There are loyalty programs for pretty much everything these days depending on your lifestyle, budget and profession. But when it comes to resting your pretty head at night, in some distant hotel, are you taking full advantage of everything you’re paying for? Are you making it a ‘point’ to make that stay count for you?
Perhaps you’re in hotels a lot because of a job, your life is one big vacation or you just like the idea of not having to make your own bed every morning. Whatever the case, why not kick off 2010 in a smart way, by making your nights away benefit you and your wallet? Below we’ll take a look at nine of the major U.S. based, hotel chains and the loyalty programs that are worth your time. You’d be surprised how quickly free nights add up and just how hotel loyalty programs are easily linked with loyalty programs for airlines, car rentals, cruises, shopping and dining to name a few.
Currently the largest of the same named hotel chains with over 4,200 independently owned properties in 80 countries, Best Western takes the cake (www.bestwestern.com) Best Western’s Gold Crown Club, was launched in 1988 and boasts over seven million members. Considered a mid-scale hotel, Best Western hotels can be found in many places that other chains wouldn’t even consider. They also have a unique way of tailoring to three separate demographics within their loyalty program that includes NASCAR fans, AAA and Harley-Davidson. These separate programs operate much the same way but allow for bonuses, deals, sweepstakes and redemption options.
Best Western is your best bet for value and location.
Choice Hotels International (CHI) ( www.choicehotels.com ) is another loyalty group that is reasonably priced with an umbrella of 11 properties. CHI properties include: Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, MainStay Suites, Suburban, EconoLodge, Rodeway Inn and the Ascend Collection. CHI has most properties in the U.S., but also has properties worldwide. And though often seen as a chain on a budget, members have the option to redeem points with their upscale partner hotels through the Preferred Hotels & Resorts and Summit Hotels & Resorts listings. Additionally, hotel points are transferable to 12 different airlines, Amtrak, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Wal-Mart gift cards, Home Depot gift cards, golf certificates, AARP membership and then more!
The Carlson Hotels Worldwide group consists of seven properties made up of the Regent Hotels & Resorts, Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts, Radisson Edwardian Hotels, Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Country Inns & Suites and Park Inn. Though an international group, their program Gold Points Plus (www.goldpointsplus.com) has only 950 locations in 70 countries. Despite their numbers, recent changes in the program allows members to earn points twice as fast and redeeming additional nights is made easy with a combination of points and cash options.
Conrad Hilton jumped into the hotel business in 1919 and since then, Hilton Worldwide has expanded to 81 countries with about 3,400 properties. Recently acquired by the Blackstone Group in 2007, the Hilton Honors (www.hiltonhonors.com) program houses ten familiar names that ranges from the moderately priced Hampton Inn chain to the luxurious digs of the Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts. Other family members include Hilton, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Doubletree, Embassy Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Homewood Suites, Home 2 and Hilton Grand Vacations. The Hilton Honors program’s biggest draw is the ability to “double dip??? where members can earn both hotel points and airline miles at the same time during a stay. Additional points can be earned through affiliated credit card purchases, car rentals and retail purchases.
On a global scale, properties with the Hyatt hotel chain are not as plentiful as some of the other major corporations. Regardless, the Hyatt Gold Passport (www.hyatt.com)program ranks as one of the highest with customers and garners the fewest complaints. Properties under their umbrella include the Hyatt Regency, Park Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Andaz Hotels, Hyatt Summerfield Suites and the more economically friendly Hyatt Place. A free night with this program starts at 5,000 points and can go up as high as 18,000 per night depending on the property and pricing category. Earning partners are limited to Amtrak, 34 airlines and Avis & Sixt car rental agencies.
The long gone, but historic, Pan American World Airways is responsible for the Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG). After World War II, Pan American built hotels along their flight routes for their staff and flight crew. Today, the Priority Club
( www.priorityclub.com )program is comprised of Intercontinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites. With over 3,700 properties worldwide, Priority Club proudly displays their customer satisfaction, Freddie Award (the Grammy equivalent of the hotel industry) a guest hotel program for the last two years. Members have the option of earning either hotel points or airline miles for stays. Elite status is accrued by the number of points or the number of paid visits.
The Marriott Rewards program ( www.marriott.com) is a must for both the serious business traveler and vacationer. Nine properties make up the over 3,000 international hotels under the names of Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Renaissance Hotels, Courtyard by Marriott, Residence Inn, Fairfield Inn & Suites, TownePlace Suites, Springhill Suites and the Marriott Vacations Club. Members have the option of over 250 ways to redeem points through airlines, car rentals, tour packages, cruises, gift certificates and a variety of non-profit charities. And unlike most loyalty programs, hotel nights are available for redemption with partner hotels like the Ritz-Carlton, Orient-Express Hotels, New Otani Hotels, Peppers Retreats & Resorts, Ashford Castle and Dromoland Castle. As for earning points, the list is just as endless with various partnerships with credit cards, car services, online companies, restaurants, certain cellular providers and a suite full of others found on the website.
The SPG or Starwood Preferred Guest program (www.spg.com ) has earned more Awards preferred than any other hotel group. Operating nine property names that generate the idea of comfort and luxury at the very mention, SPG members eagerly voice their loyalties. Aloft, Element, Westin, Le Meridien, Sheraton, Four Points by Sheraton, St. Regis, The Luxury Collection and the W Hotel properties make up the 890 locations in over 95 countries. SPG was also the first of its kind that didn’t have blackout dates, which meant if they had a room, they gave it to you regardless of the time of year and/or occasion. And although they allow you to only earn points, it is easy to transfer to airline miles on a one-to-one ratio basis. This is very popular when you consider that members get two Starwood points for every dollar spent. Another travel rewards option is with their SPG Flights program that allows you to redeem points for the entire cost of a flight on over 350 domestic and international airlines.
The last loyalty program that we’ll touch base on is with the Wyndham Rewards program (www.wyndham.com). With over 6,000 properties affiliated worldwide, the Wyndham line will allow you to accrue through hotel points or airline miles. In addition, members can also join the Wyndham ByRequest program that allows one to customize their stays while receiving perks and additional benefits like free Internet access, expedited check-in, a welcome snack & drink and 10 points per dollar spent or 500 airline miles per stay. There are 12 hotel chains affiliated with this program that include Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Days Inn, Howard Johnson, Ramada, Super 8, Sol Melia Hotels & Resorts, Baymont Inn & Suites, Hawthorn Suites, Wingate by Wyndham, Travelodge, Knights Inn and AmeriHost Inn.
So the next time you walk into a hotel, whether you’re paying for it or not, take a look at the brochure display at the check-in counter that holds the pamphlets for that property’s loyalty program. All of those mentioned above are free to join and in most cases, can be completed online for immediate account number authorization and activation. Even if you do minimal traveling, a little bit of research on your part online will show you how easy it is to accrue points without even having to spend the night. Partners, special promotions and deals are continually updated and advertised online. Take advantage of programs that work for you with hotel chains you prefer.
The lodging industry wants your affiliation, so it’s just a matter of time until you realize that your next vacation can be completely covered, of course not including food, drinks and the random knick-knacks you’re suckered into buying. Get started today and make it count!
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