You're Invited: A Look to be Scene: Wednesday October 3, 5 - 7:30 p.m Roche Hair Salon in Washington Harbor

Please come to our 'A Look to be Scene', a destressing, casual after-work reception, where you have the opportunity to learn tips from the experts re: how to look your very best, in all the best locations, while networking with other professionals.

Get in a mellow mood for the presidential debates, by stopping at Dennis's salon for a glass of prosecco or a beer, and do some networking....

The details:

"A Look to be Scene" Reception, at Roche Salon in Washington Harbor, 3000 K Street, NW

Wednesday, October 3, 2012, 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Hosts:

Planit Meetings
Roche Salon
Shea Byers at J Street Companies

More details:

• light fare and libations
• complimentary make-up samples and bijou for women
• beauty and hair styling tips from the experts
• hotel and travel tips from Planit Meetings hotel, travel and meetings experts
• 15% discount on salon services booked during 'Look to be Scene'
  
• door prizes including dinner for two at Tony's and Joe's plus a grand door prize of two make-overs by Dennis and Jamie -- hair and make-up for a female, and hair styling and skin for a lucky male

  This is a great opportunity for people working in lower Georgetown to network, while learning how to look your best in the very best places!

  Please bring friends and colleagues. RSVP, please!

Dennis has arranged for Liam Gideon, photographer with LDJ Corporate Photography, to take corporate photographs at his salon, with electronic images sent to you. Liam will work with make-up artist Jamie Johnston and Dennis Roche, to create stunning corporate photographs that can be used on your company's website, or whenever you need professional photographs.

Watch Liam do his work, and ask him for photography tips, while you're here!  (You can see his amazing photography at www.liamgideon.com.)

UBER can save your day!

A couple of months ago, when a client arrived at a lunch meeting, in what looked like a chauffer-driven sedan, I thought that he had come up in the world. Turned out, he used UBER transportation service to get to our meeting.

You download an app, sign up, with credit card info. When you need an UBER pick-up, you type in your location; UBER will text message arrival time. UBER SUVs will hold up to 6 people. Fees, in some situations, and locations work out to be less expensive than taxis, and more convenient to use, if in a location where one can not easily hail a cab.

Many hotels that Planit Meetings regularly uses, in cities all over the world, have UBER accounts. If you would perfer to use UBER instead of a taxi, they will get an UBER for you, and charge the credit card you used for your hotel charges.

Go to: https://www.uber.com/cities/ to see sample fares to various locations in your city, get the app and sign up.

As an singleton urbanite in DC, who doesn't own a car, I get around by bicycle, metro and the Circulator, augmented with taxis. Most of the time, it works out just fine. Persuaded by our client, I registered with UBER, to have my account set up and ready to use, just in case. Such as, what if I have to get my dog to the Vet ER in a hurry -- one of the few drawbacks to living without a car: you can't hail a taxi with your dog: taxis won't stop for you.

Yesterday, two friends and I did a bike ride to Mt. Vernon...an easy-ish, gorgeous 42 miles round-trip from DC, on the Mt. Vernon Trail, that hugs the Potomac River. However, one buddy hit a wall, and just couldn't make it any farther....Her husband wasn't available to drive out to get her, and she wasn't carrying enough cash for a taxi, even if she had called one. I texted UBER, and they rescued her, with a SVU to fit her bike, within 15 minutes. If she had called a taxi, she'd probably have waited a couple of hours, for a free SUV to pick her up. If you've ever tried calling for a taxi on a Saturday afternoon, you'll appreciate how easy it is to use UBER....Moreover, we weren't even sure where we were, on the trail, but UBER found us!

Although Planit Meetings champions taxis, having an UBER account, even if seldom or never used, and especially if one travels a lot, seems important to have.

Scullers Head of the Potomac, September 30!

Planit Meetings is happy to assist Head of the Potomac participants secure affordable hotel accommodations, near the river's start/ finish, for Washington, DC's largest rowing regatta, Sunday, September 30. Whether one room or many, affordable hotel rooms, it's not too late. We can help you.

Email or call us and let us help you....with the best hotel rates for scullers and sweep rowers....at hotels closest to the race.    susan@planitmeetings.com  919-387-0057

Questions about restaurants, other services near Potomac Boat Club? Don't hesitate to ask.

Planit Meetings is Proud Hotel Host for National Police Week 2013

Even though it's September, it's not too early to start thinking about National Police Week 2013. Planit Meetings is proud to be the official hotel host for National Police Week.

Planit Meetings has been dedicated to law enforcement through our clients as well as our business practices. Please know that for every hotel reservation for Police Week 2013 made through Planit Meetings, we are donating a portion of the proceeds directly to Police Week. Additionally, in recognition of this monumental event that is held annually, Planit Meetings is honored to continue to attend the Memorial Service, and participate in other Police Week events.

L'Enfant Plaza Hotel Room

To make your Police Week hotel  reservations,  go to http://policeweek.org and click on the hotel icon.

Reservations are not prepaid, can be canceled up to 72 hours prior to arrival, without penalty.

Feel free to contact Planit Meetings directly, for questions about specific hotels. Planit Meetings offers a variety of hotels, with different features and price points...We can find the perfect Police Week hotel for you.

L'Enfant Plaza Hotel Pool

If you're traveling to Washington, DC for the first time, or bringing spouse and or children to Police Week, the L'Enfant Plaza Hotel is an ideal hotel for enjoying Police Week. At a rate of $220/night, for one king bed or two double beds, it's a great price. The L'Enfant Plaza Hotel is located in the heart of the National Mall, a stone's throw from the Jefferson Memorial and other monuments, the National Mall and all the free museums, Cap Hill, and with breathtaking views of the nearby Potomac River and Tidal Basin. The hotel features a large, heated rooftop pool, and a fenced-in play area for dogs.

We love the L'Enfant Plaza Hotel in part because the metro is under the hotel, making access to Reagan National Airport, or any point in DC, very easy. The hotel has nice, affordable restaurants, bars, and hang-out spaces. You'll enjoy staying there!

Looking forward to helping you with your National Police Week 2013 hotel needs!

Inauguration in DC: P.M. helps our clients find best house rentals, and best tenants for home-owners!

We put prospective renters and rentees together for win-win Inauguration experiences for all!

You have a group of 8- 10 coming to DC to attend the Inauguration,  and, given  hotel rates of upward $500/night, prepay, non-refundable, 4 night minimum stay, plus extra  charge for more than 2 people in the room, plus 15% tax, tips, all the meals out…. meaning shelling out a ton to attend....

Renting a house or large condo for a whole week might work better for your budget….

Planit Meetings  works with Inauguration travelers, private individuals, and real estate agents, in helping all parties make the right Inauguration house rental fit.

Craig’s List ads make house rentals seem like such great deals….What they don’t say are if there are dogs, cats, smokers, roaches, mice, mold, in their homes. Close to Metro could mean a 6-block walk. Near the Parade route could mean the Nationals Stadium!

For the Inauguration traveler, Planit Meetings thoroughly vets the  property offered for rent for the week. Planit Meetings’ DC office staff have lived in DC for decades, with kids in schools right in DC. We know DC better than almost anyone we know. We know the real estate, the values, the Inaugural event venues, the best affordable restaurants, the Metro, and bus routes.

For the condo or house owners who want to rent their homes to people attending the Inauguration, we check references of potential renters and vet them, assist with contracts, make recommendations for optimal rental experiences.

No fee for the tenant; negotiable commission from home owner. Don't hesitate to email us with your requests!

Hotels for the Inauguration!

Thinking about coming to Washington, DC for the Inauguration?  If yes, it’s time to commit to hotel decisions....even though the election is still about 50 days away!

If you’re very lucky, you might be able to find hotel rooms, the day after the presidential election results are in, but....if you're reading this now...and are planning to attend Inaug, and don't have a place to stay yet...it's really time to consider options, and what you can realistically afford to pay.

In August, WJLA-TV did a news segment on hotels for the Inauguration.  A month ago, they reported that hotels are running out quickly and options are expensive.  At that time, the Ritz Carlton Georgetown was selling for $1,000/night for a standard room, with $1,995 the rate for a suite. Actually, those rates are not bad for the Ritz Carleton Georgetown.

As I write this today, we found a few good hotels, that still have rooms available, in the $500-$600/night range, a good rate for sold-out weeks in DC. Further, with the average hotel room rate increase of 4% this year, a $600/night hotel room in DC....is...not really unusual and not bad....at.....all! ...(The good news is that rising hotel rates reflect our economic recovery...)

Planit Meetings appreciates the dilemma: to book now, to ensure securing rooms within striking distance of Cap Hill, and the Inaug parade and parties, that don't cost quite an arm and leg….But what if one's candidate doesn’t win and one is stuck? 

The other issue....How far away from DC does one have to go to find affordable hotel rooms? Remember that all the schools and groups marching in the parade, the Dem  and GOP groups, the special interests, the states groups etc. have long booked the best, closest-in options. The metro and driving gridlock for the last election was pretty tough.

Most hotels have decided their Inauguration rates, but some are still waiting to post their rates and policies.

This is the in-general Inauguration hotel deal:

·         Most hotels have four night minimum stay requirements;

·         Most hotels are pre-pay, or 50% deposit, at time reservations are made;

·         Most hotels, for the Inauguration, are non-refundable, non-cancelable

Do your homework: look at a metro map, when deciding how far outside of DC you're willing to stay for the Inaug. Send us your Inauguration hotel requirements, and let us help you find the best, for the least, for your Inauguration experience. Planit Meetings has been doing Inauguration Hotel reservations for longer than we would like to admit here....and we can help you.

My prognostications: balmy, sunny weather for Inauguration 2013!

Bed bugs!

Did you see the article in yesterday’s newspaper about bedbugs in nine hotels that are hosting the Dem National Convention in Charlottte this week?  Bedbug infestations have been increasing as a hotel problem over the past 12 years, especially as more people travel.

Cornel’s Integrated Pest Program offers the following info about bed bugs:

Bed bugs:

Do not transmit diseases to people

May trigger asthma

Can not fly or jump, but can run fast

Can be transported in personal belongings

Bug bombs and other pesticides are not effective for bed bugs.

Where to check for bed bugs in hotels:

inspect the sheets, pillows and blankets for stains.

Look under the mattress and pillows.

Check the seams and puckers of the mattress and box spring.

Look at the bed frame for bugs and stains.

Check the floor and moldings.

Look inside and underneath drawers.

Radios, phones, clocks near the bed or on a nightstand may also be hiding places for bed bugs.

When you travel, open your suitcase by the room entrance, away from the bed.

When you get home from your trip, wash and dry your clothing and bedding on

Hot: 30 minutes of heat kills any bugs and their eggs, that you might have picked up during your travels.

For more information, go to: http://www.nysipm.cornell.edu/default.asp

Back again!...Planit Meetings dicounts in DC....

After taking the summer off to travel around the US, inspecting hotels for quality, Planit Meetings' blog is back! Wanted to reintroduce you to our blog, by reminding readers of some of the Planit Meetings discounts offered in DC. Planit Meetings friends, who are in DC, receive discounts at the following establishment:

Roche Hair Salon, at Washington Harbour, 3000 K Street, NW, at the Georgetown riverfront. Hair cuts for men, 15% off; hair cuts/ blow dries for women, with Roche Salon's Wantane Dodge, a $105 hair cut and blow dry is $65. Mention 'Planit Meetings' friend' for your discount, to Wantane, or Dennis, when you visit the Roche Salon.  www.rochesalon.com

Cafe la Ruche, a French bistro, on 31st Street, by the Canal. Planit Meetings friends receive 10% off tab.
www.cafelaruche.com

If you're a bicycle commuter, are looking for the right used bicycle,or are looking to sell your old bike that's rusting in your basement, Hoya Bike Repair can help you, and get you back on your bike again. For 20% discount on bike repairs and parts, and or free bike fitting, mention 'Planit Meetings' friend' in your email.
hoyabikerepair.blogspot.com

For a great trainer, and or help with weight-loss, Ultimate Results, in Washington Harbour, by the Starbucks, is a great deal. Mention 'Planit Meetings friend' to get 20% discount on your personal training sessions. www.myUR.com

Camlai Hair Salon on 30th Street, near M, in Georgetown, offers 15% off services. They specialize in 'older,' 'thinning' read babyboomer hair. www.camlai.com

Whether it's securing tickets to a museum exhibit, or sports event, making referrals for best last-minute dry cleaning services, arranging dinner reservations for 20, airport transport, pet-sitting in a hotel, Planit Meetings' clients know that we are here for you to help you with your needs, while you're traveling!

Talk to you soon! -- Suze in DC