Mar
06
2009
As soon as I got this in my e-mail, I had to share it with my readers. You know I’m a proponent of reading other traveler reviews when making travel choices and TripAdvisor has shown how helpful it is again by putting together a list of the “Dirtiest Hotels” in various countries. Here is just a sample of some of the comments:
The Hotel Carter in New York City has 527 one-star reviews and only 14 five-star reviews. With comments like “got eye infection from pillows” and “the bath curtains were rotten”—I would choose another hotel.
One commenter on The Centaur Hotel near the New Delhi airport says “every room they showed me had horrible carpets, peeling paint and mold.” 37 of the 42 raters agree with his one-star rating.
And this is enough for me to not stay at the Cromwell Crown in London: “The first room I was offered contained a sink overflowing with vomit. I asked to change, and was offered a room which, blissfully, was mostly free of human fluids, But it did have ‘clean me’ written in finger-writing in the grime on the wall. It looked like it had not been decorated in 30 years, and stunk of smoke (a ‘no smoking’ room).”
When I was a manager at a large resort, we periodically checked these sites to read comments and read every comment card that came through—of course we weren’t able to act on every suggestion and sometimes commenters do exaggerate, but these hotel owners have to see a theme and take some action; I hope!
What are your hotel horror stories?
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Traveler Reviews
Photo by purdywurdy, www.sxc.hu
Mar
04
2009
My trip to Morocco was a fun excursion into a new world of friendly faces, fragrant spices, and terrain that runs from beach to dessert to mountains. To plan your own trip to Morocco, think of the following:
Arrival: Morocco has several major airports including Fez, Agadir, and Marrakesh. The country can also be reached by ferry from the Southern coast of Spain.
Transportation within Morocco: If you choose not to rent a car (which obviously comes with the advantage of freedom, but the disadvantage of having to drive in Morocco), you can also choose to take a grand taxi between towns. These white taxis usually travel with six passengers, but you can pay more to have a whole taxi to yourself. Negotiate with the drivers for the price, but talk to some locals or hotel workers for average prices. Buses through the main companies Supratours and CTM are extremely inexpensive, fairly comfortable, and mostly reliable. You may want to reserve tickets ahead of time if traveling on major routes or during busy times. Just stop by the station.
Accommodations: Morocco accommodations range from luxurious five-star resorts like the Sheraton Casablanca Hotel and Towers to Berber tents out in the Sahara desert (book excursions like that here). Be sure to spend at least one night in a riad, a traditional house with a garden or fountain in an interior courtyard. This inward focus gave family’s privacy and protection from the weather—and now make elegant places to stay.
Water: There are mixed reviews on drinking the water, so I would recommend drinking bottled water (widely available very cheap) just in case. We were warned against the ice cream by an expat local, but cannot vouch for that from personal experience!
Currency: Moroccans use dirhams. Exchange bureaus and ATM’s are available, but not quite as widely as in some Western countries.
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Morocco Travel Series
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Feb
22
2009
My recent trip to Morocco was an all-inclusive vacation—for what averaged out to about $100 a day, my vacation package included seven nights in a 4-star hotel (although their idea of 4-star and ours do differ), breakfast and dinner every day, the flight to and from Munich, and transportation to and from the airport to the hotel. It was a pretty good deal since flights alone were running around $350.
As mentioned, I enjoyed the trip very much, but my traveling partner and I spent some time discussing our vacation choice and whether we would have done things differently. I’ve traveled on all-inclusive vacations before and have found clear advantages—and disadvantages—to choosing that type of vacation. Here are those pros and cons; return tomorrow for some special things to consider when selecting an all-inclusive vacation:
Advantages
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Prices are usually much cheaper than paying for each part individually.
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All details are taken care of—less time and effort are needed to spend on researching the best hotels and restaurants and how to get to the hotel from the airport.
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Most all-inclusive vacations are to large resorts with several amenities, including many that are family-friendly such as pools, 24-hour reception desks, kids’ programs, and day tours.
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You’re pretty much guaranteed to be staying in the “tourist quarter,” which means people who speak your language, a safe and secure area, and lots of choices for souvenir shops and restaurant.
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You may meet other people on a similar package and make new friends.
Disadvantages
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Limited choices in food and beverage—it’s almost always a buffet and almost always similar each day.
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Depending on your destination, the type of vacation you’re looking for, and the length of your vacation, you might feel trapped staying in the same city and same hotel for the entire time.
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Choices of participating hotels, and sometimes even destinations, are limited—you can’t find these deals for everywhere you want to go.
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You’re pretty much guaranteed to be staying in the “tourist quarter,” which means everyone there is looking to make money, not much is authentic, and you’re nowhere near getting a local’s perspective.
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You may meet other people on a similar package and be stuck with new “friends.”
Other pros and cons of vacation packages that I’ve left out? Leave a comment below.
Are you considering an all-inclusive vacation package for your next vacation? Check out the post on Monday, February 23rd for some vacation tips.
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Searching for Deals to Wherever You Want to Go
