Hyatt Has Opened Two Great-Looking Luxury Properties In California
In the past four days, Hyatt has announced the opening of two properties that are new to the World of Hyatt program, and with both properties belonging to the upscale Alila brand and with both properties located in my home state of California, this is news that I'm genuinely excited about.
Hyatt Will Move Into The Refurbished Rio Las Vegas
Hyatt already has a foothold in Las Vegas through its partnership with MGM but following a major refurbishment of the Rio Las Vegas, World of Hyatt fans visiting Las Vegas will soon have the option of enjoying multiple Hyatt full-service properties too.
Hyatt Lists 13 New Properties That It Will Open In 2021
Back in December, Hyatt announced that it expects to open 13 new US lifestyle brand properties in 2021, in January it announced that it was adding 3 more properties to its European portfolio, and now it has named a further 16 properties that it says we can expect to open their doors and welcome guests at various points this year.
Impressions: The Hyatt Place West London Hayes (A Mini Review)
The Hyatt Place West London Hayes is one of two Hyatt properties in the vicinity of London Heathrow and it's the cheapest Hyatt property in the UK. I visited this property earlier in the year as part of a mattress run on my way to Hyatt Globalist status so what follows are some of the pictures I took during my stay and a few observations from my visit.
Marriott will open a new property on Maui in April (or May)
Amidst a variety of announcements that we've recently seen Marriott making, one small bit of news appears to have slipped under the radar. Within the next few months, Marriott Bonvoy members will have a new Hawaiian property at which to burn their hard-earned points.
Marriott Bonvoy Is Set To Absorb 19 Properties Into Its All-Inclusive Portfolio
Marriott has today announced that it has entered into a deal with Blue Diamond Resorts to incorporate 19 of its all-inclusive resorts into its Autograph Collection portfolio. The resorts are spread across six destinations and will add almost 7,000 rooms to Marriott's current all-inclusive offering.
Marriott has opened the W Melbourne
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about Marriott's plans to open almost 100 new Asia Pacific properties in 2021, and now we already have one of the properties featured in that article welcoming guests - the W Hotel Melbourne is officially open.
Marriott Showcases Its New Sheraton Hotels & Their Designs
Way back in 2018 (in what seems like an age ago), Marriott announced that it would be giving its Sheraton brand a much-needed facelift and dragging the brand into the 21st century. Now, three years down the road, Marriott is ready to show us the promised changes that are now coming to fruition and the new look Sheratons that have been refurbished from top to bottom.
Marriott Launches Eco-Friendly Experiences Pilot In Asia Pacific
Marriott has announced the launch of the 'Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy' program which the hotelier says is aimed at creating opportunities for its guests in the Asia Pacific region to engage with local communities and their local environment during their stay.
Is Hyatt About To Lose 22 Properties In The United States?
Two of the more interesting bits of fallout that we've seen from the current crisis have been IHG losing over 100 North American properties in August 2020 and Marriott losing 122 properties in North America in October 2020 and both of those events had one thing in common - the owner of the hotels. Now it looks like Hyatt may be going down a similar (if slightly different) road with the same owner.
Marriott Adds A New Boutique Hotel In Tuscany
These may not be the best of times in which to be opening a new hotel but that hasn't stopped Marriott from unveiling a new Autograph Collection property in Tuscany, Italy. The Grand Universe Lucca, a former 16th Century Palazzo, opened its doors yesterday and joins the Marriott Bonvoy program as a Category 4 property.
Hyatt Expects To Open 13 New Lifestyle Brand Properties In The United States In...
Hyatt has announced that 2020 has seen it open 7 new US properties across its Thompson and Hyatt Centric brands and it has also now confirmed that it expects to see a further 13 new properties (from the Alila, Hyatt Centric, and Thompson brands) open up across the United States in 2021.
Hyatt Says It Will Add 20+ European Properties By The End Of 2023
Hyatt has said that it plans to add over 20 European properties to its portfolio by the end of 2023 which will represent a 30%+ increase in the number of hotels that operate in Europe under various Hyatt brands.
IHG Announces A New Kimpton For Europe
IHG's Kimpton brand has a staunchly loyal following (one that dates back well before the brand was purchased by IHG) but it has long been a brand with a very US-centric portfolio. In recent years, however, Kimpton has been expanding outside of the United States and the latest property to be announced is a second new Kimpton for Spain.
Kimpton’s New Secret Password Has Been Revealed
Kimpton is the boutique hotel brand that has built itself up into a position in which it generates a great deal of loyalty and affection from its more frequent guests, and its the boutique hotel brand which has somehow pulled off the trick of maintaining this relationship despite being engulfed by the behemoth that is IHG.
Quick Review: The Sofitel Heathrow Terminal 5 (Covid Edition)
At the time of my stay a the Sofitel T5, England was under its second lockdown of 2020 (a lockdown which has ended today) so there isn't much point in writing a full review of the property as a lot of what the Sofitel usually offers wasn't available while I was there. Still, the rooms don't change because there's a pandemic raging outside, and a lot of the current safety precautions will be with us for some time to come, so I thought I'd share my thoughts on the Sofitel as I found it in the middle of last month.
Marriott Now Has One Fewer Hotels In Central London
Back in the summer, news broke that Marriott would be losing one of its properties in the heart of London this fall and, as of a few days ago, the Le Meridien Picadilly is no longer part of the Marriott network.
Great News: London Is Finally Getting A Park Hyatt
I'm an unabashed fan of most Park Hyatt properties so I'm always especially happy when news of a new property drops into my inbox. Last year saw the announcement of a new Park Hyatt for Los Angeles and now we're getting details that London will be getting a new Park Hyatt within a couple of years.
Amazing. Marriott Just Lost 122 Properties In North America (Including a Major Hawaii Resort)
Service Properties Trust, a company that owns over a hundred properties that are currently operating under various Marriott brands, has announced that it is terminating all of its agreements with Marriott effective 31 January 2021. There doesn't look to be any going back so from 1 February next year, Marriott's North America portfolio will have noticeably fewer properties in it than it did the day before.
Hilton’s Has Updated Its Flexible Cancellation Policy – It’s Not Good News
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Review: Conrad London St James (Covid Edition)
The Conrad London St James is arguably Hilton's best property in London, but it's a property I had never visited until recently as I usually prefer to make the most of the fantastic weekend deals that are often on offer at the London Marriott Canary Wharf. On this occasion, Joanna and I were looking for a change of scenery and with the Conrad selling award nights at a very reasonable price, it was easy to decide to see what the property has to offer.
Marriott’s Secret Website Will Tell You What Services Its Hotels Are Offering During The...
Marriott has built a website that is designed to show travelers what services and amenities its properties are offering during the current crisis. The site isn't yet official and its contents are not yet complete, but with in-house offerings varying wildly from property to property (even for properties in the same town or city), this can still be an invaluable resource for anyone trying to decide what Marriott to book for their next trip.
Warning: IHG & Marriott Flexible Cancellation Policies Are Ending
IHG and Marriott are the first major hotel chains to confirm that they're ending their flexible cancellation policies which have been available on all bookings since the beginning of the current crisis. At the time of writing, Hilton, Hyatt, and Radisson have not yet followed suit, but with their current policies expiring at the same time as the Marriott and IHG policies expire, there's scope for these three chains to go down the same path.
Incredible: IHG Is Set To Lose Over 100 Properties In North America
The next time you're searching IHG.com for accommodation in North America you may find that a number of properties you've been used to seeing in the past are no longer there. This isn't a glitch or a temporary system error, it's because IHG has just lost over 100 of it's North American properties to a considerably smaller operator.
Check Your Reservations – Some Hotels Aren’t Very Good At Communicating Cancellations
If you have a reservation for a hotel that is supposed to be reopening in the weeks before you're due to arrive, I suggest you double-check the property's latest information online and make sure that all is still going according to plan. Based on my experience, some hotels are not very good at informing guests that their reservations can no longer be honored in a timely way.
Hyatt Resorts Introduce “Work From Hyatt” Packages
As hotels continue to struggle to get their occupancy levels moving in the right direction, we're starting to see the more forward-thinking properties and chains adapting to the "new normal" by introducing plans and packages to suit the current environment. Hyatt's latest idea is to offer the "Work From Hyatt" package which aims to allow individuals, couples, and families to combine work and relaxation all in once place and away from the confines of home.
London Hotels Not Passing On Tax Savings To Guests
As of today, 15 July 2020, the level of VAT being charged on UK hotel accommodation is 5% (down from 20%) and as VAT is a tax on the consumer and not the hotelier (VAT is a sales tax so the hotelier is only acting as a government tax collector), it would be reasonable to expect the cost of a hotel night to drop in proportion to the drop in VAT...but this isn't necessarily the case.
IHG Is Opening An InterContinental Property In Rome
IHG has announced that it will be reintroducing the InterContinental brand to Rome 6 years after the last property to carry the InterContinental name in the Italian capital (the InterContinental De La Ville) was reflagged as a Rocco Forte property.
Marriott Raises $920 Million From Chase & American Express
Marriot has just announced that it has raised $920 million in cash through the agreements it holds with JPMorgan Chase and American Express and, in doing so, follows Hilton in using its credit card partners to raise much needed liquidity during the current crisis.
How IHG Has Gone From Hero To Zero Very Quickly
It was way back on 12 March that IHG Rewards was the first major loyalty program (from the hotel or airline industry) to take measures to make it easier for its members to earn/retain status this year but that appears to have been the end of the program's interest in looking after its members and guests.
Remember How Airlines, Hotels and Agencies Are Acting Right Now
At some point in the future, life will return to what it was like just a few months ago and people will be going about their lives and doing their best to forget the chaos that we're witnessing right now...but I hope we don't forget everything.
Use The New Marriott Tool To See Room Rates With All Fees & Taxes...
In countries where the hotel industry lobby doesn't own the people's elected representatives (at least, not entirely), hotel websites are obliged to show the total cost of a room with all taxes and fees added in. Sadly the United States isn't such a country so, on most US hotel websites, the cost of a room that a customer is first presented with often has little in common with the final price paid.
Hyatt Is Offering 10,000 Points To Guests Cancelling Non-Refundable Reservations
Hyatt CEO Mark Hoplamazian is in the process of sending out emails to Hyatt loyalists detailing all the precautionary measures that the hotel chain is taking in the light of the worldwide coronavirus situation and to reinforce Hyatt's "increased flexibility with travel planning".
Marriott opens the refurbished Ritz-Carlton South Beach
Marriott has announced the reopening of the Ritz-Carlton South Beach following a $90m renovation project that has seen the property keep its Art Deco design but has also seen a wholescale floor-to-ceiling modernization of the property.
Did You Know That You Can Earn American Airlines Business Extra Points With Rocketmiles?
I haven't really paid much notice to Rocketmiles over the years because bookings made through the site aren't eligible for elite status recognition nor do they earn guests points in any hotel programs but a recent tweet caught my eye and taught me something I didn't know - Rocketmiles also partners with the American Airlines Business Extra program.
Marriott Bonvoy’s ‘The Langley’ reviewed
Earlier this year, with very little fanfare, a new Marriott property opened outside London. The property is called The Langley (a Luxury Collection property) and it sits within a 130-acre park in the British countryside a little over 7 miles from Heathrow airport.
Joanna and I spent 2 nights at the property and, having reflected on our stay, I feel confident in stating that this property offers one of the very best redemption options in the whole Marriott Bonvoy hotel chart - it's fantastic.
Marriott Is Buying Seven Caribbean Hotels To Add To Its All-Inclusive Portfolio
At the beginning of August Marriott announced that it planned to offer guests more all-inclusive options and that it planned to do so with a mixture of new-builds, conversions of its existing resorts and new management contracts with existing all-inclusive resorts.
Well, now you can add acquisitions to that list too as Marriott has now announced that it has agreed to buy Elegant Hotels Group for approximately $130m and will be folding the groups 7 existing properties into its all-inclusive arm.
Hyatt Opens The Grand Hyatt At SFO
Hyatt has announced that the Grand Hyatt at SFO is now open and accepting guests and this means that San Francisco Airport now has its first on-airport hotel.
Hyatt Is Launching A New Brand – “Caption By Hyatt”
Hyatt has announced that it will be launching a new "lifestyle brand within the select service category" which will be called Caption by Hyatt but the hotelier hasn't actually said when we can expect to see the first property open its doors or where the brand will be launched.
The Rip-Off Plague Continues To Spread – JW Marriott Los Angeles Adds A “Destination...
In Los Angeles alone we've recently seen properties like the Andaz West Hollywood and the Intercontinental Los Angeles Downtown introduce truly ridiculous and indefensible Destination fees, a number of the Kimpton properties in LA have charged a Destination or Amenity Fee for some time, and now the JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. Live has joined in the scam.
Quick Look: Hilton Los Angeles Airport (LAX)
Although I have a base in LA, I still find myself using the hotels at LAX when I have very early flights to catch or when I’m just passing through for a few hours. On a recent trip, I found myself booked into the Hilton on West Century Boulevard, a short shuttle ride from the airport terminals.
Review: The InterContinental Sydney
There are two InterContinental properties in Sydney but with the InterContinental Sydney Double Bay being the less central of the two properties, it was a straightforward decision to choose the InterContinental Sydney as our second hotel on this visit to the city (the first was the Sydney Harbour Marriott).
Review: The Sydney Harbour Marriott At Circular Quay
I’ve stayed at the Sydney Harbour Marriott in the past and my experience on my last visit was a big reason I chose to book the property for this trip I was taking with Joanna. The location adjacent to Circular Quay is very convenient for exploring central Sydney, for access to local transport links (including ferries, buses, and trains) and it’s an incredibly easy property to get to from Sydney airport with the airport train stopping less than 3 minutes’ walk from the hotel doors.
We’ll Soon Have Another Points Hotel On The Las Vegas Strip
There was a time, not all that long ago, when the Las Vegas strip was pretty much devoid of any properties at which the mainstream points currencies could be “earned and burned”. There was a Westin just off the strip (opposite Harrah’s) and then Marriott built its “Grand Chateau” timeshare property on Harman but, other than that, there weren’t really any other options.
Quick Look: Hyatt Regency DFW – King Runway View Room
Recently, I had a brief overnight stay at the Hyatt Regency at Dallas/Ft. Worth and, although I wasn’t there long enough to try out a lot of what the hotel offers, I thought I’d share a few images and thoughts in case any readers are thinking about booking this property and would like to know what to expect.
Marriott Announces Plans For All-Inclusive Resorts
Marriott has today announced that it plans to expand its already sizeable portfolio and significant accommodation options to include all-inclusive resorts.
The corporation has confirmed that it has already signed management contracts for 5 brand new all-inclusive properties which are expected to open their doors between 2022 and 2025.
Update: New West Hollywood EDITION Now Taking Reservations For November
Back in May, I wrote about the much delayed West Hollywood Edition finally opened up reservations for December 2019. There was no announcement from Marriott or the property to let us know that reservations had opened up but, with the property originally set to throw open its doors in "late 2018", it was a case of better late than never.
Hyatt Adds Alila Resorts To The World Of Hyatt Program (Properties From 5,000 Points...
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IHG Adds Three Luxury Properties To The InterContinental Alliance
InterContinental Alliance Resorts are properties that aren't actually part of the IHG portfolio (like hotels branded as InterContinental, Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, etc...) but which have an agreement with IHG to participate in the IHG Rewards program and, to a degree, the InterContinental Ambassador program.
Amex Offer: Save Up To 20% On Hilton In Europe [Targeted]
Out of all the hotel chains Hilton definitely features the most when it comes to the Amex offers I see in my accounts and there have been a number of offers running since the beginning of March. Now there's a new rebate appearing in targeted Amex accounts which offers up to 20% back on bookings made at Hilton properties in Europe.
IHG Launches Atwell Suites – A New All-Suites Brand
IHG has just unveiled the latest brand it is introducing into its portfolio at a conference in Las Vegas and, with it, the hotelier says it's looking to target an estimated $18bn industry segment focusing on all-suite properties in the upper-midscale sector of the market.
Hyatt Says It Will Double Its Presence In Canada By 2022
Hyatt has been on quite a run recently and it looks like it's planning to continue that run for a few more years. Recently, the hotelier has been adding more and more SLH properties to the World of Hyatt program, it has announced a significant expansion on the West Coast and now Hyatt tells us that we can expect a doubling of its Canadian portfolio over the coming 3 years.
London Marriott Canary Wharf – Executive Room (In Pictures)
The London Marriott Canary Wharf is my go-to hotel when I'm visiting London on a weekend because it often offers some amazing rates for Friday and Saturday night stays. I reviewed this property in quite a bit of detail earlier this year but as that particular stay saw me upgraded to an Executive Suite I thought it might be useful to post details of what a more standard room at the London Marriott Canary Wharf is like.
The New Marriott West Hollywood EDITION Is Finally Taking Reservations
Originally the West Hollywood EDITION was scheduled to open in "late 2018" and, when it rapidly became obvious that this was never going to happen, that date got pushed back to "Spring 2019" and then, quite quickly, to "September 2019" but now, finally, the property is starting to take its first bookings.
RIP OFF ALERT: Now The InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown Is Charging A ‘Facility Fee’
A few weeks ago I noticed that the Andaz West Hollywood has started charging a 'Destination Fee' of $23.10 to all guests other that Hyatt's top-tier elites and now, not to be outdone by an upstart in West Hollywood, the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown has added a 'Facility Fee' of its own.
Marriott’s London EDITION Reviewed
The London EDITION is a property I’ve been wanting to try out ever since its doors opened in 2013 but, for one reason or another, before last month I'd never stepped foot inside the property.
Shortly before the recent changes to Marriott’s award chart took effect some of my plans changed and I found myself needing to book a single night stay in central London and, with the EDITION’s nightly award cost about to increase from 60,000 to at least 85,000 points per night, this seemed like a very good time to give the hotel a try.
Is Another Hyatt Property Playing Games With Award Availability?
For the past few months it has been Marriott's Bonvoy program that has been in the spotlight for, amongst other things, increasing the number of points needed for award bookings and allowing its various brands to pick and choose which benefits they're happy to offer elite guests...but Marriott isn't alone when it comes to shenanigans within its loyalty program.
An Update On The New Andaz West Hollywood ‘Destination Fee’
Last month I noticed that one of my preferred hotels in Los Angeles, the Andaz West Hollywood, had quietly introduced a $23.10 destination fee for all non-award bookings (award bookings appeared to have escaped the fee) and I managed to get the Andaz to comment on the new surcharge.
Amazing! Hyatt Has Actually Improved Its Best Rate Guarantee
There was a time where the best rate guarantees offered by the big hotel chains were a valuable tool in getting great deals but over the past few years most programs have watered down their guarantees to such an extent that they're not often worth very much (some don't seem to be worth anything at all).
Review: JW Marriott Rio de Janeiro
At the beginning of last month I took a trip to Rio de Janeiro courtesy of the fantastic Iberia Avios promotion from last year and, for my 4-night stay, I booked the JW Marriott Rio de Janeiro on Copacabana Beach.
Hyatt Adds Thompson Hotels To The World Of Hyatt (Bonus Points Available)
Over the past year Hyatt has been doing a good job of expanding the opportunities available to its World of Hyatt members by adding a significant number Small Luxury Hotel (SLH) properties to the list of hotels at which members can earn and burn Hyatt points....and now the expansion continues.
Why I’m Using Online Travel Agencies More & More (And Why You Probably Should...
I hold top tier-status with Marriott and mid-tier status with Hilton and IHG but, more than ever, I'm now finding myself booking select hotel stays through online agencies like Hotels.com, Travelocity and Orbitz.
The Andaz West Hollywood Replied To My Post On Its ‘Destination Charge’…..And It’s Nonsense
Yesterday I published a post in which I shone a spotlight on the Andaz West Hollywood as I pointed out that the property has started charging guests a 'Destination Fee' of $23.10 per night on top of whatever nightly rate is on offer.
As usual the post got sent out on Twitter but this time I also specifically sent a tweet to the Andaz West Hollywood (with a link to the post) to see if I could get the property to address the points I made.
Another Hyatt Property Quietly Introduces A “Destination Fee”
The Andaz West Hollywood happens to be one of my favorite Hyatt hotels but I’m going to have to call the property out for what appears to be a very underhand and customer unfriendly move.
I’m Starting To Think That The Best Western ‘Low Rate Guarantee’ Is Pointless
Over the weekend I submitted a 'low rate guarantee' claim to Best Western and, despite the fact the claim was a little cheeky, I was surprised at the reasons given when the hotelier denied the claim and refused to honor the low rate guarantee.
Rio De Janeiro Trip – Introduction (How I Booked & How Much I Paid)
I've recently returned from my first ever visit to Rio De Janeiro and only my second trip to Brazil so, before I start reviewing the aircraft I flew in, the airport lounges I visited and the hotel I stayed at, I thought I'd revive a type of post I haven't written for a while - one that shows my thought process when booking, how much my bookings cost and how many miles/points I earned from the trip.
Marriott Opens A New Hotel In London – Weekend Rates Look Great
With over twenty properties in central London I don't think anyone was ever going to suggest that Marriott didn't offer enough options for Bonvoy members wishing to visit the capital of the UK but, just in case, Marriott has just announced the opening of a new property in a tourist-centric area - welcome to The Dixon, Tower Bridge.
Hilton Has Added Yet Another New Brand To Its Portfolio
Hotels brands may claim to be different to one another and each brand within a portfolio may claim to offer guests something which its sister brands do not but branding really isn't here for the benefit of guests.
Review: The Conrad Centennial Singapore
As someone who enjoys making the most of his Marriott Titanium Elite status benefits I normally book Marriott properties for my trips but, on this occasion, booking the Conrad Centennial Singapore made a lot more sense.
9 Marriott Properties To Book Before 5 March 2019
Marriott recently announced its hotel category changes for 2019 which will soon see over 285 of its properties charging more for an award night than they do right now.
These hotel category changes will be effective for bookings made from 5 March 2019 onwards which means there are only 18 full days left to lock in the exiting rates at properties moving up a category....and I've selected 9 such properties which are worth a closer look.
Review: Bangkok Marriott Hotel Sukhumvit
Bangkok is one of the more economical cities in the world to visit because food is ridiculously cheap and good accommodation doesn’t have to be expensive – there are a lot of good properties to choose from in the city and you won’t have to break the bank to stay at a lot of them.
IHG Buys Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas For $300m
IHG has announced the purchase of Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas for the sum of $300m. The purchase covers all the Six Senses brand and operating companies but dies not include any physical real estate assets.
UK Regulator Clamps Down On Online Travel Agency Practices
One of the best things about using the UK version of an online travel agency's (OTA) website is that it shows you the actual cost of your stay upfront when searching for hotels . The prices shown include any taxes payable and, usually, any resort fess are reasonably obvious too...but the OTAs are still coming under pressure from the UK's competition watchdog.
Marriott has Opened A New Hotel In Dubai: W Dubai – The Palm (And...
Marriott has announced the official opening of the W Dubai - The Palm located on Palm Jumeirah. The new property is being marketed as a "W Escape" which Marriott describes as "W brand’s playful spin on the traditional resort experience".
A New Park Hyatt For Los Angeles As Hyatt Announces 40 New West Coast...
Hyatt has always offered a pretty compelling loyalty program even if it has made qualifying for its top-tier status a monumental challenge for those of us who aren't road warriors.
The problem with Hyatt has always been that its relatively small footprint makes it incredibly difficult to be loyal to the program as, in many locations, there simply isn't a Hyatt property at which to stay.
When Two Free Nights Will Cost You More Than One Free Night At The...
Friends of ours will be visiting Los Angeles in December and they asked if I would give them some advice on booking their trip and help them out with their accommodation. Naturally I said yes and I started exploring a few options on their behalf....but things didn't quite turn out as I expected them to turn out.
IHG Confirms A Big Expansion Of Its Kimpton Brand
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Does Anyone Else Think This PR Request Is Weird?
At the beginning of December I published a post in which I called out a number of hotels in Miami for the resort fees they add to their nightly rates and for the less-than-obvious way in which some of these fees are displayed. In the post I pointed out that the W South Beach doesn't make any mention of resort fees on its homepage or on its rates page, the rate details page doesn't mention them either and neither does the "cost summary" page.....but the hotel charges resort fees of $35/night.
Radisson Opens Two New Hotels In Abu Dhabi…And They’re Worth A Look
Radisson and its loyalty don't get much love from a lot of us because, frankly, the hotelier's offerings here in the US are at best mediocre and more often than not a grave disappointment. Quite simply there are usually better places to stay for the same outlay.
However, outside the US things aren't the same and Radisson has a number of properties that are well worth checking out....especially if you're traveling in Europe.
Hyatt Is Offering Bounties Of Up To $4,000 If You Can Hack Its Websites
Cyber crime is a thing we have to live with nowadays and announcements of major hacks seem to be getting more commonplace.
The Equifax hack was probably the most publicised hack from the past 18 months but the recent admission by Marriott that details of up to 383 million guests were compromised makes the hotelier the victim of one of the largest hacks so far....and things won't stop there.
Do You Know About Kimpton’s Last Minute Deals?
One of the things I love most about writing this blog is that the research I have to do means that I'm constantly learning new things about the travel industry and constantly discovering ways I can save cash when I travel.
While I'm a big fan of making airline bookings way in advance I'm beginning to hold off from making any hotel/accommodation bookings until much closer to my actual trips - I'm finding that I'm getting better deals that way and, by delaying the reservations I make, I'm finding myself in a better position to make the most of any hotel promotions that come around.
Marriott Updates Guests On Its Massive Security Breach…And The News Isn’t Great
At the end of November 2018 Marriott announced that, earlier in the month, it had called in security experts after its systems had detected an unauthorised attempt to access one of its databases.
The subsequent investigation suggested that there had been a security breach in the Starwood database since 2014 (no, that's not a typo) and that the personal and private details of up to 500 million guests had been compromised.
Hyatt Adds A New Property In Barcelona (And You Can Book It Now)
One of the biggest issues a lot of miles & points fans have with Hyatt is that it doesn't exactly have a large footprint of properties across the world. This makes it hard to be loyal to the chain (and earn status) and it means that World of Hyatt points are harder to use than the currencies issued by the other major hoteliers....but Hyatt is trying to do something about this.
I’ve Finally Booked A Big Ticket Marriott Redemption For Next Year
Since Marriott introduced its new award chart in August it has been possible to book awards at numerous aspirational properties around the world for just 60,000 points per night but, sadly, that's only going to be the pricing for a limited time.
The window to book these properties for 60,000 points per night will probably close on 1 January 2019 when Marriott is expected to introduce a Category 8 level into its award chart - a category into which all the aspirational properties will be placed.
Time To Legislate: This Hotel Rip-Off Needs To Stop
If you ask a group of frequent travelers what five aspects of the offerings they get from hotels and airlines they dislike the most you're likely to get a host of different answers.
Some will probably point to the inability of certain airlines to keep to a schedule (that would be you AA), some will probably comment on hotel rooms that don't offer enough power outlets and some will complain about the ever decreasing amount of space passengers are given on an aircraft.....but I'm willing to wager that one ever more apparent aspect of travel will appear on most of their lists - Resort fees.
Marriott Hacked – Up To 500 Million Starwood Accounts Are Affected
Here we go again! What is it with big corporations and their inability to keep our information safe?!
We're only just getting over the Cathay Pacific hack and the debacle that was the British Airways hack and now we're being told that Marriott's Starwood database (containing the information of 500 million customers) has been compromised by an "unauthorised party".
Hilton Adds 3 All-Inclusive Resorts To Its Portfolio
Hilton has used its partnership with Playa Hotels & Resorts to introduce three new all-inclusive resorts to its portfolio. These resorts are located in Mexico and the Dominican Republic and all are bookable using Hilton Honors points via Hilton.com.
Hilton Is Adding A New Property With Over-Water Villas
I've yet to meet someone who doesn't like the idea of an overwater villa so the news that Hilton will be opening a new resort offering exactly that should bring a smile to a few people's faces.
Here’s The Problem With Marriott’s Suite Upgrades
Before Marriott Rewards and SPG were merged Marriott didn’t officially offer its elites upgrades to suites. Very occasionally (and usually on short trips) Marriott properties have upgraded me to a suite in the past but, more often than not, the upgrades I’ve received have been to a slightly larger room on a high floor.
That’s always been fine for me as I rarely need the space that a suite offers but I know that the lack of suite upgrades has been a bugbear for some.
Those crying out for suite upgrades had their wish granted when Marriott updated its elite benefits following the merger of the Marriott Rewards and SPG loyalty programs but, now that the new rules are in place, I’m not sure guests will be getting what they may expect.
The Conrad Maldives Will Offer An Undersea Residence From This Year
The Conrad Maldives has announced that it will soon offer an undersea residence. Due to be completed in the fourth quarter of this year the new residence will be called "Muraka" (which means coral in the local language) and will offer "an intimate and immersive experience of one of the Earth’s most breathtaking marine environments".
Hilton Adds A New Resort In The Maldives
The majority of miles & points collectors like to use their balances on aspirational travel and when it comes to aspirational travel the Maldives ranks quite highly. If you're a Hilton loyalist, right now you have just the one option when visiting the Maldives (the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island) but, from the end of this year, a second Maldivian property should be bookable on Hilton.com.
IHG Adds Tesla Charging Stations To All Crown Plaza Properties In Australasia
Tesla is the only electric car manufacturer that has succeeded in making serious inroads into the motor industry (you can't move for Tesla Model S vehicles in LA) and, as more and more people jump on the Tesla bandwagon, it's becoming increasingly important for hotels to provide guests with somewhere the can charge their vehicle overnight.
Marriott’s Autograph Collection Plans New Belize Resort
I loved Belize when I visited it a few years ago. I visited outside of the busy season (May) so where I was staying was beautifully tranquil and the scuba diving was fantastic. I've been looking for a reason to return and it's just possible that Marriott is about to give me one.
Hyatt Is Getting A New London Property
Hyatt has announced that two yet-to-open properties are set to join its Unbound Collection in 2018. One of the properties is Istanbul (more on that one a little later) while the other is set to open in the very heart of London.
Radisson Hotels Group Launches “Radisson Collection”
It's all change over at Radisson with what was once the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group now rebranded as "Radisson Hotels Group" and with the Club Carlson loyalty program now rebranded as Radisson Rewards and slightly tweaked at the same time too.
Now Radisson Hotels has announced the Radisson Collection which, according to the hotelier, is a premium collection of hotels in landmark locations.
Review: Andaz West Hollywood King Suite
A few weeks back Joanna, MJ and I spent six nights in a King Suite at the Andaz West Hollywood. It's a property I know quite well (having lived down the road from it for 5 years) and it's a property I've stayed at a few times in the past....but never with Joanna and MJ.
I've already discussed why we booked the Andaz how much it cost in a previous post so I'll move straight on to the review.
Review: Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo
Some time ago I visited Sao Paulo on a crazy itinerary that saw me spend as many nights on American Airlines aircraft as I did in Sao Paulo (I earned a lot of miles and elite qualifying miles on that trip!) but, rather annoyingly, the flash drive on which I stored all my pictures became corrupted and so I haven't been able to publish any reviews...until now.
I've finally managed to recover my files from the Sao Paulo trip so I thought I'd share the pictures I took of the Grand Hyatt and add add my thoughts on teh service and the property.
Review: Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel At Circular Quay
I only had three nights in Sydney on this trip so it was important to me that I booked somewhere central and within an easy walk of most things I'd like to see and do while I was in town. I was also keen to spend as little as possible while still enjoying a good amount of comfort so that meant booking a property with points and with a chain at which I have status. All of this made the Sydney Harbour Marriott a logical place to stay.
Introduction: Sydney For 3 Nights Using A Super Cheap Business Class Fare & Points
Whenever possible I like to write an introduction to the trips I take to give readers an idea of how much things cost, how I book and when I use points and when I choose to part with some cash. The point of this is to hopefully show just how doable these trips are and how, with a little bit of planning and a little bit of flexibility, these are trip that a lot of people can book.
For this trip I managed to combine a truly fantastic offer from an online travel agency with some Marriott points to book myself a business class flight and three nights in one of my favorite cities in the world.
Is It “Gauche” To Ask For A Room Upgrade You’re Entitled To?
On a recent visit to the JW Marriott Hong Kong I found myself at the front desk politely requesting a room upgrade my Platinum status entitles me to (per Marriott's own rules). I posted this fact in my review of the property and a reader commented that he agreed with my stance but that a poster on Flyertalk had said that requesting an upgrade was "gauche" (even if it's an upgrade you're entitled to).
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