Monday, June 21, 2010

Booking Last Minute Hotels – Internet is the Key to the Best Hotel Deals at the Last Minute

Travelling at the last minute can be a hassle compared to if you have pre-planned everything well in advance. There is a mad scramble to search for and book suitable hotels, air tickets and transport as well as planning the itinerary, all at the eleventh hour. In the past, much of this planning is not in your hands as you have to depend on one or more travel agents to make these reservations for you, leaving you helpless and frustrated.

However, the advent of the Internet has drastically changed how people make travel arrangements at the last minute and improved on the ease at which they can do so. With a comprehensive online resource at your fingertips, you can now easily place your reservations online at websites which specialize in helping you make last minute arrangements, which have proliferated rapidly in response to the increasing demand for such services.

If you are new to these websites and looking for a hotel, you are likely to be surprised that many of the hotels are being heavily discounted, sometimes going for a price which is even lower than for an early booking. This is largely due to last minute room cancellations or the hotels simply trying to bump up occupancy rates during the off-peak travel season. Coupled with more discounted deals for airfares and car rental services, you stand to enjoy substantial savings on your total travel costs. This has made last minute travel much more attractive and feasible to tech-savvy travelers, provided they know where and how to source for the best deals online. Read on to find out about last minute hotels and what you should bear in mind when booking them online.

Be surprised by the attractiveness of last minute deals on the Internet

You will be able to easily find the best deals for your hotels on the Internet, through the web portals run by online travel agents and the hotels themselves. The discounts offered can even reach to as high as over 50%, thus it is wise to visit the websites of both the agents and hotels so you can compare the deals and decide on which one you would like to go for.

The availability of choice in your search extends to the hotel categories available for last minute booking, allowing you to take your pick from a wide range of accommodation in your destination, such as budget hotels, beach hotels and luxury resorts. It is thus a breeze to search for and compare the best rooms available for a low price in your destination.

Some pointers to follow to have a pleasant last minute hotel booking experience

Booking your hotel at the last minute need not be a frustrating experience if you follow the following helpful pointers during your booking process. Firstly, you should conduct a quick research on the background of the companies behind these online booking portals so as to prevent yourself from falling prey to scams that take advantage of unsuspecting last minute travelers who tend to make their booking decisions in a hurry. Hence, you should only place your bookings with well-established online travel agents and hotels with a history of handling customers' bookings responsibly and securely.

In addition, a good last minute booking website should be updated with the most accurate information at all times so that you can enjoy the most attractive hotel deals and promotions as soon as they are available.

You should also carefully examine the inclusions that come with each deal and select the one which affords the most convenience by having transport, meals and other relevant perks included such that you do not have to waste more time arranging for these elements separately. The confirmation notice of your booking should also be printed out and carefully kept in case of any dispute.

Sometimes, especially during the peak holiday season, things may not go as you have planned and you may discover that there are no rooms available at your selected hotel at your chosen date. You may thus have to be flexible when choosing an alternative accommodation type or location, even if it means having to be located slightly further from the city centre, such as in the suburbs. More often than not, you can find similar quality and service standards in these alternative hotels too.

Booking at the last minute should not compromise on the quality of your experience, hence do keep that in mind when choosing the website to place your booking with.

5 Star Hotels – The What, Where and Why of Luxury Accommodation

Is luxury important to you whenever you plan an overseas trip? Are budget considerations secondary to the ultimate pampering experience that you are hoping to indulge in during your visit? Then booking a stay in 5 star hotels is your best bet. Certainly, these hotels are equipped with the latest "hardware" such as the most comfortable beds and luxurious bathroom facilities that make for a relaxing stay.

But on top of that, they also deliver the Wow factor which contributes greatly towards an unforgettable stay that you would remember for some time to come. What is the Wow factor that sets these hotels apart from their cheaper counterparts, you may ask? Simply put, it is the total experience that delivers the special touch to your stay – a combination of attentive and personalized service, sophisticated and classy décor and of course, a dazzling array of services and amenities that are customized to your specific needs, whether you are a business or leisure traveler. Sounds like the kind of stay that you would like to have? Read on for more information about luxury hotels and a recommendation on where to find the best deals for these hotels.

Luxury hotels have become synonymous with prestige and success, which explain their allure to many business and leisure travelers despite their premium price. These hotels can range from smaller boutique hotels, a hotel in a resort to well-known historical buildings that have been restored as first-class accommodation.

Aligned with the best experiences that they offer their guests, their locations are often among the best ones too. Typically located in highly-accessible areas near major tourist attractions and business venues, their prime locations make them an attractive option for travelers looking for both convenience and luxury. Below is a breakdown of what you can expect to find in luxury hotels.

Rooms

Whenever you stay in a hotel, you are definitely going to spend some time in the guestrooms, even if it is just to sleep. Hotel rooms in a 5 star accommodation go beyond mere comfort to provide a luxurious experience that is prominently embodied by their spacious floor area, fresh flowers, generous amenities such as multiple phones and a bathtub as well as welcome extras such as iPod connections and large plasma TV screens.

Your experience in the rooms will be defined by the larger than life décor that accentuates the uniqueness of the hotel, be it antiques and vintage paintings in a historical hotel, or the most technologically-advanced features such as electronically-controlled curtains and interactive TV screens that allow you to retrieve your messages.

Service

Expect only top-notch service from the hotel staff in a 5 star accommodation. They should not only be helpful and knowledgeable, but will often go out of the way to assist you in answering your queries. Check-in and check-out is also a breeze, while 24-hour room service with hot food is always available, ensuring that you will never go hungry. Need assistance to secure those elusive concert tickets? The concierge will do their utmost to get you almost anything that you would need to have an enjoyable visit.

Amenities

Whether you are visiting for business or leisure reasons, you will find only the most impressive amenities and largest range of services that are more than enough to satisfy your specific needs.

Business travelers can utilize the services of state-of-the-art business centres with a range of essential equipment and secretarial services, while guests seeking relaxation can visit the spa, if available, or enjoy treatments in their own rooms.

How about if you feel like keeping fit? You will be surprised by the large pools which are often stylishly-designed and decorated, and the health club which is always well-stocked with the latest equipment and weights designed to get you into shape. Add to that limousine services which bring you around town or to the airport, international fine dining options and even yoga classes. The list goes on endlessly, so you can be assured that whatever you seek can be found under one roof.

Llandudno, North Wales's Premier Tourist Hot Spot

Llandudno is Wales's most popular seaside resorts. It has so much to offer people of all ages. It is conveniently located just off the A55, the main highway into North Wales from the North West; the A55 runs from Chester through to Holyhead a very busy port town and a very popular port for tourists getting the ferry over to Ireland.


Llandudno is a unique Victoria town with lovely views, great beaches, Victorian buildings and many attractions and sites to offer its visitors. The promenade is located on the North shore and is a lovely place to have a wander. It is edged between the little and Great Orme, which are two huge limestone headlands. At the end of the promenade lies Llandudno's Pier, a grade II listed building with numerous stalls, shops, and entertainment activities, it is Wales's longest pier and the 5th longest in the whole of the UK.


The Great Orme is a lovely place to explore, and there are numerous ways to get to the summit, including the old Victorian tramway, the cable car which is the longest passenger cable car system in the whole of the UK or you can even drive around the popular Marine Drive and stop at various look out point at your leisure. For those that like a bit of a challenge you could cycle or even walk around.

The West Shore is Llandudno's blue flag beach; it is a very popular beach, and not surprisingly as its offers views of the Great Orme, and Conwy Estuary.


For those visiting Llandudno it is a definitely a place where you could easily spend a week or more. Not only does Llandudno have so much to offer but the surrounding areas also offer so much that you really will be spoilt for choice.


The Snowdonia National Park is absolutely astounding; the summit offers amazing views across the National Park. For the adventurous the walk up Snowdon (Wales's largest Mountain) is a great challenge and the views from the summit is well worth the effort, once you reach the top the newly opened £8.4m visitor centre is a great place to find out more about Snowdon and a lovely place to sit and relax and get your breath back.

For those that prefer to do things a little less strenuous the Snowdon Mountain Railway offers a great service to the top of Snowdon. The train journey begins with a very steep incline and takes in some very beautiful scenery along the way such as waterfalls, ancient forests, chapel ruins, craggy mountains, the rocky valley, and of course birds eye views of Snowdon. The journey takes about 1 hour. It is 1 mile in distance and 1,000 feet increase in altitude.


Other places to visit around Llandudno and Snowdonia National Park include Betws-Y-Coed which is a quaint little place and a walker's paradise, the Isle of Anglesey which offers beautiful coastlines, castles, and roman forts, and lovely towns such as Beaumaris and Bethgellert.


Llandudno has some great accommodation
venues, whether you like camping & caravanning, B & B's or Hotels you will surely find exactly what you are looking for.

A popular Llandudno Hotel
with great views, great customer service and a reasonable rice tag includes the Lauriston Court Hotel. It is conveniently located on the North Shore and close to all the shops, restaurant and bars.

Information About Best 3 Star Hotels In Srinagar, Srinagar Hotels

Srinagar is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India with people coming from far and wide every year. It sees one of the highest numbers of foreign tourists visiting this city due to its beauty and scintillating surroundings. There are various hotels from the high end luxurious one to the budget types to 3 star hotels
in Srinagar. A visitor can choose his accommodation based on how much they are ready to shell out for their stay in the city.

The Grand Mumtaz Srinagar is one of the many 3 star hotels in Srinagar that offers a comfortable stay to the tourists without burning a hole in their pocket. Located on Maulana Azad Rd, it is very close to the beautiful Dal Lake. According to many reviews of guests this hotel offers 5 star hotel facilities inspite of it not being a 5 star hotel. The hotel offers 49 air conditioned rooms that offer the best in comfort and style. The hotel offers 24 hours room service and has a 24 hour Coffee shop- Gupshup, a multi cuisine restaurant - Mezbaan Bukhara and a Chinese restaurant - China Garden to cater to the palate of the various visitors to the hotel.

Located on the Byepass Road, Silver Star Hotel is a small yet comfortable 3 star Hotel in Srinagar that has a beautiful Jain temple in its premises. The hotel offers a spectacular view of the Mughal Gardens from the rooms that are aesthetically well decorated and fit with all the modern facilities. The bathrooms in the rooms also include a hair dryer as one of the amenities. The rooms are well air conditioned and spacious making them very comfortable to stay in. The hotel offers 24 hours room service, multi cuisine food and offers local guided tours to its customers.

If you are one of those who would like to put in a different kind of accommodation then the house boats on Dal Lake are apt for you. The houseboats offer some of the best facilities as offered by 3 star hotels in Srinagar. There are special room packages that one can choose from based on their period of stay. The houseboats provide a luxurious accommodation that's one of a kind to its customers. The houseboats offer the most romantic setting that one can possibly get right in between water on all sides.

Choosing the best from Saint Augustine hotels

The city of Saint Augustine is dotted with many hotels. You can get properties with extreme ease. The most important thing is to get the best of Saint Augustine hotels. What should be understood here is that the best hotel depends not upon the rating issued by some hospitality magazine or travel show on TV. It is the ability of a hotel to meet your requirements in the best possible manner, which makes it best for you.

Before anything else, check out which are the Saint Augustine hotels that fit in your budget. The city has a wide range so people can get options that suit their capability. Their are small, locally run properties which are extremely affordable and there are big name hotels which are expensive. Since most people prefer mid range hotels, Saint Augustine has many of those as well. All in all, there are multiple options to choose from.

Second important aspect is to check the dining options offered by or available near the hotel. This is particularly essential for people who are vegan or vegetarian. Whereas you can get typical American fare in most hotels, in case you have some special dietary requirements, you should only consider hotels which offer one.

Next you must consider location and accessibility of the hotel. Some people prefer hotels in prime locations. Others tend to look for hotels on the outskirts of the destination. It depends if you want to enjoy a lot of shopping or if you seek calm and comfort, just make sure you check the location of hotel. Accessibility is not an issue in case of any of the Saint Augustine hotels, thanks to the well developed local transport system. Note that beach side hotels in Saint Augustine might cost a bit extra but they offer the best of both worlds.

For the people who seek special views, with not much concern about any of the other factors, Saint Augustine hotels which provide a seaside view are the best choice. Other considerations that you may want to check about is if the hotel allows pets and if they provide special access for people with disability. Whereas all hotels have standard facilities for the disabled, some provide more than what is required by the law. If you will be accompanied by someone with disability, the hotels which offer these extra features are the way to go.

Conduct thorough research before you book any of the Saint Augustine hotels to see if it fulfills all your requirements. Only then can you find the best one.