Author Archives: Chris

Vegas Baby! Getting wet and wild at a pool party

Encore Beach Club

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Previously, I wrote about the top 5 pool parties in Vegas. If that post inspired you to pack up your suitcase and head straight to Vegas for some pool party fun then this post is a must read. I’ve been to many pool parties and I’ve learnt a thing or two – most of the time the hard way. Therefore I thought I’ll provide a comprehensive list of things to do or not to prepare yourself for the time of your life.

1. Do your research – find out who’ s performing before you go. You never know who’s on the turntable and I made this mistake when I went to EBC. The first time I went David Guetta was performing and he was awesome. The second time I went a 17 year old DJ called Madeon was performing – who actually looks like he’s 12. He was a decent DJ but whenever I saw him on stage I just thought, ‘ Where’s this kids mum’. It’s fair to say the Guetta performance was more memorable.

Madeon at EBC

Madeon at EBC

2. Apply long lasting water proof sun cream, SPF HIGH!!! Vegas is hot – very very hot and these pool parties last all day and you’re more likely to end up in Britney Spears’ suite than to find shade in a pool party.

3. It’s a pool party you will get wet! Only take things to the pool party that you don’t mind getting wet. I learnt this the hard way when I went to one of the pools in Marquee day club where the water was below knee high. I thought my £200 Gucci wallet would be safe in my pocket. I was wrong, the party got wild, water splashing all over the place and my wallet was absolutely destroyed. Though I didn’t care, I was having such a fun time. But others in this situation might not be as chilled out as me.  In which case you have been warned.

There are lockers in the pool parties which you can hire for the whole day and use as often as you want…BUT it costs around $50. Not cheap indeed.

4. Drinks in Vegas clubs are expensive and a pool party is no exception. I recommend pre-drinking in your hotel room while you get ready. I can say that the first shot you have when you wake up will not feel good, especially if you had a heavy night the night before, but if you’re going to Vegas on a budget then this is a must.

To keep you’re drinks nice and cold ,Use your bath tub as a ice bucket.

Home made fridge

Home made fridge

If however, you want a strong drink at a pool party that is really going to hit you straight away than you must order an AMF which stands for Adios Mother F$%er (censored). As the name rightly suggests, if you drink too much of this, then your day may end earlier than expected.

5. Stay Hydrated - If you’re not drinking alcohol than drink something. You’re in a desert; it’s ridiculously hot and you’re going to be outside for a long time. Keep hydrated to ensure you make the most of the pool party.

Wet Republic

Wet Republic

6. Arrive early -Like any popular club wherever you go a queue is inevitable but when it comes to Vegas these queues are ten times bigger especially when you’re going to the hottest pool parties. This is especially necessary if you’re a group of men because like any good club, a ‘sausage fest’ is a big no no – So clubs try to ensure there’s a good mix of men and women in the club.

Final note:

Most of these issues can be avoided if you get a cabana. A cabana is not cheap but if you’re going as a group of guys then this will definitely ensure you get in and when you split the cost between you it works out okay. Also it will include bottle service you’re an absolute baller when you have bottle service as portrayed by the clip below.

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Vegas Baby! This summers best pool parties!

 RehabRehab

I love Vegas, to me it’s Disneyland for Adults. I’ve done pretty much everything in Vegas – that is, everything legal of course. Every time I leave I automatically begin to plan my next trip. As a result I have been to Vegas 5 times in the last 4 years which is a lot considering I live in London.

With summer on its way, now’s a good time to start a series on everything about Vegas. For todays subject I will focus on one of my favourite topics, Pool Parties!

I went to my first ever pool party during Labour day weekend. The venue was Encore Beach Club and David Guetta was performing. I can’t find enough superlatives to describe that day. So lets just say it was ‘wow’ on steroids.

Now be warned if you’re the type of person who doesn’t like people breaching your personal space, getting wet, loud music and in general people jumping about getting excited as these superstar DJs do their magic, then stay away far far away, a pool party will not be to your liking.

But don’t worry – this being Vegas, they have plenty more pools more to your liking which I will detail in a later post.

My top 5 pool parties – in order:

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1.Encore Beach Club at Wynn Encore

Encore Beach Club – better known as EBC has a legendary reputation in Vegas. It holds the status as the, ‘place to be’ when it comes to pool parties in Vegas. With Superstar DJs David Guetta, Avicii and Steve Angelo on its roster, combined with the most stylish pool party venue, and add in a crowd of what can only be described as Abercrombie & Fitch employees; Then you are sure to have a winning formula.

Now do be warned the popularity of EBC has led to the most ridiculous queue ever. When you’re standing outside in the dessert heat for a ridiculous amount of time you may get a tad agro; but the minute you enter the ‘hottest’ pool party in town you can’t help but act like a belieber, who just saw Justin Bieber. But in this case you’re screaming ‘EBC!”. All of a sudden you forget about the time spent waiting in line as you become mesmerized by your surrounding.

If you’re looking for a pool party and superstar DJs don’t tickle your fancy, nor do extravagant pool side surroundings – with your primary aim just to get absolutely plastered, then don’t go to EBC. It’s expensive and there are plenty more places in Vegas to meet your needs.

Marquee

Marquee

2. Marquee Day Club at the Cosmopolitan

Marquee has quickly built up a big name for itself in Vegas. During the summer its infamous ‘Summer Lovin’ party is held weekly with resident DJ Kaskade on the turntable.

Marquee is held high up the Cosmopolitan hotel; with amazing views of the ‘city centre’. The crowd is beautiful and young. The staff are most likely part time models; they are easy to spot as the female staff all wear purple bikinis.

Unlike EBC, I’ve never had any issues with waiting in line to get into Marquee. So if you’re the impatient type then this may be a better option.

rukes.com

rukes.com

3. Daylight at Mandalay Bay

Daylight is the newest day club in this list. It only opened a year ago and has already become a popular venue. This could be due to a combination of big name DJs which include Axwell and Sebastian Ingrosso, and a visually striking state of the art stage; that really gets the party going.

In terms of venue it’s a lot less striking than EBC and Marquee. But to be fair those two are on a league of their own.

If you can’t handle a day time party but want to experience a pool party; then come back to Daylight at night when the venue transforms into Eclipse.

rukes.com

rukes.com

4. Wet Republic at the MGM

Without a doubt Wet Republic has the best DJs on its roster in Vegas and probably the world. Calvin Harris, Tiesto, Hardwell are some of the venues residents, so you can guarantee the music will be top notch. The venue less so. In addition expect to hardly have any space to move around.

Rehab

Rehab

5. Rehab at the Hard Rock

If electronic dance music isn’t your cup of tea but you still want to hit a crazy pool party then Rehab is the place to be. Be sure to checkout who’s performing in advance as you never know the type of music that will be blasting. It could be anything from Snoop Dog to The Wanted, so be warned.

Final Note:

If you’re heading to a pool party in Vegas this summer – you made the right choice. To make sure you have the best time possible, read Vegas Baby! Getting wet and wild at a pool parties.

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Hilton HHonors summer promotion

Hilton Double your HHonors promotion

Hilton have just announced their Summer promotion named Double your HHonors promotion and just as the name implies, you get double base HHonor points on stays at eligible properties.

 

Details: 

If you don’t already have a Hilton HHonors account than sign up here.

Once you have a Hilton HHonors account, sign up to the promotion here.

Every time you stay at any participating hotels  and resorts in the Hilton Portfolio between May 1 – July 31, 2014, you will earn double points.

List of non-participating hotels can be found here.

 

Verdict:

This is the basic promotion you expect from a hotel chain. Nothing really to excited about but always better than nothing. Hilton announced a massive devaluation in their loyalty program last year making it more expensive to spend your points on a free night. Therefore this promotion shouldn’t affect your decision when choosing where to stay. However, if you do already have a planned stay at a participating hotel or resort in the Hilton Portfolio brand then be sure to sign-up to this promotion.

The Hilton Bora Bora Nui resort and Spa was one of the Hilton properties that I had planned to spend my stash of HHonors points, but than came the massive devaluation of the HHonors program where the redemption rate for a free night at this resort went from 50,000 HHonors points to 95,000 HHonors points. Yikes!! But it’s so pretty.

HILTON BORA BORA NUI RESORT & SPA HILTON BORA BORA NUI RESORT & SPA

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

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Awesome clip of a guy walking around Tokyo backwards. See what happens when this is played in reverse

I found this clip on youtube and I just had to share it with you. It shows a guy walking around Tokyo backwards and then the footage is played in reversal. The results are very cool indeed and I don’t know about you guys but it plays mind tricks on my brain. In addition it’s just another video that really inspires you to travel, especially the beginning of the clip when the guy is walking around what I think is Shibuya. Being Tokyo, it’s overcrowded, full of neon lights and in general just looks like a fun city to be in. Enjoy!

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How to get a airline or hotel status match

I previously wrote about the value of having status in a airline or hotel loyalty program, here. This time round I’m going to share how you can get a status match with another airline or hotel, if you already have status in an existing airline or hotel loyalty program. Simply call up or send an e-mail to the airline or hotel program that you wish to get a status match with. Inform them you already have status in another airline or hotel loyalty program. They will usually ask for some evidence of your status in a existing loyalty program. Once the evidence is provided you will get a status match.

A status match is not guaranteed, it depends on the hotel/airline and also who’s dealing with your request, but Status Matcher is a useful website to use to see what the likelihood are of you being approved or denied a status match. Status Matcher is a forum where people share the result of  a status match request.

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Fast track to a Gold member in the Club Carlson loyalty program without ever staying there

Rezidor

Rezidor

There is currently an offer to get instant gold status at Club Carlson. This offer was targeted to American Express Cardholders, but it is actually working for anyone. This is a great opportunity to easily get gold status which would normally require staying 35 nights in a Club Carlson property.

Details:

Sign up here.

You must Enrol before the 31st of May 2014.

Verdict:

I’ve been a gold member for quite some time and I did it the old fashioned way by staying in a Club Carlson property for 35 nights in a calendar year, and had this offer been available at the time I would definitely have signed-up for it. The benefits of being a gold member can be found here. I took advantage of my Gold status by upgrading to a room with a view in a recent trip to Paris where I stayed at the Radisson Blu Le Metropolitan Hotel, Paris Eiffel. The View was amazing as shown below.

View of the Eiffel Tower

View of the Eiffel Tower

However, the size of the room was far from spacious and not really worth taking a photo of but I found one from Expedia. But hey it’s Paris what do you expect.

Expedia

Expedia

My Rating: 5 out of 5

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IHG improve the value of their rewards club!

The IHG rewards club is the loyalty programs for a variety of hotel chains that include the InterContinental, Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza. In general, we are seeing a trend of hotel loyalty programs being ‘devalued’. This has been due to the economy improving as a result hotel occupancy rates have improved which has caused many hotel to increase the redemption rate for reward points. None have been as crazy as last year when hilton devalued dramatically by increasing redemptions at certain hotels by nearly double what they previously cost.

Though I’m glad to hear the IHG have actually improved their rewards program by announcing that they would not be increasing their rewards nigh pricing for any of their hotels in 2014, but they would actually be reducing the number of reward nights for more than 100 of their properties by 5,000 points. Examples include:

InterContinental, Shanghai Puxi, China – 35,000 to 30,000 points

Holiday Inn Resort Phuket Mai Khao Beach Resort, Thailand – 20,000 to 15,000 points

Crowne Plaza Geneva, Switzerland – 35,000 to 30,000 points

These changes will be effective from April 15th.

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Get inspired and travel

For all you adventure junkies out there I thought I would share this short video from Gopro which will help inspire you on your next adventure. This video actually inspired me to buy a Gopro for myself and though the picture quality is superb, I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve only used it once since I purchased it a year ago.  That one time I used it was in Mayrhofen, where I was going on my first ski trip in over 15 years. Being slightly big headed I thought I will capture some amazing clips and compile the clips to make my own ‘Gopro’ video. The result however were amateur at best, as I soon realised I can’t ski and having my go pro attached to my helmet, I often forgot I was recording as I focused more on trying to stay on my feet then being the next Spielberg. I think everyone around me thought I was abit of wierdo as I had all this fancy equipment while being unable to actually ski. Though I did manage to capture some decent footage when the Skis were off and I was relaxing with a beer, 6000 feet up the mountains watching Kasabian perform, which I’ve also shared below.

Go pro Short video

My own video

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Get Star Alliance Gold status for life

I recently wrote a post about why I love having status in an airline program and the benefits that come with it. The full article can be found here. Though the benefits are great the one common issue is that once you earn airline status, that only lasts a year unless you re-qualify. However, with Aegean once you qualify to Gold status you stay gold forever. Therefore you get all the perks such as lounge access, extra baggage allowance , priority check-in etc, without having to qualify year on year. The full list of benefits can be found here.

An added benefit of earning gold status at Aegean is that Aegean is part of the Star Alliance. Therefore not only do you get all the benefits of having status when you fly with Aegean but they are also valid for any airline that is part of the Star Alliance. Therefore when you fly with Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, United, Air Canada, to name a few you will also get the of lounge access, extra baggage allowance, priority check-in etc. The full list of airlines that are part of the Star Alliance can be found here.

Details:

1. Sign up to miles & bonus, the Aegean loyalty program by clicking here. You will receive 1000 status miles just for signing up.

2. Credit a further 3,000 miles within 12 months and you will become ‘Blue’ status.

3. Then credit a additional 16,000 miles within 12 month and you will become ‘Gold’ status.

Once you become Gold within the time frame mentioned above, you will become gold not only in Aegean but also in the Star Alliance. You will be gold forever, but you will need to credit 1 flight every 36 month (doesn’t have to be a flight with Aegean but any airline that is a member of the Star Alliance, but you will need to provide your Aegean account details when checking-in or at the time of booking) and note Aegean can change their rules anytime.

Verdict:

As a big fan of earning elite status in airline programs this offer is right up my alley. You wont find another airline program that offers you lifetime gold status for just flying 20,000 miles. This is definitely an offer you should really consider.

My rating: 4 out of 5

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