Update: The Simon Mall shipping fee has increased to $3.99. I’ve been hearing rumblings for a while now about Simon Malls implementing changes to their Visa gift cards. I assumed this would involve lower limits on the number of cards that could be purchased or perhaps a ban on credit cards altogether. Reader Tim alerted … Read more
For those wondering what the makes them so great, Club Level Rooms have several advantages over standard rooms. Often, these rooms are on higher floors and offer better amenities. More importantly, they offer access to the hotel’s club lounge, where guests can enjoy complimentary breakfast, snacks/appetizers, drinks, and wifi throughout the day. This can be … Read more
A few weeks ago I concluded that the cheapest way to earn Hyatt stays via manufactured spending, is by combining Hyatt’s Points + Cash award option with miles earned from the Barclay Arrival Plus card. That post applied to standard hotel redemptions only. What about if you’re redeeming points for a suite? The Cheapest Way … Read more
American Express Travel is running a 72-hour sale, offering discounts of 20-40% on hotels. Most notably on the list are the Wynn and Encore in Las Vegas, which have been discounted to as low as $132 per night. I checked the Wynn calendar and it appears the savings listed by American Express are accurate. However, … Read more
American Express is pretty good about offering cardholders discounts and freebies, and now they’ve extended some of those perks to Bluebird cardholders. I got an email from Bluebird, offering me 10% off La Quinta hotel stays and 15% off at Denny’s if I charge those expenses to my Bluebird card. They must be really sick … Read more
As much fun as I have with this hobby, it’s pretty time consuming and at times patience-testing. I’m currently in the midst of meeting $82,00 in spending requirements, so my frustration is at an all time high. From buying gift cards to unloading, reloading, and depositing funds, it gets exhausting fast. And sometimes I wonder … Read more
Which city do you think boasts the world’s largest hotel suite? Dubai? Vegas? According to the Guinness Book of World Records that honor goes to the Grand Hills Hotel and Spa in Broumana, Lebanon. Broumana is about 30 minutes outside of the country’s capital, Beirut.The hotel boasts the largest hotel suite at 44,500 square feet … Read more
Update: As of January 2015, Hyatt is no longer offering the MyElite rate. Hyatt has also changed the terms of the Diamond Challenge. The requirements are the same, except elite status benefits don’t kick in until the challenge is complete. For tips on how to get Diamond status without the challenge, check out this post. After … Read more
Within Starwood’s Category 3, several Luxury Collection properties start showing up. Oddly enough, many of them aren’t in the best shape and don’t measure up with lower-end brands like Four Points and Sheraton. However, there is still a great deal of value to be had in this category, with hotels and resorts requiring just 7,000 points … Read more
I’m all about making the destination a priority on my trips, taking in the culture, and making the most of my time there. However, I do love a good hotel, even if I don’t spend all of my time there. I think there’s something very comforting in knowing you’ve got a gorgeous, clean room to … Read more