Make air passengers pay by weight? ... China eclipses UK ... Deal of the day

If we buy meat at the supermarket, we pay by weight. If we ship a box to cousin Joe in Saskatoon we pay more for heavier items. So why not make heavier folks pay more for airline seats?

It's almost certainly never going to fly, pardon the pun, but a professor in Norway is making the point.

Writing in this month's Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management (I get it at home but only for the articles), Dr. Bharat P. Bhatta of Sognog Fjordane University College in Norway said weight and space need to be taken into account when airline tickets are priced.

"Charging according to weight and space is a universally accepted principle, not only in transportation, but also in other services," he noted in a story I spotted on travelmole.com.

Yeah, I want to be the Air Canada worker who says, "Excuse me, ma'am, I have to price your ticket. Can you please go over and step on that scale for me?"

There is a certain fairness in the idea of a basic price for everyone and then perhaps a surcharge if you're making the airline burn way more fuel. But it'll never happen.

CHINA SPENDING IN U.S. ECLIPSES UK NUMBERS

It had to happen sooner or later. I read the other day that China now sends more tourists to Los Angeles in a year than any other country outside North America. Now I see a VISA study that spending by visitors from China grew by a whopping 30 per cent last year, putting the Chinese in third spot in terms of spending by inbound markets in the U.S.

Tops, of course, was Canada, and then Brazil. Canadian spending last year was up 4 per cent from 2011, while Brazil spending went up 6 per cent. The UK is now fourth overall in spending in the U.S., followed by Mexico, Japan, Australia, France, Puerto Rico (counted here even though it's part of the U.S.) and Germany.

The study said more than one-half of all VISA spending took place in Florida (up 10 per cent overall from 2011), California and New York. States with high VISA spending growth included Wisconsin (31 per cent), Hawaii (14) and Washington (12).

The study also lists top places Americans spend their VISA money. Number one was Mexico, followed by Canada, the UK, Italy, France, Germany, Puerto Rico, China, Japan and Spain.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a deal on tap for a great cruise of the eastern Mediterranean and a visit to Rome on top of that, priced at $2,025 (including $676 in taxes).

• XCLUSIVE SAVINGS: Save $700 per couple by booking with Jaunt.ca
• 11-Day/9-Vight vacation including a 7-night Eastern Mediterranean Cruise sailing aboard the MSC Divina, followed by 4-star accommodations for 2 nights in Rome
• Cruise departs from and returns to Venice, Italy. Ports of call include: Venice, Italy; Bari, Italy; Katakolon (Olympia), Greece; Izmire, Turkey; Istanbul, Turkey and Dubrovnik, Croatia
• Flights with Alitalia:  Departure flight from Toronto to Venice (via Rome), and return flight from Rome to Toronto
• Includes accommodations, dining and entertainment aboard MSC Divina. Accommodations available in Oceanview (Cat. 4/5), Standard Balcony Oceanview (Cat. 7/8/9) or Superior Balcony Oceanview (Cat. 10/11/12).
• All transfers between airport, hotels, and piers included
• Post cruise enjoy hotel accommodations in the 4-Star Grand Hotel Beverly Hills in Rome, a 2-hour guided coach tour in Venice and a 3-hour guided tour by coach and on foot in Rome.

• The diversity of the ports of call in four incredible countries
• Accommodations on land in 4-Star hotels
• Experience Venice and Rome on foot and in a coach during your last two days

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on May 10 or 17, 2013
• Pricing (Rates are per person, plus tax):
  
  Outside (cat. 4/5): $1349
  Balcony Ocean View (cat. 7/8/9): $1499
  Balcony Ocean View (cat. 10/11/12): $1649
  Tax: $676
  
  For CRUISE ONLY option, Other DATES and GATEWAYS
  Call us at 1-855-687-5925.
  
  
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
• This offer is 100% non-refundable at time of booking

View the terms that apply to all Jaunt Vacations offers

More about your Jaunt

A cruise adventure with extra gumption, your time on the MSC Divina will float you toward some of the Mediterranean's most dazzling ports. Once you disembark in Venice, you'll be whisked off to Rome to enjoy more of Italy's effervescent sights with a land tour and luxury hotel stay.

Day 1: Venice, Italy, Depart 4:30 pm

Day 2: Bari, Italy, 10 am - 3:30 pm

Day 3: Katakolon (Olympia), Greece, 8 am - 1 pm

Day 4: Izmir, Turkey, 8:30 am - 3 pm

Day 5: Istanbul, Turkey, 7:30 am - 5 pm

Day 6: At Sea

Day 7: Dubrovnik, Croatia, 11:30 am - 5 pm

Day 8: Venice, Italy, Arrive 8 am

Day 9: Rome, Italy

Day 10: Depart Rome

 

Divine accommodations on the Divina
The MSC Divina displays the company's classic high end interior and every other hallmark of elegance, comfort and luxury elevated to an art form. From the real stone piazza and crystal staircase to the Broadway-style theatre, this ship is dressed to impress. Discover the opulence of the Aurea Spa before perusing the specially commissioned works of art on display at the MSC Yacht Club, and retreat to spacious accommodations with interactive TV and available internet.

 

The ship is outfitted with restaurants to ease any level of hunger, from light snacks to four-course freshly prepared specialties, and the galaxy disco with its retro-chic ambiance and gorgeous panoramic view is the perfect place for a meal or to dance the night away under the stars.

 

Refined Mediterranean exploration

Glorious sights and experiences await you along the Mediterranean's coast. In Bari, you'll get a chance to tour the historical centre, famous Church of St. Nicholas and Castello Svevo. Set on fantastic coastline, Izmir is Turkey's most Mediterranean in style and content. Enjoy the maze of tiny streets filled with shops and covered stalls.

 

Istanbul's skyline is filled with the spires and domes of mosques and medieval palaces. A king's ransom of Ottoman treasures is displayed at the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace (formerly home to the Ottoman sultans and their harems). Meander through the medieval, walled city of Dubrovnik, and delight in a two-hour guided coach tour of Venice upon arrival at the conclusion of your cruise.

 

WestJet carry-on bag change ... Ikea hotels on the way ... Deal of Day: Scotland

WestJet announced today that guests can now carry just one carry-on bag onto their planes, instead of the previous limit of two.

Officials are talking about this change (effective April 4) making  things smoother onboard, with more space and easier boarding. Of course, if you want to create lots of space let’s not allow any bags on board. Think of the time we’d all save that way.

This can’t possibly be couched as a victory for travelers, who now will be forced to check more bags or cut down on luggage.

The new limit means one bag on board (of a certain size, of course), plus one so-called “personal item.” Which is the same as Air Canada now allows.

The WestJet press release on the issue described a personal item as including “small purses, laptop bags or mobility or child restraint devices.”

Me? I think what we need is an airline restraint device.

IKEA HOTELS COMING TO EUROPE

I touched on this some time ago, but now there's official word that Ikea has teamed with Marriott to open a series of budget-minded hotels across Europe.

According to travelmole.com, Ikea's parent company "has confirmed it is to open around 50 budget hotels in Europe in the next five years in partnership with Marriott International, with the first opening in Milan (see photo)."

The hotels will be branded Moxy and are aimed at youth travelers on a budget. Rooms look to be going for around $100 a night, which isn't bad for Europe but is a significant step above a hostel rate.

Marriott apparently has spent $500 million or so on the project and has plans to build 50 hotels in the next five years and 150 over 10 years. Travelmole said it's "looking for sites close to business parks, airports, train and underground stations in the UK, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium and Austria."

The hotels will have "upscale bathrooms and guestrooms will be kitted out with modern technology including flat screen TVs and built-in USB ports, and there will be meeting rooms and snack bars."

The rooms apparently won't feature Ikea furniture but will be built mostly off-site and then transported to various cities for final assembly, no doubt by engineers with really big Allen keys and a set of baffling instructions.

HOTEL PRICES ON THE RISE, AND SO ARE REWARD PROGRAM COSTS

Feeling the pinch in North America? There's good reason for that. A new study by hotels.com finds that hotel prices in North America rose 5 per cent last year; considerably higher than the worldwide average ike of 3 per cent.

Here in Toronto, prices rose only 2 per cent. In Montreal, they were up 3 per cent. But rooms can get expensive in some parts of the country, with average prices in Kananaskis, Alberta last year pegged at $259 and in Lake Louise at $246.

Looking for a sun holiday? Prices in the Caribbean were up 6 per cent last year, the study said. Asia prices rose just two per cent, while prices in Latin America crept up by just 1 per cent. Prices in the Middle East and Europe dropped slightly, which is good news for many travellers.

In addition to paying more for North American hotels, consumers here face some bad news on the rewards program front. CNN reports that Marriott, Hilton and Starwood, which operate Westin and Sheraton hotels and many others, are all increasing the number of points needed to get free nights at their properties.

Hilton, CNN said, will nearly double the points needed to stay at its most popular locations in peak times. Marriott, it said, will hike the number of points needed to stay at more than 1,000 of its hotels around the world after May 15. And Starwood plans to hike the "combined points and cash needed to stay at the majority of its hotels by 25 per cent."

Bad news, folks. Bad news.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY: SCOTLAND

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a deal on hand for a fabulous trip to Scotland, priced at $3,465, including $567 in taxes.

Jaunt Highlights

• BONUS: Extend your flights for up to 30 days at no additional cost, and return from anywhere Transat flies in Europe
• BONUS: $150 Future Travel Voucher
• 10-day/8-night Scottish Dream Tour & Military Tattoo featuring a Loch Ness cruise, visits to Edinburgh Castle, reserved seating for the Military Tattoo and more!
• Includes return airfare from Toronto to Glasgow on Air Transat
• Includes all transfers in Scotland via luxury coach, services of a professional English speaking tour guide, and all sightseeing and entrance fees as per itinerary
• 8 nights' accommodation in Superior First Class hotels (based on double occupancy)
• Includes full breakfast daily (except day one), and 6 dinners throughout the tou

• The incredible amount of inclusions in the trip, from accommodations in Superior First Class Hotels, Military Tattoo, meal inclusions, to cruises, tours and more
• Visits and admissions to Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Inveraray Castle, Clan Donald Centre at Armadale Castle, Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre, Balmoral Castle or Crathes Castle, Glamis Castle, St Andrews and Edinburgh Castle
• Cruise on the legendary Loch Ness, and Loch Lomond

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on August 13, 2013
• Pricing (Rates are per person, and based on double occupancy):
  Toronto:
  Single: $3448 + 567 tax
  Double: $2898 + $567  tax
  
  
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
• This offer is 100% non-refundable

 

 

 

 

Dresden top world city for hotels: London worst, T.O 70th ... Jaunt deal of day

Looking for a great hotel breakfast? Try Dresden, Germany. More a fan of over-priced hotels with small rooms, expensive mini-bars, long lines at check-in and line-ups for breakfast? Check out hotels in London, England.

Yet another hotel rating report has landed on my virtual desk, this one from a German company called Trivago. According to Reuters, Trivago, a "travel metasearch website," compiled hotel reviews from more than 140 accommodation booking sites and found London came last in a list of 100 cities that had at least 135 hotels and 60 reviews. It did not include TripAdvisor postings.

"Dresden came top with its hotels receiving the highest ratings and most positive reviews from guests," Reuters said.

"Users praised Dresden hotels for their value for money, whilst London hotels were criticised for their prices," said a spokeswoman for Trivago. "In particular, reviewers felt the minibars were overpriced and breakfast service was both overpriced and disappointing, whilst hotels in Dresden were praised for their delicious and well-valued breakfasts."

She said London hotels were also criticised for overcrowding at breakfast, long queues at check-in, inability to cope with large groups of people, small rooms and poor views. On the other hand, hotels in Dresden were praised for their exceptional service, efficiency, helpful staff, as well as their spacious rooms with excellent views.

Finishing just behind Dresden in the list of cities with good hotels were Hanoi, Portland (Oregon), Tokyo and then, in the fifth spot, Santiago de Compostela in Spain. The rest of the top ten featured, in order, Gdansk in Poland, Chicago, Seattle, Krakow and Budapest.

The worst ten? From 91st to 100th and dead last, were the following: Los Angeles, Kiev, Frankfurt, Panama City (Panama), Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris, Copenhagen, Rio de Janeiro and London.

Dresden got a "reputation score" of 83.08, while London notched a mark of just 73.42.

It's a rather damning statement for western Europe, with five big name cities in the bottom 10. But fairly decent for the U.S., with three in the top 10; two in the northwest part of the country.

What about Canada, you say? Glad you asked. Montreal finished down in the 58th spot with a 78.67 reputation score. Toronto? Ai-yay-yay: a pretty poor 70th place with a reputation score of just 78.15.

Other notable cities and their placement in the top 100 include Venice (14), Las Vegas (18), Prague (24), Florence (25), New Orleans (32), Barcelona (33), Orlando (40), Madrid (52), Hong Kong (59), San Francisco (62), Dublin (65), New York (67), Sydney (69), Rome (74), Delhi (80) and Glasgow (86).

I have found London to be quite expensive and rooms are small. Rooms tend to be small in most older, urbanized areas of Europe, for sure. But I'm a tad surprised at some of the results. I've been to Hanoi but only stayed in one hotel. It was pretty nice and fairly cheap; maybe $100 for a room with a nice bath and balcony and decent breakfast very close to the city centre. But number two in the world? I don't know about that.

BETTER TEA WITH BRITISH AIRWAYS

Good story in Star Business today by reporter Vanessa Lu, talking about how British Airways worked with Twinings to develop a better-tasting tea for folks at 35,000 feet. Apparently we lose a lot of our taste buds at such high altitudes and in dry airline cabins, so they're worked out a new "formula" to give the best taste.

Personally, I think tea is highly overrated and doesn't even compare to a good cup of coffee. But, then again, I get grief from friends/family about preferring creme in my coffee versus taking it black. And I VASTLY prefer Tim Horton's drip coffee to Starbucks, although I''ll take Starbucks for a good latte.

I tried Aroma coffee bar at Yonge and Eglinton for the first time on Tuesday and had a wonderful latte. Plus the croissants smelled divine!

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, is offering a cruise package to Alaska. The deal, with Celebrity Cruise lines, is priced at $1,468, including $339 in taxes, and includes air fare.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• BONUS 1: Inside Stateroom - $50 Onboard Credit per stateroom
• BONUS 2: Oceanview Stateroom or higher - $50 Onboard Credit per stateroom PLUS one of the following for FREE:
  - Classic Beverage package for 2 per day
  - Prepaid Gratuities for two per day
  - Additional $200 Onboard Credit per stateroom
• 7-Night Alaska cruise aboard the Celebrity Century, starting from and ending in Vancouver
• Includes return airfare from Toronto to Vancouver with Air Transat, and airport/port transfers
• Ports of call include: Vancouver, Inside Passage, Icy Strait, Hubbard Glacier, Juneau & Ketchikan
• Accommodations in an Inside (Category 11) or Oceanview (Category 4, 5 & 7) Stateroom
• Standard onboard dining included

Why We Love It:

• Days at port are full of adventure, days at sea full of amazing sites
• Travel to Juneau, Alaska's capital, as well as the emblematic Hubbard Glacier
• Choose from a wide variety of excursions that pander to active spirits

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on the following sailings: May 5, 12, 19, 26 & June 9, 2013
• Pricing (per person, based on double occupancy):
  May 5:
  Inside: $1259 + $336 tax
  Oceanview: $1659 + $336 tax
  
  May 12:
  Inside: $1149 + $329 tax
  Oceanview: $1599 + $329 tax
  
  May 19:
  Inside: $1199 + $336 tax
  Oceanview: $1799 + $336 tax
  
  May 26:
  Inside: $1129 + $339 tax
  Oceanview: $1849 + $339 tax
  
  June 9:
  Inside: $1149 + $314 tax
  Oceanview: $1749 + $314 tax
• To redeem Bonus 2 for Oceanview bookings, please enter your choice in the Request Box upon booking
• To upgrade to Balcony Stateroom or higher, and receive an additional $50 Onboard Credit, call our travel professionals at: 1-855-GO-JAUNT
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada

 

 

Canada ranks 18th in world as tourism brand; USA takes home the gold medal

Earlier this year, a group called Future Brand released its annual "Country Brand Index" that rates countries according to their key attributes. They gave Canada the number two spot on the planet in terms of a tourism brand, putting behind only Switzerland.

The third, fourth and fifth spots in the Future Brand report went to Japan, Sweden and New Zealand.

It was a slight drop for Canada, as we finished tops in the Country Brand Index in 2010 and 2011.

But now there's a new report out by a compnay called Bloom Consulting, called the Country Branding Ranking. It would require a degree in something I don't understand to figure out how it's different from Future Brand's report, but one thing they say is that take a ton of factors into account and also that they're the only ones in this business (and I guess there is one) that takes tourist demand into account.

Readers of this blog will remember, perhaps, that Canada has slipped a fair bit in terms of international arrivals the last few years and is no longer in the top ten. Canada ranked seventh in international arrivals in 2007, but the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) recently stated we're now 18th.

And 18th is exactly where we stand in the world in the new Bloom Consulting report, which attempts to measure how much revenue a country could potentially add to its economy via trade and tourism.

Anyway, for what it's worth, here's the Bloom report's top 20:

1. United States 2. Spain 3. France 4. China 5. Turkey 6. Thailand 7. Germany 8. Macau 9. United Kingdom 10. Australia 11. Austria 12. Italy 13. Hong Kong 14. Malaysia 15. Netherlands 16. Mexico 17. Switzerland 18. Canada 19. Croatia 20. Russian Federation

So at least we finished ahead of Russia. Let's hope that continues at the World Junior Hockey Championships, eh?

Here are a few other notables: 21. Portugal, 233. India, 24. Greece 25. Republic of Korea 28. Japan 32. Ireland.

The bottom ten? Here ya go: 152. Tajikistan (there goes my holiday plan) 153. Swaziland 154. Federation States of Micronesia 155. Sao Tome and Principe 156. Djibouti 157. Tonga 158. Kiribati 159. Papua New Guinea 160. Burundi and, at the bottom: 161. Marshall Islands (see photo at left, which looks pretty damn good to me).

Asia had eight countries in the top 25. Japan wasn't in that group due to the residual effects of the tsunami.

I don't remember seeing this report last year, but I found a website that shows the 2011 Bloom rankings, and Canada was 23rd. So I guess we're moving in the right direction. The U.S. was first last year as well, followed by Spain, France, Germany and the UK.

Bloom on Thursday also released a U.S. state by state analysis (plus D.C., for 51 ranking spots). Tops was California, no surprise given the plethora of things to do, followed by Florida and New York. Illinois was fourth and then it went Texas, Michigan (good to see), Georgia, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Colorado.

The bottom five were: 47. Kansas 48. Vermont (a surprise to me) 49. West Virginia 50. Rhode Island and 51. Delaware. Poor Delaware. Makes me think I should do a trip there sometime and see for myself.

DO WE HATE OUR FAMILIES OR SOMETHING?

Geez. A study by Cheapflights.ca finds that more than 80 per cent of Canadians want to travel tos ee family this Christmas, but less than 30 per cent have actually made travel plans.

Given the economy that might not be surprising.

Based on answers from more than 400 Canadians, the survey also found that just over 18 per cent of us wish we could travel to ESCAPE our family, though only 3.2 per cent of us actually are doing so.

Parents and children topped the list of fave family members to see, while in-laws, shockingly, were at the bottom, with less than two per cent of folks having them on their holiday travel wish-list.

More than 12 per cent of survey respondents said they will avoid seeing their brother or sister. But, just to end this on a nice note, 23 per cent said there were NO relatives they wanted to avoid.

HOTEL OMNI MONT-ROYAL IMPROVEMENTS

The folks at the Hotel Omni Mont-Royal (in Montreal, of course) say they've undergone a "spectacular" $20 million transformation.

Officials said it involved a "complete re-design and refurbishment of its facilities, including all 200 guest rooms and suites" and a new lobby, which now features "an upscale lounge bar and restaurant."

Other amenities include an outdoor pool (for summer, naturally) and "state of the art" fitness centre. They also have added Italian marble bathrooms and 42-inch LCD flat screen TV's.

They say rooms have views of either Mont-Royal Park or the Montreal skyline.

AIR CANADA ADDS VIRTUAL HOLD

This oughta help a few folks. Air Canada sent me a note today to say that what they call "virtual hold" has now rolled out at their call centres in Canada and the U.S. and is currently offered for general reservations and web support services.

“"With this new product, customers are now given an estimated wait time and the option of a call-back rather than remaining on hold," officials said.

Here's what they said about it in an employee newsletter: "Virtual Hold certainly helps alleviate customer frustration from being on hold indefinitely.  The estimated wait time information and option to continue on hold or have a call-back is very much appreciated by our customers - especially during irregular operations. Our IT team worked tirelessly for several months upon months to overcome the multiple challenges of installing new technology on a legacy phone system. The next step is to add a service where customers can schedule a call back time. Call Centres continues to focus on reducing the amount of time customers wait with ongoing hiring and implementation of technology and process improvements."

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a two-for-one Avalon River Cruise special that's exclusive to Jaunt. It's a cruise through central Europe's capital cities on the Avalon Tranquility and it's going for $1,633 plus $133 in taxes for a total of $1,766.

Here are the highlights:

• BONUS: Two for One: for every one person (paid in full), the second traveller's cruise is FREE (reflected in the pricing)
• 12-day River Cruise and stay along the Danube River, starting in Budapest and ending in Prague
• Includes the following ports of call with daily sightseeing programs in: Budapest, Hungary; Bratislava, Slovakia; Vienna, Austria; Krems, Austria; Melk, Austria; Grein, Austria; Passau, Germany; and Prague, Czech Republic
• Accommodations in a Deluxe Outside Stateroom, located on the Indigo Deck (Category E) featuring twin windows. Upgraded cabin categories with French Balconies available at 1.855.GO.JAUNT
• Includes all meals on the ship, complimentary sparkling wine with breakfast, soft drinks with lunch, and wine, beer, or soft drinks with dinner
• 2 nights' accommodations in Prague at the InterContinental

More details:

• For every traveller paid in full another traveller's cruise is free
• The tour employs local guides so you have the best exposure to the places visited
• The cruise visits renowned capitals and lesser known destinations

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on April 11, 2013 sailing
• Pricing (per person, based on double occupancy, plus port charges)
  
  Deluxe Outside Stateroom (Category E)
  $1632.50 per person, double occupancy
  Tax: $133
  
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
• This offer is 100% non-refundable at time of booking

 

 

 

 

A (Brothers) Grimm year for Germany tourism, plus Toronto's Ikea Monkey!

Snow White. Little Red Riding Hood. The Pied Piper. Cinderella. Hansel and Gretel.

Some of the best fairy tales ever told were from the Brothers Grimm. And Dec. 20th marks the 200th anniversary of the first edition of their stories under the title 'Children's and Household Tales.'

To celebrate, and celebrate they should given the iconic status of so many of these stories, Germany tourism is helping folks along the Fairy Tale Route.

The brothers have many associations with German locations, including Hanau, where they were born, and Steinau, where they lived as children. They studied in Marburg and served at the court of the Elector at Kassel.

There's an exhibition in Hesse, Germany slated for April 27 to Sept. 8. Called Expedition Grimm, it will be "devoted to the far-reaching impact and captivating lives of the brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm," who had their works translated into 160 languages.

"But the brothers Grimm were not just collectors of fairy tales, according to the expedition website, www.grimm2013.de. They also left a substantial legacy as language researchers, law historians and politicians, and their German Grammar and German Dictionary laid the foundations for German language studies.

The exhibit will talk about their works and their families and also analyze such issues as which of their texts got them in trouble due to "brutal or improper" content, the Grimm tales being famous for intense realism and being nothing like what we see from the folks at Disney.

Germany also has created the German Fairytale Route, one of 200 such scenic routes in the country. The Fairytale Route runs for 600 kilometres and takes in such spots as Bremen, home to the Bremen Town Musicians, and, of course, Hamelin, home of the Pied Piper. There's also the Snow White village of Bad Wildungen-Bergfreiheit and the Little Red Riding Hood region between Alsfeld and Fritzlar.

2013 also marks the bicentenary of Richard Wagner, one of Germany's most famous composers. To celebrate, there will be festivals in Bayreuth, Bavara, a re-enactment of his famous festival meadow scene in Nuremberg (from The Mastersingers of Nuremberg), as well as several exhibitions in Leipzig, where he was born.

For more information on Germany travel, visit www.germany.travel/en/index.html.

IKEA MONKEY

I feel badly for the poor little guy, being left out in the cold in Toronto at an Ikea store. But he looks smashing in a sheepskin coat, don't you think?

The Internet and Twitter are ablaze with items about Toronto's Ikea Monkey, so much so that we oughta adopt the little tyke as a tourism ambassador. I mean, Banff had a famous squirrel a couple years ago. Why not a Toronto Ikea monkey?

I mentioned on Twitter earlier that we already had Sunday shopping and now we have Simian Shopping. We could do a Planet of the (Shopping) Apes retrospective at TIFF. Davy Jones died but we could bring in the rest of the Monkees for a marathon show at Massey hall.

Not only does the monkey look good, he's enjoying a big surge on Twitter (more than 2,200 followers as of 11:30 a.m.).

On top of that, I bet he's better at assembling Ikea furniture than I am....

 

 

 

More visits, my precious: The Hobbit aids New Zealand ...West Jet seating changes

In case you hadn't heard somehow or aren't a fan of Lord of the Rings (in which case I would ask you to move to someone else's blog IMMEDIATELY), the latest Peter Jackson flick hits the big screen in Canada next week.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is set to open in Canada Dec. 14, and it's likely to put another surge into the New Zealand tourism scene. Tomorrow's (Dec. 8) Travel section of the Star will have a story on the town of Matamata, which in in the movies is made up to look like the village of Hobbiton, in New Zealand, and the Canadian opening on December 14, a trip to experience Middle-earth is likely on the bucket list for many fans. Below are some of the top New Zealand tourism activities focused on The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, courtesy of New Zealand Tourism (with the odd comment added in from me).
 
Hobbiton
Near Matamata, a picturesque town just two and a half hours from Auckland (New Zealand’s largest city, and a great spot to start a trip), visitors can enjoy a guided tour of the Hobbiton Movie Set. Hidden in the magical, spectacularly green, rolling hills of the area is Hobbiton, the film set made famous in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Along with 37 Hobbit holes, fans can check out the Green Dragon Inn, The Mill and other structures used in the upcoming films. Not only has Hobbiton gained fame as a movie set, it is also a working farm experience, café and conference facility. It’s definitely a must for anyone who wants to truly experience the “Shire” when in New Zealand.
 
Four-Wheel Drive Safari of Scenes in Queenstown
Any reason to visit Queenstown, on New Zealand’s South Island, is a good one, and a four-wheel drive adventure through Middle-earth gives visitors a great reason to go. The Queenstown area was prominently featured in the filming of The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Nomad Safaris offers two different tours designed specifically for fans. The guides are definitely one of the highlights of the tour; many were extras in the films. They know, and are happy to share, all of the local gossip about what the stars of the movies did while they were filming in the area. I visited Queenstown when I was in New Zealand a couple years ago. I didn't do this tour but I did visit Chard Farm winery, which is on the banks of the river that features the giant statues of the old kings that's prominently featured in Lord of the Rings. I also visited the small stream where they filmed the scene where Liv Tyler lets loose a torrent of water to help Frodo escape the Black Riders. It sounds silly, but I kinda got goosebumps looking at it...
 
Wellington
Everyone who goes to Wellington falls in love with the fun, foodie and fashion-focused city that sits at the southern tip of the North Island. Known to many as “Wellywood” because of its flourishing film industry, fans can experience the ultimate Middle-earth full-day tour with Wellington Rover Tours – where fans can follow in the footsteps of Hobbits, and spend the day learning film secrets. Wellington also boasts the Weta Cave, which screens a behind-the-scenes look at Weta and interviews co-founder Peter Jackson, among others; has a mini-museum with some of the characters; and features props and displays from The Lord of the Rings films. For the duration of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey world premiere week, Wellington will be known as “The Middle of Middle-earth” and will be host to the premiere, where celebrities, filmmakers, fans and entertainment journalists from around the globe will all converge to celebrate the release of the first of three Hobbit movies.
 
Air New Zealand (www.airnewzealand.ca) has direct non-stop flights from Vancouver to Auckland and offers flights from many other North American cities. For more information about New Zealand, please visit: www.NewZealand.com.

WEST JET REVAMPS SEATING/PRICING (and also eyes international market)

Nice job in today's Star Business section by Vanessa Lu, who wrote about WestJet's three new fare groups.

Starting next spring West Jet will try to woo business travellers with the "Plus" fare package, which will give added legroom, priority screening and boarding, flexible cancellations or flight changes and more, including drinks and snacks and priority access to those oh-so-valuable overhead bins. Next in line (and cost) will be the Flex fare, which has added, um, flexibility. And then the Econo fare, which is the cheapest and has the least amount of leeway for changes (and also fights for the overhead bins, I suspect)....

WestJet officials figure about two-thirds of the folks seeking the Plus fare will be business types.

It's forecast that the move to premium economy, which a bunch of other airlines are doing (including Lufthansa on long-haul flights), will generate $50 to $80 million in added revenues. That suggests the Plus fares will come at a substantial premium, but all WestJet officials will say is that the Plus fares will be competitive.

Obviously they won't be comparable to economy fares but they should be competitive with Air Canada's business class.

WestJet, as you may know, will be introducing its new, regional service across Canada next year. It's called Encore and is meant to service smaller cities who've been clamouring for more airline operations.

While WestJet is aiming at smaller markets in the short term, a report in the Globe and Mail today says the Calgary-base cmpany is talking with Boeing and Airbus about buying some wide-body big boys that could fly much farther than WestJet's current fleet.

Officials are keeping a tight lip on this one, saying they probably won't do anything until Encore is up and running and that there are no definite plans. But they wouldn't be talking with aircraft manufacturers if they didn't intend to do something, and it certainly fits WestJet's pattern of slow but steady growth.

The airline today took possession of its 100th Boeing Next Generation 737 plane.

LUFTHANSA HAS A NEW DISCOUNT CARRIER

Interesting. Just as I finished typing out that bit about WestJet and it's three-tier pricing scheme, I got a note from Lufthansa saying they'll launch an airline called Germanwings on July 1 next year, complete with a similar scheme.

The press release from Lufthansa said Germanwings "is set to revolutionize the European low-cost market. In the future it will offer the highest value airline product in this segment in Europe"

"Passengers will be able to create their own package and adapt it in detail to their individual needs, from low-cost flying without add-ons to a high-quality passenger experience with lots of amenities and extras," officials said. While offering Economy Class across the board, the "new Germanwings" will boast three fares with different service packages. "Best", the highest quality product, will cover the needs of business passengers in particular but also appeal to leisure travellers, the "Smart" fare product will include certain add-on services with the customer being able to pick others as needed, while "Basic" will be the no-frills low-cost fare.

Officials said that up to 20 million passengers are to be transported on European direct services  using approximately 90 aircraft.

SNOW IN EUROPE - UGH

Travelmole reports that "heavy snow across northern and central Europe is causing flight delays and cancellations.

KLM has cancelled all of its European flights until at least midday today following heavy snow fall in Amsterdam. It said de-icing aircraft may also delay departures."

If you're headed to Europe today or tomorrow, be sure to check with your airline well ahead of departure time....

 

 –

Destination Europe 2020 program aims to deliver lots more Canadians

They’re after us.

The European Union, for the first time ever, is launching a new program to lure tourists to Europe as a whole. And Canadians are a prime target.

The “Destination Europe 2020” campaign is a modest campaign as these things go, less than $2 million, but it’s interesting that European countries have banded together for an overall “Come See Europe” campaign for the first time ever.

In the past, all marketing was done by individual countries. But this is a Europe-wide program from the European Travel Commission.

The parallels are pretty strong with the U.S., which in the last year or so launched Brand USA as an overall marketing tool to lure tourists to the land of Uncle Sam.

The Europe campaign is aimed solely at four countries: Canada, the U.S., Brazil and China, and it’s mostly going to be social media and on-line.

They’re asking folks to go to visiteurope.com and build a dream vacation and then “sharing their most inspiring discoveries” with friends and family.

I got a kick out of the visit europe site this morning. I mean, where else would you find three quotes about traveling in Europe from such disparate sources as Mark Twain, Puff Daddy and travel writer extraordinaire Bill Bryson?

In addition to the website, the ETC also is planning something called “Ensemble Europe” as a big “industry workshop” in Toronto in February, 2013, according to an online summary of Destination Europe 2020. They’ll hold similar workshops in Brazil, China and in New York City and report back on those at the giant ITB travel show in Berlin in March of next year.

ETC chief Eduardo Santander, a native of Spain who has worked with Vail Resorts in Denver and Innsbruck, told me his organization actually was formed in 1948 as part of the Marshall Plan to save Europe after World War II.

“We realize the tourism sector could really push the economy,” Santander said. “Ten per cent of the European GDP is directly related to tourism, and tourism provides about 102 million jobs. That’s roughly equivalent to the population of Austria or Belgium.”

He didn’t have the list in front of him, but Santander told me eight of the world’s top ten tourist sites are in Europe. (Hmmm….The Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, The Colosseum are there I’m sure. Maybe the Berlin Wall and Notre Dame and the city of Florence as a whole? Eight seems a tad high to me but he may be right.)

Anyway, there’s no doubting Europe’s popularity with Canadians, as some 4.3 million of us made the trek in 2011.

While a lot of young travelers are heading to Asia to travel more cheaply, Santander says Europe isn’t as expensive as folks might think.

“There’s a Europe for every pocketbook,” he said. “You can spend $5,000 a night, sure, but you also can have a wonderful holiday for just a few dollars.”

I’ve seen European hotels on hotwire.com and hotels.com for incredibly low amounts; four-star properties in Madrid and Lisbon in January or March of next year for $60 or $70, and three-stars for $40 or $50.

“Skiing is a lot cheaper in Europe, too,” Santander said. “You can get ski passes for as little as 30 Euros a day. Not like in Canada.”

Europe, of course, offers a huge degree of diversity; Alpine villages, sunny coastlines, historic cities, modern art galleries, and an incredible array of cultures in a small area.

“Asia’s wonderful, but it’s not Europe,” he said with a smile.

Asked if Europe’s economic troubles have caused an issue for tourism, Santander nodded.

“I don’t think the brand has been damaged. Not yet. People still want to travel to Europe. We’re trying to bring it closer.”

The Destination Europe 2020 budget isn’t much, but it’s at least a move in the right direction and is a strong contrast to the huge cuts that have been made to Canada’s tourism marketing. The Harper government has made serious cuts to Parks Canada budgets and the money flowing to the Canadian Tourism Commission also has been curtailed.

Those cuts are coming despite the fact that Canada has slipped – badly – in terms of international tourism. The travel industry association of Canada says Canada was seventh in the world in international arrivals in 2006 but is now down to 20th.

 

 

More great wine tasting spots: B.C., Australia, Hawaii and, of course, France

Yesterday I mentioned a whack of my favourite wine tasting places. Today I'm adding five more, with some random thoughts at the bottom just because it's a Wednesday and we need to celebrate the week is almost half-over. (Speaking of which, I saw an outstanding cartoon in the paper on Tuesday that showed a management type talking with a camel wearing a suit inthe camel's office. There was a calendar on the wall that said "Tuesday, Sept. 25" and the management guy had this great look on his face with a caption above that said something like "If you wish me 'Happy Hump Day' again tomorrow you're fired." Absolutely hilarious, if completely off topic. Because we were talking about wine. I don't know any good wine jokes, but I do remember a great episode of the Tonight Show once where Johnny Carson was talking about a wine and cheese event in Ohio somewhere in the 1970's where they had trays of Velveeta and glasses of wine, thoughtfully with bowls of sugar alongside in case folks found the wines too dry. Also hilarious.

So, anyhoo, with those side issues out of the way, here's my Wednesday look at some of my favourite wine-tasting-sipping-slurping-guzzling spots around the globe.

1. Australia. The Barossa Valley near Adelaide is Australia’s best-known area for high quality wines but you also can try the Yarra Valley near Melbourne for a great variety, including fine sparkling wines at the lovely Domaine Chandon (see photo). Heading further afield? Check out the increasingly high-profile Margaret River region in Western Australia for great Cabs and Shiraz. Only headed to Sydney?  The Hunter Valley is close by and they make very good reds and whites. They also do fun events such as “Jazz in the Vines” and “Opera in the Vineyards.”

2. British Columbia. The Okanagan Valley has great food and fabulous, award-winning wines. In the
south section around dry (think tumbleweeds and cactus) Osoyoos, they make excellent Syrah blends that are big and round, with a bit of California meets France halfway feel. Angels Gate and other wineries further north, near Kelowna, make fabulous Pinot Gris. Not washy, tasteless Pinot Grigio but fine, balanced Pinot Gris that’s excellent with food. An outdoor seat at the restaurant at Mission Hill is about as spectacular as you can get, with rows of vineyards sweeping down to the lake and dusty mountains off in the background. I've yet to find a winery in California with a view as nice as those in the hills above Okanagan Lake.

3. South Africa. I’m not a huge fan of the leathery reds they make (barnyard notes might be more accurate) but perhaps that’s because I grew up drinking fruity, new world wines. I’ve quite
enjoyed the whites I’ve had from SA, however, and they make a great range of Sauvignon Blancs and crisp Chardonnays. Sitting on a patio overlooking the harbour in Cape Town and gazing up at Table Mountain looks to be about as romantic a wine experience as you could have. 

4. Hawaii. Want something truly exotic? Tedeschi Winery on Maui makes surprisingly decent white and red wines, as well as pineapple wine that’s best left to give to Uncle Fred for his 80^th birthday celebration. The quaint and pretty winery/tasting room  is located high up the slopes of Mt. Haleakala in lovely countryside (see photo at right), with rolling hills, cattle, eucalyptus trees and stunning views out over the island of Maui.

5. France. Of course. But you already knew that. Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne are legendary. Ditto for the Loire, with great, crisp whites. Increasingly good products from Languedoc, and always consistent rose’ from Provence. Oh, don’t forget the versatile Pinot Gris/Pinot Blanc and Riesling
from up near the German border. Bordeaux is the king internationally, so much so that China is now the largest importer of Bordeaux wines in the world. The city of Bordeaux doesn't get a lot of exposure but it's got lovely, old buildings and stately squares and a terribly fun old quarter with cafes that spill out into tiny, pedestrian-only lanes. Awesome food and, of course, good wine lists. The area around St. Emilion is a personal fave. It's a beautiful town (see photo below left) filled with gorgeous, creamy buildings and built on top of enormous caves. There's an historic, underground church and plenty of tasting rooms and lovely, small hotels. Good macaroons, too, if you have a sweet tooth. I haven't been to Burgundy in years but I love small towns like Vezelay and Avalon. There's even a Montreal if you want to have fun with some photos. I haven't spent much time in the Loire but I love a good, crisp Sancerre white - a favourite if I remember correctly of former Star reporter Ernest Hemingway. The wines of Provence aren't as notable, but there are fabulous wines and great tasting opportunities down around the lovely town of Aix-en-Provence, which is only a short drive from the Cote d'Azur. In Aix itself, be sure to tour the former home of Cezanne, who did much of his painting in the home and in the area. It's quite a beautiful spot and there are tons of great cafes and terrific shopping opportunities in the old streets of town.

FURTHER THOUGHTS:

I've never been to South America but Chilean wines are exceptional. A few of the Cabernet Sauvignons at the low end have too much of a green pepper taste for my liking, but most of it is excellent and well-priced. Argentina does wonders with Malbec, also grown in the Cahors region of France, and a good Malbec goes great with a steak. They make some pretty good stuff in Uruguay and even parts of Brazil ... Further north you can get some tasty fruit from Mexico, mostly Baja California ... Back on the continent, Germany and Switzerland make very good whites and even some reasonably hefty reds . The vineyards along the Rhine and Mosel rivers are stunningly beautiful, as are the ones that cascade down the steep hills on the north side of Lake Geneva (or Lac Leman if you choose) in Switzerland… Looking for something different that’s great with food? Try a Gruner Veltliner white from Austria … Spain makes fab reds and terrific white wines. Rioja is king but you also can find good value from the Penedes and excellent sparkling wines for a quarter the price of French champagne … Israel makes some excellent red wine, as does Lebanon … Italy’s a no-brainer. My personal fave for value is Nero d’Avola, with full body that’s more to my North American taste than most Italian wines … Greece makes some lovely, crisp whites that are perfect for a seaside patio … Folks tell me Chinese wines are improving but the stuff I tried when I was last there wasn’t so great … Headed to the States? New York has great wineries in the Finger Lakes. More surprising is the quality of wine in Virginia and even Texas. Oregon and Washington you might know about, with similar grapes to B.C., but also in the up-and-coming market are places like Arizona, North Carolina and Colorado ... I've had some decent whites made on the Ile d'Orleans outside Quebec City, too ... Okay, it's not wine but Japan has won dozens of awards for its Scotch whisky. Something about the water, I guess, and the typical Japanese attention to detail. It's quite tasty.

Travel survey: Are we all business first, email-slaves who don't shower enough?

A fun study by Four Points Sheraton says that 55 per cent of business travelers take three or four devices with them when they hit the road.

They surveyed 6,000 biz types from all over the world and found that smartphones were the number one device (74 per cent), followed by tablets (65 per cent), music players (43 per cent), laptops (32 per cent) and cameras (30 per cent).

Interesting note here: Brazilian respondents (27 per cent) were the most likely to have five or more devices with them, while Germans (33 per cent) said they only take one or two.

Maybe we should move to Germany. While 60 per cent of respondents overall felt that traveling with technology makes their life easier, 14 per cent of Germans say it makes life harder.

Nearly seven in ten respondents (68 per cent) said they use their tablet more than their laptop. Interesting. My wife and I bought an iPad a couple months ago but I’ve maybe used it once. Guess I should download some travel apps and try it out on my next trip.

Another fun note in the study is that 54 per cent of respondents turn their smartphones on while the plane is taxiing to the gate after arrival, while a full 12 per cent never turn them off while they’re on the plane. The study didn’t say if they turned them to airplane mode, but I’d guess Alec Baldwin’s salary that a number of biz types continue to operate their smartphones even at 35,000 feet. And yet the planes continue to fly. Amazing.

Asked what’s the first thing they do when on the road, 36 per cent said they check their smartphone. Nineteen per cent said they turn on a TV and 18 per cent said they take a shower. Checking Facebook was next at 12 per cent, followed by checking Twitter and calling home tied for fifth at at seven per cent each.

So, basically, what we have is a world of business-centric, me-first folks all around the world who get up in a strange city and check their emails and watch TV before they think of showering or calling their families. And to think some traditionalists out there decry the state of the planet.

FOUR SEASONS TORONTO JOINS THE FIVE-STAR WAR

Hoo and boy, as my friend Allan Ryan used to say.

We've already seen the opening of the Ritz-Carlton Toronto on Wellington, which the Canadian Automobile Association has dubbed one of only two five-diamond properties in the country (the other is the Four Seasons Whistler). And the new Trump Tower downtown, which I took a peek at the other day and found rather swish and stylish, if not my particular cup of Earl Grey.

Now we're a mere eight days from the unofficial opening of the new Shangri-La at University and Wellington. The sleek, Asian-themed (in part) hotel and condo project is opening Aug. 30, although it's mostly for TIFF-related stuff and probably won't be open for the likes of you and me until mid-September.

Still, the drawings make it look superb and the food options at the restaurant Bosk promise to tantalize, for sure. There's also supposed to be some amazing dim sum, which stands to reason for an Asian-based chain and would be a welcome addition to the area.

On top of all that comes word this week that the Four Seasons Yorkville (see photo left) is now taking reservations for stays beginning Oct. 5. I went online this morning and found the cheapest room was $545 for a two-night stay beginning Oct. 5. A one-room suite was listed at $635.

The website says food service at the hotel won't start until Oct. 6, so if you're hungry on the night of the 5th you can always try McDonald's on Bloor I guess.

As for your options on the 6th, the main attraction will be Cafe Boulud, operating under the name of Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud. I've never eaten at any of his places, but I hear mostly good things. The website says the restaurant "showcases the intersection of contemporary and classic French cuisine in this casual Toronto restaurant. Menus are guided by the most exceptional ingredients, the vibrant, global influences of Toronto, and the innovation and expertise of this Michelin-starred culinary great."

The website says the hotel also will have something called the dbar, with "the sophistication and glamour of Yorkville" and a menu with "cocktails and casual fare amid inviting contemporary design, or outdoors on the spacious seasonal terrace."

Fascinating, fun times in the Toronto hotel industry, for sure. And great for the city's tourism, too.

 

 

IKEA hotels in Europe ... Toronto #4 in livability ... T.O. Shangri-LA opens soon

Big news days out there in the travel world, folks.

First item du jour is a note from over the pond that IKEA is building, wait for it, a chain of budget hotels. Isn't it enough they've filled the rooms of the world with Billy bookcases? (I must own four or five of the damned things, and I could probably melt down all the Allen keys I have and make a tank for the Canadian military). Isn't it enough they're developing property near the Olympic stadium in London, where they want to build houses - and no doubt fill them with IKEA furniture?

No, it's not enough. And, actually, I say good for them. For a lot of North American folks, it's expensive to get a place to stay in Europe. So the trend towards more budget-oriented motels and small hotels in Europe (similar to what we have here in terms of Comfort Inn's and such) is probably welcome.

The story I saw in the Daily Mail of London said the IKEA folks want to create "budget design" properties (isn't that an oxymoron?) with a "boutique feel" at affordable prices. They apparently aim to announce a hotel soon for Germany and are looking at perhaps 100 hotels in all on the continent. The UK, Holland and Poland were mentioned in the Daily Mail story.

They won't be called IKEA hotels though, which I don't quite understand. It's a hugely recognized brand, why not capitalize on it?

There's a big trend toward this type of thing already in Europe. Motel One has 39 hotels in Germany, the Daily Mail said, and they're looking at Edinburgh. There's also the Chic and Basic brand in Barcelona and Madrid.

Anyway, for now I see no word of any properties in Canada or the U.S. But I suspect it's only a matter of time before we can stop along I-75 in Cincinnati and rest up at a hotel filled with Vittsjo shelving units and Nordli bed frames and Micke desks. I wonder if we'll get Swedish meatballs from room service, or  lingonberries. Or those cheap hot dogs.

And will we have to assemble the beds and dressers ourselves? I can just see it - each guest is given an Allen key and some of those horrible instruction pamphlets and sent upstairs with a big box. Wouldn't that be a great way to get a discount?

MELBOURNE MOST LIVEABLE CITY ON THE PLANET

A study by The Economist Intelligence Unit ranks Melbourne as the most liveable city on the planet. Second was Vienna, Austria, followed by Vancouver. Toronto was just a smidge behind those smug westerners, finishing just off the podium in the number four spot. Calgary (HA!) was fifth.

Rounding out the top ten were Adelaide, Sydney, Helsinki, Perth Australia and Auckland, New Zealand. That makes a pretty tremendous showing for the Aussies and Canucks, doncha know.

Oh, Montreal was 16, lest I forget. But that was it for Canadian cities in the ranking, as they apparently only stuck to the big boys.

Notice, ahem, the absence of any U.S. cities from the top ten. Interesting. The top American city in the survey might be a bit of a surprise: Honolulu at #26. I actually quite like Honolulu; there's great weather and beaches but also tremendous culture and fabulous food.

Other notable U.S. cities were Washington D.c. at #34, Chicago at 36, Los Angeles at 43, San Francisco at 52 (behind LA? OMG)  and New York at 56. Jon Copestake the survey editor comments: "The tiny increment between the top ten cities shows just how tight the ranking can be. Canadian cities, like Australia, benefit from good infrastructure and low crime rates. For big US cities a high score for cultural activities can come at the expense of higher congestion and crime rates." 

Elsewhere in the world, the impact of the Arab Spring and fallout from the Eurozone crisis is still being felt. Many cities in the Middle East and North Africa have seen downward revisions to their scores thanks to civil unrest.

Every city is assigned a rating of relative comfort for over 30 qualitative and quantitative factors across five broad categories: stability; healthcare; culture and environment; education; and infrastructure. Each factor in a city is rated as acceptable, tolerable, uncomfortable, undesirable or intolerable. For qualitative indicators, a rating is awarded based on the judgment of in-house analysts and in-city contributors.

Want to know what cities to avoid? Worst on the list was Dhaka, Bangladesh. Just ahead, at 139, was Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea. And in the 138th spot was Lagos, Nigeria.

SHANGRI-LA TORONTO TWO WEEKS AWAY

It's a tad confusing, but it sounds like the Shangri-La hotel in downtown Toronto will unofficially open Aug. 31. It won't be fully open by that date, as apparently the TIFF movie folks will be using it for the most part for the first couple weeks.

Still, that's the unofficial date. And it sounds like they'll be in full operation for the general public by Sept. 17.

There will be plenty of Asian touches of course. But the developer is a big music fan so I'm told there's a handcrafted Italian piano in the lobby. The piano also apparently has the words to Joni Mitchell's "Old Man" under the lid.

There will be a branch of the legendary restaurant Momofuku, but it's run separately and not really a Shangri-La property. The main restaurant for the hotel proper is called Bosk, where they will offer up everything from John Dory to New Zealand lamb (the executive chef was born in New Zealand but grew up in Japan) and other items with an Asian flavour. They say the dim sum that will be served in the lobby is to die for, and they'll have afternoon tea and a tea library with 68 varieties.

As with many projects these days, such as the Trump, it's part condo and part hotel. the lower 17 floors are for the hotel, with 202 rooms and suites at Adelaide and University. They'll have a Hammam spa with Parisian influences, plus a 20-meter pool with a chandelier over the top and an outdoor place on the fifth floor that looks up University Ave.

Service will be the key to the hotel getting the five-star rating it craves. An official told me staff under a very extensive training program and that service is based on the theme of "hospitality from the heart."

It's supposed to be "gracious and unobtrusive" service with a substantial "humility" factor.

It's certainly going to be fun to see how they do, what with the TRUMP Tower just down the road, the Ritz-Carlton around the corner (the only Toronto property right now with a five-diamond rating from the Canadian Automobile Association) and the new Four Seasons Yorkville opening up in October.