Carolina Beach Hotels Deals|"Hit By A Surprise Fee On Your Hotel Bill"

Source            :    theglobeandmail.com
Category        :   Carolina Beach Hotels Deals
By                  :   MITCH LIPKA
Posted By     :   Hotels Carolina Beach NC

Carolina Beach Hotels Deals

It took some discussion with the manager to get the fees dropped. While travellers were complaining about airline fees – additional charges for putting luggage on planes, reserving seats and other services – the hotel business quietly experimented with fee after fee. The result is that your bill at checkout can be confounding. Hotels are tacking on lots of extra charges in addition to sales tax and the tariffs from cities and states that apply only to the hospitality industry. Common fees include resort usage, airport pickup, parking and gym visits along with charges for room service. Some of the more surprising charges include a fee for moving items around in the minibar (not actually consuming any), a bellman (whether you use one or not), the room safe (even if you don’t stash valuables in it), checking out early, checking in early and upgraded amenities (such as shampoo). And here’s a new fee: parking in an open, unattended lot.

These charges are most common at higher-end hotels, resorts and properties in urban centers. The new parking fee at suburban hotels is still relatively rare. Most hotels in the middle of the price spectrum – the most popular segment in the U.S. – continue to avoid most fees in favor of offering free Internet, free breakfast and free parking. Fees collected by the hotel industry this year will hit a record $2.1-billion (U.S.), according to a projection released by NYU’s Hanson on Tuesday, who tracks hotel fee trends annually. That is double what consumers paid a decade ago. Among luxury properties, 99 per cent charge for a late cancellation, compared with 29 per cent among so-called midscale properties, according to a 2012 study by the American Hotel and Lodging Association. The biggest problem with fees, Hanson says, is not disclosing those that are mandatory. Last fall, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission sent warning letters to 22 hotel booking companies for leaving details out of the price projection when consumers shopped for hotels. It is now common to find a section on fees on hotel booking sites as well as a disclosure when a “resort fee” applies.

“Increasingly, hotels give away free breakfast, free Internet, and now some hotels are trying to claw that back with ‘convenience fees,’” says Robert Habeeb, president and chief operating officer of First Hospitality Group in Chicago, which operates 53 hotels, mostly in the Midwest. Fees vary at its properties, but can include Internet connection fees ($11.95 a day at one property), a pet fee ($50 per stay at another property), breakfast and parking. Hotels watch occupancy trends and change prices – and fees – constantly, Habeeb says. “It has become like you’re trading a commodity on the floor of an exchange.” Ultimately, he says, “consumers decide what they’re willing to pay for and what they’re not.” Overall, nearly a quarter of hotels charge for in-room Internet access, according to a 2012 survey commissioned by the American Hotel & Lodging Association. Wi-Fi charges are most common in so-called “upper upscale” and luxury hotels – with the fee assessed at more than three-quarters of all properties in those categories. Business travellers to big cities, in particular, are targeted for the Wi-Fi charge – which can be as high as $15 a day. “If you’re headed to downtown-anywhere, there’s a good chance you’ll see a Wi-Fi fee on your bill,” says Jeremy Murphy, chief executive officer of TheSuitest.com, a travel website that analyzes hotel rooms and prices.

NYU’s Hanson says it can be tough for consumers to understand what might end up on their bills. “Fees and surcharges are not even uniform across brands,” he says. “They can change overnight ... That makes it very difficult for travellers to be aware and anticipate.” If you can, find out in advance what the extra charges are, and pay close attention to your bill when you’re checking out. Tom Waithe, director of operations for Kimpton Hotels in the Pacific Northwest, encourages hotel guests to challenge charges they disagree with. “The desk has, in many cases, the full ability to reverse a charge or reduce it, but be fair – the charges are often posted in advance,” Waithe says.

Source : theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/personal-finance/household-finances/hit-by-a-surprise-fee-on-your-hotel-bill-youre-not-alone/article13758515/

Carolina Beach Hotels Deals|"Official Says City Will Win Its Case Against Mansions Operating As Hotels"

Source            :    jsonline.com
Category        :   Carolina Beach Hotels Deals
By                  :   Don Walker
Posted By     :   Hotels Carolina Beach NC

Carolina Beach Hotels Deals

The commissioner of the Milwaukee Department of Neighborhood Services said Thursday he believes the city will find a way to shut down the marketing of two east side mansions as hotels. Commissioner Art Dahlberg said his department is doing all it can under the law to respond to neighbor complaints that two east side mansions controlled by a Whitefish Bay businessman have been marketed as hotels. Although the city had ordered Jason Hernandez, owner of Autopilot Management, to stop marketing the homes, his attorney on Thursday formally appealed the orders. An appeal immediately puts any enforcement action on hold until an appeal is heard. The Board of Zoning Appeals will hear the case in October.

Until that time, Dahlberg said, inspectors are gathering evidence for the zoning hearing. "My honest belief is we will prevail in front of the Board of Zoning Appeals," Dahlberg said. "I think we are reading the zoning ordinances correctly. That is the law of the land. But the law of the land says I can't take additional enforcement actions while an appeal is pending. I know that's frustrating for people who live next to this." 

Dahlberg said the homes fit the definition of a commercial hotel, which is not allowed in the pricey residential neighborhood. Hernandez said his right to market the homes for rental is an issue of personal freedom. He has said the homes are residential rentals in which guests are offered short-term leases. In the appeal, Alan Marcuvitz, Hernandez's attorney, argues that based on the plan of operation for both homes, "it is evident that occasional rentals are occurring at these properties. Neither property, however, constitutes a 'commercial hotel.'"

The dispute comes as some homeowners in Milwaukee have begun offering their homes for rent for the 110th Harley-Davidson reunion. The anniversary will be Aug. 29 to Sept. 1. Dahlberg said that if residents complain about a neighbor renting out their house for Harley visitors, they can file a complaint with the city. City inspectors will investigate. On the east side, Dahlberg said city inspectors responded to complaints about the homes immediately. The first complaint involved the home at 2950 N. Shepard Ave. Dahlberg said there was evidence the home wasn't being used a single-family dwelling. The second complaint involved a mansion at 2628 E. Newberry Blvd. When inspectors arrived, they found a door wide open. Police were called to check on the home. "We discovered not only a sign-in book for the guests for the facility, but there were posted rules of what was expected out of the guests while they were staying there," Dahlberg said.

Police confiscated the sign-in book and the posted rules, Dahlberg said. That information, coupled with advertising on vacation rental websites, convinced city inspectors the home was in violation of existing zoning ordinances. A citation was issued on the Newberry property, he said. Hernandez's father, Luis, owns the Shepard Ave. home and leases it to Autopilot Management. Autopilot is leasing the Newberry Blvd. home from Lynn Marie Thompson, the owner. Thompson, who lives in Washington state, could not be reached for comment. Dahlberg said some cities regulate such properties by licensing them. In Milwaukee, regulation is done through zoning ordinances. "I told them our reading of the zoning ordinance and the building code show that these homes are no longer being operated as single-family dwellings,' Dahlberg said.

Source:jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/official-says-city-will-win-its-case-against-mansions-operating-as-hotels-b9976577z1-219811501.html

Hotels In Carolina|"What You Should Really Say To Score A Hotel Upgrade"

Source            :    renewamerica.com/
Category        :   Hotels In Carolina
By                  :   Selwyn Duke
Posted By     :   Hotels Carolina Beach NC

Hotels In Carolina

Sometimes it's simply due to luck, but there are ways to increase your chances of being bumped up into a better room, according to Jacob Tomsky, author of Heads in Beds, which exposes hotel secrets. First of all, forget saying it's your birthday or anniversary, the hotel staff have heard it all before. You've got a much better chance of scoring an upgrade if you think outside the box. "I've heard it suggested that one might mention a special occasion: It's my anniversary! I just got a promotion! It's my birthday! I'm celebrating a divorce," Thomsky told the Huffington Post. "From my perspective, as a front desk agent, if you had to pick one of the above reasons, which do you think I'm most likely to respond to? "If you guessed 'celebrating a divorce' you'd be correct." Thomsky said standard hotel front desks can check in up to 250 guests a day, and estimates of those at least 25 would be celebrating a standard special occasion of some sort, so bringing that to their attention holds little persuasive power.

"When someone comes at you with one of these standard situations and it's the 4000th time you've heard it, it really does lose its power. Point is, your special occasion probably isn't that special, as far as a hotel employee is concerned," he said. "But celebrating your divorce? Well, ma'am, I don't hear that one too often. I'll take care of it. Here you are: Upgraded corner suite with a tremendous view. Feel better." If the divorce line won't work in your situation - say you're travelling with your husband and/or kids, there are other ways to increase your chances of an upgrade. Thomsky said tipping is a sure-fire way to get noticed by hotel staff.

"Once a guest has definitively improved my life (I would spend my new-found tips on anything from a healthy lunch to rent) I would immediately set out to repay the favour and improve their life. Often with an upgrade," he said. "And if not that, the very best room in the category they have booked, because, believe me, there is always a nicer room. Or amenities."

Timing is everything. When possible check in between 4-6pm as the front desk will already be aware of any cancellations and no-shows. Also avoid booking during busy holiday periods as upgrades cannot be given if a hotel is at full occupancy. - Take advantage of a hotel's mistake. Room not ready upon check-in? Construction noise causing a loss of sleep? Make a hotel issue work to your advantage by talking to the management - nicely - and seeing if they will offer a form of compensation for the inconvenience. - Loyalty. Increase your chances of an upgrade by being loyal to a hotel and providing repeat business. Casually mention when reserving your room that you've stayed there before. It costs a lot less for a hotel to keep a repeat customer happy than to acquire a new one, so they will often give special treatment to frequent guests.

- Be nice. Front desk staff and hotel managers deal with a lot of people and handle a range of problems during their day. Sometimes being friendly can go a long way. - Ask. Try your luck and ask directly for a hotel upgrade. The worst that can happen is they will say no, and you might get what you wish for. - Don't you know who I am? Title dropping can increase your chances of being upgraded. Hotels may want to impress you more when they know you are someone who is an important businessperson, can draw in more guests or have press power.

Source:news.com.au/travel/travel-advisor/what-you-should-really-say-to-score-a-hotel-upgrade/story-e6frfqfr-1226697585855

Hotels In Carolina|"Hotel Review: Palermo Place In Buenos Aires"

Source            :    renewamerica.com/
Category        :   Hotels In Carolina
By                  :   Selwyn Duke
Posted By     :   Hotels Carolina Beach NC

Hotels In Carolina

In Buenos Aires, where low prices and plentiful availability often entice visitors to rent an apartment for a short stay, Palermo Place aims to offer apartment living with the perks of hotel services. The low-rise, modern hotel has the feel of a cosmopolitan, if slightly generic, pied-à-terre. Opened in 2011 on a leafy street in the upscale Palermo neighborhood, the hotel is surrounded by chic coffee shops, restaurants and boutiques. (A nearby elementary school occasionally pierces the residential quiet, but only during recess.) It’s a short walk to the night-life districts of Palermo Soho and Palermo Hollywood and other attractions like the 62-acre Palermo Woods park. A subway station and buses are close, and cabs are plentiful.

Our fifth-floor double with twin beds (other rooms have king beds) had a floor-to-ceiling glass door opening to a French balcony that offered a bright, appealing city vista. Dark wood décor, by the Argentine designer Gianni Berelli, set off the cream-colored tile floor, and bedding was plush. The kitchenette had a two-burner stovetop, microwave and easy-to-open cabinets stocked with plates and cutlery. Over the desk, outlets accommodated American-style plugs, and the alarm clock included an iPod dock — well thought-out features for travelers. The large TV had plenty of international programming.Reasonably sized, with a powerful shower and a bidet, as is standard in Buenos Aires. A single, deep sink was outside the bathroom — though two would have been more convenient, and the placement, between the room door and the bathroom door, was a bit awkward. Luxe toiletries and terry cloth robes were provided. The bare basics in the gym — a single treadmill, elliptical machine and Nautilus; no free weights — were made up for by the skyline view on the patio just outside. There was also an outdoor shower and some chaise longues, should relaxation be in order post-workout. The hotel has a separate roof deck with tables and a grill. Wi-Fi is free throughout the building, and there was a coin-operated washer and dryer. Above all, Palermo Place strives to set itself apart with its concierge service, which helps with the usual needs — booking taxis and restaurant reservations; printing flight itineraries — and also more atypical requests, like finding baby sitters and personal trainers.

Hotel employees can stock your kitchen before your stay, or refill toiletries if you provide a list. But in a city that loves secret hot spots and thrives on insider information, a search for an address for a roving underground club was met with a shrug and an offer to look online for it, no help at all. Generally, though, the multilingual staff was friendly and eager to assist with requests like bike rentals and straightening out an overcharge from a boutique.There is no room service per se (there’s no restaurant on the premises), but guests are given vouchers for nearby bakeries and cafes for breakfast, or the staff can arrange to order in, with no service fee. Palermo Place makes up for its slightly anodyne vibe with its prime location in a lively neighborhood and its affordable price. For those who want a little homeyness without the guesswork of arranging it in an unfamiliar place, it works.

Source:travel.nytimes.com/2013/08/18/travel/hotel-review-palermo-place-in-buenos-aires.html?_r=0

Marriott Carolina Beach|"The Babe & The Cynic"

Source            :    renewamerica.com/
Category        :   Marriott Carolina Beach
By                  :   Selwyn Duke
Posted By     :   Hotels Carolina Beach NC

Marriott Carolina Beach

A certain very erudite and always entertaining social critic remarked recently that he always thought the worst of people. He went on to say – perhaps, at most, half jokingly – that he was always right about them, too. He then revealed that he actually had been very trusting as a boy, that he believed everyone and often got taken advantage of. He certainly doesn't get taken advantage of much now, I'm sure. But what he doesn't know is that in one significant way he hasn't changed at all. The man's admission of his boyhood as a doormat didn't surprise me, for gullibility and cynicism are two sides of the same coin. They are both a function of naiveté, which can be defined as ignorance about reality. The gullible person proceeds as if everyone is good and trustworthy, whereas the cynic proceeds as if everyone is essentially bad and untrustworthy. But reality is quite different: there are, practically speaking, "good" people and "bad" people, the well-meaning and the self-serving. And possessing discernment enables one to distinguish between the two groups. Yet the gullible person trusts people even when he shouldn't and the cynic fails to trust them even when he should.

The transition from gullible babe in the woods to steadfast cynic is easy to understand. The budding cynic, lacking in what some today called "emotional I.Q.," is unable to draw the aforementioned distinctions among people; they all look the same to him. But being essentially good – and, as people will do, supposing that others operate as he does – he assumes that virtually everyone can be trusted. Then, of course, it isn't long before the wrong person betrays his trust – and it happens again and again and again (this is especially problematic since con artists, generally possessed of great feel for man's nature, will sense his gullibility and target him specifically). Not wanting to be burned again, the babe then switches modes and ceases to trust, but not just those unworthy of it. For he still can't distinguish between the good and bad; people still all look the same to him, so the untrustworthy who scarred him now just seem like a representative sample of man. Thus does he assume that all people are basically self-serving and often mercenary.

Of course, the babe no doubt also knew people who didn't betray him. Just as it's usually only bad news that makes headlines, however, it's his personal bad news that captures the headlines in his mind. Besides, cynicism becomes a survival tactic: since he never knows who would plunge that knife into his back, he finds it safer to never turn it on anyone. And so just as the caterpillar becomes a butterfly, the babe becomes the cynic, seemingly a very different creature but actually still the same one. This won't be how the cynic sees it, though. He will fancy he has grown up when he has only grown soul-sick; he will assume he is worlds apart from his old self when that person is but a dime's width away. "I'm onto you now!" the cynic may think; "You can't fool me!" but he has fooled himself. He may stand around, with a knowing air, talking about the cynical motives of the government, the Church, environmentalists, pro-lifers and anything sentient that walks on two legs, and he may be right half the time – just as the babe was. But he is still painting everyone with the same brush; he just has changed his color choice from Angel White to Demon Night.

Cynicism is hard to recover from, too. This is not just because it's a survival tactic, but also because it's a simple way of comprehending the world (and people like simple explanations) and gives the cynic that sense of being a sophisticate immune to guile. Moreover, it seems to make sense. After all, to paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, if you look for the worst in people, you're sure to find it – even if you have to imagine it. Everyone has failings, "bad news" that easily will capture headlines in the cynic's mind and be used to characterize the individual. Just as significantly, much of what we do and say lends itself to interpretation, which is why misunderstanding always lurks just around the corner. What did Jim really mean by what he said? And while the cynic, never having been good at reading people, isn't the best candidate for rendering this interpretation, you know what it will be. Every innocent misstep will be insidious malevolence, every slip of the tongue a calculated, subtle slight. And every reading will further confirm what he already "knows" about people.

For this reason, the cynic is much like the woman who has been jilted romantically and hurt: having had her heart broken by a man and never wanting to experience such pain again, she hardens her heart; she puts a wall around it, never letting another fellow get close. And for the same reasons why the cynic doesn't trust man, she doesn't trust men: she has found it safer to just paint all men with the same dark brush (this is, by the way, one of feminism's root causes), and anger makes this emotionally appealing. The cynic likewise feels safe behind his walls of misanthropy; this, along with the fact that he sees people as having confirmed his conception of man's nature for many years, and because he has an ego, make him so sure of his judgments that it's unlikely he will ever question his cynicism. This is why good religion counsels against "rash judgment."

This brings us to the tragedy of cynicism. What the cynic mistakes for the walls of his fortress are really the boundaries of his prison; what he thinks keeps the bad at bay actually shuts the good out. His world is a dark place, where he perceives the sinful but doesn't see the saintly – at least not most of it. To make matters worse, he magnifies the bad because he misreads much of his fellow man's light as darkness. He has created not only his own hell, but his own devils. They surround him, and should he lower his walls he will be devoured.

But to become cynical is to give the Devil his victory. There is a social phenomenon today whereby we will sacrifice great joy and freedom for a gram of safety; we will eliminate dodgeball, high diving boards at hotels, large sodas and anything else that may imperil us as we ensconce our children in Beelzebub's bubble wrap. But you risk your life just by living, and you can't really live without accepting risk. This is true in the emotional realm as well. While we should mature beyond gullibility and not play the doormat, we can't fully imbibe the human experience without opening ourselves up to other humans and risking at least the possibility of being hurt. As our capacity to trust dies, so does our capacity to live. The irony of cynicism is that while it is the belief that all people act out of selfish motives, it is motivated by a desire to protect the self. Thus, the best way to combat selfishness isn't to erect those walls. It is to tear them down.

Source : renewamerica.com/columns/duke/130813

Marriott Carolina Beach|"Serial Conman Mark Leslie Targeted Top North East Hotels"

Source            :    chroniclelive.co.uk/
Category        :   Marriott Carolina Beach
By                  :    Liz Walker
Posted By     :   Hotels Carolina Beach NC

Marriott Carolina Beach

Serial conman Mark Leslie ran up massive bills at two of the region’s top hotels, then fled without paying. Parading as a businessman who was entertaining prospective clients, unemployed trickster Mark Leslie enjoyed fine dining in high-class private rooms, luxury suites and golf buggies during his three-day scam, that also involved his wife, four-year-old son and two Tyneside drag queens.

In the first of two court appearances this week before Newcastle magistrates, the court heard how Leslie, of Alnwick Terrace, Wideopen, booked two suites at the exclusive Close House Hotel in Northumberland in August last year. But at the end of the two-night stay, during which the party had racked up a hotel, restaurant and bar bill of £1,459.95, including the hire of three golf buggies, he left without returning the keys or settling the bill.

Leslie, 28, pleaded not guilty to making off without payment and told magistrates he was not willing to pay as he was “disgusted” with the standard of service he had received at the hotel. He claimed he had later emailed the hotel to offer to pay a reduced amount. The court heard how, shortly after the party arrived at the hotel, the manager was called to their room where he found Leslie’s son screaming and covered in blood having cut his finger on shards of glass left lying in the bath, it was claimed.

Giving evidence, the duty manager at the time of the incident Peter Dawson said he was “sceptical” of Leslie’s version of the cause of the boy’s injuries. Leslie later made a complaint about how, despite being given permission to take golf buggies on a tour of the grounds as a goodwill gesture for his son’s injury, the party were told to return them by a “rude” member of staff who said they were “not golfers.” This left Leslie “angry and embarrassed”, he said.

Leslie, a former bar and pub chain area manager who is on income support and receives housing benefit, had booked the rooms under the name Starburst Leisure, a company he admitted has never traded as an entertainment business and has no funds. He claimed he had intended to pay for the rooms in cash raised by selling his wife’s iPad, the family TV and savings.Magistrates said Leslie’s explanation of events lacked credibility and found him guilty.

In a second hearing Leslie pleaded guilty to making off without paying a bill of £624.55 at Lumley Castle, Chester-le-Street days before the stay at Close House. On the day of trial, Leslie admitted the charge, but claimed he left after one night because the food and service were bad. Magistrates committed Leslie to Newcastle Crown Court for sentence, where he is already due for sentence on August 16 for another matter of fraud.

Source : chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/serial-conman-mark-leslie-targeted-5677826

Courtyard Marriott Carolina Beach|"Hotels Get Creative To Attract Group Business"

Source            :    thejakartapost.com/
Category        :   Courtyard Marriott Carolina Beach
By                  :    Nurfika Osman
Posted By     :   Hotels Carolina Beach NC

Courtyard Marriott Carolina Beach

Having a meeting at a hotel no longer means having to sit in a windowless, overly air-conditioned room and noshing on cold cuts sandwiched between stale bread. Hotels are finally starting to lure leisure travelers back as the economy improves, but they are still struggling to convince businesses that they should send groups of employees off-campus for face-to-face meetings. To do so, they're coming up with creative ways to make meetings easier, more comfortable and even more fun. Think lounge-like conference rooms, make-your-own trail mix stations and apps that let you ask for a temperature change.

C. Patrick Scholes, managing director of gaming and lodging equity research at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, says that for a typical Marriott, Starwood, Hilton or Hyatt, group business represents 30% to 40% of overall revenues. "This segment of the business is still lagging," he says. "Meetings is a pretty big business for the hotel industry, and what we felt is that there really isn't a lot of differentiation in the industry, and there haven't been a lot of innovations in the last 50 years," says Peggy Roe, vice president of global operations for Marriott International. Marriott Hotels and Resorts recently launched Workspring, a suite that consists of five studios to fit from three to 75 attendees. The suite has work spaces as well as common areas, many with natural light and access to the outdoors. The hotel also provides the latest in technology, wireless access, office supplies and food and beverage. For even smaller groups, Marriott now has Workspace on Demand, which allows locals and guests to book online any space by the hour. The space can be a table in the lobby or a conference room.Marriott has come up with Red Coat Direct, a new mobile app that will let them make requests — from ordering coffee and food to changing the room temperature — without leaving the meeting room.

"The meeting industry can be pretty complex, and nowadays, the responsibility that meeting planners have is greater and greater," says Mark Komine, head of sales for the Americas for Hilton.When it comes to snacking, coffee and cookies won't suffice anymore. At Kimpton Hotels across the country, meeting planners can have smoothie and build-your-own trail mix bars. Themed breaks at the Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek have included a "Create Your Own Taco" bar and a breast cancer awareness break with pink lemonade, red velvet cake pops and strawberry shortcake. At the Loews Ventana Canyon in Tucson, meeting attendees can scoop out their favorite sweet and salty treats from a buffet of glass jars into little paper sacks, just like at an old-fashioned candy store. Many hotels have come up with entertaining breaks such as mojito-making lessons and cooking classes. None of these options is free, however. The Hotel Monaco Seattle's trail mix station, for instance, costs $8 a person.

But hoteliers say meeting planners are willing to invest in better food to energize attendees during long days of meetings. "Offering these unique meetings and events experiences is really how we can differentiate ourselves (from) other like-minded hotels," says Paul Whetsell, president and chief executive officer of Loews Hotels & Resorts.

Source : usatoday.com/story/travel/hotels/2013/08/12/hotels-group-business-meetings/2642615/