San Francisco, California, view of Golden Gate Bridge

I have noticed the abundance of travel articles in the past few weeks touting the simplicity of domestic travel this summer right here in the good ole USof A.

Personally, my travel plans are on hold as I work through my Loyalty Traveler business plans, the prospect of teaching school kids this summer, and awaiting a great airfare opportunity like the tickets I purchased last May 2007: Buenos Aires to New York in Business Class for $541 and Los Angeles to Auckland, New Zealand in Business Class for $1,400 all-in.

Let’s assume I can get a great deal for two tickets to Europe or Asia for $600 each. $1,200 in airfare just to get to a foreign airport. The ground transportation tends to be one of the bigger expenses of international travel, aside from the hotels. Germany has Schönes-Wochenende-Ticket discounts that allow a passenger to travel anywhere in the country on regional trains over the weekend at a highly discounted rate (35-37Euros or about $55USD). Little train travel deals like that help the dollar stretch a long way with planning.

Assume gas averages $4.00/gallon this summer. My recent road trip averaged over 27 miles/gal in my Hyundai Sonata with the A/C running. $1,200 in gas will buy 300 gallons and about 8,000 miles of driving. I can cover a lot of road in my car for the cost of two international air tickets.

I love getting out of the USA to gain a different perspective on life and our American lifestyles. Canada may be the best bet for international summer travel savings (although gas will be more than $4.00/gal in Canada). Vancouver, Canada is a little over 1,000 miles by road from Monterey. Considering the cost of auto gas compared to international airfare, I’ll have enough gas money for another 5,000 road trip miles in my car and the ability to easily see dozens of city and resort hotels on the way.

Recent travel articles on the high cost of tavel and domestic agendas:

Ladies Who Launch: Jetsetting around the U.S. of A.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amy-swift/emladies-who-launchem-jet_b_99409.html

Luxury Travel targets the young and affluent:
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/hotels/2008-05-01-upscales-hotels_N.htm

Jet Set Will Fret over Soaring Fuel Prices:
http://www.hotelinteractive.com/index.asp?page_id=5000&article_id=10453

Economy May Aid Florida Tourism:
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/may/01/bz-economy-may-aid-states-tourism/

AOL/Zogby Survey finds Americans plan to spend less in 2008 on vacations:
http://www.hotelsmag.com/articleXml/LN783405719.html?nid=3457

Hyatt Regency Suites Palm Springs

Palm Springs Hyatt Regency Suites lobby

This hotel’s main attribute is location. The Hyatt Regency is a 6-story hotel located directly in the center of Palm Springs nightlife on Highway 111, where Palm Canyon Drive slows to a mini-strip in the section of downtown Palm Springs with high end tourist shops, bars, and restaurants.

Lobby Atrium Artwork

Hyatt Regency Palm Springs lobby bar


The Hyatt Regency hotel has an outdoor bar on the sidewalk strip in front and a large lobby with an indoor bar. The outdoor swimming pool is a little small for a hotel this size, but sufficient for a good workout swim or cool dip. A poolside cafe is available for drinks and snacks.

There is even a small putting green near the outdoor bar.

The pool view rooms will have less noise than rooms facing North Palm Canyon Drive, the main Palm Springs strip.

The workout room was tiny and hopefully will be enlarged when the current remodeling is completed (scheduled to be completed May 2008).

The street outside seemed to be fairly active for a Tuesday night in April.

TripAdvisor Ranking: #55 of 66 Hotels in Palm Springs (#6 of 7 hotels rated 4-star). Complaints tend to be a worn hotel (recently remodeled rooms in 2008) and the noise for rooms facing Palm Canyon Drive (Highway 111). The hotel location is perfect for people who want to party on the Palm Springs strip, but Hyatt Grand Champions is the place to be for a more desert resort like experience. My impression is the Hyatt Regency Suites Palm Springs is the better hotel for people who don’t want to make the drive all the way to Vegas to get a little crazy.

TripAdvisor reviews of Hyatt Regency Suites Palm Springs

Hyatt.com AAA hotel rates for a 2-night stay Wednesday, May 21-Friday, May 23
Hotel has 13.5% tax on rooms.
$119.20/night (street side)
$144.20/night for pool/mountain view (highly preferable for reduced street noise).

Weekends in Palm Springs area have higher room rates:
2-night stay Friday, May 16-Sunday, May 18
lowest AAA rate $159.20/night or for pool/mountain view room $184.20.

Hyatt Regency Palm Springs homepage
Hyatt Gold Passport Category 3 hotel = 12,000 points for free night.
AAA = 3-diamond

Hyatt Grand Champions and Renaissance Esmeralda share same road entrance off Highway 111, Indian Wells, California

Lobby of Hyatt Grand Champions, Indian WellsHyatt Grand Champions Resort – Indian Wells, California

This hotel is located about 16 miles east of the Palm Springs Hyatt Regency Suites. The property shares the same road entrance with the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort which is to the east of the Hyatt Grand Champions.

The property borders a golf course and the rooms surround several pools. My first reaction to this resort was the proximity of the car park to some of the rooms. The same drawback exists here as at the Westin Mission Hills. There is a good probability your $300/night room window view will look out onto someone’s car in the parking lot. And unlike the Westin Mission Hills, there may not even be a bush between your patio and the car headlights of someone parking.

The Hyatt Grand Champions resort view from my car.

Avoid rooms facing car park at Hyatt Grand Champions, Indian Wells

My words of advice are to pay more if you need to and get an interior pool facing room or golf course view.

The terrace outside the lobby faces the golf course.

The parking lot facing rooms was the only major complaint I had with my tour of this resort hotel. The pool area had the most palm shade of any of the pool areas I saw in the valley hotels. I imagine the air temperature around these pools must be cooler than most of the area resorts during the 110 degree days of summer.

Hyatt Grand Champions Adults pool area

Hyatt Grand Champions large whirlpool

Hyatt Grand Champions kids pool area

Palm grove fountains between pools, adjacent to kids pool slide


Golf course view rooms have a variety of patio/balcony styles.

5th floor Regency Club rooms could be booked for $75/night more than lowest available rate rooms for a two-night stay May 21-23, 2008.

There are a couple of restaurants located in the hotel. All other food options require a drive out of the resort to nearby shopping centers in the surrounding neighborhoods of Indian Wells.TripAdvisor Reviews Hyatt Grand Champions ranked #2 of 5 hotels in Indian Wells (Renaissance Esmeralda ranks #1).

TripAdvisor Average Price $294/night.

Hyatt.com rates for May 21-23 AAA rates. Standard rooms are a large 550 sq. ft.

$159.20 for mountain/garden view (I’m thinking parking lot view).

$194.20 AAA rate for pool/golf course view (better safe than sorry) or

$234.20 for Regency Club (the breakfast and evening hors d’oevres probably make this the best value. Lounge is reserved for adults or children 16 and up after 5:00pm)

$439/night Penthouse Suite

A resort fee of $19.67/night is added to the room rate. 9.5% hotel tax.

Hyatt Gold Passport Category 3 Hotel - 12,000 points for free night

Hyatt Grand Champions Resort, Indian Wells, California homepage

AAA rated 4-diamond hotel

Hyatt Gold Passport Bonus Offer for Hyatt Grand Champions is 2,000 points/stay for Sunday-Thursday night stays through August 31, 2008.

There is also a Hyatt Gold Passport Exclusive Offer for 5,000 points bonus offer for a 3-night stay.

Offer Code = GRCH5K

Offer valid May 1, 2008 to August 31, 2008, at Hyatt Grand Champions Resort, Villas and Spa. Three night minimum length of stay required.