If you’re looking to get more SPG points or if you’re finally ready to cross over to Marriott, check out the latest Marriott & SPG points promotion below: September 6, 2017, Bethesda, MD – Just in time for the peak business and holiday travel season, Marriott Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG®), award-winning loyalty programs from Marriott International, Inc. are excited to announce rewarding, new offers for members. Under Marriott Rewards’ MegaBonus promotion members have the chance to earn a free night and SPG members can earn extra Starpoints under the Explore More promotion, allowing them to accrue points at over 6,200 hotels and resorts worldwide. Points can be redeemed for free nights, flights, exclusive experiences and much more. Registration: September 6, 2017 – November 30, 2017 Earning Period: September 12, 2017 – January 15, 2018 Marriott Rewards Free Night MegaBonus: By registering for the promotion here, members who complete two paid stays at any participating hotel or resort worldwide within the earning period will earn a free night and the opportunity to unlock more offers. Nearly all Marriott brands are participating in the promotion including EDITION®, JW Marriott®, Autograph Collection® Hotels, Renaissance® Hotels, Marriott® Hotels & Resorts, Delta Hotels, Marriott Vacation Club®, Gaylord Hotels®, AC Hotels by Marriott(SM), Courtyard by Marriott®, Residence Inn by Marriott®, SpringHill Suites by Marriott®, Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott®, TownePlace Suites by Marriott®, Protea Hotels, Moxy, and The Ritz-Carlton®, the exclusive luxury partner to Marriott Rewards. See the Official Rules for more details at MarriottRewards.com/FreeNightMegaBonus. SPG Explore More Promotion: By registering for the promotion here, members will earn 1,000 Starpoints for eligible stays within the earning period at participating St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Le Méridien®, Westin®, Sheraton®, Tribute Portfolio™, and Design Hotels™ hotels and resorts. Registered members can earn 500 Starpoints for eligible stays within the earning period at participating Aloft®, ElementSM, and Four Points® hotels and resorts. Plus, registered members can also earn an additional one-time bonus of 10,000 Starpoints for completing 25 eligible nights at participating hotels and resorts in the SPG program. See the Official Rules for more details at spg.com/exploremore.
Southwest Drink Coupon Drawing!
TPOL is giving away 4 drink coupons that expire September 30th. Comment below to enter. Drawing ends tomorrow.
Southwest https://js.gleam.io/e.js
Element NYC: Great Service, Bad Experience
The Element Times Square Hotel Review is part of the Trip Report TPOL in NYC.
I’ve stayed at too many SPG properties in New York to count.This was my first time staying at the Element brand. It’s supposed to be a Westin offshoot much like Aloft is a W offshoot. I really like Westin and its soaps so I had high expectations for this property. While the service was good, the hotel was not. The Location If you have work in Midtown, the Element is in a decent location. Between 8th and 9th Avenue on 39th street, the hotel is a short stroll to the law offices of whomever you are arbitrating against.
The Room
The room is more like a Hyatt House than an Aloft den. It has a kitchenette, fridge, and even a dishwasher. That’s more than my crap apartment had in Brooklyn. Although it had the amenities, the room looked dated. It didn’t help that I was on the second floor with a view of nothing, and it was drastically dark. It also was odd to find leftover food and a half-opened bottle of water in the fridge.
The Bed
The bed wasn’t the same level of comfort as the Aloft. Maybe the psychology of the colorful pillows and backdrop made a difference, or maybe it was because I thought someone was sleeping in my bed before I got there. (reference Dru Hill)
The Bathroom
The toilet seat was up, there was no toilet paper, and the soap was open. That was a bit off-putting. The shower does not have the same soaps as Westin. It has the same dispensers found as the Aloft or Four Points but not the sweet smell of Westin aloe.
The Service
I promptly told the hotel about the issue. Since it was 2am and I had a hearing in the morning, I was in no mood to move. The hotel felt really bad and generously gave me 12k SPG points for my Goldilocks and the 3 Bears Experience.
Overall
I wasn’t impressed with this dated hotel and only stayed because the price was right.
The Etiquette of Things: Elevator Etiquette, Pushing Your Floor Number
Look at some of the comments from my Uber Pool experience (post 1 & 2). No doubt, they are among the finalists for the 2018 Festivus Airing of Blog Grievances. If you liked/hated me there, what will you do here?
When I walk into an elevator, I press the door open button, wait for anyone else to come in, and then select my floor. After that, I step back to a corner and prepare for the awkward right of passage. Occasionally, I’ll be in the corner and the person who just stepped in will ask me to press a floor for him/her. I have no problem doing this but question why anyone would ask someone to do so, especially if there is only two people in the elevator? I can understand when the elevator is full and, by default, the one closest to the buttons becomes the elevator operator. Beyond those circumstances, I think it is a bit presumptuous to ask someone to press the button when that person is plenty capable. It’s even more annoying when they assume that you should do this for them.
And that’s my complaint of the week. What do you think? Going up?
Uber JFK Scam ‘Resolution’
Lots of people chimed in on the annoying situation for Uber Pool never arriving at JFK. I went back and forth and back and forth with Uber and tried to explain the situation. They kept telling me that I had selected Uber VIP not Uber Pool and that’s why I was charged the VIP rate. I tried to tell them to review my account history which would show two Uber Pool cancellations followed by a VIP reservation. That got me nowhere.
Finally, I replied with a link to yesterday’s post and received the following response: “We’re sorry to hear that you didn’t intend to select uberX VIP for this trip. Seeing as this is your first time, I’ve added a $20 credit to your account that you can use for your future Uber trips. Going forward, please verify that you are choosing the vehicle option you want at the bottom of the app.”
How dumb can they be? Even with the full blog post, this is the response. I’ll gladly take the $20 but how does this resolve the issue?
Uber Pool JFK: Scam!
I am getting tired of the inconvenience of Uber at New York airports. At LaGuardia, it takes an eternity to get a ride. In JFK, I found myself waiting forever for Uber Pool that never came. Since I landed at midnight, I figured that Uber would show up quickly, and I would be on my way to the city. Uber X was $62 and Uber Pool was $35. After flying all day, I rationalized that a bit longer ride was worth the savings.
After the first Uber driver didn’t show up, I tried again. After another thirty minutes of waiting, I gave up on that driver too. I approached a Yellow Cab and asked how much it was. It’s $52 + $5.67 for the toll + tip. Since I hate tipping, I went back on my Uber app and ordered Uber VIP. Minutes later, the driver came and I was on my way. The driver told me that Ubers around JFK do not respond to Pool because the riders are those that live in the area of the airport and the fares are only $6. That is a waste of their time.
It was a waste of my time to wait for Uber Pool drivers that do not come. Uber should not offer the service from the airport if the drivers are going to be shady. I asked Uber to credit me the difference but you already know their reaction.
Uber Pool JFK is a scam. Pay the full fare if you arrive late at night or take the AirTrain if you arrive at a normal hour.
Shots! When Travel Immunizations Are Necessary
Bill Pay Sundays: Zanzibar Means TRX Training
Complaint Of The Week: Enough World of Hyatt Emails
Where’s the unsubscribe button? I cannot deal with the onslaught of World of Hyatt emails anymore. From featured Weekend Getaways to places no one wants to go and $20 of off Whole Foods is not enough to keep me from hitting the spam button. At least when SPG sends emails, it sends them regarding points promotions or events that may be interesting.
I’m too lazy to partially unsubscribe (if that’s an option) to these sorts of emails, so I either fully unsubscribe or mark them as spam in the off chance that one of the emails may be of use.
And that’s my complaint of the week. Who else is angry?
Uber One Madrid: My Review of Tesla
Uber was surging when I was in Madrid so I picked Uber One. There are so many variations of Uber that I don’t even know what is what. I was half expecting a self driving car to show up. Instead, a Model T or whatever it is called came by. The car looks polished from inside and out and the driver was smartly dressed in a black suit. Before I discuss the ride, a quick note on Tesla and Elon Musk. I’ve said a lot of negative things about Tesla in the past. The cars could not get off the assembly line in time and were aesthetically unappealing. I was never a big fan of Elon Musk either. His ideas either catch on fire or blow up like Kim Jung Un before they get off the ground. (see Space X explosion and Tesla fires)
The Emblem
I especially hate the Tesla emblem. What is that ugly T? It not timeless like Mercedes or regal like Rolls royce. It looks like the H from Honda.
The Sound System
The sound system was smooth but not crisp like BMW Harman Kardon. Maybe this model didn’t have premium sound.
The Vehicle
The car itself still has a long way to go. The exterior tries to be sporty but it has no identity. Is it going for the Jaguar look or some sporty disaster designed by Ford? The interior looks like it was designed by a GM. The chrome accents are cheap. The massive display is useful for Uber drivers but again, not the greatest in terms of style. The driver’s dash is all electronic. I envision it blanking out over time.
The Ride
While it lacks the sophistication of luxury cars, it impressed by getting off the line quickly and smoothly. This was my first time in a Tesla and the first time using Uber One. The driver knew that I was intrigued by the car and let me take pictures with it after the fact. That was a nice gesture.
Overall Uber One Tesla Experience
I feel better about myself for being environmentally conscious but I don’t think I’ll be buying a Tesla any time soon.
