Frommer's Alaska 2009
Information and FAQ for
Establishments
(and window stickers)
This page is for businesses and agencies who have received my e-mail,
fax or mail survey asking for updated information for my travel
guidebook, Frommer's Alaska 2009.
What is Frommer's Alaska?
Who is Charles Wohlforth?
Why answer this survey?
Is it true there is no cost to being in the book?
How to answer the email survey
How to answer
the mail or fax survey
What is the deadline?
What if I don't like my
review?
How to get window stickers
Are suggestions
welcome for further coverage?
What hotel
amenities does the book list?
When will you visit?
Why is the
information in the book different than on Frommers.com?
Why
is Alaska for Dummies so
similar to Frommer's Alaska?
How do I get a
link from wohlforth.net?
Can I have a free
copy of the book?
What
is Frommer's Alaska?
Frommer's Alaska is one of
the top selling travel guidebooks covering Alaska. Visitors
bound for Alaska buy the book in their local bookstores, then use the
descriptions and listings to plan their trips. Many carry it along and
use it as a Bible for their travels. The book costs $19.99 and
sells extremely well all over the English speaking world. Since revenue
comes from readers, the book is objective. We tell it like it is for
the benefit of travelers. Here is a picture
of the book and a link to buy it.
Who is Charles Wohlforth?
Charles is a lifelong Alaskan who has worked as a
professional writer for 20 years. He originally wrote Frommer's Alaska in 1995. The
current update, for 2009, will be his twelth edition. Charles also
has
written many other books and served two terms on the Anchorage
Assembly. Here is his complete resume.
Why answer this survey?
Each year we send surveys by email, fax or mail to each
establishment
listed in the previous year's book. The responses go into the
database used to update the next edition. In addition, one of my
assistants or I come and visit most hotels, restaurants and other
establishments every year. We often make those visits unannounced and
don't identify ourselves.
The purpose of the visit is to make sure we still want to recommend
your
business. The purpose of the survey is to make sure we get all the
facts right. By
responding promptly to the survey, establishments make our job easier,
and enhance their chances of being included in the next edition. If we
don't receive your survey, we will follow up by fax, mail, or by having
an assistant call. If we can't reach you after a few tries, we
won't be able to include you in the next edition. For many businesses,
that means losing bookings. Some hotels and other businesses
have told me that their free listing in Frommer's is their number one
source of referrals.
Is it true there is
no cost to being in the book?
We get our money from readers, not businesses. That's how
we can offer honest reviews, and it is why our readers can trust what
we have to say. We do not accept payment in exchange for being in the
book.
How to answer the email survey
Your email message should have included a paragraph or two
about your establishment. The purpose of the survey is to have you
review the factual information in the listing and send back corrections
or to let me know that no changes are needed. The easiest way is to hit
"reply" on your email program, then type your changes right into the
message. Please make it clear where changes appear by placing them [in
brackets] or in ALL CAPS. Please confine your changes to the factual
information. Do not edit the listing for your taste or because you
disagree with my opinions. If you do so, I will have to contact you
again
to ask you to clarify which changes are factual in nature and which are
opinion.
How to answer the
mail or fax survey
Simply write your changes on the survey and send it back
to me by mail or fax. You can call me with changes, as well, but having
your input in writing works best.
What
is the deadline?
Please answer the survey as soon as you can. Too often,
people set it aside and forget about it. After 10 days to two weeks, we
will start following up by fax, mail or phone. I must complete my
manuscript and send it to the publisher in late May. Information that
comes in after that date is difficult to include. The earlier you get
information to me, the more likely I will be able to use it in the book.
What if I don't like
my review?
This happens. Rarely do I find nothing to criticize in an
establishment, and frequently owners don't like my negative
comments. I am interested in hearing your reaction.
The best way to reach me is by email.
However, as a
journalist, I am free to write about your establishment in any way I
see fit, even if you don't want me to write about it at all.
How to get window stickers
I have red and yellow window stickers
that say "Recommended by Frommer's Travel Guides 2008." Businesses use
these on their front doors or windshields to let visitors know we have
given our seal of approval. We can send stickers free to
anyone listed in the 2008 book. Just let me know you want one and how
many (maximum three per request), along with your mailing address. The
best way to reach me is by email.
Are suggestions
welcome for further coverage?
Absolutely! It's tough to keep track of everything happening in the
Alaska travel industry. If you know of anything new or any areas you
feel I have not covered, please drop me a line. If your town or
business
has new offerings, send them along. If you have an email newsletter,
sign me up at frommersak@gci.net.
What hotel amenities does the book list?
I'm
interested in any amenities you want to tell me about. The standard
list of amenities I check up on:
Public Amenities (not
in-room, open to all guests): Pool, Health club (big) or exercise room
(small),
Jacuzzi (not in room), Sauna, Bike loan or rental, Concierge (only if
only job),
Tour/Activity desk, Car rental, Courtesy car/van, Business center, Room
service
(24-hour or limited?), Babysitting, Coin-op laundry, Laundry service,
Fish
cleaning or freezing facility, Computer/Internet access; In-room
Amenities (only if amenity is in all rooms): A/C , TV,
TV/VCR or DVD,
Pay
movies, Video games, Phone, Lack of phone, Dataport (phone), WiFi
(cost?), Wired
broadband (cost?), Kitchen/kitchenette, Fridge (stocked?), Coffee
maker, Microwave oven, Hairdryer, Iron, Safe, Bathrobes, in-room
Jacuzzi, Fan.
When
will you visit?
Either I or one of my assistants makes it to the great
majority of locations in the book every year. Due to the size of
Alaska, we visit some small towns only every other year. We generally
do not
announce visits in advance for logistical reasons and because we think
unannounced visits give a better feel for what an establishment is
really like. At restaurants, we often come and go without identifying
ourselves. Hotels
usually know when we are there. If you feel we should visit to see
something new you have, please let me know.
Why is the information
in the book different than Frommers.com?
The publishers of Frommer's
Alaska take much of the information in the book and put it
online on their
Frommers.com
site. I have no control over that site. Sometimes the information is
not
updated in a timely fashion. Let me know if you find wrong or outdated
information and I will pass it on, but I can make no guarantees.
Why
is Alaska
for Dummies so similar to Frommer's Alaska?
I write both these books for Wiley. Much of the content is duplicated.
In 2008 I am updating Alaska
for Dummies for its fourth edition based on the information
gathered for Frommer's Alaska 2009.
The Dummies book is updated
only every other year.
How do I get a link
from wohlforth.net?
I link to many Alaska tourism businesses and agencies on
my own website, wohlforth.net. Check my links.
If you are not
listed, email your URL
to me and I will eventually include it.
Can I have a free copy
of the book?
I receive only a limited number of copies of the book from
the publisher, not enough to give away.
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