Marriott Rewards members choosing miles instead of points have the option to earn up to 30,000 bonus miles for hotel stays from September 1-December 31, 2011. Unlike MegaBonus, this promotion does not require VISA payment. There are six participating airlines and members must select one of these partners when registering for this bonus miles promotion:

• 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 Megabonus from September 15, 2011 - January 15, 2012 offers most “low stay activity” members the opportunity to earn one free night after two Marriott brand stays paid with VISA for a maximum of two earned free nights at Category 1-4 hotels for redemption from September 15, 2011 – May 31, 2012.

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 Resorts offers an “Endless Summer” value package at 30 properties that might be a good value package for hotel stays from August 1 through September 16, 2011. Endless Summer packages are promotional code rate ZXO available at 30 select hotels for bookings made by September 11. The package includes:

• 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.

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 has 442 rooms quite close to the Coal Harbour waterfront. This hotel  is located directly across the street from the Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Vancouver hotel. The ambiance of the Renaissance seemed more relaxed than the Marriott Pinnacle to me.

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.

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.

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.

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

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, Starwood, Best Western and Choice have free night promotions allowing you to pay now and stay free later on another trip. They all have restrictions on the type of free night allowed, so read the rules carefully and see if the free night looks like one you can use.

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.

Marriott Rewards offers members 4x miles from June 1 through August 31, 2011 beginning with your second hotel stay during the promotion period. The design of Marriott Rewards site requires your member account be set to earn miles rather than points to enable the 4x miles promotion page to load. Promotion registration begins June 1.

Marriott Rewards members on FlyerTalk state the miles promotion and points promotions can both be earned if you switch your earning preference and register for both promotions. This makes it possible to toggle between earning points for the MegaBonus offer of one free night at a category 1 to 4 hotel after two stays which is great for one night hotel stays and then earn miles for longer, more expensive stays when the bonus miles will add up quickly. You just need to manage your earning preference by switching between  miles or points  to maximize the best earning option for each hotel stay.

Earn 8 miles per $1 for most charges at these hotel brands:

• JW Marriott
• Marriott Hotels & Resorts
• Renaissance
• Autograph Collection
• Marriott Vacation Club
• Edition

Earn 4 miles per $1 on room rate only at these hotel brands:

• Courtyard
• Residence Inn
• Fairfield Inn
• TownePlace Suites
• SpringHill Suites

Participating Airlines for 4x Miles:

• Aeroplan (Air Canada)
• British Airways
• Cathay Pacific Airways
• Delta Air Lines
• Frontier Airlines
• Hawaiian Airlines
• JetBlue Airways
• Jet Airways JetPrivilege
• Kingfisher Airlines
• LifeMiles (Avianca-TACA)
• Southwest Airlines
• United Airlines
• US Airways

Southwest Airlines normally earns 600 points per stay for any Marriott hotel brand, so quadruple points = 2,400 points per stay at any hotel brand.

JetBlue with this promotion earns 4 points per $1 at upper tier brands (Marriott, Renaissance) and 2 points per $1 at the lower tier hotel brands (Courtyard, Residence Inn) shown above.

Marriott Rewards 4x Miles Promotion link (registration begins June 1).

4x Miles Promotion Terms & Conditions.

Please note: You must have your Marriott Rewards member account earning preference set to earn miles in order to load the webpages in these links. They will not load if your account is set for earning points.

Related Loyalty Traveler post: Marriott Rewards MegaBonus June 1-August 31, 2011 (May 16)

Free internet at Asia Pacific hotels for all Marriott Rewards members is a new program change. The hotel brands included for this benefit are JW Marriott, Marriott Hotels and Resorts, Renaissance Hotels and Courtyard by Marriott hotels. Ritz-Carlton Rewards members receive complimentary internet at these brands too. (AsiaPR News)

Only the standard internet access plan is free at hotels where there are different internet access plan levels.

Participating Asia Pacific countries include:

• Australia
• China (and Hong Kong)
• Guam
• India
• Indonesia
• Japan
• Malaysia
• Philippines
• Singapore
• South Korea
• Thailand
• Vietnam

Outside of Asia Pacific region complimentary internet is only applicable for Gold and Platinum elite members at JW Marriott, Renaissance and Marriott hotels. All Courtyard Hotels as a brand feature have free internet access in the lobby according to the amenities shown on Courtyard website.

One of the most expensive hotel restorations in London comes to fruition when St. Pancras Renaissance London celebrates its grand opening May 5, 2011. The hotel has a sweepstakes restricted to U.S. residents in the 50 states and D.C. for a 3-night trip for two with economy airfare from the U.S. to London on May 4 and VIP access to the Renaissance St. Pancras Grand Opening event. Plus $300 daily cash for two ($600 daily). Prize value ARV is US$4,000.

The trip date must begin on May 4 and I assume hotel room nights are May 5, 6 and 7 with a return flight on May 8th. There do not appear to be restrictions in the terms on the return flight. Perhaps the winner can stay in the UK longer than May 8^th?

Sweepstakes Entry:

1. “Like” Renaissance Hotels Facebook Page
2. Look for Win a VIP Trip to London
3. Enter Sweepstakes.
4. One entry allowed each day April 11 – April 24, 2011.
5. Winner chosen April 25.
6. Trip begins May 4 with 3-night hotel stay beginning May 5 Grand Opening Day for St. Pancras Renaissance London.

St. Pancras Renaissance London restoration was a cost somewhere in the US$240 to $325 million range based on numbers of £150 to £200 million. Here is a good article from The Guardian describing the historic Victorian property and its restoration and a better article from the Daily Mail. A series of current and historical photos are on the St. Pancras Renaissance London hotel’s Facebook page.

St. Pancras Renaissance London Hotel website

Save up to 40% at ten Marriott Resorts in the Caribbean and Mexico for stays to September 30, 2011. Must book by April 30. Promotion code LLF.

Participating Resorts:

Aruba Oranjestad

Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino

• From $176.40 USD 

 

Aruba Palm Beach

Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino

• From $209 USD 

 

 
Grand Cayman

Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort

• From $144 USD 

 
Cancun, Mexico 

JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa 

• From $149.25 – $314.25 USD 

 
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico 

CasaMagna Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa

• From $107 USD 

 
Netherlands Antilles

Curacao

Curacao Marriott Beach Resort & Emerald Casino

• From $119.40 USD 

 

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Frigate Bay

St. Kitts Marriott Resort & The Royal Beach Casino

• From $122 USD 

 

Virgin Islands (US)

St. Thomas

Frenchman’s Reef & Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort

• From $214 USD

 

Loyalty Traveler rate analysis:

In a sample rate check of Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort for May 17-23 for six nights the LLF promotion rate is $209 (lowest advertised rate for LLF promotion is $144) for a 30% discount on the standard rate.

Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort Oceanfront balcony room is $279 per night for $2008.80 total after tax.

Cancellation policy is 7 nights in advance of stay for no penalty or 1 night penalty (plus 20% tax) for cancellation within 7 days.

AAA rate for Oceanfront balcony room for these same dates is $316 per night or $2,275.20 after tax.

This promotional sale rate is a $266.40 discount on the AAA rate with the same cancellation policies for a real LLF promotional savings of 12% on the comparable AAA rate.

Purchase Marriott Travel Cards at 10% to 20% face value discount Monday, April 11, 2011 at DiscoverAmerica.com. The sale begins at 12 noon ET (New York time).

DiscoverAmerica.com Daily Getaways link.

• $50 Marriott Travel Card for $44.   (Maximum purchase = 5 cards.)
• $100 Marriott TravelCard for $89.   (Maximum purchase = 5 cards.)
• $250 Marriott TravelCard for $222.   (Maximum purchase = 2 cards.)
• $500 Marriott TravelCard for $445.   (Maximum purchase = 2 cards.)
• $1,000 Marriott TravelCard for $890.   (Maximum purchase = 1 card.)
• Get an extra 10% off purchase price for payment with any American Express card.
• You can buy up to five $100 cards and up to five $50 cards and so on.
• Marriott TravelCards will be delivered via U.S. mail within 10 days.

The primary advantage to Marriott TravelCards over buying Marriott Rewards points is the ability to earn hotel stay credit for points and promotions when paying for Marriott stays with Marriott TravelCards. The terms and conditions for these cards appear to have restrictions for rates and state no Marriott points earned, but in practice based on anecdotal evidence from last year’s DiscoverAmerica sale (FlyerTalk 2010 thread), the Marriott TravelCards are accepted for rates like AAA and points are earned.

There are few restrictions associated with Marriott TravelCards. The main thing is to treat the card like cash and not lose the card since it will not be replaced. Otherwise, the Marriott TravelCard value does not expire and may be used to pay for any Marriott brand hotels worldwide.

DiscoverAmerica.com Daily Getaways

A similar month-long Daily Getaways sale was offered last May 2010. Last year’s sale offered some of the greatest discounts of the year for hotel points in programs like Hyatt, Starwood, Choice and IHG points.

Last year I purchased several Daily Getaway offers for discount priced hotel loyalty points. The rates last year were actually closer to the American Express discount for this year without the need to use American Express for payment. 

These hotel discount sales are high value discounts and some items sell out quickly. You need to be ready to make a purchase at the start of the sale if you really desire one or more of these items. 

About DiscoverAmerica.com

DiscoverAmerica.com is the official travel and tourism website of the United States. The Daily Getaways are sponsored by American Express and prices are discounted by 10% when using American Express as payment. DiscoverAmerica.com has 25 days of discounted travel opportunities with a focus on hotels and car rentals through its “Daily Getaways”.

Hyatt Gold Passport points Daily Getaway offer, Friday, April 15 – 12 noon ET

Hyatt Gold Passport points are available at a significant discount through DiscoverAmerica.com ($9.38/1,000 points with American Express discount at $225 for 24,000 points) compared to the purchase price through Hyatt Gold Passport ($24/1,000 points).

Currently the first three weeks of DiscoverAmerica.com DailyGetaways offers have posted.

Week 1: April 11-15, 2011

 

Week 2: April 18-22, 2011

 

Week 3: April 25-29, 2011

Related Link: Marriott Gift Cards (essentially same type of card).