• Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
Live and Let's Fly
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
Home  >  Uncategorized  >  Choosing Your Own Hotel Room? This Must Be Life in the Emerald World
Uncategorized

Choosing Your Own Hotel Room? This Must Be Life in the Emerald World

Kyle Stewart Posted onJuly 13, 2015September 16, 2021 Leave a Comment

It’s no secret that I have had a great experience with National Car Rental, so when National challenged UPGRD to think about what life would be like living in the Emerald World, hotels immediately came to mind…


If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please click here. Both support LiveAndLetsFly.com.


If you haven’t followed us on Facebook or Instagram, add us today.

Recently, I checked into the Emerald Hotel. The property was new, clean, and the rooms were beautiful. One of the key features of the property was its design. There were a variety of room types, from efficient studios to something with room for families, and swanky suites with the latest and greatest technology. But that’s not what makes this property unique.

It’s the selection.

I’m an Emerald Executive Elite, the property’s highest tier customer, and as such I have access to any room I want. If I am having colleagues over before a meeting or event, I can choose something showy. If it is a family weekend, I can get a separate suite with a kitchenette. If I am just going to stay overnight before a flight, in and out, I might choose something small, easy and close to the elevator on a low floor. Regardless of which I choose, the choice is mine.

Walking into the lobby of the hotel always fills me with joy. I see a line of people waiting to check in at this property and the one across the street and stride past, roll-aboard in hand. I have an app on my phone that allows me to select my room in advance if I want, based on my status level. That feature is great if I am in a rush or the hotel is full and I want to make sure I get a room with two beds for example, or something on a high floor.

My favorite feature, however doesn’t happen until I get upstairs. While anyone can pay for any room in the hotel, elites can book a standard room and upgrade themselves for free. But what’s more, all of the doors are unlocked to rooms that have not yet been checked into.

The property features a ton of different room choices and they are all a little bit unique. Some have luxury bed sheets and a chaise lounge by the floor-to-ceiling windows. Other rooms might have USB plugs on the nightstand next to the bed. I have found some that have meeting rooms inside, and others that were a bit of fun and less utility.

As my status with the hotel grows and my stays increase, so too does my access to the rooms. When I get to the top tier, virtually any room is mine. But even those who simply join the loyalty program at the entry level have access to many of these features on their first stay. They still have a good selection of newly-renovated rooms of almost every variety. Entry level members don’t have to stop at the front desk, can do everything from their phone, store their preferences, and earn points or miles for their stay .

At checkout, like many hotels, I didn’t have to stop at the front desk, but with this hotel, as soon as I drop the key in the key slot, I get an email with an itemized bill ready for my expense report.

When I think of other competing chains I am reminded that even as a top tier elite, no program yet has all of these features. It’s not that I don’t want to interact with the front desk, it’s that there is no need to because I am going to pick out my own room and they already know what to bill me and what not to bill me.

It is quite possibly the best loyalty program. However, for it to be an actual hotel loyalty program it could only exist in an Emerald World.

national-choose-your-car

Being an Emerald Club member with National Car Rental offers all of this, but for rental cars. Even entry level members can choose their own car from the Emerald Aisle. They can store their preferences on their membership profile so they never have to fill the car with gas before they return, or if they would prefer, never get charged for gas and always bring it back full. They can pick their car in advance through the National app, or they can try and find something unique when they land. As members advance through the elite levels of the program, they earn access to the Executive Aisle, and at the Executive Elite level, the cars are some of the most premium in the fleet including Cadillacs, BMWs, and Lincolns (or this Dodge Challenger I am driving today).

national-rental-2

When renting cars, skipping the counter is enough to win me over, but picking my car, hopping in and driving out knowing that my bill will be exactly what I expect it to be is what makes me love National.

It’s a shame all of my travel experiences aren’t in #TheEmeraldWorld.

Join the Emerald World today.

-Sherpa

This post is sponsored by National Car Rental.  All opinions are my own.

Previous Article Next FTU Advanced Announced: Newport Beach, CA
Next Article The Sheraton Lima Stinks

About Author

Kyle Stewart

Kyle is a freelance travel writer with contributions to Time, the Washington Post, MSNBC, Yahoo!, Reuters, Huffington Post, MapHappy, Live And Lets Fly and many other media outlets. He is also co-founder of Scottandthomas.com, a travel agency that delivers "Travel Personalized." He focuses on using miles and points to provide a premium experience for his wife and daughter. Email: sherpa@thetripsherpa.com

Follow us on FacebookFollow us on Twitter

Related Posts

  • Rebuttal – Travel is Not Free and the “Bonnie” Rule

    August 10, 2015
  • Reader Question: Airline Loyalty – Which to Choose

    August 4, 2015
  • Mileage Bonuses For Debit Cards Are Better Than Ever For Some

    July 23, 2015

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Search

Hot Deals for June

Note: Please see my Advertiser Disclosure

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Earn 60,000 Points
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Earn 75,000 Miles!
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Earn 75,000 Miles
Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Earn $750 Cash Back
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Earn 120,000 Membership Reward® Points

Recent Posts

  • Spirit Airlines Feisty Senior Citizen
    Feisty Senior Citizen Puts Drunk Spirit Airlines Passenger In Her Place June 2, 2023
  • British Airways Fine
    Justified: British Airways Slapped With $1.1 Million Fine From US Government June 2, 2023
  • United Airlines Worldwide Devaluation
    United Airlines MileagePlus Devaluation Spreads Worldwide June 2, 2023
  • American Airlines Flagship First A321
    The Dismal State Of American Airlines Flagship First Class June 1, 2023

Categories

Popular Posts

  • American Airlines Pins Cockpit Door
    American Airlines First Class Passenger So Angry Over Meal Choices He Pins Flight Attendant To Cockpit Door May 11, 2023
  • Cursing Fight United Airlines
    “Don’t You Ever Tell Me To Speak English!” (Fight Breaks Out On My United Airlines Flight) May 17, 2023
  • Missed VDB United Airlines
    My Foolish $1,000 Airport Lounge Visit May 16, 2023
  • Spirit Airlines Flight Leaves Early
    Spirit Airlines Passengers Enraged After Flight Leaves Early May 8, 2023

Archives

June 2023
M T W T F S S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
2627282930  
« May    

As seen on:

live_and_lets_fly

A lovely stay at the @fsdoha, one of the best hote A lovely stay at the @fsdoha, one of the best hotels I have ever stayed in.
A fabulous flight onboard @qatarairways on the A35 A fabulous flight onboard @qatarairways on the A350-1000 in Qsuite Business Class from DFW-DOH. Qatar offers the best all-around business class product in the world with a spacious suite, plenty of privacy, excellent service, and superb cuisine.
The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles is the most beautiful of all Polaris Lounges. Stay tuned for a detailed look and many more photos on the blog tomorrow. Well done @united.
@malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire i @malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire its A380 fleet. While not surprising, it is sad to see the growing list of carriers retiring this superjumbo jet. On Malaysia Airlines, I flew the #A380 once from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to London (LHR) and had the entire first class cabin to myself (full review on the blog). It was a beautiful flight that I will always remember.
Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited tha Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited that a new carrier, Avelo, has launched, especially from an airport just 12 minutes from my home!
I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxair I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxairport. Hopefully this summer it will return.

.
.
.
.
#Lufthansa #FirstClass #747 #747-8 #StarAlliance #Miles #Points
I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. This is not only a lovely, all-inclusive resort, but one of the best properties to use your @hyatt World of Hyatt points.
.
.
.
.
#Hyatt #BigSur #California #WorldofHyatt #CA-1 #Points #Hotels
In terms of a spacious first class product, the @E In terms of a spacious first class product, the @Emirates suite on a 777-300ER is hard to beat. My preference is Suite 2K.

.
.
.
.
#Emirates #777 #firstclass
Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from I Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from Instagram ahead of the birth of my first child. Goodness, how time flies. While I’ve enjoyed catching up on others over the years, now it is time for me to return to Instagram. In this first post, I highlight two joys in my life, my two children, whom I trust will grow up to be prolific travelers that circumnavigate the globe as ambassadors of love and respect.

.
.
.
.
.

#travel #airplanes #airlines #miles #points #familytravel #human #integrity #honor
United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improv United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improvement over UA's current business class seat. Check out my blog at liveandletsfly.com for 70+ photos of how @united is transforming its entire business class experience starting this December!
The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben! The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben!
Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen - Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen -- oh, and I love 40°F summer weather!
One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure of flying with in all my years of flying. Thank you @flysas SK940 on 11 Aug 2016
Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I a Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I assign a window seat months in advance, don't move me to a center seat "for my convenience" with no way to get my original seat back... 😞
Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be rac Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be racing the #Delta flight to JFK at the gate next to us, which also departs at 12:45p. With @onemileatatime
Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregenc Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregencycasablanca #cassablanca #hyatt
Load More... Follow on Instagram
facebook twitter instagram rss

Privacy Policy

© Live and Let's Fly All Rights Reserved.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Live and Let's Fly with appropriate and specific directions to the original content.