Tokyo/Vietnam July 2011 - Hanoi Elegance Diamond Hotel

***This post is part 6 of a full trip report. The index can be found here***

This is the best service I've ever experienced at a hotel, period. The end.

Well, no, I'm actually going to talk a little more about the Hanoi Elegance Diamond Hotel... but without even an ounce of hyperbolic intention, I can guarantee you this is no ordinary local hotel chain. Though I would never claim to be a connoisseur of luxury hotels, I've stayed at my fair share of nicer international brands such a Le Meridien and InterContinental. The service at the Hanoi Elegance has many of these places beat hands down.

Typically when traveling abroad, I do enjoy staying at the larger international chains just because of familiarity. You know what to expect when staying at a Starwood or IHG property, and you know there won't be any unpleasant surprises in terms of service, comfort, or food. However, I also love the experience I get staying at a locally-owned hotel. Often times, the service feels a lot more personal, and the value much higher, especially in Southeast Asia.

Lobby at the Hanoi Elegance Diamond Hotel

Streets of Old Quarter right outside

I browsed through TripAdvisor reviews for Hanoi and came across a number of Hanoi Elegance properties, four of which occupied rankings in the top ten. I was thoroughly impressed with the hundreds of reviews they each had. So despite there being an InterContinental a little further away from the Old Quarter, I decided to take a chance and book with the Hanoi Elegance Diamond Hotel, which was centrally located and had unreal reviews with a 99% positive rating.

After a harrowing 40-minute car ride to the hotel (I'll go into the details in a later post), I arrived fairly late at 10:40 pm. They greeted me with a welcome drink, which was delicious and well-needed in the heat, and told me to go up directly to my room since my friend had already arrived earlier in the day. He had been in Asia for more than a week already exploring Bangkok and Singapore, and I was just joining him for the Vietnam leg of his trip.

I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the room. We had booked a junior suite for $110/night, and it looked to be well worth it. The room was very large, with a very comfortable king bed, a work area with an IBM ThinkPad laptop and ethernet + WiFi included for our personal use, a lounge area with a complimentary bowl of fresh fruit and bottle of wine, flat-screen TV, and plenty of storage/closet space. The bathroom was very modern, with a beautiful rain shower and wood floor mat surrounded by a bed of small white stones (I completely forgot to take a picture of it - my bad). We stayed in the junior suite on the 9th floor prior to leaving for the Halong Bay cruise. This room had a small balcony overlooking a view of the city. On return, we were given the junior suite on the 10th floor, which unfortunately didn't have a balcony.

The included breakfast buffet was simply fantastic. A huge variety of fresh fruit, pastries, hot dishes, and delicious congee with all the trimmings. You can even get complimentary made-to-order omelets, pancakes, and of course, pho. Since the breakfast was so good, we actually ended up eating lunch there on two other days as well, and the value was just incredible. We only tried the Vietnamese dishes, and with my friend being Vietnamese-American, he could definitely vouch for the authenticity and taste. The Hanoi-style Bun Cha was ridiculously good, and the price was extremely reasonable. No international hotel mark-ups here.

Breakfast buffet

Made-to-order banana pancake

Pomelo salad

View from the 12th floor restaurant

Outdoor patio

And finally... the service. Every superlative I read in the reviews were true. They couldn't have been more helpful. Here are just a few examples of what I experienced during the stay:

• The private car to and from the airport was definitely worth it to avoid the notorious Hanoi taxi scams out there, and it was only minimally more expensive.
• I had booked our Halong Bay tour using a separate travel agency, but the concierge insisted on calling them for us to confirm our pickup time and verify that they knew how to get to the hotel.
• I had accidentally left my camera battery charger at my hotel in Tokyo, and they immediately directed me to a reputable electronics store nearby and advised me on how much I should pay.
• Every time we walked in or out of the hotel, we were greeted with smiles and genuine questions asking how our day was or if we needed directions or help with anything.
• Their recommendations for local restaurants were spot-on and gave us a wonderful sampling of northern-style Vietnamese cuisine.
• When I tried to buy tickets to the famous Thăng Long Water Puppet show near Hoan Kiem lake and they were completely sold out, I shared my disappointment nonchalantly as I came back to the hotel. Low and behold, about two hours later, I received a phone call in the room telling me they were able to secure two first-class tickets.
• The ladies at the front desk and concierge spoke almost perfect English. I actually asked one of them if she was from the States since her accent sounded very American. She wasn't, but she had worked on a number of American movie sets in Vietnam.

By the end of our stay, I was simply floored as to how good the service was. There was nothing they weren't willing to do for their guests, and that's just something you will never find at an international chain - at least not without being nickel-and-dimed to death. From the welcome drinks, to the fresh fruit bowl that was refilled every day, to the incredible breakfast spread every morning, there was not a single fault I could find with the Hanoi Elegance Diamond Hotel. Upon checking out, I remarked to my friend that it could only go downhill from here unfortunately, because they simple set the bar too high for any other hotel we were going to stay at during this trip.

The hotel is located centrally in the Old Quarter of Hanoi. It is a 3 minute walk to Hoan Kiem Lake (although walking across streets in Hanoi is a story in and of itself), and there are countless shops, stalls, and restaurants nearby to try.

Federal Taxes Are Returning

Fortunately (or unfortunately?), the Senate has finally passed legislation temporarily funding the FAA, allowing about 4,000 furloughed employees to return to work. President Obama signed the bill just a few hours ago. While this is great for the FAA, it also means that the federal government will now return to collecting taxes on all airfare. Officially, airlines will be required to start charging federal taxes again at 12:01 AM on Monday August 8, 2011.

Most airlines have already raised ticket prices in the past few weeks to match the reduced taxes, and stand to reap upwards of $1.3 billion. I don't, however, expect to see a jump in airfare starting on Monday. Instead, airlines will most likely adjust the base fares down to their pre-tax holiday levels. Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, and Virgin America were the only airlines to pass the tax savings on to consumers during the entire FAA shutdown.

Meanwhile, based on instructions the IRS issued today, customers who purchased tickets prior to July 23, 2011, and flew during the FAA shutdown are NOT eligible for a refund on the taxes and fees paid. The government, however, will not be retroactively collecting the unpaid taxes owed during the shutdown, so those who took advantage of the tax holiday can breathe a sigh of relief. Visit the IRS website for more information.

Finally, if you haven't bought miles or transferred your American Express Membership Rewards points to an airline program yet, make sure you do so before 12:01 AM on Monday August 8, 2011! I went ahead and took advantage of the Delta Skymiles transfer bonus with 40% rebate on Membership Rewards points last night and didn't have to pay the $30 in federal taxes that would have come with it. This is in effect a 67% Skymiles bonus on transfers of 50K MR point increments through September 30, 2011.

The worst part about this whole situation is that in just 6 short weeks, Congress will have to take up the issue all over again to avoid another lapse in funding for the FAA. And since none of the core political differences that caused this impasse has been resolved with today's temporary resolution, expect more partisan bickering and perhaps another shutdown in the coming month.

Southwest Visa Signature Card 50,000 Points Bonus

It's been years since I've paid any attention to the Southwest Rapid Rewards program. The last time I actually flew them was probably more than 5 years ago. The main reason for this is the very limited (virtually non-existent) partnerships that Southwest has for redeeming on international flights.

However, the RR program has always been fairly lucrative and extremely simple, given that you earn one point for every flight (two points for every round-trip), and 16 points gets you a free round-trip award anywhere Southwest flies. This means you could fly eight round-trips on relatively short (and cheap) hops like SJC-LAX, and then redeem for a cross-country trip.

The new RR 2.0 program that started in March 2011 sort of turns this system on its head. Similar in idea to the Virgin America Elevate program, the value of RR points are now tied to the cost of a ticket and the fare class. The exact details can be found here, but generally, the best value for redemption is now with the lowest Wanna Get Away fares at 60 points per fare dollar. As you go up the fare classes all the way to business fares, the points/dollar needed rises to 120. So while the best values for the RR program has been watered down, you can still get some decent awards if you book the lowest fares at an early date.

Which brings me to the latest offer from the Chase Southwest Visa Signature card. This is probably the best promotion I've seen from Southwest so far, and is the first Southwest credit card application I've actually jumped at. They are offering 50,000 RR points upon your first purchase, which translates to more than $833 in Wanna Get Away fares for redemption. I would say this is one of the better promotions this year, arguably more valuable than the Chase Sapphire Preferred 50,000 points, the Alaska Airlines 40,000 miles, or the US Airways 40,000 miles offer. The offer page says 2 free flights, but that is based on 4 one-way Wanna Get Away fares valued at $208 each (a bit of an arbitrary designation, but whatever).

You earn 2 points per dollar spent on Southwest airlines flights as well as RR hotel and car rental partner purchases, and 1 point per dollar on everything else. You can also receive 1,500 tier qualifying points for every $10,000 in purchases, up to 15,000 tier qualifying points per year. On every cardmember anniversary you will also earn 6,000 RR points. There is a balance transfer option that can net you up to another 15,000 points, but again, the fees make that proposition a fairly expensive one.

The annual fee is $99, and is NOT waived for the first year. The card showed up on my online Chase account with the $99 already charged to it. So actually you are getting a $734 bonus for this application. If you decide to keep this card past the first anniversary, the 6,000 RR bonus effectively pays for the annual fee. This offer ends on August 7, 2011, so if you plan on applying, do so very soon!

(EDIT: This offer has long expired, but the link I've provided still seems to work. You can apply, but there is no guarantee that you will receive the 50,000 bonus points. Proceed at your own risk!)

Tokyo/Vietnam July 2011 - Japan Airlines 751 Economy Class (NRT - HAN)

***This post is part 5 of a full trip report. The index can be found here***

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I wanted to avoid the Tokyo Metro on my way to NRT. Despite finally getting slightly comfortable with finding my way through the maze of tracks and transfers, I didn't want any last minute snags that would cause a repeat of my adventure to the airport at the beginning of this journey.

I booked the Airport Limo Bus for $37 from my hotel, which sounded a little steep, but since NRT is about an hour and a half outside of central Tokyo, it really wasn't bad at all. Pickup was directly in front of the hotel, and we continued on to three other pickup points before going on our way. The bus was quite comfortable, and another plus is the Tokyo scenery you get to see along the way.

Once at NRT, I noticed that Japan Airlines had a number of self check-in kiosks which I tried to use, but since I had applied for a Vietnam visa on arrival and didn't have it with me, an agent eventually directed me to the counter where the lady had to ask a supervisor how to deal with my situation, and then proceeded to made copies of my passport and visa approval form.

I made my way through security (love security checks at Asian airports - extremely fast and courteous) and grabbed a bite to eat upstairs at the food court. I must say, NRT seemed a bit bleak when it came to shopping and eating, especially compared to the newer mega-airports all over Asia. A quick tram ride over to Terminal 2 and I arrived at Gate 81 to wait for my flight to Hanoi.

Japan Airline 751

Boeing 767-300
Tokyo Narita (NRT) - Hanoi (HAN)
Monday July 4, 2011
Departure: 5:55 PM (scheduled) / 5:53 PM (actual)

Arrival: 9:40 PM (scheduled) / 9:29 PM (actual)

Duration: 5h 45m (scheduled) / 5h 36m (actual)
Seat: 18C (Economy)

The seats on our 767-300 were a bit more dated than my previous flight, but overall, the interior looked extremely well-maintained. There was AVOD at every seat, which surprised me a little considering the flight was a relatively short 5 1/2 hours. Initially I had an aisle seat on the left side of the plane, but by the time boarding had ended, the window seat next to me at 18A remained empty, so I quickly moved over to snap some pictures along the way. Typically I like to choose aisle seats for any flight over two hours since I have a tendency to drink a lot of water on the plane, resulting in... well, you know.

Takeoff was uneventful. There was quite a bit of turbulence leaving NRT, but seatbelt lights were turned off about 20 minutes out. Drinks and meal service started shortly after that. Dinner consisted of a simple Japanese-style beef bowl with a side of wasabi-seasoned cold noodles. A separate dish contained small appetizers such as fish cake, pickled radish and steamed egg. Dessert was a Haagen Dazs vanilla ice cream.

While the taste was not as great as the previous JL flight from SFO, this was definitely good and filling enough for a flight of this duration. Green tea was offered after the meal. For some reason, I just enjoy Japanese green tea a lot more than other types... maybe the deep flavor makes me think it's healthier for some illogical reason.

After the sun had set, I decided to explore the AVOD system. Choices were rather limited, but one movie was all anyone could really fit in on this flight anyways. There were a couple of newer Hollywood movies, and I decided to watch the Disney animated film "Tangled" since it was short and probably didn't require a lot of concentration. By the time the movie ended, I still had about two hours of flight time left, but with a quick nap, and I awoke to the start of our descent into Hanoi.

There was no trouble with landing today (thankfully), but once inside the arrivals area, I quickly realized I was in trouble. As I mentioned above, I had a Vietnam visa on arrival approval form, but I didn't know exactly what to expect once I got there. Well, first, I stood with my form in the foreign passport holders line, waiting for entry. A security officer noticed that I was holding the approval form and asked me if I had a visa already. I shook my head, and he casually pointed for me to go back around the corner.

I looked around and saw a small visa office with glass windows. I first stood in a line with number of other Westerners. I asked if this is where I get the visa on arrival. Someone said yes, but I needed to hand over my approval form and my passport first at another window on the other side of the office. The whole thing was just strange and a little confusing since there were no clear signs as to where to go or what to do. In any case, I went over and gave them my passport and forms (along with a passport photo), and then went back to stand in line.

At that point, my heart suddenly sank as I realized I needed to pay the visa on arrival fee of $25 in US dollars - no Vietnamese dongs, no credit cards. I quickly looked around and saw no currency exchange booths, and all I had in my pocket were Japanese yens that I had hoped I could exchange once I arrived. Freaking out a little, I started to ask people in line if they had any dollars I could borrow. Most looked at me as if I were insane, but the lady in front of me was nice enough to suggest that I ask the officers inside first if there were any other methods of payment, and if not, she would help out.

It was then that I suddenly realized that I still had a reserve of US dollars hidden on my carry-on backpack. I breathed a huge sigh of relief as I looked and saw the stash of bills folded up. Sometimes when traveling, I lose track of these important things... I will definitely have to be more on top of rules and regulations next time.

Finally, I located my checked luggage and saw my hotel driver the moment I stepped into the arrivals hall. We headed out into the heat and humidity of Hanoi - even at 10:00 pm - and needless to say, it was a bit of a culture shock to go from the well-organized and seamless Narita to the literal cluster%@#* that was Noi Bai International. Taxi cab peddlers approached at every step practically grabbing at your luggage directing you to their car. Luckily, my driver shooed them away and soon we were out of the airport for the 40 minute drive into town.

US Airways Premier World MasterCard 40,000 Bonus Miles

This is the best bonus offer I've seen so far from US Airways and Barclays. 40,000 Dividend Miles after your first use, in addition to 10,000 miles after the first anniversary of your account opening (and every anniversary after that). As with all US Airways promotions, you can also earn another 10,000 miles based on balance transfers within the first 30 days. This is typically not worth it though because of the fees associated with them.

Barclays rarely waives the annual fee for the first year, but this bonus offer actually does just that, saving you an additional $89. You'll earn 2 miles for every $1 spent on US Airways purchases, and 1 mile for every $1 spent elsewhere.

This card is actually quite packed with benefits, including the following:

• Earn 10,000 miles towards Dividend Miles Preferred status (after $25,000 in spend within one year of account opening)
• Up to two $99 companion tickets annually (minimum fare purchase of $250 required)
• Preferred check-in
• Preferred Zone 2 boarding
• One complimentary US Airways Club day pass annually
• Discount on annual US Airways Club membership

Primary cardmembers will also receive a 5,000 mile discount on all eligible award redemptions. So a domestic award within the U.S. will only cost 20,000 Dividend Miles instead of 25,000. Note that this is only for award flights operated by US Airways or US Airways Express.

And finally, Barclays has a bad habit of automatically approving you for a downgraded card with lesser benefits when you apply for their Premier World MasterCard. For example, you apply for the Premier World MasterCard expecting to receive a 40,000 mile bonus, but what you actually receive in the mail is their World MasterCard or Platinum MasterCard with a much lower bonus and benefits. In the terms and conditions for this offer, however, it seems they have specified that both the Premier World MasterCard and the Platinum MasterCard will receive the 40,000 mile bonus. No word on the World MasterCard, so proceed at your own risk.