Whether you are traveling for business or are looking for a place to host a professional conference, finding the right business hotel can be tricky. With a lot at stake, you want to be certain you contract with a professional, competent and reputable hotel. Fortunately, there are some tell-tale signs of what constitutes stellar accommodations. Take a look at the following guide to help you locate the right hotel for your needs:

Seek out experienced staff

Hosting a business meeting in a hotel setting requires the employment of a competent and professional staff. From the concierge to the manager, to the chef, it all matters, as these people can make or break your event. With quality employees, you can rest assured that they will fill in the gaps in which you may lack experience. From large matters like seating arrangements and reservation help to technological assistance with PowerPoint and surround sound, to the small matters of having refreshments, it is important that your event run smoothly. And an experienced staff at a business hotel can make that happen.

If you are simply searching for accommodations while on a business trip, then the staff still matters. With a top-notch concierge, you can relax while the employees manage your logistical needs. It is stressful enough staying away from home. An unprofessional and rude staff can only add to that stress.

Don’t ignore the amenities

Most people believe it is unnecessary to consider any luxury item at a business hotel when traveling. This is a tragic belief! Just because you are tending to work-related matters does not mean you should not enjoy your stay. In fact, when working, luxury should be a priority. A good swimming pool and/or workout gym can help relieve stress and help you maintain your mental and physical sanity, which is an ever-growing need for many professionals. If you are unsure as to what amenities the hotel offers, you should call the front desk or concierge. And do not be afraid to ask.

If you are hosting a business event, this may be even more important, with many employees traveling to your conference. Choosing respectable accommodations indicates an adherence to quality and luxury and reflects well on your company.

Track online promotions

Many hotels and inns offer some fantastic deals, especially for the frequent traveler. In order to take advantage of these deals, you should never neglect your online searches. Signing up to be added to an email list is a terrific way to keep in touch and monitor periodic deals. And again, when in doubt, call the hotel personally and inquire after any specials they may offer.

Try not to neglect the location

While you may not always have a say over which location you are to travel, a business hotel should still be in a beautiful setting, if possible. This is especially true for those companies hosting work conferences. Find a unique town by looking at the tourist attractions. With beautiful scenery, unique restaurants and fun shopping excursions, you can transition your conference to one many people choose to frequent for years to come.

Let’s be honest, not everyone can afford five star, which is why so many people book into three and four star hotels. But before you start shopping around and book the first affordable hotel you find, there are a few things you should really know about.

The first thing is that every country has their own hotel rating system, which means a five star in London is not necessarily the same as a five star hotel in Australia or the United States. Every country has it’s own rating system, which could result in some confusion. In the United Kingdom stars are awarded on facilities, service and customer service, In France they focus on the quality of the rooms and in Italy they focus on cleanliness. Which means knowing the star rating system in the UK can help you look for hotels in other countries offering the same facilities, services and customer service, even if they are not awarded with five stars.

In the United Kingdom, facilities and services are taken very seriously and any hotel which is lucky enough to be awarded a five star status, must provide guests with exploratory facilities and services. They must also have experienced, qualified and excellent staff who focus on providing guests with the highest level of customer service, working to exceptionally high quality standards at all times.

The hotel should provide the finest level of cleanliness, it should be well-maintained and offer the delivery of any services to the highest of standards. In most instances a five star hotel will provide you with some benefits such as a fitness center and on-site wellness center, which should provide you with a range of quality treatments provided by qualities therapists. In addition to this, the hotel should also provide you with a twenty our hour reception desk for added convenience.

It is always advisable when visiting a new city or country, to choose a five star hotel with a concierge service. The concierge has a wealth of local knowledge and experience. They can make recommendations and suggestions on what to see and do, they will book a taxi for you or assist you with public transport. They can also make theater bookings on your behalf or make dinner reservations at a top hotel, saving you time and energy and reducing what you need to do when on holiday.

Further, they should provide a butler service. If you have hired a suite and have guests coming to visit you for an evening meal, then a butler could be the ideal way to spend the evening, enabling them to handle the dinner, serve the meal and clear the plates, while keeping glasses filled.

Most five star hotels will have a choice of public areas. They should have a full on-site restaurant that serves evening meals and maybe even breakfasts, they should also have a lounge bar or relaxed area where you can sit and chill out, maybe with a coffee or dinner cocktail, light snacks should be served here during the day. In addition to this, they should also provide you with twenty four hour room service to quality as five star.

Finding a hotel tonight, or any night for that matter, is much easier than you think. In fact, the travel industries are such that the consumer is no longer working on the whim of an outside agent working in semi-secrecy. Consumer protection progress in the industry, as well as streamlined planning tools, have made it so that anyone can jump online & find what they need.

In this case, we’re focusing on the ease with which someone can plan a stay at a hotel as soon as tonight. Perhaps the single greatest reason that planning a quick hotel stay has become so simple is the advent of the World Wide Web – the Internet. The Internet has allowed us to have a wealth of information at our fingertips for a few decades now, and with that knowledge comes some serious power. For example, there was once a time when knowing what hotels were nearby was the only real way you could choose a hotel. You subsequently had to look them up in the phone book (barring you didn’t make a mistake in their name), and you really had to hope that there was something available at the very last-minute. The number of variables was through the roof, and in many ways, consumers were operating at the discretion of the hotels.

This would be enough to convince even a hardened traveler to cry, “Uncle”, but the real struggle to book a room came when you had to travel out-of-town. Imagine being on a road you’re following on a physical map, and inevitably you’d end up somewhere whose geography you didn’t know, and you certainly didn’t know of any hotels, motels, or motorways you could bank on for a last-minute room. Today, however, you can know your way around town by way of your phone’s Internet access.

Perhaps the other most significant reason for being able to book a hotel room with ease comes by way of competition in the industry. There was once a time when you had a limited amount of choices for hotel stays. Regardless of whether you were traveling & moving about due to vacation or work, you were in a position where your lodging money went one of only a couple of places. Nowadays, you’re able to do quick online searches as to the quality (star rating) of you proposed lodging, amenities, as well as proximity to & involvement with your destination. Moreover, there are a number of hotels vying for your business, which means they are willing to work with prospective customers on pricing & flexible booking simply because they want your booking in a major way. With so much choice & with an added boost in saving on your booking, you as the consumer are the big winner.

When it comes to finding a hotel room tonight, you should set your mind at ease. A little common sense, some quick wit with online searches, and a comfort in knowing that you as the customer have some serious booking power should be your guides to hotel booking nirvana.

There was a time when making hotel reservations was as simple as picking up the telephone & booking a room for a specific period of time. Depending on how your travels worked out, you would sometimes have the misfortune of having to book the same day & were hoping for the best, but all in all, booking a hotel room was not a big deal.

Boy, things have certainly changed! When the occasional hotel room “Booker” decides it’s time to make a reservation, the nervous perspiration starts. Palms get clammy, internal temperature starts to rise, and voices start cracking. The issue at hand is that we’re constantly bombarded by commercials on our airwaves telling us that we can find better deals by using technology. Online booking, booking apps, and email & text message alerts for price drops are now the way to book a hotel room not necessarily the right way but the smart way. Of course, no one wants to seem foolish, right?

To begin, let’s keep it simple. First of all, you always want to be sure you have the dates correct for your prospective reservation at the correct hotel. In other words, have the basic information spelled out correctly before you even start. It seems like common sense, but you’d be surprised how often people will try booking a hotel room with faulty information.

You also want to be sure to try & book early. Even though this may not always be possible, it does help get things off your mind faster than waiting until the last-minute before booking. You also avoid issues of not having a room to reserve because of something on the calendar that is bringing people into town. An example would be trying to book a hotel near the beach during Spring Break season.

It pays to think about how you book so that you can avoid having to contend with overbooking, time crunches, and heavy travel windows. For example, if you are traveling on the weekend, try to book a room at a hotel that tends to have a leaning toward business bookings. In the same vein, if you’re traveling during the week, like to stay in a hotel that has more of a ‘resort’ feel to it. This way, you’re always trying to travel opposite of the general travel traffic.

Finally, here is some input regarding the online & discount booking apps & websites – it can go either way. You can actually save some serious money booking online in some way, but you may open yourself to being booked at a mystery hotel whose identity isn’t known until after the reservation is made. In some cases, you also have to act quickly to take advantage of hotel reservation deals in order to get the pricing, which you may not be in a position to do right away. It’s also important to know about being “walked” by a hotel. Getting “walked” means that if a hotel can’t fill your reservation, it will pay for a night elsewhere. Hotels overbook assuming that there will be “no shows”. Depending on how & when you book, your indirect/third-party booking leaves you as a low priority, and if you’re unlucky enough to have booked at a hotel where everyone showed up, you will be “walked”.

Surprisingly enough, booking hotel reservations directly with a hotel over the phone or through their own website is the best way to book in many cases & provides the most perks. Whether through loyalty programs, flexibility in price negotiation, or being a frequent guest, connecting the old-fashioned way seems to be the best bet for handling your travel lodging.

Missing the sense of living in a home in hotels? Have you started to think that living in hotels has become too mainstream. Well then Homestays are the best option for you. With a sense of living right at your home in a new city to which you are traveling, homestays are a very good option to consider.

What is Homestay?

Homestay is basically a form of lodging where travelers get to live in a person’s home living in the locality to which you are traveling to. They may be free of costs at times or they may be something like a home exchange which has close meaning to student exchanges.

Why is it better than Hotels?

Nowadays living in a hotel is what everyone does. But, does it give you the satisfaction of really going to the place and enjoying it to the fullest? Not really. That is why now people are shifting attention to other options like Homestays.

They give you the comfort of home in a tourist spot:

• You get to have the experience of the local lifestyle.
• What better place to enjoy the local cuisine than at the place of a person living in that area for years.
• It gives you a taste of local culture.
• They save on costs of hotels at times.
• You get to make connections with the local people of different class/ culture within that one stay.
• Staying in a friendly and family kind of environment

Even though the Estate stays are cheaper and gives you a home type of feeling, last minute cancellations on the host part or some other minor problems may be troublesome and difficult to handle during your tour.

While searching for homestays the main aim should not be just finding an accommodation to live in but it should be more of an experience which you get when you stay at a local person’s home. It is an experience worth having in your lifetime. You get to know people, their lifestyle as mentioned above, but above all you get to know the type of people who live in that area. If the place is surrounded by trees, is situated near a forest or is close to places where natural beauty can be seen in the locality then all this makes your stay more magical and amazing.

Tourists always find it difficult to firstly find an accommodation and then find the places to visit in the locality once they do that. Then they end up spending money on guides, maps and whatnot. But if you find an accommodation at a Homestay, then you can have the first hand experience of traveling to local tourist spots from your host. Your host can tell you all about the best place to eat, to shop, to see etc.

All this can be enjoyed by you if opt out of staying in hotels which don’t give you the benefits of living like Homestays and prefer estate stays over them.

Happy travelling with Homestay.

One of the top festivals that take place in the capital city during the summer period is Lovebox, which is a two day music and dance festival which takes place at Victoria Park. This event welcomes the top DJ’s and live bands and a host of performances. It is fun for the yonger generation that are looking for fun and excitement during their city break.

The next top event that draws millions of people to London each summer is the famous Wimbledon Tennis Championships that takes place for two weeks at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. This tennis championship is the oldest tennis championship in the world dating back to 1877 and today it is one in four major grand slams, yet the only one that is played on a grass court. It attracts some of the best names in tennis right now and is brimming with excitement, strawberries, cocktails and a day of fun in the sun.

The Somerset House Summer Series is a reputable open air festival that attracts thousands of visitors who are looking for a day of music, dance and festivities. It is definitely not one you will want to miss when next in London.

The Lambeth Country Show always attracts hundreds of visitors to London. In 2017 it is celebrating forty two years with home grown vegetables on display, a flower competition, sheep shearing and even a mini farm for the younger children. It’s a fun day out for the whole family.

AfroPunk and Sunfall are both top dance festivals with leading DJ’s and bands that arre guaranteed to get you dancing. Not to mention the famous Notting Hill Carnival, which is the largest street party in London with calypso music, a parade and over thirty sound systems placed strategical through the streets which sees over fifty thousand participants.

There are a few things to remember when traveling to London for the summer season. Whether you are visiting for a mini break or for a couple of weeks, you want to ensure the accommodation you choose isn’t only comfortable, but is ideally located. All the events that take place in London are throughout the city and you will want to be close to the public transport links to ensure you can get to them with ease.

Take a close look at the top attractions and sights you may want to visit during your stay. Do you want to experience the famous London Eye, a giant Ferris wheel that will provide you with staggering views as far as your eyes can see, sitting on the edge of the River Thames. In fact this is the ideal place for some romance, a sunset ride and maybe even a proposal.

Buckingham Palace changing of the guards is another event not to be missed. This attracts hundreds of visitors to the palace gates to watch the guards doing their change, a routine that has been done for years and is a procession like no other.

Remember that there are some fantastic restaurants in London, owned by Michelin star chefs, such as Gordon Ramsay. The concierge at your hotel will be able to advise you and make your reservation on your behalf for added convenience.

Everyone deserves a healthy work/life balance and some rest and relaxation from time to time. In fact, studies have shown that those who regularly take vacations with their families and significant others are more productive and healthy. It makes sense to set aside time to recharge your batteries, but how can you make sure your vacation won’t create a whole bunch of new stress? What if your lodging is uncomfortable and tacky? Here are 5 signs you’ve found a great option for a luxury condominiums rental during your next vacation.

Great reviews online

Never underestimate the collective power of people who like to give their opinion. Use it by reading online reviews and websites wielding these opinions to your advantage and make sure to read many of the counter comments that are posted. Everyplace will have some negative reviews, but on average a great lodging spot will have more positive reviews than not. On many review websites, management or corporate can respond and offer apologies as well as make amends for sub-par service. There are lots that can be learned from online reviews.

Setting up reservations was a breeze

It is always a great sign when calling to set up reservations is easy and painless. The best places will have friendly staff who are patient and willing to answer all your questions and explain anything you need clarified. This is your first impression and it should be a good one.

3. Convenient location

Ideally you want your lodging to be near to or in the heart of all the action. The best lodging rentals will have access to buses, shuttles, and other forms of transportation as well as be near restaurants, cafes, and nightclubs. You are more likely to enjoy your vacation if you can easily and quickly get around town without any headaches.

4. Great amenities

Be on the lookout for what amenities are offered. The little joys and details can add up during the duration of an entire vacation. Great rentals will provide all the amenities you desire so your stay can be comfortable and feel like a home away from home. Make sure to read reviews or chat with a friendly staff member over the phone to inquire about what is offered before you book.

5. Great prices and variety of rooms

Not everyone needs a giant room with 3 closets and 2 queen sized beds. Perhaps you need a smaller room for you and your significant other? Great rentals offer of variety of choices to suit your needs. From family sized lodging to smaller units for couples, make sure you are able to select the right room at the right price for you.

With these signs of a good rental, you have no reason not to begin looking for your next vacation rental today.

Before I continue, let’s first make sure we’re on the same page about who were referring to when we use the expression ‘millennial traveler’.

Millennial, also more commonly referred to as Generation Y or Generation Next, are people who were born between the early 1980s and early 2000s. They make up about 20% of international travelers and it is estimated that by 2020, they will account for more than 320 million international trips.

Phew. Those are some staggering numbers right there! It’s no wonder that hotels are wooing them with everything they have. But for all the effort they’re making, do hotels really have what Millennial want? Do they even know what Millennial are looking for?

If you’re not quite sure, let me drop a few hints your way

Hint No.1: Technology is their life force

Technology is to Millennial what water is to fish – life itself. The perks that most of us consider good to have – Internet, WiFi, hi-speed mobile data – are essential to their way of living.

What this means for hotels

According to a report, almost 71% of Millennial travelers considered free WiFi an important factor when choosing a hotel. So hotels, pull up your socks and put the technology in place for them. Or they’re likely to walk up to your competitor and book a room with them.

Hint No.2: Millennial love their smartphones

‘Technology at your fingertips’ is an expression that’s taken very seriously by the Millennial. He is likely to go for hours without food and water, but not without checking his smartphone. He works, plays, chats, networks, writes emails, watches videos, and stays up to date on news using his phone. Other more complicated actions like booking tickets, making hotel arrangements, and paying bills can also be competently handled by his handset.

What this means for hotels

It’s absolutely imperative that hotels invest in superior mobile technology, starting with a website that adapts to different screen sizes and resolutions. With more than half of millennial travelers using mobile devices to discover and book hotels, the hospitality industry is paying a heavy price for not investing in a mobile responsive website. You might also want to consider getting an app for your hotel, to facilitate functions like mobile check in, check out, payments, and en-cashing loyalty points.

Hint No.3: Millennial are ‘social’ creatures

Generation Y is often criticized for shirking the forms of social interaction that their parents were fond of. They’re considered aloof, standoffish, and a little bit asocial. But the truth is that Millennial do tend to connect to each other, just not in ways that are familiar to us. The online world, especially social media, takes precedence in their social life. Facebook, Twitter, What’sApp, GChat, and Snapchat is where they hang out, check in, upload pictures, start conversations, and share details of their life.

What this means for hotels

Given that social media is one of the biggest influencing factors in the life of a Millennial, hotels must make a concerted effort to have a presence on various platforms. In fact, they must go beyond the token Facebook and Instagram page and build a community online. Reach out to your audience, engage them, solve their problems, and invite them to leave reviews. An active social media profile inspires confidence among Millennial and is likely to win you brownie points in the long run.

Hint No.4: Millennial place great faith in peer reviews

Generation Y is a suspicious lot and they can recognize a marketing gimmick from a mile away. For this reason, they rely heavily on ‘peer review’ to gather information about a place. Whether they’re buying a new gadget or trying out a restaurant in the neighborhood, you’ll see them pouring over reviews before deciding to do anything. They consider it a more authentic and ‘real’ source of information. And you can be 100 per cent sure that they’ll be reading up about your hotel before deciding to stay there.

What this means for hotels

Do not try to patronize or trick the Millennial traveler. All your online properties (website, blog, social media profiles) should display accurate information, accompanied by up-to-date pictures. If you’re offering a deal or discount, lay out the terms in black and white. Encourage your visitors to leave you a review on platforms like Trip-advisor or your Facebook page; incentivize the process, if you have to. Should you receive a negative review, take steps to address it and resolve the situation.

Millennial don’t expect you to be flawless. However, they do expect you to be transparent and sincere. Mistakes are an inevitable part of your industry and if you’ve taken every possible step to rectify the problem, you will be forgiven. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself at the receiving end of a nasty review posted for the entire world to see.

Hint No.5: Millennial are into Bleisure

Generation Y is relatively unencumbered by responsibilities at home and are more open to taking business trips. However, unlike the previous generation, almost 62% of millennial travelers will extend their business vacation to explore the place and gain cultural experiences.

What this means for hotels

Gone are the days when that solitary desk in the hotel room took care of any ‘business needs’ that travelers had. Millennial do not like working inside their rooms. This is the generation that steps out to a coffee shop to sit with their laptops and work for hours. The concept of the ‘third space’, independent of home and office, has been popularized by them. Design hotel lobbies to cater to this demand, so that when they step out in search for a place to work, they don’t have to go very far.

Hint No.6: Millennial look for authentic experiences

Despite what might look like their preoccupation with the cyber world, Millennial are always looking for unique and meaningful travel experiences. They want their stay personalized and won’t pass up an opportunity to learn something valuable. Not content with hitting the high spots of a tourist destination, they crave interaction with locals and enjoy immersing themselves in a variety of cultural experiences.

What this means for hotels

Reject the cookie cutter approach to the services you offer your guests. Offer them a genuine travel experience, one that is immersive, interactive and hands on. Don’t just take them on a regular sightseeing tour that showcases the city from behind the panes of a bus or car window. Take them to meet local artisans, show them the way to the hip and happening underground bar, and expose them to interesting customs and traditions. That’s the only way to add true value to their life and create an experience they will cherish for life.

There’s no denying that Millennial are driving the hospitality industry with full force. They already account for a third of the hotel guests in the world, and by 2020, the figure is expected to climb to 50 per cent.

To keep pace with growing demands, hotels must show a willingness to evolve and reinvent themselves. They have to put aside traditional methods of functioning, revisit their marketing strategy, and curate unique experiences for Generation Y.

Besides, it is in their best interest that hotels up their game. By updating their offers, hotels stay relevant within the industry and equipped to deal with the demands of changing times. Millennial travelers are the cash cow that every industry dreams of, and by catering to them, hotels are ensuring themselves a solid revenue stream for the next few decades, at least.

When it comes to booking a hotel room whether for one night or a few nights, you may want to ensure that they have certain facilities and services that will make your stay more comfortable and enjoyable. Not all hotels offer the same facilities and services and they don’t always offer the same level of service, so you will want to take a close look to ensure that you are going to get what you expect to make your stay enjoyable and memorable.

One of the many things that some people want to find when staying at a hotel is an on-site wellness centre. Somewhere where they can be pampered, a place where they can enjoy a host of quality treatments by top therapists to make their stay that bit more special. Whether it’s a soothing facial or a relaxing massage, having a wellness centre on-site can provide guests with a chance to indulge and relax, to feel rejuvenated after their stay.

Another thing that many people look for when booking a hotel for a night or two is a gym. While on vacation or traveling for business, many people still enjoy their daily workout and having access to a gym where you can get your half and hour or hour of exercise may be important to you. Look at the hotel and the services they provide, identify if they can provide you with either an on-site gym or free access to a nearby gym, so that you can enjoy the benefits the gym provides while away from home.

Next ensure that they have an on-site restaurant. While being away from home is a time to try new places, sometimes having a meal in the restaurant at the hotel is more convenient, especially after a long day of meetings or sightseeing. If you are meeting friends, see if they have a lounge bar as well, somewhere where you can have breakfast, lunch and an evening meal, maybe with some well-deserved after dinner cocktails as an added benefit.

Does the hotel provide you with free Wi-Fi access during your stay. Most hotels these days will give you access to the internet. This just enables you to complete any work you need to do or to stay in contact with family and friends, updating your Facebook page so friends can see where you are and what you are up to. Having internet at your fingertips ensures that you have a technological time and that you enjoy the modern conveniences that you have at home.

Make sure the hotel you choose offers a concierge service. A concierge service can be a great benefit when away from home. This service is run by an experienced team with extensive area knowledge. They can assist you with just about anything from arranging a car hire to finding a good local restaurant to theater bookings and tour bookings. They can make recommendations on what to see and do during your stay to ensure you get the most of your experience.

The final things to look for, especially when traveling on business is whether they offer any function facilities and if so, what do they provide. If you are in town on business and you intend having a number of meetings, then you may want to take a closer look at the meeting room facilities in the hotel. Can they accommodate you to hold meetings at the hotel, maybe along with breakfast or tea and coffee, so that you can have your meetings with ease and without interruption.

When making hotel reservations, some people tend to rush and overlook important aspects that can improve, or hinder, their vacation or business plans. Some claim that accommodations can be the single most important aspect of a trip, as where you sleep tends to set the mood for the remainder of your trip. Whether you are traveling in a group setting, with your immediate family or solo, you should take a look at the following five questions to always ask yourself when booking your next sleeping lodge:

1. Am I visiting a great town?

You may not always have control over your destination, but the city or town in which you will be residing does matter. Take a look at the surrounding area and choose a place that can insure you have a great visit. If you are uncertain as to local attractions, contact the hotel concierge or local chamber of commerce for information. Pay close attention to whether there will be any festivals during your visit and make special note of the season. Your attention to the small details of a locale can really help (or hurt!) your visit.

2. Is the staff friendly, professional and experienced?

Making hotel reservations should revolve around your relationship with the staff. If you feel that the staff is immediately rude and unwelcoming, then go with your instincts and find another spot. If it is just one employee, ask to speak with the manager. A well-run hotel should employ a courteous staff that has experience in the hotel industry. A knowledgeable and friendly staff can really help you out with many aspects of your trip, and they really do make a difference.

3. Do the rooms offer what I need?

Most hotels offer a variety of rooms. Consider with whom you will be traveling and look for the best deal in a well-laid out room. Ask about different rental options and compare rooms. Ask about bed, with singles, doubles or full, and pick something that fits your budget and your personality. Also, do not neglect to inquire after both the view from the room, as well as the location of the room to fire exits, and other important buildings.

4. Have I checked for any specials?

Nothing can help you save money quicker than searching for online deals. This can be from different travel search engines, online email lists, or direct phone calls in which you inquire after possible promotions or savings events. Never neglect this as you work to make hotel reservations.

5. Am I pleased with the amenities?

Many people fail to ask about the amenities of a hotel, and this can be a mistake. Traveling to a hotel with a swimming pool can be relaxing or freeing for a family with children. Hot tubs, concierge and room service are also amenities which you may care about. When in doubt, call the front desk of any potential accommodations and ask about specific amenities that you may choose to have. It never hurts to ask.