Since being asked to join the Priority Club Connect Community, I have met many wonderful people. Since my first post in April, my loyal blog readers and community members have inspired me to keep writing and sharing knowledge within the community. Each day, I enjoy and look forward to communicating with members, and serving as the Priority Club Connect Community Ombudsman.  You ALL have been great by sharing comments, experiences, tips and advice as we go about our daily travel lives.

The Priority Club Connect Community has grown to 14,000+ members from all over the world. I want to personally thank everyone of you for all that you do for me, and the other community members. To show thanks, take a look back at my favorite comments, members, and threads in the community.

My Favorite Threads:

Triple Points Promotion: I was happy to share this with the community and my blog readers.

PointBreaks: We love them and sometimes hate them...

Best Chance For An Upgrade: Everyone loves Ronald's famous tip.

Jobs and Careers: Find out what members do/did for a living.

Restaurants: Best Eateries shared by other members. Chicken Coop anyone?

Qualifying Rates: Yep, can be confusing.

Platinum Plus: No such thing as Platinum 'Plus' but Ambassador membership is discussed in detail.

Offered A Room Upgrade? The thread that will NEVER end.

Items Needed: I just can't travel without my.......

Language: UK English vs. US English.

Great Comments & Posts:

Best Travel Tip: MahoneM posted one of the best travel tips around.

He's Done It: fatmanpauluk agrees that: Priority Club should keep up the good work and "Continue into 2010 and beyond."

Laughing Out Loud: stanley(Simon) made me laugh when he shared the 'funny smell' story! According to him, "Even a sniffer dog wouldn't have coped with it.."

An Act Of Kindness: Daniel Kelleher showed great kindness to me in a blog post comment. His encouraging words lifted my spirit.

He's Been Nicknamed: Contessa Vanessa (Marlene) first, then me.

And The Winner Is: Seems like James Strange has spent many nights in a hotel bed!

Empathy: Rick's Family totally gets it. Thank you Hunter, Ronald Chadwick, and Contessa Vanessa (Marlene).

My Barbeque Fans & Foodies: It's not only me who's obsessed.

• Member bullet3006 (Wes) and I reminisce about my childhood favorite, Piggie Park BBQ.
• cnelson (Craig) says barbeque is not so good up in Maine.
• William Thiessen (Bill) suggested a barbeque restaurant in Longview, named Bodacious Barbeque!  
• techsteven (Steve) says Sticky Fingers is a must.
• The community even has a member named BarbequeBear.

Special Thanks To: Mikey, Jenni, Neal, Cassandra, Anil, Angela, Ronald, Marlene, and Daniel for all of your support, ideas, encouragement and kindness.  Visit Anil's blog at www.foxnomad.com

A Little About Me

Keep Up The Good Work Everyone! Thanks to All. Keep Traveling. Keep Sharing.....

Copyright © 2009 Amanda Kehoe

I Survived: My Scary Experience With Atlanta's Torrential Downpour

Some of you may be aware that earlier this week Georgia and parts of the Southeast have recently experienced heavy rains and tremendous flooding. President Obama recently issued  a federal disaster declaration to parts of the state. It is estimated that Georgia's total damage is close to $250 million. This declaration allows federal assistance from the government's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Individuals can receive grants to help cover disaster related expenses. Those without flood insurance, specifically, residents and businesses, will have low-interest loans made available to them as a result of the damage. As of Thursday, only eight counties have been declared a federal disaster. Many more areas affected by the storm are wondering why they did not make the list.

Rainfall was officially reported to have drenched the city with up to 20 inches in some spots and shut down portions of major highways, state roads, and claimed the lives of 9 people. With even more rain coming this weekend, Vice President Biden toured Atlanta today to see the devastation first hand and meet families affected by the floods. Vice President Biden promised a timely response from the government and likened the loss of homes and severe damage to Hurricane Katrina. "It is not Katrina in its scope by any stretch of the imagination, but the impact on their lives, on your lives, we understand it is Katrina," he stated.

The flood is being called the "500 year flood" because of the probability of it happening is so rare.  Fortunately, my house was one of the few in my neighborhood that avoided a fallen tree. See the pictures below of what I was up against. We did avoid the 50+ pound falling tree limb "spear" with a sharpened end; barely! The "spear" or tree limb from a 50 foot Red Oak catapulted to the ground resulting in a large hole and caused the house to rattle in the middle of the night. Unlike many others, I am fortunate to have avoided a more serious incident. With a new storm brewing, I am fearful and hope I will be as lucky. Will you please consider donating to help in the recovery of Atlanta?

The 50 Pound Limb That Started It All

The Deep Hole Caused By The Falling Tree Limb (aka The "Spear")

What I'm Up Against: More 50 Foot Trees On My Property

      Copyright © 2009 Amanda Kehoe                  

Links: See the Flood Damage to Atlanta, Georgia

The New York Times Article

Video of Vice President Joe Biden Touring Damage on Friday, September 25, 2009

24 Aerial Photos of the Devastation Including Major Flooding to Highways

A Fellow Blogger, Jeff Masters, Writes About The Heavy Rains Hitting Georgia

Video Tour of A Flooded Home in Atlanta

Links to Donate Online: Help the Victims of Atlanta

The Greatest Need: Monetary Donations, Food Banks, Tools

Hosea Feed The Hungry: Desperately Needs Monetary Donations

Atlanta Tool Bank: Needs Donations to Purchase Tools to Assist in Clean-Up

Must Ministries: Food & Clothing Distributed To Victims

United Way of Atlanta: Support Atlanta's First Responders

Suggestions on Ways to Donate to Victims

New Orleans Resident, Tess Conrad Encourages Donation for Atlanta Victims

The Metro Atlanta Chapter of the American Red Cross Desperately Needs Your Help. Donate Now!

The Emotions and Feelings: Visiting My Grandparents

Visiting my grandparents has become increasingly difficult for me. This weekend I took a trip to North Carolina to visit them. It was my first time seeing the two of them since Christmas Day in 2008. Since the holidays, they have moved from independent senior living housing to more specialized care. I was putting off the visit because I did not want to see what nine months could do.

Currently, my grandparents are cared for in seperate facilities. My grandmother is dealing with dementia while my grandfather is recovering from a recent surgery. They have been married for more than 60 years. After arriving in North Carolina,  I headed to see my grandmother first before her 6pm dinner time. My aunt helped prepare me for the visit by offering encouraging words and love. She knew it would be hard for me to hold back the tears. I tried to be strong and not cry; but I did, and it helped me deal with my emotions. My grandmother didn't notice a tear between the kisses, smiles, laughter, and love. Some days can be worse for patients with dementia but "Gigi" was having a great day. She was calm and seemed so happy to see her oldest grandaughter.

After spending time with Gigi, my aunt and I decided to take her the 2 mile trip to see her husband, my grandfather ("Didi"). As I followed behind in the car, I was unsure how the visit would unfold with my grandfather. Could I bear to see my mentor not his usual self? As we arrived and wheeled Gigi inside his room, the nurse was preparing Didi for a good night's rest. We caught him just before the lights went out. His grunts and facial expressions conveyed the amount of pain he was in. It broke my heart; but when Gigi wheeled to his bedside and he grabbed her hand, I could not help but smile. A symbol of love. A symbol of friendship. A symbol of a marriage that has withstood 60 years. That is what I will remember this Labor Day 2009.

I love you Gigi and Didi. You will always be my heroes....

Travel to Dubai on a Budget

I have received numerous emails from my blog readers asking about my travels to Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The top 3 questions I receive:

1. "How can I afford a trip to Dubai?"        

2. "Where did you stay and what did you do in Dubai?              

3. "How much did it cost you to visit the country?"                        

First let me say that traveling to Dubai is possible on a budget and I will share with you the ins and outs of planning a frugal trip to the UAE. I planned and researched everything available to me almost a year before the trip. I know I hear you saying, "But Dubai is known for glitz and glamour, tall buildings, wealthy tourists and luxury shopping."  I'll be completely honest with you, at times, I wasn't sure how I would afford anything. Traveling in luxury is how I roll and I wasn't about to budge on anything related to this trip. The week and a half vacation ended up costing us a whopping, $10,000 USD.

I am going to show you how to take the same trip and pay much much less. I will teach you how to experience the big luxuries in Dubai on a shoestring budget.

The Las Vegas of the Middle East

Dubai: "Las Vegas with no casinos."  Dubai is banking on worldwide luxury tourism, real estate, and its ability to attract commerical companies to stay alive as profits from its oil industry dry up. To accomplish this mission, Dubai desires to build the best of everything. It is a city of extreme excess surrounded by the tallest buildings and the biggest shopping malls in the world. At the end of next year, Dubai will have the longest automated rail system ever built. One cannot forget that Dubai also lies in the middle of the Arabian Desert which allows travelers to experience the vast playground the desert offers.

Flights to Dubai

Flying to the United Arab Emirates can be the most expensive part of the trip. Flying from the United States is one of the cheaper options. Atlanta has a non-stop flight to Dubai and has been offered by Delta Airlines for as little as $750-1300 per person for a round trip coach class ticket. For a 7,000 mile international trip, the price cannnot be beat.

Tips for finding a deal on flights:

1. Travel agents have databases such as Worldspan to find seats on sale. The best fares are not available to airline agents. If you find a fare code , give that code to the airline agent. However, these codes do not work with online purchases. Travelocity has a partnership with InterContinental.

2. Always be flexible on your travel dates and travel times if possible and learn price patterns on flights to Dubai.

3. Dubai does not really have an off season but flights tend to be cheaper when it is the hottest in the city. Avoid end of June, July, and August as you might get a cheaper rate but you will be miserable from the heat. March and the beginning of April are great times to visit and still get a reasonable flight fare.

4. If it is worth it to you, use your airline miles to fly even if you only have enough points for one person. There is no reason to hang onto airline points anymore.

Accomodations                                                                               

InterContinental uses the Travelocity booking platform so you will have access to IHG's rates and package deals. There are several IHG options for accomodations. The InterContinental Dubai and Crowne Plaza are both in an area of Dubai called Festival City and the 4 star Holiday Inn Dubai is in downtown Dubai. There are 6 other Holiday Inns further away from the city as well. The first three I listed are newly built, close to the current Dubai International Airport and are excellent luxury options. Using points will cost a minimum of 15,000 Priority Club reward points per night. One night in the Holiday Inn Dubai Downtown costs approximately $200USD/145 EURO night and InterContinental will set you back $281USD/195EURO. The Holiday Inn Express in Jumeriah (near the beach & the Burj Al Arab hotel) is a minimal $90USD/65EURO and is an excellent option when trying to stay on a budget. I stayed at the Burj Al Arab, Al Maha Desert Resort, and the InterContinental Dubai Festival City. The Burj Al Arab ($2,000+/night) and Al Maha ($1,500+/night) were the only paid nights but are not in the "Dubai budget plan."

Activities/Dining

This is an area that one can save tons of money while in Dubai. Instead of staying at the Burj Al Arab hotel, make a reservation for dinner at one of its restaurants so you gain access to the gated island, explore the lobby, and enjoy your many photo opportunities in the hotel. Lunch and other dinners can be eaten at McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken (very popular in Dubai), and other cheap eateries. I have made it a tradition to eat at international McDonald's around the world. To save the most money, limit your fine dining to one place during your stay. Carrying around snackbars from home can postpone hunger pains too. Don't buget more than 100 dollars a day for food on days you do not have fine dining reservations. Avoid spending money on alcohol; you will save tons of money!

Staying at the Al Maha Desert Resort afforded me the opportunity to participate in the popular desert activities as the resort exclusively runs desert activities for its guests. Don't let your budget allow you to miss the fun desert activities such as camel riding, dune bashing, belly dancing, and falconry.  Arabian Adventures is the best and most popular tour operator in Dubai that allows travelers without desert accomodations to still take part in desert fun. The tour company provides transportation to and from many Dubai hotels. The drive is 45 miles from Dubai's city center so free transportation is a good deal.

There are plenty of things to do in the city. Plan a free visit to the Jumeirah Mosque to experience Muslim culture. Take a very cheap ride on the Dubai Creek in an Abra (boat). Transportation on the creek is run by the government. Browse the souks (markets) in Dubai. The Gold Souk is very popular and is located in Deira. Visit the famous malls to buy a few low cost items to bring back home with you. The InterContinental has a huge shopping mall attached to the hotel. Try to visit the poor areas of Dubai like the town of Deira to people watch and take photos. As any place, Dubai has non wealthy areas known as the slums. The indoor skiing area inside the Mall of Emirates is very cheap. Known as Ski Dubai, one can ski indoors for less than $50USD.

Transportation

Taxis in Dubai are economical and a must. Taxi cab drivers speak English, drive well kept vehicles, and know every location. Taxi cabs are regulated by the government and are metered. Cabs are air conditioned, clean, and drivers do not take advantage of tourists. A 20-minute ride costs approximately five dollars. Since roads and highways are crowded, non locals should not attemp to drive. Combine activities in the same area to the same day to keep transportation costs lower. When leaving your home, avoid airport parking costs by having a friend provide transportation.

Is Dubai over the top? Yes. Enjoy a taste of the luxuries without a lot of money. Can you enjoy my $10,000 trip for a quarter of the price or less AND experience many of the same things? Sure you can! Enjoy your trip of a lifetime

Free: Explore inside & around hotel, visit the Jumeirah Mosque, visit the site of the tallest building in the world, and people watch at the Mall of Emirates. Browsing shopping areas are free too- if you can resist not splurging.

Cheap: Make a dinner reservation to gain access to the Burj Al Arab hotel, the seven star hotel in the shape of a sailboat. Use the regulated taxi transportation system to get around.

Don't forget to prepare for your trip using my safety planning system in "What's the worst that can happen?" blog post. Learn my tips on how to travel green.

Contact me: AmandaKehoe@att.net for more infomation. Links and Rates subject to expire or change.

What's the worst that can happen? The "Before"

                                                                                Copyright © 2009 Amanda Kehoe

As an American traveler-- human rights abroad, environmental precautions, cultural travel, and safety are a few things I view as important as I travel within my country & travel to other parts of the world.  As a worldwide hotel brand, the InterContinental Hotels group (IHG) recognizes that safety will be an increasing concern in the hospitality industry.  Any hotel should & be able to provide as much security as we want.  However, the individual traveler is also responsible for keeping his or herself safe when traveling, especially in new countries.  The recent tragedies in Mumbai and Jakarta have only increased the need to talk about safety and how to best prepare oneself when traveling.

I will spare you the details of what the hotel industry and IHG currently does to protect travelers. I am sure most of you are aware that hotels utilize many avenues to protect themselves & provide safety to consumers. Risk management, loss prevention, employee training are just a few areas that tie into security as a whole. As business and leisure travelers, we must take measures to protect ourselves and our fellow travelers as we are responsible for our safety.

I want to share a few tips that I practice to ensure my safety as I travel. I know that some of you will find at least one thing that you can implement on your next trip and plenty of things you may want to add. It is important to tell IHG and the hotel industry what we as travelers deem important with regards to our safety. Hotels do respond to important safety concerns brought up by the traveling public.

Personal step by step security preparation I use when traveling outside my country:

1. Prepare notebook to give to a trusted person

Use 1/2 inch 3-ring binder with pockets; take additional notebook with you on trip

        Page 1: "Emergency Contacts" with home address, phone number, each traveler's mobile phone number, family contacts, and neigbors listed for notebook holder to use

        Page 2: Detailed "Daily itinerary" with appropriate hotel name, activities planned, approximate transportation transfer times, hotel arrival times, check-out times, flight numbers and schedule

        Page 3: "Important Numbers" with address & phone number of any airline, hotel, company, or person I plan to come in contact with

        Page 4: "Time Zones" listed so people know what time it is in the country I am visiting

        Page 5: "Copy of Flight Itinerary"

        Page 6:  Copy of passports

        Page 7:  Copy of health insurance card and drivers license

        Page 8:  Copy of personal business card

        Page 9:  Medical contacts and list current medications and allergies

        Page 10: Copy of credit card issuers and phone numbers

        Additional Pages: Information regarding loyalty cards, travel insurance, nearby hospitals & police, maps

2.  Email digital versions of documents to family & friends

3.  Review travel warnings regarding place of travel

4.  Get additional vaccinations suggested or required for place of travel

5.  Research security related material on travel destination-see # 12

6.  Prepare house for travel (safety-related)

        a. set automatic light timers

        b. notify security alarm company of vacation dates

        c. plan someone to pick-up newspaper from driveway, pick-up packages, water plants, and pick up mail from mailbox

        d. test fire alarms that are linked to alarm company

        e. cancel house related appointments that interfere with vacation

7.  Call credit card issuer to alert credit card security department of international travel

8.  Prepare mobile phone for international travel calls in country visiting

9.  Email hotel concierge or other hotel personal contact with flight numbers and approximate arrival times. I request a personal call to mobile phone  if I have not arrived within 2 hours of confirmed airplane arrival

10. Print or write name, flight number, & final destination location and place in every piece of luggage

11. Prepare seperate notebook with similar information to accompany me on the trip

12. Get doctor to produce & sign letter documenting ailments and prescription drugs currently taking to allow border crossing

13. Review general fire and airplane safety procedures

14. Document items taking on triptake pictures if needed and know value of items

15. Learn how to get any travel documents replaced

16. Prepare a plan for personal items including money that may be stolen, misplaced, or lost

RESEARCH

• travel insurance needs
• protection benefits offered by credit card issuer
• overseas medical benefits that you qualify for
• health related system for destination country
• how to reach emergency personnel
• social customs-how not to offend others, respect boundaries, and dress appropriately
• how destination country views my nationality
• common tourist crimes
• warnings, thoughts, ideas from travelers who have visited country recently
• what laws are practiced in visiting country
• what medications, supplements, and items that are NOT allowed to enter country

Help for executing your safety plan

Though many sites listed apply to US citizens and those that travel to the US, please adapt ideas to the country where you reside. Below I have grouped ideas & links so that you can read what may be of interest to you:

Basic Hotel and Personal Safety Guidelines

• Safety tips: provided by the American Hotel & Lodging Association: These are tips in PDF format that are usually posted on hotel doors and include the most common guest safety tips
• Personal Security Tips: Detailed security tips for Americans and any other nationality
• Essentials for visiting or living overseas: other documents to possibly include in travel notebook
• Travel Advice: provided by ABTA of London in a PDF document

United State Government sites that must be utilized as you travel abroad or to the United States

• US Homeland Security : security level information & crossing US borders
• US Custom & Border Protection: what does the law say about entering into the US-- documentation, gifts, paperwork, & identification are a few topics
• Centers for Disease Control: obtain health information for 200 international destinations including vaccination needs, insects & diseases, and warnings for any type of traveler
• US State Department Travel: obtain travel warnings, alerts, worlwide terrorism information and country specific information. Apply for a US passport
• US Travel Registration: register your trip at the US Embassy or Consulate in the country where you will be visiting
• US Transportation Security Administration: safety initiatives, warnings, aiport information, 3-1-1 liquid rule, traveling with disabilities, traveling with children

United Kingdom Government and other sites that can be utilized as you travel abroad or to the UK

• UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office: security travel information for the UK resident-one stop travel security source
• UK Travel Registration: register your trip using LOCATE, consular information
• Find an Embassy: embassy, high commissions, and diplomatic post locator
• HM Revune & Customs: buying or bringing goods abroad
• Civil Aviation Authority: regulates UK airlines, passenger rights in UK, tips on complaining
• Consumer Direct: general consumer advice funded by UK government that may help with travel, travel security, & other issues
• UK Commonwealth Office Terrorism Info: what you need to know about international terrorism
• UK Food Imports: check here for crossing UK border with food, use the handy checker for exact list
• Directgov: obtain passport services, air travel info, roadway safety in the UK. Great source for UK residents & travelers to United Kingdom

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG)

• IHG's Responsibilities & Commitments: to guests, safety, and employees
• Brad Bonnell's Security Statement: after Mumbai attacks. Brad Bonnell is the Director of Global Security for IHG

CROWNE PLAZA: The Place To Meet and Sleep!

If you are like me, the first night in a hotel can be met with tossing and turning, waking up several times through the night, adjusting pillows, and yanking covers off. Our bodies and backs; for that matter, are thrown off when we switch sleeping environments and sleep on a different mattress. Sleep is such an important aspect of staying healthy and keeping us in a pleasant mood. "Isn't the best part of vacation, catching up on sleep?"

    Hotels have been trying to one up each other for years. The "bed wars" has given us:

• 'Heavenly bed' from Westin,
• the Marriott Bed,
• Ritz Carlton linens and mattresses for sale,                          
• Sheraton's Sweet Sleeper bed,
• the Fairmont's Gold bedding,
• 'pillow menus,' and not to be outdone,
• a 'sleep concierge.' 

To keep up, the hotel industry is constantly upgrading their pillows, mattresses, linens not only to be easy on the eye; but, most importantly, to keep our backs happy and offer us a comfortable stay in hopes that we return.

On a side note, the Simmons Bedding Co. has jumped on board and developed products specifically designed and marketed for hotels to extend the life and comfort of their mattresses.

Introduced in the US in 2004, Crowne Plaza offers the Crowne Plaza Sleep Advantage Program in locations within the United States.  With comfortable new beds, quiet-zone floors, and sleep amenities, it's hard to resist!  Each bed comes with 7 pillows, a soft duvet, and luxury sheets. Sunday through Thursdays, designated quiet floors are ideal for the business traveler. Crowne Plaza offers sleep amentities such as eye masks, earplugs, nightlights, and a heavy duty clip to keep the drapes closed. One may also purchase Crowne Plaza's bedding, pillows, bath items, lavender spray, and sleep CD through the CP store. To view or purchase Holiday Inn's 'Simply Smart' bedding, Kohler 'Stay Smart' showerhead, bath items, branded merchandise, and even the cinnamon rolls visit this link.

                           TRICKS TO REMEMBER TO HAVE YOUR NEXT HOTEL NIGHT BE A SLEEP SUCCESS

• Take full advantage of an opportunity to stay in Crowne Plazas to experience the Sleep Advantage Program..
• Ask for a quiet room away from elevator shaft and preferably towards the end of the hallway. I can't stand to hear people walking by late at night or early mornings...immediately hang the 'do not disturb sign' on the door....
• Wear a sleepmask or clip curtains/drapes to stay together
• If you arrive at a hotel and your bed is not comfortable; ask hotel to move you to a room with a newer bed
• If arriving late in the evening near bedtime, send an email to hotel staff to have housekeeping adjust the temperature of your room..
• Turn volume off on hotel phone or tell front desk to not forward calls to your room
• If pool noise late at night, loud hotel patrons, etc seem to be a bother; don't hesistate discussing it with a staff member...
• 'Pillow Menus' are becoming slowly more popular. Feel free to try different types until you find the perfect pillow and be confident to ask for as many as you need....

   Copyright ©  2009 Amanda Kehoe

                                                 My very first experience with the "Pillow Menu"

How have your experiences been at Crowne Plazas with the Sleep Advantage Program? Any favorites? How would you rate the overall comfort level? Has anyone stayed on a Crowne Plaza's quiet floor? Was it in fact, quiet?

I look forward hearing your thoughts regarding CP's Sleep Advantage Program

Many travelers desire to travel in style and luxury. A hotel room with a view of a city, park, water, etc is perfect for me. Often this means paying a little extra for the higher floor or the wonderful city view. I find the extra cost 100% well worth it. To determine this, I often visit tripadvisor.com to view other traveler's pictures of their stays and hotel pictures. I have stayed in many hotels with priceless views. It's not always easy to convince who I am traveling with that it is worth the splurge. He will often say, "but we will not be in the hotel the entire day, so why does it matter?" Traveling means not just a great room with all the amenities including the view; but, the adventure activities outside the hotel, culture seeking, and the food. The way a hotel "feels" allows me to relax and truly enjoy all aspects of my trip.

If staying in a room with a view is just not that important or worth the extra splurge, there are many hotels in the InterContinental group that have view that can be enjoyed by all. Some hotels may have a restaurant/bar with a picture perfect skyline view from the lobby or a special romantic spot seen from a stroll up to the fifth floor. Even better, some hotels ONLY have that picture perfect view..no bad view to speak of...

If that room your eyeing with a view is out of budget, try politely requesting a higher floor or special view. You might be surprised. It's not just the InterContinental's with the view. Below is a perfect downtown view of Calgary from my 9th floor balcony of a Holiday Inn!

Copyright © 2009 Amanda Kehoe

A few of my favorite IHG hotels with views: Please feel to add your own!

InterContinental Dubai Festival City: Water & City view

Crowne Plaza Dubai Festival City: Water & City view

InterContinental Paris-Le Grand: Opera House views

InterContinental San Francisco USA and Holiday Inn Golden Gateway : Bay & city views

InterContinental Boston USA: Harbor views

InterContinental Sydney: Opera House views

Holiday Inn Express Astoria, Oregon USA: Water view/Riverfront

Holiday Inn Liege Belgium: Water view/Riverfront

Holiday Inn Kunming China: Offers a great view from the top floor restaurant of the city

Holiday Inn Sofia Bulgaria: Mountain views

Holiday Inn Mexico City: City views/ Zocalo

InterContinental Le Moana Bora Bora: Bungalow on the water

Holiday Inn Express Quito, Ecuador: Soundproof windows w/ views of City, Rooftop Gym with Views

InterContinental Tampa USA: Rooftop pool, need I say more?

InterContinental Hanoi, Vietnam: Water View/ Lake with BALCONIES!!!!

Most of us keep our favorite Website links bookmarked for future viewing. I am a "bookmark junkie" and have been accumulating interesting bookmarks for years; sometimes not in my usual orderly fashion. 

I recently did what I call, "computer housekeeping" and found links that have benefited me. I thought I would share them collectively for your use.

Enjoy!

Business

Creativebits: Cool Business Card Designs

*A great collection of creative business cards.

*How bout the perforated divorce lawyer business card? Great!

Business Cards on Flickr

Over 900 photos with the design company and/or artist source listed from Flickr member, dailypoetics.

Travel

How to Complain

Tips from the Washington Post on how to complain in the travel industry.

Luxury Plastic

Forbes list of the most exclusive credit-card reward programs.

Photos of Hotel Rooms all over the world

Tripadvisor has the best photos of hotel rooms provided by travelers like all of us. See my hometown, Atlanta; photos of the InterContinental Buckhead, Atlanta.

Spot Satellite

For the hikers and adventure travelers in all of us.

Travel Adaptor and Converter

Hammacher Schlemmer's 150 Country travel adaptor & converter. My must have for when I am traveling internationally and need to charge my cell phone and plug in my flat iron. Tip: Most InterContinental brand hotels will have at least one converter available at the front desk.

Air Travel

Seat Guru

Shows the pros and cons of your particular seat choice on most airlines.

Watch Dog

Alerts you by email to lower airfares and hidden fare reductions. Follow the Airfare WatchBlog.

InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG)

Learn more about IHG's Ambassador Program

"It’s how the well-travelled travel."

InterContinental Hotel Group CORPORATE website

Since I am an "InterContinental Brand Advocate" and am truly loyal and support the brand, the corporate website has the latest updates for employees and feel free to learn in greater depth about the brands IHG represents. Somethings one may do through the site: leave feedback about a hotel stay, see top awards given to IHG, and learn the values of the company.

Luggage

Tumi Luggage

*Top "International brand of luxury travel, business and lifestyle luggage and accessories."

*Top rated luggage by Consumer Reports as of September 2008

*The luggage brand I exclusively carry during all of my travels in addition to my Louis Vuitton luggage pieces.

See my "luggage brigade" by visiting my blog post, "Luggage Heavy? Tools To Help You Travel Light."

Luggage Tracker

Tumi offers a trace program with the purchase of luggage; however, if you own another brand without this technology the Trace Me Luggage Tracker is the answer.

Entertainment

Consumer Reports

*The leading "Expert, Independent, & Nonprofit trusted source of information and advice on consumer products and services"

*Includes tips, ratings, and reports on everything from Automobiles to Washing Machines.

*I am a online and print subscriber.

*Join for $26.00 USD per year, or $5.95 USD per month.

Tourist Remover Software

Remove tourists of random other unwanted stuff from your travel photos.

SmugMug

Where I store my photos on my own personal website, including much of my travel and personal life. If you would like my site URL, please send me an email.

I, Amanda Kehoe and the InterContinental Hotels Group are not affiliated in any capacity with the above websites, excluding the links: "Learn more about the IHG's Ambassador Program," and the "InterContinental Hotel Group CORPORATE website."