by PointsGuru | Sep 30, 2016 | Hotels
We have used the Hotel Tonight app for awhile now. It is one of the simpler a free mobile apps when searching for discounted hotel rooms up to 7 days in advance. We have liked it because it’s not part of the Expedia and corporate portfolio yet that is and because it’s simple.
It works best for booking hotels last minute. If you haven’t already signed-up for Hotel Tonight, you can use my promotion code “DSANDERS1” to earn a $25 credit on your first booking.
Hotel Tonight just started a new loyalty program dubbed HT Perks.
The HT Perks Program
There are 3 levels to Hotel Tonight’s HT Perks program. The more you spend, the higher your status. And the higher your status, the more of a discount you’ll receive.
Level 1
Spend $100+ with Hotel Tonight
Extra-discounted rates
Level 2
Spend $750+ with Hotel Tonight
5% off Level 1 rates
Exclusive offers and surprises
Level 3
Spend $5,000+ with Hotel Tonight
10% off Level 1 rates
With this level you get more exclusive offers and surprises than Level 2 and VIP customer support.
All of your past bookings you’ve made count towards your status and your status will never expire. That that’s pretty awesome for an app. Now if they can just upgrade my rooms for me!
by PointsGuru | Sep 1, 2016 | Hotels
Rocketmiles has extended the American Airlines 3,000 bonus miles first booking offer that is now valid until October 31, 2016. You earn 1,000 to 10,000 miles per hotel night booked using the service and these 3,000 bonus miles are extra. You can book the stay far out at anytime as long as you book it now. You can earn 3,000 bonus miles in addition to the regular miles of 500 to 10,000 per night that you earn which can be for one night stay. You can access this offer on Rocketmiles website here. This offer is valid with all partners except Norwegian and Amazon Gift Cards.
Rocketmiles allows you to earn up to 5,000 Airline Reward Miles when you book hotels which can be more rewarding for some hotel nights than the hotels points. This is an easy way to earn extra miles for US Airways, American Airlines, British Airways, United Air, and other airlines. (more…)
by PointsGuru | Jan 15, 2016 | Hotels
One of the most annoying things which is sadly a trend in the hotel industry are these room keys to get up the elevator. Mainly because the hotel does not have in mind those of us traveling for business have deliveries such as Postmates or even pizza. One of the reasons of asking for a delivery is so that we do not have to stop what we are doing and deal with elevators and such that is part of what we are tipping the delivery drivers to do.
I recently stayed at the Hyatt Atlanta Midtown to find that it was yet another hotel that featured the elementary school elevator keys. I just do not understand why adults have to use keys in a day when they have video cameras at the front door, security at the front at night, and giving us one more travel hassle that is just unnecessary. I ordered Postmates delivery if you are not familiar you can read about it here to find that my food sat getting cold at the front because the delivery person was not able to come up to the room. At most hotels they would send the person up but they would not send him up. Hotel sites need to list when they have elevator key hassles on their websites from now on. People can decide if it is an “amenity” they want when they stay at a hotel. Great location otherwise… Room service could be open longer hours as it opens at 5pm. Good Wifi. New, modern hotel.
The Fairfield Inn by Marriott in Tulsa has the same issue where the room keys are a nuisance. They would not let Mazzio’s Pizza deliver to my room instead I had to elevator shuffle down to the 2nd floor where the lobby is located to meet my pizza delivery guy. It’s almost like the Fairfield wants you to go out of your way to a 2nd floor lobby as another hassle instead of on the street level. The hotel thought they should go out of their way to make sure the traveler has one more obstacle to go through because planes, trains, and automobiles are not enough.
One way to work around the keyed elevator entries is to have your guest take the stairs if it’s at a small hotel such as the Fairfield Inn that only has 4 floors. You should be taking the stairs anyway as it’s great exercise! Another workaround that works when you do not have to put up a key for each floor is to just follow a guest of the hotel in the elevator who are already have a key out.
Who knows as hotels upgrade their elevators we may see it get worse and worse. I just hope they can start being upfront about this and add it to their “amenities” area so that I can choose NOT to stay at a hotel that treats you like a child having to use a key to get up an elevator. Here’s a hint: Nobody likes it. Everyone in the elevator complains about it and if someone wants up they will damn well get up there.
by PointsGuru | Nov 24, 2015 | Hotels
As we are still all recovering from the big merger of Starwood and Marriott announcement there is some good news for those of us that enjoy resort-style hotel pools. In Downtown Houston a Marriott Marquis Houston will include a one-of-a-kind rooftop lazy river shaped like Texas overlooking Houston’s Discovery Green. This is normally something you would only see at Disney and Las Vegas resorts in the U.S. minus the Texas shape.
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by PointsGuru | Nov 4, 2015 | Hotels
You may want to check your American Express card account to see if you received an offer from AirBnb this week. If not, you are still in luck because it’s one of the great Twitter promotions as well. You can save at least 50% off your first $100 spent on an AirBnB rental using this offer.
You get a $50 statement when you spend $100 or more on a synched American Express credit card through December 31, 2015. You can register as many American Express credit cards to use this offer more than once if you have more than one AMEX branded card. If you are not able to stay by the end of the year just make sure it charges your card to take advantage of the offer.
To get the offer from AirBnb and American Express:
- Sign-up here and get a $20 Credit for your first AirBnb Stay.
- Click Here to Tweet #AmexAirBnB To Spend $100+ at an AirBnb on your Amex card and get $50 Back.
Repeat at Step 2 to sync every American Express credit card you have with Twitter using the hashtag.
AirBnB is allowing gift cards for this offer so you may be able to use multiple AMEX cards to purchase a gift card then use that towards one stay. $50 off every $100 to rent a house could save you up to $250 if you have 5 American Express branded cards including Bluebird and Serve cards. Update to the gift card purchase is that they do not allow you to buy yourself a gift card and will not let you redeem it in the same account of purchase.
I plan to stay in an AirBnb in California this December and will use 4 separate AMEX cards for the stay with this offer by buying a gift card first. I will also get a $20 credit. The total savings should be $220 off my stay of 4 days.
See more hotel related promotions here.
by PointsGuru | Oct 30, 2015 | Hotels
Update: Marriott has agreed to buy Starwood. Hyatt Hotels deal did not go through as previously reported on CNBC. We will see if the FTC actually lets this merger go through as it would make the largest hotel chain.
Previously Chicago-based Hyatt Hotels was in talks to acquire Connecticut-based Starwood could come as soon as next. Hyatt is preparing a cash-and-stock bid driven partially by the hoteliers’ growth struggles according to CNBC. Both Hyatt and Starwood have been hampered by several consecutive quarters of declining sales due to slowing global business travel and swings in the currency markets.
Some are saying that a combination of Hyatt and Starwood could help the two chains better compete with their larger peers Marriott International and Hilton Worldwide. One benefit to a takeover by Hyatt could be the lowered costs of the combined platforms bringing two companies to have over 500,000 rooms to considerably close the gap between them and Hilton and Marriott who each have more than 700,000 rooms.
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