Canadians claim to be the best hotel guests in the world. But they’re still swiping the odd hotel bathrobe or smuggling food from the breakfast buffet. A study by Hotels.Com found that 88% of Canadians consider themselves considerate guests, and that 44% of Canadians voted themselves the most courteous guests in the world, while ranking Americans as the rudest hotel guests (42%). Yet 27% of Canadians admit they sometimes smuggle food from the breakfast buffet or swipe hotel bathrobes and slippers. How Canada Ranks the World’ Most Polite Guests, by Country Canada – 44% Japan – 22% Sweden – 11% Read more
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Tomorrow (Aug. 8) marks three years since fires destroyed the small Maui city of Lahaina, and damaged other homes on the island. More than 100 people were killed in the tragedy, which wiped out almost all of the historic city, which was once capital of the kingdom of Hawaii. It’s a place I’ve visited at least 70 or 80 times over the 50-plus years I’ve been visiting the islands, and it’s a place I dearly loved. It’s been a very slow process to rebuild the city, but there have been signs of progress of late. The harbour reopened some months Read more
There’s still nearly two months left of summer (fall doesn’t arrive until Sept. 21), which means there’s plenty of time to get out on a road trip and enjoy great places in the U.S. and Canada. Here are a few personal faves. COOL SPOTS IN THE U.S.A. PITTSBURGH I grew up near Oakland, California and our family had season tickets for the Oakland Raiders football team. I hated the Pittsburgh Steelers with a passion. Years later I was working in the sports department for the Toronto Star, and talked my editor into having me drive to Pittsburgh to Read more
Great deals for Canadians heading to New York City, new online passport renewals for Canadians, new basic premium economy and basic business class seats for Air Canada, and new flights to beautiful Madeira. All in today’s post. NEW YORK CITY WANTS YOU! In a push to bring Canadian travellers back to the Big Apple, New York City Tourism is launching a new two-week program offering 30% discounts on hotels, restaurants, and tourism attractions across the city. NYC’s Northern Neighbour Deal, which runs from Aug. 18 to Sept. 7, promises discounts on more than 40 hotels, including the fabulous Ace Hotel. Read more
MSN has a fine item posted on ten of the best Caribbean islands for folks who want to get away from the crowds. I’ve visited six of them: Bequia, Iles des Saintes, Dominica, Eleuthera, Anguilla, and Nevis. They’re all outstanding destinations for travellers looking to get away from it all. BEQUIA: This is a delightful island south of St. Vincent that’s easily reached by ferry. Part of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the main town of Port Elizabeth has a super casual feel and is decorated with wildly colourful Bougainvillea and other flowering plants. Stroll along the Princess Margaret waterfront Read more
