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Showing results for tags 'Travel'.
Found 7 results
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Green Housekeeping - Opting out of Maid Service in a Hotel
DonRocks posted a topic in Current Events
When I travel alone, I generally opt out of daily housekeeping, using it at most every other day. This fairly recent trend, "Green Housekeeping" and its myriad of other names, is billed as 'helping to save the environment,' and I suppose it contributes to some small degree. But the reason I use it has nothing to do with the environment; it's to give the cleaning staff - probably overworked and underpaid - a break. The important thing with this strategy is to tip on housekeeping days (including check-out day) as if you had gotten housekeeping each day; otherwise, you're just kidding yourself that you're helping. I've never really discussed this with anyone before. I suppose if I was traveling with someone, I'd use housekeeping more liberally, but since I travel alone, I can live with reusing my towel, and pulling up my own linens. That's my rationale - am I giving these people a mini-paid vacation? Or am I accomplishing nothing whatsoever? I am aware that my tips go disproportionately into one person's pocket, with nothing going into another's, and that does bother me some, but I figure if everyone did this, in the long run it would all even out. Plus, the hotel wouldn't be featuring it if it didn't benefit them, so they want you to do it (I'm not assuming the "hotel's best interest" equals the "cleaning staff's best interest" - I'm not *that* naive - my guess is that when enough people begin taking the hotels up on this policy, they can reduce the number of housekeeping staff, thus saving on labor costs). In a related article, "Be Wary when the Travel Industry Says a Policy is 'for Your Own Good'" by Christopher Elliott on washingtonpost.com -
Every *suitcase* should also (and many are beginning to). I agree about nightstand lamps, too.
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Wasn't sure what forum to post this in, so please move to appropriate one. People volunteer for several reasons. I volunteer often for social causes that mean a lot of me. I also opt to volunteer for events that I can not afford to attend. The gratitude from agencies for their volunteers has often led to opportunities that would not otherwise materialize. There is a new trend developing, well it has has already been around for years, voluntourism. Are there agencies, or events in the greater Washington DC area that promote or offer trips in voluntourism? In service, kat
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My friend just showed me a carry-on suitcase she purchased that has a cell-phone charger on it! Now there's an idea so obvious that nobody thought of it before now. It's FDA carry-on-compliant, and is called "Away" - it has a really nice look, good functionality, a hard shell, and costs $245 (promoted down to $225). This particular model is a collaboration with Rashida Jones, and is called "The Bigger Carry-On." --- Several years ago, I was in the market for some quality luggage - I'd been slumming it my entire life with junk suitcases that were ugly and always fell apart. I consulted with a friend of mine who flies just about every week. His advice: Don't Buy Tumi - it's overpriced, and has no durability (I have one Tumi suitcase, and I can verify that it fell apart in about one year - it's junk). He steered me instead to Eagle Creek, and if you go all-in on the accessories (which compartmentalize different things in the suitcase), it's just about the perfect luggage. I was shocked that a handle broke after about five years, because when I bought it, I could tell immediately upon examination that it was seriously heavy-duty, and except for this one thing, it has stood the test of time.
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Season 1, Episode 1 of "Parts Unknown" starts tonight - Myanmar is the first episode. -
Rediscovering Virginia Woolf. I had forgotten how much I like her. Reading The Voyage Out for the first time. Available on Project Gutenberg. Not everything is. Wonder why? -
Does anyone know who has the best rates for currency exchange? I won't go to Travelex in Dulles anymore - they gave me counterfeit Chinese RMB. We are considering going with the American Express service, but would like other ideas. Thanks!
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