What You Need to Know About Business Hotels

Great hotels that caters to the needs of businessmen are usually situated near commercial districts and business centers. The best hotels are normally accessible to amusements centers, historic tourist sites, and conventions centers. Among the two most highly rated business hotels in the world would have amenities and room rates as follows:1. Park Hyatt Hotel in Tokyo, JapanSituated at the top 14 floors of the Shinjuko Park Tower, that overlooks the city of Tokyo, Kanto Plain and Mount Fuji is this imposing hotel. The site is a short distance to the park, railway station and the Skycrapers City of Nishi Shinjuku. They have different rooms that caters to client needs that ranged from: Park - Twin, De Luxe, View and Suite; Governors Suite; Diplomat Suite - King and Twin, Tokyo Suite to Presidential Suite.Room rates starts at $455 for the Park Twin Rooms to $1,566 for the Park Suite Twin. These rates are for the advance payment method and will be higher if paid at time of arrival. There are several room package that are offered for business travellers. These would include: Weekday Retreat ($552); Awaken Package($577 to $1,687); Park 360 ($625 to $1,735); Relaxation and Stay ($672 to $1,700) and Taste and Stay Package ($713).Basic amenities would include: 24 hour concierge service; plasma tv with cable and satellite connections, DVD and VCR; high speed internet access. data port, video on demand stream; speakerphone with dual lines, voice mail and mobile phone service; in-room safe, and other amenities like - coffee maker, air con and heat control, wet bar, stereo system, shoe shine and laundry service, hair dryers, morning newspaper and welcome amenities among others.2. Jumeirah Emirates Towers in Dubai, United Arab Emirates


Situated on Sheikh Zayed Road in the center of Dubai's bustling commercial district, are two equilateral architectures that showpiece sleek elegance and world class edifices. The tower has a 400 bedroom facility that directly connects it to a podium with shopping centers. The modern architecture combines with high technology to give clients a leeway in having a workplace with the most up-to-date IT amenities.There are various types of rooms to choose from. The rates would entirely depend on the amenities and the type of room that will be availed of. For the business person, the best available rate for a Club Premier Room is $354 per day. At this rate, the amenities would include: usual hotel amenities plus wireless internet access, living area, and mini bar. The room rates are from $218 to $2,397 per day for the royal suite.The Jumeirah Emirates Towers, at 350 meters and 52 floors is one among the tallest building in the world. It is serviced by 17 elevators that travels up to a speed of 7 meters per second. This imposing structure has over 15 restaurants, lounges and bars that is intended to target business conferences or other events. Other business amenities includes: 17 boardroom function rooms with high tech facilities.RECAPITULATIONThere are other hotels that are considered as among the best business hotels in the world. Among these would be: The St. Regis in Shanghair, China; Raffles in Singapore; The Peninsula in New York; The Ritz Carlton in Chicago, Oberoi in Mumbai, The Shilla Seoul in Korea; Park Hyatt in Tokyo and many other. A businessman's choice would depend entirely on the amenities that he requires, and ultimately his travel budget.

Why Are Organizations Joining In On The Incentive Travel Comeback?

Incentive programs are used by companies to promote organizational values, generate desired behaviors, boost participation, and foster loyalty among individuals or teams. Several companies use this motivational approach as a customer reward program as well. Positive recognition can reinforce certain behaviors and works as a retention technique among employees or customers. Travel options offer these continued benefits:Increased Profit MarginsBetter SalesImproved Work AtmospherePositive AttitudesBoosted ProductivityMotivated StaffA business has two choices when implementing a program to motivate individuals toward a specific goal or action. The reward can be monetary or tangible depending on the frequency of goal achievement and organizational preferences. Monetary awards, while effective over a short time frame, do not provide the extended results experienced with travel alternatives. Small tangible awards such as a coffee mug or leather briefcase do not create the drive needed for enhanced productivity and work ethics. These factors have caused an incentive travel comeback as organizations begin to recognize the lack of motivation among their employees and the need to entice continued consumer loyalty.Using an Incentive Travel Company to Increase Investment ValueThe travel approach was put on the back burner for a while by various businesses due to the heightened negative attitudes created by the AIG incident during the beginnings of the recession. AIG was in the process of requesting government funding as they continued to take an employee retreat costing a large sum of money. The negative publicity resulting from this incident caused programs to be cut back or eliminated altogether by organizations. With the economy coming back and employee motivation still at a low, countless companies are deciding to bring the concept back. An incentive travel company can help in the planning of these trips to make certain the created plan matches the organizational purpose.


Experts assist with meeting cost aspects, setting up an itinerary based on the desired goals, and provide guidance throughout implementation to create a more rewarding experience for everyone involved. How can this type of inspirational approach be put to work for a business? Choosing a unique destination is the first step in making travel awards a success. A location such as Fiji or Tuscany can really entice an individual or team to go the extra mile. These destinations are difficult for many to see due to financial, time, and situational constraints. When a business offers something seen as otherwise unobtainable, individuals are compelled to do what is needed to have the chance of receiving it.An exceptional itinerary is another must when making this leap toward better motivated employees or loyal customers and is easy to set up with a reputable incentive travel company. The previous events of AIG caused countless businesses to tighten the reins on these programs in an effort to make them justifiable. An itinerary with a charitable occasion, a meeting, or additional event based on the objectives makes it easy to explain this type of investment. The Incentive travel comeback has been proven by multiple studies to generate a greater amount of involvement from participants. An experienced and trustworthy company can be a great resource for guaranteeing program success.

The New Zealand Banking System - Strengths and Weaknesses

New Zealand enjoys a modern and efficient banking system, one that is open and transparent, and easy to use. New Zealand banks, with one exception, are Australian-owned, which effectively makes them branches of their Australian parent banks.This has turned out for the benefit of the New Zealand banking industry because as the Australian economy has remained very strong during the GFC, the banking system in both New Zealand and Australia has remained very liquid. In other words, New Zealand has to a large extent escaped the effects of the financial melt-down of the banking system that many Northern Hemisphere countries have experience over the last 5 or 6 years.Employment has remained quite strong in Australia and New Zealand over the last 5 years, despite the recession, with unemployment peaking at around 7 % in New Zealand and 6 % in Australia. As a result, New Zealand banks have continued to lend during this period, enabling businesses access to bank finance, and home buyers to be able to buy housing. As a result, the property market has now returned to where it was 5 years ago, and continues to grow at a steady pace.The other advantage of a strong banking system is that new immigrants to New Zealand have been able to enter the country under the business visa scheme which has been helped by banks being willing to provide loan finance of up to 50 % of the purchase price of a New Zealand business. This in turn has resulted in these new immigrants bringing money into the country, and this has helped our currency to remain quite high.


The flip-side of a strong New Zealand banking system, is that because interest rates have remained high by world standards (retail rates around 5 % / term deposits around 3 % ), this has contributed to a strong New Zealand currency that has made it harder for exporters to compete on the world stage. In fact the New Zealand dollar has appreciated against most other currencies - for example about 80 % against the US dollar, over the last 30 years. This has made it easier for New Zealand banks to attract funds from the likes of Japanese pension funds where bank deposit rates are much lower (around zero).Economists remain quite bullish towards the New Zealand economy for the above reasons, but also for the fact that it is a well-governed, progressive and diversified economy, with agriculture as its mainstay. In fact New Zealand's ability to produce high-quality food products puts it in a strong position to take advantage of the increasing wealth of Asia and their growing demand for food. This is likely to cause the New Zealand banking industry to remain in good heart for the foreseeable future. If you are looking to immigrate to New Zealand and needing to transfer money into New Zealand, we are able to help you with this.

Using a Luxury Chauffeur Company for Your Executive Needs

When we think of a chauffeur service we might ordinarily envision a driver in a smartly pressed uniform and a limousine - a large, important-looking car to drive us to somewhere very important, on a very important day. A short but rapid burst of speed and luxury from one point to another point on a trip that means more to us than most trips ever will, and will certainly remain with us for longer.Of course, it is all of these things. However it is in fact so much more also. It is, indeed, a bespoke experience completely tailored to your own requirements, with each aspect of the service both designed and performed solely with your expectations in mind.There is a whole number of reasons why one might choose to use a limousine service, but essentially they boil down either to celebration or to convenience. If one is being driven to a point of destination by a dedicated chauffeur it is typically either a once in a lifetime event, or alternatively it is because there is no easier or less stressful way to travel to a particular port of call.It is commonplace to organise a limousine for a wedding, a driver who is committed to getting you to the church on time and without forever stealing a glance at his wristwatch in anticipation of his next customer. With so much else on your mind on the day it is so reassuring to know that your chauffeur will remain at your disposal throughout the day, transporting you on to your wedding reception after the service has ended and then off again on the first leg of a honeymoon that you will hopefully remember forever.


On such a once in a lifetime occasion no other mode of wedding transport comes anywhere close.When convenience is what you are looking for allowing an experienced chauffeur to take on the burden of organising your transport needs is to relieve your own self of the pain of being distracted or disturbed by peripherals when all your attention needs to be upon the task with which you have been entrusted. Using a luxury chauffeur from an experienced and professional chauffeur company takes all the stress out of your business trip and permits you the luxury of being able to concentrate entirely on the real business at hand.Airport transfers and trips out to business meetings are also occasions when the traveller really does have to be with his or her thoughts, focusing on the events of the day and contemplating what will be occurring during the hours ahead. Travelling and all other peripheral activity needs to be eradicated as a potential source of stress.

As We All Know Traveling Can Be Very Infectious

The attraction to wander Earth's continents to see different, interesting and beautiful places is overwhelming. Most of us can only dream of visiting all 7 continents. There is of course ways to do it without having to save hundreds of thousands of dollars but one in particular makes absolute sense. Find people willing to share their world. That's right, find people in the locations you are traveling to before you leave. On average people make friends with about 20 people at school and best friends with 5. So with 7 billion inhabitants on this planet of ours how hard could it be to find someone willing to show you around the place they call home?So let's look at a few ways social websites can help you travel the world easier:1. Become an Au pair. You find a family in a country that you want to visit and who requires someone to look after their kids. For a pre-agreed number of hours during the week you take care of the children in return for a bedroom, food and some cash. Depending on the country you may pocket $150 - $200 (USD). It is a fantastic way to experience not only the sites of another country but also the culture of the family you live with. I am sure some of you however are thinking "I don't really want to look after kids". Worldsharer.com has addressed that concern and has families and singles that have a spare room but are not necessarily looking for a babysitter. That takes us to our next point;


2. Find a family or person with a spare room and who need some help around the house. It might be you can help with cleaning or gardening or maybe just a personal assistant. Whatever it might be that you can do some families are happy to swap your help for their spare room.3. Find a flatmate. Many people looking for a paying flatmate are happy to have people from other countries. It can be a cheap alternative to a hotel room if you intend to stay a while.4. Become an exchange student. Do some time in a school in another country and save money by staying with a host family.5. Stay in a youth hostel. They don't adorn 5 stars but most are comfortable, social and cheap. Great value for money.6. Find a friend before you leave. You may have your accommodation already sorted but would love someone to show you around or just hang out with. Again, with sites like Worldsharer.com, that has become so much easier.So if you are serious about making the most of your travels then find a tour guide before you leave. Who knows, you might just find some friends for life.

Ivory Tower Management is Sending Lackey to Take Digital Pictures of Business Units?

The other day, I got to talking to a gentleman who works for a homeowner's association committee group. He had an interesting job, he went around for the homeowner association's executive committee and he took pictures of all the homes with a digital camera. He took pictures from all different directions. Then, he gave those digital pictures to the group to look at, to make sure everything was going properly.This reminded me of an old story about a very large Corporation back in the 80s where the executives sat in a high-rise tower in a major US city, and they ran the command and control of the entire Corporation with all of its offices around the world from that location. They came to work every day, went up into their office, and went home in the evenings. They never went to physically visit the locations of all their business units, retail stores, warehouses, sales departments, or even their manufacturing facilities.Perhaps this was what the "Dilbert Series" was all about. In the new information age, generally you don't need to send people out to take pictures or to do videos, as there is so much information technology, that it is almost like being there. Consider if you will Google Earth, closed-circuit TV, enterprise software, and all the rest. There is so much information, that you actually could run your business from an ivory tower. Nevertheless, I wouldn't recommend that you do that, just as I wouldn't recommend that any homeowner's association did.


You see, there is a big difference between going out and talking to homeowners, and just taking pictures of the surrounding facilities. What's really important is to talk to all the people involved, and take a look for yourself. Too many executives think that they don't need to visit their operations in China, or walk the factory floors, this is a terrible mistake. The best corporations, their executives are constantly on the go visiting all the locations, and figuring out ways to save money, become more efficient, streamline operations, and keep the customers happy as well.If you think you can do all that by remote control, you are kidding yourself, and I don't care what sort of technology you have invested in, or even if you spent tens of millions of dollars developing the ability to do so. It's not the same as being there, and never will be. There is a big difference between sending robots to Mars to look around, and actually having humans go there and see it for themselves. We just don't have that level of technology yet, so don't kid yourself. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.

Tips On How Tourists Can Get Promotional Souvenirs At Special Prices

Promotional products are very popular in Australia and this is the reason why there are many Australian Souvenir shops that operate all over the country. Moreover, with the country's big tourism industry, it is no wonder why there are many items that specialize in making promotional souvenirs for tourists. But with the many souvenir shops that specialize in making small promo items, choosing the right one can be challenging especially if it is your first time tourist in the country.You can practically taste from the many souvenirs that are available in the country. From wool, fruit jams, tees, wholesale hats and promotional pens, you can be assured that all of these types of souvenir items will remind your experiences in Australia. For tourists who are looking for souvenir items that are lightweight, buying Australian key chains, fridge magnets, stationery papers and glass coasters are great souvenir ideas that you can buy for your loved ones back home.There are many ways for you to buy souvenirs but if you want to buy custom promotional products at wholesaler's special prices, you can always but them from the many markets and tourists precincts in the country.Sunday MarketsIf you happen to be in Sydney, you can buy souvenirs from the weekend market called The Rocks. This weekend market is nearby the Sydney Opera House and you can find many Australian Souvenir shops that sell different kinds of souvenir items and corporate gifts at low prices. If you happen to be in Canberra, you can buy wholesale souvenirs from Sunday Old Bus Depot Markets which specialize in selling small collectible items such as wholesale hats and promotional pens.


24/7 Open MarketsIf you are looking for sophisticated souvenir items in bulk, then you can head to the Southbank Markets in Brisbane, the Fremantle Markets in Perth and the Salamanca Market in Hobart. Unlike, Sunday markets, these are permanent markets and you can visit them anytime of the day and week to buy your souvenirs.These are the major places where tourists can get their souvenir items from. However, there are still many places where tourists can get souvenir promotional items and it takes is for you to look around you to find shops that sell inexpensive souvenir items.Buying souvenir items can be very exciting and, at the same time, draining but knowing where to get them will definitely help you save both time and money. This is especially true among tourists who have limited time to explore the many shopping places in the country.

Tourist Guide To Palmerston North - The Gateway To Other Attractions

Palmerston North is situated at the foot of the Tararua Mountain Range in Manawatu that is on the west of the main ranges. Although the city is flat, it is bordered in the east by the Ruahine and on the west by Tararua. However, there are irregular rise in elevation in the northeast and on the southern side of the river.Tourist AttractionsThere are good number of facilities and attractions found in Palmerston North. The city is the gateway to other regional attractions including Tongariro National Park, Ruahine and Tararua Ranges.One popular attraction here is the Rose gardens dotting the area, including the Dugald McKenzie rose breeding centre which is a nature paradise. The Te Manawa gallery and museum complex is not to be missed. For sports enthusiasts, the rugby museum is a must-see.Palmerston North is also popular for interesting dramatic productions that could be watched at the local theatres. There is some exceptional scenery to be seen while going for a walk through the magnificent Manawatu Gorge.AccommodationVisitors to Palmerston can enjoy a range of options to visit including museums, restaurants and rose gardens. The city is home to Massey University with a lively population of university students. For visitors to Palmerston looking for accommodation, there are good numbers of options available to chose from that meets the budget and preference. Among the different types of accommodations are the five-star hotels, self-contained motels, luxury lodges, as well as numerous motels. A special attraction here is the friendly bed and breakfast accommodation and some stunning resorts.


There are also accommodations that are suitable for women only while some are gay friendly. In addition, in certain accommodations, visitors can bring in pets, playground and safe fencing to protect children. There are bed and breakfasts as well as farmstays that are a specialty here.The comforts available at these accommodations are at par with the best in the world, with a selection of spacious and modern style apartments that are well-appointed and are ideal for business and leisure visitors.Many of the original homesteads with magnificent gardens and fascinating tales have been turned into cafes, restaurants and boutiques. Visitors here can try their hands at horse riding and sheep rearing.TransportationPalmerston North is an important road and rail junction and functions as a centre of freight distribution.There are four major streets that meet at the square. These are the State Highway 3, which is the main state highway here, the Main Street East, the Main Street West, and Fitzherbert Avenue.The Palmerston North International Airport is in the Milson suburb and is around 5.5 km from the central business district.The city is also an important passenger and freight stop on the North Island Main Trunk railway.

Get Maximum Profit by Putting Your Used Cars for Sale

Cars get old every day and this happens because the market is being flooded with new cars every now and then. The manufacturing companies use the best advertising standards, which will lure the customers into buying the car. The problem arises for a customer when they cannot find a way to dispose-off the old car. The most prevalent trend among customers is to sell their old cars and buy a new one. In many cases, the company with which you are buying a car will offer you a trade scheme as well. This scheme will allow you to exchange your old car with a new one and get some discount depending on the value of old car.However, this scheme is not as much profitable as it looks. These companies usually undervalue your car and then sell it at higher rates. Thus, rather than opting for such scheme, it is advisable to go in for selling your used cars. This way, you will be able to make more profits by selling it at higher rates. There are many individuals and dealers who are always looking out to buy old cars. They can serve as great customers to you for selling your car. There are certain tips that you will need to keep in your mind while putting up your car on sale.In order to increase the value of your car, it is very important to maintain it with high standards. This will help in improving the resale value of your car and also the credibility quotient. One can easily find a good mechanic, who will be helpful in fine tuning your vehicle. Working on all the details and putting a shining clean on it will propose a better impression in the mind of buyer. It does not involve any kind of car makeover, but some simple oil refills and cleaning of engine equipment.


The look and feel of your car will be the first impression in the mind of customer. When looking out to buy used cars for sale, every buyer takes utmost precautions for ensuring a safe and profitable deal in every way. This is the reason that the above points are important while selling a car. Ensure that the tires and brake of your vehicle are up-to-date and should not be worn out in any case. They are the most visible part of the vehicle and easily noticeable. There are chances that a buyer might ask for test-drive and thus, these will be the first things, which will be noticed by him/her.Apart from all the above tips, make sure that no warning lights on the dashboard are switched on while driving the vehicle. This will create a very bad impression in the mind of buyer and will eventually change his/her mind into buying the car. Advertise your vehicle on the best platforms, so that you can attract as many potential buyers as possible. You will always get buyers finding used cars for cheap rates, but it is upon you to establish the most desirable rate for your vehicle.

Corporate Apartments: The Better Alternative to Hotels

Whenever you stay in a city for longer than a week, you have a better alternative to hotels. Corporate apartments provide you with more space, more features, and generally more amenities. A hotel is fine for a night or two, but after a while, you begin to feel cramped and homesick. It's almost impossible to feel homesick in an apartment because you are surrounded by many of the same features as your actual home.A Real BedroomWhen you stay in a hotel room, everything is located off of the bedroom. You walk into the room and you can see your bed, the bathroom, and the "office" all at the same time. There is hardly any privacy and there is no room for socializing - unless you want everyone sitting on your bed - which you probably don't.By staying in corporate apartments, you have a real bedroom. Depending upon the floor plan of the apartment, you may even have multiple bedrooms. This makes it easier to get a good night's sleep, have some privacy, and even do some entertaining. If you have a two or three bedroom apartment, you can have multiple coworkers staying in the same apartment as you or you can invite your family to come up and visit for a few days or stay with you indefinitely while you are in town.Real Food Every DayWhen you stay in a hotel room, you have no choice but to eat out. It's your choice whether you want to eat in fast food restaurants or in sit-down restaurants, but the premises the same - you are eating out. The reason is because you have no way of preparing food within your hotel room. If you're lucky, you have a coffee maker and a microwave - but that's about it.


With corporate apartments, you have a full kitchen loaded with a refrigerator, a microwave, a stove/oven, as well as pots and pans. This allows you to go grocery shopping and stock your kitchen with all of your favorite foods. Whether you are a gourmet chef microwave kind of person, you will be able to eat much better than what you were eating at a hotel.It's important to be comfortable wherever you are. Especially when you are in town for longer than a week, being comfortable is critical. You want to be productive at work and you want to get a good night's sleep - and this is only going to be possible if you are comfortable in your surroundings when you get home each night. Being cramped and being homesick is no way to go through life week after week. You may not be able to leave the city you are in because of work commitments - and this means that you have to focus on where you will be staying.If you have a choice in the matter, you want to ask for corporate apartments over hotel rooms. As soon as you show "the powers that be" the benefits to a corporate apartment as well as the costs, you will have won your argument.