Marriott Rewards (including Ritz-Carlton) - 350,000 Marriott Points and 1 mil AA miles-where would you go for Xmas?

Long time lurker here, with a few sporadic posts but I have certainly learned a lot from the good folks here!

We have the above mentioned points and a desire (especially our ten year old) to hit another continent. We had planned on a trip to Patagonia for this time but even with the AA miles, a three week trip there (the amount of time we want for fishing, hiking, etc) with no Marriotts (except BA) to use points at, has gone beyond our budget. We have made numerous trips to Western Europe, Hawaii, Costa Rica (both sides) and the Caribbean. We were looking to going to Asia, mostly Thailand, to stay but would be open to other suggestions. I have been getting a bit turned off by Phuket though but maybe this is wrong? We want to travel over Xmas as my husband company gives him that time off.

We would consider another part of South America but as we have our daughter with us, we do want to venture somewhere that safety will be a concern.

Any info or thoughts would be appreciated.

There are 3 Marriott props in or near Phuket and IMO best time of year (but what do I know as I've permanently lived here for the past 15-yrs and started to come since 1967) however expect this good time of the yr to be the most crowded (and most require minimum of 7-nights) especially with families.....
that being said, don't lock yourselves into only Phuket cause there are Marriotts in Vietnam, Malaysia & Singapore too and all are under 2.5-hrs from BKK (even less from HKT)

Long time lurker here, with a few sporadic posts but I have certainly learned a lot from the good folks here!

We have the above mentioned points and a desire (especially our ten year old) to hit another continent. We had planned on a trip to Patagonia for this time but even with the AA miles, a three week trip there (the amount of time we want for fishing, hiking, etc) with no Marriotts (except BA) to use points at, has gone beyond our budget. We have made numerous trips to Western Europe, Hawaii, Costa Rica (both sides) and the Caribbean. We were looking to going to Asia, mostly Thailand, to stay but would be open to other suggestions. I have been getting a bit turned off by Phuket though but maybe this is wrong? We want to travel over Xmas as my husband company gives him that time off.

We would consider another part of South America but as we have our daughter with us, we do want to venture somewhere that safety will be a concern.

Any info or thoughts would be appreciated.

What would I do?

With 1mil AA miles, I would fly the entire family in business class to Hong Kong on Cathay. Spend about 3-4 nights there at any of the Marriott properties. Then from there, hop on over to Bangkok, Chang Mai, Phuket, etc and even places like Kuala Lumpur.

Don't like the idea of SE Asia? Are you really dead-set on leaving the good 'ol US of A? I know most people are quick to run off to another country before really exploring their own, and we surly have a great selection of cities: Boston, NYC, Washington DC, Miami, New Orleans, Nashville, Austin, Denver, the national parks in Montana and Wyoming, San Diego, San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle!

As a third option, since you've already seen W. Europe, try out E. Europe...do a trip to Greece and Turkey - both great countries to visit. Start in Athens for a few days, visit the Greek Islands, then go to Istanbul.

A few years ago my wife and I (no kids) took a 2 week South American cruise (Santiago, Chile to Buenos Aires) and then followed that with a 1 week stay in Buenos Aires at the Marriott. We took 2 days out of our Buenos Aires week to fly up to Iguazu Falls and back.

I think you and your 10 year old would get a kick out of the penguin colonies that you can visit from some of the ports. And everyone would probably enjoy the glaciers while cruising the straits at the very southern tip of Chile.

Iguazu, if you've never been, is fabulously beautiful. I think Iguazu might be do-able in one day, but it would require a very early flight and a late return and I suspect you'd feel rushed. Also, South American airlines are not as reliable as US airlines. We had reserved an early flight up to Igauzu, but LAN bumped us to a later flight, so I was glad we had 2 days (and one night)there. We stayed on the Argentinian side - visiting the Brazilian side is supposed to require a visa. In Igauzu, I used Starwood points and stayed at the Starwood hotel in the park.

If you're hikers (and we did not do any serious hiking on our trip), there are some parks that you can visit although it probably won't be as grand a hiking opportunity as a land vacation in Chile.

What would I do?

With 1mil AA miles, I would fly the entire family in business class to Hong Kong on Cathay. Spend about 3-4 nights there at any of the Marriott properties. Then from there, hop on over to Bangkok, Chang Mai, Phuket, etc and even places like Kuala Lumpur.

Don't like the idea of SE Asia? Are you really dead-set on leaving the good 'ol US of A? I know most people are quick to run off to another country before really exploring their own, and we surly have a great selection of cities: Boston, NYC, Washington DC, Miami, New Orleans, Nashville, Austin, Denver, the national parks in Montana and Wyoming, San Diego, San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle!

As a third option, since you've already seen W. Europe, try out E. Europe...do a trip to Greece and Turkey - both great countries to visit. Start in Athens for a few days, visit the Greek Islands, then go to Istanbul.

bostonflyer-I was hoping to do exactly that with Cathay. I need to figure that portion out-I'm finding it a bit difficult to get started.
I should have mentioned that we have been to Yellowstone/Tetons 3 times as well as spent time in the surrounding areas. We have a mountain home in AZ and have traveled through quite a bit of the SW (headed to GCNP in ten days). We have been to most of New England, and much of Southern California as well as Colorado. We have been to DC twice as well and are headed to Williamsburg and Charlottesville in Sept). The Orcas Islands and environs are high on our list and would be happy to take a trip to NOLA as well as Nashville, etc but we have the time, points and miles to head abroad and our daughter is keen on hitting another continent and experiencing a different culture.

I have looked at Greece and Turkey (very high on all of our lists) but is Dec a decent time to travel there? We aren't looking to lie around on beaches all day but if I were to go there, I would like to be able to enjoy the outdoors even if it is a bit chilly.

[GetawaysRus]-
Sorry couldn't figure out how to copy your quote...
Our original trip to South America (Dec 2011) was first postponed due to the fact the volcano wrecked havoc on the area we were headed to. When we discussed rebooking for Dec 2012, we realized that the out of pocket expenses for three weeks fly fishing, hiking, flights, etc, in Arg and Chile with no Marriott properties to help offset costs, couldn't be budgeted right now so that is out. I need to use Marriott points and unfortunately, that itinerary does not accomplish my goal.

BKKLEE-Are there are Marriott properties that you would recommend? What about traveling between areas? I would love to hop about a bit.

obviously Bangkok offers alot of history/culture and there are several Marriott branded props here........ Phuket is a beach area - I prefer the Renaissance as they have private splash pool villas with a 2nd choice being the JW Khao Lak as they have a huge pool area with a river access feature and some of the best Thai restaurants in the area that I know...... last on my Phuket list would be the JW Phuket............... from Phuket (or BKK) easy flights to Kuala Lumpur and further south to Singapore both have several Marriott options............. flights from BKK to Saigon (Renaissance) and Penang (no Marriott option, but Georgetown is worth a visit)............
easy flights with Thai int'l but cheaper flights with Air asia, Malaysia Air, Scoot and other low cost carriers that also use A320s

BKKLEE-Are there are Marriott properties that you would recommend? What about traveling between areas? I would love to hop about a bit.

I have looked at Greece and Turkey (very high on all of our lists) but is Dec a decent time to travel there? We aren't looking to lie around on beaches all day but if I were to go there, I would like to be able to enjoy the outdoors even if it is a bit chilly.


When I read the poster's suggestions to you about Greek Isles and Turkey, I felt like people DONT pay any attention to the OP's questions - because you specifically said your time frame is X'mas time which is definitely NOT for Greek Isles - After 2nd week of September, pretty much the ferry schedule would be down A WHOLE LOT, and the sea become rough, often causes the already spotty ferries to stop sailing between islands. Plane travel is not any better - virtually all flights go thru ATH, no matter which isle you are heading or leaving. High wind often causes flight cancellation too.

Turkey on the other hand, can be done in Winter. However Greece and Turkey are better visited on the same trip for say 2 to 3 weeks, in late Spring when the weather is nice as both countries can become very hot by late June. There are not many chain hotels you can use when visiting the 2 countries outside the main cities of Istanbul and Athens. However lodging is not expensive, and you do need to venture out in order to "experience" the culture. Turkey is a really nice country to visit because it has more preserve archeological sites than Greece itself.

If you have never been in Hong Kong, then you should go for this X'mas trip. Very festival time during X'mas and New Year. Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur all are very nice cities to visit. Depends on how much time you have, you could pick some islands in Thailand - Phuket would be very commercial and you would find tons of Europeans, especially Scandinavians vacationing there during X'mas / New Year holidays. On the other side of the coast you would find some far less commercialized spot.

If this is your first trip to Asia / SE Asia, my suggestion is to concentrate your visits to the major cities. Flights between cities are very frequent, and all major cities have Marriott properties though they are largely cat 6 and cat 7 properties, so dont know how far your 350K could go, especially if you dont use the 5th night free feature.

As for the flights, you definitely should aim for CX F. :)

Can't help you with the AA portion of your question, but I would suggest Australia be added to the mix. Okay number of Marriotts, at least in the south of Australia, and that portion will have better weather in December anyways. My kids have been to Hawaii, Europe a couple of times, China, various spots in the Caribbean and whenever I ask them where they want to go - it's back to Australia.

As another suggestion, Japan. Since you're in CT you can get a direct flight either from JFK or the new direct from BOS on JAL to NRT. I have been to Japan a few times in December, as well as Hong Kong and Singapore. It's a great time. I'll be in Japan again in December and just booked the NRT-->BOS flight as an awards trip back home in first. Can't wait.

Tokyo has both the Ritz Carlton and the Courtyard in Ginza. I've stayed at the CY but this time I'll be at the RC. Lots of Marriott properties in HK. I stayed at the one at the airport. It was easy to get into town or to Hong Kong Disneyland.

Australia on Qantas could also be a good idea. It's their summer at that time so the weather would be nice. Lots to do in Australia. Australia has a few Marriott properties. I've stayed at the Sydney Harbor one.

Happy-I would love to know which of those cities are most walkable and have the most day trips offered and cultural experiences. Big cities don't necessarily intrigue me unless of course there offer something really unique (like Paris, Amsterdam or London etc). I was an Anthropology major (concentrating in Native American Studies) but have always been intrigued by the Asian culture. I grew up in Los Angeles and frequent NYC and Boston so a cosmopolitan big city lacking in history and culture would not be what I would be after and admittedly so, have no idea about any of the cities you mentioned except that Bangkok definitely has cultural sites, etc.

yul lite-Started looking at Australia. That is intriguing and it is on of our list. I will do some more research. I have always figured we would go to NZ before (because we are fly fisherpeople) but they have no Marriotts and it would put us in the same boat as Patagonia.

FenderP-Japan worried me weather wise that if I went all that way, I think I would like it to be warmer weather then what one might find in December. I had considered Vienna, Prague, Budapest but for the cold and the desire to see another area of the world.

I also started considering Quito...I am so confused! :confused:

Hong Kong can be cold and rainy, but it's a great city. I love Singapore around Christmas. Australia is also a good choice, but it will be crowded, especially around Sydney.

Instead of focusing on Marriotts, look for Ritz Carltons that interest you. Note that the RC Millennium in Singapore doesn't seem to participate in the MR/RC frequent guest program.

they (along with a few others) absolutely don't..........

[even though their website only lists RC exclusion:The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore currently does not participate in The Ritz-Carlton Rewards]

....... look for Ritz Carltons that interest you. Note that the RC Millennium in Singapore doesn't seem to participate in the MR/RC frequent guest program.

Good luck getting tickets.

I scored tickets on CX for my family to spend New Years in Thailand at 331 days out. Right now I am not seeing any availability. I'm checking daily because I would like to make some minor adjustments.

I like your Quito idea. You could spend a little time in Guayaquil, then do a cruise through Galapagos. And get South America for your daughter's continent quest.

Beaver Creek Ritz carlton and AA flies into eagle-vail airport.

A few years ago my wife and I (no kids) took a 2 week South American cruise (Santiago, Chile to Buenos Aires) and then followed that with a 1 week stay in Buenos Aires at the Marriott. We took 2 days out of our Buenos Aires week to fly up to Iguazu Falls and back.

I think you and your 10 year old would get a kick out of the penguin colonies that you can visit from some of the ports. And everyone would probably enjoy the glaciers while cruising the straits at the very southern tip of Chile.

Iguazu, if you've never been, is fabulously beautiful. I think Iguazu might be do-able in one day, but it would require a very early flight and a late return and I suspect you'd feel rushed. Also, South American airlines are not as reliable as US airlines. We had reserved an early flight up to Igauzu, but LAN bumped us to a later flight, so I was glad we had 2 days (and one night)there. We stayed on the Argentinian side - visiting the Brazilian side is supposed to require a visa. In Igauzu, I used Starwood points and stayed at the Starwood hotel in the park.

If you're hikers (and we did not do any serious hiking on our trip), there are some parks that you can visit although it probably won't be as grand a hiking opportunity as a land vacation in Chile.

So you had one afternoon and one morning to explore the falls? I'm thinking of heading that way, trying to determine if we need one night or two. Ideally I would like to check out both sides of the park.

Happy-I would love to know which of those cities are most walkable and have the most day trips offered and cultural experiences. Big cities don't necessarily intrigue me unless of course there offer something really unique (like Paris, Amsterdam or London etc). I was an Anthropology major (concentrating in Native American Studies) but have always been intrigued by the Asian culture. I grew up in Los Angeles and frequent NYC and Boston so a cosmopolitan big city lacking in history and culture would not be what I would be after and admittedly so, have no idea about any of the cities you mentioned except that Bangkok definitely has cultural sites, etc.


Are you kidding me about the cultural and historical aspects among those cities, you only think BKK has the cultural aspects? Seriously? Sounds to me you have TONS of homework to do... (though this should not be a surprise to me, given how narrow the knowledge base most American students seem to have...)

SIN is a tiny city - it is often referred to City State, or Island Nation. Excellent public transportation system and the city area is eminently walkable.

HKG is larger but again excellent public transportation system with Metro, Bus, Ferry (the Star Ferry is a legend, but there are also ferries to the outer islands). The city is made up of HKG Island, Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories (kind of like the country side, but a country side that is dotted with urban developments).

Kuala Lumpur is much larger, but the center of the town is walkable.

Bangkok is also much larger, with several clusters of interesting places.

All the above are full of diversified cultures, with the Kuala Lumpur has the most diversity. Each city also has its own characteristics in that you would NEVER confuse HKG with SIN, or KUL with BKK. ;)

If this is your first time to Asia, I would rank HKG the number 1 city you should visit. (Tokyo, too)

Tokyo has culture? Where? Now if you said Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Himiji (Kansai) I'd agree, but the Big Orange! It's NYC with a strange accent.........(along with Coney Island hotdogs and Cafe du Monde shops)

If this is your first time to Asia, I would rank HKG the number 1 city you should visit. (Tokyo, too)

Are you kidding me about the cultural and historical aspects among those cities, you only think BKK has the cultural aspects? Seriously? Sounds to me you have TONS of homework to do... (though this should not be a surprise to me, given how narrow the knowledge base most American students seem to have...)

SIN is a tiny city - it is often referred to City State, or Island Nation. Excellent public transportation system and the city area is eminently walkable.

HKG is larger but again excellent public transportation system with Metro, Bus, Ferry (the Star Ferry is a legend, but there are also ferries to the outer islands). The city is made up of HKG Island, Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories (kind of like the country side, but a country side that is dotted with urban developments).

Kuala Lumpur is much larger, but the center of the town is walkable.

Bangkok is also much larger, with several clusters of interesting places.

All the above are full of diversified cultures, with the Kuala Lumpur has the most diversity. Each city also has its own characteristics in that you would NEVER confuse HKG with SIN, or KUL with BKK. ;)

If this is your first time to Asia, I would rank HKG the number 1 city you should visit. (Tokyo, too)

I am trying not to take offense to the way you responded to my statement. I acknowledged from the get go that I do not know anything about these places and yet you seem to want to chastise me anyhow. The reason I made mention of BKK is because I had done some research on that city. I also take some offense to the fact that we American students are lacking in knowledge in this area. I stated I was an Anthropology major (cultural at that) and I could probably run circles around most non-Americans (and probably many Americans) when it comes to our native populations but yet you are condescending to me that I admittedly do not know much about the Asian cultures...not very polite in my mind.
Thank you for the information on the other cities. I will sit down and do my due diligence researching them all before I even consider posting another question to the good people on the forums here.