Category Archives for Trip Reports.
A week ago I stayed at the Viceroy DC. The Viceroy brand participates in GHA Discovery. The hotel is part of the American Express Hotel Collection (and I had a two night stay, so eligible for benefits). And they had an amazing rate – I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything as low as $163.35++ before.
A couple of years ago Hyatt added the Lindner Hotels portfolio to its offerings, bringing more than 30 hotels and 15 new markets in Germany and Central and Eastern Europe. Most were added to the JdV brand, and they don’t get nearly as much attention as flagship hotels like Park Hyatt Vienna or Paris. But a reader brought his recent stay at three of these hotels to my attention, and they fit a really great use case for family travel. I’m pleased to share his trip report on these 3 Lindner hotels.
The anonymous correspondent had concluded that Hyatt is the best chain if you can stick to full service properties not owned or managed by bad actors, but they don’t have a big enough footprint and too many of their hotels in the U.S. are limited service. So he still earns Marriott Ambassador status – but he’s reduced the business he gives them by about 40%.
This is an aging property. It’s been kept up well, but it’s time to renovate. It’s no longer one of the top-end luxury hotels in the city. During non-peak periods, you’ll find the hotel under $300 a night though, which is a great price point for what you’re getting. They do consistently upgrade Globalist members when they can, though, at a minimum to a junior suite.
The main reason I chose this property was the ability through World of Hyatt to confirm a suite upgrade – a 750 square foot Sonoran Suite which has separate bedroom and living room and two separate bathrooms, as well as outdoor sitting areas. That’s perfect for me traveling with my wife, daughter and infant son since my daughter can sleep in a separate room on the fold out couch.
Somehow rates here run from the mid-$200s to mid-$400s. There’s actually another Autograph Collection property just a few blocks away. You’d probably like the Morrison House much better.
Marriott CEO Jim Capuano once said, “When I die, they’ll put the net-rooms growth number on my tombstone.” Marriott will seemingly take a fee from any hotel, of any quality, diluting their brands in the process.
Ultimately I’d say that I got my money’s worth for the stay, if I simply pretended it wasn’t a Hyatt and accepted that service and program benefits just aren’t part of this hotel’s DNA. It’s a nice enough room in the heart of Waikiki easily walkable to the beach, and they have fish to lend you.
I had a great and fascinating experience at Kempinski Cancun, a hotel I wouldn’t normally have chosen. And I realized that somehow I’d never stayed at a Kempinski outside of Germany before. All of a sudden the brand is much more on my radar.
After being unexpectedly walked from Alila Marea Encinitas due to a buyout, my return stay transformed a booking mishap into a lovely experience, complete with an ocean suite upgrade and amazing free breakfast.
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 »
