Just a short review of the Sheraton Stonebriar where I stayed for one night a few weeks when I attended a friend's birthday party in Plano. This review will be posted on TripAdvisor.
I really like the direction Sheraton has taken in its decorative overhaul of its properties. Gone are the bland pastels and chintz and in their place, bold lines, rich colours and leather textures. Sheraton has now overtaken Westin in my estimation, since that brand has gone down a sorry path of washed out colours with no definitive accents that make their rooms completely dismal and depressing (Westin Luxury Collection excluded).
I stayed at the recently opened Sheraton Stonebriar a few weekends ago when I was attending a friend's party in Plano and did not want to drive all the way back into central Dallas. It's a petite hotel and the foyer, which opens onto the bar/restaurant has a boutique hotel feel. There are comfy low slung leather couches and cocktail tables, book cases with books, games tables with games, and a see through fireplace, and it's all illuminated by a myriad of tea lights. This would be a lovely place for pre dinner cocktails or after dinner drinks.
The room was not huge but was very comfortable and the bathroom boasted an attractive granite sink unit. My one problem with it was that it had a rather strong chemical odour - I am guessing from the new carpets and paint, but that should dissipate over time.
It is not in a pretty location. This is not a vacation hotel but if you are in the area on business or just passing through, competitive rates make this an attractive alternative to Fairfield Inn etc. It is adjacent to some restaurants and it looks like more are in the process of being built.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
If It Seems Too Good To Be True....
... it sometimes isn't! Today's blog examines three "amazing" travel offers to see which ones are genuine and which ones are so full of catches and clauses as to be useless.
Timeshare Promotions
Over the years I have visited Hilton, Starwood, Marriott and Hyatt properties on timeshare promotions and these have been incredible deals with no strings attached. Just one caveat - don't buy the timeshare!
The first time I went to Hawaii was because I had received an invitation to stay at the Sheraton Maui Resort And Spa. Hotels in Hawaii, and on Maui in particular, are ridiculously expensive and for a good 4 star like the Sheraton, you are looking at $300 to $500 a night for a room (not a suite, just a regular room). This promotion offered 5 nights, a week's free hire car from Avis and $200 of resort certificates all for $775. Seems too good to be true, right? Nope, it really was that good. The accommodation and car came with no obligations whatsoever and to receive the vouchers, I had to participate in a 90 minute tour of the nearby Westin timeshare resort.
The second time I went to Hawaii was because I had turned down the opportunity to purchase one of the aforementioned timeshare villas, but had instead bought a ridiculously cheap return look package. I went back the following year and stayed for 5 nights in an oceanfront room at The Westin Kaanapali.
Last year I stayed at Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort for $435 for four nights - rooms usually cost around that for just one night. In return for this great rate, I was obliged to go and visit the new Marriott Crystal Shores timeshare resort, which was then under construction. I did not buy a timeshare but I did purchase a return look package and this year, we and some friends stayed a week in a stunning two bedroom ocean front villa at the newly opened resort for just $1500. Just look at the view from this balcony!
Timeshare Promotions
Over the years I have visited Hilton, Starwood, Marriott and Hyatt properties on timeshare promotions and these have been incredible deals with no strings attached. Just one caveat - don't buy the timeshare!
The first time I went to Hawaii was because I had received an invitation to stay at the Sheraton Maui Resort And Spa. Hotels in Hawaii, and on Maui in particular, are ridiculously expensive and for a good 4 star like the Sheraton, you are looking at $300 to $500 a night for a room (not a suite, just a regular room). This promotion offered 5 nights, a week's free hire car from Avis and $200 of resort certificates all for $775. Seems too good to be true, right? Nope, it really was that good. The accommodation and car came with no obligations whatsoever and to receive the vouchers, I had to participate in a 90 minute tour of the nearby Westin timeshare resort.
The second time I went to Hawaii was because I had turned down the opportunity to purchase one of the aforementioned timeshare villas, but had instead bought a ridiculously cheap return look package. I went back the following year and stayed for 5 nights in an oceanfront room at The Westin Kaanapali.
Last year I stayed at Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort for $435 for four nights - rooms usually cost around that for just one night. In return for this great rate, I was obliged to go and visit the new Marriott Crystal Shores timeshare resort, which was then under construction. I did not buy a timeshare but I did purchase a return look package and this year, we and some friends stayed a week in a stunning two bedroom ocean front villa at the newly opened resort for just $1500. Just look at the view from this balcony!
Timeshare promotional trips with reputable hotel chains are a very good deal, as long as you don't buy a timeshare (more about timeshares in another blog). If you play the situation well, refuse to buy, but indicate you might be interested in the future, you may well land a return invite for another great deal.
Credit Card Promotions
The quality of these varies widely, but if you are careful, you can do very well. This year I received an invitation for an American Express Gold Card. The fee was waived for 1 year and I would be given 50,000 points after spending $1000 on the card within a 2 month period. I got the card, spent the money - which would have gone on another card anyway - and duly received my points. The points paid for two roundtrip tickets from Dallas to Indianapolis. I will cancel the card before the renewal date. Simple.
Companion Ticket Promotions
These have been popping up recently. World Market was offering a free companion airline ticket if you spent over $100 and I also received the offer from American Express Publishing for taking a looksee at one of their products. Apparently new Dish customers were being offered this as an incentive too. The program is run by a company called Promotions In Travel that specialises in giving other companies a cheap incentive to offer to their customers.
This offer IS too good to be true, and I wouldn't bother. The restrictions on this program are so prohibitive, that you will find it hard to take advantage of. The primary ticket has to be booked through this company. The prices are premium, there are blackout dates and flight times are limited and can involve inconvenient schedules or layovers. Most people are finding they are getting better deals booking two tickets online with their regular airline (and guaranteeing they earn their frequent flyer miles).
So, next time you receive an offer that is too good to be true, treat it with caution, but don't just dismiss it out of hand. Do some research and see what others have to say about it and maybe you will get yourself a great deal.
But just remember: DON"T BUY A TIMESHARE!!!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Writing A Good Hotel Review For TripAdvisor
So, you consulted reviews on TripAdvisor to help you in your hotel selection and now you want to return the favour and write your own. You probably noticed that some reviews were much more well written, helpful and fair than others and this is what you want to strive for.
Just to recap, here is the rating system used by TripAdvisor:
1 circle = Terrible
2 circles = Poor
3 circles = Average
4 circles = Very Good
5 circles = Excellent
Please remember that the circle rating is not the same as a hotel star rating, although there may be some correlation. You may stay in a delightful 2 star inn that is a 4 circle experience or conversely, you may stay in a 4 star hotel that is distinctly average. You would hope that a 5 star hotel would warrant a 5 circle rating because 5 star hotels are, by their very nature, supposed to provide you with a fabulous experience. I have to say that I have only awarded 5 circles three times and they were all for 5 star hotels: The Fairmount Orchid on the Big Island of Hawaii, Langham Place in Hong Kong and The Iberostar Grand Paraiso in Mexico. However, some 3 and 4 star hotel have come close and sometimes 5 star hotels will fall down.
As I pointed out in the last blog, there really is no reason to be awarding 1 circle unless the place is bug infested and falling down around you. People who award 1 circle generally have an axe to grind and the rating is way out of whack with their actual experience. If you have been a Canny Traveller in the first place, you won't have stayed in a hotel that deserves less than 3 stars.
One of the things that I notice when reading some reviews that are full of complaints and award very low ratings, is that the reviewer is annoyed that the hotel did not meet his particular needs and desires. That, to me, demonstrates a distinct lack of research on the reviewer's part or just a lack of common sense. A classic case is of people being outraged when they go to a posh 5 star resort and are expected to wear resort casual for dinner or are upset because the food is gourmet - I mean, what were they thinking? One review made me laugh. It was written by a doctor who had stayed in a 4 star resort on The Riviera Maya who was simply seething because the rooms did not have internet connection. He was ranting about having to be accessible to his patients at all times. Well, if that was the case, he should have been more responsible and ensured his hotel provided that service before he booked it.
Obviously, people do often have legitimate complaints and criticisms to make and travellers want to know about them and so do hoteliers - they read these reviews too . You should write about these and penalise the hotel accordingly, but just make sure you don't let it get out of proportion. Room service taking over an hour may cause you to lop off one circle, but it doesn't mean you should give an otherwise lovely hotel 2 circles.
Reviews on TripAdvisor are meant to be informative in a personal way. People can go to the hotel website if they just want a list of amenities. Write about your own experience of the facilities. Which restaurant did you like best and why? Do you have any useful tips like which part of the beach is best or if there is a cheap liquor store nearby? What could the hotel have improved upon to have enhanced your stay.
You'll notice on TripAdvisor that you can actually rate reviews as being helpful or not helpful. I've begun to take this with a grain of salt. A review is unhelpful if it is an unfair rant, gives no actual information or is so full of spelling and grammatical mistakes as to be unreadable. However, it is clear that some people will mark reviews as unhelpful simply because you have a different opinion of a hotel to theirs. So please don't be hurt if you post a fantastically helpful review and someone gives you the thumbs down. This usually happens if you give a more temperate review of a popular resort hotel about which a lot of people have written gushing reviews.
Here are examples of 3, 4 and 5 circle reviews I have posted on TripAdvisor:
3 Circle: OK But Not Fabulous Hill Country Resort - Review Of Hyatt Wild Oak Ranch, San Antonio
Hyatt Wild Oak Ranch is a Hyatt Vacation Club property that also rents rooms by the night. We were there for two nights because we had received an invitation for a cheap package if we did the timeshare tour. It was a very good value deal.However, I can't say I really recommend this place.
It is not a country resort at all because it is located in the San Antonio suburbs, close to Seaworld. When we checked in, the receptionist asked us which floor would we like to be on. We asked what he recommended and he said that the 1st floor was convenient but the 3rd floor had the best views. We chose the 3rd floor. The first room we went to had stunning views over - the parking lot! So we changed rooms and then got a stunning view of the suburbs and the freeway (and boy was that freeway noisy). Please see my pictures. I would suggest you stay on the 1st floor where you overlook landscaping and trees and thus can maintain the illusion that you are in the country.
I can't say I was overly impressed with our studio room either. There was a nice big bathroom which could have easily accommodated a big tub, but the tub was narrow and shallow. The bed was one of the most uncomfortable I have slept on in a long time - surprising for a high end chain. On our tour we saw the 1 and 2 bedroom apartments and they were much better appointed, with full kitchens, big flatscreen TV, whirlpool bath and separate walk in shower. I would suggest staying in one of those instead.
The rooms are located in 3 story blocks that look like cheap apartment buildings with a lot of unfinished steel and corrugated steel balcony partitions. It's just not very pretty.
There is a heated indoor/outdoor pool with water slides and an unheated lazy river with a beach and surrounded by hammocks. That was fun and would definitely be good for kids. The kids will also like the gamesroom with its arcade games (but which you have to pay for - a bit cheap for a vacation resort). I also liked the firepit area where there are several wood burning pits which the staff will light for you. For golfers, the resort has its own golf course.
Being a timeshare resort, it doesn't have the bar/restaurant amenities that you would find at a regular resort. There is a smokehouse restaurant that is open for lunch and until 7, that serves perfectly acceptable comfort food. There is also a shop that sells basic food items for your room. There is an actual Hyatt Hotel Resort located about a mile away where you can go for full service dining.
We visited this nearby Hyatt hotel to see how it compared and it is a lot prettier. Also, it has been built in a dip, rather than up on a hill, so you cannot see the suburbs and freeway. I think it is unlikely I would return to Wild Oak, even with a cheap deal, but I can imagine returning to the hotel sometime in the future.
On our final night we went to eat at Grey Moss Inn which is in the village of Grey Forest, about a 25 minute drive into the country. The atmosphere, food, wine list and service was excellent. When you pull into the parking lot and all these little deer scatter off, you are already charmed!
4 Circle: The Best Balcony Ever - Review of Marriott Crystal Shores, Marco Island
My husband and I and two friends stayed at Crystal Shores for a week in May as part of a return look timeshare deal - ie. we paid much less than the going rate. As such, it was fantastic value.
The villas are huge and ideal for families, two couples or a group of friends. They are brand new and extremely well appointed, and boast such magnificent granite kitchens, you'll want to stay in and cook some nights.
However, by far the best feature of the villas are the balconies. We had an ocean front corner unit and the balcony extended along the front of the villa and round the corner. The guest bedroom had a separate one. On the balcony was a patio table and chairs, loungers and more chairs and a little table. It is glass fronted for uninterrupted viewing of the beach and sea. Another nice feature is the living room patio doors slide back the whole length of the room so you can completely open it up on to the balcony. We lived on that balcony, it was so awesome!
Kids will love this hotel with its children's pool with slide. There's also a quieter pool for sunbathing adults.
Because it is a timeshare resort, Crystal Shores does not have the full amenities of a regular hotel resort. It has a casual dining restaurant bar called Stilts, but for more varied options, it's just a pleasant half mile sunset stroll up the beach to the Marco Island Marriott Resort. If you want to stay fit on your vacation, the resort has a well equipped gym up on the 14th floor. This gym probably has the best view of any gym.
Now to the downside. The cleaning service for the villa was somewhat cursory (not the maids' fault, but management policy). I don't think our bed linen was changed in a week. It irked me no end that we were provided only with soap and shampoo, not conditioner, body lotion, shower cap etc as you would be in a regular Marriott. That was cheap and sent out a bad message. And goodness knows why you would want to spend $46,000 for a week's timeshare there - then you have to pay extra for maid service on top of that!
Also, you have to pay extra for beach loungers and umbrellas, which I would not expect to do at a luxury resort. Luckily, the view from the balcony was preferable and close to drinks, snacks and facilities.
Apart from these annoyances, it is a magnificent place with magnificent views and I highly recommend it.
Please note that the beach is the nesting place for endangered Loggerhead turtles so please keep your blackout curtains closed at night.
Best Value 5 Star Hotel In Hong Kong - Langham Place
This hotel is cheaper than all the other 5 star and high end 4 star hotels in Hong Kong because it is situated in the less fashionable district of Mongkok. Don't let this put you off though because Mongkok is a colourful, exotic, bustling shopping area. The hotel is right by the metro and it takes less than ten minutes to get to Central on Hong Kong Island. The upper floors of the hotel also have glorious views of the harbour.
Despite being massive, this hotel has a boutique feel with quirky sculpture throughout. The pool, spa and fitness facilities are fantastic.
The rooms are average sized but the beautiful marble bathrooms are spacious with a window through to the bedroom so you can lie in the tub and watch TV on the flatscreen.
I was accompanying my husband who was attending a conference at the hotel. We were in an executive room on the 35th floor and had access to LClub. I highly recommend paying extra for the club facilities which are open 24 hours and provide you with a great breakfast, high tea, evening hors d'oeuvres and free flowing premium alcohol until 1am. There are also internet terminals and massage chairs.
My husband's company event organiser was so impressed with the business and leisure facilities at Langham Place that she subsequently negotiated a corporate rate for employees visiting Hong Kong.
I will definitely be returning to this hotel :)
Liked — The bathrooms
Disliked — Poor design of bed frame - kept stubbing my toes and hitting my shins on it.
Just to recap, here is the rating system used by TripAdvisor:
1 circle = Terrible
2 circles = Poor
3 circles = Average
4 circles = Very Good
5 circles = Excellent
Please remember that the circle rating is not the same as a hotel star rating, although there may be some correlation. You may stay in a delightful 2 star inn that is a 4 circle experience or conversely, you may stay in a 4 star hotel that is distinctly average. You would hope that a 5 star hotel would warrant a 5 circle rating because 5 star hotels are, by their very nature, supposed to provide you with a fabulous experience. I have to say that I have only awarded 5 circles three times and they were all for 5 star hotels: The Fairmount Orchid on the Big Island of Hawaii, Langham Place in Hong Kong and The Iberostar Grand Paraiso in Mexico. However, some 3 and 4 star hotel have come close and sometimes 5 star hotels will fall down.
As I pointed out in the last blog, there really is no reason to be awarding 1 circle unless the place is bug infested and falling down around you. People who award 1 circle generally have an axe to grind and the rating is way out of whack with their actual experience. If you have been a Canny Traveller in the first place, you won't have stayed in a hotel that deserves less than 3 stars.
One of the things that I notice when reading some reviews that are full of complaints and award very low ratings, is that the reviewer is annoyed that the hotel did not meet his particular needs and desires. That, to me, demonstrates a distinct lack of research on the reviewer's part or just a lack of common sense. A classic case is of people being outraged when they go to a posh 5 star resort and are expected to wear resort casual for dinner or are upset because the food is gourmet - I mean, what were they thinking? One review made me laugh. It was written by a doctor who had stayed in a 4 star resort on The Riviera Maya who was simply seething because the rooms did not have internet connection. He was ranting about having to be accessible to his patients at all times. Well, if that was the case, he should have been more responsible and ensured his hotel provided that service before he booked it.
Obviously, people do often have legitimate complaints and criticisms to make and travellers want to know about them and so do hoteliers - they read these reviews too . You should write about these and penalise the hotel accordingly, but just make sure you don't let it get out of proportion. Room service taking over an hour may cause you to lop off one circle, but it doesn't mean you should give an otherwise lovely hotel 2 circles.
Reviews on TripAdvisor are meant to be informative in a personal way. People can go to the hotel website if they just want a list of amenities. Write about your own experience of the facilities. Which restaurant did you like best and why? Do you have any useful tips like which part of the beach is best or if there is a cheap liquor store nearby? What could the hotel have improved upon to have enhanced your stay.
You'll notice on TripAdvisor that you can actually rate reviews as being helpful or not helpful. I've begun to take this with a grain of salt. A review is unhelpful if it is an unfair rant, gives no actual information or is so full of spelling and grammatical mistakes as to be unreadable. However, it is clear that some people will mark reviews as unhelpful simply because you have a different opinion of a hotel to theirs. So please don't be hurt if you post a fantastically helpful review and someone gives you the thumbs down. This usually happens if you give a more temperate review of a popular resort hotel about which a lot of people have written gushing reviews.
Here are examples of 3, 4 and 5 circle reviews I have posted on TripAdvisor:
3 Circle: OK But Not Fabulous Hill Country Resort - Review Of Hyatt Wild Oak Ranch, San Antonio
Hyatt Wild Oak Ranch is a Hyatt Vacation Club property that also rents rooms by the night. We were there for two nights because we had received an invitation for a cheap package if we did the timeshare tour. It was a very good value deal.However, I can't say I really recommend this place.
It is not a country resort at all because it is located in the San Antonio suburbs, close to Seaworld. When we checked in, the receptionist asked us which floor would we like to be on. We asked what he recommended and he said that the 1st floor was convenient but the 3rd floor had the best views. We chose the 3rd floor. The first room we went to had stunning views over - the parking lot! So we changed rooms and then got a stunning view of the suburbs and the freeway (and boy was that freeway noisy). Please see my pictures. I would suggest you stay on the 1st floor where you overlook landscaping and trees and thus can maintain the illusion that you are in the country.
I can't say I was overly impressed with our studio room either. There was a nice big bathroom which could have easily accommodated a big tub, but the tub was narrow and shallow. The bed was one of the most uncomfortable I have slept on in a long time - surprising for a high end chain. On our tour we saw the 1 and 2 bedroom apartments and they were much better appointed, with full kitchens, big flatscreen TV, whirlpool bath and separate walk in shower. I would suggest staying in one of those instead.
The rooms are located in 3 story blocks that look like cheap apartment buildings with a lot of unfinished steel and corrugated steel balcony partitions. It's just not very pretty.
There is a heated indoor/outdoor pool with water slides and an unheated lazy river with a beach and surrounded by hammocks. That was fun and would definitely be good for kids. The kids will also like the gamesroom with its arcade games (but which you have to pay for - a bit cheap for a vacation resort). I also liked the firepit area where there are several wood burning pits which the staff will light for you. For golfers, the resort has its own golf course.
Being a timeshare resort, it doesn't have the bar/restaurant amenities that you would find at a regular resort. There is a smokehouse restaurant that is open for lunch and until 7, that serves perfectly acceptable comfort food. There is also a shop that sells basic food items for your room. There is an actual Hyatt Hotel Resort located about a mile away where you can go for full service dining.
We visited this nearby Hyatt hotel to see how it compared and it is a lot prettier. Also, it has been built in a dip, rather than up on a hill, so you cannot see the suburbs and freeway. I think it is unlikely I would return to Wild Oak, even with a cheap deal, but I can imagine returning to the hotel sometime in the future.
On our final night we went to eat at Grey Moss Inn which is in the village of Grey Forest, about a 25 minute drive into the country. The atmosphere, food, wine list and service was excellent. When you pull into the parking lot and all these little deer scatter off, you are already charmed!
4 Circle: The Best Balcony Ever - Review of Marriott Crystal Shores, Marco Island
My husband and I and two friends stayed at Crystal Shores for a week in May as part of a return look timeshare deal - ie. we paid much less than the going rate. As such, it was fantastic value.
The villas are huge and ideal for families, two couples or a group of friends. They are brand new and extremely well appointed, and boast such magnificent granite kitchens, you'll want to stay in and cook some nights.
However, by far the best feature of the villas are the balconies. We had an ocean front corner unit and the balcony extended along the front of the villa and round the corner. The guest bedroom had a separate one. On the balcony was a patio table and chairs, loungers and more chairs and a little table. It is glass fronted for uninterrupted viewing of the beach and sea. Another nice feature is the living room patio doors slide back the whole length of the room so you can completely open it up on to the balcony. We lived on that balcony, it was so awesome!
Kids will love this hotel with its children's pool with slide. There's also a quieter pool for sunbathing adults.
Because it is a timeshare resort, Crystal Shores does not have the full amenities of a regular hotel resort. It has a casual dining restaurant bar called Stilts, but for more varied options, it's just a pleasant half mile sunset stroll up the beach to the Marco Island Marriott Resort. If you want to stay fit on your vacation, the resort has a well equipped gym up on the 14th floor. This gym probably has the best view of any gym.
Now to the downside. The cleaning service for the villa was somewhat cursory (not the maids' fault, but management policy). I don't think our bed linen was changed in a week. It irked me no end that we were provided only with soap and shampoo, not conditioner, body lotion, shower cap etc as you would be in a regular Marriott. That was cheap and sent out a bad message. And goodness knows why you would want to spend $46,000 for a week's timeshare there - then you have to pay extra for maid service on top of that!
Also, you have to pay extra for beach loungers and umbrellas, which I would not expect to do at a luxury resort. Luckily, the view from the balcony was preferable and close to drinks, snacks and facilities.
Apart from these annoyances, it is a magnificent place with magnificent views and I highly recommend it.
Please note that the beach is the nesting place for endangered Loggerhead turtles so please keep your blackout curtains closed at night.
Best Value 5 Star Hotel In Hong Kong - Langham Place
This hotel is cheaper than all the other 5 star and high end 4 star hotels in Hong Kong because it is situated in the less fashionable district of Mongkok. Don't let this put you off though because Mongkok is a colourful, exotic, bustling shopping area. The hotel is right by the metro and it takes less than ten minutes to get to Central on Hong Kong Island. The upper floors of the hotel also have glorious views of the harbour.
Despite being massive, this hotel has a boutique feel with quirky sculpture throughout. The pool, spa and fitness facilities are fantastic.
The rooms are average sized but the beautiful marble bathrooms are spacious with a window through to the bedroom so you can lie in the tub and watch TV on the flatscreen.
I was accompanying my husband who was attending a conference at the hotel. We were in an executive room on the 35th floor and had access to LClub. I highly recommend paying extra for the club facilities which are open 24 hours and provide you with a great breakfast, high tea, evening hors d'oeuvres and free flowing premium alcohol until 1am. There are also internet terminals and massage chairs.
My husband's company event organiser was so impressed with the business and leisure facilities at Langham Place that she subsequently negotiated a corporate rate for employees visiting Hong Kong.
I will definitely be returning to this hotel :)
Liked — The bathrooms
Disliked — Poor design of bed frame - kept stubbing my toes and hitting my shins on it.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Check TripAdvisor Before You Book!
TripAdvisor (www.tripadvisor.com) is a wonderful resource to turn to when planning a hotel stay. It's particularly useful for researching a resort destination where there maybe many seemingly similar properties at similar prices.
TripAdvisor allows members of the public to post hotel reviews (also restaurant and attraction reviews) and rate them on a 1 to 5 circle scale. The site then gives a rating to the hotel based on the current average. The rating descriptions are as follows:
1 circle = Terrible
2 circles = Poor
3 circles = Average
4 circles = Very Good
5 circles = Excellent
Looking at the overall rating will give you a fairly good idea of the quality of the property. As a general rule of thumb, 4 and a half plus is going to be a great experience and probably what you need to look for in a longer term stay. Over 3 and a half will probably be perfectly fine for one or 2 nights. But don't leave your research there. Do read a good selection of the actual reviews. You can organise the reviews by date order, travelling group and rating level. Do look at the ratings spread - after all, a property could end up as a 3 circle because everyone gives it 3 circles or because half give it 5 and half 1, or combinations in between.
I think looking at the reviews by travel group is a factor to consider. For example, people travelling with children will be concentrating on different aspects to those travelling as a romantic couple or those on a girlfriend vacation or young singles or a business traveller. Obviously some criteria is going to be important across the board.
All reviews submitted to TripAdvisor are reviewed before they are posted, but it is still important to remember that these reviews are the subjective opinions of hotel guests, not objective professional reviewers and, as such, some are unfair, irrational, emotional and show complete disregard for the rating system. Please take 1 circle reviews with a large grain of salt, unless most of the reviews for that hotel are 1 or 2 circles in which case you should avoid it like the plague. Unless there are roaches in your room and water is leaking in through the roof, there is really no need for anyone to give 1 circle and the people who do are usually aggrieved over some perceived slight.
By the same token, also view 5 circle reviews with some caution, unless there are a lot of them, because some people tend to gush, or, their travel experiences have been limited and they are too easily impressed. Take into account how extreme reviews affect the average rating.
A lot of reviewers will give you the option to contact them directly with further queries. If you felt a particular review was well written and fair and you think the author might be able to answer some specific questions you have, then go ahead and take advantage of this. I field questions all the time on TripAdvisor and am happy to do so.
Please remember to pay back the favour. If TripAdvisor reviews have helped you in your hotel choice, then write your own reviews and help other travellers. In my next blog, I will give tips on writing a good review and on choosing the appropriate circle rating.
See you then!
TripAdvisor allows members of the public to post hotel reviews (also restaurant and attraction reviews) and rate them on a 1 to 5 circle scale. The site then gives a rating to the hotel based on the current average. The rating descriptions are as follows:
1 circle = Terrible
2 circles = Poor
3 circles = Average
4 circles = Very Good
5 circles = Excellent
Looking at the overall rating will give you a fairly good idea of the quality of the property. As a general rule of thumb, 4 and a half plus is going to be a great experience and probably what you need to look for in a longer term stay. Over 3 and a half will probably be perfectly fine for one or 2 nights. But don't leave your research there. Do read a good selection of the actual reviews. You can organise the reviews by date order, travelling group and rating level. Do look at the ratings spread - after all, a property could end up as a 3 circle because everyone gives it 3 circles or because half give it 5 and half 1, or combinations in between.
I think looking at the reviews by travel group is a factor to consider. For example, people travelling with children will be concentrating on different aspects to those travelling as a romantic couple or those on a girlfriend vacation or young singles or a business traveller. Obviously some criteria is going to be important across the board.
All reviews submitted to TripAdvisor are reviewed before they are posted, but it is still important to remember that these reviews are the subjective opinions of hotel guests, not objective professional reviewers and, as such, some are unfair, irrational, emotional and show complete disregard for the rating system. Please take 1 circle reviews with a large grain of salt, unless most of the reviews for that hotel are 1 or 2 circles in which case you should avoid it like the plague. Unless there are roaches in your room and water is leaking in through the roof, there is really no need for anyone to give 1 circle and the people who do are usually aggrieved over some perceived slight.
By the same token, also view 5 circle reviews with some caution, unless there are a lot of them, because some people tend to gush, or, their travel experiences have been limited and they are too easily impressed. Take into account how extreme reviews affect the average rating.
A lot of reviewers will give you the option to contact them directly with further queries. If you felt a particular review was well written and fair and you think the author might be able to answer some specific questions you have, then go ahead and take advantage of this. I field questions all the time on TripAdvisor and am happy to do so.
Please remember to pay back the favour. If TripAdvisor reviews have helped you in your hotel choice, then write your own reviews and help other travellers. In my next blog, I will give tips on writing a good review and on choosing the appropriate circle rating.
See you then!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Go IndyGo!
My promised blog on how to use TripAdvisor will have to wait until next time because my trip this weekend to Indianapolis has inspired me to write on another subject: Airport to City Public Transportation!
Whenever I go on a city break, I try and use public transportation from the airport into the Downtown area. Obviously it is the cheapest option, often it is the most convenient and I personally feel it gives a greater sense of connection and integration with the place I am visiting. Hiring a car when you are staying in a city makes little sense. You pay for the rental then you pay $25 a night to park it in some hotel garage while you walk around. Taxis from the airport are expensive and the lazy option.
The quality of public transportation from Airport to City varies widely. Indy blew me away with its efficiency, hence the inspiration for this blog, but more on that later. First of all I am going to give you a random sample of the good, the bad and the ugly from my own experience.
London
London Gatwick is one of my favourite airports. London Heathrow is one of my least favourite. After years of flying from Dallas to Gatwick, American Airlines, much to my chagrin, switched to Heathrow. I understand why - Heathrow as the busiest international airport in the world has connections to everywhere. However, Heathrow, as the busiest airport in the world is, well, busy, and housed in an ancient sprawling mess of buildings.
Gatwick is conveniently located to the south of London and has its own main line rail station. The non stop Gatwick Express runs to London Victoria Station about every 15 minutes and takes about half an hour. Tickets cost £16.90 ($27.70 at time of writing) each way and can be bought on the train. There is ample space for luggage as these trains were designed specifically for people going to the airport. A much cheaper option at £8.90 ($14.60) is First Capital Connect trains, which run to London Bridge Station in about the same time and then on to London St Pancras, the terminus for Eurostar trains to Paris and Brussels. Please note though that they will not have quite as much luggage space and you will need to buy tickets at the station. Southern Trains at £10.90 ($17.80) run about 8 times an hour to London Victoria and take 45 minutes but these trains are packed during commuter times and there is no luggage space whatsoever. I have taken these trains when I have been going from the airport to my parents in Hampshire and needed to change at Clapham Junction. This was a nightmare when you got in on the 7am flight from Dallas and hit peak commuter time. The harassed business men in their bowlers and pin stripes did not appreciate me taking up valuable breathing room with my cases. Again, you must purchase tickets before you board the train.
Here is a useful site for London travel options:
http://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/gatwick.htm
Heathrow is located to the west of London. The fastest way from the airport into the city is aboard the London Paddington Express which runs every 15 minutes and takes 15 minutes. It's also the most expensive train ride per minute in the world as the fare costs £16.50 ($27) with a marginal saving on a return ticket - £32. A much cheaper alternative is the Heathrow Connect train. It is a stopping train that takes 25 minutes and costs £7.40 ($12). For both of these services, buy your tickets before you board the train. The cheapest way into Central London is on the London Underground Piccadilly Line at £4 ($6.50). Trains run frequently but it will take 50 to 60 minutes as there a lot of stops. This option may conveniently drop you within walking distance of your hotel. However, do bear in mind that there is no space for luggage and these trains get crowded the closer you get into London.
http://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/heathrow.htm
My top cities for easy airport to city public transportation journeys are:
Barcelona http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/airport/barcelona-airport-transport.html#renfe
San Francisco http://www.bart.gov/guide/airport/index.aspx
Portland http://trimet.org/max/
Dallas
Because this is where I live, I either drive to the airport or get a ride with a friend. However, when you arrive at DFW you can get a free shuttle bus that will take you to the TRE Station where you can catch the train cheaply to either to Fort Worth or Dallas. Dallas' public transportation system (DART) is undergoing a massive expansion. By 2011 the DART train will go out to Love Field Airport and by 1013, DFW will be directly connected to Downtown Dallas.
NYC
If it's possible, fly into Newark. It may be further out than the other two airports, but frankly, it is the most convenient in terms of getting into the City. There is a station at the airport which is serviced by both Amtrak and NJ Transit trains which run to Manhattan's Penn Station. You can also get off at Newark Penn Station and transfer to the PATH system which has many stops in New Jersey and Manhattan.
This summer, I flew into La Guardia and was absolutely determined to get to my Time Square hotel on public transport alone. It was a long and frustrating journey. I took the Q33 bus from the airport to Roosevelt Avenue-Jackson Heights Metro Station (Don't do as I did at first and confuse the 33 bus with the Q33 and have the driver look at you as if you are mad). You will need $2 in quarters for the bus and it takes about half an hour. At the Metro station I bought a Metrocard and after a little bit of time figuring out the platform (signage and announcements are poor) I caught the F Line express train into the city. I just had a small carry on case - I do not recommend this journey with a lot of luggage. In retrospect, probably taking the M60 bus into the city and getting the metro from there would have been the better option.
I said in the introduction that taking public transportation makes me feel more connected and integrated with a place and in this case, being hot, hassled, stressed and irritable probably did bring me closer in feeling to the locals. Shamefully, I have to confess, on my return to the airport, I cheated and took a cab.
Indianapolis
Finally, we get to the inspiration for this blog. The beautiful Weir Cook Passenger Terminal of Indianapolis International Airport opened in November of 2008. Because it is so new and purposefully built, rather than having spread out transportation facilities, everything: parking, car hire, taxis, shuttles and buses, is located in one spot at the Ground Transportation Center, a short walk from baggage claim. Here, at Zone 7, you can catch the Green Line IndyGo Express bus straight into Downtown. It runs every twenty minutes, it takes about fifteen minutes and it stops right outside all the main hotels. Tickets cost $7 which you can buy from the driver with either a credit card or exact fare. There is plenty of space for luggage and the drivers are cheery and helpful. Admittedly Indianapolis is a smaller city and the airport is fairly close to Downtown, but I do think other cities could look to this as a model of exceptional Airport to City transportation. Go IndyGo!
Whenever I go on a city break, I try and use public transportation from the airport into the Downtown area. Obviously it is the cheapest option, often it is the most convenient and I personally feel it gives a greater sense of connection and integration with the place I am visiting. Hiring a car when you are staying in a city makes little sense. You pay for the rental then you pay $25 a night to park it in some hotel garage while you walk around. Taxis from the airport are expensive and the lazy option.
The quality of public transportation from Airport to City varies widely. Indy blew me away with its efficiency, hence the inspiration for this blog, but more on that later. First of all I am going to give you a random sample of the good, the bad and the ugly from my own experience.
London
London Gatwick is one of my favourite airports. London Heathrow is one of my least favourite. After years of flying from Dallas to Gatwick, American Airlines, much to my chagrin, switched to Heathrow. I understand why - Heathrow as the busiest international airport in the world has connections to everywhere. However, Heathrow, as the busiest airport in the world is, well, busy, and housed in an ancient sprawling mess of buildings.
Gatwick is conveniently located to the south of London and has its own main line rail station. The non stop Gatwick Express runs to London Victoria Station about every 15 minutes and takes about half an hour. Tickets cost £16.90 ($27.70 at time of writing) each way and can be bought on the train. There is ample space for luggage as these trains were designed specifically for people going to the airport. A much cheaper option at £8.90 ($14.60) is First Capital Connect trains, which run to London Bridge Station in about the same time and then on to London St Pancras, the terminus for Eurostar trains to Paris and Brussels. Please note though that they will not have quite as much luggage space and you will need to buy tickets at the station. Southern Trains at £10.90 ($17.80) run about 8 times an hour to London Victoria and take 45 minutes but these trains are packed during commuter times and there is no luggage space whatsoever. I have taken these trains when I have been going from the airport to my parents in Hampshire and needed to change at Clapham Junction. This was a nightmare when you got in on the 7am flight from Dallas and hit peak commuter time. The harassed business men in their bowlers and pin stripes did not appreciate me taking up valuable breathing room with my cases. Again, you must purchase tickets before you board the train.
Here is a useful site for London travel options:
http://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/gatwick.htm
Heathrow is located to the west of London. The fastest way from the airport into the city is aboard the London Paddington Express which runs every 15 minutes and takes 15 minutes. It's also the most expensive train ride per minute in the world as the fare costs £16.50 ($27) with a marginal saving on a return ticket - £32. A much cheaper alternative is the Heathrow Connect train. It is a stopping train that takes 25 minutes and costs £7.40 ($12). For both of these services, buy your tickets before you board the train. The cheapest way into Central London is on the London Underground Piccadilly Line at £4 ($6.50). Trains run frequently but it will take 50 to 60 minutes as there a lot of stops. This option may conveniently drop you within walking distance of your hotel. However, do bear in mind that there is no space for luggage and these trains get crowded the closer you get into London.
http://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/heathrow.htm
My top cities for easy airport to city public transportation journeys are:
Barcelona http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/airport/barcelona-airport-transport.html#renfe
San Francisco http://www.bart.gov/guide/airport/index.aspx
Portland http://trimet.org/max/
Dallas
Because this is where I live, I either drive to the airport or get a ride with a friend. However, when you arrive at DFW you can get a free shuttle bus that will take you to the TRE Station where you can catch the train cheaply to either to Fort Worth or Dallas. Dallas' public transportation system (DART) is undergoing a massive expansion. By 2011 the DART train will go out to Love Field Airport and by 1013, DFW will be directly connected to Downtown Dallas.
NYC
If it's possible, fly into Newark. It may be further out than the other two airports, but frankly, it is the most convenient in terms of getting into the City. There is a station at the airport which is serviced by both Amtrak and NJ Transit trains which run to Manhattan's Penn Station. You can also get off at Newark Penn Station and transfer to the PATH system which has many stops in New Jersey and Manhattan.
This summer, I flew into La Guardia and was absolutely determined to get to my Time Square hotel on public transport alone. It was a long and frustrating journey. I took the Q33 bus from the airport to Roosevelt Avenue-Jackson Heights Metro Station (Don't do as I did at first and confuse the 33 bus with the Q33 and have the driver look at you as if you are mad). You will need $2 in quarters for the bus and it takes about half an hour. At the Metro station I bought a Metrocard and after a little bit of time figuring out the platform (signage and announcements are poor) I caught the F Line express train into the city. I just had a small carry on case - I do not recommend this journey with a lot of luggage. In retrospect, probably taking the M60 bus into the city and getting the metro from there would have been the better option.
I said in the introduction that taking public transportation makes me feel more connected and integrated with a place and in this case, being hot, hassled, stressed and irritable probably did bring me closer in feeling to the locals. Shamefully, I have to confess, on my return to the airport, I cheated and took a cab.
Indianapolis
Finally, we get to the inspiration for this blog. The beautiful Weir Cook Passenger Terminal of Indianapolis International Airport opened in November of 2008. Because it is so new and purposefully built, rather than having spread out transportation facilities, everything: parking, car hire, taxis, shuttles and buses, is located in one spot at the Ground Transportation Center, a short walk from baggage claim. Here, at Zone 7, you can catch the Green Line IndyGo Express bus straight into Downtown. It runs every twenty minutes, it takes about fifteen minutes and it stops right outside all the main hotels. Tickets cost $7 which you can buy from the driver with either a credit card or exact fare. There is plenty of space for luggage and the drivers are cheery and helpful. Admittedly Indianapolis is a smaller city and the airport is fairly close to Downtown, but I do think other cities could look to this as a model of exceptional Airport to City transportation. Go IndyGo!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Two Reviews Of Riviera Maya Hotels
Here are two reviews about hotels I recently stayed in on the Riviera Maya, Mexico, and which I originally posted on TripAdvisor: tripadvisor.com. My next blog will be about utilising TripAdvisor to your best advantage when planning a vacation and how to write your own reviews for them.
The Iberostar Grand Paraiso
We have just returned from our third visit to the Grand Paraiso and it keeps on getting better every time. We didn’t even have to tell the reception staff who we were when we arrived – they greeted us by name as we were crossing the lobby!
Service at this hotel truly is 5 star. When we got to our (free upgraded ocean front) room, our butler Alberto went through our pillow, drink and snack preferences. He had in his hand records of what we had liked most in our mini bar from the previous trip and checked if they still applied. He noted that we had ordered a bottle of champagne before and so this trip, a chilled bottle and glasses turned up every day without asking. He even apologized for the fact they were out of the pistachios we had eaten so often the last time! The staff are so lovely here.
I don’t want to just repeat all the information given by other positive reviewers, so what I will do is address some of the negative comments made by a handful of reviewers in an attempt to help you make the right choices for yourselves. Often people don’t enjoy a place not because it is intrinsically bad, but because they did not do their homework and end up picking somewhere that’s not suitable for their particular desires and interests.
The beach is too rocky: it is true that there are large rocks at the water line at each end of the Grand’s beach, however, the beach is long and all of the middle section offers completely unrestricted access to the sea. You end up with the best of both worlds - a beautiful, long, wide, soft, sandy beach with easy access to the water plus picturesque rocks which are great for snorkeling around. There is no property to the south of The Grand so you can go for a very long walk along a more natural, less manicured beach (take bug spray though as the uncleared seaweed attracts gnats).
It’s not very Mexican: very true – this is not a Mexican themed hotel, it is an extremely upscale international Spanish chain hotel (Iberostar has Grands in Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and The Canary Islands). The styling is reminiscent of The Bellagio and Wynn in Las Vegas. If you want Mayan styling you can hang out next door at the Maya (very cool bar in a massive pyramid there). If you want that slightly more rustic and exotic thatched hut in the jungle style than choose a different luxury hotel – possibly El Dorado Royale Seaside Suites.
The food is bad: no, the food at this hotel is fantastic. Occasionally someone is going to have a poor experience at even the best of restaurants and I feel bad for anyone who gets sick through no fault of their own, but you need to put that in perspective. Also, if you don’t like seafood and fancy gourmet food then you won’t like this hotel. If you want to eat TexMex go somewhere else – although they do have great made to order fajitas at the lunch buffet.
You have to cover up your swimwear at the lunch buffet and men have to wear long pants to dinner: err, yeah, this is a 5 star adults only hotel, what do you expect? I do not understand people who want to go somewhere really posh and then complain that they have to dress up when they get there. And we are only talking resort casual, not black tie! Get stocked up at Tommy Bahama before hand or buy some cheaper copies from Sam’s Club. Otherwise, choose a different type of hotel.
The hotel lost my reservation: not good and very frustrating when that happens. Again this is a rare thing and is not going to be the experience of most people at the Grand. Be proactive in trying to prevent this kind of thing from happening. I usually travel to Mexico with Funjet and I always make a point of emailing them prior to the trip to ask them to remind the hotel I am coming and tell them of any preferences.
I am happy to try and answer any questions you may have as I spend a lot of time on the Riviera Maya. Next month I am taking advantage of an extremely cheap deal to the Valentin Maya and will let you know how that compares to The Grand.
The Valentin Imperial Maya
A friend and I just spent a lovely three days at The Valentin Imperial Maya.
The hotel is very attractively appointed in a Spanish Hacienda style and there are pretty plazas, pools and fountains throughout. The beach is impressively long, with a main area and then two quieter, more private coves. Cocktail service on the beach is friendly and efficient. The main pool is massive and boasts two swim up bars.
There is a wide selection of dining options and I was impressed by the variety and quality of the food. I particularly enjoyed the Indonesian restaurant. The service was charming and the food interesting and delicious. I also really liked the Lobster Pot. I cannot believe that there are people on here complaining it is not air conditioned. It’s an outdoor restaurant – do you expect them to air condition the jungle for you?! The menu for the French Restaurant looked extremely appetizing, but as my friend is allergic to dairy, we settled on the Italian which had more cream free options – it was pleasant and the service very friendly. It costs extra to order from the wine list so we just stuck to house wine, which varied between the restaurants and was not bad.
If anyone is considering getting married at the Valentin, I have to say that the chapel is absolutely charming. It is set in the middle of the water gardens and you could just about imagine you are in The Alhambra at Granada, Spain.
However, despite the fact I was impressed and we enjoyed ourselves immensely, the Valentin doesn’t quite warrant five circles. I would give it four and a half if I could. It’s a tough call. Funjet lists this as a five star hotel but other travel sites list it as four. It is definitely not a five star hotel. I have stayed several times at The Iberostar Grand Paraiso and that is five star because of the incredible level of personal service and attention to detail and provision of high end liquor both in room and the bars. I am not penalising the Valentin for not being five stars when it is not supposed to be and bear in mind it is considerably cheaper than The Grand (we only paid $550 each for a three night all inclusive round trip vacation from Dallas, including taxes, got a double room upgrade and a $100 spa credit - so that is an incredible deal).
A few minor irritations brought it down. Service at breakfast and lunch could be a bit hit and miss. Maid service for the room was a little lax – late, not changing face cloths or refreshing toiletries (I had to get shower gel from a cart). Also, something to bear in mind for packing: there is no conditioner, body lotion or shower cap. I would expect an upscale four star hotel to be on top of this kind of thing.
The room itself, a two bed Golden Suite, was very nice but I wish they could have finished it off a little better. Two pictures were missing from the walls and the beautiful big jacuzzi tub had this ugly unfinished concrete space behind it. The biggest downside of the room was the paper thin walls and ceiling. When next door’s alarm clock went off it sounded like it was in the same room, not to mention all the other sounds you didn’t want to hear! The fact that the balconies have only waist high dividing walls doesn’t help either on the privacy/quiet factor.
Something else, and this is not a criticism of the hotel per se, just an FYI. The beach closes at 7pm and is patrolled by a security guard, so romantic moonlit walks along it are not an option. This is probably a good thing as the beach is a turtle nesting site, although I don’t know if that is the hotel’s reason or if they are more concerned about drunk people drowning.
All in all this is a very nice hotel and I highly recommend it, but do not go there expecting it to be a five star experience and do be prepared for the odd annoyance. Bearing that in mind, I think you will have a fantastic time.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Just Say No - To Checked Bag Fees!
Low cost airlines in the UK have been implementing draconian weight limits and checked bag fees for years. Last year, most of the major US airlines got on board with this idea to try and claw back some revenue when fuel prices reached an all time high. Ironically, the only airlines that didn’t jump on this band wagon were the low cost ones: Southwest and Jet Blue. Kudos to them for that and for managing to run a solvent business.
Well, the fuel prices are much lower now but rather than rolling back those checked baggage fees, they are increasing them (I’m talking about YOU, American Airlines!). The airlines have got used to this extra source of income, so sadly, it looks like baggage fees are here to stay.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/101209dnbusairfees.3d4c624.html
So, how do we, the travellers, deal with this situation? Well, we take a stand, refuse to check bags and only travel with carry on. Which of course is easier said than done – especially if you are a woman. In this blog, I will discuss how to pack that carry on effectively.
In the olden days, travelling with just checked baggage was no big deal. In fact, for short trips away, it was the preferred mode for many travelers who wanted to avoid long carousel waits or lost luggage. Airlines would actively try and persuade people to check their bags because less carry on meant speedier boarding times. Remember how you would quite often hear a flight attendant on the tannoy saying, if you can’t find a space in the overhead locker for your case, they would be happy to check it for you? Bet you haven’t heard that announcement in a while.
But that was in the olden days, back in the days when you did not have to squish all your toiletries into a clear quart size bag! After that requirement came in, everyone started checking their bags. Then they introduced checked bag fees. Quart size bag requirement plus checked bag fees equals screwed passenger.
OK, let’s deal with the quart size bag requirement. Each individual item in that bag can be no more than 3 fluid ounces. These days, if I am going to be staying in a nice hotel, I no longer pack shower gel, body lotion, shampoo or conditioner as I am relying on the hotel to provide those necessities. In the olden days, I used to coo when I saw these toiletries in the hotel bathroom, then pack them into my case to take home to add to my collection of little bottles of toiletries. I never actually USED them. Well, now I do.
If I am travelling to the home of close relatives or close friends, I use their cleansing and conditioning toiletries. If I am going to be staying at a lower end hotel or with friends whom I don’t know so well, I pack the little bottles of toiletries from that collection I amassed before the change.
Hair gels and face creams I decant into little bottles and tubs. I tend to buy perfume in travel sizes anyway, but if you don’t, decant it into small atomizers (Nordstrom and Sephora sell these).
Remember, it is only liquids and gels that are subject to the quart size bag rule. Pack a solid deodorant rather than a spray or gel one because that doesn’t count. Ladies, leave your liquid lip glosses at home and pack solid lipsticks as they don’t count.
Good news for contact wearers like myself. Contact lens solution is counted as a medical product and a full size bottle can be carried outside the bag. Be sure to put it in the screening tray and mention it to the TSA officer. I print out the page from the TSA guidelines which has these instructions on it and wrap it round the bottle with an elastic band – just in case there is any dispute.
It’s a good idea to keep an eye on the TSA website for their latest guidelines on what does and does not have to go in the bag.
http://www.tsa.gov/311/311-carry-ons.shtm
Please do bear in mind that the TSA guidelines are for travel in, and from the USA. Different countries have their own variations on the rules.
Are some of you thinking that there are some toiletries you just can’t do without and there is no way they will fit in the bag? My advice to you is to go to a pharmacy once you reach your destination, buy your products and then leave them behind with your friends/ hotel maids before your return trip. At up to $20 each way for a checked bag (still looking at you, American) you can buy your stuff, have change left over, give to your friends and be able to bask in the satisfaction that the airline didn’t get one extra penny from you. I am going to Miami in November and I cannot be without copious quantities of Neutrogena spray sunscreen, which, unfortunately, does not come in mini sizes. I will buy it once I get there.
Now we have sorted out our toiletries, let’s take a look at packing clothes and shoes (and more shoes….). You’ll probably want a roll on that is the absolute maximum size allowed for carry on (which does vary by carrier so please check with yours) generally around 24 X 16 X 10. You can take a second bag (personal item) on board but that has to fit under the seat – so a small back pack or a large handbag is appropriate.
In the olden days, you probably just carried your wallet, cosmetics and a book in your personal item. These days, be prepared to stuff shoes and underwear in there.
Also be prepared to be shameless. These days I will ask the family and friends I am visiting if I can do a load of laundry. If you are staying at a hotel, wash clothes out by hand (pack some powder detergent or improvise with the hotel’s shampoo).
Finally, layer up. This can be a bit of a pain when you are travelling from somewhere which is generally warm, like Dallas, to somewhere cold, but suck it up and put on that sweater and coat just before check in and pull them off after security.
There are some times when checking in a case is absolutely unavoidable – like when you are travelling internationally. Fortunately, the airlines are still allowing one (some airlines allow two) piece of checked luggage. Unfortunately, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, American Virgin Islands and Hawaii do not count as foreign countries, even though some of them actually are and they are all places where you are likely to be taking a lot of luggage like ski gear or snorkel gear. I really do think this is a cynical ploy on the part of airlines to exploit vacationers.
Just try and pack lightly and minimise the damage. I recently went to Mexico with a friend on Sun Country which charges $20 each way for the first piece of checked luggage. We packed cooperatively so we only had to check one large suitcase between us.
Please do note that for most airlines the weight allowance for each checked bag is only 50lbs (more for actual designated international travel) and the fees for excess weight are absolutely extortionate. Weigh your case at home (ours just squeaked by at 49lbs).
Check here for baggage fees and weight allowances on different airlines:
http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/AirfareWatchBlog/tabid/54/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/868/Checked-bag-fees-airline-by-airline.aspx
So remember, just say no to checked bag fees and spend your savings on a souvenir
Well, the fuel prices are much lower now but rather than rolling back those checked baggage fees, they are increasing them (I’m talking about YOU, American Airlines!). The airlines have got used to this extra source of income, so sadly, it looks like baggage fees are here to stay.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/101209dnbusairfees.3d4c624.html
So, how do we, the travellers, deal with this situation? Well, we take a stand, refuse to check bags and only travel with carry on. Which of course is easier said than done – especially if you are a woman. In this blog, I will discuss how to pack that carry on effectively.
In the olden days, travelling with just checked baggage was no big deal. In fact, for short trips away, it was the preferred mode for many travelers who wanted to avoid long carousel waits or lost luggage. Airlines would actively try and persuade people to check their bags because less carry on meant speedier boarding times. Remember how you would quite often hear a flight attendant on the tannoy saying, if you can’t find a space in the overhead locker for your case, they would be happy to check it for you? Bet you haven’t heard that announcement in a while.
But that was in the olden days, back in the days when you did not have to squish all your toiletries into a clear quart size bag! After that requirement came in, everyone started checking their bags. Then they introduced checked bag fees. Quart size bag requirement plus checked bag fees equals screwed passenger.
OK, let’s deal with the quart size bag requirement. Each individual item in that bag can be no more than 3 fluid ounces. These days, if I am going to be staying in a nice hotel, I no longer pack shower gel, body lotion, shampoo or conditioner as I am relying on the hotel to provide those necessities. In the olden days, I used to coo when I saw these toiletries in the hotel bathroom, then pack them into my case to take home to add to my collection of little bottles of toiletries. I never actually USED them. Well, now I do.
If I am travelling to the home of close relatives or close friends, I use their cleansing and conditioning toiletries. If I am going to be staying at a lower end hotel or with friends whom I don’t know so well, I pack the little bottles of toiletries from that collection I amassed before the change.
Hair gels and face creams I decant into little bottles and tubs. I tend to buy perfume in travel sizes anyway, but if you don’t, decant it into small atomizers (Nordstrom and Sephora sell these).
Remember, it is only liquids and gels that are subject to the quart size bag rule. Pack a solid deodorant rather than a spray or gel one because that doesn’t count. Ladies, leave your liquid lip glosses at home and pack solid lipsticks as they don’t count.
Good news for contact wearers like myself. Contact lens solution is counted as a medical product and a full size bottle can be carried outside the bag. Be sure to put it in the screening tray and mention it to the TSA officer. I print out the page from the TSA guidelines which has these instructions on it and wrap it round the bottle with an elastic band – just in case there is any dispute.
It’s a good idea to keep an eye on the TSA website for their latest guidelines on what does and does not have to go in the bag.
http://www.tsa.gov/311/311-carry-ons.shtm
Please do bear in mind that the TSA guidelines are for travel in, and from the USA. Different countries have their own variations on the rules.
Are some of you thinking that there are some toiletries you just can’t do without and there is no way they will fit in the bag? My advice to you is to go to a pharmacy once you reach your destination, buy your products and then leave them behind with your friends/ hotel maids before your return trip. At up to $20 each way for a checked bag (still looking at you, American) you can buy your stuff, have change left over, give to your friends and be able to bask in the satisfaction that the airline didn’t get one extra penny from you. I am going to Miami in November and I cannot be without copious quantities of Neutrogena spray sunscreen, which, unfortunately, does not come in mini sizes. I will buy it once I get there.
Now we have sorted out our toiletries, let’s take a look at packing clothes and shoes (and more shoes….). You’ll probably want a roll on that is the absolute maximum size allowed for carry on (which does vary by carrier so please check with yours) generally around 24 X 16 X 10. You can take a second bag (personal item) on board but that has to fit under the seat – so a small back pack or a large handbag is appropriate.
In the olden days, you probably just carried your wallet, cosmetics and a book in your personal item. These days, be prepared to stuff shoes and underwear in there.
Also be prepared to be shameless. These days I will ask the family and friends I am visiting if I can do a load of laundry. If you are staying at a hotel, wash clothes out by hand (pack some powder detergent or improvise with the hotel’s shampoo).
Finally, layer up. This can be a bit of a pain when you are travelling from somewhere which is generally warm, like Dallas, to somewhere cold, but suck it up and put on that sweater and coat just before check in and pull them off after security.
There are some times when checking in a case is absolutely unavoidable – like when you are travelling internationally. Fortunately, the airlines are still allowing one (some airlines allow two) piece of checked luggage. Unfortunately, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, American Virgin Islands and Hawaii do not count as foreign countries, even though some of them actually are and they are all places where you are likely to be taking a lot of luggage like ski gear or snorkel gear. I really do think this is a cynical ploy on the part of airlines to exploit vacationers.
Just try and pack lightly and minimise the damage. I recently went to Mexico with a friend on Sun Country which charges $20 each way for the first piece of checked luggage. We packed cooperatively so we only had to check one large suitcase between us.
Please do note that for most airlines the weight allowance for each checked bag is only 50lbs (more for actual designated international travel) and the fees for excess weight are absolutely extortionate. Weigh your case at home (ours just squeaked by at 49lbs).
Check here for baggage fees and weight allowances on different airlines:
http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/AirfareWatchBlog/tabid/54/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/868/Checked-bag-fees-airline-by-airline.aspx
So remember, just say no to checked bag fees and spend your savings on a souvenir
Monday, October 12, 2009
The Wonderful World Of Priceline
This is an updated version of a blog I posted on another forum a few months ago.
I have long been an enthusiastic advocate of Priceline. (Priceline, if you are reading this and are in the market for an attractive new sidekick for William Shatner – I’m your woman :)).
I like Priceline for three reasons. Firstly, I get fantastic bargains through it and am able to stay in hotels I couldn't usually afford. Secondly, I enjoy the research, detective work and strategic bidding that go into getting a bargain. Finally, I love the suspense and thrill of seeing what I end up with.
Briefly, for anyone who doesn't know, Priceline is a travel website just like Expedia that provides the additional option of bidding for hotels, flights and rental cars. It enables you to get them at up to half off the going rate. However, this blog will be concentrating exclusively on bidding for hotels.
How this works is that you choose an area of a city and a star level and then make an offer. If it is accepted, you are allocated a hotel in that area and of that quality. You don't get to choose a specific hotel.
Priceline has utilised market segmentation to great advantage. People are willing to pay a premium for a hotel they have stayed in before, or is part of a chain with which they are familiar and have status, or is at a precise location. Hotels will charge as much as they think people will pay. However, they generally have rooms left unsold, which they want to offload, but they don't want offer huge discounts that undercut their going rate. Priceline is the perfect solution for them as they can sell the rooms at a small profit to people willing to buy "blind", without compromising their full rate business.
I know some people are very nervous about bidding on Priceline because they are worried about getting something awful. However, investing in a little research and planning will ensure you get something that at the very least is acceptable and great value, and at best, amazing.
Some cities are better for Priceline than others. What you want is a city that is divided up into lots of small areas so you can target your hotel location quite precisely. Big cities like London and Chicago are good for this, small cities like Santa Fe are not. Secondly, you want to ensure that there is quite a narrow price span for the star level you want to bid for. I discovered that Madrid was not a good candidate for Priceline. 4 star hotels there can range from $80 - $400 a night so you are in danger of bidding more than the going rate for the hotel you actually get.
I would not recommend Priceline for anything less than 3 star hotels. For 2 star and under, the quality varies widely depending on the age of the hotel and you are better off choosing a particular property. Plus, these hotels are operating on much lower margins so cannot offer the deep discounts that more upscale hotels can.
So, you know what city you are going to, you know what area you want to stay in and you know what star rating you want. What price do you bid? Check out the going rates on Expedia, Travelocity etc. then take off at least 50% and bid that amount. Also check out Hotwire. Like Priceline, Hotwire sells blind and you only find out what you have got once the transaction is completed. However, unlike Priceline, there are set prices. Look at their prices and then shave off a few more dollars for your bid.
You can only make 1 bid for a particular area/rating in a 24 hour period so try and start well in advance, bid low and don't get panicked into offering more than you need to.
My advice is to ignore a lot of the advice that Priceline gives you. For example, they will say that the more areas you bid for in one go, the better your chances. I say, make a bid for just one area. If that bid is rejected, you can immediately go back and add a second area (if that is acceptable to you) raise your bid and it will search the second area and also re search the first one. If you bid on all in one go and it is rejected, you will have to wait a day before you can try again.
Ignore the little warnings that come up saying "based on recent data your bid has little or no chance of being accepted and you should consider increasing your offer". Also, if your bid is rejected but they say that if you increase your offer by $20 they have a guaranteed hotel for you, take no notice. These are all little ploys to make you pay more than you need to. Patience is key. If all is rejected, you can always come back the next day.
Do be creative in your thinking. This past July I went to New York City for three nights, arriving on a Saturday. Saturday is a premium night in a city like New York ie. Expensive! Sunday is a universally cheap night for hotels and Monday is variable, depending on how much they cater to business people. I could not get a four star hotel within my budget for the three nights because the Saturday night was skewing the prices so I split my bid.
I got the charming Benjamin hotel in Midtown East for Sunday and Monday for $120 plus $26 in taxes and fees per night and then went back and bid for a three star in the theatre district for the Saturday night. I ended up with the well appointed boutique Hotel Mela just off Time Square for $100 plus $25 in taxes and fees. Even with the fees, I got both these hotels for slightly less than half their advertised internet rates.
Caveats:
Your credit card is charged in full at time of purchase and there are no refunds. You can purchase cancellation insurance for $5 a day but I never have and I believe it has a lot of restrictions.
The person who books needs to show their ID and credit card when you check in, so if you are booking a room on behalf of a friend/relative with whom you are not travelling, you will need to use their name and card details in the booking process.
The booking fees are higher than when you book a hotel the regular way through a travel site, so you need to factor that into your calculations.
Seasonal availability will affect how great a discount you will get. Don't expect to get anything in a major city on New Year's Eve!
Here are a few examples of the wonderful bargains I have got through Priceline over the years:
The Wyndham St Anthony Hotel, San Antonio, 4 star. Going rate at the time was $120 and I got it for $60.
Hotel Monaco, San Francisco, 4 star. Going rate at the time was $160, I got it for $80.
Le Meridien Piccadilly, London 5 star. I paid $130 and was put in a suite that the desk clerk said usually went for 350 POUNDS!
Eaton Hotel, Hong Kong, 4 star. The going rate was about $150 and I paid $70.
The Hilton London Olympia at $90 was the most uninspiring hotel I have got through Priceline. Supposedly 4 star but quite shabby. Unfortunately, unless you go 5 star, London hotels tend to be very worn, with tiny rooms. But, I would rather pay $100 for a worn hotel than $250. The last two years in a row I have stayed in two different four star Marriotts in the Regent's Park area for $115 and these were much more spacious and nicely decorated than what you can find in the Mayfair/Soho area.
St Martin's Lane Hotel, London, 5 star. I can't remember the going rate but I got it for $170. Cool Philippe Starck design, but the hotels in this chain (which includes SF's Clift) are just a little too pretentious and pleased with themselves.
Double Tree Resort, Key West 3 Star. Hotels in Key West are so incredibly expensive! I got this for $130 and was upgraded to a suite so it turned out to be a great bargain.
www.priceline.com
I have long been an enthusiastic advocate of Priceline. (Priceline, if you are reading this and are in the market for an attractive new sidekick for William Shatner – I’m your woman :)).
I like Priceline for three reasons. Firstly, I get fantastic bargains through it and am able to stay in hotels I couldn't usually afford. Secondly, I enjoy the research, detective work and strategic bidding that go into getting a bargain. Finally, I love the suspense and thrill of seeing what I end up with.
Briefly, for anyone who doesn't know, Priceline is a travel website just like Expedia that provides the additional option of bidding for hotels, flights and rental cars. It enables you to get them at up to half off the going rate. However, this blog will be concentrating exclusively on bidding for hotels.
How this works is that you choose an area of a city and a star level and then make an offer. If it is accepted, you are allocated a hotel in that area and of that quality. You don't get to choose a specific hotel.
Priceline has utilised market segmentation to great advantage. People are willing to pay a premium for a hotel they have stayed in before, or is part of a chain with which they are familiar and have status, or is at a precise location. Hotels will charge as much as they think people will pay. However, they generally have rooms left unsold, which they want to offload, but they don't want offer huge discounts that undercut their going rate. Priceline is the perfect solution for them as they can sell the rooms at a small profit to people willing to buy "blind", without compromising their full rate business.
I know some people are very nervous about bidding on Priceline because they are worried about getting something awful. However, investing in a little research and planning will ensure you get something that at the very least is acceptable and great value, and at best, amazing.
Some cities are better for Priceline than others. What you want is a city that is divided up into lots of small areas so you can target your hotel location quite precisely. Big cities like London and Chicago are good for this, small cities like Santa Fe are not. Secondly, you want to ensure that there is quite a narrow price span for the star level you want to bid for. I discovered that Madrid was not a good candidate for Priceline. 4 star hotels there can range from $80 - $400 a night so you are in danger of bidding more than the going rate for the hotel you actually get.
I would not recommend Priceline for anything less than 3 star hotels. For 2 star and under, the quality varies widely depending on the age of the hotel and you are better off choosing a particular property. Plus, these hotels are operating on much lower margins so cannot offer the deep discounts that more upscale hotels can.
So, you know what city you are going to, you know what area you want to stay in and you know what star rating you want. What price do you bid? Check out the going rates on Expedia, Travelocity etc. then take off at least 50% and bid that amount. Also check out Hotwire. Like Priceline, Hotwire sells blind and you only find out what you have got once the transaction is completed. However, unlike Priceline, there are set prices. Look at their prices and then shave off a few more dollars for your bid.
You can only make 1 bid for a particular area/rating in a 24 hour period so try and start well in advance, bid low and don't get panicked into offering more than you need to.
My advice is to ignore a lot of the advice that Priceline gives you. For example, they will say that the more areas you bid for in one go, the better your chances. I say, make a bid for just one area. If that bid is rejected, you can immediately go back and add a second area (if that is acceptable to you) raise your bid and it will search the second area and also re search the first one. If you bid on all in one go and it is rejected, you will have to wait a day before you can try again.
Ignore the little warnings that come up saying "based on recent data your bid has little or no chance of being accepted and you should consider increasing your offer". Also, if your bid is rejected but they say that if you increase your offer by $20 they have a guaranteed hotel for you, take no notice. These are all little ploys to make you pay more than you need to. Patience is key. If all is rejected, you can always come back the next day.
Do be creative in your thinking. This past July I went to New York City for three nights, arriving on a Saturday. Saturday is a premium night in a city like New York ie. Expensive! Sunday is a universally cheap night for hotels and Monday is variable, depending on how much they cater to business people. I could not get a four star hotel within my budget for the three nights because the Saturday night was skewing the prices so I split my bid.
I got the charming Benjamin hotel in Midtown East for Sunday and Monday for $120 plus $26 in taxes and fees per night and then went back and bid for a three star in the theatre district for the Saturday night. I ended up with the well appointed boutique Hotel Mela just off Time Square for $100 plus $25 in taxes and fees. Even with the fees, I got both these hotels for slightly less than half their advertised internet rates.
Caveats:
Your credit card is charged in full at time of purchase and there are no refunds. You can purchase cancellation insurance for $5 a day but I never have and I believe it has a lot of restrictions.
The person who books needs to show their ID and credit card when you check in, so if you are booking a room on behalf of a friend/relative with whom you are not travelling, you will need to use their name and card details in the booking process.
The booking fees are higher than when you book a hotel the regular way through a travel site, so you need to factor that into your calculations.
Seasonal availability will affect how great a discount you will get. Don't expect to get anything in a major city on New Year's Eve!
Here are a few examples of the wonderful bargains I have got through Priceline over the years:
The Wyndham St Anthony Hotel, San Antonio, 4 star. Going rate at the time was $120 and I got it for $60.
Hotel Monaco, San Francisco, 4 star. Going rate at the time was $160, I got it for $80.
Le Meridien Piccadilly, London 5 star. I paid $130 and was put in a suite that the desk clerk said usually went for 350 POUNDS!
Eaton Hotel, Hong Kong, 4 star. The going rate was about $150 and I paid $70.
The Hilton London Olympia at $90 was the most uninspiring hotel I have got through Priceline. Supposedly 4 star but quite shabby. Unfortunately, unless you go 5 star, London hotels tend to be very worn, with tiny rooms. But, I would rather pay $100 for a worn hotel than $250. The last two years in a row I have stayed in two different four star Marriotts in the Regent's Park area for $115 and these were much more spacious and nicely decorated than what you can find in the Mayfair/Soho area.
St Martin's Lane Hotel, London, 5 star. I can't remember the going rate but I got it for $170. Cool Philippe Starck design, but the hotels in this chain (which includes SF's Clift) are just a little too pretentious and pleased with themselves.
Double Tree Resort, Key West 3 Star. Hotels in Key West are so incredibly expensive! I got this for $130 and was upgraded to a suite so it turned out to be a great bargain.
www.priceline.com
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Don't Forget To Take Your Best Friend On Vacation - Pack Your AAA Card!
If you like to travel, you should be a member of AAA, even if you don't own a car. It really is a traveller's best friend and will get you substantial discounts on hotel rooms and at attractions. Shamefully, I only discovered the joy of AAA membership just earlier this year and could kick myself for wasted opportunities - no need for you to do the same!
A basic membership will cost you around $50 a year and as well as breakdown assistance, that will get you full access to the club's range of travel products, tools and discounts. Most hotel chains have AAA rates and these can be very good. At time of writing, Starwood is running a deal where AAA members can choose between 25% off the internet rate, free breakfast for two or a $100 resort credit.
Even when the AAA rate is no cheaper than the cheapest internet rate, it is a better option. The cheapest rates that hotels offer tend to be prepaid, non refundable rates, whereas AAA rates are usually fully refundable if cancelled before the day of stay. If plans change, obviously that is a very valuable feature.
Check out what attractions offer discounts for members. I was very pleasantly surprised when I recently took my Little Sister and her friend to the Dallas Zoo - something that could have been a rather pricey endeavour - that my card got me a third off the admission for the three of us.
But, you do need to carry the card with you. If you booked an AAA on the internet, make sure you have it with you at check in.
Visit aaa.com - you should automatically be sent to your own state's local club.
A basic membership will cost you around $50 a year and as well as breakdown assistance, that will get you full access to the club's range of travel products, tools and discounts. Most hotel chains have AAA rates and these can be very good. At time of writing, Starwood is running a deal where AAA members can choose between 25% off the internet rate, free breakfast for two or a $100 resort credit.
Even when the AAA rate is no cheaper than the cheapest internet rate, it is a better option. The cheapest rates that hotels offer tend to be prepaid, non refundable rates, whereas AAA rates are usually fully refundable if cancelled before the day of stay. If plans change, obviously that is a very valuable feature.
Check out what attractions offer discounts for members. I was very pleasantly surprised when I recently took my Little Sister and her friend to the Dallas Zoo - something that could have been a rather pricey endeavour - that my card got me a third off the admission for the three of us.
But, you do need to carry the card with you. If you booked an AAA on the internet, make sure you have it with you at check in.
Visit aaa.com - you should automatically be sent to your own state's local club.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
The Canny Traveller: 101, Part 2 - Hotel Loyalty Programs
In The Canny Traveller: 101, Part 2, I’m going to talk about hotel loyalty programs and why you should join them and how to make best use of them.
The Frequent Flyer Program you have joined was most likely dependent on where you live and which airline best serves that area. Your strategy in choosing a hotel loyalty program will depend on different factors such as personal preference and which one offers the best plan for your needs.
As with Frequent Flyer Programs, join any and all hotel loyalty programs – I mean, they are free, so why not – but try and concentrate your patronage. I recommend that you have one that is your primary choice that you use when you can and one as back up. In my case, Starwood (Westin, Sheraton, W) is my first choice and Marriott is my second. This is helpful when you travel somewhere your first choice has no presence (for example, the west side of the Florida peninsula has no Starwood hotels but plenty of Marriotts).
So why be loyal to one hotel chain? Gaining status with a particular chain leads to nice rewards that will enhance your stays – room upgrades, late check outs, extra points, special offers, executive club access (at the platinum levels) and most importantly, free nights. Keep an eye on their websites for deals where you can sign up for double points and discounts etc.
Let’s take a look at some of the relative merits of three major hotel loyalty programs: Starwood Preferred Guest, Marriott Rewards and HHilton Honors.
The reason I chose SPG as my primary program was because it had no blackout dates for using points and nor did it have quotas on rewards rooms available. At the time, the competition did, but they have since come more into line with Starwood.
To earn Gold Preferred Status, you need to spend 25 nights or have 10 separate stays per calendar year. Platinum Preferred Status requires either 50 nights or 25 separate stays.
The Marriott Rewards Program has three levels. 10 nights per calendar year will earn you Silver, 50 nights will earn you Gold and 75 nights will earn you Platinum.
The Hilton HHonors Program Silver VIP level requires 4 separate stays or 10 nights to qualify. Gold VIP requires 36 nights, 16 separate stays or 60 base points and Diamond VIP requires 60 nights, 28 stays or 100,000 base points.
Having a program that allows you to earn status through separate stays makes it easier. On a stay of a few nights in a city with several Starwood brands, I will move hotels in order to get the separate qualifying stays. Plus, you will often find that one hotel is cheaper than its sister one night and vice versa the next and because the status gives you late check outs, you are not rushing to move from one hotel to the next and can still have a leisurely stay.
However, the problem with Starwood is that although it is very well represented at the high end with its Luxury Collection, W and Westin, it’s not very well represented at the low end. There’s the mid range Four Points by Sheraton and then only Aloft at the low end. Marriott has an excellent range of products from its luxury resorts and JW Marriotts through its mid range Courtyard down to a whole array of cheaper motels like Fairfield Inn. Hilton has lots of mid and low range products but does seem a bit thin on the ground at the very high end.
For a more detailed look at different hotel programs, try the Webflyer.com comparison tool: http://www.webflyer.com/programs/head2head/usat_index.php.
A Google search will also bring up any number of forums and articles going into the minutiae of the comparative benefits of hotel rewards programs.
Please note, that to earn these points, you do need to book directly with the hotels and not go through third party agents such as Expedia or Priceline. That is something to bear in mind if you see the same room at a cheaper price on those sites. In later blogs I will talk about when it makes sense to book hotels on third party sites and also how to bid on Priceline to get phenomenal deals on luxury hotels.
The Frequent Flyer Program you have joined was most likely dependent on where you live and which airline best serves that area. Your strategy in choosing a hotel loyalty program will depend on different factors such as personal preference and which one offers the best plan for your needs.
As with Frequent Flyer Programs, join any and all hotel loyalty programs – I mean, they are free, so why not – but try and concentrate your patronage. I recommend that you have one that is your primary choice that you use when you can and one as back up. In my case, Starwood (Westin, Sheraton, W) is my first choice and Marriott is my second. This is helpful when you travel somewhere your first choice has no presence (for example, the west side of the Florida peninsula has no Starwood hotels but plenty of Marriotts).
So why be loyal to one hotel chain? Gaining status with a particular chain leads to nice rewards that will enhance your stays – room upgrades, late check outs, extra points, special offers, executive club access (at the platinum levels) and most importantly, free nights. Keep an eye on their websites for deals where you can sign up for double points and discounts etc.
Let’s take a look at some of the relative merits of three major hotel loyalty programs: Starwood Preferred Guest, Marriott Rewards and HHilton Honors.
The reason I chose SPG as my primary program was because it had no blackout dates for using points and nor did it have quotas on rewards rooms available. At the time, the competition did, but they have since come more into line with Starwood.
To earn Gold Preferred Status, you need to spend 25 nights or have 10 separate stays per calendar year. Platinum Preferred Status requires either 50 nights or 25 separate stays.
The Marriott Rewards Program has three levels. 10 nights per calendar year will earn you Silver, 50 nights will earn you Gold and 75 nights will earn you Platinum.
The Hilton HHonors Program Silver VIP level requires 4 separate stays or 10 nights to qualify. Gold VIP requires 36 nights, 16 separate stays or 60 base points and Diamond VIP requires 60 nights, 28 stays or 100,000 base points.
Having a program that allows you to earn status through separate stays makes it easier. On a stay of a few nights in a city with several Starwood brands, I will move hotels in order to get the separate qualifying stays. Plus, you will often find that one hotel is cheaper than its sister one night and vice versa the next and because the status gives you late check outs, you are not rushing to move from one hotel to the next and can still have a leisurely stay.
However, the problem with Starwood is that although it is very well represented at the high end with its Luxury Collection, W and Westin, it’s not very well represented at the low end. There’s the mid range Four Points by Sheraton and then only Aloft at the low end. Marriott has an excellent range of products from its luxury resorts and JW Marriotts through its mid range Courtyard down to a whole array of cheaper motels like Fairfield Inn. Hilton has lots of mid and low range products but does seem a bit thin on the ground at the very high end.
For a more detailed look at different hotel programs, try the Webflyer.com comparison tool: http://www.webflyer.com/programs/head2head/usat_index.php.
A Google search will also bring up any number of forums and articles going into the minutiae of the comparative benefits of hotel rewards programs.
Please note, that to earn these points, you do need to book directly with the hotels and not go through third party agents such as Expedia or Priceline. That is something to bear in mind if you see the same room at a cheaper price on those sites. In later blogs I will talk about when it makes sense to book hotels on third party sites and also how to bid on Priceline to get phenomenal deals on luxury hotels.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Welcome To The Canny Traveller And Let's Start With The Basics: 101, Part 1
Travelling, and more to the point, travelling well, need not cost the earth. Being well organised, motivated and prepared to spend some time on internet research, really does pay dividends.
In this series of blogs, I hope to share my experiences of good travel at good prices and help you too to become a Canny Traveller.
Today is Canny Traveller 101, Part 1, starting with the very basic rule that all good travellers should adhere to. Most of you are doing this already, but are you using it to its best advantage?
Become A Member Of A Frequent Flyer Program!
This may seem incredibly obvious, but it is very important and it’s not just about joining a program: it is about optimising its potential. You should join the frequent flyer program of all the airlines with whom you fly, but try and use just one airline and its partners. That airline is generally going to be the one that has a hub in your home city or at least has a good number of flights with convenient connections. Try and be loyal to that airline and weigh up the costs/benefits. Sometimes you may find a flight to your destination on another airline that is cheaper. How much cheaper? If it is a lot, go with it. If it’s just a little, fly with your primary carrier and earn those valuable points.
Maximise your frequent flyer program earning potential. Get a credit card that earns miles. Sign up all your credit cards for dining programs that give miles. Check what other mile earning partnership opportunities your airline has. Visit the website of your carrier regularly and sign up for whatever bonus mile offers they have going at the time eg. double miles for flying between certain dates. Do be proactive on this one. They may send you some emails detailing such offers, but they don’t always so it is important to visit them.
Keep an eye on your miles account, how many miles you have and how many you need to reach an award or elite status. There are a number of free online mile calculators you can use to work out in advance how many miles a flight will earn you eg. WebFlyer
http://www.webflyer.com/travel/mileage_calculator/
Or Airtimetable.Com
http://www.airtimetable.com/Air_mile_calculator.htm
It can make a huge difference. I have two flights scheduled for the remainder of this year. As I was booking the second one, I realized that I was going to be left just 9 miles short of reaching Gold Status on American Airlines. The return leg of the journey was going to have to be a connecting one anyway, so I changed the connection city to make the journey slightly longer and get my miles and guarantee the status. It makes it a slightly inconvenient journey but well worth it for the benefits it will bring for the year ahead - like not having to pay for checked baggage (there will be a future blog on how to travel smartly with just carry on and a quart size bag of toiletries in order to avoid those hefty baggage fees).
Airmiles are a good thing to have, but when you get them, maximize their value. The different airlines all have slightly different programs, requiring different numbers of miles for journeys in different geographical zones and impose different restrictions. For a round trip economy flight on Continental in the contiguous United States it costs 20,000 for a distance of 1,500 or less or 25,000 for over 1,500 and you have to stay a Saturday night. It goes up to 35,000 if you don’t include a Saturday. On American Airlines it costs 25,000 off peak for any distance or 35,000 for anytime. They also now offer one way airmile trips for half.
Watch out for the service fees. American charges $20 for flights booked more than 21 days in advance, $50 for those booked 20 to 7 days in advance and a whopping $100 for flights booked less than a week before departure. So book early – there will also be more availability of the cheapest airline awards.
You may want to use airmiles to upgrade your paid economy trip, but these days that tends to come with a large copay. On American it’s 15,000 plus $50 each way. If you have enough airmiles, you get better value from just spending more of them on a round trip first class flight in the first place.
Don’t waste those airmiles on a cheap trip! If it costs 25,000 points to fly anywhere in the US, don’t use them for the $120 flight, use them for the $500 flight.
You might want to save up your points because better value is to be had using them to fly internationally. It costs 60,000 on American for a transatlantic trip. Business class to Asia and Australia represents the very best value. I flew from Dallas to Sydney to Hong Kong and back for 130,000 – plus tax of course.
If international travel is important to you then make sure your frequent flyer airline has good international partnerships. American Airlines is part of the One World Alliance that includes British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas. Delta and Continental are members of SkyTeam which includes Air France and Alitalia. However, Continental is planning to move to Star Alliance which includes Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines. United is also a member of star Alliance.
Earning airmiles is just part of becoming a member of a Frequent Flyer Program. Earning elite status is another huge bonus, especially now many of the airlines are charging outrageous baggage fees. Getting to the lowest rung of status eg. Gold on American, will give you first class check in, fast track security, no checked baggage fees, reductions on airline club membership, bonuses on miles earned, upgrade vouchers and dedicated travel help lines.
The higher the status you get, the better the perks. But be realistic. Gold status is manageable for many – you need to fly 25,000 miles in a year and if you find yourself just short of that, then it maybe worth your while to take a cheap flight just to make up the miles. Executive Platinum on American gives tremendous benefits but you have to fly 100,000 miles in a year to achieve it, which is impossible for almost everyone except the most well travelled of international business people who are flying on someone else’s dollar.
I hope this has been helpful. Stay tuned for The Canny Traveller 101, Part 2, in which I discuss hotel rewards programs. Future blogs will include in depth looks at travelling in the UK (my native country), Spain and Portugal, and a favourite destination of mine, the Riviera Maya in Mexico.
In this series of blogs, I hope to share my experiences of good travel at good prices and help you too to become a Canny Traveller.
Today is Canny Traveller 101, Part 1, starting with the very basic rule that all good travellers should adhere to. Most of you are doing this already, but are you using it to its best advantage?
Become A Member Of A Frequent Flyer Program!
This may seem incredibly obvious, but it is very important and it’s not just about joining a program: it is about optimising its potential. You should join the frequent flyer program of all the airlines with whom you fly, but try and use just one airline and its partners. That airline is generally going to be the one that has a hub in your home city or at least has a good number of flights with convenient connections. Try and be loyal to that airline and weigh up the costs/benefits. Sometimes you may find a flight to your destination on another airline that is cheaper. How much cheaper? If it is a lot, go with it. If it’s just a little, fly with your primary carrier and earn those valuable points.
Maximise your frequent flyer program earning potential. Get a credit card that earns miles. Sign up all your credit cards for dining programs that give miles. Check what other mile earning partnership opportunities your airline has. Visit the website of your carrier regularly and sign up for whatever bonus mile offers they have going at the time eg. double miles for flying between certain dates. Do be proactive on this one. They may send you some emails detailing such offers, but they don’t always so it is important to visit them.
Keep an eye on your miles account, how many miles you have and how many you need to reach an award or elite status. There are a number of free online mile calculators you can use to work out in advance how many miles a flight will earn you eg. WebFlyer
http://www.webflyer.com/travel/mileage_calculator/
Or Airtimetable.Com
http://www.airtimetable.com/Air_mile_calculator.htm
It can make a huge difference. I have two flights scheduled for the remainder of this year. As I was booking the second one, I realized that I was going to be left just 9 miles short of reaching Gold Status on American Airlines. The return leg of the journey was going to have to be a connecting one anyway, so I changed the connection city to make the journey slightly longer and get my miles and guarantee the status. It makes it a slightly inconvenient journey but well worth it for the benefits it will bring for the year ahead - like not having to pay for checked baggage (there will be a future blog on how to travel smartly with just carry on and a quart size bag of toiletries in order to avoid those hefty baggage fees).
Airmiles are a good thing to have, but when you get them, maximize their value. The different airlines all have slightly different programs, requiring different numbers of miles for journeys in different geographical zones and impose different restrictions. For a round trip economy flight on Continental in the contiguous United States it costs 20,000 for a distance of 1,500 or less or 25,000 for over 1,500 and you have to stay a Saturday night. It goes up to 35,000 if you don’t include a Saturday. On American Airlines it costs 25,000 off peak for any distance or 35,000 for anytime. They also now offer one way airmile trips for half.
Watch out for the service fees. American charges $20 for flights booked more than 21 days in advance, $50 for those booked 20 to 7 days in advance and a whopping $100 for flights booked less than a week before departure. So book early – there will also be more availability of the cheapest airline awards.
You may want to use airmiles to upgrade your paid economy trip, but these days that tends to come with a large copay. On American it’s 15,000 plus $50 each way. If you have enough airmiles, you get better value from just spending more of them on a round trip first class flight in the first place.
Don’t waste those airmiles on a cheap trip! If it costs 25,000 points to fly anywhere in the US, don’t use them for the $120 flight, use them for the $500 flight.
You might want to save up your points because better value is to be had using them to fly internationally. It costs 60,000 on American for a transatlantic trip. Business class to Asia and Australia represents the very best value. I flew from Dallas to Sydney to Hong Kong and back for 130,000 – plus tax of course.
If international travel is important to you then make sure your frequent flyer airline has good international partnerships. American Airlines is part of the One World Alliance that includes British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas. Delta and Continental are members of SkyTeam which includes Air France and Alitalia. However, Continental is planning to move to Star Alliance which includes Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines. United is also a member of star Alliance.
Earning airmiles is just part of becoming a member of a Frequent Flyer Program. Earning elite status is another huge bonus, especially now many of the airlines are charging outrageous baggage fees. Getting to the lowest rung of status eg. Gold on American, will give you first class check in, fast track security, no checked baggage fees, reductions on airline club membership, bonuses on miles earned, upgrade vouchers and dedicated travel help lines.
The higher the status you get, the better the perks. But be realistic. Gold status is manageable for many – you need to fly 25,000 miles in a year and if you find yourself just short of that, then it maybe worth your while to take a cheap flight just to make up the miles. Executive Platinum on American gives tremendous benefits but you have to fly 100,000 miles in a year to achieve it, which is impossible for almost everyone except the most well travelled of international business people who are flying on someone else’s dollar.
I hope this has been helpful. Stay tuned for The Canny Traveller 101, Part 2, in which I discuss hotel rewards programs. Future blogs will include in depth looks at travelling in the UK (my native country), Spain and Portugal, and a favourite destination of mine, the Riviera Maya in Mexico.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
