I don’t think I’ve ever truly qualified for Hilton HHonors elite status, however I’ve pretty much had gold or diamond status every year for at least the last ten years. My diamond status, which expired in March, was earned via a 2011 Virgin Australia promotion. Essentially, you were able to airline status match to Virgin Australia’s highest level and one of the perks of that level was instant HHonors diamond status. Well, another Australian / Asia-Pacific targeted promotion can get you status for this year. Jason over at MilesQuest provided a great post back in March with step-by-step instructions on how to receive instant gold status. The offer is intended for Australian residents with a specific Visa card, but Jason walks you through exactly how to get Hilton’s system to think you have both of those…

With the huge Hilton devaluation, free gold status still makes sense, even if you only plan to stay at a Hilton or two this year. Gold status comes with free continental breakfast, free internet, discounted award stays, and potential upgrades. In Asia it almost always secures you executive lounge access as well.

The offer expires on May 31, 2013, so make sure you take advantage while it’s still live. My status updated immediately and I was able to use it during my weekend at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner for FTU (as did I think 90% of attendees)! Currently, I don’t have any other Hilton stays planned this year, besides the Conrad Maldives in December (at the old rates), but I like having the gold status just in case.

Hilton’s horrible points devaluation goes into effect in just three short days on March 28th and I’m spending some time now deciding where to redeem my final 200K+ points. The majority of these points were earned as sign up bonuses for the Hawaiian Airlines credit cards from Bank of Hawaii and Bank of America. I then transferred the miles at a rate of 1:2 to Hilton HHonors for a planned stay back in January. My plans ultimately changed and I now have a balance of 200K+ in my HHonors account.  Here are the options I’m considering, the differences between a redemption by the 28th and one after using the new reward chart are truly startling:

Hilton Barbados – Family vacation in December, currently category 7 moving to the new category 8.
Cash Rate – $593 per nt, Current Points Required – 37.5k per night, Points Required after March 28th – 70,000 per night (5th night will be free)

Hilton Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa- Potential early December holiday? Currently category 7 moving to the new category 10.
Cash Rate – $659 per nt, Current Points Required – 37.5k per night, Points Required after March 28th – 95,000 per night WOW (5th night will be free)

Conrad Koh Samui – Potential early December holiday? Currently category 7 moving to the new category 10.
Cash Rate – $879 per nt, Current Points Required – 37.5k per night, Points Required after March 28th – 95,000 per night WOW (5th night will be free)

Conrad Maldives Rangali Island – Potential early December holiday? Currently category 7 moving to the new category 10.
Cash Rate – $1365 per nt, Current Points Required – 37.5k per night, Points Required after March 28th – 95,000 per night WOW (5th night will be free)

Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa- Potential early December holiday? Currently category 7 moving to the new category 10.
Cash Rate – $1038 per nt, Current Points Required – 37.5k per night, Points Required after March 28th - 95,000 per night WOW (5th night will be free)

I’ll obviously be deciding before Thursday, which also happens to be a few days before my Diamond status expires as well. Are you cashing out your points as well? Make sure to check out this post for a link to the updated award chart, a search feature which allows you to find property rates by month, and even a listing of category changes by each individual property. Remember, if you use your points for domestic stays at some of the lower category properties, you might even find some positive changes…

Here is the full list of 2013 updates with a few changes in bonus amounts…

Are your credit cards relegated to the back of a drawer once the sign-up bonus posts? While your still in possession of those cards you acquired during your past few churns, why not put them to use and earn some additional miles or points? Remember, holding cards instead of canceling right away makes sense as you can use them as leverage in your next churn, offering to give up the card in exchange for a new card and a new bonus.

Priority Club – 2,013 points after $40 of spend on a single dine within 30 days of registration (registration now closed)
Delta – 1,500 miles after $40 of spend on a single dine within 30 days of registration.
American – 1,000 miles after $40 of spend on a single dine within 30 days of registration.
United – 1,000 miles after $40 of spend on a single dine within 30 days of registration.
US Airways – 1,000 miles after $40 of spend on a single dine within 30 days of registration  (remember these will become AA miles down the road).
Hilton – 1,000 points after $40 of spend on a single dine within 30 days of registration.
Alaska – 500 miles after $30 of spend on a single dine within 30 days of registration.
Southwest – 300 miles after $25 of spend on a single dine within 60 days of registration.

Each promotion is for a “new” profile, meaning both a unique credit card and email address is required (in my previous post reader Elaine noted that she has used the same email address with a different cc for all programs without any problems, YMMV). Additionally, each of the promotions above requires you to complete a review in order to qualify for the bonus. The link to the review is emailed after your dine and is a simple multiple choice survey.

We had a great four night stay at the brand new DoubleTree by Hilton Cape Cod in late August. The hotel had just opened in May after a $7 million dollar renovation of the previous Radisson that was located on the same property.  All rooms were completely gut renovated as were the bathrooms, lobby, and fitness center. A new seating area and fire pit were also added.

I booked our rooms via a Travelzoo promotional rate of $159 per night, which still qualified for full HHonors points accumulation. A standard room during the prime summer season is normally priced from $279-$319 per night or redeemable for 40,000 HHonors points at this category six property.

Upon check-in, we were handed keys to a standard king room and the only potential upgrades would have been the same exact room with a jet-tube (no thanks) or a two-room suite which was already booked for the weekend.

I hadn’t stayed at a DoubleTree in years and I didn’t know what to expect. Well, the room was great! It still smelled brand new and the bed was as comfortable as any other Hilton bed I’ve slept on. Premium sheets and pillows were also included. The bathroom wasn’t anything fancy but was also new (including the tiling and the floor) and had a separate shower stall with great water pressure .

Hilton HHonors Gold and Diamond members receive complimentary breakfast in the Ivy Room restaurant. The breakfast had similar offerings each day with bagels, muffins, croissants, danishes, toast, oatmeal (several nice toppings), juices, and fresh fruit. There was also a daily buffet with scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, french toast, pancakes, and home fries.

We all loved our stay at the DoubleTree. Growing up in New York, I’d come to the Cape each summer with my family. Back then there were no chain hotels on the entire Cape and we’d stay at one of the local inns or motels, sometimes coming up without even having set reservations. I remember driving from one to the next some years until we found a vacancy. Today, it’s more of the same, with several families looking to see which motels have a vacancy sign hanging outside. I guess over time, I’ve been spoiled by the points and miles game. It was certainly nice to have a full-service upscale property centrally located in Hyannis (there’s also a Holiday Inn on the Cape as well). Each day we would venture out to a different town or beach and the hotel was a perfect central location to explore from. You are also within minutes to Main Street Hyannis and the Hyannis waterfront district where the ferries to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket depart from. Overall, it was a fun extended weekend up in the Cape and the hotel was excellent. We will most likely be returning again this summer.

oh…and I shouldn’t forget to mention the deliciously warm DoublTree cookies each afternoon up at the front desk!

Hilton has just confirmed several changes to their HHonors program including the addition of a tenth hotel reward category and an increase in award prices for several properties due to the new “seasonal hotel rewards”. Seasonal rewards increase the price of a redemption based on the hotel’s busy season. For example, the Hilton Barbados, a category 7 property, used to be 50k points for a standard room all year long, but would now increase to 70k per night from December – March. Hilton also announced that they will now provide a 5th night free benefit to silver, gold, and diamond members. However, sticking with this example, the average rate for 5 nights would increase to 56k per night instead of the previous 50k during the prime season, but would drop to 40k in the off season when taking advantage of the 5th night free. I’ve just start browsing through their seasonal chat, but I’ve yet to find properties where the redemption rates have actually dropped from the old pricing during the off season. For now this looks like an increase only…

• Reward Categories – We will be expanding to ten hotel reward categories to account for all of the new hotels and resorts that have opened in the past few years. With 3,900 hotels and resorts in 90 countries you are sure to find the perfect place for your next reward stay.
• Seasonal Hotel Reward Pricing – For most of our hotels and resorts, we will introduce seasonal pricing for reward stays. The amount of points needed for a Standard Room Reward and a Points & Money Reward will vary during certain times of the year.
• 5^th Night Free – Now members with Silver, Gold or Diamond elite status will get a free night* when they book a Standard Room Reward stay of five or more consecutive nights.

Changes go into effect March 28, 2013, and any bookings made before then still correspond to the old terms and conditions, even for stays post March. I’ll be taking a look through the reward categories and seasonal pricing charts tonight and will have an updated post later this week. You can check out the full details and the updated reward category and seasonal pricing charts here. This link will allow you to see the new reward chart but also has search functionality to assist in determining the rate at a given property based on time of year.

Update – I’m still going through the list looking for some positives based on the seasonal pricing (feel free to comment if you find one) but here’s another negative. Hilton Phuket, category 3, currently pricing at 25,000 points per night will become 40k per night Dec-Feb and then drop to 30k per night for the rest of the year. 5th night free brings the rate to 24k in the off-season and 32k in prime season.

This is part ten of my Bali / Kuala Lumpur trip report and includes my review of the Hilton Kuala Lumpur. I selected the hotel after overwhelming positive reaction from Point Me to the Plane readers when asked which property was their favorite in KL. The Hilton is also ranked as #6 of 228 hotels on TripAdvisor in KL with very positive reviews. Unfortunately, the Hilton did not live up to the recommendations…

• United Airlines Business Class  Updated 767-300 Newark (EWR) – Houston (IAH)
• Singapore Airlines First Class 777-300ER Houston (IAH) – Moscow (DME) Part 1
• Singapore Airlines First Class 777-300ER Moscow (DME) – Singapore (SIN) & DME Transfer Lounge Part 2
• The Singapore Airlines Private Room @ SilverKris Lounge Terminal 3 & SilverKris Lounge Terminal 2 @ SIN
• Singapore Airlines Business Class 777-200 Singapore (SIN) – Bali (DPS)
• The St. Regis Bali Resort
• The W Retreat & Spa Bali
• The Brand New Sheraton Bali Kuta
• My First Experience on Air Asia A320 Bali (DPS) – Kuala Lumpur (KUL)
• The Hilton Kuala Lumpur Hotel
• The Westin Kuala Lumpur
• The Cathay Pacific Pier Lounge HKG/Day-Break Rooms, connecting flight KUL – HKG
• Cathay Pacific First Class  777-300ER Hong Kong (HKG) – Vancouver (YVR) – JFK

The Hilton Kuala Lumpur is a category 6 property. My options when booking were to pay $125 per night, use 40,000 points per night, or use 20,000 HHonors points & pay $69 per night. Since the room was priced so reasonably, I decided to pay the $125 per night. I felt that it was a relatively low value for a 40k redemption or the 20k plus $69 cash & points redemption, which would have only saved me $56 per night. The plan was to stay two nights but I ended up staying only one night and then moving to the Westin.

The KLIA Express, a high-speed train directly from KUL airport, brings you to the station directly across the street from the Hilton in only 28 minutes. It was excellent (once I made it from the low cost terminal to the main terminal) and I was able to easily walk into the lobby of the Hilton. Walking through the lobby I noticed a lot of construction going on (even though it was after 10pm) and the front-desk had been temporarily relocated to accommodate for drilling. I proceeded upstairs and checked-in at the Executive Lounge located on the 38th floor. As a Diamond member, I was given an executive room just down the hall from the lounge. Check-in was easy and they had me sit at one of the lounge tables with a drink and some snacks while they prepared everything.

The room itself was nice and semi-modern, with an open spacious feel…

All seemed well as I was waiting for American’s new livery presentation at 9am CST before heading out to explore. Unfortunately, soon after the announcement all power was switched off in the hotel, including the A/C!

When booking the hotel, the Hilton website had an alert that stated that “Sudu & Senses restaurants are closed for refurbishment”, no other advisories were or are given. The Hilton website today list the following warning:

I also received a letter a check-in that stating that while repairs were happening, there was no expected disruption to guests staying at the hotel.

Well, it turns out the letter couldn’t have been more off. The power was cut at midnight and the room was pitch black besides the emergency lights. Obviously without power there is no air conditioning or internet. Now, the rooms have no windows that open, meaning that the room was quickly very hot (it was still 90 degree outside at midnight). I called the “MAGIC” team and asked why the power was out and when they expected it back on. I was informed that this was a PLANNED outage for construction purposes and that I should have received a letter under my door informing me of the situation. Strange that no one seemed to mention it at check-in only two hours earlier. I was told that the power would be back on between 4-5am. I guess the rationale was that most guests would be sleeping at this time, however the room was sweltering and I can’t imagine that many were able to sleep. In addition, the elevators were not working! What a disaster, luckily it was late and I tried to force myself to sleep.

After a restless night without much sleep, I headed to the lounge for breakfast and to find out if there were any other planned outages. I was told that there might be a short one at 2am the next night but otherwise all power should be on for the remainder of my stay. Hmm, what exactly is short??

As a Diamond member (same for Gold), you can choose to have breakfast in the lounge or down at the restaurant. I opted for the lounge breakfast which was nice and like the other breakfasts on this trip, included food from all three meals…

The lounge serves light snacks and coffee/tea from 11-4 and then does a full happy hour with food and unlimited drinks from 6-8. The lounge is huge with multiple rooms and floors, all with great panoramic views and modern furnishings…

Before leaving the lounge I asked if there was anything else I should know about in terms of construction etc. I was told that the pool was also closed for the next few weeks! What? Another non-disclosure on the website and at check-in. I was informed that I should have received a letter and since I didn’t they would send someone to slip the note under my door. I was disappointed, this was one of the major advantages of the hotel, everyone remarked how nice the pool area was after a day of sightseeing. The pool was supposed to be very large with slides, cabanas, and great views. It was actually one of the reasons why I was comfortable staying outside of the city (the Hilton is a 12-15 minute monorail or train ride into the city center). When I went downstairs this is what I found instead:

Guests were allowed instead to use the adjoining Le Meridien pool…

That was enough for me. In the elevator I logged on to the SPG app and booked myself a room at the Westin, what was originally about $50 more per night was now only $12 additional for a last minute non-refundable rate. Good enough for me! The Westin was also located right in the center of the city which would be more convenient for exploring the city and the pool was actually open! In the end, I’m so happy that I was forced to switch. I loved everything about the Westin – the service, the Petronas Towers views from my room, the lounge, the amazing breakfast (the best of the trip and perhaps the best I’ve had in Asia), and of course the location. More on the Westin in my next trip report.

I headed back upstairs, grabbed my bag and told the lounge to check me out and cancel my reservation for that night. I did inform Hilton that I thought it was very wrong to not disclose the lack of electricity/AC/internet and closed pool on their website or at check-in and that it would have very much altered my decision to stay there. Late last week I received a letter from Hilton notifying me that they were sending me a Be My Guest certificate good for one night plus tax at any property worldwide. I think that’s fair…especially for the $125 I spent on the Hilton KL.

With A/C, internet, and an open pool, I think the Hilton would have certainly been a really nice property to stay at. Getting from the airport to the hotel is very convenient via the express train. The commute from the hotel into the city was relatively easy and short, though I still think I’d pick to stay at the Westin next time around. Being located in the center of the city with an equally good lounge and excellent service seems to be worth it for me. I like having the ability to walk out of the hotel and explore, something you cannot do at the Hilton.

Yesterday was the final day of the BA Avios Escape from the Blizzard trip in Barbados but the Hilton pool was closed. Roped off by yellow “Do Not Cross” tape, the pool was expected to re-open at noon but the time was pushed back to 2pm and then until 5pm.  As per the towel guy, a toddler “had gone bad” in the pool. Luckily we stick to the amazing public beach just down the street at Carlisle Bay anyway…

Are your credit cards relegated to the back of a drawer once the sign-up bonus posts? While your still in possession of those cards you acquired during your past few churns, why not put them to use and earn some additional miles or points? Remember, holding cards instead of canceling right away makes sense as you can use them as leverage in your next churn, offering to give up the card in exchange for a new card and a new bonus. I’m usually not a huge fan of the various dinning offers from Rewards Network, but their 2013 promos can get you some decent easy point payouts with AA, DL, UA, US, AS, Hilton, and Priority Club.

Priority Club – 2,013 points after $40 of spend on a single dine within 30 days of registration.
Delta – 1,500 miles after $40 of spend on a single dine within 30 days of registration.
American – 1,000 miles after $40 of spend on a single dine within 30 days of registration.
United – 1,000 miles after $40 of spend on a single dine within 30 days of registration.
US Airways – 1,000 miles after $40 of spend on a single dine within 30 days of registration.
Hilton – 1,000 points after $40 of spend on a single dine within 30 days of registration.
Alaska – 500 miles after $30 of spend on a single dine within 30 days of registration.

Each promotion is for a “new” profile, meaning both a unique credit card and email address is required. Additionally, each of the promotions above requires you to complete a review in order to qualify for the bonus. The link to the review is emailed after your dine and is a simple multiple choice survey. The trick is finding a restaurant that you would dine at anyway. Of all the NYC locations, I was able to find about three restaurants that I frequent, however there were several bars that serve food that made the list as well.

Reader Elaine notes in the comments that she uses the same email for all registrations without any problems. YMMV!

Registration is now live for Q1 promos being offered by Starwood Preferred Guest and Club Carlson programs, plus catch up on the previously announced Hilton Double Points/Miles and Marriott MegaBonus promos:

SPG Power Up
Earn 2,000 bonus Starpoints after every four eligible nights, up to a maximum of 8,000 bonus Starpoints after 16 eligible nights. Earn an additional 10,000 bonus Starpoints once you’ve stayed 20 eligible nights. You can earn a maximum of 18,000 total bonus Starpoints for eligible nights from January 15, 2013 through April 15, 2013 and you must register for the promotion by February 28, 2013 midnight ET. Bonus Starpoints will post to the registered member’s account within 2–4 weeks after the qualifying stay posts that includes the 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th and 20th eligible night. Bonus Starpoints will be awarded after the complete stay posts, regardless of when the qualifying nights within a given stay occur. An eligible night is a night at any of the over 1,100 SPG-participating hotels and resorts paying an eligible rate during the promotion period. Nights do not have to be consecutive and can be accumulated across multiple stays. An eligible rate is any rate that is eligible to earn Starpoints in the Starwood Preferred Guest program. Certain prepaid rooms where the booking is made through a third party (including but not limited to travelocity.com, expedia.com and orbitz.com) are not eligible rates and do not earn Starpoints or qualify toward promotional earnings.

Club Carlson Triple Points
Earn triple points on all hotel stays and food and beverages charged to your room after completing the registration form and completing an eligible stay between January 8 and March 15, 2013 at any of the more than 1,000 Carlson Rezidor hotels worldwide. To be eligible to earn 40 Gold Points per U.S. Dollar spent (“Bonus Points”) in addition to the standard 20 Gold Points per U.S. Dollar spent, members must register online for the Promotion, provide their Club Carlson number at the time of reservation or at check-in, and pay for a stay on a Gold Point eligible rate at participating Radisson Blu, Radisson, Country Inns & Suites By Carlson, Park Inn by Radisson and Park Plaza hotels worldwide beginning on or after January 8, 2013, and completed by March 15, 2013 (“Eligible Stays”). Bonus and standard Points are awarded based on the amount spent during an Eligible Stay on the room rate(s) and eligible food and beverage charged to your room, exclusives of any taxes, levies, charges and fees. Members only need to register once before March 15, 2013, but registration must be received in advance of the Eligible Stay or before checkout to qualify. Only one Club Carlson member account will be credited for each Eligible Stay.

Remember, Club Carlson & Avis are also running a 7.500 Gold Points promo that’s good all year long!

• Now through December 31, 2013, Club Carlson members can earn 7,500 total Gold Points on qualifying rentals of 3 days or more at participating locations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
• Use coupon # MUHA018 and present your Club Carlson number at the time of reservation or at the rental counter to earn your bonus points.

Previously announced Hilton & Marriott Promos:

Hilton Q1 Double Points or Double Miles Promo
Earn Double Points or Double Miles on your next trip when you stay at participating hotels and resorts in the Hilton HHonors portfolio from January 7 through March 31, 2013.

Marriott MegaBonus Q1 Promo
Earn up to 3 free nights with MegaBonus when you stay at any participating Marriott hotel worldwide. To earn your free nights:

• Register online or call 888-MARRIOTT (627-7468) by March 15, 2013
• Stay twice at any participating hotel between February 1 and April 30, 2013
• Earn 1 free night after every second paid stay, up to 3 free nights

Your free nights are ONLY GOOD at category 1 – 4 hotels.

Just a reminder that Hilton’s Friends & Family sale is still going on for a few more days, though unfortunately your travel must also take place during this time. The Friends & Family sale allows you to save up to 50% off the Best Available Rate (BAR) at participating hotels and resorts throughout the Hilton Worldwide portfolio. You must book by January 7, 2013 for travel through January 7, 2013. Not bad if you have a last minute trip this week or can take a quick vacation this weekend. The rates are valid for HHonors points accumulation.

Save 50% at these participating hotels and resorts:
-Waldorf Astoria, Conrad, Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites, and Hilton Grand Vacations

Save 30% at these participating hotels and resorts:
- Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton, Homewood Suites, and Home2 Suites

Speaking of Hilton, check out today’s Hilton Sorrento Palace trip report.

I spent a weekend at the Hilton Sorrento Palace while working in Rome.  This review is part three of a five part Italy trip report:

1)Alitalia JFK-FCO A330 Magnifica Business Class
2)Westin Excelsior, Rome x4
3)Hilton Sorrento Palace – Sorrento, Italy
4)Hotel Marina Riviera, Amalfi, Italy
5)Hotel Cala di Volpe, Costa Smeralda – An SPG Luxury Collection Hotel

Hilton Sorrento Palace Hotel- HHonors Reward Category 7 (50,000 points per night)

As I’ve mentioned a few times, I tend to stay at SPG and Hyatt properties, with only a few select Hilton stays per year. We booked our weekend away from Rome last minute and instead of using a 50,000 per night award, I secured a last minute non-refundable HHonors points eligible weekend rate of 140€ that was inclusive of breakfast on Hilton’s website.

Check-In – The front desk was extremely courteous and as a HHonors Gold member I was informed that I had been upgraded to a king room on the Executive Floor.

Despite some reviews I had read on TripAdvisor, I found the room to be clean and modern. Everything was controlled via a panel on the desk and another located by the bed – lights, do not disturb notification, curtains, etc. The bed was very comfortable and had the new Hilton bedding products. The bathroom had a tub and a great separate shower with three separate shower heads.

Waiting in the room was a welcome gift of prosecco as well as two bottles of water (one sparking and one still). Even better, the waters were replaced daily by housekeeping and tagged with complimentary signs. My favorite part of the room was the amazing balcony overlooking the Bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius. The balcony was enormous and included a table and two chairs, it was accessible via a sliding door off my room.

Hilton Executive lounges outside the US tend to be excellent and this one was no exception. It was located on the 7th floor and served breakfast, snacks, all day wine, cappuccino, prosecco, freshly squeezed juices and waters, and starting at 6pm great appetizers, complimentary local beers, additional red wines, and hard liquor. The evening appetizers were excellent and we had to control ourselves in order to keep room for dinner.  Dishes included olive tapanade, meatballs, mini pizzas, stuffed mushrooms, small dishes of chicken & olive oil, and assorted soups. They have a great outdoor terrace and the executive lounge staff continuously refilled our water and wine glasses and brought any dirty plates inside. The lounge also has its own private pool, though it’s not as nice as the main outdoor pool.

We used the Hilton Sorrento as a base to explore Capri and the greater Amalfi Coast so there wasn’t much pool time, however the pool is quite nice and also has great views overlooking the Bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius.

Overall the service throughout the hotel was caring and attentive without any of the surliness that you may find in Rome or other parts of Italy. The hotel is within walking distance of town (10-15 on the way into town downhill and 15-20 on the way back up). You may want to consider a taxi from the Sorrento train station if you have large bags upon arriving (20-30 Euro). Breakfast is also served on the second floor in addition to the executive lounge. The main breakfast room includes yogurt, meats, pancakes, cheeses, breads, fresh juices, etc. The property also includes a large lobby, tennis courts, gym, and indoor pools. The actual town of Sorrento was quite nice and we had dinner within town both nights.

One of my favorite experiences of this weekend actually took place in Capri.  After renting our own boat for the day on Saturday and sailing around Capri (or doing our best), we decided to sign-up for a full day boat tour with a real captain etc.  The tour was to hold up to 20 people but as it was fall we lucked out and there was no one else on our now private boat. We ended up skipping the Blue Grotto both days as you can wait up to 2 hours for your turn to transfer from your own boat to a smaller rowboat manned by singing oarsmen and taken inside the cave for under 10 minutes. The whole thing seemed very cheesy and not worth our time.  However, I hate missing out on things and so I went back after the rowboats were done for the day (around 5pm in the fall). From Anacapri you can take a bus right down to the entrance of the Blue Grotto and then walk down a staircase to the actual cave. Once there you can jump into the water and swim directly into the cave sans-boat. It was an amazing experience and I took my time in the cave (just keep an eye on the entrance as the cave fills up with water as high-tide comes in). Floating around in the blue light of the cave, at times by myself, was just incredible and truly one of those amazing experiences. The trip back to the Blue Grotto was unplanned so I made due with what I had, however you probably want to remember to bring your bathing suit along…

Up next, Hotel Marina Riviera in Amalfi.