The Corner Office 12.28.11

The corner office has long been the dream of executives everywhere. Why? Because it is bigger and has twice as much "view". What does this have to do with travel? Well, if you book in advance to stay in a hotel, you too could live the corner "office" fantasy.

Replace the word 'office' with the word 'room' and you have the holy grail of hotel rooms. The corner room offers a better value for your money, because you pay the same price as the other similar rooms in the building, but you get more square footage and your room is brighter, because it features windows on two walls instead of just one. If you face the ocean, this room is coveted by all. Sometimes, if you're lucky, there is an extra wide balcony or possibly TWO. When you book early, you can put in a request for this sought after room. The further in advance you book, the more likely you are to claim it. You can up your chances by checking in mid-week or staying in the off- or shoulder-season. Remember that you can usually save money by traveling during these times, too, because hotels have empty rooms they are trying to fill, so they drop their rates to make it more enticing to book.

Want to save more and get more for your money? Here are a few tricks:

Stay where they offer free breakfast. This is obvious how it helps you save. Breakfast is one of the least expensive meals to make, yet they charge as much as they do for lunch at a majority of restaurants. $8-12 for two eggs and toast? Why not save that money to have a delicious lunch or cut down on your budget? The more people in your travel party, the more you save!

Take those lobby freebies. You know when you walk through the lobby a billion times during your trip and see that basket of fruit next the coffee pot? Those are free snacks! Grab an apple, orange or banana on your way out and when you find yourself hungry in between meals, pull it out of your bag instead if stopping to get a candy bar or bag of chips somewhere it's "convenient". You'll feel more healthy and get in a nutritious snack...unless the freebies are cookies, which isn't bad either, especially when you didn't quite have enough room for dessert after dinner. 

Find lobby coupons. Almost all hotels have a stand with brochures for activities and city attractions magazines. You can find a whole mess of discounts in them for dining, shopping, activities and more. From free dessert to BOGO theme park tickets, you can  save a bundle. Woohoo!

Go out to eat instead of calling room service. When you order from the room service menu, you end up spending almost twice as much as you would if you went out to a normal sit-down restaurant. Between the hopped up price they charge for each a la cart item, the tip they include for someone to walk it to the elevator and to your room and then the extra tip they trick people into leaving  when they ask them to sign for it and they see that tip line there. If you REALLY don't want to go out, call for a pizza.

Stock up on snacks. This is my specialty. I love shopping for snacks and having a variety of things to nosh on. they save you from buying a bunch of crap when you are hungry for something in between meals and you also have something on hand once you've retired to your hotel room for the evening. 

Do you specifically ask for a corner room or save on your room and/or dining in other ways?

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So, Christmas and Hanukkah have come and gone and you didn't get a copy of Shereen Travels Cheap in your stocking or under the tree? Bummed out? Well, don't be. You can buy one yourself, and at a discount, too! Sign up for my newsletter and instantly get 20% off codes for the book at my online store and the digital version through Smashwords. (If you already subscribe, email me and I'll send you those codes.)

What's in it and why is it so cool? Well, for starters, you are getting over 200 pages of money saving travel tips, packing tricks, websites that will make your travel planning easier and cheaper, awesome gadgets and items that will get you excited to go on vacation, just so you can use them, plus personal anecdotes and travel stories. Find all the useful stuff that you've read in the blog, and a lot more than you won't ever find here, and have it all in one place in a handy-dandy reference book. 

Heck, don't take my word for it. Here's what other lovely people have to say:

"The book is organized so that you can check the table of contents and flip right to what you need, but it's also interesting enough to be read straight through. It's a travel tip book that reads like a novel!" – Allison Renner, Travel & Book Blogger

"A Goldmine of Information!" – Java Davis, Book Blogger

"Dense with information and completely thorough, Shereen Travels Cheap compiles a huge range of useful budgeting travel tips. Even though I have traveled extensively, many of the tips and recommended sites were new to me! Her guide covers the insider tips I never knew I needed and is the first place to start when planning a budget vacation where you hope to get a lot of bang for your buck." – Shannon O'Donnell, Travel Blogger

"I'm fairly obsessive about getting good travel deals, but I still hadn't heard of all these sites. Shereen is good at focusing on 'value' and not just headline costs." – Rachel Cotterill, Travel & Book Blogger

"I'm already a pretty cheap traveler (so many sofas! so many dicey hostels!) and even I learned a thing or two from this book! Shereen makes travel cheap without making it uncomfortable or intimidating." – Sarah of Yesandyes.org, Lifestyle & Travel Blogger

Happy Holidays (in pictures)

Happy Holidays to everyone. I thought I'd take a moment to share some Christmas photos from various places.

Our neighborhood tree

Streets of London all dolled up

Cinderella's winter castle

Santa's house at Disneyland

It's a "small world" Christmas

The Grinch is pretty happy here at Universal Hollywood

Our office tree, now that you can see it without all the food donations.

Our tree at home

Whatever you celebrate, I hope you are having a great holiday with your friends and family.

Experience Spanish Island Life in Mallorca 12.24.11

Merry Christmas Eve to all who celebrate!

Spain has long been on my travel wish list, and in recent months I’ve been learning more and more about the island of Mallorca (or Majorca) from some of my favorite blogs, including Glampacker. With winter in full swing, I'm also thinking about warm and inviting destinations where one could get away from the chill. If you plan a visit to Spain, you can easily hop over to this Balearic Island. You have probably only heard of the party island of Ibiza, which seems to be a hang-out for the rich and famous. With amazing oceanic views and beautiful white sandy beaches, Mallorca is a fantastic tropical getaway for everyone, yet also has beautiful mountains and quaint cities and villages, making it a Mediterranean locale not to miss. It makes a convenient vacation destination for Europeans, especially, but it's certainly unique for those that travel from further away.

While over 10 million tourists flock to Mallorca every year, many wanting to soak up some sun while lying on the beach, there are plenty of ways to beat the crowds. Since the British have found how awesome the isle of Mallorca is, high-rise hotels have sprung up all over the island, which is great for those that like to be in the middle of it all, but for those that like a quieter stay, a vacation rental is probably more what you are looking for. I'm always looking for ways to save money and also have a different view of the city I'm staying in. A vacation rental is a good way to do that, since you can make some of your own meals, have your own space and feel like you live at your destination. You can find some affordable rentals through HomeAway and Venere. Choose from villas, vacation homes (for a larger travel group), apartments and country houses. You're sure to find something that suits you and your travel companions or family.

You can also find some wonderful Majorca hotels that are budget-friendly in the old quarter, where it is less crowded and close to great museums and dining. The majority of monuments are located in this medieval part of the city, including the Cathedral La Seu, Almudaina Palace and the Parc de la Mar.

If you don't speak Spanish, don't worry, many tourist areas also speak/understand English, German and French (as well as other European languages), making it an easy vacation destination to travel around in. The bus is affordable and can get you everywhere you're looking to go on the island.

Here are some pretty cool things I found to do on the island that are also budget-friendly:

Travel back in time on the wooden Sóller Train from Palma de Mallorca to Sóller. For less than 20 euro per person, you can take a 2 hour train ride that takes you to Sóller and back, through mountains, orange, lemon and olive groves and other amazing landscapes that will delight you. Sóller offers up unique shopping, museums and open-air markets on Saturdays. The city is walkable and full of beautiful architecture. It makes a wonderful day trip and it is said you should bring an insulated bag to bring back all the delicious food that can be found.

Visit a real castle for less than $5 per person. Bring a picnic lunch and take a bit of a hike to get to Bellver Castle, a 14th century gothic-style castle overlooking the town of Palma and the harbor. For 2.50 €, you can view almost the entire castle and museum. On Sundays and public holidays you can get in for free; however, the exhibition rooms and museum will be unavailable. I think the admission fee is worth seeing more, but that's because I'm pretty sure it has a gift shop in the museum, and I love a gift shop! Not like the museum itself isn't worth the fee, too.

Walk the harbor and admire the fancy yachts. While you probably don't have the money to charter one, you can look at them for free. If you're lucky, you might meet and make friends with a rich owner and get taken out. Brush up on your compliments and dazzle them with your charming wit! I'm not saying it'll work, but it never hurts to try.

See all the wonderful sites of the city on the hop-on hop-off trolley, one of the best deals in sightseeing at under $20 per person. The bus departs from many destinations every 20-25 minutes. There are 16 stops, which include Antonio Maura, Pl Joan Carles I, La Rambla, Pl España, Av. Alexander Rosello, Av. Gabriel Alomar i Villalonga, Passeig Maritim Poble Espanyol, Castell de Bellver, Pl Gomila, Av. Joan Miro (C.C. Porto Pi), Estacio Marítima, Av.Gabriel Roca (Auditórium), Pl. Porta de Santa Catalina (Es Baluard), Av. Jaume III and Moll Comercial. Get on at any of the stops and get off to see more of each stop anywhere along the way. Your ticket is good for 24 hours from your first use.

If the beach isn't your scene and you're willing to splurge (a bit) on a day of fun, Aqualand Water Park might be more your speed. Tickets run 24.00 € per adult (16.00 € for children 3 and up), but that is for an all-day pass and unlimited use of their water slides, beaches, lazy river and mini park for children. If you purchase your tickets online, you can save 10% off. Doesn't that guy on the Anaconda look like he's having a terrific time? You never even have to leave the park, because if you get hungry, you can eat at any of the snack bars or the restaurant on-site. They have a wide variety of food to choose from. Free parking, a photo processing lab and gift shop(!) add to the enticement. Don't forget to bring your sunscreen, so you don't look like a lobster like I did last time I went to a water park.

Find more awesome things to do on the Majorca Travel Guide, look to DoHop to find budget airlines to get to the island and check out the top rated restaurants on Trip Advisor for some delicious eats. Mediterranean fare and seafood can be found everywhere. Since it's local, it can also be super affordable. Tapas anyone? I hear they have them everywhere and are fabulous!

This is a sponsored post, as I was asked to write about Mallorca and all its awesomeness and was compensated for my efforts.