Hotels

How I Rate

I really appreciate hospitality and making my stay memorable. For whatever reason I am traveling to this spot, I hope that when the day is over, I have a nice room to come back to and perhaps breakfast in the morning before starting the next day’s adventure. I prioritize hospitality and service, value for points or cash or coupons, and location as top three most important qualifiers. I then value room size and feel (bottom line must be clean). I then value food (if included), amenities, and any extra noteworthy features that impact my stay.

Hotels Visited

Azur Hotel Collection (FHR) | Vancouver, Canada | Nov 28 – Nov 30, 2025 | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ½ (3.5 / 5)

Service
Great valet experience — fully comped using the FHR credit. Front desk was friendly but the hotel was clearly at capacity and no upgrade was available.

Room
Very modern and clean, but extremely small. Fine for a short stay, not ideal with luggage.

Food & Beverage
Nothing particularly notable during this stay.

Location
Excellent central location and very walkable.

Price / Value
Worth it with FHR benefits. Would not pay cash.

Amenities / Special Notes
Thanksgiving weekend crowds noticeably impacted the experience. I probably wouldn’t return to Vancouver during that holiday.

Brandon’s Rec
Would stay again with FHR. Skip if paying cash.

Fairmont Waterfront Hotel (FHR) | Vancouver, Canada | Nov 27 - Nov 28, 2025 | ⭐ ⭐ ½ (2.5 / 5)

Service
Chaotic and cramped check-in, likely due to conferences plus holiday travel from Washington. No upgrade despite FHR booking.

Room
Fine, but underwhelming for expectations of a Fairmont.

Food & Beverage
Breakfast buffet was mediocre and required about a 30-minute wait. Used the FHR credit on room service instead.

Location
Waterfront area is nice and the harbor views were spectacular — easily the highlight.

Price / Value
Valet was $85/night and not covered by FHR credit. Overall poor value given the experience.

Amenities / Special Notes
Property felt overwhelmed and not well suited for peak travel periods.

Brandon’s Rec
Would not stay again. Better options exist in Vancouver.

Rosewood Hotel Georgia (FHR) | Vancouver, Canada | Oct 11 - Oct 12, 2025 | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ½ (4.5 / 5)

Service
Top-tier service from start to finish. FHR upgrade applied and staff was consistently polished and attentive.

Room
Beautifully designed, upscale, and very comfortable. Felt like true luxury.

Food & Beverage
Prophecy Bar is one of the best bars in North America — reservations required, excellent cocktails, and a classy atmosphere. Three restaurants on property. Rooftop dining was okay, but not a standout compared to the bar.

Location
Central downtown location with easy access around the city.

Price / Value
Strong value when booked via FHR. Credits and upgrade materially improved the stay.

Amenities / Special Notes
This was easily the best overall hotel experience in Vancouver.

Brandon’s Rec
100% would stay again. My top Vancouver pick.

Isla Bella Beach Resort & Spa (FHR) | Aug 21 - Aug 25, 2024 | Marathon, Florida Keys | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (4 / 5)

Service
Early check-in was available. Staff was friendly and accommodating. Requested a birthday package — they misspelled “Happy Birthday” as “Happy Brithday,” which was more funny than annoying.

Room
Room upgrade did not come through (possibly due to the birthday package). Room itself was fine.

Food & Beverage
Amazing breakfast included with FHR — one of the highlights of the stay.

Location
Beautiful Keys location with a scenic drive from start to tip.

Price / Value
Strong value with FHR benefits. Would happily return.

Amenities / Special Notes
Private “beach” that was more scenic than usable. Great amenities: kayaks, tandem bikes, and lots of nearby outdoor activities. Very family-friendly.

Brandon’s Rec
Would 100% stay again and recommend. Just don’t come for the beach.

Willow’s Lodge (THC) | July 22 - July 23 2024 | Woodinville, Washington | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ½ (4.5 / 5)

Service
Outstanding hospitality. Staff consistently greeted us by name and acknowledged our anniversary throughout the stay.

Room
Upgraded from a “Nicer” room to a “Nicest” room. King bed, private patio, gas fireplace, oversized jetted tub, and rain shower. Anniversary “lovers” package was a thoughtful touch.

Food & Beverage
Multiple on-site dining options. The Barking Frog was our go-to and consistently solid.

Location
Great Woodinville winery location with lots to do nearby.

Price / Value
Paid cash and felt it was absolutely worth it.

Amenities / Special Notes
Free Tesla charging, bike rentals, spa, and walkable dining. One of my favorite local getaways.

Brandon’s Rec
One of my favorite stays overall. Would absolutely return.

Ka Laʻi Waikiki Beach – LXR Hotels & Resorts | Apr 16 - 19, 2024 | Honolulu, Hawaii | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ½ (3.5 / 5)

Service
Very welcoming check-in. Early check-in and room upgrade supported.

Room
Comfortable and well located, but not especially memorable.

Food & Beverage
Very good buffet breakfast included via FHR.

Location
About a 1-minute walk to Waikiki Beach — excellent location.

Price / Value
Booked for $1,200, with $300 Amex credit applied → ~$900 effective. Fairly priced for location and room.

Amenities / Special Notes
Valet available and partially offset with property credit.

Brandon’s Rec
Solid Honolulu option with FHR. Good value, not a “wow” stay.

Hyatt Regency Kyoto | Apr 13 - Apr 16, 2024 | Kyoto, Japan | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (3 / 5)

Service
Service was okay, nothing standout.

Room
Decent room. Gym was nice.

Food & Beverage
Breakfast buffet was excellent — better than Grand Hyatt Tokyo.

Location
Not much immediately nearby. Public transit worked, but buses felt crowded.

Price / Value
69k Hyatt points (via Chase UR). ~$2,180 cash equivalent — acceptable redemption.

Amenities / Special Notes
Hotel layout felt awkward. Gym required navigating multiple elevators. Luggage forwarding from Tokyo was extremely convenient.

Brandon’s Rec
Fine on points, but location holds it back.

Grand Hyatt Tokyo (Hyatt, GOH) | Apr 9 - 13, 2024 | Tokyo (Roppongi Hills), Japan | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ½ (4.5 / 5)

Service
Wonderful service throughout. Guest of Honor benefits applied smoothly.

Room
Spacious, quiet, and very comfortable.

Food & Beverage
Complimentary breakfast via GOH. Smaller selection, but excellent quality.

Location
Roppongi Hills — quieter than other areas but well connected via subway.

Price / Value
140k Hyatt points (via Chase UR). ~$4,911 cash equivalent — great redemption.

Amenities / Special Notes
Hard to fault. Just shy of a perfect 5 for personal taste.

Brandon’s Rec
Excellent Hyatt redemption. Would definitely stay again.

Grand Hyatt Taipei | Apr 7 - Apr 9, 2024 | Taipei, Taiwan | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (3 / 5)

Service
Professional but conference-hotel vibe.

Room
Comfortable and spacious.

Food & Beverage
Breakfast not included, but very good selection at a reasonable price. Room service was okay.

Location
Walkable to Taipei 101. About 10 minutes to night markets and ~40 minutes from the airport.

Price / Value
24k Hyatt points (via Chase UR). ~$371 cash equivalent — solid CPP.

Amenities / Special Notes
Night markets were the highlight. Fun area to explore on foot.

Brandon’s Rec
Good redemption and a solid base for Taipei.