I booked the Hyatt Grand Reserve Puerto Rico and was told at the hotel that I would receive the Globalist perks. I did not. Many had written in the comments that the solution for this is to gift the cert to me (see I Should Receive Globalist Perks with Ms. TPOL’s Booking). Today, Hyatt confirmed this.
I show that you did book your reservation at Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico on that same day and then called in on the following day to apply the award.
The Grand Reserve would not be able to apply your husbands Globalist benefits to your reservation since it was under your name.
Yes, you are correct in that if you had gifted the free night award to your husband, and put the reservation under his name, you would have received the globalist benefits. Unfortunately, I am unable to make any changes now that you have completed your stay.
While that is great for future reference, I am still upset that I received a second-class stay. I am seeking millions in restitution! Stay tuned.
I have my tickets to the World Cup (see Is TPOL Going to The World Cup?). And now, I have the Urban Turban available for all 32 countries participating in this great event. Pre-order today for delivery worldwide before the World Cup!
Ms. TPOL’s Chase stay certificate was expiring this week (see Don’t Let Your Chase Hyatt Cert Expire). With nowhere to go, I booked a stay at the Hyatt Grand Reserve Puerto Rico, a resort located down the street from my home (see Hyatt Grand Reserve Puerto Rico: Good But Grand?). The reason her certificate almost lapsed is that I want to make the most of my Globalist status while I have it (see Becoming Hyatt Globalist Again: TPOL’s Masterpiece Strategy). When I checked into the hotel, I gave them my Globalist number in the hopes that they might extend some of the perks. They did not. While I didn’t care if I received a room upgrade, I thought that asking for free breakfast wouldn’t be a big deal. The next day when they said no, I decided to take my ball and go home, mooting the point as to whether I would have been granted late check-out.
I’m not mad at the hotel. They are following Hyatt’s rules. I am annoyed with Hyatt for having this bad policy. It makes no sense that I can transfer points from Ms. TPOL’s account and book a room in my name and receive Globalist perks, but I can’t transfer the cert to my name and receive the same. I had two options: 1) See the world from a peasant Discoverist point of view for one night. 2) Let the e-cert expire. Who is going to do the second? What’s also vexing is that I won’t receive a credit for the stay. Next year I won’t have this problem as neither of us will have status.
I’m sure there is some annoying person out there that will agree with Hyatt. So have at it in the comments section if you do.
I just wrote about how I try to track everything regarding credit card benefits (see World of Hyatt Business: $100 Statement Credits Per Year). What I do not have on my check-in list, I leave to AwardWallet to track. A few months ago, I received a notification that Ms. TPOL’s Chase Hyatt Cert was expiring. Trying to make use of my Globalist status, I put off using her cert in favor of making bookings under my name. Interestingly, I have only stayed at two Hyatts this year: the Grand Hyatt Istanbul and the Park Hyatt: St. Kitts, leaving me to wonder what good is status if I don’t use it. Last week, I received another notification that the cert was set to expire on August 8th. As a great lawyer (visit BachuwaLaw.com) who does not read the fine print, I thought that the cert was good so long as the booking was made before the 8th. That is not the case. The first sentence of the terms and conditions reads, “Free Night Award must be redeemed in connection with a reservation with a checkout date before the award expiration date.” My attempts to extend it proved futile.
Having too many credit cards makes it difficult to keep up with the benefits of each. I have a running list of perks/minimum spends that I review weekly to ensure that I don’t miss anything. Despite this proactive strategy, I still miss things. This time I almost missed that the Chase World of Hyatt Business card comes with a $100 statement credit. Specifically, cardholders earn a $50 statement credit, up to twice per anniversary year (for a total of $100), when you spend $50 or more at any Hyatt property. Last month, I stayed at the Park Hyatt St. Kitts. I charged the ferry to Nevis and the dinner to my room. When I reviewed the charges on my World of Hyatt Business Credit Card, I noticed a $50 credit.
In the old days, I was more attentive to such things. Now, I am increasingly sloppy, like Willie.
It didn’t take long for me to fall behind on Trip Reports. I have not finished Punxsutawney TPOL from 2021, and I am getting ready to leave before finishing the much anticipated Iraqi Homecoming Report. Nevertheless, here’s the great content from the month of July.
I just wrote about my love of the Radisson brand (see Park Inn Tallinn: Good Enough for Me), but that was due to the global footprint, not the tidiness of the hotels. While I have stayed at few Radissons that were more luxurious (see Radisson Cape Town), most have been basic. Surprisingly the Radisson Kaunas was anything but.
I have been trying to battle my train anxiety by being more prepared (see “Tickets, Please, Tickets”: Train Anxiety). Going from Vilnius to Kaunas, I proactively booked online to avoid having to use a mysterious machine at the train station, going to the station to discover the train is sold out, or having to wait in an endless line to buy a ticket from a live human. This time, I arrived early and readily found the platform. I was nervous because the display read ‘Kauna’ and not ‘Kaunas.’ I Googled to double-check that these were not two distinct places. Apart from a quick photo, I boarded as soon as the train arrived.
I was seated in car 1 seat 1 and was reassured when the monitor in the train said Kaunas with an “s.” Moments later, the moment I always dread arrived – “Ticket please.”
I had my tickets ready. He scanned them. It went through and then he said, “You actually booked a first-class ticket, that’s upstairs.” Stunned, I asked if it was nicer upstairs. He said yes. Even when I think I do it right, I still do not.
Upstairs
The express train to Kaunas is only an hour-long, giving me plenty of time to write this review but fortunately not enough time to take a nap, preventing me from failing to get off at the correct stop.
Do you know what Marriott benefits you receive when you stay at the Hotel Pacai Vilnius, a member of the Design Hotels? None. There was no free breakfast and there was no option to use a suite upgrade. Having said that, there was welcome champagne, even at 1:21am in the morning (see airBaltic: When It Finally Takes Off).
Room
I was ‘upgraded,’ leaving me to wonder what a standard room looked like in comparison. I had no complaints about the room itself. It had the amenities required for a restful stay: a comfortable bed, strong Wi-Fi, and a Nespresso machine.
Still vs. Sparkling
I get very annoyed when I check into European hotels, and they have one bottle of still and one bottle of sparkling. Either have two of each or have still. Who’s waking up in the middle of the night craving sparkling? And who is drinking sparkling at room temperature? How am I supposed to hydrate myself and fill up the Nespresso?
The only sparkling should be the bubbles.
Balcony
It was May when I stayed here and even then it was cold. The balcony is a nice area to relax, but I can’t imagine it being of much use most of the year.
Bathroom
This was another loathsome euro shower tub. It did have the infinity function but I was barely able to fit underneath it.
A Note on Light Switches
As a never-ending remodeler, I appreciate the small touches like the tile work in the bathroom and this light switch.
Where else would you find such a granular review?
Hotel Itself
The original structure was built in 1677. It is a beautiful building that reminded me of one of my favorite hotels, the Park Hyatt Buenos Aires.
Hotel Pacai blending into the Old Town
Location
I stayed here because it is located in the heart of old town. The Park Inn in Tallinn was a ten-minute walk to old town which is advantageous for those looking to avoid tourist traps (see Old Town? Tourist Trap Or Timeless) but inconvenient for those short on time looking to explore.
Entrance from the streetCourtyardEntrance from the street
Spa
Included in the stay was access to the sauna and Turkish dry hammam. I could only withstand the 80C sauna for a few minutes. The hammam was just right for a mid-day nap.
Golden showerSaunaTurkish dry hammamPlace ot nap
Price
I stayed for two nights at a nice price of 25k points per night. With Marriott’s never-ending devaluation, this was a steal in points and a good value considering the room goes for $235/night.
Overall
At Hotel Pacai, despite having status, I did not have any perks. Yet, somehow, I survived.
Apart from a quick photo, I boarded as soon as the train arrived. 
