Tag Archives: thailand

The spectacular rise of Club Carlson

Posted on July 22, 2012 | 16 Comments


Pic: Deluxe room at Park Plaza Soi 18 Sukhumvit Bangkok (July 2012)

Pic: Rooftop Pool Sunset at Park Plaza Soi 18 Sukhumvit Bangkok (July 2012)
Back in March 2011, the Carlson Hotel Group (Radisson, Radisson Blu, Park Inn, Park Plaza and Country Inn & Suites) rebranded it’s loyalty program GoldPoints Plus to Club Carlson. In the past year, John Kennedy (Club Carlson Vice President) and his team did a tremendous job attracting new customers. First of all, there was the Club Carlson status match opportunity (still valid), then back in November they launched the Radisson Big Night Giveaway promo, which was unfortunately only valid for properties in the US, Canada and Caribbean. You basically had to stay one night at a Radisson or Radisson Blu hotel to receive a bonus of 50,000 Gold Points. Enough for a free night at the most expensive Carlson hotels (Category 6) or multiple free nights at cheaper Carlson properties. (free nights start at 9000 points, Category 1) The Radisson Big Night Giveaway promotion results must have been positive as the management of the Brussels based Rezidor Hotel Group Headquaters decided to launch a Worldwide campaign for their Radisson, Park Inn and Country Inn & Suites brands in May 2012. The Park Plaza brand was added to the campaign in June. If you didn’t sign-up for these promo’s, I need to disappoint you, as all of them have now expired. (Except the Park Plaza promo, but bonus is now limited to 15K instead of 50K points) If you don’t want to miss future promo’s like this, I recommend to keep an eye on my twitter feed.

Pic: Radisson Suites Bangkok Sukhumvit Rooftop Pool (June 2012)
I didn’t participate in the Nov 2011 Big Night Giveaway promo, as I had no travel to the US, Canadian or the Caribbean during the promotion period. For my first batch of 50,000 Club Carlson bonus points, I stayed at Radisson Suites Bangkok Sukhumvit on May 26. Room rate THB2329 (€60), upgraded to One Bedroom Suite as Club Carlson Silver member. On June 30, I stayed at Park Plaza Soi 18 Bangkok earning me another 50,000 Club Carlson Bonus points. Room rate THB2165 (€56), upgraded to Deluxe room. For my last set of 44,000 bonus points, I stayed at Park Inn Leuven (Belgium) on July 21. Room rate €75, upgraded to Business Friendly room (including complimentary wifi and breakfast). That makes €191 earning 144,000 bonus points. That total doesn’t even include all the other ‘regular’ bonuses like 2000 bonus points for booking via ClubCarlson.com websites, 25% silver status bonus points, 20 points per USD spent, etc…!

Pic: Complimentary Tuk Tuk Service at Radisson Suites Bangkok Sukhumvit
So how am I going to maximize the value of my 144K bonus points? Here’s a first example: I burned 50K points for a free night at the Radisson Blu Edwardian Mercer Street Hotel (ranked #48 out of 1,080 hotels in London) for July 29, 2012. Yes, that’s the Opening Weekend of the London 2012 Olympic Games! The cheapest rate for a standard room was £425 excl. tax (£510 incl. tax, €655) To makes things even better, Club Carlson now launched a number of new promotions, including one allowing you to redeem points at 50% the regular rate at selected hotels in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. And there’s more: Stay two nights or more at Club Carlson properties in Asia and get 10,000 bonus points, pay with American Express at EAME Radisson and Radisson Blu properties and get 3 nights for the price of 2 + 2000 bonus points. And as always, a complete overview of all promotions can be found at frequentflyerbonuses.com

Pic: Business Friendly Room at Park Inn Leuven, Belgium (July 2012)
Conclusion: The majority of frequent traveler bloggers have highlighted the Club Carlson promotions as the best hotel offers we’ve seen in the past year. My personal experiences at Club Carlson properties in the past 3 months have been very positive (both hard and soft product) and I hope the Rezidor Hotel Group will continue their efforts and investments to become leaders in the hospitality industry. I was flattered to learn more than 10 readers of my blog have been staying at Park Inn Leuven to score their 44K bonus points. Always a pleasure to assist others to travel in luxury on a budget! Thank you.

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Ocean View Pool Villa at Conrad Koh Samui

Posted on July 19, 2012 | 9 Comments


Pic: Conrad Koh Samui entrance on top of the hill (July 2012)

Pic: Conrad Koh Samui Private Pool at Oceanview villa (July 2012)

Pic: Conrad Koh Samui One Bedroom Oceanview Pool Villa (July 2012)

Pic: Conrad Koh Samui Breathtaking Sea View from Villa 311 (July 2012)

Pic: Conrad Koh Samui Pool Villa 311 Oceanview (July 2012)
Each year in the April/May time frame, the U.S. Travel Association organizes a five week sale of (mainly) hotel loyalty points called “Daily Getaways”. The aim of the Daily Getaways campaign is to encourage domestic US summer travel and thus intended for US citizens, nevertheless both in 2011 and 2012, I managed to buy several point packages. As these points are being sold at steep discounts, the sale has become incredibly popular and the better offers tend to sell-out in seconds. My best ‘catch’ in 2011 was a package of 24,000 Hyatt Gold Passport points for $250 (€175,43) This year, I scored two great offers: I bought 98,000 Wyndham Rewards points for $308 (€237,85) and 150,000 Hilton HHonors points for $825 (€633,46) I had never heard of Wyndham hotels before and wasn’t planning to stay at any of their properties either. Still, buying those 98K points was an incredible deal as you could convert them to a lot of partner airline miles. In my case, I converted the 98K Wyndham Rewards points to a whopping 39,200 United MileagePlus miles. The icing on the cake came two weeks ago, when Singapore Airlines accidentally released all reward inventory to Star Alliance partners. An ideal opportunity to convert those cheap United miles into something very valuable… Yes, I booked a Singapore Airlines First Class flight for Jan 2013! :) More on that later.

Pic: Conrad Koh Samui Villa Keycard (July 2012)

Pic: Conrad Koh Samui Bedroom of Oceanview Pool Villa 311 (July 2012)
Back to the subject of this post, Conrad Koh Samui in Thailand. A property with 66 villa’s located on a west facing hill in the Southern tip of the Koh Samui island. Opened in September 2011, with an average room rate well above THB20,000 (€500) per night, not particularly fitting the average travel budget. Except if you collected and/or bought Hilton HHonors points. The hotel is ranked Category 7 in the HHonors program, meaning 50K points are required for a free night. HHonors Elite Members (Silver, Gold and Diamond) get discounts on the number of points required for extended stays. As I obtained HHonors Gold status for free last year, I was eligible for a 15% points discount on a four night stay: 42500 points per night (4 nights = 170K) instead of 50,000 (4 nights = 200K). Before my 150K points purchase, I had 16,565 HHonors points in my account. The missing 3435 points to total the 170K were offered during the booking process for $34,35 (€28). That brought the total for 4 nights at Conrad Koh Samui to €661,46 (€633,46 (150K) + €28 (3K) +16K points which were in my account) A paid stay at my one bedroom Oceanview Pool Villa using the cheapest non-refundable rate would have cost me THB78,523 (€2020)!

Pic: Conrad Koh Samui Bathroom Oceanview Pool Villa 311 (July 2012)

Pic: Conrad Koh Samui Hilton HHonors Gold Welcome Amenity (July 2012)

Pic: Conrad Koh Samui HHonors Gold Welcome Amenity (July 2012)

Pic: Conrad Koh Samui Zest Restaurant Entrance (July 2012)
The downside of exclusive resorts like Conrad Koh Samui is their remote location. Without own transportation means, it’s quite hard to leave the resort and the nearest restaurants and shops are not at walking distance. This works in the advantage of the resorts who tend to charge much higher prices for food and drinks compared to the local market value. Fortunately, my free Hilton HHonors Gold status comes with complimentary breakfast for up to two room guests. This allowed us to take an extensive daily ‘brunch’ covering both breakfast and lunch. As HHonors Gold, we could order anything from the menu (except the Sparkling Breakfast option) and/or we could serve ourselves at the buffet.

Pic: Conrad Koh Samui Zest Restaurant Interior (July 2012)

Pic: Conrad Koh Samui Breakfast Meat Selection (July 2012)

Pic: Conrad Koh Samui Breakfast Freshly Baked Pastries Selection (July 2012)

Pic: Conrad Koh Samui Breakfast Fresh Honey (July 2012)

Pic: Conrad Koh Samui Breakfast Fresh Juices (July 2012)

Pic: Conrad Koh Samui Breakfast with a view at Zest (July 2012)

Pic: Conrad Koh Samui Breakfast Freshly Baked Pastries (July 2012)

Pic: Conrad Koh Samui Breakfast Egg Royal (July 2012)

Pic: Conrad Koh Samui Breakfast French Toast (July 2012)
 For in depth reviews of the resort, I would like to refer to colleague bloggers Garry Leff (View From The Wing, part 1, part 2) John Ollila (LoyaltyLobby.com) and the thread on Flyertalk. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comment section below. Thanks!

Pic: Conrad Koh Samui Main Pool (July 2012)

Pic: Conrad Koh Samui Main Pool Infinity Edge (July 2012)

Pic: Conrad Koh Samui Main Pool Underwater View (July 2012)

Pic: Conrad Koh Samui Beach Hammock and Chairs (July 2012)

Pic: Conrad Koh Samui Beach Lounge Chairs (July 2012)

Pic: Conrad Koh Samui Azure Pool Bar and Gril Restaurant (July 2012)

Pic: Conrad Koh Samui Azure Delicious Pizza (July 2012)

Pic: Travel blogger Bart Lapers at Conrad Koh Samui (July 2012)
 Video: One Bedroom Ocean View Villa at Conrad Koh Samui

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Koh Chang (Thailand)

Posted on June 24, 2012 | 3 Comments


Pic: The Pool at AMARI Emerald Cove, Koh Chang, Thailand (May 2012)

Pic: Palm Tree Swing at Lagoona Beach Resort, Koh Chang (May 2012)
On previous trips to Thailand I visited Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai (Songkran), Koh Tao, Hua Hin and Pattaya.  My latest trip to Thailand (May 2012) had Koh Chang (Elephant island) as main destination.  Getting to the island is convenient and cheap.  The Lonely Beach Express minibus service runs three times per day between Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) and Koh Chang.  The journey takes between 5 and 6 hours and includes a ferry ride from Laem Ngop pier to Ko Chang.  A return ticket for the minibus only cost THB800 (€20) and includes the fee for the ferry.  No reservations are required for the Bangkok -> Ko Chang journey, just show up at door 8 Ground Floor (G) of the Suvarnabhumi Airport terminal.  Contrary to what the minibus service website states, you do get dropped of at the entrance of your hotel on the island. For the trip back to Bangkok, you’ll need to call the phone number on your ticket to confirm the shuttle pick-up time. 

Pic: Jacuzzi at Mercure Koh Chang Hideaway (May 2012)

Pic: Narak at The Spa Koh Chang Resort (May 2012)
When I visited Koh Chang in May, it was very quiet on the island.  I learned low season runs from May till early October as it rains a lot during those months.  If you don’t mind cloudy skies and like a deserted island, this is the time to visit, otherwise stick to the dry months!  As the island only has one international chain hotel (Mercure Koh Chang Hideaway) which doesn’t have a particular good loyalty program (Le Club Accorhotels) I went for an independent hotel.  I didn’t have much time to research on hotels and made my choice based on Tripadvisor reviews and room rate.  I chose Garden Resort near Kai Bea beach rated number 4 out of 68 hotels at Ko Chang.  The bungalows were quite spacious and clean, breakfast was inclusive and the owner Mause, a friendly (but quite frank) Dutchmen, was always willing to provide local advice.  At €38 per night it wasn’t expensive, but while exploring the island I learned I could have gotten better value at other places.  For budget travelers (with less than €20 to spend per night) there are many options available, including TK208, a small bed and breakfast at Kai Bae with rooms from THB700 (€17).  For cheap (less than €5/day) and reliable motorbike rentals near Kai Bae, check with Bobby Food Shop.

Pic: Nature Rocks at Lonely Beach Koh Chang (May 2012)
During my three day stay at the island, I visited a number of hotels and resorts.  The most spectacular ones were Amari Emerald Cove and The Dewa.  Together with a German guy which I met at Bangkok airport, we drove our scooters around the island from one beach to another.  Siam Bay Resort’s great view on uninhabited island, tasty banana shakes and chill atmosphere at Nature Rocks Lonely Beach,  Palm Tree Swing at Lagoona Beach Bar, funky looking huts at Independent Bo White Sands Beach, Rotee Pancakes at Bobby Food Shop.  Just to name a few of the highlights on the island.

Pic: Sunset at Lonely Beach Koh Chang (May 2012)

Pic: Filou Cocktail Bar at Kai Bae Koh Chang (May 2012)

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King Executive room at Millennium Hilton Bangkok

Posted on June 2, 2012 | 2 Comments


Pic: King Executive room at Millennium Hilton Bangkok (May 2012)

Pic: King Executive room at Millennium Hilton Bangkok (May 2012)
For my first night in Bangkok (Thailand trip May 17 – May 27) I used The Great Getaway Hilton promo (valid till July 23 for stays until September 30, 2012).  Unlike some of the other ‘promotions’, this one really offers steep discounts on Hilton room rates.  I paid THB3469 (EUR89) for a King Hilton Deluxe room which was upgraded to a King Executive room upon arrival.  I enjoyed a free upgrade + free executive lounge access (breakfast, cocktails, dinner snacks, …) + free internet because of my HHonors Gold status.  How I got this status?  Normally you only get this status after staying 16 times or 36 nights at Hilton hotels during one calendar year… but myself (and many of my twitter followers) got it for free.  In the past months several links were posted on my twitter account which allowed you to obtain HHonors Gold status for free.  You just had to sign-up using the link and got instant HHonors Gold status!  Make sure to follow me on twitter so you don’t miss future deals.  I post several “Great Deal Alerts” a week.

Pic: Executive Lounge Breakfast at Millennium Hilton Bangkok (May 2012)

Pic: Lounge chairs at The Beach – Millennium Hilton Bangkok (May 2012)

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Premier Suite at InterContinental Hua Hin Resort

Posted on November 22, 2011 | 4 Comments


Pic: Hotel Sign InterContinental Hua Hin Resort (Feb 2011)

Pic: Lobby InterContinental Hua Hin Resort (Feb 2011)
Early February 2011, I stayed at InterContinental Hua Hin with a Chinese friend.  For transportation from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport to Hua Hin, we used the limo service of www.huahintaxiairport.com
We were charged 4200 baht (EUR 100) for the return trip BKK airport -> IC Hua Hin -> IC Bangkok in a brand new Toyota Camry.

Pic: Guest Lounge at InterContinental Hua Hin Resort (Feb 2011)

Pic: Lee La Bar at InterContinental Hua Hin Resort (Feb 2011)
My Chinese friend had a week off for Chinese New Year and so had 1 billion other Chinese citizen.  Rates had skyrocketed at IC Hua Hin, but I had no other choice than to stay that particular week.  I had booked a Deluxe Suite with breakfast for 8974 thb per night (EUR 213, VAT and Service Charge included) and got upgrade to a Premier Ocean View Suite (one level upgrade) as per Gold Ambassador benefits.  At that time I wasn’t a Royal Ambassador yet (two level upgrade).

Pic: Premier Suite Bedroom at InterContinental Hua Hin Resort (Feb 2011)

Pic: Bath at Premier Suite InterContinental Hua Hin Resort (Feb 2011)

Pic: Daytime Bed Balcony Premier Suite InterContinental Hua Hin (Feb 2011)
When we checked-in at the Premier Suite, I noticed there was no jacuzzi on the balcony as stated in the suite descriptions on the official IC website.  Instead we found an empty balcony with two chairs and a second terrace with a daytime bed.  When I made an inquiry at the frontdesk, the supervisor stated they were unaware about the incorrect suite descriptions and informed us only some suites had a jacuzzi.  She showed us a Deluxe Suite with jacuzzi and offered to downgrade us.  As the deluxe suite was closer to the noisy road, didn’t have an ocean view and didn’t have a separate guest room, I refused the downgrade.  The supervisor promised they would ask IHG to update the suite descriptions and that actually happened a few days later.  If I would visit IC Hua Hin again, I would go for a Premier Suite with Pool Terrace as those have direct access to a (shared) pool.  See my video below for more details.

Pic: Pool Cabana at InterContinental Hua Hin Resort (Feb 2011)

Pic: Swimming Pool Shower at InterContinental Hua Hin Resort (Feb 2011)

Pic: Pool Cabana at InterContinental Hua Hin Resort (Feb 2011)

Pic: In-Pool Jacuzzi at InterContinental Hua Hin Resort (Feb 2011)

Pic: In-Pool Jacuzzi by night at InterContinental Hua Hin Resort (Feb 2011)

Pic: Main Swimming Pool by night at InterContinental Hua Hin (Feb 2011)

Pic: Guest Patio by night at InterContinental Hua Hin (Feb 2011)

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Deluxe Suite at VIE Hotel Bangkok

Posted on September 5, 2011 | 7 Comments


Pic: Bedroom of Deluxe Suite at VIE hotel Bangkok (Aug 2011)
For my last night in Bangkok, I had booked a Deluxe Suite at MGallery’s VIE Hotel. (Accor)  For booking info, see my Planning: Bangkok Hotels post.
The bad:

  • Upgrade request for VIE Duplex Suite rejected at time of booking (I’m A-Club Gold member)
  • I accepted a breakfast + internet package at check-in (1177THB)  Afterwards I noticed internet was already included in my room-rate and breakfast was only 900THB for two pax, so I was overcharged 277THB
  • The interior color scheme of the rooms (red-brown-orange-gold) is ugly
  • The fruit cocktails at the pool were bad tasting powdered drinks
  • The pool is in a different building, you need to cross the hotel driveway to go to the pool.
  • I signed-up for the Accor Miles and More promo (1000 miles per stay) but didn’t get the miles.  Instead I got very few A-club points (219+164)

The good:
Pic: Transparent swimming pool at VIE hotel Bangkok (iPhone – Aug 2011)

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