Saturday, November 29, 2008

Destination: Orlando

Escape the winter doldrums and head to Orlando, Florida!

The Christmas season holiday comes alive at area theme parks and hotels:

Gaylord Palms presents Ice!, an amazing walk-through display, where everything is made from gigantic blocks of ice.

The Disney theme parks deck the halls. The Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom each have a unique Christmas Tree, as well as various holiday offerings.

Tip: Check out Epcot, where each country in World Showcase features their own unique Santa storytellers.

Lots of hotels are offering substantial discounts:

Comfort Inn Lake Buena Vista, from $43/night

Orlando Vista Hotel, from $44/night

Plus many more!

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Diversion: Sports and the "Hatred Hierarchy"

Taking a break from the usual talk about travel and hotels today, to wax poetic about sports.

That's right: Sports. Just saying that word makes me want to belch and grunt like Tim Allen. You know what I'm talking about, you do it too.

Anywho -- specifically, I want to talk about rivalries. Good old-fashioned hatred towards your most vile opponent. Colts-Patriots. Seminoles-Gators. Lakers-Celtics. The list goes on and on...there's too many to count, really.

But...what happens when you're with a group of friends, watching one of these games...and your team isn't one of them? Yeah, you may love LSU, but what do you do when you're forced to watch the Florida-Alabama game? You want to get into the game, but just who do your root for when you loathe both teams?

Until now, this predicament hasn't had a name, and your brain has been confused.

Luckily for you, I'm here to tell you it has a name, and it's called the "Hatred Hierarchy". *

It flows through us each time we're near a game on TV, or we're hanging out with friends talking trash about the upcoming games, and our team isn't a part of it.

So, what do you do? Well, you've got some options:

1) Turn away. Don't root for either team, but instead leave and pretend the game doesn't exist. That's no fun, though. If that's not an option...

2) Figure out who to root for. If one of those teams needs to lose in order for your guys to clinch a playoff spot, don't hesitate to scream and hoot and holler for the other guys -- just know, deep in your heart, that you're a true blue fan for your team, and no other. Otherwise, you'll just need to...

3) Consume more alcohol, and continue to blather on and on about how great your team is, and that they shouldn't even be talking about those other teams or showing them on TV...I mean, come on! Oh, remember that bad call 5 years ago that lost us the championship?!? I love you man...

Oops, sorry bout that...so, what's your "Hatred Hierarchy"?



* Wish I could take credit for coming up with the phrase, but I can't. You'll have to thank my wife, Jamie, for that. :-)

2009 Super Bowl in Tampa, FL - Hotels booking up fast!

It goes without saying: Hotels for the upcoming Super Bowl in Tampa, FL (Sunday, February 1st) are booking up fast -- and the hotels with availability are super expensive.

So, as always, we're here to help cut through the crap and help you find the right room at the right price.

First, head over to our Tampa hotels list and click the "enter your travel dates" link. Select your dates (note that some hotels will have minimum-stay requirements in place) and submit the form.

When the results appear -- don't panic. Yes, most places on the default listing are $200+ per night, but stay calm...

If you want to be as close to Raymond James as possible, select the stadium by name from the 'Sort by distance from' dropdown -- that'll re-sort the list, putting the closest places first. As of this post, the closest is 5.74 miles away, a Red Roof Inn near Busch Gardens for $198/night.

There are several hotels near Busch Gardens in that price range, so, if you plan on taking in the park during your visit, then these are your best bet.

However, if price is the biggest consideration, then sort the results by price -- that'll put the cheapest places first.

The Tarpon Inn, about 20 miles out, is only $87/night. This is, at the time of this writing, your best bet for the absolute cheapest room.

Everything else, though, is $150 or more, so be prepared for that now.

So, that about wraps it up for now. I'll do my best to keep an eye on any changes and post them here. If you have any questions, let me know, ok?

See you next time!



Sources:
http://drnigelc.googlepages.com/superbowlhotelreservations

Monday, November 24, 2008

Hotels respond to travel downturn by slashing rates

With the so-called economic "crisis" craziness in full swing, it was only a matter of time before hotels started lowering rates to more acceptable, reasonable levels.

Finding these discounts has proved to be difficult in the past, however, but Resideo is out to try and make this process as easy as possible.

To get an idea of the large scale of the current crop of discounts, head over to the US hotels section of the site. See all the "Discounts Available" tags? Almost all 50 states have hotels offering some sort of special rate.

So, just select the state you're interested in, then see the cities marked "Discounts available" -- all known hotels with discounts will be in their own highlighted section. From there, you can read up on each hotel individually, or do a city-wide quote.

Here's just a sampling of what's available:

Stowe, Vermont from $69/nite
Green Mountain Inn, Golden Eagle Resort, Stoweflake Resort & Topnotch Resort

Park City, Utah from $59/nt
Yarrow Resort & Prospector Square Lodge

Colorado destinations: Aspen, Breckenridge, Vail & more

New Orleans, Louisiana from $71/night
Maison Dupuy, Chateau Dupre & St. James...

Orlando hotels from only $43 per night!
Comfort Inn Lake Buena Vista, Orlando Vista Hotel & more

Memphis, TN, from $91/night
Radisson @ Airport, Peabody, etc.


Don't miss out on these offers!

Find us on Facebook!

You can be our "fan" over at Facebook. That's right, just visit http://www.facebook.com/resideo to get started. We have a small, but growing, group, and we definitely will continue to post important information & links in the future.

Check us out!



** Edited to add **
Link fixed!

Friday, November 21, 2008

Plan now for Mardi Gras

The Christmas holiday season is upon us, so that means Mardi Gras is just around the corner!

There are several key things to keep in mind when choosing the right hotel...

Although no parades actually roll through the French Quarter, it's a hot spot for party-goers. Plenty of amazing hotels are located in the area, all within easy walking distance to great restaurants and, of course, bars.

However, to get a feel for the "real" Mardi Gras spirit of New Orleans, take some time to visit some of the parades that run thru the neighborhoods and suburbs of NOLA. Arthur Hardy's Mardi Gras Guide is the best place to get a rundown of the parade schedules -- you can catch parades for several weeks leading up to Mardi Gras Day. Some great parades roll through Metairie, and there are plenty of hotels located within walking distance of most.

This year, Mardi Gras Day is February 24th 16th. Future dates are listed here.

So, what are you waiting for? Book your room now -- Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez!


Updated 12/29/2009 -- Lots of area hotels are offering discounts up to 30% off on room rates for stays 2 weekends before Mardi Gras...

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Hello Alltop.com visitors!

I'm pleased as punch to be included on the hotels.alltop site!

Welcome new visitors, I hope you find your visit satisfying, and that you come back soon!

My apologies for being "quiet" this week -- we've been having internet access "issues" at work, but should be up and running again tomorrow morning.

See you next time!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

From Around the Web: World's weirdest hotel guest complaints

We get our fair share of odd complaints & requests here at Resideo, and I've often wanted to start compiling them all together and sharing them with the public.

Until then, you'll have to read this article posted by the Sydney Morning Herald.

My favorite

Weird indeed was a group of security-conscious UFO-believers who held a conference at a Novotel and complained of a risk their gathering would be infiltrated by aliens from outer space because the locks on meeting room doors hadn't been changed.


See you next time!

Monday, November 10, 2008

Un-Traditional Thanksgiving travel ideas

Ok, so you've done the whole "get the family together for Thanksgiving at Grandma's house" thing before. Why not try something a bit different this year? Check out these unique Thanksgiving destinations:

Skiing in Colorado
Hot Colorado destinations include Aspen, Beaver Creek, Snowmass, Telluride & Vail!

Vegas
Hit the casinos, take in some shows...

Surf & Sand
In the Caribbean, Aruba is popular this time of year. Or, head West out to Hawaii. Lots of great deals are available.


If you're looking for something a bit more traditional, visit New York City, NY
Take in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in person!


Sources:
ShermansTravel
MSN
MSNBC

Thursday, November 06, 2008

"This hotel charges how much for wi-fi?!"

You're staying at a hotel far away from home -- you want free wireless internet access in your room, right?

How many times are you surprised to find out that the hotel you're in charges some crazy fee for wi-fi? And why is it that the most expensive places charge for internet, and the more economical hotels don't?

Well, Resideo wants to help. For every hotel that you've stayed in, we're inviting you to indicate, directly on our site, whether or not those places have free wi-fi (or how much they charge).

It's easy -- and free. ;-)

Here's how it works: Head over to http://www.resideo.com/ and search for a hotel you've stayed at. We have over 40,000 in our system, so odds are good that we've got it. Once you've navigated your way to the hotel overview page, you'll see a "More info" link near the bottom, which will lead you to a page with some basic hotel info. Click the "edit the highlights" link to activate the editing widget -- you'll see an "Internet Service" section which is where you'll want to type in the info.

You'll need to either create a new account, or sign in if you already have a profile set up with us.

Once the update has taken place, the information will then update our site search results. So, the next time you search on our site for "wi-fi OR wireless internet in Boston", the returned results will be accurate.

So, how about it? You get to help others and help yourself, too.

Hotels for Obama Inauguration in DC are available!

Latest Update: 12/30 -- Scroll to the bottom of this post for the latest updates!


Yes, it's true -- hotels in and around Washington, DC do have rooms available for the upcoming inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama.

However, most have minimum stay policies in effect -- you'll need to stay at least 3 nights (4 nights if you want more options). So, consider extending your stay (spend a few days taking in the sights and sounds).

Hotels in the surrounding suburbs are a little easier to come by (but most still fall under those minimum stay provisions). Some people are even booking hotels in Baltimore.

It's easy to see what's available. Head over to our DC hotel list and click the "enter your travel dates" link. Choose your dates (Inauguration Day is Tuesday, January 20th, 2009) and submit the form.

http://www.resideo.com/us/districtofcolumbia/washington/

Good luck! I'll continue to update this post as more information becomes available (or if we find out all rooms have been booked up). If you have any info, please post it here. Thanks!




** Update **

Did a quote -- checkin Sunday, January 18th, check-out Thursday, January 22nd -- and found the following:

Churchill Hotel (DC)
Junior Suite - Inauguration "Special": $699/night

Hotel Monaco (Alexandria)
King Deluxe Room: $499/night

Holiday Inn (Greenbelt, MD) - 11 miles from DC
Standard Room: $189/night

Hyatt Fair Lakes (Fairfax, VA) - 19 miles from DC
Business Plan, 1 King Bed: $354 (average nightly rate)

Holiday Inn Express (Herndon, VA) - 20 miles from DC
Standard Room: $193/night



** Update (11/07/2008 @ 11am) **

Did a quote for 01/17 -> 01/21 and found the following:

Hotel Monaco, Alexandria, VA
Double Double Deluxe Room: $589/night

Doubletree, Bethesda, MD
King: $599/night

Affinia Liaison Capitol Hill
Deluxe King (or 2 Queens): $999/night

Fairmont
Deluxe Room: $1,200/night


Options are quickly disappearing! Try different dates for alternate options...Good luck!



** Update (11/07/2008 @ 12pm) **

Rooms in Aberdeen, MD (about an hour and a half from DC) are available, starting at $50/night
http://www.resideo.com/us/maryland/aberdeen/

Days Inn: $62 (average nightly rate)
Travelodge: $51
Super 8: $58

Unfortunately, you have to drive through Baltimore to get from Aberdeen to DC, so it may be more of a pain in the butt. We'll keep looking!



**Update (11/07/2008 @ 4pm) **

Consider staying in Hagerstown. The Hagerstown Hotel & Conference Center has rooms available starting at only $92/night. From Hagerstown, it's an hour drive down to a Metro station in Derwood. Thoughts?



** Update (11/10/2008 @ 2pm) **

Washington Suites Georgetown has 5 rooms available (2 one-bed standard suites, 1 two-queen deluxe suites) available, checking-in 01/18 and checking-out 01/22)!

A Hilton in Columbia, MD (between Baltimore & DC) has several rooms available, starting at $203/night.


** Update (11/10/2008 @ 10pm) **

Here's what's available as of 10:00 this evening (Jan 18 - Jan 22):

Kellogg Conference Hotel @ Gallaudet University
Standard room (only 1 left!)
$750.00/night
Total (after taxes & fees): $3,494.24


Legacy Hotel & Meeting Centre
Standard
$376.50/night
Total (after taxes & fees): $1,739.10


Hilton Columbia
Standard King - Non-Refundable
$203.15/night
Total (after taxes & fees): $931.40


** Update (11/11/2008 @ 10am) **

Some of the hotels in previous updates have been booked up, so don't be surprised to no longer find them unavailable. However, Washington Suites Georgetown, Kellogg Suites & Hilton Columbia still have availability.

However, we did find another hotel with availability, the Holiday Inn Express Springfield Virginia - $480/nt


** Update (11/11/2008 @ 4pm) **

Well, it appears as though the Hilton Columbia MD and Hagerstown Hotel are no longer available. Will keep checking, though.

Did find the White Hall Manor B&B with rooms for $120. They're located in Greencastle PA.

Kellogg, Washington Suites & the Legacy are still available, as well.

However, most are only available now for 4 night stays (01/18 - 01/22), so keep that in mind.


** Update (11/12/2008 @ 10am) **

The Hilton Columbia is again showing available rooms (starting at $203/night).


** Update (11/12/2008 @ 12pm) **

Found a few places in extreme outlying areas (65+ miles out), but still worth checking out:

Boston Inn Westminster, MD - $181 average nightly rate

Eisenhower Hotel & Conference Center Gettysburg, PA: $107 average nightly rate

Super 8 Thurmont, MD: $76 average nightly rate


** Update (11/12/2008 @ 4pm) **

Carlyle Suites Hotel DC - $529/nt

Clarion Hotel Aberdeen MD - $129.99 average nightly rate



** Update (11/13/2008 @ 3pm) **

Comfort Inn Andrews Air Force Base, Clinton MD - $154/night

Holiday Inn Dumfries - starting at $400/night

InterContinental Hotels Harbor Court Baltimore has a few rooms now available, starting at $495/night

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Annapolis from $382/night

Still available:
White hall B&B - Greencastle PA
Quality Inn & Suites Chambersburg PA
Holiday Inn Laurel West
Washington Suites Georgetown
Carlyle Suites



** Update (11/14/2008 @ 10am) **

Admiral Fell Inn, Baltimore - $177/nt

Churchill Hotel is now offering the Junior Suite for $1,200 per night.

Holiday Inn Laurel MD, $263/nt

Still available:
Comfort Inn Andrews AFB
White hall B&B - Greencastle PA
Quality Inn & Suites Chambersburg PA
InterContinental Hotels Harbor Court Baltimore


** Update (11/14/2008 @ 1pm) **

Hotels in York, PA booking up quickly for Inauguration -- lots of rooms left, tho, starting at $45/night.
http://www.resideo.com/us/pennsylvania/york



** Update (11/20/2008 @ 4pm) **

Gaylord National in DC offering rooms for $700/night

Kellogg Conference Hotel @ Gaullaudet University has rooms available again, at $750/night

Churchill Hotel - $1200/nt

Whitehall B&B - $120/nt



** Update (11/25/2008 @ 12pm) **

Hyatt Regency Bethesda has availability ($699 during Inauguration)

Crowne Plaza, Hamilton - from $819/night

Mainstay Suites, Frederick MD - $139/nt



** Update (12/01/2008 @ 10am) **

Crowne Plaza Hamilton, Washington DC - $819/night

Churchill Hotel, Washington DC - $1,200/night

Comfort Suites Fredericksburg VA - $123/nt (approx 1hr from DC)

White Hall Manor B&B, Greencastle PA - $120/nt (approx 1hr, 30min from DC)

Quality Inn Chambersburg PA - $107/nt (approx 2hrs from DC)



** Update (12/03/2008 @ 3pm) **

New!

Westin National Harbor - $554/nt

Hyatt Regency Bethesda - $614/nt

Royal Oak House B&B - Royal Oak, MD (1hr 40min) - $269/nt


An option suggested by a reader would be to stay in Richmond, VA. Rates at hotels there have not been inflated (as much), and visitors can catch Amtrak from Richmond directly into DC. Cheapest option: America's Best Value Inn @ Airport for $45/nt.


Still available:

Crowne Plaza Hamilton
Churchill
White Hall B&B
Quality Inn Chambersburg



** Update (12/04/2008 @ 12pm) **

Found 2 new hotels with availability:

Sheraton Rockville, MD - $499/nt

Holiday Inn Express Annapolis - now $739 (was $382 a few weeks ago)



** Update (12/05/2008 @ 12pm) **

Here's a full list of currently available hotels for the Inauguration:

New! Virginia Suites, Arlington - Studio Suite, $381.50 average nightly rate

Churchill Hotel, DC - $1,200/nt
Crowne Plaza Hamilton - from $950/nt

Holiday Inn Express Annapolis - $739/nt
Westin National Harbor - $554/nt
Sheraton Rockville MD - Traditional Room, $499/nt
Hyatt Regency Bethesda - $614/nt

White Hall Manor B&B, Greencastle PA - from $120/nt
Quality Inn Chambersburg PA - $92/nt

Plenty of hotels still in Richmond, VA



** Update (12/08/2008 @ 1pm) **

LOTS of availability opened up over the weekend.

Close to DC, the Alexandria Travelodge has rates that start at $136/nt

Days Inn Arlington ($467/nt)

Hanover, MD
Ramada BWI / Arundel Mills - from $350/nt



** Update (12/16/2008 @ 12pm) **

Still LOTS of hotels in the area available...

within 20 miles of DC there's:

Crowne Plaza Hamilton
Virginian Suites
Hyatt Regency Bethesda
Doubletree Hotel Bethesda
Radisson Hotel Largo
The Legacy Hotel And Meeting Centre
Sheraton Rockville Hotel
Hyatt Fair Lakes

Within 20 miles of Baltimore, there's:
Hampton Inn Baltimore - Camden Yards
Admiral Fell Inn
Holiday Inn Express Baltimore At The Stadiums
Crowne Plaza Hotel Baltimore North-Hunt Valley
Holiday Inn Express Edgewood



** Update (12/18/2008 @ 12pm) **

Even more hotels have opened up availability -- now over 10 hotels within 20 miles:

Crowne Plaza Hamilton
Washington Suites Georgetown
Virginian Suites
Comfort Inn Pentagon
Comfort Inn Silver Spring
Hawthorn Suites - Alexandria
Doubletree Hotel Bethesda
Radisson Hotel Largo
The Legacy Hotel And Meeting Centre
Hyatt Fair Lakes
Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, Waldorf, Md



** Update (12/30/2008 @ 11am) **

Even more hotels have availability for the inaguration -- as folks cancel reservations, etc.

Hampton Inn & Suites Herndon Reston -- $379/nite!

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

College Football bowl game & host city hotel finder

Well, the College football season may just be half over, but the BCS standings & bowl projections have already begun! If you're interested in following your favorite to their bowl game, be sure to check out this host city & bowl game list when you're ready to book.


BCS National Championship Game
2009 Miami, FL
2010 Pasadena, CA
2011 Glendale, AZ
2012 New Orleans, LA


PapaJohn's.com Bowl - Birmingham, Ala.
GMAC Bowl - Mobile, Ala.


Tostitos Fiesta Bowl - Glendale, Ariz.
Insight Bowl - Tempe, Ariz.


Rose Bowl presented by Citi - Pasadena, Calif.
Emerald Bowl - San Francisco, Calif.
Poinsettia Bowl - San Diego, Calif.
Holiday Bowl - San Diego, Calif.


EagleBank Bowl - Washington, DC


Gator Bowl - Jacksonville, Fla.
Orange Bowl - Miami, Fla.
Champs Sports Bowl - Orlando, Fla.
Capital One Bowl - Orlando, Fla.
St. Petersburg Bowl - St. Petersburg, Fla.
Outback Bowl - Tampa, Fla.


Chick-fil-A Bowl - Atlanta, Ga.


Hawaii Bowl - Honolulu, Hawaii


Humanitarian Bowl - Boise, Idaho


Sugar Bowl - New Orleans, La.
New Orleans Bowl - New Orleans, La.
Independence Bowl - Shreveport, La.


Motor City Bowl - Detroit, Mich.


Las Vegas Bowl - Las Vegas, Nev.


New Mexico Bowl - Albuquerque, N.M.


Meineke Car Care Bowl - Charlotte, N.C.



Liberty Bowl - Memphis, Tenn.
Music City Bowl - Nashville, Tenn.


Cotton Bowl - Dallas, Texas
Sun Bowl - El Paso, Texas
Armed Forces Bowl - Fort Worth, Texas
Texas Bowl - Houston, Texas
Alamo Bowl - San Antonio, Texas


International Bowl - Toronto, Canada


We'll do our best to keep this list updated year-to-year. If you know of any I've missed, or any that need updating, let us know! Source