About ten months ago I experienced the strangest heart break I've ever known (you can read about it here). My favorite hotel in the world, the Kauaiott (really the Kaua'i Marriott Resort), was converted to the Royal Sonesta Kaua'i Resort.

My family often refers to this property as "home."  And, last weekend I had the chance to go visit my second home.  It's still a little strange to not just refer to it as the Kauaiott, so I'm going to do my best to call it the Royal Sonesta Kaua'i in this post.  When I arrived I was surprised to still see the Marriott logo. I knew that the Marriott Vacation Club's Kaua'i Beach Club still existed on the property, I just wasn't expecting the logo. The tower you can see in the image above is home to the Kaua'i Beach Club.  Its rooms are still in the same decor as when I first started coming to the Kauaiott back in the 90s. 

The main lobby is down a set of escalators and across the hall from the Koi pond.  Just before entering the lobby there are signs directing you to the Royal Sonesta and the Kaua'i Beach Club.

The lobby, as it always has, holds a massive canoe.

As I checked it, it was great to see familiar faces and talk about people who still work at the Royal Sonesta that were previously employed by Marriott.  I think the person that stands out as someone who I will also connect with this property is Tonya.  She has checked me during a few of my previous visits.  It was wonderful to visit with members of the Royal Sonesta team about how great the transition has been for them.

During my early trips to the Kauaiott, they would leave cards on the beds with various Hawaiian phrases.  This is one of them:

I bring it up, because this change from the Kauaiott to the Royal Sonesta felt like a dark, rainy period in my life, but out of it there is new life.  To make the metaphor a little more real, I received an email about a week prior to my trip letting me know that they were remodeling the rooms, which also kind of broke my heart.  I loved the rooms.  In fact, here's what they looked like prior to the remodel:

And I loved the look and feel of the rooms, but here's what they look like after the remodel:

The floors have been refreshed with wood. The walls have a better splash of color, and more unique designs.  Personally, I believe the room felt larger than it used to. 

The room has less space for work than it used to, which is probably good for someone like me.  It has a better designed entertainment and storage area.  And, in a massive upgrade, each room has a refrigerator. 

My only real complaint about the room has to do with the door to the bathroom:

The bathroom door is a barn-door that has three opaque windows.  My door was very hard to open and shut.  But when I travel with my wife, I often get up early and go explore in the mornings before sunrise.  With this door, there is no way to keep the light out of the bedroom.  This seems to be a more and more popular design (I complain about this at the JW Marriott Minneapolis Mall of America every time I stay there as well -- and that stands a chance of being my third-favorite hotel in the world).  I think this is done for aesthetics, but leaves a lot of room for practicality.

The hallways have also been redone and I like them.  Keep in my the old room signs are actually my favorite room signs I have ever seen.  They used to look like this:

The room entrances now look like this:

The elevator lobbies (another former favorite of mine) used to look like this:

I loved that carpet.  In fact, during my first-born's first trip to Hawaii, I took pictures of them in the elevator lobby because I loved the look and feel so much.  They're refreshed these areas with the same color palette as the rooms:

One thing I was surprised about was the new style of room key.

This new room key is pretty cool because it's wearable, and makes trips to the pool super simple.  I love the color and the vibe it gives off.  

There's a thought process in this world that some people change and others can't let go of who they were and so people drift apart.  It would be very easy for me to never let go of the Kauaiott, but I doubt that will be the case.  I'm excited to embrace the entire Sonesta family of brands, and continue to grow and change with the Royal Sonesta Kaua'i Resort. I will be back to the Royal Sonesta Kaua'i Resort, and I'll spend a lot more than just one night there next time. 

It will also be strange that a hotel changing its name has rocked me to the core, but it has.  It has changed my entire world view.  And I'm excited to say that I will return again to the Lihue and this marvelous property. Remember, wherever life takes you, Love The Journey.

I know my last post questioned a lot about Marriott.  But, today, we're talking about what might be the greatest experience I've ever had with within the Marriott Brand. Last week, I flew United down to Costa Rica, and ended up at the W Costa Rica - Reserva Conchal (and check out their Instagram.).

If you know the W Brand, they're all about Whatever / Whenever.  That's sounds good, but does it really mean anything?  Gina, and the rest of the staff at the W Costa Rica, proved to me that it did mean something.  My goal was just to relax, swim, and eat some good food.  Gina, the W Insider who stalked me a little bit on Instagram, told her team about my upcoming stay (maybe @zsundquist had something to do with it as well). 

Gina met my wife and me at the main entrance. The staff was expecting us.  They offered us a special welcome drink, and handed us our keys, without much delay. 

They made sure we were in an amazing room, and we were.  Room 1410 in Tower 1 is a Fantastic Ocean View Suite.  And it was amazing.  Take a look:

The Living Room came with a Foosball table that also doubled as a table, a half-moon couch, a TV, a wild and colorful wall, and access to the balcony.

The Bed Room featured a King bed in the middle of the room with a very cool headboard (featuring lots of power for your charging needs).  The bed also had a wonderful view of the balcony (with access to it), and ultimately a great view of the Ocean.

The Bathroom was amazing.  It feature a dual-shower with direct access to the Plunge pool on the balcony.  Wait, did I say Plunge pool?

Yes.  Yes, I did say Plunge Pool.  And the view, did not disappoint...

There have only been two times that I've really received a welcome gift from a hotel.  Both of those times were on this trip.  But what the W Costa Rica came up with was something far beyond anything I could have ever imagined.  Remember how I mentioned that Gina Insta-stalked me?  So did Riccardo, the Food & Beverage Manager.  Riccardo saw my love of airplanes, and decided to put a Costa Rican spin on it.  I was told that he was inspired by the small bi-planes that fly around in his country, and wanted to create a treat that I will never forget:

The W Costa Rica had several really special ideas for Laura and me. One of them was that one of their chefs, Susan, would teach us how to make vegetarian ceviche.  Susan took her time to really explain the flavors of what she was creating for us, and I know I could never make it as well as she did.

There were several other amazing moments including our stay at the Away Spa (which was wonderful), and when Juan Jose cooked us a special seven-course meal at Latitude 10 North.  But our stay meant a lot more to me than just those moments.  When we were leaving we got to speak with Hernán, the General Manager of the W Costa Rica.  He is an immigrant to Costa Rica, but talked about how, as time has passed, he can truly say Pura Vida from his heart. 

There is no doubt in my mind that the staff at the W Costa Rica is there to share Pura Vida with any guest who comes along.  I know that my experience there will be different than yours, but I know that your experience there will be amazing.  Please, go visit Gina and the rest of the team at the W Costa Rica.  And don't forget, Love the Journey.

Making the choice to stay at a Sonesta hotel was hard.  I never really planned on leaving Marriott Bonvoy (and hated it the few times I had to stay somewhere else), so willingly staying at another hotel chain was pretty outside of my comfort zone.  Keep in mind, I've stayed 2,134 nights in Marriott hotels (since I joined in 2003), an average of 118 nights per year.  And now I've logged three nights with Sonesta Travel Pass. Although this blog is about the hotel itself, it is hard for me not to think about the implications of my actions.  I don't currently have any more nights booked with Sonesta, whereas I do have more nights booked with Marriott, but I might start staying at both.

The Sonesta Select Indianapolis Carmel is a former Courtyard by Marriott that I have stayed at a few times.  Being there wasn't that strange.  When I first walked in, I was greeted by a very friendly staff.  They were all former Marriott employees (the Courtyard was managed by Marriott), and mostly had good things to say about the transition from Marriott to Sonesta.

I did have one hitch when I was checking in: I booked my stay through Sonesta's website (which can be a bit challenging), but when I arrived, my Travel Pass number was not attached to the reservation.  I have to admit, I've really gotten used to Marriott's contactless checkin, where I just checkin on my app and go directly to my room.  To have to stop at a front desk was bad enough, but for my Travel Pass number to not be attached to my reservation shows some of the growing pains that Sonesta is going through.

I was given a first floor room, which I don't care for (in my Marriott profile, I have high floor set as my preference), but there were only a few people in the hotel, so it wasn't a huge bother.  When I got to the room, I was welcomed by a COVID "we've-cleaned-your-room-and-have-not-gone-back-in" sticker, which looked like it had been removed once or twice:

Once I was inside the room, I almost forgot where I was.  The room still has the classic (or renovated, I guess) Courtyard look:

I can't say I'm overly surprised, because it had been such a short time that there really wasn't anything unique to the Sonesta brand at the hotel yet (the exterior sign was just tacked over the old Courtyard sign).

What really stood out to me about the stay was the attitude of the employees.  Every time I was seen by an employee, I was greeted in a delightful manor.  They always wanted to get me something (anything, really).  Part of that might be due to the fact that they were just happy someone was there (cue the lights and Lumiere... "Life is so unnerving to a servant who's not serving! He's not whole without a soul to wait upon.").  It was nice to be enjoyed as a guest.

Here's what I'm curious about: What will the identity of Sonesta Select become? There are a number of former Courtyards that are now Selects, but they still look and feel like Courtyards.  Where will Sonesta take the brand?  What will it become.

As I work through my personal feelings and beliefs around my own loyalty, I wonder a lot about where Hospitality begins and ends.  I've been a Marriott loyalist for years.  I've spent a good deal of my life at their hotels, as well as a good deal of my money.  On Instagram, Marriott follows 34 accounts (their brands), which isn't even something creative like when KFC followed 6 guys named Herb and the Spice Girls.  On the flip side, Sonesta has been following me, liking my posts, and generally engaging with me.  For those of you who know me, you know that with each United employee I meet, I become that much more loyal.  If Hospitality only exists inside of the walls of your hotel during a paid stay, then is it really hospitality?

I'm sure I'll stay at a few more Sonestas, and I know I'm staying at a few more Marriotts (be on the look out for a few new reviews coming soon), but, where will I end up in the long run?

That's all for now.  Just remember, wherever life takes you, love the journey.

Ask my wife how many times she has seen me really relax, and she will probably tell you that she's only seen that a handful of time.  I am a busy person, and my mind is always racing. Because of that, when I find a way to really "turn off", it's a precious thing. And the truth is, there has only ever been one consistent place where I have been able to find that kind of peace: The Kaua'i Marriott Resort. (lovingly referred to in my family as "The Kauauiott", sister to the "Mauiott").

My parents took a trip to Kaua'i for their anniversary back in 1997, and knew that they wanted to bring us back. My dad worked furiously to build up enough points for a 10-day trip in 1999.  I remember when we first arrived being surprised by the long escalator down to the lobby. And then seeing that pool. I knew it was the kind of place I wanted to come back to many times. 

I have stayed at the Kauaiott eleven times. I've been with my parents, by myself, and even with my own family. One thing is consistent -- I relax when I'm there.

Over the last eight years, my wife has either been pregnant or we've been raising a new born, so family trips to Hawaii were harder to come by.  In 2019, I began focusing on saving up points and miles for a trip to Kauai with my family and my parents in the summer of 2020. You can go ahead and assume that those plans fell apart.

Over the course of the last week, it has become public that the owner of the property is moving away from Marriott to become a part of the Sonesta Hotels family becoming the Royal Sonesta Kaua'i Resort Lihue.  When I found out, I was flying from Houston to Chicago, and I felt this sinking feeling that I've never felt before. I almost felt betrayed. 

You see, when I first arrived at the Kaua'i Marriott Resort, I knew I had to do whatever it would take to keep coming back.  It was while I was at that hotel several years later that I figured out what it would take for me to become Titanium For Live (Platinum for Life back then). And I did just that. I avoid any hotel that's not a Marriott property just so I can keep going back to the one place where I can really unplug -- The Kauaiott.

It's been a few days since I've found out, and I can honestly say that I'm grieving. I know that's a strange thing for a hotel changing the name on the outside, but it was just last week that I talked my wife about planning a trip there this summer.  What I would have used miles and points for, now just takes money or starting over with a new hotel chain.

I doubt I'll ever let go of the Kauaiott.  And, if I ever go to the Royal Sonesta Kaua'i Resort Lihue, I'm guessing, I'll still refer to it as a Marriott property.  I won't lie, I called Anthony Capuano's (new Marriott CEO) office about ten minutes after I landed in Chicago.  I talked to his assistant and shared with her my grief.  Did it matter? No.  Did it make a difference? Not at all. Do I now have a crazy goal of buying that property and turning it back into a Marriott?  Of course.

If Sonesta Hotels wants to bring me and my family out to review it as the new property, I would go. But, Lihue, I'm not sure when I'll be back to you, because my heart is truly broken.

As a business traveler, going to Orlando, Florida, can seem like a chore.  It's always busy, and so much is aimed at kids, it often feels like a nightmare. But, the JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa is working hard to remove the nightmare and make the dreaded annual meeting a wonderful experience.

A New Property
The JW Marriott Bonnet Creek Resort was set to open early in Spring 2020.  I spoke with Kate, the director of Human Resources, and she shared with me the excitement of meeting the cast of 350+ teammates in late February, only to be forced to send them home two weeks into their training. 

The hotel finally opened its doors in July of 2020.  The property sits on the Bonnet Creek resort, which borders the Disney World parks.  The building stands 16 floors tall with 516 rooms and 50,699 square feet of meeting space. There are two pools (one is designated for Adults only) and a single hot tub.  The resort features seven food and beverage venues, and a spa.

My Experience
I arrived for a one-night stay at the hotel after completing my mobile check in and receiving my mobile key on the Bonvoy app. Currently, the hotel is only offering valet parking.  The entrance to the hotel is beautiful:

The Main lobby includes several sitting areas and Sear + Sea, the lobby bar (which also has a full restaurant):

I ate dinner here and had a wonderful flat-iron steak-frites:

My Room
I slept in room 1216, which was a pool-facing suite.  The room was very comfortable.  It stayed dark at night and had dual climate control. The closet was large enough to sleep in.  Here are some pictures:

The Event Space
The event space at the hotel was beautiful.  Although I didn't spend any time in the meeting rooms, the hallways had a lot to enjoy:

Of course, I can't leave out the pool:

Final Thoughts
The views at the hotel were stunning, but the people made this place magical.  Kate just walked up to me while I was looking around and we visited for 15 or 20 minutes as we talked about the struggles of travel and running a business during COVID.  My waiter at Sear + Sea, Thomas, was thankful for the work that he was getting to do, and made sure to enjoy every minute.  I can't wait until we can all travel again and return to the joy of adventure - both for the sake of the travel industry employees, and ours.

The JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa will be in my travel future. I would even love to host an event there at some point. If you find yourself on the south side of Orlando needing a bed and a place to relax, I would encourage you to stay there as well.

You can follow the hotel on Instagram @jwbonnetcreek

For the past several years I've made a list of goals for each year.  These are always things like "fly in a private jet", "take my wife on a vacation to Hawaii", or "sell to 10 new clients."  Each of these goals are very, very specific.  Last year was no different. Although I knew my previous method wasn't working, I only changed my process by saying, "I'll just have less this year."  

In the middle of July, I ripped the goals off of my wall and threw them away.  My method wasn't working.

I wasn't sure I was going to set goals for 2021.  The current outlook makes it look like 2021 won't be that much better than 2020, so what's the point of putting big goals out there.  Until I thought of a more simple solution. What if my goals weren't task-based?  What if my goals where more about changing who I am than dictating what I do. 

With that, I came up with four very simple questions:

These four things really summarize the whole picture of my 2021 goals.  They are big picture goals and are not really deadline-driven.

I took these four questions and looked at the goals I failed at in 2020.  I thought, how can I make these 2020 goals fit within this bigger-picture thought process.  What I came up with was an introspective set of goals:

Each of those headings has general goals under them like "Develop a routine" and "create a habit of healthy eating" are under "Love Myself More."

I hope that you can take some time today and work on some goals for yourself this year.  It's going to be another hard year, so give yourself some grace.

Remember, wherever life takes you, Love The Journey.

Right.  This is supposed to be an aviation blog.  Sorry, but I'm always thinking about Marketing and Branding.  Many of my readers know of my love for Boeing and United (and my brand love for Southwest), but only some of you know of my love for Taco Bueno.  In fact, I would often be referred to as a Bueno Head.

Taco Bueno is a company that was born out of a desire to make great Tex-Mex food. It has gone through a series of changes over the past ten years.

The second change came after Taco Bueno became an independent company once again.  Bueno realized that to grow quickly they had to open up to franchising.  So they did.  Bueno spread the midwest quickly.  They also unleashed a new look for their store.

The new Bueno was a little classier and came with some new food options.  Bueno was determined to grow their business and create a restaurant that could compete with Taco Bell (and, Lord willing, destroy the bell). 

A few weeks ago I was sent an email from the Bueno Offices in Texas telling me about a redone store here in the Oklahoma City area.  At first look, I was underwhelmed.  I wrote a long email to the marketing department sharing with them about my thoughts and concerns about where Bueno was headed.  But to be fair, I had not yet been to the new Bueno. 

Welcome to the new Bueno.

When I first arrived at the new Bueno I was very impressed with the  building itself.  The new structure looks classy and well designed.  But the inside is what really impressed me.

At the old Taco Bueno you would order and then wait for your name or number to be called.  You would bus your own table.  It was very normal for a fast food joint.  But the new Bueno was so much better.

The menu is much cleaner looking, and includes a digital display for new and limited time only options.  Instead of telling you your order number, they give you a table number so that your food can be delivered to you.    The salsa bar looks much nicer.  And the staff will even pick up your dirty dishes for you.  Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention that.  You get real plates, not just something that you throw away.  So Bueno is also becoming greener. 

There are a few other things that you should know about the new Bueno.  It includes free wifi.  It has TVs around to enjoy the game or watch the news.  The interior is laid out to allow for more privacy from other patrons. 

The new Bueno is the kind of place that I would spend hours just hanging out at (and scarfing down as many tacos as I can). 

But I did have one complaint.  For those familiar with the Bueno menu, I ordered a Beef Nacho Salad.  The salad came in a basket (with many holes) which would have allowed my queso, chili sauce, and original red salsa to spill all over the table.  So, maybe Bueno should rethink that.

Overall, Bueno is becoming a hip, clean, and welcoming place to spend a real family dinner without feeling like you're being rushed through a fast food joint.  Great Job Bueno!

But, hey, I'm just some guy who likes to look at airplanes, so what do I know?

Several weeks ago I read a tweet that said something like, "Southwest and Jet Blue are brands, all the others are just airline names."  I don't know who to credit for this, but it sparked my thought process.

When did airlines stop branding themselves, and start marketing themselves?  I realize that to some this question doesn't make any sense, so let's break it down.

What is a Brand?
Anyone who knows me knows that I love branding.  I love the concept that a company can take on an entire persona, if they choose.  Looking back to the tweet that started all of this, Southwest is a strong brand.  They are identifiable by their Canyon Blue planes, their bag cops, but mostly, their "luv".  Shoot, for years I thought that LUV was the FAA code for DAL.  They branded it so well, that the consumer believes it.

But, really, what is a brand?  I'm mostly preaching to the choir here, so I'll skip the "it's not just a logo" crap.  I am a firm believer that the brand of a company is its personality.  One thing I love about Southwest is the safety announcements.  I'm sure at corporate there is a script that the FAA foolishly believes Southwest follows.  But every time I fly Southwest I get a different take on safety.

This is a direct reflection of the personality of Southwest.  Even though they are following guidelines, they have fun.  They've got the "LUV" spirit.  Look to their website, their commercials, their people, their policies... everything points back to a fun, exciting, energetic personality.

Now, let's look at my favorite airline.  United.  I live for United.  But based on what we've already said about Southwest, does United have a "LUV" equal?  No.  In fact, look to what people are talking about when it comes to United: the merger, the union fights, and the outsourcing.  I've even seen a pin that crew are wearing that says "United Against Outsourcing."

Let's go back a bit to February 12th, 2004.  This was a good time for United as they unleashed Ted, a part of United.  The United brand was still strong, and they wanted to feed off of it.  So they created Ted, a low cost carrier that would ultimately fail.

United began spreading themselves too thin.  They became a corporation, and lost their uniqueness.  American did it, Delta did it, and many others have too.  Think back, what was the last branding campaign you can really think of outside of Southwest?

The last one that comes to my mind was in 2008 when Delta tried to create a buzz with their hot new red-headed safety spokesperson.  There was a little bit of viral marketing, and some news stories, but overall the brand wasn't changed much.

So what did happen to the love of flight?
I would have loved to been alive during the 1950's.  Flying then was a treat.  Now...

Now most people seem to think of flying as a glorified bus service.  As fees pile up, and security becomes harder to pass, people will continue to lose a passion for flight.

Think back before 9/11; bags were free, snacks were free, everything (it seemed) was a service of the airline.  Now as a patron, I am carrying the weight of the airline on my shoulders.  Jeff Smisek, who made $4,320,867.00 (according to Forbes), feels that the company needs to make even more cuts.  Outsourcing, more fees, who knows what else.  But he sure doesn't really feel the burden of air travel. 

Being a true avgeek, I know and understand that flying is expensive.  I also understand that fuel prices have gone up, and will continue to go up.  But the problem is the way that the airlines are handeling it.  I realize that I have left branding behind, but I'm just following the same path as the airlines. 

As long as airlines focus on these silly little fees, they won't ever be able to remember who they are.  Unless...

Yes, I did just quote Dr. Seuss.  This is my call to the Airlines.  It is time to remember that only the airlines can save the airline industry.  A big portion of that should be devoted to remembering who you are.  It is time to bring your brands back to life... or the Michael O'Leary's of the world will turn classic air travel into nothing more than a trip on MegaBus.

So, airlines need to shape up, or true brands like Southwest, or those yet to come, will destroy them. 

But let's see, I'm just a guy who likes to look at airplanes, so what do I know?

On Friday my grandfather Odell ended up in the hospital after a loss of blood pressure and a heart failure.  My world has been turned upside down for the last several days.  Since then they have found that all of his main arteries are clogged.  They have also found a spot on his lung.  Please remember who is important to you this Christmas and let them know that you love them, because you just never know...

One of the greatest things that I get to do every year is volunteer at a camp for abused children in the foster care system. It's called Royal Family Kids Camp. The idea is that these kids get five days of freedom. They get to do the things they want to do, and have no fear of being hurt or molested. But during that week kids will open up to counselors and share about the things that have happened to them. But what happens when you never get to share those stories?

Matt Pipkin is your average, everyday, fun-loving pilot.  But he hid a secret for 20 years.  Matt was sexually abused at the age of five by a family friend.  Matt never told anyone because of shame that really wasn't due him.

Many of the abused people I have talked to in my life often felt that it was their own fault, and therefor never felt that they could burden someone else with their shame.  The truth is, abuse happens because the abuser has issues, not because the abused is "asking for it".  Matt realized that he wasn't to blame, and last year began to seek counseling.

Over the past year Matt has pushed through his fear and guilt and has found freedom.  Now he wants to share it with the world.  Matt intends on flying a plane with his father for 65 straight days.  Read about it here.  His goal is to raise awareness about sexual abuse.

But here's the kicker, my wife said, "Great.  But what does raising awareness do?"  She, like many others I have found, think that raising awareness doesn't fix problems.  But the truth of the matter is this: The more people hear about it, and the more stories they hear where other people realized the abuse wasn't their fault, the more people feel they can open up about it.

Awareness is about people realizing that other people are going through the same things.  This 65 day flight needs to be at the center of the press.  And it needs your help.  I challenge you to blog about it, write about it, tweet about it, talk about it, and help.  Give money, give a plane, give fuel, give sponsorship, or just give your love. 

Helping this cause will help millions of people.  People who need to understand that love is a real thing.

But, hey, I'm just a guy who likes to look at airplanes, so what do I know?