Purple Passport – Purple Travel Official Blog

50 Shades of I don’t care

It might be this year’s biggest literary hit, but 50 Shades of Grey is also the most put downable book. According to budget hotel chain Travelodge, around 7,000 copies of the EL James penned bestseller have been found discarded in rooms. The first release in the saucy collection, is the first non chick lit or celebrity biography to top the list in a while, in 2009, it was Katie Price’s autobiography Pushed to the Limit.

Other books on the ‘Left Behind List’ include The Millennium Trilogy – lead by The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo makes up the rest of the top ten, along with the Hunger Games trilogy and The Help by Kathryn Stockett.

Barbie’s hitting the high seas!

If you’re a mum or dad to a ten year old, then be prepared to get into the Barbie Cruise Experience. Royal Caribbean International has teamed up with toymaker Mattel to offer the ‘Barbie Premium Experience’ right across its network of ships.

That means pink tea parties, fashion shows and rooms. Youngsters will be able to take part in themed activities like the mermaid dance class or fashion design workshop. The pink themed holiday even includes as many Barbie related keepsakes as you can possible imagine. Think Barbie blankets and pillows, toiletry bag and toothbrush. It’ll launch in January 2013.

Love lockdown

Authorities in Rome are going against its image as a romantic city, by ordering the removal of dozens of love padlocks on an ancient bridge.

Couples from across the world have been declaring their enduring love, by placing padlocks on the Ponte Milvio Bridge in the city. Once locked in place, the key is dropped into the water, symbolizing young love and never ending romance.

However now bosses in the city say the rusting locks are causing irreparable damage to the ancient bridge and have started using the decidedly unromantic bolt cutters to take them down. Somehow we can’t see it putting off young love just yet!

Mini crime spree

Staff at New York’s JFK Airport were arrested this week, after allegedly stealing over 100,000 mini-bottles of alcohol meant for on board passengers.

The micro crime spree was uncovered after a nine month investigation known as ‘Operation Last Call’. It’s reported the staff had specific access to secure areas and they bribed security with pilfered bottles that they then sold on the black market.

Purple Passport: Secret confessions of hotel staff

Aug 31 2012

We bring you the latest travel news so you know what you’re doing when booking your next holiday!

Hotel confessions

Ever wondered what hotel staff are really thinking? Well you can wonder no more! Reddit, the user generated site has been asking its members ‘what are things that are disturbing/interesting/unsanitary about hotel rooms?’ The term eye opening barely covers it. At last check there were 5,580 comments, from hotel staff all over the world. Here is just a selection: (you can read the full thread here.)

We give free toothbrushes, deodorant, slippers and rubber ducks to anyone who asks. If you go to the front desk late at night when the auditor is working and ask, “can I have some free stuff?” They will probably give you something.
Stay at places with all white linens. There’s no hiding. *Source: I work at a hotel with white linens.
As an ex housekeeper we used to wash the glasses in the bathroom sink and dry them with a clean pillow case. If they looked unused they wouldn’t get washed.
Just to clear this up, duvets are NOT meant to be slept on. I know many people are grossed out that they aren’t always changed but again they are not meant to be used as a blanket. There is a large warm blanket underneath with the sheets that are supposed to be used. Every single person who travels knows the horror stories accompanied with bed covers, so the right thing to do is to fold it and place it on the floor or chair.
We really try our best getting it as clean as possible (our supervisors check the rooms before the guests arrive). Plus there is some sort of competitions between us maids – nobody wants to be the ‘bad maid’. I am aware that this doesn’t count for every hotel though.
Please do not try to sneak your horse into the building, the horse does not want to be in here either.

Brangelina head for… the Lake District

When you think of Hollywood megastars on holidays it tends to be places like St Tropez, Miama or the Greek Islands. It’s not so for uber couple Brad and Angelina, now we can add Lake Windermere to that list.The Sun is reporting the couple and their brood are heading to Cumbria for th
eir holidays this year. Angie is said to have fallen in love with the place while filming Maleficent nearby, while Brad has been busy in Glasgow with World War Z. Of course the Hollywood duo probably won’t be renting a caravan, but taking a few days in a boathouse and bringing the kids quad biking.

Ready, set, tomato!

If your idea of a good time is pelting your friends with ripe tomatoes (and who’s isn’t?) then read on. Every year the streets of Buñol, near Valencia in Spain are filled with thousands of people, who gather for the Tomatina festival. 120 tonnes of the red fruit (it is a fruit, right?) are brought in and the mass food fight begins. It happens the last Wednesday in August, and you can check out some awesome pictures from this years festival at the Guardian here. The only problem is, if you started out loving tomatoes, you might just end up hating them!

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Purple Passport: Barbie Cruises and love lockdowns