What’s the REAL Value of Your Hotel Room?

When you book a hotel room, do you look only at price? If you do, you could be losing value on your stay, especially if you are staying for more than a few days. The more things you can get included in your nightly rate, the better, especially if the price is still budget-friendly for you. I don’t book any hotel without free WiFi, but I also like to have a mini fridge – for leftovers, snacks and drinks – and a microwave if possible.

Having a restaurant on-site is great. If you’re only going to be in town for a couple days or you are spending your trip nearby, it is convenient to be able to just run downstairs and get a meal. It’s the next best thing to free breakfast, but it’s also perfect for a romantic getaway, because you don’t have to waste time searching for a good restaurant in the area. There’s one right out your front door. If you haven’t rented a car,  it can also save you money on transportation.

I love a boutique hotel. Often, they offer great rooms with unique or funky furnishings that have all the comforts you’re looking for away from home. Many will have their own restaurants, coffee counters, shops and other amenities that make staying in much easier, while also keeping more of your money in the hotel (read: in the community).

The Croft Hotel is one such hotel (find them at http://www.crofthotel.net/). It can be found in a very desirable – and quiet – neighborhood in Darlington, England. Set right near the river, on beautiful ground, and close to local attractions, the hotel has just 20 rooms, which means you’ll get the personalized service you want and deserve. Right outside your cozy room, you can pop into the gastro pub or the tea rooms on-site. Whether you’re in the mood for a light breakfast, afternoon tea, a fine dining experience or anything in between, you are covered. Get out for a bit of sightseeing in Richmondshire or get in a round of golf and come back to your lovely room to relax and change before dinner.

As you can see, a good location can also increase the value of your room cost, because it enables you to save transportation time and costs, so make sure you look at everything included in your room rate and think about how it can benefit you and save you time and money. If it doesn’t do either of those things, you’re paying for more than you should, so possibly look elsewhere.

What are your must-have amenities when you stay in a hotel?

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

Review: Travel HoodiePillow

Sometimes you get on the airplane and you just want people to leave you alone. You don’t want to talk to your neighbor, you want to either listen to your iPod or play a game on your phone. We all feel like that at times, especially when traveling alone. I view my time on the plane as my time and I like to use it to read a book, do a crossword or write a blog post. In short, I like to focus on a “me” activity. I’m cool with talking to my seatmates, but I don’t want to chat with them for the whole flight usually. We’ve all had that chatty neighbor who wants to tell you their whole life story and doesn’t take the hint, even when you are clearly trying to take a nap or hide behind a magazine. HoodiePillow might just help get your point across, while also making you comfortable.

Photo courtesy of HoodiePillow

HoodiePillow combines your two favorite things: a soft, comfy hoodie and a neck pillow to help you sleep without waking up all stiff and achy. It features a drawstring, so you can pull it tight and block out light, or keep it loose, just so you can cover your head. It won’t get in your way if you want to use your big headphones and, since it’s only one piece, it’s easier to use and less cumbersome than a full hoodie and separate neck pillow.

Unlike many neck pillows, this one doesn’t take up a bunch of room in your bag, because it’s inflatable. You can adjust it to your own needs and it folds flat when you aren’t using it, making it a great space-friendly travel product. I often see people trying to attach their heavy, non-inflatable pillows to their bag in some way. They just get in the way and add weight to all the stuff you’re already carrying. I don’t need that.

Got a partner who likes to turn on the vent when you’re on the plane? I do, and even though it’s his vent that’s directed at him, it somehow either freezes my shoulder or blows right in one of my eyes. I don’t want him to be uncomfortable, but if my eyes are glued shut from having air blowing in them for hours, I’m going to be very cranky. This is another great solution for us. The HoodiePillow will protect my eyes and keep my head, ears, neck and shoulders warm when on those flights.

The HoodiePillow is a great gift for the teenager or college student who is never seen without a hoodie on. They can use this on the bus, on road trips, in hostels and plenty of other places.

It fits over anything you’re wearing, without getting all bulky like wearing a full hoodie over anything else, especially when a hoodie doesn’t work with your travel outfit – really, they don’t go with everything. Sleep easy on planes even in the daytime, because the HoodiePillow can block out the light. It also protects your head from nasty germs that might be on the airplane seat headrest. Getting sick right when you start your vacation is the pits. When you get home, or to your destination, the HoodiePillow is hand washable. Just let it air dry and it’s good to go next time you need it!

I used this on my flight back from Phoenix, but since I’d had a long two days and was dead tired, the second I put it on and leaned back on the plane, I immediately fell asleep, so you only get a picture of me trying it on in the terminal before take-off. I woke up refreshed and my neck didn’t hurt, so I call it a success! My husband wants one now and I know several people in my circle of friends and family who would love to get this as a gift. Got a student on your gift list? Perhaps they are taking their year off to go backpacking through Europe, or just going on vacation this summer with you or their family. They are going to adore you for buying this for them. In fact, you may find they rarely take it off. The material is super soft, so I can’t blame them.

More information:

How big is it? One Size Fits All, like your favorite hoodie and/or neck pillow

Colors it comes in: Fire Red | Black | Heather Gray | Ocean Blue | Lipstick Pink (shown)

Where can you buy it? Hoodie Pillow website or Amazon 

How much is it? $19.95.

Like the coolness of HoodiePillow? Follow them on Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Instagram | Pinterest

Disclosure: I was provided with the HoodiePillow for the purpose of this review, but all opinions are 100% my own.

Review: Travelon Waterproof Pouch

With the promise of warmer weather coming soon – or I assume, since we have one day of nice weather and three days of cold rainy ones here – plenty of travelers are thinking about trips to the beach, destinations with pools and cruises. I, myself, will be spending a few days in Virginia Beach on our trip to Williamsburg and Washington, DC. When I go, I always wonder if I should leave my phone in the room or bring it with me and keep it in my bag, or what. On one hand, I don’t like to leave it in the room, but on the other, I don’t want to risk someone stealing it out of my bag when I’m not right next to it. I can’t take it in the water with me, though. Or can I?

Travelon has solved my problem. The Waterproof Pouch is made specifically for cell phones – all sizes! – and enables you to carry your phone around where it might get drenched, while completely protecting it and still allowing you to use your phone and its camera. Even better, if you happen to lose your pouch in the water, it actually floats, so you aren’t immediately disappointed by it sinking all the way to the bottom.

The Waterproof Pouch is totally easy to use. Put your phone in upside down, with the camera pointed towards the clear back, squeeze out as much air as possible with your hands and then roll up the top and hold it in place with the Velcro tab. Now you can check email, play music, go swimming or anything else you want and have your phone along for the ride and absolutely protected. When you’re at the beach, it’s not just water that is a problem for your electronics, but sand and salt, too. You don’t have to worry about that either.

The Waterproof Pouch has a removable strap, so if you do end up doing something active, you can easily hang it around your neck. This is especially great for those that do a lot of water activities, like snorkeling (you can even put your regular point-and-shoot camera inside to take underwater photos), jet skiing or fishing. In fact, my dad has lost his phone in the lake when fishing before, because his phone fell out of his pocket and over the side of the boat. Worst. Day. Ever. Next time he goes, he won’t have a problem, but even if he does, he won’t have to buy another phone, because he’ll be able to scoop up the pouch as it bobs on the top of the water. Brilliant!

Don’t want to bring your phone with you, but want to protect some other items? Who doesn’t need to bring their I.D., some cash and their car keys with them when they hit the beach? Keep it all with you and safe from thieves. Going somewhere with high humidity or a very rainy season like the Amazon? Stuff your small electronic inside and your passport and you don’t have to worry about them getting damaged.

With a retail price of $13, there’s no reason to not buy one for everyone who is traveling with you. It’s so much cheaper than hundreds of dollars for a new phone, right? You don’t have to worry about the size either, because it will fit even the largest smart phone, while not taking up much room in your travel bag. If you’re traveling this summer or do a lot of water sports/activities, this pouch is a must. Even if you’re just spending the day at a theme park where there are water rides, this little pouch is a smart investment!

More information:

How big is it? 4.25” x 6.25” 

Where can you buy it? Travelon Website

How much is it? $13.00

Colors it comes in: The float comes in blue (shown) | pink | white | lime | yellow

Like the coolness of the Travelon Waterproof pouch? It also comes for non-electronics, with an audio jack (soon), for an e-reader and for an iPad.

Follow Travelon on Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

Disclosure: I was provided with the Waterproof Pouch for the purpose of this review, but all opinions are 100% my own.