What do affluent Americans look for when picking a hotel for vacation? It's not beach access, fitness centers or privacy but something far more practical: Internet access, according to the Resonance Report on Affluent Travel and Leisure released Thursday.

"We believe one of the key trends we'll see in the years ahead is the integration of technology into the guest experience," Chris Fair, president of Resonance Consultancy, wrote in an e-mail. "Rather than unplugging, we'll be 'plugging in' and using mobile technology to create and manage our vacation experience throughout our stay...."

The findings among luxury travelers (households with incomes of more than $150,000) cut across age groups too, with 54% of those younger and older than 55 ranking the Internet as the key factor in their hotel choice.

When it comes to picking a vacation destination, the survey found that good weather was the top consideration, followed by cost, scenery and nature, safety and access to the beach.

Other...

Summer at desert resorts can bring good values for those content to cool down by splashing in the pool or having a massage. Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa in Rancho Mirage has a summer sale on rooms starting at $99 a night that's an inexpensive way to explore and enjoy this resort.

The deal: Rancho las Palmas, which has 444 rooms and 22 suites, recently renovated its plaza, restaurant and suites. But it's the water features that will impress the kids. There's Splashtopia water park with a pool, lazy river and two 100-foot water slides and the Azure pool for adults.

The Summer Sale rate applies to stays on Mondays-Wednesdays for a room with a king-sized bed and a pull-out sofa bed. The price doesn't include a $28 daily resort fee and tax, and the deal is available online only.

When: The offer is good through May 20 for stays July 8-Sept. 30, based on availability.

Tested: I found availability for the $99 rate July 15-17, 22-24 and 29-31 -- all Monday through Wednesday stays. It's a good...

The supernatural side of Sin City will be on display as the Las Vegas Paranormal Conference casts its spell May 19-21 at the Palace Station Hotel & Casino.

Local ghost hunters Robert George Allen and Janice Oberding are hoping for plenty of paranormal activity over the course of three days.

A planned seance will try to put participants in touch with Liberace. The legendary entertainer, who died in 1987, was known as Mr. Showmanship, and the seance is to be held in his old dressing room.

The weekend is also to include a visit to the former mining town of Goodsprings, Nev., in search of two ghosts. They reportedly reside at the 100-year-old Pioneer Saloon.

A variety of workshops featuring guest speakers from the world of ghost hunting are also planned.

Registration costs $225 and is available online. The cost includes a pass to Allen’s Haunted Vegas Tour.

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Volcano House, uniquely located on the edge of the active Kilauea volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii, has reopened after a multimillion-dollar restoration by its new owners.

The hotel sits within the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. It is located just across Crater Rim Drive from the visitor center.

There has been lodging on the site since 1846, when a grass hut was built to house visitors to the volcano. Among its famous former guests were American writer Mark Twain, British author Robert Louis Stevenson and French microbiologist Louis Pasteur.

The renovations have restored Volcano House to its pre-World War II heyday. Indeed, everything from the custom-made furniture to the wall coverings will harken back to quieter times.

“We went back through the [Park Service] archives to see pictures from before the war,” said Jorge Mangino, the general manager. “All the furniture, etc., will put it back to what it was like then, something unique.”

The hotel has 32 rooms,...

If you haven't made plans for Memorial Day, you might want to consider this hotel deal on the Sonoma Coast. The Bodega Bay Lodge in Bodega Bay, Calif., is offering a $149 room package through the end of May that comes with a room upgrade, wine tastings, a spa discount -- all within spitting distance of the ocean. 

The deal: Bodega Bay is one of those little coastal towns about an hour and a half north of San Francisco. It's best known for being the scary backdrop for Alfred Hitchcock's 1963 film "The Birds."

The lodge has 83 rooms and carries a AAA four-diamond rating. With this offer, rates start at $149 on Sundays through Fridays and $209 on Saturdays. Guests receive an upgraded room with ocean view, balcony and fireplace; two-for-one flights of wine at the Gourmet Au Bay wine bar; plus a free daily wine hour at the lodge and tasting passes to area wineries. Those who want to indulge in a spa treatment receive 20% off the price.

When: The offer is good for stays through May 31, based...

After a year of construction, Universal Orlando  has finally admitted that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter will expand in 2014 with a detailed re-creation of London's Diagon Alley from the wildly popular series of books and movies.

Photos: Top 10 Wizarding World of Harry Potter rides and attractions

The highly anticipated expansion of the Wizarding World themed land at Universal's Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Fla., will see the introduction of a Gringotts Bank attraction in a second land at the adjacent Universal Studios Florida theme park.

A Hogwarts Express train will transport visitors between the existing Hogsmeade Village at Islands of Adventure and the new Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Florida.

The second Harry Potter land will be built on the location of the former Jaws attraction, which was demolished more than a year ago.

Of course, as with all things related to Wizarding World, we've known most of this for months if not years. Only now it's finally official.

Which...

Songs from well-known musicals will be performed as the 2013 Super Summer Theatre presents “Broadway Meets Hollywood” on May 17 and 18 in the mountains west of Las Vegas.

Numbers from such shows as "Annie," "Fiddler on the Roof," "Grease," "Oklahoma" and "West Side Story" will be staged under the stars at the Spring Mountain Ranch State Park, about 35 minutes west of the Strip near the village of Blue Diamond. The performance begins at 7:30 each evening.

Advance tickets cost $8 and are available online. Admission to the park is included after 5 p.m. and seating in the meadow begins at 6 p.m. (Bring a blanket to sit on.)

The 2013 season is the 38^th for Super Summer Theatre. The schedule includes "The Music Man" (June 12-29), "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" (July 10-27), "Legally Blonde The Musical" (Aug. 7-24) and "The Producers" (Sept. 5-21).

Info: (702) 594-7529.

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Catch a pricey wave this summer at one of the world’s most exclusive surfing events in the Maldives, an island nation in the Indian Ocean.

Four Seasons Maldives Surf Champions Trophy contest, scheduled Aug. 26-Sept. 2, will pit six internationally known surfers against one another in a $25,000 showdown. Travelers who can afford the tariff can hop on a wave and rub shoulders with the greats – in the water or on the beach in the evening drinking rum.

Called the world’s most luxurious surf contest, the event takes place near Four Seasons Maldives Resort at Kuda Huraa. The resort, on a private coral island, is one of three area Four Seasons facilities; the others include Landaa Giraavaru, another resort, and the Explorer, a surf vessel that takes passengers to the spots where the break is best.

“We are gearing up for the best competition yet,” said Mark Winson, the contest’s coordinator. “This is an event like no other in the world.”

Australi...

For travelers who want to be among the first to tour the Statue of Liberty when it reopens July 4, tickets are on sale for the ferry ride and tour options of the iconic landmark.

The Statue of Liberty has been closed since Oct. 29 when Superstorm Sandy flooded Liberty Island and damaged a dock, brick walkways and the electrical system. The National Park Service in March promised to reopen the tourist attraction by the Fourth of July.

Tickets to visit Liberty Island from July 4 to Sept. 2 may be purchased online or by phone, (201) 604-2800, with Statue Cruises. Because of high demand,  reservations are strongly recommended. 

Tourists have a choice of three reservation options with a ferry ride from Battery Park in New York City:
--Access to the grounds of the Statue of Liberty ($17 for adults, $9 for children 4 to 12 years old);
--Access to the museum and pedestal of the statue (same price as above);
--Access to the crown, museum and pedestal inside the statue ($20 for adults, $12 for...