The Resort Traveler, Author at TravelUpdate

Review: Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas at CityCenter

Posted by The Resort Traveler | Jan 29, 2019 | Hotel Reviews, Hotels, Uncategorized | 5

Background: I’ve previously stayed at the Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas when it was managed by Mandarin Oriental a little over a year ago. That stay left much to be desired, and I reviewed it previously. Now, I had a Hilton Weekend Night Certificate from my Hilton AMEX Aspire Card that was set to expire in 2 months, and decided to use it to my visit to Vegas during the MLK Weekend. As a Hilton Diamond Member which came from my AMEX card, I was curious to see what Diamond benefits would be offered and decided to give the Waldorf...

Is Bacchanal Buffet Really The Best in Las Vegas?

Posted by The Resort Traveler | Jan 28, 2019 | Hotels, Reviews and Reports, Travel Tips, Uncategorized | 10

Background: I’ve always wanted to try Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace as it claims to be the “best in Vegas”. Having tried the Buffet at Wynn, Bellagio and Wicked Spoon at the Cosmopolitan, I needed to try Bacchanal! After status matching my Hilton Diamond to Wyndham Diamond, which then gives Total Rewards Diamond, a perfect opportunity arose. I could use my $100 Celebration Dinner at Bacchanal! Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace: Weekend dinner is $64.99 at Bacchanal which is a pretty hefty price tag. In comparison, a personal favorite of mine, the Buffet at Bellagio is only $43.99 for weekend...

I Status Matched Wyndham Diamond to Caesars Diamond and got $100 Credit!

Posted by The Resort Traveler | Jan 22, 2019 | Commentary, Hotels, Travel Tips, Uncategorized | 11

Premise: Just this past weekend I visited Vegas to celebrate my 21st, and was very happy to have gained Caesars Diamond status through some status matching! The whole process only took less than a week, and I completed it earlier this month. In short I used: Hilton Diamond to Wyndham Diamond to Caesars Total Rewards Diamond Wyndham is providing status matches for three months, and so I matched my Hilton Diamond Status that I acquired from my Hilton Aspire Card. After the match, you have to stay 14 qualifying nights in 90 days to keep Diamond and you can maintain that...

Priority Pass Review: Air France/KLM Lounge at SFO

Posted by The Resort Traveler | Nov 26, 2018 | Airlines, Lounge Reviews, Reviews and Reports | 0

Background: I was flying Icelandair out of San Francisco’s International Terminal A on a Thursday afternoon, and I was happy that my terminal had a Priority Pass Lounge! You have to be flying out of International Terminal A to access the Air France/KLM Lounge at SFO lounge as it’s not connected airside to the other terminals. SFO also has 2 restaurant Priority Pass options in Terminal 3. Front of Lounge Back of Lounge Inside the Air France/KLM Lounge at SFO: As I entered the lounge I was happy to see that there wasn’t a sign stating no access to Priority...

Get Up To 30% Off My Favorite Travel Suit For Cyber Monday!

Posted by The Resort Traveler | Nov 26, 2018 | Commentary, Deals, Uncategorized | 0

Happy Cyber Monday Everyone! I wanted to point out that my favorite travel suit from Bluffworks is on sale for Cyber Monday! The Gramercy Blazer is on sale for $220 (Reg $295), and the matching pants are on sale for $95 (Reg $140)! I have the Blue Hour color as pictured below, but they also have the suit in a light grey and a dark grey! As a college student, and intern, I’ve had my fair share of trying out many suits from Topman to Banana Republic and my favorite suit is without a doubt my Bluffworks Gramercy...

Priority Pass: Alaska Lounge At LAX Terminal 6 Revisited

Posted by The Resort Traveler | Oct 22, 2018 | Airlines, Lounge Reviews, Reviews and Reports | 3

My Last Visit: Earlier this year in April, I flew on a Thursday and at 9:30 am the sign was out saying saying it was full for Priority Pass Select holders. I have Priority Pass Select from my Hilton AMEX Aspire Card, so I get access to this lounge and get to bring 2 guests. I went back at 10:35 and the sign was gone, granting me access! This lounge is known for being very full and restricting access to Priority Pass members. My Recent Visit to the Alaska Lounge at LAX: On Thursday in mid-September, I arrived at...

Alaska Didn’t Add Me to The Upgrade List, How Should you Avoid it!

Posted by The Resort Traveler | Oct 16, 2018 | Airlines, Travel Tips, Uncategorized | 2

Hi everyone, this post opens the beginning of my travel summer series: London + Iceland End of Summer Adventure! It’s October? I know it’s October already, but last month I managed to squeeze in a last minute vacation. 🙂 My blogging has been almost non existent but I hope to have the posts up soon (sorry for the delay!). Adjusting for school, recruiting for full-time and getting ready to graduate is much busier than I thought it would be! But certainly, an exciting time and thanks for all of your support. Now on to the drama: So for our...

Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas Opens August 29th!

Posted by The Resort Traveler | Aug 27, 2018 | Hotels, Uncategorized | 2

The Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas is rebranding to the Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas this Wednesday, August 29th. Arguably one of the best hotels in Las Vegas, my recent stay left much to be desired. The Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas was a nice boutique option on the Strip but it had tired rooms and ordinary service. Waldorf Astoria Rebrand: But I’m excited for the change in management, and I’m hoping the planned $50 million renovation will help revamp the rooms back to a luxurious state. Additionally, I’m happy it is joining the Hilton Portfolio as I can earn Hilton Points and...

Review: The US Grant San Diego, a Luxury Collection Hotel

Posted by The Resort Traveler | Jul 17, 2018 | Hotel Reviews, Hotels, Reviews and Reports, Uncategorized | 2

I recently enjoyed a weekend getaway in San Diego at the US Grant, a Luxury Collection Hotel. I had a SPG Category 5 certificate to use and I’ve always wanted to try out the US Grant, so this was the perfect opportunity. The only downtown San Diego hotel I’ve stayed at previously was the Manchester Grand Hyatt, which I enjoyed very much, so I was excited to compare the two! MY OVERALL SCORE: 4.5 5: Excellent, Highly Recommend 4: Very Good, Solid Choice to Consider 3: Ok, Check Other Options Before Booking 2: Below Par, Try to Avoid 1: Terrible,...

CAREFUL! Earning Points Through Marriott Tweets Doesn’t Extend Expiration

Posted by The Resort Traveler | May 30, 2018 | Hotels, Uncategorized | 2

Earn Points With a Tweet! But they DON’T extend expiration. Marriott Rewards started their #RewardsPoints program earlier this summer where you can earn up to 45,000 Marriott Rewards Points a year for interacting with Marriott on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. One great part was the 1,000 points weekly during the NFL seasons by answering a question with a tweet! So of course, I had my whole family do it! What I just found out though was somehow all my dad’s points expired even though he had all these points from tweeting! Since my dad’s last Marriott stay was 4...