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.
Details Of The IHG Cyber Sale Are Now Live – Save At Least 25%...
IHG is the latest hotelier to reveal its plans for Cyber Week although bookings at sale prices don't open up till after Thanksgiving. There are multiple deals on offer this year including discounts on room rates, extra points for signing up to the Ambassador Program, more points when booking bonus point packages and a discount on points & cash bookings too.
HILTON FLASH SALE: Up To 50% Off In Japan, Maldives, Guam & More!
Hilton has launched a 72 hour flash sale for its properties in Japan, South Korea, Guam, the Maldives and Thailand. The booking period ends on 23 November 2018 so you don't have too long to decide if you should book or what property you should book.
Kimpton Is Offering Up To 40% Off In Its Cyber Monday Sale
Kimpton, the boutique hotel chain bought by IHG back in 2015, has launched a "Cyber Monday + Giving Tuesday" sale which can be used with immediate effect....so it's not really a Cyber Monday sale at all. Still, semantics aside this is a sale that could be worth checking out as there are discounts of up to 40% are on offer (albeit on the best flexible rate and not the cheapest rate you'll find).
The Conrad Washington DC Will Open In February 2019 (Weekdays Look Good For Awards)
If you're a Hilton loyalist who has been awaiting the opening of the new Conrad in Washington DC your patience will soon be rewarded.
Hilton has announced that the Conrad Washington DC is now accepting reservations for guests, meetings and events "in anticipation of its opening in February 2019"
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.
IHG Will Bring Kimpton To The UK & Adds A Resort In Australia
At the end of May IHG announced that it had reached an agreement to take over and rebrand 12 properties in the UK and 9 of those properties are now officially part of the IHG brand portfolio.
IHG PointBreaks Is Back – Book Now For Reservations Through 30 September
IHG has now released the list of hotels and resorts which are participating in its latest PointBreaks promotion. These hotels are bookable from as little as 5,000 points per night while the more popular properties on the list cost either 10,000 or 15,000 points per night.
Marriott Is Trialling Facial Recognition Check-In (And I Think I’ve Spotted A Flaw)
Sometimes I think that airlines and hotels have too much time and/or money on their hands and the news last week that Marriott is trialling facial recognition software to help with the check-in process does little to quash that opinion.
There’s A New InterContinental Coming To Colombo
IHG has announced that it has signed a management agreement to bring the InterContinental brand back to Sri Lanka. The Kingsbury Colombo was an InterContinental property up to approximately 6 years ago so the Sri Lankan capital has been InterContinental-free since then.
Get A $25 Gift Card & 5% Off With Radisson’s “Treat Yourself” Promotion
It was only on Monday that Radisson launched a double points promotion on stays of two or more nights and already the hotelier is back with another attempt at persuading guests to stay for more than just a single night.
I’m Quietly Confident About Aspirational Marriott Award Availability
A number of people have been saying that having the likes of the St Regis Bora Bora and the St Regis Maldives Vommuli priced at 60,000 points/night is only really a good deal on paper.
In reality, they say, award availability will be very limited (due to demand) so only a few of us will be able to get the reservations we want.
I see things in a slightly different way.
Accor Hotels Introduces “Just For Students” Sale
Accor Hotels has put out a release which reads "[t]his summer, the Ibis brands want to be the travel partner of millennials with the launch of their first 100% student offer"
Any press release claiming to be aimed at millennials gets me annoyed very quickly but, because this may offer some genuine value to a few readers, I carried on reading - this is what the offer is all about
Marriott Announces New Hotel Categories – Book Amazing Properties from 60,000 Points
We've known about the new Marriott award chart (kicking in from 1 August 2018) for some time but it hasn't really meant all that much up until now because Marriott hadn't confirmed what categories its hotels would be placed in.
The hotelier gave us an indication of what to expect back in April but, as I noted at the time, there was quite a bit they left out.
In its examples Marriott didn't include all the properties in each city/region that it was using to explain how things would look, we weren't told how peak- and off-peak seasons would be split and there was still uncertainty over how all-suite properties would be treated.
Did You Know That You Can Earn TRIPLE Points With Hilton In July?
Hilton's second big promotion of 2018 has been running since 1 May and offers all Hilton Honors members double points for stays made at most Hilton properties through 31 August 2018. As Hilton promotions go this a reasonably good one but I've only just noticed that for some of us, it's actually better than I thought.
Marriott Will Introduce Amazon Alexa To Select Hotels
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about Air France integration coming to Amazon's Alexa and now it looks like Marriott is taking things a step further as it brings Alexa into its hotel rooms.
FLASH SALE: Up To 20% Off At Hilton Americas (Book By 25 June)
Hilton has launched a flash sale for stays at its properties in the US, Canada and Latin America in which its offering up to 20% off stays booked by Monday 25 June 2018. You'll have to be a Hilton Honors member to get the maximum discount but, as its free to sign up, that shouldn't be an issue for anyone.
IHG Sale & Promotion: 20-30% Off & Up To 5,000 Bonus Points Per Stay
IHG has launched its "Easy Like Summer" promotion in which it's offering a number of incentives to those ready to book travel for stays in the next 3 months (approximately). Three separate incentives are on offer covering discounts on room rates, bonus points and extra savings through IHG's fuel rewards program so there should be something here for everyone.
IHG Launches A New “Upscale” Brand – Voco
We've reached a point where hotel chains have too many brands for customers to keep up with but there's no sign that the proliferation of brands is slowing down. Marriott/Starwood has 30 brands, Wyndham has 29 brands, Hilton has 14 brands and, before this week, IHG had 12 brands and from a customer standpoint there is absolutely no reason for all these brands to exist (can you tell the difference between a Residence Inn and Fairfield suites?).
The Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi Is Finally Open…..Sort Of
The Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi was already a full size structure when I visited Abu Dhabi in December 2015 and it was suggested at the time that it would be open in time for my next visit a year later. It wasn't.
Now, seemingly ages after the hotel was first expected to open, the property has announced that it's finally accepting guests....but only in limited numbers.
A New Westin Hotel Is Coming To Central London
Marriott already has a strong presence in London with 10 very centrally located hotels and, counting the Starwood properties, that number increases to a very impressive 17. However, apparently 17 isn't enough for the guys in Betheseda because Marriott has recently announced that it will open a new Westin in central London in 2020.
How To Book Cheaper Higher-End Accommodation In Expensive Cities
Cities like Tokyo, New York and London (to name just a few) can be ridiculously expensive to visit and I've often found that even the traditionally "cheaper" brands (Hampton, DoubleTree, Courtyard, Holiday Inn etc...) can price up at rates that I couldn't possibly justify paying....but there is a way to save a little cash without compromising on quality.
Hilton Opens The Doors On Its Refurbished Santa Barbara Property
Angelenos looking for somewhere to go on a weekend break along the Pacific Coast Highway may now have a new property to check out thanks to a multi-million dollar refurbishment project at an old Doubletree property.
The Fess Parker, A DoubleTree by Hilton Resort in Santa Barbara has undergone a complete renovation and has reopened its doors as the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort.
You’ll Soon Control Your Hotel Room From The Hilton App
Hilton first unveiled its "Connected Room" back in December and it was announced as the first hotel room in which guests could control their stay from one central device - the guest's mobile device. The whole project has been in beta testing for a number of months but now Hilton is stating to roll out the Connected Room concept across the US.
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 Asia-Pacific Sale – Up To 25% Off Bookings Made By 30 April
Hilton has launched a new sale that's going to be of interest to anyone looking to visit the Asia-Pacific region this year. The sale is called "the great getaways" and encompasses Hilton properties across Australasia, India and Southeast Asia although it would appear as if not all properties are participating.
7 Good Kimpton Deals Which Could Save You Money
Kimpton is the boutique hotel brand purchased by IHG back in 2015 and just recently incorporated into the IHG Rewards program. The hotels have a small but vocal following and, if you feel like finding out why some of these properties are so popular, you should check out these offers first to see if you can make the most of any of them.
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.
Starwood Promotion: Get 40% Off Every 2nd Night (Americas)
Starwood is running a promotion which is offering 40% off every second night at stays in various properties throughout the Americas. There doesn't appear to be an end date for this promotion in the terms and conditions so it could be around for some time or disappear as quickly as it appeared.
IHG Signs Up A New Crowne Plaza In Qatar
IHG has announced that it has signed an agreement to convert the M Doha Hotel into the Crowne Plaza Doha West bay by the end of August 2018. With the property in its current guise fairing reasonably well on TripAdvisor this could be a nice addition to the IHG portfolio for those visiting the Middle East.
Up To 33% Off Radisson Weekend Stays Through 31 August 2018
Radisson has launched yet another promotion and this time it's aimed at travelers looking to stay in Europe, the Middle East or Africa between now and 31 August 2018. As is getting more common with Radisson, the rules aren't as straightforward as one might hope so make sure you read the T&Cs before booking.
IHG Buys Controlling Stake In A Small Luxury Chain – Here’s What We Know
On 14 March 2018 IHG announced that it has acquired a 51% controlling stake in Regent Hotels & Resorts for $39m in cash. IHG has also got the right to purchase the remaining 49% in stages starting in 2026.
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.
Accor Hotels Promotion: 3 Nights For The Price Of 2
Accor Hotels has a promotion running which I've only just picked up on and it's one that could be of use if you're looking to book a stay in Europe. While Accor has hotels all over the world it is in Europe where the bulk of its properties are to be found (if you're visiting France it's almost impossible to avoid Accor).
The "stay for three pay for two" promotion is as simple as it sounds although it's worth noting that only 2,000 out of Accor's "over 3,700 hotels" are actually participating.
Radisson Hotel Group & Radisson Rewards Launch Promotions (One Each)
Radisson Hotel Group is the new name for what was once Carlson-Rezidor and Radisson Rewards is the new name for the Club Carlson loyalty program. Not too much has changed with the hotel group (except for the name and a reshuffling of premium properties) while the transition from Club Carlson to Radisson Rewards has seen the loyalty program tweak its rules here and there to make them both a little better and a little worse.
FLASH SALE: Hilton “See The World” Sale Is Now On (Book By 19 March)
Hilton has announced a sale across all of the regions in which it operates (although not all countries within each region are necessarily taking part). As usual Hilton Honors members get an additional discount and savings (for Honors members) range between 20% and 35% depending on which region the property you're booking is in.
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.
Starwood Will Open A New Luxury Resort In Cabo This June
Back in 2015 Starwood announced that, in collaboration with its hotel owners, it was investing $300m into bringing its Luxury Collection of properties up to modern luxury standards. The $300m was split between renovating existing properties and bringing new properties into the fold and we'll soon see one of the very newest Luxury Collection properties open its doors.
Solaz, a Luxury Collection Resort, broke ground in June 2015 and was meant to be completed by June 2017 but Starwood has just announced that the property will open in June this year (2018)....so just a year late!
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.
Hilton Amex Offers: 20% Cashback In Hawaii & 15% Cashback in Australia
In the last few days American Express has opened up two particularly good cashback offers on Hilton bookings and there are a couple of older offers still floating around (at MGM resorts and the James in New York) that will boost your Membership Rewards balance.
News: Emirates Improves Houston Service Significantly, New Ritz-Carlton In The Caribbean & More
A roundup of some of the latest airline and hotel news announced recently. Includes details of a new Ritz-Carlton resort coming to the Caribbean, news that Emirates will restart its A380 service between Dubai and Houston, information on how you can check-in a case of wine for free on Alaska Airlines & details of when the Malaysia Airlines lounges in Kuala Lumpur will reopen.
Hilton Is Adding 5 New Boutique-Style Properties In The US/Costa Rica In 2018
Hilton launched its Curio Collection in June 2014 and the Tapestry Collection in early 2017 in an attempt to compete better at the boutique end of the hotel spectrum. Both collections represent properties similar to what you'll find in Marriott’s Autograph Collection and, unlike the majority of Hilton properties, they're more independent of the overall Hilton brand.
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.
Contrarian View: Marriott’s Hotel Category Changes Are Not That Bad
Last week I analysed the changes Marriott announced that it would be making to its hotel categories from March 6th onwards. I concluded that the changes are clearly a net negative but I also said that I didn't think they were quite as bad as some are making them out to be.
I've now had time to take another look at the changes that are coming and I think I've found another way of looking at them.
Marriott Will Open A New Las Vegas Property In 2020 – The Drew Las...
If you're looking to book a Las Vegas vacation on Marriott.com you'll find that the chain will offer you 20 properties in the Las Vegas area. If you throw Starwood into the mix you'll find another 6 properties on offer. That's sounds like a good amount of choice until you realise that 16 of the properties aren't full-service establishments and that only 3 are anywhere near the center of the Strip.
IHG City Lights Sale: Get Up To 30% Off In 6 US Cities
IHG is running a very poorly publicised promotion (I only found it by accident) which offers discounts of between 15% and 30% on hotel bookings in 6 major US cities. Importantly, it looks as if 8 InterContinental properties are participating in this sale and the locations on offer are actually ones that you're likely to want to visit so this is a sale worth a closer look.
Marriott Hotels Category Changes In Detail (2018 Edition)
Following Marriott’s hotel category moves late last week I’ve taken a closer look at the changes Marriott is putting through and pulled out some of the more interesting statistics.
I’ve taken a look at Marriott’s hotel category changes by region, by significant brand and on a holistic level to try to get a better idea of just what these changes mean and to see if they’re as bad as some are saying they are.
Are the latest Marriott hotel category changes really the “bloodbath” that some are suggesting or are they something else?
Hilton Is Introducing 3 New European Curio Collection Properties In Early 2018
Hilton launched its Curio Collection in June 2014 in an attempt to compete better at the boutique end of the hotel spectrum. The collection sits in the same space as the likes of Marriott's Autograph Collection and possibly even IHG's Kimpton properties. The 45+ properties in the Curio Collection are dotted across the world and are about to see a significant number of new joiners to the brand.
Get Up To 15% Cashback On IHG & Accor Stays
TopCashback is a site I've mentioned a few times in the past as it offers cashback at hundreds of retailers in both the US and the UK. Right now the US and the UK sites offering some very tempting looking cashback deals on bookings made with some of the bigger hotel chains.
News: A New Kimpton in SoCal, United Copies Delta (Again), Try The QSuites At...
A roundup of some of the hotel and airline news from the past few days. Includes news of a new Kimpton property to be opened in southern California, details of how United is copying Delta (again) and clamping down on fake emotional support animals (expect American Airlines to follow any day now) and news of a new Grand Hyatt opening in the Caribbean.
6 Nights At The Andaz West Hollywood – Why I Booked, How I Booked...
As soon as Christmas was over Joanna, MJ and I headed back across the Atlantic to get some much-needed LA sunshine and to escape the European winter. We ended up flying with British Airways and booking the Andaz West Hollywood and, because I think it could be useful to others planning trips, I thought I'd share the details of why we booked what we did, how we went about booking and how much it all cost.
News: Qatar Airways A350-1000 Delivery Dates, Qantas Adds More 787 Service To The US...
A roundup of some of the latest news doing the rounds. Includes news of Qantas' changes to some of its US routes, the latest information we have on the delivery date of Qatar Airways' new A350-1000 (complete with QSuites), news of a new Hyatt property to be opened in the heart of Hollywood and details of Ethiopian's latest route to the US.
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: Hilton London Canary Wharf
Joanna, MJ and I had a night in London over the Holidays and we decided to use some of my Hilton Honors points to book a stay at the Hilton London Canary Wharf.
I rarely stay at Hilton properties so I've had a balance of around 80,000 Honors points sitting in my account for some time (most of the points came from a sign-up bonus for the free Hilton Amex credit card) and this seemed like a good time to use them.
Accor Hotels Worldwide Sale Is Now Live – Up To 40% Off
The Accor Hotels worldwide "Private Sale" is now live and offering a variety of discounts and promotions depending on where you're looking to book. The deals vary from 25% to 40% and the dates for which the promotion is valid vary from region to region.
News: Lufthansa Eliminates First Class From Two US Routes, New Singapore Cabins For London...
News that Lufthansa is eliminating First Class from two routes to the US (at least for summer 2018), news of a new Hilton opening in a beautiful part of Europe, details of an Emirates schedule change which sees an extension to the cut in service to New York and news that Singapore Airlines has scheduled its new A380 on its routes to London and Hong Kong.
Last Day To Book IHG Properties At Pre-Devaluation Rates
IHG hasn't been making many friends recently. We're only a little over two weeks into 2018 and we've already been told that the hotel chain is significantly weakening its best rate guarantee and increasing the cost of an award night at 499 properties worldwide.
The changes to the cost of IHG award nights comes into effect from 16 January 2018 (tomorrow) so you have less than 24 hours to make any reservations you think you may need at the older rates (don't forget that IHG Rewards award bookings are fully refundable).
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.
IHG Changes Terms Of Its Best Rate Guarantee – No More Free Nights
I didn't have too much luck with hotel best rate guarantees in 2017 as I never seemed to be able to find a room rate lower than the one I was booking through the chain I was staying with....but I have definitely made the most of them in the past.
Most of my historic successes with best rate guarantees have come courtesy of Hilton and Marriott so I don't think I ever managed to exploit the generous terms that IHG has historically offered
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.
How I Book 3 Nights For Less Than The Price Of 2 At A...
Joanna and I don't have particularly large IHG Rewards balances (mainly because our recent Accelerate promotions have been terrible) but we have enough points between us for a good-length stay at a very nice InterContinental hotel wherever in the world we wish to go...but we won't be using points on our next IHG stay.
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).
News: London Gets More Singapore Airlines A380 Service, A New Mandarin Oriental & More...
London seems to have been in the travel news quite a bit lately so I've picked out three items that looked interesting (and that may be of use) and pulled them together into a single blog post.
Hyatt Family Rate: Get Up To 50% Off A Second Room
Last week I was trying to find an online resource that would let me know which Hyatt properties offer rooms with connecting doors when I stumbled upon a page that gave me a piece of information that I hadn't heard about before - Hyatt will give you up to 50% off the standard room rate when you call up to book a second room for your kids.
Advice Please: I Don’t Know Which Bangkok Hotel To Choose – Marriott, Hilton, Starwood…Or...
I've taken advantage of one of the many recent Qatar Airways Business Class fares to book myself a lightning quick trip to Bangkok. The trip will give me the chance to review the Business Class cabins on both the airline's A330 and A380 aircraft but, more importantly, it will be my very first trip to Bangkok.
Considering I've done quite a few trips into Asia over the past few years I'm not sure how I've managed to avoid Bangkok so far but I'm excited to be finally going and I'm enjoying the challenge of deciding where to stay.
30% Off At European InterContinental Hotels & Breakfast Too
The InterContinental properties around the world are my favorite part of the IHG group (by some distance) and, right now, you can get 30% off at European InterContinental properties with a complimentary breakfast thrown in as well.
Get Up To 25% Off In The Hilton Asia-Pacific Sale
The more often Hilton offers sales around various parts of the world the more I find myself warming to the brand. Back at the beginning of November I got a pretty good deal in the last Asia-Pacific sale and now Hilton is back with its latest set of discounts for the region.
Park Hyatt Deal: 3 Nights For 2 And 4 Nights For 3
For me the Park Hyatt chain offers a combination of the most over-priced and over-hyped chain hotels and some of my favorite top-tier properties around. You could say I have a love-hate relationship with the chain.
I love the Park Hyatt Milan where the service is almost always fantastic and the location cannot be beaten and I find the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi a beautiful place to relax. But, on the flip side, I find the Park Hyatt New York grossly overpriced and I passed up on the chance to stay at the Park Hyatt Tokyo earlier this year because I couldn't justify the cost.
Marriott’s Strange New Innovation For Its Shower Doors
I'm sure most people have, at least at one point in their life, used the condensation on a mirror or a shower door to doodle a picture or to write a message. Well, apparently Marriott wants to tap into this practice with a new innovation.
News: Etihad Will Fly Dreamliners To Geneva, Air France Heads To Nairobi & More
A round-up of some of the latest news items that didn't really warrant a whole article each but that could be of interest nonetheless. Includes details of a n improvement in the Etihad offering to Switzerland, news of the latest hotel opening in Sydney and details of Air France's new route to Kenya.
Up To 35% Off Marriott UK Properties In The Cyber Sale
Marriott USA came out with a Black Friday sale yesterday which was more of an embarrassment to the brand than any kind of sale that guests will be interested in (Starwood followed suit), so it's great to see Marriott in the UK making an effort to pull together a sale in which you can actually get some value.
Starwood’s Cyber Sale 2017 Is Now Bookable….But It’s Terrible
Earlier I posted details of what Marriott is attempting to pass off as it's biggest sale of the year (it's woeful) and now it's Starwood's turn to dazzle or disappoint with its Black Friday/Cyber Monday offering for 2017.
Marriott Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale Is Live
Marriott has launched what it's calling its biggest sale of the year in honor of the start of the spending season. The Marriott Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale is now on and will run through to 27 November 2017.
I'm not entirely sure how Marriott can call this its biggest sale of the year when it only applies to properties in North America, the Caribbean and Latin America...but then I'm not in marketing so I'm not programmed to write nonsense.
Latest Hyatt Sale Offers Up To 25% Off……But Either Hyatt Is Having An IT...
As far as I'm concerned hotels should either be part of a loyalty program or not. There should be no scope for individual properties to pick and choose what parts of the program they'd like to participate in and what they'd like to opt out of - Starwood is hugely guilty of allowing high-end properties to cherry-pick how involved they are in SPG and it's ridiculous.
IHG World Sale Now On – Up To 30% Off InterContinental, Crowne Plaza &...
IHG (the hotel group that runs InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and more) has announced its "World Sale" which offer discounts of between 15% and 30% on stays at properties all across the world.
Marriott Will Open 7 New Luxury EDITION Hotels In 2018
Despite the fact that I'm a Marriott Platinum guest and the fact that I rack up at least 75 nights a year with the hotel mega-chain I have never stayed at an EDITION property.
This doesn't have anything to do with the quality of the properties nor does it have anything to do with the fact that the all-caps name appears to be screaming at me from my screen - it has everything to do with the fact that there are currently just 4 Edition properties world-wide.
The InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown Is Now Open…And It Looks Good!
IHG has announced the opening of the 5-star InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown which forms part of the Wilshire Grand Center. That puts the property a 5 minute Uber ride or, if you're feeling adventurous, a 15 - 20 minute walk away from the Staples Center and LA Live.
EARLY ACCESS: Hilton Winter Sale (UK & Europe) – Up To 25% Off
Hilton Honors Members can now get advance access to the hotel chain's winter sale for Europe and the UK. The full sale will eventually include the Middle East and Africa as well but, for preview purposes, these regions are not participating.
Hilton Asia-Pacific Flash Sale – 35% Off (Incudes Maldives & Oceania)
Hilton has launched a flash sale for stays at its properties in the Asia-Pacific region (which, just to be clear, covers properties in the Indian Ocean too) and is offering guests up to 35% off regular rates.
Review: SkyCity Grand Hotel Auckland
Auckland is one of those cities where you’ll find it pretty hard to use most of the well known hotel loyalty currencies as, aside from a Hilton and a Crowne Plaza, there aren’t any other centrally located hotels that are part of one of one of the large international chains.
It’s because of this that I found myself booking the SkyCity Grand Hotel for a two-night stay I had in Auckland.
Review: JW Marriott Singapore South Beach
I normally don't have more than one or two reasons for booking a particular hotel but, in the case of the JW Marriott Singapore South Beach, I had four very good reasons for wanting to visit. Firstly I wanted to use up some of my Marriott Rewards points, secondly I wanted a property where we would be making the most of my hotel status (I have Platinum status with Marriott), thirdly the hotel looked to have a convenient location and finally I don't think any of the bigger blogs has reviewed this property yet - it's still reasonably new.
Hyatt Has Announced Two New Park Hyatt Properties
While I'm definitely not a fan of Hyatt's rewards program I am a fan of its Park Hyatt brand and I love to use my points at Hyatt's top-tier properties. I haven't had a chance to stay at all that many of the Park Hyatts around the world but the one's I have managed to visit have all been very, very good.
Where other upscale brands like Ritz-Carlton and St Regis can go over the top on opulence in a search for a luxurious feel, the Park Hyatt brand manages to mix simple and elegant design with understated class and still give off an expensive, up-scale vibe.
Club Carlson Is Adding A Hotel In Venice
Club Carlson used to be a very good loyalty program back when the top-tier properties cost just 50,000 points and when the Club Carlson credit card gave you a free night with every award booking....but that was a while ago.
In the US Club Carlson has very few properties that are worth a second glance (although the Radisson Blu Aqua hotel in Chicago is good) and, if we're being honest, the chain doesn't exactly have an abundance of aspirational properties elsewhere in the world either.
But there are a few properties that can be useful (usually in Europe) and, as those of us with the Club Carlson Premier Rewards Visa card get 40,000 points each time we renew the card, it's always good to have a new property at which to spend those points.
REMINDER: 35% Off Awards At Some of Starwood’s Most Expensive Properties
For the last couple of years (it may be longer) Starwood has run a quiet but popular promotion which sees some of the chain's most expensive properties (from an award cost point of view) reduced in price by an impressive 35%....and the promotion is still running.
Marriott Opens The Ritz-Carlton Langkawi & The Ritz-Carlton Geneva
Marriott has announced the opening of the Ritz-Carlton Langkawi in Malaysia as well as the opening of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel de la Paix in Geneva. The former is a new oceanfront luxury resort (Marriott's first resort in Malaysia) while the second is the result of a multi-million dollar renovation of the Hotel de la Paix in Geneva.
Hilton To Reflag The London NYC As A Conrad Property
Hilton has announced that announced that Conrad Hotels & Resorts will take over the management of The London NYC and will subsequently reflag the property as the Conrad New York Midtown.
Rome Will Get The First W Hotel In Italy
W Hotels has been doing quite a bit of expansion in Europe recently with the W Amsterdam opening in late 2015, the W Madrid scheduled to open next year and more W Hotels currently under construction in cities like Prague, Belgrade and Budapest. Now Italy is to get a W Hotel too.
30% Off & Free Breakfast At Accor Hotels (Also 4 x Points At Select...
Accor Hotels has come out with a new offer for bookings made by 20 October 2017. In this promotion guests will get 30% off their stay at over 2,900 hotels worldwide and get free breakfast thrown in too. Select properties are also offering quadruple points during the promotion period and both offers are stackable.
Hyatt Will Add The Párisi Udvar Hotel in Budapest To Its Unbound Collection
Hyatt has announced that it has entered into a franchise agreement which will see the Bruden House hotel in the centre of Budapest renovated into what Hyatt is calling "an upper-upscale 110-room hotel".
The property is expected to reopen as the Párisi Udvar Hotel "in 2018" - there is no indication in the press release when in 2018 we can expect the doors to open.
Big Devaluation In Hilton “5th Night Free” Benefit
I'm certainly not going to put myself forward as an expert on all things Hilton but a recent change Hilton has made to the wording of how its "5th Night Free" benefit works reads like a massive devaluation to me.
Accor Hotels: Earn Up To 6,000 Rewards Points On Stays Through 31 December 2017
Accor Hotels is offering members of its loyalty program (free to join here) the chance to earn up to 6,000 points on stays made through 22 October 2017. On the basis that those points can be converted to €120 of credit at Accor properties this could be a useful promotion for those who already have Accor stays planned.
Buy Hilton Points At Half Price Through 5 October 2017
Hilton has launched its latest points promotion in which it’s offering a flat 50% off the regular price of points. The promotion doesn’t appear to be targeted (a sure sign of targeting is when I only get a 40% offer and that hasn’t happened this time!) and the offer runs through to 5 October 2017.
Buy Hyatt Points And Get A Bonus Of Up To 40%
A little over a month after its last promotion ended Hyatt is back with another attempt at tempting us all into buying Hyatt points - this time it's a targeted promotion with a bonus of up to 40% on all purchases of 10,000 points and more.
The JW Marriott Hong Kong Reviewed (Lots Of Pictures!)
I booked the JW Marriott Hong Kong for a number of reasons but the two main ones were that I'd heard good things about the property overall and I'd heard good things about the Executive Lounge that, as a Marriott Platinum member, I would have access too. After a good Business Class flight from Tokyo I was looking forward to finding out if the hotel lived up to the reviews.
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