250 Priority Club Points for Completed Survey

From the email box this week comes an offer to earn 250 bonus Priority Club points for completing a short survey about the hotel's loyalty program. The survey takes about 2-3 minutes to complete. Offer ends February 28, 2009.

Free Hotel Room Using The 'Best Rate Guarantee'

By Mike Grasso

What's better than finding a good quality hotel at an inexpensive price? Finding the same hotel and paying nothing for it. Not talking about working for a hotel, not speaking of becoming a hotel secret shopper, you simply check into your hotel and pay nada for it. Have I hooked you in yet?

Here's how it works:

Many hotels have a 'best rate guarantee' (BRG) policy on their website. After you purchase the room from the hotel if you find an identical room at a better rate from a competitor, such as Orbitz or Travelocity, many hotels will refund your money and give you the room at no charge. The 'best rate guarantee' of course is a way for hotels to drive customers purchase directly from the hotels website, rather than them having to pay commissions when you book on other travel websites. While many hotels offer 'best rate guarantees' not all of them give you a free room. Others will give you a discount or hotel points.

A'las a blog that seeks out best rate guarantee deals has arisen. Each day the good folks at best rate guarantee hunt for free accommodations using hotels' BRG policy. Recent posts include free nights in San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Susanville, Redding, Reno, Burbank and Anaheim.

Most of the BRG opportunities (the fully refundable ones), you don't actually need to prepay - all you need to do is enter a credit card. Then, your rate is changed, without real money ever being involved.

In addition to finding these slick deals, they provide step by step instructions on how to properly submit a BRG claim to the hotel.

Two thumbs up to this site for providing travelers another useful tool when planning their next journey.

Hilton HHonors drops blackout dates for award redemption

In an unprecedented and exciting move, Hilton has dropped blackout dates from all award redemptions using the HHonors program. The previous policy, and typical of most hotel programs meant redeeming hotel points for free stays was not available or heavily limited on certain blackout dates such as holidays. Now, all members of HHonors may redeem points for any room, anytime a room is available. Hilton, Embassy Suites, Hampton, Doubletree, Homewood, Conrad and the Waldorf Astoria collection properties which all fall under the HHonors umbrella, are impacted by this exciting change. Starwood Hotels, is the only other large brand of hotels that has no blackout dates on award redemption.