Hotel Value for Frequent Guests
by Ric Garrido
Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay, California Available as a Marriott Rewards Partner Award 1 night = 70,000 points; 3-nights = 150,000 points; 5 nights = 200,000; 7-nights = 250,000 points Paradise with an Ocean View Some people have an image in their heads of California Pacific Ocean views. The Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay has commanding views…
by Ric Garrido
I was checking out train schedules in Austria and thinking about Vienna. Made a search and came across EuroCheapo blog on Austrian rail train specials. The blog is an entertaining read as the bloggers are currently in Berlin. The blog led me to the EuroCheapo website which is a great niche resource for bargain travel…
by Ric Garrido
An article appeared today in PR Newswire for Journalists, Economy Foreclosing on Spring Break?, based on a survey by AccessAmerica, a travel insurance company. “Access America survey finds half of American families scaling back spring break plans…or forgoing their vacations altogether” The not-so-surprising conclusion of the data is poorer families are cutting back on vacation…
by Ric Garrido
Four Points, Newark AirportSPG Category 1(1 of only 7 Category-1 hotels left in the USA — A dying breed) I stayed a Saturday night in June 2007 for 2,000 Starpoints at the Four Points EWR.The hotel had a washer and dryer which was a treat after a week in South America.The catch: I had to…
by Ric Garrido
I spent the weekend building a spreadsheet of the SPG Hotel Categories. I had a detailed SPG hotel spreadsheet I made in 2004 that made the work go much faster. BlondeBomber’s SPG spreadsheet had about 700 hotel rows hidden in the spreadsheet I downloaded. Too bad because that would have made the work go much…
by Ric Garrido
The Laguna Resort and Spa, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia Starwood Preferred Guest has raised the category level of the Luxury Collection hotel, Laguna Resort and Spa, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia by two category levels in four years. Dec 2003, SPG Category 2, free weekend night = 3,000 Starpoints March 2008, SPG Category 4, free weekend…
SIN is Singapore, Changi Airport. Loyalty Travelers based in the United States learn that Singapore is the farthest destination in flight miles a person can easily fly to from the USA on a variety of carriers and have an easy and affordable experience. Singapore generally requires a US-Japan-Singapore routing and this is an 8,444 mile…
by Ric Garrido
Ric and tour guide, Cuzco, Peru, May 2000 Presidents Week Vacation – February 2000 I was anxious and suffering a vacation hangover upon my return from Holland at the end of my two week trip for flying on five member airlines of the Oneworld Alliance for a 100,000 frequent flyer miles bonus. Travel euphoria withdrawal…
by Ric Garrido
Is there a Priceline Master in the House? I am not a real doctor (PhD). I only have a Master of Science. That is why I work for consumers instead of pocketing the lucrative research paycheck from the hotel industry. The doctor, Chris K. Anderson, Ph.D., at the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research has come…
The Laguna Resort and Spa, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia Starwood Luxury Collection Hotel (12/2003) March Madness Triple Pointer Another Easter vacation break is coming up in March. When a spouse works in public schools in the USA, Easter week vacation is a given. The combination of points and miles I currently have at my disposal…
Loyalty Traveler has been my travel writing business since April 2006. Loyalty Traveler blog is primarily about hotel and airline loyalty programs, hotel brands and airline fare sales and industry news. Read more... 