Trend: Designer-Inspired Hotels & Decor

[travel trends] Looks like hotels are taking a cue from fashion.  With icons like Jean Paul Gaultier designing for Target, and Miley Cyrus and Max Azria collaborating for WalMart, who is to say the same thing can't be done with hotels?  Well, it is...

Recently, stylist Amanda Ross was named as the W Hotels Fashion Director. Part of the Starwood brand, W Hotels' 36 properties are aimed a stylish traveller who appreciates "modern travel and modern living," making the partnership all the more apropos. Ross has consulted for major designers as well as acted as the stylist for NBC's short-lived Lipstick Jungle.  Although her first W project is under wraps, she mentioned she'll be visiting Barcelona this month and also heading to Paris for Fashion Week, and it just so happens a W is opening there next year.

What does 'Fashion Director' Mean? In the case of W Hotels and Amanda Ross' partnership, being the Hotel's fashion director means: - creating a strategic framework for W's global point of view on fashion - working with a designer to create staff uniforms & special collections for sale at W Hotels - styling the look of the rooms, lobbies and other common areas.

Ross' role with W Hotels is talked about as the "First position of it's kind for any hotel".....well kinda.

Armani Armani has collaborated with Emaar Properties to create the "Armani Hotel Dubai" in the world's tallest building: Burj Dubai tower.  Armani's hotel is apparently the first in a series of hotels, resorts and residences to be opened around the globe.  You can already make reservations for the Dubai hotel which is supposed to open today, but rumor has it, the open will have slight delay.

Now Posh? Late in January, there was a media frenzy concerning Victoria Beckam's 40.5 million dollar offer to design a hotel in Dubai with fellow fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld. Media reports note the singer-cum-designer was "stunned by the offer," but since then, no reports have surfaced about whether or not the deal will proceed.

What About Airlines? Most airlines have jumped on the celebrity chef bandwagon, but who is going to be the first to hire a Fashion Director to consult on uniforms and cabin decor?

Valentine's Day Recommendations

The famed, mid-February love-fest day that conjures the following reactions: 1-yay, 2-ew, 3-whatever, is approaching. Regardless of your reaction, this Valentine's Day lands both on a weekend as well as during the Winter Olympics. So if you're not enjoying the weekend off or watching Nordic Combined, Alpine Skiing or Biathlon, here are a few options to spice-up your day:

Recommendations for Valentine's Reaction 1) Yay - hotels tend to jack-up prices on Valentine's weekend, so consider giving your honey a card noting an 'upcoming trip' you're cooking-up and book a weekend, week-long or spontaneous trip between feb 14 and spring break, or after March when sun and ski destination prices fall. - if you book something this coming weekend, many hotels are offering last-min deals via twitter, through their loyalty programs or online through programs like kayak private sale.

2) Ew - tune into CTV or NBC for complete Olympic coverage all day sans mention of V-day - turn off the TV, get your mind off the "hallmark holiday" and give yourself something to look forward to by planning your next trip! - since Valentines' is all about the heart, why not look into local or international volunteering opportunities

3) Whatever - V-day, what? since you don't care about Valentine's Day, forget it exists and do whatever you usually do on Sunday - take a day-long road trip just because - organize your life. take the day and devote it organizing and purging what you don't need/want

Canadian Dollar Surges :: Canadians Will Travel

On a recent trip to Maui in Dec 2009, I was pleasantly surprised by a lovely statement from the host at Cheeseburger Island Style in Wailea.  She asked where my husband and I were from--when I mentioned "Vancouver", she said "Thank God for Canadians, they kept us afloat when people from the US weren't travelling."

We encountered a similar statement from as far away as Kenya!  In September 2009, we were at the Fairmont Mara Safari Club in Kenya.  Upon hearing where we were from, one of the staff members told us "we have had a lot more Canadians this past year, the Americans didn't come as much."

Although I was sad to hear these first-hand account of the impact of the economic slow-down, at the same time, as a Canadian I was proud that Canadian travellers continued to help --even temporarily float-- the economy in places like Hawaii, the Caribbean and Mexico to only name a few destinations.

Because we are so close to the US and have such a closely-tied relationship, Canada has definitely been impacted by the US economic perils, however, our dollar has continued to do well positively impacting industries like travel!

Yesterday, the Canadian Dollar surged to about 96.16 cents US, the highest level since last October.  When compared to the US dollar, the Canadian dollar has been fairly high for the past two years prompting Canadians to travel more to US destinations as well as consider buying real estate down south.

January 2009 US Travel and Tourism Report [see comment field] According to the attached report, Canada and the US are each other's largest tourism partners.   Canada remains the largest source of foreign travelers to the United States, with Canadians accounting for 31.7 percent of US international visitors. With 74 percent market share, the U.S. continued to be by far the most popular destination for Canadian travelers in 2007.

Other Facts of Interest

• Canada ranks first in visitors to the U.S. (nearly 18 million); first in spending (US$ 16.17 billion)
• Not surprisingly (we all know Canadians love to shop in the US) the number one Canadian  activity in the US, regardless of trip purpose, is shopping.
• Canadian travel occurs in non-peak seasons and helps to distribute visitors more uniformly throughout the year.
• Compared to visitors from other countries, Canadians are unique in their extensive coverage of all states. All states benefit from Canadian travelers but a few states dominate the numbers.
• 90% of the Canadian population is within 100 miles (161 km) of the US border.

Winter 2009/2010 Travel Trends

Since fall 2008, economic uncertainty has been top-of-mind.  As a result, spending without thinking has become a thing of the past.  The sobering reality of the past year has forced consumers to be much more selective about when, where, why and how they travel. Fast forward to Winter 2009/2010.  Although much of the initial economic angst has passed, the shock of last year's blow still lingers.  According to a Hotels.ca survey, no destination area, particularly among resorts, has been immune to the recession.

2009/2010 travel trends Social Media Explosion - Tweet, Tweet, Tweet There are early adopters and late adopters.  Those that have facebook groups and active twitter accounts (at minimum) will benefit--and profit.   In the past year, smart hoteliers and airlines have started to use twitter in very saavy ways that not only engage customers but add value.   This has turned into higher customer satisfaction and profits.  Case in point, many hotels like Fairmont Chateau Whistler asked their followers for input on the ultimate winter package.  After the votes were in, the Chateau launched its first Twinter Travel Package.

Last-Minute Booking Although online travel retailers have always facilitated the last-minute trip for spontaneous travellers, a combination of the economy, the explosion of last-minute booking sites and social acceptability of late booking is making the notion of booking time off work and deciding within a week to a day before leaving for a trip...normal. Practical Application: Sites like Travelzoo, Last Minute Travel and Kayak's Deals are excellent resources.

Shorter Stays People would rather travel a little than not at all. And since a two-week getaway is harder to justify, enter the short-haul (ie- 3-5 day) trip. Although families may still favor the week-long getaway, couples and singles are embracing the quicky getaway in droves. Case in Point: Last fall, Expedia said third-quarter profits fell 4.8% as the slowing economy lead people to shorten their trips.

Price-Driven Consumer Travel seekers are becoming more and more sensitive to price. This is not rocket science. Because consumers would rather travel a little than not at all, suddenly you have people who favor price over loyalty. For example, in the wake of a last-minute booking, if "consumer A" can't find what they are looking for with Starwood (their preferred hotel group) and see a great package deal featuring an Intercontinental property, they'll book it if the price differential is big enough. Practical Application: The travel industry's response to this?  According to TravelMole.com, airlines and hoteliers are by-passing the GDS (Global Distribution System - used by online and offline agencies) and encouraging customers to gain savings by booking direct with them.  Always check with your fave travel companies first, they may have a deal in order to encourage direct bookings.

Closer to Home Weekending Even though closer to home getaways may not always be cheaper than a last-minute deal, planning to go away locally (within a 4-hour drive) has seen major resurgence in the wake of the economic slowdown. Weekending within one's region seems more attainable to the price-crunched consumer. Hotels and resorts are catching on, offering more and more discounts and packages to lure those who want a little 'local' pampering. Practical Application: Not including the dates for the 2010 Olympics, Resorts like Whistler Blackcomb are welcoming more and more local guests from BC and Northern WA as the previous 'audience' from Ontario, the UK and California are choosing to stay closer to home.

Gen X Will Travel Even though Generation X is 11% smaller than Boomers (according to The Age Curve), those born between 1965 and 1984 are the emerging young single, couple and family travellers who have grown up in fairly stable economic times. This means they are careful but still fairly optimistic (likely didn't lose they entire retirement savings in the economic debacle), and willing/excited to still pursue a little R+R. Their web-saavy nature and high expectations dictate they will still travel and find hotel and airline rates their parents may not even know to look for. Practical Application:  This group will use their web skills and optimism to book getaways online.  With less health concerns as their aging parents, some will opt for short, safer vacations whereas others will follow Carmen Sandiego's lead and book adventures in far-off lands.

[photo by TheSeafarer]

2009 Advent Holiday Deals are Here

Think of it as your 2009 adult advent calendar, and each day you get to open a new travel gift.  Today is the last day of  Starwood's 3-day sale and tomorrow Fairmont posts their monthly great rates for Presidents Club Members (free to join).

With the onset of Advent, travel operators will be spending major dollars hoping you'll want to escape the bleak winter weather for a hot holiday or cool getaway.  With the spread between Christmas and New Years being one of the biggest, most profitable travel times for trip providers, they are hoping you'll be caught by the imagery of the blue ocean lapping against a white-sand beach and decide to throw caution to the wind and book on impulse.

There's a catch.  Due to recession worries still top-of-mind, high season prices will likely be lower.  This makes it easier for you to justify a jaunt down south.

Normally I like to stay away from traveling in high season, but last year we bit the bullet and paid a little too much to lounge on the beach and sip bevvies at an all-inclusive in the Bahamas (more on this in a later post).  While at our resort, the Assistant General Manager said "we pray for bad winters in the US + Canada, this way, our bookings increase."

It's rare that the weather is great between Christmas and New Years, so if you want to escape for warmer conditions, here are a few tips:

• figure out your budget before you start looking for your winter getaway!!!!
• peruse your newspaper's travel section for competing offers
• if you are part of a hotel group's loyal club, check out their internal rates
• if you want a package vacation, look online:
  • Canada: itravel2000.com, jubileetravel.com, exitnow.ca
  • USA: applevacations.com, expedia.com, vacationstogo.com