We arrived late into Colombo and had a morning flight to Doha, which meant an airport hotel would have been ideal. Trouble is, Colombo doesn’t have any, at least not any worthy of a miles + points review. So...
Review: JW Marriott Houston (Galleria)
I travel to Houston for business regularly, but I always stay at the same haunts. On this trip, I needed to unexpectedly stay over the weekend and decided to shop around. I found a tremendous rate from the JW...
Review: Grand Hyatt Shanghai
While I do prefer the intimacy of the Park Hyatt, the Grand Hyatt proved an excellent hotel for a long layover in Shanghai. We arrived into Shanghai around 5:30pm and did not leave for 21 hours. An airport hotel...
Review: Hilton Hanoi Opera
My wife and daughter have spent the summer in Asia and I have spent every other weekend visiting them. On my final trip back to Asia to bring them home, we re-visited Vietnam, this time trying Hanoi for the...
Review: Hilton Stockholm Slussen (it was disappointing)
It’s rare I post a negative review and perhaps you’ll find my comments nitpicky, but I was left disappointed by my stay at the Hilton Stockholm Slussen. I realize that prices are high in Scandinavia, but perhaps not as high as you...
747-200 Hostel vs. Radisson Blu Stockholm Airport
It was a tough choice. Parked directly across the street from our hotel was a Boeing 747-200 with rooms available at a similar price. But I was happy I ultimately chose the Radisson Stockholm Airport. The Choice Both properties were...
Review: JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok
On my last of several trips to Bangkok recently, I had a long layover in the city and have wanted to try new properties in the city. I have already secured top-tier status with IHG, Hilton, and Hyatt for...
Review: Conrad Bangkok Hotel – Suite Upgrade
Though I’ve previously stayed at the property, I haven’t had a chance to review the Conrad Bangkok. In fact, despite dozens of visits to Bangkok, this would be my first stay for more than a single night. I looked...
Review: Crowne Plaza Vientiane, Laos
I am not loyal to the IHG chain, but when I saw Crowne Plaza had opened a new hotel in Vientiane, Laos I had to check it out. There are many cheaper options, but this hotel is a wonderful oasis...
Review: Hilton Mexico City Airport Hotel
For shorter stays where I have had limited exposure to the facilities (this stay was less than 18 hours) I will keep my review brief. On this stay I tried to explore a little bit of the Hilton Mexico...
Review: Park Hyatt Hangzhou
Confession: when flying to Bangkok last month I chose to connect in Hangzhou just to spend a night in this new Park Hyatt property. It did not disappoint. Admittedly, I hate splurging for a nice hotel when I arrive into a...
Two Bangkok Hyatts: Grand vs. Park
Matthew and I have covered quite a bit about the launch of the new Park Hyatt Bangkok including his exhaustive and photo-filled review, my suite review, and an analysis of current and speculation on future pricing. In what will...
Conrad Bangkok Lounge: Unnecessarily Formal Attire
The Conrad Bangkok offers an executive lounge for their Gold and Diamond guests as well as those paying for premium access and suites. In the morning it offers an extensive hot buffet and in the evening cocktails and snacks....
Review: Ace Hotel Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is a city of chain hotels – which is where I usually stay due to elite benefits and point accrual – but on occasion there is sufficient cause to divert from the pattern. Ace Hotel Pittsburgh is just such a...
Review: Park Hyatt Bangkok
Bangkok’s newest luxury hotel jumps out as an architectural landmark outside and a masterpiece inside. But is it worth the price tag? The hotel is located in the heart of the city, just above the brand new Central Embassy...
Park Hyatt Bangkok: Suite and Bitter
I’m pleased to announce the first contributor to Live and Let’s Fly, Kyle Stewart. Kyle and I wrote together at UPGRD and we co-founded Pen and Passport. He’ll be adding commentary on hotels, airlines, and travel products. I’ll still be...
Review: Hyatt Centric Levent Istanbul (Suite)
Located in the vibrant Levent neighborhood of Istanbul, Hyatt’s newest property in Turkey is worth a visit, though I iid encounter a couple issues during my stay. I arrived from Rome at around 2pm and took the Metro from Ataturk airport to...
Review: Grand Hyatt Taipei
In the interest of transparency, I state at the outset that this review has never been published before, but is from October 2013. It is part of my Star Alliance Business Class Adventure in Europe and Asia report. I outline in that...
Review: Hyatt Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht
This was my third trip to Amsterdam but the first time I actually enjoyed it. I never really cared for the city before, dismissing it as a den of prostitutes and pot. This time, I saw there is so much more to...
Review: Grand Hyatt Jakarta
Although I spent only a night at the Grand Hyatt Jakarta, I enjoyed every moment of my stay there. Well, almost every moment. I arrived late and an agent quickly checked me in, encouraging me to hurry up to the...
