There are goldpoints to be earned in the hills and beach towns of California.

Where is the Value in Chain Hotels?

During the TBEX 2012 conference last weekend at Keystone, Colorado I spoke with many people who told me they do not see much value in hotel loyalty programs. Almost everyone said frequent flyer programs have great value.

Whatever!

I have no interest in converting people to hotel loyalty program aficionados.  I have found plenty of value in hotel loyalty program travel these past few years. I’ll just keep writing and sharing the promotions where I see value.

In remembrance of days past when flying earned the kinds of frequent flyer bonuses hotel loyalty programs now offer. Read More…

One of the strategies for saving money on hotels is to sign up for weekly discount offers from the hotel chains. Marriott eBreaks is one of the better weekly emails for weekend stay hotel rate discounts based on my observations over the past few years.

The eBreaks discount rates for this weekend’s participating hotels are for stays from Thursday, June 21 to Sunday, June 24.

• You can book an eBreaks rate for a one night stay on Friday or Saturday night.
• You must book a two-night stay to get the eBreaks discount rate if Thursday or Sunday is included in you stay. Thursday night e-Break discount rate requires 2-night Thursday/Friday stay and Sunday night requires a 2-night Saturday/Sunday stay.
• Some hotels only offer eBreaks Friday through Sunday.
• Rates are eligible for Marriott Rewards points and elite night credit.
• These are exclusive rates for email subscribers and do not qualify for Look No Further Best Rate Guarantee claims.
• Link to Marriott Rewards e-Break Terms & Conditions. 
• When booking online, include MEB in the corporate/promotional box. To reserve by phone, call 1-800-752-7571 and ask for Marriott eBreaks. Read More…

Starwood Hotels RockStar Yourself is a photo contest promotion you can enter up until June 17 for a chance to win and see Bruce Springsteen July 14 at the Hyde Park Concert on a 3-Day VIP trip to London.

http://www.spgrockstaryourself.com/  Read More…

Club Carlson 3-Day Sale offers 25% off Best Available Rates for stays from June 13 to June 30, 2012. These rates are available at select hotels for bookings made by 11:59pm CT Friday, June 15, 2012.

As with the last Club Carlson 30% off sale that ended June 12, this new 3-Day Sale offer allows cancellation up to day of arrival with no penalty for hotels I checked.

Here are links to check participating hotels in each Club Carlson hotel brand:

• Radisson Hotels 3-Day Sale 25% off
• Country Inn & Suites 3-Day Sale 25% off
• Park Inn 3-Day Sale 25% off

Read More…

Best Western Rewards summer offer is a free night certificate after three stays from June 17 to August 19, 2012. There is a one free night certificate limit per member. Free night voucher expires January 31, 2013.

Best Western Rewards promotion registration is required prior to your stays.

This promotion is limited to residents of USA, Canada, Bahamas and US Virgin Islands. Read More…

For about 15 years Dar Williams has been on my bucket list of musicians I would like to hear play live. Thursday night, June 14, Dar Williams will perform a free show at the Aloft Hotel in Charleston, South Carolina.

Aloft Hotels offer a 10 show music series this season sponsored by Paste Magazine. Read More…

Travel website wild-about-travel.com currently is running a travel photo contest with a prize of 10,000 SPG points. The contest started June 7 and closes June 17, 2012.

You may submit three travel photos. Looks to me like there are only 5 entries at the time writing. The winner will be announced June 19, 2012.

How can you enter the photo contest?

1) If you haven’t yet, Like Wild About Travel page on Facebook

2) Pick up your best photo and send it via direct message on Wild About Travel Facebook Page (either a .jpg or html code from Flickr, etc.)

3) When sending your photo (including a short caption), add your name and tell us in one sentence which Starwood experience you would do with your 10,000 points, should you be the lucky winner. If you’re keen to include your Twitter name and/or Facebook profile, I’d be happy to feature it with your photo.

wild-about-travel.com Photo Contest: Win 10,000 SPG points.

Here is a photo I took a couple of weeks ago of the grassy fields near Point Sur State Historic Park and Lighthouse from Highway 1 just north of the Big Sur River Valley.

Cattle grazing at Point Sur, Monterey County, California.

Vacation Pay is an offer for a $75 Prepaid MasterCard for staying any two consecutive nights on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday weekend between May 14 and September 3, 2012. This offer is for InterContinental Hotel Group stays worldwide in seven brands: InterContinental Hotels and InterContinental Alliance Resorts, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites.

Priority Club members may earn up to $300 in prepaid MasterCard credit by completing four weekend stays during the promotion period.

Vacation Pay promotion is only open to 50 US + DC residents. Read More…

What is happening at Hyatt Hotels? Hyatt Gold Passport has been out of Loyalty Traveler blog posts most of the past month. And it just isn’t me without much interest in the program lately.

The FlyerTalk thread “Current Hyatt Promotions” most recent post is two weeks ago. Basically Hyatt Gold Passport just seems boring lately unless you are a Diamond member enjoying free breakfast and suites on your hotel stays.

Hyatt Gold Passport seems disengaged from hotel loyalty points for the season after setting up a four month mileage promotion from May 1 to August 31. Stay 11 times for 24,500 miles is a decent rebate on $1,100 in spend. The value of miles is far less a bonus on $4,000 or more in hotel spend if you are one of the guests paying $350 to $400 or even more per stay.

Where are the Gold Passport bonus points? Read More…

There are 17 New York area Starwood Hotels where you might be able to score a free night this summer with a successful Best Rate Guarantee claim from June 4 to September 3, 2012. This a promotional offer for select hotels in the New York area.

The normal Starwood Hotels Best Rate Guarantee policy provides a choice of 2,000 points and a lower rate price match or in lieu of points the guest can receive 10% off the lower rate for the entire stay. This New York promotion offers the first night free and 2,000 points and a price match to the lower rate for any other nights of the hotel stay. Read More…