Archive for the ‘Hotel News’ Category

(Photo: Friscocali / Flickr)

As the end of the year draws nigh, SkyMiles members are gunning to build up those mileage balances. Here are some promotions to help you do just that:

1>EARN MQM’s AT HILTON. We know that TICKET readers love those super-special Medallion Qualifying Miles or MQM’s that help speed up getting to elite status. This fall, Hilton’s helping out by offering MQMs and double miles to those who stay at any Hilton Family hotel two or more nights by December 10. You must register first.

2>25,000 SKYMILES FOR $500 SKYMALL PURCHASE. Through Friday, September 17, SkyMiles members who spend at least $500 at SkyMall will earn a whopping 25,000 bonus miles. This is a great deal if you have items (like electronics or massage chairs) on your shopping list anyway…and if you don’t mind slightly overpaying. (SkyMall prices are always slightly higher than elsewhere.) Details.

3>ALASKA AIRLINES DOUBLE. Those who fly Delta from Atlanta to the west coast and then connect to an Alaska Airlines flight will earn double bonus (not MQM) miles between now and November 15. For example, if you have a meeting in Seattle, fly Delta to San Francisco or Los Angeles, and then connect to an Alaska Air flight for the second leg to Seattle. Note: These are LONG flights, so the double miles really add up and could make the stopover worth your while. Do the math: ATL-LAX-ATL = 4000 miles x 2 = 8000 miles. LAX-SEA-LAX = 2000 miles x 2 = 4000 miles. So, a total of 12,000 miles plus your Medallion bonuses. Not bad! Register here.

4>DELTA + HAWAIIAN. SkyMiles members can now earn and burn SkyMiles on Hawaiian Airlines’s inter-island flights as a result of an expansion of the carriers’ code-sharing pact. This means you can buy a single Delta ticket from the mainland to Honolulu and then on to one of the 70 daily inter-island flights operated by Hawaiian Airlines between Honolulu and Kahului, Lihue, Kona and Hilo. Mahalo!

5>TRANSFER MEMBERSHIP REWARDS, GET 20% MORE SKYMILES. Periodically, Delta offers American Express Membership Rewards members a nice bonus when they transfer their points from Amex to Delta SkyMiles. Through September 30, that bonus stands at 20%. Details and registration.

6>DELTA TO OFFER SKYMILES DEBIT CARD. If you are a fan of debit cards and Delta’s Amex charge card offerings aren’t doing much for you, stay tuned for a flurry of new Delta/MasterCard debit card offers. Delta and MasterCard announced this week that they’ve teamed up to offer a debit card product that will extend debit cards beyond just SunTrust, the current sole provider of Delta debit cards.  But you won’t be able to get the card (or those nice sign up bonuses) on until they sign on with a local bank to issue it.

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IHG HOTELS PAYING BAG FEES. Here’s a deal that should be music to the ears of non-elite air travelers forced to pay those dastardly new fees for checked bags. IHG Hotels (which include Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, Staybridge Suites, Indigo among others) is offering to rebate $50 to travelers who book two or more weekend nights now through Dec 30. Must use Visa card to pay for your stay. Details.

MARRIOTT FALL DEAL. Marriott hotels kicked off the slower fall travel season with a pretty nice offer: Stay twice between September 15 and January 15 and get one free night. Must pay with Visa. Details

NEW HYATT CARD. Hyatt has unveiled a new Chase card with some nice bennies: You get two free nights and any Hyatt worldwide with first purchase. You get three Gold Passport points for every dollar spent at Hyatt. And they’ve eliminated those pesky foreign transaction fees. Annual fee is $75. Details

ARE YOU INDEPENDENT? Do you love independent, non-chain, upscale or luxury hotels, but miss the free nights you earn with big chain frequent stay programs? A new program called Stash Hotel Rewards offers five points per dollar spent at over 80 hotels, like the Affinia Dumont hotel in Manhattan, or the hotel Andra in Seattle, two of your TICKET editor’s top picks in those cities. Stash estimates that the average traveler could earn one free night after about five stays. Here’s a current and rapidly expanding list of the hotels that participate in Stash. To get points, you must book directly with the hotel’s web site, not via third party channels. Worth a look! Details

PICK YOUR ROOM. Did you know that Hilton’s Homewood Suites now allow travelers to choose their exact room 36 hours prior to arrival? Now that’s something I’d like to see across the hotel industry! Details

MORE FREE WI-FI. Slowly but surely, hotel chains are getting the message that frequent travelers  really REALLY want Wi-Fi charges included in their room rates.  Hilton recently joined a trend among several chains by offering free Wi-Fi across ALL its brands to elite level members of its HHonors program.  Details.

NICE IDEA! Hyatt’s new upscale Andaz chain offers free mini bars (alas, no booze…but still) Details. Have you stayed at an Andaz yet? If so, please leave your comments below.

STARWOOD CARD FEE. The popular Starwood/Amex card recently hiked its annual fee for the second time in two years to $65. Still worth it? (Maybe they felt they were leaving money on the table considering Hyatt’s new card fee of $75…)

COOL POOL. Singapore may now have the coolest rooftop hotel infinity pool ever. You’ve gotta see these photos to believe your eyes. It’s located at the brand new Marina Sands hotel there.

HOTEL HOUSEKEEPING TRENDS. We recently posted an interesting item about certain Starwood hotels that offer guests 500 Starpoints for opting out of hotel housekeeping. We heard from many of you who thought that was a dandy idea. Now there’s more. Best Western says that when asked, about 40% of it’s guests now opt for limited or no housekeeping. Hmm. I sorta like the idea of having my room cleaned each day. I don’t necessarily need linens changed, but a quick clean up is nice. What about you?  Leave your comments below.

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Last week I attended the National Business Travel Association convention and exposition in Houston, Texas. This is an annual gathering of about 6000 corporate travel buyers and sellers.

I attended the same conference last summer in San Diego, where the mood was a lot different. Last year, attendees were searching for ways to deal with “the new normal,” pondering which airline or hotel chain would file for bankruptcy next, and wondering if they’d still have their jobs and be back again for this year’s conference.

Check out my two-minute video from the trade show floor in Houston last week to learn how eight business insiders responded when I asked if business travel was back. Their answer was crystal clear.

At the conference, American Express released some statistics that back up the optimism you’ll see in my video. It reports that global business travel spending contracted 9 percent last year. But this year, it’s expected to grow 6 percent (for a total of $895 billion!); next year it will increase 8 percent, and then 9 percent in 2013.

How would YOU respond if I asked you the same question? Have you noticed much change from last year when it comes to your inclination to hit the roads and skies this year? Please leave your comments below.

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With the peak summer travel season right around the corner and plenty of TICKET readers busy planning their trips, we’ve put together an array news and tools to help you make the right decision. Happy planning!

CONSUMER REPORTS RATES HOTELS. There are all kinds of hotel ratings and rankings and lists out there…so many in fact, that I sorta glaze over when I read about them. However, when Consumer Reports ranks hotels, I prick up my ears. Its ratings are based on the experiences of nearly 28,000 CR readers regarding their hotel stays between January 2008 and April 2009. You’ve got to subscribe to the magazine for the full report (June 2010 issue), but here are a few nuggets: Ritz-Carlton (no surprise) placed at the top of the “Fanciest” category. For “luxury” hotels, Renaissance (Marriott) and Embassy Suites ranked highest, Sheraton lowest. In the “upscale” category, Homewood Suites (Hilton) came out at the top, Radisson at the bottom.  For moderate hotels, Drury Inn & Suites ranked highest and Howard Johnson ranked lowest. (Have you ever stayed at a Drury Inn?? If so, please leave a comment. I’m not familiar with this chain and I’m curious!) In the budget category, Microtel ranked best and America’s Best Value Inn ranked worst.

CR SAYS IT PAYS TO HAGGLE WITH HOTELS. From the article that accompanied the Consumer Reports hotel ranking: “Only 35 percent of respondents tried to negotiate for a better deal, but those who did were rewarded with a lower rate or room upgrade 80 percent of the time. That’s a slightly higher success rate than readers experienced in our 2006 survey. Those who called ahead to do their haggling were even more successful than those who tried to negotiate in person.” What’s your experience with haggling with hotels? Leave your comments below.

The Ellis on Peachtree

HOTEL INDUSTRY INSIDERS’ TOP PICKS FOR 2010. Since 2007 Expedia has produced the annual Insider’s Select List, an excellent resource for those blindly seeking a good hotel in an unknown city. Why do I like it? Because the selection is based on three factors: first, of course, it incorporates user reviews…but since user reviews are not always such a great gauge, they also include input from Expedia’s 400 local hotel market managers who know what’s hot and what’s not in their hometowns. They also use a value rating of each hotel, which compares the hotel’s average rate with that of comparable properties in the market. Combined, those three factors churn out some very reliable winners. In typical Expedia fashion, hotels are easily searchable by region, country and city. (In Atlanta, the top four hotels are: The Ellis on Peachtree, The Omni at CNN Center, the Grand Hyatt in Buckhead and the Ga. Tech Hotel and Conference Center in Midtown.) Disclosure: I  was editor of  Expedia Travel Trendwatch 2005-2009.

DESPERATELY SEEKING FREE WI-FI. It’s getting easier and easier to find free Wi-Fi at hotels these days as operators are finally tuning in to the fact that business travelers see it as a necessity and expect it to be included in the rate. But every now and then you get a big surprise when you have to pay $15 a day for the convenience. To help avoid that, the good folks over at hotelchatter.com have produced an exhaustive list of hotels with and without free Wi-Fi.

SPEAKING OF FREE WI-FI. Did you know that if you simply join frequent stay programs at Fairmont, Kimpton or Omni hotels you’ll get free Wi-Fi access? All you have to do is sign up. Other full-service brands such as Marriott, W (Starwood) and Hilton only offer free Wi-Fi to top-tier members of their programs.

SUMMER HOTEL BONUSES: The “Big Four” hotel chains have come out with their summer promotions and they are looking pretty good. Here’s a rundown:

>MARRIOTT: Marriott Rewards members earn a free night for every third stay at any of its 3200 hotels between June 1 and August 31. Marriott will also toss in a certificate for a $10/day discount on Hertz. Free stays are good through December 31 in Category 1-4 hotels only. Register here.

>MARRIOTT AND DELTA. SkyMiles members who stay at any of Marriott’s 3200 “participating” hotels worldwide between May 1 and September 6 will earn a whopping 5000 bonus SkyMiles beginning with the second stay. (Max: 60,000 miles) Register here.

>STARWOOD: Starwood is offering a free weekend (Fri, Sat or Sun) night after every three stays. However, Starwood’s earning window is earlier than Marriott’s: May 1-July 31. Free nights are good through December 19. What makes this a better offer, though, is that the free nights are good a ALL Starwood hotels in Categories 1-6 which even includes some of the pricey St Regis properties. Register here.

>PRIORITY CLUB (InterContinental): Members earn double Priority Club points OR airline miles OR up to $500 in gift cards starting with their second stay at any of the chain’s 4400 hotels worldwide. Good for stays from May 14 through August 31. Double points or miles awarded beginning with second qualifying stay. Gift cards are good at Best Buy, Home Depot, Target and others. Register here

>HILTON: According to a blog post by Hilton’s new CEO Chris Nassetta, all Hilton brands (3.500 hotels) will offer a “up to a 30% discount” plus free breakfast for stays between May 28 and September 6. (Details should be posted on Hilton.com site starting May 10.) Interesting aside: In the post, Nassetta points out that Hilton HHonors “enrollment from January to March 2010 were the highest enrollment levels for the program during those months within the last four years.” Why is that interesting? Because in January, Hilton increased its award redemption levels by about 25 percent, which got it a lambasting by travel media.

24 BRAND NEW HOTELS IN NEW YORK? You betcha. Check out this list and see how many you know of. Interesting to note how many of them are midscale and on the western side of the city.

• The Standard New York (SEE PHOTO BELOW)  Full-Service 335 848 Washington Street Greenwich Village Jan 2009
• Hilton Garden Inn Tribeca Select-Service 150 6 York Street Tribeca Jan 2009
• Hotel Reserve Select-Service 116 20 Maiden Lane Financial District Jan 2009
• Ace Hotel New York Full-Service 262 20 West 29th Street Chelsea Mar 2009
• Fairfield Inn Manhattan/Times Square Limited-Service 244 330 West 40th Street Midtown West Mar 2009
• Hilton Garden Inn – West 35th Street Select-Service 298 63 West 35th Street Garment District Mar 2009
• Smyth Tribeca – A Thompson Hotel Boutique 100 85 West Broadway Tribeca Mar 2009
• West 57th Street by Hilton Club Timeshare 161 102 West 57th Street Midtown West May 2009
• Four Points by Sheraton Midtown Select-Service 244 326 West 40th Street Midtown West Jun 2009
• Comfort Inn Manhattan Bridge Limited-Service 60 61-63 Chrystie Street Nolita Jun 2009
• Hampton Inn Times Square South Limited-Service 184 337 West 39th Street Garment District Jul 2009
• Holiday Inn Express Times Square Limited-Service 210 343 West 39th Street Garment District Jul 2009
• Candlewood Suites Times Square Extended Stay 188 339 West 39th Street Garment District Jul 2009
• Hotel Indigo Chelsea Select-Service 122 127 West 28th Street Chelsea Jul 2009
• Doubletree New York – Chelsea Full-Service 237 128 West 29th Street Chelsea Jul 2009
• Comfort Inn Midtown West Limited-Service 70 343 West 44th Street Midtown West Aug 2009
• Ink48, a Kimpton Hotel Full-Service 222 653 11th Avenue Midtown West Sep 2009
• Crosby Street Hotel Boutique 86 79 Crosby Street SoHo Oct 2009
• Club Quarters World Trade Center Full-Service 421 140 Washington Street Financial District Nov 2009
• The Strand Hotel Full-Service 177 33 West 37th Street Garment District Dec 2009
• Fairfield Inn & Suites Manhattan Limited-Service 92 21 West 37th Street Garment District Dec 2009
• Andaz New York – Wall Street Hotel + Condo 253 75 Wall Street Financial District Jan 2010
• W NY-Downtown Hotel & Residences Hotel + Condo 217 123 Washington Street Financial District Feb 2010
• The Distrikt Hotel – Ascend Collection Select-Service 155 342 West 40th Street Midtown West Feb 2010

Source: Hotelresource.com

The new Standard Hotel on the west side of Chelsea straddles the new High Line Trail (photo: C. McGinnis)

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In April, your TICKET editor was on a business trip to Asia and checked in at the new Best Western Shinjuku ASTINA Hotel in Tokyo. It’s currently the only Best Western in town and offers a great value to business travelers visiting one of the most expensive cities in the world.

A few unusual touches to see in the video below: Pajamas and buckwheat pillows, smoked trout and miso soup on the breakfast bar and heated toilet seats!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgONunfdG7U

(Disclosure: I contribute to Best Western’s travel blog at youmustbetrippin.com)

Good news for the travel industry is not always good news for bargain hunting frequent travelers.

Growing demand on the part of both leisure and business travelers means . . . you guessed it . . . higher prices. Those dirt-cheap deals the travel industry has used to keep us on the road and in the skies over the last couple years will get tougher to find in coming months.

Here’s why:

>FARES: In February, the average price to fly one mile in the U.S. increased 5 percent says the Air Transport Association. Fares are rising because airlines have been able to reduce their supply of seats by parking planes in the desert. Now that competition among travelers for the remaining seats is heating up, fares will rise accordingly.

>FEES: In addition to higher fares, airlines will continue to tack on extra fees to help firm up their mushy bottom lines. In January alone, airlines pulled in half a billion dollars in “ancillary revenue,” a term used to describe just about any airline charge other than fare [such as fees for baggage, ticket changes, upgrades, food, etc.],” said Kevin Chrissey, an airline analyst with UBS who was speaking at the Strategic Travel Symposium, a recent conference to which your TICKET editor was invited by the National Business Travel Association.

>AIRLINE GROWTH: Delta Air Lines, now the largest airline in the world, had to adjust its profit forecast for this quarter based on a 30+ percent jump in corporate travel volume and revenue in February. Also, Delta just announced that it’s jumping back into the hyper-competitive California Corridor with four daily round trips between SFO and LAX using both B737 and regional jets. It’s also adding a new shuttle service between New York and Chicago.

>SUMMER: It’s going to be a busy summer. Remember last summer nearly every flight was full and/or oversold? UBS’s Chrissey warned it could happen again this summer now that demand is rising along with the economic outlook. If you’ve got plans to fly on peak days (Memorial Day, July 4, most of August and Labor Day) you should start looking at fares now and go ahead and book.

>HOTEL GLUT: For hotels, it’s a bit of a different story. There’s been a huge boom in hotel construction over the last five years. For example, United’s Hemispheres magazine this month includes a colorful article about a handful of the 59 new hotels (yes, 59!) that have opened in NYC in the last 18 months. So, with a lot of extra supply out there, and only a slow return in demand, hotel rates should remain relatively flat over the next year.

>BOOKINGS UP: With all the great hotel deals out there, demand is starting to pop. For example, advance bookings at the Best Western chain were up 16.4 percent during the second week in March compared to the same time last year. (They were up over 6 percent for the month of February.) That’s significant considering Best Western’s the largest hotel chain in the world. Disclosure: I write a blog for Best Western.

>BUYER’S MARKET: The buyer’s market for hotel rooms should continue over the next year, said hotel analyst Bjorn Hanson at the symposium in New York. “For many years, I’ve advised consumers to call the hotel directly and ask for a lower rate, and they’d get one about 20 percent of the time. These days, they are getting a lower rate 50 percent of the time,” he said.

>RATES: To further illustrate his point, Hanson said that rates at luxury hotels in New York City were down a whopping 40 percent in 2009 compared to a high in 2006. And he referred to three different forecasts showing nationwide rate declines of 2-3 percent for 2010.

So folks, I’m eager to hear about your observations and plans for travel this year. Have you noticed that prices are increasing? Are you planning to travel more this year than last year? When do you plan to firm up your summer travel plans?

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SKIP HOTEL HOUSEKEEPING FOR POINTS OR DOLLARS? Guests at many Westin and Sheraton hotels can opt out of daily housekeeping in exchange for a $5 credit or 500 Starpoints. That seems like a good idea to me since my room remains mostly tidy when I’m traveling on business. It also has environmental benefits since less water and chemicals are used to clean the room. The Wall Street Journal points out that an average high-end hotel saves about $22 per room if the guest opts out of housekeeping. What do you think? Would you take a hotel up on an offer like this?

SHERATON MANHATTAN NO LONGER SHERATON. You might not be able to opt out of housekeeping at the Sheraton Manhattan, though. Starwood has announced that the hotel will loose its brand affiliation this spring due to it’s deteriorating quality. However, the Sheraton New York (across the street on the EAST side of 7^th Ave) will keep its brand flag. (It always seemed a little weird to have two Sheratons so close to each other anyway…)

Updated room at the Best Western President Hotel near Times Sq- NYC

WHO KNEW IT WAS A BEST WESTERN? Check out my latest blog post on Best Western’s youmustbetrippin.com blog about the increasing number of Best Western hotels that may surprise you and make you say, “Wow! Who’da thunk THIS could be a Best Western?” I take a look at unusually cool BW hotels in San Francisco, Seoul, New York and Honolulu.

HOTEL BIZ IN BIND. Despite whispers of the return of business travelers, the hotel industry is still hurting. That’s because even as business travelers creep back, they are paying significantly lower rates. Evidence: IHG, the world’s largest hotel operator (Holiday Inn, InterConti, Crown Plaza, etc) said it’s revenue for 2009 was down 19% compared to 2008. However, the company said declines in January were less severe.

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WARNING: PAY SKYMILES CREDIT CARD BILL ON TIME. Or lose your miles. Starting this month, Delta/Amex/SkyMiles credit card holders who pay their bills late will forfeit miles earned during the pay period. To reinstate those miles, you’ll have to pay a $29 fee. (This policy has long been in effect on standard American Express cards, but it’s now imposed on co-branded cards, too.)

NEW SKYMILES CREDENTIALS AND MILEAGE ROLLOVER COMING. If you recently qualified for Medallion status for 2010, your shiny new credentials should be in your mailbox soon. Also, if you qualified for Medallion last year, but continued to earn MQM miles, those extra miles should have “rolled-over” into your account this month, giving you a nice head start of getting Medallion again next year. Other changes that come as part of the 2010 Medallion program go into effect on March 1.

SKYMILES MARKETPLACE. Tired of trying to unload miles for flights? Delta would like you to try to unload miles for other things, like hotel and car rental bookings, electronics, clothing and luggage at its new SkyMiles Marketplace. As usual with these merchandise-for-miles schemes, the prices seem very high compared to street prices, or when compared to the enormous value of a free round trip. For example, a Flip MinoHD Video camera is featured on the opening page of the marketplace for 38,200 miles. A frequent flyer mile is generally thought to be worth about 1.5 cents, so you’d be paying the equivalent of $573 for a camera that costs about $200 at Best Buy. A first class round trip award to Hawaii starts at 37,500 miles, and this $200 camera is going for MORE than that? I dunno…I think I’d stick with redeeming miles for award flights. It’s a value that can’t be beat (at least when you can find the award seats you want…) What do you think? Is the Marketplace worth it for you?? Leave your comments below.

BEST WESTERN MATCHING ELITE STATUS. Everyone knows about how airlines will match elite level status to poach frequent travelers from competitors. Now hotels are getting into the act as well. Just this week, Best Western announced that it would give elite status in the Best Western Rewards program to anyone who sends them their elite level credentials from another chain. Elite membership in the BW program offers members room upgrades, early/late check in/out, and earning bonuses. Details here: www.bestwesternstatusmatch.com (Disclosure: I write a blog for Best Western’s youmustbetrippin.com site.)

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Even though the hotel biz is having a tough time, new properties are still opening, so here are four hip brand-spenkin’ new hostelries that TICKET readers should know about:

NEW YORK: I had an outstanding stay earlier this winter at the brand new Hotel Indigo on W. 28^th St near the Fashion Institute of Technology. The hotel is located in Chelsea on a block full of commercial florists which makes for a beautiful walk to or from the hotel. While the hotel is out of the bustle of midtown, there’s a subway stop a block from the hotel on 7^th Ave where trains can get you up or downtown in a flash. What do I really like about this hotel? It’s brand new from the ground up—something you don’t see a lot of in NYC.  There’s free wi-fi. Only downside: Rooms on lower floors have poor views. Lowest rates in late March range from $175 to $200.

CHICAGO: We’ve not actually visited the brand new, ultra-glam Elysian hotel, but we’ve been hearing about it from TICKET readers and colleagues at Leading Hotels of the World. It’s all-new from the ground up which is nice in a town with a lot of old hotel stock.  While it’s new and has all the latest techie bells and whistles (flat screen TVs, free wi-fi, built in stereo speakers) it’s got old world touches like a cobblestone driveway, marble bathrooms, fireplaces, outdoor terraces and windows that open. In late March, rooms range from $300 to $600, putting it in competition with the likes of the Peninsula and Four Seasons. If nothing else, you must see it’s gorgeous  website. (PS: When in Chicago last week, my frequent-traveling mother Julia checked out the Elysian and gives it a big thumbs up.)

photo: Erik Oginski

LOS ANGELES PT 1: The brand new glitzy and glamorous W Hollywood Hotel opened last month in a new mixed use development in the heart of Tinseltown at the corner of Hollywood and Vine. Guests are given star-studded treatment in true Hollywood fashion as they walk the plush “red carpet” to check in. As usual at any W Hotel, there’ll be a party in the lobby— here’s what an opening press release says: “Guests, residents and LA insiders can sip and socialize on the adjoining outdoor terrace and ground-floor lounge, featuring black tufted leather sofas, lounge chairs and a decadent backlit lobby bar crafted of glowing Onice Fantastico onyx.” Rates in late March start at about $220.

LOS ANGELES PT 2: The JW Marriott Hotel Los Angeles at L.A. LIVE officially opened Feb 17.  The long-awaited hotel is a cornerstone of the $2.5 billion L.A. LIVE sports, residential and entertainment district, located in downtown Los Angeles, across the street from the LA Convention Center and Staples Center. (Photo below) The 878-room property, which plans to be LEED-certified, shares space with the much smaller 123-room Ritz-Carlton Los Angeles (with a 4000 sq foot spa) in a unique 54-story tower. This is one of several new developments in the once-blighted downtown area that should help it shed some of its grittiness. Rates in late March at the J.W. start at $229. At the Ritz (opening next month), lowest rates are closer to $350.

photo: Marriott International

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Seems that the hotel industry is FINALLY hearing what business travelers have been screaming about for the last, oh, five years or so. They are getting around to making free Wi-Fi standard, instead of a pricey add-on, even at full-service brands that seem to be hold outs.

You’ll still get it free and easy at moderate brands like Best Western, Marriott Courtyard, Hampton or Holiday Inn. Mod new brands like Hyatt’s Andaz, InterConti’s Indigo and Starwood’s Aloft or Element offer it free.

But to get it from the posher players, there are hoops: for example, at Fairmont, Omni or Kimpton, you must first sign up for their (free) loyalty programs. Also, some larger companies with buying clout and good travel managers get free Wi-Fi as part of a negotiated rate with the hotel.

WARNING: This seems to be an almost exclusively American phenomenon as hotels, especially in big European capitals, continue their rapacious ways—charging $20-$40 per day for Wi-Fi.

What’s the most you’ve ever paid for Wi-Fi? Where did you pay it? Leave your comments below.

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In an interesting move, Marriott has installed hi-def, hi-priced Cisco Telepresence Suites at two hotels in Bethesda, MD and New York City. (Your TICKET editor conducted an interview with a Cisco exec via Telepresence last year, and I must admit, it really did feel like we were in the same room—except for the eye contact, which was a little off-kilter. But still…)

Marriott is not stopping with two hotels. You’ll soon find Telepresence at Grosvenor House (London), a JW Marriott Hotel; JW Marriott Hong Kong; Renaissance Sao Paulo; JW Marriott San Francisco, JW Marriott Marquis Miami; Renaissance Washington, DC; Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway; and Dallas/Fort Worth Airport Marriott with more to follow.

It’s ironic that a big travel industry player would jump on the virtual meetings bandwagon, but Marriott sees this as a new revenue stream, and we think they are on to something.

It sorta works like this: A small group of U.S. based businesspeople would travel to say, New York, and have a meeting via Telepresence with a group of colleagues in say, Hong Kong. The business people on both ends would save money, time and jetlag by not having to fly overseas. Marriott would still make money by housing execs traveling into New York and Hong Kong in addition to its percentage of the fees charged for usage of the suite. Everybody wins.

More info here.

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VEGAS WILL BE PACKED. All indications are showing that this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas (Jan 7-10) is going to be full to overflowing. Why? Pent up demand. This time last year we were all in economic shock. Attendees for CES and many other conventions were forced to cancel their plans. With things looking up this year, everyone wants to go back. So expect FULL flights between ATL and Vegas, full hotels, and the necessity of restaurant reservations. The city is expecting in excess of 100,000 visitors for this, the city’s largest event of the year.

HILTON HHONORS. Hilton is increasing the number of HHonors points required for award redemptions starting on January 14. Most reward categories will require an additional 5000 points for a free night stay. Stays at Hilton’s poshest brand, the Waldorf=Astoria Collection, are now pretty much standardized at 50,000 per night in the low season and 60,000 in high season. (TIP: Redeem points before Jan 14 on the old schedule and you’ll save.)

http://hhonors1.hilton.com/en_US/hh/landing/RewardFAQ/index.do

MISCELLANY

DEAD WEEKS. (SEE VIDEO) If you’ve got some flexibility in your travel schedule, don’t forget that the first three weeks of January are considered “dead weeks” in the travel industry. This is when travel demand plummets and you’ll find some of the very lowest prices of the year if you can take off at the last minute. It’s a great time to troll for bargains on last minute sites like Hotwire or name your own price sites like priceline.com. You can also find tons of last minute deals on cruises departing Florida and Gulf Coast ports. You’ll also find incredible weekend deals at luxury hotels located in downtown areas. And this year, with AirTran launching service to Jamaica, Aruba and the Bahamas, (and Puerto Rico) you will find lots of last minute bargains to warm weather destinations. Also, all those nice new hotel rooms in Las Vegas are a steal (except Jan 6-10 when the Consumer Electronics show is in town.)

PER MILE RATE CHANGE. The IRS recently announced that, starting January 1, 2010 it would lower the standard mileage rate to 50 cents per mile, down from the current 55-cent rate (and a high of 58.5 cents in 2008) The IRS standard mileage rate is the maximum amount you can deduct from your taxes for business use of a personal vehicle. It’s also used as a guideline for companies reimbursing employees who use their personal vehicles on company business.

Don’t Forget! BOOK ALL YOUR ONLINE TRAVEL VIA LINKS FROM THE TICKET!

airtran.com | delta.com |  Hotwire

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It’s almost Halloween and that always means one thing to me: Time for smart travelers to get a jump on the holidays! Check out TICKET editor Chris McGinnis’ outlook for holiday travel on CNN. (See full Q&A script below)

TICKET editor Chris McGinnis’ Holiday Travel Outlook

Here’s the full Q&A script for this segment for those of you who don’t want to or can’t watch the video. It includes much more info that what’s included in this one-minute segment.

TOPIC: Holiday Outlook

Q: Give me a general overview of what the holiday travel outlook looks like:

A: Holiday travel will be cheaper this year than last year if you book early. Not so much if you wait.

For example, Expedia data showed that average airfares around Thanksgiving are down about 17% back in Sept. Now, Bing Travel is saying that Thanksgiving fares are on the rise….up 6% compared to this time last year. So make you move.

Q: Why will there be lower fares?

A: Two reasons: less demand due to the ailing economy, and lower fuel costs for airlines, which helps keep fares low.

Q: What will be a good price for a domestic flight to a major city?

A: It depends on when and where you are flying.

Flights on the most popular days around Thanksgiving, such as the Tuesday or Wednesday before or the Sunday and Monday after are always more expensive.

If you must travel on those days, you should expect to pay at least 25% more than if you travel on less popular days.

Flights between major cities where there is low fare competition will be much cheaper than flights to smaller towns dominated by one or two airlines.

Q: What’s a price point travelers should keep in mind?

A: It depends on when and where you are flying and varies greatly, so it’s impossible to state.

Keep in mind that holiday travel is peak season travel, so while prices are lower than previous years, they are still going to be higher than any other time of year.

Q: What will be a good price for rental cars?

A: It depends on when and where you are renting a car.

Since business travel demand for rental cars is down during the holidays, rates tend to be lower than at other times of year.

Q: When should travelers book by in order to get deals?

A: The best time to book Christmas holiday trips is in mid-October—no later.

Q: What about flight delays?

A: Now that the airlines are flying fewer planes, airport congestion is less of a problem overall.

However, big hub airports like Atlanta and New York still have serious congestion issues.

Weather is always the wild card for delays during the holidays. If a snowstorm hits a major airline hub, delays are unavoidable.

Q: What’s the downside of this travel season?

A: Holiday season is peak season, and flights will be much fuller this year.

This means that if you miss your flight or your connection, the likelihood of getting on the next flight out is slim. You may end up having to wait a day or two.

Q: How can travelers avoid getting caught with no back up?

A: Pad your schedule and don’t be late for your flight this year.

If you miss your flight, you could end up waiting a day or two for the next available seat, which could ruin your holiday.

Q: What’s the bottom line for this holiday travel season?

A: Holiday travel will be cheaper than last year if you book your trips well ahead of time.

Airport congestion and flight delays will remain a problem at some big hub airports, but overall, airline on-time performance is improving.

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Don’t Forget! BOOK ALL YOUR ONLINE TRAVEL VIA LINKS FROM THE TICKET!

airtran.com | delta.com |  Hotwire

SF-based Joie de Vivre hotels recently invited your TICKET editor Chris McGinnis  to Long Beach, CA for the grand opening of the Hotel Maya, located right there on the waterfront between the Queen Mary and downtown. They’ve done a great job! If you find yourself on the southern side of LA or in Orange County, it’s worth a look! Here is my video review. Below you’ll find the voice over script to the video in case you can’t watch it.

Video Review of the Hotel Maya

In typical fashion, designers from the mod San Francisco based Joie de Vivre hotel chain have gone to Long Beach, California…

…where they found the UN-gracefully aging  Coast Hotel …

…and transformed it into a Latin lover called the Hotel Maya to the tune of about $20 million dollars

The property is set in a forest of 400 palm trees on the Long Beach waterfront.

Rooms are decorated with unusual touches like river stone headboards…

Bathrooms are brand new… I love that brown granite and burnt orange wallpaper!

Every room’s got a big desk area, flat screen TV, mini bar— and thankfully free and fast wi-fi

There’s a dramatic pool area with Vegas style cabanas good for play, and for work….

Plus an ample gym and meeting space for business travelers.

The airy Fuego Restaurant specializes in three things: seafood, tequila, and a stunning view of the city AND the Queen Mary docked nearby.

All in all this a great redo— like a stodgy old aunt going in for a makeover and coming out a flamenco dancer!

The Hotel Maya is located about 30 mins south of LAX on the border of LA and Orange county.

Rates start at around $140 for garden views. Water views are closer to $200.

www.hotelmayalongbeach.com

FREE NIGHT AT MARRIOTT. If you are not yet a member of Marriott’s Rewards program, now would be a good time to join. If you sign up and stay twice at any Marriott brand between now and Nov 15, you’ll get a certificate good for one free night at nearly any Marriott, except the most expensive ones.

2x-3x-4x WITH BEST WESTERN. Best Western Rewards members can earn double points for two stays, triple points for three stays and quadruple points for four stays through Nov 24. Catch: You must book your stay on a MasterCard to qualify. In addition to that bounty of points, you’ll earn and extra 250 points if you book at www.bestwestern.com

BEL-AIR GETS FACE LIFT. The best breakfast I ever had was an egg white omelet and a glass of fresh orange juice that tasted like it came off the trees in the courtyard at the outdoor patio restaurant at the Hotel Bel-Air, located in a leafy canyon just off Sunset Blvd west of Beverly Hills. That was about five years ago and while my stay there was nearly perfect in every way, the place just looked t-i-r-e-d. So it’s a good thing that this west coast grand dame is closing for up to two years for a full renovation of it’s 91 rooms and suites.