This is a reminder to register for the Hyatt Gold Passport “Enjoy Elite Membership” instant Platinum elite offer and fast-track to Diamond offer by August 31. Promotion Link.

The promotion was discussed in detail in this June 23 Loyalty Traveler post.

New Gold Passport members receive instant Platinum elite which normally requires 5 stays in a calendar year or 15 nights. Stay just 5 nights in the 120 days after registering for the promotion and your Platinum elite status will be extended through February 2011.

One of the benefits of Hyatt Platinum elite is Platinum Extra certificates after every 3^rd stay with offers such as bonus points and free Regency Club upgrades. Platinum members are also eligible for room upgrades within the room category booked.

Gold Passport Platinum members receive a 15% bonus on 5 base points per US$1 in hotel spending.

$100 room rate (before tax) earns 500 base points and 75 platinum elite points. Free room nights using points start at 5,000 points for Gold Passport Category 1 hotels. Category 2 = 8,000 points; Category 3 = 12,000 points; Category 4 = 15,000 points, and Category 5 = 18,000 points for a free night.

Diamond elite membership can be earned and maintained through February 2011 with 15 nights in 120 days after promotion registration. Diamond benefits include complimentary guaranteed upgrades, bonus points, and complimentary Regency Club access.

Diamond elite members earn a 30% bonus on base points and have the option to receive 1,000 points as a diamond amenity for each hotel stay at a full-service Hyatt or 500 points at Hyatt Place and Summerfield Suites. Other amenity choices may be a free movie, mini-bar credit or other hotel specific offer.  I received a delicious appetizer tray and a bottle of wine at the Hyatt Regency Denver as a Diamond amenity.

Hyatt Regency Denver Convention Center

There is no harm in asking for instant Diamond elite membership. Reports on FlyerTalk indicate some new members have been granted instant Diamond elite membership with the benefit of four confirmed e-upgrade certificates.

For leisure travelers there is an advantage of waiting until late August for promotion registration if your travel in late December will place you in a position to complete more Hyatt stays. Many major city hotels have some of their lowest rates of the year during the latter half of December when business and leisure travel slows.

I find many of the lowest rates of the year in San Francisco during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday weeks. Resorts tend to have higher rates at these times.

This is one of the most generous hotel loyalty program offers in years. Take advantage of Hyatt Gold Passport’s generosity if this promotion fits with your travel plans.

Loyalty Traveler Promotion Rank = 5 Keys (One of the best hotel loyalty promotions of 2009)

Shangri-La is an Asian luxury hotel chain with 64 hotels, primarily in China and Southeast Asia. The hotel chain is growing with hotels scheduled to open in London, Paris, Vienna, Toronto, and Macau over the next couple of years. There are hotels in Sydney and Cairns, Australia. I have been to the Rasa Sentosa Resort in Singapore. There are no US properties.

Golden Circle is the Shangri-La hotel loyalty program.

www.goldencircle.shangri-la.com

Golden Circle 2009 Free Night Summer Promotion

Registration is required. No retroactive credit for hotel nights prior to promotion registration.

Golden Circle members must register for this promotion online between 1 July and 30 September 2009 by logging onto www.goldencircle.shangri-la.com and clicking “Summer Promotion 2009”.

Offer: One free night will be awarded for every four accumulative qualifying nights stayed between July 1 and September 30, 2009. The qualifying nights do not have to be consecutive nights. Any  published rack, corporate, or package room rates qualify.

Free Night Redemption: Free nights earned can be redeemed online and used for stays at any Shangri-La hotel and resort between 1 October 2009 and 31 March 2010, except at Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa, Maldives; Shangri-La Hotel, Tokyo; and Shangri-La Hotel, Vancouver.

Free nights can be redeemed as of September 15, 2009 after free night credit is posted online. Redemption must be made three days in advance.

Redemption reservations cancelled less than 24 hours and 7 days for City and Resort hotels respectively prior to 4 pm on day of arrival (local hotel time) or NO SHOW will subject to a deduction of one free night.  For NO SHOW, the entire booking will be cancelled automatically. Members will have to rebook again.

The following black-out dates, in addition to existing Golden Circle black-out dates, apply:
For all Hotels: 31 December 2009 and 1 January 2010
For all Resorts: 22 December 2009 to 1 January 2010 and 13 to 17 February 2010 (both dates inclusive)

Free night is not transferable.

Promotion Terms and Conditions link.

Shangri-La Hotel Properties link.

Shangri-La Golden Circle Hotel Loyalty Program

Golden Circle Member Benefits link.

Shangri-La Golden Circle Elite Status

Classic membership is free to registered members.

Executive membership requires 20 nights in a calendar year in at least two different Shangri-La properties.

Elite membership requires 60 nights in a calendar year in at least three different Shangri-La properties.

Golden Circle Terms & Conditions

Loyalty Traveler Promotion Analysis

Golden Sands Resort, Penang, Malaysia

September 7-11, 2009

400 MYR/night (US$114.20/night) Superior Hill view Room 36sqm/368sq.ft.; free internet

1,840 MYR (US$525.34) after tax for 4 nights

630MYR/night (US$180.00) Executive Sea view room 30 sqm/328sq.ft.

Total rate = 2,898MYR (US$827.41) after tax for 4 nights.

Sample Free night redemption:

Dubai Shangri-La, United Arab Emirates (Hotel webpage link)

January 13 Deluxe Room. Room rate: 1,350 AED/night ($US368.00)

Deluxe Room Description for Dubai Shangri-La:

-Deluxe Rooms offer stylish comfort with an inviting earthtone design based on warm sycamore veneers, and are decorated with original local artworks.

-The rooms, located on floors 29 through 39, feature panoramic views of Sheikh Zayed Road or the Arabian Sea.

-Dual line telephones (with dataport connection), complimentary broadband Internet access, in-room safe, satellite television, coffee/tea making facilities, and a comfortable writing desk are standard in all Deluxe Rooms.

-The spacious bathroom, featuring Aigner bath amenities, contains a deep soaking tub and a walk-in shower with a rainforest showerhead.

-The room dimensions are 45 sqm/484 sqft.

For this example earning and redemption scenario a Golden Circle guest could stay at a beach resort in Malaysia for four nights at a cost of US$525 and redeem the free night earned in Dubai for a room that would cost US$368.

That is a 70% rebate on a four night Malaysia beach getaway.

Loyalty Traveler promotion rating = 4 keys (high value).