Sep 9th, 2011 at 12:30PM: Think booking a home reservation instead of a hotel means that you'll be lacking in services? Think again. Today, Airbnb launched their new concierge service, a completely free add-on to their reservations platform, allowing 24/7 access to the site's team of research experts.
They'll be on hand to help with everything from finding dinner reservations or a new phone charger but can also help ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
concierge posts
Airbnb launches concierge services
Sep 9th, 2011 at 12:30PM: Think booking a home reservation instead of a hotel means that you'll be lacking in services? Think again. Today, Airbnb launched their new concierge service, a completely free add-on to their reservations platform, allowing 24/7 access to the site's team of research experts.
They'll be on hand to help with everything from finding dinner reservations or a new phone charger but can also help ...Gadling Q & A with Daniel Edward Craig, author and hotel consultant
Sep 28th, 2010 at 10:30AM: Daniel Edward Craig shares a name with the current James Bond, and like 007, he's a world traveler and a man of many hats. He's taken a career in hotel management and a keen ear for storytelling and parlayed it into a murder mystery book series, an engaging industry blog, and a hotel and social media consultancy. Here he tells Gadling about his history in the travel world, who's providing the best ...Borrow a charger from the front desk - Hotel tip
Aug 9th, 2010 at 10:07AM: For every person who forgets their charger at home, another person leaves their charger in their room at checkout.
If you go down to the desk and ask nicely, they might offer you a big box of left-behind cords to sort through for a charger that fits your phone, computer, or whatever.
This saves money and time better spent having fun, and if you don't care about paying it forward to the next ...Workout with the locals - International travel tip
Jun 21st, 2010 at 11:03AM: I'm a black belt in Kenpo Karate and I hate missing a workout. The workouts keep me sane and balanced during periods of long travel. During one particularly long stint, I covered 22 countries in 18 month's time. At every stop, I asked the hotel concierge to book a karate program with the local master.
In Tokyo, I worked with Shorinji Kenpo in an elementary school; in Stockholm I worked out at ...Tips for tippers: it isn't what you expect
Nov 18th, 2009 at 8:00AM:
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Tipping's a tough nut to crack. Should you tip a housekeeper? Back in the day, the rule was leaving some cash only if your stay was 30 days or longer. Since then, however, it seems to have changed. And, what's appropriate for a valet? Bellman? Skycap? Travel means ...Road testing the Cranky Concierge
Oct 23rd, 2009 at 8:00AM:
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I've known Brett Snyder aka The Cranky Flier for a few years now, so when he started up The Cranky Concierge, an itinerary management service this past month, I was naturally intrigued.
The concept goes sort of like this: most people hate booking and micromanaging their ...Five ways to spot awful customer service
Oct 14th, 2009 at 8:00AM:
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When I think I might have problems with patience, my wife is always happy to confirm it for me. Since I hate to wait in line, expect employees to know what they are doing and always be having a good day (at least as far as I can see), my standards are ...Best beach food. Read this and you'll be hungry
Jul 29th, 2009 at 2:30PM: Reading Concierge.com's article on the world's 13 best beach foods right before lunch is one way to heighten the sense of wanting to eat--and now!
When I read about the grilled fish on a beach in Vietnam, I had to stifle a whimper. Oh, how I loved that grilled fish I had on the beach in Vietnam. In Nha Trang, my husband and I hired two women to cook us a private dinner. Concierge.com suggests a ...Travel gems and hidden secrets from Concierge.com
Feb 11th, 2009 at 1:30PM: The winners of Concierge.com's Million Mile Contest have been announced and their essays are posted on the website. Some essays offer a unique angle about a place where people might miss certain details if they didn't know where or how to look.
The winner, Elizabeth Dwoskin of Brooklyn, New York wrote about Parque Lage, a jungle park in the middle of Rio De Janeiro. Within the reserve is my kind ...Get a tan and feel good about it.
Oct 28th, 2008 at 12:00PM: Catalyst Concierge, which was started by 29 year old Simone Callender, creates luxury Caribbean vacations for people who care about children. Callender was inspired to found the company after a tenure as Governess to four children of a Middle Eastern Royal Family. Traveling the Caribbean with them, she always found the hotel concierge services, even at the grandest of resorts, insufficient. ...Gadling Take FIVE - August 9--August 15
Aug 16th, 2008 at 8:00AM: Yesterday afternoon I was on a WiFi quest with no luck, so here's the Take FIVE a day later.
While I was on my WiFi quest with no luck, Gadling welcomed a new blogger. Meg Massie has an interesting way to get around the world. Her husband is a professional bridge player. Meg travels for other reasons too. Bridge is just one of them.
Along with the welcome addition of Meg, there have been a mix ...Air New Zealand Takes In-Flight Service to a New Level
Jul 23rd, 2008 at 12:00PM: These days, airline passengers expect the worst when they embark on a flight. Yes, they will still get a free bag of salted peanuts, but often have to pay $5 for a beverage to wash them down. Not all airlines are toning down the in-flight offerings, however. Air New Zealand is doing just the opposite by introducing a new breed of air service personnel, the airborne concierge. According to Scott ...Can I have an extra pillow? I mean prostitute, of course
Apr 9th, 2008 at 10:40AM: I learned something new today. Apparently, the coded way for a hotel guest to ask for a prostitute is "Can I have another pillow?" At least that is what Matt Rudd says in his very funny Times article about his life as a concierge in a 5-star hotel in London. It is well worth reading, even if one pillow is typically your speed. The whims of some luxury hotel guests are entertaining, to say the ...
