First the bad news. This is an offer for new enrollees to Ritz-Carlton Rewards or existing RCR members and you are not eligible for the Ritz-Carlton Rewards free night offer if you are a Marriott Rewards member.

Members of The Ritz-Carlton Rewards program as of January 13, 2012 and new members who were not previously members of the Marriott Rewards® program are eligible to receive this offer.

And now the good news. Register for the Ritz-Carlton Rewards free night offer by March 1, 2012. Stay two times at participating Ritz-Carlton Hotels and earn one free night certificate valid for a Tier 1-3 Ritz-Carlton Hotel. You may earn up to two free night certificates during the promotion.

• Register for promotion by March 1.
• You must have been a member of Ritz-Carlton Rewards as of January 13, 2012 or a new member who has not been a member of Marriott Rewards to be eligible for this offer.
• Free night reward certificate is earned 3-5 days after second qualifying stay and is valid for one year from date of issuance.
• Free night certificate is not transferable and may not be gifted.

Read More…

Ritz-Carlton Rewards members have an exclusive summer promotion that apparently does not apply for Marriott Rewards members even though the promotion page allows Marriott Rewards members to register. Earn 30,000 bonus Ritz-Carlton Rewards points with a stay of 4 nights or more at a participating Ritz-Carlton hotel between July 18 and September 9, 2011. This bonus may be earned only one time per member for stays during the promotion period.

Promotion registration is required by August 15, 2011.

Ritz-Carlton Rewards 30,000 Points Promotion press release.
Ritz-Carlton Rewards promotion FAQ.

• Must have been a Ritz-Carlton Rewards member as of June 30, 2011.
• New members may register for Ritz-Carlton Rewards and register for this promotion through August 15, 2011 if previously not a member of Marriott Rewards.
• A check-in date before July 18 or checkout date after September 9 is eligible for this promotion if at least one night of your stay falls within the promotion period of July 18-September 9.
• An eligible stay prior to registration counts for this bonus as long as Ritz-Carlton Rewards member registers for promotion by August 15.

Nonparticipating Properties:

• The Ritz-Carlton Millennia, Singapore,
• Phulay Bay, Thailand Ritz-Carlton Reserve
• The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club®,
• The Ritz-Carlton Residences and Partner Hotels

Loyalty Traveler analysis:

This bonus is basically a Ritz-Carlton Tier 1 free hotel night at 30,000 points after a paid 4-night stay. That is a good value rebate for Ritz-Carlton Rewards members.

HELP SHEET #8 – updated July 7, 2011

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.

Loyalty Traveler analysis of Ritz-Carlton Rewards Card benefits.

Ritz-Carlton Rewards launched its JP Morgan Chase Bank Visa credit card this week with a 50,000 points bonus after first-use by its founding members. This is sufficient for one free night at a Tier 3 Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

RitzCarltonRewardsCard.com

Benefits of Ritz-Carlton Credit Card include:

• 5 points per $1 for Ritz-Carlton brand hotel stays. Stays at other Marriott brand hotels do not earn the 5 points rate.
• 2 points per $1 for airlines, car rentals and dining.
• 1 points per $1 for other purchases.
• Confirmed upgrade to Club Level at Ritz-Carlton Hotels at time of booking three times per card membership account year for paid stays up to 7 nights.
• Automatic Ritz-Carlton Rewards Gold elite status for first year of card membership.
• Maintain Ritz-Carlton Gold elite with $10,000 in annual card spend.
• Priority Pass Select membership for complimentary airport lounge access.
• $200 annual airline incidentals credit provides reimbursement for items like checked baggage fees and in-flight meals charged to Ritz-Carlton Rewards credit card.
• JP Morgan Premier Concierge service 24/7.
• No foreign transaction fees.
• $100 hotel credit on minimum 2-night stays for dining, spa and other activities. This credit is not valid for room rate.
• Insurance coverage for trip cancellation/delay, emergency medical coverage, 24 hour travel and emergency assistance services and lost baggage reimbursement. 

Annual cardmember fee $395 per year.

Interest Rate: 15.24% on June 13, 2011.

Chasing Whales with Ritz-Carlton Rewards credit card  

A recently published Cornell Hospitality Report analyzed and categorized customer segments among hotel loyalty program members. One of their findings was the high-value customers they categorize as “whales”. This customer segment includes loyalty members who stay relatively infrequently, but have exceptionally high average spend during hotel stays for rooms, food and beverage, and other revenue. The Cornell report concludes loyalty programs should chase whales with benefits rather than room rate discounts. The Ritz-Carlton Rewards Card appears to follow that advice. 

Bloomberg reports the JP Morgan Premier Concierge service offered as a Ritz-Carlton Rewards Card benefit is a feature previously only available to its wealthiest customers in the New York based bank. The affluent customer market is dominated by American Express whose members spend three to four times the spend of Visa and MasterCard members. 

Herve Humler, President and COO of Ritz-Carlton, said about 100,000 members are being offered the card. Chase Bank is targeting prime and super-prime customers with high credit ratings. Mr. Humler even has a YouTube 46-second promo spot with little informative substance for the new credit card. The video does provide a close-up look of the card. 

Ritz-Carlton Rewards Gold Elite with $10,000 in card spend

The Ritz-Carlton Rewards Gold elite factor is a competitive edge for Ritz-Carlton Rewards credit card members. Mid-level gold elite at $10,000 compares to HHonors Surpass American Express card with a $20,000 spend level to maintain HHonors Gold. The advantage of HHonors AmEx Surpass is the ability to reach Diamond elite at $40,000 in annual spend, although there is considerable debate in the HHonors community on FlyerTalk as to whether HHonors Diamond elite has significantly more value than HHonors Gold elite these days. 

Ritz-Carlton Gold elite benefits include:

• 25% bonus points
• Complimentary room upgrade
• Complimentary internet
• Late checkout

$200 airline incidentals credit

The airline incidentals credit is a reimbursement program for charges incurred like baggage fees, change fees, in-flight meals, and even airport club membership. Non-ticket purchases classified as airline category by Visa can be submitted for reimbursement within four billing cycles of purchase date.

The terms state the $200 reimbursement is per calendar year. Is there a leverage opportunity here for a person with a July to June cardmember year to get $200 reimbursed by December 31 and another $200 in 2012 during first year of card? This would effectively make the card free for the first year of membership through the airline fees reimbursement feature by itself.

Confirmed Upgrade to Club Level

Confirmed upgrade to Club Level at time of booking for up to 7 nights per stay and up to three stays per card membership year is a high value benefit.

The Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge access rate is typically a $50 to $100 per night surcharge at most hotels. Club Lounge normally provides breakfast, mid-day snacks, afternoon tea, hors d’oeuvres, dessert and complimentary cocktails seven days a week. This can be a significant rebate value on the annual card membership fee even for card members who spend only a few nights a year at Ritz-Carlton Hotels.

$100 Hotel Stay credit on 2-night or longer stays

This credit is valid for dining, spa and hotel incidentals, and not room rate. The credit is not valid when staying on promotional or discount rates.  

Priority Pass Select membership

Priority Pass Select membership offers complimentary airport lounge access to over 600 airport lounges. Note that beginning October 1 there will no longer be access to United Red Carpet Club and Continental Presidents Club lounges. Here is a link to FAQ for Priority Pass Select with the UA/CO update and here is a FlyerTalk thread about Priority Pass Select.

Loyalty Traveler Conclusion

The Ritz-Carlton Rewards credit card has a relatively low earn rate at 1 or 2 points per $1 for spend outside of Ritz-Carlton hotels. The lack of 5 points per $1 for all Marriott brand hotels, in my opinion, is a deficiency in earning rate for the card. HHonors Surpass American Express and SPG AmEx offer more points value for non-hotel purchases.

Gold elite status in the Ritz-Carlton Rewards program offers cardmembers added benefits for all Marriott brand hotel stays at the relatively low qualification level of $10,000 per year card spend. Spending $10,000 on the Ritz-Carlton Rewards credit card is a far easier route to Gold elite status than staying 50 nights at Marriott brand hotels in a calendar year.

The benefits offered with the card including the airline incidentals $200 rebate per calendar year and the complimentary confirmed Club Level room for up to three stays per card membership year essentially provides a full rebate for the $395 annual card fee for any Ritz-Carlton Rewards member spending 4 nights or more per year at Ritz-Carlton hotels.

Ritz-Carlton Rewards members earn a US$100 Ritz-Carlton gift card after 5 nights or a US$250 Ritz-Carlton gift card after 10 nights at Ritz-Carlton Hotels worldwide during the promotion period between March 15 and June 30, 2011.  Nights are cumulative and do not need to be consecutive nights in a single stay.

Ritz-Carlton Rewards gift card promotion link. No promotion registration is required. You still earn points or miles for Ritz-Carlton stays in addition to the gift card offer.

This offer is only for Ritz-Carlton Rewards members and does not apply to Marriott Rewards members. This is the first Ritz-Carlton Rewards loyalty promotion I recall since the program launched in September 2010.

The following Ritz-Carlton properties are not participating in this global gift card promotion.       

• The Ritz-Carlton Millenia, Singapore,
• Phulay Bay Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Krabi, Thailand
• The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club (time-share program)
• The Ritz-Carlton Residences and Partner Hotels.

This seems like an odd term in the fine print: Offer requires member to be an existing or new member of Ritz-Carlton Rewards as of March 14, 2011.  This reads to me like you must already be a member to be eligible for the gift card, yet the promotion page states, “Not a member? We invite you to enroll now.”

Terms state the gift card will be mailed 4 to 6 weeks after the conclusion of the promotion, so likely late July or August before gift card is received by member. Gift cards are valid at all Ritz-Carlton Hotels worldwide.

The tall red brick smokestack is the signature feature of the Ritz-Carlton Georgetown, Washington D.C.

The Georgetown incinerator was a weed-covered urban wasteland on the waterfront in 1999 when Architect Gary Edward Handel + Associates and Associate architect Shalom Baranes & Associates financed by Millennium Partners and Eastbanc developed a mixed-use hotel, movie theater and residential complex.

The Ritz Carlton hotel is located on a square block across the street from the waterfront of the Potomac River and adjacent to Highway 29, aka Whitehurst Freeway, an elevated roadway about 100 feet from some of the Ritz-Carlton hotel rooms. The road traffic is one of the drawbacks of the location. This area is still in development and the elevated roadway traffic makes the waterfront a less than serene location.

Rosslyn, Virginia (another popular hotel district) is seen from corner of K Street and Wisconsin Avenue at Loews Theater complex which sits below the Ritz-Carlton Georgetown hotel. There are some benches in the waterfront park development below the elevated freeway.

The entrance to Ritz Carlton Georgetown is located one block up on South Street.

     “The problem of leisure, 

       What to do for pleasure” -

            “Natural’s Not In It“  -  Gang of Four

The lobby looked comfortable in a casually formal kind of way. The place has modern touches.

Rates average around $400 per night and the hotel reward category is Tier 3 at 50,000 points per night.

“This heaven gives me migraine.” – Gang of Four

This post is not meant to reflect negatively on Ritz-Carlton Georgetown, Washington, D.C. This is not a hotel review. More a location review.

Really I think the hotel is a lovely looking hotel inside.

This post is inspired by the new album of 70s punk band Gang of Four that is back at it again in another type of modern revival. United Airlines has the song ‘Natural’s Not In It’ playing on a new wave soundtrack this month of February 2011.

How the times have changed from 1979 when I can hear Gang of Four in popular culture and not just in San Francisco.

Ritz-Carlton Rewards loyalty program launch has a valuable offer through the end of 2010. New members to Ritz-Carlton Rewards will earn a free night after two Ritz-Carlton stays completed by December 31, 2010. There is a limit of two free nights after four stays. The free night certificate is valid for one year from issuance.

There are about 70 Ritz-Carlton hotels participating in the new Ritz-Carlton Rewards hotel loyalty program. New members to Ritz-Carlton Rewards will receive a free night at any Tier 1, Tier 2 or Tier 3 Ritz-Carlton hotel after two stays. You have one year from date of issuance to use your free night.

The primary impediment to this offer is you must never have been a Marriott Rewards member to qualify for the free nights offer (see item#3 in this Marriott Concierge Sep 17 FlyerTalk post). That knocks out about 33 million of us loyalty travelers. So while this is not an offer I can personally use, there are people close to me who have the opportunity for some luxury travel on the cheap.

My parents do not belong to Marriott Rewards. One of my sisters does not belong to Marriott Rewards. And I have a whole lot of readers who do not belong to Marriott Rewards.

Finding cheap Ritz-Carlton Hotel Rates

Not all of us can take advantage of flying to Asia for stays at the Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur where starting room rates are regularly under $150 per night.

Searching the Ritz-Carlton website for cheap dates can waste hours of your time.

Here is a step-by-step shortcut guide for finding low rate dates at Ritz-Carlton Hotels or other hotel brands using Travelocity.com/hotels flexible dates function.

• Open the webpage showing all Ritz-Carlton Hotels. Find the location of a hotel you want to rate check.
• Open a separate window for Travelocity.com/Hotels

• Search the location of the selected Ritz-Carlton Hotel on Travelocity.com.
• For example, search Atlanta, Georgia, October 15, 2010.

 

• Travelocity.com will return a list of hotels in Atlanta, Georgia for your date.
• Sort the hotels by “Star Rating”. The default mode is “Travelocity Picks”. Use the drop-down menu to select Star Rating. Since Ritz-Carlton hotels are 5-star hotels the list will bring up Ritz-Carlton Hotels in the area.

 

•  Click on the “Select Hotel” button on Travelocity.com under the rate for the Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

 

• Click the tab for “Flexible Dates” on the Travelocity.com hotel page.

• Flexible dates shows rates on a 90-day calendar for the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. The nice aspect of Hotel Best Rate Guarantees is the rate shown on Travelocity.com will indicate the low rate dates for the next three months. The rate shown on Travelocity.com should be the ceiling. The calendars indicate lowest rate dates and then you can narrow your searches on the Ritz-Carlton website to these dates and look for even lower rates or high value package deals during these low rate dates indicated by Travelocity Flexible Dates search results.

 

Low Rate Ritz-Carlton Hotels

In the Washington, D.C. area you can try the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner where published rates are regularly $179 for weekends during this promotion period and drop to $159 in December.

Atlanta area travelers have a great opportunity for relatively cheap weekend rates and two Ritz-Carlton hotels. Ritz-Carlton Atlanta is $179 for Friday and Saturday weekend nights in October and November. Ritz-Carlton Buckhead Atlanta is regularly $219 on Fridays and Saturdays. And these are just the lowest published rates in default searches. AAA, senior, or special offer rates may even be lower.

Ritz-Carlton Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Georgia has cheaper rates on weekdays, dropping as low as $199 per night in October and November.

Ritz-Carlton Phoenix has $199 per night rates through Thanksgiving week and Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain near Tucson drops to $259 per night during that week. Pick up some sunshine and late autumn warmth with a couple of stays and earn a free night certificate during the Thanksgiving holiday week.

Ritz-Carlton Westchester, New York drops to $259 per night during Thanksgiving week. Compare that to Ritz-Carlton New York Central Park where the lowest published rate is $995 per night during the holiday week. Ritz-Carlton New York Battery Park has a rate of $325 for tonight, September 18. Rates are as low as $345 on weekends and $395 per night during Thanksgiving week. The average weekday rate at Ritz-Carlton New York Battery Park is about $575 after tax. This hotel is a Tier 3 Ritz-Carlton reward and your free night certificate will have good redemption value at this particular hotel in 2011. New York Central Park is a Tier 5 hotel and is not eligible for the free night certificate which is restricted to Tier 3 or lower properties. New York hotel rates are the fastest rising in the U.S.

California has six Ritz-Carlton Hotels, but you will have a difficult time finding rates under $300 per night, unless you can frequent Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe in November before ski season begins and $199 nightly rates are common.

I have shown you some places where you can stay at a Ritz-Carlton Hotel for around $200 per night. Two one-night stays for under $500 will earn a free night certificate.

** The difference between a hotel stay and a hotel night.**

A hotel stay is one or more consecutive hotel nights at the same hotel, regardless if guest checks out and back in on different reservations. This promotion requires two stays.

In a place like Atlanta you could stay Friday night at the RC Atlanta and Saturday night at the RC Buckhead and that will earn one free night certificate. This type of hotel hop also works for Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner and Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City in the D.C. area where both these hotels have relatively low weekend rates for a Ritz-Carlton.

In Lake Tahoe you could stay Monday night at the Ritz-Carlton, go to the Hyatt Regency or some other hotel in the area on Tuesday and return to the Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe for Wednesday night. That would qualify for a free night certificate with two separate stays.

High-Priced Ritz-Carlton Hotels for free night redemption

I already mentioned Ritz-Carlton New York Battery Park as a place for a $575 free night opportunity.

Here are some other high-priced Ritz-Carlton Tier 3 hotels for your free night. Tier 3 hotels are normally 50,000 points per night so the promotional value of this new member enrollment is between 60,000 points and 100,000 points if you earn and redeem two free nights after four stays in 2010.

Ritz-Carlton Washington, D.C. in April 2011 during cherry blossom season is an example of a high-priced Tier 3 Ritz-Carlton reward redemption. Two free nights at this hotel prices out at $1,555.

I have shown how you can stay 4 hotel nights at Ritz-Carlton for around $900 to $1,000 all in. Earn two free nights and you can potentially save over $1,500 on a future Ritz-Carlton stay in some place like Washington, D.C., New York City, Florida or California.

Ritz-Carlton has a 5-key loyalty traveler promotion with this offer.

The new Ritz-Carlton Rewards Travel Packages have some built-in convenience fees. The Hotel + Air Travel Package has several reward options, each for 7 hotel nights plus 35,000 to 120,000 airline miles, depending on airline and reward level. These Ritz-Carlton Travel Package rewards, often called one of the best value rewards in hotel programs for the similar Marriott Rewards Travel Package, are actually more expensive for hotel nights and miles at the lowest miles level than  redeeming points in separate transactions for a hotel stay and a points-to-miles exchange.

The problem with the Ritz-Carlton Travel Packages is Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 hotels are lumped together in the same reward price. Marriott Rewards does this for category 1-5 hotels, but maintains separate reward levels for category 6, 7, and 8 hotels.

A Tier 1 Ritz-Carlton hotel is only 30,000 points per night or 180,000 points for seven nights. A Tier 3 hotel is 50,000 points per night or 300,000 points for a 7 night reward stay. There is a 120,000 points difference in the cost of a seven night hotel stay at a Tier 1 versus a Tier 3 hotel, yet the 7-night package cost is the same for these two different tier hotels.

The way I view Marriott’s Travel Packages is the full cost of the hotel is charged for the reward, but the air miles are effectively 1 point = 1 mile. The best exchange rate available in a Marriott/Ritz-Carlton Rewards points-to-miles exchange is 2.5 points = 1 mile when redeeming 125,000 points for 50,000 miles.

• Ritz-Carlton Hotels in Tier 1 are 30,000 points per night with the option for a 5^th night free reward.
• 5 nights at a Tier 1 Ritz-Carlton cost 120,000 points. 7 nights are 180,000 points.
• Points-to-Miles Exchange for 50,000 United Airlines Mileage Plus miles = 125,000 points.

In separate transactions a seven night stay at a Tier 1 Ritz-Carlton Hotel and 50,000 United miles only cost 305,000 points, yet the Hotel + Air Travel package for 7 nights + 50,000 miles charges you 350,000 points. This is a 15% higher rate for the same items.

This Marriott deal reminds me of when I went to a bagel bakery and the sandwich on the menu was more expensive than buying the bagel and paying for each item separately as a bagel addition. When I pointed this out to the salesclerk, he said, “But the one on the menu is a sandwich.”

So, I guess Marriott Rewards and Ritz-Carlton Rewards feel there is something about the Travel Package menu that warrants a higher cost for a Tier 1 hotel stay + 50,000 miles.

My advice is just order these rewards separately unless going for a Tier 2 or higher hotel.

Hotel + Air Travel Packages increase in value for rewards with more miles

There is no savings redeeming a Ritz-Carlton Hotel + Air Travel Package at a Tier 1 hotel for 50,000 miles. There is a slight savings of 15,000 points when redeeming a Ritz-Carlton Travel Package for 50,000 miles at a Tier 2 or Tier 4 hotel. The big savings occur when using the Travel Package at a Tier 3 or Tier 5 hotel.

Savings increase as you go to Travel Packages including more than 50,000 miles. Additional miles above 50,000 miles are given at the rate of 1 point = 1 mile, so the package with 120,000 miles is only 70,000 points more than the points needed for a 50,000 mile Hotel + Air Package.

Again, the best exchange rate available with Marriott/Ritz-Carlton Rewards points-to-miles exchange is 2.5 points = 1 mile when redeeming 125,000 points for 50,000 miles.

The real value behind redeeming points for a Hotel + Air Travel Package reward is the points-to-miles 1:1 exchange rate.

Redeeming points for anything other than a Tier 3 or Tier 5 hotel will give less than 1 point = 1 mile exchange rate in the Ritz-Carlton Travel Package. You might want to look at redeeming for a Marriott Category 7 or Category 8 Travel Package for a better deal.