Yesterday, I posted a comparative analysis of 2015 Q1 hotel promotions from seven chains based on $1,000 in hotel spend. Club Carlson, Choice Privileges, IHG Rewards Club, Marriott Rewards, Starwood Preferred Guest and Hilton HHonors were analyzed.
Loyalty Traveler – Evaluating 2015 Q1 hotel promotions with $1000 spend (Jan 11, 2015)
I have updated the Loyalty Traveler monthly page on hotel promotions. The page of promotions offers more information on some of the hotel chain programs and promotions available through the link at the top of Loyalty Traveler blog. The primary current hotel loyalty promotions for 2015 Q1 are shown below in this post.
Loyalty Traveler January 2015 Hotel Promotions Guide
2015 sees expanded free internet access in Hyatt, Marriott and Starwood Hotels. Pretty much every major hotel chain, except Hilton, now guarantees free internet access worldwide for loyalty members across more than a dozen hotel chains. Hilton limits free internet access to Gold and Diamond members.
Loyalty Traveler – Marriott Rewards free WiFi worldwide begins January 15, 2015 (December 10, 2014)
Starwood Hotels improved its Best Rate Guarantee to offer a 20% discount. For me at least, this makes Starwood Hotels more comptetitive to other BRG claims. 2,000 points was good compensation for a $100 room night, but for a $200 room night found for $180 somewhere else, the 10% discount for a $162 rate did not make the grade compared to Marriott 25% off for $135 rate and Hyatt 20% off for $144 rate. Good move Starwood.
The other major trend is a change in cancellation policies with Hilton, Marriott and Starwood announcing Day Before Arrival policies worldwide for hotel reservation cancellation without penalty. Hilton and Marriott require cancellation by 11:59pm day before arrival and Starwood requires 6pm Day Before Arrival.
Best Western Rewards:
Offer Details: Best Western Rewards® members who register and book ANY qualified rate on bestwestern.com will also receive 500 bonus points per stay* between November 24, 2014 and February 1, 2015.
Register at www.bestwestern.com/winter. Online booking bonus of 500 points per stay is available on any rate.
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Best Western Great Britain Winter Sale has 280 hotels for 30% or 40% or 50% off Best Flexible Rate for stays December 15 to March 31, 2015. These rates are prepaid and nonrefundable.
Choice Privileges:
Choice Privileges offers triple points, which is 30 points per dollar at most brands. I value Choice Privileges points by hotel redemption values in Norway and Sweden. This is one of the best value offers for travel in January and February, Spend $534 at Choice Hotels and earn 16,000 points. That is enough points for one night at about 160 Choice Hotels in Norway or Sweden, where rates are typically $200 to $400 per night. Loyalty Traveler – Choice Privileges Triple Points Dec 29-February 18, 2015 (December 29, 2014)
Club Carlson Promotions
Extend Your Stay Bonus Points: 15,000 bonus points for 2-night stay and 30,000 bonus points for 3-night and longer stays at any Club Carlson participating hotel January 12 to March 29, 2015. Club Carlson Jan 12 to March 29, 2015 stays earn 15K for 2 nights, 30K for 3 nights (Jan 5, 2015).
Extend Your Stay is the best hotel bonus points offer during this period among the major hotel chains.
Loyalty Traveler – Hotel stay examples stacking Club Carlson promotions to rack up points and miles (September 22)
Club Carlson Gold elites 2-for-1 and 4-for-2 rates in Europe, Middle East and Africa. Loyalty Traveler post May 29.
http://www.clubcarlson.com/2for1
Hilton HHonors Promotions
Hilton HHonors Double Points November 1 – January 31, 2015. Double points begins with your second stay.
Loyalty Traveler – Register for Hilton HHonors Double Up Double Points Nov 1 to Jan 31, 2015
Hyatt Gold Passport promotions
Hyatt Stay More Play More January 15-April 30, 2015 has five targeted promotion variations from 2,000 bonus points to 65,000 bonus. Login to your account to find which offer you received or join Hyatt Gold Passport.
Loyalty Traveler – Hyatt Gold Passport Stay More Play More Jan 15 to April 30, 2015 registration (Jan 9, 2015)
Hyatt Gold Passport News: Loyalty Traveler – Hyatt Award category changes Jan 22, 2015 with 22 hotels up and 48 down (December 10, 2014)
Hyatt Gold Passport News: Loyalty Traveler – Hyatt drops My Elite 20% Discount Rate and 5,000 points Bed Type Guarantee (Dec 11, 2014)
Expired bonus points offer, but I’ll keep the link up for Hyatt mobile app download. Hyatt mobile app earned 1,000 points per booking Oct 1- Dec 31, 2014.
Hyatt Mobile app promotion page and download links
Loyalty Traveler – Mobile apps for hotel discounts and bonus points: Hyatt, Club Carlson, Expedia, TravelPony (Oct 5)
IHG Rewards Club
IHG PointBreaks November 24-February 28, 2015 are one of the best deals in hotel loyalty with every hotel 5,000 points per night. Loyalty Traveler – IHG PointBreaks Nov 24 to Feb 28, 2015 by State and Country.
IHG Set Your Sights January 1, 2015 to April 30, 2015 earns up to 50,000 bonus points for completing tasks in your targeted offer. My tasks require a minimum 6 nights with two 2-night weekends and 2 stays at Crowne Plaza. Kelley’s tasks require a minimum 3 nights including one weekend stay at a Holiday Inn. Loyalty Traveler – Our IHG Set Your Sights tasks for 50000 points Jan 1-Apr 30, 2015
IHG Into the Nights (Expired Promotion)
I am leaving up links this month to my articles on IHG Into the Nights since this was the major promotion I concentrated on forhotel stays during the last two months of 2014. Kelley and I picked up four free nights good for any IHG hotel worldwide in 2015. The promotion was a hassle with unclear terms and changing tasks, yet we persevered and earned four free nights after six paid nights and about $650 in spend, the last stay being December 30, 2014.
Promotion Expired: IHG Fall promotion for 50,000 bonus points or 10,000 bonus miles September 4 to December 31, 2014. Register for the “Into the Nights” promotion at www.ihg.com/freenights. Once registered, members receive their tailored set of offers and begin earning IHG® Rewards Club bonus points or bonus airline miles when they stay at any IHG®-branded hotel between.
Loyalty Traveler – My IHG Rewards Club Into the Nights offer (September 5, 2014)
Loyalty Traveler – IHG Into the Nights Clusterf#*k (October 20, 2014)
Loyalty Traveler – Dealing with IHG Into the Nights Fiasco. I was one of the members deeply impacted by IHG Rewards Club Into the Nights changes in October 2014. (October 26, 2014)
Loyalty Traveler – IHG Into the Nights fiasco deconstructed (October 29, 2014)
Loyalty Traveler – Completed my IHG Into the Nights in 2 nights for $235? (December 8, 2014)
Loyalty Traveler – My IHG Into the Nights tasks posted for 2 free nights (December 11, 2014)
Loyalty Traveler – Closing out IHG Into the Nights before Set Your Sights on 2015 (January 2, 2015)
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Loyalty Traveler – IHG mobile app and bonus points breakfast package for Into the Nights. This post has the link for finding bonus points and breakfast package rates for hotels where they may not appear in a regular search. Some hotels offer 5,000 points for as low as $10 more than Best Flexible Rate.
IHG link to find hotel package rates for Bonus Points with Breakfast. Offers are generally 1,000 bonus points + breakfast; 5,000 bonus points; 5,000 bonus points + breakfast. These are often a good deal for a one-night stay to buy 5,000 points at a discount (rate is generally $20 to $40 more) if you need breakfast for the hotel stay.
Marriott Rewards Promotions
Loyalty Traveler – Marriott Rewards free WiFi worldwide begins January 15, 2015 (December 10, 2014)
Loyalty Traveler – Marriott MegaBonus offers for Feb 1 to April 30, 2015 (Dec 19, 2014)
Spring MegaBonus February 1 to April 30, 2015 targeted offers:
- Earn 3,000 points on every paid stay that includes a Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday — up to 24,000 bonus points (maxes out after 9 stays over weekend day)
- Earn 3,000 points on every paid stay, starting with your second stay, up to 24,000 bonus points (maxes out after 9 stays)
- Earn 2,500 points on every paid stay, starting with your second stay, up to 25,000 bonus points (maxes out after 11 stays)
- Earn 2,000 points on every paid stay, starting with your second stay, up to 24,000 bonus points (maxes out after 13 stays)
- Earn 10,000 points after 10 paid nights plus 2,000 points with every additional night, up to 24,000 bonus points (maxes out after 17 nights)
- Earn 25,000 points after 20 paid nights plus 2,000 points after every additional night, up to 35,000 bonus points (maxes out after 25 nights)
- Earn 15,000 points after 15 paid nights plus 2,000 points with every additional night, up to 35,000 bonus points (maxes out after 25 nights)
- Earn 25,000 points after 15 paid nights plus 2,000 points after every additional night, up to 45,000 bonus points (maxes out after 25 nights)
- Earn 35,000 points after 20 paid nights plus 2,000 points after every additional night, up to 55,000 bonus points (maxes out after 30 nights)
Marriott Rewards MegaBonus targeted offers Sep 15-Jan 15, 2015 Loyalty Traveler post August 13, 2014
- Version 1: Earn double points with every paid stay, starting with your second stay, up to 25,000 bonus points.
- Version 2: Earn 2,500 bonus points on every stay, starting with your second paid stay, up to 25,000 bonus points.
- Version 3: Earn 25,000 bonus points after 12 paid nights, plus an additional 5,000 points after 18 paid nights, up to 30,000 bonus points.
- Version 4: Earn 25,000 bonus points after 15 paid nights, plus an additional 15,000 points after 20 paid nights, up to 40,000 bonus points.
- Version 5: Earn 35,000 bonus points after 20 paid nights, plus and additional 15,000 after 25 nights, up to 50,000 bonus points.
- Version 6: Earn 35,000 bonus points after 20 paid nights, plus an additional 2,000 for every additional paid night, up to 55,000 bonus points.
Ritz-Carlton Rewards
Double Elite Credit for Ritz-Carlton stays in 2014. This benefit is retroactive for all 2014 stays if you were a Ritz-Carlton Rewards member during the stay.
Starwood Preferred Guest
SPG Double Play January 5 – April 15, 2015 earn double points on 2-night stays and 1,000 bonus points after every five nights, up to 4,000 bonus points for 20 nights. Loyalty Traveler – SPG Double Play Jan 5 to April 15, 2015 is double weak (December 30, 2014).
SPG Double Points Latin America to January 31, 2015. Loyalty Traveler –Starwood Hotels Latin America Double points to Jan 31, 2015 (December 12, 2014). This overlaps with SPG Double Play. Latin America bonus and Double Play are probably not stackable, but you might get lucky.
Wyndham Rewards
2015 Bonus Points for stays 2-6 from October 15, 2014 to January 30, 2015 for a maximum 10,075 bonus points after six stays.
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Ric Garrido of Monterey, California is writer and owner of Loyalty Traveler.
Loyalty Traveler shares news and views on hotels, hotel loyalty programs and vacation destinations for frequent guests. Check out current hotel loyalty program offers across all the major chains in Loyalty Traveler’s monthly hotel promotions guide.
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