Save Some Money With Travel Coupons

Travel can be so expensive. For our family of six, we have to plan very carefully or one road trip can blow our budget. Transportation costs, food, accommodations, gasoline, and even the souvenirs can all really add up. For us, the biggest costs are transportation and food. I can’t believe how expensive it is to dine out! A dinner for six at a family-style restaurant can easily cost us $100. Ouch, that really hurts.

Fortunately, we aren’t at the mercy of high expenses anymore. I use Savings.com coupons for as many things as I possibly can. Savings.com is the best coupon site I have found. The site is outstanding– well organized, neat and clean, helpful, and has TONS of coupons. They have savings for such eatery businesses as Red Lobster, Burger King, McDonald’s, Chili’s, Restaurant.com, and others. For travel, the savings are profound: Best Western Hotels, Travelocity, Expedia, Comfort Inn, AARP, Avis, Orbitz, City Sights NY, and so many more. And that’s really only scratching the surface of all the discounts there. There are countless stores and you can find discounts everywhere. Now that the holidays are upon us, there are even more ways to save as stores are offering lots of special deals and discounts on goods and services.

Of course, Savings.com has tons of coupons and discounts for other stores, any store you can think of. They also have a very helpful community where you can ask members if they are aware of certain deals or discounts. Savings.com also has a blog so you’re always informed. This is THE place to go if you want to save some bucks. And Savings.com is absolutely free! There’s no cost to use coupon codes, and membership in the Savings.com community is free (and they welcome new folks). Definitely take a look. I know you’ll be as wowed as I was when I found them!

New York Hotels

New York hotels are the standard by which all other hotels are judged. Ever since the first hotels were built there to provide lodgings for the upper class, New York hotels have led the way in providing superior quality rooms and services for commoners, kings, artists and captains of industry. The city offers a number of types of hotels. There are large national chains, residential hotels, boutique hotels and many famous hotels. If what you are looking for is the best hotel experience in the world few places can compete with the hotels that are found in New York City.

The Sohotel New York is one of the oldest hotels in New York that is still in operation. Its location in lower Manhattan gives easy access to Little Italy, China Town, Manhattan’s most interesting neighborhoods and the hottest nightclubs, restaurants and entertainment venues. The name of the hotel has changed many times since its founding in 1822. It has been called the Westchester, the Occidental and the Pioneer at different points. The hotel has hosted billionaire businessmen and philanthropists William Waldorf Astor, John L. Sullivan, Gentleman Jim Corbet and politicians Big Tim Sullivan and Pat Forley and many other great and near-great personages.

Residential hotels in New York are sometimes palatial manors which encompass several floors and are served by staffs of butlers, maids and chefs trained to provide unsurpassed service to the guests. These suites often boast Persian rugs, classic furniture, impressive dining rooms, fireplaces, gardens and incredible vistas of the New York skyline. The concierge at a good residential hotel is part manager part magician. It is said a good New York concierge can get a guest anything, including an audience with the pope. Residence hotels provide world-class cuisine and easy access to the best entertainment New York has to offer.

There are also a number of excellent chain hotels in New York. These hotels provide consistently superior atmosphere and service. High quality linens, towel and robes, large comfortable beds, state of the art bathrooms, large flat-screen televisions, Wi-fi, Skype and all the other latest technologies come standard in many rooms. Rooftop pools offer respite from the hectic pace of life for which New York is known. Many of the hotels offer media centers where traveling business people can continue to transact international business while experiencing the quality of life only New York can provide.

If you are looking to have a truly unique hotel stay consider one of the New York boutique hotels. Boutique hotels generally host very few guests at one time. Some boutique hotels never serve more than a dozen guests a day. This allows them to provide an unmatchable level of personal service. Guest can call ahead and have special meals, linens, decorations, technology and anything else imaginable prepared for their arrival. These hotels are located in some of the best locales in the city.

Are you ready for a spectacular hotel experience? Take a trip to New York and relax at a New York hotel.

Click here for great deals and offers on hotels New York and city breaks.

A Review of the Soho Grand Hotel, Broadway, New York, NY

After a hectic day pounding the pavements in Manhattan, I prefer to sink into a quiet, cushy hotel room. I don’t want to hear the ruckus of neighboring customers, or room service bell boys scuffing their metal trays down the hall, or the buzzing whirr of the elevators. The Soho Grand Hotel on 310 West Broadway was perfect. It was quiet. It was cushy.

The Soho is located in Manhattan’s trendiest neighborhood, intermingling with various row houses, studio lofts and apartments nearby. The hotel caters to the young professional with its straightlined chic appeal. The hotel is decorated in good taste, in neutral or natural colors with sparse whispers of utilitarianism about it.

I was greeted at the door by a very young lady who handled my check-in well. The young people at the front desk seemed a little distracted, or perhaps they were so accustomed to guests who knew what to do and where to go that they overlooked my hesitation and need for guidance. The girl handed me a small package of tea soap and a brochure about room service and nodded at me that I could go now. A young doorman intervened and escorted me to the elevator and my room. All very perfunctory.

The room is small. I had a room on the 7th floor, with a poor view. But hey- this is New York– few views are going to be rose gardens.

The bed was incredibly cozy– I took that photo the next morning after I’d enjoyed a sound slumber in it. The pillows were feather, and the down comforter was clean and fresh. There’s a television and DVD player, but I couldn’t get it to work. Maybe I had to pay for it? Alas, I wasn’t interested in watching movies– the Soho Grand has free Internet service, so I wired up my netbook and was online quickly.

Despite its smallness, the room was very quiet. I hear nothing of other guests, not even hallway doors opening. It was luscious.

The bathrooms are very small but clean. Read more

Review of Octopus Travel Hotel Search Site

I have been seriously contemplating a visit to the UK, sometime in the future. For one, I think my genealogy research will lead me there (as it did my grandmother, who was unsuccessful in her treasure hunt), and I would just love to see the United Kingdom beyond gazing at glossy photos in books. I am not sure when we will get to go, but it is one of my life’s dreams, and, Lord willing, I do plan to go there some time within the next few years. The real dilemma is finding good accommodation prices. I believe I have actually come across a spectacular website offering deals on Hotels in London! It’s called Octopus Travel, and they boast over 90,000 hotels in their database. I think I may be able to afford a holiday in the UK! The prices are the best I have seen, and I have visited a LOT of hotel websites, believe me.

Octopus Travel is well organized. Every listing has multiple photos of hotels, and in an instant you can view amenities, location, ratings, reviews, and more. Prices are up front, and Octopus Travel says there are no hidden costs. Octopus Travel operates out of London, and is partnered with TripAdvisor® and uses their ratings and reviews, which I think is is a great feature (I always go to TripAdvisor® when researching a hotel).

I found quite a few possibilities at the website, results I could not find elsewhere (most other websites predominately showcase only the more expensive resorts). I am basically looking for a tiny, clean little place to dump my bags and sleep in– I don’t want swimming pools, spas, gourmet cuisine, etc. I fully expect to be out and about all day when visiting the UK. Octopus Travel is the only hotel website I have seen that presents the smaller “mum and pop” hotels beside the Big Box hotels (like Radisson and Marriott). I’m very impressed.

Of course, Octopus Travel doesn’t just cater to the city of London– they showcase hotels around the world, including tons of listings for New York hotels, everything from the Ritz Carlton to the Vanderbilt YMCA. The descriptions are very detailed (and I found the description of the Soho Grand very accurate).

If you’re looking for a good deal on hotel rates, or just looking for a vast listing of hotels from which to choose, take a peek at Octopus Travel. They are a member of the ABTA Travel Booking Association and Travelport. I think I will make my hotel plans through Octopus Travel!

Note: Please be aware that while I am compensated for reviewing this website, all opinions are completely mine and are truthful to the best of my ability. Thanks for reading!

Last Chance of Season for Luxury Vacation

A friend of mine traveled to Italy recently, and brought back many photos. Wow! I have never been to Italy, but I would just love to go after seeing those photos. The Mediterranean is exquisite, and the scenery by the coast is so beautiful my eyes couldn’t bear to see it anymore (my friend stayed in one of the lovely villas in Italy).

If staying mainland is more palatable now that we are nearing the end of the summer vacation season, there are some really nice Florida villas that have that warm, Mediterranean feel (and you don’t have to learn a foreign language to visit, either!).

Hot right now are self catering villas and cottages. Since it’s the end of the season, prices have been dwindling, and it’s a good time to take advantage of the deals. Moreover, the villas and rental units are DEFINITELY more convenient. I prefer them much more to a hotel room. They are usually cleaner, roomier, and there’s more of a family-friendly atmosphere with them. Owners Direct specializes in connecting traveling families with clean, relaxing, enjoyable accommodations worldwide.

Someday I may get a chance to enjoy an Italian villa, or maybe even one in Greece…

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