As you'll recall from my intro post, the whole reason I booked our Living it Up in California adventure is because I was able to secure award nights at the Alila Napa Valley. That stay was in the middle of our trip and is where we headed after checking out of the Hyatt Carmel Highlands. … [Read more...] about Review: Alila Napa Valley
Hotels
Buh-Bye Marriott Bonvoy Premier Visa
As you all know, I've been on a mission to reduce the amount of annual fees I'm paying. The latest development in this mission is me saying buh-by Marriott Bonvoy Premier Visa! This was a no-brainer, given my current travel style and the card's utility to me. … [Read more...] about Buh-Bye Marriott Bonvoy Premier Visa
Hilton Honors Surpass 2023 Review
Now that we're into Q2 2023, I've started collecting Hilton Honors points again. So, it's time to do a Hilton Honors Surpass 2023 review. Spoiler alert: I obviously still like this card since I'm, you know, using it 😉 … [Read more...] about Hilton Honors Surpass 2023 Review
My Preferred Waikiki Marriotts
Recently, I completed my Ultimate Guide to Marriott Hotels in Waikiki, which is something that's been years in the making. But now, I want to go over my preferred Waikiki Marriotts split up by different stay styles. … [Read more...] about My Preferred Waikiki Marriotts
Breakfast at Pacific’s Edge (Hyatt Carmel Highlands)
While I don't typically like eating at hotel restaurants, we ended up eating breakfast at Pacific's Edge twice during our three-night stay at the Hyatt Carmel Highlands. While expensive, IÊ»d say that the restaurant wasnÊ»t bad. Mostly. … [Read more...] about Breakfast at Pacific’s Edge (Hyatt Carmel Highlands)
Review: Hyatt Carmel Highlands
After checking out from our positioning hotel - Hotel Citrine -, we started the one-hour half-plus drive to our next hotel, the Hyatt Carmel Highlands, Overlooking Big Sur. After reading several of Matthew Klint's reviews over the years, I was excited to finally check this place out. … [Read more...] about Review: Hyatt Carmel Highlands
Review: Hotel Citrine, Tribute Collection
Given our late arrival into San Jose, there was no way I was going to drive out to Carmel that night. So, for our first night in California, I chose Hotel Citrine, a Marriott Tribute Collection property in Palo Alto. This was my second Tribute Collection stay and my first dual-brand property. … [Read more...] about Review: Hotel Citrine, Tribute Collection
Hawaii Hotel Report 01-2023
Hawaii hotel occupancy was slightly up, while rates were down. Let's dig into the numbers in my Hawaii hotel report 01-2023. But, while rates are down a bit, they're still far higher than they were before. … [Read more...] about Hawaii Hotel Report 01-2023
World of Hyatt Hawaii Changes 2023
Hyatt's annual award chart adjustment season is here. And, in typical fashion, it's more bad news than good, with more hotels moving up a category than down. But it could've been worse, especially here in the islands. So let's go over the World of Hyatt Hawaii changes 2023. … [Read more...] about World of Hyatt Hawaii Changes 2023
Review: Sheraton Princess Kaiulani
It's official! I've finally stayed at all of the Marriott properties in Waikiki with my recent stay at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani. To be honest, I could've stayed here long ago, but I just couldn't get myself to do so. Recently, though, I decided to finally pull the trigger. … [Read more...] about Review: Sheraton Princess Kaiulani