Hotel, airline programs

BMF

Bad Mother....
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Me and @secgator started this convo in the politics forum, figured it was best moved here:

Nice. Most nights out in a single year for me was 175....but I averaged during that time 150+/- nights. That 175 was in 2005 at the peak of our Under Armour repping days. 2001-2006 were my busiest traveling years. All other years seem to be 100-120 and has gradually fallen off in past 8 years.

I feel as well, Marriott is better than Hilton overall--especially the big marquee properties. I don't stay at the high end places as much as I do their mid-tier properties when using Hilton/Marriott such as Hamptons, Courtyards, even Fairfields....again, because of the pricing. If I'm 'working' I save money--when I'm on a fun trip or with family, that's when I raise the budget up high and will go to the really nice(pricey places)

A funny thing back in around 2000, I was repping Wigwam socks(Best outdoor hiking, sking, etc sock made. Period) Sales mgr flew down to ride with me in Atlanta for a few days seeing some key accts. Second morning out, he starting having chest pains and I had to take him to Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta around 8 am---he was in ER till 5 pm. Turned out to just be indigestion from the Japanese beer he had the night before at the 3 Dollar Cafe(it was a great place back then and the name wasn't indicative of the place--just a name of a great sports bar with THE best chicken cheese sandwiches on earth at the time). Anyway, I had us booked that first night at a Red Roof for only $25/night. Great place and was close to our accounts in Buckhead--he loved it but couldn't believe it was so cheap. He had never seen a hotel/motel for that kind of price...especially up in New England where he was from. Well, after the ER released him that second day, he decided to call off the trip and head back home to Connecticut just to be on the safe side.

So....he told me he(Wigwam) would pay for my room that night out at the airport since he would be flying back the next morning and I would be dropping him off at the airport hotel. As a thank-you, and convenience thing for me. We stayed at the Airport Marriott Gateway that second night before I drove home the following day. My point is the contrast between first night and second night. First night-Red Roof/$25....second night Marriott Gateway(nice place then)/$240 night. One extreme to the other. One thing I have always loved about Marriott(Hilton's too) are the beds. If you can't get a great night's sleep on one of their beds---you are too sick to be still living. They are absolutely amazing! Food is generally pretty good as well.;)

What is striking is the current prices for that same Marriott Atlanta is now far, far cheaper than it was back then. I'm sure COVID has had a lot to do with it, but it's kind of like that all over. I just happened to be looking at prices in Savannah last night for various hotels--good lord there are some great rates up there going on. Lack of travel is making these folks get down and dirty on room rates and specials.
 

BMF

Bad Mother....
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@secgator - That much travel is a b*tch. I never minded a Mon thru Thurs type of travel, but when it goes over a weekend or more than a week, it feels like you're missing out on your "real" life (back home). In 2010, I went to Seattle to work the Vancouver Olympics - we did a cross border security operation w/ the Canucks and we stayed in Seattle for 6 weeks. I was single at the time, so we'd go out and tell girls we just got transferred there and we hadn't found an apartment yet so the CG was paying for a hotel until we found a place to live!! It was GREAT! I stayed 40+ nights at a Residence Inn on Lake Union. In 2008, I went to New Orleans & Baton Rouge for Hurricane Gustav and stayed 24+ nights...then went to Austin for Hurricane Ike, which came in right behind Gustav and stayed for about 20 nights.

We're going to Sarasota for Christmas. I'm booked in downtown at a boutique place, getting the government rate (about $123/night). With Platinum membership it usually includes free breakfast. We usually stay at the Ritz for a few nights, but it was too expensive this time (over $600/night) and didn't want to use the points.

I stayed at the Champs-Élysées Marriott using points in 2012. It was over 1000 euro's a night. Me and a CG buddy were traveling through Belgium and France and stayed at that hotel and the Brussels Marriott on points. I usually take the points vs. the check in gift, but they both gave a bottle of wine and a cheese/fruit plate. Free booze is always good!

I've had a few other great freebies, but I love the Marriott program. Hilton isn't bad either, especially for work trips.
 

Detroitgator

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Fukkin rookies... :lol:

Again, let me know when your airline picks you up planeside at one gate at ATL, to personally drive you to your next gate at ATL... in a Porsche Cayenne.

Shall I show my personally engraved bottles of Johnnie Walker Blue again?
 

secgator

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Fukkin rookies... :lol:

Again, let me know when your airline picks you up planeside at one gate at ATL, to personally drive you to your next gate at ATL... in a Porsche Cayenne.

Shall I show my personally engraved bottles of Johnnie Walker Blue again?
Yeah? Yeah? Well...well, uh....I have my own friggin jet. Yeppers. I just fly in to wherever the frick I want and then taxi up to my car---a Bugatti. Yeah....a Bugatti.....which is allowed to park beside all the other commercial jets. Yeah....how about that???:catfight:

My next trip I'm inviting BMF and Brad to come join the fun. How about that???:tongue:

:rotfl:
 

Detroitgator

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Yeah? Yeah? Well...well, uh....I have my own friggin jet. Yeppers. I just fly in to wherever the frick I want and then taxi up to my car---a Bugatti. Yeah....a Bugatti.....which is allowed to park beside all the other commercial jets. Yeah....how about that???:catfight:

:rotfl:
For me, it got pretty nuts with Delta for awhile... Before they had Diamond status, I was in a "super secret" category that I didn't even know existed, it was pretty awesome. I have just under 4 million miles flown with Delta, almost another 2 million with others, and about another 2 million on Russian cargo planes, but the only perk there was "good times" ;)

There were a couple of years where no matter how many miles/points I redeemed with Delta and Hilton, I was always carrying a balance of 1,000,000 miles/points to burn, and that's when flights/nights were FAR fewer cost in miles/points. Like Brad, I used Delta and Hilton AMEX cards for max value at that time. I prefer Marriott chain for rewards stays, so now I build those. They just didn't have as many international locations for me as Hilton at the time (believe it or not) for business stays. Hell, for almost 5 years, the Hilton Dubai Creek allowed me to leave two suits and some other clothes on location PERMANENTLY. I would book a REGULAR room there, and when i would check in, they'd almost always put me in a full blown apartment with all my clothes cleaned, pressed, and in the closet.
 

secgator

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Hell, for almost 5 years, the Hilton Dubai Creek allowed me to leave two suits and some other clothes on location PERMANENTLY. I would book a REGULAR room there, and when i would check in, they'd almost always put me in a full blown apartment with all my clothes cleaned, pressed, and in the closet.
How in the world did you put up with that and survive? I mean seriously....being treated that way.

:bwahaha:

Even with perks & pleasures like that, the travel still gets old. I never did the international stuff--mostly windshield time here all over the southeast. And of course cross country for sales meetings, key appts, etc....but even with what I've done and still do on a limited basis---the travel does become tiresome, regardless what you're 'normal' friends think.(That you are simply on vacation ALL the time, playing and traveling and drinking it up)
 

Detroitgator

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How in the world did you put up with that and survive? I mean seriously....being treated that way.

:bwahaha:

Even with perks & pleasures like that, the travel still gets old. I never did the international stuff--mostly windshield time here all over the southeast. And of course cross country for sales meetings, key appts, etc....but even with what I've done and still do on a limited basis---the travel does become tiresome, regardless what you're 'normal' friends think.(That you are simply on vacation ALL the time, playing and traveling and drinking it up)
I have to say, there's no way I would want any part of doing that with domestic legs.
 

BMF

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I have to say, there's no way I would want any part of doing that with domestic legs.

I may have missed this in other threads, but WTF did you do all those years?

I stayed at the JW Marriott Dubai for two nights when I was deployed. It was awesome! But it wasn't an apartment! It was 'government per diem rate'! In Kuwait and Iraq, I was in a warehouse sleeping in a bunk bed with ear plugs and an eye shield. Then I get to go to Dubai w/ the CO for a safety meeting and stayed in a JW Marriott sleeping in a king size bed!
 

Detroitgator

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When I met your son in Dubai, he was staying in a Holiday Inn... I was embarrassed, so I left my sunglasses on :lol:

In fairness, Holiday Inn's overseas are all new and all very nice for business travel.

PS I love that movie. He's always doing his seminar about life in your backpack... I only travel by backpack
 

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