Lost in Sakura – Chasing the Cherry Blossoms in Japan
Greetings from Tokyo! I’ve come to
Japan for my second attempt at chasing the elusive and stunning cherry
blossoms (known locally as Sakura)
for the next two weeks.
Usually there’s a bit of a time gap between taking a trip
and actually post my trip report, but this time I’ll be posting a few of my
favorite Sakura photos from each day in Japan.
Although the season started officially on March 21, it seems
that I’ve arrived in Tokyo a few days early, as most of the trees have yet to
blossom. However, a few places in Tokyo have already reached full bloom.
Myohoji Temple in
Setagaya illuminated at night
Koishikawa K?rakuen
Garden (Unfortunately way too crowded with tourists. I’d avoid going during
peak hours)
Tama Cemetery
containing over 1000 trees among Tokyo’s grandest graves offered a much more
peaceful environment.
Over the next seven days the entire city is expected to transform
into a fiery bloom of pink and white as the blossoms finally open. Join me as I
become Lost in Sakura!
My $7,000 Flight on Garuda Indonesia First Class to Japan for $76
In the past, Garuda Indonesia had mostly been known as a
regional carrier focused mainly on short haul flights within Indonesia.
However, the Indonesian government recently completed a brand
makeover of Garuda: expanding service routes, upgrading planes, and launching a
proper first class product. The result was the airline’s first ever five star
rating in 2014.
Flying Garuda Indonesia’s first class product and experiencing
its legendary Indonesian hospitality has always been on top of my mileage wish
list. However, with mileage redemptions restricted to only those with a small
fortune of Garuda Miles, it always remained just a wish.
This all changed in late December when Garuda Indonesia had
an incredible 90% off mileage flash sale, cutting the cost an award redemption for first class to basement low prices. I ended up redeeming a mere 13,500 Garuda miles
+ $76 for my first class flight from Jakarta to Tokyo, with a tag on flight in
business class from Hong Kong.
The retail cost of the flights would have cost around $7000 (54,311
HKD).
To say this was the mileage deal of the year would be putting it mildly. For comparisons sake, a one way ticket in coach within the US on United or American Airlines would run you 12,500 miles. Instead, for an additional mere 1,000 points I was able to book one of the finest first class products in the world!
You can read on how I booked my entire $18,000 trip to Japan using mostly points here.
At 8:30 PM my Mercedes picked me up from the Grand Hyatt and
we began our relatively short one hour drive to Jakarta airport.
Inside the Mercedes were two bottles of waters and quite a
few mints.
Upon arrival, I was warmly greeted at the curb by two first
class escorts, who proceeded to take my passport and bags.
We then zipped through the priority security lane in a
matter of seconds, a complete 180 from my previous experience with Jakarta
Airport’s notoriously long security lines.
After being checked in, I was taken straight to the lounge, bypassing
any sort of immigration queue.
That’s right, when you fly in first class with Garuda, one
of your personal escorts stays behind and personally takes care of immigration
matters while the other guides you to the Garuda First Class Lounge.
After breezing by immigration, we arrived at the entrance of
the Garuda Lounge and walked straight past the relatively crowded business
class section.
At the end of the entrance laid a red velvet rope, which
discretely separates the “mere” business class passengers from those sitting in
first class.
Upon entering, another first class lounge agent, whose sole
job was probably to guard against any unwanted guests, instantly greeted us
before we headed down an escalator.
By now, I could tell this was going to be no ordinary first
class experience as the sheer amount of people greeting you was just absurd.
If the business lounge was crowded, going down the escalator
felt like rolling into your own private VIP mansion.
The lounge consists of four main sections. The dining area is
equipped with various small tables lining a patterned wall of mirrors and
tapestry.
Adjacent to the dining area is a row of entertainment
cubicles to lounge around in.
If you’re feeling sleepy, there is also a row of lie flat
seats in the back area, which never seemed to be occupied.
Besides the main dining and lounge area, there is also a separate
private room for families, and a small “spa” room.
The centerpiece of the lounge was the Yamaha grand piano,
which surprisingly was well tuned.
Playing after a few
glasses of Champagne
Afterwards, I headed to the dining area and downed another
delightful glass of Billecart-Salmon Champagne, before ordering two Indonesian
main dishes: Pan Grilled Fish Satay and Chicken “Pelalah” with Balinese rice.
Ultimately though, my American tastes got the better of me
and I finished my meal with plate of “Mexican” Nachos.
After dinner I headed to the shower to freshen up before my
flight. The shower room was beautiful decorated and even had L’occitane amenities.
Overall the lounge was bright and vibrant, and there was
plenty of seating for the relatively minuscule amount of passengers.
Note: Garuda Indonesia recently switched to the newly built Terminal 3 Ultimate. You can find a review of the new first class lounge here.
Having a few minutes to waste, I chatted with the relatively
young staff (all in their mid 20’s), all whom exuded the warm hospitality that
Indonesia is well known for.
I was told there were only five passengers in the lounge
that night. Amusingly enough, I counted at least 7 lounge staff in the first
class area, which if probably the only time I’ll witness a lounge with more
staff then flyers.
Soon it was time to board and my lovely first class personal
assistant came back and escorted me to the plane.
While a few select airlines offer an escort to the gate,
Garuda takes this to a different level. As we walked past various checkpoints,
all the employees slightly bowed and greeted me like I was royalty.
We reached the boarding area and calmly strolled by as everyone
gawked and wondered who the heck I was!
Upon boarding I was greeted by the entire first class cabin
crew and said goodbye to my amazing personal first class attendant, Didi.
I was shown to my window seat suite offered a glass of Billecart
champagne, along with a bowl of macadamia nuts.
The first class cabin consists only of two rows of four
suites that can be fully enclosed. The seat itself is quite spacious and is
covered in partially with beige leather.
There is a large storage compartment located next to window,
which was also lined with beige fabric.
One nifty feature I liked about the suite is the built in
closet so your clothes don’t get wrinkled in flight.
Lining the window is a compartment stuffed with various
reading materials and a hidden power outlet.
A Loewe’s amenity kit was provided, along with a pair of
extremely comfortable pajamas.
The best part of the first class suite is a touch pad that allows
you to customize your seat position in any way possible, from the position of
your footrest to your seatback.
Want a massage? Not only can the seat give an in flight
massage, you can choose between various seat massage modes.
Afterwards, my flight attendant came by and asked whether I
would like to change out of my shoes into slightly more comfortable slippers.
What happened next blew my mind.
Upon taking off my shoes, my flight attendant kneeled down, put
on my new first class slippers, before taking away shoes and placing each shoe
individually in a shoe bag.
If this wasn’t over the top enough, when taking off my
shoes, a red cloth was placed underneath, to prevent my feet from actually
touching the floor!
Shoe Service fit for
Royalty
I was a bit shocked at this point, and felt a bit embarrassed
having a flight attendant kneeling over, but she assured me it was part of the
regular first class service.
In fact Garuda’s first class flight attendants will typically
kneel down so you can talk at eye level, instead of standing above you.
We soon took off after a minor delay at Jakarta airport. Since
I was on a red eye flight, most of the first class passengers were already
asleep and the cabin mood lighting was switched to dark blue.
Soon afterwards, a starter consisting of a generous helping
of caviar presented beautifully in a glass bowl along with Kropek, a type of
Indonesian shrimp chip, was served.
Similar to Etihad, Garuda has an onboard chef for its first
class passengers, and he soon came over to take my late dinner order.
I started off with Garuda’s famous sate (marinated sticks of
chicken covered in peanut sauce) which were phenomenal.
This was followed by a salmon sandwich and mango dome cake,
which tasted surprisingly delicious.
Note: On longer
flights to Europe, the meal selection is more extensive. On a subsequent flight
from Amsterdam, one of the starters was a soup served the “high end” way.
After my post-midnight snack, I asked my bed to be made, and
a pair of flight attendants quickly turned my seat was into a lie flat bed.
Similar to Singapore Airlines and Emirates, Garuda’s first
class suites features sliding doors that can turn the suite into your own
private cabin.
With the lights fully turned off, the ceiling was filled
with hundreds of LED stars, giving the plane a magical feeling, like you’re on
a private Disneyland ride in the sky.
The bed itself was quite comfortable and more even spacious then
Emirates’ first class cabin. I quickly dozed off for a few hours.
I woke up as the sun was rising and was immediately
presented with the breakfast menu, which had a vast list of western dishes,
including waffles and freshly cooked eggs.
However, since we were flying to Japan, I decided to go with
the set Japanese tray, made up of various kinds of seafood including salmon and
shrimp.
The meal was delicious and probably one of the healthiest breakfasts
I’ve had on a plane.
Soon we began our descent, and we landed at Haneda airport
ahead of schedule. I won’t lie, secretly I wished the flight would be a bit longer!
Upon disembarking, I was met by another ground escort who
accompanied me until I left the departure area.
She asked if I required any ground transportation, and was
quite amused when I told her I was planning on taking the commuter train. My
ground escort dropped me off at the train platform and my amazing first class
experience came to an abrupt end.
In conclusion, Garuda Indonesia first class had the best ground service
I’ve ever experienced, making me truly feel like a VIP. The in air service was
also top notch and the enclosed suite rivals among the best in the industry.
The only thing slightly lacking was the food selection, but it was more than
adequate for a 7 hour flight.
From pickup to drop off, you’re spoiled like a king, and
while some could argue this was a one off, a subsequent amazing flight in
Garuda First Class from Amsterdam was just as spectacular.
Next Up: Day 1- Chasing the Cherry Blossoms in Tokyo
See Also: Lost In Translation – Celebrating Dad’s 60th Birthday at the $1000 a night Park Hyatt Tokyo for Free using points
Learn more about the Hyatt Loyalty Program and how to maximize your points for Free Nights
My $18,000 Trip to Japan for less than $50 a day (Cherry Blossom Season)
Decade
birthdays are always something special, and this year my dad finally turned 60.
To celebrate his 60th birthday, my
dad decided to go back to this hometown in Taiwan and visit his relatives. By
pure coincidence, his trip was scheduled to take place during Sakura season in
Japan. Needless to say, it didn’t take much to convince him that a side trip to
Japan to see the legendary sakura blossoms.
Since he’d already paid for his flights to
Taipei, I decided to use my points for our hotel accommodations in Japan. My
dad has actually never been a big fan of luxury hotels, instead preferring to
spend his hard earned money on run of the mill motels. In fact, as a kid, I
remember him pulling out a directory of nearby motel 6’s, whenever we took a
road trip.
A common
sight during childhood
Since my parents were coming to Taiwan, I
decided to leave Taipei early and vacated my apartment so my parents could stay
there. To get to Tokyo, I took advantage of Garuda Miles’ 90% off promotion,
which meant I could fly to Tokyo in Garuda’s amazing first class product for a mere 13,000 miles + $70.
To get my Dad to Japan from Taiwan, I purchased
a relatively cheap one way business ticket on Scoot, which was comparable to
first class on domestic US flights.
On the way back, my dad and I would fly on
Tiger Air, since its late departure time allowed us to maximize our last day in
Tokyo. Thanks to my Ritz Carlton Card, I was able get reimbursed my priority
seat and luggage fees.
Hotel prices do not come cheap in Japan,
especially during the peak cherry blossom season. Rates at the Hyatt Regency
Tokyo were going for 44,000 JPY ($400) a night.
Instead, I decided to use transfer my Chase
Ultimate Reward points to Hyatt, and book a room at the Hyatt Regency for only
12,000 points per night.
Room with
a view
Using my complimentary annual free night certificate
from the Chase Hyatt Credit card + 72,000 points, I booked 8 nights at the
Hyatt Regency, saving $3200!
After touring around Tokyo, we would activate
our one week Japan Rail Pass and head to the southern part of Japan.
For those unfamiliar with the Japan Rail Pass,
the rail pass allows pass holders unlimited travel on all JR operated lines
including the Shinkansen (with a few restrictions).
The cost of a one week Japan Rail Pass will set
you back 29,110 JPY ($260), which is nothing to scoff at. However, a round trip
ticket from Tokyo to Osaka alone costs around 28,000 JPY, making purchasing the
Japan Rail Pass an absolute no brainer.
14,000
JPY for a one way train ticket from Tokyo to Osaka
To say we would be maximizing the pass would be
putting it mildly. As it was my Dad’s first time in Japan, he wanted to be able
to see as many sights as possible, albeit ever so briefly.
On the day of activation, we made quick pit
stops in Nagoya and Kobe, before arriving in Fukuoka, where we stayed at the
Hyatt Regency Fukuoka.
Nagoya
Castle
Kobe
Steak in Kobe
While rates were more reasonable priced at 26,000
JPY a night, I instead redeemed 4000 Hyatt Points + $50.
The following day we took a quick pit stop at
Kunamoto Castle, which sadly partially collapsed after an earthquake hit the
region last year.
Afterwards we would backtrack and head to
Nagasaki and visit Battleship Island, which was the inspiration for the movie
“Inception” and Nagasaki Peace Park.
After an exhausting day of sightseeing, we
would head all the way back to Okayama, where I used 20,000 IHG points + $120
for two nights at the ANA Okayama, which is located across the Okayama Shinkansen
station.
The next day, we would head to the gorgeous
Miyajima Island, see the ancient Iwakuni bridge, before ending the day at
Hiroshima Peace Park, where the Sakura blooms were in full effect.
Miyajima
Island
Iwakuni
Bridge
Atomic
Dome
The following day we made our way to Himeji,
which was my runaway favorite for best castle to visit during Sakura, before
spending three nights at the gorgeous Hyatt Regency Kyoto.
Similar to the Hyatt Regency Tokyo, prices
during peak season were astronomical to say the least, with paid rates starting
at 55,000 JPY a night after taxes!
After searching for award space like a hawk, I
managed to snag three nights at the Hyatt Regency Kyoto using Points & Cash.
To cap off our trip, we would head back to
Tokyo and spend a night at the world famous Park Hyatt Tokyo, where quite a few
scenes of the movie Lost in Translation
was shot. The retail price of the stay would have topped over $1000, but
instead cost me 30,000 points. For those looking to apply for the Chase Hyatt Card, this hotel would be one of my top choices to use your free night certificates.
Afterwards, my Dad headed back to visit a few
family relatives, while I got to try ANA’s amazing first class product to
Singapore, with by far the best airline meal I’ve ever had.
Overall, the trip would have cost $18,000 but
through the use of miles, I ended up spending $700 out of pocket. While the
trip did burn through quite a few miles (258,000 total), you can’t put a price
tag on being able to spend some quality time with Dad.
Happy 60th Birthday
Dad!
Learn more about the Hyatt Loyalty Program and how to use your points for Free Nights
Trip Report: Malaysia Airlines First Class – A380
Dogged by the stigma of two very unfortunate incidents, Malaysia Airlines has been struggling to rebuild its brand and churn a profit. As a result, tough new cost cutting measures were put into place, with unprofitable long haul routes and unnecessary ancillary services being cut. As a result, Malaysia Airlines currently has just one remaining flight route that has a proper first class, London to Kuala Lumpur on the A380.
With the AA devaluation imminent, I decided it was now or never to experience this rather exotic flight, and ended up splurging 70,000 miles + $85 for a one way first class ticket from Geneva to Manila.
Review: Malaysian Airlines First Class Lounge Kuala Lumpur Airport
As transit passenger with less than 24 hours between my two
flights, I was granted access to the Malaysian Airlines First Class lounge, located
in the satellite lounge.
I walked into the lounge and was shown to the first class
section, located on the right hand side. Since Malaysian Airlines currently
only operates a single route with first class, it was no surprise that the
first class portion of the lounge was one long, but thin corridor.
Lining the corridor was bunch of plush seats to lounge
around in, with views of the tarmac below.
At the end of the lounge was a private nap room, a big plus
for those having a long layover.
There’s also a proper sit down restaurant with gorgeous
views of the airport tarmac, complete with full table service. I was quickly
seated and handed the lunch menu.
I first ordered the Curry Lakhsa, a Malaysian dish
consisting of egg noodles and various types of meat.
This was followed by a rib eye steak, which was incredible
and among the best I’ve had at an airport.
After my meal I headed to the smoking lounge, where I was
poured a glass of Cattier Brut.
This was not the most elegant of champagnes at a mere $30
per bottle, but still it’s hard to beat watching planes go down the runway
while drinking bubbly.
Before I left for my plane, I decided to take a quick look
at the business class lounge. Immediately upon entering the lounge, you’ll
notice a full service bar, much to the relief of thirsty passengers on flights
less than three hours (Malaysian Airlines has a draconian policy of not serving
alcohol for short haul flights).
The business class lounge looked quite spacious with plenty
of seats during the afternoon lull, but I was told it gets filled to capacity
during peak hours.
While there is plenty of seating, the seats themselves
looked a bit outdated, but Malaysian Airlines is currently in the process of
renovating the lounge, which should be completed by the end of this year.
There’s a small buffet in the main seating area. However, I
recommend heading to the dining area in the back, where a Curry Lakhsa bar
serves the same delicious dish I had earlier.
Overall, the first class lounge was a good place to wait
before my flight, but I certainly wouldn’t come to the airport early just to
lounge around. Similarly, the business class lounge certainly was functional,
but lacking in the wow factor.
Review: Malaysia Airlines First Class – A380
Dogged by the stigma of two very unfortunate incidents, Malaysia
Airlines has been struggling to rebuild its brand and churn a profit. As a
result, tough new cost cutting measures were put into place, with unprofitable
long haul routes and unnecessary ancillary services being cut.
As a result, Malaysia Airlines currently has just one
remaining flight route that has a proper first class, London to Kuala Lumpur on
the A380.
With the AA devaluation imminent, I decided it was now or
never to experience this rather exotic flight, and ended up splurging 70,000 miles
+ $85 for a one way first class ticket from Geneva to Manila.
I arrived in London off a connecting flight from Geneva, and
headed to the Golden lounge at Heathrow Airport.
Surprisingly, despite only operating one route out of London,
Malaysia Airlines has a separate lounge for first class passengers. The lounge
consists of a two sections, a dining area with a variety of hot and cold
dishes, and a cozy living room like space.
The first class lounge also has a dedicated bar area, and I
decided to grab a glass of champagne. There was an a la carte menu to order
from, but I wasn’t feeling particularly hungry.
Overall, the lounge was extremely well designed: modern,
brightly lit, and extremely private. During my stay I only saw one additional
passenger using the lounge.
Prior to boarding, I asked if it would be possible to board
early to take a few pictures of the empty A380 cabin. Around 45 minutes before
departure, I was personally escorted out of the first class lounge, and was the
first to board.
I was then given a quick tour of the new king of the skies.
In the back of the bus, economy seats are bunched in a 3-4-3 configuration.
Business class is lie flat, although not all seats have
direct aisle access, as Malaysian sticks with the traditional 2-2-2 seat
configuration.
Weirdly enough, the first class bathroom is smaller than one
of the business class lavatories, due to first class being put in the nose of
the air craft.
Business vs First
I was also able to view the crew rest area consisting of a
triple bunk set up, which looked surprisingly comfortable.
I’ll take this over
economy any day
To cap off the tour, I was able a grab a glimpse of the A380
cockpit.
Bucket List Item!
I then headed back to my seat. Due to taxes, champagne is
not served on the ground and I instead ordered a glass of sparkling water,
which was served with a few chocolates and printed “note” from the now ex CEO.
Cost Cutting?
I was then given a first class goodie bag containing
pajamas, an amenity kit, and slippers.
The seat itself is quite wide, with well-designed hidden
compartments within the armrest, and small closet that you can hang your
clothes on.
We soon took off, with an amazing view of the London lights
below.
Once in the air, I was served a glass of bubbly in a rather
unique shaped champagne flute.
Malaysia Airlines use
to serve Dom Perignon but that was sadly axed as part of its cost cutting.
Still I couldn’t complain much about the $70 a bottle 2005 Taittinger which was
quite drinkable.
I was served a small jar of chilled caviar, which was
strangely enough covered by a Malaysia Airlines logo, along with smoked salmon
and condiments.
Malaysia Airlines
“Branded” Caviar
Unfortunately, the smoked salmon was not that appetizing and
tasted a little spoiled. Upon informing the flight attendant, she apologized
and brought another serving, which tasted slightly better.
The caviar was excellent, and I really liked how they kept
it surrounded by blocks of ice to keep it chilled.
A palate cleansing sorbet was then served.
For my main dish, I decided to try something local and
ordered the Chicken Rendang. The dish was dry and slightly over cooked. I had a
couple bites and asked to order another dish.
After a few minutes, I was served my replacement meal, a
piece of roasted duck breast. Like my first entree, the entire meal was
extremely overcooked, with the only saving grace being the baby carrots.
At this point the head flight attendant came over and
profusely apologized, saying that they recently switched to a different
catering provider and he would definitely take note that the food was not up to
par.
He offered to prepare a third dish, the Indian styled
Halibut, which was again a bit dry, but at least didn’t taste like I was biting
through a rubbery piece of meat.
For dessert I ordered a cherry tart, which looked
appetizing, but was quite tasteless.
This was finished with fruit and ice cream.
Overall, this was a subpar first class meal. Whether it was
a crew preparation issue, or the fault of the new caterer, clearly the new food
offerings were rushed into service without ironing out the kinks.
After my meal, I was feeling a bit tired and asked for my
bed to be prepared. Since there were only two passengers, the crew converted
the adjacent seat into a lie flat bad with a comforter on top.
The lights were turned off and the seat was lit up with red
lighting that reminded me straight out of a sci-fi movie.
The converted bed was extremely comfortable, with a thick
padding and two huge standard sized pillows you’d find at home. I quickly fell
asleep and woke up with only two hours left in the flight for breakfast.
The alcohol beverage selection was quite average, with the
noticeable exception of a Glenlivet 18 years. I decided to skip my customary
post wake up alcoholic drink and have some tea instead along with a plate of
surprisingly delicious satay.
Unfortunately, my second main dish consisting of various cuts
of meat was once again dry and not that great.
The lights were soon turned on as we neared Malaysia. I
noticed the A380 camera was not functioning and apparently this is corporate
policy due to an executive complaining. However, with a little bit of sweet
talking, the chief flight attendant managed to do a “special favor” and turn on
the A380 plane camera for the entire plane as we began our descent.
We landed at Kuala Lumpur airport sandwiched in between what
seemed like an endless sea of palm trees.
In the end, all the small cuts in the soft product add up,
and my experience aboard Malaysia Airlines felt like “business plus” rather
than a true first class experience offered by its Asian competitors such as
Singapore Airlines & Cathay Pacific.
The sole other passenger, a corporate executive on a paid
fare, also commented on problems with the catering and also agreed how it
didn’t it feel like a “proper” first class product.
However, the service itself was phenomenal and I felt bad
for the chief attendant, who kept repeatedly apologizing about the poor
catering, which hopefully by now has been fixed. The hard “bones” is quite
nice, with the bed being extremely plush and comfortable.
Bottom Line: If you need to fly between Kuala Lumpur and London, this is the best hard product currently available and blows away what British Airways offers on its flights to Malaysia. However, soft product cuts are noticeable and puts a major dent on the wow factor.
Award space is typically wide open for at least one first class seat, making this flight a great backup option for a solo traveler flying between Europe and Asia using miles.
Up Next: Malaysia Airlines First Class Lounge – Kuala Lumpur
Best Award Redemption: Marriott Travel Package
Ever since Starwood’s merger with Marriott, a few exciting
new redemption opportunities opened up for those with Starpoints.
By the far the most lucrative new redemption is Marriott’s Travel Package, where you can redeem your points for a seven night award stay
plus a set amount of airline miles (depending on the travel package you
choose).
Let’s take a closer look how we can use our Starpoints for
maximum value. Assume that theoretically you have earned 90,000 Starpoints from
a combination of your sign up bonus and daily spend.
You could convert your 90,000 Starpoints to 110,000 Alaskan
Air miles directly, or you can instead convert your Starpoints to Marriott at a
1 to 3 ratio, giving you 270,000 Marriott points.
With Marriott’s Travel Package, you can convert 270,000
Marriott points for 120,000 Alaskan Mileage Plan miles plus a seven night stay at
any Marriott Category 1-5 hotel.
Even if you don’t use your hotel certificate and just want
to convert your Starwood points to Alaska Mileage Plan miles, you’re still
actually saving 10,000 Starwood points over converting your Starpoints directly
to an airline.
Throw in a free seven night hotel stay, and it’s easy to see
why the Marriott travel package is one of the best bargains out there. Besides
Alaska Mileage Plan miles, you can choose from a variety of airlines including
American Airlines & Southwest. If you convert choose United as your partner
airline, you’ll receive an additional 10% bonus
As an added bonus, AMEX platinum cardholders receive
complimentary SPG gold status, which is automatically matched by Marriott when
you link both accounts.
Marriott Gold members receive complimentary lounge access
and room upgrades.
I had a fantastic seven night stay using my seven night
certificate at the Bangkok Marriott Sukhumvit. With its extensive complimentary
lounge offerings and sumptuous breakfast spread, I found myself barely spending
anything, while having a relaxing week long Chinese New Year vacation.
Redeeming your points
for a Marriott Travel Package:
The process of redeeming your points for a Marriott Travel
Package is relatively simple, if not cumbersome. Award packages can’t be booked
online, and require contacting the Marriott hotline. A quick call and a few
minutes later an e-certificate good for seven nights free at any Category 1-5
hotel will placed into your account, along with frequent flier miles around a
week later.
Your e-certificate is valid for one year, but usually can be
extended by Marriott. If you want to stay in a higher category hotel, you can upgrade
your award by calling in and paying the difference in points.
Using the certificate is a bit complicated, as you need to
first find and book a standard award reservation for your desired dates.
After you book you award, email Marriott support to apply
your certificate. You should shortly get a confirmation email with an updated
reservation.
How to Quickly Earn
90,000 SPG Points
The current sign up bonus for both the SPG AMEX Personal
Card & the SPG AMEX Business Card is 35,000 Starpoints each. After
completing the minimum spend for both cards, you’ll need to spend an additional
$7000 before having enough Starpoints for a Marriot Travel Package with the
maximum amount of airline miles.
View Current Travel Reward Card Offers Here
Overall, the Marriott Travel Package is one of the best award
deals around, as you essentially get a free week long hotel stay, along with
the same amount of points as you would have received if you merely transferred your
Starpoints to an airline.
Best Ways to use Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) Starwood Points
Among most miles enthusiasts, SPG (Starwood Preferred Guest) Starpoints
has always been the granddaddy of all award currencies, with its ability to
transfer to over 25 airline partners and award nights at hotels at rates substantially
lower than its competitors.
With the current all-time high sign up offers for 35,000
Starwood points for both the AMEX SPG Personal & AMEX SPG Business card,
let’s dive a bit further into the program.
How to Earn
Starpoints
Depending on your status with Starwood, you’ll earn between
2-3 points for every dollar spent at a Starwood hotel. If you hold an AMEX Starwood
card, you’ll earn an additional 2 Starpoints.
If you’re not a Starwood loyalist, the easiest way to
quickly accumulate Starpoints would be through the one of two cards that earns Starpoints,
the AMEX SPG personal card and the AMEX SPG business card.
Currently, the SPG Personal card has a 35,000 sign up bonus
offer after spending $5000, which is the highest sign up bonus ever offered.
The SPG Business card also has a 35,000 sign up bonus, but
only after spending $8,000 in the first three months.
View Current Travel Card Offers Here
The benefits are quite similar, with one notable difference:
The AMEX SPG Business card grants complimentary Sheraton club access.
Best Starpoint
Redemptions
With over 25 airline partners, SPG Starpoints are by the
most “diverse” award currency out there. You’ll receive a 5,000 transfer bonus
for every 20,000 Starpoints being transferred, effectively making each
Starpoint worth 1.25 miles. For those looking to redeem their points for
premium travel, two airline programs stand out among the pack.
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines has by far the best mileage program for
premium award travel among US Airlines. While United & American Airlines
have substantially devalued their award chart, Alaska has for the most part
kept the amount of miles required for first class travel consistent.
Qantas First Class
By far the best way to travel to the land down under, Qantas
first class is merely 70,000 Alaska Milles, or 56,000 Starwood Points.
The pride of Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific First Class seat is
the oozes subtle luxury, complete with Krug and caviar. Cathay Pacific can be
redeemed for 70,000 Alaska Mileage Plan miles, or 56,000 Starwood Points. The
same trip on American AAdvantage would cost 110,000 miles one way!
Asiana
Asiana Airlines only charges 50,000 miles (40,000 Starpoints) for a one way first class ticket
on Lufthansa between the US and Europe. Although you will need to pay a
moderate fuel surcharge of around $200-300, this is less than 50% of what
United charges for the exact same trip!
80,000 Starpoints for
a round trip first class ticket between United States & Europe.
Domestic Flights
& Flights in Economy
For domestic trips or flights in economy, you can also
transfer your Starpoints to both American Airlines & United. Although
Starwood only transfers to United at a 0.5 ratio, due to Starwood’s merger with
Marriott, you can actually convert your Starwood points to United through
Marriott at a rate of 1.34, which is a fantastic ratio.
Marriott Travel
Package
Ever since Starwood’s merger with Marriott, a few exciting
new redemption opportunities opened up for those with Starpoints.
By the far the most lucrative new redemption is Marriott’s Travel Package,
where you can redeem your points for a seven night award stay plus a set amount
of airline miles, depending on the travel package you choose.
Spend a relaxing week
at the Marriott Sukhumvit
The Marriott Travel Package is one of the best points deals
currently available, as you essentially get a free week long hotel stay, along
with the same amount of points as you would have received if you merely
transferred your Starpoints to an airline.
Learn more about Marriott’s Travel Package
Points & Cash
Stays for Category 1-4 Hotels
You can occasionally find stellar deals for lower category
SPG hotels.
I booked a one night stay at the Aloft Kuala Lumpur for 2000
SPG points and $35. Not bad for hotel retailing over $100 a night!
Bottom Line:
Starwood’s award program is among the best in the industry.
With the merger of Marriott & Starwood, I don’t expect the program last
more than a year or two. The sign up bonuses of the AMEX Starwood card are
among the highest we’ve seen, and if you’ve never had a card before, I’d highly
recommend it to be one of your daily drivers.
View Current Travel Card Offers Here
Trip Report: Bangkok Marriott Sukhumvit Soi 57 – Thonglor
I arrived at the Marriott after a rather uneventful one hour UberX ride from the airport, and was warmly greeted by the doorman, who redirected me to a separate check in counter for Marriott gold and platinum members.
In the middle of the lobby was a portrait of the previous king of Thailand, who passed away last year. As a Marriott gold member, I was upgraded to a deluxe corner room, which had a beautiful view of the Bangkok Skyline, and a walk in closet.
Review: Bangkok Marriott Sukhumvit Soi 57 – Thonglor
I arrived at the Marriott after a rather uneventful one hour
UberX ride from the airport, and was warmly greeted by the doorman, who
redirected me to a separate check in counter for Marriott gold and platinum
members.
In the middle of the lobby was a portrait of the previous
king of Thailand, who passed away last year.
As a Marriott gold member, I was upgraded to a deluxe corner
room, which had a beautiful view of the Bangkok Skyline, and a walk in closet.
I especially liked the hard tiled flooring, which has a nice
cooling effect on your feet after trudging through the hot Bangkok heat.
Having stayed at a standard room before, I actually felt the
actual bedroom space was a bit smaller, as the walk in closet took away some of
the space from the main area.
The sunken tub was replaced with a regular bathtub, and had
a corner view of the skyline.
The room also had a welcome platter of sweets and fruits, the
chocolate covered strawberries being particularly delightful.
Overall, I was pleased with my room. However on the first
day after taking a bath, I noticed some sludge like substance coming out of the
onto the bathroom floor.
It was later explained to me by housekeeping that it was a
mere cleaning issue. I found it really odd that a floor under the bathtub could
be so dirty, but the sludge didn’t appear for the next couple days.
However, on the fifth day, the mysterious sludge appeared
once again, so my guess would be it was a plumbing issue from the drain pipes.
After another maintenance call, the hotel did finally switch me to a junior
suite, but clearly having sludge coming out of the bathroom drain is not what
should be expected at a five star hotel.
Most rooms in this hotel have the sunken bath tub, so I
suspect this won’t be an issue with most guests, but I’d avoid the corner view
rooms until this plumbing issue is sorted out.
Standard bath tub
found in most rooms
My upgraded junior suite had a substantially bigger
bathroom, with a sliding door along with a sunken tub featuring similar
gorgeous views of the Bangkok Skyline.
Otherwise, the bedroom is pretty much the exact same design
with a slightly longer couch.
On the 7th floor is the hotel’s infinity swimming
pool and a small gym.
I found the pool to
be a bit chilly during the twilight hours, but given how hot Bangkok is nearly
year round, that’s not such as a bad thing.
Marriott gold and platinum members are treated to breakfast
at the restaurant Street 21 or the
club lounge. I’d highly recommend heading downstairs as the buffet spread is
among the most varied I’ve seen, with dishes from India, Japan, China, Thai,
and your typical western staples.
There was also an omelet, crepe, and noodle soup station. Of
all the dishes, I found the 57th signature omelet to be particularly
appetizing.
Items were constantly changed throughout my one week stay,
and the staff was all exceptional. Due to it being Chinese New Year, the
restaurant was almost always full, with the excess flow being diverted to the
tables located in the lobby.
By far the highlight of the hotel is its spectacular rooftop
bar located on the 48th floor, which has a 360 open air view of
Bangkok.
Surprisingly, drink prices are extremely reasonable with
mixed drinks running at around $10. You can opt for table service or grab a
drink at the bar.
While many tourists head to The Hangover Bar, with drinks costing at least twice as much, I’d
highly recommend having a drink instead at Octave, which has healthy mix of
both local Thai and foreign guests staying at the hotel.
As a Marriott gold member, I had complimentary access to the
Marriott lounge located on the 40th floor. The lounge features a panoramic view of the
Bangkok skyline, which looks especially magical during the twilight hours.
The lounge is a bit small for a hotel of its size, with
around 20 or so small tables and seats. As a result, during peak hours the
tables were all full and guests were asked to sit next to the computer room or
in the meeting room. If you’re looking to grab the tables with prime views of
the horizon, make sure to arrive a bit early to reserve your spot.
The food on offer included two hot food choices, separate
desert station, cold cuts, and an a la carte cooking station.
Each day the food was rotated around different themes (eg.
Japanese). There is also dedicated bartender that can whip up anything from a
Mojito to a Cuba libre.
Overall I was extremely impressed by the lounge set up at
the Marriott Sukhumvit. With its generous free flow of drinks till 9:30 (food
is taken away at 7:30), the 4 hour long cocktail hour is sure to delight among
heavy drinkers and vacationers looking to unwind.
Besides the sludge issue with my corner room, I had a
wonderful week long stay at the Marriott on Sukhumvit. If you’re a Marriott
gold member (complimentary for American Express Platinum holders), this place
is a no brainer for an award stay and one of the best hotels to use a Category 1-5 Marriott Travel Package.
As a Category 5 property, the Marriott on Sukhumvit costs
35,000 points a night. Paid rates can usually be found for $100-$150, so I’d
probably pay cash if I didn’t have a free night certificate.
