On a business trip, I had a chance to stay in the very contemporary and dare I say, ‘sassy’ Renaissance Toledo Downtown Hotel. This hotel had everything, except for an upgrade for a (then) gold member. If you are...
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: April 29, 2018

Greetings from the fairly remote Las Padres National Forrest about 90 minutes north of Los Angeles. It was special weekend for me: my brother is getting married next week and this weekend was his bachelor party. Heidi, don’t worry…it...
Marriott/SPG Devaluation: Fears Confirmed at Freddies

A few days ago I posted my suspicions about Marriott/SPG’s overwhelmingly positive reception. One Mile At A Time posted that there were some great new values in the new award chart that probably wouldn’t last. Friends, readers, strangers –...
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: April 22, 2018

Hello from LA. I’m back from Hawaii after a wonderful, albeit brief, getaway with my wife. In terms of top news for the week, we’ve now learned more about the new Marriott-SPG loyalty program. It looks good (for the...
Review: Aloft Houston by the Galleria

Hotels in Houston can be a difficult nut to crack, it’s all about location and convenience. The Aloft Houston by the Galleria is well positioned, offers premiums that other full-service hotels do not, and a reasonable price point for...
Chinese Cyber Police Block Marriott’s Website for Disrespecting China

Cyber Police from the city of Shanghai have blocked Marriott’s website and mobile app for one week, punishing the hotel chain for “disrespecting” Chinese Sovereignty. Marriott sent out a Mandarin-language survey to Chinese consumers which listed Hong Kong, Macau, Tibet,...