May
02
2022
Hyatt’s elusive and excellent Alila Ventana Big Sur has quite a lot of free night availability all of a sudden for booking between February and May.
Wide Open Award Availability At Alila Ventana Big Sur
Hotels
Category Archives for Hotels.
Hotels Keep Scamming Guests With Extra Fees And Blaming The Government
May
01
2022
A Holiday Inn Express in Durango, Colorado charges a mandatory $5 fee that they describe as a “Colorado Green Energy Fee.”
By adding the state’s name to the fee, they make it sound as though it is imposed and required by the State of Colorado. They even go on to describe it as contributing to some sort of statewide environmental fund.
Marriott Makes Free Night Certificates More Useful, But It’s Not For Your Benefit
Apr
30
2022
As part of Marriott’s move to dynamic pricing of free reward nights which raises award pricing, but will be worse next year, Bonvoy now allows you to add up to 15,000 points when redeeming a free night certificate.
This makes certificates fare more useful, but was done more for Marriott’s Chase and American Express relationships than for you.
Marriott Gives Away Guest’s Stuff, Fights Compensation In Court
Apr
28
2022
Hotels frequently offer to store luggage when a guest arrives too early to check in, or when they aren’t leaving town until after check-out time. Some bigger hotels even charge for this. I’d never trust belongings that matter to a hotel’s luggage storage room, and you shouldn’t either.
Marriott should take the position that guests and their belongings are safe at their hotels and it isn’t appropriate for a hotel to dispute liability when giving away a guest’s belongings and the hotel’s own video demonstrates they did it.
I wouldn’t trust the Marriott Marquis San Francisco with my belongings, but I also wouldn’t trust them in my guestroom either.
Conrad Bora Bora Award Nights Wide Open Through April 2023
Apr
27
2022
Conrad Bora Nora Nui is one of Hilton’s most aspirational points redemptions, and free night awards can be extremely hard to get.
As of this writing though redemptions are available the first 10 days of December consecutively and the last 10 days of January And every day in March and April – as well as reasonable availability in other months.
Shangri-La Hotels Launches Brand New Loyalty Program, Shangri-La Circle
Apr
26
2022
The loyalty program for Shangri-La Hotels, the luxury Hong Kong-based chain with over 100 properties, is among the first of the major chains doing an across-the-board refresh as we emerge from the global pandemic.
I think the Shangri-La Circle program refresh gets a lot of things right. At the entry level, less frequent guests still get value out of the program by earning points that can be used in small amounts, and all spending (even online spend) earns. Even the first elite tier gets 11 a.m. check-in and breakfast while upper-tier elites get more special benefits. And the program’s treatment of the very top customers is just extraordinary.
Review: Hyatt Grand Central, The Hotel Hyatt Didn’t Want To Re-Open
Apr
24
2022
The hotel is well-located. It is quiet, as they seem not to have the entire property open. My room was clean and comfortable. It used to be one of the best for elite treatment, but with the club closed no restaurant for breakfast it no longer is. Still, when this is where you need to be in the city and the price is right – it was less than 1/3 the cost of the nearby Andaz 5th Avenue for instance – it can be the right choice.
Hilton Tries Convincing Guests That Buying $18 Drinks Is A Radical Act
Apr
23
2022
Hilton’s Canopy by Hilton London City created controversy driving for authenticity, and food and beverage revenue, by branding its bar after European socialist anarchists. The socialists were outraged by using their history to sell $18 drinks to “wanky City types.”
Hilton was forced to remove the edgy socialist branding from its capitalist endeavor. Even their website description as “a gathering place for writers, radicals, entrepreneurs and artists – a breeding ground for concepts that would go on to change the world” has been removed.
Hilton Hotel Charging Guests Extra 7.5% Fee To Cover Property Taxes
Apr
22
2022
The hotel claims to have reduced their energy use by around 40%. They pocket those cost savings, and those savings are supposed to pay back subsidized loans – and they make money on the difference. So why are they imposing a fee, through drip-pricing, to charge guests for it – and mislead them about the program?
Hyatt Clerk Kicks, Pulls Gun On Trespassing Man With A Wizard Wand
Apr
20
2022
The lesson here seems to be, if you’re going to pull out a wizard wand and brandish it in a threatening manner, be sure to cast a protection spell first
