Athens is suddenly looking a lot greener and hip, with the opening of the Hotel Indigo Athens University Area. The five-story, 130-room hotel is all set to achieve LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council later this year.

Hotel Indigo

The Indigo will be the first private development in Athens to achieve LEED certification and one of only five hotels in the nation to achieve Gold status, and also the first IHG hotel (IHG operates 4300 hotels in nearly 100 countries) to be awarded the LEED Gold certification.

And the hotel is not just eco-friendly, but also very hip – with plans to dominate the art and music scene in Athens. They have a full-service on-site art gallery where fine artwork produced primarily by local artists with exhibitions changing seasonally.

And their state-of-the-art music venue will host intimate musical performances by regionally and nationally acclaimed artists, including Christopher Cross, Shawn Mullins, Kim Carnes, and Edwin McCain.

Room View & Corridor at Hotel Indigo Athens

Gina LaBarre, vice president, Brand Delivery, Hotel Indigo, said that “By combining regionally-inspired design and sustainability with local art and music, Hotel Indigo Athens complements the unique character and charm of downtown and is sure to be a great addition to the community.”

Art Gallery at Hotel Indigo Athens

Green innovations at the Indigo Athens include a regenerative elevator, low-flow plumbing fixtures, an outdoor water cistern that collects condensation from the air conditioning system to supply irrigation to courtyard foliage, and a variable-refrigerant-flow-zoning heating and air conditioning system.

Hotel Indigo Athens

The Hotel is just five blocks from the University of Georgia campus and provides easy walking access to all the downtown attractions in Athens – Sanford Stadium, the Classic Center, restaurants, shops and more than 30 music venues.

Dining options include the Phi Bar, with locally-inspired gourmet menu items and a full-service bar. Additionally, the hotel provides guests complimentary Wi-Fi in public spaces and 24-hour access to the hotel’s business center, an onsite meeting space and a fitness studio.

Info: 500 College Avenue, Athens, Georgia;  (706) 546-0430; www.athensdowntownhotel.com/; Top Indigo photo credit – Vismedia - courtesy IHG Plc; Hotel Indigo Athens photos courtesy Hotel Indigo Athens

You’ve been saving your money for your next vacation, and having a shoddy hotel experience can certainly put a damper on your trip.  Britt has written a fantastic article on When to save money on your hotel, P Ling has got the Where (hint: today on 9-9-09), and I’ve got the How.

Here are some tips to help you save a few bucks and book the right hotel for your needs.

1 ) Before you even look online, decide your dream hotel & amenities.  Factor in location, what’s important to you (pool bar? wifi? sights?)

2 ) Join loyalty program of any hotel you’re considering

3 ) Check travel websites for reviews by customers.

4 ) Check the websites of hotels for rates, then check travel websites where prices are lower and take note.

5 )  Before you book, call the hotel and speak to the reservations agent.  She or he might be able to get you a better rate, especially if your dates are flexible.  Be sure to ask if the hotel is under renovation during your stay.

6 ) Don’t use hotel’s toll free number if hotel is a chain.  That number likely connects to a central booking service.

7 ) Ask the agent for a discount or an upgrade based on your findings online.  Mention clubs you belong to that might entitle you to discounted rates. (CAA, AAA)

8 ) Consider the amenities you will be using.  If a hotel with a higher rate includes wireless internet, an airport shuttle etc, it might be worth the extra money if you know you’ll be using those services.

9 ) If you find yourself unsatisfied with the rate, mention you saw a better rate online and ask if they’ll match it.

10 ) Before reserving, be clear on any other fees.  You don’t want to check out and find yourself responsible for more than you bargained for.

Photo credit: Hotel Sempati

There’s something special about staying in a hotel.

The feeling of knowing you don’t have to make your own bed or hang up your own dirty towels is truly bliss.

Of course, sometimes we have to forgo the hotel for a guest bed in a loved one’s home.  And, sometimes, you get to be the loved one offering up a free bed.  I live in Orlando, Florida – so I play the hostess with the mostess a free bed about 6-10 times a year.

While I do not make the beds for my guests, I do like to take a few cues from the hotel industry.  Actually, I take more than cues when it comes to pampering visitors.

I take supplies.

I never use the shampoo and conditioner provided by the hotel.  My naturally curly hair is much too delicate for that.  But I do bring home every single little bottle I find in my hotel bathroom.  When I get home, I put my hotel freebies into a little basket that I set in my guest bathroom.

Another basket sits on the nightstand next to the guest bed, and I fill that with bottles of lotion supplied by previous hotel stays.  I also fill the nightstand drawer with little notepads and pens that used to live on top of hotel room desks.

I actually got this idea from a friend who travels 4-6 months out of the year for business.  The baskets in her guest rooms are filled with everything from lotions and soap to travel tooth brushes and fluffy white slippers – all of which came from a hotel she stayed in while traveling for business.

Clearly, the nicer the hotel, the better the goodies you can bring home for free!

Photo Courtesy of leozaza on FlickR.

I stayed in the W Hotel Lakeshore in Chicago, IL in 2007 for BlogHer, and it was the weirdest travel experience of my life.  My friend Sarah and I were thrown off completely by the shutter-like door and window (!) in the bathroom.  As modest women, we didn’t expect that every little noise would be heard by each other.  As it was, anytime either one of us needed the facilities, we were either full of giggles or embarrassed, or both.  What I did like about that bathroom was a well lit, pull-out magnified mirror to fix my makeup and pluck eyebrows.  Great idea.

The beds were super comfortable, and the wifi was spotty at best. What I didn’t appreciate was the $8 bottle of water taunting me late at night.  Eight bucks for a bottle of water is so out of line in my eyes I could barely stand it.  Couple that small expense with the $31/day for parking a car I never used the whole weekend and my wallet was screaming to go home by the time I left.

Rooms aside, the hotel lobby is BUSY 24/7.  Blaring music, a bar, and a party atmosphere means tipsy, obnoxious people at all hours.  Using the public restroom off the lobby meant, as a woman, subjecting oneself to scrutiny by the men’s bathroom, via one way mirror.  Sure, the warnings are there to tell you you’re being watched, but my goodness, is that really necessary?

Having said that, the service was impeccable.  Whatever/Whenever service, they claim:

Impeccable service? We’re all about it 24/7. Just push a button on your phone to reach our Whatever/Whenever desk. Ask and you shall receive. Need a reservation anywhere in the city? Perhaps a bathtub filled with chocolate milk? Whatever you want. Whenever you want it. It’s all just a phone call away.

You wanted something, you got it.  It may have cost you an arm and a leg, but The W is very good at slipping your money away from you while showing you a great time.  Now I wonder what that W really stands for?

I’m heading to L.A. soon and will be put up at The W Westwood.  Yes, of course I took out a second mortgage so I can afford a few drinks!

Photo Credit: Kvetch Blog