now published on the Travel Belles, click here.

http://www.manchesterconfidential.co.uk/Food-and-Drink/Food-allergy-intolerance-and-the-restaurant-shake-up

Let it be known that I thoroughly annoyed the Manchester City Council office in researching this story, which was strangely quite fun.

Please click on the photo above to see my article, published in Mancunian Matters, about the Bidve family’s visit to Salford.

Please click on the link above to read my article on Manchester Confidential.

]]> http://karenregn.com/2011/12/manchester-confidential-manufacturing-in-the-greater-manchester-2011/feed/ 0 http://karenregn.com/2011/10/why-not-a-pink-photo/ http://karenregn.com/2011/10/why-not-a-pink-photo/#comments Fri, 21 Oct 2011 21:01:06 +0000 Karen http://karenregn.com/?p=863 We’re out of season here.  But I kind of like being on the flip side…

Cherry Trees Blooming in Rome, Italy

One of my favorite museums has got to be Canterbury Museum in Christchurch, New Zealand.  Architecturally elegant and not too large, it’s the perfect introduction to all that is amazing about the country.

Here’s the exhibit I remember most…

In the bird hall, there was an exhibit about an eagle with a 9-foot-wing-span called the harpagonis moorei, or Haast eagle.  It was the largest eagle to have ever existed.  It fed on moa, huge flightless birds whose extinction at the hands of humans depleted the giant eagle’s food source so much that the top feeder eventually disappeared completely.  It was only discovered (by a taxidermist from this museum) in 1871.

You can see bones of the moa at this museum.  There are only three known complete skeletons of the Haast eagle, and one of them is housed permanently at the national museum in Wellington.

Other memorable exhibits at the Canterbury Museum included a collection of hei-tiki amulets made of pounamu jade and whaling industry artifacts.

I love that this museum is on the edge of a beautiful park and botanical gardens.  I remember taking gorgeous photos in its rose garden.  And for a small fee, you can go for a punting trip on a nearby stream.

The area is so picturesque, and central to any location in Christchurch, it’s a must-see when you visit New Zealand.

The museum reopened last month after being closed since the earthquake in February 2011.  See the website here: http://www.canterburymuseum.com/

This travel blog photo’s source is TravelPod page: Christchurch

On the way to see fireworks

Sumidagawa Hanabi Festival

Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan

This position is prime because when hotels and airlines don’t sell out  their rooms and seats, they prepare to maximize the revenue from that night or that flight in other ways. You could be the recipient of a bargain upgrade; a last-minute, everything-must-go deal.

I travel with a budget, and take my deal-hunting seriously.  If you’re like me, you’ve already checked your desired hotel’s prices on several websites and have decided the high-end rooms are out of your reach– you have a budget, after all.  But don’t give up there.  You really could have the hotel suite of your dreams, if you upgrade at check-in. And this is my secret travel indulgence.  When I check in at hotels, I always inquire as to upgrade deals.

Why?  It’s just a bigger room isn’t it?

Well, that depends.  Upgrades can be more than just a larger room.  Luxury rooms often mean luxury products in the bathroom, better bedding, better views, and amenities such as a complimentary snack bar and/or cocktails.  Upgrades come with classier service and more points on your honors card if you have one.  I’ve stayed in hotels that even have separate facilities such as a private swimming pool and breakfast restaurant reserved for the upgraded customers (Rasa Ria in KK, I’m looking at you).  Making the switch could be just the room, yes, but it could also be the element that transforms your vacation into the greatest trip you ever had.

So, how do I get these upgrades?

Most hotel front desk staff are trained in how to upsell rooms.  They are used to the flexible nature of hotel room rates, which like traded commodities on a stock market floor, fluctuate quickly with demand.

Step 1, do your research. On the hotel’s website, look at the room you want, then check the prices and amenities for the suites a step above your own.  Then consider the date; if the suites are in high demand, say, during a holiday weekend, then the chances of a discounted upgrade are slim.  But low season or mid-week are propitious timeframes for bargain upgrades.

Step 2, be open-minded. The staff aren’t trying to get you to break your budget because they are evil.  It’s their job to upsell.  And besides, they might be doing you a favor.

Upon check-in, if they don’t automatically ask then complete Step 3, ask the agent if there are any upgraded rooms available at a discounted or last-minute rate. Sometimes, the agents are so sorry to say “no” that they try to make it up to you by giving you a small complimentary gift, but then again sometimes they don’t have anything to offer at all.

If they offer you an upgrade, ask to see either pictures or a floorplan of the room (Step 4) . Get information about which floor it’s on, what the view is like, and what the amenities are.  Sometimes the upgrade truly is “just the room”, so this is the perfect time to find out.

Step 5, discuss splitting the cost of the upgrade with your travel companion, but don’t pressure her/him.  The last thing you want is for your friend to get the bill at the end and say, “I only went along with it because you wanted it so much.”

Step 6, if the upgrade is too expensive for you, ask the agent to call your (regular) room if a suite becomes available at a lower price. Say something to this effect: “Let me know if they go down in price later on this evening, to around $50 per night let’s say, and give me a call if they do.”   The front desk agent will probably ask authorization from senior managers for a special price after you leave.  Offer a fair price, nothing so low as to incite offense or inspire laughter from the person behind the desk, and that reservations agent in the back office may change her mind and offer you the upgrade after all, or be able to offer it to you for later nights of your visit if not that first night.

My boyfriend and I recently stayed in an upgraded suite at the Gaylord Palms in Orlando, Florida for a 60% addition on top of what we had already paid online.  The 1-bedroom suite was massive and the bed was plush and comfortable, but in the end we enjoyed our stay in our non-upgraded, more affordable room at the nearby Parc Soleil Hilton GV property significantly more than we had the suite.  It goes to show that upgrades are a gamble.

In fact, stepping up to the check-in desk may feel like stepping up to parlay at a blackjack table.  The outcome is unknown.  This last-minute adventure, this upgrading, adds suspense to my travel itinerary. Will there be one?  Will we get it?  Will we like it? Since I’m a serious deal-hunting uber-planner, the spontaneity of the action of upgrading itself feels so indulgent!   Settling into the upgraded suite where we sit in separate rooms because we can, marvel at all our “free” snacks, and make our selections from the pillow bar?  Yeah, that’s usually pretty good too.

This article was written for The Travel Belle’s Question and Blog-post Blitz theme of ‘What is your secret travel indulgence?’ You can find all the Belles’ related stories on this topic on the Travel Belles site.

*Please keep in mind that the tips I’ve listed in this post were gathered from my travel experiences and years I worked in the hospitality industry in the USA. They are therefore somewhat specified.  Outside the U.S.A., hotel reservation customs may differ and it’s best to get advice from an expert inside the country of your destination.

Swans at Windermere

Ambleside, Lake Windermere, Lake District, England

Desserts at the Angelina Cafe, Paris

A new study from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health tells us that those business travelers I’ve been envying, the ones who travel with the nonchalance of the habituated, who get automatic upgrades from their tens of thousands of racked-up airmiles, who are always checking in at international airports and star-spangled hotels only to rub our noses via Twitter or Facebook, are actually at greater risk of developing significant health problems.  According to the study, those who traveled more than 20 days in one month had a higher BMI, higher blood pressure, and were 260% more likely to rate their health as fair to poor compared to light travelers.

Perhaps most shocking of all, 92% were more likely to be obese.

Seeing the data, it’s not hard to support the figures with my own anecdotal evidence.  I’ve tried to buy carrot juice and apples in airport cafes, but healthy choices are overwhelmingly outnumbered by fat and sugar-laden meals and snacks.  And I’ve been only too quick to abandon my healthy intentions, opting instead for chocolates or french fries and munching away as though the fat, carbs, and calories would be left behind in the terminal as I boarded the plane.

Also, there’s the ineluctable desire to sample the local fare.  I’ve dined in places such as the Angelina Cafe in Paris, where sweets beckon to the diners as unequivocally as Alice’s size-altering cakes.  ”Be in the moment!” they say. “You must try me!”   The Japanese mochi, the English cheeses, and the Indian kulfi are among those delights I’ve found it impossible to resist– but can you blame me?

For many, overeating stems from the physical and psychological difficulties of a travel-heavy lifestyle.  On any trip, one suffers from stress and fatigue.  Presumably business travelers suffer more than leisure travelers, but these factors can spur anyone to reach for more food, and unhealthy food at that.  And for business travelers, their food is often on the company dime, and they are likely to order more of it.

Boxes of Mochi in Japan...More sweets i can't resist

I’ve always thought of business travel as mostly air travel, but the authors of the Columbia study note that 81% percent of business travel is accomplished via automobile.  For these travelers, this spells out limited food options and copious time in the driver’s seat.  Add a pinch of boredom behind the wheel, and we can even more easily explain the spike in caloric intake.

Going forward, travelers can take something from this study (and don’t worry, it’ll fit in your hand luggage).  Those of us who care about our health have to be more demanding.  Are we powerless as captive consumers, or are the airports and service plazas just capitalizing on the willingness one feels to let cares go?  A little of both, perhaps.  It’s time to take back the control by buying healthier, fresher foods when we’re on the road and petitioning for restaurants we encounter to carry more of them.  And, do whatever we can to exercise and keep our spirits up when you’re away from home, however we decide to do that.

Me in Venice's Vegetable Market...I don't look too convinced

I want to see business travelers everywhere healthy, because I don’t want to feel sorry for these jetsetters with their expense accounts and their five-star accommodations.  I’d rather go back to envying their rewards cards, the way it’s meant to be.

Referenced articles:

http://www.mailman.columbia.edu/academic-departments/epidemiology/research-service/travelers-alert-business-travel-linked-obesity-an

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/fast_track/9499021.stm