HELP SHEET #8 – updated July 7, 2011

This Loyalty Traveler post is the 8th update for 2011 hotel loyalty promotions  and includes about 25 new promotion offers since the June 7 list. Offers marked with an asterisk (*) were added since the last update June 7.

Accor Hotels -  A-Club

Hotel Brands: Sofitel, Pullman, M Gallery, Novotel, Mercure, Ibis, Adagio, All Seasons, Thalassa Spa.

* Motel 6 is the primary Accor Hotels brand in USA, however, extremely limited A-Club hotel loyalty program participation. A|Club repeats last year’s promotion allowing redemption of A|Club vouchers for stays at North America Motel 6 hotels from June 1-October 31. LT post June 29.

Accor Hotels is the largest chain of hotel brands globally outside of the USA.

Accor 10^th Anniversary World Tour Giveaway – One monthly trip consisting of Round the World flights and hotel stays in 10 cities over 30 to 40 days. Ten prizes each month for a hotel stay. (11 prizes each month from March through December 2011). LT post March 30. 

Accor A|Club Global Promotion Offers List – link (This link allows searches by continent region)

Accor Hotels A|Club bonus offers

Best Western Hotels – Best Western Rewards 

Hotel Brand Tiers: Best Western, Best Western Plus, Best Western Premier  

5-Key promotion – Best Western free night after three stays from June 19 to August 14, 2011. Limit one free night during promotion. Loyalty Traveler post June 4.

Best Western International Offers webpage link. The link provides a variety of promotions internationally for Best Western hotels.

Best Western Rewards Elite Status Match Offer (February 19, 2010) This offer is ongoing and still available. Best Western is a particularly useful loyalty program when traveling outside the USA. Best Western and Accor A-Club have more hotels outside the USA than all the other major hotel programs combined including Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Marriott and Starwood.

Program Change for Elites: Elite members earn 250 bonus points for stays in US/Canada or a welcome snack. (Aug 3, 2010)

Best Western Brand Tiers Change – Best Western has designated about 25% of the chain’s higher quality hotels in the 4,000+ hotel chain as Best Western Plus (about 800 hotels) and Best Western Premier (about 100 hotels, mostly outside U.S.).

 

Carlson Hotels – Club Carlson (formerly Goldpoints Plus loyalty program)

Hotel Brands: Radisson Blu, Radisson, Country Inn & Suites, Park Inn, Park Plaza 

* Club Carlson does not currently have a major bonus points promotion since the free night after two stays promotion ended June 15. There appear to be some good discount rates (35% off two day Radisson stays – book by July 12) and Park Inn 20% off two or three night weekend stays in North America through August 31.

There are also some good values with Club Carlson double points rates where members earn 40 points/$1 for room rate. This is an extra 2,500 points on a $125 room rate that may only be $10 more than otherwise lowest rates.

These Loyalty Traveler posts describe changes with Club Carlson launch March 31, 2011: 

 Club Carlson Hotel Category Reassignment Analysis – Overview and Category 1 Hotels (April 7) – This post has links to posts for each Club Carlson Hotel Reward category with tables showing the new Club Carlson reward category and the former Goldpoints Plus reward category.

Club Carlson Loyalty program Launches March 31 – Replaces goldpoints plus (Feb 14)

Club Carlson Reward Category Changes March 31, 2011 (Feb 18)

Club Carlson Hotel Reward Category Analysis (Feb 28) This post shows the number of hotels in each category and changes from 2010 level for different global regions.

Club Med resort credit for goldpoints. $100, $250 and $500 credit.  (March 10).

Club Carlson online booking bonus – Club Carlson general members earn 1,000 bonus points for online booking. Silver and Gold elite members earn 2,000 bonus points for online booking. Concierge elite members earn 3,000 points. Club Carlson Benefits table link.

Choice Hotels – Choice Privileges

Hotel Brands: Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, MainStay Suites, Suburban, EconoLodge, Rodeway Inn, Ascend Collection.

Hotel Reward Partners: Preferred Hotels Group, Barcelo Resorts 

Stay two times for 8,000 points May 19-August 11. This promotion awards members with 8,000 total points after two stays. Four brands require a two-night stay for this promotion ay Rodaeway Inn, EconoLodge, MainStay Suites and Suburban Suites. This offer is a variable bonus offer since two $60 stays that normally earn 1,200 points ($120 x 10 points/$1) receives 6,800 bonus points for 8,000 total points, yet two $300 hotel stays that earn 6,000 base points will result in 2,000 bonus points for 8,000 total points. This offer is best bonus on low cost hotel stays. Loyalty Traveler post May 16, 2011.

Choice Privileges reward night cost analysis. Using a spreadsheet of 2010 reward cost, I calculated the percentage of hotels in various reward levels worldwide from 6,000 points to 40,000 points. This is the only breakdown of hotel reward tiers I have ever seen for Choice Hotels. Loyalty Traveler post May 1, 2011.

Choice Privileges Program Changes for Elite Members effective January 1, 2011:

Program enhancements for elites. 

• Platinum elite qualification = 20 nights in a calendar year (formerly 25 nights).
• Diamond elite bonus increased to 50% base points (formerly 40%).

Reward night booking window extended for Choice Privileges elite members:

• Gold = 50 days (formerly 40 days)
• Platinum = 75 days (formerly 60 days)
• Diamond = 100 days (formerly 90 days) 

Nordic Choice Club hotel loyalty program covers 140 Choice hotels in Scandinavia and Baltic regions of Europe. Choice Privileges members currently do not earn points for hotel stays in Scandinavia, although hotel stays are available for points. Nordic Choice Club offers points and benefits for hotels in this region. Choice Privileges members planning frequent travel in Scandinavia may want to compare the benefits of Nordic Choice Club to Choice Privileges.    (LT post Sep 9, 2010)

 

Drury Hotels – Gold Key Club

* 1,000 bonus points for enrollment in Drury Gold Key Club.

 

Expedia Rewards –

Double Rewards points for Expedia Vacation Package paid with MasterCard through August 31. Registration required. 

Expedia’s new loyalty program earns points for air, hotel and travel package bookings. This is a gamechanger for online travel agencies. Booking airfare through Expedia is a no brainer method for earning additional travel rebates since frequent flyer benefits are unaffected. Hotels are a different matter though since no hotel loyalty points with programs like SPG, Marriott, Hilton and others are earned for Expedia bookings.

Main Expedia Rewards benefits are the ability to earn points when booking travel for other people like family members and friends. And Expedia vacation packages often allow a hotel night to be added for the same price as airfare alone; particularly when traveling to Las Vegas. Loyalty Traveler Analysis March 28.

 

Fairmont Hotels and Fairmont President’s Club

Tip: Sign up for Fairmont President’s Club to receive monthly special discount rates for Fairmont Hotels. 

Four Seasons Hotels

Four Seasons Special Offers website link

 

Global Hotel Alliance – GHA Discovery – Hotel loyalty program alliance for 12 independent hotel brands including Omni Hotels, Pan Pacific, Kempinski, First Hotels, Mirvac, Anantara Resorts, Tivoli Hotels, The Doyle Collection, Marco Polo Hotels, Park Royal, The Leela Palaces, Shaza Hotels.

Overview of GHA Discovery, elite membership benefits and local experiences, Loyalty Traveler post January 30.

 

Hilton Hotels – Hilton HHonors

10 Hotel Brands: Hilton, Doubletree, Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn, Hilton Garden Inn, Homewood Suites, Conrad, Waldorf-Astoria Collection, Hampton Inn, and Home2Suites. 

* Double HHonors Points or Double Miles for stays worldwide from July 1-September 30, 2011. List of about 250 excluded hotels, mostly in U.S.. Promotion registration required. Loyalty traveler post June 24.

* HHonors Gold VIP elite after 4 stays or 9 nights in 90 days at U.S. hotels with Hilton HHonors MVP. Promotion registration required.

* Free HHonors Gold VIP elite  to August 31, 2011 for U.S. resident Visa Signature cardmembers. Complete three stays by August 31 to extend Gold VIP status through March 2013. Existing Gold and Diamond members receive 5,000 bonus points. Loyalty Traveler post June 10.

Great Getaway Hilton Summer Sale with discounts from 15% to 40%. Book May 13 to August 31 for hotel stays May 27 to Sep 5. Prepaid rates and must book 14 days in advance. Loyalty Traveler post May 19.

HHonors Point Stretcher Rewards posted for hotels through November 2011. Point Stretchers require 40% fewer points than standard HHonors rewards. Use the drop-down menu to see participating hotels in different Hilton brands. The Point Stretcher hotel awards were updated in early June.

HHonors Points & Money – Loyalty Traveler reward analysis indicates these are good value. Loyalty Traveler post May 9.

Home2Suites opens first hotel of Hilton’s new extended stay brand in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Unfortunately this new hotel brand becomes the first HHonors brand with a lower earn rate for points and miles. Loyalty Traveler post March 21.

HHonors Comprehensive Reward Charts – Members have difficulty locating the various reward charts on the Hilton HHonors sites, particularly VIP Rewards and Waldorf-Astoria rates. This Loyalty Traveler post places all the HHonors reward charts in one post. (LT post Sep 13, 2010)

Cheaper Hilton Reward nights using Priority Club points – this Loyalty Traveler analysis developed from the Priority Club Anywhere Challenge. Hotels Anywhere allows Priority Club members to spend points for hotels in other chains. My study shows there are numerous Hilton Hotels requiring fewer Priority Club points than Hilton HHonors charges its members in HHonors points for the same reward. (LT post Sep 17)

HHonors Program change: Gold and Diamond members receive complimentary internet at all Hilton Worldwide hotels beginning September 1, 2010. (Hilton – Aug 2 press release)

 

Hotels.com Welcome Rewards

Earn a free night for every 10 nights.

* Double points (up to 4 bonus points) through July 31 for new Welcome Rewards members.

Hyatt Hotels – Hyatt Gold Passport

Hotel Brands:  Park Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Vacation Club, Hyatt Resorts, Andaz, Hyatt Summerfield Suites

* 2,500 Aeroplan miles per Hyatt stay July 1-September 30. Maximum bonus is 25,000 miles after 10 stays.

* Welcome credit and 2,500 bonus points for stays paid with American Express at 75 international hotels. Loyalty Traveler post July 2. 3-key promotion.

Earn 19,000 Southwest points after 5 Hyatt stays June 1-August 31. Loyalty traveler post June 5.

Program Change – Hyatt Property Specific Bonuses: Jeff Zidell Hyatt VP, told me on March 8 the ‘property level bonus’ program is being evaluated and reinvented. We will probably only see regional hotel bonus offers until July. Specific property level bonuses that typically offered 1,000 to 2,000 points in G1, G2, and G3 offers may be gone for good. We’ll see.

 

InterContinental Hotels Group – Priority Club

Hotel Brands: InterContinental Hotels, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites, Hotel Indigo 

* Limited Time Rate Discount Europe – Up to 35% off for weekend stays in Europe through August 31. These rates are prepaid and nonrefundable with no changes allowed. T&C also state no points.

* Limited Time Rate Discount Europe – 2 nights for the Price of 1 – LT Note: Promotion page states this offer expired June 30, 2011, but I still found available 2-for-1 rates for August dates on July 7. This is a recurring rate promotion for several years and offers one of the greatest discounts on hotel rooms in Europe; particularly London. LT 5-key rate offer.

* Pack Your Points Tweetstakes July 1-July 31. Retweet @IHG_Deals daily message for entry. One entry per day. Prizes are 15,000 or 30,000 points for daily winners chosen in August. LT post July 4.

* IHG Priority Club Last Minute Reward Nights are posted the week before the first weekend of the month. Hotels are only posted for a few days and must be booked by Thursday prior to the Friday through Sunday dates. LT post June 30.

$75 MasterCard Gift Card for 2-night weekend stay worldwide at any IHG hotel May 19-August 31, 2011. Limit of four cards per member. Only for U.S. residents. Loyalty Traveler post May 18. 4-key offer.

IHG Double Points or Double Miles (May 16 – August 15, 2011) – 2-key offer. LT post April 21.

InterContinental Hotels in Europe 5^th Night Free rate July 14 – Sep 11, 2011. These rates are about 20% off Best Flexible Rate and equivalent to Advance Purchase rate. Loyalty Traveler post March 16.

Priority Club PointBreaks through July 30, 2011 are probably the best hotel loyalty program reward night value available at 5,000 points for a free night. Many of the hotels are discounted 80% from their normal 25,000 points for a reward night. The current list had 133 hotels on May 9 and only 27 hotels on July 6. Look for a new list of hotels posting in July.  Loyalty Traveler post May 9. (5-key offer.)

Complimentary InterContinental Ambassador membership ($200 value) after three stays at InterContinental Hotels by July 31, 2011. My Loyalty Traveler post argues for spending 32,000 points or $200 for Ambassador membership and earning benefits on three stays.

IHG Priority Club relaunch previews new reward option for Last Minute Hotel Nights at 50% points of standard reward night. Other changes are primarily cosmetic with new mobile apps, card redesign and website changes. Loyalty traveler post March 29.

IHG Priority Club partnership with Las Vegas Resorts – The Venetian and The Palazzo become InterContinental Alliance hotel partners as of April 1, 2011. Priority Club points can be earned and burned (40,000 points per night) for hotel stays and InterContinental Ambassador benefits apply. Earn 6,000 bonus points for a three night stay booked by June 30 (Loyalty Traveler April 11 post).

InterContinental Ambassador Accelerator - 20,000 points after 15 nights at InterContinental Hotels. Registration required.

Priority Club Any Hotel Anywhere American Express gift cards.

      New Price for Any Hotel, Anywhere Cards  Loyalty Traveler post Jan 25.

• $100 = 33,000 points (formerly 29,000)
• $125 = 39,000 points (formerly 34,000)
• $150 = 45,000 points (formerly 39,000)
• $200 = 60,000 points (formerly 49,000)
• $250 = 72,000 points (formerly 59,000)

3-key offer IHG Sweetheart Deal – $100 Visa card rebate for a three-day or longer stay at any IHG hotel worldwide within 90 days of 2011 wedding in U.S. or Canada. (LT Jan 11)

Points & Cash Program Change:  Priority Club Points & Cash Reward nights increased the cost of 5,000 Priority Club points to $40 from $30. The cost to buy 10,000 points remains unchanged at $60. Loyalty Traveler post (Nov 19)

Cheaper Hilton Reward nights using Priority Club points – Hotels Anywhere allows Priority Club members to spend points for hotels in other chains. My study shows there are numerous Hilton Hotels requiring fewer Priority Club points than Hilton HHonors charges its members in HHonors points. (LT post Sep 17)

IHG Friend & Family Hotel Rates (Steve Sickel). Steve Sickel is senior Vice President Relationship Marketing for InterContinental Hotels Group. During the hotel recession of 2009 he offered this link to FlyerTalk members for booking discount friends and family rates. This link is still active. And we are all friends of Steve’s. Here is a FlyerTalk thread discussing this rate deal. The link in Steve Sickel’s name leads to the offer page for a voucher to complete. Some guests mention the hotel wants the completed voucher at check-in. These rates do not qualify for points or stay credit. One of the best features of this offer is the ability to book high category rooms at steep discount.

Program Change: Ambassador Annual Membership Fee Increased from $150 to $200 as of July 1, 2010. You can also buy Ambassador membership for 32,000 Priority Club Rewards points (formerly 24,000). Renewal fee is still $100.

Priority Club Points Exchange Value and Points.com – Loyalty traveler research (Jan 20) into the exchange value of Priority Club points into airline miles through Points.com

 

Kimpton Hotels – InTouch

* Kimpton “Summer Like a Local Rate” offer gives a $25 nightly dining credit for a rate $10 over BAR May 26-September 5.

Loyalty Traveler posted an outline of Kimpton’s InTouch program showing how 21 stays in 2011 can potentially earn 7 free nights at any Kimpton Hotel. (LT post Jan 11)

 

La Quinta Hotels – La Quinta Returns

Hotel chain and hotel loyalty program overview by Loyalty Traveler,  April 12.

* New La Quinta Returns members earn Gold elite after two nights within 60 days of enrollment. Two nights may be one stay. Gold elite promotion offer for new enrollments through August 31, but keep in mind these offers are sometimes withdrawn early.

 

Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) – Leaders Club Rewards 

Leaders Club Rewards program changes: Membership fees for Leaders Club Rewards dropped to $100 annual for Access level. Access membership includes complimentary breakfast for two each day of stay and free internet. Unlimited membership is $1,200 annually. Loyalty traveler post Feb 3.

Earn a free night after every 5 stays with stays in at least two LHW properties by December 31, 2011.

LHW Hotel Special Offers link

 

Marriott Hotels – Marriott Rewards

Hotel Brands: Marriott, JW Marriott, Renaissance, Ritz-Carlton, Residence Inn, Courtyard, Fairfield Inn, TownePlace Suites, SpringHill Suites, Edition, Autograph Collection, Marriott Vacation Club, AC Hotels. 

Marriott Rewards Earn one free night at a category 1 to 4 hotel reward after two hotel stays June 1-August 31. Registration deadline for this promotion was June 30, 2011. This offer may be earned two times during promotion. Active Marriott Rewards members may have a points offer based on 15 to 25 nights. Loyalty Traveler post May 16.

Marriott Rewards 4x miles for hotels stays June 1-August 31. Earn 8 miles per $1 or 4 miles per $1 with 13 participating airlines depending on Marriott hotel brand. Loyalty Traveler post May 27.

Program Change: All Marriott Rewards members receive complimentary internet at Asia-Pacific region hotels. Loyalty Traveler post May 2, 2011.

AC Hotels is Marriott’s newest hotel brand. AC Hotels are a Madrid-based hotel chain now partnered with Marriott and brings 90 new upscale hotels in Spain, Italy and Portugal into the Marriott Rewards system. This brand is projected to expand in Europe and Latin America. Loyalty Traveler post March 27.

Marriott Rewards Hotel Category Assignment Changes for 2011 (Loyalty Traveler March 2)

Marriott Rewards PointSavers –PointSavers reduce the points cost of a free night by one hotel category. For example, category 5 hotel requires only 20,000 points per night. 5^th night free applies to PointSavers rate. http://www.marriott.com/rewards/marriottRewardsPointSavers.mi

Marriott Points Redemption Strategy using $1,000 in Marriott Cheques. This post explains how Marriott elite members may buy $1,000 Marriott Cheques for 135,000 points. You can then pay for hotel stays and earn points and elite credit on paid stays you actually purchased indirectly with points. Loyalty Traveler post Jan 27.

Marriott Rewards Elite Rollover Nights extended for 2011. This is the third year Marriott Rewards offers elite rollover nights for elite qualifying nights over your earned elite membership. For example: Silver elite requires 10 nights in calendar year and Gold elite takes 50 nights. Stay 25 nights in 2011 and the 15 nights above Silver elite rollover to 2012 membership year. You will have earned Silver elite for 2013 from your 15 extra nights in 2011 rolled over to 2012. Confused? Don’t worry. This is a great benefit for elite members. (Loyalty Traveler 5-key offer. LT post Dec 23.)

Program change – Free internet worldwide for Gold and Platinum Marriott Rewards members beginning January 2011. This expands the complimentary internet benefit offered to elites for hotel stays in the Americas since May 2010.

 

Omni Hotels – Omni Select Guest

Member benefits include complimentary in-room Wi-Fi, shoe shine and morning beverage delivery.

Earn a free night after every 10 nights or earn 500 miles per hotel stay.

 

Preferred Hotels Group – I Prefer

I Prefer and Preferred Hotels Group special offers page.

 

Red Lion Hotels – 44 hotels in western U.S.

* Red Lion Double Points and Free Breakfast promotion code = RLDOUBLE (through Dec 31, 2011)

 

Ritz-Carlton Rewards

* Ritz-Carlton Rewards Visa – 50,000 points enrollment offer and Gold elite first year. Maintain Gold elite with $10,000 annual spending. Three confirmed Club level upgrades per year and other benefits. Loyalty Traveler post June 13.

Ritz-Carlton Rewards loyalty program launching Sep 15 (LT post Sep 14)

Reward Changes in new Ritz-Carlton Reward Tiers (LT post Sep 15)

Ritz-Carlton rewards Hotel + Air Packages Analysis (LT post Sep 16)

 

Starwood Hotels – Starwood Preferred Guest

Starwood Hotels brands: Sheraton, Westin, W Hotels, Le Meridien, Luxury Collection, St. Regis, Four Points, element, aloft. 

* $40 gas card for two-night or longer stays at Four Points, Aloft or Element hotels in North America through September 15. Must book hotel stay by July 31 using rate code SSBGAS. LT post July 6.

* Four Points $25,000 contest for best story submitted on Four Points Facebook page between June 15 and August 10. Contest open to US  and Canada (except Quebec). Also weekly prizes for two-night stay and $50 in beer credit. Contest Rules.

* 3x points for Starwood Hotels in Japan for stays and dining June 1-August 31. LT post June 26.

Starwood Preferred Guest – Stay 3 and get a free Starwood Resort hotel night from May 1-July 31, 2011. Note: Promotion registration ended June 30, 2011, so too late if you are not already registered. Free nights are good for over 200 Starwood Resorts including several category 6 and one category 7 resort. Free nights are valid until December 21.  LT post April 15. (5-key promotion)

FourSquare 250 bonus points for mobile check-in at Starwood Hotels May 1-July 31, 2011. Loyalty Traveler post May 12. Note: Most of these bonuses have quickly posted for me. I need to follow up on a couple of missing bonuses.

Starwood Preferred Guest Hotel Category reward assignment changes for 2011 took effect on March 1. My LT post (Feb 22) has a list ordered by city, state and country for changes.

Starwood Hotels data on number of hotels in each brand and average rates by brand and global region. Loyalty traveler post Feb 4.

Starwood hotels Website Enhancement – Website now allows comparison of four different rate types side-by-side for hotels in one location including promotion rates, AAA, breakfast rates, senior, government and reward nights. There are monthly calendars to locate days when Cash & Points nights are available at a specific hotel Loyalty Traveler post Nov 23, 2010. 

SPG Peak Season Rates Return for 2011. Category 5, 6 and 7 hotels relaunch peak season dates and a calendar of dates and participating hotels is posted here. Book by January 9 to lock in lower rates for your hotel stays. Loyalty traveler post Dec 6. 

Starwood Hotels Policy Change: Sheraton Hotel Club Lounges will be open 7 days a week in 2011.

Starwood Preferred Guest – American Express credit card changes effective October 14, 2010. The annual fee is increasing to $65 from $45 for renewals beginning Oct 14. Benefit changes include 5 elite nights and 2 elite stays credit each year. This will have no effect for members who qualify on stays. The SPG50 certificate will be discontinued in favor of a 3^rd night free offer at Sheraton Hotels. Loyalty traveler post (August 24); Sheraton 3^rd Night Free Analysis (Nov 12)

3-key or sometimes a 5-key promotion SPG link: Pay Your Birthyear Rate -This promotion has been extended through 2011. Rates can be an incredible 5-key savings or no savings depending on the hotel and your birthyear.   LT post 4/28/2009

3-key or sometimes a 5-key discount rates Starwood Hotel Rate Discount Codes for Multiple Night Stays.

These offers are for rate discounts on stays of 2 to 6 nights. Third night free tends to be one of the best discount rates. Important to check other rates (AAA, Senior, Special Offers) as these discounts are generally based on the Best Available Rate (BAR) and may not be the lowest overall rate for some hotels. 

Starpoints Airline Direct Deposit is Better for United, Continental, and Singapore miles (March 25, 2010)

 

Stash Hotel Rewards

Stash Hotel Rewards New Member Enrollment 1,000 bonus points link.

Stash Rewards is a one year old loyalty program for over 100 independent upscale hotels in the U.S. Loyalty Traveler post Jan 19. Loyalty Traveler has found the hotel partners with Stash Rewards in Monterey, Napa and Washington D.C. are great choices for hotel travelers. Stash Rewards offers points for many high quality independent hotels that previously had no loyalty program affiliation.

Stash Hotel Specials for Bonus Points and Low Redemption Rate Hotels

 

Voila Hotel Rewards

Loyalty Traveler profiled Voila Hotels program in light of the recent signing of two New York former Starwood W Hotels as the initial hotel members in the USA for this international loyalty program for 250 independent hotels.

* 2,500 Voila bonus points per stay through August 31 and entry into 500,000 points sweepstakes.

* Double elite credit for Voila member hotel stays through July 31. Registration required.

Wyndham Worldwide -  Wyndham Rewards

Wyndham Brands: Wyndham, Wingate, Hawthorn Suites, Ramada, Days Inn, Super 8, Howard Johnson, Travelodge, Baymont Suites, Microtel, Knights Inn, Tryp.

1,000 bonus points per Wyndham stay from June 1 –September 5, 2011. Loyalty Traveler post June 2.

* European residents only – 15,000 bonus points for two hotel stays worldwide by September 30 at most Wyndham brands. Stays must be booked by August 31. Bonus may be earned four times for 60,000 points. Loyalty Traveler post July 6.

 

Loyalty Traveler Research Articles

* Room77.com hotel room views compared to my photos. Loyalty Traveler website analysis June 22.

Comparing the value of hotel program points - compares Hyatt, Priority Club and Hilton programs, then discusses how I am planning summer travel using free night promotions. (May 2, 2011)

Hotel Loyalty Credit Cards and the Value of Hotel Points

Loyalty Traveler Analysis of Hotel Rewards Credit Cards (March 19, 2011)

Elite Status Benefits with Hotel Loyalty Credit Cards (March 21, 2011)

Hotel Credit Cards Comparison by Value of Points (September 2, 2010) 

Hotel Credit Card Comparison using NerdWallet.com Value of Points (Sep 5, 2010) 

Loyalty Traveler’s Three Rules for the Value of Hotel Points (Sep 7, 2010)

 

Hotel Points to Airline Miles Conversion Tables

Hotel Points-to-Miles Conversion Tables for 9 hotel programs and 7 U.S. airlines (March 30, 2010)

Hotel Market Segments and Hotel Brand Profiles based on JD Power 2010 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study

Overview JD Power 2010 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Study (Aug 10)

Loyalty Traveler comments on JD Power Luxury Segment and luxury hotel brands  (Aug 11, 2010)

Loyalty Traveler comments on JD Power Upscale Segment Hotel Brands (Aug 11)

Loyalty Traveler Comments on JD Power 2010 Midscale Full Service Brand Ratings (Aug 13, 2010)

Loyalty Traveler comments on JD Power 2010 Midscale Limited Service Brands (August 15, 2010)

Loyalty Traveler comments on JD Power 2010 Economy/Budget Hotel Brand Ratings (August 16, 2010)

Comments on JD Power 2010 Extended Stay Hotel Satisfaction Index (Aug 17)

 

Hotel Rates Survey for USA States, Cities, and Average Hotel Rates Worldwide

Hotels.com 2010 – Full Year 2010 – Global Hotel Price Index – This is a great resource for finding where hotel rates are high and low around the world. There are tables of USA average hotel rates by state and major cities.

Loyalty Traveler ranks the consumer value of some hotel loyalty promotions on a Five Key Scale.

Five Keys = one of the best hotel loyalty promotions of the year.

Four Keys = high value rebate on the cost of hotel stays.

Three Keys = good value hotel loyalty promotion or rate offer

Two Keys = a bonus value if you play, but not necessarily worth going out of your way.

One Key = There is limited or no value. You are likely paying more than the bonus value.

Rate discounts and loyalty program bonuses are two types of hotel chain incentives to consider when booking travel. 

Rankings are subjective and subject to change. Your specific travel pattern may result in some promotions ranking more favorably for you. When assigning a key rank I take into consideration the following factors and probably more: 

• The opportunity for significantly high-value return on hotel spend in terms of future hotel rebate in free nights and discounted hotel nights. 
• Current loyalty program promotions and offers from other hotel chains.
• Past loyalty program offers and rates for the specific hotel chain and loyalty program.
• Current economic conditions in the hotel location and travel industry.

A change in policy discontinues elite status matches for Starwood Preferred Guest effective April 1. The policy to match comparable top elite levels from competing frequent guest programs like Hilton HHonors, Hyatt Gold Passport and Marriott Rewards is replaced by a SPG Stay Challenge.

Members seeking a fast-track to SPG Gold (normally 10 stays or 25 nights in calendar year) or SPG Platinum status (normally stays or 50 nights in a calendar year) need to email a request for consideration of a “Stay Challenge” to platinum.liaison@starwoodhotels .

The SPG Platinum “Stay Challenge” criteria reported by several members indicate 15 nights in 90 days to earn SPG Platinum elite. Earning Platinum elite status in 2011 through a Stay Challenge or normal stays/nights qualification will provide elite benefits through February 2013.

I haven’t seen any information yet on the criteria for SPG Gold elite challenge.

Source: FlyerTalk – Starwood policy change related to Status Match Requests Beginning April 1, 2011

 

Hyatt Trial Diamond elite Offer

Hyatt gave away Gold Passport instant Platinum elite and Diamond elite status for most of 2009 and through mid-May 2010 to anyone who signed up in a series of elite promotions or asked for a status match from a competitor hotel loyalty program.

Hyatt eliminated its fast-track elite status promotion in May 2010, seven months earlier than posted for the promotion end-date. In November 2010 Hyatt stopped elite status matches from other programs.

Now Hyatt Gold Passport offers Hyatt Trial Diamond for members with mid-tier to upper-tier elite in Hilton (Gold/Diamond), Marriott (Gold/Platinum), Starwood (Platinum) and Priority Club (Platinum).

Hyatt Gold Passport requires 12 nights in 60 days after starting the Diamond Trial Challenge to maintain Diamond elite beyond the trial period. Normal qualification criteria for Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond is 25 stays or 50 nights in a calendar year.

The main difference with Hyatt’s challenge compared to Starwood’s Platinum Challenge is your status is bumped up to Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond elite during the 60 days of the trial offer and includes all the benefits and bonuses of Diamond membership.

Complete the 12 nights in 60 days and your Diamond elite membership qualification is met for 2011 and you will have Diamond elite status for all 2012 and through February 28, 2013. Members report receiving the four confirmed suite upgrades for Gold Passport Diamond elites during the Trial Diamond period.

An additional perk of the Diamond Trial offer is 1,000 bonus points per night on your first six nights of the Hyatt Diamond challenge.

Suite upgrades certainly make 12 paid nights at Hyatt Hotels more enjoyable while working to extend your Diamond membership beyond the trial 60 days.

Contact Hyatt Gold Passport customer service to request Gold Passport Diamond trial offer.

Related Links:

FlyerTalk – Hyatt Tier (Status) Matching Information

Many travelers do not think about a hotel until the trip destination is concrete and the nonrefundable tickets for the deed are done. The travelers writing on BoardingArea.com tend to think of travel loyalty programs ‘one year at a time’. 

Elite is an annual strategy for many loyalty travelers. Hotel and airline travel offers so much more when you are elite. 

Personally I plan hotel stays throughout the year with the purpose of earning elite in my primary loyalty programs and free nights for cheap upscale lodging with other hotel programs.

Business travelers with 100+ nights per year paid by an employer may not care about counting hotel stays and analyzing the value of points and promotions. But as a frequent guest and traveler who generally pays my own way, I want to stretch my few thousand dollars in annual hotel spend as far as I can. 

When I spend $500 on hotel rooms I try and get $1,000 in hotel value. Over the course of a year’s hotel stays I tend to average that rate.

Meet Me in the Elite Line

You do not need to be a high roller to play the upgrade game. Airlines offer complimentary and certificate upgrades to elite frequent fliers. Hotels offer complimentary room upgrades to high level elite frequent guests.

Attaining top elite hotel loyalty member status takes anywhere from 10 to 50 eligible nights during the calendar year in the hotel program. Nights or stays required for high elite depends on the hotel program. How much you spend to earn elite status is a matter of your travel needs and preferences.

My travel anecdote I typically toss out to readers is top elite status in a hotel loyalty program can be $100 per night added value between bonus points, special offers, hotel amenity gifts, complimentary room upgrades, service issue points (points given when something goes wrong) and extra personal attention.

This value will be quite a bit lower for some frequent guests.  Depending on your travel pattern the added value of high elite may be $50 or less per hotel night.

Large full-service hotels have many rooms and room types and upgrade potential. Room upgrades will be far less in lower hotel market segments. For example, Hilton Hampton Inn, Hyatt Place, Marriott Fairfield Inn, Priority Club Holiday Inn Express properties are the kinds of places where upgrades may be few and far between.

Better room location and view is common for elites.  Frequent guests who commonly have extended stays of three or more nights may have reduced upgrade-to-suite potential. A hotel is less likely to give a suite upgrade to someone on a four-night stay compared to someone staying one night when the suite at check-in time is unsold for that single night.  

Current Fast-Track Elite Promotions

Here are two current promotions to jumpstart elite status at the mid-tier level while you consider the benefits and working your way to a higher level.

Currently Starwood Preferred Guest is offering Gold elite with four hotel stays by January 31, 2011 at three Starwood Hotel brands: Aloft, Element and Four Points. SPG Gold elite normally requires 10 hotel stays or 25 nights in the calendar year. You can earn one year of Gold elite for under $400 compared to around $1,000 without a fast-track promotion.

This offer allows registration until January 31, 2011 and all eligible stays completed during the promotion period are counted. So register and get counted for SPG Gold elite.

Marriott Rewards offers instant Gold Elite via an Air China offer requiring 12 nights within 90 days to maintain elite for 2011. Join Air China Phoenix Miles (Star Alliance member airline) for free.  The great thing about this offer is hotel rates are their seasonal lowest of the year over the next three months in many locations.

Marriott Rewards normally requires 50 nights in a calendar year making this fast-track elite available for 2011 at around $1,000 to $1,200 compared to $4,000 to $5,000 by the normal hotel stay requirement.

Marriott Rewards is extending its elite rollover nights benefit into a third year with 2011. Marriott extends the policy begun in 2009 allowing all nights over the minimum elite qualification requirement to carry over for the following year as elite status nights. Marriott announced the 2011 extension of Elite Rollover Nights on its Marriott Insiders forum and FlyerTalk.

Marriott Rewards Silver requires 10 paid eligible nights in a calendar year, Gold is 50 nights and Platinum is 75 nights. These are the toughest standards for elite among the major hotel industry loyalty programs.

Elite rollover makes Marriott Rewards elite requalification a much easier task and places Marriott Rewards elite attainability on par with other hotel loyalty programs.

How Elite Rollover Works

Assume the Marriott Rewards member stayed 36 eligible paid nights in 2010 at Marriott brand hotels.  36 nights is 26 nights over Silver elite requirement of 10 nights and 14 nights short of Gold elite.

Elite rollover carries the extra 26 nights the member stayed over the 10 nights Silver elite threshold to the 2011 calendar year.

The Marriott Rewards member starts 2011 with 26 elite nights. Elite rollover nights from 2010 automatically qualify the member for 2012 Marriott Rewards Silver elite. The member needs just 24 nights in 2011 to qualify for Marriott Rewards Gold elite in 2012. Elite rollover reduces the Gold elite threshold for this sample member from 50 nights to just 24 nights in 2011.

 

Marriott Rewards credit card elite boost

Marriott Rewards Signature Visa credit card offers 10 elite qualifying nights annually with membership. Marriott Rewards Premier Visa offers 15 elite nights annually.

Sign up in 2011 for the Visa card and the member described above with 26 rollover nights elite credit for 2011 increases to 36 or 41 nights with the credit card elite nights. This Marriott Rewards member only needs 9 or 14 nights in all of 2011 rather than 50 nights to qualify for Marriott Rewards Gold elite for the 2012 calendar year.

This same elite rollover scenario now plays out for the 2011 calendar year with the recent announcement of 2011 elite rollover nights. Members can lock in 2013 elite status by planning Marriott Rewards hotel stays strategically in 2011.

Elite rollover makes Marriott Rewards one of the easier programs to earn elite status for loyal guests.

 

Elite Rollover Incentivizes Member Hotel Stays

The advantage of elite rollover for Marriott Hotels is a Marriott Rewards member incentive to stay more than the minimum nights for an elite qualifying level.

Many loyalty members move their hotel stays to another program once the desired elite status level is reached. For example, after 25 stays at Starwood Hotels in 2010, a member earns one extra Starpoint per dollar in spend through a current SPG promotion. Some members prefer to earn promotion bonuses like a free night after every two stays with Priority Club or perhaps elite status with another hotel program rather than stick with Starwood Hotels for stays at the end of the year once top level SPG Platinum elite status has been earned for 2011.

Marriott Elite Rollover incentivizes the Marriott Rewards member to keep staying with Marriott brand hotels in 2010 since all nights over the elite threshold rollover for a head start on 2011 qualification for 2012 calendar year elite status with Marriott Rewards. Marriott Rewards elite rollover in 2011 will keep some members locked into Marriott Rewards through 2013 for easy elite.

Marriott Rewards is the lone hotel loyalty program offering an elite rollover incentive. After three consecutive years of elite rollover, time will tell if 2011 is the last calendar year Marriott offers this unique loyalty program feature. The hotel economy is predicted to improve greatly in 2011.

And will any other hotel loyalty program follow Marriott’s lead with its own elite rollover promotion?

Patrick Sojka of FrequentFlyerBonuses.com or Superdawg on FlyerTalk posted a Marriott Rewards instant Gold elite upgrade on Friday, Nov 19. Air China Phoenix Miles members can receive Marriott Gold Elite instantly through February 28, 2011 with a one year membership extension to February 2012 after 12 nights at Marriott brand hotels within 90 days.

I signed up for an Air China Phoenix Miles account (Air China U.S. site link) on Friday.

Air China PhoenixMiles instant Marriott Rewards Gold Elite Offer Terms and Conditions:

• Gold Elite level status is awarded until 28 February 2011 during the promotion period, with an option to retain Gold Elite status until February 2012 once 12 nights have been completed within 90 days of enrolment. Thereafter members must stay at least 50 nights annually at participating Marriott brand hotels in order to quality for Gold Elite status. For a full list of the Gold Elite benefits, please visit http://www.marriott.com/rewards/member-benefits/gold.mi
• Earn 1,000 bonus miles (1,609 km) on the first stay, 1,500 bonus miles (2,413 km) on the second stay and 2,000 bonus miles (3,218 km) on the third stay up to 4,500 bonus miles (7,240 km) with Air China PhoenixMiles for stays completed between November 22, 2010 and February 28, 2011. Bonus miles offer is valid only for qualifying stays you personally make at participating Marriott International hotels. Bonus miles are awarded in addition to base miles, as listed below and will be converted into the equivalent kilometres before posting to members’ Air China PhoenixMiles accounts within 6 weeks of the promotion end date.
• Collect 2 Miles per US dollar on qualifying charges during the offer period at participating Marriott® Hotels & Resorts, JW Marriott® Hotels & Resorts, Renaissance® Hotels, Autograph Collection, EDITION, and Marriott Vacation ClubSM International hotels worldwide. MVCI owner-occupied weeks are not eligible for credit.
• Collect 1 Mile per US dollar on qualifying charges during the offer period at a participating Courtyard by Marriott®, SpringHill Suites by Marriott®, Fairfield Inn by Marriott®, Residence Inn® by Marriott, TownePlace Suites by Marriott® hotels, and Marriott Executive Apartments worldwide.
• For details of qualifying charges and room rates see www.marriott.com/rewards/terms/earning.mi
• You must enrol in Marriott Rewards with enrolment code AN10 to be eligible for this offer. Bonus Mile credit toward the indicated Marriott Rewards/Air China promotion is given for stays with participating Marriott International hotels between November 22, 2010 and February 28, 2011.
• Nights spent while redeeming a Marriott Rewards award are not eligible for a stay credit. The details of this offer, including the number of stays needed to achieve your bonus, and the number of Bonus Miles awarded, are not transferable.
• A “stay” is defined as consecutive nights spent in the same hotel, regardless of check-in/check-out activity.
• All Marriott Rewards programme, including Elite membership, terms and conditions apply. Complete Marriott Rewards programme terms and conditions and privacy policy apply and can be found online at http://www.marriott.com/rewards/terms/default.mi

Then I submitted my request for instant Marriott Rewards Gold elite.

 

Some Canadians are pissed off after foreigners ruined the Expedia.ca Las Vegas and New York Vacation Package deals over the weekend. Now let’s see if our Canadian friend from FFB inadvertently gets the Chinese pissed off too.

 

Marriott Rewards instant Gold elite and requalification with 8 nights in 90 Days

The second deal for HSBC Premier customers, enrollment code HP10, looks similar to the Air China offer, but with an even lower elite qualification threshold at 8 nights. TMtravel world posted this offer today on BoardingArea.com.

HSBC Premier member instant Marriott Rewards Gold Elite Offer Terms and Conditions: 

• You must enrol in Marriott Rewards with enrolment code HP10 either online at www.joinMarriottRewards.com/HSBC/ or via the Marriott Rewards service centre on 852 800 938 968 to be eligible for this offer.
• Enrolment must be made in advance of your stay in order to enjoy the benefits associated with Gold Elite membership. Please quote your membership number at the time of reservations.
• Gold Elite level status is awarded for a period of 90 days, with an option to retain Gold Elite status until February 2012 after 8 nights have been completed within 90 days of enrolment. Thereafter members must stay at least 50 nights annually at participating Marriott brand hotels in order to quality for Gold Elite status. For a full list of the Gold Elite benefits, please visit http://www.marriott.com/rewards/member-benefits/gold.mi
• Nights spent while redeeming a Marriott Rewards award are not eligible for a stay credit. The details of this offer, including the number of stays needed to achieve your bonus are not transferable.
• A “stay” is defined as consecutive nights spent in the same hotel, regardless of check-in/check-out activity.
• Must book the “Stay for Breakfast” rate on Marriott.com.cn with the promotional code D57 or call 400 888 5551 quoting XXBV to enjoy the 15% discount for weekend stays. Offer valid for stays between 15 November 2010 – 28 February 2011, with check-in on a Friday or Saturday at participating hotels in China and Hong Kong. Minimum stay of 2 consecutive weekend nights required. Tax is additional and rates may not be combined with any other offer or discount. Customers need to pay with their HSBC China Premier Debit Cards. Other restrictions apply.
• Programme terms and conditions apply. Complete Marriott Rewards programme terms and conditions and privacy policy can be found online at http://www.marriott.com/rewards/terms/default.mi

Loyalty Traveler analysis:

Gold elite with Marriott is normally a 50-night affair so these offers of 8 and 12 nights within 90 days are true fast-track to Gold elite deals.

Marriott is one of the more difficult programs to earn elite status with only paid nights stayed during a calendar year considered for elite qualification. One of the nicer features of Marriott Gold elite is free internet, lounge access and breakfast on weekdays at full-service hotels.

Sign up soon since the terms may change to be more restrictive after being posted on FlyerTalk, TMtravelworld here and here, View from the Wing here and here, and One Mile at a Time.

Obviously the 8 nights to retain Gold elite through 2012 is the easier threshold.

My only reluctance with the HSBC Premier offer is whether there will be a check of Marriott Rewards members with HSBC Premier membership. There probably will not be a membership check. But if this offer goes viral there could always be a purge of members who are not affiliated with HSBC or Air China Phoenix Miles. 

Since I already signed up through the Air China link and my Marriott Rewards membership has been upgraded to Gold elite from that offer, the 8 night HSBC Premier deal is out for me anyway.

Anyone can enroll in a few minutes to be an Air China Phoenix Miles member.

Enjoy.

Today October 11 is last day to book this Marriott offer.

Marriott Weekend Stays Free Breakfast and $100 Bonus Bucks at Marriott, Renaissance, JW Marriott

• Stay October 14 to January 2, 2011, Continental U.S. and Canada hotels only
• Book this special offer between September 24 and October 11 (today) for arrival on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday.
• Stay just one night on Friday or Saturday and earn a $100 Marriott Bonus Bucks certificate for a two-night stay between Thursday and Sunday within 90 days. $100 bonus bucks may be used for room rate on future weekend stay.

http://boardingarea.com/blogs/loyaltytraveler/2010/09/25/marriott-weekend-stays-oct-14-jan-2-free-breakfast-and-100-bonus-bucks/

Carlson Hotels – Country Inn & Suites

October 3 – November 21, 2010; U.S., Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama

• 15,000 bonus points for one-night stay on a Sunday through Thursday. (Limit one bonus per member)
• 3-day advance reservation required. Promo code = 15000PTS.

http://boardingarea.com/blogs/loyaltytraveler/2010/09/28/country-inn-suites-one-night-stay-for-15000-goldpoints/

 

SPG Nights and Stays Count Double at Starwood’s Four Points, Aloft and Element brand hotels.

• October 1 – December 31, 2010 

(This is basically the offer for fast-track Platinum or for an SPG member who is already just a couple of stays away from SPG Gold Elite since the other offer gives Gold elite after 4 stays.) 

SPG Fast-Track to Gold elite after 4 stays at Starwood’s Four Points, Aloft and Element brand hotels.

• October 1 – January 31, 2011 

There are about 200 hotels in these three Starwood brands, mostly in U.S.

Gold elite status good through February 2012 and earns a 50% elite bonus points. This is a great time to grab cheap elite with SPG.

http://boardingarea.com/blogs/loyaltytraveler/2010/10/04/spg-stays-count-double-oct-1-dec-31-2010-aloft-element-and-four-points-brands-only/

Hyatt 5,000 points for two-night stays at 27 West Coast hotels.

• September 25 – December 30, 2010, use Special Offer Code 5000GP
• 5000GP rates are reasonable and do not appear to have a mark-up like most special offer rates.

Combinable with Great 10K offer for 10,000 bonus points every 5 nights. You can potentially earn 35,000 bonus points after 10 nights. This is a good deal. Two reward nights at high-end Category-5 hotels will cost 36,000 points. 35,000 points will get 7 free nights at a category-1 hotel. And unlike other hotel loyalty programs, you will find lots of Hyatt category-1 hotels 

http://boardingarea.com/blogs/loyaltytraveler/2010/10/07/hyatt-5000-points-for-2-night-stays-at-27-west-coast-hotels/

 

IHG Priority Club Sweet Dilemma Free Night offer

• September 20 – December 31, 2010
• Earn one free night for every two stays. Five night maximum earning limit.
• Free nights must be used December 1 – May 31, 2011

This offer is the equivalent of earning 40,000 Priority Club points if free night used for high-tier InterContinental Hotel. Hopefully it does not become a trend to exclude earning base and elite bonus points for the entire promotional period when choosing a free night offer. 

http://boardingarea.com/blogs/loyaltytraveler/2010/08/30/priority-club-free-nights-or-double-points-sweet-dilemma/

 

Marriott MegaBonus Free Night after Two Stays (Earning Limit = 2 free nights)

• September 15 – January 15, 2010
• Must register for this promotion by October 31.
• Free nights restricted to Marriott Rewards category-1 to category-4 hotels.

This Marriott offer is potentially worth the equivalent 40,000 points after 4 stays. A category-4 hotel reward night is a 20,000 points value.

http://boardingarea.com/blogs/loyaltytraveler/2010/08/19/marriott-megabonus-registration-live-today/

 

Hilton Double Points and 4x Sundays  

October 12 – December 30, 2010

Stay Sunday night and the entire stay earns a bonus equivalent to quadruple base points. Elite base points are earned at regular rate of 10 points per $1. 4x Bonus ends up being 30 bonus points per $1.

http://boardingarea.com/blogs/loyaltytraveler/2010/10/08/hhonors-double-points-and-stay-sunday-for-4x-points-2010-q4/ 

A summary of other hotel loyalty program promotions can be found on this Loyalty traveler page.

After updating the Loyalty Traveler Current Hotel Promotions page yesterday, I realized I hadn’t even discussed some of the major promotions ending this month since writing a summary of Q1 2010 hotel promotions back in December. I have put together a summary list by hotel chain of about 25 hotel loyalty promotions currently available to members. I plan to make the hotel loyalty promotions and special rates summary a weekly feature post for Loyalty Traveler blog.

April 14, Loyalty Traveler Current Hotel Loyalty Promotions Guide

The frequent guest has the choice of many hotel loyalty promotions with little guidance to their relative value. Loyalty Traveler’s summary of current hotel loyalty promotions and limited time offers for the frequent guest are shown below.

Rate discounts and loyalty program bonuses are two types of hotel chain incentives to consider when booking travel. 

Rankings are subjective and subject to change. Your specific travel pattern may result in some promotions ranking more favorably for you. When assigning a key rank I take into consideration the following factors and probably more: 

• The opportunity for a significantly high-value return on hotel spend in terms of a hotel rebate in free nights and discounted  hotel nights. 
• Current loyalty program promotions and offers from other hotel chains.
• Past loyalty program offers and rates for the specific hotel chain and loyalty program.
• Current economic conditions in the travel industry and hotel location.

Loyalty Traveler ranks the consumer value of hotel loyalty promotions on a Five Key Scale.

Five Keys = one of the best hotel loyalty promotions of the year.

Four Keys = high value rebate on the cost of hotel stays.

Three Keys = good value hotel loyalty promotion or rate offer

Two Keys = a bonus value if you play, but not necessarily worth going out of your way.

One Key = There is limited or no value. You are likely paying more than the bonus value.

 

April 14 HELP Summary for Current Hotel Loyalty Promotions by Program 

Best Western Rewards 

3-key Promotion $50 gift card after two stays by May 30 (March 30, 2010)

Elite Status Match Offer (February 19, 2010) FlyerTalk members are stating there is an accompanying offer for 5,000 bonus points after first stay.

 

Carlson Hotels – Goldpoints Plus

5-Key promotion: Award Nights On Sale through May 31: Radisson 50% off, Country Inn and Park Inn 25% off

4-Key promotion Country Inn & Suites Third Night Free is Truly a Free Night (March 18, 2010)

3-key promotion Up to Quadruple Points for stays through May 28, 2010 (March 31, 2010) This can be a 4-key or 5-key promotion if you have 4-night stays at a Radisson which combined with 50% free nights can be one or two free nights earned. 4x points is 80 points/$1. Top category hotel award at 50% discount is just 30,000 points. $800 on a 4-night stay will earn 65,000 points with online booking bonus.

 

Choice Hotels – Choice Privileges

3-key promotion Spring Promotion Stay Twice and Earn 8,000 points Feb 22-April 30

(good for free night at 1,500 hotels)

Hilton HHonors

4-key promotion Nine bonus airline miles promotions that may be combined with free night promotion (April 13, 2010)

4-key promotion Fast Ways to Free Stays (Earn a free night after every 4 stays or 10 nights through June 30) (April 7, 2010)

Hilton HHonors earn unlimited free nights through June 30 – Fast Ways to Free Stays promotion (April 4, 2010)

Hyatt Gold Passport

Limited Time Special Rate Sale US, Canada, and Caribbean (ends Wed. April 14, 11:59pm CST) Prepaid, nonrefundable rates for stays through July 5, 2010.

5-key promotion – Big Welcome Back promotion for one free night after every two stays March 26-June 30 (March 26, 2010)

5-key promotion – Hyatt Gold Passport Instant Platinum Elite and Diamond Elite Fast-track (Feb 21, 2010)

3-Key Limited Time Offer American Express Membership Rewards Hyatt $100 certificate for 2-night stay for 1,500 Membership Rewards points through May 31, 2010. Certificate valid in US, Canada, and Caribbean through December 30, 2010.

InterContinental Hotels Group – Priority Club

2-Key promotion Earn 200 miles or 1,000 points per night up to 20,000 points or 4,000 miles through April 30, 2010 (Dec 22, 2010)

Priority Club PointBreaks 5,000 points per night awards to June 30 (March 29, 2010)

IHG Friend & Family Hotel Rates (Dec 26, 2010)

Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) – Leaders Club Rewards 

3-key promotion – Earn 1 free night after every 5 hotel stays in 2010. Must stay in at least two different hotels. Bellagio in Las Vegas is LHW member. (April 13, 2010)

Marriott Rewards

5-Key promotion – May 1-July 31 New members of Marriott Rewards earn a free night after two stays  (April 5, 2010)

3-key promotion – $50 Gift card for weekend stays at Marriott to April 18 (Feb 24, 2010)

1-Key offer – Marriott Rewards Instant Redemption Awards (March 24, 2010)

Marriott Rewards Triple Airline Miles through April 30 (Feb 18, 2010)

Marriott Rewards 2010 MegaBonus Feb 1- April 30, 2010 (Dec 22, 2010)

Starwood Preferred Guest

4-key promotion $100 Amazon Gift Card for 2 Westin Stays in US/Canada by May 13 (Feb 20, 2010)

3-key promotion SPG link: Pay Your Birthyear Rate (This promotion can be an incredible savings or no savings depending on the hotel and your birthyear.) LT post 4/28/2009

3-key limited time offer Buy up to 20,000 Starpoints at 20% discount = $28/1,000 points. SPG link

2-key promotion SPG up to 4x points through April 15, 2010 (Dec 18, 2009)

1-key promotion Four Points Breakfast for a Buck (April 12, 2010)

Starpoints Airline Direct Deposit is Better for United, Continental, and Singapore miles (March 25, 2010)

Wyndham Rewards

2-key promotion Lufthansa Miles & More 1,000 miles per stay, up to 4,000 miles March 15-May 15.

Hotel Points-to-Miles Conversion Tables for 9 hotel programs and 7 U.S. airlines (March 30, 2010)

Other Offers:

5-key offer – Condé Nast/Competitours - Condé Nast/Competitours 250,000 miles giveaway for 200 words by April 30   (LT post April 9, 2010)

Frequentflyerbonuses.com – Five Years, Five Ways to Win (2005-2010)

Frequentflyerbonuses.com 5^th Anniversary Contest – Prize is $250 Marriott Gift card or 10,000 Spirit Airlines miles

Congratulations to Patrick Sojka of FFB for five years. Loyalty Traveler had its four year anniversary this month.

Receive instant Platinum elite for 180 days with only a 5 night requirement to maintain Platinum elite membership through February 2012. Diamond elite through February 2012 can be earned with 15 nights within 180 days of enrollment.

Register online or call Hyatt Gold Passport Customer Service 1-800-228-3360 to register.

Platinum elite normally requires 5 hotel stays or 15 nights in a calendar year. While a guest can become Platinum elite in regular circumstances by staying at Hyatt brand hotels 5 times for one night stays, the advantage of this promotion is the instant upgrade to Platinum gives the ability to earn 15% bonus points, receive complimentary internet, and perhaps score a complimentary upgrade.

The 5 nights requirement allows a guest to maintain Platinum elite with just a single 5-night hotel stay. One vacation or business week at a Hyatt Hotel can keep you elite for the next two years.

 

Diamond elite is even a better deal because it is based on nights rather than stays. Hyatt’s recently ended Stays Count Double promotion (October 1, 2009 – Jan 31, 2010) required 13 hotel stays to reach the 25 qualification stays for Diamond. Even at the minimum this required 13 hotel nights with one-night stays .

This current elite fast-track allows a member to earn and maintain Diamond elite status in 15 nights within 180 days of promotion enrollment. A person signing up in the first week of March 2010 has 180 days, meaning you have until about the end of August 2010 to stay 15 nights. Regular qualification requires 50 nights in a calendar year so this offer is a reduced qualification fast-track to Diamond elite.

Even for the leisure traveler that is easily done in two vacation weeks and some weekend getaways. Qualify for Diamond in the next six months and your status will be valid through February 2012. The benefits of Diamond include a hotel welcome amenity (movie or drink credit, bonus points, wine…), Regency Club access, 30% bonus points, room upgrades, and complimentary breakfast.

Similar 2009 elite promotions from Hyatt Gold Passport upgraded many members instantly to Diamond who asked directly for Diamond elite. For this reason a phone call to Hyatt Gold Passport Customer Service 1-800-228-3360 may be the better way to sign up for this offer.

The photos in this post are from my upgraded room stay last week in the Point Lobos Suite at the Hyatt Highlands Inn, Carmel Highlands, California. I am a Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond member.

Best Western Rewards is offering an elite status match for current elite members in any other hotel loyalty program. You must be a resident of the US, Canada, or Caribbean Islands to be eligible for this offer. Existing and new members of Best Western Rewards are eligible.

Best Western Rewards will upgrade member’s current or new elite tier/status level to a comparable level in any other hotel loyalty program.

You must call Best Western’s Customer Care Department at 1-800-444-7646 or email BWRelite@bestwestern.com. You will need to FAX proof of your competitor hotel loyalty program current elite status to 623-780-6988.

Terms of this promotion state the Best Western Customer Care Department will determine comparable Best Western Rewards elite status based on the number of nights required for elite status in the competitor hotel loyalty program.

Best Western Elite Status Match link.

Best Western Rewards elite levels –

Gold Elite (awarded after 10 qualified nights in one (1) calendar year)

Platinum Elite (awarded after 15 qualified nights in one (1) calendar year)

Diamond Elite (awarded after 30 qualified nights in one (1) calendar year).

And just in case you were wondering… “Only Elite tier/status level will be matched, competitor point levels will not be matched.” 

Shucks!

Best Western Elite Level Benefits 

Gold Elite

• 10% Point Bonus (base points are earned at 10 points/US$1)
• Purchase points for award redemption at $10 per 1,000 points

Platinum Elite

• 15% Point Bonus
• Complimentary room upgrades; early check-in and late check-out
• Exclusive elite offers

Diamond Elite

• 30% Point Bonus and privileges listed above.

There are over 4,000 Best Western hotels globally making this one of the top 5 hotel chains by number of hotels and number of countries with Best Western Hotels.

Free Night Rewards are categorized in eight levels from 8,000 points to 36,000 points with each hotel reward level in 4,000 point increments.

Best Western offers 250 air miles for most of its 17 airline partners. 500 miles per stay with Miles & More or 0.5 Southwest credits. United Mileage Plus is the only major US airline not partnering with the Best Western Rewards program.

Be sure to check out the triple points promotion if Best Western hotel stays are in your near future.

December is the month for securing elite status. People in the know, those frequent guests and fliers making mattress runs and mileage runs this month, know that a few unnecessary hotel room nights or a few thousand miles of unnecessary airline flights are truly necessary. Some loyalty travelers are frantically booking travel solely for the purpose of attaining the magic threshold of higher elite status in 2010.

And it is magic when after 10 minutes waiting in the elite security line at the crowded airport, you barely get on your plane just before it taxies out of the gate. You reflect on the frazzled family who walked up to the elite check-in airport counter just in front of you, each parent cradling a crying toddler, with a hands-free wandering preschooler lagging behind dragging a backpack, a babystroller under Dad’s arm, two suitcases, two backpacks, and a purse.  You watched as you moved closer to the elite member check-in counter while the parents were steered away from the Star Alliance Gold members check-in line to the hopelessly long economy class general members’ line extending halfway down the terminal. They were supposed to depart on the same flight as you, but they hadn’t even arrived at the security zone as you passed through the detectors and rushed off to the gate. They are still waiting in some non-elite fliers’ line while you are comfortably seated in First Class as the plane heads toward the runway.

Elite level status has practical implications in the frequent flier world beyond upgrades and airport lounges.

I haven’t been on a plane in the past few months. I watched scenarios like I described here over a number of years when I traveled as a United Airlines Mileage Plus elite member. I flew over 100,000 miles a year for several years primarily as a means of flying comfortably and having the privilege to hang out at airport lounges during international flights.

Joe Sharkey has a piece posted this week on his blog, Joe Sharkey At Large, “Continental Airlines is the Latest Airline to Diss Lower-Level Elite-Status Customers”. His piece is about how Continental Airlines offers enhancements to the most frequent fliers in the 100,000 flight miles per year category and new super-tier called Presidential Platinum elite for the cream of the Platinum fliers.

Flying 100,000 miles is expensive for a leisure traveler. I held United 1K for a couple of years with less than $2,500 in spending on flights annually, but then there was another $1,500 or so for my wife’s flights. And then add another $4,000 to $5,000 for lodging, and then add daily expenses when traveling. 

$4,000 to $5,000 in airfare was one expense I had to cut back, about 30% of my annual travel budget, to have some money available to put into Loyalty Traveler business expenses. Loyalty Traveler was founded as a business for explaining the value of elite status with travel loyalty programs and ironically I had to give up elite status air travel to conserve resources for the business. I hope to get back to a much higher level of air travel in the next year or two.

Right now my focus is maintaining high elite status in a couple of hotel programs – Hyatt Gold Passport and Starwood Preferred Guest – for my hotel travel. I just suffer like the masses when I have to get on a plane.

Ed Perkins wrote a piece on SmarterTravel.com, “Dollars Trump Miles as a Measure of Airline Loyalty”. Ed had an issue with upgrading a United flight using miles. He could not get an advance confirmation of the upgrade.

My experience of traveling around the world as a United 1K was a blast when I could buy a $600 ticket from California to Singapore, upgrade my ticket to a business class seat with a systemwide certificate (SWU), hang out at the international lounge in SFO before the flight, and then pop into the United Red Carpet Club at Narita Airport Tokyo for a free shower and a couple of glasses from the automatic beer dispenser. My cheap economy ticket also allowed me to earn 40,000 to 50,000 redeemable miles and 18,000 to 36,000 elite qualifying miles depending on promotions.

The problem with all that lovely treatment as a United 1K is that travel with my wife Kelley wasn’t always as fun. I’m not talking about a need for Tiger Woods entertainment without the wifey. I am talking about the fact that my United Airlines Mileage Plus elite status regularly provided upgrades for me, domestic and international. However, Kelley’s low level elite status, and sometimes even as a Premier Executive, frequently did not allow her to clear the upgrade list. We often traveled separately on the same plane to Europe with me in her assigned economy class seat and her in my upgraded Business Class seat.

Mom & Dad’s Florida Vacation

My parents have learned the value of Starwood Preferred Guest elite status – especially since they do not have it. This morning I received a call from my mom vacationing in Florida. Their hotel travel tally so far is three Starwoods and a Hilton in Florida. I asked them to take pictures of the view from each bedroom window at their hotels.

Hotel websites are generally good about photos of the hotel entrance, the lobby, restaurants, and pool.

Hotel websites rarely show a prospective guest the view from the less desirable side of the hotel. I am struck by the number of times I stay at a hotel and receive the preferred view and think this was a good deal. And I consider all those people I see coming out of their room located on the other side of the hallway and I wonder, “Do you feel like you’ve been cheated with this hotel stay?”

So my mom tells me they had a nice size room at a Sheraton in Fort Lauderdale, but faced the parking lot for the multi-night stay. Then, it was the Sheraton in Key West at a resort property on the beach, but their room was not facing the beach side of the hotel. Then, her description of the room in Coral Gables was “nicely furnished, but the room was miniscule.” She said the rooms are nothing like I get when I stay at Starwood Hotels.

“Elite Status” is my Two Word Response

Earning elite status with a hotel chain is really a much easier affair than airline frequent flier programs. Playing the 100,000 mile game with airlines is a matter of either several long-haul international trips or a whole lot of domestic flying. Hotel loyalty high-level elite-status is something many travelers can earn without even leaving town. You will appreciate your effort when you take that $3,000 beach resort vacation and spend the week looking at the beach from your hotel room window and balcony.

Here is the view from my room when I stayed at the Westin Mission Hills near Palm Springs, California.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I received an upgrade on my Cash & Points stay to a golf course view preferred room. A general member of SPG on the same rate would be more likely to have received a room with this type of view across the parking lot.

Westin Mission Hills Resort – the other side of the hotel

 

Stays Count Double through January 31, 2010 with Hyatt Gold Passport

 

 

 

(The Next Big Thing registration required)

Hyatt Gold Passport is offering double stay credit for elite status through January 31, 2010. Elite status is based on paid stays completed in a calendar year. This means you can earn Hyatt Gold Passport Platinum level elite membership with just 3 stays in January or Diamond elite with 13 stays. The elite status you earn with Hyatt Gold Passport in January 2010 during stays count double will remain valid for over two years through February 2012.

Between fast-track elite status and Costco Hyatt Check Certificates at a 20% discount, the cost to earn high elite Diamond status with Hyatt can readily be accomplished for under $1,000 in many places while earning free nights for a fantastic February or March 2010 resort vacation. Check out your local Hyatt Place hotel rates. You can even go upscale Hyatt at a bargain with low January rates in many locations. The Hyatt Regency San Francisco was over $250 per night for most of summer 2009 and is less than half that rate for most weekends in January 2010. San Diego hotels are an incredible bargain right now.

Starwood Preferred Guest instant SPG Gold elite for New Members

Starwood Preferred Guest has offered a “stays count double” promotion every year for the past several years. Take advantage of the offer if it comes around next year and you can set yourself up with high-level elite-status.

Seriously, when you are spending a couple of thousand dollars for a vacation, a little bit of annual hotel planning can put you in that beach resort hotel on the beach side of the hotel rather than the resort view of the parking lot.

If you are new to Starwood Preferred Guest and you would like to receive instant SPG Gold elite membership, valid through February 2011, then just send me an email ricgarridolt@gmail.com. With my SPG Platinum member referral, you can be registered for 1,000 bonus points per night ($35 value) at Starwood Hotels through March 31, 2010 and you will receive an instant upgrade to SPG Gold Elite membership. And I get 1,000 points if you actually stay in a Starwood Hotel by March 31. A win-win-win deal for you, me, and Starwood.

Hotel Loyalty Program Links:

Hyatt Gold Passport “The Next Big Thing” Promotion

Hyatt Gold Passport Platinum elite benefits (lower-tier elite)

Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond elite benefits (higher-tier)

Starwood Preferred Guest Gold elite benefits

Starwood Preferred Guest Platinum elite benefits

Loyalty Traveler posts:

Passports with Purpose Win 50,000 Hyatt Gold Passport points

Earn 2,500 airline miles with every two nights at Hyatt brand hotels (Oct. 5, 2009)

Hyatt Faster Free Nights + Stays Count Double promotion analysis Oct.1 – Jan 31, 2010 (Sep 19, 2009)

Hyatt Gold Passport Enhancements – And they really are enhancements (April 2, 2009)