St. Regis New York: B+. Stayed here twice this year and twice last year. Beautiful rooms and hard product, but F&B Is a disaster. I want to love the King Cole Bar so much, and at its best it is fantastic, but service is just so spotty. Concierge confirmed a reservation the night before (originally made months earlier) for a restaurant that was fully shut down when we arrived at 7:30pm on a Saturday night in the Village. Needless to say we were not pleased and I don't think the service recovery was adequate. Housekeeping is consistently great, and the butler service actually works here. I will likely not return, but it was a great deal on Marriott points (now less-so, but still not bad).

Fullerton Bay Hotel: B+. Three nights here in May. Again, fantastic rooms and love the location. F&B was good, but not spectacular. Service in general was borderline dismissive. Would likely try the Raffles next time (it was not open yet during our stay).

Amanpulo: A. Nearly flawless stay. I did a full trip report but in short had really had a great time. It would have been elevated that much more if there was comfortable outdoor casita seating. It is crazy that there are only benches and no way to dine or comfortably lounge outside (other than on the beach). Just such a big miss that is easily fixable. Food was excellent, service was even better.

Legend Metropole Hanoi: A-. My favorite hotel bar in the world. Rooms were stunning. Check-in at 2am was the opposite of smooth and we got put in a terrible room. Service recovery in the morning was swift and everything was smooth sailing from then on. The only logical place to stay in Hanoi, especially considering rates are very, very reasonable by US standards. The lounge is not worth a single cent.

Carmel Valley Ranch: B. Stayed 2 nights for a wedding but had a good chance to sample the hotel's offerings. Rooms feel like an upscale Marriott, not true luxury. Service was well-intentioned but a bit of a mess. Breakfast was fantastic. Location is beautiful. Not a horrible stay by any means, but when returning to Carmel would likely not stay here.

Carlyle Hotel: A-. Quick one-night stay upgraded to a very large residential suite. Older room with a bathroom in desperate need of a renovation, but so much character otherwise. Breakfast was delectable, as were drinks at the bar. Service 110% the entire time, and we were rather needy for a one-night stay. The location is one of my favorites in NYC and the residential feel of the hotel is as close as it gets to actually living in NYC.

Mandarin Oriental Beijing: A+. An essentially perfect stay. One of the best hard products I've seen in a city hotel. We did a cocktail-making class at MOBar and had a ton of fun. Drinks every night at MOBar was a highlight. Cafe Zi was quite good for dinner. Breakfast was great, but not amazing. Concierge was unbeatable. Service perfect. Gym/spa is fantastic - spa manager is formerly Amanfayun and an absolute joy. The pool was closed for repair but they took care of us. Not cheap for Beijing but you get what you pay for. Would return in a heartbeat.

Ritz-Carlton Tokyo: B+. Had high expectations for this stay, but it kind of fell flat. Room is not as outdated as people say, but it is too dark. Not enough light at night to the point of frustration. Lobby is beautiful but the bar just doesn't live up. Service was cold and unwelcoming. The lobby atmosphere feels a bit like a convention center with massive crowds. As an American, I can say that there were just too many Americans. Breakfast was divine. Gym and sauna area one of the best. Service was perfunctory but left a little wanting. The concierge didn't miss a beat for months leading up to our stay, and executed everything perfectly. Would likely try Aman, MO or the new FS next time, but was an absolutely phenomenal deal on points (60K per night for a $1,200/night room).