The Know Insider Weblog

Hotels are typically our first option when choosing vacation accommodations. This is no surprise. Where else would we stay? Everyone knows that when you are out of town, you stay in a hotel. We see them on the side of the road and littering the beaches. Hotels are advertised on every travel website. So when we plan our family vacations, our goal is often limited to simply getting the best price on a “hotel.” And that we do. We are proud of ourselves and our $100 a night accommodations.

The hotel room is not a shocker. We know what to expect. We are immediately greeted with the bathroom. Straight ahead is the window with those one-inch thick curtains. To the right is the bed (or maybe two). We are happy when there is a nice chair with a table next to it. We are really living in luxury if there is a private bedroom, but we would have paid $200 or more a night for that option.

I have news for you. You are spending far too much for far too little. How happy would you be if I informed of the option to vacation at a luxury resort for the same price or cheaper than the average hotel room?

Now imagine walking into your resort accommodations. Walking in the front door, you would see a full kitchen off to your left. Straight ahead is the living room with a couch, chair, and love seat facing an entertainment center. The whole place is decorated very tastefully. Windows line the far wall. The master bedroom is off to the left, with a whirlpool tub in the private bathroom. Just before walking into the second bedroom to your right, you notice a closet containing a washer and dryer.

Do you realize that those resort accommodations will cost you the same or less than much smaller hotel lodging? The price for a week at a luxury resort generally runs $600 - $1500 a week, or about $85-$215 a night. When you also consider the fact that your full kitchen can be used as a dining out replacement, you’ve really got a money saving option.

So what’s the catch? Resort rental is so cheap because there are thousands of timeshare owners who have purchased these units and are now trying to rent them out. Dozens of websites are dedicated to just this — helping timeshare owners rent out their unused resort units. Be aware that resorts rent out units in full week increments. You can’t use this option for an overnight business trip. That’s what hotels are for.

Chris Crompton is a timeshare and resort vacationing expert. His free 15-page special report, “Resort Vacationing: How to Take Cheap Vacations to Luxury Resorts” is available at http://www.ResortVacationing.com

Massage therapy is as ancient as medical treatment itself. But with modern medicine and its scientific and logical base, massage therapy also has come into its own as a distinct form of treatment. There are schools imparting the necessary knowledge and practice to thousands of health care professionals.

In massage therapy, the therapist manipulates the soft tissues of the body by stroking, kneading, squeezing and pressing. There are over 100 different types of massages, some general and some targeting specific problems. The therapy relaxes the soft tissues like muscles, skin, joints, tendons and ligament. It improves circulation, stimulates the lymphatic system and calms the nerves. The main benefit of the therapy is the easing of tension and stress in the body and mind.

To become a massage therapist the basic entry-level qualification is a high-school diploma. About 34 states have a licensing system for therapists. Some Counties and Cities set their own standards. Most states accept NCE (National Certification Examination) as a sufficient qualification for a therapist. Some states accept only COMTA (Commission on massage therapy Accreditation) certificates. There are five federally sanctioned accrediting boards: COMTA, ACCSCT, ACCET, ABHES and NACCAS.

The accredited schools prepare the students for the board examinations. Most schools have set a minimum attendance standard of about 500 hours of supervised classroom and hands-on instructions. The candidates with NCE, COMTA or other valid certificates are registered with the relevant professional association and get their registration numbers. They are then ready to join any organization or start their own practice.

There are three massage therapist associations who set a very high standard of ethics and competency. They are NCTMB (Nationally Certified Board for Therapeutic Massage and Boardwork), AMTA (American massage therapy Associations), and AMBP (Associated Massage and Bodywork Professionals).

The tuition fee is about $10 per hour. You need about $5,000 to complete a certificate in an average school. There are loans and grants available for the students who enroll in federally accredited schools. There are other forms of financial assistance, as well. Veterans and disabled persons have their federally funded administration to help them.

Massage Therapy provides detailed information on Massage Therapy, Massage Therapy Schools, Massage Therapy Jobs, Massage Therapy Training and more. Massage Therapy is affiliated with Massage Therapy.