March 2020 – Cafes and Alleyways

Archery at the Al Maha Resort in Dubai

Post author:CafesandAlleyways
Post published:March 29, 2020
Post category:Destinations General Travel
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A stay at the Al Maha Resort includes two activities each day. During our stay, there were seven complementary activities from which to choose. FalconryNature WalkGhaf Tree WalkWild Life DriveCamel TrekSundownersArchery Below is a handout that guests will receive upon arrival. We requested the document ahead of time in order to plan our activities. As you can see, Horse Riding and Desert Drive are also available for an extra charge. We picked archery for one of our activities. We meet our field guide, Shabaz at the Hotel Lobby and he took us in an SUV to the archery range. Our guide helped…

How Buying Airline Miles Reduced Expenses On Our Trip To Dubai

Post author:CafesandAlleyways
Post published:March 20, 2020
Post category:Points+Miles
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Buying miles is not part of our normal strategy for award flights, but on our recent trip to Dubai, it made sense. We decided to fly Emirates business class, and considered two options for how to pay for the award tickets. Two Options Option #1 - Use Emirates Skyward miles to book the Emirate flight. This is the most straightforward path. The total cost for two tickets would be 247,500 Skyward miles plus approximately $1750 in taxes and fees. In this scenario we would generate the Skyward miles by transferring 247,500 American Express Membership Rewards points, which convert into Skyward miles at a 1:1 transfer ratio. …

Ritz Carlton Dubai- Review of Club Lounge and Lobby Lounge

Post author:CafesandAlleyways
Post published:March 19, 2020
Post category:Destinations General
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During our recent trip to Dubai, we stayed at the Ritz Carlton in Jumeirah Beach. Upon arrival we were upgraded to a Club Level room, and as benefit, enjoyed access to Club Lounge. In a previous post we reviewed the room and the grounds. In this post we’ll review the Club Lounge and the Lobby Lounge. Every morning we had breakfast at the Club Lounge. We found the lounge to be clean, modern and it was never crowded. Club Lounge at the Ritz Carlton Dubai We chose the same table every day, by the glass doors that led to the balcony. Every morning was…

La Mer Beach Street Art – Dubai

Post author:CafesandAlleyways
Post published:March 14, 2020
Post category:Destinations General Travel
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Do you enjoy street art? If so, LaMer Beach in Dubai is a fun stop. There's an open-air shopping area with street art sprinkled throughout. In between shops and restaurants, you'll find artistic expressions on the walls, around corners and up above your head. Here are pictures from a recent visit to La Mer. Eateries are sprinkled throughout La Mer. Consider Visiting La Mer Beach If you're in Dubai, consider visiting La Mer Beach. To see more about La Mer check out our post on the La Mer Beachfront. You may also enjoy the following posts on Dubai Ritz Carlton…

Hilton Extends Weekend Night Certificates

Post author:CafesandAlleyways
Post published:March 14, 2020
Post category:General Points+Miles
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With everything going on, this may be the least of your worries. But in case it effects you, Hilton extends Weekend Night Rewards through August 31st, 2021. These are the free nights earned by holders of the American Express Hilton cards. Here's the text of the email. Dear__________, I wanted to follow up on the recent message you received from our CEO, Chris Nassetta. In addition to the enhancements Hilton communicated, we are extending the expiration date of the Weekend Night Reward(s) you earned as a Hilton Honors American Express Card Member. We appreciate that you choose to travel with us and…

Earn Your First Points

Post author:CafesandAlleyways
Post published:March 11, 2020
Post category:Points+Miles
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Welcome to the world of points and miles! We’re sharing how ordinary people can travel to extraordinary places with the use of airline miles and hotel points. In this series we lay out steps to save money and travel more. These steps include: Getting Started with Points and MilesLook and Learn Before You LeapDecide What Type of Reward Points You Want to Begin EarningSign-Up For a Frequent Flyer AccountEarn Your First PointsEarn Points Through Credit Card Sign Ups- Part 1- Count the CostEarn Points Through Credit Card Sign Ups- Part 2- Nine Steps to FollowEarn Points Through Credit Card SpendingEarn…

Etihad Business Lounge at Abu Dhabi Airport

Post author:CafesandAlleyways
Post published:March 6, 2020
Post category:Destinations General Travel
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On a recent stopover at Abu Dhabi, we had a chance to visit the Etihad Business Class lounge. Here’s a quick pictorial tour. The lounge is locatedin Terminal 3 at Abu Dhabi Airport. P.S. There is also a smaller lounge in Terminal 1. The lounge was sizable, here's a directional sign. I liked that they had a room to store luggage. Here's one of the seating areas We arrived while breakfast was being served Bread selection Salad Items Fresh Fruit I'm not sure what it's called, but the cheese on the bottom right was good. The breakfast included many hot…

Ritz Carlton Dubai- Review of Room and Hotel Grounds

Post author:CafesandAlleyways
Post published:March 4, 2020
Post category:General
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The Ritz Carlton Dubai, a Marriott Bonvoy property, modern yet beaming with old world charm. Friendly faces greeted us when we arrived in the middle of the night under the carport. They took the luggage to our room while we checked in at the desk. Street View of Ritz Carlton Dubai Ritz Carlton Dubai Driveway Ritz Carlton Dubai Carport and Front Entrance Check In Desk Lobby of the Ritz Carlton Dubai As we walked into the lobby, we saw a beautiful fountain filled with rose petals. In-ground fuchsia lights surrounded the fountain resembling glistening pomegranate seeds. Lobby Staircases Leading to…