This piece focuses on room rate and reward rate survey for over 60 hotels along the I-15 and I-70 route from Las Vegas to Colorado. Most hotel reward analyses and surveys I have done focus on one city. In Utah there are so few hotels that this survey covers all the major brand hotels along the Interstate in five locations.

I will be traveling east and south of the Utah interstate I-15/I-70 route to Colorado as I travel to Utah’s National Parks over the next week. Hotels in the parks region will be covered in different posts as I travel.

This piece is a comparative look at seven major hotel chains with particular emphasis on Best Western, Choice and Wyndham brands which are the majority of hotel properties in southern Utah.

• Best Western Rewards
• Choice Privileges
• Club Carlson
• Hilton HHonors
• IHG Rewards Club
• Marriott Rewards
• Wyndham Rewards

Utah is not like Disneyland.

Read More…

An interesting graphic I came across shows the number of hotels in the U.S. by the seven largest U.S. hotel chains.

U.S. Hotels domestic supply among major U.S. Hotel Chains

• Hilton Worldwide: 3,382 hotels; 506,455 rooms.
• Marriott International: 3,110 hotels; 501,070 rooms.
• Wyndham Worldwide: 5,815 hotels; 451,755 rooms.
• Choice International: 5,081 hotels; 385,827 rooms.
• Starwood Hotels & Resorts: 495 hotels; 152,693 rooms.
• Hyatt Hotels Corporation: 354 hotels; 91,590 rooms. 
• Carlson Rezidor Hotels: 549 hotels; 59,742 rooms.

Source: STR 12-31-2012 year end data.

I’m not sure why Best Western is missing from the list?

• Best Western International: 2,165 hotels (North America); 178,518 rooms (North America). Source: Best Western. What is impressive about Best Western is 1,312 hotels in Europe.

IHG is a UK based company, although, the majority of properties are located in the USA.

• InterContinental Hotels Group: 3,555 hotels; 449,617 rooms (North and South America and Caribbean). Source: IHG Fact Sheets. IHG has 628 hotels in Europe.

Starwood and Carlson have the highest proportion of hotels outside the USA among these chains. There are roughly 500 to 600 hotels outside the USA for Hilton, Marriott, Starwood and Carlson-Rezidor. 

The high number of hotels outside the USA is one of the features I most enjoy about Best Western Rewards. The Best Western chain can put you in many places the other hotel chains can’t. And for free with points stays.

And when you are in the U.S.A. there are nearly 25,000 hotels in just the top nine chains with global points-based hotel loyalty programs.

The Wyndham Championship Trivia Contest runs for the next 18 weeks until the Wyndham Championship PGA Tournament August 12-18, 2013 at Sedgefield Country Club, Greensboro North Carolina.

Wyndham Championship Facebook page has a sweepstakes for 25,000 points per week. Answer the weekly trivia question for a sweepstakes entry. Each week one winner will be selected for 25,000 points. One of the 18 weekly winners will be chosen to receive the one million points grand prize.

Additionally, upon submitting an answer to the weekly question, users will be presented with a 50 percent off promotion code to purchase tickets to the Wyndham Championship, hosted annually at the storied Sedgefield Country Club, and played on the legendary Donald Ross-designed course. The Wyndham Championship, one of the oldest events on the PGA TOUR, attracts some 80,000 spectators each year, and is the last stop for players to earn points before the start of the PGA TOUR playoffs and the race for the FedEx Cup.

Eligibility

The Wyndham Championship Trivia Contest Sweepstakes is open to all legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia, who are at least eighteen (18) years of age. Participants must “like” the official Wyndham Championship Facebook page in order to begin the Sweepstakes entry process. The 50 percent off promotion code is valid for two tickets only; users may purchase additional tickets, but only receive the discount on two tickets.

Additional information, including sweepstakes official rules, can be found at: http://www.facebook.com/wyndhamchamp.

A resource for finding answers to trivia questions is http://www.wyndhamchampionship.com/

Prize Winners:

One (1) Weekly Prize winner will be selected in each of eighteen (18) separate random drawings to be conducted on the following days: April 22, 2013; April 29, 2013; May 6, 2013; May 13, 2013; May 20, 2013; May 28, 2013; June 3, 2013; June 10, 2013; June 17, 2013; June 24, 2013; July 1, 2013; July 8, 2013; July 22, 2013; July 29, 2013; August 5, 2013; August 12, 2013; August 19, 2013. Each Weekly Prize random drawing will be conducted from among all eligible entries received through 11:59:59 p.m. ET of the day immediately preceding the date of each random drawing. For the avoidance of doubt, non-winning entries will be retained for subsequent Weekly Prize drawings.

One (1) Grand Prize winner will be selected in a random drawing to be conducted on or about Monday, August 26, 2013 from among the eighteen (18) Weekly Prize winners.

ARV of 1,000,000 Wyndham Rewards points = $5,000.

Wyndham Rewards values their points at $5.00 per 1,000 points.

April 2013 is a time of reassessment for many hotel loyalty program members. The sudden and dramatic changes to the structure of hotel rewards across five of the top ten global hotel loyalty programs in the first quarter of 2013 was an incredible amount of information to digest.

The changes in the opening months of 2013 comprise the biggest overall change in the hotel loyalty program industry over the past decade.  Read More…

Wyndham Rewards is the only major loyalty program that has not had elite tiers for members. Now Wyndham Rewards adds a Gold elite level for members who stay 20 nights in a calendar year in Wyndham Rewards numerous brands.

The only benefit advertised for Gold status are bonus points awarded upon reaching 20 eligible nights in a calendar year.

How does Gold Status work?

• After staying 20 qualifying* nights in a calendar year, you’ll achieve Gold Status and automatically be rewarded with Gold Status Points that can solely be redeemed for a free night.
• The amount of Gold Status Points you have depends on the average amount you spent over the course of your 20 qualified nights.

Average spend per 20 nights

Gold Status     Points earned

$100 or less           6,000

$100.01 – $150      10,000

$150.01+              20,000

• You will earn an additional Gold Status Point bonus for every 20 qualifying nights, up to 3 bonuses in a calendar year.
• Your Gold Status will last for the remainder of the calendar year in which you achieved status as well as the following calendar year.
• You will continue to earn your regular Rewards points on every qualifying night you stay. Again, your Gold Status Points may only be redeemed for a free night; however, your regular Rewards points can be redeemed for free nights, gift cards, merchandise & more.

Read More…

I disagree with Gary Leff at View from the Wing calling the Wyndham Rewards category changes a ‘bloodbath’ devaluation of points on March 14.  For most  Wyndham Rewards members used to redeeming points for hotels in the U.S., the changes will mostly be no big deal.

The changes are more severe for Canada and international hotels where hundreds of hotels will rise by 50% or more in points cost, but the vast majority of Wyndham Rewards 7,000+ hotels are located in the USA and these Ramada, Days Inn, Howard Johnson, Super 8, Microtel, Travelodge and other brand hotels in the states do not look like that many will increase in points cost for award nights.

Wyndham Rewards posted in the comments section on View from the Wing and Loyalty Traveler to share their posting of pdf files showing the hotels increasing and decreasing in award tier on March 14.

Wyndham Rewards pdf for hotels increasing award tier.

Wyndham Rewards pdf for hotels decreasing award tier.

Their word choice could have been better.

View a list of properties with increasing point levels or decreasing point levels right here!

Looking over the pdf files reveals that most hotel awards for U.S. properties are only increasing or decreasing in award tier with the shift from seven categories introduced in mid-2012 to eight categories in effect march 14, 2013. The amount of points for most hotels is actually not increasing or decreasing.

Wyndham Rewards is not doing itself a favor by saying thousands of hotels are increasing points level when the points required for an award night are not changing with the new tier system March 14.

Despite the Wyndham Rewards pdf showing thousands of hotels increasing in award tier, the impact is nil for many of these hotels.

Tier 2 to Tier 3 = 10,000 points for hotel award night (no points increase).

Tier 3 to Tier 4 = 14,000 points for hotel award night (no points increase).

Tier 4 to Tier 5 = 16,000 points for hotel award night (no points increase).

Read More…

Wyndham Rewards seems to not have thought through its restructured seven tier award categories last month. The program now plans to change to eight award tiers March 14 in what looks to be a global realignment of hotel awards.

Free Nights Just Got Faster

Get a free night faster than ever before. Starting March 14, 2013, we are introducing our lowest point level ever and lowering other tiers so you can experience a free night faster!

• Our lowest tier is decreasing from 6,000 to 5,500 points!
• We are adding a new 8,000 point tier between 5,500 and 10,000 points so you can stay at hotels for FREE more quickly
• Our highest point tier will be 30,000 points. The 35,000 and 45,000 point tiers are being eliminated.
• Properties within the current point level may move into different point levels. This means that point levels for individual hotels may increase or decrease beginning March 14. You’ll be able to see the new point levels on March 14.*

Wyndham Rewards

• Tier 1 = 5,500 points
• Tier 2 = 8,000 points
• Tier 3 = 10,000 points
• Tier 4 = 14,000 points
• Tier 5 = 16,000 points
• Tier 6 = 20,000 points
• Tier 7 = 25,000 points
• Tier 8 = 30,000 points

Read More…

Wyndham Rewards has the best basic points-to-miles exchange of any hotel loyalty program. During the month of February Wyndham Rewards will add 25% more points when buying points at $11 per 1,000 points. This means $22 buys 2,500 points. Wyndham Rewards points-to-miles exchange rate for most airline partners is equivalent to 2,500 points = 1,000 airline miles.

• Wyndham Rewards members can normally buy 40,000 points in a calendar year.
• Wyndham Rewards points sell for $11 per 1,000 points.
• Wyndham Rewards offers 25% bonus forpoints purchases in February 2013.
• In February 2013 a Wyndham Rewards member can buy 50,000 points.
• 50,000 Wyndham Rewards points converts to 20,000 airline miles in most airline partner programs.
• Spend $440 for 50,000 Wyndham Rewards points and exchange into 20,000 frequent flyer miles.
• Note: Most points-to-miles transfers are only available at 8,000 points = 3,200 miles; 17,500 points = 7,000 miles; 30,000 points = 12,000 miles.
• You will only be able to transfer 49,500 points for 19,800 miles (8,000 points x 4 = 12,800 miles  + 17,500 points = 7,000 miles for 19,800 miles in most programs) 48,000 points for 19,200 miles,  if you have no other points in your account. [Thanks to Archon1995 comment showing better algebra solution to maximize points-to-miles transfers.]  Read More…

February 2013 has hotel loyalty program members wondering where the good promotions are this year. Hyatt Gold Passport has kept members low and dry so far. Award cost increases to SPG Cash & Points and Priority Club reassignment raising hundreds of hotels in popular destinations by 40% leaves a foreboding mood for the typical hotel award reassignments coming in 2013 for SPG and Marriott hotels globally.

Good news is Club Carlson has a triple points promotion and Best Western Rewards offers its US and Canada members one free night after three stays.

Wyndham Rewards offers 25% bonus points for purchases in the month of February 2013. $440 = 50,000 Wyndham Rewards points = 20,000 miles in several airline programs. Read More…

A trip to Chicago in a few weeks had me looking at hotel rooms. When I checked Hyatt’s site I was surprised to see Hyatt Chicago Magnificent Mile listed. I was not aware of this hotel before, but a $105 midweek rate certainly grabbed my attention. After a little investigation I learned the hotel was rebranded recently from Wyndham Chicago after an $88.4 million dollar purchase May 2012. The 417-room hotel started a $25 million renovation January 1, 2013 and is taking guests during the remodel period. The renovation is expected to be complete in May 2013.

Those money moguls from Blackstone Group scored another valuable property transaction, buying the Wyndham hotel property in 2010 in a distressed sale and flipping it to Sunstone Hotel Investors at double the 2010 assessment for the Chicago hotel property. Read More…