Accommodations

Ann Arbor, Michigan on Miles and Points

Ann Arbor Street Art Fair 2014
Ann Arbor Street Art Fair 2014 Poster

I graduated from the University of Michigan, and haven’t been back to Ann Arbor in years.  The winters there could be pretty harsh, but the summers were beautiful.

When I heard about the Ann Arbor Art Fair Do, I thought it would be a good opportunity to check out my old stomping grounds, see some good friends, take in the art fair, and hang with miles and points enthusiasts.

What is a Do?

When frequent flyers get together for an informal gathering, they call it a “do.”   The Ann Arbor do is a relatively small gathering that features several guest speakers.

Who is Drew?

The guest speakers at the 2014 Ann Arbor Art Fair Do will be Drew who blogs at Travel is Free and his wife Carrie whose blog is Freakin Flyers.  Drew and Carrie have been traveling long-term for practically nothing, and should have a lot of stories to share.  Tahsir Ahsan, aka the Bengali Miles Guru, writes for Hack My Trip and will be speaking on rental cars and how to manufacture points and miles.

The “do” is an annual event organized by a guy who calls himself “Bikeguy” on the Flyertalk forum.  As a relative newcomer to this hobby, I hope to pick up some tips and tricks from the veterans coming from around the Midwest and elsewhere.

What to Do in Ann Arbor

The big event of the week will be the Ann Arbor Art Fair, which is a street fair of juried artists and craftspeople near the campus of the University of Michigan.  The event has grown in recent years to encompass four concurrent art fairs all over town.  There will be entertainment as well as fine arts and crafts.

Robert Own Coop
Robert Owen Coop
Photo by Inter-Cooperative Council

Since this trip is a “reunion” of sorts, I want to visit some of my favorite places on and off campus like the Dana building and the Inter-cooperative Council houses where I lived.  I hear Lenny Bruce coop is long gone, but Robert Owen coop is still going strong.  I also want to stop by Dominick’s Italian cafe, where I waitressed one summer.

I’ll be on the lookout for urban fairy doors in the downtown area, something that I find very intriguing.  I’m looking forward to spending a day with my friends at Pickerel Lake, a small undeveloped lake about 20 miles from Ann Arbor.

Where to Stay in Ann Arbor

This is a miles and points conference and I am using points to get to Michigan.  I have reservations on Southwest, where my nonstop flights price out at 6,500 Rapid Rewards points each way.  Curiously, the nonstop flights on this route require fewer points than tickets involving plane changes.

I earned these points through a combination of flying Southwest, and making purchases on my Chase Southwest credit card.  There is currently a promotion for the card which offers a 50,000 point bonus after spending $2,000 in the first three months, with an annual fee of $69.  The Southwest credit card is an outstanding deal for budget domestic travelers, and award seat availability on Southwest is very good.

The Ann Arbor Art Fair draws several hundred thousand visitors so hotel rooms are at a premium.  I used Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) points to book a room at the Sheraton Ann Arbor for the points and cash rate of 3,500 points and $55 per night.  This hotel is located several miles from campus in hotel row near the Briarwood mall.  There is an indoor/outdoor swimming pool, and they offer a shuttle for local transportation.

The Palmer House Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright
The Palmer House Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright

By using the points, I am saving about $100 per night.  I earned these points by opening the Amex SPG credit card and making purchases on the card.  Through the end of June, this card has a sign-up bonus of 30,000 points, after spending $5,000 in a six month period.  The annual fee of $65 is waived the first year.  If a friend refers you for the card, they will earn a 5,000 point bounty.  (Let me know if you would like a referral.)  

Frank Lloyd Wright House on VRBO

In looking for a place to stay for the weekend, I came across the Palmer House, a beautifully preserved house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, complete with all the original Wright furniture.  The house sits on two acres overlooking the University of Michigan Arboretum.

Continue reading —>

Why We Chose Wildwood Crest for Our Jersey Shore Vacation

Doo Wop in Wildwood, NJEvery town on the Jersey Shore has a distinct personality.

One summer, we landed in Wildwood because of our interest in neon signs and mid-century architecture.

The thing that attracted us to Wildwood  were the dozens of mid-century motels still standing, though sadly, many have been razed to build condos.

There are three distinct towns on the barrier island:  North Wildwood, Wildwood, and Wildwood Crest — where the greatest concentration of mid-century modern resorts still operate.  The motels, are themed, with Vegas-like neon signs, plastic palm trees, and fantastical architecture.

The Wildwoods
The Wildwoods — Great for a Family Beach Vacation
Photo by Joel Shprentz

Doo Wop Motels in Wildwood Crest

In Wildwood Crest, which is the family-oriented southern stretch of beach, you’ll find the Jolly Roger, the Astronaut, the Apollo, the Gondolier, the Safari, the Aztec, the Tangiers, the Viking, and many others.

The architectural style is known as Doo Wop, Googie, or Populuxe.  These  terms describe the kitschy style of Wildwood’s 200 motels built in the 1950s and 1960s.

Continue reading —>

What Hotel Chain Has the Most Properties in Japan?

Choice Hotel Locations in Japan
Choice Hotel Locations in Japan

I know what you’re thinking.  Why would you go to Japan to stay in an American chain hotel?

Japan has capsule hotels, love hotels, and traditional Ryokan inns.

So why in the world would you want to stay in an American chain hotel?

Two words:  free nights.

I’ve read so many reviews from points and miles bloggers who have stayed at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Tokyo with “two free nights” they got from their Chase Hyatt credit card.  That place seems a bit over-blogged.

What about the Imperial Hotel designed by Frank Lloyd Wright?  Now that’s a place I would like to stay (though I never would, because I am too cheap.)

One reason you might choose a franchised hotel might be to economize.  If you could earn free nights by accumulating points, that could cut the costs of your vacation.  I’ve written before about how we are planning a rail-based trip, and that hotels near train stations would be ideal.

My guidebook, Japan by Rail, mentions a number of Choice Hotels that are directly across from railroad stations, and many others that are a ten minute walk away.  

With all the hype about the Park Hyatt Tokyo, I thought I would take a look at other chain hotels that you can stay at for points, and how many properties they each have in Japan.  The search tool at AwardMapper.com was tremendously helpful in this regard.

Here’s what I found:

Club Carlson:         1

Japanese Breakfast at Choice Hotel
Japanese Breakfast at Choice Hotel

Hilton:                    8

Accor Hotels:       10

Hyatt                     10

IHG:                      11

Marriott:              14

Best Western:     15

Starwood:            15

Choice:                47

Choice Hotels Has More Hotels in Japan Than Any Other U.S. Chain

Are you surprised?  Choice Hotels has four times as many properties in Japan as Hyatt does., and three times as many as the nearest competitors, Starwood and Best Western.  Apparently, Choice has a ton of properties in Scandinavia, too.

To be sure the Comfort Inn is no Park Hyatt.  The Japanese Comfort Inns all look like 2 star hotels that cater to business people.  The rooms are quite small; but hey, this is Japan, you’d expect small rooms.  The prices are reasonable, as are the points redemptions.  For 38 of the 47 hotels, you need 8,000 points for a free night.  What makes these hotels especially convenient is the free breakfast, free wifi, guest laundry, and small business center.

Get 32,000 Bonus Points with the Choice Privileges Visa Card Equal 4 Free Nights

Choice Privileges Credit Card Bonus Points
Choice Privileges Credit Card Bonus Points

How can you get 8,000 points?

The easiest way is by opening The Choice Privileges® Visa® Card.  This is a no annual fee travel rewards credit card that pays 8,000 points after your first purchase, and 24,000 points after a one night stay at a Choice Privileges location.  That’s enough for four free nights at most Comfort Inns in Japan.

Here’s the thing:  you can burn Choice Privileges points at hotels in Japan, but you will not earn points for your paid stays.

This is the points earning structure for The Choice Privileges® Visa® Card:  
  • 15 per eligible $1 spent at over 4,200 Choice Privileges locations
  • 5 points per eligible $1 on additional Choice Privileges points or Choice Hotels gift card purchases
  • 2 points per eligible $1 spent on everyday purchases
Cardmembers will get Automatic Elite Gold Status, which offers:
  • Ability to book free nights 50 days in advance instead of 30 days
  • Every time you earn points for eligible stays, Choice Privileges gives you a 10% point bonus

To be sure there are more generous offers available, but those are usually for cards with a high annual fee.

The Choice Privileges® Visa® Card has no annual fee, not in the first year, nor in any subsequent year.  A card with no annual fee is one that you can hold for years and years, which will improve one of the important components of your credit score, the average age of your accounts.

What are the Limitations?

Comfort Hotel Japan
Comfort Inn Japan

There are some limitations. Your first paid stay must be in a U.S. participating hotel.

You will earn only 10 points per dollar at the lower end Choice properties:  MainStay Suites®, Suburban Extended Stay®, Econo Lodge® and Rodeway Inn®.

“Eligible stays”exclude discounted rates or stays booked through third parties.

You do not earn points for stays in these countries:  Brazil, China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, India, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden and including Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Papua New Guinea and Fiji.

See www.choiceprivileges.com for details.

Comfort Inns (part of Choice Hotels) in Japan

Here’s the list of Choice properties in Japan, all Comfort Inns, where you can stay for 8,000 points a night.

Continue reading —>

Destination Hotels’ Instant Status: Sign Right Up!

Carolina Inn, Chapel Hill, NC
Carolina Inn, Chapel Hill, NC

I’m just back from two business trips to North Carolina.

Last week, my meeting was held in the Carolina Inn, a fabulous historic hotel on the campus of the University of North Carolina.

I’ve stayed there several times before, sometimes with a very good Priceline rate.

Destination Delivers

When I checked in, the desk clerk offered me a brochure for the Destination Hotels and Resorts loyalty program, Destination Delivers.  “It’s a pretty good deal,” she said.  “You can get room upgrades.”

When I got to my room, I went online to check out the benefits.  Anyone can sign up, and you are automatically granted “VIP Status.”  The benefits of VIP Status are somewhat elusive, but they seem to include:

  • 10% off the Best Available Rate 

Use promo code D2BAR1 to receive 10% off the Best Available Rate.  Offer is based on availability.   

  • 20% off the Best Available Rate

Get 20% off the Best Available Rate during your birthday month.  Mention promo code D2BDAY.  Must show valid ID to receive discount.

  • Room Upgrade Late Checkout

A room upgrade could be a very useful benefit, especially at a historic hotel like the Carolina Inn, where the standard rooms are quite small.  This benefit is only offered when available.   

  • Late Checkout

Again, when available.

Destination Hotels and Resorts

I’ve stayed at two of the Destination Hotels and Resorts, both on Priceline stays, and they were both fantastic!

There are more than 40 other hotels and resorts in the Destination portfolio, including many at ski resorts, and city hotels in Washington, DC and Chicago.  All the properties are in the United States.

What’s the Catch?

Continue reading —>

Ebates Now Offering 8% Cash Back on Holiday Inns . . . Better that with the Upromise Credit Card

Holiday Inn Express Neptune, NJ
Holiday Inn Express Neptune, NJ

Today I received a surprise check in the mail from Ebates, an online shopping portal.

I don’t remember what I bought online, but it reminded me to check out Ebates’ current payouts on travel purchases.

The best travel deal I found on the Ebates site was for 8 percent cash back on IHG Hotel Reservations.

IHG properties range from budget to luxury:   Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, InterContinental, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites all fall under the IHG umbrella.

Of these, Holiday Inn Express is my current favorite.  We stayed at a HI Express near Asbury Park, NJ in September.  While the location away from the beach was not inspiring, we had a very pleasant stay.  We enjoyed the free WiFi, free breakfast, and the swimming pool.  The room was clean, modern, and spacious.  When traveling with kids and teens, a few extra square feet can make big difference in comfort!

The fine print from Ebates states that cash back is only available for commissionable IHG rates.  Specially negotiated rates such as IHG friends & Family are not eligible for cash back.  Further, it may take up to 40 days after travel is completed for cash back to show up  in your Ebates account.  

11 Percent Cash Back on IHG Hotels with Upromise Credit Card

If you are intrigued by this deal, there is an even better offer open to holders to the Upromise MasterCard.  You may have heard of the Upromise college savings program.

Well it turns out that Upromise is not just for college students or their parents.

Anyone can open a Upromise account and receive cash back from certain purchases.

The best deal is via the Upromise MasterCard, which pays 5 percent cash back on all purchases through the Upromise online shopping portal.  The portal includes a slew of travel websites that pay additional cash back over and above the five percent.

IHG hotels, for example, currently pays 6 percent, for a total of 11 percent cash back.  Not bad.

11 Percent Cash Back on Priceline Hotels with Upromise Credit Card

What’s more, if you prefer to save money with Priceline for “Name Your Own Price” hotel reservations, you can also get 11 percent back:  5 percent by using the Upromise MasterCard via the Upromise shopping portal, plus 6 percent additional from Priceline.  Now you are talking real savings!Earn 10 Percent Cash Back on Travel with Upromise Credit Card

In fact, you will find over 900 online merchants including a slew of popular travel sites in the Upromise shopping portal.  Many of the popular travel sites are represented — including Orbitz, Expedia, Hotwire, Westin, Hotels.com, Carnival Cruises, and many others.  Used in conjunction with the Upromise Credit Card, you will be well on your way to earning 10 percent cash back on travel.

To earn and receive cash back earnings, you must be a Upromise member, pay for purchases with your Upromise MasterCard and register your credit card to your Upromise account.  To become a member and register your credit card, go to Upromise.com/activate.

What’s the downside?

Online shopping portals can be frustrating to deal with. Sometimes “cookies” that track your online activity will prevent the cash back portal from properly crediting your purchase.  Also, if you use the wrong coupon code, you may not be eligible for cash back. 

Some days, I am ready to give up on online shopping portals, but on days when a check comes in the mail, my faith is restored!

There are affiliate links in this post.  Thanks if you choose to use them!  

Barclaycard Arrival: The Definitive One Year Review

IMG_0590

2/20/2014 Update:  The terms of this offer were changed today.  In order to earn the 40,000 bonus points, you must spend $3,000 within the first 3 months of opening the card.

Is Barclaycard Arrival Plus™ World Elite MasterCard® the Best Travel Rewards Credit Card for General Spending?  

Over the last couple of months, my family has had a number of major expenses pop up some of which may resonate with you:

  • the check engine light came on in my 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid:  $5000 repair bill
  • ditto for my husbands 2003 Volkswagen Passat:  $3800
  • my daughter got braces:  $4650
  • the heat pump finally gave out:  $6995

Granted it is unusual to have so many large, chargeable expenses totaling $20,000 in a two month period.  But it it is easy to anticipate similar health, home maintenance, and auto repair expenses over the course of a year.

In our case, the car mechanics, the orthodontist, and the HVAC installer all accepted credit cards for payment, but only MasterCard or Visa, not American Express.  That mirrors my experience with other small business vendors where we have regular large expenditures, such as the dog kennel or the vet.  

None of these household expenses are considered “bonus” categories with any credit card product that I am aware of.  Except the Barclaycard Arrival Plus™ World Elite MasterCard®, that is.

(There is a Fidelity credit card that pays 2 times points, but it is an American Express card, which is not accepted everywhere.  There is a Capital One Venture card that pays 2 times points; the Barclaycard Arrival Plus™ World Elite MasterCard® effectively pays out 10 percent more than that — 2.2 percent.)

Earn 2.2 Points on All Charges, if Redeemed for Travel Expenses

BarclayCard ArrivalIt’s a bit redundant, but the Barclaycard Arrival Plus™ World Elite MasterCard® — pays 2 times points on everything.  There is no limit on the amount of points you can earn.

In my case outlined here, with $20,000 in expenses we could earn 4o,000 points.  40,000 points can be redeemed for $400 worth of travel expenses (the points are worth half that if redeemed for cash).  You earn a ten percent bonus on redeemed points, so 4,000 points are redeposited in your account, worth another $40 toward travel expenses, for a total of $440.  The ten percent bonus provides an incentive to keep using the card in order to redeem all your points.

How Much Travel Can You Buy for $440?

Exactly $440 dollars worth!  Depending on your bargain hunting skill and preferences, you can use this money for budget hotels, rental cars, train tickets and airfare.

You can travel when you want, and where you want, without worrying about limited award availability or blackout dates.

What’s more, you will earn frequent flyer miles and loyalty program points on your purchases!

I was an early adopter of the Barclaycard Arrival — I received a targeted offer and opened the card a year ago.  I have written about it on and off, but I wanted to share my experience with the card one year out.

By comparison, with a miles earning credit card, my recent charges would earn 20,000 miles  — perhaps enough for a one-way ticket on Southwest Airlines or two roundtrip tickets on Amtrak, but hard to redeem for much else.

Get a Sign-Up Bonus Worth $440 Towards Travel

Some credit cards are good for everyday spend, others provide generous sign-up bonuses.

The Barclaycard Arrival Plus™ World Elite MasterCard® does both!

Beyond the 2.2 percent payout rate for general expenses, the Barclaycard Arrival Plus™ World Elite MasterCard® offers an excellent signup bonus.

If you spend $3,000 within three months of opening the card, you get a bonus of 40,000 points, which can be redeemed for $400 worth of travel.  Furthermore, you earn 10 percent back on all redemptions for travel expenses, meaning another 4,000 points are awarded, making the initial bonus worth more than $440.

Other Benefits of the Barclaycard Arrival Plus™ World Elite MasterCard®

Continue reading —>

$25 Off $100 Hotel Booking with Hotwire App

Hotwire App

Hotwire is offering $25 off on hotel bookings of $100 or more made via their mobile app — android or iOS.

Just enter this promo code when making your reservation:  APP25.

The offer is good through March 31, 2014.

This is a good deal because Hotwire hotels are usually 40 percent off the retail price.

Remember, reservations on Hotwire are non-refundable and non-changeable.

Continue reading —>

The Priceline Queen Strikes Again!

Sheraton Times SquareAs usual I’ve waited until the last minute to make reservations for our trip to New York City for Thanksgiving.

Hotel rooms are scarcer than hen’s teeth and the prices are sky high.

Every time I search online, the prices are even higher than they were just hours before.

There’s hardly any availability on Hotwire, unless you want to stay out at Laguardia or in Hoboken.  I’ve given up on finding a room that will accomodate all three of us — our daughter will have to stay with her Aunt on the pull-out sofa.

Finding reasonably priced room in Chelsea, our preferred neighborhood, seems impossible.  Modest properties like Four Points by Sheraton are charging nearly $300 a night — before taxes.

But wait, what’s this?  A listing on Priceline’s Express Deals for a four star hotel in Midtown Manhattan for $135 a night.  This wasn’t there yesterday!  I wonder if I can snag this property for less by bidding on Priceline’s Name Your Own Price site?

Continue reading —>

Glass House: Jewel of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club Cabins

Glass House
Glass House
PATC Image

Check out my guest post today in The Girl and Globe about one of the best deals for outdoors lovers in the mid-Atlantic states – the Myron Glaser cabin and the cabin system of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC).

The club rents out over 30 rustic, but well-maintained cabins within a couple of hours drive from Washington, DC.  With rental costs averaging $30 to $50 a night, these cabins are a well kept secret for family getaways.

Many of the cabins are rented to the public, but some of the properties with more amenities, including those discussed here, are only available to Club members.

With membership costs of just $35 a year, it may be a good investment for you if you live in the mid-Atlantic states.

It’s kind of like owning a vacation home or a time share that you can escape to for hiking, or just relaxing, without the expense and hassle of ownership.

I have visited many PATC cabins, but one that I always return to is Glass House, in the Massanutten Mountains of Northern Virginia.

Continue reading —>

November Carlson Redizor Contests Launched!

Screen Shot 2013-11-02 at 7.59.08 PM“If you could imagine having just one day to explore a city, where would you go?”

Every month, Carlson Redizor runs multiple contests for a EUR 150 gift card.   The contests are designed to familiarize you with Radisson Blu and Park Inn hotel properties, and the nearby attractions.

The prize is more valuable than it may appear at first glance, because of the opportunity to stretch its value for Club Carlson Gold members.  (Anyone who holds the Club Carlson Visa card is automatically a Gold member.)

The gist of the contest is to identify the your favorite attraction at each participating hotel.  It’s kind of fun, because you can dream about where to use your Club Carlson points, and what to do when you get there!

For the month of November, you can enter the contest 14 times — at 14 different hotel websites.

This month’s contest runs from through November 30, 2013.

You can enter the contest with Radisson Blu and with Park Inn.

The prize can be used for accommodations, meals, or spa services at Radisson Blue, Park Inn, and Radisson Missoni properties in Europe and the Middle East.

I won this contest in September.  Maybe you will be lucky too!