Many industries were hit extremely hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Restaurants, bars, hotels, and hair salons have been shut down for weeks, relying on donations and government stimulus to stay afloat. As a tour operator, my company is in the hospitality industry and has obviously been hit very hard. However, in this industry in particular,…
It is somewhat common for a hotel to upgrade the host’s room. Hosts are usually assigned to the worst room category because we won’t complain about them, and our room is often complimentary due to the size of the group we’re bringing. But even though they’re booked as the worst of the worst, a lot…
Read Customs Paperwork and Be Honest! Many countries will have you fill out paperwork when you enter the country to state that you are not bringing in something that could be a threat to their country. Most of this focuses on environmental factors, but it also usually includes things like explosives and large amounts of…
I know I reference this trip a lot, but it was my first major introduction to international travel, and it was the benchmark for a lot of my experiences since then. I was recently re-reading my blog from that trip, which can be found here (password summit), and found my summary of the trip and…
I’ve had a lot of people ask me recently why my job is necessary. Why can’t people order their own transportation and hotel? Why do I need to fly to Mexico for three days to get a trip started? Why do I need to fly to Jamaica months before a trip just to see how…
It’s common, especially for less expensive hotels, to allow you to cancel your room, partially or in whole, at some point before you travel. For more expensive hotels and international hotels, the cancellation policies tend to be less flexible but usually allow you to avoid a good portion of the total cost. Most travelers understand…
Travel agents don’t get discounts on airfare–neither individual airfare nor group airfare is typically discounted specifically for travel agents. Furthermore, we don’t get commissions either. There are some airlines that offer commissionable rates, but the percentages are extremely small, and the airfare is the same as what’s available to anyone online. Consequently, we often have…
I wanted to follow up on my recent post regarding the $20 Trick with my own list. As a travel host, my perspective comes from somewhere between the front desk staff and the guest. I’ve learned all sorts of ways to get what I need without relying on tips and bribes, and I’ve learned to focus on…
I honestly don’t know if this is true for all travel professionals, but so far, everyone I’ve worked with does it: we give nicknames. Usually, they’re given to the problem travelers or the ones who get themselves in trouble, and those always come with a good story, but others are given to the nicest and…
The “$20 Trick” has spread around the internet as the best way to get a nearly free upgrade at any hotel. Popularized by the book“Heads in Beds: A Reckless Memoir of Hotels, Hustles, and So-Called Hospitality” by Jacob Tomsky, this idea has spread like wildfire and has resulted in an unrealistic expectation of nearly free…