Hotel reviews

If the perspective of lying on the beach all day long doesn’t appeal to you, and the contemplation of the European tourist attractions seems not very exciting, if a trip is a way of self-knowledge for you, then Tibet is the right place for your next voyage.

Tibet, also called “Shangri-La” or “the roof of the world” has always been the mystery and the magnet for the West. For a long time it was the most closed territory on the Earth, but in 1984 it opened its doors to the foreigners. For visiting Tibet you need a special permit, but usually it makes no difficulties.

Tibet is one of the Chinese provinces now, but it’s historically connected with India and Nepal too. Tibet lies high in The Himalayas but it’s not a very cold and snowy place. In fact, it’s the land of sun - there it shines bight and almost uninterruptedly.

Geographically Tibet can be divided into 3 parts - East, North and South. The East is the land covered with forests; the North is the place of plains. Here the nomads graze their sheep and yaks. The South, with its ancient cities and temples is considered to be the cultural centre of Tibet.

It’s in Tibet where 4 great Asian rivers take their beginning - Gang, Ind, Sutledge and Brahmaputra.

When you plan you visit to Tibet you usually have two opportunities - to include in your tour Nepal or China. The trip usually last about 2 weeks. The most appropriate time for visiting Tibet is April-June and September-November. The weather is smooth then - about +15

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Today’s retail marketplace has become an aggressive playing field. The internet provides consumers with a new medium for purchasing a world of products and services, and retailers with a new frontier to engage and retain customers. This competitive marketplace has allowed consumers to sit back and watch retailers slug it out until one brand remains standing. If most retailers deliver on what they promise, what are the attributes that make us partial to a brand? The winning brands sweat the small stuff.

Coffee Anyone?
Coffee has been around for centuries. Dunkin’ Donuts got its start in 1950 and began selling “America’s Best Coffee.” I sat in a Dunkin’ Donuts twenty years ago and read the Sunday paper. How did they fall behind Starbucks? Starbucks put their brand on the world map by creating a process and culture caffeine hounds couldn’t resist. How? Starbucks sweats the small stuff.

Starbucks shifted the retail mission from coffee transaction, to coffee relationship. Baristas aren’t happy to make you a cup of coffee; they are delighted to present you with one of their creations. Their employees report they can recall many first names of morning regulars and how they prefer their coffee. They handle the rush of customers with the flair of New York City bartenders. This kind of employee performance can make you believe you can taste the difference in their coffee.

The genius of this retailer began with empathizing with coffee drinkers. What else would customers appreciate with their beverage? Starbucks expanded their breadth of products to include breath mints, bottled water and even their own brand of music CD’s. They created an experience people were inspired to revisit. An environment replete with “little things” (products and services) made a major difference to the average Joe visiting for his cup’o joe. That shift in thinking built an empire.

The Auto Wins the Lotto
Car dealerships have been around for seventy years. At the time of this writing, there are about 270 LEXUS dealerships in the countrycompared with 5,000 Ford dealerships. LEXUS is the number one selling luxury nameplate in the U.S. Why has their success been a steady, steep climb since its conception in 1989? LEXUS sweats the small stuff.

Consider a car buying and servicing experience from a customer’s point of view. What affects where you decide to take your business? LEXUS conducted a comprehensive study and put their findings to work. It doesn’t make sense to guess at what people want, or try to condition customers to like what we offer. If the dogs don’t eat the dog food, all else is immaterial.

At your typical LEXUS dealership, you can sit in a comfortable customer lounge, and enjoy a cappuccino while watching CNN on a flat screen television. Still not impressed? You can connect to the internet during your complimentary carwash. These are little details that make a car shopper partial to their brand aside of product attributes. For the average buyer, the buying decision isn’t based on what’s under the hood. (How many pounds of torque does your car offer?) The decision is based on the subtleties of value-added services that have little to do with the core product offering.

The Ritz Service Blitz
There are an abundance of hotels in the U.S. Each promise a hassle-free, turnkey experience. They worry about us while we tend our agendas. How did the Ritz-Carlton and The Four Seasons establish luxury brand name recognition? They focused on the small stuff.

Most premier hotels provide a luxurious $500 a night room. The reasons some perform better than others is due to an obsession with the little details. Many brands can offer you a room key with a smile, few anticipate your needs days before you arrive. The best brands take note of your pillow preference, wine preferences and if you are partial to egg whites? You don’t think a little chocolate on your pillow is a major coup until one night is not there. It’s always the little things.

W.I.I.F.M.? What’s In It For Me?
You’re wondering, “How does this apply to me?” Individuals who ask themselves “what’s the small stuff in my business?” and convert the answers to actions will distinguish themselves from the competition in any industry. This may mean sending a hand-written thank you note, remembering a birthday, or offering customers complimentary bottles of water. These are the deeds and gestures that nudge new business in your direction when opportunities straddle the fence.

Ken Lodi is a productivity expert, author of Tapping Potential and other performance improvement books. He can be contact at ken@kenlodi.com or 323-932-1026.

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Lisbon is the capital of Portugal and the largest city in the country. Its population comprises about 2,5 millions (with suburbs). This most western European capital lies on the Atlantic Ocean coast at mouth of Tagus River.
The history of the city counts nearly 2000 years and for almost 1000 years it’s the capital of Portugal. The first Portuguese king Alfonso Henriques in 1147 freed Lisbon from Arab invasion and made it a capital. In 1256 Royal Court moved here. Soon Lisbon has become one of the most powerful and flourishing European cities. It reached the highest peak of its bloom in XV-XVII centuries. Then it was the major European transit point and commercial city.

The historical center of Lisbon lies on seven hills. The city is full of steep slopes and rises. It’s the only city where elevator can take you from one street to another.

Now Lisbon is experiencing its “second birth”, again becoming one of the “golden cities” of the Southern Europe. The renovation of Lisbon began in 1990s. Among new projects we could name Vasco da Gama Bridge, connecting the airport with the centre of the city and the Eastern Railway station. The station is built according to the project of the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. It stands on the eastern Tagus bank and connects Lisbon with the rest of Europe.

Lisbon is the authentic jewel in the crown of the Portuguese cities. The city charms with its churches, castles, medieval streets and museums.
Among main Lisbon attractions there are Belem Tower, Mosteiro dos Jeronimos, Alfama, St George’s Castle, Lisbon Cathedral and Terreiro do Paco.

Belem Tower looks more like a miniature castle. It is situated close to the bank of the River Tagus. It was established in 1515 as both a monument to Portuguese maritime discoveries and to protect the mouth of the river.
The construction of Mosteiro dos Jeronimos started by King Dom Manuel I in 1502. It was aimed to emphasize Portuguese importance as a world power at the time and more to celebrate Vasco da Gama’s discovery of a sea route to India.

Alfama is the old part of Lisbon, still beautifully picturesque with narrow, winding streets and old, overhanging buildings.

Majestic St George’s Castle was a home to the kings and queens of Portugal until the 16th century. From the mighty ramparts of this formerl fortress opens a spectacular view of Lisbon.

Lisbon Cathedral was originally founded by Portugal’s first king Dom Afonso Henriques in 1150 to commemorate the defeat of the Moors and presents a beautiful mix of Gothic and Romanesque architectural styles.

Terreiro do Paco used to be the royal palace until it was demolished by the disastrous earthquake of 1755. It is now Lisbon’s largest open space, with government buildings built around the perimeter.

Lisbon coast stretches from Tejo mouth to the beaches of Alentejo, from the modern metropolis to the picturesque fishing villages.

For booking a hotel, please, go to Lisbon hotels page.

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