I've been told Goodwill / Salvation Army locations are great to get them still in the box.

I will be in YVR in February ...

I could keep posting until it wakes up.

If it's a trip you're certain to take, then the one-ways are the way to go. I often have trips like that on mixed carriers (usually because WN has a crazy low fare one of the ways).

I waited too long. Price is now in the :rolleyes: range

Abbreviated trip report for Waldorf Astoria Trianon Palace, Versailles France:

When you think Trianon Palace or go to their website, you think a palace. If one goes to the slide show available here, slide 15 of 16 shows another structure, the Pavillon. Think Holiday Inn Express without amenities. For 40,000 - 60,000 points (50,000 - 60,000 points effective next month), this is where you get to stay. While the website describe views of park or gardens, my original room had a view of the community trampoline.

After much negotiation and a technician who told me I simply should shut off the heat, open windows, close windows, turn on heat throughout the night as needed, I was able to switch rooms. I already get up enough in the evening to use the restroom. My initial room (1336) was 28.5 C and rising - with the heat shut off - when I left. The room was dirty, with stains of various colors (will be in formal trip report). I also took a video of the bathroom I will not post to prevent illness among FT. Have you ever worked on a kitchen counter, looked at an angle, and saw an icky spot? Imagine the entire bathroom floor and sink counter.

Room number 2 (1327) was supposed to be quiet, clean, away from elevators, and less than 28 C. Was only the latter - the adjacent elevator had a misaligned door where one could hear the screeching when the elevator stopped on any floor. And don't ask me how one gets a large orange stain on a grey carpet and white stain on a black carpet. I was then struck by the hotel's perceived quality entitling them to not even try.

Off to the front desk I go. I still haven't incorporated "pound sand" into the formal vernacular. I did suggest they find a way to cancel my reservation, return my HHonors points, and I would simply go back to the Park Hyatt Paris. This resulted in room number 3 - a serviceable room with interesting features / shapes due to a number of dormers; there are only two or three units on the entire floor (6) above.

Hotel service overall was lacking - not getting some of the big things made the little things apparent. No guest information directory / tv directory. No check in amenity, even for HHonors members. Published rate of 55 euro to use the fitness room (attendant did explain when I asked that this sign was solely to turn off non-guests). Desk agent asked me to get concierge to print a copy of my confirmation - concierge said no. I didn't want to reach through the minibar to get the corkscrew so I asked the concierge if I could borrow one to avoid the potential of being charged from the minibar. Concierge told me to get the one out of the minibar. With the exception of one person at the front desk who tried, the hotel staff failed.

Has anyone tried to walk with me at my pace? Imagine 2.5 hours of burning off the headache I then had walking around the park of Versailles itself.

Service by restaurant staff at Gordon Ramsay's restaurants are a different story. Stellar would be an appropriate way to describe.

Would I recommend anyone redeem their HHonors points in this fashion? No. I'll probably burn the rest of my points on Hampton Inns en route to other events. I also question how this could be perceived as a 5-star.

My room tonight at Park Hyatt Paris has a view of the Place Vendome column (photo from Wikipedia - laptop doesn't have an SD port); this means I've now had pretty much all the PH Paris new experiences.

Depending upon your return dates, WN does have some decent fares for the return. Outbound is definitely :rolleyes:

SPG AmEx promotion for new card holders has apparently been revised from points (e.g. 10,000) to a free weeknight at a Category 1-6. The e-mail asking me to apply shows a photo of a Category 7.

Question for the Box / DC Hyatt MRs. Is there a way we can get the dates / locations for next week out there? I now think I'll miss everyone but here's what I have:

A. 1-2 Jan - Hyatt Fair Lakes on a ridiculously low rate.
B. 2-3 Jan - Hyatt Dulles or Hyatt Place Chantilly / Airport South, the former at a lower rate by $3 and full breakfast but the latter with 500 more GP points.

On the 3rd, I head to the condo in Gatlinburg but would be happy to meet up with anyone in town.

More multi-quoting fun.:p With ALCO somewhere cris-crossing the globs, I will so engage.:D

And so it came to pass that "More is More":-:

Keep the faith!

Hmmmmmmm, well CHANGE must come to Canukistan as well I suppose.:p

Good Morning B:rolleyes:x!

It's very well mid-afternoon in Paris at the moment. I'm thinking of exploring the casino action.

Indeed, it is. Seems like you're enjoying the City of Lights! Mrs. GTITAN loves Paris. I tend to be a little more of an Amsterdam guy myself.:-:

WOW! This sounds like a total ripoff. Even for 'low' points, that is unacceptable.

British Intelligence obtained these pictures two days ago. She's the Red October, the latest in Typhoon-class.

("Those doors, sir, are the problem." I don't know what they are; neither do the British. Perhaps our friends in Murmansk have come up with something new.")

"Your boat, Captain?"

There is little room in Tupolev's heart for anyone but Tupolev.

(Dr. Petrov? Report to my cabin immediately; there's been a dreadful accident.")

I read an article a few years ago that said his daily work driver was a Lexus, and the collector cars stay in the garage at the house on the island.

We got them for Christmas. :rolleyes:

Fair point, but even I surprised myself with the math score.

Haha.

First off, the desk agent should not have sent you away. :td:

Secondly, no good concierge ever says "no" in an an outright fashion like that. Even if what the guest is asking for INP, you come up with a better way of saying it.

Third, I do find it a little surprising that you expected such high levels of service by the French, despite the property being so purportedly upscale. This having been said from the guy who remembers being in Paris at about age nine or so and having ordered Corn Flakes for breakfast, only to be presented with a dry bowl of cereal. :rolleyes: Apparently putting milk on cereal so as to make it edible is a special order.

Morning, Box. Onsite orientation today - not a full work day but it's something.