Hotels

Category Archives for Hotels.

IHG Rewards Club: Up To Quadruple Points On Stays Through September 8

by Gary Leff on June 12, 2020

Jun 12 2020

Hyatt was first out of the box with a lucrative hotel promotion 2500 bonus points for your first stay if you’re elite, triple points starting with second stay for everyone. I took that as an opening gambit, expecting to see strong promotions to put heads in beds across the board.

IHG Rewards Club, the loyalty program for Intercontinental, Holiday Inn, Kimpton and related brands, is next up offering U.S. residents up to quadruple points on stays June 12 through September 8.

Wow: Hyatt’s Alila Ventana Big Sur Is Now All-Inclusive, No Increase In Points For Awards

by Gary Leff on June 11, 2020

Jun 11 2020

Uou can spend 30,000 points per night – same as before – and have all of your dining included, (even room service) booking rooms that run $1500++. The property re-opens in mid-July. It’s a special place, and right now a special value when you can find rooms available for redemption.

Hyatt’s Opening Gambit: 2500 Bonus Points/Triple Points Offer

by Gary Leff on June 8, 2020

Jun 08 2020

Hyatt is offering triple points June 15 through September 15, 2020 beginning with your second stay during the promotion period. The bonus is available at all Hyatt properties, and even at MGM and Small Luxury Hotels of the World properties that participate in World of Hyatt.

Members of Hyatt’s program with any status at all can earn 2500 bonus points with their first stay during the promotion.

Why Hotels Need To Continue Offering Room Service

by Gary Leff on June 7, 2020

Jun 07 2020

In an environment where every guest matters, with rooms that are empty, the high cost of room service is going to be an expense that fills rooms at the margin. Each property will have to figure out how many extra rooms they fill this way, because they’re looking to lose some business to hotels that still make room service available.

And for really premium hotels, understand that room service is a tremendous indulgence. Those that do it well can really earn outsized guest loyalty by creating an emotional connection. What more power way is there to do that than food?

Oops: Don’t Leave Drugs In A Hotel Safe And Then Forget The Combination

by Gary Leff on June 7, 2020

Jun 07 2020

A guest at the Holiday Inn Express in Henderson, Kentucky called hotel staff for help getting into their room’s safe. The employee opened the safe, “found what they believed to be illegal drugs,” and then locked it back up for the guests. That’s when things went south.

Hyatt Is Turning The Cook County Hospital Into Two Hotels

by Gary Leff on June 6, 2020

Jun 06 2020

Hyatt is nearly done turning a former Chicago hospital into a hotel. Well, two hotels actually with a combined 210 rooms. A hundred year old building that once housed the nation’s first blood bank will become a Hyatt Place and Hyatt House next month.

5 Hotel Facts About National Guard Troops Sent To D.C. For The Protests

by Gary Leff on June 5, 2020

Jun 05 2020

With state troops in D.C. staying at the Marriott Marquis, Arne Sorenson will have a tough time making claims to wokeness. Here are 5 facts about hotel stays for the National Guard troops in D.C.

Hyatt Now Offers Free Cancellation For All Stays Through July 31, 2021 (But Read The Fine Print)

by Gary Leff on June 3, 2020

Jun 03 2020

Hyatt has extended their free cancellation policy. Reservations made directly with Hyatt for travel through July 31, 2021 are refundable as long you as you cancel the booking at least 24 hours in advance.

You actually have to watch during the booking process to make sure this flexibility applies though. Here’s why.

Hotel Marketing Spend Is A Leading Indicator Of Travel Recovery

by Gary Leff on June 2, 2020

Jun 02 2020

I may be playing Captain Obvious here but forward bookings for domestic leisure travel destinations are picking up steam (for a very low base). While one of the easiest places to cut in a pandemic-driven recession is marketing, it’s also one of the places a brand needs to spend to goose business precisely when facing challenging business conditions.

Hawaii Uses Coronavirus As Excuse To Attack Airbnb and Protect Hotels

by Gary Leff on June 1, 2020

Jun 01 2020

Since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis Hawaii has mixed a legitimate desire to keep cases out of the islands and prevent spread with a fear and even hatred of outsiders.

Now there’s a move to keep tourists segregated in resort areas and keep them out of Hawaiian neighborhoods that want to keep those neighborhoods only for locals. This is also protectionism for hotel owners.