Do a Marriott Courtyard and a Hilton Garden Inn have about the same room rate on average? How do Hyatt Place and Starwood Hotels aloft brands stack up in room rates?

STR and STR Global package hotel industry data. I like to read HotelNewsNow.com to see hotel industry trends and average room rates, although to get detailed information about hotel brands and places requires paying for information. I stick with the free stuff.

One of the valuable STR resources for me is the chain scale hotel list that categorizes hundreds of USA and global hotel brands on a scale of six market segments from economy to luxury. Hotel brands are placed on the scale solely using average daily rate as the factor. Note: the average daily rate data was added March 7 based on Smith Travel Research data for January 2012.

• Luxury = $262 ADR
• Upper Upscale = $148 ADR
• Upscale = $112 ADR
• Upper Midscale = $94 ADR
• Midscale = $73 ADR
• Economy = $50 ADR

Any specific hotel may have a large rate differential from another hotel in that brand, but the average rate says something about the brand overall across the hotel chain and across the USA and globe.

STR and STR Global have moved some hotel brands to a higher chain scale based on 2011 average daily rates.

• Best Western Premier moved from upper-midscale to upscale. Best Western launched a rebranding campaign in 2011 to distinguish the better hotels in the 4,000+ global chain.

All the other chains operate several different hotel brands across different market segments and Best Western finally got into the game with three tiers of Best Western, (3,000 or so hotels), Best Western Plus (1,000+ hotels) and Best Western Premier (over 100 hotels). The numbers given here are just rough estimates based on past data I have seen.

Best Western Premier moves to upscale hotels. My stay last year in Napa was a great room in an old motel style building. The room was definitely upscale.

• Country Inns & Suites moved from midscale to upper-midscale. That is a huge accomplishment for Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group working to become a more recognized name in the chain scale competition.

Upper midscale includes brands like Hampton Inn, Clarion, Best Western Plus, Fairfield Inn, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express.

Candlewood Suites, La Quinta and Ramada are examples of hotel brands in the midscale segment.

Hyatt Place, Hilton Garden Inn, Courtyard, Residence Inn and Four Points are in the higher upscale segment. The bad news for Club Carlson members is this chain segment change indicates rates are rising at Country Inns.

 

Loyalty Traveler note: This post originally had seven hotel brand changes based on a HotelNewsNow.com article (media arm of STR and STRGlobal). I received an email on March 7 stating HNN will issue a correction on their article and only Best Western Premier and Country Inns are changing in the hotel chain scale. I deleted references to the other hotel brands originally included in this post.

 

This year we are staying home in Monterey for the holiday season and welcoming family to our locale. That means hotel stays, restaurant dinners and outdoor activities. Our ten day weather forecast for the Monterey Peninsula shows no rain and temperatures in the mid-60s next weekend. This has been a gorgeously clear sky December on the central coast of California.

Many visitors come to Monterey for the Monterey Bay Aquarium on the famed Cannery Row. Here is my photo walk along the less touristed southeastern half of Monterey’s Cannery Row named after John Steinbeck’s 1945 novel.

Cannery Row is a half-mile stretch of oceanfront road on the northwest end of Monterey. A century ago this parcel of Monterey developed canneries for processing sardines from Monterey Bay to feed the world. The street was called Ocean View Avenue up until 1958 when the name changed to Cannery Row in honor of the novel by Monterey County’s John Steinbeck. The road name is still Ocean View Blvd. in Pacific Grove where the town line begins just west of the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Read More…

Affinia Hotels are offering rooms on Sunday nights for $111.11 for stays from January 2 to March 31, 2012. The sale happens next week on 11/11/11 for a 12-hour period from 11am to 11pm using promo code ELEVEN.

I saw this offer on SmarterTravel.com and a hotel industry website and Google only pulled up these same two releases when I searched the sale. Neither site states time zone. Since 6 of 7 Affinia Hotels are in ET, then my bet is ET.

Affinia Hotels are urban boutique upper-upscale hotels with seven properties in the USA. New York has five hotels and Chicago and Washington D.C. each have one hotel. Affinia Hotels signed with Stash Hotel Rewards independent hotels loyalty program in 2011, but for some reason the Washington D.C Affinia hotel is not listed as one of the Stash Rewards hotels so it looks to be a holdout from the loyalty program.

 

I stayed across the street from the Affinia Liaison Hotel on Capitol Hill last February when I was at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill. I had developed a hard-hitting flu the day before. My recall is a feverish memory/ill-usion where I walked by the front doors of the Affinia Liaison Capitol Hill D.C. I was impressed by what I saw from the sidewalk and the Affinia D.C. rooftop patio I saw from the Hyatt Regency.

Here is a photo of the Affinia Washington D.C. from a Hyatt Regency window.

 

Be sure to sign up for a Stash Hotel Rewards account if you plan to stay at an Affinia Hotel. There is a sign up bonus of 1,000 points through this Loyalty Traveler link. This is a bonus points offer CEO Jeff Low set up for Loyalty Traveler last February.

There is no affiliate commission to me if you sign up for Stash Hotel Rewards through the Loyalty Traveler link. This is just a cool gesture of bonus points from Stash Hotel Rewards to Loyalty Traveler readers on Jeff Low’s part.

And if you really want to profit from your friends’ ignorance, then you can sign up for Stash Rewards through the Loyalty Traveler link and get 1,000 points, then use the Stash Rewards Refer-a-Friend link and your friends will each get 500 points for enrollment and you will get 500 points once they stay at a member hotel as a Stash Rewards member.

You could end up with 13,500 Stash Rewards points after you get people to buy Affinia rooms with the November sale. That will be sufficient points to redeem for a free room night at some Stash Rewards hotels.

Reminder: This Affinia Hotels sale happens on Friday, November 11 from 11am to 11pm at Affinia Hotels.

I will try and post this information again on November 10 to remind people of the Affinia Hotels Sunday nights 2012 Q-1 sale rate.

 

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.

To celebrate its first birthday this week Stash Hotel Rewards is offering Stash member guests 1,000 bonus points for stays at a Stash Rewards hotel partner this week from Monday, May 16 through Friday, May 20.

There are a couple of good bonus opportunities currently running with Stash Hotel Rewards including Loyalty Traveler’s very own new member sign-up link for 1,000 bonus points. Full disclosure: Loyalty Traveler receives no incentive bonus for new members using this link to join Stash Hotel Rewards. Jeff Low, CEO of Stash Hotel Rewards, had lunch with me a few months ago in Monterey and set up this Stash Rewards new member link for 1,000 bonus points as a courtesy to Loyalty Traveler readers.

Affinia Hotels in New York and Chicago offer first time guests 5,000 bonus points for stays through July 31 on reservations booked by May 31, 2011.

Several hotels on the Stash Rewards Specials page currently have free night offers or Double, Triple and 2,000 bonus points offers.

What are Stash Hotel Rewards points worth?

Stash Rewards points are a little more difficult to value than other major hotel loyalty programs due to a dynamic reward night system. Priority Club charges 25,000 points for any Crowne Plaza Hotel all year long and Hilton HHonors charges 40,000 points for a free night at a category 6 hotel all year long. The price is the same whether the travel season is peak season or the middle of the off-season. In contrast Stash Rewards free nights vary in cost depending on the date and the independent hotel’s revenue management rates for the date you are looking to book. In general the price of the reward night will cost more points for any specific hotel on a night when the rate is $250 and fewer points on a night when the rate is $150 points per night. And since each hotel is independent the cost in points for a $200 room rate hotel in one location may not be the same points cost for a $200 hotel in another location.

Monterey Plaza Hotel, Monterey, California

Wednesday May 25-Friday, May 27, 2011

• Inland View Room with Balcony = 31,338 points for 2 nights. $237 per night or $521.90 after tax for Stash Rewards points value = $16.65 per 1,000 points.
• Deluxe Oceanview room with balcony = 67,828 points for 2 nights. $474 per night or $1,043.80 after tax for Stash Rewards points value = $15.39 per 1,000 points.

Friday May 27 – Sunday, May 29

• Inland View Room with Balcony = 35,631 points for 2 nights. $269 per night or $592.36 after tax for Stash Rewards points value = $15.39 per 1,000 points.
• Deluxe Oceanview room with balcony = 77,129 points for 2 nights. $539 per night or $1,186.93 after tax for Stash Rewards points value = $15.39 per 1,000 points.

Oceanview from Monterey Plaza Hotel balcony

 

Earning Stash Hotel Rewards

When valuing points it is important to consider the earn rate which is 5 points per dollar for Stash Rewards. Earning 68,000 points for a 2 night Deluxe Oceanview room with balcony at the Monterey Plaza may take as much as $13,600 in partner hotel spend. Stash Rewards bonus points specials provide opportunities to lower this hotel spend level.

One night with a $474 paid room rate at a Stash Rewards member hotel earns 2,370 points. A member needs 14 paid hotel nights to earn the points for one free night at this property which is about average for hotel loyalty programs when comparing base earn rates. See NerdWallet.com Hotel Rewards Cheat Sheet for a comparison of paid nights needed to earn a free night in major hotel loyalty programs. Remember this kind of comparison does not account for bonus points promotions. And loyalty promotions make a world of difference in how fast members earn free nights in hotel loyalty programs.

Stash Rewards claims it is fastest growing hotel loyalty program over the past year

Stash Hotel Rewards launched in May 2010 with 65 partner hotels in the U.S. One year later the hotel loyalty program for independent hotels has grown to 146 hotels for 125% annual growth in hotel members. Several upscale brands have partnered with Stash Rewards over the past year including some Affinia Hotels with locations in several major cities including New York, Chicago and Washington D.C.

Avia Hotels has properties in Savannah, Georgia, The Woodlands Texas and Long Beach California in addition to its modern hotel in downtown Napa as an alternative to the generally higher priced Westin Verasa Napa and high-cost B&Bs in Napa Valley. River Terrace Inn is adjacent to the Westin Napa and also a Stash Hotel Rewards partner.

My favorite hometown hotel is the Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa on Cannery Row that partnered with Stash Rewards a couple of months ago, as well as Larkspur’s Casa Munras in another popular hotel location in the center of old town Monterey.

Despite industry leading growth for a hotel loyalty program over the past year, Stash remains selective about its hotel partners.

Only the Most Loved

Even during a period of such remarkable growth, Stash continues to be highly selective of potential partners, with a unique focus on guest satisfaction. Over the last year, Stash has turned away more than 400 hotels interested in joining the program, ultimately accepting just 17% of interested properties.  The result:  a curated network of upscale resorts, landmark hotels, rustic inns, and distinctive business-class properties that represent some of the country’s most-loved hotels. The measure of that love?  Stash partner hotels have an average recommend rating of 84% on TripAdvisor, the highest rating among any major hotel loyalty program in North America.

 

Recently-added Stash hotel partners include: 

• Ayres Boutique Suites Ontario Airport, Ontario, CA
• Ayres Hotel – Hawthorne/Manhattan Beach/LAX, Hawthorne, CA
• Ayres Hotel – Laguna Woods, Laguna Woods, CA
• Ayres Hotel & Spa Mission Viejo, Mission Viejo, CA
• Ayres Hotel & Spa Moreno Valle, Moreno Valley, CA
• Ayres Hotel & Suites Costa Mesa-Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, CA
• Ayres Hotel & Suites Ontario Convention Center, Ontario, CA
• Ayres Hotel Chino Hills, Chino Hills, CA
• Ayres Hotel Redlands, Redlands, CA
• Ayres Hotel Seal Beach, Seal Beach, CA
• Ayres Hotel-Anaheim, Anaheim, CA
• Ayres Inn & Suites Ontario Mills Mall, Ontario, CA
• Ayres Inn Alpine, Alpine, CA
• Ayres Inn Corona East, Corona, CA
• Ayres Inn Orange, Orange, CA
• Ayres Suites Corona West, Corona, CA
• Ayres Suites Diamond Bar, Diamond Bar, CA
• Ayres Suites Mission Viejo, Mission Viejo, CA
• Ayres Suites Ontario Mills Mall, Ontario, CA
• Ayres Suites Yorba Linda, Yorba Linda, CA
• Cranwell Resort, Spa, and Golf Club, Lenox, MA
• Genesee Grande Hotel, Syracuse, NY
• Grande Bay Resort, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
• Hotel 43, Boise, ID
• Hotel Felix. Chicago, IL
• Hotel Sierra Charlotte Center City, Charlotte, NC
• Hotel Sierra King of Prussia, King of Prussia, PA
• Hotel Sierra Merrifield, Merrifield, VA
• Hotel Sierra San Jose – Silicon Valley, San Jose, CA
• Hotel Skyler, Syracuse, NY
• Hotel Valley Ho, Scottsdale, AZ
• Inn at Great Neck, Great Neck, NY
• Le Montrose Suite Hotel, West Hollywood, CA
• Le Parc Suite Hotel, West Hollywood, CA
• Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa, Monterey, CA
• Parkview Hotel, Syracuse, NY
• River Terrace Inn, Napa, CA
• Riverside Hotel, Fort Lauderdale, FL
• Royal Sonesta Hotel Boston, Cambridge, MA
• Seaport Boston Hotel, Boston, MA
• The Palms Hotel & Spa, Miami Beach, FL
• The Swag, Waynesville, NC
• The Talbott Hotel, Chicago, IL
• Tower 23, San Diego, CA
• Tremont Plaza Hotel, Baltimore, MD
• Viana Hotel and Spa, Westbury, NY

Share the Love is an essay contest from Stash Hotel Rewards for a two-night free stay (Fri Feb 11 – Sun Feb 13) at any of 46 hotels around the U.S.  

Contest link.

Simply tell Stash Hotel Rewards why you want to stay at any one of the 46 participating hotels to enter the Share the Love contest for a Valentine’s weekend getaway.

And the cool feature of this contest is you can enter an essay for as many hotels as you choose to increase your odds of winning a free hotel stay. There are 46 hotels offering this essay prize getaway, so up to 46 Stash Rewards prize winners. Or more to the point, you have the opportunity to try and win a free weekend by entering an essay with several different hotels in a specific location like Florida, New York, D.C. or San Francisco Bay Area or all 46 hotels if you choose.

Contest Deadline: 11:59pm eastern, Thursday, January 27.

Winners will be notified by February 1.

Stash Rewards “Share the Love” Contest Participating Hotels:

HOTEL NAME	LOCATION
Affinia 50 Hotel	New York, NY
Affinia Chicago	Chicago, IL
Affinia Dumont	New York, NY
Affinia Gardens	New York, NY
Affinia Shelburne Murray Hill	New York, NY
Ambassador Hotel	Milwaukee, WI
Artmore Hotel	Atlanta, GA
AVIA Long Beach	Long Beach, CA
Beechwood Hotel	Worcester, MA
Buena Vista Suites	Orlando, FL
Caribe Royale	Orlando, FL
Cedarbrook Lodge	Seattle, WA
Edgewater Hotel	Seattle, WA
Fountaingrove Inn	Santa Rosa, CA
Hotel Abri	San Francisco, CA
Hotel Andra	Seattle, WA
Hotel Fifty	Portland, OR
Hotel Sierra – Alpharetta	Alpharetta, Georgia
Hotel Sierra – Bellevue	Bellevue, WA
Hotel Sierra – Branchburg	Branchburg, NJ
Hotel Sierra – Fishkill	Fishkill, NY
Hotel Sierra – Green Bay	Green Bay, WI
Hotel Sierra – Parsippany	Parsippany, NJ
Hotel Sierra – Raleigh	Morrisville, NC
Hotel Sierra – Rancho Cordova	Rancho Cordova, CA
Hotel Sierra – Redmond	Redmond, WA
Hotel Sierra – Richmond	Richmond, VA
Hotel Sierra – San Ramon	San Ramon, CA
Hotel Sierra – Santa Clara	Santa Clara, CA
Hotel Sierra – Shelton	Shelton, CT
Hotel Sierra – Washington Dulles	Sterling, VA
Hotel Teatro	Denver, CO
Lodge on the Desert	Tucson, AZ
Menger Hotel	San Antonio, TX
Portofino Hotel & Yacht Club	Redondo Beach, CA
Resort at the Mountain	Welches, OR
Riviera Palm Springs	Palm Springs, CA
Sea Trail Golf Resort & Conference Center	Sunset Beach, NC
Sedona Rouge Hotel & Spa	Sedona, AZ
Sonesta Hotel Orlando Downtown	Orlando, FL
Stonehurst Place	Atlanta, GA
The Lenox Hotel	Boston, MA
The Plaza Suites	Santa Clara, CA
The Shores Resort & Spa	Daytona Beach, FL
The Wilshire Grand Hotel	West Orange, NJ
The Waynesville Inn Golf Resort & Spa	Waynesville, NC

 

You need to be a loyalty member of Stash Hotel Rewards or join to enter the essay contest. One unique feature of Stash Rewards is your email address is your account number. You just need to remember the email account you used for Stash Rewards signup when booking hotel reservations.

This Valentine’s Essay Contest is a high value, good odds offer for Stash Rewards members and a clever enrollment scheme for the loyalty program.

Contest Rules link.

 

About Stash Hotel Rewards

Stash Hotel Rewards is a hotel loyalty program launched in 2010 as a marketing program alliance for upscale and boutique independent hotels in the U.S.

Member hotels in Stash Rewards are distinctive properties for their location, are rated 3.5 star or above and typically rank high in TripAdvisor reviews.  Jeff Low, Stash Rewards CEO presented data at industry conferences showing hotel members of Stash Rewards have a higher aggregate rating on TripAdvisor.com for hotels in their location than the properties of other hotel loyalty programs like Marriott Rewards, Hilton HHonors and IHG Priority Club.

Another feature Jeff Low likes to point out for Stash Rewards is their hotel loyalty program does not offer cookie-cutter hotel properties.

Sometimes I think the curse for some big chain travelers is the only way to remember what town you are in when sitting in your hotel room is to look out the window of the Aloft or Hyatt Place or Hilton Garden Inn.

That was then and this is now

Loyalty Traveler posted a review of the Stash Rewards program in May 2010. At that time I applauded the concept of an independent hotels loyalty program, while pointing out the limited rebate value for the published earn and burn rates for the program and the limited number of hotel properties. Press releases anticipated a rapid acquisition of hotel partnerships from the 65 hotels in May 2010 to an estimated 200 by year-end 2010.

Eight months later I am taking another look to see where Stash Hotel Rewards has been and where they are now.

Stash Hotel Rewards still offers a limited number of properties with about 80 hotels currently online. The good news is 28 additional properties are already listed on the Stash Rewards hotel list for going live in Winter 2011.

I am feeling a little more inspired about Stash Rewards these days, particularly since learning the program recently signed two of my hometown’s leading properties. Monterey Plaza Resort & Spa has lovely ocean views from Cannery Row and Casa Munras, a recently remodeled property and Larkspur brand hotel, is situated in the center of Monterey’s business and historical district.

 

Stash Rewards Earn Rate for Points

Stash Rewards has a points earn rate of 5 points per dollar in room rate. The earn rate by itself does not tell much about a loyalty program. The more important factor is the value of points when used for free nights.

There are currently promotional earning bonuses available through Stash Rewards at select hotels:

• Buena Vista Suites, Orlando, FL = 1,000 bonus points per reservation ($200 base points value).
• Caribe Royale, Orlando, FL = 2,000 bonus points per reservation ($400 base points value).
• Hotel Andra, Seattle, WA = double points (10 points per $1)

When I show ($200 base points value), that means a stay at this hotel will earn a bonus equivalent to the points earned for $200 in hotel spend. If your paid stay is $300, then with the 1,000 points reservation bonus you will earn the equivalent in points for $500 in hotel spend.

Taking advantage of booking bonuses and points promotions is a way to improve the earn rate of Stash Rewards. This is particularly important in a program that does not offer elite membership for frequent guests like most loyalty programs where elite members earn bonus points for hotel spend

Stash Rewards Burn Rate for Points

Redeeming points for hotel rewards is where Stash Rewards breaks away from the traditional model of hotel loyalty programs. Most programs use a fixed pricing model for rewards. Stash Rewards uses dynamic reward pricing.

For example, Crowne Plaza free nights are always 25,000 Priority Club points or Starwood Preferred Guest category 4 hotels are 10,000 points per night or HHonors category 6 hotels are 40,000 points per night. The cost of a free night is fixed regardless of the room rate for that night.

Fixed price rewards have a leverage advantage in that a Crowne Plaza might be $300 for a night and available for 25,000 points. On the other hand, the Crowne Plaza San Francisco Airport is typically less than $80 per night on Fridays and Saturdays, but you still need 25,000 points for a free night. Fixed price rewards can be gamed for great value, but sometimes you get poor value when you burn points for a low room rate night.

Stash Hotel Rewards uses dynamic pricing for reward nights. The advantage of this model is the ability to pay far fewer points for a hotel night when rates are low such as a resort hotel in an off-season location.

The disadvantage of this model is the relatively fixed rate value for points.

For example, Stash Hotel Rewards points are generally worth a little more than 1 cent each or about $10 per 1,000 points. For example, a $100 hotel room may require 10,000 Stash Rewards points.  Dynamic pricing of reward nights with a fixed redemption burn rate means the $300 room will likely require 30,000 points.

There are hotel reward night promotions like Hotel Sierra Richmond West where 9,989 points buys a $180 room after tax. This increases the value of points from the usual $10 per 1,000 points to around $18 per 1,000 points.

Suites on Points is a Stash Rewards Competitive Advantage

One of the best features of Stash Rewards that comes with dynamic redemption is the ability to book higher category rooms, like suites, using points. Most hotel loyalty programs only allow points to be used for a standard room category.

Upgrades on reward nights require additional points with Marriott Rewards (5,000 to 15,000 points per night) and Starwood Preferred Guest (double points for the hotel category).

Hyatt Gold Passport offers suite upgrades using points, however, points upgrades are allowed only for paid stays and not reward nights. Gold Passport Diamond elite suite upgrade certificates also apply only to paid stays.

Programs like Priority Club and HHonors do not even offer suites for points.

Elite status is the primary route to an upgrade with most major hotel loyalty programs.

Stash Rewards dynamic pricing allows the hotel to charge the number of points appropriate for the published room rate. The burn rate is fixed whether redeeming points for a $100 room night or a $300 room night. The $300 room will cost 3x points of the $100 room. The hotel can open inventory to all room categories to guests using Stash Rewards points since there is no leverage to the burn rate.

San Francisco Case Study:

Hotel Abri, Union Square, San Francisco (Larkspur Hotels)

Saturday, January 29

Deluxe Queen = 9,697 points  ($129; $149.19 after tax = $15.38/1000 points)

Deluxe King = 10,825 points ($144; $166.54 after tax = $15.38/1000 points )

Urban Suite = 13,080 points ($174; $201.23 after tax = $15.38/1000 points)

Oasis Suite = 15,937 points ($211.50; $244.60 after tax = $15.35/1000 points) 

Hotel Abri shows how dynamic pricing of reward nights allows the member to choose any category of room using points. The fixed burn rate of $15.38 per 1,000 Stash Rewards points shows that the redemption rate does not vary regardless of room type booked with points. 

The room rate after tax is used to calculate the redemption rate for Stash Rewards points. No tax is paid on hotel reward nights so that means the rate after tax is the total money saved by using points.

Ranking the Earn/Burn Rate for Stash Hotel Rewards

A common comparison method for hotel loyalty programs is to compare points earned for a paid night to the burn rate for that same hotel using points for a free night. The rate before tax is used to calculate earn rate since points are not awarded for hotel taxes and fees.

Hotel Abri Oasis Suite = $211.50 x 5 points/$1 = 1,057 points.

15,937 burn rate/1,057 points earn rate = 15 paid nights to earn one free night or about a 6.7% Stash Rewards loyalty program rebate on hotel spend.

Stash Rewards has a fair earn/burn value in this example.

An example of a great earn/burn value is a loyalty promotion like Marriott Rewards Megabonus offer for one free category 1-4 hotel night after two stays. That has potential to earn a free hotel night after just two nights and potentially can be a 100% rebate.

Stash Rewards base earn/burn rate is comparable to major programs, however, the lack of elite bonus points and limited promotions means Stash Rewards will unlikely have many high-value rebates comparable to offers like Marriott Rewards stay twice and earn a free night.

 

Stash Hotel Rewards Case Study 2:

The Cliff House at Pikes Peak, Manitou Springs, Colorado

This AAA 4-diamond property was listed on Travel + Leisure’s 100 Top Hotels of the World.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011 (Hotel tax = 10.8%)

Studio Room = 7,130 points ($84.15; $93.24 after tax = $13.07/1,000 points)

Junior Suite = 10,731 points ($109.65; $121.49 after tax = $11.32/1,000 points)

Deluxe Suite = 12,891 points ($152.15; $168.58 after tax = $13.07/1,000 points)

Celebrity Suite = 15,052 points (rate not shown on hotel website)

Premier Celebrity Suite = 17,213 points (rate not shown on hotel website)

Cliff House Deluxe Suite Earn/Burn Rate

$152.15 x 5 points/$1 = 760 points

12,891 points/760 points = 17 nights to earn a free night or about a 5.9% Stash Rewards loyalty program rebate.

Conclusion:

Basically promotional offers for earning bonus points or redeeming points at a higher value rate are the ways to get more value from your hotel earn and burn in Stash Hotel Rewards.

Without promotional offers the program works out to about a 5% to 7% rebate value for Stash Hotel Rewards points. You need to spend about $2,000 at member hotels to earn a $100 to $140 room night credit.

The ability to earn Stash Rewards points at independent hotels and redeem points for high category rooms, including suites is a very attractive loyalty program  feature.

Stash Hotel Rewards has made some program improvements in the past eight months.

Stash Hotel Rewards is growing and offers travelers the ability to earn points at independent properties around the U.S. that previously had no other loyalty program option.  Stash Rewards earn and burn rate is not as lucrative as most major hotel programs (high potential for 20%+ rebate on hotel spend with major loyalty programs), but some Stash Rewards rebate (5 to 7% on hotel spend) is certainly better than no rebate when staying at these hotels.

The ability to redeem points for any room at the hotel is a feature that trumps the free night rewards of many major hotel loyalty programs.