Hilton HHonors VIP Rewards and American Express HHonors AXON Awards

Hilton American Express cardmembers have access to a four night discount award for an HHonors Category 5 or 6 hotel. The AXON5 award at 125,000 points or AXON6 award at 145,000 points save 15,000 points on the HHonors rate for a 4-night award.

HHonors VIP Rewards

Category 3 hotels are regularly 25,000 points per night, therefore, a discount using a GLON2 reward for a Category 3 hotel only kicks in for a 7-night or longer stay.

HHonors Category 3 hotel = 155,000 points / 7 nights = 22,142 points/night compared to the regular 25,000 points per night.

GLON2, Category 4 = 150,000 points per night / 6 nights = 25,000 points per night. This is a 17% discount on the regular Category reward night at 30,000 points. One of the best HHonors reward values is a 7-night GLON2, Category 4 reward stay for 155,000 points.  The per night discount increases to 26%. Additional nights are 20,000 points per night for GLON2, Category 4 reward stays longer than 7 nights.   

HHonors American Express membership offers a route to discounted four night stays. HHonors VIP reward discounts do not kick in until at least a 6-night hotel stay at 150,000 points for a Category 5 hotel or 175,000 points for a Category 6 hotel.   

 Hilton HHonors VIP elite rewards and Hilton HHonors American Express cardmember discounts

	Hotel Reward and Points	HHonors Hotel Category	Reward Nights Using Points	Points Per Night (rounded to nearest 25)	Regular HHonors per night rate	Points Savings per night
HHonors VIP Reward	GLON407 155,000	3	7	22,150	25,000	11%
HHonors VIP Reward	GLON408 175,000	3	8	21,875	25,000	13%
HHonors VIP Reward	GLON409 195,000	3	9	21,675	25,000	13%
HHonors VIP Reward	GLON410 215,000	3	10	21,500	25,000	14%
HHonors VIP Reward	GLON411 235,000	3	11	21,375	25,000	15%
HHonors VIP Reward	GLON412 255,000	3	12	21,250	25,000	15%
HHonors VIP Reward	GLON413 275,000	3	13	21,150	25,000	15%
HHonors VIP Reward	GLON414 295,000	3	14	21,075	25,000	16%
HHonors VIP Reward	GLON2 150,000	4	6	25,000	30,000	17%
HHonors VIP Reward	GLON407 155,000	4	7	22,150	30,000	26%
HHonors VIP Reward	GLON408 175,000	4	8	21,875	30,000	27%
HHonors VIP Reward	GLON409 195,000	4	9	21,675	30,000	28%
HHonors VIP Reward	GLON410 215,000	4	10	21,500	30,000	28%
HHonors VIP Reward	GLON411 235,000	4	11	21,375	30,000	29%
HHonors VIP Reward	GLON412 255,000	4	12	21,250	30,000	29%
HHonors VIP Reward	GLON413 275,000	4	13	21,150	30,000	30%
HHonors VIP Reward	GLON414 295,000	4	14	20,500	30,000	32%
HHonors American Express Members	AXON5 125,000	5	4	31,250	35,000	11%
HHonors VIP Reward	GLON2 150,000	5	6	25,000	35,000	29%
HHonors VIP Reward	GLON507 175,000	5	7	25,000	35,000	29%
HHonors VIP Reward	GLON508 200,000	5	8	25,000	35,000	29%
HHonors VIP Reward	GLON509 225,000	5	9	25,000	35,000	29%
HHonors VIP Reward	GLON510 250,000	5	10	25,000	35,000	29%
HHonors VIP Reward	GLON511 275,000	5	11	25,000	35,000	29%
HHonors VIP Reward	GLON512 300,000	5	12	25,000	35,000	29%
HHonors VIP Reward	GLON513 325,000	5	13	25,000	35,000	29%
HHonors VIP Reward	GLON514 350,000	5	14	25,000	35,000	29%
HHonors American Express members	AXON6 145,000	6	4	36,250	40,000	9%
HHonors VIP Reward	GLONP2 175,000	6	6	29,150	40,000	27%
HHonors VIP Reward	GLONP07 205,000	6	7	29,300	40,000	27%
HHonors VIP Reward	GLONP08 235,000	6	8	29,375	40,000	27%
HHonors VIP Reward	GLONP09 265,000	6	9	29,450	40,000	26%
HHonors VIP Reward	GLONP10 295,000	6	10	29,500	40,000	26%
HHonors VIP Reward	GLONP11 325,000	6	11	29,550	40,000	26%
HHonors VIP Reward	GLONP12 350,000	6	12	29,150	40,000	27%
HHonors VIP Reward	GLONP13 380,000	6	13	29,225	40,000	27%
HHonors VIP Reward	GLONP14 410,000	6	14	29,300	40,000	27%

 VIP Rewards do not offer a per night discount for hotels below Category3.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marriott Rewards has hotel redemption offers exclusively for elite members.  The changes to Marriott Rewards is prompting many elite members with 150,000 points or more to take advantage of high value elite redemptions with regional hotel sampler rewards before the 2009 calendar date change.

Marriott Rewards elite members (Silver, Gold, Platinum) have the option to purchase 7-night multiple hotel stay Sampler rewards called Hawaii Hopper or Europe Hopper for 150,000 points.  These Marriott Rewards hotel redemption certificates are issued as three paper certificates for 2-night, 2-night, and 3-night combination of hotels and are valid for 12-months from issue date for any participating Marriott hotel within the Marriott-defined region of Europe or Hawaii.  There are also Sampler Rewards for Florida and UK/Ireland. 

Marriott Rewards elite members have the opportunity to redeem Europe or Hawaii Hopper awards under the 2008 award rules and benefit from the “No Blackouts” rules changes in effect January 15, 2009.  The Hopper does not require advance reservations and is valid for any Marriott Rewards category of hotel redemption, including the soon to be Category 8 hotels. 

The Marriott Rewards member can order these certificates (Europe Hopper must be ordered by December 31; Hawaii by January 14, 2009) before the 2009 change at the low rate of 21,429 points per night.  2009 per night redemption rates will be 30,000 for a Category 6 hotel; 35,000 points for Category 7; and 40,000 points for Category 8 hotels with a 5^th night free on longer hotel stays.

There are 14 Marriott Hotels listed for the new Category 8 redemption level beginning January 15, 2009.  Nine of these hotels are in Europe (none in Hawaii):

List of Category 8 Hotels: http://www.marriott.com/rewards/lra-faq.mi#question16

Category 8 Hotels in Europe

• Paris Marriott Hotel Champs Elysees
• Renaissance Paris Vendome
• JW Marriott Capri Tiberio Palace Resort & Spa
• Rome Marriott Grand Hotel Flora
• London Marriott Hotel County Hall
• London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square
• London Marriott Hotel Marble Arch
• London Marriott Hotel Park Lane
• Renaissance Chancery Court London

 

Marriott Rewards Elite:  Europe Hopper 7-Night Reward  

Elite members of Marriott Rewards can redeem 150,000 points for a Europe Hopper 7-night award with three paper certificates issued for 2-, 2-, and 3-night hotel stays at any participating Marriott in Europe.  (Russia and Turkey are not participating hotels for this award.)  The value of this redemption is the savings in Marriott Rewards points for hotels in 2009 by having Europe Hopper certificates once the hotels in London, Paris, and Rome are established in a new redemption Category 8 hotel for 40,000 points per night. 

The Europe Hopper award must be ordered by December 31, 2008 and the award will be valid for 12 months for any European participating hotel, according to posts by Marriott Concierge (Marriott Rewards representative) on FlyerTalk.  Current Category 7 hotels joining the new Category 8 will still be available for new reservations after January 15, 2009, if using the Europe Hopper certificates.  Beginning January 15, when the new Marriott Rewards rules take effect, the cost for a Category 8 hotel night using points will be 40,000 points.  The new 5^th night free option will mean 7 nights at category 8 hotels will cost 240,000 points. 

Redeeming 150,000 points now for 2009 Europe hotel stays can potentially save 90,000 Marriott Rewards points on a trip including Marriott Hotels in London, Paris, or Rome.  Any combination of Category 6, 7, or 8 hotel redemptions using the Europe Hopper certificates will save points compared to the upcoming 2009 redemption changes for standard awards and 5^th night free.

A shout-out to FlyerTalk member GrizShel who put together a detailed FlyerTalk thread to assist Marriott Rewards members with consolidated information from a Marriott Hotels representative and included analysis on the Marriott Rewards changes that will impact members hotel redemptions in 2009.  This thread also contains useful information about redeeming for Marriott Rewards Air and Hotel Packages before January 15, 2009.

 

Credit Card Fast-Track to Marriott Rewards Status

Marriott low level elite starts at Silver based on 10 nights of Marriott hotel brand stays in a calendar year.  The Marriott Rewards Visa Signature credit card gives Silver Elite membership through an annual 10 nights credit towards Marriott Rewards elite status as long as you maintain card membership in good standing.

Loyalty Traveler Review of Hotel News

Here are some of the interesting articles and reports I read this past week.

#1: Hotel Internet Security – Guess who is looking at your files!

The Center for Hospitality Research at Cornell University has published a study of internet security practices for hotel guests accessing internet connections in the USA. 

The CHR report findings are not comforting for hotel guests. 

“We concluded that hotels in the U.S. are generally ill-prepared to protect their guests from network security issues.” 

The report, “Hotel Network Security: A Study of the Computer Networks in U.S. Hotels” by Josh Ogle, Erica Wagner, Ph.D., and Mark Talbert is available for free download from the Center for Hospitality Research (registration required).  http://www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/research/chr/pubs/reports/2008.html

 

#2: Hotel Loyalty Programs Category Shift story from December 2006

This is an older story from December 2006, “Hotel Loyalty Programs Undergo Point Value Changes” on creditcards.com, however, the background overview of the shift in hotel category and points required for free night hotel room redemption with Hilton HHonors and Starwood Preferred Guest is a good reminder that hotel programs made dramatic adjustments upward when hotel travel was booming these past two years.  There continued to be substantial shifts upward in 2007 and 2008. 

I am interested to see how US hotels shift in redemption category for 2009 as the average daily rates for hotels in USA are currently at a substantially lower price level than any other region around the globe.  A downward adjustment is in order based on the numbers for average daily room rates at US hotels.

Will hotels in the USA see a major shift downward in category redemption levels? 

See my post last week to read more about category shift and global hotel rates, “Hotel Travel Going Down, Down, Down.  It’s the Economy, Stupid!”

 

#3: American Express leads in “credit card satisfaction” J.D. Power survey

This article about the 2008 JD Power survey on credit card satisfaction supports my post on hotel loyalty program affinity credit cards and the value of American Express over VISA and MasterCard.  My independent analysis last month, “Comparison of Hotel Loyalty Program Affinity Credit Cards,” showed the earning power of Hilton HHonors AmEx and Starwood Preferred Guest AmEx made these two cards the best value for hotel loyalty program affinity credit cards.

Link to J.D. Power 2008 Survey on Credit Card Satisfaction

 

#4: Airline and Hotel Social Networks – I know someone that knows someone who knows you.

Ron Callari discusses a European study that suggests the internet has shrunk our global affiliations from six degrees of separation down to three.  The travel industry is trying to take some control over the proliferation of social networking through its own internal hotel and airline social forums.  Somehow, I think FlyerTalk is still going to dominate for years to come.

 

#5: Hyatt Gainey Ranch, Scottsdale, Arizona offering 5,000 points for 3-night stay

Last April I spent time at the Hyatt Gainey Ranch and I absolutely loved their swimming pools.  The hotel is open air, green grass, colorful flowers, cacti, and swimming pools against a lake backdrop.  The remodeled rooms looked very similar to the San Francisco Hyatt Regency remodeled rooms and bathroom design.  Glass door showers instead of tubs.  This is the Hyatt property to stay at in the Phoenix area. 

Hyatt Promotion offer code is Scot5K for the 5,000 point bonus on a 3-night or longer stay through December 31, 2008.  Link to offer here.

 

#6: Hawaii Hotel Occupancy Still Dropping; Rates Slow to Drop

Hawaii continues to see a decline in hotel travel due to airline flight cuts and high airfares.  Supposedly there are great deals to be had if you look.

http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2008/09/08/daily27.html

 

 

#7: Frequent travelers book directly with suppliers while infrequent travelers tend to use online travel agencies (OTA) like Expedia.com

Glenn Hausmann, editor-in-chief of Hotel Interactive has a good read on the battle between hotel companies and online travel agencies for consumers in the online world.

 

 

Comparison of Hotel Loyalty Program Affinity Credit Cards

Over the years in my conversations with travelers it seems to me that many people develop hotel loyalty based initially on their acquisition of a hotel loyalty program affinity credit card.  I frequently state that I don’t consider credit card earnings in my analysis of hotel stay promotions. 

Loyalty Traveler took a look at hotel loyalty credit cards for the major upscale hotel programs of Hilton HHonors, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) Priority Club Rewards, Marriott Rewards, and Starwood Preferred Guest.  The new card member bonuses and interest rates are based on the affinity card offer presently shown on the hotel loyalty program website on 8-22-08.

My analysis shows American Express affinity cards for Hilton HHonors and Starwood Preferred Guest have the greatest earning power based on a sample scenario of $15,000 in annual spending.  The Hilton HHonors American Express card has the best earning power for non-hotel spending as it awards a generous 5 points per $1 for restaurants, wireless phone payments, groceries, and gas.

Hilton HHonors VISA  (no annual fee)  Signature card (14.99%); Gold Card (16.99%)

Automatic upgrade to HHonors silver elite membership

·         Earn 6 HHonors points for every dollar spent at Hilton Family hotels.

·         3 HHonors points for purchases made at grocery stores, drugstores, and gas stations.

·         2 HHonors points for purchases made at other sites.

·         Enrollment bonus of 15,000 points for a purchase within two months of card membership.

 

Hilton HHonors American Express (no annual fee) (14.99%)

Automatic upgrade to HHonors silver elite membership and cardholder will be upgraded to Gold membership if $20,000 is charged to card in calendar year.

·         Earn 5 HHonors points for every dollar spent at Hilton Family hotels.

·         5 HHonors points for purchases made at grocery stores, drugstores, gas stations, restaurants, US postal service, and wireless phone bills.

·         3 HHonors points for purchases made at other sites.

·         Earn 500 points online booking bonus when booking your stay on a Hilton website with your HHonors American Express.

·         10,000 points bonus for first purchase within the first year of card membership.

·         2,500 points bonus for each of first four Hilton Family hotel stays paid with Hilton HHonors American Express card.

 

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) Priority Club Rewards VISA (12.99%)

·         $29 per year after no-fee first year

·         Earn 3 points per $1 spent at IHG hotels

·         Earn 1 point per $1 spent at other locations.

·         Receive a 10,000 points bonus for first purchase made after spending $15,000 or more in the card member’s year.  [LT note: The card member’s annual year is based on the enrollment date as a card member and subsequent anniversary dates – not the calendar year.]

·         One-time upgrade to Gold membership (a $50 value) through December of the year after the year of card member activation.  [LT note: This rule favors waiting until the beginning of a calendar year for maximizing the length of complimentary elite status.]

·         One-time bonus offer of 30,000 points after first purchase for first-time card members with new accounts.

·         One-time $20 credit on statement after first card purchase.

·         Priority Club VISA Business Card has same earning power except the spending bonus is 15,000 points bonus for first purchase made after spending $20,000 or more in the card member’s year. 

 

Marriott Rewards VISA (14.99%)

 

·         $30 per year after no-fee first year

·         Earn 3 points per $1 spent at Marriott Family hotels

·         Earn 1 point per $1 spent elsewhere.

·         10 nights credit toward elite status every year of card membership.

·         One-time bonus offer of 20,000 points after first purchase or balance transfer for first-time card members with new accounts.

·         One-time bonus offer of 5,000 points after first purchase for first-time card members with new accounts.

·         One-time free night certificate valid for a Category 1 to Category 4 hotel property.

 

Starwood Preferred Guest American Express (14.99%)

·         $45 per year after no-fee first year

·         Earn 2 points per $1 spent at Starwood brand hotels

·         Earn 1 point per $1 spent elsewhere.

·         One-time bonus offer of 10,000 points after first purchase during first year of card membership for first-time card members with new accounts.

 

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Comparison of hotel points earned annually by a new cardmember

Assume annual spending includes $3,000 at the hotel chain, $6,000 at grocery stores, drugstores, and gas stations, and $6,000 elsewhere during the membership year.

 

Hilton HHonors VISA

63,000 points for new member; ($630 value based on $10/1,000 points)

48,000 points without new member bonuses ($480 value)

New member bonus = 15,000 points

Hotel stays = $3,000 x 6 points = 18,000 points

Groceries and gas = $6,000 x 3 points = 18,000 points

Other charges = $6,000 x 2 points = 12,000 points

 

Hilton HHonors American Express

89,000 points for new member;  ($890 value based on $10/1,000 points)

69,000 points without new member bonuses ($690 value)

 

New member bonus = 10,000 points

Hotel stays = $3,000 x 5 points = 15,000 points

Groceries, gas, restaurants, wireless phone bill = $9,000 x 5 points = 45,000 points

Other charges = $3,000 x 3 points = 9,000 points

First four Hilton Family hotel stays = 10,000 points

 

 

Priority Club VISA

61,000 points for new member;  ($610 value based on $10/1,000 points)

31,000 points without new member bonus and spending $15,000+ annually  ($310 value)

21,000 points without bonuses for $15,000 in spending ($210 value)

 

New member bonus = 30,000 points

Hotel stays = $3,000 x 3 points = 9,000 points

Other charges = $12,000 x 1 points = 12,000 points

Bonus points for $15,000+ spending = 10,000 points

 

 

Marriott Rewards VISA

66,000 points for new member ($660 value based on $10/1,000 points)

21,000 points without new member bonuses ($210 value)

New member bonus = 25,000 points

Hotel stays = $3,000 x 3 points = 9,000 points

Other charges = $12,000 x 1 points = 12,000 points

One-time free night at Category 4 hotel = equivalent to 20,000 points

10 nights elite credit may or may not have significant value depending on member’s hotel lifestyle.  Mid-tier elite status requires 50 nights for Marriott Rewards Gold membership.

 

Starwood Preferred Guest American Express

28,000 points for new member ($980 value based on $35/1,000 points)

18,000 points without new member bonuses ($630 value)

New member bonus = 10,000 points

Hotel stays = $3,000 x 2 points = 6,000 points

Other charges = $12,000 x 1 points = 12,000 points

 

 

This is a simple analysis of the different affinity cards currently being offered through links on the hotel loyalty program websites.  Please provide comments to enlighten the Loyalty Traveler readers to other considerations not addressed in this summary.