Hotel Loyalty 2013-Q3 promotions

July hotel promotions page and blog updates

BoardingArea moved blogs to a new hosting platform or something technical that required the site to be shuttered one weekend a couple weeks back. The change means I now have more control over the Loyalty Traveler web design.

I did lose the email sign-up widget during the move and that is something I can’t put back on the page myself as far as I can tell. I need to send a shout out to tech support.

You may have noticed I added Twitter feed and Facebook ‘Like’ widgets to the left hand side of the page.

Looks like Facebook has outlasted my ability to ‘hate’ them. Marketing and tourism folks love to see those Facebook numbers and they want to see something ‘Like’ 3,000 to 5,000 people out there on the web who ‘Like’ me.

image

Give that little ‘Like’ button on the side a click if you are inclined to help me out. It helps with the little things I do to write Loyalty Traveler like when I walk into a luxury hotel unannounced and ask if I can walk around and take photos, possibly see a room, even when I am not a guest. I can’t stay everywhere and I often drop into places unannounced when I am walking or driving around the neighborhood in some city.

Seeing the Twitter feed on my homepage should motivate me to post more interesting tweets than just promoting Loyalty Traveler posts. Twitter had me locked out from December 2012 to May 2013 for some reason and I am getting that routine back up.

image

Pinterest, Google+ and the other share buttons at the bottom of each post are another new feature. If you like what you are reading, then please share Loyalty Traveler posts over social media channels. Again this helps with the PR people who often represent the hotel clients. All those giveaways on the blogs from hotel companies and luggage companies and car companies are generally the PR reps reaching out to bloggers on behalf of the travel company.

image

Loyalty Traveler is a familiar brand with many hotel industry executives after writing about their products for six years, but when it comes to the hipsters running PR campaigns for the hotel chains, these young marketers tend to have European names and gorgeous physical features, live in Brooklyn and commute to Manhattan, and Loyalty Traveler is just another travel blog in an unfamiliar web blogscape. Numbers equate to quality, or at least reach, to the marketing people.

 

July Hotel Promotions Update

Another one of the changes to Loyalty Traveler has been to break up the massive 6,000 words monthly ‘Current Hotel Promotions’ from a single page to a dedicated page for every major hotel loyalty program.

image

Hover the mouse over the Hotel Promotions link and a drop-down menu appears. The July 2013 Hotel Promotions is its own page listing only the top current promotions from each hotel loyalty program.

The drop down menu provides more information for each of the hotel loyalty programs like hotel brand names, website links and ongoing offers and news specific to the program.

I welcome any suggestions you have for Loyalty Traveler blog. I guess it is time to get a logo after seven years and perhaps add a photo to the header now that the slideshow is gone from the site.

Those are the Loyalty Traveler blog housekeeping messages.

Here are the July 2013 current hotel promotions:

Best Western Rewards

Best Western 3 Stays Earns Free Night June 17–Aug 18, 2013 (Loyalty Traveler June 16)

Best Western mobile booking app 1000 points per stay to Sep 30, 2013 (Loyalty Traveler June 27)

 

Choice Privileges

Choice Privileges 8,000 points for two stays May 23–Aug 31, 2013 (Loyalty Traveler post May 21)

Great Paris value Choice Hotels 8,000 points reward nights (Loyalty Traveler post – April 15)

 

Club Carlson

Club Carlson 10,000 points for 2-night stays May 13 – July 21, 2013 (Loyalty Traveler post May 20)

 

Hilton HHonors

July 9 – September 30, 2013  = Triple Points (30 points/$1) for Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights or Double Points (20 points/$1) for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights.

  • Registration at HHonors.com/triple is not active yet (as of July 7).

Airline Miles Bonuses with Hilton Brand Hotel Stays

Hilton HHonors Triple Miles with various Asian airlines July 1 – Sep 30, 2013.

 

Hyatt Gold Passport

No global promotion at this time. Some targeted summer promotion offers, but majority of members completing this FlyerTalk poll show no offer given.

Hyatt Gold Passport’s main summer news is the start of a reciprocal loyalty program partnership with MGM brand hotels in Las Vegas and mLife loyalty program.

July 11 at 1pm ET = Buy discount Hyatt Gold Passport points through U.S. Travel Association Daily Getaways.

  • 24,000 points (100 sets) = $260 ($234 with AmEX payment)
  • 30,000 points (35 sets) = $330 ($297 with AmEx payment)
  • 36,000 points (15 sets) = $415 ($373.50 with AmEx payment)
  • 69,000 points (15 sets) = $775 ($697.50 with AmEx payment)
  • Only one set may be purchased per each of the four offers. –
  • See more at: http://loyaltytraveler.boardingarea.com/2013/06/25/

 

IHG Rewards Club

Priority Club PointBreaks through August 31, 2013.

  • PointBreaks are award nights at select hotels for 5,000 points. These award nights are one of the best values in hotel loyalty program awards.
  • IHG Rewards Club PointBreaks to August 31 (Loyalty Traveler June 27, 2013)

Priority Club Double Points or Miles June 1-July 31, 2013 (Loyalty Traveler May 31, 2013)

 

Kimpton Hotels

Kimpton Hotels always has some kind of rate promotions happening. Check them out on this Kimpton Hotels promotions page.

 

Marriott Rewards

***** Marriott RewardsUnexpected Bonus May 15 – September 2, 2013 (Marriott MegaBonus with a different name).

With the category changes happening at Marriott on May 16, this unexpected bonus seems to be many Marriott Rewards members getting an offer of one free category 1-5 night after two stays. Limit of two free nights. This is sort of maintaining the same old MegaBonus offer since over 50% of the category 4 hotels, some 370 or so properties, are moving to category 5.

Other reported offers:

  • 35,000 bonus points: Earn 25,000 points after 15 nights and another 10,000 bonus points after 20 nights May 15-Sep 2, 2013.
  • 35,000 bonus points: Earn 25,000 points after 15 nights and another 2,000 points per night for up to 10 additional nights.
  • 45,000 bonus points: Earn 35,000 points after 20 nights and another 10,000 bonus points after 25 nights May 15-Sep 2, 2013.
  • 55,000 bonus points:Earn 35,000 points after 20 nights and another 2,000 points per night for up to 10 additional nights.
  • Up to 3 Free nights at Category 1-4 hotels: Earn one free night certificate for a category 1 to 4 hotel after every two stays. Maximum of 3 free nights.
  • Up to 2 Free nights at Category 1-5 hotels: Earn one free night certificate for a category 1 to 5 hotel after every two stays. Maximum of 2 free nights.

Loyalty Traveler post: Marriott MegaBonus May 15-Sep 2, 2013 (April 29, 2013)

 

Ritz Carlton Rewards

Ritz-Carlton Rewards two stays earn free night July 1-Oct 31, 2013

 

Starwood Preferred Guest

May 1-July 31, 2013: SPG DoubleTake Double Points (2 bonus points per $1). Loyalty Traveler post May 11.

SPG Group for bonus Starpoints and Elite Credit. Bonus points for event bookings through December 31, 2013. (Loyalty Traveler April 17)

SPG 3x points at Europe Starwood Hotels  June 1 – Oct 31, 2013 (mainland China members only). (Loyalty Traveler April 17)

SPG 2013 Elite (re)qualification Gift 25%-35% off award stay or 2x points for a month (Loyalty Traveler April 25)

 

Wyndham Rewards

June 21-September 13, 2013 Double Points on 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th stays at any Wyndham hotel brand. Loyalty Traveler post June 25.

 

Ric Garrido, writer and owner of Loyalty Traveler, shares news and views on hotels, hotel loyalty programs and vacation destinations for frequent guests.

Follow Loyalty Traveler on Twitter and Facebook and RSS feed.

BoardingArea