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What defines a good hotel? There are as many points of view to consider when answering that question. Many types of hotel and levels of quality exist in the hotel industry. Answering the question from the point of view of a hotel rating association may not be the best way to identify a good hotel.

Regardless of any hotel quality ratings, there are some important basic requirements. The following areas apply to any good hotel, regardless of quality rating that hotel may proudly inform prospective guests they have achieved.

Security
A hotel needs to have physical facilities and operational procedures to ensure the security of guests, the staff and the physical plant of the hotel. Any hotel not meeting this important minimum standard should not be licensed by local authorities.

The source of food and beverages used in hotel catering programs also needs to be vetted carefully. All suppliers must have their own security programs and procedures in place. Contamination of food served to guests is obviously something to be prevented.

A good hotel needs to have a coordinated action plan with local police and / or military authorities in case of direct, indirect or nearby security problem events.

Any guest coming to a good hotel, upon calling home to their family and friends, should feel confident to report they have never felt safer. Safety and security are of utmost importance.

Cleanliness
Procedures ensuring food is prepared and served in the cleanest possible manner is one of the most important attributes of a good hotel. Nothing ruins a stay in a hotel more than becoming sick from food poisoning.

Hotel housekeeping personnel need to project the culture of the hotel as far as efficiency, cleanliness and professionalism. This is often a difficult thing to carry out successfully. Housekeeping staff must be properly trained to know and execute the highest possible standards of cleanliness.

Efficiency
From the first moment a guest walks in the door on arrival until checkout and final departure a good hotel is efficient at all points of contact with the guest. This means having great service and help desk for its guest.  This is the most important attribute in defining a good hotel.

Hotels that are consistently secure, clean and efficient, will find customers returning repeatedly, choosing them over other hotels that may even rate better in quality. The number of stars a hotel has earned means nothing if the guest does not feel safe and served most efficiently.

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Are you going to be traveling soon? Have you been thinking of what to pack on your trip away from home? Well we all go on trips and sometimes it can be extremely difficult to choose what to pack on our trips. However, there are a few simple rules to packing when travelling to a different area. If you follow these tips you can easily pack your vacations into one easy to use suitcase and be ready to go.

The first step is to research your trip. Where are you going? What is the climate there? Have they had any extreme weather lately? When these questions have been answered you can start packing accordingly and be ready for any kind of tragedy or surprise that could possibly happen. With a little preparation and research you will be ready for whatever the land has to throw at you. This is only one step however in the clothes packing process.

The second step in this process is to examine the culture. This can easily help you experience more of the country or land by dressing the same as the locals. You will want to pack some clothes that match theirs so that you won’t be so much of a “tourist” to them. This seems a little silly, but when you are there in the country you will be glad you packed for their culture. It will also help you gain friends and become acquainted with locals possibly getting you further into the real culture of the land. This of course is optional but could be a great time for any tourist to experience.

The third and final step when packing is to pack for travel. You are not going to be able to bring your entire closet and you don’t want to if you are going very far. In all reality you will probably be able to pack and then remove half of the clothing you have packed and put it back. Now you will be ready for the trip and just about everything that could happen to you along the way.

Follow these steps and you can easily pack for any trip within a half hour. Always remember you are packing for a trip, not moving so keep it a little light and easily mobile. Keep these in mind and make sure to have fun on all of your trips across the world!

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Whether you’re traveling on a vacation or a business trip, travelers need to get their bearings in a hotel after checking in. The first is finding where the room is and the staff at the front desk can provide ways to reach it, either by providing a printed map or with verbal instructions. Once inside the room, turning on the lights and the heating or cooling equipment helps you condition the room for your individual comfort requirements.

Safety is always a consideration when staying overnight, so locating both the elevators and the nearest exit can be something to put high on the list. If the hotel didn’t give you a printed map, the inside of the door has to show you the exact location of the emergency exits for the hotel. Knowing the exact check-out time is also required on the door, which helps you avoid any hourly or nightly extra expenses should you have a late checkout.

Besides safety, cleanliness is the next consideration after checking into a hotel. If you notice that your room is not as clean as you expect it, contact the front desk to alert them to send housekeeping staff to remedy the problems. Before it gets too late at night, verify that your room’s bathroom facilities are working properly to avoid plumbing problems overnight or first thing in the morning. Hotels usually provide sufficient towels and toiletries for two people per day, but if you’re occupying the room with more people, ask housekeeping to bring you more soap, towels and tissues to avoid shortages.

You will also want to check on amenities of the hotel room. You should always check whether or not the furniture within the hotel is modern or vintage. You will want to make sure that the contemporary bedroom furniture is something you are comfortable with. If you’d like to purchase any, you can actually visit here to find a large variety to purchase from.

Many hotels have onsite restaurants or room service and finding the menus can save you a trip outdoors if you choose to dine in the hotel. If the hotel doesn’t have any onsite dining, check the guest services guide to find out who delivers or where local restaurants are located. Smaller hotels often lack food service, but local eating establishments may have listings in the guide. You can also contact the front desk for recommendations for good places to eat locally.

Finding the vending machines and ice maker help hotel visitors enjoy a comfortable stay at the hotel and reading the policies and pricing for the mini-bar keep unpleasant surprises from showing up on your credit card statement. And if you’re traveling with children, finding the pool or toy stash the hotel may have helps you have an enjoyable stay as a family.

You probably don’t have tens of thousands of dollars to spend on a hotel room, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy reading about the decadences the filthy rich can enjoy. Keep reading to learn about eight of the world’s most luxurious hotels.

1. Burj Al Arab, or the Tower of the Arabs, is a sail-shaped hotel on an artificial island in Dubai. Inside of the hotel you can find a massive aquarium, rotating beds, on-call butlers and chauffeurs, and a submarine ride.

2. The Martinez Hotel in Cannes. Rent the penthouse suite at this hotel and you’ll have access to your own personal butler, limousine, and jacuzzi.

3. The Atlantis in the Bahamas. Located in the midst of a resort and marina, hotel rooms feature beautiful views, chandeliers, individual grand pianos, and, of course, an on-call butler.

4. The Peninsula, Hong Kong. You can be picked up at the airport by a chauffeur, or ride in on a helicopter. Rooms cost ten thousand dollars per night and come with all of the amenities, including an on-call butler and access to the hotel’s fleet of Rolls Royce cars.

5. Ciragan Palace Kempinski in Istanbul. This historical hotel has been around for five hundred years, but boasts all of modernity’s luxuries. Guests can enjoy the boat and helicopter services, or use the hotel as a relaxing base to explore beautiful Turkey and centuries of history.

6. The Ritz Carlton in Moscow. This gorgeous hotel is perfectly located to offer a breathtaking view of the Kremlin, St. Basil’s Cathedral, and the Red Square. Rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows to showcase the location, as well as libraries, grand pianos, heated floors, and a well-stocked bar.

7. The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo. Located in the bustling capitol of Japan, this hotel offers views of the Imperial Palace and everything that Japan has to offer. Guests can luxuriate with traditional tea service and entertainment, or enjoy the flat screen televisions and indoor pools.

8. The Four Seasons Hotel in New York City. The Four Seasons have been a key part of NYC’s charm for decades. Visitors can retreat from the city’s sounds and chaos to enjoy an indoor waterfall, grand piano, spa treatment, personal trainer, butler, world class restaurant, or the stunning view of New York City.

The next time you’re on vacation, just pretend that your motel room comes with a private butler or grand piano. You might miss having an underwater aquarium in your hotel’s restaurant, but you won’t be sorry that you’re avoiding the ten to twenty thousand dollar bill that comes with this hotel rooms.

Whether you’re going out of town for a business trip or a family vacation, there are always great ways to save money on your hotel booking. The most basic rule of thumb is simply to shop around. Nowadays, that can be done as easily as a quick search on the internet. Websites like Booking.com and Hotels.com get you the lowdown on pricing at different hotels with just a few clicks of the mouse.

Are you planning on flying to your destination? If so, you can often get great deals by booking your flight and your hotel together. Most travel websites like Orbitz and Expedia offer these options.

Booking a hotel at the last minute might be risky, but if you are traveling during the low season, many hotels will have empty rooms available and are desperate to fill them. Whether or not someone rents it out, the room will be a drain on the hotel’s resources, and that puts you in a position to bargain for a lower price. Sites like Priceline can help you snag a deal.

Another great option is taking advantage of promotions and discounts, particularly if you have flexible destination or travel plans. For example, Groupon offers getaway deals that combine lodging deals with extras, like free spa treatments, city tours, and other sightseeing adventures.

No matter what, before you book, check to see if you get any special discounts for where you work. The government and military get discounts, and if you work at a large corporate firm there are often special corporate rates for employees at certain hotels. Do a quick Google search for coupon codes and promotions, especially if the hotel in question is part of a chain. Make sure that you get all the amenities you want, like complimentary breakfast or free internet access; sometimes a hotel’s lower upfront rate might be offset by expensive Internet access fees or the like. That could easily turn your bargain into a money sucker.

Lastly, book your hotel with a rewards credit card. If you’re going to be spending the money anyway, you might as well get a little something back for it. Paying with a rewards credit card takes little to no effort and will add up over the long run, as long as you don’t overcharge and pay bills in full.

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Marketing is vital to the continued existence of a business. Doing various marketing strategies will make the company more visible to the target demographics and attract more customers to their product or service. The same principle applies to hotels. How hotels commonly do marketing will depend on their 4P’s – product, promotion, price and place.

Here are some of the effective strategies that hotels employ to attract more clients:

Brochures. This is the most common marketing strategy that hotels used. Brochures provide vital information about the hotel such as amenities, promotions, price and provide enticing pictures of the hotel.

Hotel promotions. Providing promotional packages to guests will not only attract new guests but also get some repeat customers. Customer rewards which are based on the points that the customer accumulated for each stay is one excellent promo. The more points the client earns, the higher the rewards like free night stay or free airline tickets.

Providing room rate discount for locals or for repeat customers is also another effective promotional activity. Some hotels provide free use of certain amenities such as swimming pool. Others provide free concerts.

Associating with travel agencies. Travel agencies handle visitors on a daily basis. Hotels give special perks and commissions to travel agents who can bring in more hotel guests. This symbiotic relationship boosts earning potentials for the tour guide and the hotel as well.

Hotels that aligned themselves to travel associations usually see a rise of up to 32 percent in their reservations and occupancy rate. This is definitely one lucrative way of making their presence known and attracting more guests.

Websites. Social media marketing is one of the most effective ways of getting additional hotel guests. A user-friendly site is a cost effective way of promoting the hotel. A website transcends national borders. International clients who are traveling to where the hotel is located can get the information they require online. This gives the hotel a chance to grow its target demographics in the international scene.

The hotel can upload videos in the website to show the various services and amenities they offer. Prospective clients can email them to inquire about certain services they offer or call their contact numbers provided in their website.

Online reservation or booking is also possible using the website. All the guest needs to do is to key in basic information and pay via credit card. Customers prefer the convenience that online booking provides.

Also, a website is available 24/7. This means the client can access the site wherever they are, at any time they want. They can book a room even at odd hours. Having a website is one efficient way of how hotels commonly do marketing.

Tags: hotel marketing

You are driving a hybrid. You’ve joined the eco friendly community. Now it’s time to plan your vacation. You decide to go eco all the way by staying at an eco friendly hotel. If location is not your primary goal, you will have a wide array of hotels to choose from. Some are part of a hotel chain, while others are individually owned.

As you search for information you are asking yourself-what is special about an eco friendly hotel? You find that some of the hotels that are listed are LEED certified. LEED means Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The program certifies professionals who plan to develop eco friendly buildings. The Marriott in Bethesda, MD was the first LEED certified hotel.

As you read descriptions of these hotels you find that the materials used in construction were organic. The Orchard Garden in San Francisco used LEED certified wood, non- toxic paints and varnishes. The lighting is energy efficient, they have bidetking electric bidet to save paper. The Hilton Triton in San Francisco touts that 75% of its construction was LEED certified. The Gala Napa Valley used recycled carpet content. Still another hotel, the Zion Lodge in Zion Utah has bamboo floors. One of the most unusual is the Hotel Desconocido in Jalisco, Mexico. It used bamboo, palm leaves and clay huts.

The hotels use energy efficient power. Some use solar panels, even candles.

Now you are wondering about the food. Most use organic foods, locally grown. Some use composting. If seafood is on the menu, it’s sustainable seafood.

As for other amenities some offer refueling stations for electric cars. Many vacationers are looking for an experience instead of just a location. These hotels offer you memories as well as first class accommodations. You will be able to tell stories to your friends and neighbors about your travels.

Tags: eco friendly hotels