What Guarantees a Good Night Sleep?

The newest trend in hotel marketing is that really comfortable bed.

The Westin Heavenly Bed, The Sheraton Sweet Sleeper Bed or The W Difference; sounds enticing, huh?

Travel and Leisure has an article called Battle of the Beds, but who will write up the Battle of the Bang.

I can't ignore unwanted noise. That mandatory aspect of a good nights sleep is often ignored

Noise is the most important consideration that will disturb a hotel guest’s sleep yet it is a detail frequently ignored, or value engineered out during hotel construction.

Who cares how great the mattress if you hear doors slamming in the hall, elevators opening and closing, or television sets in adjacent rooms?

I do not want to hear the person above me flushing their toilet or showering!

I can't tell you how often I have had to call a front desk at a 5 star properties with noise complaints.

While the manager will often offer a discount, I'd rather be able to sleep.

Noise mitigation is easy when a hotel is being built but if attention isn't paid to this in the design and construction phases, the guests have to pay in more ways than one.

I am looking forward to a day when hotels advertise "Dreamy Hotels" and what they mean by dreamy is a place you can dream because it is a noise free!

The Vulnerable Traveler; Are You An Easy Target?

I recently sat next to a highly respected government official.

My lengthy flight went quickly as we talked for hours, actually he talked and I listened. All he asked was to keep his position and identity confidential when writing this article, which I will.

I have rarely felt unsafe or vulnerable anywhere I have traveled though I am aware that traveling makes you somewhat vulnerable.

Lets face it, being alive makes you vulnerable.

Petty theft is the biggest risk a tourist faces.

Do you think you are a tough or easy target?

Whether you are male or female, are you well dressed?

Are your hands well manicured?

Are you wearing anything shiny?

Is your purse or briefcase worn, or new? Does it look expensive?

Even if your watch is fake, would someone staking you out across the street know that?

Are your glasses this year’s style?

Are your clothes elegant and appropriate?

When the man I was talking with pointed out I was quite the target, I thought he was joking.

After all, before I left home I took off my engagement ring.

I replaced my good watch with a watch that I bought for under a hundred dollars.

I changed my normal red nail polish to a neutral color.

And I changed from my designer handbag to a non-descript one.

He shook his head explaining that my entire persona screamed ‘target.’

Would a thief know my shiny watch wasn’t real gold?

My rootless blonde hair and recently manicured hands say ‘well-kept.’

Designer or not, my purse didn’t have a scratch on it.

My shoes were clean and looked new, as did my clothes.

The style of my eyeglasses was current as any eyeglass ad out there.

I guess you have to be extremely vanilla to not be targeted.

Forget that manicure before you travel.

Things you wouldn’t be caught dead in at home might be perfect for traveling,

unless of course you are taking pictures.

But carrying that expensive camera also makes you a target!

Look for significant insight in the upcoming series called Better Safe Than Sorry at www.travelersanonymous.com

What Will Connoisseurs of Luxury Overlook for Good Service?

If a property is a bit rundown but the staff responds as quickly as humanly possible is it easier to overlook things?

Last week end , a friend of mine and her husband vacationed at The St. Regis Monarch Beach in Dana Point, California.

When they opened the door to the oceanfront suite the first thing that caught my friend's eye was a small hole in the fabric of the sofa.

Just then the suite’s doorbell rang. The butler was inquiring if she could make them reservations for any upcoming meals.

My friend and her husband decided to checkout the facilities before they unpacked. They returned to fresh flowers in the room, a bowl of fruit and bottled water, which made the hole in the couch virtually unnoticeable.

Hearing this I wondered if the hole in the couch was there in October 2008 when AIG sponsored their retreat at this property after accepting the federal bailout money.

Anyway, late in the evening, day two of my friend's weekend trip, the cable connection in their suite failed. The television screen just went blank. My friend phoned the front desk who sent up engineering in less than 10 minutes.

After analyzing the issue, the engineer explained that fixing the connection was no small task. He offered to work on it immediately, or he return in the morning at a time convenient for them.

They decided to give up television that night and schedule the service call the next morning. Unlike many appointments made in this fashion, the same engineer showed up and the service call was an unobtrusive as possible.

Now if I was the guest, I would have been on the phone with the hotel's general manager. I would have demanded a discount on my bill. If I was paying $750 a nigh for a suite, no matter how unobtrusive the service, I would expect everything working in the room 100% of the time.

No matter how small a hole, holes in couches are not okay for me a $750 a night.

Though the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resorts future is uncertain due to financial woes what is certain is that they can still get $750 a night for a suite with imperfections, that is, if I am not the guest staying there.

Coupons and Online Travel

Always look for Coupons if you are shopping for travel online.

Coupon Craze

Coupon Cabin

Most of the time the coupons listed work.

If you don't try, you won't save.

Learn to Hold It, or Budget for the Bathroom in Prague

In Prague everything costs... everything.  Watch your liquids and your fiber especially if you will be sightseeing all day or if you are on a limited budget.  Secure a 'bathroom budget.' Using the toilet will cost.   

Plan to pay anywhere from 5 czk to 20 czk (about 28 cents to $1.11).  Thank goodness they don't charge by the minute or one could really go broke.  Because when you gotta go, you gotta pay! That applies to restaurants, churches, etc.    

While having breakfast in our hotel, I had to go.  Since we were eating, it was free. Instead of leaving my friend and going to my room, I asked to decided to use the hotel's restroom.   I was directed down down a winding staircase to a ladies room located by the Spa.  

I entered the room, went in the stall and sat down to do my business.  

Now I don't dilly-dally.  Even my husband has commented about how fast I am.   I go, wash my hands and leave.  But in Prague it is not so fast.   

Where were you when the lights went out?  I was in the bathroom in our hotel's restroom in Prague.   So now I am sitting in the bathroom stall in the dark trying to remember the way out and cursing under my breath.  

After my eyes adjusted, I decided to feel my way out.  I got up from the you-know-what, which apparently triggered the light sensor and my problem was solved.  I flushed, washed and hurried out of there.

  

So if your stomach rumbles, you can go into an upscale hotel but beware of light sensors.  

Or  go to a cafe and order a drink albeit  coffee, bottled water or beer.  You can stay all day if you need, and can use the toilet as often as you'd like.  

As ludicrous as it sounds, as long as you are spending money,  no one cares how long you sit. And if  you are with someone else, only one of you needs to order something.

Prague is not America, land of the Pee for Free.