Hotels
You’ll be here at least 1/3 of the day so it would wise to stay at a place where you most feel comfortable. You could go with cheaper options like Air bnbs, motels, or find somebody you know but there are ways to find cheap hotels and benefits that will make life more convenient. Things to consider for hotels are free breakfast and food credits, parking, customer service, location, gyms and pools, and many more. It is also recommended to pick a big hotel chain that you gravitate towards as it’ll make booking and finding rewards easier. Popular chains include Marriott, Hilton, Marriott, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), and Hyatt. Here are my experiences with hotels and what I recommend.
Tips
Coffee/tea in room is always free, sometimes water is charged.
Main differences between hotels are if they have a kitchen and/or free breakfast.
Always tie bookings to your hotel rewards number and link to the app for information.
You usually can check in early and check-out later without any fees via app or front desk.
Personally, the pool and gym are very optional
Property/food credits from credit card benefits are usually high but sometimes tips aren’t a part of it (contact hotel).
Points are very inconsistent to price but always make sure that it is at least a 1:1 ratio (20,000 points ~ $200, Hilton is x2 points)
Hotel for fun checklist
Premium hotel ex. Waldorf Astoria
Hotel with free breakfast ex. Springhill Suites
Hotel with kitchen ex. Grand Vacations
Low-tier hotel ex. Fairfield
Mid-tier hotel ex. Embassy
Unique hotel ex. Curio
Non brand affiliated ex. HHM Hotels
Hotel Chains
Hilton
My personal choice as there many locations and I have what I think is the best hotel card, the Hilton Aspire.
Pros: Best card
Cons: Low value points
Hyatt
Very cheap with points but expensive with cash. It is the buffer between luxury and mainstream.
Pros: Best valuable points system, prettiest
Cons: Cash expensive
Marriott
This chain is the most popular and has the most hotels throughout the world.
Pros: Everywhere, many cards
Cons: None
Cheap Alternatives
Wyndham, Best Western, Air BnB
IHG
The cheapest big hotel chain.
Pros: Cheap
Cons: Bad cards
Expensive Alternatives
The Pendry, Four Seasons, Accor
Hilton
Waldorf Astoria = Most premium brand, use free night certificate, top locations in Beverly Hills & Wailea
Conrad = 2nd most premium
L & R = Unique
Garden Inn = Most popular
Tru = Off brand
Aspire card: Free night, Hilton Resort Credit
Hotels tried: Waldorf Astoria, Garden Inn, Tru, Embassy Suites, Curio
Recommendations: Waldorf Astoria > Embassy Suites > Garden Inn
Marriott
Hotels tried: Sheraton, Springhill Suites, Fairfield
Aspire card: Free night, Hilton Resort Credit
Recommendations: Ritz-Carlton > Sheraton > Springhill Suites
Hyatt
Hotels tried: Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency
Recommendations: Park Hyatt > Hyatt Regency > Hyatt Place
IHG
Hotels tried: Kimpton, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn
Recommendations: Kimpton > Crowne Plaza > Holiday Inn Express
Hotel Reviews
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