holiday wishes

Whether your holiday plans are taking you to the mountains to ski, to a tropical beach to soak up the sun ... or you're staying home for the holidays ... I hope you enjoy this time with family and friends.

Family and travel are two of the most important things in life. Travel expands our horizons, brings us in touch with the incredible panoply of human diversity, and allows us to enjoy sights, sounds, and flavors we would never otherwise experience. But even after the best trip, it's always wonderful get back home again.

So wherever you find yourself this year on Christmas, I wish you love, health, and warmth.

David


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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why you need travel insurance

A snow plough clears the taxi ways after heavy snowfall at Heathrow Airport, London, Saturday Dec. 18, 2010. (AP / PA, Steve Parsons)

The phone rang early on Saturday morning. My friend Lauren was calling on behalf of her friend John. He was ticketed on a British Airways flight to London Heathrow that afternoon — and onto India the next morning. John's flight to London had been cancelled. BA's phone lines were tied up, and he couldn't get through. In fact, Heathrow was closed down entirely because of heavy snow, and thousands similarly distressed travelers were all trying to contact their airlines.

Was there anything I could do to help? As I don't book air, I referred John to a colleague who did. When you can't get through to the airlines, a good travel agent can see availability, provide advice, and make bookings directly from her system.

But then I asked, "Does he have travel insurance?" "No," he said. "I took a gamble and lost."

Here are the facts of life about booking tours and cruises — or anything else with a long cancellation deadline. You need to read the fine print and know the cancellation deadlines and penalties. Cruise lines and tour companies will always offer travel insurance. There are usually less expensive options (often offering better protection) when you buy directly from insurance companies such as Travelex. A travel consultant can help you compare the options, evaluate the coverage you need, and save you money.

Like so many travelers, John planned his vacation on the internet. He declined the offer of travel insurance, and now he was stuck in rainy northern California, two days before his tour was to begin, unable to get to India because of a bad winter storm in Europe. Not only was he going to miss out on the dream vacation he had been planning for so long, he was looking at a 100% loss of his travel investment. While travel insurance can't guarantee good weather, it can protect you from being on the losing side of an expensive gamble.


travel insurance (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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The Goring | a hotel fit for a royal wedding

Looking for a very traditional British hotel? Look no further than The Goring. Celebrating its 100th birthday this year, The Goring has received two very special honors.

Hotel of the Year. The Goring received the distinction of being named "Hotel of the Year Award" at this year's Travel Mart, the annual trade show held for Virtuoso travel consultants and suppliers.

Hotel of the Royal Wedding. William and Kate are planning to book the entire hotel for the weekend of the Royal Wedding (which will be held on Friday, April 29th). Located just 400 yards from Buckingham Palace, where the wedding reception will be held, The Goring offers the perfect location for the Middleton family and friends of the couple.

I had a site inspection of The Goring London in March, 2009. Here's my review:

The Goring gives the impression of a London Gentleman’s Club from the moment one steps into the lobby. The lobby features a large, comfortable lounge and bar, and beyond it the very attractive Conservatory in shades of yellow overlooking the hotel’s garden (the hotel boasts the largest private garden in London). The Goring is a very traditional, small British hotel. Rates are very attractive, and the Virtuoso amenities include a guaranteed upgrade at time of booking. Lead-in rooms are tiny, and bathrooms throughout the hotel are small with tub/shower combinations. If you want to book the Goring, start with the Garden Deluxe category of guest rooms which overlook the beautiful garden in the back of the hotel. If possible, I’d prefer to get you blocked into a room in the very center of the building; these guestrooms feature bay windows looking out over the garden. You might also consider a Balcony room which provides direct access to the garden. The hotel has an inventive Children’s Program which involves such activities as baking cookies with the chef.

Virtuoso amenities in 2011 include:

• Upgrade at the time of booking, subject to availability
• Daily full English breakfast for two
• a personal Goring gift
• fruit and personal welcome letter
• complimentary WiFi and movies
• 12 noon early check-in

When visiting London, consider a stay at The Goring, a hotel fit for a Princess! Receive all of these extra amenities simply by booking through a Virtuoso travel consultant. I do not charge a booking fee for Virtuoso hotels and resorts. I make the reservation for you, and you pay the hotel direct upon check-out.

The Goring (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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weather map got you down?

Winter has started early in North America and Europe, with blizzards and very chilly weather. Flights have been disrupted, and even people traveling by car have been stranded. The San Francisco Bay Area (where I live) has been stuck in a cool, damp, overcast weather pattern. But the most striking weather news of the week was the sight of snow pouring through the teflon roof of the Metrodome in Minneapolis; the Vikings game with the NY Giants was moved to Detroit as a consequence.



My mind travels to the tropics when the harsh winter storms begin. Where to go for a tropical holiday? There are many choices...

Hawaii is my perpetual favorite, really convenient to travelers from the West Coast. Email me for ideas on where to stay. I've visited the major islands and seen all the best luxury resorts. My favorites? Four Seasons Hualalai on the Big Island, Four Seasons Maui, The Kahala Resort near Hobolulu, the St. Regis Princeville Resort on Kauai, and Four Seasons Manele Bay on Lanai.

For a shorter flight from the east coast, consider the Turks & Caicos, 1,300 miles [almost] due south from New York. Featuring 200 miles of white sand beaches bordering turquoise seas, Turks & Caicos is a convenient getaway for warm, sunny weather and great snorkeling. For a real treat, consider Amanyara (pictured here) - or ask about other luxury resorts for that mid-winter getaway.

tropical holiday (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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Ritz-Carlton deals for STARS guests

Ritz-Carlton Central Park — third night free. With an ideal location in the middle of Central Park South at 6th Avenue, Deluxe Park View rooms offer an outstanding view over Central Park. Valid through March 5.

Ritz-Carlton Battery Park third night free + guaranteed upgrade to the Club Level at time of booking. Offered from December 17 - March 31 (excluding New Years Eve). The hotel offers views of the Statue of Liberty from its Harbor Rooms.

Ritz-Carlton Boston Commons offers an upgrade at booking from January 1 - March 31. The hotel is located steps from the Boston Commons.

Ritz-Carlton Washington, DC offers an upgrade at booking to Club Level from a Deluxe room. Available through January 31 for visitors to our Nation's Capital.

Hotel Arts Barcelona offers an upgrade at booking into an Executive Suite from January 1 - March 31. The hotel is right by the Mediterranean Sea in the area of the old Olympic village.

These are just the highlights of current specials available for STARS guests. In addition to these Ritz Carlton deals, value-added amenities and VIP service is available everyday to every STARS guest at every Ritz-Carlton hotel in the world, including a complimentary daily breakfast for two for rooms booked at the best available flexible rate. Ritz-Carlton is always a value option for the luxury conscious traveler.

Ritz Carlton deals (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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travel consultants - to use or not to use?

A thread was posted today on fodors.com asking, "How do you book your trips? TA or yourself." Although the response was predictable (the Fodors community has a bias against using a travel consultant), I read anyway to get a sense of how the discussion would develop.

The poster — Eliza — is going to Paris next May with two friends. She normally plans her own travel, but one of her friends wanted to use a travel agent. They turned to the brick-and-mortar travel agency in their town, Liberty Travel (a large agency with 160 stores that largely sells its own package deals). Eliza described Liberty Travel as being "as flexible as a piece of granite." What did others think?

Elainee wrote, "IMO most travel agents book 'set trips.' It is not worth their time ... to do individual trips.... Go on Expedia, or another web booker and based on your research, book for yourself."

Note to Elainee: Expedia is a travel agency but one you interact with only via a booking engine. They earn a commission when you book through them (or mark up a pre-paid NET rate), but they offer no hand-holding, and you can't talk with them for advice about the best place to stay.

Trav_Eller said, "I use them for one purpose - to help me gather the information I need to plan my own travel. I pick their brains, read their brochures, marvel at the prices others are prepared to pay, then do it myself."

Note to Trav_Eller: At least you're honest about your intentions. You're someone whom a travel professional would call a "shopper" — taking up gobs of time, then walking away without buying anything. If a travel consultant ever asks you for a "plan to go fee" before getting too deeply into a conversation with you, now you know the reason why!

Nytraveler offered this advice: "If you want a very upscale trip and guidance from an expert, I would go to the web site of Travel & Leisure or Conde Nast Traveler and get the name of an expert TA. They will charge a fortune - but will get you special deals at very upscale places and may be worth the money. In the olden days, I had a great travel agent at the main AmEx office in Manhattan. She had traveled extensively in Europe, provided wonderful advice for our independent trips, ... but this was 20 years ago. Those TAs no longer exist."

Note to nytraveler: I agree with a lot of what you say - and disagree with a lot as well. Expert travel consultants do still exist, and T&L and Conde Nast are a great resource for finding them. Here's another. My agency, Brownell Travel, is an incredible community of outstanding travel advisors. Most of them will charge a trip planning fee to craft a totally customized itinerary for you. Why? Because planning travel well is time-intensive, the time of a professional who is much in demand is worth something, and the days when their services could be freely given because of generous airline commissions are long gone.

Your most interesting sentence is this: "They will charge a fortune - but will get you special deals at very upscale places." This is what I do every day. I get my clients special deals at very upscale places. Room upgrades. Free breakfasts. Additional amenities that make your stay an even better value. But charge a fortune? Hardly! I have never charged a booking fee.

The thread offers a revealing discussion about perceptions and realities of working with a travel consultant. Perhaps my readers will want to log into fodors and share their own experiences (but please respect the non-commercial nature of the Fodors forum).

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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