Category Archives for Hotels.
Journey Rewards is trying to do for boutique hotels and one-off rentals what the big chains do for 200-room boxes: make loyalty portable, trackable, and worth chasing. Their want to hook you by giving you 500 points for each airline and hotel program you verify belonging to.
Minneapolis has refused to renew liquor licenses for two hotels accused of housing ICE agents, igniting a political and legal controversy. Despite warnings from the city’s own attorney about potential illegality, the city council moved forward—highlighting deep tensions around immigration enforcement and local government intervention.
Hyatt’s latest “Bonus Journeys 26” promotion is live, offering 3,000 bonus points every three nights stayed through April 15, plus an extra 1,000 points at Hyatt Place and Hyatt Select properties. With up to 28,000 total bonus points available, it’s worth registering—even if you aren’t planning Hyatt stays yet. Just be aware: stays of one or two nights won’t earn anything, so plan accordingly.
A Florida man was arrested at a Disney-area vacation rental resort after deputies say witnesses captured video of him partially clothed engaging in “inappropriate conduct” with a vacuum cleaner. The complaint trail started with reports of a nude man in a hallway, escalated into indecent exposure calls the next day, and ended with an arrest a week later after investigators gathered statements and footage.
HotelSlash is rolling out a clever twist on refundable prepaid rates: you lock in the lower “prepaid” price with just a $25 deposit, and they front the rest. You aren’t charged the remaining balance until a few days before the cancellation deadline (with notice), which makes prepaid deals far less painful for cash flow and far less risky if you end up canceling.
I used to avoid Citi Travel because prepaid portal bookings often don’t earn hotel points or elite benefits. But with Citi Strata Elite’s $300 annual hotel credit and 12x earning on Citi Travel bookings, I started price-checking—and I’m seeing something surprising: Citi Travel sometimes undercuts “book direct” member rates, not just other OTAs.
NYC’s mayor says he’s banning hotel “junk fees” everywhere—not just in the city. In reality, the proposal forces all-in price disclosure (and disclosure of deposits and card holds), pretty much mirroring existing federal rules with additional fine revenue for the city.
The DoubleTree by Hilton in downtown St. Paul told guests they must leave by noon as the hotel temporarily closes, citing “heightened public safety concerns.” The shutdown lands amid escalating tension in the Twin Cities tied to federal immigration operations and ongoing protests, with hotels increasingly caught in the blast radius.
I booked what I thought would be a simple one-night stay near Miami airport—then the front desk handed me keys to the Presidential Suite. Here’s how that happened, why this property has become my go-to for airport overnights (especially with kids), and what made this upgrade worth writing about.
Sheraton Frankfurt Airport is steps from the terminal, where virtually every guest is flying in or out — yet the hotel says bar soap isn’t “sustainable,” even on request. In the same email, it offers to deliver printed newspapers, and its own photo gallery still shows bar soap in the bathroom.
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 »
