New Passport Cards Available by Spring 2008 top

By springtime Americans will be able to purchase a new electronic passport card designed to streamline and tighten security at ports-of-entry for Americans traveling domestically by land and sea. The new passport cards are about half the price of a regular passport. Adult cards will cost $45 versus $100 for a standard passport.

Processing time for a passport card is the same as a standard passport (4-6 weeks) and is expected to increase as summer approaches. Americans could begin applying for the passport card in February, for cards to be available and mailed out April or May.

The new passport card has a chip that contains an encoded ID number that border guards can read using radio frequency identification scanners. Standard passports already use this chip technology, however, today’s passports can only be read when the passport is open and within 4 inches of the scanner. The new passport cards can be read as far as 20 feet away, speeding up boarder crossing processes.

Currently, American travelers visiting Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda by land or sea must present either a passport or government-issued ID plus proof of citizenship (generally a birth certificate), to re-enter the United States. The new passport card can be presented in place of a passport.

For more information about the passport card visit, click here.

ADVERTORIAL

Hotel Le Bleu Brings Chic to Brooklyn top

15% Travel Agent Commissions on all reservations made before the end of March.

Guests of the recently opened hotel le bleu in Brooklyn, NY, are ushering in a new class of über chic accommodations. Designed by the world-renowned Andres Escobar & Associates, New York’s trendsetters are greeted by a distinctive lobby that only hints of the luxury and extraordinary elegance of hotel le bleu.

Sophisticated business globetrotter or demanding leisure traveler, all guests are privy to a world where extreme pampering meets cutting-edge amenities. Feel at home in 48 spacious, well-appointed rooms featuring specially designed ergonomic beds with orthopedic mattresses, allergen-free goose-down comforters and pillows, not to mention 300 thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets. A 42” plasma TV integrated with Bose DVD Wave Radio, an iPod Alarm Docking Station, as well as dual-line telephones with private voicemail are the epitome of modern amenities. The staff is solely focused on total guest satisfaction, ready to fulfill your discerning needs. Business travelers have access to secretarial assistance and a 24/7 business center.

Conveniently nestled among some of Brooklyn’s cultural treasures and a variety of ethnic cuisines, hotel le bleu is situated near Prospect Park, M, R, F, 9th Street & 4th Ave subway lines, Grand Army Plaza and the Brooklyn Bridge. More of the world’s finest restaurants, art galleries, shopping and Broadway are within reach in Manhattan.

There isn’t anybody that visits New York that isn’t humbled by the view. And the hotel’s view is no exception. Perched above the Manhattan skyline, this contemporary restaurant and lounge, opening this Spring, will be a compulsory New York experience. Enjoy cocktails and gourmet inter-continental cuisine while rubbing shoulders with the town’s movers and shakers. For those that prefer the unmatched in-room amenities and first-class service, most rooms enjoy a similar city view that includes the Statue of Liberty.

370 4th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11215

GDS Chain Code: SC
Apollo/Galileo: 58782
Sabre: 78444
Amadeus: LGA831
Worldspan: 7831

To locate the best value in GDS-published rates, book the CCRA rate by selecting CCR in Amadeus, Sabre and Wolrdspan or CCRA in Galileo.

ADVERTORIAL

The Grand Hotel Trieste & Victoria’s
Vital Thermal Spa® in Venice top

Located in one of the most prestigious of Europe’s spa centres, this stylish resort is situated in a lush garden setting in the elegant Pedestrian Spa District of the centre of Abano Terme.

The Thermal and the Beauty & Fitness centre is staffed by a team of top professionals for massages, anti-stress and beauty treatments.

4 swimming pools, 3 of which are thermal water and one with fresh water, are immersed in the beautiful garden rich of multicoloured flowers, palms and a profusion of plants.

Abano Terme is only 60 Km from Venice where you can enjoy wonderful trips to the major artistic & cultural attractions of the region.

Enjoy the Thermal Jasmin Experience

Indulge yourself in essential Jasmine oil, and exotic perfume, similar to roses. Originally from China, Jasmin can now be found all over Asia and Africa. It is grown in all of the Mediterranean basin. Traditional medicine suggested to caress the white flowers, or to lay them on the head, so to infuse new energies and to eliminate tiredness. Nowadays it has been demonstrated that all white flowers have a beneficial effect on the nervous system and helps to neutralise stress and contracted muscles. It is considered one of the best and delicate essential oils. Its effects can be verified especially on an emotional level: soothes nerves, gives optimism, confidence and well-being. The therapy consists in a bio-chromo-aromatic massage, which involves the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual sphere. It is performed in an environment with chromo-therapy, and it ends with drinking a relaxing infusion.

The Full Jasmin Experience Includes:

3 nights in half-board
1 medical evaluation
1 thermal bath with Jasmin essential oil
1 bio-chromo-aromatic massage with Jasmin relaxing infusion
Thermal Spa Card:
Use of 4 Thermal pools, Jacuzzi, and special path
To improve your muscular elasticity, enjoy a steam cave in our bathrobes.
Monday through Saturday collective physical exercise is offered in the swimming-pool. Also offered, walking tours or bicycle sightseeing tours with a trainer, free use of bicycles and fitness centre.
SERVICE CHARGES AND TAXES.

FROM € 540 IN SINGLE ROOM
FROM € 1,020 IN DOUBLE ROOM

For the best rates at CCRA partner hotels, book the CCRA rate in your GDS or the CCRAtravel.com Portal.
To locate the best value in GDS-published rates, book the CCRA rate by selecting CCR in Amadeus, Sabre and Wolrdspan or CCRA in Galileo.

ADVERTORIAL

Denver’s Hotel Teatro Stages Remodel top

Indulge in Hotel Teatro, Denver’s finest property, located downtown near the theater complex, business district, nightlife and shopping. Behind the historic brick and terra cotta facade, Hotel Teatro has recently completed a spectacular renovation in excess of one million dollars. Guestrooms and suites feature deep soaking tubs and glass-enclosed showers with rainfall showerheads, Frette towels and robes, luxurious pillow top mattresses, 24-hour room service, complimentary high speed internet access, Hi-definition plasma screen televisions and IPOD docking stations.

Added amenities include enticing aromatherapy bath turndown services as well as complimentary luxury transportation in Hotel Teatro’s Cadillac Escalade for service around downtown Denver and to the nearby Cherry Creek Shopping District. And for pet lovers, Hotel Teatro’s Canine Companion program ensures doggie bliss, as dogs are treated as honored guests, with special amenities for four legged friends.

Dine at Restaurant Kevin Taylor or Prima Ristorante and Enoteca – both located in Hotel Teatro and featuring award-winning cuisine by Chef Kevin Taylor.

Elaborate theatre costumes, photos and playbills on loan from the Denver Theatre Company add a touch of theatre to every corner of the hotel.

Hotel Teatro was ranked as one of the World’s Best Hotels by Travel + Leisure magazine and has been named one of the World’s Best Places to Stay in the Condé Nast Traveler Gold List. Hotel Teatro is the recipient of the AAA Four Diamond Award and is ideally located at Arapahoe and Fourteenth Streets, across from the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.

To locate the best value in GDS-published rates, book the CCRA rate by selecting CCR in Amadeus, Sabre and Wolrdspan or CCRA in Galileo.

ADVERTORIAL

Escape to Elegant Ocean Key Resort & Spa in Key West top

Ocean Key Resort & Spa wows winter travelers with the completion of a multi-million dollar, resort-wide renovation. A new connector bridge in the courtyard of the resort is remarkable and reliable. Now, guests are able to access all suites and guestrooms, as well as our spa and fine dining restaurant, without walking through the courtyard.

The recently completed suites personify “island luxury” and they have surpassed everyone’s expectations. The newest accommodations, located in the premier wing of the resort are appointed with hand crafted Dorado stone floors and luxurious bathrooms. Interiors embrace the elegance of the West Indies, while still capturing the playfulness of the Florida Keys. Shades of indigo, turquoise and lime green lend their pallet to our unparalleled views. These guestrooms and suites include 42" plasma televisions and private furnished balconies.

The newest room types include the seductive Deluxe Ocean Front Guestroom with an open plan with a king size bed and a Jacuzzi tub. Perfect for honeymoons, anniversaries or a romantic getaways. The luxurious Ocean Front Boutique Suite offers an open plan with a king size bed and a living area with a queen sofa bed. The ocean front view is truly breathtaking! The brilliant One Bedroom Ocean Front Suite has a separate bedroom with a king bed and French doors. A separate living room has a queen sofa bed and a full wall of ocean front windows. This suite is perfect suite for couples bringing children or a lucky guest!

The ultimate One Bedroom Ocean Front Spa Suite is a sensual new suite that is exclusive to Ocean Key. This premium suite has a separate bedroom with a king size bed and French doors. A separate living room has a queen sofa bed and a full wall of ocean front windows. Pampering has reached new heights with an attached private massage room featuring Spa Terre experiences! The crème de la crème is the Two Bedroom Ocean Front Penthouse. This is for the serious vacationer with two separate bedrooms with king beds and French doors. Two private baths open to the bedrooms. One with an invigorating whirlpool tub and the other with a decadent deep soaking tub. The ultra luxurious interior features shades of cream, cappuccino and key lime - all complimented with exotic woods. A huge private balcony offers unparalleled views on the coveted 5th floor of the resort. This one of a kind suite is sold exclusively by our on-site professionals.

Guests will enjoy fine dining and entertainment at our 4 Diamond, award-winning Hot Tin Roof restaurant and the Sunset Pier. In addition, groups looking for the ultimate event venue can now enjoy the Liquid Lounge, 90 miles from Cuba and zero miles from heaven. The ultimate in poolside pampering, Ocean Key Resort’s Liquid Lounge is defined by its distinctive island ambiance, ultra VIP service, great music, and a secluded spot under the sun or moon.

A luxury dipping pool and large whirlpool create a temptingly cool respite from the Key West sun. Cabanas provide a luxurious option while seating in the whirlpool tub puts guests in the middle of the action. Our menu offers sumptuous specialty food items and cocktail service is available throughout the pool area. Other options include European-style bottle service with pre-mixed cocktails. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better!

Ocean Key remains the resort of choice for the discerning luxury traveler. Be assured, Ocean Key Resort’s friendly staff will do all possible to insure your stay is an experience to remember.

To locate the best value in GDS-published rates, book the CCRA rate by selecting CCR in Amadeus, Sabre and Wolrdspan or CCRA in Galileo.

ADVERTORIAL

Easter in London Weekend at the Chesterfield Mayfair top

What better way for your clients to celebrate Easter than at The Chesterfield Mayfair and in the heart of London? The luxury four-star hotel is ideally located off Berkeley Square, near to Green Park and a stroll-away from the elegant shops of Bond and Regent Streets.

The Easter Weekend package at The Chesterfield includes:

• 2 nights accommodation Bottle Champagne in your room
• English breakfast each morning
• Personalized Easter egg
• Easter Sunday Lunch for two
• Late Check-out: 6 p.m.

The Easter Weekend package, valid for travel March 21, 22 or 23, 2008, is £440 for two nights inclusive of VAT and subject to availability.

In TripAdvisor’s latest survey, the 2008 Traveller's Choice UK Best Hotels, London’s Chesterfield Mayfair, a four-star hotel in the Red Carnation Collection, was voted Best Performing Hotel in Britain and 9th Best Performing Luxury Hotel Worldwide.

To locate the best value in GDS-published rates, book the CCRA rate by selecting CCR in Amadeus, Sabre and Wolrdspan or CCRA in Galileo.

Free Website Analytics Tools top

Free Web Site Analytics Tools - Crunching Numbers For Profit
By Kevin Savetz

Google Analytics

If it's comprehensive reporting you are looking for, then Google Analytics may just be the thing. Designed to give you a wealth of information, Google Analytics measures detailed web performance and efficiency. From page clicks to demographics, to even the effectiveness of a chosen marketing campaign, Google Analytics can give you clues as to whether you are on the right track with your site. You can easily spot trends based on tables and graphs, allowing you to formulate ad campaigns that's geared towards your desired audience.

WebLog Expert Lite

There's no such thing as too much pertinent information when it comes to site statistics. That is why having a second opinion of sorts aside from Google Analytics is a good thing. Enter WebLog Expert Lite. If Google Analytics deals with clicks, this little gem deals with the logs. Though a bit harder to use than Google Analytics since you need to know where web logs are, you'll be glad you decided to stick with it once you have everything in place. Providing in-depth information about pages visited, user's web browsers and a whole flotilla of other information displayed on easy to read charts and graphs, you'll get to know more of what's hot and what's not in your site.

103 Bees

Of course, statistics isn't complete without dealing with search engines. To be able to get the money rolling, you must first be found by your customer. And so with 103 Bees buzzing along, you can see for yourself what keywords were mostly used that led to your site. Alongside these terms are their rankings in the keywords popularity department. Also, to help you expand the possibilities of being found, a Related Keywords tool is built in the 103 Bees, allowing you to discover keywords and in turn, optimize your site for search engines. Optimal search engine performance always means more traffic for your site.

With a few copy-pastes of some code and a bit of setting up, you can turn your site into a number-grinding machine, capable of sending you reports whenever you want them. Not only are these tools helpful in knowing your own site and target audience better, they are free to use as well. Now that's what you call a sweet deal.

The article "Free Web Site Analytics Tools - Crunching Numbers For Profit" was Submitted by Kevin Savetz through http://Articles.GetACoder.com network. Kevin Savetz is creator of www.FreeForYourSite.com, a blog that covers free webmaster tools including SEO tools, keyword tools, graphics utilities, and more. All of the utilities mentioned in this article are linked in the Web Analytics category at FreeForYourSite.