Topic: Accommodations Industries

Top 10 cities where house prices are rising

House prices continue to fall nationwide, but here and there they’ve begun to turn up as Americans return to the housing market. Which 10 metropolitan areas have seen the biggest increase in the past year? The winners, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), include a state capital, a furniture-making center, and a resort that was once America’s foreclosure capital. Can you guess who they are?  

Going green: View my world-class collection of hotel towel cards.

My global collection of towel cards tells guests how to be green (and save the hotel money) in a dozen instructive, chic, bossy, relieving, euphemistic, paranoid, minimalistic, and earnest ways.

A bit late, winter grips Midwest and Northeast

Snowplow drivers were out in force overnight in Chicago, where temperatures plummeted. The storm could drop up to a foot of snow on parts of Ohio along Lake Erie before moving east.

Hurricane Rina threatens Cancún and the rest of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula

Hurricane Rina, currently a Category 2 storm, could further mar the popular resort region, which has yet to recover from the damage Hurricane Wilma caused six years ago.

Mumbai's terror track record: nine major attacks in two decades

Yesterday's blasts in Mumbai prompted Indian newspaper Hindustan Times to ask: "Why is Mumbai targeted again and again?"

The Ledge: movie review

Cast as a thriller, 'The Ledge' follows the escalating clash of wills between a Christian fundamentalist and an atheist, both in love with the same woman.

Cape Town's Muslim residents regret not reading the fine print

Residents of the mostly Muslim Bo-Kaap neighborhood in Cape Town welcomed the establishment of a 'dry' hotel in their area, not realizing it could be easily sold to another company looking to sell liquor.

Foreclosures on the rise: Is your city on the Top 10 list?

Foreclosures have been huge in cities that rode the real estate bubble in the West and in Florida. But the fastest rise in foreclosures is taking place primarily in far less frothy metropolitan areas of the Southeast, according to a new report by RealtyTrac. North Carolina alone was home to four of the Top 10 fastest-rising foreclosure metros last year. While their foreclosure rates are still quite low compared with most places, these metros and their plight illustrate how the poor economy is driving the housing crisis now.

Unemployment up? Not in these four maverick cities.

The US lost jobs in September and the unemployment rate remains at a high 9.6 percent, the US Department of Labor reported Friday. But some metropolitan areas are bucking the trend and adding jobs. By making everything from food to music and band instruments, these four metros have seen the biggest year-over-year decline in their unemployment rates. Is your city on this list?

Erin Andrews sues hotel chains and Chicago man for secret tapings

Erin Andrews, the ESPN reporter who was secretly videotaped, filed a lawsuit Thursday. Erin Andrews filed the suit against the hotels for negligence and invasion of privacy.

Bollywood takes on Adolf Hitler

India has long been oddly fascinated with Adolf Hitler, in part because the Führer offered to help India gain independence from Britain. A new Bollywood film may have pushed the limit.

Arizona immigration law: boycotts starting to take a toll

Boycotts from Mexico and several US cities aren't likely to throw Arizona back into a recession, but the fallout from the Arizona immigration law is hurting some businesses in the short term.

From Marriott to Ernst & Young to General Mills, why some companies excel

From personalized development plans to comprehensive wellness programs, some of America's top companies excel through treating their employees excellently.

Luxury firms push ‘eco-posh’

Handbag-makers to hotels are luring a new kind of luxury consumer.

Greece faces bleak tourism forecast

Summer bookings have dropped across Europe as travelers head to cheaper spots.

Cheap hotels await China's new sightseers, budget travelers

Low-cost lodging is spreading – despite the bad economy – as China's new middle class embraces the open road and business travelers look for bargains.

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