Hotel archive

A Ghastly Hotel Experience (and How I Fixed it)

All appeared well at 1:30 in the morning as we arrived to our reserved place at the Hyatt Place Jacksonville airport. However the lobby was packed full of worst kind of zombies: travelers who couldn’t get a hotel room. At least 10 families filled every space in sight.  Upon weaving my way to the front desk, I learned why: the washers had failed.  The ghastly desk clerk offered to add my name to the list but gave no guarantee as to when a room might magically appear.

At this point I had been driving for 4 hours following an entire day at a theme park: in other words I fit right in with the lobby monsters. Directing the Deal Kids to an empty conference room to sleep, I decided to get the situation fixed. The Deal Kids know when to panic, and it’s not when I yell. It’s when I don’t.  If I get quiet and start speaking very slowly, run! The hotel staff was about to meet Scary Deal Mommy.

Scary Deal Mommy let the staff know in no uncertain terms what was going to happen.  The staff was going to find me another hotel room, pay for it, and apologize profusely while doing so.  And that’s exactly what happened! 5 minutes later we were out the door and made it to sleep by 2:30AM.

But here’s the thing: the zombies were still there, not moving, while Scary Deal Mommy got the job done.  The Deal Kids asked me why, and the only answer I could come up with was “because they didn’t demand better”.

The bottom line is that stuff happens, but it’s how a hotel deals with it that defines customer service.  This hotel clearly had laundry problems since at least check-out 13 hours before I arrived. The hotel’s reservation system allowed me to make a reservation that evening, compounding the problem.  The MINUTE the laundry failed the hotel staff needed to be making alternative arrangements for every single family in queue. Instead the staff complained to me about how THEY were working late!

Today’s lesson: don’t be a zombie.

How Do You Define a Luxury Hotel Room?

I’ve had luxury hotel room features on the brain lately. Maybe it’s because of my upcoming trip to the French Riviera and the $2500 hotel room at the Hyatt Grand Martinez. Maybe it’s because I’ve been struggling to justify keeping Hyatt Diamond.  Hmmm…starting to see a pattern here…

My definition of luxury has evolved over the years. My list contains some specific items no “luxurious” room can lack.  

A luxury hotel room must have

• If I’m with Deal Dad and the kids no hotel room, no matter how many stars, is going to feel luxurious. Period.  No separate space, not luxury. If I’m doing a vacation rental I’ll definitely flex on some room amenities in exchange for an entire apartment.  The space more than makes up for it.  I’ll best most parents out there feel me on this one.
• Solo or with just the kids? It’s possible to have a great room, but every other detail had better be great.
• A balcony with or without kids.  Unless it’s in a city (and sometimes even then) no room, no matter how great, will trump fresh air.
• I’ve seen so many hotels feature exclusive details everywhere but the balconies- where they pick up the patio chairs from Big Lots. Why do they screw up this simple detail? In most locations I’ll spend as much time on the balcony as in any other part of the room.
• Great bedding. Another must have a lot of expensive hotels miss. Scratchy sheets and lumpy pillows are all too common in high end hotels and an absolute no-no.
• No nickel and diming. Wifi fees? Room service prices 3x the restaurant? Pool Chair rental? NO.
• Common area upkeep. I’ll forgive an occasional cracked tile or furniture stain but stale beer cups and cigarette butts from the night before get a hotel knocked off the luxury list.
• The company you keep. The Deal Kids have learned “hotel manners”.  If the other guests in the hotel are straight out of Bachelor Party it’s going to affect your experience.

The funny thing about this list is that I’ve seen Hampton Inns, Hyatt Places and Radissons pass with flying colors while I’ve seen $400/night hotels fail.

Notable is what’s NOT on this list:

• Amazing service.  Sure I don’t want BAD service, but as long as it’s unobtrusive and gets the job done, I’m good.
• A club. Another “nice to have” but if I’m in a 2 bedroom condo with a great terrace and kitchen can’t I just go to the grocery?
• Bathrobes, slippers, etc. Do I really use them?
• High end toiletries.  At this point I have enough for a lifetime!

I’m really talking myself out of renewing Diamond status, aren’t I?

5 Times When Using Travel Points on Hotels Doesn’t Make Sense- and 2 When They Do

So many trip reports out there tell you about all of the amazing hotels you can book on points.  While I’m not immune to the $2500/night redemption I’m finding more and more of my travels are booked without using my travel points on hotels. My favorite reason for preferring cash over points is location. I just am over being tied down to locations populated by chain hotels. The Canary Islands would have been totally off my radar if I only used points. But even when chains are where you want to go they may not be your best option.

I’ve come up with a handy checklist for times hotel points just may not make sense:

• When you’re sleeping more than four: You’ll most likely do much better renting an apartment than getting two or more hotel rooms. Check out my family hotel rooms in Europe post- the tips listed work outside Europe as well.
• When you’re staying for a week or longer: When Endless Vacation Rentals can go as low as $300/week it’s hard to justify spending points.  You might even consider a monthly rental- I find they usually break even in about 10-14 days.
• In South East Asia: (AKA my $18/night Bangkok apartment)  Unless you’re going 5 star you’ll usually be much better off with either a local hotel or renting an apartment. In Hanoi last year we had many points options but ended up going local. At the Boss Legend hotel we had an enormous brand new room with three beds. Total cost including breakfast? $68/night. Even better, we used Orbitz promotions to pay for the entire amount so the out of pocket was $0.
• On weekends downtown and near the airport: Many sky high priced hotel rates on Sunday-Thursday drop to under their points value on weekends. Be sure to compare the cash prices before assuming points will be the best deal.
• When a last minute 90% off option exists: I’m testing Sheradill next week and will update you, but if they’re 1/2 as good as advertised the site will be a steal. Sheradill is a terrific option to try when you have a confirmed points reservation. If you find something that works for 90% off just cancel it and bank your points.

And times when hotel points might surprise you with their value:

• On a road trip: I’ve had success using points, particularly Choice hotels points for last minute stops along I-95. Tip: if you’re booking a hotel at the last minute from the road- BOOK IT BEFORE MIDNIGHT. Most search engines will not let you book “in the past”.  Even though you’re looking for that night if it’s after midnight they’ll default to the next evening.
• On Oblications: The bad news about oblications- or those trips you HAVE to take- is that hotel options are both limited and expensive. The good news is that many of those same hotels are low category redemptions on points. I’ve gotten as much as four cents per dollar by redeeming points at Country Inns, Hampton Inns, and Hyatt Places.

Cannes Hotel Showdown: Hyatt Grand Martinez Vs. Holiday Inn

In the space of a week I stayed in two Cannes hotels- the Grand Hyatt Martinez and the Holiday Inn. I understand that you’re more likely to see “Intercontinental” and “Hyatt” in the same sentence than Hyatt and Holiday Inn, but I think you’ll find a comparison of the two helpful when choosing a Cannes hotel.

Before I start, I have to give a nod to the Hyatt’s history. As one of the original destinations of the jet set any tourism history nerd (like me) will get butterflies staying at the Martinez. I’m not going to tell you the Holiday Inn will give you the same feelings. I’m reviewing them side by side based purely on the actual experience.

Location

At first glance both hotels are oceanfront- with a catch. The Hyatt (and all La Croisette hotels) are separated from the beach by the boulevard. Junior suites are along the sides of the hotel so have a partial ocean view along with some street noise. The Grand Martinez is right in the middle of the action- we saw more Ferraris, Lambos, and Rolls Royces than we could count.

The Holiday Inn is about a block back from the beach with a train track in between. Access is from a pedestrian bridge and you do have train noise about four times an hour or so. I didn’t find it disruptive but it’s definitely noteworthy.  The area is also on “the other side of the tracks” from La Croisette- it’s not seedy in any way but also not what you think when you think “Cannes”.  It’s about a 30 minute walk along the boardwalk to the hoity-toity section of town. Coming back at 10:30PM I took a cab for 14 Euro. I’m sure it was safe to walk but alone I thought twice of it that late.

Verdict:

Tie. For pure view the Holiday Inn wins but the Hyatt captures more of the Cannes vibe.

Rooms

I burned a suite upgrade at the Grand Hyatt to get a junior suite. The junior suite is basically a room with a sitting area but what sets it apart is the amazing patio.  The patio was easily the size of the entire seating area and took the room from “nice” to spectacular.

The bedroom, while nice, was nothing special. If I was in a standard room I’d probably be disappointed that I spent 25,000 points and certainly disappointed that I spent $700: the plywood cabinets were identical to those at the Holiday Inn. Junior Suites have the aforementioned (gorgeous) patio while standard rooms have no balcony at all.

Let’s move along to the Holiday Inn, shall we?

With no status at all I was placed into an “executive” 5th floor room with a balcony. I’m guessing it’s because I burned points- as an award they might have assumed I had status. The room was good sized (for Europe) and newly done. The property is new to the IHG portfolio and the updates inside the rooms are apparent. The building? Not so much. About half of the rooms have balconies.

Special shout out goes to the Holiday Inn’s balcony furniture. I mentioned that a pet peeve in “luxury hotels” is crappy furniture- the Holiday Inn actually did it right.

The Hyatt’s junior suite bathroom is a standout with a separate shower with six jets, large bathtub and toilet in its own room. The toiletries are generous, refilled often, and VERY floral. I like the scent but definitely don’t see it working on many dudes.

The Holiday Inn had a standard tub/shower combo but it was newly redone. The room even came with slippers and bathrobes and the toiletries are guy friendly aloe vera.

Verdict:

With a suite upgrade, the Hyatt’s room is clearly nicer. However if you’re not a Globalist you’ll get a standard room, which I’m not convinced is that much greater than the executive room at the Holiday Inn.

Amenities

Both hotels had similar sized pools (likely not heated but fine in August) in nicely gardened settings, but the Hyatt charges 32 Euro for pool chair rental. Highway robbery!

At check-in the Hyatt’s amenity included a bottle of 15 Euro wine, two waters, and a plate of plums. Housekeeping replenished waters daily.  Breakfast is included for Globalist members or 40 Euro- the buffet was lovely but I found the coffee service a bit slow.

The highlight by a mile for Globalist members is the complimentary happy hour from 5-7PM. The wines poured were around 25 Euro a bottle and refilled often. Nuts and olives were served as well as an occasional amuse bouche.

Not Globalist? Well, there’s free coffee in the lobby from 6:30-8AM…

The Executive rooms at the Holiday Inn include a complimentary minibar filled with soft drinks. An electric kettle also comes with the room but I don’t count Nescafe as coffee. Breakfast buffet is 20 Euro.

Verdict:

Unless you’re a Hyatt Globalist, you’ll do better at Holiday Inn. However, if you want a pool chair even elites will have to pay 32 Euro. You can get a lot of wine, nuts, and olives for 32 Euro.

Value

For example, let’s use August 27. The Hyatt’s base room comes in at 460 Euro and the junior suite runs 1,760. Holiday Inn’s executive room is 201 and the base room goes for 152. I’d suggest going for the junior suite at the Holiday Inn- at 242 Euro you take the guesswork completely out of the question. Points values are equally stark: the Hyatt goes for 25,000 points a night while the Holiday Inn goes for 20,000 IHG points (which are worth less than 1/2 a Hyatt point in my view).

Verdict:

Holiday Inn- no brainer.

While choosing between a Category 3 IHG property and a Category 6 Hyatt may not seem fair I found more similar than different between the two. In conclusion I’d suggest that if you’re not a Hyatt Globalist you actually might enjoy the Holiday Inn more.

I’m Shuffling My Top Five Hotel Points Rankings. Are You?

The only constant in travel hacking is change. In the hotel points arena, Hilton just dropped an H and added new features to its loyalty program.  Then we’ve got Marriott and Starwood’s transition to manage and I know we’ve discussed ad nauseum how I’m kicking World of Hyatt Gold Passport to the curb.

With all the transition, a hotel points shuffle is in order.

My old ranking looked something like this:

1. Hyatt
2. Hyatt
3. Starwood
4. IHG
5. Everyone else

The new rankings will look much different.

I’ll provide a bit of explanation for my thinking behind each ranking. 

1. Starwood/Marriott

I had two beefs with Starwood’s program pre-Hyatt crash and burn: lack of a convertible transfer partner and limited footprint. A merger with Marriott solves both of my concerns. Marriott has an enormous portfolio and is a Chase ultimate rewards transfer partner. Add in the ease of earning at least gold status via credit cards, award nights counting towards status, Harrah’s partnership and the free fifth night on redemption to Starwood’s already good values on points and you’ve got a clear winner. 

2. (Tie) IHG

IHG is the workhorse of the hotel points world: not exciting, but reliable. As long as no massive devaluations come down the pike IHG points will hold a strong place in my hotel points portfolio. Platinum status and a free night for $49/year via the Chase IHG card is a steal. IHG hotel points are easy to earn both via stay promotions and periodic crazy-easy sweepstakes and easy to spend via a huge footprint and pointbreaks if you get lucky and they match your travel plans. 

2. (Tie)Hilton

I know I’m taking a leap of faith here, but I like everything I’m seeing about the Hilton program changes. Sharing points among 10 family members and friends? That’s pretty amazeballs. A sliding scale for points and cash? As long as the value is over .5/point it’s a win in my book. And they’re keeping the generous stay promotions and fifth night free on awards for silver + members to boot.

In fact, it’s more than a win as most of the time I find Hilton properties overpriced on points. For example: I was just looking at the Doubletree in Santiago for July. The rate was 40,000 points a night- or $119. Really? Points and cash is going to be a no brainer if it’s based on actual cash rates. Maybe a few aspirational properties will go up (although apparently Hilton is promising a cap for now) but for bread and butter redemptions I think it’s all for the good.

4. Hyatt

Seriously, Hyatt, raising the highest level status requirement from 25 stays to 55 (60 if you aren’t grandfathered in) nights? Hyatt takes a drop from the top due to the giant slap in the face it gave to people who spent a month, but not two, a year at its properties. The chain remains in the top five due to the number of aspirational properties, the ability to book suites on points, MLife Partnership and Ultimate Rewards transfer-ability. I will NOT pursue a Hyatt property if a Starwood, Marriott, Hilton, or IHG is available at a comparable quality and price is available- their status is just too hard to attain for a room night to have any value.  

5. Choice

Choice earns a spot in the top five due to its three sweet spots: interstate highways, Europe, and Atlantis in the Bahamas. Another benefit of Choice is the ability to transfer from American Express Membership Rewards. The downside? You can’t book Choice hotels until 60/30 days out. 

Not in the top 5 but noteworthy

Wyndham: A program to watch. They made an ill-advised stab at Starwood a few months ago but still might have some gas in the tank. I especially like their 3,000 points plus cash options  and their enormous footprint for road-trippers here in the USA. 

Club Carlson: A former top five contender just gutted it’s 4 nights for 2 Europe benefit which was the last reason I was holding on to the credit card. Buh Bye. 

Want a Quieter Hotel Room? Before You Check In, Do This

Greetings from the Mayflower Hotel in Washington DC. I’ve had a lovely stay and will give a detailed review soon. This morning I just wanted to share a tip I learned that I will incorporate into my travel routine. It’s a no-brainer way to get a quieter hotel room in a busy city. Doing this will help make sure you get a room with no oratory surprises.

Here’s my cautionary tale

It started at 9:36 AM- that distinctive alarm sound you hear when a trash truck hits reverse. I give urban hotels a lot of leeway when it comes to street noise because you can’t blame a downtown hotel for a lack of absolute silence. So I let that go.

However about five minutes later the jack-hammering began. To be more specific the sound resembled a hippo attempting to mate with a jack-hammer.  It went on without end for over two hours.  Those of you know have been following my remodeling saga know the LAST think I needed was the sound of constant construction. I get enough of that at home!

To The Mayflower Hotel’s credit they moved my room without question. However I could have easily avoided the situation had I taken a walk around the block before check-in. By doing so I would’ve noticed the gaping hole in the alley across from my original room. That and the backhoe would have been a tip off to request a room facing the other direction.

From now on I will make sure to take this quick but important pre-check in stroll and suggest you do too. If that’s not feasible,  you could also ask your cab or uber driver to take a spin around the block before you get out of the car. Another thought is to stash your bag with the bellman before checking things out. 

Hope my experience with the jackhammer saves you an unpleasant wake up call.

What Makes a Hotel Room Luxurious?

Last weekend at FT4RL 6 I took on the topic of Vendoming. After the session I had a nice chat with a couple who had an upcoming first stay booked at the Vendome with their two kids. They asked me a valid question: “What’s wrong with the Vendome?”  Well, nothing. By most standards it’s a fabulous property- world-renowned, in fact. But what makes a hotel room luxurious to you may differ greatly than others, especially with a family. 

What’s wrong with the Vendome?

The first thing I shared with the couple was the reasons people love the Vendome. This morning I actually went through a number of reviews to verify these:

• Location
• Breakfast benefit for Diamonds Globalists
• Luxurious room amenities (sheets, fixtures, toiletries)
• Gorgeous Bathroom
• Possibility of running into a celebrity who is also staying there

I asked which of these five matters to this family of four on this trip. They thought about it a minute and realized the breakfast and the location mattered, but the others were pretty much irrelevant to how much they enjoyed their vacation. 

Because of the Vendome’s room size they had to book two rooms at 60K Hyatt points a night for a family of four. They could book the Etoile down the street for 1/2 the points. They would still get free breakfast and be on top of the Metro.

If they wanted to stay loyal to Hyatt and still stay in a central location and at a “fancy” property the Hotel de Louve saves 20K points a night on two rooms or the Hotel Madeline would save 10K on two rooms. 

But honestly (if they don’t want the Etoile) maybe they shouldn’t use Hyatt points at all. Maybe an apartment (with arrival points or via the UR portal) is a better choice. 

What make a hotel room luxurious for families?

For me it’s Space.  I asked the question last year and you guys had some great answers, but the one I go back to is space. I recently spent time at three Disney on-property resorts including two deluxe resorts. In one of them bedding consisted of a queen and a pull out couch and in another two doubles. The Deal Kids are now 10 and 13. Deal Kid will NOT sleep with his sister at this age. In one room we went “boys in one bed, girls in the other”. In the other Deal Kid slept on the floor. In a “deluxe” hotel room that goes for $500/night. 

The next week I stayed in a two bedroom condo at Westgate Town Center. The second bedroom had two double beds- the Deal Kids would have had plenty of room to spread out. Not to mention the living room, second bathroom, kitchen, and enclosed balcony. The cost? $200 A WEEK using a certificate. 

Even I fall prey to Vendoming once in a while.

I confessed to a Vendoming sin at FT4RL. One of the Camp Mom possible destinations is Mendoza, Argentina. One reason it’s high on the list is the fact that there’s a Category 2 Park Hyatt there. What a deal!

However, Mendoza is wine country and I’m traveling with a 10 and 13 year old. While Deal Dad and I might love it, I’m having trouble justifying Mendoza with them in mind. If you have any ideas for kids in Mendoza, let me know! 

The point of all of this: Think before you book. Take my advice…not to just take my advice. Determining what makes a hotel room luxurious to you before you go will make or break your trip. 

What Are Your Resort Pet Peeves?

Greetings from the Hyatt Grand Cypress in Orlando. I’m having a stay here that is just, well, off. There is not one thing I could point to as catastrophic but the resort managed to hit almost all of my resort pet peeves. I’m curious if you share them, or have your own. 

Note that these are things I ding a four star or higher property for, I’m not expecting them at a 3 star. However, if the hotel is charging high end prices, you deserve high end services. To be fair, the Hyatt Grand Cypress reached out to us after reading this post and offered us a breakfast and an apology. It wasn’t my intention to play the DYKWIA card, they just happened to check most of my boxes on this visit.

Resort Pet Peeves: Design

Access to pool is through lobby.

I hate this for two reasons. One, I don’t want to be the person dripping all over the tile while a lobby full of fully-dressed people go about their business. Two, I don’t want to be the person who slips on the puddle that the swimsuit-clad guest just created. 

No separation between shower, vanity, and toilet. 

If you are traveling with anyone else, getting ready time just got doubled if there’s not a door between the shower and the toilet. The Grand Cypress makes it even worse by putting the vanity in there as well so only one person use any part of the bathroom at a time. Adding a barn or pocket door to the toilet are would cost most hotels less than $100 a room.  I am baffled by this bad design choice. 

No Shower in Gym

To be honest, I think the Grand Cypress is the first resort in which I’ve ever encountered a fitness center in a four star property without a shower. I found it just odd, especially so because of the lack of privacy in the room bathrooms.  

Resort Pet Peeves: Service and Soft Goods

Late Housekeeping

The Grand Cypress’ housekeeping didn’t show up at our room today until after 2PM. For a four star property, that is not acceptable. We were even out of the room for five hours this morning so they had plenty of time to clean up. If the do not disturb sign isn’t up at 9AM housekeeping should get to work. 

I’ll add here your room not being ready on time. If you have to wait for your room you deserve more than a drink at the bar.

Cheap linens and pillows. 

I’m not talking Princess and the Pea level perfect, but a bed with sheets from Big Lots detracts from my hotel experience in a big way.  The Hyatt Grand Cypress did a great job with the linens but added another new pet peeve to my list: the bed is short sheeted. I’m only 5 foot 1 and the comforter barely covers my belly button. It’s just weird. 

No next-to-bed charger.

I just had to crawl on hands and knees and unplug a lamp to get to an outlet. No bueno. 

Bad in-room coffee

Looking at you here, Disney. A four star hotel needs Starbucks or similar quality. Period. Another no-no is powdered creamer. 7-Eleven stocks shelf stable liquid creamers, Hyatts and the like should be able to figure it out. This Hyatt Grand Cypress offers Starbucks, but powdered creamer and no stirrers so the creamer coagulates into your coffee. How much can stirrers be? Again, just a choice I don’t understand. 

Not enough pool chairs

This afternoon at 1PM I had to circle the pool for twenty minutes to find an empty chair. The occupant of the chair next to it then insisted it was there for his wife who had left for an hour. I had to beg him to let me use it for long enough to take a dip in the pool and have a place for my stuff. Circling the resort like a vulture is not a great way to unwind on vacation. 

I will also add bad pool chair quality. If the resort is at the Regency/Renaissance/Westin level, it shouldn’t be buying its pool equipment from K-Mart.