
| 10 | Chicago |
| 11 | Seattle |
So the next time you’re planning a business excursion, keep these travel-friendly cities in mind!
New FEMA Update
January 12, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
FEMA will be keeping evacuee hotel rooms open for longer than previously expected. Earlier, we had mentioned that due to a court order, the deadline would be moved to Feb. 7 or 2 weeks after the families’ FEMA housing assistance application had processed. However, this deadline may become longer due to FEMA’s admission that they do not know whether each of the hotel rooms’ occupants have filed for housing aid or not. This is due to the fact that they took over the hotel stay operation from the Red Cross. Therefore, families in hotels need to call FEMA to register for housing and when they do they will receive a special authorization code to stay in the hotel until February 13.
Also, just to update this blog, the New York transit strike did end the Friday before Christmas. The subway system and buses are back up and running so there no longer should be substantial traveler delays.
We will be sure to keep you updated on any more developments in hotel and travel news.
Travel Size
January 4, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
A British hotel chain is launching a new chain of hotel rooms that fit amenities in a 10m x 10m space with automated check-in and check-out. The first locations will be Heathrow and Gatwick airports.
This downsizing trend in hotel accommodations mean more people can fit into a tight space. However, these 10 x 10 rooms with no natural light could feel a bit more like a coffin than a hotel room. Although they are saying that it is in the name of economy, Extended Stay Hotels gives even more space than a typical hotel room while keeping a budget price tag.
Hotel capsules have been popular in Japan and are now spreading to Britain. However, these miniscule cabins can hardly be called accommodations. Small rooms may work for shorter stays, but for a more comfortable hotel experience, a Extended Stay Hotels suite may be a better deal. Economy doesn’t have to mean small.
Shouldn't hotels cater to customers and not vice versa?
Travel Healthy
January 1, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Happy New Year! I hope everyone had great holiday season. And now it's about this time every year when people begin their New Year's resolution. So what means of self improvement are you tackle in this time-honored tradition?
One resolution that I think many business travelers can appreciate is the desire to take better care of yourself while you travel. When on the road, nutritious food and adequate exercise are often hard to come by. In addition, more travel can mean more stress. All this leads to a higher rate of sickness and being sick when traveling is never fun. Look out for yourself this year with a commitment to healthier travel.
As business travel continues to rebound, more and more people are taking to the sky, roads, and rails. With this increase in travelers comes and increase in instances of people falling ill while away. This becomes an issue for both the traveler and the company they work for. Recently, the New York Times had an interesting article discussing the logistics and issues of sickness on business trips.
"…The perils of the road are reaching a peak, travel industry analysts say.
'Companies are realizing that their employees are at much greater risk while traveling than at home,' said Tim Daniel, the chief operating officer of International SOS, a Philadelphia company that coordinates emergency travel home for Americans who are injured or otherwise disabled overseas. The number of International SOS's rescue missions rose last year to 11,000.
"Not only are Americans exposed to greater dangers overseas, like the avian flu or inadequate health care, than they are at home, but they tend to suffer from higher levels of stress, Mr. Daniel said. In addition, he said, once overseas they are less likely to exercise and follow a healthy diet and more apt to forget medication or run out of it."
No one wants to get sick away from home. So in order to reduce the risk, this year you could make a commitment to take care of yourself while traveling. Make an effort to try and get more sleep. Look for the healthier menu options. Walk to your destination whenever possible and use a hotel gym when it's available to you. And the more you can plan ahead of time, the less stress you're likely to encounter. Those are just some thoughts and suggestions. I know; it’s all stuff you know but putting it into practice will be difficult. But isn’t the point of a new year’s resolution to give you the incentive to actually tackle exactly that kind of stuff?
Anyway, when I read the article, it made a lot of sense to me and that's what I thought would be a worthwhile resolution for the roadwarrior. Any other ideas?
