What Do Savvy Frequent Travelers Look For?

What do savvy frequent travelers look for – Know before you book!
Before you start planning your hotel stay, you should definitely research and follow these simple pointers to help you find the perfect hotel. http://bit.ly/1k0JXwD

A Warning to Savvy Travelers

For Immediate Release.

HotelPlusPortal.com, headquartered in Orlando, FL issues a word of warning to savvy travelers in response to an increase in review blackmail causing the spread of misinformation and confusion.

Hotel Reviews – Take them with a grain of salt.

 

Reviews of any kind, with the rise of the internet, are rampant. Everyone no longer just has an opinion, now everyone also has a review based on that opinion. Reviews are of course neither inherently negative nor inherently positive but no matter what it is when it comes to deciding on the place you will be spending your vacation or getaway, they are certainly important.

 

We are speaking of course about hotels and hotel reviews, where the popularity of reviews has often lead to a rise in disgruntled, negative commentary. There are some particular things to look for in any review, whether it is of a hotel, a restaurant or a club.

 

Credibility.
First, credibility, who is it that is doing the review? It may sound snobby but you should be very careful about trusting customer reviews because of the anonymity given to them; they could literally be anyone, anyone aside from your average Joe, perhaps someone with an agenda. It is hard to glean much information from a name like PrincessKatMan23 or FanFicKing55. This is why people appreciate the opinion of reviews who put themselves under the scrutiny of the public gaze, giving their name, occupation (if it is something other than reviewing and commentary) and some other personal facts. But even these people are not faultless and one would do well to never take one single review as absolute. Rather, match and compare, this will give you a fairer and more balanced view of your prospective hotel.

 

Motives.
But on to the seedier side of things; why would anyone write a negative review if they did not actually have a bad experience or if they never even went to the hotel at all? Well remember the staff of most hotel is quite large, there is maintenance, customer service, cleaning, management and so on. In addition, the rules of most hotels are very up front and rigid, no smoking on duty, do these things within the hour, carry this there, always smile like so, comport yourself with a certain bearing and so forth. All of these things can actually make, for certain people, a very stressful and conflicting work environment. Such people probably had a falling out with the management of the hotel at which they worked and writing negative reviews is, to their mind, a form of payback.

 

The could also be the friends of people whom feel they have been slighted or those that have been fired from hotel positions, writing negative articles as a favor to their friends without much personal investment.

Considerations.

Obviously, these kinds of reviews cannot be trusted so here are some tips to spot them and other bad reviewers. The way a good review, not just of hotels, but of anything, works is as clearly and concisely as possible, he or she does not just go blindly into it without some direction. However people whom have a personal grudge against an embellishment like a hotel that is deep seat will normally be quite angry and formless. They will often capitalize things that do not need to be and put a great deal of (!) exclamation points into the ends of their sentences. And always, always avoid any review that is TYPED IN ALL CAPS, not just because it is a bloody strain on your eyes but the person writing it is either too uninformed about writing and reviews to do so or is simply too angry to be reasonable.

HotelPlusPortal.com is dedicated to guest satisfaction. Being a savvy traveler plays an important role in getting a good nights sleep and ultimately in ensuring a positive experience leaving you wanting to rave rather than rant! 

Top 10 indicators that you might need a vacation

If you put on a life preserver to feel younger – you might need a vacation.

If your conversions with your spouse are 140 characters or less – you might need a vacation.

If you reply to emails on the loo – you might need a vacation.

If you use Google translate to figure out what your wife just said – you might need a vacation.

If you fall asleep at your desk and wake up to fluff your … keyboard – you might need a vacation.

If you walk around with a foil hat to get better cell service – you might need a vacation.

If you suffer from phantom vibrations – you might need a vacation.

If you know what phantom vibrations are – you might need a vacation.

If the last time you were in the sun you only needed spf 5 – you might need a vacation.

If any of the above apply to you – you might  need a vacation.

Most Extravagant Hotel Pools

When you go on a summer vacation and stay at a hotel, one of the most important amenities is the pool. Most hotels nowadays have pools and some are bigger than others, but what about the really big pools or the unique pools? Have you ever thought what the largest hotel pool in the world is?  There are many pools in the world that are big and extravagant and there are five that are in the top!

The largest hotel pool in the world is almost 20 acres long, it is larger than 20 Olympic size pools and it takes 66 million gallons of water to fill it up! That pool is in Chile in the San Alfonso del Mar Resort. People scuba dive, snorkel and take a boat ride in the pool! This pool also won the Guinness World Record for being the largest pool. That is the largest pool in the world, now for the deepest pool in the world, Nemo 33 in Belgium. The Nemo 33 in Belgium holds the record for being the deepest pool in the world. It is 115 feet deep and it is heaven for divers! The pool simulates caves, has many compartments and caves deep down in the water. The Nemo 33 has become a diving academy where they teach scuba diving or it can be used for relaxation and fun! Now for a pool that literally hangs from a building! The pool at the Joule Hotel in Dallas, Texas is at the roof top of the hotel and eight feet of the pool hangs off. This unique pool is a pleasant surprise for the guests staying at the hotel because the pool has a gorgeous panoramic view of the city. The largest pool in the world is an outside pool; there is an indoor pool that is the largest indoor pool in the world. This pool is located in Miyazaki, Japan and it is 300 meters long and 100 meters wide. The indoor pool has a roof that is sky blue and it even has clouds, sand and it simulates a beach. Lastly, the underground pool in Utah’s Homestead Crater is one of the most unique pools in the world. This pool is the largest underground pool in the world and it is a thermal pool that is 65 feet deep. The water in the pool is warm, which makes it perfect for scuba divers who want to explore mineral deposits.

All these pools are unique and have broken records in Guinness. Next time you want to go on an adventurous vacation and explore a new pool, go scuba diving or simply see a unique pool that broke records, go visit one of these famous and only pools! 

Delicious Restaurants in Hotels

When you make reservations at a hotel or resort one thing that is nice to find is a great restaurant. If you like to go to a good restaurant when you are on vacation or you simply are staying one night to take your significant other on a romantic date, we have the top hotel restaurants for you.

First, there is the Jean Georges Restaurant in the Trump International Hotel in New York City. This luxurious hotel is located in the heart of New York City and right next to famous Central Park. This amazing restaurant offers delectable dishes that have an American, Asian and French influence. Secondly, there is the Picasso restaurant in The Bellagio in Las Vegas. This exquisite restaurant has artwork of one of the greatest artists of the 20^th century, the Spaniard Pablo Picasso. The cuisine is of French and Spanish influence which is where he spent most of his life. The Picasso restaurant also has a wine cellar with a selection of over 1,500 different wines to choose from. Then there is Studio restaurant at The Montage Laguna Beach. This lavish restaurant is on the beach and you get a spectacular view of the ocean. The restaurant offers delicious French cuisine with private dinners and a la carte menu options. There is also the restaurant in Meadowood at Meadowood Napa Valley. The restaurant in Meadowood offers modern and contemporary American cuisine that has something for everyone’s taste. Lastly, there is the Mansion Restaurant at Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek. This restaurant, fit for a king, is a Texas style restaurant that offers an American cuisine with French influence. The Mansion Restaurant is perfect for couples who are looking for a romantic restaurant with a relaxing vibe.

These are all amazing restaurants in great hotels that will give you the ultimate luxurious experience. Next time you think about taking your significant other on a date or romantic weekend getaway, stay at one of these hotels and dine at these delicious and lavish hotels. 

How to Escape the Cold Snowy Weather

Picture this: You are getting ready for work and all of the sudden you peek out the window to find your car buried under snow. You are think to yourself “Now I have to unbury my car and shovel snow to get it out of the drive way”. Then you have the television on and in the news they say that work and school are cancelled because of the snow! You are happy that work was cancelled and you don’t have to shovel all that snow, but at the same time you just got ready to for work and you need the money. Well there are a couple of ways that you can escape the cold snowy weather.

First you should wear warm clothes to be around the house. Find the fuzziest socks you have, the comfiest sweat pants and a warm long sleeve shirt or hoodie. Then you should make a warm drink, preferably hot chocolate, but you can make coffee or tea to stay warm.  You want to grab your warmest blanket and snuggle up on the couch or your bed. Take out your favorite movies and have a full day of movie marathon fun or you can play board games too! If you have a fireplace you can get the fire place going and even take out the graham crackers, Hershey’s chocolate bars and marshmallows to make s’mores!

Well these are some small fun tips to stay warm on those snowy days that school and work got cancelled. You can also come up with other creative ways to keep you warm and have fun on a snowy day. 

Best Hotel Fitness Centers

For the fitness buffs and exercise gurus, one of the amenities you must look for in a hotel is a gym or a fitness center. Some hotels and resorts won’t have fitness centers or they are very small with just three to five machines. For any fitness buff, that would be detrimental! Then, there are other gyms that have the sufficient machines and weights, but they don’t WOW you. There are five hotels in the United States that have amazing fitness center and will definitely WOW you.

First, the Canyon Ranch fitness center in The Venetian in Las Vegas. This gym has a rock climbing wall that is forty feet high, locker rooms, a weight room, a fully equipped cardio center and an indoor cycling gym. The gym also has a Pilates and Kinesis studio, yoga studio and dance studio where they offer classes.  This extravagant gym is located in one of the most popular hotels in Las Vegas and it also offers healing water baths, soaking tubs and thermal cabins. Another amazing gym is located in The Houstonian Hotel Club and Spa.  This gym is rated one of the most luxurious fitness facilities. They gym at the Houstonian offers over 250 fitness programs, classes and individual consultations. It also has a cycle studio, yoga studio, boxing studio, Pilate’s studio, sauna, steam room, indoor running track, outdoor running track and it even has a kid’s gym. This lavish fitness center is very popular and offers a wide array of amenities. Thirdly, the Hyatt at the Bellevue in Philadelphia gym named the Sporting Club is one of the gyms that is continually updating and renovating themselves. This humongous gym has a full size NBA basketball gym, an indoor running track, 25 meter indoor swimming pool, sauna, steam rooms, boxing room, yoga room, strength training equipment and cardiovascular equipment. They gym even has a tanning salon onsite, for those who like to look as if they just got a fresh new tan! Another amazing gym is located within the Ritz Carlton in Washington DC gym. This state of the art gym has the latest technology to nurture a healthy lifestyle. The luxurious gym offers ellipticals, bikes with built in DVD players, treadmills, cardiovascular and strength training. Perhaps the best thing about this gym is that it is open 24 hours a day! Lastly, the Hard Rock Hotel in Orlando gym is a gym fit for rock n’ roll stars! This sprawling gym has a beautifully landscaped jogging and walking path, cardio fitness and circuit fitness areas, as well as, locker facilities. The gym also has steam rooms, saunas and whirlpool.

If you love to go to the gym and you have to work out even when you are on vacation, any of these hotels will knock your socks off, especially, if you are obsessed with working out. Remember to check them out when you look for a hotel to stay for vacation.