Luxury Hotels Forum "Presidential Suite Lounge" -- All Welcome!!
Jun 25, 2019, 2:17 pm
#1517
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Palo Alto, CA, USA
Posts: 3,222
Jun 25, 2019, 2:23 pm
#1518
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,745
This hotel looks amazing, near Hermanus, South Africa, on undeveloped coastline.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/past-six-days/2019-06-22/travel/see-south-africas-secret-coast-in-style-vmg9bfhqv?utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=newsl etter_105&utm_medium=email&utm_content=105_6415412 &CMP=TNLEmail_118918_6415412_105
Lekkerwater has just seven double guest rooms, and the whole eastern portion of the reserve to explore.
Re the food:
Before coming to run Lekkerwater with her husband, Burt (the lodge’s Mr Fixit), she was the chef/owner for more than a decade of the well-regarded Barefoot Cook restaurant in Hermanus. Not only is her cuisine imaginative and fresh, but it is artistically presented: slivers of rare beef with orange honey served on dramatic black ceramics; chunks of Cape cheese, homemade bread and thyme butter with sweetened black figs on wooden boards; stewed, herbed apricots and cream in mini kilner jars.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/past-six-days/2019-06-22/travel/see-south-africas-secret-coast-in-style-vmg9bfhqv?utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=newsl etter_105&utm_medium=email&utm_content=105_6415412 &CMP=TNLEmail_118918_6415412_105
Lekkerwater has just seven double guest rooms, and the whole eastern portion of the reserve to explore.
Re the food:
Before coming to run Lekkerwater with her husband, Burt (the lodge’s Mr Fixit), she was the chef/owner for more than a decade of the well-regarded Barefoot Cook restaurant in Hermanus. Not only is her cuisine imaginative and fresh, but it is artistically presented: slivers of rare beef with orange honey served on dramatic black ceramics; chunks of Cape cheese, homemade bread and thyme butter with sweetened black figs on wooden boards; stewed, herbed apricots and cream in mini kilner jars.
Jun 26, 2019, 1:26 pm
#1519
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 6,433
I wonder if there are any rewards credit cards that are preferred around here.
Airline miles aren't very useful these days for those who fly business or first, due to devaluation of the programs.
Hotel points don't seem very valuable for many luxury hotel brands or if you're staying in better rooms. For example, so far as I can tell, Marriott points are generally only useful for base rooms, although Hyatt will often allow points upgrades to suites if you pay cash for a base room.
FHR does not seem to offer any benefits you can't get through Virtuoso or various preferred partner TAs.
A card with no foreign exchange fee is useful, but there are lots of those.
I hope this subject is on topic for this thread.
Airline miles aren't very useful these days for those who fly business or first, due to devaluation of the programs.
Hotel points don't seem very valuable for many luxury hotel brands or if you're staying in better rooms. For example, so far as I can tell, Marriott points are generally only useful for base rooms, although Hyatt will often allow points upgrades to suites if you pay cash for a base room.
FHR does not seem to offer any benefits you can't get through Virtuoso or various preferred partner TAs.
A card with no foreign exchange fee is useful, but there are lots of those.
I hope this subject is on topic for this thread.
Jun 26, 2019, 1:32 pm
#1520
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Southern California, USA
Programs: Marriott Ambassador and LTT, UA Plat/LT Gold, AA Gold
Posts: 8,764
I wonder if there are any rewards credit cards that are preferred around here.
Airline miles aren't very useful these days for those who fly business or first, due to devaluation of the programs.
Hotel points don't seem very valuable for many luxury hotel brands or if you're staying in better rooms. For example, so far as I can tell, Marriott points are generally only useful for base rooms, although Hyatt will often allow points upgrades to suites if you pay cash for a base room.
FHR does not seem to offer any benefits you can't get through Virtuoso or various preferred partner TAs.
A card with no foreign exchange fee is useful, but there are lots of those.
I hope this subject is on topic for this thread.
Airline miles aren't very useful these days for those who fly business or first, due to devaluation of the programs.
Hotel points don't seem very valuable for many luxury hotel brands or if you're staying in better rooms. For example, so far as I can tell, Marriott points are generally only useful for base rooms, although Hyatt will often allow points upgrades to suites if you pay cash for a base room.
FHR does not seem to offer any benefits you can't get through Virtuoso or various preferred partner TAs.
A card with no foreign exchange fee is useful, but there are lots of those.
I hope this subject is on topic for this thread.
Jun 26, 2019, 2:38 pm
#1521
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 6,433
I recommend Chase Ultimate Rewards cards for luxury travel. You can transfer them to airlines with business class (and some First Class) like United, Singapore, British Air (making AA sometimes accessible), Virgin Atlantic (making DL sometimes accessible), and Air France...as well as Southwest for USA domestic short hops. You also can transfer them to Hyatt--which allows standard suite and premium suite awards using those points.
Jun 26, 2019, 2:43 pm
#1522
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,745
Check Air France. I book near the end of the redemption calendar. I just booked flights for 53K one way in biz, LAX-CDG-FCO and reverse. This is for May 2020. I felt as though I had found gold at the end of the rainbow.
Jun 26, 2019, 3:23 pm
#1523
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 6,433
I'm not sure how much of a difference there is between "gold at the end of the rainbow" and "astonishingly low" in this context.
Jun 26, 2019, 3:40 pm
#1524
Moderator: Delta SkyMiles, Luxury Hotels, TravelBuzz! and Italy
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 26,543
Excellent!! We booked 53K ow Biz +91K ow for total of 144K Round trip on AF, Biz, LAX-CDG-VCE November, 2019. The more expensive reward ticket was for a shorter connection in CDG and more desirable flight out of LAX. Used Chase UR Points.
Jun 27, 2019, 12:36 am
#1527
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 34,339
With Amex Centurion you get much better FHR benefits, especially at the chains that have agreements with Amex. Which includes Marriott's Ritz Carlton. I've benefited greatly over the years. And Membership Rewards is a bit better with a Centurion card.
Jun 27, 2019, 10:30 am
#1528
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Palo Alto, CA, USA
Posts: 3,222
There is a piece in today’s WSJ about the Sapphire Reserve card and issues with United, and interesting data on mileage benefits (or not).
Last edited by KatW; Jun 27, 2019 at 10:53 am