Road & Travel Magazine's Blog

Car and Hotel Safety Tips When Traveling

The first and most obvious tip to safeguarding your automobile is to remove all valuable items which can be seen. That means things like packages, bags, radar detectors, cell phones, cameras and audio/video equipment. Either place these items in your trunk or take them with you. Once inside the hotel, you can use a safe to store your valuables. Also, double-check and make sure to roll up all of the windows and lock your vehicle.

Once you get to your room, keep these tips in mind:

• Keep the room door locked, especially deadbolts.

• Do not let anyone in your room without properly identifying them first. Use the door's peep hole, if there's any question concerning the person's identity, ring the front desk as soon as possible.

• Safeguard your room key at all times. Do not give your key to others. Do not leave your key in the room or in the door.

• Find the location of the two exits nearest your room. Also, count the number of doors between your room and the nearest exit so you will have a reference point if the hallway is smoky. Locate alarms and extinguishers in your area. Look out the window and note height and surroundings for reference.

• When you hear an alarm, don't investigate. If you smell smoke, immediately notify the hotel operator. Read all tips here.

A Guide to America's Most Haunted & Historic Hotels

Playing Host to Ghouls & Ghosts Every Night of the Year

If the little devil in you still prefers “tricks” over treats and goose bumps are your gauge of a good time, members of National Trust Historic Hotels of America can offer a ghastly good time. Spanning over 300 years of history, these hotels have seen their share of unrequited love, untimely deaths and unsolved mysteries—all ingredients that stir supernatural specters.

Make your Halloween a truly haunting experience with a visit to one of these spooktacular sites. Choose to go ghost hunting with a group, participate in a murder mystery weekend or book a stay in a “preoccupied” room.

Floyd the Doorman - Georgia
Big Bend Ghost Tracker, a group of ghost hunters, spent the night at the Best Western Plus Windsor Hotel in Americus, Georgia, and monitored several areas of the hotel where strange sightings have been reported. Fully equipped with flashlights, thermo-meters, cameras, infrared equipment and electro-magnetic monitors the ghost hunters were looking for signs of a haunting. Among the spirits they encountered on the hotel’s third floor was the silhouette of Floyd Lowery, who worked at the Windsor as a doorman and elevator man for 40 years. It is likely that Floyd still wanders the hallways of the Windsor because he so loved the hotel and doesn’t want to leave. [Cover story]

Cigar Smoke & Flowery Perfumes - Michigan
The Holly Hotel been referred to as the most haunted historic building in Michigan, and perhaps the most haunted in America. By all accounts, the Holly Hotel does seem to be one of the few active haunted hotels where the occurrences continue over and over. The haunting and strange happenings have been observed by many people, from employees to guests. Very few of these can be easily discounted. The ghostly residents seem to follow certain “habits,” and even if one is ignorant to the fact that the restaurant is haunted, their experience will often fit into a known set of occurrences. For example, many people have smelled cigar smoke, even though they didn't know that original owner of the Inn smoked cigars. The descriptions of flowery perfume is often strikingly similar as well, and for some reason, the meat cleaver is the favorite toy for a little girls’ spirit who still plays in the kitchen and on the banquet room steps.

Read full article here.

Ohio's Punderson Manor State Park Lodge

A LONG HISTORY OF THRILLING GHOST STORIES

Some people avoid “haunted” hotels and lodges. Others flock to them. Those in the latter category will find esoteric thrills galore at the Punderson Manor State Park Lodge in northeast Ohio’s Punderson State Park. And it doesn’t have to be Halloween, or even a dark and stormy night, to bring on the action.

Some employees have heard the sound of children’s laughter when there are no children around. Fires go out. Pencils fly across a room. Doors open and shut of their own volition. Faucets turn off and on with no one near. Televisions turn on by themselves – or off. Usually at inconvenient times.

It’s enough to make a housekeeper cry, “Stop!” and sometimes these strange occurrences do. For example, guests sometimes hear loud noises coming from rooms next to them, which are in fact unoccupied or, in one case, from the room above (except that guest was on the top floor).  Most of these happenings are just annoying – or entertaining, depending on how open the guest is to experiencing such strange events.

But at least one event was pretty grisly: The specter of a lumberjack was seen hanging from a beam in the lounge for nearly three hours. Many staff members saw it. This was the only really scary event of dozens reported since the elegant 31-room manor opened in northern Ohio in the 1950s.

The land was originally settled by Lemuel Punderson and his wife, Sybal who operated a grist mill and distillery. After their deaths, the family sold it to W.B. Cleveland, whose heirs sold it to Detroit millionaire Karl Long in 1929. FULL REVIEW HERE

How to Save Money on a Cheap Motel

Car companies tend to introduce their new models at very posh places. I appreciate the luxurious amenities, though with the media presentations and the time spent driving or photographing the vehicles, I rarely can partake of more than the mint on the pillow and the thirsty terry cloth robes on padded hangers.

When I’m on my own, the places I stay tend to have numbers in their names. No mint, no robes. And the towels are sometimes more see-through than thick and thirsty. (OK. Use two.)

On a recent drive between Santa Fe and Los Angeles, I came up with a question for which there is no logical answer: Why is it easier to read in bed at Motel 6 than at the fancier place? [Full Story]

RTM Launches 14th Annual Sexy Car Buyer's Guide

 
Hello faithful RTM Blog readers... we appreciate the support you've sent our way since the RTM blog has been up and running and we look forward to entertaining and educating you even further with the relaunch of the RTM website. It never went away. In fact, RTM has been up and running for 22 years; however due to the recession and subsequent shortage of staff, we were challenged with keeping up two blogs and publishing new articles and covers in the RTM website until now.

That said, effective August 1, 2010, RTM is back on track with the relaunch of its new home page design, which leads with its 14th Annual Sexy Car Buyer's Guide. We'll be publishing all new articles and home pages on the 1st and 15th of every month. A link to each new issue will be posted in this blog for easy access, and as a reminder that all new content has been posted  for your viewing pleasure. Starting in 2011, RTM will return to its weekly format.

Thank you for your support as RTM enters into the this new chapter of its third decade. Courtney Caldwell, RTM Editor-in-Chief.

The Residence Inn Review - Manhattan Beach, CA

What I loved about the Residence Inn was their two story penthouse suites, which provided a sense of apartment living rather than staying in a hotel. They do offer one and two bedroom suites where one bedroom is on the second floor with its own bath and the other on the first floor behind French doors also with its own bath. Don’t assume a ‘penthouse suite’ is out of your range. Some of these suites can go for as little as $149 per night depending on when you stay, which in my book is a lot of bang for the buck.

The living room area is large and some suites come with a fireplace but you must request it at the time you make your reservations. What I really enjoyed about this suite was the separation of the bedrooms from the living room, providing privacy for all. The living room couch also doubles as a sofa bed, which can easily sleep one full size adult comfortably or two kids. That means the Penthouse Suites can sleep up to six with ease.

The Manhattan Beach location sits only blocks from one of the most beautiful beaches in America. While you can’t see the beach from this property, you can easily walk to it if you felt up to it. Manhattan Beach is a very upscale community with great shopping, many unique restaurants, and plenty of places to go and things to do, many of which are within walking distance with the right pair of shoes.

For the full review of Manhattan Beach, click here.

For more RTM hotel and resort reviews, click here.

For more information on The Residence Inn Manhattan Beach, click here.

Best Websites for Travel Deals.

There are a plethora of travel websites out there, but which is the best one for securing the cheapest flights and hotels? Here are some of the best places online to book your vacation!

 

1. Kayak.com: Kayak is a great website because it compares all the other websites out there and looks for the best deals. The site also features straight forward booking, as it lets you book directly with the airline or hotel for the price you find on their website.

2. Statravel.com: Not just a great resource for students anymore! Almost anyone can get a STA travel card that will save you on everything from food to flights. It’s a really great resource for the budget traveler who are looking for cheap hostels and great last minute packages.

3. Priceline.com: Are you adventurous? Then priceline is a great option for you! You can get great deals using the ‘name your own price’ option, although you don’t know exactly where you’ll end up. They also have great deals on direct booking for people who need a definite plan.

4. Travelocity.com: Great for domestic and international cheap flights. They also feature fabulous last minute packages at extremely low prices. You can get your flight and hotel for under 600 dollars to destinations like Europe and the Caribbean! The best site for the flexible traveler.

5. Venere.com: A website devoted to getting you out of the chain hotels deep in the tourist trap parts of town and into place a little more unique. Staying in bed and breakfasts and smaller establishments is a great way to save money, especially in Europe where venere.com has most of its listings.

 

Click here for more budget travel tips from Road & Travel Magazine

The Hottest Hotels For 2010!

By Liz Kaadou

Whether you deliriously dream about soaking up the scorching sun on a beautiful beach or spending a superb week sightseeing in some of the most historic cities in the world, finding a swanky hotel to stay at will not be a problem for the new year! Brand new breathtaking hotels are opening just about everywhere.  So sit back, buckle up and get ready for your dream destination guide to a new year of trendy travels! Here are a few of the best and brightest 2010 hotel picks from timesonline.com for the globetrotter in you!

1) Hotel Verta - London! The Verta will be in Battersea at the London Heliport, the main helicopter port in the city next spring. Boasting 70 rooms and excellent rates for highflyers, it will be "the first integrated hotel helicopter solution in the world." Visit www.hotelverta.com for more information.

2) Yas Hotel - Abu Dhabi!  If you are looking for a cool stay, this awesome hotel looks like two giagantic flying saucers, houses 499 rooms, 14 eateries and bars and a Formula One race track that runs right under the hotel! Visit www.theyashotel.com.

3) Villa Armena - Tuscany, Italy! Renaissance lovers should rendevous here. This "new" hotel is actually a renaissance villa dating back to the 1400's.  Opening in Sepetmber, this historic hotel is transforming into a ten-bedroom modern resort equipped with a large pool and gorgeous gardens. Visit www.villaarmena.com.

4) The Kreston Royal - Greece! If you are looking for a breathtaking view, this hotel opening in April is situated on an actual clifftop. Filled with cubed shaped furniture and modern designs, the Kreston Royal looks like it will take travelers for a futuristic ride! Visit www.thekrestenroyal.gr

Source: Timesonline.co.uk
Yas Hotel photo: kr.blog.yahoo.com/

For more travel ideas from RTM, visit our Travel Channel.

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Hotel Review: The Wit Chicago

By Sara Hoffman

The night I arrived to the brand new but already renowned hotel The Wit, I had allowed the city stress of Chicago, plus my insane decision to drive there, to get on my nerves. Much to my relief, I was welcomed by a swath of lively valets and escorted into the bustling…“Wait, this is a hotel lobby?” I thought, as we entered a jam-packed city hot spot. The guests seemed they were enjoying a night out on the town rather than staying at a swanky hotel.

This hotel, in its dynamic downtown location, actually is a new part of Chicago’s nightlife.  A jam packed restaurant peeked out from one of the corners and I was given VIP passes to avoid lengthy lines at the hotel’s most popular rooftop bar. However, the best part of all was the room prices, which were surprisingly low for the windy city’s typically sky-high hotel rates.
 
The Wit, a Doubletree hotel, which opened recently in May 2009 stands for “whatever it takes” or implies “wittiness”, if you ask the clever and funny yet endearingly helpful hotel staff. Simple touches in the hotels décor are witty as well, including the use of local artwork to embellish the walls. One painting in particular shows escalators rising from a flood of water with the Chicago cityscape in the background.

The Wit is as instrumental for Chicagoans as it is an escape for tourists. The Screen, a private luxury movie theater, can be rented out for group viewings or presentations. There are beautiful ballrooms, seven-thousand square feet of cityscape-lined meeting rooms, and plenty of bars & restaurants open to the public. The Wit understands the daily Chicago scene, as it epitomizes the hustle and bustle of Illinois’ most chic and stylish city.

Read the full article here. 

For more hotel & resort reviews from RTM, click here. 

 

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Five Things Hotels Can and Should Do to Go Green

If you haven't noticed, green hotels are springing up all over the place and even mainstream chains are refining their practices. Here's what they're doing and what to look for in a responsible stay.

1. Redecorating or building with more sustainable materials: Bamboo flooring, straw bale walls, and solar panel roofing? We like.

2. Making partnerships with green programs: Hotels can partner with green tourism companies like Save Your World to become greener with guidance.

3. Using high-tech thermostats: You’re on vacation; do you really want to sit in the hotel room the entire time? While travelers are out and about, some hotels use climate control sensors to lower usage of A/C or heating.

4. Partaking in the Global Soap Project: Hotels replace every bar of soap in every room, every day, no matter if it’s even been touched. Some hotels (about 40) aren’t throwing theirs away, but donating them to non-profit group The Global Soap Project. Bars of soap are collected, sterilized, reshaped, and redistributed to Ugandan refugee camps.

5. Stocking organic wines: Pesticide-free anything is on the right track to more sustainable consumption. Keep the luxury, lose the chemicals.

For more information about green hotels, visit RTM's Earth Tones section.

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