As part of a long journey, I briefly stayed at the Philadelphia Airport Marriott and ended my stay both pleased and disappointed. If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please click here. Both support LiveAndLetsFly.com....
Review: Hyatt Regency Delhi – Suite
A few years ago our family spent half a week in Delhi during a mileage run. I recently realized that we never wrote about this trip, our stay at the Hyatt Regency Delhi or our adventure visiting the Taj Mahal...
Mid-Year Status Update – Surprising Results
For the first time since I became a serious frequent flyer, I am carefully tracking all of my traveling metrics for elite status. Every flight and hotel stay is logged and I am sharing my results – my expectations didn’t...
Review: DoubleTree Colorado Springs – Presidential Suite
The DoubleTree Colorado Springs is a massive hotel with conference center. I was pleasantly upgraded to the Presidential Suite due to my status with Hilton and couldn’t be happier with the product I received. If you are considering booking...
All The Hotel Points In The World Can’t Beat This Airbnb
We fell in love with Mérida, Mexico before we even landed. With several million hotel points we could have had our pick from just about anywhere, so why did we spend money on an Airbnb when we could have...
Review: Enormous Presidential Suite at the Hyatt Regency Coral Gables (Miami)
When the absurd, ridiculous, opulent Presidential Suite at the Hyatt Regency Coral Gables (Miami) popped up for a bargain price, my family had to try it out. Two-floors, two bathrooms, huge views, all for less than we usually pay...
A Tale of Two Waldorf-Astoria Hotels
We tried a pair of Waldorf-Astoria Key West properties and the two couldn’t have been more different. One had great grounds but terrible rooms, the other excellent rooms but none of the history. It was the most bizarre tale...
Review: Renaissance Toledo Downtown Hotel (Marriott)
On a business trip, I had a chance to stay in the very contemporary and dare I say, ‘sassy’ Renaissance Toledo Downtown Hotel. This hotel had everything, except for an upgrade for a (then) gold member. If you are...
Review: Westin at the Woodlands (Houston) – Suite
I stay in Houston often, and as I continue to expand my footprint, I try new properties whenever I can. On this trip, business took me to the Woodlands where I tried out a Starwood property and secured an...
Marriott/SPG Devaluation: Fears Confirmed at Freddies
A few days ago I posted my suspicions about Marriott/SPG’s overwhelmingly positive reception. One Mile At A Time posted that there were some great new values in the new award chart that probably wouldn’t last. Friends, readers, strangers –...
Hyatt Offering Quasi-Variable Priced Awards – Good and Bad
Some Hyatt hotels have recently started to issue prices above their Category award level by using some clever trickery. While increase prices are never good, this may not be all bad. You decide. If you are considering booking travel or signing...
Review: Magnolia Hotel Houston, Tribute Portfolio
Looking for a downtown Houston hotel near the convention center, I stumbled upon an independent brand I didn’t know SPG had acquired, Magnolia. The boutique brand commanded a premium when it was independent with midwestern locations in Omaha and...
Review: W Hotel New Orleans – French Quarter
The W Hotel New Orleans French Quarter was a mixed bag. The property is well located if you want to be close to Bourbon Street but still able to sleep at night, less than ideal if you’d prefer to...
When Dynamic Award Pricing Goes Wrong
Increasingly loyalty programs are shifting from a fixed-price redemption for their loyal members to dynamically priced awards. This can mean cheaper prices for shorter distance flights where airlines need to fill seats and costs are low, but it can...
Review: Ritz-Carlton Shanghai Pudong – Suite
As part of my United 1K Challenge I headed to Shanghai for a quick status run. I wanted to stay in some new properties as I had previously stuck to Hyatt and hadn’t spread my wings beyond the brand....
Review: Hyatt Regency Tsim Sha Tsui
My wife and I have been to Hong Kong more times than we can count. We love Asia’s World City and know it fairly well. Hong Kong is home to our favorite restaurant, it’s one of our favorite places...
Review: Hyatt Centric The Woodlands – Houston
I’ve wanted to try the Hyatt Centric brand for some time. I liked the idea of their approach to premium design hotels and it’s something different for the chain. While limited in scope right now, some of the more...
Rocketmiles Gave Me $20 Without Booking
I am always on the look out for better ways to book travel. Certain markets make services like Rocketmiles a great value or later in the year where status has already been achieved. After shopping around for an upcoming...
Review: Le Méridien Charlotte Hotel
From one of my very first posts as a travel blogger, Le Méridien has held a special place in our heart. That being said, we rarely get the chance to try the brand so when I was away for...
Review: St. Regis Shanghai Jingan – Suite
Combining the end of a mattress run for Marriott Platinum status and the only trip of my United 1K status match, I thought I would stray from my old mainstays and get a little wild. The St. Regis Shanghai...