Hotels Embracing Airline Fees Example

Hotels Embracing Airline Fees Example

Total fees and surcharges collected by U.S. hotels decline to $1.55 billion last year.  Such fees are expected to rise to $1.7 billion in 2010 as a result of a number of factors:

  • Hotel room occupancy projected to increase by 3 to 4 percent due to improving economy
  • Broader adoption of hotel fees
  • More serious enforcement of and increases in existing fees

Hotel fees and surcharges started showing up at high end hotels in the late 1990s for the right to use to resort amenities such as the pool, putting greens and tennis courts.  Currently fees are generally charged on a by-location basis rather than chain wide.

Hotel fees currently being charged include for services such as:

  • Internet access, whose daily rate generally ranges from $9.95 to $19.95.
  • Room service, tends to range from $2.50 to $5.95, not including tips.
  • Minibar restocking fees, varying from $2.95 to $5.95 daily, plus the cost of the food consumed.
  • Fee for leaving early or canceling a reservation without adequate notice usually runs the cost of one night’s stay.
  • Parking fees can run between $20 to $30, or even higher, per day.
  • Storing luggage, costs $1 and up per bag.

Hotels, even more so that airlines, feel that they have a very limited ability to increase their average daily rate, but they can improve their bottom line by charging more add on fees, over 90 percent of which are often pure profit.

Currently the lower priced, budget hotels, are the ones more likely to be offering free internet service as well, in many cases, as free breakfasts.

Travelers can avoid some fees, particularly internet access fees, by either participating in a hotel’s loyalty program or by earning elite status in those programs.

www.cheapfares.com

A New York City Sports Vacation

A New York City Sports Vacation

There’s no city in the world like New York City if you want to see what a sports vacation feels like.  No matter which time of the world you decided to visit, there’s always some kind of game or sporting event going on, whether it’s professional or college.
Everything starts and ends with Madison Square Garden.  This is the home of the New York Knicks basketball team, the New York Rangers hockey team the St. John’s College basketball team, and many professional boxing matches.  It’s located right in the heart of Manhattan on 7th Avenue, known as the Fashion District, and is surrounded by stores, restaurants, bars, and within a short walking distance to both Broadway and off-Broadway shows.  Even on days when there’s no game going on, you’re apt to see a professional athlete hanging around the Garden.
Once you decide to leave the middle of the city, there’s so much more.  There’s obviously the new Yankee Stadium, which is close to the original Yankee Stadium, and it’s a $1.5 billion dollar masterpiece that was properly inaugurated in its first season of existence by bringing a world championship in baseball for the New York Yankees.  And when you’re ready to leave the Bronx, it’s a relatively short drive by distance, if not by time, across the city to Queens and Citi Field, home of the Amazin’ New York Mets.
Maybe you want football instead.  You can decide go to Shea Stadium to see the New York Jets, or head through the tunnel or across the ferry into Bergan County, NJ, to see the New York Giants play at Giants Stadium.  We’re also not through with hockey, as you can head out to Long Island to see the New York Islanders have a go at the Stanley Cup.
There’s more, of course.  Every year there’s the New York City Marathon.  There’s the Belmont, one of the Triple Crown horse races.  There’s the New York Red Bulls soccer team, which also plays at Giants Stadium.  There’s the annual Big East Basketball Championships and the National Invitational Basketball tournament.  There’s the U.S. Open tennis tournament held every late summer.  There’s the annual Millrose Games, indoor track and field held at Madison Square Garden, and the Golden Gloves Championships, also held at MSG.
All those professional games, more minor league and college games, and there’s even cricket.  You can hardly find another place where you can get your fill of sports.  And, in some circumstances, you can book your event at the same time you book your travel arrangements.  This is proof that there’s always more to see in New York City.

What to Do and See In Uganda

What to Do and See In Uganda

Uganda’s star attraction is the endangered mountain gorilla, the bulkiest of living primates, and among the most peaceable. Staring into the pensive brown eyes of these gentle giants, who share 95% of their genes with humans, is as humbling as it is thrilling; no less so when one realises that fewer than 700 individuals survive, divided between Bwindi National Park and the Virunga Mountains.

Within Uganda, five habituated gorilla troops – four in Bwindi and one in Mgahinga National Park – can be visited by a total of 30 tourists daily

Chimpanzees
Uganda is also home to man’s closest relative, the chimpanzee, a delightful ape whose evocative pant-hoot call is a definitive sound of the African rainforest. Chimpanzee communities have been habituated for tourism at Kibale Forest, Budongo Forest and Queen Elizabeth National Park’s Kyambura Gorge. A community of orphaned chimps, most of which were confiscated from poachers, can be visited on Ngamba Island, which lies on Lake Victoria 45 minutes by motorboat from Entebbe.

Golden Monkeys and other Primates
Monkeys are exceptionally well represented in Uganda. Indeed, Kibale Forest boasts the greatest primate variety and density in East Africa, with five or six species likely to be observed over the course of one afternoon walk. Elsewhere, Mgahinga National Park hosts habituated troops of the rare golden monkey, while Murchison Falls is one of the few East African strongholds for the spindly, plains-dwelling patas monkey.

The fossilised 20-million-year-old bones of Morotopithecus, the earliest-known ancestor of modern apes and humans, were unearthed in the 1960s near Moroto in Eastern Uganda, and are now housed in the National Museum in Kampala.

If you want to learn more about National Parks and Protected Areas in Uganda, Visit the web site hellouganda.com for more information

Visiting SeaWorld

Visiting SeaWorld? Discover How to Save Big Bucks

If you are planning to go to Orlando in Florida, one of the places you must visit is SeaWorld. This marine adventure park holds vast opportunities for fun and enjoyment with its amazing animal encounters, exhilarating rides, and fantastic animal shows that both you and your kids would surely adore. SeaWorld can definitely complete your Orlando vacation. Now, if you are a little tight on the budget, do not fret.

SeaWorld recognizes the fact that a vacationer is already spending so much money for the other expenses for their trip, this is why it offers various special discounts to help you get value for your money. Plus, there are many other practical tips on how to enjoy a trip to this destination without hurting your pockets along the way. Some of them are mentioned below:

1. Look for discount coupons – Discount coupons are always a good way to cut down on expenses. SeaWorld discount coupons are available from various establishments and even in the online market. You can also get to avail of these coupons from some SeaWorld vacation packages. Orlando is a famous tourist spot, and so is SeaWorld so looking for these kinds of coupons are not at all difficult.

2. Avail of Sea World Vacation Packages – These packages are great not only to save money but also to make the whole planning and preparations convenient for you. When you avail of packages, you don’t have to worry about the transportation, hotel accommodation, and separate purchasing of tickets to different parts of the park. Sea World vacation packages are widely available online. Be sure to avail it from an online travel site that has been in the business for a long time. Check out the background of the travel site and learn a few things about it from its past customers. You should only leave your vacation plans in the hands of a reliable online travel company.

3. Go during off peak season – Peak seasons are not only busy, they would also cost you more. Not only are ticket prices more expensive, Hotels and transportation are also double the price during peak season. If you want to save extra bucks, try scheduling the trip during off-peak season. Avoid summer vacation, spring break, and holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas when most people visit too.

4. Buy a multi-park unlimited pass from SeaWorld. This pass offers the best value for your money if you intend to visit the different attractions in this park including the Busch Gardens or Adventure Island. You can even get multi-passes for one or two years if you plan to go here at different times during the year.

Saving money is very important but don’t forget to have fun. While it is a must to cut down on some expenses, don’t scrimp on every little thing. Prepare for this vacation by earning additional from a side job or by working extra hours. Just watch out for great deals that will give you value for your money but don’t stress too much about it.

For more information on Sea World Vacation Packages Orlando, visit orlandovacation.com