VOILA Hotel Rewards has a double elite nights promotion through December 31, 2011. Five nights earns mid-tier Orion status and ten nights will lift you to top-tier Centaurus status. Registration is required for double elite nights.

Voila Hotel Rewards Double Elite Qualification promotion registration link.

VOILA Hotel Rewards is a U.S. based loyalty program for about 200 small chain independent hotels located primarily outside the USA. I wrote a Loyalty Traveler description of Voila Hotel Rewards last January when the program announced the signing of the two formerly Starwood W Hotels in New York City, now operating as St. Giles Hotel.

 

Voila Hotel Rewards Membership Levels and Benefits

Phoenix = base membership level for members with 0 to 9 nights in a 12-month period (free membership).

Orion = 10 nights in 12-month period. Only 5 nights are required with Double Elite Qualification promotion.

• 25% bonus points
• 11am check-in
• 4pm checkout
• complimentary upgrade to next best room
• complimentary fitness center access

Centaurus = 20 nights in 12 consecutive month period. Double elite nights promotion reduces qualification to 10 nights.

• No blackout dates.
• 24-hour guaranteed room availability
• welcome gift
• complimentary access to Executive Lounge at properties with a lounge.

Voila Hotel Rewards has 14 hotel brands.

• HUSA Hoteles – Spain (114 hotels)
• Kayumanis – China (4 hotels)
• St. Giles Hotel – New York (2 hotels, formerly Starwood W brand)
• Amari – Thailand (14 hotels)
• Othon – Brazil (9 hotels)
• Katerina Hotels – Moscow, Russia (2 hotels)
• Nevsky – St. Petersburg, Russia (1 hotel)
• Deville – Brazil (9 hotels)
• Continental Hotels – Romania (9 hotels)
• Coral Hotels – Middle East/Africa (8 hotels)
• Great Hotel Rewards – Iceland/Korea (2 hotels)
• Swiss-Belhotel – Indonesia/China/Middle East/Sydney (26 hotels)
• Lucerna Hotels – Mexico (5 hotels)
• The Dragon – Hangzhou, China (1 hotel)

 

Voila Hotel Rewards is structured like a typical hotel loyalty program for earning points at 10 base points per US$1 and 25% or 50% elite member bonus points for the two elite levels.

Points have a set cash value for redemption in the range of $7.50 to slightly less than $10 per 1,000 points.

For example, a hotel takes 15,000 points for a room rate of $100 to $149 and 20,000 points for a room rate of $150 to $199. Voila Hotel Rewards Redemption Chart.

Loyalty Traveler Analysis

Top elite Centaurus status in Voila Hotel Rewards offers complimentary upgrades and lounge access. That sounds like a good deal for 10 hotel nights if your travels take you to places with Voila Hotel Rewards member hotels.

New Members earn 1,000 Voila points upon free enrollment.

 

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.

Update March 31: The 50% off hotel reward nights has been extended to April 30, 2011. (See comments for this post for announcement from Peter Gorla).

Voila Hotel Rewards has a new promotion for earning up to a maximum 10,000 bonus points for hotel stays from February 25 through May 31, 2011. Registration is required. There are 191 hotels globally participating in this promotion.

New enrollees in Voila Hotel Rewards will receive 1,000 bonus points upon registration in hotel loyalty program.

Voila Rewards normal earn rate is 10 points per US$1. The maximum 10,000 points bonus is equivalent to base points earned from $1,000 in hotel spend.

Earn 2,500 points for every stay of two nights or more.

• Stay 2 nights and earn 2,500 points
• Stay 4 nights and earn 5,000 points
• Stay 6 nights and earn 7,500 points
• Stay 8 nights and earn 10,000 points.

The wording for this promotion is not really clear. The promotion terms state bonus points are only for stays of two nights or more. What is unclear is if stays are cumulative? For example, if I stay two nights at Hotel A and then complete a three night stay at Hotel B and then another three night stay at Hotel C, then I have stayed 8 nights total. But it does not appear to me that the stays are cumulative. I think these three stays for 8 nights earn 3 x 2,500 points for 7,500 total bonus points. (See update below for clarification from Peter Gorla, Voila VP)

I have asked and I am waiting for clarification from Voila Rewards. The one rule that is clear is the maximum bonus per member is 10,000 points for the promotion period.

Update March 10: Peter Gorla, Vice President Voila Marketing, responded in the comments of this post that nights stayed during the promotion period are cumulative. This changes my example given above to 8 nights over 3 hotel stays earns 10,000 bonus points.

50% off Reward Nights

A second promotion of Voila Hotel Rewards offers a 50% discount on reward nights through March 31.

Voila Hotel Rewards are a monetary based redemption system. Points have a set range of value for redeeming free nights. This opportunity in March doubles the value of your points for free nights.

Link: http://www.vhr.com/default.aspx?p=79

Loyalty Traveler Analysis

Voila Hotel member The York Hotel in Sydney, Australia has its room rate posted as AUD$325.81 per night for March 15-17, 2011. The normal rate shown for this redemption should be 35,000 points for a room rate between $300 and $349.

The Voila Hotel Rewards website shows the hotel costs 15,750 points for each free night for a room that is US$330.22.

31,500 Voila points = US$660.

The value of Voila points is $20.95 per 1,000 points in this example.

Extrapolate this value to the promotion earning opportunity for 10,000 bonus points on 8 nights and the 10,000 bonus points are valued around US$210.

Several Voila hotel members I checked in Spain have room rates under $80 per night. Four stays of two nights could be achieved for about $650 in Spain.

$650 x 10 points/$1 = 6,500 Voila Rewards base points.

Four 2-night stays by May 31 earns 10,000 bonus points.

16,500 Voila Rewards points has a redemption value of $330 in the Australia hotel example.

Bottom line: The combination of the Voila Hotel Rewards bonus points promotion and discounted reward redemption makes a 50% rebate possible on hotel stays while these promotions overlap. Even members who are spending an average of $160 per night for Voila Hotel stays can expect to see up to 25% rebate in redemption value during the discounted reward promotion through March 31.

Of course the redemption discount ending March 31 while the earning bonus goes through May 31, 2011 creates time period difficulties for members who do not currently have a high points balance to tap for discounted rewards.

From my Loyalty Traveler analysis I see good potential value in Voila Hotel Rewards for members in Europe and other global regions where most of the hotels are located. Voila just recently signed its first two hotels in the U.S.

While you may not be able to earn points in time for this month’s discounted rewards, I see good potential for high value in Voila Hotel Rewards points in the future.

Related post: Loyalty Traveler review of Voila Hotel Rewards (Jan 11, 2011)

Stay tuned next week when I will post a special offer from Stash Hotel Rewards, a U.S. based  hotel loyalty program that is rapidly expanding its network of independent and boutique hotel members across the U.S.

Voila Hotel Rewards started in 2008 as a loyalty program for independent hotels around the world. Today the program announced the addition of its first two US properties with St. Giles New York hotels The Court and The Tuscany. These two hotels were formerly Starwood W Hotels until April 2010.

 

Loyalty Traveler surveyed the Voila Rewards hotel loyalty program.

Voila Hotel Rewards overview

Voila Hotel Rewards is affiliated with about 200 hotels in 12 brands. Almost 50% of the hotels, 114 hotels, are in Spain and part of the Barcelona-based Husa Hotels brand. 

Voila Rewards profile states “the world’s number one loyalty program that unites a network of more than 250 four- and five-star independent hotels and luxury brands.” However, my tally below shows only 177 hotels listed on the vhr.com website. Some of the discrepancy appears to be with the number of hotels listed for a chain like Husa with 145 properties, but only 114 listed on the Voila website. 

The two New York properties are not listed on the Voila Rewards website yet and I found no reference to Voila Rewards on the St. Giles New York website either. Today’s press release for the Voila Rewards -St. Giles New York partnership appears to precede any website updates. 

There is also a message on a FlyerTalk post from Voila Rewards stating 10 new hotels in Brazil and 10 hotels in Thailand will be participating in the Voila Hotel Rewards program over the next two months.

Voila Rewards Hotel Brands

• Husa Hoteles (Spain) – 114 hotels
• Swiss-Belhotel – 25 hotels (primarily Indonesia with other hotels in Oman, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, China and Australia.)
• Continental Hotels (Romania) – 9 hotels
• The Dragon Hotel (Hangzhou, China) – 1 hotel
• Kayumanis (Bali, Indonesia) – 4 hotels
• Katerina Hotels (Moscow, Russia) – 2 hotels
• Nevsky Hotels (St. Petersburg, Russia) – 1 hotel
• Coral Hotels (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Syria) – 8 hotels
• Great Hotels Rewards (Seoul, Korea and Reykjavik, Iceland) – 2 hotels
• Lucerna (Mexico) – 5 hotels
• Charming Hotels (Portugal) – 4 hotels
• St. Giles New York (NY, USA) – 2 hotels (The Court and The Tuscany)

 

Voila Rewards Enrollment Bonus 1,000 points

Voila Rewards currently has a membership enrollment bonus offer of 1,000 points.

 

Earning Voila Rewards Points

Voila Rewards is set up in a traditional loyalty program format for earning points. The program offers bonus points promotions and elite member levels. Eligible bookings consist of reservations made through Voila Rewards site, Voila Rewards participating hotels’ websites or directly with the hotel.

Voila Rewards uses 10 base points earned per US$1 in hotel spend. This is interesting that a predominantly foreign hotels loyalty program uses the US$1 for its earning standard.

The unknown aspect from my analysis viewpoint is the currency exchange consumer fairness at hotels calculating US dollars from Euros or Indonesia Rupiahs or China Yuan. Hotels are not generally known for consumer friendly exchange rates.

I guess the positive aspect of this is the US dollar exchange rate means hotels paid in foreign currencies converted to US dollars earn more points as the room rate rises in US dollars compared to other currencies with the currency market fluctuation trend of the past two years.

 

Voila Rewards Membership Levels

Phoenix members are entry level with 0 to 9 nights in a calendar year.

• Earn 10 Voila Rewards points per US$1
• Make online reservations for all Voila properties.
• Purchase points
• Transfer points to family member
• Complimentary weekday newspaper
• Exclusive members-only offers

Orion membership = 10 nights in a consecutive 12-month period. This means the Voila Rewards program does not work on a calendar year for earning elite status.  The norm for the majority hotel loyalty programs is calendar year. Orion members earn 25% bonus points or 12.5 points per US$1.

In addition to benefits mentioned above, Orion members receive:

• Earn 25% elite bonus points
• 11am check-in and 4:00pm check-out
• One category room upgrade
• Complimentary fitness center access 

Centaurus membership = 20 nights in a consecutive 12-month period. Centaurus members receive 50% elite bonus points or 15 points per US$1.

In addition to benefits mentioned above, Centaurus members receive:

• Earn 50% elite bonus points
• No black-out dates for rewards
• 24-hour guaranteed room availability
• Special welcome amenity
• Complimentary access to Executive Lounge (select hotels)

Redeeming Voila Points

The points redemption side is where Voila Rewards differs from most U.S. based hotel loyalty programs. Voila points have a fixed value range of $6.67 to $10.00 per 1,000 points.

• 5,000 VOILÀ Points for any room reward redemption $49 and below
• 7,500 VOILÀ Points for any room reward redemption $50 – $74

• 10,000 VOILÀ Points for any room reward redemption $75 – $99

• 15,000 VOILÀ Points for any room reward redemption $100 – $149
• 20,000 VOILÀ Points for any room reward redemption $150 – $199
• 25,000 VOILÀ Points for any room reward redemption $200 – $249
• 30,000 VOILÀ Points for any room reward redemption $250 – $299
• 35,000 VOILÀ Points for any room reward redemption $300 – $349
• 40,000 VOILÀ Points for any room reward redemption $350 – $399
• 50,000 VOILÀ Points for any room reward redemption $400 – $499
• 60,000 VOILÀ Points for any room reward redemption $500 – $599
• 70,000 VOILÀ Points for any room reward redemption $600 – $699
• 85,000 VOILÀ Points for any room reward redemption $700 – $849
• 100,000 VOILÀ Points for any room reward redemption $850 – $999
• 125,000 VOILÀ Points for any room reward redemption $1,000 – $1,249
• 150,000 VOILÀ Points for any room reward redemption $1,250 – $1,499
• 175,000 VOILÀ Points for any room reward redemption $1,500 – $1,749
• 200,000 VOILÀ Points for any room reward redemption $1,750 – $1,999
• 250,000 VOILÀ Points for any room reward redemption $2,000 and above  

The limiting issue with Voila Rewards is the fixed rate for redemption. Compare Voila Rewards to Marriott with 10 points per $1 in hotel spend. Marriott Category 4 hotel reward at 20,000 points is earned at same rate as Voila Rewards 20,000 points redeemable for $150 to $199 hotel room. This is a redemption value of $7.50 to $9.95 per 1,000 points.

The difference between Marriott Rewards redemptions and Voila Rewards means I can’t ever get more than $10.00 per 1,000 Voila points, whereas I might be able to spend 30,000 Marriott Rewards points for a $400 Ritz-Carlton hotel room night for a redemption value of $13.33/1000 points. I can’t get more than a $299 room night with Voila Rewards with 30,000 points.

Bottom line is 6.67% to 9.95% return on points is a decent redemption value comparable to most hotel loyalty programs and even better than some major programs when points are used for hotel stays

 

Voila Rewards Earning Equations Promotion

Promotions are the only aspect of Voila Rewards where there is currently any leverage opportunity for the frequent guest to improve the rebate value on hotel spend.

Voila Rewards offers a fixed rate of 10 points per US$1 in hotel spend at member hotels.

Earning Equations is the current Voila Rewards promotion from Nov 15, 2010 through February 15, 2011.

• 2x points for 1-9 nights
• 3x points for 10+ nights
• 4x points for 10+ nights and two different hotel brands

Earning Equations Promotion registration required.

Spain is an obvious place for taking advantage of this promotion with numerous hotels across the country in the Husa Hoteles brand. Assume 12 nights at US$70 average room rate.

$840 x 30 points/$1 = 25,200 Voila Rewards points. 12 nights also earns Orion membership and a 25% elite bonus on last three nights for another 525 points. [LT note: I assume 3x points applies retroactively to all hotel nights, but I did not locate fine print terms and conditions for this promotion offer.]

25,000 points is worth $200 to $249 room credit. This is a rebate value of 23 to 30% on $840 in hotel spend at low cost hotels for a redemption credit good for an upper upscale hotel night.

Design a Loyalty Promotion for Voila Rewards and win 25,000 points and top elite status

Voila Rewards was sighted on my Loyalty Traveler radar this past week prior to the press announcement of the partnership with the St. Giles two New York properties.  A post by FlyerTalk new member MD VOILA Hotel Rewards requested input from the FlyerTalk community to help design Voila Rewards next monthly global promotion.

Check out the FlyerTalk thread and send an email to Voila Rewards describing your dream promotion. If your idea is selected you will be credited with 25,000 points ($249 value) and Centaurus elite membership.

 

Loyalty Traveler Final Notes on Voila Rewards:

The addition of St. Giles New York The Court and The Tuscany properties to Voila Rewards is a major foothold in the USA. Voila Rewards is a program best suited for travelers in Spain, Romania, Russia, Indonesia including Bali and the Middle East and a few other select locations. A well-organized loyalty program structure and continued growth in partner hotels make this a program to consider if your travels take you to Spain, Indonesia or Romania where your options might be limited with other major hotel loyalty programs. The earn and burn rate for Voila Rewards hotels is a decent rebate with loyalty points.

All this analysis is solely based on the program structure. Anecdotal evidence on hotel benefits from Voila Rewards members is needed to make a better evaluation of the program from the service level aspect.

Voila Rewards expansion in the USA faces competition from Stash Hotel Rewards, another independent hotels loyalty start-up  growing its partner hotels in the USA. Loyalty Traveler will follow up soon with a profile of Stash Hotel Rewards that I see just landed a couple of nice properties in Monterey for its loyalty program.