Hilton Worldwide brings back a variation of the Any Weekend Anywhere offer from the past two years for discount rates on rooms and B&B packages for hotels around the globe for stays through December 31, 2013.

The rate discount is 15% to 40% on prepaid, nonrefundable reservations.

• Room-only promotion rate code: PGAWA6
• Bed & Breakfast promotion rate code: PGAWB2

Double Stay Credit on 2-night stays

The twist with this year’s sale is Double Stay Credit for elite qualification for any stays of 2 nights or more.

Double Stay Credit:For eligible Any Weekend, Anywhere stays as outlined above, of at least 2 nights, and booked through Hilton Worldwide direct booking channels with valid HHonors membership number, HHonors members will receive a Double Stay Credit, which will count toward tier status only. No Bonus Points will be given. Hilton HHonors™ membership, earning of Points & Miles™ and redemption of Points are subject to HHonors Terms and Conditions.

http://hhonors3.hilton.com/en/awaw/english-terms.html

  Read More…

Elite tier status in half the stays from November 5 through December 31, 2012 is the targeted email Hilton HHonors promotion some members received today. Registration is required.

The message I received when I tried to register:

You are not able to register for this promotion online. Please call the Hilton Reservations and Customer Care nearest you.

I did not expect the offer to work for me.

The promotion terms state:

Double Bonus Stay Credit – Terms & Conditions

This exclusive offer is open only to the Hilton HHonors™ member who received the email from Hilton HHonors™ announcing this promotion.

This offer applies only to double elite stays and does not apply to elite nights or elite base points.

HHonors Gold elite at 16 stays or HHonors Diamond at 25 stays is much closer for the targeted HHonors members.

Follow this FlyerTalk thread for discussion on the Hilton HHonors Double Stays offer.

Double Bonus Stay Credit – Terms & Conditions

This exclusive offer is open only to the Hilton HHonors™ member who received the email from Hilton HHonors™ announcing this promotion. Offer valid for eligible stays completed between November 5 and December 31, 2012 (“Promotion Period”). HHonors members must first register for the offer prior to the check-out of their stay within the Promotion Period. “Count double toward the number of stays” means each completed stay will count as two stays. This offer applies only to stays and will not double the HHonors member’s Base Points or nights during each stay. A “stay” is defined as the total number of consecutive nights spent at the same hotel, regardless of whether the guest checks out and checks back in again.

If an elite status upgrade is achieved or elite status is maintained through this offer, the status will be valid until March 31, 2014. An elite status upgrade means that the HHonors member qualifies to earn a higher elite status within a calendar year for the subsequent year. Maintaining elite status means that the HHonors Member qualifies to preserve that elite status within a calendar year for the subsequent year. Members must re-qualify for elite status each year.

Hilton HHonors™ membership, earning of Points & Miles™ and redemption of points are subject to HHonors Terms and Conditions.

Ric Garrido, writer and owner of Loyalty Traveler, shares news and views on hotels, hotel loyalty programs and vacation destinations for frequent guests. You can follow Loyalty Traveler on Twitter and Facebook and RSS feed.

Marriott Rewards changed their Taste of Gold, Taste of Platinum elite challenge requirements from nights to stays over the summer. This lowers the number of hotel nights needed to successfully complete the challenge for persons who book lots of one night stays.

Marriott Rewards Challenge Levels

• Silver = 3 stays (formerly 6 nights)
• Gold = 6 stays (formerly 12 nights)
• Platinum = 9 stays (formerly 18 nights)

You have three full months to complete the challenge. A person who enrolls for a challenge now will have until December 31, 2012 to complete the stays requirement to maintain status through February 2014. As long as you avoid registering for the challenge on the first day of the month, then you have more than three months to complete the stay requirements.

Another great thing about the Marriott Rewards elite challenges is you are upgraded to the new status when you enroll for an elite challenge. Read More…

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.

Carlson Wagonlit Travel customers can register to earn a fast-track to Hilton HHonors Gold elite membership after four stays within 90 days of promotion registration. HHonors Gold normally requires 16 stays or 36 nights in a calendar year. This offer is exclusively for Carlson Wagonlit Travel customers, but I am posting this fast-track HHonors Gold offer since there are millions of you out there across the globe who book travel with CWT.

Register by phone with Hilton Reservations and Customer Care by requesting Promotion Code ‘CFTE’.

Online registration is here.

HHonors member must complete the four qualifying stays within 90 days of enrollment to earn HHonors Gold membership. Elite membership status will be valid for the year earned and the subsequent year.

Loyalty Traveler analysis:

This is an offer targeted exclusively to Carlson Wagonlit Travel customers. The wording of this offer states member will have Gold elite after four stays within 90 days of promotion enrollment and maintain that status for the calendar year Gold elite is earned and the following year.

Promotion registration dilemma

This leaves eligible HHonors members with a dilemma for when to register for this targeted CWT promotion.

1. Sign up now and you will have 90 days in 2011 to complete four stays and earn HHonors Gold for the remainder of 2011 and 2012. Signing up in 2011 is fine if you plan to use Hilton Hotels in 2012 and retain Gold status with 16 stays or 36 nights. You will maintain Gold elite through 2013 if you meet the normal Hilton HHonors Gold stays or nights in 2012.

2. If you wait and register for this CWT fast-track offer in early 2012, then you have 90 days to make four stays and you will have HHonors Gold elite membership for all of 2012 and 2013, even if you have few stays after qualifying for HHonors Gold. This promotion states it runs through 12/31/2013, but may be terminated without notice. These fast-track offers sometimes disappear before their scheduled end date.

HHonors Gold Member Benefits

On-property benefits include:

• Room upgrades (as available), Bonus Points, eCheck-in and other comforts

• Free access to Wi-Fi

• A 25% bonus on all HHonors Base Points earned

• Complimentary access to hotel-owned-and-operated health clubs

• Access to VIP Elite only rewards like 4 to 14 night reward stay discounts of 15% to 25% off standard free night rate.

Complimentary HHonors Diamond for Virgin Australia Velocity Platinum members in Australia.

Australians might want to look into this HHonors fast-track elite offer from Virgin Australia.

Gary Leff blogged a couple days ago on View from the Wing about getting a status match to Virgin Australia to take advantage of the Velocity frequent flier elite benefit for limited-time complimentary HHonors Gold or Diamond elite status.

Visa Signature cardmembers can register for instant Hilton HHonors Gold membership through August 31, 2011. After promotion registration just complete three stays at any Hilton brand hotel worldwide by August 31 and pay with a Visa Signature card to retain HHonors Gold elite through March 31, 2013.

Current HHonors Gold and Diamond members receive 5,000 points for Visa Signature card registration.

FlyerTalk members report this offer works with many airline and hotel credit cards besides HHonors Visa such as Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, Hyatt Gold Passport, Marriott Rewards, Priority Club, and Canada Infinite Visa. Here is the HHonors Gold elite Visa Signature thread on Milepoint.com.

HHonors Gold elite includes complimentary high-speed internet, 25% bonus points and possibly hotel lounge benefits. Benefits vary by Hilton brand. Here is the link for HHonors Gold benefits.

HHonors Visa Signature promotion FAQ.

HHonors Visa Signature terms and conditions.

Marriott Rewards is extending its elite rollover nights benefit into a third year with 2011. Marriott extends the policy begun in 2009 allowing all nights over the minimum elite qualification requirement to carry over for the following year as elite status nights. Marriott announced the 2011 extension of Elite Rollover Nights on its Marriott Insiders forum and FlyerTalk.

Marriott Rewards Silver requires 10 paid eligible nights in a calendar year, Gold is 50 nights and Platinum is 75 nights. These are the toughest standards for elite among the major hotel industry loyalty programs.

Elite rollover makes Marriott Rewards elite requalification a much easier task and places Marriott Rewards elite attainability on par with other hotel loyalty programs.

How Elite Rollover Works

Assume the Marriott Rewards member stayed 36 eligible paid nights in 2010 at Marriott brand hotels.  36 nights is 26 nights over Silver elite requirement of 10 nights and 14 nights short of Gold elite.

Elite rollover carries the extra 26 nights the member stayed over the 10 nights Silver elite threshold to the 2011 calendar year.

The Marriott Rewards member starts 2011 with 26 elite nights. Elite rollover nights from 2010 automatically qualify the member for 2012 Marriott Rewards Silver elite. The member needs just 24 nights in 2011 to qualify for Marriott Rewards Gold elite in 2012. Elite rollover reduces the Gold elite threshold for this sample member from 50 nights to just 24 nights in 2011.

Marriott Rewards credit card elite boost

Marriott Rewards Signature Visa credit card offers 10 elite qualifying nights annually with membership. Marriott Rewards Premier Visa offers 15 elite nights annually.

Sign up in 2011 for the Visa card and the member described above with 26 rollover nights elite credit for 2011 increases to 36 or 41 nights with the credit card elite nights. This Marriott Rewards member only needs 9 or 14 nights in all of 2011 rather than 50 nights to qualify for Marriott Rewards Gold elite for the 2012 calendar year.

This same elite rollover scenario now plays out for the 2011 calendar year with the recent announcement of 2011 elite rollover nights. Members can lock in 2013 elite status by planning Marriott Rewards hotel stays strategically in 2011.

Elite rollover makes Marriott Rewards one of the easier programs to earn elite status for loyal guests.

Elite Rollover Incentivizes Member Hotel Stays

The advantage of elite rollover for Marriott Hotels is a Marriott Rewards member incentive to stay more than the minimum nights for an elite qualifying level.

Many loyalty members move their hotel stays to another program once the desired elite status level is reached. For example, after 25 stays at Starwood Hotels in 2010, a member earns one extra Starpoint per dollar in spend through a current SPG promotion. Some members prefer to earn promotion bonuses like a free night after every two stays with Priority Club or perhaps elite status with another hotel program rather than stick with Starwood Hotels for stays at the end of the year once top level SPG Platinum elite status has been earned for 2011.

Marriott Elite Rollover incentivizes the Marriott Rewards member to keep staying with Marriott brand hotels in 2010 since all nights over the elite threshold rollover for a head start on 2011 qualification for 2012 calendar year elite status with Marriott Rewards. Marriott Rewards elite rollover in 2011 will keep some members locked into Marriott Rewards through 2013 for easy elite.

Marriott Rewards is the lone hotel loyalty program offering an elite rollover incentive. After three consecutive years of elite rollover, time will tell if 2011 is the last calendar year Marriott offers this unique loyalty program feature. The hotel economy is predicted to improve greatly in 2011.

And will any other hotel loyalty program follow Marriott’s lead with its own elite rollover promotion?

JW Marriott San Francisco

Hyatt Gold Passport has officially announced through FlyerTalk it will no longer offer status matches to Gold Passport Platinum and Diamond elite membership based on elite membership in other hotel loyalty programs.  In select cases an individual may receive an elite status trial offer at the discretion of a property’s sales department.

The folks at Hyatt Gold Passport have apparently decided that requiring loyalty members to earn Diamond status with 25 stays or 50 nights in a calendar year is a better business model after more than a full year of instant elite and fast-track offers in 2009-2010 (May 1- Aug 31, 2009), (Stays Count Double Oct 2009 – Jan 2010), (Feb-May 2010) even to Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond, and retention of Diamond elite for just 15 nights within 180 days of membership.

Perhaps the recent Frequent Traveler Awards Loyalty Leadership recognition for its Diamond-level, loyalty program industry-exclusive benefit of four confirmed suite upgrades annually gave a little more publicity to the high value of Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond elite membership benefits. Hyatt Gold Passport press release.

Converting your Starwood Preferred Guest $1,200 in hotel spend for 13 nights at Four Points hotels to Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond membership with four complimentary confirmed suite upgrades was perhaps a bit too generous.

The Hilton HHonors Diamond member who could upgrade her next business trip to London with an Andaz Hotel suite for 4 days and then a suite at the Park Hyatt Tokyo for 7 nights on her first two Hyatt stays was perhaps leaving too much hotel spend unspent at Hyatt.

This change is not surprising for several reasons.

First is the comparable airline practice for status matching elites rarely applies to top tier matches. American Airlines Executive Platinum and United Mileage Plus 1K members receive complimentary international upgrade certificates annually. Airlines know these upgrade certificates are high value and are sometimes sold for cash. Airlines will status match you part way, but not all the way to top elite where you receive complimentary international upgrades to Business Class.

Secondly, Hyatt Gold Passport’s major competitor in the U.S. is likely Starwood Preferred Guest with a comparably major loyalty program and a bit more than twice as many hotel properties (around 1,050). Hyatt Gold Passport covers many major cities around the globe where SPG also has a presence.  Hyatt Gold Passport has blown away Starwood Preferred Guest over the past 18 months with generous benefits and high value promotions.

Personally, I know that the Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond benefit of complimentary breakfast has influenced my hotel choice in favor of a Hyatt rather than Starwood Hotel on a number of occasions since April 2009 when Gold Passport revamped its Diamond elite benefits.

I wonder how many frequent guests actually abandoned Starwood Hotels for Hyatt Hotels due to the generous Hyatt benefits?

The primary complaint about Hyatt Hotels is the small number of properties at fewer than 450 hotels worldwide. Business travelers want a major hotel loyalty program with widespread geographical properties. InterContinental Hotels Group, Hilton and Marriott offer geographic flexibility. IHG has over 4,500 hotels, Hilton has over 3,600 and Marriott is close behind at around 3,400 hotels. Business travelers need a hotel loyalty program that will cover hotels in many places. 

The Hyatt Credit Card Effect

Another good reason to stop status matches is the current Hyatt credit card offer for two free nights with complimentary suite upgrade for Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond members who become Hyatt Gold Passport Visa credit card members.

The Hyatt Crystal Ball

Hotels are predicting good increases in profits for 2011. Hotel stocks are on the rise. Analysts are currently saying BUY. Hyatt has big plans for New York City with several new properties scheduled to open in 2011 and 2012.

It will be interesting to see if Hyatt acquires another hotel brand before too long to bring its portfolio size in line with Starwood Hotels. High-end properties are in the works in many places like Amsterdam, Bermuda, and New York. Perhaps Hyatt’s strategy will be to remain focused on high-end hotels.

I do not lament the passing of Hyatt Gold Passport elite matches. Hyatt Gold Passport was overly generous since April 2009 in fast-tracking anyone who asked to join Gold Passport’s elite ranks.

Hyatt Gold Passport Platinum elite requires just 5 stays in a calendar year. Another unique feature of Hyatt Gold Passport are Platinum Extras certificates which provide additional benefit bonuses every 3^rd hotel stay as you stay your way to Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond elite.  Other hotel loyalty programs do not offer little extras to reward your mid-tier loyalty as you earn your way to the top.

Hyatt Gold Passport has ran Stays Count Double promotions for part of the year for the past several years. Keep your eyes open for a 2011 offer.

Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond elite benefits link.

(Thanks to Lucky for posting about this change. I have looked over FlyerTalk many times this past week and the Hyatt thread title, “Hyatt Tier Matching Information“ never caught my attention as having this significant program information.)

Presidential Suite, Hyatt Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco

Clear Registration Booth at Grand Hyatt Denver Hotel

I have been pushing the Hyatt ‘Stays Count Double’ promotion for two months now in my Hotels-and-Points articles. Today, I became aware of an additional added value component for this promotion…as if it was not already a great deal!

Hyatt sent me an email reminding me of the Stays Count Double promotion today.

“ELITE STATUS COMES TWICE AS FAST AT HYATT™ JANUARY 1 – MARCH 31, 2008
Thank you for registering for our Stays Count Double promotion. All of your eligible stays at any Hyatt™ hotel or resort worldwide between January 1 and March 31, 2008, will count double toward achieving Platinum status.

You can now achieve Platinum membership with only three stays instead of five, and enjoy the following benefits:
• 15% point bonus toward earning free nights faster.
• Guaranteed bed type.
• Platinum Extras Award after every third stay, providing you with a choice of in-hotel benefits or points.
• Complimentary one-year membership in Clear®, the nation’s leading Registered Traveler program that enables its members to receive expedited processing at airport security checkpoints. ”

Currently, there are two elite status offers and a new Hyatt Gold Passport member can register and qualify for both promotions simultaneously.

For travelers already belonging to Hyatt Gold Passport the basic terms of Stays Count Double offer:
- Stays at Hyatt properties between Jan 1 and Mar 31, 2008 will count double for elite status qualification.
- Stays at Hyatt Hotels, Hyatt Place and Summerfield Suites are eligible.
- Stays at Hawthorn Suites or Amerisuites hotels are not eligible for double stays.
- Current members may register for “Stays Count Double” promotion via www.goldpassport.com/SCD08
-or Register by phone at 1-800-51 HYATT or your nearest Worldwide Reservation Centre and request Offer Code SCD08.

Hyatt Gold Passport membership levels are:
Gold = less than 5 stays per calendar year
Platinum = 5 stays per calendar year or 15 nights
Diamond = 25 stays per calendar year or 50 nights

The Stays Count Double promotion changes the qualification level to:
Platinum = 3 stays by March 31, 2008 (will count as 6 stays)
Diamond = 13 stays by March 31, 2008 (will count as 26 stays).

Remember that you do not need to earn your elite status by March 31.
For example, if you have 2 Hyatt stays by March 31, 2008, then your account elite qualifying stays will be at 4 stays. You will be one stay short of Platinum elite status, however, your next Hyatt stay, as long as it occurs by December 31, 2008 will grant you Platinum status through February 2010.

There are two additional incentives to sweeten this Hyatt fast-track elite status deal deal.
1. New members to Hyatt Gold Passport can first register for a 90-day Instant Elite Platinum Status promotion. Only one Hyatt stay is needed to extend your Platinum elite membership through February 2009. This promotion may be combined with the “Stays Count Double” promotion, but as a new member you may want to register for Instant Platinum first.

New Members – Register before March 31, 2008 at http://www.goldpassport.com/gp/en/benefits/join.jsp?me02_mbr_src=INT16

As you will see, this can be a free way to earn $128 value.

2. A benefit of Hyatt Platinum elite membership is complimentary membership in the Clear© airport security pre-screened passengers program. This allows members to use their card to access security fast lanes at participating airports.

http://www.flyclear.com/about/clear_howclearworks.html

First year membership is normally $100 and there is also a $28 TSA fee. These first-year fees are waived for Hyatt Platinum elite members enrolling in Clear©.

The bottom line: A new Hyatt Gold Passport member can enroll for Instant Platinum elite, and without even staying at a Hyatt hotel, use your Hyatt elite status for free membership in Clear©.

Hyatt offers you a two-for-one fast-track to hotel status and airport status.