Sunday, July 12, 2009

There's Plenty to do in Niagara!

Niagara Falls has plenty to do with it's several amusements and attractions on famous Clifton Hill and the surrounding area. We also have a Marineland here, a safari park, numerous historical sites (including Fort Erie and Fort George, which played a major role in the war of 1812), hiking, rollerblading and bike trails, rock climbing in the gorge, 2 casinos, live theatre, a botanical gardens with a butterfly conservatory, plenty of wineries, world-class golf courses and of course the famous Maid-of the-Mist boat ride.
The Niagara river is about 58 km (36 mi) long, running from Lake Erie at Fort Erie, Ontario to Lake Ontario at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, with Niagara Falls being approximately mid-way. Following the river is the Niagara Parkway, providing plenty of places to stop to picnic and enjoy the the view. There is a trail that runs the full length of the parkway for cycling, rollerblading, or just walking. The natural beauty never ends.
Aside from being right along the Niagara river itself, are the hidden gems of Balls Falls Conservation Area and Decew Falls. The night-life can be amazing and shopping is abundant.
The town of Niagara-on-the-Lake offers quaint little shops and restaurants, the Whirlpool Jetboat Rides, Fort George and live theatre, including the Shaw Festival. If gaming is your thing, Fort Erie has a race track with OTB and slots. There are also a few bingo halls here, Fort Erie and a beach.
Small museums can be found all over the Niagara region for those history enthusiasts. There are festivals at several times of the year, offering great food, drinks and music and every season has something to offer. There is just so much to see here, that the list is endless.
Keep in mind that there are several places around town, as well as in most any hotel, that you can pick up coupons to save on the attractions. However, there is plenty to do here that's free. Come visit and you'll love Niagara.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

What you should know about your hotel.

When you are planning your trip, decide what you want in a hotel. Do you just want a room or a suite. Do the rooms come with small fridges, microwave ovens, coffee makers, etc.? What services do they offer? Do they have a restaurant or offer Continental breakfast or coffee? Do they have a pool, a workout room, things to do within the hotel? Do they have package deals? Does the price include meals, tickets to special events, attractions, or entertainment? If they do have packages, do a little checking to see if it really is a good deal. It may be cheaper to do things on your own without the packages, although I have to admit some hotels do have good deals in their packages and it does make it more convenient than having to run around buying tickets for things.
When asking the room rate and paying in a different currency (ie. Canadian to American or vise versa) ask the rate of exchange that they give. You may even want to call back if you are calling a big hotel and booking with reservations and ask to speak to the front desk to ask what rate they are currently giving. I worked for one hotel in the reservations department and they had us quote a different, more pleasing rate of exchange than they were actually giving, just to entise the traveler to book the reservation. Rates are never guaranteed because of fluctuating money markets.
Tourist spots are busy at different times of the year, so if you go there once, say in the middle of the week in off-season, don't expect to pay the same rate on a summer weekend, especially if it's a holiday. Rates are higher when it is busier. I've seen the same room vary in price from $99 on a slow, off-season night to $1500 on a busy Labour Day weekend saturday night. Rates are based on availability of rooms, so if the rooms in town are selling out, they can be extremely expensive. When it's like that, the earlier you get to town, the better. Check-in time is usually after 3pm but if you get into town and don't end up going to the hotel until 3am, your room may have been sold to someone else and your credit card charged anyway. Book ahead if you can.
Third-party bookings (websites that offer discounted room rates for different hotels for travel) have become very popular. They can also be a very good deal, however, the only way to really know if you are getting a good deal is to call the actual hotel or look at their website to see the rates. Be aware rates may be cheaper on the hotel website than if you call the hotel, because they don't have to pay a real person to talk to you.
Always remember to ask a hotel's cancellation policy. If you make a reservation, most hotels have a 24, 48 or 72 hour cancellation policy. This means that if you are going to cancel, you must do so before 1, 2 or 3 days before you are to arrive, or they'll charge your credit card for the first night stay. Also, you may want to call before these times to see if the rate has lowered, giving you the opportunity to cancel and rebook. Usually, if you tell the hotel you want to do that, they will generally offer to just adjust the rate. Once you are within the cancellation time, you may be stuck with that rate.
Ask about the parking! Remember, some hotels charge extra for parking but don't tell you over the phone unless you ask. Also, ask if the parking is at the hotel, if it is in walking distance, or if they only have valet parking. It's another way of getting extra money from you.
Most hotels in a busy travel spot will have flyers with discount coupons for amusements and entertainment, either in the rooms or in the lobby. Don't be afraid to grab them to use. These discounts could save you a lot of money when you get around to doing the attractions. By the way, ask how close you are to the attractions, if they are in walking distance, if there is public transportation, or if the hotel offers transportation to amusements and if it's free.
Speaking of transportation, if you are travelling without a car, in some cities such as Niagara Falls, Canada, the hotels do not generally provide transportation to and from the airports, so you will probably have to make your own arrangements. Check the internet for such services for your bookings and do book ahead.
Caution: When looking at hotels on the internet WYSIWYG is not always true. Some hotels will put up pictures of the hotel from long ago. Don't be afraid to ask how old the hotel is and about any upgrades.
Lastly, I don't like to name-drop but sites like Trip Advisor can be helpful. I say "can be" because most people that post on the sites are honest and will give you an honest opinion of what their stay was like at the hotel, and of course there are hotels that put up their own postings, pretending to have been guests. Some people that had a good stay will complain anyhow because they overspent on their vacation and were trying to get out of the cost of the stay and get some money back. I worked at one hotel where some guests actually brought their own bedbugs so they could get the room free at the end of their stay. Didn't happen. I've seen more tricks than you can imagine, although I've also seen places that actually had them.
I hope this post has been helpful. Happy vacationing!

I'm going to help you save MONEY!

There is a lot of things that you should know before you set off to go on vacation.
#1 DO YOUR HOMEWORK! It may take up some of your time, but it's worth it.
Whether it's staying at hotels, planning a tour with,or without a guide, going to see a show, or even parking your car. Tourist towns (if it's Niagara Falls, Toronto, New York, wherever) will take as much of your money as they can and you can almost always count on spending a lot more money than you planned on. There are plenty of hidden costs in these "tourist" cities and just knowing some of them can save you plenty!
Before you go on vacation, makes the calls and ask questions, plenty of them. As a matter of fact, write down questions you'd like answers to before you start to make your calls. Did you know that a lot of hotels in the prime areas of Niagara Falls charge for parking in their parking lots? Some charge $10, some $20 and that's before tax. Other big "hot spot" cities can charge even more!
DO YOUR HOMEWORK! IT PAYS TO DO SO!