Through June 15 if you check into your hotel using the Starwood Preferred Guest mobile app you’ll receive 250 bonus points. The promotion applies to St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, Sheraton, Westin, Le Meridien, Tribute Portfolio and Four Points brands only.
In general I like mobile check out better than mobile check-in, I want to have my folio emailed to me and I don’t want to stop at the desk (and I don’t want to wait for it to become accessible online, if it does). Then again I didn’t used to use Hyatt’s old 1-800-CHECKIN telephone check-in either.
However since most hotels don’t offer keyless you’re still going to visit the front desk. And that means you still have an opportunity to negotiate for an upgrade and find out the details of how elite benefits like club lounge access or breakfast work at the property.
Points earned through this promotion will take a few weeks to deposit, and they’ll only offer the points on stays booked directly with the chain and not for third party bookings.
250 bonus points per stay aren’t a ton but it helps to make up for this quarter’s modest promotion.
I am curious about the impact of using mobile checkin on upgrades. Given that you still usually have to go to the counter, is it advantageous to use mobile check-in or not? I’ve always avoided it because I don’t want the system to assign me a room,. The reception would presumably have to undo that room assignment in order to give you an upgrade, which might be more of an uphill battle than starting from scratch. Am I missing something?
that’s $5
Agree with WR.