Senin, 16 Mei 2011

Where is the Cheapest Hotel in the World?

The most expensive items in most travels are plane tickets and accommodations. These things can be very costly especially for budget travellers. You can find some amazing offers on cheapest hotels in the world if you know just where to look. The best way to spot cheap hotel deals is shopping for them on the internet.
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How to find them?

Many websites offer good pricing on international hotels but Hotels Comparison Website is quite amazing in that aspect. When you search for accommodations in your desired destination, this website scours most of the Internets travel websites and presents to you the best deals available. All you have to do is select, compare and place your booking!

Remember, cheap doesn't have to mean dirty, rundown and dangerous. World's cheapest hotels are also some of the loveliest places in the world. The habitual traveller knows that it is in these little places that you can discover the warmth and loveliness of local cultures. Small hotels give you a chance to experience the local food while trying your hand at the languages at the region. These are what make up the best memories from your visits.

For example?

On hotel price comparison websites, there is a surprising list of world's cheapest hotels. If you are off to Indonesia, than may we suggest Hotel Sayang Maha Mertha in Bali. At less than £4 it is sure to be a bargain destination. Although it is more basic then basic, Hotel Mertha is situated only 10 minutes walk from Kuta beach. At an ideal location for backpackers, the hotel is only a few minutes away from McDonalds and further up, an active volcano! This may as well be the cheapest hotel in the world.

There are many hotels, lodges and hostels where you might not find a mint on your pillow but you will find comfort and simplicity. Another place offering cheap hotel deals is in China! Super 8 Jia He Hotel, Shanghai comes at only £15 a night with breakfast and broadband included! But you should think about investing in a good Chinese Phrase book because the workforce isn't very good at English. Nevertheless they are very courteous and helpful.

I like to party!

If nightlife and parties are your deal then what better place then Las Vegas? Known for the $15 weddings, Vegas also has some amazing budget hotels. One such gem is the El Cortez Hotel and Casino Las Vegas. At only £7 per person per night it is a very good snip. Far away from the noisy city life, but close enough to it by a five minute walk, this is the perfect hotel if you want to party on a budget. The hotels owned Casino is a welcoming place with the best gambling in town.

It is funny how the cheapest hotels in the world, most of them anyways; provide free broadband/Wi-Fi internet services. While the expensive ones can charge up to £5 for it!

Look up your destination on the internet and you can find some amazing deals; some even cut your accommodation expenses in half! And remember budget travels brings you closer to the place you visit. It is not about the services or amenities; it is about the art of travelling!

How to Start a Hotel Business - Lessons Learned From Hilton and Ritz

When starting a hotel business consider the life and lessons of some of the greatest hoteliers as a source of inspiration. Here are a couple of lessons culled from the lives of two of the most successful hotel entrepreneurs, Conrad Hilton and Cesar Ritz.
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Conrad Hilton

Hilton, born on Christmas Day, 1887, began his career in the legislature of New Mexico, his home state. He served in World War I and started his first inn in New Mexico. He subsequently began buying and starting hotels throughout Texas. Hilton's hotel empire survived losses in the Great Depression and went international after World War II. Hilton was associated with generous charitable giving, but was a shrewd businessman.

Hilton is quoted as giving an extremely practical piece of advice to hoteliers: "If you are 100% occupied, you are not charging enough rent." This statement runs against the intuition of a new hotel owner to focus on renting every possible room on every possible night because a room that goes unrented will mean revenue lost forever. Hilton recognized that if you reach that point of 100% occupancy, you are actually losing money. Additional guests are being turned away and the guests in your rooms would have been willing to pay more. Take his advice and seek to maximize revenue per available room and not the occupancy rate of your hotel. Make sure you are spending as much time or resources thinking about pricing as you are about booking guests. Yield management systems with careful monitoring can assist with this.

Cesar Ritz

Ritz was born in the Goms Valley in Switzerland in 1850, the son of a mountain farmer. He learned the hospitality industry from the bottom up, first waitering at a luxury hotel while in his 20s. He went on to become the restaurant-manager of a hotel and built a reputation as having a knack for entertaining kings and diplomats. He bought and opened numerous hotels before his crowning achievement, the Hotel Ritz Paris. Cesar Ritz opened the Hotel Ritz Paris in 1898 with a celebration.

Isn't the opening of your hotel worthy of celebration? Your hotel may not be as ostentatious as the Hotel Ritz, but it will have an important impact for both the staff you employ and the community it will become part of. Hotels build the capacity of a community for tourism and business and can have an extremely positive economic impact. Find a way to celebrate this opening to build relationships for the future. Use the opportunity to invite members of local government, the tourism board, partnering and neighboring businesses, and even other hotels (if they are ever booked up on a given night, wouldn't you like them to refer their customers to your hotel?) so that they can all learn about the services your hotel will offer and see the kind of hospitality your hotel will offer first-hand.

Nana Hotel Bangkok - Is it Worth Staying In?

The Nana Hotel in Bangkok is arguably one of the most talked about hotels in Bangkok. The major draw to this hotel is obviously nearby Nana Entertainment Plaza, which is a 4 story den of sex and booze, and the parking lot outside of the Nana hotel which is full of freelance prostitutes. There is so many mixed reviews about this place that it almost makes it impossible for anyone to decide whether to stay or not in this hotel. But most will agree, Nana Hotel is one of the most well known guest friendly hotel in Bangkok. This means registered guest do not have to pay an additional fee or joiner fee for bringing in unregistered guest for an overnight stay.
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How do I know this? After living and working in Bangkok for over five years I have become the unofficial tour guide for friends and friends of friends and so on. All of them eventually ask me "Is the Nana Hotel a good place to stay in?".

And my honest answer at the time was "I don't know, I live in an apartment." Since I knew I was going to get asked that particular question time and time again I decided to follow along my friends (or guinea pigs) and see personally how the hotel looks from the inside out.

The Nana Hotel is located on Sukhumvit Soi 4, in a mixed commercial zone that doubles as red-light district. Scores of freelance prostitutes congregate in the surrounding areas especially outside of Nana Hotel's parking lot. This is definitely not a place to bring your family especially kids and grandparents. However, I do see them often, mostly Europeans who are not so uptight about such spectacles. You can easily access the Sky Train at Nana BTS station with a 5 minute walk. The Sky Train will easily take you to the other attractions in Bangkok.

Now, I'm not sure when the hotel was built exactly, but it's safe to say the 1970's is the first thing that comes to mind. The lobby is usually filled with backpacker types, young guys looking to sow their oats and a smattering of older folks looking for company that they otherwise never find back home. Once I've seen a group of Australians wearing rugby uniforms. Are they actual athletes is a whole different subject. Obviously a far cry from the days the hotel was first opened. I've read previous reviews about reception staff being rude and obnoxious to guests who are checking in.

After living in Bangkok for awhile I know the reason why. Thai society follows a strict social order and is very class based. The better you look and present yourself, the more respect you get. So if you're checking in dressed like you're heading straight for the pool, forget about that much talked about gracious and beautiful Thai smile. I'm not saying you have to dress like your heading to an important business meeting. A nice clean button shirt, pressed pants and clean shoes and you'll see your respect meter shoot up. You'll even get a better chance of scoring an upgrade or a room in excellent condition. By the way, this is true in any hotel in Asia, actually most likely everywhere.

It works time and time again whenever my friends check in. They don't always get a room upgrade, but they get rooms where they've never had to ask for a room change or find questionable carpet stains.

The rooms here are the absolute bare basics. After-all the Nana Hotel is considered in the budget category. A bed, color television with international channels, mini fridge and a decently clean bathroom is what you get for around 1400 THB including taxes and a free buffet breakfast. A free daily newspaper is a nice added touch. Housekeeping did there job quite well, or as best as they can, after all they have to clean up after piss drunk guests half the time.

The Nana Hotel doesn't offer much in terms of facilities for guest use, just an adequate pool on the fourth floor and free Wi-Fi in the lobby. In the lobby is also where you can find Angel's Nana Disco, a frequent freelance hangout. And since ladies enter for free you're going to find a lot there. Definitely worth a visit.

My final word here is the Nana Hotel in Bangkok is a good choice for you if you want to mess around and have fun. But I wouldn't recommend staying here throughout your entire trip. It's best to stay there for 3 nights, enjoy the nightlife, and shift over to another hotel in a more quiet area. It's what I suggest to friends who come visit me in Bangkok as the unofficial tour guide.