Category Archives for Hotels.
Twelve years ago the most you could spend to stay at a Hyatt was 15,000 points. There was nothing higher than category 4. Yesterday the category drop down on Hyatt’s website began displaying a greyed-out category 8, 40,000 points per night.
Yesterday Hyatt confirmed that new premium suite award nights and upgrades become available November 1 at the same time they’re making changes to cash and points awards.
When yesterday’s announcement was made several questions were unanswered.
Hyatt is running a promotion that gives bonus points for progressively more stays through November 30. They are also giving American Airlines points for Hyatt Place and Hyatt House stays through January 31.
And for Hyatt House properties specifically stays of four or more consecutive nights between November 1 and December 31 earn 2000 bonus points.
Last week I wrote that week that Hyatt was expected to make big changes to cash and points awards and introduce premium suite awards. Hyatt has now done so. There are more details to these changes — and more changes — than had been previously reported.
Historically the payout was less than 2%, so this is an amazing deal that probably won’t last. It’s worth it to make any Marriott (including Starwood) bookings through the site, and to make as many as you may need quickly. Indeed, making cancellable bookings that you may need can make good sense.
Since you’re sent from Ebates to Marriott’s own website you will of course earn elite credit and have elite status recognized, as well as earning Marriott points for your stay and availing yourself of their member rates.
On Friday I wrote about a report that Hyatt would be gutting cash and points awards November 1 as well as introducing new premium suite redemption options.
The claim about cash and points was that instead of redeeming points and a fixed cash price, you would redeem points for half off a hotel’s paid rate. That report now has been verified by a hotel which has received information about the change.
Members are going to have different views of these reported changes, which have not been confirmed by Hyatt.
My own view is that while I like the value cash and points offers now at the category 2-6 level, now that full points redemptions earn elite night credit cash and points is no longer as crucial a part of my arsenal.
Meanwhile premium suites is huge — the major constraint on my travel is time rather than points. Since I’m not working hard to stretch each point I’d rather use them for the best experience possible.
Just as they did late February through June, Hyatt is offering its own double dip with American AAdvantage through January 31. And it stacks with the current bonus promotion that gives bonus points for progressively more stays through November 30.
8,000 Marriott employees are on strike in 8 cities. That encompasses 23 hotels in Boston, Detroit, Oakland, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, and Hawaii out of about 6500 Marriott properties worldwide and includes housekeeping, bartenders and others represented by union UNITE Here.
Marriott’s position has been that hotels are open and they’re ready to welcome guests. Guest reports suggest otherwise. And Marriott won’t waive cancellation rules or notify guests in advance about the ways in which stays will be disrupted.
Last month Marriott launched their first promotion of the ‘new’ program. There was a companion game 29 Ways to Stay for each of Marriott Rewards’ 29 participating brands. It was supposed to launch October 4. It finally launched today.
And Marriott has added on to their MegaBonus promotion, bonus points for staying at their different brands.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
