Orbitz Blog

Articles for September, 2010

Go big on value at San Antonio’s best hotels

Thursday, September 30th, 2010

One of the most widely recognized hotel landmarks in San Antonio, the Emily Morgan Hotel is only steps from the historic Alamo (see hotel at top left).

By Nina Gass

San Antonio is a city rich in culture and history. From exploring the Alamo and River Walk, and enjoying Sea World and Six Flags Fiesta with the kids to admiring the incredible McNay Art Museum, this city has it all. And with its numerous, reasonably priced San Antonio hotels, it’s no surprise that San Antonio is one of best destinations for family vacations.

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Gulf Oil Spill update

Thursday, September 30th, 2010

We’re closely monitoring the impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on destinations along the Gulf Coast. Find daily updates here:

As of September 30, 2010:

Florida- All Florida beaches are open to the public.  All Oil Impact Notices for Florida have been rescinded with the exception of Perdido Key west to the state line in Escambia County.

Alabama – The Alabama Department of Public Health has lifted all swimming advisories in Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Fort Morgan

Mississippi - A health advisory in Hancock County from Nicholson Blvd in Bay St. Louis west to Oak Blvd in Lakeshore.  A health advisory in Harrison County from Henderson Point in Pass Christian to Azalea Avenue in Biloxi.
A health advisory in Jackson County from Main Street in the Beale Fountain area west to Seashore Avenue.

Louisiana- A health advisory exists for all gulf waters from Martin Beach on the LA/TX state line to Fontainebleau State park near the LA/MS state line.

Gulf Islands National Seashore- Beaches are open, but an Oil Impact Notice is in effect for property in both Perdido Key and Pensacola Beach.

Related resources

Harvest season brings the crush to California’s wine country

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

Fall colors from Mumm winery and across the Napa Valley floor. Credit: John_Taylor.

By Susan Johnston

A fall California vacation in Wine Country is a sensory feast. Lush vineyards stretch in every direction, beckoning to passerby with their vividly colored leaves and rich, ripened grapes. Aromatic wines delight the palette, and wineries come to life during grape crushing season in mid-September.

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The new airport battleground: Raleigh-Durham

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

FlightsBy Joe Brancatelli

American Airlines opened and abandoned a hub in Raleigh-Durham in the 1990s and it and Southwest Airlines have been fighting for control of North Carolina’s second-busiest airport ever since. But now Delta Air Lines is challenging the status quo with flights to five new cities and more service on three of its existing RDU routes. Beginning November 1, Delta and its commuter partners will launch two daily flights to Hartford, Connecticut; three daily flights to Orlando; two daily flights to Tampa; two daily flights to St. Louis and daily flights to Columbus, Ohio. Delta will also add one daily flight to three airports: its Minneapolis-St. Paul hub; its New York/Kennedy hub; and Boston/Logan.

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Top five memorable all-inclusive Cancun resorts

Tuesday, September 28th, 2010

Dreams Cancun and Spa All Inclusive is surrounded on three sides by over seven miles of oceanfront.

By Nina Gass

You really can’t go wrong with all inclusive vacations because of the value and variety they provide for one set price. With no lingering questions about potential extra costs throughout your entire Mexico vacation, you can easily enjoy the break from reality and step into paradise.

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Orbitz launches hotel pages with new look, layout, tools

Tuesday, September 28th, 2010

By Sandy Kirkby

Building on the momentum of our new hotel search experience, we’ve redesigned our hotel property pages to make it faster and easier to get to know each hotel inside and out.

The new layout consolidates all the key information a hotel shopper needs on a single tab, including photos, interactive maps, and room descriptions. Now you can fully experience what each hotel has to offer on one scrollable page.

Among the other helpful research features:

1. New, interactive photo viewer: This slick tool lets you breeze through hotel photos and launch virtual tours with ease.

hotel photo viewer

2. Upfront customer reviews: Capture the reviewer score and some first-hand insights at the very top of the page. Plus, we’ve flagged reviews posted by verified Orbitz guests with a special green icon.

hotel guest reviews

3. Location and neighborhood details: The main hotel property page now hosts the interactive map with the hotel plotted plus Google Street View, so you can get a better understanding of the hotel’s surroundings.

Map

hotel street view

Just last month, we unveiled a new hotel search experience that includes filtering search results by  price, star rating, reviewer score and amenities, and comparing details of several hotels side by side without ever leaving the search results page – something you cannot do on other travel sites.

That enhancement, along with revamped hotel property pages, aims to bring key information to the forefront of your hotel search experience  to make it faster and easier to find the property that’s best for you. Know more about the benefits of booking hotels on Orbitz.

Sandy Kirkby, a Product Analyst at Orbitz Worldwide, is an avid traveler whose favorite vacation spots include the Cote d’Azur and St. Lucia.

Top 5 New Orleans hotels for Saints fans

Monday, September 27th, 2010

Come to New Orleans to see the Superbowl 44 Champs and you could be singing, "Who dat sayin dey gonna beat dem Saints?" Credit: dcb_nola.

By Maria Mora

Football fans are enjoying the start of another electric Saints season. If you’re planning a NOLA pilgrimage to catch a game with the Super Bowl XLIV champs, check out these popular New Orleans hotels for the perfect start to any “Who dat?” celebration.

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Nifty new hotel choices around the world

Monday, September 27th, 2010
The new Doubletree set above Kuala Lumpur's Golden Triangle District.

The 540-room Doubletree, set above Kuala Lumpur's Golden Triangle district.

The lodging industry, mired in the worst occupancy and nightly-rate slump in years, continues to exacerbate its problems by continuing to open hotels at a breathtaking pace. But that’s good new for travelers, since new properties at low rates are always something worth noting.

  • From Starwood comes a 265-room Westin in the Park Plaza development in Mexico City. It also opened a 147-room Aloft in Brussels and a 136-room Aloft in South Tulsa, Oklahoma.
  • From Hyatt comes a 129-room Hyatt Place in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, and a 126-room Hyatt Place in Columbus, near the campus of Ohio State University.
  • From Marriott, there’s a 128-room Fairfield Inn in the Briar Creek area of Raleigh, North Carolina, and a 456-room Courtyard in Shanghai’s Puxi district.
  • From InterContinental comes an 87-room Holiday Inn Express in North Houston. It has also converted the former Renaissance hotel in Syracuse, New York, to a Crowne Plaza, slapped the Holiday Inn brand name on the Waikiki Beachcomber in Honolulu and converted a former Ramada in Riverhead, New York, to a Hotel Indigo.
  • From Hilton comes the 540-room Doubletree in the Golden Triangle district of Kuala Lumpur. It has also put the Doubletree name on the Park Vista hotel in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
  • A 240-room Radisson resort has opened in Split, Croatia.
  • Three AmeriTel Inns in Idaho–in Twin Falls, Idaho Falls and Boise–have converted to the LaQuinta chain.

Related resources

Joe Brancatelli is editor and publisher of JoeSentMe.com, a non-commercial Web site for business travelers. Copyright 2010 by Joe Brancatelli. Licensed by contract for Orbitz use.

Frightful fun at Busch Gardens’ Howl-O-Scream

Friday, September 24th, 2010

By Stacy Rausch

Looking for a Halloween event for the whole family? Mark your calendars and plan your Williamsburg vacation now for some frightening fun at Busch Gardens Williamsburg! Starting today, the park kicks off its ghoulishly popular Howl-O-Scream event and will be open Fridays-Sundays through Oct. 31.

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Dive in to awesome adventure at Atlantis

Thursday, September 23rd, 2010

By Steve Jermanok

You’ve heard about the popular Caribbean vacation destination Atlantis, but it’s hard to gauge the size of this mega-resort until you arrive. Nearly 3,000 rooms are spread around the property, from the more affordable Beach Tower lodgings to the newest arrival, Cove, and its slew of suites. New attractions seem to debut every time I visit.

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