White House, Tennessee / Hampton Inn

December 2017, Weekend, 1-night, King guestroom 300

This post is a tad shorter than most with a bit less information, since it has been a few weeks since our stay.

Diamond perks and check-in

We had arrived in the evening after dark with takeout dinner. I received a bottle of water and the bonus points listed in my profile preferences. I inquired about the location of our guestroom, and I asked if there is a table with seating in the room. The agent said there is not a table in the guestroom, and she did not offer an upgrade. After we got the keys, we sat down in the lobby to eat before taking our luggage to to the guestroom.  

Guestroom 300

This is a basic guestroom on the top floor at the end of the hall. The only seating was a chaise lounge and the desk chair. The guestroom looked similar to the photos on the website. It is sufficient for one person; however, we would have preferred more room for the two of us. 

Guestroom 300

This past year, I have not experienced much of a benefit for being loyal to a hotel brand. This hotel was not very full, so it does not make sense to me why they would not give an upgrade to a Diamond member. It would have been nice to eat our dinner in the guestroom, and it would have been nice to be able to sit on a sofa together.

Orange Beach, Alabama / bike trails, restaurants and happy hours, boating, beaches

November 2017 - December 2017

Lakeshore Trail ~ One of the prettiest loops in Gulf State Park!

Gulf State Park bicycle trails and Beach Bike Rentals

We had taken our own bikes with us to Orange Beach; however, our son visited for a couple of days via plane, so he rented a bicycle one day when he was there. Beach Bike Rentals is located on Perdido Beach Blvd. next to the Hotel Indigo and Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail - Rosemary Dunes Trailhead. It was $25 to rent a 3-speed cruiser for the day. A bicycle lock and helmet is included with the rental. Another bike rental store is located inside Gulf State Park in the picnic area of Lake Shelby. I do not know the details of their rentals, as we did not compare costs.

Inside Gulf State Park next to trail

We bicycled through the park on two different days, and we walked inside the park one day. We saw alligators, an armadillo, tortoise, snakes, a bald eagle, other birds, and butterflies. I am sharing a few photos we took, although I do not have room to include them all.

Orange Beach, Alabama / Grand Pointe Condos through Alabama Getaway

November - December 2017, 1 week

One of the amazing sunsets from the beach at Grand Pointe

Choosing a property

After viewing many properties, we had our desired property narrowed down to a few: Grand Pointe, Caribe Resort, Phoenix VII, and Turquoise Place. We liked Caribe and Turquoise for the resort atmosphere and luxuries; however, the cost was much too high for only two people. We actually had a difficult time finding a condo with a good rate for only two people, as most of the units in this area have more than one bedroom. The prices are great, if you are looking for something with more room. Some of our criteria: A balcony with a view of the water, and access to the balcony from the bedroom and living area. We also wanted a heated whirlpool tub onsite, preferably outside and open all year.

We did not like the layout of the one bedroom condos we found because the bedroom was located by the entrance instead of the water and balcony. We then started to look at two and three bedroom condos. Something else we had to take into consideration, is that the add-on fees, taxes, and such, were higher than what we had paid when we stayed in Panama City Beach, Florida a couple of years earlier. After much time searching, we were very happy with the end result.

One of the murals on the inside wall at Grand Pointe

Grand Pointe Condominium amenities

We absolutely loved this property! It is peaceful, well maintained, and we liked the location.

Nashville, Tennessee / Embassy Suites by Hilton Nashville South Cool Springs

November 2017, Weekday-Holiday, 1-night, Premium king room 915

I redeemed points for a king bed guestroom for three people when I made the reservation (the sofa is a sofa sleeper).

Sunrise from suite 915

Diamond perks and check-in

I did not check-in before I arrived, because there are 9 floors in this hotel, and only 8 floors were showing as options to choose from. The system had also chosen a room for me right across from the elevator, and my profile is for a room away from the elevator. I called to ask about a room on the top floor, and learned that the premium guestrooms are on floors 7 and 9. I asked about an upgrade to a premium room with my Diamond status, and the agent said I could probably get one when I arrived, because there were rooms available.

My room had not been assigned when we arrived to check-in Thanksgiving evening. I inquired about an upgrade to the top floor, and the agent gave us the same room type on the 9th floor. The only difference in the premium rooms (unless you get a corner or executive room) are the beverage and snack amenities. The premium rooms have a Keurig k-cup coffeemaker, and a few snacks and beverages are included with the room. I also received a Hilton Honors bag at check-in with bottled water and a snack.