For my second stay in a Summer Getaway to Lake Tahoe, I had picked the Rodeway Inn South Lake Tahoe, a Choice Hotel, as part of my research into the Battle of the Budget Chains. After the bad experience at the nearby Howard Johnson South Lake Tahoe by Wyndham, I braced myself for another bad night […]
The Algarve coast in the very South of Portugal is a popular beach destination and Albufeira is near the center of it, close to the main airport in Faro and with plenty of sun, sand and see for a beach getaway. The little town on the cliff above the beach offers plenty of accommodation, bars
Wyndham has aggressively improved their rewards program this year and is offering tremendous value to earn and redeem points at their hotels. They have also introduced a Visa credit card to earn points. And while I don’t have it currently, it’s high on my list of cards to apply for – read my review to
As part of my tour to research US budget hotel chains, I picked the Howard Johnson South Lake Tahoe for a summer getaway from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe. It’s in a good location, just steps from Lake Tahoe’s beach, but that’s were the good news ends. The rest of the Howard Johnson reminds me
Lake Tahoe, the beautiful blue lake surrounded by mountains, is one of my favorite getaways in Northern California, ever since I fell in love with San Francisco. And while it is very popular in winter with plenty of ski resorts to enjoy the snow, it’s also a fun summer getaway. You can enjoy the beaches along
On a recent trip through California, I needed a hotel in Woodland, near the capital Sacramento. As part of my “Battle of the Budget Hotels” research, I picked the Quality Inn & Suites. At a much lower price than the local Holiday Inn Express or Hampton Inn, I had low expectations. Yet, it turned out
If you are living in Europe and are looking for a more exotic beach getaway, Bali is a great choice: It’s easy to reach from most major European airports, there is a lot to do, from party-beaches to quiet, romantic beaches and the peaceful forests and rice paddies around Ubud to the many historic temples
The Novotel Araneta in Manila is a brand-new, upscale Accor Group hotel a little away from the main business and tourist areas. Thanks to another Accor Promotion, I was only two stays away from reaching Accor LeClub Platinum status and its many perks, so we planned a weekend staycation – and were pleasantly surprised what
Allegiant Air, a low-cost carrier in the US, has a history of questionable safety policies and frequent safety incidents, yet the FAA has not taken any action and the carrier maintains an ok 5-out-of 7 safety rating. Yet the Tampa Bay Times published did in-depth research of air safety incidents in the US and came
On my recent trip “Bali on a Budget” I was looking for an affordable hotel under $50/night in Ubud that is a reflection of the town: a small, independent guest house near the center of town, with typical Bali decor, friendly service and modern amenities. Based on online and a site inspection, I picked the
On my “Bali on a Budget” trip I visited Ubud and Lovina Beach and to stay on budget, I wanted to take the bus to get there! Perama Tours runs a number of scheduled bus routes criss-crossing the island to many of the places visitors might want to go. Read my review to see if
I love good coffee and breakfast is my favorite meal – fortunately, Manila seems to agree with that and has lots of coffee shops. In addition to all the big chains, you also find a number of great independent stores, like Single Origin, or mini-chains with a few outlets, like Wildflour Cafe & Bakery. Wildflour