He made five traditional western and Caribbean holiday drinks, made sure everyone in the audience had a taste of each, ran well-over his hour time allotment and still wanted more time to finish.

FORBES: Barbados, The Rum Island

In recent weeks, similar announcements have come from the Holiday Inn, Holiday Express and Best Western chains.

ECONOMIST: Hotel internet access

And at less expensive brands like Holiday Inn Express, Best Western or Fairfield Inn, newspapers are available in lobbies.

BBC: Extra! Extra! Newspaper delivery fading in hotels

The holiday is celebrated across Europe but while in Scotland, Greece and Romania the saint (one of Jesus's 12 disciples) is honoured in church prayers, pubs or even with a bank holiday, in some remote western Ukrainian villages people will be throwing a boot over a rooftop and whispering chants in candlelight to find a husband or a wife.

BBC: Pagan holidays in modern Ukraine

Budget conscious travellers should seek out hotel chains such as Best Western, Country Inn, Hampton Inn or Holiday Inn Express that include extras like breakfast, parking and Internet in their nightly rates.

BBC: Deals to be found in May and beyond