Australia September 2013 - Brisbane Marriott & Exploring Brisbane

***This post is part 10 of a full trip report. The index can be found here***

I felt somewhat self-conscious walking through the Brisbane Central Business District in my t-shirt and shorts, hauling a large backpack, while everyone else seemed to be dressed in suits and ties. As I approached the Brisbane Marriott, I began to realize that this was going to be the quintessential business hotel, smack dab in the middle of the CBD, and I would be sticking out like a sore thumb for the duration of my stay. Luckily, it would only be for one night.

Brisbane Marriott

The high-rise building looked fairly new, and the lobby was tastefully designed with a subdued palette of colors that exuded quiet elegance. The gentleman behind the front counter welcomed me and acknowledged my one-night reward booking at a cost of 30,000 points for the Category 6 property (it has since risen to Category 7 with redemptions costing 35,000 points per night).

Unlike the super friendly agent at the Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort, he didn't engage me about my travels through Australia, nor did he give me an amazing suite upgrade. I was provided, however, with a Brisbane River view room and complimentary WiFi as a recognition of my Silver Elite status. In addition, Silver Elites receive a 15% discount on food and beverage items consumed at the Motion Restaurant, M Bar, and in-room dining.

Brisbane Marriott lobby

Lounge area

Room 1804 was bright and clean, although I wasn't a fan of the somewhat dated carpet and furniture. The standard-sized room had two queen beds, a work desk, a comfortable lounge chair next to the window, and a rather small flat-screen TV. I was happy to see a large bottle of water placed on the small table beside the lounge chair, until I noticed a $6.50 AUD price tag. This was definitely a business hotel, nothing more and nothing less.

Despite the "river view" moniker, much of the actual view was blocked by other high-rise buildings. The portion of the Brisbane River and Story Bridge that you could see, however, was quite stunning.

Australia September 2013 - Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Exploring Surfers Paradise

***This post is part 8 of a full trip report. The index can be found here***

While traveling through Surfers Paradise last year, I wrote a brief post about the best hotel upgrade I'd ever received. Since I only had one night in town, I arrived at the Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa not expecting anything beyond a relaxing break after a busy week in Melbourne and Sydney. The hotel was just two blocks north of the TransLink bus stop at Ocean Avenue, and the walk to the entrance took less than five minutes.

Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa

Upon entering the grand lobby, one of the bellhops offered to take my backpack, but I declined. Looking around, I was quite impressed with the elegant interior design and the sheer size of the building. At the check-in counter, I was greeted by a super friendly agent who took one look at my belongings and asked if I was backpacking through the country. Traveling solo can be lonely at times, so when someone engages me in conversation, I usually welcome the opportunity with open arms.

I told her about my month-long journey through Australia and how I was absolutely loving it so far, although it was a shame that I was only visiting the Gold Coast for one night. She typed away at her computer while chatting, and finally, when handing the card key to me, she smiled and quietly said that she had upgraded me to an Ocean View Executive Suite. Initially, I had no idea what that meant, so I thanked her for her help and went on my way.

Lobby

When I opened the door to 1501 and entered the room, I was flabbergasted at what I saw. The front desk agent had upgraded me to a one bedroom, one-and-a-half bath suite with a living room, dining area, wet bar, walk-in closet, two private balconies, and to top it all off, stunning views of the lagoon and ocean. Never in my life had I ever received such an incredible upgrade. Even more amazing was the fact that I was neither Gold nor Platinum, but only a lowly Silver Elite member.

The Best Hotel Upgrade I've Ever Received

I haven't had much time to update the blog while traveling through Australia, but I simply had to write about this. Today, I arrived in Gold Coast and took the public bus up to Surfers Paradise, where I had booked a one-night stay at the Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort and Spa. An award night costs a hefty 30,000 points (Category 6), but since typical rates run about $200-$300 USD per night, I thought it was a passable redemption in terms of value.

I walked through the beautiful grand lobby and approached the reception with my large backpack as usual, and made some chit-chat with the friendly agent. I find that checking in at a nicer hotel while looking like a dirty backpacker typically generates one of two extreme reactions: disdain and annoyance, or genuine interest in where I've been and where I'm going. This lady definitely fell into the latter category. She asked about my month-long trek through the country, and what I thought about Australia so far.

Finally, she smiled and quietly said that she had given me a complimentary upgrade to an Ocean View Executive Suite. At first, I didn't really register what that meant, so I just said thank you and went on my way. When I arrived at my room, I was absolutely stunned. I have never received an upgrade beyond the usual "higher floor" or "better view" room. This was simply unbelievable. She upgraded me to a one bedroom suite, with one and a half baths, living room, dining area, two double beds, a walk-in closet, etc. After getting settled in, I made sure to go back downstairs and thank her profusely.

Even more amazing is the fact that I am not a Platinum or Gold Elite Member, but a lowly Silver Elite. Even without the crazy upgrade, I was already impressed with the list of benefits, including complimentary in-room WiFi, late checkout, and 15% off all dining at the resort. I almost never eat at the hotel when traveling, but I made an exception this time because I was kind of in awe of this place. Of course, I will be writing a full review in the forthcoming Australia trip report, but in the meantime, here are some pictures.

 Living room and dining area

 Bedroom

 Master bathroom

 A walk-in closet... in my hotel room. WTF.

 From the balcony

 From the other balcony

Saltwater lagoon on the lush resort grounds

Surfers Paradise beach

Cambodia April 2012 - Courtyard Seoul Times Square

***This post is part 16 of a full trip report. The index can be found here***

Incheon International Airport is approximately 30 miles west of Seoul, but with traffic, it can take more than an hour to get into downtown by bus or taxi. The relatively new AREX airport railroad connecting Incheon International Airport and Seoul Station is a quick and affordable way to get into the heart of Seoul in less than 45 minutes. Fares for the express service is set at 13,800 KRW, which translates to approximately $13 USD.

Following the signs inside the airport, I headed down to the AREX station and bought my express ticket. Everything was fairly simple and straightforward. Incheon International Airport, by the way, has some really cool architecture. I kept stopping every five minutes to take pictures of strange building features. The train ride into the city also offers some spectacular views of the rural and suburban landscape outside of Seoul.

AREX station

On the way to Seoul

Marriott Hotel Category Changes Tomorrow

This is extremely last minute, but don't forget that changes to the Marriott hotel categories takes place on March 15, 2012. Today is the last day to book reward nights at the old rate. If you haven't already yet, take a look at the official list of all hotels that will have a category change tomorrow. This is especially urgent for those who have free nights that were earned via the Chase Marriott Rewards Visa or through the MegaBonus promotion. Those free nights are only good for Category 1-4 hotels. Since 96 hotels are rising from Category 4 to Category 5, make sure you redeem those certificates by tomorrow!

If you have a current reservation for a hotel that is moving down a category, you can receive a points rebate after the changes take place. According to Marriott Rewards, 3% of their hotels are decreasing by one category (100 hotels), while 15% are increasing by one category (526 hotels). Burn those points at the lower redemption rate while you still can!

More Hotel Promotions for Q1 2012

A few days ago I posted about Marriott's MegaMiles and Hilton's More Points promotions. Here are two more that may be worth a look:

• For Marriott Rewards members who choose to earn points instead of miles, they are concurrently running a MegaBonus promotion that gives you one free night after every second paid stay. Register for this promotion by March 31, 2012, and paid stays at any of the 3,500+ Marriott brand hotels between February 1 and April 30, 2012 will qualify. A maximum of two free nights can be earned, and the free nights can only be redeemed for category 1-4 properties between February 1 and September 30, 2012. Since only two free nights can be earned, four paid stays within the promotion period will maximize your earnings. Also, hotel hopping with one-night stays is the quickest way to earn your two free nights. Members must select Marriott Rewards points as their earning option in order to qualify. Rewards nights cannot be transferred or gifted. Register here.

• Starwood Preferred Guest's Better By The Night promotion begins today. Register by March 15, 2012, and for every paid stay of two nights, you will earn 2x Starpoints, and for every paid stay of three nights or more, you will earn 3x Starpoints. Paid stays must occur between January 9 and April 8, 2012. However, if part of your stay begins before or ends after the promotion period, your entire stay amount will still count for the bonus offer. Be aware that there is a very long list of non-participating hotels, so double check to make sure your stay will actually count prior to booking. Starwood Preferred Guest members earn two Starpoints per eligible dollar spent on a paid stay. With this promotion, members will earn four Starpoints per dollar spent on a two-night stay, and six Starpoints per dollar spent on a three-night or more stay. Elite members will earn one additional Starpoint per dollar spent, regardless of the bonus earned. There is no limit to the amount of bonus Starpoints you can earn during the promotion period. Register here.

Given a choice between the two, I would opt to take advantage of the Marriott MegaBonus promotion first. If you need to have further hotel stays after, then take advantage of the SPG Better By The Night promotion. Since the SPG offer rewards longer stays and higher rates, the return on investment is quite a bit lower than other Q1 2012 promotions out there right now.

Hotel Promotions For Q1 2012

There are a couple of decent hotel promotions running right now for stays through the first quarter of 2012. While not as lucrative as some of the free nights promotions we saw in the past few years, these offers are still relatively worthwhile if you have a couple of stays coming up in the next few months.

• Marriott Rewards is running a MegaMiles promotion right now, where you can earn up to 50,000 bonus miles for stays between January 1 and April 30, 2012. Book your reservation at any of the more than 3,500 participating hotels across all Marriott brands (including Ritz Carlton), and beginning with your second stay, earn 2,000 bonus miles per stay. This is on top of the usual base miles you already earn. Marriott Rewards members must have already chosen miles as their earning option and selected a participating airline prior to registering for this promotion. To maximize your earnings, you should hotel hop whenever there are multiple Marriott brands within one area. Since the bonus is given per stay, the more one-night stays you have, the greater your earnings. With the 50,000 bonus miles limit, you can have a maximum of 26 stays (with 25 of those earning bonus miles) during the promotion period. Register here.

• Hilton HHonors is running a More Points promotion right now, where you can earn 1,000 bonus HHonors points for every night you stay between January 1 and March 31, 2012. Plus, for every weekend stay, you can earn an additional 5,000 bonus points. A "weekend stay" is defined as at least two consecutive nights between Thursday and Sunday. There is no limit to the points you can earn during the promotion period. Click here for a list of non-participating hotels. You will only receive bonus points for the nights completed during the promotion period, so if part of your stay occurs before or after this period, those nights will not earn bonus points. Register here.

Depending on your stay and earning habits, either of these promotions can be rather lucrative. If you have long stays planned for the next few months, the Hilton HHonors More Points promotion would be a great way to earn an unlimited amount of bonus points. For example, a 10-night stay encompassing two weekends would earn 10,000 bonus points for the 10 nights, plus another 10,000 bonus points for the two weekends, resulting in a total of 20,000 bonus points on top of the usual base points earned. 

If you prefer to earn miles or have multiple short stays planned, it would be a better idea to take advantage of the Marriott MegaMiles promotion. This is a great way to earn some extra United Mileage Plus miles since they are one of the participating airlines as well. 

Chase Marriott Rewards Visa 70,000 Bonus Points

Via Flyertalk, this is definitely the highest bonus ever offered by the Chase Marriott Rewards Visa Signature card! Get 70,000 bonus points after your first purchase, which is enough for 3 nights at a Category 4 hotel. In addition, you get an additional free night stay at a Category 1-4 hotel upon account approval (must be redeemed within 6 months). The annual fee of $85 is waived for the first year, and there are no foreign exchange fees on the card either.

The incentives to keep this card after your first year is high as well. You get 15 nights credit towards your next Elite membership level every year, plus 1 Elite night credit for every $3,000 in spend. And best of all, receive a free night at a Category 1-5 hotel on every anniversary (must be redeemed within 6 months).

The earn rate for this card is as follows:

• 5 points for every $1 spent at all Marriott hotels worldwide
• 2 points for every $1 spent on eligible dining, airline, and rental car purchases
• 1 point for every $1 spent everywhere else
• There are no limits to how many points you can earn

I must say Chase has been inundating the market with mega-bonuses lately, and the only downside is that it's hard to take advantage of all of these great promotions. I'm definitely tempted by this offer since I've never had a Marriott Rewards Visa before, but spacing out your credit card applications is also extremely important so you don't get denials. If you haven't applied for a lot of Chase cards lately, I would recommend jumping on this offer now!

EDIT: The landing page is now broken, but the application page still works. Unfortunately, there is no reference to the 70,000 bonus points promotion on the application page. However, anecdotal evidence shows that it still indeed works. Apply at your own risk!