America’s highest hotel room taxes: who keeps the dough?
Let’s say that after painstaking research, hours of online searching or through plain luck you manage to find a decent hotel room in New York City for $295 a night – which, in 2008, represents a Gotham bargain. You check in after 3 p.m. and you’re at the reception desk again by noon the next day, rested, having breathed the fine air of Manhattanand relatively happy to part with your … $338 ?#*!?
A ski vacation that was all downhill
Colleen Bosler prepays for a hotel at a ski resort during Christmas. But she misses her plane, forcing her to reschedule. The resort offers her credit, but she has to cancel her make-up vacation, too. The hotel is giving her until May to use the credit, or it will expire. Is that fair?
Nonrefundable and nonchangeable hotel rates are on the rise
Hilton calls them “Value” rates. At Sofitel, they’re “Early Bird” rates. Marriott and Hyatt call them “Advance Purchase” rates. Although they go by different names — and they often look enticing — they all have one thing in common: they are 100 percent nonrefundable and non-changeable.
Study finds travel bidding sites can be a traps
An informal survey of travel auction Web sites by Australia’s Sun-Herald has found the sites yield dramatically varied results, including excellent bargains, mediocre deals — and a few nasty traps.
8 reasons your travel company may be ignoring you
It isn’t your imagination. Your travel company is giving you the cold shoulder. But do you know why? Here, for the first time ever, are the eight biggest reasons travelers are ignored.
Hotel alternatives that could save you big bucks
There’s probably no better way of pinching your vacation pennies than sleeping on a friend’s sofa or camping out. But you don’t have to rough it to afford your next getaway. Here are a few ways to save big bucks by renting a home.
Feeling a little blue about green hotels
How hard would it be for hotels to add blue waste baskets for recycling? And then to actually recycle the things that are thrown in?
Two bills, one room — and zero options
Rick Petersen prepays for his hotel room in Duluth, Minn., through Hotwire.com. But a few months later, he’s charged for it — again. Now, neither the hotel nor Hotwire seem to care about fixing the double-billing error. Is Petersen out of options?
Hurricane Ike is coming, and hotels had better get their act together
As yet another hurricane bears down on us, Gulf states residents are once again deciding whether or not to evacuate their homes. I have a feeling that by the end of the week, we’ll once more see news footage of people packing their cars and hitting the road.
Turned away from a hotel? You’re in good company
Hotels don’t always make headlines for turning away guests. But there are notable exceptions. Like the Metro Hotel in Surrey, England, which showed a wounded veteran the door because of a misguided “no military” policy.