AMRivlin

I have some ambitious plans (for me), and would like some feedback.

This trip would be done over 30 days, utilizing miles (AA, UA, BA+companion Voucher) and a industry hotel (4*) rate.

Here is the summary: All prices - 2 passengers

New York: September 7 (US Open Finals)
YVR-JFK CX F 50,000 miles (AA)
(Hotel $199 per night) 3-4 nights

London: Sept 11
JFK-LHR-(HKG) BA F 150,000 Miles (BA) +$1,888
(Hotel $199) 3-4 Nights

Paris: Sept 15
LHR-Paris
Chunnel $120
(Hotel $260) 3-4 Nights

Istanbul:** Sept 18
CGD-IST $300
(Hotel $150) 5-6 Nights

Hong Kong: Sept 24
IST-LHR-HKG
Langham Hotel ($150) 2-3 Nights

Shanghai: Sept 27
HKG-PVG 140,000 CA/AC F
(Hotel $150) 2-3 Nights

Beijing: Sept 30
PVG-PEK
(Hotel $150) 2-3 Nights

Home: October 4
PEK-YVR

Award Flights (F)
AA50,000 (YVR-JFK, CX F) (This may be 32.5k*2, unsure from AA's site)
BA150,000 (JFK-LHR-HKG, BA F) Utilizing 2-4-1 Voucher + $2000 YQ
UA140,000 (HKG-PVG-PEK-YVR, CA/AC F)


Cash Flights
LHR-CDG-IST-LHR
$120+300+300

4*+ Major Brand Hotels (Industry Rate)
~30 Nights $5000 (~$166 per night)

Tours and Food
$150 per day = $4500

Estimated Costs: $10,000+/-

What are people's thoughts? I know 30 days isn't enough, but I think this would be a comprehensive RTW and taking advantage of BA companion voucher and a hotel industry rate.

**Note: IST may be substituted for FCO (TBD)

AMRivlin

Mod: If this is the wrong forum please move. Much appreciated.

UNHBuzzard

I'd add in more funds for transportation (at the end of a day I'll cab it back to the hotel no matter how poor I am), visas if nec, international voice/data if nec... you get the idea. While a solid framework, I'd easily add 20% in the misc column, if not more... unless you've proven to easily travel on budget previously (where I fail).

Moomba

As this is not a trip report I will move it into the MilesBuzz! forum.

Moomba
Moderator: Trip Reports

dagaetch

I do not envy your jetlag I would think about moving a day from Istanbul to Hong Kong, and planning on that day for sleeping/laundry/recovery.

Could be worth looking into getting some hotel cards to try and offset those costs - industry rate is good, but free is even better!

AMRivlin

what is a card? like a gift card?

Or a credit card, the industry rate doesn't earn nights.

Maybe some can suggest alternatives, but I am also very excited to try some of these properties. As I firm up my schedule I will post actual destinations.

$166 a night average over 30 nights... $5000, that is a lot of money.

peachfront

Way too much money for hotels. You could do better with priceline. Or at least I could. Like the other guy said, also apply for some credit cards that give you enough points to give you a few free hotel days. That would help bring down the average cost too. But don't stay at big box "industry rate" hotels if you can get a better price/location by thinking out of the box.

Istanbul is beautiful but if you have enough time, you might ultimately save a little money and have an unbelievable experience if you catch a cheap flight to Kayseri and spend some time in a cave hotel near Goreme. I did this, and it was wonderful! Cheap too. I think my cave cost something like $25 a night with breakfast in 2009. Cave owner helped set up ground transport from Kayseri to Goreme and back for me. Hotel in Istanbul (a hotel owned by Turks not a big box) was almost $100 a night. Of course you will not want to skip Istanbul altogether, as it's really wonderful.

I actually stayed at a hostel (really a private room) in the ChungKing Mansions in Hong Kong which is very well located but maybe a little TOO adventurous for the average flyertalker. But I don't think you should spend your entire RTW trip in big box hotels. What's the point? They will be the same as your big box in YVR, promise!

OK, that's all my random thoughts for now.

crimson12

I stayed at the Hotel Benito in Hong Kong just by the TST station a couple of years ago and it was well under $166. (About $100 IIRC.) It was relatively new then, so maybe they had cheaper prices to build business, but you should check it out.

Agree that a hotel credit card might be worth your while. If you're going to be staying at major brand hotels anyway, might as well do it for free. (Also consider the Chase Sapphire, with 50k points, which transfer to Hyatt)

GRALISTAIR

Hong Kong: Sept 24
IST-LHR-HKG

Do I read this write (kudos to you if I do) - You are going Istanabul to London to go back to Honkers? Wow

AMRivlin

YVR-JFK-LHR-HKG is basically a British Airways 2 for 1 award voucher ticket.

But to get to HKG, it has to be through London.

So if we want to see any of Europe it requires backtracking to get to the BA metal hub.

There is a reason I am asking here to get advice, to improve my plans. We will do more research and price comparisons down the road.

As for some of the hotel comments, I know $5k is pretty high, but let me put it this way, I could never afford to pay retail at some of the hotels I am considering, but at an industry rate, why wouldn't I want to?

Plaza, Savoy, Le Royal, Peace Hotel

I will definitely look into better options such as the cave hostel and boutique style locations, but I don't think in Europe I will find shoestring spots unless I backpack.

I think $166 a night is below most rack rates.

crimson12

Well you didn't say that.

If you want to travel cheaply, $166/night is not the way to go. But if you can get the Plaza Hotel in New York for $166/night, well, that in itself is worth a trip to New York. In your original post you just said "major brand hotels", but you're really talking "top few in the country" hotels. So in that case $166 is well worth it.

EqualOpp

www.hostelworld.com

Hostels ain't what they used to be....

Lots of new boutique ones, or there are B&Bs on there too.....like earlier poster...get a private room and one still would have new people to talk to in the social areas. (Though personally..I won't go for the Chungking Mansions... :-) ) Can see pictures, etc..on the website. Some cities have better hostel infrastructure than others.

Luxury hotels look all the same after awhile...and so do big cities...

Have done 2 RTW (5+7 months) and stayed at enough 5* hotels in my life...and have been to all those cities. Planning excursions and overnights to smaller towns may make things more interesting...unless you (two) really love big cities. Though it may just all be a blur if that is all you do.


Too much of anything....it's all relative to one's frame of ref though.

If you go for a hostel, don't like it...then one will appreciate the 5* place that much more...

AMRivlin

It would be 4* and 5* destination hotels. Most are Conde nast Gold / premium destinations.

crimson12

That makes the price more reasonable. But some of those destination hotels are also affiliated with other programs (the Plaza, for example, is a Fairmont hotel, IIRC; Hilton has the Waldorf=Astoria collection, etc.), so you may yet be able to improve your outlays.