The question of the day is which would you rather have, if you could choose one, money or status? The reason I pose this question is because I just checked into the Marriott Grand Cayman. I had 80,000 points to burn and figured that the Cayman was as good a place as any to use them. Like Vegas, the Cayman impose a resort fee for no other reason but to be jerks. (They say it’s for water sports and wifi)
As a devout member of SPG and lover of all things Hyatt, I have grown accustom to the sweet words, ‘we’ ve upgraded your room.’ With Marriott, I have no status and deem myself to be more of a trespasser. That is why I wasn’t surprised when I walked into my room to find a view of the courtyard. If I wanted to see the pristine 7 Mile Beach, I would have to leave the comfort of my standard room.
To be clear, I am not complaining as the room is (mostly) free and there aren’t many points options in this tax shelter paradise. The point of this post (written on the beach via my ThinkPad BT Keyboard) is to demonstrate how great status can be. I’m sure Marriott loyalists would be upgraded to an ocean facing suite much like I was at the St. Regis Mauritius. The cost of coming out-of-pocket would be almost double. Factor in free breakfast and it seems to make no sense to stay at hotels without status.
Another issue from staying at resorts as a points mercenary is the fact that they take away from stay credits with your usual brands. This year I have to stay 21 times at SPG properties and 25 at Hyatt to requalify for Platinum and Diamond respectively. If I want ten suite upgrades with SPG, I have to stay 50 times. That’s hard enough to do without detour stays at Marriotts, Hiltons, IHGs, and Club Carlsons.
So while I am happy with my points redemption, I am looking forward to checking out of here in a couple of days for the hospitality of my home away from home, the SPG Westin. There, I’ll get a view of more than the parking lot and at no extra cost.
Money Or Status? I’ll Take the Latter
Amex LAS Centurion Lounge: The Full Day Freeloader Review
The Amex LAS Centurion Lounge Review is part of the Quest Around The Globe Trip Report which covers the following places:
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Grand Cayman
- Cartagena, Colombia
- Medellin, Colombia
- Miami, Florida
- Houston, Texas
- Moscow, Russia
- St. Petersburg, Russia
- Ayia Napa, Cyprus
- Amman, Jordan
- Abu Dhabi, UAE
- New York, New York
I previously wrote a review on the Amex Centurion Lounge LAS a few years ago. Since I spent all day here today, I figured a comprehensive review was in order. Breakfast I arrived in time for breakfast and have to say that I enjoyed that buffet more than the lunch/dinner offerings. The scrambled eggs were good, the poached egg in tomato basil was novel, and the potato mix was worth coming back for. Following a tour of pool parties the previous day, I took comfort in having a mimosa or two.
<==Back to Vdara Las Vegas – Onto Amex Centurion Lounge MIA==>
Points MeetUp: LAS Centurion Right Now
I arrived at the LAS Centurion lounge this morning to catch up on work. I’m here till 10PM if anyone wants to come heckle or join me at the bar for some great libations.
The Russian Visa: A Country’s Cover Charge
There are certain things I hate paying for. These include annual fees for credit cards, valet parking, and visas. Trying to avoid both the payment and the process of sending in my passport is why I have found myself in visa trouble. My latest visa adventure went very smoothly. This time I sent my passport into Visahq.com to handle my three-year multi-entry Russian visa. This morning, FedEx returned my passport to my Vegas hotel just in time for my trip to Grand Cayman and Colombia, countries that do not require a visa for tourists. The cost for all of this was $378. Here’s the breakdown:
- $193 embassy fee for three-year multi-entry
- $79 agency service fee
- $50 invitation letter
- $56 all shipping including expedited overnight shipping
Chutes & Ladders: Vegas Edition
Somehow I have gone to Vegas three times this year. I came in April for the Freddie Awards. I visited in July for NBA Summer League. And now I’m here again.
The Vegas baby, Vegas party line gets old pretty quickly. It is hard to get hype for the party scene like I once did. My days of fading to blackout at the Hard Rock or getting a headache from the noise at Wet Republic are behind me. Still, sometimes it is fun to buy into the Vegas tourist slogan and act like non-contributing member of society. To that end, I came up with another drinking game to put that plan into gear. This one is not as good as the Award Balance Drinking Game and is not as clever as The 7-Eleven Hong Kong Drinking Game.
My last night in Vegas I stayed at the Vdara hotel. The hotel is convenient because it is located within the CityCenter complex. I walked across to Aria and used my M Life Platinum status to get free cover to Liquid, a sad, small version of a Vegas pool party. Budget conscious, I stopped at the store and purchased two 25 oz beers which come with a complimentary shot of Jack. My partner in crime did the same. That’s when this great/terrible idea came to mind.
To get to Liquid, guests have to take the escalator up to the second floor. In between the up and down escalator there was a staircase. The game went as follows: on the way up, no beer could be consumed. On the way down, it was time to chug. When the fifty ounces were completed, the person who made it up the stairs and took a shot of Jack would be declared the winner.
Up and down we went, over and over. Dizziness from the routine and from Dos Equis took hold. What started off as a race became a test of endurance as nobody wanted to finish. A small crowd began to form and cheer us on as we continued the cycle. Finally, after a dozen or so times, it was time to sprint to the top. With shopkeepers and tourists imploring us to reach the summit, we made it to the finish line and broke open the celebratory Jack.
Discombobulated and nauseated, we completed the challenge and went to the pool.
Disclaimer: Post intended for immature adults only. Also, the part about the crowds was a figment of my imagination.
Etihad Apartments Ticketed!
It’s about damn time. I finally received the confirmation that my Etihad Apartments flight which was abruptly cancelled has ticketed. Up to this point, I had called AA periodically to check the status of the ticket and was told that Etihad is to blame. Before heading for Vegas last Friday, I called AA and told them that I was going out of the country and needed confirmation that I would have a ride home.
This time the agent did not give me the boilerplate line. Instead, she actually researched my record locator and found out that AA had put a hold on the ticket because they wanted another 25,000 miles. There was some confusion as to whether this ticket was processed before the deval and that is why it remained in purgatory.
If you are having the same problem, be sure to call in until you find someone who knows what is going on. On the one hand, I didn’t want to be too pushy and end up with no ticket. On the other, I needed to know I had a way home.
Amex LAS Loungin’
Ah and here I am. What a risk taker! I decided to let my Allegiant bags go round and around like a Flo Rida track while I eat and drink at the Amex Centurion lounge. Even the bartender said it was the right move stating that it will take Allegiant three hours just to find my bag.
Interestingly, I ran into another Amex cardholder who braved a Spirit Airlines flight just to get here. He’s enjoying the high life until he’s relegated back to Allegiant’s ugly sister.
Getting here was quite the journey. I landed at A gates, walked to the C train then onto the D train. It reminded me of my NYC commute.
It’s great to live the high roller lifestyle. Now let me go and find my bags.
Unclaim Bags to Go to Lounge?
As I sit in this turrible flight to Las Vegas on Allegiant Airlines, I find myself longing for the Amex Centurion Lounge LAS. The issue is that I was forced to check bags due to airline policy.
My question is what happens to my checked bags if I don’t claim them right away. What happens if I go to the lounge, have a few cocktails, and a pleasant dinner and then head to the bag claim?
I’m guessing that the airline would take my bag into that dreaded room full of luggage complainers. At the same time, all I can hear is that robotic warning of how bags should not be left unattended.
We are about to take off unsurprisngly not on time. For the next two hours, I’ll mull over this conundrum but I think I’m too much of a coward to give it a go.
The Adventure Begins: The Quest Around the Globe
Here we go! Another trip is underway. I’ve cleverly named it The Quest Around the Globe. (that will make more sense tomorrow) My first stop is Las Vegas and then from there I have a rough idea for where I will be going. Of course, American still hasn’t issued by Etihad ticket. (on hold as we speak) I think I finally have found a competent person to help me but we shall see.
In the mean time, I have used my favorite tool, the Great Circle Mapper, to put together what I think I will be doing. It comes out to 21,000 miles flown of which most will be on first, I hope.
ThinkPad Compact BT Keyboard: I Can’t Stop Blogging
Friends, comrades, bloggers! I’ve been living in blogger’s exile the last 2.5 weeks because of no Wi-Fi (and I’ve been quite the baby about it). Looking back, I could’ve purchased a Mifi plan which would’ve allowed me to set up a mobile Hotspot. That would mean signing a contract, something I had no interest in doing.
Desperation breeds ingenuity. Unable to use my laptop, I went online and searched for compact keyboards. I had seen a guy on my Air New Zealand flight with one and thought it was a nerdy but functional idea. Simultaneously, the end of BlackBerry is really here. Effective January 1, 2017, WhatsApp won’t work on that phone. This leaves me paying AT&T $65 a month for a phone that has unlimited international data while being devoid of basic features.
The solution for this is the ThinkPad Compact Bluetooth Keyboard. It combines the best of all worlds: I have a mobile keyboard that fits in my World’s Greatest Travel Jacket, the speed to write post after post because ThinkPad still makes the best keyboards, and the ability to connect it to my Samsung S7 Edge which has international (slow) roaming on T-Mobile.
On the beach, in the plane, or (as I currently am), in the bed, I can quickly write an extensive post without having to deal with the annoyance of touchscreen and autocorrect.
For businesspeople, bloggers, and lazy people alike, I highly recommend this revolutionary accessory. Finally, technology that works for me.
