Hotel Freebies

When I first started on this blog, a friend who worked for many years in the travel business told me that I should be sure to share the tricks I had learned about benefitting from airline and hotel frequent guest programs.  I did give some hints previously related to the workings of Aeroplan, the Air Canada-affiliated frequent flyer plan.  (Crossing the Big Pond)

Now, I'd like to share a few observations about the frequent guest programs used by just about every hotel chain on the planet.

This is a timely post because, in just a few days, I'm going to be off on yet another trip (ain't retirement grand?), and I will be benefitting from no less than seven free nights in deluxe beachfront resorts spread across three different destinations.  By now, I actually have enough points to cover even more nights but free rooms are no longer available for my dates.

And that's the first rule to remember.  The number of free nights available for any date is restricted, exactly the same way frequent flyer plans restrict the number of free seats.  The more popular the date, the fewer spaces are available.  I started planning this trip almost a year ago, and you do need that kind of lead time for both the free flights and the free hotels, in popular resort destinations. 

Aside from that basic fact, the rules change with every plan, so you do need to do some careful thinking and studying before choosing which plan(s) to join.  As with the airlines, common sense dictates that it doesn't pay to spread yourself too thin.  I belong to four hotel plans, but even that begins to seem like too many, in spite of the amount of travelling that I do.

The ideal situation is one where you can earn points on lower-priced stays in budget hotels and then burn them up in deluxe destination properties.  Two of the best chains for this are the IHG chain (which includes Intercontinental Hotels and all Holiday Inn properties) and the Hilton chain (which also includes the popular Hampton Inn portfolio, among others). 

Both these plans follow similar procedures, and the key one is that there is no expiry date on points.  Huge bonus, as you save up for that beachfront (or ski) vacation of a lifetime.  Both plans also calculate points earned based on dollars spent, so purchases such as meals, drinks, or in-room movies become part of your points earnings too.  If you travel fairly frequently, both these plans also open up special bonuses to you after you reach a certain threshold of number of stays per year.  One big benefit is gaining access to paid rooms even after a hotel has gotten filled up to the point where it has stopped selling to the general public.  This benefit may not be offered during such peak events as the Super Bowl or New Years Eve, but otherwise it's there. 

Both these plans also increase your points earned by giving you bonus earnings on every stay once you get to the threshold.  Above the threshold, both also offer you free upgrades to the best available room (below a suite) at time of check-in.  In some properties, this practically guarantees you a room on the executive levels with access to the executive lounge, where the free evening hors d'oeuvres may well be generous enough to take the place of a paid dinner!

A considerable bonus when you check into your waterfront palace in the sun is the free internet which both IHG and Hilton offer to members of their plans -- IHG to all members, and Hilton to the upper tiers.  When you realize that most premium hotels charge anywhere from $15-25 a day for internet use, this is a freebie worth having!

If you are in a situation where you might frequently stay in the properties of one of these chains (for instance, taking the kids to hockey tournaments all winter), you can get well on your way to that free trip just by using the same chain consistently and always reserving with your member number.

The Hilton chain tosses in another bonus.  After you get to the Gold Level you can opt to receive a free breakfast every night you stay.  That's one of several possible choices, but if you are staying in a deluxe hotel that doesn't normally include breakfast it can be a big dollar saver.

At a more budget level, such plans as the Choice Hotels (Comfort and Quality Inns) or the Wyndham Rewards (which includes Wyndham, Ramada, Days Inn, Travelodge and Hojo) don't always include the generous bonuses of the more upscale chains, but do usually allow you to amass enough points for a free night much more quickly.

Check back in a few days, then, and I'll be ready to share with you some impressions of my first free beachfront paradise!