Tag Archives: Hilton Hotels

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Hotel Del Coronado Status Update: 1 Month After Joining the Hilton Family

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Have you been wondering how the Hotel Del Coronado is doing now that rooms can be booked using Hilton Honors Points? Here’s the latest update! I’ve been curious about The Del as it’s been just over a month since rooms were bookable using Hilton Honors Points. So I stopped in yesterday to talk with the front office / guest services folks who I spoke with earlier in the summer.

I appreciated their time and honesty. They said the first couple of weeks were rough. Procedures were confusing and the lines at check-in were really long. They put out a small Hilton Honors sign on the side of the check-in desk, but Hilton members weren’t sure if they were supposed to go to a separate line, or cut in line to the front, or what. Of course, no one likes to be the one to cut in line when others in line don’t know what’s going on.

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Hotel del Coronado view from the beach.
Image source: http://curiocollection3.hilton.com/en/hotels/california/hotel-del-coronado-curio-collection-by-hilton-SANQQQQ/index.html

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Amazing Stay at DoubleTree Arctic Club Hotel in Seattle (Historic Building Built in 1917)

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Good afternoon everyone.  Two weekends ago, my girlfriend and I had the pleasure to stay the beautiful and historic DoubleTree Arctic Club Hotel in Seattle, WA.  According to the hotel’s bio, the Arctic Club is a “AAA 4-Diamond Award-winning hotel in Seattle, WA. This tastefully decorated hotel in Seattle, WA offers a unique experience, echoing the post-Klondike gold rush days of the early 1900s.” According to Wikipedia, the Arctic Club was built for the Arctic Club in 1917 for the successful veterans of the Klondike Gold Rush and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.  Needless to say, this is not your average DoubleTree hotel (but they did have chocolate chip cookies on demand at the front desk).  I spoke with the front desk agents a few times during my stay and they were very helpful and friendly.  As we were checking out, the front desk agent told me that the hotel would most likely transition into a Conrad Hotel in the near future.  In this post, I will share my experience staying in the hotel.  I hope you enjoy the hotel review.

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DoubleTree Arctic Club hotel front desk. Image source: http://doubletree3.hilton.com/en/hotels/washington/the-arctic-club-seattle-a-doubletree-by-hilton-hotel-SEAACDT/index.html

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Coronado / San Diego Week: San Diego’s Best Beaches

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When you live or visit San Diego, life’s a beach! And even though it’s obviously all one coastline, each beach is really different. Some are great for walking, some for swimming, and some for surfing. So let’s take a ride up the coast heading north and talk about the different beaches to check out. Even if you live in San Diego, I find that local people tend to have their favorite spots and forget about how many great beaches the county has.

Let’s start with Point Loma and the Cabrillo Monument. It’s San Diego’s only National Monument. The drive out to the park is beautiful, with the ocean on one side and the bay on the other. After you enter the park, take the road to your right and go down to the tide pools first. It’s usually pretty easy to get a parking spot down there so you can enjoy the tide pools. If the surfers are active, it’s fun to sit on the rocks and watch them. Next, head up to the visitor center parking lot. It’s easy to spend an hour or more here. There’s a wonderful hiking trail and lighthouse to visit. The visitor’s center and gift shop have interesting exhibits. The whole area is a fun place to bring kids, too.

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Point Loma Lighthouse in San Diego. Image: http://coastalsandiegorentals.com/about-san-diego/

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PSA: Transferred Hilton Points Post Instantly, But Cannot Be Redeemed Immediately

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Good morning everyone, happy Friday.  A few days ago, I wanted to use my Hilton Honors Points to book a 2 night stay at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel San Diego Downtown.  The price was 39,000 Hilton Honors Points per night, for a total of 78,000 Hilton Honors Points needed.  The only problem was that I was a little short on Hilton Honors Points… I only had 73,000 Hilton Honors Points and needed 5,000 more Hilton Honors Points to book the entire award without paying the cash co-pay.

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Coronado / San Diego Week: Part 2 of What to Eat, See & Do in Beautiful Coronado

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Coronado is a gem, and one that I’ve been enjoying for many years now. Whether you stay at Hotel Del Coronado or use other lodging on Coronado, or just come for a day from San Diego, there’s a lot to explore. If you like to walk or bike, or just want to know more about what to see/do in Coronado, you’ll like Shelli’s Coronado Loop! The whole loop takes you by the ocean, through town, to the bay side, along the Coronado Golf Course and back to the ocean. The whole loop is just under 7 miles, but of course it can be done in parts, too. It can be enjoyed both riding a bike and walking. It works in either direction.  If you haven’t done already, please check out Part 1.

Part 2 takes you through the bay side of Coronado, under the Coronado Bridge, along the golf course through beautiful residential areas, and circles back to the ocean. Doesn’t get better than this!

Starting from the bay park and what’s called Ferry Landing, you’ll see a few restaurants and shops. On weekends, especially during the summer, there’s often live entertainment, and some of the bands can be very good. The area is not just called Ferry Landing. There’s actually a ferry that’s been in business since 1915. The Coronado Ferry takes 15 minutes to cross the bay and goes to two different stops in downtown San Diego. It’s a great way to get into San Diego from Coronado and vice versa.

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Coronado Ferry Landing

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