NYC & Company, the City’s official marketing and tourism organization, has launched NYC: The Real Deal — a new marketing campaign to boost tourism to New York City this year.

The first phase of NYC: The Real Deal, available through June 30, offers “buy one, get the second one 50% off” at more than 100 NYC & Company member businesses and organizations, including museums, tours and attractions, arts and entertainment venues, nightlife spots, spa and beauty venues and transportation. Through the Travelocity widget on nycgo.com, you can also book hotel stays at “buy one, get the second night 50% off,” or better if available, at 26 participating hotels (book through May 30, travel by June 30). If you book a hotel stay through nycgo.com‘s Travelocity widget, you can also purchase tickets at “buy one, get the second 50% off” at 16 participating attractions or Broadway shows.

“The NYC: The Real Deal program is designed to entice visitors and locals to experience the vibrancy, energy and excitement of New York City while taking advantage of unprecedented savings this year,” said Jane Reiss, CMO of NYC & Company.

The new consumer micro site nycgo.com/realdeal, part of the Real Deal promotion, details all special offers throughout the five boroughs: the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and Staten Island. Choose between enjoying the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, seeing Chicago, the Musical, attending the Tribeca Film Festival, and other deals catering to every age group and interest.

“We are pleased to create the NYC: The Real Deal program that brings so much value to consumers while at the same time offering excellent visibility to NYC & Company’s members — this is a worthwhile effort to boost tourism to New York City in 2009,” said Kelly Ann Curtin, senior vice president of Membership and Convention Services.

The second phase of NYC: The Real Deal will start in May with retail and dining offers, followed by other great reasons to plan a trip to New York City this year.

Today, Gekko announced the launch of Gekko.com in Beta, the first online service that uses proprietary technology to find places suited to your tastes based on your unique profile and the preferences of likeminded people. Unlike most travel, review or lifestyle sites, Gekko.com gives you an easy way to find an ideal place without searching through the hundreds of thousands of hotels, restaurants, bars and clubs available online. Gekko’s smart matching technology matches you to a much smaller selection of 20 highly targeted and relevant spots that you are most likely to enjoy and shows recommendations from other Gekko community members who have similar profiles and tastes.

“People don’t have time to spend hours online looking for a restaurant or hotel, and then waste their money making the wrong choice,” said Dino Van Es, founder of Gekko. “Most websites provide an overwhelming amount of information, but in an anonymous, impersonal way. Gekko is taking a different approach by applying the idea of smart matching and personalized recommendations to travel, in the same way that Netflix did for movies and Last.fm did for music.”

Gekko has been developing its technology and service over the last year. After doing market research by surveying 7,500 people across Europe and the US, Gekko worked with leading marketing intelligence firm MI Company to develop the unique matching algorithm behind the Gekko Profiler. The research showed that people were taking more than 40 criteria into consideration when choosing a hotel or a restaurant. The algorithm helped reduce this list to nine determinant choices with different relative weight, making it possible for people to not only easily profile themselves, but also get the right recommendations instantly from what will become the largest and richest database of hotels and restaurants around the world.

Gekko combines this powerful underlying technology with the human-touch of peer-to-peer matching to ensure that everyone can find spots perfectly matched to their own individual tastes. Starting today in Beta, Gekko can already make recommendations from its quickly expanding database of more than 55,000 hotels, with 10,000 bookable restaurants being added in the next month.

“The combination of the ‘Gekko Profiler’ and smart personality matching with others in our community means that Gekko can offer members highly targeted and relevant results, rather than the typical list of 200 or more options that can take hours to evaluate,” said George Henderson, Gekko’s Chief Operating Officer. “Gekko puts the user firmly in control so they have all the information they need to make the best choices and help guarantee the best experiences.”

Gekko was founded in February 2008 by entrepreneur Dino Van Es and is backed by a group of individual investors. Visit www.gekko.com to make your own Gekko Profile and start discovering places and people around the world.

Erica Johansson: How did the company come to life? When did you first get the idea to Mr & Mrs Smith?

Tamara Heber-Percy: My partner (now husband) and I were always looking for great hotels for weekends away – we both ran our own businesses so weekends were precious. Unfortunately, none of the guidebooks out at the time represented the kind of hotel we were looking for, so, after a few disastrous trips where we were disappointed the moment we arrived, we decided to write our own guidebook. That Christmas we received more than 2,000 brochures through the post from hotels around the UK and in January we embarked on a mammoth drive around the country to check out 200 that we thought looked special. Of that 200, 41 made it into the first Mr & Mrs Smith Hotel Collection.

Initially, we’d thought of selling the idea to a publisher but none would take it – we got the usual rebuttals – ‘market too saturated’, ‘no one needs another guidebook’, etc. So we set up our own publishing company. We pleaded with a distributor to take us on and he predicted we’d sell 5,000 copies, so when we’d already sold 15,000 within a month of printing, we knew we were on to something.

I must say your books and CDs are terrific. Were the products a part of the initial plan?

The books came first. The CDs were a later addition. My husband James used to be a DJ and also ran his own bar and club, so he is passionate about music. Mr & Mrs Smith developed very organically, as we began to understand what the possibilities were. For example, we only started taking bookings when we realised how much business we were giving the hotels. We were visiting a hotelier we had met two years previously when signing hotels up for the first book – we asked him how it was going and he looked at us incredulously: ‘My God, you have no idea do you?’ he said, ‘You guys are 40 per cent of my business!’ It was amazing to think that people didn’t just like our books as coffee-table browsing fodder, they were actually using them to pick out their next hotel stay.

For someone who considers becoming a member, what would you say to convince them to… take the plunge? What are non-members missing out on?

Well, we’ve tried to make our first level of membership, BlackSmith (£15/$30), a ‘no-brainer’ decision. Whenever a member books a hotel through us, they show their card on arrival and get a little life-enhancing extra: a bottle of chilled champagne, a spa treatment or afternoon tea for two – it varies from hotel to hotel, but is ALWAYS worth a lot more than the membership fee.   We wanted to ensure Smith membership makes sense even if you only stay in one of our hotels once a year.

Members also benefit when they get home – they’ll find a deposit of Smith Pounds in their account as part of our unique and super-generous loyalty scheme, The Vault. We’ve designed this so that even a two-night booking will give the member enough Smith Pounds to treat themselves to one of our hand-picked ‘Vault Valuables’ – luxury goodies from brands we love such as Agent Provocateur, Links of London and Mulberry.

Once a month we put together some amazing offers from our hotels (such as two nights for the price of one), exclusively for our members, which we mail out to each member in our e-newsletter, Room Service. But even if a member isn’t taking advantage of a special offer, they’re still safe in the knowledge that our rates are guaranteed to be the same as or lower than the rates they’d get directly from the hotel.

Basically, if you don’t like champagne, amazing hotel deals and treating yourself for free, then Smith membership is definitely not for you!

How are you able to guarantee the best rates available?

That’s simple – we make it a stipulation for hotels wanting to work with us. Aggregator sites such as Expedia and Lastminute may discount more as part of a package that includes flights and car hire but if you are just booking the hotel we should have the best rates available. If any customer finds cheaper hotel-only rates elsewhere we refund the difference.

When you select which hotels to include in your collections, are you visiting the hotels in the pretence of being regular guests? Or have your reviewers ever accepted complimentary stays in return for exposure?

We initially visit a hotel to determine whether it’s suitable for Smith so we let them know we’re coming – this is so they can give us a tour of the property and let us see as many rooms as possible (which you can’t do if you go anonymously). If the hotel is ‘Smithy’ enough to invite into the collection, we then send an anonymous reviewer couple. They get to experience the hotel as it really is. We make sure we send couples so we get a balanced view, and we don’t tend to send them midweek – we’re all about romantic weekends away, after all. We never allow a hotel into the collection unless the anonymous review comes back positive. The hotels do pay a fee to be part of our collection – after we’ve scouted them out – but they cannot pay their way in.

What can members and other Mr & Mrs Smith fans expect in the future? Any current plans you’d like to reveal?

We are launching in the USA at the moment; it’s a very tough time to do so, but we are doing it organically, with a book we created especially for the States – we are not spending money on offices out there so I think our strategy is sound. We have also just signed a deal with someone in the Asia-Pacific region who will be setting up offices there. This means that our Travel Team will have 24-hour worldwide coverage – so you can book a hotel through us at any time. We also have some exciting plans for new book titles – but that’s a secret!

Last, I’m curious to know, what are your 5 top favorite Mr & Mrs Smith hotels?
I love hotels, but I am also addicted to new experiences so there are few hotels I would choose to go back to but the following are so special that I would jump at the chance:

The Royal Malewane safari lodge in Kruger Park, South Africa – this is where I spent my honeymoon. It’s set in a private game reserve, and every room has a pool; we woke on the first morning to find a giraffe drinking from it. The people who run this place are amazing and make you feel so special.

Ca’s Xorc in Mallorca – I got married here. When we found this hotel for Smith, my husband and I turned to each other and agreed we wanted every single one of our friends to experience the place. I was born in Mallorca so it has a special place in my heart, and the views from Ca’s Xorc are incredible.

Blakes in London -it’s Anoushka Hempel’s original boutique hotel and still a favourite. No fancy spa or corporate meeting rooms, just the perfect romantic atmosphere.

Hacienda de San Antonio in Mexico is a working hacienda set on a coffee plantation. The scenery here is stunning, with volcanoes, mountains, and jungle greenery. It’s a splash of luxury in the untouched heart of Mexico.

Fazenda da Lagoa in Bahia, Brazil, is on it’s own island in the rainforest where freshwater meets the sea; you have to take a boat ride through the mangroves to get there. There are 11 stunningly designed bungalows right on a white sand beach that seems to go on forever. This is one of the few places in the world where you feel totally alone.

For more places to stay including affordable stylish hotels and luxury ski chalets, head over to Mr & Mrs Smith. And don’t miss Smith Travel Blog, where they share insider travel tips, interviews and top 10 features from around the world.

1. Moscow (1)

2. Bombay (10)

3. Paris (4)

4. Milan (7)

5. Geneva (13)

6. Dubai (3)

7. Abu Dhabi (-)

8. New York (2)

9. Zurich (11)

‘
10. Stockholm (7)

Written by Valerie Mellema

A visit to South Africa offers you incredible ways to enjoy yourself. This once war torn nation has become an economic powerhouse and provides visitors with a plethora of options for exploration and adventure. Whether you choose diving and swimming with the Great Whites off the southern coast or choose to adventure inland with a safari, you will find the best way to enjoy your stay in South Africa. Visiting South Africa can give you access to some of the finest, most prestigious resorts and hotels in the world.  A visit to HotelsCombined.com can help you find the best rates.

The Bay Hotel

The Bay Hotel enjoys a central location in the heart of Cape Town, with easy access to the Bay and stunning views of Table Mountain. This 5-star hotel offers guests some of the finest amenities and accommodations in the area.  Guests can find easy access to fishing, diving, surfing, inland exploration and more. Several bars and restaurants are featured on property, as well as a full service spa. Western travelers will find all the amenities to which they are used to.

De Oudekraal

Located at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean and nestled in virgin forest, the Oudekraal hotel is an amazing place for adventure and enjoyment. A black water pool, whirlpool, ocean views, several dining and drinks options and more provide enjoyment. The rooms offer Internet access, premium TV programming and all other modern amenities. In addition, you’ll find that the hotel’s location is only a short drive from shopping and dining options in the city.

Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve

If you are looking for exclusive, secluded accommodations in South Africa, this is an excellent choice.  The location provides you with the chance to view wildlife in their natural environment, unconcerned with the actions of humankind.  Several lodges offer you suites and rooms for your comfort and enjoyment; you’ll find authentic African décor and rich fabrics throughout all rooms.  In addition, you can enjoy picnic dinners outdoors under the stars.

As a follow up to 10 Of The Coolest Hotel Suites in The World, the ProTraveller blog recently published 15 (More) Of The Coolest Hotel Suites In The World. The post includes Bangkok’s Eugenia Hotel, Hotel Murano Urban Resort in Paris, The Erotic Suite in Las Vegas, and other luxurious suites where we wouldn’t mind spending a night or two.

The video above shows the undersea resort that The Poseidon Resort plans to open in 2010. A stay in one of the 24 underwater suites located next to a coral reef can be yours for the hefty sum of $15,000 USD per night.

Also, don’t miss 10 Amazing Hotels With Ultra Stylish Minimalist Designs featuring “…some of the most modern, sleek, and stylish looking hotels in the world. A hotel designed around the idea of minimalism is more than just a hotel, it’s a piece of art.”

Today, UpTake opened to the public by letting users come in without a password. UpTake president Yen Lee talks about what new features and enhancements you can expect and how he views the future of the company.

Erica Johansson: To what extent did your background at CitySearch San Francisco and Yahoo! Travel, help form UpTake?

Yen Lee: At CitySearch, we learned the intricacies of launching a start-up from the ground-up. We also saw that offering the right content in an easy-to-use, well-organized format can help people discover more about their own city.  The service also created an opportunity for marketing and promotion for all sizes & types of businesses.  But, we learned that travel-related businesses needed a lot more help then local related business, e.g. hotels or tourist attractions have very different support than the local plumber (who has the yellow pages).

At Yahoo! Travel, I realized there was still an untapped consumer need in travel that went beyond price comparison (e.g. SideStep) and booking (e.g. Expedia).  Travel search had to start addressing the more fundamental  question of who and why  you are taking a vacation-not just assuming you already know the when and where.  I also realized the explosion of reviews and blogs and the subsequent difficulty online travel planners had accessing and finding the right information for their trip was an untapped opportunity-thus the genesis of UpTake.

When did you decide to do a public beta launch?

We have been planning our public beta launch for months.  We wanted to launch with the travel industry’s largest database of U.S. hotels and activities and with the analysis of 20 million online opinions to give travelers’ a central resource to plan and decide on a trip.

What new features and enhancements can your visitors expect?

Since our private beta launch, we added some big-and some small-new features to improve travel planning and decision making. With us, you can:

• Uncover 20 million opinions from across the web – analyzed, ranked, sorted and parsed to make sure you just get the most relevant results -now the results are countrywide.
• Find a hotel anywhere in the U.S. -we went from only California and Hawaii to the entire country.
• Search just for travel naturally -our new home page will help you find the right vacation for you. We have covered the biggest segments of U.S. consumer travel – families, romance, pet-friendly and girls getaways.
• Check rates -with our cool new buttons you can select your favorite booking site
• Discover what to do as well. We have over 250,000 activities, attractions etc. in the U.S.

How do you view the future for UpTake?

Uptake is launching with the broadest and deepest information on U.S. hotels and we will be developing similar levels of coverage for activities and destinations later this year. Our goal is to help you find the travel information you need to make the most of your precious vacation time. But we feel like we are just getting started toward this goal. There is so much more to do from going global to covering events and restaurants etc. We’d welcome your feedback – please send us your suggestions and comments to feedback@uptake.com.

For more information about the launch, visit UpTake.com is now open to the public! at the Uptake blog.

Have you ever been disappointed by a hotel room that didn’t live up to your expectations? Or found it difficult knowing which hotel to pick, because of a lack of visuals and sufficient information? Thanks to nearly 5000 videos at the new travel site TVtrip.com, travelers can see their hotel before they book.

“The great reaction to our site has helped lead to our phenomenal growth in Europe and now in the U.S. and Asia,” said Founder and Chief Executive officer Marc Ruff after TVtrip’s expansion last year. “When other hotels see how travelers respond to our videos and to our web site, they want to become part of TVtrip.com and we are happy to have them.”

Launched in May 2007, TVtrip.com is the first website to enable hotel searches using online videos. The leading video guide covers hotels in more than 100 worldwide destinations including New York, San Francisco, Miami, Chicago, London, Paris, Venice and Barcelona. No need to worry about whether you chose the right hotel, because TVtrip provides you with unbiased professionally shot videos, basic hotel descriptions and informative guest reviews.

For more information, visit tvtrip.com

Thanks to Hoosta luxury News, I heard about Hotel des Académies et des Arts, a three-star boutique hotel owned by Charlotte and Laurent Inchauspé. The hotel is located in the Montparnasse district opposite the famous art school Atelier de la Grande Chaumiére.

After having watched the youtube video by TV “Intérieurs” above, I know where to stay during my next visit to Paris.