Average hotel rewards

[Mom_Rides]

What is an average hotel rewards program like? For instance, if you stayed 14 nights, how many free nights would you receive through a rewards program? A night, 2 nights? I realize every hotel has different programs, I'm just looking for a roundabout.

I will be traveling for work in late February and will be gone approximately 2 weeks. We're planning to visit the in-laws in Florida sometime in March or April and I was wondering if perhaps I'd get a free night or 2 that we could run over to Orlando and get a super budget overnight or 2 night trip to Disney in with a rewards program freebie. I have no clue where I'm traveling to yet or what hotel chain I will be staying in, I just know at this point I'm going.

 

[msp2mco]

I am a member of Hilton Honors and the Marriott program. For the most part, I book Hilton properties exclusively, if I can. I have a Hilton Honors credit card, and with 5 or 6 stays a year and the credit card, I seem to always be able to book a reward night or two. (I usually stay at a lower priced Hampton Inn when I am paying for the room and book a nicer hotel when I can use a reward). It seems to me that there is a bigger advantage with number of different reservations rather than a lengthy stay under one reservation.

Good luck!

 

[dsanner106]

I travel a good bit and use several rewards programs. Each will run promotions that boost the points per stay etc, so you want to investigate several once you know your destination. Typically 6 to 10 nights will get a free night, but you normally earn points on dollars spent so it varies. choice hotels which owns about a dozen major chains recently had a 4x points earned promotion, I earned 6 nights with a 12 or 13 night stay, so do look around. It costs nothing to join the rewards programs so go ahead and join several so you will be getting emails on the promos in advance.

Drew

 

[swilshire]

I spent 27 nights in a Town Place Suites and that earned me almost exactly the number of points (with my Platinum bonus points) for one free night when we were driving to the beach. Part of the stay counted toward the Fall bonus, so I did earn enough points for a couple of more nights after two more shorter stays. I also use a Marriott credit card which has an annual fee, but gives you a free night each year. You'd have to spend a LOT to work up to a free hotel night from the spending.

Sheila

 

[SuzanneSLO]

When there are no promotions running, to earn one free night in the least expensive hotels in the Starwood Preferred Guest program, you would need to spend 15 nights paying an average of $100 per night. To earn one free night at the Swan/Dolphin, you would need to spend 50 nights paying an average of $100 per night.

The real value in the Starwood hotel program is when you can combine it with the credit card or when they are running promotions. Due to a free resort night promotion last summer, we stayed one night at the Westin Kaanapali in Maui for free after we stayed 3 nights in California for a total spend of about $300. -- Suzanne

 

[bumbershoot]

If you're not loyal to one brand or overall company, using hotels.com gives you a "free" night for every 10 nights you book (and stay) through them.

The quotes around free mean that they average out the cost you paid for those 10 nights, and you get a credit for that amount. You do still pay the taxes (and any resort fee etc at the hotel if there is one).

So we're using a $185 credit to pay for a room that costs just about that much, and we're just paying taxes on it equaling 21.34, for example.


Many people are loyal and have the chain credit cards...hubby is the traveler and needs to get the best value on each trip he takes, and that does NOT follow brands, so he has to be more flexible. And hotels.com works for that, for him/us.

 

[stczt]

Dh Travels for work infact since last Thanksgiving hes been home 5 weeks. Hilton has the best reward program, Marriott is okay and Hyatt and holiday inn have the WORST reward program. He stayed at Hyatt and Hilton pretty equal and he only earned enough for 1 night at Hyatt and Ive lost count with Hilton and we stayed in higher point hotes like Palmer House in Chicago.