Travel tip: how to stay for FREE at a luxury hotel
1. Join a hotel loyalty program
These days, almost all major hotel chains own a lucrative loyalty program where – in addition to other benefits such as complimentary upgrades, WiFi and breakfast – you can earn points every time you stay at one of their properties and then redeem them for free nights. Deciding which hotel loyalty program is right for you will depend on 4 factors:
The number of hotels owned by the chain (as the larger chains offer more options to earn and redeem points).
The benefits that are most important to you.
The countries where you travels take you to (as some chains are better represented in certain countries as compared to others).
The type of hotel you want to stay at (ranging from budget to ultraluxurious).
The high-end luxury hotel chains are rather reluctant to the idea of a loyalty program, with only very few of them offering one. I hereby give you an overview of the major luxury hotel loyalty programs (click the links for their pros and cons). IMHO, the first 2 – Starwood and Hyatt – offer the best program.
Starwood Preferred Guest by Starwood hotels, which includes St Regis, W, and The Luxury Collection hotels.
World of Hyatt by the Hyatt group, which includes Park Hyatt and Andaz hotels.
Hilton HHonors by the Hilton group, which includes Waldorf Astoria and Conrad hotels.
Marriott Rewards by the Marriott group, which includes The Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott hotels
Sirius by the Jumeirah hotel group.
IHG Rewards Club by the IHG group, which includes InterContinental hotels.