Caroline Peterson

Hotels: How I Stayed in Fancy Hotels for 10 Nights for Under $400

January 13, 2016 By Caroline Peterson

I should have spent over $4,500 to stay in theÂ hotels I fell asleep in during a wine-induced haze. But I spent less than $400. How? Take a looksie.

This is a series of Trip Reports where I'll breakdown the costs associated with airfare and hotels and how I pay for a significant portion of it with miles and points, like I did recently to Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong.

Airfare: How I Flew In Business Class To Australia, New Zealand And Hong Kong For Under $100

So how didÂ I stay in some fancy schmancy hotels for less 8%Â of what they cost?

What it cost:

Park Hyatt Sydney:
4 nights – 2 free-night certificates + 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points = FREE

Waiheke Island, New Zealand AirBnb:
2 nights = $127/per person

Rydges Auckland hotel:
1 night – AMEX Membership Rewards = FREE

Intercontinental Hong Kong:
3 nights -Â 150,000 IHG points +Â I upgraded at check-in and paid $80/night =$240

Total: $367

Brush up onÂ The Basics of Earning Miles and Points, so you know howÂ travel hacking works. Obviously, I spent some time sleeping overnight on planes during this 2 week vacation, but that wasn’t a problem because I flew in business class like a boss. (Did that sound as badass as I wanted it to? Good.)

What it should have cost:

Sydney Park Hyatt City Harbour View Room — Just a normal view from my balcony…

Sydney Park Hyatt: Park King (upgraded to City Harbour King due to my Hyatt Platinum status)

I used my 2 free night certificates I received after meeting the minimum spend on my Hyatt credit card. Plus, I transferred Ultimate Rewards Points to Hyatt for the remainder of the stay. Currently,Â thisÂ my most favorite hotel redemption so far. It was a spectacular hotel.

$941 AUD/night x 4 nights = $2,648.91 USD

Waiheke Island AirBnb — I was okay waking up here everyday.

Waiheke Island, New Zealand AirBnb:Â You know, a house.

This is sort of a no-brainer. $381 split between 3 wine-loving gals = bundles of New Zealand fun.

$381 USD

Screen Shot 2016-01-13 at 07.37.36 — Source

Rydges Auckland hotel: Standard Double Room

My friend used her American Express Membership Rewards points to stay in this hotel overnight before we took off on separate paths for the remainder of our vacations. Plus, it was one of the few hotel rooms that had 2 double beds. Bizarre, right?

$264 NZD/night x 1 night = $173.68Â USD

Intercontinental Hong Kong: Harbour View Room

I used myÂ IHG points that I accumulated through meeting the minimum spend on my Chase IHG credit card, as well as earning bonus points for being a Spire Elite (one of the statuses in their hotel program). In the end, I don’t regret paying cash to upgrade to a Harbour View room, but truth be told, I should have pushed the front desk staff more to get it for free. Even though I’m aÂ Spire Elite (the highest status), I was just too nervous to come across as pushy. Oh well, lesson learned. In the end I only paid $240 for room that should have cost me over $1400. I’d call that a win!

$3,700 HKD/night x 3 nights = $1,430.37Â USD

Total: $4,633.96

You can read more about my favorite credit cards to useÂ Â and decide for yourself which programs make the most sense for you. For this 2 week vacation, I’d say I did pretty dang good for the hotels.

If I were backpacking through Southeast Asia, using my points probably wouldn’t make as much sense since roomsÂ cost $15.

It’s all in how you want to work your points for your needs. Sometimes people feel an obligation to stay at the best hotel for the best points redemption value and sure, that’s great and all, but in the end it’s what you need at that time and if it wasn’t the very best value, so what? You still got a great deal most likely!

In an upcoming post I’ll share the travel costs I paid out of pocket and the grand total associated with that. You’ll probably be surprised.

Airfare: How I Flew in Business Class to Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong for Under $100

January 8, 2016 By Caroline Peterson

The biggest costs to any trip areÂ usually airfare and hotels. So how in the world did I fly three 10+ hours flights, all in business class for under $100? Let me show you.

This is the first part in a series of Trip Reports where I’ll breakdown the costs associated with airfare and hotels and how I pay for a significant portion of it with miles and points, like I did recently to Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong.

So how did I fly in glorious business/first class for under $100?

Here’s how:

LAX – SYD: Virgin Australia Business Class – 80,000 Delta Miles + $37.10 tax
AKL – HKG: Cathay Pacific Business Class – 30,000 American Miles + $20.90 tax
HKG – JFK: Asiana Airlines Business Class – 80,000 United MilesÂ + $41.60 tax

Total: $99.60

I’m sure you’ve read up on The Basics of Earning Miles and Points, so you’re well versed in travel hacking, right? Obviously, staying at hotels and flying will earn you hotel and airline miles, but for those of us who aren’t jetsetting 24/7 just for funzies, travel hacking works.

I used Delta Skymiles that I’ve earned by flying with them for years, as well as miles earned on my Platinum Delta America Express to book a Virgin Australia business class ticket. Virgin Australia is a partner of Delta and easily bookable online on Delta.com.

Business Class in Virgin Australia...with, you know, a bar. — Business Class in Virgin Australia…with, you know, a bar.

I used American miles that I earned simply by meeting the minimum spend with theÂ CitiÂ AAdvantageÂ Platinum Select card andÂ AAdvantageÂ Aviator card (formerly theThe US Airways Premier World MasterCard).Â Cathay Pacific is a OneWorld partner and was booked through American Airlines.

Note the headline on The Wall Street Journal...what shadow? From my stretched legs on Cathay Pacific? — Note the headline on The Wall Street Journal…what shadow? From my stretched legs on Cathay Pacific?

I used United miles that I earned through both my United MileagePlus Explorer card and my Chase Sapphire credit card to book on Asiana Airlines, which is a Star Alliance partner. You can easily transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to United miles and book from there.

It was my own little apartment. — It was my own little apartment on Asiana.

As I mentioned previously, I utilizedÂ a great company to help me find my Cathay Pacific and Asiana Airlines flights. There was a $200 fee associated with it that I felt was well worth it, since I was flying around the holidays and Australia/New Zealand are notoriously hard award ticket routes. I could have booked all of these flights, meaning there wasn’tÂ some special pricing I got by knowing a hidden website or password. I just didn’t know where to look and that’s where PointsPros helped me out. I highly recommend them and may post about my experience in the future.

Additionally, I also had to get to LAX, fly between SYD and AUK, as well as, you know, get home to FLL, so there were tickets that I paid for out of pocket that I will lay out for you in the final total of costs for a 2 week trip. Hint: All total, including hotels, was under $1500.

Do I have your attention now?

*maniacally raises eyebrows*

Still thinkÂ travel is too expensive for you?Â Nah. With minimum effort and a lot of organization, you can easily travel in business class on threeÂ 10+ hour flights, for under $100.

Stay tuned to see how little I spent on hotels for this trip.

Blog

Join a blog network and start expanding readers.Â Readership is way up! No blog network.
Gain more followers on Twitter and Facebook.Â Check and check.
Choose one medium for all my social networks, that can push blog posts to all of them.Â Check.Â Plus, I’m focusing more on what works. Facebook is my best network.
Include more videos.Â Big fail. I have some up my sleeve from this most recent trip.
Write more about â€œtravel hacking.â€Â Check and check and check.
Gain more freelance writing work.Â Woot! Check.
Feature sponsored posts, guest writers and perhaps open up advertisements.Â Guest writer: CheckÂ StillÂ leery of advertisements. It could change. This year, I’m focusing more on writing about what I love and seeing where that goes, as opposed to focusing on whatÂ sponsors may like. Writing a post last year about something I loved actually worked out for this year…more on that soon. :D

Life

Travel somewhere new in July.Â July got switched to December.
Read a damn book.Â 4,Â in fact! Woohoo!
Give up TV for one month. Check.
Learn more Spanish.Â Fail. Big time. Aside from the fun terms my coworkers have taught me.

Health

Lose 15 pounds.Â I lost exactly half of that, 7.5 pounds.
Incorporate more lifting in my workouts.Â Check.
Allow myself to buy pre-packaged meals. Check.
Run 2 half-marathons.Â I only ran one. But I’ll cut myself some slack considering this past fall, when I wouldÂ have run the second one, was somewhat of a shit show. BIG announcement coming about races this year though.
Get up each morning at 6am.Â Check.
Eat less meat.Â Somewhat of a check? Meh.
Letting go of guilt.Â Check!

I think I did pretty darn tootin’ okay. What do you think? Do you have any goals for 2016 you’d like to accomplish?

2015 Changed Me

December 30, 2015 By Caroline Peterson

It was an incredibly lonely and sad Christmas. This holiday season seemed to perfectly characterize what’s been ultimately one of the toughest years I’ve ever had; consider it the final “screw you” cherry on top of my 2015.

I know I’m not alone in feeling like that. (This is a great read for the lonely holiday season blues.)

As I always strive to keep things real ’round these parts, I don’t share justÂ the pretty-pretty-Princess perfect parts. You can lead an awesome life and, at the same time, still grapple with some very real, very difficultÂ and life-changingÂ events.

My most recent trip changed me for the better, it was exactly what I needed and I truly cannot wait to share what a fantastic experience it was. I’m so grateful that I was able to do just what my soul needed. More grateful than ever, really.

Victoria Peak Hong Kong — Happy in Hong Kong

Like life, though, my year wasn’t filled with just smiling pictures on top of the world at Victoria Peak in Hong Kong. It was an eclectic mix of good and, sadly, a lot of bad.

2015 changed me.Â

It taught me a lot. I’m going to choose to focus on that in this 2015 roundup.

-2015 Lessons-

I buckled down and busted ass. When the going got tough, I focused onÂ rebranding this siteÂ and the necessary changes to make that happen.Â Â And baby Jesus, it worked out. 2015 was the best year so far for this site! I’m incredibly thankful for your likes, shares and readership.

I discovered the release of not giving a damn. As things slowly but surely happened to me (not because of me) and were beyond my control, I had to let go. I decided to step off that rollercoaster and wave, with fingers crossed, that things would work out on the way down.

I made my hobbies a bigger priority. Photography classes, running books, copywriting seminars – you name it, I probably dove head first into learning more. It’s something I’ll continue to do because I absolutely improved in all areas.

I’m a bit more jaded than I’d like.Â I’ve noticed myself shut down and pull away moreÂ when I’m scared to share just how bad things were. That’s usually not me. I tend to find that friends can relate to me because I share the good with the bad. Maybe that’s just how bad it got; I was done sharing? It’s something I need to work through currently.

I pushed past comfort zones. Landing in Sydney, Australia and Hong Kong on my own, knowing no one would be there, was both exhilarating and terrifying. A perfect mix of pushing through comfort (and time) zones.

I checked my emotions at the door. My work as a senior copywriter became somewhat of an outlet this year, albeit really stressful at times, but it was a blessing in disguise to take a breather from…emotions.

I’m more humble and grateful. Having a rough go of it makes you realize how judgmental you may have been of others. I’m more grateful than ever for my ability to travel and quite simply, run. Physically run. I’m so thankful for my health. Feeling alone, especially around the holidays, also made me appreciate the support of those who truly get it, who reached out, who asked, “But what about you? How are you doing with all this?”

I need to make myself more vulnerable. When I give the low down, I often finish it with, “But it will be okay.” Truth: It will. Feelings: Sure doesn’t feel like it…and that’s okay. I need to tellÂ loved ones more openly that I need their support. It’s okay to want to be fussed over every once and awhile. And in my often shuffled-to-the-back world, it’s okay to want to be cared about.

I’m a tough cookie. If I can get through this year smiling, which I surely have, then I know I’m tough as nails. See above to see how that can work against you though.

I’m more passionate than ever about exploring the world. After canceling our Southeast Asia trip and then going to Hong Kong alone, I know just what feeds my soul. Cultures. Humanity. Art. Locals. Music. …Travel.

I won’t apologize for being myself. Mind-numbingly replaying what I could have said or did, plays less of a role in my life now. As hard as it may be, I won’t beg for someoneÂ to like me and treat me with the care that I treat them. If you don’t like me or consistently treat me like a second choice? Cool. I wish you well, dear soul.

Â ——–

TheÂ pressure-filled weight of the world is toughÂ and your struggles are just as important as the next person’s. You never truly know what someone else is going through. While I firmly believe I’m a mother fuckingÂ rockstar…this year proved my strengths and asked me to work on my weaknesses.

So I may be screaming to the moon on New Years Eve, “PEACE OUT, 2015!”

But what I really mean is, thank you.

I humbly say, “Thank you, 2015. You are a year I will never forget.”

Now, BRING IT ON 2016!

A note to you: Thank you to making this year in blogging so fulfilling. I hope you’ve enjoyed the ride and have taken something from it or at the very least had a good laugh. I wish you nothing but health and happiness (that you may have to work for…) in 2016. I look forward to sharing more adventure with you! There are tons!

Hong Kong Check-in

December 18, 2015 By Caroline Peterson

Travel is not for the faint of heart, at least not this much travel. I'm currently at 38,000 feet flying to Hong Kong after spending a week in Australia and New Zealand. I get why people pay the big bucks for business class tickets (not that I did) because you arrive, typically, more refreshed. I just accidentally slept for 4-5 hours, nearly half the flight, and hopefully won't be fighting jet lag tonight because of it. Orrrrrrrr I'll be wide awake tonight and a zombie during my food tour tomorrow morning.

Side note: people are more demanding in business class. I just watched some guy yell, â€œSocks, socks!â€ at a flight attendant as if it would make or break his ability to enjoy himself before the flight took off.

Australia and New Zealand were wonderful. I can't wait to share my experiences I had there with my friends. Girl time is necessary and currently, it's just what the doctor ordered. Having us meet half-way around the world jet setting was the cherry on top. These gals are expert travelers too, so it makes it a cake walk most of the time.

waiheke island — Waiheke Island, New Zealand

So, my thoughts as I'm about to land in an unknown city, that doesn't speak my language?

Besides being excited, I'll be honest that I'm freaking out a bit. I worry about stupid things like not being able to make a call (What's the Hong Kong country code? Should have looked that up.) or getting so lost that it's obvious and someone takes advantage of how lost I look by suckering me into a scheme. Or today, in New Zealand, I had to have my picture taken twice through security because the computer didn't recognize me (based on my passport photo from 6 years ago) so I'm assuming having my hair up was a bad choice. What if the same happens when I land in Hong Kong and they think I'm crazy for wanting my hair in a bun???

When you travel alone, there isn't someone there to wake you up out of a champagne-induced haze when the flight lands. There isn't someone waiting with you through immigration to make sure you get through. There isn't someone there to consult (fight) with over directions to getting to where you want to go. Everything is up to you, you know?

On the other hand, everything is up to youâ€¦

I can wake up when I want. I can decide to putz around a pool all day or go shopping for Christmas gifts. I can meditate in the park or grab a drink at a bar. I have to focus on those aspect right now in my current freak-out mode. As my dear friend whom I just traveled with said, â€œSometimes you just have to force yourself out of the hotel and make yourself find a new comfort zone. You'll be okay. And if you aren't, you can drink a bottle of wine in your hotel room.â€ Can you see why we're friends?

I may be confident enough in myself to travel alone, but it certainly doesn't mean there aren't fears that pop in. I think that's a normal part of the process. Just got to keep it real for you guys. It's not all perfectly wonderful feelings.

I'm going to take a picture of me with the viewÂ from the hotel and place it here once I arrive. Then you won't feel so sorry for me.

Until next time, friends.

Thoughts Before I Embark on my First Solo Travel Trip

December 3, 2015 By Caroline Peterson

I woke up the other night in a panic. I was in my own bed, but the thoughts raced, “What am I going to do in this new city tomorrow?”

The hubster has been has been away on a rural clinical rotation in the middle of Florida for 2 months. During the week, I’m sleeping alone. Don’t feel sorry for me, it’s a new king-sized bed and I sprawl out in the middle with my ginger kitty smack-dab next to me, while I’m wearing my Spice Girls tshirt and no pants.

Ah, the life.

But as I was going to bed that night, the thought struck me that I would be doing the same in less than a few weeks, alone, in a new city, on the other side of the earth, in a foreign place that didn’t speak my language. I brushed it off and went to sleep.

Clearly, the thoughts stayed around for my dreams.

I know myself. I’m a bit more anxiety-driven than most. It’s certainly improved over the years, but there are moments that I do tomorrow’s dishes and cause unnecessary worry. I think part of the reason I haven’t thought of traveling solo to Hong Kong much was because I knew if I did, I’d start worrying.

What if my debit card doesn’t work and gets eaten by the ATM and then I’m left with no access to Hong Kong Dollars while I’m there, so I have to resort to selling my body to earn dolla dolla bills to pay for some dim sum from a street food vendor?

See? I’m crazy.

Lisbon, touring alone after the gals left.

I put together an excel spreadsheet of possible things to do while I’m in Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong. I sent it off the floozies I’m traveling with in Australia and New Zealand. I haven’t gotten a response yet (when this was written). Most likely because they’re thinking:

THIS CHICK IS NUTS.

In most instances, when traveling, I’m over-prepared. I like to know options of things to do, I want to know the layout of the city, I scout out reviews on TripAdvisor of the best room with a view. But, I learned pretty quickly after having to cancel out trip to Southeast Asia this past summer, that looking too much into things can set up high expectations.

Canceling our trip was a gut check.

I haven’t done a ton of investigating for this upcoming trip besides putting together the options of things to do.

Nothing is planned in regards to what is going on for certain days, really at all.

I’m on a flight to Detroit, heading back for the holidays, and I’m getting a quick glimpse into what I’ll be doing for hours on end while alone on a plane. (Get prepared for a backlog of posts, peeps!)

Yes, I’m actually currently flying with the hubster, but he’s back in coach.

Yes, I’m for real.

Yes, it’s hysterical to say that.

But, real talk. This is what it will be like for me while I fly alone to Australia (15 hours), then to Hong Kong (10 hours) and back to the US from South Korea (14 hours).

Let’s not kid ourselves, (okay, the ~~2nd~~Â 3rd glass of wine is kicking in…) having my laptop open, listening to my tunes (Phil Collins – In The Air Tonight) while writing at 30,000 feet without any interruption besides the beautifully dotted night landscape ofÂ the land belowÂ is the bomb.

Shouldn’t say bomb on a plane.

Lock it up, C9.

I know I can do this solo travel thing. I’m a pretty friggin’ adaptable gal. I mean, I learned pretty quickly that even in South Florida I needed to bring a jacket into a restaurant to acclimate myself the the nauseatingly cold A/C that blasts from the ceiling.

Once I push through feeling uncomfortable, I will have some monumental learning experiences. That’s the logic speaking. Now if I could just tell my anxious head to buck up, I’d be set!

Any tips for me? What would you do along in a major metropolis (besides buy cute scarves and jewelry — that’s a given)?

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