Hotels

Category Archives for Hotels.

From Free Knives To Fitness Machines, Hotels Are Getting Creative To Attract Staff

by Gary Leff

hotel by beach
Jun 23 2021

The economy is recovering, states are opening up, and companies are looking for workers. But the number of people in the labor force – working or looking for work – hasn’t risen in a year. Unemployment numbers are down, but roughly the same number of people sitting out of the workforce early in the pandemic are still outside of it. That means it’s tough to find workers, whether you need people to clean Delta Skyclubs, push wheelchairs in airports, or take on any number of other roles.

Hotels are going to some interesting lengths to try to find new employees.

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The Reason Hyatt Became The Only Hotel Points Transfer Partner For New Program Bilt Rewards

by Gary Leff

Jun 22 2021

The new Bilt Rewards program lets members earn points through their rental apartment, and even earn points for paying rent to any landlord. It has a credit card, and points transfer 1:1 into a variety of loyalty currencies.

At first blush it seemed surprising to see Hyatt as the only hotel points transfer partner. It makes sense for Bilt, it’s the only hotel program where a 1:1 points transfer offers value to members. But we haven’t seen Hyatt offer that many partnerships. Why add Bilt?

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The ‘Breakfast Included’ Hotel Rate Scam

by Gary Leff

Jun 21 2021

Some hotels offer rates that include breakfast. You need to figure out how likely to buy breakfast you are – and how much you’ll save. Sometimes the ‘breakfast included’ price is really just the room rate plus the cost of breakfast. And if you skip breakfast even one day, for instance you leave too early in the morning on the day you check out, you come out a loser on the deal.

But some hotels during the pandemic have been pulling a breakfast rate scam on guests.

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Marriott Tells Hotels To Start Honoring Elite Breakfast Again July 1

by Gary Leff

Jun 15 2021

Marriott hotels were allowed to close down their club lounges and restaurants during the pandemic. Even where they re-opened restaurants they might not honor elite breakfast, claiming that they weren’t fully staffed or hadn’t fully re-opened.

The elite brown bag breakfast of apple or banana and granola was born. In some cases a credit was offered towards breakfast in the restaurant instead of covering the meal entirely. That “flexibility” ends July 1.

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Hotel Complains About Marriott Elite Members Trying To ‘Scam’ Free Breakfast

by Gary Leff

Jun 07 2021

At Marriott’s Hotel Distil, an Autograph Collection property located in Louisville, Platinum elite members and above get a voucher for a ‘continental breakfast’ or $15 off anything on the breakfast menu. Only they don’t offer a “continental breakfast” on the menu. And nothing on the menu was $15 with coffee, fruit or juice, tip and tax.

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Hotel Cancels All Summer Reservations To Take More Lucrative Bookings, Hilton Shrugs

by Gary Leff

Jun 06 2021

The Hilo, Hawaii DoubleTree ownership says on video they went ahead and rented out all rooms at the property under an event contract instead, of honoring bookings, redemption or paid, calling it a “windfall.”

Hilton responded letting me know that the hotel “is an independently owned and operated property” so they “cannot speak on the hotel’s behalf.”

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