Travel

Unexpected Problems With Last Minute Travel Booking

Booking last minute holidays can be exciting, but it can also leave holidaymakers in the dark. If you book a last minute holiday with a travel agent you’re not familiar with, you run the risk of something going wrong.

Last-minute holidays don’t leave much time for research into things like your resort, accommodation and facilities if you’re going somewhere for the first time. Below is a guide to what unexpected problems may await you on your last minute holiday if you’ve booked with a travel agent you don’t know much about.

Poor quality accommodation

Many travel agents will not tell you where you’re going to be staying when you book last minute holidays. Being allocated your accommodation on arrival has the potential to make or break your holiday. Think about it; would you go for a job interview without knowing who the company was? Unfortunately there is still a lot of poor quality holiday accommodation throughout Europe, a lot of which is given to people who book last minute holidays with disreputable travel agents.

Lack of facilities

Last minute holidays can be a real bargain if you book them at the beginning or end of the season. However, you should be aware that the resort facilities may not all be fully up and running when you go. A good travel agent will make you aware of this before taking your money, but there are some out there who won’t. Spending a week or two in a resort where many of the restaurants, clubs, bars and attractions are closed could spoil your time abroad.

Hidden charges

In the rush to book last minute holidays online, people are often hooked in by the headline price. You should be aware this is often unlikely to be the full price you’ll pay. While lots of travel agents will be upfront and clear about everything you need to pay for, others can be a bit underhand. Things like putting additional surcharges in smaller print under the main price and not mentioning there is a credit card surcharge are just two ways some companies try to apply hidden charges to last minute holidays.

Going on last minute holidays shouldn’t mean you have to cross your fingers and hope for the best. Travelling into the unknown is not a great way to start your break and your trip could turn out to be holiday hell rather than a little taste of paradise.

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Entertainment

Facts You Should Know About Gift Hampers

Gift hampers were initially commercialised and sent out to staff by wealthy families in Britain and soon after throughout the British Empire. The hampers usually consisted of food and drink, and the idea was that they would be a gift for the wealthy business owners and the gentry’s staff and family, usually over periods of religious festivities such as Christmas and Easter.

Hampers of this era were, of course, limited in size due to transport limitations and generally did not exceed the size of a small wicker basket that could be comfortably carried on foot. However, gift hampers became a lot more extravagant once the railways had expanded across Britain, and people began sending the hampers far and wide to friends and relatives. The principle is the same to this day, although hampers are now far more varied and exciting.

What and who should I buy a gift hamper for?

Hampers can be made from virtually anything. Whatever the interests or hobbies of your friends and relatives, there is sure to be a hamper to suit their lifestyle. Boy, girl, man, woman—even pets—can all enjoy receiving an exciting, and useful, hamper.

There are hampers, offered by some specialist gift suppliers, consisting of childhood memory sweets such as jelly beans, to really useful gift hampers designed for new moms and their newborn babies.

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Business

What Is Best Location For Startups In London

One issue facing start-ups is how to take the step from a home-based operation to a staffed office. It is perilously easy to fall into the trap of the law of diminishing returns, as orders do not cover new overheads.

One person with a desk and a computer is a far cry from an outfit which has other employees to pay and a building to maintain. However, in order to grow bigger, such expansion is essential.

For both national and international prestige, a London address is most impressive. As the hub of British commerce, a thriving concern might well want to have a presence in the city. But moving into London, especially from much further afield can be a daunting prospect. This is where calling on the services of one of the many commercial property consultants London has to offer will pay big dividends.

London’s own Silicon Valley

Depending on your business, it can be vital to pick the right area. One area of London that is fast becoming a thriving center for tech start-ups is East London. Some people have even begun to call it Britain’s equivalent of Silicon Valley. Never one to miss out on an opportunity to source upcoming talent, Google UK already has a presence here, with its very own Google Campus. Google is also building a new HQ at Kings Cross, so it is clear the company sees London as a promising site for innovation and talent.

For a digital business, this really is the place to be, not least for the buzzing atmosphere of creativity and the chance to network and bounce ideas around with other like-minded people. These factors can be crucial in fitting in and feeling at home in the right place.

Tech City in East London, which started life known as “Silicon Roundabout” is proof that London business is booming. Start-ups generated £351 million in the last six months of last year. The availability of right business premises for start-ups makes it a wise choice for those with a small team on a tight budget. Almost derelict not so long ago, it has lured in artists to its affordable large warehouse spaces, and in their wake came coffee bars and eateries. The artists were soon followed by gallery owners, and we saw the emergence of a trendy hang-out.

Hipsters come, business follows

Proximity to the city, cheaper rents and a lively atmosphere were a big draw for media and creative types, and after the arts-led drive came the technical geeks. Berg, the company that makes the Little Printer, was one of the first to move into what was then Silicon Roundabout and its CEO speaks highly of the location. He cites the desirability of having people around you who are thinking big thoughts like you are. This is very encouraging for a startup with high hopes. He calls it a neighborhood “for serendipity” where like minds can connect.

Any tech start-up, whether with an app, a new game or an invention would be happily at home in this part of London, UK. Whatever the business, it is imperative to find the right spot for it, and this is where local knowledge and experienced location hunters will serve a start-up superbly.

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