It’s only few days until Christmas, which means that 2011 is winding down. I’ll be spending the next two weeks going through my best and worst from a year that included stops in four continents, 11 countries and 10 states. All that time on the road, more than 120 days in all, meant plenty...

  Hotel art is a funny thing. You usually don’t notice it unless it jumps out and hits you over the head, for better or worse. When I entered my room at the Hotel Le Germain Maple Leaf Square, one of Toronto’s newest boutique hotels, the picture above the bed made me stop short. I didn’t...

Photo courtesy of UggBoy, Flickr Creative Commons One of the biggest arguments that I have with my husband when we’re on the road together concerns the hotel  mini bar. I avoid them like the plague, preferring to save money by buying snacks and money at a nearby grocery store. Whereas he can’t...

Where: Sunset Inn & Suites, in Vancouver’s West End residential neighborhood. 1111 Burnaby St., 800-786-1997 Why we’re there. Parking fees in Vancouver can be steep, so when I knew I was driving up to Vancouver for TBEX, I looked for a hotel that included a place for a car. Several of my...

There are plenty of cool hotels in New Orleans, but on my last trip, I chose two places where I had always wanted to stay: The Columns Hotel on St. Charles Avenue and the International House in the Central Business District Downtown. We spent two nights at each.Built in 1883 by New Orleans architect...

I spent last week in Lana’i, Hawaii, as a “New Media Artist in Residence,” sponsored by the Lana’i Visitors Bureau. The program gave me a chance to explore all aspects of this tiny private island, and allowed me to stay at each of Lana’i's three hotels: Four Seasons at...

It’s amazing how the Black Friday/Cyber Monday concept has spread through the travel industry. A few years ago, only a few sites were taking advantage of the country’s compulsive need to shop on the day after Thanksgiving. Now, it seems, everyone is getting into the game. Here are just a...

Photo courtesy of A Well Dressed Bullet, Flickr Creative CommonsQ: I was so impressed with Quebec City, I plan to go there again next February during the Winter carnival. I have already made flight reservations but I am still looking to book a hotel inside the Old Quebec. Chateau Frontenac is...

I am a hotel whore. No, not that kind of hotel whore. But in my years on the road, I’ve noticed that there are two types of travelers. Some people don’t care where they lay their heads, preferring to spend all of their time and money on activities, food and souvenirs. And others want to bed...

I spent last weekend at the Hacienda Tres Rios, one of the many all-inclusive beach resorts on the Riviera Maya that line Mexico’s Caribbean coast, from Cancun south toward Tulum. One of the biggest travel questions I get from friends is whether or not they should choose an all-inclusive resort...