New Hotels in San Francisco

Five San Francisco Hotels from Personality Hotels have been added to hotelbook.com - with names like Hotel Diva, you know they'll be great for your next jaunt to the Bay Area.  Other properties also include the Steinhart Hotel, Hotel Union Square, Kensington Park Hotel, and Hotel Metropolis.  It's a real San Francisco treat!

Palace at One & Only Royal Mirage in Dubai

I am helping a friend research hotels in Dubai and came across the Palace at One & Only Royal Mirage.  And I didn't add the "One & Only".  This is part of the actual name.  With a name like that I did some more digging and have to say this name may be worthy.  See for yourself. The hotel is located on Jumeirah Beach in Dubai. Also, just to confirm my suspicions, I went to tripadvisor where it is ranked as the 7th highest rated hotel in Dubai.  Not too shabby.  If my friend stays here, he has offered to give us a detailed report.

** Forbes article on Dubai that mentions the Palace at One & Only Royal Mirage.

Jaunted Travel Blog Mentions hotelbook

Jaunted "The Travel Guide in Real-Time" gave hotelbook.com a great plug! 

"It's not only the chain hotels that we find banal--it's the bland websites supporting them, too. While we usualy leave hotel choices to our sister [the sister being hotelchatter.com which is one of our favorite blogs!], when we get to pick, we like to use hotelbook.com."

Read the full blog.

A bit about Jaunted from their blog - "Jaunted is a travel guide in real-time, for globetrotters, business road dogs, and arm chair travelers who are too harried to sit down with a traditional travel guide, or wait for a montly travel magazine. Our daily web magazine is a pop culture travel review for a generation that possesses a small attention span."

Seasonal Rates Cut at Hotels

I saw a release today that several hotelbook.com hotels will have seasonal rates cut by 25 percent with the worldwide GREATRATE promotion through Feb. 28.  And, with the discount, you receive complimentary breakfast after each night of your stay.  How deliciously clever!

Love is in the Air

In a few days, my best friend is leaving to Paris with her boyfriend to spend two entire weeks partaking in excessive shopping, eating, and all kinds of fabulous self indulgence. (yes, I hate her right now too.)

Recently, Forbes ranked the top 10 most romantic hotels in the world, and of course, Paris made that list with the Ritz Hotel. They are having a month long "Love is in the Air" promotion this February for guests complete with champagne and a special gift. She should definitely consider staying at this hotel during her getaway to the most romantic city in Europe.

Now, if I could only stow away in her luggage...Au revoir Texas, Bonjour Mon Amie!

Hotelbook.com in The Washington Post

Check out www.hotelbook.com in The Washington Post, Sunday Edition! The website was listed first in a travel article about ten new sites, called "On the Web, 10 Worth a Click" Exciting recognition!

Italy is for Lovers

George Bernard Shaw said, "There is no love sincerer than the love of food."  And since Valentine's Day is right around the corner...the most appropriate place to be daydreaming about today would be Italy. Known for both food and love it seems to perfectly fit the mood of the month of February. The general answer for the most romantic city in Italy is Venice, but for me I choose Florence and on south from there. Whether its just thinking about all the plans that could be made, or actually booking a place to stay, Italy is my pick for February.

Travel Blogs in The New York Times

Check out Joe Sharkey's "On the Road" column in today's Times. It has some great recommendations on tried and true travel blogs, especially for the business traveler.

The Land of the Stars

Flights have been booked, dinner reservations have been made, and I am now just slowly circling some of hotelbook.com's Los Angeles hotels in order to pin one down for my upcoming trip to the land of the stars. Hopefully my short weekend will consist of lots of rubbing elbows with the stars, even if it means just spending too much time with those in the sidewalk! Wish me luck!!!

"The Office" and Scranton, Pennsylvania

I am usually a network TV snob, but I confess I am in love with NBC's "The Office," mainly Jim (John Krasinski), who is in love with Pam (Jenna Fischer - she has a blog of her own here) on the show. Anyway, after watching last night and the recent booze cruise episode, I decided to see about this Scranton, Pennsylvania where they work. Apparently, it really exists and, are you ready for this, there's a hotel, the Inn At Nichols Village, on hotelbook.com only five miles away! I doubt I'll get Leigh to go as she already has LA and D.C. on her radar, but maybe I can get Bryan to take me so I can go looking for my dear John, or maybe it's time for a media tour with the Scranton Times-Tribune.

Official Site for The Office on NBC