DISchurners Hotel Reviews Thread (extension of I love credit cards so much! thread)

We used Free Tours by Foot in New York as well and have always been pleased. The groups get big, but if you don't think it is worth while, just pay/tip less at the end or leave the group early. On this trip, one of our guides was actually a 5th grade teacher who does tours on weekends and holidays!
 
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Back from Hawaii, and I'll also try to put together some thoughts (I'd hesitate to call them "reviews") of the Royal Hawaiian and Sheraton Waikiki.

Some initial thoughts:

I loved the Royal Hawaiian for all its history and location as a retreat away from the overdevelopment and hustle of Waikiki, and my daughter who loves all things princess and pink adored staying in a "pink palace" and loved all the beautiful Christmas decorations; but my wife prefers hotels that are more "contemporary" and "clean" (that's not to say the Royal Hawaiian is "dirty"). The Royal Hawaiian shares grounds with the Sheraton Waikiki (and they're both owned by the same company, Kyo-ya), so staying at the Royal Hawaiian gives access to most of the Sheraton's amenities, including the Helumoa Playground and Pools (which was a big hit with my daughter), and room charging between the properties and their shops and restaurants (gotta earn those 10x Marriott points + elite bonus on room charges and pay with a Marriott/SPG card to earn 6x more!). The two hotels also share the same stretch of Waikiki Beach right next to each other, and it doesn't get more convenient than just stepping off the hotel grounds and feeling that fine Waikiki sand between your toes. While all beaches in Hawaii are public, this particular stretch is somewhat hidden by the hotels and never gets too crowded unlike further down Waikiki Beach. I want to go back!

My wife liked the Sheraton Waikiki more, initially, and it's a more modern hotel for sure. The lobby, shops, and grounds are really nice and well-maintained. However, the Sheraton has 3x the rooms of the Royal Hawaiian and the crowds and foot traffic that comes with all those additional guests; the rooms are in need of updating; the walls, floors and ceilings are thin; and being so high up gives you great views but (depending on where is your room) you have to take it in with all the noise and bustle of the city all around you. We had an amazing westward (Ewa-side) view of Waikiki, Ala Moana and Kakaako, out all the way towards Waipahu and Ewa Beach from up high on the 25th Floor. But we were next to the parking garage for the Royal Hawaiian [Shopping] Center and the Royal Hawaiian and Sheraton Hotels, and could hear car alarms even with the balcony door closed (we didn't experience a break-in and I don't want to say the alarms were even triggered by any break-ins, but I suppose practice due diligence as always). We were also next to the old Waikiki Parc Hotel, which you can see in earlier pictures has been completely gutted and is in the process of being renovated into a newly rebranded hotel. Construction noise wasn't very noticeable over the normal buzz of city traffic. That said, we heard the Sheraton Waikiki is going to start a two-year, $100M renovation of its guest rooms this year, and it's well past time, but that may affect decisions to stay at the Sheraton in the near future. We stayed at the Sheraton over New Year's Eve, and stayed up to watch the fireworks from our balcony. We understood everyone was in a festive mood -- we were too! -- and tried to be accommodating; but our next door neighbors that night had way more guests than they probably should've had in their room, and we could hear them blowing kazoos and their TV on loud until almost 2 a.m. when we called the front desk to complain. The next morning, their iPhone started sounding the piercing "Radar" alarm at 6 a.m. and it went on for over 15 minutes before I decided I had to wake up anyway and went down to complain to the front desk. My wife was not amused. The neighbor situation got better after that party checked out later on New Year's Day, but we could still hear the occasional heavy thuds and banging above and around us. If you don't plan to be in your room the entire time (and why would you while you're in Hawaii?), the Sheraton is in a great location and not a bad way to use 50k Marriott points (or a SPG Lux FN cert).
 
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Le Meridian New Orleans- 3 nights June 2018

Hotel is part of Marriott (SPG). I had no status but I was a member of SPG Rewards program and that was noted on my reservation, this resulted in a high room on a floor reserved for “Starwood Preferred Guest Level”. The view was nice and the friend traveling with me thought it was the coolest thing that I was getting a special perk even thought I was like “it’s free to join...” Idk if this has changed with the programs merger into Marriott Rewards complete but the lesson stands- always join a hotel’s Rewards program when it’s free, you don’t know what you might get :)

The rooms were like slices of pie which was weird. The tip was the door, but it worked. Funky room architecture went with the feel of the hotel. Rooms felt upscale as I expected (but this was my first Le Meridian so idk how it compares to others within the brand).

About 5 min walk to the riverfront streetcar (at the Hilton stop). 15-20 min walk to the French Quarter without a streetcar (depends on where you’re going). 10 min walk to the St Charles Street Car. The Riverfront Trolley drops you right near Cafe Dumonde, which is right near the horse drawn carriages FYI.

Grabbed latte at the espresso bar in the morning that was actually ok. On weekends they had a crazy looking Bloody Mary Bar! Didn’t have a chance to check out the pool.

The feel of the hotel was neat, if not weird. No, I don’t understand what was with the upside down furniture or the video they played of the artist carrying that chair around on his back but- whatever! Something to ponder while one waits for an elevator.

They had issues with roomkeys and elevators and we had to have them reprogrammed a couple times. The front desk was apologetic and said something about elevator system having issues with the keys (you need a key to go up the elevator).

It’s located far enough away from FQ noise is not a problem, transport is within walking distance as stated above. We Ubered to the hotel from the airport.

Who do I recommend this hotel for? People who are in ok shape to walk a bit. Couples or friends traveling together. Children could be a problem reigning in. (Look at the photos online and you’ll see the lobby has seats surrounded by all sorts of books and stuff kids could just make a mess of. Nice atmosphere, but not great for parents trying to control kids in such a tempting environment.)

Uber/Lyft are great if you’re going out at night. High heels + cobblestone = trouble. Save your feet, save your ankles, grab the ride share!

I would not want a car, parking is a pain in that area. Also, both hotels I stayed at charged like $45/day for parking so definitely check parking rates if you intend to drive to NOLA.
 
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Hilton New Orleans Riverside- 1 night June 2018

Stayed here the last night, it was arranged by my friend who was staying for a conference.

Highly recommend for convenient access to the Riverfront Trolley. There is a mall attached/near (I can’t recall if we had to walk outside to enter the mall) which was nice when it was pouring outside and we wanted a quick bite to eat.

Rooms were totally blah. Average Hilton room.

Who is it for? People who have some trouble walking too much, getting around in general and those with strollers. It’s tempting to stay French Quarter for a first trip to NOLA but if you or anyone in your party has trouble getting around stay away from those little FQ hotels, stay in a big hotel where you can get around it easy. One of my family’s regrets from a previous trip was staying in the FQ because my grandmother sprained her ankle trying to climb a staircase in the dark to get to our rooms the night before we left on a cruise. My parents & her had been advised actually to stay at the Hilton for accessibility reasons but didn’t- huge mistake obviously!
 
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We used Free Tours by Foot in New York as well and have always been pleased. The groups get big, but if you don't think it is worth while, just pay/tip less at the end or leave the group early. On this trip, one of our guides was actually a 5th grade teacher who does tours on weekends and holidays!
We used them in Las Vegas. They were great. Plan to use them in Toronto and Quebec City this summer.
 
Residence Inn by Marriott New York Manhattan/Central Park

We stayed at the Residence Inn January 12. It was supposed to be a one night stay, but an incoming snowstorm forced us to leave later in the day. Therefore, this is only a partial review, as I won't be able to comment on room noise at night, bed comfort, etc. The RI sits on top of the Courtyard Manhattan/Central Park, and is one of the tallest hotels in North America.

We arrived at the RI around 9 AM 1/12/19. Our room wasn't ready yet. Everyone who stays at the RI gets complimentary breakfast, so the front desk gave us a key to the 3rd floor so we could have breakfast while we waited. That was nice. DW is Platinum Elite, so once our room was ready, we were given a choice of a welcome gift - 250 Marriott points, or something from the hotel snack bar. I opted for a local beer, since 250 Marriott points are essentially worthless.

Platinum Elite gave us an upgrade. We booked a standard king, and were upgraded to a Grand Times Square View. The front desk person called it one of the best rooms in the entire building. The room was on the 61st floor, so the view was certainly breathtaking. The room itself was surprisingly small, even by New York City standards. There was a small kitchenette, bed, bathroom, and chair fit into a pretty small space. It worked, but I couldn't imagine staying here more than a night or two. I don't think I could do a full week in such a small space.

The real problem with this hotel was the mold on the ceiling of the shower. It was pretty gross. I'd almost expect this from, say, a cheap roadside motel, but not a Residence Inn. The hotel has long been rated one of the best and nicest hotels in Manhattan on Trip Advisor, so I'm inclined to believe this was a weird one-off rather than a problem until I see otherwise. You can see it in the picture, though.

All in all, this hotel is surprisingly only 35k Marriott points per night, which means you can use the annual free night from the Marriott and SPG credit cards here. It's hard not to recommend this - great value for the points and a great location at W 54th and Broadway, near the 57th St subway station (NQRW). The 50th St subway (CE) is also nearby. If you're traveling to NYC for a Broadway show, it's a great location.
 

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Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City, Arlington, VA

We returned again to the RC Pentagon City for the night of January 19, for DW's annual company party. DW is Marriott Platinum Elite, but given what I had heard about Ritz, I wasn't expecting much - they aren't too concerned with your status. And indeed, we were not offered an upgrade at check-in. Also, no complimentary breakfast. No worries, it's not important to us. The Platinum welcome gift was a choice of 1,000 Marriott points, the cocktail of the day, cookies, local beer, or truffles. We opted for truffles, and were brought a small plate of 5 (picture attached).

This is a very nice hotel with spacious rooms connected to a large shopping center. The Pentagon City metro station is directly outside (blue/yellow), making getting to Arlington Cemetery or into DC proper fast and easy. The beds are comfortable and the rooms quiet. Not much else to say about this one - well worth a visit if you're trying to avoid DC proper. We did not try the on-site restaurant.
 

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DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel at the Entrance to Universal Orlando - King Room Universal View
http://doubletree3.hilton.com/en/ho...rance-to-universal-orlando-MCOUNDT/index.html

Travel Dates: January 10-12, 2019
  • The cash rate for 2 nights was $290.25
  • We redeemed 60,000 Hilton Points (30k per night) to stay for free (standard/non view rooms were 27k per night)
  • We got free breakfast due to having Hilton Gold status (through my AMEX Hilton Biz) but didn't use it
SFF hit this one already but I wanted to add that they are building a pedestrian bridge over the major road. I would definitely stay here again for a quick trip/Universal portion of a trip, especially if it was a slow time where I wasn't too worried about EP or to save $$ and only buy EP, not pay for hotel room. The Fri-Sat we spent at Universal here wait times topped out at ~1hr, that was mostly for Gringotts/Hulk/RipRideRockit. Everything else stayed 20-30mins or less really so we were fine with no EP.
The best part of this property is that it is walk-able to Universal Studios. It's basically across the road from Portofino Bay. It was approximately 15 minute walk to the CityWalk entrance. You enter the Universal "security zone" via the escalators from the Valet parking. The walk was relatively pleasant (there is a sidewalk the whole way) and you only cross one major road, otherwise you're in fairly calm territory.

I don't have any personal pictures from the hotel. I would recommend this property to anybody looking to use Hilton points on a Universal trip. Otherwise it's very out of the way from Disney, SeaWorld and all the fun and restaurants on I-Drive.

I guess I only took a bathroom photo? So I stole a room photo from the website.

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(probably because I mainly cared that the vanity was in the bathroom, not my favorite hotel set up)

Universal View
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Because I care about these things...
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Pedestrian Bridge Progress in Jan 2019
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DoubleTree Disney Springs - 1bdrm King Suite
https://doubletree3.hilton.com/en/h...rlando-disney-springs-area-MCOFHDT/index.html

Travel Dates: January 12-14, 2019
  • The cash rate for 2 nights was $312.75
  • We redeemed 64,000 Hilton Points (32k per night) to stay for free
  • We got free breakfast due to having Hilton Gold status (through my AMEX Hilton Biz) but didn't use it
  • Charge for parking, $20 a night?
  • All DS hotels share a bus from my understanding, they either go to MK and Epcot via TTC, or AK/DHS
  • 10-15min walk to Disney Springs, or there is a bus every 20-30min
  • DS hotels now get EMHs and 60 day FPs
    • We didn't do 60 day FP because we didn't plan the trip that far out, but your regular confirmation number from these hotels should link into MDE - mine did no issues on the website (app gave trouble), only problem is I forgot to put 2 guests on the reservation :blush: so they gave us a paper voucher for DH for EMHs
This was not a bad place to stay but we are spoiled by being on site. We took the bus to MK one day, it was an hour from hotel to park entrance - waited about 20min for the bus, 20ish min to get to TTC, and 20ish min to get through Security and take the Express Monorail around. Not a bad option. We got there about 20min after park open and the bus was maybe 1/3 full. We hopped to Epcot and hung out at the boardwalk for a bit after park close so we ubered back. We ubered to AK the next day there and back. Staff was really nice here. I have enough points for about 3 nights here still which we may use for another weekend trip. Personal opinion: I'd also consider it in the future with family, if it was significant cost savings (either cash or points) with having your own car or paying for uber to parks vs on site (again, we are spoiled by on site and it's hard to convince DH to stay off site right now, if you are good with off site this could be a good option).

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@amalone1013 how did you decide on the DT? We used to stay at the Hilton right across from DTD for our arrival night when we lived in SC and drove to wdw. I am looking at DT, that hilton, a hilton palace, and a bonnet creek...tho I feel like bonnet creek is too far for me. I'd like to try the WA but it is sold out.
 
Residence Inn Central Park, NY.

Free night certificates from SPG business or Marriott Premier card.

Hotel offers free breakfast. Love the location! It is 7 short block from TKTS and just around the corner from The Broadway Theater.

King bed room and very small but good for 2 people. There is a kitchenette with refrigerator and freezer located in a drawer and so is the microwave. The front desk was very nice and the service was great. The grout in the shower could have used a better scrubbing but outside of that pretty clean. I’d definitely stay here again.



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@amalone1013 how did you decide on the DT? We used to stay at the Hilton right across from DTD for our arrival night when we lived in SC and drove to wdw. I am looking at DT, that hilton, a hilton palace, and a bonnet creek...tho I feel like bonnet creek is too far for me. I'd like to try the WA but it is sold out.
I thought I had replied... ashamed :o And probably unhelpful now, but mainly it was because the Hilton and Hilton Palace ones were 10k+ more points per night. That leaves me with enough to do another 3 nights at the DT if we do a weekend-er trip again. Also DT basically dropped in price the most... all locations started at 50k a night and went down as it got closer.
 
The Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa

The resort is about an hour away from the Dubai airport and located on a National Park Conservation Reserve for the Arabian Oryx, a white antelope that was brought back from the brink of extinction.

There are 42 suites and the Bedouin suite is the one we booked with points. The resort is all inclusive with 3 meals a day and 2 activities per day.

Activity choices include falconry, archery, nature walks, game drive, camel ride with sundowner and more. Each suite has its own private pool and beautiful view. We visited in March and had great weather. I would caution any later in the Spring or Summer as the heat can be unbearable and the reptiles come out of hibernation. We do intend to come back around the same time or October which is also supposed to be good.


Currently an award stay is 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. Award bookings get 5th night free. We booked at 60k per night when SPG was. 1:3 transfer. However, we would do this again in a heartbeat at the current rate and would even transfer Chase UR or Amex MR to do it again. I almost never transfer UR or MR to anything except airlines for international first class. Therefore, I consider this property very high on the princess bucket list and worth using those points.

The food has been simply outstanding! The service is great too! The lobby and dining room are a good distance away so they send a “buggy” (golf cart) to pick you up whenever you are ready for a meal. You can also order your meals in with room service instead if you choose. The buggy also picks you up for your daily activities.

I love that the local wildlife is abundant and literally come right up to your door or pool with no fear. Seeing gazelles so close and having them just stroll beside you going about their business is a pretty amazing experience. The birds are also pretty fearless like at WDW and will hop on your plate to share a meal if you give them a chance. Feeding the wildlife is discouraged but the birds don’t seem to care.

Bedouin suite

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Private plunge pool outside of the suite

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Bath and shower in the suite

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View from private pool outside of the suite

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Lobby area

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Camels headed to sunset camel ride with sundowner. I was in the private pool and spotted them.

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Falconry demonstration

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Private torch light dinner in the dunes. This was so romantic and worth the extra cost.

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Conrad Rangali Maldives - a Hilton property.

We booked over water bungalows for 95k Hilton points per night which is a standard award. I did have to piece it together as I was unable to find consecutive nights but kept checking until I did. I emailed the property and requested combining the separate reservations and they did.

Getting to the property requires a 30 minute flight on a seaplane from Male. This flight is a little over $500 per person. We were able to cover the flight by using the $250 resort credit that comes as a benefit with the Hilton Aspire card. DH and I each have this card. We booked the resort in 2018 for our stay in 2019. I emailed the resort in 2018 and asked if we could each make a payment of $250 towards our reservation. They did and the amount was credited. Then, we used the card for room charges which include the seaplane during our stay in order to take advantage of $250 resort credit for 2019.

Food in the Maldives is very expensive. A burger is $37 at the property. Fortunately, Gold and Diamond status members get free breakfast, afternoon tea and happy hour. The Aspire card comes with automatic Diamond status. This also allowed us to request and receive a late checkout of 3 pm. The complimentary breakfast can be had at Atoll Marketplace or Vilu. Atoll Marketplace has a huge buffet breakfast, tons of variety across 8 stations. Vilu is much smaller but also has items that can be ordered via menu and has much better views. The table and cup of tea pictured below is at Vilu where we enjoying the complimentary afternoon tea and finger sandwiches.

The Conrad Rangali is home to the first ever underwater restaurant, Ithaa. The restaurant seats 14 people so reservations should be made asap. The menu and price are fixed. Options for dining include lunch which is 4 courses or dinner which includes a champagne reception, 7 courses and is $325 per person. A couple of service fees 10% and 12% are also added to the bill. Our bill for 2 dinners and no extras was $800.80. There is also a cocktail hour that doesn’t include food for $75. I don’t recall the price for lunch. It was a bucket list experience for me.

There are a number of excursions available to book for those who want more activity.

There are 2 islands on the property and each is accessible by boat or walking across the bridge. The boat runs back and forth continuously from 7 am until midnight.

The water is crystal clear and beautiful! There are shades of blue and turquoise that don’t look real. Pictures don’t seem to capture how lovely it really is. The staff and service are wonderful. The property itself and the villa we stayed in is a little dated. If I were paying $1300 per night I might be a bit miffed. It’s points so I don’t care to be honest as I have really enjoyed the stay. I wouldn’t mind coming back again for a longer stay.

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JW Marriott Marco Island FL
We booked a Fri-Sun, 2 night stay, at 50K points per night (now 60K) for a tropical view guest room. Member cash rate $496/night.

Located about 45 minutes south of RSW (Fort Myers airport). We picked up a car at RSW. There is a Hertz rental desk onsite. Parking is available acrosss the street $20/night for self park. $25/night for valet. We used valet as we arrived late.

We applied suite night awards (Platinum elite) and were excited to find out we secured an upgrade to a Terrace suite! All suites are located on the 11th floor, the top floor. The suite was beautiful with a large living room, huge bedroom, 1.5 baths, and an enormous terrace. Nicely appointed, loved the ceiling fan in the bedroom. (Which we miss in the DVC rooms.)

As platinum elite members, we were offered 1000 points or continental breakfast in the restaurant. We chose breakfast for two. We enjoyed the breakfast both mornings. The second morning, our waiter asked my DH up if we were interested in upgrading to the full buffet. My DH did not ask what the upgrade would have cost. THe continental breakfast had all of the usual offerings and was all we needed. The buffet looked very nice with fresh omelets, pancakes or waffles and other hot offerings. We also ate lunch one day at the pizza restaurant which was good. Drinks at the Tiki bar were strong and expensive. They have delicious frozen drinks...but bring your own straw as the paper straws are not good for frozen drinks!!! Automatic 18% service fee was added to the bills.

They have a nice schedule of resort activities posted. However, when we went to find the corn hole tournament, we found out it wasn’t running. The pools were crowded but we were able to find 2 chairs around noon. Your resort fee includes beach chairs and umbrella. The resort fee was not waived on points stays. The in room guest WiFi did not work at all in our room or in the restaurant.

The beach is beautiful. It is a wide, firm, easily walkable beach. Tons of shells. I don’t think I’d want to walk it barefoot.

Overall we loved it. It was a splurge on points but we felt it was worth it.

I’ll try to figure out how to post pictures!
 
Residence Inn by Marriott New York/Downtown Manhattan/World Trade Center

https://www.marriott.com/hotels/tra...ea/?scid=bb1a189a-fec3-4d19-a255-54ba596febe2

Stayed here April 6 with my adult daughter. Our main reasons for choosing this hotel were that we were going to just be in lower Manhattan, free breakfast, and two beds. It was hard to find a hotel in NYC in the area we wanted that had two beds.

This hotel is super convenient to the 9/11 Museum and Memorial; just a couple minute walk away. We also walked to the hotel from the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge after walking the bridge. This was a bit longer. Maybe 10-15 minutes. The hotel is very close to the Fulton St. Subway station, or if you are at the 9/11 Memorial, you can walk underground from the Oculus to the station. Lots of subway lines operate from Fulton Street. My daughter traveled to/from Penn Station and I came into Grand Central, and there were lines for both of us to get directly to our stations.

We had a fifth floor street view room, but the room was facing Maiden Street, not Broadway, and it was very quiet. Lots of restaurants in the area. The room had a full fridge, microwave, and sink, but no stove. Unfortunately, we wanted ice, and the ice machine was not operational in our refrigerator, nor did I see signs in the hallway for ice machines. I suppose I could have asked at the front desk, but it wasn't a huge issue.

Bathroom was average size, beds were comfy, and room was clean, with one kind of funny exception. In the late afternoon, when the sun shone a particular way, I could see a small child's greasy handprint on the closet that wasn't visible most of the time. Just goes to show you how much of a hotel room does NOT get cleaned between visitors.

Breakfast was okay, but not a huge variety of foods. Not many different kinds of pastry and I believe there were only two flavors of yogurt available. Still, it was acceptable to us.

I used 35000 Marriott (can't make myself write Bonblech) points. I'm not sure what the cash price was when I booked the room, but I know as we got closer to our date, it was around $300. I'm pretty sure it wasn't that high when I booked it, though.

My daughter and I will be doing another girls weekend in the fall, and if we decide to do Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty on our next trip, I'd definitely consider this hotel again.
 

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