Newsletters and Email Alerts: A Necessary Evil

My inbox is incredibly cluttered. On top of the usual work-related e-newsletters, I also subscribe to a gazillion travel e-newsletters, give or take a few. Some are more valuable than others, and some are completely irrelevant to my travel preferences. (And I actually don't remember signing up for them in the first place!) But I hold on to the underwhelming newsletters because, hey, sometimes they surprise you.

Here are some of my favourites:

• Travelzoo. The Wednesday newsletter is full of great deals from around the web. Haven't found their recently added special alerts too useful...yet!
• Travel Alerts. Another reason why Wednesdays have turned into travel daydream day!
• SmarterVegas. Signing up gives you exclusive access to discount promo codes for shows and hotels. 
• Porter. Being subscribed to their newsletter means you're among the first to hear about major offers - like 50% off certain flights
• VacationsToGo. I signed up for this one on a whim, and actually booked a cruise (something I never thought I'd do) based on a deal I saw here that was too good to pass up

A couple of my not-so-faves:

• Expedia. Love the site, have never found their email alerts particularly helpful
• Groupon Getaway. I have yet to see a deal I can't pass up here. They're new-ish, though, so I'm hanging in there to see if things change as they grow

Why Waste Money on 'Meh'?

Few things pain me more than spending a big chunk of change on an 'ok' hotel or travel experience. Why? Because there are so many deals out there right now - particularly in the US - that it's completely unnecessary. These days, you can spend a little bit  extra and get a whole lot more.

Case in point: I just got back from a stay at the Ritz Carlton in New Orleans. I'm not exactly in the typical Ritz income bracket. But I do know how to research deals online. This one I happened to find via Expedia. After I booked the room, I spent some time reading reviews on Trip Advisor, and discovered that a number of visitors really recommended upgrading to the Club Level. Normally, I wouldn't even consider spending an extra $120 a night just to get a cushier room at a hotel where every room is certain to be amazing. However, by reading the reviews I discovered that this particular upgrade just might pay for itself. How? Well, the Club Level offers free food and drinks all day long. That meant we didn't have to pay for breakfast or lunch, and we got a head start on our alcoholic beverages for the evening. It was an incredibly deluxe experience, and it really didn't cost that much more than a 'meh' hotel would have set us back once aspects like the free food and drinks were factored in.

This is essentially a long-winded way of saying: it pays to do your homework sometimes. To help make things a little easier for those who may not find deal-hunting as endlessly fascinating as I do, I'm hoping to compile and share as many tips and travel reviews as I can here.