Hotel Review: Adante Hotel: San Francisco

A Great Deal

I was happy with my stay at the Adante Hotel in Downtown San Francisco. Small rooms? Sure, but most European Style Hotels have smaller rooms. Despite the claims of paper thin walls at the Adante Hotel I heard nothing from my neighbors in my whole stay. Sketchy neighborhood? Not really. I traveled alone and I never felt unsafe.

However, I did take a cab late (After Midnight) at night as to not be waiting at or walking from bus stops alone. During the day its perfectly fine. Going west of that block while alone, at night might not be ideal, but walking to and from Union Square is not big deal.

Remember what you are paying in comparision to the other budget hotels in the area. It isn’t a five star and it doesn’t bill itself as such. These are all things one needs to keep in mind. My only complaint, if you can even call it that, is that housekeeping makes it rounds rather early. My advice is if you go out to enjoy the night life, make sure you put your DND sign up before crawling into bed.

I have stayed in several “budget” hotels in San Francisco. Most of them were adequate, but very sterile and unwelcoming. This was not the case here.

The staff has always been super helpful and nice. Even before my stay I called with questions, and they were very happy to answer them. They helped me figure out MUNI route and find bus stops and other little things that made my stay much better. I am returning to the Adante on my next trip out there and I am looking forward to another positive experience.

San Francisco: Non Touristy How to and advice

I love San Francisco, and while there is nothing wrong with doing the usual tourist stuff, sometimes just enjoying the city can be a big reword. Click here to find how to find things off the beaten path.

Also here are some tips:

Sometimes being the traditional tourist can get old. When you visit a city, it is nice to see the popular sights, but sometimes it is nice to get off the beaten track. San Francisco is a beautiful city. It has many traditional touristy stops, but the lesser known gems can be just as fun.

If you need a nice relaxing afternoon, try spending some time in Huntington Park. The park is located on California Street between Taylor and The Flood Mansion/ Pacific Union Club at Mason. The park was originally a cemetery and then a mansion that was destroyed in the 1906 fire. On a sunny afternoon, you can sit there for hours, people-watch, and enjoy the sights in the park. The park is situated at the top of a hill looking down into the Union Square area. It is great view of the city. You also have great views of Grace Cathedral and the Fairmount Hotel.

Another must see is the San Francisco Vampire Tour. The tour meets up at Huntington Park (Taylor and California) on Friday and Saturday nights at 8:00. “Mina Harker” will guide you through history of Nob Hill with a little bit of a twist. You can find more information on the tour at the official website .

Riding the cable car is one of those things every tourist wants to do. That means the lines for the cars going to Fisherman’s Wharf are insanely long. Plus if you do not pick it up at the starting point, there might not be room for you to get on later. However, they are not the only game in town. There is the California line. It starts in the Financial District and goes down California to Van Ness. The car goes through Chinatown, and past Huntington Park. You can still ride the cable car without the crowds!

If you are hungry, there are many places to eat in Union Square. One of the less promoted is the Pinecrest Diner. It is located at the corner at Geary and Mason. Pinecrest is the typical diner, complete with the brown Formica tables and vinyl seats. However, it has excellent food and the prices aren’t gouging. The diner also has a great window that faces out on to Mason. If you sit in one of the booths along that wall, you can people watch as you eat.

The Golden Gate Bridge and Fisherman’s Wharf are great places to go, but sometimes a little break from the crowd is nice. Try some of these places, and do some searching on your own. You might find some other great gems in the city.

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6/6 Vegas Tip: Where to Stay

Mini Tip: I’ve said before picking your hotel for Vegas is an important part of trip planning. If are staying on teh strip, and plan on doing lots of walking, your best bet is to pick a hotel in the middle of the strip. The Flamingo may get dissed becuase it is “older,” but it is still a great place to stay. Pricewise it is very reasonable. Even the budget traveler can score a deal if he/she books in advance. It is pretty much in the middle of the strip, and it has a fabulous pool. NO matter where you book your trip,  always check with the hotel to see their rates before you go to an online search.

Here is a review of a stay at the Flamingo:

Need an affordable, but still fabulous, place for your stay in Las Vegas? The Flamingo may be the answer. The Flamingo is a Hilton property located in the middle of the Las Vegas Strip. While some may say this older property is outdated and not as fancy as the other casino resorts on the strip, it is still a great place to stay.

It is in the middle of the strip, and many attractions are a short walk away. The Flamingo’s location really cannot be beat. It is in the middle of the strip, and many attractions are a short walk away. The resort itself has many restaurants and bars, but it is also right next door to two additional casinos (both are also owned by the Flamingo) with additional dining options. Bill’s Gambling Hall has 24-hour restaurant and 99 cent margaritas. O’Shea’s has a food court with a Subway, a pizza place, pasta place, and a Burger King.

The grounds of the resort are beautiful. There is a wildlife preserve filled with many interesting and unique animals, including flamingos, of course. The pool is a wonderful place to hang out during the day. It does get crowded, so if you want chairs, you better get their early. If the crowds and kids are not your thing, you can always opt for the “European Style pool.” You need to be 21 or older to get in and there is a $10 charge for men. Women get in free. Drinks are cheaper at this pool, so the $10 fee (for guys) can usually be made up in drink savings.

The rooms are excellent. We had a standard room for our stay, but some of our friends had the deluxe rooms and they had no complaints about those either. Some of my roommates thought the water in the shower wasn’t warm enough, but I didn’t have a problem. The room was plenty big (although cramped quarters for four girls who didn’t exactly pack light). We had a great view of the strip (Paris and the Bellagio) from our room. My only complaint was the housekeeping staff. On our second day we left the room early to sightsee. We put the “please make up our room early” sign out. When we returned to the room to get ready to go to the pool, the room was still not clean. However, we saw the housekeeping carts in the hall and figured we were next. An hour or so later I discovered the room was still a mess and the housekeeping carts were gone. I called housekeeping, and the woman told me that they had until 5:30 to clean all the rooms. I explained to her that the carts had been on our floor, but were now gone. Plus, we had the “please clean us early” sign in plain sight. I left again to do more sight seeing, and when I returned an hour and a half later, the room was finally done. We did not have an issue with it for the rest of our stay, but it was a concern.

Price-wise, The Flamingo was perfect. My advice is to book directly through the hotel and book as far in advance as you can. Prices jumped dramatically shortly after I booked our room, so you need to plan ahead! You can try to find better deals on the online travel sites. You may have some success, but the hotel does have some pretty decent specials. Plus, reservations made through the hotel are refundable.

 

  

Why you should be anti-airline mergers

Now some people do not see the harm in airlines like Delta and Northwest merging, but they really should. With these already big airlines becoming one, we have a lot of potential headaches in our future. We may no see them yet, but give it some time to settle in.

 More bigger airlines = less airlines overall = less competition = higher prices

Yes now while I was not exactly a fan of ATA (we had some MAJOR issues in the past) I was very sad to hear it was no longer operational. One, it is an Indianapolis based business. Many of my neighbors lost their jobs, and our job market isn’t exactly great at the moment. Two yes, I thought the customer service staff was rude, and that some of their choices were very poorly planned, but at least they were competition. The were a little airline, but they gave flyer’s more options. More less expensive options. Regardless of my personal feelings (and yes I was very bitter…but not letting me rebook a flight they cancelled due to a restructure until my only option was to take a propeller plane to Chicago to connect to my flight made me a little cranky) their business, along with the other now defunct airlines kept prices lower. I am actually really hoping Frontier survives. I actually enjoyed flying with them, and if they can get back on track it will give me some hope.

As the little airlines go under, the big airlines get bigger through mergers and acquiring routes and business from the now defunct airlines. That leads to less airlines overall. If there are less airlines competing for business, they have less of a need to keep prices low. It is basic economics. I’m not even economically inclined, but even I can figure this out. Flying used to be so expensive that people could rarely afford it.  I think we may be headed that way again. With gas prices on the rise, and less competition among the airlines, it is only a matter of time before flights are too expensive for the average traveler.

No I’m not cheap, but I would still like to be able to afford a vacation

With soaring gas prices and tighter budgets, travel can sometimes seem impossible. Just a five day trip to Vegas can run you well over $900 for one person. Affordable travel is possible, but you just need to know how to do your homework.

The first thing to do is take the time to study the travel trends. June is a popular month for weddings, so weekend flights tend to be more costly. Find sites that can help you determine when is a good time to go. Once you have determined this, book as far in advance as you can. The closer you get to your travel date, the more expensive your flight will be. Yes, you may score a great last minute fare, but their are risks and issues involved with that.

Yes, sites like Priceline and Hotwire may have great last minute deals. However, there is not a guarantee. Sometimes you can find a $100 flight. Other times, you will be stuck with a $500 flight. Priceline and similar sites are great ways to try and find a last minute deal, but you have to read the fine print. With Priceline guarantees that if they find you a deal your flight will depart between 6am and 10pm on the requested day. This could pose an issue. Let’s say you are in San Francisco and you are flying to Indianapolis. If you do not fly out of San Francisco until 9:30 at night, you will not actually reach your destination until early the next morning. If you have to be back to work on a specific day, you cannot take a red eye flight back. However, you run the risk of that happening. Many times red eye flights are the ones with seats open at the last minute, so this is a serious concern.

Networking is also a very powerful tool in booking vacations too. Sometimes you can make business and personal connections with people you can contact. People you know may have experience with booking online travel. They may know of discounts and deals you can use to your advantage. If you are fond of a city, you can befriend tour guides and hotel managers. If you can provide a service such as publicity, write the hotel or tour a good review. Let the company know about your efforts, and they may be able to help you with discounted rates.

Look to online travel communities for ways to save too. Lonely Planet has a web site that can be very helpful for traveler. The site has links to booking sites like kayak.com. Kayak runs searches several airline sites and additional travel sites, and it lists the best deals it finds. It is great way to find a cheap flight. There are links for train travel and accommodations as well. Another thing the Lonely Planet site has is their bulletin boards. You can search the boards (called Thorntree) for ideas on where to stay and things to do while in your vacation location. If you do not find what you are looking for, you can always post your own question. That way locals and former tourists can weigh in with their opinions and insights.

You can afford to travel! While prices are rising, you can still see the cities you love and the sights you enjoy without breaking the bank. You just have to know where to look.

 

Viva Las Vegas…Without Breaking the Bank

A trip to Las Vegas is something most everyone should do at least once. Before you go, there are some things you can do to make your trip fun and not put you in too much debt. It can be as easy as picking the right hotel to planning to do some research before you go.

For Vegas first timers, there is so much for you to see and do. A full three days should be sufficient to see it all. You can spend more days if you think you will need more time. However, you could save your hotel, steep food, and beverage costs; and, save it for another trip or take a trip to Hoover Dam instead. Three full days is probably the magic number for days in Vegas. Anything more than that can be a little over-kill. Be ready to do some walking, though. The strip does not seem that long, until you have walked about half of it on a nice 109 degree day. Things that look really close, in reality, may be quite a distance away.

Before you even book your hotel, you need to assess what things you would prefer. Each hotel has different amenities, perks, and bonuses. Maybe you would like something in the middle of the strip for its accessibility. Maybe you want a hotel that has a 24 hour restaurant. If you plan on spending your days by the pool, you need to find a hotel with a decent pool area. Do you want something on the strip, off strip, or on the old strip? The old strip is fun and the hotels tend to be cheaper. However, unless you plan on spending the bulk of your time there, it will not be cost effective. A cab ride, one-way, from downtown to the strip is about $20.00. Do that round trip more than once or twice, and you have made up the difference in what you saved. Some off strip hotels have free shuttles to the strip, but not all of them do. Make sure you know this before you book. Other people like to be in the middle of the action on the strip. Do your homework. When you are looking for the best deal, check the usual online vendors first, but also check with the hotel directly. They may have similar or better deals, and these reservations (unlike some other online sites like Priceline or Hotwire) are refundable.

What do you want to do once you get there? If you go to the Las Vegas Official Website, there are lists of must do’s and sees. They also have suggestions for any kind of traveler you can imagine, including the budget traveler. Find out what attractions there are and how much each of them costs. Many of the attractions are free, but it is good to know which ones are before you plot out your day. If you want to see shows while you are in Vegas, check out the site for possible discounts and specials. If you want to go to the clubs, the site offers a link to a legit site that offers VIP passes. Some clubs have special nights where they offer their passes for free, or you can buy packages that will save you money on cover charges. The earlier you check into these discounts, the better your chances are of finding a great deal.

If you gamble, plan ahead. Set aside a certain amount of money that is designated for gambling. If it is built into your budget, you do not have to worry about over spending and not being able to afford the taxi back to the airport…or food for that matter.

Speaking of food, meals do not have to kill your budget. If you look in the right places, you can find reasonable (well for Vegas) prices. My usual plan of attack is to get something cheaper for lunch, so if I choose to go to a buffet or a nicer place for dinner, I’m not spending $40+ a day on food. There is a Chipolte, Panda Express, McDonalds, and a Denny’s on the strip. There are also hidden gems, like the food court in O’Shea’s Casino (located right next to the Flamingo). Yes, the prices may be steeper than you are used to back home, but you can still get a slice of pizza and a drink for $3.50.

Now, here is a bit on alcohol. If you go to the clubs, plan on it being at least $10 for a drink. Drink prices are more than most of us are used to. You can still find deals here and there. If you are hard pressed for cash, Sanctuary, a club held at the Krave lounge on Friday nights (next to Planet Hollywood), has $2 drink specials on well drinks before midnight and $5 specials after that. Also, there are some liquor stores in the area. You can always mix up your own drinks!

Las Vegas is a great place to vacation, even if you do not have a huge budget! It just takes some planning and preparation.

Hostelling for Dummies

Are you planning on staying in a hostel for your next trip? Hostels are a great cost effective way to find lodging, but there are some things to keep in mind as you pack for your trip.

The first is try and pack light. Chances are you will be sharing a room with several other people. You will most likely not have the same amount of room you will have in a hotel room. Plus if you have lockers for storage, you will have a very limited amount of secure space for all your belongings. Try only to pack enough clothes for a week. If you are traveling for more than a week, you can always go to a Laundromat. Bring your own detergent in a baggie and you can save space.

If the hostel has lockers in the dorm rooms, make sure you know whether or not they supply locks. If not, bring one of your own. This way you can keep you items in a secure location. I have stayed in both Hostels with and without safes. I have never had any issues with my items being messed with or stolen at the hostels without lockers. However, if lockers are provided, it is better to be safe than sorry.

Make sure you know all the particulars of the hostels. Most US hostels do not have lock out (meaning the doors do not lock at a certain time and you can no longer get in), and they do not require guests to so chores. However, this might not always be the case. Some hostels only will take student or international travelers. Yes, this is unfair, but make sure your hostel does not fall into that category (unless you are a student or international traveler). I know it is to ensure that the guests are in fact tourists, not transients, but you would think proof of travel would be enough.

When you are packing there are some key items you need to remember to include. Be sure that you bring flip flops for the shower if the bathroom is shared. Don’t forget your PJ’s. Just because you sleep naked doesn’t mean it is appropriate for everyone to see. Bring earplugs. You might not think you are a light sleeper, but it is better to have them in case of an emergency. Bring a laundry bag to sort out the dirty from the clean clothes. See if the hostel provides linens, if not, you will need to provide your own bedding and towels. If that is the case, make sure you check to see what kind of bedding the hostel allows. Some places so not allow sleeping bags.

Hostels can be really fun, you just need to prepare a little differently that if you were staying in a hotel. By following a few simple steps you can uncomplicate your trip and ensure you will have one less thing to worry about.

 

May 15 Tip of the day: Lonely Planet’s Thorntree

Site: Thorntree

Cost: Free

Registration: Not required to search and read entries, but you do need to register to post.  All you need is a e-mail address, user name and password.  You can give more details if you wish. 

If you are traveling to a place for the first time, or if you are budget traveler, Lonely Planet’s Thorntree may be helpful for you.  Lonely Planet publishes a line of travel guide books, but they also have a very informative website. The Thorntree is the site’s forum.  It has sections for each continent and even some by topic.  Regular posters are well versed travelers from all around the world.  However, they sometimes to be cranky and jaded, so you need to follow a few rules of thumb.  These rules also apply to ANY travel forum (Trip Advisor et al), not just Thorntree.  First, use the search function to see if some one has already asked your question.  If you do not you run the risk of a regular poster getting short with you.  There are only so many times you want to answer where can I get a good deal on hotel in Vegas and what are tips for staying in San Francisco. Also, each section should have a stick post labeled FAQ.  Check there next.  If your question is not listed, then post away.  When you write your post, be as specific as possible.  Merely asking for fun things to do in San Francisco, let them know your age, gender, if you are traveling alone, ages of the people you are traveling with.  Also be specific in what things you are looking for, are you looking for high end fashion or goth shopping?  Are you looking for art or parks?   Let posters know EXCATLY what you are looking for.  Otherwise, you may get bad advice or encounter some not so nice feedback from the regular posters.