Category Archives for Hotels.
I was at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman when I first coined the term “resort factory.” There were about several rows of beach chairs, and if you didn’t place a book on a chair by 8 a.m. you’d find yourself four rows back from the beach.
Staff turned my table at breakfast, seating someone else, while I was up at the buffet. And housekeeping entered the room without knocking while the Do Not Disturb sign was on my door. That was probably my… best Ritz-Carlton stay.
For months, the Renaissance Newark Airport has been dealing with Legionnaire’s Disease in its water system. The hotel remains open – telling guests not to shower.
They continue to take bookings – and enforce their cancellation policy. One guest was told they wouldn’t be able to shower – a hotel room doesn’t include full use of the room! – and they didn’t want to stay. There are plenty of other hotels nearby, where the room rate includes use of the shower. The hotel’s answer? They’d still have to pay.
The Sonesta Nashville Airport Hotel is under scrutiny after canceling a planned pro-Israel summit, because of threats by Palestinian activists. The event, organized by Christian ministry HaYovel, was scheduled for May 20-22 and expected to attract approximately 500 attendees, with 400 having booked rooms at the hotel.
Speakers were set to include former U.S. Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann, Israeli journalist Caroline Glick, and a member of Israel’s Knesset.
Driving down owner cost, and net financial proposition of participating in the program, helps keep IHG competitive in attracting and retaining properties. However if they’ll be retaining more money out of points sales there are only a few scenarios for what actually happens.
For some, business travel is sad and lonely. The business day ends and they retreat to their room. Maybe they order some Uber Eats. They order the same chain food, eating it alone, no matter where they are in the world.
Other people get out and experience the cities they visit. Sometimes those experiences get tawdry.
Would ownership of the property influence your decision to stay or not stay? Would the details of who seems to own this property in particular dissuade you from staying there?
Ownership structures are frequently obscured, including in this case, and especially in certain places like London. If you chose not to stay here, how much due diligence would you do on alternate lodging?
Riots broke out at Omonia Square in Athens on Tuesday, as demonstrators gathered outside the Israeli-owned Brown Acropol Hotel, where the group believed that Israeli guests were inside. Participants chanted anti-Israel slogans and attempted to breach the premises looking for the Israelis.
Luxury hotel amenities can elevate personal spaces and connect you with a property and your trip memories long after you’ve returned home. Hotels are making it harder than ever to take them with you. But you can buy many of these items online, and you’ll be surprised how inexpensive they are.
Airbnb is contemplating a loyalty program – rejecting points in favor of a subscription model akin to Amazon Prime, reflecting CEO Brian Chesky’s belief that a paid membership could better monetize the platform’s top customers without the downsides he associates with conventional loyalty schemes.
Marriott Homes & Villas is a place to book homesharing stays. They aren’t a platform like Airbnb, where owners list directly. Instead they source inventory from other platforms like Vacasa, earn a commission, and rebate part of that back to you.
They’re celebrating their fifth anniversary and have a pretty great offer for Marriott elites: 50,000 bonus points…
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 »
