i think itis the location in s. delhi and not that close to anything...

but if you are having a driver it really does not matter that much

spg properties in agra, jaipur and other cities are nice... cash and pts works well

mrwunrfl, going to India....tired of Japan?

Thanks, Bob. I saw your positive comments on ITC Mughal, so I will stay there when I go to Agra. Do you have a tip on a driver? Putu worked out well, so I would welcome your advice again. I will check other threads.

I will only have 7 or 8 nights in India, so am figuring it would be just Delhi and Agra.

I might as well ask now: which SPG in Phuket? I booked the Westin for now.

Tips for Dubai? Doha, Qatar?

Mara, no, not at all! I would rather go to Japan, but this is over Xmas break. Japan is just too far north at that time of year. I will stop overnight (18 hours) at Narita on the way, though.

we liked the older meridien in phuket..

i book cars thru castle and king...google them... ask for krishna as driver

The ITC Mughal is fantastic. And for an SPG property in Delhi, the ITC Maurya is an amazing (albeit expensive) property. I'd also second rhkkmk's Meridian recommendation in Phuket.

If you'll be in India anywhere near Christmas, book hotels and transportation early. Christmas is a super busy travel season for Indians too and trains and flights book up quickly.

Yes, I am booking now. Christmas in Phuket and New Year's Day in India. I have booked my first and last nights in India at the Sheraton New Delhi.

I will consider the Meridien in Phuket but it is twice the price of the Westin and no cash&points option right now.

Any comments on the Four Points in Jaipur?

C&K replied with an itinerary covering my dates in India. Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, and Udaipur in 7 days, 8 nights. Would be 2 nights in Delhi, 1n Agra, 2n Jaipur, 2n Udaipur, 1n in Delhi. I will see if they can arrange a tour without hotels (choosing my own) and using a train from Delhi to Agra.

My flight itin is ambitious for a 3-week trip:
LAX-NRT-BKK-HKT, open jaw, DEL-DOH-IAH-SNA
LAX-BKK is in F on UA/TG, DEL-IAH in business class on Qatar and IAH-SNA in F on UA.

That ticket was 130,000 MP miles.

Filling the open jaw with HKT-BKK-DEL on TG in biz for 40K miles.

Third ticket will be DOH-DXB-DOH for $211 on QR.

1 night in Narita
5 nights in Phuket
8 nights in India
3 or 4 nights in Dubai (last night might be in Doha, Qatar)

The only part I am not really happy about is the 16 hour 35 minute flight from Doha to Houston and then having to connect to get home to OC.

Bob, how did you like the Four Points in Jaipur? It is only 2000 pts.

The room rate is 8412 INR or $155.

It turns out that it would be a total of 5000 pts for the two nights I chose. I only have 4800 pts left after Phuket. 500 pts only costs $17.50.

I called Starwood and was assured that this was not too good to be true. My choice, for that hotel on those days, is to pay cash $310 for two nights OR pay with 5000 points costing $174.50, if I bought all of the points.

Move the reservation up by one day and the room is 2000 pts/night. So I will go to Jaipur before Agra.

jaipur is much better than agra...

four points was fantastic--high rise, new, but rets. is only ok.. grab it for sure..

tell arvind at C&K that you are my friend...

ther sheraton at udaipur is fantastic too... i used pts and cash--a steal...

I will mention to C&K, again, that I am a friend of yours. Next time, I will address it to Arvind.

Am probably going to shorten my stay in Phuket to four nights.

I could leave Phuket on Christmas day and arrive Delhi at night, 11:40PM. Or, leave Phuket on the 25th and spend the night in Bangkok, then fly to DEL in the morning.

Any reason why I would/wouldn't want to spend Christmas day/night in Bangkok? I would assume that it is business as usual that day, but looking for something to help decide whether or not to make the stop. My itin is busy as it is.

cost of hotel, mandatory dinner??

many, many flts arrive at delhi at mid-night...

look at gurgaon courtyard not that far from airport... excellent.

Christmas Day in Bangkok will be fine. I haven't encountered hotels in Bangkok having a mandatory overpriced Xmas dinner, but in Phuket, anticipate that Xmas Eve dinner is likely required, expensive and not very good. Check with your hotel on this, as it may make more sense to fly to Bangkok on Xmas eve and avoid the dinner.

Thanks. An expensive Christmas Eve dinner at the Westin in Phuket is not a part of the deal (cash&points) so that is not going to happen, assuming that there is an alternative in Phuket.

With no particular reason to stop in Bangkok overnight on the 25th, I will just fly HKT-DEL on the 25th.

Boxing Day will then be in Delhi. Boxing Day meant there was horse racing in Auckland, so will look for the same in Delhi (thinking this is a former British Empire tradition). I will have January 2 for a Delhi city tour.

Jaya, anything special about Boxing Day in Delhi?

fyi, Sheraton has a buy 3 nights get one free offer in Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. The rate beats the cash&points option in Phuket, if buying the points, but it is pre-pay.

Answered my own question via a Times of India article titled: "Boxing Day yet to catch on in India".