Ref: P4498 - Self-catering house in Costa Blanca - Azahar Spain

Ref: P4498 - Self-catering house in Costa Blanca - Azahar Spain

Europe Chain Hotels Market Review October 2006
Dec 07, 06 1:58 am
Moscow revpar growth leads Europe in October Moscow hotels put in the best sales growth in Europe during October but German hotels – at least in Berlin and Hamburg – are showing the best growth for the first 10 months of this year, according to a survey of leading European cities by TRI Hospitality Consulting’s European HotStats service.
The Russian capital’s hotels showed a 26.9 per cent growth in revenue per available room in the month of October compared to the same month in 2005. But both London and Paris remained ahead of Moscow in absolute terms in October with revpars of €167.30 and €186.79 respectively compared to the €161.62 in Moscow.
“Moscow is clearly a hotspot right now. The tremendous growth in revpar reflects the lack of quality hotel stock in that city and it is currently very much a sellers’ market when it comes to hotel rooms,” said Jonathan Langston, managing director of TRI Hospitality Consulting.
October was a good month for all but one of the 10 cities in the survey with only Prague reporting negative revpar growth. Amsterdam was the second weakest with just a 0.5 per cent growth although over the first 10 months of the year, Amsterdam shows 8.8 per cent growth.
In fact, all cities, again with the exception of Prague where revpar was down 1.9 per cent, are showing growth in excess of five per cent for the year-to-date.
The strongest cities on a year-to-date basis are Berlin, up 26.3 per cent, and Hamburg, up 19.4 per cent. Both these cities benefited, of course, from the soccer World Cup. Surprisingly Munich is showing the fourth weakest growth year-to-date despite hosting some of the football matches.
Paris lead London in revpar battle
In the race to have the best revpar in absolute terms, Paris has moved ahead of London for the first 10 months of 2006. Growth in October of 17.9 per cent in revpar in the French capital against the 15.6 per cent growth in the UK capital, meant Paris stood at €155.26, just ahead of the €154.71 for London.
“During the year, Paris and London have been battling to see who will top the revpar table. With just two months of figures to go, it is still too soon to call a winner,” said Langston. Despite the impressive October performance, Moscow lies in fourth place in terms of absolute revpar for the 10 cities for the year-to-date, with Paris, London and Amsterdam ahead of it.
The revpar growth in Moscow has been driven mostly by average room rate which has grown 17.4 per cent in the year-to-date, the highest growth of the 10 cities. Paris remains the most expensive city in which to buy a hotel room, however, with an average rate of €201.23, ahead of second placed Moscow where it cost €188.25 on average during the first 10 months of this year.
Occupancy is the weak spot for Moscow. It props up the table of 10 cities with 69.4 per cent for the year-to-date, the only city not to reach at least 70 per cent. The busiest city is London with an occupancy of 84.3 per cent.
“Moscow’s relatively poor occupancy levels reflect the under developed tourist industry in Russia. Hoteliers in cities like London, Paris and Amsterdam are able to balance strong weekday demand from business with healthy tourist traffic at weekends,” said Langston.

Ref: P8744 - Self-catering house in Dordogne - Limousin France

Ref: P8744 - Self-catering house in Dordogne - Limousin France

Toughest Travel Destinations
Dec 07, 06 2:00 am
By Sophia Banay, Forbes.com
These countries aren't just hard to get around--they're difficult to even get into.
Fancy spending your next vacation in a Communist country, strict Islamist state or desolate archipelago? These days you can--but it'll cost you.
Well-heeled vacationers are increasingly hearing the siren song of locations such as Libya, North Korea or Myanmar --isolated countries known not for pampering hotels or top shopping areas, but for strict and often arbitrary entrance requirements and severely limited tourism infrastructures. They give new meaning to the term "exclusive."
Often, leisure tourism is an entirely new concept in these states, many of which have only recently opened their doors in order to attract foreign currency. But that doesn't make them bargain-bin destinations. U.S.- and U.K.-based luxury tour operators have jumped to work with capricious governments to accommodate travelers who are seeking ever-more-exotic destinations and are willing to pay a premium for giving up safe drinking water and reliable plumbing.
"Some people really like the idea of being first to discover an emerging area," says Tom Armstrong , corporate communications manager at Tauck World Discovery , a Connecticut-based luxury travel tour operator. "They enjoy 'trophy vacations,' or the bragging rights associated with visiting places that are a challenge to get to, or entail a certain amount of risk."
Pamela Lassers , director of media relations at Abercrombie & Kent , the Illinois-based tour operator known for its top-tier safaris and cruises, agrees.
"The leading edge of the baby boomers just hit 60... and they are changing the face of luxury travel," Lassers writes in an e-mail. "They say, 'At this stage in life, I am interested in special experiences that I will remember for the rest of my life.'"
And they are willing to pay for them. In October, Tauck plans to launch its first-ever trip to Papua New Guinea, a country that made Forbes.com's list of this year, despite a developing cruise industry. The price for the 15-day trip is $8,490 per person, plus airfare to Australia (over $1,500). For the sake of comparison, Tauck's week-long France itinerary, which pampers travelers from the French Riviera to Paris, is a relative bargain at $2,460. Armstrong attributes the pricing difference to the volume of European travel. Tauck has dozens of France and Italy departures per year, which allows them to negotiate better rates with hotels and restaurants than they will be able to for the two paltry New Guine

Holiday Homes, rentals, bed and breakfast, accommodation, villas, cottages in Europe - The home of holiday advertising

Holiday Homes, rentals, bed and breakfast, accommodation, villas, cottages in Europe - The home of holiday advertising

THE AMERICASGlobal Hyatt has made Mark Hoplamazian its President and Chief Executive. He came from the Pritzker Organization (Hyatt's owners) of which he was the President following a career in international mergers and acquisitions at First Boston . At Hyatt, he replaces Douglas Geoga who recently resigned to form his own hospitality investment firm. Greg Ashley has been named President and Partner at the newly established Kor Group Real Estate Company . Ashley joins Kor after fourteen years at Intrawest . Craig Neilsen , the Chief Executive Officer of Ameristar Casinos , unexpectedly died. The company has named President John Boushy as its new Chief Executive Officer. Ray Neilsen , Vice President of Operations (and Craig Neilsen's son) was named Co-Chairman, along with Gordon Kanofsky . Craig Neilsen had been Ameristar's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer since the company's inception in 1993.
The Kor Group has appointed Tom Hendrick Executive Vice President, Acquisitions and Development, to be based in Dallas. Hendrick was most recently the Vice President of Development for Mandarin Oriental . In addition, he has served in senior development positions with Rosewood and Regent .
Colm O'Callaghan has been appointed Vice President Managing Director for the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago. He will be reporting to Chief Operating Officer Jim Petrus , who joined the Trump Organization following sixteen years with Hyatt and twelve years with Starwood . O'Callaghan most recently transited the Méridien Chicago into the Hotel Conrad Chicago as General Manager. He had previously been the Hotel Manager at the Peninsula Chicago .
Cornell hotelier Robert Foster has joined the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess as General Manager, taking over for Kiaran MacDonald , who has been promoted to General Manager of the Savoy London . Foster had been the General Manager at Noble House 's Caleo Resort before being promoted to President of the group.
André Boersma is the new General Manager of Operations at Querencia in Los Cabos. This is a return to Mexico for Boersma who had been the Resident Manager at the One&Only Palmilla , Fiesta Americana and Esperanza , all in Cabo San Lucas. Since 2005, he had been the Senior Vice President and General Manager at the One&Only Ocean Club .
Carlos Blanco has taken over from Peter Bowling as Managing Director of Jumby Bay . An eight-year Rosewood veteran, he was previously the Resident Manager at Caneel Bay , following seven years in various positions at Las Ventanas Al Paraiso .
The Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach has appointed Brad Cance General Manager. Cance had been the General Manager of the Ritz-Carlton St. Louis for the past two years. He has also served as Hotel Manager at the Ritz-Carlton Naples Golf Resort . Prior to joining Ritz-Carlton, he spent ten years with Four Seasons in Chicago, Vancouver and Seattle.Patrik Horstmann has joined New York's Hotel Gansevoort as General Manager. He comes from the Shore Club in Miami, a property he joined in 2002 as Rooms Division Manager and was promoted in 2005 to Director of Operations.
Tod Morrow has been appointed General Manager of the Ritz-Carlton Atlanta . He transfers from the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead where he was the Hotel Manager. He was previously at the Ritz-Carlton Naples .
David Gibbons has been named General Manager of the soon-to-be-renamed Ritz-Carlton Boston . The 1927 landmark has been acquired by Taj International . Until a few months ago, Gibbons spent twenty one years with Swissôtel where his assignments included General Manager at New York’s Swissôtel, The Drake for three years and the Swissôtel Boston for twelve years. Following the closure of the Drake, he had accepted the position of General Manager of Boston's landmark Lenox .
Erica Qualls has been appointed General Manager of the Atlanta Marriott Marquis . She joined Marriott in 1993 and was previously the Hotel Manager and Director of Human Resources for the hotel.Antoine Berberi has joined Thompson Hotels and will be working as General Manager to manage and convert the existing Wall Street District Hotel in New York City. He comes from the Westin Governor Morris in New Jersey where he was the General Manager. For eleven years, he was in various positions with InterContinental in Al Ain, Dubai, Bali, Miami and New Orleans.James Scott has taken over as General Manager of Discovery at Marigot Bay on the island of St. Lucia, operated by Grace Leo and Associates . Scott takes over from Patrick Brizio who has relocated to Europe.
Susan Santiago has been appointed General Manager at the Hyatt Key West . She has worked with Hyatt for over fourteen years in food and beverage in Lake Tahoe, Phoenix, Newport Beach, New York and Orlando. Most recently, she was the company's Corporate Food and Beverage Director.
Todd Iacono has joined the Hotel Zaza in Dallas as General Manager. He was most recently the Hotel Manager for Horst Schulze 's soon-to-open Hotel Solis in Chicago. Previously, he held the position of General Manager at the Pasadena Hilton , the James Hotel in Scottsdale and the Hotel Maritime in New York.
Mark Violante will be the General Manager/Project Manager for Peter Moore and Associates . The firm is developing a 60-unit high-end condo hotel in Manhattan's Nolita. Since 2003, Violante had been with the James Hotel Group with his most recent position as Chicago-based Director of Operations.Simon Chen has been appointed Chief Operating Officer for Skylar Management Company , a restaurant group with five restaurants in Colorado. He comes from the Vail Cascade Resort and Spa where he served as Hotel Manager. Previously, Chen was with Ritz-Carlton in various positions in Bachelor Gulch, Tyson's Corner, Naples, Puerto Rico, Atlanta and Sydney.
Sergio Ortiz has been named General Manager of the Driskill in Austin. He comes to Austin from the Houston based Lancaster Group where he was a Managing Director. Peggy Benua was recently named General Manager of the South Beach Marriott . She was formerly the Resident Manager at the Eden Roc Renaissance Resort and Spa , also in Miami Beach.
Bruno Vergeynst has been appointed General Manager for Palisades Development Group 's soon-to-open lifestyle hotel near Los Angeles International Airport (formerly the Furama) . He comes from Hotels AB where he was the General Manager at Sunset Beach and the Assistant General Manager at the Standard Miami . Vergeynst also worked with China Grill Management at New York's Hudson and Hotel Gansevoort .
Patrick Sturgeon is the new General Manager at Two Bunch Palms in Desert Hot Springs. He comes from the Cliffs in Shell Beach, a sister property in the Boutique Hotel Collection where he was the Hotel Manager. He has previously held positions at the Cincinnati Regal Hotel , the Eldorado Hotel in Santa Fe and the Hotel Teatro in Denver.
Dale McDaniel has been named Managing Director of the Hyatt Regency Lake Las Vegas Resort , which will be renamed the Loews Lake Las Vegas Resort . He most recently served as the General Manager of the Loews Royal Pacific Resort in Orlando.
Martial Thevenaz has been named General Manager at the Kiana Resort Villas at Playa Dominical in Costa Rica. For the past four years, he had been at Amanresorts ' Hotel Bora Bora , most recently as the General Manager.
Arte Nathan is retiring from Wynn Resorts where he was the Chief Human Resources Officer. In the past twenty four years he opened or worked with all nine casinos owned by Steven Wynn. Nathan's successor is David Carroll , formerly the Vice President Human Resources, Central Division, for Harrah's Entertainment .
Fred Lawlor has been named Vice President, Procurement, for Fairmont Raffles Hotels International . He was most recently the President and General Manager at Avendra Canada since 2001. Eric Malcolmson has been appointed Vice President, Development, at Fairmont . He joined the company in 2002 as Director, Real Estate Development Group and was promoted to his most recent position as Executive Director, Development, in January 2006. In addition, he has previously held positions with Colliers International and Price Waterhouse Coopers .
Patricia Berry will be joining the Sports Club LA in Washington, DC as General Manager. She was until recently the General Manager of Kimpton's Hotel Monaco Washington DC. Berry spent twenty years with Ritz-Carlton , serving in various positions at the corporate office as well at Ritz-Carlton properties in Boston, New Orleans, Amelia Island, Atlanta, Hawaii, San Francisco, Phoenix, Houston, and Rancho Mirage.
Pablo Migoya has joined Grand Hospitality (Soho Grand and Tribeca Grand ) as General Manager of the Sheraton Suites on the Hudson , in Weehawken, New Jersey. He spent the past five years with Thompson Hotels , first as Director of Sales and Marketing for 60 Thompson , then as Regional Director of Sales and Marketing for the Thompson Hotel Group.
Tjeerd Brink has joined the Pechanga Hotel and Casino in Temecula as Chief Financial Officer. Since 2001, he had been the Director of Finance at the Palms Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.Starwood has appointed Todd Thompson Chief Information Officer. He comes from JetBlue Airlines where he was Chief Information Officer since 2003.

What it costs these days

Positive Reports from AIME 2006
Aug 02, 06 1:57 am
More than 3,070 business events have been booked, or are expected to be booked, by Hosted Buyers and trade visitors who attended AIME 2006, according to research released Wednesday by Reed Travel Exhibitions.
“90% of Hosted Buyers and 72% of trade visitors who responded to the surveys said they had placed or intended to place business as a direct result of AIME 2006. These respondents alone, indicated they would book 3,072 events from their visit to AIME. The events include meetings, conferences, incentives and exhibitions have been booked for 2006 through to 2009,” said AIME Event Director, Rosemarie Sama.
The independent research was conducted by Micromex Research, who interviewed visitors to AIME and conducted online surveys of Hosted Buyers and exhibitors following the event.
Business Results for AIME 2006
Business results for exhibitors were strong, with the total estimated value of business placed, or to be placed as a result of AIME 2006 valued at close to US$450 million.
Hosted Buyers placed or intend to place, business valued on average at US $381,280 Trade visitors placed or intend to place, business valued on average at US $130,722
Exhibitors will keep returning to this ‘must attend’ event
93% of exhibitors who responded to the survey stating that it was beneficial to exhibit at AIME 2006 and 87% said they intend to exhibit at AIME 2007.
84% of exhibitors stated that AIME is a ‘must attend’ event and 86% of exhibitors said AIME is very important to their business.
84% of exhibitors indicated that they ‘probably will’ or ‘definitely will’ recommend to associates in the industry that they should exhibit at AIME
AIME meets Hosted Buyers objectives
95% of respondents said it was ‘beneficial’ to ‘very beneficial’ to attend AIME on a yearly basis and 93% of respondents were ‘likely’ to ‘very likely’ to recommend AIME 2007 to colleagues in the industry.
92% of respondents considered AIME to be a ‘must see’ event and the same percentage also said they were ‘satisfied’ to ‘very satisfied’ with AIME in terms of meeting their objectives.
More than 85% of respondents said that AIME has a ‘significant advantage’ to ‘tremendous advantage’ over other exhibitions for making contacts and keeping up to date.
Visitors satisfied with exhibition and seminar programme
97% of visitors surveyed were ‘satisfied’ to ‘very satisfied’ with AIME having met their objectives
92% of respondents said they they were ‘likely’ or ‘very likely’ to recommend to colleagues in the industry they they should attend AIME 2007.
91% of respondents who attended seminars rated them as ‘good’ or ‘very good’.
88% or respondents believed it was ‘beneficial’ to ‘very beneficial’ for them to attend AIME on a yearly basis.
Plans underway for AIME 2007
“We expect AIME 2007 to attract up to 850 exhibitors and around 450 Hosted Buyers.
“We also expect to increase our overall visitor numbers by a similar amount to this year’s 5.2%. Our local attendance this year grew by 14% and we are increasing our marketing efforts to encourage attendance by more trade visitors from New South Wales and other parts of Australia,” Ms Sama said.
AIME 2007 will be held at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre on 13 and 14 February.

http://www.holidayhomeseuro.com/rentals/Portugal-Holidays/

Yound Family Holidays

Dusit Group’s GM’s Conference draws full attendance
Jun 09, 06 1:57 am
General Managers from all Dusit, D2 and Royal Princess Hotels & Resorts were in full attendance recently for the annual General Manager’s Conference 2006, which this time took place at Dusit Group’s newly opened D2hotel chiang mai. The meeting was organized by Dusit Corporate Office’s Operations Dept.
Topics discussed included a presentation and update of corporate operations plan, marketing & sales past performance and forecast, human resources programs, corporate finance, developments and new projects, and the latest projects in the Dusit Middle East Office; among other subjects.
Chanin Donavanik, Executive Director, and Khampi Suwanarat, Chief Operating Officer of Dusit Group delivered the closing and opening remarks, respectively.
The general managers of all 18 Dusit, D2 and Royal Princess hotels and resorts from local and overseas also presented an overview and status report of their respective properties. The meeting enabled all the Dusit executives, especially those from overseas, to personally meet one another and exchange opinions and views with their Thailand-based counterparts.

Villas in Spain

The Next Evolution Of Online Recruitment
Apr 14, 06 1:57 am
By Douglas Rosen, HVS International
Internet recruitment reaches new heights by blending in traditional search strategies. We live in an ever-changing world where hybrid solutions are becoming increasingly popular. The ability to combine the best attributes of two distinct models provides a unique solution for the consumer. In the continuing effort to supply companies with the best talent available, a hybrid recruitment solution has emerged. Lets examine how this model was born, its components and benefits.In the late 1990's, online job boards emerged as a low cost, innovative solution for attracting job seekers and filling property level needs. Employers embraced this new model, but so far job boards have delivered quantity, not necessarily quality. Job postings attract the active job seeker, but not the higher qualified passive job seeker. Employers have expressed that they are inundated with unqualified applicants via online job postings. While it is certainly possible to get a match with a posting, best practice companies are asking themselves, 'Do I want to settle on hiring the best person who applies to my posting, or do I want the absolute best person in my industry?'The goal of hybrid recruiting is to provide employers a targeted list of highly qualified interested candidates in a short amount of time.

http://www.holidayhomeseuro.com/resources/links.php


The candidates will be of quality because a search professional will be contacting the best fits directly and selling them on the opportunity. The cycle time gets reduced by leveraging the internet, which provides access to large pools of potential candidates. This model is most effective for localized mid management positions. Senior level executive positions are still best handled by a retained executive search firm as those positions are more complex (and perhaps confidential), are often national or global, and the matching of culture and personality is much more exacting. We can see examples of the hybrid recruitment method being offered by both large job boards as well as by retained executive search firms. Careerbuilder.com offers its 'Right Fish' service, where their recruiters will hand select 10 qualified pre-screened applicants for an open position. Korn Ferry International has 'Future Step,' which is their mid-management recruitment solution where they tap into their pre-screened database for your needs.


The industry specific job board HospitalityCareerNetwork.com has its 'HCN Select' in which a search consultant handles each account, screening and reaching out to passive job seekers.Throughout any industry, technology is a tool that allows people to work more efficiently but can never truly replace human interaction. This is especially true when you combine human capital strategies with the hospitality industry, two areas that are particularly driven by people. Online recruitment will continue to evolve, but it can only realize it's greatest potential with a healthy dose of personal attention.About the Author Doug Rosen is Vice President of hospitalitycareernet.com, the online recruiting division of HVS Executive Search. Hospitalitycareernet.com is an internet recruiting solution, designed to help companies within the hospitality industry find talent.

Hospitalitycareernet.com also powers the job boards of organizations such as The Leading Hotels of the World and The Hotel Association of Canada. Mr. Rosen has written several articles about online recruitment, and also runs HVS's leadership and employment assessment.

Holiday Homes France

The Next Evolution Of Online Recruitment
Apr 14, 06 1:57 am
By Douglas Rosen, HVS International


Internet recruitment reaches new heights by blending in traditional search strategies. We live in an ever-changing world where hybrid solutions are becoming increasingly popular. The ability to combine the best attributes of two distinct models provides a unique solution for the consumer. In the continuing effort to supply companies with the best talent available, a hybrid recruitment solution has emerged. Lets examine how this model was born, its components and benefits.In the late 1990's, online job boards emerged as a low cost, innovative solution for attracting job seekers and filling property level needs. Employers embraced this new model, but so far job boards have delivered quantity, not necessarily quality. Job postings attract the active job seeker, but not the higher qualified passive job seeker. Employers have expressed that they are inundated with unqualified applicants via online job postings. While it is certainly possible to get a match with a posting, best practice companies are asking themselves, 'Do I want to settle on hiring the best person who applies to my posting, or do I want the absolute best person in my industry?'The goal of hybrid recruiting is to provide employers a targeted list of highly qualified interested candidates in a short amount of time.

http://www.holidayhomeseuro.com/rentals/Switzerland-Holidays/


The candidates will be of quality because a search professional will be contacting the best fits directly and selling them on the opportunity. The cycle time gets reduced by leveraging the internet, which provides access to large pools of potential candidates. This model is most effective for localized mid management positions. Senior level executive positions are still best handled by a retained executive search firm as those positions are more complex (and perhaps confidential), are often national or global, and the matching of culture and personality is much more exacting. We can see examples of the hybrid recruitment method being offered by both large job boards as well as by retained executive search firms. Careerbuilder.com offers its 'Right Fish' service, where their recruiters will hand select 10 qualified pre-screened applicants for an open position. Korn Ferry International has 'Future Step,' which is their mid-management recruitment solution where they tap into their pre-screened database for your needs. The industry specific job board HospitalityCareerNetwork.com has its 'HCN Select' in which a search consultant handles each account, screening and reaching out to passive job seekers.Throughout any industry, technology is a tool that allows people to work more efficiently but can never truly replace human interaction. This is especially true when you combine human capital strategies with the hospitality industry, two areas that are particularly driven by people.

Online recruitment will continue to evolve, but it can only realize it's greatest potential with a healthy dose of personal attention.About the Author Doug Rosen is Vice President of hospitalitycareernet.com, the online recruiting division of HVS Executive Search. Hospitalitycareernet.com is an internet recruiting solution, designed to help companies within the hospitality industry find talent. Hospitalitycareernet.com also powers the job boards of organizations such as The Leading Hotels of the World and The Hotel Association of Canada. Mr. Rosen has written several articles about online recruitment, and also runs HVS's leadership and employment assessment.

Top restaurants check into luxury hotels
Apr 14, 06 1:58 am
First-rate food on the road abounds, survey finds It may surprise business travelers who often encounter lackluster hotel restaurants or have permanently written off hotel food: A new survey shows there are plenty of first-rate hotel dining options.
At the request of USA TODAY, Zagat Survey found the top 100 hotel restaurants in America, based on food quality, decor and service. Zagat Survey, http://www.holidayhomeseuro.com/aboutus.com
, publishes guidebooks based on reviews by restaurant customers.
Each of the top 100 hotel restaurants offers fine dining and elegant decor at high price. Most provide impeccable service, and many offer breathtaking views.
"Almost all have superior decor to what any normal restaurant could afford," CEO Tim Zagat says.
The best restaurant? The French Room in The Adolphus Hotel in downtown Dallas.
"There aren't enough superlatives" to describe it, Zagat Survey says about the French-American restaurant, which has hand-blown crystal chandeliers and an 18-foot-high domed ceiling adorned with frescoes.


This week's $72 fixed-price, three-course dinner menu includes seared tuna, roasted Colorado rack of lamb and vanilla and raspberry creme brulee.


"Hotel food has gone through a renaissance," says Jason Weaver, The French Room's executive chef. "Hotel food used to be bland and boring, but that's not true anymore."
Twenty of Zagat's top 100 hotel restaurants are in California. Massachusetts ranks second with 13, followed by Nevada with 11, Texas with eight and Florida with six.
Many top hotel restaurants are not big profit makers but are used as a marketing tool, Tim Zagat says. "Having a big-name restaurant is one of the best ways to advertise yourself as a first-class hotel."


Hotels have brought in America's best chefs, making them "deals they couldn't refuse," Zagat says. Las Vegas hotels are a good example, he says.


The city's Bellagio hotel has four restaurants -- Picasso, Prime Steakhouse, Le Cirque and Michael Mina -- in the top 100. Other hotels with more than one restaurant in the top 100 are the Wynn Las Vegas, Honolulu's Halekulani and Baltimore's Harbor Court.
Fine dining is usually not what frequent business traveler Ed Krach of Austin finds at hotels. Krach, who works in the computer industry, says he tries to avoid eating dinner at hotels because of poor service, high prices and "bad food."


But another frequent business traveler, James Espy, was given an advance look at Zagat Survey's top 100 hotel restaurants and sees many culinary wonders.
"You have certainly picked the cream of the crop," says Espy, who runs a Christmas decor manufacturing company in Christopher, Ill. "I have eaten at more than 15 of the restaurants on your list. They have all been extraordinary events."

When I was young, family vacations with my parents consisted of driving for a week from place to place in a hot stifling car. My parents had the knack of picking the hottest week of the summer to do so. In spite of that, we still had fun, managed to find interesting sites to explore and those are the memories that I still have. I discovered the joy of travel to far reaching destinations on my own by the time I turned 18. Jumping on a plane and heading off to Brazil, Europe or cruising the Caribbean, has turned into a life long passion my whole family now enjoys with me. Family vacations have evolved over the years.


There have never been more choices, more variety and more options available for family vacations as there is today. Especially since 9/11, the focus on family and community and played a strong role in our society. The travel industry has noticed and has geared up for families. From all-inclusive vacation packages and cruises, which are equipped with kids clubs and special activities: to resorts that supply a nanny for your stay, it’s never been a better time for families to travel. Still not sure? Here are just a few of the benefits of taking a family vacation:

1. The family that plays together, stays together..... It is a time to get away from it all. Away from work, the phone calls, the kid’s activities, the daily to do list. This is a great opportunity to spend time as a family and get to know each other. Go for a hike, build a sandcastle, explore a museum. There is more time to talk and spend time together without the daily distractions. 2. Teach your children well.... Travel is an excellent learning tool for kids. They can have the opportunity to learn about things first hand they may have learned in school, read about or saw on TV. Any destination can offer this learning experience whether it is a few hours drive away from you home or in Europe. Family vacations will teach children about different cultures, food, history, geography, climate, environment and so much more. The best part is that it’s way more fun for them then learning it through homework! 3. New experiences they will never forget..... Family vacations provide a whole new venue for experiences that your kids never would have had otherwise. We took a family cruise last winter, and it was my 9-year-old son’s first cruise. We told him all about the ship and showed him pictures but I don’t think he could quite grasp what it was really going to be like. We landed in Fort Lauderdale and as we were driving to the port, we could see our ship in the distance. He was excited but still very nonchalant. Once we got to the port and pulled up alongside the ship, he looked up and up and up at the enormous ship, his mouth dropped open and he gasped in amazement. That reaction was worth the price of the whole trip and is something I know our family will always remember. ,4. Life is an adventure, especially on vacation.... Even if you are not particularly brave there are still many ways to experience the adventures that lie in every corner of our planet. It may be as simple as going to the zoo at your destination and seeing the animals that are local to that habitat or taking a jungle tour though the Amazon.

There is so much to see and do, pick the adventures that appeal to your family and do them together. 5. You kids won’t be kids forever.... ,Doesn’t seem like yesterday that the teenager that just borrowed your car, was in diapers and day-care? Most parents agree that time seems to fly by quickly and those babies are grown before you know it. There will come a time that your children will have lives of their own and sad as it may seem, spending time with Mom and Dad will not be anywhere near the top of their list. Take the time for a family vacation while they still want your company. 6. Time to kick back and relax...... Now this part is important. One of the main reasons to take a vacation is to get some rest and recharge. It is important for everyone so don’t over do it. Try and schedule an active day followed by a more relaxing day. It’s hard to do in some destinations where there is so much to see and do like Disney World, but trust me.
http://blogs.holidayhomeseuro.com

The kids will be less tired and cranky and it will give you a reason to come back to the destination again! I know this all sounds so good, it makes you want to book that trip you’ve been putting off doesn’t it? Well, I will add in a dose of reality here and include a few negatives. There are some natural stresses to travelling. Planes get delayed, kids get cranky, families can have too much of a good thing and get on each other’s nerves. The list can go on, but don’t let that discourage you, the advantages are too numerous to ignore. So whether you choose to pack the kids in the car or fly to more exotic destinations, the benefits are the same. As far as memories go, we tend to remember the good things; the time spent together as a family, the new things that were discovered, the new friends we made, the places we saw. This is what your children will remember and, the fact that you were there with them to enjoy it.

Holiday Villas Europe

Hilton Garden Inn Introduces New Travel Category: 'Personal Business' And Addresses Duality of Life on the Road


May 09, 06 1:57 am


Launch of New and Interactive Print Campaign Recognizes that Life is About Blending for Today's Travelers Propelled by extensive consumer research, and in direct response to America's changing travel landscape, Hilton Garden Inn(R) today launched its new advertising campaign, titled "Where are you going?" The interactive print campaign visually depicts how life on the road no longer is about finding "balance" between the demands of work and personal life -- it's about "blending" the two worlds and effectively addressing both needs at the same time. With that in mind, the "Where are you going?" campaign focuses its message on guest achievement and the fact that Hilton Garden Inn is the right brand to help today's blended travelers succeed. Hilton Garden Inn, the fastest growing brand within the Hilton Family of hotels, believes the trend toward "blending" and the idea that travel no longer is just about business or just about leisure is giving life to a whole new category of travel. The brand refers to this new category as "personal business" as more and more travelers on the road find themselves traveling for both personal and business reasons. The latest advertising campaign focuses on this new demographic of "personal business" travelers and links it to the hotel offerings that touches both sides. "At Hilton Garden Inn, we consciously provide guests with a hotel experience that gives 'personal business' travelers everything they need to ensure a great stay regardless of their reason for traveling," said Mark Nogal, vice president of marketing and sales for Hilton Garden Inn. "Whether they're on the road to nail an important presentation, make a big sale, run a marathon, attend a family function -- or all of the above -- we have everything travelers need to be successful." To effectively illustrate the idea of "personal business," the new ad campaign, which comprises three ads, shows there are many sides to every person.


By arranging halves of people in interesting and whimsical ways, the images convey that Hilton Garden Inn is equipped to help the "personal business" traveler with both their business and personal ambitions. Moreover, the campaign creatively illustrates how today's traveler wears many different hats, speaking directly to the duality of life on the road. For example, one ad features the image of a man who is divided into two halves -- one showing him dressed in work attire to represent his business side, and the other showing him in hockey attire to represent his leisure side. To further the idea that our business is not just work business, the final ad shows a marathoner and bride. The text accompanying each ad lets readers know that no matter what hat a guest is wearing, Hilton Garden Inn ensures that travelers have a place to help them reach their goals successfully. To capture the reader's attention, Hilton Garden Inn is using a technique it calls, "Interactive Print." Each ad is designed to force the reader to go beyond just scanning. In one execution, the guest is split in half on facing pages, so the reader can join the two sides, reminiscent of magazine games of years gone by. Additionally, unlike most hotel advertising today where the actual hotel is featured as the main focal point, the new Hilton Garden Inn ads put the guest -- the hotel's most important asset -- at the center. "This is a huge departure from our previous ad campaigns, which focused heavily on the Hilton Garden Inn brand's long list of great amenities," said Nogal. "And it's a reflection of where our brand is going, and where the travel industry is going. The campaign is sure to connect with consumers because the reality is that our worlds truly are blending." The "Where are you going?" campaign and corresponding "personal business" concept were the result of extensive research Hilton Garden Inn conducted to identify how guests combine work and leisure activities while traveling. As part of this research, Hilton Garden Inn commissioned an Opinion Research survey to help gauge the travel habits and needs of business travelers. Overall, the findings prove that travelers today feel the need to juggle many personal and professional priorities while on the road. More and more, travelers are bringing work with them and staying connected to the office while at home, hitting the greens on the golf course or on their leisure vacations -- at the same time, they are finding ways to add some fun and relaxation while on the road for business. The survey results revealed that nearly half of business travelers (51 percent) are not able to disconnect from the office while on a leisure vacation. This is up 10 percent from 2005 when 41 percent said they were not able to unplug and unwind. The survey also showed that business travelers are finding more ways to enjoy leisure activities while traveling for work. Four-out-of-five business travelers are taking advantage of at least one leisure activity while away on business.


According to the Opinion Research survey, the top leisure activities executives are engaging in while on the road are: -- Sightseeing or other local entertainment (50 percent) -- Visiting friends/family in the area (41 percent) -- Golfing or using workout equipment (20 percent) -- Bringing a spouse or significant other along (36 percent) -- Extending their stay for leisure purposes (24 percent) Survey respondents also provided valuable insight into the types of amenities they need and want, to make their travel more productive and enjoyable. Comfortable beds and bedding topped the list as the most important amenity a hotel can offer to guarantee a relaxing stay. Other key amenities requested most often by guests were on-site restaurants with full-service breakfast (22 percent), a friendly staff (16 percent), complimentary high-speed Internet in every guestroom (10 percent) and workout facilities (10 percent). These are just some of the many amenities provided by each Hilton Garden Inn property. Specific elements of the campaign include: --

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Print Advertising. The ad campaign breaks in May in print titles including The Wall Street Journal, Business 2.0, Fast Company, Golf Digest, Inc., LIFE, Real Simple, Weekend Living, Wired and Passport. -- Online Advertising and Promotions. Recognizing that Americans are increasingly turning to the Internet to reserve and book travel, the campaign is being heavily supported online through media buys on AOL, Mapquest.com, Yahoo! and Weather.com, among others. Additionally, the campaign includes a "Where are you going?" online sweepstakes being conducted on the Hilton Garden Inn Web site -- http://www.stayhgi.com -- that consists of a "Spin to Win" game with thousands of instant prizes, including Magellan GPS handheld navigation devices, Palm Treos, HHonors points and more. The collect and win game also allows users to collect game pieces to gain entry for a chance to win the grand prize -- $50,000 cash! -- Hotel Signage and Decor. At the hotel level, Hilton Garden Inn is supporting the campaign with "Where are you going?" guest room door hangers, telephone cards and inspirational garden stones that further the idea that Hilton Garden Inn is there to help people get where they're going in life. Wherever guests turn, they are reminded that Hilton Garden Inn is the brand helping them to achieve. -- Internal Communication. Hilton Garden Inn is proud to employ the best and brightest in the industry.

The "Where are you going?" platform is helping bring employee success stories to the forefront. Throughout the coming year, Hilton Garden Inn executives are inviting hotel general managers to share stories of exemplary employees who are going places within their hotel or in their personal lives. The corporate office will in turn share the best stories with other Hilton Garden Inn locations and their guests. The "Where Are You Going?" campaign was created by Orange County-based ad agency DGWB, an independent, award-winning advertising and communications agency that has partnered with a variety of local and national clients for 18 years. DGWB has been Hilton Garden Inn's agency-of-record for the past two years.