One of the many relaxation rooms in the incredible spa at the Grand Hotel Victoria. You can read about it here: A return to the Hyatt / SLH Grand Hotel Victoria, a dream within a dream.

It was even better the second time around. I’d stayed at the same hotel for a night during the summer of 2022 and loved it enough that I made plans to return for 5 nights this year (at the end of June 2023). This is a very high-end property (base rooms often start around ~$1,500-$2,000 per night during high season). I spent a glorious week this past summer at the Grand Hotel Victoria, a Small Luxury Hotel of the World in Menaggio, Italy (on the shores of Lake Como) that is bookable using World of Hyatt points. Me thinking of something other than “Gosh, I’ve got to remember to grab those gift cards when I check out”. We all make mistakes, but I don’t recommend trying this at home. It was a moment of massive stupidity that caused some stress, but I wanted to share the story for several reasons: first, because it is more entertaining in hindsight than it was in the moment second, as a cautionary tale about the risks of manufactured spending third, as a kudos to the hotel for their help in getting things resolved and fourth, for some quick explanation of my strategy in getting my gift cards back.

Over the summer, I made a super bone-headed mistake: I checked out of a hotel and left medicine and more than $3,000 in Mastercard gift cards in my hotel room safe.

Is gift cards.com safe