Author: Ethan Caldwell
Ethan Caldwell writes about where to stay and when to go. His work covers hotels and resorts, booking and check-in questions, and seasonal timing for destinations around the world — the shoulder-season math, the weather windows, and the trip-planning details most travelers only learn the hard way. He also maps road-trip routes and RV and travel-trailer logistics.
The Roosevelt Hotel at 45 East 45th Street is one of Midtown Manhattan’s best-known historic hotels. Its ownership is often misunderstood because the property has been tied to Pakistan International Airlines, used by New York City, and discussed in several redevelopment plans. Those arrangements did not all change who owns the building. Quick Answer The Roosevelt Hotel is owned by PIA Investments Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pakistan International Airlines Holding Company Limited. That holding company is owned and managed by the Government of Pakistan. No completed 2021 sale or transfer to a new investor group has been announced.…
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York turns one of Manhattan’s best-known hotels into Kevin McCallister’s temporary playground. Released on November 20, 1992, the sequel follows Kevin after he boards the wrong flight, lands in New York City, and checks himself into The Plaza Hotel using his father’s credit card. Quick Answer The hotel in Home Alone 2 is The Plaza Hotel at 768 Fifth Avenue in New York City. The movie used the real hotel’s exterior and 59th Street lobby, but Kevin’s penthouse-suite scenes were filmed at the Hilton Chicago, and the pool scene was shot at another Chicago…
The hotel industry has changed from a room-focused business into a connected travel ecosystem. Hotels now compete through online booking, personalized service, local experiences, technology, loyalty programs, wellness features, and sustainability. At the same time, they must manage rising costs, staffing needs, cybersecurity risks, and competition from short-term rentals. Quick Answer The hotel industry is being shaped by online booking, experience-led travel, artificial intelligence, mobile service, rising operating costs, labor pressure, sustainability, and tougher competition. Hotels that combine useful technology with strong human service, transparent pricing, secure data systems, and locally relevant experiences are best placed to earn guest trust…
Westin Hotels & Resorts is a premium wellness-focused hotel brand within Marriott International. Marriott owns and controls the Westin brand, standards, reservation systems, and Marriott Bonvoy connection. However, that does not mean Marriott owns the land and building for every Westin hotel. Many individual properties belong to separate hotel owners and operate under franchise or management agreements. Quick Answer Marriott International owns the Westin Hotels & Resorts brand. Individual Westin properties may be owned by Marriott, real estate companies, private investors, or other hotel owners. As of December 31, 2025, Marriott reported 251 Westin hotels worldwide: 130 franchised, 120 managed,…
IHG Hotels & Resorts is one of the world’s largest hotel groups, with options ranging from luxury resorts and design-led boutique hotels to practical roadside stays and extended-stay suites. The brand name on the building matters because breakfast, kitchens, meeting space, wellness features, and other amenities vary widely across the IHG portfolio. Quick Answer IHG Hotels & Resorts is a global hospitality company with 21 hotel brands grouped into luxury, premium, essential, suites, and partner collections. Guests can join IHG One Rewards, earn points on qualifying stays, and book through IHG’s website, app, customer care, or individual hotels. Key Takeaways…
A hotel-style bed looks crisp, balanced, and comfortable because every layer is fitted, centered, and smoothed with care. You do not need expensive linens or dozens of decorative pillows. Correctly sized sheets, firm hospital corners, an evenly placed duvet, and a simple pillow arrangement can give an everyday bedroom the same clean, welcoming finish. Quick Answer To make a bed like a hotel, start with clean, correctly sized linens. Pull the fitted sheet tight, center a flat sheet, form hospital corners at the foot, add a smooth duvet or comforter, fold the top layers back neatly, and finish with fluffed…
Hotel discounts can reduce your travel costs, but the lowest advertised nightly rate is not always the cheapest stay. The best approach is to compare the full price, use only discounts you qualify for, and check the cancellation rules before paying. A flexible booking that costs a little more may protect you from a much larger loss if your plans change. Quick Answer To get hotel discounts, compare the full stay price on the hotel website and reputable booking sites, join free loyalty programs, check eligible member rates, and choose a flexible reservation you can recheck. Travel off-peak or book…
Getting a good hotel rate is not about finding one secret booking day or automatically choosing the cheapest number on the screen. The best value comes from comparing the same room and rate conditions, checking eligible discounts, reviewing the final stay total, and choosing cancellation terms that fit your plans. Quick Answer To get a better hotel rate, compare the same room and cancellation terms on the hotel’s website and reputable booking platforms, check member and eligible discounts, test nearby dates, and compare the final price with mandatory fees. When plans are uncertain, favor a refundable rate and recheck it…
Why are there Bibles in hotel rooms? In most cases, a Christian organization has offered the hotel complimentary copies for travelers to read. The best-known provider is The Gideons International, which began placing Bibles in U.S. hotels in 1908. The practice is voluntary, so what you find today depends on the hotel, brand, owner, and country. Quick Answer Hotels have Bibles mainly because Christian organizations—especially The Gideons International—offer complimentary copies for guest rooms. The custom began in the United States in 1908 as an outreach to travelers. It is not required by law, and modern hotel policies vary: some keep…
Finding a Bible in a hotel nightstand is not a legal requirement or a standard amenity purchased by every hotel. The custom grew from a Christian outreach program that began placing complimentary Bibles in hotel rooms in 1908. Today, each hotel or brand can decide whether to provide a Bible, another religious text, a digital option, or no religious material. Quick Answer Hotel rooms have Bibles mainly because The Gideons International began offering complimentary copies to hotels in 1908. Hotels voluntarily accepted them so travelers could read scripture during a stay. The practice is not required by law, and a…
Connecting a PS4 to hotel WiFi is usually straightforward, but hotel login pages and network restrictions can make the process different from connecting at home. Your console may join the wireless network yet still fail to reach PlayStation Network until you complete the hotel’s browser-based sign-in or ask the hotel to register the device. Quick Answer On your PS4, open Settings > Network > Set Up Internet Connection > Use Wi-Fi > Easy. Select the hotel network, enter its password, and complete any hotel login page in the PS4 Internet Browser. If the portal does not appear, ask the front…
Hotel discounts can lower the cost of a trip, but the lowest advertised nightly rate is not always the best deal. Rates change with demand, dates, room inventory, booking rules, and traveler eligibility. The safest approach is to compare the same room across several channels, check every discount you qualify for, and review the total price before paying. Quick Answer To get a hotel discount, compare the same room on the hotel’s official site and reputable booking platforms, then check loyalty, AAA, AARP, military, government, corporate, package, advance-purchase, and off-peak rates. Compare the final price, cancellation policy, included perks, and…