Alan

Hyatt Regency Washington DC Review

A friend of mine won a raffle put on by the Washington State Lottery that included airfare, tickets to an NFL Playoff Game, and two nights at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill.

Bright atrium
Bright atrium

We stayed at the hotel Saturday-Monday in January.  The hotel overall was fairly quiet. Great location near the Capitol; but otherwise you will need to plan on a bit of a walk to anything.

On the weekend, prepare to travel a good distance for meals as there are no restaurants besides in the hotel and the hotel across the street. The food in the Hyatt is decent and moderate price, so not a big deal to eat there; but just realize you are eating in the hotel lobby. They have a nice shop that sells all sorts of snacks, water, drinks and even has a small cafe for coffee and pastries. The staff was great, always helpful and cheerful. We enjoyed talking with the doorman especially.

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Alaska Airlines Price Guarantee

Never heard of the Alaska Airlines Price Guarantee?  Here is what you need to know.

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If you read this website with any regularity, you know that Alaska Airlines is my airline of choice.  Partially this is by default (I live in Seattle and SEA is their hub), but also my experience is that Alaska Airlines is the best domestic carrier out there.  Their crews are always professional and friendly, their loyalty program is top notch, and their customer service is wonderful.  But, they are NOT always the cheapest option.

However, I utilize a tool that has saved me hundreds of dollars over the past couple of years.  

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Radisson Fisherman’s Wharf San Francisco Review

View from our room, over looking the courtyard and parking garage to the Bay.
View from the room, over looking the courtyard and parking garage to the Bay.

Today I read that the Radisson Hotel at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco is being transitioned into Hotel Zephyr.  I decided to share here a review I wrote a year ago about my experience at the Radisson.  I was actually very happy with the hotel, mainly because it felt safe and was in a great location on the Wharf.  It also felt modern, so I am not sure how much work they will need to do for the transition.

I stayed for a weekend in November, got in late Friday and left Sunday evening. I booked directly through the Radisson website to get 10% off, however it was still expensive for what you get. But, this is the Wharf, and you are paying for the tourist location.

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Hyatt Best Rate Guarantee can save you money

hyatt best rate guaranteeLearn how to use the Hyatt Best Rate Guarantee to save yourself money on your next hotel booking.

One of my favorite websites is flyertalk.com, particularly their forum section.  It has great reviews, tips on finding deals and guides on how to navigate frequent flyer programs.  One of the threads talks about Hyatt’s Best Rate Guarantee.  Basically the idea is that if you book on hyatt.com and find a cheaper rate on another website, they will match the price AND reduce it by 20%.  It is a great idea to get customers to book direct instead of through other travel websites.  The other benefit of booking direct through Hyatt is that you earn Hyatt Gold Passport points, not so if you book through another source.  I have a number of Hyatt reservations coming up over the next few months, so I decided to see if I could find cheaper rates from other websites.

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Daily Getaways promotion

If you haven’t checked out the US Travel Association‘s Daily Getaways promotion in the past, it is a great chance to score some amazing deals on hotel stays, car rentals, and loyalty points at deep discounts.  This year the deal is even earlier; starting Monday, March 23, 2015 and running … Read more

Hyatt Credit Card through Chase Bank

hyatt credit card
And the winner is… ME!

Today I received my brand spanking new Hyatt Chase Visa Card.  My Hyatt credit card was hand delivered this afternoon by a lovely UPS woman in a package that reminded me of an awards show envelope.  I had been considering the Hyatt credit card for the past few months, and finally decided to apply after reading about the 20% points back promotion.  I have a couple of trips coming up where I will be staying at Hyatt properties (The Pike Long Beach, Grand Hyatt San Diego, Regency Vancouver) and one stay at Aria Las Vegas (an Mlife partner) that made the credit card seem like a no brainer.  Plus there are some amazing sign up bonuses right now that are rumored to be disappearing in the future.

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