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A few minutes ago, I received an email from a 1TP subscriber on a subject that I believe everyone will find useful.
I admit that sometimes I (unconsciously but apologetically) use tools to help me find travel deals and/or inspiration and do not consider that subscribers may not be aware that these tools exist. With that being said, let’s talk about it…
The message read:
I do not travel overseas often, but every time you post a blog that has pictures of a hotel, I find myself saying “where is that hotel? I want to go there!”
Typically, I just stay at the cheapest and safest hotel I can find through Expedia or something but I’m inspired to up-my-game. And now that I have points, I’m having a harder time determining where I want to redeem them. So, how do you locate these luxury hotels that you highlight on your blog?
First, let me say that the hotels that I stay in and/or feature on my blog appear on my radar for various reasons.
In my personal process, I favor Hyatt properties but Hyatt doesn’t have a huge global footprint. My second and third choice are Marriott and IHG, respectively. I also love a small, family-owned boutique hotel, but for simplicity, let’s stick with the three major hotel chains.
Last year, I took a trip to Oman. You can read about it HERE. Understanding that this was my final destination, I simply visited the interactive HYATT MAP (my first choice). Yes, I could’ve searched on the Hyatt homepage, but I find using the map is a lot simpler.
At the time of this publication (and prior to my trip), there are/were only two Hyatt properties in Oman:
I wasn’t particularly interested in staying at the Grand Hyatt. I had never heard of this specific Alila, so I guess you can say that I stumbled across it, but IT LOOKS AMAZING!! Unfortunately, I was on a very tight schedule and the Alila is bit “off-the-beaten path” so I had to pass on this trip.
I then moved on to Marriott (my second choice). Similar to Hyatt, the hotel chain also publishes an interactive MARRIOTT MAP that you allows you to search by continent and country. Additionally, you can apply filters that limit your options to hotel brands, amenities, Bonvoy categories, etc. This is can be extremely helpful if you possess a free night certificate (FNC) that comes with many of the Marriott credit cards. For example, if you have a FNC for a Category 5 hotel, simply apply the ‘Category 5’ and you can determine the best place to redeem your certificate.
On my trip I stayed at the Sheraton Oman and Al Bustan Palace Ritz Carlton (both Marriott properties) simply because it was convenient for my schedule.
Unfortunately, IHG does not have an interactive map like Hyatt or Marriott so you’ll have to search for hotels the old-school way. 🤪 However, the hotel chain does publish a list of InterContinental hotels and resorts throughout the world, so if you’re an IHG loyalist CLICK HERE!
FINAL STAMP
It’s worth noting that my travel has no rhyme or reason.
Sometimes, I stumble across a hotel that I like (read Alila Jabal Akhdar) and I work backwards finding a flight that I want to review and where I can redeem my points.
In other cases, I want to review a specific type of plane with a specific airline. Surprisingly, there may be only one route that operates that specific plane so I ‘end up’ wherever that flight is going.
Though unconventional, I find beauty in both routes.
But my sincere hope is that the HYATT MAP, MARRIOTT MAP, and InterContinental Map aid in your search to up-your-game. 😉
p.s. I didn’t forget about you Hilton superfans…CLICK HERE FOR HILTONS MAP.
What other travel questions can I answer for you?
…and just in case you’re wondering,…yes, you will be seeing that Alila review soon. 🥳
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