Facebook Wicked Weekend Sweepstakes

• Entry period: Monday October 24  to 11:59pm ET Sunday, October 30.
• Winner chosen randomly.
• Must be 21 years of age.
• Open to US and Canada residents excluding Quebec.
• Winner notified October 31 by email.
• Winner has until October 31, 2012 to use prize.
• Facebook entry requires Facebook “like” on Omni Hotels page and submitting entry form.

Wicked Weekend

Omni Hotels and Resorts invites you to explore our Haunted Hotels and register for a chance to win a Wicked Weekend at the Omni Berkshire Place in New York City. Just fill out the form below and you’ll be entered to win a two-night stay at Omni Berkshire Place and two tickets to see Wicked the musical. Enter by 10/30 and we’ll pick a winner on Halloween. Must be 21 to enter!

Twitter Sweepstakes 

• Follow Omni Hotels & Resorts on Twitter.
• Trick your friends by changing your Twitter Profile picture to the image below.

• Copy and paste the following tweet as many times as you like from October 24 -28, 2011.

• Entries must be received by October 28, 2011 at 4 p.m. CST and must include the image and tweet below.

• Winner will be announced October 31, 2011.

Copy and Paste Tweet:

I want to win a Wicked Weekend from @OmniHotels

#trickandtweet http://ow.ly/6XPw9

Download the image from the Omni Hotels http://www.trickandtweet.com/ page.

This Loyalty Traveler post is the 8th update for 2011 hotel loyalty promotions  and includes about 25 new promotion offers since the June 7 list. Offers marked with an asterisk (*) were added since the last update June 7.

Accor Hotels -  A-Club

Hotel Brands: Sofitel, Pullman, M Gallery, Novotel, Mercure, Ibis, Adagio, All Seasons, Thalassa Spa.

* Motel 6 is the primary Accor Hotels brand in USA, however, extremely limited A-Club hotel loyalty program participation. A|Club repeats last year’s promotion allowing redemption of A|Club vouchers for stays at North America Motel 6 hotels from June 1-October 31. LT post June 29.

Accor Hotels is the largest chain of hotel brands globally outside of the USA.

Accor 10^th Anniversary World Tour Giveaway – One monthly trip consisting of Round the World flights and hotel stays in 10 cities over 30 to 40 days. Ten prizes each month for a hotel stay. (11 prizes each month from March through December 2011). LT post March 30. 

Accor A|Club Global Promotion Offers List – link (This link allows searches by continent region)

Accor Hotels A|Club bonus offers

Best Western Hotels – Best Western Rewards 

Hotel Brand Tiers: Best Western, Best Western Plus, Best Western Premier  

5-Key promotion – Best Western free night after three stays from June 19 to August 14, 2011. Limit one free night during promotion. Loyalty Traveler post June 4.

Best Western International Offers webpage link. The link provides a variety of promotions internationally for Best Western hotels.

Best Western Rewards Elite Status Match Offer (February 19, 2010) This offer is ongoing and still available. Best Western is a particularly useful loyalty program when traveling outside the USA. Best Western and Accor A-Club have more hotels outside the USA than all the other major hotel programs combined including Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Marriott and Starwood.

Program Change for Elites: Elite members earn 250 bonus points for stays in US/Canada or a welcome snack. (Aug 3, 2010)

Best Western Brand Tiers Change – Best Western has designated about 25% of the chain’s higher quality hotels in the 4,000+ hotel chain as Best Western Plus (about 800 hotels) and Best Western Premier (about 100 hotels, mostly outside U.S.).

Carlson Hotels – Club Carlson (formerly Goldpoints Plus loyalty program)

Hotel Brands: Radisson Blu, Radisson, Country Inn & Suites, Park Inn, Park Plaza 

* Club Carlson does not currently have a major bonus points promotion since the free night after two stays promotion ended June 15. There appear to be some good discount rates (35% off two day Radisson stays – book by July 12) and Park Inn 20% off two or three night weekend stays in North America through August 31.

There are also some good values with Club Carlson double points rates where members earn 40 points/$1 for room rate. This is an extra 2,500 points on a $125 room rate that may only be $10 more than otherwise lowest rates.

These Loyalty Traveler posts describe changes with Club Carlson launch March 31, 2011: 

 Club Carlson Hotel Category Reassignment Analysis – Overview and Category 1 Hotels (April 7) – This post has links to posts for each Club Carlson Hotel Reward category with tables showing the new Club Carlson reward category and the former Goldpoints Plus reward category.

Club Carlson Loyalty program Launches March 31 – Replaces goldpoints plus (Feb 14)

Club Carlson Reward Category Changes March 31, 2011 (Feb 18)

Club Carlson Hotel Reward Category Analysis (Feb 28) This post shows the number of hotels in each category and changes from 2010 level for different global regions.

Club Med resort credit for goldpoints. $100, $250 and $500 credit.  (March 10).

Club Carlson online booking bonus – Club Carlson general members earn 1,000 bonus points for online booking. Silver and Gold elite members earn 2,000 bonus points for online booking. Concierge elite members earn 3,000 points. Club Carlson Benefits table link.

Choice Hotels – Choice Privileges

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

Hotel Reward Partners: Preferred Hotels Group, Barcelo Resorts 

Stay two times for 8,000 points May 19-August 11. This promotion awards members with 8,000 total points after two stays. Four brands require a two-night stay for this promotion ay Rodaeway Inn, EconoLodge, MainStay Suites and Suburban Suites. This offer is a variable bonus offer since two $60 stays that normally earn 1,200 points ($120 x 10 points/$1) receives 6,800 bonus points for 8,000 total points, yet two $300 hotel stays that earn 6,000 base points will result in 2,000 bonus points for 8,000 total points. This offer is best bonus on low cost hotel stays. Loyalty Traveler post May 16, 2011.

Choice Privileges reward night cost analysis. Using a spreadsheet of 2010 reward cost, I calculated the percentage of hotels in various reward levels worldwide from 6,000 points to 40,000 points. This is the only breakdown of hotel reward tiers I have ever seen for Choice Hotels. Loyalty Traveler post May 1, 2011.

Choice Privileges Program Changes for Elite Members effective January 1, 2011:

Program enhancements for elites. 

• Platinum elite qualification = 20 nights in a calendar year (formerly 25 nights).
• Diamond elite bonus increased to 50% base points (formerly 40%).

Reward night booking window extended for Choice Privileges elite members:

• Gold = 50 days (formerly 40 days)
• Platinum = 75 days (formerly 60 days)
• Diamond = 100 days (formerly 90 days) 

Nordic Choice Club hotel loyalty program covers 140 Choice hotels in Scandinavia and Baltic regions of Europe. Choice Privileges members currently do not earn points for hotel stays in Scandinavia, although hotel stays are available for points. Nordic Choice Club offers points and benefits for hotels in this region. Choice Privileges members planning frequent travel in Scandinavia may want to compare the benefits of Nordic Choice Club to Choice Privileges.    (LT post Sep 9, 2010)

Drury Hotels – Gold Key Club

* 1,000 bonus points for enrollment in Drury Gold Key Club.

Expedia Rewards –

Double Rewards points for Expedia Vacation Package paid with MasterCard through August 31. Registration required. 

Expedia’s new loyalty program earns points for air, hotel and travel package bookings. This is a gamechanger for online travel agencies. Booking airfare through Expedia is a no brainer method for earning additional travel rebates since frequent flyer benefits are unaffected. Hotels are a different matter though since no hotel loyalty points with programs like SPG, Marriott, Hilton and others are earned for Expedia bookings.

Main Expedia Rewards benefits are the ability to earn points when booking travel for other people like family members and friends. And Expedia vacation packages often allow a hotel night to be added for the same price as airfare alone; particularly when traveling to Las Vegas. Loyalty Traveler Analysis March 28.

Fairmont Hotels and Fairmont President’s Club

Tip: Sign up for Fairmont President’s Club to receive monthly special discount rates for Fairmont Hotels. 

Four Seasons Hotels

Four Seasons Special Offers website link

Global Hotel Alliance – GHA Discovery – Hotel loyalty program alliance for 12 independent hotel brands including Omni Hotels, Pan Pacific, Kempinski, First Hotels, Mirvac, Anantara Resorts, Tivoli Hotels, The Doyle Collection, Marco Polo Hotels, Park Royal, The Leela Palaces, Shaza Hotels.

Overview of GHA Discovery, elite membership benefits and local experiences, Loyalty Traveler post January 30.

Hilton Hotels – Hilton HHonors

10 Hotel Brands: Hilton, Doubletree, Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn, Hilton Garden Inn, Homewood Suites, Conrad, Waldorf-Astoria Collection, Hampton Inn, and Home2Suites. 

* Double HHonors Points or Double Miles for stays worldwide from July 1-September 30, 2011. List of about 250 excluded hotels, mostly in U.S.. Promotion registration required. Loyalty traveler post June 24.

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

* Free HHonors Gold VIP elite  to August 31, 2011 for U.S. resident Visa Signature cardmembers. Complete three stays by August 31 to extend Gold VIP status through March 2013. Existing Gold and Diamond members receive 5,000 bonus points. Loyalty Traveler post June 10.

Great Getaway Hilton Summer Sale with discounts from 15% to 40%. Book May 13 to August 31 for hotel stays May 27 to Sep 5. Prepaid rates and must book 14 days in advance. Loyalty Traveler post May 19.

HHonors Point Stretcher Rewards posted for hotels through November 2011. Point Stretchers require 40% fewer points than standard HHonors rewards. Use the drop-down menu to see participating hotels in different Hilton brands. The Point Stretcher hotel awards were updated in early June.

HHonors Points & Money – Loyalty Traveler reward analysis indicates these are good value. Loyalty Traveler post May 9.

Home2Suites opens first hotel of Hilton’s new extended stay brand in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Unfortunately this new hotel brand becomes the first HHonors brand with a lower earn rate for points and miles. Loyalty Traveler post March 21.

HHonors Comprehensive Reward Charts – Members have difficulty locating the various reward charts on the Hilton HHonors sites, particularly VIP Rewards and Waldorf-Astoria rates. This Loyalty Traveler post places all the HHonors reward charts in one post. (LT post Sep 13, 2010)

Cheaper Hilton Reward nights using Priority Club points – this Loyalty Traveler analysis developed from the Priority Club Anywhere Challenge. Hotels Anywhere allows Priority Club members to spend points for hotels in other chains. My study shows there are numerous Hilton Hotels requiring fewer Priority Club points than Hilton HHonors charges its members in HHonors points for the same reward. (LT post Sep 17)

HHonors Program change: Gold and Diamond members receive complimentary internet at all Hilton Worldwide hotels beginning September 1, 2010. (Hilton – Aug 2 press release)

Hotels.com Welcome Rewards

Earn a free night for every 10 nights.

* Double points (up to 4 bonus points) through July 31 for new Welcome Rewards members.

Hyatt Hotels – Hyatt Gold Passport

Hotel Brands:  Park Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Vacation Club, Hyatt Resorts, Andaz, Hyatt Summerfield Suites

* 2,500 Aeroplan miles per Hyatt stay July 1-September 30. Maximum bonus is 25,000 miles after 10 stays.

* Welcome credit and 2,500 bonus points for stays paid with American Express at 75 international hotels. Loyalty Traveler post July 2. 3-key promotion.

Earn 19,000 Southwest points after 5 Hyatt stays June 1-August 31. Loyalty traveler post June 5.

Program Change – Hyatt Property Specific Bonuses: Jeff Zidell Hyatt VP, told me on March 8 the ‘property level bonus’ program is being evaluated and reinvented. We will probably only see regional hotel bonus offers until July. Specific property level bonuses that typically offered 1,000 to 2,000 points in G1, G2, and G3 offers may be gone for good. We’ll see.

InterContinental Hotels Group – Priority Club

Hotel Brands: InterContinental Hotels, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites, Hotel Indigo 

* Limited Time Rate Discount Europe – Up to 35% off for weekend stays in Europe through August 31. These rates are prepaid and nonrefundable with no changes allowed. T&C also state no points.

* Limited Time Rate Discount Europe – 2 nights for the Price of 1 – LT Note: Promotion page states this offer expired June 30, 2011, but I still found available 2-for-1 rates for August dates on July 7. This is a recurring rate promotion for several years and offers one of the greatest discounts on hotel rooms in Europe; particularly London. LT 5-key rate offer.

* Pack Your Points Tweetstakes July 1-July 31. Retweet @IHG_Deals daily message for entry. One entry per day. Prizes are 15,000 or 30,000 points for daily winners chosen in August. LT post July 4.

* IHG Priority Club Last Minute Reward Nights are posted the week before the first weekend of the month. Hotels are only posted for a few days and must be booked by Thursday prior to the Friday through Sunday dates. LT post June 30.

$75 MasterCard Gift Card for 2-night weekend stay worldwide at any IHG hotel May 19-August 31, 2011. Limit of four cards per member. Only for U.S. residents. Loyalty Traveler post May 18. 4-key offer.

IHG Double Points or Double Miles (May 16 – August 15, 2011) – 2-key offer. LT post April 21.

InterContinental Hotels in Europe 5^th Night Free rate July 14 – Sep 11, 2011. These rates are about 20% off Best Flexible Rate and equivalent to Advance Purchase rate. Loyalty Traveler post March 16.

Priority Club PointBreaks through July 30, 2011 are probably the best hotel loyalty program reward night value available at 5,000 points for a free night. Many of the hotels are discounted 80% from their normal 25,000 points for a reward night. The current list had 133 hotels on May 9 and only 27 hotels on July 6. Look for a new list of hotels posting in July.  Loyalty Traveler post May 9. (5-key offer.)

Complimentary InterContinental Ambassador membership ($200 value) after three stays at InterContinental Hotels by July 31, 2011. My Loyalty Traveler post argues for spending 32,000 points or $200 for Ambassador membership and earning benefits on three stays.

IHG Priority Club relaunch previews new reward option for Last Minute Hotel Nights at 50% points of standard reward night. Other changes are primarily cosmetic with new mobile apps, card redesign and website changes. Loyalty traveler post March 29.

IHG Priority Club partnership with Las Vegas Resorts – The Venetian and The Palazzo become InterContinental Alliance hotel partners as of April 1, 2011. Priority Club points can be earned and burned (40,000 points per night) for hotel stays and InterContinental Ambassador benefits apply. Earn 6,000 bonus points for a three night stay booked by June 30 (Loyalty Traveler April 11 post).

InterContinental Ambassador Accelerator - 20,000 points after 15 nights at InterContinental Hotels. Registration required.

Priority Club Any Hotel Anywhere American Express gift cards.

      New Price for Any Hotel, Anywhere Cards  Loyalty Traveler post Jan 25.

• $100 = 33,000 points (formerly 29,000)
• $125 = 39,000 points (formerly 34,000)
• $150 = 45,000 points (formerly 39,000)
• $200 = 60,000 points (formerly 49,000)
• $250 = 72,000 points (formerly 59,000)

3-key offer IHG Sweetheart Deal – $100 Visa card rebate for a three-day or longer stay at any IHG hotel worldwide within 90 days of 2011 wedding in U.S. or Canada. (LT Jan 11)

Points & Cash Program Change:  Priority Club Points & Cash Reward nights increased the cost of 5,000 Priority Club points to $40 from $30. The cost to buy 10,000 points remains unchanged at $60. Loyalty Traveler post (Nov 19)

Cheaper Hilton Reward nights using Priority Club points – Hotels Anywhere allows Priority Club members to spend points for hotels in other chains. My study shows there are numerous Hilton Hotels requiring fewer Priority Club points than Hilton HHonors charges its members in HHonors points. (LT post Sep 17)

IHG Friend & Family Hotel Rates (Steve Sickel). Steve Sickel is senior Vice President Relationship Marketing for InterContinental Hotels Group. During the hotel recession of 2009 he offered this link to FlyerTalk members for booking discount friends and family rates. This link is still active. And we are all friends of Steve’s. Here is a FlyerTalk thread discussing this rate deal. The link in Steve Sickel’s name leads to the offer page for a voucher to complete. Some guests mention the hotel wants the completed voucher at check-in. These rates do not qualify for points or stay credit. One of the best features of this offer is the ability to book high category rooms at steep discount.

Program Change: Ambassador Annual Membership Fee Increased from $150 to $200 as of July 1, 2010. You can also buy Ambassador membership for 32,000 Priority Club Rewards points (formerly 24,000). Renewal fee is still $100.

Priority Club Points Exchange Value and Points.com – Loyalty traveler research (Jan 20) into the exchange value of Priority Club points into airline miles through Points.com

Kimpton Hotels – InTouch

* Kimpton “Summer Like a Local Rate” offer gives a $25 nightly dining credit for a rate $10 over BAR May 26-September 5.

Loyalty Traveler posted an outline of Kimpton’s InTouch program showing how 21 stays in 2011 can potentially earn 7 free nights at any Kimpton Hotel. (LT post Jan 11)

La Quinta Hotels – La Quinta Returns

Hotel chain and hotel loyalty program overview by Loyalty Traveler,  April 12.

* New La Quinta Returns members earn Gold elite after two nights within 60 days of enrollment. Two nights may be one stay. Gold elite promotion offer for new enrollments through August 31, but keep in mind these offers are sometimes withdrawn early.

Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) – Leaders Club Rewards 

Leaders Club Rewards program changes: Membership fees for Leaders Club Rewards dropped to $100 annual for Access level. Access membership includes complimentary breakfast for two each day of stay and free internet. Unlimited membership is $1,200 annually. Loyalty traveler post Feb 3.

Earn a free night after every 5 stays with stays in at least two LHW properties by December 31, 2011.

LHW Hotel Special Offers link

Marriott Hotels – Marriott Rewards

Hotel Brands: Marriott, JW Marriott, Renaissance, Ritz-Carlton, Residence Inn, Courtyard, Fairfield Inn, TownePlace Suites, SpringHill Suites, Edition, Autograph Collection, Marriott Vacation Club, AC Hotels. 

Marriott Rewards Earn one free night at a category 1 to 4 hotel reward after two hotel stays June 1-August 31. Registration deadline for this promotion was June 30, 2011. This offer may be earned two times during promotion. Active Marriott Rewards members may have a points offer based on 15 to 25 nights. Loyalty Traveler post May 16.

Marriott Rewards 4x miles for hotels stays June 1-August 31. Earn 8 miles per $1 or 4 miles per $1 with 13 participating airlines depending on Marriott hotel brand. Loyalty Traveler post May 27.

Program Change: All Marriott Rewards members receive complimentary internet at Asia-Pacific region hotels. Loyalty Traveler post May 2, 2011.

AC Hotels is Marriott’s newest hotel brand. AC Hotels are a Madrid-based hotel chain now partnered with Marriott and brings 90 new upscale hotels in Spain, Italy and Portugal into the Marriott Rewards system. This brand is projected to expand in Europe and Latin America. Loyalty Traveler post March 27.

Marriott Rewards Hotel Category Assignment Changes for 2011 (Loyalty Traveler March 2)

Marriott Rewards PointSavers –PointSavers reduce the points cost of a free night by one hotel category. For example, category 5 hotel requires only 20,000 points per night. 5^th night free applies to PointSavers rate. http://www.marriott.com/rewards/marriottRewardsPointSavers.mi

Marriott Points Redemption Strategy using $1,000 in Marriott Cheques. This post explains how Marriott elite members may buy $1,000 Marriott Cheques for 135,000 points. You can then pay for hotel stays and earn points and elite credit on paid stays you actually purchased indirectly with points. Loyalty Traveler post Jan 27.

Marriott Rewards Elite Rollover Nights extended for 2011. This is the third year Marriott Rewards offers elite rollover nights for elite qualifying nights over your earned elite membership. For example: Silver elite requires 10 nights in calendar year and Gold elite takes 50 nights. Stay 25 nights in 2011 and the 15 nights above Silver elite rollover to 2012 membership year. You will have earned Silver elite for 2013 from your 15 extra nights in 2011 rolled over to 2012. Confused? Don’t worry. This is a great benefit for elite members. (Loyalty Traveler 5-key offer. LT post Dec 23.)

Program change – Free internet worldwide for Gold and Platinum Marriott Rewards members beginning January 2011. This expands the complimentary internet benefit offered to elites for hotel stays in the Americas since May 2010.

Omni Hotels – Omni Select Guest

Member benefits include complimentary in-room Wi-Fi, shoe shine and morning beverage delivery.

Earn a free night after every 10 nights or earn 500 miles per hotel stay.

Preferred Hotels Group – I Prefer

I Prefer and Preferred Hotels Group special offers page.

Red Lion Hotels – 44 hotels in western U.S.

* Red Lion Double Points and Free Breakfast promotion code = RLDOUBLE (through Dec 31, 2011)

Ritz-Carlton Rewards

* Ritz-Carlton Rewards Visa – 50,000 points enrollment offer and Gold elite first year. Maintain Gold elite with $10,000 annual spending. Three confirmed Club level upgrades per year and other benefits. Loyalty Traveler post June 13.

Ritz-Carlton Rewards loyalty program launching Sep 15 (LT post Sep 14)

Reward Changes in new Ritz-Carlton Reward Tiers (LT post Sep 15)

Ritz-Carlton rewards Hotel + Air Packages Analysis (LT post Sep 16)

Starwood Hotels – Starwood Preferred Guest

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

* $40 gas card for two-night or longer stays at Four Points, Aloft or Element hotels in North America through September 15. Must book hotel stay by July 31 using rate code SSBGAS. LT post July 6.

* Four Points $25,000 contest for best story submitted on Four Points Facebook page between June 15 and August 10. Contest open to US  and Canada (except Quebec). Also weekly prizes for two-night stay and $50 in beer credit. Contest Rules.

* 3x points for Starwood Hotels in Japan for stays and dining June 1-August 31. LT post June 26.

Starwood Preferred Guest – Stay 3 and get a free Starwood Resort hotel night from May 1-July 31, 2011. Note: Promotion registration ended June 30, 2011, so too late if you are not already registered. Free nights are good for over 200 Starwood Resorts including several category 6 and one category 7 resort. Free nights are valid until December 21.  LT post April 15. (5-key promotion)

FourSquare 250 bonus points for mobile check-in at Starwood Hotels May 1-July 31, 2011. Loyalty Traveler post May 12. Note: Most of these bonuses have quickly posted for me. I need to follow up on a couple of missing bonuses.

Starwood Preferred Guest Hotel Category reward assignment changes for 2011 took effect on March 1. My LT post (Feb 22) has a list ordered by city, state and country for changes.

Starwood Hotels data on number of hotels in each brand and average rates by brand and global region. Loyalty traveler post Feb 4.

Starwood hotels Website Enhancement – Website now allows comparison of four different rate types side-by-side for hotels in one location including promotion rates, AAA, breakfast rates, senior, government and reward nights. There are monthly calendars to locate days when Cash & Points nights are available at a specific hotel Loyalty Traveler post Nov 23, 2010. 

SPG Peak Season Rates Return for 2011. Category 5, 6 and 7 hotels relaunch peak season dates and a calendar of dates and participating hotels is posted here. Book by January 9 to lock in lower rates for your hotel stays. Loyalty traveler post Dec 6. 

Starwood Hotels Policy Change: Sheraton Hotel Club Lounges will be open 7 days a week in 2011.

Starwood Preferred Guest – American Express credit card changes effective October 14, 2010. The annual fee is increasing to $65 from $45 for renewals beginning Oct 14. Benefit changes include 5 elite nights and 2 elite stays credit each year. This will have no effect for members who qualify on stays. The SPG50 certificate will be discontinued in favor of a 3^rd night free offer at Sheraton Hotels. Loyalty traveler post (August 24); Sheraton 3^rd Night Free Analysis (Nov 12)

3-key or sometimes a 5-key promotion SPG link: Pay Your Birthyear Rate -This promotion has been extended through 2011. Rates can be an incredible 5-key savings or no savings depending on the hotel and your birthyear.   LT post 4/28/2009

3-key or sometimes a 5-key discount rates Starwood Hotel Rate Discount Codes for Multiple Night Stays.

These offers are for rate discounts on stays of 2 to 6 nights. Third night free tends to be one of the best discount rates. Important to check other rates (AAA, Senior, Special Offers) as these discounts are generally based on the Best Available Rate (BAR) and may not be the lowest overall rate for some hotels. 

Starpoints Airline Direct Deposit is Better for United, Continental, and Singapore miles (March 25, 2010)

Stash Hotel Rewards

Stash Hotel Rewards New Member Enrollment 1,000 bonus points link.

Stash Rewards is a one year old loyalty program for over 100 independent upscale hotels in the U.S. Loyalty Traveler post Jan 19. Loyalty Traveler has found the hotel partners with Stash Rewards in Monterey, Napa and Washington D.C. are great choices for hotel travelers. Stash Rewards offers points for many high quality independent hotels that previously had no loyalty program affiliation.

Stash Hotel Specials for Bonus Points and Low Redemption Rate Hotels

Voila Hotel Rewards

Loyalty Traveler profiled Voila Hotels program in light of the recent signing of two New York former Starwood W Hotels as the initial hotel members in the USA for this international loyalty program for 250 independent hotels.

* 2,500 Voila bonus points per stay through August 31 and entry into 500,000 points sweepstakes.

* Double elite credit for Voila member hotel stays through July 31. Registration required.

Wyndham Worldwide -  Wyndham Rewards

Wyndham Brands: Wyndham, Wingate, Hawthorn Suites, Ramada, Days Inn, Super 8, Howard Johnson, Travelodge, Baymont Suites, Microtel, Knights Inn, Tryp.

1,000 bonus points per Wyndham stay from June 1 –September 5, 2011. Loyalty Traveler post June 2.

* European residents only – 15,000 bonus points for two hotel stays worldwide by September 30 at most Wyndham brands. Stays must be booked by August 31. Bonus may be earned four times for 60,000 points. Loyalty Traveler post July 6.

Loyalty Traveler Research Articles

* Room77.com hotel room views compared to my photos. Loyalty Traveler website analysis June 22.

Comparing the value of hotel program points - compares Hyatt, Priority Club and Hilton programs, then discusses how I am planning summer travel using free night promotions. (May 2, 2011)

Hotel Loyalty Credit Cards and the Value of Hotel Points

Loyalty Traveler Analysis of Hotel Rewards Credit Cards (March 19, 2011)

Elite Status Benefits with Hotel Loyalty Credit Cards (March 21, 2011)

Hotel Credit Cards Comparison by Value of Points (September 2, 2010) 

Hotel Credit Card Comparison using NerdWallet.com Value of Points (Sep 5, 2010) 

Loyalty Traveler’s Three Rules for the Value of Hotel Points (Sep 7, 2010)

Hotel Points to Airline Miles Conversion Tables

Hotel Points-to-Miles Conversion Tables for 9 hotel programs and 7 U.S. airlines (March 30, 2010)

Hotel Market Segments and Hotel Brand Profiles based on JD Power 2010 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study

Overview JD Power 2010 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Study (Aug 10)

Loyalty Traveler comments on JD Power Luxury Segment and luxury hotel brands  (Aug 11, 2010)

Loyalty Traveler comments on JD Power Upscale Segment Hotel Brands (Aug 11)

Loyalty Traveler Comments on JD Power 2010 Midscale Full Service Brand Ratings (Aug 13, 2010)

Loyalty Traveler comments on JD Power 2010 Midscale Limited Service Brands (August 15, 2010)

Loyalty Traveler comments on JD Power 2010 Economy/Budget Hotel Brand Ratings (August 16, 2010)

Comments on JD Power 2010 Extended Stay Hotel Satisfaction Index (Aug 17)

Hotel Rates Survey for USA States, Cities, and Average Hotel Rates Worldwide

Hotels.com 2010 – Full Year 2010 – Global Hotel Price Index – This is a great resource for finding where hotel rates are high and low around the world. There are tables of USA average hotel rates by state and major cities.

Loyalty Traveler ranks the consumer value of some hotel loyalty promotions on a Five Key Scale.

Five Keys = one of the best hotel loyalty promotions of the year.

Four Keys = high value rebate on the cost of hotel stays.

Three Keys = good value hotel loyalty promotion or rate offer

Two Keys = a bonus value if you play, but not necessarily worth going out of your way.

One Key = There is limited or no value. You are likely paying more than the bonus value.

Rate discounts and loyalty program bonuses are two types of hotel chain incentives to consider when booking travel. 

Rankings are subjective and subject to change. Your specific travel pattern may result in some promotions ranking more favorably for you. When assigning a key rank I take into consideration the following factors and probably more: 

• The opportunity for significantly high-value return on hotel spend in terms of future hotel rebate in free nights and discounted hotel nights. 
• Current loyalty program promotions and offers from other hotel chains.
• Past loyalty program offers and rates for the specific hotel chain and loyalty program.
• Current economic conditions in the hotel location and travel industry.

Offer 1: Omni Weekend Getaway = $190 ($171 with American Express payment) –  e-certificate for a two-night stay valid through December 30, 2011 with Friday or Saturday check-in. 36 packages for sale.

Certificate is valid for a standard room (single or double occupancy) only at the following locations:

• The Omni Austin Hotel at Southpark
• The Omni Majestic Hotel (St. Louis)
• The Omni Charlotte Hotel
• The Omni Charlottesville Hotel
• The Omni Houston Hotel at Westside
• The Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale
• The Omni Jacksonville Hotel
• The Omni Severin Hotel (Indianapolis)
• The Omni Dallas Hotel at Park West
• The Omni Newport News Hotel
• The Omni Corpus Christi Hotel
• The Omni San Antonio Hotel at the Colonnade 

Offer 2: Omni Weekend Escape = $280 ($252 with American Express payment) –  e-certificate for a two-night stay valid through December 30, 2011 with Friday or Saturday check-in. 49 packages for sale.

• The Omni Royal Orleans (New Orleans)
• The Omni Royal Crescent Hotel (New Orleans)
• The Omni Hotel at CNN Center (Atlanta)
• The Omni Interlocken Resort (in the Denver/Boulder area)
• The Omni Tucson National Resort
• The Omni Hotel at Independence Park (Philadelphia)
• The Omni Mandalay Hotel (Dallas)
• The Omni Fort Worth Hotel
• The Omni Houston Hotel (near the Galleria)
• The Omni Austin Hotel Downtown
• The Omni William Penn Hotel (Pittsburgh)
• The Omni Richmond Hotel 

Offer 3: Omni Berkshire New York = 1 night stay = $275 ($247.50 with American Express payment) –  e-certificate for a one-night stay valid through December 30, 2011 with Friday or Saturday check-in. 10 packages for sale.

Offer 4: Omni Luxury Weekend = $385 ($346.50 with American Express payment) –  e-certificate for a two-night stay valid through December 30, 2011 with Friday or Saturday check-in.   33 packages for sale.

This offer is only valid at the following locations:

• The Omni Chicago Hotel
• The Omni San Francisco Hotel
• The Omni La Mansion del Rio (San Antonio)
• The Omni Shoreham Hotel (Washington, D.C.)
• The Omni San Diego Hotel
• The Omni Parker House (Boston)
• The Omni Los Angeles Hotel
• The Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate
• The Omni Bedford Springs Resort (in the Cumberland Mountains of South Central Pennsylvania)
• The Omni Mount Washington Resort (Bretton Woods, New Hampshire)
• The Omni Amelia Island Plantation (Florida)

These hotel certificates are for one standard room and require 14 days advance booking.

room view from Omni Chicago Hotel

DiscoverAmerica.com offers for Loews Hotels did not sell out on Monday. These discounts are still available.

Loews Hotel – 1 night in a 1-bedroom suite = $222 ($199.80 Amex)

• Loews Atlanta Hotel
• Loews Annapolis Hotel
• Loews Vanderbilt Hotel Nashville
• Loews New Orleans Hotel
• Loews Denver Hotel
• Loews Philadelphia Hotel
• Loews Hôtel Le Concorde – Quebec City, Canada
• Loews Hôtel Vogue – Montreal, Canada

These rates were easily found at several hotels I checked in the past hour (9amPST) and the rates do not require prepayment and may be canceled up to day of arrival for hotels I checked.

This CyberMonday deal is the real deal with great opportunities for good rate discounts.

Omni CyberMonday $99 rooms:

CyberMonday Sale Link

Terms and Conditions:  Book November 29, 2010.  Available November 29, 2010 – January 31, 2011.  Subject to availability.  Blackout dates apply.  Does not apply to groups or conventions and cannot be combined with other discounts.

Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort

Omni Hotel at CNN Center, Atlanta 

Omni Austin Downtown Hotel 

Omni Austin Southpark Hotel

Omni Parker House, Boston

Omni Chicago Hotel 

Omni Charlottesville Hotel 

Omni Charlotte Hotel 

Omni Corpus Christi Hotel 

Omni Dallas Hotel at Park West  

Omni Mandalay Hotel, Dallas

Omni Interlocken Resort, Denver 

Omni Forth Worth Hotel 

Omni Houston Hotel 

Omni Houston Hotel at Westside 

Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale 

Omni Severin Hotel, Indianapolis 

Omni Jacksonville Hotel

Omni Los Angeles Hotel 

Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate 

Hotel Omni Mont-Royal, Montreal  

Omni Royal Crescent Hotel, New Orleans 

Omni Royal Orleans, New Orleans 

Omni Mount Washington, Bretton Woods 

Omni Bretton Arms, Bretton Woods 

Omni Berkshire Place, New York 

Omni Independence Park Hotel, Philadelphia 

Omni Richmond Hotel 

Omni San Diego Hotel 

Omni La Mansion del Rio 

Omni San Antonio Hotel 

Omni San Francisco Hotel 

Omni Majestic Hotel, St. Louis 

Omni Tucson National Resort 

Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, DC

Gaylord Resorts

Gaylord Resorts are convention size hotels located in Orlando, Dallas, Washington, D.C., and Nashville. These hotels are fully-equipped environments with restaurants, pools, activity centers, and plenty of entertainment within the hotel resort. I stayed at the Gaylord Palms in Orlando last March for three nights and I was impressed with the array of services and activities including miniature golf course, two pool complexes, fitness center with yoga room, alligator park, and beautifully landscaped interior atrium gardens. The hotel had free shuttle service to the Disney parks.

There are two-night weekend stay packages offered at each Gaylord Resort location. Stays must be completed by November 13 for Orlando, Dallas, and D.C.

The Gaylord Opryland Hotel was devastated by the recent Nashville floods and is undergoing extensive renovation repairs for the next six months. The Gaylord Opryland two night package is valid for a hotel stay anytime in 2011.

Gaylord Texan – two nights $229 (Thursday, Friday, or Saturday night check-in)

Gaylord Palms, Orlando – two nights $259 (Thursday, Friday, or Saturday night check-in)

Gaylord National, Washington, D.C. – two nights $299 (Thursday, Friday, or Saturday night check-in)

Gaylord Opryland, Nashville – two nights $229 (Thursday, Friday, or Saturday night check-in)

Loews Hotels and Resorts

There are 19  Loews Hotels and Resorts in the USA and Canada.  There are five offers from Loews for hotel suites for stays through November 15, 2010.

Loews Miami Beach – Beachfront Suite one night $350

Loews Regency New York – Suite one night $350

Loews Santa Monica – Luxury Suite one night $500

Loews One Night in a Suite at your Choice of Nine Hotels, $200

• Loews Atlanta Hotel
• Loews Annapolis Hotel
• The Madison, a Loews Hotel – Washington, D.C.
• Loews Vanderbilt Hotel Nashville
• Loews New Orleans Hotel
• Loews Denver Hotel
• Loews Philadelphia Hotel
• Loews Hôtel Le Concorde – Quebec City, Canada
• Loews Hôtel Vogue – Montreal, Canada 

Loew’s One Night in a Suite at your choice of Six hotels, $300

• Loews Coronado Bay Resort (San Diego)
• Loews Ventana Canyon Resort (Tucson)
• Loews Lake Las Vegas Resort
• Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando^®
• Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando^®
• The Don CeSar, a Loews Hotel (St. Petersburg, Florida)

Omni Hotels and Resorts

There are three tiers of two-night weekend hotel stays available for Omni Hotels through the Discover America site.

Omni Weekend Getaway for $175 – two nights through December 30. Participating Hotels.

Omni Weekend Escape for $250 – two nights through December 30 at these participating Omni Hotels.

Omni Luxury Weekend for $350 – two nights through December 30 at these participating Omni Hotels.

Any one of these Discover America deals will likely be a big savings on the regular room rates for these upper-upscale and luxury class hotels.

There are other package offers available through the DiscoverAmerica site, but these hotel deals look to be the best value opportunities.

Remember – these deals are scheduled to end after tomorrow on June 30.

Gaylord Palms, Orlando

One BOGO code is for the member to use for a free night on a two-night stay with an arrival on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday. The second code is a one-time use code to be shared  with a family member or friend.

Barbara De Lollis, writer of Hotel Check-In for USA Today, mentioned this offer yesterday on her blog and when I checked my email I saw I had received the email from Omni Select Guest with two BOGO coupon codes.

Omni Select Guest allows members the choice between earning 500 miles per stay or a free night after every ten nights.

Omni Select Guest has 15 airline partners including American Airlines, United Airlines and Amtrak domestically. International partner airlines are Air France/KLM Flying Blue, ANA Mileage Club, British Airways Executive Club, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, China Eastern, Emirates Skywards, Etihad, Jet Airways, Lufthansa Miles & More, Qatar Privilege Club, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, and Thai Royal Orchid.

Omni Hotels has 43 hotels, all in North America, including one hotel in Montreal, Canada, two in Mexico, and the rest in the USA featuring a strong presence in Texas with 13 hotels.

Omni hotel locations.

Email Title and Content

An exclusive offer for Omni Select Guest loyalty members

 

As a valued Select Guest member, enjoy one complimentary weekend night this summer when you buy one night’s stay. Then we invite you to extend our family. Share the second code with your friends and family so they can enjoy a free night on us.

Select Guest Summer Weekend Night FreeEnjoy one complimentary weekend night this summer when you buy one night’s stay as an exclusive offer for members of our Select Guest loyalty program. If you received two codes, be sure to pass along to a friend or family members, so they can enjoy this special offer as well.

 

If you or your family or friends are not yet Select Guest members,

join now. There are immediate benefits and membership is complimentary.

TERMS & CONDITIONS: Select Guest membership required. Valid for arrivals on Thursdays, Fridays or Saturdays from May 29 through September 6, 2010 only. Based on availability.

Loyalty Traveler Rate Analysis

The rate quoted for a stay at the Omni Hotel San Francisco for two nights June 4-6, 2010 was $189 (plus tax) for the  first night and the second night is free.

The best rate I found for these same dates was a 25% weekend retreat promotion offering a 25% discount for a two night stay at $142 per night. The BOGO weekend offer at $216 all-in is a savings of over $100 on the $324 rate after tax for the otherwise lowest rate.

Omni Hotels Select Guest Double Nights Enrollment Link

Omni Select Guest members have the choice of earning a free night for every ten nights or 500 airline miles per stay. These are mutually exclusive preferences. The new member promotion allows a guest choosing free nights to earn a free night with just 5 nights stayed during the promotion period.

A member normally earns a free night after 10 paid nights. The 10 qualifying nights do not need to be in a single calendar year. Omni Select Guest membership remains active as long as there is hotel stay activity in the previous 24 months.

Omni Hotels Select Guest membership levels

Gold Level is the base level membership for members with fewer than 2 stays or 5 nights in a calendar year. Benefits include free wi-fi.

Platinum level is reached with 6 nights or 3 stays in a calendar year.

Black level is reached with 20 nights or 11 stays in a calendar year.

A clause in the terms and conditions indicates a member can receive room night credit towards the free night for up to two rooms during a hotel stay. This is a strategy to keep in mind when traveling with others who do not mind letting you take all the credit for the hotel stay. 

“If a Qualifying Member reserves and pays for more than one room, free night awards or mileage awards are earned on a maximum of two rooms during such stay.”                         (Omni Hotels Select Guest T&C link)

Just hope your co-worker or relative doesn’t pull a Keith Moon on the hotel room with a TV set tossed out the window or cherry bomb down the toilet.

Omni Hotels Links

Omni Hotels Select Guest Airline partners (member must choose miles or nights as earning preference).

Omni Hotels in North America (43 properties)

Omni Hotels Select Guest currently has a promotion for triple airline miles with either United Airlines or American Airlines, which is 1,500 miles per hotel stay. Promotion registration is required.

American Airlines Triple Miles Promotion Registration

United Airlines Triple Miles Promotion

Terms and Conditions:  Guest must pay a qualifying rate on at least one night of each stay in order to earn triple miles (1,500 miles).  All stays must occur between 3/1/09 – 12/31/09 with a departure on or before 12/31/09.  Registration for this promotion is required prior to arrival.  Guest must be a member of the Omni Select Guest program and include an active frequent flyer membership number on the Select Guest member profile prior to arrival.

Omni Select Guest Members Must Choose to Earn Airline Miles or Free Night Credit

Omni Hotels offers its Select Guest loyalty program members the choice of 500 airline miles per stay or credit towards a free night after 10 paid eligible nights at Omni Hotels. Members who choose to earn airline miles will not receive credit toward a free night after 10 nights. You can change your earning preference with each stay. Unlike most hotel loyalty programs, Omni Select Guest free nights earned by the member are not transferrable to others.

Multi-night hotel stays favor crediting your nights towards earning a free night, but a single night stay may offer more value credited to airline miles. Omni Select Guest has 13 airline partners, mostly international airlines, and Amtrak for crediting points and miles.

Select Guest Airline Partners:

• AmericanAirlines

• United Mileage Plus

• Amtrak Guest Rewards

• Air France/KLM Flying Blue 

• ANA Mileage Club 

• British Airways Executive Club

• China Eastern Airlines Eastern Miles

• Emirates Skywards

• Etihad Guest

• Jet Airways Jet Privilege

• Lufthansa Miles and More   

• Qatar Privilege Club

• Singapore Air KrisFlyer

• Thai Air Royal Orchid Plus

About Omni Hotels and Select Guest

Omni Hotels is a small hotel chain with just 43 upper upscale and luxury hotels in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. Inside Flyer reviewed the Omni Hotels Select Guest loyalty program in the June 2009 issue.

Omni Hotels Select Guest loyalty program new members are registered in Gold level membership. Benefits begin with your first stay and include complimentary wi-fi, clothes pressing, morning beverage service, newspaper, and exclusive member offers.

Select Guest has a relatively low entry qualification for elite status starting at just 3 stays or 6 nights in a calendar year to earn Platinum elite. Additional benefits include nightly complimentary bottled water, possibility of complimentary room upgrade at check-in, 3pm late checkout (one of my favorite benefits), and a local welcome amenity gift.

20 nights or 11 stays in a calendar year qualifies the Select guest member for Black Level elite status. This membership level includes 5pm late check-out, 10am check-in, unlimited complimentary clothes pressing ( a great benefit when your suit has been folded in the luggage for a day or two) , confirmed room upgrades 24 hours before arrival, and suite upgrades when redeeming free nights.

Personally I have only been to the Omni San Francisco, located at the base of Nob Hill, across from the San Francisco Ritz-Carlton. I enjoy the large lobby with fine furnishings and comfortable couches. The Omni San Francisco hotel property has had some great bargain rates this past year with some nights available for as low as $100.

Omni Hotel San Francisco

Here are locations of Omni Hotels:

United States

Arizona   Omni Tucson National Resort Tucson, Arizona

California   Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza Los Angeles, California   Omni San Diego Hotel San Diego, California   Omni San Francisco Hotel San Francisco, California

Colorado   Omni Interlocken Resort Denver (Broomfield), Colorado

Connecticut   Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale New Haven, Connecticut

District of Columbia   Omni Shoreham Hotel Washington, District of Columbia

Florida   Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate ChampionsGate, Florida   Omni Jacksonville Hotel Jacksonville, Florida

Georgia   Omni Hotel at CNN Center Atlanta, Georgia

Illinois   Omni Chicago Hotel Chicago, Illinois

Indiana   Omni Severin Hotel Indianapolis, Indiana

Louisiana   Omni Royal Orleans New Orleans, Louisiana   Omni Royal Crescent Hotel New Orleans, Louisiana

Massachusetts   Omni Parker House Boston, Massachusetts

Michigan   Omni Detroit Hotel at River Place Detroit, Michigan

Missouri   Omni Majestic Hotel St. Louis, Missouri

New Hampshire   Omni Mount Washington Resort Bretton Woods, New Hampshire   Omni Bretton Arms Inn Bretton Woods, New Hampshire

New York   Omni Berkshire Place New York, New York

North Carolina   Omni Charlotte Hotel Charlotte, North Carolina

Pennsylvania   Omni Bedford Springs Resort Bedford, Pennsylvania   Omni Hotel at Independence Park Philadelphia, Pennsylvania   Omni William Penn Hotel Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Texas   Omni Austin Hotel at Southpark Austin, Texas   Omni Austin Hotel Downtown Austin, Texas   Omni Corpus Christi Hotel Marina Tower Corpus Christi, Texas   Omni Corpus Christi Hotel Bayfront Tower Corpus Christi, Texas   Omni Dallas Hotel at Park West Dallas, Texas   Omni Dallas Convention Center Hotel Dallas, Texas   Omni Mandalay Hotel at Las Colinas Dallas (Irving), Texas   Omni Fort Worth Hotel Fort Worth, Texas   Omni Houston Hotel at Westside Houston, Texas   Omni Houston Hotel Houston, Texas Watermark Hotel & Spa San Antonio, Texas   Omni San Antonio Hotel San Antonio, Texas   Omni La Mansión del Rio San Antonio, Texas

Virginia   Omni Charlottesville Hotel Charlottesville, Virginia   Omni Newport News Hotel Newport News, Virginia   Omni Richmond Hotel Richmond, Virginia

Canada

Omni Mont-Royal

Montreal, Quebec

Mexico

Omni Cancun Hotel & Villas

Cancun, Quintana Roo

Omni Puerto Aventuras Beach Resort

Puerto Aventuras, Quintana Roo

The rate for a 7-night condo stay has only changed from $195 per week to $295 per week since I successfully bid for a one week condo at Samoset Resort in Rockport, Maine through SkyAuction back in 2000.  Many of the condo offers are successful auction wins at a bid of less than $10 and after the service fee and tax of $295 in many cases, the timeshare condo is yours for less than $325 for a week at resorts where the nightly rate would run $200+ to book directly. 

Loyalty Traveler Trip Tip:  Check reviews for hotels and condos if you have never heard of the place.  Some hotel advertisements look great and the cost might be really low.  A quick check to TripAdvisor may have you reconsidering your bid options.

SkyAuction.com Hotel Offers that Caught My Eye This Week

Some properties have minimum bids, but most of the hotels shown here did not have that restriction.  Generally, hotel auctions on Skyauction.com have per night service fee and taxes of either $32 or $49 per night in addition to your successful bid price for the hotel.

Most of the hotels listed below had average daily rates at $200+ for a good portion this past year.

San Diego Starwood Hotels Luxury Collection U.S. Grant Hotel $99 per night. The fine print says tax can be as high as $75 taking most of the good value out of this deal.  Looks like tax may be on standard rack rate of $600? 

The U.S. Grant made the Forbes Top 400 Hotels of the World list.

Palm Springs/Palm Desert area, JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort, with a bid of $22 and a daily service fee of $49.  This hotel is one of the nicest properties in the Palm Springs area and quite a bargain at under $100 per night.

 JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort, Palm Desert, California has lagoon gondola boat rides from lobby

Westin San Diego is currently bid too high at $140 per night to be a deal, but the property is pushing rooms on SkyAuction and future offers may have lower bids.

The Lodge at Sonoma, a Renaissance Resort is currently sitting at $6 per night and after the service fee and tax of $49 per night is a northern California wine country getaway budget vacation for $55 per night.

The Huntington Hotel, Nob Hill, San Francisco is across from the Fairmont San Francisco and the InterContinental Mark Hopkins.  Current bid of $50 would make this hotel a steal at $99 per night.  Sample rate check on the Huntington Hotel website for July 10-15, 2009 shows $275 per night + 14% city tax.  The auction allows reservations through August 31 for up to a 7-night stay.  Bidding ends at 4:00pm EST Friday, December 5. 

Omni San Francisco is another upscale hotel property near the Ritz Carlton San Francisco and currently sitting at less than $70 per night.

 Omni Hotel San Francisco

Mexico City, Marquis Reforma Hotel & Spa, a Leading Hotels of the World member is as low as $125 night at the current bid.

Vancouver, British Columbia – Marriott Pinnacle looks like it could win with a $21/night bid.  After taxes the daily rate is $53 for a top rated hotel in downtown Vancouver.  The winning bidder can choose a stay up to 10 nights and hotel reservations for summer 2009 are allowed.  Rates may continue to drop in Vancouver, but you will be unlikely to get anything as good as $53 per night for a Vancouver upscale hotel in summer 2009.  Marriott Vancouver http://www.skyauction.com/action/offer/1468407

Marriott Pinnacle, Vancouver, British Columbia

Omni Hotels operates 39 upscale and luxury hotels and resorts in North America.  Hotels offer wifi and high speed internet access (complimentary for Select Guest members).  Omni Select Guest Gold Level membership normally takes 6 stays in a 24 month period.  Omni Hotels has a special offer in conjunction with Emirates Airlines.

Emirates Airlines Skywards Double Miles promotion with Omni Select Guest hotel stays from August 15 through November 30, 2008.

Emirates Skywards members will be upgraded to Omni Select Guest Gold status with a stay at any of the five participating properties and receive double miles for a stay at:

·         Omni Berkshire Place – New York, NY

·         Omni Houston Hotel

·         Omni Houston Hotel at Westside

·         Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza

·         Omni San Francisco Hotel

Benefits of Omni Hotels Select Guest Gold Level membership:

·         More rates qualify for 500 frequent flyer miles.

·         Late check-out up to 5 pm.

·         Occasional certificates for room upgrades and room rate discounts.

Loyalty Traveler note: Customer service told me the international airline partners are relatively new to the program and the website updates have not yet been programmed to allow registration of these airline partners online in your profile.  You will need to call customer service to have your Emirates frequent flyer number placed in your guest profile. 

Normal frequent flyer miles earning for Omni Select Guests is 500 miles per stay.  This Emirates offer will award 1,000 miles per stay and your first stay at one of the five participating hotels listed above will trigger the Gold Level upgrade.