Happy New Year!!!
Chrismas trip to Hongkong, Macau and Hainan Island-Hong Kong
I was not in Hong Kong for sightseeing. I was actually there to visit my sister in law, who just had another baby in Hong Kong. I mentioned that I spent most time of my day outside of Grand Hyatt, because we had another Serviced Apartment-Shama right across Time Square. The location of this apartment is excellent, right in the center of everything, the only problem was, the taxi lane was extremely long.
Since I frequently travel back to States, where price is a lot cheaper than Hong Kong, so no shopping. Also baby is too little to go to theme park. so what’s left? Food! Hong Kong has so many great restaurant, my first recommendation is Lei Garden. they have many locations throughout Hong Kong and China, one is in the Time Square Food court. I had one lunch and one dinner there, it’s one of the best Cantonese style cruise I ever had. I also ate at Chinese restaurant inside the Hyatt Hotel because we could not get table anywhere else without advance reservation, the food was good too, but not comparable to Lei Garden. My third night dinner in Hong Kong was at Hana Sakazuki Japanese restaurant. Also excellent, but the price was significantly higher than local Chinese Cuisine.
Hong Kong is a great city with too many people, lane is everywhere, taxi(40 mins), elevator to restaurant(15mins). If I had a choice, I won’t want to go there around X’mas, New Year and Chinese New years, when many people from mainland visit Hong Kong. Also, make advance reservation if you want to eat those nice restaurants on weekend.
Causeway bay at 10:00 am
Time Square
Chrismas trip to Hongkong, Macau and Hainan Island-Grand Hyatt
I picked Grand Hyatt for 2 simple reasons, one I need 2 more nights to keep diamond, second this is the only hotel I can have a confirmed Suite(without paying suite rate) in Hong Kong Island. After I made the booking, the standard suite was sold out, so I had to keep checking for Standard Harbor view Suite to open up, few days before our arrival, the suite showed. I immediately contacted Hyatt to use my Suite upgrade certificate. After I got confirmation, no more suite for sale. Consider the suite is so popular, I had feeling that we will be upgraded again.
We took private car from Shenzhen to Hongkong(no need to get out during border crossing) and arrived hotel around 12:30 noon, waited for another 30 mins before they directed to our room-Diplomat Suite, located on 34th floor. All Suites located from 31-36th floor, and requires Elevator change on 30th floor.
I did not eat anything from Lounge for the next 3 days, but the view from the lounge are beautiful.
Few suggestions though, if you are going Hong Kong for a shopping trip, this may not be the property because it’s 10 mins walking distance to Subway station and traffic can be very bad in Hong Kong. The standard room is small, more like Grand Hyatt Beijing. Other than that, I think this is great hotel with good service.
Chrismas trip to Hongkong, Macau and Hainan Island-Shenzhen Sheraton Grand China
After long time back and forth discussion with my wife, she finally decided to take the trip with our baby to Hong Kong, Macau and Hainan Island.
We spent our first night at Shenzhen Sheraton hotel to meet with our relatives for border crossing the next day. Arrived hotel around 9:30pm, the room was upgraded to Studio Suite. I requested an infant crib before we arrive, the crib was ready when we got there. However, I was quite disappointed about the crib, it’s so deep and very hard to put baby in and out. Eventually, we let baby sleep with us on the same bed for the night.
The Lounge closed too early on the weekend, 8:00pm. well, it’s just for one night, so not big deal.
Does the crib look like a cage to you?
update on $9.99 for 5000 Delta miles
Back to few months ago, I mentioned this Delta offer for signing up AMEX Single Identity Theft program, now I can confirm how to get these 5000 miles.
The bonus will be posted after second paid month, however, you don’t need to pay the second month, just cancel few days before second payment date.
Another Delta/AMEX Membership reward transfer bonus promotion
The last 50% bonus promotion just ended yesterday, a new one is here
Register, then transfer 50,000 Membership reward points to Delta before Dec 31st, 2010, you will earn one of the following
$250 Macy’s Gift Card
or
20,000 bonus Membership reward points
bonus selection must be made during registration and can not be revised. However, you can earn bonus multiple times by breaking down your transfer into 50K each.
Hat tip to davevt98
continental Airline Mileathon is back
Registration begins in Jan 1st, 2011-Feb 28th, 2011 and complete Mileathon activity between Feb 1st, 2011 -Apr 30th, 2011. More qualifying activities will earn you more points=more miles
Offer valid for resident of 48 states
Credit to this thread
Shanghai is snowing today!
I moved to shanghai because I don’t like the weather in Beijing, now this is my first welcome winter in Shanghai
waiting for hyatt’s Q1 promotion
SPG just released their new promotion, double points+500 bonus per night on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday with 10% of hotels don’t participanting. I would not say this is a great offer, but as always said, something is better than nothing.
Marriott will release their new Mega bonus 3 days later, as always, diff people got diff promotion, let’s see what we got this time
Hilton already leaked their promotion, which is similar to SPG last year Q1 promotion, 2 nights double, 3 nights triple and 4 nights Quarple.
so Hyatt, what will be yours?
Delta Platinum is much better than Diamond
We all know the difference btw Diamond and Platinum are not that big, that’s not all, the worst part of becoming a diamond is , you won’t get to talk to Hibbis, MI or Cincinnati call center anymore. 99% of your call will be route to Salt lake city, which I consider the worst call center ever. Just few weeks ago, they modified a reservation without reissuing the ticket, so passenger arrived airport without ticket. Every time I called to do some simple modification, it always take them forever to figure out. Today, another 45 minutes on the phone just for a small date change on Air France flight to KLM, they insisted that the KLM business class award is W class, which suppose to be “O” Class.
Eventually, I used my delta number to call in, Platinum desk was able to modify the reservation in 5 minutes.
regent hotels join Goldpoint plus program again
Just not too long ago, regent hotels left Gold Point Plus program after the entire brand was sold.
The brand has made agreement with Goldpoint Plus program, all of their hotels will join Gold points plus program again, the first 4 hotels are Beijing, Zagreb, Berlin and Bordeaux
