Hmmm..... What do you think of this idea?

Are tiny plastic toiletries bottles on their way out of hotels?

By Barbara De Lollis, USA TODAY

Updated 15h 22m ago

• Comments 56

• 
• 
• 

The sexy glass-enclosed shower at the high-end SLS hotel in Los Angeles on the Beverly Hills border includes jumbo-sized toiletries. The size likely discourages guests from packing them in their suitcases.

CAPTION

By Barbara De Lollis

Hotels are starting to replace mini plastic toiletry bottles with larger bottles as consumers demand greener options, and it's a trend that will likely grow.
I found regular-sized shampoo, conditioner and lotion bottles during my stay at the luxury Greenwich hotel in New York City earlier this summer. Then, while in Los Angeles I spotted them at both the SLS and Avalon hotels. Back in March, I found pump bottles at the business-traveler-oriented Mint Hotel Tower of London, but that hotel also included some of the old-fashioned bottles.
"As time goes on, I think more and more hotels are going to switch over," says veteran hotelier Steve Halliday, who last month opened the Rosewood Hotel Georgia in Vancouver with full-sized toiletries.
What's driving the switch? And how much will you pay if you take the larger-sized toiletries home?

TWITTER: Follow Hotel Check-In's BarbDelollis

HOTEL POLL: 29% abandon hotel toiletries on check-out day

The luxury Greenwich Hotel in New York City provides its well-heeled guests with regular-sized plastic bottles of shampoo, conditioner and other toiletries.

CAPTION

By Barbara De Lollis

Why hotels are ditching tiny bottles

At Halliday's hotel, guest bathrooms feature hefty, acrylic pump bottles of shampoo and other products.

"They're safe, they're clean," he tells me. "They look good. It's almost emulating what you would have in your home."
When guests leave, the pump bottles are refilled so nothing is thrown out, reducing the hotel's waste. Most importantly, guests like them, Halliday says. In terms of direct costs, the large-bottle system's about the same as the cost of supplying bathrooms with mini-bottles, he says. If someone takes a bottle home with them, they should pay $25, but it's not always enforced - another trend among most (but not all) of these hotels.
Other hotels that shun the traditional, tiny plastic toiletry bottles:

The SLS hotel provides jumbo bottles of face wash and other products next to the sink.

CAPTION

By Barbara De Lollis

SLS Hotel Beverly Hills: This hotel - part of Starwood's Luxury Collection - provides guests with jumbo plastic bottles with ordinary snap-open tops. Called "Lotions and Potions," they're made with organic ingredients. The hotel even provides a gentle face wash. The products are available for sale for $20 per bottle - which you might discover on your bill if you take them home with you. There is no sign in the bathroom stating the price, although the bottles are for sale in other parts of the hotel. Hotel spokesman Robbie McKay tells me that guests don't take them that often. My guess: The bottles are too big to fit in a suitcase and far too big to pass through airport security.

At the retro-chic Avalon hotel in Beverly Hills, guests won't find tiny plastic toiletry bottles. They'll find pump-style bottles that the hotel refills when they leave. If you take one home, expect to pay $65.

CAPTION

By Barbara De Lollis

Most Viceroy Hotels: The recently upgraded retro-chic Avalon Hotel in Beverly Hills provides guests with acrylic pump bottles containing Neil George products. Unlike other hotels I visited, the Avalon's bottles feature a note that says you'll pay $65 if you take it home. The Avalon's part of the small Viceroy chain, which emphasizes green operations and avoids the tiny plastic bottles at most of its properties.
Other Rosewood Hotels: Hotel Georgia's sister hotels such as Jumby Bay in Antigua, Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas and the Carlyle in Manhattan also provide guests with larger-sized toiletries, Halliday says.

At the Mint Hotel Tower of London, guests find pump bottles of soap in the bathroom, as well as some traditional tiny bottles of toiletries.

CAPTION

By Barbara De Lollis

Downside?
Could there possibly be a downside to replacing plastic bottles that are used once with heftier bottles that don't have to be trashed after one use?
Well, yes, for some travelers.
I've heard more than one person say they would be concerned about using soap and lotions provided in bottles that anyone could have opened.
It's not clear, however, how widespread this concern is among travelers.

Where do you want to go??

Top 10 Meeting Destinations According to Meetings Net

1. Las Vegas
2. Orlando
3. San Francisco
4. San Diego
5. New York
6. Chicago
7. Miami
8. Phoenix/Scottsdale
9. Maui
10. New Orleans

Meeting-Friendly Cities with a Modest Profile According to Meetings & Conventions Magazine

1. Grand Rapids, Michigan
2. Mobile, Alabama
3. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
4. Syracuse, New York

Top Emerging Cities for Meetings According to Meetings Net

• Spokane, Washington
• Long Beach, California
• Las Cruses, New Mexico
• Mendocino County, California

Why not take advantage of all Williamsburg has to offer your next gathering?

http://www.history.org/visit/whattoseeanddo/

Be One of the Firsts to Experience this Great New Property!

Hilton opens first Home2 Suites property

By Jeri Clausing

Hilton Hotel's trendy new extended stay brand, Home2 Suites, has opened its first property.

The 118-room, four-story hotel in Fayetville, N.C., opened this month, almost two years after the brand that was designed to be a less-expensive alternative to Homewood Suites was announced. A grand opening is planned for March.

"Home2 Suites by Hilton is a unique offering that combines the strength of a Hilton brand with a fresh, hip and humble hotel concept that will change the way people think about extended-stay hotels," Christopher Nassetta, president and CEO, Hilton Worldwide, said in a press release announcing the opening of the property.

"We're excited that our vision for developing a new hotel concept has become a reality and that our entrepreneurial and innovative approach has resulted in such a successful brand that has been so well received by the development community.

The brand has 56 properties planned and another 30 in development, Hilton said. Six properties are under construction and scheduled to open in 2011 or early 2012: San Antonio, Texas; Baltimore; Lexington Park, Md.; Jacksonville, N.C.; and two locations in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area.

Future properties are slated for many of the nation's major markets, including Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Washington and Denver. Home2 Suites is projected to open its 100th property in 2014 and is approved for expansion into Canada and Mexico.

All of the hotels will feature an open lobby area called the Oasis where guests can work and mingle, Hilton said. Suites feature a "working wall" that incorporates a kitchen and flexible work space and connects the living and bedroom zones.

The working area includes a queen size sofa/sleeper, a 42-inch flat screen TV, ambient task lighting, an iHome alarm clock with iPod port and MP3 jack, and various pieces of furniture which can be moved around to create customized living spaces and adjustable storage options.

Other highlights of the Home2 Suites brand are the Home2 MKT for grab-and-go items; an integrated guest laundry and fitness room; a saline pool; patios with grills and outdoor seating areas; and an exercise trail.

The Home2 Suites brand is also committed to environmentally conscious practices. In addition to recycling throughout the hotel, appointments include low-flow showers and faucets, biodegradable food trays, compact fluorescent light bulbs, dual flush toilets, recycled flooring, Energy Star appliances and carpet and surfaces made from recycled products. Home2 Suites is also rolling out Hilton's proprietary LightStay system, which measures energy and water use and waste and carbon output at Hilton Worldwide properties around the globe.

Top 10 Conference Hotels - Worldwide Hotel Reviews

Check out this link to see 10 very impressive hotels in which you could host your next event.

Top 10 Conference Hotels Worldwide Hotel Reviews Gayot

Impeccable Service

Meeting planners today are under increasing pressure to do more with less. Travel budgets are shrinking, room inventory is constrained, and sales support levels at hotels are on the decline. HelmsBriscoe helps meeting planners overcome these challenges by combining our collective expertise and buying power to gain insights and concessions into the broadest possible set of hotels for consideration.
Whether you are booking a large scale association meeting or a smaller corporate function, HelmsBriscoe can locate, evaluate and contract the ideal venue. Best of all, this comes at no cost to you.

Once we identify venues that match your criteria, we negotiate rates and concessions and facilitate the contracting process. As a client, you receive the highest possible return on your meeting, because your event has been negotiated and secured by an organization with the purchasing power and know-how that comes with booking more than $675 million in room nights in 2010 alone. In addition you, our client, remain in control throughout the entire process. We represent your interests. With HB, you just added more than 1200 professionals to your team!
For more info visit http://www.helmsbriscoe.com/

Have a Nice Flight and Don't get sick!

6 places germs breed in a plane

Beware of airplane water, tray tables, seat pockets, pillows and lavatories

Paula Bronstein  /  Getty Images

A flight attendant sprays disinfectant onboard a Thai Airlines flight to Chiang Mai from Bangkok in April 2003 — during an epidemic of the pneumonia-like SARS.

By Douglas Wright

ARTHUR FROMMER'S BUDGET TRAVEL

updated 1/20/2011 2:13:00 PM ET 2011-01-20T19:13:00

 

Flu season is in full swing, so it's more important than ever to protect yourself against illness. We dug deep to identify the major germ zones on planes (and tips to avoid them). No, you're not likely to contract meningitis, but better safe than sorry, right?

GERM ZONE: Water FOR: E. coli, a common culprit behind stomach cramps

Your plane reaches 30,000 feet, the fasten-seat-belt sign switches off, and the flight attendant comes by to take your drink order: Coffee or tea? Ice water? They seem like innocent offers — until you consider that airplane water has been under review by the EPA for traces of E. coli for six years. A random sampling of 327 unnamed domestic and international aircraft caused a stir in 2004 when some water samples tested positive for E. coli, one strain of which is the leading cause of food poisoning in the U.S. Coffee and tea are brewed on board with such water and don't typically reach hot enough temperatures to kill E. coli. When bottled water runs out, some planes have been known to fill fliers' glasses from the tank. One British Airways crew member confessed to the London-based Times that, in those cases, the crew first has to wait for any cloudy "floating stuff" to settle out. And onboard tanks are small to limit their weight, so planes sometimes refill at foreign airports, where water standards can be questionable. The encouraging news is that water quality and control are improving: From 2005 to 2008, only 3.6 percent of samples tested positive for coliform bacteria, of which only a small fraction tested positive for E. coli. And in October 2011, the EPA's Aircraft Drinking Water Rule, with more standardized, stringent disinfection and inspection regulations, will go into effect.

TIP: Once you clear the security checkpoint, purchase a bottle of water to bring on board. When the flight attendant comes to take your order, stick to soda, juice, and other prepackaged liquids, minus the ice. While ice cubes are usually supplied by an outside vendor, some large planes may have their own ice-making capabilities — reliant on tank water.

GERM ZONE: seat pocket FOR: Cold and influenza A, B, and C viruses

There's a familiar routine to settling in on a plane: Store your luggage in the overhead bin and deposit any personal items you want to be readily available in your seat pocket. But reaching into that pocket is akin to putting your hand in someone else's purse and rummaging among their used tissues and gum wrappers. Toenail clippings and mushy old French fries are even nastier surprises that have been found in seat pockets. Consider that cold and influenza viruses can survive for hours on fabric and tissues, and even longer (up to 48 hours) on nonporous surfaces like plastic and metal — and you realize that you might pick up more than that glossy flight magazine when you reach inside.

 

 

TIP: Bring a small, easily accessible carry-on bag so that you can avoid stashing things in the seat pocket. If you must use it, keep magazines and other items within a plastic bag for protection.

GERM ZONE: tray table FOR: MRSA, a deadly superbug

Flight attendants have witnessed many repulsive misuses of the tray table, from parents changing dirty diapers to kids sticking their boogers underneath. Research confirms that the handy tray table is a petri dish for all kinds of health hazards, including the superbug Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), which is often fatal once contracted. It kills an estimated 20,000 Americans annually. In 2007, University of Arizona researcher Jonathan Sexton tested tray tables from three major airliners, and an alarming 60 percent tested positive for the superbug. That's quite a revelation considering only 11 percent of his samples from the New York subway found traces of the bug.

TIP: Bring disinfectant wipes to clean off your tray table before and after use, and never eat directly off the surface. CDC guidelines tell you what to look for in a disinfectant and recommend checking a product's label to see if MRSA is on the list of bacteria it kills; Lysol disinfecting wipes is one reliable choice. And be sure to protect any cuts with Band-Aids—the most common way of contracting an MRSA infection is through open skin.

GERM ZONE: airplane meal FOR: Listeria, a microbe known to cause gastrointestinal illness and meningitis

In-flight meals have long had a bad reputation for consisting of bland, barely identifiable dishes. Then, in 2009, the meals made headlines when FDA inspections of the Denver location of LSG Sky Chefs — the world's largest airplane caterer with clients including American Airlines, Delta, and United — found the kitchens crawling with roaches too numerous to count and employees handling the food with bare hands or unwashed gloves. Test samples from the food preparation area also found traces of Listeria monocytogenes, which can cause gastrointestinal illness and meningitis, as well as cervical infection in pregnant women. Your likelihood of contracting illness from the microbe is very low, though it should be noted that one fifth of the 2,500 annual cases are fatal. LSG Sky Chefs, to its credit, responded accordingly after the news broke and passed the FDA's follow-up inspection in January 2010.

TIP: It sounds like LSG has cleaned up its act, but you'll never really know where your meal has been. If you're concerned, eat beforehand and bring your own snacks onto the plane. Check out our article on how to make a sandwich that will still be appetizing once you're in the air. For starters, choose a well-cured meat like prosciutto or salami.

GERM ZONE: Airplane pillow and blankets FOR: Germs like Aspergillus niger that cause pneumonia and infections

Talk about sleeping with the enemy. You're snuggling with a blanket and pillow that have likely been used by many drowsy, drooling passengers before you. Unless visibly soiled, pillows and blankets are often reissued because of the frequency of flights. A 2007 investigation by The Wall Street Journal revealed that airlines cleaned their blankets every five to 30 days. And don't assume your blanket is new just because it's wrapped in plastic. The Union of Needletrades, Industrial, and Textile Employees made a big stink in 2000 when it accused Royal Airline Laundry — which supplies pillows and blankets to clients like American, United, and US Airways — of repackaging pillows and blankets without cleaning them properly. Its research found blankets with traces of Pseudomonas paucimobilis, known for causing lung and eye infections, and pillowcases with Aspergillus niger, which can lead to pneumonia and gastrointestinal bleeding. In the decade since, airlines like Southwest and Alaska Airlines have removed pillows and blankets completely, while JetBlue, US Airways, and American now charge for them.

TIP: There have been no documented reports linking airlines to these infections. But if you're worried about staying warm — and want to avoid potential germs and airline fees — wear layers and thick socks, and consider bringing Grabber Warmers, small disposable hand and foot warmers. A travel pillow and compact blanket will help you sleep in comfort.

 

 

GERM ZONE: airplane lavatory FOR: A smorgasbord of threats like E. coli or fecal bacteria

After a mid-flight nap, you wake up to nature's call and must face the airplane's biggest germ zone: the lavatory. With hundreds of people using the commode daily, the small boxy space is a natural haven for all kinds of germs and viruses, especially on the door handle (do you really think every passenger washes his or her hands?). And that thunderous volcanic toilet flush doesn't exactly help the situation, spraying water and releasing potential germs into the air every which way. The CDC cited the lavatory as a major danger area for the spread of disease during the H1N1 flu and SARS epidemics.

TIP: Use a paper towel to close the toilet lid before flushing — and then leave without washing your hands. Remember that cloudy tank water we described above? The sink water comes from the same source. You'll come away cleaner if you skip the sink and reach for hand sanitizer instead.

1. Get updates
   1. 
      Follow us on Twitter
      Find the latest updates on this story and more from @msnbc_travel.

Save Time and Money - Book with HelmsBriscoe!

Where -- and when -- to get the most bang for your hotel buck in 2011

Comments  5

By Jayne Clark, USA TODAY

Being in the right place at the right time can mean savings. Book a three-star hotel room in San Francisco in March, for instance, and save an average of 40% over what it would cost in peak season.

CAPTION

By EVAN EILE, USA TODAY

Anyone who's ever visited Phoenix in August knows that as the mercury rises in the desert, rates at local hotels plummet. Flip the calendar to January and the same is true for Toronto, using the inverse equation.

In fact, many cities experience highs and lows -- seasons that is. And if you're shopping for hotel values in 2011 and land in the right place at the right time, you can reap considerable savings.
CheapTickets.com has done some calculations based on 2010 hotel bookings to project the least expensive months for 2011 stays at three-star hotels in the 70 most popular destinations booked on the site.
Some general findings:
-- Overall the lowest rates are in January, when the average room rate was $88.78. Seventeen of the 70 locales recorded their lowest rates in January.
--- Highest rates are in July, when they averaged $100.39.
-- The greatest difference in price between high and low seasons was in Fort Lauderdale. If rates are similar in 2011, visitors can expect to pay an average of 70% less in August (the cheapest month) over February (the costliest).
-- Other major savings likely to be found off peak are in San Francisco (savings were 40% in March over peak-season stays in September) and in Miami, where rates were 48% lower in September than in March.
A month-by-month rundown of where the deals are:
-- January, San Diego: It's not exactly bathing suit weather but it's frost-free, with temperatures in the mid-60s. Save 30% over peak-season July rates.
-- February, Florence, Italy: Rates drop by half over summertime and crowds are a fraction of what they are then.
-- March, San Francisco: It's not all that much colder than in early summer, plus, you'll save 40% over peak season.
-- April, Honolulu: It's the start of the dry season, plus rates are 40% lower than in peak periods.
-- May, Buenos Aires: It's late autumn in the Southern Hemisphere and the weather is grand. At 65% under peak, so are the hotel rates.
-- June, Portland, Ore.: Attend the Rose Festival and dragon boat races and get 25% off on your hotel room.
-- July, Amsterdam: The weather is ideal and rates are 30% lower than in April.
-- August, Scottsdale, Ariz.: Yes, it's hot outside, but there's air conditioning and swimming pools, and hotel rooms are about half off.
-- September, Miami: Rates are almost half off and you can save on dining, too, since it's Miami Spice Restaurant month.
October, Denver: Enjoy the fall foliage and 25% savings.
November, Toronto: Cultural events are in full swing and prices are more than 30% lower.
December, Barcelona: Take in the seaside city while saving 35% on your hotel.

HelmsBriscoe Has Become a Major Meetings Industry Force

HelmsBriscoe Has Become a Major Meetings Industry Force

HelmsBriscoe ABC 2011 at the Gaylord National

Here are a few pics from my recent trip to the Gaylord National in National Harbor, Maryland. They were host to the 2011 HelmsBriscoe Annual Business Conference and Partner Fair. I have to say they did a phenominal job from start to finish.  If you are interested in a meeting at the Glaylord, please let me know.

Help! You need somebody

Third Parties to the Rescue

By: Carolyn Koenig
Issue: Smart Meetings July 2010

 
Help! You need somebody
The scenario: You’re new to the meetings arena and you’ve been asked to put together a long-postponed, off-site meeting—pronto! Or, you’re a department of one. You’re pressed for time and resources. You need help.

Fortunately, there’s a solution. Third-party site-selection vendors such as industry experts HelmsBriscoe, Meetings Global Inc. and 21st Century Group, Inc. stand ready to help. These companies focus on identifying and securing the best match for your meeting—doing the groundwork (researching properties, obtaining and evaluating proposals), then providing you with the best possible options. Often, they can assist you in other ways as well.

HelmsBriscoe specifically offers hotel site selection, says Deanne Vigil, a global sales manager in Carlsbad, Calif. The process includes finding the right hotels to meet the client’s needs, submitting an RFP, collecting data from the RFPs and compiling a response grid for presentation to the client—plus negotiating contracts, arranging site visits, managing contract cut-off dates and providing post-meeting feedback. “We represent the client’s interest in the marketplace, acting with full permission on our client’s behalf; the client remains in control of all decisions,” she says.

Meetings Global takes planners from site selection and contract negotiation to food and beverage, to invoice reconciliation. “It’s our job to stay abreast of the industry, and our clients can benefit from our expertise and long-standing relationships—not to mention taking the workload off the planner to free them up for the many other tasks their job requires,” says Francine Fyne, owner of the San Diego-based company. “We tell our clients that we are an extension of their team.”

Site-selection services by third parties such as these are free to planners; the companies are compensated by a commission or placement fee paid to them by the hotel or venue you select. And you needn’t worry that the properties will just jack up their prices to cover the cost—third parties are able to negotiate favorable rates based on their large volume and relationships. “With our global buying power, we have the ability to leverage our spend,” Vigil says. Additionally, HelmsBriscoe can “minimize your risk on financial exposure with preferential cancellation and attrition terms when negotiating contracts,” she says.

Should you require services beyond site selection, however, you can expect there to be a cost. (In their experience, Fyne says, even clients who say they just need site selection often call back for transportation assistance or on-site registration.) With 21st Century Group, these services can be arranged with the company once the site-selection process has begun. And, with HelmsBriscoe, if you need full-service meeting management assistance (housing and registration, group air, logistics, budget oversight, event management, etc.), it is available through their subsidiary, ResourceOne.

You won’t be alone in drawing on a third party for help. As organizations have downsized their meetings departments and cut back on expenses, a growing number of planners are relying on outside contractors to save them time and money. The question is, how do you find one that’s right for you?

When researching these experts, the first place to start is recommendations from other planners. Then, look for “a company that has been in the industry for a long period of time and has built partnerships with every major brand and most independent hotels worldwide,” Vigil says. You’ll also need to perform the same  due  diligence you would when selecting any other vendor (see sidebar for tips). Then, after confirming that the company can help you achieve your meeting goals, “it is all about rapport and connection,” Fyne says—two areas where even planners who are new to the field excel.