Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego Review

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).

Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego
Manchester Grand Hyatt

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.

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Benefits of Hyatt Diamond Status

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.

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…).

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Hyatt House Seattle Downtown

 

Hyatt House Seattle Downtown

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.

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Think twice before swimming with dolphins

Dolphin

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.

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Best Credit Cards for Single Travelers

Credit Cards

I should put a couple of big asterisks after the title: Best Credit Cards for Single Travelers*****  These are actually just the credit cards that are currently in my wallet.  And they work for me, some better than others.  Please take these with a grain of salt, I am not a financial expert.  I do not get paid if you get one of these — no referral links here.  You’ll have to just google them if you want to sign up.  And of course, if you don’t have good financial history or you don’t trust yourself with a credit card, then don’t get these.

With that said, here is what is currently in my wallet and why I find them useful.

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Hyatt The Pike Long Beach Review

Hyatt The Pike Long Beach

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.

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