Alan 
Last December I purchased an annual Frontier GoWild! Pass for $299. It started on May 1 and finally in July I’ve started to be able to use it. I work in education so I have my summers mostly free. You can definitely find some value with the pass. I was … Read more
After two nights at the Caption Nashville, I moved to the Dream Nashville for one night. I booked the room the day of my stay for 20,000 World of Hyatt points. It is a Category 5, so points redemptions range from 17,000 to 23,000. If you aren’t a Globalist, booking … Read more
Hyatt continues the annoying hotel trend of adding brands that don’t make any sense. Enter Caption by Hyatt, part of their Essentials collection of brands; that also includes the limited service Hyatt Place and Hyatt House properties. I couldn’t tell you the difference between Caption and Centric, and I seriously … Read more
Marriott on the Falls is located in the Fallsview area on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. Originally the hotel opened in 1993 as a Sheraton. In 2000, the property added an additional 10 floors. I visited Niagara Falls for one night in July, 2025. As I was only staying … Read more
The Anndore House, a JDV by Hyatt branded property, is a boutique hotel in Toronto. The property has 115 rooms and suites across 10 foors. The property went under a remodel in 2017 and converted from a Comfort Hotel to The Anndore House. Here you can see the property in … Read more
VIA Rail is Canada’s inter-city train service. It is the Amtrak of the North, but like so many things in Canada, a bit nicer. VIA Rail recently updated their fleet of trains on the eastern portion from Quebec City to Toronto. During my trip, the train reached speeds of 160km/h … Read more
After completing two nights at the Hyatt Centric Montreal, I was on to Ottawa for a two night stay at the Andaz Ottawa ByWard Market. I booked the two nights through Prive as the prices were equal to what was available on Hyatt.com. As a benefit, I received breakfast included, … Read more
This summer I spent time in Canada visiting cities that were new to me. The Hyatt Centric Montreal is located on the north end of Old Montreal. It is a new hotel (opened in 2023) with 177 rooms built on the grounds of the old Canadian Pacific Railway station. The … Read more
I booked a free cruise with Holland America on the Zuiderdam that left from Boston and sailed through the Canadian Maritime Provinces. I paid $220 in taxes and a $100 deposit that would convert to onboard credit for an Interior Guaranteed Stateroom. I paid an additional $158 to upgrade to … Read more
I applied for the updated Chase Sapphire Reserve on Monday, June 23. I was instantly approved. I previously received the Chase Sapphire Reserve (and sign up bonus) in 2016 when the card was first introduced. I also previously had the Chase Sapphire Preferred (and sign up bonus) in 2021. After … Read more
JetBlue has probably my favorite domestic product in their Mint Class. I also have found JetBlue to be a customer centric company, as they were extremely helpful during a past weather related disruption. I have flown it several times in the past, but not since COVID. I decided to try … Read more
My stay at the Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve in Puerto Rico was okay. There were a few hiccups but overall it is a nice property on the beach in the Caribbean. I was visiting Puerto Rico for the second time, having stayed at the El San Juan during my first … Read more
My flight from Seattle to Puerto Rico had an overnight layover at Dallas-Fort Worth. I was scheduled to arrive at 11:24pm and depart the next morning at 8:37am; giving me just 9 hours for my overnight. Previously I had stayed at the Hyatt Regency DFW, where I was upgraded to … Read more
The Davenport Grand is part of Spokane’s Davenport Hotels family, all part of the Autography Collection of Marriott Bonvoy. The original Davenport Hotel in Spokane has been around for 110 years, and in 2015 the owners opened The Davenport Grand next to Spokane’s Convention Center. During my stay in March, … Read more
Each year before the start of the Alaska cruise season, Holland America hosts a travel show in both Seattle and Vancouver — their two gateway ports to the 49th state. Admission is free so I decided to check out the show in Seattle on March 8, 2025. I registered online … Read more