Saturday, August 19, 2006

 

Warminski Hotel Olsztyn ***

The Warminski Hotel in Olsztyn is a modern conference-business establishment located in the heart of the city. The Warminski Hotel houses 127 comfortably furnished guestrooms and 6 luxury suites, the Nowoczesna Restaurant where both the regional cuisine and European cuisine dishes are offered, and the Atelier Restaurant available upon prior booking.

Our guests are welcome to use the air-conditioned multi-functional rooms and the business room equipped with office facilities and computers.

The Warminski Hotel in Olsztyn provides access to W-LAN Web, that is access to the Internet. After a busy day our guests are welcome to make use of the facilities of a sauna, hydro-massage, a fitness room, the hairstyling studio and the massage parlour. The Warminski Hotel offers its guests an attended parking lot and an underground garage.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

 

Hotel check-in kiosks multiplying rapidly, but who wants them?

We’re used to it at airports. We’re resigned to it at grocery stores. Now self-service check-in kiosks in hotel lobbies are multiplying faster than bunnies in springtime.
Major chains such as Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, Sheraton and Fairmont are installing kiosks that allow busy customers to check themselves in and get a key—without ever talking to a human being.

A person who checks in at a kiosk can speed the process by 48%, according to kiosk maker NCR Corp. and Hospitality Technology research. No wasted time chit-chatting with the all-too-human desk clerk. No waiting in line behind the couple from Cleveland with six kids and an upgrade demand.

Embassy Suites in Detroit has a kiosk. It’s used mostly by travelers used to technology. In 18 months, it hasn’t reduced front desk staffing. “Most people, if they see the kiosk and see a body at the front counter will still go to the body,” says general manager Ben Joos.

That’s backed up by a Forrester Research study of San Francisco published in Fast Company magazine in July. The study found seven of 10 guests would rather interact with a person at check-in

But that’s what people said about airlines and grocery stores. Nearly 80% of people use electronic check-in at airports; 47% do in groceries.

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

 

User-generated content transforming Internet travel landscape

Farewell, Fodor’s and Frommer’s? Arrivederci, Rick Steves?

Not quite. But this week’s official debut of Yahoo’s Trip Planner, an online tool that lets vacationers save and share travel journals, itineraries and photos, helps fuel the notion that any globe-trotter with an Internet connection can become a guidebook publisher—and it provides more evidence that user-generated content is transforming the Internet travel landscape.

Yahoo’s Trip Planner, which launched in beta phase nine months ago and now highlights more than 20,000 member trip plans on an interactive world map, is among more than a dozen new offerings from Web sites trying to attract travelers and advertisers by harnessing a collective consciousness. Some come from established players—Google’s Co-Op, TripAdvisor’s Inside and VirtualTourist’s Trip Planner, among them—while others are start-ups, like Gusto, RealTravel, TrekkerTime and Squidoo.

The new products target “people who are averse to standard travel guides,” says John Bray of PhoCusWright, an online travel consulting firm. Those travelers, many of whom are already members of social networking sites like MySpace.com, “want to identify buddies who will help shape their own plans,” Bray says. “They’re looking for authenticity, not perfect descriptions or marketing copy.”

Of course, what is one man’s authenticity can be another’s drivel. Among the more popular of more than 1,400 public trip plans for New York City on Yahoo’s Trip Planner is a journal created by “katz--329.” His blow-by-blow account of a five-day jaunt from South Florida to the Big Apple, recommended by more than 80 Yahoo users, includes snapshots taken from the window of his plane and this first-day entry: “2:35—We are at Broad and Wall Street and we run into a French tour group. The guide is using a green lightsaber as his wand, it amuses us.”

Such unedited, stream-of-consciousness feedback has its place, even on the Web sites of mainstream guidebooks, says Fodor’s publisher Tim Jarrell. Fodors.com includes a forum and lets users post their own hotel reviews next to those by Fodor’s own writers.

But “we think travel writers on the ground give depth and breadth to a destination that you can’t get from community alone,” adds Jarrell, who says sales of the company’s paper guidebooks have increased by at least 10 percent this year.

“Right now, content is thin, (and) the reality is, it’s a difficult problem to solve,” concedes Jeff Wasson of Gusto, a “personality-based” travel recommendation site that launched June 1 and has about 1,500 members. “But as we build a base of users, that will change. Is it an insurmountable problem? I hope not.”

Sunday, July 16, 2006

 

Have mouse, will travel

How did anyone get anywhere before the Internet?

Summer is here and travelers are taking off for destinations across the country and around the world. According to the “2006 Summer Travel” Consumer Preference Index (CPI) poll from Prospectiv, an amazing 83% of them used the Internet to research or book summer travel.

Prospectiv’s CPI found that this summer almost a third of online consumers are booking travel arrangements through online travel sites, slightly over one fifth are making reservations at a hotel or destination’s website and nearly another third go online to research travel options, but do not book online.

In addition, the CPI poll revealed that consumers want even more online travel content, with 88% of them saying they would like even more information specific to their travel interests from online websites and e-mails.

“The CPI findings show that the Internet is an ideal way to reach consumers with branding messages, special offers, discounts and other summer travel promotions,” said Jere Doyle, Prospectiv CEO. “Travel and tourism marketers who expand their visibility online will be at a definite advantage as travel-specific e-newsletters and targeted discounts continue to grab the attention of an increasing number of consumers.”

Thursday, July 06, 2006

 

another good hotel

Hotel Amadeus Krakow ****
ul. Mikolajska 20
31-027 Krakow

The Amadeus Hotel in Krakow has twenty luxury air-conditioned rooms and two elegantly appointed suites.
All rooms have telephones, modem sockets, satellite T.V. and mini-bars.

Dining possibilities include: dinner in our beautiful restaurant, light refreshments in the bistro and comprehensive selection of beers, wines and spirits at the bar. There is also a sauna and fitness club.
We have state-of-the-art conference facilities-our large room can accommodate up to 40 persons.
If you require a smaller and a more intimate environment we have an exclusive club and meeting room for twelve. A parking is situated 150m from the hotel.
The Amadeus Hotel is located close to the centre of the Old Town. Good location enables to reach the city centre and the main railway station on foot.

Monday, July 03, 2006

 

Chopin Hotel Krakow ***

This 3-stars hotel is located close to the pulsating city centre of Cracow, the "Northern Florence", with its most important places of interest.
Both the main railway station and the bus stop are within a few minutes of walking distance from the hotel.
Professional, friendly service, high standards of rooms and Hotels location surrounded by a green area gives an ideal solution for leisure and business Guests.
Try our services and we will make sure that your visit in Cracow will be a charming experience!
All 219 comfortable rooms dispose of private baths and are equipped with 2-line direct dial phones and satellite TV.

Friday, June 30, 2006

 

City Krakow - Campanile Hotel

The new two-star Campanile Hotel is located in the city center. Its favorable location guarantees easy access to almost every interesting place of the former capital of Poland.

There are 106 spacious and comfortably furnished rooms, each of them equipped with a radio, TV Sat, and telephone providing internet access.

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