CategoryTravel

Paris Olympics 2024

Well I went off and booked an international trip to Paris in no less than 17 days for the Olympics!

Lets talk about how I got there and whats in store for me coming home! I booked 2 – 1 way tickets. The first ticket was ORD to CDG nonstop on Air France. I have Platinum status with Delta and I had a $100 credit so I booked it via the Delta website. I booked this flight for $383.30! A steal in my opinion for the Olympics. Getting home was even easier. I was able to book via Delta and pay 52,000 Skymiles and $260.46 in taxes and fees. After booking there was an offer to upgrade to Delta One and I decided to splurge and did it! $876.42 in my book is one heck of a deal! At the $100 a hour rate it was a no brainier.

The first thing after dropping my bags at the hotel was to go and see the Eiffel Tower with the rings and for the first time there was NO WAIT to get to the top! I bought my ticket and proceeded to the elevator that takes you to the 2nd floor. You have to then go in a separate line and ride another elevator all the way to the top but oh my its worth it! Paris is a magical place!

I was able to see Team USA in Women’s Rugby and Badminton. I also went to a Soccer – Football game too but it didn’t have the same Olympic feeling as the other 2 events. I have already signed up for Milan 2026. Fingers crossed I can get tickets to see the women’s and men’s figure skating.

Washington DC

This trip was so fun for so many reasons! The Sky Club to start …… then I was able to connect with an old friend who lives in another state and we met for some food and drinks on Friday night. I spent 2 nights there total. I used a free night certificate for the first night and 110,000 points for the second night at the Waldorf Astoria.

This is where I should be so excited about the hotel but this was the worst Waldorf I have ever stayed at and I would never return. I also was in town for a travel hacking meet up and got to see a suite at the Grand Hyatt and the Conrad in DC. Since I have stayed at other WA properties I had a certain level of expectation leading up to the stay. I contacted the concierge just like I have for my other stays to request something for my birthday. I don’t usually complain about my stays but this was so bad that something needs to be said. I tried contacting Hilton customer service but just got the generic “We are sorry.” response. They were so sweet in New Orleans and I ended up with 2 Happy Birthday treats!

If you are familiar with Hilton you know that they have the option for digital keys in the app and you can check in without going to the desk. Well it was showing this option but that was apparently not the case. As the manager said … “we don’t use digital keys here”. Um …. ok so why not? And why does the app ask me if I want to use one? I am getting a little ahead of myself. After I landed I chose to take an Uber from the airport vs taking the train because I thought my room would be ready for me to check in at about 1:30pm. I got to the desk and they said that my room was not ready and that I needed to wait 2 to 3 hours for said room. When I inquired about an upgrade they told me it would cost $600 a night. I declined and watched that room stay empty for my whole visit while they shoved me into a room that was in desperate need of a facelift. Just look at the stains on the carpet … This is what they consider an upgrade for a Diamond member?

While waiting for my room I decided to take a walk with a hotel provided umbrella and I was able to see the White House and even caught a glimpse of the President of the United States leaving in his motorcade. Saturday was a fun day with sightseeing and the points and miles meet up! We met up at a Luna Hall DC, a high end food court with a full bar. Then we made our way to Allegory, a speak easy for a night cap.

This is a glimpse into what a suite at the Grand Hyatt looks like! Sooooooooo much nicer than my carpet stained room at the Waldorf Astoria! I was so jealous of my friends and the amazing treatment they received.

Overall I would recommend the Conrad or the Grand Hyatt vs. the Waldorf Astoria if you are in DC. Some words of wisdom … not all Waldorf’s are the same. But in the end I got 50,000 points back and made some amazing memories with my amazing friends!