Alan 
Alaska Airlines today announced plans to acquire Hawaiian Airlines for $1.9 billion. According to the company, the two brands will remain (at least for now). The corporate headquarters will remain in Seattle. HawaiianMiles will likely be folded into Alaska’s Mileage Plan, with Hawaiian become part of the oneworld alliance. A … Read more
I spent Thanksgiving at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa, a resort property in Orange County, California. The sprawling resort, built in 2003, has 517 rooms in a four story building with five wings. On the property are a number of restaurants, a spa, three pool areas (including … Read more
Las Vegas’ $2.3 Billion music venue, Sphere, opened in September 2023 with a series of U2 shows. Instantly [the] Sphere has become an icon of Las Vegas as it glows with art (and ads) that can be seen from miles away. Getting to Sphere from the Las Vegas strip isn’t … Read more
The “Zoo Station – A U2:UV Experience” is located in The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas. The pop-up “experience” is a glorified gift shop temporarily opened in a storefront on the ground level of the Grand Canal Shoppes. Currently it is scheduled to shut down December 16, 2023 however there … Read more
Harrah’s Las Vegas opened in 1972 as the Holiday Inn Center Strip. In 1992 it changed names to Harrah’s Las Vegas and is managed by Caesars. The property has undergone multiple renovations over the past 50 years; but it is clear it is not a modern resort property. The rooms … Read more
Amex Offers are promotions that you can add to your card so that when a purchase is made, you receive either a statement credit or Membership Rewards points. Recently there was an offer for Hyatt’s Independent Collection Brands, including JdV, Unbound, and Destinations. The offer was “Spend $400 or more, … Read more
After my Virgin Voyage, I needed to get back to Seattle. I was able to us Alaska Airlines miles to book a one way ticket from Nice, France to Dublin and then Dublin on to Seattle. The Nice to Dublin flight was in Economy (no Business Class offered) and the … Read more
The Hyatt Centric The Liberties Dublin opened in fall 2019 with 234 rooms. It is not Hyatt managed, but instead managed by a third party – the Hodson Bay Group. It is a Category 4 property which means Category 1-4 Free Night Certificates can be used. I booked two nights … Read more
The Nice Côte d’Azur Airport is surprisingly large with two separate terminals. I was flying out of Terminal 1 to Dublin (which happens to not be in the Schengen Area). The flights outside of the Schengen Area have an isolated area past passport check. There is one lounge in the … Read more
After sailing with Virgin Voyages, I flew from Athens to Nice, France for a two night visit before flying on to Dublin. The Hyatt properties near Nice were extremely expensive (August is peak season), so I decided to try the Crown Plaza near the Nice airport. The property is new … Read more
This summer I took three cruises. Each was the same length (7 days) and each was on a different cruise line in a different part of the world. Each cruise had four ports and two sea days. On each ship I booked a balcony stateroom. Three Cruises The first cruise … Read more
New to Virgin Voyages? Get a free $150 Bar Tab (beverage credit) for your first cruise when you sign up with this link: https://share.virginvoyages.com/alanwaite In April, I sailed Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady and reviewed the fantastic entertainment aboard that ship. With the launch of Virgin’s third ship, Resilient Lady, a whole new … Read more
I am currently on my second cruise with Virgin Voyages as a single sailor. Are you thinking of taking a Virgin Voyage as a party of one? Here are my thoughts and tips for you to consider. New to Virgin Voyages? Get a free $150 Bar Tab (beverage credit) for your … Read more
Athens is the third home port for Virgin Voyages, with the Resilient Lady sailing out of Piraeus starting with her maiden voyage in April 2023. I sailed on the Greek Glow itinerary in August 2023. Below is my experience with embarkation. New to Virgin Voyages? Get a free $150 Bar Tab … Read more
Story Hotels are a set of three hotels in Sweden that recently joined Hyatt as JdV properties. They are full integrated with Hyatt; meaning you can earn points, book reward nights, and are entitled to World of Hyatt elite benefits. I booked two nights after my Holland America cruise that … Read more