Euro Trip 2019 Planning: Booking initial hotels (Part 1)

In the previous installments in this series, I wrote about having a blank slate for this year’s journey and selecting our transatlantic flights. I then discussed how I decided where we would actually go once we arrived in Europe. Today’s article is the first of two which will cover booking our initial hotel stays. I will describe my general strategy for making lodging reservations, along with the short-list of properties that I am considering and why they made the list. I will use Milan, Italy for this detailed discussion though I employed this approach for all bookings for this trip.

IHG PointBreaks: Two nights for 9,000 points!

The fall/winter 2017 IHG Rewards Club PointsBreak promotion is active. For the hotels on this quarter's list, you can book reward nights for just 5,000 points. I snagged two nights for a grand total of just 9,000 as a IHG Rewards Club MasterCard cardholder!

IHG and MasterCard bring you "Priceless Experiences"

IHG and MastercCard are teaming up to allow you to earn up to a $100 reward card and 4,000 IHG Rewards points with "Priceless Experiences."

Loyalty Programs, Hotels, Points and MilesDerek CookOctober 20, 2017Priceless Expriences, IHG, IHG Rewards, MasterCard, promotions

Fall 2017 hotel promotion: IHG Rewards

For fall 2017, IHG is offering a new version of "Accelerate." I have not been a big fan of previous "Accelerate" promotions, but I am surprised at just how lucrative the fall 2017 edition is. Let's take a closer look.

Fall 2017 hotel promotions: Marriott Rewards

"Mega Bonus" from Marriott Reward can be very rewarding to a customer who makes only a couple of stays...literally...this fall. If you complete two stays, you will earn a free hotel night. That is a very attractive promotion!

Fall 2017 hotel promotions: Starwood Preferred Guest

Starwood's fall promotion, "Explore More," offers up to 1,000 bonus Starpoints® per stay with an additional 10,000 Starpoints® if you stay 25 nights during the promotion period. I analyze this to see if it is an attractive offer.

Loyalty Programs, Hotels, Points and MilesDerek CookSeptember 29, 2017Starwood Preferred Guest, promotions, Hilton Honors

Fall 2017 hotel promotions: Hilton

Hilton's fall 2017 promotion, "Double Points," offers double points on stays through December 31, 2017.

Hotels, Loyalty Programs, Points and MilesDerek CookSeptember 19, 2017promotions, Hilton hotels, Hilton Honors

Review: DoubleTree Savannah Historic District

The DoubleTree Savannah Historic District has a great location as well as good customer service and amenities. It's a great option if you are looking for a property in the heart of charming downtown Savannah, Georgia.

Review: Sheraton Suites Key West

In February I visited Key West, FL to get married - on the beach! - and we stayed at the Sheraton Suites Key West. While not the most luxurious hotel on the island, the all-suites property was very comfortable with an upscale feel.

Hilton Honor's new promotion: 2k Every Day

Hilton has revised its Honors loyalty program. The changes, for me, are fairly minor but generally positive. In conjunction, we are now able to register for the new bonus point promotion, 2K Every Day, and earn 2,000 bonus points per night for each eligible stay.

Hotels, Loyalty Programs, Points and MilesDerek CookFebruary 8, 2017Hilton hotels, points and miles, promotions, Hilton Honors