On The Road With the Oscars

If you find yourself traveling during the Academy Awards, you do not have to settle for watching it all alone in your hotel room with a bottle of wine and room service--though that is still a good option. But if you are looking for something a bit more social and fun, many hotels are hosting Oscar parties for guests, complete with food, contests and games. There are plenty of pre-show fashion events and themed cocktails to keep you entertained while hanging out with other hotel guests.

Some people may not think a hotel Oscar party would be well attended, but in a survey, 34% of people said they would go because it is way more fun to watch the Academy Awards with other people. Another 41% said it would depend on how good it is, and only 25% said they would not be interested.

Greektown Casino Hotel

In the home state of the Oscars, hotel guests can find a number of great parties to attend. In San Francisco, the sky lounge at the Top of the Mark at the Intercontinental Mark Hopkins is hosting a viewing with light appetizers and cocktails. Attendees have a chance to win a grab bag during the red carpet show by guessing the winners in specific categories.

The nation's capital is really getting into the festivities. The Jefferson Hotel is having an "Oscar Buzz" event, complete with special movie-themed cocktails starting at $15 each. The Washington Renaissance Hotel will project the show on its large-screen HD screen in the lobby while serving up chipotle-flavored popcorn and a variety of local micro-brews and cocktails.

New York certainly knows how to celebrate the film industry, and the W Union Square is a great place to enjoy the Oscars. For $40 per person, guests can enjoy gourmet popcorn, candy and adult milkshakes, as well as partake in a "fashion police" chat about all the red carpet glamour. 

Another eventful evening is taking place at the Homewood Suites in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. The hotel is hosting a party where guests have a chance to win a free stay or 1,000 Hilton HHonors points. The "best dressed" will win a future weekend stay, and the "worst dressed" will be awarded the Hilton points.

For those guests who want to watch the Oscars, but worry about not being able to hear the program at a loud party or bar, Salamander Resort in Tampa Bay is featuring a $10 in-room promo, including movie-style popcorn, a collection of candy and soda.

There are a number of other hotel parties going on around the country in which you can participate. So if you find yourself stuck in a hotel room for the big event, check with your concierge or someone at the front desk to see if your or any other local hotels are throwing an Oscar bash. Hey, it's better than sitting alone with that bottle of wine and some convenience-store chocolate while watching Anne Hathaway and James Franco make playful jabs at one another on stage.

And if you are not traveling on this most momentous of nights, then make yourself a nice dinner, pop a bowl of popcorn, open a bottle of bubbly and settle in. It's going to be an incredible evening! Enjoy the Academy Awards everyone!

Airline Lounges: How to Get in When You Are Not a Member

Airport lounges have always elicited an aura of exclusivity, with only a select few being allowed to walk the red carpet and pass through the gold-trimmed doors. But the days of member only access are long gone, and now anyone can get into these so-called VIP lounges, if they are willing to pay.

Virgin Atlantic Lounge at Heathrow

Airport lounges may be pricey, but at times they are definitely worth the money. Lounges have comfortable chairs and workstations, free beverages and snacks, and airline representatives. Annual admissions fees, however, can range between $450 and $500, which might be too much for people who are not frequent fliers. For those who are sporadic travelers, there are options. Day passes for American Admiral's Club, Continental's Presidents Club, Delta's Sky Club and United's Red Carpet Club can be bought for $50 per person. Delta offers discounted prices for people who have Gold or Platinum airline American Express card, and also has a 30-day membership for $90 as a trial offer.United lets you print off $35 dollar day passes from home to be used at a United Red Carpet Club or Continental Presidents Club.

Annual memberships can be bought using money or frequent flier miles. Delta, US Airways and Alaska sell them for $450, Continental and United offer them at $475, and American has them for $500. Several of these memberships offer reciprocal admission to other airline lounges, meaning you may have a Delta membership but you have access to Alaska Board Rooms.

United Airlines Lounge

Amenities in each lounge will vary, including an open bar, snacks, free wireless, comfortable seating and the ability to bring in two guests. Clubs also have airline representatives available to help you deal with flight cancellations or delays, and the lines are much shorter in the lounge than at the customer service desk.

There are also non-airline airport club programs. Priority Pass gives you entry to 600 lounges worldwide. Memberships cost $99 annually, plus $27 a visit or $399 annually with unlimited visits. This is one of the best options because it gives you a broad range of choices, rather than limiting you to one airline lounge--plus you can check out all of them if you want and gauge which one has the best amenities. American Express Platinum Card airport club program and Diners Club cards give you access to a number of different lounges as well, but come with a few more limitations and less choices than the Priority Pass.

No matter what option you choose, you'll get a pretty decent deal out of it, especially if you find yourself at the airport on a regular basis. I know that once I start traveling more, I am definitely getting a membership to the lounges, because the few experiences I have had with them have been heavenly.

Satisfaction Guaranteed

When it comes to travel, customer service is essential for success in air transportation, hospitality and facilities. So who will guarantee you a satisfactory travel experience?

Credit: J.D.Power & Associates

According to J.D. Power & Associates' 40 "Customer Service Champions" list, the Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts are two of the top customer service hotel chains in the United States. Enterprise Rent-A-Car was also a top company. As far as airlines are concerned, go with Southwest, JetBlue and Canada's WestJet to receive exceptional care and attention. A somewhat surprising member of the list is Indianapolis International Airport, which recently underwent a major redesign and reopened as a state-of-the-art facility in 2008.

J.D. Power based the awards off consumer surveys conducted over the past year. They use the five P method to measure how people feel about each company: people, presentation, price, product and process.

Of the selected travel companies, I only have experience with Enterprise.I am sad to say I have never stayed at the Ritz-Carlton or Four Seasons, or flown with Southwest or JetBlue or WestJet, or visited Indianapolis Airport. But I am excited to experience the customer service with these institutions, and I will definitely report back and let you know whether or not J.D. Power knows what its talking about.

U.S. Top Honeymoon Destination

Where do people go to celebrate their nuptials? Apparently, no where. Well, not no where, but they certainly are staying close to home. According to a study done by the wedding site, the Knot, the U.S. is the most popular destination for Americans last year. Of the 12,000 couples surveyed, 30% honeymooned in the continental U.S., the most popular locations were Orlando and Las Vegas. The Caribbean came in a close second with 28% venturing to the tropical islands.

Other popular destinations included Hawaii, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Italy, St. Lucia, France, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Dominican Republic and Greece.

So why did more couples decide to stay nearby for their honeymoons? The main reason was money. It is a lot cheaper to take a trip to Florida or Nevada than it is to go to Europe or the South Pacific. Another reason was time. Many couples had to take shorter vacations because they did not have the time off work.

If and when I get married, you can be sure I'm leaving the continental U.S. I'll make sure I save up enough money and vacation days to get a honeymoon abroad.

Smoking Room? No Thank You

There was a time when hotels offered more smoking rooms than non-smoking. Now, hotels are switching tones, making their properties completely smoke-free. An article posted in USA Today said that more and more hotels around the U.S. are getting rid of smoking rooms, smoking sections in restaurants, and smoking lounges. Now, the only place where visitors can smoke is outside the hotel walls, and they have to stand at least 10 feet from the door.

Most hotels voluntarily banned smoking on their premises, while others are being forced by state laws and regulations. According to the AAA, over 13,000 hotels are now smoke-free. Many people do not realize that hotels are bit behind the times with smoking restrictions--I had no idea myself. Smoking was banned on airplanes back in the 90s, and restaurants and bars started getting rid of smoking back in 1994. Hotels did not start going smoke free until 2006. The biggest reason for the change was the growing health concerns of non-smokers being exposed to smoke on a regular basis. Guests demand healthy living environments, especially if they are traveling with children.

Many hotel representatives believe the trend will continue, especially with states passing regulations on smoking in public places. So far, Michigan and Wisconsin are the only two states that require all hotels and motels to be smoke free, and Nebraska may be the next.

But many people still smoke, and they feel they deserve an area in the hotel to smoke openly, and their rooms are the ideal place. But with all the health concerns and state initiatives, it seems hotels in the U.S. will probably all go smoke free.

Personally, I'm happy about this movement. It not only gets rid of the risk of being exposed to second-hand smoke, but also removes the cigarette smell that can cling to sheets and curtains, despite cleaning the room. I think the hotel experience will be greatly improved by making properties smoke free.

Unique Tourism Advertisments

In an effort to improve tourism, Levenworth, Washington, created a youtube commercial to promote its Bavarian-style town and exciting culture. The ad has generated a lot of buzz among travel experts and tourists. Travel marketing professionals do not doubt the effectiveness of the commercial, but there is skepticism about whether or not it will hurt tourism in the long run.

 

Levenworth is portrayed as a young, hip party town, concerning locals who believe tourists may get the wrong impression. However, the commercial does show family-friendly aspects as well, including mini-golf, rafting, golfing and festivals. If viewers can look beyond the scantily clad dancers, steins of beer and trendy nutcracker, they will see that Levenworth has a culturally rich atmosphere and recreational activities galore. Of course, the nightlife is certainly a selling point, and the advertisement has tapped into that.

In all honesty, I love the commercial. It's funny, eye-catching and entertaining. After watching it, I am seriously considering visiting Levenworth, Washington.

If You Want to Win a Free Trip...

...try one of these travel-related contests!

Giving away free trips has always been a popular marketing idea, but it seems to be the go-to option these days. Just check out some of these giveaways listed on USAToday.com:

• If you are a student between the ages of 8 and 18, you can enter the National Parks Traveler Take Your Family to the National Parks essay contest. Students need to submit a park-related essay by March 1, and they could win a 3-night stay for 4 at one of 13 national parks across the country.
• LAN Airlines wants to hear your story of love. If you think you have a winning tale, then write about it on their Facebook page and be entered to win two round-trip business class tickets to Buenos Aires.
• For avid baseball fans, you can submit a short film stating your ideal day at Spring Training to Arizona's Office of Tourism Facebook page by February 15, and you could possibly win a $1,600 Spring Training vacation. (If you don't want to go through the hassle of shooting a video, just enter for a 4-day spring training trip on Tempe's website by February 15.)
• If you have an American Express card, use it at Dunkin' Donuts all through the month of February, and be entered to receive a number of prices. The top prizes are tickets on JetBlue flights.

There are a few other contests available for entry, so check out this link to learn more.

So if you are interested in a free vacation, look into these options and keep your eyes open for any other possibilities...you'll be surprised how many are actually out there.