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

InsideFlyer has a free web access article on Hotel Loyalty Elite Comparisons across more than 25 loyalty programs.  February’s issue features part one of the article and March will feature part two as the cover story. I am not the writer of this article, although I did provide some comments for the rough draft. This article motivated me to expand my loyalty program coverage as I recognized some great benefits in programs I rarely evaluate. I encourage you to look over the charts and information in the Hotel Loyalty Elite Comparisons.

I have been writing a monthly column for Randy Petersen’s InsideFlyer magazine for nearly two years. My column is always original content that has not appeared on this Loyalty Traveler blog. My monthly column is also a free web access feature of InsideFlyer. I have links to all my InsideFlyer columns on the Ric Garrido page of my blog.  

Categorically speaking, I am predicting two steps up and one step back.

I am sharing my latest InsideFlyer column at the end of this post. The start of the 2011 year saw the return of Starwood Preferred Guest peak season hotel reward dates for category 5, 6 and 7 hotels after a two year absence. My column addresses the return of SPG peak season awards.

February and March are the months when we typically see hotel categories adjusted for the calendar year. Considering Marriott and Hilton raised category levels in 2010 for many of their upper end hotels in the midst of a two year recession does not bode well for this year’s hotel reward category changes.

Starwood made no attempt to lower hotel reward category levels last year; a move to be expected after several consecutive years of rapid rises from 2003 to 2008 attributed to rising average room rates. For some reason when room rates plummeted in 2009, the SPG hotel award category assignments did not follow suit. Granted there was an overall downward movement in SPG category assignment in 2009, but that was a small concession from SPG not repeated again in 2010. Here is my March 2010 article on Hilton HHonors hotel category shift and my April 2010 InsideFlyer column regarding hotel category assignments for 2010 with particular focus on SPG.

So what do the next two months have in store for hotel category shift?

Yesterday, the Washington Post ran an article citing positive economic indicators as a sign that hotel rates will climb in 2011. Higher rates are anticipated to rise disproportionately for business travelers relative to leisure travelers.

What I think this means is the leisure traveler is going to be screwed if needing a city center hotel during midweek business days or weekend conventions. We find ourselves back in 2007 mode where business travelers are gouged and leisure travelers are shut out with high prices for big city midweek hotels.

Fortunately there will still be opportunities for the flexible traveler who goes where the deals are located. And loyalty programs become even more vital in stretching your hotel dollars.

February 2011 InsideFlyer magazine Loyalty Traveler column:

Scaling Peaks of High Category Hotel Awards

SPG reinstituted peak season dates for Starwood Preferred Guest hotel rewards at 65 percent of its category 5, 6 and 7 hotels for 2011 and 2012. Over 100 Starwood hotels have peak season dates. Some hotels like the category 5 Westin Verasa Napa and Four Points Manhattan Chelsea have four months of 2011 peak season dates at 16,000 points per night.

Peak season dates master list: https://spgpromos.com/highseason

Earning Free Award Nights

SPG is an outlier among hotel programs for the amount of hotel spend needed for a free night at a high category hotel–even without peak season rates. SPG altered its hotel award structure over the past decade, adding category 6 and category 7 hotel award levels. A similar pattern of new higher category awards played out across the hotel loyalty world in the past few years including Marriott category 8, Hyatt category 6, Hilton category 7 and Priority Club tiers for Holiday Inn and InterContinental brands.

The structure for earning points is the most stable aspect of hotel loyalty schemes. Base points are loyalty points earned per dollar of hotel spend before any promotion or elite bonuses. The base points earn rate for SPG is 2 points/$1. Hyatt uses 5 points/$1. The standard for most major hotel programs is 10 points/$1.

Scaling High Category Awards

An interesting pattern emerges when base points earned per dollar are correlated to the cost of award nights at various category levels in different hotel programs. The amount of hotel spend needed to earn sufficient points for a free night at the highest award levels is similar across hotel programs–except Starwood Hotels.

Marriott Rewards highest category 8 hotel nights are 40,000 points. Earning 40,000 base points requires $4,000 in hotel spend. Priority Club top-tier InterContinental Hotels at 40,000 points take $4,000 in base spend. Lower earning brands at 5 points/$1 are ignored in this analysis. Hyatt Gold Passport category 6 awards at 22,000 points per night equate to $4,400. Hilton HHonors category 7 hotels at 50,000 points range from $3,334 in hotel spend for Points & Points earners to $5,000 for Points & Miles earners.

In contrast, earning 12,000 base points for a SPG category 5 standard hotel award requires $6,000 in spend or $8,000 for peak season nights. Starwood Preferred Guest is an outlier in this award pattern at the category 5 level, let alone SPG category 6 and 7 awards requiring 20,000 and 30,000 points for a standard free night. This correlates to $10,000 or $15,000 in hotel base spend.

HHonors and Marriott Rewards also have higher cost award nights for some Waldorf Astoria and Ritz-Carlton properties.

A Competitive Set Comparison of Marriott and Starwood

A debatable argument is SPG program high category hotels are higher quality hotels than other chains.

Hotels in a specific location and similar hotel market segment are in the same competitive set. Hotels in different chains but the same competitive set tend to have room rates on any given day within about 10 percent of each other.

St. Regis New York and Ritz-Carlton Central Park are two New York City luxury hotels in the same competitive set. Both hotels had an identical room rate of $895 per night for June 7, 2011 when I checked.

St. Regis New York is a category 7 SPG award hotel at 30,000 points for a standard free night. SPG members need $15,000 in hotel spend to earn 30,000 base points. Ritz-Carlton New York Central Park is the highest tier 5 hotel award at 70,000 points for a free night. Marriott Rewards members need $7,000 in hotel spend to earn 70,000 base points. Marriott Rewards members earn two free nights for the same level of spend the SPG member earns one night at the St. Regis. And this is without peak season rates at the St. Regis raising the price to 35,000 points per night for part of December 2011.

Comparing award nights using base points value ignores key points-earning components for loyalty members: elite bonuses, promotions and co-branded credit cards. SPG has a slight advantage at the Gold level with 50 percent elite bonus points. Other programs offer 10 to 25 percent bonus at mid-level elite. SPG’s elite advantage is lost at the SPG Platinum level where most programs match 50 percent elite bonus points for top-tier elites.

SPG needs high-value promotions to compensate for an uncompetitive award scheme at high category hotels. Bridging the hotel spend gap of $4,000 to $7,000 to earn the highest awards in most programs with $6,000 to $17,500 for SPG awards necessitates better promotions than double points on stays. Otherwise, high category SPG hotel awards are geared more for high-spend SPG credit card points earners than frequent guests.

One of the benefits of top elite in several hotel programs is a welcome amenity gift offered at hotel check-in. Points are an option with programs like Starwood, Hyatt, Marriott and Hilton. Other choices depend on the hotel brand and program and may include extras like a free pay-for-view in-room movie, $5 or $10 mini-bar credit, cheese and wine plate, $10 room service credit, or local gift.

I generally take the points, but now and then a bottle of wine and cheese plate is more impressive and appreciated as a gift to share with friends at the hotel. My wife and I have stuffed animals from Starwood Hotels in Australia and assorted Delft pottery around the house from stays at various Starwood Hotels in the Netherlands. Gifts are more common at hotels outside the U.S.

Fruit, cheese, bread, hors d’oeuvre plates are typical welcome amenities at full service upscale hotels.

Points are generally my choice since I don’t care too much for cheese, hors d’oeuvre or wine. How about a 6-pack of Stella Artois beer?

So, generally I bring my own beer and take points, unless I have friends visiting in the room.

The Value of Amenity Points

SPG Platinum and Hyatt Diamond amenity points really add up over the course of the year.

Assume 25 stays in 2011 (minimum qualifying stays to earn annual SPG Platinum or Hyatt Diamond elite).

SPG Platinum = 500 points per stay (250 points at Aloft, Element and Four Points brands)

25 stays x 500 points per stay = 12,500 Platinum elite welcome amenity bonus points.

Here is how I perceive the value of 12,500 Starpoints.

SPG Cash & Points reward night at any category 4 hotel requires $60 + 4,000 points.

My experience assures me there is high potential to save over $200 at a Starwood Hotel using 4,000 points for a SPG Cash & Points award with a $240+ nightly room rate. My stay at the W Chicago Lakeshore saved more than $200. I only paid tax on the $60 cash portion of the SPG reward night rather than 15% Chicago tax on the full $280 room rate.

SPG Platinum amenity points will likely have $300 to $600+ cash savings redemption value if 12,500 points are earned by the Platinum member in 2011 from 25 hotel stays. This is a high value opportunity for earning bonus points simply by checking in and turning down food or hotel credit.

Assume you take a $10 movie or mini-bar credit and you save $250 after 25 stays.

Points are generally worth more than the in-hotel amenity if you prefer earning free or discount reward nights from hotel stays.

Hyatt Diamond Amenity

Most Hyatt Hotels offer a choice of 1,000 points as a Diamond amenity. Hyatt Place and Summerfield Suites offer 500 points.

25 stays x 1,000 points = 25,000 bonus points

Hyatt category 6 hotel reward night is 22,000 points. Mid tier category 3 reward is 12,000 points.

25,000 points will likely have $400 redemption value.

Base points equivalent value shows the amenity points bonus is like having significant additional hotel spend on each hotel stay.

• SPG Platinum = 250 or 500 points ($125 or $250 base points equivalent value)
• Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond = 500 or 1,000 points ($100 to $200 base points equivalent value)
• Marriott Rewards Platinum = 1,000 points ($100 base points equivalent value)
• Hilton HHonors = 500 to 1,000 points ($50 to $100 base points equivalent value) 

Bottom line is top level amenity points are equivalent to spending an extra $100 to $250 for your hotel stay and the value of points can add around $300 to $600 in free room night rebate value to your annual hotel spend for top elite status with Hyatt or Starwood.  The value will likely be less for Marriott and Hilton members.

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?

JW Marriott San Francisco

Hyatt Gold Passport and Marriott Rewards elite members may find a surprise awaiting that discount hotel stay booked as part of a travel package or through an opaque site like Priceline or Hotwire.  Hyatt and Marriott elite members report recognition in terms of club lounge access and free breakfast even though the hotel was booked through Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, Priceline or some other online travel agency (OTA).

Hyatt Diamonds may not be getting a suite upgrade on a Priceline booking, but you may receive Welcome Amenity points and you may earn points on other charges to your room.

Marriott Rewards members state receiving access to the hotel Club Lounge and Club Level rooms and earning points on incidental spend.

I was upgraded to a suite and lounge access at a Hilton Hotel one time when I was HHonors Diamond on a Priceline stay.

Register Your Hotel Loyalty Membership Number to OTA Bookings

Add you hotel loyalty membership number to any third party hotel reservation after your booking is confirmed by the OTA. Call the hotel, email, or take time at the check-in desk to register your hotel membership number to the reservation.

There is nothing to lose and high potential for gain when your hotel stay receives some loyalty recognition during your stay like a room upgrade, breakfast and internet, even if no elite stay credit is earned for the third party OTA booking.

The End of the OTA Merchant Model

Most hotel loyalty programs do not recognize loyalty members who book through third-party online travel agencies (OTA) due to the high cost of distribution for the hotel owners with the OTA Merchant Model.

I read an article this morning by Max Starkov – “End of the OTA merchant model – this time for real” providing some numbers on the OTA Merchant Model.

The data cites 20% to 25% room rate as a typical fee for the hotel to sell a room via an OTA.

For example: Expedia sells a room for $100. The room is also selling for $100 on the hotel’s own websites. Expedia makes $25 when it sells the room. The hotel loses on a room it did not sell directly to the guest. The hotel loses about 90% of that $25 Expedia gained through an indirect sale.

Seems to me consumer logic would indicate more hotel guests would like the added value of hotel points, free breakfast, internet and other amenities provided when booking sufficient volume through a specific loyalty program to earn elite membership and its value-added perks.

Comparing straight room rates for any specific major brand hotel, the hotel websites sell the room for the same price as an OTA like Expedia and Travelocity.  Hotel websites offer Best Rate Guarantee terms to provide an additional discount or benefit if a lower rate than the hotel sites low rate is found on an OTA site elsewhere.

Yet, hotels have seen the OTA share of bookings for the top 30 hotel brands rise from 25.4% in Q3-2008 to 37.5% in Q3-2010. This has occurred in the past two years while hotel loyalty programs have been offering the most rewarding loyalty incentives in years.  The proportion of people booking hotel rooms outside the hotel’s own websites has risen despite offers for free nights and huge points bonuses through hotel loyalty programs.

So are consumers ignorant to the value of hotel loyalty programs as hotel guests or are they really getting incredible savings with OTA bookings?

Travel packages where the hotel is bundled with a car or flight and opaque sites like Priceline and Hotwire where the hotel is not known until booked are popular as other cheaper options than published room rates. Bidding database forum sites like BetterBidding.com and BiddingforTravel.com can assist you in narrowing the likely hotels you will book into when submitting a successful bid for a hotel room on an opaque site like Priceline.

OTA indirect booking  v. Hotel site direct booking

The tide of OTA popularity during the period of extraordinarily low hotel rates in 2009 and 2010 may keep rising and make trouble for hotels seeking to push rates higher and faster in 2011.

Enjoy elite benefits on your third-party bookings when you get them. The economics of hotel booking channels make this a highly generous practice as a common courtesy for their elite loyalty program members at Hyatt and Marriott hotels.

My only experience this year with an OTA booking for a major hotel brand was a Hyatt Place Orlando Airport booking that Gold Passport refused to recognize as a Best Rate Guarantee valid claim even though I booked the hotel for $90 less than the Hyatt website wanted. I was a bit grumpy on arrival at missing out on a hotel stay credit in what I still feel was a wrongfully denied BRG claim, but that feeling quickly dissipated when I entered the hotel lobby to find free food and beer in a hotel happy hour.

Please share your experiences with hotel loyalty elite status and third-party OTA bookings.

Did you receive elite recognition and benefits?

FlyerTalk – Marriott Benefits on OTA Stays

FlyerTalk – Hyatt Benefits on OTA Stays

Anarchy Loyalty in the U.K.

Cornell Panel talks distribution management, customer loyalty (Nov 16)

Expedia on how to grow your ADR without impacting occupancy (Nov 29)

The Hyatt Courtesy Card is just one of the new aspects of hotel loyalty programs I learned about today in my Hotel Loyalty Programs presentation at the FlyerTalk Chicago Seminar Do.

Last night I ate dinner with a 400,000 mile per year frequent flyer and leisure traveler InterContinental Royal Ambassador. He showed me his certificate for complimentary Royal Ambassador status to another person. One of the perks of being Royal Ambassador is complimentary in-room mini-bar items.

So how does one reach these invitational über-elite status levels?

Being someone with influence, high spend, frequent stays, and true loyalty revenue potential.

There is a FlyerTalk thread on Hyatt Courtesy Card über-elite status. Here is my favorite line from the Hyatt thread in an experiential post from Hyatt Courtesy Card member InJapan:

“Sometimes, you get the very best suite the hotel has to offer, the very best means you are walking a long way from kitchen to bedroom. These are the rooms usually featured on the hotels homepage, with super sized entry, separate living area, office, kitchen, and a workout area in the bathroom.”

Well, perhaps this sentence from the post is even more entertaining –  

“Is there anything above CC? Probably the only thing better is being one of the owner’s children.”

Here is a link to a 13-photo display of the Courtesy Card package, materials and card. The package comes with a robe.

There is also an article in October 2010 Executive Travel magazine by Alessandra Bianchi about these über-elite status levels – The New VIP Hotel Experience.

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.

Are you kidding?

Yes, I am.

Although I am making fun of a portion of the article, “Loyalty schemes — What Really Matters,” I agree with many of Rob Rush’s statements and I recommend you read the piece arguing why it is good business sense for a hotel loyalty program to extend elite status for members who may not have re-qualified for elite membership in 2010.

But I don’t agree with this statement as it applies to hotel loyalty programs:

“Strong emotional connections (what true loyalty is really all about) will always trump any kind of points program, period.”

I’m not married to a hotel brand. My strong emotional connection lasts as long as I feel I am getting good hotel value with the hotel chain. I think of the relationship as a business partnership. I’ll work for the team effort and help us both be rewarded, but the bottom line is my economics and I’ll work/stay some other place if that is in my best interest in the long run.

Hotel loyalty is a business partnership that can be win-win for us both. Hotel loyalty is not a marriage that needs to be developed mutually for each other’s benefit through better or worse.

In a hotel-guest relationship, I am the customer. Hotels and hotel loyalty programs compete for the pool of guests and the basic economic principle of business is to keep the customer satisfied and returning.

When hotel loyalty programs announce there will be changes in our relationship as Hilton and Marriott recently did, but keep the details from me until the changes take effect, then I don’t feel there is mutual respect for me as a partner in the loyalty program.

“Hey honey, remember last month I told you there would be some changes to our relationship. Here is the new contract stating you will need to work a little more to pay the mortgages from now on because I just remodeled the vacation home (without your input) and employed a full time staff (without consulting you) and since we are so in debt now, I think you have to contribute more than you have in the past to make this relationship continue to work for both of us.”

I feel Hilton’s argument to its loyalty members for why it needed to raise the cost of award nights in the middle of a hotel economic recession is analogous to a marriage where one spouse has little input in the decisions affecting the relationship.

Finding true love is hard. Infatuation is a strong emotion, but doesn’t necessarily last. Building a life together with someone you love takes perseverance, mutual respect, and dedication.

Finding a good hotel is not nearly so hard. Hotel beauty is easy to admire. There are plenty of pretties all around to catch your eye and enchant you this year. But next year something younger and prettier will be around enticing you to visit. Are you going to forsake all other hotels for your true love?

Developing strong emotional connections to a hotel?

Yes, I have had some.

Falling in love with a hotel loyalty program?

Frequent travelers may find it hard to be monogamous.

A hotel loyalty program is a relationship that requires mutual reinforcement and commitment, but I don’t foresee the need to make reconciliation efforts before granting a divorce from your hotel program when the mutual benefit wears thin.  In a relationship where one party has control over all the assets and benefits, sometimes the best solution is to just walk away.

If the hotel program truly desires you, then it should make the effort to get you to come back.

And diamond and platinum accoutrements tend to show intent from your partner of a serious engagement.

Related posts: Hilton HHonors Dumped Me This Week

Christopher Elliot http://www.elliott.org/blog/i-was-rudely-told-9000-points-is-really-not-much/

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.

Westin Mission Hills - Room with a View

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)

Costco is selling Hyatt Check Certificates. The price is $79.99 (no tax) for two US$50 Hyatt Check Certificates. I purchased some yesterday.

Hyatt Check Certificate fine print

The primary restriction with Hyatt Check Certificates is you can only redeem check certificates for payment in excess of the face value of the certificate.

Hyatt Check Certificates are combinable.

Example: You book the Hyatt Regency San Francisco for $120. After tax, the bill at check-out is $139.

You can only redeem two $50 certificates for a $100 payment credit using Hyatt Check Certificates. You need to pay cash or credit for the remaining $39.

So, you do not actually get 20% off this room since you paid $79.99 ($100 Check certificates) + $39 at checkout for the amount above the certificate value. You actually pay $119 for a $139 bill and save 14% on the total bill.

Maximizing the value of the Hyatt Check Certificates is a matter of getting your final room bill to a “Price is Right” level with a twist.

Your goal with Hyatt Check Certificates is to come as close to an increment of $50 without going under. Get your checkout bill to $100.20 or $151.05 and your total savings will approach 20% using Hyatt Check Certificates for your stays.

Expiration Date: None shown on my certificates.

Loyalty Traveler’s Winter in California Travel Plan with Hyatt Hotels

I am planning a hotel hop through Hyatts in California and perhaps some other states next month to maximize the current promotion offer for a free night at any Hyatt after two stays at any Hyatt brand hotel. The promotion runs through January 31, 2009.

Combined with the free night offer, Hyatt is giving “stays count double” fast-track to elite status.

There are so many combinable promotions that I should bullet them in a recap.

• Earn a free night after every two stays.

• Stays count double for elite status. Platinum elite requires 5 stays in a calendar year and Diamond elite requires 25 stays in a calendar year. This promotion reduces that to 3 stays and 13 stays.

• Save up to 20% on your Hyatt stays by purchasing Hyatt Check Certificates at Costco.

My plan is a simple one and similar to my Hyatt Diamond qualifying hotel hops in March 2008 when Gold Passport also ran a “Stays Count Double” promotion. I will use the month of January in a blitz of Hyatt Hotel stays to maximize my earning of free nights, requalify for Hyatt Diamond elite status through February 2012 with 13 hotel stays in January 2010, and save money through the purchase of Hyatt Check certificates I plan to redeem during my January Hyatt hotel stays.

January is typically the month with the lowest hotel rates and hotel occupancy of the year in many locations.

Assume my average rate is $100 per night. 14 hotel stays is $1,400. I plan to have a stay in December to qualify for 7 free nights with my 13 January stays. I will requalify for Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond through February 2012. I will probably earn around 25,000 Gold passport points with G bonus offers and elite bonuses.

Estimated Spend: $1,100 (after up to 20% savings from Costco Hyatt check certificates)

Estimated Added Value to paid hotel stays: $2,500 to $3,500

1.       7 free nights ($2,000 to $3,000 at a resort property or international urban hotel)

2.       25,000 Gold Passport points ($500)

3.       Regency Club lounge and suite upgrades during paid stays (?)

4.       Travel experience (priceless)

What is the value of hotel loyalty program elite status?

Hyatt Gold Passport made major loyalty program enhancements in 2009.

1.       No blackout dates for free nights using hotel points.

2.       Free internet for elite members.

3.       Diamond members receive complimentary Regency Club access, or in lieu of Regency Club, the member receives restaurant certificates + 2,500 Gold passport points.

4.       Diamond members receive four confirmed suite upgrades per membership year.

I currently have two free nights to use before the end of the month with two different hotel chains. These free nights were given to me solely as an elite member benefit.

Starwood Preferred Guest gave me a free night at any hotel, up to Category 5, as a gift for being SPG Platinum this year (25 stays or 50 nights in a calendar year). I earned my 2009 status in 2008 with a Stays Count Double promotion and a hotel hopping trip to Canada. You can get instant SPG Gold elite if you are new to Starwood Preferred Guest?

Hyatt Gold Passport gave me a free night at any Hyatt Place or Hyatt Summerfield Suites as a Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond member (25 stays or 50 nights in a calendar year). I earned my status for 2009 with two weeks of hotel stays in a March Madness 2008 stimulus tour during a ‘stays count double” promotion.

Loyalty traveler plans to jumpstart 2010 travel with multiple Hyatt experiences. I think it is going to be a good year of travel for this traveler. There is no better time to jump into the loyalty travel game if you can afford the admission fee.

Passports with Purpose – Win 50,000 Hyatt Gold passport points

Passports with Purpose raffle prizes include a chance to win 50,000 Hyatt Gold passport points. $10 will purchase a raffle ticket and help build a new school in Preah Vihear, Cambodia. We raised $13,000 already to build the school and now the goal is another $13,000 to provide health care, food, and clean water for the school. Small actions working together allow us to make a difference.