Travel
Like The
"Rich and Famous. . ."
Discover How A Pauper
Travels Like A King!
Alternatives for Business
Travelers
by: David Leonhardt
"I'm coming home. I've been away too long. Been
away so long. I'm coming home" – Ian Thomas, in Coming Home
I still recall my road warrior days. It seemed
like every other
week, I was hopping on a plane for Orlando or Vancouver or Palm Springs
or Washington or Chicago or Toronto.
It might not be Rome, Paris, and Monte Carlo, but
Washington,
Toronto and Orlando are pretty classy places. I went to crucial
meetings. I was an important person. I was a frequent flyer.
However, after a while, all the towns begin to
look the same.
One airport hotel looks amazingly like another. Surely the taxi driver
in Washington and the taxi in Orlando were twins separated at birth. I
was yearning to just stay put. I had had enough of hotels and
restaurants
Traveling sounds glamorous until you have to do it
over and
over and over. Especially when you have a family, you want to spend
some time at home between the episodes of jet lag. Comfort becomes a
much bigger deal, and you want every place to feel like home.
You just can't do that in a hotel. Not in a
Marriott. Not in a Sheraton. Not in a Hilton.
I wish I knew then about two other options.
Private Vacation Homes (or rental villas)
Private vacation homes, known also as holiday
homes or villas
are essentially houses that rent on a weekly basis. They are not much
help for fly-in meetings. For those, only an airport hotel will do.
But if you plan to be in town for the better part
of the week,
there is nothing like kicking back in your own private home – a rental
home, of course.
"Hotel rooms are cramped; a villa is spacious with
room to
walk about. Hotel rooms have a TV and desk in the bedroom; a villa has
surround sound TV and stereo with comfortable couches and chairs in
various parts of the home. A hotel has a public pool; a villa has a
private pool," says Florida villas rental agent Stewart Granville.
"It's private. It's comfortable. It's like a home away from home."
Mr. Granville notes that a vacation home rental
also serves as
an office away from home, with one room dedicated to the office. "In a
villa, you don't have to sit on your bed when you type those memos. And
what a great way to entertain business contacts."
Mr. Granville specializes in villas in America's
vacation
heartland: Orlando, Florida. Business travelers often bring their
family along to enjoy Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and other
famous theme parks. The family plays while the business traveler works.
When the meetings are over, they all head for Disney together, perhaps
for another week. With family in tow, a private rental home makes much
more sense than a crowded hotel room.
Bed and Breakfasts
Bed and Breakfasts are also an option. Although
they do not
offer the same privacy and space as villas, they are warmer and more
homey than a hotel. And like a hotel, they rent by the night, not by
the week.
Is a bed and breakfast for you? If a relaxing
atmosphere is
more important to you than room service, a bed and breakfast is for
you, yes. They are comfortable and relaxing, so the business traveler
can walk confidently into his meeting free from stress and worries.
Bed and Breakfasts are growing more popular for
weekend
getaways in the country, but most major urban centers have bed and
breakfasts right in the heart of the city...and these are ideal for
road-weary business travelers.
So forget about room service and the mint on the
pillow. For a
stay of several days, the business traveler can rent a spacious,
private vacation villa. And for just a night or two, it's a warm and
comfortable bed and breakfast.
Todays Travel Tip
Most people would say that overbooking is an evil of the airlines.
You can however use this to your advantage. If you get to your
flights early you can voluntary to be bumped and get discounted
flights, meal vouchers, option to not travel and obtain a refund,
hotel accommodation, or ground transportation. This book goes
into greater detail on how to use overbooking to your advantage. Check back tomorrow for
another tip.
P.S.
If you have ever wanted to travel like the "rich and famous," here is
your opportunity. The Pauper's Secret Confessions alone, are
worth 10 times the cost of this book. Never take another trip
without being prepared!
