Residence Inn Long Beach Downtown

The ResidenceInn Long Beach Downtown is located on the water, close to the Queen Mary and across the bay from the Convention Center.  The hotel itself is somewhat isolated with no dining or entertainment options in the immediate area.

Upon entering the hotel, the front desk is to the right.

Welcome Amenity

Check-in was friendly and efficient.  My Platinum status was recognized and I was given a welcome amenity/bag consisting of two bottles of water, a small bag of pretzels and two Milano cookies.

Desk

Upon entering the room there is a small desk straight ahead.

Kitchenette

Like all Residence Inn’s, this is a long stay property and features a kitchenette.

Dining Table

There is a small dining table.

Sitting Area

The living room features a sitting area consisting of a sofa, chair and TV.  Although the area is small it does not feel cramped.

The bedroom is separated from the rest of the room.

Bed

The king bed is clean and comfortable.

Bathroom Sink

The bathroom sink is separate from the bathroom itself and is somewhat small.

Shower

The bathroom is rather large and only contains a shower.

There are thermostats in the living room and bedroom, which is a nice feature.

The hotel is starting to show its age, as the furniture and carpeting are starting to wear down.

View From Room

The best feature about the hotel is the view.

Internet and breakfast is complimentary for all guests.  The internet was reliable although a bit slow.  Breakfast options are somewhat limited with scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and a waffle maker.  Cold options include bread, muffins, pastries, cereal, yogurt and fruit.  It does get crowded in the morning and the quality leaves something to be desired.

There is a complimentary shuttle that will take you to Shoreline Village and other shopping and entertainment areas.

Park Hyatt Zurich

Street Marquee

The Park Hyatt Zurich is located in the commercial and financial district area of Zurich.  Located just minutes from the Bahnhofstrasse, Zurich’s main downtown street and home to some of the world’s most expensive shopping.  The hotel is also located about 15 minutes from the Hauptbahnhof, the main train station.

Outdoor Lounge

Upon entering the hotel there are several doormen to warmly greet you.

Park Executive King

The front desk is located to the left.  I arrived at the hotel around 1:00 PM and was upgraded to a Park Executive King, unfortunately my room was not ready.

I spoke with the Concierge who was very friendly and helpful, and gave some marvelous sightseeing suggestions.

Fruit Plate

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Upon entering the room, there was a welcome amenity consisting of a fruit plate which was replenished daily.  There were also some chocolate covered strawberries and a bottle of wine.

Blause Mautin Products

The bathroom is rather large and is located to the right of the entrance.  There is ample counter space with full size Blaise Mautin bath products.

Tub

There is a tub and separate shower.

Toilet

The toilet is located in it’s own room.

You can enter the bedroom from either side of the bathroom.

On one side you can access the door to the room and a hallway that leads to the “living room”.

Towards Closet

The other door to the bathroom leads to the closet and the bed.

The room is sparsely furnished but tastefully decorated.

Sitting Area

There is a sitting area with two chairs and a glass coffee table.

Desk & Bed

There is a glass desk with ample working space with several outlets.

Dresser, TV & "Time-Out" Area

There is a dress with TV with a divider.  There is a small “desk” or table to place your belongings, however there is an ottoman for you to sit.  I guess you can place your significant other in a “time out” here if they’re not behaving.

Coffee Maker

There is a Keurig coffee maker with plenty of coffee capsules.

Bed

There is a platform King bed which is somewhat firm but still comfortable.

Breakfast for Diamond members is served in The Lounge.  There is a small, with meats, cheeses, salads, fruit, pastries, bread, cereal, museli, yogurt and the ability to order an entrée off of the menu.  Some of the items in the buffet looked less than appetizing, as the mesclun salad looked tired and wilted, and the passion fruit was dry and shriveled.

Service at the Park Hyatt Zurich is mostly friendly and professional.  It is a definite benefit if you speak German however, as they were given preferential treatment from what I observed.  All employees are cordial but not overly engaging.  The concierges however are outstanding; charming, friendly and willing to help.

Given it’s location and ease to navigate the city I would not hesitate to stay here again.  I redeemed 22,000 Hyatt Gold Passport points per night, as rates were over $1,000 per night during my stay.  If planning on staying at this property in the future using points, make sure and book your room now before it goes up to 30,000 points per night on January 7, 2014.

Miles to the Rescue: Milan to Zurich

On my recent trip to Europe, finding a reasonably priced flight from Milan to Zurich proved to be quite a challenge.  There were very few direct flights between the two cities.  In fact, Swiss Air was the only airline to have a direct flight.

Milan to Zurich

Since the distance between the two cities is only 126 miles apart, one would think that this would be a pretty reasonably priced flight.  Think again.

Paid Fare

There was a direct flight on Swiss Air with an astonishing cost of $1,020 for a one way flight!

Unfortunately, Swiss Airlines is not part of the oneworld Alliance where British Airway Avios would have come in very handy.  Since this flight is less than 650 miles, it would have only cost 4,500 Avios per person in coach.

Miles Rate

Swiss Airlines happens to be in the Star Alliance, so I was able to use some United Airline miles.  At a cost of 12,500 per person I was still getting over 8 cents a mile with this redemption!

This is the great thing about having the ability to use miles - the ability to use miles while saving hundreds, and sometimes thousands of dollars.

Park Hyatt Milan

The Park Hyatt Milan is centrally located, on the outskirts of the GalleriaVittorio Emanuele II, full of upscale shops, and the Piazza Duomo and the Duomo Cathedral.

Upon entering the hotel, the front desk is located to the left.

Park Deluxe King

Check-in was quick and all Hyatt Diamond benefits were clearly explained.  I was upgraded to a Park Deluxe King room on the fifth floor.  I was given one of the few rooms with a slight view of the Galleria Vittorio II.  The front desk agent escorted us to the room and explained all features of the room.

Welcome Amenity

Prosecco

A welcome amenity of some petit fours, a bottle of Proseco and two bottles of water were waiting in the room.

Hallway

Upon entering the room, there is a small hallway to the left which opens up to the rest of the room.

View to Room

There is a small shelf/cabinet in which to place your keys if so desired.

Bathrrom

The bathroom is to the left which is very large.

Shower & Tub

There is a separate tub and glass encased shower.

Sink & Amenities

There is only a single sink, however there is ample counter space.

Laura Tonnato

There are Laura Tonatto branded bath amenities.

Toilet & Bidet

The bathroom also features a toilet and bidet.

Open Closet

The closet is located in the bathroom with ample space to hang your clothes and to store your luggage.

Desk/TV

The bedroom itself is on the smaller side and feels somewhat cramped, as there is a large desk which features an illy coffee maker.

Sitting Area

There is a sitting area which features a small sofa, chair and table.

Bed

The bed is on the firm side, but still comfortable.  There are nightstands on each side of the bed which also have outlets which are very convenient and much appreciated.

Turndown Treat

If getting turndown service, several bottles of water along with a "treat" is left by the bed, along with refreshing the room.

Breakfast for Diamond members is served in La Cupola.  There is a small, but high quality buffet with meats, cheeses, fruit, pastries, bread, cereal, yogurt and the ability to order an entrée off of the menu.

The main feature of La Cupola is a glass dome over the main portion of the dining room.

Service at the Park Hyatt Milan is friendly and professional, but somewhat stuffy.  All employees are cordial but not overly engaging.

Given it’s central location I would not hesitate to stay here again.  I redeemed 22,000 Hyatt Gold Passport points per night, as rates were nearly $900 per night during my stay.  If planning on staying at this property in the future using points, make sure and book your room now before it goes up to 30,000 points per night on January 7, 2014.