Hotels

Category Archives for Hotels.

Improved Marriott Visa

by Gary Leff on February 25, 2006

Feb 25 2006

There’s a new co-branded Marriott Visa with some pretty good benefits for folks who regularly stay at Marriott Properties. The 15,000 bonus points with first purchase is pretty standard. So is a free night certificate that comes with the card — though in the past I believe the certificate was good on properties up through category 4 and this says good through category 5. This card comes with the free night certificate once a year rather than just when first getting the card. The biggest changes with this card are in the points-earning structure and the way that elite status comes with the card. Earn 5 points for every $1 spent at over 2,600 Marriott locations. Earn 2 points for every $1 spent on airline, dining and rental car purchases as well as 1 point…

Marriott’s MegaBonus Returns in February

by Gary Leff on January 15, 2006

Jan 15 2006

Marriott’s ‘MegaBonus’ returns from February 15 through May 15. You must register to find out which bonus you’re targeted for. The possibilities: MGS61 – Earn 2,500 points/stay, beginning with 2nd stay, up to 10,000 MGS62 – Earn 5,000 points every 3rd stay, up to 25,000 pts MGS63 – Earn 10,000 points every 3rd stay, up to 30,000 pts MGS64 – Earn 25,000 points for staying 15 nights or more MGS65 – Earn 35,000 points for staying 20 nights or more (Hat tip to Flyertalk.) Since I’m not a Marriott regular I’ve been assigned 2500 bonus points per stay beginning with the second stay.

Boca Raton Renaissance

by Gary Leff on December 22, 2005

Dec 22 2005

I spent a long weekend at the Renaissance hotel in Boca Raton. I’ve stayed here before, it’s the most convenient hotel to my grandparents’ place in Boca. It’s also the only 4* property in the relevant zone on Priceline and I managed to score the place for $55 — for a weekend in December! While it’s mainly geared towards business travelers — the club lounge offers breakfast Monday to Friday and evening hor d’ourves Sunday through Thursday — it’s a nice escape for leisure travel as well. The Renaissance is convenient off of the 95 freeway, all you do is turn onto “Renaissance Way” after exiting Glades Road. When I first stayed at the hotel the street name was “Sheraton Way” giving away the fact that the property used to be a Sheraton. It’s right…

Dinner at the Mandarin Oriental

by Gary Leff on October 23, 2005

Oct 23 2005

I’ve been meaning to go to CityZen, the restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental DC, for awhile. I finally gave it a try Friday evening. The food was excellent, though there were some missteps. Valet parking is complimentary. The restaurant validates. They asked for my ticket when I entered, and they returned it to me as I left. The valet walked us the ten feet from the car to the hotel with an umbrella since it was misting. Service was friendly, knowledgeable, and discrete throughout… with one blaring exception. Little things, like replacing my wife’s napking when she got up to use the restroom, make a big impression. The dining room was beautifully-designed but loud, making conversations difficult. The restaurant has an open kitchen, but it isn’t silent or perfectly orchestrated like you’d see at Maestro.…

Double Marriott Points

by Gary Leff on September 18, 2005

Sep 18 2005

Marriott is offering double Marriott Rewards points on stays paid with Visa between October 1, 2005 and January 31, 2006 — beginning with your second stay during that period. Registration is required.

Hilton Downgrades Instant Gold Members

by Gary Leff on September 14, 2005

Sep 14 2005

Back in April I mentioned (here and here) a promotion code to instantly upgrade your Hilton Hhonors account to Gold status. It’s a code meant for Citibank Chairman’s Card credit card holders, but Hilton apparently made no effort to restrict up front who could use it. It isn’t even just a situation of a secret promo code that got out. I called Hilton one day and the promo code was mentioned in the voice tree without even reference to the Citibank Chairman’s Card. Now, however, Hilton is haphazardly going through their records and demoting the status of people who signed up using the code. I say haphazardly because some people who were eligible for the promotion (they had the Citibank Chairmans Card) were downgraded, and others who were not eligible still retained their status. What’s…

Advance hotel room assignments

by Gary Leff on July 26, 2005

Jul 26 2005

Hilton is testing out e-checkin. Our new eCheck-In service allows you to have the convenience and control to complete your registration the day before or up to two hours before you plan to arrive. The idea is similar to picking a seat assignment on a plane, you should be able to see what room you’re blocked into and choose a different room if you prefer. It should even process upgrades. This is going to be interesting to watch.

A pillow to rest on

by Gary Leff on July 24, 2005

Jul 24 2005

Probably the best marketing bang for the buck in hotel history was Westin’s introduction of the Heavenly Bed. Travelers came to trust the brand to provide them with a good night’s sleep. A more recent trend in hotels is paying attention not just to the best but to the pillow in particular. The trend started at the Benjamin hotel in New York and has spread, there’s now a recognition that people sleep differently and different types of pillows can enhance or detract from a night’s sleep. The New York Times piece on the subject could have been made really useful with an added discussion on what pillows best match which sleep habits, a subject about which I know little. I understand the entire bed effect, and while I like the Westin Heavenly Bed I find…

Wynn Las Vegas Doesn’t Appear to Live up to Expectations

by Gary Leff on July 17, 2005

Jul 17 2005

The travel section in today’s New York Times carries a review of Wynn Las Vegas… as though the property didn’t get enough press when it was opening. This $2.7 billion hotel seems far from offering a flawless experience, and most folks seem disappointed. TripAdvisor reviews are decidedly mixed. I haven’t stayed there yet. Now, no 2700 room property can possibly be a luxury hotel. Personal service seems impossible. Complexes are sprawling. Wait times will occasionally seem interminable, no matter how well the property is designed, when unusually large cohorts of guests decide to make us of the same thing at once (pool, elevators, checkin/checkout). I have nothing against large resorts per se. I have an upcoming stay booked at the Westin Diplomat, and I enjoyed a trip to Wyndham’s El Conquistador in San Juan last…

Reading the fine print for breakfast

by Gary Leff on July 11, 2005

Jul 11 2005

Brad DeLong points to the fine print in a hotel’s complimentary breakfast offering Fresh Fruit Parfait–Granola and yoghurt topped with Fresh Fruit OR Two farm fresh eggs, scrambled (Only) with choice of Bacon or Sausage. Served with country potatoes and a Croissant. Toast is not included with Hotel breakfast, Nor can it be substituted for the Croissant, however it can be purchased for $1.95. Coffee, Tea, Milk, Lemonade, Orange Juice, Apple Juice, or Pass-O-Guava Juice Only Is included with Hotel Breakfast Please No substitutions on Hotel breakfast. A $3.95 credit will be applied to other entries on the breakfast menu if you choose outside the box. Two comments. First, as Brad DeLong observes, the hotel squanders much customer goodwill through its complicated rules. Second, this hotel has to be a good candidate for a six…