The Executive Suite at Okada Manila is a spacious retreat that exudes elegance. From the moment you step into the room, you are greeted by a tastefully decorated space adorned with modern furnishings and a soothing color palette. The well-appointed living area provides ample space for relaxation, whether you’re unwinding after a day of exploring or hosting a private gathering.

Check in

Originally we made the reservation for a junior suite. When we were checking in around 6 PM, we were told that all the junior suites were taken, and we were upgraded to a premier suite, but a smoking room. As we were traveling with a 7 year old child, we would much prefer a nonsmoking room, which was what we reserved at the first place. We asked the check-in staff to honor our original request, and explained our traveling with young. After a bit of back and forth, finally she checked with her manager, and 10 minutes later, she got us upgraded to a nonsmoking executive suite. It was a really nice surprise!

Okada Manila Executive Suite

Okada Manila consists of two main buildings, Pearl Wing and Coral Wing. Our executive suite is located in Pearl Wing, which is where the breakfast buffet restaurant located. It is a big plus for us, because we needed to have breakfast and check out early for our flight the next day.

Okada Manila executive suite consists of one bedroom, a separated dining room, a living room, a study room/office, a massage room, a kitchen (not for cooking), a bar and one and a half restrooms. The suite we were assigned to had a wrapped around balcony, with the view of city and the fountain.

Bedroom

There is a king size bed in the bedroom. Also, a separated sitting area with a round table and two chairs.

A flat screen TV is sitting on top of a dresser, where the safe is located at, in front of the bed.

All the lightings and the window curtains are controlled by buttons on the wall units, and also, can be controlled in an app on the tablets in the room.

The bedroom was a haven of comfort, featuring a king-sized bed adorned with high-quality linens. The bedding was incredibly comfortable, ensuring a restful night’s sleep. I appreciated the attention to detail, such as the dimmable lighting and the blackout curtains, which allowed me to create the perfect ambiance for relaxation.

There is a separated massage room adjoined to the bedroom with a massage bed inside.

Bathroom

The bathroom is huge! It has a big jacuzzi tub, a separated toilet room and shower room, double sinks, and even a semi walk-in closest.

One of the standout features of the suite was the luxurious bathroom. It boasted a deep soaking tub and a separate walk-in rain shower, both of which were perfect for unwinding. The marble finishes and upscale toiletries added a touch of luxury. I particularly enjoyed the bath products, which were fragrant and high-quality, making my bathing experience feel like a spa treatment.

Toilet seat has automatic cleaning and heating system.

The rain forest shower room has steps which allows you to sit on.

Living Room

The biggest side of the living room wall is the floor to celling windows. You can open one of the windows and step outside to be in the wrap around balcony, to enjoy the city and the fountain view. Standard amenities, like flat screen TV, sofa, chair, minibar…etc. are provided.

Office/Study Room

The separate office has a small desk and a sitting area with chairs and a table. Although we didn’t really use this room much, it would be very useful for guests who would work remotely.

Bar Area

There is a big bar right inside the main entry of the suite. There is a sink at the bar. Water and wine glasses are provided and stored in the bar dresser. Hot water boiler is provided for making coffee. Unfortunately there is no coffee maker. I found it a big let down for such a luxury room.

Fully stocked refrigerator is also located in the bar area.

Kitchen?

There is a room with a sink. Some might want to call it a kitchen, but I wouldn’t, because it doesn’t have any oven or cooking wares. I guess the purpose of this room is for dirty dishes, after hosting a party, maybe? Truly, who would want to cook while staying in this hotel with so many eating options downstairs?

Okada Manila Executive Suite – The Video Walk Though

Final Thoughts

Overall, my stay in the Executive Suite at Okada Manila was an unforgettable experience. The combination of luxury, comfort, and exceptional service made it a perfect getaway. Whether you’re looking for a romantic escape or a relaxing retreat, this suite offers everything you need for a memorable stay. I highly recommend Okada Manila to anyone seeking a top-tier experience in the heart of Manila. I left feeling refreshed, pampered, and eager to return for another luxurious escape.

Have not booked the room yet, be sure to visit our tips on maximizing savings on hotel bookings. After have the trip booked, you should consider getting a travel insurance policy to protect your vacation investment. Read our tips for choosing a right policy and filing a claim.

Fancy those lie-flat business class seats in the sky? They are not all that far from reach. Check out our business class deals blog area, where great deals are post almost every day, and no subscription needed! It doesn’t cost you a dime. Check it out!

The post Reviews: Luxurious Escape – Okada Manila Executive Suite appeared first on Best Bargain.

There are many different types of rooms in this all-inclusive Puerto Vallarta property. They are Meliá Garden View, Meliá Sea View, Family Room, Premium Ocean Front, Premium Meliá Garden View, Family Suite, Junior Suite Ocean View, Premium 1-Bedroom Suite Sea View, Premium 1-Bedroom Master Suite Garden View and finally, their largest suite, the Grand Suite.

Booking

There is only one Grand Suite in the entire Meliá Puerto Vallarta property. Perhaps because of this reason, you cannot book this suite via other online travel agents. It is only bookable directly from Melia.com or Meliá’s mobile app. Even though the Meliá Puerto Vallarta Grand Suite is its version of “presidential suite”, the rate is not so far out of reach like many others. We got our suite for 5 nights all-inclusive rate for under $1,700 including all fees and tax, for the summer of 2023.

Meliá Puerto Vallarta Grand Suite – The Suite

Meliá Puerto Vallarta Grand Suite measures 114 Mx2 in size. It consists of one bedroom, one dining room, one living room and three bathrooms. The décor is in simplistic Mexican style.

There are three doors as entrances for the suite; one door leads to the bedroom, one leads the dining room and one leads to the living room. Just inside of each entrance, there is a bathroom, for total of three bathrooms. Whole suite is equipped with individually adjustable central A/C unit, which is very strong in the hot summer days.

Bedroom

There is a king size bed in the bedroom. Also, there is a closest with safe and robes, and an LED TV with local channels. I did find HDMI connectors in the back of the TV, but, there is no free electric outlet near by for your devices.

There is a small refrigerator under the TV in the cabinet. It is stocked with few bottles of waters, soda and beers.

There is also a simple filter style coffee maker in the bedroom.

Bathroom

There are total three bathroom in the Meliá Puerto Vallarta Grand Suite. They all look the same, in size and orientation. All the electric outlets are equipped with the ones work for different regions. So, you don’t need to bring adaptors.

Instead of individually wrapped amenities, they use bottled shampoo, body wash, lotion and conditioner, fixed on the bathroom walls. There is no separated shower room, only bathtub. Water pressure is good. The towels provided are in good quality.

You wouldn’t feel the bathroom like the ones in a luxury hotel with fancy skincare products, but rather, simple, basic, clean and functional.

Living and Dining Rooms

There is a small round dining table and a bar in the dining room. There is no drink or liquor, only empty shelfs on the back of the bar.

Two pull out sofa beds are provided in the living room. Also, a big coffee table, lounge chair and LED TV are in the living room as well. All the furniture are clean, functional and well maintained.

Balcony

As Meliá Puerto Vallarta Grand Suite is the highest level suite, and the only one on the whole property, I was pretty surprised that it was not located at the corner of the building. Hence, even though there are three balconies, you do not get wrap around views. All three balconies are facing one side. Nonetheless, you will still get the stunning views of the property and the Puerto Vallarta coastline.

Meliá Puerto Vallarta Grand Suite – Extra Benefits

Based on what’s published on Melia’s website, what come with the suites are pretty basic, and mostly are described above already. The web site did monition “VIP attention”, which we did not feel treated differently than other guests. I did notice that there were two different colors of wristbands, and ours were silver. One of the servers in an a la carte restaurants did mention that with that wristband, we could order Patron tequila. However, we had seen quite a few people wearing silver wristbands. So, that was not exclusively for Grand Suite guests.

Based on the web site “Staying in this room allows access to priority reservations in the à la carte restaurants for dinner, for the Bali beds and spa services.” However, when I asked the dinner reservation staff about it, no one seemed to know what I was taking about, except one girl. She told me I could make “next day” reservation, instead of same day reservation like others. Still, I would need to go down to the desk every day to do so in person.

Another interesting statement they listed on their website for the Grand Suite: “The most colorful sunset from your private balcony with a drink in hand and a gentle sea breeze caressing your skin.” This is not really a true statement either. With the location the sun sets down, there is no way you can see the sunset from the balcony.

Meliá Puerto Vallarta Grand Suite – Video Walk Through

Bottomline

Even though Meliá Puerto Vallarta Grand Suite is the best suite you can get for Meliá Puerto Vallarta resort, and only one in the whole property, I wouldn’t use the word “luxury”, but “grand”, to describe it. It’s big, but everything is basic. It’s missing those detailed ingredients, like fancy amenities, personalized services and attentions, room services…etc., to be in the “luxury” category.

However, I wouldn’t hesitate to book it again, if I ever go back to the same resort. Why? I would because for the space you are getting with the price you are paying. With two pull out sofa beds, it’s perfect for a group of five or six. Get a few bottles of tequila, you and your friends/family can have the parties of your own in the suite, or, just unwind and rejuvenate like us.

Have not booked the room yet, be sure to visit our tips on maximizing savings on hotel bookings. After have the trip booked, you should consider getting a travel insurance policy to protect your vacation investment. Read our tips for choosing a right policy and filing a claim.

Fancy those lie-flat business class seats in the sky? They are not all that far from reach. Check out our business class deals blog area, where great deals are post almost every day, and no subscription needed! It doesn’t cost you a dime. Check it out!

The post Review: Meliá Puerto Vallarta Grand Suite – A Budget Friendly Grand Escape by the Sea appeared first on Best Bargain.

Embrace the Parade

The Madrid Gay Pride Parade is the heart and soul of the festivities. With its colorful floats, lively music, and exuberant participants, the parade creates an atmosphere of joy and celebration. Bring your kids and witness the spectacle as thousands of people gather to support LGBTQ+ rights. The parade route is family-friendly, ensuring a safe and inclusive experience for all attendees.

Participate in Family-Oriented Activities

Madrid Gay Pride offers a range of family-oriented activities that cater specifically to kids. Various cultural events, workshops, and performances take place throughout the week leading up to the parade. Kids can enjoy face painting, arts and crafts, storytelling, and interactive games, fostering a sense of inclusivity and acceptance. Also, there will be many stages setting up in various locations with music performances suitable for all ages.

Visit the Rainbow Market

Explore the vibrant Rainbow Market, a bustling marketplace filled with colorful stalls, food vendors, and entertainment options. Your kids will love browsing through a diverse range of products, sampling delicious treats, and engaging in fun activities. It’s an excellent opportunity to teach them about LGBTQ+ culture, history, and equality.

Experience Chueca Neighborhood

The Chueca neighborhood is the epicenter of Madrid Gay Pride and home to countless LGBTQ+-friendly establishments. It’s a great place to stroll around with your family, visit local shops, and enjoy delicious cuisine. The area is known for its welcoming atmosphere, making it an ideal destination for families during the festivities.

Ensure a Safe Environment

Madrid Gay Pride organizers prioritize the safety and well-being of all attendees, including families with children. Security measures are in place to ensure a comfortable experience. Moreover, Madrid is known for its progressive and open-minded attitude, which further contributes to a safe and accepting environment for everyone.

Other Kids Friendly Activities

You can also find many activities Madrid has to offer here.

How can you prepare for Madrid Gay Pride with kids?

To make the most of your experience at Madrid Gay Pride with kids, you should plan ahead and be prepared. Here are some tips:

1. Check the schedule of events and plan your itinerary in advance.
2. Bring comfortable clothes and shoes, as you’ll be walking and standing for long periods.
3. Bring snacks, water, and sunscreen, as well as a hat and sunglasses to protect your kids from the sun.
4. Bring a stroller or a carrier if your kids get tired or overwhelmed.
5. Teach your kids about diversity and inclusivity, and explain to them the importance of the event.
6. Keep your phone charged and have a meeting point in case you get separated from your kids.

Conclusion

Madrid Gay Pride is an extraordinary event that celebrates love, acceptance, and diversity. Families with kids are warmly welcomed and can enjoy a range of family-oriented activities and experiences. By attending the parade, participating in family-friendly events, and exploring the Chueca neighborhood, you can create lasting memories with your children, teaching them the values of love, equality, and inclusivity. Madrid Gay Pride is an opportunity to celebrate the beauty of differences and foster a brighter future for all.

Remember, as you plan your visit to Madrid Gay Pride with kids, prioritize their safety, and check the event’s official website for the latest updates and schedule. Get ready to embark on an unforgettable journey of love and acceptance at Madrid Gay Pride Parade!

Need to book a hotel? Make sure take a look of our tips on maximizing savings on hotel bookings.

Thinking about purchasing the travel insurance for a peace of mind when traveling internationally? Our tips how to to choose travel insurance policies and filing claims surely can help you a lot!

The post Madrid Gay Pride with Kids: A Joyous Celebration of Diversity and Inclusivity appeared first on Best Bargain.

Day 1: Opera House and Captain Cook’s hop-on-hop-off ferry

Start your first day in Sydney by heading straight to the iconic Opera House. Located in Circular Quay, it’s a stunning building that’s sure to impress everyone in your family. Take a guided tour of the Opera House and learn about its history and architecture. If you’re lucky, you might even catch a performance or show during your visit.

Next, head to the Circular Quay ferry terminal and hop on Captain Cook’s hop-on-hop-off ferry. This ferry service is a fantastic way to see the city from the water and to explore some of Sydney’s top attractions at your own pace. Hop off at Darling Harbour and check out the SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, which is home to over 13,000 marine animals.

Day 2: Bondi Beach and Manly Beach

No visit to Sydney is complete without a trip to Bondi Beach. This world-famous beach is a favourite among locals and visitors alike, and it’s easy to see why. Spend the morning relaxing on the beach, playing in the surf, and soaking up the sun.

In the afternoon, take a ferry from Circular Quay to Manly Beach. This beach is known for its beautiful views and laid-back atmosphere. Walk along the Corso, a pedestrian mall that’s home to shops, restaurants, and cafes. Then, head to the beach and enjoy some time in the water or playing beach games.

Day 3: Harbour Bridge and Taronga Zoo

On your third day in Sydney, it’s time to tackle the Harbour Bridge. Take a walk across the bridge and enjoy the stunning views of the harbour and the city skyline. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can even climb to the top of the bridge with BridgeClimb Sydney.

After your bridge walk, head to Taronga Zoo. This zoo is home to over 4,000 animals, including elephants, tigers, and koalas. Take a guided tour of the zoo or explore on your own. Kids will love the interactive exhibits and the chance to get up close and personal with some of Australia’s most iconic animals.

Day 4: Sydney Tower Eye and Opera Bar

On your final day in Sydney, head to the Sydney Tower Eye for some amazing views of the city. This observation deck is located in the heart of the city and offers panoramic views of the harbour, the Opera House, and the surrounding areas.

After your visit to the tower, head to the Opera Bar for a relaxing drink and some delicious food. This outdoor bar is located right on the water and offers stunning views of the Opera House and the harbour. It’s the perfect place to unwind and reflect on your time in Sydney.

Summary

In conclusion, a four-day trip to Sydney with kids can be an amazing experience filled with adventure, excitement, and relaxation. By following this itinerary and visiting the Opera House, taking a Captain Cook’s hop-on-hop-off ferry, exploring Bondi Beach and Manly Beach, walking across the Harbour Bridge, visiting Taronga Zoo, and enjoying the view from the Sydney Tower Eye and Opera Bar, you’ll be sure to have an unforgettable time in this beautiful city.

Need to book a hotel? Make sure take a look of our tips on maximizing savings on hotel bookings.

Thinking about purchasing the travel insurance for a peace of mind when traveling internationally? Our tips how to to choose travel insurance policies and filing claims surely can help you a lot!

The post Destination Guide: Exciting 4 Days in Sydney with Kids appeared first on Best Bargain.

Weather

The raining season, called Habagat, runs from June to October. We visited Boracay at the end of the January 2023. Unfortunately before we arrived, every weather forecast Website consistantly showed thunderstorms everyday! However, during our 4 days visiting, we got pretty much lucked out – mostly overcast with very few instances of light drizzles. The sun even peaked out a few times, with a beautiful sunset displayed!

Airport Transportation

We decided to pay for hotel’s airport transportation, and the price was only a little more than other airport transfer companies. Boracay (Caticlan) airport was a small airport. Once we stepped out of the baggage claim area, the Henann resort coordinator had our name on her list, and took us to one of their private van.

Without any waiting, the van took us to Henann resorts’ private ferry welcome center. There the lady helped us filled out the government’s necessary form, and took us to their private speed boat. It avoided waiting on the city ferry with all other general public.

Our luggage were carefully handled and riding with us all the way from the airport to the room after checking in. Highly recommend to use Henann resort’s transportation!

If don’t book the room directly on Henann’s website, you can reach out to them via reservations.hpm@henann.com to book for the airport transportation.

Overall feeing in the Henann Palm Beach resort direct pool access premier room

As soon as you open the door, a nice fragrant scent welcomes you. There was no mildew smell like lots of the pool access rooms in other hotels/resorts we had been to.

The room was nicely and tastefully decorated. The majority of the color used in the the room was light brown with some highlighted of darker brown wood furniture and blue tiles on wall. The wooden window panels gives the rooms some of the southern Asia beach house taste to the over all modem décor.

Sound Isolation

The room had pretty good sound isolation. We hardly heard anyone outside, except people talking and cleaning carts rolling outside the hallway. I guess that’s common issue for any hotels, as the sound comes in from under the door.

Size

The size of the Henann Palm Beach resort premier room with direct pool access was not that big. I would say it’s about 250 square feet. However the see through glass wall between bathroom and bedroom made the room feel bigger.

Bedding

There were two different bed types, either one king bed, or one queen with one single bed. As we were two adults and one 6 year old child, we requested and got a room with one queen and one single bed. The comforters, pillows and matress were soft and comfy. The comforters were thick and fluffy, not those thin blanket type.

Though. we felt the queen size bed seems to be a bit smaller than U.S. standard queen sized bed. It would be crowded for two plus sized adults.

The single bed is right next to the glass wall between bedroom and the bathroom, but not against it. We were able to push it against the wall to prevent our little one from rolling off the bed. We also used the back of the two chairs on the other side of the bed as bed rail.

Amenities

Once you walk in the door, you will see a card insert slot on the wall, which will trigger the electricity to turn on in the room, when the room key is inserted. A lot of hotels and resorts have this type of the feature to conserve the energy. Just keep this in mind, in case you want to leave your devices to be charged, while you are away.

Next to the key slot, there are two buttons on the wall. One is the indicator for not being disturbed, and the other is to indicate for room cleaning. Though, three out of the four days while we were out for lunch, we had the room cleaning indicator on, but still had to call for room cleaning after we returned from lunch. They did have someone to clean the room right after we called.

In the bedroom, there were a small round table with two chairs, and a big mirror on the desk side of the wall with another chair. Two built-in luggage stands were available for use. We used the round table for our third suitcase.

Depending on the seasons, Boracay can rain a lot. Two umbrellas were provided in the room for your conveniences.

A 40″ TV was mounted on the wall. TV channels consisted mostly local channels, with some English speaking channels, such as CNN, Discovery and History channels. HBO and Cinemax were also available. I did see the HDMI connectors were available on the TV. However, I did not try to hook up my Fire Stick, so I wasn’t sure if it’s working.

We were two adults and one child. They provided three bath towels, two bath ropes, three pool/beach towel cards for exchanging beach towels and three pairs of new flip flops to use.

Electric Outlets

There were many electric outlets through out the room. Worth noting that all the electric outlets were adapted with many different type of plugs for different regions, with 220v output. There was no direct USB port plug.

Air Conditioner

Air conditioner was a individual split unit. Hence you can adjust the temperature to your likes. The cold air was pretty strong, and running pretty quietly.

Drinking Water

The tap water in Boracay is NOT safe to drink. There was a drinking water dispenser outside next to the elevator. I have seen them refilling drinking water in the dispenser. So, it’s not just filtered tap water. An empty water jar was provided in each room. A small empty refrigerator and safe were provided for you to use.

Two set of the coffee cups, a water boiler and a few packages of instant coffee were provided in the room. However, we did not use them as their free breakfast buffet served pretty good coffee.

Bathroom

In the bathroom, there was a bathtub, shower room and a toilet. A set of standard bathroom amenities were provided, such as tooth brush, shaving kit, shower cap, cotton buds, body lotion and soaps. There were shampoo and conditioner dispensers mounted on the wall inside the shower room. A hair blower was also provided. The water pressure was strong in the shower room.

The wall between bedroom and the bathroom was a big see through glass. A roll-up shade was also installed, if you need to have some privacy for your bathroom time.

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi was pretty strong through out the property. I could also get the signals when on the beach just outside of the hotel.

However, each room had its own login, and only up to three devices can be connected at once. You need to go through a process to completely disconnect a device, if you want to switch devices after three logins. On one of the connected device, go to “http://logout” to disconnect.

However, this process did not work for our iPads. Therefore we ended up calling the front desk, and they just did some magic on their end for us to login for more than three devices.

Direct Pool Access of Henann Palm Beach Resort Premier Room

The main sale point of the Henann Palm Beach resort premier room with direct pool access is its easy accessibility to the pool. After walk out the glass door, you get a small private porch with a round table and two chairs, and there are steps on the porch for you to walk directly into the pool. Also a wet cloth hanger is provided so you don’t need to hang the wet swimming wears on the chairs.

There were two main pools on the ground level, which were surrounded by the premier rooms with direct pool access. One pool had swim up bar, and the other one did not. If you want to be away from the noisy bar, you might want to request a room in the pool without the swim up bar. Although, there was hardly anyone in the pool because of the freezing cold pool water. Both pools were pretty quiet.

We were assigned to room 112. which was next to the corner room. Personally I think these are the best rooms, as it is facing to a wall, which gives you a little bit of privacy. Yet, once you step onto the porch, you still get the view of whole pool. On the other hand, the corner room has largest private porch, as it also has additional space for two pool chairs. However, one could feel claustrophobic with all the walls around it.

Pool Water NOT heated!

One thing to note, the pool is NOT heated. We were there at the end of the January, and the pool water was freezing cold. It was even colder than the ocean water. Staying in the primer room with direct pool access, not even once we used the pool during our 4 day visit. We had seen hardly anyone in any of the pools during our stay.

Freezing cold pool water was the one biggest complaint we had. Especially, summer months are raining season there in Boracay. Lots of visitors would come during the winter months. They really should install the heater for the pool water so guests can enjoy their beautiful pools all year around.

Sky Pool

There was a small pool located on second floor bar area looking out to the ocean, called Sky Pool. Unfortunately the view to the ocean was mostly blocked by the palm trees on the beach. Nonetheless, it was still a beautiful pool to hang out, with a beer or cocktail in hand.

Bottom-line

Henann Palm Beach Resort is certainly a beautiful property and a good choice for visiting Boracay. Its premier room with direct pool access is definitely a way to go, if you are planning on spending good a mount of time in their beautiful pools, and who wouldn’t? However, during the winter season plus overcast/rainy weather, the freezing cold pool water would make such direct pool access room less useful.

Still, it would be hard to know for sure if the sun will come out to heat up the pools during your stay. Also, the beautiful pool view from the private porch is still making the Henann Palm Beach resort premier room with direct pool access worth a little bit of extra bucks, if you do decide to stay at the Henann Palm Beach Resort.

Have not booked the room yet, be sure to visit our tips on maximizing savings on hotel bookings. With my experiences, booking site Agoda.com provides very good rates for the hotels in the Asia region, possibly because the company is based in Singapore. You can search the their rates here!

After have the trip booked, you should consider getting a travel insurance policy to protect your vacation investment. Read our tips for choosing a right policy and filing a claim.

The post Review: Henann Palm Beach Resort Premier Room with Direct Pool Access appeared first on Best Bargain.

We are same as most of Americans who are making average middle class wages. Still we had stayed in some of the most wonderful places, such as 2 bedroom penthouse at Barceló Puerto Vallarta and Copacabana Palace at Rio de Janeiro.

Over the years, I had developed a few strategies on how to maximize savings on hotel bookings. I believe these tips shared here should be beneficial to lots of vacation self planners.

How to maximize savings on hotel bookings

• Do your research as early as possible
• Never book non-refundable, unless the travel date is near
• First narrow down the area where you want to stay
• Consider vacation rental for large group
• Deciding which web site to book
• Taking advantage of cash back or mileage earning
• Use the right credit card to earn maximum points/miles
• Periodically review after booking

Do your research as early as possible

Unlike airfares, most of the hotel rates are fully refundable. You should start looking as soon as you have an idea on where your next destination and dates are. For some of them, especially if you book directly through the hotel web sites, there is no prepayment required.

I usually book one or two of them as “safety net”, so that I can cancel, if something else better comes along later. Because there is no prepayment, there is no financial burden to book a few. Just make sure to track them and set reminders, so you will remember to cancel them, before the deadlines!

Another reason you want to book your accommodations early is that, unlike airfare which changes dynamically, accommodation rates, including hotels and vacation rentals, rarely come down.

When hotel inventory is high, the rate is naturally lower than when the traveling dates are approaching and less rooms are available. Similarly for vacation rentals, the number of the available houses and condos in your destination is pretty much fixed; hence, the sooner you book, the more (cheaper) options you have.

Even though I start my research of accommodation early, sometimes up to one year ahead, I wouldn’t put down fully refundable payment, unless I am 90% sure that’s the one I will go with at the end.

Never book non-refundable, unless the travel date is near

As you want to start your searching as early as possible, you certainly don’t want to lock your options down by booking non-refundable rooms. Fortunately most of the hotels and/or vacation rentals provide fully refundable rates, some might be a little bit higher than the non-refundable rates. However, your plan could change, or something better might come along. Only choose non-refundable rate if your are 100% sure of the trip AND the date is near, AND the rate different is significant.

First narrow down the area where you want to stay

Depending on the purpose of the trip, you would want to make sure staying in the area for the conveniences of what you want to do. Obviously, if you are attending an event, you would want to stay closed to the event venue. If this is your first visit of the city, you might want to stay in the areas closed to most of the sight scenes, or, transportation hubs.

Once you have the area of your choice, the options of the accommodations will be narrowed down to do easy comparisons.

The trip can be quite memorable seeing a famous landmark just outside of your windows, such as this huge Eiffel Tower right outside of our two bedroom suite in Residence Charles Floquet

Consider vacation rental for large group

If you are traveling with children, you know getting a separated room makes a big difference for the whole vacation experiences.

Both my husband and I snore :-), so, we like to have a separately room for our son to keep our snoring from disturbing him.

However, booking a suite in a hotel can be very pricy, comparing with a regular room. Some times you might want to sacrifice the nice hotels’ amenities, if the rates of a big suite is just out of reach, but you need more than just a room. Vacation rental, such as Airbnb® and Vrbo® can provide such alternatives for the big groups.

Deciding which web site to book

Once you narrow down the list of hotels you might stay, based on the area and your budgets, it’s time to decide which travel web site you would book to get the best rates.

Comparison Sites

Get a general idea with comparison web sites, such as tripadvisor.com, trivago.com, hotels.google.com or kayak.com. These sites give you rates for different travel agent web sites to help you decide which site to book for your hotel room.

Hotel Official Websites

If you have status with the hotel chains, and the hotel official site offers similar rates as any other sites, definitely go with official site to take all the benefits for being a hotel premier member.

CITI thankyou.com

• If you have CITI® Prestige card, and the length of your stay is the multiplication of 4, read this. If the length is 4 nights, definitely check with CITI thankyou.com® portal to see how much saving you will get with one night off. CITI Prestige card members get 4th night free for hotels booking on the thankyou.com portal.
  The rates offered on thankyou.com portal might be higher or lower than other travel sites. In most cases, especially for high end hotels, the saving of one night free can be significant.
  Lots of people don’t like to switch hotels when they travel. On the other hand, we actually don’t mind checking out different area of the city, or different amenities, by switching to a different hotel/resort after 4 nights stay. If you are like us, CITI Prestige card gives you twice of 4th night free per year, as long as you don’t use them on the same hotel consecutively. This way would save you 2 nights for 8 nights staying on 2 different hotels.
• If you have CITI Premier card, don’t forget to check what the rate is on CITI thankyou.com, after the benefit of $100 off $500.

American Express Offer

If you are an American Express Gold or Platinum card member, don’t forget to check their AMEX offers. They constantly offer statement credit back with major hotel chains. Check out this page for current list.

Note that their hotel offers are mostly required to book directly with hotel websites.

TripAdvisor Plus (TripAdvisor Plus has been discontinued as of March 2nd, 2024.)

You might want to check how much you can save with TripAdvisor Plus®, especially for lengthy stays. TripAdvisor Plus is a membership program. Even thought it costs $99/year, in most of time, the saving of one booking can be greater than the membership fee itself.
I remember TripAdvisor used to let you see the hotel rates as if you were a member, and ask you to join, only if you decide to book. However, recently, I don’t see them showing such rates w/o login as member first. Still, they give you 30 days free cancellation policy, as long as you don’t make any reservation.
TripAdvisor Plus negotiates special rates with hotels. Hence, the saving is per night. If you have long stay, the saving can add up greatly.
For example, I was looking for a suite room in NYC for my family of 3 to travel in summer 2023. As many of you may know, summer is the peak season visiting NYC. I found this great rate of $220.24 for an one bedroom suite at Manhattan Club in midtown NYC for July 2023. Total for 11 nights is $2,840.52 (fully refundable) with TripAdvisor Plus, comparing with Expedia.com of $4,915.35 (non-refundable). It is a whopping $2,000+ saving on a 11 night stay!!
On the other hand, I would only pay for this service, if I am 100% sure I can get a lot more than the membership fee for the hotel I want, comparing with all the methods mentioned above.

Taking advantage of cash back or mileage earning

Many travel web sites partner with cash back program, such as Rakuten, or mileage earning program, such ad AAdvantage® eShopping, Alaska Mileage Plan® Shopping and United MileagePlus® shopping. Make sure before you go to the travel agent web site, login to one of those cash back/mileage earning web sites, and click on their link to take you to the travel agent web site. Worth noting that this earning is in addition to the credit card mileage/points earnings you might have.

For Airbnb bookings, you can earn Delta miles by using this link: https://www.deltaairbnb.com/ . For Vrbo, if you have Capital One Venture or Venture X card, login to your account, and use their shopping link to get 5% statement credit back. If not, you can also earn United MileagePlus miles with Vrbo bookings. Visit here for more details.

Personally I like to use Rakuten. Instead of cash back, I can earn American Express® Member Reward points with $1 cash back = 100 points, which is much better value, when transferring points to partner airlines’ miles.

You can also install Rakuten Chrome extension or Firefox add-on, which will automatically alert you, if you surf to any of their affiliated partner for earning points.

Signing up Rakuten® is free. Currently they are offering $10 welcome bonus by signing up.

Use the right credit card to earn maximum points/miles

Once you decide on which hotel to book and where to book it, it’s time to decide which credit card you should use to earn most of miles.

If you are booking directly with hotel web site, it makes sense to use hotel’s co-branded credit card, as usually they provide the most benefit.

If you are booking with credit card travel portal, such as Chase, American Express, CITI and Capital One, you have no choice but using their credit cards.

It is worth noting that booking hotels on Capital One travel portal with Venture X card earns 10X points. This might be a big factor during your decision making.

For any other travel web sites, such as Expedia, TripAdvisor and Orbitz, you should use CITI Prestige or CITI Premier, as both give you 3X points on hotels and Airbnb (not Vrbo).

If total of your booking is about $500, CITI Custom Cash card would be the best choice, as it gives you 5X thankyou points for up to $500. Note that CITI Custom Cash does charge foreign transaction fee, so the hotel charge should be USD to use it, or it’s not worth it with the fee.

Periodically review after booking

If you book the accommodation early and fully refundable like I recommended, you should periodically do a search with your spare time, just in case something better and/or cheaper comes along.

Conclusion

Does it look like a lot of work to just make an accommodation booking? It is actually not. Considering you only take a few time vacations a year with your family, and spending so much money each time, you really want to maximize savings in all aspects of it. Just follow these highlighted principles should do the trick.

With the booking I mentioned above for our NYC summer 2023 trip, comparing to the non-refundable rate on Expedia.com, we saved $2,000+ for a fully refundable one bedroom suite just for the hotel along,. In addition, I earn 2,840 X 4 = 11,360 AMEX Member Reward® points via Rakuten plus 2,840 X 3 = 8,520 CITI thankyou® points with my CITI Premier card. Not a bad saving for a little bit of extra steps taken.

After have the trip booked, you should consider getting a travel insurance policy to protect your vacation investment. Read our tips for choosing a right policy and filing a claim if needed.

The post How to Maximize Hotel Savings appeared first on Best Bargain.

You can visit both Tokyo and Bangkok, or maybe other Asia city on the lie-flat business class seats of one of the best airlines, Japan Airlines (JAL), for less than $1,300 to flight to both places from JFK, or maybe other major cities where JAL flights from in US. Thanks to Alaska Airlines buy mile promotion, and free stopover policy for one-way award tickets. We will show you how to book these business class flights for cheap!

Normally I wouldn’t advise on buying all the mileages for award ticket seats. However, Alaska Airlines mileage program, Mileage Plan, sometimes runs buy mile promotion with 60% bonus miles. So, if you can find the award seats for the dates you want to travel, those buy mile promotions are your opportunity to do so. Comparing with other mileage program, Mileage Plan miles are harder to earn, as there is no other credit card points can be transferred to Mileage Plan miles, except the Alaska Airline co-branded credit card. Hence these promotions become more attractive than other airlines’ buy mile promotions.

The best feature of Alaska Mileage Plan is that it allows stopover for one-way award redemptions. With partners like Japan Airlines, the redemption fee and tax is low. It is a very attractive option, if you travel from US to Asia, or vise versa.

With this example, I built a JFK to Tokyo, and then a week later, from Tokyo to Bangkok all direct business class flight itinerary, for end of the Summer 2023 trip. It costs 65,000 miles + $46.50.

Assuming you have zero Alaska Mileage Plan miles, with the 60% buy promotion, you would pay $1,212.06 for all of miles you need, with 600 miles extra:

There, you get to visit both cities flying one of the best business class products for less than $1,300.

Like most of other airlines, finding premier award seats is the real challenge. Luckily, JAL does release good amount of seats to its partner Mileage Plan. However, they go fast! Also, to build a itinerary with stopover is more challenging, because now you need to find not one, but two award seats. Let me show you how to book these business class flights in the following simple to follow steps:

1. Use Alaska Airline Website, and find the available seats first

Unlike some of other airlines, you are allowed to search award availabilities without having any mile first. The search engine provides a convenient calendar view to show all the available dates of the month.

Please note that award seating availabilities can be limited for the city you want to visit. Try to search against your final destination, and then look at the airlines and the connecting city offered. You will be able to stopover and visit that connecting city.

2. Search One Leg at a Time, with Direct Flight

For example, if you would like to stopover Tokyo, search for JFK to Tokyo first. Once you find the seat on the date you like, search the flight for the second leg, and find the available date. You should only find the direct flight for each leg. With connections, it’s less likely you would be able to use that flight to build your multi-city trip.

3. Search with Multi-city option

Once you know the dates for the both flights, you can then use “Multi-city” option to build the whole itinerary with stopover. Be warned, I do see a lot of times, even though you see both flights are available during individual search, it might not show availability once you put them together as multi-city search. I haven’t tried it yet, but in this case, you might be able to call Alaska Mileage Plan to ask agent to book for you.

4. Be Mindful of Mixed Cabin

Lots of times you will see two-shaded blue seats next to the fees in the search results. Those mean that the cabin classes are mixed. Be careful if they are mixed cabin. Make sure to click on the icon to see the details. Sometimes the premier seats are actually in the very short leg, and the long-haul flight is economy. Alaska Mileage Plan charges you the same amount of miles, regardless of mixed cabin or not. It makes those flights with long-haul economy connecting flights very bad trade-off for your miles!

5. Purchase all the Required Miles and Book that luxury business class flights!

Once you can find the seats for sure with multi-city search, quickly buy the miles you need. Make sure you have the Mileage Plan account first. If not, sign up for free at Alaska Airlines web site. Alaska Airlines uses Points.com to process miles. You can either got to points.com to purchase, or go from Mileage Plan buy miles page. The miles should show up in your account relatively fast, if not instantly. You might need to logout and log back in to see the miles. Once they show up in your account, make your reservation! However, I have seen in rare cases, the miles did not show up in the account for up to 24 or 48 hours. This would be the risk you need to be aware, as the award seats might be disappeared by that time.

Keep in mind that because the miles process is done by Points.com, the purchase will not be categorized as airline purchases. You will not be getting extra points/miles for that category by using your credit card, such as American Express Platinum, or Citi Prestige. The best card to get extra credit card points would be Capital One Venture X or Citi Double Cash, for 2X points.

Conclusion

It is extremely good bargain, if can be flexible about your travel dates, to visit Asia cities flying Japan Airlines business class seats with Alaska Mileage Plan. Planning a head of time gives you more chances to snag those great seats. JAL releases reward seats up to 360 days in advance. Normally if you plan so far ahead, you have more time to work your schedule to fit your vacation dates. The best part is that Alaska Mileage Plan does not charge fee to cancel flights, and redeposit your miles. So, go ahead, and check off that bucket list item by following the steps above to show you how to book the business class flights to your dream Asia cities.

Now the real challenge is the availability of the business class award seats. Sometimes JAL can be stringy about releasing them to partner airlines.

Once you have the flights booked, use our tips to maximize savings on hotel bookings!

Currently the 60% bonus buy miles promotion runs until Feb. 20th, 2023.

The post Tip: How to Book Amazing Business Class to Tokyo+Bangkok from NYC for $1,300 appeared first on Best Bargain.

Ever passing those nice lie-flat business class seats, and hoping one day you would be able to afford that kind of luxury? Like most of people, I used to think that those seats were out of reach with the sky high fares. With a little bit of researching, grabbing one of those seats can be a reality. Read on and I will show you my recent experience of booking 3 business class seats from Asia for less.

Recently years, I had traveled with my family of 3, flying long haul business class, including flying from JFK to Rio in AA flagship first class for 2022 New Year eve celebration, for 63,000 mile/pp. I had never paid nor been able to pay the full fare for those seats.

There are already a lot of the blogs out there explaining how to earn and redeem miles. You just need to do some research. However, this article is more focused on my personal experiences when booking the post pandemic high season seats, for summer 2023, to share a few tips on how to lower the overall costs, yet, still have a taste of luxury.

How did I Book Business Class from Asia for Less

Depending on the departure and final destination cities, a flight from Asia to Europe can last over 10 to 15 hours long. Wouldn’t it be nice to sit in one of those lie-flat business seats during the long-haul 10+ hour leg? It certainly makes the trip much easier traveling with a toddler like us.

Flying business class from Asia to Europe has been always pricy. One way ticket can range from $2000 to $5000/pp. To pay for 3 seats with full price is definitely not something we could afford.

You might be able to get a better deal by buying round trip, instead of one way. In my case, I was planning a trip for summer of 2023 to fly from Taipei to Madrid during peak season for gay pride. We were planning on visiting a few more European cities, then flying to US to visit our friends and families. Hence, buying round trip flights was not an option.

Of course, if you can find the enough mileages and you can find the award availabilities, or, if you are luckily to find any airlines are running impossible sales or “mistake fares” on the routes of your desire, great! However, these usually are not the case.

These are couple of useful tips I used to help me reduced the cost, yet get to flight with Air France business for long-haul. The trick is to combine the resources you have, not just focus on one single option.

1. Searching for Award Seats First

Depending on what credit card point and/or airline mileages you have, search all of those airline award seats first. Look for the promotion and mileage transfer bonus. At the time of researching, I had about 160,000 Capital One miles, and Capital One was having 20% bounce transfer to Air France/KLM Flying Blue miles. Also Flying Blue was running a promotion of 100% bonus miles with buying miles. I leveraged both promotions, and got enough miles I needed for 3 business class seats.

2. Options of Leaving from or Arriving to near by Cities (but not both)

Wait, wasn’t I looking for flights from Taipei to Madrid, not From Hong Kong to Madrid? Why did I book that? At the time of booking, there was no business class award availability from Taipei to Madrid, for any of the airline partners for my credit card points to transfer to. I started to look into flying from near by cities, such as Hong Kong, Bangkok, Tokyo and Seoul to Madrid, and also, from Taipei to any Madrid near by cities in Europe.

My definition of “near by” city is about 2 to 3 hours flight, which I can purchase cheap economy seats for. We would definitely sit in economy for short haul-flights, if the price is really low.

With this in mind, I found Flying Blue had 3 available business seats for the date we wanted to fly, from Hong Kong to Madrid with Air France long-haul, and Air Europa short-haul between Paris and Madrid, for less than 292,000 miles.

This amount of the miles night seem a lot for the normal redemption for Asia-Europe route, if you are flying solo, or flexible on dates. Being requesting for 3 seats in the peaking summer, we were happy with what we found!

Once got the challenging route nailed down, I just needed to spend about $450 to get 3 direct flight economy Cathay Pacific tickets from Taipei to Hong Kong, which is only 2 hour flight.

3. Think About Your Stopover City

You can either make the “stopover” city in Asia or in Europe. Even though there are more budget airlines in Europe, keep in mind that most of the Asian airlines’ economy seats include free check in luggage. Don’t forget about using train as alternative option in Europe.

With an add on bonus, Cathay Pacific allows free advance seat assignments, if you are traveling with kids, even with their version of basic economy tickets.

To maximize our dollar, We are actually taking two extra days staying in Hong Kong to visit our friends.

Therefore, we opt to purchase the the short haul economy in Asia, Taipei to Hong Kong, and make the stopover in Hong Kong.

With the stopover option, you will need to be mindful about travel restrictions and visa requirements of your “stopover” city, as you will need to go through immigration, and then check in the second journey of the flights, because they are separated bookings.

At the time of writing this article, Hong Kong still have Covid restrictions and quarantine rules. However, we are betting on the fully opening by summer of 2023.

4. Keep Long-Haul Leg, Long and Overnight

Of course, if you can get the direct flight, it’s the best scenario. In most cases for the award premier seats, you will need to compromise with a connection.

I tend to avoid middle eastern airlines, such as Qatar, Etihad or Emirates, even thought in most cases, they have the best products with highest ratings. Because of the their hub cities, their two legged flights will be divided evenly into about 7 to 8 hour each.

In most of the cases, you will need to wake up in the middle of sleep, wait for a few hours for the second flight at the terminal, and then another 7 to 8 hour of long flight.

If I were to flight solo, I might prefer them for the experiences. However, flying with a toddler, I need to make sure he has enough and best sleep possible. Believe me, the enjoyment of your vacation depends on it! A long 10+ hour overnight flight in the lie-flat seats will give you plenty of rest, when you arrive Europe in the early morning.

Conclusion

As we needed three seats, award availability search was much more challenging. Still, I got three Air France business class seats from Hong Kong to Paris, with European business connection from Paris to Madrid, and three economy seats from Taipei to Hong Kong with free stopover in Hong Kong, all for roughly $2,500 and 150,000 Capital One miles, for peak summer season traveling. Comparing with over $19,000 full fare, just for the same Hong Kong to Madrid flights, it’s a pretty good use of my mileages.

The post Business Class from Asia to Europe for Less! appeared first on Best Bargain.