Bonus Night at St. Regis Hotels & Resorts

The St. Regis hotel chain is offering a free bonus night with a 3 day consecutive stay. It's a simple straightforward promotion. You can either book online or call 1 877 STREGIS but make sure to mention promo code R4R/R4H. There is some small print with this deal, so please read below to see some of the more relevant T&C before booking. Follow the link to the remainder of the T&C. Also, you can't use points for 3 nights and get the 4th free. This promotion is for paying customers only. A savy business traveler may be able to find a good use for this offer.

Relevant Terms & Conditions:
- Offer valid at participating St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, please see participating property list.
- Offer is valid for stays booked and completed between August 1, 2009 and March 31, 2010.
- Advance reservations are required should be made using Promotion Code=R4R (Resorts) or Promotion Code=R4H (Hotels).
- Offer is only valid for a four-night minimum/maximum length of stay.
- Only available for arrivals on Wednesday-Saturday at Hotels. At Resorts all days of arrival are available.
- The complimentary fourth night must be used in conjunction with a full paid three night stay.
- Consecutive reservations for this offer will not be honored.
- These offers are based on Starwood’s best available unrestricted retail rates.
- Advance purchase required. Credit card will be charged at time of booking. Reservations cannot be changed, are pre-paid and non-refundable; if cancellation takes place, guests forfeit total room charge plus tax.

Hit a Grand Slam with US Airways

Earn hits with our partners and score bonus miles. It's that easy. You can earn up to 50,000 miles, 4,000 of which are Preferred-qualifying, so step up to the plate! It’s time to join the big leagues with some big league miles. Earn as many hits as you can between September 1 and November 15, 2009.

Here's how it works:
Register online
Earn miles with our partners

US Airways Credit Cards (earn 1 hit per card type – max of 5 hits)
Hotels (earn 1 hit for every stay – max of 6 hits)
Hotel transfers (earn 1 hit for every transfer – max of 6 hits)
Cars (earn 1 hit for every rental – max of 6 hits)
Other partners (earn 1 hit – max of 1 hit per partner)
Watch your miles add up

Not a Dividend Miles member? Join now.

Check out the link below to view the terms and conditions.

http://www.usairways.com/awa/content/help/promotions/GS09terms.aspx

1000 US Airways Miles with each Starwood Stay

For all you US Airways and Starwood fanatics out there (I know there must be more than just me), check out the latest joint promotion awarding 1,000 Dividend Miles per a stay at select Starwood properties. This offer is valid on stays through December 31, 2009. To reserve, book online or call 866-716-8137 and ask for rate plan FDAILY0.

Terms and Conditions

The fine print is a little too much to list out here, so I’m just hitting the key points. The see the entire terms and conditions check them out here.

• Offer valid for Airline Direct DepositSM participants for stays at participating hotels & resorts in Arizona, California and Nevada consumed by December 31, 2009 using rate plan FDAILY0.
• To receive the bonus miles, guest must be a member of Starwood Preferred Guest®, and have selected UA Airways Dividend Miles as their currency of choice in advance at MoreMiles. With Airline Direct Deposit, the Starpoints® earned from only hotel stays and select bonus offers will be converted automatically to the member's airline account and may not be transferred back to Starwood Preferred Guest.
• Please allow 6-8 weeks for US Airways Dividend Miles to be posted to your airline account.

Hilton Promotion: 10,000 Points

Hilton recently announced a promotion that will award 10,000 bonus points after 5 stays. The promotion is valid for stays between July 15 and September 30 at participating hotels. The bonus points awards increase for each stay:

• 1st Stay - 500 points
• 2nd Stay - 1,000 points
• 3rd Stay - 1,500 points
• 4th Stay - 2,000 points
• 5th Stay - 5,000 points

A maximum of 10,000 points can be earned with this promotion and the offer cannot be combined with other select promotional rates, bonus points and/or miles offers.

Hilton HHonors American Express Credit Card

American Express offers two credit cards for earning Hilton HHonors points. Both cards offer sizeable bonuses for initial purchases and ongoing benefits for booking and paying for stays with the credit cards. There are subtle differences in the two cards but the biggest ones are the accumulation of points and the annual fee.

Hilton HHonors American Express Card

The Hilton HHonors credit card allows you to earn HHonors points with your purchases with no annual fees. Key information about this card:

• No annual fee.
• 2.9% low interest rate for your first six months.
• 20,000 HHonors bonus points for first purchase with the Hilton HHonors Card.
• 10,000 HHonors bonus points for first 4 Hilton Family stays paid with the Card. (2,500 points/stay and must be completed within first 18 months of card membership)
• 6 HHonors bonus points for every U.S. dollar charged at participating Hilton Family hotels worldwide.
• 6 HHonors bonus points for every U.S. dollar charged in the following everyday spend categories: grocery stores, drugstores, gas stations, home and wireless phone, cable and satellite TV, and Internet service providers (less returns).
• 3 HHonors bonus points for every U.S. dollar charged for all other purchases anywhere American Express Cards are accepted (less returns).
• 500 HHonors bonus points every time you book your stay through any Hilton Family website and charge it to your Hilton HHonors Card from American Express.
• Upgrade to HHonors Silver VIP status for the duration of your Cardmembership.
• Upgrade to Hilton HHonors Gold VIP for one year when you make eligible charges of $20,000 or more annually to your Card.

Hilton HHonors Surpass Card from American Express

The Hilton HHonors Surpass credit card allows you to earn HHonors points at a higher rate than the standard card but for a $75 annual fee. Key differences between this card and the standard card:

• 9 HHonors bonus points for every $1 spent at Hilton Family hotels worldwide.
• Complimentary Gold VIP status for first year, and then maintain Gold VIP status with annual spending of $20,000.
• Diamond VIP status with annual spending of $40,000.
• In your first 18 months of Cardmembership, earn 2,500 HHonors bonus points for each of your first eight stays at Hilton Family hotels when you Charge $100 or more to your Hilton HHonors Surpass Card for each of those eight stays.
• Automatic enrollment in the Priority Pass program. Priority Pass membership automatically renews on its anniversary date, unless canceled prior to the anniversary date. For complete Priority Pass terms and conditions and a directory of participating lounges, visit http://www.prioritypass.com/.

My Prescription

If you are looking to maximize your points at Hilton and you are able to take advantage of either of these cards then do so. For the standard card, the 30,000 bonus points and 6 HHonors bonus points per dollar spent is enticing but 40,000 bonus points, 9 HHonors bonus points per dollar spent, and Priority Pass membership for a year is even more appealing. The real key for the Surpass card is the automatic enrollment in the Hilton HHonors program at the Gold VIP level. At this level you will be also be able to earn a 25% bonus on all HHonors Base points and the ability to earn 1,000 bonus points per stay. Either card is a great way to jumpstart your Hilton earnings but the Surpass card is well worth the $75 fee and it is what I recommend for the Hilton traveler.

Further Hilton credit card offers will be reviewed soon in addition to a thorough review of the Hilton HHonors program this week.

Live Well, Get Miles: 35 Ways to Earn Miles (Plus a Few More From Us)

Yesterday on my flight, I read a good article on earning airline miles, Live Well, Get Miles. The Budget Travel article by Brad Tuttle provided various methods for earning miles from credit cards use to shopping to earning miles the through use of more traditional methods, such as travelling. The article provided a good overview of the various methods for earning miles but there were many more that were excluded.

Here are my top three options for earning miles that were excluded:

• Hotels - Nearly every hotel program offers the option of converting hotel points to miles. Several programs offer bonuses if a certain number of points are redeemed. There are even some hotel reward programs that offer limited-time promotions that can double or triple the conversion rate for points. Although hotel points are more valuable if redeemed for free hotel nights, redeeming hotel points for airline miles can be a great source for miles.
• Car Rentals - Car rental companies are a great source for airline miles. There are several rental car companies that have very generous airline mile promotions that can result in tens of thousands of miles in mere weeks. Avis is currently offering 5,000 miles for a 4 day rental.
• Airline Promotions - Airlines often have generous offers to entice and retain travelers. Before booking do a search of this site, or other travel sites, to see if there are any promotions that can add free miles to your account. A recent Delta CVG promotion offered 25,000 miles for 5 round trip from the Cincinnati airport within a 3 month period just as long as you signed up. Currently, Delta has a targeted promotion that can result in a 10,000 mile bonus for a round-trip purchase. Being aware of these promotions is the key.

My Prescription

Although stated in the article, being an informed consumer in regards to fare redemption costs, and promotions offered by airlines, hotels, car rental, and credit card companies is important. Just as important, if not more so, is to be a savvy consumer in regards to your credit and purchases. It does not make a lot of sense to have your spending outstrip your income just to earn miles. Nor does it make sense to overpay for items just to earn miles when the miles earned do not outweigh the increase cost to purchase the item. Be a wise consumer and point earner.

Hotel Reward Programs: Hyatt Gold Passport (HGP)

This post is the second in a series that will provide an analysis of the various hotel reward programs. The analysis of the reward programs will include information on the participating hotel chains, ease of earning points, point redemption options and costs, program tiers, and, finally, an overall evaluation of the program. As more programs are reviewed a side-by-side comparison of the programs will be provided along with the program's Martini score, our unique valuation for reward programs that will allow you to effective compare programs.

Hotels

Global Hyatt subsidiaries own, operate, manage or franchise more than 370 hotels and resorts worldwide under the Hyatt®, Hyatt Regency®, Hyatt Resorts™, Grand Hyatt®, Park Hyatt®, Hyatt Place®, Hyatt Summerfield Suites® and Andaz™ brands with additional properties under development on five continents. A brief overview of the brands, in order from most luxurious and expensive to least:

• Park Hyatt Hotels - Smaller, luxury hotels designed to cater to discerning travelers.
• Andaz - Our newest brand focused on indulging guests with simple luxuries and unexpected details.
• Grand Hyatt Hotels - Grand in every sense, these hotels feature luxurious accommodations, dramatic architecture and state-of-the-art technology.
• Hyatt Regency Hotels - Our best-known hotels feature stylish, contemporary design, abundant meeting facilities and extraordinary restaurants.
• Hyatt Resorts - Local culture inspires unique experiences rarely found in travel guides at Hyatt Resorts. Experience distinctive architecture, localized spa experiences and gourmet regional cuisine with your stay.
• Hyatt Place - A new kind of hotel that puts style, innovation and The Hyatt Touch® within your reach.
• Hyatt Summerfield Suites - Upscale, residential style all-suite hotels with full kitchens that are more comfortable, more stylish, and more like home.
• Hyatt Vacation Club - Own a vacation of a lifetime from the most trusted name in vacation clubs

The Program

Hyatt Gold Passport is a three-tiered program that is known for its generousity in awarding point and free nights. The program is divided into three tiers (see membership levels below) with Diamond being the highest.

Achieving Platinum status is the key to increased points and it only takes 5 stays to make Platinum. The 15% and 30% point bonuses for Platinum and Diamond, respectively, is a relatively small increase in award points but the special rewards that occur after every third stay, complimentary internet access, and other perks make the Platinum and Diamond statuses appealing. Diamond members also enjoy the following amenities each stay:

Exclusive access to the Regency Club™ or Grand Club™ lounge featuring complimentary continental breakfast and evening hors d’oeuvres.

Daily complimentary full breakfast in hotels without a club lounge

Suite upgrade at time of reservation four times annually on paid room nights

Special welcome point bonus or food and beverage amenity during each stay (500 to 1,000 points award based on propery type).

Earning Points

Hyatt Gold Passport members earn five points for every eligible dollar spent at Hyatt properties. In addition, Platinum members earn a 15% point bonus while Diamond members receive a 30% point bonus. For example, a $100 night would earn 500, 575, and 650 points for Gold, Platinum, and Diamond status levels respectively. These points represent the standard points awarded for your stay.

In addition to the standard points awarded for each stay, there are several other options for earning points: Welcome amenity points, known in the frequent flyer community as "G" codes, promotional points, points earned with car rental partners, and points earned through Platinum and Diamond statuses.

Platinum and Diamond members earn special rewards, Platinum Extra Awards, after every third stay. The amount of the award increases with every sixth stay. Here is a breakdown of the awards:

Stay 03: 1,000 HGP Points

Stay 06: 1,000 HGP Points

Stay 09: 1,500 HGP Points OR 500 travel partner miles

Stay 12: 1,500 HGP Points OR 500 travel partner miles

Stay 15: 2,000 HGP Points, 1,000 travel partner miles, Regency Club upgrade, OR $10 Starbucks gift card

Stay 18: 2,000 HGP Points, 1,000 travel partner miles, Regency Club upgrade, OR $10 Starbucks gift card

Stay 21: 2,500 HGP Points, 1,500 travel partner miles, OR Regency Club upgrade

Stay 24: 2,500 HGP Points, 1,500 travel partner miles, OR Regency Club upgrade

These awards are a nice supplement to the standard and promotional points that can be earned. Even better is the 1,000 points that are available for Diamond members for each stay.

For each stay, there is also an option to earn airline miles directly. Five hundred miles are awarded per stay instead of the standard points per night. If airline miles are more important to you than the HGP points, then consider this option just as long as the miles awarded per stay is less than the 2.5 HGP point to 1 airline mile ratio.

Earning Hyatt Gold Passport Points with Avis and Sixt

HGP points can also be earned by renting cars at Avis and Sixt. Earn 300 bonus points for each qualifying rental at participating Avis or Sixt locations. A Hyatt stay is not required, simply request Hyatt Gold Passport points at the rental counter.

As a Gold Passport member, you can save up to 20% on car rentals worldwide with Avis. Visit Avis.com and provide the Hyatt Gold Passport/Avis Worldwide Discount number K817700 when making your reservation.

At Sixt, Hyatt Gold Passport Gold members receive a 15% discount, Platinum members receive a 25% discount, and Diamond members receive a 35% discount. Discount is valid on all eligible rental rates. Internet rates are not eligible. Call +49 (0) 1805 25 25 25 to book your rental. To receive your discount, be sure to show your Hyatt Gold Passport membership card when you pick up your vehicle. For more information on Sixt car rentals, visit Sixt rent a car.

Redeeming Points

As with most reward programs, hotel reward points can be redeemed for free hotel nights and airline miles. In addition, the HGP program allows points to be redeemed for car rentals. For only 6,000 points per day, an intermediate car can be rented free of charge from Avis® and Sixt Rent-A-Car®.

The most likely and common redemption for hotel reward points are free hotel nights. Hyatt hotels are divided into five categories as illustrated by the chart below. The points required for free hotel nights may seem high compared to competing hotel chains but upon closer inspection of the program, the amount of points that can be earned per stay actually puts the program on par with the competitors.

Hyatt Gold Passport points can also be converted into airline miles. Hyatt has partnerships with many of the leading airlines with a basic redemption rate of 2.5 HGP points to 1 airline mile. Redeeming 5,000 HGP points will result in 2,000 airline miles except with the following airlines:

• Aeromexico/LanChile ------------- 4,000 km
• China Eastern Airlines ---------- 3,200 miles
• Mexicana ------------------------ 2,500 miles
• Qantas -------------------------- 2,400 Points
• Southwest Airlines -------------- 2 Credits
• Virgin Atlantic Airways --------- 3,000 miles

A minimum of 5,000 Hyatt Gold Passport points is required for each conversion request. Additional point conversions can be made in 1,250 point increments. Converting 50,000 points initiates a 5,000 point bonus which results in a total of 25,000 airline miles. Allow up to 4-10 weeks for the miles to appear on your airline frequent flyer account.

The Bottom Line

The Hyatt Gold Passport program is a great program highlighted by the nearly annual Faster Free Nights promotion. That promotion alone makes this program one of the best in the industry. The recent changes to the program should enhance its appeal and make it one you should consider adding to your hotel rotation.

Why I Hop

Every day I am on the road I sleep in a different hotel. Every day I check in. Every day I unpack. Every day I pack. Every day I check out. Every day is a trip in itself as I make my way from hotel to hotel. Sometimes the hotels are 30 miles apart. Sometimes the hotels are right next door to each other. Why, do you ask? Why would a sane person subject themselves to this maddening routine? Sadistic? Some obsessive-compulsive disorder? No. I do it for points and status and if you are serious about earning points then you should consider doing it too.

Benefits of Hopping

So how much of a difference can hopping really make? A lot. Most reward program benefits are based on stays not days. To maximize the points provided by these programs you need to transition from staying at a hotel for 4 nights into 4 individual single-night stays. Four 500 point platinum amenities, for the four individual stays, at Starwood will net you an additional 1,500 points for the week. At Hyatt, a 2,500 point MasterCard promotional award coupled with a G2 2,000 point welcome award results in an additional 13,500 points for the week. Not only will more points be earned but you will also be able to achieve program statuses faster and acquire free nights that are often given away after 2 stays.

Help for the Hopper

Having done the hotel hop for quite some time, I have learned a few things that might be of benefit to you:

• Unpack just what you need for that day. My next day's clothes and toiletry bag is all I take out of suitcase. I keep everything else in the suitcase so that I can get check out as quickly as possible in the morning.
• Try to pick hotels near each other. Sometimes this is not possible but when it is it will make your travelling that much easier.
• If you have the luxury of having a car on your trip then the transporting of your luggage between hotels is relatively easy. For those who do not have a car, I recommend bringing an empty duffel bag in your checked-in luggage. To hop between two hotels in downtown San Francisco, Hotel A and Hotel B, I would go to Hotel A on Monday with my all of my belongings. At checkout, I would check-in my suitcase at the hotel and carry with me my duffel bag to Hotel B. My duffel bag contained my clothes for the next day, my toiletry bag, and anything else I might need for the following day. When I return to Hotel A on Wednesday, I would retrieve my checked-in suitcase and then repeat the duffel bag shuffle for Thursday.
• Until you get into a routine I would recommend tracking where you are going to be each day. At the end of a long work day you might not be at your sharpest and as a result you may end up at the wrong hotel. Yes, it has happened to me.
• Hopping can be in the same hotel chain or it can be a combination of hotel chains. Beginning in September, I will be hopping every other night between two Hyatt properties for the pending Faster Free Nights promotion. This is in contrast to my time in Charlotte where I hopped between the Starwood and Hyatt brands in an effort to achieve Platinum and Diamond statuses, respectively.
• Stay up-to-date on promotions and be sure to read them carefully. When I first started hopping there was a Hilton promotion that I thought was going to allow me to earn a fair number of airline miles. After hopping between Hiltons a few times and not seeing any miles, I read the promotion more closely. I was dismayed to learn that the stays had to be at least two days in length. Check the fine print and be sure your hopping doesn't leave you hopping mad.
• I have been upgraded to suites numerous times while hopping. Arriving later in the evening seemed to improve my chances for the upgrade as any potential high-rollers would likely have arrived by then. With only a single night stay, hotels are more likely to give you the suite as opposed to a multi-day stay traveler since they will at least have a chance to rent the room the next day.
• There have been reports that hotels on the same system, such as Dallas Starwood hotels, may not recognize different stays in different hotels. I will look into this further and provide a comment to this post if I can find out more.

My Prescription

If you are serious about points, and what they can provide, then you should consider hotel hopping. It only took me a week or two to adjust to the hopping lifestyle. The transition was made a lot easier with the substantial increase in points, status, and upgrades. I am sure you will agree once you drink the Kool-Aid.

Starwood - SPG® Double Starpoints

Starwood just announced a new promotion: Double Starpoints through the end of September. This is a targeted promotion so it may be difficult to sign up for it as they are really clamping down on rogue sign ups. Hopefully that will change in the next couple of days as more people are notified of the promotion. I could not even sign up but rest assured I will keep on trying and will report back to you when I finally get in. In the interim, keep an eye on your inbox for the promotion's invitation.

The Promotion

Double Starpoints are yours through September 30.

It truly is an exciting time to be an SPG® member — especially when you're earning travel rewards twice as fast. This exclusive invitation lets you earn double Starpoints® on every stay this summer between now and September 30, 2009. For Preferred Guest® members, that's four Starpoints per eligible dollar spent versus the standard two. Gold and Platinum members will earn five Starpoints per eligible dollar spent.

Easy Tip to Save 65,000 Points off Your Next Hilton Stay

If you use the Hilton Going Global award you will be able to save 65,000 points off your next Hilton stay.

Trip Summary

Hilton Seychelles - 6 night award for a total of 175,000 Hilton Honors points.

Points w/Going Global Award - 175,000

Points w/o Going Global Award - 240,000

Total Point Savings - 65,000

65,000 Points = 1.375 nights on your next vacation

Good Value

The Hilton Seychelles was selling for over $1000 a night when we booked and it ended up being at 100% capacity during our stay. We achieved a point value of $.034 cents per mile ($1000 per night * 6 = $6,000/175,000 = $.034 cpm).

The Catch

You must be a Hilton Silver, Gold, or Diamond member.

What if I'm not a Silver, Gold, or Diamond Member

Use the Hilton Point Stretcher. This option saves you 40% of points on award nights and is only available at select hotels and was unavailable for use at the Hilton Seychelles.

Hotel Reward Programs: Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG)

This post is the first in a series that will provide an analysis of the various hotel reward programs. The analysis of the reward programs will include information on the participating hotel chains, ease of earning points, point redemption options and costs, program tiers, and, finally, an overall evaluation of the program. As more programs are reviewed a side-by-side comparison of the programs will be provided along with the program's Martini score, our unique valuation for reward programs that will allow you to effective compare programs.

Hotels

Starwood Hotel & Resorts is comprised of over 960 hotels located around the world across nine brands: St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, W, Westin, Le Meridian, Sheraton, Four Points, Aloft, and Element. A brief overview of the brands, in order from most luxurious and expensive to least:

• St. Regis® - Luxury full-service hotels, resorts and residences located in the ultimate locations within the world’s most desired destinations.
• The Luxury Collection® - Luxury full-service hotels and resorts. Unique hotels and resorts offering exceptional service to an elite clientele that include legendary palaces and remote retreats to timeless modern classics. These hotels are distinguished by magnificent decor, spectacular settings and impeccable service.
• W® - Luxury and upscale full service hotels, retreats and residences featuring world class design, world class restaurants and “on trend” bars and lounges.
• Westin® - Luxury and upscale full-service hotels, resorts and residences is a lifestyle brand competing in the upper upscale sector in nearly 30 countries around the globe. The hotels are characterized by service and offering among the highest for the everyday business traveler with their famous Heavenly Bed® and Heavenly Bath®, in-room spa treatments, WestinWORKOUT® Powered by Reebok (SM), and healthy menu options.
• Le Méridien® - Luxury and upscale full-service hotels, resorts and residences. A European-inspired brand with a French accent that has a distinctive character driven by its individuality and the Le Méridien brand values. With its underlying passion for food, art and style and its classic yet stylish design, Le Méridien offers a unique experience at some of the world's top travel destinations.
• Sheraton® - Luxury and upscale full-service hotels, resorts and residences is Starwood's largest brand serving the needs of luxury and upscale business and leisure travelers worldwide. Hotels vary from full-service hotels in major cities to luxurious resorts by the water. Sheraton hotels can be found in the most sought-after cities and resort destinations around the world.
• Four Points® - Select-service hotels for the self-sufficient traveler.
• Aloft - Select-service hotels that are a new addition to the Starwood brand that bring a cozy harmony of modern elements to the classic American on-the-road tradition for the business and leisure traveler.
• Element - An extended stay hotels that is also a new addition Starwood brand. The hotels provides a modern, upscale and intuitively designed hotel with an emphasis on nature.

Starwood's 2008 Annual Report provides the following breakdown across property types and locations:

The Program

Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) is the reward program for Starwood brand hotels. The program is recognized as an industry leader having earned numerous Freddies, awards given to the best frequent flyer and hotel bonus programs as rated by frequent flyers, and providing exceptional value to participants. The program is free but be aware that the points will expire if there is no activity on the account for 12 months.

Earning Points

Members at the Preferred Guest® level earn two Starpoints for every eligible U.S. dollar spent at participating hotels or resorts. Gold and platinum members earn three Starpoints for every dollar spent. Per stay, platinum members are awarded a platinum amenity that can include a free on-demand movie, food, or, for the point consensus, 500 additional points. A $100 night at a Starwood property would translate to 200 points, 300 points, and 800 points at preferred, Gold, and Platinum levels, respectively, assuming points are selected as the platinum amenity.

Points can also be earned with the SPG American Express credit card and through partnerships with a few retailers and rental car companies. The SPG American Express card is currently offering a 25,000 point bonus for new cardholders so take advantage of this offer if you are able.

Redeeming Points

The SPG program provides several options for you to redeem points. Free and discounted hotel nights, of course, are a redemption option but Starwood also allows points to be redeemed for airline miles, gift certificates, train travel, and unique experiences such as movie premieres and concerts through SPG Moments program.

Hotels are divided into seven categories ranging from one to seven with seven being the highest level of hotels.

Category 1 - 3,000 Starwood Points
Category 2 - 4,000 Starwood Points
Category 3 - 7,000 Starwood Points
Category 4 - 10,000 Starwood Points
Category 5 - 12,000 to 16,000 Starwood Points
Category 6 - 20,000 to 25,000 Starwood Points
Category 7 - 30,000 to 35,000 Starwood Points

In addition to being able to redeem points for free nights outright, there are options to reduce the cost of hotel stay by using a combination of points and cash, upgrading your room, or reducing the costs of the room by 50%. The best value in most instances is to use your points for free hotel nights especially those in the lower category levels. There are some decent hotel options in the lower levels including a Sheraton in Salt Lake City and a Sheraton near the Baltimore Washington International (BWI) airport.

Points can be redeemed for airline miles on a 1 point to 1 miles basis with most airlines. If 20,000 points are redeemed then a bonus of 5,000 miles are awarded. You can also redeem points for a flight directly from the SPG program. You may pay a premium for the ability to purchase a flight directly with points but the flights are not subject to blackout or restrictions.

Keep an eye on our site for announcements regarding special redemption periods where points can be converted to airline miles for additional bonuses. During the fall of 2008, 20,000 SPG points could be redeemed for 62,500 miles. These opportunities are few and far between but they do occur.

Finally, points can be redeemed for gift certificates. Not the best use of hotel points but the gift certificates do allow you to use points for something besides hotels or airline miles. Gift certificates are available from such retailers as Amazon, GAP, Nordstroms, Westin at Home, Williams-Sonoma, Avis, and iTunes. Flush with free reward nights and ample airmiles, I have converted points to Amazon gift certificates to purchase camera equipment. The best conversion rate for points is 14,000 points for a $150 gift certificate.

The Bottom Line

The hotel reward programs are great for hotels and travelers as loyalty to programs, and the hotel chains that offer them, can increase if the program's value is perceived to be high. Starwood's SPG program is no exception. The various options for redeeming miles and the value of the miles when redeeming is a strength of the SPG program. Especially nice are the hotel options in the lower category hotels that allow you to stretch your points further while still providing a relaxing, enjoyable night stay.

Hilton: A Cooler Room And Cool Deals

Making Hilton Brand Stays Cooler

Ever get stuck in a hotel room where the thermostat just won't go cold enough for you? I've been there too, once the thermostat wouldn't go below 75 on a hot summer day. I'm here to help.

Next time you are in this situation at a Hilton brand hotel give this a try.

While holding down "display"
Press "off"
Then Press "Up" arrow
Release "display" button

If the screen shows "VIP" you are in! This will enter the VIP mode which turns off the motion sensor, and allows a lower range of the thermostat so you can get the room as cold as your heart desires. This only works for INNCOM thermostats.

Hilton Promotion - 1000 Bonus Points Per Night

Hilton has had this promotion out since mid-April and has been discussed in detail over at flyertalk. You will earn 1000 bonus points per night at participating Hilton hotels, but you must hurry, this promotion ends June 30th. I started using this promotion once I had accumulated my target amount of free nights at SPG. A good way to earn points to use at some of the new Hilton properties.

Hilton Discover Waldorf Astoria Collection - 10,000 Per 3 Night Stay

Hilton is also running a promotion from now until September 30th, 2009 offering 10,000 bonus points for every 3 night stay.

Starwood - SPG® Free Weekend Nights

Starwood hotels are my hotel of choice. The Starwood brand is a staple among many business travelers as they provide great value in regards to the earning and the redemption of their reward points. This summer you have another reason to consider staying at Starwood hotel.

SPG® Free Weekend Nights Promotion

Through the end of July, you can earn one free weekend night for every two stays at any Starwood brand hotel with their Free Weekend Nights Promotion. A great deal for a hotel hopper like myself who will be hopping between Starwood hotels on a nightly basis four nights a week for the majority of the promotion. Although there are people out there who consider hoppers like myself a little crazy, it is hard to argue with the two free weekend nights and the points earned on a weekly basis during the promotion. Be aware the weekend nights are not transferrable so if you are not able to use the weekend nights before the end of September consider other hotel programs to supplement your hotel stays.

To redeem a Free Weekend Night Award, Preferred Guest members in the U.S. or Canada should call 866-539-0059. Elite members should call their dedicated Gold or Platinum customer service lines.

Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) Program

If you are not already a member of Starwood's reward program consider signing up. I have found that the value of the points earned are among the best in industry. In addition, they have many redemption options beyond free hotel nights including the conversion of hotel points into a plethora of airline miles and several gift card redemption options including my favorite Amazon.

New Hyatt MasterCard Promotion – 2,500 Points Per Stay

Hyatt’s newest promotion earns a member 2,500 bonus points per stay from June 15th – September 15th, 2009 by paying an eligible rate with a MasterCard. A great promotion for those seeking to add to their Hyatt Gold Passport points.

Maximizing the Benefits of this Promotion

To maximize the benefits of this promotion you should try to increase the frequency of your stays since the promotion provides the bonus based on stays rather than nights. According to Hyatt's website, "A qualifying stay means one or more consecutive nights at any participating Hyatt Hotels & Resorts." So if you have a 4 night reservation this is considered 1 stay. But if you have 4 1-night reservations at different properties this is considered 4 stays. More stays = more points. Here is an analysis of the point diference over 5 weeks assuming you stay 4 nights a week.

Getting to the Point

With just five weeks of one-night hotel stays an additional 37,500 points can be realized. Looking at the Hyatt's award chart this could mean the difference between an additional trip, an upgrade to a more luxurious hotel, or adding a few more nights to your vacation.




Tip

Along with the Hyatt Exclusive offers is the relatively little known or used Hyatt Bonus offer, typically known as “G” code promotions. These promotional codes can be invaluable in your quest to build up hotel points. For example, some of the properties in California are giving 1,000-2,000 bonus points per stay, just by requesting the promotional code be added to your stay. To add these promotional codes to your stay, request the code be added at check-in, enter the code online, or call the Hyatt Gold Passport help line 800-228-3360.

Bottom Line

This promotion is a great way to add Hyatt points to your account. There are 230,000 bonus points up for grabs if you were to stay every night during the promotion period in a different hotel. Ulimately its up to you to read the terms and conditions and consider if the additional points are worth the extra effort before you begin your stays for this promotion.

Hyatt Gold Passport Program

Hyatt is one of the hardest programs to earn points mainly because of their limited properties and the lack of an point earning credit card. However they have some great properties for business and leisure. If you are not already a member, consider joining the program.