Review: The Langham, New York City

February 8, 2022March 5, 2025by milesforplacesLeave a Comment

This was my second time staying at the Langham in NYC, but my first time staying at the Langham as an AMEX Platinum cardholder—a whole new experience! Don’t get me wrong, I had a great first stay; it was what I expected for a 5-star hotel; however, as an AMEX Platinum cardholder, I felt like the experience was so much better. One of the card’s benefits is a $200 credit for booking hotels that are part of Fine Hotels & Resorts or The Hotel Collection. When I checked in, the staff immediately upgraded me to an executive suite with a kitchen on the 21^st floor. Along with the upgrade, I was informed that I had a $100 credit for any of the following: spa, room service, or breakfast for two at their Michelin-star restaurant, Ai Fiori. I was also informed that I could check out at 4pm, which was very convenient since our flight was at 5:30pm on Sunday.

When we went to our room, my cousin and I first noticed the view through the large windows—we could see down 5th Avenue and the beautiful Chrysler building.

*View of Bank of America Tower and the Conde Naste Building (with H&M sign)*

ChryslerBuilding — *Beautiful view of the Chrysler building and looking down on Fifth Avenue*

The second thing we noticed was that we had a powder room—when does that ever happen? Needless to say, we had more than enough room. We even had some of our friends and cousins come up to hang out with us in the room; six adults and a baby were hanging out comfortably. All the cafes around us were closed, so we ordered lattes from room service (using my $100 credit), and they were excellent!

*Full kitchen via AMEX Platinum upgrade*

*Soap, shampoo, and conditioner were all Chuan, a holistic proprietary brand owned by Langham.*

Another huge selling point for the Langham is its location. The hotel is centrally located in Manhattan, so we could walk to most of our destinations on Saturday. We walked to Washington Square Park, Times Square, and the Highline. The next day, we had to check out by 4pm and catch our flight at 5:30pm, so we didn’t have much time to waste. We woke up at 8am and called the doorman to arrange a ride to Central Park at 11am using the hotel car service (which is free!).

Pro Tip: The hotel has a Jaguar that will drop you off wherever you want to up until 59th Street. They start taking appointments at 8 a.m., and they are on a first-come, first-served basis.

After our ride set up, we got ready and cashed in on our complimentary breakfast at Ai Fiori—which was phenomenal! My cousin and I decided to order a couple of things and share. We ordered the buttermilk pancakes, uova in Purgatorio, and the house potatoes—everything was phenomenal. You can see the picture below.

If you asked me what the stay was like after my first time, I would’ve said it was great—all the basics of a 5-star hotel. But staying here as an AMEX Platinum cardholder made this experience next-level amazing, to say the least! It is rare to have a travel experience where you don’t compromise on something, whether it be the room, service, or location. But I can genuinely say there was no compromising at the Langham NYC; everything was at the top of its game—the room, the service, the amenities, the location, and the (free) food were all a 5 out of 5.

Review and pictures by Salma Hatia

Airlines, Reviews

Review: Lufthansa Business Class Chicago to Frankfurt. A $14,400 Value

July 8, 2020March 5, 2025by milesforplacesLeave a Comment

I transferred 140k Chase Ultimate Rewards into United for a recent trip to Portugal. I booked two business class tickets to Lisbon via Frankfurt, Germany, on their Star Alliance partner, Lufthansa Airlines. Usually, I don’t redeem points for business class even though it’s a better value than redeeming for economy class. I would instead use fewer points and have enough left over for another trip rather than burn twice the amount on luxury and comfort. However, there were a couple of factors at play this time around. First, the wife was pregnant, and this was our babymoon, so her comfort was a high priority. Secondly, United had saver-level awards for business class but no saver-level awards for the economy (30k miles per ticket) on the day we wanted to depart. So my choices were 70k miles per person in business class or 70k points per person in economy (lol). This was the most no-brainer of no-brainers. Neither of us had ever experienced an international long-haul business class flight, and we now understand why business class redemptions provide much better value than economy class redemptions. Here is a screen-shot of the price we would have to pay for each ticket in business class if we were using cash:

A combined $14,400! Instead, we used 140,000 United miles plus $40 tax per ticket. We got a fantastic 10 cents per mile value on this award ticket. This was the most value we have ever extracted from a miles/point redemption. Generally, getting 2.5-3 cents per point on redemption is considered pretty good. In addition to the in-flight service, we both got access to the Polaris Lounge in Chicago and Lufthansa Business Class Lounge in Frankfurt. Our flight from Frankfurt to Lisbon was also business class; I’ll have a separate review. You can read about my Polaris Lounge experience here.

Check-in

Checking in was very straightforward. We used the designated business class check-in counter to skip the line usually seen in economy class.

There was no one in front of us, and after taking our check-in luggage and handing us our boarding pass, the Lufthansa representative informed us we had access to Polaris Lounge if we wished. That was the reason we got to the airport 5 hours before departure in the first place =)

Boarding and Seating

LufthansaBoeing747 — The Queen of the Skies, our plane for this trip to Europe

We boarded in the priority lane reserved for first-class and business-class travelers during the boarding process. For this trip, we would fly on the Boeing-747, the “Queen of the Skies” for this flight to Frankfurt. I had not flown on a 747 since 2005, and being able to fly on one in a premium cabin gave this award redemption added value. Upon entering the plane, we turned right into the business class cabin and were seated in 5A and 5C (these seats are adjacent). Lufthansa Business Class has fully lie-flat seats. Traveling overnight is a huge deal, as you can beat jet lag and not waste a day recovering. After finding our seats, our air hostess offered us welcome drinks before takeoff.

LufthansaSeatingNormal — Business class seats in their upright position

These seats have space under the footrest area and a pullout compartment to store smaller items during the flight. The amenity kit is also located here. If you want to utilize the in-flight entertainment, Lufthansa provides Bose noise-canceling headphones in the armrest compartment.

LufthansaAmenityKit — Business Class Amenity Kit

The amenity kit provided socks, eye covers, a razor/shaving cream, lip balm, moisturizing cream, mint, a toothbrush/toothpaste, ear plugs, and headphone covers for the Bose headphones they provide.

After Takeoff

We were given salted cashews as a snack and a dinner menu shortly after takeoff.

However, the menu didn’t really apply to us as Lufthansa was able to accommodate us with a halal meal that I requested during the booking process. Just for completeness, I’ll post the menu right here. We were served scallops for the appetizer for our dinner, which was delicious.

For the main course, we received a meal both of us were very familiar with:

Butter chicken with jasmine rice and mixed vegetables cooked Indian-Pakistani style. This was also delicious and tasted like it was restaurant quality. It wouldn’t shock me if one of the restaurants on Devon Ave in Chicago was the supplier for halal requests. For dessert, we received a cup of Haagen Dazs vanilla ice cream. I do wish they had something different for dessert. There is nothing wrong with Haagen-Dazs, and I am a big fan of their ice cream, but I can get this from the freezer section of my local grocery store. I suppose something more unique would have been more desirable.

Post-Dinner

After dinner, it was time to take advantage of the lie-flat seating and get some shut-eye until breakfast.

The air hostess asked my wife and I if we wanted to be woken up for breakfast, and we both said yes. This gave us about 5.5 hours to get a good night’s sleep.

If you’re wondering, we both slept very comfortably. Lufthansa gave us lovely, lush pillows and thick blankets that were hotel-caliber. The 5.5 hours of shuteye were very refreshing, and before we knew it, it was time for breakfast.

Breakfast

We received a croissant, warm turkey slices with cucumber and lettuce, fresh fruit, and orange juice for breakfast. I have no complaints, as everything tasted great. The hostess came around a second time if we wanted another beverage or coffee. She also passed around a box of chocolates, which was a nice touch.

About an hour after breakfast concluded, the descent had begun into Frankfurt International Airport. Lufthansa did have in-flight internet, but I did not purchase it, so I have no idea how the connectivity was. This was another knock on Lufthansa since passengers in premium-class cabins should have complimentary Wi-Fi. My time would be spent eating or sleeping, and that’s precisely how it went. If I had redeemed an award ticket in the economy, I would have likely purchased in-flight wifi since I sleep very poorly when sitting upright. This was a solid business class experience for my wife and me, and the fact that she could sleep well on the plane, being 2/3 into her pregnancy, made this part of our trip highly comfortable for her. I also want to acknowledge the flight attendant who was assigned to our part of the cabin. She did an excellent job and routinely asked us if we wanted anything to drink or if we wanted any snacks. The attentiveness we got in business class was not lost on us, so thanks to Lufthansa. I’m not sure if I’ll ever extract the value I did for this award redemption, but the great thing about it is we weren’t even done. We still had access to Lufthansa Business Class Lounge during our 6-hour layover in Frankfurt and another business class flight to connect to Lisbon, Portugal. To conclude, we had a fantastic experience flying in business class on Lufthansa, and we hope to be able to do so again in the future.

Airport Lounges, Europe, Reviews

Review: KLM Crown Lounge Amsterdam Schiphol International Airport

July 11, 2018July 2, 2024by milesforplacesLeave a Comment

While I was checking in for a recent flight from Lisbon to NYC via Amsterdam, KLM offered me a very good offer to upgrade to business class during the Lisbon to Amsterdam leg of the trip: 99 euros per person on the four-hour flight with business class lounge privileges in both Lisbon and Amsterdam. I jumped on this offer since this meant several hours of comfort in the air and on the ground. The KLM business class experience during our four-hour flight was fantastic, and I’ll share that in a separate post. We had access to KLM’s Crown Lounge, its flagship lounge, when we landed in Amsterdam. KLM has two of these lounges, and the one we visited is called Lounge 52, near the F gates and after passport control. If you just follow the sign for Airline Lounge 52, it will lead you there.

Lounge52sign — *Just follow this sign, leading you to the KLM Crown Lounge.*

If you have a flight to the U.S. or Canada, this is the one you want to go to, as you won’t have to worry about dealing with long lines to get through passport control. Even though my wife and I only had a business class ticket for the first leg of my flight and I was going to fly economy on the Amsterdam to NYC, it was sufficient to get into the lounge as KLM only requires one of the legs in business class to grant access. This lounge is not a Priority Pass lounge. It’s open to all passengers flying business class on KLM, its SkyTeam partners, or anyone flying KLM or its SkyTeam partners with status (FlyingBlue Platinum or Gold, Delta elites, etc). Once we entered, the receptionist at the desk scanned our boarding passes, and we were ready to go.

Entrance

This lounge was the largest airport lounge I had ever visited in Europe. It was easily 3-4 times larger than some of the larger ones I had been to in the U.S. Despite its size, this lounge was probably at 85% capacity when we entered. It’s a split-level lounge with a ramp to the second level.

Seating Areas

This lounge had something for everyone in terms of seating. They had areas with a variety of different lighting and seating configurations.

SeatingArea — *I was a big fan of these red lounge chairs. Nice touch by KLM*

The seating area above near the windows was undergoing renovation but this area felt more like a cafe area with a ton of natural light.

If you want to get a plate full of food and don’t want to traverse through the crowd, this is the best option for seating. It’s right near the buffet.

If you have work to get done and need to spread out, they have a perfect area for that as well.

Breakfast

Since we got to the lounge toward the latter half of breakfast and into lunch, we got to see a wide variety of items they had at the buffet.

There was a variety of breads, rolls, muffins, and pastries. I had the croissant and the raisin bread, and both were excellent. The pancakes were good, and the eggs were okay. Overall, the breakfast was very good, and they did a great job replenishing items that were running low.

Lunch

Their lunch buffet had a wide variety of options and something for everyone.

AgedCheeseSandwich — *Aged cheese sandwiches*

Salad&Hummus — *Veggies with feta and hummus*

Coleslaw&Potatoes — Cole slaw with baked potatoes. Pardon the terrible picture quality for this one. Had to rush it because of the growing line behind me.

The lunch was excellent, and since we got to it while it was hot and fresh, I’m sure that made a big difference. The pasta with the tomato cream sauce was delicious. The hummus was top-notch, and even their aged cheese sandwich, as simple as it may sound, was very good. There were many other options, but these are the items I was able to get to discretely without embarrassing myself (lol). KLM Crown Lounge did a great job with its food offerings.

SelfServeDrinks — *This is one of the two self-serve bar areas in the lounge*

The bar area was expansive, and they had fountain drinks available in addition to adult beverages. They also had an espresso machine with plenty of options to suit your taste. I had the cappuccino twice.

Other Amenities

This lounge is equipped with showers, but you have to go to the help desk and reserve a shower room in advance. This lounge also has a designated smoking room and was definitely the quietest room in the lounge. There were plenty of European plug outlets but no USB ports, so be sure to have an adapter if you’re traveling from the U.S. or Canada. Unlike the two premium lounges I visited, this one did not have private bedrooms. If you need to sleep, you can lie on the cushioned booth-style seating near the bar. I’m not sure if it’s frowned upon, but I did see several travelers catching a snooze this way.

I tested the Wi-Fi speed at this lounge, and it was far better than I expected. This is great for business travelers and anyone who wants to stream video.

Overall, this was a fantastic lounge with a lot of square footage and plenty of options for food. It can get crowded during the morning hours between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m., but due to its enormous size, you shouldn’t have a problem finding a seat. If you’re traveling through Amsterdam on a business class ticket or have access via elite status and have some time to spare, check out the KLM Crown Lounge.

Airport Lounges, Europe, Reviews, Uncategorized

Review: Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Frankfurt International Airport

July 10, 2018June 30, 2024by milesforplaces1 Comment

As part of our award redemption using United miles for a business class ticket to Lisbon, my wife and I had access to the Lufthansa Business Class Lounge during our 6-hour layover in Frankfurt, Germany. At Frankfurt Airport, Lufthansa has seven business-class lounges and four Senator Lounges (first-class lounges). I chose The business class lounge after passport control near A26 since this was closest to our departure gate.

Upon entering the lounge, the receptionist scanned our boarding pass at the entrance and directed us to the lounge. Since Lufthansa has seven business-class lounges, I didn’t expect there to be much of a crowd at this one. About three-quarters filled when we arrived and became less crowded as the hours went by.

Most of the crowd was fixated on the TV’s and the World Cup match that was being played. The lounge itself isn’t huge by any stretch but has enough seating and excellent amenities.

BarArea — *The seating area right in front of the bar*

There were a few different seating areas, and much like Polaris Lounge in Chicago, this one had seating areas with different ambiances. As much as I wanted to take pictures of every single area of the lounge, I tried not to take pictures of an area if there were people who might be looking right at the camera. I wish it was a bit easier to be discrete and thorough at the same time.

The business center was being utilized by only a few people and had relatively new PC’s.

The other half of the business center was completely empty, but having chairs without back support probably convinced everyone to stay away. The wifi connectivity at this lounge was excellent, among the fastest I had experienced at any lounge. Kudos to Lufthansa for really looking out for business travelers.

Like the Polaris Lounge, this lounge also had bedrooms available upon request. My wife wanted to take a nap, so they gladly unlocked a room for her and provided her with a blanket.

I wasn’t tired enough to reserve a room for myself, but she said the beds were very comfortable, and she slept for two solid hours. This lounge also had access to showers upon request. Next up was to check out the food offerings. Usually, this is among the first things I do at a lounge. Since I had breakfast on the plane only an hour prior, I wasn’t all that hungry, and I did not want to eat for the sake of eating. So I waited a few hours until hunger struck.

The bread was bread. Not terrible, but not great.

The potato salad was decent. Their regular salad was subpar and very dry.

The noodles with cheese were surprisingly good. It might not look good from the picture above, but trust me, it was good. Taking pictures of the food near the buffet area is also where I ran into a little bit of trouble. There was a far greater selection than what I could take a picture of. However, one of the employees responsible for replenishing the buffet told me in half English and half German that I was not allowed to take pictures of the food or buffet area. I had no idea why this was the case, but rather than challenge that assertion, I just took her word for it and stopped taking pictures of that area.

The caramel pudding was heavenly. This was so good I had to have it twice.

There’s nothing like having ginger ale where you can actually taste the ginger. The lounge had plenty of drinks, a solid espresso machine, and a well-stocked bar. Again, I did not want to challenge the lady and take a picture, but take my word for it. As for the bathrooms, Lufthansa did a great job maintaining the men’s room.

The L’Occitane soap and lotion that they provided was a very nice touch. Small details like that do not go unnoticed.

Final Thoughts

. This was a fantastic lounge that checked just about every box. Solid food options, high speed Wi-Fi connectivity, enough seating, and added amenities such as bedrooms and showers. Rather than construct two or three large lounges and risk capacity issues, I appreciate how Lufthansa built 7 smaller business-class lounges to spread out the crowd. This issue will come into play for my next review, the KLM Business Class Lounge at Schipol Airport in Amsterdam. As for the Lufthansa Business Class Lounge, I would rate it a 4.6/5.