Here is a recap of my post last week when the same deal was offered. The only thing I have changed is to add a section on HHonors American Express AXON 4-night reward stays for an even greater discount than HHonors VIP rewards for category 6 and 7 hotels.

The Hilton HHonors Daily Getaways sale happens at 1:00pm eastern time. There are no pre-sale sets of points with this offer.

HHonors members can purchase 1 set of points from each set of offers for up to 500,000 HHonors points if you can grab all three sets before they sell out. Grabbing all three sets looks to be a difficult task due to the popularity of Daily Getaways this year. Play the game and get some trusted relatives and friends to help you buy as soon as the sale opens.

100,000 HHonors points

• $550 without Amex ($5.50 per 1,000 points),
• $495 with American Express credit card payment ($4.95 per 1,000 points).
• 80 sets of points available for sale.
• Maximum purchase = 1 set of points.

150,000 HHonors points

• $825 without Amex ($5.50 per 1,000 points),
• $742.50 with American Express credit card payment ($4.95 per 1,000 points).
• 100 sets of points available for sale.
• Maximum purchase = 1 set of points.

250,000 HHonors points

• $1,375 without Amex ($5.50 per 1,000 points)
• $1,237.50 with American Express credit card payment ($4.95 per 1,000 points).
• 100 sets of points available for sale.
• Maximum purchase = 1 set of points.

The value of Hilton HHonors points purchased at these rates

Hilton HHonors uses seven primary hotel reward categories for pricing reward nights.

• Category 1 = 7,500 points ($41.25 / $37.13)
• Category 2 = 12,500 points ($68.75 / $61.88)
• Category 3 = 25,000 points ($137.50 / $123.75)
• Category 4 = 30,000 points ($165.00 / $148.50)
• Category 5 = 35,000 points ($192.50 / $173.25)
• Category 6 = 40,000 points ($220.00 / $198.00)
• Category 7 = 50,000 points ($275.00 / $247.50)
• Waldorf-Astoria (low season) = 50,000 points ($275.00 / $247.50)
• Waldorf-Astoria (high season) = 60,000 points (330.00 / $297.00)

FlyerTalk thread showing HHonors reward tablesand a variety of discount rewards.

Analysis of HHonors reward chart:

In general, I think almost all category 1 and 2 hotel rewards will be a good deal when buying points at these rates.

Category 3-6 will be dependent on the property and the normal room rates. I think most category 6 and 7 hotels will not normally have room rates higher than the cost to buy points if you are looking at a one-night stay.

The problem with HHonors hotel reward assignment is there are numerous hotels in category 6 and 7 that will likely have average hotel rates in the $150 to $175 range for most nights of the year.

The deals with Hilton HHonors are to be found in the select category 7 hotels where rates are typically over $300 per night in certain places like the South Pacific, Europe and Asia.

Hilton New York redemption value = $9.50 per 1,000 points.

Hilton Bora Bora Nui Resort = US$650 before taxes.

DoubleTree Amsterdam = US$289 or $8.25 per 1,000 points redemption value.

The hotels shown here offer substantial savings when using points purchased in the $5 per 1,000 points offers through these Daily Getaways.

Another thing to keep in mind is the extended stay discounts for VIP members and Points & Money discountswhere only half the points are required with a cash supplement.

VIP Discounts available to HHonors Silver, Gold and Diamond elites offer:

• 15% fewer points on 4-night reward stays.
• 20% fewer points on 5-night reward stays.
• 25% fewer points on 6-night or longer reward stays.

The value of reward stays for the examples shown above improve when staying four or more nights and make the Daily Getaways offer even better for HHonors points. Silver status is earned with just 4 hotel stays in a calendar year or instantly if you are a HHonors credit card member.

HHonors American Express Care Members have access to even bigger hotel reward discounts on 4-night stays:

AXON7 Category 7 = 145,000 pointsfor a 4-night reward stay (21.9% savings) compared to the standard 200,000 points or 170,000 points for a VIP reward (15% savings).

AXON6 Category 6 = 125,000 pointsfor a 4-night reward stay (27.5% savings) compared to 136,000 points for a VIP 4-night reward (15% savings).

Bottom line:HHonors points are a good deal at these Daily Getaways rates if you have a plan to use them for high value hotel reward stays. These sets in the 100,000 to 250,000 points quantities are sufficient for getting VIP extended stay rewards or several Points & Money reward nights.

Keep in mind that HHonors is probably the strictest hotel loyalty program for deleting points when a member has no earning or redemption activity for a year or more.

Good luck and be ready to buy exactly when the points go on sale Wednesday May 2 at 1:00pm eastern. 280 sets of points will likely sell out within a minute.

While I don’t consider this to be an exceptional purchase opportunity for everyone, there is no doubt that some HHonors members can find hotel rate savings with these offers. In this post I will show examples of where I think this buy is a great deal.

The Hilton HHonors Daily Getaways sale happens at 1:00pm eastern time. There are no pre-sale sets of points with this offer.

HHonors members can purchase 1 set of points from each set of offers for up to 500,000 HHonors points if you can grab all three sets before they sell out. Grabbing all three sets looks to be a difficult task due to the popularity of Daily Getaways this year. Play the game and get some trusted relatives and friends to help you buy as soon as the sale opens.

100,000 HHonors points

• $550 without Amex ($5.50 per 1,000 points),
• $495 with American Express credit card payment ($4.95 per 1,000 points).
• 80 sets of points available for sale.
• Maximum purchase = 1 set of points.

150,000 HHonors points

• $825 without Amex ($5.50 per 1,000 points),
• $742.50 with American Express credit card payment ($4.95 per 1,000 points).
• 100 sets of points available for sale.
• Maximum purchase = 1 set of points.

250,000 HHonors points

• $1,375 without Amex ($5.50 per 1,000 points)
• $1,237.50 with American Express credit card payment ($4.95 per 1,000 points). 
• 100 sets of points available for sale.
• Maximum purchase = 1 set of points.

The value of Hilton HHonors points purchased at these rates

Hilton HHonors uses seven primary hotel reward categories for pricing reward nights.

• Category 1 = 7,500 points ($41.25 / $37.13)
• Category 2 = 12,500 points ($68.75 / $61.88)
• Category 3 = 25,000 points ($137.50 / $123.75)
• Category 4 = 30,000 points ($165.00 / $148.50)
• Category 5 = 35,000 points ($192.50 / $173.25)
• Category 6 = 40,000 points ($220.00 / $198.00)
• Category 7 = 50,000 points ($275.00 / $247.50)
• Waldorf-Astoria (low season) = 50,000 points ($275.00 / $247.50)
• Waldorf-Astoria (high season) = 60,000 points (330.00 / $297.00)

FlyerTalk thread showing HHonors reward tables and a variety of discount rewards.

Analysis of HHonors reward chart:

In general, I think almost all category 1 and 2 hotel rewards will be a good deal when buying points at these rates.

Category 3-6 will be dependent on the property and the normal room rates. I think most category 6 and 7 hotels will not normally have room rates higher than the cost to buy points if you are looking at a one-night stay.

The problem with HHonors hotel reward assignment is there are numerous hotels in category 6 and 7 that will likely have average hotel rates in the $150 to $175 range for most nights of the year.

The deals with Hilton HHonors are to be found in the select category 7 hotels where rates are typically over $300 per night in certain places like the South Pacific, Europe and Asia.

Hilton New York redemption value = $9.50 per 1,000 points.

Hilton Bora Bora Nui Resort = US$650 before taxes.

DoubleTree Amsterdam = US$289 or $8.25 per 1,000 points redemption value.

The hotels shown here offer substantial savings when using points purchased in the $5 per 1,000 points offers through these Daily Getaways.

Another thing to keep in mind is the extended stay discounts for VIP members and Points & Money discounts where only half the points are required with a cash supplement.

VIP Discounts available to HHonors Silver, Gold and Diamond elites offer:

• 15% fewer points on 4-night reward stays.
• 20% fewer points on 5-night reward stays.
• 25% fewer points on 6-night or longer reward stays.

The value of reward stays for the examples shown above improve when staying four or more nights and make the Daily Getaways offer even better for HHonors points. Silver status is earned with just 4 hotel stays in a calendar year or instantly if you are a HHonors credit card member.

Bottom line: HHonors points are a good deal at these Daily Getaways rates if you have a plan to use them for high value hotel reward stays. These sets in the 100,000 to 250,000 points quantities are sufficient for getting VIP extended stay rewards or several Points & Money reward nights.

Keep in mind that HHonors is probably the strictest hotel loyalty program for deleting points when a member has no earning or redemption activity for a year or more.

Good luck and be ready to buy exactly when the points go on sale Wednesday April 25 at 1:00pm eastern. 280 sets of points will likely sell out within a minute.

Basically the wording states Gold and Diamond members will receive an upgrade if available for the entire stay to at least the next higher category room, but the type of upgrade is solely at the discretion of the hotel. Diamond members have the word “suite” as a room type possibility, but there is no language compelling a hotel to give a member a suite.

New HHonors Diamond Elite Benefits Policy:

Conrad® Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts and DoubleTree by Hilton™ Benefits

All Hilton HHonors Diamond guests will receive each of the following:

• Upgrades to Preferred Rooms.
  Diamond HHonors guests will receive upgrades to preferred rooms, based on availability for the entire stay at the time of check-in. Upgrades for Diamond HHonors guests may include the next-best available room from the room type booked. Upgrades may also be rooms with desirable views, corner rooms, rooms on high floors, rooms with special amenities, rooms on Executive Floors**, or suites, as identified by each property. Some exclusions based on rate and room type may apply. See Terms & Conditions for details.
• 1,000 Hilton HHonors® Bonus Points per stay.
• Continental Breakfast.
  You will receive complimentary Continental breakfast for you and up to one additional registered hotel guest each day of your stay.
• Executive Floor Lounge Access.
  You will always enjoy access to the Executive Floor Lounge, even if you do not receive a room upgrade to the Executive Floor. Executive Floor Lounges are available only at select Conrad® Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, and DoubleTree by Hilton™ properties.

** Executive Lounge Access Policy

The following policy will apply at all Waldorf Astoria® Hotels & Resorts, Conrad® Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, and DoubleTree by Hilton™ hotels with Executive Floor Lounges. Executive Floor Lounges are available only at select properties.

• If you are a Gold HHonors guest, you and up to one additional registered guest will be granted complimentary access to the Executive Floor Lounge only if you receive a room upgrade to the Executive Floor or an upgrade to a room type that confers Executive Floor Lounge access benefits.
• If you are a Diamond HHonors guest, you and up to one additional registered guest will always enjoy complimentary access to the Executive Floor Lounge, even if you do not receive a room upgrade to the Executive Floor.

Diamond Benefits when staying at Waldorf Astoria hotels:

• Expedited HHonors check in at designated desk
• Late checkout based on availability
• Two bottles of water per stay
• Complimentary health club access where available, owned and operated by the hotel
• Welcome beverage (up to two guests)
• Upgrades to preferred rooms*, which may include suites, Executive Floor rooms, or the next-best available room from the room type booked. Upgrades are granted on a space-available basis for the entire stay, as determined at the time of check-in. (Excludes Napua Tower at Grand Wailea and Imperial Floor at Rome Cavalieri)
• Access to the Waldorf Astoria Lounge, even if you do not receive a room upgrade. (PLEASE NOTE: Lounges are available only at select Waldorf Astoria properties.)
• Choose TWO of the following on-property benefits:
  • 1,000 Hilton HHonors bonus points
  • One in-room movie included with your stay (where locally available)
  • Discount at Hotel/Resort facility – either Spa, Golf or Restaurant as designated by the Hotel/Resort management

*Note: if a room upgrade is not available, the member will receive all of the above benefits.

New Hilton HHonors Gold Elite Benefits Policy:

Conrad® Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts and DoubleTree by Hilton™ Benefits

All Hilton HHonors Gold guests will receive the following:

• Upgrades to Preferred Rooms..
  Gold HHonors guests will receive upgrades to preferred rooms, based on availability for the entire stay at the time of check-in. Upgrades for Gold HHonors guests may include the next-best available room from the room type booked. Upgrades may also be rooms with desirable views, corner rooms, rooms on high floors, rooms with special amenities or rooms on Executive Floors**, as identified by each property. Some exclusions based on rate and room type may apply. See Terms & Conditionsfor details.

AND choose ONE of the following:

• Earn 1,000 Hilton HHonors® Bonus Points per stay.
• Continental Breakfast.
  You will receive complimentary Continental breakfast for you and up to one additional registered hotel guest each day of your stay.

** Executive Floor Lounge Access Policy

The following policy will apply at all Waldorf Astoria® Hotels & Resorts, Conrad® Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, and DoubleTree by Hilton™ hotels with Executive Floor Lounges. Executive Floor Lounges are available only at select properties.

• If you are a Gold HHonors guest, you and up to one additional registered guest will be granted complimentary access to the Executive Floor Lounge only if you receive a room upgrade to the Executive Floor or an upgrade to a room type that confers Executive Floor Lounge access benefits.

Gold Benefits when staying at Waldorf Astoria hotels:

• Expedited HHonors check in at designated desk
• Late checkout based on availability
• Two bottles of water per stay
• Complimentary health club access where available, owned and operated by the hotel
• Welcome beverage (up to two guests)
• One category room upgrade* (excludes suites, Napua Tower at Grand Wailea and Imperial Floor at Rome Cavalieri) and choose ONE  of the following:
  • 1,000 HHonors bonus points
  • One in-room movie included with your stay (where locally available)

  *Note:  if a room upgrade is unavailable, the member will receive both of the above benefits.

What do the changes mean?

The wording is open-ended and leaves room upgrades to the hotel’s discretion. That is kind of what the procedure has always been so I’m not really sure these changes have a great impact on room upgrades. Diamonds have a guarantee for a room upgrade and access to Executive Lounges. Gold members may find the new policy more restrictive if Executive Floor rooms are limited in favor of other room category upgrades.

HHonors member experiences vary. My personal experience was pretty good for upgrades as a Gold and particularly nice as a Diamond member.

HHonors Premium Room Rewards introduced in 2011 mean high category rooms can be sold for points last minute. Time will tell how HHonors members are doing with upgrades as more anecdotal evidence appears on FlyerTalk. Here is the FlyerTalk thread discussing the HHonors Diamond elite benefit changes.

The most significant change seems to be for Diamond members with the guarantee of:

• some type of room upgrade,
• 1,000 bonus points,
• free breakfast
• and, if applicable, Executive Lounge access.

Hilton is now matching Hyatt, SPG and Marriott with welcome amenity points and lounge access. Only Hyatt has a matching breakfast benefit while Marriott offers breakfast with excluded properties and weekends.

Gold members have to choose between breakfast and 1,000 bonus points. Breakfast will certainly have more value when used, but 1,000 points is a nice alternative for hotels where you miss breakfast or expense breakfast.

Hilton HHonors and Marriott Rewards have a high bar for reaching top elite status. Most frequent guest travelers will only spend sufficient nights in a hotel to earn either Hilton HHonors Diamond (28 stays or 60 nights) or Marriott Rewards Platinum (75 nights).

Elite Membership Tiers

Marriott Rewards (Marriott Rewards membership levels link)

• Silver = 10 nights (20% elite bonus points).
• Gold = 50 nights (25% elite bonus points).
• Platinum = 75 nights (50% elite bonus points).
• Marriott offers elite rollover nights for 2012 hotel stays to make 2013 qualification easier.

Hilton HHonors (HHonors membership levels link)

• Silver = 4 stays or 10 nights (15% elite bonus points).
• Gold = 16 stays or 36 nights or earn 60,000 base points in a calendar year (25% elite bonus points).
• Diamond = 28 stays or 60 nights or earn 100,000 base points in a calendar year (50% elite bonus points).
• Award stays and nights count for elite credit. “The number of Reward Stays and the number of nights during a Reward Stay will count towards the number of stays and/or nights required for Elite tier qualification.” – HHonors T&C.
• 60,000 and 100,000 base points are equivalent to $6,000 and $10,000 in hotel spend at 10 base points/$1.

InterContinental Hotels Group Priority Club Rewards (Priority Club membership levels link)

• Gold = 15 nights or purchase for $50 or earn 20,000 qualifying points in a calendar year (10% elite bonus points).
• Platinum = 50 nights or earn 60,000 qualifying points in a calendar year (50% elite bonus points).
• InterContinental Ambassador = $200 membership fee or32,000 Priority Club points. InterContinental Ambassador benefits apply only to stays at InterContinental Hotels.(Ambassador FAQ)
• InterContinental Royal Ambassador = by invitation only for select Ambassador members (top 1%) based on factors of total number of nights stayed and revenue. Unpublished qualification criteria estimated to be around 60 hotel nights in IHG properties with stays in several InterContinental Hotels.  FlyerTalk has a thread where members attempt to determine the criteria for Royal Ambassador membership.

Elite Qualification Routes Compared

There are differences in the way each hotel loyalty program qualifies elite members. This post will compare the routes to elite membership in Hilton HHonors, IHG Priority Club and Marriott Rewards. The specific benefits an elite member receives at different membership levels in each hotel program will be discussed in separate Loyalty Traveler posts.

Priority Club Elite

Priority Club is one of the easiest hotel loyalty programs to qualify for high elite Platinum status despite showing the qualification level as 50 nights. And these are 50 paid nights not counting reward stays using points or Points & Cash stays. Only Hilton HHonors, Starwood Preferred Guest and Choice Privileges credit reward stays for annual elite tier qualification.

60,000 qualifying Priority Club points is an easy to reach threshold for guests staying far fewer than 50 nights in a calendar year at IHG hotels. Priority Club counts almost any point earned in your account as an elite qualifying point. About the only Priority Club points that do not count as elite qualifying are points purchased for Points & Cash stays when paying $40 for 5,000 points or $60 for 10,000 points as part of a Points & Cash reward booking. Qualifying points include base points and bonus points earned from hotel stays, bonus points earned from promotions and points earned from partner activities.

Example of earning 60,000 points for Priority Club Platinum elite membership

• Purchase 20,000 Priority Club points for $230 = 20,000 points.
• Hotel stays = 20 nights at Holiday Inn and HI Express @$100/night rate = 20,000 base points.
• Priority Club Double Points Promotion (Jan 23-Apr 30, 2012)  = 20,000 bonus points.
• Gold elite 10% bonus points = 5 nights at $100/night rate = 500 points.
• Total = 60,500 qualifying Priority Club points with 20 hotel nights to earn Platinum elite.

These two activities of buying points and hotel stays during the Priority Club Double Points promotion qualify the Priority Club member for Platinum elite after only 20 hotel nights rather than 50 nights. This is just one example of how easy it is to reach Priority Club Platinum and start earning 50% bonus points.

InterContinental Ambassador lets you buy your way to elite

InterContinental Ambassador is a $200 initial membership ($100 renewal) annually paid program if you are looking for complimentary luxury hotel benefits to supplement those $300 per night stays at InterContinental Hotels. There are many InterContinental Hotels with rates below $150 night many nights of the year, yet there are other IC properties where $300 per night would be quite a discount rate at any time of the year.

InterContinental Royal Ambassador members receive a certificate in their membership packet to gift membership to one other.

Marriott Rewards Elite

Marriott Rewards is consistently voted the best hotel loyalty program in business surveys and even the Freddie Awards in recent years. Marriott Rewards has maintained the toughest elite qualification criteria of any major hotel loyalty program for many years. Mid-tier Gold elite at 50 nights and high-tier Platinum elite at 75 nights far exceed other programs. Hilton, Starwood and Hyatt have hotel stays as an alternative route to elite membership. Stays are a far more favorable qualification route for guests who typically stay one night at a time.

Hilton HHonors Diamond requires 60 nights and Marriott Rewards at 75 nights is 25% more nights than HHonors.  And HHonors counts hotel nights on rewards.

Hilton HHonors takes only 28 stays for HHonors Diamond elite as a different elite qualification route. This means a member can earn HHonors Diamond elite with as few as 28 one-night stays and some of those stays can even be reward stays using points.

Marriott Rewards Elite Rollover Nights is a competitive edge

Elite Rollover Nights appeared in 2009 when the hotel industry was severely impacted by a sudden cutback in global travel.  Marriott Rewards did not alter its stringent elite qualification criteria, but instead lowered the elite qualification threshold in one way, while providing incentive to continue staying with Marriott even after attaining elite status for the calendar year.

Elite Rollover Nights carry any nights in excess of the elite level for the current year to the next calendar year. In 2012 a member who stays 33 nights in Marriott brand hotels earns Silver elite for 2013 after 10 nights, but fails to reach 50 nights for Gold elite. This member starts 2013 as Silver elite and the 23 nights stayed in 2012 above the Silver elite qualification level rollover to 2013 elite qualifying nights. The member starts 2013 with 23 elite qualifying nights and only needs 27 nights in 2013 to reach Gold elite rather than 50 nights. The member will earn Gold elite after 27 nights in 2013.

Elite rollover nights are a powerful incentive for staying with Marriott Rewards as a Silver elite, even if Gold elite is not achievable in 2012.

Marriott Rewards offers Elite Rollover Nights as a promotional benefit to members. 2012 will be the fourth year this benefit has been offered, however, the announcement to extend elite rollover nights did not come until late December 2011. Hotel nights in 2012 will automatically rollover to 2013. There is no guarantee the elite rollover nights benefit will be repeated again for hotel nights stayed in 2013.

Club Carlson set elite rollover nights as a standard program benefit when the new hotel loyalty program launched April 2011. This is the only other hotel loyalty program to offer elite rollover nights.

Hilton HHonors Elite

Hilton has several routes to high elite Diamond status.

• 28 stays can be as few as 28 one-night stays in a year and reward stays count too.
• 60 nights including reward stays.
• 100,000 base points = $10,000 in spend. That might be one wedding or company party.
• HHonors Surpass American Express gives cardmember Diamond elite after $40,000 annual spend.

The multiple routes to reach elite are a competitive advantage of Hilton HHonors over Marriott Rewards.

In my opinion Hilton HHonors Gold (16 stays or 36 nights) is one of the best mid-tier elite levels to have for any hotel loyalty program. HHonors Gold elite is frequently offered in fast-track promotions for as few as four stays in 90 days. A new or returning HHonors member can receive benefits of free internet and free breakfast on hotel stays through 2013 after just four stays.

Elite Status Promotion: Hilton HHonors Gold elite fast-track for Carlson Wagonlit Travel customers. Earn HHonors Gold elite after four stays within 90 days of promotion registration.  Loyalty Traveler post Sep 6.

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

HHonors Reward Stays are Elite Qualifying Stays and Nights

Hilton HHonors was also a pioneer in elite status qualification when it became the first hotel loyalty program to count reward nights and stays several years ago. Choice Privileges and Starwood Preferred Guest are two other hotel loyalty programs that changed in the past couple of years to count reward stays for elite status.

The introduction of HHonors Points & Money Rewards in 2011 means counting reward stays for elite qualification is even more rewarding. Points & Money rewards require only 50% standard reward points. A member with 100,000 points can buy two category-7 standard reward nights at 50,000 points each.  Points & Money rewards allow the same 100,000 points to buy four separate category-7 reward nights with a cash supplement ($85/night) and earn up to 4 elite qualifying stays and 4 nights.

HHonors Points & Money are a 2011 reward enhancement, even though the program also introduced HHonors Premium Rewards that seems to have negatively impacted Diamond level members with decreased access to room rewards at the standard rate.

Elite Challenges

Marriott offers a Gold Challenge for 12 nights in 90 days or Platinum Challenge with 18 nights in 90 days. You receive gold or Platinum elite level for 90 days and drop back to earned status if challenge not successful. You must be enrolled in either Gold or Platinum Challenge. You do not earn Gold elite if you fall 3 nights short on a Platinum Challenge with only 15 nights even though that would have been sufficient for the Gold Challenge.

Elite level membership after completing the challenge is maintained at Gold or Platinum elite through February 2013, unless you requalify for the same or higher tier. So you need to have 50 or 75 nights in 2012 to retain elite level through 2013. Challenges starting in July 2012 may last through Feb 2014. FlyerTalk thread on Marriott Platinum and Gold Challenges from last six months and Dec 2011 thread.

Hilton offers Diamond Challenge for 19 to 21 nights in a 90 day period. FlyerTalk thread.

HHonors status match discussed in this FlyerTalk thread. Remember that status match is generally a once-in-a-lifetime match when granted by a hotel loyalty program. Challenges can be periodically repeated. Do not waste a status match unless you plan to use it. You may regret it a couple of years from now when you could really use the instant elite status and that long expired top elite member card is sitting in your drawer.

Marriott elite status match FlyerTalk thread.

You can generally get a status match if you truly have the potential of a high-revenue guest with frequent hotel stays. The people getting instant status through a hotel loyalty promotion and no record of frequent stays might find it more difficult to get a hotel loyalty status match.

The Credit Card Route to Elite

Marriott, Hilton and IHG Priority Club offer an easy route to low tier elite simply by enrolling as a credit card member with Hilton HHonors Visa or American Express, Marriott Rewards Visa or Priority Club Visa.  Hilton HHonors is the winner for credit card benefits.

• All HHonors credit cards confer complimentary HHonors Silver elite. HHonors Diamond membership is achievable through HHonors Surpass American Express after $40,000 annual card spend.
• Marriott Rewards Visa gives either 10 or 15 elite nights annually for instant Silver elite status.
• Priority Club Visa gives complimentary Gold elite.
• This Loyalty Traveler post from March 2011 is still fairly accurate on the elite benefits available through hotel points credit cards.
• Disclosure: I do not partner affiliate with any credit card providers. The links in my posts where I discuss credit cards are not affiliate marketing links for my Loyalty Traveler business.

Loyalty Traveler series: Comparison of Hilton HHonors, Marriott Rewards and IHG Priority Club hotel loyalty programs

1. Hilton, Marriott and IHG Hotel Brand Market Segments (Jan 15, 2012) – this post lists the different hotel brands, number of hotels in the brand, percentage of hotels in each brand and brand’s hotel market segment.

2. Hilton, IHG Marriott: Earning Base Points and Miles (Jan 17, 2012).

3. Making Elite with Marriott, IHG, Hilton (Jan 18, 2012) – Discussion of elite qualification requirements, elite status challenges and status matches.

This series will continue with a look at the redemption options using points and comparative analysis of these three programs.

IHG Priority Club has major changes taking effect in reward tiers for free nights January 18, 2012. I will compare reward cost for Hilton, Marriott and IHG free nights after the Priority Club changes are published and the new higher rates are in effect.

Register by phone with Hilton Reservations and Customer Care by requesting Promotion Code ‘CFTE’.

Online registration is here.

HHonors member must complete the four qualifying stays within 90 days of enrollment to earn HHonors Gold membership. Elite membership status will be valid for the year earned and the subsequent year.

Loyalty Traveler analysis:

This is an offer targeted exclusively to Carlson Wagonlit Travel customers. The wording of this offer states member will have Gold elite after four stays within 90 days of promotion enrollment and maintain that status for the calendar year Gold elite is earned and the following year. This means you can earn Gold elite after four stays in early 2012 and maintain that status for two years through end of March 2014.

HHonors Gold Member Benefits

Benefits include:

• Complimentary breakfast at all brands except Waldorf-Astoria. Hilton’s breakfast benefit unmatched by any other mid-tier level except Marriott Rewards Gold (50 nights) and that benefit does not apply to 800 hotels in Courtyard by Marriott brand or at Marriott resorts.
• Room upgrades (as available) and when given Executive Floor room upgrade, lounge access included.
• Free in-room internet.
• 25% bonus on all HHonors Base Points earned.
• Complimentary access to hotel-owned-and-operated health clubs.
• Access to VIP Elite only rewards like 4 to 14 night reward stay discounts of 15% to 25% off standard free night rate.

Register by phone with Hilton Reservations and Customer Care by requesting Promotion Code ‘CFTE’.

Online registration is here.

HHonors member must complete the four qualifying stays within 90 days of enrollment to earn HHonors Gold membership. Elite membership status will be valid for the year earned and the subsequent year.

Loyalty Traveler analysis:

This is an offer targeted exclusively to Carlson Wagonlit Travel customers. The wording of this offer states member will have Gold elite after four stays within 90 days of promotion enrollment and maintain that status for the calendar year Gold elite is earned and the following year.

Promotion registration dilemma

This leaves eligible HHonors members with a dilemma for when to register for this targeted CWT promotion.

1. Sign up now and you will have 90 days in 2011 to complete four stays and earn HHonors Gold for the remainder of 2011 and 2012. Signing up in 2011 is fine if you plan to use Hilton Hotels in 2012 and retain Gold status with 16 stays or 36 nights. You will maintain Gold elite through 2013 if you meet the normal Hilton HHonors Gold stays or nights in 2012.

2. If you wait and register for this CWT fast-track offer in early 2012, then you have 90 days to make four stays and you will have HHonors Gold elite membership for all of 2012 and 2013, even if you have few stays after qualifying for HHonors Gold. This promotion states it runs through 12/31/2013, but may be terminated without notice. These fast-track offers sometimes disappear before their scheduled end date.

HHonors Gold Member Benefits

On-property benefits include:

• Room upgrades (as available), Bonus Points, eCheck-in and other comforts

• Free access to Wi-Fi

• A 25% bonus on all HHonors Base Points earned

• Complimentary access to hotel-owned-and-operated health clubs

• Access to VIP Elite only rewards like 4 to 14 night reward stay discounts of 15% to 25% off standard free night rate.

Complimentary HHonors Diamond for Virgin Australia Velocity Platinum members in Australia.

Australians might want to look into this HHonors fast-track elite offer from Virgin Australia.

Gary Leff blogged a couple days ago on View from the Wing about getting a status match to Virgin Australia to take advantage of the Velocity frequent flier elite benefit for limited-time complimentary HHonors Gold or Diamond elite status.

Current HHonors Gold and Diamond members receive 5,000 points for Visa Signature card registration.

FlyerTalk members report this offer works with many airline and hotel credit cards besides HHonors Visa such as Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, Hyatt Gold Passport, Marriott Rewards, Priority Club, and Canada Infinite Visa. Here is the HHonors Gold elite Visa Signature thread on Milepoint.com.

HHonors Gold elite includes complimentary high-speed internet, 25% bonus points and possibly hotel lounge benefits. Benefits vary by Hilton brand. Here is the link for HHonors Gold benefits.

HHonors Visa Signature promotion FAQ.

HHonors Visa Signature terms and conditions.

The reward dates at most properties give the appearance of Point Stretcher rewards being a weekend stay discount program. Most hotels offer these rewards only for Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.

New Zealand caught my attention as a location offering full months of Point Stretcher availability for their winter months at the Hilton Queenstown, Kawarau Hotel in Queenstown on the South Island and Hilton Lake Taupo on the North Island. June, July and August are winter days and nights in New Zealand.

Hilton Cape Town City Centre South Africa also has full month Point Stretcher dates for June through August. I read a travel piece a couple years back by a writer who hung out in Cape Town during the winter and described the tranquility of the off-season while working on a book and the terrific storms that hit the Cape.

Point Stretchers are great value rewards for one to three night stays where no other discount option is available. HHonors VIP elites have regular access to VIP Rewards for 15% discount on 4-night stays, 20% on 5-night stays, and 25% on stays of 6 to 14 nights.

American Express cardmembers also have the option of Hilton AXON reward stays of 4 nights at category 6 and 7 hotels.

AXON category 6 reward = 125,000 points (regular cost = 160,000 points) = 21.9% discount.

AXON category 7 reward = 145,000 points (regular cost = 200,000 points) = 27.5% discount.

Point Stretcher rewards can be a great value. The best hotel room upgrade Kelley and I ever had with Hilton was on a Point Stretcher stay in July 2002 at the Hilton Budapest in the King Duna Suite overlooking the Danube River.

Hilton Budapest is on the current Point Stretcher list. Pack your coat though since dates are only available for November 2011 stays at 21,000 points per night for this category 5 HHonors hotel.

Hilton Budapest view (this photo is lifted from Hilton website since I didn't bring a camera on our trip with the spectacular room views).

Hilton Budapest hotel photos. 

Related Post: Loyalty Traveler’s Hilton HHonors Comprehensive Reward Charts for HHonors Standard Rewards, HHonors VIP rewards, Waldorf Astoria Collection rewards, Hilton Grand Vacations rewards, American Express AXON rewards, and Point Stretcher rewards. (September 13, 2010)

A shift of one week in hotel stay dates results in 32,000 points savings on a normally 80,000 points two-night reward stay. Even a three night Point Stretcher stay requires just 72,000 points for the HHonors hotel category 6 Conrad Brussels.

I burned over 2 million Hilton HHonors points in the past 12 years. More than 90% of those reward nights were reduced points rewards – either Point Stretcher nights or HHonors VIP discounted 6-night rewards. Singapore, Germany, Spain, Ireland, and Belgium are a few of the locations I stayed on Point Stretcher nights. These discounts allowed me to stay about 50 more nights at Hilton properties than if I had redeemed using standard rewards like 40,000 points for the HHonors category 6 Conrad Brussels.

Discount Hotel Rewards

Several hotel programs offer discount hotel reward nights. Marriott Rewards calls them PointSavers, Hilton HHonors trademarked Point Stretcher and Priority Club has PointBreaks.

Starwood Preferred Guest has Cash & Points and a similar reduced points and cash component offer is available for Priority Club at IHG properties and Goldpoints Plus for Carlson Hotels’ Radisson and Country Inn.

There are differences in each of these program’s offers. Here is a summary of how each offer works and what you can reasonably expect to find.

Three categories of hotel reward discounts.

Limited Date Discounts

• IHG PointBreaks = 5,000 points per free reward night. (IHG reward nights are normally 10,000 to 40,000 points per night.)
• Marriott Rewards PointSavers = discount to next lower hotel category reward level; for example, category 5 hotel (25,000 points/night) requires category 4 points (20,000 points/night) for free nights. 5^th night free does apply to PointSavers rate.
• Hilton HHonors Point Stretcher  = Pay 60% of standard reward points per night (40% discount); for example, category 6 hotel at 40,000 points is 24,000 points per night with PointStretchers. HHonors VIP Extended stay discount (4 or more nights) does not apply to Point Stretcher rewards. 

Extended Stay Reward Discounts

• Marriott Rewards =  5^th night free (pay hotel category level points for four nights)
• Starwood Preferred Guest =  5^th night free (pay hotel category level points for four nights)
• HHonors VIP rewards for stays 4 nights (15% discount); 5 nights (20% discount); 6 to 14 nights (25% discount). VIP discount rewards are restricted to HHonors elite members Silver and higher.
• Goldpoints plus = 10% fewer points for additional reward nights after first night.

Cash and Points Rewards

• Starwood Preferred Guest Cash and Points nights require 40% normal points and cash portion ranging from $15 to $150 depending on SPG hotel category level from 1 to 6. Not applicable to SPG category 7 hotels. Cash & Points have the potential for very high savings and points value. There are opportunities to save more than $200 on published room rates and receive a very high redemption value for your points, particularly at the category 4 ($60 + 4,000 points) and category 5 ($90 + 4,800 points) award level.
• SPG Cash & Points awards are capacity controlled.   

SPG Cash & Points chart

• Category 1 = $25 + 1,200 points (only in U.S., Canada, Asia-Pacific)
• Category 2 = $30 + 1,600 points (only in U.S., Canada, Asia-Pacific)
• Category 3 = $45 + 2,800 points
• Category 4 = $60 + 4,000 points
• Category 5 = $90 + 4,800 points
• Category 6 = $150 + 8,000 points
• Category 7 = N/A

Priority Club – Points + Cash is a system for buying points to complete a hotel reward stay booking. Two options: Pay $40 for 5,000 points or $60 for 10,000 points. This option is available even if you have sufficient points for the hotel reward stay. This is a way to buy points at a huge discount and save Priority Club points for more hotel free nights. Buying points directly from Priority Club costs $230 for 20,000 points.

Goldpoints Plus Cash & Points offers the option to pay a cash supplement for reduced points reward nights. Category 1 to 3 hotels require 5,000 points and category 4 to 6 hotels require 10,000 points. Cash portion determined at time of hotel booking.  

Important to Remember: Reward stays, including Cash and Points rewards, do not earn hotel stay credit for annual elite qualification, with the exception of Hilton HHonors and Choice Privileges where reward stays earn elite qualification credit.

IHG PointBreaks

These are the cheapest hotels available in hotel loyalty world at 5,000 Priority Club points per night, but I am wondering if Prioity Club members have seen the best days pass for this incredible reward discount. The last two PointBreaks lists may indicate a new pattern for PointBreaks with mid-month release in December and January for hotel stays through the end of the following month. The list released this week does not include a single InterContinental Hotel which I hope does not become a new trend.

June 7, 2010 – 118 hotels (79 US, 39 international) – stay through August 30, 2010.

August 2, 2010 – 130 hotels (79 US, 51 international) – stay through October 30, 2010.

October 4, 2010 – 126 hotels (77 US, 49 international) – stay through December 30, 2010.

December 13, 2010 – 35 hotels (15 US, 20 international) – stay through January 30, 2011.

January 24, 2011 – 55 hotels (31 US, 24 international) – stay through February 28, 2011.

The deal here is any hotel on the list is available for 5,000 points. All Crowne Plaza hotels have a standard reward cost of 25,000 points per night. A PointBreaks reward night for a hotel like Crowne Plaza Denver International Airport is an 80% discount.

InterContinental Hotels have standard rates at 30,000 points or 40,000 points per night. Landing a PointBreaks vacation at an InterContinental Hotel like IC Budapest (October 2010 PointBreaks hotel) means your 40,000 points can put you in a hotel room for an eight night Pointbreaks vacation rather than just a one night stay using a standard 40,000 points reward.

PointBreaks reward nights were an 87.5% discount at the normally 40,000 points per night InterContinental Budapest luxury hotel for stays October through December 2010.

Marriott Rewards PointSavers (Loyalty Traveler post 1/26 Marriott PointSavers)

Marriott Rewards PointSavers reduce the cost of an award night by one category level. A great feature of these rewards is the 5^th night free is still offered with PointSavers. A category 6 hotel reward is normally 30,000 points per night or five nights for 120,000 points. PointSavers reduce the nightly cost of a category 6 reward down to the rate for a category 5 reward at 25,000 points per night or 100,000 points for five nights.

Biggest savings is 33% and results at Marriott category 3 level where a 15,000 points per night reward is just 10,000 points when paying the category 2 hotel reward rate. Five nights at a category 3 hotel for 40,000 points with a PointSavers reservation will likely have a high redemption value for your points in excess of $10 per 1,000 points (this occurs when the published rate of the hotel is more than $80 per night or $400 for five nights).

Marriott Rewards PointSavers Chart

PointSavers Free Nights

• Category 1 – Standard =  7,500 points; PointSavers = 6,000
• Category 2 – Standard = 10,000 points; PointSavers = 7,500
• Category 3 – Standard = 15,000 points; PointSavers = 10,000
• Category 4 – Standard = 20,000 points; PointSavers = 15,000
• Category 5 – Standard = 25,000 points; PointSavers = 20,000
• Category 6 – Standard = 30,000 points; PointSavers = 25,000
• Category 7 – Standard = 35,000 points; PointSavers = 30,000
• Category 8 – Standard = 40,000 points; PointSavers = 35,000

PointSavers are also available for select Ritz-Carlton Hotels offering 10,000 points per night discount. 

Hilton HHonors Point Stretcher (Loyalty traveler Dec 3 post HHonors Point Stretcher)

Hilton HHonors published a long list of hotels in early December offering Point Stretcher reward dates through May 2011. This is a welcome change for a program feature that languished a couple of years with very weak offerings. The hundreds of hotels on the current Point Stretcher list make Marriott Rewards, at just 25 hotels currently posted as PointSavers, look like the Hilton HHonors of old.

But don’t count on finding a Hilton HHonors Point Stretcher Category 1 Reward anytime soon.

Point Stretcher Free Nights Chart

• Category 1 – Standard =  7,500 points; Point Stretcher = 4,500
• Category 2 – Standard = 12,500 points; Point Stretcher = 7,500
• Category 3 – Standard = 25,000 points; Point Stretcher = 15,000
• Category 4 – Standard = 30,000 points; Point Stretcher = 18,000
• Category 5 – Standard = 35,000 points; Point Stretcher = 21,000
• Category 6 – Standard = 40,000 points; Point Stretcher = 24,000
• Category 7 – Standard = 50,000 points; Point Stretcher = 30,000

Extended Hotel Stay Rewards

Carlson Hotels goldpoints plus (Radisson, Park Inn and Country Inn) discount every reward night after the first night by 10%. This is the best standard discount available for two or three night stays in hotel loyalty world.

Four night stays: Hilton HHonors steps in with a 15% total points discount available as an elite member VIP reward.

Five night stays: Hilton, Marriott and Starwood all discount five night stays by 20%. Hilton restricts all VIP discount rewards to elite members.

Hilton HHonors unquestionably wins the biggest discount contest with 25% off the reward cost for stays of 6 to 14 nights. Marriott Rewards was the best discount until they went to 5^th night free in 2009. That being said, there is still competitiveness for Marriott with Hilton in that the hotel category reward distribution is much more skewed to lower categories for Marriott than Hilton. For example, there are many places where Marriott Rewards category 4 and 5 hotels are the same hotel market segment class as Hilton HHonors category 5, 6 and 7 hotels.

Marriott Rewards category 5 = 25,000 points per night or 7 nights = 150,000 points (5^th night free).

Hilton HHonors category 6 = 40,000 points or 7 nights = 210,000 points (25% discount).

HHonors Points & Points earner at 15 points/$1 compared to Marriott Rewards at 10 points/$1 makes these two rewards nearly comparable in points cost for the respective programs. The promotions make all the difference for the member (or credit card earning).

Hilton, Marriott, SPG and goldpoints have the advantage over all the other hotel loyalty programs offering no discount for extended night hotel stays.

Conclusion: The value of your points increases when you take advantage of discount rewards. There are many hotels offering discount reward rates at any given time.

Hilton HHonors made major changes to its standard and VIP reward charts with the January 15, 2010 hotel category changes when about 83% of the 3,500 or so hotels in HHonors increased by one hotel reward category.

Hilton HHonors Standard Rewards Chart

link to HHonors reward charts

Hilton HHonors VIP Rewards Chart

HHonors VIP elite members (Silver, Gold, Diamond) have access to discounted rewards. The discount is a fixed rate for HHonors category 4, 5, 6 and 7 hotels.

4-nights VIP reward = 15% discount on standard nightly reward rate (HHonors is only program to discount 4-night stays)

5-nights VIP reward = 20% discount on standard nightly reward rate  (Marriott and Starwood Preferred Guest also give a 20% points discount on 5-night rewards.)

6-nights or longer VIP reward = 25% discount on standard nightly reward rate (biggest standard discount for hotel loyalty programs)

link to HHonors VIP Rewards charts

Note on HHonors Category 3 hotel VIP rewards: Since category 3 uses same VIP rewards as category 4 hotels, there is a smaller discount when VIP rewards are used for category 3 hotels.

Category 3 hotels are shown as being the same VIP reward cost as Category 4 hotels. This actually changed in 2011 even though the chart was never changed to give the standard discount rate of 15% points on 4-night stays, 20% on 5-nights and 25% on 6 nights or more.

Category 3 VIP reward cost

• 25,000 points = Standard Reward rate
• 85,000 points = VIP 4-night reward
• 100,000 points = VIP 5-night reward
• 112,500 points = VIP 6-night reward.
• 18,750 points per night (25% discount) for 7 or more nights.

American Express AXON Rewards

(HHonors American Express card members have complimentary HHonors Silver VIP elite membership.)

Loyalty Traveler Chart for HHonors American Express AXON Rewards

The net effect of category shift in 2010 (category 6 hotels moving up to category 7 hotels) is zero for American Express card members. The AXON6 in 2009 cost 145,000 points. These same hotels are almost all category 7 hotels in 2010 and the AXON7 in 2010 still costs 145,000 points.

Hilton HHonors Point Stretcher Reward Chart

HHonors Point Stretcher rewards give a 40% discount on the standard reward rate. This reward option had faded out over the past couple of years and these rewards were unavailable for much of the past year. In September 2010 the participating hotels in the Point Stretcher reward list was the largest selection of hotels I recall seeing in several years with several hundred hotels.

link to HHonors reward charts

Hilton HHonors Waldorf Astoria Collection Rewards Chart

Waldorf Astoria Collection is Hilton’s fast growing luxury brand. There are currently 23 WAC properties. Most of these hotels use the same reward chart. Waldorf Astoria Park City, Utah; Beach House, Maldives; and Grand Wailea use different reward charts.

Las Casitas are WAC villas associated with the El Conquistador Resort in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. I am not sure where these fall in the 2010 reward chart. In 2009 the rates were listed as 125,000 points per night (2-bedroom ocean view); 150,000 points per night for 3-bedroom garden view and 180,000 points per night for 3-bedroom villa ocean view.

London Syon Park is opening in December 2010 adjacent to a historic manor house estate.

Qasr al Sharq in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia is a Waldorf Astoria Hotel not shown in these reward charts. This hotel was listed at 120,000 points per night for a junior suite and 160,000 points per night for an executive suite in the 2009 charts and in this 2008 InsideFlyer article, however, I can’t find a current link to reward nights. Anyone else know?

The Waldorf Astoria Reward Codes and Points (links go to hotel site pages)

1.  Arizona Biltmore | Phoenix, Arizona
2.  Boca Beach Club, The Waldorf Astoria Collection | Boca Raton, Florida
3.  Boca Raton Resort, The Waldorf Astoria Collection | Boca Raton, Florida
4.  Casa Marina Resort, The Waldorf Astoria Collection | Key West, Florida
5.  Edgewater Beach Hotel | Naples, Florida
6.  El Conquistador Resort, The Waldorf Astoria Collection | Fajardo, Puerto Rico
7.  El San Juan Hotel & Casino, The Waldorf Astoria Collection | San Juan, Puerto Rico
8.  La Quinta Resort & Club | La Quinta, California (Palm Springs area)
9.  Naples Grande Beach Resort, The Waldorf Astoria Collection | Naples, Florida
10.  Rome Cavalieri | Rome, Italy
11.  The Bentley, London | London, UK
12.  The Boulders Resort, The Waldorf Astoria Collection | Scottsdale, Arizona
13. The Reach Resort, The Waldorf Astoria Collection | Key West, Florida
14.  The Roosevelt Hotel New Orleans, The Waldorf Astoria Collection | New Orleans, Louisiana
15.  The Waldorf=Astoria® | New York, New York
16. Trianon Palace Versailles, Waldorf Astoria Collection | Versailles, France
17. Waldorf Astoria Orlando | Orlando, Florida
18. Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund  | Shanghai, China

link to HHonors reward charts

19. Waldorf Astoria Park City | Park City, Utah

20. The Beach House Maldives, Manafaru Island, Maldives

link to HHonors reward charts

21. Grand Wailea, Waldorf Astoria Collection | Wailea, Maui, Hawaii

Waldorf Astoria Collection VIP Rewards

When the HHonors changes were first announced in October 2009 there was a link to the WAC rewards. The url for that page is still listed on the HHonors site, but now loads a blank page. Here is what the chart looked like before.

Group A should be the main group of hotels shown as #1-18 above. The VIP Reward discount for Waldorf Astoria Collection hotels is still 15% on 4-night VIP Rewards; 20% on 5-night rewards; 25% on 6-night or longer (up to 14 nights) rewards.

Group B was the Dakota Mountain Lodge in 2009, renamed in 2010 as the Waldorf Astoria Park City. The Beach House Maldives should also be in group B.

Group C was the Grand Wailea and the Bentley London in the original list. It looks like the Bentley London reduced its rates for 2010 and is now a Group A property.

High season dates need to be checked for each hotel. I do not see this information posted on HHonors or hotel pages.

Again, this WAC chart is from a Hilton webpage posted in October 2009 regarding the 2010 changes. The page was removed from the Hilton site and there does not appear to be a current link to a  Waldorf Astoria Collection VIP Rewards chart.

Hilton Grand Vacations Club

Hilton has a feature similar to Hyatt with the option to use reward nights for stays in timeshare resort rentals for less cost than a typical hotel reward. These Vacation Club properties are often located adjacent to hotel properties.

Hilton HHonors Standard/Point Stretcher/WAC/Vacation Club Reward Charts link

Hilton HHonors VIP Rewards chart link

Hilton HHonors Standard Hotel Rewards (only shows single night rate)

Hilton HHonors All-Inclusive Resorts (two resorts in Costa Rica and two in Egypt)

Hilton HHonors Reward Categories (HHonors requires search of specific hotels by country, and in the US the list can be narrowed down by state. Highly inefficient search engine compared to Hyatt, Marriott and SPG which allow all hotels globally in any specific category to be displayed in one list.)