A place to rest after your food coma during New York Restaurant Week: Distrikt Hotel New York City.
By Jennifer Olvera
Post-holidays can be a dreary time of year. Fortunately, the winter leg of New York Restaurant Week — slotted for weekdays from Jan. 16-Feb. 10 – offers a good excuse to book stays at New York hotels, since more than 130 restaurants will offer three-course, prix-fixe meals for $24.07 at lunch and $35 during dinner, plus beverages, tax and tip. (more…)
Las Vegas is the second most popular destination in the Orbitz Labor Day 2011 Index. Credit: http2007.
By Valerie Moloney
When it comes to travelers’ preferences for Labor Day, it’s a big-city trifecta in the top spots. The Orbitz Labor Day 2011 Index reveals Las Vegas, New York City and Chicago holding the first 3 positions for the last long weekend of the summer vacation season. (more…)
The National September 11 Memorial & Museum opens Sept. 12, but visitors have to reserve a pass to visit.
By Erik Torkells
The memorial part of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum is opening to the public on Sept.12, and it looks like visiting it will be a powerful experience — it includes two mammoth pools with waterfalls (on the footprints of where the Twin Towers were), a plaza of trees and the names of the nearly 3,000 victims. But only 1,500 people will be allowed at a time, so if you want to pay your respects firsthand, you’ll have to reserve a pass for a specific date and time. Passes were made available starting July 11. (more…)
What gets girlfriends giddy? A Manhattan shopping trip and a fancy hotel. (Pictured: Gansevoort Park NYC)
By Susan Johnston
It’s been a hellish winter, and nothing breaks us out of the winter blues like a new wardrobe and spring break getaway with your friends. Manhattan is the ultimate destination for sprucing up your wardrobe and catching up with friends, so we’ve chosen four stylish New York hotels near chic shopping districts. (more…)
The dyeing of the Chicago River on March 12 ushers in the city's St. Patty's Day celebrations. Credit - Tripp-
By Valerie Moloney
Back in the day, when U2′s Joshua Tree was on constant rewind and playback on my cassette machine, little did I know that my life would be forever changed by an Irishman—and no, his name isn’t Bono. In the 12 years that I’ve spent with my husband, a Croom, Co. Limerick native, I’ve learned this about the Irish: 1)That they can play music with spoons. 2)That black and white pudding are equally strange and delicious. 3)A night at the pub always ends better with a snack box, a perfectly packaged meal of plump chips and fried chicken.
This St. Patrick’s Day, I’ll be joining the rest of America in celebrating my adopted Irish pride at my favorite downtown Chicago Irish bars. A note to out-of-towners: Many Chicago hotels are located near the parade route, making it even easier to combine your pub crawl with a stroll to see the infamous Chicago River being dyed green on March 12. Check out these Chicago hotels, plus a few more in Boston and New York that set the Celtic mood way before March 17. (more…)
By Joe Brancatelli
Thanks to the concentration of financial and cultural affairs and the sheer volume of passengers in the New York Metropolitan area, New York is now the most important and most combative aviation markets in the world. Four airlines, Delta, American, Continental and JetBlue, are all fighting to be king of the hill. One of the combatants, Delta Air Lines, is now making important changes at its two major New York airports.
A New York City sunset. Credit: Global Jet.
By Joe Brancatelli
No one would argue that downtown Seattle–or downtown anywhere–needs more hotels, but business travelers looking for iterations of their favorite mid-priced chains in the Emerald City now have more choice. Hyatt Place has opened a 160-room outlet on 6th Avenue North near Denny Way. Not too far away, in Pioneer Square, a 222-room Courtyard by Marriott has opened in the historic, turn-of-the-century Alaska Building. (more…)
By Joe Brancatelli
ROUTE MAP
Another Huge International Expansion by Delta: You have to wonder what Delta Air Lines sees that no one else does in these depressing economic times. Even granting that Delta is now mixing and matching Delta and Northwest aircraft and hubs, the airline’s announcement it would add more than a dozen new international routes next year seems extremely aggressive. It’ll be intriguing to watch to see if this tranche of the expansion is an air bridge too far. Across the Pacific, Delta will link its Salt Lake City hub to Northwest’s Tokyo hub for the first time. Delta will also launch a New York /Kennedy-Tokyo route, which essentially reinstates the JFK-Tokyo run that Northwest dropped several years ago. Across the Atlantic, Delta will add flights from its Kennedy hub to Valencia, Spain; Gothenburg, Sweden and Prague. Also new: a seasonal Kennedy-Zurich flight. But the big boost comes in Africa, where Delta will add new flights from its Atlanta hub to Nairobi, Kenya; Cape Town, South Africa; Monrovia, Liberia; Abuja, Nigeria; Luanda, Angola; and Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. The airline is also adding a Kennedy-Lagos nonstop and an Atlanta-Johannesburg nonstop. This is all atop the previously announced new flights to Paris from Pittsburgh and Raleigh-Durham. But some routes are being cut, however. Northwest’s Seattle-London/Heathrow flights are gone effective January 9, just six months after the launch. Also going next year: Northwest’s Detroit-Paris and Detroit-Osaka nonstops.
HOTEL HOT SHEET
Guess What? More Hotels Are Opening: The sharp fall in business travel is driving down occupancy rates and nightly rates at hotels around the world. But the hotel industry, which has a huge number of new properties in the pipeline, has no choice but to keep pumping out new locations. This week’s notables include an 1,190-room Hilton on the San Diego waterfront and the 92-room Four Points across the street from the Philadelphia Convention Center. Meanwhile, Hampton Inn has opened a 108-room branch in Mexico City, located in a 19th-century landmark overlooking the Centro Historico. And Shangri-La has opened a 316-room hotel in Tainan, Taiwan. … On the reflagging front, the 222-room Beachside Resort in Key West is adding the Marriott brand beginning on December 15. It was once known as the Holiday Inn, but do not confuse it with the current Holiday Inn in Key West, which is located across North Roosevelt Boulevard from the Beachside.
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Joe Brancatelli is editor and publisher of JoeSentMe.com, a non-commercial Web site for business travelers. Copyright 2008 by Joe Brancatelli. Licensed by contract for Orbitz use.
By Samantha Chapnick
The opening of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York was a spirited event, and the Intrepid, along with her roommate, the Concorde, were certainly looking up to the event.
The newly refurbished vehicles aboard the Intrepid aircraft carrier include the Concorde, the Cobra helicopter with its signature grin, an F14 Tomcat, and the infamous Blackbird, which can fly Mach 3.
If you plan to visit the Intrepid on your next New York vacation, here are a few secrets to make your trip more enjoyable:
1) Buy tickets online. You’ll save the $1.50pp "facility fee." Print out and bring this coupon for a 20% discount.
2) Do the Flight Simulator and Evolution ride if you can — they give a truer sense of what it must be like to pilot one of these monstrous vehicles.
3) Go early. If you can get there before noon you’ll miss the crowds.
4) Try to go on one of their special-event days. Check out the calendar here.
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Samantha Chapnick is a New York writer who scours international destinations looking for what hasn’t been found.
By Erin Kregor
The holidays are stealthily creeping up on us this year, so get out those credit cards and get cracking on your gift list. Here’s a list of my top 5 places to shop.
1. Michigan Avenue, Chicago: It may be because of the home-court advantage, but you can’t beat the Mag Mile when it comes to holiday shopping. Yes there tends to be more than a few tourists, but it adds to the holiday merriment. Michigan Avenue has something for everyone — from GAP to Gucci you’ll find stores in your price range and presents for the whole family. Add the numerous public transportation options and you’ve got shopping gold, even on a budget.
2. Union Square, San Francisco: From high-end window shopping on Chestnut St. to everyday shopping in Union Square, San Francisco has something for everyone. Head through the Dragon Gates of one of the original Chinatowns for everything from inexpensive souvenirs to higher end wares including jewelry and furs.
3. Sawgrass Mills, Fort Lauderdale: I consider myself somewhat of an expert shopper, having been from outlet to boutique and back again. Sawgrass Mills Outlet is by far the best outlet mall I have ever laid eyes upon. It’s a 30-minute drive from downtown Fort Lauderdale but well worth it. (*Tip: consider renting a car for the day. A cab could run upwards of $70 both ways, so the rental car will pay for itself). You will find every store imaginable, so leave the faint of heart at the hotel, and plan to spend an entire day here.
4. 5th Avenue Manhattan, New York: Definitely a shopping mecca, Manhattan has a rich history with many iconic stores. Visit Tiffany’s flagship store at 5th and 57th or the first Saks 5th Avenue at 5th and 50th. Head across the street to American Girl Place and pick up something for that favorite niece.
5. Nassau/Paradise Island: Label lovers will delight in the many brand name boutiques Nassau has to offer. Jewelry, perfume, handbags and the lot are bountiful… and the best part is it’s all duty free! So hit up Gucci and Fendi on Bay Street and save while shopping (not an oxymoron). Plus you can have fun bargaining for cutesy souvenirs and t-shirts at the Straw market.
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When Erin Kregor is not at Orbitz, she can be found working over the racks at Neiman Marcus.
We love to travel, and we love to talk about it. The Orbitz Blog is another way we can share our expertise, advice and the occasional random thought.
Check back often for fresh insight from Orbitz staff and contributors about cool places to visit, fun things to do and smart ways to save.