Posts in the category "Hotels":

Cleveland Rocks!

Kudos to the Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport  (CLE) and the non-profit group OneCommunity for working together to bring permanent free Wi-Fi to the airport.

Cleveland Airport joins many other smart airports that offer travelers free Wi-Fi year round.  And, lest you forget, from now through January 15, 2010, Google is covering the Wi-Fi fees at a 47 airports, from Seattle to Miami.  Here’s a full list of the participating airports . Let’s hope those airports continue offering the service for free after that.

Nap Time at ATL

You can now make a reservation at the first Minute Suites, at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). These “suites”, located inside the terminal on the B Concourse have daybeds, pillows and blankets, sound masking systems, and a “napware” audio program.  Each suite also has a a TV, desk, phone, and a computer.   How much will you pay to snooze in a “suite”?  The minimum reservation accepted is 1 hour and costs $30. After that it’s $7.50 each 15 minutes.

If you try this out, please let us know what you think!

Categories: Air Travel, Hotels, Jet Lag, Openings, Wi-Fi
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Sneak preview:

If you can’t take Spot or Puff along with you on your next trip out of town, don’t fret.  In my “Room with a Zoo” story on MSN.com, you’ll find plenty of hotels that have on-site pets that can entertain, keep you company, or join you on a walk.

Some examples:

Koko has been living at the Southern Palms Beach Club in Barbados for at least 45 years.

Iris and Thistle, two unusual white burros, visit with guests at the Hidden Meadow Ranch in Arizona’s White Mountains.

And giraffe are regular visitors at Giraffe Manor in Nairobi.

For lots more “Room with a Zoo” ideas, see the full slide-show at MSN.com.

Feel free to send along photos and tips on other hotels with cool animals on-site.

Categories: Hotels, Pets
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Like many shops, restaurants, and even a few amusement parks, The May Fair, a 5-star luxury hotel in London, has its own special scent. It’s not that the hotel’s natural scent was so bad; the owners just hope guests will forever associate the smell of sea grass with a relaxing, pleasant stay at the hotel.

If it works for hotels, could it work for airports? Officials at many airports I contacted deny artificially scenting the air in the terminals. But officials at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport say it’s something they’d consider if it made the passenger experience more pleasurable.  But next time you’re at an airport, sniff around: it turns out there are indeed some airports that send special scents into the air.

Find out more in my Smelled any good airports? story posted today in USATODAY.com.

And let me know:  what would be a good scent for your favorite airport?

Categories: Hotels
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A rare working week in London is bracketed by two very different, but equally impressive at/in Heathrow Airport hotel stays.

6 AM arrival: after a long, sleepless flight from the US west coast beside a fidgety, too-tall seatmate, I can’t face heading to town and trying to stay awake until hotel check-in time. Instead I visit the short-stay YOTEL in Terminal 4, where compact and very cozy, ship-cabin-inspired rooms offer just the essentials: bed, TV, Wi-Fi, and bathroom.  Four hours later I’m refreshed and ready for the Tube-trek into town.  Not for the claustrophobic, but a great option for folks with very early arrivals or departures.

6 AM departure: With such an early morning flight, its just makes sense to stay at – or in – the airport.  In the past I’ve snagged an acceptable rate at the Heathrow London Hilton Airport Hotel, attached to Terminal 4, but this time I’m snuggled in for a short night at the new, ultra-swank Sofitel London Heathrow, attached to the new Terminal 5.

Rooms offer pillow menus and many public areas have themes:  for example the lobby is “Antarctica,” with a cool ice-block-inspired fountain, and there’s a huge, peaceful indoor Zen Garden.

There are multiple restaurants, several bars and a fitness room, but it’s the spa that offers a hidden treat for folks stuck – or just worn out – at the airport.  For about the same price as four hours at the YOTEL, travelers can hang out in the Sofitel’s Hydro Suite, which has a shower, steam room, sauna, giant spa tub, and some very inviting-looking lounge chairs.  If you’re nice, they might even let you stretch out in the official relaxation room as well.

Categories: Hotels, Sleeping
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If I had a one-day layover in Paris, I’d probably spend a few hours at the Musée du Louvre and then head to the Eiffel Tower for an elevator ride to the top.

Or I might just save my euros and visit the new Radisson Blu Le Dokhan’s Hotel, Paris Trocadéro and spend some time drinking champagne and riding the elevator there.

The boutique hotel is housed in a former private residence in the 16th arrondissement and was the site of Paris’ first champagne bar. They’ve still got a champagne bar on site – and they have an elevator made from a single, vintage Louis Vuitton wardrobe trunk believed to have belonged to the Dokhan family, who were the original owners of the private residence.

Categories: Hotels
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