The NEXTgen Traveler survey, a trends report highlighting the technical capacity of echo-boomers (18 to 28) and baby-boomers (43-61) alike, released their definitive understanding of how the rest of us travel.

The survey answers such hard-pressing mysteries as, "Do we like to travel?" Shockingly, 3/4 of us would travel more if we made more and 3/5 of us would do the same, given more free-time.

What NEXTgen Traveler also told us about ourselves:

• A lot of us shop online, especially for—wait for it—travel prices
• We also take pictures and send text messages

It's unknown what the future of travel conceals, tightly, in its Pandora's box of secrets. A surge of mass-GPS application, travel information send directly to your mobile phone, trans-atlantic flight? Only time will tell.



I'm unsure what mobile phones were like, or what their exact function was, prior to the iPhone, but neither do the New York Times. They've even released a photo-blog of the 11 Best Travel Applications for the iPhone.

My favorites: Where, Travelocity Mobile app, and the Mass-Transit apps for major city.

- Alexander

ME Cancun Property Update:

Hotels define themselves in one of two ways.

1. Offer the cheapest prices, offer the bare necessities (bed, bath, utilities)
2. Go all out, don't hold back, shower your guests with any and every conceivable perk so that maybe, just maybe, they will book your hotel over your neighbor's. Some do it with finesse, and others are just kitsch and sloppy.

These two classes of hotel are best summarized in my last post, 'Where to stay, hotel or hostel'; one of them is inhabitable, the other is inhabitable only by reptoids.

In what might have passed for journalism back in a high school weekly, Forbes.com's 'World's Decadent Hotel Amenities' quotes Stephanie Rica, editor of Luxury Hotelier, as stating, "Having a similar-looking property in different cities around the world isn't going to work anymore, they [hoteliers] have to keep things fresh…"

She continues by identifying ME Cabo, ME Cancun, and ME Madrid as hotel archetypes by which other brands need take note from. That's not entirely true, but who would have faulted her if she had?



I'll go ahead and condense the rest of the article into bullet-points for the sake of brevity. These pedigree of experience-centric hotel offers:

     A home away from home
     Flat-screen TVs and DVD players
     Docking stations
     A staff of personal butlers
     Room service for pets (Pet ME)
     Terraces

- Ernesto Luna

First, a response to last week's blog about the trainwreck that is commercial airflight.  American Airlines announced today that they will waive the 3rd-bag fee for the military.  In other news, the rest of us are still getting hosed.

Now, on to the hostel/hotel debate…

There's this great travel lore that states the only way for students to visit other countries and now throw away their meager savings is by staying in a hostel.

For the sake of clarity, the difference between a hostel and a hotel is



Even with the price of gas and the state of the economy and monsters washing up on American shores and whatnot, would you really want your first impression of Madrid to be one where you share a toilet with an entire floor of people?  Or would you prefer a Cancun with an oversized bed and a plasma TV?

In Kimberly Chow's AP article 'Feeble dollar sends Americans to European hostels', she quotes a 21 year old Californian as saying, "We chose hostels because I think we wanted a more authentic backpacking experience."

Tapas—that's authentic.  Grand Victorian architecture—that's authentic.  Corralling our youth into something that resembles a boxcar and forcing them into the lives of complete strangers—there's another name for that, prison.

Authenticity would be living in Spain and adopting the culture.  Because Madrid authenticity is only an unobtainable concept for tourists, why not concede and live it in unconditional luxury?

I'm just sayin'…

- Alex

When I was younger, flying on an airplane was special in and of itself, it had that same giddy affect as Christmas morning; the whole sleepless and dreary-eyed anticipation that would keep me up until the witching hours of the morning.  They served full meals and played in-flight movies, too!  

Now there is nothing but despair; an uneasiness that toils in my belly at the thought of overpaying for a ticket, checking in, waiting in line at the security checkpoint, taking off my shoes, removing my laptop, having my toothpaste confiscated, then being wedged into a seat and herded to my next connection.  

Most airport hassles are undoubtedly a product of fear, but the airlines themselves have managed to make up for rising gas prices and their own inability to successfully market themselves by inflating any and every fee and extra to exorbitant heights.  Along my many travels, I have compiled a list of the absurdities that are now congruent with flying.  

Jet Blue - I haven't necessarily had the chance to fly them a great deal over the past couple of years, but only recently have they begun charging for pillows and blankets.  

• $7 – pillows and blankets
• $40 M. – The amount they project to make this year from customers paying extra for extended leg room

  U.S. Airways  

• Now charging $2 for bottled and canned drinks.  This fee includes water, too.

  American Airlines - AA is not acting as shady as some of the other airlines, charging a slightly-annoying $15 per checked bag, however a lot of us are exempt.  

• $15 for every bag checked.  Does not apply to frequent fliers, international flights, full-fare tickets, and first-class passengers.

  Delta - The greediest of the lot, charging lavish rates for any and everything possible.  

• $50 for second back checked
• $80 for 3rd, 4th and 5th bag checked and will soon be raising that tax to $125 a bag.
• $150 for checked baggage 62" – 80" in length.
• $90 domestic / $150 international for checked bags weighing 51-70 lbs.
• $150 domestic / $300 international for checked bags weighing 71-100 lbs.

And finally, what some of you may or may not have already noticed—and this applies to most carriers, too—the fee for changing a reservation on a non-refundable ticked has jumped from $50 to $150.  I found that little disingenuous fact out the hard way.  

- Alex

July 5^th was a big day in Madrid. It involved signing, floats, signs, hand-holding, and a large number of nearly naked people. What could draw over a million people out to the streets of Madrid? Only the Gay Pride Parade of course. The parade organized by the Lesbians, Gays, Transsexuals, and Bisexuals (LGTB) draws people from all over Europe. Spain is known for its avant-garde treatment of gay rights and has often been named the "world leader in gay rights," and this parade proves that. The mister of Equality, Bibiana Aido, started off the parade with a speech and Prime minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, made a speech on the eve of the parade defending the decision to legalize gay marriage and adoption.

 

This years parade which theme was "For Lesbian Visibility" started at 6:00 (which was more like 7:30) and last 3 hours! The streets were so crowded it was hard for the floats to get through. There were 40 floats in the parade; most of them were sponsored by local bars, clubs and cafes that often have gay events. However the Prime Minister's party had a "Building equality" float and Google also had a float in the parade. 

 

The parade wraps up a week of festivities celebrating homosexuality but it was just the beginning of a great night. The clubs were opened all night and the streets were still crowded at 7:00 AM! Attendees explained how great it was to not feel like a minority for one day.

 

ME Madrid was booked solid that week. ME Madrid's alternate lifestyle package made the hotel a first choice for most of the party goers. ME Madrid was happy to show the community that they support their choices just as much as Madrid does.

Vacations are supposed to be our sacred times that allow us to get away from all the stress of our every day lives. So why do we come back so often feeling like we need another vacation to recover from the first one?

How about this year you take a vacation that really leaves you refreshed; one that will let you come back relaxed, so you can take on the million challenges of everyday life. Why no take a Spa vacation this year. Spend a week getting massages and facials, relaxing on the beach, and eating great food. Give your body the chance to unwind.

Now if you are like me your first thought is spas are so expensive. This may be true but think about normal vacations entrances to parks and museums are usually not cheep. You would probably spend more on a day visiting popular tourist attractions then one at the spa. You just got to accept the fact that it is ok to spend money on yourself for once.

A great idea is a resort with a spa in a relaxing tropical location. That way when you get out of the spa you can spend the rest of day listening to the sound of the ocean while lying on the beach with the wind sweeping through your hair.

If you can't bear the thought of just laying on the beach all day you can find a spa resort in a touristy city like Madrid. This way you can see the sites in the morning and spend the afternoon relaxing at the spa.

Let's talk about everyone's favorite subject: Sex!

Everyone is always wondering how to make sex better, well guess what I have a really easy answer to that question. Go on Vacation. Yes, it is really as simple as that. If you are like most people leaving home will reawaken your sex life.

The interesting thing is it really isn't about where you go (although a romantic spot like Madrid would probably add a little boost) it's about leaving all the stress behind. It's amazing what happens when you turn off the cell phones and laptops and just relax. Also being in a new environment adds a sense of adventure which also helps.

Think about when you're on vacation there are no schedules, which means you can stay up and sleep in as long as you want; there are not kids, and no responsibilities. You can do what you want when you want. If you want to have sex in the middle of the night you can because you can sleep in till noon if you want. Or get up and take a nice little nap on the beach.

We all know it's been an extra stressful year. Gas prices are up which seems to be affecting every aspect of our lives. It may seem irresponsible to go on vacation when the country is on the verge of a recession but the truth is psychologists are saying that now more than ever you should do what you can to take at least a small trip. A vacation will give you a chance to relax, which will do wonders for your mood. That will enhance your sex life, which in turn will strength your relationship and leave you in a better position to face your daily battles when you return home.

Vacation and better sex, I hope you are not still reading this. You should be on MEMadrid.travel booking your trip. Ok ok even if it's not a ME resort I still hope you take time for yourself and go on vacation.

And what better time to go to Madrid than the end of this month. The 27th and 28th of june as well as the 4-6th of July Madrid will be hosting a huge concert featuring some huge stars. Check out www.rockinriomadrid.terra.es for more details.

Green Travel

It seems like everywhere we turn we hear about the importance of "going green." Thankfully there are green alternatives that are popping up, making the transition easier. I'll be honest, I think it is great; it's time we give our planet a break and start taking accountability for the harm we've done.

Unfortunately, there is no environmental alternative to air travel. So does this mean that there is no way to travel without damaging the planet? Well, yes and no. There are many new sites that let you calculate the total flight emissions and then recommend how much money you should donate to offset the damage. The money goes to environmental agencies that work on sustainable energy and cleanup.

Here's a site to check out if you're interested in helping the planet.