From around the web: Hotel chain offers a room at the inn for Marys and Josephs

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Josephs and Marys in search of a room at the inn this Christmas are being made an offer they can't refuse.

A British hotel chain is promising free accommodation to couples who share their first names with the couple from the Christian Nativity story.

Almost 30 Josephs and Marys had already signed up for the free night's stay at the Travelodge, said Shakila Ahmed, a spokeswoman for the hotel chain.

"The 'gift' of a free night's stay is to make up for the hotel industry not having any rooms left on Christmas Eve over 2000 years ago when the original 'Mary and Joseph' had to settle for the night in a stable," the company says on its Web site.

The offer is good at any one of the chain's 322 hotels in the United Kingdom, the Web site says. The couples must bring proof of identity and must prove that they are in a long-term relationship.

"If you satisfy the criteria, you get a free night in a family room for two adults and two children," Ahmed said. "There's also parking space for a donkey if needed," she joked.

Ahmed said the offer, which will run from Christmas Eve to Twelfth Night -- December 24 to January 5 -- had been very well-received.

"We've had a lot of interest. I think people like the fact that it resonates with the Nativity story at a time when the actual meaning of Christmas often becomes forgotten in festive overkill," she said.

Couples can register their names at a special e-mail address set up by Travelodge, which has hotels across the Britain, Ireland and Spain, Ahmed said.

Guest Blog: The many faces of Johnny Depp

Today I'd like to welcome a guest author -- someone near and dear to me: my wife, Jamie! :-)

Haven't yet got her own blog going, so for now, I'll present her writings here. They won't necessarily be travel-related, so it should make for a nice change of pace.

So, without further interruption: The many faces of Johnny Depp


Johnny Depp, undoubtedly one of the most versatile actors in today’s Hollywood, is blessed with the ability to not only portray any role placed in front of him, but can also find humor in spoofing himself. Some of his most notable and memorable roles stem from his collaborations with Tim Burton.

Two to date come to mind when I think of Johnny Depp. The first of these was his portrayal of Ichabod Crane in “Sleepy Hollow”. Ichabod is a most memorable performance showcasing the awkward literary legend as only awkward in behavior, not appearance. I loved how Depp was able to capture the passion of the magistrate’s love of science, along with his instability in doing so. As when he goes to “operate” on the late Widow Winship, he clearly can understand like no other what he is looking for but seems to hardly stomach it.

Another notable collaboration with Burton is that of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” as the eccentric Willy Wonka. Depp captures the naïve boy in Wonka, while learning what he’s been missing in a family for so long. But who can truly not laugh when the excited Wonka declares he “has transportation!” and turns to slam face first in the glass elevator? Self humor at its best!

The soon to premier “Sweeney Todd” showcases yet another collaboration between Depp and Burton, and promises to please for all who love the team! I know I’m excited to grasp this new eccentric character so masterfully portrayed by Johnny Depp, being led by Burton, on another adventure! To learn the quirks of Sweeney Todd that can only be conveyed by the masters of the craft!

Bring it on Johnny and Tim!!



Editor's note: You can visit Sweeney Todd on MySpace or visit the official Sweeney Todd movie site.

Google gadget mania!

Howdy, folks!

I know I've only had some "From around the web" posts lately, but we have been busy here at Resideo, so I'm sure you'll forgive me!

One thing I have been working on is creating some unique and useful Google Gadgets. Now, Google Gadgets are pretty nifty, and allow designers to include all sorts of interesting things that can be included on your Google customized home page and any other site you maintain.

So far, I've created 3 fairly simple gadgets:

Hotel/Destination/Activity Search
Allows you to search for a hotel name, city and/or activity ("Snow Ski Vail", "London hotels", etc.). We return the most relevant results right there in the gadget box.

Random Hotel
Admittedly, not very useful, but pretty darn cool if you ask me. This gadget displays a different property each time it's loaded -- randomly from over 30,000 hotels and resorts from all over the world.

Recent Hotel Q&A
My very first Google Gadget, this widget displays the most recent questions that have been posted by site visitors.

Anywho, feel free to take a look, add them to your site and/or Google homepage, and let me know what you think!

Until next time...

From around the web: Where do those used bars of soap go?

Well, at the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth in Montreal, those slivers of soap are turned over to a local company called Laboratoire Dermoderm, which mixes them with volcanic stone to make a cream that removes substances such as paint, grease, tar and ink from the hands of artists, gardeners and mechanics.

read more | digg story

From around the web: 14-ounce bottle of water: $42

a 14-ounce bottle of New Zealand mineral water priced at 21 British pounds (about $42) at London's luxurious and legendary Claridge's hotel. It's on the hotel's new water menu that includes rare H20 from around the globe.

read more | digg story

From around the web: The world’s biggest hotels

The Forbes Traveler list of the world’s biggest hotels...

MGM Grand, Las Vegas
First World Hotel, Genting Highlands, Malaysia
Hilton Hawaiian Village, Waikiki
Venetian, Las Vegas
Excalibur, Las Vegas
Paris, Las Vegas
Palazzo, Las Vegas
Luxor, Las Vegas

read more | digg story

From around the web: $4.00 cup of tea at Hyatt Regency San Antonio

"'That’ll be $8.65.'"I stared at the two paper cups of hot water, the two packaged tea bags and told the waitress in the lobby bar at the Hyatt Regency San Antonio that there must have been a mistake, since all I’d ordered was two cups of tea. 'It’s $8.65,' she repeated.

read more | digg story

From around the web: Why do some hotels have more (or less) cable channels than others?

One of my pet peeves as a road warrior is hotels that skimp on cable channels. Is there a reason that at one you'll get 50 and at another you get 10?

read more | digg story

From around the web: Disney details 2008 "Dreams" giveaways, includes stay at Castaway Cay

On Monday, Disney Parks released details of the extension of its successful "Year of a Million Dreams" campaign, kicking off the 2008 continuation of giveaways by awarding an overnight stay at Disney's private Bahamian island, Castaway Cay, on "Good Morning America."

read more | digg story

From around the web: Hotel guest rips head off of duck at hotel, now faces jail time

A guest at the Embassy Suites hotel in St. Paul could face jail time and a $5,000 fine for ripping the head off a tame duck (while yelling "I'm hungry!"). The 26-year-old Denver businessman is in jail on suspicion of felony animal cruelty and is scheduled to appear in court Monday.

read more | digg story

From around the web: Roswell couple denied anniversary stay at Motel 6 because they're local!

When a local couple decided to spend their wedding anniversary at a hotel, they never thought there would be a problem with checking in to a Roswell hotel to enjoy the pool and hot tub and get away from home a few days. However, the couple said they were denied a room at Motel 6 because they are locals.

read more | digg story

From around the web: Going Green Behind The Wheel, Willard InterContinenal offers use of hybrids to guests

As part of the Willard InterContinental's ongoing commitment to sustainable development, the luxury downtown hotel will now offer guests an alternative mode of transportation in the form of a 2007 Toyota Camry four-door Hybrid sedan, for a moderate fee.

read more | digg story

Check out TripIt.com - officially launched

I heard about TripIt.com awhile back, when they first came online in beta. Well, yesterday they officially announced their full launch.

TripIt offers folks a way to plug in every little piece of information about an upcoming trip -- hotel information, confirmation numbers, daily itineraries, maps, etc. -- all in one place. You can also share your trips with other people and they can make notes, changes, etc.

The interface leaves a bit to be desired, but the concept is sound. Definitely going to be using this in the future (and most likely 'borrowing' some ideas for use at Resideo.

Check it out!

From around the web: 5 worst things that can happen to a traveler

What’s the worst thing that can happen when you're traveling? A traffic accident? Terrorist hijacking? Hotel fire? Travel is risky, of course. But there’s just no way of knowing when your number will be up, and your plane will go down.

read more | digg story

From around the web: In search of honeymoon horror stories

USAToday.com Hotel Hotsheet is looking for your honeymoon horror stories...

read more | digg story

Property of the month: Madonna Inn, San Luis Obispo, California

Hello, everyone, and welcome back!

This month, our spotlight shines on Madonna Inn, located in San Luis Obispo, California (about halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles).

So, what's unique about Madonna Inn, you ask? Well, I'll tell you. Madonna Inn has been around for over 50 years, and each room is uniquely themed and decorated.

There's the Hearts and Flowers room, Romance and many many more (109 total).

You can check out the official site, or read more about Madonna Inn at Wikipedia.

See you next time!

From around the web: Ten hotels that made history

From a hotel with a link to Hitler, to the place where Diana had her last meal, these 10 hotels are forever linked with history.

read more | digg story

From around the web: Japanese toilet that washes and dries you coming to Chicago hotel

Have you heard about the toilets with heated seats and automatic washing and drying systems that are making a splash in Japan? Well, book a room at the Westin Chicago River North to try one out!

read more | digg story

From around the web: Couple Stay In Hotel For 22 Years

An eldery couple from Sheffield, UK have lived in Travelodge hotels for over 20 years.

read more | digg story

Pictures from SES 2007 San Jose

I finally got around to uploading Exhibit Hall pictures from SES 2007 in San Jose -- check em out!

Also, pics from Google Headquarters are available for your viewing pleasure...

Enjoy!

From around the web: Westin St. Francis looking for couples who met “under the clock"

The Westin St. Francis, renowned for its historic elegance and old world grandeur, is celebrating the centennial anniversary of their Great Magneta Grandfather Clock by launching a nationwide search for a special couple who met “under the clock.”

read more | digg story

From around the web: Contest! Design the new Embassy Suites "Do Not Disturb" sign

Five winners get trips to hot destinations and an Embassy Suites stay, and their Do Not Disturb signs will be rotated at Embassy Suites properties.

read more | digg story

From around the web: Peninsula Tokyo Hotel rooms now feature fingernail & toenail dryers

The Peninsula Tokyo has over-the-top amenities nailed. Every room at the new luxury hotel, which opened over Labor Day weekend, has a dryer for newly lacquered fingers and tootsies. Gadget lovers who don’t do the nail polish thing get bedside controls for everything from lights to air conditioning to blinds to the "do not disturb" sign.

read more | digg story

From around the web: Marriott Wins Conde Nast Traveler's Prestigious 'World Savers' Award

Marriott International received the prestigious "World Savers" award from Condé Nast Traveler magazine for being a Socially Responsible company. Marriott was selected as the leading "chain hotel & resort" company, with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C., receiving an honorable mention in the distinguished second place position.

read more | digg story

Property of the day: The Sainte Claire, San Jose California

While attending the Search Engine Strategies conference in San Jose, California, I stayed at the Sainte Claire, a historic hotel operated by Larkspur Hotels & Restaurants.

The Sainte Claire is indeed a very nice hotel, located right in the heart of downtown San Jose. Rooms are bit small, but they make up for it with lots of little touches -- robes, a big-screen TV with DVD player (DVDs & CDs are available at no charge) and much more.

It's next to the San Jose McEnery Convention center, and only a few blocks away from many area restaurants and businesses.

You can view some pictures of the Sainte Claire that I took during my stay, or visit the official website.

Blogging SES 2007

Of course I'm not the only person blogging from SES 2007 in San Jose, there are lots of others doing the same thing.

Below is a list of other bloggers, which I'll attempt to update as I find them:

ask.com
toprankblog.com

More to come!

Still live from SES!

Well, it's Day 3 here at the Search Engine Strategies conference, and things are still rolling along.

Yesterday was a big day -- the exhibit floor opened up, the sessions were very informative, and, last but not least, last night was the Google Dance!!

Wow, I was definitely impressed. They have a beautiful campus. There was lots to do and see. What caught my eye was the number of Google employees -- they were everywhere! I had no idea there'd be so many.

Anywho...another session is about to start, I'll check in again later!

Live from SES!

Howdy, folks. I'm reporting live from San Jose, California at the Search Engine Strategies conference. I just checked in, and I'm going over the course materials.

Already met and chatted with some nice folks, and just hanging out a bit before the first session starts!

I'll check in when I can...till then!

Worst of the Worst

I'm shining a spotlight on 2 hotels this issue, the Sands Ocean Club Resort & the Sand Dunes Resort Hotel, both in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

I have no doubt that these two hotels are fine, upstanding places. In fact, Sands Ocean Club is currently ranked #77 out of 212 area hotels over at tripadvisor, and Sand Dunes Resort is ranked #114 -- not bad, but not great, either.

We've currently received several bad reviews for both, so I thought I'd let you read for yourself!

Sands Ocean Club Resort reviews

Sand Dunes Resort Hotel reviews


I'll be out of town all next week -- many of my coworkers and I will be attending the Search Engine Strategies conference out in San Jose, California. We're looking forward to it!

See you next time...

July 2007 Pick-of-the-month

It's time again for another "pick", and this month it's Disney's Port Orleans Riverside resort, located in the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida (whew, that's a mouthful)!

Now, I've had the pleasure of staying here on several occassions, but the most recent visit was something really special, as it was for my honeymoon! Ooh...ahh...thank you, thank you. You're too kind, really.

Ahem, sorry about that. :-)

Anywho, the resort is outstanding. It's considered a "Moderate" Disney resort, which means it's nicer than the "Value" resorts (Disney's lowest-priced hotels), but not quite as nice as their "Deluxe" resorts. But, I feel it's definitely worth the price.

Riverside (formerly known as "Dixie Landings") is based on a deep south motif. The resort is layed out on the Sassagoula River. The front building is designed to look like a regal southern entry port. The buildings closest to this area (which also includes the food court and sit-down restaurant) are dubbed the "Alligator Bayou". However, as you progress around down the river, the buildings become more ornate as you move into the "Manor" section. All in all, a great effect.

Guests are within walking distance to Port Orleans French Quarter resort, which is a Disneyfied version of New Orleans' French Quarter. These 2 sister resorts both feature pools, eateries, bus service to the theme parks & boat service to Downtown Disney shopping.

As expected, my bride and I had an amazing trip, and look forward to many many more.

You can read more about Port Orleans Riverside, as well as view pictures and more at the "official" Disney World website.


See you real soon!

Worst of the Worst

Hello, and welcome to another exciting installment of "Worst of the Worst". In today's episode, we hear from "Samantha", who had a bad experience with the timeshare sales folks over at Westgate Lakes Resort and Spa near Universal Orlando.

Absolutely UNACCEPTABLE Behavior!!!!
I DID NOT ACTUALLY STAY @ THE RESORT, HOWEVER, AFTER THERE UNACCEPTABLE TIMESHARE PRESENTATION I WILL NEVER, EVER, GO THERE AGAIN. THEY HAD ME DROP MY KIDS OFF(3, AGES 5,6,9) FOR "APROX. AN HOUR" WHICH TURNED INTO 3.5 HRS!!!AS SOON AS MY FRIEND AND I BEGAN SPEAKING W/ ALI(THE REP) WE ASSURED HIM WE WERE ONLY THERE FOR THE UNIVERSAL TICKETS AND NOT INTERESTED IN BUYING A TIMSHARE. HE SAID HE UNDERSTOOD BUT HE HAD TO GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS OR HE WOULD GET INTO TROUBLE. AFTER SHOWING US THE PICTURES AND EXPLAINING THE PROCESS WE GET ON A GOLF CART AND TRAVELED APROX. 1/4 MILE AWAY FROM WHERE WE BEGAN, HE SHOWED US THE CONDO, WE SAID IT WAS NICE...WE GO TO A DIFFERANT BUILDING AND WE BEGIN TO RUSH HIM BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN SO LONG THAT MY CHILDREN HAVE BEEN AT THEIR DAYCARE-WHICH HE IGNORED!! HE BRINGS OUT A MGR. WHO CALLED US LIARS ABOUT VACATIONING AND ASKED IF WE SAID WE WERE INTERESTED IN PURCHASRING TO MAKE ALI FEEL GOOD, WHICH WE NEVER DID!!!WE STATED FROM THE BEGINING WE WERE NOT INTERESTED!!!SO AFTER BEING HORRIBLY RUDE, HE LEAVES AND ALI GETS KRISTIN TO HELP US, WHO WAS EVEN WORSE THAN THE OTHER TWO-SHE ACTUALLY THREW HER FOLDER AT ME AND SAID "YOU PEOPLE ARE MESSED UP!" WHY? YES, BECAUSE WE WERE NOT INTERESTED IN BUYING A TIMESHARE, IT DID NOT MATTER THAT THEY HAD KEPT ME AWAY FROM MY KIDS FOR OVER 3 HOURS OR THAT WE SAID NO VERY NICELY-REPEATEDLY, FROM THE VERY START, THEN THEY GET UP FROM THE TABLE AND LEAVE US THERE. WE HAD NO IDEA WHERE WE WERE, HOW TO GET BACK TO MY KIDS, OR EVEN WHERE THE PARKING LOT WAS!!! IT WAS HORRIBLE AND BY THE TIME WE FINALLY LEFT THERE THE TICKETS THAT WE STILL PAID 194.00 FOR WE HAD 3.5 HOURS LEFT TO SPEND AT UNIVERSAL STUDIOS!! WE HAVE CONTACTED THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND THIS PLACE IS UNDER INVESTIGATION NOT ONLY FOR MY COMPLAINT BUT FOR THE MANY SIMILIAR COMPLAINTS!! TAKE MY ADVICE, YOU DO NOT WANT TO DO BUSINESS WITH A COMPANY THAT TREATS YOU AND ESPECIALLY YOUR CHILDREN THE WAY THESE PEOPLE TREATED US-WE LEFT IN TEARS! TO MAKE UP FOR OUR MISTREATMENT WE RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM THE COMPANY TO SAY THE EMPLOYEES HAD BEEN REPRIMANDED AND TO ME THAT'S NOT EVEN GOOD ENOUGH-THEY SHOULD BE FINED AND HAVE THEIR LICENSE WITHDRAWN!!

Yes, she wrote it all out in caps -- crazy, huh? Well, as someone said in reply, it just goes to show that there's no such thing as a free lunch!

Now, the last 4 reviews we've received for the Westgate have all been negative. In fact, the hotel is currently ranked #162 out of 289 properties in Orlando over at TripAdvisor. You've been warned.

See you next time!

Diversions: Yahoo! Answers

I've been an active participant in Yahoo! Answers for a couple of months now, and figured I'd talk a little bit about it here.

In short, Y!A is a place where you can ask a question about, well, anything and everything. You can also post answers to questions that other folks have asked, and you can contribute by voting for the "best answer".

Most of my time on the site is spent in the "Travel" section. Plenty of folks asking about hotels & wanting recommendations, etc., so I'm more than happy to do a bit of research over at Resideo.

We've actually gotten at least one booking thru the site (possibly more), so that's a pretty good feeling.

Anywho, if you have the chance, head on over and start participating!

Site feature spotlight: Store & Share!

Howdy folks! Sorry I haven't posted in awhile, we've been staying busy, as always.

It's time for another "feature spotlight" -- this time around, we'll focus on the new "store & share" features available on the site.

Each set of text, whether it's property overview text, a review or a discussion board post, can be stored and/or shared. Click the "Add This" image found below every article and you'll see a popup window which will allow you to store the text on your favorite bookmark site, or share with your friends on your favorite social networking site.

So, if you want to save a review to look at later, click the link & choose del.icio.us or one of the others. If you want to share a particular entry with the world, choose digg or one of the many other social networking sites.

Have fun, and spread the word!

Site feature spotlight: New and improved search!

One of the new site features unveiled during the site re-launch was our new and improved hotel/destination search. Not enough can be said about this amazing new search.

It's simple: Just start typing whatever it is you're looking for. As soon as you start typing, the system will begin searching our database and returning results in 3 categories: Cities, Hotels & Airports.

The default category view is Hotels -- so you'll begin to see those results first. Over 30,000 hotels are in our database, so you're likely to find what you're searching for. If not, well, that's ok, too. Click "Cities" or "Airports" and we'll show you all the locations that match your search term.

Next to each result are your "view" and "book" options. You can read more about the hotel (or view hotels in the city and/or airport) you've selected, or you can try a quote.

Give it a try, we're sure you'll be surprised!

Site feature spotlight: Contribute your own property overview text!

Hello, and welcome! Now that our new site features have had time to settle in, here's the first 'how-to' installment I promised. We'll be covering the property "Overview" text editing feature.

That's right -- ordinary folks like yourself (ok, "extraordinary") can now contribute to the text that appears on each of our property pages. We encourage site visitors who have first-hand knowledge of a particular hotel to adjust the text. Has your favorite hotel added a new amenity since your last trip? Did they change names? Well, here's your chance to let the world know.

From the "overview" section, just click the 'edit' link at the bottom of the text block. You'll be asked to sign-in or create a new account -- free!

Once you're in, you'll see an editor window. We show you the existing text at the top, then re-print it in the edit box. Type, type, type away to your hearts content. When you're done, submit the form.

The page will reload, and you'll see your edits live! Now, the changes you just made aren't 'official' until they've been looked over by our staff. But, that process is usually a short one, and the rest of the world is likely to see your masterpiece in 48 hours.

See? Wasn't that easy?! :D

Worst of the Worst

We get a lot of great reviews over at Resideo. Some positive, some negative, but all good in the sense that there's nothing like hearing about some else's first-hand experience with a hotel!

We received the following review of Poindexter Oceanfront Resort in Myrtle Beach, SC today, and I thought that highlighting some of the more noteworthy "This place stinks" reviews might help some folks make a more informed decision about where not to stay.

So, our first installment is from "Janice":

We Wont Be Back
We arrived to a room that obviously had not had the corners swept in a very long time.The best parts of the room were the view and the clean sheets.When we returned from our outing the next day,we had no clean towels, shampoo,soap,or coffe to use in the coffee pot in the morning. When we called the desk,we were told we had to ome downstairs if we wanted these things beause there was no one to bring them to us. Note: our room was on the 9th floor. The next day wasa repeat of this fiasco. The next day, I left a note on the mirror,which had not been cleaned ,requesting the articles that we would need that day. When we returned that evening, they had been left in the room,and the note was still on the mirror. During our 4 day stay our room was not vacuummed,floors were not swept, bathroom and mirrors were not cleaned. The balcony could not be used due to the amount of bird droppings. We looked for a piece of paper in the nightstand to leave a note for the management expressing our dissatisfaction. Instead, we found a piece of moldy pizza!! I guess that says a lot for the housekeeping. I bet that its still there!

You can view the original review right here.

So, whatcha think...is this a valuable feature for me to continue?

Resideo site enhancements!

Well, as I mentioned previously, we've been busy working behind-the-scenes on some cool new features -- and I'd like to annouce that the first phase of these enhancements are now online!

:D

The first thing you'll notice is our new layout. We hope the changes present a more elegant look-and-feel and better usability.

However, the most intriguing feature is the ability to contribute to the property overview text. Now, users with first-hand knowledge of a hotel can edit the existing text. Once the changes have been approved by our staff, they are published live for the rest of the world to see. This allows the true experts, those folks that have actually stayed at a hotel, to help folks who are trying to choose a place to stay make a more informed decision.

Last, but not least, site visitors can now bookmark and share reviews, discussion posts & more. Just look for the "Tag this" link.

I'll try and go over in more detail some of the new features in future posts. But, for now, we continue working on even more great features.

February's Picks!

Greetings!

I know it's been awhile since my last post, so I figured I'd feature a city & a property in this installment -- kinda like a "2-for-1" deal! :-D

Featured City: Niceville, Florida
Yes, it really is nice in Niceville! The city is nice, the folks are nice...well, you get the picture! We currently only have 1 hotel listed in Niceville, but it's closeby to Destin, where there are plenty of places to choose from!

Featured Property: Heart Of Amsterdam
This hotel, located oddly enough right in the heart of Amsterdam, is close to the Tattoo Museum and the Sex Museum. 'Nuff said.

See you next time!

And now for something completely different...

Howdy!

Hope you all survived the holidays! Things have been quite busy lately, so I haven't had a chance to post lately. But -- keep an eye out for some new features on Resideo...we think you'll like what you see!

Anywho, one of my co-workers sent me the following link, and I definitely got a kick out of it, hope you do too!

TripAdvisor Unpublished Reviews

Enjoy!