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Volume 6, Issue 43, October 29, 2008 |
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With Halloween just a few days away, it is the perfect time of year to visit the world’s most haunted places. Haunted America Tours ranked the 10 scariest international and domestic destinations. Are any of these ghoulish spots on your must-see list?
According to the international list, the honor of most haunted place on earth belongs to the catacombs in Paris. Long ago, in an effort to expand the city, Parisian planners disinterred millions of deceased citizens and moved them to the dark passageways underneath the city. Today, visitors report being grabbed and followed by ghosts. Apparitions have appeared in photographs, and many who ventured into the catacombs unattended were never seen again.
Rounding out the top five international destinations are New Orleans, La., a city with 200 years of ghostly tales and voodoo legends; Sedlac Ossuary, in the Czech Republic, a Catholic church where approximately 50,000 skeletons are used for artistic decorations; the Underground Vaults in Edinburgh, Scotland, a haunted spot where visitors are lucky to leave unscathed; and, finally, the Coliseum in Rome, where the spirits of battles past can still be heard.
The 10th spot on the international list is actually the best domestic location for ghost sightseeing — the battlegrounds of Gettysburg, Pa. Other great places to visit this Halloween include Galveston Island, Texas; Salem, Mass.; San Francisco; the Appalachian Tour in Tennessee; Owensboro, Ky.; Chicago; the Heartland Tours in Ohio; Parkersburg, W.Va.; and St. Augustine, Fla.
Visiting any of these destinations will surely supply a good fright this Halloween. 
President Bush announced that the following countries will now be admitted to the U.S. Visa Waiver Program: Republic of Korea (South Korea), Czech Republic, Hungary, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia. Citizens of the participating countries will be allowed to visit the United States for 90 days before acquiring a visa. The expansion of the program is expected to bring up to 1 million additional visitors to the United States. The Travel Industry Association and Department of Homeland Security are working on a system to ensure the exit of foreign visitors, which could delay the addition of more countries in 2009.
Participating Oneworld airlines are offering an assortment of new destinations. American Airlines will launch flights from Miami (MIA) to Recife (REC), Salvador da Bahia (SSA) and Belo Horizonte (PLU). Japan Airlines will begin service to Mount Fuji Shizuoka Airport in early 2009. British Airways’ service to Hyderabad (HYD) in December will be the alliance’s sixth Indian destination. After a six-year hiatus, Qantas will resume service between Sydney (BWU) and Buenos Aires (AEP). Finnair will begin four weekly flights between Helsinki (HEL) and Hong Kong (HKG).
In other Oneworld news, eight of the world’s 20 best-performing airlines are members of the alliance, according to a survey by Aviation Week magazine.
XpresSpa, a company operating 25 full-service airport spas, has opened its eighth location at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). The new addition to the JetBlue Airways Terminal 5 has made JFK the “Spa Capital” with more spas than any other airport. Just days earlier, XpresSpa opened their first location at LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in the US Airways Shuttle Terminal. Future plans include Lambert-St. Louis International (STL), Hartsfield-Jackson International (ATL) and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).
US Airways has announced two new trans-Atlantic destinations from its gateway at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL). Beginning next summer, daily flights will launch to Birmingham, U.K. (BHX) and Oslo, Norway (OSL). Service from the Philadelphia hub to Tel Aviv (TLV) was announced earlier this year. The airline has also announced plans to launch two to three international flights from the gateway per year for the next several years. Tickets can be booked for the Birmingham and Oslo flights beginning Oct. 25.
The travel industry has been experiencing the effects of the economic slowdown in the last few weeks, according to the September reports of airline and hotel numbers. Due to an expected downturn beginning in the fall, the industry made cost-cutting provisions, including decreasing routes and raising rates; however, the results are far below what was originally anticipated. During the month of September, the top seven airlines reported an almost 10 percent decline in the past year, with all major airlines carrying 9.2 percent fewer passengers. Hotel cancellation rates are running 50 percent above normal and occupancy was down 5 percent from last September. As the cost of travel rises, a variety of companies are making emergency cutbacks to curb business travel expenses.
611 Commerce St.
Nashville, TN 37203
tel 615 255 8400
www.renaissancenashville.com
During a recent visit to Nashville, I wanted to stay close to downtown, within walking distance of museums, music clubs and the convention center. The Renaissance is next to the Nashville Convention Center and around the corner from the historic Ryman Auditorium, formerly the Grand Ole Opry. It is also within a few minutes’ walk of lower Broadway, where many of the old-time country western bars occupy the first floor of 19th-century brick buildings. The Country Music Hall of Fame and the Sommet Center arena are another two blocks away.
I did not realize the property would be so big, with 673 guestrooms on 25 floors, but check-in was fast. The musical motifs — a large piano-key rug in the lobby and whimsical music- and guitar-themed sculptures throughout the hotel — evoke Nashville’s “Music City” tradition and provide an informal atmosphere in what is certainly a business hotel. I was on one of the two “Club” floors, where a private lounge offers complimentary breakfast, evening hors d’oeuvres, desserts and beverages. New beige carpeting, a large window overlooking the city, wide-screen TV, a large desk and a plush bathmat were nice amenities.
I found the second-floor fitness center to be somewhat small for all the equipment that was crowded into it, and the adjacent indoor pool was adequate for a quick swim. The quirky third-floor Bridge Lounge and Deli is under an unusually high glass cathedral ceiling and is connected to the office building next door. The 42-foot lounge bar stays open late, serving panini and other snacks and providing free Internet computers (Internet access from guestrooms is $12.95 daily). The hotel’s main restaurant, Commerce Street Grille, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Although the public areas of the hotel look somewhat dated (the building was constructed in 1987 as a Stouffer Hotel), the property is kept very clean, and service is friendly and efficient. It seems that most of Marriott’s Renaissance properties have done a great job keeping up with room renovations and lobby décor. During my stay I parked my rental car in the inexpensive indoor public garage across the street, but hotel valet parking is available. Taxis and the Downtown Airport Express bus make the trip to Nashville International Airport (BNA) in 15–20 minutes.
Score: ••••• Ron Bernthal
Teaming up with National Geographic Society, Fairmont Hotels and Resorts is launching the Global Explorer Series. The program offers guests access to exclusive events and experiences. The first exhibit, based in San Francisco, is “Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures From the National Museum, Kabul” and highlights archaeological finds from the area that were rediscovered in 2003. Through Jan. 25, 2009, guests can book the package online.
In celebration of Puerto Vallarta’s 14th Annual International Gourmet Festival, the CasaMagna Marriott Puerto Vallarta is offering the Dining Escape to Puerto Vallarta package. Through Dec. 5, guests can enjoy rates as low as $257 per night in deluxe accommodations with daily breakfast and a dinner for two included. A four-night stay is required. Book online using promotional code ES1.
Becoming a Hyatt Gold Passport member just got a whole lot sweeter for Amtrak Guest Rewards participants. If you join the hotel rewards program before Dec. 30, you will receive 2,000 Amtrak Guest Rewards bonus points after every two Hyatt stays (worldwide) when using a MasterCard. Enrollment automatically enters members in Hyatt’s Faster Free Nights promotion. You can earn a free night after every two stays. The number of bonus points and free nights is unlimited. Register online.
South African Airways Vacations introduced two new premium packages. The 10-day Women in Style package, beginning at $3,999, includes international and domestic airfare, a four-night stay at the Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa, a chauffeured vehicle (transportation to planned excursions), two nights in the wine region, a half-day winery tour, a day at the spa, breakfasts, safaris and two nights at the Jackalberry Lodge, meals included. The 13-day Royal Treatment package, beginning at $7,999, includes three nights at the Twelve Apostles, a full-day Cape Peninsula tour, two nights at the La Residence hotel in Franschoek, a half-day tour of Stellenbosch with winetasting, included breakfasts, two nights at the Birkenhead House with meals, three nights at the Royal Malewane Safari Lodge with meals and safaris. Call 888 722 4872 or visit the Web site.
Delta Air Lines’ new three-tiered SkyMiles structure has made the program even more attractive. Customers can now combine dates and cabin seating (economy, first and BusinessElite) at various mileage levels to create their own personalized itineraries. Members can use miles for the last available seat on a flight. The new structure allows for increased flexibility and offers more options. The new tiers begin at 25,000, 40,000 and 60,000 miles. For more information, visit the Web site.
