IHG Promotion: 2 Nights = 1 Free Night

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), whose brands include Holiday Inn, Staybridge Suites, and Crowne Plaza, is offering a free night for every two nights at their hotels. The offer is valid until August 15 and the free nights can be used any time prior to December 26, 2009.

There are some restrictions associated with the offer that you should consider:

• Only 4 free nights can be earned.
• Members will earn free nights instead of base and Elite points/miles.
• The two Qualifying Nights may be on consecutive or two non-consecutive nights stayed during the Promotion Period.
• Alternative Promotion: Members who have completed the PCR membership enrollment process prior to accessing http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/pc/1/en/c/10/content/dec/teaser/pc/0/en/lp/promolp/screaming/promo.html?_promoCode=7013 may alternatively choose to participate in earning double points or double miles (“Double Promotion”) and will be prompted to choose which promotion they prefer on the registration page for this Promotion. Members may only participate in one of these promotions. See https://secure.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/pc/1/en/login?_promoCode=7013&secure=true for terms and conditions for Double Promotion.

Although there are no points involved, free nights are free nights. Here is your opportunity to earn at least 4 free nights with just 8 nights in one of their nearly 4,000 hotels. I will register for IHG's Priority Club membership today and report back on the Double Promotion. Look for my follow-up in the comments section for this post.

W Times Square - Hotel Trip Report

This past weekend we took a trip to New York on a NW operated flight and stayed at the W Times Square. We stayed at the hotel using the Starwood Free Nights promotion for 3 nights.

Check In

We arrived late from our delayed NW flight from Tampa at around 8:00 PM. But were welcomed by the front desk clerk and upgraded to a Cool Corner room. There was no Platinum suite upgrade availability at check in but the manager on duty was able to find availability for our 2nd and 3rd night stay.

The Room

The Cool Corner room was on the 48th floor overlooking Times Square. The room was very modern looking and seemed to have been recently upgraded. The bathroom had fogged glass doors which was fine for us, but could be uncomfortable for people sharing a room. The Fantastic Suite which we were upgraded to on our second night had a second living room attached. The suite was located on the 54th floor also overlooking Times Square. You could almost see the park in the distance. Here are a few pictures from the W Times Square.

Corner Room


Fantastic Suite Living Room


Times Square View


Park in Distance


The Hotel

The hotel was located in the heart of Times Square on 47th street. Walking inside the hotel you felt like you were walking into another world of piece and quiet. The entrance has you walk under a waterfall covered by glass into the elevators that take you to the 7th floor lobby. Out of the elevators to the left is the check in area and the W store. To the right is the 7th floor bar which ended up being pretty busy every night we were there.

Bottom Line

The hotel is a Category 6 hotel and a great value when using the Starwood Free Weekend nights promotion for 3 nights. Check out one of our favorite restaurants nearby on 48th street, La Masseria. The location is great if you prefer to be in the Times Square area.

Starwood Preferred Guest Status Pays

Being loyal to a major hotel chain allows you to gain preferred status, with the status comes unique benefits for the hotel’s frequent guests.

What we received for being a Platinum Member

This year Starwood Preferred Guest Platinum members received a free night as a bonus to the standard benefits awarded.

Starwood Point Value at the Grand Mauritian

Along with the Free Platinum award night we used a 3 night award for total of 36,000 points. Since the rooms were going for around $430 we achieved a point value of $.035. Decent value as most value a SPG point at around $.025.

Bottom Line

It pays to carefully select a hotel reward program and then stay loyal enough to earn status and rewards.

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.