I am not one to spend a lot of money on a suitcase. They get thrown around, are placed on dirty belts and racks and pricey pieces can attract thieves. Still, I have to admit that I am loving the new Britto Collection from Heys. The bags are like works of art and their hard-shelled exteriors look quite durable. I’m feeling tempted!

From $200 heysusa.com

There are a lot of different luggage tags on the market these days, but I think these Bag Buddies are particularly cute. ID info is listed on the buddy’s tummy and Velcro straps attach him to any bag. They are perfect to get kids excited about travelling and great to make luggage stand out on a conveyor belt. They are also machine washable so you can easily clean them after getting dragged around germ filled airports and hotels. Bag Buddies come in five different animal varieties so you can collect them all and take a different buddy on every trip!

$7.85 Magellan’s

Before a recent trip to Las Vegas, Will received an e-mail with a great offer to stay at the Aria hotel in the brand new City Center complex. Although we all know that staying at a new hotel can be dicey, we figured a luxury property would have to be running relatively smoothly.

Date: December 2009

Parking: Since construction continues on City Center, parking was a mess. There was no back entrance to the self parking lot and we missed the entrance twice forcing us to circle back around the strip. Eventually we used the valet which we stumbled upon by accident. We figured this would make life easier, but the pickup is in a different location so getting our car back was as much a hassle as dropping it off had been.

Check-in/Check-out: We had no wait at the front desk and the woman who helped us was very nice. Although she didn’t have a record of the promotion we had booked, she called a manager over who was able to correct our account. Although it took longer than average, we were satisfied and were given a room on a high floor as requested. Check-out went smoothly and our bill was accurate.

Room: We stayed in a standard room and since we were the first or second guest to stay there it was very clean. Our view was not of the strip, but it was still nice from the floor to ceiling windows. Everything in the room was controlled via a small computer screen on the night table which was somewhat tricky to figure out. I knocked it over during the night causing the curtains to fly open and all the lights to turn on. Overall the room was decent and the bed was comfortable but it seemed unfinished. Wires dangled from the TV, our heat didn’t work, a handle fell off a bathroom drawer and one of the lights above the bed was dangerously loose. I was not impressed at all with the bathroom. The connected shower and bath were strange, the water pressure was horrible, and the sinks had little counter space and splashed water everywhere when used.

Overall Impression: It seemed like a lot of things were thrown together to get the Aria open ASAP even though it’s not really ready. Although all of the employees were very nice, many of them didn’t yet know how things work at the hotel. Hopefully, it will improve with time but I don’t think there should be such a steep learning curve at a 5 star accommodation.

Grade: D+

Visit My Adventures to read about our trip to Lisbon, Portugal and check out pictures on my Photos page or by clicking into the album through one of the images posted.

Wishing everyone a happy and safe end to 2009 and looking forward to many great adventures in 2010!!

I can’t travel without my iPod but no matter how I pack or wrap them, my earphones are always a mess when they come out of my bag. These retractable earphones keep your cord knot and tangle free!

$14.85 Magellan’s

For those of you who have wondered what it would feel like to be a hamster, I present to you La Hamster Villa. It’s a theme hotel in Nantes, France that treats its guests like the cuddly rodents. You can eat grain, sleep on a pile of hay or even run in a giant wheel all night long. Personally, I’m not really feeling this concept…although the wheel might be kind of fun.

La Hamster Villa – Website in French only.

This month Will and I will head to Palm Springs and Joshua Tree National Park to recharge and reconnect with nature. I’m looking forward to long walks surrounded only by windmills and Joshua trees!

I’m working on the Lisbon stuff….I should have it up by the end of the month.

A lot of people will be flying over the holidays and many of us will be carry gifts which means more luggage. It’s hard to keep up with which airlines charge for bags and how much it costs but luggagelimits.com is a great resource to keep you well informed. Just type in your airline, departure and arrival airports and the site will list the baggage rules for your flight and any applicable fees.