Hotel Points to Airline Miles Exchange – Wyndham Rewards vs. Starwood

Starwood Hotels scores well in most major surveys in the upscale hotel sector for frequent guests.  Wyndham Rewards is the economy hotel traveler’s domain with brands like Ramada, Days Inn, Travelodge, Howard Johnson, and Super 8.

Wyndham Rewards, like Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG), offers a relatively good value for exchanges of hotel points into airline miles.  Loyalty Traveler took a closer look to see how well Wyndham Rewards matches up with SPG when it comes to trading in your hotel points for miles.

Wyndham Rewards hotel points can be exchanged at three redemption levels:

8,000 points for 3,200 miles,

17,500 points for 7,000 miles,

30,000 points for 12,000 miles

All three levels have the same rate of exchange at 2.5 hotel points = 1 mile.

Wyndham Rewards Airline Partners  (11)

Domestic Airlines                                           International Airlines

American AAdvantage                                    Air China Phoenix Miles

Continental OnePass                                      Air Berlin Top Bonus

Delta SkyMiles                                                Air Canada Aeroplan

Midwest Miles                                                                       

Northwest Airlines WorldPerks

Spirit Airlines Free Spirit

United Mileage Plus

US Airways Dividend Miles

Starwood Preferred Guest Airline Partners (28)

SPG has eight domestic airlines, however, SPG domestic partners include Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, but two Wyndham Rewards airline partners, Midwest and Spirit Airlines, are not available through SPG points-to-miles exchange.  Starwood has a far greater number of international airlines and with airline alliance frequent flyer agreements, there is the option of using most international airline miles for a variety of other airlines including USA domestic tickets.  SPG does not have points-to-miles exchange with Wyndham Rewards partner Air Berlin Top Bonus.

By the Numbers:

The rate of exchange for Starpoints-to-miles with most airline partners is a straight

1 Starpoint = 1 mile. 

SPG points-to-miles transfers provide better value when exchanges are made in 20,000 Starpoints increments and SPG automatically adds a 5,000 Starpoints-to-miles bonus. 

20,000 Starpoints = 25,000 airline miles with 22 of the SPG airline partners.

Wyndham’s Competitive Advantage

“You don’t have to be a star(point), baby, to be in my show”

United and Continental have a lower exchange rate than most Starpoints-to-miles transfers:

2 Starpoints = 1 mile with United or Continental or  

20,000 Starpoints = 12,500 miles with United or Continental Starpoints to miles exchange.

Wyndham Rewards exchange rate is 30,000 points for 12,000 miles with all the major domestic airlines, including United and Continental.  

Essentially the question becomes -  How do you compare the ability to earn 20,000 Starpoints to 30,000 Wyndham Rewards points?

Relative Earning power for Wyndham Rewards and SPG Starpoints.

A general member in Wyndham Rewards earns 10 points per dollar at Wyndham family hotels.

Basically 30,000 points is $3,000 spending.

SPG general member earns 2 Starpoints per dollar at Starwood hotels; 20,000 points = $10,000 in spending.  An elite member earns 3 Starpoints per dollar; 20,000 points = $6,667 in hotel spending. 

A comparison of regular points earning rates without consideration of promotional bonuses favors Wyndham Rewards for persons wanting to exchange points for United or Continental miles. 

American, Delta, Northwest, and US Airways transfer 1:1 Starpoints-to-miles so 20,000 Starpoints = 25,000 miles.  Wyndham Rewards requires 60,000 points for 24,000 miles.

$6,000 in spending with Wyndham Rewards for 60,000 points or 24,000 miles is not significantly different from Starwood’s 20,000 points or 25,000 miles for $6,667 in spending for an SPG elite member (at least 10 hotel stays in a calendar year).  But Wyndham Rewards has a definite advantage for the frequent guest who does not have the Starpoint earning power of SPG elite status.

[See this post on why using 2 or 3 Starpoints/$1 hotel spending underestimates the earning power of the SPG hotel loyalty program in a comparison of hotel loyalty programs.]

Wyndham Double Rewards Points Promotion

Bonuses can make all the difference in value.  And for the next four months, Wyndham currently has the advantage over Starwood with their Wyndham Double Rewards Points promotion.  Register and earn 20 Rewards points per $1 through January 8, 2009.  Unfortunately, the terms and conditions for this promotion limit double points to only four stays during the promotion period, so multi-night stays are more advantageous.

$100 in eligible spending with Wyndham Rewards hotel brands and earn 2,000 points.

$100 in eligible spending with Starwood Hotels earns 200 to 300 points, perhaps as much as 1,200 to 1,300 points with current promotions like the FlyerTalk 500 points/night promo or platinum amenity points.  There are numerous variables in Starpoints earning due to many hotels offering site specific bonuses and SPG regional bonus points offers.  Your travel pattern will influence your earning ability with the SPG program.  Wyndham Rewards is a simple program and there are few regional or site specific special offers for additional points.

The bottom line is Wyndham Rewards has favorable points-to-miles exchanges, on par, and sometimes better than Starwood Preferred Guest.  While the two hotel loyalty programs cater to different market segments, the option to transfer hotel points to miles at a reasonable exchange value is not just for the Starpoint elite travelers.  Wyndham Rewards can put you up for the night and help you get that flight too at a good exchange rate for hotel loyalty programs.

Wyndham Rewards Flights vs. SPG Flights

Wyndham Rewards also offers flight tickets for North America similar to SPG flights. 

Sample ticket price is 53,500 points for a USA domestic ticket up to $360 value.  SPG flights charges 30,000 Starpoints for a $360 ticket.  Wyndham Rewards member can currently earn 20 points/$1 (for up to four stays) compared to 2 or 3 points per $1 with Starwood and whatever SPG bonus points offers can be combined with your stay.

Hilton HHonors One Million Points Contest

Five Prizes of One Million Hilton HHonors Points will be awarded to HHonors members who register for the promotion and book a stay at a Hilton family hotel online on HiltonHHonors.com or rent a car from National Car Rental at nationalcar.com between September 1 and November 30, 2008 and complete the stay or rental by December 15, 2008.  Hotel or car reservation must be made online using the same email address used for contest registration.  (Keep reading to learn the free way to get two daily sweepstakes entries.)

Five Million Reasons to Book Online Registration page

Contest Rules link 

Eligibility: Must be 18 years old and a legal resident of the US.

Registration: Registering for the promotion earns one sweepstakes entry.

Additional Sweepstakes Entries can be earned in three ways (limit of two entries per day of contest per person per email address, regardless of method of entry.):

1.      Hotel Stays: A sweepstakes entry is earned by completing a hotel stay at a Hilton family hotel. 

2.      An eligible car rental requires a mid-size or larger rental in the USA for one or more days.  Up to two entries per day allowed for two eligible car rentals. 

3.      Each time you complete and submit a registration for the Sweepstakes, you are automatically entered in the Sweepstakes (limit 2 entries per day).

Actually the HHonors member does not need to stay at a Hilton hotel or rent a car from National to gain entries to the sweepstakes.  Simply register two times per day for the contest over the internet and increase your chances for one million HHonors points without spending a penny.

The value assigned by HHonors to the one million points prize is $10,000.  The VIP-only awards for Hilton HHonors Category 6 hotels offer a six-night free stay for 175,000 points.  An HHonors member could expect to have sufficient points for about 35 to 40 nights with one million HHonors points at hotels with nightly rates in the $400+ range.  Savvy points redemption could make this prize worth $15,000+ in free hotel stays.

Five winners of one million HHonors points will be selected around January 9, 2009.

Hyatt Gold Passport Fall 2008 Faster Free Nights (FFN) Promotion

The hotel industry’s most generous hotel loyalty program offer, Hyatt’s Faster Free Nights, has once again been officially announced by Hyatt Gold Passport.

Hyatt Regency Santa Clara

Promotion Offer:  Every two stays at a Hyatt brand hotel earns one free night at any hotel in the Hyatt system*.  Promotion registration is required at www.goldpassport.com or by calling Hyatt Reservations and asking for offer code FFNF08.  The number of nights you can earn is not limited.

Promotion dates: September 1 – December 30, 2008 for qualifying stays at Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt Place, and Hyatt Summerfield Suites.

Faster Free Nights Award Redemption dates: September 15 – February 28, 2009

Bonus Offer: 2,000 Hyatt Gold Passport bonus points will be awarded for Hyatt stays paid with a MasterCard.

Hyatt Singapore hallway to elevators

Terms for Faster Free Nights Promotion:

*Amerisuites hotel stays are not eligible for Faster Free Nights promotion.

*Two hotels are not eligible for Faster Free Nights award redemption – Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego and Hyatt Regency Paris – Madeleine.

Only one room per night will be credited towards the member’s Faster Free Nights awards.

Redemption of Faster Free Nights requires a 3-night minimum for a midweek (Monday-Thursday) stay at a non-resort hotel.  [LT note: This means you will need to earn at least 3 nights with 6 hotel stays to use your FFN complimentary nights for maximum flexibility or have sufficient points to add up to a 3-night stay.]

Faster Free Nights awards are not transferrable.

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This is a great promotion for leveraging your loyalty with Hyatt.  Finding room rates of $75 or less per night is not that difficult in many locations and redeeming free nights can potentially save $400+ per night in many resort and urban Hyatt hotels.

Marriott Rewards Fall Megabonus with VISA Card Payment

Registration required for promotion bonus. 

Promotional Period: September 15, 2008 – January 15, 2009

FrequentFlyerBonuses.com reports six variations of Marriott Rewards Fall Megabonus for 25,000 to 50,000 points depending on the specific offer targeted to your member account.

My offer was for 5,000 bonus points after every 3^rd stay, up to 25,000 bonus points.  Assuming one-night stays I could earn 25,000 points for 15 hotel nights.  I currently have no Marriott Rewards elite membership status and I haven’t stayed at a Marriott brand hotel in 2008.

The bonus is a nice addition to regular points earning for Marriott Rewards, but the offer is not enough of an enticement for me to deliberately steer hotel nights to Marriott when there are other options for my hotel loyalty. 

By the numbers:

Assume an $80 per night room rate at a Marriott hotel brand and one-night stays.

$240 in base spending (excluding hotel taxes) for 3 stays could earn 10 points per dollar for 2,400 points.  (Only 5 points per $1 earned with Residence Inn or TownePlace Suites brands.)

2,400 points + 5,000 bonus points = 7,400 points after first 3-stay bonus. 

I could have 22,200 points after 9 stays.  This would be sufficient for a 1-night Pointsavers hotel award for the New York JFK Airport Marriott Courtyard (20,000 points over November and December holidays).  I kind of favor this hotel option after spending 3 hours to commute to Newark, New Jersey for a reasonably priced hotel last year.  But 9 stays is quite a commitment to Marriott when there are so many hotel chains offering hotel stay incentives this fall.

A free hotel night systemwide with Kimpton Hotels is awarded after 7 stays.  Hyatt Gold Passport is rumored to be starting Faster Free Nights in September and this promotion awards a free hotel night in the Hyatt system after two stays.  Starwood Preferred Guest is launching their Fall 2008 promotion in September and details will be released September 16.  In the meantime, I can earn combined Starwood  bonuses using the Summer Stay 1,000 points bonus and the FlyerTalk 500 points bonus per night for stays through September 30.  And Hilton just seems out to lunch in trying to promote hotel activity through promotions.  I feel like I neglect Hilton HHonors, but honestly, I rarely see a competitive promotion from them and I feel they neglect me as a hotel consumer. 

Marriott Rewards is a great program for road warriors on the business circuit or for a leisure traveler just seeking a good quality hotel every once in a while.  The high threshold for elite status with Marriott Rewards keeps me staying with other chains where frequent guest loyalty is rewarded at a lower cost and free hotel nights are easier to obtain.

Other Variations of the Marriott Rewards Fall MegaBonus Targeted Offers:

·         50,000 points:  Earn 35,000 points after 20 nights paid with VISA and an additional 15,000 points after a total of 25 nights.

·         35,000 points after 20 nights paid with VISA.

·         25,000 points after 15 nights paid with VISA, and an additional 10,000 points after 20 nights.

·         25,000 points after 15 nights paid with VISA.

·         2,500 points after every VISA-paid stay, up to 25,000 points.  (This is the best option for the basic Marriott member in my opinion and the offer I would have preferred.  I do like my offer better than the ones which require the member to complete either 15 or 20 nights to receive any bonus points.)

Hyatt 25% Rate Discount Special Offer- Book by August 26

Book by August 26 and save 25% at participating Hyatt Hotels for stays between August 28 and October 1, 2008. 

Terms:

·         Offer valid at participating hotels in USA, Canada, and the Caribbean.  Hyatt has made it easy to find the offer as participating hotels are individually listed by destination.         List of participating hotels

·         Nonrefundable room prepayment required

·         25% savings is based on prevailing rate/best available rate.

·         Offer not valid at Andaz or Park Hyatt hotels.

·        Reservations must be made at Hyatt.com or by calling 1-800-233-1234 and requesting offer code LT0105 

The rumor on FlyerTalk reported last week is Hyatt Gold Passport’s Faster Free Nights (FFN) periodic promotion will begin September 1 and last through December 30, 2008 when every two Hyatt stays earns a certificate for one free night at any Hyatt location globally.  Free nights may be redeemed between September 15, 2008 and February 28, 2009.  This offer has not officially been released to the public, but several FlyerTalkers state the terms have been revealed to them by Hyatt personnel.  Faster Free Nights is one of the highest potential value hotel loyalty promotions offered.

Since the 25% offer is nonrefundable and terms state the special offer rate is not combinable with other promotions, the Hyatt traveler needs to decide if a discount rate for a prepaid stay is a better value than the potential for earning free night credit for stays from September 1-30 if you wait for the Faster Free Nights promotion to be officially launched.

Priority Club Rewards has filled their 25^th Anniversary year with one great hotel loyalty program bonus after another.  Frequent guests of hotels in the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) this year have been getting points and miles boosts. 

Priority Club Fall 2008 Promotion:

Double Miles or Double Points beginning with second stay at an IHG hotel brand or beginning with first stay for Candlewood Suites and Staybridge Suites brand hotels.

Dates: Between 15 September – 15 December, 2008

Terms:

·         Registration required.  No retroactive bonus for stays prior to registration.

·         A stay is defined as one night or consecutive nights at the same hotel regardless of check-in/check-out frequency.

·         Only one room per member per night at a hotel will earn bonus points or miles.

·         Must have miles preference selected in user profile to earn miles.

·         Most business and leisure rates qualify (AAA and senior rates).

·         Participating brands:

1.      InterContinental Hotels

2.      Crowne Plaza

3.      Hotel Indigo

4.      Holiday Inn

5.      Holiday Inn Express

6.      Express by Holiday Inn (this is the international name for hotels like Holiday Inn Express)

7.      Staybridge Suites

8.      Candlewood Suites

Earning Priority Club Points

Eligible spending is room rate (not taxes), food and beverage, telephone, laundry, and in-room movies charged to the member’s room.

Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites stays normally earn 5 points per $1.00 in eligible spending.  Fall 2008 Double Points promotion will earn 10 points/$1.00.

InterContinental Hotels normally earn a flat rate of 2,000 points per stay.

Fall 2008 Double Points promotion will earn 4,000 points/stay.

Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Crowne Plaza, and Hotel Indigo stays normally earn 10 points/$1.00.

Fall 2008 Double Points promotion will earn 20 points/$1.00.

Elite member hotel points bonuses are applied normally on the base points charges for members selecting hotel points earning.

Earning Airline Miles

Due to 13 different earning structures in the Priority Club airline miles charts, the only one covered here is for the main structure of miles earning used by the legacy airlines of United, American, Delta, Continental, Northwest, Alaska, US Airways and some other airlines.

Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Hotel Indigo stays earn 2 miles / $1 in eligible charges.

Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites stays earn 1 mile / $1 in eligible charges.

InterContinental Hotels stays earn 500 miles / stay.

Earning Points vs. Miles in Real Travel

The real value in this promotion is for those members with lower cost stays at Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, and HI Express. 

Assume 6 stays at $100 each for Holiday Inn compared to 2 stays at InterContinental Hotels at $300 each.  Member has no elite status.

Holiday Inn (6 stays at $100/stay)

Stay 1 = 1,000 points or 200 miles

Stay 2 = 2,000 points or 400 miles (Fall 2008 bonus applies)

Stay 3-6 = 8,000 points or 1,600 miles

Total

11,000 points ($126.50 value at $11.50/1,000 points purchase price equivalent)

or

2,200 miles ($60 value at purchase price equivalent of $27/1,000 miles)

InterContinental Hotels (2 stays at $300/stay)

Stay 1 = 2,000 points or 500 miles

Stay 2 = 4,000 points or 1,000 miles (Fall 2008 bonus applies)

Total: 6,000 points ($69.00 value at $11.50/1,000 points purchase price equivalent)

or 1,500 miles ($40.50 value at purchase price equivalent of $27/1,000 miles)

As usual, I find better value in earning hotel points for this promotion than choosing miles.  Better yet is the fact a member can earn elite status with IHG Priority Club based on the number of points earned in a calendar year (Gold = 20,000 points and Platinum = 60,000 points).  In many cases it is an easier qualification standard for a frequent guest to reach Priority Club top elite Platinum membership on points when the member is not quite so frequent a guest as 50 nights in a year.