I have a habit of calling or emailing my credit card companies when I travel outside the USA to let them know. A few years back, I contacted American Express to inform them of an upcoming international trip, and was advised that I no longer need to do that. Since then, I haven’t formally notified Amex of international travel and I’ve had no issues using my Amex card outside the country. On the other hand, I’ve always had to notify my other card providers of upcoming international travel. I was surprised to receive the following email from Chase:

Travel notifications no longer required

Your Account Ending in XXXX 

Dear Marshall E Jackson:

As part of our continuous efforts to improve your experience with your Marriott card, we’ve made an update to your account.

In the past, you may have notified us of your travel plans to ensure uninterrupted service while traveling. Because we value your business and your use of this card, you no longer need to provide us with your travel information. Our fraud detection systems will continue to protect and monitor your account, and we may still decline charges that appear fraudulent. Your account satisfaction and security is our priority. Should you need us while traveling, call the number on the back of your card anytime. Thank you for choosing Chase. 

Sincerely, 

Chase Card Services

Very cool. I’m not completely positive why I got this email, but I am speculating that it was because I used my Marriott Rewards Premier Card extensively while traveling in Europe last fall thanks to it being equipped with an EMV chip. I have three Chase cards, but my Marriott card was the only one referenced in this email. I hope this is something Chase does for my other cards because they are Ultimate Rewards cards, and well…Ultimate Rewards rocks. But I love Marriott Rewards too.

LINK: Marriott Rewards® Premier Credit Card

Disclosure: If you apply for and receive a credit card through the link provided in this post, I will receive a referral bonus. I appreciate your support of the blog whether you elect to use my links or not. 

Marriott Rewards may not be the sexiest hotel rewards program out there, but it is big, offers a plethora of properties in cities and towns of all sizes, and offers one of the more consistent experiences in hotel stays. When I transitioned from my airline career into something new, I began to focus more on loyalty programs, specifically hotel programs that I had not really bothered with in a long time. It was nothing but chance that most of the people I worked with in my new position were Marriott loyalists. I became one too. As time passed, I read more about hotel programs, and the desire to experiment led me to try other hotel loyalty schemes.

At about that time, I began working with a new group of people who were all Hilton loyalists. I dove in. Within a short amount of time I was elevated to HHonors Gold, and eventually Diamond. My Hilton family stays were always OK, no complaints, then I rediscovered Starwood Preferred Guest. I say “rediscovered” because there was a time during my airline days that I was Starwood Gold when that was the only elite level! Starwood remains a big favorite of mine, but once again, my travel patterns have changed, making it more difficult for me to amass enough stays to hold anything more than Gold status….not that there is anything wrong with that other than I’d rather be SPG Platinum.

Which brings me back to Marriott Rewards. Yes, things do come full circle. With my relocation to Atlanta, I have found that my travel needs have evolved yet again. It seemed that everywhere I was going, there was always a Marriott property, whether it was a Courtyard or a JW Marriott, that met my lodging needs. I debated sticking with my old habits and love of Starwood, and backing that up with the HHonors Gold status provided by virtue of my HHonors Reserve Visa. In the end, I elected to cover my hotel needs in a different way, and challenge my way back to Marriott Rewards gold status which I had lost several years ago. You can read about my challenge experience here.

I’ve enjoyed the benefits of Marriott Gold, including free internet, lounge access, etc. One of my favorite things about booking more Marriott hotels for my business travel needs? Most of the Marriott family hotels I book will allow you to change or cancel your reservation up to the afternoon of your scheduled arrival. For a variety of reasons, it is not at all unusual for my travel plans to change on short notice. That little bit of scheduling flexibility is a big deal, and has already saved me a few hundred bucks in late cancel fees.

In summary, Marriott Rewards is working for me for reasons that are unique to my situation. Still, with all the changes in hotel programs, I am experimenting with different alternatives. Look for a review of a beautiful Kimpton Hotel in a yet to be disclosed location by week’s end. Are you making changes with your hotel loyalty choices this year? How so?

A few years ago I spent some time as a Marriott Gold Elite member. I liked the benefits that came with Gold status, and frankly, I liked Marriott Rewards. As my knowledge of other hotel frequency programs increased, I branched out to Hilton HHonors and Starwood Preferred Guest. SPG quickly became my favorite hotel program. That said, changes in my travel patterns came and I found myself staying at Hilton properties more frequently, ultimately reaching HHonors Diamond status and SPG Platinum status while seeing my Marriott elite status drop to dirt. I always missed Marriott. I don’t think of myself as a creature of habit, but perhaps I am. While I love the whimsical differences of the various W Hotels I’ve had the pleasure of staying at, I have to admit that there was always something that I missed about the familiarity of Marriott hotels.

Like all things, my stay patterns again shifted and I found myself booking an increasing number of Marriott family hotels. I had Silver Elite status by virtue of my Marriott Rewards Premier Visa. But having experienced Gold Elite status in the past, I knew that was what I wanted. OK…I really wanted Platinum Elite, but the fact is that I knew I would probably be able to maintain Gold for the longer term so that is what I went for. I knew from reviews of Flyertalk and Milepoint that Marriott would frequently offer a status challenge if you inquired, so I wrote a brief email and sent it to elite.member at marriott.com stating the following:

Hello. I would like to request a challenge to Marriott Rewards Gold status. I believe that my upcoming travel patterns and plans should allow me to obtain and maintain this status going forward and would appreciate the opportunity to challenge up to Gold. My Marriott Rewards # is XXXXXXXXX, and my address is XXXX Street, Atlanta, GA XXXXX.

Regards,
Marshall Jackson

I received a reply from Marriott the same day offering to upgrade my status to Gold immediately. I would keep the status until the end of January 2013. During that time, I would need to complete 6 paid stays at Marriott family hotels. The email asked for a reply if I accepted the challenge, which I sent. The next day when I logged into my Marriott account, I was Gold Elite.

I completed my 6th stay before Christmas, and in retrospect, I could have easily completed a Platinum challenge as well based on current bookings for January. But like I said, I expect I can maintain Gold Elite for the long term, and I find the benefits it offers mesh well with my travel needs. My favorite benefits are complimentary internet, lounge access, and free breakfast. Room upgrades are nice, and I enjoy them when I get them as well. You can review all the benefits of Marriott Rewards Gold Elite status here.

Disclosure: If you apply for and receive a credit card through the links provided in this post, I will receive a referral bonus. As always, I appreciate your readership whether you use my links or not.

I recently completed a 2-night stay at the fabulous Hotel Arts Barcelona (Marina 19-21, 08005 Barcelona, Spain). This was my first visit to Barcelona, and my first stay at a Ritz-Carlton Hotel! No, I’m not making that up. My love of W Hotels aside, no one ever called me Mr. Fancy Pants when it comes to hotels. Basically, I want a bed, a TV, and wi-fi, and I’m happy. That said, the Hotel Arts was our first stop after a fabulous 14-night cruise which we were taking to celebrate MrsMJ’s (ahem) 29th birthday, and I wanted something nice. I contacted our wonderful travel agent, Michelle Bemis, at McCabe World Travel in McLean, Virginia for advice. She recommended the Hotel Arts, which was a partner hotel with the Virtuoso network. As a result, not only would we be staying at a great hotel, we would receive a room upgrade at check in, an 85 Euro credit to our room for use during our stay, and late checkout, not that we needed that with a 6am flight! I was not disappointed.

Check In

We arrived at the hotel rather early following our cruise, just before 10:00am. Early check-in had been requested by our travel agent, so I wasn’t worried. It was likely that our room would be ready, and if not, we would just leave our bags and spend our time touring beautiful Barcelona! Arriving via taxi, we were immediately greeted by Bell staff and sent to the elevator for a short ride to the main lobby. Upon arriving there, we were immediately assisted. We were warmly welcomed, by the front desk assistant. While being checked in, we were even greeted by the hotel concierge. Our front desk assistant recognized not only my Marriott Gold status, but our Virtuoso affiliation as well. She presented us with a card detailing our benefits, and then, much to my surprise, escorted us to our room on the 16th floor of the hotel.

The Room

Our room offered a partial sea and city view. I suppose it was the best of both worlds. Our front desk person kindly explained the room and presented us with a map of Barcelona, pointing out important sites and the best ways to get there. I was quite pleased with the room. It was large, offered nice views of the city, a comfortable bed, and a TV that came with a remote control that weighed as much as a baseball bat! Seriously, that was the sturdiest remote control I’ve ever seen! After spending a generous amount of time with us, the front desk attendant left us to our own devices….which after such a long cruise meant, we took a nap! At some point, champagne and strawberries arrived, another Virtuoso amenity compliments of our travel agent. The room was extremely comfortable, and featured wireless internet access. ($28 Euro, but complimentary for me as a Marriott Gold member). The room featured a large bath with separate walk-in shower and tub, dual vanities, etc. It was very nice! I snapped a few photos around the room with my iPhone.

Around the Hotel

There was a nice lounge for elite members that I only caught a glimpse of. Frankly, we had too much to see and too little time, so we did not spend a lot of time just lounging around the hotel. I can say that the fantastic restaurant, Cafe Veranda, offered one of the better breakfast buffets I’ve seen. If you go, do not leave without enjoying one of their phenomenal crepes! I went with strawberries and Nutella. Just sayin’. The hotel is located in the Olympic Village area of Barcelona, next to the sea, and within close proximity to many oceanview restaurants and clubs. We walked everywhere we went, which of course included the Ramblas. However, I think my favorite destination during our short visit was Sagrada Familia.

You are welcome to view my photos of Barcelona. (Added December 6, 2012. More photos will be added as I work through them)

Final Thoughts

I cannot say enough good things about the Hotel Arts. From the moment we arrived, it exceeded my expectations, and continued to do so throughout our all to short stay. I will not hesitate to stay at this fabulous hotel again.

I recently completed a 3-night stay at the Albuquerque Marriott located at 2101 Louisiana Boulevard NE in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The hotel was a standard Marriott, with friendly staff, comfortable rooms, and a concierge lounge with one of the better food spreads I’ve seen at a standard domestic Marriott hotel. Should business take me back to Albuquerque, I would not hesitate to book the Albuquerque Marriott.

Check in was efficient, yet still friendly. One thing you have to give Marriott, they are consistent, and in my experience, the most consistent at recognizing your loyalty and thanking you personally for it when checking in. Within minutes of arriving, I was in my 17th floor King room, 1722. Within a few minutes of settling into my room, I received a phone call from the front desk just to check and ensure everything was OK with my room. I don’t recall receiving a similar call at other Marriott properties before. I didn’t expect it, but I did appreciate the courtesy. I snapped a few photos of the room.

From the Doorway

Very Comfortable King Bed

Chocolates on My Pillow

Big TV

Bathroom

Shower - Plenty of Hot Water!

Bath Products - Those of You Who've Seen Me Know My Shampoo Bill is Low....But Still....

Power Outlets!!!! Yay! And There Were More!

Random Notes

The hotel gym was well equipped, there was a nice indoor/outdoor pool, and a hot tub. All were located on the lower level (LL on the elevator). The concierge lounge (closed on weekends) was located on the 14th floor of the hotel. Breakfast was served at 6:30am, and the lounge opened for the evening at 5:00pm. I only visited twice during my stay, and both were in the evening, but the food spread was well above average as I mentioned earlier, and staff were very pleasant.

Finally, a couple of restaurant recommendations. None were particularly close to the hotel, but I thought they were worth the 10 to 15 minute drive. First, Tucanos Brazillian Grill (110 Central Ave, SW). While I suppose the decor was maybe one notch lower than “fancier” churrascarias, the food certainly wasn’t. Reasonably priced, with good service, a fantastic salad bar…and of course….very nice cuts of meat. Just don’t forget the pineapple! Another great spot was El Pinto (10500 4th St.). A 15 to 20 minute drive to what appears to be the middle of nowhere (at least to me), I can say I was not disappointed. Nightly specials, good margaritas, friendly service. If you have a car, make the drive!

Earn 5 Points Per Dollar on Your Marriott Family Stays

Blogger Note: I’m going to change the way I do hotel reviews. Basic domestic hotels will get a “mini” review complete with comments on service, nearby restaurants, and of course, room pictures. “Fancier” hotel stays will get a review more akin to the way I’ve historically handled hotel reviews. I know some don’t bother with “standard” hotel stays, but I get enough searches for some of the more random hotels that I’ve stayed in to tell me that there is a bit of demand for a quick opinion on hotels from a trusted source.

Disclosure: If you apply for and receive a credit card through the link provided in this post, I will receive a referral bonus.