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Hotel Reviews Marriott/SPG Reviews

Hotel Review: Aloft Bangkok

Aloft Bangkok 35 Sukhumvit Soi 11, Sukhumvit Road,Bangkok 10110, Thailand Aloft Bangkok is a hip, modern, upscale hotel in the heart of Bangkok on Sukhumvit soi 11, right off the street from the BTS Nana station. For those interested staying in this hotel using points, here is what you need to know. Category 1 SPG property SPG Free Nights Redemption: 2000 – 3000 Starpoints/ night (based on dates and availability SPG Cash & Points Redemption: 1200 Starpoints + $25 USD (subject to availability) The hotel is located in a busy Soi 11 street off of Sukhumvit road. It is a 3 …

Airline Reviews Reviews United

Airline Review: United Airlines – Business Class (Fully Flat beds) : San Francisco – Incheon

Flight: United Airlines UA 893 from San Francisco to Incheon (Seoul) Equipment: B744 (Boeing 747-400) Class: Business Seat: 15 A (Upper deck, Window, Rear facing seat) Seat Specification: Full Lie Flat, 180 degree recline, Seat pitch: 74.0 “. Seat width: 23.5 ” United operates a 747-400 in SFO – ICN route. The flight leaves in the morning from SFO and arrives at ICN at evening next day (both local times). The flight duration is around 11 hours 30 minutes. This was my first business class experience and I wanted to make the most of it. I had selected seat 15 A which is …

Hotel Reviews Marriott/SPG Reviews

Hotel Review: Marriott Courtyard Solana Beach/Del Mar

Marriott Courtyard Solana Beach/Del Mar 717 South Highway 101, Solana Beach, California 92075 USA This is a category 5 hotel located about half a block from the Del Mar North Beach on Highway 101 very close to the famous Del Mar racetrack. The exterior of the hotel looks pretty unimpressive but inside is a different story. The lobby area looks real cool with lots of modern style furnishings. The business center is in main lobby area with 3 computers and a fax/copier. Complimentary coffee/tea with snacks is available in the evenings. The center courtyard features a heated swimming pool, Jacuzzi …

Hotel Reviews Marriott/SPG Reviews

Hotel Review: Ventura Beach Marriott

Ventura Beach Marriott 2055 Harbor Blvd., Ventura, California 93001 USA It is a Category-5 property located in the city of Ventura Beach about 200 yards from the San Buenaventura State Beach. The property looks very well maintained. It has a very nice courtyard in the middle with lots of plants and a nice waterfall. It looks like they imported an oasis in there. The courtyard also features a smallish size heated swimming pool (open till 10 pm) and a Jacuzzi. The back lobby looks pretty swanky. The business center is right next to the check-in area with 3 computers. It …

Destination Trip Reports North America US, Canada, Mexico

October 2012: Weekend Trip to Ventura and Del Mar, California

Me and Karen took a weekend trip to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary last weekend. Wow!! It’s been 5 years already? How time flies…. We had originally planned a 4 day weekend getaway to Fort Lauderdale, Florida but after seeing the thunderstorm ravaged 14 day weather forecast, we decided to cancel our airline and hotel bookings and attempt a local getaway instead. Thank goodness I had booked the flights on Southwest which has a zero penalty cancellation policy!! The AAA rate at the Marriott is a refundable rate so no problem there either. We wanted to stay two nights at …

Restaurant Reviews Reviews

Restaurant Review: SkyCity Restaurant, Seattle

One of the Seattle attractions is the restaurant at the top of the Needle called SkyCity restaurant.  Since we were here, we were not going to miss the opportunity to try this place out. The check-in for the restaurant is at the entrance where the gift shops are at the ground floor. After a little gift shop browsing it was time to go up the super fast elevator. The Needle is 605 ft tall and it takes about 45 seconds to get from the bottom to the top. Since we were a bit early, we were given a buzzer and …

Destination Trip Reports North America US, Canada, Mexico

September 2012 – Seattle Trip Report

Me and Karen decided to go for a quick Seattle trip over the Labor day weekend. I have always wanted to see the Space Needle up close and since we live on the west coast, the flight was going to be nice and short. The idea was to fit in a trip without having to take any extra days off from work. Flights: I had booked my ticket about 2 months out on Southwest and added Karen’s ticket for just $5 with my Southwest Companion pass. I did not pay for early bird check-in and got C group boarding. The …

Destination Trip Reports North America US, Canada, Mexico

May 2012 – San Francisco – Lake Tahoe – Solvang Trip Report

Me and Karen along with my parents went on a long weekend trip up north to San Francisco and Lake Tahoe over Memorial Day weekend (Road trip!). Day 1: We took a 6 hour drive from my home in southern California to San Francisco. Since we were planning on driving down PCH on our way back, we took the 5 freeway for faster timing on our way north. We saw lots of vineyards on both sides of the freeway along with some other trees and plants while passing through Central California. There are lots of opportunities to stop at various …

Hotel Reviews Marriott/SPG Reviews

Hotel Review: Courtyard Miami Beach Oceanfront

This category 6 Marriott property is located in Miami Beach on Collins Avenue, with an oceanview. There is a small pool and a jacuzzi at the back. Towels were provided for hotel guests at the pool. It also has a cute little tiki bar at the back of the hotel, just past the pool, that seemed pretty crowded all throughout our stay. There is a wood planked boardwalk that runs between all the hotels and the beach (bring your sandals, don’t want to get splinters). You can gain entry to the beach by walking through these, or along the side …

Caribbean Cruises Destination Trip Reports North America

May 2012 – 5 Day Caribbean Cruise

When looking for something exciting yet relaxing to do for my parents visit to the U.S., me and Karen decided on a 5 day cruise out of Miami. My parents had never been on a cruise before so I wanted an itinerary that included places I’d travelled before. We decided to stick with the last cruise Karen and I had taken in the Bahamas, so that there were no surprises when we showed up with our first-time cruisers. Itinerary: Flight: LAX – MIA: US Airways Hotel (1 night): Courtyard Miami Beach Oceanfront, Collins Avenue Cruise: Carnival Destiny Day 1: Depart …

Cruises Destination Trip Reports US, Canada, Mexico

September 2010 – 7 Day Mexican Riviera Cruise

We went on a 7 day Mexican Riviera cruise with Carnival. One big advantage of this cruise is that because it is from Long Beach, people like us who live in the west coast (specifically California) don’t have to pay money on airfare and hotel. Just drive down to the Long Beach Cruise ship terminal, park your car, and off you go. The itinerary of the cruise trip was: Day 1: Depart Long Beach Day 2: Day at sea Day 3: Day at sea Day 4: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Day 5: Mazatlan, Mexico Day 6: Cabo San Lucas, Mexico Day …

Hotel Reviews Independent/Non-Major Chain

Hotel Review: Circa 39, Miami Beach

Circa 39 Hotel 3900 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33140 This boutique hotel is located in Miami Beach on Collins Avenue (right across the street of the Marriott Courtyard, Miami Beach). There are plenty of boutique hotels in this area but this stands out because of its retro interior style and good location. The hotel has a very convenient location. You cross the Collins Avenue and take the narrow street beside the Marriott and reach the boardwalk. Cross that and you are at the beach. Takes less than 1 minute to get from the hotel premises to the sand. The …

Caribbean Cruises Destination Trip Reports North America

July 2009 – 5 Day Caribbean Cruise

After our 1st cruise ever (3 day Mexico Cruise) I was hooked. We decided to try a different itinerary, a Caribbean cruise this time. We had never been to Caribbean before and those beautiful, white, sandy beaches tempted us to book a 5 day Caribbean cruise leaving Miami. Itinerary: Flight: LAX – MIA: Continental Airlines Hotel (1 night): Circa 39, Miami Beach Cruise: Carnival Destiny Day 1: Depart Miami Day 2: Day at sea Day 3: Grand Turk Island, Turks and Caicos Islands Day 4: Half Moon Cay ( Private Island) Day 5: Nassau, Bahamas Day 6: Arrive Miami Flight: MIA – LAX: …