The Starwood hotel group with 1,270 hotels in over 100 countries is one of the smaller American competitors, but a favorite of many US business travelers. While the Sheraton brand is the best known and most frequent brand, it’s the more upscale Westin and W brands that have shaped the image of this group. Apparently, […]
For my last night in Warsaw as part of my Baltic Explorer trip I selected the Westin hotel as a treat. While it was expensive on cash rates, it was available on points, so I was looking forward to enjoying a night at an upscale hotel with all the amenities. Did it deliver on the
For my second night in Warsaw as part of my Baltic Explorer trip, I selected the Hampton Warsaw City Center for its location, value and to complete the Fast Track to Gold promotion offered by the Hilton Hhonors rewards program. I hadn’t stayed at a Hampton hotel outside the US and was pleasantly surprised –
On our recent visit to the InterContinental hotel on Ko Samui, we flew with Bangkok Airways, Asia’s Boutique airline and were lucky to have access to the premium “Blue Ribbon” lounge at the domestic terminal, courtesy of our PriorityPass membership. You can find my review of the lounge, service, food and drink below!
Westin is an upscale, full-service hotel chain in the Starwood portfolio. They got my attention years ago when they introduced their “Heavenly Bed”, one of the most comfortable beds you could find in a hotel at that time. and makes up almost half of all Hilton properties around the world! Find out, what they have
I finally made it back to my favorite Thai restaurant in Bangkok, Soul Food Mahanakorn! You can find great Thai food anywhere in Bangkok, the City of Angels, from street food and food courts to glizzy restaurants. Soul Food offers a great take on favorite Thai dishes, has an interesting cocktail list to go with
I have collected miles with Air Berlin’s topbonus program for a while, but had not actually flown with them. I have also been following their frequent promotions closely and for my recent Baltic Explorer trip, a flight from Krakow to Berlin was cheaper than an 8 hour bus or train ride would have been –
On my first visit to Warsaw, I picked my first dinner restaurant based on its location – when I travel solo, I like to people watch in a busy spot while having a meal and the Kawiarnia Cava hit the spot with its location on busy Nowy Swiat and Foksal. Lots of people stroll along
My favorite part of Warsaw when I visited during my Baltic Explorer tour is the Old Town: It has been beautifully restored from the impressive Royal Castle to the little cobblestoned alleys of the old quarter and the remainder of the fortifications and walls! Add lots of cafes and restaurants with outdoor seating and you
As part of my Baltic Explorer trip, I planned a trip to Warsaw and selected the Grand Mercure as my first hotel. As is often the case, I picked it partially for the location, the price – and the promotions! Read on to see how that turned out!
Bangkok Airways is a regional carrier based in, you guessed it, Bangkok. They have partnership agreements and code shares with many international carriers, so you might find yourself on one of their planes on a trip to Thailand, the Land of Smiles! Find out who they are and what to expect!
On my second trip this year to Ko Samui, we chose Bangkok Airways to fly into Ko Samui airport – a much more convenient choice than Surat Thani on the mainland! Despite some hick-ups with our tickets, I had a pleasant experience on both flights and was impressed by the service on the ground and