Pointbreaks Discussion Master Thread [merged]
Jan 25, 2011, 6:43 am
#3706
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: YYZ
Programs: A3&O6 Gold,IC AMB & HH Diamond
Posts: 14,136
Jan 25, 2011, 6:48 am
#3707
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: UK
Programs: IHG
Posts: 1,316
I'm not really surprised at all. I think three factors brought this about. 1) The flood of points available to members via promotions, especially Crack the Case, but many people also sign up for several others promotions by recycling promo codes. (This may be IHG's fault but people still took advantage of this too much to stay below the radar.) 2) The booking of many PB rooms months in advance at many different hotels even when they had no intention of using all or even most of these reservations. Just holding reservations costs the hotels money. 3) Business is better. The economy is getting better. Right? There is not as much excess inventory as in recent years (2008-2010).
Jan 25, 2011, 7:05 am
#3708
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 5,041
I'm not really surprised at all. I think three factors brought this about. 1) The flood of points available to members via promotions, especially Crack the Case, but many people also sign up for several others promotions by recycling promo codes. (This may be IHG's fault but people still took advantage of this too much to stay below the radar.) 2) The booking of many PB rooms months in advance at many different hotels even when they had no intention of using all or even most of these reservations. Just holding reservations costs the hotels money. 3) Business is better. The economy is getting better. Right? There is not as much excess inventory as in recent years (2008-2010).
Jan 25, 2011, 9:40 am
#3709
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: cleveland, oh, usa
Programs: HHonors Gold, Priority Club Plat, AAdvantage, Delta Skymiles, others including Amtrak Guest Rewards
Posts: 786
Provided the drive from CLE to Buffalo isn't risky in February (never know haha), I've booked 2 nights in Buffalo due to it's proximity to Niagara Falls. Not *real* close, but the Falls in winter can be even more spectacular than other times of the year!
Jan 25, 2011, 9:54 am
#3710
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: YYZ
Programs: A3&O6 Gold,IC AMB & HH Diamond
Posts: 14,136
Good for you Sharon, I think Fifth Ave is not that close to Buffalo. Isn't it too cold for Niagara Falls? I stayed at the Marriott with a view of the falls, it was great but it was in the summer.
Jan 25, 2011, 10:59 am
#3712
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: cleveland, oh, usa
Programs: HHonors Gold, Priority Club Plat, AAdvantage, Delta Skymiles, others including Amtrak Guest Rewards
Posts: 786
We've been there before in winter, ice formations, etc. are beautiful. Indeed it can be cold, but especially over in Canada there are plenty of food/drink establishments to enjoy the view from... as well as trying our luck at the casinos 
Just posted here suggesting an option for Buffalo, of course NYC may be warmer <!!> and definitely more than a hop-skip-jump away lol
Just posted here suggesting an option for Buffalo, of course NYC may be warmer <!!> and definitely more than a hop-skip-jump away lol
Jan 25, 2011, 11:12 am
#3713
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 3,617
Yeah this appears to be setting a trend for PBs. Absolute **** lists repeatedly now.
Jan 25, 2011, 11:36 am
#3714
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,653
Tell me what you want to know about it and I'll answer it in my trip report. I am loving the newness of the hotel.
Jan 25, 2011, 2:11 pm
#3716
Join Date: Apr 2004
Programs: AA, UA, SQ, VA, QF, AF, BA
Posts: 2,867
Those look like the best two properties on the Asia Pacific list- since you seem familiar with both, can you give a little more insight into what they are like (location, amenities- eg, Pelican Waters looks like a golf resort- any good for visiting the rest of the Gold Coast? How is the location and facilities at HI Jaipur?).
Thanks in advance,
Friendly
Thanks in advance,
Friendly
Pelican Waters is in the Sunshine Coast but we rarely go up there. I need this one to come up in Sept-Oct so I can use points for the stay and charge breakfast to the room to get a hit for US Grand Slam. Right hotels, wrong time!
Jan 25, 2011, 3:59 pm
#3718
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Despite the abbreviated offering this time around (again), I'm still going to get great use out of the list as HIX ORD at 5k points beats even Priceline/Hotwire for my short night stays around ORD.
Jan 25, 2011, 10:50 pm
#3719
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Tokyo
Programs: NW Diamond, LH SEN, PC Spire - RA, TG PlatHyatt Diamond
Posts: 585
No surprise by the unatractive new list, but at least I could use CP Narita for after and before flights out of NRT. The BFR is around 9000JPY (+3000JPY for double supplement).
Last edited by spunk_tokyo; Jan 25, 2011 at 10:57 pm
Jan 25, 2011, 10:58 pm
#3720
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Tokyo
Programs: NW Diamond, LH SEN, PC Spire - RA, TG PlatHyatt Diamond
Posts: 585