I usually love every Kimpton Hotel I meet, but I finally met one that was underwhelming. Welcome to my Kimpton Vividora Barcelona review, a.k.a. staying in a dorm room. Quirky, cute, but still a dorm room. It is located on a small, pedestrian side street near La Rambla, and the lobby seemed promising and charming. […]

Did I just stay at a hotel that may be my new favorite? I am on a trip to Mallorca after visiting Madrid and Barcelona. I left Alex and Jess in Barcelona and flew to Mallorca to meet another of my daughters. First stop: Nobis Hotel Palma in Mallorca, Spain. It was love at first […]

​The Thompson Madrid is a luxurious hotel situated in the heart of Madrid, near the Gran Vía and the Puerta del Sol. It was also a quick walk to the Plaza Mayor, the largest square in Madrid. It’s smack in the center of Madrid, in fact, and close to tons of dining, shopping, and nightlife. […]

Have you ever checked into a hotel and immediately knew it wasn’t the hotel for you? I recently had this happen on a stay at the Zoëtry Mallorca. I was on a girls’ getaway with my daughter, Lindsey, and the theme of our trip was supposed to be luxury. Our stay at the Nobis Palma […]

Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa is a luxury eco-resort in the Arenal Volcano region of Costa Rica. It is famous for its natural hot springs, lush rainforest setting, and world-class spa. Recently, we stayed there for three nights after completing a four-night stay at the Andaz Peninsula Papagayo Resort.   This hotel is part of the […]

If you want adventure or relaxation (or both!) in Costa Rica, Rio Perdido might be just what you’re looking for. Set within a 1,500-acre private reserve, Rio Perdido offers everything from cliffside yoga to a mile-long thermal river to a canyon adventure. Here’s how we did it on points and miles….   Getting There We […]

Sigh. I have started another Park Hyatt love affair. Here is my Park Hyatt Bangkok review—for an all-too-short stay of just one night that I would love to repeat. Park Hyatt Bangkok is a luxurious five-star hotel located in the heart of Bangkok’s central business district, next to the upscale Central Embassy Mall. It is […]

Let’s be real—luxury travel isn’t just about five-star service and plush robes. It’s about stepping into a world that feels tailor-made for you, where every moment is crafted to perfection. You can now unlock some of the most incredible stays worldwide with your Hilton points, thanks to their partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the […]

I fell in love with Japan the first time I visited, and it’s still my favorite country after this most recent visit. Ted, Ella, Molly, and I spent spring break in Tokyo and Kyoto, and we had the best time!  Here’s my review of Hyatt House Tokyo Shibuya, where we spent four nights. It will […]

Whatever part of the world you’re traveling to, Hyatt has an aspirational hotel that can be as memorable as your destination. While these stays could cost hundreds or thousands of dollars if paid in cash, you can book them with our favorite points—Hyatt points! While they will cost more points than your average hotel, with […]

If you love temperate climates, cobblestone streets, and delicious food, San Miguel de Allende is for you! This colonial-era city is located in Mexico about four hours north of Mexico City. My husband and I spent three nights at Numu Boutique Hotel San Miguel de Allende (part of the Unbound Collection by Hyatt), and fell […]

Hyatt Guest of Honor bookings are an amazing feature of the World of Hyatt program, whether you’re the person earning the award or the person who gets to use it! A Hyatt Guest of Honor (GOH) award is a fabulous Milestone Award you can earn. Once you’ve earned it, you can give it to someone […]

It won’t shock you to learn that each of us has the World of Hyatt Credit Card. While this card doesn’t currently have a huge welcome offer, it does give cardholders five elite-night credits on that help on the journey to earning Globalist status. Additionally, one of the best benefits of this card is that […]

Now’s the time to cash in those points for a stay at one of Marriott’s most jaw-dropping, envy-inducing properties. Sometimes you just need to splurge a little. Today we are all about over-the-top Marriott stays. Let’s put your hard-earned points to work at one of these 15 aspirational Marriott properties to book on points!  From […]

Hyatt has announced their award chart changes for 2025. Before we get into some of the not-so-good news, here’s the GREAT news—the Hyatt award chart is still around. Hyatt is our favorite brand because of the oversized value it offers, and the award chart is a huge part of that. There has been some speculation […]

Accommodating a family of five or more in Europe on points can be daunting. Luckily, if you’re heading to London, the Hyatt Regency London Blackfriars offers one of the best values for your large family! Our family of five spent four nights at the Hyatt Regency London Blackfriars over New Year’s Eve and was thoroughly […]

I’ve really enjoyed my stays at the Thompson Central Park in NYC and The Cape, a Thompson Hotel in Cabo San Lucas. We have our own Thompson Hotel in Denver, but I hadn’t stayed there until recently, and I thought it was about time that I did, so I could review it! Spoiler alert: I […]

Small Luxury Hotels of the World is a group of almost 600 hotels in more than 90 countries that are independently owned and luxury-minded. If staying in a chain hotel isn’t your thing, and you like a unique experience, these hotels are perfect! They are smaller than chain hotels, averaging about 50 rooms, and offer […]

My latest stay in Greece was on the island of Crete at the Marriott Domes Zeen Chania Resort. My daughter, Kelly, had stayed there earlier and really enjoyed it. I wanted to stay in Crete, so I chose it as our destination. Crete is a huge island, and there are many different chain hotels to […]

Credit cards that offer points that can be redeemed for hotel stays are an important part of our points and miles journey.  Sometimes, we get a card and don’t want to pay the annual fee, but did you know that there are hotel credit cards worth keeping every year? I have several that I get […]

Hyatt Globalist status is the most coveted hotel status out there, and for good reason. While it normally takes 60 qualifying nights with Hyatt to reach it, I managed to earn it in 2023 without staying quite so many nights. Here’s how I did it….   First, a Recap:  What Is Included With Hyatt Globalist […]