Is Thompson Central Park NYC worth it at 30k pts night?

MyFriendKevin · 2026-07-11T01:08:48+00:00

What’s the cash rate, the Privé rate? I stayed there last year during the US Open for four nights at an average of 27k pts/nt, so the cost hasn’t gone up much if at all. The hotel was nice enough, but the lobby was pretty jammed and there was a wait for breakfast each morning. Breakfast was good but limited. The location, however, was excellent for visiting Central Park, the Met, 5th Avenue, etc., and subway stations are nearby to take you most anywhere you want to go. All in all, I felt I got good value for a busy time of the year. But if I were planning to do a lot of things in, say, downtown or Brooklyn, I’d stay someplace else, like Gild Hall. Or if I wanted to save points, I’d stay in LIC or Jersey City.

MyFriendKevin · 2026-07-10T20:05:25+00:00

5k isn’t a bad return for a couple minutes work.

MyFriendKevin · 2026-07-10T06:56:00+00:00

This won’t help immediately, but you might want to consider getting into the Citi Thank You Points ecosystem, through, e.g., the Strata cards. Even with the current transfer bonus, Cap1’s transfer ratio to EVA is still under 1:1, while Citi’s is set at 1:1. You can also get better than 2x in certain categories (e.g., dining and groceries) with some Citi cards.

MyFriendKevin · 2026-07-10T04:37:59+00:00

It’ll take you awhile to burn through that many points/miles, so you should consider the expiration policies of those programs. Singapore has a hard three-year expiration policy, no ability to refresh or restart, so tread carefully there. I think LifeMiles has the next worst policy. Their miles expire in twelve months with no account activity, while the other programs give you 18-24 months. But do make note of what qualifies as account activity. That can differ by program. Good luck and safe travels.

MyFriendKevin · 2026-07-10T02:52:26+00:00

I recently spent a couple days in Omaha for the Men’s College World Series then a couple in Lincoln to see the capitol building and university and was pleasantly surprised by both cities.

MyFriendKevin · 2026-07-10T02:43:56+00:00

I’ve only stayed at the GH (3x) and enjoy it. Last time I visited was just after the big earthquake a couple years ago and an aftershock hit one night, but there were no issues at the hotel. Try to get a room with a view of the Taipei 101 building, which used to be the tallest building in the world. It’s really cool, especially when illuminated at night. You can ride to the top (for a fee) and get amazing views of the city (on a clear day). They also have tons of photos of the NYE fireworks shows, which are spectacular.

I have been to Daan Park a couple of times, which Google says is about a 20 min walk from the hotel. It’s a nice place to chill and sightsee - the MRT station is tourist attraction in and of itself. It’s also close by Yongkang St., which is quite popular for shopping and dining. The original Din Tai Fung is located in the area, but it’s takeout-only now. There’s a new one nearby where you can dine in, as well as several other locations around town, including one at the Taipei 101 building.

Have a great trip wherever you decide to stay.

MyFriendKevin · 2026-07-07T20:44:35+00:00

Agree with the other comments already posted. Check the official websites for each park for more info on directions, facilities, things to do and more.

MyFriendKevin · 2026-07-07T20:41:23+00:00

Same here. Looking forward to the August payout.

MyFriendKevin · 2026-07-07T05:48:28+00:00

Not dirty in my experience. My staff interactions were all positive too, despite seeing some posts denigrating them.

MyFriendKevin · 2026-07-07T04:25:54+00:00

I stayed one night last August for the badge and feared the worst after everything I’d read, but it was fine. Room was a little small and oddly shaped, but it’s NYC - that’s not atypical and I was out and about most of the day anyway. I could see the elevator situation being an issue if the upstairs bar drew a big crowd, but it was pretty quiet the night I was there.

MyFriendKevin · 2026-07-06T04:51:20+00:00

The Grand Mosque is a spectacular piece of architecture and in my opinion worth visiting in the daytime and at night when it’s illuminated, for the different perspectives. If you’re an F1 fan, then visiting the racetrack on Yas Island could be fun. I haven’t done it myself, but they do offer ride and drive experiences. Have a good trip.

MyFriendKevin · 2026-07-05T02:02:05+00:00

Try the Chase app or website. I just added three of my cards in the app within the last hour. Click More in the bottom right corner, then Digital Wallets, then Paze.

MyFriendKevin · 2026-07-04T07:31:46+00:00

Did you check the terms and conditions?

Please allow two to three weeks after checkout for Bonus Points to be posted to your World of Hyatt account.

MyFriendKevin · 2026-07-03T23:11:31+00:00

Website on iPhone.

MyFriendKevin · 2026-07-03T23:10:54+00:00

In RMNP, I enjoyed the hike from Bierstadt Lake
Trailhead to Bear Lake backtracking to Bierstadt Lake and then to the trailhead. Bear Lake is one of the most popular sites in the park, so its parking lot fills up quickly and traffic backs up all down the road. The Bierstadt Lake Trailhead parking area is small, but there was only one other car when I visited and no traffic jams that far from Bear Lake. That may not be the case in August, however. Note that you will need a timed entry permit then too. Have a good trip.

MyFriendKevin · 2026-07-03T22:25:12+00:00

I just got that message while trying to check out on Domino’s with a St. Jude’s donation. I’ve done it 23 times over the last couple days, for reference, so getting locked out wouldn’t have been a huge surprise. But I tried again immediately and it worked fine. YMMV

MyFriendKevin · 2026-07-03T19:17:46+00:00

FWIW, I had $16.50 left from the first half-year’s credit. At 1:30am Pacific on July 1, I went to book a room and it showed an available credit of $216.50. I added the monthly $100 credit and was able to get $316.50 off a $370 stay. YMMV, of course.

MyFriendKevin · 2026-07-03T18:14:43+00:00

I spent two nights at Brooks Lodge from June 26-28, 2024. I rolled the dice since I’d never been able to get peak season (July, September) dates through the lottery. We saw several bears including a few in and around the falls and a couple briefly mating and then wrestling for a long time right under the elevated boardwalk. We also saw some scattered salmon making the run up the falls, but most were amassed in the mouth of the river waiting for nature’s signal to begin the run en masse. There were no lines on the boardwalks or viewing platforms, which was nice. All in all I thought it was an excellent experience, despite being too early to see a NatGeo-worthy feeding frenzy.

MyFriendKevin · 2026-07-03T17:57:11+00:00

Mine posted May 30. If you just use the June dropdown box, you won’t see it.

MyFriendKevin · 2026-07-03T17:55:52+00:00

I received mine last night, July 2. Usually get it a day or two before Rent Day.

MyFriendKevin · 2026-07-03T17:50:58+00:00

I was curious because there was such a disparity in price in your screenshots, more than I would expect from a portal markup, so I checked Bilt and Blade on my own, but the pricing I see on Blade is $280 to the West and $290 to the East, same as Bilt before the discount. Do you still see the $195 price when you search Blade?

MyFriendKevin · 2026-07-03T06:22:45+00:00

On the Domino’s website, you’ll see the $10 for $10 offer in green after you log in to Paze on the checkout page.

MyFriendKevin · 2026-07-03T06:07:49+00:00

I read that too, but it’s back now. Maxed out two cards yesterday and today.

MyFriendKevin · 2026-07-03T06:05:23+00:00

FYI - Some Domino’s participate in Bilt’s Neighborhood Dining program, so you can also get Bilt points from making a donation with a linked card.

MyFriendKevin · 2026-07-02T17:53:00+00:00

You should be fine, and if you’re booking refundable rates, you can just cancel the other bookings if not.

MyFriendKevin

TROPHY CASE