when to book hotels - now or later?

Clients have frequently asked me whether they should book their hotel room now ... or wait in the hopes that room rates will go down. The answer to this question is easy: book now.

Like the airlines, many hotels often use dynamic pricing when determining room rates. If a hotel fills up, rates can go up. If a hotel remains empty, rates can go down. However, hotel reservations, unlike airline tickets, are usually flexible. If you book a room today - and rates go down in the future - it's an easy matter to get your rate revised.

Moral of the story: book your hotel rooms as soon as possible. If all that's required is a credit card guarantee, it's a no-brainer. If rates go up, you've locked in the lower rate. If rates go down, you can get your rate lowered - as often as you like!

And another tip ... you can get complimentary amenities at over 800 luxury hotels and resorts (such as the Four Seasons Langkawi, pictured above) by booking through a Virtuoso travel consultant - free breakfasts daily, room upgrades, and other perks - all at the same price you'd pay on the internet.


Virtuoso travel consultant (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2010 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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$167 per night at Four Seasons Punta Mita

Four Seasons Punta Mita has just announced two special promotions. Book a Garden view Casita at $415 + tax per night and receive a $150 resort credit per night that can be applied to your room charge. As rates begin at just $415 + tax per night for a Garden View Casita, you'll spend just $265 + tax per night for the legendary luxury and service for which Four Seasons is renowned.

And to sweeten the deal even more, my clients receive the following Four Seasons Preferred Partner amenities:

• a free daily Full American Breakfast for two through in-Room Dining or in the hotel restaurant (including buffets)
• one lunch for two during your stay (up to $85 value)
• a one-category upgrade, if available at time of check-in

Add in the value of the free meals, and your net cost comes to just $167 per night. This is an incomparable value for a summer vacation at Four Seasons Punta Mita, one of the world's most most special resorts. (Or, for higher priced rooms, you might compare the value of the Third Night Free promotion, available if you book by June 25).

Click here to request complete information with no obligation. A two night deposit of room + tax is required at time of booking, completely refundable if cancelled outside the 30 day deadline.


Four Seasons Punta Mita (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2010 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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summer trip to Europe

Despite the eruptions of the Eyjafjallajokull Vocano, this is an ideal time to consider a trip to Europe. The dollar has not been this strong in a long time (1 EUR = $1.22), and fears of a flight-cancelling volcanic eruption have caused many travelers to look elsewhere this summer - meaning less crowds and luxury hotel bargains - which is exactly why Europe can be an especially good value right now.

Just protect yourself with an inexpensive travel insurance policy from Travelex. Their policies cover cancellations and trip interruptions due to eruptions of the volcano in Iceland; see the Travelex website for their full terms and conditions.

Europe is full of picturesque towns and villages (such as St. Emilion in the Bordeaux wine region, pictured above). Explore European culture and history, enjoy gourmet food and wine, visit some of the world's greatest museums, and spend the evening in exquisite luxury hotels such as Le Meurice or the Four Seasons George V in Paris. For the best values (including complimentary daily breakfasts and other perks), simply book through a Virtuoso luxury travel consultant.

trip to Europe (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2010 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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traveling with your computer

I rarely travel without my MacBook Air, but even though it is light (just 3.5 pounds), I still have to lug it through airports and onto planes. Like all of you, we each have our own strategy for dealing with mobile technology while on the road. Up until now, I have placed my MacBook Air in an Incase sleeve (which provides padded protection) and carried it in my Eagle Creek carryon along with my reading material, Bose headphones, pens and pencils, iPhone, and occasionally some spare underwear. While this solution is practical, all that weight still gets carried on my shoulder through the airport.

So when I was offered the chance to review Office Depot's new ATIVA Mobil-IT collection, I jumped at the opportunity. I received an Ativa Rolling Backpack review model several days later. Weighing about 8 pounds, it feels very sturdy. Constructed of black ballistic nylon, the case has no less than ten exterior zippered compartments (with some interior zippered compartments as well) that will appeal to well-organized business professionals who want a designated place in their bag for everything. Measuring 18" high by 10" wide by almost 7.5" deep, the rolling backpack provides padded storage for your notebook computer; the largest compartment can hold several days' worth of clothing. The zippered pocket in the very front is an organizer's dream with labeled storage areas for a cell phone, digital camera, iPod, Bluetooth, and business cards (as well as a ring on which to attach your keys). Oh, and most importantly, it has two wheels and a handle by which to roll the bag through the airport.

You can win one of the bags for yourself with Office Depot's Technology Apology contest which launches June 21. More information is available at the Technology Apology website.


copyright (c) 2010 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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a slideshow from Norway

These photographs were taken during my recent trip to Norway. Set to the music of Edward Grieg, a Norwegian composer, the combination of sight and sound reflect something of scenic beauty of this amazing country.

The trip I participated in was organized by The Travel Designer, a hopefully soon-to-be Virtuoso onsite headquartered in Bergen, Norway. Contact your Virtuoso travel consultant for a custom-designed trip to Norway.


Virtuoso travel consultant (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2010 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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Norway | extreme sports

It must be the Viking spirit that still permeates Norwegian culture, but like Queenstown, NZ, Norway is home to a lot of extreme sports fanatics.

In the attached video, you will see one of the participants on our Norway FAM trip on a tandem skydive. A total of three of us jumped out of perfectly good airplanes, and another agent participated in tandem paragliding. Me? I never made it above ground! But if you'd like to explore extreme sports travel in Norway, I've got the contacts.


extreme sports travel (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2010 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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Juvet | view with a room

Some travelers want a room with a view, but Juvet Landscape Hotel (Juvet Landskapshotell) goes far beyond that. I call it a "view with a room."

We met Juvet's owner, Knut Slinning, during our site inspection of this property in Gudbrandsjuvet, Norway. Knut, a passionate outdoorsman and environmentalist, made his fortune in real estate and conceived of this project as a way to give something back. The property is designed to have near-zero environmental impact. The seven rooms are not especially large, nor are the furnishings especially plush. The design is all about letting in the view. Glass windows, stretching from floor to ceiling and from wall to wall, open onto a mountain stream, a forest, and a snowcapped mountain as a backdrop.

Juvet offers what Knut calls the Norwegian Big Five: (1) winter sports, (2) hikes, and (3) rafting provided in a (4) wilderness camp set in a (5) world heritage site. The hotel also has a spa with similar views where you can sit in a steam room or enjoy a massage in the midst of a beautiful natural setting.



Juvet (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2010 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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sometimes it's all about the journey

Today was "just" a traveling day, but often those are the best days of any trip. We left the small village of Kalvaag this morning and began our drive to Aalesund. A journey of four to five hours, we used three different ferries to cross fjords along the way.

The scenery was spectacular. We drove along fjords with snow-covered mountains rising on either side. We crossed some mountains through tunnels while going up and over others. The weather changed constantly; we encountered occasional snow showers when at altitude, then came back down to a sunshine-filled valley (see the actual image I'm describing below). It seemed that every turn brought a new vision of natural beauty to our eyes.



In addition to the journey, we did site inspections of two rather unique hotels. Storfjord Hotel is a superb luxury lodge, comparable in its atmosphere to some of New Zealand's luxury lodges — but much more reasonably priced. This property was crafted over the course of 2 1/2 years using only hand-hewned logs and boards. The property's lobby and dining room look out onto the fjord, and each of the six guest rooms is beautifully decorated with a scenic view from the windows. The lodge will be expanded significantly, but it will still remain an intimate boutique hotel. I would recommend this property to my clients without hesitation.

We are spending the night at Hotel Brosundet in downtown Aalesund (population about 45,000). An old warehouse by the river has been transformed by its owners into a luxury hotel with a very funky style. A mixture of rustic and contemporary, the property features floors made of the original wide wooden planks of the warehouse, while the ceilings expose the building's original wooden beams. The furnishings are modern but comfortable, and the frosted green glass-enclosed bathroom of my Junior Suite (an "02" room) has a great rain shower, a deep soaking tub, but only a single vanity (Bulgari amenities). The hotel's hallways use dark carpeting and dark painted walls that remind me of the Gramercy Park Hotel in New York; they create a subdued and relaxed feeling that guests will experience as they walk to their rooms. I would recommend that most clients book a Jr. Suite as the regular guest rooms are on the small side.


copyright (c) 2010 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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deep sea fishing

We left Opera Farm bright and early this morning in order to catch a scheduled ferry departure to Froya Island. I was struck by the charm of the picturesque village of Kalvaag (see below).


After checking into the Knultholmen Resort, a pleasant three-to-four star property, we enjoyed a seafood lunch (cod and salmon) in their restaurant. Although the guest rooms are simple, they are quite clean and comfortable. Heading out out to sea after lunch, we stopped at a tiny island that is home to an elderly couple who live there all by themselves - a fascinating opportunity to meet a couple with a unique story and lifestyle.

On the way back to Kalvaag, we went deep sea fishing, catching quite a few cod and bringing up lobsters and crabs in previously placed lobster nets. Our meal last evening was a seafood feast — lobster, crab legs, sea scallops, langostinos, and crayfish. Located in the middle of nowhere, this restaurant is a real winner!

Tomorrow our trip takes us to the Art Nouveau town of Aalesund.


copyright (c) 2010 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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the lighthouse at Utvaer

We left Hotel Marin early Sunday morning. Driven to the harbor, we boarded the boat that would take us westward from Bergen and then up the coast to the north. The small island of Utvaer is the western-most point of Norway and features a tiny little village and an impressive red lighthouse (see the picture above). There is only one permanent resident of the island who operates the lighthouse; must be a lonely job!

Interesting story about this lighthouse. The British bombed the top of it during World War II in order to deprive the Nazis of the navigational beacon atop the lighthouse; it was restored after the war. Our guide from The Travel Designer, Christine, had a key to let us climb to the top of the 31 meter lighthouse, and we also enjoyed a hot lunch on the island - salmon, cod, potato salad, and a wonderful dessert, all of which were prepared in advance by Christine.

Back on the boat, we continued heading north, eventually entering the Dalsfjord (see the twin waterfalls casdading down the cliffs). The end of today's journey was at the Opera Farm, a very cute and wonderfully maintained home that is now a small inn. Tiny bedrooms and baths, but if you're looking for charm and a wonderful dinner (including the best chocolate cake I have ever eaten), this would be an interesting place to stay. During the summer months, they put on live opera recitals in the barn - a most unique setting!


copyright (c) 2010 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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the harbor in Bergen, Norway

It doesn't get dark in Bergen, Norway in May. Technically, sunset will be around 9:30 p.m. tonight, but the sun will just dip below the horizon — it won't get dark. [Update: woke up briefly at 4 a.m. and it was dark outside.] This picture of the scenic harbor in Bergen was taken at 8:09 p.m. Travel photography is one of my passions, so I went out after dinner to take advantage of the beautiful "afternoon" sun!

So my Norway trip has now officially begun. I'm in my room at First Hotel Marin, a nice four-star hotel with high ceilings, hardwood floors, and a view overlooking the marina. Jetlag has struck. My body is very confused, having being displaced by nine time zones, needing some good sleep after spending last night on an airplane. The solution is to pull the curtains, take a sleeping pill, and hopefully get a full night's sleep.

Much more to come...


copyright (c) 2010 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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visit Norway | scenic fjords

Norway has always been on the short list of countries I have wanted to visit. I'm flying to Bergen this Thursday (if the volcano gods in Iceland cooperate) and am especially looking forward to experiencing the fjords, glaciers, mountains, and picturesque towns of this Scandinavian country.

Why my fascination with Norway? My grandparents were world travelers, from whom I have inherited my love of travel. Every six months or so, they would travel to some exotic destination, and when they came back, my grandfather would give us a slide show of the trip. His one photograph that I remember most vividly was taken from the deck of a cruise ship sailing into one of Norway's fjords — and so I have always wanted to visit Norway!

Here's a map of our itinerary put together by a Virtuoso onsite in Bergen, The Travel Designer. They have promised to "take you to places only the locals know about, and that even Norwegians dream of seeing and experiencing. You will meet local people and interact with them, and we have great focus on local, high quality food made from scratch." I'll post reports right here from Norway!

View my Norway itinerary in a larger map


visit Norway (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2010 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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