InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) acquired Kimpton Hotels in 2014, planning to integrate the small group of boutique hotels into one of the largest hotel companies in the world. Now, that integration is complete and Kimpton hotels Karma loyalty program has been folded into IHG Rewards Club, making it possible to book hotels through IHG’s website, […]
The InterContinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong offers great service and renovated rooms in a waterfront location in Kowloon, at high prices typical for Hong Kong. Despite enjoying a flawless stay, we are not likely to return – because the other InterContinental Hong Kong is better in every way and my recommended choice for Hong Kong!
With more and more airlines introducing a true Premium Economy product on long haul flights, between ever tighter economy cabins and fully flat beds in Business Class, United Airlines announced their own offering, called United Premium Plus. Given their track record of rolling out new products (cough… Polaris), I wouldn’t hold my breath!
Wyndham announced an acquisition agreement with LaQuinta, purchasing the hotel franchise and management business for $1.95B in cash. That will add 900 mid-scale properties in the US for a total of 9,000 hotels in the largest hotel company in the world! The deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2018!
The 2460m high Mayon Volcano, on the Philippine island of Luzon, has started to erupt, with lava flows down the slopes of the mountain visible at night. More than 12,000 people in the immediate danger zone have evacuated and many more in the area are on alert. A more powerful eruption with stronger lava flows,
TigerAir Taiwan is the first and now only low-cost carrier based in Taiwan. TigerAir offers all jet service to China, Japan, South Korea and Thailand. I flew TigerAir on an international flight and wouldn’t hesitate to fly them again! Find out all about their fleet, destinations and service experience on the ground and onboard from
The Kindness Hotel Chihkan Tower offers simple, modern rooms in the heart of Tainan, Taiwan’s old capital. A large breakfast and dinner buffet are included in the price, making it great value. Tourists will appreciate the proximity to historic sights, restaurants and shops, making the Kindness Hotel Tainan a great choice for first-time visitors!
A Pegasus Airlines Boeing B737 skidded of the runway at Trabzon Airport in Northern turkey on landing and went over the cliffs edge, nose forward towards the ocean. Luckily, the plane’s landing gear got stuck in the mud before the plane plunged into the ocean. It’s a miracle that all 162 passengers and 6 crew
SkyTrax released their awards for the best Economy Class travel experience in 2017 and Thai Airways won the important award, followed by Qatar Airways, Asiana, Garurda and Singapore Airlines! Lufthansa was the top European airline at spot 10 and none of the US airlines made it even into the top 20! Thai Airways
AirlineRatings has been evaluating airline safety since 2013, providing an independent rating of commercial airlines around the world. The top 20 for safest airlines have just been released and include some of my favorites, like Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and Qantas. Other premium airlines, like Cathay Pacific and Eithad are also on the list!
If you have always admired the photos of surfers and want to learn yourself, without spending a fortune, check out the list of countries where you can take the cheapest surf lessons! Ecuador tops the list at $22 per lesson and the Philippines is the cheapest place in South East Asia at $26. Nor surprisingly,
The Novotel Taipei Taoyuan Airport offers the latest Novotel room design, friendly service, a nice pool and gym and a great lounge for a stop-over. It has convenient train connections into the city and to the rest of the island and The big panda bear in my room, generous welcome amenity and fast internet added to