Trip Reports

Category Archives for Trip Reports.

Review: Marriott Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa

by Gary Leff on December 18, 2022

Dec 18 2022

The Marriott Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa is an archetypal ‘resort factory’ with friendly staff. It’s got a great location directly across the street from the beach. And the location can’t be beat when traveling with a four year old, from easy access to restaurants to a zoo just around the corner.

Ultimately the hotel served its purpose well, and we had a great trip because we were visiting with family and taking advantage of the kids of activities that are available on Oahu and not as much on other islands. But the property doesn’t treat elite members well, and management isn’t proactive or even very responsive to issues.

Review: Hotel June, Quirky And Stylish LAX Layover Hotel

by Gary Leff on December 17, 2022

Dec 17 2022

The Hotel June West LA was my recent choice for an LAX airport hotel. It offers stylish public space, spartan rooms and indifferent service.

Review: American Airlines Flagship First Dining, Dallas – Fort Worth

by Gary Leff on December 10, 2022

Dec 10 2022

I recently had the chance to visit American Airlines Flagship First Dining DFW. It’s quiet and private, the food is excellent, but the space is dark and there were service lapses. Still, American Airlines Flagship First Dining is an incredible experience.

Review: Flying JSX ‘Semi-Private’ Dallas Love Field To Austin

by Gary Leff on December 1, 2022

Dec 01 2022

I just took my first trip with scheduled charter airline JSX, which lets you fly in and out of private terminals. You can show up just 20 minutes before your flight and skip TSA security. And you get more legroom than flying coach on another airline. In my case that was all for $83 more than flying Southwest.

Review: Hawaiian Airlines First Class, Austin – Honolulu

by Gary Leff on November 30, 2022

Nov 30 2022

My wife, daughter and I flew to Honolulu in November to meet up with family. It’s a convenient halfway point between our home in the U.S. and Australia. And Hawaiian Airlines operates a three-times weekly non-stop Austin – Honolulu.

I was able to book $200 one-ways and upgrade using miles, and American Express had a 25% transfer bonus to Hawaiian.

Review: Alila Fort Bishangarh, Rajasthan, India

by Gary Leff on November 11, 2022

Nov 11 2022

Though I’ve been to India many times, it’s been several years since I’ve made the trip. And while I’m familiar with Hyatt’s Alila brand, I haven’t yet visited one in the Mideast or India. So I was happy to hear from reader Doug Hess after his recent trip to India, and to have him share his experience at Alila Fort Bishangarh in Rajasthan. It looks fantastic. It wasn’t on my radar, but I’m inclined to check it out myself now.

Review: The 1.7 Star Worst Marriott Hotel In North America?

by Gary Leff on September 8, 2022

Sep 08 2022

An anonymous reader shares an experience at what is likely Marriott’s worst hotel in the Americas, a deflagged Hilton in with 17 year old mattresses, a restaurant that’s still closed, and no daily housekeeping.

I don’t often feature guest posts. I’ve done it just a handful of times in the past 20 years. But I found this report on the Woodlands Plaza Toledo Hotel was interesting as a window into what Marriott has become willing to sell to its customers.

Report: Air Mauritius Business Class, Mauritius – Paris Charles de Gaulle

by Gary Leff on September 3, 2022

Sep 03 2022

Air Mauritius business class isn’t something we see reviewed often, so I was happy to hear from reader Doug Hess after his recent trip. I can count on one hand the number of contributors I’ve featured on this blog. I write every post myself, but over the course of 20 years have had three people share trip reports with experiences very different than my own that seemed really interesting. Doug is one of those, sharing his experience flying African low cost carrier Fly540 and Flying Air Tanzania’s Airbus A220 from Lusaka to Dar es Salaam. Why You Want To Know Air Mauritius Although better known to Europeans than Americans, Mauritius is a remarkable destination. Beautiful beaches, incredible mountain hiking, great scuba diving, and all the adventure sports one could wish for (sky diving, wind surfing,…

Review: United Polaris Lounge SFO And First Class, San Francisco – Austin

by Gary Leff on July 17, 2022

Jul 17 2022

United’s Polaris lounges remain excellent, a real highlight to the airline, and sadly a contrast to their onboard business class product which has declined markedly since its introduction (even before the pandemic).

Quick Review: Grand Hyatt SFO Airport

by Gary Leff on July 11, 2022

Jul 11 2022

Grand Hyatt SFO Airport review: a gorgeous hotel. Standard rooms are small, but the rooms are gorgeous, and the views of the airfield are magnificent. The hotel appropriately plays these up. It’s an expensive property for what it is, but if you can manage it, the convenience is unbeatable and it’s one of the better airport hotels in the United States. Unquestionably this is the property you want to stay at for a San Francisco airport overnight, cost-permitting.

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