Things didn’t start well at the airport. Immigration and customs were both fine, but then it went downhill. Yes, we were exhausted after over 30 hours of travel from Munich at that point, but we fell into a trap at the airport – a trap that I should know better not to fall for: we…
After an extremely early morning bus ride from the Hyatt Regency Tokyo out to Narita, I proceeded to the very exclusive feeling ANA Suite Check-in facility. Here, I was quickly checked in and whisked away to a private security line before I went on to clear immigration. I relaxed for about an hour in the…
We arrived at Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport a couple of hours before our scheduled departure for Toyko-Narita. Check-in was quick and simple, and I was pointed towards the security line where I was able to skip the line since I was flying First. I ended up clearing security and immigration only minimally quicker than my…
First of all, I’ve made no secret of my love for Park Hyatt properties. I feel that they are some of the nicest and well-done properties in the world, and are certainly amongst the best hotels in which I’ve stayed. Before my trip to Shanghai, I’d previously stayed at Park Hyatts in Tokyo, Dubai, Melbourne…
I was actually dreading this flight – 100%. At a scheduled 4:15, this “red-eye” flight to Shanghai was too short for a decent night’s rest. It was also in a slanted business class seat, which I was pretty worried about for sleeping. I typically hate these short red-eye flights, but when booking the award back…
As previously noted, we spent the first part of our layover at the THAI Royal First Lounge, but with twelve hours between flights, I wanted to get into the city a bit just to experience a little of the utter chaos that is Bangkok. We left the lounge and headed for Thailand immigration, where our…
After a wonderful flight from Munich, we arrived well rested a little after 1pm at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. Upon deplaning, we were immediately met at the end of the jet way by a THAI representative who quickly whisked us away on a golf-cart to transfer security and immigration. In less than five minutes, we were…
We arrived at Munich’s Franz Josef Strauss International Airport over three hours before our flight since we were just ready to relax a little bit before the flight. There was already a queue formed when we arrived, but we were the first guests in line for Royal First Class. On this flight was myself and…
For the first time in four years, I opted to stay at a hotel for Oktoberfest not named Four Points Sheraton Munich Central. And the result? A mixed bag, really. The Le Meridien Munich is located pretty darned conveniently – especially for Oktoberfest. The property is literally across the street from the south entrance of…
I’ve been pretty open about my love for Oktoberfest in Munich. As the largest festival in the World, Oktoberfest attracts over 6 million visitors each year during the 17 day event. The past five years, I’ve spent at least a couple days at the Wiesn, and I’ve always had a blast. This year was no…