A rumor spread on FlyerTalk last month about the discontinuation of Hilton HHonors Point Stretcher awards for the remainder of 2009. Point Stretchers are award nights at a 40% points discount of the standard award level.  Historically Hilton HHonors has been remiss in timely posting of updated Point Stretcher dates. The typical schedule is to release the first six months of Point Stretcher dates sometime in January for January-to-June bookings and then release the latter six months of dates sometime in July for July-to-December bookings.

There were reports of HHonors customer service representatives stating Point Stretchers would not be offered for the second half of 2009.

Last week the rumor was dispelled.  A notice on the Hilton HHonors Point Stretcher web page states new dates will be available in September 2009.

Does the delay indicate a change in the Point Stretcher program?

I have no insider knowledge, but it would be nice to see some changes to the Point Stretcher program which has steadily declined in participating properties over the past few years.

Is Hilton HHonors planning an expansion of Point Stretcher hotel offers? Is a Cash & Points type program possibly in the works in line with Starwood Cash & Points and IHG Priority Club Cash & Points?

Time will tell.

Related post: Loyalty Traveler December 19, 2008 post  on the last batch of Hilton Point Stretcher offers.

Hilton Financial District, San Francisco

Americans do have a reputation for gluttonously over-eating, but how many Americans can really eat $162.80 worth of food for breakfast – even at 5-star St. Regis luxury hotel prices?

I was looking for other Starwood Hotels special offers now that the Stay 2, Earn 1 Free Weekend night promotion is over. The highlighted link to St. Regis Offers looked promising.

“Enjoy exceptional rewards or preferred rates at the St. Regis.”  Link

St. Regis Hotels Offer: Receive complimentary daily breakfast during each stay.

Promotion Rate code – DSR

I tried a couple of test bookings.

St. Regis New York, Complimentary Breakfast,  

Superior Room, including American breakfast for two daily

Friday, August 14

$705.00/night Promotion Rate DSR

$808.96/night after tax

Same room, same night, no complimentary breakfast

$562.50/night AAA rate

$646.16/night after tax

$162.80 a day for complimentary breakfast at the St. Regis New York?

The other day I was reading notes in a travel journal from my trip to Thailand in 2004.

180,000 Baht can provide a water system for a Karen hill tribe remote village in the Chiang Mai province of Thailand; US$5,300 for a village to have running, clean water. 

30% of Karen children who go to secondary school drop out because they can’t afford the 150 Baht/month (US$4.40/month) for food while boarding at school. 

The added expense of a complimentary breakfast rate at the St. Regis could feed 3 high school students for a year.

Choices.