Trip Report: Alaska Airlines, New Orleans to Bozeman via Seattle (September 2020)

Trip Report: Alaska Airlines, New Orleans to Bozeman
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Travelling has seriously changed in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.  Flight schedules have been drastically reduced or cancelled, many people are not traveling, and some airlines are blocking middle seats while others are not.  As a result of all this, for those comfortable flying there were some good deals that the airline was providing and I took advantage of one these deals to try out an airline I have been wanting to fly for a while.  My family and I decided to travel to Yellowstone National Park, as there are few people there and it was easy to social distance.  There are only a couple of airlines that fly to the Northwest and Alaska seems to have the best schedules and dominance in the area, also it had been more than 20+ years since I had flown with Alaska so was excited to try the airline again.  An added bonus was that Alaska became a member of oneworld alliance so I was able to earn oneworld points with the flight.  Booking the flight through the Alaska website was very easy, and it was easy to manage and add/upgrade extras either through the website or through the app.

For my trip, I was flying from New Orleans to Bozeman with a connection in Seattle (and it was the

same on the return).  Alaska operates three services - First, Main Cabin Extra, and Main Cabin (which also include basic/saver fares).  The first flight, from New Orleans to Seattle, was scheduled at over 4.5+ hours and given this length of time we decided to upgrade the outbound journey to Main Cabin Extra  The costs were a lot higher than expected for this upgrade, and it was indicated that the passenger would receive 'premium drinks and snacks, extra legroom, and priority boarding'; the Main Cabin Extra seats were right after first class so they were also quicker to exit as well.  Through the app we were able to preselect our seats and, as part of their safety policy, Alaska has blocked out middle seats.  Alaska allows free carry-on but charges for checked baggage and the standard allowance is 50lbs; my experience with other airlines is that if you had paid for an upgrade then they will grace you 2-3lbs but Alaska did not care and each time I checked in it had to be exact 50lb or less.  I checked in through the app, received my boarding pass, and went to the airport to check-in my bag and board the plane.  As I said, on the outbound from New Orleans to Bozeman via Seattle we were in Main Cabin Extra.  This included priority boarding so we were first to board after first class; Alaska did strictly follow safety protocols when it came to boarding and enforced group boarding to ensure distance and less people (which was a good thing).  

Alaska operates a Boeing 737-800 on this flight in a 3-3 seat configuration.  Because Alaska had blocked out middle seats, we each were assigned to an aisle or middle seat.  The Main Cabin extra seats were standard Alaska seats but had extra legroom; in fact the legroom was really nice and generous.  Other seat features included a seatback pocket uptop which contained a safety card plus instructions on how to connect to the wifi and underneath was a standard-size tray table.  Below that was a power outlet which was available at every seat and completing the seat layout was another small seatback pocket.  It was a standard and basic seat layout with the only distinction or interesting piece being the seatback power outlet at every seat.  There were no seatback screens as through the onboard wifi and through the AlaskaAir app you are able to stream movies and tv shows to your personal device, so having the seatback power outlet is a nice idea.  Because middle seats were kept empty, this meant there was more room in the overhead bins for passengers carryons so once everyone was boarded and everything settled we pushed back ontime for the 5hr and 3min flight to Seattle.

Due to COVID, there were restrictions in service onboard the flight.  As I said, this included blocking

the middle seat and no lines near the lavatories.  Alaska still provided a beverage service and for the 5hr3min flight there was only one service - this to within the first 30mins of the flight. the FAs were not customer friendly, they were wearing masks, passengers were given a biscotti cookie or crackers, and a choice of a drink - the drink were served in the tiniest of cans and only one was given (similar to European carriers).  I understand modifying restrictions but this 'service' (and I put it in quotes because frankly it was ridiculous) was not sufficient given the flight time and length.  Also, even though we were in Main Cabin Extra, there was no extra greeting or extra service items - it was the same as given in regular economy.  So, for the extremely high price paid for Main Cabin Extra all we got was extra legroom and priority boarding; to me it was definitely not worth the price because the cost for two legs of the Main Cabin was almost equivalent to the price of the roundtrip ticket.  After this service, the FA's went to their seats and were never seen again in the cabin until it was time to land.  I had heard about Alaska and supposedly the great service they provide but saw none of this on my 4 flights - each flight the FA's provided basic service, did not seem to care nor want to interact with any customers, and did not exhibit any sort of customer interaction, warmth or friendliness at all.  Basically passengers were left to their own devices to pass the time as they want - watch movies, tv shows, or eat the food that you had brought on board.  We finally landed in Seattle, taxied to the gate, deplaned and made our way to our next gate.  

We originally had about an hour layover but we landed early so that gave us more time in Seattle to relax and slowly proceed to our gate and wait for boarding to commence.  When we got to the gate, everything was proceeding as normal and only when it was time to board did the airline make the announcement that the flight had been cancelled.  The gate agent and representatives at the gate were not very helpful, and again did not provide any customer service warmth or friendliness; instead they directed everyone to go to the AlaskaAir customer service desks about 6 gates away.  All of us when there and finally got a decent airline representative who proceeded to provide us with a complimentary hotel, complimentary food vouchers for dinner that night and breakfast the next morning, and then rebooked us for the next mornings flight.  I would say that Alaska did a good job in providing good compensation and generally in a timely manner, and then got more service reps to come to the center to ensure passengers were not waiting long.  We proceeded to the hotel (Seattle Marriott - review here) and the next morning went back to the airport for the early flight to Bozeman.  

This flight was operated by Horizon Air for AlaskaAir and the operating aircraft was a Q400 with a 2-2

seat layout.  The Main Cabin Extra seats were in the beginning while the regular Main Cabin seats were in the back.  The flight time from Seattle to Bozeman was 1hr42min and again a basic service of drinks + snacks were provided and both Main Cabin and Main Cabin Extra received the same service.  And again, there was a lack of customer service, friendliness, or connectivity with passengers from the FA's - they both just did their basic job.  We landed in Bozeman, taxied, deplaned and retrieved our luggage.  

The experience on the return was similar to the outbound in terms of ensuring our checked baggage was exactly at 50lbs, the same type of aircraft equipment, the attitude of the FA's, and the one basic service despite the long flight time.  The only thing that was different was that we were in Main Cabin and not Main Cabin Extra - there was a decrease in legroom but the legroom in Main Cabin was decent and given the middle seat was empty, you did not feel the shortened legroom on this flight.  

Overall, I was extremely disappointed with Alaska Airlines.  I had heard many good things about the service and the overall experience and I got none of that.  Yes, the base price was competitive but the service in air was not good, the service on the ground was not good, and overall there was nothing compelling that would make me choose Alaska over anyone else; in fact, based on this experience I would not choose Alaska and choose someone else. 

Stay Report: Old Faithful Snow Lodge (Yellowstone - September 2020)

Stay Report: Old Faithful Snow Lodge 

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My family and I planned a trip to Yellowstone. We were flying into Bozeman on Alaskan (flight review here) and then were going to drive into Yellowstone.  We spent the first night outside of Yellowstone at The Adventure Inn in West Yellowstone (check out review here) and our first night in Yellowstone was spent at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge.  When planning the trip, I knew I wanted to stay near Old Faithful and use that as a base to view the surrounding area.  Due to the pandemic, many of the hotel and services were shut but in July the park released some rooms and I was able to book a night at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge.  The Lodge is operated by Xantera, as are most of the hotels within national parks, and they usually have high prices for basic/standard rooms.  My first experience with Xantera was in Grand Canyon and that room was updated and very nice, but after Old Faithful we went to Mammoth Hot Springs and that was average (review here).  

Even though check-in time is not until the late afternoon, we were able to check-in and receive our

room when we arrived early.  The customer service at the check-in desk was very nice - they had lots of maps, provided great explanations of the services that were available, timings, and overall provided great information about the parks; it was a good start to the stay.  We took our key and proceeded to the elevator to our room on the 2nd floor.  When you entered into the room, on the left was the bathroom which contained the sink and the shower - the shower had refillable shampoo/conditioner and bodywash and there were towels as well above the toilet.  Across from the bathroom, in the hallway, was an open sink with refillable soap and lotion (although the lotion had not been refilled) and another soap carved into a bear.  Further into the room, on the left were the two double beds with a nightstand in the middle.  On either side of the beds were also two narrow but tall closets (more like shelves with doors as there was not a lot of space).  The beds were somewhat comfortable, not extremely comfortable but not too bad either - it was fine for one night but not sure it would be comfortable for many nights.  Across from the bed was a desk with a chair, a fridge in the corner with an ice bucket on tip, and a garbage/compost/recycling stand.  The room felt like it had been designed with the basic amenities plus a bit more but that's about it; there was no AC in the room and no wifi in the room either.  For the hotels in the national parks, you pay for location but you pay a lot and what you get in return is only a basic room so the cost seems to outweigh the benefits.

Due to the pandemic, only a limited number of shops and restaurants were open.  There was a restaurant in the hotel that was open but it was to-go only, so you could order inside through one window, pick-up at another window, and then either eat outside or in your room.  For lunch we ate outside but for dinner we ate in the room.  The dinner menu was more extensive and the flavor was better, and the costs for the food was reasonable for the dinner portion.  As I said, complimentary wifi was not available in the rooms but was available in the lobby; at check-in you received a code that you can enter to access complimentary wifi.  The wifi was only available in certain pockets of the lobby, was extremely slow, and only worked for basic email and communication (there was also little to no cell service in any part of the park except for inside the hotel).

Overall, the service was great at the hotel but high price did not justify the basic standard of the room.  I understand that you are paying for the benefit of staying in the national park and for the convenience of being closer to the attractions, but the benefit should equal the costs and you are paying 5+star prices and are getting a 2-star room.  The environmentally friendly details are nice, with refillable water stations, refillable toiletries, composting, and recycling containers.  

Stay Report: SpringHill Suites by Marriott Baton Rouge South (Baton Rouge - November 2020)

 Stay Report: SpringHill Suites Baton Rouge South
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Hurricanes are common place in New Orleans and sometimes they are destructive and other times not.  This past hurricane, Hurricane Zeta, was unusually powerful with high winds that caused extensive damage to the electricity poles.  For that reason, we were without power for at least 3 days before we decided to go to Baton Rouge to spend the night, charge some electronics, and just relax.  I have previously stayed at a SpringHill Suites and enjoyed the spacious rooms and complimentary amenities, so based on this I decided to book the SpringHill Suites Baton Rouge South.  

From the exterior, the hotel looks like a standard Springhill Suites.  Inside, the lobby included the check-in desks, a small pantry to purchase forgotten items, a nice relaxing lounge/sitting area, as well as the restaurant where the breakfast is served in the morning.  The hotel was only three floors so the first floor contained other hotel features such as business center, the pool, complimentary coffee/tea in the lobby, and a washer/dryer.  At check-in the service was basic, I was not greeted as a Rewards member, and the staff did the minimal of their job; I was only there for one night so just received my key and proceeded to my room. 

For some reason I received a room reserved for disability access so the layout was a bit different.  As

you entered the door, the room was smaller than other Springhill Suites but bigger than a standard hotel room.  As you entered, there was a large entryway to accommodate disability equipment.  The door to the bathroom was on the left while the right had space to move around or put a luggage rack.  The bathroom itself was bigger and had handle rails, but the counter space on the sink was very tiny and could barely hold anything; the hotel did provide soap, lotion, shampoo, conditioner and towels.  Back in the room, the beds were located along the left wall and we had a room with two double beds so both beds were against the wall with a nightstand in the middle; there were also outlets available on the nightstand.  Along the right side of the wall was open armoire which contained shelves on top and a microwave and refrigerator on the bottom.  Connected to that was a desk which contained a lamp (with outlets) as well as a TV.  Continuing along the rightside was a couch that was in between the desk and the window and there was a TV mounted on the wall across from the couch.  It was a decent size room but generally Springhill Suites have bigger rooms, so I was not sure if this was a modified version or if this was another type of hotel room that was turned into a Springhill Suites.

The hotel provides a decent amount of facilities for guests to enjoy including complimentary parking, complimentary wifi, complimentary breakfast, a fitness center, laundry facilities, indoor pool, business center, and complimentary coffee and hot water.  The wifi was open, did not involve any passwords or login and could connect as many devices as you wanted.  The pool, fitness center, and laundry were open to everyone and while not large facilities were decent enough to provide the basics.  The hot water + coffee were available throughout the day and the complimentary breakfast was available in the morning - normally it is a buffet but given the pandemic it was modified to where you come and select prepackaged cereals, fruit, yogurt, muffins, etc and take them back to your room to eat.  Its a basic breakfast and its decent and glad hotels are still offering this service.  Overall, Springhill Suites provide the guests with a good night’s sleep and a lot of a facilities.  The room is not perfect, but it’s decent and they are generally clean and spacious.

Stay Report: Mandalay Bay (Las Vegas, NV - October 2020)

Stay Report: Mandalay Bay Las Vegas 

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My friends and I had planned on spending time in Vegas back in December 2019; then the pandemic hit and every plan everyone made went by the waste side.  In September 2020, it looked like Las Vegas was opening back up a little so decided to move forward with my trip.  It had been over 10+ years since I had last been Vegas so I did not know the best place to stay, location, etc.  My friend had been to Vegas many times and enjoyed staying the Four Seasons, which is on the top 4 floor of the Mandalay Bay; so I decided to stay at the Mandalay Bay so that way we could all just meet in the lobby if we wanted to go anywhere.  It was easy to book the room on the Mandalay Bay website, but the prices kept changing so I constantly had to check back and forth to get the best rate; luckily all the rates booked were able to be cancelled and refunded as all rooms required a deposit (which they did charge to the credit card at the time of the booking).  Each rate included access a resort fee, which included certain perks which I will detail below.  It was not easy to modify or manage the booking online, and any changes needed to be made by calling the hotel, which required pushing too many buttons and being on hold for too long. 

The hotel is located at the end of the strip and there is a grand entrance - there are two entrances, one to

the casino and one to the resort.  Also, there are two hotels connected to the resort - the Mandalay Bay and the Delano (as well as the Four Seasons); its one big maze, not a lot of signage and lots of confusion.  The check-in desks were located at the end of the lobby and there was long roped off area in which to line-up for the check-in desks – like a check-in line at the airport.  The type of service received at check-in depended on which representative you received – some were good at providing details while others only provided the basic information; at check-in I only received the basic information but at check-out I received all the information, some of which would’ve been helpful at the beginning.  I checked, received the key, and proceeded to my room.  Regarding Covid-19 protocols, there were markers placed on the floor to remind guests to social distance while in line, but this was not enforced and it was left up to each individual to their discretion.  There were also masks and sanitizers stations placed each door entryway.

There were different elevator bays depending on which floor your room was located, and each bay had about 8 different elevators so in theory it would be easy to social distance given there is a lot of option; however, again it was left upto the individual to make this decision as the hotel did not provide any guidance or signage regarding this fact.  My room was on the 11^th floor and as you get in, the room was bigger than I expected.  As you walk inside the door, you walk down a mini-hallway to get to the room.  The room has two beds against the right-side of the wall and along the left was a desk connected to a chest with drawers on the bottom, coffee-maker and paid bottle water on top, and then a mini-bar below (which was weight sensitive so even if you picked it up and put it back down, it automatically charged to the room).  Against the opposite wall were the two beds which were large, comfortable and provided a good night’s sleep; again the bed and sleep quality was better than I expected.  In the middle was a nightstand with a lamp and outlets and there were outlets on either side of the beds (which was convenient.  One wall was covered with windows which allowed for lots of light to come inside – and our view was of the airport, which was great for an aviation lover as you could see (but not hear) planes take off all day.  The entrance to bathroom was located next to the beds, and there were individual closets on either side of the bathroom entrance.  The bathroom was huge, and again, bigger and better than I expected.  There were double sinks with lots of counter space, a full jacuzzi tub, a shower, and a covered toilet.  There were also plenty of toiletries including soap, lotion, shampoo, conditioner and towels and if you requested more tons were provided.  Overall, it was a spacious and comfortable hotel room with plenty of room to move and rest.

As it was a resort, there were plenty of amenities for guests to enjoy including many pools, business

center, shows, an aquarium, restaurants, casinos, spas and a man-made beach inside the resort.  Because of the 'resort' status, the hotel included a daily resort fee which covered internet, local calls and other non-essential items; to me, and reviewing what was part of the fee, it was a fee that was designed to gain more money from the guests as it covered nothing and guests were still being charged for other items.  The resort did include complimentary wifi, but the wifi was open to everyone so there was no need for a login so, again, not sure what the fee was good for?  The resort did include many pools, a man-made beach, and lots of cabanas for guests to enjoy (these were not included and had to be paid for).  Because of the pandemic, certain cabanas and chairs were not utilized and staff went around asking guests who were not in the pool to keep their masks on - so that was a pleasant point.

Overall, it was a mixed experience at Mandalay Bay.  The rooms were nice, spacious and comfortable so that was on the plus side; there were also many amenities for the guests to enjoy so that was also positive; negative was that customer service was not great, the resort fee seemed inconsequential, and there was a lack of signage and direction (it was not well laid out).  The size of Mandalay Bay was large and if comparing it to a Disney Resort or a resort in the Caribbean, it was less organized and less friendly - so why go to Vegas if I could get the same thing elsewhere?

Stay Report: Tru by Hilton Salt Lake City Airport (Salt Lake City, UT - October 2020)

Stay Report: Tru by Hilton Salt Lake City Airport
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I concluded my trip in Salt Lake City and since my flight departed from here, I wanted a hotel that was near the airport.  There were many options to choose from - it is an international airport and hub - but I had never experienced Tru by Hilton so I looked into it and the price was right so I booked it.  It was easy to book the hotel through the HHonors website and easy to manage through the app.  Given the look, the pricepoint, and the plethora of complimentary amenities, it seems the hotel is competing with Fairfield Inn by Marriott and other mid-scale brands. 

The hotel is near the airport and is located in a business park surrounded by offices, parking garages, and other hotels.  It is an odd-location in that there are no services - no gas stations, no restaurants - nothing close by so you need a car to access everything.  Also, the hotel is on the on the main road but set behind a huge parking lot and faces the highway - and shares a parking lot with a Comfort Inn; so an odd location.  When you enter the hotel, there is an open lobby with a circular check-in desks in the middle.  There are couches and lounging areas against the walls and surrounded the check-in desks, and in the back corner there was a pool table (now covered due to pandemic).  The chairs and desks would be ideal to lounge, work, meet, or gather all in one area.  Check-in took a while but eventually I received the key and proceeded towards the elevator to the room. In front of the elevator was a 'community board' which listed the temperature for the area, sights to see, notes from the staff, and other items; it was a cross between a dorm, a hostel, and an office.  

The room itself reminded me of an bigger IbisStyles room (review here).  As you entered, on the left

was the bathroom on the right-side wall was a mirror and hooks.  The bathroom was contained a sink with decent counter space, a toilet, a shelf running along the wall for decoration and more storage space, as well as shower with a glass door.  There were toiletries in the bathroom next to the sink and inside the shower - next to the sink was hand soap and lotion while in the shower was shampoo, conditioner, and body wash; like the Ibis they were in the squeeze bottles but they did not smell good at all so I avoided them.  There was an open closet in between the bathroom and the main room and the closet contained a shelf to store your luggage on, an open rack and hangers to hang your clothes, and against the wall was the iron and ironing board.  Underneath the luggage storage was the refrigerator - it was a nice addition but an odd location.  Further into the room against the left wall were the two beds with a nightstand in the middle.  The beds were a decent size and provided a good nights sleep so no complaints there; there were also plenty of outlets next to the bed and on the nightstand to charge all the electronics.  An interesting feature is that underneath the bed, part of it had been hollowed to allow for additional luggage or shoe storage; it was a good use of space.  Along the right side of the wall was a long shelf which contained the TV on stop, outlets against the wall (and you could place the electronics on the shelf) and underneath the shelf was a movable desk and chair.  There was a room AC and ontop of the AC was another shelf so I was not sure if this was a decoration piece to cover the AC or another storage area.  Overall, the average room size had decreased but the use of space was better and there was nothing extra in the room so it did not feel crowded or overstuffed - it felt comfortable and basic.

There were plenty of amenities for the guests including complimentary parking, complimentary wifi, complimentary airport shuttle, complimentary breakfast, fitness center, pool table and congregating area, and lots of space in the lobby to hang out, do work, or meetup.  The wifi was really strong and you were able to get lots of work done, and complimentary breakfast was still being provided; you could stop by the front desk and grab a to-go box which contained two hard-boiled eggs (in costco package), a bagel + cream cheese, yogurt, and utensils.  Coffee, hot cocoa, juice, and water were also available so overall it was a nice option and glad they still offered it.

In the end, I was not sure what to expect from Tru by Hilton but what I experienced was a more European-style hospitality with some American-features.  The room design and utilization of space was very European but the availability of lots of amenities for the guests to enjoy was definitely American; however, for the price point the room and amenities provided were a great bargain so definitely a good competition.

Stay Report: Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Virgin Zion National Park (Virgin, UT - October 2020)

  Stay Report: Fairfield Inn by Marriott
Virgin Zion National Park 
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I was traveling to Zion National Park and was staying there for one night, and when I looked online Fairfield Inn was giving the best rate and the reviews looked decent.  I have stayed at Fairfield Inn before and generally they were decent but I never really had high expectations; but my last stay in Houston at the Fairfield Inn exceeded my expectations (see review here).  That was my mindset going on - a decent hotel that provides complimentary parking, complimentary breakfast, and complimentary wifi.  It was very easy to book the hotel through the Marriott website, and once booked it was easy to manage through the Marriott app.  

The hotel is actually located in Virgin, Utah which did not seem that far from the park on Google Maps but when driving it did take about 15-20 minutes (depending on traffic).  The location is beautiful as its surrounded by nature and a background of mountains.  All of the hotels in the area have the same general look, which is nice because it makes it uniform and also does not impeded the nature scenery.  The look is very wide but not very tall - and the Fairfield Inn had two floors.  The look is more like an old-school motel with a courtyard in the middle and rooms surrounding, but the hotel looked and felt updated and modern.  As you enter the lobby, the check-in desks are to the right while straight ahead is the kitchen and dining area.  There are hallways to the left and right that lead to the guest rooms as well as other amenities, and there are entrances on either hallway and in the middle of each hallway to the rooms.  The check-in process was not that great - the barely college-age workers did not have any customer service skills at all and their uniform also looked unkempt so it was not a great representation of neither the hotel nor the brand.  From the outside and inside, the hotel looked modern and updated so I received my key, a paper to the amenities available, and made my way to the room.

The room itself was an updated version of the standard Fairfield Room.  As you opened the door, on the left-side was the bathroom while straight ahead was the main part of the room.  The bathroom had the sink on the left-side and a long counter that connected to the half-wall which provided some privacy to the toilet.  There was a walk-in shower on the right-side and hooks for towels/clothes next to the shower; the shower contained Paul Mitchell refillable shampoo, conditioner and body wash (there were the same products at Courtyard in Atlanta - review here - and they were very nice).  Usually there is a closet across from the bathroom but this time there was an open/updated closet between the closet and the room.  Half of the closet was open and provided more space to the room while other parts were closed to allow privacy; and part of the closet was connected to a storage area on which you could place your luggage.  The new design to the closet looked nice and updated and still kept the amenities of an iron, ironing board, a safe, a fridge, a microwave, and a coffee maker + coffee.  Further into the room, there was a king-size bed on left side of the room with a nightstand on either side.  Across from the bed was a large desk with a chair, and above the desk was the TV mounted on the wall.  Right next to the desk was a stand with a luggage place on top and drawers on the bottom.  The room provided a lot of amenities for the guests to enjoy, it was spacious, the bed was large and comfortable to sleep in, there were plenty of outlets spread across the room and next to the bed, and overall it was a nice and comfortable room. 

Fairfield Inn has some standard amenities at all its hotels including complimentary parking,

complimentary wifi, complimentary breakfast, and a fitness center.  The fitness center was open despite the pandemic, but there were signs asking everyone to keep safe and were a mask; the fitness center was big, had lots of updated equipment and had a water station.  The parking was vast and you could park next to a variety of entrances; the wifi was complimentary and fast enough to stream videos and check email.  Fairfield was still providing complimentary breakfast, but you stood in line to select from the limited menu and then you took the items back to your room to eat.  You could choose cereal, bagel, muffin, and/or fruit as well as coffee and/or juice and there were toasters and cream/sugar on the side for guests to partake it.  While it was not a vast selection, I am glad that Fairfield was still able to provide this service to guests.

Overall, it was another pleasant stay at Fairfield Inn.  They seem to be upgrading and updating their hotels and the renovations seems to be improving the experience.  This hotel was updated; the rooms were nice and spacious; there were plenty of amenities for guests to enjoy; and the hotel was spread out so you could practice social distancing.  The hotel did have plenty of signs asking guests were masks and there were plenty of entrances that you could utilize.  The only negative was that it was a longer drive than expected to Zion (but you also avoid traffic) and the check-in experience was not great; but other than that it was a great trip.

Stay Report: Element Houston Katy (Katy, TX - September 2020)

 Stay Report: Element Houston Katy 
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I travel to Houston a lot and normally I stay in or near The Galleria but this time I was going for a different reason and needed to be near Sugar Land, Texas.  Even though Sugar Land is a part of Houston it was further out of my way so I wanted to find a happy medium and through search I found the Element Houston Katy.  I have previously stayed at Element Hotels and have enjoyed them, from the environmental approach to the mini-suites and complimentary amenities.  I checked the distance and the price and both seem to be good so booked the hotel through the Marriott website, which was easy to do.  

The hotel's location is a bit odd as it is basically located in the Costco parking lot and behind some apartments.  It seems like the track of land was divided in half, with half of the land going to Costco and the other half going to apartments and the hotel.  From the roadway, the apartments come first and then the hotel is in the back; it just seemed unique to me.  In the front of the hotel was the parking lot and then the entrance to the hotel.  As you entered in to the hotel, there was a small check-in desk on left and left was the kitchen where generally the complimentary breakfast would be provided.  Straight ahead was a long and narrow sitting area/communal area with lots of couches and chairs.  These faced to the large windows and patio which also contained chairs and a bbq area.  After check-in, we received the key and proceeded to the room (the Element always provides their own luggage trolley's to assist in transporting your luggage - a great idea).

Element rooms are designed as mini-suites and resemble a New York studio apartment with a bed, a

sitting area, bathroom, and a mini-kitchen.  As you entered the room, on the right was a long but narrow bathroom with a large sink on a counter (the size of the sink reduced the counter space), a toilet, and a shower; there was soap for the sink and refillable shampoo/conditioner and body wash in the shower. In the hallway, across from the bathroom, was a closet with an iron, ironing board, and a place to hang your clothes.  Further into the room, along the left-side of the wall was the mini-kitchen which contained a sink, a stove, a large fridge, a dishwasher, plates, glasses, a sponge, and dishwashing liquid.  There was also a mini-sink and a coffee maker on the large counter space.  Continuing along the left-side of the wall, next to the kitchen was the TV which was mounted on the wall.  Along the right-side of the wall were the two beds with a nightstand in the middle.  The beds were comfortable, large for two people, and provided a goodnights sleep.  There were also plenty of outlets near the bed or on the nightstand to charge all your electronic items.  In between the beds and the kitchen was a desk and chair on side, which faced the kitchen, and a chaise lounge chair which was against the side wall and also faced the kitchen.  Running along the side wall, above the chaise lounge chair, was the window which was large and let in lots of natural light.  Even though there were lots of items and amenities in the room, it did not feel compact or stuffed (like some other hotel rooms) but felt more like a studio apartment in New York City. 

The Element provides lots of amenities for its guest including complimentary wifi, complimentary parking, complimentary breakfast, access to luggage carts, a full-stocked and large gym, a bbq grill for guests to use. a large patio to host bbq and outside activities, as well as a large indoor seating area for guests to enjoy.  Due to the pandemic some amenities were not available or were curtailed, including breakfast which was not as extensive and mainly included mini-packs of cereal, yogurt, and breakfast bars which you could take to-go.  Also, due to the pandemic their housekeeping services were drastically reduced and this put pressure on the front-desk, which having difficulty in responding to this pressure.  Safety-wise, masks wearing and social-distancing signs were plastered everywhere but these were not enforced nor were guests ever reminded by staff.

Overall, it was an interesting stay at the Element.  The hotel room was nice, the amenities were still available, and the general vibe were good.  The service was a bit strained and the lack of adherence to safety protocols was a bit concerning.

Stay Report: Hampton Inn Bozeman (Bozeman, MT - September 2020)

Stay Report: Hampton Inn Bozeman, MT 
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

Due to the COVID-19 a lot of travel plans had been uprooted, including my own.  Since international travel was currently out of the picture, I decided to travel domestically within the U.S. and went to visit Yellowstone National Park.  I flew in and out of Bozeman and since my flight had an early departure time, I booked a hotel in between the city and the airport.  I wanted a hotel near the airport but unfortunately there are not that many hotels in that area so I decided to book the Hampton Inn Bozeman as it was about 10 minutes away from the airport, there were some services and stores around the hotel, and I have previously stayed at Hampton Inn and enjoyed the experience.  It was easy to book the hotel through the Hampton Inn website or through the HHonors app.

With the pandemic, there were a lot of safety measures that the hotel had put in and that was evident from the lobby.  As you enter the hotel, on the right is the check-in desk while on the left is the entrance to hotel rooms and the elevator.  Straight ahead is the dining room/lounge area where complimentary breakfast is served.  The first safety measure was that there were shields around the check-in desk and you were supposed to keep social distance while checking-in.  The entire process did not involve a lot of contact and the front-desk attendant was very friendly and service-oriented the entire time.  After I received my key I went back to my car because the back entrance was closer to the elevator so I went and moved my car to that spot. 

Our room was on the 2nd floor and so after taking the elevator, we went down a couple of hallways to

get to our room.  The room had a safety seal on it indicating it had been washed and sanitized with Hilton's Safe Guarantee.  We had requested a room with two double beds and our room was a standard Hampton room.  As you opened the door, on your right was the bathroom which contained a tub, a sink, a toilet, as well as toiletries - the size was also standard, not too big but not too small.  On the left-hand side was the closet which contain a rack to hang clothes, an iron and ironing board, as well as a luggage rack.  Further into the room on the right were the two double beds – both of which were comfortable but a bit on the small side.  In between the beds was a nightstand and across from the beds were a chest with drawers on the bottom and a TV on top, and next to that was a fridge with an ice bucket on top.  Overall, the room was decent, spacious enough and comfortable but not overly spacious.

We were only there for one night so did not experience other amenities of the hotel.  Also, given the pandemic I am not sure which amenities were open and which were not.  The hotel did provide complimentary wifi, complimentary parking, and complimentary breakfast.  The wifi was decent and you could connect as many devices as you wanted (the hotel also had plenty of outlets available to charge your device).  The complimentary breakfast starts at 6am and we had to leave at 5am to catch our plane, but the breakfast mostly had to-go items included cereal, fruit, and yogurt to go. 

Overall, it was a decent stay at the Hampton Inn.  The hotel generally provides a decent room at a good price and nice quality of rooms.  This room was not as updated as the others but it still provided a decent and comfortable night's sleep.

Stay Report: Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel (Yellowstone - September 2020)

Stay Report: Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel

comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I was traveling around Yellowstone National Park and all the research and reviews said to stay in the Mammoth Area as a good base to explore the north side of the park.  Due to the COVID pandemic, there is only one hotel available in this area and the hotel fills up really quickly.  The Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel is apparently one of the oldest hotels in the park, and is currently managed by Xanterra.  Xanterra manages most or all of the hotels within National Parks (I stayed at Xanterra managed properties in Grand Canyon) and they offer a range of accommodations.  Even though they offer a range from basic to more upscale, not of them go beyond a 3.5-4 star rating.  The Mammoth Hot Springs is considered on the higher end in terms of star rating, price, and accommodation value.  I was checking in June for travel in September but the booking only opened up in July, and once it did I booked my stay.  Due to the pandemic, the fare was refundable even though the full payment was due at booking.

Check-in is technically at 4pm but we pulled up to the lobby around 2:30pm and we were able to be

checked-in and receive the key to our cabin.  The lobby did have COVID procedures in place with limited number of guests inside, social distancing stickers on the floor, contactless payment, screens between the hotel attendant and yourself, and limited interaction between staff and guests.  The lobby itself looked grand and had a huge entryway with a gift shop on left, the check-in desks on the front and entrances to the dining room and upper floors behind the check-in desk.  Due to COVID restrictions, you could not congregate in the lobby but there were seating outside and there were lots of people sitting outside - either eating or taking access of the wifi, which was only available in and around the lobby area.  

We received our key and went to our cabin.  The hotel had standard hotel rooms connected to the lobby or had individual cabins behind the hotel; I believe the hotel rooms were not being used and mostly the cabins were in use during the pandemic.  Each building contained 2 cabins and they were basically somewhat-upscale versions of camping cabins.  Each cabin had a separate entrance and its own porch with two chairs and a table outside.  Once inside, everything was in one room.  As you entered, there was a little coat hook on the left-hand side and a trash can/recycle/compost bin on the right side with a tray and ice bucket on top.  The left-hand side also contained the small sink, towels, as well as hand-soap and lotion bottles (which were refillable to reduce waste).  The bathroom was also on the left-side, was extremely compact width-wise, and contained a toilet, towels, and a small shower which had shampoo, conditioner, and bodywash in refillable bottles.  Along the right-side were the two beds with a night-stand in the middle.  The two beds were decent enough and comfortable enough for a good nights sleep, but there needed to be more blankets and other covers for those who felt cold.  The room lacked amenities such as AC, and while it did get really cold at night so there was no need for AC it was hot during the day so AC during the day was definitely needed (there was a small fan but it did not look clean so were hesitant to use it).  

There was one restaurant on the hotel property and this was the only restaurant that was open in the area.  This restaurant served the same menu for lunch and dinner so my suggestion would be to come

prepared with either your own food, or prepared to pay a lot of money for the same food at the restaurant or to buy some basic supplies from the general store on the hotel grounds and make your own food there (we did a combination of the two since the food at Mammoth was exactly the same as what we had at Old Faithful). 

This was my third experience staying at a Xanterra property.  When I first stayed at their property in Grand Canyon, I did not know what to expect so I kept my expectations low and was pleasantly surprised at the good quality of the hotel.  I was expecting a similar quality at both Old Faithful and Mammoth and they were not of the same quality; both of these looked older and more utilized (ie not as updated) as the other hotels.  Despite the lack of luxuries and the lack of updating, the price paid for the hotel is extremely high and I understand we are paying for the convenience of staying the park but given the price I would expect the level of amenities similar to Grand Canyon.  I would rate the hotel in Grand Canyon as 3.5 stars and would give Mammoth 2.

Stay Report: Seattle Airport Marriott (Seattle, WA - September 2020)

 Stay Report: Seattle Airport Marriott
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I was flying from New Orleans to Bozeman via Seattle (see report here) and was only supposed to be transiting in Seattle, but unfortunately my flight from Seattle to Bozeman was cancelled.  I was flying with Alaska Air and I went their customer service desk where I got rebooked on the next flight, given meal vouchers, and given a hotel voucher for Seattle Airport Marriott.  The hotel provides a free shuttle from the airport to the hotel so we made our way to the shuttle area to catch the shuttle.  According to the hotel, the shuttle departs every 20 minutes from the hotel to the airport and makes rounds, so your wait depends on the number of passengers getting off and various stopping points in the airport.  While the free shuttle is nice, given the hotel's size and the number of passengers, the shuttle filled up really quickly with the passengers + luggage so the hotel should think about utilizing a bigger shuttle during certain times of the day.

The shuttle took about 10 minutes to get from the airport to the hotel.  We entered the hotel lobby which had three c

heck-in desks on the right-hand side, a sitting area in the middle, and the restaurant and bathrooms off to the middle and left hand side.  As there were a lot of guests checking in, and only two check-in desks open, there were lines at each of the stations and guests were supposed to socially distance while standing in line (although this was not monitored nor enforced by staff).  Once I got to the front, my check-in process was very quick as I was only going to be there for less than 12hrs.  Once I received my key, I was given instructions on how to get to the room and they seemed more complicated than necessary; apparently the hotel has two distinct and separate towers that are only connected through a second floor entryway.  The directions were somewhat clear from check-in to the room, but from the room back down to the lobby the directions were NOT clear and there were many guests roaming around trying to locate the lobby.  There were two elevators, and no other guests next to us, so it was easy to socially distance in the elevators.

It was a long walk down a hallway to get to our room and once we got there, space was a premium because it was a very tiny room.  You entered into a hallway which led into the bedroom area, and in the hallway on the left-side was a sliding door to the bathroom.  The sliding door was a nice touch but it did not slide all the way, nor stay in that position so the bathroom was never completely shut.  Inside the bathroom consisted of a sink, a toilet, and a shower as well as bathroom toiletries such as lotion, shampoo, conditioner, and towels.  The bathroom was width wise narrow but had more space lengthwise.  The hallway also contained a large entryway which could be used for those with disability assistance; we used it as storage for our luggage since the main room was compact.  Further down the hallway, on right-hand side, was an open closet with a rack and hangers, an iron and ironing board, and a luggage rack.  Continuing along with right-side of the wall, into the bedroom area, was a desk that was both a working space, a storage space, and also contained a coffee-maker on top.  That was connected to the entertainment section which contained a TV on top and a chest below with drawers and a fridge; the TV was a smart TV and there was a port panel on the side to connect various items to the TV.  

Across from all of this, along the left-side wall were the beds.  We had requested a room with two beds so there were two Queen beds with a nightstand in the middle.  The beds were comfortable enough to sleep and were large enough to comfortably sleep two people.  In between the two beds was a nightstand and in between the beds and the window was a long chaise which was nice in providing extra space, but was a bit cramped in terms of space for the room.  Space was generally at a premium and on top of that there was a lot of furniture, too much in my opinion, given the size of the room.  A plus point of the room was that there were plenty of outlets and USB ports throughout the room - next to the bed, on the desk, on the nightstand, and next to the TV so you could charge as many devices as needed.

As I said, we were only there for less than 12hours so I was not able to enjoy all the facilities of the hotel.  The hotel does have complimentary wifi, there was a restaurant/bar, ice machine, a fitness center, and a business center.  The airline had provided meal vouchers so I had picked up food from the airport, but the hotel's restaurant did have late hours to accommodate late arriving passengers.  

Overall, it was an interesting stay at the Seattle Airport Marriott.  The positives were the nice clean room, the many outlets throughout the room, the comfortable beds, and the spacious grounds.  The negatives were the tiny room, too much furniture so the room felt cramped, and the lack of signage around the spacious hotel.  While it would not be my first choice, it was a nice and decent layover hotel.

Stay Report: The Adventure Inn Yellowstone (West Yellowstone, MT - September 2020)

 Stay Report: The Adventure Inn Yellowstone
Comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I was traveling to Yellowstone National Park and had flown into Bozeman on Alaskan Airlines (flight review here).  Since I got in late, I drove the next day to West Yellowstone which is the town right outside the Western entrance to the Park.  My plan was to spend the night in this city and then go the park in the morning as, according to my research, it was easier to get through the park's entrance in the morning.  When looking for a place to stay in West Yellowstone, the only chain hotel was a Holiday Inn and through the reviews and pictures, it did not look that good.  While searching through reviews and pictures, The Adventure Inn Yellowstone kept coming up as highly rated and reviewed so I decided to book it.  I booked the hotel through a travel website (Expedia) as I earn points with Expedia and through the app it was quite easy to book.  

The morning of my arrival date, I received a text message from the hotel which detailed all the 

information including how to access the building, the wifi details, check-in/check-out time, and other needed details.  It was the type of information that you would normally get from the check-in desk so I was a bit confused as to why I was getting this information now, but I kept it handy and proceeded to the hotel.  In the text message, it had said that the hotel is 'connected to the Westgate Auto Body at the back end of the building'; I had assumed it was a separate building so when I went to the address that is what I was looking for but instead the Westgate Auto Body and The Adventure Inn are all in the same building - the front part of the building is the Auto Body while the back of the same building is the Adventure Inn.  Its a little jarring at first impressions if you are expecting one thing and receive another, but I proceeded on.  It was then that the directions in the text message made sense as there was no check-in desk - the hotel operates more like an Airbnb in which you have your own access code to the front door and to your specific room; but there is no check-in desk and no attendant on site.

As you enter into the building, there are stairs immediately in front of you which lead upstairs to the rooms.  The ground floor contains a garage which has ice, the trash, as well as a sanitizer station by the door; note that there is no elevator to get up to the second floor and no rooms on the first floor so it may not be suitable for those with mobility issues.  We proceeded up the stairs and the doors to each room were either in front or on the left and right of us.  Our room was on the left so we turned left, enter the code, and proceeded into the room.  First impressions of the room were that it was nicely decorates, spacious, and was pleasant in terms of amenities.  You entered into the a hallway which lead into the bedroom area.  In the hallway, on the right-side, was the bathroom which contained a sink on top a long vanity table and in the adjoining room was a toilet and shower/tub.  It was spacious and was comfortable enough for the space and there were many toiletries available in the bathroom including towels, toilet paper, packs of tissue, sunscreen, lotion, shampoo, body wash, and conditioner; the additional toiletries were a nice touch.

Further down the hallway was the main bedroom.  The two double beds with a nightstand in the middle

were against one wall.  Along the other wall was a chest with drawers on the bottom and a TV on top, a fridge and a microwave, a safe, a coffee maker, an ice bucket, and a luggage rack.  The bedroom area was spacious and provided tons of space for each of the items and space to move around.  The beds were comfortable, big enough for two people, and provided a good nights sleep.  The chest had good storage space the the addition of the fridge and the microwave were a nice and welcome addition.  Because the room was so spacious, there was plenty of room for the luggage storage space as well. 

Hotel amenities included complimentary parking, complimentary wifi, complimentary ice, abundant toiletries in the room, a booklet of information in the room, and convenient location that was walking-distance to many attractions and sights.  Overall, it was a really pleasant stay at The Adventure Inn.  The spacious rooms, the nice amenities, the convenient location all made it a great stay.

Stay Report: Doubletree by Hilton Hotel & Suites Houston by the Galleria (Houston, Texas - July 2020)

Stay Report: Doubletree Hotel & Suites Houston Galleria
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

Travel around the world has been seriously diminished due to COVID-19.  Even when traveling, hotels and airlines are putting in special measures to ensure a safe and healthy travel experience.  I have been limiting my travels due to the pandemic, but recently I had to travel to Houston.  I have been to Houston many times and stayed at various hotels throughout the city, mostly in the Galleria area.  When I was looking this time, I found a good deal at the Doubletree in the Galleria area.  I have stayed here twice (see reviews here) and the experience was mixed - the rooms were nice but the service bad - but I decided to give it another try.

The hotel has gone through some renovations on the inside (and this was evident in my previous stay in 2017) and since then the only additions have been due to COVID, which included partitions around the check-in desk, markers on the floor for social distancing, wipes next to the elevator, and signs stating masks were required.  Other than that, everything was the same including how small the hotel entrance is; the layout of the hotel is such that you have the hotel building, the parking garage, and a small connector between the two.   As you enter the connector, the parking garage is to your right, the connector in the middle, and the hotel on the left; the entrance is small generally and gets more crowded once there is a rush. Both valet and self-parking are available.

The lobby itself is wide and spacious. The waiting area is right in front, while the check-in desks are to the

left and the elevators and meeting rooms are to the right.  As both the meeting rooms and elevators are in the same direction, it can become a bit crowded when there events taking place.  I have stayed at other hotels during the pandemic (see review here) and their restrictions were far more strict than what was done here.  There was no restriction on limiting the hotel to only guests so anyone could enter and exit as they please.  Also, even though the state had mandated a mask-wearing policy and the hotel had signs requesting masks be worn, there was no enforcement or verbal reminders regarding mask wearing.  In terms of social distancing, the only stickers on the floor were the ones in front of the check-in counters and they were not adhered to by most guests (nor enforced by the hotel staff).  Check-in was okay but there was no customer service aspect - no greeting, no welcoming a Hilton Honors member, and not checking the reservation before asking questions, in fact it was the bare minimum of service expected and required; even the cookies, which are normally handed out at the beginning had to be requested.  I received the key and proceeded to my room.  

The waiting area for the elevators can become crowded very quickly as there are 4 elevators all converging onto the same waiting area.  They did have wipes for guests to use to wipe down the surface, but this was at your personal preference.  Also, other hotels had enforced either a minimum number of guests in the elevators or only same-household groups in the elevators; none of that was mentioned nor enforced here and it was basically to each their own how they wanted to proceed.  Previously, given my status, I have been upgraded to a junior suite and those rooms, while outdated, are quite spacious; this time I was not upgraded so I was given a standard Doubletree room.  

As you enter the room, on the left was the bathroom which contained a toilet, a shower/tub, a sink with lots of counter space.  The bathroom was standard with standard amenities and toiletries needed to be requested from the front desk.  Further inside the room, on the left were two double beds with a nightstand in the middle.  The beds were generally comfortable, decent in size and overall good in sleep comfort.  Across from the beds, against the wall, was a console that had a TV on top, an open shelf with the coffee/tea as well as ice bucket, drawers on the bottom, a fridge on the bottom, and a small table next to it.  There was a large window across one wall and in between the window and the bed was a chaise lounge chair.  There was a lot of furniture in the room and given the amount of things in the room, the standard size of the room, and then add people to that, the room felt small and cramped and some of the furniture needed to be removed to make the room feel more open.

The hotel is full-service so there are many amenities for the guests to enjoy including a pool, a gym, meeting rooms, business center, restaurant, parking garage, and wifi.  As I said earlier, parking was a nightmare both times I stayed here; you have to pay for parking so considering it requires payment, you think they would come up with a better solution.  The gym also needs to be remodeled as its small and is located on the 3rd floor, right next to other rooms (it looks like they converted two rooms into a gym).  The business center was 3 computers in the open lobby on the other side of the check-in desks.  There was complimentary printing, but there was also a lot of noise; the wifi was complimentary and provided decent speeds.  

Overall, its an average hotel in the Galleria area.   Plus points are the location, the hotel's signature cookies, and the spacious rooms and full-size fridge in the suites.  Negatives include inconsistent and poor customer service and horrible (paid) parking situation, and particularly to covid no enforcement or adherence to public health-related guidelines.  Given the horrible parking situation, the lack of adherence to public health guidelines and overall the general lack of service provided this was my last time staying at this hotel.