Niche Retreats launches with handpicked collection of beautiful holiday homes

The Lakeland Cottage Company

REEPHAM, NORFOLK - Niche Retreats announced its launch with a collection of quirky, unexpected and just-a-little-luxury holiday homes across England and Wales.

The collection launches with 190+ holiday homes. They have been handpicked for their incorporation of unusual touches, individuality, a little luxury, and settings that will ignite a guest’s imagination.

The Padstow Cottage

Niche Retreats is the newest brand in the Original Cottages family, a hub of 23 in-destination agencies that combined showcase 4,200+ holiday rental properties and provide truly local knowledge and insight for homeowners and holidaymakers alike. 

The properties have been curated from the Original Cottages family of brands and the portfolio stretches across England and Wales. It includes homes as distinct as edgy and contemporary The Palms in Hythe on the Kent coast, and as distinguished as Burncoose House, Falmouth, a Georgian and Jacobean gem near Falmouth that remains in ownership of the family that built it in 1715.

“We identified a growing trend for discerning people to stay in or rent out distinctly different holiday homes,” said Francisco Rosas, brand manager of Niche Retreats.

“Luxury means something different to everyone. So in presenting a refined collection of getaways, guests reside in their version of luxury and holiday home owners join an exclusive collection of those who go the extra mile to make a guest’s stay extra special.”

Tags:Niche Retreats

Canada's Riding Mountain National Park invites you to a comfortable camping

Riding Mountain National Park offers a huge variety of places to camp. It has everything from basic unserviced sites and oTENTiks (ideal for families) to fully serviced sites, yurts and Micro-Cubes.

New for 2018 is the Micro-Cube, available from May through October. The Micro-Cube is roughly 10-metre-square and offers an up-close with nature experience by virtue of a panoramic window that makes up one side of the cube. The Micro-Cube is a contemporary design for two adults with a double bed, two chairs, and a table. Visitors need to bring their own cooking equipment and bedding. The cube is not heated and cooking is prohibited inside the accommodation.

OTENTiks provided by Parks Canada can also be found in the Wasagaming campground in Riding Mountain National Park.  OTENTik, designed and made in Canada, is an A-frame shelter that is a cross between a cabin and a roomy prospector tent, with raised floors and sleeping platform for up to 6 people.  Each oTENTik has basic furniture and a battery-powered lamp inside, with a fire pit, propane barbecue and picnic table outside.  Some are winterised with heater and wood stove.

Both the Micro-Cube and oTENTiks are close to all the amenities of Wasagaming townsite and Clear Lake. Nearby are showers and a kitchen shelter, so visitors can bring all the cooking utensils they like, but really only a sleeping bag is needed.

Riding Mountain is rare in the way that it's one of only five national parks that has a resort town. Although small in size, the picturesque town of Wasagaming is big in charm and character. Located along the shores of Clear Lake, Wasagaming townsite is home to a variety of shops, restaurants, beach, golf course, tennis courts, lawn bowling and boat rentals.

Riding Mountain National Park is 3000 km2 of wilderness surrounded by farmland, Wildlife is abundant in Riding Mountain, and by simply driving through the park various species can be seen. Black bear, elk, moose, and lynx all call the park home as well as approximately 30 plains bison that live in an enclosure by Lake Audy.  An extensive trail system offers scenic routes for hiking, biking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing and birding.

Urbandoor adds 40,000 units to the world's only multifamily network of instant book serviced apartments

SAN FRANCISCO - Less than six months after launching the first corporate booking and management platform for the multifamily industry, Urbandoor has expanded its instant book network by adding over 40,000 units across 50 cities. In just the past month, thousands of new apartments from Cortland Partners, Greystar, and others have gone live on the Urbandoor marketplace. With these added properties, businesses and corporate travelers from around the world can now instantly book serviced apartments in Columbus, OH, Atlanta, GA, Dallas, TX and dozens of other major markets. More and more multifamily owners are now able to sustainably increase NOI by listing their unoccupied inventory on Urbandoor. For leading Companies, Travel Management and Relocation Management agencies, Urbandoor provides the easiest way to book a serviced apartment in over 700 markets around the world.

"Our goal is to make booking a serviced apartment for business travel and relocation as easy as booking a favorite hotel. We seamlessly onboard multifamily communities and send bookings, not leads, from corporate customers looking for a fully-furnished serviced apartment. By opening multifamily to the best global corporate demand, Urbandoor enables owners to optimize the value of their assets and increase NOI in new and efficient ways without taking inventory risk. As a booking occurs, a community can set up a unit with furnishings, housekeeping schedule and cable/wifi - all with just a few clicks," said Urbandoor's CEO and Co-Founder, Erik Eccles.

As the leading platform for serviced apartments, Urbandoor offers multifamily owners and operators a marketplace with zero inventory risk. With a simple onboarding procedure and integrations to industry systems, Urbandoor can enable instant booking for vacant units within a matter of days.

"Over the past two years, we've worked with the top owners and operators to understand their needs. In almost every case, multifamily operators are looking for solutions that help them capture meaningful increases in NOI while taking advantage of the growing demand from corporates," said Urbandoor's Head of Supply, Damon Gacicia.

Tim Hermeling, Executive Vice President of Marketing at Cortland Partners who recently added their nationwide portfolio to Urbandoor marketplace echoed these sentiments. "We are continually looking for ways to add new demand channels to our communities. Urbandoor allows us to take part in the growing demand from corporate travel and relocation without adding work to our on-site teams or having the risks of dedicating units for corporate travelers. Their platform is very flexible and easy-to-use for both the customer and us."

Tags:Urbandoor

Affordable getaways for Labor Day weekend

Labor Day is observed in the U.S. on every first Monday in September as a day to recognize the contributions of American workers of all industries to the U.S. economy. It is also meant to give workers a well-earned day off to relax at home or to get out for recreation. Take a trip to the beach, plan a quick family reunion, go on a camping trip to a national park, or a romantic getaway.

Some of the top places that you can visit this labor day are as follows:

1. Philadelphia

There are tons of fun events going down in the city of brotherly love, including the Made in America Music Festival (Sept 3–4) curated by Jay Z. If you want to spend some time outside, check out the last weekend of Blue Cross RiverRink SummerFest, where you can roller skate and play mini golf by the water. Start up a rousing game of ping pong,jumbo-sized chess or shuffleboard at the gorgeous oasis.

2. Newport

If you’re craving seafood, Rode Island has some pretty incredible clam shacks and lobster roll joints along the water. Sure, traveling five hours for crab cakes may seem illogical, but there are also awesome activities such as the Cliff Walk (a 3.5-mile trail that overlooks the shoreline), and you can schedule a Newport Mansion Tours, if beautiful architecture and home décor is your thing.

3. New York

The Big Apple is bursting with entertainment, fashion, media, and an energy that few cities worldwide can match. Check out the gorgeous view of the iconic skyline from One World Observatory. and pop into a couple of newcomers in the city’s top-notch culinary scene for a variety of delicious cuisines.

4. Las Vegas

Go all-in for your getaway and hop on a plane to the twenty-four hour entertainment, endless casinos, and elaborately themed hotels of Sin City. Book a stay at a uniquely luxurious hotel suite for an over-the-top weekend or stray from the infamy and bring the kids along for free family-friendly fun, including a pinball paradise, chocolate factory tours, and the world’s largest permanent circus.

5. Orlando

For a fun-filled, energetic weekend for the family, look no further than Orlando. Your inner child will delight in experiencing the magic of Walt Disney World, but the fun extends beyond the theme parks. Check out the Kennedy Space Centre to tour historic spacecrafts or Wonder Works for educational entertainment in the form of interactive exhibits and virtual reality activities like experiencing a hurricane.

The best family-friendly hotels for 2016

EWING, N.J. - Family Vacation Critic, TripAdvisor's family travel site, has announced the winners of its annual Family Vacation Critic Favorite Hotels Awards – naming the top family-tested, family-approved hotels in 15 geographic locations across the globe. Each hotel on the list has been personally vetted by a member of Family Vacation Critic's team of experts, and has also received high ratings from family travelers.

"This list of winners helps families narrow down the multitude of hotel options available, to find those that truly meet the needs of family travelers," explained Lissa Poirot, editor-in-chief of Family Vacation Critic. "Looking for a family-friendly hotel can be incredibly challenging, and parents want to know that the hotel they choose will be appropriate for every member of the family. Families can find peace of mind when booking one of our award-winning hotels, as they've not only received high marks from family travelers, but they've also met the requirements for what we consider to be family-friendly hotels."

In order to be designated a Family Vacation Critic Favorite, hotels had to meet the following criteria:

• Hotel must have been personally vetted and visited by a member of Family Vacation Critic's team of hotel experts, and receive either a four- or five-star editorial rating.
• Hotel must have been recommended by 75% or more families who have reviewed the property, with a four- or five-star review rating.

More than 600 hotels were named as 2016 Family Vacation Critic Favorites – representing the top 11% of hotels on the site.

Love Home Swap develops new tech to change the game in home swapping

LONDON - Love Home Swap, the world’s largest home swapping company, has rolled out a smart new piece of technology to increase its members’ success rate when searching for a home swap. Its industry-first algorithm works by matching members with properties of a similar value to their own in desirable destinations around the world. 

Members using Love Home Swap’s new service are now four times more successful when finding a match than with a traditional two-way home swap.

The algorithm, which is the biggest recent development in its category,  aims to encourage more people to sign up and give home swapping a go.

Love Home Swap’s algorithm calculates how many Points a member’s home is worth per night based a number of variables, including where their property is located and how many rooms it has. 

Members always remain in control of their Points and can increase and decrease the amount that is suggested - for example at different times of year.

To reimagine the look and feel of the site, Love Home Swap has also partnered with Why Projects to create a more inspirational visual identity, and make it clear to swappers that the more you share, the richer your life becomes. 

“We want to bring home swapping to life and create a fun and stylish brand that revives a previously sleepy category,” says Debbie Wosskow, CEO at Love Home Swap. “Business is booming for us, as more and more holidaymakers choose to stay in homes when they travel. We want to open the doors to people who haven’t previously considered home swapping - and our revamp achieves just that.” 

Love Home Swap’s rebrand and technology update follows on from a busy 2015, where the company struck a strategic partnership with Wyndham Worldwide and acquired leading competitor HomeForExchange - giving the Love Home Swap group unprecedented access to close to 100,000 properties worldwide.

2016 is set to be just as exciting, with more acquisitions in the pipeline, a new Spanish language version and significant improvements to mobile experience to be released early Spring. 

ABC Travel Guides for Kids names Top7 US family travel destinations for 2016

Rocky is back on top as Philadelphia is named #1 destination for Family Travel for 2016! (PRNewsFoto/ABC Travel Guides for Kids) 

PHILADELPHIA - ABC Travel Guides for Kids is the premier producer and publisher of all-in-one alphabet, activity and souvenir guides specifically designed for kids. According to ABC Travel Guides for Kids, Philly takes the top spot, three Florida cities are featured and Detroit's comeback continues...

• Philadelphia, PA: Time for an authentic Philly cheesesteak and a visit to the City of Brotherly Love as Franklin Square turns 10 and the National Constitution Center hosts Headed to the White House this election year. Kimpton, Omni and Loews Hotels love families. Best ice cream parlor is The Franklin Fountain.
• Chicago, IL: The Cubs are going to win the World Series in 2016 and Chicago's Museums, Lincoln Park Zoo and the Art Institute all remain among our nation's best. Stay at Residence Inn's 700th hotel or the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel.
• Orlando, FL More than just the theme park capital of the world, Disney Springs and nearby Kennedy Space Center's Heroes and Legends attraction features the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. Stay at The Hard Rock Hotel.
• St. Petersburg, FL: Take a "Bird Quest" through the areas museums, parks and hotels and let your senses go wild at the hands-on exhibits at Great Explorations, Sunken Gardens and Clearwater Marine Aquarium. The Vinoy Renaissance Resort & Golf Club is a great choice for families.
• Detroit, MI: Only in Motor City can you visit the largest penguin facility in the world; stop at a LEGOLAND Discovery Center and enjoy an afternoon of Beatles at The Magical History Tour at The Henry Ford. For dinner kids will love the iconic Buddy's Pizza. Hyatt Place Detroit/Auburn Hills or Hyatt Place Detroit/Utica are great options for families.
• Miami, FL: A Miami Culinary Tour in Little Havana is life changing and GameTime Miami, Jungle Island, Coral Gables Venetian Pool and Lincoln Road provide unique experiences for everyone. The Pizza Bar and Bodega are fun. The Palms Hotel & Spa is incredible for families.
• Hilton Head, SC: Beaches, bike trails, kayaking and water sports, horseback riding and we're just getting warmed up. Families will think they are in the Caribbean at Omni's Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort.

ClinkNOORD: A new breed of social travel accomodation arrives to Amsterdam

ENGLAND -  Clink Hostels, providers of stylish accommodation and social travel experience, have opened the doors to their first mainland European residence in Amsterdam. The official opening will take place on the 17th of September but doors are open to guests from today, the 19th of August.

On the opening, Liam Doyle, Managing Director of Clink Hostels has commented "ClinkNOORD is an exciting and unique addition to Amsterdam and the Clink family. A magical blend of Dutch style with creativity and modern comforts, this hostel offers guests an innovative and authentic local experience, linking them to Amsterdam and providing the perfect launch pad from which to explore this amazing city."

ClinkNOORD is just 400 metres and minutes by foot or bike from Amsterdam's Centraal Station in the exciting, up and coming Overhoeks district. Like its sister hostels in London, Clink78 and Clink261, ClinkNOORD is setting new standards for social hosteling by bridging the gap between hostels and hip hotels.

ClinkNOORD is housed in the former Royal Dutch Shell head office and laboratories, a beautiful 1920's building that offers spectacular views across the city. It has been sympathetically renovated to enhance original features whilst creating relaxing social areas, an atrium, a cafe, a library, a bespoke self-catering kitchen where guests can make and share food, and flexible spaces for meetings and events. ZincBAR will be the nucleus that draws guests and creativity together, providing regular live music, DJs, talks and performances.

The Overhoeks neighborhood has a strong focus on culture and the arts, which resonated with Clink and their unique approach to hosteling. ClinkNOORD's neighbours include many respected arts venues; the EYE Film Museum, the A'DAM Tower, the Tolhuistuin multimedia centre and band venue, Paradiso. The heartbeat of the area is a longstanding community of creatives who live and work locally. In tune with the vibe of the area and the energy of the city, ClinkNOORD embraces and engages with creativity in a new way for hostels.

The Clink team envisages a building that provides a canvas for local and travelling creativity. Local designers and architects have been involved in developing a building that is both modern and authentically Dutch. On this canvas, local creatives will showcase what Amsterdam has to offer, linking the hostel guest experience to unique artists, galleries and experiences around Amsterdam.

Nine 'ClinkCREATIVE' programmes include initiatives that will see temporary and permanent pieces of art and performances created in the hostel. With the support of the arts council of Amsterdam, a number of Artists in Residence with take up year-long residencies in the hostel as part of the ClinkAiR project. Further to its success in London, 'Stay & Play' is back, seeing performing bands receive free accommodation. Other concepts such as 'Stay & Scribe', 'Stay & Create', and C-LAB (the in-house venue to house pop-ups and innovative projects) aim to attract writers, artists, musicians and performers alike. 

Accommodation includes a mix of private and dormitories, many with stunning views of the city, river, waterways or the surrounding parkland. All rooms have air-conditioning, Wi-Fi and the crucial elements required for a great stay. The property also offers a cafe, bar, event space, commercial catering, self-catering facilities, laundry and tour planning services. A home away from home for city explorers. 

Parador Combate Beach unveils 12 “EcoSuites

Puerto Rico Tourism Company’s Executive Director, Ingrid I. Rivera Rocafort, along with the Paradores Owners Association President, Tomas Ramirez announced the opening of 12 new EcoSuites at Parador Combate Beach, located at El Combate Beach in Cabo Rojo. With this new expansion, the parador will include a total of 48 elegant rooms, in configurations to accommodate two to six people. This innovative expansion was completed with recycled materials; sustainable technologies and equipment designed to save energy; and a substantial reduction in costs and construction time. The total investment in this new project exceeds $275,000, creating 10 direct jobs and 15 indirect jobs during the construction phase and should generate three to five new positions to support it.

"This is a sign of commitment to the environment and sustainable development in the country’s inns. The Paradores brand is diversifying and is proving to be strong and competitive in the market. On the other hand, we are further diversifying our offer," said Rivera Rocafort.

The primary construction process consists of converting containers (wagons) ISO load, 40 feet long; into beautiful rooms, where they can accommodate up to 4 adults.

"This type of construction results in a 60 percent savings in time and up to 50 percent reduction in the total cost of construction. For this project, we installed an anchoring metal base so the wagons remained leveled, and well anchored with screws, welded at several points, so they adhere to each other and the existing structure. Once anchored, each wagon is covered with a special sealant manufactured in Puerto Rico, with the ability to lower the temperature inside the car to 15 degrees. An expert removes the doors of each wagon, creating the need to prepare the exterior facade and interior decoration with moisture resistant recycled materials,” said Parador Combate Beach General Manager, Xavier A. Ramirez.

Over 90 percent of construction materials, appliances, equipment, doors, windows and furniture were purchased, manufactured, and installed by local entrepreneurs, mainly from Cabo Rojo, Lajas, Hormigueros and Mayaguez. The furniture was manufactured and tailored by two carpenters, from Bayamon and Cabo Rojo.   

Since 2011, when it began the process of remodeling and expansion, Parador Combate Beach has invested about $575,000 in the implementation of various eco-friendly technologies and equipment, reducing the use of water and energy up to 40 percent; including the installation of a system of photovoltaic panels, which produce up to 50 percent of the electrical energy that rooms consume. Currently, they have 10 types of rooms to accommodate the diverse expectations of guests visiting the region of Porta del Sol.

In addition to being eco-friendly, this type of construction has the advantage that the containers provide structure, walls, floor and ceiling. The only thing left is insulation, for noise and temperature; and additional services, such as electricity, water, sanitation, and cable TV.

Tomas Ramirez, president of XJTT Hospitality Inc. indicated that this innovative concept is the result of a comprehensive study of this technology, and several projects with other applications that have been performed throughout the world with the support of the engineer, Humberto Mendez, who oversaw the design of the project.

"We wanted to do something innovative, cost-effective, and eco-friendly, since we are literally in the ecotourism capital of Puerto Rico and within the Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge," said Ramirez.

The rise of family-friendly hostels: What to look for and where to book

SYDNEY – Once predominantly associated with the 20-something backpacker, hostels around the world are now recognizing the demand for affordable family accommodation and are adapting their facilities accordingly. 

Global PR and Content Manager at HotelsCombined, Alycia Simons says that with hostel options growing, families are increasingly recognising the benefits of hostel affordability.

“Gone are the days when families with young kids were relegated to theme park destinations and buffet restaurants. Holidaying families are growing increasingly adventurous and are interested in an ever-expanding assortment of experiences – nothing is off limits anymore.” 

“Many of today’s hostels are the perfect option for families travelling on a budget. They’re centrally-located, can house numerous people in the same room and boast cost-saving features such as laundry rooms and courtesy shuttle buses.”

According to HotelsCombined, these are the features to look for when booking a family-friendly hostel: 
Family rooms (ideally located on a separate floor from other door rooms for noise control)
Ensuite bathrooms
Child-friendly amenities (cots, highchairs, etc.)
Entertainment offerings (video games, board games, a pool, etc.)
YHA International Hostels has welcomed a steady stream of families over recent years. Operations Manager Robert Henke says the organization has made a point of ensuring that each of its locations now offers family-friendly features.  

“To keep costs down, all YHAs have self-catering kitchens so families don’t have to eat out three times a day. Some have cafes or restaurants onsite,” he says. “Many have large family rooms that can sleep up to 5 people – perfect for multi-generational travel. There are also communal areas where families can hang out, play games and meet other people and children from around the world.”

He points to the UK’s YHA London St. Pancras, which enjoys a central city location across from the Kings Cross/St. Pancras international Station and is within walking distance from various family-friendly attractions. The hostel supplies a range of family board games for use, welcomes babies and provides cots upon request.  In Australia, the Blue Mountains YHA is also an especially great pick for families thanks to its arcade games and dedicated kids’ corner. 

Family-friendly hostels aren’t limited solely to the YHA International chain. With a database of over 800,000 properties, the search filters on HotelsCombined make it particularly easy to locate family-friendly properties.

Yosemite Pines RV and Family Lodging responds to increased tourism demand with addition of new cozy cabins

GROVELAND, CALIF. - Yosemite Pines RV and Family Lodging has become so popular for lodging outside the gates of Yosemite National Park that the resort has added more of its Yosemite Cozy Cabins to the property located in Groveland, a beautiful 30-minute drive to the park gate.

Plus the recently launched new website, yosemitepinesrv.com makes navigating for information easy, as the descriptions for the cabins and RV and Tent sites are visible on one page with several photos and rates for each season.

The many on-site amenities and activities are the highlight of a stay for every season at Yosemite Pines RV. After a day at Yosemite National Park, that can often be crowded with people and cars, visitors to Yosemite Pines enjoy a cooling swim in the large pool, a rousing game of sand volleyball, horseshoes and a test of strength and skill on the fitness trail exercise stations. Children love the petting zoo, tetherball and playground with climbing structures.

Yosemite Pines accommodates large groups by combining the lodging options of Cabins and RV and Tent Sites.

The Cozy Cabins are priced right for a getaway for two, with a king size bed and a full bath, countertop refrigerator, microwave, and cable television. Other cabin types include the Deluxe, Luxury, Premium Loft and Premium that sleep 4-8 people and have full kitchens. The Standard cabins sleep four and have refrigerators and microwave.

For those who want the comfort of a cabin with the ambiance of camping, a Basic Cabin or a Yurt that sleep up to 5 would be the choice. They too include microwave and refrigerator and are convenient to the bathroom and showers.

Yosemite RV camping terraced sites with shade or open sites for great satellite reception are a unique experience at Yosemite Pines RV. Each site includes picnic table, fire ring and cable hookup. Many sites are "Big Rig" friendly and with the exception of the standard back-in site that has only water and electric, the other types of sites have full hook-ups.

The tent sites nestled amongst the tall trees are the true essence of Yosemite area camping. Each has its own picnic table and fire ring.

The on-site deli serves all day and the convenience store is well stocked with snacks and kitchen and camping supplies plus souvenirs. The map shows the location of all of the sites and the variety of amenities.

Many people stay at Yosemite Pines RV because they enjoy not only Yosemite National Park, but also the many activities of the nearby Gold Rush Towns such as Columbia, Sonora, Groveland and Jamestown.

Recreational attractions include Golf at Pine Mountain Country Club, River Rafting on the Tuolumne River, Horseback Riding at Pine Mountain Lake Stables and Fishing at Fisherman's Cove.

Winter Season brings ice-skating at Half Dome, Skiing at Badger Pass and sledding at the many snow parks.