COVID-19 has had a terrible impact on the hotel industry, and there’s no doubt that a lot of hotels will be forced to close permanently because of this. We've already seen several hotels close permanently, and now we can add yet another hotel to the…
I first wrote about this deal yesterday, though it looks like there's another package for sale that may be of more interest to some... Here's a creative concept from one hotel group to fill rooms this summer. In the past we've seen some airlines offer…
"Destination fees" have been one of the most annoying trends we've seen in the hotel industry in recent years. Well, get ready, because a COVID-19 fee or surcharge could be the next thing added to your hotel bill once travel resumes. Many hotel loyalty…
COVID-19 has obviously had a terrible impact on the hotel industry, and there's no doubt that a lot of hotels will be forced to close permanently because of this. That's especially true for hotels that were already having financial problems coming into…
I like to stay up to date on all the coolest luxury points hotels that are in the pipeline, but somehow I missed this one (I guess because of everything going on). Marriott has signed an agreement to bring the Ritz-Carlton brand to the Maldives. The…
I'm not exactly sure what to make of this, so I'm simply passing this on for anyone who wants to look into it more, as I don't plan on taking advantage of this myself (I think). Buy $150 hotel gift cards for $100 The website buynowstaylater.com is selling…
I’ve written before about how I think many travel brands could be doing a better job creatively generating revenue. With so many companies having liquidity issues, I don’t understand why we’re not seeing more travel brands incentivizing paying now for…
I've written before about how I think many travel brands could be doing a better job creatively generating revenue. With so many companies having liquidity issues, I don't understand why we're not seeing more travel brands incentivizing paying now for…
While we'll hopefully all return to traveling soon(ish), I think it's safe to say travel won't ever be the same. Even if there's such a thing as a post-COVID-19 era, I think many of us have a new appreciation for hygiene after all of this, and that's…
While I don't think any of us have hopes of traveling internationally anytime soon, I've been tracking the opening of one particular Park Hyatt, and I figure I might as well keep doing so... Park Hyatt is one of my favorite hotel brands, and for the…
Here's a concept that I'm interested to see evolve... The concept of hotels selling day rooms is nothing new. This is especially common at airport hotels, where some people may have a long connection and want to rest between flights. However, it looks…
Miles & points can let you have some pretty incredible experiences for pennies on the dollar. With airline miles you can fly almost any first or business class product in the world, as there are very few aspirational products that aren't bookable with…
We've seen airlines play all kinds of games with refunding customers, given the cash bind they're in. There are plenty of hotels doing the same. Before I get into the crux of this story, let me note that I feel so bad for the entire tourism sector, and…
The airline industry is seeking a $60 billion bailout after having spent 96% of free cash flow over the past decade on stock buybacks, to enrich executives and investors (as one does). Boeing is also asking for a $60 billion bailout. Well, the hotel…
Obviously there's a ton of uncertainty surrounding travel at the moment. In the past 24 hours alone: The US has banned those foreigners who have been in Schengen countries in the past 14 days The Department of State has issued a warning that Americans…
Over the past couple of years we've seen some significant changes to hotel loyalty programs. Some hotel loyalty programs have upped their game, while others have gotten worse. As of 2020 I'm most loyal to Hyatt, while Hilton and Marriott are my back-up…
The major global hotel groups love to launch new brands. This is primarily a way to lure investors to open new hotels -- "hey, we have this amazing opportunity for you to open the first property of our new lifestyle brand in X city." As consumers it…
The Peninsula Beverly Hills is suing the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills and Hilton over what they call corporate espionage. This week the Peninsula Beverly Hills has filed court papers accusing Hilton of engaging in corporate espionage and unfair business…
I recently published a review of a hotel stay where we brought our dog, Winston. I read all the nice comments to Winston and he very much appreciates them (though next time he would prefer turkey in the mail from you guys rather than nice comments).…
I wrote about this free service a couple of years ago, but wanted to write about it once again, as I just scored huge value with it yesterday (and full disclosure -- I just find this service to be useful, and don't even know anyone who works at the company).…
I've been thinking lately about my hotel loyalty strategy for 2020. I think the reason this has been on my radar is because my Marriott Ambassador status expires as of the end of this month, and I'll be dropping down to Titanium. How will that impact…
