BuySellBA
Administrator
Foreign Travel Deals on a Weak Dollar - Wall Street Journal
Source:
January 04, 2007
Foreign Travel Deals On a Weak DollarHigh-End Hotels in Latin America, Parts of Asia Lure Americans with Cheap Rates; Beating the Euro
Americans wanting to vacation abroad shouldn't let the depressed dollar get them down. Although the greenback slipped against most major currencies last year, there are still good deals to be had overseas in 2007.
Travelers will find the greatest value in parts of South America, such as Chile, and in more offbeat destinations in Asia. Vietnam, which has beautiful beaches as well as lively, historical cities, has seen a flurry of high-end hotels open recently with room rates well under $200 a night. Even in pricey Europe, where the dollar fell 10.3% against the euro last year, Spain and Portugal are relative bargains. (Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., for example, is offering special winter rates and double Starpoints through March 31 at its seven Luxury Collection hotels in both countries: A double deluxe room at the Sheraton Algarve at Pine Cliffs Resort in Algarve, Portugal, now costs €96 (roughly $127) and includes a daily buffet breakfast per person.)
Travelers should also be on the lookout for special fixed dollar rates that some European hotels in prime destinations are offering to lure American travelers. Some of these rates are much cheaper than those available in many U.S. cities, where travelers have been hit with rapidly increasing room rates ($500 a night price tags aren't uncommon for mid-tier New York City hotels). By contrast, the Empire Palace in Rome, a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World, has guaranteed dollar rates for U.S. citizens and residents starting at $172, buffet breakfast included. The Hotel San Regis in Paris, another SLH property, has a special dollar rate starting at $264 with a continental breakfast included.
The declining dollar has stuck traveling Americans with sticker shock all over the world. After the euro rose to an all-time high of $1.3643 in December 2004, the dollar rebounded to $1.20 in March before retreating again, slipping to a 20 month low in December, as the euro reached $1.3336. Late afternoon yesterday, the euro stood at $1.3169 from $1.3276 late Tuesday. Besides its double-digit percentage declines against the euro and the pound sterling in 2006, the dollar also dropped more than 7% against the currencies of Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, Norway, Poland, Sweden and Thailand last year.
But in a handful of countries, including Chile, the dollar has actually rallied recently: It rose 3.5% against the Chilean peso in 2006. Prices in the capital of Santiago are reasonable. The well-regarded Torremayor Hotel, located in the vibrant municipality of Providencia, runs $74 a night. Outside Santiago, the deals can be even better. Cullen Vandora of Baltimore, Md., rented a car and drove five hours north to the town of La Serena, where he found vineyards and decent hotels for $45 a night. "It's kind of off the beaten path," he said. "I think I was the first gringo they'd seen in a while."
The dollar also gained slightly last year against Vietnam's currency, the dong, leading to deals at even higher-end places like the four-star Victoria Hoi An Beach Resort & Spa set in the town of Hoi An on the South China Sea. A room there with private beach access is $143. A top-of-the-line honeymoon suite with a jacuzzi, garden and outdoor shower goes for $195. If you're intent on traveling to Europe, now -- not the summer -- is the time, travel agents say, since the winter is Europe's tourist off-season and many hotels are offering discounts. Hilton International Inc. has winter deals at Hilton hotels across Europe, including rates of $147 (U.S.) at the Hilton Vienna and $140 at the Hilton Milan.
Airfare-wise, booking soon -- as in within the next few days -- is advisable, since the major American air carriers are offering competing New Year's fare sales on domestic and international routes. UAL Corp.'s United Airlines has a $159 one-way fare from Boston to Munich, Germany. Northwest Airlines Corp. is offering a $189 one-way from Detroit to London. AMR Corp.'s American Airlines has a $399 round-trip from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport to Brussels, Belgium. In each case, the fares are valid for travel through March 31, but tickets must be purchased by Jan. 9. Skiers discouraged by the high prices at European slopes and the so-far spotty snow in the U.S. Northeast should consider Canada. Although Canada isn't the value it used to be -- the U.S. dollar was trading at 1.1723 Canadian yesterday; it fetched 1.61 Canadian in January 2002 -- the greenback gained slightly (0.3%) against the Canadian dollar last year.
Mont Tremblant in the eastern Canadian province of Quebec or Banff in Alberta out West are popular spots, says Daniela Gugliotta, vice president of sales and marketing for Alpine Adventures/SkiEurope, which books ski trips to Canada, Europe and the U.S. Six-day, three-resort adult lift passes in Banff cost $432 Canadian (roughly $369 U.S.) in peak season (Jan. 27-Feb. 15 and Feb. 24-April 8); a comparable six-day Silver Passport in Park City, Utah, is $408.
Good deals can also be found in New Zealand, where the dollar fell relatively minimally (3.1%) in 2006, and Argentina, although the latter isn't quite as cheap as it was after the economic crisis at the turn of the century. Still, apartment rentals in Buenos Aires can go for under $50 a night.
Rita Thieme, a real-estate agent in central Massachusetts, took a week-long trip last month to Argentina, where her sister rented an apartment for a month for $1,200 in Buenos Aires through ApartmentsBA.com. The 1,300-square foot one-bedroom included a kitchen and balcony. Argentina is "extraordinarily cheap," Ms. Thieme said. "You can go out to dinner and have the best of everything, including wine, and it ends up being $20 per person."
Jaimito Cartero of Phoenix said he typically spends about that or even less in Buenos Aires daily on lodging. Instead of staying in hotels, he also goes the apartment-rental route, staying in modest studios or one-bedrooms for $140-300 a week. Of course, traveling to offbeat areas can lead to some travel hiccups. Chris Maternowski of Chapel Hill, N.C., said that when he stayed at the Sheraton Saigon in September 2005, the power went out for an hour on his first day at the hotel. It went out two more times the next day. "Sort of odd for a big, modern Western hotel," he said, "but that's Saigon." Still, there were upsides. Mr. Maternowski's room -- the nicest he's ever stayed in, he said; a two-room corner suite with a flat-screen TV, marble bath and "orchids everywhere" -- cost $100 a night.
www.buysellba.com
Source:
January 04, 2007
Foreign Travel Deals On a Weak DollarHigh-End Hotels in Latin America, Parts of Asia Lure Americans with Cheap Rates; Beating the Euro
Wall Street Journal
By Darren Everson |Americans wanting to vacation abroad shouldn't let the depressed dollar get them down. Although the greenback slipped against most major currencies last year, there are still good deals to be had overseas in 2007.
Travelers will find the greatest value in parts of South America, such as Chile, and in more offbeat destinations in Asia. Vietnam, which has beautiful beaches as well as lively, historical cities, has seen a flurry of high-end hotels open recently with room rates well under $200 a night. Even in pricey Europe, where the dollar fell 10.3% against the euro last year, Spain and Portugal are relative bargains. (Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., for example, is offering special winter rates and double Starpoints through March 31 at its seven Luxury Collection hotels in both countries: A double deluxe room at the Sheraton Algarve at Pine Cliffs Resort in Algarve, Portugal, now costs €96 (roughly $127) and includes a daily buffet breakfast per person.)
Travelers should also be on the lookout for special fixed dollar rates that some European hotels in prime destinations are offering to lure American travelers. Some of these rates are much cheaper than those available in many U.S. cities, where travelers have been hit with rapidly increasing room rates ($500 a night price tags aren't uncommon for mid-tier New York City hotels). By contrast, the Empire Palace in Rome, a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World, has guaranteed dollar rates for U.S. citizens and residents starting at $172, buffet breakfast included. The Hotel San Regis in Paris, another SLH property, has a special dollar rate starting at $264 with a continental breakfast included.
The declining dollar has stuck traveling Americans with sticker shock all over the world. After the euro rose to an all-time high of $1.3643 in December 2004, the dollar rebounded to $1.20 in March before retreating again, slipping to a 20 month low in December, as the euro reached $1.3336. Late afternoon yesterday, the euro stood at $1.3169 from $1.3276 late Tuesday. Besides its double-digit percentage declines against the euro and the pound sterling in 2006, the dollar also dropped more than 7% against the currencies of Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, Norway, Poland, Sweden and Thailand last year.
But in a handful of countries, including Chile, the dollar has actually rallied recently: It rose 3.5% against the Chilean peso in 2006. Prices in the capital of Santiago are reasonable. The well-regarded Torremayor Hotel, located in the vibrant municipality of Providencia, runs $74 a night. Outside Santiago, the deals can be even better. Cullen Vandora of Baltimore, Md., rented a car and drove five hours north to the town of La Serena, where he found vineyards and decent hotels for $45 a night. "It's kind of off the beaten path," he said. "I think I was the first gringo they'd seen in a while."
The dollar also gained slightly last year against Vietnam's currency, the dong, leading to deals at even higher-end places like the four-star Victoria Hoi An Beach Resort & Spa set in the town of Hoi An on the South China Sea. A room there with private beach access is $143. A top-of-the-line honeymoon suite with a jacuzzi, garden and outdoor shower goes for $195. If you're intent on traveling to Europe, now -- not the summer -- is the time, travel agents say, since the winter is Europe's tourist off-season and many hotels are offering discounts. Hilton International Inc. has winter deals at Hilton hotels across Europe, including rates of $147 (U.S.) at the Hilton Vienna and $140 at the Hilton Milan.
Airfare-wise, booking soon -- as in within the next few days -- is advisable, since the major American air carriers are offering competing New Year's fare sales on domestic and international routes. UAL Corp.'s United Airlines has a $159 one-way fare from Boston to Munich, Germany. Northwest Airlines Corp. is offering a $189 one-way from Detroit to London. AMR Corp.'s American Airlines has a $399 round-trip from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport to Brussels, Belgium. In each case, the fares are valid for travel through March 31, but tickets must be purchased by Jan. 9. Skiers discouraged by the high prices at European slopes and the so-far spotty snow in the U.S. Northeast should consider Canada. Although Canada isn't the value it used to be -- the U.S. dollar was trading at 1.1723 Canadian yesterday; it fetched 1.61 Canadian in January 2002 -- the greenback gained slightly (0.3%) against the Canadian dollar last year.
Mont Tremblant in the eastern Canadian province of Quebec or Banff in Alberta out West are popular spots, says Daniela Gugliotta, vice president of sales and marketing for Alpine Adventures/SkiEurope, which books ski trips to Canada, Europe and the U.S. Six-day, three-resort adult lift passes in Banff cost $432 Canadian (roughly $369 U.S.) in peak season (Jan. 27-Feb. 15 and Feb. 24-April 8); a comparable six-day Silver Passport in Park City, Utah, is $408.
Good deals can also be found in New Zealand, where the dollar fell relatively minimally (3.1%) in 2006, and Argentina, although the latter isn't quite as cheap as it was after the economic crisis at the turn of the century. Still, apartment rentals in Buenos Aires can go for under $50 a night.
Rita Thieme, a real-estate agent in central Massachusetts, took a week-long trip last month to Argentina, where her sister rented an apartment for a month for $1,200 in Buenos Aires through ApartmentsBA.com. The 1,300-square foot one-bedroom included a kitchen and balcony. Argentina is "extraordinarily cheap," Ms. Thieme said. "You can go out to dinner and have the best of everything, including wine, and it ends up being $20 per person."
Jaimito Cartero of Phoenix said he typically spends about that or even less in Buenos Aires daily on lodging. Instead of staying in hotels, he also goes the apartment-rental route, staying in modest studios or one-bedrooms for $140-300 a week. Of course, traveling to offbeat areas can lead to some travel hiccups. Chris Maternowski of Chapel Hill, N.C., said that when he stayed at the Sheraton Saigon in September 2005, the power went out for an hour on his first day at the hotel. It went out two more times the next day. "Sort of odd for a big, modern Western hotel," he said, "but that's Saigon." Still, there were upsides. Mr. Maternowski's room -- the nicest he's ever stayed in, he said; a two-room corner suite with a flat-screen TV, marble bath and "orchids everywhere" -- cost $100 a night.
www.buysellba.com
