Getting Cashback for Your Hotel and Travel Bookings

by
John Ollila
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31 Comments

What would be better than getting cashback rebates for travel related bookings that you would be taking regardless? Sounds too good to be true? Actually, it is not. You are really leaving money on the table if you are not taking advantage of various cashback options for hotel stays and airline bookings.

Different type of cashback malls

1. Straight cashback malls

These are my personal choice as you normally get the cashback deposited directly to your PayPal account. It is easy to compare the cashback options because the payout is represented in percentage of the price. You just choose the cashback mall that is offering the highest payout at the time you do the booking/purchase.

ebates-cashback-mall

My favorites on this category are FatCash, BigCrumbs, eBates, MrRebates, TopCashback, Quidco & Upromise. There are number of others as well.

2. Airline/hotel related malls

There are few hotel chains like Hilton and Marriott that are offering a cashback mall where most of the major US airlines like Delta, United, American, and US Airways (and pretty much all the others) do have one. These tend to be run by Cartera.

aadvantage-eshopping-mall

I normally only use these when they are offering a bonus for a bonus miles for hitting a certain thresholds. These are normally offered during the holidays and back to school periods.

3. Credit card/bank related malls

Credit card companies and banks have opened their own cashback malls as well. Citi, Chase, Discover, Bank of America etc. all have their own cashback malls.

bank-of-america-worldpoints-mall

I used Citi’s Thank You Points-mall a lot when they were offering fixed price air awards. Now that the payout is only 1.33 cents per point on air fare, it hasn’t been that competitive.

Comparing cashback payouts

You can always just go through one provider or follow my advice and just open an account with all of them. You should then the cashback mall that offers the highest payout. The cashback amount varies vendor to vendor and can change sometimes weekly.

cashback-holic-comparison-tool

There are various sites for checking out the cashback amounts. You can visit Evreward, RewardsDB, CashbackHolic, CashbackMonitor and NerdWallet. The latter is specialized for the credit card and bank cashback malls.

None of these is perfect, however. You should always check UK based Quidco as well that has offered very good cashback rates as of late and is excluded from most of these comparison sites due to its location.

Tracking transactions

There are sometimes problem with tracking the cashback from making the booking to getting the payout. I have made a simple Excel sheet that I use for this purpose. I record the date of the booking, the date of the stay (in case of hotels), the name of the merchant, name of the cashback mall, the confirmation number, and the expected cashback amount or percentage of rebate.

It is really essential that you do this if you make number of bookings as it might get confusing really fast which mall you used and when. Also, the cashback amount/percentage can change. It is essential that you have recorded the amount that you should get based on the cashback rate at the time of booking/purchase.

Getting paid

The de facto payment form for the first set of sites is PayPal. Some sites pay out quarterly, some monthly, some require you to request a payment before it is processed and some may require you to have a minimum withdrawal amount of $10.

The airline/hotel related malls just deposit the miles/points that you have earned from your purchases to your account. The same goes for bank/credit card related ones as well.

Example booking an InterContinental Hotel

The cashback amount on IHG group of hotels varies a lot between the sites. I have come to realize that I really need to check them all when I am making bookings.

Last week MrRebates was offering 6%

cashback-mrrebates-holiday-inn

eBates 4.5%

cashback-ebates-holiday-inn

TopCashBack 6%

cashback-topcashback-holiday-inn

And Quidco whopping 12%

cashback-quidco-holiday-inn

The booking was made using the cashback link on Quidco’s website.

Conclusion

Hotels tend to offer attractive cashback rates as they are trying to get more bookings through their websites and not having to pay 10% travel agent commissions. I have earned thousands of dollars cashback through these sites over the past ten years I have been using them.

It doesn’t matter if you are not located in the United States as these sites are paying out to PayPal account. Similarly, nothing prevents you taking advantage of sometimes generous rates that Quidco, based in the UK, is offering.

Note that LoyaltyLobby may get a referral fee if you join and use the cashback sites mentioned above.

Club Carlson 4th Quarter Bonus Point Promotion “Stay More Nights – Earn More Points”

by
John Ollila
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1 Comment

Club Carlson has some brand specific promotions going on with their Country Inns & Suites and Radisson/Radisson Blu. This bonus point promotion “Stay More Nights – Earn More Points” is global and applies to all Club Carlson hotel brands. You need to register for this promotion to be eligible for the bonus points.

club-carlson-stay-more-nights-earn-more-points-promotion

You will receive number of bonus points depending how many nights you stay at Club Carlson properties between October 1 and December 31, 2012. You need to register for this promotion and the bonus points will post to your account in January.

The number of bonus points that you earn is dependent of the number of nights you stay:

– 2000 bonus points per night for 1 to 5 nights

– 4000 bonus points per night for 6 to 9 nights

– 6000 bonus points per night for 10 to 20 nights

Note that the maximum number of points that you can earn under this promotion is capped at 120K. The good thing is that this promotion is based on NIGHTS and not on STAYS.

Conclusion

This is a nice promotion from Club Carlson that you can combine with the brand specific ones. I do like the fact that you don’t have to switch properties trying to rack up stays as this promotions is based on NIGHTS.

Here are the terms and conditions of this offer:

You must be a Club CarlsonSM member to participate in the Stay More Nights, Earn More Points promotion (“Promotion”). To be eligible to earn bonus Gold Points (“Bonus Points”), members must register online for the Promotion, provide their Club Carlson number at the time of reservation or at check-in, and pay for a stay on a Gold Point eligible rate at participating Radisson®, Country Inns & Suites By Carlson?, Park Inn by Radisson and Park Plaza® hotels worldwide for stays beginning on October 1, 2012, and completed by December 31, 2012. Members only need to register once before December 31, 2012. Members will earn 2,000 Bonus Points per eligible night if they complete 1 – 5 eligible nights; 4,000 Bonus Points per eligible night if they complete 6 – 9 eligible nights; and 6,000 Bonus Points per eligible night if they complete 10 – 20 eligible nights. Maximum award of 120,000 Bonus Points per member. Only one Club Carlson member account will be credited for each eligible night and only one room per member per night at participating hotels will be awarded the applicable Bonus Points. Bonus Points will be calculated and credited to the member’s account in January 2013 based on the total number of completed eligible nights.

The Promotion is subject to all Club Carlson terms and conditions. Club Carlson reserves the right to add, modify, or discontinue Promotion without notice. Club Carlson is not responsible for any technical failures, internet accessibility problems, incomplete or inaccurate registration information, or other errors of any kind that may affect your registration for this Promotion. Void where prohibited by law. By participating in this Promotion, you agree and consent to these terms and conditions.

Radisson Free Night Promo: Stay One Night, Get One Night

by
John Ollila
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1 Comment

Club Carlson continues to have interesting promotions. Like with the recent Country Inns and Suites promo, you will not receive bonus points but rather a free night award. You will have to register for this promotion to be eligible for it.

club-carlson-radisson-1-for-1

This offer is valid for stays at any Radisson or Radisson Blu property in the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean for stays booked between October 1 and October 31, 2012, and consumed between October 1 and December 31, 2012. The free night award will be deposited(?) to your Club Carlson account within 14 days after your stay and is valid until December 31, 2013.

Thing to note here is that:

1. You need to register for this promo and be within first 50000 to register

2. The booking window is rather short – October 1 to October 31

3. The stay must be consumed by December 31

4. The free night award (United States, Canada & Caribbean) is valid until December 31, 2013

Conclusion

This is an excellent promotion from Radisson and I will most likely have a Radisson stay next month when I am in North America due to this. It is really a no brainer to take advantage of this if you have any hotel stays coming during the promotion period in United States, Canada, or the Caribbean.

It is fantastic that the free night award had a very long shelf life as it is valid until December 31, 2013.

It seems that Club Carlson is moving away from free night promotions where they give you a set number of points that you can then redeem for a free night. This is understandable as you can always transfer those to airline miles that I am planning to do as well.

Here are the terms and conditions of this promotion:

The Radisson 1 for 1 Promotion (“Promotion”) is available only to Club Carlson members. To be eligible for the Promotion, members must register online for the Promotion (“Promotion Registration”), book their Qualifying Stay online at either www.radisson.com or www.clubcarlson.com between October 1, 2012 and October 31, 2012, provide their Club Carlson member number at the time of reservation or check-in of the Qualifying Stay, and then complete the Qualifying Stay at any Radisson Blu or Radisson hotel in the US, Canada or Caribbean (“Participating Hotels”). A “Qualifying Stay” is defined as a minimum one-night stay at a Participating Hotel on a Gold Point eligible rate with a check-in date on or after October 1, 2012 and check out date no later than December 31, 2012. Guest must be present at the Participating Hotel at both the time of check-in and check-out, enrolled in Club Carlson at or before the time of check-in, and registered in the Promotion no later than the time of check-out. The first 50,000 guests who complete the Promotion Registration will be eligible to receive a Free Night Award after booking online at www.radisson.com or www.clubcarlson.com and after the completion of a Qualifying Stay. Only one Club Carlson member account will be credited for a Qualifying Stay and corresponding Free Night Award, if applicable. Limit one Free Night Award per member. It will take up to14 business days after completion of the Qualifying Stay to receive the Free Night Award. Free Night Award is valid for one night’s stay at any Participating Hotel, inclusive of room rate and taxes. Free Night Award may be booked online for standard rooms (single or double occupancy) only after the member logs in to their Club Carlson account and are valid for stays completed by December 31, 2013. Free Night Award does not include incidental charges such as resort fees, room service and room entertainment. Free Night Award is nontransferable and has no cash value. If member wishes to book a stay for more than one night, member may redeem available Gold Points for the additional night(s), or, if member does not have sufficient Gold Points to redeem the additional night(s), member must book two separate reservations: one redeeming the Free Night Award, the other at a regular nightly rate. The Promotion and Gold Points are subject to all Club Carlson Program Terms and Conditions. Promotion void where prohibited by law. Radisson reserves the right to add, modify or discontinue these terms and conditions or the Promotion at any time without notice. Radisson is not responsible for any technical failures, internet accessibility problems, incomplete or inaccurate registration information, or other errors of any kind that may affect your Promotion Registration. By participating in this Promotion, you agree and consent to these terms and conditions.

Here are the frequently asked questions per Club Carlson:

Q: Where can I find the registration page?
A: The registration page can be found at Radisson.com/1for1 October 31, 2012 11:59pm CST.

Q: Where can I use my Free Night Award?
A: The Free Night Award will be valid at any Radisson or Radisson Blu hotel in the US, Canada, or Caribbean through December 31, 2013.

Q: Can I use my Free Night Award with my qualifying stay?
A: No, you must first complete a qualifying stay. You will receive your Free Night Award within 14 days of completing that stay for use as a future stay.

Q: Can my “qualifying stay” be at any Radisson Blu or Radisson hotel worldwide?
A: No. Your qualifying stay must be any Radisson Blu or Radisson in the US, Canada or Caribbean.

Q: Do bookings made on 3rd party travel sites, such as Expedia or Travelocity qualify?
A: No, you must book online at www.radisson.com or www.clubcarlson.com.

Q: Are there rates that do not qualify for this promotion?
A: Yes. To be a qualifying stay, the rate must be a Club Carlson eligible rate. Ineligible rates and exclusions include, employee rates, family and friend rates, airline crew rates, travel agent rates, hotel employee rates, room rates that are billed on a master bill, tour operator rates, wholesaler rates, or rates booked through online travel companies or other third parties in which you pay for that booking directly to such online travel company or third party. Complimentary rooms, including but not limited to rooms booked as Award Night stays, or stays involving other gift certificate or free night vouchers are also excluded.

Q: Does a Points + Cash rate count as a qualifying rate?
A: Yes, a stay on Points + Cash can be a Qualifying Stay for this promotion as long as it is booked online at www.radisson.com or www.clubcarlson.com between October 1 and October 31, 2012.

Q: Does the AAA rate count as a qualifying rate?
A: Yes, as long as it is booked online at www.radisson.com or www.clubcarlson.com between October 1 and October 31, 2012.

Q: Is this promotion open to all Club Carlson members?
A: Yes, all Club Carlson members are eligible to participate in this promotion, but you must be one of the first 50,000 members to register to participate.

Top Hotel Promotions for October

by
John Ollila
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2 Comments

This is a new feature that I will do monthly after I have done the updated hotel promotions post. I will have a post about hotel promotions that I will take advantage of.

Yesterday, I made an updated post of hotel promotions for this quarter. Here are the five that I am taking advantage of and I think that you should too:

1. Marriott Rewards – Free night certificate after two stays for up to 3 certificates

marriott-rewards-fal-2012-megabonus

– This is an excellent promo for free night certificates. Only drawback is the categories where they can be used (category 1 to 4). Very useful in the Asia/Middle East but not so in the Americas.

2. Hilton HHonors Virgin Atlantic Promotion for 15K Bonus Miles

hilton-hhonors-virgin-atlantic-4th-quarter-offer

– Hilton apparently doesn’t have Hilton HHonors point promotion for this month, but you can make your own by taking advantage of this Virgin Atlantic one. If you have FIVE stays at Hilton HHonors properties (no Hampton Inn, Homewood Suites, or Home2 Suites), you will receive 15000 bonus Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles in addition to 5000 base miles. You can transfer Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles then to Hilton HHonors points and you will receive 40000 Hilton points for 20000 miles.

3. Priority Club Promotions here and here

priority-club-roles-to-rooms

– There are number of promotions that you can always take advantage of. Some of these “unpublished” but I have listed them all here on LoyaltyLobby. I will do the Q4 stay promo combined with the Roles to Rooms. With other bonuses, I will earn in excess of 50K Priority Club points for 7 stays. You can do even better if you start with a “fresh” account.

4. Starwood Better By the Night + IOS Bookings Bonus + Air Canada Aeroplan Bonus

spg-better-by-the-night

You can actually combine all these promotions. The Better By The Night is lackluster but ok when you make the hotel booking using SPG’s iPhone app for 500 extra points per stay. You can combine these two with the Aeroplan bonus of 5K miles for 5 stays.

5. Radisson Free Night Promo: Stay One Night, Get One Night

club-carlson-radisson-1-for-1

You can get a free night award just for staying for a night by December 31, 2012 at any Radisson/Radisson Blu property in the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean. The free night award is valid until December 31, 2013.

Conclusion

It appears first that there are no truly outstanding promotions out there, but these four are definitely worth taking advantage of.

Hotel Promotions Update (October 2012) Le Club Accorhotels, Best Western Rewards, Choice Privileges, Club Carlson, Hilton HHonors, Hyatt Gold Passport, InterContinental Hotels Group – Priority Club, Marriott Rewards, Ritz-Carlton Rewards, Starwood Preferred Guest & Wyndham Rewards

by
John Ollila
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Here our monthly blog post about hotel loyalty promotions. You can now find an updated list just by clicking the “Hotel Promotions” tab. This will be updated throughout the month when promotions expire and new ones are announced.

loyaltylobby-hotel-promotions

Accor Hotels – Le Club

Le Club Accorhotels is offering bonus miles for Air Canada Aeroplan, Delta SkyMiles, and Lufthansa Miles & More members until October 31, 2012.

le-club-accorhotels-aeroplan-triple

Le Club Accorhotels Airline Offers: Air Canada Aeroplan, Delta SkyMiles & Lufthansa Miles & More

You can get instant Platinum status with Le Club Accorhotels just by signing up to the program.

le-club-accorhotels-sign-up-august-2012-benefits

Accor A-Club / Le Club Accohotels Instant Platinum Status for New Accounts Still Available

Best Western Rewards

Best Western’s fall promotion for double/triple points is starting on September 23rd and ends on November 18th, 2012. You can read more about this promo by following the link.

Best Western Rewards Fall 2012 Promotion Double or Triple Points

Carlson Hotels – Club Carlson

You can get a free night voucher for every two night stay at the Country Inns & Suites locations in the United States and Canada. This offer is valid from October 1 to November 30, 2012.

club-carlson-country-inns-suites-fallstay-offer

Country Inns & Suites Bonus Offer: Stay for Two Consecutive Nights and Get a Free Night Certificate

You can get triple points + 2000 bonus points by booking a breakfast package. This promotion is valid until December 31st, 2012 at selected Radisson & Radisson Blu locations.

radisson-breakfast-package

Book Breakfast Package Rate & Get Triple Gold Points at Select Radisson & Radisson Blu Hotels

You can get triple American Airline miles (1500) for Radisson/Radisson Blu stays worldwide until December 20th, 2012.

Triple American Airlines AAdvantage Miles for Radisson/Radisson Blu Stays

Club Carlson is celebrating 25 years of Country Inn & Suites by giving 25K bonus points for two night stays until October 14, 2012.

club-carlson-country-inn-suites-25-years-2

Club Carlson: Country Inn & Suites 25 Years – Get 25000 Bonus Points For 2 Nights Stay

Here are few other interesting posts about the Club Carlson program:

There is an elite offer for 2 for 1 and 4 for 2. You need to be a Gold or Concierge member to take advantage of these discounts that are valid in Europe, Middle East Africa.

Club Carlson Gold/Concierge Elite Member Offer – Stay 2 Pay 1

Club Carlson Gold/Concierge Elite Member Offer – Stay 4 Pay 2

You can get a Club Carlson Gold through a status match or being a shareholder:

Carlson Hotels – Club Carlson Status Match

Club Carlson Gold Status for Rezidor Shareholders

If you have a friend or family member working for any Carlson hotel, you maybe eligible for the Friends & family discount:

Carlson Hotels Friends & Family Discount

Choice Privileges – Choice Hotels

Choice’s fall 2012 promotion is valid until November 14th, 2012. You will earn at the minimum 8000 points for every two stays.

choice-fall-2012-promotion

Choice Hotels Fall 2012 Promotion for Maximum of 8000 Bonus Points for Every Two Stays

Hilton HHonors

Hilton is offering maximum of 15K bonus Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles for 5 stays. You can always transfer the bonus + base miles back to Hilton HHonors for total of 40K HH points. This promotion is valid until December 31, 2012

hilton-hhonors-virgin-atlantic-4th-quarter-offer

Hilton HHonors Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Bonus Offer – 15K Bonus Miles for 5 Stays

Hilton has a promotion with Miles & More (Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian etc) for up to quadruple miles until December 31, 2012.

Hilton HHonors Miles & More Promotion for Up To Quadruple Miles

You can earn 4000 bonus Emirates Skywards miles on your second stay. This offer is valid until December 31, 2012.

Hilton HHonors Emirates Skywards Promotion – 4000 Bonus Miles on Your Second Stay

Hilton has a special “Be Yourself” package for Conrad resorts. Gold/Diamond members will receive 5000 bonus points per stay.

Conrad Hotels “Be Yourself” Offer of Breakfast/Room Upgrade or 5000 Bonus Points

Hilton is offering instant Gold status until 2014 and bonus points/miles for American, Delta, JetBlu, United, US Airways, and Virgin American frequent fliers. This offer is targeted.

hilton-offer-american

Instant Hilton HHonors Gold Status Until March 2014 for American, Delta, JetBlue, United, US Airways, and Virgin America Frequent Fliers + Bonus Points & Miles (Targeted?)

You can get free 500 Hilton HHonors points for liking Hampton Inn on Facebook.

Get 500 Free Hilton HHonors Points by Liking Hampton Inn on Facebook

Here are some other important posts:

You can read about getting a status match with Hilton HHonors:

Hilton HHonors Gold & Diamond Status Match & Challenge & Fast Track Offer

Hilton HHonors Gold VIP Fast Track Offer Through MVP Program. Gold Status After Four Stays or Nine Nights During 90 period

Instant Hilton HHonors Gold Status for Visa Infinite Card Holders

It can make sense to use Virgin Atlantic as Double Dip partner and then transfer the miles back to Hilton. You can read more about this here:

Hilton HHonors Double Dip Strategy with Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club

Hyatt Gold Passport

Hyatt’s fall 2012 promotion is valid from September 1st to November 30th, 2012. You will earn 5000 bonus points after 5 nights and 10000 bonus points for every additional five nights for maximum bonus of 65000 Hyatt Gold Passport points.

hyatt-imagine

Hyatt Gold Passport Autumn “Imagine the Possibilities” Promotion

Here are couple of other important posts:

Hyatt also offers status matches/trials. You can read more about them here:

Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond Status Match – Hyatt Diamond Trial Challenge As Of 2012

Sometimes it makes sense to use Hyatt Stay Certificate instead of paying. You can read about more of them here:

Hyatt Stay Certificates – Way to Save Money On Hyatt Stays

InterContinental Hotels Group – Priority Club

The beauty of Priority Club is the onslaught of ongoing overlapping promotions that you can triple/quadruple dip.You can read about my average Priority Club point earnings when all the promotions are factored in here. I have also written about different type of Priority Club promotions here and what you can expect to earn for your first stay if you sign up for an account here.

Just a word of warning. Some of these promotions may require an address to be in a specific country/area like United States. I take absolutely no guarantees what will post to your Priority Club account.  They may also conflict with a promotion that you have already signed up for and just return an error message.

There is an interesting “Roles To Rooms’ promotion for total of 15K bonus points for four stays. This promotion appears to be geographically targeted to Asia Pacific region.

priority-club-roles-to-rooms

Priority Club “Roles to Rooms” Promotion: 15000 Bonus Points for Four Stays

Here’s an update about the “Roles to Room” promotion:

Priority Club “Roles To Rooms” Promotion Update: 15K for 4 Stays

Complimentary Intercontinental Ambassador Status After Three InterContinental Nights

You can get complimentary InterContinental Ambassador status that normally costs $200 for staying 3 nights at InterContinental properties by the end of November

Priority Club Candlewood & Staybridge Suites Promotion for 5000 Bonus Points

You can get 5000 bonus Priority Cub points for staying two consecutive nights at Candlewood or Staybridge Suites property in the United States by December 30th, 2012.

Triple Priority Club Points in Spain & Portugal – Need to Book IKTB2 Rate

Triple points for stays at select properties in the Iberian peninsula. Valid until the end of December.

Quarter 4 Stay Bonuses

priority-cub-q4-stay-bonuses

These are valid from October 1st to December 31st, 2012. You should sign up for 5K, 10K or 15K varation of this offer depending how many IHg nights you are planning to have on the 4th quarter.

5000 Bonus Air Canada Aeroplan Miles for a Stay

This is a nice bonus for a stay in Canada. You need to have the stays by December 30th, 2012 to be eligible for the bonus miles.

Priority Club “Sweetheart Deal” $100 Visa Prepaid Debit Card for Each 3 Night Stay within 90 Day of Wedding

Priority Club is offering a $100 rebate for every stay of 3 nights or longer within 90 days of your wedding, This promotion is valid until the end of 2012.

Priority Club $25 Gift Card Offer for Booking Directly Online

You can get up to five codes that you can redeem for various gift card by booking online or mobile on any of IHG branded websites.

Priority Club Meeting Rewards Offer of Triple Points

You can get triple Priority Club points for meetings by switching your account to Priority Club Meetings Reward member.

Priority Club Surveys for 2000 Points or More

There are number of surveys that you can do in number of different languages for a quick 2000 Priority Club points, if you haven’t done any of them earlier. This is a quick way to get some points. My points posted immediately.

Priority Club Welcome Survey for 1000 Bonus Points

Not sure what is going on with this promotion, but you can try to see if it works for you.

Install (Not Required) Priority Club Shopping Toolbar & Get 300 Points

You can get easy 300 points by installing a Priority Club shopping toolbar.

You can register for the following promotions at priorityclub.com/register. You need to have the email address associated with the Priority Club OR the Priority Club account number available AND the four digit code associated with the promotion.

Anniversary Bonus Offer – 6102 – 1000 Bonus Points

This is most lucrative of the offers. You will get additional 1000 Priority Club points per stay for 90 days after your sign up.  Just enroll just before your first stay to maximize the earning period.

1000 Bonus Points for 60 Days – 8108 – 1000 Bonus Points

You will receive 1000 bonus Priority Club points per stay for the next 60 days after registering for this promotion. Just enroll just before your first stay to maximize the earning period.

Elite Member Next Stay Bonus – 5221 – 3000 Bonus Points

This works for sure if you are a Platinum member, but could work for Gold’s as well. Doesn’t hurt to sign up, right? You will get 3000 bonus Priority Club points for your next stay. You will need to have the stay within 90 days after signing up. You can only earn this once.

Elite Member Next Stay Bonus – 7489 – 3000 Bonus Points –NEW

This is another 3000 bonus points for an elite member. It posts for sure if you are Platinum but might work for a Gold account as well. You need to do the stay within 90 days of registering for this offer.

Welcome Back Bonus – 2120 – 1500 Bonus Points

You will get 1500 Priority Club bonus points for one stay after signing up. You need do stay within 90 days.

New Member Bonus – 3107 – 1500 Bonus Points

This is a new member bonus, but works for existing members as well. You will get onetime 1500 Priority Club bonus points after signing up. You need do stay within 90 days after registration.

Next Stay Bonus – 5109 – 1500 Bonus Points

This should be open for elite and non-elite members. You will get onetime bonus of 1500 Priority club points after a paid stay. The stay must be within 90 days after registration.

Weekend Stay Bonus – 3136 – 5000 Bonus Points

This should be open for all. You will get 5000 Priority Club bonus points for a two night weekend stay. Weekend is typically defined Friday/Saturday/Sunday nights. The stay must occur before the end of 2012. This promotion may require your Priority Club access to be in the United States. The promotion did post for me after a while. This promotion can be done several times.

Platinum 5000 Bonus – 3168 – 5000 Bonus Points

Not sure exactly how this works, but here’s the info about this offer: We’re pleased you have continued to stay with us and are now even closer to earning exclusive Platinum Elite benefits and 5,000 bonus points. All you need to do is register and stay with us 5 more nights before 30th November 2012. It would be our pleasure to reward your loyalty with exclusive Platinum Elite benefits. Keep staying with us and you’ll soon be there. We look forward to helping you make it to the top: Platinum Elite status!

Marriott Rewards

Marriott has their usual fall MegaBonus starting on September 15th and ends on January 15th 2013. You need, however, register for the promotion by October 31st, 2012.

marriott-rewards-fal-2012-megabonus

Marriott Rewards Fall 2012 MegaBonus

Update on Marriott Fall 2012 MegaBonus Choices

You can earn triple airline miles tarting on your second stay on Marriott’s MegaMiles promotion that ends on October 30th, 2012.

marriott-megamiles

Marriott Rewards MegaMiles Promotion – Earn Triple Airline Miles

Here are three other posts about Marriott Rewards:

You can get Southwest Rapid Rewards points for Marriott Gift card purchases.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Points for Marriott Gift Card Purchases

Marriott also offers status matches or taste of Platinum/Gold. You can read more about the procedures of getting one here:

Marriott Status Match Silver, Gold & Platinum – Taste of Silver, Gold or Platinum

If you haven’t been targeted to any of the promotions or you would like to change to another one, you can follow the instructions to get the promotion fixed for you.

Changing Targeted Marriott Promotions

Ritz-Carlton Rewards

Ritz-Carlton has an offer for 30K bonus points for a stay of four nights or longer. This offer is valid until October 15th, 2012.

ritz-carlton-extraordinary-returns_0

Ritz-Carlton Rewards Extraordinary Returns – 30000 Bonus Points for a Four Night Stay

Starwood Preferred Guest

Starwood’s next promotion Better By The Night begins on October 1st and ends on December 20th, 2012. You will receive double Starpoints for stays of 1 to 2 nights and triple points for stays of 3 nights or longer.

spg-better-by-the-night

SPG Better By The Night Autumn 2012 Promotion for Double or Triple Starpoints

You can get 500 bonus points for booking made on the iPhone SPG app or 250 points for bookings made on spg.com.

spg-better-by-the-night-booking-bonuses

SPG Better By The Night Online & iPhone Booking Bonuses

Starwood has a promotion with Air Canada’s Aeroplan for maximum of 8000 bonus miles. This is in addition to the Starpoints that you earn. Promotion is valid from September 10 to December 9, 2012.

Starwood Aeroplan Offer: Up To 8000 Bonus Miles

Westin Kierland and Sheraton Wilde Horse Pass have exciting bonus points opportunity. Stay once at both properties and earn 10000 bonus Starpoints.

Stay at Westin Kierland & Sheraton Wild Horse Pass for 10000 Bonus Starpoints

You can get 1000 Delta SkyMiles or US Airways Dividend Miles for booking a special (expensive) rate plan.

1000 Bonus Delta SkyMiles or US Airways Dividend Miles for Sheraton Club Bookings

Starwood has been offering bonus points or free night certificate for new accounts that haven’t had stays

SPG Bonus Beginnings: 3K Bonus Starpoints or Free Night Award

Here’s a post about Starwood status match opportunity:

Starwood doesn’t offer straight status matches, but they can offer you a challenge:

Starwood Preferred Guest Platinum Status Match – Platinum Challenge

Wyndham Rewards

Wyndham’s autumn promotion is extra points or miles for second and fourth stay before November 30, 2012.

wyndham-rewards-fall-2012-promotion

Wyndham Rewards Fall 2012 “Bonus Earnings” Promotion 11K Bonus Points or 2K Bonus Miles

Club Carlson Gold Points Purchase Bonus Offer of 50%

by
John Ollila
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Club Carlson is offering a 50% bonus if you buy miles for yourself or gift them to someone else. You can buy up to 40000 points (60K with the 50% bonus) for $280. This offer is valid until November 10, 2012. The price of a Club Carlson Gold Point purchased using this offer is 4.67 cents each. You can access this offer here.

club-carlson-purchase-promo

The purchase process is very straightforward as it is handled by Points.com, which does these for most other hotels/airlines. You are shown the various number of points that you can purchase and the bonus amount associated with this offer.

club-carlson-gold-points-purchase-bonus-40k

You are then confirmed the total.

club-carlson-gold-points-purchase-bonus-40k-total-price

Conclusion

I don’t think that this is terrific offer considering all the stay bonuses that Club Carlson has been offering lately. It was easy to earn 50K+ points on a $100 stay. These can be useful if you don’t have any points but are planning to stay at an affiliated property. Some of them are offering Points & Cash awards and lower category hotels might be cheaper to book using purchased points than paying.

Here are the terms and conditions associated with this offer:

All Point Purchases: Price includes all applicable fees. GST/HST will be charged to Canadian residents. Gold Points purchased using this option are non-refundable and will post within 2 to 5 days. All Points Purchase Terms and Conditions and all standard Club Carlson Program Terms and Conditions apply to your purchase and use of Gold Points.

50% Bonus Point Purchase Offer: Offer applies to Gold Points purchased in 1,000 point increments between September 24, 2012 and November 10, 2012 only. For each qualifying purchase, members will receive a point bonus equal to 50% of the points purchased (i.e. 500 bonus points for each 1,000 points purchased). Bonus points will not be applied to the yearly 40,000 point purchase maximum. Bonus points and purchased points will be posted to the member’s Club Carlson account or the gift recipient’s Club Carlson account, as applicable, as one transaction within 2-5 days of purchase. Club Carlson reserves the right to add, modify, or discontinue the Offer without notice. Void where prohibited by law. By participating in this Offer, you agree and consent to these terms and conditions and the terms and conditions above applicable to all point purchases.

Country Inns & Suites Bonus Offer: Stay for Two Consecutive Nights and Get a Free Night Certificate

by
John Ollila
-
2 Comments

Country Inns & Suites just announced their fall 2012 promotion for a free night certificate for every two night consecutive stay from Sunday to Thursday between October 1 and November 29, 2012, in the United States and Canada. The free night certificate can be used between December 15 and February 15, 2013, in the participating location in the same two countries.

club-carlson-country-inns-suites-fallstay-offer

Here’s what you need to do to get a free night:

1. Book a two night or longer consecutive stay Sunday – Thursday.

2. You need to book “Free Night Fall Promotion” rate. The promotional rate code is FALLSTAY.

3. Stay needs to be booked at least 3 days in advance,

4. You need to register the eligible stay. You will receive an email instructions how to do the registration by email after your stay.

5. You will receive the certificate by mail to the address you gave during the registration process

6. You can book the free stay on Club Carlson’s website using promotional code FREESTAY at least 3 days in advance of your stay.

7. You need to hand in the certificate when you check in

They certainly make you go through some hoops to collect the free night. Previously, Club Carlson has been offering bonus points and not certificates on their free night promotions.

club-carlson-country-inns-suites-fallstay

Here’s how you can search for the “Free Night Fall Promotion” rate. Make sure that you have FALLSTAY code on the promotional code field. You can do the reservation using any Club Carlson website.

club-carlson-country-inns-suites-fallstay-rate-display

You will then get a rate display like the one above. The promotional rate appears to be the same as the Best Flexible Rate that is rarely the lowest. At least they haven’t inflated the rate that qualifies for the free night certificate.

You should use one of the cahback portals like MrRebates, eBates, TopCashback etc to get some cashback for your stay as well. This won’t affect the eligibility of the free night promotion and you will also earn the normal number of points for your stay. I have used both MrRebates and TopCashback for my recent Club Carlson stays as they have offered the highest payout. If you are not a member and sign up using the links above, I will get a bonus and so will you.

Conclusion

This is a nice promotion from Club Carlson’s Country Inns & Suites. I am not huge fan of promotions that requires you to go through number of steps to collect a rebate or a free night. But on this case, it is probably worth it as the rate that you are required to book to be eligible for the award is not more than the Best Flexible Rate.

Here are the terms and conditions of this offer:

The Free Night Fall Promotion (“Promotion”) offers a Free Night Fall Reward Certificate under the conditions described below and is available for new reservations at participating Country Inns & Suites By Carlsonsm hotels in the U.S., and Canada for Eligible Stays arriving beginning October 1, 2012, and completed by November 30, 2012 (“Promotion Period”). An Eligible Stay is defined as a stay of two (2) or more consecutive nights Sunday through Thursday during the Promotion Period at the same hotel for which the guest specifically booked the Free Night Fall Promotion rate. Minimum 3 day advance reservation required for an Eligible Stay. Promotion may not be used in conjunction with any other package, promotion, group or convention rate, or any other discounted rate.

In order to receive the Free Night Reward Certificate (“Certificate”), guests must: (1) complete an Eligible Stay; and (2) register the Eligible Stay online with their confirmation number, name, and complete mailing address (“Registration”). Guest will receive an email approximately two weeks after their Eligible Stay with Registration instructions. Registration must be completed and received on or before 11:59 PM CST December 22, 2012 to be eligible to receive Certificate. Certificate will be mailed to the guest at the mailing address provided during Registration within two weeks of completing the Registration.

County Inns & Suites By Carlson is not responsible for interrupted or unavailable network, server or other connections, miscommunications, computer hardware or software or technical failures, Internet Service Provider/network/website accessibility or availability, garbled or jumbled transmissions or other errors of any kind, whether human, mechanical or electronic; including without limitation the incomplete, incorrect or inaccurate capture of Registration information; or (2) lost, misplaced, or stolen Certificates, whether via mail or otherwise.

Certificate is valid for one free night in a standard room, single or double occupancy, at a participating Country Inns & Suites By Carlson hotel in the U.S or Canada for stays arriving between December 15, 2012 through February 15, 2013 (“Certificate Stay”). Minimum 3 day advance reservation required for Certificate Stay. Certificate is subject to availability and certain restrictions, including blackout dates, may apply and additional extra person charges may apply if exceeding double occupancy. Certificate is non-transferable and cannot be sold. Certificate and promotional code “freestay” must be mentioned at the time of reservation for the Certificate Stay; if by phone at 800-456-8000, or must be booked online at www.countryinns.com/freenight using promotional code “freestay”. Name on the reservation for the Certificate Stay must be same as on the Eligible Stay. Original Certificate must be presented at check-in in order to receive the free night. Reservations for Certificate Stays will be accepted beginning November 1, 2012. Certificate may not be used in conjunction with any other package, promotion, group or convention rate, or any other discounted rate or existing reservations. Gold Points will not be awarded for Certificate Stay. Certificate applies to standard room charges and tax and does not include incidental charges, services charges and gratuities. Participating hotels are subject to change without notice and the number of rooms available for the Certificate Stay at participating hotels may be limited. Country Inns & Suites By Carlson reserves the right to add, modify or discontinue the Promotion with or without notice. Void where prohibited by law. By participating in this Promotion, you agree and consent to these terms and conditions.

Triple American Airlines AAdvantage Miles for Radisson/Radisson Blu Stays

by
John Ollila
-
1 Comment

Radisson & Radisson Blu hotels are offering triple (1500) American Airlines AAdvantage miles per stay from September 1st to December 20th, 2012. You need to provide your AAdvantage number at check in and cannot earn Club Carlson God points for the stays. Here’s the link to this offer.

american-airlines-radisson-radisson-blu-triple-miles

Regardless of the number of nights, you will receive flat 1500 miles per STAY.

This offer only makes sense if you are staying at a very inexpensive Radisson/Radisson Blu property or don’t plan on collecting Gold points at all. You can always transfer 100000 God points to 18K American Airlines AAdvantage miles. Five $200 Radisson/Radisson Blu stays would earn you in excess of 100000 points and could be transferred to 18K American Airlines miles.

Conclusion

You need to calculate how many Gold points you would earn from your stay compared to flat 1500 American Airlines miles. For me this offer doesn’t make sense at all.

Here are the terms and conditions of this offer:

The Triple Miles Offer (“Promotion”) is available for new reservations at participating Radisson and Radisson Blu Hotels & Resorts (“Participating Properties”) for Eligible Stays beginning September 01, 2012 and completed by December 20, 2012 (“Promotional Period”). An Eligible Stay is defined as a stay of one or more nights at the same hotel regardless of the number of times you check-in or check-out during the stay at an eligible rate. Ineligible rates under the Promotion include employee rates; airline crew rates; travel agent rates; hotel employee rates; tour operator rates; wholesaler rates; rates booked through online travel companies; complimentary rooms, including, but not limited to, rooms booked as Award Night stays, or other stays involving other gift certificate or free night vouchers. American Airlines AAdvantage members who provide their member number at the time of check-in can earn a total of 1,500 AAdvantage miles for each Eligible Stay during the Promotional Period. There is no maximum on the number of Eligible Stays that can qualify for the bonus during the Promotional Period. Rates for each night may vary. Mileage is subject to all AAdvantage program rules and regulations. Participating Properties are subject to change without notice. Offer subject to availability and blackout dates may apply. Gold Points® may not be earned for Eligible Stays under this Promotion. Radisson reserves the right to add, modify or discontinue these terms and conditions or the Promotion with or without notice. Void where prohibited by law. By participating in this Promotion, you agree and consent to these terms and conditions. Allow six (6) to eight (8) weeks for the AAdvantage mileage to be posted to your AAdvantage account. American Airlines reserves the right to change the AAdvantage® program and its terms and conditions at any time without notice, and to end the AAdvantage® program with six months notice. Any such changes may affect your ability to use the awards or mileage credits that you have accumulated. Unless specified, AAdvantage® miles earned through this promotion/offer do not count toward elite-status qualification or Million MilerSM status. American Airlines is not responsible for products or services offered by other participating companies. For complete details about the AAdvantage® program, www.aa.com/AAdvantage AmericanAirlines, AAdvantage and Million Miler are trademarks of American Airlines, Inc.

Hotel Promotions Update (September 2012) Le Club Accorhotels, Best Western Rewards, Choice Privileges, Club Carlson, Hilton HHonors, Hyatt Gold Passport, InterContinental Hotels Group – Priority Club, Marriott Rewards, Ritz-Carlton Rewards, Starwood Preferred Guest & Wyndham Rewards

by
John Ollila
-

Here our monthly blog post about hotel loyalty promotions. You can now find an updated list just by clicking the “Hotel Promotions” tab. This will be updated when promotions expire and new ones are announced throughout the month.

loyaltylobby-hotel-promotions

Accor Hotels – Le Club

There are no currently bonus point promotions for Le Club Accorhotels. We do, however, have available instant Platinum status with the program. You can find more about this by following the link below.

le-club-accorhotels-sign-up-august-2012-benefits

Accor A-Club / Le Club Accorhotels Platinum Status for New Accounts

Best Western Rewards

Best Western’s fall promotion for double/triple points is starting on September 23rd and ends on November 18th, 2012. You can read more about this promo by following the link.

Best Western Rewards Fall 2012 Promotion Double or Triple Points

Carlson Hotels – Club Carlson

You can get triple points + 2000 bonus points by booking a breakfast package. This promotion is valid until December 31st, 2012 at selected Radisson & Radisson Blu locations.

radisson-breakfast-package

Book Breakfast Package Rate & Get Triple Gold Points at Select Radisson & Radisson Blu Hotels

You can get 100 free Club Carlson points per day by flipping through a photo book. This offer is valid until September 24, 2012.

club-carlson-global-giveaway-100-points

Get More Than 3000 Free Club Carlson Points – 100 Points Per Day

Club Carlson is celebrating 25 years of Country Inn & Suites by giving 25K bonus points for two night stays until October 14, 2012.

club-carlson-country-inn-suites-25-years-2

Club Carlson: Country Inn & Suites 25 Years – Get 25000 Bonus Points For 2 Nights Stay

Radisson & Radisson Blu has an offer for Europe, Middle East & Africa. You can get 3rd night free and 2000 bonus points when you book for three nights and pay using American Express. This offer is valid until September 30th, 2012.

club-carlson-3-for-2-amex-offer

Radisson & Radisson Blu 3rd Night Free + 2000 Bonus Club Carlson Points

Club Carlson is offering double points at number of their properties in Europe, Middle East & Africa. This offer is valid until September 30th, 2012.

cc-our-summer-specials

Club Carlson Double Points in Europe, Middle East & Africa at Participating Hotels

Club Carlson has a redemption discount offer of 50% at number of properties in Europe, Middle East, and Africa. You can use your points at half the usual rate. This offer is valid until September 30th, 2012.

club-carlson-50redeem

Club Carlson 50% Redemption Discount At Select Hotels in Europe, Middle East & Africa

Club Carlson has a promotion for the Asia Pacific region. You can get 10K bonus points for stays of two nights or longer. You can earn the bonus points unlimited time. The promotion ends on September 30th, 2012.

club-carlson-apac-offer-10k-for-2-nights

Club Carlson Asia Pacific Promotion “Two Nights. 10,000 Points” – 10K Bonus Points For Stays Of Two Nights Or Longer

Here are few other interesting posts about the Club Carlson program:

There is an elite offer for 2 for 1 and 4 for 2. You need to be a Gold or Concierge member to take advantage of these discounts that are valid in Europe, Middle East Africa.

Club Carlson Gold/Concierge Elite Member Offer – Stay 2 Pay 1

Club Carlson Gold/Concierge Elite Member Offer – Stay 4 Pay 2

You can get a Club Carlson Gold through a status match or being a shareholder:

Carlson Hotels – Club Carlson Status Match

Club Carlson Gold Status for Rezidor Shareholders

If you have a friend or family member working for any Carlson hotel, you maybe eligible for the Friends & family discount:

Carlson Hotels Friends & Family Discount

Choice Privileges – Choice Hotels

Choice’s fall 2012 promotion is valid until November 14th, 2012. You will earn at the minimum 8000 points for every two stays.

choice-fall-2012-promotion

Choice Hotels Fall 2012 Promotion for Maximum of 8000 Bonus Points for Every Two Stays

Hilton HHonors

Hilton’s Triple Your Trip promotion for double points for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday Stays, and triple for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday stays until September 30th, 2012.

hilton-hhonors-3q-2012

Hilton HHonors 3rd Quarter “Triple Your Trip” 2012 Double or Triple Points Promotion

Hilton HHonors and Delta has teamed up offering triple Delta SkyMiles at selected Hilton family of hotels until September 20th, 2012.

hilton-hhonors-delta-q3-2012-triple-miles

Triple Delta SkyMiles for Stays at Selected Hilton Family of Hotels

Hilton is offering instant Gold status until 2014 and bonus points/miles for American, Delta, JetBlu, United, US Airways, and Virgin American frequent fliers. This offer is targeted.

hilton-offer-american

Instant Hilton HHonors Gold Status Until March 2014 for American, Delta, JetBlue, United, US Airways, and Virgin America Frequent Fliers + Bonus Points & Miles (Targeted?)

Here are some other important posts:

You can read about getting a status match with Hilton HHonors:

Hilton HHonors Gold & Diamond Status Match & Challenge & Fast Track Offer

Hilton HHonors Gold VIP Fast Track Offer Through MVP Program. Gold Status After Four Stays or Nine Nights During 90 period

Instant Hilton HHonors Gold Status for Visa Infinite Card Holders

It can make sense to use Virgin Atlantic as Double Dip partner and then transfer the miles back to Hilton. You can read more about this here:

Hilton HHonors Double Dip Strategy with Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club

Hyatt Gold Passport

Hyatt’s fall 2012 promotion is valid from September 1st to November 30th, 2012. You will earn 5000 bonus points after 5 nights and 10000 bonus points for every additional five nights for maximum bonus of 65000 Hyatt Gold Passport points.

hyatt-imagine

Hyatt Gold Passport Autumn “Imagine the Possibilities” Promotion

Here are couple of other important posts:

Hyatt also offers status matches/trials. You can read more about them here:

Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond Status Match – Hyatt Diamond Trial Challenge As Of 2012

Sometimes it makes sense to use Hyatt Stay Certificate instead of paying. You can read about more of them here:

Hyatt Stay Certificates – Way to Save Money On Hyatt Stays

InterContinental Hotels Group – Priority Club

The beauty of Priority Club is the onslaught of ongoing overlapping promotions that you can triple/quadruple dip.You can read about my average Priority Club point earnings when all the promotions are factored in here. I have also written about different type of Priority Club promotions here and what you can expect to earn for your first stay if you sign up for an account here.

Just a word of warning. Some of these promotions may require an address to be in a specific country/area like United States. I take absolutely no guarantees what will post to your Priority Club account. They may also conflict with a promotion that you have already signed up for and just return an error message.

There is an interesting “Roles To Rooms’ promotion for total of 15K bonus points for four stays. This promotion appears to be geographically targeted to Asia Pacific region.

priority-club-roles-to-rooms

Priority Club “Roles to Room” Promotion: 15000 Bonus Points for Four Stays

Quarter 3 Stay bonuses

These started on July 1st and will end on September 30th, 2012. You should sign up for an offer that you know you can achieve

5000 Bonus Air Canada Aeroplan Miles for a Stay

This is a nice bonus for a stay in Canada. You need to have the stays by December 30th, 2012 to be eligible for the bonus miles.

Priority Club “Sweetheart Deal” $100 Visa Prepaid Debit Card for Each 3 Night Stay within 90 Day of Wedding

Priority Club is offering a $100 rebate for every stay of 3 nights or longer within 90 days of your wedding, This promotion is valid until the end of 2012.

Priority Club $25 Gift Card Offer for Booking Directly Online

You can get up to five codes that you can redeem for various gift card by booking online or mobile on any of IHG branded websites.

Priority Club Meeting Rewards Offer of Triple Points

You can get triple Priority Club points for meetings by switching your account to Priority Club Meetings Reward member.

Priority Club Surveys for 2000 Points or More

There are number of surveys that you can do in number of different languages for a quick 2000 Priority Club points, if you haven’t done any of them earlier. This is a quick way to get some points. My points posted immediately.

Sign Up For Priority Club Shopping Emails & Get 500 Points

You can get 500 Priority Club points for just signing up for the shopping email.

Priority Club Welcome Survey for 1000 Bonus Points

Not sure what is going on with this promotion, but you can try to see if it works for you.

Install (Not Required) Priority Club Shopping Toolbar & Get 300 Points

You can get easy 300 points by installing a Priority Club shopping toolbar.

You can register for the following promotions at priorityclub.com/register. You need to have the email address associated with the Priority Club OR the Priority Club account number available AND the four digit code associated with the promotion.

Anniversary Bonus Offer – 6102 – 1000 Bonus Points

This is most lucrative of the offers. You will get additional 1000 Priority Club points per stay for 90 days after your sign up. Just enroll just before your first stay to maximize the earning period.

1000 Bonus Points for 60 Days – 8108 – 1000 Bonus Points

You will receive 1000 bonus Priority Club points per stay for the next 60 days after registering for this promotion. Just enroll just before your first stay to maximize the earning period.

Elite Member Next Stay Bonus – 5221 – 3000 Bonus Points

This works for sure if you are a Platinum member, but could work for Gold’s as well. Doesn’t hurt to sign up, right? You will get 3000 bonus Priority Club points for your next stay. You will need to have the stay within 90 days after signing up. You can only earn this once.

Elite Member Next Stay Bonus – 7489 – 3000 Bonus Points –NEW

This is another 3000 bonus points for an elite member. It posts for sure if you are Platinum but might work for a Gold account as well. You need to do the stay within 90 days of registering for this offer.

Welcome Back Bonus – 2120 – 1500 Bonus Points

You will get 1500 Priority Club bonus points for one stay after signing up. You need do stay within 90 days.

New Member Bonus – 3107 – 1500 Bonus Points

This is a new member bonus, but works for existing members as well. You will get onetime 1500 Priority Club bonus points after signing up. You need do stay within 90 days after registration.

Next Stay Bonus – 5109 – 1500 Bonus Points

This should be open for elite and non-elite members. You will get onetime bonus of 1500 Priority club points after a paid stay. The stay must be within 90 days after registration.

Weekend Stay Bonus – 3136 – 5000 Bonus Points

This should be open for all. You will get 5000 Priority Club bonus points for a two night weekend stay. Weekend is typically defined Friday/Saturday/Sunday nights. The stay must occur before the end of 2012. This promotion may require your Priority Club access to be in the United States. The promotion did post for me after a while. This promotion can be done several times.

Platinum 5000 Bonus – 3168 – 5000 Bonus Points

Not sure exactly how this works, but here’s the info about this offer: We’re pleased you have continued to stay with us and are now even closer to earning exclusive Platinum Elite benefits and 5,000 bonus points. All you need to do is register and stay with us 5 more nights before 30th November 2012. It would be our pleasure to reward your loyalty with exclusive Platinum Elite benefits. Keep staying with us and you’ll soon be there. We look forward to helping you make it to the top: Platinum Elite status!

Marriott Rewards

Marriott has their usual fall MegaBonus starting on September 15th and ends on January 15th 2013. You need, however, register for the promotion by October 31st, 2012.

marriott-rewards-fal-2012-megabonus

Marriott Rewards Fall 2012 MegaBonus

Update on Marriott Fall 2012 MegaBonus Choices

You can earn triple airline miles tarting on your second stay on Marriott’s MegaMiles promotion that ends on October 30th, 2012.

marriott-megamiles

Marriott Rewards MegaMiles Promotion – Earn Triple Airline Miles

Here are three other posts about Marriott Rewards:

You can get Southwest Rapid Rewards points for Marriott Gift card purchases.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Points for Marriott Gift Card Purchases

Marriott also offers status matches or taste of Platinum/Gold. You can read more about the procedures of getting one here:

Marriott Rewards Gold & Platinum Status Match – Taste of Platinum & Gold Challenge

If you haven’t been targeted to any of the promotions or you would like to change to another one, you can follow the instructions to get the promotion fixed for you.

Changing Targeted Marriott Promotions

Ritz-Carlton Rewards

Ritz-Carlton has an offer for 30K bonus points for a stay of four nights or longer. This offer is valid until October 15th, 2012.

ritz-carlton-extraordinary-returns_0

Ritz-Carlton Rewards Extraordinary Returns – 30000 Bonus Points for a Four Night Stay

Starwood Preferred Guest

Starwood launched their much anticipated SPG Nice Choice promotion on May 1st that hasn’t gone down too well. You can read about the initial leak, my ability to confirm that the leaked information was real, and the strategy that you should take. Essentially, this is a double or triple Starpoints promotion that is very weak compared to free night promotions that SPG was running during 2010 and 2011. Note that you needed to choose what you would like to earn and when by June 30th, 2012.

Starwood’s next promotion Better By The Night begins on October 1st and ends on December 20th, 2012. You will receive double Starpoints for stays of 1 to 2 nights and triple points for stays of 3 nights or longer.

spg-better-by-the-night

SPG Better By The Night Autumn 2012 Promotion for Double or Triple Starpoints

You can get 500 bonus points for booking made on the iPhone SPG app or 250 points for bookings made on spg.com.

spg-better-by-the-night-booking-bonuses

SPG Better By The Night Online & iPhone Booking Bonuses

Westin Kierland and Sheraton Wilde Horse Pass have exciting bonus points opportunity. Stay once at both properties and earn 10000 bonus Starpoints.

Stay at Westin Kierland & Sheraton Wild Horse Pass for 10000 Bonus Starpoints

You can get 1000 Delta SkyMiles or US Airways Dividend Miles for booking a special (expensive) rate plan.

1000 Bonus Delta SkyMiles or US Airways Dividend Miles for Sheraton Club Bookings

Here’s a post about Starwood status match opportunity:

Starwood doesn’t offer straight status matches, but they can offer you a challenge:

Starwood Preferred Guest Platinum Status Match – Platinum Challenge

Wyndham Rewards

Wyndham’s summer promotion is coming to an end on September 13th, 2012. You can earn quadruple points or miles.

wyndham-s12summer

Wyndham Rewards Summer 2012 Promotion for Quadruple Miles or Points

Book Breakfast Package Rate & Get Triple Gold Points at Select Radisson & Radisson Blu Hotels

by
John Ollila
-
1 Comment

Radisson has a new promotion for triple points that it tied to booking a breakfast inclusive package. You will get triple Gold Points, 60 points per dollar spend, and 2000 bonus Gold points per stay. This offer is valid for stays from August 29th to December 31st, 2012 at selected Radisson & Radisson Blu hotels. You need to book using promotional code BREAKPKG or using the following link.

radisson-breakfast-package

As is always the case, I checked the rates using this promotion. Please note that I found out that it didn’t return rate in number of cities around the world like Bangkok, Helsinki and Dubai. It did work in the United States and the UK.

radisson-breakfast-1

radisson-breakfast-2

radisson-breakfast-3

In the greater LA are the rate is offered at 7 of the 8 eligible properties. The breakfast inclusive rate is anywhere from $20 to $50 more expensive than the lowest rates at the moment.

Conclusion

If you are a BIG breakfast person and you are traveling with someone, it might make sense to book this rate and collect the extra points. Alternatively, just book the least expensive rate and eat the breakfast elsewhere.

Why Hotels Love Resort Charges & Why You Should Hate Them?

by
John Ollila
-
3 Comments

Resort fees, also sometimes called “facility” or “service” charges, are spreading like a cancer to properties that are no resorts, and are becoming more difficult to avoid.

Here are eight reasons why hotels love “scamming” using resort charges:

1. Able to advertise a lower headline price and bury the extra charge to tax section.

2. Preferential display when searched using the price on hotel search engines.

3. Save on some taxes on municipalities that don’t collect taxes on “resort” charges.

4. Collect resort charge on award stays.

5. Collect resort charge on third party bookings i.e. Expedia, Hotwire, Booking.com, Priceline etc.

6. No need to pay for travel agent commission for amount of the resort fee.

7. No need to award points for the frequent guest program for the resort fee portion.

8. No need to pay franchise fees for the resort charge portion.

Here are three examples how these charges are displayed:

Westin Las Vegas Resort Charge
Westin Las Vegas Resort Charge

Westin Las Vegas the old Maxim hotel that was closed for couple of years. The property charges a “service” fee of $11.50 that is buried to the itemized rate display.

St Regis Puerto Rico Resort Charge
St Regis Puerto Rico Resort Charge

St Regis Puerto Rico. The resort charge is displayed on the search and the wording that the base rate excluded the resort fee of $60 per night that is included in the full price.

Hyatt Regency Palm Springs Resort Charge
Hyatt Regency Palm Springs Resort Charge

Hyatt has hidden the resort charge to rate details. The price breakdown that is shown only includes the taxes but shows the total with the resort charge included.

What do you might get for these resort charges?

Water bottle, free internet, usage of wellness facilities, free local and 800-phone calls, use of pool or then none of these might be included. If you happen to be an elite member with the hotel, most of these would be covered by your elite benefits regardless.

Conclusion

Resort charges are nothing else than a clever way for hotels to advertise a lower headline price and hide the accommodation charge that is not a tax to the tax breakdown. I absolutely hate hotels that do this. Then there are hotels like Westin Las Vegas or Hyatt Palm Springs that are not resorts and have started to charge service/resort fees.

You can always request for the resort charges to be waived or discounted on the basis that you didn’t use the services or that they are part of the elite level benefit package. Quite often the hotels are willing to waive these fees rather than argue with the customer.

Get More Than 3000 Free Club Carlson Points – 100 Points Per Day

by
John Ollila
-
3 Comments

Club Carlson has launched a Club Carlson Global Giveaway for residents of United States and Canada. There are various prizes that you can win, but the icing on the cake is the 100 FREE Club Carlson points PER day that you can get by flipping through the Vacation Look Book.

club-carlson-global-giveaway-100-points

This offer is valid from August 14th to September 24th, 2012. You can get the 100 Club Carlson points for each day during this period.

club-carlson-global-giveaway-100-points

I just flipped through the first Vacation Look Book and will flip it through again tomorrow for another 100 points.

Conclusion

This is very easy way to rack up few thousand extra Club Carlson points. You just have to remember to do it daily.

Here are the terms and conditions of this offer:

READ MORE

Club Carlson: Country Inn & Suites 25 Years – Get 25000 Bonus Points For 2 Nights Stay

by
John Ollila
-

Country Inn & Suites has turned 25 years. To celebrate this Club Carlson is offering 25000 bonus points per two nights stay at all Country Inn & Suites location between August 15th and October 14th, 2012.

club-carlson-country-inn-suites-25-years-2

You must book using promotional code 25FOR25 to be eligible for the bonus points. This promotion is valid at all Country Inn & Suites locations worldwide. You need to register for this promotion before of your stay and be a Club Carlson member.

club-carlson-country-inn-suites-25-years-2

  • Register for the 25 for 25 Event by clicking on the “Register Now” button below. You’ll need to be a Club CarlsonSM member to register. Not a member? No problem, just follow the “Join and Register” link below.
  • Complete a two night stay booking the 25 for 25 Promotion Rate at any Country Inns & Suites By CarlsonSM hotel worldwide between August 15 and October 14, 2012.
  • After you complete your stay, your 25,000 bonus Gold Points will be deposited in your Club Carlson account within 4-6 weeks. Then redeem your points for a variety of gift cards or other great redemption options.

Booking the 25FOR25 rate

Club Carlson Country Inn & Suites 25 for 25
Club Carlson Country Inn & Suites 25 for 25

Just make sure that you include 25FOR25 in the promotional code field to pull up the rates for this promotion. You need to choose a two night stay for the rates to be shown.

Club Carlson Country Inn & Suites 25 for 25 Rate Display
Club Carlson Country Inn & Suites 25 for 25 Rate Display
Club Carlson Country Inn & Suites 25 for 25 Rate Display 2
Club Carlson Country Inn & Suites 25 for 25 Rate Display 2

Apparently the 25FOR25 is based on the Best Available Rate (BAR). The BAR is rarely the lowest rate, but is not a rack rate either. You need to choose if the 25K bonus points are worth more than the savings that you could get using advance purchase, AAA, and other discount rates that you are eligible for.

Conclusion

Club Carlson has been very active in the promotional front for the past year. The various Ultimate Night Giveaway are now gone, although the Park Plaza version runs until the August 28th but the registration is closed.

This Country Inn & Suites 25 year 2-night bonus of 25K Club Carlson bonus points is a good offer, if the best available rates for the dates are reasonable.

Here are the full terms and conditions of this offer:

The 25 for 25 Event (“Promotion”) is available only to Club CarlsonSM members for new reservations. To be eligible for the Promotion, members must register online for the Promotion atwww.countryinns25.com (“Promotion Registration”), provide their Club Carlson member number at the time of reservation or check-in of a Qualifying Stay, and then complete one Qualifying Stay at any Country Inns & Suites By Carlson hotel worldwide (“Participating Hotels”). A “Qualifying Stay” is defined as a stay of two or more consecutive nights in the same room at a Participating Hotel regardless of the number of check-ins or check-outs during the Promotion Period, for which the guest specifically booked the 25 for 25 Promotion rate The Qualifying Stay must begin on or after August 15, 2012 and check out must be completed no later than October 14, 2012 (“Promotion Period”). Guest must be present at the Participating Hotel at both the time of check-in and check-out, enrolled in Club Carlson at or before the time of check-in, and registered in the Promotion no later than the time of check-out (to enroll in Club Carlson, visitwww.clubcarlson.com). Members who complete the Promotion Registration will receive a 25,000 Bonus Gold Point award after the completion of their Qualifying Stay. This Bonus Gold Point award is in addition to the standard Gold Points awarded for a regular stay. An individual can earn a maximum of one Bonus Gold Point award for this promotion regardless of the number of Qualifying Stays completed during the Promotion Period. Only one Club Carlson account per Qualifying Stay will be credited with the Bonus Gold Point award. Allow 6-8 weeks for Gold Points to appear on account. The Promotion and Gold Points are subject to all Club Carlson program Terms and Conditions, including rules and restrictions regarding redemption for prepaid cards and retail gift cards which may not be available to all members and which vary based on member’s country of residence1. Only standard rooms are eligible for the Promotion and rates for each night of a Qualifying Stay may vary. Promotion is not valid on existing reservations and is subject to availability. Country Inns & Suites By Carlson is not responsible for: interrupted or unavailable network, server or other connections, miscommunications, computer hardware or software or technical failures, Internet Service Provider/network/website accessibility or availability, garbled or jumbled transmissions or other errors of any kind, whether human, mechanical or electronic; including without limitation the incomplete, incorrect or inaccurate capture of Promotion Registration information. Promotion void where prohibited by law. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Country Inns & Suites By Carlson reserves the right to add, modify or discontinue these terms and conditions or the Promotion at any time with or without notice. By participating in this Promotion, you agree and consent to these terms and conditions.
1 The merchants listed are not affiliated with Carlson Hotels, nor are they sponsors or co-sponsors of Club Carlson. All merchant names, logos, trademarks or other marks herein are used with permission. The registered owners of the names, logos, trademarks or other marks retain all rights therein. Merchants may have additional terms and conditions, which may be found on the gift card, gift certificates, or merchant’s website. Merchants listed are subject to change without notice. iTunes® trademarks of Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple is not a participate in or sponsor of this promotion. T.G.I. Friday’s® is not a sponsor or co-sponsor of this program. T.G.I. Friday’s® is not a sponsor or co-sponsor of this program. T.G.I. Friday’s is a registered trademark of TGI Friday’s of Minnesota, Inc Country Inns & Suites By Carlson is not affiliated with The Home Depot®. The Home Depot® is a registered trademark of Homer TLC, Inc. The Home Depot® is not a sponsor of this Promotion. The Club Carlson Prepaid Card is issued through UMB Bank, n.a., pursuant to license from Visa U.S.A. Use of the Prepaid Card is governed by Cardholders Terms & Conditions. TM Trademarks of the Bank of Nova Scotia. ® Registered trademarks of the Bank of Nova Scotia. ® VISA Int./Lic. User The Bank of Novia Scotia. MC Marques de commerce de la Banque de Novelle-Ecosse. ® Marques de commerce deposes de la Banque de Novelle-Ecosse. ® VISA Int./Utilisateur sous licence la Banque de Novelle-Ecosse. The MasterCard Prepaid Card is issued by Raphaels Bank, pursuant to a license from MasterCard International Incorporated. The Shell Gift Card can be used only for purchases of goods and services at Shell locations in the U.S., except territories. The Shell Gift Card cannot be redeemed for cash and no change will be given, except in states that require redemption for cash. Shell Oil Products U.S. and its related companies are not sponsors or co-sponsors of this promotion. If the Shell Gift Card balance falls below one dollar, pay at the pump may not be available, in which case contact station cashier to access balance or call the number printed on the card for assistance.

Carlson Hotels Friends & Family Discount

by
John Ollila
-
7 Comments

Many of the hotel chains are offering discounts for friends & family members of their associates. Carlson hotels is no different on this.

Note that I would use this rate plan only if I knew someone working for Carlson hotels as the name of the employee friend may be requested prior or during your stay. It shouldn’t be too difficult to find a person working for Carlson Hotels from anyone’s extended circle of friends.

Searching for Friends & Family Rates

club-carlson-friends-family-search

Searching for these rates is easy at Carlson’s website. You only need to use promotional code CARLSONF when doing the rate search.

club-carlson-friends-family-paris-availability

The availability of this rate plan is very spotty as one can expect considering that the price is fixed at 80 euros per night. You can use the rate calendar that shows two months availability at a time.

club-carlson-friends-family-paris-confirmed

There were only two properties in Paris that had any availability this year and both offered few dates in August.

Carlson Family & Friends Rate-Classic Room

PRICE:
80.00 Euro (EUR) Per night Tax included For 1 nights per room

ROOM DESCRIPTION:
– +/- 20 square metres
– Room type / Bed type / Smoking preference confirmed
– Free broadband
– VAT and applicable taxes included

FEATURES:
– Please note – employee name and work location will be required at time of check-in.
– Discounted rate for family & friends of Carlson employees globally
– Guest will be charged equivalent of EUR 80
– Please note that currency exchange rates are subject to change
– Room type / Bed type / Smoking preference confirmed
– 25% discount on food and beverage (excluding alcohol) in the all day restaurant
– Buffet breakfast, VAT and applicable taxes included

INSTRUCTIONS:
No points/miles awarded
1 night minimum stay required.
A maximum of 3 rooms per person may be booked at this rate.
Rate intended for leisure travel only.
Guest will be responsible for room rates, applicable taxes and surcharges, in addition to any other charges that they incur.
Rate subject to availability and change.

GUARANTEE POLICY:
Credit card holds accepted
Travel agency holds accepted
Company hold accepted

CANCELLATION POLICY:
Cancel today thru Aug 14 2012 = No penalty
Cancel Aug 15 2012 thru Aug 16 2012 = 80.00 EUR.

Things to keep in mind:

1. You need to know someone working for the Carlson Hotels.

2. The availability can be very spotty at popular locations.

3. The price is equivalent of 80 euros in local currency.

4. Breakfast is included as are all the taxes.

5. It is not qualifying stay for points or stay credit.

Conclusion

This is a terrific offer for friends and family members of Carlson hotels. The price of the room is fixed regardless of the location and includes all the taxes and breakfast. You should ONLY consider using this rate if you know someone working for Carlson hotels and have their permission.

During times when Club Carlson is running good point promotions it probably makes sense to pay the regular rate to get qualifying stay and associated points in the process.

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