Hotel Chain Scales are used by hotel industry analysts at STR.com to segment hotel brands into luxury, upper-upscale, upscale, upper midscale, midscale and economy categories.

The largest hotel loyalty programs for the US are Hilton, Marriott and IHG in terms of the size and broad range of hotels in different market segments. Wyndham Rewards, Choice Privileges and Best Western Rewards are comparable megachain hotels, but there are far fewer hotels in the upscale to luxury segments in these three brands. Starwood (1,100 hotels) and Hyatt (500 hotels) have a high proportion of upscale to luxury hotel brands in their portfolios, however, the number of hotels are far fewer in these chains and not as useful for travelers needing wide geographic coverage.

Hotel Brands and Market Segments

What is a luxury hotel or an upper-upscale hotel?

Price is generally the defining line between hotel market segments. I do not work in the hotel industry and I am an amateur analyst interpreting numbers from hotel industry data. STRGlobal.com provides industry data reports and I gather statistical data about the hotel industry regularly from the free data provided online.

STR has a list of hotel brands in different chain scale segments based on the average room rate data for thousands of hotels worldwide.

This post uses the 2011 STR US Chain Scales  along with the latest hotel properties data for each brand from the hotel chain’s websites to compare market segments for hotel brands of Hilton, IHG and Marriott.

Basically I want to see how the hotels in Hilton, IHG and Marriott segment out in each chain and compare to each other when looking at the number of luxury, upscale and midscale hotels in each hotel loyalty program.

Hilton Worldwide Hotel Brands with Market Segment and Number of Hotels

• Hilton Worldwide has 3,712 hotels in this list, but this is only an estimate. New hotels open every few days.The percentage of hotels in each brand is listed in ( ).
• Conrad Hotels (luxury) = 18 hotels (<1%).
• Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts (luxury) = 23 hotels (<1%).
• Hilton Hotels and Resorts (upper upscale) = 540 hotels (15%) in 78 countries including 70 Resorts.
• Embassy Suites (upper upscale) = 201 hotels (5%) with 193 in US and 8 international.
• Hilton Grand Vacations (upper upscale) = 50 properties (1%).
• DoubleTree by Hilton (upscale) = 250 hotels (7%) in 17 countries.
• Homewood Suites (upscale – extended stay) = 309 hotels (8%) in North America.
• Hilton Garden Inn (upscale) = 515 hotels (14%) with 130 in development.
• Hampton Inn (upper midscale) = 1,800 hotels (48%) with more than 1,700 in US and growing international expansion recently.
• Home2 Suites (upper midscale – extended stay) = 6 hotels (<1%).

Marriott International Hotel Brands with Market Segment and Number of Hotels

• 3,747 properties in 13 brands in 72 countries. This total does not include Marriott Executive Apartments which earn Marriott Rewards points, but are extended stay contracted properties and not a typical hotel stay.
• Ritz-Carlton (luxury) = 81 hotels (2%).
• JW Marriott (luxury) = 62 hotels (2%).
• Marriott Hotels & Resorts (upper upscale) = 521 hotels (14%).
• Renaissance (upper upscale) = 160 hotels (4%).
• Autograph Collection (upper upscale) = 29 hotels (<1%).
• Marriott Vacation Club (upper upscale) = 59 properties (2%).
• Marriott Conference Centers (upper upscale) = 7 hotels (<1%).
• Courtyard (upscale) = 926 hotels (25%).
• AC Hotels (upscale) = 82 hotels mostly in Spain (2%).
• SpringHill Suites (upscale – extended stay) = 299 hotels (8%).
• Residence Inn (upscale – extended stay) = 627 hotels (17%).
• Fairfield Inn (upper midscale) = 689 hotels (18%).
• TownePlace Suites (upper midscale – extended stay)= 205 hotels (5%).

InterContinental Hotels Group

• 4,452 hotels (as of September 2011)
• InterContinental Hotels (luxury) = 171 hotels (4%).
• Crowne Plaza (upscale) =  401 hotels (9%).
• Hotel Indigo (upscale) =  38 hotels (<1%).
• Staybridge Suites (upscale – extended stay) = 195 hotels (4%).
• Holiday Inn (upper midscale) = 1,238 hotels (28%).
• Holiday Inn Express (upper midscale) = 2,103 hotels (47%) with 1,866 in Americas.
• Candlewood Suites (midscale) = 300 hotels (7%).
• Holiday Inn Club Vacations = 6 properties (<1%).

I have some issue with the broad segmentation of Crowne Plaza and DoubleTree as Upscale rather than Upper Upscale for some locations and Holiday Inn as Upper Midscale for some locations where the Holiday Inn is more upscale.  Keep in mind in the real world of travel there will be some Crowne Plaza and DoubleTree hotels that will be just as nice or better than the nearby Marriott, Hilton or Embassy Suites.

How the hotel chains stack up when brands are compared by market segment.

Luxury market segment

• IHG = 171 hotels (InterContinental)
• Marriott = 143 hotels (Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott)
• Hilton = 41 hotels (Conrad, Waldorf Astoria)

Upper Upscale market segment

• Hilton = 791 hotels (Hilton, Embassy Suites, Hilton Grand Vacations)
• Marriott = 776 hotels (Marriott, Renaissance, Autograph Collection, Marriott Vacation Club)
• IHG = 0 hotels (based on STR chain scale rankings, but in reality many Crowne Plaza hotels are upper upscale).

Upscale market segment

• Marriott = 1,934 hotels (Courtyard, Residence Inn, AC Hotels)
• Hilton = 1,074 (Hilton Garden Inn, Homewood Suites, DoubleTree)
• IHG = 634 hotels (Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Staybridge Suites)

Upper Midscale market segment

• IHG = 3,341 hotels (Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express)
• Hilton = 1,806 (Hampton Inn)
• Marriott = 894 (Fairfield Inn, TownePlace Suites)

Midscale market segment

• IHG = 300 (Candlewood Suites)

The key point here is to consider what market segment you desire for your travels. IHG Priority Club will tend to be lower room rates, but Priority Club does not offer frequent guest elite members the level of defined benefits provided by Hilton HHonors or Marriott Rewards to their md-tier and top-tier elite members.

Another point to add is the practice of placing branded hotels in the same chain adjacent to each other. This is really common with Marriott where Courtyard and Residence Inn are literally adjacent hotels in many places. I have seen three Marriott properties in the same location in places. Geographic coverage is not as extensive as you might think when all the locations with multiple properties are considered. On the other hand, the placement of hotels in the same chain next to each other makes hotel hopping for loyalty promotion stay credit an easy task when you want to earn free Marriott MegaBonus nights.

Comparison of hotel loyalty program benefits across these hotel brands will be discussed in future posts.

10% Bonus on Marriott Gift Card Value

Amtrak promotion code AMT or Marriott Associate Friends & Family promotion code MMT both offer 10% added value to a Marriott Gift Card. You can purchase any gift card amount from $25 and up. The 10% added value means the actual value on the card will be $1,100 when you pay $1,000 for a gift card.

Earn 10 Marriott Rewards points per dollar for buying Gift Cards - up to 25,000 bonus points.

Another gift card promotion offers 10 Marriott Rewards points per dollar in gift card value purchased, up to 25,000 bonus points. This could be a better than 10% value depending on how you use points. There are Ritz-Carlton Hotels for 30,000 points per night that are more than $300 per night.

Hertz Rental Car Marriott Gift Card Offer 

Get $50 Hertz rental car voucher with $250 Marriott Gift Card purchase. Promotion code = Hertz.

Save 10% on Marriott VacationCards and earn up to 10,000 Delta Skymiles bonus miles.

A Marriott VacationCard promotion with Delta Airlines gives a 10% discount in the cost of a $1,000 or $2,000 VacationCard and 1,000 Delta Skymiles bonus miles for each $1,000 in VacationCard value, up to 10,000 bonus miles. This offer is only available through January 1, 2012.

What is the difference between Marriott Gift Card and Marriott VacationCard?

See this FlyerTalk thread where Counsellor posted the difference between Marriott Gift Cards and VacationCards.

This offer is one of the highest value hotel promotions currently available, especially if you just need two one-night hotel stays over the next 11 weeks. Hotel rates during the Thanksgiving week, Christmas/New Year’s week and the second week of January are typically among the lowest hotel rates of the year in many locations, particularly where hotels are business traveler oriented like many urban centers.

I think of this offer as the opportunity to spend $100 at two hotels and get a free certificate that might be a $200 value at some other Marriott hotel. The certificate received after two hotel stays is valid only for the lowest four hotel reward categories, but Marriott is bottom heavy meaning a large percentage of the 3,400+ hotels in Marriott are in these four lowest reward categories in Marriott Rewards eight categories of hotel rewards.

Register online or call 1-888-627-7468 and register by phone through October 31, 2011. You must have your account earning preference set to “points” to see the Fall MegaBonus promotion offer.

Here is my Loyalty Traveler post on the MegaBonus promotion from August 16.

Marriott Rewards More Stays, More Miles

For guests who do not use Visa, there is also the Marriott Rewards “More Stays, More Miles” offer. This offer does not require a Visa payment. There is also no registration deadline for Marriott’s Miles promotion.

Earn up to 30,000 bonus miles starting with 1,000 miles on your second stay, 1,500 miles on 3rd and 4th stays and 2,000 bonus miles on additional stays through December 31, 2011. Here is my Loyalty traveler August 31 write-up on Marriott’s miles offer.

Barbara DeLollis, writer of Hotel Check-in at USA Today has a little more background on Joey’s story.

Hotel Check-in also has another story on a fired hotel employee at the Casa Monica Hotel in St. Augustine, Florida that is a Kessler Collection hotels and has the distinction of being the first hotel in 2010 to become part of the independent hotels affiliated with Marriott through the Autograph Collection brand.

Sean May was fired last week from his position as a front desk supervisor at the Casa Monica hotel for refusing to remove an American flag lapel pin he allegedly had been wearing to work for the previous two years.

Here are Sean May stories from Jacksonville News.

Employee told to remove US flag pin (October 13, 2011)

Hotel fires man who wore US flag pin (October 14, 2011)

The only other interesting Marriott news I have seen in the past week is Melanie Nayer’s piece on the new Autograph Collection website with no Marriott branding on its webpages. That move might be a public relations bonus in view of this flag pin issue at the Casa Monica Autograph Collection hotel.

I particularly like the disneyesque moniker for employees at the Casa Monica hotel who are called ‘Grand Performers’.

Perhaps the What Cheer Brigade should head south from Providence to Florida!

US Airways bonus miles registration page.

This promotion has some advantages on the Marriott More Stays, More Miles Sep 1-Dec 31 offer besides being a US Airways Grand Slam hit. The More Stays, More Miles promotion for Delta and United miles starts earning bonus miles on the second Marriott stay. Marriott Rewards members earn only 4,000 bonus miles after four stays using More Stays, More Miles. This US Airways offer starts on the first stay and earns 8,000 miles for four stays.

The major advantage of the other Marriott Rewards bonus miles promotion of More Stays, More Miles is all Marriott brands globally participate for bonus miles and members can earn a maximum 30,000 bonus miles after 17 stays with a choice of six airlines: Delta, United, British Airways, Miles & More, LanPass or GOL/Varig.

Hat tip to Lucky – One Miles at a Time.

• Delta Airlines SkyMiles
• United Airlines Mileage Plus
• British Airways Executive Club
• Lufthansa Miles & More
• GOL/Varig Smiles
• LanPass

Bonus miles earning begins with the second stay after September 1 based on the following earning chart.

• Stay 1 = regular base miles of 2 miles/$1 (JW Marriott, Marriott, Renaissance, Ritz-Carlton, Edition, Autograph Collection) or 1 mile/$1 at Courtyard, Residence Inn, Fairfield Inn, SpringHill Suites, TownePlace Suites).
• Stay 2 = Base Miles + 1,000 bonus miles.
• Stay 3 = Base Miles + 1,500 bonus miles.
• Stay 4 = Base Miles + 1,500 bonus miles.
• Stays 5 to 17 = Base Miles + 2,000 bonus miles.
• Maximum 30,000 bonus miles is reached after 17 stays.
• All Marriott brands worldwide, including Ritz-Carlton participate in this promotion. LT Note: the new Marriott AC brand in Europe is not listed on the Marriott miles earning page or in this promotion’s terms.

Loyalty Traveler Analysis:

This “More Stays, More Miles” offer is an alternative promotion to the Marriott Megabonus for Fall 2011 running Sep 15, 2011 to Jan 15, 2012 for members who choose to earn miles. This miles promotion does not require VISA card payment. Your Marriott Rewards account earning preference must be set to miles rather than points to view this offer.

New members must enroll in Marriott Rewards and existing members must register for this promotion either online at www.MarriottRewards.com/MoreStays-MoreMiles or via the Marriott Rewards service center in the U.S. and Canada at 800-859-0686.

The primary points offer for Marriott’s MegaBonus is a possibility of one free night at a category 1 to 4 hotel after two stays, with a maximum bonus of two free nights after four stays when payment is VISA. You must register for MegaBonus by October 31.

MegaBonus is a targeted offer and Marriott Rewards frequent guests are likely to have a points based offer for 15 to 25 nights. There is also a version awarding 5,000 points every two stays. Here is my August 16 Loyalty Traveler post on Marriott MegaBonus.

Since Marriott Rewards members must choose between earning either points or miles and members have the ability to switch earning preference between stays, there may be potential to earn both MegaBonus and More Stays, More Miles bonuses by switching earning preference from miles to points during the overlapping promotion period of Sep 15-Dec 31 for these two offers.

I’d love to hear Marriott Rewards member input about the feasibility of earning miles for some stays, switching to points and earning MegaBonus credit for some stays, and switching back to miles again for other stays. Does it work to switch earning preference and alternate between a miles promotion and points promotion with Marriott Rewards for different stays?

Marriott Rewards More Stays, More Miles for up to 30,000 miles Sep 1-Dec 31, 2011

Paid with VISA means any VISA card is acceptable. You do not need to use a cobranded Marriott Rewards Visa card.

MegaBonus promotion registration is required by October 31, 2011.

Why I like Marriott Rewards MegaBonus for my primary backup promotion.

Not all Marriott Rewards members receive the targeted two stays earns one free night offer. Infrequent guests with Marriott typically get the free night as a default offer. More active Marriott Rewards members may have a targetted points version for meeting a nights threshold.

This Loyalty Traveler post is written for people like me who rarely stay at Marriott Hotels. Marriott Rewards MegaBonus is a high value rebate for the infrequent Marriott Rewards guest.

This is the third Marriott Rewards MegaBonus promotion for 2011. Marriott Rewards does not seem to put a whole lot of effort in designing clever promotions since MegaBonus has basically been the same deal all year for the infrequent guest with two stays earns one free night at a category 1 to category 4 hotel for a maximum of two free nights during the promotion.

Marriott Rewards is my primary backup hotel plan.

This is the third time this promotion has run in 2011 providing an opportunity to earn 6 free nights with just 12 paid nights at Marriott brand hotels. The redemption restriction of category 1 to 4 hotels in the Marriott Rewards system prevents using the free nights in many major cities where most hotels are category 5 or 6 and the top of line resorts and luxury hotels at category 7 and 8. But there are plenty of $200 per night hotel redemption opportunities in the category 4 hotels and it is quite easy to earn a free night with Marriott Rewards MegaBonus for less than $200 with two one-night sub-$100 rates.

Marriott MegaBonus 2011 #1 – Earn February 1-April 30, 2011. Redeem free nights by September 30, 2011. Register by March 31, 2011.

Marriott MegaBonus 2011 #2 – Earn June 1-August 31, 2011. Redeem free nights by December 31, 2011. Register by June 30, 2011.

Despite Marriott Rewards being two-time Hotel Program of the Year in the Americas winner at the Frequent Traveler Awards 2010 and 2011, my stays at Marriott brand hotels are rather infrequent. I like the Marriott brand hotels I visit and I have seen plenty of new build Fairfield Inn properties alongside the new Holiday Inn Express and Hampton Inn hotels dotting the American landscape.

I only have need for so many hotel nights in a year and Marriott takes 50 nights to reach mid-tier Gold elite. Most hotel loyalty programs offer routes to top elite level with high value benefits for far fewer hotel nights in a year. That makes Marriott Rewards a backup program for me. Free nights are a valuable asset to have in reserve and Marriott Rewards free nights are easily earned with MegaBonus. Marriott currently has more than 3,000 hotels in the USA and over 500 international hotels with plenty of choices for paid and free nights.

Marriott Rewards MegaBonus is a recurring promotion for infrequent Marriott Rewards guests to earn one free night after two hotel stays.

Other targetted variations of MegaBonus promotion offer bonus points with VISA payment. Here are some other offers posted on FlyerTalk.

• 5,000 bonus points every second stay, up to 20,000 bonus points (8 stays) - Marriott Rewards Platinum member.
• 25,000 bonus points after 15 paid nights + additional 15,000 bonus points after 20 nights – Marriott Rewards Platinum member.
• 35,000 bonus points after 20 paid nights + additional 15,000 bonus points after 25 nights – Marriott Rewards Platinum member.

Finding the Fall MegaBonus promotion:

Register online or call 1-888-627-7468 and register by phone through October 31, 2011. You must have your account earning preference set to “points” to see the Fall MegaBonus promotion offer. When I did not see this offer last week I checked my account and saw it was set to miles. Once I changed my account earning preference to points the Fall MegaBonus offer for one free night after two stays paid with VISA showed up immediately in “Promotion Central” under “My Account”.

Loyalty Traveler Promotion Rating = 4 keys out of 5. This is my primary backup promotion for a high value rebate when I can’t find higher value in any other hotel program. Over the course of 2011 it has been possible to stay 12 nights and earn six free nights. Marriott Silver elite requires only 10 nights in Marriott Rewards and earns 20% bonus points for hotel stays.

Marriott Rewards MegaBonus Fall 2011 - Earn one free night after two stays.

• breakfast for two adults and up to two children under 12 in same room
• $50 resort credit per room night
• room or view upgrade based on availability

Participating Hotels:

Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa

• 5350 East Marriott Drive
• Phoenix, Arizona 85054

• From $149-$319
• Check Availability

Scottsdale

JW Marriott Camelback Inn® Scottsdale Resort & Spa

• 5402 East Lincoln Drive
• Scottsdale, Arizona 85253
• From $139-$339
• Check Availability

Tucson

JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa

• 3800 W. Starr Pass Boulevard
• Tucson, Arizona 85745
• From $149-$299
• Check Availability

California

Coronado

Coronado Island Marriott Resort & Spa

• 2000 Second Street
• Coronado, California 92118
• From $269
• Check Availability

Indian Wells

Renaissance Esmeralda Indian Wells Resort & Spa

• 44-400 Indian Wells Lane
• Indian Wells, California 92210
• From $129-$229
• Check Availability

Los Angeles

JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE

• 900 West Olympic Boulevard
• Los Angeles, California 90015
• From $219
• Check Availability

Palm Desert

JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa

• 74-855 Country Club Drive
• Palm Desert, California 92260
• From $129-$329
• Check Availability

Sonoma

The Lodge at Sonoma Renaissance Resort & Spa

• 1325 Broadway at Leveroni & Napa Roads
• Sonoma, California 95476
• From $309-$329
• Check Availability

Colorado
Vail

Vail Marriott Mountain Resort & Spa

• 715 West Lionshead Circle
• Vail, Colorado 81657
• From $159-$219
• Check Availability

Florida

Fort Lauderdale

Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa

• 3030 Holiday Drive
• Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33316
• From $269-$379
• Check Availability

Fort Myers

Sanibel Harbour Marriott Resort & Spa

• 17260 Harbour Pointe Drive
• Fort Myers, Florida 33908
• From $159-$239
• Check Availability

Key Largo

Key Largo Bay Marriott Beach Resort

• 103800 Overseas Highway, MM 103.8
• Key Largo, Florida 33037
• From $189
• Check Availability

Marco Island

Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort, Golf Club & Spa

• 400 South Collier Boulevard
• Marco Island, Florida 34145
• From $239-$379
• Check Availability

Miami

Doral Golf Resort & Spa, A Marriott Resort

• 4400 NW 87th Avenue
• Miami, Florida 33178
• From $184-$234
• Check Availability

Miami Beach

Eden Roc Renaissance Miami Beach

• 4525 Collins Avenue
• Miami Beach, Florida 33140
• From $259-$399
• Check Availability

Orlando

JW MarriottOrlando Grande Lakes®

• 4040 Central Florida Parkway
• Orlando, Florida 32837
• From $239-$369
• Check Availability

Orlando World Center Marriott

• 8701 World Center Drive
• Orlando, Florida 32821
• From $224-$374
• Check Availability

Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld®

• 6677 Sea Harbor Drive
• Orlando, Florida 32821
• From $169-$269
• Check Availability

Panama City Beach

Bay Point Marriott Golf Resort & Spa

• 4200 Marriott Drive
• Panama City Beach, Florida 32408
• From $139-$219
• Check Availability

Ponte Vedra Beach

Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa

• 1000 PGA Tour Boulevard
• Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida 32082
• From $129-$179
• Check Availability

Singer Island Riviera Beach

Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa

• 3800 North Ocean Drive
• Singer Island Riviera Beach, Florida 33404
• From $259-$384
• Check Availability

Stuart

Hutchinson Island Marriott Beach Resort & Marina

• 555 NE Ocean Boulevard
• Stuart, Florida 34996
• From $165-$215
• Check Availability

Hawaii

• Honolulu – Oahu
• Kapolei – Oahu
• Lihue – Kauai
• Waikoloa
• Wailea – Maui

Honolulu – Oahu

Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa

• 2552 Kalakaua Avenue
• Honolulu – Oahu, Hawaii 96815
• From $354
• Check Availability

Kapolei – Oahu

JW Marriott Ihilani Ko Olina Resort & Spa

• 92-1001 Olani Street
• Kapolei – Oahu, Hawaii 96707
• From $399
• Check Availability

Lihue – Kauai

Kaua’i Marriott Resort

• Kalapaki Beach, 3610 Rice Street
• Lihue – Kauai, Hawaii 96766
• From $279-$459
• Check Availability

Waikoloa

Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa

• 69-275 Waikoloa Beach Drive
• Waikoloa, Hawaii 96738
• From $259-$334
• Check Availability

Wailea – Maui

Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa

• 3700 Wailea Alanui
• Wailea – Maui, Hawaii 96753
• From $430-$520
• Check Availability

Nevada
Las Vegas

JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa

• 221 N Rampart Blvd
• Las Vegas, Nevada 89145
• From $159-$269
• Check Availability

Texas

• Horseshoe Bay
• San Antonio

Horseshoe Bay

Horseshoe Bay Resort Marriott

• 200 Hi Circle North
• Horseshoe Bay, Texas 78657
• From $301
• Check Availability

San Antonio

JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa

• 23808 Resort Parkway
• San Antonio, Texas 78261
• From $259-$389
• Check Availability

Loyalty Traveler Rate Analysis

Hotel revenue managers have a variety of strategies for getting more money out of the customer at less cost to the hotel. One of the strategies commonly used is to combine value-added components to package rates. Marriott frequently uses the value-added package rates strategy.

Some of these package deals can be good value rates for the guest and save money if you plan to use some of the hotel services during your stay. Often these rates are not very good deals. The revenue managers know many guests will not take sufficient time to compare all the available rates. Package rates tend to improve hotel revenue more than guest savings.

Marriott’s Endless Summer package rates might be a good deal as long as you have two adults for breakfast and you will use your $50 daily credit.

Analysis of Endless Summer ZXO rate for JW Marriott Camelback Inn, Scottsdale, Arizona

Monday, August 1 – Thursday, August 4, 2011

Endless Summer Package Rate = $169/night (includes free breakfast and $50 daily resort credit and potential upgrade).

Marriott Rewards member exclusive offer = $118/night (includes $25 daily resort credit). This offer is better for an elite guest who already receives complimentary breakfast benefit or for a single guest who won’t benefit from complimentary breakfast for two adults and two young children.

JW Marriott Camelback Inn has 14 other rate packages available during these dates offering complimentary golf for one to four persons, spa services, free breakfast for kids, free appetizers at restaurants, dinner packages, and all sorts of options that may better fit your specific needs. The golf packages look like they could be big savings.

Endless Summer rate Aug 1-4 JW Marriott Camelback Inn, Scottsdale, AZ

Conclusion: Marriott’s Endless Summer rate might be a good value for your stay, but be sure to check out the variety of package rates available at Marriott Resorts to see if there is a better package rate suited for your hotel activities and interests.

Renaissance Vancouver Harbourside

Distinctive 1970s feature on top of Renaissance Harbourside originally was a revolving restaurant and is now Vistas 360 private function space. Unfortunately too many hotels I have visited the past few years have closed off their top floor space exclusively for private functions. The Hyatt Regency San Francisco turned their similar looking circular top space into the Regency Club lounge. Think about that Renaissance Harbourside.

p2b bistro located off the lobby space.

Comments I read on FlyerTalk indicated most people prefer the Marriott Pinnacle to the Renaissance.

The modern Marriott is certainly more attractive from the exterior, but there are some nice views from Coal Harbour facing rooms to be found in the Renaissance. I certainly wouldn’t reject the Renaissance as a desirable hotel to stay.

Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Vancouver

The lobby area has fireplaces and seating.  There were people lounging around the lobby reading newspapers and using free Wi-Fi on a Tuesday morning in mid-June.

p2b bar

The hotel rooms were renovated in 2009 prior to the Winter Olympics of 2010. The color scheme is more complex at the Renaissance.

Guest floor hallway at Renaissance Vancouver Harbourside

The Renaissance Harbourside is an older building than the Marriott Pinnacle. The bathrooms are smaller with only a bathtub and no separate shower, however, the rooms have sliding patio doors that open wide for air.

Rooms have patio doors that slide open wide with a low-glass barrier. These doors might give guests with small children second thought.  I certainly like the doors that open wide rather than the typical 4 inches of space most US hotels limit the guest to when opening a sliding patio door in high rise hotels.

This is a hotel where you really want the harbourside view if you plan to spend time in the room.

Some rooms have double patio doors with sufficient space for chairs and allow the room doors to be closed while the outer patio space is open or closed.

Double patio doors in corner room 1041 provide extra space and extra noise barrier for seaplanes.

Room 1041 had a larger patio with two sets of sliding doors. The interior doors can be opened to provide more room space with the patio. This room allows the guest to sit on the patio with the exterior doors open and keep the interior patio doors shut.

I really liked this room since I am a person who wakes up hours before my wife and I would be able to sit outside at 6am in the bright sun of Vancouver in summer (or more likely rain based on my recent experience) with the curtains and interior patio door closed while my wife slept inside the room.

The bathrooms at the Renaissance Harbourside are smaller than the Marriott Pinnacle and only have a tub/shower combo. Sliding doors, in my experience, are a bit noisy to close when staying with another guest. The bathrooms at the Marriott have separate tub and shower. But ask yourself if a better bathroom is worth a $50 a night premium for you as the guest?

Bathrooms at Renaissance harbourside were stocked with Aveda bath products.

The rooms have a small couch/chaise near the patio windows.

Desk, Flat screen TV, AV panel for gadgets.

Coffee maker and empty mini-fridge are room features.

There an indoor pool at the Renaissance Harbourside and large fitness room. There were a couple of women doing yoga when I walked through the space. The fitness room offers access to a large outdoor patio area.

The Renaissance Harbourside Hotel is Marriott Rewards category 5 at 25,000 points per night. The room rate on the dates I checked for a mid-July 2011 stay were $184 per night compared to $236 for the Marriott Pinnacle.

The Renaissance Harbourside property is older than the Marriott Pinnacle, yet this may not be a significant matter if you have a room with a great view at the Renaissance. There is much more variability in the rooms at the Marriott Pinnacle in terms of size. Some guests prefer the more modern exterior and design of the Marriott, but the Renaissance rates are frequently $50 a night less than Marriott and reward nights are one category lower.  You can save a bit booking the Renaissance.

Renaissance Harbourside TripAdvisor rating 4 circles = #40 of 105 hotels in Vancouver (Marriott Pinnacle is #33) – June 15, 2011.

One of the nice features of the Renaissance and Marriott is a complimentary shuttle that stops here for the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park in North Vancouver. This is a great place to take the kids where, in addition to the main suspension bridge over the river valley, there are bridges suspended between trees in the Treetops Adventure. I thoroughly enjoyed this park and its educational features. The public bus runs frequently and costs $2.50 from Capilano to Grouse Mountain and takes about ten minutes.

Related Link: Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Vancouver (Loyalty Traveler June 15, 2011)

Marriott Rewards – One Free Night after Two Stays June 1 – August 31.

Marriott International hotel brands: Marriott, JW Marriott, Marriott Vacation Club, Renaissance, Fairfield Inn, Residence Inn, Courtyard, SpringHill Suites, TownePlace Suites, Autograph Collection, Ritz-Carlton, Edition. (AC Hotels is Marriott’s new brand in Europe, but AC Hotels are not listed as a participating brand for this promotion.)

• Register for this promotion by June 30.
• Stays at Marriott brand hotels worldwide qualify for promotion.
• Maximum of two free nights may be earned per member during promotion period after 4 stays.
• Free night is valid for any hotel category 1 to category 4 hotel worldwide. These are the lower category hotels, but includes around 2,500 hotels globally.
• Free night may be redeemed from June 5 to December 31, 2011.
• Award nights are not transferable and may not be gifted.
• Loyalty Traveler May 16 post on this Marriott promotion.

Strategy for Marriott Rewards promotion: My wife and I have traveled where one night at a hotel is a reservation in my name and the second night is a reservation in her name. First person should check out and get a hotel stay folio before second person checks in under different member account to be sure the stays credit appropriately to each member’s account for the free night credit.

This allows longer stays without changing hotels while maximizing promotion credit. Just tell the hotel you are staying on two different reservations to maximize the Marriott Rewards promotion and you might not need to change rooms during your hotel stay.

Starwood Preferred Guest – One Free Night at a Starwood Resort after Three Stays, May 1 – July 31.

Starwood Hotels brands: Westin, Sheraton, Four Points, Aloft, Element, St. Regis, Luxury Collection, W Hotels, Le Meridien.

• Register for this promotion by June 30.
• Stays at Starwood brand hotels worldwide qualify for promotion.
• No limit to earned free nights during promotion period.
• Free night is valid at over 200 Starwood Resorts worldwide.
• Free night may be redeemed any day of week to December 21, 2011.
• Redeem free nights by calling Starwood customer service 1-888-625-4988 (toll-free) and requesting Award ID 3FRN
• Award nights are not transferable and may not be gifted.
• Loyalty Traveler April 15 post on this promotion.

Choice Hotels – 8,000 points after Two Stays, May 19 – August 11, 2011.

Choice Brands: Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Sleep Inn, Quality Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, Ascend Collection, MainStay Suites, Suburban, Rodeway Inn, EconoLodge.

• Register for this promotion to increase earning limit to 4 bonuses for 32,000 points, otherwise the limit is 2 bonuses for 16,000 points. Elite Platinum and Diamond members may earn bonus 10 times for 80,000 points.
• Must be a resident of U.S., U.S. territories or Canada.
• Book at ChoiceHotels.com or 1-800-4CHOICE. (Elite platinum and elite diamond may book through any channel.
• Important to note: a minimum 2-night stay is required for an eligible stay at the Choice Hotels budget brands of EconoLodge and Rodeway Inn and extended-stay brands Suburban and MainStay Suites.
• 8,000 points is sufficient for about 1,500 hotels or 25% of all Choice Hotels. Many hotels will require 16,000, 20,000 or 25,000 points for a free night.
• Loyalty Traveler May 16 post on Choice Hotels promotion.

Best Western Hotels – One free night after three stays June 19-August 14, 2011.

Best Western hotels are all one brand, but in 2011 three tiers were created with most of the worldwide 4,000+ properties remaining Best Western and about 800 hotels as Best Western Plus and around 100+ hotels (mostly outside U.S.) as Best Western Premier.

• Register for this promotion by logging into account, click My Account tab, and in section titled “Membership Overview” click the tab “Special Offers Sign-Up“.  This promotion should be listed.
• Here are the promotion terms.
• Promotion registration only open for residents of U.S., Canada, Bahamas and U.S. Virgin Islands.
• Stay at any Best Western worldwide to qualify for free night.
• Limit of one free night voucher per member during promotion period.
• Free night voucher expires January 31, 2012.
• Free night voucher valid only at Best Western hotels in U.S., Canada, Bahamas and U.S. Virgin Islands.
• Elite members of Best Western Rewards earn 6,500 bonus points if two of three stays are in two different tiers of Best Western (Best Western, Best Western Plus (about 800 hotels), Best Western Premier (100+ hotels). Limit of one elite bonus per member.
• Earn an additional 6,500 bonus points if each of three stays paid with Best Western Rewards MasterCard. Limit of one credit card bonus per member.

Where to find Best Western Rewards promotion registration link