Alan

Gilt Warehouse Sale

Gilt Warehouse Sale

Gilt is a website that presents daily deals of fashionable, designer clothing at discounted prices.  While I am not a fashionista, I have browsed Gilt from time to time as I am a sucker for a good deal.

While planning my recent trip to Vegas, I came across a notice of an upcoming Gilt Warehouse Sale that was going to be in town the same dates I was.  REI has a similar Garage Sale a few times a year that I have been known to camp overnight so I can be one of the first ones in.  So I thought why not check out this sale.  However, I couldn’t find any details about what this sale really was or reports from anyone who had been.  I just had a the dates, times, and location of the sale.

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Aria Las Vegas Review

aria las vegasThis past weekend I spent three nights at Aria Las Vegas, one of the Vegas mega properties located in MGM’s CityCenter.  Other hotels that share the CityCenter location are Vdara and Mandarin Oriental… as well as what is left of the Harmon (it is getting smaller each day as they demolish it).  Aria, with 4,004 rooms, opened in December 2009 and is considered MGM’s top property alongside Bellagio.

I have stayed at the Aria five or six times, it is my go-to hotel in Vegas.  Good location, luxury, and a great spa.  I received a deal through Mlife that got me a rate of ~$200* for Saturday night and ~$130* for Sunday and Monday nights (*I include the mandatory $32 resort fee in this price).  The deal also came with an included $200 resort credit that I could use at onsite restaurants, spa, or show.

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The dishonest resort fee

I believe the most deceptive practice in the travel industry is the resort fee.  It is the complete antithesis to hospitality.  It is a made up revenue stream that serves NO purpose except to increase profits.  There is ZERO benefit to the hotel guest.  At least with an airline baggage fee you have the choice and get a benefit of not having to schlep around your bag.  Or with the prepaid fuel charge you don’t have to worry about filling up your tank before returning your rental car.  But resort fees serve no benefit to the customer.

Note: Resort fee does NOT cover slippers. Sorry.
Note: Resort fee does NOT cover slippers. Sorry.

This weekend I stayed at the Aria in Las Vegas.  Overall it is a great property and one that I’ve stayed at at least five times.  The daily resort fee is $32.48; which is a significant amount.  For my visit this ended up being an extra $100, or the price of one night.  I basically stayed three nights for the price of four.  On the Aria website it lists the amenities included with the resort fee:

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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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Royal Kona Resort Hawaii Review

Royal Kona Resort
View from my Ocean View room

I recently was in Kauai and stayed at the Waimea Plantation; a rustic resort that I said you must know what you are getting into.  The Royal Kona, in the town of Kona on the Big Island, is another place that you will enjoy if you have realistic expectations.  It is not fancy, it is not over the top, it is not modern. If you want somewhere that is uber deluxe, there are probably better options north of Kona. However, the Royal Kona Resort, and Kona in general, is a great casual place to relax and have fun.

I have stayed at the Royal Kona Resort three different times.  The price cannot be beat.  The first time I stayed was for my sister’s wedding and they treated everyone right.  Now it feels like a second home.

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Moral Travel: What does your dollar support?

I recently watched a horrifying yet compelling documentary, Hunted: The War Against Gays in Russia (available on HBO).  It chronicles the rising tide of assaults on LGBTQ people by both fellow Russians and the government.

Screen Shot 2015-02-18 at 7.41.39 PM
Copyright HBO, Hunted: The War Against Gays in Russia

While I would love to see Russia, I do not think I could travel there at this time in good conscience.  I do not want my money to go to a regime that openly discriminates and scape goats a minority population of its own citizens.  As consumers (which includes tourism), we vote with our dollars (or Euros, or Pounds or…) whether intentional or not.

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M life Explained – Las Vegas

Welcome to SingleFlyer.com!  Your source for news about Las Vegas and other relevant travel info.  Be sure to subscribe to my email updates and follow me on Twitter.   MASSIVE UPDATE: As of February 1, 2022, M life will now be known as MGM Rewards.  I will be updating this … Read more

First Mileage Run: From Seattle to DC

first mileage runMileage run.  This is a term that travel hobbyists use frequently that I did not know the full definition of until last week.  I know can count myself a member of the elite (or crazy…) who partake in the infamous mileage run!  This is the account of my first mileage run.

A mileage run (or MR if you are hip to the lingo) is when you book a flight just for the loyalty points you earn with the airline (or hotel for that matter).  Usually this is done when you find an extremely low fare on an airline you like to earn status with.

Living in Seattle, my airline of choice is Alaska.  I have been MVP for the past few years, but this year I am aiming for MVP Gold.  The benefits of MVP Gold are extensive; most important to me are upgrades to first class and ability to change a flight with no penalty.  You must earn 40,000 “elite qualifying miles” (or EQMs), which usually means actual miles flown.  Miles you earn through using your Alaska Airlines Visa Card, for example, do not count towards elite status.

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Double Miles – Alaska Airlines

Alaska Double Miles

I have benefited from Alaska Airlines promos in the past that offer double miles for certain routes from Seattle.  However, the email I received today has more routes eligible than in the past.

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Expedia Disaster: Why I don’t use OTAs

expedia disaster

This is the story of my Expedia disaster.  I always try to book my travel directly through the airline/hotel/rental car company.  This way I know that if there are any issues, they will be the one to fix it.  Also, many companies offer you added benefits when booking direct (best fare guaranteed, loyalty points, etc).

However, every once in a while I find a deal that makes going through a booking site like Expedia or Orbitz worthwhile.

A friend and I (okay, confession time, I don’t always travel alone) are planning a free cruise that we got through mLife on Royal Caribbean.  As the cruise leaves from Florida, we thought we would spend a few days at Disney World to compliment the time on the cruise.  Plus, Disney World!

In many of the blogs and deal sites I check out I found a code for $100 off a three night hotel stay if booked through Expedia.  So I found the hotel, entered my credit card info and the coupon code, and voila!  My room was booked!

No error message, no “coupon is not valid”.  It just worked.  Credit card accepted.  Room booked.  Or so I thought…

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