Hotels

Category Archives for Hotels.

Hyatt Changes How Suite Upgrades Expire, Here’s How to Really Fix World of Hyatt

by Gary Leff on June 1, 2018

Jun 01 2018

Hyatt is extending the validity of the suite upgrade awards members already have through February 28 of the year following when they’re earned . The same applies for the four club lounge access awards given to Explorists each year.

Over the last six months Hyatt has been fixing some of the pain points in their new program. At the end of 2018 they announced free night awards for achieving status would last 180 days instead of 120, and award nights would count towards status.

Marriott’s New Program Drives Down Costs: Platinum Check-in Amenity Reduction

by Gary Leff on June 1, 2018

Jun 01 2018

Marriott’s program is about cost savings for hotels. CEO Arne Sorenson touted this in the chain’s earnings call earlier this year, noting that “loyalty rates have been reduced [to hotels] already twice and they will be reduced a third time” and several changes are helping the chain drive down those costs.

Review: Park Hyatt Tokyo

by Gary Leff on May 28, 2018

May 28 2018

The Park Hyatt Tokyo is a great value property for Hyatt’s top tier elites. I used a confirmed suite upgrade and got nice value from breakfast which can be taken in the restaurant or via room service (or both). I enjoyed the complimentary happy hour for top elites as the sun set.

This is a property that appeals to me emotionally because years ago I really enjoyed Bill Murray in Lost in Translation, much of which takes place inside of this hotel.

Marriott Thinks They Can Out-Airbnb Airbnb Even Though Their CEO’s Never Tried One

by Gary Leff on May 11, 2018

May 11 2018

Arne Sorenson thinks Marriott can out-Airbnb Airbnb by offering consistency, products, and service. His daughter tried an Airbnb once and assures him there’s nothing to worry about there.

If this is a growing piece of the market, Marriott needs to be in it. And they think that they can leverage their loyalty program to make it more attractive to customers.

Yours is a Very Bad Hotel — or At Least You Have a Very Bad Desk Clerk

by Gary Leff on May 11, 2018

May 11 2018

Probably the most famous hotel complaint ever is the 2001 Powerpoint Yours is a Very Bad Hotel created by Tom Farmer and Shane Atchison from Seattle who showed up at what was then the Doubletree in Houston. Though they had guaranteed reservations they were being walked and the desk clerk couldn’t have cared less.

I was reminded of that complaint when I saw this video of a front desk clerk losing it at the Country Inn & Suites in Newport News, Virginia last week.

An Updated Simple Model Ranks the Best Hotel Programs

by Gary Leff on May 10, 2018

May 10 2018

Loyalty has two primary components: recognition and reward. That’s your elite program and your earn and burn proposition.

Hotel programs are tough to compare because you earn a different number of points per dollar spent, and redemptions vary wildly as well — the most expensive Hyatt redemption is 30,000 points while the most expensive Hilton redemption costs 95,000. We can normalize that by looking at the number of points earned, and the value of each point.

Marriott Backs Down on Lifetime Elite Status for Starwood Members (and Clarifies Amex Platinum Status)

by Gary Leff on May 9, 2018

May 09 2018

Marriott’s legacy program offered lifetime 75 night elite status, and those who already achieved that status in the Marriott program, or who achieve it through Marriott-only activity by the end of the year, get to keep it. Starwood elites weren’t going to be given that opportunity.

3 Black Women Detained By Police for Checking Out of Airbnb With Luggage

by Gary Leff on May 8, 2018

May 08 2018

We see people checking out of a hotel and that’s normal. We need to get more used to people checking out of homes in our neighborhoods. Because that means getting used to more types of people, more people who ‘look different’, and that happens by making it more commonplace.

It’s a reminder that anti-Airbnb ordinances are often cover for deplorable motives. And hotels spending money on front groups to lobby against Airbnb should be ashamed of themselves too.

Starwood Offering 250 Points Per Mobile Check-In

by Gary Leff on May 1, 2018

May 01 2018

Through June 15 if you check into your hotel using the Starwood Preferred Guest mobile app you’ll receive 250 bonus points. The promotion applies to St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, Sheraton, Westin, Le Meridien, Tribute Portfolio and Four Points brands only.

Marriott’s Timeshare Business Buys Hyatt Timeshares and the Starwood Timeshares Marriott Didn’t Want

by Gary Leff on April 30, 2018

Apr 30 2018

Shortly before Starwood announced a deal to be acquired by Marriott it agreed to spin off its timeshare business into a separate company, Vistana, which it sold to Interactive Leisure Group or ILG. ILG now holds the vacation ownership businesses of Hyatt, Sheraton and Westin.

Marriott Vacations is now buying Interactive Leisure Group for $4.7 billion. So an affiliate of Marriott will wind up owning the Starwood timeshare business Marriott itself was believed not to want two and a half years ago as well as Hyatt’s timeshare business.