The pandemic has caused hotel occupancy rates to plummet and forced countless changes with regard to travel. But some small boutique hotels and bed and breakfast inns in California have found a silver lining with hotel reservations: a rise in direct bookings. Instead of booking a hotel room with a few clicks with an online travel agency (OTA) website like Booking.com or Expedia, more travelers seem to be contacting hotels directly to book their rooms. The California Association of Boutique & Breakfast Inns (CABBI) has compiled a list of top five reasons to consider booking your next reservation directly with a boutique hotel or B&B.

Mobile Passport will celebrate World Tourism Day on September 27, 2019 by offering its app for $9.99. For each upgrade to the Mobile Passport Plus paid app, $5 of that $9.99 will then be donated to nonprofit Tourism Cares' disaster recovery fund to support Hurricane Dorian recovery efforts. This will apply to all new Mobile Passport Plus purchases on Friday, Sept. 27's flash sale. Read on for next steps!

​Recently discovered this app and website called Table8, which can be used to find and book restaurant reservations and discover new food and drink experiences. Looked up Indian and Italian restaurants near Los Angeles where I live and received quote a few options that I was able to sort not just by date, time and number in my party but also by price range, type of cuisine, distance, etc.

The company has been around a while but they also launched a new restaurant perks program for Dining Club Members at select partner restaurants in LA as well as the 12 other cities across the U.S. where they operate. These special perks are complimentary and range from a welcome cocktail or amuse bouche to a signed menu from the chef or wine cellar tour with the sommelier. Sounds interesting, how fun!
 
Looks like a perfect way to impress for date night or maybe with family members when taking them to dinner, especially over the holidays. Its an extra special touch, and exclusive in that you have to know of the app and reserve though there. Some of the perks in LA include:

• Cliff's Edge – Dining Club members get guaranteed seating on the sought after patio
• Officine Brera – Dining Club members get a complimentary dessert
• Alma at The Standard – Dining Club members get welcome bubbles and a signed menu from Chef Ari Taymor     

 
Now if that doesn’t sound like a unique experience to make you and your guests feel special! The app itself is free to download on your phone or use online through their website but the Dining Club Membership costs $95. If you want to sign up asap, then just click on the image above and it should take you directly to the sign-up page. Have you tried the app or are you in a city where the service is available? Would love to hear your experience in the comments below!

*Assistance for content for this post provided by Wagstaff Worldwide*

With National Cappuccino Day tomorrow in time for the elections here in the U.S, and National Espresso Day coming up shortly after on the 23rd, there is a fair chance you will see me sipping on one of those drinks as the beautiful Fall weather takes over here in Hollywood. 

With a love of travel, more and more people are finding that they want to take more trips more often. When you have a job, it can be tricky to get the time off. Which is why more and more people are choosing to have weekend city breaks over anything else. You don’t need to take as much time off work, but you can still see a lot of sights in that time. So what are the things to consider when planning a city break? How can you maximize the time? Here are a few tips and ideas.

Come along with me on my top picks for museums I enjoyed visiting in the few destinations that I've been. Why 14? Because nobody does a list with that number apparently! Picture up top is from my visit to MOMA in San Francisco. I always make time for a museum visit in one of the cities I am visiting, I enjoy the experience and always learn something new. Besides, most museums are architectural beauties in their own right so I love discovering these concrete monuments and enjoy their offerings! Here we go, in no particular order...

We all love a good holiday. But sometimes getting a good price and planning where to go and what to do can take a long time. Instead of all that planning, why not just take a last minute holiday?
Taking a spur of the moment holiday can be one of the best ways to get out there and relax for a few days. All you need is a weekend or a few days off work and you can go somewhere you never thought of before. Here are five quick steps to taking a holiday last minute...

This is a US-based site, but there are plenty of viewers from all over the world here. Many of you will be looking to visit the US at some point in your lifetimes, so here are some pointers to make things just a little easier for you! 

Whether you’re planning on traveling for a few days, weeks, or months, here are a few things you can do to make this trip one of the best yet. from culture and food, to meeting locals or strangers, here are some suggestions to have a truly enjoyable experience!

Are you tired of taking the same kinds of holidays? Is sitting around the pool or by the beach becoming boring? Well, it might be time to think about some of the alternative options out there. Maybe a cruise, or a train journey, or something else altogether?

Travel is a fantastic way to broaden your horizons and enrich your life. From sightseeing to tasting local cuisines, it can be an eye-opening experience. But for a more enhanced trip, you need to attend a local festival. Whether it’s Epcot’s food and wine festival or a religious celebration, festivals give you a truly unique perspective.Whether big or small, religious or not, they create a magical vibe and feel. Here are some top reasons why you should head to a festival, no matter where you are in the world.

Solo travel is becoming increasingly popular. People just don’t want to wait around anymore. They want to see the world, and they don’t care that they’re on their own. You meet lots of people travelling anyway, so you’re never truly alone! But are you unsure of what to do? This guide will help you work out whether solo travel is for you.

 Life can be stressful sometimes. Work hours are long and the daily commute is a nightmare. We’re aware that we need to adjust our work life balance to tilt more towards life. But that’s not always possible. Annual vacation is the time to relax, slow down and forget about the stresses and strains of everyday life. Follow these tips to treat yourself this holiday and indulge in some much-needed TLC...

Thinking of traveling in 2016? Then you’re probably looking for tips to keep the costs down. Lucky for you, there's five epic ideas right here!