Diners Club Rewards for Extending Loyalty Accounts

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

I am a fan of Diners Club for using Club Rewards points to keep airline and hotel accounts active. Case in point is my wife's Air Canada Aeroplan account. The Aeroplan website had a notification warning my wife that her miles would be deleted on April 13 if there was no account activity. She also received an email warning. This is good customer service to give advance warning before simply deleting miles.

April 2007 we had a flight on United to Las Vegas and inserted her Aeroplan number in the reservation. Now, a year later, I needed to get some account activity and I transferred 1,000 Diners Club Rewards (the minimum transfer allowed) to 1,000 Aeroplan miles.

I made the transfer on April 2, 2008 and hoped the miles would register in the Aeroplan account before April 13. I decided to check today to see if the transaction had gone through. The website stated 2-6 weeks and my wife has too many miles to let expire. My fall back plan was simply to buy Aeroplan miles.

The Diners Club transaction posted 1,000 Aeroplan miles on April 4, 2008. The process was completed in 48 hours.

I use my Diners Club primarily to top off frequent flyer accounts for premium awards. There is a $0.95 charge per 1,000 points transfer. It is a small price to pay when 20,000 points exchanged for 20,000 miles can mean the difference between an economy award flight and a business class award flight (although the differences between economy and business or business and first tend to be more in the 40,000 mile range these days for most airlines).

Starwood American Express is also good for airline transfers, however, I find the Starpoints much more valuable as hotel points than airline miles, even with the 25% bonus on transfers of 20,000 Starpoints.

I use Starpoints for extending the miles in frequent flier accounts where I have had no activity. I have Mexicana miles I have been holding since 2002 (how I wish I had redeemed this two years ago when the redemption options would have allowed a First Class ticket to most anywhere in the world from the USA for 100,000 miles) and each year I simply transfer 10 or 100 Starpoints to Mexicana to extend the mileage expiration.

SPG Platinum members have no minimum transfer requirement for Starpoints to airline miles. Gold members have a 1,500 Starpoints minimum transfer and non-elite members have a 2,500 Starpoints minimum transfer. That is why I like the Diners Club card since 1,000 Diners Club points to airline miles is a transfer option I favor over spending 2,500 Starpoints from my wife's account.

We can better use 2,500 Starpoints for a Cash and Points hotel room or a free night at a category 2 hotel on the weekend. (Technically, 3,000 points for SPG Category 2 weekend award night, but as a platinum member using an award booked with my wife's points, I get 500 points back as a platinum amenity and therefore 2,500 points for a weekend stay.)

The Diner's Club card is expensive at $95/year, however, for loyalty travelers the Club Rewards program offers many hotel reward options using Club Rewards points that are not available with SPG AmEx (although a regular American Express Membership Rewards card does have hotel transfer options).

Diners Club is a useful card to have for the exchange options of points into airline miles or hotel points.

Starwood Family Fun Rates

St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort,
a Starwood Family Fun Rate participating property.

Starwood has made a concerted effort to provide a kids-oriented resort package for vacationing families with the introduction of Family Fun Rates. The program is starting in 29 Starwood Resorts in the US, Canada, and Caribbean, and anticipated to expand to other properties globally. The centerpiece of the program is the "Fun Team" and a Director of Fun at participating properties.

The Family Fun Rate includes a $100 daily resort credit that can be used for kids activities, spa, or recreational activities. The resort credit is not valid for food purchases which is a huge limitation in my opinion.

The rates I checked were all at least $100/night more than best available rate. The Westin Kierland Resort was $178/day more for the Family Fun Rate than the AAA rate for dates I checked in April with AAA rate at $335.20 ($376.33 after tax) and the Family Fun Rate at $494 ($554.61 after tax).

The Westin Maui Resort provides a better value.
Westin Maui Resort 7/8/2008-7/14/2008 (6 nights)
$455/night best available rate; $555 Family Fun Rate

The discounted meals, free drinks for kids poolside, and entertainment activities for children may make this a slight savings for some families.

Amenities included in Family Fun Special include:
$100 per day resort credit to be used on kids activities, spa, or recreational activities. (Appears this credit can't be used for food purchases.)
Kids 5 and under eat free from kids menu items.
Kids 6-12 receive 50% off regular menu items with purchase of adult meal. Two kids eligible per paying adult per room.
Age appropriate amenity for each child in the room.
Souvenir cup for unlimited juice, milk, soft drinks (T&C specifically states poolside bar).
Complimentary crib or roll-away bed, if needed.
Single guaranteed connecting rooms or suite.
Orientation with Fun Team member.
Evening family or kid-centered counselor-led activity on hotel property.
Separate adult and kids seating areas in main dining restaurant with child supervision provided at least 3 nights a week.

Terms & Conditions from Starwood:
"The offer also includes free kids meal from the kids menu with purchase of adult meal at select restaurants (one child 12 years old and younger per paying adult; up to two children) per room per day; one welcome amenity per child per stay; a kid’s cup that can be filled up with juice, milk and soft drinks for free at the pool bar; complimentary rollaway subject to availability; evening ritual (varies by property) separate kids and adult seating area (kids area is supervised) at dinner in the main dinning room (offered at least 3 times a week); and guaranteed connecting single rooms or suites."

Maximum Stay is 14 nights.

Find out more about this package: http://www.familyfunspecials.com/

USA SPG Hotel Category Change Analysis

Four Points, Newark Airport
SPG Category 1
(1 of only 7 Category-1 hotels left in the USA -- A dying breed)

I stayed a Saturday night in June 2007 for 2,000 Starpoints at the Four Points EWR.

The hotel had a washer and dryer which was a treat after a week in South America.
The catch: I had to beg a housekeeper for laundry soap since the store in the hotel was two hours late for opening.

Loyalty Traveler tip: Don't walk around the neighborhood. I hadn't seen so much drug dealing on the streets since high school.



I completed my spreadsheet for USA SPG hotels and the hotel category shift since 2004. I have lots of thoughts and I am developing commentary to go with the data. The spreadsheet creation has taken time and I still have a variety of data sorts to make and a collection of notes.

The data shows points redemption is being aimed at squeezing most SPG members towards the middle. The shift from Category 1 and 2 hotels to Category-3 and Category-4 hotels is apparent in a comparison of the Hotel Category Shift trends over the past four years in SPG.

The luxury resorts are priced like luxury resorts in currency -- both cash and points, and if you're lucky you can find a reservation for SPG Cash & Points. Currently we have Category-7 SPG hotels requiring 60,000 points per night.

As if the devaluation of the American dollar were not enough of an impediment to Europe travel.
How about an increase for the Prince de Galles Paris from 12,000 points for a free night in 2004 to 30,000 points in 2008? But, only if you book in low season. High season raises the redemption rate to 35,000 points per night.

Category shift is having more effect on the cost of your hotel room than the Euro -- if you are planning to use your hard-earned hotel points for a vacation stay in Europe. A 150% increase, from 12,000 to 30,000 points for a free hotel night is a definite vacation shorter.

The future of SPG?

Newer, more exclusive resorts set up independent high-end redemption categories. The common feature is exclusivity, and likely relatively low value. The SPG loyalty program can market spin off exclusive category hotels geared to high credit card spenders. 150,000 points per award night using points for someone earning 3,000,000 points a year on credit card and partner activity will be a drop in the bucket. The business and leisure traveler piecing together hotel points from travel and perhaps a little credit card activity will have more limited high value free night opportunities.

The low points redemption hotel properties will be the next smallest bracket, offering just enough hotels to keep the brackets for Category 1 and 2 hotels open as a somewhat legitimate excuse for marketing the phrase “You’ll receive enough points for 3 free nights” on the credit card marketing flyers.

Location “Mosul, Iraq” will be revealed when you go to see what hotels you can get for Category-1 points. The impact hits international SPG members as hard, maybe even more. The best values tend to be moving to the USA. Is there a motive here?

Suggestions:
1. Maintain a high level of Cash & Points availability.
2. Replenish the properties among the categories to a more favorable distribution for consumers. While I don't advocate this solution, perhaps raise the point levels of Cat 1 (3,000 weekends; 4,000 weekdays) and Cat 2 (4,000 weekends; 5,000 weekdays) and Cat 3 (8,000).

For now, here is a preliminary analysis of SPG Hotel Category shift for USA hotels.

2008 USA
SPG has about 394 hotels in USA and territories.

Category-7 Hotels = 2 hotels (Key West, St. Regis NYC)

Category-6 Hotels = 13 hotels

(3 hotels moved up to Category-6 in 2008.
W New York, Westin St. John Resort, US Virgin Islands moved up one category while
the Le Meridien Beverly Hills jumped from Category-4 to Category-6.)

Category-5 Hotels = 45 hotels as of March 4, 2008
38 Hotels remain at Category-5 for 2008.
3 new hotels are being designated as category-5 hotels.
3 hotels increased from Category-4 to Category-5 in 2008
1 hotel dropped from Category 6 to Category-5
The decrease from Category-6 to 5 for Princeville Resort, Kauai is a major change for Hawaii lovers.

Category-4 Hotels = 113 hotels in USA for 2008
3 hotels are New Hotels
16 hotels are increasing from Cat 3 to Cat4
94 hotels remain at Cat 4

Category-3 Hotels = 131 hotels in USA for 2008
2 hotels are New Hotels
2 hotels decreased from Category-4 to Category-3
(Sheraton South Padre Island Texas, and Four Points Savannah Georgia
17 hotels increased from Category-2 to Category-3
110 hotels holding at Category- 3

Category-2 Hotels = 83 hotels in USA for 2008

3 hotels decreased from Category-3 to Category- 2 (2 in Orlando, 1 in Maryland, and 1 in Connecticut.)

4 hotels increased from Category-1 to Category-2. (One of these hotels, Four Points Fairview Heights, Illinois had been a Catategory-2 in 2004.)

76 hotels remained at Category-2


Category-1 Hotels = 7 hotels in USA for 2008

1 hotel decreased from a Category-2 to Category-1, (Four Points Chambersburg, Pennsylvania).

6 hotels remained at Category-1 and 5 of these hotels were Category-1 hotels in 2004
(1 Category-1 hotel is new to SPG since 2004, Four Points Kansas City Airport).

Shifts in SPG Hotel Categorization since 2004
The real shift is the proportion of hotels in each category.

2008 USA
SPG has about 394 hotels in USA and territories.
SPG had about 379 hotels in USA in 2004.
98 hotels from 2004 are no longer in SPG family. (Some of these may be the same property location, but were remodeled and/or rebranded. E.g. Four Points becomes a Sheraton.)

2008 Category-7 hotels = 2
2004 Category-7 hotels = 0 (There was no Category-7 in 2004.)

2008 Category-6 hotels = 13
2004 Category-6 hotels = 2

2008 Category-5 hotels = 45
2004 Category-5 hotels = 12

6 hotels at Cat-5 in 2004 remain at Cat-5
21 hotels at Cat-4 in 2004 are now Cat-5
4 hotels Cat-3 in 2004 are now Cat-5


2008 Category-4 hotels =113
2004 Category-4 hotels = 52

75 hotels or 66% of current Category-4 hotels were in SPG from 2004
18 hotels remain at Category-4 since 2004
56 hotels increased from Cat-3 to Cat-4 (10 of these just changed March 2008)
1 hotel increased from Cat-2 to Cat-4 since 2004


2008 Category-3 hotels =131
2004 Category-3 hotels = 103

94 hotels or 72% of current Category-3 hotels were in SPG in 2004

29 hotels remain at Cat-3 from 2004 to 2008
(Sheraton South Padre Island was Cat-3 in 2004, rose to Cat-4, and is dropping back to Cat-3 for 2008. Four Points Sheraton was Cat-3 in 2004, dropped to Cat-2, and is increasing back to Cat-3 for 2008.)

62 hotels increased from Cat-2 to Cat-3 between 2004 and 2008
1 hotel increased from Cat 1 to Cat 3 (Four Points PHL Airport)
2 hotels went from Cat-1 to Cat-3 (Both LAX airport area hotels)


2008 Category-2 hotels =83
2004 Category-2 hotels = 152

61 hotels or 73% of current Category-2 hotels were in SPG in 2004.
Changes are:
1 hotel in 2004 Sheraton Danbury Cat-3 is now Cat-2
1 hotel was Cat-2 in 2004, Cat-3 in 2007, and dropping back to Cat-2 for 2008 (Four Points Orlando Studio City)
42 hotels have held at Cat-2 (Four Points Fairview Heights, IL was Cat 2 in 2004, dropped to Cat 1, and is increasing back to Cat-2 for 2008)
17 hotels increased from Cat-1 to Cat-2


2008 Category-1 hotels =7
2004 Category-1 hotels = 58

6 of the current Category-1 hotels were in SPG in 2004.
6 hotels Cat-1 in 2004 are still Cat-1 in 2008. Four Points Chambersburg, PA was up to Cat-2 and dropped back to Cat-1 for 2008.

SPG Annual Category Shift: Yearn to Burn

The Laguna Resort and Spa, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia

Dec 2003, SPG Category 2, free weekend night =3,000 Starpoints

March 2008, SPG Category 4, free weekend night =10,000 Starpoints



[Note from Ric Garrido Mar 3, 2008:
I apparently misread the "SPG Hotel Category Changes for 2008" chart at the time I wrote this post. I do not see The Pulitzer, Amsterdam showing a Hotel Category Change in March 2008. The Pulitzer remaining at Category 5 made much of my blog text moot concerning that hotel going from Category 4 to Category 6 in just over a year. I have edited the blog post to delete the portion on The Pulitzer. I also corrected some elementary math errors: Increasing from 100 to 250 is a 150% increase, not 250%.]

Gary Leff's post, February 25, 2008 on View from the Wing about the SPG annual category shift got me to thinking about my reaction to the coming changes. I understand the rationale for SPG increasing the categories for high demand hotels. Yet, I feel the pain of devalued points.

I have decided to look at it initially from my personal travel perspective.

Maybe later, I'll tackle a real analysis of the shifts if I can locate charts showing the SPG categories from 2004 and 2006 to help me track the changes. Blondebomber of FlyerTalk has active links to his SPG Hotel Category spreadsheet on the internet. The spreadsheet tracks the SPG hotel category changes from 2005 to the current March 4, 2008 changes.

Hotel Shifts I notice from past stay award rates for a single free night:

Sheraton Noosa, Noosa Heads, Queensland, Australia,
July 2003
Category 3
7,000 points

March 2008
Category 5
12,000-16,000 points

Four Points Darling Harbour, Sydney, Australia
July 2003
Category 2
3,000 points weekend; 4,000 points weekday

March 2008
Category 4
10,000 points

Westin Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia
December 2003
Category 1
2,000 points weekend; 3,000 points weekday

March 2008
Category 3
7,000 points

The Laguna Resort, Luxury Collection, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia

December 2003

Category 2

3,000 points weekend; 4,000 points weekday

March 2008

Category 4

10,000 points

Royal Orchid Sheraton, Bangkok, Thailand
March 2004
Category 1
2,000 points weekend; 3,000 points weekday

March 2008
Category 3
7,000 points

Westin Atlanta Airport
June 2007
Category 2
3,000 points weekend; 4,000 points weekday

March 2008
Category 3
7,000 points

Sheraton Newark Airport
June 2007
Category 2
3,000 points weekend; 4,000 points weekday

March 2008
Category 3
7,000 points


I have made a very rough estimate of the category changes at hotels I've visited.

I've probably redeemed 150,000 to 200,000 Starpoints for free nights at some of the hotels listed here and other places and locations I've stayed over the past five years.

I estimate it would now take about 260,000 points for the same number of nights at hotels where I redeemed points for stays for about 100,000 points.

Next month, 100,000 Starpoints might buy 10 nights at a selection of hotels where I redeemed 100,000 points for 25+ nights.

Hotel room rates in most places have not risen anywhere near 150% in the past five years. Starwood point inflation has been devastatingly high on the free night redemption side for many travelers.

In Starwood's favor, the widespread expansion of available Cash & Points rates in 2007 for hotels in all SPG categories from 1-6 has proved to be a high value use of Starpoints at many hotel properties.

$60 and 4,000 Starpoints for a Category 4 hotel award night can be a great alternative to 10,000 Starpoints or a $250+/night paid room rate. Paying $60 cash is a much higher value than spending 6,000 Starpoints.

$150 and 8,000 Starpoints for a Category 6 hotel night is often a better choice than 20,000 Starpoints or a paid room rate of $500/night.

I am glad I traveled when I did.

How much has your Starpoints earning power increased over the past five years?

My earning power hasn't increased significantly and nowhere near 150%.

Two options for this traveler: Stay fewer hotel nights or pay more money to increase the ratio of paid/award nights.

My economy will be the decider.

Better Late Than Never -- SPG 50% Off Redemption

This SPG platinum-lite member (I requalified for platinum status through "Stays Count Double" promotion) returned home from a Colorado trip to find an invitation in my mailbox. "Sample the world. For half the Starpoints."

The 50% off a Category 1-5 hotel stay is appreciated, but the timing is rather late.

I have to make a confirmed reservation within the next 10 days by March 3, 2008 for a hotel stay to be completed by May 31, 2008. Fortunately, this frequent guest is fairly flexible and efficient at vacation planning. There is a 6-night award stay limitation (last year I was able to book a 9-night award with the half Starpoints offer).

St. Regis Singapore, Sheraton Noosa Australia, or Luxury Collection Arabella Western Cape and Spa, Hermanus, South Africa...so many choices.

200,000 Mexicana airmiles and a 50% Starpoints award provides numerous combinations for a Loyalty Traveler vacation extravaganza on the cheap.

The Super-Affluent Don’t Do Super-WalMart

Laurence Geller listed some interesting data points in a blog from Jan 18, 2008. His piece discusses the widening divide between Generations X and Y mass consumers and the truly “super-affluent”. In 2006, the affluent spent on average $2,400 on hotels and resorts, while the super-affluent spent $61,200. He argues new brands will proliferate as today’s luxury brands become commonplace.
http://www.hotelsmag.com/blogs/insider/20080117.asp?nid=3457&nid=3457

Friday morning on CNBC, a news crew reported from the St. Regis Fort Lauderdale, Florida from a CEO conference. The studio reporters were asking about the age of the hotel and the reporter stated it had been open 9 months. I haven’t looked into those facts.

The report got me to thinking about the super-affluent and the merely affluent. For the Loyalty Traveler the travel is reduced to the numbers. I wondered what the rates are at the Fort Lauderdale St. Regis.

Here are the search results for St. Regis, FLL room rates for Monday, 2-18-08

OceanView
$476.10 (AAA rate)
$479 (Best Available on StarwoodHotels.com)
$509 Special Offer Page “SRSPG”
$529 (Best Available on SPG.com)
$549 Special Offer AAA rate “XRF”


Ocean Front
$566.10 (AAA)
$579 (Best Available on StarwoodHotels.com and SPG.com)
$609 Special Offer “SRSPG”
$649 Special Offer AAA rate “XRF”

Pool Terrace
$607 Florida Resident rate
$669 Best Benefits Package special offer “SRSPG”
$689 (Best Available on StarwoodHotels.com and SPG.com)
$709 Pool Terrace Special Offer AAA rate

[special offers accessed from St. Regis Fort Lauderdale hotel web site homepage]

XRF rate includes complimentary valet parking, two Bloody Mary’s, and complimentary room upgrade to next available room type. In this case, contact hotel and find out a good night for booking with a good upgrade potential.

SRSPG rate includes two Bloody Mary’s, triple Starpoints and complimentary internet access.

The super-affluent spender could be looking at about 2 to 3 months of Pool Terrace living over the course of a year at this hotel and comparable properties. The affluent spender on $2,400 is looking at a long President’s weekend holiday and sitting home the rest of the year.


Starwood Cash & Points Award Savings

While checking St. Regis Fort Lauderdale, I came across an example of where loyalty program membership leads you to a much better booking option than a regular search on the hotel chain primary web site.

Westin Colonnade, Coral Gables, FL
Saturday, Feb 16, 2007
Rate = $429/night

www.starwoodhotels.com web site found through a regular search engine search as a hotel guest not participating in Starwood Preferred Guest and not looking for the loyalty program site. Checking

www.SPG.com - I have the option of getting a Cash & Points award at this Category 4 Hotel for $60 and 4,000 Starpoints.

The ability to buy up to 20,000 Starpoints online from SPG at the rate of $35/1,000 points is a strategy to keep in mind if you do not have 4,000 Starpoints. Adding the cost to buy 4,000 Starpoints for $140 and the $60 Cash portion of a Cash & Points award makes a $200 room rate booking possible. The website states purchased Starpoints will be posted to your account within 24 hours.

The corporate-branded hotel websites generally have the lowest rates for their own hotel rooms compared to third-party online travel agencies like Expedia and Travelocity.

The difficulty for the DIY online hotel reservationist, is the time needed to sift through thousands of pages on the corporate-branded websites to find the lowest rate page. Finding the lowest rate is a matter of knowledge and luck at the time you search.

$485 through Starwood Hotels corporate web site compared to $200 for the SPG member using Cash & Points booking option for a one-night rate at the Westin Colonnade is the differential cost for the guest with a lack of knowledge and time. The Starwood Preferred Guest loyalty program gives the member a hotel rate option that is nearly $300 less.

An additional benefit of a Cash & Points stay is the award stay usually does not incur tax. The minor detraction of a Cash & Points award is the hotel stay does not count for elite qualification or promotional offer credit. A Cash & Points award stay also does not earn points for the Cash portion of the award.

Priceline Hotel Bookings

CNBC reported Friday morning Priceline has experienced a surge in bookings. The TV commentator asked, "Does the growth in Priceline indicate a weak economy?"

Priceline is a great resource when hotel room rates are threatening to make your credit card bleed. Last June, I booked the Marriott Key Bridge in Arlington, Virginia for a Sunday night before a Monday afternoon flight to Buenos Aires. I wanted to be in DC, but the major loyalty program hotel rates ranged from $250 to $350/night. I considered renting a car and driving to the Virginia outer suburbs for a $100/night Sheraton rate. Instead I paid $115 total for the Marriott and I was a ten minute walk across the bridge into Georgetown. I had an interior pool view room on the third floor while the preferred rooms look out over DC from 6 to 10 stories up.

Major hotel loyalty program brands on Conde Nast Traveler 2008 Hotel Gold List

The Conde Nast Traveler Gold List describes itself as the "Best Places to Stay in the World, selected by readers of Conde Nast Traveler."

Loyalty Traveler has examined a subgroup from this list to determine the hotels which also are part of major hotel loyalty programs. These hotels have the attribute of being available using hotel points.

Europe

Hilton Gold List Hotels with links to CN Traveler ratings and description.
Reserve Hotels listed in the print magazine do not appear to be online.

Mount Juliet Conrad, County Kilkenny, Ireland
HHonors Category 6
Free night = 40,000 points/night or 175,000 points/6-nights

Rome Cavalieri Hilton, Rome, ItalyHHonors Category 6
Free night = 40,000 points/night or 175,000 points/6-nights

Conrad Brussels, Belgium (Reserve List)
HHonors Category 5
Free night = 35,000 points/night or 150,000 points/6-nights

Conrad Istanbul, Turkey (Reserve List)
HHonors Category 4
Free night = 30,000 points/night or 150,000 points/6-nights
PointStretcher Awards for 18,000 points/night may be available
PointStretcher Dates Jan 1-12; Feb 10-17; Mar 9-16

Hilton Budapest, Hungary (Reserve List)
HHonors Category 5
Free night = 35,000 points/night or 150,000 points/6-nights
My wife commented recently that our stay at the Budapest Hilton was the best hotel room we ever had. That is a big claim. We stayed in the King Duna Suite on a PointStretcher award.

Hyatt Hotels available with Gold Passport Points

Park Hyatt, Milan, Italy
Gold Passport Category 5
Free night =18,000 points

Park Hyatt, Zurich, Switzerland
Gold Passport Category 5
Free night =18,000 points

Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome, Paris, France (Reserve List)
Gold Passport Category 5
Free night =18,000 points

InterContinental Hotels Group

InterContinental Carlton, Cannes, France
Priority Club Rewards Free Night = 40,000 points

Ceylan InterContinental, Istanbul, Turkey
Priority Club Rewards Free Night = 40,000 points

InterContinental Amstel, Amsterdam, Netherlands (Reserve List)
Priority Club Rewards Free Night = 40,000 points

Marriott Corporation Brands

JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel, Bucharest, Romania
Marriott Rewards Category 4
Free night = 20,000 points/night to 105,000 points/7-night stay

JW Marriott Tiberio Palace, Capri, Italy
Marriott Rewards Category 7
Free night = 35,000 points/night to 150,000 points/7-night stay

Marriott Berlin, Germany
Marriott Rewards Category 5
Free night = 25,000 points/night to 115,000 points/7-night stay

Renaissance Chancery Court, London, UK
Marriott Rewards Category 7
Free night = 35,000 points/night to 150,000 points/7-night stay

Ritz-Carlton Berlin, Germany
Marriott Rewards Tier 1 Partner Hotel Award
Free Nights = 45,000 points/night to 175,000 points/7-night stay (25,000 points/night)

Ritz-Carlton Hotel Arts, Barcelona, Spain
Marriott Rewards Tier 2 Partner Hotel Award
Free Nights = 70,000 points/night to 250,000 points/7-night stay (35,714 points/night)

Starwood Hotels Brands

Le Meridien Beach Plaza, Monte Carlo, Monaco
SPG Category 5
Free Nights = 12,000-16,000 points/night or 48,000 - 64,000/ 5-night stay
Cash & Points Night = $90 + 4,800 points/night

Le Meridien, Vienna, Austria
SPG Category 4
Free Nights = 10,000 points/night or 40,000 points/5-night stay
Cash & Points Night = $60 + 4,000 points

Le Royal Meridien Bristol, Warsaw, Poland
SPG Category 3
Free Nights = 7,000 points/night or 28,000 points/5-night stay
Cash & Points Night = $45 + 2,800 points

Hotel Imperial, The Luxury Collection, Vienna, Austria
SPG Category 6
Free Nights = 20,000-25,000 points/night or 80,000 - 100,000/ 5-night stay
Cash & Points Night = $150 + 8,000 points/night

Hotel Kamp, The Luxury Collection, Helsinki, Finland
SPG Category 5
Free Nights = 12,000-16,000 points/night or 48,000 - 64,000/ 5-night stay
Cash & Points Night = $90 + 4,800 points/night

Hotel Villa Cipriana, The Luxury Collection, Asolo, Italy
SPG Category 4
Free Nights = 10,000 points/night or 40,000 points/5-night stay
Cash & Points Night = $60 + 4,000 points

Hotel Bristol, The Luxury Collection, Vienna, Austria
SPG Category 5
Free Nights = 12,000-16,000 points/night or 48,000 - 64,000/ 5-night stay
Cash & Points Night = $90 + 4,800 points/night

Hotel Alfonso XIII, The Luxury Collection, Seville, Spain
SPG Category 6
Free Nights = 20,000-25,000 points/night or 80,000 - 100,000/ 5-night stay
Cash & Points Night = $150 + 8,000 points/night

Hotel Maria Cristina, The Luxury Collection, San Sebastian, Spain
SPG Category 5
Free Nights = 12,000-16,000 points/night or 48,000 - 64,000/ 5-night stay
Cash & Points Night = $90 + 4,800 points/night

Hotel Grande Bretagne, The Luxury Collection, Athens, Greece
SPG Category 5
Free Nights = 12,000-16,000 points/night or 48,000 - 64,000/ 5-night stay
Cash & Points Night = $90 + 4,800 points/night

Hotel Gritti Palace, The Luxury Collection, Venice, Italy
SPG Category 7
Free Nights = 30,000-35,000 points/night or 120,000 - 140,000/ 5-night stay
Cash & Points Night = Not Available

Hotel Goldener Hirsch, Salzburg, Austria
SPG Category 5
Free Nights = 12,000-16,000 points/night or 48,000 - 64,000/ 5-night stay
Cash & Points Night = $90 + 4,800 points/night

Westin Palace, Madrid, Spain
SPG Category 5
Free Nights = 12,000-16,000 points/night or 48,000 - 64,000/ 5-night stay Cash & Points Night = $90 + 4,800 points/night

Westin Excelsior, Florence, Italy
SPG Category 6
Free Nights = 20,000-25,000 points/night or 80,000 - 100,000/ 5-night stay
Cash & Points Night = $150 + 8,000 points/night

Westin Europe & Regina, Venice, Italy
SPG Category 5
Free Nights = 12,000-16,000 points/night or 48,000 - 64,000/ 5-night stay
Cash & Points Night = $90 + 4,800 points/night

Westin Turnberry Resort, Ayrshire, Scotland, UK
SPG Category 5
Free Nights = 12,000-16,000 points/night or 48,000 - 64,000/ 5-night stay
Cash & Points Night = $90 + 4,800 points/night

The Lanesborough, St. Regis Hotel, London, England, UK
(This Starwood Hotel does not participate in SPG loyalty program).

Blue Palace Resort & Spa, The Luxury Collection, Crete, Greece (Reserve List)
SPG Category 6
Free Nights = 20,000-25,000 points/night or 80,000 - 100,000/ 5-night stay
Cash & Points Night = $150 + 8,000 points/night

Hotel Cala di Volpe, The Luxury Collection, Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Italy (Reserve List)
SPG Category 7
Free Nights = 30,000-35,000 points/night or 120,000 - 140,000/ 5-night stay
Cash & Points Night = Not Available

St. Regis Grand, Rome, Italy (Reserve List)
SPG Category 6
Free Nights = 20,000-25,000 points/night or 80,000 - 100,000/ 5-night stay Cash & Points Night = $150 + 8,000 points/night

Westin Excelsior, Rome, Italy (Reserve List)
SPG Category 6
Free Nights = 20,000-25,000 points/night or 80,000 - 100,000/ 5-night stay
Cash & Points Night = $150 + 8,000 points/night

Loyalty Royalty is the Name of the Game

What do I think of Marriott?

- There are 250 Marriott brand hotels in California. They are everywhere and I really liked the hotels I have visited and stayed in. Comfortable rooms and generally lots of seating in the lobby for people to hang out is a common feature. Having said that I like the hotels, I do not like their high level of nights for top-tier elite status.

Courtyard by Marriott,

San Jose Airport

The 75 night threshold for Platinum elite status makes Marriott Rewards a non-starter for me. There is significant added value through complimentary upgrades, bonus points, special offers, and amenity gifts offered to the top-tier elite frequent guest.

The advantage of Hyatt, Starwood, and Hilton is the ability to easily reach top-tier elite status with 25 to 35 paid nights when you have a travel pattern of mostly 1-night or 2-night stays. Hyatt and Starwood require 25 stays or 50 nights. Hilton requires 28 stays or 60 nights for top-tier Diamond elite status.

The way the system works is a frequent guest with 25 1-night stays will earn top-elite status while a guest who has 36 paid nights, but all earned as 3-night stays will only have mid-tier elite status. The nights spent and money spent are not the dominant criteria for elite qualification for Hyatt, Starwood, or Hilton. Hilton does have a spending elite qualification factor that may benefit some high spenders with fewer nights or stays.

IHG Priority Club and Marriott Rewards count hotel nights, not stays, for elite qualification. Top-tier requires 50 nights with Priority Club and 75 nights for Marriott Rewards.

The high threshold of hotel nights for top-tier elite status keeps most frequent guests outside the inner circle of diamond and platinum amenities and upgrades. The perks are still widespread for Loyalty Royalty frequent travelers.

The ability to change a hotel loyalty program rules at short notice make the current offers for fast-track elite status with Starwood Preferred Guest and Hyatt Gold Passport all the more enticing. The ability for a frequent guest to lock in top-tier elite status for two years, through February 2010, is a financially savvy move.

This could be a dream travel year with a high return on your hotel loyalty investment.

Starwood required registration by January 15, 2008 for the opportunity to earn double hotel stay credit through February 29, 2008.

Hyatt's offer is still available and details were discussed in previous Hotels-and-Points posts.

Instant Hyatt Gold Passport Platinum Elite Offer for New Members:
http://www.goldpassport.com/gp/en/benefits/join.jsp?me02_mbr_src=INT16

Stays Count Double registration
www.goldpassport.com/SCD08

Money for Nothing (but my MTV)

There was an analyst in Salt Lake City on CNBC this morning, Jan 11, 7:10am (PST). He was predicting a 16,000-20,000 point DOW by year end 2008. He also says all the sales numbers look good for consumer spending. I bring this up because I was just reading the Jan 11, New York Times article by Michael Barbaro, “Poor December at Retailers; Most Report Drops in Sales”.

Target Stores sales dropped 5% in December 2007 compared to what was sold in December 2006. Nordstrom dropped 4%, Kohl’s dropped 11.4%. Only WalMart raised sales over 2006 levels by 2.7%. The size of WalMart helped raise sales nationwide almost 1%.
Yet, the good retail news was electronics sales increased 2.2% in December.

I know from my experience that when money looked to be getting tight (bills are more than income for foreseeable future), I always made sure we updated the TV or computer electronics to make the increased time spent at home more pleasurable.

TVs and Computers and Video Games keep a poor population occupied. We are quite isolated in our society. Travel is one of the great activities of socializing in America.

One TV analyst this morning was saying the country is great.

When I am at Costco and I see all the $1,900 HDTVs driving out of the parking lot, I tend to agree that Americans are doing well. At the same time, people in clothing retail are watching their livelihoods suffer while the electronics store employees are in the high frequency sales. In 2008, technology improves too rapidly for anyone to desire used electronics, whereas, some of the best clothes values are well-made used clothes with minimal wear.

I read an article yesterday suggesting that as hotel rates increase 5%+ over 2008 while room occupancy declines, the rate increases will primarily target business and conference guests. In my opinion, the trend I see here in San Francisco is one of rapidly increasing hotel rates during high business activity days. Rates can easily be $300 to $400 per night at most of the 4-diamond hotels in San Francisco during a conference period. In October, I went to the dentist and the hygienist told me she had been at the Dental Conference in San Francisco the week before. That explained why all the rates were $300 minimum at all the major hotels when I was trying to book a room.

The good news for the leisure traveler is that for at least 12 nights from November 15 to December 30, 2007, hotel rates in San Francisco at the major 4-diamond and 5-diamond hotels were the lowest or close to the lowest rates in the past three years at several downtown city Starwood hotels. Le Meridien San Francisco and Westin Market had $129 rates. Westin St. Francis had $99 rates. St. Regis San Francisco was available for under $300 per night. Other hotel chains also had lower than average rates during the November-December season.
San Francisco is in the top 5 markets in the world for the number of occupied hotel rooms at major upscale and luxury hotels. I wonder if the room rate trend in 2008 will continue to be a rate hike focused on business travelers on expense budgets with periodic significant rate discounts available to leisure travelers during times of low business demand.

Room with a View

Westin St. Francis, San Francisco

$100/night 22nd Floor Corner Tower Room

November 28, 2007

I am all for discount rates. The American leisure traveler needs a break as price inflation squeezes the budget from every direction (except electronics which likely explains the growth in sales).

If the economy is doing fine and the DOW is going to be 16,000 points by end 2008 as the financial analyst on CNBC was saying this morning, then the companies should be sharing the wealth with the hotel corporations by paying the extraordinarily high room rates.

I just hope that trickle-down Reaganomics will carry through for the leisure hotel traveler. Hotel guests will suffer exorbitant rates if you must travel and be at a specific place on a certain day for business and you coincide with high business activity. The small business, independent traveler like me will suffer from these rates during unavoidable hotel stays. I just hope the large urban hotels will feel enough financial profitability from their business activity to cut a rate break for the leisure travelers. Starwood made a great show of this rate discount strategy in the holiday season for their San Francisco hotels. San Francisco is too beautiful a city for the hotels to price out leisure guests.

Many leisure travelers in 2008 will make choices if the economy is not looking so sky high bright.

Forego the clothes this season and get a new computer?
The computer has become essential for communication and conducting business and planning that life-saving vacation.

Forego the 4-diamond hotel in downtown city at $289 a night this trip?
A 3-diamond independent hotel for a bargain $109 a night, twelve blocks from downtown is acceptable to a large portion of travelers who will not place so high a value ($200 a night after hotel tax) on hotel loyalty to a major corporate chain asking $300 per night when the hotel is only 70% occupied.

The hotel budget is often the biggest variable cost in travel and the budget-downsizing leisure traveler is likely to realize the greatest travel savings comes from reducing the hotel budget. $300 per night is removing the vast majority of travelers from even considering staying at urban chain hotels.

And let’s just hope the sky is not falling. The leisure traveler in 2008 might just have a change in lifestyle and stay at home with the MTV, computer, and video games.

[side note: I originally wrote this article 6 days ago on Jan 11, 2008, and since that time Starwood stock has dropped over 10% and there is widespread concern that hotel stocks are going to continue to be hit hard as hotel travel declines in the recession of 2008.]