The Worst Airport Hotel In The World And How To Avoid It
There are many reasons to pre-book an airport hotel. If you are flying out very early in the morning and can’t face a long drive at that time of day, you can book a hotel stay for the night before and make your departure day easier and less-stressful. Alternatively, when you return from your holiday or business trip and you want to just grab a shower and a good night’s sleep then book into a nearby hotel for a relaxing evening.
These are just two of the reasons to indulge yourself with what used to be an expensive addition to your holiday, now a lot cheaper and often with a parking package included. You can grab a delicious meal in the hotel restaurant or work off your excess energy in the gym, every hotel will have something different to suit your needs.
There are simple rules to abide by when you are looking at an airport hotel stopover.
1) Don’t leave it to the last minute. Pre-book and give yourself the best chance of getting the perfect hotel for you.
2) Book with a name you can trust. There are loads of companies out there that will promise the world – go with a reliable name and you will rarely be disappointed.
3) Shop around. With plenty of hotels to choose from, don’t settle for the first one you see. You could find a cheaper option with all of the facilities you want.
A decent airport hotel can get your holiday off to the perfect start and when you book with the right company it can be a great value, relaxing stopover. So, what could go wrong with your airport hotel if you don’t follow these three simple rules? So much more than you could ever know if you don’t book with a respectable company…
You arrive at this hypothetical hotel and are greeted by an unappealing, dark building that looks like it could’ve been the set for a Boris Karloff movie. Lightning strikes as you realise that this may be a mistake, but much like those annoying teenagers in cheesy horror movies, you tell yourself that it can’t be as bad as it looks. And so you enter the worst airport hotel in the world.
As you approach what you believe to be the reception desk, the smell of urine becomes almost unbearable and you begin to feel light-headed. The part-man, part-beast owner watches a tiny black and white TV while muttering profanities to himself, blissfully unaware or perhaps deliberately ignorant to your arrival. After a few minutes of suggestive coughs and loud sighs, he turns to face you.
“What do you want?” Well, you’ve entered a hotel and approached the reception desk so it would be the obvious assumption that you require a room for the night. You part with your cash and he hands over the key, nodding towards the stairs. Grabbing the handle of your suitcase you make your way up the stairs. Tired and exhausted, you look forward to a lush, comfortable bed with silk sheets and goose-feather pillows.
So, now you approach the door to your oasis of calm in the hustle and bustle of a busy airport. The key slides into the keyhole a little uneasily and the the door struggles to open. You give it a push and the extent of the situation begins to dawn on you. This isn’t a hotel room, you have just entered a portal to your own personal hell – and you are paying a pretty hefty price for the pleasure.
There used to be a curtain on the window, because there is a curtain rail – you wonder what happened to it briefly before examining the rest of the room. The carpet seems nice if a bit retro, brown used to be fashionable so maybe they haven’t replaced it for a while. You take a look at the unusual pattern and discover the horrible truth – the carpet is meant to be beige and it isn’t patterned. The bed is the place to rest your head and relax in your home from home – it can’t be that bad can it…
There is one word to describe the initial reaction to the bed – stained. All colours, shapes and sizes are welcome here. It is probably for the best that you don’t think about all the different cocktails of fluids that have made their mark here. So you head towards the ensuite and prepare for a reenergising shower.
Mildew on the shower curtain won’t deter you now, you’ve come this far and refuse to be put off by such a minor problem. Turning the tap, you back away from the shower head for fear of being sprayed by hot burst of clean water. You hardly notice the smell of the swamp-water that dribbles out as you are greeted by the room’s resident cockroach. He seems pretty happy with the room so you leave him to it and head for the door. Grabbing your suitcase you say to yourself that ‘enough is enough’ and head for the reception. As you look back at the room to say your final goodbyes, overcome with emotion you notice the moving sheets on the bed – you have avoided an itchy night’s sleep.
Back at reception, you are denied a refund but it doesn’t bother you. You head for the bright lights of the outside world and realise that this is a lucky escape. You drag your suitcase along the road and find a lovely, clean and accommodating hotel with the most crisp bed-sheets imaginable. The end of the nightmare and a lesson learned for the future – make the right choice when booking an airport hotel. Go for a name you can trust and book in advance and you will avoid all of these problems.
Patrick is an expert Research and Travel consultant. His current interest is in Heathrow Parking, Heathrow Hotels and I have a travel blog site.
Low Cost Flights A Tourist Boon Across Much Of Europe
Malta has experienced an uncommon boon this year in their tourist trade. It appears that their popularity is on the rise as a popular, affordable destination for more travelers on holiday. And much of this success can be attributed to the increase in affordable flights to and from the exotic destination.
Airlines, especially low-cost airlines, are accustomed to record sales during the peak travel months of summer, but not so much in the winter months. Malta’s home based airlines are reporting a record breaking winter season this year with more than 500,000 passengers originating from their home base of Malta’s Luqa Airport. The winter months, November 2007 through March 2008, showed a remarkable 15 percent increase over the 2006 winter season.
Malta’s charter air traffic is on the increase as well and is reporting a 21 percent increase over last year’s figures. And it’s not just the Maltese who are prospering: the market reported the largest increase as being Italy with 41 percent. Germany came in a close second at 32 percent with France at 25 percent and the U.K. by 6 percent.
Airline executives are reporting double-digit growth every month during the winter season. The question arises as to why this has happened. This success can be attributed to several factors:
* Existing code-share agreements between a network of airlines a network allow travelers daily access via European hubs. In its entirety, the network of airlines offers access to more than 180 destinations worldwide.
* Airline ticket sales via the Internet are credited as well with sales increases during the winter months.
* Many of these have added additional destinations to their list of available destinations.
* In addition to the introduction of new available destinations, airlines are increasing capacity and the frequency of flights to other major European hubs.
Times are difficult around the globe these days; both financially and politically. Now more than ever people want a break from it all in a place they can afford to visit while feeling secure in their person visiting. Many Europeans are choosing to look closer to home for their travel destinations for both of these reasons. Malta and many other near island resort sports are becoming more popular than ever.
The success of low-cost airlines proves that current currency exchange rates have not had the negative impact on international travel that was anticipated. Passengers are simply being more mindful of prices that fit their travel plans and budgets. In fact, business for most of the low-cost airlines that make frequent flights to and from Malta as well as the Balearic and Canary Islands, has seen a dramatic increase. This increase is expected to rise even more; at least for the short while.
Airlines have already promised more frequent flights to and from favorite travel destinations for the 2008 summer travel season. Increased flights at reduced prices and the availability of packaged travel deals are sure to be big hits with tourists this year. It would appear that major global excursions are out and neatly-packaged, convenient and affordable holiday hotspots are the flavor of 2008.
For Luqa Airport and Malta flights visit yourmalta.com
The guide also has the Malta weather
Charter Airlines: Real Customer Service
If you want to experience customer service like you’ve never experienced before, then rent a private jet. You will be overwhelmed by the high quality and premium customer service that you experience.
The staff on a charter airplane is trained to provide incredibly strong customer service, and you will notice this the moment you step on a plane.
First of all, the staff works around your timetable. You decide when to eat, when to sleep, and even better, you decide the exact itinerary.
Secondly, the staff works for a smaller company, so they can communicate better and they can concentrate better on your needs. Thirdly, the administrators of charter airlines work to forge significant business relationships.
They want to cultivate business connections so that they may continue receive your business. So, they will normally do whatever they can to ensure that you are happy with the quality of their private jet service. Finally, charter flights offer better customer service simply because they are less crowded and insane than commercial airlines.
You Are The Timekeeper
You make all the decisions on a charter flight. You decide what type of food you will eat, you decide when you want to sleep, you decide what kind of movies and music you want to listen to, and most importantly, you decide your departure location and your arrival location, as long as there is somewhere to land in these places.
When you communicate these requests to the charter airline, they will implement your requests immediately. Some charter airlines even have mutual business relationships with notable caterers, so they can provide you with an extensive menu. The point is, you hold the power to conduct the flight as you please. This is one of the greatest advantages of renting a private jet.
Smaller Is Better
It has been proven that people who work in smaller groups communicate more effectively with one another than people in large groups. This is proven in Malcolm Gladwell’s book The Tipping Point. In any case, the tightly-knit group of pilots, stewards and stewardesses know each other well, and work well in tandem. In addition, the heads of charter flight companies are normally savvy professionals who know how cultivate business relationships with elite clients.
All this means is that you will receive specialized, devoted service. They will dedicate their heart and soul to providing you with the best customer service imaginable. You can’t understand this until you try it, but trust me. I’ve personally ridden on a private jet, and it was the most pleasurable flying experience I have ever had in my entire life.
Forging Relationships
When you hire a charter airline, you will be able to speak with someone who holds considerable power within the company. This is because charter airlines want to cultivate long term relationships with their clients, because they know that their clientete is elite.
Unlike commercial airlines, where a mid-level manager will speak to you rudely and then send you on an endless journey through bureaucratic red tape, charter airlines and charter flights specifically focus on maintaining personal contact with their clients. In this way, you receive special treatment, because you are not just a number, you are an individual. You can make your voice heard, and the charter airline will respect you. Renting private jets is no small matter. Private jets are only for the discriminating customer.
Seomul Evans is consultant with Air Compair, an Air Charter company providing Private Air Charter services.