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Fly Away Cafe - Where travel is a way of life

June 11th, 2008

Back to Basics: Check Your Hotel Bill

The morning of checking out of your hotel can be a hectic time, getting dressed and ready to leave and making sure all of your things are packed.  If you’re traveling with kids the list of things that you are responsible for is even longer!
Some of the stuff cannot be done till the last […]

By Mary Jo Manzanares -- 0 comments

May 29th, 2008

Try a Yurt Stay at Treebones

I love interesting or unusual places to stay. 
Don’t get me wrong, I need a certain level of creature comforts, but once those are met, I’m fairly adventurous.
Treebones Resort has caught my eye for some time now, and it’s moving up my to-visit list.  There are spectacular views, and it just seems like something […]

By Mary Jo Manzanares -- 5 comments

May 3rd, 2008

Review: TVtrip.com Video Hotel Search Site

I first heard about TVtrip.com when they launched last summer.  The concept is to provide a hotel search engine that uses unbiased videos filmed by TVtrip.  You check out the video, decide if you like the hotel, and then book.  All for the TVtrip website.
Although the concept was interesting, there just weren’t enough hotels […]

By Mary Jo Manzanares -- 5 comments

April 30th, 2008

Back to Basics: Getting From the Airport to Your Hotel

As if getting to the airport isn’t tough enough, most of us have to figure out how to get from our destination airport to our hotel.  And this is another time when some planning, and asking a few questions, can be a real savings.
Public transportation:  I’m a big believe in public transportation.  When at […]

By Mary Jo Manzanares -- 4 comments

April 28th, 2008

Matchbook Monday: Venetian Hotel, Las Vegas

I first visited the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino when it was in a soft opening in 1999.  It’s an all-suite, Venice-themed hotel and casino, and like most things in Vegas, it is over-the-top.
A few current features of the Venetian include the art exhibit Modern Masters from the Guggenheim Collection, Madame Tussauds Las Vegas, gondola […]

By Mary Jo Manzanares -- 4 comments

April 20th, 2008

Get Wet, Get Wild at MGM Grand’s Wet Republic

Is it a nightclub?  Or is it a pool?  If you’re visiting the MGM Grand Las Vegas you’ll find both with its new Wet Republic!
Wet Republic is an adult-only 53,000 square foot water playground featuring lots of room and opportunity to swim, lounge and play.  It’s a way of taking that hip Las Vegas […]

By Mary Jo Manzanares -- 1 comment

April 9th, 2008

Back to Basics: Extra Hotel Fees

As a general rule of thumb, upscale hotels and resorts assess extra charges for things like telephone calls, internet access, gym or health club fees, etc.  Generally accepted reasoning within the industry, although not necessarily admitted in public, is that guests staying at these hotels are in an income bracket where they will not […]

By Mary Jo Manzanares -- 2 comments

April 8th, 2008

The Lost Iguana at Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica

Here’s a Guest Post from Jon Rochetti who writes The DC Traveler and recently visited Costa Rica.
Nestled in the rainforest of Costa Rica, a few hours from the capital, San Jose, The Lost Iguana Resort offers spectacular views of Arenal Volcano in a lush and tropical setting.
The beautiful 100-acre property, in La Fortuna, Costa […]

By Mary Jo Manzanares -- 1 comment

March 24th, 2008

Matchbook Monday: CasaMagna Resort in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Today’s Matchbook Monday features one of my favorite Mexico hotels, the Marriott Casa Magna Resort & Spa in the Marina Vallarta area of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
The hotel is a quick five minutes from the airport, and is located directly on the ocean.  Try to secure a room with a view of it, if you […]

By Mary Jo Manzanares -- 0 comments

March 5th, 2008

Back to Basics: Mastering the Reservation Phone Line

I’ve written about this previously, but it’s basic information that can’t be repeated too many times.  I know that most people do their research and booking online, but there are times when you are going to have to call a reservation center.
It can be annoying to be put on hold, and repeatedly hear how […]

By Mary Jo Manzanares -- 0 comments

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