The Venetian Las Vegas: Peeling the onion!

Here goes the first review using my new rating system. If you want to know how the system works, I have explained it in a previous blog post. Basically I rate each hotel on several data points. The ratings range from 1 to 5 for each data point. 1 is poor, 2 is fair, 3 is acceptable, 4 is good, and 5 is excellent. There will be a total # of points available and an actual score for each data point. I will only judge the services or facilities that I use on each stay.

The Venetian 10/21/09 to 10/24/09. Weather at check in was 80 and sunny. My room was 10107 on the tenth floor. The AARP convention checked in on day 2.

Alright... where to begin? For anyone who has ever been to The Venetian, its opulence can be overwhelming. Or is it just the piped in fragrance? Seriously, what is it with Vegas and the trend to permeate every building with the latest signature scent of the day. I never thought I would say this, but I miss the good ol' days when the mob ran Vegas and nobody tried to cover up the smoke.

I have decided to break this review into two parts. Part one will be exclusively about the room and the accommodations. I will review the dining experience in part two of this blog series. On this specific stay, I evaluated 80 data points with a total of 400 points available. I used no bell service, parking, room service, or spa service of any kind. I didn't use the business center, but I did retrieve a package there ($7 charge). It is a half mile walk through the property. It is so far from the hotel elevators, I would judge it as unusable. I didn't evaluate the concierge service, as there was always a line 5 or 6 deep. I also didn't evaluate the travel kiosks, as I couldn't find any. If the Venetian has travel kiosks, they are well hidden.

I broke the evaluation down to four pages on a spreadsheet. On page one I reviewed things like the reservation experience, Check-in / Check-out, Doorman, Lobby, etc. The Venetian scored a combined 63 points out of 95 points available. The doormen are generally unfriendly and never greet you as sir or ma'am. Although the check-in went smoothly (approximately 12 min), the check-out could have been better. When you come down to check out, you are faced with a very large check-in line. After a few minutes, I noticed some women holding up a placard with a "V" on it off to the side of the main check in area. I learned this was for people checking out only. Hey - how about holding up a sign that says "check out"? In what culture does the letter "V" represent the notion of paying one's bill? There is no signage to indicate you don't have to wait in the check-in line. It was cheaper to book online than through the dial-in reservation system. The lobby scored good points for being clean, accessible, and open.

On page two, I cover the room (including the bathroom), housekeeping, and the property overall. There are lots of points up for grabs in these categories. At this location, I evaluated 43 data points for a total of 215 points. The Venetian garnered a woeful 81 points in this section. The room looks beautiful on first blush. You are impressed with the two level suite, TVs everywhere, and the remote control blinds.



It takes a day before you realize the blinds have several holes in them, the handles are broken on the furniture, and the chairs in the suite appear to be stained with some type of bodily fluid.



I did rate the bed as comfortable and the linens clean. Then I realized the headboard hadn't been dusted in months. I did however give high marks across the board for the bathroom in both appearance and cleanliness.



Unlike the Hyatt and Starwood properties that I frequent, the housekeeping staff was generally unfriendly when passed in the halls. The property itself rates as fair to good. The size of the property makes it a nightmare for the typical business traveler.

On page three I covered the workout facility and the spa facility. I didn't rate the spa services, as I only viewed the facility during my morning workout. The spa and workout facility at Canyon Ranch are first rate. There were 60 points available and The Venetian scored 48 points. This was their strongest category and I may have been extra tough, as I am a workout aficionado. I highly recommend this gym and the berry smoothies at the cafe when you are done.

My last section is reserved for location, concierge level service, comments, and general opinions. There were 30 points available in this section and The Venetian scored 17.

This property scored 209 points out of 400 points available. That gives it an average rating per data point of 2.61. That puts The Venetian consistently between fair and acceptable on The Travel Brain rating system. My overall opinion of the property is mediocre. This property is not recommended for the business traveler. Everywhere you go you wait in a line. Want a cab? wait in a line. Want your car? wait in a line. This is not conducive to effective business travel. If you are a gambler on vacation this property may suite you well. The casino is one of the nicer I have been in. I personally love the sports book at The Venetian. There is no shortage of things to do on the property.

However, If you are a person traveling on business this is on my "Can't Recommend" list.

Tomorrow I will rate my dining experience in part two of The Venetian Las Vegas: Peeling the onion!

Full Disclosure: For the benefit of the FTC, I did not receive any compensation directly for this blog post. All opinions expressed are strictly those of The Travel Brain.

The Travel Brain Rating System

In fairness to the properties and restaurants that I will be evaluating, I have developed a standardized hotel point rating system. There are 24 sections to the rating system (reservation / check in / check out, lobby, concierge, self parking, valet parking, bell service, doorman, room, room service, housekeeping, property overall, business center, travel kiosks, restaurant / bar, concierge level, workout facility, location, pool, spa, golf, tennis, gift shop, special requests, comments). There are 227 data points or questions in the rating system. Some of these data points are simple yes / no or available / NA. Some of the data points will get a 1-5 rating. 1 is poor, 2 is fair, 3 is acceptable, 4 is good, and 5 is excellent.

I will always break out the total # of points available for each property that I am rating and what the actual score was. For example, many properties don't have golf, tennis, spa, etc. - therefore there is no rating on those criteria. The average hotel property without golf and spa services will generally have 175 data points to be evaluated. If a property is judged on 175 data points, there would be a total of 875 points available in order to achieve a perfect score. I will only evaluate something if I actually use the facility or service. For example, if I don't use a bellman or valet parking - I can't evaluate the service provided. Therefore I will list the categories and services used, the total # of points available, and the actual score for each property. I will also list the room # and floor # during each stay. I will capture the weather and any special events at check in. If it is raining and the Shriner's convention just checked into your hotel, it will most definitely affect your experience at that property. If anyone is interested, I'm happy to send a copy of my rating system. Specific property evaluation data can be made available upon request at the discretion of The Travel Brain.

The Travel Brain

The secret to a relaxing vacation -- lose the rental car!

I just returned from a nine day vacation in Maui and had one of the most relaxing vacations ever. Want to know my secret? I didn't rent a car! Being on the road as much as I am, you wouldn't think I would want to hang out at the hotel for my entire vacation. Well - that's exactly what I did - and I loved it. I am the first to admit I'm not a big sightseer when I'm on vacation. However, we typically go out one night for a fancy dinner. We also run in to town for souvenirs, gifts, and sundry items during our stay. Not this time!

My wife (she's the other half of The Travel Brain) and I flew first class on Hawaiian Airlines from Portland, OR to Maui (thanks to American Express points!). If you haven't had the pleasure of flying on Hawaiian Airlines, you are truly missing out. There is a reason they are continually rated as the top US airline for customer service. The food and service in first class was excellent. Upon arrival in Maui, we went directly to the luggage pick up area and we were in a cab 10 minutes later. The cab from the airport to the hotels at Kaanapali will run you around $85 (excluding tip). The cab driver was more than happy to stop at a convenience store along the way so we could pick up a few items (need my shrimp chips!). He also made an appointment to pick us up 9 days later... and he was right on time.

We had reservations for 8 nights at the Hyatt Maui in Kaanapali. We had stayed at this property several years ago. Thanks to my Hyatt Gold Passport points we were able to redeem 8 nights using points. I used 180,000 points to book a Passport Escape. The award stay included 7 nights, daily breakfast for two, a welcome amenity, and 5 dinners for two (appetizer, soup/salad, entree, dessert, and non-alcoholic drink). This is one of the best packages deals I've ever redeemed using points! Thanks to my Diamond Member status, we were upgraded to Regency Level with access to Regency Club during our stay. Between the breakfast each day, snacks at the Regency Club, and 5 dinners - we spent almost nothing on food. This freed up budget $'s for overpriced island drinks... Can you say Lava Flow?

The Hyatt Maui is pretty much how I remembered it. It is a massive property with an open atrium area. They have some of the coolest parrots and macaws out in the lobby. Those birds put on quite a show! Twin baby penguins were recently born, so they provided daily entertainment. The overall appearance and upkeep of the property are generally good. On my balcony, there were some pieces of wood that needed replacing, but stuff rots in the tropics. The pool area is beautiful, but get there early to find the most desirable poolside chairs. The workout facility is very good. The restaurants (Cascades and Umalu) offered ample food selections and good service. The service in Regency Club was exceptional, as was the Umalu pool bar. You should make friends with Alona, the daytime pool bartender. He is world class!

The only major mishap occurred on first day when we went for breakfast. The hostess looks up each guest by room # to check if their package included breakfast. Due to an oversight, we were not on the list and they seated several other customers while trying to confirm our package with the front desk. Only after I said I would pay for breakfast and later fix it with the front desk were we seated. This is an example of poor customer service. Other than that, the service was good and the staff very helpful. They do have golf, tennis, and a complete spa experience available (oceanside massages!). We did not partake in any of these activities on this stay. Our days consisted of an early morning workout, breakfast, pool by 9:00 AM, snack and nap from 1:00 to 4:00 (indoors, out of the sun), cocktails at Regency Club at 5:00PM, dinner, and bed. Next day - repeat. We did enjoy the live music by the pool a few of the nights. Most importantly, we never rushed to do anything. The lack of car truly slowed me down to island time. I recommend this type of vacation to all my weary fellow road warriors. You owe yourself one solid week of nothing on your schedule.

I will say Maui is really hurting for business (see this WSJ article: "Hawaii Hotels Face Fewer Visitors, More Debt" http://bit.ly/6ZY8O). Several of our favorite spots were closed due to the economy. The world famous Johnny Burger off of Kaanapali highway was gone. The Hyatt shuttered its Italian restaurant and Umalu Market by the pool (possibly just temporary closures until business picks up). Cascades restaurant and sushi bar will go down to 5 days per week. On Day 7, we were surprised to find out they were no longer going to have the omelet bar at the breakfast buffet (the price dropped to reflect this change). When we returned to Kahului airport for the flight home, there was almost nobody there. Seriously - near empty. We went through the agriculture screening, checked our bags, and cleared security in under 5 minutes. It was unbelievably convenient and eerie at the same time.

Use this slow period to your advantage! I did a quick check today on airfares. If I went back to Maui from November 4th returning November 11th, here are my options: Hawaiian Airlines $324 roundtrip Portland, OR to Maui. Alaska Airlines $318 roundtrip for the same flights. The Hyatt Maui published room rates are $380 terrace view, $505 ocean view per day. The Hyatt website has the terrace view at $247 and the partial oceanview $328 per day for this time period. If you are a Gold Passport member, they have a special of $315 for terrace view room per day (including breakfast and car rental) or $355 per day for the same package with a partial ocean view.

The Sheraton Maui can be had for $220 for garden view and $250 for a full ocean view. The Ritz Carlton in Kapalua is offering $298 no view (no joke, no view) or $495 partial view including breakfast for 2 and your fifth night is free. Many of the local restaurants were also offering dining specials.

The bottom line: the crowds are down and the deals are hot for Maui. Grab your sunscreen and head to the islands!

I'm off to Las Vegas tomorrow (going the opposite direction). I will cover that in my next blog post. Until then, happy travels!

The Travel Brain


Full Disclosure: For the benefit of the FTC, I did not receive any compensation directly for this blog post. All opinions expressed are strictly those of The Travel Brain.

It's on when it comes to fees at Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines likes to say "it's on" when it comes to flying their airline. They even run ads saying, "Why do the other airlines hate your bags?" (I actually like those ads). On Southwest, your first two bags fly free (other airlines charge various fees). What they don't tell you is they plan on collecting "ancillary revenue" on their most loyal customers. These are the members of their Rapid Rewards program. New changes for the program are planned for 2010 and nicknamed Rapid Rewards 2.0.

I will be the first to say Southwest Airlines has one of the richest frequent flyer programs in the industry. I have earned a Companion Pass on four different occasions. Rapid Rewards Members who fly 50 or more roundtrips (or receive 100 credits through flight and partner use) within a 12-month period receive a Companion Pass. A Companion Pass allows one person of your choice fly free when traveling with you anytime for an entire year. Brilliant perk!

What is not so brilliant is Gary Kelly, CEO of Southwest Airlines, talking about charging for various features in the Rapid Rewards 2.0 program. Gary says being a member in the Rapid Rewards program is a choice. Let me tell you Gary - the bigger and more important choice is flying your airline. That choice isn't yours, that choice is ours. Are you kidding me? We are the folks that have kept you in the black all these years.

Now I have a decision on my hands. Keep flying Southwest or spread my love to other airlines? I live in Portland, OR and travel almost every week. Although Southwest Airlines has a good schedule out of and into PDX, so does Alaska Airlines. On most flights both companies are competitive on fares. With Alaska Airlines, my loyalty means first class upgrades (not available on Southwest) and usually includes a meal (not available on Southwest). There are also direct flights on Alaska Airlines to many of the locations that I fly to (usually at least 1 stop on a Southwest flight). I normally buy a Business Select fare on Southwest (kudos to Southwest on creating this option). My wife is great at scoring me an A1 and the fare also includes a free drink and extra Rapid Reward credits - but an assigned seat is often most important to a business traveler. Also - on my last attempt to book Rapid Rewards travel, I could not use a Standard Award and was forced to convert two awards to a Freedom Award. For upcoming holiday travel, I could not even use a Freedom Award. That was a disappointing first!

Quick inventory turns may keep Southwest ahead of the competition in terms of profitability. However the direction of the Rapid Rewards program is starting to feel... well let's just say UNITED! Hey Gary - we appreciate the jokes and the funny songs from you flight attendants, but leave your most loyal customers (Rapid Rewards members - especially Companion Pass holders) alone. After all, what would Herb say?

One thing that I would pay an extra $10 for would be a guaranteed overhead luggage space. Since you already sold me a seat, how about guaranteeing me a space for my carry on luggage?

Respectfully,

The Travel Brain

Full Disclosure: For the benefit of the FTC, I did not receive any compensation directly for this blog post. All opinions expressed are strictly those of The Travel Brain.

The launch of The Travel Brain

Greetings all,

This is the initial blog for The Travel Brain. I am a traveling business person. I usually spend 150 to 200 days traveling for business travel. I also spend 15 to 30 days per year traveling for pleasure. I will try to encapsulate the good, the bad, and the ugly of my travels.

My initial focus will be on my hotel experiences. I will always try to keep my reviews accurate, objective, and fair. I am currently close to completion on a 500 data point rating system. I will display my findings in a succinct and easy to understand format. I will make the detailed overview available on a per request basis.

Overtime my goal is develop similar rating systems for airlines, airports, ground transportation options etc. You will notice many of my reviews will be of the same brands. This is part of my loyalty over the years to certain companies, as well as geographic dictation of airlines in my home city of Portland, OR.

Although I have been partial to Hyatt and Starwood properties I also spend many nights at Marriott, Hilton, and local boutique type properties. I have had good and bad incidents at every property listed. This is just inevitable with the amount I travel.

My goal is to provide real world and factual reviews of the properties I have stayed at. I will try and update the blog several times per week. I will also start tweeting some field comments.

Stay tuned

The Travel Brain