Reflecting on our hotel stays from the previous year is always an enjoyable experience for me. It gives me the opportunity to relive the wonderful places we visited and the amazing experiences we had. In addition to that, it allows me to analyze where we stayed the most during our travels. This helps me determine if we’re sticking to a particular hotel chain more than others because we genuinely enjoy it, or if we’re simply bound by the free nights we receive through co-branded credit cards.
By the end of 2022, we had started to return to our pre-pandemic travel habits, but it wasn’t until this year that we stayed as many nights in hotels as we did in 2019.
Similar to recent years, Sharon and I spent slightly different numbers of nights in hotels last year. This was due to her fishing trips and my trip to see Darius Rucker in concert.
Sharon spent 52 nights in hotels, and I spent 49 nights. These stays were spread across several hotel chains, so not enough to earn any hotel status. That’s why we don’t depend on staying in hotels to earn elite status.
Marriott
Despite my attempts to avoid Marriott hotels, the Bonvoy brand managed to secure the top spot once again this year.
Together we stayed 14 nights at Marriott hotels:
- Courtyard by Marriott – 12 nights
- Autograph Collection – 2 nights
In addition, Sharon stayed 4 additional nights in Marriott hotels in Cape Canaveral:
- TownePlace Suites – 3 nights
- Residence Inn – 1 night
Our Courtyard stays were two 6-night trips. One was to our favorite hotel in New Braunfels, TX, for a weekly rate and the other for a trip to New York, where we took advantage of the 5th night free on award stays to save some points.
Hyatt
Just like in 2022, Hyatt took 2nd place on the list. The more we stay with Hyatt, the more we like them.
We stayed with Hyatt for 12 nights in 2023. Some of these stays were during our trip to Southeast Asia at hotels much fancier than we’d normally visit:
- Park Hyatt – 3 nights
- Hyatt Regency – 3 nights
- Grand Hyatt – 2 nights
- Unbound Collection – 2 nights
- Hyatt Place – 2 nights
Throughout the year, we had wonderful stays at Hyatt hotels, from Park Hyatt Saigon to Grand Hyatt Washington D.C..
Cabin Rental
Taking 3rd place this year is our 7-night stay in a cabin located in Gatlinburg, TN.
This is the same cabin we stayed at in 2020, when we rented with Airbnb. Since we kept in touch with the owners, we were able to rent directly from them and avoid the extra fees.
IHG Hotels
IHG takes the next place on the list, with 6 nights in 2023:
- Hotel Indigo – 4 nights
- Crowne Plaza – 2 nights
By far, our most memorable IHG stay this year was the 18 hours we stayed at the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport in Singapore.
Accor
Both of our Accor Hotel stays were with our Adventures By Disney tour group:
- Sofitel – 4 nights
Both of our Sofitel hotels in Hanoi and Siem Reap were fantastic. I realize this is a small sample size, but I’d gladly stay at one of their hotels again if given the opportunity.
Belmond
Our first stay at a Belmond resort was in Laos, and it will be hard to top our experience.
After our stay, I wrote that the Belmond felt more like a private compound than a hotel. It was one of the most luxurious places where we’ve ever stayed. Although I’m not sure if we’ll visit another one of their properties, I’ll never forget our stay in Laos.
The Don CeSar
We had an amazing long weekend trip to The Don CeSar in St. Petersburg Beach. It was the most lavish trip of the year for us but it took us less than two hours to reach there from our home. We booked our stay through the Chase Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection in order to enjoy additional benefits. We’ll soon share our review of the trip.
Drury Hotels
For my only solo trip of 2022, I drove up to Gainesville, FL to see Darius Rucker in concert. I needed a place to stay before driving home the next day and the highest rated hotel was the Drury Inn and Suites.
At the time, this hotel had a 100% rating on TripAdvisor. Although it wasn’t the most luxurious place I’ve ever stayed, I was treated to complimentary dinner and breakfast buffets. Additionally, all of the hotel staff were exceptionally friendly and seemed to enjoy their work. Moreover, the hotel was immaculate.
South of the Border Motor Inn
While we’ve stopped to visit South of the Border in Dillon, SC, we’ve opted to stay in Florence, SC.
We were initially hesitant about staying at the Motor Inn, but some friends told us that it wasn’t a terrible place. And Sharon, with her love of “all things kitsch and tacky touristy,” really wanted to experience staying there (Note from Sharon: albeit with Lysol in hand LOL!). So, we decided to take a chance and booked a room for one night. I will share our experience of staying at South of the Border, including our visit to the steakhouse and cocktail lounge, in a review coming soon.
Final Thought
So once again, our hotel stays for the prior year cover the spectrum from a roadside motor inn, mountain cabin, beachside resort, and luxury hotels to an exclusive compound.
While other bloggers work to earn status with one hotel brand to get room upgrades and a free breakfast, I wouldn’t travel any other way than we’ve done in the past year.
What will 2024 bring? I foresee a few cruises with Virgin Voyages and a stay at Wyndham in the future, along with a visit to Intercontinental to redeem some IHG points.
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