by Paul Riegler

Virtually everyone frequent traveler has fairly strong opinions about the hotels he stays at and not every stay is picture perfect.
With the Hotels2017 survey, you now have an opportunity to rate the hotel chain you stay at the most as well as to provide direct feedback in the form of comments and suggestions for that specific hotelier.
Frequent Business Traveler and FlyerTalk, the world’s largest online travel community, are collaborating with …

The ATM Turns 50 Today

by Paul Riegler

The ubiquitous automated teller machine, a device used by travelers in far-off lands to obtain local currency as well as to conduct banking transactions at home, turned 50 on Tuesday.
Sometimes referred to as an ATM, cashpoint, bankomat, or just a cash machine, the first such machine went into service on June 27, 1967 at a Barclays Bank branch in London, beating the competition – a Swedish machine known as a …

Raleigh Marriott City Center – Hotel Review

by Jesse Sokolow

After purchasing a cup of coffee at the only Starbucks in downtown Raleigh, I strolled into the lobby of the Raleigh Marriott City Center without missing a step as it is directly connected to the coffee emporium. Guests were lounging on cushioned chairs and couches, some were watching TV.
The lobby offered tables facing floor-to-ceiling windows with views of downtown, a pleasant setting to take in a sunny late spring day.
Cup …

Review: “Sunset Boulevard” at Palace Theater

by Jonathan Spira

When Glenn Close speaks, people listen.
“This is Glenn Close,” the soft voice said over the public address system at the Palace Theater Friday night. “I have a cold,” she went on to say, quickly adding that she would be performing but perhaps not in full voice. Thunderous applause from an appreciative audience followed.
This was not the first time Ms. Close addressed the audience directly. In November 1994, during previews of …

Lobby Bar – June 23: How Airplanes Relax, Cats Can Fly, and a Co-operative Driving

by Jeremy Del Nero

It is better to create than to learn! Lobby Bar is the essence of life.
Yep, him too. Jonathan Spira heads to Central Park to see his old friend, Julius. The play has undergone a few minor changes to be relevant to the current political landscape; highlights include Caesar dying for the 119th time, gasping “Et tu, Trumpe?”
Traveling club kids. Penn Station is trying to rid itself of its icky reputation, …

Review and Test Drive: 2017 Lexus GS 450h Sedan

by Jonathan Spira

The Lexus GS first made an appearance in 1993 and throughout all four generations has been available with six-cylinder engines and rear-wheel drive. A hybrid version debuted in 2005 and the fourth generation GS received a mid-life refresh in 2016.
It’s clear that Lexus has worked hard to differentiate the GS from its competition as well as from its front-wheel drive sibling, the Lexus ES. It has a more youthful stance, …

Today is Take Your Dog to Work Day

by Paul Riegler

In case you didn’t know, today is Take Your Dog to Work Day, an unofficial holiday that traces its origins back to 1999.
The first Take Your Dog to Work Day was created by Pet Sitters International, a company that provides educational resources for professional pet sitters.
At Frequent Business Traveler, almost every day is Take Your Dog to Work Day as Editorial Director Jonathan Spira’s pup, Snickers the Wonderdog, who has …

JFK’s Terminal 4: Gert-Jan de Graaff Wants You to Have a ‘Memorable Experience’

by Jonathan Spira

If you want to see what the future of international travel looks like, you need go no farther than the arrivals hall at Terminal 4, the International Arrivals Terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.
Having replaced the similarly named ca. 1957 International Arrivals Building in 2001, Terminal 4 is the major gateway for international travelers at JFK and was the first such facility in the United …