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.

Photo Credit: www.petside.com

Ever since Oprah Winfrey declared that she would never stay at a hotel that didn’t allow pets, more hotels around the world have learned that some patrons are not only ready to skip their accommodations, no matter how lavish, but are willing to pay a little bit more to bring a little bit of furry love with them.

Pet friendly hotels are everywhere, but not all hotels are pet friendly.  So, the first order of business for travelers is to scope out all hotels to find the ones that will allow them to bring their pets.  They’ll need to verify which types of pets they can bring, because some hotels are exclusive to one or two types of pets while others are a bit more open.

After that, it’s time to figure out what hotels will do for you.  Some hotels will offer special rooms designed for pets, with built in litter boxes, pet furniture, and all that you’ll need to feed your pets.  Other hotels will allow you to bring those things with you, or will have them in case you need them, but won’t segregate the rooms.  Many of these hotels will also have areas where you can walk your pet or let them run around in a caged area for a little while.

There will be rules for you and your pets as well.  Your pet will need to be trained, so don’t even think about bringing puppies.  There will be a noise ordinance, so don’t bring a pet that’s going to bark all night or do a lot of moaning.  If you have a pet that’s going to scratch up the furniture, be prepared to pay for that.  As it is, you’ll probably be paying at least a $15 fee to have your pet in the room with you, which isn’t that bad.

Still other hotels offer many more amenities for pets and their owners, so it’s good to look around through a site like Discounthotels.com to see what hotels around the world have to offer you.

See more:
A Guide for Travelling with Pets
Who Let the Dogs Inn? Upscale Pet-Friendly Hotels
Are Pets Allowed on Board

Homewood Suites by Hilton

If you’re a business traveler, or are visiting a city and will be staying for awhile, you might do yourself well to try to stay at a Homewood Suites by Hilton. It’s a national chain of hotels that offers the opportunity to stay in a room that will remind you of home if you live in an apartment, and, depending on which city you’re in, might offer some other amenities that you may not have at home.

The first thing you notice about the rooms in a Homewood Suites is how big they are. All of them have at least one bedroom, though there are some that have two. The living room area is always fairly large and spacious, with very comfortable furniture. Some of the rooms will have couches that can fold out into another bed. Each city will try to design the rooms to match the feeling of the community you’re in. For instance, in Reno, NV, all the rooms have a southwestern feel and color, with bright oranges and muted browns, whereas in Syracuse, NY, the rooms are blue with hints of green and brown.

The next thing you’ll notice is there’s a kitchen. It’s not a full sized kitchen like in a house, but it is a full sized kitchen like what you’d have in a small apartment. This will allow you to prepare your own meals, or store items in a full sized refrigerator. All the utensils and cooking materials you would ever need are already in the cabinets, along with soap for both the dishwasher and to clean up your plates and the like. If you’re not in the mood to clean up after yourself, don’t worry about it; the people who clean the rooms every day will take care of it for you.

The bedrooms are large enough to hold a king-sized bed or two twin beds and still give you room to walk around. There is a flat screen TV in both the bedroom and the living room, with a separate vanity and bathroom area. There’s also a large closet in the bedroom, the only closet in the room.

Homewood Suites also has a buffet breakfast and dinner, in case you’re not in the mood to go buy food yourself or go to a restaurant. They serve breakfast every day, but in some Homewood Suites, may not have dinner over the weekend. They all have workout rooms, a pool, a laundry area and multiple meeting rooms. And, if you want to sit out in the lounge, it’s usually a large area with a large flat screen TV, in case you’re there on a Sunday and want to watch shows, including sporting events, outside of your room.

All this, including Wi-Fi access, for a very reasonable price. The Hilton name usually means quality, and the Homewood Suites will make you feel right at home.

See more:
Discount Hotels in Las Vegas
Wikipedia – Hilton Hotels
Newly Opened Homewood Suites

Photo Credit: www.italianvisits.com

The Villa d’Este Hotel in Florence, Italy, was voted as the top hotel in the world by Forbes Traveler in 2009. It’s hard to deny that this is, indeed, one very spectacular hotel.

The hotel sits on Lake Como, and is actually a converted residence from the 16th century. To say it’s palatial is to diminish its grandeur. It sits on around 300 acres of space, groomed and planned to inspire the senses. There are fountains galore, including the Fountain of Neptune and Fountain of Tivoli, and the row of 100 fountains. As a matter of fact, there are over 500 fountains on the premises. There are also many statues and gardens, mosaics, and multiple spas on its grounds.

Discount Hotels in Florence, Italy Book Between December 18, 2009 and January 3, 2010 for Only $99 per Night!

There are nearly 160 rooms available in the hotel, ranging from double rooms to suites. Most of the rooms have their own Jacuzzi, which is a nice touch. There are three restaurants in the hotel, one of which is supposed to have the best Japanese food in the nation. The residence has been a hotel for around 130 years, and is known for high marble ceilings, columns, and multiple staircases.

If you’re lucky to arrive at certain times of the year, there are even tours planned through the hotel that will let you see other areas of Italy during an extended stay at the hotel. You’re already on the shores of Lake Como, but there are other sites to see along the lake, including other old villas. There are also tours to Florence, Tuscany, and Chianti. Whether or not you like wine, taking an Italian wine tour is something you just can’t experience anywhere else. Also, we all know that Italy has a rich history, so there will be tours of historic buildings and sites, including the ruins of Rocca di Tentennano and its art museum in Tuscany.

The hotel has boats for going out on the water, and still employs horse drawn carriages for guests who just want to saunter around a bit. There’s also an 18-hole golf course on its grounds, considered one of the most beautiful and challenging courses in Europe.

And, if you’re in the need for something a bit more modern, Rome is only 30 minutes away. But the Villa d’Este is meant to take you away from all of that, offering your senses enough to help you relax and replenish your mind so that, when you go back to your daily grind, you’ll be more mentally prepared than when you left.

See more:
Florence, Italy Restaurant Guide (Where to Eat)
Florence, Italy Weather
Sights to See in Florence

The Flamingo Hotel & Casino

The Flamingo is one of the older casinos on the Las Vegas strip. It was built by Bugsy Siegel, one of the most notorious mob figures in American history, at a cost of $6 million, which was a phenomenal figure at the time, and one of the reasons that he lost his life. At the time, it was known as a luxury hotel, with only 105 rooms. In 1967, it was purchased by a new owner, who tore down the original structure and built it back into the monolith it is today, with over 3,500 rooms, four towers, and covering 15 acres.

Even at 15 acres, the Flamingo can seem small as a casino. Its poker room is substandard when compared to the growth of poker across the country. It’s actually not a poker room, but a poker area, as there are no walls or real separation between poker and the slots. However, it may be kept small because it offers charm that larger rooms in other casinos can’t touch. The other gaming areas also seem small by comparison. The slots are everywhere, though, and since that seems to be the most popular attraction, especially by older visitors, they’ll feel well taken care of.

The showroom is also relatively small by comparison with other casinos, but it’s built well and provides for an intimate setting with the performers. When I was there, the performers were George Wallace and Gladys Knight. At the present time, it’s the home for Donnie and Marie Osmond.

Discount Hotels in Las Vegas Check for availability and pricing on discounted five star hotels on the Vegas strip.

The Flamingo also has a lot of history. It was the location for the first Oceans Eleven movie starring Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack. Elvis also made the movie Viva Las Vegas here. The movie Bugsy starring Warren Beatty had many scenes filmed here.

My room was also on the 23rd floor, which offered a great vision of both the city and the mountains. At night, it was a wonderful and spacious view; almost took my breath away. We had paid for a package deal, which offered $15 a day to gamble with and a couple of free meal tickets to the buffet. It also took 7 minutes to get from our room to the lobby or casino area; that’s a big hotel! The buffet was okay, but the rest of the restaurant was pretty nice, as it offered all sorts of meals from Italian to Asian choices.

You will get pumped to take part in one of those time share deals, and they’ll entice you with show tickets and some more free meal tickets. We declined since it would have taken 3 hours out of our day, which was the day we were leaving, but if you get there at the right time, it might not be such a bad deal.

Overall, the Flamingo is a very comfortable casino and hotel, very nice, but one word of warning. If you left anything at home it’s going to cost you at least 5 times what it would cost you in a regular store. So, think about getting a cab and going to a grocery store to get what you need; trust me, the cab ride will cost less than it will, unless you can afford the convenience.

See more:
Wikipedia – Flamingo Hotel History
Bugsy Siegel Biography
The Flamingo Map & Directions

Photo Credit: www.masoodmemon.wordpress.com

Could you handle waking up in the middle of the night, opening your eyes, and seeing yourself surrounded by sharks and manta rays? If so, you might enjoy spending a night or two in the luxurious Atlantis Hotel in Dubai, United Arab. It’s one of the most unique experiences in the world, and its own motto is “where water meets wonder.”

The first amazing thing is that there are levels of the hotel underwater, and surrounded by water. This is actually two separate things, because though the hotel is in the water, it’s encased in an area where different types of sea life, over 65,000, have been imported for the enjoyment of its guests. Some of these species life in harmony with each other; some of them have to be separated because the last thing anyone wants to witness are bloodbaths happening all the time.

Discount Hotels in Dubai Book Between December 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009 for Only $68 per Night!

Some hotel rooms are on the lower levels for those brave souls who want to see the marine life before they go to bed and wake up to it. For those who can’t handle such a thing, there are many more rooms above water, including three presidential suites that have things such as balconies, multiple bathrooms, meeting rooms within the room, and three bathrooms; a his and hers bathroom and a half bath for visitors.

There are meeting rooms that are on the lower levels, as well as a theater and many sitting rooms where guests can just sit and watch the fish swimming by. There’s also something they call the Lost Chambers, which is advertised as a collection of underwater tunnels and halls. The basic idea behind it is to discover the “lost city of Atlantis,” hence the name.

Looking for more to do with marine life? There’s different lagoons where one can get in the water with dolphins or Cownose Rays; no, these aren’t the type that killed Steve Irwin. There are a few other lagoons where kids and adults can get in and swim with the fishes if they so choose. There’s also a regular pool if you don’t feel like sharing your water with scaly things.

And, when you get tired of the water, you can spoil yourself in other ways. There’s the Imperial Club, where you will be catered to in any way imaginable by your own private butler. There’s Nasimi Beach, a luxury restaurant that serves foods with Asian, Pacific and European flavor, and has many ways which you can enjoy your meal including laying in a hammock. There’s also the Seafire Steakhouse and Levantine for other types of foods. And there’s a few different types of nightclubs so you can find one that suits your tastes.

It’s not inexpensive to stay here, which figures. The low end rooms will average around $500 a night. The high end rooms will cost you around $2,100 a night. You can bet that you will leave exhilarated, stimulated, and relaxed, though, so if you can swing it, this might be a great family vacation spot.

See more:
Atlantis Marine & Waterpark Dolphin Bay
Pictures of Dubai
YouTube Videos fo Dubai

Photo Credit: www.1websurfer.files.wordpress.com

Some specialty hotels become the focal point of a vacation because of their distinct qualities. Here are four unusual European hotels. More details and photos are available at travel.azcentral.com.

Netherlands

In the harbor at Harlingen, a town full of interesting hotels about a 75 minute ride from Amsterdam, stands Harlingen Lighthouse, last used to guide ships 11 years ago. Alterations to the harbor rendered the lighthouse unnecessary, and it’s now a luxury hotel for two people at a time (staying together), an aerie about 80 steps up, where three floors of round-walled living space serve as accommodations.

The lantern room on the highest level, opens onto a balcony; binoculars are provided, but guest say there is plenty to see without them.

Details:

Harlingen Lighthouse, Havenweg 1, Harlingen Netherlands, 011-31-517-414-410.

France

Once a Roman fortress carved from a rocky mountainside, Le Prince Noir in Provence in a rarefied B&B. In the village of Les Baux-de-Provence, about a half hour drive from Aries, the convereted fortress has three accommodations: a double-bed room ($125 a night), a family suite (about $285) and a small apartment with a private terrace (about$340). Guest like the breakfast, panoramic views and comfort. There’s a two-night minimum stay.

Details:

Le Prince Noir, Rue de Lorme, 13520 Les Baux-de-Provence, France, 011-33-6-2007-8267, leprincenoir.com

Sweden

The last convict left Stockholm’s Crown Prison in 1975. Fourteen years later, the jail became Lengholmen Hotel. The early 19th- Century building, on an island, has 89 single and 13 double cells-yes, cells-with private doors and showers.

The is also an atrium, a 24 hour cafeteria in the old prison entrance, an adjoining full restaurant and museum, Free Internet, parking within the prison walls, and jogging paths outside for a little prison rec. “A captivating experience,” warns the management, which does not promise to give you a key. Singles run about $135

Perconviction, er, Night: doubles, $195.

Details:

Lengholmen Hotel, Lengholmuren 20, 10272, Stockholm, 011-468-720-8500, langholmen.com/En/Hotel/AboutHotel.aspx.

Italy

Atop a hill in a 14th century village just a few min-

European Hotels (Cont)

Splendid sprawl of a house, then abandoned, it’s now an art gallery-hotel, rich with fireplaces, old stone walls, and rooms with with panoramic views of the village, Torrita dedi Siena.

The management, through the community, offers massage therapy, painting and cooking classes, cultural and wine tours of Tuscany, horseback riding and mountain bike trips. Or you can just relax, or shop, 45 minutes away at an outlet center that offers Gucci, Fendi and others for enough of a discount to make the euro bearable. Now, in low season, junior rooms at the hotel run about $190 per night; superior rooms, $250, and a suite, $330.

Details:

Residenza D’Arte, Poggio Maddona Dell’Olivio, 53049, Torrita di Siena, Italy, 011-39-338-481-4384.

See more:
Top Hotel Deals in Amsterdam
Top Hotel Deals in Florence
Europe Travel Hotspots

Most people never think about booking a bed and breakfast when they have overnight stays, but a bed and breakfast just might be what you need if you’re really looking for a relaxing overnight experience and the feeling of being home.

In essence, a bad and breakfast is a residence that’s been converted into a kind of rooming house.  Some are larger than others, but most have 4-8 rooms.  The owner of the rooming house lives there, and offers at least one meal a day, often breakfast, but some will also offer lunch and/or dinner.  The owner is all the staff that’s there; cleaning, cooking, and almost anything else you need you will get from that one person.

Staying in a bed and breakfast does have a few limitations as well.  Not all of them are wired for the internet.  There’s usually a time when you have to be in so the owner can lock the doors for the night.  You won’t be having any big parties in the room, and most eschew alcohol.  There’s usually a shared bathroom.  And there’s probably not going t be a microwave in the room also, so you’d better bring back snacks you can just eat, or be ready to go hungry for the rest of the night.

What a bed and breakfast offers you is a little slice of home while you’re on the road.  Bed and breakfast owners are known to be really kind and open, because their reputations are on the line.  They treat the environment better because they’re also residences; it’s their home after all.  Bed and breakfast residences are usually in quiet neighborhoods, but that doesn’t mean they’re far away from the city, if that’s where you happen to be.  And the room you stay in won’t feel sterile, like many hotel rooms might feel.  Many of them adopt a contemporary feel for the rooms, which may make you feel like you’re back in the 40′s and 50′s.  It’s really a very comfortable environment.

The costs of staying at a bed and breakfast are comparable with the costs of staying at a hotel.  You won’t end up with thousand dollar rooms, but you’ll stay in very comfortable rooms for a price that’s competitive, usually between $75 and $200 a night, depending on where you are.

See more:
Travel Channel – Haunted Bed and Breakfasts
Full List of B&Bs in Rome
Locate Bed and Breakfasts

Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington D.C.

The Omni Hotel chain employs nearly 13,000 associates and consists of 43 luxury properties located in the United States, Canada and Mexico. These properties offer four-diamond services and have roughly 15,000 rooms.

One of the things that make Omni Hotels different from some other hotel chains is that none of their properties look the same. Instead, it seems that they’re themed to fit in with the local area, which means that each hotel has its own distinctive touch. Many of the hotels in the chain were acquired by Omni.

This doesn’t mean they cut down on quality or price. There are no cheap rooms available in an Omni Hotel, as rates usually will start around $140 a night for regular rooms, and upwards of $3,500 a night or more for suites.

The Omni Hotel chain is a property of TRT Holdings, whose present owner is Robert Rowling, the 124th richest man in the world with and estimated net worth of $4.2 billion. Rowling made a majority of his money from oil and the sale of the Corpus Christi National Bank for $131 million. Rowling was also a regent for the University of Texas until February of 2009. Because of where he lives, it’s no wonder that the latest Omni hotel to open was is in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Most of the Omni Hotel properties are in the state of Texas.

Omni likes to break some their properties down into what they consider either resort areas or historic areas; some of their properties are included on both lists. The most famous of their hotels, The Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington D.C., has catered to royalty, presidents, foreign dignitaries and has hosted inaugural balls for every president from FDR to Clinton. Senator Stuart Symington of Missouri used to hold all night poker games at the hotel; President Harry Truman frequently showed up.

Omni Bedford Springs Resort Hotel

Some of the most well known Omni Hotel properties include:

Omni Bedford Springs Resort, Bedford, PA

Omni Cancun Hotel & Villas, Cancun, Mexico

Omni Puerto Aventuras Beach Resort, Puerto Aventuras, Mexico

Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate, Orlando, FL

Omni Interlocken Resort, Denver, CO

Omni Tucson National Resort, Tucson, AZ

Omni Royal Orleans Hotel The Omni Royal Orleans, New Orleans, LA

Omni La Mansion del Rio Hotel The Omni La Mansión del Rio, San Antonio, TX

See Also:

Omni Hotels Homepage – www.OmniHotels.com

Robert Rowlings – Wikipedia.org

The Omni Shoreham Hotel – www.HistoricHotels.org

If you’re thinking about luxury hotels in the United States and around the world, Rosewood Hotels and Resorts should be an option. A look at The Carlyle Hotel in New York City proves that the folks at Rosewood Hotels and Resorts have glamor down to a science.

The Carlyle has hosted royalty, celebrities, famous politicians, and the wealthy for decades and is a New York landmark. The first president to stay there was Harry Truman, President John Kennedy actually owned an apartment in the hotel for 10 years.

Of course, the Rosewood corporation has its own history, which began in 1979. In 1980, they opened their first property, the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek. It was originally the mansion of the King family, who built the building in 1908, only to see it destroyed by fire in 1923. The building was rebuilt in 1925 into a 10,000 square foot estate.

Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek - The Terrace

The King family ended up having to sell the mansion in 1935, and by 1979, it began renovation to become a luxury hotel and restaurant. It opened in 1981 with 143 rooms and a lot of fanfare, also winning the first of many awards, the Keystone Award, by the Historic Preservation League of Dallas. Since then, it has won numerous awards, and is one of the few five-star, five-diamond hotels in the state of Texas.

In all, Rosewood Hotels and Resorts consists of more than 15 properties scattered around the globe. Half of those properties are in the United States; they are:

The Carlyle, New York City;
Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, Dallas;
Rosewood Crescent Hotel, Dallas;
The Mansion on Peachtree, Atlanta;
Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi, Santa Fe, NM;
Rosewood Sand Hill, Menlo Park, CA;
San Ysidro Ranch, Santa Barbara, CA;
CordeValle, San Martin, CA

International properties are located in Saudi Arabia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Antigua, Japan, and the Virgin Gorda Islands.

Already in 2009, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts have been honored with these awards:

• AAA Five-Diamond Award, Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, Las Ventanas al Paraíso
• Condé Nast Traveler Gold List: Rosewood Crescent Hotel, Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, Rosewood Little Dix Bay, Las Ventanas al Paraíso, King Pacific Lodge
• Condé Nast Hot List, The Mansion on Peachtree
• Mobil Five-Star Award, Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek
• Travel + Leisure: World’s Best Service, Caneel Bay, Las Ventanas al Paraíso
• Saudi Arabia’s Leading Hotel: Rosewood Corniche
• Saudi Arabia’s Leading Business Hotel: Al Faisaliah Hotel