Author: Ethan Caldwell

A great hotel concierge can turn an ordinary stay into a much easier and more memorable trip. Beyond giving directions, a skilled concierge can arrange transportation, recommend restaurants that fit your tastes, book experiences, solve last-minute problems, and help you navigate a destination with local knowledge that a search app may not provide. Quick Answer A hotel concierge is a guest-service professional who provides local recommendations and helps arrange dining, transportation, tickets, tours, spa visits, and special requests. The word has medieval French roots, while the dedicated hotel-concierge role developed in Europe’s grand hotels and became professionally organized during the…

Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are small, parasitic insects that feed on human blood. Reddish-brown, oval, and roughly the size of an apple seed (4–7 mm), these nocturnal pests hide in minute cracks and crevices. Transient hotel populations allow them to spread rapidly regardless of property cleanliness. While bed bugs do not transmit infectious diseases, their bites cause significant skin irritation, allergic reactions, and psychological distress. Inspecting your accommodation before unpacking is the single most effective way to prevent bringing an infestation home. Quick Answer To check for bed bugs in a hotel room, place your luggage in the bathtub immediately…

Planning ahead is one of the most effective strategies for securing the best deals on accommodations. When travelers take the time to research and organize their trips well in advance, they unlock access to lower rates and a wider selection of available rooms. Many hotels and booking platforms offer early bird discounts that significantly reduce lodging costs, such as a 20% discount for reservations made three months prior to check-in. In addition to financial savings, early booking ensures access to preferred room types, amenities, and promotional package bundles. Quick Answer To find cheap hotel deals, book 1 to 3 months…

Hotels often appear to have no 13th floor because the number 13 is considered unlucky in parts of Western culture. In most cases, the level is still physically there; the hotel simply labels it 14, 12A, M, or another name. What looks like a missing floor is usually a guest-comfort and marketing decision, not a structural mystery. Quick Answer Many hotels skip the number 13 because some guests associate it with bad luck. The building normally still has a physical 13th level, but the elevator may call it 14, 12A, M, or an amenity floor. Hotels use this relabeling to…

Waldorf Astoria is one of Hilton’s best-known luxury hotel brands, but ownership is more complicated than the name on the building suggests. Hilton owns and controls the Waldorf Astoria brand, while separate real-estate companies, developers, and investment groups may own individual hotels. Hilton usually operates those properties under long-term management agreements. Quick Answer Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. owns and controls the Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts brand. However, Hilton does not own every hotel building. Most Waldorf Astoria properties are owned by separate real-estate investors and operated by Hilton under management agreements. The New York flagship is also managed, not…

W Hotels is a luxury lifestyle hotel brand owned by Marriott International. However, Marriott’s ownership of the brand does not mean it owns every W hotel building. Many W properties belong to independent real-estate investors or development companies and operate under a Marriott management or franchise agreement. Quick Answer Marriott International owns and controls the W Hotels brand after acquiring Starwood Hotels & Resorts in 2016. Marriott does not necessarily own each W hotel building. Individual properties may be owned by Marriott, local developers, investment firms, or other real-estate companies and then managed or franchised by Marriott. Key Takeaways Marriott…

The Venetian Resort Las Vegas is famous for its Italian-inspired architecture, all-suite accommodations, casinos, restaurants, shops, and gondola rides. Its ownership, however, is not as simple as naming one company. The resort has had a split ownership structure since Las Vegas Sands completed its sale in February 2022. Quick Answer The Venetian Resort Las Vegas has a split ownership structure. VICI Properties owns the land and real estate, while funds managed by Apollo affiliates own the resort’s operating companies. Las Vegas Sands announced the sale in March 2021, but the $6.25 billion transaction did not close until February 23, 2022.…

The name Sheldon Adelson is still closely linked with The Venetian in Las Vegas because he developed the resort through Las Vegas Sands. However, he and Las Vegas Sands are no longer the current owners. Today, ownership is split between a real estate owner and a separate operating company. Quick Answer VICI Properties owns The Venetian Resort Las Vegas’s land and real estate. Funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management own the resort’s operating company and lease the property from VICI. Las Vegas Sands, the company founded by Sheldon Adelson, sold both parts of the resort in a transaction…

The Roosevelt Hotel at 45 East 45th Street is one of Midtown Manhattan’s best-known historic hotels, but reports about its ownership and future often mix confirmed facts with proposals and rumors. This updated guide from TakeTravelInfo explains who legally owns the property, why it is closed to hotel guests, and what official announcements say about its redevelopment as of July 30, 2026. Quick Answer The Roosevelt Hotel in Midtown Manhattan is owned by PIA Investments Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Pakistan International Airlines Holding Company Limited, which is owned and managed by Pakistan’s government. No completed sale to a…

The Plaza Hotel is one of Manhattan’s best-known luxury landmarks, but many older articles still name the wrong owner. The ownership changed in 2018, and the distinction between the hotel’s owner and its manager is important. Today, the property remains a working luxury hotel at Fifth Avenue and Central Park South. It is part of Katara Hospitality’s international portfolio and operates under the Fairmont brand. Quick Answer Katara Hospitality, a hotel owner and asset manager based in Qatar, owns the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan. It acquired full ownership in 2018 in a deal reported at about $600 million. Fairmont Hotels…

The Plaza Hotel is one of New York City’s best-known luxury landmarks, but its long ownership history can make the current answer difficult to find. The hotel has passed through the hands of famous hoteliers, real-estate investors, Donald Trump, Sahara Group, and other international owners since the present building opened beside Central Park in 1907. Quick Answer Katara Hospitality, a Qatar-based hotel owner, owns The Plaza Hotel in New York. It acquired full ownership in 2018 for about $600 million. The property operates as The Plaza, A Fairmont Hotel, meaning Fairmont manages the hotel while Katara Hospitality owns it. Key…

Bellagio is one of the best-known resorts on the Las Vegas Strip, but the answer to “Who owns Bellagio?” is more complicated than a single company name. MGM Resorts International runs the hotel and casino, while the resort’s land and buildings are held through a separate real-estate venture involving Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, Realty Income, and MGM. Quick Answer MGM Resorts International operates Bellagio and owns the resort’s operating subsidiary. Based on the latest disclosed property transaction, Bellagio’s real estate is owned indirectly by Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, or BREIT, at 73.1%, Realty Income at 21.9%, and MGM…