For many seniors, post-retirement is a confusing time. It should be the era of your life when you feel most fulfilled and happy, but it’s difficult for some to relax when they’re worried about sustaining their income for the next several years. After retirement age, many seniors find that their savings aren’t enough to allow them to keep the lifestyle they’ve grown accustomed to, leaving them to make hard decisions about selling their homes and downsizing.
 
It doesn’t have to be a stressful time, however. If you want to find a way to supplement your income after retirement, there are plenty of jobs out there, from customer service to dog walking, that can be done part-time or from home, leaving you the freedom to make your own schedule or tend to other responsibilities. If you have health or mobility issues, working from home may be the best route because it allows you to be your own boss.
 
Keep reading for some great tips on how to supplement your retirement income.
 
Childcare
 
Seniors are the perfect demographic for childcare services because they are often home for most of the day, have an abundance of patience, and can teach kids of all ages the skills that they’ve learned over their lifetime. It’s also something you can do part-time throughout the school year or during summer, and you can make great money with the right clients. Keep in mind that you may need a permit from the state you live in if you’ll have a certain number of children in your home; do some research online to find out more.
 
Teach
 
If you have experience as a teacher or have always been interested in helping our nation’s youth learn and grow in school, consider becoming a substitute teacher. This is a great job for seniors because it allows for flexibility, and you can enjoy the freedom of not having a set schedule or job, as you may be teaching science one day and art the next. Check with your state teaching board about applying.
 
Drive
 
Ride-sharing services have become extremely popular in recent years, in part because they are an inexpensive and efficient way to get around town. They’ve also become popular with seniors and individuals who aren’t interested in working a nine-to-five job since the hours are flexible and you are essentially working for yourself. You need to have your own car and a valid driver’s license, of course; check with local companies like Uber or Lyft for more details.
 
Tour Guide
 
Becoming a tour guide is a great way to earn extra money working part-time, especially if you’re interested in art or history. You might find a job with an art museum or with a historic home that gives tours to both locals and tourists alike. Think about places in your city that you’ve visited and do some research to see if those locations need help.
 
Find Your Passion
 
With technology as advanced as it is, many people are finding success with home-based businesses such as Etsy, where you can sell handmade items like jewelry, furniture, decor, and clothing. If you’re creative and love to make things, you can turn your hobby into a business that allows you to work from home and set your own hours. Go here for a list of online sites that allow you to sell your wares.
 
Supplementing your retirement income doesn’t have to be a stressful endeavor. With a good plan and a little creativity, you can find a part-time job -- or even a full-time one -- that will allow you to live the lifestyle you’re accustomed to without sacrificing much of your free time. 

Author: Lucy Reed

If your small business has yet to take advantage of content marketing, it's high-time you do. Even the simplest content marketing tactic can go a long way in taking your business to the next level of success. 

And contrary to what you have likely heard before, here are three things you don't have to do to gain a competitive edge with content marketing.

• You don't have to spend thousands on content creation each month. 
• You don't have to hire a full-time content marketing manager. 
• And you most definitely don't have to be a marketing guru yourself. 

Something as simple as creating a blog can multiply your monthly lead generation. 

So, let's keep it simple and look at four ways you can integrate content marketing into your current operations and reap the benefits of cost-efficient content creation. 

The first way to integrate content marketing into your current marketing agenda is likely a way you have already been taking advantage of -- posting to social media. 

Posting to social media about your company increases brand awareness and it helps establish a voice for your brand. 

When making posts, it's essential that they are in congruence with all other marketing aspects, meaning they harmonize and maintain the same voice and tone your other marketing tactics convey. 

To enhance the content marketing effectiveness of your social media posts, start including relevant keywords. Google and other search engines crawl social media posts (as long as they are set to Public) and if they index a post for a certain keyword, this will help expand brand awareness. 

You can easily hire a professional content creator to create search engine optimization (SEO)-friendly social media posts for you. And since these posts tend to be quite short, hiring a content creator to create them is going to be extremely cost-efficient. We'll talk more about the rates of a professional content creator in a few minutes. 

Hopefully, you already have a website, and if you don't, you need one, like now! 

There should be a tab button at the top of your website's homepage titled Blog.

​Your blog is where you tell your story. It's where you engage readers with valuable information that lets them get to know your brand.

Ideally, you will want to publish a new blog posting at least once every other day.

Did you know a 2017 study focused on content marketing discovered blogs with 16 new published posts each month will generate at least 350 new site visits each month?

​In addition to increasing your site's traffic, you'll also be increasing inbound leads.

If only five percent of the 350 new site visitors convert into a lead, that's 17 new leads each month. And if only 30% of those new leads convert into actual customers with an average purchase price of $200, that's an increase in your monthly revenue of $1,020. And there's a good chance these new customers will convert into returning customers as long as you provide a pleasant customer experience (CX).

Imagine how much your revenue can increase if you publish 30 new posts a month. 

When you're creating all those blog posts we just talked about in the section above, you're going to want to make sure they are long posts.

​From an SEO standpoint, the more words, the better. Google loves content that is at least 1,500 words in length. It also loves content that includes images or videos. 

For Google, it's all about the user experience, just like for your brand, it's all about the CX. And when images are incorporated into the blog posts you share, this helps website visitors have a better understanding of the message you are trying to convey.

Images also help break up the text, making it easier for the reader to digest the chunks of text that precede and follow each image. 

For a 1,500-word blog post, you should try to incorporate at least three pics. And don't worry about dishing out money for those images.

​Using Flickr Creative Commons and other free-to-use photo databases make it easy to use pictures without fretting about copyright infringement. But, if you can incorporate your own images into your content, this is going to provide an even better user experience. 

For each image you use, don't forget to add an image caption; this will further boost the SEO value of the pictures because search engines crawl these captions. 

You'll also want to make sure the file names of the images you use incorporate relevant keywords along with a hyphen after the keyword followed by a one- to two-word description of the subject being discussed. 

Furthermore, the title attribute of the image and its alt tags should include the keyword you are targeting. Don't know what all of this means? That's fine because you can easily outsource the creation of these tags, captions, and file names to a content creation specialist. Here is a very helpful article on optimizing images for SEO purposes. 

Our last tip for easily and affordably integrating content marketing into your overall operations is to hire the right content creator. 

​Remember earlier when we pointed out that you don't have to spend thousands on content creation each month, that's exactly what we meant. 

There are a lot of reputable digital marketing agencies out there that can provide fantastic results. The only problem with big-time, full-service marketing agencies is they tend to direct their services toward multi-million dollar companies. And who can blame them? Those are the companies who can afford to pay $5k, $10k, $20k a month on content creation. 

But what about the small businesses who are limited by budget constraints? Are they out of luck when it comes to integrating content marketing into their overall operations? The answer is no, and here's why. 

Content creation is affordable when you hire the right content creator. Forget about paying one to two cents a word for content creation; this will land you with content that doesn't focus on keywords and is full of fluff. 

An experienced content creator who understands inbound and outbound marketing will charge at least five cents a word, and you're more than likely going to pay upward of 10 cents a word for content that lands results. Still yet, this is still really affordable when you break it down.  

Let's use the following monthly content creation strategy as an example:

4 blog 1,500-word blog posts (you're going to post one each week)
30 50-word social media posts (you're going to post one each day)
​
These four blog posts at 10 cents a word are going to cost you $600. The social media posts are going to cost you $150. 

Even better is when you're paying 10 cents a word, you can ask for images to be included with relevant captions, alt tags, title attributes, and file names and the writer won't likely charge any additional fees. At this rate, a writer will happily include your requests. 

Most importantly, at 10 cents a word, you can rest easy knowing you are receiving quality content from a content creator who has been in the industry for many years. 

You're not going to find these rates with a large digital marketing agency. You'll need to do a search for content creators who work on an independent basis, operating their own small content creation businesses. 

Independent content creators tend to cost much less than services from a large digital advertising agency because they work remotely. Their overhead expenses are close to $0 a month. All they have to pay for is Internet and a computer.

You can also look for quality writers who provide work through content agencies like Writer Access, nDash, or Ebyline. The only downside to these sites is they will charge an additional fee. 

Writer Access, for example, can connect you with quality writers (I'm a writer on the platform), but in addition to what you pay the writer, there's a 30% fee to Writer Access.

​It works out like this. You put in an order that has a total cost of $200. The writer makes $140 and Writer Access gets to keep $60. Still yet, it's a very good platform to find quality writers because all of them have gone through extensive evaluations to ensure they provide top-quality work.

Another aspect to consider when finding a writer through Writer Access is that once you find a writer you want to establish a long-term relationship with, you're stuck communicating with the client through the Writer Access platform. Unless you want to pay a hefty buy-out fee, you can't work with the writer independently, meaning you are always going to pay the 30% fee to Writer Access to continue ordering content from the writer. 

As we outlined above, it's very possible to find quality writers who work independently. You just have to search for them. Luckily for you, you've already found one right here. 

And most importantly, now you know that you don't have to dish out thousands a month to start integrating content marketing into your overall marketing agenda. 

To learn more about hiring a content creator for under $1,000 a month to handle your content marketing needs, contact Whitney White today. 

I hear a lot of friends, family, and co-workers complaining about their cell service. And while you may hear me complain about a lot, a complaint you won't hear come out of my mouth is one regarding my cell service with Verizon. 

My BF and I currently have two phones (iPhone 7 and Galaxy Note 8) as well as a tablet on our plan, each of which has unlimited talk, text, and data. We pay $272 a month and we couldn't be happier with our phones and the service. Our son uses the tablet to play games while we are on the road and we can also send text messages and even make voice calls to him on it when he's spending time at the grandparents.

If you're not happy with your phone service, I recommend switching to Verizon, and if you can't afford a phone bill like ours, then you'll be happy to know a new startup recently launched one of the best phone deals around -- unlimited talk, text, and data for only $40 a month and the service operates using Verizon towers. 

When I say it's $40 a month, that's what I mean, there are no hidden fees.

Some people claim the startup itself is owned by Verizon, however, I recently communicated with someone who said they talked to the startup, which is called Visible, and the company is not, in fact, owned by Verizon. Either way, the cell service still uses Verizon's towers and as a Verizon customer myself, I am here to tell you the service is amazing. 

There's only one downside to signing up for a Visible phone plan -- you have to have an invitation code. Lucky for you, I happen to have access to the codes. Simply click here and you'll be on your way to finding a code that works for you. 

Image via Flickr by Roland Tanglao

You've got a business website up and running. Your inventory is stocked and you're advertising like crazy on social media. When you came up with the grand idea to start an online business, you just knew it was going to be a success.

In your mind you had every detail planned out. From utilizing free social media marketing to buying your products cheap and selling them for a 300% profit, there was no way your online company was going to fail. 

30 days later.

​You've been advertising the heck out of your store on social media and you've attracted... NADA! Not. one. single. lead!

How could this be? Your product rocks and you've established a very reasonable pricing point. You know people like your product because their liking the hell out of your postings on Facebook.

But no one's buying. Not even your closest friends and family who you thought would be your biggest fans. 

What are you doing wrong? 

It's simple. A great product at a great price means nothing if you're targeting the wrong audience.

Using social media marketing as your only advertising platform is going to limit the audience you reach. This is why regardless of the size of your business or the how long you've been up and running, content marketing, in all of its forms, should be a top priority.

You've heard time and time again that content marketing boosts brand awareness.

You can have all the brand awareness in the world, but if the right audience isn't aware of your brand, it isn't going to matter. This is why content marketing makes a difference.

​When implemented correctly, content marketing lands your content in front an audience that is in need of your product. 

Let's say your online company is in the business of selling coffee mugs. Three days a week you publish a blog posting that relates to coffee in some form or fashion.

Whether it be talking about sipping on a cup of coffee before you rush the kids to school or the best cleaning wipes to get a coffee stain out of your new shirt you bought to wear to the office, the content is directed toward people who drink coffee. 

When search engines use their magic and crawl your blog postings, they will identify naturally-incorporated long-tail keywords, like 'sipping on a cup of coffee before you rush the kids to school', or 'wipes to get a coffee stain out of your new shirt'.

By identifying these long-tail keywords, the search engines will have a better idea of who the content should be shown to on search engines results pages (SERPs).

Creating buyer personas for your brand means you're going to pinpoint who the people are who are most likely to purchase your product. 

How old are they? Where do they live? What lifestyle habits do they have? Do they have children? What level of income do they have? 

Knowing this information enables you to sprinkle relevant content throughout your marketing content to appeal to these people. 

Let's go back to the coffee mug example. If you're selling coffee mugs, then your targeted audience is quite broad, but only if you want to appeal to such a large audience. 

This is why it is good to pick a specific niche and focus your brand and marketing efforts on it. 

The Big Dream Moms site, for example, targets moms who love to drink coffee. This niche, however, is still broad enough to appeal to a large audience because it can target working moms and stay-at-home moms. It can even target children who want to buy their moms coffee mugs for Mother's Day, birthdays, and holidays. 

Statistics show developing buyer personas for your brand will boost lead generation and audience engagement as well as sales revenue. 

• Ads that are targeted based on your audiences' behaviors are twice as likely to be effective as non-targeted ads. HiP
• Targeted users find sites that are designed to appeal to buyer personas two to five times easier to use than sites that are not designed in this manner. HubSpot
• Emails personalized according to buyer personas drive 18 times more sales revenue than general emails that include no personalization. HubSpot
• If you personalize your marketing efforts to your buyer personas, they are 48% more likely to buy from you. ITSMA

Advertising on social media is an effective marketing tool to employ, but it isn't going to reach your targeted audience unless you're advertising to people who fall into your buyer persona categories. 

As you use your buyer personas to create blog postings and other forms of content, like videos, infographics, and whitepapers, you're going to find much more success in your content marketing strategy. 

Mainly, you're going to improve lead generation and consumer engagement by landing your content in front of people who actually have an interest in your product. 

Your online business isn't going to take off overnight. It's going to take time. Lots of time. In fact, you may not start seeing results within your content marketing agenda for three to six months. 

Sticking with producing frequent, quality content is key to making sure your efforts pay off. 

You already know it's important to generate leads. Let's explore three content marketing tactics that not only generate leads but appeal to all generations. 

Be as Visual as Possible
We live in a society that prefers images and videos over text-only content. One reason that consumers prefer visual content is because the brain can process it 60,000 times faster than text.

From a lead generation standpoint, visual content should be a top priority. Did you know consumers only remember 10 percent of what they read when it comes in a text-only format? They can recall a mind-boggling 65 percent of what they view in a visual format, though, such as a picture with a caption statement. 

Fortunately, visual content comes in a wide variety of formats. For example, adding social proof to your site in the form of logos is a great way to visually connect with site visitors.

How can you do this? You will start by writing down all the social media sites that you have profiles on. Next, you will write down the various sites your products/services have been featured on, such as CNN, Discovery Channel, Better Homes and Garden Magazine, etc.

At the bottom of every page on your site, logos for these platforms and companies should be displayed. Linked to each logo should be a URL that takes visitors to your social media profiles or the company website page you are featured on. Adding social proof to your site can increase lead generation and conversions by 400%.

Fueling a Lead Generation Campaign With Infographics
Consumers love learning interesting facts and infographics provide an effective way to engage with them. More so, infographics can fuel a lead generation campaign. You'll want to share these infographics across all of your social media profiles. By clicking on the infographic, your social media followers will be directed to your site.

If your website doesn't have a subscription feature, you need to create one. The goal is to get as many site visitors as possible to give you their email address. Once they submit their email address, you can automatically add them to your lead generation funnel.

Getting site visitors to engage with your subscription feature can sometimes be a bit tricky. Infographics can serve as a viable solution to this problem. 
​
One method for using infographics to increase lead generation is by enticing site visitors to give you their email address in exchange for another free infographic; a free infographic serves as a very effective lead magnet. You'll be surprised at how many people are willing to delve out their email addresses for something free. 

Once you have your leads' email addresses, you can continue to use infographics to push them through the lead generation funnel. For example, the emails that you send to your leads can contain more infographic material.

Embedded in the infographics should be a link to your landing page; this increases click-through rates and directs your leads back to your site and possibly ready to make a purchase. Once you get them to your site, you'll want to continue engaging them with more visual content. 

Knowing How to Generate Leads With Various Forms of Visual Content
​Your blog is an excellent platform to generate leads. Studies have shown that websites with blogs attract 67% more leads than sites without a blog. The key here is to blog on a regular and frequent basis and to use visual content in your postings.

​The best types of visual content to include in blog postings vary from one business to another. Generally, though, effective forms of visual content that you should experiment with to determine what works best for generating leads include:

• Screenshots
• Infographics
• Eye-catching images (avoid stock photos)
• Videos, including tutorials
• Inspirational quote cards
• Memes
• Call-to-actions; experiment with call-to-action images and text in different colors

​

Image via Pexels

Guest Post by: Lucy Reed
The American Gig Economy 
 
According to an ongoing research project between Intuit and Emergent Research, 34 percent of working men and women participate in the gig economy. This percentage is expected to jump up to 43 percent by the year 2020. Clearly, this part of America’s labor force is not going anywhere. There are many reasons people like working freelance. It eliminates the drama of office politics and the dread of Monday morning. Freelancers get to make their own hours and work without a supervisor breathing down their neck. Plus, it takes the kind of enterprising spirit this entire country was built on. 
 
Are you interested in getting your start in the gig economy? It takes discipline and commitment, but with the right attitude it is within your grasp. Read on for tips on how to work on your time freelancing in the gig economy. 

Tips for Starting a Successful Gig-Based Business

• Stay Organized - When it’s just you working, there is no one else to help when it comes to managing your schedule, finances, deadlines, social media, and more. Thankfully there are plenty of online solutions to your organization woes. When you can’t rely on other people, use all the tools at your disposal for assistance. 
• Create a Cohesive Brand - Crafting a brand isn’t exactly second nature for most people, which is why marketing and advertising are multibillion-dollar industries. However, creating a cohesive brand is essential to your freelance business’s success. No matter what your specialty is, you want to stand out against the competition. Your brand tells potential clients who you are and what they can expect. If you are determined to brand your business yourself, stick with simple design elements. However, if you want something more unique, set aside money in your upstart budget for hiring your own graphic designer.  
• Setting Up a Home Office or Workspace - No matter what you do, it’s a great idea to have some space set aside at home where you can focus and work. Ideally you have an extra room you can turn into a home office, but even a quiet corner will do for a workspace. The goal is having a space where you can separate your home life from work life. Of course, your workspace also needs the right technology. Working from home is only sustainable if you have reliable communications and tools for operations. Beyond that, make sure your area is free from distractions and conducive to working. 
• Start Saving - Working on 1099 contracts means you don’t have an employer withholding taxes from your paychecks. That means you need to set aside taxes from each check yourself. Putting aside a third of your pay each check will give you enough to pay your total tax bill come April. Beyond taxes, you are also responsible for any retirement savings you want to make. Look into freelance retirement options and begin making contributions immediately if you don’t want to work the rest of your life. 
• Join a community - Just because you work on your own doesn’t mean you can’t benefit from the resources and support a community provides. Freelancers from all types of industries join online communities to help beat isolation and create camaraderie and creative energy. Making connections in your industry can also help to connect you to potential clients and other opportunities. 

The gig economy gives people the freedom to work on their own schedules without the stress of office life and politics. However, freelancing takes a great deal of dedication and discipline to pull it off. If you are interested in getting your start in the gig economy, be sure to have the resources to start your business. Stay organized from the get-go and use the tools at your disposal. Create a cohesive brand clients can recognize and set up a home office where you can dedicate time to work. Saving for taxes and retirement is all on you when you are a freelancer, but you don’t have to be on your own when it comes to camaraderie and creative energy. There are various professional social groups for freelancers where they can benefit from community while maintaining independence. 
 

Image by Wikimedia Commons
One of the best ways to beat the heat in Miami is by grabbing a cold drink at one of the many swimming pool bars. Most of these bars can found at some of the city's most luxurious hotels. And best of all, you'll be located near an assortment of entertaining activities, including nightclubs, golfing, swimming in the ocean, and many more. Here's a closer look at five of Miami's finest hotels featuring sparkling oases. 

Fontainebleau Miami Beach
The moment you walk into the Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel lobby, you'll be beckoned to the lagoon-shaped pool. There are additional dipping pools and even Jacuzzis in the swimming area, as well as VIP cabanas. Sporting flat-screen TVs, these cabanas provide a great way to cool off and catch a local Miami Heat game while sipping on a cold glass of coke and whiskey.

Mondrian South Beach
With breathtaking views of the Biscayne Bay and sitting in the center of the Miami's Art Deco district, the Mondrian South Beach is one the city's nicest designer hotels. Boasting a whimsical atmosphere, you'll enjoy access to many activities, including snorkeling, windsurfing, and sailing. An infinity pool overlooks Biscayne Bay and opulent cabanas are available at a surcharge. Don't feel like dishing out the extra money for a cabana? That's fine. The swimming area has many outdoor living rooms for you to lounge in. 

The Ritz-Carlton, Coconut Grove
In addition to scintillating views of the ocean from your room, you'll also enjoy concierge service and access to the DiLido Beach Club when staying at The Ritz-Carlton, Coconut Grove. The cross-shaped pool is sure to cool you off after a long day at the beach and the onsite bar is sure to meet all of your beverage preferences. 

Shore Club 
If you're looking for a party hot spot, the Shore Club hotel is where you need to book a room. You can enjoy your favorite alcoholic beverages right in the pool, and the first-class service is sure to keep you well-accommodated. In addition to elevated infinity pools and its own spa, the Shore Club features 15 room options for you and your companions to choose from.

The National Hotel
With rooms for under $200 a night, you can relish in 4-star luxury on a budget at The National Hotel. This beachfront property features an infinity pool that spans more than 200 feet, and two tiki bars on the beach that will keep the drinks flowing as you relax on the sand. If you're looking for a place to eat and cool off, make sure to check out the poolside spa and Aqua Bar and Grill.

You don't have to spend thousands of dollars on a hotel room to have a good time in Miami. Make sure to read through Hipmunk's helpful travel guide to Miami to learn more about the many lodging options in this lively city. You'll also want to book your room through Hipmunk to ensure you get the best rates. 

Image by Boon on Trover.com


If you're traveling to Amsterdam, there's a good chance you're coming for one of three reasons. Either you want to visit the country for its well-known association with marijuana freedom, you're interested in enjoying its arts, culture and restaurants as a tourist,  or you have a family or business matter to attend to. Regardless of your reason for visiting the "Venice of the North," here are a few tips to follow to make sure you have a five-star experience. 

Stay in the Spacious Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam
This 5-star hotel dates back to the 15th century and boasts convenient access to both the Royal Palace and Dam Square. All guest rooms feature historic detail within the decor, creating the overall atmosphere of a contemporary Dutch establishment. With a Michelin-starred dining establishment, the Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam is the perfect place to host a party, business meeting or just unwind from a long work week. With six lounges and bars, you and coworkers are sure to enjoy relaxation while eating lobster sandwiches and sipping on cold beer and fine wine. It's also at this unique hotel that you'll find the SoSpa, which spans two floors and has a heated indoor pool, steam bath, saunas, and more. 

The Grand Hotel Amrath Amsterdam
You can't beat the cheap price rates at the 5-star Grand Hotel Amrath Amsterdam. Room rates are often well under $300 a night, and you can rest assured that the amenities are abundant. Featuring its own business center, swimming area, concierge service, and even its own Wellness Center, this hotel envelops you in luxury from the moment you arrive.

When staying at this first-class hotel, don't forget about the many great nearby museums and tours. And you'll definitely want to take a cruise down the Amstel. A relaxing float down the canal is the perfect way to end a long day of touring the city. 

Amsterdam Marriott Hotel
Also featuring 5-star lodging is the Amsterdam Marriott Hotel. Guests staying here tend to be business professionals and those enjoying a bit of leisure travel. Suites are available with canal views, and the on-site recreational activities are sure to keep you entertained. Nearby and onsite activities include biking, boating, exercising, and many more. 

No matter the number of companions in your party, there is an executive or delux room at the Amsterdam Marriott hotel to accommodate your needs. If you're attending an event at the Heineken Music Hall, this hotel is the perfect place to book a room. You'll also find it to be extremely accommodating during the Amsterdam Turkish Film Festival. 

When it comes to 5-star dining in Amsterdam, make sure you grab a bite to eat at La Oliva, Beddington's, and Vis aan de Schelde. All of these establishments serve up some of the most delectable seafood dishes in all of Amsterdam. And don't forget to read through Hipmunk's travel guide to Amsterdam. You'll also want to use Hipmunk to book your hotel room to get the best booking rates. Hipmunk can help you compare your hotel options based on your specific needs.  

When it comes to traveling to Cancun, you can have one of two experiences. The first one being to have a budget-friendly time by staying in one of the cheaper hotels in Cancun. Or, you also have the option of making it a first-class adventure, staying at the city's top hotels and enjoying superior amenities. Here's a closer look at a few tips for traveling to Cancun with a first-class experience in mind. 

The Iberostar Cancun All Inclusive has Everything You can Imagine
With access to five-star restaurants and the area's most beautiful beach, the Iberostar Cancun All Inclusive is the perfect hotel for enjoying all that Cancun has to offer. The hotel features live shows, its own swimming pools, lounges/bars, golfing adventures, and much more. You should plan on dishing out at least $200 a night for a room, but you can rest assured your entire stay will be all inclusive.  

Hard Rock Hotel Cancun All Inclusive has You Covered
Amenities are abundant at the Hard Rock Hotel Cancun All Inclusive. From free breakfast to available child care services, all of your Cancun vacation needs are sure to be met at this amazing lodging hot spot. Renowned for being one of the best four-star hotels in Cancun, you're sure to have a great time when booking your room here. The all-inclusive package at the Hard Rock Hotel Cancun even covers alcoholic beverages, making it one of the best hotels in Cancun to save money at if you intend on drinking during your vacation. 

Omni Cancun Hotel and Villas All Inclusive
Another all-inclusive hotel option is the Omni Cancun Hotel and Villas All Inclusive. Staying at this hotel means you'll be conveniently located near numerous beaches as well as an assortment of activities, including golf, tennis, surfing, and much more. Rooms at the Omni Cancun Hotel feature premium bedding, breathtaking views, and guests have access to nine restaurants as well as two snack bars. 

ME Cancun - Complete ME All Inclusive has a World-Renowned Bar
Featuring 154 guest rooms in addition to 80 suites, the ME Cancun - Complete ME All Inclusive hotel is the ideal hotel to book a room at if you're looking for a panoramic view of Nichupte Lagoon. Ask for an upgraded room and you can have access to a private terrace. Cancun itself is well-known for being one of the world's most coveted beach beauties, and this hotel ensures you enjoy it to your utmost potential. With guided tours of the area and the Beach Club, the hotel's bar that has been rated as one of the best in the world, all of your good-time needs are sure to be met when booking a room at ME Cancun - Complete ME All Inclusive.

Courtyard By Marriott Cancun Airport
Not everyone wants to dish out hundreds of dollars a night to stay in a first-class hotel. If this happens to be you, make sure to book a room at the Courtyard By Marriott Cancun Airport hotel. Boasting many rooms for under $100 a night, you're sure to have a great time in Cancun at this wallet-friendly resort. Best of all, the hotel features many nice amenities, including its own pool and restaurant as well as around-the-clock concierge service. 

If you're traveling to Cancun, make sure to check out Hipmunk's helpful travel guide.  Also, make sure to use Hipmunk to book your room to get the best rates. 

Image by Stephan Popescu on Tover.com


When traveling to New York, there's nothing wrong with wanting to travel in style. Fortunately, New York has some of the most lavish hotels in the world. Rooms at these hotels, however, are sure to cost you several thousand dollars a night. If you're looking for lodging a bit more on the affordable side, check out these 4-star hotels. To enhance your first-class experience in New York, make sure to stop in for a bite to eat at these fine dining establishments. 

InterContinental New York Barclay
If you're looking for an onsite bar and concierge services, the InterContinental New York Barclay hotel is a great place to book a room. With its own business center, fitness facility and neo-Federal architecture, you'll be cloaked in first-class amenities and decor during your entire stay. Room rates tend to be around $300 a night, making this budget-friendly hotel all the more desirable. 

A quick 14-minute limo drive from the hotel over to E 12th St will bring you to the Gotham Bar and Grill. Serving Wild Striped Bass Ceviche, Wild Mushroom Risotto, and a slew of other delectable dishes, this fine dining eatery is sure to please your taste buds. 

W New York Times Square
Do you have an inkling to stay on Times Square? If so, book a room at the 4-star W New York Times Square hotel. There are 509 rooms to choose from and don't forget about the 43 suites. Amenities include plasma TVs, premium bedding, free WiFi, and much more. The onsite restaurant is renowned for its delicious seafood and live jazz.  

Just 10 minutes down the road from this amazing hotel is a restaurant that is sure to delight your senses. With a vibrant yet extremely elegant atmosphere, Daniel the restaurant boasts superior service and even better food and beverage items to choose from. Some of the best dishes include the Maine Lobster Salad and Roasted Atlantic Turbot.

Hudson
When it comes to an energetic atmosphere, you'll love the Hudson hotel in New York. This boutique hotel is conveniently located within minutes of the city's globally known theater district, ensuring there's always something exciting to do. Rooms in the hotel are creatively decorated with exotic accessories and furniture, including African-inspired flooring. Best of all, rooms here will cost you only about $200 a night. If you want to upgrade to a suite, plan on spending about $400 a night. 

The Hudson hotel has its own bar and eatery, but if you're looking for American cuisine touted in European flare, come down to the Tocqueville restaurant on E 15th St. Five-course tastings start at $125, or you can go for seven courses for only $145. One thing is for sure, though. You're sure to leave wth your stomach full after dining at Tocqueville. 

New York is one of the best places to travel when it comes to affordability and first-class service. Don't forget to use Hipmunk's travel guide to New York to make your visit all the more enjoyable.