Update 3 - replaced Hilton Sibiu (went up to 20k), Hampton Inn Medellin (now 20k), and DoubleTree Queenstown (now 40k) with Hilton Garden Inn Bali Airport, DoubleTree Agra, and Hilton Garden Inn Hanoi. Also got rid of some devaluated honorable mentions. Update 2 - replaced DoubleTree Melaka (which went up to 10k) and Hampton Inn Fall River (went up to 20k) with … [Read more...]
My 10 Favorite SPG Low Category Redemptions
SPG is my favorite program for low category hotel redemptions. They have the most such properties that are interesting throughout the world - even in Western Europe, as you'll see below. Here I list my top 10 - all in category 1 or 2 (2,000 - 4,000 points per night). For reference, here's the SPG award chart: The only difference between weekday and … [Read more...]
My Best Trip – Torres del Paine “W” Hike
I just want to say a few words, then I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. I went to Torres del Paine (TDP) in March 2016 and did the 5-day "W" hike on my own (actually, I stayed an extra day, and am very glad I did). It remains arguably my favorite travel experience to date. My pictures don't do it justice, but they'll give you some ideas. I … [Read more...]
The Great Paradox of My Travel Aspirations
I have two fundamental travel aspirations: See the world. Get good value out of miles & points. The 2 goals were in unison in my early days of the hobby. Seeing the world meant flying premium cabin to a major destination, staying in a high-value points hotel, and sightseeing in the vicinity. I did this in Hong Kong, Sydney, Bangkok, Paris, Banff - to … [Read more...]
$10 for a Flat Bed in Chicago? I’ll Take It
Technically it's in the suburbs, and admission costs extra, but I was going there anyway so my extra cost was just $10. I was in Chicago for 2 nights a few weekends ago. I had one Hyatt category 4 free night from the Chase Hyatt card, so I stayed at Hyatt Recency Chicago River on Saturday. But I needed a place to stay on Friday. None of my Chicago friends … [Read more...]