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Car Rental Safety
Vacations are traditionally a time when we let our hair down and have fun, and let all our humdrum daily worries stay at home to wait for our return. And while escaping the daily grind should be our primary vacation concern, we must not allow the...
Drakensberg Diaries. Chute and Shoot to Thrill. Canoe in the Drakensberg Foothills through the Weenen Game Reserve in South Africa.
Planning a holiday in the Drakensberg Mountains in the South African winter? This little gem is a "something completely different" day-trip. So your Drakensberg holiday doesn't have to be all walking. There are other ways of getting around. Like...
Royal Visit Boost For Holiday Isle
Leaders of over 50 countries from the Commonwealth will be meeting on the Mediterranean island of Malta from November 25 to 27, and for three days the island will be enjoying the attention of hundreds of millions of TV and online news viewers and...
Venice: A city with a sinking feeling
Travel to beautiful Venice this winter and chances are you may hear the screeching of the 16 city sirens that signal the return of the "acque alte", or flood waters. Especially felt during the winter seasons between November and April these waters...
What you need to know about - canada travel
Canada is one of the celebrated countries of the world. The second largest country in the world has unique blend of French-English culture. With plenty of worth watching cities, the country is not densely populated. The cities of Canada have their...
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No More Holiday Blues
I have always wondered why Chris Isaac wrote the song, "Blue
Hotel." Perhaps he was on a trip somewhere and there was no room
in the plush Five Star, so he opted for the reasonably priced
hotel. The room ended up costing a fortune, the place was
understaffed, and no one bothered to vacuum the carpet or notice
he was there. After this thoroughly miserable experience, he
wrote this song, which became a hit based purely on the fact
that so many people related!
Turn of Times
Unfortunately, hotels are no longer the genteel places they
used to be. No longer do they conjure up thoughts of comfort,
smiles-on-arrival, good service and delicious food. For nearly a
decade now, people have steered clear of hotels and occupancy
has dropped dramatically. With so many people in the hotel
industry getting it wrong. The boutique hotel seems to be
getting it right! Boutique hotels differentiate themselves from
larger chain/branded hotels and motels by providing personalised
level accommodation and services/ facilities.
The term "boutique hotel" originates in North America and
describes an intimate, usually luxurious or quirky hotel
environment. Typically, boutique hotels are styled in a themed,
tasteful and/or aspirational manner. Although usually
considerably smaller than a mainstream hotel, ranging from 3 to
100 guest rooms, boutique hotels are fitted with telephony and
internet services, air-conditioning, honesty bars and often
cable/pay TV. Hotel staff is often available on a 24-hour basis.
Many boutique hotels have on-site dining facilities, and the
majority offer bars and lounges, which may also be open to the
public. Examples now exist worldwide, which include exotic
locations like South Africa.
The Boutique Critique
What makes one hotel a boutique
while another is not? There are
several factors to bear in mind. One is size. The maximum number
of rooms allowable for a boutique hotel is generally one hundred.
Personal service generally distinguishes the small independent
hotel from the large chains; it is important to evaluate the
areas of guest interaction and the impact of the ambience.
Personally greeting guests in a warm, efficient manner as
opposed to them wandering around aimlessly on the 55th floor is
the great plus of a boutique hotel. The intimacy of the space
allows for the personal touch and your professionalism in
handling guests can be taken to another level.
The right atmosphere is a major contributing factor to the
success of a boutique hotel; décor, ambience, personalised
service, attitude of management and staff, and how these
ingredients combine together to create the right amount of flare
to guarantee an exceptional experience. Anticipating the needs
of guests, learning about each person's requirements, when and
how they want something, will be the difference between a return
visit and a no-show.
A boutique hotel is supposed to have just the right amount of
panache you would expect from a design hotel. Guests should feel
relaxed, pampered and impossibly special. The key recipe for a
return visit.
About the author:
The Fabz Estate offers a
better life for all. It has literally been constructed
brick-by-brick by every member of the Fabris family. Located
between Lonehill and Fourways in Johannesburg, this hotel has a
peaceful, farm-like ambience with 40 en-suite bedrooms, and a
lake with spectacular gardens. This place is a remarkable
achievement and the level of care and service make it a true
'boutique hotel.'
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Holidays on the Net - Welcome |
Includes music, graphics, historical information, suggested activities, kids pages, links, and other features for most holidays. |
www.holidays.net |
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Kids Domain - Holidays |
HOLIDAY FUN with crafts, recipes, printables, games and activity suggestions for your family to enjoy. |
www.kidsdomain.com |
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Earth Calendar |
Every day is a celebration! The Earth Calendar is an online calendar of holidays and observances around the world. |
www.earthcalendar.net |
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Federal Holidays Calendars from 1997 to 2010 |
Offers a list of federally-recognized holidays celebrated in the United States. |
www.opm.gov |
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TELETEXT HOLIDAYS : Cheap Flights, Last Minute Deals, Ski Holidays ... |
Search for package holidays from over 250 tour operators, find last minute charter flights, ski holidays, snow reports, cruises, destination guides and ... |
www.teletextholidays.co.uk |
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Thomson.co.uk - Great Value Holidays from the UK's no.1 Tour Operator |
Thomson Holidays Online offer cheap package holidays, flights, sun holidays, faraway holidays to exotic destinations, late deals, city breaks, hotel booking ... |
www.thomson.co.uk |
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Holiday - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
4.1 Holidays traditionally in the winter holiday season ... Public holidays can be either religious, in which case they reflect the dominant religion in a ... |
en.wikipedia.org |
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Bargain holidays and cheap flights from Bargainholidays.com |
Choose from 2 million+ late availability cheap flights and last minute bargain holiday packages departing from the UK. Order online from an ABTA bonded and ... |
www.bargainholidays.com |
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First Choice - Book your dream holiday online - Great value ... |
Find great value package holidays online with First Choice. Book last-minute holidays, all inclusive holidays, family holidays and villa holidays. |
www.firstchoice.co.uk |
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Holidays Around the World for K-12 |
Holiday Internet links for US and international holidays, religious holidays, and a holiday calendar for K-12. |
falcon.jmu.edu |
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Holidays - cheap holidays, bargain holidays and bank holiday deals ... |
Book your cheap holidays and bargain bank holidays at lastminute.com. |
www.lastminute.com |
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Cheap holidays and package holiday discounts - Holiday.co.uk |
Cheap Holidays and package deals from all the major UK tour operators including Airtours, Argo, Avro, Balkan, Club 18-30, Cosmos, Crystal, First Choice, ... |
www.holiday.co.uk |
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Virgin Holidays |
Tour operator offering holidays to mainland USA, the Caribbean, the Far East, South Africa and Mauritius as well as a ski programme in California and New ... |
www.virginholidays.co.uk |
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Saga Holidays, Travel Insurance, Short Breaks, Vacations, cruises |
Specialists in providing travel services to people over 50. Details of river and sea cruises, resort holidays, tours, short breaks, special interest and ... |
holidays.saga.co.uk |
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Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators - Holiday Information |
A categorized, annotated list of over 2500 sites to help educators, teachers, and parents enhance instruction and support the curriculum. |
school.discovery.com |
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Queensland Holidays - Queensland Holidays |
Queensland Tourism & Travel Advice - Find accommodation, events & activities as well as special packages & deals - Queensland Holidays. |
www.queenslandholidays.com.au |
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BBC - Holiday |
Information on worldwide destinations as covered in the series, plus advice and travel information, presenters, message boards and postcards. |
www.bbc.co.uk |
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COSMOS - Package Holidays, All Inclusive Holidays, Self Catering ... |
Looking for cheap holidays online? COSMOS offer great value deals on package holidays, all inclusive holidays self catering holidays, villa holidays ... |
www.cosmos.co.uk |
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Late Holiday Deals and Discount Holidays at DirectHolidays.co.uk |
Book late holiday deals online at Direct Holidays - discount breaks to destinations around the world. |
www.directholidays.co.uk |
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Contiki Holidays - Holiday packages for 18 to 35 Year Olds |
Contiki Holidays offers holiday packages and budget travel tours for 18 - 35 year olds including destinations to Europe and the UK, Asia, Latin America, ... |
www.contiki.com |
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