Jan
20
2007
Book at Hampton.com by March 31, 2007 for stays completed by April 30, 2007 and earn an extra 250 Hilton HHonors points by entering promo code H250.
250 Bonus Points on Hampton Inn Stays
Hotels
Category Archives for Hotels.
Free Hilton Gold Status
Jan
17
2007
A new promo for Hilton Gold status – this one soliciting Emirates Skywards Gold members, but apparently anyone can sign up using this link, which just enrolls you with promo code EMOD. New accounts instantly receive Gold status, hearsay suggests the promo will only last through January 31 and that status will last until April 2009 (I would have expected April 2008, but Hilton status sometimes just lasts awhile). Some promos have worked out well in the past. Others, like the Citibank Chairman’s offer for Gold status, have prompted Hilton to revoke the status when used by folks not actually eligible for the offer. (I know of some folks that got the letter revoking their gold status, and yet the status mysteriously remained.) So, as with so many of these things, your mileage may vary…
New Hilton American Express Signup Promo
Sep
16
2006
The Hilton American Express comes with an offer of 10,000 points with first purchase, 2500 bonus points for each of your first four Hilton stays charged to the card, and 30,000 points for spending $5000 on the card by March 31, 2007.
A bit of news from Marriott
Jul
19
2006
Following on Westin’s move, Marriott announced today that it is going smoke-free in all of the Company’s lodging brands in the United States and Canada will become 100 percent smoke-free, beginning in September. So they’ve taken an idea pioneered elsewhere but expanded it beyond what its competitors are already offering — smokefree not just in a single brand but across brands. Bad for smokers, perhaps, and those renting rooms to throw parties (!) but good for most travelers whose worst nightmare is getting checked into a smoking room. Update: HotelChatter has more: At first, this sounds a little more drastic than it is since 90 percent Marriott’s guest rooms were already non-smoking. But the hotel chain goes one step further banning smoking from public spaces that includes restaurants, bars, meeting rooms and employee work areas.…
Marriott is ramping up their airline checkin stations quickly
Jun
27
2006
Marriott is ramping up their checkin kiosks from 32 properties now to 150 within two weeks. All Marriott and Renaissance properties are targeted to have the machines by the end of September. The kiosks will have the functionality to print airline boarding passes, a nice feature indeed. Marriott is actually a bit behind the curve on this one, Hilton announced the capability of their kiosks to print boarding passes back in April, but Marriott looks like it will jump ahead of its competitors with the ubiquity of the feature across two of its brands within a few months. This is one of the easy no-brainers of the hotel industry. If done right the cost to set up the machines with internet connectivity and a printer should be low, and it’s a major convenience. But in…
30% Bonus on Transfers from Marriott to British Airways
May
31
2006
British Airways is offering a 30% bonus on miles when transferring points from Marriott Rewards by July 20. For those who aren’t already British Airways Executive Club members — and membership normally requires booking a full fare coach ticket or more — BA is offering accounts via this promotion as well (apparently without any requirement to transfer points from Marriott, so anyone wanting a BA account this is a good opportunity to get one).(Hat tip to Free Frequent Flyer Miles.)
Marriott to Display “All-In” Pricing
Mar
21
2006
Hotel Hotsheet reports that Marriott will roll out “Total Trip Pricing” — a commitment to show “all in” costs for their hotel rooms on their website. In other words, taxes, surcharges, and resort fees will be fully disclosed. Small steps towards a better world…
Improved Marriott Visa
Feb
25
2006
There’s a new co-branded Marriott Visa with some pretty good benefits for folks who regularly stay at Marriott Properties. The 15,000 bonus points with first purchase is pretty standard. So is a free night certificate that comes with the card — though in the past I believe the certificate was good on properties up through category 4 and this says good through category 5. This card comes with the free night certificate once a year rather than just when first getting the card. The biggest changes with this card are in the points-earning structure and the way that elite status comes with the card. Earn 5 points for every $1 spent at over 2,600 Marriott locations. Earn 2 points for every $1 spent on airline, dining and rental car purchases as well as 1 point…
Marriott’s MegaBonus Returns in February
Jan
15
2006
Marriott’s ‘MegaBonus’ returns from February 15 through May 15. You must register to find out which bonus you’re targeted for. The possibilities: MGS61 – Earn 2,500 points/stay, beginning with 2nd stay, up to 10,000 MGS62 – Earn 5,000 points every 3rd stay, up to 25,000 pts MGS63 – Earn 10,000 points every 3rd stay, up to 30,000 pts MGS64 – Earn 25,000 points for staying 15 nights or more MGS65 – Earn 35,000 points for staying 20 nights or more (Hat tip to Flyertalk.) Since I’m not a Marriott regular I’ve been assigned 2500 bonus points per stay beginning with the second stay.
Boca Raton Renaissance
Dec
22
2005
I spent a long weekend at the Renaissance hotel in Boca Raton. I’ve stayed here before, it’s the most convenient hotel to my grandparents’ place in Boca. It’s also the only 4* property in the relevant zone on Priceline and I managed to score the place for $55 — for a weekend in December! While it’s mainly geared towards business travelers — the club lounge offers breakfast Monday to Friday and evening hor d’ourves Sunday through Thursday — it’s a nice escape for leisure travel as well. The Renaissance is convenient off of the 95 freeway, all you do is turn onto “Renaissance Way” after exiting Glades Road. When I first stayed at the hotel the street name was “Sheraton Way” giving away the fact that the property used to be a Sheraton. It’s right…
