Tag: hyatt | Page 25 | SingleFlyer

Hyatt Diamond Challenge 2015

July 25, 2022March 14, 2015

Note: As of June 1, 2015, the Hyatt Diamond Challenge 2015 has been updated. Diamond status is now good through February 2017. Reports are also in that you can directly contact Hyatt Gold Passport at 1-800-228-3360 to enroll in the Elite Tier Offer. Read more here.

I first signed up for Hyatt Gold Passport last summer after I learned about their relationship with Mlife. Since I was a Gold Mlife member I received Platinum status with Hyatt’s loyalty program. I had signed up for hotel loyalty programs before, but with the purpose of earning miles on Alaska Airlines for my stays. In 9 months I have accrued 20,000 points with HGP through my stays at Mlife hotels in Vegas and Hyatt hotels.

The benefits of Platinum HGP status are minimal; it was devalued even more last month when all guests were given free wifi. Reports over at Flyer Talk have some people being offered a Hyatt Diamond Challenge (also known as the Hyatt Gold Passport Elite Tier offer) with 12 nights in 60 days. Some said the offer was targeted only to those with a high number of stays in 2014 while others said they were able to enroll in the challenge by contacting the property of their upcoming stay.

I have four booked reservations between now and June so I emailed the two properties that had an email posted on their website.

Mileage Run Istanbul

October 9, 2018March 11, 2015

Mileage run Istanbul…via Houston and Paris.

Last night I couldn’t sleep and was checking out some of my favorite people I follow on Twitter. I came across this tweet:

#Airfare Deal: [AF] Houston – Istanbul, Turkey. $702 r/t. Details: http://t.co/xIvbUjegnh $travel PREMIUM ECONOMY FARE! via @FareDealAlert
— The Flight Deal (@TheFlightDeal) March 11, 2015

I was intrigued so I booked. Here is why:

Hyatt Regency Santa Clara Review

July 23, 2022March 7, 2015

I stayed at the Hyatt Regency Santa Clara for a weekend in October, 2014. The hotel is older, my guess it was built in the mid 1980’s, and has a large footprint of 501 rooms. The closest airport is San Jose (6 miles), a small airport that makes getting in and out easy.

I assumed it would be quiet on a weekend when business travelers were at home, but was I wrong! This is definitely a conference hotel (it is attached to the Santa Clara Convention Center in the heart of Silicon Valley). There were two conferences at the hotel (ironically neither were tech conventions); one was quilters the other was high schoolers. As you can imagine, I was disheartened to say the least. Luckily, the check in agent could tell I was not looking forward to a weekend with youngins, so he put me on the 13th floor away from the students. I thought he said he “upgraded” me as I am a Platinum HGP member, but it turned out that the only upgrade was that it was on a higher floor.

The dishonest resort fee

July 25, 2022March 3, 2015

I believe the most deceptive practice in the travel industry is the resort fee. It is the complete antithesis to hospitality. It is a made up revenue stream that serves NO purpose except to increase profits. There is ZERO benefit to the hotel guest. At least with an airline baggage fee you have the choice and get a benefit of not having to schlep around your bag. Or with the prepaid fuel charge you don’t have to worry about filling up your tank before returning your rental car. But resort fees serve no benefit to the customer.

Note: Resort fee does NOT cover slippers. Sorry.

This weekend I stayed at the Aria in Las Vegas. Overall it is a great property and one that I’ve stayed at at least five times. The daily resort fee is $32.48; which is a significant amount. For my visit this ended up being an extra $100, or the price of one night. I basically stayed three nights for the price of four. On the Aria website it lists the amenities included with the resort fee:

Hyatt Regency Washington DC Review

July 23, 2022March 1, 2015

A friend of mine won a raffle put on by the Washington State Lottery that included airfare, tickets to an NFL Playoff Game, and two nights at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill.

We stayed at the hotel Saturday-Monday in January. The hotel overall was fairly quiet. Great location near the Capitol; but otherwise you will need to plan on a bit of a walk to anything.

On the weekend, prepare to travel a good distance for meals as there are no restaurants besides in the hotel and the hotel across the street. The food in the Hyatt is decent and moderate price, so not a big deal to eat there; but just realize you are eating in the hotel lobby. They have a nice shop that sells all sorts of snacks, water, drinks and even has a small cafe for coffee and pastries. The staff was great, always helpful and cheerful. We enjoyed talking with the doorman especially.

Hyatt Best Rate Guarantee can save you money

March 22, 2015February 25, 2015

Learn how to use the Hyatt Best Rate Guarantee to save yourself money on your next hotel booking.

One of my favorite websites is flyertalk.com, particularly their forum section. It has great reviews, tips on finding deals and guides on how to navigate frequent flyer programs. One of the threads talks about Hyatt’s Best Rate Guarantee. Basically the idea is that if you book on hyatt.com and find a cheaper rate on another website, they will match the price AND reduce it by 20%. It is a great idea to get customers to book direct instead of through other travel websites. The other benefit of booking direct through Hyatt is that you earn Hyatt Gold Passport points, not so if you book through another source. I have a number of Hyatt reservations coming up over the next few months, so I decided to see if I could find cheaper rates from other websites.