4
May
There are so many deals I have written about on Loyalty Traveler that I lose track. Sometimes I start to write articles a second time. This week I saw a press release on a Hyatt discount rate and made a note to blog it.
Turns out I already blogged about the Hyatt Hotels Free Time offer back in March. So here is the article again that I posted in March analyzing the Hyatt Hotels Free Time Rate. Read More…
2012 HELP SHEET #4 – Hotel Loyalty Promotions. April 6, 2012 Update (previous update March 6).
Daily Getaways April 9-May 11, 2012.
One of the most important events of the year happens April 9-May 11with the U.S. Travel Association’s Daily Getaways sponsored by American Express. This is an opportunity to buy hotel loyalty points in several programs including Hilton HHonors, Priority Club, Wyndham Rewards and probably Hyatt Gold Passport and Choice Privileges. Marriott has travel cards at up to 20% discount. Several hotel brands offer discounted stay certificates.
March 29 and the current list of 5,000 points PointBreaks reward nights ends in 48 hours with no new list of hotels posted yet.
Priority Club did a trial run of Thursday flash sales in February and March 2012 where participating hotels offered discount reward nights, but last Thursday when I checked for a new set of one-day flash sales, this message appeared instead:
Thanks for checking out our special One Day Only Hotels Deals. This offer was only a test, so we don’t have any more 24-hour deals lined up, but we’re using the results to develop new discounted Rewards offers for the future. In the meantime, check out our special deals like Last Minute Reward Nights and PointBreaks, or explore the hundreds of options available to you for redeeming your points.
The flash sales only included a dozen hotels around the world, but at least there was a long reservation period even if the booking period was so short that I missed a couple of the sales. These sales were up to 75% off standard reward rates.
I have an itchy reservation finger and several trips planned over the next two months.
I need some PointBreaks!
Last Minute Reward Nights should be back next week for stays Friday, Saturday and Sunday April 6-8 at 50% off reward rates.
Starwood’s Element extended stay hotel brand has a TravelZoo special offer rate of $89 per night for a studio suite for stays from April 1 through September 15, 2012. Reservations must be booked between March 21 and April 6.
All hotels showed $89 rates for most dates I checked, except for Element New York Times Square West where the lowest rate I found was $199. There might be lower rates for New York, but I didn’t see any rates lower than $199 after trying several dates.
This is a prepaid, nonrefundable rate that does not allow reservation changes. The terms of this sale state bookings can only be made online and I thought it needed to be through a specific website link, but the rate appeared automatically when I checked Element hotels on SPG.com.
Participating Element Hotels
Element Denver Park Meadows, Lone Tree, Colorado
Element Miami International Airport, Miami, Florida
Element Arundel Mills, Hanover, Maryland
Element Lexington, Lexington, Massachusetts
Element Omaha Midtown Crossing, Omaha, Nebraska
Element Las Vegas Summerlin, Las Vegas, Nevada
Element Ewing Princeton, Ewing, New Jersey
Element New York Times Square West, New York, New York
Element Houston Vintage Park, Houston, Texas
Element Dallas Fort Worth Airport North, Irving, Texas
Element Hotels Special Offer Rate terms & Conditions.
Bottom line is this rate is a great deal for many of these hotels. I stayed in Denver Park meadows last July for $71 so not all locations will be a significant bargain.
Element Hotels are a cookie-cutter design. The two rooms I had at two different hotels look exactly the same in my room photos. They are nice rooms with energy efficient design. The concept is green living in an extended stay hotel. Breakfast is complimentary.
Here is a Loyalty Traveler detailed review from 2009 of the Element Las Vegas Summerlin.
Shout out to LoyaltyLobby.com where I learned of this sale. I highly recommend this blog as one of my favorites.
Travel media is buzzing over the new hotel booking site Tingo.com that launched yesterday. Tingo.com is a hotel booking site that lets a person book a hotel and then receive an automatic refund if the hotel rate drops before the hotel stay’s cancellation date. Some press articles are calling this site a major game change for consumers that could “potentially corner the travel/hotel booking market”.
The Tingo.com concept is simple and a radical shift from other online travel agency hotel booking sites. Read More…
Hyatt Hotels launched a new rate offer this week called Free Time that gives a free night rebate at checkout. This rate is available for booking from March 20 through November 30, 2012 for stays through December 30, 2012.
Most participating hotels offer the third night free and the rate includes full breakfast for two and some hotels offer 2pm late checkout.
This offer is only for participating hotels in the US, Canada and Caribbean. Hyatt House and Hyatt Place are not participating brands.
The rate code is FRTIME. There is a website Hyatt.com/freetime that should describe the promotion offer and participating hotels, however, the link is not active at the time of writing. Read More…
20
Mar
Conrad Hotels is the Hilton hotel brand that has been slow to grow over the past decade. Yesterday the Conrad New York opened and brings the hotel brand up to four hotels in the USA or five including Puerto Rico. There are only 21 locations worldwide.
Conrad New York has a Welcoming Weekends Package available for booking through April 30, 2012 for stays from March 23 to May 31, 2012. Read More…
Gary Leff spouted off this morning about La Quinta Inns being an unsuitable hotel chain for the way he likes to travel. My god, they don’t even have room service!
And even though he has never slept at a La Quinta Inn, he implies the housekeeping staff does not clean the rooms to the same standard a guest will find at a full-service hotel chain like IHG, Hilton or Hyatt.
Yet, he has no problem being a member of La Quinta Returns loyalty program to collect free points.
Here is my rebuttal for you Gary and a reason to build your account balance beyond 300 points.
Waldorf-Astoria Resorts – here we come with ice coolers.
Here is a Loyalty Traveler lesson in cheap value for travelers who can get by without room service morning coffee for hotel stays at La Quinta Inns & Suites.
Sheraton Lisboa (Lisbon, Portugal) is celebrating 40 years with a special 40EUR rate available for a maximum 2 nights per stay. Four Deluxe category rooms (the hotel’s basic category) are set aside for each day of 2012. This rate is prepaid and nonrefundable. Use it as booked or lose your payment. The rate includes tax so comes out to US$52.66 at today’s rate of exchange for this SPG Category 4 hotel.
Sheraton Lisboa hotel website link. Read More…
TravelZoo currently has a discount offer for Atlantis Resort. The rates quoted here are likely 25% or more higher than shown once taxes and fees are added.
NATIONWIDE–MARCH 05, 2012–
The Bahamas’ Atlantis, ParadiseIsland launched a sale today knocking as much as 60% off regular rates,
including popular spring and summer dates.
In addition, Atlantis stays April 15 – June 13 include an Atlantis Experience Pass — offering as much as $600 in perks such as a dolphin interaction, golf and spa credit.
Air-and-hotel packages of at least four nights through October get an immediate $250 airfare credit — $400 with a six-night stay (one per booking).
Nightly room-only rates April 15 – Oct. 31, including weekends — which usually cost a premium — are:
- Beach Tower: $199 (reg. $509)
Family friendly and closest to the beach
- Coral Towers: $249 (reg. $549)
Located by Marina Village shops and the casino
- Royal Towers: $299 (reg. $649)
Atlantis’ iconic tower, near the water park
- The Reef Atlantis: $369 (reg. $699)
Deluxe waterfront studios and suites with a kitchen
- The Cove Atlantis: $449 (reg. $849)
Luxury oceanfront suites with exclusive adults-only pool
To book an Atlantis stay and to see terms, conditions and restrictions, click below or call 888-440-9497.
http://www.travelzoo.com/newsflash/70999771-1198549/
These deals are part of a Paradise Island sale including
Comfort Suites Paradise Island, which offers access to Atlantis’ amenities and breakfast for $150 nightly, and the Best Western for $138 nightly. The air credit also applies.
All deals include $25 free slot play at Atlantis. To book, click or call 888-440-9497.
http://www.travelzoo.com/newsflash/70999771-1198498
This reads like the Best Western does not include free acess to Atlantis waterpark.
Loyalty Traveler note: Typically I do not post TravelZoo or individual hotel sales and I have no kickback interest with Atlantis. These rates are much lower than rates I saw when staying at Atlantis Resort in February. I include this sale on my blog just in case my recent posts might have you interested in visiting the property.
Here are pieces I wrote on Atlantis:
Dispatch from Cable Beach, Nassau, Bahamas (Feb 14, 2012)
Dispatch from Paradise Island, Nassau, Bahamas (Feb 16, 2012)
Photo: Rest day on Paradise Island (Feb 18, 2012)
Nassau Bahamas Resort Traveler: 5 things to know (Feb 22, 2012)
Atlantis Resort Paradise Island, Nassau, Bahamas (Feb 25, 2012)
Aquaventure Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas (Feb 26, 2012)
Atlantis Bahamas Marine Habitats (Feb 29, 2012)
Accor A|Club has a global sale at more than 1,200 hotels for 3 night stays on bookings through April 9 for stays completed by April 15, 2012. These are prepaid, nonrefundable rates based on the Best Available Rate (BAR) which is the unrestricted flexible cancellation rate.
The 3rd night free rate is based on discounting each night’s BAR rate by 33.33%.
This sale is happening in four global regions and each region has its own specific booking terms and site. A|Club members had one week advance booking window beginning March 6 in some regions. In Europe, Middle East, Africa and Americas the general public can begin booking these rates on March 13. In Asia Pacific region the sale began February 22 and includes an additional discount for Accor Advantage Plus members:
Accor Advantage Plus members receive their 10% discount on the ‘“3 = 2” Special offer rate’.
These rates earn A|Club points.
South America – North America 3=2.
