Hotel Reception Counters

The ambiance and environment of a hotel is glimpsed through the neatness and appropriateness of the hotel reception counters. There is more to designing it than merely adding furniture pieces that look good.
The texture, color and shape of the reception in your hotel must reflect a mood that is appropriate for its function. As soon as the guest enters a hotel, the first place they head to is the reception desk. A comfortable, stylish, functional and non-cluttered reception desk makes sure they don't turn around and head out instantly! Hotel areas should be designed keeping in mind the frequency of use and the reception is the most frequently used area no doubt. Other elements to keep in mind are factors like spillage in the area, amount of space required and the number of people who will man it.

The hotel reception area should be a large open area where visitors get their first exposure to the hotel's amenities. The cliched saying, "first impression is the last impression" really holds true here and most hotels spend a great deal of thought and funds into creating a beautiful reception area.
Fabrics used for furnishing the reception area must be looked at both from a wear and tear basis and the design point of view. The reception area is also used by guests for meetings visitors, hosting business meetings, afternoon teas could be taken here - this means upholstery could be prone to spillage. This makes it important to choose carefully yet tastefully when designing the area. A large, spacious and attractive reception desk looks neat and tidy. All the electrical paraphernalia required by the staff like computers and other machinery must have inlaid consoles to hide away all the untidy wiring. Any art work and colours used must be attractive yet functional so as not to override the purpose of the reception desk.
You could choose desks made from Hickory, Sawn Oak or Cherry wood tables - all of these have different grains and colors that can do wonders to the ambiance. Add a finishing coat for an even luster or a gleaming glass table top. These could be plain or with etched colorful art on the glass for that extra effect. Instead of paperwork on the table, add sliding drawers and filing cabinets that remain hidden under the top.

Best Hotels Near Birmingham Airport

Birmingham Airport (earlier known as Birmingham International Airport) is the second busiest airports in the UK and is a very popular airport. It supports domestic flights across Great Britain and also across Europe, Asia and to the Caribbean and North America hence it is the gateway to lots of destinations far and wide and remains busy throughout the year.
An international airport or any busy airport is never complete without hotels nearby which can accommodate passenger needs. Luckily, Birmingham Airport has lots of nice hotels within easy reach which is convenient for passengers stopping here. The hotels come complete with parking facilities and you don't have to worry about the safety of your vehicle when you avail of the option of leaving your vehicle here and picking it up after your travel.

These hotels are a good option for transit travelers or locals who do not want to take chances with their flights and ensure that they board on time. They also provide great relaxation for people coming in after long journeys or those with connecting flights from the airport and have hours to spare before their next flight. Some hotels are located within the airport itself and others in the nearby surrounding areas.
The best include the following:
The Coventry Hill hotel: is a two star hotel best for a comfortable night before catching your flight. It is only a few miles from the airport and in a very good location. Some of the amenities you get in this hotel include a restaurant, room service and a color TV.
The Birmingham Corus hotel: A three star hotel a few miles from this busy airport, this hotel's location is excellent. The conveniences and facilities include a swimming pool, a gym that is fully equipped and also a restaurant. It is a great hotel choice, whether you're only looking for hotels near Birmingham airport in time for an early flight or whether you're coming in from a long journey and need to rest before you catch your connecting flight.
The Birmingham Crowne Plaza hotel: This is a four star hotel and it is located at only five minutes' drive from Birmingham Airport. It offers transport services via a minibus shuttle service that runs every 15 minutes thereby ensuring that you get to the airport on time. It is a luxury hotel with everything any traveler could need before/after a flight

Best Hotel Deals: Secrets Hotels Don't Want You to Know

Let's say that you're one of those people who wants to take a vacation, but isn't sure you can afford it. Even if you travel, the last thing you want to do is pay for a hotel. Even an average hotel is going to cost you a couple hundred dollars. Fortunately, there are a couple of ways to get huge discounts on the price of your hotel. Many times, you can stay in a 4 or 5 star hotel for less than a 2 star price.
With the economy the way it is, and tourism down in just about any destination, hotels are more willing than ever before to give discounts. The trick is that you have to find them.
One of the easiest ways to get discounts is to take advantage of unpublished rates. Unpublished rates are rates that you can find on certain websites, but not others. Expedia, for example, has a large amount of unpublished rates for popular destinations. Many times, these rates can be 50% off the regular price of the room. It's a great deal.

But that's not all you can do. It's almost a given that any hotel you come across is going to have unfilled rooms. That's where discounts start. Hotels want to fill up as many rooms as they can, and if they have to offer a discount to do it, then they probably will. Many websites will even allow you to bid on hotel rooms, by asking you how much you're willing to pay, and then sending that to hotels.
I was actually reading an article on MSN that talked about a guy who simply asked for discounts on his hotel room. Believe it or not, he claimed a 40% success rate. For example, he was interested in a room that cost $175 per night. He basically asked for a discount, got a manager involved, and was able to negotiate the cost down to $120. Let's figure he was staying for 5 days, that's a savings of $250 on the total vacation.
And that's one of the things that hotels don't want you to know. Nine times out of ten, there is a way to avoid paying the full price for a room. Especially if you're visiting a popular destination. If you look at a few different hotels, odds are one of them is going to give you a discount. So that begs the question, why would you ever pay full price for a room?

Finding the best place to book: There are a number of websites that will help you find the best hotel deals, but some are better than others. There's actually a list of the three best places to book a hotel room at WorldWidely.com. It's a great article that goes into depth about what certain websites offer that others don't.