Around our home, we’re always dreaming about (and planning) our next trip.

In 2012, we’re planning on doing a lot of traveling, and of course I don’t want to pay a lot for our travels.  We’ve got a decent amount of Starwood points that we’ve earned from the Starwood American Express, but not enough to cover all our our nights. So I decided I would explore the possibility of using Starwood Cash and Points instead of making the full booking with Starwood points.  But, which is the cheapest option –Starwood Points or Starwood Cash and Points?

Here are some facts and assumptions of hotels up to category 4. (If you want to see the terms and policies for all cash and points, click here.)

*Complete guess without any empirical foundation.  However, the value amount doesn’t affect which is cheaper – all points or cash and points.

**Offered at Asia Pacific, U.S., and Canadian hotels only

Should You Book with Points or Cash and Points?

So, for this little experiment, let’s assume you were taking a vacation to Asia Pacific for five nights.  3 nights would be over a weekend, and the 2 other nights are weekdays.

Thus, in each and every case, your points are more valuable when you use them as cash and points instead of doing a full booking with your points.

Factors to Keep in Mind

1. If you have a virtually unlimited supply of Starwood points where you have enough to continually book everything with full points, that obviously makes the most sense.
2. From my research, it seems like both have similar cancelation policies, but you will want to check with your actual hotel.  At the time of booking, your points will be removed from your account and you will pay the cash portion when you check in.
3. Neither a full points or a cash and points option allow you to earn credits for your stay.
4. The best way to get Starwood points fast is with the Starwood American Express.

The Ultimate One-Two Punch: Starwood Cash and Points + Venture Rewards

I mentioned last week about the Venture Rewards 110,000 potential credit card bonus.  If you didn’t do it right away, it might just be too late since they are only going to give away a billion miles.

However, if you use cash and points, you can use your Starwood points to cover the points requirement and then the credit from your Venture Rewards card to cover the cash portion.  Sweet!

To leave a comment or easily share the article with your Facebook or Twitter friends click here -> Starwood Cash and Points Vs. Starwood Points| Discover the Best Value Per Point

Related posts:

1. Starwood American Express Review | Why this AMEX has a Home in My Wallet
2. 30,000 Bonus Starwood Points With American Express
3. Starwood Hotel Rewards Points: Starpoints

Hotwire.com and Priceline are consistently the cheapest travel options.  Hotwire

It is important to remember that both of these sites are opaque travel sites (you do not know some exact details when you book) so you must have some flexibility.  If you are unfamiliar with the opaque travel websites you should read an introduction to opaque travel websites. 

How To Get the Best Price Between Hotwire and Priceline

Step One: Go to Hotwire.com

Step Two: Once you have your Hotwire price standard, go to Priceline and be sure to click on the “name your price” tab.  At this point you decide what price you want to suggest, but just make sure the price and fees come to less than $79.50.  You might just knock off $10, or you could do more if you wish.  You will have opportunities to change details and revise your offer if you want.  If you can get the hotel for cheaper with Priceline, great! You have officially found the lowest price.  If, on the other hand, Priceline cannot get you anything for your Hotwire price, just go back to Hotwire and make the booking there.  Enjoy the trip. It will be easy because you will have a cheap, but very nice hotel.

Before You Decide Between Priceline and Hotwire

Even though I am specifically speaking about Hotwire and Priceline, don’t forget to check Sidestep and Expedia to see if you can grab a great deal with a hotel’s posted price. Nine out of ten times you will be better off with either Priceline or Hotwire, but just in case this is the one time – check.

4 Extra Suggestions on How to Reduce Your Air Travel Fares

1. Start planning early – the more time you have, the more likely you are to find a great deal. This is especially true during busy holiday seasons.  If you plan your trip at the last minute you will pay dearly.  My advice is to book your tickets as soon as possible.
2. Be flexible – often the more options you have (i.e. I can leave on a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or I can leave in the morning) the more likely you are to find a great deal.
3. Commit some time – the emphasis is on “some”. You do not need to get to every site, but check out three or four key sites (www.sidestep.com, www.expedia.com, Hotwire.com and www.priceline.com).
4. Be smarter than the computer (check prices between each major hub) – computers are amazing in that they can find endless scenarios for booking your tickets. But the truth is that they can only do what you tell them.  Remember with airline tickets 1+1 does not = 2.  When booking tickets if you have a stop somewhere you can sometimes save if you book one set of tickets to the first city and another set to the other city.  Sometimes buying two tickets is actually cheaper than one.

Which site usually gives you the best price – Priceline or Hotwire?

To leave a comment or easily share the article with your Facebook or Twitter friends click here -> Hotwire and Priceline: How to Guarantee the Lowest Price

Related posts:

1. Priceline or Hotwire: Which is Cheaper?
2. Suggested Site to Assist with Priceline & Hotwire Booking
3. Priceline and Hotwire Hotel Bidding Tips | Book Early or Book Late?

July 1st is an important day.  First, it is Canada Day.  As a Canadian I am especially happy to celebrate Canada Day.  Second, July 1st is one of those days when Priority Clubs updates their Point Breaker List. 

You can access the list here. 

I was personally disappointed with the list as there is not a single offering in the Oceana region.  I have an upcoming trip to Sydney and was thinking I might be able to snag a Holiday Inn in Sydney for 5,000 points.  There was, however, a hotel in Wyoming that I might be able to take advantage of.  I hope you can find something matching your travel plans to take advantage of the Point Breaker offerings.

If you want to know the best way to get free hotels with Priority Clubs just check out this article.  In that same article I introduce “Point Breakers Hotels.”

To leave a comment or easily share the article with your Facebook or Twitter friends click here -> Priority Club Point Breaker List Updated

Related posts:

1. Till May 29th get select Priority Club hotel stays for $54 per night. Around 65% off. EXPIRED
2. Priority Clubs: My Second Favorite Program for Getting Free Hotels
3. Priority Club Sale in Australia and New Zealand

If you are not familiar with Priceline or Hotwire I suggest you read this article. 

When it comes to hotels it is very difficult to get a better price than using one of these two websites.  You can read how to get the cheapest price between Priceline and Hotwire to be sure which site will offer you the best price.

The obvious trade off when you book on these site is that you do not know exactly hotel where you will stay.  Hence the term opaque website. 

Photo by will_hybrid

It is possible for people who are familiar with the area and the star rating system to accurately predict what hotel they will be awarded.  This is especially true of Hotwire.  Now there is a tool that makes this booking process even easier – www.betterbidding.com.  In addition to some great introductory material they also have a Hotel’s Winning bids page.  Here you can select the state of your desired travel and people report what they paid, how many stars the hotel was, and the actual hotel location.  So how does this help you?

Lets assume you are planning a trip to Denver Colorado.  On the section under Colorado you can click on the Hotwire winning bid section.  You will know that someone bought a 3* in the Denver Tech Center and the stay was at the Hyatt Palace South Park.  Thus, if you were heading to that area you would be fairly certain that you would be awarded the same if you purchased  a 3* in the same area.  This of course, does not guarantee your hotel location, but the more information you have the more likely you are to know your exact location.

Before you next Priceline or Hotwire purchase be sure to check out www.betterbidding.com.

Happy Bidding!

To leave a comment or easily share the article with your Facebook or Twitter friends click here -> Suggested Site to Assist with Priceline & Hotwire Booking

Related posts:

1. Priceline or Hotwire: Which is Cheaper?
2. Hotwire and Priceline: How to Guarantee the Lowest Price
3. Hotwire Hotels | Tips and Tricks for Booking a Discounted Hotwire Hotel

Stay at any Choice Privileges hotel this summer between May 21 – August 13th, 2009 on three separate occasions and get a $50 cash card.  Get details here.  

Honestly, I’m a little disappointed with the choice summer offering.  Over the last couple of summers they have offered a stay two night get one night free promotion.  I would have expected more from Choice in light of the fact that Starwood is offering a two stay with free weekend night promotion and Priority is offering a two stay free night promotion.  However, if you are set on the Choice brand hotels be sure to read the terms and conditions.

If you are not yet a Choice Privileges member allow me to refer you.  Just provide your email address, first, and last name.  Email that information to helpmetravelcheap [at] gmail [dot] com.

To leave a comment or easily share the article with your Facebook or Twitter friends click here -> Choice Privileges Summer Promotion

Related posts:

1. Choice Privileges Hotels Three Stays = $50 prepaid cash card
2. Conrad Hotels & Resorts and Waldorf Astoria Promotion
3. Starwood Preferred Guest Promotion: Two Stays and a Free Weekend Night

Like most travel tips, this one is definitely not for everyone.

Photo by cathycsus

One of the growing fads in travel is exchanging homes with someone during your vacation.  Basically, you stay in their home and they stay in your home.

Home Exchange is one of the larger players in the home exchange field.

Here’s what Home Exchange has to say about the program:

Home Exchange is the vacation alternative where you stay in my house and I stay in yours.

There are two types of exchanges: home exchange and hospitality exchange.

Home exchangers trade their homes, condominiums or apartments at a time that is convenient to both parties, but these are not the only types of accommodations that one gets to choose from. For example, one exchanger traded his home for a 40-foot yacht. Another couple swapped their villa in Italy for a RV in Oregon because they had always wanted to tour the U.S. in true nomadic style. Often, home exchangers will include their automobiles as part of the package.

Hospitality exchangers, on the other hand, host each other in their homes at designated times. Your home exchange partners stay with you as guests and then you go and stay with them as their guests. There is a social aspect to this kind of exchange that some exchangers particularly enjoy. Conceivably, you also get a built-in tour guide with this mode of exchange.

If the idea of home exchange is unfamiliar to you, or even a bit frightening, rest assured — there are 250,000+ successful home exchanges every year.

Like I said, this one is not for everyone.  Personally, it’s not for me, but I don’t really much like the Bed and Breakfast concept.

Interested in knowing more?  Check out:

www.homeforswap.com

www.digsville.com

www.holswap.com

Or to know more you might ask someone who has done the home swap vacation.

To leave a comment or easily share the article with your Facebook or Twitter friends click here -> Save on Lodging: Swap Homes With Someone

Related posts:

1. Save Money on Your Next Vacation: Consider the Currency
2. Step By Step Guide to Getting Cheap Lodging Online
3. How to Save On Airport Parking

As you are reading this I am celebrating my nine year anniversary with my wonderful wife.  We are just north of Toronto in a place called Vaughan.  The best part of all?  We have a free hotel at the Vaughan-Southwest Holiday Inn Express and Suites.

Had we not used our Priority Club points here is what it would have cost:

Thu 28 May 2009
$154.95 CAD
per night (1 room(s))

Fri 29 May 2009 – Sat 30 May 2009
$134.95 CAD
per night (1 room(s))

Total Tax †
$29.00 CAD

But, we used 10,000 Priority Club’s points and paid $0.  All our points came from signing up for one credit card – and we still have points left over.  Want to know how?  Read Priority Clubs: My Second Favorite Program for Getting Free Hotels.

At first we had a booking at the Four Points by Sheraton Toronto Airport West.

Estimated total*:CAD $180.80

This would have cost us 7,000 Starpoints for the two nights.  The Starwood Hotel points program is my favorite.  To read about how to get Free Starwood Hotel Stays.  You can also learn about how to get 20,000 Starpoints without a hotel stay.

To leave a comment or easily share the article with your Facebook or Twitter friends click here -> I’m Enjoying A FREE Hotel This weekend

Related posts:

1. Starwood Preferred Guest Promotion: Two Stays and a Free Weekend Night
2. How to Get As Many As 20,000 Starpoints Without a Hotel Stay
3. How to Get FREE Starwood Hotel Stays: Brief Summary

I have been having some difficulty with the Hilton Hotels brand best rate guarantee.  So far the guarantee seems like a corporate scam.  I’ll let you read on and be the judge.

Hilton claims:

• Consumers book confirmed reservations for a Hilton Family hotel stay within the U.S. through any of the Hilton Family booking channels — brand websites, Hilton Reservations Worldwide (toll-free reservations) or directly at a Hilton Family hotel.
• If a consumer finds a lower publicly available rate on some other booking channel within 24 hours of making the reservation, the Hilton Family of Hotels will match it, plus give the guest a $50 American Express(R) Gift Cheque.(1)

Back on April 26, 2009, I made a hotel booking through www.hilton.com.  I booked a non-smoking, two double bed room, prepaid for $79 at the Hilton Garden Inn Denver South.  At the same time, Expedia.com had the hotel on sale for $40 per night.  I made the booking at Hilton to see if what they would do with the price guarantee.  Below you can see the Expedia price of $40 as they were having a 1/2 sale on this hotel.

Here are my results:

When I first tried to call and file a claim I was told that my claim was not valid because Expedia is an opaque travel website.  You can read this post to be introduced to an opaque travel website.  Expedia is not, not, not an opaque booking site.  The agent would not even process my claim over the phone because she was so sure it was going to be denied.  A great start to my Hilton experience.  So I filed a claim online.

The next day I received an email from a supervisor at the Memphis Guest Services office saying:

The reservation booked on the Hilton website was for 1 Non-smoking D2 – 2 double beds room type.  The reservation on the www.expedia.com was not available to book for the specified price listed on claim under the same booking conditions.  Therefore, as stated in our terms in conditions, your reservation is not eligible for the Our Best Rates Guaranteed.

On the same day as my hilton.com booking (April 26, 2009) I also booked three rooms via Expedia.  Those three rooms were each 1 non-smoking, two double beds, prepaid rooms.

Here is my invoice from Expedia:

Total room cost:  $118.50

Room 1Taxes & fees:$2.38/night

Room 2Taxes & fees:$2.38/night

Room 3Taxes & fees:$2.38/night

Hotel: Hilton Garden Inn Denver South

Room  1 : Standard room
Nonsmoking/Smoking: Non-Smoking
Room type: 2 DOUBLE BEDS

Room  2 : Standard room
Nonsmoking/Smoking: Non-Smoking
Room type: 2 DOUBLE BEDS

Room  3 : Standard room
Nonsmoking/Smoking: Non-Smoking
Room type: 2 DOUBLE BEDS

The three rooms totaled 41.88 each.  My claim was that the Expedia rate was $40.  The rate without tax was $39.50

So I wonder why my claim was denied. Was it because I said the cost was $40 but really it was $39.50?  Was it because my room cost should have included tax so I should have written $41.88 as the price I found?  Or is it because Hilton never intended to honor their guarantee?  Regardless, it sounds like there is some loophole somewhere that leaves the customer feeling frustrated and betrayed.

The President of Hilton (Tom Keltner) at the time they implemented the Best Rates Guarantee said in a public press release:

Our pricing integrity strategy was created to build further trust with our guests, so they are assured they will receive the best rate at a U.S. Hilton Family hotel when they book on a Hilton Family booking channel.

Trust.  You think customers will trust Hilton when they undermine their own guarantee?  If you want to build an ongoing relationship with a customer you had better stand by your guarantees.  I can obsess about things.  I can be stubborn with the principle of any matter.  I plan to be stuck on this for some time – until Hilton decided to remedy a problem they should have resolved some time ago.

So what does Hilton have to say about all this?

I have attempted to follow up on this denial by phone.  I have called five times, left a voice mail twice and have never received a call back.  I have a log of all my calls but do not want to post those names all over the internet.  All the agents have said I must deal directly with the supervisor as they cannot do anything about it without his approval.  Guess who has never returned any of my phone calls?  Also, I have emailed seven times over the last three weeks and have never received a single email back.

I have contacted the hotel directly and talked with the assistant general manager who said her hands are tied – I must deal with the supervisor in Memphis.

I used to live a block from the Memphis office. I would love to be able to walk down there and talk directly with someone but …

I am getting absolutely no response from Hilton.  Is their price match guarantee a scam?  You decide.

Have you ever had a similar experience?  Have you ever successfully filed a claim and had that claimed honored?  Any suggestions as to my next step?

To leave a comment or easily share the article with your Facebook or Twitter friends click here -> Hilton Hotels Best Rates Guaranteed – Is it Legit?

Related posts:

1. Redemption for Hilton’s Best Rate Guarantee
2. No Smoking Hotels: Good News On the Horizon
3. Step by Step Guide: How to book hotels on Hotwire: An opaque travel website

Choice Privileges has joined the many hotels currently offering hotel promotions.

Here is what Choice Privileges has to say about their promotion:

Earn a free $50 prepaid cash card!

Choice Privileges® members can cash in on summer. Make your next booking at choicehotels.com or by calling 800.521.2121. Stay just three separate times at any Comfort Inn®, Comfort Suites®, Quality®, Sleep Inn®, Clarion®, Cambria Suites® or Ascend Collection® property with arrival between May 21st and August 13th and you’ll earn enough Choice Privileges points to redeem for a free $50 prepaid cash card.

Be sure to provide your Choice Privileges member number when making your reservation or when checking-in for your stay.

For more information and to make a booking click here.  Be sure to read all the terms and conditions.

To leave a comment or easily share the article with your Facebook or Twitter friends click here -> Choice Privileges Hotels Three Stays = $50 prepaid cash card

Related posts:

1. Choice Privileges Summer Promotion
2. 3 Stays at Select Wyndham Hotels = 10,000 Bonus Delta Miles
3. Starwood Cash and Points Vs. Starwood Points| Discover the Best Value Per Point

I have previously mentioned that my favorite hotel points program is the Starwood Starpoints program.  My second favorite is the Priority Clubs Program.

Hotels that participate in the Priority Clubs program include Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Hotel Indigo, Staybridge, Candlewood and Crown Plaza.

The biggest drawback of the Priority Clubs program when compared head to head with Starwood is the amount of points required for a regular redemption. Typically, a Holiday Inn will require 15,000 points and a Crowne Plaza 25,000 per night. However, Priority clubs does have one way to earn and use points that makes it ‘worth consideration.’

Priority Clubs continually offers ‘sale’ on a ‘discounted’ location.  Hotel locations that are selected offer low redemption rates. The program is called Priority Clubs Point Breakers. Go to this link and click on Point Breakers.  Hotels listed as Point Breakers can be booked for 5,000 points per night. The hotels are usually only offered for about a two month period, but can be much less.  Also, one can never know what locations will be selected as point breakers.

Point Breakers are ideal for travelers who:

1. Do not mind last minute hotel bookings
2. Are willing to travel to places where Priority Clubs offers the point breakers.
3. Love to get a good deal

The fastest way to get points is through their credit card program. Below is a brief introduction to their personal and business options.

CHASE PRIORITY CLUBS PERSONAL CREDIT CARD

1. Earn 15,000 bonus points (1 free Holiday Inn nights or 3 nights at a point breaker)
2. $20 Credit on your first statement
3. Fee Free the first year then $25 thereafter

CHASE PRIORITY CLUBS BUSINESS CREDIT CARD:

1. Earn 30,000 bonus points (2 free Holiday Inn nights or 6 nights at a point breaker)
2. Bonus 15,000 when you spend $20,000 annually
3. $20 Credit on your first statement
4. Fee Free the first year then $25 thereafter

To sign up for either card click here.  Be sure to read the current terms and conditions as they may have changed.

Therefore, if a person signs up for a personal and business they can earn 45,000 points. Using their regular rates that would be 3 nights free. However, if you are patient / flexible you may end up being able to use those 45,000 points for 9 free hotel nights.

Also do not forget a husband and wife can both capitalize on each card, thus potentially giving a combined 18 nights free hotel – assuming you find a point breaker location that matches your travel plan and dates.

You can also buy Point breaker nights, by buying 5,000 points for about $67.  Points cost $13.50 per 1000 points.

Personal Success rate with Point Breakers (within a two year period):

Typically I have had great success with using Point Breakers. I do not know if it is a blessing or something else, but …

My family had already purchased tickets to Christchurch, New Zealnd and planned to drive to Queenstown. We were able to get 2 nights in the Holiday Inn Christchurch (Rates start at $105 NZ per night) as a point breaker (total 10,000 points). We then drove to Queenstown and stayed at the Crowne Plaza Queenstown (Rates start at $151 NZ per night) for a night (5,000 points).

On a separate occasion my parents were flying through Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea and we were able to get them a point breaker night for 5,000 points. Sure beats the $245 per night they would charge otherwise.

My wife and I were planning a trip to Toronto, Ontario and they had a Holiday Inn Express in Toronto (Rates start at 149.50 CAD per night) for two nights when we were going. Another 10,000 points and another two free nights hotel.

Last year my in-laws were traveling through Brisbane, Australia and I helped arrange two free nights at the Crown Plaza Gold Coast  (Rates start at $149 AUD per night) for only 10,000 points.

I guess the moral of the story is that their opportunities are restrictive, but when they have a hotel in a city you can use, you absolutely cannot beat the value.

To leave a comment or easily share the article with your Facebook or Twitter friends click here -> Priority Clubs: My Second Favorite Program for Getting Free Hotels

Related posts:

1. Priority Clubs Promotion: Stay Two Nights – Get One Free
2. Priority Club Point Breaker List Updated
3. Till May 29th get select Priority Club hotel stays for $54 per night. Around 65% off. EXPIRED