Which First Quarter Hotel Promotion is Best for You?

With Hyatt finally leaking their information on their early 2012 promotion, we have a complete look at hotel promotions for the next few months, at least for the “Big 5″ (Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, Priority Club, Starwood).  Of course, it can be tough keeping track of all these promotions, and harder still to determine which is best for you.

Here’s a quick recap of the current promotions:

• Hilton: MorePoints (1000 Bonus Points per night and 5000 Bonus Points if your reservation includes 2 consecutive weekend nights).  This is stackable with their everyday bonus of 1000 Bonus Points for a 2-night weekend stay when you choose their “Any Weekend, Anywhere” rate (7+ day advance notice, prepaid, non-refundable).  Also stackable with Double Miles.
• Hyatt: Stay More, Earn More, which involves bonus points in a tiered structure, starting with 4,000 bonus points after you stay at least 4 nights and ending at 44,000 bonus points for 16 nights during the promotion period.  Hyatt credit card holders earn 25% more bonus points.
• Marriott: Megabonus, where you earn one free night certificate (at category 1-4 hotels, redeemable through September 30) after every two stays, with a maximum of two stays.  After you earn your free nights, you can switch over to the MegaMiles promotion for 2000 bonus airline miles per stay.
• Priority Club: Stay X Nights, Earn Y Points, where you can earn 5000 bonus points after 3 nights up to 15,000 bonus points after 15 nights.  This is stackable with “2x More“, offering double points starting with your second stay.
• Starwood: Better by the Night, which gives double points on 2-night stays or triple points on stays of 3+ nights, though many properties are excluded.

So which promotion is the best fit for you?  Let’s look at three potential scenarios and run the math.  I’ll be looking at what a standard visitor will earn, based on no elite status (at least at the start of this promotion), no credit card holder bonus, and the typical earnings rate (i.e. in cases where certain properties differ in earnings structure, I’m taking the most common earnings rate…such as 10 points per dollar at most Marriott-family hotels vs. 5 points at Residence Inn).  I’m assuming all rooms are at an average cost of $150/night, but when you do your own analysis, substitute in whatever metrics are most relevant to you!

1. The Couple Looking for a Few Quick Weekend Getaways (Total of 2 Stays / 4 Nights / $600 Spent)
If Jack and Jill spend two weekends away, each with a 2-night stay, which promotion is best for them?  Marriott

• Hilton: Total Earnings of 22,000 HHonors Points and 2,000 Airline Miles.  This includes 6,000 Base Points, 1,000 Base Miles, 14,000 “MorePoints” bonus points, 2,000 “Any Weekend, Anywhere” bonus points, and 1,000 bonus miles due to earning double miles.
• Hyatt: Total Earnings of 7,000 Gold Passport Points.  This includes 3,000 Base Points and 4,000 Bonus Points.
• Marriott: Total Earnings of 6,000 Marriott Rewards Points and 2 Free Night Certificates.  This includes 6,000 Base Points and 2 Free Night Certificates.
• Priority Club: Total Earnings of 14,000 Priority Club Points.  This includes 6,000 Base Points and 5,000 Bonus Points from the “Stay X Nights” promotion, and 3,000 points from the 2x promotion.
• Starwood: Total Earnings of 1,200 SPG Points.  This includes 600 Base Points and 600 Bonus Points.

My thoughts: Two free nights is a pretty hefty incentive from Marriott.  Being able to redeem these certificates at up to a Category 4 hotel offers tons of options on destination,which is obviously a huge factor in usability.  You can snag just about any Fairfield Inn or Courtyard property with these certificates, and in the right destination, you might be able to live it up at a Renaissance or even a JW Marriott.  The September 30 expiration may be a bit of an issue for some travelers, but given the amount of eligible properties, I’d guess you’d be able to use the certificates for something without a problem.  Plus, those 6,000 points are enough for a PointStretcher reward at Category 1 hotels, so you may end up with 3 free nights if you play your cards right.  Hilton is a pretty close runner-up if you are able to redeem your points at low-end properties (you have almost enough points for 3 nights at a Category 1 hotel, though the list of properties is quite short), and obviously a few airline miles won’t hurt your case either

2. The Family on a Week-Long Vacation (Total of 2 Stays / 8 Nights / $1,200 Spent)
If the Smith family is going on a vacation for a week and plans to spend Saturday – Tuesday nights at one hotel and then Wednesday – Saturday nights at another hotel, which promotion is best for them? Marriott

• Hilton: Total Earnings of 32,000 HHonors Points and 2,000 Airline Miles.  This includes 12,000 base points, 1,000 base miles, 18,000 “MorePoints” bonus points, 2,000 “Any Weekend, Anywhere” points, and 1,000 bonus miles.
• Hyatt: Total Earnings of 18,000 Gold Passport Points.  This includes 6,000 base points and 12,000 bonus points.
• Marriott: Total Earnings of 12,000 Marriott Rewards Points and 2 Free Night Certificates.  This includes 12,000 base points and 2 free night certificates.
• Priority Club: Total Earnings of 28,000 Priority Club Points.  This inclues 12,000 base points, 10,000 bonus points from the “Stay X” promotion, and 6,000 bonus points from the “2x” promotion.
• Starwood: Total Earnings of 3,600 SPG Points.  This includes 1,200 base points and 2,400 bonus points.

My Thoughts: This is where the promotions start to equal out a little more, depending on how and where you want to use your points.  If you can find a low-level hotel in your favored destination and combine it with rotating specials like PointStretchers or PointBreaks hotels, you’ll earn enough points for several free nights at any chain other than Starwood.  However, assuming you’re at more of a mid-tier reward level, Marriott still wins with 2 free night certificates and potentially 1-2 more low-level nights by using points.  This time, Hyatt comes in a close second.  18,000 points will buy you 3 nights at a Category 1 hotel, 2 nights at a Category 2 hotel, or 1 night at an incredible Category 5 hotel.

3. The Road Warrior (Total of 8 Stays / 16 Nights/ $2,400 Spent)
If Mr. Wilson is away on business during the week on a semi-frequent basis with a multitude of 2-nights stays, which promotion is best for him? Hyatt

• Hilton: Total Earnings of 40,000 HHonors Points and 8,000 Airline Miles.  This includes 24,000 base points, 4,000 base miles, 16,000 “MorePoints” bonus points, and 4,000 bonus miles.  Although you’d qualify for silver status during this scenario even if you started from nothing, you won’t receive an elite bonus if your earnings are set to miles (in order to qualify for the Double Miles promotion).  If you wanted to forfeit the double miles once you reach silver status in order to earn extra points (including elite bonus) instead, you would earn 6,90o Hilton points, which I’d value roughly the same as the 2,000 bonus miles you’d give up.
• Hyatt: Total Earnings of 56,675 Gold Passport Points.  This includes 12,000 base points and 44,000 bonus points.You’d also earn 675 elite bonus points because even if you started from scratch, you’d still reach elite status partway through this scenario.
• Marriott: Total Earnings of 12,000 Marriott Rewards Points, 2 Free Night Certificates, and 10,400 Airline Miles.  This includes 12,000 base points, 2 free night certificates, as well as 2,400 base miles and 8,000 bonus miles for switching over to the MegaMiles promotion.  Even though you qualify for silver status during this scenario, you won’t receive an elite bonus if your earnings are set to miles (in order to qualify for the MegaMiles promotion).  Forfeiting the MegaMiles results in 14,400 points, which in my opinion, are worth less than 10,400 miles.
• Priority Club: Total Earnings of 82,200 Priority Club Points.  This includes 24,000 base points, 15,000 bonus points from the “Stay X” promotion, 42,000 bonus points from the “2x” promotion, and another 1,200 elite bonus points.
• Starwood: Total Earnings of 4,800 SPG Points.  This includes 2,400 base points and 2,400 bonus points.  You haven’t yet qualified for elite status.

My Thoughts: When you stay this often, you’re bound to get several free nights with any hotel chain.  Hyatt offers a great deal – you’ll get enough points for 2 free nights at their top-tier properties along with enough points for 2 more nights at low-level properties.  If luxury’s not your thing, you have enough for 11 free nights at Category 1 hotels or a respectable 4 nights at Category 3 hotels (with points leftover)…with no expiration dates on the free nights.  That’s extraordinary flexibility!  Marriott remains a contender, with up to 4 free nights at low-to-mid level hotels and almost enough airline miles for a one-way domestic ticket.  Priority Club theoretically could offer 16 nights at PointBreaks hotels or 2 nights at an Intercontinental.  Compared to these options, Hilton and Starwood seem only mediocre.

It’s hard to believe, but I have no hotel stays planned for this time period – my vacation in February is already set and on a cruise ship, so no points to be had.  I guess I’ll have to wait for the spring promotions to come out to start strategically planning my hotel stays.

Reminder: Book NOW to Take Advantage of Hilton’s “Any Weekend, Anywhere” Promotion

Last week I wrote about Hilton’s “Any Weekend, Anywhere” promotion.  This coupled with their “More Points” promo and double miles holds incredible value. As a reminder, to be able to stack all three of these bonuses, you have to book now (between noon EST on Tuesday, January 17 and 12:59pm on Wednesday, January 18 edited as of 1/17 to reflect change in terms).

If you plan on participating and getting the full promotional bonus, you’ll have to book a nonrefundable weekend rate today and complete a stay of at least two weekend nights between January 26 – March 31.  Please see my previous posts for full details on how to register and book (along with a few restrictions):

• Any Weekend, Anywhere
• More Points
• Double Miles

As an example, a 2-night weekend stay at a Hilton Garden Inn costing $100/night would net:
2,000 Base HHonors Points
10,500 Bonus HHonors Points
Plus Your Choice of 1000 AA miles, 1000 Aeroplan miles, 1500 US miles, or 2012 Delta miles
That’s enough for a free night at a Category 1 or 2 Hotel plus a headstart on your next free flight!

Add Double Miles to the List of Hilton Bonuses

On Thursday, I wrote about how you could earn 10,500 bonus points from a 2-night weekend stay at Hilton properties.  I’ve stayed at the Hampton Inn in Bowling Green (a Category 1 hotel) for just 7,500 points per night and there’s a decent amount of Category 2 hotels that cost just 12,500 points, so this is a pretty good deal.

Loyalty Traveler shares how to take this promotion even further: by getting double (or more!) miles as well.  Remember that with Hilton, all members earn a base 10 points per dollar spent.  You then choose to earn an additional 5 points per dollar OR you can choose to earn airline miles.

To get double miles, you’ll need to:

1. Register for the promotion with your favorite airline
2. Make sure your earnings preferences are set to airline miles
3. Make sure your frequent flyer number is in your Hilton account
4. Complete your stay by March 31

Several airlines are participating, so be sure to register for the promotion that partners with your preferred airline and make sure your preferences are set to earn miles with the same airline partner as the promotion you are registered with.

American Advantage: Double Miles
Aeroplan: Double Miles
US Airways: Triple Miles
Delta: 2,012 Miles with 2-night stay EDIT: As of January 23, this offer has been rescinded!

None of these stays need to be on the weekend, and even a one-night stay will qualify for the promotion.  However, to double up with bonus points and bonus miles, you’ll have to make sure you hit the requirements for each promotion.

As you are setting up your preferences to earn airline miles, you’ll have the choice to choose fixed or variable miles.  With fixed miles, you’ll earn 500 miles per stay (100 miles at Hampton Inn/Homewood Suites) OR 1 mile per dollar spent (including at Hampton/Homewood).  Be sure to choose the method that nets the most miles and remember you can change your preferences as often as every stay.

Thus, a 2-night weekend stay at a Hilton Garden Inn costing $100/night would net:
2,000 Base HHonors Points
10,500 Bonus HHonors Points
Plus Your Choice of 1000 AA miles, 1000 Aeroplan miles, or 1500 US miles
That’s enough for a free night at a Category 1 or 2 Hotel plus a headstart on your next free flight!

Anyone making plans yet?

2500 Bonus Hilton HHonors Points for Weekend Stay

I think Hilton’s first quarter promotion is already a pretty solid offer – you’ll get 1,000 bonus points per night plus an additional 5,000 bonus points if you stay two consecutive weekend nights before March 31.  However, they’re launching yet another promotion that sweetens the deal.

If you book an “Any Weekend, Anywhere” hotel  during their 24-hour sale on January 17/18, you’ll get an additional 2,500 bonus points!  These rates are for stays Thursday-Sunday, require 7+ day advance notice and are fully prepaid and non-refundable.  However, there are often some great rates, frequently up to a third off.  Plus, if you stay two consecutive weekend nights, the rate includes yet another 1,000 bonus points.

Interested?

1. Start by “Liking” HHonors on Facebook

2. Head to Hilton’s website to book your weekend getaway.  Be sure to choose the “Any Weekend, Anywhere” rate, which will include savings of up to 33% off.  Maybe you’ll end up at the Capital Hilton in Washington DC for $111/night.

3. Return to their Facebook page between January 17 at 12 noon (EST) and January 18 11:59am and click on the “24-hour Bonus Event” tab.

4. Enter your confirmation number and HHonors members number on the bonus tab.

5. Enjoy your stay!

All in all, this deal is worth 3,500 points for a one-night stay (2,500 promotional bonus + 1,000 points from their previous promotion) or an incredible 10,500 bonus points for a two-night stay (2,500 promotional bonus + 1,000 two-nights bonus + 7,000 points from the previous promotion).  This is on top of the normal points you earn (20 HHonors points per dollar spent if you got the free upgrade to HHonors Gold).  Thus, a 2-night stay costing only $100/night would yield 13,500 points for a gold member.  As a reminder, room rewards start as low as 7,500 points per night, so your weekend getaway could provide enough points for a free night.  However, since most nights cost much more than this base level (more typically 25,000+ per night), you could stretch your rewards a little further by booking award nights by January 31.

Looking at Low-Level Hotel Status

The Points Guy has an interesting post today on how he intends to achieve top-tier elite status with hotel loyalty programs this year.  I thought it was a great post, and I agree with his conclusion on why it’s better for him to stick with one or two hotel chains rather than hopping around to save a few dollars here or there, considering he spends 75+ nights a year in hotels.  As a top-tier elite, you’ll definitely save money on things like in-room internet, breakfast at the hotel, and free drinks, not to mention the comfort perspective of potential suite upgrades.

But what about us leisure travelers?  What if all of your travel lumped together still only qualifies you for low-level status at best?  Previously, I’ve talked about how I determined low-level airline status wasn’t worth it for me, but I’ve never actually run the numbers from a hotel standpoint.  So now I wonder – is it worth it to go out of your way to ensure low-level hotel status?   

Let’s look at the levels you’d qualify for at 25 nights and what benefits you receive at these levels:

• Hilton Silver (10 nights or 4 stays; Gold is not until 36 nights or 16 stays): 15% points bonus, elite only rewards (ranging from 15% off reward redemptions of 4 nights to 25% off 6 night stays), complimentary health club privileges
• Hyatt Platinum (15 nights or 5 stays; Diamond is not until 50 nights or 25 stays): 15% points bonus, free internet, bonus perks after every third stay (choose from 1000 bonus points, welcome amenity, complimentary beverage, etc), room upgrade (subject to availability), guaranteed room availability
• Marriott Silver (1o nights; Gold is not until 50 nights): 20% points bonus, weekend discount (10% off at participating Courtyard and SpringHill Suites properties), free internet in Asia-Pacific hotels, elite-only rewards (20% off reward redemptions of 5 nights), gift shop discount on Marriott-branded merchandise
• Priority Club Gold (15 nights or 20,000 points; Platinum is not until 50 nights or 60,000 points): 10% points bonus
• Starwood Gold (25 nights or 10 stays; Platinum is not until 50 nights or 25 stays): 50% points bonus, late checkout (upon request, and subject to availability; note most other hotel programs offer this as a benefit to ALL members, even without status), room upgrade (subject to availability), check-cashing privileges (up to $300)

All in all, benefits seem to come in two forms: point bonuses and the “extras”.  Let’s try and put a monetary value on these so we can do a little analysis (keeping in mind these values are based on a traveler with 10-25 hotel nights per year).

Point Bonuses: This varies hugely.  Over an entire year of traveling, Priority Club’s stingy 10% bonus would still only add up to less than 3,750 points based on 25 nights at $150/night, so I’d value that at only about $20-30.  Hyatt’s 15% bonus results in roughly 3,000 bonus points based on the same amount of nights at the same pricepoint, but 1000+ bonus points on every third stay could add up quickly for someone who typically only stays one night at a time.  After a year, you could have enough bonus points for an extra free night or two at low-level hotels, which I roughly value at $250.  Starwood’s generous 50% bonus could also theoretically be enough points for a night or two, so again I’ll value this at about $250.  Marriott and Hilton are somewhere inbetween Priority Club’s lousy bonus and Hyatt/SPG’s generous earnings.  TOTAL VALUE: Up to $250

Extra Perks: Again, it varies by program with Priority Club remaining in the bottom of the pack since they don’t offer any extras compared to a base-level member.  I’m going to ignore some of the benefits (do people really buy Marriott-branded tote bags? or cash checks at the Sheraton?) since I think they’re just fluff.  I think room upgrades are wishy-washy, since they are never guaranteed at this low level of status, and even if you do get one, you may not even notice (room “upgrades” are so loosely defined that a lot of the time it simply means a corner room or higher floor; suite upgrades are usually reserved for higher-level elites).  However, free internet is worth about $10-20/day and health club fees are probably in the same range, though many travelers likely won’t even take advantage of these amenities (how many leisure travelers hit the gym every day?).  Hilton and Marriott’s VIP rewards (needing less points on long award stays) obviously hold true value if you are planning on a long reward stay at a single property since these savings may end up equal to enough points for an extra free night.  Lastly, if you can find a participating property that qualifies for Marriott’s weekend discount rate, you could be saving $10-20/night.  Overall, I think most people will receive only minimum value from the extra perks, but if played strategically, I can see the potential for savings.  TOTAL VALUE: Up to $500

Based on my travel style, this value of elite extras is overstated – I tend to stay at places where small fitness centers and internet are free anyway, and most of my stays (free or paid) are only 1-3 nights before I move on to the next location, so I don’t qualify for discounts on reward nights.  For some, though, low-tier elite status could provide up to $750 in value, which is an average of $30/night over 25 nights.  That’s real money!  If you think you’d use a lot of these member benefits, I can definitely see a reason to stick with a preferred program.

But what if you’re like me and the point bonus is really the main benefit?  I valued that bonus at $250 over the course of the year, or a savings of $10/night over 25 nights.   Of course, $10 saved means more money in your pocket, but it’s just as likely that by shopping around you’ll find a hotel that’s $10 cheaper to begin with.  Maybe this week I’ll stay at Hyatt because the rate is cheaper by $10 but next week I’ll stay with Hampton Inn because it’s the cheapest option.  In the long run, I’d break even, and if by switching hotels I save more than $10/night, I’m money ahead.  My personal conclusion?  Working toward elite status at this level isn’t necessary.  That being said, I’ll probably still end up with status of some sort just by coincidence: Hilton’s silver status could be obtained in as few as 4 nights if they are all separate stays, and I’ve got a few rollover nights already with Marriott.  Plus, there are usually a few promotions each year where you can grab a status upgrade for free.  Although I might not work to earn low-level status, I’ll definitely take it if they are giving it away for free!

Keep in mind that by simply being a base member of loyalty programs even without status, you’ll normally get a few perks in addition to earning base points, such as a designated customer service phone line and a reservation guarantee (they’ll bump a non-member before they bump you if they’ve overbooked).  Therefore, I think it’s always worthwhile to join a membership program before you stay with a hotel…you never know when it’ll come in handy!

I’d love to hear your thoughts on whether or not you think low-level status is worth it.  Are your conclusions different?