Orbitz Blog

Articles for August, 2010

Huntington Beach for sandy SoCal vacations

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

Huntington Beach. Credit RJ Bejil.

Huntington Beach. Credit: RJ Bejil.

By Whit Honea

When people take a Southern California vacation there are usually two big stops on the itinerary: Disneyland and the beach. Huntington Beach is a favorite destination beacuse it combines the best of beach vacations with a convenient locale close to the Disney resort. Surrounded by a host of other popular coastal towns like Seal Beach, Costa Mesa, and Newport Beach, the area is known for its eclectic shops and picturesque beach lifestyle. It also boasts an incredible surf, thanks to an effect caused by the nearby Catalina Island. Huntington Beach is also a quick drive to Knott’s Berry Farm and the assorted treasures of Long Beach: the Aquarium of the Pacific and the Queen Mary. (more…)

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Summer lives on with Honolulu fall festivals, concerts

Monday, August 30th, 2010
Book your trip during the Orbitz 48-hour sale and you can get the 3rd night free plus breakfast here at Moana Surfrider in Honololu.

Book your stay now at the Moana Surfrider hotel in Honolulu during the Orbitz 48-hour sale and you'll get your 3rd night free plus breakfast!

By Susan Johnston

While summer sun and heat have given way to cooler fall temperatures across most of the U.S., that carefree summer spirit will live on in Hawaii for months to come. Especially in Honoloulu,  where you can extend your summer well into fall with an array of festivals, concerts, and other activities.

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Bali: The best of Indonesian shopping, dining, delicacies

Friday, August 27th, 2010
Jayakarta Hotel and spa. Credit leozaza

Recharge your batteries at Jayakarta Hotel and Spa after a long day at the beach. Credit leozaza.

By Brooke Lenzi

Jam-packed with hotels, restaurants, and dance clubs galore, Seminyak, Bali was the perfect beach vacation destination for two single women. After first visiting bustling Kuta to the south, Seminyak was a nice change for my friend and I on our trip to Bali this spring. Being less congested with tourists, cars, and motorbikes, you don’t get as harassed by vendors, either. Seminyak was the perfect “home base” from which to adventure into the city of Denpasar.

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Escape the heat with cool Seattle hotels

Thursday, August 26th, 2010
Seattle.Credit Seattle Municipal Archives

The landmark Space Needle is a staple of any Seattle vacation. Credit: Seattle Municipal Archives.

By Whit Honea

I know a good Seattle vacation when I see one. That’s because I live in Seattle and spend a good portion of my time playing tour guide to friends and family who aren’t lucky enough to be local. I could plan a Seattle vacation in my sleep.

A lot of my guests are happy to stay on my couch, but there are times when Seattle hotels are the better option. If that’s the case, I always suggest the Edgewater. I could go on and on about how it is Seattle’s only waterfront hotel with a breathtaking view of Elliott Bay or its easy access to popular tourist attractions. But the fact is, I like the Edgewater because the Beatles stayed there, they now have a Beatles-themed suite and they host all kinds of cool Beatles events throughout the year. Beatles history trumps posh amenities any day in my book (but luckily the Edgewater has those, too).

But a great hotel is only the start to any vacation. There’s so many things that my guests ask to see on their Seattle vacation. These are the five most popular:

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Big hotel chains head to secondary Europe markets

Thursday, August 26th, 2010
Hilton Gdansk

Enjoy a stay at the new Hilton Gdansk in Gdansk, Poland.

By Joe Brancatelli

Big hotel chains looking to expand are increasingly looking around the world for opportunities. Major chains have long been fixtures overseas, of course, but the pace of expansion in recent years has picked up dramatically. And besides the obvious growth markets–China and India–the chains are beginning to penetrate what would normally be seen as secondary markets. For example, Hilton has opened a 150-room property in Gdansk, the chain’s second in Poland. And Marriott has opened its first two hotels in Sweden: a 278-room Courtyard in Stockholm and a 128-room Renaissance in Malmo. Marriott claims it will double its portfolio in Europe in the next five years.

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Posted in Business Travel, Travel News | No Comments »

Tennessee Football, the Titans way

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

Tennessee Titans. Credit vermillion

Nashville's Tennessee Titans during a practice game. Credit: vermillion.

By Rhonda Osborne

Are you ready for some football? I know am! While summers are great for a Tennessee vacation (this year has been particularly hot and humid), our minds are now on fall and football, and there’s no better place to watch a football game than Nashville.

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Orbitz Employee Photo Contest: And the winner is…

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

Machu Picchu, Peru, photographed by Orbitz's own Kari Babinec.

Orbitz employees love to travel. And it’s probably no surprise that we also love capturing our adventures in pictures to share with friends, family and inevitably — each other.  With so many talented and savvy travelers, we figured why not have a contest to see who could snap the best shot?

This year, Orbitz employee Kari Babinec took first place with her spectacular image of Machu Piucchu, Peru. Up against other images that included Key West and Nimes France, Babinec’s winning photograph will soon grace the halls of our Chicago headquarters.

The runners-up included:

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Dig up a dino adventure on your family vacation

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010
Chicago's T. Rex named Sue. Credit adactio.

Visiting Chicago's T. Rex, Sue is worth the trip alone. Credit: adactio.

By Carmen Madrid

What is it with kids and dinosaurs? The same child who’s terrified of moths and won’t sleep without a monster-repellent stuffed animal will correct your pronunciation of Ankylosaurus before detailing its eating habits. But there’s good news for dino-challenged parents planning family vacations: dinosaurs seem to be everywhere this year! And, much as I love Walt Disney’s rendition of the prehistoric beasts, these newer versions leave Disneyland’s animatronic giants looking a little, well, ancient.

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Virgin America is nearly 3, and still losing money

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010
Virgin America. Credit sillygwalio

A Virgin America passenger carrier. Credit sillygwalio.

By Joe Brancatelli

Privately-held Virgin America Airlines would have you believe it’s going great guns as it celebrates its third anniversary in August. But the facts, as reflected in the first quarter results that the airline released last month, tell a different story. Yes, the airline registered $147 million in revenue in the first quarter, a 46 percent jump compared to the first quarter of 2009. And, yes, its load factor passed 75 percent despite a huge jump in seat capacity. Yet it rang up $22 million in operating losses compared to $30 million in the first quarter of 2009. Its net loss for the quarter was $35 million, only fractionally better than the $40 million net loss it rang up last year.

Related resources

Joe Brancatelli is editor and publisher of JoeSentMe.com, a non-commercial Web site for business travelers. Copyright 2009 by Joe Brancatelli. Licensed by contract for Orbitz use.

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Snorkel, sunbathe, windsurf at Hawaii’s best beaches

Monday, August 23rd, 2010
Kahala Hotel and Resort Honolulu Hawaii

Kahala Hotel and Resort Honolulu Hawaii.

By Susan Johnston

I used to think that all beach vacations were similar. There’s sand, sun, water, and the inevitably awkward man sporting a too-small Speedo. But all that changed when I took my first Hawaii vacation a few years ago. I soon discovered that just as each island offers different flavors and scenery (where else but the Big Island can you find a sun-kissed beach and a snow-capped volcano within miles of each other?), each beach offers a little something different.

Some have calm waves lapping at the shoreline for those who want the perfect photo opp, while others are more suited for active travelers searching for windsurfing or snorkeling. Read on for the best beaches for each kind of traveler.

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