Those shopping for great quality and a great value often turn to Hotwire for cut-rate prices at fine hotels. Now you can know exactly which hotel you’ll receive before making your blind purchase…at least in some cities. Hotwire offers...
Review: Park Hyatt Beijing
The Park Hyatt Beijing is showing some signs of wear, but remains an excellent choice for a luxury hotel in the heart of China’s capital city. After arriving from Helsinki on Finnair, we proceeded to the hotel via taxi...
How I Earned Hyatt Globalist Status thru 2019
I ended 2017 with 65 qualifying nights at Hyatt, helping me to secure Globalist status through February 2019. The value proposition of Hyatt Globalist status really depends on the type of properties you stay in. For example, if you...
My Top 10 Hotels Stays in 2017
I spent roughly 85 nights in a hotel room in 2017…not too bad, but still quite a few nights away from home. Here’s a list of my top 10 hotels I personally stayed at this year. My list is...
Passing on Sofitel Because of Novotel
Hotel loyalty and its associated perks are a cornerstone to the life of any road warrior. Hotel chains can’t afford to offer full service hotels in saturated or smaller markets, but likewise, they also can’t afford to ignore the...
My Hyatt Globalist Status Requalification is Complete
Although I once questioned the value of it, I have successfully re-qualified for Hyatt Globalist status with 60 nights in the bag for 2017. Last year I barely squeaked by, earning Hyatt Diamond status with 25 stays. Hyatt has...
Hyatt On The Bund’s Xindalu – Shanghai
One of three restaurants at Hyatt on the Bund is Xindalu, a Chinese kitchen. I asked Neil at check in where a good place to go for Xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) near the hotel. He stated the hotel restaurant. Usually...
Review: Ritz-Carlton Shanghai Pudong – Suite
As part of my United 1K Challenge I headed to Shanghai for a quick status run. I wanted to stay in some new properties as I had previously stuck to Hyatt and hadn’t spread my wings beyond the brand....
Airport Shuttles are NOT the Bane of My Existence!
Travel with Grant wrote an entertaining rant entitled, Airport Shuttles are the Bane of my Existence. I hold a different viewpoint. He lays out a string of recent horror stories involving airport hotel shuttles and vows to never wait for...
The Nastiest Hotel Room in the World?
Some people carefully inspect their sheets, pillows, mattress, and towels when they check into a hotel room. I don’t. I don’t even want to know… But when I watch Another Dirty Room, it makes my heart race. If anything will...
Rocketmiles Gave Me $20 Without Booking
I am always on the look out for better ways to book travel. Certain markets make services like Rocketmiles a great value or later in the year where status has already been achieved. After shopping around for an upcoming...
Hit and Run: My Car Was Damaged in Hotel Parking Lot
I spent a few nights at the Hyatt Carmel Highlands last week and came home with an unexpected souvenir…a damaged front bumper. What do you do when your car gets damaged at a hotel? Of course the immediate answer...
Would You Switch to a Suite for One Night?
Earlier today I published a review of my recent stay at the Park Hyatt Dubai. Only standard rooms were available the first night, but I was offered a suite my second (and final) night. Would you move rooms just...
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: July 2, 2017
Greetings from over the Atlantic on a rare overnight westbound flight. The week took an unexpected turn as I found myself on a very quick jaunt to Germany and Jordan. More details on that trip are coming. In the...
Why Are Status Hotel Upgrades Tough?
Some hotel chains offer room upgrades of varying levels to their elite guests. These are typically listed as “if available upon checkin” but often moving up from a double queen room to a coveted suite seems like hard work....
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...
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...
Why I’m Opting for More Expensive Airport Hotels
On my trip to Europe last month I found myself twice at more pricey on-site airport hotels than properties with a similar star level a few miles away. Why? I’ll explain. Airport hotels always tend to be more expensive than off-site...
My Unorthodox Free Suite Upgrade at Hilton
We’ve all heard of hotel upgrades due to overcrowding or loyalty status, but yesterday’s upgrade was a first. My wife and I checked into the Hilton Munich Airport yesterday evening with little Augustine. We had reserved a standard room. With...
Am I the Only One Who Doesn’t Use Hotel Deadbolts?
Earlier this week I wrote about a rough experience I had at the Hyatt Regency Mainz. A member of the hotel staff entered the room without knocking at 3:10AM, while my family slept. In the comments section, many reprimanded...
