How long does it take to earn 100k Choice Privileges points? Just one night, if you're one of nine lucky winners.
This is a pretty straightforward deal. No complicated equations to run or formulas to calculate to maximize your earnings. Nope. Just stay in a Cambria Suites. That's it. Oh, and be a member of Choice Privileges rewards program (duh).
For every night a guest stays at a Cambria Suites brand hotel, franchised by Choice Hotels International, Inc., they'll be automatically entered into a giveaway for a chance to win 100,000 Choice Privileges points. One winner will be randomly selected each month from September 1 until June 30, 2009.
You've already missed your chance for September - some lucky schmoe has already claimed his 100 grand points. But it's not too late for October. And hey, there's nothing stopping you from staying every month. We may not be great at math, but it's not too hard to figure the more you stay, the more chances you have to win.
So where would you go with 100,000 Choice Privileges points? We're daydreaming about a little European tour, with stops in the classics - London, Paris and Rome.
Remember those "Choose Your Own Adventure" books from when you were a kid? (We're talking to the over 30 that is.) It worked like this--you read a chapter of an adventure tale and at the conclusion you have to make a choice. Depending on which choice you make, you turn to a different page to read the conclusion of your adventure. We loved those books.
And now we get to have just as much fun as grown ups with Starwood Preferred Guest's (SPG) You Choose promotion between October 1 and December 31.
Here's the deal. SPG members talked and Starwood listened. Travelers determine their earning power and choose from a dozen different reward options broken down into four categories: Free Nights, Elite Status, Bonus Starpoints and Gift Cards. Within each category, members choose an earning option and reward based on how they travel and what kind of loot they want to score out of their stays.
Over the summer, Choice Hotels enticed members of their Choice Privileges rewards program with $50 gas cards.
This fall, with gas prices hovering around $4 per gallon (and spikes whenever hurricanes loom), they're bringing out the big guns, with an offer of $250 in gas cards. Even at current prices, that's enough to make everyone from Smart car drivers to SUV owners take notice.
Don't get excited too quickly though - they're not handing this reward out like penny candy. Here's how it works:
After every third stay at Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion and Cambria Suites brand hotels throughout the United States, Choice Privileges members will receive enough points to redeem for a free $50 gas card. Consumers can earn this reward up to five times, for a total of $250 in gas cards, for stays with arrival from September 1 through November 30, 2008.
So you'd have to stay 15 times between now and the end of November to max out on the reward. Sounds like road warriors only need apply. You'll have until Feb 28, 2009 to use your gas card though we don't think that will be a problem! You must book at choicehotels.com or call 800.4CHOICE to qualify for the promotion.
Are you ready for some travel by plane, train or automobile? Wait, since most of us are scrounging around in our couches for enough cash to fill up the car, just make that plane or train.
Here's your chance, Choice Privileges members, to score some air miles or Amtrak rewards to make that travel happen.
But we think we'll pass on the airline points - what with the shrinking baggage allowance and growing fees, we'd rather take a nice leisurely train ride - and we predict more and more of you out there will follow us. Train travel will be where it's at (sooner rather than later, we hope).
Meet Marriott Golf Links. This new golfer loyalty program just unveiled by Marriott lets Marriott Rewards members earn and redeem points for ... golf! Members can rack up 10 Marriott Rewards points for every dollar spent on rounds of golf and golf retail merchandise purchases.
In the spirit of earn and burn, as soon as you've tallied your points you can redeem them for, what else? More rounds of golf, plus hotel accommodations, spa experiences, golf instruction, and more.
When we buy lottery tickets a couple times a year, we don't expect to actually win. It's the worth the dollar though, to dream about how we'd spend the millions.
Hilton Hhonors' new sweepstakes with National Car Rental feels a bit the same way. Register at FiveMillionReasons.com and either book a night at a Hilton property or a National Car Rental by November 30, 2008 (and stay or drive by December 15) and your name goes into a drawing.
Then, five obnoxiously lucky people will win one million Hilton Hhonors points each. So since we're all dreaming here, we have to ask: What would you do with the prize?
Here at HC HQ, we like to joke around about Starwood's plot to take over the world. It started with the insane expansion of Aloft, with new properties popping up all over the globe within a matter of months. Then there was that whole 100-hotels-in-China thing we just heard about, too.
And once they've conquered the land, we suppose the next order of business was to go after the skies: Westin recently partnered with United to bring some of the Westin amenities to United flights -- but they're not stopping there.
Today marks the launch of Starwood's SPG Flights program, a feature added to the S-wood loyalty program that will allow members to redeem Starwood Preferred Guest points for free flights -- with no blackout dates. Because Starwood owns the whole world and can make it happen, apparently.
More details -- including a points-to-price redemption chart -- after the jump.
Oopsie. Much like Bloomberg News went too early releasing Steve Job's obituary, Marriott's Web site went live too early with Platinum enhancements.
Marriot rewards members were abuzz on flyertalk earlier this week about an announcement on Marriott's Web site that promised some nice enhancements for Platinum members beginning Jan 15, 2009:
· No blackout dates for points redemption for standard rooms · Increase of Platinum member elite bonus from 30% to 50% · 4th night free on a three-night hotel redemption using points
These are some pretty exciting developments, and made some Platinum members who don't think there's enough difference in Gold and Platinum levels quite happy.
However, less than two hours after the initial post went up on the FlyerTalk board, the announcement was gone. Shortly thereafter, Ira, a member of the Marriott Concierge Team, said:
"Earlier today, information about possible changes to the Marriott Rewards program was mistakenly published on Marriott.com.
Based upon your feedback regarding blackout dates and capacity controls, we are evaluating potential program enhancements. We have nothing to announce at this time. We're sorry for any confusion this might have caused and we'll be sure to provide advanced notice of any future changes."
So now we're left wondering if Marriott will make these changes for real. We certainly hope so! Staying 75 nights a year should really count for something.
Over the summer, 
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