Special Opening Offer – Hotel Riu Panama Plaza (Panama City)

Posted 26/08/2010 by Markus in Hotel Specials | No comments yet

Hotel Riu Panama Plaza offers a “Special Opening Offer” where one can enjoy their stay with this hotel from $99 per room (including taxes). This promotion is valid for stays between the 13th to 30th September 2010.

Riu Hotels is pleased to announce the opening of a new hotel 5 Star by Riu hotels in Panama on the 13th September 2010: the Riu Panama Plaza. The luxurious 5-star hotel, located in the heart of the finance district of Panama City, is the first Riu’s urban hotel. It has special services for guests travelling on business or pleasure.

This new hotel is a modern 35-storey building with 645 rooms and offers an ideal atmosphere for meetings and events. Guests will be able to use high-speed wireless Internet in all the areas including the rooms.

How To Travel Worldwide Without Breaking The Bank

Posted 30/06/2010 by Markus in Planning Guides | No comments yet

The real secret to cheap travel worldwide is the same as the secret to doing anything for less. Learn to pioneer and seize airfare and hotel deals. Deal hunting travelers tend to be better travelled and have the experiences to prove it. There are so many interesting places in this world so why not choose one you can travel to inexpensively? The most affordable countries are, in my opinion, often the most beautiful and unspoilt so why not leave the well trodden tourist trail and become a pioneer!

Cheap Destinations Worldwide
Turkey is my favorite destination. From Istanbul, to the Turquoise Coast, you’ll never run out of places to explore in Turkey. Travel there is safe and inexpensive and with hotels offering cheap hotel deals and a decent meal for a few Euros it is almost too good to be true.

Eastern Mediterranean in general is inexpensive, in particular the countries and a bit further south Egypt. It is also worth keeping an eye on the economy as recently countries like Greece that have suffered are becoming cheap places for travellers.

In Central America, Nicaragua and Guatemala are both extremely good value for holidaymakers and travellers alike. Increased stability in Nicaragua over recent years makes it a safe and thoroughly enchanting destination. Even wonderful Costa Rica which is one of more expensive counties of Central America, is probably considerably cheaper than Europe.

In Asia, India with the hustle and bustle of the cities and some of the most beautiful coastline in the world is still low-cost, especially if you stay in the numerous hostels and boarding houses. Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia with their mouthwatering cuisine and welcoming locals are also very cheap and often still luxurious if you arrange accommodation when you’re there.

Cheap Worldwide Travel Tips
Wherever in the world you are, there are easy ways to keep costs to a minimum whilst still having a great time.

Eat where the locals eat. Eating fruit from street markets (wash it well) and packaged snacks from grocery stores can also keep expenditure down whilst still leaving you well fuelled to enjoy the trip!

Search for free and cheap attractions. They can normally be just as exciting and interesting as the expensive sights whilst also likely to be less crowded and commercialized.

Wherever you are in the world Public Transport is always cheaper than taxis. Whilst enjoying the sights and sounds from a local’s perspective however you should be alert for pickpockets in crowded areas.

Walking is free and a great way to learn about a city. Get yourself a good map and check for any no-go zones with someone you trust – hotel staff are always a good bet.

For cheap accommodations if you don’t mind sharing a room it is worth considering hostels which are great for meeting people and finding out about things to do and the best places to stay. By paying for any lodging a few nights in advance you can often negotiate some great deals too.

With all worldwide destinations, especially those perceived as being cheap, the airfare will be your single biggest travel expense, with accommodation close second. By identifying a few countries that are of interest and targeting the cheapest to fly to you may be able to explore more countries with the savings.

If you are looking for the best hotel deals and prices anywhere in the world, visit hoteldealsindex.com to compare hotel deals and prices from top hotel room suppliers in over 200 Countries and over 50,000 destinations.

How to spot suspect hotel deals online

Posted 23/06/2010 by Markus in Hotel Booking Tips | No comments yet

In the Summer Season in particular one needs to be aware of the bogus hotel deals that seem too good to be true. At first glance these deals appear extremely attractive and readily catch the attention of customers. One should always be vigilant and take steps to confirm key information before proceeding in any way with dubious looking deals.

Steps to prevent falling foul to such offers are:
- Research: Check all prices and associated booking conditions (including taxes and fees) thoroughly with the hotel provider in question. Wherever possible, confirm pricing by comparing hotel deals against other companies.

- Make sure you clearly understand the services that are included in the deal to avoid any hidden costs. Many hotels (irrespective of location, size and/or *Star Rating*) charge additional costs above and beyond food and lodging. Any uncertainties should be addressed with your hotel accommodation provider in advance and they should also be able to provide you with some basic information on the destination you will be visiting – this can prove invaluable.

- Search out some hotel reviews from other internet users that are positive about the hotel provider and the hotel. The reference of existing customers is invaluable and can also afford you the opportunity to get some insight on their past customer service levels whilst being able to compares them to other providers, giving you a clearer picture of the marketplace.

- Before making any kind of payment online one should always ensure the site has the security measures in place to keep details of your payment and payment method secret. Check that the URL (web address) of the web site you are using begins with https (and not just http). This indicates that the site is a secured identification proof.

- If all of the above criteria have been met to your satisfaction and you decide to proceed with the booking, use a credit card and wherever possible try and check your card statement a few days later to ensure the transaction has been what you expected and that there have been no additional, unauthorized payments deducted from your account.

About the author:
Courtesy of hoteldealsindex.com, a leading hotel deals comparison site for over 200,000 hotels in 50,000 locations worldwide. Find luxury, budget, family, beach, ski, business, romance, honeymoon, spa, golf hotels and more. Book with confidence with top online hotel room suppliers you know and trust.

Children Go FREE Hotel Deals For Families This Summer

Posted 09/06/2010 by Markus in Hotel Specials | No comments yet

A monthly selection of great discounts for those looking for some inspiration or planning on a budget. Take a look at our monthly selection hotel offers for great quality hotels and resorts around the Mediterranean and beyond.
Free children stays still available for June and July 2010. Take advantage of these great hotel deals.

Algarve:- Balaia Sol 3* Self Catering,
June 2010 from £27 (€31) per room per night, 1 Free Child

Fuerteventura:- La Tahona Garden 3*, Self Catering,
June 2010 from £16 (€19) per room per night

Tenerife:- Villa Cortes 5*, Bed & Breakfast,
June 2010 from £47 (€54) per person per night

Mallorca:- Gran Playa 3*, All Inclusive,
July 2010 from £39 (€45) per person per night, 1 Free Child

Fuerteventura:- Broncemar Beach Aparthotel 3*, All Inclusive,
June 2010 from £30 (€35) per person per night, 1 Free Child

Algarve:- Eden Resort 5, Self Catering,
June 2010 from £53 (€61) per room per night, 2 Free Children

Costa Blanca:- Magic Rock Gardens 3, Half Board,
June 2010 from £28 (€32) per person per night

Marrakech:- Meryem Hotel 4, Half board,
June 2010 from £25 (€29) per person per night.

Haven’t you found what you looking for?
Check and compare Hotel Deals anywhere around the world.

Jet2.com Launches Flights to Two New Destinations from UK

Posted 09/06/2010 by Markus in Airlines | No comments yet

Jet2.com Launches Flights to Two New Destinations from UK’s Northern Airports and seats are on sale now. Flights for summer 2011 are on sale now from just £69.99 one way, including taxes, with departures once a week from 20th June to 2nd October 2011. Great prices, not to be missed.

Destination – New York
Back after popular demand is the New York route from Leeds Bradford, however Newcastle has also been added as a new addition. These flights are only flying for two weeks in December as a “Christmas Shopping” route.

Flights from Newcastle and Leeds-Bradford have a fantastic starting price of just £358.98 return or 3 night breaks including accomodation from £599.

Flights go from Newcastle and Leeds-Bradford to New York’s Newark airport on the following dates:

2nd December returning 5th December 2010
9th December returning 12th December 2010

Philip Meeson, boss of Jet2.com said: “Nobody does Christmas quite like the Big Apple and I’m sure that the people of the North East and Yorkshire will revel in the opportunity to do their festive shopping in the most magical of winter wonderlands. Whether its ice-skating at the Rockefeller Centre, bargain hunting in Macy’s, or cocktail sipping in Greenwich Village, I’d urge New York lovers to book their flights or holiday packages fast – places are going to go quicker than you can say ‘Cosmopolitan’!”

Destination – Bodrum Turkey
Jet2.com, has launched its first ever service from Leeds-Bradford to the popular Turkish hot spot of Bodrum, following an overwhelming demand from holiday makers for destinations out of the pricey Euro-zone.

With Jet2.com’s new route offering the only direct scheduled service to the Turkish peninsula from Leeds-Bradford airport, demand is expected to be high and compliments the airline’s twice weekly service to Dalaman which was launched earlier this year.

Turkey is enjoying a renaissance amongst British sun-seekers of late – its bustling bazaars, turquoise coves and cheap alcohol proving a major attraction to tourists who have been put off by price hikes on alcohol, eating out and tobacco in rival holiday spots such as Spain, Italy and France.

Philip Meeson, boss of Jet2.com, said: “It seems our customers have fallen in love with Turkey’s beautiful beaches and low cost of living! Dalaman has proved to be one of our most popular holiday destinations for 2010 and so we are delighted to be adding to our Turkish offering with the launch of the Bodrum flight.

“We’ve introduced this route following overwhelming demand from holiday makers in the region, who want a regular and direct service to the Aegean coast and its plethora of beautiful resorts. With some great flight times and our amazing 22kg luggage allowance, I’m sure people in the region will be rushing to experience some Turkish delight very soon!”

Jet2.com has now flown over 8 million passengers. We commenced our low cost operations in February 2003, flying daily from Leeds Bradford International Airport, to and from Amsterdam. During 2003 scheduled flights were operated to 7 European business, city break and sun destinations, carrying more than 360,000 passengers in our first year. Now 21 Boeing 737-300 aircraft and 9 Boeing 757-200s (all of which are owned by the company), are located across our 6 UK bases and fly to 90 top sun, city and ski destinations in more than 15 European countries and 8 Mediterranean islands as well as Egypt and the USA.
Check availability and prices at Jet2.com.

Compare Hotel Deals for 231+ Hotels in Bodrum Turkey

The Turquoise Coast Beaches of Turkey

Posted 08/06/2010 by Markus in Islands and Beaches | No comments yet

The beaches in Turkey are great for the best part of the year, however the waters start to warm-up around May and remain warm through the summer months until about the end of October.

The very best and most favorite beaches in Turkey are found along the Aegean Turquoise Coast also known as the Turkish Riviera which expands for nearly 1,000 miles, from more or less Cesme on the peninsula, pretty much west of Izmir to Anamur just a little to the east of Alanya. The main resorts are very busy through July and August, but not a big issue if you are searching for the fantastic nightlife in those locations. It is nevertheless still possible to discover long, remote stretches of beach.

One of several well-liked activities here, is to hire a boat and go sailing for a few days, to the close by islands of Greece as well as the Turkish coast. Should you decide to try this, it is possible to find a beach in Turkey where you will be able to go snorkeling and appreciate beaches in totally empty coves and inlets.

The actual towns, cities and attractions close to the main resort beaches in Turkey are filled with country’s very long and rich historical past. One of these is Kusadasi, of Izmir featuring its favorite Ladies Beach as well as the amazing historical ruins of Ephesus.

Certainly one of the better well known Turkey beaches is Oludeniz Beach, about 8 kilometers south of Fethiye. This long beach is famous because of its wonderful, crystal clear blue lagoon. Fethiye is just about 40 miles across the Aegean from the Greek island of Rhodes. Because of this Oludeniz, along with Patara Beach which is a little bit further south of Fethiye are together centers for yacht sailing chartering. Patara is regarded one of the top beaches in Turkey despite the fact that there are many others equally beautiful. Through this particular part of the coastline, mountains come down almost to the sea. This creates superb air currents, which create excellent hang gliding and wind surging environment.

Callis Beach is no more than 6 kilometers right from Fethiye, which is fantastic for that family beach holiday in Turkey if you have got kids. About midway between Bodrum and Fethiye, the holiday resort of Marmaris is located at the top of the long peninsula which expands approx 10 miles from the Greek island of Kos. Here is Icmeler Beach, likewise well-known for families because it is set in a relatively calm enclosed bay.

Various other Turkey Beaches include Lara Beach, an extended stretch of white colored fine sand east of Antalya turtle beach, close to Dalyan that could just be reach by boat and is also a breeding site for the endangered loggerhead turtles and also the remote Cleopatra’s Beach of Alanya.

Finding a Great Hotel Deal

Posted 25/05/2010 by Markus in Hotel Booking Tips | No comments yet

Whether you are travelling for business or pleasure finding the best hotel deals is an almost impossible task and can be very stressful, taking the fun out of your travel experience. With hundreds and thousands of hotels in all major cities of the world, it is a complex task for a traveller to find a hotel that is in the proximity of the city area he or she is visiting with appropriate facilities and that is also within the budget.
There are thousands of hotel reservation websites for every city or geographic area. For example, if you are looking for hotel deals in London, the first thing you would do is to search for something like “hotel deals in London” on your favourite search engine. The result would bring you over 6 million matches, offering different prices for thousands of hotels in London with each claiming to be the cheapest or the best online and you are left wondering which website to visit.

Compare, Compare, Compare
Maybe you are thinking that all the online booking web sites would have exactly the same hotel rates or if you just visit the big, well known web sites, you will get the best hotel deals. That is not strictly correct as I have often found big differences in hotel rates for similar rooms at the same hotel on Expedia, Travelocity, Booking.com and others. Taking the the time to search prices for the same hotel on a few different web sites and compare the prices, it;s not that easy.

Fortunately, there’s an easy way out. Recently, I was searching for hotels in Paris and I wanted the best hotel deals. After some pointless searching I came across a website: http://www.hoteldealsindex.com. To my pleasant surprise all the hotels in Paris were listed there. I could sort the results in a variety of ways that best suited me based on hotel price, star rating, consumer ratings and location. The prices were displayed in the hotel’s local currency but the website also has the option to select other currencies in which to see the hotel prices. This was handy as I was able to view the rates in UK pounds rather than in Euros.
When I selected a hotel to view the details I found the best part was that this website brings the results from over 30 of the most popular online hotel reservation sites and displays a comparison of hotel deals offered. Once you click on the hotel, you will see the prices offered by sites like expedia.com, hotels.com, lastminute.com, booking.com, travelocity.com, priceline.com, hotelbook.com, cheaptickets.com, hotelbook.com and many more. Apart from the prices you can also see complete hotel details, pictures of rooms and the hotel facilities and amenities, reviews by guests who stayed at the hotel and the map to the hotel – all in one place! I was so excited with my find, that when I saw that they were hiring, I decided to join the company.

Once you select the hotel deal that best fits your requirements and click “select”, the website takes you to the booking page of the respective hotel reservation system. For example, while searching for hotels in Paris, if you liked the deal offered by expedia.com over the other systems and you clicked on it, then you would be taken to the booking page of expedia.com website, so that you can go through the payment gateway securely.