Category: Hotels | Page 19

Hyatt Diamond Challenge 2015

July 25, 2022March 14, 2015

Note: As of June 1, 2015, the Hyatt Diamond Challenge 2015 has been updated. Diamond status is now good through February 2017. Reports are also in that you can directly contact Hyatt Gold Passport at 1-800-228-3360 to enroll in the Elite Tier Offer. Read more here.

I first signed up for Hyatt Gold Passport last summer after I learned about their relationship with Mlife. Since I was a Gold Mlife member I received Platinum status with Hyatt’s loyalty program. I had signed up for hotel loyalty programs before, but with the purpose of earning miles on Alaska Airlines for my stays. In 9 months I have accrued 20,000 points with HGP through my stays at Mlife hotels in Vegas and Hyatt hotels.

The benefits of Platinum HGP status are minimal; it was devalued even more last month when all guests were given free wifi. Reports over at Flyer Talk have some people being offered a Hyatt Diamond Challenge (also known as the Hyatt Gold Passport Elite Tier offer) with 12 nights in 60 days. Some said the offer was targeted only to those with a high number of stays in 2014 while others said they were able to enroll in the challenge by contacting the property of their upcoming stay.

I have four booked reservations between now and June so I emailed the two properties that had an email posted on their website.

Hyatt Regency Santa Clara Review

July 23, 2022March 7, 2015

I stayed at the Hyatt Regency Santa Clara for a weekend in October, 2014. The hotel is older, my guess it was built in the mid 1980’s, and has a large footprint of 501 rooms. The closest airport is San Jose (6 miles), a small airport that makes getting in and out easy.

I assumed it would be quiet on a weekend when business travelers were at home, but was I wrong! This is definitely a conference hotel (it is attached to the Santa Clara Convention Center in the heart of Silicon Valley). There were two conferences at the hotel (ironically neither were tech conventions); one was quilters the other was high schoolers. As you can imagine, I was disheartened to say the least. Luckily, the check in agent could tell I was not looking forward to a weekend with youngins, so he put me on the 13th floor away from the students. I thought he said he “upgraded” me as I am a Platinum HGP member, but it turned out that the only upgrade was that it was on a higher floor.

Aria Las Vegas Review

July 25, 2022March 4, 2015

This 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.

The dishonest resort fee

July 25, 2022March 3, 2015

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.

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:

Hyatt Regency Washington DC Review

July 23, 2022March 1, 2015

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.

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.

Radisson Fisherman’s Wharf San Francisco Review

July 23, 2022February 26, 2015

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.

Hyatt Best Rate Guarantee can save you money

March 22, 2015February 25, 2015

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.

Daily Getaways promotion

March 22, 2015February 24, 2015

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

March 26, 2015February 23, 2015

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.

Royal Kona Resort Hawaii Review

July 23, 2022February 20, 2015

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.

M life Explained – Las Vegas

July 25, 2022February 18, 2015

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

July 23, 2022February 12, 2015

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.

Mlife Hyatt status match

July 25, 2022February 6, 2015

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.

Waimea Plantation Kauai Review

July 23, 2022February 5, 2015

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.

Four Seasons Scottsdale Review

July 23, 2022January 6, 2015

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.