ExpatVista

Global perspectives on travel, finance, and expat life.

Latest

UK Rail

BritRail Passes in the UK: When They Make Sense for Visitors

A prepaid rail framework for non-UK residents

Expat Logistics

The Cost of Collecting

The final stage of a Capital One Offers experiment from abroad

The Lab

Marriott Gift Cards at Hotels: A London Field Test

Trying to trigger a £75 Amex rebate without booking a stay

Hyatt

Park Hyatt Siem Reap: After the Scramble

How the FHR booking plan played out

Hyatt

Me and All Hotel Berlin East Side

Friedrichshain, Berlin

Hyatt

Lindner Hotel Berlin Ku’damm

A functional West Berlin base near Kurfürstendamm

MGM

Will MGM Still Comp Me?

A light stay, a small trim, and what the model did next

Miles & Points

Virgin Miles Purchase: Two Months In

And whether I reload for 2026

IHG

IHG and Me

A quiet but essential part of the hotel portfolio

Selected writing

IHG

When Points Pricing Ignores Room Hierarchies

Jan 26, 2026

•

7 min read

When Points Pricing Ignores Room Hierarchies

How IHG’s “standard room” logic can quietly erase cash premiums

Expat Vista

IHG

Jan 24, 2026

•

6 min read

IHG Points Are Almost Always on Sale

How Often IHG Runs 100% Buy-Points Bonuses, Quantified

Expat Vista

hotel strategy

Jan 23, 2026

•

7 min read

Berlin, Planned Around One Fixed Date

East, centre, and west over three days

Expat Vista

Event Travel

Jan 22, 2026

•

11 min read

Springboks vs All Blacks in Baltimore

Where rugby travellers should stay. Logistics first. Value second.

Expat Vista

Capital One

A good redemption. A messy process. One real mistake.

Jan 22, 2026

•

7 min read

A good redemption. A messy process. One real mistake.

A business-class case study in sequencing, pricing anchors, and hindsight

Expat Vista

Miles & Points

Why Transferable Points Behave Differently When a Member Dies

Jan 20, 2026

•

6 min read

Why Transferable Points Behave Differently When a Member Dies

Upstream currencies, downstream rules (January 2026)

Expat Vista

Miles & Points

What Happens to Airline Miles and Hotel Points When a Member Dies

Jan 20, 2026

•

7 min read

What Happens to Airline Miles and Hotel Points When a Member Dies

A reference guide to death clauses, breakage, and estate handling in loyalty programs (as of January 2026)

Expat Vista

The Lab

Designing a Family Priority Pass System After the Rule Changes

Jan 18, 2026

•

7 min read

Designing a Family Priority Pass System After the Rule Changes

How we adapted, what still works, and how others can position themselves now

Expat Vista

Expat Logistics

UK Railcards: the simplest way to stop overpaying for British trains

Jan 16, 2026

•

6 min read

UK Railcards: the simplest way to stop overpaying for British trains

How visitors and expats reduce UK train fares without learning the system

Expat Vista

Amex Platinum

Jan 9, 2026

•

5 min read

When FHR Stops Being the Right Tool

Amsterdam, abundant luxury, and the limits of rebate logic

Expat Vista

Miles & Points

Jan 10, 2026

•

7 min read

Becoming the Miles Bank

Liquidity, trust, and the hidden cost of ‘free’ miles

Expat Vista

Amex Platinum

When Fine Hotels + Resorts Works, and When It Doesn’t

Jan 8, 2026

•

7 min read

When Fine Hotels + Resorts Works, and When It Doesn’t

Market structure, fixed rebates, and when the math stops helping

Expat Vista

New to ExpatVista? Start Here ↓

Frameworks

The ExpatVista Manifesto

What this site is, and what it isn’t

Frameworks

The ExpatVista Redemption Framework

A practical model for deciding when points beat cash, and when they don’t

Frameworks

Ten Principles for Smarter Travel

Rules I actually use to decide when a deal is worth taking

ExpatVista

Global perspectives on travel, finance, and expat life.

Latest

BritRail Passes in the UK: When They Make Sense for Visitors

The Cost of Collecting

Marriott Gift Cards at Hotels: A London Field Test

Park Hyatt Siem Reap: After the Scramble

Me and All Hotel Berlin East Side

Lindner Hotel Berlin Ku’damm

Will MGM Still Comp Me?

Virgin Miles Purchase: Two Months In

IHG and Me

Selected writing

When Points Pricing Ignores Room Hierarchies

IHG Points Are Almost Always on Sale

Berlin, Planned Around One Fixed Date

Springboks vs All Blacks in Baltimore

A good redemption. A messy process. One real mistake.

Why Transferable Points Behave Differently When a Member Dies

What Happens to Airline Miles and Hotel Points When a Member Dies

Designing a Family Priority Pass System After the Rule Changes

UK Railcards: the simplest way to stop overpaying for British trains

When FHR Stops Being the Right Tool

Becoming the Miles Bank

When Fine Hotels + Resorts Works, and When It Doesn’t

New to ExpatVista? Start Here ↓

The ExpatVista Manifesto

The ExpatVista Redemption Framework

Ten Principles for Smarter Travel

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