TRIP REPORTS

From Luang Prabang in Laos, we flew to Chiang Mai, Thailand. As with our last destination, we decided to again forgo the “points game” and go “independent” on the hotel front. We …

From Chiang Mai, Thailand, we flew down to Krabi where we’d be staying at yet another independent [non-points game] hotel, The Elements Krabi Resort. But was it a good choice for a …

After an excellent stay at the Crowne Plaza Vientiane, it was time to move on to our next Laotian adventure, the town of Luang Prabang. Whenever possible, I try and stay at …

As a travel hacker, I loathe spending cash for something when I can use points instead. That being said, there are certain instances where paying cash for a hotel stay can make …

After spending a couple of days in Hanoi, Vietnam, it was time to move on to the next leg of our Southeast Asia trip: Laos. We flew directly into Vientiane, Laos, and …

One of the main reasons we decided to stay at the Hilton Hanoi Opera (versus other newer and/or better located hotels) was for the access we had to the Executive Lounge as …

From Nha Trang, we worked our way Northward through the cities of Da Nang and Hue, before arriving out our final destination in Vietnam, the capitol city of Hanoi. For our final …

It had been a very long day. Having just flown in from ICN Airport (in Seoul, South Korea), we had finally made it to Nha Trang, Vietnam. Luckily for us, we had …

Having gone “two for two” with my prior Kimpton stays (Kimpton Hotel Palomar San Diego and Kimpton Armory Hotel Bozeman), I couldn’t wait to finally checkout one a little closer to home, …

I’ve been wanting to check out the Hilton Palm Springs for a long time now. I’ve tried to book there several times, but I’ve always ran into one of the following road …

This is a review I never intended to write. Not because I have anything against Embassy Suites (I actually like the brand), but because my room at the Miramonte Indian Wells Resort …

As we left the Bay Area, and headed for California’s Redwood Coast on our “National-Park-during-the-pandemic” road trip, we again needed a quick place to stay the night at a clean and safe …

Leaving Santa Cruz and the awesomely kitschy Hotel Paradox, we drove the scenic route through the Santa Cruz Mountains before dropping down into Half-Moon Bay, CA, for the final stay on our …

Leaving Pismo Beach, we continued our drive Northward along the PCH until we eventually made it to Santa Cruz, CA, at nightfall, For our first time visiting Santa Cruz, we decided on …

After an amazing stay a Santa Barbara’s Mar Monte Hotel, we continued up the Pacific Coast Highway to the town of Pismo Beach, California, where we’d be staying at the Hilton Garden …

Our “National-Park-during-the-pandemic” road trip took us from Bend, Oregon, to Boise, Idaho. Knowing our longest drive of the road trip would be the next day (the drive between Boise and Missoula, Montana), …

Leaving Boise, Idaho, we continued our epic “National-Park-during-the-pandemic” road trip on our way to Glacier National Park. I wasn’t sure which route was going to be the most scenic from Boise to …

Continuing our epic National-Park-during-the-pandemic road trip, we made our way from Glacier National Park to “the Yellowstone”. We decided to stay in Bozeman, Montana, before making our way to the gates of …

I knew when I was booking my stay in Salt Lake City that I’d be arriving late and leaving early. Basically, I’d just be driving through Salt Lake City on my way …

With a 50,000 point Marriott Award night certificate to burn, I began looking to see what kind of properties were available for my road-trip out to Zion National Park. I found two …