NEWS
May 21, 2012 | By Mary Forgione, Los Angeles Times Daily Travel & Deal blogger
Anyone who needs a quick, inexpensive getaway that's within an hour of Los Angeles, here's a great idea with a great price: Catalina Island packages that come with ferry ticket and hotel starting at just $59 a night per person. The deal: These Catalina Express Packages allow you to choose from 20 hotels in Avalon. Each hotel offers a different deal, and best prices are offered for Sunday-Thursday stays. A handy map on the website shows you how close each one is to the beach.
HOME & GARDEN
May 19, 2012 | Chris Erskine
I love my dog. Sure, he has issues - what lover doesn't? He wheezes when he sleeps, or when he's awake. There is an unexplainable darkness to his soul that emerges when he's under extreme stress. He also has a taste for the blood in mosquito bites. (The vet thinks he might be a vampire.) Being from L.A., our dog is prone to anxiety attacks and an almost debilitating sense of envy, particularly when coming upon younger, fitter dogs, which almost all dogs are. The last time we weighed him, he was close to 300 pounds.
NEWS
May 17, 2012 | By Mary Forgione, Los Angeles Times Daily Travel & Deal blogger, This post has been updated, as indicated below.
With Coachella 2012 barely in the books, get ready for an early shot at buying tickets and hotel packages for Coachella 2013 . Even though there's no lineup announced yet, advance ticket sales start at 10 a.m. PDT Thursday (today) and continue through 10 p.m. PDT May 24 for what's officially known as the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival. Next year's music fest again will take place over two weekends: April 12-14 and April 19-21. [Updated, 8:30 a.m. May 18: General admission and VIP advance purchase tickets for both weekends sold out quickly Thursday.
BUSINESS
May 16, 2012 | By Hugo Martín, Los Angeles Times
Americans plan to travel in slightly higher numbers this summer, according to surveys, starting with the upcoming Memorial Day weekend. But many will hold the line on spending for items such as hotel stays and entertainment because of high fuel costs and rising airfares. An annual survey by the American Automobile Assn. released Tuesday predicted that 34.8 million Americans will travel by all modes at least 50 miles from home during the holiday weekend, a 1.2% increase over last year.
NEWS
May 14, 2012 | By Mary Forgione, Los Angeles Times Daily Travel & Deal blogger
Accor Hotels, which operate Novotel, Ibis, Pullman and other brands in India , is offering a 15% discount on rooms this summer as well as breakfast for two for just 1 rupee (roughly a penny). The sale is good at 15 hotels, including properties in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. The deal: You might recognize the name Accor because the company operates Motel 6 and other properties in the U.S. The Early Breaks offer requires reservations at least three days in advance to receive 15% off the standard room rate and breakfast for two for the equivalent of a penny.
TRAVEL
May 13, 2012 | By Catharine Hamm, Los Angeles Times
Question: Can I be a greener hotel guest? Answer: You can and you should. But, as Kermit the Frog noted, it's not easy being green. The May 6 "On the Spot" column focused on behaviors of hotel guests that are wasteful and harmful to the environment. But, we should note, it's also up to the hotel to practice what the green gods preach. The question for those of us who are environmental novices - and I am one - is what is a best practice? I'd love to know if housekeeping is using environmentally sound products, but I don't have the expertise to assess that.