Travel News Blog

Traffic.com Helps Drivers Avoid Thanksgiving Weekend Traffic

AAA reports on travel news that over 31 million people traveled by car over the 2007 Thanksgiving weekend, with more expected this year. While the holidays are a great time to see friends and family, they can be a challenging time todrive. Five of the ten travel days of the year with the most accidents are right around Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's. Traffic.com offers driving tips for the holiday season.

• Get a good night's sleep before your trip (at least 8 hours).
• Drive long trips with a passenger who stays awake to talk to the driver.
• Schedule regular stops, every 100 miles or two hours.
• Avoid alcohol and medications that may impair performance.
• If you are feeling drowsy, pull off into a safe area and take a brief nap.
• Walk around or do a few exercises to get rid of grogginess.
• Rely on Traffic.com for the most up-to-date traffic information

Traffic.com , the #1 U.S. traffic-only website for online and mobile
traffic information,* helps drivers plan routes, both before they leave
home and on the go.

Bernardus Lodge California

Nestled among the oaks and vineyards of scenic Carmel Valley, savor the gracious intimacy of a resort with epicurean flair. Feather beds, cozy fireplaces and oversized bathtubs for two. Vintage wine and cheese welcome. A "wine grotto" mini bar. The spa's meditation garden, warming room and soaking pool. And dining at Marinus, voted one of the Zagat's top restaurants in the Bay Area.

Rates starting at $415.00 a night.

The Opening Of Westin Verasa Napa

The Westin Verasa Napa in California is now accepting reservations for arrival on or after September 26, 2008.

Nestled on the banks of the Napa River, in the heart of North America’s premiere wine growing region, The Westin Verasa Napa is a serene, relaxing haven with natural beauty and rich cultural heritage. Explore Napa's beautifully restored architectural gems, attend outstanding performances in the renowned Napa Valley Opera House, frequent fine art exhibitions, drop in on jam sessions, and sample world famous cuisine.

New York City: 70 Park Avenue Hotel

70 Park Avenue Hotel, a Kimpton Hotel, brings a distinct approach to design and an intimate style of service, offering a haven of quiet luxury for guests seeking the ambience of their very own Park Avenue pied à terre—a NYC boutique hotel that feels like a second home. Located at 38th and Park Avenue, just steps from Grand Central Station, the midtown Manhattan hotel sets a new standard for comfort and style in New York boutique hotels, inviting guests to "Live Life Well." Check out the "Specials & Packages

TripAdvisor's:Dirtiest Hotels In The U.S.

Did you ever stay at a dirty hotel and wished someone had warned you? TripAdvisor has the top 10 Dirtiest Hotels in the U.S. chosen by their members.

Dirtiest Hotels In The U.S.

• Hotel Carter, New York, NY
• Ramada Niagara Falls, Niagara Falls, NY (Hotel now closed)
• Nashville - Days Inn Vanderbilt / Music Row, Nashville, TN
• Red Carpet Inn, Fort Lauderdale, FL
• Regency Inn & Suites, New York, NY
• St. Augustine Beachfront Resort, Saint Augustine, FL
• Travel Inn Civic/Medical Center, Miami, FL
• Eden Roc Motel, Wildwood, NJ
• Days Inn Lancaster, Lancaster, PA
• Pacific Sands Motel, Santa Monica, CA

Soho Grand Hotel New York City, New York

Soho Grand Hotel is located on West Broadway between Grand and Canal Streets, in New York City surrounded with art galleries, boutiques, and restaurants as well as TriBeCa, Greenwich Village, Chinatown, Wall Street and New York University.

"Soho Grand’s 363 guest rooms are designed to have all the eclectic cool of hip downtown New York with the luxurious calm of an ultimate city getaway. The eight-foot expanse of windows offers views of the city at its richest, but the rooms’ neutral palette and natural materials of wood, clay, canvas, and leather, provide a seductive escape from the bustle of the street. Soho Grand may be the best hotel in New York City to give the closeness you want to the city’s atmosphere and room away to love it."

Soho Grand Hotel also has special packages to accommodate every guest.

All-Inclusive Almond Casuarian Beach Resort

The all-inclusive Caribbean resort, Almond Casuarina Beach, now open and has become the fifth all-inclusive Almond Resort. Set on the white sands of Maxwell Beach on the south coast of Barbados, this all-inclusive resort will combine an elegant, natural setting with sophistication for singles, couples and families. Casuarina Beach Resort was newly opened with an eco-friendly property which underwent a $30 million expansion and completed a refurbishment of the existing property.

All-Inclusive food and beverages

• Unlimited meals at all restaurants and bars
• All meals and drinks, including name-brand liquor
• Room service (lunch and dinner only)
• Snacks at buffet style restaurant through out the day
• Taxes and gratuities

Water sports

• Water skiing
• Windsurfing
• Sailing
• Aqua cycling
• Kayaking
• Snorkeling
• Reef fishing on site (Available at Almond Beach Club, Almond Beach Village and Almond Casuarina Beach)
• Banana boating
• Use of swimming pool/spa tub/beach and pool chaise lounges/towel service
• NOTE: Subject to weather.  Some Resorts offers may vary.

Land sports

• Table tennis
• Hard-court tennis
• Billiards
• Volleyball
• Squash (available at Almond Beach Village and Almond Smugglers Cove)
• Use of fitness center/sauna/steam room
• NOTE:  Land sports do vary by Hotel and may not be available at each property

Tours

• Island picnic, includes transportation (limited water sports available)
• Complimentary shuttle service is provided to Bridgetown for shopping in Barbados. The shuttle is available on Wednesdays and Fridays at Almond Beach Club and Monday through Thursday at Almond Beach Village.

Classes/instruction

• Aerobics
• Tennis
• Sailing
• Windsurfing
• Bajan/St. Lucian (Barbadian) cooking classes
• West Indian dance lessons
• Yoga
• Lessons with a golf pro (Almond Beach Village only)

The Alex Hotel New York

If you are traveling to New York check out The Alex Hotel. This hotel is a new generation of luxury accommodations in midtown Manhattan. Impeccable guest rooms & suites in a serene and welcoming environment await your arrival. Luxurious limestone baths, rain showers, robes, and towels. Frederic Fekkai bath amenities and a fully equipped fitness center are just a taste of the amenities offered at the Alex Hotel.

Little Pal, Island Resort And Spa

Welcome to Little Palm Island Resort & Spa, the internationally acclaimed private island paradise, listed one of the top resorts in the world by Condé Nast Traveler and Travel+Leisure magazine. This island is offshore of Little Torch Key and accessible only by boat or seaplane. Crushed seashell paths wind through lush gardens to thatched-roof bungalows, which serve as your guest quarters. Each suite and grand suite has romantic touches such as a king-size bed draped in butterfly netting, verandas with ocean views and, in some rooms, private outdoor showers and jetted tubs. From the lagoon-style pool to the meditative Zen Garden or the cozy Great Room library, a perfect serenity sweeps over you as you wander the island.

InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa

The InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa is located between the “two hearts” of Motu Piti Aau, a coral island on the barrier reef. The Deep Ocean Spa is the centerpiece, but the resort offers lots of cultural and recreational activities such as canoeing, kayaking, snorkeling, stargazing, and handicraft demonstrations.