You’ve likely heard of Marriott Bonvoy Moments, Hilton Honors Experiences, or World of Hyatt Experiences, but there’s a new kid on the block that you might not have caught wind of yet… And that’s Accor Live Limitless (ALL) Experiences.

Many people traditionally think that you can only redeem points and miles for airfare and hotels. And they either don’t know, or they forget, that you can actually redeem your points for many unique, once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

One such event that I got to attend recently was Accor Live Limitless’ SailGP season 3 finale race in San Fransisco. It was one of the most memorable experiences of my life, and one I will never forget! It’s also an experience I would have never been able to partake in had it not been for points and miles, since the cash price would have been WAY beyond my budget.

In this post, we’ll take a closer look at my experience at Accor’s SailGP event, and also dive into the ALL Experiences program. I’ll walk you through how ALL Experiences works, how it can offer great value, and also share info on how you can book your own SailGP VIP experience with ALL points.

What is SailGP?

SailGP is a new international yacht racing league, which features athletes who are former America’s Cup champions and Olympians.

SailGP boasts the most competitive fleet in sailing, with any team capable of winning an event. That’s because each team is racing identical F50 catamarans, which ensures only one thing will decide a SailGP champion — talent.

SailGP’s high-performance, fully-foiling, F50 cats are based on several of the AC50 cats that took part in the 35^th America’s Cup in Bermuda, but they have been updated and equalized to create as close racing as possible.

SailGP is unique, as it also has a world-first initiative that sees teams compete for a second championship, called the Impact League. The Impact League initiative tracks the actions that all of the SailGP teams make to reduce their overall carbon footprint and to help accelerate inclusivity in sailing.

Upcoming SailGP Season 4 Schedule // 2023-2024

2023

July 22-23 // Los Angeles Sail Grand Prix
September 9-10 // France Sail Grand Prix | Saint-Tropez
September 23-24 // Italy Sail Grand Prix | Taranto
October 14-15 // Spain Sail Grand Prix | Andalucía-Cádiz

2024

January 13-14 // UAE Sail Grand Prix
February 24-24 // KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix | Sydney
March 23-24 // ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Auckland
May 4-5 // Bermuda Sail Grand Prix
June 1-2 // Canada Sail Grand Prix
June 22-23 // Mubadala New York City Sail Grand Prix
July 13-14 // SailGP Season 4 Grand Final | San Francisco

How to redeem Accor points for SailGP or other amazing experiences

I was lucky enough to score a once-in-a-lifetime, VIP weekend package to attend the 2023 SailGP final race in San Francisco via ALL Experiences. For 35,000 ALL points, the package included the following:

• 2 nights at the fabulous Fairmont San Francisco
• 2 VIP tickets to the weekend-long SailGP SF races, including access to the premium, shoreside Adrenaline Lounge
• Transportation to and from the Adrenaline Lounge
• VIP breakfast on the final’s day at the Fairmont San Francisco

My husband and I are big-time boaters and major racing fans, and being able to be right in the middle of the action for the final SailGP race of the season was a dream come true!

SailGP’s F50 cats are utterly spectacular to see in the flesh, and have been clocked in previous races reaching 92.6 km/h (50 knots/57.5 mph). It’s an incredible sight to experience for yourself!

We had a wonderful stay at the glamorous Fairmont San Francisco, and we loved the VIP treatment of being chauffeured to and from the the weekend’s events and activities.

The Adrenaline Lounge made us feel like celebrities, with complimentary champagne, craft cocktails, fine wine, and delicious, gourmet food. The other amazing thing about having access to the Adrenaline Lounge was that the SailGP athletes made special appearances at the lounge throughout the race weekend, so that you could chat with them and take photos. As San Francisco is the final race of the SailGP season, we were even lucky enough to have front-row seats for the trophy presentation, and we got to celebrate, toast champagne and party the evening away with the winners (Team Australia).

In my opinion, this type of points package is hands down worth it, and I would redeem ALL points for another SailGP event in a heartbeat! As Accor is a sponsor of the French SailGP team, I think they are so smart for putting together an amazing promotion like this to help ALL members have a truly unforgettable SailGP racing experience.

For the upcoming, inaugural SailGP Los Angeles race on July 23rd, Accor has package available for 5,000 points per ticket. Included in the promotion are the following:

• Access to the invite-only Adrenaline Lounge at Berth 46 with 360° views of Cabrillo Beach and San Petro Bay to watch the three races
• Shoreside hospitality with premium, sustainable & locally procured food and beverages
• Entertainment by an acclaimed local solo artist & international DJ

Given the fact that grandstand tickets to the LA race are $85 per person, the ALL Experiences package is a no brainer! As you’ll get access to the Adrenaline Lounge and be given the VIP treatment, I’d 100% redeem for ALL’s promotion versus paying cash for bleacher, grandstand seats myself!

About Accor Live Limitless (ALL)

Accor has 52 brands and has a presence in 100 countries. With over 5,100 hotel properties globally, Accor features some of the world’s most iconic hospitality brands under the ALL rewards umbrella, including Raffles, Fairmont, Orient Express, Banyan Tree, SLS, the luxury homestay provider OneFineStay, and many more.

Accor Live Limitless Experiences

ALL Experiences have a set redemption rate, unlike other loyalty programs that also have an auction format. The ALL Experiences offerings change frequently, but when we published this story options included: SailGP Los Angeles, tickets to the Billy Joel, P!nk, Guns and Roses, or Bruce Springsteen concerts in London, KISS performing in Sydney, and many more.

How to join ALL

Visit the Accor website and click on the icon in the upper right corner. Registration is fast, simple, and free.

You’ll be prompted to provide an email address to open an ALL account. Simply fill in your details and click “Sign Up,” and Accor will email your registration details to you.

How to earn ALL points

With such a large hotel portfolio and so many great properties, having Accor points can come in handy. Here are a few ways you can easily earn Accor points:

Hotel stays

Accor awards non-elite members 5-10 points per 10 Euros spent on their hotel spend. On the other hand, ALL elite members can earn up to 44 points per 10 Euros spent, depending on their tier status.

Accor points are worth a flat rate of about 2.2 cents each. That means you’ll earn as little as 1% return and as high as 8.8% return on an Accor hotel stay.

If this sounds confusing, don’t worry. Accor has a nifty, little tool to help you calculate the points that you’ll earn on your next stay according to your elite status tier, the hotel brand, and the room cost. You can this find calculator at the bottom of this page on Accor’s website.

Transfer points to ALL from Capital One or Citi

Earning ALL points when staying at Accor properties can take a little while for them to add up. So the easiest way to accrue ALL points is likely to transfer them from a credit card partner.

Accor does not offer a co-branded credit card in the US unfortunately. But, Accor does partner with both Capital One and Citi. Capital One miles and Citi ThankYou points transfer to Accor at a 2:1 ratio. You can quickly earn Capital One miles or Citi ThankYou points after hitting the sign-up bonus with the following Citi or Cap One travel rewards cards:

• Capital One Venture
• Capital One Venture X
• Capital One Spark 2X Miles
• Citi Premier

Travel Partners

You can credit the rewards you earn with Avis, Hertz and Europcar to ALL. For example, you’ll earn 3 ALL points per Euro spent with Hertz. Accor points are worth roughly 2.2 cents each toward Accor hotel stays, meaning you’ll effectively receive more than 6% back for your rental car.

Bottom line

If you want tickets to SailGP or another type of special event, check out what Accor Live Limitless Experiences has to offer. Depending on the specific event, ALL Experiences can be a great redemption value. What’s even better is that some packages include one or more nights at an Accor hotel, or offer a VIP experience that you can’t put a price tag on. If you’re lucky enough to find one — like the upcoming SailGP experience in Los Angeles — then don’t hesitate to redeem your ALL points. You can always get more points, but once-in-a-lifetime, VIP experiences don’t come around that often!

The post How To Redeem Accor Points to Attend SailGP – the F1 of Sailing – and Other Awesome Experiences appeared first on God Save The Points.

One of the best ways to get people to care about points for the first time is to simply show them the good stuff. Book that hotel room, flight or travel experience that makes them realize it’s not just hoopla and let them enjoy it to the max.

This was booked with points…for real? Yeah.

Yet when it comes to sharing experiences with points, things aren’t quite so seamless. Many companies either charge a significant fee to transfer points to another account, only let the individual account holder redeem the points or make it really difficult to move points.

There are a bunch of perceived logical reasons for this, but a trend is emerging where the sharing of points is actually encouraged.

Why Banks, Airlines And Hotels Protect Points

Travel points are aspirational, but ultimately they are a cash alternative and have real implications. At every airline, bank or hotel issuing points, they’re treated like a major currency and large teams of people people spend considerable time ensuring that they are flowing in and out the door in an optimal way and that fraud is minimized.

A bank would react quickly if you were to claim fraud on a $1,000 purchase, and so too would a travel brand or credit card company if you were to claim fraud on a 100,000 point transaction.

And fraud or mismanagement can be pretty “vague”, when you consider someone’s kids using their points without authorization, or business owners squabbling over how to divvy all the points earned on their corporate accounts.

To many airlines, banks and hotels, it’s easier to just slap a lot of red tape on who can redeem points or transfer points than to deal with the millions of situations outside of their immediate control, which can result in dissatisfaction and loss. That’s pretty easy to do and it’s accomplished a few different ways.

• By automatically making the account holder the named guest on the reservation.
• By requiring any people you wish to share points with to be added to a named list.
• By limiting online functionality to require call ins for any sharing transaction.

That may, or may not be the right way to go and lately, people are finally wondering if the latter is actually simpler for everyone thanks to technology.

Opening Up Points Sharing For All

In the US, Marriott has become a world leader at allowing points to be shared socially. Any two people with Marriott Bonvoy accounts can login online, and with some basic detail, can freely share points with any other person. In the UK, fintech startup Yonder is setting the trend, with open points sharing for all.

As long as accounts are properly secured, which thanks to things like 2FA (two factor authentication) is fairly straightforward and de-risked, it feels better to err on the side of ease and joy for members than bureaucratic processes.

It’s also a lot cheaper for the business to create an online functionality to than to perpetually operate a call center to handle transfer requests. Plus, who wants to pick up the phone and listen to jazz music these days?

Points Sharing Allows Incredible Member Experiences

We all have people who we value and love in some way. Being able to create travel joy and create emotional and aspirational experiences for others is such a fun way to turn points from something mundane to meaningful.

Tell your friends who don’t have enough points to upgrade their honeymoon flights that “you got them”, you just need their account number and they’ll be whisked over in an instant. Let your sister book that better hotel on her much needed vacation all by sharing your points.

The joyous reasons and possibilities are endless and when they’re made easy, they’re a whole lot more fun.

I somewhat recently leant a friend 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy Points just before they added online points sharing. I had to call in and it was all fine, but it was an “effort” to make it happen. I had to carve time to call, wait, explain and all that stuff.

When that friend built their points balance back up, they couldn’t believe how easy it was to send me 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy Points back online. It actually prompted a “how awesome is this” discussion about other ways we’d share points with friends.

The post Should We Be Able To Share Points With Anyone, No Restrictions? appeared first on God Save The Points.

Team GSTP got a first-hand, sneak peek of the launch of Fairmont and Accor Live Limitless’ (Accor’s loyalty program) new “Beyond Limits” program at the Fairmont Mayakoba last week, and this could be a gamechanger in the travel industry! At the very least, it’s fun, cool and a bit different. 

While many travel brands come up with unique experiences for their customers and loyalty members to take advantage of, most of these are very limited in quantity or are too costly for the average traveler to be able to take part in. 

Accor and Fairmont’s Beyond Limits program is a collection of 8 first-of-their-kind experiences available exclusively to guests staying at iconic Fairmont properties in Los Angeles, Hawaii, Seattle, Scottsdale, Mexico and Canada.

With numerous dates slated for each of the locations, and reasonable pricing considering the production value of the experiences offered, Beyond Limits makes the extraordinary much more attainable and accessible to the everyday traveler. 

The program has been meticulously curated and aims, according to Accor’s press release, “to defy convention, shatter the boundaries of expectation, and elevate the luxury experience beyond what was previously thought possible.”

In addition, each immersive experience is as “unexpected as it is unforgettable,” and is thoughtfully crafted to take you on “a journey of discovery to help travelers find something new within the destination, the hotel and themselves.”  

Beyond Limits’ kicks off this month, with the following signature, limited-time experiences slated through March 2023:

• Symphony in a Cenote | In the lush Mexican jungle, Fairmont Mayakoba reimagines one of Riviera Maya’s famous limestone caves as a spectacular candlelit concert hall | November 2022 & January 2023 ($250 per person)
  • NOTE: GSTP previewed this incredible event last week and more details about the experience can be found below!
• Pauoa Bay Underwater Ballet | Guests at Fairmont Orchid in Hawaii will have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to dive into a magical underwater world and witness a daring, mesmerizing live ballet performance beneath the sea | February 2023 ($175 per person)
• The Vertical Stage | Fairmont Century Plaza transforms its famed Los Angeles façade into the world’s first 19-story vertical dance floor for a troupe of gravity-defying performance artists | Early 2023 (Pricing TBD)
• Fire & Ice | In a tiny log cabin, at the edge of frozen Lake Louise, surrounded for miles by nothing but Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and a wintry snowscape, a master chef delivers an exclusive, intimate fireside culinary experience for only 10 guests at a time, which is inspired by the Japanese cooking style of Robatayaki | January & February 2023 (Pricing TBD)
• Haute O2 | High in the Canadian Rockies, where the air is pure and the views extend as far as the eye can see, Fairmont Banff Springs is popping up a cliffside oxygen bar at 7,000 feet, accessible exclusively to just 8 guests per day, to refresh the mind, body and soul | January 2023 ($375 per person)
• Enchanted Forest | Perched atop Fairmont Waterfront’s garden terrace with majestic views of downtown Vancouver and the city’s stunning harbor, awaits a world of fantasy, a magnificent forest overflowing with verdant sprawling trees, a dreamy musical performance, and a hint of magic | Early 2023 ($113 per person)
• Après Scottsdale | In the heart of the Sonoran Desert, sits an unexpected luxury winter chateau, nestled amidst the ultimate holiday playground at Fairmont Scottsdale Princess; entry is only granted to a select few adults, who choose to celebrate the holidays with more grown-up pursuits, from culinary delights to the finest sparkling champagne | November & December 2023 (Table for 2: $399 – $599; Table for 4: $799 – $1,199)
• Tea Noir | At the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle, this playfully dark twist on high tea promises a journey through tea-infused sensorial delights, from savory to sweet, with a dash of spice, worthy of slipping into something a little glam | November 2022 through March 2023 ($70 per person)

Fairmont Mayakoba’s Symphony in a Cenote

First things first… WOW! – Just WOW! I have traveled to over 80 countries, seen some of the most out-of-this-world sites, and have stayed at more 5 star hotels than I can even recall, and Fairmont Mayakoba’s Symphony in a Cenote is easily in the top 10 best travel experiences of my life!

After a delicious dinner at the hotel’s La Laguna restaurant – complete with a floating mariachi band serenade – the hotel whisked guests away on a luxury, chauffeured van for the one hour ride from Mayakoba to Playa del Carmen’s Rio Secreto. 

Considering that standard tourist access during the day to Rio Secreto starts at $80, the $250 price tag of the experience is a no-brainer, since dinner, transport, cocktails, champagne and canapes are all included in the Symphony in a Cenote pricing.

In addition, Rio Secreto is not open to the public at night, so this makes the event even that much more exclusive and intimate than what the average traveler is able to experience. 

Once you arrive at Rio Secreto, a beautifully adorned candlelit path through the jungle leads you to the opening of the cenote. As you descend the cavernous passageways, awe-inspiring subterranean chambers await.

Dating back millions of years, the cenote is full of jaw-dropping stalactites and stalagmites, which glow among the twinkling lights that lead you deeper into the earth. Once you reach the heart of the cave,

Beyond Limits guests will sip on Moet and Chandon and the finest of top-shelf cocktails, all while indulging in delectable canapes and sweet treats. ALL and Fairmont Mayakoba then take you on a musical journey like no other with a set list of 14 songs, which melodically reverberate off of the luminous cavern walls.

It’s truly an experience like no other, and if Symphony in a Cenote sets the bar for the other 8 Beyond Limits events, then this program is definitely something you should consider looking into!

Personally, it makes me very eager to figure out how I can rearrange my upcoming travel schedule, and to book at a Fairmont before Beyond Limits ends in March 2023, as there are some truly epic experiences that are still slated for the coming months. 

ALL Beyond Limits 25% off promo

To help guests travel “Beyond Limits,” Accor is also offering up to 25% savings for bookings made by March 29, 2023, and for stays through April 30, 2023 (FYI discount may vary by property), at participating Fairmont, Sofitel, Swissôtel, MGallery, Pullman, Novotel and ibis hotels across North & Central America. As always, ALL loyalty members will save more, with a special rate that delivers an additional 5% off.

Accor ALL

Accor’s ALL Loyalty Program

ALL points are very simple to redeem: every 1,000 points is worth €20 toward any stay. 6,000 points are therefore worth €120 towards any stay with one of the chain’s many brands. If your stay takes place in a different currency, you get that value converted into local currency.

There’s no arbitrage, like with some other points programs, but with frequent bonuses on earning, and dependably easy ways to redeem, GSTP is a fan of the program.

With the current exchange rate, €120 is worth $120 or £105, so 6,000 points would get you $120 or £105 off a bill at any global Accor property, which includes all Fairmont’s, Sofitel, Raffles, Banyan Tree and many more.

Unlike many hotel loyalty programs, the nice thing is that ALL points can go toward the cost of a room, cover a room entirely, or just go toward the folio when checking out, in case you run up a tab!

Final Thoughts: ALL’s New Experiences

Fairmont and ALL have hit a home run with the launch of their new Beyond Limits program, and I for one can’t wait to check out more of their upcoming experiences! 

Personally, Accor’s loyalty program and hotel chains haven’t really been on my radar when booking my personal travel, but the Fairmont Mayakoba’s Symphony in a Cenote experience has totally converted me into a huge fan of the brand, and ALL properties will 100% be at the top of my list moving forward when making future travel arrangements. 

If you happen to be making upcoming travel plans for this winter or if you’ll be in any of the above Beyond Limits locations in the coming months, then it is a no-brainer to check out these experiences and see if you can score a booking.

Travel is all about enjoying experiences out of the ordinary and to indulge in the extraordinary, and Fairmont and ALL’s Beyond Limits program is definitely delivering on that promise!

The post Fairmont & Accor’s New “Beyond Limits” Experiences Are Stunning appeared first on God Save The Points.

Nothing is more annoying than redeeming points for a fantastic resort and then getting there and finding out that drinks by the pool and the (occasional) lunch and dinner on the property could fund a small wedding. But, have you ever considered a luxury all-inclusive points redemption?

Luxury All-Inclusive Points Redemption

All-Inclusive is one of the fastest-growing segments. Still, many are reluctant to choose an all-inclusive because they are not convinced that the overall quality of food and beverage will align with what they desire.

Hyatt has also been aggressively adding properties that are available for redemption via World Of Hyatt Points, but many resorts would not be considered high-end luxury properties.

So, the choice previously was to redeem points for just a room/suite at an awesome resort (and a great redemption) that is valued at $800 to $1500 a night or just “deal” with redeeming for a less expensive all-inclusive that might not be your idea of bougie food and beverage.

When a resort offers multiple dining options and upgraded alcoholic beverages, you know this is aimed at a more upscale experience. It is also great to note that they offer 24-hour private in-suite dining.

This new Impression concept has been introduced to the Secrets portfolio to offer this more elevated “all-inclusive” experience.

Secrets Impression Resorts & Spas have raised the bar and truly elevated what it means to stay an all-inclusive resort. With Endless Privileges everything is included with our compliments for your stay – from unparalleled personal service to customized and unique experiences, exclusive amenities and authentic gourmet cuisine from a large number of unique restaurants and bars.

Opening December 1, 2022 – Secrets Impression Moxché

There is a pretty good reason you probably have not heard about this luxury all-inclusive points redemption, and that is because this is a brand-new resort. Secrets Impression Moxché opens on December 1st and features 198 suites with an earthy feel. 

The entry-level Signature Suite is 947 sq/ft, has a bathroom with a rain shower and a furnished balcony or terrace with a soaking tub. You’ll have access to a private pool and numerous food and beverage venues. Some of the venues are specifically reserved for Impression and are noted with Exclusive to Impression Moxché guests only.

21K World Of Hyatt Points For Luxury and All-Inclusive

You can redeem for this property for as low as 21k World Of Hyatt Points. Room rates are consistently north of $1000 per night at this property. With a maximum of 29k points, you can expect a stay to average around 26k points even if you have a few peak days in your stay.

This is a pretty decent deal for this number of points. Heck, some luxury beach resorts and luxury resorts exceed 30k points per night.

Simplistically you are looking at a redemption on average of 25k points with a value of at least $1000. But, more importantly, on a practical level, you should not have many additional charges for your stay. The main question will be the luxury aspects of this all-inclusive living up to your expectations.

You can easily make your own comparison on the Hyatt Website.

One Bonus Yields a Few Luxury Nights!

Wondering about what you will do with your sign-up bonus for a new card? Perhaps, this gives you some inspiration. 80k points sure go a long way at this resort! Remember that in addition to Ultimate Rewards, Bilt also transfers to World Of Hyatt.

A Few Things To Keep In Mind

This resort is adults-only, so you’ll want to keep that in mind if considering a family vacation. Also, they charge a $50 fee if you cancel a points reservation within the cancellation terms.

It is also hard to have a complete understanding of all of the offerings without visiting. In addition to breathtaking rooftop or ocean views, Impression guests can access fine dining Author’s Choice signature restaurants.

The description almost sounds too good to be true: “Indulge with limitless access to gourmet à la carte restaurants – no reservations required, international top-shelf spirits, natural fruit juices, and soft drinks,” so I decided someone had to take the plunge and visit the resort shortly after opening in December.

Look for a full report and overview in a future article.

The post Awesome Luxury All-Inclusive Points Redemption You Never Heard Of appeared first on God Save The Points.

If you never heard of the Hilton Impresario Program, that is not a surprise. Hotel companies tend to be quite vocal about their loyalty programs but seldom mention much about their luxury (travel advisor) programs.

There are a few reasons for this, but the most significant is that these programs are designed to encourage luxury travel advisors to drive high-value business to specific luxury hotel brands. In essence, they are “kept secret” on purpose to allow travel advisors a strong sales tool to drive business to the brand.

What is interesting about Hilton Impresario is that they recognize some Hilton Honors elite benefits on top of the Impresario Benefits.

Hilton Impresario – Things To Know

There are a few things you need to know before you contact a luxury travel advisor:

• Luxury Program Rates must be booked via a luxury travel advisor (travel agent).
• Only the luxury brands in the Hilton Portfolio are participants in Impresario. These brands include Conrad, Waldorf Astoria, and LXR.
• The Hilton Impresario Price is the same as the Hilton Flexible Rate.
• You will still get your points and may be entitled to elite benefits on top of the luxury program benefits.

Figuring Out The Price

Hilton Impresario Pricing tends to be very straightforward and aligns with the Hilton Flexible Rate. Remember, there is also an Honors Discount Rate that is slightly lower for most Hilton Rates, including Flexible Rate, Semi-Flex and Non-refundable.

The Impresario Rate would match the Flexible Rate. These tend to be the rates with the best cancellation policy and often only require a credit card guarantee or one night (refundable) deposit.

Hilton Impresario — Luxury Benefits at the Same (Flexible) Price

Hilton’s luxury travel advisor program is called Impresario and includes the Waldorf, Conrad, and LXR brands. There are a few hotels that are excluded (notably, the Conrad Las Vegas at Resorts World; Crockfords, also part of Resorts World, does participate, though). Benefits include:

• Upgrade to next room category, subject to availability
• Complimentary Breakfast for two people
• $100 USD hotel credit per stay or local currency equivalent
• Double Hilton Honors points
• Last Room Availability

Extra Benefits

Impresario also provides early check-in and late check-out benefits, but on an “as available basis.” A welcome amenity that varies from property to property can include such things as bubbles, wine, or chocolate treats.

Luxury Travel Advisors can also check on and confirm upgrades. If your reservation is a combination of Impresario and Hilton Honors points, an advisor can also request that the reservations are linked and that the same room is confirmed for your entire stay.

Things Get Very Interesting With Stay Longer, Pay Less

Through March 31, 2023, many Impresario properties are participating in the Stay Longer, Pay Less promotion, which adds free nights to your stay. This promotion stacks on top of the existing Impresario benefits, so you could end up with a real bargain at a luxury property.

The tricky part is that these deals won’t be shown on the Hilton Website, and they vary a bit, offering 3rd, 4th, or 5th free nights.

Best Deals – “Stay 3, Pay 2”

The best deals are “Stay 3, Pay 2,” effectively getting you a 3rd free night.

Some highlights of “Stay 3, Pay 2” include:

Americas: Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach, Conrad Los Angeles, Conrad New York Midtown, Conrad Washington DC, Waldorf Astoria Atlantia Buckhead, Waldorf Astoria Chicago, Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas, Conrad Punta de Mita, Waldorf Astoria Panama

Europe: The Biltmore Mayfair, LXR Hotels & Resorts, Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh,
The Caledonian, Conrad Dublin,  Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel, Waldorf Astoria Berlin

Most of the properties in the Middle East, such as Conrad Dubai, Waldorf Astoria
Dubai Palm Jumeirah, Habtoor Palace Dubai, and Waldorf Astoria DIFC are 4th night free (Stay 4, Pay 3).

Hilton Impresario Beats Privé and Stars in the USA

It often goes unmentioned that if you have top-tier elite status, you wind up with benefit duplication when you book a hotel with a luxury Program such as Hyatt Privé or Marriott Stars. All luxury programs offer free breakfast, which is also a benefit for top-tier elites such as Hyatt Globalist.

Extra Perks If You Have Hilton Honors Status

What’s cool about Impresario is that you get the Impresario Breakfast Benefit and also your Hilton Elite Member daily food and beverage credit.

In addition to 2x Hilton Honors Points for Impresario Bookings, Hilton Honors MyWay Benefits for Gold and Diamond Members are applicable. The tricky part that often gets missed is that the MyWay Benefit (Gold and Diamond) for a daily complimentary food and beverage credit is only applicable in the USA.

At all Hilton Impresario Properties in the USA, this daily F&B Credit is $25 per person daily (up to $50 per room). The only negative is that properties are given huge latitude in delivering this daily credit. While it would be nice for a bit more consistency, this is still a benefit above and beyond Impresario, which no other program offers its elite members.

Always remember to ask your travel advisor about the Gold/Diamond benefit so they can verify the most up-to-date details with the property.

Because of this extra elite member benefit, Hilton Impresario is probably the most compelling luxury program for elite members when booking in the USA. Something to keep in mind when comparing benefits and programs.

What About FHR?

FHR (Fine Hotels + Resorts) is the luxury hotel booking program provided by American Express for their Platinum and Centurion Cardholders. Obviously, the barrier to booking with FHR is having a “high-end” AMEX Card Product. If you do have access to FHR, there are a few things you should also look for when comparing a luxury property.

Many of the Hilton Luxury options are also available to book via FHR, and their benefits are similar but can vary. For example, while Hilton Impresario offers 2x Hilton Honors Points, some Hilton FHR Properties might offer a $125 credit instead of $100.

FHR also has a guaranteed 4 PM late check-out at most luxury properties. This is in comparison to a subject to availability late check-out. Something to keep in mind when you really need that late check-out.

Rates can be another issue since FHR rates are not always aligned with the best available flexible rate. Remember the tip from above, and compare the Hilton Flexible Rate to the FHR rate to get an idea if booking via Impresario provides a better room rate.

When looking at luxury hotel brands, remember to double-check if a hotel is part of a luxury program that can offer additional benefits for the same flexible rates. You also now know the “secret” that there could also be other Impresario “free night” room rates hiding in the wild.

*If you need a luxury travel advisor recommendation, I use TravelZork Travel. They provide excellent personalized service but do have a minimum reservation amount. Check their site for terms.

The post Hilton Impresario: Hotel Perks Without Elite Status (And Extra Perks If You Do) appeared first on God Save The Points.

The thought of luxury hotel perks tends to bring immense joy to most leisure travelers. Everyone wants to be a VIP, though sometimes it is much more about who you know.

Let’s face it, we all can’t be road warriors who spend so many nights on the road that we push the elevator floor button for the hotel we stayed at last night in a different city.

Admit it, top-tier is the best tier. Especially when you do not have top-tier status, it is fun to glance at the perks and benefits offered. Top-tier elite statuses at a hotel brand can be a particularly powerful motivator to gain and maintain loyalty. You’ll usually get free breakfast, upgrades, and other benefits thrown in. But one brand has a status that is so valuable that they let you gift it for individual stays.

Hyatt Globalist – Guest of Honor

Hyatt’s “Guest of Honor” program allows Globalists to “share” their benefits when booking a free stay for somebody else. Simply gift a free night to anyone else and that person will be recorded as a “guest of honor,” meaning that they will be entitled to all of the on-site hotel benefits that a Globalist would.

It’s a true sharing program, so the Globalist member does not even need to be staying with their guest! There are no restrictions on who you can guest to or how often you can treat somebody. In fact, the only real limitation is that it only applies to free nights, not paid stays.

Benefits and Requirements for Hyatt Globalist

The benefits for Hyatt Globalist are extensive and also include one of the best breakfast benefits in the industry. These benefits include:

• Complimentary premium internet access
• Room upgrades at check-in, including standard suites. You can, of course, use the elite check-in line.
• Free club access or breakfast
• Free parking and waived resort fees
• Early check-in and 4:00 PM checkout (Resorts are based on availability.).

The Hard Part

To earn Globalist status, a member must record 60 nights stayed or 100,000 base points in a calendar year. That is why this friends and family benefit is so valuable. Keep in mind that promotions like Bonus Journeys where your qualifying nights count double will get you there much faster.

Guest of Honor Restrictions

There are surprisingly few restrictions listed for the Guest of Honor program. As I mentioned above, it needs to be a free stay paid for (redeemed) by the Globalist member themselves.

The real angle of this program is to allow Globalist members to surprise and delight their family and friends with a free stay with luxury hotel perks. Road warriors travel a lot, sometimes it is just nice to relax at home. It is a great loyalty program benefit to be able to share your perks with friends. Imagine how your best friend or daughter feels when you gift them a stay, and they are VIPs for the day!

Free Parking Is An Insane Benefit

If you have seen the parking prices lately in some major and not-so-major cities, you quickly realize that “free parking” can be a benefit worth north of $50 per day. Just be sure to verify with the hotel what parking qualifies. In some cases, a hotel might have third-party parking, or not all parking options (valet versus self-park) are covered.

What If I Have No Friends? – Hyatt Privé

You have a friend, but his name ain’t Seymour; it’s really Privé. This friend might be a bit snobby since she always insists that you never forget the aigu accent above the é; but the perks she delivers are consistently worth it.

You might have missed our recent mention of Privé, but it is an amazing program that replicates most of the benefits of Globalist for travel agent-booked stays. You can get a great idea of the Privé rates for a property by looking at the standard rates on the Hyatt Website. Just remember, you will have to book with a travel agent that is part of the Hyatt Privé Program.

Privé Breakfast And Upgrades

While the exact details for Privé can vary from property to property using the Hyatt Regency Waikiki as a case study, it is interesting to note a few of the most compelling details of the perks. The breakfast benefit at this property is $39.95++ per person. But, the Privé breakfast also includes tax and gratuity. This makes the total value for breakfast (including tax and gratuity) about $100 value per day.

The other really popular feature is room upgrades, and many properties, including this Waikiki Classic, will actually guarantee your room upgrade in advance for the vast majority of the year. This means booking the least expensive city view yet waking up to a glamorous ocean view.

Restrictions? There are some, such as two-night minimum stays, but other than that the Hyatt Property has to be a participating Privé Property. Heck, they even sometimes have favorable free night programs exclusive only to Privé.

It’s probably worth noting that sadly, Privé rates (in most cases) unlike Globalist Guest of Honor rates do not include parking. But, they do include a $50 to $100 resort credit.

Before you book your next trip, make sure you consider the luxury hotel perks that friendships or luxury travel advisors can deliver on your next Hyatt Luxury Getaway!

The post How To Share Baller Hyatt Luxury Hotel Perks With Friends And Family appeared first on God Save The Points.

Why take 10 nearly useless points per dollar when you can take 10 very useful points per dollar?

Hotels are playing a dumb game with points and loyalty right now, and it’s plausible that they’re doing so without any vision for the tidal wave of industry change that’s headed their way.

Everyone said it might be Airbnb that takes them under, and it still might be, but right now greed seems to be one of the greater risks.

Minute by minute, hour by hour, hotels are eroding the value of their loyalty programs, as financial problems from other areas of the hotel business mount. Seriously, can you name a distinctly positive change made by a major hotel chain loyalty program in the last year?

The newly revamped IHG definitely made some improvements and Hyatt has stayed true, but who else? Loyalty programs are usually the most profitable part of a hotel or airline operation, so when quick cash is needed, robbing loyalty is the first place hotel leadership lacking in foresight often turn for help in making them look good.

Here’s why this time, that might be a huge mistake, as two disparate but highly linked themes in hotel loyalty come head to head in the new battle for travel.

Making The Sausage Of Hotel Loyalty

Hotel loyalty is more complicated than airline or even car rental loyalty.

The loyalty program you earn points or perks from rarely owns the hotel you’re staying in. They are just the familiar face on the marquee helping to use their marketing reach to put heads in beds for the people who actually own the hotel, and the reality is that the property is owned by independent investors.

These investment partners don’t like the costs associated with giving points to people for their stays, and certainly don’t like the costs of providing free breakfast, upgrades to suites or late check out. These cost them “real” money.

They like their rooms being sold out thanks to being part of a big loyalty group, but they don’t like coughing up the bolted on perks.

Accordingly, owners of these hotels constantly push loyalty programs to be far less generous with what they make their hotels give to guests. They want the lowest cost possible, while still having their “cake” that comes with being a part of a major loyalty brand.

Hotel Loyalty Programs Are Playing Ball Now

Hotel loyalty programs are effectively nothing without physical hotels. If all the hotels in their system suddenly disappeared, that would be a problem.

Under pressure from hotel owners griping about operating costs, inflation and labor shortages, hotel loyalty programs are doing exactly what they shouldn’t, and listening to the owners, rather than guests.

They’re marginalizing benefits, making it harder to use points and stripping the main signature amenities of staying in a hotel, like daily housekeeping. You might literally get better service with a serviced apartment than a hotel these days, which is wild.

Yes, major hotel brands have discontinued daily house keeping, as a cost cutting measure to appease hotel owners. This makes the thin line between Airbnb and hotels even harder to delineate.

The Tidal Wave Headed For Hotel Loyalty

Unlike airline ticket sales, which offer extremely low commission, hotels face costs of up to 20% commission when you book via an online travel agency such as Hotels.com or Expedia, or via your credit card company.

This is why they only offer points and perks when you book direct, and why they’re so unfriendly to requests for things like late check out when you don’t. 20% is a lot when talking about $1000+ reservations.

The problem is, a system built on these fat commissions allows people outside of the hotel loyalty program to create amazing rewards with their chunk of the commission. This is how sites like Hotels.com offer a free night after 10 nights. They effectively take a 20% commission and give you half back as reward.

Now, credit card companies, which have actual reason to be rewarding (they don’t need to make money on hotel sales) are jumping into the game, and any smart hotel loyalty program would see this as a time to send out a distress call and regroup.

Instead, most seem to be folding, and devaluing their programs, which only makes the native credit card offerings stronger. These credit card companies can give their entire trip commission back in cardmember rewards, because they make money anyway.

For hotels, this represents a tidal wave which could eclipse any usefulness found in hotel loyalty programs as credit cards become more rewarding to people for booking through their platform, rather than direct with hotels.

They’ll basically need to rely on customers not figuring this out, or having such unwavering loyalty that they don’t care.

The Wave Is Growing

Capital One launched its first “premium” credit card, the Venture X. The card comes with many notable features, but among the most notable is 10X points earning on all hotel bookings made via Capital One Travel.

10X points from a program like Capital One are worth far more than 10X points from a hotel group, given the underlying value of each point.

In the simplest terms, a currency like IHG Rewards points are worth under 1 cent per point and Capital One Venture Miles are worth circa 2 cents per point. Earning 10 of 1 is doubly better than earning 10 of another.

So when Capital One starts offering 10 points per dollar to book with them, rather than direct with a hotel loyalty program or property, it makes the case for booking direct far weaker. In fact, it’s hard to see a case, unless you’re a top tier elite status guest.

This applies to all hotel loyalty brands, and guests would really have to start weighing the benefits of marginal perks like late checkout – versus earning much better rebates and savings by booking elsewhere, like with their credit card company.

Plus, credit card points can be used as cash back, as airline miles or as hotel points, whereas hotel points are much more limited. This theme only gets worse with recent points chart devaluations from the likes of Marriott and Hilton.

10X Becoming Standard For Credit Cards

Capital One isn’t the only one offering this major 10X earning. In fact, Chase was first. Chase now offers 10X earning on some cards for all hotels booked via Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel. Like Capital One, Chase Ultimate Rewards Points are far more valuable than any hotel currency.

Hotels are devaluing the values of their loyalty points while credit card companies are offering more points to book with them rather than directly with hotels. Eventually, this trend could render hotel loyalty utterly useless, as more flexible and powerful points in greater quantities are dished out.

Why take 10 points per dollar spent from Hilton, which are worth half a cent per point when I could take 10 points per dollar from Chase, which are worth nearly two cents per point. That’s just bad math. Plus, hotel loyalty programs typically give “base” level guests between 5-8% back via points, not 10%, as credit card companies do.

When Hotels Will Be In Trouble

If more and more people are convinced that middle tier status from a hotel, or tiny benefits aren’t worth the squeeze it takes to make the juice, and start booking travel via their credit card’s travel website — hotels are in trouble.

That rings even more true if corporate customers ditch the traditional big chains and move toward more boutique luxury, where service standards remain high. Already, I know from major firms that they’ve switched away from certain major chains because their return on experience has been so diminished.

Loyalty is the tool to get people back into hotels, and if people continue to have sub par experiences with hotel loyalty, they’ll become hotel unconstrained. Meaning – they will choose a hotel based on price and location alone, not on any merits of brand or the relationship.

When credit card companies become the best way to book hotels, rather than booking hotels with hotels, we’ll know that the greed of Hotel CEO’s looking for short term prop ups to balance sheets (raiding loyalty programs) ended up selling out the long term business.

The post Hotel Loyalty Programs Are Playing A Dumb Game They Will Lose appeared first on God Save The Points.

Hilton Honors just announced its end of year promotion, called “Double Your Stay,” and it’s a good one. In the past, Hilton has generally been at the high end when it comes to promotion quality, so it’s nice to see them on trend.

The Fine Print

Double Your Stay is good for stays completed from September 6 – December 31, so it does cover most of the Christmas vacation week. Don’t forget to register.

Double Your Stay Basics

Double Your Stay includes the traditional “double points” bonus, with an extra kicker for those of you who check out Monday through Friday. There does not appear to be any minimum number of nights for the stay to qualify, and stays that you have already booked do qualify.

Don’t forget that these promotions only double base points, which are the standard points that you get based on dollars spent. In Hilton’s case, it’s ten points per dollar. They will not double any points that your receive from elite status, credit cards or other promotions. Hilton offers the following example in their FAQ:

Example A: An Honors member stays 2 nights at $100 a night and earns 2,000 Base Points and 2,000 Bonus Points for a total of 4,000 Points. The checkout is on a Thursday.  

·         10 Points per USD x $100 x 2 Nights = 2,000 Base Points

·         10 Points per USD x $100 x 2 Nights = 2,000 Bonus Points

·         2,000 Bonus Points for check-out on Thursday

An Added Bonus for Weekday Stays

Business travel is returning to the road as fast as leisure customers, so Hilton threw in an extra perk to attract those travelers, who typically don’t stay weekend nights. During the promotion period, if you check out between Monday and Friday, Hilton will give you an additional 2,000 points (again, not subject to doubling). I wouldn’t be surprised to see competitors with similar offers.

Don’t Forget to Register!

Go ahead and register for the promotion now so that you don’t forget to do so down the line. And by the way, if you don’t have a Hilton account, create one for free and you can earn up to 4,500 Hilton Honors points.

The post Hilton “Double Your Stay” Promo: Double Points, With A Kicker appeared first on God Save The Points.

Hyatt is introducing its fourth quarter promotion, Bonus Journeys, and it looks like a relatively strong one.

Earn Double Points and Possibly Double Nights

The Basics: The promotion runs between September 15 and December 20, and you must register by November 15.

Starting with your first eligible stay of 2+ nights during the promo period, you’ll receive double points at participating Hyatt and MGM properties. Viva Las Vegas! In this case, double points is an additional five points per dollar spent at the company’s hotels. Hyatt has over 1,100 hotels worldwide, so you should be able to find something.

If you stay at one of Hyatt’s 69 Inclusive Collection properties, you’ll also receive double nights toward elite status. The Inclusive Collection is made up of nine luxury brands, ranging from family all-inclusive to adults-only destinations.

“The Inclusive Collection, part of World of Hyatt*, delivers immersive, elevated experiences where everything is seamlessly included.”

Hyatt Hotels

You’ll end up paying for the exclusivity, of course, but if you’re going to be there, double nights toward elite status is a pretty nice perk. Again, qualifying stays must be two nights or more.

Hyatt Elite Status: Discoverist, Explorist and Globalist

Hyatt offers one of the best programs for elite members, with waived resort fees for all members and premium internet starting at the low-tier “Discoverist” status. But Globalist, which may be the best “top-tier” status in the industry, is where the perks really kick in. You’ll automatically get free lounge access or breakfast, waived resort fees at all hotels on eligible rates and “Guest of Honor” benefits,” which allow you to share your benefits when you gift an award night.

What Else You Should Know About Bonus Journeys

As people begin to travel again, I’m starting to see more restrictions creep back into quarterly promotions, and this one is no exception. In particular:

• The biggest “gotcha” is that participating stays need to be 2+ nights. That’s a significant drawback, particularly for business travelers who may only stay for a single night.
• You must register and need to do so before your stays. Do it now.
• Only base points are doubled. Bonus points that you earn for having status are not doubled.
• One check in the plus column: MGM, Small Luxury Hotels of the World and Lindblad Expeditions do count toward the promotion.

Be sure to take a look at the FAQs on the promotion page, but this is a pretty straightforward offer.

The post Double World Of Hyatt Points With Bonus Journeys appeared first on God Save The Points.

There’s an interesting philosophical question brewing in the world of points, miles and loyalty as programs iterate. You could say that manufactured spending and the play for more members is playing a big part in the brew — and you probably wouldn’t be wrong.

Should “better” members get better access to prized redemptions with points?

This is a big question for so many reasons, in part because defining a “better” member is subjective. Is it the length of their loyalty, their annual spending, or the wallet share? The list of potential metrics goes on and on.

Points Are Going Pop

Points are making their way into every household around the world, much like ear worm pop songs. They’re too valuable not to collect at all, and people are becoming savvier with their behavior not only in travel, but every day rewards too.

As more companies link up to travel brands, from rewards credit cards to extra points on grocery shopping, there are more and more points in the marketplace. And… a lot more people earning them.

What people value as a reward can vary, but in travel the competition tends to be for seats in the pointy end of the plane, or hotels where the water is clear and the weather is too.

With so many people competing for such precious space, how does a loyalty program best decide who gets it? Or, do they just let members duke it out?

Putting Better Members First

Though it’s at times forgotten, points are a two way street. We’re not just dogs on a lead being pulled aimlessly. If something is no longer worth earning, we as humans are smart enough to move elsewhere, or not play at all. Well, at least sometimes.

Putting the most loyal members first in line for the most prized redemptions, either with advanced access or an increased number of seats or suites for people who check certain boxes is one approach.

The most engaged members with the high elite status undoubtedly appreciate the exclusive access and a better chance at fulfilling their goals. When pledging years of loyalty, taking out a co-branded credit card and prioritizing travels to stay loyal to a brand, there’s a lot that feels “right” about this.

Why should some internet savvy kid get a seat my 79 year old dad is desperate for, when he’s been a great customer for 50 years and just lacks the online proficiency to snag seats or hotel rooms the minute they come out? By the time he picks up a phone someone on the internet has snagged it.

It’s Like Selling Croissants

At the point of everyone with points having equal access, redemptions are a purely transactional relationship. That’s completely fine. It *may* be better that way. But the real world shows it doesn’t always work like that, does it?

It’ like a bakery with the very best croissants and a democratically formed line with people paying cash. You want one? Be there when it opens. Too late, you miss. Is that the way it really works, though?

Many bakeries set back a few of their very best croissants for regulars who might have unavoidable schedule conflicts with the opening bell, or for friends who plan to swing by.

These inconvenient side truths are everywhere and you don’t have to look any further than restaurants holding back tables for regular or unexpected VIP guests. We have a table, just not for you.

Hospitality can pull you in both directions — equitable and preferential — and in their best forms, travel businesses are hospitality businesses that just so happen to house or transport people.

Equal Playing Field

With the equal playing field approach, there’s an opportunity for wider joy for more members. Or is there?

More members is very much in line with the constant goal of growing the size of a loyalty program and more access for more people sounds like an obvious choice to drive that goal. Each member brings financial value and marketing each.

People don’t like to feel as if the “best stuff” is only kept for people in positions they’ll never be able to attain, like top tier elite status. But ultimately a precious commodity goes to a very precious few anyway.

Do people end up feeling more frustrated because they felt like they should’ve had a chance, but the most prized hotel rooms, airline seats or suites were long gone by the time they got there, anyway?

This is where broadening rewards can help big time. Some people are just as happy with a Michelin starred dining experience as an airline seat. The more choice, the more members are pulled in various directions and not all competing for just one thing.

Should all redemptions be based on auction so that everyone can put in a bid?

That’s a very dangerous slope as well, because it goes back to the question of metrics. Is the number of points someone holds the best indicator of brand loyalty? Is that how you define the customer you’d like to feel the most reward from your program?

Thanks to manufactured spending and the entirely unfair playing field it creates for a select few, the answer is no. People with no loyalty or brand affinity amass more points in a year than a great long term member may amass in their lifetime.

Driving Behavior By Stratifying Things

What if there was an achievable goal in front of you, that once achieved could get you preferential access to something you want? Maybe a 5 day early window to book any points seats a year out, or better pricing on that seat?

The wonderful free market that is loyalty programs allows programs to create games within games to drive behavior. This curated approach allows programs to strike a fine balance between prioritizing some things for the “best” members, while leaving other things up for auction, or first come first serve.

When these levers are pulled correctly, they pull everyone in.

Take out our credit card and get to wait list with points for 2 more flights than anyone else? That sounds very, very tempting for people with any flexibility.

Highest tier members feel rewarded with opportunities here and there for things they value. Low tier new members find plenty of things they can achieve — and occasionally auctions allow competition among members to dictate price.

What do you think?

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