Carlson Worldwide Property & Room Inventory

Carlson recently opened its 450th Country Inn & Suite property. Below is a list of how many hotels and rooms the Carlson company represents in the lodging industry.

WORLDWIDE PROPERTY & ROOM INVENTORY
As of: June 1, 2008
County Inns & Suites By Carlson
Properties: 448
Rooms: 35,855
Carlson Hotels Worldwide
Properties: 986
Rooms: 148,733# of Countries: 72

'A-Room-Atherapy'

Travelodge UK Infusing Scents in Bedsheets to Help Guests Nod Off; Aromas Include "Freshly Cut Grass" and "Home-baked Apple Pie" .



June 2008 - In a UK first, budget hotel chain Travelodge is trialling 'a-room-atherapy at a selection of its hotels - with the launch of a unique series of 'ReminiScents'. The specially scented sheets have been designed to evoke happy and comforting memories for guests, in a bid to help them nod off.


The 'ReminiScents' have been developed around the top five scents Brits would like to be surrounded by, as they drop off to sleep, The fragrances were identified following the feedback from a national 'Senses Census' of over 5,000 Britons.
Guests at selected Travelodge hotels will be able to choose from the following exclusive ReminiScents free of charge:


- The Sea - to evoke memories of holidays. The sea is the number one scent that Brits would like to be surrounded by as they drop off to sleep, comforting 45% by bringing back memories of happy holidays. Also ideal for those who are used to living by the coast.
- Freshly Cut Grass - to evoke the scents of summer. Almost a quarter (21%) wanted to nod off to the smell of freshly cut grass, reminding them of long, happy summer days. Also ideal for those who are used to living in the country.
- Baby powder to remind guests of their children. The ideal comforter for doting parents, with one in five (18%) choosing to be surrounded by the smell of their baby when away from home to lull them into slumber
- Home-baked Apple Pie - to create a home-from-home experience for guests. Baking and cooking aromas are the most comforting scents for almost over one in ten (12%) Britons
- Chocolate the ideal pick me up for women. The scent of chocolate and sugary sweets is the most comforting smell for 9% of UK women




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Travel Agencies

In 2007, American Express disclosed its global corporate travel sales. It reported $20.5 billion in global corporate travel sales, an 11 percent increase over $18.5 billion in 2006. Unfortunately, Amex declined to authorize how many transactions that dollar figure represents. The Business Travel News estimates the dollar figure represents 15.3 million transactions. Amex is the only major travel company that did not disclose transaction numbers. Below are the top ten travel companies according to the number of transactions processed. Although not included, it is assumed Amex would be at the top of the list.

1. Carlson Wagonlit Travel 11,001,156
2. Omega Travel 962,553
3. Travel and Transport 738,854
4. Tzell Travel Group 648,940
5. World Travel 564,768
6. Ovation Travel Group 397,212
7. Adelman Travel Group 361,496
8. The Travel Authority 351,534
9. Garber/FCm Travel 329,446
10. Directravel 325,435

Wyndham Acquiring Microtel, Hawthorn

Wyndham Worldwide expects by the end of July to close the acquisition of U.S. Franchise Systems' 292 economy Microtel Inns & Suites properties and 91 extended stay Hawthorn Suites properties-Wyndham's first entry in that tier-from Global Hyatt Corp. Financial terms were not disclosed.

As Corporate Director of Sales of a hotel management company that owns a Microtel Inn & Suites, I'm looking forward to this acquisition by Wyndham. Besides Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, Wyndham owns Ramada, Days Inn, Super 8, Wingate, Baymont, Howard Johnson, Travelodge, Knights Inn, and Amerihost brands.

Microtel has suffered from name recognition since its conception. Being part of the Wyndham family of hotels will make the Microtel brand more visible to the loyal guests of the brands above. Wyndham also has one of the best loyalty programs in the hospitality industry. Wyndham REWARDS, formally triprewards, has over 6000 hotels/resorts worldwide. When was the last time you traveled to a city that did not have one of the hotel brands above? With the addition of Microtel and Hawthorn, Wyndham REWARDS has become a better loyalty program that it was before.

Hidden Hotel Charges

Click here for an interesting article by Andrea Bennett titled How to Avoid Hidden Hotel Charges.


In reality, its impossible not to pay for hidden fees at hotels. Many travelers feel that these "hidden" or "extra" fees can only be found at higher price hotel and spas. However, think about the last time you stayed at a moderate priced hotel such as a Holiday Inn Express. If the room charge was $100 plus tax...are you paying for amenities that you did not use? Did you use the pool? Did you use the exercise room? Did you take advantage for the airport shuttle? Did you have your fill of the complementary breakfast? All of these items are included in your rate regardless if you take advantage of them or not.


The more amenities a hotel has, the more expensive the hotel will be. The best way to save money on hotel stays is to define what amenities are important for that particular hotel stay and choose a hotel that best fits those requirements.

Survey Results #4: Pillows

When traveling, do you bring your own pillow with you? 64 persons responded

always/most of the time 10
never 29
sometimes/once in awhile 19
seldom, but I always ask the host/desk for extra pillow(s) 6

Travel Tip #6: Hotels.com

By now, must of travelers have experienced a canceled flight or a late connection which translates into not getting to your final destination until the day after your expected arrival time. With factors such as weather, mechanical failures, and union trouble...if you've never experienced a flight delay you are on a very short list.

When this happens don't be one of the slugs waiting in line at the hotel phone boards. Be proactive and have hotels.com 800 phone number into your cell phone (800.246.8357). With over 70,000 participating hotels, chances are good that they will have a participating hotel in the city you are stranded in. The hotel may not have a pool, but it beats sleeping in an airport.

The number can also be used if stranded somewhere when having vehicle trouble.

They're Coming to America

Top countries whose residents visited the United States in 2007, with number of visitors in parentheses.

1. Canada (17,735,000)
2. Mexico (15,089,000)
3. United Kingdom (4,497,858)
4. Japan (3,531,489)
5. Germany (1,524,151)
6. France (997,506)
7. South Korea (806,175)
8. Australia (669,536)
9. Brazil (639,431)
10. Italy (634,152)

Total Arrivals: 56,716,277

Pillow Menu

To ensure every guest gets superb shut-eye, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, the global contemporary luxury hotel brand, has turned sleep into an experience by pioneering one of the world's most extensive pillow menus. With more than 75 varieties of pillows to choose from across the globe, guests will find that Conrad caters for their most personal of pillow preferences. Luxury hotels and pillow menus may go hand-in-hand, but Conrad Hotels & Resorts has taken the concept a step further, introducing destination-based and mood-inspired pillows to make their guests more comfortable than ever.

Each pillow has its own unique properties, from anti-snore assistance to cold relief, and total relaxation to romance. Some of the pillows, such as the 'Porcelain Pillow' (Conrad Centennial Singapore), the 'Tiba Pillow' (Conrad Cairo) and the 'Shogun Pillow' (Conrad Bangkok) pay homage to the local culture. Others offer healing properties through sleep, including the 'Cold and Flu Pillow' (Conrad Chicago).

To find pillow perfection, try the following Conrad favourites:

To continue, click here.

Top Twenty Hotel Brands in the World

The top twenty hotel brands of the world is based on the number of rooms each brand represents in the global hospitality market. The list shows rank, hotel brand, number of hotels the brand has open, and the number of rooms represented.

1. Best Western 4035 hotels/308636 rooms

2. Holiday Inn 1382/256775

3. Comfort Inns & Comfort Suites 2467/188596

4. Marriott Hotels & Resorts 520/188544

5. Hilton Hotels & Resorts 511/176523

6. Holiday Inn Express 1808/156531

7. Days Inn of America 1883/153333

8. Hampton Inn 1490/147326

9. Sheraton Hotels & Resorts 399/138878

10. Super 8 Motels 2081/128587

11. Quality Inns & Hotels 1210/118386

12. Courtyard 767/110780

13. Ramada Worldwide 874/106978

14. Motel 6 956/98038

15. Mercure 756/93827

16. Hyatt Hotels 213/92755

17. Radisson Hotels 397/87410

18. Ibis 769/86486

19. Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts 300/83661

20. Novotel 387/69234

The above lists represents 21,505 hotels and 2,791,284 rooms!

Travel Tip #5: Phone Chargers

If you are like me, you continually forget to pack your cell phone charger when traveling. Countless times I've found myself in my hotel room talking to my wife when the low battery signal would remind me of my forgotten charger. If away from home for more than a few days I would go to the local mall and purchase a replacement charger. Very frustrating!

The next time this happens to you and if you are staying at a hotel save some money by asking the front desk attendant if they have any spare cell phone chargers in "lost and found". If the hotel is like the 15 managed by Professional Hospitality, the front desk associate will return from "lost and found" with a box full of cell phone chargers forgotten by past guests. In most cases the associate will let you have a charger or at the very least allow you to borrow it during your stay.

In my 17 year hospitality career here is a list of some of the odd things that guests have left in a room after checking out.

duffel bag with a large sum of money
various musical instruments
prosthetic arm
prosthetic leg
clown costume
kittens
various fire arms
wall mounted pay-phone
wedding dress
1 empty urn
3 full urns
parachute
and my personal favorite...2 small alligators

New Beiging Airport Terminal Becomes 'largest building in the world'

BEIJING: The new Terminal 3 at the airport in Beijing is twice the size of the Pentagon.
Adorned in the colors of imperial China, with a roof that evokes the scales of a dragon, the massive glass- and steel-sheathed structure, designed by the British architect Norman Foster, cost $3.8 billion and can handle more than 50 million passengers a year.
The developers call it the "most advanced airport building in the world," and say it was completed in less than four years, a timetable some believed impossible. It opened in late February with little fanfare, but also without the kind of glitches that plagued Heathrow's new $8.7 billion terminal near London, which took six years to complete.

Click here for more...

Survey Results #3: Expensive Hotel Rooms

What is the most you've spent on one night of lodging at a hotel/resort? 48 people responded

less than $100 - 0
between $101/200 - 28
between $201/300 - 14
between $301/400 - 3
between $401/500 - 1
more than $501 - 1

InsideTrip.com

Most third party travel sites are very similar. Sites such as Expedia, Travelocity, Hotwire, and Kayak show you a list of fares from least to most expensive. These sites as well as others are best at giving the user several options when it comes to finding the lowest fare. However, they fall short on letting the user know if the fare is a true value in regards to key factors that can help determine whether the flight is worth the money or is one to avoid - like how much legroom you get, a flight's on-time performance and mishandled luggage rates.

Enter InsideTrip.com, a new travel site that arrived a few weeks ago. InsideTrip.com, like other sites, still lists several options along with price. However, Insidetrip.com is different that it lists those fares in accordance to 12 "pain points". The pain points involve 4 factors in each of the following categories: Speed, Comfort, and Ease.

I decide I want to fly to San Diego from Milwaukee. After entering in desired dates I choose the pain points that are important to me, such as: on-time stats, lost bags rank, and aircraft age. The list of fares will then appear in accordance with these pain points...not price. Sometime the first option is the cheapest, other times not. The user can then scroll down and decide which fare to chose.

The site seems easy to use and is definitely worth checking out when booking your next flight.

A Really BIG Boat!

The 220,000-tonne cruise liner that has its very own New York-style Central Park




The world's biggest cruise liner is to have a New York-style "Central Park" on the ship, its owners have revealed. Royal Caribbean is building the 220,000-tonne liner with the working name Project Genesis and the announcement is the latest salvo in the intensely competitive global cruise market. The company said the park would be "a revolutionary design in which the centre of the ship opens to the sky and features lush, tropical grounds spanning the length of a football field".



To read more, click here.

Per Diems In U.S. Cities

The cost of travel is not cheap. The average daily cost of 100 U.S. cities is 314.78! This daily cost consists of hotel, 3 meals, and car rental. Below are the 10 most expensive cities in the United States. Included is the average per diem needed. Note that the per diem does not include airfare and parking fees.

1. New York $564.24

2. Washington DC $463.41

3. Boston $433.12

4. Newark $422.74

5. Detroit $416.94

6. San Francisco $410.33

7. Chicago $406.62

8. Honolulu $399.84

9. White Plains $398.19

10. Baltimore $397.45

44. Milwaukee $308.68

62. Madison $293.19

International travel isn't much cheaper. Using a cross section of 100 cities the daily per diem needed is $314.08 (US dollars). Although this is .70 cheaper than the average in the United States, one can see from the numbers below that the 10 most expensive international cities are much more pricey that their US counterparts.

1. Paris $528

2. Amsterdam $506

3. Moscow $505

4. Stockholm $498

5. London (Central) $480

6. Oslo $478

7. Rome $454

8. Brussels $452

9. Kiev $450

10. Lyon $448

THE BELLAGIO: I Loved the Electronic Drapes

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of staying at The Bellagio in Las Vegas NV for 5 nights. Before checking in the only expectation I had was the expensive room rate and although The Bellagio is considered "high-end" for Las Vegas I still expected the decor to be somewhat tacky. The expectations of the expensive room rate was accurate. However, The Bellagio wasn't tacky. In fact, The Bellagio is the nicest hotel I've ever stayed in.

My traditional room was very spacious. It featured a king size bed, a work/business area, and a huge bathroom. When entering the the room I was greeted with marble flooring that lead you into the room. The marble flooring extended into the bathroom. In the corner of the room was a comfortable sitting chair. My first 5 minutes in the room was spent "playing" with the electronic drapes. Very cool. I must admit, during the 5 days, I found myself fascinated with the electronic push button drapes. I'm convinced the electronic drapes actually saved me money at times because it kept me away from the gaming tables.

The bathroom was huge. It featured a marble floored shower area that had glass walls. This was separate from the bathtub which was large and deep that included jacuzzi jets. The vanity was long and had 2 sinks.

Like most of the newer Las Vegas hotels...The hotels are destinations themselves. Even if you are not staying at The Bellagio one could spend a few hours walking around admiring the hotels impressive architecture, fine art, touring shops, and visiting one of the hotels find eating establishments.

Before arriving in Vegas a co-worker who had stayed at The Bellagio the year before told me that when he stayed there for a week that it was the only time that he didn't want to leave a hotel to go home. After my trip, I would have to agree. Does anyone know how to get electronic drapes installed in your house?

TOP TEN IN ROOM MOVIES FOR 2007

LodgeNet Interactive Corporation is the leading provider of media and connectivity solutions designed to meet the unique needs of the hospitality industry. LodgeNet Interactive serves more than 1.9 million hotel rooms representing 9,300 hotel properties worldwide in addition to health care facilities throughout the United States. Translation...If you paid for an in room movie while traveling over the past year, you most likely watched the movie via the LodgeNet system.

Lodgenet is the leader in providing on demand entertainment to the market, and its list of the top selling titles is the most accurate gauge of performance in the market. The most-viewed video on demand movies in properties served by LodgeNet during the year were:

1. Knocked Up
2. Borat
3. Night at the Museum
4. Wild Hogs
5. 300
6. The Bourne Ultimatum
7. Casino Royal
8. The Departed
9. Live Free or Die Hard
10. Ghost Rider

Mideast's first woman-only hotel opens in Saudi Arabia

Women in Saudi Arabia have a plethora of constraints. They are banned from driving vehicles, forced to be covered from head to toe while in public, prevented from talking to men other than relatives and prevented from traveling without written permission from their male guardian.

With this restrictive life-style...maybe women is Saudi Arabia deserve to have a hotel for themselves. The Luthan Hotel and Spa caters to women only, has 25 rooms, offers 150 spa treatments, and has fine dining as well as conference facilities. Are woman allowed to hold meetings/conferences in Saudi Arabia?

The Luthan Hotel and Spa opened this month.

Travel Tip #4: Don't Drink the Water

When traveling to Mexico it's often difficult to say no to ice cubes and tap water. It's even more difficult not to worry about a bad case of Montezuma's Revenge. Thankfully, a company named Hydro-Photon has come up with a solution. The SteriPEN Traveler Water Purifier is a pocket device that uses ultraviolet light to purify up to 16 ounces of water in less than 60 seconds. The process eradicates parasites that might have you spending most of your vacation in the bathroom instead of the beach.

More info and where to purchase can be found at http://www.steripen.com/.