How to get a refund when your luxury hotel stay goes to the dogs
The resort publishes a clear rule: pets up to 40 pounds, two per room. Terry Reilly counted German shepherds, collies and pointers. Then things got worse.
hotels
Why you should be a tourist, not a local, this summer
Damien Zouaoui used to believe in living like a local. He hunted for authentic-looking apartments in up-and-coming neighborhoods, shopped the local markets, and did his best to blend in. Then came Lisbon. The bakery on his street was gone. So was the barbershop, replaced by boutique rentals and brunch spots catering, as he puts it, to people like him. Then he watched his host get into a shouting match with a neighbor over yet another guest’s rolling suitcase clattering down the cobblestones, and something clicked. He was not a visitor. He was part of an invading force. For a decade now, the travel industry’s golden rule has been to shun the tourist traps, skip the hotels, and embed yourself in a residential neighborhood in search of something real. But there is a simple arithmetic problem buried in that advice, and it is starting to show up in the streets of the cities we say we love: when everyone insists on living like a local, who is left to actually be one?
Travelers are resigned to paying more and getting less. Do they deserve this?
Don’t look now, but air travelers are paying more and getting less — and they’re fine with it.
Traveling? Here’s what to say if you want to get the worst treatment — guaranteed!
It’s easy to get treated like a second-class citizen when you travel: Just say the wrong thing. That’s an undeniable fact that people are rediscovering during the busiest year in the history of modern travel.
Want better customer service when you travel? You must be joking
If you think customer service is a joke, you’ve probably been traveling recently.
When travel goes bad, can you get a vacation do-over?
Lisamarie Monaco never expected anyone to offer her a vacation do-over. She was staying at a resort hotel in Fort Lauderdale, and things were not going as planned.
If hotel alarm clocks set you off, you’re not alone
Mention alarm clocks to a frequent hotel guest and you’ll probably get an earful. Those ever-present digital clock radios frequently evoke feelings of confusion, frustration and even rage.
Do ethics matter in travel? Yes, and here’s why
Maybe you missed the announcement that the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) is introducing a “ground-breaking” new course focused on ethics in the travel industry.
If you’re like most travelers, you may not know the American Society of Travel Agents from the American String Teachers Association.
Why hotels are happy to accommodate guest requests — up to a point
When Jim Reid checks into a Westin hotel, he inevitably catches a whiff of a “woody cedar and vanilla” scent called White Tea. It’s a pleasant smell to most guests, but not to him.