Travel Gadget Reviews

Hotel Review: J.W Marriott in Dongdaemun

Posted by Travel Gadget Reviews | Aug 25, 2016 | Hotel Reviews | 0

I have never stayed at a J.W. Marriott property before, so my family and I were excited to try out the J.W. Marriott in Dongdaemun on our first trip to Seoul! Given that the hotel is part of the JW brand (the luxury arm of Marriott) and the hotel is highly rated, I had high expectations going into the trip. I knew it was going to be an interesting stay, starting with the taxi ride to the hotel. FIRST IMPRESSIONS I knew it was going to be a comfortable stay the moment I walked into the room. Some rooms...

Baby Born On Airplane & What NOT to Say to a New Mom

Posted by Travel Gadget Reviews | Aug 21, 2016 | News | 0

By now, most people may have come across the recent news that a baby was born aboard a flight on the Cebu Pacific airline. The mother had a quick delivery and she and the baby are both doing just fine. The story has an added happy ending too; the baby has been given a gift of a million miles by the airline! A STRAY COMMENT What I found interesting was a stray comment I read somewhere. Someone posted that s/he hopes that the million miles doesn’t incentivize other expectant moms-to-be to do the same. I am thinking, “Really?” First,...

Always Get a Taxi Card for Your Hotel

Posted by Travel Gadget Reviews | Aug 18, 2016 | 7

TRAVEL TIP OF THE DAY Always get a taxi card from your hotel, especially when you’re in a different country. To be honest, I have not heard of the term “taxi card” until my recent trip to Asia. Essentially, it’s a hotel card for the taxi driver, and it usually comes with the name of the hotel, address, phone number, and a little map. The basic idea is that it provides directional guidance to drivers on how to get to your hotel, and also a way for the taxi driver to contact the hotel if they are still lost....

Citi’s Prestige 4th Night Free Card Benefit: Results!

Posted by Travel Gadget Reviews | Aug 15, 2016 | Hotels | 0

A few months ago, I booked a hotel stay using the Citi’s Prestige Card to try out the fourth night free benefit. In short, Citi reimburses you for the 4th night of the hotel’s costs if you are a Citi Prestige cardholder and you book 4 or more consecutive nights through Citi’s Concierge Service. I booked a stay at the Intercontinental Fuzhou. Waiting for reimbursement The booking process with Citi’s Concierge Service was pleasant, and I got a confirmation email after the call detailing the expected reimbursement rates. Everything seemed to be working as it should. Of course, to...

Ever heard of the “DisneySea” theme park at the Disney Resort?

Posted by Travel Gadget Reviews | Aug 11, 2016 | Hotels | 2

Most people have heard of Disneyland, but did you know that there is a DisneySea theme park out there? I love Disney and I am a huge Disney fan, but I actually didn’t know about a DisneySea until I was planning my trip to Japan. Not surprisingly, Disneyland made it to the shortlist of places I want to visit in Japan “as time allows”. As I looked for more information about the park, that’s when I learned there is another theme park called DisneySea. This piqued my interest immediately. I’ve been to a few Disneylands; DisneySea is something...

Crash Course in Negotiation: How Well Can You Do It?

Posted by Travel Gadget Reviews | Aug 8, 2016 | 0

Negotiation seems scary to some people, but the reality is that we negotiate every day to an extent. From hard-working parents who had to deal with kids crying or throwing a tantrum at the store to the a salesperson trying to land a deal, we all negotiate everyday. However, some people also seemed more skilled at it than others. If you’ve ever taken any negotiation course, one of the most basic negotiation theories that is taught is BATNA. Personally, I find the acronym a bit sleep-inducing, but BATNA stands for “Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement”. It is just...

Hilton Hotel Executive Lounge Access: DENIED!

Posted by Travel Gadget Reviews | Aug 4, 2016 | Hotels | 4

My family and I recently stayed at the Hilton Tokyo for a family trip, and I was denied access to the executive lounge at check-in. To be fair, I wasn’t expecting access to the lounge in the first place, but to be selectively denied didn’t feel quite right to me, either. Basically, we had two reservations: I booked one room and my brother covered the second. We are both Hilton Honors Gold members. Rules on Executive Room Access The rules are clear. According to Hilton Honors benefits section, for Gold members: “You and up to one additional registered guest...

Hotel Review: Hilton Tokyo (Shinjuku), Japan

Posted by Travel Gadget Reviews | Aug 2, 2016 | Hotel Reviews, Hotels | 4

I recently stayed at the Hilton Tokyo in Shinjuku for 6 nights on a family trip. It was our first visit to Tokyo, Japan. We booked two rooms for our stay, and we also requested an extra bed for one of the rooms. Getting to the Hotel We were traveling from the Haneda International Airport. Prior to arrival, I figured out that the best way to get to the hotel is to take the Airport Limousine Shuttle. There were 5 of us and we had a few luggage with us, so a regular taxi wasn’t going to work. It...

Hotel Review: ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Kyoto

Posted by Travel Gadget Reviews | Aug 1, 2016 | Hotel Reviews, Hotels | 0

I recently visited Kyoto, Japan, and booked a stay at the ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel, Kyoto. I booked two rooms for my party, at the best flexible rate of 14,000 Japanese Yen (~$140 USD per night). This rate was on par with other area hotels at the time of my stay. As an IHG elite member, one of the rooms got upgraded to a deluxe room. I was originally planning to stay at the Westin Miyako Kyoto, but changed my mind at the last minute. We were only in Kyoto for a night, so I wanted to stay somewhere...

Open Letter: I Love to Travel Because…

Posted by Travel Gadget Reviews | Jul 29, 2016 | Uncategorized | 0

Dear Open Letter: Travel is many things to different people. For some, travel might just be a fun adventure, or a chance to visit friends and family. For others, it might be about stepping out of comfort zones and embarking on a new journey. For all the joys of traveling, it is not always roses and sunshine. Sometimes you might end up waking up before the crack of dawn asking yourself, “Why in the world did I book myself into this God-early flight?” During your travel, you might get tired feet, sore back, or even an upset...