There was a time when most of us thought top-tier hotel elite status was out of reach. After all, who stays 25-50 nights at hotels every year? Mostly business travelers. Thanks to rewards credit cards, that’s no longer the case. Most hotel credit cards offer low or mid-tier status with […]
Tag: elite status
Get top-tier status faster: Current hotel elite status challenges
It’s the summer travel season and while some of you are already enjoying your vacation, others are still in the planning stages to ensure they’re getting the most out of theirs. Part of that means making hotel booking decisions around existing elite benefits and hotel promotions. If you’ve got summer […]
Year-end status check: should you mattress run for elite status?
It’s the end of the year and many of you will be checking on the progress you’ve made towards earning hotel elite status. And perhaps determining whether to mattress run to hit your target. At what point does it make sense to go mattress running for elite status? I would […]
Reader question: How to maximize work travel for hotel elite status
A reader, Jill, sent me a question that I thought was worth devoting a post to. It is especially relevant to those who travel quite a bit for work. When your travel expenses are paid for by your employer, this creates the perfect opportunity to earn elite status, possibly with […]
Mattress running for hotel elite status: 6 tips for doing it cheaply
When you’re just a few stays or nights short of status, you may find yourself contemplating a mattress run. For those unfamiliar with the term, it’s when you check in and out of a hotel just for the purpose of earning points and/or elite status. Why would you do this? […]
Giveaway: Two $500 Club Carlson gift cards + Gold elite status
It’s no secret that I’m a huge Club Carlson fan. I banked over 500,000 Gold points during the big 2012 promotions and covered the best ways to redeem those points, which was recently updated. Not only is the program one of the most generous hotel rewards programs in terms of […]
Points and miles beginner’s guide: Fast track to hotel elite status
To the average person traveling once a year, hotel elite status can seem out of reach and quite costly to achieve. Both of these assumptions are myths. Status can be achieved cheaply and sometimes pays off in a single stay. Some of the perks of elite status include the following: […]
Points and miles beginner’s guide: Airline elite status
Points and Miles Beginner’s Guide If you’ve seen “Up in the Air” with George Clooney, you’re probably aware that airline and hotel loyalty programs not only earn you tons of points that can be redeemed for amazing trips, but you can also earn elite status, which comes with great perks. […]