viaherlette's blog

Earlier this week, I had the pleasure to speak with Cressida Howards the founder of InviteForBite, a website for women who are sick of eating alone while on the road. Cressida started her website after listening to a program on BBC Woman’s Hour. A group of female travelers were talking about how much they loved traveling alone, but they all agreed on one thing: they hated eating alone. The site is for women only; and just like everything that is for woman only, it will receive some criticism (think of ladies only floors in hotels!), but Cressida didn’t want it to become a dating site. It’s just about sharing a meal with other like-minded females, and not feel so lonely while traveling. The site is very easy to use. As soon as you know you are traveling to a...

I asked this question to friends and other fellow business travelers. The responses varied, but overwhelmingly it seems that people don’t care much about getting a note unless it is handwritten, personalized or coming with an amenity. Like Danielle H. who wrote on our Facebook page "If handwritten, maybe. Otherwise, who cares?”, many people don't bother reading notes that are typed and not personalized.  Do hotels understand this? Not sure. Many hotels I travel to still leave a generic letter in my room. To be honest, like many other travelers, I don’t bother reading these letters anymore. As a guest, I want to feel a little special -- especially as a frequent traveler. Generic letters don't do the trick anymore!   Based on the...

A few weeks ago I spoke with Lisa Jackson, General Manager of the Georgian Court in Vancouver. The hotel, part of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, launched the Orchid floor, 18 rooms dedicated to women, in 2009. The floor was created to differentiate the hotel from its competitors in the area.While some ladies-only floors have been controversial (think of the Bella Sky in Copenhagen), the Georgian Court appears to have found a balance that works well for them.  What can you find in the rooms? All rooms in the hotel have a consistent decor, so don’t expect the women rooms to be all pink and girly. The differentiation is in the amenities available in each room: flat iron, curling iron, Aveda products, ladies-only emergency kits, yoga mats, hair spray, nail polish remover,...

Traveling on long haul flights can increase your chances of developing Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), a serious condition where blood clots form in the legs, travel throughout the body and blocks blood flow to your lungs. To reduce the risk of DVT, many doctors recommend wearing compression stockings during long flights. They are especially important when you’re flying pregnant. I decided to purchase compression stockings for the first time before flying from New York to Singapore non-stop (18h30, world’s second longest flight!).  I went to my local pharmacy / drugstore and got quite depressed when I saw what compression stockings look like. Not sexy, to say the least!   Fortunately, there is a company called RejuvaHealth that creates stylish compression stockings....

For all of you fitness fanatics, runners, and CrossFitters: IHG (the parent company of Intercontinental and Holiday Inn) is launching EVEN, a new chain that focuses on the needs of travelers who want to stay fit while on the road. According to USA Today "this isn't a chain that's aimed at the hard-core, low-body-fat crowd that has incredible discipline".  However, it will help those of us who needs extra motivation to remain healthy while traveling.   IHG is still ironing out all the details; however, they have announced a couple of key offerings: Large fitness center that will be visible from the lobby (so you feel more motivated, I guess?) Work-out options in your room (hand weights, yoga mat, stability ball, pull-up bar, weight benches...

This week I got a chance to tour the new Conrad hotel located in Downtown Manhattan.  Things  we like: • The rooms are quite spacious for New York (all the rooms are mini-suites with a small separate living room) and feel very homey (the marketing manager mentioned that the designer specializes in residential units) • You can download the free Conrad app on your mobile phone (also available on Androids) and make special arrangements with the concierge prior to your arrival! (we haven't personally tried this feature yet) • A “barber shop” (aka. “Salvatore’s Salon”) is located in the hotel.  Although the place has a gentlemen’s feel, it seems that the intention of the hotel is to make this place more...

Each time I arrive too early at the airport (or if my flight is delayed), I always hope to find a decent place to grab a bite before boarding (it rarely happens). Nowadays, unless you fly internationally in business or first class, you can’t really expect a nice meal on board. A few weeks ago I was thrilled to come across an article in the Wall Street Journal from Eric Ripert, the chef and co-owner of Le Bernardin in New York (he kind of know something about food, right?) who listed his favorite airport restaurants: New York LaGuardia: Crust "which serves wine by the glass and pretty good pizza" New York JFK: Bobby Van’s Steakhouse "You can sit there, have a decent steak..." Miami: La Carreta "They do fantastic yucca fries,...

It's always worth mentioning when hotels do something special and original and HELPFUL for business travelers. To this effect, I learnt today that the Andaz Wall Street hired an accountant for a week to help business travelers with their taxes. When you spend your life on the road (or if you are a procrastinator), it can be easy to forget about the April 15 deadline! The accountant will be residing in the hotel form April 8 to April 15 and will assist guests with their taxes. The service is free but you need to stay at the hotel and schedule an appointment in advance. Fore more information, check the hotel press release.

Here is an extract of a article we wrote for the NAFE newsletter this month about dining alone. If you are the type of person who orders room service in her room every night at the hotel, have a look and maybe it will motivate you to explore the city you are traveling to. (...) But back to the issue of business travel dining. Marie says: Don’t order room service every night – explore the city you are in. One of Via Her World’s goals is to provide women business travelers with the best lodging and entertainment options. Think of dining alone as an opportunity to pick the type of food you really want; no need to please friends and family, or to make compromises; the only opinion that counts is yours!

 Research dining options through travel guides and websites (like...

We all like a little pampering when we travel for work – maybe a cocktail after work, or access to a business lounge to do some work.  For hotels, it’s important to understand what amenities their guests want, especially guests coming in for business, and to respond to those demands.  Hotels.com recently conducted a survey, asking travelers about their favorite in-room and hotel perks.  Tops on the list was free Wi-Fi; 38% of those who responded said that free wireless is a deciding factor when booking a room.  The second most desired perk was happy hour.  Forty-five percent of respondents said they are most satisfied when happy hours, wine tastings or free food are offered in their hotel. But, it seems as though not all hotels are listening. I have...