Waterfront Hotel, Oakland CA, the Hotel Review

We spent a weekend at the Waterfront Hotel in Oakland, CA a few weeks ago. The Waterfront Hotel is a boutique hotel located in the heart of the Jack London Square. A famous marina area on the Oakland Harbor and the Alameda Oakland Ferry Dock, the Jack London Square offers dining with water views, nestled with breweries and stores. It hosts special outdoor events and a Sunday morning Farmer’s Market.

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The Confidante Miami Beach by Hyatt, the Hotel Review

This post is about our 4 night stay in Miami Beach, Florida at the oceanfront hotel The Confidante Miami Beach by Hyatt.

This Category 5 hotel is from the Unbound Collection by Hyatt, with 20,000 Hyatt Points per night on a standard night (17,000 Hyatt Points on off-peak nights, and 23,000 Hyatt Points on peak nights).

We were lucky enough to book our room before March 22, 2022 when it was still a Category 4 hotel, before Hyatt updated its award chart and bumped some of the properties to a higher category.

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Park Hyatt Washington D.C. Review

In early April, we spent three days exploring Washington D.C. and stayed at the luxurious Park Hyatt Washington D.C., located in the vibrant West End neighborhood. This Park Hyatt Washington D.C. review covers everything from the elegant rooms and top-notch amenities to the convenient location near popular attractions.

Whether you’re visiting Washington D.C. for family travel, business, or a city getaway, this hotel offers comfort and style in the heart of the Nation’s Capital.

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Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel And Spa On Del Monte Golf Course, the Hotel Review

This is our full review of the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa on Del Monte Golf Course, a family-friendly resort on California’s Central Coast. We recently spent a weekend here, our fourth stay at this property, and it continues to be one of our go-to spots in Monterey.

With two large outdoor pools, hot tubs, on-site dining, fire pits for roasting marshmallows, and fun outdoor games, this 22-acre resort offers plenty for both kids and adults to enjoy.

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A summer trip to Houston, Texas, June 2021

Last summer we took a short trip to Houston, Texas to take care of some family business.

We booked this trip with Southwest Airlines and paid with cash which of course went towards the minimum spend requirement for a credit card signup bonus (at that time we were working on the Hilton Honors Aspire card, to learn how we spent the signup bonus, read about our Hawaiian vacation here). We had the A-List status with Southwest Airlines so we got our seats in the front of the plane.

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Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort, the Hotel Review

For our recent trip to Oahu, we chose to stay at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, and this Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort review shares our firsthand experience at one of Waikiki’s largest and most family-friendly beachfront resorts.

In April 2021, feeling the weight of pandemic fatigue, we planned a relaxing Thanksgiving break in Hawaii, avoiding international travel. Although it was our first time in Honolulu and Oahu, we had previously visited Maui and Kauai on other trips.

Instead of packing our days with hikes and sightseeing, we focused on relaxing beach time and delicious food. This review covers what it’s like to stay at the Hilton Hawaiian Village with kids and helps families decide if this is the right place to stay in Honolulu.

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A weekend at the Carmel Valley Ranch, California

Vineyard at Carmel Valley Ranch
Vineyard at Carmel Valley Ranch

A couple of weeks ago, we spent a weekend at the luxurious ranch in the Carmel Valley, California — Carmel Valley Ranch.

We love Carmel-by-the-sea and usually go there to spend some time on the beach and walk around downtown, but we had never been to the Carmel Valley, which was only 20 minutes further inland.

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Visiting San Luis Obispo with kids

Downtown San Luis Obispo, California is getting ready for the St. Patrick's Day

We love road trips! You don’t have to stress out about plane tickets or packing too much, and you can stop whenever you feel like it.

However, having a new baby and the pandemic made things more difficult for traveling. When baby Zoe was seven months and Sophia was 6.5 years old, we decided to give it a try and planned our first little getaway. This was the first time we traveled as a family of four, and we agreed upon a little town on the Central Coast of California — San Luis Obispo. It was only a 2.5-hour drive from us and wasn’t that busy, given the time of the year (March) and all the restrictions.

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