We’ve reached June and I’m facing a new reality: qualifying for Hyatt Globalist status is going to be even more difficult than I thought. I knew that 60 nights is a far different beast than 25 stays. Last year...
Two Bangkok Hyatts: How Will Pricing Change?
With the opening of the long anticipated Park Hyatt Bangkok, how will pricing change going forward? How does the brand compare in the Thai capital? If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please click here. Both support...
Hilton Horror Story: Why You Should Not Complain…Too Much
Compensation is a good thing, when warranted. But when you push too far, the consequences can be great. I know most of us like to game the system where we can: it’s part of the allure of miles and...
Inside the Honeymoon Suite of Pippa Middleton at Park Hyatt Sydney
Trust me, Live and Let’s Fly is not turning into the Daily Mail, but I could not resist this story. Feel free to skip it. Pippa Middleton (sister of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge) and James Matthews married last week...
20% Off Park Hyatt Bangkok + 3,000 Bonus Points
Earlier today I published a resoundingly positive review of the new Park Hyatt Bangkok. The one area of concern: price. As if reading my mind, the following email from Hyatt arrived just after the post went live: Dear Matthew,...
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...
First Look: Park Hyatt Bangkok
I’m at the brand new Park Hyatt in Bangkok this weekend and all I can say is WOW. Hyatt really outdid itself with this property and it isn’t even finished yet. The attention to detail is simply amazing. I’m a...
Update: I’ve Made it to Bangkok
Hello from Bangkok. My showdown with Ethiopian Airlines is one step closer. I arrived in the middle of the night after a fairly unorthodox routing. I flew United from Burbank to San Francisco to Hangzhou, one of United’s newer...
The World of Hyatt Minus Jeff Zidell
Jeff Zidell is stepping down from his position as Head of Loyalty at Hyatt, a position he has held for nearly nine years. What will this mean for the future of the World of Hyatt? Zidell presided over the...
Amazing Suite Upgrade at Park Hyatt Vienna
Over the weekend I stayed at the Park Hyatt Vienna, one of my favorite hotels in the Hyatt portfolio. A quadruple upgrade to an Ambassador Suite made my stay even more pleasant. Here are a handful of shots from my room– If...
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...
Hotel Levent in Istanbul Now a Hyatt Centric Property
The mysterious Hotel Levent in Istanbul is now a Hyatt Centric Property. The property made headlines earlier this year when it debuted as a Category 7 property yet had room rates of under $100/night. It did not take long for...
New World of Hyatt Promotion – Worthwhile?
Is the new World of Hyatt promo worth pursuing? World of Hyatt’s first promo is a simple one: earn double points on all stays between April 1 – June 30, 2017. One catch: your first stay doesn’t count. You...
Scary! Stranger Walks Into Our Hotel Room at 3AM
Imagine waking up in the middle of the night to the sound of your hotel room door flinging open and footsteps inside. That just happened to me last night. Although Augustine slept soundly on the flight over to Europe, it has...
Caution: Watch Out for This Message When Making a Hyatt Reservation
Thanks to a missed train, we were stuck in Frankfurt for an extra night and opted to spend it at the Hyatt Regency Mainz. Though not the fault of the hotel, check-in proved to be a nightmare. The last-minute...
Review: Hyatt Place Amsterdam Airport (It’s Not What You Think)
I mentioned it earlier and I’ll mention it again — jettison all thoughts of what a Hyatt Place is. Very different than than the U.S. brand, the Hyatt Place Amsterdam Airport feels much more like a nice Hyatt Regency...
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...
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: March 4, 2017
Hello from Santa Monica, CA. I dined with some very dear clients who have become friends last night. Not knowing LA traffic, I hedged my bets and left early. Thankfully, traffic moved much better than my GPS suggested and I made...
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...
