Hotels

Hotel news and reviews.

A silver pen is resting on top of a closed blue notebook. In the background, there is an open notebook with blank pages. The scene is well-lit, suggesting a calm and organized workspace.
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Travel Goals and Status Check Up – 2017 Mid-Year

ByJennifer Moody

Jennifer checks in on her 2017 travel goals, what her progress towards status looks like, and whether she is achieving those travel goals at mid-year. Airline status, hotel status, leverage of travel technology, credit card strategy, and travel/life balance are just a few of the areas where she weighs on in the state of the union.

world of hyatt

World of Hyatt Commercial Highlights My Frustrations With Frequent Travel Marketing

ByJennifer Moody

I’m becoming cranky in my middle age.  That much I know. Perhaps I am far enough away from my halcyon days of travel when weekend mileage runs were quick cultural skinny dips.  And week-long vacations were reserved for deeper dives exploring the underbelly of geographic stretches far away.  Frequent travel programs were important – earning or using…

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Relive TWA Jet Age at JFK Hotel

ByJennifer Moody

The Eero Saarinen airline terminal that marked the TWA jet age at New York’s Idlewild Airport was a true work of beauty. The terminal housed TWA jet operations at what is now JFK International Airport until American Airlines acquired the bankrupt airline in 2001.  By that time, the once-iconic TWA had largely been sold off in…

The image shows a close-up view of a coiled snake with dark, patterned scales. The snake's head is visible, with its eyes and scales clearly detailed. The intricate pattern on its body features a mix of dark and light colors, creating a striking and textured appearance.
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In-Room Snake – New Marriott Amenity?

ByJennifer Moody

Forget the free bottle of water or complimentary points for hotel status.  That’s so 2016.  Hotel chains are looking for new ways to impress guests.  So why NOT an in-room snake?! That’s the first thing I thought when I read this headline in Travel + Leisure. It seems a housekeeper at a Marriott Residence Inn in Massachusetts…

The image shows the logo for "Starwood Preferred Guest" (SPG). The logo consists of the lowercase letters "spg" followed by an asterisk, and the words "Starwood Preferred Guest" are written in a stacked format to the right of the letters. The text is white on a black background.
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New Orleans Food and Wine Festival and Other Events with SPG Moments

ByJennifer Moody

Starwood has long offered the opportunity to redeem Starpoints for SPG Moments.  These are various unique experiences curated specially for Starwood Preferred Guest members. The experiences are often one-time events – tickets to concerts, sporting or culinary events, or unique experiences arranged specially for Starwood and often part of their marketing partnerships.  They can include insider…

The image shows a neatly made bed in a hotel room. The bed has white linens and multiple pillows stacked at the headboard. There are two bedside tables, each with a lamp, and one table has a telephone and a remote control. The room has a modern and clean appearance with a dark carpeted floor and a padded headboard.

When to Call it Quits – World of Hyatt Replaces Gold Passport

ByJennifer Moody

Sometimes you face the inevitable. Either a situation takes a turn for the worse or continues on a downhill slide. Eventually you find yourself wondering if what you want is realistic. Or facing the reality that the goal you’ve been working toward is perhaps not worth the hassle. That’s when you have to figure out…

American
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“Sorry I’m Not Sorry” – Two Days of Shakeups in the Points and Miles World

ByJennifer Moody

It has been a tough couple of days in the points and miles world for hobbyists (those who collect points and miles with airlines, hotels, and other travel providers) and low-fare leisure travelers. On Monday the announcement came that frequent traveler darling Starwood was being acquired by Marriott.  And then yesterday American was changing almost all the rules of…

SPG Lifetime Platinum

ByJennifer Moody

Yesterday I was starting on my second martini, lazily setting my fantasy football draft rankings while watching the sail away from Livorno (I am on vacation – 1/3rd of the way into my Grand Mediterranean adventure) when I received the most delightful of frequent travel emails – I finally achieved SPG Lifetime Platinum Status! I consider this…

A woman with blonde hair and glasses is taking a selfie inside an airplane. She is smiling and seated in what appears to be the economy class section. Other passengers can be seen seated and standing in the background, and the overhead compartments are open with some luggage visible. The interior of the airplane is well-lit.
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Meet Me Halfway… The Six Month Status Checkup

ByJennifer Moody

How can it be July 4th weekend already?  I feel like I was just ringing in the new year.  If you follow Jetsetter’s Homestead, then you know this has been a whirlwind year for me – I’m at a new firm after an acquisition which means my travel patterns have been altered a bit as I…