With just under 36 hours until Christmas, on behalf of Travel Library team I think its about time to wish everyone who has visited and contributed to Travel Library over the last year a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year . Its been a big year for us, and I’m sure […]

The Association of British Travel Agents have announced that India has overtook USA as the top long haul destination for British holiday makers this Christmas.
Following from earlier posts, this seems to reflect a growing trend of holiday makers choosing more and more exotic destinations for longer holidays.

Travel + Leisure magazine have just released their annual 500 Best Hotels list. An industry ritual, T + L this year provide a list a direct link to see the hotel on Google Earth. Top scoring hotels for each continent are:
United States: Rusty Parrot Lodge and […]

Air India has ordered 1,600 of its cabin crew to lose weight in a push to to alter perceptions that the cabin staff are tired and inefficient. Air India is not the first to enforce such rules, with most airlines implicitly demanding a minimum level of fitness to survive tiring long-haul flights. The […]

It was only a matter of time - the first two hotels actually located within an airport are due to open next sumer at Heathrow’s Terminal 4 and Gatwick’s South Terminal. Conceived by the founder of restaurant chain Yo-Sushi, Simon Woodruffe’s Yotels are planned for 15 other railway stations and airports around the […]

Dear Sirs,
I would like to thank you for the many enquiries that I am receiving on-line through your web site. My compliments for the clear way it is done and for the easy authomatic forms clients use to get in touch with us.
I wish you Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!
Kind regards,
Raffaela
INNBB Team […]

Just been recommended this service by a friend, which adds a new spin to the current trend on online maps. Map Muse, enables users to search local areas by Brands or Interests to geographically pinpoint your interests. Inevitably, the service is specific to the US at present, but like all good things, […]

Kids these day get it all. The Four Season’s Atlanta Hotel has just appointed Ashley Tannehill to become Georgia’s first Teen Concierge, where her job is to stand offfer travelling teens the tips on what’s hot and not in Atlanta.

According to a recent analysis by PricewaterhouseCoopers, the average price of a hotel room in the US has increased by nearly $10 in the last two years to an expected $95.31 in 2006 from $86.21 in 2004.
Following their analysis, PricewaterhouseCoopers concluded that as hotel rates increase, so do their expectations leading to an increasing rate […]

This is probably the best use of the Google Map interface I have seen yet. Click any of the pins for 360 degree panoramic views throughout central London. Runs a bit slow, but worth the wait. Best of all, it has a panoramic from my favourite corner in London (Charlotte Street outside of the Fitzroy […]

Mariah Carey, the world’s biggest selling female pop artist, is looking to buy a hotel in the UK. Renowned for her luxurious lifestyle, Mimi is after a little more homely luxury when she visits the UK than the Dorchester is able to provide. To quote Mariah:
“I want to buy a hotel, somewhere small […]

Following today’s theme of map-related posts, Cartographers everywhere will be pleased to know that Vienna’s Globe Museum reopens this month. Home to the largest collection of globes in the world, the refurbished wing of the of the Austrian National Library holds more thatn 380 globes and related artifacts including, most impressively, a […]

Those impressed with Google Earth may be interested to know that Microsoft have finally launched Local Live their own mapping tool, which, like Google Earth, provides impressively high resolution images of most major cities.

Here is the new look of each review item. Prominence of the Rating, clearer sections, easier to read…

Business Week have a nice (very non-businessy) article this week which brings together the different way people celebrate New Year’s eve around the world with an interactive slide show. Check it out here. The Vegas celebration is very cool.

Twenty five years ago John Lennon was tragically murdered outside his Manhattan apartment, nn memory of Lennon’s death on 8th December every year, white rose sare traditionally left outside the suite door of the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal famous for where John Lennon and Yoko Ono stage their ‘bed-in for peace’ […]

With this weekend’s international launch of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe , film fans eager to visit Narnia may be interested to know that the film’s stunning snowy scene was shot throughout (surprise, surprise) throughout South Island of New Zealand.
Real fans however, may be interested to know that C. […]

In an amazing turn around, Gordon Brown, the UK’s Chancellor made a dramatic turn around yesterday in his pre-budget report to announce that his planned tax saving plan for Self Invested Personal Pensions (SIPP) will not go ahead in next year’s budget.
For the UK public, SIPP’s potentially enabled individuals to make huge […]

Yesss! An improved travel library layout is on its way. It will be sharper, easier to read, and hopefully more user friendly.
Here is a screenshot of the new Vacation Rentals listing page:

Following from Ryanair’s Christmas market map posted last week, Ryanair competitor Easyjet are clearly not afraid to recognise their real target audience - Brits looking for a cheap weekend destination to binge drink with the Easyjet’s website currently featuring hangover cures from across Europe. Click here to check it out.

Hoteliers looking to get ahead of the crowd are now developing ‘intelligent’ hotel rooms to provide their visitors with better service. The Mandarin Oriental Hotel in New York is the first of a new breed of hotels which records their visitors’ movements so that it can learn their guest preferences.
For example, the hotel will […]

The World Travel Organisation , the United Nation’s global forum for tourism policy issues has finally bowed to media pressure and consumer confusion over its acroynm (WTO) shared with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to become the UNWTO.
The official go-ahead was given in January when UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan gave his consent to adding […]

Fitness freaks will be glad to know that Health Magzine have listed
America’s Healthiest Hotels . Just remember they’re not healthy hotels unless you actually use their fitness facilities.
Peninsula hotel in Chicago

Hardened business travellers and leisure jetsetters should find Flight View of interest. Covering pretty much every airline in the world, visitors can now track flight departures and arrivals by airline and city destination. There are view similar services on the net, but this gets my vote thanks to the clean and quick […]

I like this story from the Guardian Newspaper - glad to hear Widerhoe Airline gave him a free ticket too.
It’s not uncommon for airline passengers to doze off during their flight. But for 21-year-old Tor Martin Johansen, the snooze lasted an entire round trip. Mr Johansen fell asleep on a short flight from the […]