Loyalty Traveler » Le Meridien Hotels

SPG Birth Year Rates can be huge discount

Ric Garrido — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:36:22 +0000

SPG Birth Year rates are probably one of the lesser known rate discounts with the potential to cut your Starwood Hotel stay rate in half. The basic deal is you pay a generally higher than Best Flexible rate for the first night, then pay your birth year for the second night, and third night at some hotels. I was born in 1960 so my rate is $60 per night for the second and third nights. Even better is the flexible cancellation policy for these rates. Many hotels allow day before arrival or day of arrival cancellation with no penalty.

I have been writing about the birth year rate offer since 2009 and SPG has extended this offer for stays through 2012 at participating hotels.

Some changes I noticed in my recent review of these rates:

Fewer participating hotels than in past years. Most of the high-end hotels in the W, Luxury Collection and Westin brands are not participating in 2012. SPG Birth year rates look to be primarily Sheraton and Four Points hotels in 2012.
Far more hotels have a two night limit for the birth year rate. Since the first night is generally a much higher rate than say AAA rates, the two-night limit is not going to generate high savings at many hotels.
Numerous hotel property blackout dates. Sheraton San Francisco Fisherman’s Wharf has all of March and April 2012 blacked out.
Besides the list of participating hotels with Birth Year Rates are a list of other hotels in the state. California has numerous hotels participating in the Birth Year rate. When you click on Hawaii you find all hotels listed under the heading “Additional hotels in Hawaii” with 10 hotels listed, yet none of these hotels offer Birth Year rate.

Starwood Hotels with Birth Year Rates show the rate in the blue ‘Book Now’ box.

If you click on Hawaii you only see hotels showing Best Available Rate information in the blue ‘Book Now’ box.

SPG Birth Year Rate Analysis

My dad is celebrating 80 years and a birth year of 1932 makes for some cheap hotel nights with the Birth Year Rate.

Sheraton Universal Hotel in Universal City, California is near the Los Angeles Zoo and Griffith Park.

Best Available Rate = $229 and Pay your Birth Year rate is $249 for a Club Level standard room. Both rates allow day before arrival cancellation.

The Birth Year rate is $340 total for three nights at $32 per night after the first night paying $249.

The AAA rate for the same room and dates is $195/night = $675 for three nights.

$675 AAA – $340 BirthYear rate = $335 savings on this 3-night stay.

SPG BirthYear rate (1932) = $340 after tax for 3 nights.
SPG BirthYear rate (1960) = $405 after tax for 3 nights.
SPG Birth Year rate (1985) = $463 after tax for 3 nights.
SPG AAA rate = $675 after tax for three nights.

My birth year rate at $60 per night raises the price of a 3-night stay by another $65, but that is still a $270 savings. A person who is 25 years old will still have around a $200 savings with the Birth Year rate when paying $249 plus $87 for two additional nights rather than $195 per night for three nights.

Third night free rate compared to Birth Year Rate

Sheraton Universal Hotel also offers a Buy 2 and get Third Night Free rate using the same $249 used for Birth Year rate.

SPG Birth Year rate (1960) = $405 after tax for 3 nights.
SPG 3rd night free = $575 after tax for 3 nights.
AAA = $675 after tax for 3 nights.

Starwood’s 3rd night free rate is prepaid and nonrefundable. This makes the Birth Year rate even a better deal than just a rate reduction for this hotel stay.

SPG Birth Year Rates

SPG Birth Year Rate T&C

Starwood Starpicks look good this week

Ric Garrido — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:16:09 +0000

Starwood Starpicks offer discount rates over the next six weeks at select properties. The discount is typically 20% to 33% off the Best Flexible Rate. AAA and senior discounts are generally 10% off Best Flexible Rate.

Some hotels only offer Starpicks rates for weekends and other hotels offer discount rates seven days a week. Main point to know is these hotel rates are prepaid and nonrefundable. You can’t change the reservation or cancel. You lose the entire stay deposit if you need to change or cancel the hotel reservation.

The Starpicks list looks unusually large this week. January is the slowest period of the year in many places. My search of hotels in California and British Columbia show some good deal low rates at several hotels.

The format has changed and I do not see a webpage with a full list of hotels like in past weeks.

Sample of Starwood Starpicks hotels:

Paris – Le Meridien Etoile 149 EUR

Paris – Westin Vendome 272 EUR

Vancouver – Westin Bayshore 129 CAD

Vancouver – Sheraton Vancouver Wall 135 CAD

Montreal – Le Meridien Versailles 109 CAD

Avon, Colorado – Westin Riverfront $299 (Park Hyatt Beaver Creek and Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch in same neighborhood and next to ski lifts on mountains. Westin is located at valley floor in town of Avon.)

Aspen, Colorado – St. Regis $499 (recently remodeled)

San Francisco – W San Francisco $179. Good rate for this hotel that frequently is $100 per night more.

San Francisco- St. Regis $335 (one of best beds I’ve ever slept in and great tub.)

Napa – Westin Verasa Napa $143 (some rooms have full kitchens)

Hollywood – W Hollywood $199

Here is the Starpicks link for Starwood hotels that must be booked by Friday, January 27 for these rates over the next six weeks.

Starpicks Terms & Conditions. Main one to know is hotels have a four-night limit on stays at Starpicks rate. Resorts have 14-night limit.

SPG 2x/3x points registration live for Jan 9-April 8 stays

Ric Garrido — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:19:36 +0000

Starwood Preferred Guest launches its “Better by the Night” 2012-Q1 promotion on January 9 with double points for two night stays and triple points for longer stays through April 8, 2012. There are no bonus points for one night stays. There is no limit to bonus points members may earn with this offer.

Registration is required by March 15, 2012.

: Registration confirmation page for SPG 2012 Q-1 promotion.

This promotion is valid for about 70% of Starwood Hotels worldwide with all Asia-Pacific hotels opting out of this offer. About 50 hotels in the USA are not participating, so check the hotel exclusion list carefully when planning your stays so you are not surprised when your $1,000 3-night stay does not earn an anticipated 4,000 extra bonus points with the triple points offer. Germany, Italy and Greece have many nonparticipating Starwood Hotels. Link to hotels excluded from this offer.

Loyalty Traveler Analysis

As a rule of thumb I estimate I will earn 1,000 bonus points from SPG promotions per stay. I am not that impressed by this offer. One night stays earn no promotional bonus points with this offer.

Stay two nights and spend $300 and you earn an extra 600 bonus points with double points.

Spending $1,000 on an extended stay will earn 4,000 bonus points (3x points bonus) with this promotion. That is a decent bonus on a high-priced extended stay, but is not appealing to me as a promotional incentive when I can get two free nights with Marriott Rewards after four stays (under $500) or 10,000+ points on a cheap $180 two-night weekend stay with Hilton HHonors.

Spend-based bonuses like this SPG offer leave minimal opportunity to leverage cheap stays into free nights like the Hilton and Marriott offers for Q1-2012.

SPG has a good offer for free weekend nights at Asia Pacific resorts with Two Days of Happy running through March 15, 2012. This SPG promotion earns one free night after five nights and two free nights after 9 nights when paying with MasterCard. There are over 200 hotels for earning free nights and nearly 90 resorts for redeeming free weekend nights by April 10, 2012. Nights do not need to be consecutive nights at the hotels. Five one-night stays at participating Starwood hotels will earn one free weekend night.

Fine Print Nuances for this Offer

Starwood’s FAQ for this promotion has an interesting term regarding a stay that includes a reward night on points or Cash & Points night combined with paid nights.

If part of my stay has an Award Night or a night using Cash & Points, will my stay qualify?

No.
Free Night Awards and Cash & Points are not Starpoints-eligible rates. Even if part of the stay is Award and part is paid, the member will not receive bonus credits for any part of the stay.

You do not want to include a reward night within a paid consecutive nights stay at a Starwood Hotel during this promotion. For example, if you booka 5th night free reward from Sunday-Thursday followed by two paid nights on Friday and Saturday, then you will not receive double points for the Friday and Saturday night portion of the stay stay since these paid nights are part of the same 7-night stay as the 5th night free reward.

Other fine print:

Bonus points will be earned for a Starwood Hotel stay started before January 9 if guest checks out after January 9. Double or triple points will be earned for entire stay. The same principle applies for stays having arrival date before April 8 and check-out after April 8. Double or triple points will apply to entire stay.
Members who register by March 15, 2012 will receive retroactive credit for all eligible stays during the promotion period completed prior to registration.
Members may receive double or triple points for up to two rooms as long as SPG member is one of the guests.
Third night free and other extended stay rate discounts count all nights for this promotion according to Starwood Lurker on FlyerTalk since revenue is divided up between all nights.

Calculating Double and Triple Starpoints

SPG members earn 2 Starpoints per US$1 as the base rate for earning Starpoints.
Double Starpoints = 2 bonus points per US$1 total earning rate.
Triple Starpoints = 4 bonus points per $1 total earning rate.
SPG Gold and Platinum elite members earn 1 bonus Starpoint per $1. Elite member bonus is one additional point per $1 on top of the 2x/3x rate.
SPG American Express cardmembers earn an additional 2 bonus points per US$1 if Starwood Hotel stay is paid using SPG AmEx card.

Excluded Hotels for SPG Better by the Night promotion

(Once again there are no city/state identifiers for hotels. As if it isn’t bad enough to have a large list of excluded hotels for a hotel loyalty promotion, the hotel loyalty programs expect SPG members to know the hotels by name and deduce the geographic location on your own!)

UNITED STATES

Aloft Charlotte Ballantyne
Aloft Frisco
Aloft Las Colinas
Aloft Milwaukee Downtown
Aloft Phoenix-Airport
Aloft Plano
Cove Haven Resort
Four Points by Sheraton Destin Fort Walton Beach
Four Points by Sheraton Charlotte-Pineville
Four Points by Sheraton Jacksonville Beach
Four Points by Sheraton Louisville Airport
Four Points by Sheraton Newark
Four Points by Sheraton Punta Gorda Harborside
Four Points by Sheraton Tallahassee Downtown
Four Points by Sheraton Norwalk
Four Points by Sheraton San Jose
Lakeside Terrace Villas, Avon / Vail Valley
Le Parker Méridien Palm Springs
Paradise Stream Resort
Pocono Palace Resort
Sheraton Bellevue
Sheraton Grand Sacramento
Sheraton Mahwah Hotel
Sheraton Metairie – New Orleans Hotel
Sheraton Reston Hotel
Sheraton Salt Lake City Hotel
Sheraton Suites Key West
SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills
Sunset Key Guest Cottages
The St. Regis Deer Valley
The St. Regis Atlanta
THE US GRANT
The Westin Bellevue
The Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites
The Westin Edina Galleria
The Westin Galleria Houston
The Westin Houston, Memorial City
The Westin Imagine Orlando
The Westin Key West Resort Marina
The Westin Los Angeles Airport
The Westin Reston Heights
The Westin Riverfront Mountain Villas
The Westin South Coast Plaza
The Westin Tampa Harbour Island
Vistana’s Beach Club
W San Diego
W Silicon Valley
Walt Disney World Dolphin
Walt Disney World Swan

ALGERIA

Le Méridien Oran Hotel & Conference Center
Sheraton Oran

ARGENTINA

Sheraton Mar del Plata

AUSTRALIA

Four Points by Sheraton Geelong
Four Points by Sheraton Sydney, Darling Harbour
Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas Resort
Sheraton Mirage Resort and Spa Gold Coast
Sheraton Noosa Resort & Spa
Sheraton on the Park
The Westin Melbourne
The Westin Sydney

AUSTRIA

Schloss Fuschl, A Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Fuschlsee-Salzburg
Sheraton Fuschlsee Salzburg Hotel Jagdhof

BANGLADESH

The Westin Dhaka

BRAZIL

Sheraton Barra
Four Points Curitiba

CAMBODIA

Le Méridien Angkor

CANADA

Sheraton Cavalier Saskatoon
Four Points by Sheraton Edmonton Gateway
Four Points by Sheraton Edmonton West

CHAD

Le Méridien Chari

CHILE

Sheraton Miramar

CHINA

Aloft Beijing, Haidian
Aloft Haiyang
Aloft Nanhai, Foshan
Aloft Yancheng
Aloft Zhengzhou Shangjie
Four Points by Sheraton Beijing, Haidian Hotel and Serviced Apartments
Four Points by Sheraton Guangzhou, Dongpu
Four Points by Sheraton Hainan, Sanya – Opening March 31, 2012
Four Points by Sheraton Hangzhou, Binjiang
Four Points by Sheraton Lhasa
Four Points by Sheraton Lianyungang
Four Points by Sheraton Qingdao, Chengyang
Four Points by Sheraton Shanghai, Daning
Four Points by Sheraton Shanghai, Pudong
Four Points by Sheraton Shenzhen
Four Points by Sheraton Shenzhou Peninsula Resort – Opening January 1, 2012
Four Points by Sheraton Suzhou
Four Points by Sheraton Tai’an
Four Points by Sheraton Taicang
Four Points by Sheraton Yangzhou, Hanjiang – Opening March 31, 2012
Le Méridien Chongqing, Nan’an
Le Méridien Cyberport
Le Méridien Qingdao
Le Méridien She Shan Shanghai
Le Méridien Shimei Bay Beach Resort & Spa
Le Méridien Xiamen
Le Royal Méridien Shanghai
Sheraton Beijing Dongcheng Hotel
Sheraton Changsha Hotel
Sheraton Changzhou Wujin Hotel
Sheraton Changzhou Xinbei Hotel
Sheraton Chengdu Lido Hotel
Sheraton Chongqing Hotel
Sheraton Dameisha Resort, Shenzhen
Sheraton Daqing Hotel
Sheraton Dongguan Hotel
Sheraton Guangzhou Hotel
Sheraton Guangzhou Huadu Resort
Sheraton Guilin Hotel
Sheraton Guiyang Hotel
Sheraton Haikou Resort
Sheraton Hangzhou Wetland Park Resort
Sheraton Hohhot Hotel
Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers
Sheraton Huizhou Beach Resort
Sheraton Jiangyin Hotel
Sheraton Jinan Hotel
Sheraton Jinzhou Hotel
Sheraton Jiuzhaigou Resort
Sheraton Nanchang Hotel
Sheraton Nanjing Kingsley Hotel & Towers
Sheraton Nanning Hotel
Sheraton Ningbo Hotel
Sheraton Qiandao Lake Resort
Sheraton Qingyuan Lion Lake Resort – Opening January 1, 2012
Sheraton Sanya Haitang Bay Resort – Opening February 18, 2012
Sheraton Sanya Resort
Sheraton Shanghai Hongkou Hotel
Sheraton Shanghai Hongqiao Hotel
Sheraton Shanghai Pudong Hotel & Residences
Sheraton Shenyang Lido Hotel
Sheraton Shenzhen Futian Hotel
Sheraton Shenzhou Peninsula Resort
Sheraton Shunde Hotel
Sheraton Tianjin Binhai Hotel
Sheraton Tianjin Hotel
Sheraton Urumqi Hotel
Sheraton Wenzhou Hotel
Sheraton Wuxi Binhu Hotel
Sheraton Xiamen Hotel
Sheraton Xian Hotel
Sheraton Xian North City Hotel
Sheraton Yantai Golden Beach Resort – Opening February 20, 2012
Sheraton Zhenjiang Hotel
Sheraton Zhongshan Hotel
Sheraton Zhoushan Hotel
The Astor Hotel, Tianjin The Great Wall Sheraton Hotel Beijing
The Royal Begonia, Sanya – Opening February 18, 2012
The St. Regis Beijing
The St. Regis Lhasa Resort
The St. Regis Nanjing
The St. Regis Shanghai
The St. Regis Shenzhen
The St. Regis Tianjin
The Westin Beijing Chaoyang
The Westin Beijing Financial Street
The Westin Bund Center, Shanghai
The Westin Changbaishan Resort – Opening April 30, 2012
The Westin Fuzhou Minjiang
The Westin Guangzhou
The Westin Hefei Baohe
The Westin Nanjing
The Westin Ningbo – Opening January 1, 2012
The Westin Pazhou
The Westin Resort, Macau
The Westin Shenzhen Nanshan
The Westin Tianjin
The Westin Wuhan Wuchang
The Westin Xiamen – Opening February 23, 2012
The Westin Xian
W Hong Kong

COLOMBIA

Four Points Cali
Four Points Medellin

EGYPT

Sheraton Cairo Hotel, Towers and Casino

EL SALVADOR

Sheraton Presidente San Salvador

FIJI

Sheraton Denarau Villas
Sheraton Fiji Resort
The Westin Denarau Island Resort & Spa, Fiji

FRANCE

Prince de Galles, Paris

GERMANY

Four Points by Sheraton Muenchen Olympiapark
Four Points by Sheraton Muenchen Central
Four Points by Sheraton Brauneck
Le Méridien Grand Hotel Nuernberg
Dom Hotel
Le Méridien Parkhotel Frankfurt
Le Méridien Munich
Le Méridien Stuttgart
Sheraton Frankfurt Congress Hotel
Sheraton Offenbach Hotel
Sheraton Munich Arabellapark Hotel
Sheraton Munich Westpark Hotel
Sheraton Munich Airport Hotel
Arabella Sheraton Alpenhotel
Sheraton Essen Hotel
Sheraton Hanover Pelikan Hotel
The Westin Grand Frankfurt
The Westin Grand Munich
The Westin Grand Hotel Berlin
The Westin Bellevue Dresden

GREECE

Hotel Grande Bretagne, Athens
Vedema Resort
Blue Palace Luxury Collection Resort and Spa
Mystique, Santorini
The Romanos, Costa Navarino
Santa Marina Resort & Villas, Mykonos
Sheraton Rhodes Resort
The Westin Resort, Costa Navarino

HUNGARY

Le Méridien Budapest

INDIA

Aloft Ahmedabad, SG Road – Opening February 1, 2012
Aloft Bengaluru Whitefield
Aloft Chandigarh Zirakpur – Opening February 1, 2012
Aloft Chennai, OMR – IT Expressway
Aloft Coimbatore Singanallur
Four Points by Sheraton Hotel & Serviced Apartments, Pune
Four Points by Sheraton Jaipur, City Square
Four Points by Sheraton Navi Mumbai, Vashi
Four Points by Sheraton Visakhapatnam
ITC Grand Central, Mumbai
ITC Grand Chola, Chennai – Opening February 1, 2012
ITC Kakatiya, Hyderabad
ITC Maratha, Mumbai
ITC Maurya, New Delhi
ITC Mughal, Agra
ITC Rajputana, Jaipur
ITC Royal Gardenia, Bengaluru
ITC Sonar, Kolkata
ITC Windsor, Bengaluru
Le Méridien Ahmedabad
Le Méridien Bangalore
Le Méridien Coimbatore
Le Méridien Jaipur
Le Méridien Kochi
Le Méridien New Delhi
Le Méridien Pune
Le Royal Méridien Chennai
Sheraton Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway
Sheraton New Delhi Hotel
Sheraton Park Hotel & Towers, Chennai
Sheraton Udaipur Palace Resort & Spa
The Westin Gurgaon, New Delhi
The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace
The Westin Mumbai Garden City
The Westin Pune Koregaon Park
The Westin Sohna Resort & Spa

INDONESIA

The Laguna Resort & Spa, Nusa Dua, Bali
Keraton at The Plaza, Jakarta – Opening February 15, 2012
Le Méridien Jakarta
Sheraton Bandara Hotel
Sheraton Bandung Hotel & Towers
Sheraton Lampung Hotel
Sheraton Media Hotel & Towers
Sheraton Mustika Yogyakarta Resort and Spa
Sheraton Senggigi Beach Resort
Sheraton Surabaya Hotel & Towers
The St. Regis Bali Resort
The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali
W Retreat & Spa Bali – Seminyak

IRELAND

Sheraton Athlone Hotel

ITALY

Gritti Palace
Hotel Pitrizza, Costa Smeralda
Hotel Romazzino, Costa Smeralda
Hotel Cala di Volpe, Costa Smeralda
Sheraton Diana Majestic
The Westin Palace Milan

JAPAN

Kobe Bay Sheraton Hotel & Towers
Sheraton Grande Ocean Resort
Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay Hotel
Sheraton Hiroshima Hotel
Sheraton Miyako Hotel, Osaka
Sheraton Sapporo Hotel
The St. Regis Osaka
The Westin Awaji Island Resort and Conference Center
The Westin Miyako, Kyoto
The Westin Nagoya Castle
The Westin Osaka
The Westin Sendai
Yokohama Bay Sheraton Hotel & Towers

JORDAN

Sheraton Amman Al Nabil Hotel & Towers

LEBANON

Four Points by Sheraton Bhamdoun
Four Points by Sheraton Le Verdun

LITHUANIA

Le Méridien Vilnius

MALAYSIA

Le Méridien Kota Kinabalu
Four Points by Sheraton Kuching
Four Points by Sheraton Langkawi Resort
Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur
Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel
Sheraton Langkawi Beach Resort
The Andaman, Langkawi
The Westin Kuala Lumpur
The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa

MALDIVES, REPUBLIC OF

Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa
W Retreat & Spa – Maldives

MAURITIUS

The Grand Mauritian Resort & Spa

MEXICO

Sheraton Ambassador Monterrey

NEW CALDONIA

Le Méridien Ile des Pins
Le Méridien Nouméa

NIGERIA

Sheraton Lagos Hotel

OMAN

Sheraton Oman Hotel

PAKISTAN

Sheraton Karachi Hotel

RUSSIA

Le Méridien Moscow Country Club

SAUDI ARABIA

Le Méridien Jeddah
Sheraton Jeddah Hotel
Sheraton Riyadh Hotel & Towers
Sheraton Dammam Hotel & Towers
The Westin Jeddah

SINGAPORE

Sheraton Towers Singapore
The St. Regis Singapore

SOUTH KOREA

Sheraton Grande Walkerhill
Sheraton Incheon Hotel
Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel
The Westin Chosun, Busan
The Westin Chosun, Seoul
W Seoul – Walkerhill

SPAIN

Hotel Maria Cristina, San Sebastian
Castillo Hotel Son Vida, Palma de Mallorca
Hotel Alfonso XIII, Seville
Sheraton Mallorca Arabella Golf Hotel
Sheraton La Caleta Resort & Spa
St. Regis Mardavall, Mallorca

SWITZERLAND

Hotel President Wilson

SYRIA

Le Méridien Lattakia
Sheraton Aleppo Hotel
Sheraton Ma’aret Sednaya Hotel & Resort
Sheraton Damascus Hotel

TAIWAN

Four Points by Sheraton Chung Ho, Taipei
Le Méridien Taipei
Sheraton Hsinchu Hotel, Taiwan
Sheraton Taipei Hotel
The Westin Taipei
W Taipei

THAILAND

Aloft Bangkok
Four Points by Sheraton Bangkok, Sukhumvit 15
Le Méridien Bangkok
Le Méridien Chiang Mai
Le Méridien Chiang Rai Resort, Thailand
Le Méridien Khao Lak Beach & Spa Resort
Le Méridien Koh Samui Resort & Spa
Le Méridien Phuket Beach Resort
Le Méridien Suvarnabhumi Golf Resort & Spa
Plaza Athénée Bangkok, A Royal Méridien Hotel
Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers
Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, Bangkok
Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa
Sheraton Krabi Beach Resort
Sheraton Pattaya Resort
The Naka Island, Phuket
The St. Regis Bangkok
The Westin Grande Sukhumvit, Bangkok
The Westin Siray Bay Resort & Spa, Phuket
W Retreat Koh Samui

TURKEY

Le Méridien Istanbul Etiler
Sheraton Ankara Hotel and Convention Center
Lugal, A Luxury Collection Hotel Ankara
Sheraton Cesme

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Four Points by Sheraton Sheikh Zayed Road
Le Méridien Dubai
Le Méridien Fairway
Le Méridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina
Le Royal Méridien Beach Resort & Spa
Le Méridien Al Aqah Beach Resort
Grosvenor House
Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel and Towers
The St. Regis Abu Dhabi
The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina

UNITED KINGDOM

The Lanesborough, a St. Regis Hotel

URUGUAY

Sheraton Colonia

VIETNAM

Sheraton Hanoi Hotel
Sheraton Nha Trang Hotel & Spa
Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers

YEMEN

Sheraton Sana’a Hotel

SPG Two free nights after 9 nights Asia/Pacific Nov 29-Mar 15, 2012

Ric Garrido — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 21:23:57 +0000

Starwood Preferred Guest has a promotion specific to Asia Pacific hotels for one free weekend night after staying 5 nights and a second free night after 9 nights from November 29, 2011 through March 15, 2012 when stay is paid with a MasterCard. The nights are cumulative during the promotion period so can be done in one hotel stay or nine hotel stays. Maximum two free nights may be earned per member.

The nice thing about a steady travel partner is doubling up on these bonuses. I can earn two free nights and my wife can earn two free nights and then redeem all free nights on a single hotel stay of four nights.

This offer is available to all SPG members globally and requires promotion registration.

SPG Members must register for this promotion at http://www.spg.com/mastercard2days or by calling the nearest Customer Contact Center and saying “I want to register for 2 days of Happy!” requesting Registration Code “4MC” no later than March 15, 2012.

Twice as many hotels to earn free nights than burn free nights.

The particpating properties is an interesting aspect of the offer. There are about 220 Starwood Hotels in Asia Pacific for earning the free nights, but fewer than 90 hotels for redeeming the free nights. Granted that Four Points and Aloft may not be where you want to spend free nights when you can stay at the Westin Tokyo or Le Meriden Koh Samui Resort & Spa, but if you find yourself with a free night credit about to expire and the Four Points is the only thing around…

Redeeming Free Nights

Contact SPG customer service and mention Award ID 4MCFN.

Free night valid at participating hotels Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights
Redeemable between January 1, 2012 and April 10, 2012.
Free night may not be transferred to any other SPG member.

Participating Starwood Hotels for Redeeming Free Nights

Participating Starwood Hotels for earning free nights

Loyalty Traveler analysis:

This is a good value promotion offer if you have a MasterCard and find yourself in Asia Pacific. Many of these hotels for earning free nights have daily rates under $75 per night meaning the cost of earning two free nights could be under US$700. And if you are ultimately being reimbursed and not paying the hotel bill then price is not so important. Nine nights over the course of 14 weeks should be an easy bonus to earn.

Redemption properties include only two category 6 hotels with the W Retreat & Spa Bali, Seminyak and Westin Tokyo.

Assorted Category 5 hotels like Westin Sydney and Westin Melbourne in Australia and St. Regis Lhasa, Nepal or St. Regis Sanya Yalong Bay Resort are redemption options. Thailand has seven Le Meridien hotels and resorts. Most of the hotel redemption choices for free nights are SPG category-4 properties. You can value these free nights at 10,000 points per night and “good for you” if you redeem for a higher hotel. This offer looks to be the equivalent of earning 2,000 bonus SPG points for every eligible night. Keep that in mind when you are comparing rates and other promotion offers.

Of course we can all try and redeem at the W Retreat Bali.

SPG-MasterCard Two Days of Happy Earn Nov 29-March 15 / Burn Jan 1-April 10, 2012

Starwood Starpicks-Book by Oct 28

Ric Garrido — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:50:37 +0000

This week’s Starwood Starpicks offers are available until Friday. I must state I am not impressed by the rates I see in San Francisco, Boston, and Amsterdam. Fresno Four Points at $79 looks reasonable, but my two stays there this year were both disrupted by late night partiers.

Westin Market Street at $299 for a Friday night makes me cringe. San Francisco has priced me out of the market this year. I miss the $99 weekend rates I periodically enjoyed the past three years from late-2008 through 2010. Those are just a memory in 2011 for the city that has seen the highest hotel room rate increases in the U.S. in 2011. I have primarily been burning through loyalty points this year when I go to urban hotels.

Take a look and perhaps something here works for you. Just remember to compare rates. W Boston was only $4 a night more ($263 vs. $259) for a flexible cancellation AAA rate compared to the prepaid, nonrefundable Starpicks rate.

Starpicks Hotel List and Availability Calendar links. Use this link to access availability calendars for Starpicks dates. The links below take you only to the hotel’s webpage.

Starpicks Hotels for Bookings by Friday October 28, 2011.

Belgium

Brussels Le Méridien Brussels

Brussels Sheraton Brussels Airport Hotel

Brussels Sheraton Brussels Hotel

Canada

British Columbia

Vancouver The Westin Grand, Vancouver

Ontario

Toronto Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel

Quebec

Dorval Sheraton Montreal Airport Hotel

Montreal Le Centre Sheraton Montreal Hotel

France

Paris Le Méridien Etoile

Mexico

Baja California Sur

Los Cabos Sheraton Hacienda del Mar Golf & Spa Resort, Los Cabos

Netherlands

Amsterdam Hotel Pulitzer, Amsterdam

Amsterdam Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel and Conference Center

The Hague Hotel Des Indes, The Hague

Portugal

Portimão Le Méridien Penina Golf & Resort

United Kingdom

England

West Drayton Sheraton Heathrow Hotel

United States

Arizona

Phoenix Aloft Phoenix-Airport

Phoenix Sheraton Crescent Hotel

Scottsdale Sheraton Desert Oasis Villas, Scottsdale

California

Fresno Four Points by Sheraton Fresno

Garden Grove Sheraton Garden Grove – Anaheim South Hotel

Rancho Cucamonga Four Points by Sheraton Ontario-Rancho Cucamonga

San Francisco The Westin San Francisco Market Street

San Francisco The Westin St. Francis San Francisco on Union Square

San Francisco W San Francisco

Florida

Fort Lauderdale The Westin Fort Lauderdale

Lake Mary The Westin Lake Mary, Orlando North

Orlando Four Points by Sheraton Orlando Studio City

Georgia

Atlanta Sheraton Suites Galleria-Atlanta

Atlanta The Westin Peachtree Plaza, Atlanta

Atlanta W Atlanta – Downtown

Hawaii

Honolulu The Royal Hawaiian, Waikiki

Maui The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Ka’anapali

Illinois

Chicago Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers

Chicago The Tremont Chicago Hotel at Magnificent Mile

Chicago The Westin Chicago River North

Indiana

Indianapolis The Westin Indianapolis

Massachusetts

Boston W Boston

Springfield Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place Hotel

Minnesota

Edina The Westin Edina Galleria

Minneapolis Le Méridien Chambers Minneapolis

Minnetonka Sheraton Minneapolis West Hotel

Woodbury Sheraton St. Paul Woodbury Hotel

Nebraska

Omaha Sheraton Omaha Hotel

New York

Hauppauge Sheraton Long Island Hotel

New York The Manhattan at Times Square Hotel

North Carolina

Charlotte The Westin Charlotte

Puerto Rico

San Juan Sheraton Old San Juan Hotel & Casino

Tennessee

Nashville Sheraton Music City Hotel

Texas

Houston Sheraton Houston West Hotel

Houston The Westin Houston, Memorial City

San Antonio Four Points by Sheraton San Antonio Downtown by the Riverwalk

Virginia

Falls Church The Westin Tysons Corner

Washington

Bellevue Sheraton Bellevue Hotel

Seattle Sheraton Seattle Hotel

Starwood Starpicks – Book by Friday Oct 14

Ric Garrido — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:04:22 +0000

Starwood Starpicks offer rate discounts up to 40% for upcoming weekends with some hotels offering discount rates every day of the week over the next three to six weeks. The real value I see with Starpicks is for hotels with typically high weekday rates that are discounted to a set Starpicks rate regardless of the day of week. These rates can save quite a bit on a hotel for a Thursday or Sunday night when rates tend to be higher than Friday or Saturday.

These rates are available for booking until Friday, October 14, 2011.

Starwood Starpicks Hotels for week of October 11-October 14 bookings for stays in October and November.

Note: Use the link at the beginning of the post to see availability calendars. The hotels listed below are the participating hotels, but you need to go to the main page to view calendar of available Starpicks dates.

Aruba

Palm Beach The Westin Resort & Casino, Aruba

Bahamas

Nassau Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort

Canada

Ontario

Mississauga Four Points by Sheraton Mississauga Meadowvale

Toronto Sheraton Gateway Hotel in Toronto International Airport

China

Shandong

Qingdao Four Points by Sheraton Qingdao, Chengyang

France

Paris Le Méridien Etoile

Japan

Osaka The St. Regis Osaka

Malaysia

Kota Kinabalu Le Méridien Kota Kinabalu

Mexico

Baja California Sur

Los Cabos Sheraton Hacienda del Mar Golf & Spa Resort, Los Cabos

Netherlands

Amsterdam Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel and Conference Center

The Hague Hotel Des Indes, The Hague

South Africa

Cape Town The Westin Cape Town

United Kingdom

England

West Drayton Sheraton Heathrow Hotel

United States

Arizona

Phoenix Aloft Phoenix-Airport

Phoenix Sheraton Crescent Hotel

Scottsdale W Scottsdale

Tempe Aloft Tempe

California

Bakersfield Four Points by Sheraton Bakersfield

Fresno Four Points by Sheraton Fresno

Pleasanton Four Points by Sheraton Pleasanton

Rancho Cucamonga Four Points by Sheraton Ontario-Rancho Cucamonga

San Diego Four Points by Sheraton San Diego

Colorado

Steamboat Springs Sheraton Steamboat Resort

Steamboat Springs Sheraton Steamboat Resort Villas

Florida

Lake Mary The Westin Lake Mary, Orlando North

Orlando Sheraton Safari Hotel & Suites Lake Buena Vista

Hawaii

Kauai, Princeville The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas

Illinois

Chicago Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers

Chicago The Tremont Chicago Hotel at Magnificent Mile

Indiana

Indianapolis The Westin Indianapolis

Kentucky

Lexington Four Points by Sheraton Lexington

Maryland

Linthicum Aloft Baltimore Washington International Airport

Nebraska

Omaha Sheraton Omaha Hotel

New Hampshire

Manchester Four Points by Sheraton Manchester Airport

New Jersey

Ewing Element Ewing Princeton

New York

New York W New York – Downtown

Oregon

Portland Four Points by Sheraton Portland East

Pennsylvania

Allentown Four Points by Sheraton Hotel & Suites Allentown Airport

Lakeville Cove Haven Resort

Marshalls Creek Pocono Palace Resort

Mount Pocono Paradise Stream Resort

Puerto Rico

Rio Grande The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Puerto Rico

San Juan Sheraton Old San Juan Hotel & Casino

Tennessee

Franklin Aloft Nashville-Cool Springs

Texas

Fort Worth Sheraton Fort Worth Hotel and Spa

Frisco The Westin Stonebriar

Houston Element Houston Vintage Park

Irving Element Dallas Fort Worth Airport North

San Antonio Four Points by Sheraton San Antonio Downtown by the Riverwalk

Virginia

Alexandria The Westin Alexandria

Arlington Sheraton Crystal City Hotel

Ashburn Aloft Dulles Airport North

Falls Church The Westin Tysons Corner

Washington

Seattle Four Points by Sheraton Downtown Seattle Center

Starwood Starpicks Terms & Conditions:

Reservations must be booked online by this Friday at a Starwood website to receive promotional rates.

Rates are valid at participating properties only for the book and stay period specified on the offer, and are subject to availability at the time of reservation. A limited number of rooms may be available at these rates and additional restrictions and blackout dates apply.
Guests must arrive on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday at hotels over the following three (3) weekends following the Tuesday launch of the sale. Stays including a Sunday night require a two-night stay including a Saturday night.
Resorts do not have arrival day or minimum stay requirements. Guests must arrive over the following six (6) weeks following the Tuesday launch of the sale.
Length of stay restrictions apply to all properties. For hotels, the maximum stay is four nights (Thursday-Sunday) and for resorts the maximum stay is fourteen nights (Thursday – two Wednesday nights later). Not all hotels will have Thursday and/or Sunday nights available and not all resorts will have Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights available.
Advance purchase required. Credit card will be charged at time of booking. Cancellations are non-refundable; if cancellation takes place, guests forfeit total room charge plus tax.
Rates are per room, per night, based on single/double occupancy and availability at time of reservation and do not include additional per room, per night charges that may be imposed or state/local taxes.
Offer not applicable to groups.
Not to be combined with other special offers or promotions.
Not responsible for omissions or typographical errors.
Void where prohibited by law.
Starwood reserves the right to discontinue this offer at any time.

Le Meridien Des Indes, The Hague, Netherlands (147 EUR/night)

This week’s Starwood Starpicks – Book by Friday Aug 5

Ric Garrido — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 02:19:16 +0000

Starwood Hotels Starpicks are limited time offer nonrefundable rates that you either use or lose your full prepayment cost for the room reservation.

In general, I was not impressed by rates at hotels I checked. These are by no means low rates in terms of historical low rates for the past year at hotels I searched.

Westin Mammoth Lakes = $149. I have seen that rate regularly over past few months.

The Palace San Francisco = $189. The Starwood Hotels in San Francisco seem to have jumped weekend rates by over 25% in 2011 compared to 2010. Occupancy has been high in this popular international tourist and conference destination. I look for rates under $150 at the Palace and they still happen occasionally.

Rates for Colorado hotels I checked frequently in July are basically the same low rates I saw last month.

Westin Riverfront Mountain Resort & Spa Beaver Creek, Avon (near Vail) was $189 standard rate or $170.10 with AAA rate in July and $179 Starpicks rate in this offer.

Sheraton Denver West is $79 and I paid $76 AAA rate in July with day of arrival no penalty cancellation option.

Element Denver Park Meadows is $71 as Starpicks. I paid $80 for a week of arrival reservation, but the AAA rate had been $71 just a few days before my booking.

AAA rates I booked in Colorado typically had “day of until 6pm” or “one day before arrival cancellation”.

Calendar function is not working correctly on my computer when using IE9.0.1. Dates disappear as I hover mouse over calendar. Very touchy feature that I had quite a problem with when trying to search hotels for Starpicks rates. I required slowly surgical precision to move mouse over the calendar and select dates before a large portion of the calendar decided to disappear. Mess up and the only way to get the calendar dates showing again was to start search over. This truly was hunting for low rates.

Starpicks are nonrefundable rates that you either use or lose your full prepayment cost for the room reservation.

My general advice is minimize your exposure to prepaid, nonrefundable rates at every opportunity when booking hotel rooms.

Use it or lose it rates offer some savings sometimes, but the overall savings is generally wiped out after one or two missed nights due to airport delays, bad weather, meeting cancellations and changes, and other factors that are often out of your control.

In the past I have often found the Starpicks rate to be a really low rate for some hotels I’ve stayed. Starwood Hotels seems to have formalized the Starpicks offers into a nice webpage offer, but the savings now seem more like a typical Hilton Hotels sale that really isn’t a sale. The Starpicks rates are low if you were planning a stay, but probably not so low that you should plan a nonrefundable stay just for these rates.

Starpicks Terms and Conditions

Rates are valid at participating properties only for the book and stay period specified on the offer, and are subject to availability at the time of reservation. A limited number of rooms may be available at these rates and additional
restrictions and blackout dates apply.
Guests must arrive on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday at hotels over the following six (6) weekends following the Tuesday launch of the sale. Blackout dates may apply at some hotels and availability may be limited on some weekends. Stays including a Sunday night require a two-night stay including a Saturday night.
Resorts do not have arrival day or minimum stay requirements. Guests must arrive over the following
six (6) weeks following the Tuesday launch of the sale.
Length of stay restrictions apply to all properties. For hotels, the maximum stay is four nights (Thursday-Sunday) and for resorts the maximum stay is fourteen nights (Thursday – two Wednesday nights later). Not all hotels will have Thursday and/or Sunday nights available and not all resorts will have Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights available.
Advance purchase required. Credit card will be charged at time of booking. Cancellations are non-refundable; if cancellation takes place, guests forfeit total room charge plus tax.

Argentina

Buenos Aires

Sheraton Libertador Hotel

Mar del Plata

Sheraton Mar del Plata Hotel

Canada

Alberta

Calgary

Four Points by Sheraton Calgary Airport

Calgary

Sheraton Suites Calgary Eau Claire

British Columbia

Vancouver

The Westin Bayshore, Vancouver

Whistler

The Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler

Ontario

Blue Mountains

The Westin Trillium House, Blue Mountain

Hamilton

Sheraton Hamilton Hotel

Mississauga

Four Points by Sheraton Mississauga Meadowvale

Mississauga

Four Points by Sheraton Toronto Airport

Mississauga

Four Points by Sheraton Toronto Mississauga

Ottawa

Sheraton Ottawa Hotel

Toronto

Quebec

Dorval

Sheraton Montreal Airport Hotel

Montreal

Le Centre Sheraton Montreal Hotel

Le Méridien Versailles

China

Shanghai

Sheraton Shanghai Hongqiao Hotel

Costa Rica

Guanacaste

Playa Conchal

The Westin Resort & Spa, Playa Conchal

Germany

Frankfurt

The Westin Grand Frankfurt

Guatemala

Guatemala City

The Westin Camino Real, Guatemala

Malaysia

Langkawi

The Andaman, Langkawi

Mexico

Baja California Sur

Los Cabos

Sheraton Hacienda del Mar Golf & Spa Resort, Los Cabos

The Westin Resort & Spa, Los Cabos

Campeche

Hacienda Puerta Campeche

Uayamon

Hacienda Uayamon

Yucatan

Santa Rosa

Hacienda Santa Rosa

Temozon Sur

Hacienda Temozon

Tixkokob

Hacienda San Jose

Netherlands

Amsterdam

Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel and Conference Center

Panama, Republic of Panama

Panama City

Sheraton Panama Hotel & Convention Center

Poland

Warsaw

Le Méridien Bristol, Warsaw

Thailand

Koh Samui

W Retreat Koh Samui

Pattaya

Sheraton Pattaya Resort

United Kingdom

England

London

W London – Leicester Square

United States

Alabama

Birmingham

Sheraton Birmingham Hotel

Huntsville

The Westin Huntsville

Arizona

Phoenix

Aloft Phoenix-Airport

Scottsdale

Sheraton Desert Oasis Villas, Scottsdale

Scottsdale

The Westin Kierland Villas, Scottsdale

Tempe

Aloft Tempe

Sheraton Phoenix Airport Hotel Tempe

Tucson

Sheraton Tucson Hotel & Suites

California

Carlsbad

Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa

Emeryville

Four Points by Sheraton San Francisco Bay Bridge

Los Angeles

Four Points by Sheraton Los Angeles International Airport

Los Angeles

The Westin Los Angeles Airport

Mammoth Lakes

The Westin Monache Resort, Mammoth

Millbrae

The Westin San Francisco Airport

Rancho Mirage

The Westin Mission Hills Resort Villas, Palm Springs

San Diego

Four Points by Sheraton San Diego

San Francisco

Palace Hotel, San Francisco

The Westin San Francisco Market Street

The Westin St. Francis San Francisco on Union Square

W San Francisco

Ventura

Four Points by Sheraton Ventura Harbor Resort

Colorado

Aurora

Aloft Denver International Airport

Avon

The Westin Riverfront Mountain Villas, Beaver Creek Mountain

Avon

The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa at Beaver Creek Mountain

Broomfield

Aloft Broomfield Dnver

Lakewood

Sheraton Denver West otel

Lone Tree

Element Denver Park Madows

Connecticut

Meriden

Four Points by Sheraton Meriden

Florida

Cocoa Beach

Four Points by Sheraton Cocoa Beach

Fort Lauderdale

Sheraton Suites Cypress Creek Ft. Lauderdale

Jacksonville

Aloft Jacksonville Tapestry Park

Sheraton Jacksonville Hotel

Jensen Beach

Vistana’s Beach Club

Lake Buena Vista

Walt Disney World Dolphin

Lake Buena Vista

Walt Disney World Swan

Lake Mary

The Westin Lake Mary, Orlando North

Orlando

Four Points by Sheraton Orlando Studio City

Sheraton Orlando Downtown Hotel

Sheraton Vistana Resort Villas, Lake BuenaVista/Orlando

Sheraton Vistana Villages Resort Villas, I-Drive/Orlando

The Westin Imagine Orlando

Port St. Lucie

Sheraton PGA Vacation Resort, Port St. Lucie

Tampa

Sheraton Tampa Riverwalk Hotel

Georgia

Atlanta

Sheraton Atlanta Hotel

Sheraton Suites Galleria-Atlanta

The Westin Atlanta Perimeter North

The Westin Buckhead Atlanta

The Westin Peachtree Plaza, Atlanta

W Atlanta – Midtown

Augusta

Sheraton Augusta Hotel

Hawaii

Kailua-Kona

Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa

Illinois

Itasca

The Westin Chicago Northwest

Lombard

The Westin Lombard Yorktown Center

Louisiana

New Orleans

The Westin New Orleans Canal Place

Maryland

National Harbor

The Westin Washington National Harbor

Massachusetts

Cambridge

Le Méridien Cambridge-MIT

Norwood

Four Points by Sheraton Norwood

Wakefield

Sheraton Colonial Boston North Hotel & Conference Center

Michigan

Romulus

Four Points by Sheraton Detroit Metro Airport

Missouri

St. Louis

Sheraton Clayton Plaza Hotel St. Louis

Nebraska

Omaha

Element Omaha Midtown Crossing

Nevada

Las Vegas

Element Las Vegas Summerlin

New Jersey

Morristown

The Westin Governor Morris, Morristown

New York

Aloft Harlem

The Chatwal, New York City

The Manhattan at Times Square Hotel

W New York – Downtown

North Carolina

Charlotte

Aloft Charlotte Ballantyne

Ohio

Columbus

The Westin Columbus

Pennsylvania

York

Four Points by Sheraton York

South Carolina

Myrtle Beach

Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center Hotel

North Charleston

Aloft Charleston Airport & Convention Center

Tennessee

Memphis

Four Points by Sheraton Memphis East

Texas

Dallas

Le Méridien Dallas by the Galleria

Sheraton Dallas North Hotel

The Westin Park Central, Dallas

Fort Worth

Sheraton Fort Worth Hotel and Spa

Frisco

The Westin Stonebriar

San Antonio

Four Points by Sheraton San Antonio Downtown by the Riverwalk

Sheraton Gunter Hotel San Antonio

Virginia

Alexandria

Sheraton Suites Old Town Alexandria

The Westin Alexandria

Ashburn

Aloft Dulles Airport North

Falls Church

The Westin Tysons Corner

Norfolk

Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel

Vienna

Sheraton Premiere at Tysons Corner

Wisconsin

Brookfield

Sheraton Milwaukee Brookfield Hotel

Green Bay

Aloft Green Bay

Hotel Free Night Promotions for Summer 2011

Ric Garrido — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 14:01:56 +0000

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Where to find Best Western Rewards promotion registration link

SPG Stay Three, Earn Free Resort Night May 1-July 31

Ric Garrido — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 20:56:33 +0000

“A Fast-Track to a Fabulous Getaway” is the way Starwood Preferred Guest is advertising their “Stay Three, Getaway Free” promotion for one free night at any of 200 Starwood Resorts worldwide after three hotel stays at nearly any Starwood Hotel worldwide.

The offer counts stays from May 1 to July 31, 2011. Free nights earned can be redeemed through December 21, 2011. There is no limit for the number of free nights earned except for the time limit.

SPG Stay Three, Getaway Free registration. Must register by June 30, 2011.

SPG Promotion FAQ.

To redeem your Free Night Awards, contact SPG Customer Service and mention Award ID 3FRN.

Loyalty Traveler Analysis

This promotion for me is a fast-track to a fabulous getaway. I happen to have quite a bit of travel I can plan around California and the Pacific Northwest over the next three months. Portland, Oregon and Fresno, California have Starwood Hotels under $100 per night after tax. These are not my destination cities, but I can probably pull out six one-night stays in these two locations while enjoying the locale. Portland, Oregon is a great location for maximizing cheap Starwood stays.

$600 for six hotel nights on a couple of trips while I see locations like Yosemite National Park and visit some Portland microbreweries is a great deal when my paid stays earn two free nights for a place like Westin Mammoth which will be an even better hotel stay than the Four Points Fresno on another trip to Yosemite National Park later in the year. Or I can stay at St. Regis Monarch Beach rather than cheap Orange County Airport hotels when I go south to see my sister’s family. Basically what I spend for the three nights to earn a free resort night will be the going rate for the hotels where I redeem my free nights. Paying $600 for hotel stays I need to earn $600 in free resort hotel stays I desire is a good deal for my travel pattern.

The San Francisco Bay Area shows several hotels at under $100 in May. This is a great place to maximize cheap Starwood stays, but not in downtown San Francisco and the other locations kind of bore me now since I have been to these places so often. A night at the Sheraton Palo Alto offers the free Stanford University Museum for a day of culture, a thought provoking lecture or two and the restaurants in Palo Alto are reliable for some interesting direct conversation or common eavesdropping if you comprehend the language.

The sensible strategy for someone in the US for this Starwood Resorts free night offer is to try and stay Starwood heavy in May before summer travel and room rates pick up. That is if we actually see a travel increase this summer with higher prices. Sure, occupancy has been up for the past year by 5 to 10%, but the room rates are not significantly higher than two years ago.

I actually thought San Francisco had been much higher priced hotels in 2011 and then I tracked May 2011 Starwood Hotel rates alongside May 2009 hotel rates and at least 50% of 20+ Starwood Hotels in the Bay Area are actually lower rates now on average.

Six Starwood Resort nights on a Greek or Italian Island can be a $3,000 hotel stay. I don’t know if I can get to Europe this summer for a trip. Loads of Starwood nights are less valuable if I can’t travel with my wife during summer school break when we both benefit from a luxury hotel stay.

Earning six nights with 18 hotel stays in the next three months is a plan I think makes economic sense for encouraging summer travel for me. My back-up California locations are St. Regis Monarch Beach (category 6), Westin Verasa Napa (category 5) and Westin Monache Mammoth (category 5).

Westin Napa has suites with a full kitchen, dining table, balcony patio, sitting room, bedroom and 1.5 bathrooms that I received an upgrade to when I stayed there as an SPG Platinum on free nights earned in the 2009 free weekend nights promotion.

We might even go for a Rocky Mountain tour to St. Regis Park City, Utah and St. Regis Aspen and Westin Beaver Creek Mountain, Colorado.

This “Stay Three Getaway Free” offer is a good promotion for making a $1,000 to $3,000 investment if you are in a position to travel frequently from now through July and still have the opportunity to get great value from free nights earned.

Starwood Resorts participating in free nights. These are the hotels where you can redeem free nights earned. Three stays at any of 1,000+ Starwood Hotels worlwide in all nine Starwood brands qualify for earning the free Starwood Resort night. Starwood brands include Sheraton, Westin, Four Points, Le Meridien, Luxury Collection, Aloft, W Hotels, St. Regis, and Element.

United States

Arizona

Sheraton Desert Oasis
Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa
The Canyon Suites at The Phoenician
The Phoenician, Scottsdale
The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa
The Westin Kierland Villas, Scottsdale
The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa

California

Four Points by Sheraton Ventura Harbor
Le Parker Méridien Palm Springs
Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa
The St. Regis Monarch Beach
The Westin Desert Willow Villas, Palm Desert
The Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa
The Westin Mission Hills Resort Villas, Palm Springs
The Westin Monache Resort, Mammoth
The Westin Verasa Napa

Colorado

Sheraton Mountain Vista Villas, Avon / Vail Valley
Sheraton Steamboat Resort
Sheraton Steamboat Resort Villas
The St. Regis Aspen Resort
The Westin Riverfront Mountain Villas
The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa

Florida

Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel
Sheraton PGA Vacation Resort, Port St. Lucie
Sheraton Sand Key Resort
Sheraton Suites Key West
Sheraton Vistana Resort Villas
Sheraton Vistana Villages Resort Villas, I-Drive/Orlando
The Westin Beach Resort & Spa, Fort Lauderdale
The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa, Hollywood, Florida
The Westin Key West Resort & Marina
W Fort Lauderdale
W South Beach
Walt Disney World Dolphin
Walt Disney World Swan

Georgia

The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa

Guam

Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort
The Westin Resort, Guam

Hawaii

Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, Waikiki Beach
Sheraton Kauai Resort
Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa
Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa
Sheraton Princess Kaiulani
Sheraton Waikiki
The Royal Hawaiian, Waikiki
The St. Regis Princeville Resort
The Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas
The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Ka’anapali
The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas

North Carolina

The Ballantyne, Charlotte

Pennsylvania

Puerto Rico

The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Puerto Rico
W Retreat & Spa – Vieques Island

South Carolina

Sheraton Broadway Plantation
The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa

Texas

The Westin La Cantera Resort, San Antonio

Utah

The St. Regis Deer Valley

Vermont

The Equinox Golf Resort & Spa, Vermont

Virgin Islands

The Westin St. John Resort & Villas

Virginia

Sheraton Virginia Beach Oceanfront Hotel

Algeria

Sheraton Club des Pins Resort and Towers

Argentina

Sheraton Iguazú Resort & Spa

Aruba

The Westin Resort & Casino, Aruba

Australia

Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas Resort
Sheraton Mirage Resort and Spa Gold Coast
Sheraton Noosa Resort & Spa

Austria

Schloss Fuschl Resort & Spa, Fuschlsee-Salzburg

Bahamas

Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort

Brazil

Sheraton Rio Hotel & Resort

Cambodia

Le Méridien Angkor

Canada

Four Points by Sheraton Quebec Resort
Le Westin Resort & Spa, Tremblant, Quebec
Sheraton on the Falls Hotel
The Westin Bayshore, Vancouver
The Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa, Victoria
The Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler
The Westin Trillium House, Blue Mountain

Cayman Islands

The Westin Casuarina Resort & Spa, Grand Cayman

China

Four Points by Sheraton Shenzhou Peninsula Resort
Le Méridien She Shan Shanghai
Le Méridien Shimei Bay Beach Resort & Spa
Sheraton Dameisha Resort, Shenzhen
Sheraton Haikou Resort
Sheraton Hangzhou Wetland Park Resort
Sheraton Huadu Resort
Sheraton Huizhou Beach Resort
Sheraton Jiuzhaigou Resort
Sheraton Qiandao Lake Resort
Sheraton Qingyuan Lion Lake Resort
Sheraton Sanya Haitang Bay Resort
Sheraton Sanya Resort
Sheraton Shenzhou Peninsula Resort
Sheraton Yantai Golden Beach Resort
The Malus Resort, Sanya
The St. Regis Lhasa Resort
The St. Regis Sanya Yalong Bay Resort
The Westin Resort, Macau

Croatia

Le Meriden Lav Split

Cyprus

Le Méridien Limassol Spa & Resort

Egypt

Le Méridien Dahab Resort
Le Méridien Pyramids Hotel & Spa
Sheraton Luxor Resort
Sheraton Miramar Resort El Gouna
Sheraton Sharm Hotel, Resort, Villas & Spa
Sheraton Soma Bay Resort

Fiji

Sheraton Denarau Villas
Sheraton Fiji Resort
The Westin Denarau Island Resort & Spa, Fiji

France

Le Méridien Nice

Gambia

Sheraton Gambia Hotel Resort & Spa

Germany

ArabellaSheraton Alpenhotel

Greece

Arion Resort & Spa, Astir Palace, Athens
Blue Palace Resort & Spa, Elounda
Santa Marina Resort & Villas, Mykonos
Sheraton Rhodes Resort
The Romanos, Costa Navarino
The Westin Athens Astir Palace Beach Resort
The Westin Resort, Costa Navarino
Vedema Resort, Santorini

India

ITC Mughal, Agra
Le Méridien Jaipur
Le Méridien Kochi
Sheraton Udaipur Palace Resort & Spa
The Westin Sohna Resort & Spa

Indonesia

Sheraton Lampung Hotel
Sheraton Mustika Yogyakarta Resort and Spa
Sheraton Senggigi Beach Resort
The Laguna Resort & Spa, Nusa Dua, Bali
The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali
W Retreat & Spa Bali – Seminyak

Israel

Le Méridien Dead Sea
Le Méridien Eilat

Italy

Le Méridien Rimini
Sheraton Catania Hotel & Conference Center
Sheraton Golf Parco de’ Medici Hotel & Resort, Roma

Japan

Sheraton Grande Ocean Resort
Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay Hotel
The Westin Awaji Island Resort and Conference Center
The Westin Miyako, Kyoto

Malaysia

Four Points by Sheraton Langkawi Resort
Sheraton Langkawi Beach Resort
The Andaman, Langkawi
The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa

Maldives, Republic of

Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa

Malta

Le Méridien St. Julians Hotel & Spa
The Westin Dragonara Resort, Malta

Mauritius

Le Méridien Ile Maurice
The Grand Mauritian Resort & Spa, Mauritius
The St. Regis Mauritius Resort

Mexico

Hacienda San Jose
Hacienda Santa Rosa
Hacienda Temozon
Hacienda Uayamon
Le Méridien Cancun Resort & Spa
Sheraton Buganvilias Resort and Convention Center
Sheraton Hacienda del Mar Golf & Spa Resort
The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort
The Westin Lagunamar Ocean Resort Villas, Cancun
The Westin Resort & Spa, Cancun
The Westin Resort & Spa, Los Cabos
The Westin Resort & Spa, Puerto Vallarta

Monaco

Le Méridien Beach Plaza

Morocco

Le Méridien N’Fis

New Caledonia

Le Méridien Ile des Pins
Le Méridien Nouméa

Nigeria

Le Méridien Ibom Hotel & Golf Resort
Le Méridien Ogeyi Place

Panama

Westin Playa Bonita

Peru

Hotel Paracas, Paracas
Tambo del Inka Resort & Spa, Valle Sagrado

Poland

Sheraton Sopot Hotel & Coference Center

Portugal

Convento do Espinheiro Hotel & Spa, Evora
Le Méridien Penina Golf & Resort
Sheraton Algarve Hotel, Albufeira

Qatar

Sheraton Doha Resort & Convention Hotel

Seychelles

Le Méridien Barbarons
Le Méridien Fisherman’s Cove

South Africa

Arabella Western Cape Hotel & Spa

Spain

Castillo Hotel Son Vida, Mallorca
Le Méridien Ra Beach Hotel & Spa
Marqués de Riscal, Elciego
Sheraton Fuerteventura Beach, Golf & Spa Resort
Sheraton La Caleta Resort & Spa, Costa Adeje, Tenerife
Sheraton Mallorca Arabella Golf Hotel
Sheraton Salobre Golf Resort & Spa
Sheraton Santa Maria de El Paular

St. Maarten

The Westin Dawn Beach Resort & Spa, St. Maarten

Switzerland

ArabellaSheraton Hotel Seehof
Sheraton Davos Hotel Waldhuus

Syria

Le Méridien Lattakia
Sheraton Ma’aret Sednaya Hotel & Resort

Tahiti

Le Méridien Tahiti

Thailand

Le Méridien Chiang Rai Resort, Thailand
Le Méridien Khao Lak Beach & Spa Resort
Le Méridien Phuket Beach Resort
Sheraton Grande Laguna, Phuket
Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa
Sheraton Krabi Beach Resort
Sheraton Pattaya Resort
The Westin Siray Bay Resort & Spa, Phuket

Turkey

Sheraton Cesme Hotel, Resort and Spa

United Arab Emirates

Le Méridien Abu Dhabi
Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel & Resort
Sheraton Jumeirah Beach Resort & Towers
Westin Abu Dhabi Resort & Spa

United Kingdom

Turnberry Resort, Scotland

Uruguay

Sheraton Colonia Golf & Spa Resort

Vietnam

Sheraton Nha Trang Hotel & Spa

$250 Million in SPG Points and Starwood by the Numbers

Ric Garrido — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 15:30:25 +0000

In July 2009 Starwood Hotels extended the terms of its co-branded credit card agreement with American Express to June 15, 2015. Starwood Hotels received $250 million in cash towards the purchase of future SPG points by American Express.

SPG points liability increased from $634 million at year-end 2009 to $702 million year-end 2010. That is 10.7% more liability added in one year.

The average daily rate worldwide for Starwood Hotels at year-end 2010 was $160.00.

$702 million in liability at $160 per room night = 4,387,500 room nights in free rooms waiting to be redeemed. I have no idea how liability is actually calculated, but needless to say that members are holding points for millions of free room nights.

I just redeemed 16,000 points yesterday for Category 4 Cash & Points award nights to save $800 at a hotel in June.

Speculation on how many points $250 million buys.

I was thinking American Express probably pays about $10/1,000 points for something like 25 billion points for $250 million. After running some numbers I now think American Express must buy points for far less than a penny a point to cover all the 20,000 points new cardmember bonuses and points given for credit card spend.

Any guesses on how many points $250 million buys?