Category: Hotels | Page 39

$900 Fee for Hyatt Diamond Suite Upgrade

May 12, 2015May 6, 2015

UPDATE: Both charges were refunded to my credit card. The reservation is still showing up in my online Hyatt GP account; hopefully it will work to just pay at check in.

I have recently written about how I achieved Hyatt Passport Gold Diamond status through the Elite Trial Offer. My first order of business as a Diamond member was to use one of my Diamond Suite Upgrades (DSU) for a trip I have reserved (and pre-paid) at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Orlando in June. Little did I know I would be charged a large fee for Hyatt Diamond Suite Upgrade.

I initially made the reservation through a Best Rate Guarantee claim that was approved.

And from the Department of Bad Timing…

April 30, 2015April 30, 2015

I received this mailing from Hyatt (or maybe Chase Bank since it is connected to my Visa card) today:

Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego Review

July 23, 2022April 28, 2015

The Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego was one of the “official” hotels of the conference I was attending and is only a few blocks from the Convention Center. I booked a Double Bed at Costco rates as it was the best I could find; each night just under $300. There were two large conferences in town (one at the hotel), so I am guessing you could find some better rates if you go when there isn’t a conference in town. It is the largest hotel in San Diego (with 1,625 rooms).

The Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego is located on the waterfront just south west of the downtown core. It is about 10 minutes from the airport and you can walk to Petco Park, the Convention Center, Gaslamp, and downtown. There are a bunch of restaurants just across the street. Across the street there is also a light rail stop.

Benefits of Hyatt Diamond Status

October 9, 2018April 24, 2015

I have posted various posts about my process getting the Hyatt Diamond Challenge and what it cost me. But why would I invest my time and money to get Diamond status? This post will focus on the benefits of Hyatt Diamond status.

Earning Diamond Status: If you are not participating in a Diamond Challenge (or Elite Tier offer), or you are trying to keep your status beyond the first year, you must have either:

25 separate stays at Hyatt properties or
50 total nights within one calendar year

So technically you could just stay 25 nights and get Diamond (assuming none of those nights were consecutive), or you could just have one stay and get Diamond (assuming your one stay was for nearly 2 months…).

Hyatt House Seattle Downtown

September 6, 2019April 24, 2015

The Hyatt House Seattle Downtown is set to open in the next few weeks. I stopped by today to check out the progress of the construction and to scope out the property. I was not able to go in, but here are a few observations.

Location: This is the closest hotel to the Space Needle hands down. While the Hyatt Place Seattle is a short walk from the Space Needle, the Hyatt House Seattle Downtown is perhaps 500 feet from the Space Needle. You will walk out the door, cross the street, and you are at the gift shop and elevator to the top. This is great for tourists, however it is a bit of a distance to the downtown core. Lucky for you, the Monorail stop is also just across the street, very convenient for tourists to access shopping and Pike Place Market.

Think twice before swimming with dolphins

July 23, 2022April 20, 2015

Swimming with dolphins is portrayed as a family friendly activity. Dolphins are social and smart animals. Hell, they are the only animals besides humans that have sex for fun! What’s not to like?

While observing dolphins in their natural habitat at sea from the beach or even a boat is a non-invasive way to learn about these creatures, swimming with them is not. Particularly problematic are resorts or amusement parks that keep dolphins in captivity and allow guests to pay to swim with them.

If you have seen Blackfish, you probably already know where this is going.