Category Archives for Hotels.
Marriott’s Japanese-language terms and customer service agents are indicating a shift to a less generous late checkout policy, with Platinum elites guaranteed only 2 p.m. instead of the long-promised 4 p.m. While the English terms haven’t changed, the discrepancy appears to stem from a translation error — though it highlights how vulnerable the benefit is to future devaluation.
A longtime reader who owned a hotel decided to test something most properties assume never happens: what old key cards can still open long after checkout. Across Marriott, Hyatt, and Westin—at airport and city hotels alike—his months-old cards kept unlocking lounges, gyms, and even elevator access. The results say far more about how these systems are actually configured than hotels would ever admit.
Hyatt has quietly gone live on Rakuten, letting members earn 12× points or 12% back on stays while still receiving full Hyatt points, elite-night credit, and elite benefits. It’s one of the richest stacking opportunities Hyatt has ever had—and it pairs with Rakuten’s ability to convert earnings into Amex or Bilt points.
Tara Reid was in Chicago for a celebrity signing when she says a single drink at the O’Hare DoubleTree bar left her unable to stand, captured on lobby video repeatedly slipping from a wheelchair before paramedics rushed her to a hospital. She later woke up with no memory of the night and has now filed a police report saying her drink was spiked.
A Chicago hotel is advertising rooms as low as $15 through consolidators, then attaching a staggering $125 nightly “resort fee” — the most extreme example of fee padding I’ve ever seen. The charges are buried, inconsistently disclosed, and even appear to shift when waived, raising serious questions about how these properties present their pricing.
Hyatt’s internal owner documents reveal something surprising: Hyatt Place hotels rely heavily on World of Hyatt members—who generate roughly half of their total revenue—but franchise incentives still don’t fully align with elite-member interests. Hotels clearly see what your loyalty is worth, but short-term cost pressures and weak territory protections help explain why elite treatment can often fall short of what members expect.
Hyatt Regency Austin has completed its renovation, with modernized rooms, a redesigned lobby, an upgraded market, and a suite-upgrade approach that’s unusually generous for a Category 4 property. It’s still one of the best ways to use a Category 1–4 certificate, especially during peak Austin events like SXSW, where cash rates can top $750 while award nights run just 18,000 points.
Holiday Inn will stop offering any cooked-to-order or à la carte breakfast on December 1. Every property in the U.S. and Canada moves to a standardized buffet, and the brand’s internal guide shows just how minimal that operation can be. Hotels only need two staff to run the entire service window, the required menu is tightly limited, and pastries can legally be held and reused for up to 24 hours.
A guest approved for a 1 p.m. Diamond checkout says housekeeping repeatedly entered his room before noon and the front desk refused to verify the extension. The hotel then called police, who removed him and issued a 30-day ban.
A reader was upgraded to the Presidential Suite at the Hilton Branson Convention Center — and found a 13-year old mattress that’s well outside the brand’s own standards. Photos he shared also showed maintenance issues and worn furnishings, raising basic questions about quality control at a full-service Hilton.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
