Don’t Rule Out Independent Hotels If you are like me and closely follow other travel folks on Twitter and read FlyerTalk regularly, then you are well aware of the big, national hotel chains: Marriott, Hilton, IHG, and Hyatt. I have branded credit cards and collect points with three of the … Read more
Conrad Algarve Review After two nights in Lisbon, I drove with my mom down to the Algarve. I had an expiring Hilton free night so booked the first night in the region at the Conrad. I had previously stayed at the Conrad Seoul, a business oriented hotel. The Conrad Algarve, … Read more
Casa do Barão Review After a night at the Holiday Inn Express, I moved to the Rick Steves‘ recommended Casa do Barão located in Chiado. A boutique hotel run by two cousins, Casa do Barão is in a refurbished 18th century mansion. Location Casa do Barão is in the quiet … Read more
Holiday Inn Express Lisbon – Av. Liberdade Review The Holiday Inn Express (HIX) chain has become my budget go-to hotel. Outside of the USA, they offer updated properties in good locations. I was pleasantly surprised by the HIX Brisbane. I needed a room for just my first night in Lisbon … Read more
Iberia Premium Lounge Dalí MAD After my flight from LAX, I had a two hour layover in Madrid. My onward flight was leaving from Terminal 4, so I decided to visit the Iberia Premium Lounge Dalí — Iberia’s one lounge in Terminal 4. In terminal 4S you will find the … Read more
Iberia A330-200 Business Plus LAX-MAD After participating in the fantastic promo that Iberia ran last year, I booked an award Business Class flight from LAX to Madrid on Iberia for my spring break. The round trip flight cost 85,000 Avios plus $256.75 in taxes/fees. Normally I wouldn’t say it was … Read more
Top Mistake Fares I love a good deal on airline tickets and hotels. I travel around the world to destinations I had no reason to visit except for an adventure, just because the deal was too good to pass up. I receive alerts on my phone through IFTTT to notify … Read more
Iberia Business Class Ticket LAX-MAD with Avios Promotion Last June, Iberia ran a fantastic deal. For every flight purchased, no matter the cost, you received 9,000 bonus Avios points. This included one way flights and the kicker was that you didn’t even have to fly the purchased flight. Through the … Read more
LimePod: New Car Share Option UPDATE: It looks like LimePod is shutting down operations at the end of 2019. Lime, the company behind the divisive scooters and bikes, has introduced a new product: LimePod. LimePod is a new free floating car sharing option; a direct competitor to newly partnered Car2Go … Read more
American Express Lounge Melbourne Airport The American Express Lounge, opened in early 2018 at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport is located in Terminal 2 with the International departures. It is run by Plaza Premium Lounges. Those with Platinum cards, no matter the country of issue, are able to access the lounge. Most … Read more
DoubleTree Perth Northbridge Review The DoubleTree Perth Northbridge opened December 28, 2018; less than 2 months before my stay. A friend and I had three nights in Perth and after checking out the InterContinental, Hyatt Regency, and Hilton, decided that the DoubleTree was a good option. At under $100 USD … Read more
Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Bungalows Review In what has become an annual tradition, my sister and I visited Scottsdale for the President’s Day Weekend. Last year we stayed at the Fairmont Princess. This year we decided to try the Andaz. We redeemed 60,000 Hyatt points for the three nights as … Read more
Status Match to Discovery Loyalty Black This summer I am planning a trip to Scandinavia. In doing research for my trip, it became quickly apparent that none of my go-to hotel brands have a footprint in Norway. I enjoy staying at local hotels; but I miss the benefits of elite … Read more
What is the Best Hyatt Hotel in Seattle? Today Hyatt announced a recalibration of their loyalty award chart. Some properties are becoming more expensive while others are getting cheaper. Not surprising, Seattle area hotels are moving up on the award chart. With properties changing category and the opening of the … Read more
Port of Spain Trinidad Airport Lounge This past weekend I visited Trinidad where I stayed at the Hyatt Regency Trinidad. I was surprised how many airlines service Port of Spain (POS) Piarco International Airport. During my arrival and departure on JetBlue, I noticed planes and signage belonging to WestJet, Air … Read more