Traveler 2.0

Google launches new hotel search tool

To paraphrase Billy Joel, the folks at Kayak might be having a little heart attack-ack-ack-ack. 

Google has just launched Google hotel finder. Branded an 'experiment,' hotel finder lets you search for U.S. hotels in a given city by date, location on a map, price, hotel class, and user rating. One cool feature: The hotel finder will tell you how the rate listed for your dates compares to the hotel's regular rates. This way, you can see if you're paying more--and how much more--than usual, which can help you decide when to go. You can also create a 'shortlist' of hotels you prefer. 

The tool also lets you see photos, read reviews, and book a room (by providing links to other sites like Priceline, Expedia, Hotels.com). I like the tool's clean, uncluttered interface, though Kayak still gives you far more filtering options (such as the ability to only search for hotels that have Internet access and a pool, for instance.) 

Online travel booking tips from today's Wall Street Journal

The Thursday edition of the Wall Street Journal's Personal Journal section had several good tips for frequent travelers. Here are a few: 

* If you fly coach and prefer the aisle seat, you might want to either pay for early boarding or pay to check your bag. Airlines are fine-tuning the boarding process. Several, such as United and Delta, are now boarding passengers by window first, followed by middle and then aisle seats. So if you're an aisle seat ticket holder, you'll probably find less room available in the overhead bins.

* American Airlines passengers should preprint boarding passes or download them to a smartphone. American is using a new randomized boarding process, and checking in online may give you a better chance of being assigned to an earlier boarding group at the airport vs. those who check in at the airport.

* Mobile apps for travelers can help you snag a great last-minute hotel or rental car deal. For example, the Journal's Timothy W. Martin writes that "Some hotel chains, eager to fill empty beds, offer special discounts to travelers who book while in town," which a GPS-enabled smartphone or tablet enables you to do.  

Hotel review: the Pod hotel in New York

Image by p_a_h via Flickr

They don't call it the Pod for nothing.

I'm talking about the Pod hotel, located on East 51st Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues in New York. The rooms are truly 'pod' like. My room, number 717, was about 8 feet wide and probably 12 feet long. The bed was a single-sized mattress barely wide enough to accommodate Kate Moss. The toilet and showers are down the hall. Want some drawers to store your clothes? Look under the bed. Need a coffee maker to get going in the morning? Stay in a different hotel.

OK, enough bitching. My room was only $160 a night. That's nearly unheard of in Manhattan, unless you stay at the Itchy & Scratchy Inn, or the Bedbug B&B. My room was clean, as were the bathrooms down the hall. The hotel has a hipster, Ian Schrager-on-a-budget style. And there's a decent cocktail bar/restaurant next door.

The free Wi-Fi network didn't work for me, however, but maybe it was my iPad being tempermental?

Bottom line: The Pod is one of the few good values you'll find in a Manhattan hotel. As long as you don't mind stumbling down the hall in the middle of the night to pee, that is.

 

 

Related articles

• Checking In: Gene Kaufman-Designed Japanese Pod Hotel Landing in LIC (ny.curbed.com)
• 9h The Pod Hotel | Welcome To Your Future Pod People (gliving.com)
• New York Hotels Entice Customers With Lure of TV Life (nytimes.com)

How to avoid leaving a charger behind in a hotel

The Wall Street Journal recently published a fascinating story about a common problem road warriors face: accidentally leaving behind chargers for smart phones and other devices in hotel rooms.

What's a gadget-laden road warrior to do? 

* Get into the habit of doing a visual sweep of your room before you check out. Look under the bed and check the wall sockets. An obvious tip--but I'm often surprised by how many people don't do this.

* Reduce the number of chargers you pack. I always travel with the Kensington Portable Power Outlet ($25) for a number of reasons. One reason is that it includes 2 USB ports, which I use to recharge my iPhone and Garmin GPS. I don't have to pack chargers for those devices, just their USB cables. Plus, the Kensington recharger is relatively big, so it would be harder to overlook (and thus leave behind) when doing a visual scan of my hotel room before checking out. 

* If you forget to bring a charger, ask your hotel if they've got an extra one for your device. According to the Journal, chances are your hotel will have several chargers for your BlackBerry that previous guests left behind. 

* Pack your chargers in one see-through, compartmentalized bag with labels. I've only just learned about the Kangaroom 2-sided cord pouch ($20), thanks to the Journal article. But it looks like an ideal solution (see image at right), so I bought one.   

Related articles

• Lost Gadget Chargers Are a Problem for You and the Hotel (online.wsj.com)

USA Today Article -- Most Bizarre Places to Sleep

I've spent the night in the schoolhouse that was featured in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, a lighthouse in San Francisco Bay, and a few other offbeat places I'd rather not mention.

But spending the night inside a wooden replica of a beagle? Can't say I've been there, done that.

But you can, if you venture to Cottonwood, Idaho. That's where you'll find the Dog Bark Park Inn, a 33-foot high B&B resembling a beagle. The inn is one of 10 great places for a bizarre night's sleep featured in USA Today. The article also includes places where you can sleep in a gypsy van, a coffin, and a jail.

Shockingly, the article fails to mention if you can get Wi-Fi access in the coffin.

Marriott Courtyards Getting a Makeover

Last week, it was Motel 6. This week: Courtyard by Marriott.

The Marriott chain, aimed at business travelers for the past 25 years, is now courting younger, tech-savvy guests, USA Today reports. Many of the changes are designed to breathe life into Courtyard lobbies, as chains such as Hyatt Place and Wyndham are already attempting.

Among the Courtyard lobby changes: An espresso bar that transforms into a cocktail bar at night. Free Wi-Fi (the article doesn't state if Wi-Fi will be free in all guest rooms). More lobby power outlets. Large, semicircular booths with built-in, flat-screen TVs. Computers reserved for printing airline boarding passes.

The question I have: When you're traveling on business, would you want to hang out in your hotel lobby--especially if it's well equipped with Wi-Fi, power plugs, and cocktails? Or would you rather crash in your room?

And is this a generational thing? Are 20- and 30-somethings more apt to socialize in the hotel lobby--even a Courtyard by Marriott lobby--while the rest of us retreat to our rooms for a little quiet time?

Motel 6: We'll Turn the Wi-Fi On For Ya

Breaking news from USA Today: Motel 6 is going upscale.

The heretofore downscale chain is upgrading guest rooms with 32-inch flat-panel TVs and free Wi-Fi. Guest-room decor is getting a modified W hotel treatment, too.

"Gone will be the busy, vividly colored bedspread," USA Today reports. "Bedding in sophisticated tones such as cinnamon or olive will complement an accent wall (see image). In the new bathroom, a white vessel sink will set atop black granite. Room carpets will be replaced by wood-look flooring, and new, contemporary furnishings will resemble something from the pages of a West Elm or IKEA catalog."

Here's the best news: "Despite looking more upscale, Motel 6 will continue its low-rate strategy; cost of an average room last year was $45.26," says USA Today. That's pretty compelling, given that some hotels charge nearly half that much just for Wi-Fi access.

The revamped Motel 6 could be an ideal place for some shut-eye on the road--particularly if the economy keeps you awake at night.

Video: Wyndham Smart Chair

Just posted a video on YouTube, showing the Wyndham Hotel's new Smart Chair concept. See below.

As I mentioned earlier this week, I'll have a full review of the chair and my stay at the Toronto Wyndham Garden Hotel soon posted on PCWorld.com. In the meantime, here's what Chuck, a frequent commentator on this blog, has to say about the whole Michael Graves-designed Smart Chair idea:

"Based on my experience with products he previously designed for a nationwide department store chain, Michael Graves' products are usually very stylish, even witty, in their design, but extremely unsuited to everyday use. Instead of 'form follows function,' his products are more 'form follows what I say form is, and functionality is an afterthought.' This chair seems to be yet another example of his design philosophy, with the overstuffed look of a 1940's occasional chair to which electrical wiring has been added."

Would You Want an Electric Chair in Your Hotel Room?

Maybe you've heard that the Radisson chain has added electric-powered mattresses to some of its hotel rooms. Not to be outdone, Wyndham Hotels is rolling out what must be the first electric-powered hotel chairs.

It's the Michael Graves & Associates Smart Chair. It's designed for kicking back in your hotel room, propping your feet up on the matching ottoman, and working on your laptop (or not). The chair plugs into a wall socket, so that it can, in turn, offer a live power plug for recharging your laptop, cell phone, or other gadget. The plug is located on the chair's left side, along with an Ethernet port for a wired Internet connection.  Two pivoting desktops sit atop either armrest to support your laptop, meal, water bottle, what have you.

Last week, I had the opportunity to try the Smart Chair in Wyndham's new Toronto hotel. I'll have a full review of the chair and the hotel in an upcoming PC World Mobile Computing column. In the meantime, I'll just say that I found the Smart Chair firm but comfortable. And it wasn't the only designer-name chair in my room, either. For those seeking a more ergonomic, adjustable chair, Wyndham has added Herman Miller Mirra chairs to many of its rooms. It's not electric, but you can't have everything.

New Survey: Best Hotels for Travelers

What are the best hotels for travelers? A new J.D. Power & Associates survey ranks the top choices in terms of overall satisfaction. Most of, if not all, the chains ranked in the survey offer at least some business amenities, including high-speed Internet access.

Here are the winners in each of the six categories. Winners earned five stars. I've also listed hotel chains in each category earning the fewest stars (two). 

> Luxury: Ritz-Carlton. W hotels and the Intercontinental chain tied for lowest rating. Worth noting: The Intercontinental chain also appeared on HotelChatter's 'Worst Wi-Fi hotels' list this year.

> Upscale: Embassy Suites. Those receiving only two stars in this category include Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Doubletree, and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.

> Mid-Scale Full Service: Hilton Garden Inn. Howard Johnson's earned just two stars. Guess someone didn't like the ice cream.

> Mid-Scale Limited Service: Drury Inn & Suites. Earning just two stars: Ramada.

> Economy/Budget: Microtel Inns & Suites. Econo Lodge was among those getting just two stars.

> Extended Stay: Homewood Suites. But don't confuse them with Homestead Studio Suites, which earned just two stars.

Meanwhile, don't overlook bed and breakfasts for your next business trip. A survey from BedandBreakfast.com reports that most U.S. bed and breakfasts offer business amenities, such as free Wi-Fi, fax service, and corporate rates.

And one more thing: Get a load of the business man having a meltdown in a hotel lobby, shown in the YouTube video below. Funny--but also truly appalling.