CasaSugar

How-To: Continue Saving Travel Dollars After You've Booked and Paid

Emily Co — Tue, 22 May 2012 11:03:26 PDT

Scouring for deals before you make your purchase is always smart, but you can save even more if you go the extra mile and get some money back after you've booked. Here are some savvy tips to get you more savings after you've forked up cash:

Air Travel: You can save more money on air tickets if the price of the flight goes down. Get refunded the difference when you buy your ticket from airlines like JetBlue, Alaska Airlines, and Southwest. Some airlines will charge an extra fee because they will consider it to be changing reservations. AirTran and Virgin, for example, charge $75, while United charges $150. An easy way to keep track of the changing airline prices is to use online price tracker Yapta.com, which will do the work for you and send you refund alerts when your fare has gone down. Be sure to also check out Yapta's other cool feature that keeps track of the flights that you're interested in buying and sends you alerts when the price drops.
Rental Car: Although Yapta tracks rental-car fares, there is an even better site that will do most of the work for you. It's called autoslash.com; it basically books the car for you, checks around for a cheaper price, then emails you when it finds a lower rate. If you want to go with the lower rate, it will rebook it for you.
Hotels: Pick a hotel with a good refund policy or one that allows you to cancel without any penalties if you want to get your money back when you spot a lower rate on a hotel.Then use Yapta as a price-tracking system for hotels, which alerts you when the price of a hotel drops. If the rate does decrease, you can just cancel your reservation and make a new one. You can generally cancel your hotel booking if you don't pay up front for your reservation, but be sure to read the fine print because every hotel has different policy.
Bonus: Alternatively, if you book through travel sites, you can get some sort of price guarantee for your flight, hotel room, and rental car. Keep in mind that every site has different requirements. For hotel stays, Orbitz will refund you the difference if you find the same room at the same hotel and dates at a cheaper price elsewhere. However, the claim has to be submitted before the hotel applies cancellation fees (which requires paying attention to hotel policies) and only works with rates that have the "Low Price Guarantee" or “Price Assurance.” Travelocity, Expedia, and Priceline all have some sort of price guarantee with some differences, so don't assume that the same policy will apply to the other sites.

52 Incredible Looks at Mexico's Best Boutique Hotels

Angela Swinderman Elias — Fri, 04 May 2012 06:00:55 PDT

With Summer fast approaching, we're taking a look at some of the most awe-inspiring boutique hotels in Mexico. Whether nestled in the jungle, on a pristine beach, or in the heart of a vibrant pueblo, each of these destinations balances exotic location with truly immaculate design concepts. Keep reading to see the strikingly diverse yet equally enticing destinations in Mexico and the remarkable hotels that occupy them.

Link Time: A Caribbean Getaway, DIY Wall Art, and Tips For Finding the Right Pillow!

CasaSugar — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:47:19 PST

Tour the lush grounds of a surprisingly affordable inn nestled in the Caribbean jungle. - Garden Design
Paper bird cutouts serve as bold wall decor in this incredibly chic Tribeca apartment. - Houzz
Save cash with these seven budget-savvy bathroom makeover tips. - Country Living
Cozy up with this gallery of modern fireplace designs. - California Home + Design
Try your hand at making this woodland monogram art. - Craft
Banish sleepless nights with these tips for finding the right pillow for you. - Stylelist Home
Marvel at this horse stable turned kitchen. - House Beautiful

5 Ways Flexibility Can Cut Travel Costs

SavvySugar — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 05:00:56 PDT

When it comes to bargains, it pays to play it cool. High maintenance travelers can be as finicky as they want while on vacation, but that approach won't get you the cheapest trip while in planning mode. Think flexibility when organizing a vacation, and the deals will come to you.

Budget Travel: 7 Ways to Save on Your Stay

Emily Co — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 05:00:20 PDT

Hotels and flights will make up the bulk of your travel expenses, so if you're looking to cut down on costs, maybe you should try to skimp on the stay since there's only so much you can save with an air ticket. Read on to find out some savvy ways to save on your lodgings.

Ask a Savvy Bride: Can I Afford This Destination Wedding?

SavvySugar — Tue, 24 May 2011 13:59:55 PDT

Most people have a love/hate relationship with destination weddings. While they automatically sound expensive, aside from the cost of getting there and staying there, they aren't necessarily budget killers. To see what I mean, check out the advice below given to someone who isn't sure she can swing her friend's wedding in Mexico. You can also submit your wedding-related finance questions in our Ask Savvy group.

Dear Savvy,

A friend from college is getting married this summer in Mexico. I was pleasantly surprised to be invited with my boyfriend and while a jaunt south of the border with him sounds lovely in spirit, I just don't know how feasible it is - money is tight right now. I'd love to see all my old friends and have the opportunity to introduce them to my boyfriend, but I'm still on the fence. What should I expect to pay for if we decide to go?

To see what a savvy bride has to say about this, keep reading after the jump.

Sneak Peek: Sustainable Desert Hotel Will Take Inspiration From Nature

Elka Karl — Tue, 03 May 2011 13:11:12 PDT

Reminding me of something you might see on Tatooine, the desert planet from Star Wars, a new, opulent design hotel is currently planned to open in three years in Jordan's Wadi Rum region, an hour outside of the city of Petra. According to World Architectural News, architectural firm Oppenheim Architecture + Design recently won a competition to design the hotel, which will consist of 47 desert lodges that will be nestled into the red sandstone cliffs of the region.

Sustainable materials including rammed earth and cement mixed with locally sourced red sand will be used to construct the lodges. Other eco and sustainable methods will be employed into the design, including using gray and black water that will be turned back into potable water through the use of a living machine, and other water conservation measures. I'd love to see the design in person, and this sneak peek of the hotel's architectural drawings are only making me more eager to see the real thing.

All images by Luxigon

Home Away From Home: Catalonia's Hotel La Malcontenta

Julia Millay Walsh — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 10:40:00 PDT

Located in Catalonia’s bucolic Empordá region, the Hotel La Malcontenta was once a private country home, famous throughout the Empordá for the meticulousness of its owner (to be malcontenta means to be unsatisfied). Taking this attention to detail as a jumping-off point and classical Mediterranean villa architecture as inspiration, the building was transformed by Spanish designer Lázaro Rosa-Violán into an upscale, rural hotel with a balance of graceful, historical character and modern design. Throughout the interiors and stunning outdoor grounds, you'll see period-inspired furniture, simple textures, a palette of warm, neutral colors, and an abundance of feminine touches. In honor of the original owner's legendary spirit, it seems Rosa-Violán has made it the place she always dreamed of - a perfect one.

Click through for the full tour!

Home Away From Home: Stockholm's Berns Salonger Hotel

Julia Millay Walsh — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 10:09:11 PDT

When I visited Stockholm as a student, I holed up in a cozy houseboat hostel on the river which, while quaint and charming, wasn't the best bet for someone with a seasick tendency. I vowed to make sure my next stay in the Swedish city was on land, and hopefully, somewhere a little more upscale.

Since I discovered Berns Salonger Hotel, a landmark in the city since 1863, I've been crafting plans for a Scandinavian vacation that'll blow those college days out of the water. One look at the elegant boutique hotel's unique, contemporary, and fresh interiors and I became determined to return. The hip accommodations also feature conference and banqueting facilities, a vibrant Asian restaurant and Summer terrace, popular bars, and the nightclub Gallery 2.35:1, one of the best music venues in town. It's also the location of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Stockholm, which might sway you fashionistas to visit.

Whether you have a European getaway in your future, or you're just looking for inspiration for you own interior décor, this Swedish home away from home is definitely eye candy for design fanatics. Come take a look!

Shanghai Hotel Embraces Industrial-Chic Design

Elka Karl — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 11:10:50 PDT

If you're headed to Shanghai and appreciate great design, book a stay at The Waterhouse at South Bund. This 19-room intimate boutique hotel features a rooftop cocktail bar, spacious lounge, and a fantastic mix of private indoor spaces and public outdoor spaces. The Travel + Leisure 2011 Design Awards just awarded the hotel an honorable mention for Best Hotel, while its ground floor restaurant Table No. 1 was named Best Restaurant. With furnishings from Arne Jacobsen, Finn Juhl, Hans Wegner, Antonio Citterio, and Kana Ishikawa, it's truly a design lover's dream stay. Take a tour!