National Hotel in Miami, Florida

I absolutely love to travel.

I love the freedom and excitement and adventure that comes with visiting a new place.  I sleep better in a hotel room than I do in my own bed.  Traveling is, by far, one of my favorite things to do.

When the holidays roll around, I often try to find ways to give the gift of travel to my loved ones.

“The Gift of Travel”, unfortunately, is one of those cute phrases that’s much easier said than done.  My in-laws have a pile of unused hotel vouchers and handmade vacation IOUs.  Yes, a pile, because I’m still not quite ready to give up on the idea of sharing the experience of travel with people.  I am stubbornly trying to learn from my mistakes.

In other words, I am the perfect person to give you advice on how to give the gift of a hotel stay for Christmas.  (In the writing world, we call this authoritative writing.  Or irony.)

Tips For Making “The Gift of Travel” Work

1.  Talk to the gift recipient before spending any money. Don’t put down any nonrefundable deposits unless you are certain that the intended traveler will be willing and able to take advantage of your gift.  That means you need to know their schedule and interests ahead of time.

2.  Avoid nonrefundable deposits. Most hotels have a 24-48 hour cancellation policy, meaning you won’t be charged anything if your loved one decides not to accept your gift.  Rather than buying a nontransferable hotel voucher, make a hotel reservation in their name with your credit card.

3. Start small. Consider how much the gift recipient travels normally.  If they haven’t left their hometown in 30 years, buying them a first class vacation to New York City or Paris may not be quite as generous as it sounds.  Some people don’t travel extensively for a reason – because they don’t want to.  Look for a hotel in a nearby city that they’ve enjoyed before, or venture just beyond their typical vacation radius.

4.  Provide a Plan B Present. Book a room at a hotel not too far away, and then think about alternative gifts you can give if your plans fall through.

Reading over this list makes me wonder why I keep trying to give the gift of travel at all.  I think my new goal should be figuring out how to get the gift of travel.

Photo Credit: Britt Reints

My husband and I stayed at the Elm Hurst Inn and Country Spa in Ingersol Ontario, and truly enjoyed our stay.  It was certainly a quiet hotel, and had crisp, clean rooms to accommodate us. We were there for a Christmas party and the decorations made the Inn look that much more picturesque in the snow and lights.

Read More »

The Old Mill has long been a integral part of Toronto’s heritage.  First discovered in 1615, it was then a thoroughfare for Native Canadians.  Now it is home to live entertainment, weddings and corporate meetings.

Read More »

Ashford Castle

When you think about the movie Back To The Future, you probably don’t think of Ireland.  If you’re a movie buff, you probably think of Hill Valley, California.

But two hotels in Ireland are hoping to change all that with the launch of their Back To The Future promotion.  Despite the location not having any ties to the movie, Ashford Castle and The g Hotel in Galway, Ireland are giving guests a chance to experience two distinct eras of the country’s past.

Ashford Castle is an actual castle.  The castle itself dates back to 1228 and was once the estate of the Guinness family.  It officially became a hotel in 1939 and is set on 350 acres in County Mayo, on the shores of Lough Corrib and the River Cong.  The setting is beyond gorgeous.  Ashford Castle officially represents the past or “Back” portion of the promotion.

The g Hotel Galway

The g Hotel Galway is as modern as Ashford Castle is historical. Located in the heart of Galway in western Ireland, it’s one of Ireland’s top five-star city hotels.  The interiors are splashed with bright colors like fuchsia and royal blue.  Amenities include the contemporary ESPA and MATZ at the g restaurant, three individually-styled lounges and a cocktail bar.  Everything about The g Hotel screams Hip Big City Life.  Welcome to “the Future”.

As part of the Back To The Future vacation package, guests receive two nights at each hotel and a full Irish breakfast each morning.  You can take your nights in any order.

The package is priced at $888, a nod to the 88 miles per hour required for the DeLorean to drive through time.

Madonna Inn

I asked a friend recently to tell me about their most memorable hotel experience.   “The Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo, California,” he said without hesitation.  “They have caveman rooms!”

As it turns out, the Madonna Inn offers a variety of themed suites to fulfill just about every vacation fantasy.  Inspiration for the 110 themed suites ranges from merry-go-rounds to Yosemite National Park’s Bridal Veil Falls.  Sixteen of these suites include a unique “rock shower” and fourteen include in-room waterfalls!

Read More »

World's Largest Cruise Ship - Oasis of the Seas

The world’s largest cruise ship is in the water and set to reach Port Everglades on November 11, and Fort Lauderdale hoteliers may have a lot to gain.

Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas features 16 decks, 2,700 staterooms, and an open-air “Central Park” in the middle of the boat.  To say it’s big, even by cruise ship standards, would be an understatement.

Tourist officials in Fort Lauderdale are hoping that the big ship’s arrival will mean more people staying in Fort Lauderdale hotels.

Read More »

World's largest Doubletree Hotel

Orlando, Florida is officially home to the world’s largest Doubletree Hotel.

Technically, Orlando does not have a new hotel, but rather an old hotel has a new name and a new face, and Doubletree has another property in the middle of this infamous tourist destination.

Formerly known as the International Plaza Resort and Spa, the hotel on International Drive recently underwent a $35 million renovation and a name change, becoming Doubletree Resort Orlando – International Drive.  This property spans 28 acres and houses 1,094 guestroom and 60,000 sqaure feet of event space, making it the largest of all Doubletree hotels.

Read More »

In honor of Halloween, here is a list of the 10 scariest movie hotels of all time. Crazy managers, haunted rooms, murderous owners — movie hotels are dangerous places!

1. The Bates Motel in Psycho, (1960)

As an alumni of Bates College, and someone who knows a real man named Norman Bates, and he’s a hotel/motel security expert, it’s hard for me to crack jokes … but I’ll try.

An out of the way location, a “quirky” manager. And a murderous mother, who’s really the quirky manager. Has anyone taken a shower in a hotel with the door unlocked since this movie came out?

If you’re very brave, and live near Glen Mills, PA, during the Halloween Holiday season, you can check out the haunted house –and weather permitting, go on a hayride at the Bates Motel and Haunted Hayride.

image courtesy of Amazon.com

2. Horror Hotel a.k.a. The City of the Dead (1960)

A.k.a. the other movie made in 1960 that starts with an attractive blonde, who arrives at a desolte motel and gets murdered. By the creepy manager. Who stabs her to death. Starring Christopher Lee and Venetia Stevenson in the role of Janet Leigh the pretty girl who dies.

3. The Overlook Hotel in The Shining (1980)

The isolated location. The endless hallways. The ghosts. That carpet. Who wouldn’t go crazy and try to kill their family with an axe? Although they used the Timberline Lodge in Oregon for the movie, in the book it’s a resort in Colorado. Thankfully, The Overlook doesn’t exist at all in real life.

4. Motel Hell(o) in Motel Hell (1980)

It’s a horror-comedy, um, sort of, about a farmer who runs the Motel Hello. The catch? The “O” of “Hello” blinks on and off, giving guests a hint (that they all miss!) that they will be turned into smoked meats if they stay there.

Sort of a different take on “breakfast included.” Thanks, I’ll skip the bacon!

5. The Hotel Dolphin in 1408 (2007)

Again based on a Steven King story, 1408 stars John Cusak as another unstable writer, this time in New York City. Room 1408 is a dangerously unlucky room — no one can survive a night. Cusak insists on trying, and horrors ensue. If only he’d taken the free upgrade to a suite!

6. The Starlight Hotel in Eaten Alive (1977)

A redneck owns a hotel, kills a hooker, feeds her to his pet alligator. Realizes people are cheaper than alligator chow, continues to kill his guests. Moral of the story? Don’t stay at a motel with a hungry pet alligator.

Image courtesy of Amazon.com

7. Hungarian Palace Hotel in Hotel (2001)

Another movie about making a movie at a hotel, this time in Venice, where they eat humans, but the real horror appears to be the incomprehensible plot — something about a hitman, a prostitute, a film crew, a nosy maid … when in Italy, skip the hotel restaurant and stick to pasta!

8. Wessex Hotel in Nightmare on the 13th Floor (1990)

Some guests don’t like to stay on the 13th floor of a hotel, and this made for TV horror flick explains why: that’s where Satanists bring victims and perform murderous sacrifices!

9. Pinewood Motel in Vacancy (2007)

Kate Beckinsale and Luke Wilson play a young married couple who take a wrong turn, wind up lost, and pull into a motel somewhere in Northern California. There is no cell phone service. However there are hidden cameras all over the property, which is used to make snuff films … and guess who they use for the “talent”? That’s right, guests like them who show up without reservations.

10. The hostel in Bratislava in Hostel (2005)

Everyone gets annoyed by horny American frat boys chasing after the local ladies. But as far as I know, they don’t usually get killed for being jerks — except at this one hostel in Eastern Europe. Guests there are required to either mind their manners, or literally lose their heads!

Taos, New Mexico

Hotel owner, Larry Whitten, has taken a unique approach to resurrecting an old New Mexican hotel.  His methods are causing a national outcry and accusations of racism.

Specifically, Whitten is accused of demanding that his employees not speak Spanish around him and requesting that certain employees change their names to sound less Hispanic.

Whitten denies that his actions were motivated by racism or that he was out of line.

Larry Whitten and his business partner purchased the Paragon Inn in Taos, New Mexico for $2 million on July 31st.  Whitten has owned and operated 20 other hotels and has a long track record of reviving failing properties.  According to Whitten, he was applying the same principles to turn around the Taos property that he’s used successfully in the past.

Whitten explains that he asked employees not to speak Spanish around him because he doesn’t speak the language and he didn’t want employees talking about him if he couldn’t understand them.  He insists that he did not try to discourage them from speaking Spanish with one another or with guests of the hotel.

Read More »

The indoor pool at the Marriot Courtyard in Niagara Falls

When our oldest son’s hockey coach did his research on the best place for the entire team to stay during a Niagara Falls tournament last year, he analyzed 10 hotels in the area and as a group, we decided on the Marriott Courtyard.

For the group discounted rate we managed to secure, the Marriott Courtyard was at the edge of the main streets leading into Niagara Falls excitement and the kids were in awe of their surroundings. Once done at the rinks for the day, all the families ventured into the museums and attractions at night, and all were within a few minutes walking distance.

The standard room with two queen-sized beds provides ample room for families.

As hockey parents lugging equipment, suitcases, younger siblings and all that comes with them, we were overly impressed with the fact that there was more than enough ample parking in such a busy area of town.  The rooms were enormous of a family of four, and ours came with two queen sized beds.  There was more than enough space to spread out hockey equipment between games and the list of things for families to do is long if you’re so inclined and don’t mind spending a few bucks in this tourist mecca.

The staff at the Marriott was ready for anything.  They were courteous and patient with so many kids running around (we weren’t the only tourney parents there and there were a ton of kids in the hotel).  While they didn’t staff the pool with a lifeguard, the staff that did pop in stopped any kids from horsing around in the pool, employing a hands off policy so you know, nobody drowned.  Knowing how the hockey team likes to play wrestle, I was grateful they couldn’t do it in the pool.

The Keg Steakhouse & Bar inside the hotel offered up a breakfast spread that made the boys go wild.  Everything little boys could ever want was there for the taking and the coffee was delicious.

Lastly, the entire staff all seemed to be extremely familiar with the area and were instrumental in getting us to our arenas on time.

We’re looking at Niagara Falls again this year for our hockey tournament and I sure hope we stay at the Marriott again.  It was a 5 star in terms of convenience, customer service and low stress for hockey moms and dads, which is especially good for a 3 star hotel.

Photos credit: Marriott Courtyard