While planning my summer trip to Asia, I came to the realization that Iām stuck in a rut. I canāt get myself to book anything other than Hyatt hotels. Not because I like the monotony of being in the same hotel room no matter where I go or even due to my super-elite Platinum status. No, itās because Hyatt hotels are generally nicer and in better overall condition – at least where my travels take me. That still doesnāt make it ok in my mind and Iām trying really hard to break out of this habit.
When I was looking for hotels in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, I made an effort to book something other than a Hyatt. If for no other reason than to incorporate a bit of variety into the trip. I tried it in Singapore but the Grand Hyatt has a great location and is in much better shape than its competitors. They all came up short in one area or another, so I booked the Grand Hyatt Singapore, knowing it was the best choice in terms of location and overall value. It certainly helped that I secured a Duplex Suite, so I felt less weird about this first booking.
Next was Kuala Lumpur, where hotels are ridiculously cheap. A 3-bedroom residence at the Ritz Carlton Kuala Lumpur is a mind-boggling $385 per night. There isnāt a zero missing from that number. It would have been perfect too, since there are five of us and this rate would include breakfast and lounge access for everyone. In terms of Arrival miles, it would require just $17,325 in manufactured spending per night. Yet, I couldnāt pull the trigger. The Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur is probably the nicest hotel in the city and people are constantly raving about the suites with views of the Petronas Towers. If I was going to book any Hyatt hotel on this trip, it had to be the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur.
What reinforced my decision was that the Ritz Carlton Kuala Lumpur has surprisingly bad reviews. People complain about the service, club lounge, and even the condition of the hotel. That kind of put me off. When I showed a video of the Ritz Carltonās 3-bedroom suite and the Grand Hyattās Grand Suites to my brother (who normally couldnāt care less about this stuff) his reaction was, “The Hyatt looks so much nicer”. So Hyatt it was, again.
Now I have to make some decisions about our stay in Bali and possibly Hong Kong. At the moment I have Villa Bulung Daya booked in Bali. It was only available for three nights, so I need to book a hotel for 3-4 more nights. My brother thinks heāll have his first post-grad job by the summer (oh, youthful optimism!), in which case he wonāt be able to take much time off. Meanwhile, my sister just got her first job and doesnāt think she can take more than two weeks off either. So we might have to rearrange our trip or cut our time in Bali short. We donāt know yet, so Iām waiting until May before finalizing those plans.
Are you in a hotel rut? What is it thatās keeping you from staying outside of a particular hotel chain?
Would be so glad to read more reviews of other hotels on points! So many bloggers have Hyatt Diamond, I find reviews very heavily skewed toward Hyatt.
I agree. I definitely want to change things up a bit going forward.
It’s not a rut if they are good and there’s a reason you pick them. That’s called
Happiness š
True, but I suspect there’s also a bit of bias on my part. I picked the Grand Hyatt Singapore over the St. Regis!
I agree with Pete. I’m not that frequent of a traveler to begin with, so having attained Diamond status for me pretty much means only staying at Hyatts when I travel. Why mess with a good thing. I’ve heard great things about St. Regis in Kauai, but I’ll always stay at GH there… you can google-map the pool at St. Regis and figure out one of the reasons why.
If you tire of returning to the same hotel, it may be time for a change, otherwise stick with what you already know is great.
Speaking of Hyatt stays, I just came up with a no-fee way to earn 5X UR points per dollar instead of 3x Hyatt points: Chase Ink to buy Safeway gift card at OfficeMax, then use those GC’s to purchase Hyatt gift card at Safeway. Probably not the first to think of it, but wanted to throw it out there. Also earns you fuel discounts at Safeway Gas Stations.
I have the same “problem”! everytime I want to book a hotel I find I like the Hyatt’s best. They are just such great hotels. I lost diamond status and am very bummed about it. I have my wife and her friend booked into a club carlson hotel in Tampa but am looking at the Hyatt resort and thinking how much nicer it is. Want to burn those points but want to put them into a better hotel. I probably will…. I’m trying to find someone with Diamond status and have them book it for me but not sure if I can safely transfer points into their account first. Thoughts on that?
Your Club Carlson points can definitely be put to better use abroad. Here, their hotels don’t often measure up to other chains. Hyatt Diamond benefits can actually be transferred to other guests as part of the Guest of Honor program.
Yes I am aware of that but how do I transfer my points into their account so they can book for me?
There’s a form you have to fill out and send to Hyatt Gold Passport: http://www.hyatt.com/gp/en/awards/combine_transfer.jsp
Nothing wrong with hotel rut! š I wish we have enough points in hyatt to be in a rut, since our diamond status expires next Feb. This simplifies planning and make me more focused on the activity planning for the destination – the more important part anyways.
I’ve been mostly using Arrival miles or a combination of Points + Cash for my Hyatt stays. You’ve got plenty of time to re-qualify though!
Wish I had your problem! š I actually usually book Hyatts too because they’re so nice, but I don’t have Diamond status (yet, plan to try to get the challenge starting next month). However, I am a huge fan of DoubleTree hotels too…because of their cookie. š
I like Doubletree hotels too – not just because of the cookies, but it’s definitely a bonus!
Hyatt Regency TST is awesome – near the subway in HK, on top of a mall if you need late-night food and they give you a smart phone so you can tether to it and have internet. Rooms are great and some of nice harbor views.
The smart phone is definitely a nice bonus, though I get free international data and texting through T-mobile. I’m considering hopping between the Grand Hyatt and the Hyatt Regency TST, just to experience two different areas.
Also, read the blog “That Food Cray.” Literally, the greatest lowdown on a city’s restaurant’s I’ve ever seen. Also, her insta is great.
Looks good! I’m bookmarking it for all future trips.
Last year I mostly stayed at Marriotts. I was saving to get enough points to redeem for one of their Air+Travel packages. I would use their best rate guarantee and had about a 95% success rate with that. They were also having quarterly promotions where you could earn up to 2 free nights per quarter. But Marriott no longer offers the free night promotions and we’ve already redeemed our points for the Air + Travel package, so I’m pretty much done with Marriott.
Currently I’m mainly staying at Hyatt and Club Carlson. I find Hyatt to be one of the best uses of UR redemptions and I’ve enjoyed their hotels. The Grand Hyatt Maui was beautiful, plus they upgraded us to a club room. I have several upcoming trips with Hyatt and am also looking forward to staying at a few in Hong Kong and Japan next year. I’d like to stay at the hotel that was in Lost in Translation for at least a couple of nights, and that is also a Hyatt.
I have a decent amount of Club Carlson points but I’m always finding more uses for them in the US than overseas. I was hoping to use them in Italy in the fall but the Radisson in Rome got terrible reviews. The Radisson in Milan is far from the city center. I’ll be staying at the Radisson Blu in Chicago next month which looks nice. And I’ve yet to stay at a Country Inn & Suites that I did not like.
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