Category Archives: Trip Reports

My 2014 Resolution: Travel Somewhere Every Month!

Happy New Years 2014

My 2014 Resolution: Travel Somewhere Every Month!

Good morning 2014!  I hope you all had a fun and safe New Years Eve, from wherever you are.  It’s January 1st and time to make your New Year’s resolution.  This should be something fun and exciting, not something boring like losing weight or cleaning out the garage.  Which is why (for the second year in a row), I have decided my 2014 New Years Resolution is to travel somewhere every month.  Here is how I did in 2013:

  • January – 2 weeks in Europe (Amsterdam, Dusseldorf, Paris, Munich, Cologne, and Brussels).
  • February – Albuquerque, New Mexico for 4 days by myself, such a strange city.
  • March – Honolulu for a week (First Class via IcelandAir/Alaska Airlines deal) for my brother’s Spring Break (you’re welcome Davis!).
  • April – Delaware to visit a friend and drove to FTU DC / Tyson’s Corner.
  • May – nothing :(, well, I started Travel with Grant on May 1.
  • June – nothing :(
  • July – Vancouver and Whistler for 2 weeks with my parents and brother.
  • August – nothing :(
  • September – FTU Tampa for the weekend with my friend Jim.
  • October – Galápagos Islands for a week with Jim (great deal from Miami for $380 round trip).
  • November – Las Vegas Hilton Timeshare for the weekend and Carmel / Monterrey Bay for Thanksgiving week.
  • December – Does driving to Six Flags Magic Mountain count?  I got a season pass!

This  photo should sum up my travel for 2013.  Any questions?

GC Map for 2013

What is your New Years resolution for 2014?

Part 2 – Hilton Elara Timeshare in Las Vegas (Perks and Presentation)

Hilton Grand Vacations

Part 2 – Hilton Elara Timeshare in Las Vegas (Perks and Presentation)

Time for my timeshare.  Let the fun begin.  Vacation Experience Reception, here I come!

Timeshare

The timeshare agent was very friendly and showed me around some of the rooms on the 65th floor.  Great views from up there.  Now we sat down and talked numbers.  lots of numbers.  Anyone with an MBA in statistics will probably understand what is going on.  Good luck to everyone else (myself included).

Timeshare1

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Part 1 – Hilton Elara Timeshare in Las Vegas (Trip Report and Pics)

Hilton Grand Vacations

Part 1 – Hilton Elara Timeshare in Las Vegas (Trip Report and Pics)

2 weekends ago, was at the Elara, a Hilton Grand Vacation property, in Las Vegas.  And you can too.

It all started a few months ago when I was on the phone with a “HHelpful Hilton HHonors” representative.  Towards the end of the call, she asked if I was interested in hearing about an exciting offer from Hilton and said I would earn 500 Hilton HHonors points just for listening.  500 points for listening?  Now that is my kind of deal.

After the agent transferred me to a member of Hilton’s timeshare division, I learned about the Hilton Elara in Las Vegas.  There was a special deal for 3 days, 2 nights plus:

  • $200 Spend a Night on Us Certificate
  • 2 VIP show tickets
  • Dinner for 2
  • 15,000 Hilton HHonors points

All for the price of $222.88 (after tax) billed to my Citi Hilton HHonors Reserve Credit Card.

HGV Elara Front

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A Big Favor for IHG’s Big Win Promo (Plus more Pumpkin Carvings)

IHG Big Win

A Big Favor for IHG’s Big Win Promo (Plus more Pumpkin Carvings)

If you are unfamiliar with IHG’s Big Win Promo, please read Mile Values post.  In essence, IHG wants you to stay at their hotel properties so they are giving out hundreds of thousands of IHG reward points for completing The Big Win.  Here are my offers:

All Big Win Promos

Anyways, a blog reader turned friend wanted me to help him reach The Big Win and needed a stay in another state.  He lives in Texas and I live in California, so I searched for a property close by my work and found the “lovely” Candlewood Suites in Lake Forest / Irvine.  He paid for the stay, probably around $70 or so, and I checked in as his plus one.  The room was all paid for, I just needed to use my credit card for the security deposit.

Here are the hotel room pics (drum roll please)…  Continue reading →

Hotel Review: Sheraton Four Points by San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

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Hotel Review: Sheraton Four Points by San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

Being an SPG Gold member does have its perks.  This is my attempt at a hotel review (sorry for the pics, it was late at night with my iPhone).

I stayed Friday night here with SPG Cash and Points (Cat 3 = 3,500 SPG points + $55).  The $55 includes all taxes, which can sometimes be a lot in SF.  The hotel has an airport shuttle that it shares with a few local hotels.  The shuttle runs every 25-30 minutes to/from the airport, which is only 5 minutes away.

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Upon entering my room, I see a staircase.  How cool, I had never stayed in a hotel room with a staircase inside my room.  There is a first for everything.

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