Marriott Created A Contest You Don’t Want To Win

The whole point of running a contest is to make people happy when they win. But what if you manage to design a contest where most entrants are actually disappointed when they win? How can you do that? Well, the folks at Marriott have apparently figured that out with their current “29 Ways To Stay” promotion.

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I’d like to win a four night stay at the Goldener Hirsch in Salzburg, Austria

The contest was announced the same time as the currently running MegaBonus promotion. While the MegaBonus offer this time was rather lackluster, the contest was a mystery. No details were announced besides the contest would be starting on October 4th and offered a chance to wins points or free hotel nights.

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What Happens When You Try To Shoehorn A Hotel Brand Into New Orleans… And Fall Short

When we started to plan our long overdue trip to New Orleans, we needed to find a place to stay. We’re not party animals, so staying on Bourbon St. wasn’t very appealing to us but we still wanted to stay in the French Quarter. Hotels in the area can be quite expensive, with the top properties like the Ritz Carlton, Royal Sonesta and Hotel Monteleone charging over $500 a night, so I figured this would be a great chance to book a hotel with points. Since we were staying for five nights, we’d get a free night on an award stay with Hilton or Marriott. We didn’t have enough Hilton points but we had plenty of Marriott points after the merger with SPG. It would also be our first chance to take advantage of Sharon’s newly acquired Platinum Marriott Rewards status.

We had a choice between several Marriott/SPG properties in New Orleans and finally decided on one which fulfilled our needs…

Continue reading “What Happens When You Try To Shoehorn A Hotel Brand Into New Orleans… And Fall Short”

How Much Money Should You Bring With You To Walt Disney World? This Guide Might Help

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – going to Walt Disney World is EXPENSIVE. But it’s also one of those vacations where you can cut costs in lots of ways in order to make it as affordable as possible. Or you can be super extravagant, with all the bells and whistles and special extras, if that’s what you prefer.

So with all the variables, how much should you expect to pay once you get there?

I’m writing this with the assumption that you already have your hotel picked out (not sure if you should stick with on or off property? Read this), your theme park and plane tickets purchased (or you know you’re going to drive/take a train) and you’ve decided whether or not you’re going to rent a car while visiting Central Florida. But there are other costs to take into consideration that you may want to know “on the fly.”

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YMMV Travel Deals: Mon., Oct. 15, 2018

When we see travel deals, we always want to spread the word. So as we see them, we make sure to let you know. They run the gamut from hotels to flights to points to miles to car rentals and even stuff you need while you’ll traveling, like equipment, Uber discounts, theme park tickets, food for when you’re on the road, etc.

Heads up that some of these deals might be really limited in time or amount, or some could go on for days or longer. Some deals might be good for some people and not so much for others. There may be better deals out there and we just don’t know about them. We take no responsibility for any transaction you may or may not do; we’re just telling you what’s we’ve seen that’s out there at that very moment and it’s up to you to decide if it’s something useful, beneficial and worth it for you, and if you can take advantage of it before it’s too late.

Here’s what’s out there today:

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A Simple Idea May Change How I Travel

Not long ago, I spent my  weekend learning about points, miles and other travel related things from some of the best people in the business. But it was a single comment during one of the presentations that stuck with me the most. It was the kind of statement that the second you hear it, you know it’s going to make a huge difference. It’s a thing that’s so simple, you can’t believe you never thought of it. I’m so excited about how it will change my travels that I’m also happy that I get to share it with y’all.  Continue reading “A Simple Idea May Change How I Travel”