What We're Reading: Hotels Tell Guests to Shut Up with 'Noise Meters'

Caroline Costello's travel accomplishments include surviving a 2 a.m. whitewater rafting excursion in the Canadian wilderness, successfully biking from Dusseldorf to Cologne without a map, and gaining access to a covert pizza speakeasy in New Orleans.

Caroline is an active member of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW). Her work has appeared on USA Today, the Boston Globe, AOL.com, MSNBC.com, ABC News, TODAY Travel, and CruiseCritic.com, among other publications.

See recent posts by Caroline Costello

This week, we’re reading a first-hand account of a trip on the new Dreamliner plane, plus a story about hotels that are coming up with creative ways to tell guests to keep it down.

What’s It Like to Fly on the New Dreamliner?

Just ask Stephanie Rosenbloom of The New York Times, who got the chance to test-travel the new 787 Dreamline onboard United Airlines flight 1807, along with about 200 frequent flyers and travel buffs. Rosenbloom reports that the windows are larger, the bathrooms are a dream (with sensors instead of flush buttons so you don’t have to touch anything), the overhead bins are bigger, and there are USB ports and power outlets with every seat. An “iPad-like” screen on the back of seats is stocked with on-demand movies and audiobooks. And the cabin air is cleaner, according to Boeing, as the plane has an advanced filtration system that weeds out odors and irritants.

Boeing promises a smoother ride and more comfortable cabin pressure, but Rosenbloom said, “Neither I nor anyone I interviewed noticed these nuances, though we suspected they would be more apparent on longer flights.” Intrigued? Read more about the Dreamliner here.

A Bazaar Bizarre in Your City

Need holiday gifts for the hipster in your life? Cleveland and Boston will host Bazaar Bizarres this month, featuring quirky handmade gifts crafted by local artists. (San Francisco hosted a Bazaar Bizarre last weekend as well.) Think Etsy, but in festival form. Jaunted reports that the indie craft festivals will have free DIY workshops as well as neon leggings and wood bowties galore.

Hotels Tell Guests to Quiet Down

Our sister site IndependentTraveler.com reports that two U.K. hotel chains are introducing creative ways to warn guests who get too loud. Premier Inn is installing noise meters in the hallways of 620 budget-priced properties. And Crowne Plaza has established “snore patrols” in some hotels, who wake up guests snoring too loudly in designated quiet areas. Dori Saltzman writes, “The job of the snore patrols is to listen for ‘offensive noises,’ then knock on the door of offending guests. If a guest repeatedly snores too loudly, the hotel may ask him or her to move to a room outside of the quiet zone.” Both strategies might come in handy if any of these people are staying at your hotel.

Would you stay at a hotel with a noise meter or a snore patrolman?

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