Americans like to watch TV. Chinese folks have a bath or shower. UK residents read a book. And Russians are the most likely to have sex. I saw a great study from the Four Seasons hotel group the other day about what folks do in their hotel rooms before heading to bed. And the cultural differences are quite something. The study was done by the hotel group as part of their new Four Seasons Bed program, which will allow guests to personalize their sleeping experience. The Four Seasons Bed, a collaboration between the Toronto-based hotel group and bed manufacturer Simmons, Read more
Asia
Welcome Rewards, the Hotels.com loyalty program, has just reached 10 million members and has redeemed more than one million free nights since its launch in 2008. In the program, customers can earn a free night at more than 100,000 hotels across the world for every 10 nights stayed, with no blackout dates. They issued a list today of where Canadians are using their points. And it’s mostly to stay close to home. Here’s the list of the top 10 redeemed destinations for Canadians in 2013: 1. Toronto, 2. Montreal, 3. Niagara Falls, 4. Edmonton, 5. Calgary, 6. New York City, Read more
It’s not too late to book that last-minute Valentine’s Day trip. If you’ve got the cash, here’s a list of ten of the most romantic hotels I’ve stayed at outside of North America. Bon chance! Le Tahaa Private Island Resort, Tahiti: Possibly the most beautiful place I’ve stayed on the planet, with stunning over-water bungalows and a true South Pacific feel. A great Tahitian dance/fire show, too. See photo above. Park Hyatt, Sydney: Hard to beat the view of the Sydney Opera House from this luxury property. Great food and service in a sleek and sexy hotel. 137 Pillars House, Read more
Sex on the Beach is apparently more than just a cocktail for Canadians. A great new study by the folks at Expedia.ca finds that 22 per cent of Canadians surveyed admit to “getting frisky” on the sand while on holidays. Which should put the lie to that stereotype of button-down, buttoned-up Canucks, right? Actually, the provincial breakdown is pretty interesting. A full 28 per cent of Quebeckers say they’ll get down on the beach, while a pretty sizeable 25 per cent of Ontario folks said they do the same. Folks in British Columbia may think they’re all trendy and cutting-edge Read more
It’s Jimmy time. Yes, while many of you are gearing up for the deep freeze at the Winter Classic with the Maple Leafs or Red Wings or toasting the new year at a posh hotel in New York or Jamaica, I’m home in Toronto counting my blessings and staying close to my overtaxed radiators so I can stay warm while I type up my list of Jimmy Award winners for the year that’s about to come to a close. I was immensely lucky in this past year and was able to visit some astonishing places and do some amazing things. Read more
