starwood Q2 promotion is amazing!

enrollment will open next week, here is detail, you are earning 1 free weekend night on every two paid stays, and weekend night can be redeem on CAT 6 properties.

Earning period, May 1st- July 31st
Burning period, May 8, 2009, and September 27, 2009.

weekend night is defined as Fri, Sat or Sun night.

I am expecting Hyatt Q2 promotion is fast free night

Starwood March sale

book here by March 23rd for travel through Sep 7,2009.

up to 50% off

Starwood new yearly catergory change effect March 2nd

Starwood just published new hotel category level for up coming 2009, due to US dollar appreciation, More hotels are moving down in category than up, this is really a great news.

In addition, they eliminate all peak season award level, so all category 5 need 12000 points, all cat 6 need 20000 and all cat 7 need 30000. More detail can be found here

They did the right thing.

I have not carefully review the list yet, but one of my favoriate shanghai property-Le Royal Meridien go up to Cat 5

Here is spreadsheet made by SC Flier shows all the changes as of March 2, 2009

Starwood Year end gift is here

Unlike past three years, SPG platinum member got one 50%off award redemption and nothing for Gold. This year Platinum get $75 Gift check or one free weekend night and Gold get $25 Gift Check or 1000 bonus points.

I picked free weekend night and points for my wife.

Hyatt and SPG Q1 promotion registration page are up

I mentioned here about these Q1 promotions, Register here for SPG and here for Hyatt

Bye Bye Thankyou Network-The most rewarding Credit Card Program

From March 1st, 2009, Thankyou network fixed flight award option will be discontinued, which means the most rewarding program for credit card spending will be gone forever.

With 90K fixed business class award flight option, I get approx 8.5%-14.5% back for every dollar I charged on my Citibank Credit Card. After March 1st, only flexible award option is avaiable which value 1 point = 1 cent. This will make the cashback for Citi credit card to 5% max when u use Citi AMEX PLAT at Grocery store, gas station and 3% for everything else and less cashback on other cards.

With discontinue of this option, Starwood Amex Credit card and Hilton Amex Credit Card are back to primary cards along with Citi PLAT Amex Card. Hilton Program is improving, so their points are value more than before.

Let's do some comparison here, If you charge 60K per year and 5K of them are from selected catergories such as Gas station, wireless bill, Grocery store and postal office.

You are getting

190K Hilton points if using Hilton card

190K Thankyou network points if using Citi Amex PLAT(I know there is 150K points annual cap, but let's assume you and ur spouse each has one)

60K starwood points if using Amex SPG.

190K can give you 6 nights free at some top Hilton resorts such as Seychelles, Mauritius, Maldive, Tahiti, Europe and 15K left over. Approx value > 2700 USD.

190K Thankyou network points can give 1900 Cashback on tickets or other gift cards. If you use 1900 to buy the ticket, the ticket will get miles, so assume you get 50K miles on these tickets, the value is 1900-210(2 cards annual fees)+1000(worth of miles)>2690.

60K starwood can get u 13 nights at Cat 4 hotels with C+P option, if each 4K worth at least 100, those 60K worth >1300. However, you can have option to transfer these points to airline on 1:1.25 ratio, which equals to around 70000 miles, Value of 70000 miles> 2000 depends on how u use them.

I personally value those points and miles higher than above estimate.

As you can see, there is no signifant difference on these cards, so all depends on which rewards program you want and flexibility of these awards. I would say, all three cards will be best cards now.

Few more Hilton Resorst will be opened and some top Starwood hotels are heading to Hilton Chain

According to this website, Hilton will open 2 properties at French Polynesia in Feb 2009, one is Hilton Bora Bora Nui and another one is Hilton Moorea. Since there is no word of new construction of Hilton Properties, these two hotels most likely are taken over from Sheraton Moorea Lagoon Resort and SPA and Bora Bora Nui Resort and SPA.

Hilton has no blackout redemption like SPG chain and require much less points on these two properties, so this is actually a great move. However, I am sure New Hilton Bora Bora Nui will have similar retrictions on Elite benefits like Conrad Maldive when you reedem points, but it still a better value compare to SPG catergory 7 redemption. In addition, if you want to pay for the night, Hilton can get u to their Diamond tier by amount of spending($10000 in a canleder year), so a better option than SPG, where only nights/stays counts toward elite status.

Also, If I remember correctly, both hotels+St.Regis Bora Bora are owned by same person, so sooner or later St.Regis maybe rebrand to Hilton Family Hotels too.

Along with these two properties, the Westin Versailles in Paris will leave SPG and join Hilton as Waldorf=Astoria brand. It looks like Hilton is expanding its top chain to compete with others by offering lower Franchisee fees.

Start saving ur Hilton Points, you will have more better properties to use them.

Hilton, Marriott, Intercontinental, Starwood and Hyatt 2009 promotions are here!

Hilton Double Base points Q1 2009:

Earn double points btw Jan 6 and Apr 6th,2009 at participating properties worldwide, must register here.

Marriott Mega bonus Spring 2009:
Offer valid between February 1 and April 30, 2009, you need to login your account to see which one you got, no need to pay with Visa card Here are some of them

• 2500 for each paid stay, beginning with the second stay. Max 25000 points
• 35K for 20 nights up to 50K total for 25 nights
• 25K for 15 nights up to 40K for 20 nights

If you are Gold member or above and do not like the promotion you received, you can call Marriott Reward desk to switch, as do it before promotion ends.

Intercontinental Priority Club up to 30,000 bonus points or 10,000 bonus miles:

From January 12 to April 30, 2009, earn 3,000 bonus points or 1,000 bonus miles for every 3rd qualifying night you stay, up to 30,000 bonus points or 10,000 bonus miles.

Starwood Night after Night:

Registration will be available on Jan 7th,2009. From Jan 7th to Apr 30th,2009. Earn 500 bonus points per night, and 5000 extra bonus for every 10th nights, no need to be consecutive and no upper limit for bonus.

Hyatt More Than a Bonus:
Between January 9 and April 30, 2009, up to 20000 bonus points

Stay two nights and earn 2,000 bonus points/miles
Stay four nights and earn an additional 4,000 bonus points/miles (totaling 6,000 bonus points)
Stay six nights and earn an additional 6,000 bonus points/miles (totaling 12,000 bonus points)
Stay eight nights and earn an additional 8,000 bonus points/miles (totaling 20,000 bonus points)

Registration link is not ready yet.

Le Meridien Shimei Bay Delayed Opening date!

Just got a email today from Revenue manager, the hotel opening will be delayed to Nov 7th due to Swimming Pool and water pressure issues and had re accommodate me to Sheraton Sanya with same rate. Too bad I don't have a chance to stay at this property on its opening day.

Shimei Bay is a newly developed hotel zone located 150km north of Sanya, there will be lot of hotels open in next few years just like Yalong Bay hotel zone in Sanya and the first The Luxury Collection hotel in China-The Alhambra Resort & Spa-Shimei Bay will be opened next year.

Cash and Point redemption on SPG Specialty Rooms avaliable at selected locations

From now to Dec 21st, 2008, you can redeem Specialty Rooms including Suite at some SPG properties with Cash and Points option.

Here is the list of participating locations.

SPG Q4 promotion is here

This time is totally different, you can select on your own from the list. You have 12 of them to select from.

Need to register before Nov 15th

Double SPG points in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico

must register here, earn double points between now and December 31, 2008 at following properties:

Participating hotels and resorts:

COLORADO
Aspen
The St. Regis Aspen Resort

Avon
The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa, Avon - Open 10/15/08

Denver
Four Points by Sheraton Denver Southeast
Sheraton Denver Hotel, Downtown
Sheraton Denver West Hotel
Sheraton Denver Tech Center Hotel
The Westin Tabor Center
The Westin Westminster

Steamboat Springs
Sheraton Steamboat Resort

UTAH
Salt Lake City
Sheraton Salt Lake City Hotel

NEW MEXICO
Albuquerque
Sheraton Albuquerque Uptown

Double SPG points in Missouri

must register here, earn double points between August 18, 2008 and December 31, 2008 at following properties:

Illinois
Four Points by Sheraton Fairview Heights

Kansas
Sheraton Overland Park Hotel at the Convention Center, Overland Park

Missouri
Four Points by Sheraton Kansas City Airport, Kansas City
Sheraton Clayton Plaza Hotel St. Louis
Sheraton Kansas City Sports Complex Hotel, Kansas City
Sheraton St. Louis City Center Hotel & Suites
Sheraton Suites Country Club Plaza
The Westin Crown Center, Kansas City
The Westin St. Louis

My 2 nights stay at Westin Toronto Airport earning

I and my wife stayed at Westin YYZ airport last Sat and Sun, below are our points earning

First night under my wife name:

170 basic points
85 Gold bonus
500 CCC on-hold bonus
170 double points bonus for anniversary hotels
3000 points for each stay in Canada
888 points for a weekend stay
202 points for SPG credit card spending

Total 5015

Second night under my name

170 basic points
85 Platinum bonus
500 Platinum Amenity
500 CCC on-hold bonus
500 bonus for flyertalk member in Sep
170 double points bonus for anniversary hotels
3000 points for each stay in Canada
1000 points for midweek stay
202 points for SPG credit card spending

Total 6127

I spent $202 dollar in total for those two nights, and earned 11142 SPG points , this is how the points add up so quickly.

Starwood-Earning FREE weekend stay in Asia Pacific with 3 paid stays using MasterCard

You must register here first, then stay 3 times with you mastercard in Asia Pacific, get 2 free weekend gateway at any participating properties.

Here is highlight of T&C:

"Members must register no later than December 15, 2008

Bookings must be made between September 15, 2008 and December 15, 2008 and stays must be between October 1, 2008, and December 31, 2008.

Arrival date for eligible stays must be between October 1, 2008 and December 31, 2008.

Members may earn one (1) Free Weekend Award upon completion of three (3) eligible stays at a participating Hotel in the Asia Pacific region that are paid for with a MasterCard.

Members must quote "MFWFN" when calling to redeem the Free Weekend Award

Free Weekend Award is valid only for a consecutive Friday and Saturday night stay redeemable from November 1, 2008 and completed by January 31, 2009, in a single or double occupancy standard room, and includes the cost of the hotel room and room tax only.

Free Weekend Award is not transferable and may only be used at a participating Hotel in Asia Pacific"

I am going back next week and will stay at SPG hotels anyway, a excellent promotion for me. those three eligible stays should cost me no more than $250

BTW, W Maldive is on the list.

hat's off to this thread

250 free starwood points for complting a survey

mentioned in this thread, the link is here, should take you less than 1 mins to finish

Starwood New benefit is not very good

When everyone was waiting for some kind of change on elite programs, they announced the new benefit today-SPG Flights. Nothing much to talk about here because the new benefit is a big waste points. You should never use this option.

Here is the redemption rate:

Ticket Price*	Starpoints
up to $150	10,000
$150-$215	15,000
$215-$280	20,000
$280-$345	25,000
$345-$410	30,000
$410-$475	35,000
$475-$540	40,000
$540-$605	45,000
$605-$670	50,000
$670-$735	55,000
$735-$800	60,000
$800-$865	65,000
$865-$930	70,000
$930-$995	75,000
$995-$1060	80,000
Higher prices (examples)
$2,880-$3,140	235,000
$4,960-$5,220	395,000
$9,900-$10,160	775,000

Starwood new benefits are coming

I saw Gary mentioned this in his blog, it seems like some changes here.

The biggest advantage of SPG program now is no capacity control on its standard room redemption, but Hilton has matched this benefit earlier this year. Marriott will match this benefit soon. Hyatt is already easy to find an award room. while other competitors are catching up, SPG soon will make its move ahead of others again.

In addition, SPG already has the best elite recognition in the industry, Suite upgrades, 4:00pm checkout, the new benefits should improve the elite program even better.

let's wait and see

Starwood Buy 2, get 1 free or buy 4, get 2 free nights link

I posted this link in my SPG program introduction, but it is in Chinese.

I now post again just in case anyone needs it.

many times, the rate can save u lots of money, but make sure to compare with normal daily rate.

Earn 500 SPG bonus points per night in September

This offer is giving to Flyertalk member, but anyone can register, the bonus is per night, not per stay. Register by Sep 15th and stay btw Sep 1st-30th.