The Shop Cop - Jennifer Litwin

MY FAVORITE WEEKENDS SPOTS TO GET AWAY WITHOUT THE KIDS AND JUST RELAX

1) AMERICAN CLUB IN KOHLER, WISCONSIN www.destinationkohler.com. I love the Kohler Resort for a beautiful, peaceful getaway, especially if you love playing golf and peaceful tranquility, which the resort offers.  I just visited a few weeks ago, having spent a nice, quiet weekend without the kids, and playing golf at Golf at the Bull, a fantastic (and less expensive than the pricey Kohler course) public course right next to the PGA golf course at Kohler.  There are lots of cute little romantic spas and restaurants not to be missed in the little Kohler Village.  If you love Baker Furniture, the Kohler family, who owns Baker, has done a great job of furnishing the resort with elegant Baker Furniture and Kohler Bath fixtures that surround the entire luxury resort.

2) EL MONTE SAGRADO IN TAOS, NEW MEXICO www.elmontesagrado.com/.  I was lucky enough to win a weekend trip to this 5-star, award-winning newer, very romantic resort nestled in the heart of the quaint town of Taos.  I had always wanted to visit New Mexico, and Taos, in particular.  The surrounding terrain is beautiful and so are the views, but I especially love the little private villas, with big fireplaces, luxurious bedding, private little pools, spa, and organic food at the intimate dining room.  If you are a lover of Southwest food, hiking and river rafting, this resort is a must.

3) EAGLE RIDGE RESORT AND SPA IN GALENA, ILLINOIS www.eagleridge.com.  Yes, even in Illinois you can find breathtaking views and a beautiful resort in the middle of the country.  If you love hiking, skiing and relaxing in a cozy spa with fireplaces burning everywhere, Eagle Ridge is the place for you.  I love the relaxed atmosphere in the restaurants on property, perfect with or without the kids, the beautiful hills and mini-mountains, and luxurious rooms inside the lodge–great for a romantic weekend.  If you are bringing your family, you may wish to rent one of the newer and  larger homes that can accommodate up to twenty people.  The town of Galena is well worth the visit.  I love to play golf, and enjoy the award-winning US Open golf courses on the property—there are 4.

4) FOUR SEASONS HOTEL IN WHISTLER, BRITISH COLUMBIA www.fourseasons.com.  To get away from it all, winter or summer, I love this little newer, less stuffy Four Seasons Resort in Whistler.  The view of the flower-, grass-, and tree-covered mountains make me realize why this jewel was chosen as the spot for the 2010 Olympics.  For a romantic weekend, enjoy the pool, hot tub and elegant bar/restaurant.  This is a wonderful place to be trapped during a winter storm!  On the weekends in the summer, visit the best farmers market in the world, with fresh, organic meals and dishes prepared right at the booths—local produce is some of the best I have had.

5) SHANGRI-LA HOTEL IN VANCOUVER, CANADA

www.shangri-la.com.  This Asian hotel chain is one of the best in the world, paying attention to every detail and designing beautifully appointed rooms.  Look no further for your evening’s romantic date than the high tea room on the first floor, or relax in the most luxurious bathrooms that boasts large tubs and televisions.  Right in the heart of beautiful Vancouver, and just steps away from the water and mountains.

CAR RENTAL COMPANIES  HAVE A TRACK RECORD OF MISLEADING THEIR CUSTOMERS AND OVERCHARGING THEM

Though I typically don’t have a need to rent cars, I did so recently on a few different trips.  My experience with Budget made me want to never rent another car again, and this isn’t the first time that my credit card meant carte-blanche to the car rental company.

CORPORATE CAR RENTAL OFFICES VS. FRANCHISE OPERATIONS

Apparently, when you rent a car from Budget, Hertz, Avis, etc., you are possibly renting from the parent company.  However, plenty of franchise operations, privately owned and managed, rent out cars under the names: Budget, Avis, Hertz, etc.

AIRPORT CAR RENTAL AGREEMENTS

Once you book a daily car rental rate online, over the phone or through your travel agent, you must sign a contract at the airport.  This isn’t easy to understand, because the rental contract invariably adds airport fees, etc., that you may not have seen on the quote.  Then, of course, the car style you expected to rent is probably not even available anymore.  You are now forced to spend more money and get a bigger, fancier car; or shift down a gear and get a more modest car that costs almost the same as what you expected to rent.

After signing the contract for the car rental, and hopefully not for additional insurance, a big money maker for the car rental companies, you get to check out your new car.  In my case, I was given a van that had 25,000 miles on it and seemed very worn out and dirty on the inside.

But before I could leave a little inspector man came out and asked us to look over the car, as he quickly walked around our car and told us there were just a few little scratches on the bumper—he put the little sketch of the scratches on the contract, mumbled a few words in broken English that we didn’t understand, and sent us on our way, as there was a huge lineup of cars trying to leave the Vancouver airport.   I looked closely around the car, and pretty much agreed with the inspector, but it was dark in the garage and we were feeling the need to get out because of the long line of cars behind us.  The kids were getting antsy.

GETTING CHARGED FOR DAMAGES

As it turned out, we never drove the car, even once after getting it to the hotel in Whistler.  The car turned out to be unnecessary.  The total charges Budget told us to expect to pay were about $400 for 4 days, including all the airport fees and gas.  We were supposed to drop off the car in downtown Vancouver, at the Budget office there, and not at the airport, from where we rented the car.

What an experience the drop-off was.  We showed up with the van, having not even driven it outside of the empty hotel parking lot in Whistler, and just driving it back to Vancouver, without any stops along the way.  The agent in the Budget office there told us to wait for a supervisor to go out and inspect the Toyota Sienna.  After a few minutes, we went outside to meet him, only to discover that the agent found a small one-inch dent at the top of the hood, close to the windshield.  A weird place to find a dent.  It was barely visible and something we had never seen.

BUDGET’S FRANCHISE OFFICE HAD MY CREDIT CARD ON FILE AND COULD CHARGE ANYTHING THEY WANTED

True…very true.  So what should have cost about $400 for a car we never even drove, we were told Budget’s franchise office would charge us now a total of $1,400 for damages.  No discussion, and they weren’t turning back.  Interestingly enough, the couple behind us had the same experience earlier in the day with the same agent.  This was truly a racket, this operation.

AMERICAN EXPRESS PROTECTS YOU AGAINST CAR RENTAL CLAIMS

Fortunately, I had charged the car on my American Express.  My insurance agent at State Farm told me to immediately call Amex, stop payment to my credit card, and speak with American Express’ Claims department.  I was saved by them, and they started a file, to deal with Budget and State Farm, to find resolution to this.  I am not sure that Visa would do the same, but American Express is known for dealing with claims in car rental situations, and they have worked quickly to find answers.

I am now considering a driving trip from my own garage next trip!

MY SUMMER SPENT TRAVELING, ON THE REQUEST OF MY KIDS

Because I’ve spent the past many years traveling for work, I haven’t had much time or desire for leisurely travel.  And traveling with little kids wasn’t always the easiest.  But this past summer was different.  My son, Edward, told me last year that he wanted to travel, to see the world.  Planning the trips wasn’t easy, as I wasn’t sure which hotels to stay in, which places offered the best values, and best times and ways to book our trips.

RECENT TRIP TO THE REGENCY HOTEL IN NY WAS AN EYE OPENER

My brother and sister-in-law recently took my nephew, Justin, to NY for a weekend.  They were so proud of the amazing rate they were able to get through Orbitz.  For somewhere in the low $200′s, they were able to get a room at one of my favorite hotels, the Loew’s Regency in NY.  I couldn’t believe the rate–a rate that I hadn’t been able to secure in years, since right after 9/11.

THE ARTIFICIALLY LOW HOTEL RATE QUOTED BY ORBITZ

Orbitz said in fine print that upgrades may be available upon arrival, but that they couldn’t guarantee the room you get when you book through them.  Unfortunately, when my brother, sister-in-law and nephew got to the famed Regency Hotel, they discovered they would be sleeping in a room with 2 twin beds—something unacceptable for the 3 of them.  So they went to the front desk, spoke with a reservations clerk and were able to upgrade to a room with 2 doubles—for an extra $100, of course.

PROBLEMS WITH ORBITZ, EXPEDIA, PRICELINE AND OTHER ONLINE TRAVEL COMPANIES

We’ve all had the same complaints when booking trips with the online travel companies, as Consumer Affairs reports:

1) The rate you are promised promises you nothing—wait til you see your room.  No online or in-person guarantees of a room type or that your view won’t be the parking lot!

2) When you need to change your travel plans, good luck finding someone who picks up the phone to help you.

3) Changing your travel plans will require you to spend a hefty change fee, with no added benefits.

4) With online travel agencies you won’t usually be allowed to take advantage of all the freebies, miles, rewards and other ways the travel industry is extending to nearly every human being on Earth right now.

5) Travel websites are hard to use and are inefficient when you need to change your plans.

CONSIDER USING A WORLD-CLASS TRAVEL AGENT

I recently asked my friend, Erin, how she always plans the best trips, and how she keeps her kids so happy on vacation, even when traveling great distances.  Erin was excited to share her little travel secret with me.  As Erin travels all over the world to spend time with her husband and children, as her husband travels a lot for work, she has found that having the right travel agent is key to happy travels.  Erin referred me Paul Klein Travel, in Chicago, a corporate travel agency, where I turned over my business and headaches.  Through using Paul Klein Travel, I have been able to secure the best seats, best rooms, best hotels, best upgrades and packages, and yes, best prices.  I have tried to comparison shop the trips I have taken using Paul Klein, in almost 100% of the cases, Paul Klein Travel has beat everyone.

CORPORATE TRAVEL AGENTS’ VOLUME BUSINESS GOOD NEWS FOR VACATIONING FAMILIES

The beauty of traveling with a corporate travel agency is that you can book great vacations at well-known hotel chains and resorts, and take advantage of the corporate travel agency’s great rates.  Paul Klein, as it turns out, is one of only 80 travel agencies that “partners” with hotel chains like the Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton, among many other great chains–chains that are often expensive and have little in the way of a rewards program.  Through Paul Klein, we were able to stay in some great spots and take advantage of the opportunities to see different places we may not otherwise know about.

BENEFITS OF USING A CORPORATE TRAVEL AGENT–WHAT YOU SHOULD ASK FOR

1) Alerts if prices drop or are about to go up so you can secure the best air/hotel packages

2) Resort credits that average between $100-300 per trip—credits that may include meals or spa packages; even high tea and room service breakfasts—free with your travel agent relationship.

3) Instant phone calls made to the manager of a hotel to request a room change or upgrade on your behalf–something you may not be able to secure on your own.

As featured on ABC7 Chicago.
As the vacation season heats up, we are all looking for a way to get a good deal on nice hotels. The larger hotel chains are offering perks not available at boutique hotels, like the ability to earn rewards and get upgrades at thousands of hotels across the world, and even points that can be used toward time shares, or time shares that can accrue hotel rewards points.

HOTTEST TREND IN HOTEL CHAINS: TIME SHARES

With the economy in a slump, time shares, popular at hotels since the mid-80’s, offer little “investment” for a return of possible luxury accommodations at first class hotel resorts. A few things to watch out for:

1. Don’t think of as way to get a return on investment. Paying today for future vacations during the course of your life, and ability to stay at hundreds of different locations throughout the world. For however many weeks per year you want. The idea is to save money on future vacations.
2. Annual fees add up.
3. Black-out dates during peak season, (Saturday-Saturday rentals; weeks not split up to accommodate your preference), or difficulty getting into a resort you want to go to, without paying more money; book out only 12 months in advance at some resort properties.

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As featured on ABC7 Chicago

If you’re shopping for airline tickets, thinking about Spring Break, or even figuring out which airlines to start flying frequently to rack up miles, there are some new frequent flier trends you need to know about!

3 OF THE LATEST FREQUENT FLIER PROGRAM TRENDS

1. 1/10 people purchase tickets with miles now—flights sell out quickly, causing blackout dates, or dates you can’t travel usually occur during peak travel seasons—airlines can charge double miles (instead of 25,000, i.e. 50,000 miles—United)
2. Option to use miles now to buy things like electronics, flowers, hotels…
3. Can buy miles now as “gift cards”, just like you would at a retail store for up to 250,000 miles! (costs around $6,000)

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As Featured in The Arizona Republic

Most Americans will pay down their debt. Some will sock it away for a rainy day.

But about 24 percent will use their tax refunds this year to buy something pricey, such as a big-screen TV, car or vacation, the National Retail Federation reports.

Of course, financial planners wince about taxpayers getting refunds at all.

“I’m a firm believer that we should not be allowing the government to borrow our money throughout the tax year, interest-free, by ‘giving us’ a big tax refund at the end of the year,” said Victor Encinas, a Phoenix financial coach. “If we have the money throughout the year, we can build an emergency fund, strengthen our budget or save more for retirement or education.”

This isn’t news to Eldon Stetson, 36, of Glendale. If he and his wife “were doing our homework like we should be, we’d try to balance things out that way.”

Life happens, though, and soon another year has passed and the formula for owing nothing and receiving nothing on taxes hasn’t been worked out. So this year, Stetson is putting a portion of his tax refund toward a $2,500 mountain bike.

Like Stetson, 70 percent of Americans will receive tax-refund checks – and marketers will try to get them to part with them. The average tax refund is $2,150, the IRS reports.

Encinas suggests that people negotiate all major purchases.

“When you have ‘cash power’ mixed with ‘walk-away power,’ you become a force for retailers to reckon with,” he explained.

If you plan to make a major purchase with your tax refund, here’s some advice on making the most of your money:

AIRPLANE TICKETS

• Consider calling travel agents to book flights. They often have access to consolidator fares, involving tickets bought in bulk at a discount. “Even with a seller’s mark-up, the cost of the ticket may be cheaper than you can find online,” said Chris Elliott, National Geographic Traveler’s ombudsman.
• Take advantage of Internet airfare-and-hotel packages, which can be cheaper than if you book those items separately.
• The best savings for buying and traveling in the same week is the first week of January, Elliot says. Some other weeks also offer discounted airfares: the week after Thanksgiving, to anywhere in the United States; the week of Thanksgiving, to Europe; and the two weeks after Labor Day – when most people have gone back to work or school – to anywhere in the United States.

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