Back in the days of the Titanic and other grande dames of trans-Atlantic travel, exclusive dining rooms for First and Second Class passengers were a common site on ships. Never would the passengers of premium cabins have to mix with the Great Unwashed of the steerage class.
Is the concept making a comeback? As we mentioned last week, Celebrity plans an exclusive dining room on its next ship, the Celebrity Solstice. The 130-seat eatery, dubbed Blu, will be the private domain of passengers in AquaClass, an exclusive new category of cabins aimed at spa lovers. And, as our colleague Carolyn Spencer Brown of cruisecritic.com reminded us this week, European line Costa Cruises also has been adding exclusive dining rooms for passengers in its premium spa cabins on its most recent ships.
The lines are taking a cue from Cunard, which has long assigned passengers who book the best cabins on its ships to exclusive dining rooms.
For the most part, Cunard's class system for dining has been an exception. One of the hallmarks of the modern era of cruising has been the come-one, come-all approach to dining rooms and other public areas on ships. And still today on most modern cruise ships, every passenger -- whether staying in the lowliest inside cabin or the grandest suite -- is welcome in every restaurant on board (including so-called alternative restaurants that require an extra payment).
For the record, Celebrity CEO Dan Hanrahan tells us that passengers who aren't in AquaClass will be able to book a night in AquaClass' exclusive Blu dining room "on a space available basis." That said, the odds aren't great, as there are just enough seats in the room for passengers in AquaClass.
Tell us, Cruise Loggers, what do you think about exclusive dining rooms? With ships getting bigger, allowing for more space for multiple dining rooms on ships, is this a concept whose time has come?
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Friday, September 28, 2007
Delta's 'out of the way' international routes are paying off
Delta announced yesterday it would 14 new international routes (see below), including a number of destinations Reuters describes as "out of the way." The news agency cites Lagos, Nigeria; Dakar, Senegal; and Guatemala City as a few examples. But those types of destinations appear to be working well for Delta. Reuters writes Delta's "strategy of picking under-served international destinations has paid off; every international route launched last year has been profitable," Delta officials claim. "This is profitable and sustainable flying," says Delta CEO Richard Anderson.
TheStreet.com says "Delta is breaking the industry mold by adding underserved destinations." Delta executive vice president Glen Hauenstein tells publication he thinks rivals are following "the lemming theory" by adding tried-and-true destinations, which just means that "everybody flies to Brussels." But he says he thinks "the real value is in going to places that are difficult to get to," routes where Delta can make a quick impact on routes that previously required difficult layovers or multiple connections.
TheStreet.com says "Delta is breaking the industry mold by adding underserved destinations." Delta executive vice president Glen Hauenstein tells publication he thinks rivals are following "the lemming theory" by adding tried-and-true destinations, which just means that "everybody flies to Brussels." But he says he thinks "the real value is in going to places that are difficult to get to," routes where Delta can make a quick impact on routes that previously required difficult layovers or multiple connections.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Best holiday times to fly and save
If you’re going to grandmother’s house for Thanksgiving or Christmas, you’d better start making plans. Americans are booking their holiday travel earlier this year than usual, according to Priceline.
The online agency says the average price of a Thanksgiving ticket is running between $288 and $378, while Christmas tickets are going for $296 to $475.
Here are some of the key dates, from Priceline’s Best Days to Fly Calendar
* The lowest fares for Thanksgiving are for travel on Nov. 19, 22, 23 and 27. Thanksgiving day is Nov. 22.
* The highest fares are for travel on Nov. 16, 17, 18 and 25.
* The lowest fares for Christmas are for travel before Dec. 19 or on Dec. 24, 26, 27, 28 and 31. Christmas (and New Year’s Day) are on Tuesdays this season.
* The highest fares are for travel on Dec. 20, 21 and 22 or Jan. 1, 2 and 3.
The online agency says the average price of a Thanksgiving ticket is running between $288 and $378, while Christmas tickets are going for $296 to $475.
Here are some of the key dates, from Priceline’s Best Days to Fly Calendar
* The lowest fares for Thanksgiving are for travel on Nov. 19, 22, 23 and 27. Thanksgiving day is Nov. 22.
* The highest fares are for travel on Nov. 16, 17, 18 and 25.
* The lowest fares for Christmas are for travel before Dec. 19 or on Dec. 24, 26, 27, 28 and 31. Christmas (and New Year’s Day) are on Tuesdays this season.
* The highest fares are for travel on Dec. 20, 21 and 22 or Jan. 1, 2 and 3.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Climbing the Adirondacks
ADIRONDACK PARK, N.Y. - IT WAS NOT SO MUCH A VACATION AS A QUEST.
Because this was no ordinary road trip; this was the voyage to take our daughter to her first year of college, the classic long-distance drive in a car bulging with pillows, hangers and a laptop. It would be the last trip my husband, Tribune photographer Chuck Berman, and I would take with our older daughter, Robin, before everything changed.
How best to honor the adventure on which she was embarking? How could we acknowledge that she would face challenges and our certainty that she would overcome them?
By doing the same thing ourselves.
We needed to climb a mountain.
Luckily, the Adirondack Mountains are conveniently located for the Midwesterner bound by car for Boston, where Robin was about to start Boston University. The 6-million-acre state park in upstate New York is famed for the High Peaks, the 46 major mountains. The highest, Mt. Marcy, stands 5,344 feet high.
But we picked a low peak -- Crane Mountain, 3,254 feet of challenge and beauty 88 miles north of Albany, near the southern end of the park. It wasn't an easy choice (see If You Go); it may not have been the best one for a family of flatlanders led by a mom having a careless day.
But sight unseen, I was in love.
The view from the top of this lesser-known peak was said to be magnificent. The trail, which gained a steep 1,154 feet in 1.4 miles, would require scrambling over bare rock and climbing two wood 1adders. And to top it off, there was a pond nestled in the high country, accessible only by foot.
I was pawing at the ground. But first, because I had not yet turned careless, I called the Adirondack Mountain Club, known as ADK, and cadged advice from executive director Neil Woodworth.
His advice was a warning. Crane was an outlying mountain. The trail was hard to find and hard to hike.
"Crane Mountain is a very steep climb," he said. "Many Adirondack High Peaks are not as challenging as Crane."
And Adirondack trails in general are difficult and steep, he said. Unlike in the Rockies, where switchbacks allow gradual gains in altitude, Adirondack trails were cut by 19th Century guides who took the shortest route to the top.
I figured we could manage it. But I would come to wish I had listened more carefully.
The first challenge was finding the trail head. At Woodworth's suggestion, I had bought a road map that included even dirt roads. The Crane Mountain trail head was at the end of one.
We parked and walked to the trail sign. The 1.4 miles to the summit didn't sound like much. But within moments, we saw the direction the hike would take: Straight up.
We were climbing up a path made of boulders. It looked like a giant had been rolling rocks downhill, or like a Stone Age StairMaster. (In fact, the harsh trail turned out to be the unfortunate result of erosion. Straight-up trails become the paths of least resistance for water cascading downhill, Woodworth explained later. The water wears away the soil, leaving a path of rocks and smooth bedrock.)
We scrambled up, breathing hard. We stepped high over big rocks; we squeezed through narrow cracks. We stopped and rested, repeatedly. But about a half hour into the hike, our afternoon-mountain-climb took its first bite out of us. Chuck leaned against some rocks, then slid to a sitting position. He had been hit by a sudden wave of dizziness and nausea. When he took out his water bottle, the reason was clear.
"Dad, you've hardly drunk a thing!" Robin shouted. Indeed, while she and I had been sipping almost constantly on my hydration sack, Chuck had been too focused on shooting pictures and video to stop and take out his water bottle. He was dehydrated.
As he sipped water and fought for a clear head, we considered our options. He could not continue, but it seemed dangerous to let him descend alone. Should we bag Crane Mountain and attempt an easier one?
Because this was no ordinary road trip; this was the voyage to take our daughter to her first year of college, the classic long-distance drive in a car bulging with pillows, hangers and a laptop. It would be the last trip my husband, Tribune photographer Chuck Berman, and I would take with our older daughter, Robin, before everything changed.
How best to honor the adventure on which she was embarking? How could we acknowledge that she would face challenges and our certainty that she would overcome them?
By doing the same thing ourselves.
We needed to climb a mountain.
Luckily, the Adirondack Mountains are conveniently located for the Midwesterner bound by car for Boston, where Robin was about to start Boston University. The 6-million-acre state park in upstate New York is famed for the High Peaks, the 46 major mountains. The highest, Mt. Marcy, stands 5,344 feet high.
But we picked a low peak -- Crane Mountain, 3,254 feet of challenge and beauty 88 miles north of Albany, near the southern end of the park. It wasn't an easy choice (see If You Go); it may not have been the best one for a family of flatlanders led by a mom having a careless day.
But sight unseen, I was in love.
The view from the top of this lesser-known peak was said to be magnificent. The trail, which gained a steep 1,154 feet in 1.4 miles, would require scrambling over bare rock and climbing two wood 1adders. And to top it off, there was a pond nestled in the high country, accessible only by foot.
I was pawing at the ground. But first, because I had not yet turned careless, I called the Adirondack Mountain Club, known as ADK, and cadged advice from executive director Neil Woodworth.
His advice was a warning. Crane was an outlying mountain. The trail was hard to find and hard to hike.
"Crane Mountain is a very steep climb," he said. "Many Adirondack High Peaks are not as challenging as Crane."
And Adirondack trails in general are difficult and steep, he said. Unlike in the Rockies, where switchbacks allow gradual gains in altitude, Adirondack trails were cut by 19th Century guides who took the shortest route to the top.
I figured we could manage it. But I would come to wish I had listened more carefully.
The first challenge was finding the trail head. At Woodworth's suggestion, I had bought a road map that included even dirt roads. The Crane Mountain trail head was at the end of one.
We parked and walked to the trail sign. The 1.4 miles to the summit didn't sound like much. But within moments, we saw the direction the hike would take: Straight up.
We were climbing up a path made of boulders. It looked like a giant had been rolling rocks downhill, or like a Stone Age StairMaster. (In fact, the harsh trail turned out to be the unfortunate result of erosion. Straight-up trails become the paths of least resistance for water cascading downhill, Woodworth explained later. The water wears away the soil, leaving a path of rocks and smooth bedrock.)
We scrambled up, breathing hard. We stepped high over big rocks; we squeezed through narrow cracks. We stopped and rested, repeatedly. But about a half hour into the hike, our afternoon-mountain-climb took its first bite out of us. Chuck leaned against some rocks, then slid to a sitting position. He had been hit by a sudden wave of dizziness and nausea. When he took out his water bottle, the reason was clear.
"Dad, you've hardly drunk a thing!" Robin shouted. Indeed, while she and I had been sipping almost constantly on my hydration sack, Chuck had been too focused on shooting pictures and video to stop and take out his water bottle. He was dehydrated.
As he sipped water and fought for a clear head, we considered our options. He could not continue, but it seemed dangerous to let him descend alone. Should we bag Crane Mountain and attempt an easier one?
Airport check-in: Atlanta's tunneling
ATLANTA
City Council OKs funds for tunnels
A planned $1.1 billion international terminal at Atlanta Hartsfield took a step closer to reality.
The city council last week agreed to spend $110 million to build two tunnels for underground trains that will connect it to the main terminal.
About $45 million will be used to dig the tunnels, and the rest will be for the trains, track and other systems. The airport will fund it through passenger and airline fees and federal grants.
The plans have been around for years as the world's busiest airport continues to see large increases in international passenger traffic.
The airport has already dug out about 1.5 million cubic feet of dirt for the new facility, which will be east of the current terminals. City officials hope to finish the international terminal by 2011.
CHICAGO
Court sides with airport in expansion
The city of Chicago wouldn't infringe on religious liberty by uprooting a church cemetery for a runway that will be a part of the $15 billion O'Hare modernization and expansion project, a federal appeals court ruled recently.
In a 3-1 ruling, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the argument by the cemetery owner and the village of Bensenville, Ill., that relocating the graves violates federal religious protections.
The ruling is a setback for St. John's United Church of Christ of Bensenville, which owns the cemetery, and for other opponents of the airport project.
Many airport neighbors and environmentalists from across the country oppose the project.
The city hopes to buy the 158-year-old St. Johannes Cemetery, which is adjacent to the airport, for $630,000 and move about 1,500 graves.
Joseph Karaganis, a lawyer representing the church, said his client won't sell. The church and Bensenville plan to appeal the religious liberty case. If the church continues to refuse to sell, the city will seek to condemn the property, says Roderick Drew, a spokesman for the project.
The city will handle removing graves with "compassion and dignity," he says.
BALTIMORE
SuperShuttle opens kiosk at BWI
SuperShuttle, which runs shared-ride van services at several airports nationwide, has introduced the company's first kiosk at Baltimore/Washington International.
Its customers can now book, confirm and pay for their reservations at the kiosk, located in the ground transportation area, next to the SuperShuttle service counters. Those who have made a reservation prior to arrival may use the kiosk to check in and pay. SuperShuttle is expected to expand its use of kiosks.
HONOLULU
Parking garage construction starts
Honolulu International broke ground on a parking garage that will add 1,800 spaces, a 40% increase. It's expected to be completed by 2009, and will be located between the overseas and inter-island terminals.
The eight-story structure will connect to the inter-island terminal garage by a two-lane bridge and pedestrian walkways.
It's part of a $2.3 billion modernization project the state announced last year. It will also renovate passenger terminals, ticket counters, baggage screening and runways.
SAN FRANCISCO
Terminal 2 renovation planned
The commissioners who run San Francisco International have voted to seek bids to renovate a long-shuttered Terminal 2. It was SFO's international terminal until 2000, when the airport closed it and opened its replacement.
Plans to renovate it were put on hold due to sluggish economic conditions. But with the airport becoming increasingly crowded, officials are looking for more gates. Terminal 2 can hold up to 14 gates.
Airport officials estimate the project will cost about $250 million and could be completed by 2010. At 610,000 square feet, Terminal 2 is the smallest of SFO's four wings.
SFO is the nation's 14th-busiest airport, based on last year's passenger numbers.
Separately, SFO opened its first registered traveler lanes last week. They will be operated by New York-based Verified Identity Pass.
City Council OKs funds for tunnels
A planned $1.1 billion international terminal at Atlanta Hartsfield took a step closer to reality.
The city council last week agreed to spend $110 million to build two tunnels for underground trains that will connect it to the main terminal.
About $45 million will be used to dig the tunnels, and the rest will be for the trains, track and other systems. The airport will fund it through passenger and airline fees and federal grants.
The plans have been around for years as the world's busiest airport continues to see large increases in international passenger traffic.
The airport has already dug out about 1.5 million cubic feet of dirt for the new facility, which will be east of the current terminals. City officials hope to finish the international terminal by 2011.
CHICAGO
Court sides with airport in expansion
The city of Chicago wouldn't infringe on religious liberty by uprooting a church cemetery for a runway that will be a part of the $15 billion O'Hare modernization and expansion project, a federal appeals court ruled recently.
In a 3-1 ruling, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the argument by the cemetery owner and the village of Bensenville, Ill., that relocating the graves violates federal religious protections.
The ruling is a setback for St. John's United Church of Christ of Bensenville, which owns the cemetery, and for other opponents of the airport project.
Many airport neighbors and environmentalists from across the country oppose the project.
The city hopes to buy the 158-year-old St. Johannes Cemetery, which is adjacent to the airport, for $630,000 and move about 1,500 graves.
Joseph Karaganis, a lawyer representing the church, said his client won't sell. The church and Bensenville plan to appeal the religious liberty case. If the church continues to refuse to sell, the city will seek to condemn the property, says Roderick Drew, a spokesman for the project.
The city will handle removing graves with "compassion and dignity," he says.
BALTIMORE
SuperShuttle opens kiosk at BWI
SuperShuttle, which runs shared-ride van services at several airports nationwide, has introduced the company's first kiosk at Baltimore/Washington International.
Its customers can now book, confirm and pay for their reservations at the kiosk, located in the ground transportation area, next to the SuperShuttle service counters. Those who have made a reservation prior to arrival may use the kiosk to check in and pay. SuperShuttle is expected to expand its use of kiosks.
HONOLULU
Parking garage construction starts
Honolulu International broke ground on a parking garage that will add 1,800 spaces, a 40% increase. It's expected to be completed by 2009, and will be located between the overseas and inter-island terminals.
The eight-story structure will connect to the inter-island terminal garage by a two-lane bridge and pedestrian walkways.
It's part of a $2.3 billion modernization project the state announced last year. It will also renovate passenger terminals, ticket counters, baggage screening and runways.
SAN FRANCISCO
Terminal 2 renovation planned
The commissioners who run San Francisco International have voted to seek bids to renovate a long-shuttered Terminal 2. It was SFO's international terminal until 2000, when the airport closed it and opened its replacement.
Plans to renovate it were put on hold due to sluggish economic conditions. But with the airport becoming increasingly crowded, officials are looking for more gates. Terminal 2 can hold up to 14 gates.
Airport officials estimate the project will cost about $250 million and could be completed by 2010. At 610,000 square feet, Terminal 2 is the smallest of SFO's four wings.
SFO is the nation's 14th-busiest airport, based on last year's passenger numbers.
Separately, SFO opened its first registered traveler lanes last week. They will be operated by New York-based Verified Identity Pass.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
U.S. tourists flock to revamped Cancun
The sun is shining again on Cancun tourism. After racking up a record year in 2004, being socked by Hurricane Wilma in October 2005 and having many resorts out of commission in 2006, the No. 1 Caribbean destination for Americans is reporting hotel occupancy approaching that of pre-Wilma days and record airport arrivals. The requirement that Americans arriving by air need passports, new this year, hasn't put a big chill on tourism.
The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) reports that about 869,000 Americans registered at Cancun's renovated and ever-more-upscale hotels from January through June, up 37% from the same period in 2006, when many lodgings were out of service. The Cancun Convention & Visitors Bureau says hotel occupancy is averaging 80% and counts 26,202 rooms at the end of June, about 1,600 fewer than before Wilma hit.
The CTO says Cancun recorded the biggest increase in U.S. visitors of all Caribbean destinations, while hotspots such as the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and the U.S. Virgin Islands drew fewer Americans last winter and spring.
Cancun "is building more upscale properties and is changing its image" as a spring-break party spot, says Caribbean specialist Margie Hand of All Seasons Travel/American Express in Montgomery, Ala. Fewer hotels now accept groups of young people, she says.
Among resorts going more upscale is Club Med Cancun Yucatan, a former singles mecca that reopened last November as a family resort after a $24 million face lift. Rooms were enlarged and gussied up; a Jade Villa concierge wing with extra amenities was added.
It is now the star of Club Med's U.S., Caribbean and Mexican portfolio, a spokeswoman says — with the highest occupancy (averaging 80%-85% this year) and rates (an average $150 a person per night, including meals and activities).
Marriott spent $100 million to redo its CasaMagna and JW Marriott resorts, says Christopher Calabrese, general manager of both. He says $20 million went toward improvements "above and beyond" hurricane damage, including cushy beds and flat-screen TVs.
Calabrese is seeing "a lot of pent-up demand" for Cancun, adding that "our rates are above (what they were) pre-Wilma." Lowest published rates at the JW Marriott are $190 this time of year; $130 at CasaMagna.
Newer, upscale properties include Sol Meliá's ME Cancun and the all-inclusive Élan Resort & Spa.
Meanwhile, a new terminal for international visitors opened in May at the airport. Arrivals from January through June increased 21% over the same period in 2006 and were up 8% over 2005, the visitors bureau says.
Travel agent Hand, among others, believes the increase probably reflects the growing popularity of the Riviera Maya resort area south of Cancun.
Cancun is a mass-market destination that tends to attract "people who haven't traveled a lot," she says. The Riviera Maya attracts "people who want a more natural setting than the club scene."
The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) reports that about 869,000 Americans registered at Cancun's renovated and ever-more-upscale hotels from January through June, up 37% from the same period in 2006, when many lodgings were out of service. The Cancun Convention & Visitors Bureau says hotel occupancy is averaging 80% and counts 26,202 rooms at the end of June, about 1,600 fewer than before Wilma hit.
The CTO says Cancun recorded the biggest increase in U.S. visitors of all Caribbean destinations, while hotspots such as the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and the U.S. Virgin Islands drew fewer Americans last winter and spring.
Cancun "is building more upscale properties and is changing its image" as a spring-break party spot, says Caribbean specialist Margie Hand of All Seasons Travel/American Express in Montgomery, Ala. Fewer hotels now accept groups of young people, she says.
Among resorts going more upscale is Club Med Cancun Yucatan, a former singles mecca that reopened last November as a family resort after a $24 million face lift. Rooms were enlarged and gussied up; a Jade Villa concierge wing with extra amenities was added.
It is now the star of Club Med's U.S., Caribbean and Mexican portfolio, a spokeswoman says — with the highest occupancy (averaging 80%-85% this year) and rates (an average $150 a person per night, including meals and activities).
Marriott spent $100 million to redo its CasaMagna and JW Marriott resorts, says Christopher Calabrese, general manager of both. He says $20 million went toward improvements "above and beyond" hurricane damage, including cushy beds and flat-screen TVs.
Calabrese is seeing "a lot of pent-up demand" for Cancun, adding that "our rates are above (what they were) pre-Wilma." Lowest published rates at the JW Marriott are $190 this time of year; $130 at CasaMagna.
Newer, upscale properties include Sol Meliá's ME Cancun and the all-inclusive Élan Resort & Spa.
Meanwhile, a new terminal for international visitors opened in May at the airport. Arrivals from January through June increased 21% over the same period in 2006 and were up 8% over 2005, the visitors bureau says.
Travel agent Hand, among others, believes the increase probably reflects the growing popularity of the Riviera Maya resort area south of Cancun.
Cancun is a mass-market destination that tends to attract "people who haven't traveled a lot," she says. The Riviera Maya attracts "people who want a more natural setting than the club scene."
The best of everything on a No. 1 cruise line
HOUSTON - We were four hours out of Lisbon at the start of a 10-day voyage to Ft. Lauderdale when Crystal Serenity cruise director Gary Hunter greeted passengers in the ship's theater.
"We normally carry 1,080 passengers, but on this cruise we've only got about 500 guests and a staff of 655," Hunter said.
"We've finally got you outnumbered."
Then Hunter grinned. "I thought about assigning one crew member to every guest," he said, "but I looked out and realized that some of you need two."
No problem. As our voyage continued, it seemed that the entire staff was at our beck and call, attesting in part to why Crystal consistently gains accolades as a leading purveyor of luxury at sea -- including designation as the world's best large-ship cruise line by readers of Travel + Leisure magazine for 12 consecutive years (1996-2007).
The Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony, the Los Angeles-based line's two-ship fleet, have won awards for best service, best cultural enrichment, best cuisine, best entertainment and best spas while sailing to every continent.
Many passengers return time and again.
What's behind this remarkable success? My self-appointed mission was to soak in as much pampering as possible -- well, somebody's got to do it -- and try to discern why Crystal is No. 1.
Personal service
A knock on the stateroom door interrupted the unpacking routine.
"Welcome back!" a tuxedo-clad gentleman said, presenting a bottle of champagne.
"Ural!" my wife and I shouted in unison upon recognition.
Ural Korkmaz, a native of Turkey, was our butler eight years earlier aboard the Crystal Symphony as we sailed through the Panama Canal. Now, let me pause to say that we're not butler people; I'm more comfortable carrying an ice bucket to the self-service machine at a Comfort Inn. But once or twice each decade, I find myself in a butler's presence. Crystal devotes an entire deck to suites with butler service, and with an unusually light passenger load we'd been upgraded.
I remembered Korkmaz for his smile and dedication, and for the caviar he'd delivered each day prior to dinner on the Panama Canal cruise.
It's like that on Crystal -- from Filipino deck stewards who greet passengers by name to Canadian pianists who never seem to forget a guest's favorite Broadway song.
Josef Lumetsberger, the hotel director who supervises the Serenity's passenger service, suggests that staff continuity is a key to Crystal's high standards.
"We have so many stay with us year after year, and I like to think there are reasons they do," Lumetsberger said. "We arrange special activities for the crew -- late-night music in a passenger lounge, dinner in a restaurant, formal nights. We know they work hard, and we want them to be happy."
Cultural enrichment
Physician Herb Keyser, who lives in San Antonio, has delivered more than 8,000 babies for a living. In his spare time, he's toiled as a TV actor, a singer and a dancer. He's written books on food, travel and medicine (including "Prescription for Disaster: Health Care in America").
But Keyser wasn't aboard the Serenity to discuss any of those topics. Instead, as one of four enrichment lecturers, he dissected the accomplishments and travails of Fats Waller, Duke Ellington, George Gershwin and other jazz legends.
"We normally carry 1,080 passengers, but on this cruise we've only got about 500 guests and a staff of 655," Hunter said.
"We've finally got you outnumbered."
Then Hunter grinned. "I thought about assigning one crew member to every guest," he said, "but I looked out and realized that some of you need two."
No problem. As our voyage continued, it seemed that the entire staff was at our beck and call, attesting in part to why Crystal consistently gains accolades as a leading purveyor of luxury at sea -- including designation as the world's best large-ship cruise line by readers of Travel + Leisure magazine for 12 consecutive years (1996-2007).
The Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony, the Los Angeles-based line's two-ship fleet, have won awards for best service, best cultural enrichment, best cuisine, best entertainment and best spas while sailing to every continent.
Many passengers return time and again.
What's behind this remarkable success? My self-appointed mission was to soak in as much pampering as possible -- well, somebody's got to do it -- and try to discern why Crystal is No. 1.
Personal service
A knock on the stateroom door interrupted the unpacking routine.
"Welcome back!" a tuxedo-clad gentleman said, presenting a bottle of champagne.
"Ural!" my wife and I shouted in unison upon recognition.
Ural Korkmaz, a native of Turkey, was our butler eight years earlier aboard the Crystal Symphony as we sailed through the Panama Canal. Now, let me pause to say that we're not butler people; I'm more comfortable carrying an ice bucket to the self-service machine at a Comfort Inn. But once or twice each decade, I find myself in a butler's presence. Crystal devotes an entire deck to suites with butler service, and with an unusually light passenger load we'd been upgraded.
I remembered Korkmaz for his smile and dedication, and for the caviar he'd delivered each day prior to dinner on the Panama Canal cruise.
It's like that on Crystal -- from Filipino deck stewards who greet passengers by name to Canadian pianists who never seem to forget a guest's favorite Broadway song.
Josef Lumetsberger, the hotel director who supervises the Serenity's passenger service, suggests that staff continuity is a key to Crystal's high standards.
"We have so many stay with us year after year, and I like to think there are reasons they do," Lumetsberger said. "We arrange special activities for the crew -- late-night music in a passenger lounge, dinner in a restaurant, formal nights. We know they work hard, and we want them to be happy."
Cultural enrichment
Physician Herb Keyser, who lives in San Antonio, has delivered more than 8,000 babies for a living. In his spare time, he's toiled as a TV actor, a singer and a dancer. He's written books on food, travel and medicine (including "Prescription for Disaster: Health Care in America").
But Keyser wasn't aboard the Serenity to discuss any of those topics. Instead, as one of four enrichment lecturers, he dissected the accomplishments and travails of Fats Waller, Duke Ellington, George Gershwin and other jazz legends.
Airport Check-in: Air France to test fingerprint cards
Air France says it will begin testing technology that permits registered travelers to bypass general boarding on shuttle flights between Paris Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam Schiphol.
Frequent customers wishing to participate will have to provide their index fingerprint, which is then encoded in a personal smart card, in advance. Travelers will have to flash their card in front of a machine at the boarding gate, which reads the information. The automated gate opens only when the passenger is verified. The test starts later this year.
The airline is also integrating radio microchips into baggage tags at the Paris airport for flights to and from Amsterdam and Tokyo. The luggage sorter and arrival carousels at the airport are equipped with microchip readers, so bags can be monitored throughout the airport. In the future, Air France plans to introduce a text-messaging service that will alert customers when their luggage will arrive at baggage claim carousels.
Music hath charms
Lambert-St. Louis International has turned to live music as part of a marketing-driven image upgrade. A musician performs one day a week on stage in the upper ticketing level of the main terminal.
The marketing campaign, which will add other amenities later, aims to improve the airport's image and customer experience. The airport plans to stick to quieter varieties of music.
PITTSBURGH
Wi-Fi service area widened
Pittsburgh International has expanded its free Wi-Fi service to both pre- and post-security areas of the terminals. The airport also has installed additional power outlets and chairs in Concourse A.
NEW YORK
Premium lounges, valet parking set
El Al, the national airline of Israel, has two new premium-class passenger lounges at New York John F. Kennedy. It opened its King David Lounges in Terminal 4 last week.
The lounges are open to the carrier's first- and business-class passengers and are equipped with TVs, shower stalls, computer terminals and other Internet connection spots.
JFK has also introduced valet parking. It's located near the Lefferts Boulevard AirTrain JFK Station. Cost: $36 per day, plus $18 for every additional 12 hours.
LOS ANGELES
Planned upgrades seen as vital
Los Angeles International has some huge upgrades underway, with more to come. But unless the airport does more to upgrade its aging facilities, it will lose out on the expected increase in trans-oceanic flights, says a report released last week by the non-profit Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp.
The report warned that several airlines that are now planning routes for their new Airbus A380s and Boeing 787s are "seriously considering deploying their new aircraft at other U.S. gateways if they don't see improvements to facilities at LAX," it says.
FORT LAUDERDALE
Free plastic bags made available
Passengers traveling at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International can now get free clear plastic bags at security checkpoints. The Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau is giving away about 1 million bags bearing its logo. Federal rules require passengers to store carry-on liquids in 3-ounce containers inside a 1-quart zipper-lock bag.
CLEVELAND
New Customs facility in the works
Continental's announcement on Friday of plans to expand air service at Cleveland Hopkins is triggering some changes at the airport. Airport officials have been considering building a new Customs and inspection facility for a while, but the plan will now move up on the airport's to-do list, says Todd Payne, an airport executive. Hopkins has outgrown its current Customs area in Concourse A, he says. The airport hasn't determined when it'll begin construction.
The airport also plans to install a new waiting area and more ticket counters for Continental in the main terminal. It's also considering adjusting the positions of its three checkpoints to accelerate security screening.
Continental said it will expand service at Cleveland by 40% in the next two years. It will initially operate 50 new flights and add 20 new non-stop destinations by next summer.
Frequent customers wishing to participate will have to provide their index fingerprint, which is then encoded in a personal smart card, in advance. Travelers will have to flash their card in front of a machine at the boarding gate, which reads the information. The automated gate opens only when the passenger is verified. The test starts later this year.
The airline is also integrating radio microchips into baggage tags at the Paris airport for flights to and from Amsterdam and Tokyo. The luggage sorter and arrival carousels at the airport are equipped with microchip readers, so bags can be monitored throughout the airport. In the future, Air France plans to introduce a text-messaging service that will alert customers when their luggage will arrive at baggage claim carousels.
Music hath charms
Lambert-St. Louis International has turned to live music as part of a marketing-driven image upgrade. A musician performs one day a week on stage in the upper ticketing level of the main terminal.
The marketing campaign, which will add other amenities later, aims to improve the airport's image and customer experience. The airport plans to stick to quieter varieties of music.
PITTSBURGH
Wi-Fi service area widened
Pittsburgh International has expanded its free Wi-Fi service to both pre- and post-security areas of the terminals. The airport also has installed additional power outlets and chairs in Concourse A.
NEW YORK
Premium lounges, valet parking set
El Al, the national airline of Israel, has two new premium-class passenger lounges at New York John F. Kennedy. It opened its King David Lounges in Terminal 4 last week.
The lounges are open to the carrier's first- and business-class passengers and are equipped with TVs, shower stalls, computer terminals and other Internet connection spots.
JFK has also introduced valet parking. It's located near the Lefferts Boulevard AirTrain JFK Station. Cost: $36 per day, plus $18 for every additional 12 hours.
LOS ANGELES
Planned upgrades seen as vital
Los Angeles International has some huge upgrades underway, with more to come. But unless the airport does more to upgrade its aging facilities, it will lose out on the expected increase in trans-oceanic flights, says a report released last week by the non-profit Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp.
The report warned that several airlines that are now planning routes for their new Airbus A380s and Boeing 787s are "seriously considering deploying their new aircraft at other U.S. gateways if they don't see improvements to facilities at LAX," it says.
FORT LAUDERDALE
Free plastic bags made available
Passengers traveling at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International can now get free clear plastic bags at security checkpoints. The Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau is giving away about 1 million bags bearing its logo. Federal rules require passengers to store carry-on liquids in 3-ounce containers inside a 1-quart zipper-lock bag.
CLEVELAND
New Customs facility in the works
Continental's announcement on Friday of plans to expand air service at Cleveland Hopkins is triggering some changes at the airport. Airport officials have been considering building a new Customs and inspection facility for a while, but the plan will now move up on the airport's to-do list, says Todd Payne, an airport executive. Hopkins has outgrown its current Customs area in Concourse A, he says. The airport hasn't determined when it'll begin construction.
The airport also plans to install a new waiting area and more ticket counters for Continental in the main terminal. It's also considering adjusting the positions of its three checkpoints to accelerate security screening.
Continental said it will expand service at Cleveland by 40% in the next two years. It will initially operate 50 new flights and add 20 new non-stop destinations by next summer.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Southwest Airlines ends 'family first' boarding
Families traveling with small children will no longer get to jump to the front of the boarding line at Southwest Airlines.
The airline, which carries more than one in three Phoenix passengers, is eliminating early pre-boarding for families beginning Oct. 2 in a bid to speed the boarding process.
Families with children four and under will now board after the first regular boarding group unless they have an A boarding pass to be in that first group. Southwest famously doesn't assign seats. Passengers board in three groups, A, B and C, with their letter determined by when they checked in.
Passengers can check in online 24 hours before their flight, and many people fanatically watch the clock to make sure they snag an A boarding pass and their pick of seats. Families didn't have to fret if they didn't snag an A pass since they preboarded.
The airline tested the new system this summer in San Antonio.
"We decided that it works for us," said spokeswoman Brandy King.
Other boarding and seating changes may be brewing. Southwest, which has been studying alternatives for more than a year, on Wednesday plans to announce its long awaited decision on whether to switch to assigned seating or otherwise tinker with its open boarding policy.
It has long been derided by some business travelers and others as a cattle call, but also has legions of vocal fans who don't want the airline to mess with a good thing. The debate has generated more comments on Southwest's blog than any other topic.
King was mum on which way the company is headed but did say the changes would not be implemented immediately.
It may not be as simple as a yes or no decision. Even if the airline decides against assigning seats, it appears likely it will at least alter its boarding process after testing several methods in San Antonio this summer.
It tried out a more orderly boarding process, with passengers called in groups according to a number on their A, B and C passes. That eliminated the need to form the snaking, confusing A, B, C lines Southwest is famous for at its airport gates.
Some analysts expect the airline to eventually charge for an A boarding pass and/or give them to travelers who paid full fare for their tickets.
"Our customers have been waiting for this answer for a while," King said.
The airline, which carries more than one in three Phoenix passengers, is eliminating early pre-boarding for families beginning Oct. 2 in a bid to speed the boarding process.
Families with children four and under will now board after the first regular boarding group unless they have an A boarding pass to be in that first group. Southwest famously doesn't assign seats. Passengers board in three groups, A, B and C, with their letter determined by when they checked in.
Passengers can check in online 24 hours before their flight, and many people fanatically watch the clock to make sure they snag an A boarding pass and their pick of seats. Families didn't have to fret if they didn't snag an A pass since they preboarded.
The airline tested the new system this summer in San Antonio.
"We decided that it works for us," said spokeswoman Brandy King.
Other boarding and seating changes may be brewing. Southwest, which has been studying alternatives for more than a year, on Wednesday plans to announce its long awaited decision on whether to switch to assigned seating or otherwise tinker with its open boarding policy.
It has long been derided by some business travelers and others as a cattle call, but also has legions of vocal fans who don't want the airline to mess with a good thing. The debate has generated more comments on Southwest's blog than any other topic.
King was mum on which way the company is headed but did say the changes would not be implemented immediately.
It may not be as simple as a yes or no decision. Even if the airline decides against assigning seats, it appears likely it will at least alter its boarding process after testing several methods in San Antonio this summer.
It tried out a more orderly boarding process, with passengers called in groups according to a number on their A, B and C passes. That eliminated the need to form the snaking, confusing A, B, C lines Southwest is famous for at its airport gates.
Some analysts expect the airline to eventually charge for an A boarding pass and/or give them to travelers who paid full fare for their tickets.
"Our customers have been waiting for this answer for a while," King said.
The final days of the Queens
On a Tuesday afternoon in November 2008, the legendary Queen Elizabeth 2 will slip out of Southampton's harbor bound for Dubai and an indelible role in maritime history.
It will be the 40-year-old Cunard ship's last cruise, capping a career that has seen this regal vessel cross the Atlantic more than 800 times, make more than 25 world cruises, carry troops to the Falkland Islands, survive bomb threats and rogue waves, and win the hearts of millions of passengers.
The QE2's final sailing will come the same month another celebrated vessel -- the 81-year-old Delta Queen, a revered fixture on the rivers of America's heartland -- makes its last run.
Built in 1926, the Delta Queen is the last operational steam-powered overnight stern-wheeler in America. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the paddle-wheeler is being retired because its superstructure is made of wood, no longer permitted by law for vessels that sail overnight, and the exemption it had obtained from Congress for decades was not forthcoming this year.
What will happen to the Delta Queen after November 2008 has not yet been determined. Its owner, Majestic America Line, says it is exploring options. There's still a chance -- admittedly slim -- that Congress could renew the boat's exemption before then, and some groups are clamoring for that. One is www.save-the-delta-queen.org, organized by a German steamboat enthusiast.
On the other hand, the QE2's future is settled. Sold for $100 million, it will become a hotel permanently docked in Dubai, and many past passengers view that as a good thing.
One of them, Ben Lyons, who has made 10 voyages on the QE2, wrote a tribute to the ship for CruiseCritic.com, an online cruise magazine. "Dubai," he wrote, "will be able to spend the millions needed to convert her into a hotel and keep her for years to come. She will be docked in the middle of a major tourist center, and a steady stream of visitors seems assured," he wrote in his letter to CruiseCritic. "This is indeed a time to be sad, but not a time to dwell on the sadness.
"Ultimately, she leaves us with dignity."
Before their maritime lives play out, though, both ships will make a series of special farewell sailings. Two QE2 voyages previously planned for fall of 2008 have been replaced with a British Isles voyage and two trans-Atlantic crossings, and a final sailing to Dubai has been added. The itineraries will include a final call to the Clyde (Greenock) in Scotland, where the QE2 was built, and a final "Farewell to America Crossing" from New York (its 806th such voyage).
As for the Delta Queen, Majestic America says it will dedicate the 2008 season to the ship. "We will make every sailing in 2008 a special event," said David A. Giersdorf, the line's president.
QE2
During its 40 years, the QE2 has taken more than five million passengers on itineraries that ranged the world over. Among its more famous passengers: Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Nelson Mandela, George Bush, Julie Andrews, Debbie Reynolds and Shimon Peres. A special guest was Millvena Dean, the youngest survivor of the Titanic.
The ship exudes glamor. In port, its distinctive red funnel and black hull regally announce its presence. Aboard, understated elegance is the byword for the decor. Formal nights bring out exquisitely dressed passengers.
It's not a cookie-cutter ship. Staterooms are sometimes oddly shaped, and nooks and crannies appear here and there. It has a full-time librarian and a huge selection of reading matter as well as facilities unheard of on modern cruise ships -- a nursery, dog kennel and garage for cars.
It has also won devotion from thousands of passengers as well as crew members.
"It's like a good home," says Erma Klindt, 78, of Pasadena, Calif., who has sailed on the QE2 85 times and has already booked one of the upcoming farewell cruises. Klindt is proof that one does not have to be wealthy to enjoy cruising on the QE2: She books only low-cost inside rooms.
Many Cunard officers and crew members also have a special feeling for the QE2.
"There's something magical about this ship," QE2 Capt. Ian McNaught told me in 2003, when I last sailed on it. "It's a special ship."
Says QE2 devotee Lyons, who is now a Cunard officer (but has never worked on the QE2):
"They say that while not every ship has a soul, QE2 does. . . . Like most things in life, what you take away in memories are the people, and I associate so many good times on QE2 with family and friends, both old and new, that accompanied me on my sailings."
It will be the 40-year-old Cunard ship's last cruise, capping a career that has seen this regal vessel cross the Atlantic more than 800 times, make more than 25 world cruises, carry troops to the Falkland Islands, survive bomb threats and rogue waves, and win the hearts of millions of passengers.
The QE2's final sailing will come the same month another celebrated vessel -- the 81-year-old Delta Queen, a revered fixture on the rivers of America's heartland -- makes its last run.
Built in 1926, the Delta Queen is the last operational steam-powered overnight stern-wheeler in America. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the paddle-wheeler is being retired because its superstructure is made of wood, no longer permitted by law for vessels that sail overnight, and the exemption it had obtained from Congress for decades was not forthcoming this year.
What will happen to the Delta Queen after November 2008 has not yet been determined. Its owner, Majestic America Line, says it is exploring options. There's still a chance -- admittedly slim -- that Congress could renew the boat's exemption before then, and some groups are clamoring for that. One is www.save-the-delta-queen.org, organized by a German steamboat enthusiast.
On the other hand, the QE2's future is settled. Sold for $100 million, it will become a hotel permanently docked in Dubai, and many past passengers view that as a good thing.
One of them, Ben Lyons, who has made 10 voyages on the QE2, wrote a tribute to the ship for CruiseCritic.com, an online cruise magazine. "Dubai," he wrote, "will be able to spend the millions needed to convert her into a hotel and keep her for years to come. She will be docked in the middle of a major tourist center, and a steady stream of visitors seems assured," he wrote in his letter to CruiseCritic. "This is indeed a time to be sad, but not a time to dwell on the sadness.
"Ultimately, she leaves us with dignity."
Before their maritime lives play out, though, both ships will make a series of special farewell sailings. Two QE2 voyages previously planned for fall of 2008 have been replaced with a British Isles voyage and two trans-Atlantic crossings, and a final sailing to Dubai has been added. The itineraries will include a final call to the Clyde (Greenock) in Scotland, where the QE2 was built, and a final "Farewell to America Crossing" from New York (its 806th such voyage).
As for the Delta Queen, Majestic America says it will dedicate the 2008 season to the ship. "We will make every sailing in 2008 a special event," said David A. Giersdorf, the line's president.
QE2
During its 40 years, the QE2 has taken more than five million passengers on itineraries that ranged the world over. Among its more famous passengers: Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Nelson Mandela, George Bush, Julie Andrews, Debbie Reynolds and Shimon Peres. A special guest was Millvena Dean, the youngest survivor of the Titanic.
The ship exudes glamor. In port, its distinctive red funnel and black hull regally announce its presence. Aboard, understated elegance is the byword for the decor. Formal nights bring out exquisitely dressed passengers.
It's not a cookie-cutter ship. Staterooms are sometimes oddly shaped, and nooks and crannies appear here and there. It has a full-time librarian and a huge selection of reading matter as well as facilities unheard of on modern cruise ships -- a nursery, dog kennel and garage for cars.
It has also won devotion from thousands of passengers as well as crew members.
"It's like a good home," says Erma Klindt, 78, of Pasadena, Calif., who has sailed on the QE2 85 times and has already booked one of the upcoming farewell cruises. Klindt is proof that one does not have to be wealthy to enjoy cruising on the QE2: She books only low-cost inside rooms.
Many Cunard officers and crew members also have a special feeling for the QE2.
"There's something magical about this ship," QE2 Capt. Ian McNaught told me in 2003, when I last sailed on it. "It's a special ship."
Says QE2 devotee Lyons, who is now a Cunard officer (but has never worked on the QE2):
"They say that while not every ship has a soul, QE2 does. . . . Like most things in life, what you take away in memories are the people, and I associate so many good times on QE2 with family and friends, both old and new, that accompanied me on my sailings."
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
If you build it, they will check in
Hundreds of new hotels are rising across the USA as the lodging industry seeks to cash in on rising room rates and strong demand from travelers.
The number of hotel rooms under construction in July jumped 20% from a year earlier, a report from industry tracker Smith Travel Research shows. More than 196,000 rooms — more than 2,000 hotels — will open within two years. That's the highest number of new rooms in the pipeline in more than seven years.
For travelers, the boom will provide more lodging selections in many markets. In some places, including San Antonio and Phoenix, the buildup of hotel rooms could possibly push down rates, says Jan Freitag, Smith vice president. But in the two markets with the most rooms under construction — Las Vegas and New York — traveler demand is so strong that room rates should continue increasing, Freitag says.
Industry consultant Mark Woodworth of PKF Consulting sees no threat to the building boom from tight credit. The credit crunch will likely weed out only some future projects that weren't strong contenders to begin with, he says.
Hotel financiers, he says, believe a "fresh shiny product" is worth the risk.
"In the hotel business, new beats old every time," Woodworth says.
In the Chicago area, hotel developer Peter Dumon's firm is halfway through building an upscale, full-service InterContinental hotel near O'Hare airport. His firm, The Harp Group, is also building an upscale, limited-service hotel in downtown Chicago within blocks of the Sears Tower.
The credit crunch has caused Dumon to finance his projects differently, but financing is available at around the same rate as last year, when lenders were more liberal. Developers with less hotel experience could see their financing fall through, says Dumon, whose company is based in Oak Brook, Ill.
"For me, that's a good thing because they're taking a competitor out of the market," he says.
Good times
Times have been good for the hotel industry. It finished 2006 with a U.S. occupancy rate of 63.4%, the highest since 1998, says industry consultant Bjorn Hanson at PricewaterhouseCoopers. This quarter, the average nightly rate is expected to reach a record $103, vs. $83 five years ago, according to PKF Consulting. The surge in construction should continue through at least next year, though probably not at the current fast pace, Hanson says.
Hotel construction came nearly to a halt after recession and terrorism in 2001. Although travel started to rebound strongly by 2004, the hotel industry was slow to add properties, concentrating instead on expansions and upgrades. But now, that's changed.
For now, developers mostly are opting to build hotels that will charge midrange rates, the Smith report shows. Holiday Inn Express is building the most rooms, followed by the Hampton Inn chain and Hilton Garden Inn.
Holiday Inn Express, the midprice, limited-service chain, is taking advantage of New York's high rates. The chain opened its first New York hotel in October 2005 and already plans to grow to seven, says John Merkin, the chain's top U.S. executive.
In some markets, downtown revivals are spurring activity.
With the doubling of the Indianapolis convention center underway, local government is subsidizing the construction of a Marriott hotel complex that features an upscale 1,000-room J.W. Marriott and three less-pricey Marriotts. More hotels are being pitched as the city nears completion of the 63,000-seat Lucas Oil Stadium, the Indianapolis Colts' new home.
All the activity, however, has convention bureau officials worrying about a potential hotel glut, bureau spokesman Bob Schultz says.
San Antonio will add the equivalent of nearly 13% of existing hotel rooms in the next two years, the Smith report says.
Optimism reigns
One of those projects will give the city its second 1,000-room hotel: The Grand Hyatt. It's rising on the River Walk, the city's main tourist destination and adjacent to its convention center.
Industry executives, for now, remain optimistic about filling future rooms. The Grand Hyatt's sales and marketing director, Scott Lane, says his hotel's already booked more than 500,000 room nights, with an additional 350,000 pending. Those figures rank it as the best opening in Hyatt's history, he says. The hotel opens in February.
Much of the demand is coming from large groups that previously were too big to meet in San Antonio. "There's a lot of demand for this city," Lane says.
Posted 15h 37m ago
The number of hotel rooms under construction in July jumped 20% from a year earlier, a report from industry tracker Smith Travel Research shows. More than 196,000 rooms — more than 2,000 hotels — will open within two years. That's the highest number of new rooms in the pipeline in more than seven years.
For travelers, the boom will provide more lodging selections in many markets. In some places, including San Antonio and Phoenix, the buildup of hotel rooms could possibly push down rates, says Jan Freitag, Smith vice president. But in the two markets with the most rooms under construction — Las Vegas and New York — traveler demand is so strong that room rates should continue increasing, Freitag says.
Industry consultant Mark Woodworth of PKF Consulting sees no threat to the building boom from tight credit. The credit crunch will likely weed out only some future projects that weren't strong contenders to begin with, he says.
Hotel financiers, he says, believe a "fresh shiny product" is worth the risk.
"In the hotel business, new beats old every time," Woodworth says.
In the Chicago area, hotel developer Peter Dumon's firm is halfway through building an upscale, full-service InterContinental hotel near O'Hare airport. His firm, The Harp Group, is also building an upscale, limited-service hotel in downtown Chicago within blocks of the Sears Tower.
The credit crunch has caused Dumon to finance his projects differently, but financing is available at around the same rate as last year, when lenders were more liberal. Developers with less hotel experience could see their financing fall through, says Dumon, whose company is based in Oak Brook, Ill.
"For me, that's a good thing because they're taking a competitor out of the market," he says.
Good times
Times have been good for the hotel industry. It finished 2006 with a U.S. occupancy rate of 63.4%, the highest since 1998, says industry consultant Bjorn Hanson at PricewaterhouseCoopers. This quarter, the average nightly rate is expected to reach a record $103, vs. $83 five years ago, according to PKF Consulting. The surge in construction should continue through at least next year, though probably not at the current fast pace, Hanson says.
Hotel construction came nearly to a halt after recession and terrorism in 2001. Although travel started to rebound strongly by 2004, the hotel industry was slow to add properties, concentrating instead on expansions and upgrades. But now, that's changed.
For now, developers mostly are opting to build hotels that will charge midrange rates, the Smith report shows. Holiday Inn Express is building the most rooms, followed by the Hampton Inn chain and Hilton Garden Inn.
Holiday Inn Express, the midprice, limited-service chain, is taking advantage of New York's high rates. The chain opened its first New York hotel in October 2005 and already plans to grow to seven, says John Merkin, the chain's top U.S. executive.
In some markets, downtown revivals are spurring activity.
With the doubling of the Indianapolis convention center underway, local government is subsidizing the construction of a Marriott hotel complex that features an upscale 1,000-room J.W. Marriott and three less-pricey Marriotts. More hotels are being pitched as the city nears completion of the 63,000-seat Lucas Oil Stadium, the Indianapolis Colts' new home.
All the activity, however, has convention bureau officials worrying about a potential hotel glut, bureau spokesman Bob Schultz says.
San Antonio will add the equivalent of nearly 13% of existing hotel rooms in the next two years, the Smith report says.
Optimism reigns
One of those projects will give the city its second 1,000-room hotel: The Grand Hyatt. It's rising on the River Walk, the city's main tourist destination and adjacent to its convention center.
Industry executives, for now, remain optimistic about filling future rooms. The Grand Hyatt's sales and marketing director, Scott Lane, says his hotel's already booked more than 500,000 room nights, with an additional 350,000 pending. Those figures rank it as the best opening in Hyatt's history, he says. The hotel opens in February.
Much of the demand is coming from large groups that previously were too big to meet in San Antonio. "There's a lot of demand for this city," Lane says.
Posted 15h 37m ago
Fall fare sales
Just a reminder that fall traditionally is a good time to get tickets to Europe. Travel is usually good through sometime in March, except for blackout dates around the Christmas/New Year’s holidays.
You can expect most of the European airlines to have some sort of promotion, either now or in the next few weeks, to draw American travelers overseas. American carriers will compete. As long as we’re on the subject, you might as well know that this is a good time for bargain hunting on domestic and Asian destinations as well.
If you’re not already signed up for several fare-watch services, here are a couple to get you started. They’ll send you e-mails of sale fares from your choice of departure cities.
Feel free to recommend others.
You can expect most of the European airlines to have some sort of promotion, either now or in the next few weeks, to draw American travelers overseas. American carriers will compete. As long as we’re on the subject, you might as well know that this is a good time for bargain hunting on domestic and Asian destinations as well.
If you’re not already signed up for several fare-watch services, here are a couple to get you started. They’ll send you e-mails of sale fares from your choice of departure cities.
Feel free to recommend others.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Theme cruises range from music to motorcycles
Are you passionate about poker? Geeked about scrapbooking, hooked on horses or blown away by jazz? Too bad you don't have nearly enough time in your frantic life to pursue whatever subject tickles your fancy.
But growing numbers of travelers are finding a way to indulge their special interest -- from bingo, bluegrass or bridge to salsa, soap operas or zydeco -- by heading out to sea on a theme cruise where they can immerse themselves in a favorite hobby for days on end, free of pesky time constraints and annoying obligations.
In this era of tight schedules, impersonal travel experiences and sprawling mega-ships, special-interest cruises offer vacationers a chance to easily meet new people and bond with others who are as crazy about mah-jongg, motorcycles or Mustangs as they are.
Bob Dickinson, president of Carnival Cruise Lines, a key player in the industry, credits theme cruises with luring more than half of today's first-time passengers aboard a ship and says theme- and special-interest cruises have become a key marketing tool for cruise lines.
Beyond that, a shared interest in line-dancing or Lynyrd Skynyrd, for example, can be an instant ice-breaker.
Shirley Owens of Royal Oak, Mich., participated in a lobster tail-eating contest with veteran bluesman Bobby Rush in January on her fifth Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise.
A veteran of four sailings to the eastern Caribbean and one to the Mexican Riviera, she returns time and again because, she says, "It's like a seven-day blues festival, but everything is right there at your fingertips. You don't have to drive home, and if you feel like it, you can get up at any time of the night and find music, food, fun and friends.
"It's all music-lovers, and it's nice to be around so many happy people."
Owens notes that in addition to performances, the workshops, autograph parties and other special activities add to the charm. "There's so much going on onboard you don't ever have to get off the ship!"
Lifestyle cruises are the latest wrinkle in the theme-cruise trend. They range from Rosie O'Donnell's annual gay family cruise to Christian singles groups.
And then there are motorcycle theme cruises sponsored by Nashville-based Entertainment and Travel Alternatives.
The popular cruises have more than tripled in five years to 19 annually, according to the firm's president, Steve Wallach.
The Coast Guard permits up to 35 motorcycles per ship to roar down the gangplank onto such islands as Bermuda, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts, Barbados and the Virgin Islands, he says, and adds: "For motorcycle enthusiasts there's no other way to see an island. We ride the roadways where the buses don't go."
Chocolate and culinary cruises are perennial favorites, along with the Rusty Wallace NASCAR Caribbean cruise.
Music-themed cruises, from blues, classical and country to jazz and rock 'n' roll, also are popular.
But growing numbers of travelers are finding a way to indulge their special interest -- from bingo, bluegrass or bridge to salsa, soap operas or zydeco -- by heading out to sea on a theme cruise where they can immerse themselves in a favorite hobby for days on end, free of pesky time constraints and annoying obligations.
In this era of tight schedules, impersonal travel experiences and sprawling mega-ships, special-interest cruises offer vacationers a chance to easily meet new people and bond with others who are as crazy about mah-jongg, motorcycles or Mustangs as they are.
Bob Dickinson, president of Carnival Cruise Lines, a key player in the industry, credits theme cruises with luring more than half of today's first-time passengers aboard a ship and says theme- and special-interest cruises have become a key marketing tool for cruise lines.
Beyond that, a shared interest in line-dancing or Lynyrd Skynyrd, for example, can be an instant ice-breaker.
Shirley Owens of Royal Oak, Mich., participated in a lobster tail-eating contest with veteran bluesman Bobby Rush in January on her fifth Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise.
A veteran of four sailings to the eastern Caribbean and one to the Mexican Riviera, she returns time and again because, she says, "It's like a seven-day blues festival, but everything is right there at your fingertips. You don't have to drive home, and if you feel like it, you can get up at any time of the night and find music, food, fun and friends.
"It's all music-lovers, and it's nice to be around so many happy people."
Owens notes that in addition to performances, the workshops, autograph parties and other special activities add to the charm. "There's so much going on onboard you don't ever have to get off the ship!"
Lifestyle cruises are the latest wrinkle in the theme-cruise trend. They range from Rosie O'Donnell's annual gay family cruise to Christian singles groups.
And then there are motorcycle theme cruises sponsored by Nashville-based Entertainment and Travel Alternatives.
The popular cruises have more than tripled in five years to 19 annually, according to the firm's president, Steve Wallach.
The Coast Guard permits up to 35 motorcycles per ship to roar down the gangplank onto such islands as Bermuda, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts, Barbados and the Virgin Islands, he says, and adds: "For motorcycle enthusiasts there's no other way to see an island. We ride the roadways where the buses don't go."
Chocolate and culinary cruises are perennial favorites, along with the Rusty Wallace NASCAR Caribbean cruise.
Music-themed cruises, from blues, classical and country to jazz and rock 'n' roll, also are popular.
A new movement in hotel toilets
ToiletxlargeHave you heard about the toilets with heated seats and automatic washing and drying systems that are making a splash in Japan?
Well, book a room at the Westin Chicago River North to try one out. Currently just one room (starting at $249 nightly) has this impressive throne, billed as "the best seat in the house," but it'll be installed in more later. The Brondell Swash 800 has a heated, germ-resistant seat and uses warm filtered water and a dryer to ensure hygiene. There's even a remote control that takes into account the differing needs of men and women.
How do you feel about a hotel toilet that does it all? Does it intrigue or intimidate you? Would you pay extra for a room with a super-loo?
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Airline passenger arrested for bomb threat
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — A North Carolina woman handed a flight attendant a threatening note about a gun and a bomb before locking herself in a bathroom and apparently lighting a match or smoking a cigarette, authorities said Friday. No firearms or explosives were found.
Sarah Ford, 24, of New Hill, N.C., was arrested at the St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport Thursday night after passengers of the Allegiant Airlines' flight banged on the bathroom door and a flight attendant alerted the captain.
The flight from Greensboro, N.C., landed safely after Ford opened the door and took a vacant seat, Pinellas County Sheriff's Office spokesman Jim Bordner. The flight attendant sprayed the bathroom with a fire extinguisher, he said.
"There was no evidence of a fire once deputies got on board and began examining the plane. It was probably cigarette smoke, that's the assumption or she lit a match," he said.
Airport spokeswoman Michele Routh said the flight landed on a runway away from the main terminal and authorities searched the plane for explosives.
"The aircraft was cleared, the flight pulled over to the terminal area," she said. "All of the procedures worked well and there was a favorable outcome."
Bordner said Ford was being held at the Pinellas County Jail on a $20,000 bond for allegedly making a bomb threat and a $10,000 bond for a criminal mischief charge. A first appearance was scheduled for later Friday, he said.
Ford's mother, Marjorie Ford, told The News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C., that her daughter was recently discharged from a state psychiatric facility.
Ford has been hospitalized in psychiatric facilities off and on in several different states for the past two years, suffering from paranoid delusions, her mother said.
Sarah Ford, 24, of New Hill, N.C., was arrested at the St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport Thursday night after passengers of the Allegiant Airlines' flight banged on the bathroom door and a flight attendant alerted the captain.
The flight from Greensboro, N.C., landed safely after Ford opened the door and took a vacant seat, Pinellas County Sheriff's Office spokesman Jim Bordner. The flight attendant sprayed the bathroom with a fire extinguisher, he said.
"There was no evidence of a fire once deputies got on board and began examining the plane. It was probably cigarette smoke, that's the assumption or she lit a match," he said.
Airport spokeswoman Michele Routh said the flight landed on a runway away from the main terminal and authorities searched the plane for explosives.
"The aircraft was cleared, the flight pulled over to the terminal area," she said. "All of the procedures worked well and there was a favorable outcome."
Bordner said Ford was being held at the Pinellas County Jail on a $20,000 bond for allegedly making a bomb threat and a $10,000 bond for a criminal mischief charge. A first appearance was scheduled for later Friday, he said.
Ford's mother, Marjorie Ford, told The News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C., that her daughter was recently discharged from a state psychiatric facility.
Ford has been hospitalized in psychiatric facilities off and on in several different states for the past two years, suffering from paranoid delusions, her mother said.
Higher inflation to warrant double-digit rates in future
WASHINGTON — Former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan predicts in a new book out Monday that the Fed will have to raise interest rates to double-digit levels in coming years to thwart inflation.
Greenspan, 81, says in The Age of Turbulence that the inflation-damping effect of globalization, which has led to lower wage pressures, inflation and interest rates worldwide, will recede.
At some point, the flow of people into the workforce in developing countries such as China, which has seen a movement of workers from farms into factories, will slow, leading to stronger wage pressures and prices, he says. The impact will be global.
And the shift "may be upon us sooner rather than later," he says. Evidence: Prices of Chinese imports coming into the USA started rising earlier this year. That suggests that in the "next few years," inflation will build unless action is taken.
The Wall Street Journal first reported details of the book on its website Friday night, saying it had bought a copy of the book in a New York City-area bookstore. USA TODAY had received a copy of the book to review in advance and was given permission to run its story ahead of the official publication Monday.
Greenspan's prediction comes shortly before Fed officials are widely expected to cut interest rates for the first time in more than four years following turmoil in mortgage markets that has rippled through the entire financial sector, leading to concerns about a credit crunch and a slowdown in the overall economy.
Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues, who meet in Washington Tuesday, have kept their target for short-term interest rates, which influence borrowing costs economywide, at 5.25% for more than a year. Greenspan's assertion that the Fed may have to double rates from current levels suggests the Fed may put itself in a bind by cutting rates now.
Criticism of Bush over spending
In his 531-page book, the former Fed chairman sharply criticizes President Bush for not vetoing bloated spending bills and for continuing to focus on issues, such as adding prescription drug benefits to Medicare even though the budget surplus of just a few years ago had disappeared and deficits were mounting.
"In the revised world of growing deficits, the goals were no longer entirely appropriate," Greenspan says. "He continued to pursue his presidential campaign promises nonetheless."
Greenspan, a libertarian Republican, as he calls himself, was also disappointed that his former colleagues from the Ford administration who were working for Bush, including Vice President Dick Cheney, didn't show greater fiscal discipline.
"People's ideas — and sometimes their ideals — change over the years," Greenspan writes. "I was a different person than I had been when first exposed to the glitter of the White House a quarter of a century before. So were my old friends: not in personality or character, but in opinions about how the world works and, therefore, what is important."
The Bush administration has often attributed the deficits to the impact of the 2001 recession, September 11, the war on terror and corporate scandals.
"We are not going to apologize for spending that was required for national security and fighting the war on terror," White House spokesman Tony Fratto says.
"We respect the work that Chairman Greenspan did," Fratto says. "We always respect his opinion. We share his views on limiting fiscal deficits. Once we were able to help the economy recover, it's clear that growth and limited spending are resulting in diminished deficits that will lead us to surpluses."
Greenspan also doesn't spare Republicans in Congress, who he says were "feeding at the trough," passing expensive pet projects for their home districts. For this, he says, they "deserved to lose" control of Congress to the Democrats in 2006.
"The Republicans in Congress lost their way," he says. "They swapped principle for power. They ended up with neither."
Greenspan covers a number of his pet topics, many of them familiar to those who have been following the former chairman's speeches and testimony. He argues U.S. primary and secondary education is slipping and must be reformed quickly to reduce income disparities between the skilled and unskilled, says trade protectionism can only hurt the economy and advocates looser immigration policies to provide more skilled workers.
He also frets about probably his biggest concern: The retirement of the baby boomers and the impending fiscal problems caused by the draws on Social Security and Medicare. He considers it an urgent problem that needs to be addressed soon.
A personal look at his life
Greenspan starts the book out on September 11, 2001, winding back to his childhood and eventually going into detail about his time at the Fed.
He includes details of his relationship with wife, Andrea Mitchell. After their first date he invited her back to his apartment to read an economics paper he had written. And they've been together ever since.
"I'm not threatened by a powerful woman; in fact, I'm now married to one," Greenspan says, when discussing TV newswoman Barbara Walters, whom he dated after meeting in 1975. "The most boring activity I could imagine was going out with a vacuous date — something I learned the hard way over my years as a bachelor."
Greenspan gives readers a look into a man everyone knows but few know a lot about. One million copies of the book have been made in the initial printing.
Although he delves into a variety of economic topics, it is the personal part that is likely to be the most interesting, even for those who have followed the former Fed chief for decades.
He discusses how his parents' divorce "left a big hole" in his life, even though he remained in touch with his dad, Herbert, who was a broker on Wall Street. Later, of his divorce to his first wife, Joan Mitchell, Greenspan says, "I was the main problem," arguing he married a good woman for the wrong reasons.
Greenspan describes how his mathematical abilities shone through at a young age. His mom, Rose Goldsmith, used to show off to relatives how he could do addition and multiplication in his head, a likely uncomfortable feat for someone who as a boy was "more inclined to sit in the corner." As an avid baseball fan, he developed his own technique of keeping baseball box scores during the 1936 World Series.
"To this day, I can recite the lineup of Yankees starting players, complete with their positions and batting averages, for that World Series," he says.
Such skills helped him succeed in later years, starting in his first job as an economist making $45 a week analyzing obscure, industrial data, later building up a successful consulting firm and then joining the government.
After leading the Fed for more than 18 years, Greenspan today runs his own consulting firm, Greenspan and Associates. He continues to make speeches for six-figure fees, mainly at private gatherings. But occasionally he has roiled stock markets when his comments have hit the press, drawing criticism from those who say the guy just doesn't know how to retire.
That criticism will likely grow louder, with Greenspan releasing a book the day before the Fed meets to discuss interest rates.
Greenspan started writing The Age of Turbulence a day after he retired in January 2006. He wrote the book as he did his speeches at the Fed — in longhand and mainly while sitting in the bathtub, which he does every day since starting the practice after a back injury in the 1960s. He says the invention of a pen that can write in water has made it easier for his assistants to make out the sometimes soggy papers.
Greenspan, 81, says in The Age of Turbulence that the inflation-damping effect of globalization, which has led to lower wage pressures, inflation and interest rates worldwide, will recede.
At some point, the flow of people into the workforce in developing countries such as China, which has seen a movement of workers from farms into factories, will slow, leading to stronger wage pressures and prices, he says. The impact will be global.
And the shift "may be upon us sooner rather than later," he says. Evidence: Prices of Chinese imports coming into the USA started rising earlier this year. That suggests that in the "next few years," inflation will build unless action is taken.
The Wall Street Journal first reported details of the book on its website Friday night, saying it had bought a copy of the book in a New York City-area bookstore. USA TODAY had received a copy of the book to review in advance and was given permission to run its story ahead of the official publication Monday.
Greenspan's prediction comes shortly before Fed officials are widely expected to cut interest rates for the first time in more than four years following turmoil in mortgage markets that has rippled through the entire financial sector, leading to concerns about a credit crunch and a slowdown in the overall economy.
Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues, who meet in Washington Tuesday, have kept their target for short-term interest rates, which influence borrowing costs economywide, at 5.25% for more than a year. Greenspan's assertion that the Fed may have to double rates from current levels suggests the Fed may put itself in a bind by cutting rates now.
Criticism of Bush over spending
In his 531-page book, the former Fed chairman sharply criticizes President Bush for not vetoing bloated spending bills and for continuing to focus on issues, such as adding prescription drug benefits to Medicare even though the budget surplus of just a few years ago had disappeared and deficits were mounting.
"In the revised world of growing deficits, the goals were no longer entirely appropriate," Greenspan says. "He continued to pursue his presidential campaign promises nonetheless."
Greenspan, a libertarian Republican, as he calls himself, was also disappointed that his former colleagues from the Ford administration who were working for Bush, including Vice President Dick Cheney, didn't show greater fiscal discipline.
"People's ideas — and sometimes their ideals — change over the years," Greenspan writes. "I was a different person than I had been when first exposed to the glitter of the White House a quarter of a century before. So were my old friends: not in personality or character, but in opinions about how the world works and, therefore, what is important."
The Bush administration has often attributed the deficits to the impact of the 2001 recession, September 11, the war on terror and corporate scandals.
"We are not going to apologize for spending that was required for national security and fighting the war on terror," White House spokesman Tony Fratto says.
"We respect the work that Chairman Greenspan did," Fratto says. "We always respect his opinion. We share his views on limiting fiscal deficits. Once we were able to help the economy recover, it's clear that growth and limited spending are resulting in diminished deficits that will lead us to surpluses."
Greenspan also doesn't spare Republicans in Congress, who he says were "feeding at the trough," passing expensive pet projects for their home districts. For this, he says, they "deserved to lose" control of Congress to the Democrats in 2006.
"The Republicans in Congress lost their way," he says. "They swapped principle for power. They ended up with neither."
Greenspan covers a number of his pet topics, many of them familiar to those who have been following the former chairman's speeches and testimony. He argues U.S. primary and secondary education is slipping and must be reformed quickly to reduce income disparities between the skilled and unskilled, says trade protectionism can only hurt the economy and advocates looser immigration policies to provide more skilled workers.
He also frets about probably his biggest concern: The retirement of the baby boomers and the impending fiscal problems caused by the draws on Social Security and Medicare. He considers it an urgent problem that needs to be addressed soon.
A personal look at his life
Greenspan starts the book out on September 11, 2001, winding back to his childhood and eventually going into detail about his time at the Fed.
He includes details of his relationship with wife, Andrea Mitchell. After their first date he invited her back to his apartment to read an economics paper he had written. And they've been together ever since.
"I'm not threatened by a powerful woman; in fact, I'm now married to one," Greenspan says, when discussing TV newswoman Barbara Walters, whom he dated after meeting in 1975. "The most boring activity I could imagine was going out with a vacuous date — something I learned the hard way over my years as a bachelor."
Greenspan gives readers a look into a man everyone knows but few know a lot about. One million copies of the book have been made in the initial printing.
Although he delves into a variety of economic topics, it is the personal part that is likely to be the most interesting, even for those who have followed the former Fed chief for decades.
He discusses how his parents' divorce "left a big hole" in his life, even though he remained in touch with his dad, Herbert, who was a broker on Wall Street. Later, of his divorce to his first wife, Joan Mitchell, Greenspan says, "I was the main problem," arguing he married a good woman for the wrong reasons.
Greenspan describes how his mathematical abilities shone through at a young age. His mom, Rose Goldsmith, used to show off to relatives how he could do addition and multiplication in his head, a likely uncomfortable feat for someone who as a boy was "more inclined to sit in the corner." As an avid baseball fan, he developed his own technique of keeping baseball box scores during the 1936 World Series.
"To this day, I can recite the lineup of Yankees starting players, complete with their positions and batting averages, for that World Series," he says.
Such skills helped him succeed in later years, starting in his first job as an economist making $45 a week analyzing obscure, industrial data, later building up a successful consulting firm and then joining the government.
After leading the Fed for more than 18 years, Greenspan today runs his own consulting firm, Greenspan and Associates. He continues to make speeches for six-figure fees, mainly at private gatherings. But occasionally he has roiled stock markets when his comments have hit the press, drawing criticism from those who say the guy just doesn't know how to retire.
That criticism will likely grow louder, with Greenspan releasing a book the day before the Fed meets to discuss interest rates.
Greenspan started writing The Age of Turbulence a day after he retired in January 2006. He wrote the book as he did his speeches at the Fed — in longhand and mainly while sitting in the bathtub, which he does every day since starting the practice after a back injury in the 1960s. He says the invention of a pen that can write in water has made it easier for his assistants to make out the sometimes soggy papers.
Munching through New York's immigrant history
NEW YORK - At the rumbling corner of Delancey and Essex Streets in Manhattan's fabled Lower East Side, a sandal-footed, backpack-wearing Josh Wolff stands before his two-dozen charges and promises a real taste of the neighborhood.
"And since this is July," the tour guide says, "I assume you'll be getting the smells of the neighborhood as well."
On this steamy city afternoon, we find Wolff at the appointed corner, collecting $20 a head from a swarm of folks eager to explore enclaves thick with that most American of histories -- that of its immigrants.
It's the Original Multi-Ethnic Eating Tour, one of the most popular of the 30 or so led by Big Onion Walking Tours. And for good reason. The two-hour excursion takes us through the web of neighborhoods bite by bite, as we sample the cultural delicacies that tell the tale of a city that was, and is.
And so we go, heading east on Delancey, then south onto Norfolk. We pause in front of Beth Hamedrosh Hagadol, the oldest Orthodox synagogue of Russian Jews in the United States. In a neighborhood once home to 350,000 Jews, that once swelled with 300 synagogues, the aging structure is one of just a dozen that remain.
Wolff asks our group -- foreign tourists, families and history buffs -- whether any of our relatives ever called this pocket of the city home. A hand rises. Just as Wolff expected. There's usually at least one in a group our size, he says, given the waves of immigrants who've passed through for more than a century in search of the cheap rents and work opportunities the neighborhood promised.
Irish, Italian, Russian, German, Jewish, Chinese, Cuban, Dominican. You'll find them all here, if only in building plaques and street names. Today, as the Lower East Side shifts under yet another demographic tide, Wolff says you can add another group to that list: hipster.
The neighborhood of cheap rents has faded, as swank boutiques, condos and coffee shops favored by fashionista types replace the storefronts once home to ethnic bakeries and butchers.
As the neighborhood changes, so must the tour. Just weeks earlier, Wolff tells us, we would have nibbled flaky rugalach from Gertel's, a Jewish bakery and Hester Street institution for more than 90 years. Today, the building, since sold, is shuttered, poised to become a 10-story condo building. Alas, there'll be rugalach no more.
Which gets us back to the eats.
Wolff reaches into a plastic New York shopping bag. He pulls out two tin containers of fried plantains, fresh from El Castillo, a Rivington Street store owned by a Cuban and staffed by Dominican workers -- an overlapping of cultures that he says is the neighborhood's running theme.
We pluck at the warm, gooey slices. As they melt in our mouths, Wolff explains they're a nod to the Hispanic population that, beginning in the 1960s, poured into the Alphabet City section of the Lower East Side, christening it, in their pronunciation, the "Loisaida."
We stop at Norfolk and Grand, a stretch once considered the Jewish food district. A few vestiges remain, like Kossar's, the oldest bialy shop in the United States.
A bialy, you ask? If it weren't for the New York bagel's smug success, you'd know this doughy roll. Whereas a bagel is boiled then baked, a bialy is only baked. But for whatever reason, the bagel took off, Wolff says, leaving the bialy in its floury dust.
We won't be sampling them today, he says, "because if we had bialies, we'd get so full, we wouldn't be able to eat more."
So it's on to the pickles.
A neighborhood once dotted with barrels of "the poor man's winter food" is now down to two: Guss' Pickles on Orchard Street and The Pickle Guys, opened in 2003 on Essex Street by a former Guss' employee. And now the pickle wars rage, Wolff says.
Betraying his allegiance, he leads us into The Pickle Guys, where the workers greet us with a New York-style "Heeeeyyyy!"
We munch their crisp pickles, taking in the tiny shop crammed with red barrels of garlic, tomatoes, carrots and celery -- all pickled. Not so appetizing to some.
But for those of us with hard-to-pronounce Eastern European last names, it induces childhood memories and compels us to leave with heavy plastic bags.
On Hester Street, it's sweet, chalky-tasting halvah, where Wolff takes us back to the days of outdoor pushcart vendors.
Then it's dim sum on Pell Street, where he schools us on passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882, the first major U.S. restriction on immigration. We wind our way through Chinatown, past the cobblers and storefronts of curious dried meats, and pause again in Columbus Park.
There we get our lesson in the surrounding blocks' fabled history as the Five Points neighborhood, a notorious slum of poor, fractious immigrants recounted with great fanfare, if not pristine historical accuracy, in Martin Scorsese's film "The Gangs of New York." And there we get our next treat.
Wolff reaches into his bag, pulling out two packages of "candy." They're dried snacks from Aji Ichiban, a large chain that Wolff likens to the Starbucks of Chinese candy stores that's slowly wiping out the local mom-and-pops. We reach cautiously into the first bag for sweet, slightly salty dried plums. Not too shabby. I go in for another.
Then Wolff holds out a package of what he dubs "fish jerky" -- likely dried mackerel. The walkers look tentatively at the skinny gray sticks. We chew. We swallow. And Wolff asks, "What do you think, folks? These fish sticks -- are they a keeper?"
I reach in for a second and third. Salty? Chewy? What's not to like?
Past ringing church bells and sidewalk gelato and espresso vendors, we wind our way into the "fakery" of Little Italy.
Once an authentic Italian enclave, Wolff explains, it's now an Albanian neighborhood whose buildings boast Italian names and whose units are now home to Chinese immigrants.
Still, authenticity remains in generations-old stores like DiPalo's Fine Foods, where we swarm around Wolff to get fresh mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano and slices of sopressata salami.
It's the final stop. A few fingers fumble for another helping of cheese, and then our group scatters into all directions of the Lower East Side, minds and bellies full.
Just what Wolff likes.
"Walking tours are a great way to see the city...because you get to see things in detail you otherwise wouldn't be able to see. You get much more of a hands-on view of New York's layers," says Wolff, who, like many on the staff at Big Onion, is a grad student in history, working on his dissertation at Columbia University. By his count, he has led more than 500 tours.
What does he hope we see on the eating tour?
"The commonality between the different immigrant groups," he says. "That everyone in America is an immigrant, basically....And then maybe when they're thinking about the immigration issues of the present, they'll do so with a sense of history."
INFORMATION: 212-439-1090; www.bigonion.com
"And since this is July," the tour guide says, "I assume you'll be getting the smells of the neighborhood as well."
On this steamy city afternoon, we find Wolff at the appointed corner, collecting $20 a head from a swarm of folks eager to explore enclaves thick with that most American of histories -- that of its immigrants.
It's the Original Multi-Ethnic Eating Tour, one of the most popular of the 30 or so led by Big Onion Walking Tours. And for good reason. The two-hour excursion takes us through the web of neighborhoods bite by bite, as we sample the cultural delicacies that tell the tale of a city that was, and is.
And so we go, heading east on Delancey, then south onto Norfolk. We pause in front of Beth Hamedrosh Hagadol, the oldest Orthodox synagogue of Russian Jews in the United States. In a neighborhood once home to 350,000 Jews, that once swelled with 300 synagogues, the aging structure is one of just a dozen that remain.
Wolff asks our group -- foreign tourists, families and history buffs -- whether any of our relatives ever called this pocket of the city home. A hand rises. Just as Wolff expected. There's usually at least one in a group our size, he says, given the waves of immigrants who've passed through for more than a century in search of the cheap rents and work opportunities the neighborhood promised.
Irish, Italian, Russian, German, Jewish, Chinese, Cuban, Dominican. You'll find them all here, if only in building plaques and street names. Today, as the Lower East Side shifts under yet another demographic tide, Wolff says you can add another group to that list: hipster.
The neighborhood of cheap rents has faded, as swank boutiques, condos and coffee shops favored by fashionista types replace the storefronts once home to ethnic bakeries and butchers.
As the neighborhood changes, so must the tour. Just weeks earlier, Wolff tells us, we would have nibbled flaky rugalach from Gertel's, a Jewish bakery and Hester Street institution for more than 90 years. Today, the building, since sold, is shuttered, poised to become a 10-story condo building. Alas, there'll be rugalach no more.
Which gets us back to the eats.
Wolff reaches into a plastic New York shopping bag. He pulls out two tin containers of fried plantains, fresh from El Castillo, a Rivington Street store owned by a Cuban and staffed by Dominican workers -- an overlapping of cultures that he says is the neighborhood's running theme.
We pluck at the warm, gooey slices. As they melt in our mouths, Wolff explains they're a nod to the Hispanic population that, beginning in the 1960s, poured into the Alphabet City section of the Lower East Side, christening it, in their pronunciation, the "Loisaida."
We stop at Norfolk and Grand, a stretch once considered the Jewish food district. A few vestiges remain, like Kossar's, the oldest bialy shop in the United States.
A bialy, you ask? If it weren't for the New York bagel's smug success, you'd know this doughy roll. Whereas a bagel is boiled then baked, a bialy is only baked. But for whatever reason, the bagel took off, Wolff says, leaving the bialy in its floury dust.
We won't be sampling them today, he says, "because if we had bialies, we'd get so full, we wouldn't be able to eat more."
So it's on to the pickles.
A neighborhood once dotted with barrels of "the poor man's winter food" is now down to two: Guss' Pickles on Orchard Street and The Pickle Guys, opened in 2003 on Essex Street by a former Guss' employee. And now the pickle wars rage, Wolff says.
Betraying his allegiance, he leads us into The Pickle Guys, where the workers greet us with a New York-style "Heeeeyyyy!"
We munch their crisp pickles, taking in the tiny shop crammed with red barrels of garlic, tomatoes, carrots and celery -- all pickled. Not so appetizing to some.
But for those of us with hard-to-pronounce Eastern European last names, it induces childhood memories and compels us to leave with heavy plastic bags.
On Hester Street, it's sweet, chalky-tasting halvah, where Wolff takes us back to the days of outdoor pushcart vendors.
Then it's dim sum on Pell Street, where he schools us on passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882, the first major U.S. restriction on immigration. We wind our way through Chinatown, past the cobblers and storefronts of curious dried meats, and pause again in Columbus Park.
There we get our lesson in the surrounding blocks' fabled history as the Five Points neighborhood, a notorious slum of poor, fractious immigrants recounted with great fanfare, if not pristine historical accuracy, in Martin Scorsese's film "The Gangs of New York." And there we get our next treat.
Wolff reaches into his bag, pulling out two packages of "candy." They're dried snacks from Aji Ichiban, a large chain that Wolff likens to the Starbucks of Chinese candy stores that's slowly wiping out the local mom-and-pops. We reach cautiously into the first bag for sweet, slightly salty dried plums. Not too shabby. I go in for another.
Then Wolff holds out a package of what he dubs "fish jerky" -- likely dried mackerel. The walkers look tentatively at the skinny gray sticks. We chew. We swallow. And Wolff asks, "What do you think, folks? These fish sticks -- are they a keeper?"
I reach in for a second and third. Salty? Chewy? What's not to like?
Past ringing church bells and sidewalk gelato and espresso vendors, we wind our way into the "fakery" of Little Italy.
Once an authentic Italian enclave, Wolff explains, it's now an Albanian neighborhood whose buildings boast Italian names and whose units are now home to Chinese immigrants.
Still, authenticity remains in generations-old stores like DiPalo's Fine Foods, where we swarm around Wolff to get fresh mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano and slices of sopressata salami.
It's the final stop. A few fingers fumble for another helping of cheese, and then our group scatters into all directions of the Lower East Side, minds and bellies full.
Just what Wolff likes.
"Walking tours are a great way to see the city...because you get to see things in detail you otherwise wouldn't be able to see. You get much more of a hands-on view of New York's layers," says Wolff, who, like many on the staff at Big Onion, is a grad student in history, working on his dissertation at Columbia University. By his count, he has led more than 500 tours.
What does he hope we see on the eating tour?
"The commonality between the different immigrant groups," he says. "That everyone in America is an immigrant, basically....And then maybe when they're thinking about the immigration issues of the present, they'll do so with a sense of history."
INFORMATION: 212-439-1090; www.bigonion.com
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Seniors on the Danube
That first night at dinner in Passau, Germany, I said to myself, "Oh, oh -- what have I gotten myself into?" My 18 friends were spread over three tables in the beer garden, having just flown in from the United States for a 210-mile bike ride along the Danube to Vienna I'd arranged with the help of a local tour company found on the Internet. The holiday was fraught with risk.
Many in the group knew only my wife, Sandy, and me, not each other, and I worried about people not being compatible. Some could grind out a century (100 miles) before lunch; others hadn't been on a bicycle since high school. Was the distance we'd ride each day -- about 35 miles -- too little or too much? After all, most of us were professionals in our 60s, slipping into retirement, and we counted among us a few replaced hips and sundry other warnings of age.
So, when we gathered that first evening in that ancient city at the confluence of the Inn, Ilz and Danube Rivers, I gave everyone a name tag with instructions to throw it away after dinner. "After five hours of biking tomorrow, there won't be any strangers," I told them. We decided we'd leave the hotel as a group, after getting our bikes and a briefing from the local tour company the next morning, but ride as individuals so everyone could set his or her own pace.
We crossed the border into Austria at mid-morning. "Hey, can you tell me how to work the gears?" one of my 18 friends asked. Ahead lay one of Europe's most popular bike rides -- downstream all the way to Vienna, a wide, paved, riverside lane that follows a path over which horse teams once towed barges. It meanders past farms and vineyards, by stunning castles and abbeys, through quaint villages. This might not be Lance Armstrong's cup of tea, but for our group a ride with no hills and every turn clearly marked by a sign was good medicine for a sedentary lifestyle.
By the time we reached Engelhartszell, 15 miles from Passau, the dynamics of our group had started to take form. One biker was a loner who raced off, ignored the signs and got lost on a state highway with heavy traffic. Three couples were strong cyclists and disappeared into the distance. A dozen of us were dawdlers. We stopped for a leisurely lunch in a riverside cafe, then boarded the bicycle ferry to pick up the bike path on the quieter, northern side of the Danube.
As is apt to happen in a shared adventure, even a tame one, a congenial cohesion had taken root. If a biker or two fell far behind, others waited for them to catch up. If there was a tricky turn, you could usually count on someone stationing himself there to make sure no one missed it.
Groups formed, decomposed and reformed. At each stop, we compared notes from an invaluable cycling guide the tour company had given each of us -- "Danube Bike Trail 2, Austrian Danube" (find it on Internet booksellers by typing in the ISBN number 3-900869-82-0). My fears of incompatibility faded.
If you're interested in gathering friends or family to bike the Danube -- or to take any one of scores of cycling excursions offered throughout Europe -- this might be a good place to share some lessons learned. In the past 15 years, Sandy and I have organized customized trips in Ireland, England's Cotswolds, New Zealand, Sweden and France's Burgundy and Bordeaux regions by using local tour operators found on the Internet. We've done it on the cheap without sacrificing comfort, never been cussed by friends who signed on and never had a bad experience with an operator.
I started researching this late-spring bike trip in January without a specific route in mind. The choices were perplexing. Florence to Rome? Budapest to Krakow on the Amber Trail? Holland by bike and barge? The Danube bike path?
At some point I clicked -- literally and figuratively -- on Bike Tours Direct. The small Tennessee-based company is a one-stop resource, representing European bicycle tour agencies in 30 countries that offer more than 200 routes. For the next few months, through e-mails and phone calls, I worked with Jim Johnson, the company's founder and an avid cyclist, putting together a customized itinerary. Then I e-mailed a gaggle of friends with an invitation to join Sandy and me. Eight couples and two singles did.
Johnson believes his is the only American company that acts as a personalized broker for European cycling firms. He and his colleagues did all the heavy lifting, working with Donau-Radfreunde in Austria to customize our trip, but charged the same amount I would have paid had I booked directly with Donau-Radfreunde. By the time I'd upgraded our accommodations from basic to three-star hotels and inns, added five prepaid dinners and a few other amenities, our costs had climbed to just over $900 each, including bicycles, six hotel nights with breakfast, luggage transfers each day, emergency road service, maps and travel information. A five-star bargain by my reckoning.
I built into the itinerary plenty of time to smell the roses -- and to take side routes for hearty souls who wanted to bike extra miles. For the weary, there was a nice option: Simply bring your bike aboard one of the many trains or tourist boats that link the string of Danube towns and watch the world flow by.
We lingered silently at the Nazi concentration camp in Mauthausen, ate huge banana splits at the Schorgi ice cream shop in Grein, explored the vineyards of Wachau in the Danube's most beautiful region and viewed from a distance the ruins of Durnstein castle where England's King Richard the Lion-Hearted was held hostage in the 12th Century.
We biked the last day in soft rain the 25 miles from Tulln to Vienna. Families of white swans idled on the river. We warmed up with double espressos and steaming apple strudel in a cozy cafe. It dawned on me that during the entire week, I had heard not a single complaint. Three or four people who hadn't biked in years and doubted their ability to complete the journey turned out to be among the heartiest cyclists.
That's the beauty of a bicycle. Unlike a tennis racket or a pair of skis, it rises to meet you at your level of ability. It gives you a sense of intimacy with your surroundings. The difference between driving through the region in a car and biking it is the difference between watching a movie and being in one.
Our farewell dinner was at Heuriger Reinprecht, a noisy, fun restaurant with violinists and accordion players in the Vienna suburbs. Only a week earlier most of our group had been strangers. Now everyone was exchanging e-mails and rehashing the trip over bottles of wine, kidding the dogged wife who followed her husband on a grueling side trip up into the mountains of the wine region.
"So," one of the stalwart bikers said to me, "where do we go next year?"
Many in the group knew only my wife, Sandy, and me, not each other, and I worried about people not being compatible. Some could grind out a century (100 miles) before lunch; others hadn't been on a bicycle since high school. Was the distance we'd ride each day -- about 35 miles -- too little or too much? After all, most of us were professionals in our 60s, slipping into retirement, and we counted among us a few replaced hips and sundry other warnings of age.
So, when we gathered that first evening in that ancient city at the confluence of the Inn, Ilz and Danube Rivers, I gave everyone a name tag with instructions to throw it away after dinner. "After five hours of biking tomorrow, there won't be any strangers," I told them. We decided we'd leave the hotel as a group, after getting our bikes and a briefing from the local tour company the next morning, but ride as individuals so everyone could set his or her own pace.
We crossed the border into Austria at mid-morning. "Hey, can you tell me how to work the gears?" one of my 18 friends asked. Ahead lay one of Europe's most popular bike rides -- downstream all the way to Vienna, a wide, paved, riverside lane that follows a path over which horse teams once towed barges. It meanders past farms and vineyards, by stunning castles and abbeys, through quaint villages. This might not be Lance Armstrong's cup of tea, but for our group a ride with no hills and every turn clearly marked by a sign was good medicine for a sedentary lifestyle.
By the time we reached Engelhartszell, 15 miles from Passau, the dynamics of our group had started to take form. One biker was a loner who raced off, ignored the signs and got lost on a state highway with heavy traffic. Three couples were strong cyclists and disappeared into the distance. A dozen of us were dawdlers. We stopped for a leisurely lunch in a riverside cafe, then boarded the bicycle ferry to pick up the bike path on the quieter, northern side of the Danube.
As is apt to happen in a shared adventure, even a tame one, a congenial cohesion had taken root. If a biker or two fell far behind, others waited for them to catch up. If there was a tricky turn, you could usually count on someone stationing himself there to make sure no one missed it.
Groups formed, decomposed and reformed. At each stop, we compared notes from an invaluable cycling guide the tour company had given each of us -- "Danube Bike Trail 2, Austrian Danube" (find it on Internet booksellers by typing in the ISBN number 3-900869-82-0). My fears of incompatibility faded.
If you're interested in gathering friends or family to bike the Danube -- or to take any one of scores of cycling excursions offered throughout Europe -- this might be a good place to share some lessons learned. In the past 15 years, Sandy and I have organized customized trips in Ireland, England's Cotswolds, New Zealand, Sweden and France's Burgundy and Bordeaux regions by using local tour operators found on the Internet. We've done it on the cheap without sacrificing comfort, never been cussed by friends who signed on and never had a bad experience with an operator.
I started researching this late-spring bike trip in January without a specific route in mind. The choices were perplexing. Florence to Rome? Budapest to Krakow on the Amber Trail? Holland by bike and barge? The Danube bike path?
At some point I clicked -- literally and figuratively -- on Bike Tours Direct. The small Tennessee-based company is a one-stop resource, representing European bicycle tour agencies in 30 countries that offer more than 200 routes. For the next few months, through e-mails and phone calls, I worked with Jim Johnson, the company's founder and an avid cyclist, putting together a customized itinerary. Then I e-mailed a gaggle of friends with an invitation to join Sandy and me. Eight couples and two singles did.
Johnson believes his is the only American company that acts as a personalized broker for European cycling firms. He and his colleagues did all the heavy lifting, working with Donau-Radfreunde in Austria to customize our trip, but charged the same amount I would have paid had I booked directly with Donau-Radfreunde. By the time I'd upgraded our accommodations from basic to three-star hotels and inns, added five prepaid dinners and a few other amenities, our costs had climbed to just over $900 each, including bicycles, six hotel nights with breakfast, luggage transfers each day, emergency road service, maps and travel information. A five-star bargain by my reckoning.
I built into the itinerary plenty of time to smell the roses -- and to take side routes for hearty souls who wanted to bike extra miles. For the weary, there was a nice option: Simply bring your bike aboard one of the many trains or tourist boats that link the string of Danube towns and watch the world flow by.
We lingered silently at the Nazi concentration camp in Mauthausen, ate huge banana splits at the Schorgi ice cream shop in Grein, explored the vineyards of Wachau in the Danube's most beautiful region and viewed from a distance the ruins of Durnstein castle where England's King Richard the Lion-Hearted was held hostage in the 12th Century.
We biked the last day in soft rain the 25 miles from Tulln to Vienna. Families of white swans idled on the river. We warmed up with double espressos and steaming apple strudel in a cozy cafe. It dawned on me that during the entire week, I had heard not a single complaint. Three or four people who hadn't biked in years and doubted their ability to complete the journey turned out to be among the heartiest cyclists.
That's the beauty of a bicycle. Unlike a tennis racket or a pair of skis, it rises to meet you at your level of ability. It gives you a sense of intimacy with your surroundings. The difference between driving through the region in a car and biking it is the difference between watching a movie and being in one.
Our farewell dinner was at Heuriger Reinprecht, a noisy, fun restaurant with violinists and accordion players in the Vienna suburbs. Only a week earlier most of our group had been strangers. Now everyone was exchanging e-mails and rehashing the trip over bottles of wine, kidding the dogged wife who followed her husband on a grueling side trip up into the mountains of the wine region.
"So," one of the stalwart bikers said to me, "where do we go next year?"
Saturday, September 08, 2007
Taking a bite of autumn bounty
Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana -- all states with football teams that are rivals to the Illini. And last year, the University of Illinois lost to every one but Michigan State University. Ugh.
Many Illini fans are still stinging. So don't drive into enemy territory to pick apples. There are many apple orchards in Illinois where families can pick apples and enjoy a fall tradition.
Staying in-state may mean starting early, depending on your tastes. Some apples are ready for picking now and others will ripen earlier than expected. "We're two to three weeks early on everything," said Don Burda, co-owner of Homestead Orchard in Woodstock. "All the many, many 90s temperatures and all the rain. It's been like that for two or three years now."
The harvest may be early, but Burda said it will be plentiful. "It's a really productive year, we're looking for a great harvest," he said.
Not sure where and what to pick? Here are five Illinois orchards with unique apples:
Apples on Oak
16146 Oak Ave., Joliet; 815-726-0386; Peceniak.Tripod.com
This family-owned farm offers free admission and free parking. Owner Lawrence Peceniak seeks out unique apples not available on grocery store shelves. "We can't compete with the Golden Delicious and the Red Delicious growers, so we went more toward the odd varieties that no one else grows," Peceniak said.
Distance: About 36 miles from the Loop.
Ideal for: Sweet apple lovers. A quick trip for west and south suburban families.
Must-try apple: Ashmead's Colonel. While many modern apples are engineered hybrids, Peceniak says this apple hasn't changed in centuries. "This is something that Jefferson grew," Peceniak said. Also called Ashmead's Kernel, this firm apple has a yellow-white color and is both crisp and juicy.
Timing: This apple is ready to be picked in mid-September. Orchard hours (now open): 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Wed. and Sat.; noon-6 p.m. Sun. Free parking and admission.
Cost: $1 per pound.
Homestead Orchard
11802 Charles Rd.., Woodstock; 815-338-7443, HomesteadOrchard.net
Owned by Don and Barb Burda, Homestead Orchard is a quiet, family-friendly farm where children of any age can pick apples. Almost 90 percent of customers are families with children. Don't expect a petting zoo or pony rides. Instead, Don Burda said the trees are the kid-friendly attraction. "The branches are low. All the children can pick, even the two year old," Burda said.
Many Illini fans are still stinging. So don't drive into enemy territory to pick apples. There are many apple orchards in Illinois where families can pick apples and enjoy a fall tradition.
Staying in-state may mean starting early, depending on your tastes. Some apples are ready for picking now and others will ripen earlier than expected. "We're two to three weeks early on everything," said Don Burda, co-owner of Homestead Orchard in Woodstock. "All the many, many 90s temperatures and all the rain. It's been like that for two or three years now."
The harvest may be early, but Burda said it will be plentiful. "It's a really productive year, we're looking for a great harvest," he said.
Not sure where and what to pick? Here are five Illinois orchards with unique apples:
Apples on Oak
16146 Oak Ave., Joliet; 815-726-0386; Peceniak.Tripod.com
This family-owned farm offers free admission and free parking. Owner Lawrence Peceniak seeks out unique apples not available on grocery store shelves. "We can't compete with the Golden Delicious and the Red Delicious growers, so we went more toward the odd varieties that no one else grows," Peceniak said.
Distance: About 36 miles from the Loop.
Ideal for: Sweet apple lovers. A quick trip for west and south suburban families.
Must-try apple: Ashmead's Colonel. While many modern apples are engineered hybrids, Peceniak says this apple hasn't changed in centuries. "This is something that Jefferson grew," Peceniak said. Also called Ashmead's Kernel, this firm apple has a yellow-white color and is both crisp and juicy.
Timing: This apple is ready to be picked in mid-September. Orchard hours (now open): 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Wed. and Sat.; noon-6 p.m. Sun. Free parking and admission.
Cost: $1 per pound.
Homestead Orchard
11802 Charles Rd.., Woodstock; 815-338-7443, HomesteadOrchard.net
Owned by Don and Barb Burda, Homestead Orchard is a quiet, family-friendly farm where children of any age can pick apples. Almost 90 percent of customers are families with children. Don't expect a petting zoo or pony rides. Instead, Don Burda said the trees are the kid-friendly attraction. "The branches are low. All the children can pick, even the two year old," Burda said.
Design Embassy's new 'Do Not Disturb' sign
Whimsical "do not disturb" signs are popping up on hotel doorknobs. ("Shhhh, I am becoming one with my minibar," reads one at Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica, Calif.)
Embassy Suites Hotels — whose current signs say "There’s a good reason for you not to knock right now" — invites travelers to design its next generation of messages. Wednesday, it unveiled embassysuitesdndcontest.com, where anyone can post an entry. Five winners will get free stays at hot destinations; their DND messages will be rotated at Embassy properties.
Embassy Suites exec John Lee tells me its offbeat DND signs are popular take-home items, “which is fine by me. Travel should be fun.”
Embassy Suites Hotels — whose current signs say "There’s a good reason for you not to knock right now" — invites travelers to design its next generation of messages. Wednesday, it unveiled embassysuitesdndcontest.com, where anyone can post an entry. Five winners will get free stays at hot destinations; their DND messages will be rotated at Embassy properties.
Embassy Suites exec John Lee tells me its offbeat DND signs are popular take-home items, “which is fine by me. Travel should be fun.”
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Air travelers suffered summer of pain
With Labor Day behind, it can now be said: Summer 2007 was, for air travelers, as bad as it seemed.
U.S. airlines canceled nearly twice as many flights as a year earlier, contributing to a record level of pain for air travelers this summer.
From June 1 to Aug. 15, U.S. carriers canceled more than 30,000 domestic and international flights to the USA's top 30 airports, up from 16,000 last summer, according to a FlightStats analysis for USA TODAY. FlightStats' data show the proportion of flights arriving at least 45 minutes late jumped to 13.4% this summer, up from about 11.2% last summer. FlightStats tracks flights worldwide.
But cancellations create far more havoc for travelers than delays, because passengers don't get where they want to go. Flights are so packed that it can take days for fliers from canceled flights to find seats on later flights.
"This doesn't surprise us," said David Castelveter of airline trade group the Air Transport Association. The ATA warns that delays and cancellations will get worse until the Federal Aviation Administration updates its 40-year-old air-traffic-control system, which will take years.
But multiple factors, including rotten weather and crew shortages, also helped disrupt summer flights. Tornadoes in the Chicago area and torrential rain in Texas forced lots of delays and cancellations there.
"This has been the worst summer travel season I have ever been a part of," says traveler Tom Guenther, a federal bank examiner from North Carolina. Two weeks ago, he found himself cowering in a tunnel under Chicago O'Hare airport after a tornado sighting forced passengers to exit a plane and run for cover. Hours later, after another storm and a mechanical problem, his United Airlines flight home to Charlotte was canceled. He had to spend an extra night in Chicago and take a flight the next day from Chicago Midway airport because O'Hare flights were full. Approximate time elapsed: 22 hours.
Some airlines have struggled with the impact of deep spending cuts. Northwest Airlines, fresh from Chapter 11 reorganization, experienced a pilot shortage in June and July, prompting 3,100 canceled flights. Northwest's reliability improved in August after it agreed to pay pilots overtime for flying extra hours.
Fearful of stranding passengers in planes on the tarmac, other carriers canceled flights in advance of storms. Sue Reiss' recent Mesaba Airlines flight to Atlanta was canceled 18 hours before departure because of a severe weather forecast.
The Michigan-based sales executive rebooked on a later flight, and the storm arrived late. So her second flight was canceled, too. "A nightmare," she says.
U.S. airlines canceled nearly twice as many flights as a year earlier, contributing to a record level of pain for air travelers this summer.
From June 1 to Aug. 15, U.S. carriers canceled more than 30,000 domestic and international flights to the USA's top 30 airports, up from 16,000 last summer, according to a FlightStats analysis for USA TODAY. FlightStats' data show the proportion of flights arriving at least 45 minutes late jumped to 13.4% this summer, up from about 11.2% last summer. FlightStats tracks flights worldwide.
But cancellations create far more havoc for travelers than delays, because passengers don't get where they want to go. Flights are so packed that it can take days for fliers from canceled flights to find seats on later flights.
"This doesn't surprise us," said David Castelveter of airline trade group the Air Transport Association. The ATA warns that delays and cancellations will get worse until the Federal Aviation Administration updates its 40-year-old air-traffic-control system, which will take years.
But multiple factors, including rotten weather and crew shortages, also helped disrupt summer flights. Tornadoes in the Chicago area and torrential rain in Texas forced lots of delays and cancellations there.
"This has been the worst summer travel season I have ever been a part of," says traveler Tom Guenther, a federal bank examiner from North Carolina. Two weeks ago, he found himself cowering in a tunnel under Chicago O'Hare airport after a tornado sighting forced passengers to exit a plane and run for cover. Hours later, after another storm and a mechanical problem, his United Airlines flight home to Charlotte was canceled. He had to spend an extra night in Chicago and take a flight the next day from Chicago Midway airport because O'Hare flights were full. Approximate time elapsed: 22 hours.
Some airlines have struggled with the impact of deep spending cuts. Northwest Airlines, fresh from Chapter 11 reorganization, experienced a pilot shortage in June and July, prompting 3,100 canceled flights. Northwest's reliability improved in August after it agreed to pay pilots overtime for flying extra hours.
Fearful of stranding passengers in planes on the tarmac, other carriers canceled flights in advance of storms. Sue Reiss' recent Mesaba Airlines flight to Atlanta was canceled 18 hours before departure because of a severe weather forecast.
The Michigan-based sales executive rebooked on a later flight, and the storm arrived late. So her second flight was canceled, too. "A nightmare," she says.
Virginia's secret retreat
There's a stillness that permeates the streets -- and the water -- in Irvington, Virginia. The glasslike surface of Carter's Creek is so calm you can't help but touch it to see if you'll cause a ripple. The scent of warm, dry grass fills the air. Colors appear softer. It feels almost magical.
But wander around a bit and you'll discover something more: an energy beneath the quiet facade. A former steamboat port, Irvington is reestablishing itself as the hub of the state's Northern Neck. Just three hours from Washington, D.C., and 90 minutes from Richmond and Norfolk, the town that George Washington called the "Garden of Virginia" still serves as a quiet getaway from the city. But now it also offers two fine inns, several upscale restaurants and trendy shops.
The Dandelion -- once a church parsonage -- fills its two floors with apparel, accessories and gifts. Across the street, Avolon specializes in hip designer clothing, and, two doors down, Khakis offers way more than neutral slacks. River Cottage's 19th-century building is as captivating as its merchandise: Check out the wavy-glass windows and original flooring from Washington, D.C.'s historic Willard Hotel. Owner Paul Carlson welcomes clientele to browse his hodgepodge of Peacock Alley linens, Maine Cottage furniture, Zekiah stained glass and Hobie kayaks.
At The Bay Window, Nancy Drake, Candy Terry and Mary Ragland provide knitting supplies and classes. "It's so quiet here," Mary says. "This is truly country." She's right. Locals spend time outdoors. Nightlife consists of gazing at stars in the velvety sky.
It also consists of dining at Irvington's sophisticated but playful social mecca, Trick Dog Cafe. Many patrons return for homegrown dishes, prepared by chefs Jeffrey Johnson and Tony Filiberti and flavored with ingredients harvested within 10 to 15 miles of town.
Don't Miss
* Coastal Living slide show: Irvington, Virginia
* Coastal Living: Virginia Beach surf and solitude
* Coastal Living: Mid-Atlantic seafood dives
Although still largely undiscovered, Irvington revels in its new identity as a destination -- thanks in part to the Tides Inn. Renovated in 2002, the 480-acre resort features 106 rooms overlooking Carter's Creek and a 64-slip marina. Four on-site restaurants include the Chesapeake Club for local seafood and regional cuisine. Guests can golf, bike, play croquet, and take sailing lessons at the resort's Premier Sailing School.
For a more eclectic getaway, The Hope and Glory Inn's recently refreshed accommodations comprise seven rooms in an 1890 schoolhouse, plus six cottages. Owner Dudley Patteson says he encourages guests to "step away from what's going on in life and reconnect."
That's easy to do this time of year, when autumn brightens the town's trees, and straw-color mums decorate Victorian porches on King Carter Drive. Irvington, even with its metropolitan touches, offers its visitors a low-key respite from daily life. In this "Garden of Virginia," the harvest may just be peace and quiet.
If you go ...
For general information, visit townofirvington.com.
Sweet Dreams: Rates at the Tides Inn start at $210; 800/843-3746 or tidesinn.com. Rates at The Hope and Glory Inn start at $165; 800/497-8228 or hopeandglory.com.
Cuisine: The Chesapeake Club at the Tides Inn (reservations recommended); 800/843-3746 or tidesinn.com. If you stay at The Hope and Glory Inn on a Saturday, make reservations at the Chef's Table for a four-course meal paired with wines selected by the chef; 800/497-8228 or hopeandglory.com. The Trick Dog Cafe (reservations recommended); 804/438-1055. The Local serves gourmet coffees and sandwiches, and doubles as an Internet café; 804/438-9356.
Shops 'n' Such: Avolon; 804/438-6793. The Bay Window; 804/438-6636. The Dandelion; 804/438-5194 or thedandelion.com. Khakis; 804/438-6779 or khakisofirvington.com. The River Cottage; 804/438-9007 or therivercottage.net.
Local Attractions: Try your hand at grape harvesting during the Irvington Stomp, September 1 this year; 804/438-5559 or irvingtonstomp.com. The Steamboat Era Museum gives visitors a glimpse into vessels that helped shape cities and towns along the Chesapeake; 804/438-6888 or steamboateramuseum.org. For a more reverent experience, visit Historic Christ Church, a restored Colonial-era church and national landmark; 804/438-6855 or christchurch1735.org.
But wander around a bit and you'll discover something more: an energy beneath the quiet facade. A former steamboat port, Irvington is reestablishing itself as the hub of the state's Northern Neck. Just three hours from Washington, D.C., and 90 minutes from Richmond and Norfolk, the town that George Washington called the "Garden of Virginia" still serves as a quiet getaway from the city. But now it also offers two fine inns, several upscale restaurants and trendy shops.
The Dandelion -- once a church parsonage -- fills its two floors with apparel, accessories and gifts. Across the street, Avolon specializes in hip designer clothing, and, two doors down, Khakis offers way more than neutral slacks. River Cottage's 19th-century building is as captivating as its merchandise: Check out the wavy-glass windows and original flooring from Washington, D.C.'s historic Willard Hotel. Owner Paul Carlson welcomes clientele to browse his hodgepodge of Peacock Alley linens, Maine Cottage furniture, Zekiah stained glass and Hobie kayaks.
At The Bay Window, Nancy Drake, Candy Terry and Mary Ragland provide knitting supplies and classes. "It's so quiet here," Mary says. "This is truly country." She's right. Locals spend time outdoors. Nightlife consists of gazing at stars in the velvety sky.
It also consists of dining at Irvington's sophisticated but playful social mecca, Trick Dog Cafe. Many patrons return for homegrown dishes, prepared by chefs Jeffrey Johnson and Tony Filiberti and flavored with ingredients harvested within 10 to 15 miles of town.
Don't Miss
* Coastal Living slide show: Irvington, Virginia
* Coastal Living: Virginia Beach surf and solitude
* Coastal Living: Mid-Atlantic seafood dives
Although still largely undiscovered, Irvington revels in its new identity as a destination -- thanks in part to the Tides Inn. Renovated in 2002, the 480-acre resort features 106 rooms overlooking Carter's Creek and a 64-slip marina. Four on-site restaurants include the Chesapeake Club for local seafood and regional cuisine. Guests can golf, bike, play croquet, and take sailing lessons at the resort's Premier Sailing School.
For a more eclectic getaway, The Hope and Glory Inn's recently refreshed accommodations comprise seven rooms in an 1890 schoolhouse, plus six cottages. Owner Dudley Patteson says he encourages guests to "step away from what's going on in life and reconnect."
That's easy to do this time of year, when autumn brightens the town's trees, and straw-color mums decorate Victorian porches on King Carter Drive. Irvington, even with its metropolitan touches, offers its visitors a low-key respite from daily life. In this "Garden of Virginia," the harvest may just be peace and quiet.
If you go ...
For general information, visit townofirvington.com.
Sweet Dreams: Rates at the Tides Inn start at $210; 800/843-3746 or tidesinn.com. Rates at The Hope and Glory Inn start at $165; 800/497-8228 or hopeandglory.com.
Cuisine: The Chesapeake Club at the Tides Inn (reservations recommended); 800/843-3746 or tidesinn.com. If you stay at The Hope and Glory Inn on a Saturday, make reservations at the Chef's Table for a four-course meal paired with wines selected by the chef; 800/497-8228 or hopeandglory.com. The Trick Dog Cafe (reservations recommended); 804/438-1055. The Local serves gourmet coffees and sandwiches, and doubles as an Internet café; 804/438-9356.
Shops 'n' Such: Avolon; 804/438-6793. The Bay Window; 804/438-6636. The Dandelion; 804/438-5194 or thedandelion.com. Khakis; 804/438-6779 or khakisofirvington.com. The River Cottage; 804/438-9007 or therivercottage.net.
Local Attractions: Try your hand at grape harvesting during the Irvington Stomp, September 1 this year; 804/438-5559 or irvingtonstomp.com. The Steamboat Era Museum gives visitors a glimpse into vessels that helped shape cities and towns along the Chesapeake; 804/438-6888 or steamboateramuseum.org. For a more reverent experience, visit Historic Christ Church, a restored Colonial-era church and national landmark; 804/438-6855 or christchurch1735.org.
New Mexico Tourism Commission seeks industry input to enhance tourism efforts in the region
The seven-member New Mexico Tourism Commission - created by state statute as an advisory board on policy matters to the New Mexico Tourism Department – travels to Mescalero for a retreat and meeting Wednesday-Thursday (September 12-13, 2007) in order input to be gathered from tourism industry professionals in southern New Mexico regarding their ideas on how both the Tourism Commission and the Tourism Department might enhance the state’s tourism effort as Chairman Lucero said.
The Governor-appointed commission includes Chairman Al Lucero (Santa Fe), Deidre A. Lujan (Albuquerque), Ted Garcia (Albuquerque), Chris Stagg (Taos Ski Valley), Randy Randall (Santa Fe), Selena Chino (Mescalero), and Bill Hirschfeld (Ruidoso).
“It is an opportunity for the people of Ruidoso, Roswell, Carlsbad and other southern New Mexico communities to meet one-on-one with state tourism officials to express their views,” Chairman Lucero said. “This is the first of several meetings we plan to have in the rural areas of New Mexico, outside of Santa Fe and Albuquerque. We anticipate an impressive turnout and a lively discussion.”
The meeting agenda includes a presentation by Tourism Department Secretary Michael Cerletti and other business to be brought before the commission.
The New Mexico Tourism Department supports the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and encourages individuals with disabilities to attend and participate in this meeting.
The Governor-appointed commission includes Chairman Al Lucero (Santa Fe), Deidre A. Lujan (Albuquerque), Ted Garcia (Albuquerque), Chris Stagg (Taos Ski Valley), Randy Randall (Santa Fe), Selena Chino (Mescalero), and Bill Hirschfeld (Ruidoso).
“It is an opportunity for the people of Ruidoso, Roswell, Carlsbad and other southern New Mexico communities to meet one-on-one with state tourism officials to express their views,” Chairman Lucero said. “This is the first of several meetings we plan to have in the rural areas of New Mexico, outside of Santa Fe and Albuquerque. We anticipate an impressive turnout and a lively discussion.”
The meeting agenda includes a presentation by Tourism Department Secretary Michael Cerletti and other business to be brought before the commission.
The New Mexico Tourism Department supports the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and encourages individuals with disabilities to attend and participate in this meeting.
Monday, September 03, 2007
Aviation industry registers record traffic volumes
Year-on-year passenger demand was up 5.9% for July 2007 over July 2006 while passenger demand grew 6.2% during the January-July period over the same period in 2006 according to traffic results released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for July 2007 .
Other highlights are:
* Much of this growth is facilitating economic development as business traffic is growing faster than economy traffic on long-haul routes.
* The average passenger load factor hit a record 81% in July, up 0.3% from the previous high in July 2006.
* With the exception of April 2007, monthly load factors have risen every month during the past two years.
* The average load factor during January-July 2007 was 76.5%, up from 76% recorded during the same period in 2006.
* Airlines in the Middle East continued the double-digit growth seen over the last three years with demand growth of 18.8% in July. Improved demand growth in Asia Pacific (5.5%) and Europe (4.5%), which together comprise almost two-thirds of total international traffic, boosted overall July results.
“Efficiency is the story of the summer. More people are travelling than ever before with airlines registering a monthly record of over 220 billion revenue passenger kilometres in July with record load factors. Combine that with a 10.5% improvement in fuel efficiency and a 56% increase in labour productivity since 2002 and it’s clear industry efficiencies have hit an all-time high,” said Giovanni Bisignani, Director General and CEO of IATA. “But there are risks. If the volatility in global stock markets begins to affect the wider economy, the spin-off effect could put a drag on demand. Airlines will have to maintain a prudent approach to adding new capacity.”
From 18 to 28 September the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) will meet in Montreal. Aviation and the environment will be the number one issue discussed.
“Industry efficiency translates into improved environmental performance. Airlines contribute 2% of manmade C02. IATA’s vision is to do even better. We are targeting carbon neutral growth in the near term. And in the longer-term our goal is nothing less than to become carbon-free. The challenge for the 190 contracting States of ICAO is to deliver the global political leadership needed to bring this vision to reality,” said Bisignani.
Industry Registers Record Traffic Volumes, Load Factors in July
July 2007 vs July 2006 RPK Growth ASK Growth PLF
Africa 5.9% 6.1% 71.7
Asia/Pacific 5.5% 4.9% 78.5
Europe 4.5% 4.2% 82.1
Latin America 6.7% 8.2% 79.5
Middle East 18.8% 14.4% 80.2
North America 3.7% 4.2% 85.6
Industry 5.9% 5.5% 81.0
Jan-July 2007 vs Jan-July 2006 RPK Growth ASK Growth PLF
Africa 9.6% 7.6% 68.4
Asia/Pacific 6.1% 5.2% 75.0
Europe 4.9% 4.2% 77.2
Latin America 2.0% 2.6% 72.7
Middle East 16.8% 13.7% 75.3
North America 4.9% 4.8% 81.1
Industry 6.2% 5.5% 76.5
RPK: Revenue Passenger Kilometres measures actual passenger traffic ASK: Available Seat Kilometres measures available passenger capacity PLF: Passenger Load Factor is % of ASKs used. In comparison of 2007 to 2006, PLF indicates point differential between the periods compared.
Other highlights are:
* Much of this growth is facilitating economic development as business traffic is growing faster than economy traffic on long-haul routes.
* The average passenger load factor hit a record 81% in July, up 0.3% from the previous high in July 2006.
* With the exception of April 2007, monthly load factors have risen every month during the past two years.
* The average load factor during January-July 2007 was 76.5%, up from 76% recorded during the same period in 2006.
* Airlines in the Middle East continued the double-digit growth seen over the last three years with demand growth of 18.8% in July. Improved demand growth in Asia Pacific (5.5%) and Europe (4.5%), which together comprise almost two-thirds of total international traffic, boosted overall July results.
“Efficiency is the story of the summer. More people are travelling than ever before with airlines registering a monthly record of over 220 billion revenue passenger kilometres in July with record load factors. Combine that with a 10.5% improvement in fuel efficiency and a 56% increase in labour productivity since 2002 and it’s clear industry efficiencies have hit an all-time high,” said Giovanni Bisignani, Director General and CEO of IATA. “But there are risks. If the volatility in global stock markets begins to affect the wider economy, the spin-off effect could put a drag on demand. Airlines will have to maintain a prudent approach to adding new capacity.”
From 18 to 28 September the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) will meet in Montreal. Aviation and the environment will be the number one issue discussed.
“Industry efficiency translates into improved environmental performance. Airlines contribute 2% of manmade C02. IATA’s vision is to do even better. We are targeting carbon neutral growth in the near term. And in the longer-term our goal is nothing less than to become carbon-free. The challenge for the 190 contracting States of ICAO is to deliver the global political leadership needed to bring this vision to reality,” said Bisignani.
Industry Registers Record Traffic Volumes, Load Factors in July
July 2007 vs July 2006 RPK Growth ASK Growth PLF
Africa 5.9% 6.1% 71.7
Asia/Pacific 5.5% 4.9% 78.5
Europe 4.5% 4.2% 82.1
Latin America 6.7% 8.2% 79.5
Middle East 18.8% 14.4% 80.2
North America 3.7% 4.2% 85.6
Industry 5.9% 5.5% 81.0
Jan-July 2007 vs Jan-July 2006 RPK Growth ASK Growth PLF
Africa 9.6% 7.6% 68.4
Asia/Pacific 6.1% 5.2% 75.0
Europe 4.9% 4.2% 77.2
Latin America 2.0% 2.6% 72.7
Middle East 16.8% 13.7% 75.3
North America 4.9% 4.8% 81.1
Industry 6.2% 5.5% 76.5
RPK: Revenue Passenger Kilometres measures actual passenger traffic ASK: Available Seat Kilometres measures available passenger capacity PLF: Passenger Load Factor is % of ASKs used. In comparison of 2007 to 2006, PLF indicates point differential between the periods compared.
Singapore attracts highest numbers of business visitors
In total, close to 25,000 foreign delegates, contributing at least £13 million (SGD 40 million) to Singapore’s total Tourism Receipts, visited Singapore to attend various business events including the 27th International Epilepsy Congress, Herbalife Asia Pacific Extravaganza 2007 and the World Glaucoma Congress 2007. The events encompassed all four segments of the MICE industry including Meetings, Incentive Travel, Conferences and Exhibitions.
“The high concentration of business events in the month of July reaffirms Singapore’s position as a premier destination for high-level intellectual exchange and networking opportunities. Our strategic location and extensive connectivity, professional MICE industry, excellent infrastructure and strong knowledge-based economy all combine to make Singapore an ideal destination for MICE event organisers and visitors from all over the world,” said Mr Aloysius Arlando, Assistant Chief Executive, Business Travel and MICE Group, Singapore Tourism Board (STB).
“Leveraging STB’s Strategic Cluster Approach*, we will continue to build on the momentum of working with Singapore Inc government agencies and private sector industry partners to create, develop and attract more business events which will provide the platform for intellectual exchange and collaboration thus adding impetus to drive Singapore’s key economic sectors.”
Business Travel and MICE is identified as one of the key drivers of tourism in Singapore, with visitor arrivals constituting approximately 28 per cent of total visitor arrivals and 35 per cent of total tourism receipts (TR) or £1.3 billion (SGD 4 billion) in 2006. The STB aims to raise the contribution of the BTMICE sector to £3.5 billion (SGD 10.5 billion) while maintaining its overall proportionate share of total TR.
The increase in business events taking place in Singapore follows the launch in 2006 of the “BE in Singapore or Business Events in Singapore” Incentive Scheme, a £56.6 million (SGD170 million) initiative by the Singapore Exhibition and Convention Bureau (SECB) to finance the development of high calibre business events to be staged in Singapore over next five years (2006-2010).
One of the first recipients of the scheme was Herbalife Asia Pacific Extravaganza 2007 (18 – 22 July), the largest corporate meeting that Singapore has ever hosted with close to 16,000 delegates from 14 countries.
The 27th International Epilepsy Congress (8 – 12 July) was one of the largest medical conventions in the world dedicated to epilepsy. It was jointly hosted by the Singapore Epilepsy Society (SEC) and the Singapore Epilepsy Foundation (SEF), and organised by the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) and the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE). Both ILAE and IBE are non-profit organisations with official links to the World Health Organization.
“Singapore is an ideal venue for international congresses as it’s easily accessible with a state-of-the-art telecommunications network and an excellent infrastructure. There are countless hotels to suit all budgets and cosmopolitan cuisine to suit all tastes thanks to its international makeup. It is a welcoming, clean, and above all, safe place, something that is of paramount importance to today’s international business traveller,” said Mr Richard Holmes, International Director of Meetings, ILAE and IBE.
The Congress brought together clinicians and researchers from different continents, facilitating the exchange of knowledge about this medical condition. Participants shared scientific and educational programmes that covered clinical updates and treatments. The programme also catered to clinicians who are non-epileptologists and allied health professionals who provide epilepsy care.
Amidst intensifying competition, Singapore is keenly aware of the need to continually re-invent itself to remain a relevant, compelling and appealing MICE destination. Mr Arlando said: “Singapore is moving beyond being merely an efficient and effective venue. We strive to be a catalyst for business success and an exchange capital of the world where people, technology and ideas converge to create value for both business events and visitors.”
With new developments such as the Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort and the redevelopment of the Marina Bay area into a vibrant MICE hub that will offer up to 200,000 sqm of convention and exhibition space, as well as exciting and enriching leisure and entertainment options, the stage is set for the SECB to partner the industry to attract, create and grow even more strategic business events.
“The high concentration of business events in the month of July reaffirms Singapore’s position as a premier destination for high-level intellectual exchange and networking opportunities. Our strategic location and extensive connectivity, professional MICE industry, excellent infrastructure and strong knowledge-based economy all combine to make Singapore an ideal destination for MICE event organisers and visitors from all over the world,” said Mr Aloysius Arlando, Assistant Chief Executive, Business Travel and MICE Group, Singapore Tourism Board (STB).
“Leveraging STB’s Strategic Cluster Approach*, we will continue to build on the momentum of working with Singapore Inc government agencies and private sector industry partners to create, develop and attract more business events which will provide the platform for intellectual exchange and collaboration thus adding impetus to drive Singapore’s key economic sectors.”
Business Travel and MICE is identified as one of the key drivers of tourism in Singapore, with visitor arrivals constituting approximately 28 per cent of total visitor arrivals and 35 per cent of total tourism receipts (TR) or £1.3 billion (SGD 4 billion) in 2006. The STB aims to raise the contribution of the BTMICE sector to £3.5 billion (SGD 10.5 billion) while maintaining its overall proportionate share of total TR.
The increase in business events taking place in Singapore follows the launch in 2006 of the “BE in Singapore or Business Events in Singapore” Incentive Scheme, a £56.6 million (SGD170 million) initiative by the Singapore Exhibition and Convention Bureau (SECB) to finance the development of high calibre business events to be staged in Singapore over next five years (2006-2010).
One of the first recipients of the scheme was Herbalife Asia Pacific Extravaganza 2007 (18 – 22 July), the largest corporate meeting that Singapore has ever hosted with close to 16,000 delegates from 14 countries.
The 27th International Epilepsy Congress (8 – 12 July) was one of the largest medical conventions in the world dedicated to epilepsy. It was jointly hosted by the Singapore Epilepsy Society (SEC) and the Singapore Epilepsy Foundation (SEF), and organised by the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) and the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE). Both ILAE and IBE are non-profit organisations with official links to the World Health Organization.
“Singapore is an ideal venue for international congresses as it’s easily accessible with a state-of-the-art telecommunications network and an excellent infrastructure. There are countless hotels to suit all budgets and cosmopolitan cuisine to suit all tastes thanks to its international makeup. It is a welcoming, clean, and above all, safe place, something that is of paramount importance to today’s international business traveller,” said Mr Richard Holmes, International Director of Meetings, ILAE and IBE.
The Congress brought together clinicians and researchers from different continents, facilitating the exchange of knowledge about this medical condition. Participants shared scientific and educational programmes that covered clinical updates and treatments. The programme also catered to clinicians who are non-epileptologists and allied health professionals who provide epilepsy care.
Amidst intensifying competition, Singapore is keenly aware of the need to continually re-invent itself to remain a relevant, compelling and appealing MICE destination. Mr Arlando said: “Singapore is moving beyond being merely an efficient and effective venue. We strive to be a catalyst for business success and an exchange capital of the world where people, technology and ideas converge to create value for both business events and visitors.”
With new developments such as the Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort and the redevelopment of the Marina Bay area into a vibrant MICE hub that will offer up to 200,000 sqm of convention and exhibition space, as well as exciting and enriching leisure and entertainment options, the stage is set for the SECB to partner the industry to attract, create and grow even more strategic business events.
Sunday, September 02, 2007
Celebrities get big bucks to add buzz to Vegas nightclubs
LAS VEGAS — Three years ago, as Paris Hilton was about to turn 24, the celebutante got a sense of her worth to the nightclub industry in Las Vegas.
She had celebrated her previous three birthdays at Light, the Bellagio hotel-casino nightclub run by the Light Group. But for her 24th, another company swooped in with an offer that trumped the standard private jet to and from L.A., a free stay at a luxury suite, a sumptuous dinner and, of course, free booze.
The hotel heiress would get a big paycheck — Light was told $200,000 — just to party, but it had to be at PURE, a rival nightclub at Caesars Palace run by the PURE Management Group.
Her people let the Light Group know that their former deal was off.
"We said, 'OK, well listen, we're not here to tell you not to make money,"' said a former Light executive, who did not want to be identified talking about industry specifics.
Celebrities often make appearances and walk the red carpet as part of the deal for coming to a nightclub. In return for generating media coverage, they receive all sorts of free goodies, if not cash. For nightclub operators, it has become the standard way of getting their establishments known.
Besides buzz, it generates more patrons, more people willing to pay a $30 cover charge, $15 for a cocktail and $500 for a bottle of name-brand vodka or champagne.
"If you quantify that in terms of the amount of press they got off it, the press they got off it was priceless," the former executive said.
This weekend, PURE is looking to re-create its formula with the opening of LAX and Noir nightclubs at the Luxor hotel-casino, with a grand-opening party Friday night hosted by Britney Spears. The company would not say how much it is paying her or whether Spears would perform.
A revamped club, Blush at the Wynn hotel-casino, also is hoping to cash in by opening Friday.
It's the start of a raucous couple of weeks that include Labor Day weekend and the MTV Video Music Awards — events that will attract plenty of partiers and paparazzi.
PURE managing partner Steve Davidovici said rumors of celebrity payments are exaggerated, and pointed to reports the group paid $250,000 to Spears eight months ago to host PURE's New Year's Eve countdown.
"That's a lot of sour grapes from other nightclubs, I guess," Davidovici said, while giving a tour of LAX, a plush club that resembles a chic 1920s opera house. "It's a third of those prices."
Even at that, the appearance fee, which works out to about $83,000, was money well spent, he said. The club sold a table next to Spears that night for $50,000, and some 3,000 revelers spent $250 on tickets.
"If you look at (the celeb fee) from a monetary standpoint, it's significant, but not if you're taking in half a million dollars," he said.
PURE nightclub alone will generate about $53 million in revenue this year, while the company plans to gross more than $120 million from its 12 venues in Las Vegas and the Bahamas, he said.
On Tuesday, PURE nightclub hosted Paris Hilton and her sister, Nicky, as they unveiled new products from Nicky's clothing line. The club later gushed in a release that the sisters "danced their hearts out for the admiring onlookers" as "the two socialites stuck to the main VIP stage."
At LAX, the central focus of the theater-like layout is a raised dais of booths in front of the dance floor for "super VIPs and celebrities," Davidovici said.
"Britney will definitely be up there opening night," he said.
Industry observers say such celebrity-spotting is worth the price of admission.
"It's fun to be famous and rich. That's why people pay to get in and watch," said Lori Levine, the president of Flying Television, a talent-booking firm in New York.
"If you go to a club to see one of the 'It' girls, you take a photo on your phone and you'll have a story to tell for the rest of the summer," she said.
The pay scale for celebrity ranges from free drinks to thousands of dollars.
NBA stars command appearance fees from $5,000 to $30,000 and models can broker $2,500 to $25,000 "depending on whether she's been in Victoria's Secret or Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue," said Ryan Schinman, president of the entertainment consulting firm Platinum Rye Entertainment.
In exchange, the stars are obliged to do little more than shine.
"Be (listed) on the invite, pose for some pictures and call it a day," Schinman said.
For Blush's second weekend, it is hosting a "gifting suite" for rockers getting ready to take the stage for the Sept. 9 MTV Video Music Awards. A list of up to 300 invitees includes Fergie, Nelly Furtado, Timbaland, 50 Cent, and U2.
Those who show up the day of the awards can get pampering from a barber and/or masseuse and will walk away with a gift bag stuffed with clothing, spa packages and jewelry.
"It's for them to come in, relax, enjoy themselves," said Blush marketing director Rosine Frangie, adding "there's going to be a small press wall (red carpet) inside."
Other than the requisite photo op, there are few rules for contracted talent appearances.
At Spears' New Year's Eve appearance at PURE, the new mother famously fell asleep around 1 a.m. and was helped out of the club, generating a barrage of scandalous Internet gossip.
Some said it didn't matter a whit.
"Clubs don't care about bad behavior," said Steve Striker, the founder of trip organizer Striker VIP. "It creates media, good hype or bad."
Light Group managing partner Andy Masi says his company doesn't pay for appearances but will supply jets, suites, dinners and drinks for celebrities on special nights such as club anniversaries — with tabs often running into the thousands of dollars. The group generally makes celebrities pay when they visit on their own.
Masi said red carpets are set up for press when celebrities want to promote their own projects or for anniversary bashes when the club wants to show off who came.
But unscripted celebrity appearances at Light's 10 restaurants and clubs in Las Vegas can do a better job of generating interest, he said.
"Afterward, the buzz gets out. Someone you know, Leonardo DiCaprio, seen eating in STACK or Tobey Maguire seen at FIX restaurant or Kevin Connolly hanging out at Jet (nightclub)," he said. "That stuff comes out afterward, but we're not crafting the entire night and spending money to create that. It's just happening naturally."
Both Light and PURE say building relationships with the stars and giving them great service is key to getting them to return. Both approaches appear to be working.
Light is set to make from $90 million to $120 million in revenue this year, and is set to open four new venues and manage a hotel-condo tower in the new CityCenter, Masi said.
Davidovici said it takes more than just buzz to keep venues making money, though.
"You couldn't get 5,000 people three nights a week for three years to come if you didn't run a real establishment, if our doormen were rude to people and the cocktail waitresses weren't friendly," he said.
"It's more about the regular customer than the celebrity, because that person is spending money."
She had celebrated her previous three birthdays at Light, the Bellagio hotel-casino nightclub run by the Light Group. But for her 24th, another company swooped in with an offer that trumped the standard private jet to and from L.A., a free stay at a luxury suite, a sumptuous dinner and, of course, free booze.
The hotel heiress would get a big paycheck — Light was told $200,000 — just to party, but it had to be at PURE, a rival nightclub at Caesars Palace run by the PURE Management Group.
Her people let the Light Group know that their former deal was off.
"We said, 'OK, well listen, we're not here to tell you not to make money,"' said a former Light executive, who did not want to be identified talking about industry specifics.
Celebrities often make appearances and walk the red carpet as part of the deal for coming to a nightclub. In return for generating media coverage, they receive all sorts of free goodies, if not cash. For nightclub operators, it has become the standard way of getting their establishments known.
Besides buzz, it generates more patrons, more people willing to pay a $30 cover charge, $15 for a cocktail and $500 for a bottle of name-brand vodka or champagne.
"If you quantify that in terms of the amount of press they got off it, the press they got off it was priceless," the former executive said.
This weekend, PURE is looking to re-create its formula with the opening of LAX and Noir nightclubs at the Luxor hotel-casino, with a grand-opening party Friday night hosted by Britney Spears. The company would not say how much it is paying her or whether Spears would perform.
A revamped club, Blush at the Wynn hotel-casino, also is hoping to cash in by opening Friday.
It's the start of a raucous couple of weeks that include Labor Day weekend and the MTV Video Music Awards — events that will attract plenty of partiers and paparazzi.
PURE managing partner Steve Davidovici said rumors of celebrity payments are exaggerated, and pointed to reports the group paid $250,000 to Spears eight months ago to host PURE's New Year's Eve countdown.
"That's a lot of sour grapes from other nightclubs, I guess," Davidovici said, while giving a tour of LAX, a plush club that resembles a chic 1920s opera house. "It's a third of those prices."
Even at that, the appearance fee, which works out to about $83,000, was money well spent, he said. The club sold a table next to Spears that night for $50,000, and some 3,000 revelers spent $250 on tickets.
"If you look at (the celeb fee) from a monetary standpoint, it's significant, but not if you're taking in half a million dollars," he said.
PURE nightclub alone will generate about $53 million in revenue this year, while the company plans to gross more than $120 million from its 12 venues in Las Vegas and the Bahamas, he said.
On Tuesday, PURE nightclub hosted Paris Hilton and her sister, Nicky, as they unveiled new products from Nicky's clothing line. The club later gushed in a release that the sisters "danced their hearts out for the admiring onlookers" as "the two socialites stuck to the main VIP stage."
At LAX, the central focus of the theater-like layout is a raised dais of booths in front of the dance floor for "super VIPs and celebrities," Davidovici said.
"Britney will definitely be up there opening night," he said.
Industry observers say such celebrity-spotting is worth the price of admission.
"It's fun to be famous and rich. That's why people pay to get in and watch," said Lori Levine, the president of Flying Television, a talent-booking firm in New York.
"If you go to a club to see one of the 'It' girls, you take a photo on your phone and you'll have a story to tell for the rest of the summer," she said.
The pay scale for celebrity ranges from free drinks to thousands of dollars.
NBA stars command appearance fees from $5,000 to $30,000 and models can broker $2,500 to $25,000 "depending on whether she's been in Victoria's Secret or Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue," said Ryan Schinman, president of the entertainment consulting firm Platinum Rye Entertainment.
In exchange, the stars are obliged to do little more than shine.
"Be (listed) on the invite, pose for some pictures and call it a day," Schinman said.
For Blush's second weekend, it is hosting a "gifting suite" for rockers getting ready to take the stage for the Sept. 9 MTV Video Music Awards. A list of up to 300 invitees includes Fergie, Nelly Furtado, Timbaland, 50 Cent, and U2.
Those who show up the day of the awards can get pampering from a barber and/or masseuse and will walk away with a gift bag stuffed with clothing, spa packages and jewelry.
"It's for them to come in, relax, enjoy themselves," said Blush marketing director Rosine Frangie, adding "there's going to be a small press wall (red carpet) inside."
Other than the requisite photo op, there are few rules for contracted talent appearances.
At Spears' New Year's Eve appearance at PURE, the new mother famously fell asleep around 1 a.m. and was helped out of the club, generating a barrage of scandalous Internet gossip.
Some said it didn't matter a whit.
"Clubs don't care about bad behavior," said Steve Striker, the founder of trip organizer Striker VIP. "It creates media, good hype or bad."
Light Group managing partner Andy Masi says his company doesn't pay for appearances but will supply jets, suites, dinners and drinks for celebrities on special nights such as club anniversaries — with tabs often running into the thousands of dollars. The group generally makes celebrities pay when they visit on their own.
Masi said red carpets are set up for press when celebrities want to promote their own projects or for anniversary bashes when the club wants to show off who came.
But unscripted celebrity appearances at Light's 10 restaurants and clubs in Las Vegas can do a better job of generating interest, he said.
"Afterward, the buzz gets out. Someone you know, Leonardo DiCaprio, seen eating in STACK or Tobey Maguire seen at FIX restaurant or Kevin Connolly hanging out at Jet (nightclub)," he said. "That stuff comes out afterward, but we're not crafting the entire night and spending money to create that. It's just happening naturally."
Both Light and PURE say building relationships with the stars and giving them great service is key to getting them to return. Both approaches appear to be working.
Light is set to make from $90 million to $120 million in revenue this year, and is set to open four new venues and manage a hotel-condo tower in the new CityCenter, Masi said.
Davidovici said it takes more than just buzz to keep venues making money, though.
"You couldn't get 5,000 people three nights a week for three years to come if you didn't run a real establishment, if our doormen were rude to people and the cocktail waitresses weren't friendly," he said.
"It's more about the regular customer than the celebrity, because that person is spending money."
Economic disaster imminent for hoteliers in southern Peloponnese
A year after the disastrous fires of 2006 a new fire broke out few days ago in Laconia prefecture in southern Peloponnese the moment the tourism traffic was at its peak. An ancient tragedy is taking place during the last days in Lakonia leaving six people dead only in Laconia among them the hotelier Ioannis Lekkas, owner of the “Onar” hotel in New Itylo in Laconia who burned to ashes along with its sister Evangelia Lekka in their effort to save French tourists.
Huge is the ecological disaster from the fires, as a large part of the unique natural environment of Taygetos and Parnonas, the mountainous areas in Laconia, which are major attraction for thousands of tourists in the region, were burned.
The future of tourism in the area is discouraging and the hotel sector of Laconia as well as all those who are occupied with the tourism business are in desperate situation according to Mr. Dimitris Pollalis, President of the Laconia Hotel Association.
“Though the fire didn’t cause any serious damages to our hotels, hoteliers face a huge economical problem as both the tourism product of Laconia and the environment suffered such an unprecedented disaster that it will need many years to pass in order the region to return in normality again,” stated Mr. Pollalis.
Occupancy at the hotel units of Laconia prefecture was at its highest level ever until 23rd of August with a strong dynamic to have been predicted until 15th of September. The occupancy levels fell to zero after the fires broke out, as tourists left the region with cancellations witnessed in scheduled and individual reservations.
“These facts,” adds Mr. Pollalis, “are not optimistic at all for the hotel sector in Laconia”, while he advised all those who make statements or predictions for non cancellations in the regions affected by the fires to be careful of what they are saying.
Huge is the ecological disaster from the fires, as a large part of the unique natural environment of Taygetos and Parnonas, the mountainous areas in Laconia, which are major attraction for thousands of tourists in the region, were burned.
The future of tourism in the area is discouraging and the hotel sector of Laconia as well as all those who are occupied with the tourism business are in desperate situation according to Mr. Dimitris Pollalis, President of the Laconia Hotel Association.
“Though the fire didn’t cause any serious damages to our hotels, hoteliers face a huge economical problem as both the tourism product of Laconia and the environment suffered such an unprecedented disaster that it will need many years to pass in order the region to return in normality again,” stated Mr. Pollalis.
Occupancy at the hotel units of Laconia prefecture was at its highest level ever until 23rd of August with a strong dynamic to have been predicted until 15th of September. The occupancy levels fell to zero after the fires broke out, as tourists left the region with cancellations witnessed in scheduled and individual reservations.
“These facts,” adds Mr. Pollalis, “are not optimistic at all for the hotel sector in Laconia”, while he advised all those who make statements or predictions for non cancellations in the regions affected by the fires to be careful of what they are saying.
Beyond the Taj Mahal: 25 exceptional Indian tourist attractions
Consider this: All of India receives just the same number of visitors in a year as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan. According to A.R. Ghanashyam, India's Deputy Consul General based in New York, India receives just five million international tourists per year, most of them making predictable journeys to tourist icons like the Taj Mahal. It's fair to say that many of the country's spectacular monuments, cities and natural wonders remain largely unseen.
India's tourism potential is enormous and the statistics bear this out. Just look at the most recent 2005 archaeological survey listing visitor numbers to significant sites. The ever-popular Taj Mahal received 593,637 international visitors and 364,997 locals over the year. Yet, in the same period, Mariam's tomb—a mini Taj Mahal that's the last resting place of the Mughul emperor Akbar's wife—also located at Agra, received just 43 visitors.
India's economy is hotter than a vindaloo and domestic tourists—namely the 250 million-strong middle class—are demanding improved infrastructure, which in turn benefits international visitors. India has the second largest road network on Earth (next to the U.S.) but many roads and airstrips are in poor condition. Now, according to Ghanashyam, the rising demand for accommodation across the regions is spurring massive improvements in many crucial areas.
No one is pretending that travel throughout India has suddenly become seamless. "On the contrary, many of India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites have been well-preserved precisely because the access is difficult," says Junko Okahashi, UNESCO's Paris-based assistant program specialist. Traveling between states is frequently more akin to traveling between countries. "We have 22 official languages and 4,000 dialects. When you travel from one state to another the language, dress, people, food, culture… all this changes," says Ghanashyam. It's not surprising then that entire states in the Himalayas or in far-flung regions near Bangladesh have been completely overlooked for centuries.
In short, India is a vast country of unexplored treasures with wide ranging appeal. For this list we consulted experts both inside and outside the country. We talked to foreign correspondents and filmmakers like Kris Cheppaikode who has worked closely with Indian New Wave director Jayaraaj. We spoke with specialist luxury tour operator Carol Cambata, President of Greaves Travel, as well as tiger conservationist and wildlife documentarian Toby Sinclair, who has hundreds of tiger sightings and more than 30 years' experience under his belt. We chatted with yoga lovers and concierges and talked extensively with UNESCO representatives and diplomats like Ghanashyam (who freely admits to loving India, even if it wasn't his job to do so). "There are hundreds of places I could list. We could be here until tomorrow," he says. Unfortunately our list is restricted to just 25 underrated tourist attractions.
Given the country's rich history, India's monuments feature heavily, but the examples cited here are also remarkably untouched. You certainly won't find yourself adrift in a sea of fellow tourists. Our list includes a spectacular river with more water than the mighty Ganges, and wildlife parks teeming with tigers and tens of thousands of wild elephants. There are some unusual inclusions and exclusions: Iconic luxury train journeys like the Palace on Wheels have been passed over in favor of traditional steam locomotives with oodles of charm, while a quirky yoga retreat makes the list partly for its strange geographic features. Some of our experts nominated entire states, ignored by development and now on the cusp of becoming eco-tourism hotspots. Another knowing source nominated a transparent hotel favored by expats for its nod to Western decadence. Our list of 25 underrated tourist attractions is eclectic, colorful, and a bit chaotic… just like India.
India's tourism potential is enormous and the statistics bear this out. Just look at the most recent 2005 archaeological survey listing visitor numbers to significant sites. The ever-popular Taj Mahal received 593,637 international visitors and 364,997 locals over the year. Yet, in the same period, Mariam's tomb—a mini Taj Mahal that's the last resting place of the Mughul emperor Akbar's wife—also located at Agra, received just 43 visitors.
India's economy is hotter than a vindaloo and domestic tourists—namely the 250 million-strong middle class—are demanding improved infrastructure, which in turn benefits international visitors. India has the second largest road network on Earth (next to the U.S.) but many roads and airstrips are in poor condition. Now, according to Ghanashyam, the rising demand for accommodation across the regions is spurring massive improvements in many crucial areas.
No one is pretending that travel throughout India has suddenly become seamless. "On the contrary, many of India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites have been well-preserved precisely because the access is difficult," says Junko Okahashi, UNESCO's Paris-based assistant program specialist. Traveling between states is frequently more akin to traveling between countries. "We have 22 official languages and 4,000 dialects. When you travel from one state to another the language, dress, people, food, culture… all this changes," says Ghanashyam. It's not surprising then that entire states in the Himalayas or in far-flung regions near Bangladesh have been completely overlooked for centuries.
In short, India is a vast country of unexplored treasures with wide ranging appeal. For this list we consulted experts both inside and outside the country. We talked to foreign correspondents and filmmakers like Kris Cheppaikode who has worked closely with Indian New Wave director Jayaraaj. We spoke with specialist luxury tour operator Carol Cambata, President of Greaves Travel, as well as tiger conservationist and wildlife documentarian Toby Sinclair, who has hundreds of tiger sightings and more than 30 years' experience under his belt. We chatted with yoga lovers and concierges and talked extensively with UNESCO representatives and diplomats like Ghanashyam (who freely admits to loving India, even if it wasn't his job to do so). "There are hundreds of places I could list. We could be here until tomorrow," he says. Unfortunately our list is restricted to just 25 underrated tourist attractions.
Given the country's rich history, India's monuments feature heavily, but the examples cited here are also remarkably untouched. You certainly won't find yourself adrift in a sea of fellow tourists. Our list includes a spectacular river with more water than the mighty Ganges, and wildlife parks teeming with tigers and tens of thousands of wild elephants. There are some unusual inclusions and exclusions: Iconic luxury train journeys like the Palace on Wheels have been passed over in favor of traditional steam locomotives with oodles of charm, while a quirky yoga retreat makes the list partly for its strange geographic features. Some of our experts nominated entire states, ignored by development and now on the cusp of becoming eco-tourism hotspots. Another knowing source nominated a transparent hotel favored by expats for its nod to Western decadence. Our list of 25 underrated tourist attractions is eclectic, colorful, and a bit chaotic… just like India.
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