Travel Guide - ThePointsOfLife

Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Tsim Sha Tsui

thepointsoflife

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May 7, 2015

This is part of the Trip Report The Visa Run Keeps Running (October 2014) and So Long Mongolia, Hello SE Asia (December 2014-January 2015)

Getting There: From the airport purchase a one-way ticket for the Airport Express train. Take the Airport Express to Kowloon. Take the elevator to the ground floor and then take the free bus to the Hong Kong Tsim Sha Tsui. This is a free ride into town even if you aren’t staying at these hotels. The whole trip takes about an hour and a half.

The Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Tsim Sha Tsui is a refuge whether it be from a botched visa run or too much time in Mandalay. It is also located in one of the tallest skyscrapers in Kowloon. The Hyatt Regency is a Category 4 hotel so it qualifies for a free night stay using the annual certificate if you have a Chase Hyatt Visa. I used the cash and points option which was a bit expensive at $100 + 7500 points + a 10% service charge. The room rate is around $250 so I’m right at my threshold for 2 cents per point for Hyatt. The value of cash and points diminishes if you are a peasant platinum member like me which gives you basic benefits (2PM checkout, free Wi-Fi) compared to diamond where you are treated like a king (amazing breakfast, suite upgrade).

Still whether you have a stopover in Hong Kong or a getaway [from Myanmar] weekend, the price of luxury is worth it. In October 2014, I was upgraded to the deluxe room which had a partial view of the harbor. At the time, I thought the room was a bit small until my next trip to Hong Kong when I was not given an upgrade.

The benefits of the Hyatt Regency are as follows:

Excellent location in Kowloon conveniently next to Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Station
- Excellent dim sum right around the corner
- Starbucks next door
- Plenty of bars, restaurants, and shopping
Included wireless phone which includes data and voice
A comfy bed and hot shower, features not to be discounted compared to other hotels in Hong Kong and SE Asia in general

So high up. One of the tallest buildings in Kowloon.

a tall building with many windows — Too tall by day

a tall building with lights on top — Another shot of Hong Kong by night

As you can see, everything at the Hyatt Regency is nice but what if you want to see another side of Hong Kong or what if you think that the points+cash value isn’t as great as other award redemptions? Then read on for the review of the Chungking Mansions, a city within a city.

It’s time to choose your adventure:

For The Visa Run Keeps Running (October 2014) you can:

<==Return to Shanghai Travel Guide – Move onto Guns & Butter: Hong Kong Travel Guide==>

For So Long Mongolia, Hello SE Asia (Dec 2014-Jan 2015) you can:

<==Return to Bargaining Abroad, I Lost the Battle – Move onto Chungking Mansions==>

Hyatt on the Bund Shanghai

thepointsoflife

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May 7, 2015

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This is part of the Trip Report The Visa Run Keeps Running (October 2014) which started and ended in Mongolia with these stops along the way:

Here is the overview for this report: All in Business, All for $200 And 30,000 US AIR Miles

Getting There: If you are arriving at Pudong airport, the fastest/most convenient way to get to the Bund is to take the Maglev then a friendly taxi from there. Be sure to print out the name of your hotel in Mandarin characters and show it to the driver.

Following the visa mess up, I had to change my plans from two nights at Hyatt on the Bund to basically one long evening. Hyatt on the Bund is a Category 4 hotel which makes it eligible for a free night’s stay if you are a Chase Hyatt card holder. I used cash and points which was 7500 GoldPassport + $100 + 15% service charge, a great deal considering for Halloween weekend the rooms were going for $330 a night.

Hyatt on the Bund as the name makes apparent is in a great location: the Bund. The Bund faces Pudong Skyline which in my opinion is the best in the world.

The room overlooked the Huangpu River and Pudong. Besides the next morning, I did not get to enjoy it too much. Given the beauty and location of the hotel, it is quite a shame I was only here for a few hours making this review less than extraordinary. Nevertheless, I did take some great pictures and will certainly return both to my former home, Shanghai, and Hyatt on the Bund.

3 nights would've been nice to explore — 2 nights would’ve been nice to explore

<–Back to China’s 72-hour Visa-Free Transit Rule – Onto Guns & Butter: Shanghai Travel Guide–>

The Final Leg! Air China from Korea to Mongolia

thepointsoflife

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May 6, 2015

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This is the conclusion of the Trip Report Welcome to the Cold where I went from NYC to:

If you’re just tuning in now be sure to read how I ended up with this unique itinerary by checking out The Original Plan: The $77,000 Trip Heard Round the World, the subsequent Change Up: Riga, Latvia? and the Mongolia angle: IGLOO-GER: The Helsinki-Ulaanbaatar Trip Report.

It’s almost over folks. It’s funny writing after the fact about my move to Mongolia. The quality of life began to drastically diminished as I went from the Park Hyatt Istanbul to Air China’s Business Class service from Korea to Mongolia. Suddenly everything was more dated, more worn out, and less fun. Though I was initially excited for my move to Mongolia, I had no idea what Mongolia had in store for me.

air china business class to ulaanbaatar — What became the all too familiar Air China business class seats

Landing in the land of endless blue skies

<==Back to Korean Airlines Business Class Lounge

Korean Airlines Business Class Lounge Incheon

thepointsoflife

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May 6, 2015

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This is part of the Trip Report Welcome to the Cold where I went from NYC to:

If you’re just tuning in now be sure to read how I ended up with this unique itinerary by checking out The Original Plan: The $77,000 Trip Heard Round the World, the subsequent Change Up: Riga, Latvia? and the Mongolia angle: IGLOO-GER: The Helsinki-Ulaanbaatar Trip Report.

I’m getting closer to Mongolia but I thought I’d ease into Asia with a stop in Incheon. While it didn’t have the bells and whistles of the Turkish Airlines Business Class Lounge, it did have hot showers, something I would be without frequently in Mongolia.

korean airlines business class lounge — The baby kegs were clever.

<==Back to Turkish Business Class – Onto Mongolia!==>

Turkish Airlines Business Class: IST-ICN

thepointsoflife

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May 6, 2015

0

This is part of the Trip Report Welcome to the Cold where I went from NYC to:

If you’re just tuning in now be sure to read how I ended up with this unique itinerary by checking out The Original Plan: The $77,000 Trip Heard Round the World, the subsequent Change Up: Riga, Latvia? and the Mongolia angle: IGLOO-GER: The Helsinki-Ulaanbaatar Trip Report.

When I fly domestic, I prefer nonstop. When I fly business class, I prefer multiple segments, long layovers, and top notch airlines. Also, when one is going to a destination that is known for its cold and smog like Mongolia, he will not be in a rush to get there. Though there was a more direct route from Istanbul to Ulaanbaatar, I opted for a more inconvenient way.

The next part of this never-ending life report is flying Turkish business from Istanbul to Seoul. In my blogger opinion, a picture is worth 1000 words, so there won’t be a text play-by-play of the entire flight. There are these great photos showing the unique touch of flying Turkish which makes it one of the better airlines I have flown.

turkish airlines business class — Inching my way to Mongolia

The seats are wide and are for sitting or sleeping.

The champagne isn't top notch. — The champagne isn’t top notch.

I think this is one of the cooler touches I've seen. — I think this is one of the cooler touches I’ve seen.

The food was [insert fancy adjectives]. It was really good.

<== Back to the Turkish Airlines Lounge – Onto Korean Airlines Business Class Lounge==>

Turkish Airlines Business Class: Where Costco Meets Chuck E. Cheese

thepointsoflife

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May 6, 2015

4

This is part of the Trip Report Welcome to the Cold where I went from NYC to:

If you’re just tuning in now be sure to read how I ended up with this unique itinerary by checking out The Original Plan: The $77,000 Trip Heard Round the World, the subsequent Change Up: Riga, Latvia? and the Mongolia angle: IGLOO-GER: The Helsinki-Ulaanbaatar Trip Report.

Who hates waiting in an airport? If you do then you’ve never been to the Turkish Airlines Business Class Lounge in Atatürk Airport. Picture Costco meets Chuck E. Cheese with multiple levels. If you’re flying business on Turkish I boldly suggest skipping the Park Hyatt and milking the lounge for as long as you can. You’ll never go hungry, never get bored, and never want to grow up. It’s that fun.

a sign on a window — Welcome to the lounge

a man holding a credit card — Smile Messi

All those piano lessons... — All those piano lessons…

a shelf with many bottles and glasses — The liquor selection could be better.

Turkish Coffee bad idea for long-haul flight

Traditional desert spread — Traditional dessert spread

a silver coffee machine on a counter — Camel chai

Wasnt lying its just like Costco — Wasn’t lying it’s just like Costco

I hate the sound of boarding announcements but it may be useful for this lounge.

turkish airlines business class lounge review — the tee

<==Back to Park Hyatt Istanbul – Onto Turkish Airlines Business Class to Seoul==>

Hotel Review: Park Hyatt Istanbul – Maçka Palas

thepointsoflife

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May 6, 2015

6

This is part of the Trip Report Welcome to the Cold where I went from NYC to:

If you’re just tuning in now be sure to read how I ended up with this unique itinerary by checking out The Original Plan: The $77,000 Trip Heard Round the World, the subsequent Change Up: Riga, Latvia? and the Mongolia angle: IGLOO-GER: The Helsinki-Ulaanbaatar Trip Report.

Getting There: Take the bus to Taksim Square from the airport. From there you can walk. I angrily took a taxi from Taksim because I couldn’t find the hotel.

En route to Mongolia, I managed to get a night in Istanbul on the same itinerary because the rule dictates that anything under 24 hours is not a stopover, but a layover.

Just like my splurge aboard SQ A380 from NRT-LAX, I rationalized that I deserved one more night of pampering. I spent 20,000 Hyatt GoldPassport points as the Park Hyatt is a category 5 hotel. The room was around $350 so it fell a bit short of my 2 cent/point standard. Regardless, there are no Park Hyatts let alone a Hyatt House in Mongolia so I can forgive myself for breaking the points piggy bank.

The Location

The Park Hyatt is situated in an upscale part of town with fine shops and dining nearby. Right across the street is a great but expensive kebab place that I highly recommend. It goes without saying that I am a connoisseur of kebab, as all Arabs claim to be. The hotel is not walking distance to the Bosphorus, home to the best nightlife of Istanbul. As this was my second time in Istanbul, I was more interested in the food not the fun.

park hyatt istanbul hotel review — Welcome to the Park Hyatt Istanbul

The Service

It’s a Park Hyatt. As usual, the service was impeccable. I was shown to my room and given a detailed tour of all the features. The best was how to change the overhead light color above the tub.

The Room

Usually as a platinum, Hyatt members, are given a lukewarm upgrade which is hit or miss depending on the hotel and the effectiveness of your personality with the front-desk. This was not the case, or I am ignorant if it was the case, at the Park Hyatt Istanbul. The room I received as a platinum not diamond member was stunning.

IMG_20140730_204734 (Copy) — The dawn of a new business day. Richard Quest’s finest hour.

IMG_20140730_204111 (Copy) — Turkish Delight welcome gift.

IMG_20140730_203357 (Copy) — This is my favorite feature. The water is purified for drinking.

DSC_1394 (Copy) — Note the separate sink for non-drinking water. Also, hotels that offer toothbrush and toothpaste are ahead of the rest because they recognize the convenience of it.

DSC_1378 (Copy) — More of my drinking water obsession.

DSC_1383 (Copy) — A great shower, excellent soaps, and convenient towels.

DSC_1392 (Copy) — This isn’t the hotel for views, at least not this room.

DSC_1388 (Copy) — The pool from my room.

The Breakfast

Oh, I’m a platinum, no free breakfast for me, not even with my negotiation skills. I’ll go for kebab then.

The Amenities

There’s a nice pool on the 2nd floor which I refused to swim in because I knew it was the last time I would see an outdoor pool for a while.

The Hotel

The hotel is gorgeous from inside and out. It has an intimate feel that, a recognizable attribute of Park Hyatts.

That's my dude right here. — That’s my dude right here.

The Kebab

Why write a separate post? If you’re staying at this hotel and are reading this, you will thank me for providing it here.

DSC_1455 (Copy) — Took a pic of the menu because I would never recall the name.

DSC_1456 (Copy) — shwayeh khooboez, shwayehh jajik (bread and yogurt)

DSC_1459 (Copy) — lahmeh ageen (I don’t know how to translate this.)

And with that meal, it was time to move to Mongolia.

<==Back to Turkish Airlines: Star Alliance Livery to Istanbul – Onto Turkish Airlines Lounge==>

Turkish Airlines: Star Alliance Livery to Istanbul

thepointsoflife

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May 6, 2015

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This is part of the Trip Report Welcome to the Cold where I went from NYC to:

If you’re just tuning in now be sure to read how I ended up with this unique itinerary by checking out The Original Plan: The $77,000 Trip Heard Round the World, the subsequent Change Up: Riga, Latvia? and the Mongolia angle: IGLOO-GER: The Helsinki-Ulaanbaatar Trip Report.

I’m not one to write a Flight Review for each time I cross the street. I skipped the airBaltic review from Stockholm to Riga because we survived the sturdy prop plane service. What else is there to say? The same would’ve been true of the business class flight aboard Turkish Airlines from Riga to Istanbul but for one factor: the Star Alliance livery of the plane.

Points nerds and frequent fliers alike get excited about silly things like livery. Since I had only seen but not been on board a plane with non-traditional design (no Hello Kitty yet) I had to take a few pictures to mark the occasion.

Non-alcohol welcome drink...zzz — Non-alcohol welcome drink…zzz

The food. — The food was great. Is that descriptive enough?

The bad champagne. — The champagne was awful.

<==Back to Guns & Butter: Riga Travel guide – Onto Park Hyatt Istanbul – Maçka Palas==>

Guns & Butter: Riga Travel Guide

thepointsoflife

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May 6, 2015

0

This is part of the Trip Report Welcome to the Cold where I went from NYC to:

If you’re just tuning in now be sure to read how I ended up with this unique itinerary by checking out The Original Plan: The $77,000 Trip Heard Round the World, the subsequent Change Up: Riga, Latvia? and the Mongolia angle: IGLOO-GER: The Helsinki-Ulaanbaatar Trip Report.

Riga, Latvia? I ask again. What is there to do there?

Americans may not know it, but those looking for a great party should.

No worries, TPOL’s Travel Guide using the Guns & Butter methodology will tell you what to do in Riga. Here’s how the graph is made:

A trip is composed of two factors: Labor And Lazy
Anything on the line (Production Possibilities Frontier for my fellow economists) is an efficient use of your time depending on your tastes and preferences.
Anything inside the line is inefficient as should be avoided.
Anything outside is aspirational but may be impossible to do given the constraints of time and resources.
The opportunity cost (what is given up) for relaxing and being Lazy is gained by being adventurous in the form of Labor and vice versa.

Stag Party

The typical American bachelor/bachelorette party is in Las Vegas, Nevada. Riga may not be as convenient as Vegas but if you and your friends have been keeping up with TPOL then you can all get there for free. Once in Riga, the savings continue with better prices for food and drink.

Beer & Nightlife

Latvia has great local beer and excellent imports for a fair price. On one occasion the weather was not participating resulting in a downpour of rain and nowhere to go. Stranded, I sampled beer after beer and suggest you do the same.

The nightlife consisted of traveling from pub after pub trying as much beer as possible. To that point, I will say that going to Riga during the weekend made the nightlife a bit tame.

IMG_20140728_134413 (Copy) — Pronounce this

Old Town

Like Stockholm, Riga has an Old Town where I spent most of my time. Walk around, look around, and enjoy.

Orthodox Churches & Monuments

Seinfeld kept playing in my head while walking around the city and seeing its beautiful churches and monuments.

I regret not going to the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia but was very intrigued to learn about its history and disdain of Soviet influence.

McDonalds

McDonalds? Are you kidding? Another Big Mac competition?

Eating fast food versus local food is not very worldly. But, this isn’t about quality, it’s about convenience and novelty. It rained both days I was in Riga. After the beer tasting, I needed quick food and fast taxi to take me back to the hotel. Look no further than McExpress. The walk-thru lady is one of the meanest persons in the world but it added to the experience.

Riga, Latvia? Yes, Riga, Latvia.

<==Back to Radisson Elizabete Riga – Onto Star Alliance Livery to Istanbul==>

The Radisson Blu Elizabete Hotel: Riga, Latvia

thepointsoflife

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May 6, 2015

0

This is part of the Trip Report Welcome to the Cold where I went from NYC to:

If you’re just tuning in now be sure to read how I ended up with this unique itinerary by checking out The Original Plan: The $77,000 Trip Heard Round the World, the subsequent Change Up: Riga, Latvia? and the Mongolia angle: IGLOO-GER: The Helsinki-Ulaanbaatar Trip Report.

Getting There: I took a taxi from the airport and a taxi back to the airport. The fares were the same so I’m thinking I didn’t get ripped off. Have the hotel call you a taxi and double check the rate with them. Otherwise there are taxis on the street that like to haggle for bad prices.

Riga, Latvia? is what I said to myself when I made the determination it wasn’t feasible to go to Tel Aviv. I switched my reservation from the Park Plaza Orchid Tel Aviv to the The Radisson Blu Elizabete Hotel, Riga.

Here’s how I got there:

The Hotel

Unlike the mediocre Radisson Strand Stockholm this hotel was excellent. The outside architecture was unique, making it stand out from the surrounding Soviet Bloc buildings. The front desk promptly told me I was upgraded to the Business Class floor, meaning free Wi-Fi, a larger room, and complimentary breakfast.

DSC_1362-EFFECTS (Copy) — Elevator up and the courtyard within the hotel.

The Location

The hotel was a ten minute walk to the old town. I’d rather stay within the old town walls but who’s going to argue with 2 free nights and a short stroll?

The Breakfast

The breakfast was top notch. From eggs to fruits, the variety was there and the quality was also.

The Room

A prerequisite for gaining TPOL’s endrosement as a great hotel is an in-room espresso machine with those fun, overpriced pods. American hotels usually have coffee showing how far behind we are in terms of java. The Elizabete did have the machine and complimentary water.

The bed didn’t disappoint in the way that so many Radissons do with bad bedding. Does anyone have an explanation why Radisson uses to little blankets instead of one king size?

radisson elizabete riga hotel review — A bed and a robe

The Price

Prior to devaluation, the value of 2 nights for 1 made staying at the Elizabete Riga a great bargain. I’m not sure if I would pay the 87 euros a night if I was to return as I’d probably opt for a local hotel.

Overall

TPOL approves of the Elizabete.

<==Back to Guns & Butter: Stockholm Travel Guide – Onto Guns & Butter: Riga Travel Guide==>