Time for a Smile

Book review: The Traveling Curmudgeon Jon Winokur's humorous compilation of "irreverent notes, quotes, and anecdotes on dismal destinations, excess baggage, the full upright position, and other reasons not to go there." We loved this humorous collection of international grumbles about the mixed joys of travel. Curmudgeonly quotes from a wide-ranging assortment of grumpy notables range from Queen Victoria ("No pudding, and no fun," said of a Scottish inn) to Dave Barry ("We stayed at Caesar's Palace, a giant hotel-casino authentically decorated to look exactly the way the Roman Empire would have looked if it had consisted mainly of slot machines."). Topics include specific destinations, from Addis Ababa to Akron, Winnipeg to the World, plus notations on food, transportation, and accommodations. Witty little book for bathroom reading, bedside tables, and whenever you're feeling grouchy and need a smile. In bookstores or from Amazon.

Travel Trends

Big tubs, bathroom safety, and baby boomers: We have been recommending the addition of grab bars in B&B/inn bathrooms for some time, especially for deep-set soaking and whirlpool tubs--not just for wheelchair accessible rooms, but for all. An article in the New York Times makes that very clear. Some key points are quoted below: click here for the full article:

• "According to hotel industry statistics, slips and falls have consistently accounted for about 42 % of guest accidents; bathrooms are among the top five places they occur."
• Bathrooms in all new hotels managed by Marriott must have grab bars in tubs/showers and slip-resistant ceramic floor tile, while even Ritz-Carlton hotels are adding grab bars to their bathrooms.
• "Hotel-industry experts speculate that the proliferation of marble and other smooth, easy-to-clean materials along with the absence of federal standards for hotel bathtub and shower safety means the accident rate is likely to increase, especially as baby boomers age."
• "The increased presence of the super-size bathtub, with high sides and wide interiors, is another hazard. Stepping in from a slippery floor surface onto a slippery tub surface magnifies the problem."

You deserve a break today? A recent article in Hotel Marketing Newsletter described a study of American attitudes toward leisure time. "The Hilton Family Leisure Time Advocacy(TM) Study revealed "that most people feel pressured by a world where work dictates the pace and the quality of their lives, and where there is never enough free time."

"The LTA study revealed that about a third of those polled (32 %) say they postpone fun because they feel guilty when they are not doing something they believe is productive. Yet seven out of 10 say they simply need more fun in their lives.

"At the end of our chore-filled weekends, only two out of 10 Americans (23 %) say they are energized and ready for the workweek ahead. The remainder report being in a negative state at the beginning of the week -- already tired, stressed or apprehensive -- or simply on "autopilot."

"The Hilton Family Leisure Time Advocacy Study found that guilt, time and money are the main reasons for putting vacations and leisure time on the back burner. While seven out of 10 Americans (69 %) feel they need a vacation right now, only half (55 %) will take all the vacation days they are entitled to each year."

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• VintageTubs.com
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• RezOvation

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