Everyone likes to get a good deal or find a bargain. But sometimes you just want to be pampered with the best of the best. Here are some of the best hotels worldwide for just that, according to a recent survey.

The top honors go to The Peninsula, in Shanghai. The architecture is fabulous, with brass and mahogany elevators and glass lamps, but the amenities are top of the line. Enjoy such perks as VolP phones, spa tubs with music and light settings, and portable master control panels.

Number two goes to the Four Seasons Hotel in Mexico City. Relax among the hacienda architecture, stroll through the Mexican gardens with tropical fruit trees, caged canaries and orchids. Dine in the courtyard or soak in the deep tubs provided in your room. The views are spectacular from your room, and the staff is impeccable.

Three and Four were both so good they ended in a tie. The Four Seasons in Hong Kong sits on the waterfront, and features lacquered wood tables and silk throws and cushions. Get in your viewing time on the 42-inch plasma screens, and step into the walk-in showers with rainfall showerheads. Scrumptious on-site dining is available, and you can get some exercise on the rooftop deck in the twin swimming pools.

The Peninsula in Tokyo provides you with an exquisite staff that can help you with any need you might possibly have. The hotel boasts 314 fantastic rooms and suites, with stone accents, Japanese torches and inviting woodwork. Lavazza espresso machines are also a delicious perk!

Coming in at number five is the Stafford London by Kempinski. The rooms are traditional, while the carriage house has a more country flavor to it. The Stafford Mews has more modern suites that are exquisite and immense! Check out the American bar, where more than 3,000 items hand from the walls for a unique museum of sorts. They also have an in-house wine cellar.

Buenos Aires is the location of yet another Four Season Hotel. This 12-story tower is the perfect spot to relax and get your work done. Each room in the building reflects the era of the building it is in. There are 161 tower rooms and seven Mansion suites with glass chandeliers, gilded mirrors and floral rugs.

Atlanta has another of the famed Four Seasons Hotels, this one recently renovated in 2007. All 244 rooms are earth toned, and the indoor pool and outdoor sun terrace are for lounging at its finest.

Hong Kong is once again the site of the number eight hotel, the Mandarin Oriental. Relax in oversized rooms with Wi-Fi and touch screen lighting, super luxurious velvety fabrics, and colorful ceramics. There are spas on three floors, herbal steam rooms, 10 restaurants and bars, and even an old-time barber shop.

We can’t finish up the top ten without another visit to a Four Seasons Hotel, this one in Budapest. After a $125 million restoration, this 1906 hotel is one of the classiest around. Guests can’t stop gazing at the stained-glass windows in the lobby, or the magnificent chandelier that was custom-designed and created from hundreds of crystal leaves. The lobby floor consists of 1,021,200 mosaic tiles.

Number ten finds us in Berlin at the Hotel Adlon Kempinski. This hotel was around since 1907, destroyed in 1945 and reopened in 1997. It now features Carrara marble and stained glass, cherry wood accents in the rooms, and a top of the line spa for relaxing. World class restaurants are also on site so you can feast in elegance.

Categories: Points of Interest
Tags: Points of Interest

The holiday season should be a time of celebrating, friends, family and relaxing. But for many people, just the thought of the travel madness and stress makes holidays a dreadful time of year. Here are some super ways to avoid some of the problems and ease through the holidays stress-free.

The first thing you want to do is plan ahead. Do not wait for the last minute and have to deal with the thousands of other procrastinators, rising prices on gas and airfare, and general crankiness from everyone who didn’t plan ahead. The sooner you can make reservations the better. Grab the lowest prices you can, book flights and hotels way ahead of time, and steer clear of the last minute price gouge.

If you are planning to drive, try to do so several days early to avoid more expensive gas prices and much more crowded highways.

When at all possible, try to book through an airport that has plenty of different airlines, as they will all be competing for your business. This may work out to your advantage.

If there is more than one airport in your area, check out the smaller, less busy one. Most people will go for the most popular, larger airport. You can also get deals by flying on off days, like Monday or Tuesday. Check prices on the discount airlines as well, such as Spirit and Frontier, but be sure to check for fees beforehand, as the baggage fees can be a killer.

When you are ready to book, be sure to shop around. Off peak days are generally cheaper, but you may find an awesome special that you didn’t know existed. Traveling ON the actually holiday is cheaper and way less crowded, if that is an option for you.

When searching for a hotel, use a site like Tingo.com. These booking sites are a big help, and Tingo refunds you the difference if your rate goes down after you book. This can come in handy.

If you have been saving up your frequent flyer or hotel rewards, now is the perfect time to cash them in. Loyalty perks such as upgrades, amenities and much more can be a great gift to yourself for the holidays. You might even get baggage fees waived and super-fast security checks!

Save money while traveling by trying to bring your favorite items with you so you can avoid having to purchase them while away, possibly at a much higher price.

Keep connected with your friends via social sites and you may score a special deal. Sometimes these surprises are not advertised, and word of mouth may be your only way of finding them.

Whatever your mode of travel or destination may be, make it a safe, happy and stress-free one.

Categories: Travel Tips
Tags: Travel Tips

Traveling for your job is required for many employees, and absolutely mandatory for others. This can include a quick trip to the corporate office once a year or many monthly trips around the world to different areas. To the leisure traveler, this can seem like the best job ever. I mean who wouldn’t want to see China, or fly off to Rio for the weekend, or spend the holidays in Switzerland?

From the inside however, it’s not all that glorious.

Traveling alone can be just plain lonely. Not only do you have to leave your friends or family home, but you are with complete strangers for what may be a special occasion or holiday.

Getting through a major task at your job or overcoming a difficult obstacle seems like the most wonderful accomplishment. But when you realize you have nobody to celebrate it with it kind of lessens the excitement. A high five over skype just doesn’t have the same appeal.

Business travelers are also exposed to levels of radiation that over time can become a health issue, especially for those traveling on a constant schedule. According to studies, 85,000 flight miles exceeds the limit for a person’s exposure to radiation. This would be about seven round-trips from New York to Tokyo a year. It is said that the exposure the flight crew faces is even higher than that of a nuclear power worker.

Many advertisements glamorize the life of a business traveler, making you wish you too could fly to all these exotic places at the drop of a hat. But they fail to show you the inside life of a constant traveler.

If you are a solo traveler, you have to get used to dining alone daily. This can get very lonely even for the introvert who enjoys being alone. This can lead to bad eating habits and weight gain. The lack of exercise for most travelers also contributes to poor health.

All these things can lead to an immune system that is weakened, and you become a host for all sorts of germs. This is why so many travelers end up sick after taking a flight or even being in the airport.

With today’s technology as it is, many are turning to conference calls to get those meetings in, and avoiding the hassle of traveling. This can be quite productive to some, but nothing beats that face-to-face meeting, and there are those who just can’t do business long distance.

If you find yourself traveling more than you find comfortable, perhaps you could suggest cutting down on those trips by having conference calls. Another option is to bring your spouse or family with you and make a mini-trip of it. More and more business travelers are making their business trip into a family getaway and enjoying the time a lot more.

Stretch out your one day into three or four and see the sights while you are there. Take the kids to a fun attraction, or just take your spouse out to a fancy restaurant. This can make you more productive and happier in the long run.

If you feel you are achieving less, feeling sick all the time, or just ready to give up, maybe you should re-think your travel habits and change them for the better.

Categories: Traveling
Tags: Traveling

Just when you thought your airport days would forever be boring and stressful…introducing the Modobag. A piece of luggage brought to you by Kevin O’Donnell, an inventor from Chicago, who had the idea that we could all release our stress and navigate through the airport easier if we could just ride our bag.

Wait, what? You heard right. Ride our bags. The Modobag is a new type of luggage that can be ridden go-kart style. Yes it is carry-on luggage, but you can sit on the bag and ride it through the airport, or wherever you need to get to. The “vehicle” can reach up to eight miles per hour and can travel up to six whole miles on a full battery charge! The ride-able luggage features a seat, steering column, braking system, and even has a dashboard!

To some this may seem like a brilliant idea. To others, it will make the airport an even more stressful place to be. Yes the idea of riding your bag can eliminate lugging and tugging it around with you, but it can create more problems as riders speed around you, possibly crashing into each other and causing more chaos.

You can easily store the bag after you have ridden it and boarded. Other options included in the bag are a GPS tracking system and two USB ports so you can easily charge your electronic devices.

When empty, the bag weighs only 20 pounds. This may limit the amount you will want to actually pack in it, but would you rather bring more items or have an easier time getting through the airport? I guess these are things passengers will have to decide on before purchasing the bag.

Speaking of purchasing the Modobag, there are currently two models available. The standard bag, which can carry passengers weighing up to 200 pounds, is available for $999 on kickstarter. Or you can upgrade to the Modobag Max, which carries up to 260 pounds for $1,299. The retail price of the bag is stated to be $1,899.99.

Categories: Travel Tips
Tags: Travel Tips

For all your business needs, from laptops to luggage, here is a list of some of the top rated items in each class.

Let’s start with Laptops under $500. A few that made the top ten were the Dell Chromebook 11 with 16GB storage, which received 3.8 out of 5 stars, and the Asus Transformer Book with 64GB Solid-state, which received 4.0 out of 5 stars.

The Toshiba Chromebook, with 2GB Ram received 4.2 out of 5 stars, and the Acer Chromebook with 4GB got 4.4 stars.

Topping the list was the HP Chromebook 11 with Samsung Exynos 5250, which got 4.6 out of 5 stars.

The best of the Business laptops had 2 Lenovos in the top 5; The Lenovo Thinkpad and the Lenovo Y70 Touch, with 3.0 and 4.2 stars. The MacBook Pro 15 Inch  runs both the Apple and Windows operating systems, and came in with 4.4 stars, and the Macbook Pro 13 Inch was rated the best lightweight laptop on the market with unsurpassed viewing experience and received 4.6 stars.

Let’s move on to luggage. The 5 top rated brands of carry-on luggage for men were as follows. The DTravel Pro Crew 9 came in 5^th with 3.8 stars. It is 22” high and has single directional wheels. Coming in fourth was the Samsonite Dkx, 21: high and four multi directional spinner wheels. It received a 4.7.

Samsonite’s Aspire Sport sits 25” high and received a 4.0, putting it in third. The top two were both Delsey Helium. In second was the Helium Shadow, 25.2” high with a rotational wheel system and 4.2 stars, and coming in first was the Helium Aero, 25” high with four twin spinner, multi directional wheels and 4.6 stars.

Businessmen and women need to have an online presence. This can help your business immensely. Some useful sites to help you out are Facebook, Linkedin, a Twitter account, and even a Pinterest board, mostly for women.

For those who may not be aware of vlogging, it is where you mix together your video recording and your blogged article. With that said, here is a list of the best vlogging cameras to assist you, not surprisingly all made by Canon.

The Canon VIXIA got a 4.2 rating, and has specs of up to 1920 x 1080 Full HD, with an external mic jack and image stabilization. The Canon PowerShot S110 has the same specs, but no external mic jack or image stabilization, but still rated 4.3 stars.

Canon’s EOS Rebel boasts pretty much the same specs but rated 4.6 stars and the best seller label.

These tips should help your business run smoothly and keep you on top of things with the best tools for the job.

Categories: Lifestyle
Tags: lifestyle

For all of you who have spent years envying the co-worker or friend who is constantly on the go, traveling from country to country and seeing amazing sights, this may be your time to gloat. It turns out all that travel, in the long run, may actually be really bad for you.

A 15 year study done by the deputy director of research at the University of Surrey, Scott Cohen, has shown what may be disturbing to those who travel constantly. For starters, he claims that business travelers age faster. The exposure to constant jet lag can cause memory impairment, influence aging, and increase your risk of heart attack and stroke.

The amounts of radiation that you are exposed to are considerably higher than those who do not travel repeatedly. This radiation is hundreds of times higher when you are at high altitudes, than when you are on the ground. He also stated that in just seven flights a year from New York to Tokyo, and back, causes your body to exceed the limit for radiation exposure. Yikes!

Those who fly frequently have weaker immune systems due to the fact that everyone is breathing the same air on each flight. This causes you to be exposed to germs more often, and your immune systems can be confused or shut off due to the jet lag and constant running around.

Frequent travelers are less healthy and more prone to obesity since they don’t eat as many freshly prepared meals as they should. Face it…airline food is not that great to start with. Add the fact that it is drowned with sugar and salt so it will keep its taste at a higher altitude, and you have a poor diet in the making. Alcohol intake is higher for many, and reduced exercise can also take a toll on the body.

Not only will the body suffer, but the mind as well. Jet lag is a powerful thing that can mess with your mood, concentration and even judgment for up to six whole days. People stress when trying to prepare and pack successfully, stress throughout the airport, while traveling, after you land, etc. There is also often a feeling of loneliness among travelers who have to leave loved ones behind many times a week. All these issues can create some mental health problems in the long run.

Don’t give up on travel altogether. Just decide how you can change your ways and become less susceptible to all the problems listed above. Those who travel 14 days or more a month are the ones really at risk for some of these effects. If this is you and you have no way of changing that, try to work on changing what you can. Strive for only healthy meals while traveling, whether you bring your own with you or search out the healthier options along your route. Make it a point to only book hotels with gyms, or at least an exercise room. Be sure to walk around at the airport, don’t just sit still waiting.

Detour around the escalators and moving walkways, and choose stairs or just plain walking instead. Some airports have walking trails outside or even bike rentals so you can get in a workout while you wait.

If at all possible, try to teleconference and avoid making the trip at all. It can save you problems in the long run, and make for a happier, healthier you.

Categories: Lifestyle
Tags: lifestyle

Whether you live in San Diego or are just passing through for the holidays, here is a list of some awesome activities and events to check out that won’t cost you a penny.

December 4^th is the date of the Coronado Christmas Parade. Spectators will line the route down Orange Avenue to see the colorful parade and join Santa at the Rotary Plaza afterwards for the lighting of the Christmas Tree.

December 4^th and 5^th are the dates of Balboa Park December Nights. This two day holiday celebration brings food, fun and entertainment to all who visit. Balboa Park’s museums and cultural buildings will open their doors for free entrance to all visitors. This event brings carolers, sparkling light displays, carolers and even dance performances. Bring your appetite as there will also be food from around the world.

Sundays in December are the day to be at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion at 2:00 PM for holiday music and other fantastic tunes as they play on the world’s largest outdoor pipe organ. This landmark has been in the area for over 90 years and brings holiday favorites to everyone.

December 5^th brings many surprises and celebrations to the area. The California Center for the Arts presents the Holiday Tree lighting and Winter Wonderland Festival. Kids won’t want to miss this event as it features real snow, cookies to decorate, and even the chance to create their own gifts for the family. Don’t miss the twinkling lights that come on at dusk.

The North Park Toyland Parade features floats, marching bands, beauty queens and much more.

Little Italy’s Christmas Tree Lighting features a 25-foot tower of Poinsettias, decorations, snacks and live music.

Holiday in the Village is a fun family time and features the unique Ugliest Holiday Sweater Contest.

Balboa Park will feature some unique decorations depicting “Whoville”, and the annual holiday production of Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Young and old alike will not want to miss that!

On December 12^th you can join in the Poway’s Christmas in the Park celebration with a tree lighting ceremony, train rides, live music and a visit from Santa! If you prefer lighted watercraft, head to the Oceanside Harbor Parade of Lights. This parade will circle around the harbor and showcase colorfully lighted boats of all kinds. The Mission Bay Christmas Boat Parade of Lights is another option for viewing lighted boats, and features powerboats and sailboats.

For something unique, check out the Gaslamp Holiday Pet Parade in Gaslamp Quarter. See the adorable and sometimes whimsical costumed pets parade down the streets and receive awards at the Pet Expo following.

There are dozens more parades, water parades, celebrations and festivities happening all around the area throughout the month of December to get you into the holiday spirit. Check out your favorites and have a Christmas you won’t soon forget.

Categories: Traveling
Tags: Traveling

In the past, the east coast of the United States was inhabited by Native Americans. What is now Massachusetts and Rhode Island was the home to the Wampanoag people and their tribes for over 12,000 years. Many European settlers visited this area way before the Mayflower arrived. The natives thrived here, and hunted, fished and harvested many crops for generations.

A group of English Protestants decided to break away from the church of England and moved to Holland, and eventually received funding to sail the Atlantic and settle in this new world they heard about.

101 men, women and children departed on a ship and spend 66 days at sea riding the waves of the Atlantic Ocean. They were headed for the area that is now New York City. The windy weather, however, caused them to stop prematurely in what is now known as Cape Cod.

These new settlers, called the Puritans, prepared for the long winter that lay ahead of them. They gathered what they could use for survival. Samoset and Squanto, from the Abenaki tribe visited with the settlers and spoke their language and helped them prepare for the coming cold weather. They helped them grow corn and fertilize their fields with fish. They became friends and in 1621 joined together to stay safe from other tribes.

Four settlers went hunting in the fall in search of food for the celebration of harvest. The Wampanoag people heard shots fired and thought there was trouble brewing. Their leader, Massasoit was alerted and brought with him 90 men to check on the English settlers and see if war was coming.

Upon their visit they found out the gunshots were only from hunting and gathering for the harvest. Massasoit also sent men to hunt for the feast. They all ate together the meal of corn, deer, shellfish and roasted meat. Today Americans feast on things like turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes and of course cranberry sauce. Most families end it off with pumpkin or apple pie.

Two years later in 1623, the first recorded Thanksgiving feast took place when the natives and settlers praised God for making it rain after having a drought for two months.

We all have pictures in our heads of Pilgrims with tall black hats, silver buckled shoes and black clothing, and of Native Americans with suede Indian clothing and feather headdresses. This is far from the truth of how they dressed. The clothing was colorful and bright, and they danced and sang and played games.

Thanksgiving as we know it today started in 1846 when Sarah Josepha Hale, a magazine editor, wanted an annual national holiday. She realized that the harvest gathering of 1621 was incorrectly known as the first Thanksgiving.

Many years later in 1863 President Abraham Lincoln declared two national Thanksgivings. One was in the month of August, and it was in honor of the Battle of Gettysburg, the other was in November and it was to give thanks for general blessings.

Families today gather for a wonderful day of feasting, together time and games. Many families enjoy the traditional Macy’s Day Parade to start the day, and board games, outside activities or movies after the feast is over.

Categories: Lifestyle
Tags: lifestyle

If you haven’t heard of the Apple Watch, you might want to check it out. Yes, it will run you about $350 or more, depending where you purchase it, but in the long run it can help you out tremendously if you travel frequently.

For starters, it has an auto time zone adjustment. Even the most expensive of watches can’t provide you with this feature. Don’t worry about trying to figure out the time at your destination. The Apple watch will automatically do that for you.

There is a built-in Microsoft translator to help you translate words and phrases from 50 different languages. Select the language you need, speak your phrase and the translation will appear, along with an audio for you to hear.

The American Airlines app will help you get to your flight on time with a handy reminder and also allow you to check in for your flight with just your watch. You will get updates while in-flight, such as time left, where you are and which baggage claim to head to when you land.

The Passbook app is awesome as well, and will store your boarding passes and tickets and let you know when it is time to use them. Starwood Hotels even offers an app that will let you check in as you enter the lobby, get your room number sent directly to you, and allow you to enter your room just by passing the watch in front of your door lock. How cool is that?

The TripAdvisor app is the perfect companion for learning all about your surroundings at your destination. Find out what attractions, hotels and restaurants are close by. Get some helpful recommendations for what’s the best or closest place for dinner or a show. You can also save your favorites to a list for next time.

The Maps app will help you navigate through the streets of your chosen city without looking like a tourist while staring at your watch trying to find out where to go. The watch sends gentle vibrations to let you know which way you need to turn to get where you are going.

If you need help preparing for your trip, Travel List will help you pack. Well, not literally, but they will give you a list that will help you get the job done quickly and efficiently. They will remind you of those last minute things you may forget like chargers or toothbrushes. The app is $1.99, but worth it in the long run if you tend to forget things while packing or hate making lists.

Keep fit while traveling with the Activity App. This app has an accelerometer to track the movements of your body, and a sensor that will measure the intensity by way of your heartbeat. The GPS will help record the distance you travel, and provide you with several charts to check the calories you have burned etc. You will be reminded if you haven’t done enough activity for the day and even get reminders to stand and stretch occasionally.

There are plenty of other apps the watch has available, such as Instagram, Evernote, Expedia, PayByPhone Parking, Open Table and much more available for you to download to make this your best traveling companion.

Categories: Lifestyle
Tags: lifestyle

Face it…everyone would rather fly first class. Paying for the first class ticket? That’s another thing. The price can be astronomical compared to a coach ticket, and for the average business traveler, that’s an expense that just doesn’t fit into the budget.

There are those times, however, when you get lucky enough to be moved into first class due to seat shortages or other problems that arise. It could just be your lucky day, or perhaps luck has nothing to do with it. Try some of these tips and see what happens on your next flight.

1. Just Ask…Sounds simple. But it may be all you need to do to get that special first class entry. Let them know that you are interested in an upgrade if they decide to do any, and to keep you in mind. Smile and be courteous, and you will already stand out next to most of the passengers who will be grumpy or tired of waiting in lines.
2. Arrive early. Being early is always helpful no matter what you are doing. Why wait until lines are long and agents are busy with hundreds of other customers? Get a jump start on things and you may get lucky.
3. Appear to be First Class Material. Don’t arrive in stained sweats or tattered jeans with an old t-shirt on. If you prefer to fly in casual clothes, make them look good by adding a jacket, scarf or shawl. The added extras can be all it takes.
4. Choose peak travel times. If you are flying when the airport is empty and planes are half full, you obviously won’t get a chance to be moved into first class. Book your flight for peak times and hope that the seats are overbooked enough that they will have to do some upgrades.
5. Travel alone. If you are traveling by yourself, there is a better chance that you will get plucked from the crowd to fill in one of the few seats available in first class.
6. Choose to wait for the next flight. If you are asked to give up a seat, go for it. As long as you are not on a time limit, and they assure you an upgrade on the next flight, it will be worth it. You may have to wait a bit, but think of the reward!
7. Choose the undesirable seat. Pick the seat that is smack in the middle, or next to the loud annoying child. The flight attendant may feel your sorrow and try to make up for it by upgrading you. However, if you don’t get chosen, it may be a long flight.
8. Tell the attendant it’s your birthday! Or whatever occasion it may be. Anniversary, honeymoon, whatever the reason, maybe they will decide you deserve a better seat than what you have. Don’t lie, that wouldn’t be right. But if you have a special reason, use it.
9. Inspect your area. Check that all parts of your seat area are in working order. If anything is broken, such as a seat belt or arm rest, they will have to move you. If you get lucky, it may be straight to first class.
10. Loyalty club. If you aren’t already a frequent flyer member, check it out. Upgrades are often offered to members first when agents check the list of who to move into first class. Joining several clubs will assure that you are listed no matter how you fly.

Categories: Travel Tips
Tags: Travel Tips