On a recent scouting trip for his upcoming film Leatherheads, George Clooney headed down to South Carolina. Where did he stay during his visit to Greenville, SC? According to the local press, Clooney shacked up in the Westin Poinsett, the only 4-Diamond property in the area. What do TravelPosters think of the hotel? They give it an average score of 7.1 out of 10.

Clooney Tours the Calhoun Hotel

Yes, grilling season is over - especially in Chicago - but you could still throw a few shrimp on the proverbial barbie at the Courtyard by Marriott Chicago. It may not strike any of you as an unusual amenity, but I certainly don’t remember seeing outdoor grills for guest use available at any urban hotels I’ve visited. These babies are right by the pool. I wonder how much use they get… Thanks to one detail-oriented TravelPoster for noticing this amenity and posting it on the Courtyard by Marriott Chicago’s hotel review page.

Should you be hopping over to Ukraine (click image for larger map) anytime soon, take note of the capital’s new name, or rather the new spelling recognized by the U.S. government. Instead of identifying the capital city using the Russian spelling, or Kiev, official U.S. policy now calls for using Ukrainian spelling, or Kyiv.

US Alters Its Spelling of Ukraine City

Considering an all-inclusive vacation? Choose well, and you can end up with a fabulous trip free of a la carte hassles. Choose poorly, and you could spend your vacation eating the same stale buffet food day after day and shelling out money for extras you thought were included in the trip’s package price. In the MSNBC story below, editors from Islands magazine dish on the best resorts for all-inclusive vacationers.

The 6 Best Authentic All-Inclusives

Insider tip: The next time you pay for high-speed Internet access at a hotel, make sure to ask whether the daily usage fee includes any extra services like phone calls. Some hotel chains include unlimited local and long distance calls with high-speed Internet access. You’ll find this sort of service bundle available at Westin, Renaissance and Marriott properties.

To combat competition brought on by Southwest’s launch of new flights from Dallas Love Field, American Airlines has begun offering its travelers double AAdvantage miles on many equivalent flights out of Dallas Fort Worth International. Ah, competition in business. Always good for the consumer.

AA Double Miles To/From Dallas Fort Worth

This is a standard guestroom at which famous New York City hotel? To find the answer, click the pic.

Kinda funny that the country of Jamaica might be picking up the tab for some of your passport fees. Of course, I’m guessing that anyone reading this blog probably has a passport already, but perhaps you can pass this little tidbit along to someone you know who doesn’t. U.S. travelers who obtain new passports in anticipation of changes to U.S. passport regulations and visit Jamaica as their first international trip abroad - proven by having the Jamaica stamp as the only stamp in your new passport - will receive travel credits at hotels, spas, restaurants and other venues that total standard passport fees: $92 per adult and $82 per child. Not a bad deal for a family of four taking a cruise whose first port of call happens to be Jamaica. The program runs through Dec. 2007.

Jamaica’s Passport Rewards Program

Due to new legislation that revised the 1979 Wright Amendment last month, Texas residents can now fly from Dallas Love Field via Southwest to many destinations previously reserved for American Airlines’ flights out of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. Though the legislation changes took place a month ago, Southwest just began operating its new flights yesterday. For Texans and visitors to the state, the changes mean travelers have more options and may be able to avoid the annoyances of a larger airport (with its higher parking fees, longer security lines and numerous terminals). Of course, many of the new Southwest flights are required by law to stop at least once during their route (silly laws), so travelers may be trading the hassles of a larger airport for cheaper fares - and a longer flight time. From Dallas Love Field, travelers can now fly on Southwest to the following destinations:

Baltimore Washington International

Chicago Midway

Las Vegas

Los Angeles International

Phoenix

Orlando

San Diego

To celebrate, Southwest is offering lower fares on many of its flights from Dallas Love Field. Here, a few highlights:

$94 one-way, to/from Los Angeles, CA

$49 one-way, to/from St. Louis, MO

$49 one-way, to/from Little Rock, AR

$94 one-way, to/from San Diego, CA

$94 one-way, to/from Baltimore/Washington Int’l, MD

$87 one-way, to/from Cleveland, OH

$79 one-way, to/from Chicago (Midway), IL

$49 one-way, to/from Austin, TX

To get these fares, you’ve got to buy by Oct. 26 and travel between Oct. 27 and Nov. 20, 2006. Other restrictions? You must purchase your tickets at least 7 days in advance via Southwest’s web site.

Complete list of current Southwest Sale Fares

Woo-wee, it’s been a serious week of “top” lists. Gayot.com, a must-read source for foodies, just released its annual round-up of the Top 40 U.S. Restaurants. Interestingly, there aren’t rankings within the top 40. I kind of like that approach, because really, after a certain point, aren’t they all fabulous?