Some hostels and hotels have suggested that the solution to some of their email problems is to have their email forwarded to a “more reliable” email host such as GMAIL.   The problem with this approach is when you want to reply to a customer or supplier email. Do you really want your customers to be receiving email from you from GMAIL? You then have the problem of the customer’s spam filters blocking that email.

The best solution is always to use your own domain name and email from that domain.

Note for those using shared hosting !!! Even when you have your own domain name, and use email with your own domain name, your hosting company’s mail is probably run on a separate server, along with a multitude of other email domains on the same IP address. This can still result in problems getting your mail if there are other spammers on the same domain.

Some might argue that the only solution is a dedicated server, with mail run on a dedicated IP with reverse DNS properly set up. Admittedly, this is not a cheap solution. For all other solutions, problems with sending and receiving mail will no doubt be a problem for years to come.

We have dealt with this problem for years. If anyone has questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Instant World Booking now offers a convenient new way to update availability calendars for hostels, hotels, and bed & breakfasts.  Our XML API/interface for uploading calendar availability is available for:

• Property Managers
• Hostel chains and National Associations of lodgings
• Channel Management systems
• Other booking engines

In fact, anyone who is tired of managing availability manually, or updating systems on multiple booking engines, doesn’t have to.  Don’t spend hours trying to manage availability manually, or learning additional systems.  Our simple XML file format is easy to use and easy to upload.  We can offer assistance to anyone in need of help integrating an automatic allocation of rooms/beds on the Instant World Booking network.

If you are currently using another front end system for managing your available rooms and beds, let us know.  If we already interface with their system, you can upload your availability to us automatically.  If we don’t currently interface with your provider, call them up today and tell them you want to upload your calendar allocation to Instant World Booking.

To get started with our XML API, begin by checking out our manual, or send it to your developer:

Instant World Booking API XML Manual

For more information, contact us today at: info@instantworldbooking.com

If you are searching for an inexpensive front end system for managing multiple booking engines, check out http://myallocator.com/.  You can also contact us for other recommendations.

For a list of some 3rd party calendar management systems currently linking to Instant World Booking, please see:

http://www.instantworldbooking.com/blog_iw/2009/12/list-of-calendar-management-systems-linked-to-instant-world-booking/

The Swine Flu (H1N1) has surged again this season.  As Autumn and Winter travelers reach their destinations, it’s important to know the signs of the H1N1 Flu since the level of risk in various regions may sometimes be unknown.  We encourage you to rely on your doctor as your main source of care and advice on seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccinations and treatment.

What to Do If You Get Sick
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that if you get sick with flu-like symptoms, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people, except to get medical care.

Most people with 2009 H1N1 have been only mildly sick and have not needed medical care or antiviral drugs. The same is true for seasonal flu. If you get sick with flu, call your doctor for advice. If your doctor decides that you do need drug treatment, medicine will be most helpful when started within the first two days that symptoms begin to show.

Here are some tips from CDC on what to do if you’re sick:
1)  Know the signs. Flu symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headaches, chills, tiredness, diarrhea and vomiting.

2)  Know the emergency warning signs. Anyone who has one or more of the emergency warning signs below should get medical care right away.

3)  If you are not sure what to do if you or a family member is sick, contact your doctor. He or she will best be able to guide you.

Emergency Warning Signs of the Flu

Periodically, we introduce other companies and websites which we are proud to have as marketing partners.

Turperu is a travel agency, with more than 30 years of experience in the operation of travel services within the most coveted places of Peru.
Our tours cover Lima, Cusco, Arequipa, Puno, Iquitos and many other treasured destinations. Don’t forget visit their blog: www.turperu.com.pe/eblog

Turperu URL: http://www.turperu.com.pe

Here Are The Top 100 Hotels In The World, According To Travel & Leisure Magazine September, 2009

THE TOP 100 HOTELS
Properties in Africa and Asia have been steadily rising in the Top 100 rankings since 2003, and this year they have broken all the records: 58 percent of reader favorites are located on the other side of the globe. But properties closer to home still hold strong. At No. 3, St. Lucia’s Jade Mountain is the first hotel in the Caribbean ever to break into the Top 10, and U.S. and Canadian hotels, from Texas to Toronto, make up nearly a quarter of the list.

1. BUSHMANS KLOOF Cedar Mountains, South Africa 98.67

2. OBEROI VANYAVILAS Ranthambhore, India 98.00

3. JADE MOUNTAIN St. Lucia 97.50

4. SABI SABI PRIVATE GAME RESERVE (EARTH LODGE) Sabi Sand Wildtuin, South Africa 97.50

5. INN AT MANITOt,? McKellar, Ontario 95.59

6. SINGITA SABI SAND Sabi Sand Wildtuin, South Africa 95.52

7. FOUR SEASONS TENTED CAMP GOLDEN TRIANGLE Chiang Rai, Thailand 95.00

8. OBEROI UDAIVILAS Udaipur, India 94.88

9. GOVERNORS’ CAMP Masai Mara, Kenya 94.82

10. JACK’S CAMP Kalahari, Botswana 94.72

11. PALACIO DUHAU-PARK HYATT Buenos Aires 94.68

12. KIRAWIRA CAMP WESTERN SERENGETI Serengeti National Park, Tanzania 94.63

13. EAGLE ISL AND CAMP Okavanqo Delta, Botswana 94.17

14. INN AT PALMETTO BLUFF Bluffton, South Carolina 94.03

15. TWELVE APOSTLES HOTEL & SPA Cape Town 93.91

16. SINGITA GRUMETI RESERVES Serenqeti National Park, Tanzania 93.75

17. THE LODGE AT KAURI CLIFFS North Island, New Zealand 93.75

18. ROSEWOOD MAYAKOBA Riviera Maya 93.41

19. ELIOT HOTEL Boston 93.40

20. MANDARIN ORIENTAL Bangkok 93.34

21. FOUR SEASONS RESORT Chianq Mai, Thailand 93.33

22. THE FARM AT CAPE KIDNAPPERS North Island, New Zealand 93.33

23. ESPERANZA RESORT Los Cabos, Mexico 93.30

24. LIONS SAND PRIVATE GAME RESERVE Sabi Sand Wildtuin, South Africa 93.28

25. ROYAL MALEWANE Kruqer National Park, South Africa 93.15

26. WATERMARK HOTEL & SPA San Antonio, Texas 93.08

27. SHAMWARI GAME RESERVE Eastern Cape, South Africa 93.00

28. OBEROI AMARVILAS Agra, India 92.91

29. SINGITA KRUGER NATIONAL PARK South Africa 92.86

30. THE SAXON Johannesburg 92.86 .

31. GRAND HOTEL BAGLIONI Bologna, Italy 92.83 .

32. ISLAND SHANGRI-t.A Hong Kong 92.75

33. GIRAFFE MANOR Nairobi 92.68

34. LONDON PRIVATE CAME RESERVE Sabi Sand Wildtuin, South Africa 92.68

35. THE PENINSULA Hong Kong 92.23

36. COUPLES NEGRIL Jamaica 92.19

37. ANANTARA DHIGU RESORT & SPA. Maldives 92.14

38. LONDON WEST HOLLYWOOD California 92.07

39. KICHWA TEMBO MASAI MARA Kenya 91.86

40. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL CAIRO AT THE FRST RESIDENCE Egypt 91.86

41. HALEKULANI Oahu 91.81

42. COUPLES SWEPT AWAY Neqril, Jamaica 91.80

43. DOMAINE DES HAUTS DE LOIRE, France 91.79

44. KHWAI RIVER LODGE Okavanqo Delta, Botswana 91.71

45. HOTEL NELLIGAN Montreal 91.47

46. AMANGANI Jackson, Wyoming 91.42

47. IL SAN PIETRO Positano, Italy 91.39

48. PUDONG SHANGRI-LA Shanghai 91.30

49. TORTILIS CAMP Amboseli Game Reserve, Kenya 91.28

50. AMANKORA PARO Bhutan 91.25

51. ENCHANTMENT RESORT Sedona, Arizona 91.22

52. RABBIT HILL INN Lower Waterford, Vermont 91.19

53. ANANTARA GOLDEN TRIANGLE Chiang Rai, Thailand 91.16

54. PLACE D’ARMES HOTEL & SUITES Montreal 91.06

55. SHANGRI-LA’S TANJUNG ARU RESORT & SPA KOTA KINABALU Malaysia 90.98

56. NEORONGORO CRATER LODGE Tanzania 90.97

57. CEYLAN INTERCONTINENTAL Istanbul 90.90

58. CAPE GRACE Cape Town 90.90

59. WESTIN BLIND CENTER Shanghai 90.82

60. LE OUARTIER FRANCAIS Franschhoek Valley, South Africa 90.79

61. MARRIOTT HOTEL Budapest 90.76

62. SOOKE HARBOUR HOUSE Sooke, British Columbia 90.67

63. FOUR SEASONS RESORT HOUSE Hawaii 90.67

64. SAN YSIDRO RANCH Santa Barbara, California 90.59

65 POST HOTEL & SPA Lake Louise, Alberta 90.59

66. THE PENINSULA Bangkok 90.55

67, RITZ-CARLTON BEIJING FINANCIAL STREET 90.52

68. ST. REGIS Shanghai 90.44

69. MOMBO AND LITTLE MOMBO CAMPS Okavango Delta, BotSwana 90.42

70. OBEROI RAJVILAS Jaipur, India 90.40

71. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL Shanghai 90.35

72. OMNI LA MANSION DEL RIO San Antonio, Texas 90.27

73. WESTIN PALACE Milan 90.16

74. ANSE CHATANET RESOR T St. Lucia 90.14

75. SnAVUTE ELEPHANT CAMP Chobe National Park, Botswana 90.13 76. FAIRMONT MOUNT KENYA SAFARI CL°at; NanyUki, Kenya 90.07

77. MALAMALA GAME RESERVE Sabi Sand Wildtuin, South Africa 90.00

78.TAJ LAKE PALACE Udaipur, India 89.87

79. RUSTY PARROT Lodge & SPA Jackson Hole, Wyoming 89.87

80. CHATEAU EZA Itze Village, France 89.85

81. EDEN ROCK St. Bart’s 89.76

82. LIE MERIDIEN PHUKE T BEACH RESORT Thailand 89.75

83. HOTEL HANA-MAUI & HONUA SPA Maui 89.74

84.FOUR SEASONS HOTEL Prague 89.69

85. AYANA RESORT & SPA (FORMERLY THE RITZ-CARLTON BALI RESORT & SPA) Bali, Indonesia 89.69

86. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL TOKOYO AT CHIANZAN -S089.69

87. RAMBAGH PALACE Jaipur, India 89.61

88. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL AlEXANDRIA AT SAN STEFANO Egypt 89.56

89. HANGRI-LA’S FAR EASTERN PLAZA HOTEL Taipei 89.55

90. MANDARIN ORIENTAL DHARA DHEVI Chiang Mai, Thailand 89.55

91.THE CLOISTER AT SEA ISLAND Georgia 89.54

92. POST RANCH INN Big Sur, California 89.49

93.LE MILRIDIEN Bangkok 89.48

94.AUBERGE DU SOLEIL Rutherford, California 89.36

95. HOTEL PLAZA ATHtNEE Paris 89.35

96. FAIRMONT MARA SAFARI CLUB MaSai Mara, Kenya 89.33

97. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL Hong Kong 89.25

98. AL.VEAR PALACE HOTEL Buenos Aires 89.22

99. PARK HYATT Beijing 89.19

100. HOTEL LE ROYAL Luxembourg 89.08

Every once in a while, we introduce a new service that is so revolutionary, we can’t wait to tell you about it. IWB Payments is one of those services. Why is it revolutionary? Because no other service provider offers it.In short, IWB Payments offers you the ability to accept credit cards from your guests for any service. You don’t need a merchant account, credit card machine, or gateway. You don’t need all the costs that come with other merchant services and payment systems.

IWB Payments is a unique payment system offered only by Instant World Booking. It is unlike any service offered by competitors. How? You can accept credit card payments for any travel-related service, including rooms, meals, activities, etc. Charge customers up front as a deposit or as a final payment. For cancellations and no-shows (when your guest fails to arrive), you can now collect a cancellation fee according to your policy.

IWB Payments even allows you to charge your customers for reservations originating from other sources. Consider this: Even if a reservation was confirmed from another service, like HostelWorld or BedandBreakfast com, you can charge your guests here for the reservation and related travel costs. No other provider offers such convenience, which is so important to your guests.

To read more about IWB Payments, view the following pageplease check out the following page:

http://www.instantworldbooking.com/payments-systems.php

To comment or ask questions about this new Payments System for hotels, hostels, and bed & breakfasts, you may reply to this post.

What is the lowest cost on the internet for a fully-customizable booking engine for your website?

We have the answer: 1.9%. That’s because Instant World Booking also offers a basic service option with the lowest price available anywhere. And, that still includes online bookings combined with credit card confirmation for your website.

In fact, we offer a range of pricing options starting at the industry-low of 1.9%, offering integrated bookings and credit card deposits all the way up to full collection of the reservation amount up-front. Contact us today to learn more about pricing options and an online booking solution that’s perfect for your business.

Get more about fully-integrated booking engines for your website.

Add your hotel today for online booking at Instant World Booking.

For our valued traveler members who have recently contacted us with an enquiry or used one of our world leading travel portals to reserve accommodations, here’s an update on how Instant World Booking can improve your travel experience and lower your travel budget.

Discounts for Future Travel

Reserve with Instant World Booking before the end of 2009 and pay no service charge.  Simply make your reservation before the end of this year.  Then send us the email you recently received mentioning this offer along with your reservation number, and we will credit you the service charge you paid.  If you’re not planning to make travel reservations before the end of this year, there’s no problem.  We are constantly offering similar promotions.

More Special Places to Visit

We’re constantly adding new hotels, hostels, and bed & breakfasts.  In fact, every single day of the year new lodgings are joining our service.  You’ll want to return again and again to check out the latest best places to visit.

More Travel Information

Instant World Booking brings you the latest travel intelligence and advice.  For example, when we published our award-winning short article on “How to Travel Safely“, we received an overwhelming response from our viewers, many of which have linked to this valuable article on their websites and blogs.

http://www.instantworldbooking.com/communications/articles/how_to_travel_safely_abroad.php

Travel Guides

Now, we’re offering interactive Travel Guides online.  We have received feedback that many of our guides are nothing short of fascinating.  They’re interactive because you can actually post your own guides if you have unique and interesting information about places you’ve visited.  Read or contribute to our travel guides today at:

http://www.instantworldbooking.com/travel_guide/

Videos of Hostels and Bed and Breakfasts

Our blogs now feature many videos of popular hostels and B&Bs.  You can check out these videos at the following pages.

http://www.hosteltraveler.com/blog_ht/category/hostel-videos/

http://www.bedbreakfasttraveler.com/blog_bb/category/bed-and-breakfast-videos/

Do you like taking videos when you travel?  Post videos of your favorite places to visit, and share your candid opinions with our readers.  Just register and share your videos:

http://www.instantworldbooking.com/blog_iw/category/hotel-videos/

With all the buzz about economic conditions worldwide, some wonder what President Obama and the policies of the new White House administration mean for hotel and hostel owners.  For a look at how things may be changing in the coming months for travel and accommodation, please see this video published on CNN.  (See comments for the link)

In short yes.  However, taking wine or other bottled drinks you’ve purchased on your trip has become more difficult when traveling by air.  I recall an all-inclusive resort I stayed at in Mexico.  Everything you could possibly think of to eat and drink was included in the one price I paid.  At dinner, if you wanted a bottle of wine, they brought you your choice.  If you wanted a spare bottle to take back to your room, that was included as well.  If you were in your room, and wished to order a bottle, you could have your pick.  At the end of the trip, I was left with a few unopened bottles.  Well, I packed them between my laundry in my suitcase, and off we flew.  No problems.

Today, transporting wine while traveling is a bit more complicated.  So, you may want to make sure the bottles you intend to bring home are worth the effort.  U.S. Customs allow travelers to bring just a bit more than one bottle’s worth before you may incur duty fees.  And remember, wine bottles may not be carried on board in the passenger area, so it will need to be checked as luggage (or stuffed between your laundry).