Hotels for frequent travellers (hotel, Paris, best, Europe)

[Dad01]

Hi I live in IL and travel quite a bit right now between IL and IN for work and family reasons.So for that I have to frequently stay in local hotels and motels

I was wondering which hotels/motels offer the best deals for repeat customers, I stay in basic places like red roof, ramada , holiday inn , drury etc but was not sure which ones offer the best "point system" or "free nights"
any suggestions ?

Thanks

[caco54]

I was always a Hilton/Marriott guy. Once they see the stays upgrades and perks come quickly. Always clean and good class of clients. Some on the ones you listed take in section 8 crowd.

[PBob]

"Frequently" is a pretty broad spectrum. I spend 365 days a year in hotels, nineteen years now. If I had one piece of advice for a person who is really going to be a very frequent traveler, it would be this: sign up for the hotel guest programs, then never give them another thought. It is easy and tempting to chase points and status and, in doing so, drive yourself crazy, end up far from where you want to be, eat junk food (because it's convenient), sacrifice sleep, and get old and fat.

If your frequency of travel (danger level) is lower, I recommend Best Western and IHG and, maybe Hilton, since they have hotels almost everywhere. As you run down into the less populous properties, you'll more often end up exerting too much energy "commuting", when you could be walking to your destination.

Beyond this, check what hotel chains are represented near your destinations.

[StealthRabbit]

Marriott offers some of the best international perks, and has pretty decent USA locations.

Holiday Inn (subject to section 8 crowd) is generally bigger choice of USA destinations, but has a higher threshold for 'gold'. (IIRC)

'Depends' on where you need to find rooms and how frequently. (and how pampered you like it)

I miss my Westin Premier accommodations. (circa 1980-2005)
now https://www.starwoodhotels.com/prefe...rand.ourBrands

[beachmouse]

I’ve had good luck with Holiday Inn/IHG and you can fast track your way to Spire status (which gives you double award points) by picking hotel rates that include bonus points with the room. Drury is nice but has a bit of a small footprint compared to the global chains.

When you say you want free rooms, are you talking about just wanting every tenth night free at your usual haunts? If that’s the case, hotels.com has that kind of program that covers multiple hotel brands. Do you want status benefits like upgrades from standard rooms to suites? Marriott And IHG are pretty good there. Do you want to save your points up for an aspirational trip to London or Paris or Tokyo?

[Dad01]

I only travel locally IL and IN
approx 3 nights a week

thanks guys

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by Dad01

Hi I live in IL and travel quite a bit right now between IL and IN for work and family reasons.So for that I have to frequently stay in local hotels and motels

I was wondering which hotels/motels offer the best deals for repeat customers, I stay in basic places like red roof, ramada , holiday inn , drury etc but was not sure which ones offer the best "point system" or "free nights"
any suggestions ?

Thanks

I use mostly Wyndham properties (Ramada, Wyndham, Super 8, Days Inn, Baymont and the like). Since I travel very frequently to the same locations, I find particular properties that I like and if I am going to be there for a while, I try to negotiate a deal.

I find that with the Wyndham Rewards programs, you tend to get more bang for the buck and I am finding a lot of really nice properties in the areas I frequently travel that work well for me. And I do this for about half the price of the low-end Marriott properties.

[Fish Taco64]

If Marriott is within your normal price range, I love their rewards program. They are a bit pricey for me when paying my own way, but work always puts me up there when I travel and I accrue points fast. Three weeks in India netted me almost 50,000 rewards points and the hotel was top notch! Never had a bad experience in a Marriott either.

[SunGrins]

I used to use Choice Hotels (Comfort Inn, Econo-lodge, Suburban Extended Stay, etc) and would get a free night fairly often. It's been over 5 years since I did that kind of frequent travel so it might not be the same now.

[MamieRose]

Originally Posted by caco54

Some on the ones you listed take in section 8 crowd.

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

Holiday Inn (subject to section 8 crowd) is generally bigger choice of USA destinations, but has a higher threshold for 'gold'. (IIRC)

Not sure I agree with the section 8 comments and what it seems to imply. We have been IHG members for years and have stayed at many HI and HIX hotels over the years. They have tons of locations in big cities and small towns alike. Very convenient for my partner’s work needs.

We then use the accumulated points at Intercontinentals, Crowne Plazas, Indigos, and now the Kimpton boutique chain. While there are not many ICs in the US, they have great hotels in Europe and Asia. Just spent 8 nights in Portugal at two hotels for free, with upgrades and great treatment.

As noted above, members can take advantage of different promotions to accelerate point accumulation. Having the IHG credit card also adds to points. Ambassador status can be purchased and comes with a free night.

I think you should consider what hotel brands are available in the area(s) you need to be near for work and also what chain has hotels where you want to travel to help make your choice.