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Using My Hilton Free Weekend Night Award in Chicago

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One of the many perks of being a Hilton Honors Aspire card holder is the free weekend night award. The award is given annually on your card-opening anniversary and must be used within a year of receipt. I recently started thinking about how and when to use my Hilton free night award.

I had until August 2019 to use the award, but my schedule has been jam packed with travel. So far this year, I had already gone to California in January and China in February/March. While I have an upcoming work trip in May and a two week trip to Israel in June, both are already booked. So there was no opportunity to use the award on any of those trips.

So instead, Annie and I decided to look into using the free weekend night on a stay-cation in Chicago. After a quick search for the last Saturday in April, I found two great options where we could get a great location and a great value.

The criteria for the search was simple:

Murray is ready for a luxury hotel stay!
  • Location: something in or near the River North neighborhood where there’s great dining and shopping options
  • Dog-friendly: we thought it would be fun to take our golden doodle, Murray, with us and wanted a hotel that would allow him
  • Value: the free weekend night award is a perk I get from a credit card with a hefty annual fee, so the more expensive the room, the better

The options came down to the Conrad and the Waldorf Astoria. Both are in great locations and are dog friendly. So the tie-breaker was value.

The cheapest rate for that Saturday night at the Waldorf Astoria was a prepaid $337. With taxes, the total would come to $395! And flexible rates were in the $400s.

The value of the free weekend night is $395!

Bottom Line

Overall, getting a room at the Waldorf Astoria, which costs around $400 a night, is a great use of the free weekend night award.

How have you used a Hilton free weekend night award? Let me know in the comments below.

Trip Report Index

  1. Using My Hilton Annual Free Night in Chicago
  2. Waldorf Astoria Chicago

Holiday Inn Beijing Haidian

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Annie’s employer put her team up at the Holiday Inn Beijing Haidian, so we didn’t choose to stay at this hotel. The nightly rate was less than $70 per night, so we weren’t sure what to expect. What we found was a clean, contemporary hotel that pleasantly surprised us in several ways.

The 17-story hotel has 291 rooms in total

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The first surprising aspect was how nice the hotel was. It’s far superior than the American versions of Holiday Inns, as this felt much more like a 4-star or 5-star hotel. It was built in 2011, so it’s clean and contemporary. The service was also very good, even though the language barrier presented some challenges. The concierge helped with dinner reservations and calling taxis. And there were several bellmen who always opened the door for us when we arrived.

The hotel is located in the Haidian business district on Shuangqing Road

Location

The hotel is located in the business district of Beijing, so it’s not really close to many of the popular tourist attractions. What you will find nearby are seven high profile universities, including Peking University, the #1 university in China. The hotel is also close to the a few subway stations, which makes it fairly easy to get around to other parts of the city.

Lobby

The lobby is fresh, clean and welcoming. There was a small wait during check-in only because all of us from the U.S. arrived at the same time. We got our room assignment and keys in ten minutes or so. And because Annie is an IHG® Rewards Club member, we received two free drink vouchers for use at the bar.

Holiday Inn Beijing Haidian lobby

Beyond the lobby, is a comfortable lounge area. We sat there a couple nights while enjoying a beer from the nearby bar.

Holiday Inn Beijing Haidian lounge

The Room

With keys in hand, we took the elevators up to our floor. Even the hallways and elevator areas are tastefully decorated with dark wood and chandeliers.

Our room was located on the 8th floor. Continuing with the overall theme, the room was clean and comfortable. It’s a good setup for a business traveler with a desk, and plenty of outlets that accommodate western plugs.

While there was a 27-inch LCD TV with satellite channels, I think there were maybe four channels in English. So be prepared to see the same stories each day on the BBC channel. The king bed had premium bedding and pillow menus.

The room sported standard amenities including a refrigerator, a minibar, and a coffee maker. They also stocked the room with two free water bottles daily, which was appreciated since you can’t drink water out of the tap.

The Bathroom

The bathroom is on the small side, but it’s clean and has everything one would need.

Dining

The hotel has three restaurants onsite, specializing in Cantonese, Indian and American cuisine, respectively.

Jade Garden

Jade Garden provides guests with Cantonese cuisine in a comfortable ambiance. The night we arrived in China, a few of us stopped in to get a bite to eat before bed. Since every table in China has a lazy susan, it’s perfect for sharing. We ordered a bunch of soups, noodle dishes and veggies and everything was outstanding. It was a good way to end our first night in China.

Ramayana

Ramayana is an Indian restaurant that offers authentic northern Indian flavors. We didn’t eat here during our stay, but if you like Indian food, the menu looked like it had plenty of good options.

Fusion Flavors

Fusion Flavors restaurant serves a wide range of continental food. For the American who is longing for a piece of home, this restaurant has choices like burgers, sandwiches, pizza and pasta.

Breakfast Buffet

The other really surprising aspect of this hotel was the outstanding breakfast buffet. First it was included in the room rate. And even though they said it was only free for one person per room, they didn’t charge us for the second person.

The buffet had everything you’d want including both western and Chinese dishes. It was the perfect way to start each day, whether people were going to work or going off to tour the city.

There were two chef-manned stations. One made eggs, omelets, waffles and other western goodies. The other prepared Chinese noodle dishes were you could choose the type of noodles and other items to go in the dish.

After the first day, our entire group so looked forward to breakfast each day.

Miscellaneous

Unfortunately we didn’t have much time to use most hotel amenities. However, it has a modern fitness center with imported equipment, an indoor pool, a spa and sauna.

There is an ATM on site, which came in handy towards the end of the trip when I needed to exchange currency.

Bottom Line

Beijing is a massive, sprawling city and with the traffic, it can take a while to get anywhere. If I were to go back to Beijing, I would probably stay in another area or somewhere more centrally located within the city. However, I loved our stay at the Holiday Inn Beijing Haidian, and if I needed to be in that part of the city, I wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again.

Trip Report Index

  1. Planning our Trip to Beijing
  2. Flight from Chicago to Beijing
  3. Holiday Inn Beijing Haidian
  4. The Great Wall at Gubeikou
  5. Activities in Beijing
  6. Bullet Train between Beijing and Shanghai
  7. Charms Hotel Shanghai
  8. Activities in Shanghai
  9. Flight from Beijing to Chicago

How to Use the United Mileage Plus (MPX) App

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Using the app for everyday purchases can mean thousands of extra miles a year!

Stumbling onto the United MileagePlus X app last year was a game changer for me. Without spending any more money than I normally would, the MPX app allows me to earn United miles in addition to credit card points. Even though the app has been around for a few years, there are still lots of people who are unaware of its existence. It’s unique to United, as no other airlines or hotel programs have a similar tool that helps you rack up miles like this app does.

Introduction

So how does it work?

The MPX app allows you to earn extra miles on in-store and online purchases, on top of any miles, rewards or cash back you may earn with the credit card you use to make the purchases. It’s basically a giant gift card store that allows you to earn United miles when you make purchases.

The way it works is pretty simple:

  1. Purchase an eGift card through the app – Before you pay at your favorite brick-and-mortar store or online retailer, log into the app and buy an eGift card to cover as little or as much of the purchase you’d like.
  2. Pay with that eGift card – Hand your phone to the cashier, read the gift card details aloud or ask the merchant to scan the barcode on the eGift card; online, you type the card details as you do with any gift card.
  3. Earn United miles – For each dollar you spend on the app, you generally can get up to five miles; a few times a year certain retailers will run promotions for up to ten miles per dollar spent.

Here’s a video from United which summarizes the above in an under a minute:

How do I find retailers that accept MPX?

There are different ways to look for participating merchants in the app.

  • Nearby: The app will display participating merchants based on proximity to your location. You can browse by name or on an interactive map.
  • Online: This section will display a list of online retailers that accept the eGift cards purchased in the app.
  • Catalog: Here you can browse participating merchants based on category, including Electronics, Entertainment, Food and Office Supplies.
  • Sort by proximity
  • Sort by online
  • Sort by category

How do I make a purchase?

When you’re ready to make a purchase, just select the retailer, the amount you want to charge, and process the payment. Once it goes through, the app will display an eGift card for you to hand to the cashier or use online.

  • Purchase in progress
  • Purchase complete!

You can also see a list of all current eGift cards and their remaining balances under Purchases.

  • List of current eGift cards
  • Sample eGift card

So that doesn’t seem very hard but you may be asking “Why should I bother with this?” So let’s get into the details. I’ll show you how to get started with the app, when miles earned get credited to your account, and how much you can earn. Finally, I’ll share some real life examples on how to earn extra miles using the app.

How do I get started?

  • Download the app through the iOS App Store or Google Play Store.
  • Create an account, linking it to your MileagePlus frequent flyer number.
  • Add at least one form of payment; it’s a good idea to add a few credit cards so you can earn extra bonuses on different spending categories.

Pro Tip: If you own a Chase United Airlines credit card, you also receive a 25% bonus on every purchase made through the app. Even better, you don’t even have to use the card to make the purchase – you just need to have the card linked in the app as a form of payment.

When do I get the miles?

Miles earned through the MPX app are credited to your United MileagePlus account immediately.

How much can you earn?

There is no limit to the amount of miles you can earn through the app, although most merchants have an max limit of $500 per transaction. Note, that the app may have a $500 daily transaction limit, but I’ve yet to test that.

The participating retailers offer different mileage earning rates. Here are a few popular merchants and their rates:

  • Panera – 5 miles per $1
  • AMC – 5 miles per $1
  • Jiffy Lube – 5 miles per $1
  • Domino’s Pizza – 5 miles per $1
  • DSW – 4 miles per $1
  • The Container Store – 4 miles per $1
  • Starbucks – 1 mile per $1
  • The Home Depot – 1 mile per $1

Earning Examples and the Triple Dip

The easiest way to show how great the app can be is to walk through an example. First we’ll look at the double dip and then the coveted triple dip.

The Double Dip

Let’s say I’m taking my family out to Panera for dinner and the bill comes to $50. I could pay for it with a credit card that earns bonus points on dining (like 2x points on my Chase Sapphire Preferred). If I paid this way, I’d earn 100 Chase UR points.

However, instead I could open the MPX app, find Panera, and use the app to purchase a $50 eGift card to pay for the meal. In this scenario, I’d earn 312 United miles (250 miles + 25% since I own the United℠ Explorer card) for using the app AND 100 Chase UR points by paying with my Chase Sapphire Preferred card. I still earn 2x Chase UR points on the gift card purchase as if I used it directly at the restaurant.

This is the power of the app! Without spending anything extra, I double dipped my earnings. In this scenario I would earn:

  • 312 United miles for using the United MileagePlus X app
  • 100 Chase UR points for using a credit card that earns double points on dining purchases

That’s a total of 412 points/miles earned for the same $50 purchase!

The Triple Dip

The double dip is nice, but you can also use the app to triple dip your points and miles. Instead of buying an eGift card and using it at a brick-and-mortar store, you can use it for online purchases via shopping portals. In this scenario, you would earn:

  • United miles for using the app
  • Points earned for using your credit card
  • Miles or points earned via the shopping portal

Here’s an example of a triple dip. Let’s say I need to buy some household products from The Container Store and the total purchase amount is $100. I don’t own a credit card that gets any bonus points in this category. So no matter what card I use, I’d earn 100 points or miles. For this example, I’ll use my Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

Instead I could open the MPX app, find The Container Store, and use the app to purchase a $100 eGift card. In this scenario, I’d earn 500 United miles (400 miles + 25% bonus) for using the app AND 100 Chase UR points by paying with my Chase Sapphire Preferred card. Then I can shop online at The Container Store’s website, starting first at Chase’s shopping portal, which is currently giving 3 points per dollar spent.

 In this scenario I would earn:

  • 500 United miles for using the United MileagePlus X app
  • 100 Chase UR points for using my Chase Sapphire Preferred card
  • 300 Chase UR points for purchases made at www.containerstore.com via Chase’s shopping portal

That’s a total of 900 points/miles earned for the same $100 purchase! That’s 9x more earnings then if I had just walked into The Container Store and purchased $100 worth of goods on my credit card.

MPX App Limitations

  • Returns in the form of a Gift Card – If you decide to return the items you purchased using the MPX app, you will get a refund in the form of a gift card.
  • Lack of Purchase Protection – Since you are purchasing gift cards, you will lose any credit card purchase protection you might have like extended warranties. That’s because those purchase protections only cover items you purchase directly with your credit card. Since you are using your credit card to purchase a gift card and not the actual items, you will not have those purchase protections.
  • Spending Limits – Each merchant has their own limits as to how much you can put on the eGift card. Most I’ve seen go to $500, but a few are as low as $100.
  • Variable Earning Rates – Not all merchants give you 5 miles per dollar spent. Chipotle, for example, only gives 0.5 miles per dollar. So check first to see if it’s worth it.

Bottom Line

I love the United MileagePlus X app. Since I started using the app in late 2018, I’ve earned over 3,000 miles for making purchases I already was going to make. To me, it’s absolutely worth the extra few seconds at the register to earn the extra miles.

Do you use the MPX app? What do you think about it?

Enjoying Premium Plus: A Review of United Airlines’ 777-200 from Chicago to Beijing

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Flying from Chicago to Beijing is a 13 hour journey, so getting to sit in United’s new Premium Plus section was a real treat. And to make it even better I only paid for a regular economy ticket. In the days leading up to the flight, several aircraft equipment changes turned into a premium experience on United’s 777-200 aircraft.

For Annie, China was a business trip, so her economy ticket was paid for by her employer. I was just tagging along for fun and had to purchase my own ticket in economy. As it turned out, being on different itineraries is the key to how we were able to get bumped to Premium Plus for free.

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The Upgrade

Two days before our trip, we were notified by United of an aircraft change. When we looked at the seat map, we noticed that we were no longer sitting together and there were no available seats together in economy.

So I called United to see what could be done to get us seats together. The representative was very accommodating and gave us a free upgrade to economy plus so that we could sit together.

Then on the day before the trip, the aircraft changed again, and while our seats were still in economy plus and in the same row, we were separated again. Annie was in 21G and I was in 21E, and I could see on the seat map that there were two seats available in economy plus in row 31. I was about to call United again to move us back when I noticed something.

The plane configuration in economy plus was 3-4-3, but there were three rows in the front of that section that were different. The configuration for those rows were 2-4-2. I couldn’t find anything on Seatguru.com that had this configuration, so I wasn’t sure if there was really any difference between the first three rows of economy plus and those behind them.

Finally I found an article on the web that talked about United’s new Premium Plus cabin. With this information in hand, I knew we should stay in Premium Plus and see if the person between us would swap seats so we could sit together.

I was beyond excited to get the extra leg room and seat width and experience this new United product especially on a long haul flight.

Check-in and Boarding

We arrived at O’Hare Airport a little less than three hours before our flight. This was my first flight with TSA PreCheck® and the experience was excellent. We were through security in less than 5 minutes. No taking off shoes, taking out laptops or liquids. It really takes the anxiety out of the getting through security.

We decided to stop in the United Club in Terminal 1, Concourse C, near Gate C16. I had two annual passes that I get as a perk from the United Explorer Card. The club was modern and clean and since I don’t spend a lot of time in airport lounges it was fun to be there.

The club was busy but we found a little table between the two main rooms. They were serving breakfast items like toast, cereal, banana bread, yogurt, and fruit. We got a little something to eat and a couple mimosas! After about an hour we headed to the gate to wait to board.

Boarding was smooth and I was able to swap seats with the solo traveler in between Annie and I. 

The only negative prior to takeoff, was that the aircraft had what they called “a minor mechanical issue”. Somehow it didn’t need to be fixed, but instead they’d need to change the aircraft route which would add a little bit of time to the overall flight. We ended up delayed for 1.5 hours because they had to add more fuel and lose some cargo to ensure the plane had enough fuel for the longer trip and wasn’t exceeding the maximum weight. The crew did come by a few times with water and people were allowed to de-board if they wanted, which was nice.

Cabin and Seats

The Premium Plus cabin on the United 777-200 consists of three rows laid out in a 2-4-2 configuration. The section is separated into its own mini-cabin, making it feel more upscale and private.

The seats stand out due to the purple color and it’s obvious how much more spacious they are then even the Economy Plus seats. The seats are 18.5 inches wide, making them about 1.5 inches wider than the Economy and Economy Plus seats.

I’m 6′ 1″ and there was enough room for me to comfortably stretch or cross my legs when I wanted.

The seat recline seemed pretty standard and there was also a button to bring up a leg rest. Underneath the seat in front of me were footrest pedals that you could pull down manually for added comfort.

Overall, these seats were pretty amazing, especially if you don’t want to spend thousands of dollars on business class seats. They really made the 13-hour flight not just bearable, but enjoyable. They were so nice that it’s going to be much more difficult flying home in economy. Sadly, the aircraft for the return trip hasn’t been retrofitted yet, so there will be no Premium Plus cabin.

Amenities

We received the standard blanket and pillow that you get on any international flight. Each seat in Premium Plus had a 13.3 inch seat-back entertainment system with lots of movies and TV shows to choose from. The touchscreen was very responsive as there was no lag effect at all when making a selection. Even though it was a touchscreen, there was a handheld controller in the armrest if preferred. Noise-cancelling headphones were provided and were already at our seat when we boarded.

Each seat also was equipped with a USB outlet, universal power outlet and headphones jack located underneath the armrest.

Food Service

Since the Premium Plus cabin isn’t officially operating yet, we did not get the premium dining experience. But the economy meal service was good nonetheless. United says that Premium Plus passengers will receive upgraded dining options and cocktails when the product is officially launched. I’m not certain what that actually means but they say that meals will be served on china, instead of plastic trays, like in premium economy on other carriers.

About an hour into the flight, the crew came around with pretzels and drink service. I ordered an IPA from Breckenridge Brewing since alcohol is free on international flights.

Shortly after they served lunch. Airplane food is never going to be great but this one was pretty decent. I had fried rice, salad and a roll. For dessert they served a little cup of Italian ice.

A few hours after lunch, they served a “snack” sandwich. Annie and I got a chuckle out of the one slice of turkey and one piece of cheese sandwich. If you like bread, you’ll love this!

When we got closer to Beijing, they served breakfast. For this meal, I chose the French toast over eggs because airplane eggs just don’t sound appetizing to me. Additionally, the meal came with fresh fruit and choice of drink.

Bottom Line

I was impressed with United’s new Premium Plus cabin. The seats were roomy and were a clear upgrade over what you’d get in economy and economy plus. I loved the large, high-definition IFE screen that had a huge library of movies and TV shows.

Since the Premium Plus product isn’t officially live yet, we’ll have to wait to see how United prices these seats to really make a judgement one way or another. But if the prices are reasonable, I would definitely consider flying in Premium Plus with United on future international flights.

Trip Report Index

  1. Planning our Trip to Beijing
  2. Flight from Chicago to Beijing
  3. Holiday Inn Beijing Haidian
  4. The Great Wall at Gubeikou
  5. Activities in Beijing
  6. Bullet Train between Beijing and Shanghai
  7. Charms Hotel Shanghai
  8. Activities in Shanghai
  9. Flight from Beijing to Chicago

Embassy Suites Irvine Orange County Airport

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I have always gotten a special feeling when staying at Embassy Suites hotels. I think it stems from staying there on family vacations back when I was a kid. Compared to most hotels, the Embassy Suites has many unique attributes that make staying there feel special.

Embassy Suites Irvine Orange County
Embassy Suites Irvine Orange County (Photo courtesy Hilton Hotels)

When you add together the large room suites, the atrium courtyard and the complimentary made-to-order breakfast, it adds up to a memorable stay that gives me a warm feeling inside. Our stay at the Embassy Suites Irvine Orange County Airport hotel didn’t disappoint.

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For the final night of our trip to Orange County, we moved into the Embassy Suites Irvine Orange County Airport hotel. We had an early flight home the next morning, so being closer to the airport took some of the anxiety out of early morning travel. I also wanted to stay one night here to help us collect Hilton Honors points for a 5th wedding anniversary trip to Hawaii in 2020.

The hotel was originally built in 1986. In 2016, the 293-room airport hotel revamped all of its guest suites, event space, and atrium with a modern, California-fresh look.

Hotel atrium

Location

The hotel is located in the city of Irvine. You’re a 5 minute drive to John Wayne Airport and less than 10 to the University of California Irvine.

It’s also less than half an hour from some of California’s most beloved attractions, including Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Disneyland Park® and Knott’s Berry Farm. Here’s a map of the Embassy Suites’ location.

The Room

As a Hilton Honors platinum member, we were upgraded to a room on the 10th and highest floor. Since every room is a suite, the upgrade doesn’t really get you much. We were told that the upgraded room featured a walk-in shower rather than a bathtub.

Embassy Suites living room

You enter the suite in the living room. It’s spacious with a TV, plenty of seating, and a desk.

Embassy Suites by Hilton Irvine Orange County Airport
Embassy Suites living room

Between the living room and bedroom is a little kitchenette. There’s a mini-fridge, microwave, and coffeemaker.

Embassy Suites kitchenette

The bedroom contained a king size bed, two night stands, a TV and a huge picture window.

Embassy Suites bedroom

The bathroom was clean and modern. The entire space felt very comfortable and clean due to the recent renovation.

Embassy Suites bathroom

Miscellaneous

We probably spent a grand total of around nine hours total in the hotel. So unfortunately, we didn’t utilize many of the hotel amenities.

As with every Embassy Suites hotel, you get complimentary made-to-order breakfast and two-hour evening reception featuring drinks and light snacks. For lunch and dinner, the onsite Vibrante SoCal Kitchen & Bar serves up regionally inspired modern Mexican small plates.

They also have a heated indoor pool and fitness center.

I was actually a little sad that we didn’t get to stay in the hotel longer. I’m a huge breakfast fan, but due to the early flight, we had to leave before breakfast began.

Bottom Line

The hotel is less than three years removed from their recent renovation. You can see that every square inch was refreshed and it makes the hotel look so clean, comfortable and inviting. I would definitely stay here again!

Trip Report Index

  1. Planning our Trip to Newport Beach
  2. Newport Beach Marriott Hotel and Spa
  3. Embassy Suites by Hilton Irvine Orange County Airport
  4. Activities in Orange County
  5. Flight from Orange County to Chicago