Question
Other than the Amex Starwood card, which I have and gets a lot of use, do any of the hotel credit carts have any particular advanatage?
I need a MC or Visa for places that don't take Amex. I currently have an Citibank AAdvantage card. However, I have tons of airline miles and my assistant doesn't like dealing with Citibank customer service. Which of the other hotel credit cards is a good deal? I stay at every chain and don't really consolidate as I try to stay near my clients' offices. I stay at IC/Crowne Plaza/HI and often use HI for the family trips, Hilton (apparently I'm Silver there), Marriott (Courtyard with family), Sheraton/Westin, and occasionally Hyatt as well as a bit of everything else.
I can convert Starpoints into airline points at a favorable rate. So, if I am going to accumulate hotel points, where should I do it?
Answer
It would seem to be a choice between ICHG Priority Club and Marriott. Eliminating additional American Express and all Citibank products would exclude Hilton from consideration. Hyatt does not have an affinity card, though points can be earned with Citibank's Diners Club at a mediocre rate. Sheraton and Westin are, of course, operated by Starwood.
The Priority Club Visa is issued by Chase. 15,000 point activation bonus, 3 points per dollar for transactions at ICHG properties, only 1 point per dollar elsewhere, but 10,000 point bonus for $15,000 annual spend. $29 annual fee waived for first year. If you stopped spending at $15,000 you would earn 40 - 50,000 points the first year, depending on the amount spent at ICHG hotels. 50,000 is enough for two reward nights at Crowne Plaza.
If you participate in Priority Club you probably realize that all points count toward elite status qualification, and only 60,000 points are required for Platinum. On the other hand, Priority Club offers negligible benefits or point earning opportunities at Intercontinental brand properties. Our strategy is to earn at Crowne Plaza, redeem at Intercontinental or at the Crowne Plaza in Key West in high season :) .
Someone else will need to help you sort out the Marriott cards, which I believe are also issued by Chase.
dennis
Answer
Thanks, mia. Is Priority Club the only hotel where you can get elite status just by spending on the CC? What do you get for being Platinum? Upgrade to suites? I I spent $50K, I would have 60K points. I'd need to spend less to become platinum if I spent the $$ at ICHG at hotels.
Because client location tends to dictate where I stay, I haven't paid a lot of attention to what points I get where. So, I didn't know that all points count for elite status. I appear to have about 22K Priority Club points.
Answer
<< Is Priority Club the only hotel where you can get elite status just by spending on the CC?>>
No. Hilton, Starwood, and Marriott offer low or mid level elite status based on credit card activity, but Priority Club is the only one to offer "top" elite status based on points from all sources. This said, the benefits of Priority Club Platinum status are similar to a mid tier level at the other chains.
Priority Club status is calculated on a calendar year basis. As soon as you earn 60,000 points (from January 1) you are promoted to Platinum and retain the status for the balance of the current year plus the entire next year. Benfits are summarized here...
http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/pc/1/en/c/2/content/dec/pc/0/en/benefits.html
Details here...
http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/pc/1/en/c/2/content/dec/pc/0/en/ptc.html#elite
The primary tangible benefit is the 50% point bonus, 10 base points per dollar plus 5 bonus points. "Upgrades" are imperceptible at most Holiday Inn grade properties because they do not have many different room types, you are most likely to notice at Crowne Plaza.
Priority Club works differently at Intercontinental brand properties. Base earnings are 2,000 points per stay, regardless of duration or expense. A Platinum member would still earn the 50% bonus, 1000 points per stay. Guaranteed upgrades at Intercontinental brand properties are obtained by purchasing a membership in their separate Ambassador program. The very best treatment at Intercontinental brand hotels is reserved for "Royal Ambassadors", an invitation-only status.
More discussion of this topic can be found in the Priority Club section of Flyertalk.
dennis