I have gone from Hyatt Diamond to Hyatt Explorist to Hyatt Globalist a few times (see That’s Me in the Corner Losing My Globalist Status). This is an odd year (pun intended), which means I must have qualified for Globalist again. What will I do with my status?
Nothing: I qualified for Globalist this year by chance. The reason I was keen on qualifying was so I could remain an Explorist through February 2027. I have no urgency to try to requalify again.
Spend: Those who have a thriving self-run business dominate the points game. I would like to increase my wealth (and points) by spending more on my Hyatt card. Wouldn’t it be nice to qualify by spending my way to the top?
Category 7: As a Globalist, I have six months to use a Category 7 free night certificate. The list of Category 7 properties is far from compelling, with Santorini being the only destination I would visit for the sake of my Country Count.
Explore: Hyatt does not have hotels in the majority of the 52 Places I Probably Won’t Visit in 2025. However, it does have one in Lagos, Nigeria, my prime target. My mission will be to find Hyatts in countries I have yet to visit.
Overall
I have no major plans now that I am a Globalist. I can confidently say that between having status and making money, I will choose status. Having the former means I can save money, which will ultimately lead to making more money.
On my way to Globalist 2027? I think not.
The Failing NY Times published its stale 52 Places to Go in 2025. Based on the unoriginality, I am convinced they used an AI bot to create their list. To retaliate, I told my AI bot to come up with a list of UN countries I haven’t visited. I asked it to rank the cities by ‘danger.’ While most will be missed this year (see I Don’t Want to Visit Every Country), many are intriguing and may make the cut (no pun intended). Those are bolded below with Lagos, Nigeria my top demand.
TPOL’s Trivia: I have been to 119 out of 193 countries (see Where I’ve Been).
Priority Pass DTW is part of the TPOL Won’t Visit All 50 States And That’s OK Trip Report.
My Michigan mission was accomplished. I visited family. I saw the Bills vs. Lions game at a cheap price (see Bills vs. Lions: Ticket Scalping When No Tickets Are Available), and I qualified for Hyatt Globalist (see Finally, a Review of the Hyatt Place Livonia). All that was left to do was to travel on Spirit for 12 hours from DTW-MCO-SJU.
In preparation for this arduous journey, I was happy to relax in the Priority Pass Lounge in DTW.
Restrictions
Instead of a warm welcome, I came across this:
The lounge practices German time: I tried to walk in at 3:59 and was kicked out. The woman didn’t find it funny.
TPOL’s Tip: Be sure to check the app for restrictions.
Not our hours.Food
The pasta was good as was the salad. Beer
I appreciated the Stella and the Labatt Blue. Memories
Did you know that this was the first lounge I visited before my first angle-flat flight (see Losing My Points Virginity: Trip Report Overview)?
Like Flint, success is measured in Detroit by not coming back.Seating
It’s becoming increasingly awkward to take photos in lounges. I do my best not to be creepy. Overall
As the saying goes, a lounge is better than no lounge even when access is delayed.
And now for S-P-I-R-I-T!
I hate tipping. You know this (see Tipping At The Cash Register: Are You Bleeping Kidding?, I Don’t Tip at Lounges Either & I’m Not Tipping Uber Either!). On my recent trip to Michigan, I found two creative ways that management has addressed this issue.
Forced Tips
I was surprised to find the following on my receipt at Buddy’s Pizza (see Who Agrees? Detroit Style Pizza Is The Best).
The 20% was already included. At least the waitress was nice enough to point that out. I am not sure if this was because it was football Sunday (see Bills vs. Lions: From No Tickets to the Front Row). If not, is this the new trend? Can we opt out? Does it apply to alcohol?
Pay Through the App
The worst is when the waiter comes around with the credit card payment machine and asks, “Do you want to leave a tip?” (see Pressured Into Tipping! I Hate Credit Card Processing Tablets). A nice substitution for this is paying through the app using a scannable barcode.
Using this method of payment, I receive a breakdown of my (overpriced) bill and a handy built-in tip calculator that lets me know exactly how much gratuity is. Having the space to analyze the bill and the lack of pressure from the hovering waiter has me more inclined to leave more than my maximum 10%.
Overall
I hate tipping. Just charge more for the food and drinks and leave me the hell alone.
Detroit Style Pizza is part of the TPOL Won’t Visit All 50 States And That’s OK Trip Report.
Disclaimer: If you buy a Breville Pizza Oven using my link, I get paid.
Let’s get ready to rumble!
Where can you find the best pizza in the world? Is it in Naples (see Lombardis 1892: Proper Pizza in Napoli)? Is it Zimbabwe (see Best In The World? Pizza In Victoria Falls)? How about NYC (see Primavera Pizza NYC: Good Sober, Better Tipsy?)? Apart from my homemade pizza made in Puerto Rico courtesy of the Breville Pizzaiolo, I go back and forth between Chicago (see The World’s Best Pizza: Chicago Deep Dish Edition) and Detroit.
Detroit is famous or infamous for its pizza because it is the birthplace of Little Caesars and my go-to delivery place, Domino’s (see TPOL’S Food Guide Nairobi). Cottage Inn is also from Michigan but is not known around the nation. What a shame. Hungry Howie’s, where I worked for a week before being fired when I was 16, is native to Michigan as well. Their pizza is terrible and so was management!
But this post is not focused on franchises. It is focused on a particular type of pizza called Detroit style. For my money, I don’t know if it gets any better than when he sings When a Man Loves a Woman. For my money, I don’t know if it gets any better than square pieces of pizza, tiny pepperonis, and a crispy crust.
Following the Lions Game (see Bills Vs. Lions: From No Tickets to the Front Row), I went to Buddy’s Pizza, the Original Detroit Style since 1946, to see if it could rival another Michigan pizza franchise, Jet’s.
Here’s what I found:
Like Lou Malnati’s in Chicago, I believe that ordering a bigger pie is better than a smaller one (see Post Lockdown Dream Fulfilled? Deep Dish Pizza in Chicago). There’s more surface area for the flavors to cook and soak into the crust.
TPOL’s Tip: We could only finish 3/4 slices, but I would still order a larger pizza. It’s worth the extra excess for the true Detroit Style experience.
An honorable mention goes to Buddy’s ranch dressing, which is some of the best I have had in a long time (see I Found Hidden Valley).
TPOL’s Tip: The salad for two is more than enough.
TPOL’s Tip: Buddy’s is located at 1565 Broadway St Detroit, MI 48226
Overall
With recency bias, I will declare Detroit Style the best pizza. While Buddy’s was scrumptious I will also declare that Jet’s is the best of the best in terms of Detroit Style franchises.
Learn more about Michigan & pizza here.
Bills vs. Lions is part of the TPOL Won’t Visit All 50 States And That’s OK Trip Report.
I have already written about how I procured $200 standing-room-only tickets to the Lions-Bills game (see Bills vs. Lions: Ticket Scalping When No Tickets Are Available). Now, let me tell the story in pictures of how I went from standing to sitting comfortably in the 4th row.
Tailgate
I went to the Eastern Market for the tailgate. If you love Vancouver or Brooklyn, you’ll like this enclave of Detroit. Needless to say, I did not enjoy it.
What I did like was Vivio’s Detroit Eastern Market’s take on a Bloody Mary. TPOL’s Tip: Vivio’s is located at 2460 Market St, Detroit, MI 48207, United StatesTPOL’s Tip: Vivio’s has a shuttle to Ford Field.
The Motor City
I am not a fan of the Big Three. I don’t care for GM because I was unceremoniously fired (read Everyone’s Advice Is Wrong . . . Including Mine). I do not care for Stellanttis, formerly known as Daimler Chrysler, because they produce the most boring cars in the world (Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, DS, Fiat, Jeep, Lancia, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, Ram Trucks, Vauxhall), second only to Ford. And speaking of Ford, I do not like Ford because they have owned the Detroit Lions since 1961 and have delivered nothing but misery to their fans. The doom and gloom is not exclusive to Lions fans. Players feel it too. Barry Sanders, the greatest running back of all time, quit in his prime. Calvin Johnson, one of the greatest wide receivers, did as well. Both were ostracized from the Lions family. Calvin Johnson actually had his signing bonus clawed back.
Ford Field
But now that we are winning, the family has come back together, meeting at Ford Field.
Seats
I don’t know how they get away with selling rectangles of tape as ‘seats,’ but I found the best spot.
Started from the middle #drake
The Lions family did not stay together long. By the middle of the third quarter, the Lions unfaithful started to leave. I seized on this opportunity by taking their seats.
Grit? Or Stupidity?
With twelve minutes in the fourth, the Lions’ coach decided to go for an onside kick. This was promptly run back by the Bills resulting in a touchdown. It was one of the dumbest calls I have ever seen. Many Lions fans love Campbell’s grit. I fear his stupidity will come back to break our hearts which have been broken in countless, indescribable, inconceivable ways many times before.
On the bright side, Campbell’s obliviousness resulted in even better seats for me.Result
In the end, the Bills won. But I can say that these aren’t the same old Lions. They have a chance to do something special.
Seat resultsNow we here!Overall
Growing up my two favorite teams were the Bills and the Lions. Both have found ways to ruin my Sunday. When I went to this game, I was torn as to which team I would support. Call it self-preservation, but I ended up going with the Bills. It remains to be seen whom I will support if they both miraculously make it for the Super Bowl rematch.
It was a Bills day in Ford Field.
$395 Capital One Business Venture: 150k points, $300 travel credits
$89: BOA Air France: 70k Flying Blue
Total: $484Renewed Cards
$95 Chase Ink: 3X marketing
$99 IHG Personal: 1 free night
$99 IHG Business: 40k anniversary free night
$95 Chase Hyatt: 1 free night
$125 Amex Marriott Business: 1 free night
$95 Amex Marriott: 1 free night
$95 Chase Marriott: 1 free night
$95 Citi Premier: 3X and chargeback protection
$395: Capital One Venture X: $300 travel credit, 10k anniversary miles, 2X on everything
Total: $1193Grand Total: $1677
I went down from 2024, but that was due to the banks refusing to approve me for new cards. Will this rejection streak continue?
I will be applying for more Barclay AA cards before Citi kills that deal.
I’ve been terribly wrong so far (see TPOL’s CFP Playoff Prediction: Opening Weekend). Why not finish it off in unspectacular style?
To begin, here’s who I didn’t have: Michigan. Who thought they could beat Alabama without playing starters?
Here’s who I have advancing:
Penn State vs. Boise State: Penn State
Notre Dame vs. Georgia: Notre Dame
Ohio State vs. Oregon: Oregon
Arizona State vs. Texas: Arizona State
Semifinal
Arizona State vs. Oregon: Oregon
Notre Dame vs. Penn State: Penn State
Final
Oregon vs. Penn State: OregonOverall
There are no great teams this year besides Oregon and unless today proves to be a wonderful day full of magic, I would consider these playoffs to be a flop.
Detroit Marriott: In Need of Another RenaissanceTwo towers of the Ren Cen are being demolished. While they are doing that, they should also fix up this place. Like General Motors, it’s well past its prime. #yourefired
Priority Pass Koh Samui: Coconut KingdomOne of the most unique airports in the world is Koh Samui Airport. It an open-air terminal with shops, restaurants, and, most importantly, a Priority Pass Lounge.
The lounge practices German time: I tried to walk in at 3:59 and was kicked out. The woman didn’t find it funny.
TPOL’s Tip: Be sure to check the app for restrictions.
Beer
I appreciated the Stella and the Labatt Blue. 
Memories
Did you know that this was the first lounge I visited before my first angle-flat flight (see Losing My Points Virginity: Trip Report Overview)?
Overall
As the saying goes, a lounge is better than no lounge even when access is delayed.
Using this method of payment, I receive a breakdown of my (overpriced) bill and a handy built-in tip calculator that lets me know exactly how much gratuity is. Having the space to analyze the bill and the lack of pressure from the hovering waiter has me more inclined to leave more than my maximum 10%.
Overall
I hate tipping. Just charge more for the food and drinks and leave me the hell alone.
TPOL’s Tip: We could only finish 3/4 slices, but I would still order a larger pizza. It’s worth the extra excess for the true Detroit Style experience.
An honorable mention goes to Buddy’s ranch dressing, which is some of the best I have had in a long time (see I Found Hidden Valley).
TPOL’s Tip: The salad for two is more than enough.
TPOL’s Tip: Buddy’s is located at 1565 Broadway St Detroit, MI 48226
Overall
With recency bias, I will declare Detroit Style the best pizza. While Buddy’s was scrumptious I will also declare that Jet’s is the best of the best in terms of Detroit Style franchises.
TPOL’s Tip: Vivio’s is located at 2460 Market St, Detroit, MI 48207, United States
TPOL’s Tip: Vivio’s has a shuttle to Ford Field.
The Motor City
I am not a fan of the Big Three. I don’t care for GM because I was unceremoniously fired (read Everyone’s Advice Is Wrong . . . Including Mine). I do not care for Stellanttis, formerly known as Daimler Chrysler, because they produce the most boring cars in the world (Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, DS, Fiat, Jeep, Lancia, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, Ram Trucks, Vauxhall), second only to Ford. And speaking of Ford, I do not like Ford because they have owned the Detroit Lions since 1961 and have delivered nothing but misery to their fans. The doom and gloom is not exclusive to Lions fans. Players feel it too. Barry Sanders, the greatest running back of all time, quit in his prime. Calvin Johnson, one of the greatest wide receivers, did as well. Both were ostracized from the Lions family. Calvin Johnson actually had his signing bonus clawed back.
Ford Field
But now that we are winning, the family has come back together, meeting at Ford Field.
Seats
I don’t know how they get away with selling rectangles of tape as ‘seats,’ but I found the best spot.
The Lions family did not stay together long. By the middle of the third quarter, the Lions unfaithful started to leave. I seized on this opportunity by taking their seats.
Grit? Or Stupidity?
With twelve minutes in the fourth, the Lions’ coach decided to go for an onside kick. This was promptly run back by the Bills resulting in a touchdown. It was one of the dumbest calls I have ever seen. Many Lions fans love Campbell’s grit. I fear his stupidity will come back to break our hearts which have been broken in countless, indescribable, inconceivable ways many times before.
Simply The Best: April 2024
Simply The Best: May 2024
Simply The Best: June 2024
Simply The Best: July 2024
Simply The Best: August 2024
Simply The Best: September 2024
Simply The Best: October 2024
Simply The Best: November 2024
What was the best about November? This photo:
Simply The Best: December 2024
