I read Christopher Elliott’s blog post today onTripso.com, “Brace yourself for one of the deepest and longest hotel recessions in modern history”.
Hard Times Call for Harder Travelers.
I look forward to the hotel bargains of 2009.
LT Looks at Global Traveler 2008 Reader Survey Hotel Results
The Fifth Annual Global Traveler readers’ survey results were released last week. Global Traveler is a print and online magazine out of Yardley, PA. The press release says Global Traveler readers average 33 roundtrips per year and 96% regularly fly in premium cabin class. Over 31,000 readers evaluated 55 categories of travel.
The usual contenders are in the top ranks for airlines with Singapore Airlines, British Airways, Air France, and Emirates taking plenty of honors.
On the hotel front the results are across the board for hotel loyalty with representatives from all the major chains – except Marriott! Interesting to see the results, but are they really meaningful to global travelers for practical travel planning?
Starwood Hotels – Westin Hotels voted Best Domestic Hotel Chain. Westin would also get my vote for 2008. Westin Hotels were my most frequented domestic hotel brand in 2008, a year when my domestic hotel stays reached the highest number of hotel nights since 1993. Westin Hotels are consistently good upscale properties.
Westin Kierland Resort, Scottsdale, Arizona (SPG Category 5 hotel)
Hyatt Hotels – Park Hyatt voted Best International Hotel Chain.
Can you find one? There are fewer than 20 international Park Hyatt hotels currently open outside the USA (and only 5 Park Hyatt hotels in the USA). I have actually only seen two Park Hyatt hotels – Melbourne, Australia and Sydney. Perhaps the Sydney Park Hyatt will make my stay during my scheduled July 2009 trip. The Sofia Coppola movie “Lost in Translation” with Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson featured the Park Hyatt Tokyo.
Park Hyatt Hotel, Sydney, Australia
Hilton Hotels – Conrad brand voted best hotel chain in Europe.
Considering there are only four Conrad Hotels in Europe, perhaps this should be the best hotel chain in Ireland, where two of the Conrad Hotels are located. I’ve only been to the Conrad Brussels. My vote for Europe would go to Starwood’s Luxury Collection which fared well in the 2008 Conde Nast Awards.
Starwood Hotels – Sheraton Hotels voted best hotel chain in Latin America.
My trip to South America last year included stays at the Sheraton Libertador in Buenos Aires where I was upgraded to the Presidential Suite. The bathroom had its own sauna room, a tub that could hold four, and a shower with eight shower heads.
The Sheraton Colonia in Uruguay was a birdland paradise. A two hour Buquebus ferry ride across the wide river separating Argentina from Uruguay, the Rio de la Plata. I loved the paranoia adrenaline rush of walking the golf course in the winter adjacent to the river with numerous signs warning of wild animals awaiting the unsuspecting golfer. All I saw was an incredible variety of songbirds. And the Sheraton Colonia restaurant was a treat with four attendants standing by to meet my every whim.
Sheraton Colonia Golf and Spa Resort, Colonia, Uruguay June (winter) 2007
IHG Priority Club Rewards – Best Hotel Loyalty Program
As I have explained in Loyalty Traveler posts over the past month, the IHG Priority Club Rewards program is the easiest program to reach top elite status without actually needing to stay in hotels. Just spend in the right places and sign up for points earning bonuses. And when you need a hotel, particularly for road warriors and travelers outside urban centers, IHG has more hotels than the other two upscale large programs of Hilton and Marriott.
Marriott Hotels – What? No Marriott! Marriott Hotels was shut out of the Global Traveler reader survey results.
See the full results of the GlobalTraveler survey here.
Website: http://www.GlobalTravelerUSA.com
Travel Front and Affronts: Hyatt has My Loyalty, United has My Cash
In August I earned a Hyatt free night credit for any hotel systemwide. I had planned to use it for the Carmel Highlands Inn. The credit expires December 30.
My travel plans didn’t take me to some high priced city like Chicago or New York this year or some great international city or resort. Vancouver or Seattle would have been options for my free Hyatt stay last month, but I had my Starwood Hotels plan in Vancouver and staying with my sister in Seattle seemed like the better alternative to cashing in my free night with Hyatt.
I figured all along the Carmel Highlands Inn would be my backup stay.
Yesterday I called Hyatt to redeem my certificate for any day at the Highlands Inn over the next two weeks. The agent told me the computer said no. No rooms for an award night at the Highlands Inn until February. So I tried Colorado for a little ski resort ambience. Earliest room availability was Steamboat Springs for January 11.
Now I know the Carmel Highlands Inn is not doing a brisk mid-week business right now in the middle of December. What good is a certificate that can’t be used in the low occupancy period of a resort hotel? No room availability even for a top level Diamond.
At least Hilton had Diamond desk service that always handled award reservations for high demand nights like New Year’s Eve.
So I tried again this morning and the customer service agent put me on hold and a few minutes later came back with a room confirmation for the Highlands Inn.
A $550 value room for free. That is why Hyatt still has my loyalty.
United Airlines Has My Cash
I have nearly 600,000 lifetime miles with United Airlines. I was Premier Executive or 1K with Mileage Plus from 2000 through 2006. Back in 2004 I thought I would have 1,000,000 lifetime miles by 2010.
I have flown United once in 2008. I purchased tickets from San Jose to Denver last February.
I made a bonehead mistake at the time when I was searching Denver airfares. The problem with some websites when making computer searches is the search dates can automatically change when using the back button during a search. I frequently get this with hotel websites.
I saw a fare drop in my searches last February and purchased two SJC-DEN tickets for $219. Then I realized the dates I had been searching were not the same dates shown on my ticket purchase.
No problem I thought. This has actually happened to me before and United allows a ticket to be cancelled within 24 hours. I called up and cancelled the ticket with an agent over the phone.
10 minutes later I purchased two more tickets online for the correct dates. The new ticket price was $236.99 each.
The next morning I check the Denver fares and the ticket for the same fare code was $183.00. I called United and asked for a credit refund. This is the part of the story I told in this Loyalty Traveler post – Nickel and DImed By United. My United 2008 story ended last February with a promise for a credit voucher worth $53.99 on a future UA ticket.
Or so I thought.
Yesterday I went to book my second United flight of the year. I called up United and after interminable automated messages, which can be truncated by just pressing ‘0’ for an agent, I found myself talking to a woman, apparently in India by her accent, and she told me I must have the credit card number or a ticket number to locate the credit voucher information.
After an hour of searching emails and paper files I located the credit card statement, the emails, and my file on United.com. This was the shocking part.
United never credited my canceled tickets for $438.00. United never processed my $53.99 credits.
I was actually charged for four tickets to Denver last February at a total cost of $911.98.
I could understand the non-cancelled tickets mistake by itself, but the issue is a little more complicated. My United.com e- receipt for these flights shows a charge for four tickets – 2 tickets at $236.99 and 2 tickets at $183.00 for a total Denver ticket fee of $839.98. My e-receipt shows two sets of tickets with the same names for the same flights.
So how will this be resolved?
United says I need to send them my credit card statement and I can receive two more credit vouchers good for one year.
United – as I said back in February, I would really just like my cash back.
$455.99 was a little excessive on your part for a ticket to Denver.
A million miles lifetime elite status seems a United flight too far for this loyalty traveler.
Trumpeter swans honking were the sound I heard and I spotted them flying over the water of English Bay coming towards me in Stanley Park. The Westin Bayshore hotel is near the entrance to Stanley Park, 1.5 square miles of wooded parklands and gardens on the western peninsula within walking distance of Vancouver’s central business district.
Trumpeter Swans over Stanley Park, Vancouver
Trumpeter swans are the largest waterfowl native to North America. These Pacific Coast trumpeter swans are endangered by shotgun pellet lead in Judson Lake, located across the Canadian border in the USA, just 15 miles east of Highway 101 and the border town of Blaine, Washington. Wildlife biologists traced the deaths of hundreds of trumpeter swans. About 1,600 swans have died in the region since 1999. News story for this information is here.
Westin Bayshore Hotel complex, Vancouver
That is probably not a good way to start a hotel review. The point is the Westin Bayshore is near Stanley Park in Vancouver and a great place to be in a natural setting adjacent to skyrise Vancouver. My eyes love the skyscrapers of Vancouver city and the Sheraton Wall Centre and Westin Grand in the urban center are architectural eye candy. In contrast, the Westin Bayshore presents a blight on the waterfront architecture of Vancouver. This hotel, from the outside, looks like a 1970s retro beach hotel in the 21st century city waterfront along the rest of the bayshore of Vancouver’s Central Business District.
Westin Bayshore Vancouver city skyline view
Viewed from the inside the Westin Bayshore provides the comfort of an upscale hotel experience with fine furniture, comfortable seating, high quality TV viewing, Heavenly bed and great bath features (except for the ultra-skinny shower width). Best of all was the city view of the Vancouver small boat docks and bayshore pathway leading into the city center.
Westin Bayshore Vancouver waterfront view
My eyes like the architecture of Vancouver city center. My soul likes the waterfront position of the Westin Bayshore hotel and the proximity of escaping into Stanley Park for quick contact with nature. The big city is something I only enjoy for a few days at a time and then I like to be back in the woods and on the beach. Vancouver is a city of 600,000 people. The place is dense with people.
The Westin Bayshore is the Starwood Hotel in Vancouver for the traveler who wants the activity of city life, but relaxing at a hotel closer to the water, trees, and paved waterfront paths for walking, jogging, or cycling. There are lots of residents in the surrounding streets in this west end of the city making this part of Vancouver easier for finding services like markets, cheap food cafes, and laundry facilities. This end of the city definitely seems more affluent when walking the streets at night than the Gastown – City Center areas of Vancouver.
Westin Bayshore Vancouver outdoor pool, Nov. 11, 2008
Remembrance Day, November 11, is a well-observed holiday in Canada. The day brought an intense rain storm to Vancouver. On the waterfront with a view of the bay, we saw some strong gusts of wind and rain. There was a couple in the large outdoor hotel pool hanging out in the heated water on a blustery day. It looked fun.
Remodel exhibit in Tower lobby of Westin Bayshore Vancouver
The indoor pool had several children and dads swimming on the Tuesday holiday morning. Moms were having quiet time I guess. The indoor pool and workout room are located in the Tower section of the hotel complex and the hotel corridors go from one side to another without having to go outside. The Tower rooms are in the process of being remodeled until the spring of 2009. Some rooms are still open for Tower guests.
Westin Bayshore Vancouver suite sitting room on 5th floor main building
The Westin Bayshore lobby is cavernous compared to the other two Vancouver Starwood properties. There is a conference center portion to the hotel.
Westin Bayshore Vancouver sitting room
Westin Bayshore Hotel has two buildings for rooms. The main hotel is a 9-story building wing extending to the waterfront. Half the rooms face east to the city center and half face Stanley Park, the Tower building of the Westin Bayshore, and the outdoor pool enclosed from the bay shore paved pedestrian path by hedges and and a fence.
Westin Bayshore Vancouver suite sitting room TV
The bedroom and the sitting room of the Westin Bayshore suite had sliding glass patio doors to balcony decks.
Westin Bayshore Vancouver balcony
The Heavenly bed was its usual comfort. The bed was center aligned with the patio door. The bedroom was huge and easily would have accommodated shifting the bed over another foot or two for better views out the windows to the city and harbor. This would also alleviate the problem with the bedroom door opening inward to the room and being blocked by a doorstop leaving so narrow a space that the guest has to squeeze between the bed and the door.
Westin Bayshore Vancouver suite bedroom
Was this the same designer for the Westin Grand bedroom? It seems Vancouver Westins like to force guests to contort around physical barriers in the guest bedrooms to get around the room.
Westin Bayshore Vancouver shower and tub in suite
The bathroom was nicely equipped with a closet containing robes and an umbrella, vanity mirror, separate shower and tub, and the glass shower stall was another space for skinny people. Barely 20 inches between the handle fixtures and glass of the shower door and the tile wall.
The horrible weather of Vancouver on Remembrance Day motivated me to head back to Seattle earlier than I planned. There was no issue with immigration questioning for this trip that I usually experience with airport travel to Canada. Driving back to the USA wasn’t a cakewalk though. Over 90 minutes to drive the last mile through border control at the USA border.
Remembrance Day Poppy, November 11
Room Cost: $134 CAD room +$28 CAD parking (about $155 USD total).
This was a Best Rate Guarantee found on GTAHotels.com via a Kayak.com search and based on a $145CAD rate on the SPG website. Received 2,000 Starpoints bonus and the hotel still generously placed me in a full suite upgrade. Vancouver Westin Bayshore was a good value stay.
Related Loyalty Traveler links:
Vancouver Sheraton Wall Centre review 11-24-08
Vancouver Westin Grand review 11-25-08
Upscale Your European Stays with Discount Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn Hotels
InterContinental Hotels Group has updated its ongoing offer for a second night free or 2-nights-for-the-Price-of-1-night promotional offer. The reservation period is for stays between December 12, 2008 and March 31, 2009 for these discount rates.
Note: This rate needs to be searched through the InterContinental Hotels Group “2 Nights for the Price of 1” promotion page.
http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/exclusive
These rates do not show up in a regular search through Priority Club or IHG hotel-branded websites. You must search through the dedicated webpage for this offer and the rate plan should show Rate Preference “Exclusive 2 for 1”. See screenshot below.
Crowne Plaza Bridal Suite, Amsterdam
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Dec 25-27, 2009
Amsterdam City Center Crowne Plaza hotel with a 2-for-1 nightly rate as low as 62.50€ for December 25-27, 2008. The two night total is 131.25€ after tax, or $166.40USD.
$83 per night for City Centre Amsterdam is back to 2002 Priceline rates for this expensive European city.
My favorite find for the IHG 2-for-1 special is the Bridal Suite at the Crowne Plaza Amsterdam over the Christmas Holidays. That will tell her you love her. I’m sure there are many other hidden jewels in the European IHG world awaiting the 2-for-1 traveler.
The bridal suite is available for the two night Christmas Holiday (Christmas lasts two days in Amsterdam) for 187.50€ per night. A two night stay after tax is 393.75€ or $499.20USD.
The bridal suite is 309.50€ per night to reserve through the regular IHG website reservations for these dates.
This deal could be one of the best $500 memories you ever bought.
London, United Kingdom
Fri-Sun Jan 23-25, 2009.
2-for-1 rate for a King Executive NonSmoking Room comes out to £201.25 or $298.40USD at today’s exchange rate after tax for two nights. This is a couple of room categories above the cheapest standard room type at a rate of under $150 per night in central London. The regular booking channels for IHG reservations show an advance purchase, nonrefundable rate for King Executive NS Room at £301.88 or $447.61USD.
The 2-for-1 IHG rate saves $150 on this two night London hotel stay at the Holiday Inn Mayfair in an upscale room category for this hotel.
London The City – Crowne Plaza
Fri-Sun Jan 23, 25, 2009
2-for-1 rate for a Deluxe Room is £70.00 per night. After tax the two night rate is £161.00 or $239USD. A city center hotel room for almost any major city in the world at $120 per night all in is a reasonable deal. For London – this is a great deal.
The Deluxe room is not even the lowest category style room at The London City Crowne Plaza. A regular search finds the lowest rate for a Standard room at £79.00 per night. The Deluxe room available for £70.00 through the 2-for-1 promo rate is £105.00 if you search London, The City Crowne Plaza through the regular IHG website reservation links. The 2-for-1 offer gives you a better room category – a hotel upsale – at a lower price than otherwise available for the lowest room category at the hotel.
The 2-for-1 rate for a one bedroom suite with hotel club lounge access is £147.50 per night. After tax, your two day room total for an upscale London suite at The City Crowne Plaza is £339.25 or $503.02. A suite in central London with Club lounge access for $250 per night is a good deal.
Sun-Tue Jan 25-27, 2009
2-for-1 rate = £54.50 per night or £125.35 ($185.86USD )for a Queen Bed room. Americans fret about the price of visiting Europe and here is a deal for urban London in an upscale Crowne Plaza for under $90USD per night during the business week. New York City isn’t offering rates like this.
A full two room suite with balcony at the London Crowne Plaza Docklands will run a total of £297.85 ($441.63) for two nights. A full size suite in London for under $225USD per night is a great deal for this winter travel season.
The benefit of using this deal in London is a variety of IHG hotels offer 2-for-1 rates and most of the participating hotels in London offer the deal every night of the week. You can stay in central London at 4 different hotels over 8 nights at these bargain rates.
Geneva, Switzerland – No special rates found in my searches
Paris, France – No City Center Special Rates Found
Berlin, Germany – No City Center Special Rates Found. Holiday Inn Express at Schonefeld Airport (Schonefeld Airport is scheduled to become Berlin’s primary airport in 2011) is only 29.50€ ($37.40USD, tax included) per night for Jan 23-25. This is one cheap hotel room.
Munich, Germany (These are the biggest discounts on the regular rates I found in my searches)
Holiday Inn Munich, Effnerstrasse
Sun-Tue, January 25-27, 2009
47.00€/night Standard Room ($59.60 USD tax included)
Regular nonrefundable advance purchase rate is 86.50€ ($110USD)
Holiday Inn City Centre, Hochstrasse
Sun-Tue, January 25-27, 2009
2-for-1 rate = 67.50€/night Standard Room ($85.58 USD, tax included)
Regular nonrefundable advance purchase rate is 115.00€ ($146USD)
2-for-1 rate = 107.50€/night Queen Bed Junior Suite ($136.29USD, tax included)
Regular nonrefundable advance purchase rate is 183.00€ ($232USD)
Budapest, Hungary – InterContinental Budapest, Jan 25-27, 2009
2-for-1 rate is 54.50€ ($69.10USD) for a standard room. The regular nonrefundable advance purchase rate is 82.00€ ($104USD) for a standard room.
An upgraded room with a view of Castle Hill and the Danube is 74.50€ ($94.45) using the 2-for-1 rate. The regular nonrefundable advance purchase rate is 112.00€ ($142USD) for the Danube/Castle Hill view.
One rate qualifier for this hotel is the 2-for-1 rate costs an additional 40€ ($50.72) for a second person in the room.
IHG “2 NIGHTS FOR THE PRICE OF 1”
1) 2 for 1 offer is based on the Best Flex Rate and consists of two consecutive night stays for the price of one, based on two adults sharing a standard twin/double room (max.2 adults per room) at participating hotels only.
2) Stays are available over Fri, Sat and Sun nights with many hotels offering midweek availability – please check at time of booking.
3) Full payment must be made at time of booking; no cancellations or amendments permitted; no refunds given.
4) Up to 2 children under the age of 18 stay free when sharing a room with up to 2 adults, if suitable accommodation is available.
5) Single supplement will be charged at the full room per night price.
6) Offer applicable for bookings and stays made from 12th December 2008 up to 31st March 2009.
7) Limited availability may be applicable over public holidays.
All rooms are subject to availability with a limited number of rooms available at these offer rates.
9) Rates may vary by date of booking.
10) Offer not available to groups and can not be used in conjunction with any other offers or special promotions.
11) A booking made pursuant to this offer is non transferable.
12) Offer only available at participating hotels in the UK & Europe
Recent offers for upscale and high-end hotel bids on SkyAuction.com indicate the hotel industry is reaching out in a big way to third-party sites to offload rooms. SkyAuction.com has always been a great place to find one week timeshare condos for last minute arrivals at incredible bargains.
The rate for a 7-night condo stay has only changed from $195 per week to $295 per week since I successfully bid for a one week condo at Samoset Resort in Rockport, Maine through SkyAuction back in 2000. Many of the condo offers are successful auction wins at a bid of less than $10 and after the service fee and tax of $295 in many cases, the timeshare condo is yours for less than $325 for a week at resorts where the nightly rate would run $200+ to book directly.
Loyalty Traveler Trip Tip: Check reviews for hotels and condos if you have never heard of the place. Some hotel advertisements look great and the cost might be really low. A quick check to TripAdvisor may have you reconsidering your bid options.
SkyAuction.com Hotel Offers that Caught My Eye This Week
Some properties have minimum bids, but most of the hotels shown here did not have that restriction. Generally, hotel auctions on Skyauction.com have per night service fee and taxes of either $32 or $49 per night in addition to your successful bid price for the hotel.
Most of the hotels listed below had average daily rates at $200+ for a good portion this past year.
San Diego Starwood Hotels Luxury Collection U.S. Grant Hotel $99 per night. The fine print says tax can be as high as $75 taking most of the good value out of this deal. Looks like tax may be on standard rack rate of $600?
The U.S. Grant made the Forbes Top 400 Hotels of the World list.
Palm Springs/Palm Desert area, JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort, with a bid of $22 and a daily service fee of $49. This hotel is one of the nicest properties in the Palm Springs area and quite a bargain at under $100 per night.
JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort, Palm Desert, California has lagoon gondola boat rides from lobby
Westin San Diego is currently bid too high at $140 per night to be a deal, but the property is pushing rooms on SkyAuction and future offers may have lower bids.
The Lodge at Sonoma, a Renaissance Resort is currently sitting at $6 per night and after the service fee and tax of $49 per night is a northern California wine country getaway budget vacation for $55 per night.
The Huntington Hotel, Nob Hill, San Francisco is across from the Fairmont San Francisco and the InterContinental Mark Hopkins. Current bid of $50 would make this hotel a steal at $99 per night. Sample rate check on the Huntington Hotel website for July 10-15, 2009 shows $275 per night + 14% city tax. The auction allows reservations through August 31 for up to a 7-night stay. Bidding ends at 4:00pm EST Friday, December 5.
Omni San Francisco is another upscale hotel property near the Ritz Carlton San Francisco and currently sitting at less than $70 per night.
Omni Hotel San Francisco
Mexico City, Marquis Reforma Hotel & Spa, a Leading Hotels of the World member is as low as $125 night at the current bid.
Vancouver, British Columbia – Marriott Pinnacle looks like it could win with a $21/night bid. After taxes the daily rate is $53 for a top rated hotel in downtown Vancouver. The winning bidder can choose a stay up to 10 nights and hotel reservations for summer 2009 are allowed. Rates may continue to drop in Vancouver, but you will be unlikely to get anything as good as $53 per night for a Vancouver upscale hotel in summer 2009. Marriott Vancouver http://www.skyauction.com/action/offer/1468407
Marriott Pinnacle, Vancouver, British Columbia
Delta is printing miles as fast as the US Government is printing money.
One of the often touted features of Hilton HHonors is the ability to earn both hotel points and airline miles for your hotel stays. All other major hotel loyalty programs give either points or miles. And choosing miles is generally a lower value proposition as a hotel loyalty program reward.
Hilton HHonors and Delta Airlines turn that notion around. Hilton hotel brand stays will earn six times the Delta Airline Skymiles normally awarded for hotel stays through February 2009. Stays must be 2 nights or more to earn the 6x Delta miles bonus.
Register for this promotion here at HiltonHHonors.com/sixtimesthemiles
Not all Hilton brand properties are participating. Check the Six Times the Miles participating hotels list.
Hilton HHonors My Way Double Dip Earning Style
Hilton HHonors members can select from three HHonors earning preferences for hotel stays:
1. Points & Points
2. Points and Fixed Miles*
3. Points and Variable Miles*
*HHonors member must designate a preferred airline frequent flyer program among the HHonors partner airlines for mileage deposits.
HHonors Points and Points earners receive 15 HHonors points per $1US in hotel spending. (Earn 10 points per dollar regular earning and an additional 5 points per dollar bonus.)
HHonors members with a Points and Points preference will not qualify for the Delta promotion. You can change your HHonors profile online to select one of the two Points & Miles Double Dip earning options to earn the Delta miles bonus.
HHonors Points and Fixed Miles (57 fixed miles partners)
Fixed Miles Earned Per Hotel Stay, normally = 500 miles awarded per hotel stay, except for Hampton Inn and Homewood Suites earn only 100 miles per hotel stay.
Delta 6x Bonus Miles Promotion = 3,000 miles per Hilton brand hotel stay, except Hampton Inn and Homewood Suites earn only 600 miles per hotel stay.
Don’t waste this promotion on Hampton Inn or Homewood Suites stays for only 600 miles.
3,000 miles is quite an incentive to pay a little more to stay in another Hilton brand like Hilton Garden Inn, Doubletree, Conrad, or Hilton. The miles can have $50 in future value on tickets using miles, however, the recent adoption of a three tier redemption rate for Delta Airline tickets using miles may prove to give Delta miles a lower than 2 cents/mile future value in many cases.
HHonors Points and Variable Miles (43 variable miles partners)
Delta 6x Bonus Miles Promotion = 6 miles earned per $1US in hotel spending.
Variable Miles Earned per Hotel Stay, normally = 1 mile earned per $1US in hotel spending.
For a Homewood Suites or Hampton Inn hotel stay with a total projected spending in excess of $100 you will earn more with a Variable Miles preference rather than Fixed Miles, (remember taxes and fees do not count for base hotel spending). For all other brands you would need to spend more than $500 for your hotel stay to earn more with the Variable Miles earning option.
You have the option of changing your miles earning preference between hotel stays.
Hilton HHonors Check-In Desk, Hilton Singapore (2006)
Analysis of Hyatt Hotels Nonrefundable 21% Off Sale, December 1-12, 2008
Loyalty Traveler Trip Tip: Shop Other Rates Before You Drop a Prepaid Bundle on this sale
The Offer: 21% Off ‘Prevailing Rates’ using offer code LTO107.
Discount rate is eligible for Faster Free Nights promotion.
Requires nonrefundable prepayment for hotel stays booked with this offer.
Blackout Date: 12/31/08
Booking Timeframe: In USA, Canada, Caribbean – Must book by December 12
Park Hyatt hotels worldwide*, Hyatt’s top-tier hotel brand, and Hyatt hotels in Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia/Pacific and Latin America (including Mexico) require 7 days advance booking for stays through January 31, 2009. The December 12 date is not the timeframe limit for Park Hyatt or Hyatt Hotels in most international regions.
*Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort, Colorado is an exception and must be booked by December 12.
Hotel Stay Timeframe: Rate applies to stays through February 1, 2009.
Loyalty Traveler Analysis:
Hotel rates are dropping faster than home prices in many locations. I have family traveling during the December holidays and I focused my searches for the Hyatt 21% LTO107 sale on California and Arizona hotels.
Best hotel rate findings are mixed. The Hyatt sale is a good deal for some locations and the offer is an opportunity to book a Hyatt hotel at its lowest rate of 2008.
I also found Hyatt locations where comparable AAA rates are available. In several searches the prepaid, nonrefundable 21% discount rate saves only $10 to $15 per night compared to a refundable AAA rate. Paying an extra $30 to $50 for a $600 stay can be a smart insurance policy on unforeseen circumstances that may result in a missed stay and a hefty loss if your vacation plans fall through on a prepaid hotel.
I try to avoid nonrefundable rates at every opportunity.
The problem with buying a nonrefundable rate hotel stay at the present time is hotel rates are dropping. Hotels are seeing some serious deflation in the past two months. It is hard to know a good deal unless you are highly informed about the rates for a particular hotel over the past several years. I have followed San Francisco Bay area hotels for the past five years and I am seeing some hotel rates fall back to 2003 levels. Other hotel rates are still in the bumped up range from the 2006-2007 huge room rate increases and have not fallen back to the post-9-11 lows of 2002 and 2003.
Some Hyatt Hotels are a good deal at the 21% discount rates, however, they may not necessarily be the best deals of 2008 for that property. I think the Hyatt rates are likely to be about as low as rates go for December, but I would be reluctant to prepay a resort like Hyatt Regency Resort Gainey Ranch in Scottsdale, Arizona for a late January stay. Resort properties may be slashing rates for January even more in the coming weeks if the reservations don’t roll in for the major hotel players with deals like this Hyatt Hotels 21% discount promotion.
Hyatt Regency Resort at Gainey Ranch, Scottsdale, Arizona
Rate Comparisons for Hyatt Hotel Stays in December and January
|
Hotel, Location, Date |
Limited Time 21% rate – Offer Code: LTO107 (prepaid-nonrefundable) |
AAA rate (usually refundable – rules vary from 48 hours prior to arrival to day of arrival) |
Hyatt.com (prepaid-nonrefundable)
|
Prevailing Rate (rules vary) |
Special Offer Rates (hotel specific) |
|
Hyatt Regency Orange County, Garden Grove, CA Fri 12-26 to Sun 12-28 (2 nights) *prices shown are total rate for two nights |
$243.32 King
$338.12 King suite or 2-bedroom kids suite |
$277.20 King
$385.20 King Suite or 2 bedroom Kids Suite (cancel up to 24 hours before arrival) |
$298.00 King
$418 Suite |
$308 King
$428 Suite |
‘Suites on Sale’ Special Offer - Suite $368.00 (may cancel up to 24 hours before arrival) Refundable rate helps if little Julie comes down with the flu. |
|
Hyatt Regency San Francisco Fri. Dec. 26 |
Deluxe King $141.41
Regency Club $200.66 |
Deluxe King $152.15
Regency Club $215.90 Cancel up to 24 hours
AAA Hot Deal rate includes breakfast for 2 and 25% off valet parking
Deluxe King $161.10
Regency Club $236.10 Cancel up to 24 hours
|
Deluxe King $159.00
Regency Club $234.00 |
Deluxe King $179.00
Regency Club $254.00 |
San Fran on Sale Deluxe King $161.00
Regency Club $236.00 (includes a $25 food credit and may cancel up to 24 hours) |
|
Grand Hyatt San Francisco Fri-Sat Jan. 16-17 |
$330.22 King
Regency Club $448.72 (RC is complimentary for Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond members) |
$376.20 King AAA Hot Deal includes breakfast for two daily ($80 value) – May cancel up to 48 hours before arrival
Regency Club $526.20 (negates value of free breakfast) |
$418.00 King Regency Club $568.00 |
$418.00 King No option for Regency Club shown online. |
No applicable special offers |
|
Hyatt Regency Scottsdale, AZ Gainey Ranch 4 nights-Fri-Sat Jan 16-20 |
$1,061.20 King (30% off prevailing rate of $1,516.) |
$1,212 King Cancel up to 72 hours. |
$1,436 King |
$1,516 King |
$1,137 3 For Free group/corporate #: 22828 (includes free one category room upgrade and credit for 4th night) Cancel up to 72 hours. |
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Hyatt Regency Scottsdale, AZ Gainey Ranch 2 nights -Fri-Sat Dec 12-14 |
$404.60 King |
$462.40 King Cancel 72 hours prior to arrival |
$538.00 King |
$578 King Cancel 72 hours prior to arrival (AAA has $116 value for this stay) |
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Manchester Grand Hyatt, San Diego 2 nights Dec 26-28 |
Not Offered |
$238.50 |
$288.00 |
$338.00 |
Hotel Site Special Offer – Winter Getaway $198 Cancel 24 hours prior to arrival |
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Hyatt Regency Mission Bay, San Diego 2 nights Dec 26-28
|
$248.00 (40% discount) |
$334.56 |
$388 |
$408 |
$298 Holiday Rate special offer. Cancel by 24 hours. |
Hyatt Regency Orange County, Garden Grove, California (near Disneyland).
Fri-Sat night weekend stay for December 26-28, 2008.
A hotel special offer for a full suite or a 2-bedroom kids suite is available through the “Suites on Sale” special hotel offer at only $15 more per night than the 21% nonrefundable rate. The Suites on Sale rate may be cancelled up to the day before arrival. That is relatively cheap insurance to protect your vacation money.
The lowest priced one bedroom King room is available as a refundable AAA rate for just $17 more per night than the nonrefundable LTO107 room rate for the 21% discount. To reiterate, $34 extra for a room rate that may be cancelled up to day before arrival is a good insurance rate to protect your cash from a cancellation of travel plans or a rate drop between now and the hotel stay dates.
Hyatt Regency San Francisco at the Embarcadero
Friday, December 26, 2008
Some of the major cities in the USA and Europe have their lowest rates of the year during the December holiday week when business travel is near non-existent.
The LTO107 discount rate offer of $141 for the night is only slightly lower than the basic AAA rate of $152 that may be cancelled with no charge up to day before arrival. An extra $20 for the AAA Hot Deal rate of $161 includes breakfast for 2 guests and 25% off valet parking. The breakfast deal alone is worth at least $40 at the rates charged in the Hyatt Eclipse lobby restaurant. AAA is a better deal.
A “San Francisco On Sale” special offer rate of $161 includes a $25 food & beverage credit which could be a better deal for someone with Diamond elite status who will receive complimentary Regency Club access for complimentary breakfast. This special offer rate may be cancelled up to day before arrival.
San Francisco Bay view from Hyatt Regency at the Embarcadero
Grand Hyatt San Francisco
Friday-Saturday, January 16-18, 2009
The 21% discount LTO107 rate of $330.22 ($165/night) is the lowest available rate for this hotel. There are no applicable special offer rates for these dates at this time.
AAA Hot Deal rate is an extra $23 per night and includes breakfast for two each day. The AAA rate may be cancelled up to two days before arrival making this a comparable rate to the LTO107 with the value-added breakfast component.
The Holiday Sale rate for the Hyatt Mission Bay, San Diego did not appear when searching AAA rates for the two night December 26-27 weekend stay. By checking both the LTO107 rate and the AAA rate I saw the special Holiday Sale rate with the same cancellation terms as the AAA rate for a savings of $36. Paying an extra $50 (20%) to avoid the nonrefundable LTO107 rate is a choice that needs to be weighed against the probability of a change in plans for the hotel stay.
San Francisco Bay view from Grand Hyatt
Hyatt Regency Resort Gainey Ranch, Scottsdale, Arizona
January 16-20, 2009
The LTO107 four night rate for this hotel is $1,061.20. This nonrefundable, prepaid rate is a $37.50 per night savings on the $1,212 AAA rate which has no value-added component except for a cancellation policy up to 72 hours before arrival.
There is a free night and free one category upgrade hotel special offer at $1,137 for the four night stay. This rate allows cancellation up to 72 hours before arrival and brings the refundable room rate to just $16 per night more. The special offer rate at $60 more to protect an $1,100 hotel investment for your vacation may be a wise choice.
At the pace hotel rates are dropping there might even be lower rates that become available for this stay 7 weeks away.
And the best deal of all for the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort at Gainey Ranch may be booking the room through an online third party site. This hotel stay listed for $969 for the 4-night stay, January 16-20, 2009 through GTAHotels.com link found through Kayak.com. This is $90 less than the Hyatt.com LTO107 rate. Regency Club is $1,155 total for these dates.
This stay may qualify for Hyatt’s Best Rate Guarantee which would reduce the $969 rate by an additional 20% and bring the nightly rate down to $776 or $194 per night compared to the $265 per night rate using the LTO107 rate. Loyalty Traveler has made several successful Best Rate Guarantee claims with Hyatt Hotels and Starwood Hotels based on GTAHotels.com rates.
Hyatt Regency Resort at Gainey Ranch, Scottsdale, Arizona
Manchester Grand Hyatt, San Diego, California
December 26-28, 2008, two-night stay
The 21% Discount LTO107 rate is not offered at this Hyatt property. There is a AAA rate of $238.50 which is $50 less than the nonrefundable Hyatt.com rate. Even better is a hotel special offer rate “Winter Getaway” for $198 for the two night stay.
Kayak.com showed a rate of $95.09 per night on Hotels.com for this stay. This could be another Best Rate Guarantee claim that, if successful, would reduce the nightly rate to just $76 per night. Now that is a hotel bargain you can’t beat for one of San Diego’s top hotels.
Hyatt Regency Mission Bay, San Diego, California
December 26-28, 2008, two-night stay
The 21% Discount LTO107 rate of $248.00 for the two-night stay is actually a 40% discount on the prevailing rate of $204 per night. The AAA rate is $47 more per night and does not include any value-added component except for the more liberal cancellation policy.
Hyatt Mission Bay has a hotel “Holiday Rate” special offer of $149 per night. The additional $25 per night for a cancellation policy up to day before arrival may be a better choice for some.
I am on a lonely road and I am traveling,
traveling, traveling, traveling,
Looking for something, what can it be?
All I Want – Joni Mitchell
Mt. Shasta, California view from I-5 near Dunsmuir
I heard a blogger panelist at BlogWorld08 in Las Vegas tell bloggers never to apologize for not blogging. I’m not apologizing – just writing.
I was on the Family and Friends plan this past week over the Thanksgiving holidays. I have hotel reviews, stories, and photos from Las Vegas for Loyalty Traveler December blog posts. There are still several pieces of the Vancouver, Washington, Oregon, and California trip I want to finish writing and posting to this blog.
I drove around the western states for most of November. It has been 12 years since I did serious road travel. My realization this past month is writing as a road warrior is much more difficult than writing when flying the friendly skies. Piloting and navigating a car takes a lot more physical and mental energy than being a high flyer drifting between airports penning thoughts.
Most of my November days were used seeing hotels (about 25 hotels or so), staying in hotels (11 stays), and driving between hotels (3,500 miles). Gas dropped from $2.94 to $1.81 over a three week period of driving around California and the west. Hotel prices also dropped by 35% in many locations from the time I started looking in mid-October/early-November to when I was booking rooms during November. Airfares for domestic December holiday travel are some of the lowest fares I recall seeing in the past 7 years.
The new Starwood Luxury Collection hotel, the Nines Portland, Oregon has dropped rates as low as $149 for Christmas week. This is 40% less than lowest rates were 30 days ago. Recently opened hotels like the InterContinental Monterey are currently offering abnormally low rates like $117 per night (AAA rate) for an upscale hotel in a resort destination.
I was checking Denver hotel rates for stays around Christmas week and the Hyatt Regency and Grand Hyatt in downtown Denver are only $70 a night. I am astonished and thankful. Hyatt Gold Passport Faster Free Nights makes hotel rates this low essentially freebies. A Hyatt Gold Passport member can stay upscale in downtown Denver at economy hotel room rates and redeem luxury hotel nights in a place like Scottsdale’s Hyatt Gainey Ranch Resort or a Park Hyatt for free during winter 2009.
I think we have about two to three weeks before the 2009 hotel promotions appear on the web to try and stimulate the hotel economy. Hotels are mirroring the national economy in needing a jump-start to keep rooms occupied in 2009.
Hotel industry news throughout November has repeatedly shown occupancy declines, luxury and upscale hotel market room rate cuts, and average room rate declines across the USA, although Texas hotel rates are rising at the moment. Forecasts offer an even bleaker 2009 hotel industry scenario. Projects like the St. Regis Las Vegas and new Starwood hotels in Macau are postponed indefinitely.
Much of the hotel industry occupancy projections in 2008 and into 2009 were based on increased international visitors to the USA. The dollar was weak and the British pound and Euro were strong and made the USA a bargain destination. Many international currencies have lost 20% to 30% of their value against the dollar since September and the likelihood of large increases in the numbers of international visitors to the USA has diminished. The Mexican peso and Canadian dollar have plummeted against the US Dollar taking away the financial incentive and the financial resources for USA travel from our top two sources of international visitors.
Time-Rich, Job Poor? Go Travel!
Work interferes with seeing the world. This is a great time to travel and see the world.
There are travel deals all around. Last week, Holland America offered an inside cabin for $1,025 per person on a 16-day San Diego to Fort Lauderdale cruise via the Panama Canal. A 16-day cruise for $2,050 all-in, including the fuel surcharges for sailing next week December 7. $125 per day for a room, entertainment and recreational activities, and all the food you can eat is a great deal.
