Review

On the first night of our Disneyland adventure, we opted to stay at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Anaheim – Orange County (not to be confused with the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel …

Having spent the previous night at the Thompson Seattle, we moved on up the street to checkout the Destination-branded Motif Seattle (another Wold of Hyatt property). Review: Motif Seattle (WA) Location The …

On a recent trip to visit some good friends in Seattle, WA (a truly great town), we had the opportunity to stay at the Thompson Seattle. Review: Thompson Seattle (WA) Here is …

We recently had a chance to check out the Holiday Inn Express Fort Bragg on our way back from backpacking the famous Lost Coast Trail just up the coast. Here’s our review …

With the addition of the Hounds Tooth Inn in Oakhurst, California,  and now the El Capitan Hotel in Merced, California, Hyatt has made some positive inroads into the gateway entrance markets that …

A couple weeks after our stay at Ventana Big Sur, An Alila Resort, we returned to Big Sur, California, to checkout the Ventana’s sister property, Ventana Campground. The Ventana Campground is a …

During a recent epic road trip out to California’s coast, we decided to “go big” and end in style at the Ventana Big Sur, an Alila Resort, in Big Sur, California. The …

For months, I tried and failed. No matter when I looked, I couldn’t find any available dates to book the Alila Marea Beach Resort Encinitas on points. That changed recently when I …

On our way up to backpack the Lost Coast Trail (LCT), we made a stop in NorCal wine country for one last buzzed hurrah before hitting the backcountry. I am embarrassed to …

After a pair of amazing stays at the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay and the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, I was curious to see if I could “three-peat” at the Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage. Would …

The legendary Hotel Del Coronado has long been on my “must-stay” list of California hotels – and I finally got the chance to stay there. Did it live up to its legendary …

After an excellent stay at the neighboring Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club, we headed down the street to continue our Dana Point, California, getaway at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel. Admittedly, …

Having  had the pleasure of staying at Andaz Peninsula Papagayo and Andaz Singapore, I’ve been clamoring to check out more Andaz locations closer to home. I finally got that chance with the …

As the de facto gateway city for many traveling to Southeast Asia, Bangkok is known for its great hotels (like the St. Regis Bangkok) at incredibly reasonable prices. During my last trip …

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 …