What is a LandLoper?
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About Matt Long
06 July 2011 8:08 PM | No CommentsWho am I? I am a typical Gen-X professional who has a passion for all things travel. My site brings a unique perspective that is hard to find online. I am not a backpacker, nor am I living off of a trust fund. I am...
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Five Reasons to Stop Dreaming and Travel Now
16 April 2012 11:55 PM | 20 Comments -
So What’s Reykjavik Really Like?
28 February 2012 11:55 PM | 12 Comments -
Top Five Travel iPad Apps
06 January 2011 11:55 PM | 24 Comments -
Vatican City Scavi Tour
09 September 2010 2:59 AM | 14 Comments -
Don’t Be a Touron
29 June 2010 8:10 PM | 40 Comments
As Seen In:
Resting Your Head Archive
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Hotels as Experience Curators – InterContinental Bangkok
Posted on May 17, 2012 | 5 CommentsI’ve always maintained that hotels are a lot more than just a place to sleep at night and take a shower. They can make or break a trip; their staffs hold in their hands the success or failure of our travel experience. That’s why I’m... -
Luxury in the Sky – Five Reasons You Should Stay at the Ritz Carlton Tokyo
Posted on May 10, 2012 | 2 CommentsFor our trip to Asia I partnered with several companies in order to portray an image of the region I don’t see enough of in the blogosphere – luxury. There are thousands of blog posts out there about how to spend as little money as... -
Exploring the Yucatan with the JW Marriott Cancun
Posted on April 30, 2012 | 3 CommentsI’ve been to the Yucatan in Mexico several times, usually as a way to quickly recharge and to enjoy the beautiful beaches. It’s hard to pass up on an opportunity to visit paradise, which is why when the JW Marriott invited me down to stay... -
Watch With Me As I Witness the Descent of the Feathered Serpent in Mexico
Posted on March 19, 2012 | No CommentsThere was a brief time in my life when I thought I would actually be an archeologist. I blame Indiana Jones and a fierce desire to uncover lost secrets of history for this passion. Then I realized that math and science were involved and I... -
A Visit to My Happy Place – The InterContinental Melbourne: Rialto
Posted on January 26, 2012 | 4 CommentsI love hotels, from the grand lobbies to the little bathroom amenities, the entire experience of staying with a high quality, luxury hotel is an event unto itself. While traveling through Australia, I partnered with InterContinental Hotels Group to put their famous service to the... -
The No-Holds Barred Review of Dreams Resorts
Posted on January 11, 2012 | 7 CommentsLast year I was approached by AMResorts, the provider of sales, marketing and brand management services to five brands of exclusive resort properties in Mexico and the Dominican Republic, to work together in a partnership to help promote their properties. I researched the brands and... -
The HomeAway Verdict – Are Short Term Vacation Rentals Worth the Hype?
Posted on January 4, 2012 | 15 CommentsEarlier this year I innocently won a door prize at a conference, a gift card to HomeAway.com. HomeAway is the world’s leading online marketplace of vacation rentals, with sites representing more than 625,000 paid vacation rental home listings throughout more than 145 countries. They offer... -
Puerto Vallarta Dreams – Photos From Paradise
Posted on December 11, 2011 | 6 CommentsA few weeks ago I was approached by the fine folks over at AMResorts to partner together on a pretty exciting initiative. AMResorts is the provider of sales, marketing and brand management services to five brands of exclusive resort properties in Mexico and the Dominican... -
Luxury Within Reach on the Tropical Island of Lanai
Posted on November 2, 2011 | 1 CommentHawaii is a place of dreams and expectations. Most people have a mental image of Hawaii whenever the destination comes up in conversation, and for the most part these conceptions are proven true. There is one place though that lives up to the notions of... -
Experiencing Modern Caribbean Comfort at the San Juan Marriott
Posted on October 31, 2011 | 3 CommentsI’m a little embarrassed to say that I had never been to Puerto Rico before accepting the invitation of the San Juan Marriott to visit for a few days to explore the property and the city itself. I’m embarrassed because Puerto Rico is extremely easy... -
Exploring Paradise at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort
Posted on October 26, 2011 | 3 CommentsThere are a lot of hotel brands I love, but for some reason Marriott has always held a soft spot in my heart. That’s why I was so thrilled when the St. Kitts Marriott invited me a few other travel writers down for a few... -
Preserving Style and Architecture at The Rialto in Melbourne
Posted on October 13, 2011 | No CommentsThe Rialto Melbourne I don’t usually write about hotels, unless I find something really unique to say. This post isn’t any different, I’m not going to write about how great our rooms were or how amazing the service was at the InterContinental Melbourne –... -
Finding the Best Hotel For Your Visit to Uluru
Posted on October 3, 2011 | No CommentsEven though I enjoyed every moment of exploring the Northern Territory’s Red Centre, the real star of course was Uluru (Ayer’s Rock). If you travel to Uluru, you will necessarily be a guest of the Voyages Ayers Rock Resort, namely because they’re the only game... -
Desert Oasis – Kings Canyon Resort Experience
Posted on September 26, 2011 | 8 CommentsI’m not going to lie, getting to Kings Canyon from Alice Springs was a bit of an event. I guess I’m just a soft city mouse, but the two hours of driving on corrugated, teeth shattering dirt roads was a bit much. But that introduction... -
InterContinental Challenge – The Results
Posted on September 20, 2011 | No CommentsIntercontinental Melbourne Before leaving on our two-week Australian extravaganza, I wrote this post about our InterContinental Challenge. The idea was simple, for months I’ve been highlighting InterContinental for their ground breaking apps and apparent commitment to service above all else and I wanted to... -
Weird New Zealand – Staying at the Hobbit Hotel
Posted on September 18, 2011 | 15 CommentsWeird Hobbit Hotel I’m in love with New Zealand, from the rolling verdant hills of the North Island to the soaring peaks of the Southern Alps, I love it all. But it’s not just the natural beauty that draws me in, it’s the unique,... -
Taking the InterContinental Challenge
Posted on August 23, 2011 | 1 CommentIntercontinental Melbourne A few months ago I wrote about my favorite hotel iPad and iPhone apps. My focus was on apps created by the hotels themselves, instead of third party booking sites. I wanted to see which brands were doing it right and which... -
Travel Case Study – What Does Luxury Travel Really Mean?
Posted on August 3, 2011 | 13 CommentsNomads, backpackers, flash packers, DINKs, family travelers, GLBT travel, solo travel, multigenerational travel, agritravel, ecotravel, sustainable travel, voluntourism – these are just some of the many different phrases we use to describe a rich variety of different travel styles. One of the oldest terms is... -
A Review of Every Marriott in Jordan
Posted on August 2, 2011 | No CommentsJordan Marriott Marriott didn’t pay for this post, not really. I stayed with them while on a blog trip sponsored by the Jordan Tourism Board, so I guess indirectly they sort of did pay for this post. Unbeknownst to them, I’m alarmingly honest and... -
Courtyard Hits it Big with Airline Passengers
Posted on July 24, 2011 | No CommentsLast week I was traveling through Charlotte-Douglas International Airport like I have a thousand times before, connecting from one US Airways flight to another when I noticed something different. There, in Terminal E, was something new – a charging station. More than just that, it... -
Hotel Service is about the People and Not the Brand
Posted on June 6, 2011 | 2 CommentsI love hotels, from the moment I check in at the start of a new adventure, to wandering about the property and owning a piece of a dream for at least a few days. Given the difficulty of finding reputable hotels when traveling, I have... -
When Service Matters: Choosing the Right Hotel
Posted on May 2, 2011 | 7 CommentsIn my spare time I read a lot about travel. Not only do I enjoy it, but I’m always looking for tip and tricks to enhance my travel experience and to make it more affordable. At the Travel and Adventure Show in Washington, DC, I... -
Faster, Higher, Stronger – Hilton Announces Brand Transformation
Posted on April 20, 2011 | No CommentsHilton Hotels and Resorts this week offered a sneak peek at the results of its multi-year efforts to rebrand the hotel chain into a sleeker, more modern organization. This global effort has been an ongoing process, and Hilton has been releasing information on the new... -
Omni Hotels Joins Global Alliance and Offers Travel Experiences to Guests
Posted on April 3, 2011 | No CommentsA few months ago I wrote an article on the Omni Hotels loyalty program. At the time I called it one of my favorite hotel rewards program in the country, if not my very favorite. I also disclosed the fact that they supplied the prize... -
Trends in Voluntourism: The Kokua Project – Saving Animals in Hawaii
Posted on March 3, 2011 | 12 CommentsKokua While in Lana’i, as part of the Lana’i Visitor’s Bureau New Media Artist in Residence Program, I had the opportunity to meet a truly exceptional person, Kathy Carroll. I was at a small gathering of Lana’i residents when a woman approached and said... -
Stepping Back in Time at the Hotel Lanai
Posted on February 23, 2011 | 2 CommentsHotel Lanai If you a frequent, or even infrequent, reader of this site, then you are no doubt aware that I was recently on the island of Lana’i as part of the Lana’i Visitor’s Bureau New-Media-Artist-in-Residence Program. While there, we had the unique opportunity to... -
When Budget Travel Goes Wrong – Alcazar Hotel
Posted on February 13, 2011 | 9 CommentsI’ve always been very careful when describing the mission of LandLopers. Yes, the site is about budget travel, but comfortable budget travel. I don’t believe that you have to couch surf in order to have an affordable vacation. I’m in my mid-thirties, I am a... -
Omni Hotels and My Favorite Rewards Program
Posted on January 31, 2011 | 2 CommentsOmni Hotel Rewards On a recent trip to the heart of Virginia in Charlottesville, we had the opportunity to stay at a charming hotel in the downtown core, the Omni Hotel. This post was in no way paid for by Omni and while they... -
Top 7 Ways to Score Free Hotel Upgrades
Posted on January 26, 2011 | 14 CommentsToday I am very pleased and honored to share with everyone a great guest post by Amy Chan, Director of Marketing for Kiwi Collection. She was gracious enough to offer some great insider tips on how to get the best upgrade possible at hotels. Hotel... -
Top Five Hotel iPhone and iPad Apps
Posted on January 24, 2011 | 2 CommentsHotel Apps Last week I reviewed the top airline apps for the iPhone and iPad and thought that many airlines missed the mark when it came to app design. At least most of the airlines try, unlike the hotel industry. I recently completed a review... -
Hotel Half Truths and the Case of the Disappearing Ocean
Posted on January 23, 2011 | 8 CommentsThe main goal of the travel industry is to sell a dream, a concept of the perfect trip. A vacation is a major expense for most people and while it is a large investment, it is often heavily influenced by pure, raw emotion. To get... -
Bang for the Buck – Budget Hotel Review Conclusion
Posted on October 12, 2010 | No CommentsLast week I posted the first installment of my budget hotel study. Below is the conclusion. Ground Rules All of the hotels in question are large, national chains, found all over the United States and some are even worldwide. The hotels were obviously not the... -
Bang for the Buck – Budget Hotel Review
Posted on October 5, 2010 | 1 CommentI recently had the opportunity to perform an informal survey of several budget hotel chains, to varying degrees of satisfaction. Midway through my hotel hopping experience, I decided that it would make a great post and so here we are. Ground Rules All of the... -
Most Memorable Travel Lodging Experiences – The Results
Posted on September 27, 2010 | 1 CommentIn a recent post, I asked you to share your most memorable lodging experiences while traveling. It could have been good or bad, a hostel or a 5-star resort. It just had to be memorable. I firmly believe that where one chooses to spend the... -
Mexican Temazcal – Kicking My Inner Child out of the Hut
Posted on September 6, 2010 | 4 CommentsTemazcal A few weeks ago I was invited down to the Hacienda Tres Rios Resort, along with several other travel bloggers and writers, to kick the proverbial tires of this sustainable all-inclusive in Mexico’s Riviera Maya. Part of our experience included the totally... -
What is Your Most Memorable Travel Lodging Experience?
Posted on September 5, 2010 | 11 CommentsThere are many moving parts in any trip that can either make the experience miserable or a memory of a lifetime. Personally, one of the most important cogs in my travel machine are the places where I decide to spend the night. Over the years... -
True Meaning of Sustainable Tourism – A Case Study
Posted on August 30, 2010 | 6 CommentsWhat is Ecotourism? In a recent post, I discussed the popularity of the terms “sustainable tourism” and “ecotourism” and how they have expertly infiltrated travel marketing. I went on to lament the fact that many of these properties and services are eco-travel imposters, thus... -
Weekend Getaway from Bangkok – Renaissance Koh Samui
Posted on August 26, 2010 | 1 CommentRenaissance Koh Samui Thailand is a great budget friendly destination, which is particularly well seen in its islands. Located off of both Thai coasts, there are hundreds of little mounds of paradise where you may find a calm respite from the hectic and sometimes... -
Ancient Art of Lentil Torture in Mexico’s Riviera Maya
Posted on August 23, 2010 | 15 CommentsHacienda Tres Rios I didn’t really know what most of the activities planned for us in Mexico actually were. I, along with several other travel bloggers, had been invited down for a long weekend as guests of the Hacienda Tres Rios Resort. Tres Rios... -
Hacienda Tres Rios Resort – Exploring Sustainability in the Riviera Maya
Posted on August 11, 2010 | 2 CommentsJoin me as I explore Tres Rios August 12-15 by following the #GoTresRios hashtag! As my readers are well aware, sustainable and responsible tourism is extremely important to me. As an avid traveler, it is vital that I do not simply take from the beautiful... -
Budget Travel Rant – Round Two
Posted on August 9, 2010 | 4 CommentsLast week I began my travel rant mini-series with a look at airlines and their horrible and somewhat deceptive use of fees. This bane of travelers everywhere though isn’t just the imprimatur of the airline industry. Recognizing the potential financial windfall, hotels have entered into... -
Bad Hotel! Bad, Bad Hotel!
Posted on June 29, 2010 | 5 CommentsI have a confession; I love hotels. I love almost everything about them, from their fancy toiletries to never having to make my bed. Maybe one of the reasons I love these last bastions of civilized travel is because I rarely have bad experiences. Perhaps... -
Hotel Santo Domingo Madrid, Spain
Posted on May 11, 2010 | 3 CommentsHotel Santo Domingo Madrid On a recent trip to Madrid, I was challenged with finding a moderately priced, well-located hotel in the Spanish capital. Having had this same challenge many times in cities around the world, I knew that finding quality, affordable lodging in city... -
Westin Dublin – Irish Manor in the Heart of the City
Posted on April 7, 2010 | 1 CommentWestin Dublin We barely made it to Dublin. On our final approach, the captain came on to say that the Dublin airport was experiencing extreme winds and that almost all of the flights that morning had been diverted. Not withstanding the fact that the flight... -
The Truth about Travel Packages: Gimmick or Best Deal?
Posted on April 6, 2010 | 5 CommentsI recently found myself doing something I love—vacation planning. While exciting, this process can be fraught with confusion and frustration for many. We have more options available to us now than ever before. There are a multitude of web sites, each professing to offer the... -
The Unitas – A Hotel With History in Prague
Posted on March 23, 2010 | No CommentsThis modest, but well located hotel is unlike many others in the city for its history, if nothing else. The Unitas Hotel building complex began in the 18th century as a Prague church and convent and later became home to the State Secret Police in...
