Hotels : The Art of Non-Conformity

Travel

Limited Time: Earn Up to 180,000 Hilton Points with Special Offers

Link: Get 100,000 Hilton Points (with $75 annual fee)
Link: Get 80,000 Hilton Points (with no annual fee)

There's big news in the travel hacking world this week: a limited-time offer to earn a lot of hotel points has arrived. To be precise, there are actually two offers, one for an increased signup bonus amount (from 40,000 points to 75,000, which is great), and an even better one that gets you a whopping 100,000 Hilton points. Yeah, no kidding!

Travel

Ending Soon: 100,000 Hotel Points Bonus Offer (+ Another 75,000 Points Offer)

Link: Get 100,000 Hilton Points (with annual fee)

I recently highlighted the largest current signup bonus in the travel world: 100,000 points with the new Hilton HHonors Surpass card. This is a limited time offer, meaning that the travel companies only put it out for a brief window of time before pulling it or lowering the bonus to a much lower amount.

There’s also an offer to earn 75,000 points, another limited-time promotion, without paying an annual fee. Both of these offers are legit and worth considering, even if you don’t usually stay in hotels.

Travel

New Offer: Earn 100,000 Hilton Points (Enough for 25 Hotel Nights!)

Link: Get 100,000 Hilton Points (with annual fee)

Link: Get 75,000 Hilton Points (with no annual fee)

There have been a bunch of great hotel points deals recently. First, the IHG card went up to 70,000 points before dropping back to 60,000, which is still great. Second, the Marriott card is offering 80,000 points. Those deals are solid and I have both cards.

This week another hotel points offer has just landed, this one from Hilton. To be precise, there are actually two offers, one for an increased signup bonus amount (from 40,000 points to 75,000, which is great), and an all-new card that gets you a whopping 100,000 Hilton points. Yeah, no kidding!

Travel

Highest-Ever Signup Bonus (35,000 x2) on Popular Starwood Cards

Link: New 35,000 Point Signup Bonus (Personal Card)

Link: New 35,000 Point Signup Bonus (Business Card)

For a very limited time, Starwood is offering an increased signup bonus on both of its cards. In fact, it's the highest bonus they've ever offered! This is a good one...

Travel

Should You Earn Hotel Points if You Don’t Usually Stay at Hotels?

Recently I’ve published a couple of posts about how to get free hotel nights. Among others, you can learn:

A lot of readers have taken advantage of these deals and are busy earning lots of free stays. Others, though, question whether it’s “worth it” if you don’t usually stay in hotels.

Travel

New Offer: Earn 80,000 Marriott Points (Enough for 8 Hotel Nights!)

Link: 80,000 Marriott Points (!)

Last week I mentioned how to earn free hotel stays year after year. But here’s something new—a big bonus to earn at least 80,000 Marriott Points.

Until a few days ago, the bonus was 50,000 points, so this is basically a 60% bonus for doing nothing different. Of course, Marriott isn’t just being generous here. They want to compete with other offers! But since the requirements to earn the points haven’t changed, there’s not really any downside for you.

Travel

How to Earn Free Hotel Stay Certificates Every Year

Hotel stays should be part of your strategy even if you don’t usually stay in hotels. Just as you should earn airline miles in a few different programs (usually one in each of the three alliances), so too should you earn hotel points from a few different sources.

If you’re not immersed in this world, you may not realize that some hotel cards offer both an initial signup bonus and an annual renewal bonus that usually comes in the form of more free points or nights. This post includes a few of the best current offers.

Travel

Adventures in Envelope Stuffing Update: There’s Still Time to Earn 9 Free Hotel Nights

Last fall I mentioned a special travel hacking adventure available to pretty much everyone capable of handwriting their name and address over and over on an index card:

If your hand hasn't fallen off yet, there’s still time to do this. The deadline is February 15 and it will probably take some time to get organized, so if you’re up for it, don’t leave it until the last minute.

Travel

My Favorite Hotel Card Now Has a 30,000 Point Bonus—And You Can Earn Two of Them

Link: New 30,000 Point Signup Bonus (Personal Card)

Link: New 30,000 Point Signup Bonus (Business Card)

I've been using the Starwood Preferred Guest card from American Express for more than eight years. For the first couple of years, in fact, it was the only mileage-earning card I had. Back then, there was no sign-up bonus. It was simply a great card, especially due to its ability to earn a 20% bonus on all earned points when transferring to most major airline programs.

Travel

Limited Time: New 80,000 Points Signup Bonus for Marriott Card

Link: 80,000 Points for Marriott Card

While I was on blog hiatus and then hosting WDS, a big new offer landed that I haven't had a chance to write about. Fortunately, there's still time!

Marriott isn’t my favorite hotel program (that would be Starwood and Hyatt), but this new offer is worth a look for the free nights you’ll earn right away. They used to provide 50,000 points upon signup, but for a limited time—we don’t know for how long—you can earn 30,000 additional points for a total of 80,000.

80,000 points can put you in one of their nicer hotels or resorts worldwide for up to two nights. Marriott partners with Ritz Carlton, where awards can also be booked.

Travel

Starwood Card Makes It Easier to Earn 25,000 Point Bonus

Link: Starwood Preferred Guest (Personal)
Link: Starwood Preferred Guest (Business)

Years before I became a full-time traveler and learned to use travel hacking to pay my way around the world, I had only a couple of credit cards. One of those cards was the Starwood Preferred Guest by American Express, and I used it religiously. Years later, I have many other cards, but I continue to use this one every day.

The card just made a big update to make it easier for people to earn the initial signup bonus of 25,000 points. You used to earn some of the points upon signup and the rest after completing a minimum spend. Now, you'll earn the entire bonus upon spending $3,000 in the first three months of having the card.

Travel

Ending Soon: Last Chance for 70,000 IHG Hotel Points

Link: 70,000 IHG Hotel Points

A while back I mentioned a limited-time offer for 70,000 IHG hotel points (normally 60,000 or fewer). The deadline for the big bonus is coming up, and this is one that’s definitely worth looking at if you're eligible.

70,000 points in the IHG network can be used for at least two nights at nicer properties, or up to a week or longer at budget properties. Personally, I’m in the “life is short” department—I have plenty of points these days and would use this bonus at the nicer places. But I used to be a very low-budget traveler, and the idea of essentially getting a week’s worth of free hotel nights in exchange for a single credit card application will be appealing to a lot of folks.

Travel

Can You Visit Bora Bora on a Budget? Sort of—Here’s How.

This is a free excerpt from Upgrade Unlocked: The Unconventional Guide to Luxury Travel on a Budget by Stephanie Zito.

Bora Bora is a dream destination smack in the middle of the South Pacific. The French Polynesian island is famous for its crystal waters in 50 shades of blue, and luxury accommodation in over-the-ocean bungalows that come complete with a private balcony stepping straight into the sea.

It’s a popular destination for honeymooners and just about anyone who likes to be pampered on an island while never being more than 10 steps away from tropical waters.

Travel

Updated Offer: 70,000 Points + Additional Free Stay from IHG Hotels

Link: 70,000 IHG Hotel Points

An updated travel hacking offer has just landed. All of a sudden, anyone who likes to stay in hotels free has an all-new option: the IHG® Rewards Club Select card.

IHG brands range from the upscale Intercontinental (very nice) to the mid-range Crowne Plaza (depends on the property) to the down-market Holiday Inn Express (well, in some markets there are far worse places).

The latest version of the card has a strong signup offer: 70,000 points after completing a low $1,000 minimum spend in three months. That's not enough for you? OK, you'll also get an additional free night valid at over 4,700 hotels throughout the network for every year you remain a cardmember.

In addition to the improved signup bonus, the card also offers the following benefits:

Earn 2 points per $1 spent on purchases at gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants
Automatic platinum elite status, as long as you remain a cardmember
$0 introductory annual fee the first year, then $49

Travel

Why I Keep Returning to My Least Favorite Hotel in London

Many years back, I checked into the Sheraton Heathrow after winning a bid on Priceline. It was incredibly cheap—something like $30-40 for the night, as I recall.

At the time I was still new to the world of branded hotels. A few times a year, I might stay in a Starwood or Hilton property. I spent the rest of the nights in hostels, guesthouses, or on the couches of kind hosts. Arriving at the Sheraton Heathrow for the first time, I remember thinking, huh, this hotel is a little weird—but hey, it’s a hotel!

Everything about it was dismal, from the carpeting in the public guest floor areas to the tiny, unclean rooms, right on down to the attitude of the staff, who didn’t seem particularly pleased to be working there.

As I traveled more and more, I returned to the Sheraton Heathrow a couple times a year. Each time I had more experience in staying at other hotels, and finally I came to the realization: it's not me—this place is just really bad.

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