About Loyalty Traveler

Ric Garrido is Loyalty Traveler, a specialist focused on consumer value of hotel loyalty programs for frequent guests.

Loyalty Traveler blog shares good value hotel promotions, travel websites and hotel loyalty program news with frequent guest consumers of hotels.

This blog is about

  • using hotel loyalty promotions for high value rebates with hotel travel,
  • how hotel loyalty programs work from the viewpoint of a frequent guest,
  • redeeming loyalty points for high value,
  • how to find lower hotel rates,
  • comparative analysis of major hotel brands and loyalty program benefits.

Loyalty Traveler blog contains more than 1,500 posts since January 2008 with a focus on hotel loyalty promotions, program benefits of major hotel loyalty programs and industry news. The 11 hotel loyalty programs listed below include more than 60 hotel brands with about 35,000 hotels globally in these select hotel chains. These are the primary programs I cover, and I periodically discuss other hotel chains and travel companies when their offers catch my attention.

  • Accor A|Club,
  • Best Western Rewards,
  • Club Carlson,
  • Choice Privileges,
  • Hilton HHonors
  • Hyatt Gold Passport
  • IHG Priority Club
  • Kimpton InTouch
  • Marriott Rewards
  • Starwood Preferred Guest
  • Wyndham Rewards

Loyalty Traveler Contact and Social Media Links

Loyalty Traveler January 2012 blog statistics and dating game profile for marketers, PR and brands:

  • Google Analytics Monthly Unique Visitors: 40,000 range.
  • Google Analytics Monthly Page Views: over 110,000 page views.
  • Twitter around 1,800 followers.
  • All sponsored posts and media trips providing free travel hotels and airfare and free services discussed on Loyalty Traveler are disclosed.
  • You are unlikely to hear back from me if you contact me to consult or write something for free, unless you are a non-profit or a business with a charitable action doing some local/global people a good service that I feel a desire to pitch in and help. I can walk the beaches of Monterey for free!

Loyalty Traveler blog was ranked in Top 10 of Top 100 Travel blogs on Technorati.com  for most of the last six months of 2011 and #1 travel blog for last week of 2011. January 18, 2012 = #4 Travel Blog.

Loyalty Traveler blog has ranked in the Top 100 Travel blogs on Technorati.com for about 80% to 90% of all daily travel blog rankings since October 2009.

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Blogger Disclosure

The hotels and brand products discussed and views expressed on Loyalty Traveler blog are the sole editorial decisions of Ric Garrido and his company Loyalty Traveler.

Disclosure Policy: Any link that provides referral income, any sponsored blog post or complimentary media trip will be disclosed. They are rare on Loyalty Traveler.

Twitter and Social Media disclosure for readers and marketers: I don’t separate my business information from my personal views on Twitter and social media sites where I post as Loyalty Traveler. I don’t want to waste my time logging in and out writing as separate identities. Maintaining my constitutional freedom of speech and expression is one reason why I am self-employed.

Ric Garrido, Big Sur, California

Ric Garrido, Big Sur, California

This picture of me on the cliffs at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, Big Sur is used as my image  in most social media sites.

 

Loyalty Traveler blog is about traveling a world of 35,000+ hotels in major global brands and independent alliances using hotel loyalty programs. Effectively using hotel loyalty programs allows you to greatly increase the value received from your annual hotel and hotel loyalty credit card spend. Earning loads of loyalty points is easy with hotel stays and cash. Add a little time to figure how the systems work and you can travel well on the cheap using hotel loyalty programs with a purpose.

Hotel loyalty programs make economic sense for the leisure traveler who wants to save money on hotels and business travelers who want more benefits and privileges from hotel stays.

I think hotel loyalty programs beat Priceline over the long run when using hotel loyalty programs strategically. Of course, there are times when Priceline, Hotwire and other special deals will save big bucks. Stay smart.

Travel is my favorite route for earning points and miles and the focus of my blog tips. You need to read some other blog to find the credit card sign-up bonus of the day.

Being a loyalty traveler

Most hotel guests are not hotel loyalty program members. That means most of the traveling population is not even in competition with you for loyalty benefits like room upgrades and free room night rewards.

 

Loyalty Traveler Goal

  • Reduce the cost of hotel nights for consumers and/or upgrade the hotel experience.

 

Published Loyalty Traveler Articles and Press

InsideFlyer Magazine

InsideFlyer is the leading print and online magazine for airline and hotel loyalty program information.

Ric Garrido writes a Loyalty Traveler monthly column for InsideFlyer magazine.

InsideFlyer Loyalty Traveler Monthly Column Archive 

November 2011 – Analysis of Hilton HHonors Expanded Rewards (Points & Money and Premium Room Rewards) – looks like this column requires a subscription to view).

October 2011 – Matching Hotel Promotions to your Travel Style

September 2011 – Best Hotel Credit Cards for Low Spenders

August 2011 – Discount Hotel Rewards (Survey of discount rewards to save hotel points)

July 2011 – Road Tripping America? Think Midscale Hotels (Best Western, Choice and Wyndham are everywhere)

June 2011 – Flash Sales and Free Hotels (DiscoverAmerica.com May sales of hotel points)

May 2011 – Houston, We Have Relaunch! (Club Carlson, Priority Club Rewards and Expedia Rewards changes)

April 2011 – Social Network Crowd Power (Social media’s impact on hotel industry)

March 2011 – Spreading Hotel Loyalty Around the Globe

February 2011 -  Scaling Peaks of High Category Hotel Awards

January 2011 -  Confessions of a former ‘mile’ionaire

December 2010 -  This was 2010

November 2010 – Ritz Carlton Rewards for Better and Worse 

October 2010 – Fall Hotel Promo Roundup

September 2010 – A Hotel Recovery without Leisure Travelers?

August 2010 – Big Hotels Aim for Little Demographic Targets

July 2010 – The New Norm: Big Box Hotels and Big Rebates

June 2010 – Hyatt Gold Passport Ascending

May 2010 – Spring Into Free Nights

April 2010 – Hotel Value Proposition

March 2010 – HHonors Points Inflation

February 2010 – Prepare for Great Hotel Deals in the Year of the Tiger

January 2010 – Got Points? Want Miles?

December 2009 – Hotel Loyalty in 2009

November 2009 – Hyatt’s Next Big Thing Grows by Miles

October 2009 – Higher Value with Cash & Points Hotel Awards

September 2009 – Global Hotel Programs

August 2009 – The Key to Hotel Promotions

July 2009 – Earn Miles from Hotel Stays

June 2009 – Hit the Beds Running

May 2009 – Hotel Rates, Loyalty Points and Redemption

April 2009 – The Value of Hotel Points is Dynamic

60 Seconds with Ric Garrido – InsideFlyer interview

Feature Articles:

April 2010 InsideFlyer Cover Story – Hotel Loyalty: The Value Proposition of Hotel Awards

July 2010 – InsideFlyer Feature Article – Opening Hotel Doors for Miles – Ric Garrido looks at how to maximize mileage earning through hotel stays.

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Monterey California My Home

Monterey, California - boats in the harbor and Fremont Peak in the distance. Monterey is California’s original capital.

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