Category Archives for Hotels.
Marriott Bonvoy (inclusive of former Starwood members) is the largest program while Hilton Honors has been growing quickly and catching up. Accor’s loyalty program – which is newer than the others – is small for the chain’s size. And while World of Hyatt is the smallest among these 7 hotel groups, it hits substantially above its weight, something that’s true both for program membership and for its co-brand credit card deal.
Sheets might not be changed if a bed doesn’t look slept in. Towels still folded and on the rack may be left there between guests. Even if that’s not the instruction that housekeepers are given and especially where management, like this one, is supportive.
It was already the best status program among the major hotel chains. It’s getting even better for 2024. I’m excited to see they’ll be onboarding Mr. and Mrs. Smith Hotels which offers amazing luxury and boutique properties. I love the places this will unlock for me to spend my points. So I’m excited about the direction Hyatt is headed.
My cousin David, staying at the Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park, was evacuated from his room Friday morning after a guest flooded an entire floor of the hotel, set off a fire alarm, attacked hotel staff and was throwing things out the window.
The man crowned national champion of Chinese chess had his title stripped after being granted another honorific: world’s worst hotel guest, including “defecating in a hotel bathtub.”
Yan Chenglong “overdid celebrations” after his victory, and is now also under investigation for cheating… with anal beads?
This hotel had been ‘off my list’ for awhile. They finished renovations a little over a year ago, and they did a fantastic job of it. My priors had been stuck in 2012, when my wife stayed at the Park Hyatt Chicago and reported a dirty, dusty in-room phone with missing and stuck buttons.
That’s no longer the case. The hotel is much brighter than it used to be – no longer the same dark tones – and the service and attention to detail here were fantastic. I absolutely enjoyed my stay.
At the end of last year I shared the hotel observations of a reader who racked up 249 elite nights on the road, mostly with Marriott, Hyatt, and IHG hotels.
He expected his travel to slow down to no more than 150 nights. That didn’t happen. And he reports back after a year on the road, sleeping around a bit across different chains.
Westin Hotels revolutionized the industry with its “Heavenly Bed” marketing. People genuinely bought into their claim to being better in bed. Guests chose the brand for their beds, and bought the beds and bedding for their homes. And other hotel chains were forced to up their game with better, branded mattresses.
The Sydney Harbour Marriott at Circular Quay has many rooms with fantastic views, of the harbor and even the Sydney Opera House, though of course there are simply ‘skyline view’ rooms which are less desirable.
You can imagine how disconcerting it was for Marriott Bonvoy elites to hear from the hotel that if they were staying on property during the “festive season” they would not be entitled to room upgrades.
People complain that room service is too expensive, sometimes takes too long, and isn’t always good. Many people think, do I really want a mediocre hotel’s mediocre food when I have the miracle of choice delivered at my fingertips?
But when the hotel isn’t providing an experience that’s differentiated from Airbnb, there goes their competitive advantage.
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 »
