DISchurners Hotel Reviews Thread (extension of I love credit cards so much! thread)

Glad you reviewed this place...it is a potential for us sometime.

Why did you go to the checkin desk at all after checking in on the app? Do they not do virtual keys there?

They had virtual keys, but I needed to leave our luggage, which I learned you actually do at guest services and not the front desk. I had also wanted to ask if there were any theme park view rooms available and see if I could get an upgrade as a Gold member, since I wasn't actually sure that's what our room was.

Also, we had to go back to the front desk when we came back around 6 pm that night to get our digital key "programmed." I forgot to add this to my review, but it was kind of odd because it was basically like the girl helping us checked us in all over again, even though I told her that I had checked in on the app and stopped by the front desk earlier. She even made me the offer of 1,000 points or breakfast again :confused3 As soon as she "checked me in" my key started working though. I'm not sure what the issue was, maybe because my room wasn't ready when I originally stopped in at the front desk at 10 AM that morning? I wasn't too bothered by it, but I thought it would be more like my experience with the Marriott at Dulles the night before where I just walked straight in past the front desk and to my room where I used my digital key and never spoke to anyone.
 
They had virtual keys, but I needed to leave our luggage, which I learned you actually do at guest services and not the front desk. I had also wanted to ask if there were any theme park view rooms available and see if I could get an upgrade as a Gold member, since I wasn't actually sure that's what our room was.

Also, we had to go back to the front desk when we came back around 6 pm that night to get our digital key "programmed." I forgot to add this to my review, but it was kind of odd because it was basically like the girl helping us checked us in all over again, even though I told her that I had checked in on the app and stopped by the front desk earlier. She even made me the offer of 1,000 points or breakfast again :confused3 As soon as she "checked me in" my key started working though. I'm not sure what the issue was, maybe because my room wasn't ready when I originally stopped in at the front desk at 10 AM that morning? I wasn't too bothered by it, but I thought it would be more like my experience with the Marriott at Dulles the night before where I just walked straight in past the front desk and to my room where I used my digital key and never spoke to anyone.

Oh that is odd! Usually I get a pop up alert when our room is ready and the digital key is activated at that time. We don't really ever go to a desk at all. That is why I was shocked when DH tried marriott recently had said he had to go to the desk. I assumed that was a thing of the past.
 


Hilton Arlington
950 North Stafford Street, Arlington, Virginia, 22203
http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/virginia/hilton-arlington-DCAVAHF/index.html

Points: Variable, I've seen a low of 21,000 to a high of 50,000 for standard rooms.

Costs: Typical rates look like $100 - $220/night for standard rooms.

Transportation:
  • Self Parking, $20/night
  • WMATA, Ballston MU metro station
I'll jump into the Washington DC mix. This is where we stayed to visit the capital earlier this year, even though it's across the river. I picked this hotel because it was a little cheaper than staying right in DC but it's on top of a Metro station, giving quick access to public transit into it. You can walk from the lobby right into the Ballston metro station, take the Orange or Silver lines towards New Carrollton or Largo Town Center, respectively, and about 20 minutes later get off at the Smithsonian stop right at National Mall near all the monuments. For me that's a reasonable trade off for the price. This trip we paid cash to use an AmEx offer and this was our first stay at a Hilton property in a few years so no points available even if we wanted and no status for any perks :(

This Hilton has a self-parking garage for a charge, but I've seen a few room rates that include parking and gives a little discount on it that way. We used a AAA rate that did that, but YMMV as packages can change. Like right now it seems a dollar or two cheaper to pick the AAA rate and pay OOP for parking over the AAA Park & Stay rate that we used, unless I'm missing something :confused3 The parking garage is the driveway entrance without the painted arrow. The arrow driveway takes you into the lobby entrance, and you can only drive out the same as you came in there. (borrowed the Google streets view to illustrate. my floating yellow arrow is the parking garage)
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The location is very walkable, our original plan had been to park the car and walk or metro everywhere. And except for getting a flat tire that needed to be repaired, that pretty much worked. The hotel gave us a map of the immediate area for grocery, restaurants, and I think some activities. We walked about a block to their suggestion of Rus Uz one night, a Russian/Uzbek restaurant that we really enjoyed. (don't know what we were thinking, but didn't do the Vodka flight, tried a Russian and a Uzbek beer instead. still good.) Then there's also IHOP across the street, so something for everyone nearby. Seemed like a good mix of chains and local places in the immediate vicinity.

The room has a microwave, coffee maker and mini fridge stored in a cabinet. Made it very easy to keep our road drinks and snacks together, as well as leftovers which saved us some meals to keep it a budget trip. The lounge chair not having arms was a little weird to sit in, but it worked. I don't recall anything in particular about the bed so it seems acceptable; probably not overly comfy and luxurious but didn't bother my sleep enough to remember it either. This is another hotel where the website is WYSIWYG (what you see, is what you get), at least in our case. I cribbed some photos from the site that look just as I remember for the room.
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Since this was a budget trip we did not eat at the onsite restaurant or try the hotel breakfast. But we did walk through the lounge part with a bar and it seemed very nice with a local menu. Our package didn't include breakfast and since we're not die hard breakfast people we just raided our snacks in the morning (I think this trip it was Nutrigrain bars, so it's not like it was a bag of Cheetos, Mom :laughing:). Our splurge this trip was the dinner at Rus Uz. We also did a linner (late lunch, early dinner combo) at the National Museum of the American Indian(http://nmai.si.edu/visit/washington/mitsitam-cafe/) which is like a cafeteria with several stations making dishes from different regions of Native Americans. I had the Indian Taco from the Great Plains station, which used bison meat; hubby tried the Stewed Plantains with Chicken from the South America station. It was a cafeteria so not gourmet dining but it was good and filling. (after having the Indian taco and Bison ribs in Denver, couldn't really compete :)) And considering for the same price we'd be getting a hot dog or burger from the stands on the Mall, we were happy with the choice.

If you had interest in some of the sites on this side of the river, like Arlington National Cemetery and all the Memorials, Mt Vernon, Alexandria - it seems like a reasonable launch spot to all that while still being accessible to the sites within DC. If you were flying into Regan (DCA) you could take the metro straight from the airport for cheap. I'd definitely consider staying again.
 
The Blackstone - Autograph Collection (a Marriott brand), Chicago IL

Cash rate: $250ish
Points rate (old cat 7): 35k points per night
Perks: Lounge (closed on weekends)

The Blackstone's lobby is small but swanky. We were there for our 20th anniversary, and I've got Marriott gold status (platinum under the new program), but we still didn't get an upgraded room. Seems they have a fairly small number of lake view rooms, and they had none to give away for a points booking (the guy at the desk did try to find one for us, and gave us a couple of coupons for free drinks at the bar).

We wound up with a nice, clean room, not huge. Bed was very comfy and AC worked well (and was quiet).

The hotel is across from Grant Park - might have been nicer to stay somewhere closer to the river, where most of the touristy stuff we wanted to do was located. The walk up and down Michigan Ave was nice, though. We did a fair amount of Uber/Lyft because we were in town for such a short time and wanted to squeeze stuff into the time we had.

Because the lounge was closed, we got vouchers for a continental breakfast in their restaurant, which was good for fruit & yogurt or for $15 off whatever we ordered. DH got bacon, toast and coffee ($14 total), I got eggs, bacon, toast, and breakfast potatoes and coffee ($20 total). Would have been pretty much covered by the voucher, but coffee was $4pp. Everything was really good - freshly prepared, served hot, well seasoned. We always tip based on pre-coupon price, so we got a really tasty basic breakfast for about $15 between us - totally worth it. We got our (free) drinks at the bar one evening, along with a couple of tapas - also very tasty, and reasonably priced (based on our expectations from a fairly high cost of living home base).

Service at the hotel was fine, but DH tried to call ahead and speak with a concierge for some trip planning advice - never got through to anyone. There doesn't seem to actually be a concierge, and asking the front desk was very hit or miss. I asked for a restaurant recommendation and they handed me a list of all the restaurants within 7 blocks and said they were all good.

All in all, it was a pleasant stay (and breakfast was good) but I think I'll be trying somewhere different if we go back to Chicago. The experience was a little lackluster for the price point.
 


Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor
Cash Rate: $350 (with tax)
Points Rate: 25K UR

Booked this hotel through Chase using my CIP. So I got the 1.25 UR rate transfer and there was a sale on this property. So I thought a good point deal for a Saturday night on a holiday weekend (Labor Day)

Pros: we were able to check in early as a room was ready at 11. We were even able to get a harbor view as requested.
The view from the room was spectacular. Even though we were a little low – 3rd floor – we still had a great view of the harbor.
The hotel is very close to the airport, like 10 mins away. This made it perfect for flying out early the next day. Even though it was so close to the airport, the rooms are very, very quiet. I didn’t hear any planes while we were in the room. There was a wedding taking place on the grounds. We were not able to hear the music or any noise in our room.
There is a restaurant on the property. We ate there that night on the patio overlooking the harbor. They have some cute tables with fire pits that would be nice to sit around for dinner.
There is a free shuttle to the nearby subway station, or airport or rental car center. We took it both to and from the subway. Could have a 15 minute wait but just based on timing we only have about 5 mins on each way.

Cons:
Check in was a little hectic. There were several people checking out and there were not a lot of employees working the desk. It took a little bit of time. The front desk was a little curt. They didn't point out where the elevator was or any amenities. Probably because of how busy she was. Still she did check me in early so all good.

The room needed some work done on it. The door handle to the bathroom was wobbly and almost falling off. The grout on the sink and tub was messy. The wallpaper had small tears.
The linens were a little scratchy and not as plush as I would have expected for a Hyatt Regency and 300+ a night.

Parking is in a lot beside the hotel and expensive. Self parking is $46/day.
 
Comfort Inn and Suites
North Conway, New Hampshire
Cash Rate $250 (with tax)

We stayed here as a base for visiting Mt Washington. There are some closer properties to the mountain. I wanted to do more exploring but we cut down on days. It is a cute town with lots of shops. This hotel is right across the road to teh Christmas Loft (I love that store) and shares a parking lot with a mini golf. Lots of restaurants and other shops on the same road, White Mountain Hwy. So in a good location for a White Mountains trip.

Pros: Check-in was quick and efficient. Though the reception didn’t tell me where to locate the elevators. The room was quite large with two queen beds and a sitting area. We were located on the 3rd floor away from the golf area. This was a quiet area.
Breakfast (free) was very good in the morning. There was a good variety of eggs, breakfast meats, pastries to eat.

Cons: sharing the parking lot with the golf area. It might be difficult to find parking at times.
Bathroom was quite small given the size of the room. Too bad they didn’t take a little space from the sitting area and give it to the bathroom. The sink, toilet and tub are all in one space. There is a sink in the kitchenette area that could have been used if needed at the same time as the bathroom was utilized.
There were no additional towel rods to hang wet towels. While we were there only one day and didn’t have to reuse the linens, I like to save on washing and reuse my towels which is only going to happen if I can hang to fully dry.
 
Best Western Acadia Park Inn
Bar Harbor, ME
Cash Rate $225 (with tax)
Redeemed $70 of BW travel cards

Web site pictures are a little misleading. The website looks like there are just a few rooms facing the road. But really there are several sections behind the main office. The property is larger than it looks online.

Check in: check in was very smooth. Everyone I spoke with at the front desk was extremely helpful. At check in they when through all the amenities at the hotel - pool, smore pit, breakfast area. And since there was road construction, how to return to the hotel through the detours. This was the best service I have experienced at a hotel.

Amenities: Breakfast was very good every day. There is a wide range of items from scrambled eggs to cheese omelets, bacon or sausage, sausage gravy and biscuits, make your own waffles, oatmeal with all types of toppings, cold cereals, muffins,.. I am sure I missed something. But the point is this is a great breakfast offering.
The pool is nice, a little small and didn't feel heated to me. I did take a dip every day and it was refreshing.
In the evening, there are cookies and popcorn at the front desk. I love popcorn so had that each night. Also there are smores at a fire pit each night. I didn't do this but could see with Kids it would be cool. There was a large playground area in the same spot as the fire pit for kids.

Rooms: there are several sections of the hotel behind the main office. We were in room 417 which was at the end of one of the sections right behind the main office. Easy to find and parking right outside our door. It was very quiet as well. The rooms were recently remodeled. They were lovely inside. The bathroom was quite large. The sink is enclosed with the tub and toilet. There are plenty of towel rods, which I like so that I can hang and reuse my towel. There were separate pool towels for use as well.
All the linens - towels and sheets - were soft and nice.
I liked the bathroom products with a shampoo and conditioner that had a coconut smell.
The beds were very comfortable.

It is outside the busyness of downtown Bar Harbor. We had to drive 5 miles to get there. If you like to walk the town from your hotel, then this is not for you. I found it easy access to the park as it was only 2 miles form there and before the downtown area.
 
Courtyard Marriott Cocoa Beach
Great location pre/post DCL cruise
25,000 points

I LOVED THIS HOTEL! Pre-cruise, we typically stay at La Quinta Oceanfront for the ocean views and free breakfast. We opted for the Courtyard this time cause I wanted the elite night credit (sucka!). The lobby is beautifully decorated with tons of lounge space + a bar/restaurant area. The hotel is not oceanfront, but oceanside since there is a condo in between the hotel and the ocean. However, there is no street to cross; getting to beach access is very close. The cruise shuttle was $6 per person each way - times were 10:15, 11:15, or 12:15. Front desk staff was super friendly and helpful. We did not visit the pool, but what we saw from our balcony looked nice.

Cons: No free breakfast. Not directly oceanfront.
Pros: Balcony (some with ocean views); nice clean room; fabulous lobby/restaurant area, friendly staff.
 
Courtyard Marriott Cocoa Beach
Great location pre/post DCL cruise
25,000 points

I LOVED THIS HOTEL! Pre-cruise, we typically stay at La Quinta Oceanfront for the ocean views and free breakfast. We opted for the Courtyard this time cause I wanted the elite night credit (sucka!). The lobby is beautifully decorated with tons of lounge space + a bar/restaurant area. The hotel is not oceanfront, but oceanside since there is a condo in between the hotel and the ocean. However, there is no street to cross; getting to beach access is very close. The cruise shuttle was $6 per person each way - times were 10:15, 11:15, or 12:15. Front desk staff was super friendly and helpful. We did not visit the pool, but what we saw from our balcony looked nice.

Cons: No free breakfast. Not directly oceanfront.
Pros: Balcony (some with ocean views); nice clean room; fabulous lobby/restaurant area, friendly staff.
I am debating this one and the Residence Inn for next summer pre-cruise! Glad to hear you liked it. Is the La Quinta you mentioned the one right next to the pier? Just curious as we stayed at a La Quinta there last September.
 
I am debating this one and the Residence Inn for next summer pre-cruise! Glad to hear you liked it. Is the La Quinta you mentioned the one right next to the pier? Just curious as we stayed at a La Quinta there last September.

Yes, thats the one! We thought the La Quinta was nice + we liked the free breakfast. I like the Courtyard better though. If you book, just request one of the ocean view rooms at time of booking. They said they try to accommodate those requests if they can. Are you Platinum with Marriott? If so, you'd get a $20 breakfast credit for the two of you.
 
Yes, thats the one! We thought the La Quinta was nice + we liked the free breakfast. I like the Courtyard better though. If you book, just request one of the ocean view rooms at time of booking. They said they try to accommodate those requests if they can. Are you Platinum with Marriott? If so, you'd get a $20 breakfast credit for the two of you.
I will be.... :laughing: Or should be, I will be 3 nights away after we get back from Disney next week. That La Quinta was nicer than I expected, I liked the rooms with the ocean view balconies there. Next summer we will need 1-2 nights pre cruise because we are also doing Kennedy Space Center, and it will be the trip with my ILs. Planning to use all our Starriott free nights for that trip.
 
Homewood Suites - Rochester, NY (Greece)
Sat 9/8- Mon 9/10 (2 nights)
44,000 Honors Points total (originally booked it at 54k, but re-booked 2 nights prior to our arrival for fewer points!! :yay:)

We just got back from our weekend in Rochester (which was a lot of fun even though the weather did not cooperate). I know Rochester isn't on a lot of people's radar for a vacation spot, but the kids really enjoyed it! DH stayed home, so it was just the kids and me.

Hotel: Overall, it was okay. The suite was spacious enough, it had a pull out sofa and a comfy chair in the living room, and plenty of room for a small air mattress for DD to sleep on (DS gets the pullout). The kitchenette was fine. The fridge was about the same size fridge as the one in BWV 1 bedroom, so plenty of room for food and drinks if you had an extended stay. Kitchenette had a 2 burner stove top, coffee maker, microwave, dishwasher, and sink with disposal. I thought it was odd that there was nothing provided to hand wash dishes if you desired, but really the sink was too small to do that anyway. The offered supplies was minimal. I made meatballs and pasta one night and there was no colander to drain the pasta. The bedroom was large. The bed itself was rather uncomfortable, it seemed like they need a new mattress. Since it was just me, I slept in the middle and that was a little better. Bathroom had one sink and plenty of counter space. The toilet and shower were in their own room. Decent shower and water pressure.

Amenities: We weren't there during the evenings they offer the evening social. The breakfast was good. Omelets, potatoes, and Canadian bacon the first morning; scrambled eggs, hash browns, and sausage the second morning. Plenty of other options too, including bagels, oatmeal, cereal, and waffles. For an included breakfast, it did the job. The pool was small and there was no hot tub, but the kids enjoyed it. We didn't get to use the terrace (which has a grill) or putting green, because the weather did not cooperate. Wi-fi was annoying to initially connect to, but it was complimentary (even for those not part of Honors). We checked-in via the app and used the digital key. never had to go to the front desk.

Overall, not sure I'd stay there again unless they do a complete refurb (which it really needs). But, it has not turned me off the Homewood Suites line.

Sorry, no pics!! I didn't think to take any of the room. The kids were very distracting! :D
 
Hilton Hotels have a no charge for regular wifi policy . for Hilton Honors Members

Previously it was free for Hilton Honors Gold Members and above .

a year or so ago that was revised to include all Hilton Honors Members

info borrowed from F/T
 
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Hotel Punta lslita, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

https://www.hotelpuntaislita.com/

Travel dates: Nov. 17-24, 2018

We stayed here over Thanksgiving week using Marriott points. I booked a standard award room for 210,000 points for 7 nights (approx. $280/nt for standard room) - and got upgraded to a 1BD/Jr. Suite (approx. $400/nt) before my arrival (presumably due to my Marriott Gold status?) and this stay included buffet breakfast every day for three of us (TBH not sure how that happened). The property is quite isolated, though it is within walking distance of the nearby town named Punta Islita, and the hotel will give you free shuttle rides to the town and back. I arranged a hotel shuttle ($45 each, one way) for transportation from Liberia airport. As it turned out both times my family was the only one in the large van, and the journey was about 2.5 hours each direction. The $270 shuttle fare was covered by my $300 SPG Lux credit. Airfare was covered by my SW RR points and SW CP.

A very special aspect to the property is the included activities with your stay. We participated in bird watching, monkey safari, zip-lining, horseback riding, ceviche class, tortilla & agua dulce class, keychain making class, candle-making class, yoga, golf lessons, golfing, dusk hike, and local style painting class. The only activities we didn’t go to were mixology and pick-up soccer. These were all included with the room rate, though we tipped for service.

The staff work very hard and are gracious and aim to please. Their English is very good, and certainly lots better than my Spanish. There is wildlife on property and we saw scarlet macaws, howler monkeys, coatimundis, raccoons, iguanas, geckos, hummingbirds, and DH saw an armadillo.

The food on property is actually quite good and priced about what I would expect for restaurant food here in the US. In town, there is a place called Don Ramiro which serves tapa-style plates and the proprietor Miguel is the friendliest person I have ever met and the food is fantastic.

This place is AWESOME and I want to go back already.

View from our private patio:
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Hotel Punta lslita, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

https://www.hotelpuntaislita.com/

Travel dates: Nov. 17-24, 2018

We stayed here over Thanksgiving week using Marriott points....

That's spectacular! Costa Rica is on my travel list and such beautiful pictures make me bummed about "cold" Alaska that I'm focused on right now. I know I'll enjoy our trip but when someone says vacation to me, your trip is what pops into my head - sun, pools/beach, hammocks, and palm trees :) That sounds like an excellent property, I can't believe they have so much to do, thanks for sharing!
 
That's spectacular! Costa Rica is on my travel list and such beautiful pictures make me bummed about "cold" Alaska that I'm focused on right now. I know I'll enjoy our trip but when someone says vacation to me, your trip is what pops into my head - sun, pools/beach, hammocks, and palm trees :) That sounds like an excellent property, I can't believe they have so much to do, thanks for sharing!

Haha, that's funny because DH now wants to go somewhere cold! Northern Lights or Alaska is what I need to figure out next. :)
 
@platamama thatw as your private pool!? How many does your room sleep? Looks amazing!

@miztressuz i concur on Alaska. That’s a vignette part of why I cancelled for next summer. Justcouldnt get excited about it and for the cost I needed more reason to do it other than “because everyone says it is amazing.” I’m sure we will one day, just not now. Soon you’ll come back and tell us how amazing it was!
 

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