Written by Sebastian Powell @ LoyaltyLobby
I was surprised when an article from the German newspaper FAZ revealed this week that the popular luxury hotel Villa Kennedy in Frankfurt/Main, Germany is sadly closing its doors from April 1, 2022. The Villa Kennedy has now been operated by Rocco Forte for the last 16 years and quickly became a favorite among well-heeled […]
Category: Hotels – Other
Hotel Parking Fee Of US$55 – Has Pricing For Basic Incidental Services Gotten Out Of Control?
Written by Sebastian Powell @ LoyaltyLobby
Hotels have been gauging their customers for years with extra “services” such as resort fees and self/valet parking but after staying a good amount of time in the Los Angeles area over the last month I really feel things have become absurd now. Not only do many hotels now charge a “destination fee” of up […]
All Points & Miles Counters Reset To Zero – Credit Card Benefit Credits Posting
Written by Sebastian Powell @ LoyaltyLobby
It’s the day of the year frequent travelers fear the most when the counters for elite qualifying miles and points are reset to zero and we have to start fresh to requalify for our status levels. Those few lucky ones with lifetime status at various programs won’t feel the heat as much as others who […]
What Does A Hotel Liquidation Sale Look Like? Case: Wyndham Riverwalk Hotel, San Antonio
Written by Sebastian Powell @ LoyaltyLobby
When hotels close down there are lots of things that end up on the open market through auctions / liquidation sales and these items are usually quite popular both with the competition and the public. Such sales and auctions are open to everyone (usually for a small admission fee) and the items for sale range […]
Las Vegas Is Facing A Staff Crunch Hotels Don’t Have Enough Employees To Service Rooms Amid High Demand
Written by Sebastian Powell @ LoyaltyLobby
Las Vegas hotels and casinos are facing a service staff crunch which makes it extremely difficult for them to keep daily operations running smoothly and especially housekeeping “Guest Room Attendants” are in high demand. The two biggest players Caesars Entertainment and MGM are now aggressively pursuing a recruitment spree to hire new service staff, offering […]
Travel Pet Peeve: Hotels Charging Elite Members An Upgrade Fee For Full, Hot Breakfast
Written by Sebastian Powell @ LoyaltyLobby
This week I encountered something I haven’t seen for many years now: A Westin hotel that’s charging their Bonvoy elite tier members and upgrade fee to order a Hot (American) vs Continental Breakfast. This particular property, the Westin Bonaventure in Downtown Los Angeles, doesn’t have an Executive Lounge and even if it would probably be […]
Reminder That You Can Often Negotiate Extra Perks With A Hotel When Booking During Difficult Times
Written by Sebastian Powell @ LoyaltyLobby
Today I’d like to take the opportunity to remind our readers that it’s often possible to negotiate a few extra perks when booking hotels & resorts these days as properties often suffer from lack of business. In times where occupancy rates are often in the low two- or even single digits hotels are usually more […]