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.

Using PointHub for Award Searching

Searching for ways to get value from your miles and points can be a tedious task, especially if you have miles in numerous programs.  I currently have miles with American, United, and Delta, so searching once instead of three times can be a time saver.

PointHub is one of the free tools out there to help consolidate your searches.  It has a really easy to use interface with lots of customization and sorting options, making it a great starting point.  Basically, it searches on major airlines’ websites to show you what award seats there are (based only on what is loaded on the airline’s website, which may not include partner awards or other options only available by calling) and how many miles each option costs.

Because it seems to be limited to whatever reward availability is loaded directly onto an airline website, it generally does best with domestic awards.  It’s convenient to see multiple airlines all listed on one search tool, rather than seeking each airline’s options out individually.

Searching for an award flight to Billings, MT in August resulted in finding NO low-level (25,000 points) award space for the dates I wanted, but did show some options on multiple airlines.

PointHub will also recommend when to use miles versus when to pay with cash.  Essentially, it’s assigning a monetary value to each point and then doing a quick comparison to see if the total value of the miles is greater or less than the cost of the ticket in dollars.  Whether you ultimately decide to use miles or points should be based on how you value your miles (do the math!) and what your personal circumstances are, such as if you are short on cash or if you are saving your miles for a larger future trip.

While these are handy features, there is one main reason why I like PointHub.  I find it faster to check on mileage costs using a PointHub search than by going to each airline’s reward charts (some redemptions I know by heart, but many I have to look up).  Delta considers Morocco as part of “Europe” but American considers it part of Africa, making for two very different mileage requirements that are instantly seen on PointHub.  Plus, it includes some airlines where I might not consider checking since I don’t have miles (such as Air Canada’s Aeroplan).  The upside to this?  You might be able to transfer credit card points (such as AmEx Membership Rewards or Chase Ultimate Rewards points) to these airlines even if you don’t normally collect miles through those airlines – giving you lots of options to redeem your points.

The biggest downfall to this website is that it doesn’t include any availability for rewards not shown on an airline’s website.  For example, I could use my American Airlines miles to fly on Cathay Pacific to Hong Kong, but since AA doesn’t hold Cathay Pacific reward inventory online (you have to call), it won’t show up on a PointHub search.  This is a significant issue because availability at a low-mileage level could exist for your desired itinerary even without showing up in your search results.

Another feature that I’d like to see is more participating airlines.  Currently, there’s no way to search for British Airways awards on PointHub, and that would be a great addition considering that you can transfer credit card points easily into the Avios program for award redemptions.

PointHub is also a great start when searching point for hotels.  In this scenario, their search function is much more complete since all award availability can typically be found online with no “hidden” inventory only accessible by phoning to book an award.  A few caveats: it only shows straight reward bookings (no point + cash options) and Hilton / Hyatt points are missing from their reward search (it will show cash purchase options but no rewards).  However, if you’re looking to decide between Priority Club, SPG, and Marriott, you’re all set.

I hope that PointHub strengthens its searching power to include more airlines and hotels in the future because I think they have a great start.

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?

Five Credit Cards Worth the Annual Fee

About a week ago, I wrote about when to cancel your credit card and concluded that often it’s best to cancel right before an annual fee comes due.  I also mentioned that sometimes it’s worth paying the annual fee because the benefits outweigh the fee, so I thought I’d share a few credit cards that I feel would be worth holding onto, despite a $50-100 annual charge.  I don’t have all these cards yet, but they are on my “wishlist” for 2012, partly because of fantastic sign-up bonuses and partly because of the ongoing benefits they provide even after the first year.

Chase Priority Club Visa

Joining Bonus: 60,000 Priority Club points with first purchase (80,000 if targeted)
Annual Fee: $49
Ongoing Benefits: No foreign transaction fee, 10% rebate on reward redemptions, annual free night certificate
Overall Thoughts: Saving 2-3% on foreign purchases is a great way to conserve cash, and we’ve had significant savings come from the reward rebate.  A 50,000 point stay will effectively only cost you 45,000 points – and those points quickly add up to an amount that equals another free night.  Best of all is the annual free night certificate, which is good at any hotel regardless of cost.  Can you guess what it would cost to stay at a fancy Intercontinental resort in London during the Olympics?  The answer is FREE if you use your annual night certificate.  Well worth the $49 fee. (The offers for the Chase Marriott Reward Premier & Chase Hyatt Visa similarly pay for themselves)

Chase Sapphire Preferred

Joining Bonus: 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points after $3,000 spend
Annual Fee: $95
Ongoing Benefits: No foreign transaction fee, 7% points bonus, Flexible transfer options
Overall Thoughts: A card without foreign transaction fees is hugely valuable for travelers, and a 7% points dividend is icing on the cake since that really means you’re earning 1.07 points per dollar spent.  But my favorite benefit of this card are the transfer options – you can move those points over to airline programs such as United, Southwest, or British Airways or hotels including Hyatt and Marriott.  You shouldn’t underestimate the value in flexibility!  There will be times when your preferred hotel chain isn’t available in the location you want, so having more options can multiply your chances of scoring a free award night instead of resorting to paying cash.  Plus, it allows you to save miles as airlines announce promotions.  For example, if you normally only collect British Airways miles, you wouldn’t be able to take advantage of promos like saving 15,000 miles on an award flight with United to Africa.  Having Ultimate Rewards points means you can take advantage of promotions with multiple programs – thus saving you miles (and money) in the long run.

American Express Starwood Preferred Guest

Joining Bonus: 10,000 SPG points after first purchase + 15,000 additional points after $5,000 spend
Annual Fee: $65
Ongoing Benefits: Flexible transfer options with transfer bonuses
Overall Thoughts: SPG points are hugely valuable.  Not only can they be redeemed at Starwood properties (Westin, Sheraton, and more), but you can transfer them to any of their airline partners, which is valuable for the same reasons described in the Chase Sapphire Preferred Section above.  Even better, Starwood offers transfer bonuses.  You will always get a bonus of 5,000 miles when you transfer 20,000 miles.  Since I value 5,000 miles at $50-100, even one transfer per year will basically pay for the annual fee.

Barclays US Airways Mastercard

Joining Bonus: 40,000 US miles after first use
Annual Fee: $89
Ongoing Benefits: 10,000 bonus US miles annually; 5,000 mile discount on reward redemptions on US Airways metal; two $99 companion passes each year
Overall Thoughts: This card often gets overlooked because the sign-up bonus isn’t as high as other cards.  However, if you fly US Airways frequently, it’s worth a look.  I don’t think US Airways miles are as valuable as other airlines’, but even a conservative valuation makes the annual bonus of 10,000 miles worth at least $100 – totally covering the cost of the annual fee.   The discount on reward bookings could also save about $50 in value with every booking, though admittedly excluding partner airlines with this discount is a shame.  Lastly, the companion passes come with a slew of blackout dates, but if you use them strategically, each of these offer $150+ in value.

Chase United MileagePlus Explorer Visa

Joining Bonus: 25,000 UA miles after first use (targeted 50,000 miles offer)
Annual Fee: $95
Ongoing Benefits: Free checked bag on every flight for you and a companion, two free lounge passes annually
Overall Thoughts: I don’t regularly check a bag, but if you do, that could save you and your a companion $100 on just one trip, thus entirely covering the annual fee.  You’re money ahead after two or more flights.  The lounge passes normally cost $39 each if purchased online, so that’s another $78 in savings every year.  Definitely worth considering.

There are plenty of other credit cards out there that are worth looking into, so don’t take this as an all-inclusive guide.  Choose the cards that offer the best value for you, and figure out how to maximize their benefits for the most savings on travel.

Square 1: Joining Programs & Registration Bonuses

Recently, I’ve had a few posts on how to get free miles or points (or other perks, like elite status) simply by joining a program.  These promotions come and go, but in the meantime, I thought I’d share all of the current goodies in case you aren’t a member of these programs yet.

I’m a big supporter of signing up for every program so you can grab all the free miles you can get (like answering five easy questions to earn 300 Priority Club points).  The five hundred miles you earn here and there are wonderful (and over time truly do add up).  Eventually, you might have enough miles for a transfer bonus or one-way award flight, or at the very least, a headstart if you ever decide to get serious about that program.

Because these joining bonuses come and go, I’d recommend joining now if there’s a great bonus or holding off if they’re offering nothing (unless you actually require membership for your upcoming travel plans).  TIP: For those that require travel, if you have nothing planned, hold off until you do.  Hopefully, you’ll be able to get something of value just by joining!

• Accor Hotels: Free Elite Status for Joining
• Alaska Airlines: 500 Miles for Joining and Completing Your Profile
• American Airlines: 500 Miles for Joining and Referencing Promotion Code ADV30 **might be expired, give it a shot!
• Amtrak: 500 Points for Joining and Completing Your First Trip Within 90 Days
• Choice Hotels: 500 Points for Joining  and Completing Your First Stay
• Club Carlson: 2000 Points for Joining (Reference Code NSB2K12) and Completing Your First Stay Within 90 Days
• Czech Airlines: 2000 Miles for Joining and Completing Your First Trip
• Jet Airways: 2000 Miles for Joining
• LAN Airlines: 1000 Kilometers for Joining
• Marriott Hotels: 2000 Points for Joining and Completing Your First Stay
• Southwest Airlines: 750 Points for Joining and Opting In to Emails for at least 3 Months
• Virgin Atlantic: 1000 Miles for Joining and Taking Your First Flight in Economy Class (2000 Miles for Premium Economy / 3000 for Upper Class)

Once you’ve joined, be sure to store and track your account numbers online.