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Smoking in Hotel Room
September 29, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack
With Marriott recently announcing the ban on smoking in all their hotels, it's possible smokers may start to feel unwelcome in their rooms. This is especially true if one is going to be at the hotel for a while. Smokers need to feel they have the flexibility to light up in the privacy of their hotel room. When restricted, this burden can add to the stress of traveling. However, Extended Stay Hotels still offers a choice for their studio suite hotels.
Extended Stay Hotels works hard to make sure that all guests feel as if they are in their own home as in their accommodations. While non-smokers have the right to get a room that is smoke-free and set apart from the smoking rooms, smokers will also be able to be comfortable in their own rooms. That is why there are designated smoking and non-smoking rooms and Extended Stay Hotels works hard to place guests in the area where they will be happiest.
Extended Stay Hotels understands that all guests are unique in their accommodation requirements. That is why all Extended Stay guests have the choice between smoking and non-smoking rooms. Guests will normally be assigned the room that best matches their needs to encourage a pleasant, hassle free check-in.
Cheap Rates
September 29, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack
Depending on your destination and travel plans, you don't always need an expensive place to stay. Sometimes it's worth forgoing the pricey mini-bar or extravagant room service in exchange for a comfortable but more affordable place to lay your head for the night. And if the hotel you choose exchanges some amenities for some which are even more useful, such as a kitchen or laundry facilities, this can be an even more rewarding decision.
No one wants to stay at a cheap hotel. The trick is to stay at a high quality hotel but stay there for a cheap rate. Any traveler comes out ahead by getting great value for a small price. This can be done a number of ways. First off, choosing exactly what amenities you need and picking a hotel that you know can offer these options is a great way to narrow in on what is important to you without wasting money on what isn't. Usually, one chain will have similar features at all the properties, so you have an idea of what to expect no matter where in the country you're staying. Second, look for special deals. Whether it's a last minute savings or a special discount for a particular card or membership, there are lots of discounts to be found and these savings can add up. Sometimes if you stop at a welcome center they will have coupons for local hotels as well.
One great hotel chain to look for when finding these deals and picking out the most important amenities is Extended Stay Hotels. They offers you wireless Internet, great TV channels, and a spacious suite. There are lots of deals to be found and this is on top of their low nightly and weekly rates. You may just need a place to stay, but with a room at one of these hotels you can get that and more for a very low price.
GPS Systems
September 27, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack
With all the GPS systems out there, the business traveler never needs to be lost again. No matter where you are located and how you are getting around, directions and maps could be just a button away. This isn't just for those out in the wilderness; GPS systems can help you you're your way around highways, cities, and towns. Anyone constantly on the move can get a lot out of this technology
There are a lot of GPS systems that either come with a car or can be added. Check out CNet's recent guide on the top car GPS systems. With so many choices on the market, you can find GPS access that fits your needs and your budget. A device like this could prevent you from arriving late to future meetings due to bad directions or poor sign posting.
If you don't always drive or are not always driving the same car, you might want to look for something a little more portable. GPS systems are also available for smart phones and cell phones. So whether you have a Blackberry, a Razr, or something else, you can add GPS to help you avoid getting lost. Or, you can purchase a device solely for GPS tracking and these handheld devices have been coming down in price.
Traveling has become much easier due to 24 satellites orbiting the globe. These satellites have created the Global Positioning System that allows us to find out so much about exactly where we are and where we're going. This knowledge can be very valuable for the road warrior during many adventures in business travel.
Cool New Gadget
September 26, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
How many pieces of electronic gear do you have that takes batteries? I’ll bet the answer is a lot. Options for these batteries are either to continue to replace them as they run out or use a rechargeable battery instead. The rechargeable batteries are expensive, don’t always last as long as one would think, and involve dragging around a bulky recharger. And even if the recharger isn’t bulky, because some are pretty slim, it still means remembering another piece of equipment. Well, another answer has finally arrived.
Check out these batteries! They work just like regular batteries, but plug into your computer’s USB port to recharge. This way, you don’t have to remember a charger and you can get more juice anywhere your laptop goes. This is a great little gadget for the business traveler. At $25 a pair for AA batteries it’s a little pricey for batteries, but hopefully the cost will come down soon.
St. John's Hotel
September 8, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Another great new Canadian location that Extended Stay Deluxe is opening is the hotel in St. John's.
The St. John’s hotel features a kitchen with cookware in each suite. Other amenities include an iron and ironing board and a hair dryer. It is downtown, convenient to nearly all the local attractions. Located in Newfoundland, St. John’s has lighthouses, Irish dancing, puffins, whale watching, and small artist galleries. You can stop by the museums, shops, or the ecological reserve. Another popular destination is the tower where the first trans-Atlantic wireless message was transmitted to at the very beginning of the 20th century. No matter which new location you choose, there will be a lot to do and see.
For more information, please visit the St. John's website for information focusing on St. John’s hotels at Extended Stay Deluxe.
Toronto Hotel
September 6, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack
A little while back, we announced Extended Stay Hotels' expansion into Canada with a new Ottawa hotel. Now, there is more Canadian news for Extended Stay Hotels with the addition of two more hotels. These new locations are part of Extended Stay Deluxe and are located in Toronto, Ontario and St. John’s, Newfoundland.
The Toronto hotel has a beautiful courtyard with a fishpond, wandering paths, and waterfalls so you can stroll or sit in peace and quiet. It also offers a kitchen complete with cookware, ergonomic chairs, and a whirlpool tub located in every suite. There is also a fitness center at the hotel so that your workout routine doesn’t need to be put on hold while you’re away from home. See the Toronto, Ontario website about this Extended Stay Deluxe hotel addition to find out more.
What is there to do in Toronto? Lots! Toronto is the largest city in Canada and has a gorgeous waterfront, exciting theater district, and active downtown. Professional sporting events include Hockey's Maple Leafs, Baseball's Blue Jays, Basketball's Raptors, Canadian Football’s Argonauts, Lacrosse’s Rock, and Soccer’s F.C. There is also a large Chinatown, a great market area, picnic sites and trails among the Toronto Islands, and lots of very worthwhile shopping destinations.
Traveling vs. Travelling
September 5, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (13) | TrackBack
Okay, I have a question that has plagued humanity since the dawn of Microsoft, or perhaps before. How do you spell the present participle of the verb "to travel?"
How much of an issue is it? Well, not much of one to be honest. No matter how it's spelled, people will still travel, business trips will still go on as planned and language itself will not collapse from such an ambiguity. But still I ask you, is it traveling or travelling? When I look at the red squiggly lines that Microsoft Word "helpfully" provides, it seems that traveling is unequivocally right. Those squiggles are like a bright red "x" through a test question.
According to Google Trends, traveling wins by a landslide in the US, but loses by just as much in Australia, the UK, and India. The terms are fairly even in the Netherlands, Mexico, China, Germany, and Spain. Traveler and traveller are tied everywhere except the US, where traveler wins, and Australia, where traveller is victorious. According to the dictionary, both spellings are equally correct.
Is this a case where one term is American English and one is British English? Is the current US spelling due solely because of Microsoft's spell checker authority? Or is there another reason the path of this word divided? If anyone has thoughts on the matter, I'd love to hear them.
It may be a small issue, but it is a question of identity; are you a business traveler or a business traveller?
