Tag: Travel

Hotel Review: Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal

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I stayed the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal (the Waldorf Cabo, for short) in August 2023, a property I’ve been wanting to visit since it first opened in late 2019. Having just returned from my trip, below is my review of the Waldorf Cabo.

How I booked my stay

I booked 3 nights at the Waldorf Cabo using Hilton free night certificates earned from my Hilton Aspire and Hilton Business credit cards. I looked just before check-in and the cost would have been about $1,800 per night if I had paid cash, making the Waldorf Cabo a great use of Hilton’s free night certificates.

Hotel overview

The Waldorf Cabo is located in Pedregal, a neighborhood in Cabo San Lucas that is nearby downtown and on a stretch of beach shared by a few other hotels, including Sandos Finisterra Los Cabos and Solmar Resort.

Something unique about the Waldorf Cabo — and why it’s been on my shortlist of places I’ve wanted to stay at since it’s opening — is that every room comes with a private plunge pool. On top of that, the hotel has 3 pools, a handful of restaurants, room service, a gym, spa, multiple bars, and a host of other amenities that make it so you may never end up leaving the resort during your stay.

Room

Although I had booked a Pacific View room (which is the only room you can book using a Hilton free night certificate) as a Hilton Diamond member I was upgraded before arrival to an Ocean View Deluxe room.

The Ocean View Deluxe room exceeded my expectations — there was a sitting area with a fireplace, huge shower with a seating area in the bathroom, large clawfoot bathtub, a king bed with comfortable bedding, a private plunge infinity pool, outdoor seating area, Nespresso machine, and a stocked refrigerator with Coke Light, Coca Cola, juice, bottled water, and sparkling water.

The room also came with 3 gifts:

  • A Waldorf Cabo beach bag.
  • A Waldorf Astoria amenity bag (that you can easily repurpose for putting your toiletries in for future trips).
  • A bottle of tequila, that is both beautifully designed and delicious and that they’ll wrap for you to take home.

The property

The hotel is large, yet easily walkable. While it’s hard to leave your private plunge pool, it’s worth it to check out the 3 pools at the hotel — especially the infinity pool with a hot tub overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

The gym was modern and clean, with free water bottles, towels, and even fruit provided to help you keep your workout going strong. If you prefer group workouts, the gym also offers fitness classes like yoga and a body pump workout Attached to the gym is a business center that includes a computer and printer and also books you can check out during your stay.

The restaurants I visited during my stay were Don Manuel’s and the Beach Club. Both were delicious, although if you’re staying at the Waldorf Cabo do keep in mind that meals aren’t cheap — even at lunch, you can expect to pay around $40 for a main course (which doesn’t include the 15% mandatory tip included on all bills). My favorite dish during the stay was the Chicken Pibil at Don Manuel’s.

Things I loved during my stay

Below are things that really stood out and that I loved about my stay:

  • The staff was friendly, attentive, funny, and nice.
  • The room was gorgeous and the plunge pool was a huge bonus.
  • Between 4-6pm every day, you’d get free beers and chips with salsa and guacamole delivered to your room.
  • Every meal was delicious.
  • The property is beautiful.
  • The hotel provided binoculars in each room, which is a nice touch given that you can sometimes see whales and dolphins from your balcony.

Things I didn’t love about my stay

While overall I had a fantastic stay, I wanted to also provide a list of some things I didn’t love to help you decide if it’s the right property for you.

  • Everything is expensive (for instance the cheapest massage is $360).
  • While Hilton Gold and Diamond members are supposed to get free breakfast, the hotel only gives elite members a free “continental” breakfast (basically, pastries). You’ll need to pay about $13/person after taxes if you want to upgrade to the breakfast buffet.
  • There were a few mix-ups during my stay — for instance, ordering chicken fajitas and getting shrimp tacos, having room service deliver the wrong drinks, and even having a “Happy 24th Anniversary” present for another guest dropped off in my room accidentally.
  • The bed was very soft and hurt my back.
  • While not the hotel’s fault, it’s not great taking a beach vacation where you can’t go into the ocean.

Overall

I had a great stay at the Waldorf Cabo and I’m really glad that I finally got to visit the property. The room, including the plunge pool, was a highlight along with the food and staff. Before visiting, definitely keep in mind that the food and other services at the hotel are expensive and that you won’t be able to swim in the ocean in front of the hotel.

Hotel Review: Conrad Bora Bora Nui

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A few days before boarding my flight to the Conrad Bora Bora Nui, I knew that I was about to experience something truly special.

My personal butler reached out to introduce himself and to find out more about me – he wanted to know if I was celebrating a special occasion, what type of activities I was interested in while on the island, and even asked me about my favorite fruit and drink to make sure both were waiting for me when I arrived.

While there are many luxury properties to choose from on Bora Bora, and in French Polynesia in general, the butler’s personal touch assured me that I picked the right resort for me.

About the Conrad Bora Bora Nui

The Conrad Bora Bora Nui is located on the southwest end of Motu To’opua, a private island with views of Mount Otemanu.

While the resort feels entirely remote – at times as if you and the hotel’s guests and gracious staff are the only people on all of Bora Bora – the hotel is only a 10-minute boat ride from the airport and about the same distance from the mainland.

Accommodations

The Conrad Bora Bora Nui offers a variety of suites and villas, both overwater and on land for those who would prefer a more traditional stay. Many of the villas offer private infinity pools and, if your budget allows, it’s worth the indulgence – some of my most memorable moments were by myself in my own pool, staring at the crystal-clear blue water across the way.

Each room comes with a Bluetooth sound system that you can easily pair with your phone, so you can listen to your favorite music while you soak up the sun, enjoy coffee from your room’s complimentary Nespresso machine, or soak in your oversized bathtub washing off the sand that you’ve no doubt accumulated on your body throughout the day.

Although every villa and suite is designed for comfort, if you’re looking for a truly luxurious experience be sure to inquire about the hotel’s Presidential Overwater Villa – French Polynesia’s only 2-story overwater villa and a frequent accommodation for celebrities.

Resort Grounds

Although you may be tempted to spend most of your day in your lavish suite or villa (and there were a few days where I did just that!), when you do leave your room you’ll be rewarded. The Conrad Bora Bora Nui’s property, through its picture-perfect architecture and lush tropical landscaping, is designed to give guests a feeling of bliss and relaxation.

At the center of the resort is an infinity pool that at times matches the blue of the ocean it looks out into. While water, be it the ocean or the resort’s many pools, takes center stage at the Conrad Bora Bora Nui, there are also many on-land amenities for guests – including tennis, biking paths, a state-of-the-art gym, and a hiking trail up to the luxurious Hina Spa. 

Food and Drink

The hotel has 3 restaurants: Iriatai, an innovative take on French cuisine with a breakfast buffet each morning; Banyan, elevated Chinese food under the hotel’s banyan tree; and Tamure Beach Grill, offering all-day casual dining.

In addition to these restaurants, the hotel offers around-the-clock room service, which you can get either by calling or texting your butler, the latter being especially helpful if you’d like to order food while on your way back from an excursion.

If you’re looking for a drink, the hotel has 2 dedicated bars – the Upa Upa Lounge Bar, which has glass floors so you can enjoy views of the majestic coral reef while you sip your locally-inspired cocktail, and the Tarvara Pool Bar which guests can swim up to while enjoying the resort’s infinity pool.

Your butler will also let you know each day when there’s a special dining experience, such as a fire show or a ukulele player with traditional dancers.

Activities

The resort offers a host of activities that you can book through your butler or the concierge, including:

  • Private sunset champagne boat ride.
  • Jet-skiing.
  • Swimming with manta rays and sharks.
  • Paddleboarding.
  • Snorkeling and scuba diving.
  • Hiking.
  • Sailing.
  • Romantic private island lunches and dinner.

While you might think that an isolated tropical island could be a bit sleepy without much to do, after 9 days I barely cracked the surface of everything that I wanted to experience.

The Service

What stands out most about the Conrad Bora Bora Nui is the service you’ll receive from the dedicated staff. From the moment you arrive, you’re greeted by members of the staff singing and welcoming you to the resort and making you feel right at home – and that feeling sticks with you for the entire trip.

No ask is too big or too small for the staff, and they go out of their way to anticipate your needs.

To give you an idea of how attentive the staff is, when my butler asked me my plans for the first night and I told him I wanted to watch a movie but forgot my HDMI cable, he dropped by with his own cord for me to use. Another example is when I booked a private sunset champagne boat excursion but the weather wasn’t cooperating – when I went to the concierge to rebook it for the next day, she told me that she already had and even looked into the next day’s forecast to ensure that I’d have a wonderful view of the sunset.

By anticipating my needs and going out of their way, and always with a friendly smile, the staff turned an already incredible experience into something truly remarkable.

The bottom line

How can I say for certain that the Conrad Bora Bora Nui is a magical property that offers its guests world-class service, top-notch restaurants, and unforgettable experiences? I booked another stay while on the boat ride back to the airport.

My 2021 travel goals

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Given all of the uncertainty around travel, it seems silly to even think of travel goals for 2021. Reflecting back, I was only able to hit one on my list for 2020 (and I’m thankful for being able to go on that trip — a nearly week-long surfing expedition). It’s a tradition of mine to draft up a list of travel goals for the upcoming year, though, and I wanted to get 2021 started with what I’m sure will turn out to be unrealistic optimism.

Bora Bora

This is my first trip planned for 2021 and I’m really excited about it. I’m currently set to spend 7 nights at the Conrad Bora Bora, booked entirely with Hilton points. This hotel is usually very hard to book on points (I had been trying to find availability for years), so when COVID restrictions started going into effect, I began looking for availability and dates here and I was lucky enough to find an opening in early February.

Sri Lanka

Thanksgiving is usually my big southeast Asia trip. In 2020, I was supposed to go to Bali (my 3rd trip there) and to Sri Lanka for a few nights after. Unfortunately that didn’t pan out, but I’ve already booked my flights and hotel to Sri Lanka for Thanksgiving 2021. I’ll be flying there and back on the Qatar QSuite (70,000 American miles each way) and will be staying for 5 nights at Ceylon Tea Trails, which is supposed to be a truly luxurious all-inclusive experience, including each room having its own butler. After Ceylon Tea Trails, I’m considering staying at either Cape Weligama or Amangalla, although am also considering a few more budget-friendly options.

Switzerland

In early April of 2020, I was supposed to fly to Milan on Emirates First Class, but as Milan closed off due to being the center of the pandemic, I rescheduled my flight to Switzerland in August 2020. Unfortunately, the 2nd trip didn’t happen either, so I rebooked and am now set to visit Switzerland in June 2020. I’ll be flying there on Swiss business class (booked with 55,000 Aeroplan miles from my Capital One Spark Business card) and flying home on Emirates First Class (booked with 85,000 Emirates miles from my Chase Preferred Business card).

I’ll be staying 2 nights in Bern followed by 7 nights in Wengen, Switzerland, high up in the Swiss Alps. My plan is to spend my days hiking and going down Swiss mountain coasters and then working remotely from the late afternoon until later in the night.

Dubai

Part of my big trip to Switzerland includes 2 nights in Dubai. Since I’ll be going in June, it may be too hard to do too much outside, but if the weather is bearable, I’m hoping to go on a 4×4 Jeep ride in the desert dunes and possibly do a sandboarding excursion.

Big Island, Hawaii

I have 5 nights paid for at the Hilton Waikoloa through a Hilton Grand Vacation timeshare offer. Through the offer, I paid $699 for 5 nights and will receive 50,000 Hilton points (valued at $300) provided that I attend a timeshare presentation. Originally I was supposed to go in May 2020 and then rescheduled for January 2021, which I recently canceled. I haven’t decided when to rebook for, but I’m hoping to get there before the end of 2021.

Tallinn, Estonia

Air Canada’s Aeroplan, one of my favorite loyalty programs, recently devalued its points and I wanted to book as many flights as I could before the devaluation took effect. One of my favorite Aeroplan redemptions is Swiss Air business class (which was previously only 55,000 points between LAX and Europe, although now is at least 70,000 points). A few days before the devaluation occurred, I booked my flights flying to Tallinn, Estonia and back from Naples, Italy on Swiss Air.

Tallinn, which is a remote work haven, has been a dream destination of mine for years and I’m really excited to finally visit.

Helsinki, Finland

After Tallinn, I’ll be hopping on a boat and crossing Baltic to spend 2 nights in Helsinki. I’m especially excited to be visiting in August, as the capital city of Finland can get quite cold and I’m not great in that type of weather. Although I don’t have much planned for the trip, particularly since it’s during the week and I’ll be working remotely at night, I am hoping to get out on the water and stroll the city streets.

Amalfi Coast

While I’m excited about both Tallinn and Helsinki, they are both relatively flat cities and, from a photography aspect, I can’t say that I’m especially thrilled about either (although hope to be pleasantly surprised). So, I decided to add a topographically beautiful destination to my August jaunt through Europe and am guessing that the Amalfi Coast will more than meet my expectations. I currently have an Airbnb booked in beautiful Positano.

Taipei

Taipei is the first trip that I had to cancel in 2020 due to COVID. I was set to visit in February 2020 and, although travel was still allowed, there was an outbreak of the virus in China and I didn’t want to have to face a 2-week quarantine when I returned (little did I know that it would be January 1, 2021 and I’d still be mostly quarantined, but I digress….). This is the only trip in my list that I don’t have booked yet, but I am hoping to make it a reality as I would love to see the stunning skyscrapers of Taipei juxtaposed against the mountains.

Final thoughts

While it feels odd to write a list of 2021 travel goals, I wanted to keep up my annual tradition and I had fun dreaming of visiting these incredible destinations. Do you have any 2021 travel goals? Let me know in the comments!

Chase Reserve offering $100 Annual Fee credit

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As a travel and spend has fallen dramatically in the past months, those with premium credit cards are having difficult getting enough value to help justify the fee. The Chase Reserve is one of the most popular travel credit cards and Chase has just announced that cardholders whose renewal dates fall between April 1, 2020 and July 1, 2020 are eligible for a $100 Annual Fee credit. Here’s the statement from Chase:

We recognize this is a difficult time for everyone. As a way to help, we’re providing you a one-time $100 statement credit toward the 2020 $550 annual fee on your Reserve credit card. On an upcoming billing statement (based on your renewal date), you’ll see a $550 charge for the annual fee, followed by a $100 statement credit. We will continue to bill the $550 annual fee in 2021. Because this credit only applies to open Reserve accounts, if you’ve closed your Reserve account or traded to another credit card before your renewal, you will not receive the $100 statement credit. We know COVID-19 has affected people in many different ways. Please check chase.com/StayConnected for updates and helpful ways to stay connected to your accounts.

I think this is a helpful offer and would encourage readers to take Chase up on this if they have a qualifying renewal date.