TRAVELS TOUR

TAKE A TRIP

hotel rooms

HOTEL

Hotel prices skyrocket in advance of crowds | City News

by Tracy J. Chu

Glendale, indisputably, has “the Big Game.”

But Scottsdale, almost inarguably, has “the Big Fun.”

Gregory Hays, a Main Street mainstay for decades, took a break from hawking his books to visitors to answer a question: Why would people come here rather than Glendale for Super Bowl week, considering the often brutal 27-mile commute from Scottsdale to State Farm Stadium.

“Scottsdale has become a tourist mecca. We’ve got the best hotels, the best restaurants. There’s hundreds of restaurants, there’s nightlife, there’s shopping–there’s a pulse, it’s absolutely dynamic,” Hays boasted.

“There’s nothing happening in Glendale. Nothing.”

Glendale Mayor Jerry P. Weiers bristles when people say things like that. He said his favorite fun place around Glendale is Lumberjaxes in Westgate, an ax-throw from the stadium.

“Downtown Glendale has a lot of fun, international food choices,” Weiers said, stressing, “Everybody wants to be in Glendale at the game, and that’s fun!”

Even so, the thousands of hotel rooms around Scottsdale are selling out for Super Bowl week at massively inflated prices.

A few days ago, for example, rooms at the Rodeway Inn that normally go for around $125-150 per night were still available this week – for up to $800. The modest Comfort Suites Old Town had rooms going for upwards of a thousand dollars a night this week, about five times the normal price.

This week, it should be a different story: With sports network ESPN doing live broadcasts with games and live music on Main Street throughout the week, thousands are expected to descend on Old Town like blitzing Eagles defenders.

“Where are they all going to park?” Gregry Hays wondered from his Arizona West Galleries.

The city said Scottsdale Airpark expects to have 33 departure slots and three arivals an hour the day after the game, and that it had

… Read the rest
Read more
HOTEL

Major Hotel Investment Sales in Q4

by Tracy J. Chu

Heading into a new year, the U.S. commercial real estate industry finds itself in choppy waters amid fears of a recession, rising inflation, and interest rate hikes as market participants await a course correction. Challenges during 2022 including continued supply chain constraints, increasing labor costs and struggles in attracting talent are anticipated to endure through 2023. Combined with international and domestic geopolitical issues and market volatility, many believe during the near term, the U.S will experience a mild to moderate economic recession. Although inflation appears to have recently stabilized, it remains above seven percent, and the Federal Reserve has made clear its intent to continue raising rates until it sees a marked reduction in inflation nearer to its two percent target. Weakening fundamentals and higher cost of capital are anticipated to generally lower asset values. The good news is that for the most part, corporate finances are in good shape and having learned a lesson during the pandemic, employers will avoid extreme layoffs to avoid losing employees in a tight labor market. While consumer confidence is highly subdued, average household debt is low compared with the onset of prior recessions. Many anticipate that inflation will be significantly lower by the second half of 2023, setting the stage for falling interest rates and the beginning of a new cycle.

Recently the U.S. commercial property sector was spooked as two of the nation’s largest nontraded real estate investment trusts, namely the $69 billion Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust (BREIT) and the nearly $15 billion Starwood Real Estate Income Trust (SREIT), separately announced a limitation on withdrawals due to a surge in investor redemption requests that breached each REITs quarterly repurchase limit.  Although hospitality investments represent a small portion of each vehicle’s portfolio, many perceive the rush of investors seeking to liquefy assets

… Read the rest
Read more
VACATION

Your Dream Travel Destination & Vacation Excursion, Based On Your Zodiac Sign

by Tracy J. Chu

When you choose to leave home and venture into the outside world, you never know what’s gonna happen. And when you finally decide to submit your PTO request and start planning your next vacation, all you can do is hope for the best (and that the hotel room actually looks like the photo). Using your zodiac sign to pick a travel destination is always a smart move, because astrology can tell you so much about how to choose your own adventure.

Whenever we’re singing along to the classic Go Go’s tune: “Vacation, all I ever wanted / Vacation, had to get away” we’re all singing about a different place. Each and every one of us has our own vision of what the perfect vacation looks like, and while some of us might prefer holing up in a cozy hotel room in a mystical beach town, others might prefer to scale mountains and leap from cliffs. Going on an adventure is a sacred act and it’s an experience that is entirely defined by you. And because astrology shines a light on your interests, instincts and desires, it can provide you with a map to your ideal destination.

More from StyleCaster

If your wanderlust is becoming impossible to ignore and you’re unsure of where to go, allow me—an astrologer—to shine a light on what your idea of the perfect vacation might look like. And for good measure, I’ve included a recommendation for an excursion to add to your itinerary:

The Perfect Travel Destinations For Each Zodiac Sign

Click here to read the full article.

Photo: Getty Images.

Photo: Getty Images.

Adventure Vacation

When you decide to travel, you don’t mess around. You want a trip that gets your heart beating and your adrenaline pumping! Laying around a resort and “taking it easy” during your

… Read the rest
Read more
HOTEL

Airbnb not guaranteed to offer better deals than hotels

by Tracy J. Chu
Airbnb guests Camille Smithwick and James Green from Manchester, England, pose for photos at an Airbnb property owned by ceramist Jonathan Entler in the Echo Park area of Los Angeles in 2014. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)

Remember the days when one of the best money-saving travel tips was booking an Airbnb versus a hotel? Not only were nightly rates almost always far cheaper, but the Airbnbs and hosts themselves often shaped up to be the most memorable aspects of a trip.

These days, staying at an Airbnb rarely involves big savings or friendships with the hosts.

For better or for worse, features like self-check-in make it so hosts and guests never even meet.

Meanwhile, many listings are not managed by owners, but by corporate property management behemoths – without the convenience of on-site, full-time staff.

And the cost? A June 2022 NerdWallet analysis looked at 1,000 U.S. Airbnb reservations for 2022 or 2023. Although there’s no way to compare the costs directly since every Airbnb is different, some key indicators provide clues as to when Airbnbs are better or worse than a hotel.

In some cases, Airbnb rentals are still a good deal compared to hotels. Other times, they’re far from it.

LENGTH OF TRIP

For short stays, Airbnbs are rarely a good deal for two reasons: discounts and cleaning fees.

Savings get bigger with trip length: The nightly rate for the average seven-night Airbnb stay was 32% cheaper than a one-night stay, according to NerdWallet’s analysis.

Why are longer stays cheaper?

One reason is multiday discounts. Hosts offer these incentives because they’d prefer having fewer bookings to manage and ensure occupancy.

Another reason is cleaning fees.

… Read the rest
Read more
HOTEL

Study finds hotel shelters for unhoused people reduce emergency service use

by Tracy J. Chu

A study conducted by researchers at UC Berkeley and UCSF has found that placing unhoused people in hotels leads to a reduction in emergency service usage.

According to campus researcher and study co-author Mark Fleming, the research team analyzed data tables to compare services used by houseless individuals in San Francisco during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fleming said unhoused people who were provided private hotel rooms, private bathrooms and on-site healthcare used emergency services at a lower rate than unhoused people without shelter.

Fleming speculated that improved conditions at the hotel-based shelters have led to better outcomes for the unhoused individuals.

“It’s very likely that people are more willing to stay sheltered when they have a private room because privacy is important for anybody,” Fleming said. “Having the embedded health services at the shelter-in-place hotel sites was beneficial at getting people connected to care before they progressed to an emergency.”

Fleming said the congregate shelters offered prior to the pandemic imposed greater risk of contracting COVID-19, which in turn forced San Francisco to move many people into non-congregate shelters like hotel rooms. People experiencing homelessness often have greater rates of chronic health conditions than other populations, according to Fleming, leading to greater health risks and dangers in contracting COVID-19.

Fleming also speculated that the privacy of the hotel shelters helped discharge unhoused people from hospitals at a faster rate than those without shelter, as the hotels provide a reliable and safe space upon return.

Maria Raven, co-author and chief of emergency medicine at UCSF Medical Center, speculated that since emergency departments are open 24/7, many houseless people use these services first rather than seeking treatment elsewhere. She said when shelter is provided, it is easier for these unhoused people to take care of themselves.

“What surprised me the most

… Read the rest
Read more
HOTEL

How to get a hotel room cheaper than the best price online

by Tracy J. Chu

Here’s my spending philosophy: If you can get something a bit cheaper, it’s worth a little effort.

Of course, I like tools that do the hard work for me, too. Tap or click for an online shopping helper to find discounts that work.

There are digital tricks that can make travel easier, safer and more affordable, too. Tap or click for five smart tech tips you should read before you hit the road this summer.

When saving on hotel rooms, the sites that claim to have the best possible deal aren’t always the way to go. Sometimes, you can do better on your own. My son just used the tips below to get a hotel room for $80 cheaper than the lowest price online.

Don’t book through a travel site

When you’re looking for a hotel, travel discount sites like Kayak, Expedia or Hotels.com are good places to start — but don’t book there. Once you find the lowest available price at the hotel you want to visit, call the hotel’s reservation desk.

Many hotels will meet or beat the best internet rate when you book with them. They’d much rather skip the commission to the travel site and book your stay directly. The hotel might even throw in a free upgrade like a nicer room or complimentary breakfast.

If you’re not having any luck with the first person who answers, respectfully ask to speak to the sales manager.

This is the best time to book a hotel room

If it’s feasible, wait until the day you need the hotel room to book it. The later in the day, the better. After 4 p.m., hotels know the odds of selling a room are pretty slim, so you’re more likely to get an even lower rate. On average, the same-day rate

… Read the rest
Read more
HOTEL

People Are Booking In At Hotels Just For The Air Con Ahead Of Monday And Tuesday Scorcher

by Tracy J. Chu

People have opted to booking hotel rooms with air conditioning as temperatures are forecast to reach 40°C in parts of England on Monday and Tuesday.

Many people have taken to Twitter to share their tips and tricks for surviving the heatwave. Besides the predictable suggestion to stay in the shade, drink water, and keep the blinds closed, some have also recommended booking hotel rooms with air con or working in a hotel lobby rather than from home.

People have been sharing their top tips to keep cool during the ongoing heat wave. Credit: Alamy
People have been sharing their top tips to keep cool during the ongoing heat wave. Credit: Alamy

One person said they have found a hotel with air con to get them through the heatwave as regular UK homes are not prepared to withstand the temperatures.

However, the account also warned: “Many can’t afford that. People and pets will die.”

Assad Tannous (@AsennaWealth) said he has already had to move to a hotel with air con in London when it reached highs of 32°C.

“Problem in the UK is hardly anyone has air con,” he shared on Twitter.

Ann Chapman (@LeFuzzyOtter) asked for recommendation on hotels with an outdoor pool and air con to stay in until Tuesday as she is ‘tempted to hunker down somewhere’ while the heat is at its strongest.

… Read the rest
Read more
HOTEL

Check out (and check into) local hotels nominated as the Best in DFW

by Tracy J. Chu

Hotels. Not only does a great one make any vacation better, but it’s also one of the new categories to debut in this year’s Best in DFW people’s choice program. Hotels proved to be a really popular addition with more than 300 nominations rolling in for this broad category alone. Within Hotels, we asked you to give shout-outs to the best places for staycations, the best hotel pools, the best concierge service, the best family-friendly accommodations, and the best hotel lobbies—as well as several other distinctions.

We’re still busy working our way through the nominations in more than 340 subcategories (with more than 4100 unique nominations across all categories), but we’re giving readers a sneak peek of some of the hotels in the running before we reveal the final list of nominees. Voting takes place between August 1-26, so that gives you time to book a room or step inside some of these 12 wonderful properties in person in order to make the most informed voting decision possible.

Best Staycation Hotel

For the last couple of years, staycations have been a popular, less-expensive alternative to road trips and flights outside of the DFW area. So it’s no surprise that this section received a lot of attention this year. Among those nominated are Hotel Crescent Court in Uptown, Hotel Vin, Autograph Collection in Grapevine, and The Westin Dallas Stonebriar Golf Resort & Spa.

Best Hotel Pool

If you’re reading this from anywhere in Texas, you know we’re in the thick of the hottest weeks of the year. Few better ways to cool off exist than plunging into the refreshing waters of a sparkling pool—made even better with great views. In the category of Best Hotel Pool, three of the hotels that were nominated include The Statler Dallas, Curio Collection by

… Read the rest
Read more