Category Archives for Hotels.
Airport self-checkout kiosks demand tips. I’ve even had one that wouldn’t allow opting out.
In fact, websites now solicit tips. You never even deal with a human. You book a hotel, and boom – please add on to the charges!
Hyatt is rolling out confirmation of suite upgrades online. This is a big advance in convenience for using these suite upgrade awards. I always worry that inventory will disappear during the time it takes to confirm a suite. I also worry that the manual process won’t be completed correctly.
In March 2022 Marriott officially eliminated award charts. It turns out that Marriott didn’t actually eliminate award charts they just hid them and raised prices.
A hotel valet stole a guest’s Audi RS7, only to be carjacked at gunpoint while off the property. The stolen car was later found abandoned and completely destroyed, highlighting the bizarre and dramatic ordeal.
Marriott is set to implement changes to their suite upgrade award process in 2024, transitioning from “Suite Night Awards” to “Nightly Upgrade Awards” and expanding the program to include more participating brands and room types. However, the new system will process upgrades only 3 days before arrival, and while there’s an increase in room inventory for upgrades, the focus will shift from guaranteed suite upgrades to a broader range of room types.
Here’s the trick. Since these gift cards don’t expire, you can choose when you want future stays through the Mr. and Mrs. Smith group to count towards status.
If you need to top off status this year, buy gift cards now and hit your status goal Or get a head start on next year. If you qualify for status early in 2024, that status will count for the rest of 2024 and for 2025 (through end of February 2026).
Airbnb hosts are employing scams where they extort additional money from guests after their stay, often backed by staged evidence and usually following positive reviews left by the guests. To counter such deceit, guests are advised to take videos and photos of their accommodations before checking out, as these recordings can serve as evidence in disputes, even though they are not foolproof.
GHA Discovery, a coalition loyalty program serving 40 smaller hotel chains, has experienced significant growth and success, particularly following a comprehensive relaunch two years ago. Despite challenges like having a smaller footprint, especially in the U.S., the program boasts impressive third-quarter numbers, with 25 million members, increased cross-brand revenue, and doubled year-to-date revenue, making it a notable contender in the hotel loyalty space.
Find the property. Book direct. The host saves Airbnb fees, you save Airbnb fees. You lose out on Airbnb protections but those may not be worth much to the host or to the guest.
Airbnb says they cost hosts up to $3 million. One San Francisco host shares what that coverage actually looks like in practice, when a guest clogged a toilet and created a leak from a separate upstairs unit into the whole home – causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage. After six months, they want the owner to settle for about 10% of the costs.
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 »
