My road trip across the southeast USA last week delayed my updates to the Loyalty Traveler Hotel Promotions Guide monthly page for all the current hotel promotion deals. Here are the main summer promotions from each of the major hotel loyalty programs summarized in this post. The Hotel Promotions Guide page has many more links for each hotel loyalty program describing program changes over the past year.
One of the articles I wrote in the past month is about the changes coming to midscale hotel loyalty programs like Choice Privileges, Wyndham Rewards and Best Western Rewards. I think we are seeing a pivotal point in the development of the midscale chain hotels making them truly good value hotel loyalty programs as the higher end market segment hotels like Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott and Starwood focus more of their efforts on their high stay customers. I call this change the Airbnb effect which disproportionately has made an impact on midscale hotel chains than the higher end hotels.
Loyalty Traveler – Airbnb effect makes 2015 year of the midscale and economy hotel chains (May 18, 2015).
Wyndham Rewards changes make it a useful hotel loyalty program
One of the biggest hotel loyalty program developments of the past month is the restructured Wyndham Rewards hotel loyalty program. The two primary changes are all hotel reward nights are 15,000 points per night, regardless if the hotel is a $40 average rate Super 8 in the middle of nowhere or a $500 per night weekend room at the Wyndham Santa Monica on the beach in Los Angeles. More useful for hotel discount savings are the new GoFast reward nights, a cash and points reward for 3,000 points + $25 to $95 per night. The GoFast rewards can be high value for points with savings in the $20 to $30 per night range easy to find. For me, the value of Wyndham Rewards points has changed from an average of about $6 to $9 per 1,000 points in the old program to $20 to $30 per 1,000 points with the new rewards choices.
Best Western Rewards
Hotel Brands: Best Western, Best Western Plus, Best Western Premier
Earn 1,000 bonus Best Western Rewards points per stay May 26 to September 7, 2015. Promotion registration required, but good news is bonus points apply retroactively for eligible stays made during promotion period. There is no earning limit for this offer. Member must have account set to earn points. Loyalty Traveler – Best Western 1000 points per stay May 26 to Sep 7 (May 29).
Choice Privileges
Hotel Brands: Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, Ascend Hotel Collection, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay, Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn.
Loyalty Traveler – Choice Privileges 8,000 points or $50 gift card for 2 stays May 7 to August 19 (May 15).
Loyalty Traveler – Choice Privileges Points Plus Cash value and elite reward nights advance booking window (May 18)
Loyalty Traveler – Choice Privileges competitive edge is suites on points (Jun 3)
Club Carlson
Hotel brands: Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson Red, Park Plaza, Park Inn, Country Inn & Suites, Quorvus Collection.
June 28, 2015: Club Carlson Triple Points Time April 6 – June 28, 2015 lets members earn 60 points/$1 in hotel spend. This is a high value promotion. Registration required.
Radisson Hotel MegaPoints rate for 10,000 bonus points per night allows Club Carlson members to potentially pick up 10,000 bonus points for as little as $20 more per night. My post lists all the participating Radisson Hotels for this offer. I used the MegaPoints rate at Radisson Vancouver Airport on April 18 to earn over 20,000 points when stacked with triple points promotion on a $132 rate.
Loyalty Traveler – List of Radisson hotels with Club Carlson MegaPoints rate for 10,000 bonus points.
Hilton HHonors
Hilton hotel brands: Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Waldorf-Astoria Collection, Conrad Hotels, DoubleTree, Hampton Inn, Hilton Garden Inn, Homewood Suites, Home2 Suites.
Hilton HHonors Double Points or Double Miles Promotion extended through August 31, 2015.
Loyalty Traveler – Hilton HHonors extends double points to August 31 (May 29, 2015)
Hilton HHonors repeats its standard promotion offer for double points or double miles. I analyze the three earning options during the promotion period in my article.
Hyatt Hotels – Hyatt Gold Passport
Hotel Brands: Hyatt Regency, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Place, Hyatt House, Park Hyatt, Andaz.
Hyatt Gold Passport Sweet Dreams, Sweet Rewards June 1 – September 30 is a member targeted promotion with different offers. My personal offer was stay 20 nights for 50,000 bonus points.
There are three other versions of Hyatt Sweet Dreams, Sweet Rewards reported on FlyerTalk.
- One stay earns 3,000 bonus points.
- 10 Nights earn 20,000 bonus points.
- 25 nights earn 65,000 bonus points.
There are no links provided since these are targeted offers for your own account. Check your email.
Loyalty Traveler – Hyatt Sweet Dreams Sweet Rewards June 1 to September 30 Promotion (June 3, 2015).
IHG Rewards Club
Hotel Brands – InterContinental Hotels, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites, Hualux (China), Even.
IHG PointBreaks February 25-May 31, 2015 are one of the best deals in hotel loyalty with every hotel 5,000 points per night.
Loyalty Traveler – IHG PointBreaks list May 27 to July 31, 2015 (May 27)
IHG Share Forever May 1 – September 7, 2015 is a promotion with individually targeted tasks for IHG Rewards Club members. My offer is a nights based deal.
IHG Points Offered at Each Goal Post
1 night = 1,000 bonus points.
4 nights = 5,000 bonus points.
- Promotion bonus total = 6,000 points.
7 nights = 4,000 bonus points.
- Promotion bonus total = 10,000 points.
10 nights = 8,000 bonus points.
- Promotion bonus total = 18,000 points and the ability to gift IHG Rewards Club Gold elite to another person.
14 nights = 50,000 bonus points or two free nights.
- Promotion bonus total = 68,000 points or 2 free nights + 18,000 points.
24 nights = 60,000 bonus points.
- Promotion bonus total = 128,000 points or 2 free nights + 78,000 points.
Loyalty Traveler – IHG Rewards Club Share Forever promotion assessment (April 22).
Marriott International – Marriott Rewards
Marriott hotel brands: Marriott, JW Marriott, Renaissance, Fairfield Inn, SpringHill Suites, TownePlace Suites, Residence Inn, Courtyard by Marriott, Autograph Collection, Ritz-Carlton, Marriott Vacation Clubs.
Marriott has not announced a system-wide promotion since the latest Marriott Rewards MegaBonus ended April 30, 2015.
I received a targeted offer to fast-track to Gold elite in May 2015 with 12 nights by July 31. I won’t make that offer.
Loyalty Traveler – Marriott Gold elite after 12 nights Welcome Back targeted promotion (May 11)
Loyalty Traveler – Marriott India special rates for suites and meals (May 27).
Ritz-Carlton Rewards
Double Elite Nights for Ritz-Carlton stays in 2015.
Loyalty Traveler – Ritz-Carlton Rewards double elite nights in 2015 for Ritz-Carlton hotel stays (Jan 15, 2015).
Starwood Preferred Guest
Starwood Hotels brands: Westin, Sheraton, Four Points, Aloft, Element, Luxury Collection, St. Regis, W Hotels, Le Meridien, Tribute Portfolio
SPG Make It Count Weekend Night promotion for 1,000 bonus points per stay that includes a Friday, Saturday or Sunday from June 1 to August 31, 2015. Loyalty Traveler – SPG weekend night 1,000 points to August 31, 2015 and preview of Sheraton free nights offer (June 2).
Targeted SPG Promotion Offer: I received an offer from Starwood Preferred Guest in early May 2015 for 7,500 bonus points after three stays completed by July 31, 2015. Loyalty Traveler – SPG Select Member Exclusive 7,500 bonus points after 3 stays May 1 to July 31 (May 3).
Tribute Portfolio is the new 10th Starwood Hotels brand. Earn 2,000 bonus points for a stay at the Royal Palm South Beach Miami by July 15, 2015. Loyalty Traveler – Earn 2,000 bonus Starpoints for Starwood Tribute Portfolio stay, new 10th brand (May 2, 2015)
SPG Special Rate: Pay Your Birth Year Rate (Pay fixed rate for first night and pay your birth year for nights 2 and 3.) Example, 1970 means $70 per night. Rate is adjusted at check-in. Loyalty Traveler – When Starwood Birth Year Rate is a deal and an upgrade (May 9, 2015).
Wyndham Rewards
Wyndham Hotel Brands: Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Wyndham Grand, Wyndham Garden, Tryp by Wyndham, Wingate by Wyndham, Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham, Microtel Inn & Suites, Ramada Worldwide, Baymont Inn & Suites, Days Inn, Super 8, Howard Johnson, Travelodge, Knights Inn, Dolce Hotels & Resorts.
Wyndham Rewards made major changes to its hotel loyalty program in May 2015. The value of Wyndham Rewards points for hotel stays has greatly improved. I wrote a series of articles in May 2015 analyzing the changes.
Loyalty Traveler – Berlin trophy travel with incredible new Wyndham Rewards points value (May 10) – this article looks at the value of all 7,000+ Wyndham brand hotels worldwide changing to 15,000 points per reward night.
Loyalty Traveler – Loyalty brilliance in the new era of Wyndham Rewards (May 12) – a look at how the changes in Wyndham Rewards make lower end hotels more desirable for points stays with new GoFast reward nights for 3,000 points + cash payment of $25 to $95 per night.
Loyalty Traveler – Wyndham Irvine SNA Airport high points value with Go Fast award stay (May 12)
Loyalty Traveler – Pick up a quick 9,000 Wyndham Rewards points for about $110 to $130 (May 14) – Wyndham Rewards members can buy 5,000 points for $55 in a calendar year. Wyndham Rewards also offers 3,000 bonus points on your first stay and a minimum 1,000 points earning for any hotel stay in the new program. Earning 9,000 points for about $110 to $130 is fairly easy and those 9,000 points can easily save over $200 on three GoFast reward nights.
