Author: Ice Machine
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Gear Guide: Is The Silicone Wristband 2025’s Best Travel Item?
When I started carrying a Herschel Hank II as a backup wallet, it came with a silicone wristband to hold it closed. I thought it was a little odd. Because it’s a backup wallet, it stays pretty full with spare cards, foreign currencies, and a few American dollars. So I kept the rubber band around…
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How to Use a Free Night to Earn a Free Night at Hotels
While putting together a recent post on How to Maximize Hotel Promotions one of the strategies for earning bonus points during promotions required enough explanation to merit its own post: Using a redemption to earn a free night at hotels. As someone who lives in hotels year round, I’m not very concerned with redeeming rewards…
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Review of the Chateau Mar Golf Resort of South Florida: Hotel Intel
You’re looking to save on hotels in South Florida and after finding the Chateau Mar Golf Resort you may have thought to yourself “Huh… seems cheap for a golf course resort. What’s the catch?” Well, there is a catch, but for most it won’t be a dealbreaker. Let’s have a look. I booked this hotel…
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Review of the Hampton Inn Plantation, FL (Fort Lauderdale): Hotel Intel
If you’re looking to book a South Florida hotel you probably want to stay at the beach. But what if you don’t? Or what if the beachfront is out of your price range? Where should you stay then? At the Hampton Inn Plantation by Hilton? Maybe so! Let’s have a look. My first visit here…
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How to to Maximize Hotel Points Promotions
If you Google ‘How to Maximize Hotel Promotions’ virtually every result is focused on explaining how to increase bookings for hotel owners. But if you’re a frequent traveler maximizing promotions is a subject of crucial importance. Even if you’re only making 3-4 short trips a year you could be leaving some free nights on the…
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Review of the Holiday Inn Boca Raton North: Hotel Intel
If you’re coming to Boca to golf, visit family or just hit the beach you’re going to need to find a place to stay. And if you’re like me you probably don’t want to pay Brickell prices for Boca. Today I’m at the Holiday Inn Boca Raton- North. How is it? Let’s have a look.…
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Review of the Cambria Hotel Dania Beach: Hotel Intel
Whether you’re shopping around for a hotel in connection with your cruise/flight or just curious about the Cambria brand after so many stays at Hiltons and Marriotts the Cambria Hotel Dania Beach is an interesting proposition when it turns up in online searches. It was interesting enough to check out on a recent two night…
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Review of the La Quinta Cypress Creek (Fort Lauderdale): Hotel Intel
You want a hotel in South Florida. You don’t want to pay a lot of money. You aren’t particularly picky about location. So you’re curious about the La Quinta Cypress Creek in Fort Lauderdale. Let’s take a look… I booked this room direct for a Sunday and Monday to take advantage of a Wyndham points…
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Spending a Day at Ao Nang’s Monkey Trail in Thailand
Ao Nang Beach is the most popular destination for visitors to southern Thailand’s Krabi Province. Hotels are very affordable at the beach like the Aonang Villa Resort where I stayed for $90 a night recently (review) or one of many options available on Expedia. If you’re looking at Aonang Villa Resort on the map it’s…
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Review of the Baymont Inn & Suites Norcross GA: Hotel Intel
Freeze frame. Record scratch. Yes that’s me. You’re probably wondering how I ended up at the Baymont Inn & Suites Norcross GA. While evacuating Florida during Hurricane Milton I stayed about three hours in the Choice Hotels Bedbug Room of Doom! After decamping that room for a Holiday Inn Express I decided to give Choice…