2010 Fall Promotions

Current Hotel Loyalty Promotions Update

Here is a comprehensive list of current hotel loyalty program promotions. There are only about 15 additions since last month’s update. Please leave a comment if you know of other good hotel promotions I have overlooked.

In general, I think the fall 2010 promotions are scaled-back from the great offers in the first half of 2010. The hotel industry is generally upbeat about the higher occupancy levels of summer and double-digit rate increases in places like New York.

I have my doubts about the recovery since the general population in the US is still being beaten down with high unemployment and low consumer confidence. Leisure traveler forecasts are not so rosy. A double dip recession in the U.S. may put hotel loyalty programs back on track to more lucrative offers after the summer leisure travel drops off.

Will business travel really keep hotel occupancy moving up? We will see.

Still waiting on the official announcement of SPG’s double/triple points before including that offer here. 

Official link to SPG Double/Triple Points went up August 20.

No word yet as to Hyatt’s next offer.

Current Hotel Loyalty Promotions and News – updated August 20, 2010

The frequent guest has the choice of many hotel loyalty promotions with little guidance to their relative value. Here is Loyalty Traveler’s summary of current hotel loyalty promotions and limited time rate offers for the frequent guest. Newly added offers since the last July 25 update are marked with an asterisk (*).

Loyalty Traveler ranks the consumer value of 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 a 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.

 

Accor A-Club

Limited Time Offer: Motel 6 is accepting A-Club $60 vouchers at over 1,000 North America hotels for stays from June 1-October 31.

 

Best Western Rewards 

3-key PromotionEarn 500 American AAdvantage bonus miles for every $50 Best Western Travel Card purchase through August 31. There is no limit to the number of bonus miles you can earn.

Elite Status Match Offer (February 19, 2010)

*Program Change for Elites: Elite members earn 250 bonus points for stays in Us/Canada or a welcome snack. (Aug 3, 2010)

 

Carlson Hotels – Goldpoints Plus

5-Key promotion: June 1-August 31 Stay two times at any Carlson Hotel (Radisson, Park Plaza, Park Inn, Country Inn & Suites) and earn one free night at any property. Earn limit is seven free nights. Redeem nights at any Carlson Hotel September 1 – February 28, 2011. Registration is required. (May 25)

Goldpoints Plus program change – elite members earn 2,000 points for online booking. This change doubles the regular 1,000 online booking bonus for goldpoints elite members. (LT post July 18)

 

Choice Hotels – Choice Privileges

*FlyerTalk members report a new promotion for 8,000 points after two stays from August 26 – November 3, 2010. The promotion allows members to earn up to four free nights (32,000 points after 8 stays), except Choice  Privileges Platinum and Diamond members may earn unlimited bonus points during the promotion. Choice calls this a free night offer, even though only about 25% of Choice Hotels are available for 8,000 points.

There is also a new component to this offer. Elite members can choose to earn triple points. This option favors the high spender.

After two stays points will be added to your account up to 8,000 total points. Choice Privileges members normally earn 10 points per $1 at most brands. Spend $75 for each hotel night and the 1,500 base points ($150 @ 10 points /$1) will be boosted up to 8,000 points. This promotion favors the low spender. A general member who spends $400 for a five night stay will earn 4,000 points for the stay. Two stays like that and you do not earn a bonus at all. Keep this promotion in mind for those $50 one night stays.

 

 

Hilton HHonors 

*HHonors Program change: Gold and Diamond members receive complimentary internet at all Hilton Worldwide hotels beginning September 1, 2010. (Hilton – Aug 2 press release) 

4-key promotion Hilton Golf Vacation Sweepstakes – Grand Prize is 3 nights with two rooms at a Hilton Golf Resort in Scotland, Mexico, Hawaii, Arizona, or Orlando, three rounds of golf, economy airfare for four persons with United Airlines, check for $3,370 and 100,000 HHonors points. Three Grand Prizes awarded. Prize value is $8,000 to $11,000.

HHonors members get one online sweepstakes entry by registering at www.hhonors.com/golf between June 15 and September 6, 2010. Sweepstakes is limited to US 50 states + DC legal residents.

Additional entries: Each night you stay at a Hilton brand hotel through September 6, 2010 will create an additional entry into the golf sweepstakes. Loyalty Traveler post July 15.

4-key promotionHilton Top Chef Culinary Sweepstakes for a 6-Night Barcelona, Spain Vacation and $5,000 cash. Prize value $9,080. Enter sweepstakes by September 15. Only open to USA residents. LT post July 19.

3-Key promotion Double Points or Double Miles July 7-September 30, 2010. This is the standard promotion for HHonors. There are some good miles opportunities. You must remain with your choice for the duration of the promotion once you select double points or double miles. (July 6)

 

Hyatt Gold Passport

*5-key opportunity – Convert unused free nights from the Big Welcome Back promotion into 5,000 Hyatt Gold Passport points by August 31, 2010.  (Aug 13, 2010)

*2-key promotion – (earn future stay hotel credit for stays by Sep 8) Hyatt Bounceback Promotion gives a certificate for up to $150 in hotel services credit on a future two night or longer stay when staying at a Hyatt Hotel, Grand Hyatt or Hyatt Regency in the U.S. by September 8. The low promotion value is due to Hyatt requiring higher rates for the future booking to use the credit certificate.

4-key Promotion – 1,000 bonus miles per night for up to 30,000 bonus miles through September 30, 2010 with a choice of nine airlines. Amtrak, ANA, Japan Airlines, Jet Airways, Lufthansa Miles & More, Southwest, Thai, United, US Airways. Southwest Airlines earns 1 bonus Rapid Rewards credit per night. Bonus miles are in addition to regular 500 miles per hotel stay (or 0.5 Southwest credit). Member must choose miles as earning preference which excludes earning most G bonuses or hotel specific points bonuses.

4-key promotion = 60,000 AAdvantage miles. 2,500 bonus miles per stay with American Airlines AAdvantage through October 15, 2010. This offer may be repeated for up to 20 stays. Bonus miles are in addition to regular 500 miles per stay. 60,000 AAdvantage miles registration link. Loyalty Traveler post July 16.

2-key promotion – 5,000 bonus points for two-night stays at northern California Hyatt Hotels through September 12, 2010. Rate code NCA5K  includes 20% off spa, 20% off lunch and dinner dining and 5,000 bonus points. You need to compare rates as most hotels return a higher daily rate than otherwise available when using this code. LT post July 19.

3-key offer: Hyatt offers a COSTCO discount rate (use Group/Corporate # 13365) that is equivalent or even better than AAA rate for many hotels. The Costco discount rate is up to 25% for North America hotels. Bookings must be made between May 7 – September 9 for stays from May 7 through September 12.

There are several different codes being tossed around for this offer.

Inserting 13365 in the Group/Corporate # has worked best for me in retrieving the $25 per night credit rate and the rate tends to match the prepaid rate, but with cancellation policies equivalent to AAA rates. For a one night stay the AAA full breakfast rate may be a better deal. Compare prices.

  • North American Park Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, and Andaz up to 25% + $25 nightly stay credit.
  • Hyatt Place and Hyatt Summerfield Suites up to 15% discount.
  • International Hyatt properties – up to 10% discount. 

Program change: Hyatt Gold Passport hotel award categories increased for 25% of hotels as of June 4, 2010. Loyalty traveler post.

 

InterContinental Hotels Group – Priority Club

*5-key offer Priority Club PointBreaks 5,000 points per night awards to October 30 (Aug 2, 2010)

*3-key promotion – Sep 1-Dec 30 – Stay two consecutive weekend nights (Fri, Sat or Sun) at an IHG brand hotel in conjunction with a flight and get reimbursed for one roundtrip checked baggage fee up to $50. (Aug 17)

3-key promotion: 5,000 Bonus Points for stays at two different Hotel Indigo locations through September 17. This offer may be repeated five times for up to 10 different hotel locations in the USA and Canada. Promotion registration is required. LT post July 21.

Europe IHG Rate Discount: 2 nights for the price of 1 for hotel stays through September 27, 2010. The InterContinental Budapest was available for $83 per night when I first posted this offer. These rates are prepaid and nonrefundable, but there are some fantastic savings if you want to prepay your hotel stay. (May 25)

3-Key promotion Priority Club Double Points or Double Miles May 14-August 31 (April 15)

3-key promotion 1,000 Points for Android Application Bookings to September 30.                  (LT post July 17)

2-key promotion: Ambassador members receive 25,000 points for a two-night stay at participating InterContinental Hotels (June 1-September 30). Unfortunately most hotels are asking a significantly higher rate ($50 to $100 per night over lowest available) for this offer. Bonus may be earned three times for 75,000 points.  (May 11)

IHG Friend & Family Hotel Rates (through Dec 26, 2009)

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).

 

Joie de Vivre Hotels – Joy of Life Club

3-key promotion – Earn both Virgin America Elevate points and Joy of Life points for the remainder of 2010. LT post July 22.

 

Kimpton Hotels In Touch

4-key promotionBring Your Own Wine to a Kimpton Restaurant. Through Labor Day you can bring up to two bottles of your own wine to a Kimpton Restaurant and receive complimentary corkage. This offer is only valid in the more liberal states of California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington, and the U.S. capital city of Washington, D.C. Loyalty Traveler post July 16.

 

Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) – Leaders Club Rewards 

3-key promotionEarn 1 free night after every 5 hotel stays in 2010. Must stay in at least two different hotels. Bellagio in Las Vegas is LHW member. (April 13, 2010)

 

Marriott Rewards

*4-key promotion –Marriott MegaBonus (Sep 15-Jan 15, 2011) various targeted offers with the basic offer being one free night after two stays paid with Visa. Limit of two free nights during promotion. Free night valid only for Category 1 to category 4 hotels.

Active Marriott Rewards members may receive bonus points offers based on total nights stayed or 5,000 points for every two stays. There are several variations mentioned for 25,000 to 50,000 bonus points.  

4-key promotion – (through Sep 6) Up to 60,000 Delta Skymiles. Earn 5,000 Skymiles per stay beginning with your second stay from May 1 through September 6, 2010. Registration required. Note: Your Marriott Rewards account earning preference must be set to miles for this offer to load correctly on your web browser.

1-Key offerMarriott Rewards Instant Redemption Awards (March 24, 2010)

 

Starwood Preferred Guest

*4-Key Promotion – (through Sep 30) Earn a free night at any Aloft or Element Hotel after three stays at an Aloft or Element brand hotel by September 30, 2010. (Aug 10, 2010)

*4-Key Promotion – (through Dec 30) 3,000 Bonus Points for Sunday night stay at 11 NYC area Starwood Hotels through December 30. (Aug 13, 2010)

*3-Key Promotion –  (Sep 8 – Dec 15) Every Night Counts Double/Triple Starpoints. Stay 1 to 9 nights during promotion and earn double base points; stay 10 or more nights and earn triple points (triple points applied retroactively on initial nine stays). Warning: Check this list of participating hotels since about 150 Starwood Hotels worldwide are not participating. SPG link. Loyalty Traveler analysis (Aug 19)

*3-Key Promotion – (through Dec 31) 3rd Night Free or Two Free nights on six-night stay in Europe, Africa, and Middle East when paying with MasterCard

*SPG program change: Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards is new airline partner. Exchange rate for points-to-miles transfer is 1,500 Starpoints = 1 Rapid Rewards credit. Free roundtrip flight requires 16 credits. SPG members may also earn 0.5 credits per stay through SPG Airline Direct Deposit. (August 19, 2010)

*SPG Southwest Airline Bonus – Four Points hotel stays earn double Southwest Rapid Rewards credit through September 30 (1 credit per stay instead of regular 0.5 credit).

*Starwood and Harrah’s Total Rewards double dip opportunity:  For the remainder of 2010 members of Harrah’s Total Points may earn both Harrah’s points and Starpoints for Starwood Hotel stays. (Aug 6, 2010) 

4-Key Promotion – SPG Rewarding Returns offers members a choice after 5 stays by December 31, 2010. Promotion choices are 25% off an award up to five nights at any category 1 to 5 hotel for redemption by July 31, 2011. Discount may be combined with “5th night free award”. Other choices are $50 hotel credit certificate or 4,000 Starpoints. Loyalty Traveler post July 14.

There are variations of this offer including only requiring one stay by August 31 for targeted members. Points offer ranges from 2,000 to 8,000 points, and some members may have a free night choice. Offers are targeted.

Promotion registration is required at https://www.spgpromos.com/rewardingreturns/index.cfm.

4-Key Award Discount – Le Parker Meridien Palm Springs Cash & Points $15 + 4,800 points through September 2. Friday and Saturday night rate is $30 + 4,800 points. You must call 866-912-1169 to book this offer. (July 5)

3-key promotion SPG link: Pay Your Birthyear Rate (This promotion can be an incredible savings or no savings depending on the hotel and your birthyear.) LT post 4/28/2009

3-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)

 

Wyndham Rewards

4-Key promotion: Earn up to 25,000 American AAdvantage miles after 9 stays from April 30 to September 30, 2010. Wyndham, Wingate, and Hawthorn Suites brands only. Earn 3,000 bonus miles after 3 stays. Earn 7,500 miles bonus after 6 stays. Earn 10,000 bonus miles after 9 stays. Combined with the normal 500 miles per stay, you can earn 25,000 AAdvantage miles after 9 stays. (June 15, 2010)

 

Airline-Hotel Partner Bonuses:

*Air Canada Aeroplan – Receive 1,500 bonus miles when exchanging hotel points into at least 10,000 Aeroplan miles through September 20, 2010 from Best Western Rewards, Carlson Goldpoints Plus, Choice Privileges, Hilton HHonors, Hyatt Gold Passport, IHG Priority Club Rewards, Marriott Rewards, Starwood Preferred Guest, and Wyndham Rewards. (Aug 9, 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)

 

3 Comments

  • sunspotzsz August 20, 2010

    This is such a helpful post, thanks a lot!!!

  • Wendy August 21, 2010

    I agree – thanks very much for continuing to put together these summaries – much appreciated and very helpful.

  • Explore August 23, 2010

    Thanks a lot, Ric…..this is a great service, just like your comparison of points value among programs.

Comments are closed.

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