Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Melbourne's best boutique hotels

My friend Sally from Alluxia has just released her best boutique hotels in Melbourne list. We too LOVE Melbourne but don't know as much about their boutique properties, so here's some of what she had to say.

Melbourne's Best Boutique Hotels

Posted on in Travel Tips
 
Melbourne is the ideal weekend getaway. This vibrant city boasts a wealth of things to see and do and has an unrivalled food scene. Whether you’re seeking high-end shopping, watch a sporting event, attend a foodie festivals or stroll art galleries, Melbourne offers it all.

For the ultimate getaway, we’ve handpicked Melbourne’s best boutique hotels. It’s all about luxury at these top establishments.

To read the whole article and see which hotels made her list, click here

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Want points for your hotel stay? Avoid third-party booking websites

A good article I came across this morning about why third-party booking sites are losing some of their luster for regular travellers.I particularly like this quote from Starwood:
A senior representative of Starwood highlighted that Starpoints can be earned on "'eligible' rate plans" for bookings made "directly with the hotels or your preferred travel agency".

We come under their classification of "preferred travel agency" and look after bookings for several of their Platinum SPG members.

Want points for your hotel stay? Avoid third-party booking websites

By Chris Chamberlin
Want to earn your full serve of points with your favourite hotel rewards scheme? Avoid 'third party' booking sites and make your reservation directly with the hotel or its parent company.

Unlike frequent flyer programs – which let you earn points regardless of who you booked your ticket with – many hotel loyalty programs won't provide any per-night points or per-stay credits on bookings made through the likes of Expedia, Wotif and Hotels.com.

To read the rest of the article, click here