2022 Year in Miles 2022 was the year of “revenge travel” after 2+ years of Covid shutdowns. Warnings of a system not ready for the pre-pandemic levels of travel came to fruition for some. My international summer travel ended up reasonably successful and without too much chaos. I was able … Read more
Bellagio Stay Well Resort King Room Review Recently Bellagio updated the rooms located in the main Bellagio Tower. I have stayed at the property before and was interested in checking out the renovated rooms. I would be staying just one night and the offer I had allowed me to reserve a … Read more
Luxor Pyramid Premier Room Review Luxor Las Vegas opened in 1993 when Vegas was focused on family friendly theming (Excalibur, Treasure Island, MGM Grand). Since then, most of the Egyptian theming has been removed. Still, staying in one of the rooms in the pyramid is a unique experience. Fortunately the … Read more
Hyatt Regency DFW Presidential Suite Review The Hyatt Regency DFW is one of two Hyatt properties on the grounds of DFW Dallas Fort Worth Airport. The Hyatt Regency is not connected directly to the airport terminals while the Grand Hyatt is integrated to Terminal D. Of the two properties, the … Read more
GLO Hotel Kluuvi Helsinki Review Over three years ago I did a status match to GHA Discovery Black elite status. Somehow I have kept my status since then; I am assuming due to extensions from COVID. The GHA Discovery Loyalty program has gone through some changes and now their top … Read more
Kimpton De Witt Amsterdam Review Amsterdam is one of my favorite cities. Previously I had stayed at the Andaz and Hyatt Regency; both of which are fantastic hotels. This time I had an IHG Chase free night certificate. It was good for a night at 40,000 point property. The Kimpton … Read more
Crowne Plaza Brugge Review Brugge (or Bruges) was, in the 15th century, one of the most important cities in Europe. It was a port city until the harbor silted up; leaving the city in a state of decay for centuries until it reinvented itself as a tourist destination in the … Read more
Hilton Podgorica Crna Gora Review Podgorica is the capitol of Montenegro and accessible by the Montenegro Express train from Belgrade. Montenegro is a “new” country; formed in 2006 when Serbia and Montenegro split apart. The Hilton, which opened in 2016, is a complete update of the 1953 Crna Gora Hotel, … Read more
Hyatt Regency Belgrade Review Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, has come a long way since being the target of NATO bombings in 1999. It is a lively and modern city that still has a bit of Yugoslavian grit. The Hyatt Regency opened in 1989 and has 282 rooms and suites … Read more
Hyatt Regency Mainz Review Mainz is a city located on the Rhine River and just a quick train ride from Frankfurt. I had a 36 hour layover at Frankfurt so I decided to book the Hyatt Regency Mainz for one night. A category 3 property, I booked one night for … Read more
Hyatt Regency Baku Review I started my travels through the Caucasus in Baku, Azerbaijan. Wizz Air flies direct from Abu Dhabi. Baku is located on the Caspian Sea and has a historic old town as well as a ton of unique new architecture. Someone accurately described it as a mix between … Read more
Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi Yas Island Review Crowne Plaza hotels reminds me a lot of Hilton’s DoubleTree hotels: it seems to be the catch all brand for IHG. There is no common thread that makes the brand mean anything. After staying two nights at the Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi, I … Read more
Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi Grand Suite Review I visited Abu Dhabi in July; which is just about the worst time to go. However the summer heat means that hotel rates tend to be lower. I was able to book two nights at the Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi through a Best … Read more
Hyatt Regency Aqaba Ayla Regency Suite Review The Hyatt Regency Aqaba is located in the Ayla marina development in southern Jordan on the Red Sea. Opened in late 2018, the property has a total of 285 rooms spread out across multiple buildings. I stayed for two nights at the end … Read more
Dead Sea Marriott Resort & Spa Review Earlier this year I logged in to my Marriott account and found I had a free night certificate for a property up to 35,000 points. I don’t know why this was in my account. I’ve never had a Marriott credit card; I did … Read more