Airfare Watchdog

Farealert@airfarewatchdog.com    (double check this) is a terrific site where you can sign up and have rock bottom (sometimes) fares emailed to you.   I get them twice a week.   You sign up and give them your nearest airport.. and they send you low fares.  

Spirit Airlines, they fly out of Detroit.... if you join their $9 fare club  ($39  I believe/year) and you're lucky.. you can fly one way for $9.  I've found the cheap fares ONE way.. but never been able to snag one both ways.  I'd go almost anywhere for an eighteen  dollar flight.  Maybe not Mexico...  

Hotel Stars

When you utilize a site like Hotwire  or just about any travel site... they rank the hotels with up to five stars. 

It pays to have some sort of idea how the star system works.   The lowest rankings, one star.. are for places like an Econo Lodge, or Super 8... not your best properties.   

I used to go to Chicago with some guys to see the Cubs play a night game/day game.. we stayed at a Motel 6 which we refered to as the 'end of the runway motel' since it was right next to O'Hare airport.   When that 'first' plane takes off in the morning.. I am not kidding, 20 car alarms went off.  

Best Westerns and Red Roofs are two stars.. a newer property might go 2.5. 

Holiday Inns would be 3 stars.. I booked a night in Novi a while ago.. on Hotwire.. which was a 3.5 star property.  When you learn of the hotel after you're on the hook.. I found out it was a Holiday Inn.. I even contacted the Hotwire people and they assured me, this Holiday Inn was 3.5 stars.  I was skeptical.. but by golly,  it was a nice place to stay. 

After this.. I don't pay much attention....  Marriott's are 3 or 3.5.. Embassy suites 3.5  Hyatt, Sheraton  4 stars.. at this point I don't care.. I know it will be a decent hotel and if it's not.. I know you can complain about it and it will be taken care of.  Which is about all I need in a hotel. 

Stars work best if it's a hotel you're not familiar with.   Everyone knows what you'll get at a Holiday Inn or an Marriott..  not so.. if you're going with a non chain hotel.   

Trip Advisor has always been a great site for getting hotel reviews.  It can be comical.. one person LOVES IT!!!!  Best hotel ever.. next comment.. 'what a dump' .  It's hard to tell if one person NEVER gets out.. or one person is a picky pain in the ass.   Generally, I've had great luck using Trip Advisor for reviews.  I don't book hotels with them.. they aren't even close on price.

Mark Nester's trip to Mexico

We did just return from Mexico and stayed south of Cancun in the Riviera Maya at the Paradisus, a Melia / Spanish owned resort. 
Absolutely first rate all inclusive with 4 star restaurants, French, Japanese, Italian, etc. We asked for a room upgrade and got a fantastic room in a building steps from the beach!

Denise found a link on Sherman Travel to a great last minute deal from Apple Vacations.
We ended up purchasing this deal through our local travel agent. 4 nights, 5 days R/T flight from Detroit / Cancun transfers to the resort, and unbelievable meals and drinks for a total of $750 per person. Very clean, friendly, staff wanting to please, not crowded. We would definitely go again. Lots of people from Europe and Canada. 

The best ways to Travel Decent ; Priceline and Hotwire

My friend, Greg, is the guy who really set me straight about Traveling Decent.  He was an 'early adopter' of Priceline.  

Most of the people I tell about Priceline and it's even better twin, Hotwire freak out about not knowing the hotel or where it's gonna be located. 

For the uninitiated, Priceline allows you to bid on an unknown hotel.  You know how many stars the property has (more about stars later) & where the hotel is located. 

For example, I love Chicago.. I love the River North area and the Mag Mile also.  I'm not a fan of the Loop at night.. there just isn't that much to do down there.  So I'm happy to bid on a 3 star (Holiday Inn is a 3 star) or higher hotel in either of my two favorite areas.    I don't mind having an unknown hotel because if I've never stayed there before.. it gives me a chance to check out another micro neighborhood. 

You have to give Priceline your credit card in advance and 'bid' on a property.  If you submit a bid and they accept it.. BOOM.. they hit your credit card for the amount right then and afterward.. you learn of your hotel.   I like the suspense, truthfully. 

If  you get 'turned down' for a bid.. you have to change something about the bid, besides the price.. if you've bid  3 stars and up for $60  (I've gotten 4 stars for $60)   then you have to drop your star level to 2.5 or change your area. 

Or.. you have to wait a certain period of time, before you can bid again.  However, recently, Priceline has taken to suggesting you jack your bid up a pre-determined amount and they will allow you a new bid.  

I watch those ads with Captain Kirk and like him.. I want to bid low.  So I generally say 'screw that'. 

I go to Hotwire, Priceline's benevolent cousin instead.  At Hotwire, they give you the number of stars and the location.. and the price.. you accept that deal by giving them your credit card (which goes BOOM again!)  and then you find out the hotel. 

That removes the joy of the bidding like a real man but the results are instant.. and that's good too. 

I managed to get the Drake in Chicago right after New Years this year for  $101 with taxes and fees.. one of the best deals I've ever gotten on a hotel.   An incredible hotel... couldn't have been more pleased.. with a view of Lake Shore Drive. 

And almost as good.. maybe better.. after Michigan State beat Kansas in the NCAA Regional  Semi- Finals  I was able to land the Spartan hotel in downtown Indy  for $55 for the Saturday night before the Sunday game vs. Louisville.  Not only was the location superb.. but we easily got that room for $100 less than others who stayed there. 

MSU beats Louisville... everyone wins. 

Places I've been

I was lucky enough to serve in the U.S. Navy and was also lucky enough to sail almost all the way around the world.  I sailed as far east as Turkey  and as far west as Thailand.  It's really the cheapest way of all to travel.  There are some drawbacks.. you could get killed.. but other than that.. it's not a bad way to go. 

I visited most of the best places on earth; Italy, France, Spain, Turkey, Denmark, Germany  in Europe.  

Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore in the Pacific.  A gaggle of smaller islands and countries.  Canada too.   

I spent an afternoon in Tijuana and I don't care if I ever set foot in Mexico again.

In the U.S.  I've been to all fifty states except Alaska  (if anyone from Alaska ever reads this.. invite me up there ya'll)   If I had to say my favorite state.. it would be Wyoming or Utah...  where ever it is.. it's out west. 

Inspiration for a travel blog

I have a knack to find deals on travel.   NOT  cheap ass travel.. like  "$16 a day" sleeping on someone's couch..  and not that  "Travel & Leisure"  hot deals on  $300 a night hotels in the south of France. 

 Places like Embassy Suites, Marriott Hotels,  the Monaco in Chicago, the Drake in Chicago..  ( I go to Chicago a lot.. when ever I can) 

Somewhere in between.   Like most people I love to travel and like most people  I hate to pay for it.    I offered to write an online column for the local newspaper since I get about a bazillion emails a day from various sources for cheap travel.     Not surprisingly, they passed... 

My daughter, who is in Italy right now... started a terrific web blog and I thought.. to  steal a phrase from Jeff Daniels.. if she can do it.. so can I.... 

and so I will