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Travel News to Use
 Green Fingers
The carbon-conscious URBN HOTELS in
Shanghai is
doing its part for the green movement. You should too.
Tree hugging travelers who want to stay environmentally responsible as
they traipse around the world can take heart that China now has its
first carbon-neutral hotel in URBN Hotels Shanghai.
The debut property by the URBN Hotels’ & Resorts group is located near
Nanjing Road, Shanghai’s premium shopping, entertainment, and business
district. Its 25 rooms recalls Old Shanghai in their
reclaimed Shanghai
hardwoods and old Shanghai brick and boasts modern chic charm with a
cream and coffee palette, linen curtains, wood floors and rustic silks
The hotel’s carbon neutral stance will have it keeping tabs on the
amount of energy expended in its daily operations – from energy used
by its guests to food and beverage delivery, right down to staff
commutes.
URBN will then purchase carbon credits through its agreement with
Climate Bridge, an intermediary offering
bespoke solutions for companies and industries to reduce and offset
greenhouse gas emissions,
to neutralize its
footprint by investing in “green” energy development and emission
reduction projects in China.
Other green-friendly efforts by the hotel include
low wattage
lighting throughout hotel, energy saving light setting for all rooms,
passive solar shading, energy efficient water-based AC system and the
use of environmentally safe cleaning products.
183
Jiao Zhou Road,
www.urbnhotels.com
Say what?
The best kinds of travelers try to immerse themselves fully in a
country’s culture and language when their on holiday. If you’re that
person who fusses over using the right foreign words and saying them
in exactly the right accent, help’s at hand with AT&T’s online
text-to-speech service, which features converts text to audible
speech. Log on to (www.public.research.att.com/~ttsweb/tts/demo.php),
type in your foreign phrase or word and voila!, you’ll hear
exactly how to say it in French, German or Latin American Spanish.
 Mile high club
Plane good
are these aviation-inspired coasters from Trintec Industries that
specializes in aviator gifts. Available in sets of four (US$14.95)
with airspeed, altitude and compass versions, they make great prezzies
for the airplane geek, or just to add a quirky touch to a bland coffee
table.
www.trintec.com
Lost and found
Ever wondered how much bounty actually gets left behind in hotels by
absent minded guests? Loads, and it comes up to no small amount too,
according to Holiday Inn hotels in the
UK.
According to the hotel group, a whopping £750,000
worth of lost property was left unclaimed in its hotels across the
country last year.
But even more surprising perhaps is the stuff that got left behind,
among the weirdest ones a prosthetic leg, a glass eye, a monk’s habit
and even a blow-up sheep. Other items —and
extremely valuable ones at that — still unclaimed include £2,000 in
cash, a £2,000 Rolex watch, a £1,000 Mont Blanc fountain pen and a
£3,000 engagement ring. We’re guessing she said no?
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