Anthony Melchiorri, the host of the Travel Channel show “Hotel Impossible,” says he prefers to stay in a roadside motel over a luxury hotel – as long as it has good online reviews. In his opinion, the mom and pop ownership model often leads to painstaking efforts for cleanliness, fresh flowers and a home-cooked meal – not to mention personal recommendations for uniquely local places to visit in the area.¹

After all, the accommodation industry is all about hospitality, and hospitality is about personal service. It doesn’t get more personal than running your own business. We feel the same way about working with our clients. We know you want to talk to familiar people when you call for information. At the end of the day, we’re all looking for that extra touch, the human connection, something that sets service above the rest. Please contact us anytime. We are here to help you with your retirement income strategy questions.

This desire for the personal touch remains true whether you’re at home or traveling. In a recent interview, Mr. Melchiorri offered some interesting advice for planning a vacation. For example:²

• If you’re booking a hotel, check out its most recent reviews online at sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp. Even large chains get bad reviews, and some of those roadside motels get charming ones. It pays to check before you book.
• While you may want to use one of those shop-and-compare websites to find a hotel, once you make a selection go to the hotel’s actual website to make your reservation. The hotel website is guaranteed to offer the lowest rate – Melchiorri says a website like Expedia is not allowed to have a lower rate than the hotel. In addition, when you book through a third party, it can be more difficult to get your money back.
• Remember that hotels and motels are in the hospitality industry, and the good ones want to ensure you are pleased with your stay. Melchiorri encourages travelers to ask for things they want – an upgrade, a poolside room, to be upstairs or downstairs, bottled water or fresh flowers in their room. If hotel staff can accommodate you, they most likely will.
• If you encounter a problem, he suggests you first make a polite complaint, then escalate to a more direct aggressive complaint, and finally, express your displeasure with a scathing online review.

One way to save money on accommodations is on parking. Many hotels charge for onsite parking or valet service. Consider downloading an app to your smartphone to help you find less expensive parking options. These apps look for parking based on your location and show the least expensive options, which can yield as much as 50 percent in savings. Other apps can find all available transportation options between your current location and your destination, so you can choose the most convenient with the best price.³

If you want to learn about the history of an area you’re visiting, check out local museum deals. Some places offer free entrance either on certain days or all the time. For example, the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. and nearly every museum in London offer free admittance year-round.⁴

If you’re traveling abroad, before you leave home, make copies of your passport and driver’s license; leave one with a friend and tuck another into your bag. It’s also a good idea to take photos of them on your smartphone and load them up to a password protected cloud storage site. Having copies of important travel documents can alleviate a lot of hassle if the originals are lost or stolen.⁵

You also may want to spread your cash in a few different places, such as your wallet, in zipper pockets and in your hotel safe. Should you lose your billfold or get robbed, you won’t be left totally without cash.⁶

Content prepared by Kara Stefan Communications.

¹ Beth J. Harpaz. Washington Times. Sept. 6, 2017. “Why ‘Hotel Impossible’ star likes a good roadside motel.” http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/sep/6/why-hotel-impossible-star-likes-a-good-roadside-mo/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS. Accessed Oct. 2, 2017.

² Ibid.

³ Talia Avakian. Travel and Leisure. Sept. 30, 2017. “These 18 Easy Tips Can Save You a Fortune on Your Next Trip.” http://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-tips/save-money-while-traveling. Accessed Oct. 2, 2017.

⁴ Ibid.

⁵ Mike Shubic. Travelocity. Oct. 2, 2017. “12 Genius Travel Planning Tips.” https://www.travelocity.com/inspire/12-genius-travel-planning-tips/. Accessed Oct. 2, 2017.

⁶ Ibid.

We are an independent firm helping individuals create retirement strategies using a variety of insurance products to custom suit their needs and objectives. This material is intended to provide general information to help you understand basic retirement income strategies and should not be construed as financial advice.

The information contained in this material is believed to be reliable, but accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed; it is not intended to be used as the sole basis for financial decisions. If you are unable to access any of the news articles and sources through the links provided in this text, please contact us to request a copy of the desired reference.

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