How to Book a Cheap Hotel for the 2017 Solar Eclipse using points

Bottom Line: If you’re looking to book a last minute trip to see the solar eclipse fly either to Kansas City or St Louis. Award space is pretty slim outside those two major metropolitan areas with the exception of Nashville. If you’re looking to visit the Yellowstone & Grand Teton area, that Super 8 award redemption in Dubois is your best bet.

What flying on a $50M Private Jet Gulfstream 500 (G5) from South Beach to Chicago Looks Like

Miami. The city of magic famed for its art culture, white sandy beaches, and the jet set life style.

I woke up on a bright Sunday morning as the light hit my slightly sunburned face. It was a beautiful day and from my hotel window I could see in the distance beach revelers already outside enjoying the day’s festivities.

However, today was no ordinary day at the beach. Thanks to a short lived status match promotion, in a few hours I would fly on a private Gulfstream jet, for absolutely nothing!

How I booked a private jet from Miami for $0

After exploring a bit of downtown Miami, I dropped off my friend and headed to the Signature Flight Support private jet terminal located in a nondescript area lined with palm trees at Fort Lauderdale airport.

Flying private has its perks and one of them is being able to pull directly onto the airport driveway in your rental car.

No Car Rental Lot Here

I was greeted by a lovely Jetsmarter ground agent who confirmed my flight itinerary. A second Jetsmarter representative took my bags, and also helped store a package that my friend forgot in the car.

An employee working at the private jet terminal took care of my car rental and I made my way to the small waiting area.

Altogether, the whole process from arrival to settling into a comfy lounge chair lasted no more than a couple of minutes, which was a complete 180 from a typical check in at the commercial terminal, even when flying first class.

There was no TSA security checkpoint, nor are you asked to remove any liquids. Instead bags are given a separate courtesy K-9 check prior to boarding.

Surprisingly, there were no lounge amenities save a few vending machines and enough apples to feed the entire flight. To be fair, I’d imagine those flying private wouldn’t spend much time on the ground and can afford bringing their own vices to enjoy on board.

Shortly before boarding, a copilot came by and manually checked each of our IDs. As our flight was during the July 4^th weekend, our flight was around half full, with a grand total of eight passengers.

From the lounge, I could see our private shuttle jet; an upgraded Gulfstream 550 (G5) instead of the typical Gulfstream 4 that flies this route.

Apparently the owner of this particular jet was the Bank of Utah, so I knew we were in for a treat.

Needless to say inside I was dancing like Tom cruise in Tropic Thunder (clip contains adult language):

For those curious, a brand new G5 retails at around $50,000,000.

Yes Mathew McConaughey a G5 aeroplane.

We then began the boarding process, which consisted of walking out the sliding doors, walking 100 feet to the aircraft, and walking up the built in the stairs.

Boarding the steps and feeling like a VIP

Upon entering the cabin, my mouth dropped as I saw the gorgeous cabin for the first time, with its beautiful leather stitching, wooden panels, and plenty of gold trimmings.

My assigned seat was in the front part of cabin, which consisted of a long couch, along with three pairs of plush light beige leather seats facing each other.

Waiting next to my seat was my personal item, a nice personal touch by the ground staff, although this was quickly stowed away and I was unable to retrieve it until after my flight due to pressurization concerns.

The back of the cabin had two rows of similar designed leather seats facing each other. The seats were a bit tighter, as three seats were crammed in per row, and were similar your typical domestic first class seat.

At the back of the plane was a small galley, filled with different types of cutlery and glasses, along with the most classy crew control panel I’ve ever seen.

Microwave button anyone?

A Jetsmarter ground representative checked up on us before the doors were closed.

The whole boarding experience felt like a scene out of HBO’s Entourage.

Boarding was complete in a matter of minutes and soon after we began taxiing down the runway, with the wing livery shining like brand new penny under the bright Florida sun.

Interestingly enough the safety briefing was kept to a minimum, and with no reminders to put our portable electronics to airplane mode. In fact, one of the passengers was face timing his relatives during takeoff!

G5 Safety Card

Takeoff was surprisingly smooth with the Rolls Royce engines barely making a whimper as we climbed out of Fort Lauderdale airport. 

The long oval shaped windows let in considerably more light then your standard commercial jet, and as a result I had unobstructed views of the stunning Florida coastline.

Since we were flying private, we climbed to 45,000 feet, which is 10% higher than your typical commercial airliner. As a result, there is considerably less air traffic to deal with and our flight time to Chicago was a mere 2 hours and 30 minutes.

Once we hit cruising altitude, snacks were served a flight attendant took our drink orders.  Over the course of the flight I had a couple glasses of Champagne, which was poured in beautifully glazed goblets.

As this shuttle flight was half full, there was plenty of space within the cabin to stretch my legs.

My seat was quite spacious, with plenty of padding. An added bonus the seats can be rotated up to 90 degrees using a gold handle, so you’re able to talk to your seat neighbor.

Each pair of seats shares a rather large dining table. Interestingly enough no small detail goes unnoticed: the table hinge is made of faux gold brass.

Speaking of faux gold, the cabin interior featured plenty of it, making Emirates first class seem quite pedestrian. There were golden seat belt buckles.

Air vents & reading lights

Even an old school CD Audio Controller

If you’re not feeling the sun, you can manually adjust the window blinds using a window slider, naturally containing gold brass.

But nothing compares to the gaudiness of the private bathroom located in the back of the plane. As expected, the door handle was golden, with an antique slip flap vacant sign to display occupancy.

The bathroom was incredibly spacious and stretched the entire width of the plane, and was bigger than most commercial first class bathrooms, except those found on the A380.

The lighting system featured incandescent light bulbs instead of your typical bright white LEDs, resulting in much warmer background.

Instead of your typical plastic hand washers and sink, this bathroom was equipped with a regular sized golden faucet with both hot and cold water taps.

Mirrors lined one side of the bathroom wall to create extra space and depth.

The bathroom also featured quite a few unique call buttons.

A regular sized hand towel lay on top of a golden towel rack and keeping with the old money theme, the toilet itself was hidden under a leather seat covering.

Perhaps the only thing made of bare plastic was a regular power outlet, but of course on top of it was the classiest flush button you’ll ever see.

At the back of the bathroom are numerous compartments that containing supplies for the on flight catering, and a “crew only” compartment where our luggage was being stored.

This is truly is what a perfect throne room in the sky would look like and the interior finishes are simply on a different level then those found in commercial aircraft.

Over the course of the two and half hour flight, I got to know my seat neighbors, both who happened to be mileage enthusiasts, and I was even able to try the jet couch.

The couch was quite comfy to lie down on, although I’d be hesitant sharing one with another passenger on a full flight.

Occasionally we would hit slight turbulence and seat belt sign turned on, although nary a voice came up on the intercom asking us to sit down. I suspect those flying in private aren’t used to taking commands in the air.

Typically the door from the cockpit and the passenger section was closed, although on the later end of the flight I was able to take a quick sneak peak of the cockpit.

For those concerned about the safety when flying private needn’t worry as our flight had both a pilot and a co-pilot, similar your typical commercial jet.

Time flew by and before long the edges of Chicago began to creep up on the horizon. As we began our descent into Midway we were treated to stunning flyby of the Chicago skyline.

We taxied to a relatively discrete location on the corner of Midway.

Similar to our boarding process in Fort Lauderdale, we deplaned via the jet staircase, and of course took a bunch of G5 selfies.

Our luggage was waiting in the arrival lounge and I bid farewell to the most luxurious aviation flight I’ll probably experience.

I then grabbed an Uber back to the commercial terminal at Midway, before taking a flight back home on Southwest.

Welcome back to the real world.

How I Flew on a Private G5 Jet for Free

A few weeks back, JetSmarter, a startup that bills itself as an Uber of private jet charters, briefly offered a status match for frequent fliers with over 1,000,000 miles or hold top tier elite status.

If you have 1M frequent flyer miles or CC points, or hold elite status with a major airline, we have a gift for you: https://t.co/k5W89tNcM2

— JetSmarter (@JetSmarter) June 3, 2017

Those who qualified would receive complimentary Simple Membership for three months, which allowed you to book two seats on any empty leg flight (Jet Deals) or a seat on a certain regularly scheduled private charters (Jet Shuttles).

Luckily I had enough miles and quickly submitted my status match request.

Initially I was quite skeptical on whether JetSmarter would go through with the promotion. After all, a free membership for three months that offered complimentary access on empty private jet flights, along with select shuttle flights seemed way too good to be true.

Lo and behold, a couple days later I received a missed call from JetSmarter, along with an email pending approval, with instructions to make an appointment.

After sending a quick email reply  I was notified via JetSmarter’s app that I was approved for a complimentary JetSmarter simple trial membership!

It’s important to note that I tried to “hide” myself as much as possible using a personal email account and my legal name. I definitely didn’t want JetSmarter to influence my review in any way.

For all intents and purposes, I was one of the lucky few frequent fliers who hit the status match gold mine.

Reports soon surfaced that quite a few status match requests were denied due to significant demand, so I must have gotten in under the nick of time.

Initially I tried booking a Jet Deals flight on Father’s day weekend from Aspen to San Francisco.

Ultimately, a last minute flight diversion due to weather resulted in no flight, but we were able to have beautiful road trip through the Rocky Mountains.

Undeterred, I decided to try my luck at a Jet Shuttle flight instead. Unlike the Jet Deals program, Jet Shuttles are guaranteed to fly. As a result, there were significant restrictions for Jet Smarter simple members, whom can only book a single seat on Jet Shuttle flights less than three hours for free.

Most of the free shuttle flights were short flights under an hour on propeller aircraft between cities like Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Nothing wrong with propeller planes, but if I was going to fly private it would be on a proper private jet.

After scanning all the different free Jet Shuttle flights, I ultimately settled on a flight from Fort Lauderdale to Chicago, one of handful sub three hour Jet Shuttle flights using a Gulfstream 450 jet, or G4 for short.

The flight booking itself was quite simple, and after a few taps, I was booked on the Jet Shuttle flight for the July 4^th weekend for $0!

I was pleasantly surprised on how simple the process was, and it almost felt like I was booking an Uber, except in this case I was booking a spot on a G4.

Finally, my childhood dream of flying private, and in a Gulfstream no less was about to come true.

See Also: My free flight on a $50M Gulfstream V Jet

Complete Guide to Hyatt’s New Loyalty Program (World of Hyatt)

Update: The sign up bonus of the Hyatt Credit Card will change from 2 free nights, to 40,000 Hyatt Points on June 29.

This change is quite significant as the current bonus gives you two free nights at ANY Hyatt, including Hyatt’s truly aspirational properties such as the Park Hyatt Tokyo and Park Hyatt Maldives that retail up to $1000 a night.

If you’re planning on staying at any of the top high end Hyatt hotels, I’d highly recommend applying for the Hyatt Credit Card before the current sign up bonus goes away. 

View Hotel Reward Card Offers Here

Among the major global hotel chains, perhaps none is more intriguing from a points perspective than Hyatt. With a room count that’s a fraction of the major chains such as Hilton or Marriott, Hyatt in the past has set itself apart with an extremely generous loyalty program.

I was lucky enough to receive top tier Hyatt Diamond (now Globalist) status thanks to a brief status match program. Ever since my first stay, I’ve been hooked, and consistently look to book my stays at Hyatt whenever I can.

Bund View Suite at Park Hyatt Shanghai- Courtesy of Globalist Status

With the Starwood Preferred Guest program set to transition to Marriott Rewards within the next two years, Hyatt is poised to become the most valuable hotel points program.

Hyatt Elite Status Levels

Under the new World of Hyatt program, Hyatt has three elite tiers: Globalist, Explorist, and Discoverist.

If you’re reading this article, you’re probably a Discoverist (through the Hyatt Credit Card) or hold no status with Hyatt.

The good news is among the major hotel chains; Hyatt is positioned on the mid to high end. Service levels are almost always quite high, if not exceptional, and rooms are both clean and spacious, even at the lower tier brands such as Hyatt House & Hyatt Place.

Hyatt House Santa Clara

For those with the Chase Hyatt Credit card, complimentary Discoverist status gives you a guaranteed late checkout until 2pm, access to expedited check in lines, and a free bottle of water. Granted these are not the most stellar benefits, but the late checkout benefit can be quite useful.

Award Redemptions – Great Value

Hotels are separated into categories from 1 to 7. The number of points required for a night will depend on which category a Hyatt hotel is classified as. You can find the master list of hotels here.

When choosing where to use your credit card points, one major factor is the CPP or Cents per Point. In other words, how much money you’re saving for each point you using.

Hyatt has by far one of the best award charts, especially for higher end properties. It’s quite easy to get at least 2 cents per point value if not significantly higher during peak demand.   

For example, if you’re heading to the Maldives, both the Park Hyatt Maldives & Conrad Maldives can run at over $1000 a night. However, the Park Hyatt Maldives would cost a mere 25,000 Hyatt points a night.

In contrast, the Conrad Maldives would cost at least 90,000 points per night, making a Hyatt point far more valuable than a Hilton point.

Park Hyatt Maldives – 25,000 Points per night

Booking your awards are quite straightforward, simply check the World of Hyatt Points & Awards box and award availability will be instantly shown.

As a rule, Hyatt does require hotels to offer award space whenever the base level room is available to book. This means you’ll rarely see any “blackout dates” and award availability at even the high end properties is almost always available.

Points & Cash

One of best ways to maximize your redemption is through Hyatt’s Points & Cash option, where you’ll pay only half of the required points along with a cash surcharge.

For example, instead of spending 25,000 points at the Park Hyatt Vienna, you can instead redeem 12,500 points + $150 a night, in effect buying 12,500 points for $150 or 1.2 cents per point.

Park Hyatt Vienna

I generally value Hyatt Points to be worth at least 1.8 cents per point, and thus use the points & cash option on nearly every booking, except for Category 1 & 7 hotels, where the value is not so high.

Points and Cash awards are also relatively straight forward to book, as any available points and cash awards will be shown alongside regular reward nights. However, unlike pure award bookings, P&C availability is not mandatory and is down to the discretion of each property.

Nevertheless, I typically find P&C availability at most properties I stay at, minus a few peak dates.

How to Earn Hyatt Points

The sole credit card partner for Hyatt is Chase, which has the Chase Hyatt credit card with a current sign up bonus of two free nights at any Hyatt worldwide. Changes to 40,000 points on June 29th.

If you’re with a significant other, you can combine your free nights to have potentially four nights at some of the most luxurious hotels in the world.

Park Hyatt Tokyo

The card also comes with Hyatt Discoverist status, which grants you a 2 PM check out along with complimentary internet.

In addition, each year you’ll receive an annual free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel, which can typically cost upwards of $300 a night.

Hyatt on the Bund – Category 4

The annual free night alone is well worth the $95 annual fee, and among the few credit cards I consistently put in the keep column.

To earn Hyatt points, the quickest way would be through one of the many Chase cards that earn ultimate reward points.

The current sign up offer for the Chase Hyatt Card can be found below:

View Hotel Reward Cards

Chase Ultimate Reward points can be converted to Hyatt Gold Passport points at a 1:1 ratio. So if you transfer 5,000 Chase points, you’ll receive 5,000 Hyatt points. Transfers are usually instantaneous.

Chase Ultimate Reward points can be earned through the following cards:

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is one of my favorite cards to use for daily expenses. The Sapphire card earns two points per dollar spent on travel and dining expenses. In addition, its sign up bonus is usually significant enough to stay at least 1-2 nights at any top tier Hyatt property.

If you’re a road warrior, the Chase Sapphire Reserve is also an alternative option, as it gives 3x points for travel spending and annual $300 travel credit. The card does come with a $450 annual fee.

You may find the current offer for the both cards below:

 View Travel Reward Card Offers Here

If you’re a small business owner, you can also earn Chase UR points through the Chase Ink Preferred card, which earns 5 points per dollar spent at office supply stores and utilities, in addition to one point being awarded for each dollar spent.

The sign up bonus is typically the highest for all three cards that earn UR points, enough for 3 nights at any Category 7 Hyatt hotel, or 20 nights at any Hyatt Category 1 Hotel.

You may find the current offer for the Ink Plus below

 View Business Card Offers Here

Suite Upgrades

By far my favorite benefit staying at a Hyatt is its four annual suite upgrades for Globalist members that can apply to any stay using cash or points & cash, pending award availability.

As this overall guide is for novice travelers, we’ll avoid diving into elite suite upgrades and instead focus on suite upgrades using points.

Hyatt is also unique in offering non-elites the opportunity to upgrade their paid reservations using points. The cost to upgrade a paid rate to a suite is 6000 Hyatt points per night. This can represent a fantastic value as this applies to any paid rate booked directly with Hyatt.

For example, a base room at the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur costs around $160 a night. Instead you can upgrade into a gorgeous 1000 square foot Grand Suite that would retail over $600 a night for only 6000 Hyatt points.

To upgrade your reservation, simply call the Hyatt support line. It’s highly recommended that you call ahead to check for suite award availability before you book your reservation, as during peak times there may be no suite award space available.

Alternatively, if you don’t want to spend cash, you can book suite rooms directly using points. The number of points required depends on which hotel category a Hyatt property is classified as.

However, I find booking suites purely via points is generally a poor value, and only for those who are points rich.

Drawbacks

The main drawback of the Hyatt program is the limited footprint. Outside the US, the international selection of Hyatt hotels is somewhat meager; with many major cities having just one Hyatt or none altogether. With such a small footprint, it’s no surprise why Hyatt’s loyalty program has to be a step up higher compared to its competitors.

However, if you’re not chasing status this represents a great program to use your Chase UR points if you’re looking for free accommodation.

Review: Park Hyatt Tokyo – Club on the Park & Breakfast

My dad and I woke up a little exhausted from the night before and headed to Girandole restaurant for breakfast. We were warmly greeted by a server and shown to our seats.

Globalist members are given a menu and an option of eating at the buffet plus an omelet, or a “healthy” option without access to the buffet.

I found the buffet to be of high quality, but for a Park Hyatt the selection was a tad light.

Alternatively, Globalists can have breakfast delivered to their room free of charge. The service at the Girandole was top notch, and I especially loved the classy dress wear of the restaurant wait staff.

Tip: If you arrive early enough, you might be able to score one of the few tables with a gorgeous view of Tokyo.

Since I was a Globalist, we were guaranteed a late checkout time until 4 PM and decided to make the most of my stay.

One place I was really keen on checking out was the Club Spa, located on the 47^th floor. Access is severely limited, with hotel guests having to shell out an extra 4000 yen per person. However, since I was a Globalist, this charge was waived. This is no ordinary spa, in fact a short scene in Lost In Translation was shot here.

Be aware that Japanese spas are fully nude, so if you’re not comfortable with this unique aspect of Japanese culture, you may want to give the spa a skip.

Spa guests are required to take a shower before entering, with each sower opulently lined with dark green marble.

Upon entering the main spa area, you’re greeted with a large Jacuzzi / hot pool, with an elegant fountainhead shooting water in all four directions. Surrounding the pool are sauna rooms each set at a different temperature.

Photo via Hyatt.com

Each sauna has a dial outside that shows the current temperature inside. If you’re new to the Sauna experience, I’d recommend sticking to the lowest one, as I could barely last a few minutes.

If you’re feeling brave, you can dip into the cold plunge pool afterwards, or you can use the buckets provided to cool yourself off.

The whole place had an old money Italian / Mediterranean feel to it and I found the spa experience to be a unique glimpse into the Japanese culture, although I’d probably avoid making this a regular occurrence.

After finishing your spa experience, there’s a dressing room lined with vanity mirrors, each filled with different amenities, and a small lounging area up front, with a table lined with pretty much every Japanese newspaper published.

If you’re not a Globalist member, you can still access the gym & swimming pool located on the 47^th floor, which is free for all hotel guests.

The pool hasn’t been changed significantly since its opening over 20 years ago, but still is a work of art, with a perfect triangle reflecting back at the pool during the daytime.

Just like in the film, you’re required to wear a head cap, which is provided, along with a pair of googles.

The pool is your standard mini lap pool, with underwater speakers, although no music was played while I was at the pool.

The gym consists of a two sections located on opposite sides of the pool. The first is laid out like your standard gym, with a decent selection of free weights, machines, and treadmills.

On the opposite side of the pool is a yoga studio with a few cardio machines, and where Bill Murray famously lost control of his elliptical trainer.

You could almost pretend you’re floating in the sky, were it not for the window washers outside.

If you had to make a list of the world’s most beautiful gyms, this has to be near the very top. The views are simply drop dead gorgeous and I ended up spending nearly 2 hours soaking in the view, while burning a few calories.

Soon it was time to check out and my Dad and I took a taxi to Shinjuku station before heading off to the airport.

Overall, the Park Hyatt Tokyo ranks among the best hotels I’ve ever stayed. It’s not often you can live out what you watch on film, but the hotel vastly exceeded my high expectations.

For those who are Lost in Translation buffs, don’t hesitate and splurge for a night at this Tokyo icon, or if you’re American apply for the Chase Hyatt Card and receive two free nights at this or any other Hyatt hotel worldwide. Alternatively, the sign up bonus for the Chase Sapphire Ink Preferred card is good enough for three free nights at the Park Hyatt Tokyo.

Learn more about the Hyatt Loyalty Program and how to maximize your points for Free Nights

Lost In Translation: Staying at the $1000 Park Hyatt Tokyo & New York Bar

Note: I’ve included a few photos from my previous stay at the Park Hyatt Tokyo, along with a few movie stills for illustrative purposes

Sitting on top of Shinjuku Park Tower, the Park Hyatt Tokyo was the first western luxury hotel to open in Japan in 1994.  Since then numerous celebrities have called the Park Hyatt home.

Director Sofia Coppola loved the hotel so much that she made it a centerpiece in her award winning film Lost in Translation.

Rooms at the Park Hyatt Tokyo don’t run cheap, with rates during the peak Cherry Blossom season starting at a staggering $1000 a night.

120,000 Yen a night after taxes

Instead I used 30,000 Hyatt Points to book a one night stay for my dad and me at this iconic hotel, with no additional cash payment required. 

Upon arriving at Shinjuku station, we took a quick five minute taxi ride to the entrance of the hotel, where a check in assistant was waiting for us.

After taking our luggage and confirming our reservation, we were personally escorted up to the check in area located on the 41^st floor.

On the way up, we passed through the lower lobby and up the elevator which subtly adjusts the brightness depending on which direction your heading. Naturally, the lighting increases as you go higher.

Upon arriving on the 41^st floor, we walked past the Girandole restaurant and also the hotel’s library before arriving at the check in desk.

Park Hyatt Library

After a brief stop at the check in desk, we were handed off to another associate who personally took us to our room.

Instead of mere plastic keycards, guests are given physical Tiffany metal keys.

As a Globalist member, our room was upgraded to a deluxe view room, which was greatly appreciated given the peak demand.

The bedroom was extremely spacious for Japanese standards with the two twin beds closer to full size. A pair of lounging chairs compliments the room, along with a separate work desk.

On my previous stay, I used a DSU and was upgraded to the Park Suite, you can find a short review here.

Park Suite

Unlike the Park Suite, the room doesn’t have unsightly bars lining the window and blocking your view. The views are breathtaking, with the sea of buildings looking like small pieces of legos.

The bedroom itself could almost pass for Charlotte’s room, with an almost identical interior design.

The twin beds were quite large (near full size), and my dad was able to see the beautiful skyline from his bed and literally fall asleep among the city lights.

A sliding door separates the bedroom from the bathroom, which keeps the same elegant checker patterned marbled floor found in the Park Suite.

The bathroom has a gorgeous sunken tub, and when you’re feeling lazy in your tub, has a small TV for your viewing pleasure.

Behind the bathroom is a separate wardrobe area. If you’re feeling like recreating some of that Lost In Translation magic you can dong your own pair of green robes featured in the movie and create your own Bill Murray poster!

After taking a quick shower, my dad and I headed to the peak bar, located at the main lobby, where Globalists have free flow drinks and snacks from 5-8 PM.

The Park Hyatt Tokyo does things differently, and this was no ordinary cocktail hour. While the complimentary Hors d’oeuvre appetizers were not that filling, the hotel has two bartenders on call to make any cocktail that you desire.

Having traveled hopped throughout Japan for the past 10 days, it was finally time to “let loose” and properly celebrate Dad’s 60th birthday. Over the next couple hours, my dad and I fully utilized the free flowing alcohol, ordering various cocktails such as Martinis, Mojitos, and even a Mint Julep.

Tip: Be sure to come real early if you want to grab the handful of seats at the bar that offer you a spectacular view of the Tokyo skyline, otherwise you’ll have to make do one of the numerous plush seating options throughout the lobby.

Overall, this was by far the best cocktail hour at any Hyatt I’ve ever been to and at 4000 Yen for the general public (plus service charge & tax) one of the better free flowing deals in notoriously expensive Tokyo.

Afterwards, we headed upstairs to the world famous New York Bar located on top of the Park Hyatt.

For those who’ve watched Lost In Translation this one of the focal shooting areas of the film and we were really excited to finally able to see the bar in real life. 

New York Bar – Lost in Translation

On a previous visit I actually took a quick look at the New York Grill during the daytime, and can say without a doubt if you’re looking to have a meal with a view that this is one of the best places in Tokyo, especially during the twilight hours.

The restaurant is modern, but simple, with minimal distractions and letting the view speak for itself.

I did like the two huge paintings by Valerio Adami flanking each wall on the grille, which contrasted well with the layout.

Upon arriving at the 52^nd floor, we were greeted with a rather long line despite the 3000 yen cover charge for non-hotel guests. The hostess apologized profusely and asked for our room details, and promised to give us a call when a table freed up. Around 10 minutes later, a window table had opened up and we headed back upstairs.

To say the wait was worth it would be an understatement. It’s not often you can experience a movie scene in real life, but the atmosphere at the New York Bar was even better than what was portrayed on film.

Just like the movie, a live jazz band was the focal point of the bar, with tables crammed to maximize space. In the background, flashing red lights on top of the many skyscrapers In Shinjuku glowed like fireflies in the distance.

We were seated on a gorgeous table with unobstructed views of the Shinjuku skyline, right next to the couch where Charlotte first toasted Bob. My dad wasted no time in grabbing a picture.

We started off with a round of L.I.T cocktails, which were apparently inspired by the color of Charlotte’s panties. This was followed by a glass of Suntory whiskey. Unknown to me, that single glass cost a whopping 3000+ Yen, so make sure you take a close look at the price list!

Since we were at the New York Bar & Grill, naturally we had to try the New York Steak, which was extremely juicy and tender, although price conscious travelers might be shocked at the price tag.

For those on a budget, truffle fries are a good option to fill your stomach without breaking the bank.

Service was excellent, and yes the waiters & bartenders have the exact same uniforms as shown on screen. As expected, the Jazz was wonderful and the atmosphere exactly how I imagined it would be, with muddled voices occasionally interrupted by clapping after the completion of a song.

At the back of the bar is the infamous long bar table where Charlotte and Bob first talk.

As the night wound down, and the jazz music lingered in the air, one can’t help recreate a little movie magic. Found in Japan.

Up Next: Park Hyatt Pool, Spa, and Gym (L.I.T. Film Locations)

Learn more about the Hyatt Loyalty Program and how to maximize your points for Free Nights

Potential Free Private Jet Membership Trial

Update: JetSmarter has actually honored the promotion, and I received an email confirming my enrollment! Unfortunately, the offer is now also dead.

I’m going to file this under the the good to be true but JetSmarter, a company that bills itself as the “Uber of Private Jets”, is offering a a three month simple membership for those who hold top tier elite status or with 1,000,000 miles. 

Simple members get free access to a limited selection of Jet Shuttle flights under three hours and two seats on empty leg flights.

This probably is useful to just handful of people, but I’ve never seen such a generous status match offered. You’re getting essentially free flights on a private jet!

These are the Top 5 Best Hotel Credit Cards of 2017

Hotel cards have always been slightly overlooked in the world of miles, and while it’s true you typically won’t be able to fly in first class using your hotel card points, they do provide incredible value for those looking to save on accommodation.

Hotel card bonuses come in two forms: points or nights. 

Whether you value points or nights more depends specifically on your travel preferences. If you’re aiming for high end hotels such as the Park Hyatt Tokyo, you’ll want to gravitate on cards awarding free nights, while on the flip side for the more budget conscious traveler, point sign up bonuses can represent great value.

A post shared by Sam Huang (@intotheplane) on Apr 23, 2016 at 6:45am PDT

The following are currently my top five hotel credit cards with a slight caveat: since this site is geared towards extravagant award redemptions, my advice does tilt a bit slightly in favor of hotels that award free nights rather than points.

Chase IHG Card

While the card’s 60,000 sign up bonus is nothing to scoff at, the real value lies in its annual free night certificate which can be used at any IHG property. These include the high end Intercontinental hotels, which can typically go for over $500 a night!

60,000 IHG points typically are good enough for 1-2 IHG hotels, although every 3 months IHG releases a PointsBreak promotion where a select list of hotels cost only 5000 IHG points per night.

I stayed at the Intercontinental Phnom Penh for 5000 points last October

 The 10% award redemption rebate and complimentary Platinum status both add real value and help makes this card a no brainer.

Free night at the Intercontinental Amstel ($500+ a night)

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Chase Hyatt Visa Card

Although card benefits have been slightly devalued, the sign up bonus of two free nights at any Hyatt worldwide still has significant value. Each year you’ll also receive a “free” night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel, which can typically cost upwards of $300 a night.

Hyatt on the Bund, a category 4 hotel

Additional benefits include Hyatt Discoverist status, which does provide a 2 PM check out time, but otherwise is quite insignificant.

I used my free Chase nights at the Park Hyatt Maldives ($1000+ a night)

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Hilton Honors Surpass Card from American Express

Until May 31, cardholders receive 100,000 Honors points after completing minimum spend and receive an additional free weekend night valid at any Hilton worldwide (with a few select exceptions) after your first account anniversary. 

Although Hilton has devalued its program, there are still some great mileage redemptions to be had, especially for lower tiered Hilton category hotels.

Category 1 hotels cost only 5000 points a night, while Category 2 hotels will set you back 10,000 points a night.

Stay 20 nights at the Hilton Alexandria Corniche in Egypt with your sign up bonus

 The card also does come with Hilton Gold status, which provides conditional lounge access and complimentary breakfast.

You could combine your free nights from the Citi Hilton Honors card and potentially end up with at least four free nights at any Hilton property worldwide.

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Citi Hilton Honors Reserve Card

The Citi Honors Reserve Card offers two free weekend nights at any Hilton property worldwide (with a few select exceptions). In addition you’ll receive an annual free weekend night after spending $10,000 each year, making this card a must have for big spenders. The card also provides Hilton Gold status, which provides conditional lounge access and complimentary breakfast. 

Stay at the Conrad Bora Bora using your two free weekend night ($800+ a night)

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Chase Marriott Card

You’ll earn a sign up bonus of 80,000 points along with an additional 7,500 points for adding an additional user. The card offers Marriott Silver status, which is not very valuable by itself but does qualify for a late check out.

The best uses of the Marriott points are for flights & night vacation package, which do require applying for a couple additional cards.

Marriott Sukhumvit Soi 57, a Category 5 Marriott Property

Similar to the IHG card, the Chase Marriott Card gives cardholders a free annual night certificate, valid for any category 1-5 Marriott property. 

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Honorable Mention:

American Express Starwood Personal & Business Card

The Starwood Preferred Guest Card from American Express earns valuable Starpoints, which is considered among most mileage enthusiasts as the most valuable award currency. The card does not offer any status, although the Starwood cards do have a few tangible soft benefits.

However, the current sign up bonus is currently not at an all-time high, so I’d suggest holding off from applying unless you have an urgent need for Starpoints.

Fly Lufthansa First Class for only 40,000 Starpoints

Do note that Starpoints convert to Marriott points at a ratio of 3:1, so if you need a couple extra Marriott points for a flights & nights package, this could be a good card to apply for.

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Trip Report: Hyatt Regency Amsterdam – Regency Executive Suite & Club

After my previous issues at the newly opened Hyatt Regency, upon re-checking in I met with the front office manager and presented a list of issues I had with my previous stay. She did apologize and manually upgraded my room to an executive suite, which I believe is just a Regency Suite with a tad bit extra amount of space.

I suspect this has something to do with gaming suite availability, but time will tell if that is the case. The room itself is as expected quite spacious, with sliding doors separating the bedroom and the living area.

Trip Report: Brand New Hyatt Regency Amsterdam

After navigating the crowded Amsterdam Metro, I arrived at the newly opened Hyatt Regency Amsterdam, which is located in the Plantage district, a residential area on the outskirts of downtown Amsterdam.

Upon checking in, I was informed that the lounge was still not opened. Instead I was offered a voucher for two drinks and a “snack” for my stay. Drinks in the mini bar were also complimentary. Considering the voucher was given once per stay, I considered this arrangement inadequate.

When inquiring about an upgrade to the Regency Suite, which is a benefit for Globalists, I was told there were no rooms available which was a bit odd considering the hotel was actively selling the Regency Suite on Hyatt.com