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Volume 6, Issue 16, April 23, 2008 |
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Trend analyst Michael Tchong, speaking last week at an international travel conference in China, identified six global trends affecting travelers, saying that travel industry providers who don’t incorporate at least several of the trends in their products are doing today’s travelers a disservice. The speech was labeled “trends to rock your world.”
Some of Tchong’s suggestions are already in place, while others may be coming soon, if attendees were taking notes. See what you think about his interpretation of today’s trends and how they should translate into services for frequent travelers; our suggestions in italics.
Multitasking. People multitask to save time. Tchong said these days, time is more important to people than money. He said people would rather carry their own luggage to their rooms than wait for the bellman — although that practice also saves money in tips, which contradicts the second part of his thesis. Providing faster baggage collection after a flight lands would be a service most of us would pay for.
People talk with their thumbs. Text messaging is so prevalent, he suggested, that hotel guests might prefer to text-message their room service orders; it would also solve language barriers and order errors. We like the touch-screen menus that let you order; they’re in place at Heathrow’s otel pod hotel and on Virgin America’s Red inflight system, to mention a few.
Thrill-seeking. This is “generation X-tasy,” Tchong said, claiming that travelers today are jaded and always looking for fantasy experiences they don’t get at home. Normal is no longer good enough, he said. Certainly the elaborate hotels in Las Vegas have been tapping into this trend, transporting guests to recreated ancient Rome or faux Venice; but even relatively mundane perks ─ fabulous tropical showers, supersized HDTV, and really expensive, supercomfy beds ─ help transport guests to dreamland.
Voyeurism. A gifted wordmeister, Tchong dubbed this trend “voyeurgasm,” saying that it’s the flip side of the previous item: People are involved with reality TV programs and YouTube and they like seeing behind-the-scenes “real life.” He suggested that open kitchens where you can watch the chefs at work cater to this trend. Just bring us the food; we don’t need to see them kill the chicken. We like the "magic elves” who make our beds and leave us chocolates when we’re not looking.
Looking for the fountain of youth. People are looking to renew and reinvent themselves, he said, citing the spa explosion. Spa-type amenities are a good start when a whole spa isn’t available. Very true; we’ll even pay $10 for tea if you claim it has anti-aging benefits.
Digitality. Technology and gadgets are part of almost every traveler’s lifestyle today; travel suppliers need to make it as easy as possible for people to use them — and can’t assume that leisure travelers will leave their BlackBerries and laptops home. Plenty of hotels now offer iPod docking stations; we’d like free wireless, too.
Readers are encouraged to share their observations about these or other trends; we’ll post your comments in an upcoming GT Blog.Drop us a line to eFlyer@globaltravelerusa.com. 
US Airways is the latest airline to begin offering preferred seating in the front of its economy cabins. As of May 7, travelers can book “Choice Seats” online for any US Airways flight (except shuttle and Saab 340 flights). Choice seats will be in the first several rows and cost $5 for a window or aisle seat. Dividend Miles Preferred members will be offered Choice seats for free. What do you think? Let us know!
Just opened this week — and opening officially on May 1 — is The Avenue Hotel Chicago, just off Michigan Ave. in the Magnificent Mile. Many of the 200 guestrooms and 120 suites have great views, and there are special Tech Rooms for business travelers that come complete with an iMac, T1 connection and printer. Dining choices at “The Ave,” as it’s being called,” range from a British-style pub to rooftop dining on the 40th floor.
If you haven’t read Global Traveler’s blog lately, you’re missing some great insights and travel tips. This week, our kudos go to reader “Vance,” who solved an eFlyer editor’s problem of what to do when airline baggage equipment returns your luggage sans zipper pull-tabs. Vance’s solution: Carry a spare split ring, the kind used to hold keys to key chains. It fits easily in a wallet and makes opening those zippers a snap; just attach it to the slider where the pull-tab used to be.
Cathay Pacific Airways has begun offering vintage and one-of-a-kind items for purchase by its passengers, both onboard and online. Some of these premium items are century-old Louis Vuitton trunks, collectible Explorer II Rolexes, and collectible model airplanes. Quantities are limited.
The U.S. State Department has issued an alert for Americans traveling to Mexican cities near the U.S. border. While not advising against travel, the alert warns of increased violence fueled by a local drug war. Mexican army and police units are heavily operating in the area, the State Dept. says, warning Americans to be prepared for and cooperate with military checkpoints. Confrontations among drug gangs, and between them and the army and police force, have been incurring in Tijuana, Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua City.
Unrelated armed robberies and carjackings have also been on the upswing in Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez, the alert says, warning that while Americans are not being specifically targeted, U.S citizens traveling in cars in border areas also including Nuevo Laredo and Matamoros have been followed and harassed. Travelers are advised to visit only legitimate business and tourist areas, and only during daylight hours.
Sunborn Yacht Hotel - ExCel
Royal Victoria Dock
London E16 1SL England
tel 44 20 7059 9100
www.sunbornhotels.com
On my recent visit to London, I needed to spend some time at the ExCel exhibition center, and went looking for nearby hotels. The one I found for my last night there couldn’t have been any closer unless it was in the parking lot: The Sunborn Yacht hotel is berthed on the Thames right alongside ExCel, just five minutes from London City Airport (LCY).
The Sunborn really is a yacht — or at least, it sure looks like one. It can’t operate under its own power and needs to be towed from place to place, but you would certainly never call it a barge. I entered from the dock through a covered portico and took the elevator up to the main deck level, which is actually level 3. I could see across the Thames through the lounge area in front of me, or through the pub/casual dining restaurant toward the bow.
I arrived at the same time as a group of Scandinavians, who were waiting for some more friends to show up and deciding whose credit card the bill should go on, so it took a while for me to get the front desk staff’s attention to let them know I was a solo traveler. I was given the key to my room and pointed toward the hallway to the left, so I trundled on with my luggage. A room service waiter who was picking up breakfast trays stood his ground and made me go around him, which I didn’t appreciate, but in all fairness I was an early check-in; still, he didn’t tolerate interruptions to his routine well.
I’d gotten a really good rate — more on that later — so I wasn’t expecting much; having been on cruise ships, I was just hoping not to have bunk beds. But the hotel’s promise of all suites was legitimate. I had a really spacious room, at least 300 square feet, with a king-size bed and a sitting area. The bathroom was a similarly pleasant surprise, at least hotel-standard in size with upscale amenities.
I’d opted to pay a bit extra to have a balcony, and I wasn’t disappointed. A full-size glass door led out onto it, and while small, it had room enough for a chair, or for a couple of people to stand, and a view straight across the water; during my visit I watched a variety of ducks, swans and seabirds.
I set up my laptop on the amply-sized desk and tried to log onto the hotel’s wireless, with no luck, so I went to the front desk to inquire, only to be told that while wireless worked in the room, sometimes you had to log on in the lobby first. So I trotted back to my room, grabbed my laptop, trotted back to the lobby and voila. That procedure had to be repeated each time I turned off my computer.
I didn’t get to eat in the stylish Fifth Deck restaurant, glassed in on the top deck, but the menu looked upscale and fabulous. I grabbed a burger instead in the Yacht Club, the lobby lounge/bar, which had a nice selection of wines by the glass and friendly, attentive service that made up for the sourpusses at the front desk.
As I mentioned earlier, I got a good rate on the hotel’s Web site; with just 120 suites (plus two huge royal suites with Jacuzzis and fabulous decks) it doesn’t like to let any sit idle and puts last-minute deals up on the site regularly.
Score: ••••• Mary Hunt
If you’ve been finding the weak dollar a pain in the pocketbook, the WorldHotels group is offering a palliative. During the group’s Stay in Europe, Pay in Dollars promotion, if you book from the United States, rates you see in euros at any of 52 participating European hotels will be charged in the same number of dollars, with no exchange-rate headaches. For example, at the Hotel Pont Royal in Paris, the starting rate of 245 euros a night would equal about $386, so you save 37 percent.
Stay at the new Swissotel Grand Shanghai from May through August and you’ll be entitled to book at the hotel’s special introductory rate of $178 a night, including buffet and Internet access. The new hotel has 467 rooms and suites, and four restaurants. The hotel is also arranging deals with various frequent-flyer programs; for example, members of the Lufthansa/Swiss Miles and More program get 20 percent off in certain of the hotel’s restaurants.
Here’s a chance to win a free family vacation, if you enter by April 30. Southwest Airlines and SeaWorld have teamed up to offer the Discover Aquatica sweepstakes, in which you can win round-trip airfare to Orlando, four nights’ hotel, and four days’ admissions to SeaWorld and its Aquatica water park. Enter online; one entry per person.
To celebrate its upcoming first anniversary, the Radisson Resort Fiji Denarau Island is offering summer guests every second night free. Book by June 30 for travel from July 23 through Sept. 4 to qualify. The offer is good for any category of accommodation including suites, and includes free in-room high-speed Internet and unlimited non-motorized watersports. Other resort amenities include five pools, three restaurants, racquet sports and golf. Summer rates start at $209.
To celebrate its new service to London’s Heathrow (LHR), Continental Airlines is offering special fares from 10 U.S. gateways. The economy-class sale fares range from $378 round-trip Newark (EWR)- London to $594 Denver (DEN)- London, plus taxes and fees.
