Category: Hotels

10 Questions For (26): Sheila Scarborough of Family Travellogue

Happy to present to you a social media canon Sheila Scarborough of -Yes! of what not? 🙂 – Sheila Scarborough.com, of Family Travellogue which is in the Bootsnall Travel Network and contributing to Perceptive Travel Blog, belonging to the Perceptive Travel Online Magazine. I believe I missed some:-)
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Sheila Scarborough
(photo courtesy Korey Howell Photography)

1) Who Are You?
I’m a writer specializing in travel, automobile drag racing and Web 2.0/social media. I also speak, teach workshops and consult with companies about how to communicate effectively using social media.

I grew up in a Navy family, and after college I served in the Navy myself for almost 23 years, aboard ships on both US coasts and in Japan. My shore duty assignments included a NATO command in the Netherlands (in Brunssum, near Maastricht) so I’ve enjoyed a lot of travel opportunities.

When I left the Navy, I decided to become a travel writer, and a journalist friend said, “If you’re going to be a writer, you need to have a blog.” So, in between pitching for print assignments, I started my BootsnAll family travel blog in February 2006, then later also joined the Perceptive Travel Blog to write about more general and cultural travel.

The drag racing work started when I got an assignment to blog from the track at the Gatornationals, a big race near my home in Florida. I fell in love with the action, the noise and the stories about the participants. Sports writing is a good mental change from travel writing, and I’ve also done longer motorsports-related articles in Texas Highways magazine and online with Automotive Traveler.

The social media work is the result of the skill set I’ve developed after three years of blogging, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc. I have a Navy Master Training Specialist certification and spent a lot of time on instructor duty, so it’s very natural for me to teach and speak.

2) What do you like about what you do?
I love to tell a good story and to guide people to worthwhile destinations, especially the unexpected, less-glamorous places. I often say, “A monkey could write ‘My Secret Tuscany’ but it takes talent and effort to make some obscure back road or small town compelling.”

Blogging and other social media platforms are perfect for me because I love to connect people and tell stories to the widest-possible audience.

3) What don’t you like about what you do?
It is so difficult to make a living from creating Web-based content. It will get better, because the value will increase as the world continues to move online and to mobile, but if I did not have a military pension, I’d have never made it this far and I’d be stocking shelves at my local IKEA.

I am thankful that I stood all of those bridge and engineering watches aboard ship, at all hours of the day and night; those hours “bought” me the chance to live my dream now. Thank you also to my Sainted Husband, Chris, who has a steady job as a mathematics teacher.

4) Please tell us all about your blog and your aims with it.
I’ve been working with the BootsnAll Travel Network since August 2008 to transition my family travel blog to a new URL and template. Boots has done a lot with destination-based content, but not that much with a family travel topic, so we’re both excited about continuing to work together. We see no reason that independent travelers can’t continue to see the world even after they have kids.

The Perceptive Travel Blog is also doing really well; we like to highlight places and tell stories that you won’t find elsewhere. My only regret is that I’ve never had a chance to meet my co-bloggers in person (Nia Malchik in New York and Liz Lewis in New Zealand.) Some day….!

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Hong Kong View from the Star Ferry by Teen Wolf

5) Your top 3 destination experiences you’ve ever stayed to date and why?
** Hong Kong (although now that I’ve visited Shanghai, I have to pause a moment before saying that. There’s a new competitor in my heart.) I’ve visited Hong Kong several times, and always loved its energy, business focus, bright colors and go-go people. The harbor view from the Star Ferry never fails to make me grin like an idiot.

** Chicago, because it is a no-nonsense town that appreciates and supports great art, architecture and public spaces. It’s like New York City, but not so full of itself. Chicago’s location on Lake Michigan, and the Chicago River running through the town, lend it an unexpectedly maritime flavor even in the middle of the Midwest. I appreciate big expanses of water next to a vibrant city (when will someone buy me a ticket to see Sydney?!)

** The Mayan ruins at Tikal, Guatemala. I was only able to spend a little time there, but it took my breath away. Jungles, monkeys, climbing ancient pyramids and looking back over the treetops; wow, what’s not to love?

6) Your top 3 accommodations you’ve ever stayed to date and why?
Actually, I don’t really care about hotels. That’s funny for me to realize, but I had to think hard to answer this question. I do not travel to stay in nice hotels or resorts, I travel to see the place where the hotel is located. As long as the lodging is clean and convenient, I’m happy. I drop off my suitcase and leave to go explore.

Here’s my best effort:

** The Shack Up Inn, Clarksdale, Mississippi. Converted sharecropper shacks in the heart of Delta blues country, and the snazziest bottle trees I’ve ever seen. (Close second is the Bayou Cabins in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, because hosts Rocky and Lisa Sonnier are so genuine and I like being right on the Bayou Teche.)

** The CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) cabins in Bastrop State Park, Texas, near Austin. These small stone “Hobbit cottages” were built in the 1930s, during the Great Depression, but they are beautifully-maintained and have charming hand-carved fireplace mantels with nice sayings like, “Old Friends Are Best.”

** Ryokan Asakusa Shigetsu, Tokyo. Give me a good futon and fresh-smelling tatami mats, and I sleep like a log. The bath looks out over the Asakusa Kannon temple and the pagoda is beautifully lighted at night. Bliss.

7) Your top 3 most memorable food / wine experiences to date and why?
** A sunset Mai Tai at Honolulu’s Sheraton Moana Surfrider hotel, near the banyan tree that was planted in 1904 on Waikiki Beach. Watch the sun’s rays play over Diamond Head, and wonder why you don’t live in Hawaii.

** A gin and tonic in the InterContinental lobby bar in Hong Kong, on Kowloon side so I can watch the nightly laser light show on the spectacular buildings across Victoria Harbor.

** A Dairy Queen Peanut Buster Parfait near Jawad’s grocery store in Manama, Bahrain. It was so absurd to be eating one of my favorite fast food ice cream desserts on an island in the Persian Gulf (or Arabian Gulf, depending upon your political perspective.)

8) Your 3 worst destination/ accommodation /food experiences to date and why?
** A bad drinks/appetizers experience at Inn of the Anasazi bar in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I think we hit on a bad night or the staff was all in a bad mood or something, but it was a perfect example of an expensive place that didn’t deliver on service. If you charge me an arm and a leg, you’d better make it worth my while.

** The Waxahachie, Texas American’s Best Value Inn. I was covering a drag race and had to get lodging at the last minute. This place was gross in just about every way, and I wrote a blog post rant about why it is apparently impossible to find a decent, clean room for one person for US$50/night. Most commenters on the post told me that I got what I deserved, but US$50 is a lot of money for some people. Should only the well-off get decent hotel rooms?

** London. It took several trips there before I stopped resenting how much money I had to spend to do the most basic things. It was not fun to look at every price tag and have to mentally double whatever number was listed. I thought I was clever enough to “go cheap” in just about any big city, but London put me to the test, particularly when the kids were with me.

9) Can you offer the readers 3 destination/ food / accomodation / things to do tips about the city you are currently living in?
** Enjoy swimming in or near Austin. Try a dip in spring-fed Barton Springs Pool, Hamilton Springs Pool or go inner-tube floating in the clear, cool Guadalupe or Comal Rivers.

** Watch the Mexican freetail bats fly out from under the Ann Richards Congress Ave bridge at sunset from May to November (the world’s largest urban bat colony “hangs out” under the bridge.) Then, go eat Mexican food at Guero’s, Maria’s Taco Xpress, Chuy’s or Fonda San Miguel.

** Come visit us in the fall for the three-day Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park (it’s better for music fans than South by Southwest Music, in my opinion) or the Texas Book Festival. The Book Festival in particular is a little-known event outside Texas, but it is extraordinarily well-run and has so many wonderful speakers and presentations, all held in the Texas Capitol buildings.

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10) Any Question(s) you’d expected me to ask that you would like to answer?
You’re Dutch, so I’ll bet you’d like to know what I thought of living in the Netherlands.
** I love Zuid-Limburg, the “Dutch Alps” region where Brunssum is located. It is the prettiest, greenest area, with lovely little distinctive villages. It’s too bad that so many never leave Amsterdam to see the rest of the country.

** Most underrated city – Rotterdam. Love the cutting-edge architecture and even the tourist cruise of the amazing harbor facilities.

** One of my favorite memories – Taking my son and daughter (on separate trips) to visit the Waddenzee islands of Terschelling and Texel. They were so relaxing, but I did miss the chance to go wadlopen (mud-walking between the islands when the tide is low.)

** What I think about the Dutch – They are brutally frank and honest. I like that a lot. They speak multiple languages without apparently breaking a sweat; I am embarrassed that I can only speak bad French. They close stores and take Sunday off to be with family; they know when to stop working. They are very picky about having clean windows and house entrance areas; I always felt like the neighborhood slob because I kept forgetting to clean mine.

** What I miss most – Fietspads (bicycle paths.) The Dutch have a whole system of bicycle lanes, many with their own stoplights and signage, so you aren’t sharing the road with cars. It makes cycling so easy and safe, unlike in the US when I often feel I’m taking my life in my hands to ride anywhere.

***************
Best wishes,

Sheila

My Observations
Thank you for being my guest Sheila. Impressive lady! I loved Todd’s Iphone video stream of your SXSW performance together with Pam. Much less formal than our ITB09 sessions in Berlin. Having lived in The Netherlands is a great plus:-) You have a standing invitation, whenever in the neighborhood, and provided I didn’t sell my boat, for a private boat tour The Hague – Rotterdam (Center and Harbour) – The Hague. Boat’s top speed 30 kn and cruising speed 22 kn. Distance The Hague – Rotterdam Center 31 nm. Thanks again!

10 Questions For (25): Kayt Sukel of Travel Savvy Mom

Happy to introduce a writer, travel blogger, photographer and army spouse to you: Kayt Sukel of Travel Savvy Mom whom I recently met at itb09 in Berlin:

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Although I prefer to publish very sharp photos, her smile on this one is sooo gorgeous…!

1) Who Are you?
Who am I? This kind of philosophical question might be better answered by someone a little more self-aware than I! But honestly, I think the difficulty lies in the fact that I wear several different hats. The explanation of who I am changes a little bit depending on the audience. I’ll try to define the big ones here.

Most in the travel community know me as Travel Savvy Kayt, a travel blogger and contributing editor for Travel Savvy Mom (Travel Savvy Mom). I blog about traveling with my just-turned-four-year-old, Chet, and also review family-friendly accommodations across the globe. We’ve most recently traveled to Jordan, Israel and Sweden, to name a few, and we regularly hop back over the pond to explore our official home country, the United States. Our next trip is to Sorrento, Italy and then we’ll return to the states for a few weeks. We’ve been traveling together — and usually just the two of us — since he was only a few months old. I can’t imagine ever stopping.

Professionally, I am a freelance writer, consultant and essayist based in the tiny village of Bedesbach, Germany. I most often cover neuroscience, technology and business topics with a dash of parenting and travel stuff thrown in for good measure. Before I came to Germany, I worked as an information technology consultant. My background is in neuroscience and usability engineering — I know, I know, a totally weird combination — and I helped companies make their websites and web applications both usable and useful for their user base. It’s actually harder than you might think. I still do a bit of this kind of work on occasion, too. But mainly, the focus is on the writing. My work has appeared in the Washington Post, BrainWork, American Baby, National Geographic Traveler and the AARP Bulletin — and hey, I’m always looking for new clients. Just sayin’.

And then, third, and perhaps the most surprising to those that know me personally, I am a military spouse. Not only a military spouse but a former Family Readiness Group (FRG) leader and active volunteer in the military community. My husband is an Officer in the U.S. Army and currently deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. I just started a new blogging endeavor for Military OneSource’s Bursting With Pride (Bursting With Pride) about how to make the most of long, back-to-back deployments. And most importantly, how to achieve your own dreams even when you might be following a Soldier all over the planet.

2) What do you like about what you do?
The biggest thrill? I’m always learning. I may be writing about epigenetics one week and then a great hotel in Istanbul the next. On Monday, I may be interviewing a Nobel Prize winner and then talking to the head of a destination management office on Wednesday. I love that I can wake up each day and be doing something a little different. The other upside to my freelance life is that it gives me the option to be a mostly stay-at-home Mom to Chet. And, of course, the flexibility to travel at whim is also a huge perk for us.

3) What don’t you like about what you do?
I hate to repeat the sentiments that some of your other 10 question folks have uttered but I suppose I have to: It just plain stinks that so many fantastic print publications are folding. These days, I have to work a lot harder and smarter to keep my freelance business up. So far, so good but it makes me sad to see so many great outlets that appreciate good narrative journalism and experiential essays about travel go the way of the Dodo. It makes my blogging seem that much more important.

4) Please tell us all about your blog and your aims with it.
Travel Savvy Mom is a website/blog geared at offering travel advice for Moms by Moms. Our main goal is to offer recommended family-friendly accommodations across the globe. We don’t actually print negative reviews — we just put our name on places that we thought were fantastic. We also write about great destinations, travel products and advice for traveling with children. It’s a lot of fun.

5) Your top 3 destination experiences you’ve ever stayed to date and why?
This question is very difficult for me. How can I pick just three? Honestly, I think one of the most annoying things you can ask a travel writer is, “What is your favorite place?” My stock answer to that question is “the next one.” And I mean it, there’s something I love about planning that next amazing adventure…

But if I must choose just three, I suppose I’ll just go with the places that I’m yearning to return to this morning. Please understand — this could change in the next 10 minutes but I’ll try my best.

Petra, Jordan was all that I hoped for and more. I remember telling my father after seeing “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” that I would go there one day. It’s an amazing place and incredibly well-preserved. And I love that there was no let-down in the experience.

If I want a lazy, layabout kind of beach vacation, I can think of no better place than Mauritius. Sure, the Caribbean is nice but Mauritius just has its own funky Hindu-Creole pulse that you cannot help but be moved by. You just step off the plane and immediately feel relaxed even if you aren’t sure exactly where to find your hotel. What more could you want?

And finally? There’s just something about New York City for me. It’s everything and anything rolled up in one small island. I always feel powerful when I walk the streets of this city I once called home. And its siren call coaxes me back there at least once each year.

6) Your top 3 accommodations you’ve ever stayed to date and why?
Just last month, Chet and I stayed at a fantastic holiday apartment in Bayerisch-Eisenstein, Germany. Honestly, I haven’t stopped talking about it. Margaret and Martin own several houses in the village under the mantle of Bavarian Forest Holidays. Not only was the apartment, Haus Sterr Maria, both child-friendly and homey, it had all the modern amenities. But the thing that really made it for me were the small touches. Margaret and Martin were always available for good advice. The cupboard was stocked with real crystal wineglasses – I know that sounds crazy but as my son doesn’t actually drink wine, why should I be forced to drink good wine from a plastic cup? And the village was just one of those amazing little Bavarian places that creep right into your heart. I can’t wait to return.

The Kempinski Duke’s Palace in Brugge, Belgium is one of my favorite hotels. It’s luxurious, centrally-located and also very child-friendly. But the best part for me were the hidden nooks and crannies — the property, an old Ducal palace, has remained true to itself. Take some time to explore and you can walk up an old turret and find some little hidden alcoves that are perfect for a game of hide and seek.

Finally, the property that I will probably always measure others against is the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok, Thailand. My parents took me there when I was about 13 years old. I remember being just amazed at the hotel’s beauty. And the service? I remember that a butler was trying to help unpack my things and I thought he was trying to steal my walkman. Yeah, I was that kind of teenager. But I soon learned that I didn’t have to lift a finger during our entire trip if I didn’t have a mind to. It was my first taste of a real luxury hotel and the experience will stay with me always.

7) Your top 3 most memorable food / wine experiences to date and why?
After living in Atlanta, Georgia for several years, I can still say that my absolute favorite restaurant of all time is Agnes and Muriel’s. It has the funky, 70’s style kitsch decor that makes you feel like you’ve stepped back in time. Somehow the joint has managed to capture this eclectic city’s history and potential future with its wacky display of Barbie dolls, Harb Alpert album covers, crocheted tea cozies and red velvet cake. And then the food? The chef somehow manages to give old Southern comfort food favorites a modern twist. I definitely recommend the Mac and Cheese fritters (it’s macaroni and cheese that’s been deep-fried!) and the fried chicken. You’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven. Or maybe that is just my arteries talking. No matter – you’ll love it.

When on the road, I’m a huge fan of roadside vendors. There’s just something amazing about stopping for a glass of fresh pomegranate juice or perhaps a little shoarma on your way. Not only do you get to try fantastic local foods but it also gives you the opportunity to get your nose out of your guidebook, stop and just look around for a few minutes. Some of the best people watching I’ve ever done, especially in the Middle East and Asia, has been leaning up against the side of the building while munching on a little something I’m not quite sure I can identify.

And for wine, there’s no beating St. Emilion, France. This little town in the heart of the Dordogne can be a bit touristy, to be sure. But the wine makes it all worth it. Sit in a cafe — any cafe — near the monolithic cathedral and just enjoy a glass of the local. It’s an ideal way to spend a gorgeous spring afternoon.

8) Your 3 worst destination/ accommodation /food experiences to date and why?
On a trip to London a few years ago, we stayed in a city hotel that was absolutely horrifying. Super cheap but horrifying. The room was tiny, cramped and had no separate bathroom. So when you turned on the shower, you had the choice of jumping in really, really quickly and suffering ice cold water or waiting a few minutes for it to heat up to lukewarm and soaking the bed. It was pretty awful.

For a night-long lay-over in Beijing, I stayed in a small hotel that I’m pretty sure was actually a brothel. Between the neon lights everywhere and the scantily clad women, I felt a little out of my element. And when random men started coming up to me and speaking rapidly in Chinese, I got a little scared. But, of course, that might have been just as much about the Chinese concept of personal space. Or lack of it.

Did you ever see the moving, “Flirting with Disaster?” In it, Ben Stiller talks about why he’s not a good B&B person. I actually love B&Bs — adore them, in fact — but there was this one Vermont that was straight out of that movie. The old lady who ran it was mean, gave you an allotted bathroom time, liked to bang on the ceiling with a broom if you walked on the creaky floor after 9:00pm, and served me half an individual box of Frosted Flakes as my breakfast. It was a treat.

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St Emilion with its Church by Frbou

9) Can you offer the readers 3 destination/ food / accomodation / things to do tips about the city you are currently living in?
I don’t live in a city — Bedesbach is a sleepy little village nestled into the hills of Rheinland-Pfalz. If you are looking for some city life, you need to drive an hour to the city of Trier. It’s a great town with some fantastic old Roman ruins like the Ponta Nigra and even some nightlife. It also has a gorgeous Christmas market each year. It’s the perfect size, in my opinion — everything you need but not too overwhelming.

Locally, I can highly recommend the Gasthaus Born. This restaurant is about a 2 minute walk from my house and it’s my own personal German Cheers. The Borns work hard to make every one of their guests feel right at home. Everyone knows our name, they have this fantastic dry Riesling and you can get some great traditional German fare.

And finally, I’d recommend the local Draisinen Tour that goes through our village. There is a lot of railroad track in Germany that is no longer used by the Bahn. Instead, local areas now use it for the draisinen — little open train cars that are powered by bike pedals. There’s room on the back for a cooler of your favorite German beer and you can spend the day experiencing the stunning Rheinland-Pfalz countryside.

10) Any Question(s) you’d expected me to ask that you would like to answer?
I suppose the question that I’m most asked (after what is your favorite destination) is “How do you do it?” People seem to make a big deal about me being an Army spouse. But the answer is simple, and like everything else, you just do. What else can you do but make the most of the hand you’ve been dealt?

My Observations
Thank you for being my guest Kayt. I really loved to get to know you better in Berlin and what a wonderful combination of functions you have. Hope to see you soon again! We share at least two passions: Photography and St Emilion. I was there once, but its wines are among my favorites.

10 Questions For (24): Donna Hull of My Itchy Travel Feet

Happy to introduce a fellow Baby Boomer Travel Blogger, -Writer and Photographer: Donna Hull of My Itchy Travel Feet:

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Donna Hull

1) Who Are you?
I’m a Tucson-based freelance writer and photographer specializing in travel and human interest content for print publications as well as the web. My articles have been published in regional and national magazines in the U.S. In the travel field, I concentrate on luxury travel, luxury and small ship cruising, soft adventure, boutique lodging including bed and breakfasts, the Southwestern United States and active travel for baby boomers. In fact, I write a blog, My Itchy Travel Feet, which advises baby boomers about active travel. Recently, I’ve partnered with two writers in Tucson to produce Tucson on the Cheap, a site highlighting entertainment bargains and cheap things to do for Tucson residents and visitors.

2) What do you like about what you do?
Travel writing gives me the opportunity to see the world. I never tire of visiting new places or meeting people along the way.

3) What don’t you like about what you do?
My biggest complaint is time. I need more of it. Can we add another hour or two to the day? Balancing trip planning, writing and marketing is a constant challenge for me.

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I love it: My Itchy Travel Feet!

4) Please tell us all about your blog and your aims with it.
At My Itchy Travel Feet, I write about active travel for baby boomers. Using my personal experiences, photographs and references, I advise boomers on where to go, what to do, where to stay and how to prepare for that dream trip. My aim is to encourage baby boomers to stay active and see as much of the world as they can. Of course I’d also like to attract the eye of editors needing travel content.

5) Your top 3 destination experiences you’ve ever stayed to date and why?
Oh, this is a hard choice. I love everywhere I’ve ever been but experiencing a South African safari has to top the list. Sitting quietly in the bush observing animal behavior was life-changing for me.

The South Island of New Zealand is another favorite. The slower pace of life is very appealing. My husband, Alan, my travel companion and photographer, wanted to move there.

My third choice would be cruising through French Polynesia which I’ve done twice in the last few years. It’s such a beautiful part of the world that provides a tranquil escape from real world pressures. Swimming with the stingrays is a must.

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Ivory Lodge Bedroom

6) Your top 3 accommodations you’ve ever stayed to date and why?
I’ve stayed at some wonderful places so this is another hard choice.

Ivory Lodge in South Africa’s Sabi Sands area tops the list due to outstanding personal service. The staff called us by our first names from the moment we arrived. They paid attention to our likes and dislikes, anticipating our every need.

Birkenhead House perched on a cliff overlooking the ocean in Hermanus, South Africa is a close second. The combination of excellent food, spectacular views and luxurious rooms can’t be beat. When we first entered our room, we discovered flower petals decorating the bed and bath.

Another favorite is Leroux Creek Inn and Winery in Hotchkiss, Colorado. The southwestern adobe building makes a convenient headquarters for exploring nearby Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Breakfast, prepared by one of the owners who is a classically trained chef, is served on a deck overlooking the vineyard.

7) Your top 3 most memorable food experiences to date and why?
Dinner at Hanagan Meadow Lodge while a snowstorm raged outside the window is a favorite dining memory. The setting at 9100 feet in Arizona’s White Mountains was the star here rather than the food.

Another great dining memory is sitting outside in the boma area of Lion Sands where a gourmet dinner was served on linen-draped tables placed near a roaring fire. The romantic setting included flickering lanterns hung in tree branches.

And of course I’ll include a favorite ship-board dining experience. On a Panama Canal cruise on Regent Seven Seas ship, Mariner, we were invited to a special dinner with the captain and cruise director. The staff transformed the cigar lounge into an intimate dining setting. Along with a small group of passengers, we enjoyed the best in food and wine that the ship had to offer.

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Writer and Photographer

8) Your 3 worst destination/ accommodation /food experiences to date and why?
Sorry, but I can’t think of any. I can usually find something good in everywhere I’ve stayed.

9) Can you offer the readers 3 travel/ food / accomodation / things to do tips about the city you are currently living in?
A visit to Tucson isn’t complete without taking a hike in Sabino Canyon. Although it’s located in the city, once on the trail you’ll feel like you’re in the wilderness.

For dining, drive downtown for a meal at Cafe Poca Cosa where the inventive Mexican menu changes nightly.

To feel a sense of Tucson’s history, stay at the Arizona Inn which has been owned by the same family since 1930.

10) Any Question(s) you’d expected me to ask that you would like to answer?
Where am I going next? I’m currently planning a visit to Molokai and the Big Island of Hawaii. Alan and I will be concentrating on off-the-beaten-path adventure while staying in small inns and bed and breakfasts.

Thanks for this opportunity, Guido. It’s been fun sharing my travel experiences with your readers.

My observations:
Thank you very mutch Donna. It was a pleasure having you.
I dare say you have very nice feet:-)
Tucson Arizona must be a place with many ancient Adobe buildings and maybe also some adobe built hotels. I am curious if this is true and if you can pinpoint some. Am glad having found another Baby Boomer who is so actively engaged in modern technology!

10 Questions For (23): Tom Meyers of EuroCheapo.com

Happy to present a community and team builder: Tom Meyers (@Budtravel?), brother of @Pete Meyers, of EuroCheapo.com.

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Tom Meyers in Paris

1) Who are you?
I’m Tom Meyers, the founder and editor of EuroCheapo.com, a guide to budget travel in Europe. I’m American and live in New York City.

2) What do you like about what you do?
First off, I love to travel and feel very fortunate that my job allows me to travel to Europe a couple times a year. After eight years of doing this, I still get a thrill every time I arrive in a city and head off to visit hotels.

I also really enjoy running my own business and, together with my business partner (and brother) Pete, making decisions, and implementing them right away on the site.

3) What don’t you like about what you do?
I wish that I could travel more frequently. In the years following our 2001 launch, I was the only employee and operated EuroCheapo from my apartment in Berlin. My expenses were minimal, so everything went back into travel. I spent years roaming around European cities hunting down hotels. Now, fortunately, the business has “grown up” and we have grown-up expenses, and I travel less.

4) Please tell us all about your site/blog and your aims with it.
EuroCheapo.com is primarily focused on reviewing budget hotels in Europe. Our writers visit lots of cheap-ish hotels in 26 European cities, find the best deals, take photos and write a review. (note from hh: Eurocheapo’s blog is Eurocheapo Blog)

Our blog offers us a chance to supplement that information with other timely tips about how to visit these cities on a budget. With the blog, we can be immediate (for example, updates on rail strikes), write about things of seasonal interest (“where to celebrate Thanksgiving in Europe”), and do “on the road” reporting (our “Wandering Cheapos” series allows us to post while working abroad).

5) Your top 3 destination experiences you’ve ever stayed to date and why?
A bike trip in the south of France – One week cycling through Provence during the summer of 2007, visiting Roman ruins, enjoying leisurely lunches, and burning off all the calories on our bikes.

A trip to Tokyo and Kyoto – because it was just so different from any of my European travels. It blew my mind.

St. Petersburg and Riga – I spent two weeks in these cities in January 2009. It wasn’t “fun,” but it was immensely interesting and very educational.

6) Your top 3 accommodations you’ve ever stayed to date and why?
I still dream about a mountain-top monastery-turned-hotel (and amazing restaurant) in les Baux-de- Provence, France.

In Corsica, we stumbled upon a dusty old seaside “Grand Hotel” just north of Ajaccio—and I don’t even remember its name!

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Photo pinched from Art Luise

In Berlin, I love the artistry at the Kunstlerheim Luise, an art hotel in Berlin along the S-Bahn tracks in Mitte. Every room is designed and decked out by a different artist.

7) Your top 3 most memorable food experiences to date and why?
My work is done on a cheapo-budget, so my memorable meals have been on the budget-side. Call me predictable, but my three favorite meals were in France:

Sunday lunch in Chateauneuf-de-Papes, France in 2002. We feasted on duck, wine, desserts… happiness.

During that bike trip through Provence, in Baux les Romains, our “monastery” offered dinner, with only local ingredients. I remember a steak au poivre, cheese platter, bottle of Cote de Provence, and my bed.

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Tom and Friend

My boyfriend is French. Two years ago at his family reunion in Normandy, I got to experience the kind of feast an extended French family throws after not eating together for four years. Halfway through, just when I thought we had finished the meal, they brought out a bottle of Calvados from the basement, everyone took shots (which “opened the stomach”) and we all pushed on…

8) Your 3 worst destination/accommodation/food experiences to date an why?
Reviewing Venice hotels in December 2001 was pretty depressing. It’s already hard being a single guy in your 20s in Venice, much less in December when it’s practically empty.

Night train from Budapest to Berlin in December 2001. I got locked in the bathroom at the end of the train, behind the café car, and had to scream for ages to get anyone’s attention.

As someone who tries to find “food deals,” I’ve experienced my share of bad meals. I get disappointed and a little depressed by the boring meals thrust upon tourists, usually in restaurants lining a city’s main square or pedestrian zone. I can think of many lame pizzas, pastas, beef thingies, sad salads, etc.

9) Can you offer the readers 3 travel/food/accommodation/things to do tips about the city you are currently living in?
Don’t pay full-price for admission to the Metropolitan Museum of Art! Their entrance fee of $20 for adults is only “recommended.” You can pay anything you like.

Don’t fall for the midtown “delicatessen” restaurants (like Carnegie Deli or Stage Deli). The food is fine, but it’s just too packed with tourists and way too expensive (a pastrami sandwich can cost about $20!). We recommend the much more reasonable (and popular with locals) Katz Delicatessen in the Lower East Side.

If you’re flexible about your theater plans, buy same-day half-priced tickets at the TKTS booth at Times Square. If you want to book your show in advance, at least find a discount code from BroadwayBox.com or BroadwayOffers.com. (Discounts are available for most shows.)

10) Any questions you’d expected me to ask that you would like to answer?
Well, you didn’t ask the one question on everyone’s mind in the United States:

Is this a good time for Americans to travel abroad?

The answer, as you know, is a resounding “yes!” Despite a shaky economy and uncertainty, the dollar is stronger than it’s been for years and many hotels are lowering their rates to attract tourists. It’s a great time to travel, and not just for those of us States-side, but for everyone.

Thanks for the interview! It’s been a pleasure.

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The EuroCheapo Team

My observations:
Thank you Tom. Now I’m very curious which hotel in Les Beaux de Provence you were referring to. In addition I would have liked to pinch your brain for more inside info on Berlin, understanding that you have lived there some time. Finally: What is you Dutch connection with your very Dutch family name?

The Mr & Mrs Smith Presentation (Winding Down from the T-List – PhocusWright Travel Blogger Summit #ITB09 in Berlin part 2)

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It is really refreshing when you are sitting at a conference with presentations and discussions of travel and hospitality and tech types who only seem interested in their good self or their own product or service and are not outgoing and not interested in the guest, their clientèle, or only maybe in the money of the guest, to get a presentation of a really passionate couple. James Lohan and Tamara Heber-Percy (see also my interview with Tamara) , the husband and wife who founded the Mr and Mrs Smith Collections under the caption: Luxury and Romance meet Technology.

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Yes, I agree. It’s all about Respect!

They both come from a completely different background than travel and hospitality. Again their success shows that innovations in this industry frequently come from those outside the industry.

They started out with the production of the Mr & Mrs Smith guides. They described their difficulties with getting the guides published. Never before was a guide produced with one editor and one photographer for all properties. Eventually they decided to pyblish the guide all by themselves. The interesting thing is that added to the guides is a Mr and Mrs Smith membership card which gives the holder some extras as upgrades or a little present from their shop. That gives the brand a tremendous crowd to source from.

They are adamant about the properties being inspected by themselves or a member of their team of +40 in the meantime, because they strongly believe you cannot review a hotel properly without having experienced the look and feel of the place. In addition they sometimes team up with unusual partners for the hotel industry like lingerie brands. They also understand that you sometimes want to stay in a self catering accommodation or luxury chalet, rather than a hotel.

They seamlessly have merged their Blog (in the air since July 2005) into their main site. However Tamara was already out there scoring whatever was said about the brand in 2004: Shortly after I became aware of their guides via a post of my fellow editor Willem Vos at the Dutch language Weekend Hotel Blog she already commented there – note the date of the comment is not correct, as Willem had some problems in 2008 to migrate the blog to his new platform running on Ruby on Rail…whatever that may be, but I know I made the comment already in 2004-.

Here you see some footage of one of the rather unconventional and hilarious ad they presented at the keynote.

If even Gesa Noormann of Escapio says in a comment under Kevin’s Travolution coverage of the presentation:

Thanks Kevin for the fab article. Despite the fact that Mr and Mrs Smith are Escapio’s UK competitor, I can’t deny that their presentation was fantastic!

then you know your presentation was good even if you were dead tired.

Some personal notes:
I don’t understand jot from what Kevin’s caption means: “Corporate Barbarism does not begin at home say The Smiths”, but that could be my Dunglish.

If you are curious to see who the guy behind Escapio is look here. Even if I say it myself, I like the picture.

I think Willem should start talking with the two portfolios mentioned here, Mr & Mrs Smith and Escapio, or alternatively they should start talking with Willem, to see if there are possibilities to team up to cover The Netherlands and Belgium better than they do now separately.

Added March 24, 2009:

Via twitter I got the link of the same video on their site: Mr & Mrs Smith | Get a Room!. It has a bit better quality than the YouTube one