IHG Priority Club added new reward tiers to its points redemption chart on January 18, 2012. Annoying from the consumer point of view is Priority Club’s decision to withhold publishing a list of some 2,000 hotel reward cost changes with the new tier adoption. I have made an initial analysis of changes to 168 InterContinental Hotels worldwide based on the work posted on a UK website by CaoChong with the former tier level of InterContinental Hotels and the work posted on LoyaltyLobby.com yesterday regarding the changes to reward tiers. I encourage you to check out the InterContinental Hotels data tables on LoyaltyLobby.com to see the data displayed in a different graphic form than provided in my post.

Here are observations I made concerning the changes to InterContinental Hotel reward tiers.

InterContinental Hotels in the USA (25 hotels in 50 states and Puerto Rico).

• None of the 8 InterContinental Hotels formerly at 30,000 points increased tier. They are still 30,000 points. Atlanta Buckhead is the only hotel in the USA to decrease from 40,000 to 30,000 points tier.
• In contrast, 7 of 17 hotels in USA and Puerto Rico increased from 40,000 points to 50,000 points. This means 41% of the hotels in the USA that were 40,000 points per night increase 25% in reward night cost. Austin, Boston, Chicago, New York (2 hotels), Scottsdale, Arizona and San Juan Puerto Rico are now in top tier.
• In total 1 of 25 (4%) InterContinental Hotels in the USA decreased by 25% and 7 of 25 (28%) InterContinental Hotels increased 25% in reward cost for US properties.

Read More…

Hyatt Gold Passport offers 10% to 30% bonus points on points purchases from January 18 through March 15, 2012. The normal purchase rate of $24 per 1,000 points is charged, but the bonus points reduce the net cost. There is a calendar year limit of 40,000 points as the maximum purchase, yet this offer allows members to buy as many as 52,000 points for 2012.

• 1,000 – 9,000 points = 10% bonus points; reducing rate from $24/1,000 points to $21.82 per 1,000 points.
• 10,000 to 29,000 points = 20% bonus points; reducing rate to $20 per 1,000 points.
• 30,000 to 40,000 points = 30% bonus points; reducing rate to $18.46 per 1,000 points.
• Points must be purchased in increments of 1,000 points.
• Maximum annual purchase for Hyatt Gold Passport points is normally 40,000 points and this sale offer allows members to buy up to 52,000 points in 2012.

This is a good opportunity to load up on Hyatt Gold Passport points if you have specific plans for using the points in 2012. I could show you loads of hotels where this is a great deal compared to the published rate, but suffice to say this can be a route to discounted hotel rooms. DealsWeLike blog showed a couple of examples where buying points saves major cash outlay at a couple of resort hotels.

Assume you purchase 52,000 points for $960. Here is the table to showing room rate to reward rate equivalent after buying points at $18.46 per 1,000 points.

Hyatt Gold Passport Reward Nights  (Hyatt link to free night rewards)

• Category 1 hotels at 5,000 points = $92.30
• Category 2 hotels at 8,000 points = $147.68
• Category 3 hotels at 12,000 points = $221.52
• Category 4 hotels at 15,000 points = $276.90
• Category 5 hotels at 18,000 points = $332.28
• Category 6 hotels at 22,000 points = $406.12

This table shows the cost or reward nights at each hotel reward level when buying points with the 30% bonus. If the published rate after tax is more than the rate shown here, then the points option is cheaper. Keep in mind though that a Hyatt reward stay does not earn points or elite credit and for Diamond members, confirmed suite upgrades are not applicable to reward stays.

Buy and Transfer Points for Bigger Hotel Rewards is the column I wrote for InsideFlyer January 2012 issue showing the rules for buying and transferring points across the major hotel loyalty programs. The piece shares some strategies and opportunities available to members who may want to buy points for a hotel reward as a cheaper alternative to the published room rates.

One of the features of Hyatt Gold Passport is the free transfer of points between any two members to reach the level needed for a reward stay redemption. This gives a couple the opportunity to purchase and combine 104,000 points with this current Hyatt Gold Passport promotion.

You may only have as few as 6,000 points in your account today and tomorrow you could have 110,000 points after combining points with another member (spouse, parent, traveling companion). Five nights at a Category 6 Hyatt Hotel for $1,920 in points purchases can potentially be a huge discount at some Hyatt Resorts and aspirational properties.

This week’s Starwood Starpicks seem to have more than the usual number of hotels and a fine selection of properties. There are dates over the next six weeks available for booking. As always, check Starpicks rates with other available rates since these are not always the lowest rates around. Starpicks are prepaid at time of booking and nonrefundable rates.

Argentina

Mendoza – Sheraton Mendoza  Hotel

Salta – Sheraton Salta Hotel

Nassau – Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort & Casino

Belgium

Brussels – Four Points by Sheraton Brussels

Brussels – Le Méridien Brussels

Brussels – Sheraton Brussels Airport Hotel

Brussels – Sheraton Brussels Hotel

Canada

Alberta

Calgary – Four Points by Sheraton Calgary Airport

Edmonton – The Westin Edmonton

British Columbia

Richmond – Four Points by Sheraton Vancouver Airport

Richmond – Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel

Richmond – The Westin Wall Centre, Vancouver Airport

Surrey – Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel

Vancouver – Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre

Vancouver – The Westin Bayshore, Vancouver

Vancouver – The Westin Grand, Vancouver

Victoria – Four Points by Sheraton Victoria Gateway

Victoria – The Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa, Victoria

Manitoba

Winnipeg – Four Points by Sheraton Winnipeg South

Nova Scotia

Halifax – Four Points by Sheraton Halifax

Ontario

Toronto – Four Points by Sheraton Toronto Lakeshore

Toronto – Le Méridien King Edward

Quebec

Montreal – Le Centre Sheraton Montreal Hotel

Montreal – W Montréal

France

Roissy – Sheraton Paris Airport Hotel & Conference Centre

Germany

Frankfurt – Le Méridien Parkhotel Frankfurt

Frankfurt – Sheraton Frankfurt Congress Hotel

Frankfurt – The Westin Grand Frankfurt

Hamburg – Le Royal Méridien Hamburg

Ireland

Dublin – The Westin Dublin

Japan

Osaka

Osaka – The St. Regis Osaka

Malta

St. Julians – The Westin Dragonara Resort, Malta

Morocco

Marrakech – Le Méridien N’Fis

Netherlands

Amsterdam – Hotel Pulitzer, Amsterdam

Amsterdam – Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel and Conference Center

The Hague – Hotel Des Indes, The Hague

Portugal

Portimão – Le Méridien Penina Golf & Resort

Seychelles

Mahé – Le Méridien Barbarons

Mahé – Le Méridien Fisherman’s Cove

South Korea

Seoul – Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel

Thailand

Bangkok – Le Méridien Bangkok

United Kingdom

England

Hayes – Sheraton Skyline Hotel London Heathrow

London – The Park Lane Hotel, London

London – W London – Leicester Square

Scotland

Edinburgh – Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, Edinburgh

United States

Alabama

Homewood – Aloft Birmingham Soho Square

Alaska

Anchorage – Sheraton Anchorage Hotel & Spa

Arizona

Phoenix – Aloft Phoenix-Airport

Scottsdale – The Westin Kierland Villas, Scottsdale

Scottsdale – W Scottsdale

California

Carlsbad – Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa

Culver City – Four Points by Sheraton Los Angeles Westside

Hollywood – W Hollywood

Los Angeles – Four Points by Sheraton Los Angeles International Airport

Los Angeles – W Los Angeles – Westwood

Mammoth Lakes – The Westin Monache Resort, Mammoth

Pleasanton – Four Points by Sheraton Pleasanton

Rancho Cucamonga – Aloft Ontario-Rancho Cucamonga

Rancho Cucamonga – Four Points by Sheraton Ontario-Rancho Cucamonga

Sacramento – Four Points by Sheraton Sacramento International Airport

San Diego – Sheraton Mission Valley San Diego Hotel

San Diego – Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina

San Diego – The Westin Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego

San Diego – W San Diego

San Francisco – Sheraton Fisherman’s Wharf Hotel

San Francisco – The Westin San Francisco Market Street

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

San Rafael – Four Points by Sheraton San Rafael

Colorado

Aurora – Aloft Denver International Airport

Delaware

Wilmington – Sheraton Suites Wilmington

Florida

Clearwater Beach – Sheraton Sand Key Resort

Fort Walton Beach – Four Points by Sheraton Destin-Fort Walton Beach

Hollywood – The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa, Hollywood, Florida

Jacksonville – Aloft Jacksonville Airport

Orlando – Sheraton Safari Hotel & Suites Lake Buena Vista

Orlando – Sheraton Vistana Resort Villas, Lake BuenaVista/Orlando

Orlando – Sheraton Vistana Villages Resort Villas, I-Drive/Orlando

Georgia

Atlanta – Sheraton Gateway Hotel Atlanta Airport

Atlanta – W Atlanta – Buckhead

Illinois

Chicago – The Westin Michigan Avenue Chicago

Indiana

Indianapolis – The Westin Indianapolis

Kansas

Leawood – Aloft Leawood-Overland Park

Maryland

Annapolis – Sheraton Annapolis Hotel

Beltsville – Sheraton Washington North Hotel

National Harbor – Aloft Washington National Harbor

Massachusetts

Springfield – Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place Hotel

Minnesota

Minneapolis – Aloft Minneapolis

Minneapolis – Le Méridien Chambers Minneapolis

Minnetonka – Sheraton Minneapolis West Hotel

Richfield – Four Points by Sheraton Minneapolis Airport

Missouri

St. Louis – Sheraton St. Louis City Center Hotel & Suites

New Hampshire

Manchester – Four Points by Sheraton Manchester Airport

New Jersey

Ewing – Element Ewing Princeton

Jersey City – The Westin Jersey City Newport

Princeton – The Westin Princeton at Forrestal Village

New Mexico

Albuquerque – Sheraton Albuquerque Airport Hotel

New York

Brooklyn – Aloft New York Brooklyn

Brooklyn – Sheraton Brooklyn New York Hotel

Hauppauge – Sheraton Long Island Hotel

Jamaica – Sheraton JFK Airport Hotel

New York – The Chatwal, New York City

New York – The Manhattan at Times Square Hotel

New York – The Westin New York at Times Square

New York – W New York – Downtown

Tarrytown – Sheraton Tarrytown Hotel

North Carolina

Chapel Hill – Aloft Chapel Hill

Durham – Four Points by Sheraton Durham at Southpoint

Durham – Sheraton Imperial Hotel & Convention Center

Ohio

Columbus – Sheraton Columbus Hotel at Capitol Square

Cuyahoga Falls – Sheraton Suites Akron/Cuyahoga Falls

Oregon

Portland – Four Points by Sheraton Portland East

Portland – Sheraton Portland  Airport Hotel

Pennsylvania

Allentown – Four Points by  Sheraton Hotel & Suites Allentown Airport

Chambersburg – Four Points by  Sheraton Chambersburg

Langhorne – Sheraton Bucks County Hotel

Marshalls Creek – Pocono Palace Resort

Philadelphia – The Westin Philadelphia

Pittsburgh – The Westin Convention Center, Pittsburgh

Puerto Rico

San Juan – Sheraton Old San Juan Hotel & Casino

Rhode Island

Providence – The Westin Providence

Warwick – Sheraton Providence Airport Hotel

South Carolina

North Charleston – Sheraton Charleston Airport Hotel

Texas

Austin – Aloft Austin at The Domain

Frisco – Sheraton Stonebriar Hotel

Irving – Element Dallas Fort Worth Airport North

San Antonio – Four Points by Sheraton San Antonio Airport

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

San Antonio – Four Points by Sheraton San Antonio Northwest

Virginia

Alexandria – Sheraton Suites Old  Town Alexandria

Roanoke – Sheraton Roanoke Hotel & Conference Center

Winchester – Aloft Winchester

Washington

Bellevue – The Westin Bellevue

Seattle – Four Points by Sheraton Downtown Seattle Center

Seattle – Sheraton Seattle  Hotel

Seattle – W Seattle

Wisconsin

Brookfield – Sheraton Milwaukee Brookfield Hotel

PriorityClubRepresentative posted the official link for the Priority Club Double Points or Double Miles promotion from January 23-April 30, 2012. The promotion code 6673 is a different code than originally published in my January 13 Loyalty Traveler post.  I registered last week using the 2837 code and the new promotion registration page comes back with the message I am already registered for the offer.

The other piece of official news from the FlyerTalk thread is PriorityClubRepresentative states the X stays, for Y points promotion is stackable with this double points or double miles promotion.

Priority Club Double Points or Double Miles (Code 6673 registration page)

• Begins with second eligible IHG brand stay at any Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, InterContinental Hotels and Hotel Indigo, except for Candlewood Suites and Staybridge Suites earn double points or double miles beginning with first stay.
• No retroactive credit for hotel stays prior to promotion registration date.
• Promotion earns 20 points per dollar at Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, InterContinental Hotels and Hotel Indigo.
• InterContinental Hotels will change earning rate during this promotion when IC hotels in North America, Caribbean and Latin America (about 50 hotels) begin earning 10 points per dollar on February 15, 2012. All other InterContinental Hotels worldwide (about 120 hotels) will maintain earning rate of 2,000 points per stay regardless of hotel spend. Double points will be either 4,000 points per stay or 20 points per dollar depending on date of stay and location.
• Staybridge and Candlewood brands earn 10 points per dollar with double points.
• Link to standard earn rates for IHG brands.

Earning Double Miles with Priority Club

Priority Club has over 40 airline partners for earning miles. There are many earning structures depending on airline and hotel brand. The miles earning rates are shown here.

The US-based airlines of Alaska, American, Delta, United and US Airways earn miles at these rates:

• 2 miles per $1 spend at Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Hotel Indigo and beginning February 15, 2012 at InterContinental Hotels in North America, Caribbean and Latin America. Double miles = 4 miles/$1.
• 1 mile per $1 spend at Candlewood Suites and Staybridge Suites. Double miles = 2 miles/$1.
• 500 miles per stay at InterContinental Hotels. Double miles = 1,000 miles/stay for all InterContinental Hotels worldwide prior to February 15, 2012. InterContinental Hotels in North America, Caribbean and Central America change to 2 miles/$1 February 15, 2012. There will be no change in miles earning rate for InterContinental Hotels in other regions.

Priority Club Double Points is stackable with quarterly stay bonus points offer.

*** InterContinental Hotels Group Priority Club Rewards – Priority Club members may register for one of the quarterly stay promotions running January 1-March 31, 2012. You can only register for one offer so pick the target you are most likely to reach. Stay 3 nights = 5,000 bonus points. Stay 7 nights = 10,000 bonus points. Stay 15 nights = 15,000 bonus points.

Elite status is the primary way to earn more points and benefits from hotel loyalty programs. Elite members earn 10% to 50% more bonus points per dollar in hotel spend. High elite status brings many additional benefits with hotel stays including complimentary breakfast, free room upgrades, welcome gifts and free internet.

Hilton HHonors and Marriott Rewards have a high bar for reaching top elite status. Most frequent guest travelers will only spend sufficient nights in a hotel to earn either Hilton HHonors Diamond (28 stays or 60 nights) or Marriott Rewards Platinum (75 nights).

Elite Membership Tiers

Marriott Rewards (Marriott Rewards membership levels link)

• Silver = 10 nights (20% elite bonus points).
• Gold = 50 nights (25% elite bonus points).
• Platinum = 75 nights (50% elite bonus points).
• Marriott offers elite rollover nights for 2012 hotel stays to make 2013 qualification easier.

Hilton HHonors (HHonors membership levels link)

• Silver = 4 stays or 10 nights (15% elite bonus points).
• Gold = 16 stays or 36 nights or earn 60,000 base points in a calendar year (25% elite bonus points).
• Diamond = 28 stays or 60 nights or earn 100,000 base points in a calendar year (50% elite bonus points).
• Award stays and nights count for elite credit. “The number of Reward Stays and the number of nights during a Reward Stay will count towards the number of stays and/or nights required for Elite tier qualification.” – HHonors T&C.
• 60,000 and 100,000 base points are equivalent to $6,000 and $10,000 in hotel spend at 10 base points/$1.

InterContinental Hotels Group Priority Club Rewards (Priority Club membership levels link)

• Gold = 15 nights or purchase for $50 or earn 20,000 qualifying points in a calendar year (10% elite bonus points).
• Platinum = 50 nights or earn 60,000 qualifying points in a calendar year (50% elite bonus points).
• InterContinental Ambassador = $200 membership fee or32,000 Priority Club points. InterContinental Ambassador benefits apply only to stays at InterContinental Hotels.(Ambassador FAQ)
• InterContinental Royal Ambassador = by invitation only for select Ambassador members (top 1%) based on factors of total number of nights stayed and revenue. Unpublished qualification criteria estimated to be around 60 hotel nights in IHG properties with stays in several InterContinental Hotels.  FlyerTalk has a thread where members attempt to determine the criteria for Royal Ambassador membership.

Elite Qualification Routes Compared

There are differences in the way each hotel loyalty program qualifies elite members. This post will compare the routes to elite membership in Hilton HHonors, IHG Priority Club and Marriott Rewards. The specific benefits an elite member receives at different membership levels in each hotel program will be discussed in separate Loyalty Traveler posts.

Priority Club Elite

Priority Club is one of the easiest hotel loyalty programs to qualify for high elite Platinum status despite showing the qualification level as 50 nights. And these are 50 paid nights not counting reward stays using points or Points & Cash stays. Only Hilton HHonors, Starwood Preferred Guest and Choice Privileges credit reward stays for annual elite tier qualification.

60,000 qualifying Priority Club points is an easy to reach threshold for guests staying far fewer than 50 nights in a calendar year at IHG hotels. Priority Club counts almost any point earned in your account as an elite qualifying point. About the only Priority Club points that do not count as elite qualifying are points purchased for Points & Cash stays when paying $40 for 5,000 points or $60 for 10,000 points as part of a Points & Cash reward booking. Qualifying points include base points and bonus points earned from hotel stays, bonus points earned from promotions and points earned from partner activities.

Example of earning 60,000 points for Priority Club Platinum elite membership

• Purchase 20,000 Priority Club points for $230 = 20,000 points.
• Hotel stays = 20 nights at Holiday Inn and HI Express @$100/night rate = 20,000 base points.
• Priority Club Double Points Promotion (Jan 23-Apr 30, 2012)  = 20,000 bonus points.
• Gold elite 10% bonus points = 5 nights at $100/night rate = 500 points.
• Total = 60,500 qualifying Priority Club points with 20 hotel nights to earn Platinum elite.

These two activities of buying points and hotel stays during the Priority Club Double Points promotion qualify the Priority Club member for Platinum elite after only 20 hotel nights rather than 50 nights. This is just one example of how easy it is to reach Priority Club Platinum and start earning 50% bonus points.

InterContinental Ambassador lets you buy your way to elite

InterContinental Ambassador is a $200 initial membership ($100 renewal) annually paid program if you are looking for complimentary luxury hotel benefits to supplement those $300 per night stays at InterContinental Hotels. There are many InterContinental Hotels with rates below $150 night many nights of the year, yet there are other IC properties where $300 per night would be quite a discount rate at any time of the year.

InterContinental Royal Ambassador members receive a certificate in their membership packet to gift membership to one other.

 

Marriott Rewards Elite

Marriott Rewards is consistently voted the best hotel loyalty program in business surveys and even the Freddie Awards in recent years. Marriott Rewards has maintained the toughest elite qualification criteria of any major hotel loyalty program for many years. Mid-tier Gold elite at 50 nights and high-tier Platinum elite at 75 nights far exceed other programs. Hilton, Starwood and Hyatt have hotel stays as an alternative route to elite membership. Stays are a far more favorable qualification route for guests who typically stay one night at a time.

Hilton HHonors Diamond requires 60 nights and Marriott Rewards at 75 nights is 25% more nights than HHonors.  And HHonors counts hotel nights on rewards.

Hilton HHonors takes only 28 stays for HHonors Diamond elite as a different elite qualification route. This means a member can earn HHonors Diamond elite with as few as 28 one-night stays and some of those stays can even be reward stays using points.

Marriott Rewards Elite Rollover Nights is a competitive edge

Elite Rollover Nights appeared in 2009 when the hotel industry was severely impacted by a sudden cutback in global travel.  Marriott Rewards did not alter its stringent elite qualification criteria, but instead lowered the elite qualification threshold in one way, while providing incentive to continue staying with Marriott even after attaining elite status for the calendar year.

Elite Rollover Nights carry any nights in excess of the elite level for the current year to the next calendar year. In 2012 a member who stays 33 nights in Marriott brand hotels earns Silver elite for 2013 after 10 nights, but fails to reach 50 nights for Gold elite. This member starts 2013 as Silver elite and the 23 nights stayed in 2012 above the Silver elite qualification level rollover to 2013 elite qualifying nights. The member starts 2013 with 23 elite qualifying nights and only needs 27 nights in 2013 to reach Gold elite rather than 50 nights. The member will earn Gold elite after 27 nights in 2013.

Elite rollover nights are a powerful incentive for staying with Marriott Rewards as a Silver elite, even if Gold elite is not achievable in 2012.

Marriott Rewards offers Elite Rollover Nights as a promotional benefit to members. 2012 will be the fourth year this benefit has been offered, however, the announcement to extend elite rollover nights did not come until late December 2011. Hotel nights in 2012 will automatically rollover to 2013. There is no guarantee the elite rollover nights benefit will be repeated again for hotel nights stayed in 2013.

Club Carlson set elite rollover nights as a standard program benefit when the new hotel loyalty program launched April 2011. This is the only other hotel loyalty program to offer elite rollover nights.

Hilton HHonors Elite

Hilton has several routes to high elite Diamond status.

• 28 stays can be as few as 28 one-night stays in a year and reward stays count too.
• 60 nights including reward stays.
• 100,000 base points = $10,000 in spend. That might be one wedding or company party.
• HHonors Surpass American Express gives cardmember Diamond elite after $40,000 annual spend.

The multiple routes to reach elite are a competitive advantage of Hilton HHonors over Marriott Rewards.

In my opinion Hilton HHonors Gold (16 stays or 36 nights) is one of the best mid-tier elite levels to have for any hotel loyalty program. HHonors Gold elite is frequently offered in fast-track promotions for as few as four stays in 90 days. A new or returning HHonors member can receive benefits of free internet and free breakfast on hotel stays through 2013 after just four stays.

Elite Status Promotion: Hilton HHonors Gold elite fast-track for Carlson Wagonlit Travel customers. Earn HHonors Gold elite after four stays within 90 days of promotion registration.  Loyalty Traveler post Sep 6.

Elite Status Promotion: HHonors Gold VIP elite after 4 stays or 9 nights in 90 days at U.S. hotels with Hilton HHonors MVP. Promotion registration required.

 

HHonors Reward Stays are Elite Qualifying Stays and Nights

Hilton HHonors was also a pioneer in elite status qualification when it became the first hotel loyalty program to count reward nights and stays several years ago. Choice Privileges and Starwood Preferred Guest are two other hotel loyalty programs that changed in the past couple of years to count reward stays for elite status.

The introduction of HHonors Points & Money Rewards in 2011 means counting reward stays for elite qualification is even more rewarding. Points & Money rewards require only 50% standard reward points. A member with 100,000 points can buy two category-7 standard reward nights at 50,000 points each.  Points & Money rewards allow the same 100,000 points to buy four separate category-7 reward nights with a cash supplement ($85/night) and earn up to 4 elite qualifying stays and 4 nights.

HHonors Points & Money are a 2011 reward enhancement, even though the program also introduced HHonors Premium Rewards that seems to have negatively impacted Diamond level members with decreased access to room rewards at the standard rate.

 

Elite Challenges

Marriott offers a Gold Challenge for 12 nights in 90 days or Platinum Challenge with 18 nights in 90 days. You receive gold or Platinum elite level for 90 days and drop back to earned status if challenge not successful. You must be enrolled in either Gold or Platinum Challenge. You do not earn Gold elite if you fall 3 nights short on a Platinum Challenge with only 15 nights even though that would have been sufficient for the Gold Challenge.

Elite level membership after completing the challenge is maintained at Gold or Platinum elite through February 2013, unless you requalify for the same or higher tier. So you need to have 50 or 75 nights in 2012 to retain elite level through 2013. Challenges starting in July 2012 may last through Feb 2014. FlyerTalk thread on Marriott Platinum and Gold Challenges from last six months and Dec 2011 thread.

Hilton offers Diamond Challenge for 19 to 21 nights in a 90 day period. FlyerTalk thread.

HHonors status match discussed in this FlyerTalk thread. Remember that status match is generally a once-in-a-lifetime match when granted by a hotel loyalty program. Challenges can be periodically repeated. Do not waste a status match unless you plan to use it. You may regret it a couple of years from now when you could really use the instant elite status and that long expired top elite member card is sitting in your drawer.

Marriott elite status match FlyerTalk thread.

You can generally get a status match if you truly have the potential of a high-revenue guest with frequent hotel stays. The people getting instant status through a hotel loyalty promotion and no record of frequent stays might find it more difficult to get a hotel loyalty status match.

The Credit Card Route to Elite

Marriott, Hilton and IHG Priority Club offer an easy route to low tier elite simply by enrolling as a credit card member with Hilton HHonors Visa or American Express, Marriott Rewards Visa or Priority Club Visa.  Hilton HHonors is the winner for credit card benefits.

• All HHonors credit cards confer complimentary HHonors Silver elite. HHonors Diamond membership is achievable through HHonors Surpass American Express after $40,000 annual card spend.
• Marriott Rewards Visa gives either 10 or 15 elite nights annually for instant Silver elite status.
• Priority Club Visa gives complimentary Gold elite.
• This Loyalty Traveler post from March 2011 is still fairly accurate on the elite benefits available through hotel points credit cards.
• Disclosure: I do not partner affiliate with any credit card providers. The links in my posts where I discuss credit cards are not affiliate marketing links for my Loyalty Traveler business.

Loyalty Traveler series: Comparison of Hilton HHonors, Marriott Rewards and IHG Priority Club hotel loyalty programs

1. Hilton, Marriott and IHG Hotel Brand Market Segments (Jan 15, 2012) – this post lists the different hotel brands, number of hotels in the brand, percentage of hotels in each brand and brand’s hotel market segment.

2. Hilton, IHG Marriott: Earning Base Points and Miles (Jan 17, 2012).

3. Making Elite with Marriott, IHG, Hilton (Jan 18, 2012) – Discussion of elite qualification requirements, elite status challenges and status matches.

This series will continue with a look at the redemption options using points and comparative analysis of these three programs.

IHG Priority Club has major changes taking effect in reward tiers for free nights January 18, 2012. I will compare reward cost for Hilton, Marriott and IHG free nights after the Priority Club changes are published and the new higher rates are in effect.

The second post in comparing the mega-chain hotel loyalty programs of Hilton, IHG and Marriott is a look at earning points and miles in each program. These three hotel chains are grouped together for comparative purposes based on their size, each hotel chain with more than 3,500 properties worldwide and a significant proportion of upscale to luxury hotels.

The first post in this series outlined the number of hotels in each chain’s brands and their brand market segments.

The primary competitive advantage of Marriott, IHG and Hilton in the hotel industry is their size with global geographic coverage as well as extensive coverage of the United States. Starwood, Hyatt and Carlson hotels will be compared in a separate series of posts for these hotel chains with 500 to 1,200 hotels globally. France-based Accor Hotels is another large global hotel chain with over 4,000 hotels worldwide, however, the chain has fewer than 20 hotels in the U.S. participating in the Accor loyalty program and is excluded from this survey.

Earning Points and Miles from Hotel Stays

Two factors differentiate hotel loyalty program stays from stays booked outside hotel loyalty programs on sites like Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity:

• complimentary hotel loyalty benefits received during the hotel stay like free room upgrades, free internet access, hotel executive lounge access, free fitness facilities access, free breakfast and late check-out.
• points and miles earned from hotel stay are a rebate on the purchase price for the hotel stay.

These two factors are the area of competition between the major hotel chain loyalty programs. This post compares points and miles earning in Hilton HHonors, IHG Priority Club and Marriott Rewards. Separate posts will compare the hotel stay benefits of loyalty programs at different elite levels.

Earning Points

The rebate value of hotel loyalty programs is the factor that keeps many of us loyal to specific hotel chains. A good hotel loyalty promotion means the cost of a hotel stay is partially or fully rebated in the form of points earned from the stay.

Read More…

This is a reminder about the Hilton Any Weekend Anywhere global sale for 20 to 33% discount on prepaid rooms for weekend stays through December 30, 2012. Bookings made from noon today Eastern time zone (New York), January 17 through noon tomorrow, Wednesday January 18 will earn 2,500 bonus HHonors points per reservation, up to 10,000 bonus points when you register your reservation confirmation through Hilton’s Facebook page.

Hilton Facebook promotion special for up to 10,000 bonus points:

** Earn 2,500 bonus points per booking made between Tuesday, January 17 12:00pm (noon) Eastern Time Zone through Wednesday January 18, 11:59am ET for the Hilton Any Weekend, Anywhere Sale. This bonus may be earned four times, up to 10,000 bonus points with four bookings. The 2,500 bonus points Facebook offer is valid for one night stays.

How do I claim my 2,500 Hilton HHonors Bonus Points?

After you have booked your Any Weekend, Anywhere Sale stay, you will need to re-visit the 24-Hour Bonus Event tab on the Hilton HHonors Facebook page during the Bonus Event period (12:00pm ET on January 17, 2012 to 11:59am ET on January 18, 2012) and enter in your confirmation number and your Hilton HHonors number in order to claim the 2,500 Hilton HHonors Bonus Points. The Hilton HHonors Bonus Points will be posted in your Hilton HHonors account 4 to 6 weeks after your stay has been completed.

 

Bottom Line: While I typically suggest avoiding prepaid, nonrefundable room rates, the multiple promotion offers combined with the 2012 Q-1 More Points promotion make this one sale worth considering.

Four $100 one-night stays can potentially earn 10,000 bonus points through the Facebook offer and 4,000 bonus points from the 2012 Q-1 More Points promotion if these one-night stays are completed by March 31. Four nights can earn 14,000 bonus points in addition to the regular points for hotel spend.

One two-night stay booked January 17-18 during 24-hour Facebook special can potentially earn:

• 2,500 bonus points Facebook (1 stay)
• 1,000 bonus points Any Weekend, Anywhere Sale for two night weekend stay.
• 7,000 bonus points 2012 Q-1 More Points promotion for two-night weekend stay January 1-March 31, 2012.
• Total promotion bonus = 10,500 bonus points per two-night stay.
• Up to 42,000 bonus points after four two-night stays by March 31.
• It remains to be seen whether all these promotion bonuses will combine. These offers look to me like they will combine.
• Check 2012 Q-1 More Points excluded hotels list to see if hotel is eligible.

Hilton’s Any Weekend, Anywhere Sale offers discount rates for weekend stays from January 9-December 30, 2012 when booked by January 31. The discount varies from 20% to 33% on Best Available Rate depending on region and hotel brand. These rates require full prepayment and are nonrefundable, no changes, and no cancellation, so buyer beware.

Must book at least 7 days in advance.

Weekends are Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Some hotels may include other days of the week. Thursday arrivals require a two night stay for this offer.

Earn 1,000 Bonus Points with two-night or longer stays as an added incentive.

Europe, Middle East and Africa

• 33% discount on BAR or Bed and Breakfast rate at all brands, except
• Hampton Inn offer is 20% on BAR.

Asia-Pacific

• 25% discount on Best Available Rate, except
• Malaysia and Thailand = 33% on BAR.

North and South America

• 25% discount on BAR for Hilton, DoubleTree, Conrad and Waldorf-Astoria.
• 20% discount on BAR for Embassy Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton, Home2 Suites, Homewood Suites, Hilton Grand Vacations.

Related Posts:

Hilton HHonors More Points 2012 Q-1 Promotion (Dec 28, 2011)

Hilton Resort Escapes Free Night Offer – book 5-night stay by January 31 and stay by April 30, 2012 to earn one free resort night. maximum two free nights may be earned with this offer.

HHonors 30% rebate on Points & Money or Premium Room Rewards booked by January 31 for stays completed by June 30, 2012. Loyalty Traveler post December 8.

Over the next few weeks I will compare aspects of different hotel loyalty programs. While it is easy to look at the different websites and compare member benefits, the proportion of hotel brands and their market segment as a proportion of hotels participating in a hotel loyalty program tends not to be as well known.

Hotel Chain Scales are used by hotel industry analysts at STR.com to segment hotel brands into luxury, upper-upscale, upscale, upper midscale, midscale and economy categories.

The largest hotel loyalty programs for the US are Hilton, Marriott and IHG in terms of the size and broad range of hotels in different market segments. Wyndham Rewards, Choice Privileges and Best Western Rewards are comparable megachain hotels, but there are far fewer hotels in the upscale to luxury segments in these three brands. Starwood (1,100 hotels) and Hyatt (500 hotels) have a high proportion of upscale to luxury hotel brands in their portfolios, however, the number of hotels are far fewer in these chains and not as useful for travelers needing wide geographic coverage.

 

Hotel Brands and Market Segments

What is a luxury hotel or an upper-upscale hotel?

Price is generally the defining line between hotel market segments. I do not work in the hotel industry and I am an amateur analyst interpreting numbers from hotel industry data. STRGlobal.com provides industry data reports and I gather statistical data about the hotel industry regularly from the free data provided online.

STR has a list of hotel brands in different chain scale segments based on the average room rate data for thousands of hotels worldwide.

This post uses the 2011 STR US Chain Scales  along with the latest hotel properties data for each brand from the hotel chain’s websites to compare market segments for hotel brands of Hilton, IHG and Marriott.

Basically I want to see how the hotels in Hilton, IHG and Marriott segment out in each chain and compare to each other when looking at the number of luxury, upscale and midscale hotels in each hotel loyalty program.

Hilton Worldwide Hotel Brands with Market Segment and Number of Hotels

• Hilton Worldwide has 3,712 hotels in this list, but this is only an estimate. New hotels open every few days.The percentage of hotels in each brand is listed in ( ).
• Conrad Hotels (luxury) = 18 hotels (<1%).
• Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts (luxury) = 23 hotels (<1%).
• Hilton Hotels and Resorts (upper upscale) = 540 hotels (15%) in 78 countries including 70 Resorts.
• Embassy Suites (upper upscale) = 201 hotels (5%) with 193 in US and 8 international.
• Hilton Grand Vacations (upper upscale) = 50 properties (1%).
• DoubleTree by Hilton (upscale) = 250 hotels (7%) in 17 countries.
• Homewood Suites (upscale – extended stay) = 309 hotels (8%) in North America.
• Hilton Garden Inn (upscale) = 515 hotels (14%) with 130 in development.
• Hampton Inn (upper midscale) = 1,800 hotels (48%) with more than 1,700 in US and growing international expansion recently.
• Home2 Suites (upper midscale – extended stay) = 6 hotels (<1%).

 

Marriott International Hotel Brands with Market Segment and Number of Hotels

• 3,747 properties in 13 brands in 72 countries. This total does not include Marriott Executive Apartments which earn Marriott Rewards points, but are extended stay contracted properties and not a typical hotel stay.
• Ritz-Carlton (luxury) = 81 hotels (2%).
• JW Marriott (luxury) = 62 hotels (2%).
• Marriott Hotels & Resorts (upper upscale) = 521 hotels (14%).
• Renaissance (upper upscale) = 160 hotels (4%).
• Autograph Collection (upper upscale) = 29 hotels (<1%).
• Marriott Vacation Club (upper upscale) = 59 properties (2%).
• Marriott Conference Centers (upper upscale) = 7 hotels (<1%).
• Courtyard (upscale) = 926 hotels (25%).
• AC Hotels (upscale) = 82 hotels mostly in Spain (2%).
• SpringHill Suites (upscale – extended stay) = 299 hotels (8%).
• Residence Inn (upscale – extended stay) = 627 hotels (17%).
• Fairfield Inn (upper midscale) = 689 hotels (18%).
• TownePlace Suites (upper midscale – extended stay)= 205 hotels (5%).

InterContinental Hotels Group

• 4,452 hotels (as of September 2011)
• InterContinental Hotels (luxury) = 171 hotels (4%).
• Crowne Plaza (upscale) =  401 hotels (9%).
• Hotel Indigo (upscale) =  38 hotels (<1%).
• Staybridge Suites (upscale – extended stay) = 195 hotels (4%).
• Holiday Inn (upper midscale) = 1,238 hotels (28%).
• Holiday Inn Express (upper midscale) = 2,103 hotels (47%) with 1,866 in Americas.
• Candlewood Suites (midscale) = 300 hotels (7%).
• Holiday Inn Club Vacations = 6 properties (<1%).

I have some issue with the broad segmentation of Crowne Plaza and DoubleTree as Upscale rather than Upper Upscale for some locations and Holiday Inn as Upper Midscale for some locations where the Holiday Inn is more upscale.  Keep in mind in the real world of travel there will be some Crowne Plaza and DoubleTree hotels that will be just as nice or better than the nearby Marriott, Hilton or Embassy Suites.

How the hotel chains stack up when brands are compared by market segment.

Luxury market segment

• IHG = 171 hotels (InterContinental)
• Marriott = 143 hotels (Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott)
• Hilton = 41 hotels (Conrad, Waldorf Astoria)

Upper Upscale market segment

• Hilton = 791 hotels (Hilton, Embassy Suites, Hilton Grand Vacations)
• Marriott = 776 hotels (Marriott, Renaissance, Autograph Collection, Marriott Vacation Club)
• IHG = 0 hotels (based on STR chain scale rankings, but in reality many Crowne Plaza hotels are upper upscale).

Upscale market segment

• Marriott = 1,934 hotels (Courtyard, Residence Inn, AC Hotels)
• Hilton = 1,074 (Hilton Garden Inn, Homewood Suites, DoubleTree)
• IHG = 634 hotels (Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Staybridge Suites)

Upper Midscale market segment

• IHG = 3,341 hotels (Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express)
• Hilton = 1,806 (Hampton Inn)
• Marriott = 894 (Fairfield Inn, TownePlace Suites)

Midscale market segment

• IHG = 300 (Candlewood Suites)

The key point here is to consider what market segment you desire for your travels. IHG Priority Club will tend to be lower room rates, but Priority Club does not offer frequent guest elite members the level of defined benefits provided by Hilton HHonors or Marriott Rewards to their md-tier and top-tier elite members.

Another point to add is the practice of placing branded hotels in the same chain adjacent to each other. This is really common with Marriott where Courtyard and Residence Inn are literally adjacent hotels in many places. I have seen three Marriott properties in the same location in places. Geographic coverage is not as extensive as you might think when all the locations with multiple properties are considered. On the other hand, the placement of hotels in the same chain next to each other makes hotel hopping for loyalty promotion stay credit an easy task when you want to earn free Marriott MegaBonus nights.

Comparison of hotel loyalty program benefits across these hotel brands will be discussed in future posts.

Lovers Point is one of the most popular coastline destinations in Pacific Grove. The park offers visitors a beach, sand volleyball court, kids wading pool (seasonal) and a rocky outcrop for climbing around.

 

There used to be two restaurants next to the park, but both are currently out of business. This is some of the most expensive real estate in the area and the restaurant business does not seem to thrive in the Lovers Point location. There is a snack bar stand by the beach and picnic tables in the grassy area of the park. There are public access toilets in the grassy field.

 

Lovers Point Park is one terminus of the ten mile Monterey Bay Coastal Trail offering a dedicated paved path for pedestrians and cyclists from Pacific Grove to Marina along the southern side of Monterey Bay.

Lovers Point Park is a 4-acre park at the end of 17th Street in Pacific Grove. This is one of two grassy landscaped parks on the coastline of Pacific Grove. Berwick Park is located on Ocean View Blvd. between 9th Street and Carmel Ave. Curbside parking is unmetered and unrestricted alongside Ocean View Blvd. adjacent to the park. This is a popular stretch of parking real estate for visitors to Cannery Row and Monterey Bay Aquarium who do not want to pay parking garage fees or $1.50 per hour parking meter fee to park in Monterey.  The Aquarium is less than ten minutes walk from Berwick Park.

The Pacific Grove history mural is located on a wall beside the Monterey Bay Coastal Trail adjacent to Berwick Park. This is one of the best locations in Pacific Grove for viewing big waves from the comfort of a bench and the safety of elevated ground.

The water is usually much calmer and Lovers Point is one of the few places where it is reasonably safe to let children wade in the water. The water here is cold and few people swim in the ocean for more than a couple of minutes without wearing a wetsuit. Generally the children are most likely to play in the water while adults watch from the warmth of the sandy beach.

 

 

Lovers Point has an east facing view that is brilliantly sunny during the day. The positional location in winter means the sun dips behind the hills dividing Pacific Grove and Pebble Beach, leaving the beach in shadows in late afternoon.

 

May is an ideal month to visit the area when iceplant flowers bloom and the seaside view brightens with dazzling displays of color.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lovers Point is a beautiful location on the Monterey Bay shoreline to relax, spend time in the sun or fog and enjoy the seaside life of Pacific Grove.

 

 

 

 

The Carlton in Manhattan joins the Marriott family as the 27th hotel in the Autograph Collection brand. The Madison Avenue luxury hotel was previously a member of Preferred Hotel Group.

Originally opened in 1904 as the Hotel Seville, The Carlton Hotel recently  underwent a multi-million dollar makeover and is now a contemporary enclave for  both world travelers and local trendsetters who want to be in the middle of the action and surrounded by luxury in New York City.

The hotel is located in Midtown Manhattan and is only steps away from entertainment, architectural and shopping icons such as Madison Square Garden, the Empire State Building, and Macy’s flagship Herald Square store.

Back inside, the hotel includes stylish rooms, suites and public areas influenced by renowned designer David Rockwell; New York’s best new restaurant of 2011 as acclaimed by Esquire Magazine; and a vibrant nightlife and live entertainment scene that has featured performances by Ne Yo, Swiss Beatz, Tito Puente Jr. and N’Dea Davenport.

Property Highlights

• Millesime Restaurant. Featuring the cuisine of 2 Michelin Star Executive Chef Laurent Manrique, the restaurant is a must for fans of classic seafood and fine French cuisine.
• Salon Millesime. This lounge is the place to be and to be seen. You can relax with a cool cocktail, dine on small plates and listen to hip sounds from live performers or a select roster of all-star DJs.
• The Waterfall. It cascades down two floors and comes to rest in the lobby, creating a dramatic backdrop as you enter the hotel.

I checked The Carlton Hotel website for a photo of this Waterfall and I don’t see it, unless it is water falling in front of the photo on the right?

I am not familiar with The Carlton Hotel so I saw much more information on the hotel’s own website with video and 40 photos of the hotel and rooms compared to the four photos on the Marriott Autograph Collection site. The rooms look like fully luxury furnished rooms to me.

A common complaint I read about hotel loyalty programs is the sameness of the hotels in each brand. The Autograph Collection debunks that criticism of chain scale hotels by offering Marriott Rewards benefits and redemption opportunities at independent hotels partnering with Marriott.

Several hotel chains have launched alliance brands to attract high-end independent properties to a hotel loyalty program for marketing purposes. IHG has InterContinental Alliance Resorts, Choice has the Ascend Collection, Starwood has the Luxury Collection and Hilton has the Waldorf-Astoria Hotels & Resorts.

Marriott plans to add several more member hotels to the Autograph Collection over the next few months including Union Station Hotel in Nashville rebranded from a Wyndham Grand Hotel property to the Marriott Autograph Collection just today and hotels rebranding in New Orleans and Miami South Beach.