It seems that each year, Marriott has devalued the value of their points. I found an article by Gary Leff on View from The Wing that goes into detail on the latest point reduction. Thankfully, there are people who go through these analyzes because Marriott is no longer providing its member this information. Gary Leff […]
Marriott Bonvoy Points Update: What Travelers Need to Know Read More »
I was in Miami Beach for a wedding and one of the hotels that they reserved a block in was the Royal Palm South Beach. It was listed a Tribute Portfolio Marriott property. I did some quick research and found that most people consider at or on the same level as Marriott’s Autograph properties. I
Royal Palm South Beach: Luxury That’s Lost Its Luster? Read More »
I just renewed my passport online and now I am wondering how to keep it safe at home and while traveling. Keeping your passport safe while traveling is paramount. As most people know it is a toss-up on whether is worse to lose your passport or your cell phone while traveling. A lost or stolen
How to Keep Your Passport Safe While Traveling Read More »
Before a recent trip to South America, I investigated the tipping etiquette for South America. The standard response was that tipping was not required or expected but was appreciated. Very vague response for a collection of differing countries with differing cultures. What I have come to learn is that Americans are seen as tippers or
South American Tipping Customs: What You Need to Know Read More »
I am training for a triathlon. For those who do not know, triathlons consist of three sports, running, biking and swimming. When you travel, it is easy to pack running gear since it primarily includes running shoes, shorts and a top (and layers if it is cool). For biking, you need a bike, cleats, biking
Stay Fit on the Road: Swim Training Tips for Travelers Read More »
I was thinking about services that hotel staff provide that used to be valuable but in our day and age are now almost worthless. In the past, when you traveled to a new place, you would want the help of the hotel staff in a bunch of things that now you can find out with the
Are Most Concierge Services Worthless Today? Read More »
I came across an article on HuffPost entitled 7 Perks You Probably Didn’t Know Hotel Staff Can Give You and I was excited to see what perks I was missing out. I thought that their list was not complete and left off many valuable services. HuffPost’s list consisted of 1. Restaurant recommendations. 2. Decoration of rooms for special occasions. 3. Transportation arrangements. 4. Advice on local
Beneficial Services Provided by Hotel Front Desk Staff Read More »
An issue that is bubbling to the surface is the hostility certain European Cities are demonstrating to tourists especially American tourists. Recently, citizens of Barcelona squirted tourists with water pistols. Barcelona recently announced that they will raise the tourist tax for people who visit their city for less than 12 hours. Meanwhile in Venice, they are limited the
Why Do European Cities Want To Eliminate or Reduce Tourism Read More »
We are touring the Mediterranean and decided to cruise it on the Sun Princess instead of hopping from town to town. The Sun Princess cruises starts in Rome and then sails to Naples, Crete, Turkey, Mykonos and then Athens. When we first boarded the Sun Princess we remarked how nice the ship was and how state of the art it is.
Sun Princess – The Way to Travel the Med Read More »
As a quick follow up to my Italian tipping article and at the request of a reader, I am providing my insights into tipping in Greece. While tipping is not a strong tradition, especially among locals, it is expected that tourists leave a small tip. The amount you tip depends on the place and type of service, and you
Tipping Customs in Greece: What You Need to Know Read More »
