Category Archives for Hotels.
Earlier this month there were reports that Rio Las Vegas had started limiting Globalists to a choice of 4 out of their breakfast menu’s 22 entrée selections.
A decade ago Hyatt’s growth was almost entirely in select service. Sure, Hyatt Gold Passport was a great program but how many hotels had suites to upgrade into? And how many had club lounges? Their footprint was small and they were adding Hyatt Places where benefits are sparse to non-existent.
We’ve finally found it: the hotel with the most egregious add-on fees in the country. Every other hotel can stop trying, because the 31 Street Broadway Hotel in New York cannot be beaten.
On top of the room rate, they charge 49% Destination fee, 47% Bed linens fee, and a $120.00 Property service charge per stay.
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.
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 »
