 Summer may be the most well-liked time of year to take weekend trips for the beach, week-long vacations to other parts from the nation and even month-long visits to exotic locations throughout the world. On a budget? View vacation news and tips from Holiday Systems International.During the vacation planning and packing process, we’re all excited at the concept of visiting one more location that we usually don’t location the safety of our vacated residence at the top of our list of priorities. Many local police departments urge all residents to prepare their homes being left empty just before they vacation, as issues most generally occur after homeowners don't take the necessary precautions concerning residence safety. - Primarily, it's often smart to verify and repair all locks on doors, windows as well as the garage. Verify light timers to make certain they work properly, make certain all appliances are turned off and how the proper air conditioning or heating setting is turned on.
- Notify the write-up office and newspaper delivery services to stop deliveries whilst you happen to be away and to verify that all fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are in beneficial working condition.
According for the FBI, a burglary occurs somewhere inside the United States every 15.4 seconds. - To aid prevent burglaries, put indoor and outdoor lights on timers, stop all deliveries, have somebody cut your lawn, park vehicles within the driveway and notify a trustworthy neighbor of one's departure and arrival times and leave an emergency amount with him or her. Holiday Systems International blog.
- Due for the elevated use of social media technology, several persons are promotion their vacations over the Internet, specifically via away messages and on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. Try to avoid publicizing vacation plans on the Internet, specifically youngsters posting facts on Facebook.
If residents would like for ones police department to know that their house is vacant for your period of time, contact your local department and request being put over a "vacant property list." This list includes data about a residence and emergency contact information. Whilst the police department can't verify every property individually, the data is kept inside a folder at the police desk in situation of emergency or suspicious exercising at or near the residence. Read much more income and travel tips for your following vacation. Connect with Holiday Systems International on Facebook, Twitter, and on our LinkedIn profile or LinkedIn company profile. For insights on HSI vacations, view a Holiday Systems International travel blog written by Robert Smith. Find out more about Holiday Systems International by reading the company overview or viewing some customer testimonials. Source: NorthJersey.com
 Holiday Systems International Cancun, the Bahamas, Aruba, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic top the list on the majority of places to stay. You can also use Holiday Systems International to vacation in Las Vegas, Orlando, the Caribbean, Hawaii, etc. Try taking an HSI vacation to Myrtle Beach in 2012!Some resorts cater to singles, others to couples, families or gays. Excellence Resorts are adult-only in Mexico and Dominican Republic. SuperClubs (Hedonism and Breezes) provide free weddings/renewal of vows including a satisfaction, hurricane, and sunshine guarantee. At most you do not have to pay for drinks, meals, or activities; tipping may possibly even be included. See tips on how to save money on your next vacation with Holiday Systems International. Because water, food and drinks at some destinations are going to be expensive, all-inclusives can save a lot of money. Each resort will have its unique style: They are able to be beachside/mountainside and supply tennis, golf, spa facilities, specialty treatments, entertainment, and planned activities. Water sports for instance snorkeling, diving, windsurfing, water skiing, and paddle boating are often available. Depending over a property it is possible to have to pay additional for jet-ski rentals, golf carts, etc. If you are a certified diver some include 1 or 2 tank dives a day. Meals can be lavish buffets or 5 courses. The quality and amount of meals varies widely; snacks might be offered for in-between times, plus 24-hour room service. Typical liquor brands are typically free; specific brands may price extra. If you desire to relax and not get out your wallet each time you want to accomplish something, this kind of vacation is for you. Families benefit, as numerous will allow children under a particular age to stay for free, and fully supervised activities give parents a lot of leisure time. Baby care services is also from as needed babysitting to person nannies. The bottom line is that all-inclusives usually cover most things you want to do, but look for carefully to pick the proper one. Read Holiday Systems International company overview or customer testimonials for more information. Also, read a travel blog by Robert Smith for reviews and testimonials. Connect with HSI on Facebook, Twitter, and our LinkedIn profile or LinkedIn company page. Source: Ocala.com
Admit it: You're beach crazy. We can't blame you. In fact, with sandy stretches on two coasts, the Gulf of Mexico, the Great Lakes, and around countless bodies of water throughout the country, most of America has the same affliction. No one gets hyped up more about these inviting expanses of gold and white crystals than adventurers—and with good reason. America's beaches serve up some of the nation's best hiking and biking, and some of the world's best swimming and kayaking. They attract amazing wildlife. They gather themselves into huge dune playgrounds. They make the perfect seat in nature's amphitheater. Think a beach getaway is all about big towels and lotion? Then read on for a review of the nation’s best spots to play, relax, snooze, swim, and take in some of the best sunsets you’ll ever see—all where sand meets sea. See Holiday Systems International travel destinations. Best Sand Playground: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Seashore (Michigan)Get ready to play in the sand: With a 35-mile stretch of Lake Michigan's eastern coastline (and more than 50,000 acres in total), Sleeping Bear offers world-class sand dunes that make up an unbeatable natural playground. These massive coastal dunes and bluffs line the lakeshore, making for outrageous hiking. It's not easy climbing a beach, but once up top, you'll get great views of the lake and its sugar-white beaches (which are great for lounging when you come down). Inland, you'll find hills and forests of birch, pine, beech, and maple, as well as small lakes and rivers for great fishing. The scenic, seven-mile Pierce Stocking route can be done by car or—for the very fit—by bike. There’s plenty to glimpse besides great views of sand and water—the park is home to more than 220 species of birds, along with deer, foxes, and the elusive bobcat. Essentials: For more info, call 231-326-5134 or go to www.nps.gov/slbe/. Tip: Sleeping Bear also has two islands inside its boundaries; don't miss 'em. Take a cruise with Holiday Systems InternationalBest Sunrise: Sand Beach, Acadia National Park (Maine)It's a no-brainer: To find America's best beach to watch the sunrise, head east. In fact, head so far east that there's nothing between you and the wide-open ocean. Acadia National Park certainly fits the bill; the problem, of course, is that most of the park's coastline is rocky. So keep driving into the park; on the eastern edge of Mt. Desert Island is Acadia's only sand beach—called, appropriately, Sand Beach. These are the only grains of sand you'll find out of Acadia's almost 48,000 acres of granite-domed mountains, woodlands, lakes and ponds, and ocean shoreline. But the reward is well worth the effort. Wake up while it's still dark and catch dawn's rosy fingers easing over the horizon. Essentials: For more info, call 207-288-3338 or go to www.nps.gov. Tip: July to September are the busiest months. Skip 'em. Try for the fourth Sunday in April each year—it's officially Car Free Day in Acadia. Read more at Away.com
The workplace can be stressful — even more so in a difficult economy. Thank goodness employees can relax fully during their vacations. Well, maybe not. Assuming that they get a paid vacation — far from a given in the United States — employees may be reluctant to take time off because of towering workloads and fears that their jobs are vulnerable. If they do arrange for time off, there is the stress of getting work done in advance or delegating duties to co-workers. More Americans are taking vacations 2011. Once a vacation starts, it can be exciting, refreshing and relaxing. But not always: it can also be profoundly destabilizing, with the lack of a predictable routine causing anxiety. And there is the heightened possibility of losing things, whether luggage, hotel reservations, cabin pressure, directions or respect for a travel companion. Then, after time off, employees face a flood of pent-up e-mails and demands — unless they were obsessively responding to them during the vacation, thereby wiping out the restorative value it may have had. These days, because of technology, it’s very hard to disengage completely from the office during a vacation, says Daniel H. Pink, the author of “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us,” who answered questions about vacations while he was on a recent vacation. The border between what is work and what is personal is more porous than ever, and that cuts both ways, Mr. Pink says. So while people may have to answer an e-mail from their boss on a Sunday, he notes, they may also order shoes online or make an orthodontist appointment for their child while at work. Whereas the transition from working to going on vacation used be like an on-off switch, it’s now more of a dimmer switch, Mr. Pink says, and people need to adjust it in a way that works for them. For example, during his vacation, he tends to check e-mail only a few times a day. Barbara Adachi, a principal in Deloitte Consulting’s human capital practice, started creating a stricter separation between vacation and work when she was in Patagonia on vacation several years ago. Her BlackBerry didn’t get reception there, she said, “and I had no choice but not to check it — it was very freeing.” Now she doesn’t check e-mail at all during vacations, and if there is an urgent situation, people can contact her assistant, who knows how to reach her. In the belief that vacations ultimately make employees more productive, Deloitte Consulting keeps a “watch list” of people who are billing a lot of hours and haven’t taken time off in a while, Ms. Adachi says. The company also keeps track of when people on the same project are planning to take time off, to ensure that “somebody’s got your back when you’re out,” she says. Cross-training and planning are crucial to ensuring that people take all their vacation time, thereby improving their health and happiness, says John de Graaf, executive director Take Back Your Time, an organization that promotes work/life balance. In European Union countries, where a minimum of four weeks of paid vacation is mandated, companies take this training much more seriously, he says. Mr. de Graaf’s plea to have the United States require companies to provide time for vacation has fallen on deaf Congressional ears. Such a law would be a tough sell. Is it any coincidence, after all, that the United States is among the most productive nations in the world and that American workers take just about the least amount of vacation? It’s true that American businesses are highly productive, Mr. de Graaf says, and that can be linked in part to the fact that Americans work more hours. But companies need to be aware that not taking time off exacts a price in the form of employee burnout, poor physical and mental health and high turnover, he adds. Also, vacations just plain make people happier, right? Interestingly, a recent study out of the Netherlands, though confirming that vacations do heighten happiness, found that the greatest benefit occurred before the vacation — in short, anticipation appears to trump reality. In recognition of this, people may want to consider taking more trips of shorter duration, Jeroen Nawijn, the lead author of the study, told The New York Times last year. “If you have a two-week holiday, you can split it up and have two one-week holidays,” he said. “You could try to increase the anticipation effect by talking about it more and maybe discussing it online.” So perhaps bosses should be understanding if they happen to see their employees sneaking a look at Kayak.com or Tripadvisor.com while sitting at their desks. Source: NYTimes
Considering a vacation with Holiday Systems International? Aside from having a wide range of destinations, HSI is by great customer service and reviews. 8. Fun in the sun 7. Winter getaways 6. Beautiful & exotic locations 5. Rest & relaxation 4. Sailing adventures 3. Breathtaking views 2. Spending time with family and friends 1. 5-star HSI resorts For more information, read our company overview and customer testimonials. Contact HSI today.
When vacation time rolls around, Bob and Lisa Stonhaus, of San Ramon, Calif., can't wait to get away to their favorite rental. The couple says it's perfectly located: near a great swimming spot and scenic hiking trails. The place itself isn't too shabby either, with a state-of-the-art kitchen, a Bose sound system and flat-screen TVs in every room. The Stonhauses' two terriers love having the run of the place, and Bob says he and Lisa like nothing better than ending their lazy days with a nice bottle of Champagne and a soak in the outdoor hot tub. All in all, not a bad getaway -- provided you don't mind that it floats. In growing numbers, vacationing Americans are unpacking their suitcases and carry-ons not in a hotel or beach house but in a more unexpected spot: on a private boat. Indeed, private ship rental companies, which once catered largely to experienced boaters, are now attempting to broaden their appeal with a host of new landlubber-friendly features. Houseboating outfits like the one the Stonhauses use are tricking out vessels with the comforts of home but also adding a host of concierge services like on-lake meal delivery and helicopter services that will chopper vacationers straight from the airport to the dock. Others are focusing on making the boats easier for newbies to handle; Le Boat, which rents self-drive canal crafts in Europe that start at about $1,900 a week, recently launched a new vessel that can be controlled by a video game style joystick. And if that isn't enough to persuade travelers to take the helm, yacht charter firms are more than happy to send vacationers out with a crew -- including a sommelier and a chef trained at venerable Le Cordon Bleu. The push to get new travelers aboard can be traced back to the recession, which hit the boat industry harder than many. Yachts are expensive to dock and maintain, and with a relatively niche clientele, rental companies have done whatever they can to retain customers. While the trips themselves can still be pricey -- a catamaran for two, with a crew, starts at about $6,000 a week, while a midrange houseboat goes for anywhere from $2,000 to $7,000 -- outfitters have increasingly been willing to offer discounts. Thanks to such incentives (and the new features), the industry tide seems to be turning. Scottsdale, Ariz. based Forever Resorts, one of the biggest players in the houseboat industry, reports a 15 percent increase in bookings this year over last, and some European barge companies say an influx of American travelers is driving up business by more than 30 percent. Read more at Smart MoneyIf you're looking to stay on land for a vacation, try a luxury vacation in Lake Tahoe, Florida or California. HSI's high rankings continue as HSI members continue to vacation with HSI.
Despite the current economic status in the United States, many Americans are still choosing to vacation in 2011. Perhaps work and stress are factors in this decision. One of the most used and needed items on a vacation is a cell phone. So, how can HSI clients avoid overspending on outrageous cellular roaming fees while vacationing? In April, Verizon created a YouTube video, “ Tips for Traveling Overseas,” which draws attention to its global data plans and the automated alerts it sends when roaming charges exceed certain thresholds. AT&T has upgraded its international data plans for travelers. Despite such efforts, avoiding high roaming charges requires attention and vigilance. Here are a few ways to control costs. Use Wi-Fi
To avoid roaming fees completely, select airplane mode or turn off data roaming on your smartphone until you are in a Wi-Fi hot spot, where you can check e-mail or use the Web at much lower costs (often free). Many popular destinations offer wi-fi in places like McDonalds. If you were to do either while roaming, your bill would show it: an e-mail with a 5-megapixel photo, for example, would require your phone to download about 2 megabytes of data at a cost of about $20 a MB from either Verizon or AT&T. Rent a Wi-Fi bubble
If you can’t plan your trip around Internet cafes, hotel lounges or other free Wi-Fi spots, consider renting a portable Wi-Fi bubble. Tep Wireless, a smartphone rental company based in London, offers a pocket-sized Wi-Fi device that connects to local 3G signals in 16 European countries and allows you to use Wi-Fi with up to five devices simultaneously. Rates begin at $15 a day for three days (the longer you rent, the cheaper it gets) and include shipping to your home and pre-paid shipping labels for returning the device. If you are traveling in a single country like Spain, Italy or Britain, there is no limit on data use. For those touring Europe, Tep has a pocket Wi-Fi device that works in multiple countries but limits data to 50 MB a day. Consider a data package
If you don’t want to be limited to Wi-Fi in order to read e-mail or access the Internet, consider an international data package, which will allow you to roam at low pre-paid rates. Last month AT&T introduced international add-on options that provide travelers with more than double the data provided in previous deals. Travelers who choose an add-on, which is tacked on to existing domestic calling and data plans, now get 50 MB for $25 a month compared with 20 MB previously, and up to 800 MB for $200 a month versus 200 MB. The data packages are available in more than 100 countries. Boost your data package
It has recently become possible to get more out of those international data packages, thanks to new mobile tools that condense downloaded data. Onavo (onavo.com) a new Tel Aviv-based start-up, has an iPhone app that compresses users’ Web, e-mail and application data. The company states that customers who buy, say, a 50 MB, $25-a-month global data package can triple the data by using Onavo. Read more at MSNBC.com
Rioting and looting in London has continued over the past few days, and is expected to continue for a fourth night. CNN has reported that the rioting is taking place in several areas of London and other major British cities, such as Birmingham in central England, Bristol in the southwest and Liverpool in northwest England. Although not all areas of London have been affected by these riots, many travelers are re-considering their London vacation plans to top Holiday Systems International destinations. Police say the subsequent riots in other parts of London and the UK are copycat events conducted by opportunists and criminals. If you're already vacationing in London, you may notice that, apart from the directly affected areas, life in London and other cities continues as normal. Public transportation and tourist attractions are still running as normal, though some sporting events like the England versus Netherlands football match have been postponed. HSI clients still considering a vacation in London should be aware of the riot locations and avoid those areas. Consider other wonderful Holiday Systems International resorts and vacation destinations such as Vancouver.What else should a London-bound traveler expect? Where can tourists find information about these riots? Visit London has updated their website with information about London transport and visitor centers with contact information for all of your questions. Source: CNN Q&A | Lonely Planet
Even the most health-conscious vacationers don't stick to their diet while on a vacation. That's what a recent poll of over 1,000 American travelers by the travel website TripAdvisor showed: 52 percent of Americans exercise on their vacations, but 81 percent confess they are more likely to overindulge on food while away on a trip or taking part in Holiday Systems International innovative vacation ownership. Although it's not a bad thing to take a week off from work (and workouts), anxiety gets the best of most vacationers as they either get off of their daily routine or they feel like they are overindulging. A good way to fight this anxiety is to stay active during your vacation--swimming, hiking, rock-climbing, and participating in seasonal playing sports such as skiing or beach volleyball can keep you active while you still have a good time on your getaway. HSI clients often save money on gas by staying at a hotel closer to the city's hot-spots, then biking or walking to daily activities. Many Holiday Systems International travel destinations are places with beaches, snow and sun for you to enjoy staying active while you vacation. You can also opt for a hotel with a gym, so you can burn off any "anxiety" you might be feeling. Another tip is to make sure you pack comfortable walking shoes so that you can turn simple tasks like walking through the airport or window shopping into a small workout. And, of course, try to eat healthy 80 percent of the time, and leave 20 percent to indulge in a few delicious meals and treats. As a Holiday Systems International client, you don't have to be strict on your diet. Allowing yourself to relax is part of the joy of taking a vacation. Read HSI customer comments or view HSI featured destinations for more information about picking the perfect place for your next getaway. Source: Reuters
The concept of a capsule hotel is one that has been popular among Japanese clientele for many years. The first capsule hotel to open was in Osaka, 1979. Read more about Japan, a popular destination among Holiday Systems International clients. The only question was, what's the excitement factor and what are the advantages of staying in a capsule hotel? Yotel co-creator Simon Woodroffe had the idea while riding first class on a British Airways flight in 2003 that he could pack luxury into a tiny space. Woodroffe married his epiphany with Yotel CEO Gerard Greene's vision for an affordable design hotel -- and Yotel was born. But will the same concept be popular in the United States? The concept of a capsule hotel is one that has yet to become popular among American hotel developers. Yotel plans to change this. HSI clients take luxurious vacations to popular destinations that include some of the world's best hotels. Could Yotel be the newest innovation in modern hotels? "According to New York tourism specialists NYCgo, the average NYC hotel price was a wallet flushing $255 per night in 2010 - compare that to Hotels.com's estimated $165 in Chicago and $185 in London. Add taxes and fees, and a couple staying in one mid-range NY hotel for a three-day weekend are looking at dropping, on average, close to $1,000 on their room alone." Americans are, in fact, looking for bargains. Surveys have shown that, although problems like high gas prices and the loss of jobs are still very much an issue, Americans are still taking vacations, even in struggling economic times. Yotel could be a great alternative to pricey hotels that essentially offer the same amenities. With a more affordable price, better amenities and luxurious rooms, Yotel is looking to offer what other NYC hotels can't--bargain. Although Yotel is still a concept for the United States, it is sure to be a favorite of Holiday Systems International clients who enjoy staying in luxurious hotels for more affordable prices. Read Holiday Systems International customer testimonials and discover the HSI difference on your next vacation. Source: ABC News
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