Luxury For All Hotels, Stunning US Roads, Tibet, Duck Sex, Communist Romania

We bring you a new luxury for all hotels concept, drive on stunning US roads, visit Tibet, learn all about duck sex, go back to communist Romania, get back some JetBlue miles, more on the Fairmont card changes, I ask for feedback on my San Francisco one/two hotel nights conundrum and more for you!

TBB Blog Mission: To Entertain. Educate. Inspire. In That Order!

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Every morning when I see my posts published…I am proud of what comes out here and people out there come to read it. It means you must enjoy it. If you come here when you do not enjoy it, you probably need to have your head examined because you have…issues. So, if you enjoy it, please forward to a person you care about deeply so they can enjoy it too, thank you!

You know this mile and points hobby addiction is not going very well lately when we start off with, please hold your excitement, a 15% Rebate on JetBlue awards deal #shootmenow.

Late last night I saw an official statement by Marriott about their new sucky at least 48 hour cancellation policy. I warned you guys that these guys will show their true colors, I guess the SPG honeymoon is over. Expect more!

This was a very interesting read. As the pace of change of everything accelerates all around us… The man who invented the boutique hotel has a new concept of “luxury for all” for the digital age. We’ll see how this latest iteration goes…Kind of exciting stuff if you ask me!

Instead of the usual hum of activity and the army of doormen, bellhops, and clerks, guests at PUBLIC New York are faced with just a dramatic set of high-polish copper escalators. These lead to the second floor lobby, where two smiling representatives sporting PUBLIC T-shirts and clutching iPads greet visitors. These PUBLIC advisors won’t offer to carry your luggage. Instead, they’ll help you navigate digital check-in or explain the property. Without any front desk, the bar, deep sectional seating and communal tables are the most robust pieces of furniture in the lobby.

Guided by a brand mantra of “luxury for all,” PUBLIC fills a gap in the select service hotel market—chains such as Hilton Garden Inn, Courtyard by Marriott, and Hyatt Place, that, unlike “full service” hotels, may not offer restaurants or other amenities. This has lately been the most profitable space in the hotel industry: In 2015, select service hotels in the United States reported a gross operating profit margin of 44% of their total operating revenue, compared to the industry average of 37.5% according to the hotel market data firm STR.

PUBLIC has done away with doormen, bellhops and porters (and the constant barrage of tipping they require). In lieu of traditional room service with its service charge, 45-minute waits and $30 pots of coffee, Schrager took notes from tech-savvy startups like the healthy fast-food chain Sweetgreen and installed a dining shelf on each floor. Guests can order food from their rooms and pick it up on the shelf within five minutes, without the hassle of long wait times and additional fees.

At the heart of all of Schrager’s brand propositions—from Studio 54 to the PUBLIC—is community, a growing trend in hotel design. PUBLIC is designed for a generation of savvy entrepreneurs; the hotel blurs lines between social, professional and cultural spaces with serene, light-filled, public venues with amenities to support optimal productivity and social interaction. A natural extension of Schrager’s experience in nightlife and boutique hotels, PUBLIC includes two dining hubs, three bars, and an underground arts space complete with screening room and theater.

This is an excellent personal finance post. I tried to find something I disagree with. I could not. Lessons From My Investment Class.

• Always ask your financial advisor how they are compensated. This is the Rosetta Stone of transparency; if you don’t like the answer, find a new advisor.
• Don’t buy individual stocks. This cannot be done successfully unless you have an edge. Even if you do, this is very difficult because a minuscule percentage of stocks provide most of the market’s gains over long periods of time.
• Don’t mix insurance with investing. Oil and water is often a better match.
• Avoid listening to advice from anyone on T.V.; these people know nothing about you and you don’t know their ulterior motives.
• Understand that financial markets are not people. They don’t care how you feel and they owe you nothing.
• Don’t confuse blind luck with a sound process. Often an initial investment success is the worst thing that can happen to you.
• Avoid bonds that act like stocks. This defeats the whole point of diversification.
• Make sure you have some investments outside of the United States. Ignoring 95% of the world’s population is not a good strategy.
• Avoid hedge funds. They are often not “hedged” and the only good ones are out of your financial league.
• Make sure your advisor is a fiduciary and you are clear on how they are compensated.
• Seek out low-cost investments, which tend to be the better choice for the average investor.
• Diversify with index funds and take advantage of the only “free lunch” in investing.
• Understand your time frame and risk tolerance.
• Invest for the long term and keep enough money available to cover short-term emergencies.

US Roads to Drive Before You Die. Not an AFAR list. Very cool! Which one is your favorite to get a speeding ticket on?

I was going to save this article for the weekend as it is a little deeper. But since I could not find enough content worthy to curate for you, here it comes on a weekday. Everything you wanted to learn about duck sex. And bird sex too. One of the most fascinating reads lately, you will learn A LOT about this subject! I wish I had a shocking video to share as well, lol. What Duck Sex Reveals About Human Nature.

Unlike ducks, 97 percent of birds cannot be forcibly fertilized, because the males don’t have a penis. Copulation in most birds is achieved by a cloacal kiss, just an apposition (or touching) of orifices. So, to be fertilized, the female has to actively take up the sperm, which means that she retains full control of her sexual choice. By the way, I think this is the essential reason why birds are so beautiful. Since they have the freedom of choice, females exhibit aesthetic preferences. And, as a result of these preferences, males developed amazingly elaborate ornaments.

A wonderful collection of pics from Tibet.

Amazing  pictures from a very Communist Romania in 1964!

BLOG BUZZ

This section is for advanced level hobbyists and veteran blog readers & personal rants & stuff

Read the replies to this, there was no reason to call when he did. I survived the dreaded Chase Business Verification call. Here are ALL of the questions they asked.

I received the “your Fairmont card is going to die” letter from Chase Bank today, so sad! Here is more detail on this and your options. And the best indication yet that the FPC days are numbered #crying.

Does the new Amex interface suck or what, wow! There are issues with Amex Offers appearing in your cards. Lets wait a few more days until the dust settles.

I am in a conundrum with my last two remaining nights in the San Francisco area coming up out of four total. I got the first one in the Hyatt Regency SFO on points as we are arriving late. Then I have two nights “open”. And in the final night I am blowing a free night at the Fairmont San Francisco in a suite of course. Mrs. TBB wants to stay in great locations in the city and does not want to switch hotel every day so I have been looking to get the next two nights in one hotel. And of course I don’t want to pay because I am an expert free loader when it comes to travel. Hey, isn’t what this hobby is all about? So, I have been checking every day to get me two nights at the Hyatt Centric Fisherman’s Wharf area to blow one free Visa night and the other one in points. Well, the first night was never available. And as time went by the second night also became sold out, WTF! So, I am giving up on it. So, I burned one free Visa night at the Intercontinental but I just can’t bear to blow 60k IHG Rewards Club points for the second night when the cash rate is about $250. I mean, this can be 12 nights with a Pointbraks hotel…so…I am still looking. There is a Sheraton in Fisherman’s Wharf at 12k per night, I can grab son’s SPG points with his new SPG card I am managing, he ‘ll never know lol. We are not that entitled to get a superb luxury hotel for those two nights, we just want a good deal. We will make it up at the Fairmont. Another choice was to get that third night at the Fairmont also to get a two night stay. But cheapest cash rate is at low $500’s and I don’t have that many gift cards to blow on it to get it all freeeeeee. So, I am still looking…Any input? Travel hacking first world problems right here all spelled out. Life is so hard sometimes lol.

And I leave you with this…Get used to it buddy!

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