Travel Blog

You’re kids have been begging for a trip to Disney World since they could speak, but as all parents know, the Disney experience does not come cheap. Most of the Official Walt Disney World Hotels are a bit pricey, so a centrally-located, family-friendly property for under $100 per night is nothing short of exciting, no?

TheOfficial Walt Disney World property that makes this possible is the Wyndham Lake Buena Vista Resort, Walt Disney World, a 3-star hotel located directly across the street from the Downtown Disney area. Kids love its close proximity to Universal Studios and Sea World, and adults love the on-site Director of Fun (an actual job at the Wyndham Lake Buena Vista Resort) whose only job is to keep your kids entertained day and night. What’s more, Wyndham Lake Buena Vista is the only property in the Downtown Disney Resort area that hosts the esteemed Dine with Disney Characters breakfast three times a week.

Sounds great, right? Well, it gets better. The Wyndham Lake Buena Vista Resort, already regarded as one of the more affordable Disney properties, is attainable for as little as $88 per night with our 50% off sale (going on now). And by booking with us, you’ll pay just $8 per day for your resort fee (usually $15/day), and your little ones eat free. Just be sure your kids don’t stumble across this post – then you’ll really have no excuse for not booking them the Disney vacation they’ve always dreamed of.

U.S. business travel is expected to bounce back this year, and with that we give you the Top 3 Business Travel Hotel Chains:

1.Drury Inn & Suites The only downside about this impeccable chain is that it doesn’t have locations in some of the major business travel hubs like New York City, Washington D.C., or Los Angeles. The upside is the free breakfast (real breakfast, not muffins and coffee), free Wi-Fi, free long distance and local calls, a 24-hour business center, free in-room coffee…

Just a few of our favorite locations

Drury Inn & Suites Atlanta Airport

Drury Inn & Suites Charlotte North

Drury Inn Denver East

2.Hilton Garden Inn If the in-room business amenities – free Wi-Fi, remote printing, an oversized desk, desk-level power and Ethernet outlets – aren’t enough, the 24-hour business center – complete with fax and photocopy machines, a PC, color printer, and plenty of paper clips, packing materials and other standard office supplies – should do the trick.

Just a few of our favorite locations

Hilton Garden Inn New York Chelsea

Hilton Garden Inn Chicago Downtown/Magnificent Mile

Hilton Garden Inn Phoenix North

3. Embassy Suites Aside from featuring all the business amenities at the Hilton Garden Inn (Embassy is a Hilton property, too), this hotel chain runs a blog called Business Balance, with food, exercise, and even state-of-mind tips for business travelers worldwide.

Just a few of our favorite locations

Embassy Suites Buffalo

Embassy Suites Washington D.C. – Convention Center

Embassy Suites San Diego Bay – Downtown

Reason #1: Taking a cruise is like having a very expensive travel agent plan out every little detail of your trip – minus the “very expensive.” For those of you not familiar with taking cruises, you’ll be given an itinerary each morning, which lists the options for everything from dining to entertainment for that day. There’s no planning involved here (the headache-y part of travel for some people) whatsoever. Simply choose what you want to do, and show up at the specified time. This is especially beneficial for family travel, as you’ll never have to wonder how you’re going to keep the kids entertained.

Reason #2: Another major advantage of cruising is value. By purchasing everything together – accommodations, dining, and entertainment – you save money (vs. purchasing separately). What’s more, a cruise vacation is much less expensive than an all-inclusive resort vacation, which is based on the same structure of purchasing different components in a single package.

Reason #3: January through March is the time of year when the most cruises are booked (or what we in the travel industry like to call the Wave Season). And you know what this means – great deals! Speaking of which (shameless plug), how about a 14-night Transatlantic cruise from Miami to Barcelona on Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas from $36 per night?!

Check out all of our sweet cruisin’ deals here.

Travel expert Arthur Frommer today blogged about the age-old travel question of scrimp or splurge. Arthur broke it down by different components of travel (cruises, meals, hotels, sightseeing/entertainment, & airfare), giving his take on whether it makes sense to opt for luxury or stick to the basics for each.

For Arthur, hotels fell under “Very Definitely Scrimp,” and his explanation brings up a valid point:

Too often, the difference between a deluxe hotel and a budget-priced one is the public area of the former having no relation whatever to the good night’s sleep you hope to enjoy in that hotel.

In other words, when you splurge on a hotel, your sleeping experience – the reason you’re at a hotel to begin with – is not necessarily any better than when you opt for a budget property.

Our stance on this is somewhat mixed, as we believe it depends on the situation. Sure, sometimes all you need is a good night’s sleep, and in those cases, the goal is to shell out as little money as possible. On the other hand, your hotel of choice plays a part in your overall vacation experience, in which case you’d want to go all out.

If you’re traveling for the purpose of attending an event (concert, sports, conference, etc.), dirt cheap is just fine. How much time are you really going to be spending in your room anyway?

On the other hand, if you’re visiting a place that’s known for extravagant accommodations, – New York City, Paris, etc. – living luxuriously for a few days only adds to the experience (think the Ritz-Carlton on Central Park South vs. the Howard Johnson in Brooklyn).

The point is, many factors contribute to the ultimate decision of scrimp or splurge. Fortunately, the choice is all yours!