I have always wanted to explore sunken ships! I think has something to do with me wanting to be a pirate as a small child.

The site the group has proposed is in the 1,000 Island region near Gananoque Ontario, just east of Kingston, however the exact drop site will be revealed on Friday. With hopes that the new ship can generate 10,000 new visitors a year as well as taking the pressure off of the already deteriorating wooden ships divers can explore at this point.

source

This is what they have to say:

"We invite everyone from the somewhat curious to the expert artifact hunter to visit hamptonlandmarks.com and investigate these great pop-culture mysteries," said Judy Christa-Cathey, vice president of marketing for Hampton Hotels. "These beloved pieces of pop culture have gone missing, unbeknownst to many people. We're hoping with the online help of industrious fans, we can bring these Lost Landmarks back to where they belong and help preserve them for future generations."

What a great way to get people interested in Hampton Hotels, while at the same time giving people an opportunity to find treasure. I for one love treasure and will be checking the Hampton Landmarks website regularly.

A few months back, I had to attend a convention. As usual, organizers held it in well-known tourist destination, at a fairly prestigious hotel. There's always time for fun and games when you're at these things, so when the opportunity arises, it's fun to bring your sweetie with you.

Since it was one of those places where people are supposed to have fun, the hotel rooms were thoughtfully fitted out with hot tubs, perfect for "getting in the mood."

There was just one problem--just as things were progressing nicely following the soak, there was a knock on the door!

"Maintenance. There's a leak coming into the suite below you."

What followed was an at-times hysterical scramble which climaxed in my being soaked when the maintenance guy (no quibble with him, he was just doing his job) asked me to turn on the tub's jets while he checked a pipe. Long story short--things ceased progressing. Period.

Upon checkout the next morning, I registered my displeasure with the duty manager, who offered a sympathetic shrug, but nothing beyond that.

It's natural in these sorts of situations to think you're powerless, but you aren't. A little secret. Just because a hotel has a well-known nameplate, most hotels are actually franchise operations, not really all that different from the local fast food joint down the road. The owners, usually mid-sized regional companies and developer-managers, pay a 'brand' for the rights to operate under a brand. In exchange for shelling out a nice chunk of dough, the franchisee gets access to the brand's reservation and booking systems, benefits from the marketing budget (which they pay into), and generally make some dough for themselves.

And HERE is the place where an unhappy guest can get some satisfaction. See, the manager I complained to effectively works for the franchisee. THAT'S who he's going to want to please, and an property owner won't give anything away if he/she doesn't have to.

However, a franchisee is generally beholden to an agreement with the brand to operate the property according to a laundry list of minimum standards. Why? Because the brand is interested in making money, too, but their greatest asset isn't the rooms. Rather, it's the brand itself, and anything that harms the brand's image devalues the brand for all the operators.

Most major brands have an executive responsible for 'brand integrity' and another responsible for 'customer satisfaction'. The titles aren't necessarily those two, but it gives you an idea of where you can direct your complaint if you can't get no satisfaction from the actual property. That's where I directed my complaint, and wonder of wonders, a few weeks later I received a nice little letter on company letterhead, apologizing for leaving me dissatisfied, asking me very nicely to 'give them another chance,' and  --- best of all --- informing me that the charges were being removed from my credit card.

Beauty, eh?

To recap--if you're swingin' for satisfation, there's a sweet spot to aim for, and if you know where to find it, you'll be hitting the fences in no time.

Enjoy your stay.

Me.

Lodging is an industry, just like any other industry. And like any other industry, there's a whole industry built up around the actual buildings that you stay in. Everything from linen manufacturers and cleaning supply suppliers to professional associations and lobbyists. I'm not attached to any hotel, but I fall into that industry-around-the-industry category. My work also requires me to travel a fair bit, so I actually know the industry inside and out.

Believe me, it's the kind of knowledge that can help an outsider, whatever the problem, whatever the challenge. And I'm happily going to pass it on, because a knowledgeable guest is an empowered guest, and an empowered guest is ultimately good for the industry. Empowered guests make hotels work harder to make them happy, and that means they train and pay their staff better, they source better products like sheets and amenities. Happy guests are repeat guests, and more money gets spent and ... Well, you get my drift.

Let me put it this way--The manager may be blowing a head gasket while you're making sure you're getting your money's worth (of course, if he's worth his salary, he's also gritting his teeth and making you feel like you are the most important person in the universe, head gasket notwithstanding), but in the grand scheme of things, you're doing him a favour. If you're happy, you'll come back, and if you're not, you won't. It's as simple as that.

We'll have the first Insider's tip tomorrow. And if you've got any burning questions --- anything from the best way to resolve a dispute to deciding which loyalty program works best for you, or even strategies for scoring upgrades, fire it off to me. If I don't know, I can find out.

--The Insider

Well, The Glasshouse on Greenside Place did it by managing to attract a hip and sexy client base. Many people, including the judges in charge of handing out the Sexiest Hotel Award, praise The Glasshouse for combining amenities young people are looking for with a stylish décor. Some have even called it sultry and decadent.

When I think of decadent I mostly think of cake, and then my mind wonders to a hotel that is made completely out of chocolate...but that is a different train of thought all together.

I would love to see a full list of criteria the judges of Scotland's Sexiest Hotel contest used - fluffy pillows, silk curtains hanging from the ceiling, rotating beds?

The fumes came from the hotel cellar where chlorine and other different chemcials mixed together during renovations and the construction of the hotel swimming pool.

The smell spread quickly, the hotel was evacuated promptly, witnesses say there was no panic and emergency crews arrived on the scene quickly.

Best Western Grand Hotel de L'empereur

The First World Hotel in Genting, Malaysia, is now the largest hotel in the world after receiving the recognition from Guinness World Records.

So what makes The First World Hotel, the biggest? Well it could be 6,118 rooms, or it could be 500,000 sq feet of indoor theme park, shopping center in the adjoined to the First World Plaza. Or it could be the fact that it has the sweetest paint job of any hotel ever. Okay, that last one wasn't the best reason, but really, I would stay at this hotel just so I could take pictures of it!

HotelsByCity takes vacations seriously. So seriously in fact that we've built a huge new vacation section for every growing travel resource! HotelsByCity Vacations gives a bird's eye view of some of the hottest places to relax. Vacations to the Caribbean, Ski Vacations, and Vacations to Europe are just a few great sections that you can check out.

And I strongly suggest that you do!

I can't tell you enough how excited I am to be apart of this new community of bloggers. First teaming up with BedJump.com to bring you the naughty side of hotels, and now teaming up with the world.

Like Chris says, it just keeps getting better and better!

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