Most of us probably know that the cheapest hotel isn’t usually the best choice, however, cheap hotels are not always a bad choice. HostelBookers has released their list of best value cheap hotels. These hotels are ones which have received over a 70% approval rating and are under €35 (approx $48CAD). Below are a few of the top picks…

Thong Ta Resort and Spa – Bangkok, Thailand
This hotel seems to be the stand out. Not only is it one of the cheapest hotels on the list with nightly rates starting at just $10, but it also has one of the highest customer satisfaction ratings at 90.9%. Judging by the pictures, it certainly looks very clean and well kept.

Hotel Ambassador – Vancouver, Canada
If you’re in Vancouver, like I am… woohoo we made it on the list!! Okay, I guess its not that exciting. This downtown hotel may not look like anything special, but it did get a 77.5% satisfactory rating which is pretty good if you consider its on the loudest street in Vancouver. Nightly rates for the Hotel Ambassador start from $47.50 which is the most expensive on the list, but again, if you’re in Vancouver like I am, that’s not too shocking for this pricy city.

High Tech Arturo Soria – Madrid, Spain
The High Tech Arturo Soria in Madrid gets the propitious distinction of the highest approval rating at a very impressive 98.1%! Nightly rates for this hotel start at just $27.80.

Palace Station – Las Vegas, USA
Most visitors to Las Vegas prefer to stay on or near the Strip, but if you’re looking to increase your gambling funds, then you may want to consider staying off the Strip at the Palace Station. Room here start from just $11.59 per night! Wow, that’s an amazing price, I guess they are gambling on your gambling funds finding their way into their coffers. A 78.9% approval rating ain’t too shabby as well.

Little Town – Prague, Czech Republic
I’ve heard Prague is home to some of the most beautiful women in Europe and fortunately for the single guy (or girl) traveling on a budget, it’s also home to one of the cheapest best value hotels. Little Town is a hidden little gem in a historic building that dates back to the 13th century! With nightly rates from $17 and an approval rating of 96.1%, this hotel sounds great place to rest your head.

Check out the complete list of Best Value Cheap Hotels here.

The newly opened Aulani, A Disney Resort and Spa is the coming together of two wonderful worlds in perfect balance and harmony. Disney Vacation Club has become synonymous with unsurpassed service and attention to the smallest details. Like all things Disney. Combine that with the brilliance and breathtaking beauty of Hawaii, a place that knows no bounds for it splendor, and you have the makings of something spectacular!

Aulani (pronounced ow-lah-nee), and means “one who speaks on behalf of a higher authority”, is located on the Ko Olina Resort Community and Marina, on the island of Oahu. It would have been enough to just have built the resort there with the sun and, pristine and expansive beach. But with meticulous detail from Disney Imagineers, Aulani brings in the rich beauty and culture of the Hawaiian people and embeds it into every corner of the resort.

Aulani has the largest collection of contemporary native Hawaiian art, from paintings to batiks to sculptures. Every piece has with it a wonderful story to tell about the 1500 year history of the island.

The two signature restaurants ‘AMA’AMA and the buffet style Makahiki serves up delicious fare that is true to Hawaii. At ‘AMA’AMA try the Kahuku corn chowder with Taro and Lomi Lomi salmon which is a wonderful taste sensation. Also the Hawaiian seafood stew with lotus root is sure to become a restaurant favorite.

The Olelo Room is where you can learn and practice your Hawaiian. Have no fear there speaking Hawaiian because the staff is there to help you along with your vocabulary and serve you some of the most delightful drinks on offer. It is then appropriate the Olelo means “word, language or to converse” in Hawaiian.

Whether you are an adult, teen, tween, youth or babe in arms, Aulani, a Disney Resort has something for you. Get ready to have all your senses tantalize when you arrive. But before you go, a few more words that you may want to learn before you leave. Apart form Mahalo which means thank you, other words that you may need to describe your stay at the Aulani; Pono – excellence, ‘Ono – delicious and Lani – Heaven. Aloha!

Interested in booking a vacation to Aulani? Call the vacation specialists at Escapes.ca for package deals to Aulani, 1-888-685-6888.

More photos.

This just in:

Passport Canada is making changes again to our beloved ticket to travel. At the end of 2012, Passport Canada will begin distributing electronic passports, known as ePassports.

All Canadian passports will be issued an electronic embedded chip that will allow us to be protected at a higher level from identity theft. Current passports have a secret photo that can only be seen under ultraviolet light. All the information in the current passport can be run under a scanner as the last two lines located at the bottom of page number two can be read by a machine and scanned by border officials.

The new embedded chip increases the level of security when traveling.  The machine-readable area will still remain in effect, but the new chip includes a photo of the passport holder and a signature to prove the ePassport was issued by the Government of Canada. This new feature will also prevent people from trying to tamper with the passport and will decrease the amount of passport fraud that has been happening over the years.

How they will work:

Border custom officials will insert the ePassport into a scanning machine which will open the chip file showing the photo and also read the machine- readable area.  The new scanner will also check the country’s signature and other security features.  Some custom authorities may not have updated their scanning devices at the time and will continue with regular routine checks.

Many countries have been using the new feature embedded chip and ePassport for years, including the United Kingdom and United States. There have been no problems so far with the installed chip. Passports will still be read as usual in the event that the chip doesn’t work and will still remain valid. ePassport scanners will be placed in the 34 offices of Passport Canada. This is for travelers who want to check the information on the tip and make updates if necessary.

Many of us have left something behind when traveling.  Maybe we left that extra pair of socks or watch behind in the drawer or that ‘can’t-put-it-down’ Dan Brown book or extra pair of hiking shoes under the bed.

Most of the time we leave personal effects behind that we can survive without. You will be amazed to discover what some people leave behind, from briefcases with cold hard cash and a horse to false teeth and dead bodies.

Check out these crazy items that travelers have left behind. LOCO!

I Do

This is not the way to start a marriage! Housekeeping has found numerous marriage licenses left behind in hotel rooms.  The newlyweds must have been in a rush to catch their flight or next excursion to lose such an important document.  We just hope they don’t forget their vows!

Ou La La!

In one incidence, a housekeeper at a US hotel found a French Maid costume. Obviously somebody was into sexy French role play or on a more innocent note; they may have attended a costume party.

Show me the Money

The Marquis Reforma Hotel in Mexico City was baffled when they found a large suitcase full of money. It amounted to 100,000 pesos, which is approximately $10,000 US dollars. Maybe it was a down payment for a ‘hit’ or possibly just rainy day cash for the guest. Whatever the case, the owner rushed back to claim the lost money.

A Message in a Bottle

In the romantic destination of Le Meurice, Paris a hotel staff member at the Le Meurice Hotel found a beautifully written love letter in one of the deluxe guest suites.  Beside it was an expensive bottle of perfume. Either the guest was in a rush, the guest wrote the letter and never gave the gift, or the guest who received the love letter wasn’t into the giver and despised the scented perfume.

No Baggage Please

A family that stayed at the Adara Hotel in Whistler, BC, Canada left all four of their bags in the guest room. We understand the rush, but how could they have not noticed when they saw numerous other travelers checking into their flight or climbing a bus with their luggage? It’s a happy ending as when the family called the Adara Hotel about their bags; they said to donate it to a local charity.

A Horse?

In a hotel located in Worcestershire, United Kingdom a show jumping horse was left behind. Yes, a horse! We know the rooms, stairways and hotels are quite small in the UK, so how did horsey get in there? How did the bellman and hotel staff not see this horse climbing the stairs or getting into the elevator? They should take their security up a notch.

Lost and Found: A Gun and Ammunition

In one case a guest left a gun behind along with ammunition in the Red Pump Inn in the UK.  As the guest had a hunting license, the gun was returned to him by hotel staff without question. Weird and so not safe.

Crocodile Surprise!

Picture this: A housekeeper comes to clean the room on their daily routine shift, gets all of her cleaning equipment ready for a first-class cleaning and opens the door only to find a 6 foot crocodile glaring back at her. The horror! It was stuffed, but how did this scary rather large keepsake get past the hotel reception?

Home Alone

Yes, sad, but true.  A baby was left in a hotel room. We know you might be in a rush, but what humane and sane person forgets a baby? We don’t care if you are Angelina Jolie and have a pack of kids; there is no excuse for leaving a baby behind.

These ‘Feet’ are Made for Walking

One of the most common items left behind in rooms are artificial limbs.  We wonder why it is so common.  This raises the question: How did  the guest leave the hotel if they left their artificial leg behind?

Dead Man ‘Not’ Walking

The hotel staff in a leading UK hotel chain found a corpse locked up in a guest room closet. A police search and further investigation was performed. Little do you know what you are in for when you book a room! Maybe you should get the hotel staff to check your room out again before you unlock the door.

There are complaints in every industry and the tourism industry has its fair share of wacky comments. From gravy boats and mosquitoes to god forbid fish-filled oceans, check out these hilarious complaints made by travelers to Thomas Cook travel and the ABTA.  Some of them are unbelievable and off the charts. Good for a giggle!

#1: One tourist felt it was wrong that the travel agency they booked with did not tell him and his family that the beach was going to be overly hot and then complained that the fish in the ocean scared their children.  They weren’t ‘informed’ that there were fish in the ocean. Really? Are there people out there that believe that there are fish-less oceans?

#2: Another vacation goer complained that he was never warned that mosquitoes could bite and he got bitten. He went on complaining about his bite for hours to his travel agent.

#3: One British woman stated that she originally booked twin room for herself and her fiancé, but was given a double bedroom. She complained that the hotel was responsible for her getting pregnant.

#4: A guest visiting Australia stayed at the Novotel hotel and complained that his soup was too strong and too thick and stated that he would not pay for it. He then realized he had been sipping the gravy boat on his table.

#5: A UK tourist complained that his whole romantic honeymoon had been completely ruined because he saw an aroused elephant. This made him feel inadequate and he no longer could perform in bed. He continued to complain to his travel agent.

There you have it folks, 5 wacky complaints that the tourism industry has had to cope with. We can only image the most recent ones. If you work in the tourism industry and have heard a wierd travel complaint, comment and share with us!

Scenario: You are mid-flight when your little one feels ill or anxious, or possibly just down-right bored. What do you do? There are a variety of ways to entertain your kids while taking a flight overseas. It’s a fact. Kids bore easily and if you are not prepared you might have to deal with upset, tantrums and seat-kicking episodes. Here are some essentials to have with you when you are 36,000 feet in the air.

Ode to Crayons

Bring a pack of crayons with you in your carry-on luggage. You may think they don’t hold much fun to them, but this little pack could be your savior when flying the blue skies. Kids of all ages love to add colour to pictures and paper, just make sure you bring some paper or else Flight AC23 to Cancun might become a bit more colourful.  Bring a pack of paper and crayons and don’t even think about adding magic markers to the mix or else you’ll have more than extra luggage fees to pay.

Reduce In-Flight Noise: Use the Power of DVD’s

Your fellow passengers will be pleased that you have thoughtfully brought headphones and a DVD player on board for your 6, 9 and 12 year old.   Pack a few kid-friendly movies and you won’t hear a peep from your little ‘sometimes rowdy’ ones. Recommended are the whole DreamWorks Shrek series, Disney for younger kiddies and possibly J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter series for your soon to be teen.

Gravel is not only Adult Rated

No, were not condoning drugging your children, but there is children-friendly gentle Gravel out there in pharmacies around the globe or other nausea medicines that have the same components. If your child is feeling sick or overly nervous about flying, Gravel can be a blessing.

Distraction is Key

The number one strategy for traveling with kids is to distract them. Bring noise-free toys and teddy bears that they can play ‘imagine’ with. Distract them from kicking the seat of the passenger in-front of them by reading them a nice fairytale or if they are a bit older, ask them to choose their favourite books before leaving the house.

Snack Time is Adult-Friendly Quiet Time

When kids are snacking they are too busy to scream, cry or yell. (This goes for us adults as well!) This doesn’t mean overload them with fattening snacks and sluggish goodies while in-flight.  Bring along some healthy treats like trail mix, berries, nuts, crackers and cut-up apples  for them to munch on when they seem to be getting cranky. These healthy choices will also keep their strength up and have them ready to be on the move when you arrive in your vacation destination. Otherwise you might end up carrying 4 mini-bags, your luggage and have a kid in tow. Keep their energy up! Have snacks on hand.

A little laugh for today. How NOT to entertain a child.

http://youtu.be/7T403eJoOcE

Just a few weeks ago a hospital worker and consultant refused to go through the regulation scanning procedures at Manchester Airport.  The hospital consultant was adamant in his position and stated that the scanning devices and machines would give him cancer.

The hospital eye specialist, Tony Aguirre, had thought that he would be able to undergo a ‘pat down’ instead of going through the regular scanning process like every other passenger has to submit to before flying.

Mr. Aguirre thought wrong when he was denied boarding the plane and then was escorted by police off the airport premises.  Anyone passing through Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester airports must have a mandatory full body scan performed.  If you refuse, you don’t fly. You say ‘no’, they say ‘no’. It is as simple as that.

Tony Aguirre has stated that he was thrown out of the Manchester airport and treated like a horrible criminal. He was intending to fly out of the UK to Switzerland to treat and take care of one of his patients when he was refused a flight. Mr. Aguirre believes that these new body scanners and x-ray machines will cause cancer to develop in more and more people, whether it’s him or someone else.

The UK’s Health Protection Agency has given approval for pregnant women and all passengers to undergo this body scan. They claim the exposure levels are extremely low and cannot aid in the development of disease.  On the other hand, many scientific studies have proven that scanner x-rays have an increased level of radiation than other common x-ray machines used in hospitals and medical clinics.

What do you believe? Will you scan or will you ‘not’ go?

KLM Airlines is cooking? With oil that is! Just recently KLM flew one of its Boeing 737-800 aircrafts on bio-kerosene oil.  Two weeks ago, 171 passengers jumped aboard a cooking oil-powered flight from Amsterdam to Paris.

TUI Travel, owners of Thomson Airways, will launch their first UK carrier flights later this month flying their engines solely on a mix of 50/50 Jet A1 oil, fatty acids and hydro-processed esters. European Airlines, the EU Commission and bio-fuel manufacturers are on board with the use of bio-fuel and are encouraging a production of 2 million tonnes for all flights in 2020.

Dutch KLM airlines will be flying over 200 scheduled flights fueled with recycled cooking oil as bio-fuel between Amsterdam and Paris in September 2011. This action serves as a way to minimize the release of carbon emissions into the environment. As stated by KLM director Camiel Eurlings, the aircrafts do not have to undergo any alterations to fly on recycled cooking oil. Air travel contributes to more than 3 per cent of greenhouse gases, but the dangerous carbon emissions of airlines are  increasing daily.  This poses a large threat to our food supply and the biodiversity of our world.

Other airlines that have taken part in this similar cooking oil bio-fuel experiment include Air Japan, Continental Airlines, Air New Zealand and Virgin Atlantic Airlines. Now, how’s that for going green and taking eco-friendly action? Sizzle, sizzle.

Breaking News:

Malaysia Airlines is banning babies from first class seating on their new Airbus A380 jumbo jet that will be launched next year.  The airline has already placed this unfair ban on its 747-400 fleet.  Little travelers over the age of 2 will be welcomed, but it’s ‘bye bye’ to first class babes.

What will we be limited to next? In a world with too much red tape and caution signage, this new ‘rule’ takes the cake in the craziness of air travel.  Do you have a newborn baby on board? Well, if you are flying with Malaysian Airlines get used to squishing into business class and driving other passengers crazy because of your limited baby space.

Wealthy first class Malaysia airline travelers have been complaining about babies crying and have stated that they pay large amounts of cash to enjoy top-notch in-flight hospitality and luxury seating.  Where will humanity fail next?

This just displays the amount of sympathy that some passengers lack and how a good in-flight experience includes ignoring the world around them.  We are all in the same boat (flight) when we travel and no flight goes without some scenario adapting of some sort. This is a pure example of discrimination and should not be ignored by the airline industry and worldwide travelers.  It is not only the babies that will suffer, but also the parents or caretakers of these innocent tots.

What’s next on the rules and regulations agenda? One toy per child on board? Anyone under 18 can only take one electronic device on a flight? Passengers over 60 are only allowed two prescribed medications in their carry on luggage?  Air travel has already lost quite a bit of its pleasurable experiences because of airline and luggage laws; do we have to turn it into a dreaded affair to fly these days?  Seriously, not all babies cry for hours on end. Some are quite peaceful when in-flight and don’t make a noise.

If we start shooing babies to the back of the cabin, will the first class passengers then complain when someone is talking to loud or worse yet, snoring? It’s time to remember that we are all people and we all deserve the same treatment, whether it’s 36,000 feet in the sky or on the ground. Do we really need any more rules? Travel is one of the most precious experiences we have to hold onto, so if  passengers can’t handle the natural cries from a baby, maybe they shouldn’t be flying the open skies. After all, wouldn’t you want to know you are traveling with calm and capable people should any difficulties ever arise? Or that they have sympathy to their fellow in-flight passengers? Without a doubt, I want to know the person in Seat 4B has a heart.

Stop what you are doing for a moment: Drop your pen, save your email to draft, stop texting or turn the TV off.  We want to hear from you.

If you could literally drop everything right now, walk out of your office or home and jump onto a plane, boarding pass in hand, where would you go? If you discovered two tickets for a 7 week cruise in the mail what lands would the itinerary take you to?

Take a minute to think about it. Wait a minute, you don’t have time, you are going right now!  The world of pretend works much faster than ours.

The Travel WOW and Escapes.ca want to know what distant lands our readers are dreaming of as they pretend to be excited while working hard on that 50 page marketing project or power point presentation for the boss.

Where haven’t you been? What draws you to your dream destination? Are you seeking a safari adventure in exotic South Africa, coral reef diving in sunny Cozumel, Mexico or do you want to be pampered at world-class hotels in the snowy alps of Zurich, Switzerland? Come on, share with us.

Imagine you have a boarding pass in your hand. What destination is written on it? Belize? Cuba? Or do you want to roll the dice and dance with lady luck in Las Vegas?

We would love to hear what world destinations you fantasize about when you get your bi-monthly pay check, get a tax refund and even when you are penniless.  Don’t worry, if you have more than one place in mind or ten, we are excited to hear about them. Comment below!