The Flying Critic

JW Marriott Seoul - Photo & Video Review

In 2007 I stayed at the JW Marriott Seoul for one night during a layover between Singapore and San Francisco.  I had one frustrating experience but otherwise the stay was excellent. 

The AAA Card Obsession

Before we get to the pictures of the large room that I was upgraded to let me quickly discuss the one problem.  This was a personal trip and the best rate I could find was the AAA rate.  In fact, the AAA rate was surprisingly a LOT cheaper than the best available rate. 

At check-in they didn't ask for the card.  Instead, awaking me around 8pm, the front desk called and insisted that I come down and show them my card.  I told them that I was asleep, didn't appreciate being woken up for something that if important they should have dealt with during check-in, and that I was going back to sleep and would be happy to show them my AAA card during check-out in the morning. 

Then in the morning, the front desk called me twice.  First to insist that I bring down my AAA card right away and then a second time to apologize for calling the first time and telling me it was okay to wait until check-out. 

At check-out, after they made two copies of my AAA card, I gently expressed my dissatisfaction at being called so many times and being woken up because the check-in agent forgot to ask for my AAA card.  I got a friendly apology but nothing else.

The Room

I booked a Superior Room - the standard room - but was upgraded to a Deluxe Room during check-in.  The Deluxe Room is larger by maybe 100 square feet.

The bed with lots of pillows.

The desk in the room provided enough space to actually be able get some work done.

Looking out the windows provided a nice view of part of the city.

The room had a long entry hallway between the door and the main part of the room.  The bathroom is off the side of this hallway.

The bathroom tub - separate from the shower.

The bathroom sink.

Toilet and shower.

Breakfast

I had breakfast in the room.  I like it when hotels bring food on a table if the room doesn't have a proper table.  As you can see, it was an extensive spread for a standard breakfast.  No complaints.

View From The Room

Videos

Video of the Deluxe Room:

Video of the Lobby:

Conclusion

The room was great and the hotel had many good restaurants.  It was also located directly on top of a labyrinth of underground shopping and low cost food options.  More importantly it was well connected to the public transportation network and had non-stop bus service to and from the airport.  However, the AAA card fiasco left a bad impression.

Diplomatic Suite at InterContinental Bangkok Photo and Video Review

This is part 4 of a 4 part series on the InterContinental Bangkok.  Part 1 covered the executive Club InterContinental Bangkok.  Part 2 covered the Corner Suite.  Part 3 covered the Ambassador Suite.

The Diplomatic Suite is located on the 33rd floor of the InterContinental Bangkok.  I stayed in this room last year.  I booked a corner suite.  Before arrival my Royal Ambassador upgrade was cleared for a club corner suite.  When I arrived the Club InterContinental agents informed me that they further upgraded me to one of the Ambassador Suites.  I then asked if it was possible to buy-up to the Diplomatic Suite.  "No problem," they said.  They wanted an extra 2000 THB/night (~$60).  "No problem," I replied.  By using a BOGO, I ended up paying $160/night for this amazingly large suite.

Here is the entrance:

Here is the living room:

Here is the small office/desk:

Here is the dining room:

Here is the bedroom:

Here is the bathroom:

Here is a video of the Diplomatic Suite:

As you can see the Diplomatic Suite is huge.  It is more than one person needs. The refurbishment program at the IC Bangkok should fix up the carpet, old TVs and furniture.  But even though it is a bit tired it is a comfortable suite and certainly worth trying to get. 

Ambassador Suite at InterContinental Bangkok Video and Photo Review

This is part 3 of a 4 part series on the InterContinental Bangkok.  Part 1 covered the executive Club InterContinental Bangkok.  Part 2 covered the Corner Suite.

There are two Ambassador Suites at the InterContinental Bangkok.  As you may recall from my Corner Suite review I didn't stay in the Corner Suite long because as a Royal Ambassador I was further upgraded to one of the Ambassador Suites once it became available.  From what I hear, Royal Ambassadors typically only get upgraded to Corner Suites or club access rooms.  So this was special.

Here is the living room:

Here is the wet bar:

Here is the bedroom:

The bathroom:

Here is a video of the Ambassador Suite:

The Ambassador Suite is a large suite.  But it is dated.  It needs new carpet and furniture.  The small old TVs also need to go. My understanding is that the Ambassador and other named suites are going to be refurbished soon. 

I enjoyed my stay in the suite.  I prefer it over the Corner Suite because of all the extra space.  Although I thought that the living room was too open.  It needed another couch or perhaps a table and chairs for 4.

I used a buy one night get one night free certificate (BOGO) and ended up paying 10,445 THB for two nights after taxes (~$320).  There are certainly cheaper options in Bangkok.  But this was quite a room for $160/night.

Next Tuesday you will see the Diplomatic Suite that I stayed in last year  It is even larger than the Ambassador Suite.

Corner Suite at InterContinental Bangkok Photo Review

This is part 2 of a 4 part series on the InterContinental Bangkok.  Part 1 covered the executive Club InterContinental Bangkok.

The InterContinental Bangkok recently remodeled their corner suites.  This is what they look like:

The living room:

The living room also has a work table with computer connections to put your computer on the flat screen tv.

The mini bar:

The bathroom:

Bedroom:

Because of my status with InterContinental I actually didn't spend the night in this room as I was further upgraded to the Ambassador Suite after a couple hours.  So there isn't much I can say about this room.  I like the refurbished style and the technology on the desk in the living room.  The living room and suite are a little small.  But I would stay in this room again. 

My understanding is this is the type of room that most Royal Ambassadors are now getting upgraded to.

Next Tuesday you will see the Ambassador Suite that I ended up staying in during my stay earlier this year.

Club InterContinental Bangkok Photo Review

This is part 1 of a 4 part series on the InterContinental Bangkok.

The Club InterContinental Bangkok is the executive lounge and club at the InterContinental Bangkok.  You can access the Club InterContinental by booking a club level room or paying an extra daily rate at check-in. 

If you booked a club level room or were upgraded to a club room when you check-in at the lobby you will be escorted to the club where the club staff will complete your check-in.  If you know you have club access you can save time by avoiding the lobby check-in staff.  Go straight to the club and they will take care of you.

The club provides multiple food presentations (breakfast, snacks, light dinner/hors d'oeuvre, and desserts), drinks (soda, coffee, tea, and water), computers, free wifi, and staff to assist you during your stay.  There is also a happy hour where alcoholic beverages are complimentary.

The entrance to the Club InterContinental Bangkok:

The club has several comfortable sitting areas:

While you are checked-in you are given a welcome beverage:

You can also get soda or other drinks while lounging at the club:

In the evening, you can get light dinner/hors d'oeuvre and complimentary wine (or other beverages):

In the morning you can get a continental breakfast from the buffet or order off the menu:

One morning I ordered an omelet:

Next Tuesday (June 3) you will see the new refurbished corner suites in part two of this four part series on the InterContinental Bangkok.

Four Part Series on the InterContinental Bangkok

Today you will find the first in a four part series - to be posted weekly on Tuesdays - that will give you a detailed photo review of parts of the InterContinental (IC) Bangkok. 

First we will explore the Club InterContinental lounge.  Next Tuesday we will move to the newly refurbished corner suites.  After that we will look at two of the named suites - the Ambassador Suite #1 followed by the Diplomatic Suite.

All of the photos in this series come from my Fall 2007 and Spring 2008 visits to the InterContinental Bangkok.

Grand Hyatt Tokyo Review and Pictures

During a trip to Thailand and Singapore last year I routed through Tokyo and intentionally gave myself a ~23 hour layover that allowed me to spend one night at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo.  I landed late in the afternoon at Narita airport.  Thankfully immigration was a breeze.  No questions.  The agent just printed out a 90 day visitor visa sticker and said "welcome to Japan."

Because I had no checked bags I headed straight to customs. The customs officer asked, "you are visiting on business?" I replied, "no, just transiting." "Welcome to Japan, enjoy your stay." I approve of friendly immigration and customs officials.  They typically set the first impression of a new country.

After leaving customs, I found my way to the ticket counter for the Friendly Airport Limo Bus. They asked where I was staying. I handing over 3,000 yen and waited 20 min for the next bus.

Once on the bus, I tried to stay awake but considering I had been awake since JFK, I crashed and slept through most of the bus ride. It was dark anyway so I don’t think I missed much.

The Grand Hyatt Tokyo is an outstanding hotel. The moment the bus pulled up, there were 4 bellmen waiting to take bags.  The bellmen who took my bag escorted me to the front desk and introduced me to the front desk agent by name.  I saw him glance at my luggage tag when he grabbed it from the bus driver.  He must have read my name from that as I never gave it to him.  Impressive.

Check-in was easy. The front desk agent told me that I was wise to take advantage of the Hyatt Faster Free Nights special. That's a promo Hyatt does periodically where you get one free night at just about any Hyatt worldwide after every two stays at any Hyatt.  So I was using my last Faster Free Night award that I got from two $60/night stays in California.  An amazing deal because the Grand Hyatt Tokyo is usually around $600 a night.

The front desk agent asked which newspaper I would like to receive in the morning and then after a quick check of my passport and credit card the agent gave the bellmen my room key.  The bellman escorted me to my room to give me the obligatory tour.

The room I had was the most basic room.  And it was grand.  Not a suite but still huge compared to most places in Tokyo.

On the bed was a card to hang outside the room asking which free room service beverage I would like complimentary in the morning for being a member of Hyatt Gold Passport program. I checked coffee.  It was delivered on-time with my pre-selected paper.

The room came with free high-speed Internet and complimentary bottles of water.

In the morning I had breakfast in the restaurant at the hotel before taking some pictures of the hotel.

After breakfast I walking around the neighborhood for a couple hours and explored some local shops and markets.  By noon I checked out and took a bus back to NRT to continue my trip.  Not a bad way to spend 23 hours. 

Learn tricks for getting hotel deals with Priceline

Some people swear by Priceline for getting cheap hotel rooms.  I'm not a regular user, but I've used it a few times when I didn't care where I stayed and wanted to save some bucks.

If you are willing to give up frequent guest program stay credits, points and perks you should learn more about how to use Priceline.  I suggest you check out The Eclectic Rebel Travel Blog and Directory's guide on using Priceline for some helpful tips and links to other Priceline resources: Beat The System: Killer Priceline Tricks For Hotel Deals:

Bidding on Priceline can pay off royally – getting 50-75% per night off lowest hotel prices – but it comes at a cost. You don’t get to pick the hotel, and if you screw up, you are stuck. Priceline’s cancellation policy is ironclad – they don’t give any...

Daily Blog Review: The BRG Blog

The BRG Blog is hotel and travel deal blog.  It is the source for information on how to use the Wyndham Worldwide Best Rate Guarantee (BRG) to get free hotel rooms when there are price mismatches between the corporate site and other booking sites.  From what I can gather, it takes some work to make a successful BRG claim and this blog breaks it all down for you. 

If you want fee hotel rooms you should spend some time reading the BRG Blog to see how it is done and where the hotel deals can be found.

The blog operator also runs a free e-mail list that you can join by giving him your e-mail address and he promises to e-mail you with new BRG hotel finds 2 hours before they get posted to his blog. 

Daily Travel Tip: Stay at Arizona's best resorts for less money by going in the summer

An easy way to stay at great resorts for less money is to go during the off season. 

In Arizona, the off season happens to be during the time most families vacation - the summer.  With the temperature often 100-110(F), few business conferences are taking place in the desert.   

Yeah, it's hot and not the best weather for golf, but if you want to spend your time lounging with the family (or by yourself) in the pool or enjoy a massage in a spa, Arizona's resorts during the summer can make a lot of sense.

Starting in April and May, most of the Arizona resorts start offering summer sales that are hard to beat.  Here is sample of three summer offers that are already being promoted by some of Arizona's top resorts:

The Westin has an offer for AAA members at their Scottsdale Kierland Resort and Spa:

AAA members - Discover The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa!
Delight in a stay at The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa and enjoy a great summer offer exclusively for AAA/CAA members:

    * Rates from $179 per night
    * $50 daily resort credit
    * Valid for stay between May 23, 2008 and September 14, 2008

To make your reservation click the Book Now link or call 866-716-8137 and ask for rate plan:  AUTOHOT.

With the daily resort credit, the effective room rate is only $129 per night.

The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess (one of my favorites in Scottsdale) has posted a summer offer:

Book an Only One Way Summer rate and you can earn triple airline miles*. OR, book before June 30, 2008 to receive a $50 food & beverage credit per night if you pay with any American Express® Card*.

Promotion Includes: Room Accommodation

Offer availability: This offer is valid from April 15 to September 2, 2008, subject to availability.

Rates:  Rates for this offer start from $179 plus taxes, based on double occupancy in a Fairmont room.

The Four Seasons Scottsdale offers a great spa package during the summer:

Enjoy deluxe accommodations and indulge in our luxurious spa. Use the fitness centre, steam room, sauna and relaxation lounge, and extend your enjoyment even further.

Includes:

    * Luxurious Casita accommodations
    * Two 50-minute spa services for every paid night
    * Spa gratuity

Offered:
June 01, 2008 - September 06, 2008

Premier Casita Room 550.00               
Deluxe Casita Room     525.00             
Standard Casita Room 505.00             
Partial View Casita Room 485.00   

Hyatt Regency Kiev

A Luxury Travel Blog posted last month about the Hyatt Regency Kiev.  I may be taking a trip to Kiev in 2009 and this will be one of the first hotels I research if the trip happens:

This new hotel has a fabulous location, lying in the very heart of the city centre. Overlooking the Old Town, which features many of Kiev’s many historical sights, the Hyatt Regency Kiev is within walking distance of the cathedral of St Sophia, Saint-Michael’s Monastery and the boutiques of Kreschatyk Street.

St. Regis Singapore

I stayed one night at the new St. Regis Singapore last month.  It opened this year. 

I booked it just before the Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) program raised the property from a Category 5 (12,000-16,000 points per night) to a Category 6 (20,000-25,000 points per night).  As the normal room rates are around $600 SGD ($436 USD) per night, this was a great use of 12,000 SPG points.  Now that it is a Category 6 (20,000-25,000 points), it is no longer a good use of SPG points.

I hear that they are good about upgrading SPG Platinums to suites.  As I am a nothing with SPG (read: gold), I got a standard room on a high floor.  Here are some pictures of the room:

The personal service was outstanding.  Every floor has a 24/7 butler.  Our butler restocked the towels and complimentary bottled water every time we left the room - even once when we were gone for less than ten minutes.  They have a DVD collection that your butler will retrieve DVDs from for you.

The infinity edge swimming pool is small but modern and comfortable.

I enjoyed a nice three hour dinner at the French lobby restaurant with an associate based in Singapore. It was pricey but the service was outstanding and the food was good to great. They couldn't find the bottle of wine that I ordered, so they provided complimentary glasses of another wine for us while they confirmed and fetched a replacement bottle.

The lobby buffet breakfast was excellent - with an extensive continental selection that was refreshed every few minutes and a menu of hot items that are cooked in the kitchen to order and brought to your table.

There is no club lounge, which is a big negative for some people.  However, the hotel does has several bars - including a wonderful wine cellar / wine bar.  The wine cellar provides a free wine tasting for one hour every day where all guests can try two reds and two whites for no charge.

It is located near the US Embassy and is a quick 10 minute walk to Orchard and the MRT station. 

For those of you who don't mind the cost (or are on business and it is within your expense range), the St. Regis Singapore is an outstanding choice.  The service is outstanding and the rooms are new, comfortable, and spacious.  If in Singapore on business, I would try to stay here again. 

But for a personal or vacation stay, it would be hard to justify the ~$600 SGD ($436 USD) per night that they are currently charging with the other options available in Singapore. 

The BRG Blog

This morning I found a link to The BRG Blog.  This is the blog to go to for information about Wyndham's Best Rate Guarantee program.  If you are looking for free hotel rooms and other travel deals this looks like a good blog to follow.