Travel Trends :: Solo Travel

Have you ever traveled solo? ....Contiki tours don't count...

Recently I've seen a big push on the part of major travel companies to target solo travelers and create single traveler-friendly accommodations. In fact, a few months ago I received an email from someone who was looking for some sunny, single-occupancy getaway options; I wish some of the below options would have been available at the time.

Because most packaged vacations---whether cruise or all-inclusive---are based on double-occupancy, unless you travel with a stranger, finding a single room and paying a single price is challenging. Traditionally, this has left solo travelers with DIY vacation packages: booking a flight + hotel + ....... which can also be frustrating given most hotel rooms have space for two.

Whether you specifically want to travel solo, or can't find anyone with the same time-off, here are some single travel options for your next getaway:

Single Traveler Getaways [trip style = cruise] Nowegian's Epic, its newest, biggest and most impressive ship---think vodka ice lounge, big-top circus tent & Blue Man Group headline show---offers 128 single rooms. The Epic hit the high seas in June and surprise surprise, the single rooms have been in high demand, which is likely driving the company to come out with more single rooms on two ships it has coming in 2013 and 2014.

Although Royal Caribbean has been known to offer favorable pricing on cruises for solo passengers, they are now refitting the 2,112-passenger Radiance of the Seas and adding 3 single rooms. Three rooms? Really? I understand this decision is bottom-line influenced, but only adding three singles rooms to an under-served market is a short-sighted mess. The newly renovated ship will service Alaska and Vancouver this summer. {via The Cruise Log}

[trip style = all-inclusive] I've heard stories in the past about Club Med Turks and Caicos being a pretty hot & heavy singles destination, and it appears it still is. Targeting "friends, singles and couples", the resort offers group, single and double-occupancy pricing.

[trip style = urban getaway] The ultra-hip Ace Hotels {Portland, Palm Springs, New York, Seattle} offers shared and well-priced standard rooms. Note that most hotel shared rooms mean 3 of 4 beds and a bathroom down the hall. If you're scared off by the shared bathroom, stay in a 3 or 3 1/2 star hotel with shared rooms and the bathrooms are usually cleaned well.

Pod hotels are all the rage in Asia and Europe, and these small-scale, no-frills hotel rooms are fabulous if you're planning on spending most of your time out and about, and not doing any lounging by the non-existent fire in your room. And for those of you who want to venture to NYC, the futuristic Yotel is opening this spring! If you have trouble finding a room I'll be shocked, given the 669 cabins planned. Don't miss your room's signature techno wall.

[trip style = budget conscious] Some hostels are grungy, but others can be really nice {like this gem I stayed in while in Cusco, Peru}. So, if you don't want to do the out-of-university budget travel thing, but want a decent, value-priced place to stay {where you can be as social as you want} don't dismiss a hostel. Find a hostel search iphone app here.

[trip style = luxury] Seasoned solo travelers who prefer the finer things in life swear by 5-star hotels with a busy bar and/or coffee shop scene. This way, a social gathering place is mixed into the overall experience.

PS - Today is our 300th post! Thanks for reading {and sometimes skimming:}. Please continue to pass it on as we dish out daily travel to amateur jetsetters.

[photo by @TripStyler at the Eiffel Tower. The first time I visited Paris it was on a 4-day solo trip---fabulous experience.]

Travel Trend :: Pod Sleepovers

[trip style = budget]

Compact, pod-like hotels have gone beyond a fleeting trend into a phenomenon of small spaces designed with the efficiency of Asia and the stylishness of Italy. People have been sleeping over in pod hotels for years in Asia, but like most things, we've been slow to catch on in North America.

Rooted in Japan, the popular capsule concept has been around since 1979. The originator created a capsule hotel which--pardon the comparison--offers little, morgue-like sleeping blocks and communal bathrooms. Pods have come a long way since then, growing in size, stature and geography.  I had the opportunity to stay in a pod room earlier this year and I'd totally indulge again! See pics of my windowless room above and below. I was only staying overnight and had just arrived in London from Nairobi. All I wanted was a bed, and a bed, a little space to place my bag and a cruise ship-style bathroom was what I got. And that was all I needed. Off to bed I went, but not before I caught a nightly showing of Wicked, which sent me to bed in song {Po-pu-u-lar...}.

Where's the Sacrifice? This is a serious question. Do we always need lavish offerings like 10 different types of towels, plush terry robes and seven restaurants with celeb chefs? There's a time and place for that trip style. What if you're just passing through and only need a simple place to crash?  So you lose out on space around the bed, big deal. What were you going to do there anyway?  Sit-ups? Yeah right, you're on vacation.

I only stayed in the pod hotel for one night, but I would've stayed longer. It was clean and simple. I wasn't in London to sit in my room; I was there to enjoy the city and sleep when needed.

Finding a Pod Hotel Yotel - At Heathrow, Gatwick and Schiphol Amsterdam airports. A 669-room Yotel is also planned for NYC in 2011. Ironically, the company's flagship property will feature the largest outside terrace space of any hotel in NYC.

Easy Hotels - All over Europe with a strong presence in London. Part of the Easy suite of companies. If you know anything about the company's color scheme, you'll wake up with a strong desire for orange juice.

Qbic - In Amsterdam, Antwerp and Maastricht. Features funky cube-like design, mood lighting, Philipp Starck bathroom finishes and self check-in.

Capsule Hotels - Going to Osaka? Try Asahiplaza. Headed to Tokyo? Check out Capsule Inn Akihabara

Trip Styler Tip: If you're selecting a capsule hotel other than two listed above, check the policy. Some don't allow westerners and given the shared bathroom and sleeping facilities, some aren't set up for women.