Travel News to Use

The Jakarta Post   |  Tue, 02/26/2008 11:02 AM

Green Fingers
The carbon-conscious URBN HOTELS in Shanghai is doing its part for the green movement. You should too.

Tree hugging travelers who want to stay environmentally responsible as they traipse around the world can take heart that China now has its first carbon-neutral hotel in URBN Hotels Shanghai.

The debut property by the URBN Hotels’ & Resorts group is located near Nanjing Road, Shanghai’s premium shopping, entertainment, and business district. Its 25 rooms recalls Old Shanghai in their reclaimed Shanghai hardwoods and old Shanghai brick and boasts modern chic charm with a cream and coffee palette, linen curtains, wood floors and rustic silks

The hotel’s carbon neutral stance will have it keeping tabs on the amount of energy expended in its daily operations – from energy used by its guests to food and beverage delivery, right down to staff commutes. URBN will then purchase carbon credits through its agreement with Climate Bridge, an intermediary offering bespoke solutions for companies and industries to reduce and offset greenhouse gas emissions, to neutralize its footprint by investing in “green” energy development and emission reduction projects in China.

Other green-friendly efforts by the hotel include low wattage lighting throughout hotel, energy saving light setting for all rooms, passive solar shading, energy efficient water-based AC system and the use of environmentally safe cleaning products. 183 Jiao Zhou Road, www.urbnhotels.com

Say what?
The best kinds of travelers try to immerse themselves fully in a country’s culture and language when their on holiday. If you’re that person who fusses over using the right foreign words and saying them in exactly the right accent, help’s at hand with AT&T’s online text-to-speech service, which features converts text to audible speech. Log on to (www.public.research.att.com/~ttsweb/tts/demo.php),

type in your foreign phrase or word and voila!, you’ll hear exactly how to say it in French, German or Latin American Spanish.

Mile high club
Plane good are these aviation-inspired coasters from Trintec Industries that specializes in aviator gifts. Available in sets of four (US$14.95) with airspeed, altitude and compass versions, they make great prezzies for the airplane geek, or just to add a quirky touch to a bland coffee table. www.trintec.com

Lost and found
Ever wondered how much bounty actually gets left behind in hotels by absent minded guests? Loads, and it comes up to no small amount too, according to Holiday Inn hotels in the UK. According to the hotel group, a whopping £750,000 worth of lost property was left unclaimed in its hotels across the country last year.

But even more surprising perhaps is the stuff that got left behind, among the weirdest ones a prosthetic leg, a glass eye, a monk’s habit and even a blow-up sheep. Other items —and extremely valuable ones at that — still unclaimed include £2,000 in cash, a £2,000 Rolex watch, a £1,000 Mont Blanc fountain pen and a £3,000 engagement ring. We’re guessing she said no?

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