6 Tips That Will Help Save On Hotel Bills

Many of us have walked away from a hotel desk without checking the hotel bill and paying the bill blindly. According to an administrator of a leading company, " a company could save thousands of dollars by reconciling hotel bills." For both the business traveler and personal traveler an aspect of travel that is becoming a growing problem is hotel over billing. Corporate management consultants found that people over pay hotels in excess of USD 1.8 million everyday. The billing error rates are known to be as high as 25 %.

To save on hotel bills you the business or personal traveler must know:

1. Always find out what the room rate should be. Do a comparison of rates. Many hotel directories on the internet encourage travelers to find out what actual rates are. And, get the rate in writing at the time of booking a room.

2. If you are booking on a corporate rate or a package find out what the package includes. When paying the bill ensure that items that were supposed to be free are not billed for, like a free meal or use of the spa.If the booking included one night free ensure that it is actuality free and not charged.

3. Find out before you check in what the nonnegotiable surcharges are. Many charge for use of the phone, room safe, and resort pool.

4. Many large hotels add a service charge to your bill. This means the tip is included in the bill and you do not have to tip for service separately if you don't wish to.

5. Know whether or not the food and drink kept in the room is free or will be billed to you. While some hotels offer a fruit basket or welcome drink free others charge the customer for whatever is used.

6. Many hotels charge greater amounts for room service. For example breakfast eaten in the coffee shop may be cheaper than if it is served in your room. Some do mention this fact on the room service menu.

Many hotels bill clients for facilities they may never use or don't know of. Many travelers have been forced to pay larger bills because of the presence of an Olympic size pool, gym, or internet connection.

It is to your advantage if you insist that the hotel disclose upfront all charges and costs including taxes and surcharge before you check in. This way you will not be in for any surprises when you settle the bill.

And unlike other fields where consumer protection is in place the hotel and travel industry do not have any watchdogs that guide hapless consumers. Most travel articles do not address the "dark side" of travel as the incentives and sops offered by the industry are great temptations. To set right wrongs a concerted effort must be made by travelers—they can writ forums, blog posts, and more all over the World Wide Web and create a consortium that will wage a war against unfair practices and over billing.

Kenya Coast Five (5) Star Beach Hotel - Best Kenyan Coast Hotel

The Indian Ocean beach club Kenya is possibly the most up market hotel on Diani Beach. It definitely has the best setting on the Kenyan beach. Located at the northern most part of Diani, close to the winding Tiwi River mouth, the club looks over wonderfully clean golden sands and good surf. There are enormous old baobabs, and right next to the club, nestled in a forest of these ancient trees, is a 16th century Arab mosque.

The club has been designed as a Swahili village, with clusters of white washed cottages arranged on both sides of the large main buildings. There are 100 rooms, all of which face the Indian Ocean. Some cottages are single-storied with makuti-thatched roofs while others, housing a few rooms, are double story with flat roofs in the Swahili style. The main building, with its grand red tiled roof and wooden shutters, is more reminiscent of colonial Kenya. The overall effect is a rather busy mélange of architectural styles.

The public rooms are simple and elegant. "Spices," the large and airy upstairs dining room, seems to have no walls, just a series of arched-top windows lined in wood. Instead of glass, there are wooden shutters, opening to reveal glorious views of palms, white sand and blue ocean-all only steps away. Below this restaurant is an open sided breakfast area and a large free-form swimming pool with water flowing over the edges.

The Indian Ocean Beach Club does not intend to be just another hotel-on-the beach. Arriving guests are greeted with scented towels and then, instead of queuing up at a long reception counter, will be ushered to chairs at individual welcoming tables. There are message boxes outside of each room and a 24 hour valet service. Many water sports are included in the tariff such as windsurfing, sailing, goggling and there are guided bird walks up the Tiwi River. In addition to the large main pool, three plunge pools are scattered around the grounds.

The rooms also evidence quality and detail. There are king sized Lamu beds, cushioned window seats, nice stone-tiled floors, dark mangrove beams set in white ceilings, and the hotel logo of a fish painted on the tiles above the bath. There are fancy extras-direct-dial telephones, hair driers, and air conditioning, which automatically turns off when you open the door. The rooms feel cozy. The arrangement of the cottages is such that some rooms are very close together-ideal for families or groups.

To an appreciable extent, it is the clubs location which makes it so special. The baobabs are truly awesome-enormous bulges in undreamed of shapes-hundreds of years old. They provide interest and focal points to the grounds which are still rather lacking in shade or colour. Because there is a gap in the reef, waves are able to reach the shore and even at low tide, the water is deep enough for swimming. This is quite unusual along this coast. With exposed sand banks and indigenous vegetation, the gentle meandering channels of Tiwi River add a special interest. Children were leaping off sheer cliffs of sand into the river, and then floating gently upstream in the clear ocean water of the incoming tine-great fun.

Special offerings


Free sports facilities (tennis and squash) including green fees at the Nyali Golf Club, unlimited water sports (extra charge for deep sea fishing and scuba diving), free courtesy shuttle bus to Likoni and Diani, fully equipped conference room with air conditioning, gift boutique, beauty center, children's club.

Travel Expense Management - How to Utilize A Professional Service

There is much more to controlling your company's travel budget than just allowing your employees and clients to make their own travel arrangements and submit expense reports.
Many companies who are going this route are not only sacrificing service but they are in fact losing money by not implementing a strict travel program that allows them to effectively manage and control their travel budget.

A professional travel service can offer significant advantages.

As I write this article, I am reminded of a colleauge who called was on a business trip in London. While over there, the meetings went better than he anticipated. He subsiquitly wanted to make an imediate change in his itinerary. His return from London back to Los Angeles needed to be a day earlier than it was currently scheduled for. At 8am local time in London England (that makes it 3am EST here in the States) he wanted to speak directly with someone. He didn't want to risk not being able to get the availabilty for a next day flight as it was already a one day time difference in London. It was very important thet he reach someone right away.

A professional Travel service can offer a management team capable of handling virtually everything that a traditional in house travel department would do. For a contracted cost, your company can partner with a company that operates with efficiency. The "hands on" service is well worth the cost. The simple truth is as professional travel agents they can do an array of things that discount travel web sites cannot.

A professional travel service can utilize their negotiated contracts with the airlines to offer fares that are often less costly than the airline's published fares. They have at their disposale access to search engines that aggregate all available fare types. Allowing them to be able to virtually guarantee the lowest possible fares across all markets. In addition to being less expensive, in many cases a Travel service can offer less restricted tickets as well, while still maintaining the lower fares – this is critical to the corporate traveler who is often subjected to inflated pricing structures in order to allow flexibility.

A professional Travel service can also offer complete management of all trips, meetings or any travel related issues. The arrangement of hotels, ground transportation, meeting rooms, and other various special assistance requirements are all areas that your professional will take care of.

A professional Travel service offers all of these things and so much more. They do virtually all of the paperwork, and handle all itineraries and invoices. They can submit on a bi monthly basis spreadsheets, updates, expense reports, credit card consolidation statements, and consolidated airline purchase reports. They can offer complete customization based on each account's unique needs, and work hand-in-hand with their accounting departments as needed.

Going back to my colleuge in London - who else could he call at 3am EST (remember it's 8am in London)? Would he feel comfortable leaving a message on a voice mail machine and hoping that they get a response in time to arrange an urgent change to an international ticket? His company's contracted Travel service had assigned an agent to him, and that agent was personally able to gather all of the information from them, in "real time" (and time IS money in these situations!). He was assured that he was able to check availability for his request to change his return flight. He was able to verbally let them know that everything was under his control and that he had already started the change process. He was given his new schedule and everything from the hotel to ground transportation in London and in Los Angeles was taken care of within hours.

Again, I can't stress enough the importance of having someone who will be there when your clients need to make an adjustment in their schedule. As professional service companies they put themselves in your employee's shoes and they cater to all of their travel needs. They set up profiles to ensure that your employee's personal needs are met, with all of their loyalty programs information on file. If someone needs a business class seat and it's within the company's guidelines they can provide options. If your employees need to stay in a hotel in Europe or in any city in the USA, they can offer options and service there as well.

Beware of going it alone as a business. Your Travel Budget may need Professional Help.
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Anglesey Beach Silver Coins Treasure Find

A beautiful Anglesey beach is a real treasure trove following an amazing discovery of ancient silver coins at Llanddona beach.
Beachcombers will sit up at the idea of an exploration to a soft, sandy remote beach on a paradise island off North Wales.

Coin experts estimate the 600 silver coins found at Llanddona date back to the late 13th century. In fact, this secret beach location has yielded almost 1,000 silver coins in over 6 years of beachcombing by treasure hunters.

The treasure hunters who found this latest treasure trove have been searching for over 6 years. They reckon each coin will be valued at about $8.
Now the National Museum of Wales says these silver coins are similar to those found in Ireland, Scotland and the rest of Europe and dating back to the late 1200's.

This Anglesey beach at Llanddona is a regular winner of the European Blue Flag Seaside Award for quality bathing conditions and good facilities.

The coastal and sea views from here are spectacular and well worth a visit. Looking north you will see the soft sandy beaches stretch along to Red Wharf Bay and Benllech.
And at the furthest point is Moelfre, a small eastward facing coastal village famed for its maritime tradition.

From here the famous Moelfre lifeboat was launched to save mariners in distress off the north east Anglesey coast.

With so many shipwrecks along this treasure island coast over the years, it is possible that some of the silver coin discovery is linked to such disasters.
There are many old accounts of gold sovereigns being discovered along some Anglesey beaches after major shipwrecks.

So as you view the magnificent Anglesey coastal sea views at Llanddona, just think as you feel the soft sand between your toes what might be below the surface.
The beachcomber who found the silver coins now believes the sandbank has shifted since last winter.

It's quite possible there are more 13th century silver coins waiting to be found on this beautiful Anglesey beach, but it may be more difficult to dig them out.

So whether you are into beachcombing, treasure hunts or just chilling out and appreciating lovely sea views, Llanddona is your perfect start for a break on an Anglesey beach.

St Thomas Villas

While on vacation is St. Thomas I decided to look at real estate. St Thomas Villas are reasonably priced and can earn a lot of extra revenue. You have to decide on what type of St Thomas villa you need. You can choose from luxury villas, to condo's to apartments. What's important is what you'll do with the villa.

I decided that a 4 bedroom luxury St Thomas villa was the best investment for me. This way I could rent the villa out to families as well as corporations. I looked at St Thomas condos as well. This seems like a good way to go because they are maintained for you on a regular basis.

The pros of owning a St Thomas villa versus a St Thomas condo are:

- Privacy in the villa


- Larger in size


- No condo rules to follow

The cons of owning a St Thomas villa are:

- more expensive to purchase


- more expensive to maintain


- higher taxes

You'll also need to find a good vacation rental agency to work with. They can be invaluable as they know St Thomas and the locals. They can help you on location of the property, where to hire vendors, and what's important to potential renters. They usually collect a villa rental for of 15-20% for their efforts.

St Thomas is a small island but the most popular in the US Virgin Islands. They get cruise ships on a daily basis so tourism is critical. You need to determine if you want to capitalize on this by purchasing a villa in St Thomas.

Some things you'll need to consider for owning a villa are:

- Water. Water is scarce on the islands and all homes are set up with a water catching system called a cistern. Water is funneled to a cement holding container that you use for your St Thomas villa.
- Electricity. Power is very expensive on the island of St Thomas. Running AC units on a daily basis can cost you $1000 per month. So buying St Thomas villas in the breeziest location may save you a lot of money.
- Service. You're not going to get a pizza delivered in St Thomas. Get use to the fact that good, fast service doesn't exist in the Caribbean.

I would recommend you do a lot of research before you look for St Thomas villas. If done correctly you could make large profits.

Summer Travel and Family Fun at Henry Vilas Zoo

The Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison, Wisconsin is the perfect zoo experience that takes just several hours, great for families with young children or anyone else looking to take a short walk on the wild side . Admission is free, as is parking, but there are only two lots and they fill up fast. Street parking is available.

The zoo is easy to navigate on a circular path. The majority of the exhibits are outside. Three indoor exhibits (Tropical Rain Forest Aviary, Discovering Primates and the Herpetarium) allow further walk throughs in the animals more natural habitats.

The carousel began spinning as of last year. As part of the new addition in progress, the Children's Zoo, rides are $1.00 per person. Adults are free when accompanying children under 42 inches tall. Check out the Wisconsin scenes on the top panels of the ride!

The gift shop, open March through November has animal themed souvenirs from clothing, stuffed animals, pencils, jewelry, postcards, games, toys, crafts –plenty to catch a young person's fancy. Strollers, wagons, and wheelchairs may be rented here for $4.00 plus a driver's license. There is an ATM inside.

With plenty of picnic tables and grassy areas to spread a blanket, bringing lunch and snacks is very popular. Just remember to pick up when done. The concession stand is open April through November and has snacks, hot sandwiches, pop and ice cream. Everything is ala carte with prices from $1.99-$2.99 per item. Outside vending machines with pop and water are located in several areas.

The Zoo is open year round. Grounds are open 9:30 am to 5:00 pm as are the concessions and gift shop during the months they are open. Buildings are open 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Again, admission and parking are free but donations are gladly accepted. For more information visit www. Vilaszoo.org.

Sicily, Italy - A Perfect Place For Travel Photography

The Island of Sicily is an autonomous region of Italy, on west of the southern end of the Italian peninsula. Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, separated from the mainland Italy by the Strait of Messina. An island of great natural beauty, this is a great location for travel photography and this is discussed below.

The beautiful island of Sicily is bounded by the Mediterranean Sea on the west and south, by the Ionian Sea on the east, and by the Tyrrhenian Sea on the north. The island is almost entirely covered by hills and mountains (continuations of the Apennines). Mt. Etna (over 3,000 meters high), in the east, is the highest point on the island. Sicily also includes the Egadi Islands, the Lipari Islands, the Pelagie Islands, the Pantelleria Island, and Ustica Island. The land area of Sicily covers 25,000 km² and hosts a population in excess of five million Sicilians. The language of the natives of Sicily is also called Sicilian; Sicilian also the name of the language - a language whose origins originates from a number of other languages including Spanish, Catalan, Latin, French and Arabic.

The beauty of Sicily and what makes it an ideal location for travel photography is a combination of the climate, locations, history and deep culture. You can take photographs high up on the Etna Volcano with the snow black (black due to the affects of colourisation from the black lava) and on the same day you can take photographs in the sunshine on the coast. There are also many classy and cute villages and sites. Hisrotical sites include Roman Ruins, while more natural sites include the rocky coast and the man made vineyards and olive farms which you can easily find. Sicily is so rich in culture that for travel photography, this is an island which gives you so much to capture on camera. It is hard not to get good pictures on this stunning Mediterranean island.

Sicily has a number of tourist attractions that offer a opportunities for travel photography. Some of the major attractions of the island include Augusta (a town north of Syracuse), Cefalu (Sicily's main beach resort), Eraclea Minoa (Greek ruins above an attractive beach), Gole dell'Alcantara (a deep impressive gorge), Milazzo (gateway to the Aeolian Islands), Monreale (impressive cathedral above Palermo), Mount Etna (impressive 3323m high active volcano), Piazza Armerina (home of impressive Roman mosaics), Ragusa (impressive baroque architecture), Segesta (greek temple and ruins), Sciacca (quite south coast port) and Selinunte (impressive greek temples).