Hotel rates in India have been unusually low over the past two to three years with the rise of Goibibo and other online travel agencies. In the last two years I’ve stayed at more than 50 hotels, and most of those bookings were made at roughly a 50% discount using a mix of coupon codes, credit card promotions and cashback offers. These were mostly solid 3- and 4-star properties where I could secure rooms for about Rs.2,000 per night instead of the typical Rs.5,000.
I’ve even managed exceptional international hotel deals, as I described in a previous post about booking a trip to Vietnam for just Rs.3,700. For domestic travel my best find was Holiday Inn, Goa — booked for Rs.3,500 with bed-and-breakfast plus a 10-minute foot spa — a property that commonly lists for Rs.10,000 or more today. These deep OTA promos have become rarer, especially for upscale branded chains where promo codes are often not accepted.
Overall hotel offers have softened recently, a trend that accelerated after the Goibibo–MakeMyTrip merger. Even bank-linked promotions like the Amex–MMT hotel deals are less compelling than before, which pushed me to consider another approach to saving on stays: joining hotel loyalty programs.
Getting into Hotel Loyalty Program:
As a Taj InnerCircle Gold member I’ve already seen the tangible benefits of loyalty programs: complimentary room or suite upgrades (for example at Taj – Coimbatore), welcome amenities and a late checkout, all of which add real value. Because of these perks I plan to concentrate some of my stays with one or a few hotel chains and explore more 4- and 5-star properties via loyalty benefits.
While evaluating programs over the past few months I found several compelling opportunities to buy hotel reward points at attractive rates. Buying points during promos can be a smart way to prepay for future stays if you know where and when you’ll use them. Below are some current offers I’ve reviewed, with practical notes on how to get the best value.
#1 Buy Starpoints at 35% discount | Starwood Hotels
Offer Details:
- 35% discount on a minimum purchase of 5,000 points
- Effective value: about Rs.1.50 per point
- Redemptions start from 2,000 points
- Offer expiry (at time of writing): 29th Dec 2017
- Account must be at least 14 days old to purchase points
How to get maximum value? After the Starwood–Marriott merger some former Starwood properties remain excellent value for redemptions, especially lower-category hotels where award nights can be redeemed for as few as 2,000–3,000 points. Buying Starpoints during a 35% discount places you in a good position to redeem for such properties, particularly on weekends when award rates are often lower.
#2 Buy Club Carlson Gold Points with 100% Bonus | Carlson Rezidor hotels
Offer Details:
- 100% bonus on a minimum purchase of 1,000 points
- Effective value: about Rs.0.23 per point
- Redemptions start from roughly 9,000 points
- Offer expiry (at time of writing): 28th Nov 2017
How to get maximum value? Club Carlson has a good footprint of Category 1 and 2 properties across India, especially outside major metros. For domestic trips to smaller cities, buying points during a bonus promotion can deliver strong value. Compared to Starpoints the upside is smaller, but there are still useful opportunities in non-metro locations.
#3 Buy IHG Rewards Club Points with 100% bonus | InterContinental Hotels Group
Offer Details:
- 100% bonus on a minimum purchase of 15,000 points
- Effective value: about Rs.0.40 per point
- Redemptions typically start from 10,000 points
- Offer expiry (at time of writing): 8th Dec 2017
How to get maximum value? IHG runs “Accelerate” promotions and occasional “Point Breaks” that reduce award costs for specific properties to as low as 5,000 points. Because many IHG hotels require 10,000–20,000 points for award nights, buying points straightaway can be expensive unless you can target a Point Break property. These promos sell out quickly, so timing and flexibility are important.
Bottomline:
I’m enthusiastic about committing to hotel loyalty programs, with Starwood currently looking most appealing for a range of good-value redemptions. Their program is due for a revamp following the merger, so the terms may change and affect value. Over the coming months I plan to test several properties and publish reviews based on real stays.
- Note: Don’t buy points unless you intend to use them within the next three to four months. Offers recur frequently, and reward points are generally a poor long-term investment—play safe.
I’m still learning the nuances of hotel loyalty programs, and there are experts who can extract far greater value from points than I currently do. If you have tips or experiences that help maximize value from hotel points, please share them in the comments below.