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The Lab
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Hotel Reviews
16 Hours in Singapore
Amsterdam in August
East, Central & West Berlin
A Miami Stopover
Oslo in May
Prague in January
A Week in Melbourne
Q3 2026
Q2 2026
Q1 2026
London
United Kingdom
+4
Oct 28, 2026
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6 min read
Four Months, 28 Admissions, and a Benefit We Didn’t Expect
Airports
+5
Oct 25, 2026
5 min read
My third timed Heathrow arrival: Virgin Atlantic from Las Vegas, two checked bags, 23 minutes to public arrivals and 41 minutes to the Elizabeth line.
Miles & Points
Sep 26, 2026
7 min read
The Air India itinerary fell apart. What Aeroplan did next revealed value I hadn’t included in the original calculation.
+6
Sep 19, 2026
My second timed arrival at Heathrow Terminal 2 came under very different conditions: an evening arrival from Newark, economy class, two checked bags and a busy immigration hall. The result was surprisingly similar.
Aug 22, 2026
How long does it take to arrive at London Heathrow? On this early-morning arrival at Terminal 2, I was through the airport 21 minutes after stepping off the aircraft, and on an Elizabeth line train 11 minutes later.
Hilton Aspire
Aug 15, 2026
4 min read
Fifteen London tests in, the pattern is becoming difficult to ignore. Along the way I’ve rediscovered some surprisingly good hotels I’d long forgotten.
Hyatt
Aug 1, 2026
A chance visit to Hyatt Regency London Olympia led to Idalia, historic Pillar Hall and the hidden Pepperbird speakeasy as London’s Olympia district continues its transformation.
Amex Platinum
Jul 27, 2026
3 min read
Building a clearer picture of what triggers the Hilton credit.
Jul 9, 2026
The Amex Gold and Platinum Uber credits are US-only. Being abroad doesn’t necessarily mean you have to waste them.
Jun 16, 2026
How many visits does it take to justify Everyman Cinema’s £95, £350 and £680 UK memberships?
IHG
May 31, 2026
A rebooking error changed the redemption decision months later
May 24, 2026
2 min read
We needed to be in northwest London anyway. The question became whether a nearby apartment, dinner, drinks, breakfast, and revision space could beat the normal weekend spend.
May 14, 2026
A short-notice IHG redemption that turned out better than expected
Portfolio Management
May 11, 2026
The math worked on paper. A week later, where we stand on all the rebates, points, and the stay experience itself.
May 9, 2026
An upgraded Executive Apartment with far more usable space than expected
Loyalty Programs
May 1, 2026
How a £249 cash rate (no points, no certificates) became a net-positive stay after stacking Amex offers, Marriott promos, and our existing routine.
+7
Mar 30, 2026
Testing how payments are processed across hotel bars and restaurants
Mar 19, 2026
What 82 monthly credit cycles in London show about how much of the Amex Brilliant dining benefit you can actually use outside the U.S.
Amex Offers
Mar 7, 2026
I visited four Marriott hotels to see whether I could buy a gift card at the front desk and trigger an Amex hotel offer. None would sell me one.
+3
Jan 31, 2026
An expiring IHG Free Night Certificate finally got us through the door. The building, quiet rooms and little touches gave us reasons to return.
