A Few Hotels I Love, and Why I Will Never Stay There
Perhaps my favorite part of the travel (rewards) experience is the free hotel stay. Whether it’s a quick overnight stop along an interstate or a weeks-long jaunt where I forget what day it is, I love the unique wrinkles of every property we visit. As we travel, we like to view area hotels that interest us, maybe for a meal or out of mere curiosity as we size up a potential future stay. There are also several hotels I love, but I would absolutely never stay there for reasons some may consider wacky. Here are just a few and why you’ll never see me checking in there.
Four Seasons Resort Orlando
Not surprisingly, we’ve been impressed with each of our stays at Four Seasons properties. The Lodge at Koele on Lanai (now the Four Seasons Sensei) has been our favorite experience with the brand, probably. Since we are avid Walt Disney World fans, the Four Seasons resort in Orlando has drawn my interest. Most everything about the property seems perfect. A five-acre water park onsite? Wow. Excellent, varied dining options? Check. And so much more, with Walt Disney World a close by neighbor.
Why I’ll Never Stay There: Sure, the prices are high, but that’s not the exact reason we won’t stay here. Yes, it’s expensive, but cash back rewards and other promos can turn this into a “free” stay. Our Orlando trips are full of Disney World fun, and we aren’t in the hotel enough to enjoy the amenities. Quite simply, we can’t maximize our Disney World visits and a luxurious resort in the same trip. The alternative would be going to Orlando to exclusively focus on a resort like this one. But we aren’t interested in going to Orlando solely to stay at a luxurious resort. We can do that much more easily and cheaply (in points) in other locations.
Grand Bohemian Hotel Asheville
As part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, the Grand Bohemian is located outside the gates of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. The Biltmore and the overall Asheville area encapsulate one of our favorite areas to visit. The Grand Bohemian holds plenty of character, designed in a Tudor style amidst this mountainous region. Marriott redemption rates for this category 7 property normally range from 45k to 70k points per night. I’m most interested in visiting the Red Stag Grill Lounge onsite.
Why I’ll Never Stay There: After the Marriott/SPG merger and the related loyalty program updates, I pledged to avoid Marriott properties indefinitely. My reasons are too long for this article, but as a previous top-tier SPG member, I immediately felt the program’s devaluation. Also, as a big fan of hotel breakfast offerings, I’ve been completely turned off by the complex breakfast “benefits” for Marriott loyalists. The time commitment for understanding Marriott’s breakfast policy is daunting for me, and it’s time I cannot get back. In my opinion, Marriott has effectively turned benefitting from their loyalty program into unpleasant work, perhaps by design. Maybe I’m an old man yelling “get off my lawn,” but I can’t reconcile Marriott’s current program with the vastly superior SPG version from days gone by.
Hilton Anatole Dallas
The most sprawling of all hotels I love, the Anatole first opened in 1979 nearby Dallas Market Center and has been managed by various chains. Originally opened as a Loews property, Wyndham took over management in 1995; it was then rebranded as a Hilton in 2005. The property has a resort-like feel with downtown Dallas as an immediate neighbor. The pool area is vast, and the property opened a waterpark, JadeWaters, in 2016. The hotel holds the Verandah fitness club, boasting an indoor lap pool, basketball, racquetball, and squash courts among the usual cardio gear and weights. True to its conversion into a full-on resort property – according to Hilton, at least – resort fees amount to ~$27 per day.
Why I’ll Never Stay There: The property is great for families wanting a central location and variety of hotel amenities in the Dallas area. However, I simply cannot bring myself to stay there now for one silly reason: friends and I stayed there the night of our high school prom. I think staying here again would just feel weird. I also would like to leave the happy memories of this property in high school. The hotel peaked for me back then; hopefully, I haven’t.
Econo Lodge & Suites on the River, Gatlinburg
During a trip to the Smoky Mountains region near Gatlinburg, TN a few years ago, we walked by this property, one of the more quaint Econo Lodges I have ever seen. The lodge sits in a walkable area nearby many Gatlinburg attractions while having riverfront views from rooms and suites. You can find all of the usual, basic Econo Lodge amenities here, but also spacious two bedroom suites featuring living rooms or fireplaces. Nearby are snow skiing, whitewater rafting, and 900 miles of hiking trails within Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Why I’ll Never Stay There: Long story short, I can’t bring myself to burn a “family favor” on staying at an Econo Lodge. Plus, there are some other properties the family would prefer nearby. We loved our stay at Gatlinburg’s Hilton Garden Inn, and a few IHG properties have caught our eyes, as well. But I could go solo for a stay at this Econo Lodge, right? Well yeah, but Gatlinburg isn’t high on my list of places to travel solo. Also, I don’t have any plans to pass through this area en route to other destinations any time soon.
Hotels I Love – Conclusion
Overall, I’ve reflected on the idea of staying in certain hotels just as much as the reality of doing so. And that’s fine with me. After all, the idealized version of certain experiences bests the reality sometimes. Regardless, allowing my mind to periodically take over reminds me of travel’s endless possibilities and spurs me to further embrace my wanderlust. Have you been intrigued by any hotels that you’ve subsequently concluded to never visit? Why or why not?
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No places are worth it anymore with the continuing COVID-related restrictions (no breakfasts, no lounge, no ‘social hour’ etc.)
These aren’t going away anytime soon and this new normal may become permanent. It’s a huge devaluation to all hotel points in all programs.
Billy Bob,
Interesting take. I wasn’t looking at this article from a pandemic perspective, but you may be on to something. What you mentioned above is one of the major reasons we haven’t blown a bunch of hotel points during the pandemic.
Any Waldorf Astoria. Not sure if there worth it to blow my points on …
Tim,
I hear you! We enjoyed our stay at the Orlando property right after it opened, but we haven’t stayed in another one since. Waldorf properties still intrigue us, though, and the right points rate might draw us in. Although that may never happen!
The Waldorf Beverly Hills was absolutely worth 95k points. Really a to-notch property. And I’ve found other Waldorfs to be great for weekend night certificates, even if I wouldn’t drop 95k points on them, as is standard for most Waldorfs.
Thanks for sharing your experiences with the Beverly Hills property. Good point about the certs – an excellent use at properties with high point rates!
Was thinking exactly this one. May be worth it to go to for the FNC. But what makes them so special…
I’ve stayed at the Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas on two separate visits. I find them to be a reasonable use of a Hilton Free Night Certificate. Normally costs are 80k per night or about $400-$500 after resort fees and taxes. It still has a lot of the vibe of its previous life as a Mandarin Oriental.
Don B,
We stayed at the property back in the Mandarin Oriental days and enjoyed it. It’s nice to know you had a good experience there in its second life as a Waldorf Astoria!
Sorry to disagree but the Waldorf Rome Cavalieri is the finest hotel I’ve ever stayed at. The view from our room overlooking Rome and the Vatican is breath taking. The service in hotel and restaurants is amazing and then the rooms. Even a std. King is almost 50sq M and the 1br suite we were upgraded to was just perfect.