There are some updates for hotel loyalty point donations from the post I made a week ago. WebFlyer has a page with links to the hotel programs and several airlines and credit card donation avenues.

WebFlyer –  Donate Cash or Miles/Points to Haiti Earthquake Relief Efforts

Several additional items to note since last week’s post.

Priority Club does not show the monetary contribution for a 10,000 points member donation on its website. The official IHG social forum Priority Club Connect states 10,000 points will result in a $40 contribution according to emails received by IHG Priority Club members.

Hilton HHonors has posted they will match member donations to the amount of $250,000. I received an email from a representative at Hilton Worldwide Global Headquarters stating over 5,000 members have donated $128,000 in points in just four days. https://www.hiltonhhonors.com/processLanding.aspx?lp=intlfedredcross

Best Western was the one hotel program that did not offer Red Cross as a charity option. Honestly, I was not familiar with World Vision before seeing the points contribution offer on the Best Western site last week. After a week of extensive news coverage I have seen several interviews with World Vision workers in Haiti. The World Vision organization has a strong presence there.

Best Western Rewards has also added some points options since last week that show 5,000 points will be converted into a $20 donation to World Vision Haiti Relief Effort.

Hyatt Gold Passport, 5,000 points = $40 American Red Cross

Hyatt Hotels was a major chain left off my list last week. Since then Hyatt has very discreetly announced donations of 5,000 points will be converted to $40 donations to the Red Cross. There is nothing posted on their website. I was told by a Diamond Desk customer service representative they are relying on Twitter and FlyerTalk for spreading the word.

Well, I can’t find anything on Twitter regarding Hyatt Gold Passport’s offer. I missed the FlyerTalk thread from January 17 announcing the Haiti Relief Red Cross donation option since it basically died after a few comments, but then I found it today. So here is my attempt to help Hyatt spread the word for its Haiti Relief donation opportunity.

To donate Hyatt Gold Passport points email goldpassport@hyatt.com or call 1-800-228-3360.

Please check WebFlyer’s page with hotel, airline, and credit card links for other Haiti Relief donation opportunities.

Please don’t leave comments analyzing the cost-benefit value of donating points or miles versus cash.  I am disappointed that most of the threads on FlyerTalk are filled with comments about the poor value for points and miles donations. In my opinion, Haiti earthquake relief is an issue beyond point valuation.

Feeding, housing, and caring for millions of people in dire circumstances is a humanitarian effort. Points and miles are an option for giving that does equate to real money being made available for real people needing assistance now.

Book between January 19 and Saturday, January 23 for hotel stays between February 7  and April 5, 2010. The 30% discount is a decent sale and based on the Hyatt Daily Rate. The rate requires prepayment and is nonrefundable with no changes allowed.

Hyatt Place promotion link.  Rate Code LTO404

Summerfield Suites promotion link.  Rate Code LTO404.

For the San Francisco Bay area this sale drops room rates to under $75 per night on weekends for most of the participating Hyatt Place and Summerfield Suites properties and by as much as $50 for weeknights at the expensive Summerfield Suites in Redwood Shores, California.

Summerfield Suites are extended stay apartment style properties with the option of a full kitchen, up to two bedrooms, and laundry facilities on site. These sale rates are a particularly good value if seeking a larger two-bedroom place.

Remember to check for G bonus offers for your hotel. Current G bonus points and miles run through February. You can always call Hyatt Gold Passport to have the G bonus offer added to your reservation if you do not book through the G bonus links.

Hyatt Place Dublin

The category shift in HHonors last Friday is a difficult systemwide, global change to analyze. I decided to restrict my initial observations to my local area of the San Francisco Bay region as a way to take a manageable approach to the changes.

For many travelers the choice of a major hotel program comes down to Marriott or Hilton. Both hotel chains have a large number of upper upscale hotel properties and a geographically diverse availability of hotels in the USA.

I have analyzed the hotel category placement for three areas of the San Francisco Bay region to take a closer look at how the redemption levels for free nights using hotel points compare between these major hotel loyalty programs.

1.       Downtown San Francisco

2.       San Francisco Airport (10 miles south of downtown San Francisco)

3.       Pleasanton/Livermore/San Ramon (30 miles east of San Francisco in corporate headquarters region)

Each of these three locations tend to have high room rates Sunday through Thursday and significantly lower room rates on Friday and Saturday.

The tables show the room rate for Wednesday, January 20 (high rates) and Friday, January 22 (low rates). Downtown San Franciso is the only region of the three areas where the low room rates  for January weekends might show a high degree of variance to be significantly higher priced room rates during summer tourist season (July-October).

The Hilton HHonors category changes can be viewed in two ways. Hilton HHonors management has told members the changes are overdue after 6 years of only slight changes to the hotel categories and reward redemption levels. The member redeeming points in 2010 will generally see a 20% to 25% increase in the cost of a free night.

The change in VIP awards allows elite HHonors members to now redeem 4-night and 5-night reward stays at a reduced rate to the nightly cost. Previously these reduced rate VIP rewards were only available beginning with 6-night stays. This is a significant improvement to the HHonors program.

Another way to look at the HHonors program hotel category changes is to compare HHonors to its closest competitor – Marriott Rewards.

I say Marriott Rewards is HHonors closest competitor based on the two hotel chains similar number of properties, a comparable geographic distribution of hotels, and similar market segments within their hotel brands ranging from midscale to upper upscale hotels around the USA and globally.

In a Loyalty Traveler post last month I compared hotels for free nights using points across five hotel chains in New York City. In that post I estimated the relative value of hotel points for Hilton HHonors at US$6 to $9 per 1,000 points redeemed for free nights. I estimated Marriott Rewards at $7 to $10 per 1,000 points.

In general, Hilton HHonors members can earn more points per $1 in hotel spend with 15 points per $1 when choosing Points & Points “Double Dipping” earning preference. HHonors members choosing Points & Miles will earn miles, but then points are earned at the same rate as Marriott Rewards members, 10 points per $1 spent.  Hilton HHonors has the advantage over Marriott Rewards in that all Hilton brands earn 10 base points per $1, whereas Marriott Rewards offers 10 points per $1 for most of its hotel brands, but only 5 points per $1 for Residence Inn and TownePlace Suites hotel stays.

The ability to earn points within either program is dependent on other earning variables like the member’s hotel stay pattern (multi-night stays v. single night stays), hotel brands, elite status, loyalty program promotions, and whether the member uses the hotel program co-branded credit card.

The ability to earn points is complex. The redemption of points is less complex. Basically, the comparison of points redemption just looks at the hotel location and hotel category within the loyalty program redemption chart.

Here are three charts showing the hotel reward category for Marriott Rewards hotels and Hilton HHonors hotels in three San Francisco area locations based on the distance from a central location

• San Francisco Downtown,

• San Francisco Airport, 

• Cities in vicinity of Pleasanton, California, the corporate headquarters corridor, located 30 miles east of San Francisco.

As Loyalty Traveler I have an axiom: Hotel points only have potential value until redeemed.

The potential value I placed on Hilton HHonors points last month in my New York City analysis was a redemption value of $6 to $9 per 1,000 points. This meant I expect to save between $180 and $270 for a hotel room if I redeem 30,000 points for a free night at a HHonors hotel.

In light of the 2010 changes in hotel categories I may have to reduce this redemption value to $4 to $7.

If you get a higher value than $9 per 1,000 points, then that is a good value for your points with Hilton HHonors and Marriott Rewards. Redeeming points for less than $6 per 1,000 points is not a good use of points, and cash is preferable for room payment. Save hotel points for when a better value is possible.

The $6 to $10 range is what you should look for when redeeming your hotel points and the higher redemption value, the better. Keep in mind that free nights using points also covers local hotel taxes for the room rate in most cases. In San Francisco this saves an additional 15%+ on the nightly room rate. A $200 hotel room redeemed for  points in San Francisco actually saves $231  with the room tax also covered by the points reward stay.

Hilton v. Marriott Downtown San Francisco Hotels

This chart shows yellow for room rates and a points redemption value in the range of $6 to $10. Blue shows a range of $3 to $6 and I would consider this to be a low redemption value. In most cases the value of Hilton HHonors points falls in the blue value more often than Marriott hotels in San Francisco. Can you earn points at twice the rate of Marriott Rewards as a Hilton HHonors? Many of the Marriott Hotels have a redemption value twice as high as Hilton HHonors options. These charts favor Marriott Rewards value in all three locations.

Red room rate blocks are a redemption value less than $3 per 1,000 points. I may have to adjust my assessment of Hilton HHonors points valuation. For several years I anticipated getting $10 per 1,000 points value for my HHonors points. I consider it an extremely poor value to redeem HHonors points at less than $3 per 1,000 points. Several Hilton blocks show red for San Francisco over this next week in these tables.

Hilton HHonors v Marriott Rewards at San Francisco Airport Hotels

The most striking feature to me of the San Francisco Airport (SFO) hotels is the Hilton San Francisco Airport. This hotel was a Sheraton for the past decade until August 2009. The Sheraton SFO was a SPG Category 1 hotel until it increased to SPG Category 2 in 2006. In August 2009 the property rebranded to the Hilton SFO and is now a high level Category 5 property at 35,000 points per night.

Hilton HHonors v Marriott Rewards East of San Francisco Bay area

Marriott Rewards offers high value for weekday reward nights. Hilton is less than 50% of the value for these East Bay hotels. Again I ask, can you earn points at twice the rate with Hilton HHonors compared to Marriott Rewards?

I think it  unlikely without significant cobranded credit card spending with the HHonors credit card.

My conclusion is HHonors has severely devalued its hotel redemption, i.e. the value of HHonors points. I don’t think I should have to change my redemption value scale. I urge HHonors members to look for redemption values in the $6 to $10 per 1,000 points spent range. Your hotel reward stay options may make that goal a bit harder to find. 

Last night I stayed at the Hyatt Place in Dublin…California, not Ireland. I’ve been to Dublin, Ireland. That place is old. Most of Dublin, California has been built in the past 30 years. Dublin is a city of high tech industry, freeways, rapid transit stations, condominiums, new housing developments, and shopping centers. There is an older part of Dublin, California, but I didn’t see it.

Fountain outside Dublin Hyatt Place. Sybase headquarters across street.

Hyatt Place Dublin is just off the north side of Interstate 580, the Oakland-Stockton freeway, and one mile east of Interstate 680, located in the corner of a shopping and entertainment plaza with a variety of restaurants and a large movie theater complex.  Movies are really $11.50 these days? Ouch!

Hyatt Place Dublin (back side of hotel)

The Dublin area has been known as the crossroads of the East Bay, California for 150 years. In the gold rush era this was the overland route from the San Francisco Bay to the great central valley.  Large sections of central California were impassable by land much of the year due to annual flooding from the Sierra snowmelt. The latter half of the 19^th century saw the construction of levees throughout the California delta region, most of them built by Chinese immigrants. The water management system turned much of the California marshland interior into lush, cultivable farmland.

Hyatt Place Dublin pool, looking west. Oakland is on other side of hills in background.

The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is the largest estuary on the west coast with over one thousand miles of navigable waterways. Ships can travel quite a way inland on the delta waterways reaching to places like Napa and Stockton.

Hyatt Place Dublin (huge TV with lots of HD and multimedia port)

The people you see, hear, and meet while traveling in the high tech areas of San Jose’s Silicon Valley and the East Bay corporate zone city centers are a global community. In the 24 hours I stayed in Dublin I heard Russian, African languages, French, German, Hindi, and Mandarin while sitting in restaurants and hotels located in this suburb community 25 miles east of the San Francisco Bay. This town would have been predominantly farmers, ranchers, and small town white folk when I was a kid in California. Computer technology has brought a diverse group of global humanity to California in the past three decades just as the Gold Rush did 160 years ago with the original California 49ers.

Hyatt Place Dublin

Dublin, California is a living example of the dynamism of California. The city was only incorporated in 1982. Since that time the population has more than doubled from 20,000 to nearly 50,000. The city has grown 60% just in the past decade. Driving around Dublin I was struck by all the newness.

Hyatt Place Dublin

Oh, and the Hyatt Place. Well, if you have ever been to a Hyatt Place, then you know what it was like. All the conveniences of home without all the inconveniences of extra fees common in upper-upscale hotels.

Hyatt Place Dublin entrance

The Hyatt Place Dublin is available for as low as $60 per night over the next couple of weekends. No “G” Bonus, but still eligible for Stays Count Double and free night credit after every two Hyatt stays through the end of January.

USA Hilton Brand Hotels Category Shift for 2010

Here is a table showing the hotel category shift for USA hotels.

USA properties comprise approximately 88% of total Hilton portfolio.

The average cost of a free hotel night did rise 19.3% for USA properties. I added the cost for each hotel in each category in 2009.

2009: 73,747,500 points / 3,109 hotels = 23,721 points

2010: 88,610,000 / 3,132 hotels = 28,292 points

(28,292 – 23,721) / 23,721 = 19.3% increase for USA. This is in line with all the reports of the past few months of a 20% points devaluation. Of course it is a bit higher if you are redeeming points for a Category 7 hotel in 2010.

80% of the hotels in California, almost 200 hotels, have increased at least one category, and 16 of these hotels increased two categories. Only one hotel of the 243 in California went down one category. 47 of 243 hotels remain in the same category.

San Francisco and San Diego reveal plenty of Category 7 hotels at 50,000 points per night.

This is just my preliminary run through of the numbers.

More analysis to come later.

I will probably just add to this post as I come up with additional analysis today. Check back later.

Related Post: http://boardingarea.com/blogs/loyaltytraveler/2010/02/08/hilton-hhonors-2010-hotel-category-shift-analysis/

This is a thorough analysis of the HHonors reward category changes from February 8, 2010.

The earthquake disaster in Haiti is going to require billions of dollars for rescue, recovery, and rebuilding of lives and infrastructure. Juliana at Hotel Chatter posted today about the opportunity to donate Starwood Preferred Guest and Marriott Rewards points for cash donations to the Red Cross. I just redeemed 4,000 Starpoints to donate $50 to the American Red Cross.

The American Red Cross released $10 million dollars today for the Haiti relief effort.

Here is a list of hotel loyalty programs I found for donating your hotel points for cash donations to the American Red Cross.

Choice Privileges 1,000 point blocks = $5

Hilton HHonors 10,000 points = $25  (Jan 21 update: Hilton Worldwide is matching member contributions to $250,000)

IHG Priority Club 10,000 point blocks
Donation Value = $40

Marriott Rewards
American Red Cross 18,000 points = $50
33,000 points = $100
60,000 points = $250
180,000 points = $1,000

International Red Cross/Red Crescent 10,000 points = $25

Marriott donated $500,000 to the Red Cross Haiti relief effort.

Starwood Preferred Guest 4,000 point blocks = $50

(SPG is  matching donations from members through February 15.)

Wyndham Rewards 5,500 = $25; 10,500 points = $50; 20,500 points = $100.

Best Western Rewards World Vision donations: 5,000-12,500 points for supplies

Jan 21 update: Hyatt Gold Passport 5,000 points = $40 to Red Cross. email goldpassport@hyatt.com or call 1-800-228-3360 to donate.

 Most airlines also have an option to donate miles to charitable organizations.

Hyatt Gold Passport offers 2,500 airline bonus miles for American Airlines, Air Canada Aeroplan, and Alaska Airlines with hotel stays of two or more consecutive nights worldwide from January 15 through April 30, 2010. Gold Passport members choosing miles instead of points normally earn 500 miles per stay. This promotional offer adds 2,500 bonus miles for a total of 3,000 airline miles per hotel stay of 2 nights or more.

Registration is required.

American Airlines AAdvantage http://goldpassport.com/gp/en/aa/offer1.jsp?me02_mbr_src=AQ1AA

Air Canada Aeroplan

http://goldpassport.com/gp/en/aa/offer1.jsp?me02_mbr_src=AQ1AC

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan http://www.goldpassport.com/gp/en/aa/offer4.jsp?me02_mbr_src=AQ1AL

Readers please add info for other airline partners if known. I spent time with a Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond desk agent and learned about some international airline bonuses starting in February, but no additional airline participants were revealed for this 3,000 miles for 2-night or longer stays.

United Airlines Mileage Plus elites already have a 2,500 miles per stay Hyatt Gold Passport promotional offer valid for one night or more stays throughout 2010. A Virgin Airlines offer for double miles on Europe, Middle East, and Africa stays through February 28 is also detailed in the link from the previous sentence.

[Loyalty Traveler note: I have been waiting all week for the Hilton HHonors category changes to be posted. I guess HHonors is preventing member confusion by not providing any advance hotel category postings for changes going into effect tomorrow.

Today, January 14 is the last day to book rewards under the 2009 category levels. Friday, January 15 is the beginning of a new HHonors redemption era. I am sure Hilton HHonors will receive plenty of attention from me starting tomorrow.]

Hyatt Gold Passport Alaska Airlines offer

The new InterContinental Hotels Group Priority Club PointBreaks list posted today. The best value hotels tend to get booked out in the first couple of days, so check the list over and get your reservation in quickly for these 5,000 point free nights. Saving $250 on a hotel room by spending 5,000 points is one of the highest value hotel rewards available with any hotel loyalty program.

InterContinental Hotels Group includes the brands InterContinentalHotels, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites, and Candlewood Suites.

The list seems a little smaller than the last few offers. There are a few InterContinental Hotels listed. Dallas, Jakarta, Adelaide, Nairobi, and Cali, Colombia. Is this a new PointBreaks trend for just one InterContinental Hotel per continent?

 If “those Ukraine girls really knock you out,” then the new InterContinental Kiev is a hot item on the list of Pointbreaks. I received the Beatles White album CD for my birthday last week and I’ve had “Back in the USSR” playing in my head the past few days.

PointBreaks Hotels posted on January 13

Africa
Ghana
HOLIDAY INN ACCRA AIRPORT

Kenya
INTERCONTINENTAL NAIROBI

Middle East
Israel
CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL EILAT

Saudi Arabia
HOLIDAY INN JEDDAH-AL SALAM

United Arab Emirates
STAYBRIDGE SUITES ABU DHABI-YAS ISLAND

Uzbekistan
INTERCONTINENTAL TASHKENT

Asia
China
CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL DANDONG
HOLIDAY INN SHANGHAI VISTA

Indonesia
HOLIDAY INN BATAM
INTERCONTINENTAL JAKARTA MIDPLAZA

Canada
Alberta
CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL EDMONTON-CHATEAU LACOMBE

New Brunswick
CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL MONCTON DOWNTOWN

Ontario
HOLIDAY INN OAKVILLE ( CENTRE)
STAYBRIDGE SUITES TORONTO MISSISSAUGA

Saskatchewan
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS AND SUITES SWIFT CURRENT

Central & South America
Brazil
HOLIDAY INN SALVADOR BAHIA

Colombia
INTERCONTINENTAL CALI

Nicaragua
CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL MANAGUA

Europe
Belgium
HOLIDAY INN BRUSSELS CITY CENTRE

England
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS SWINDON-WEST M4,JCT 16
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS STOKE ON TRENT

France
HOLIDAY INN PARIS-ST.QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES
HOLIDAY INN BLOIS-LOIRE VALLEY

Germany
CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL WIESBADEN

Ireland
CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL DUBLIN-BLANCHARDSTOWN

Italy
CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL CASERTA
HOLIDAY INN TURIN-CORSO FRANCIA

Netherlands
HOLIDAY INN IJMUIDEN SEAPORT BEACH

Ukraine
INTERCONTINENTAL KIEV

Mexico
CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL LEON, GTO
HOLIDAY INN TUXTLA GUTIERREZ
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS AND SUITES MEXICO CITY AT THE WTC
HOLIDAY INN MEXICO TOREO-SATELITE

Oceania
AUSTRALIA
CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL ALICE SPRINGS
HOLIDAY INN ROOTY HILL
INTERCONTINENTAL ADELAIDE

United States
ALABAMA
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS AND SUITES FULTONDALE
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS AND SUITES MONTGOMERY-BOYD-COOPER PKWY

ALASKA
CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL ANCHORAGE MIDTOWN

ARIZONA
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS WINSLOW

ARKANSAS
CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL LITTLE ROCK

CALIFORNIA
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS AND SUITES CATHEDRAL CITY (PALM SPRINGS)
HOLIDAY INN BURBANK-MEDIA CENTER
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS SANTA ROSA

COLORADO
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS AND SUITES FT. COLLINS
STAYBRIDGE SUITES CO SPRINGS-AIR FORCE ACADEMY

FLORIDA
CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL ORLANDO AIRPORT
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS AND SUITES SEBRING
STAYBRIDGE SUITES TAMPA SABAL PARK

GEORGIA
HOTEL INDIGO ATHENS-UNIVERSITY AREA
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS AND SUITES COMMERCE-TANGER OUTLETS

ILLINOIS
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS AND SUITES CHICAGO O’HARE
CANDLEWOOD SUITES CHICAGO-SCHAUMBURG

INDIANA
HOLIDAY INN INDIANAPOLIS-N @ THE PYRAMIDS
HOLIDAY INN TERRE HAUTE

KANSAS
STAYBRIDGE SUITES WICHITA

KENTUCKY
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS AND SUITES LONDON

LOUISIANA
STAYBRIDGE SUITES BATON ROUGE-UNIV AT SOUTHGATE

MARYLAND
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS BALTIMORE-BWI AIRPORT WEST

MICHIGAN
STAYBRIDGE SUITES DETROIT-NOVI
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS AND SUITES GRAND RAPIDS – SOUTH

MISSOURI
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS AND SUITES FENTON (I-44)

MONTANA
STAYBRIDGE SUITES GREAT FALLS

NEW JERSEY
CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL SOMERSET-BRIDGEWATER
HOLIDAY INN TOTOWA WAYNE

NEW MEXICO
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS AND SUITES ALBUQUERQUE-N. BALLOON FSTA PK

NEW YORK
HOLIDAY INN ALBANY, NY-WOLF ROAD
STAYBRIDGE SUITES ROCHESTER UNIVERSITY

NORTH CAROLINA
HOTEL INDIGO ASHEVILLE DOWNTOWN
HOLIDAY INN CHARLOTTE-AIRPORT CONF CTR

OHIO
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS CINCINNATI-WEST CHESTER
CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL DAYTON

OKLAHOMA
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS AND SUITES OKLAHOMA CITY-PENN SQUARE
CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL TULSA

OREGON
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS AND SUITES PORTLAND – JANTZEN BEACH

PENNSYLVANIA
HOLIDAY INN HARRISBURG (PA TPK EXIT 40A)
CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL HARRISBURG HERSHEY

SOUTH CAROLINA
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS AND SUITES I-26 & US 29 AT WESTGATE MALL

TENNESSEE
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS AND SUITES CHATTANOOGA (EAST RIDGE)
HOLIDAY INN KNOXVILLE-WEST (I-40 & I-75)

TEXAS
INTERCONTINENTAL DALLAS
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS AND SUITES GAINESVILLE
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS AND SUITES LAKEWORTH NW LOOP 820
CANDLEWOOD SUITES LONGVIEW

VIRGINIA
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS RICHMOND NORTHWEST I-64

WASHINGTON
HOLIDAY INN SEATTLE-RENTON

WISCONSIN
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS MILWAUKEE-WEST MEDICAL CENTER

WYOMING
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS CASPER-I-25

Marriott has a 20% global rate break for weekend stays, valid from Thursday through Sunday nights. Some resorts in Hawaii, Caribbean, and Latin America offer 40% discounts and offer the global rate break seven days a week. The rate is available at over 2,500 participating hotels in all 9 Marriott brands. At most hotels, the discount rate requires a Friday or Saturday night as part of your stay. Marriott Global Rate Break promotion link.

Marriott Global Rate Break Promotional Code = F5X.

Some hotels offer a breakfast rate discount for just a few dollars more than the room only rate.

The Marriott Global Rate break is not a prepaid, nonrefundable rate for hotels I checked in San Francisco where the reservation could be cancelled up to day of arrival. Hilton’s weekend rate Winter Sale of 33% discount or 50% discount for weekends all through 2010 is a bigger discount available through January for booking, but the Hilton rate is prepaid and nonrefundable.

The JW Marriott San Francisco had weekend rates as low as $143.20 for Friday, January 29. The same hotel and date with a breakfast rate was $155.20. Adding $12 to the room-only rate to receive breakfast for two at the J.W. Marriott is a good deal. The AAA room-only rate was $161 for this date so the 20% discount rate was a better value than the AAA rate.

JW Marriott Ihilani Resort in Oahu, Hawaii Monday Feb 1-Monday Feb 8

Cancellation allowed up to 3 days before arrival.

King, Mountain or Golf view = $203.40/night

King, Deluxe Ocean View with breakfast for 2 = $281.40/night.

(The Deluxe Ocean View room category for this resort was priced at $417 per night (AAA rate, no breakfast) in a hotel rate search conducted August 2009 for a 5-night stay on Nov 7-12 for this Loyalty Traveler post.)

JW Marriott San Francisco

I am not much of a tech person which is why I found an article from HotelWorldNetwork.com useful for explaining why hotel HDTVs usually have crappy reception. “Guests expect high definition on new TVs”

One of the frequent criticisms I have made over the past year is the lousy TV reception on the 46” HDTVs I see in so many hotel rooms. Apparently the cost to update the TV signal is much higher for a hotel than a residential unit and when a regular signal is fed to an HDTV the picture is generally worse than an older box TV. I find it absolutely annoying when I am sitting in an upper upscale hotel room and the  picture image on the huge, flatscreen HDTV is worse than my 12-year old 32” box TV at home.

I estimate about 90% of the hotels I have stayed in this past year had flat screen HDTVs, and most were 42-inch or larger. I estimate fewer than 50% had any HD channels, only about 25% had good picture quality on most of the available channels, and just a few had more than 5 channels with HD reception. Several of the hotel room TVs this past month had reception which was reminiscent of TV top antenna days from the 70s.

Apparently there is a piracy issue with having the HD box in the hotel room. And the expense for the electronics to manage a hotel HD system is an investment not readily manageable for the time being in this economic climate.

The St. Regis San Francisco has a good alternative. The DVD player connection to the large HDTV allows the guest to watch movies rather than TV channels.

Perhaps I better enroll in NetFlix for the next couple of years of hotel travel until the HDTV upgrades are commonplace.

Digital TV channel at Westin San Francisco Airport