Hotels

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

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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Radisson Fisherman’s Wharf San Francisco Review

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

Learn 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

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

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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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

Mirage Las Vegas Review

The pool at Mirage, notice the waterfall to the left.

The Mirage Las Vegas is the quintessential Vegas resort. It is the original mega-resort that started it all. National Lampoons Vegas Vacation. Siegfried and Roy. Steven Wynn. The Volcano. Lots of reasons to stay here.

The property is amazing and you can tell that Steve Wynn really left his finger prints all over this property. Beautiful grounds. Recognizable architecture. Sprawling pool. Over the top volcano in the front. Indoor jungle with huge glass dome. However, I do feel that some of the original magic created by Wynn is gone now to be replaced by the safe corporate decisions of MGM.

What I imagine was once a standout property has become a bit bland. Nothing stands out about the casino, restaurants, clubs or rooms. They are all fine, but thats about all you can say.

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Mlife Hyatt status match

mLife Platinum Players Card

Using the Mlife Hyatt status match is a great way to immediately gain status with two great loyalty programs.

I am still relatively new to the loyalty game.  However, one of the best deals I have found so far is with Mlife, the Las Vegas loyalty club for the MGM Mirage properties.

Mlife has a partnership with a number of companies outside of Las Vegas, including Hyatt.  If you are an Mlife member (and you should be if you have been to Vegas even once), you can status match with Hyatt’s Gold Passport program.  This means not only can you earn points for Hyatt when you stay in Vegas (5 Hyatt Gold points for every $1 you spend at an Mlife resort), but you can also get the perks of a higher tier status with Hyatt, assuming you have spent some money in Vegas.  Likewise, if you have status with Hyatt, you can match your status to Mlife.

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Waimea Plantation Kauai Review

Cottage “D”

While Hawaii is one of my favorite travel destinations, I took my first trip to Kauai in January.  Dramatically different than the arid sprawl of the Big Island, Kauai is smaller and much more lush.  I had wanted to check out Kauai to check off the four large islands of Hawaii and I am glad I did.

I stayed at the Waimea Plantation; located on the southwest side of the island at the base of Waimea Canyons.  The town itself is a 45 minute drive from Lihue airport (the only commercial airport on the island).  You drive through various jungles, next to canyons, and past coffee groves.  The town of Waimea itself is small and seems to be stuck in the 1950s.  The next town over is Hanapepe, known for it’s art galleries.  While you will find tourists here; there are no large resorts on this side of the island.

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Four Seasons Scottsdale Review

A few days after Christmas I received a call from a friend offering me use of his unit at the Four Seasons Scottsdale Residence Club over New Years.  I had never stayed at a Four Seasons but have always heard that they are the measure of service in the hotel industry.  I said yes and booked my flight from Seattle to Phoenix.

Residence Clubs with the Four Seasons are similar to timeshares; you buy in and pay an annual fee and get a week at their resort.  Instead of a hotel room (at least in Scottsdale) you get a two bedroom, three bathroom unit with a full kitchen, dining room and living room.  You get access to all the amenities of the hotel plus a Residence Club pool, restaurant, and club house.

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Kimpton Hotel Monaco SLC Review

Kimpton Hotel Monaco SLC Hotel Review This is my review for the Hotel Monaco Salt Lake City.  I stayed for two nights in March, 2014.  This was my first stay at a Kimpton hotel, but I had heard that they are a great brand. The Salt Lake City Hotel Monaco … Read more

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