u/Crafty-Leave-8880

Curious if anyone defaults to a certain hotel brand (FS, RW, MO, O&O, etc) when looking for resort options. Do you tend to book sight unseen with your preferred brand because you know you're getting a certain level of luxury or do you shop around?

If you are particularly loyal to one brand or another, what about that chain makes you loyal and choosing it all over the world?

Personally, I've been defaulting to Rosewoods lately as the resorts tend to be more updated
and hip, as well as boasting some more personal touches (I don't always see those, though).

For us it was Zermatt, the beauty and the infrastructure there is unreal.

Which place made you feel that "okay, I get why this is so expensive now"? and why?

Also, how many have you guys been to?

It can be subsidiary brands in a hotel's portfolio such as W from Marriott or Conrad from Hilton.

To me, W, it just feels like a fancier Aloft but they don't go out too much on the luxury element. At least this is true for most of the W Hotels in the USA. I've stayed at some other great W properties around the world like the W Barcelona.

What are some of your overrated hotel chains?

Honest question as someone who somewhat recently started spending freely.

Why does one choose to stay at luxury hotels especially in cities? For 5 star resorts, I understand as this itself can be the destination.

Is it worth to pay 2/3x over a regular hotel?

It can be subsidiary brands in a hotel's portfolio such as JW from Marriott or Conrad from Hilton.

To me, it has been Taj. Very mediocre experience across hotels. ITC and Marriott I’ve found more hospitable.

What are some of your overrated hotel chains?

Use the BOI Rupay Select Debit card to pay your credit card bills and you’ll earn 0.75% rewards - up to ₹2,500 per month (₹30,000 annually).

Why is this awesome?

\* Rewards posts in about 2 weeks

\* Works on any credit card bill

\* No complicated hoops - just pay through Bill Desk or Zavo /MobiKwik / Paytm

To apply, visit branch and submit form mentioning “BOI Rupay Select Debit card”

Not sure how long it will be live but use it while you can.

Saw this interesting categorization on Insta.

Do you agree with this?

Curious to see what is the one thing you can afford but simply won’t because it’s a rule you won’t break.

For me it’s gotta be hotel laundry. Will having my laundry done when I arrive home be a huge convenience? Sure, but $10 for dry cleaning some socks after spending $1,000+ on a room does not cut it. $200 laundry is insane.

Would love to know what is yours?

Is Taj Mahal Palace that good that it is the highest ranked Indian one?

Has anyone been to any of this?

The bank has announced ZERO forex markup on ALL its credit cards, covering new cards and 50 lakh existing cards!

Do you think the other banks will follow suite?

Mine is paid parking and when hotels do not provide water bottles.

Interesting to know what other things get worse at more luxurious properties.

Came back from a stay at Monaco. I’ve never seen such a concentration of wealthy folks!

Just curious, what’s the most luxurious place you’ve ever vacationed at, and how was your experience?

Did it live up to the hype and feel worth it?

A common issue is incorrect MCC like while buying cars MCC being fuel or utilities. The result is zero rewards.

Always verify the MCC before making a large transaction. Here is how to find it.

**1. Call the bank**
This is the most accurate method. Do a small test transaction first. Call customer care and ask them to confirm the exact MCC for that charge.

**2. Scan offline QR codes**
Use a standard QR scanner app on the store's QR code. Check the raw text for "mc=". If you see "mc=5411", that number is the code. This doesn't work on every QR, but it’s worth a try.

**3. Razorpay method**
If paying via a Razorpay link, open it on a desktop. Select UPI to generate a QR code. Scan it with your phone and look for the "mc=" tag.

**4. Check via banking apps**
Some apps show this data instantly.

* **IDFC:** Make a payment and download the receipt inside the app. The MCC is listed there.
* **Federal Bank:** Send ₹1 via UPI using the FedMobile app. The statement shows the category code immediately.

What trick do you guys use to verify MCC?

I was amazed by Four Seasons Lisbon’s breakfast - everything was top notch, large to order menu. 😋😋

What’s the best one you’ve been to?

We were in Queenstown some time back and were blown away by its beauty.

I was just planning our next trip and it would be interesting to know - which place you found the most amazing and maybe even why?

I was blown away by Fairmont Mumbai’s breakfast a couple of months back - everything was top notch, and the range was incredible. 😋😋

What’s the best one you’ve had?

Stayed at St Regis Singapore in mid 2024 and boy was it a disaster. The whole place seemed like it was falling apart. Service was very ignorant, rude and overall a huge letdown.

I was planning another Singapore trip and was recollecting it.

What was yours and why?

Just came back from a stay at Nusa Dua in Bali. The resorts were fabulous and it felt so fab.

Just curious, what’s the most luxurious place you’ve ever vacationed at, and how was your experience?

Did it live up to the hype and feel worth it?