Our story
The Pilot Year (Pre-Season)
2026 was our Pre-Season—60 hotels across 14 countries—where we figured out how we actually want to live. Now, every month is a Season.
Who we are
We're Martin & Pam Spusta. Martin came to the United States from Slovakia at 17 and built a career in technology; he still does some consulting, so this channel doesn't have to pay the bills. Pam is the health advocate of the two of us, and manages our medical needs on the road.
Status we hold: World of Hyatt Globalist, IHG Diamond Elite, Alaska Titanium. We say who paid for every stay.
Why we left budget travel
We took the popular advice: cheap redemptions, value picks, a new hotel every few days. It looked smart on paper.
What disappointed us
Most reviewers stay one or two nights. We stayed long enough to find out what a hotel is like after the welcome wears off.
Why real five-star hotels are worth it
True five-star hotels, Park Hyatt, Four Seasons and similar, turned out to be worth the extra money. Mixing status, suite vouchers and paid stays makes them cost less than people think.
Why we travel slowly
Pam's health sets our pace: two to four weeks in a place, close to good medical care. Slow turned out to be the better way to travel anyway.
Our experience, not medical advice.
What comes next: Seasons in 2027
In 2027 we move to Seasons, a month at a time, with two or three hotels at most each month. We'll see how long each Season runs. Perhaps four Seasons a year, each across two or three countries.
We live a Season in the hotels that earned it, and we invite a few couples to join us.
Every stay, on the map
Where we stayed
Every hotel from our stay log, coloured by whether we'd come back for a Season. Click a pin for details.
- hotels stayed in
- 60
- countries
- 14
- nights logged
- 246
- miles flown
- 125K+
- airports
- 40
- airlines
- 24
60 hotels in our Pilot Year, from our stay log, as of October 2026.
- Season-worthy: yes
- Maybe
- No
- Not yet rated
Timeline
The Pilot Year, country by country
December 2025
Malaysia
- Crowne Plaza Penang Straits City · 4 nights
- InterContinental Kuala Lumpur · 18 nights
- Crowne Plaza Kuala Lumpur City Centre · 4 nights
- Holiday Inn Sepang Airport · 2 nights
- Hotel Indigo Kuala Lumpur · 5 nights
- Kimpton Kuala Lumpur · 3 nights
January 2026
Indonesia
- InterContinental Bali Resort · 4 nights
January 2026
Thailand
- Mr & Mrs Smith hotel (Hyatt), Bangkok · 2 nights
- InterContinental Bangkok Sukhumvit · 8 nights
- Holiday Inn Rayong City Centre · 8 nights
- InterContinental Pattaya Resort · 4 nights
- Crowne Plaza Bangkok Lumpini Park · 4 nights
February 2026
Vietnam
- voco Ma Belle Danang · 4 nights
- Crowne Plaza Danang · 7 nights
- Hyatt Wink Danang Riverside · 1 night
- InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort · 4 nights
- Moire Hoi An, Vignette Collection · 3 nights
- InterContinental Hanoi Landmark72 · 5 nights
- InterContinental Hanoi Westlake · 7 nights
- InterContinental Halong Bay · 5 nights
- Crowne Plaza Vinh Yen City Centre · 4 nights
April 2026
United Arab Emirates
- Crowne Plaza Dubai Marina · 4 nights
- Hyatt Regency Dubai Creek · 23 nights
- Andaz Dubai The Palm · 4 nights
- InterContinental Dubai Marina · 3 nights
- Ciel Dubai Marina, Vignette Collection · 6 nights
- InterContinental Dubai Festival City · 4 nights
April 2026
United States
- Holiday Inn, The Villages (Webster, FL) · 1 night
- Hyatt, Miami Airport · 1 night
May 2026
Slovakia
- Hyatt Regency Bratislava · 20 nights
- Hotel Elizabeth, Trenčín · 1 night
May 2026
Malta
- Holiday Inn Malta · 1 night
- InterContinental Malta · 9 nights
May 2026
Turkey
- Holiday Inn Istanbul Airport · 1 night
May 2026
Bulgaria
- Crowne Plaza Sofia · 4 nights
- InterContinental Sofia · 5 nights
- Hyatt Regency Sofia · 3 nights
June 2026
Romania
- Crowne Plaza Bucharest · 4 nights
- InterContinental Athénée Palace Bucharest · 8 nights
June 2026
Italy
- San Anselmo, Rome · 7 nights
July 2026
Czechia
- Hyatt, Prague · 6 nights
August 2026
Poland
- InterContinental Warsaw · 8 nights
- Courtyard by Marriott Warsaw Airport · 1 night
August 2026
Spain
- InterContinental Barcelona · 6 nights
- InterContinental Madrid · 4 nights
October 2026
Qatar
- Grand Hyatt Doha · 3 nights
- InterContinental Doha Beach · 3 nights
October 2026 · Planned
Qatar
- InterContinental Doha City Center · 4 nights
October 2026 · Planned
Cruise: Barcelona to Miami
- MSC Meraviglia, Yacht Club · 22 nights
Stops in Spain (Barcelona, Alicante, Cádiz, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria) · Gibraltar · Morocco (Casablanca) · Portugal (Funchal, Ponta Delgada) · United States (Boston, New York, Miami)
November 2026 · Planned
United States
- Grand Hyatt Tampa · 1 night
November 2026 · Planned
Panama
- Hyatt Regency Panama · 4 nights
- La Compañía, Casco Antiguo (Hyatt) · 4 nights
- Dreams Playa Bonita Panama · 6 nights
- Crowne Plaza Panama Airport · 1 night
December 2026 · Planned
Thailand
- InterContinental Bangkok · 19 nights
December 2026 · Planned
Malaysia
- Hyatt Centric Kuala Lumpur · 1 night
- Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur · 10 nights
- Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur · 4 nights
- Hotel Indigo Kuala Lumpur · 8 nights
- InterContinental Kuala Lumpur · 4 nights