Category: Hotels | Page 40

Hyatt The Pike Long Beach Review

July 23, 2022April 15, 2015

After spending three nights at the Disneyland Hotel with my family, I rented a car and drove north. I spent a night at the Hyatt The Pike Long Beach by myself for some non-Disney relaxation. I love Disney and I love my family, but it was great to have some solo time before heading back home and to work.

Hyatt The Pike Long Beach is one of the non-conformist properties; it is simply a “Hyatt”, and not a member of any of the Hyatt sub-brands (although many compare it to an Andaz). In this light it is similar to Hyatt Olive 8. This is expected to change soon as Hyatt The Pike Long Beach gets rebranded as a Hyatt Centric when the new sub-brand launches this summer.

King Bed or Queen Beds in a Hotel Room

April 14, 2015

As a solo traveler, I prefer a single king bed in my hotel room. I like having a bigger bed to stretch out in and more usable space in my room. Having an extra bed in the room doesn’t benefit me. So what goes into the decision to have a king bed or queen beds in a hotel room?

In the the book Hotel Design, Planning, and Development (Penner, Adams, Robson), which for the record I have not read from cover to cover, the authors break down hotel guests into the following groups (I am paraphrasing here):

Solo Travel to Cambodia

April 8, 2015

One way to approach solo travel is to plan a trip to a location where a friend lives. This way you can experience the best of both worlds; having a connection to base your travels off of while at the same time getting to explore in your own way. This is how I approached my solo travel to Cambodia.

Solo Trave to Cambodia — Angkor Wat Temple

A friend of mine moved to Cambodia in 2010 to teach English to college students. I had been to Vietnam (on a group trip) a few years before and was interested in seeing Cambodia. Visiting my friend was a win/win — I was able to spend some time with her while also being able to stay at her apartment and have her show me some of the country.

I planned a two week trip. The first week was over her school break and the second week was while she was working. My plan was to spend the first week with her; seeing Phnom Penh with an ex-pat local. The next week I would do some travels on my own while she was back at work — including a trip to Siem Reap to see the Temple of Angkor Wat.

Cost of the Hyatt Diamond Challenge

October 9, 2018April 7, 2015

Last month I was enrolled in the Hyatt Diamond Challenge, also known as the Elite Tier Offer 2015. I was able to do this by first emailing a property for an upcoming and then contacting Gold Passport directly. The cost of the Hyatt Diamond Challenge will depend on many factors. Here is my experience:

Grand Hyatt or Olive 8 – Battle in Seattle

September 25, 2020April 2, 2015

Grand Hyatt or Olive 8 – Battle in Seattle In Seattle, like any large city, you can find a hotel by just about every chain as well as some great independent hotels. Hyatt offers one of the best loyalty programs and many frequent travelers book a room at Hyatt when they … Read more

Wynn Las Vegas Review

July 23, 2022March 31, 2015

While I had visited the casino and buffet at Wynn Las Vegas, my first stay wasn’t until I received an offer for $219/night on the weekend with a free night if I came back in 3 months. I liked the casino and buffet at Wynn Las Vegas, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to try out the hotel. My previous stays in Vegas were usually at Mlife properties so I was excited to try a new location.

Check In: Everything from booking the rooms to check in went smooth; I checked in on a Friday night and only waited perhaps 5 minutes. My room was on the 34th floor in a Panorama room. There was a bit of a walk from check in to the elevators; having to walk through most of the casino. A security guard was stationed at the elevators to check to make sure guests had a room card.