In 2020, hotel loyalty programs had plenty of things on their respective plates. From figuring out how to keep their most loyal customers happy with status extensions, to postponing point expiration policies as to not alienate the occasional customer, every day must have felt like a month, just like it has for the rest of us.
I have to give Hilton credit where it’s due. They’ve done a pretty good job with the Hilton Honors program, navigating a path through a pandemic where you don’t know what’s coming next. They were one of the first to extend status, locking in tier levels for some members through 2022. Point expirations were also paused until the end of 2020. They’ve also done a decent job when it comes to promotions.
At the beginning of 2020, before COVID-19, they launched the Points Unlimited promotion which was set to run until May 3rd. It rewarded 2,000 bonus points for each stay and 10,000 points for every 10th stay. I wasn’t too excited but hotels didn’t have to do much to stimulate stays because they were doing just fine.
In May, when the promo was set to end, Hilton extended it through September 7th. I think this was the best way to handle it, given the circumstances. Launching a new promo in the middle of a pandemic isn’t an easy thing to do. Extending the previous offer would still reward people who had to stay at hotels. It wasn’t the right time to put out an offer to try and capture new business, as there wasn’t anything there to catch.
With the extended ending date of Points Unlimited quickly approaching, Hilton has just announced its Double Rewards promotion for the rest of 2020. It’s a balanced offer with an extra bonus for those looking to get status because the double bonus night credits count towards the next tier status.
Some things to remember:
- You need to register before you check out of your hotel. Reservations made before the promotion are eligible for the bonus.
- Bonus points are rewarded on the base earning level of 10 points per dollar. Any extra points earned because of status or having a co-brand credit card are not eligible to earn double points.
- All night credits from 2020 will roll over into 2021, including the double credits earned with this promotion.
If you have any other questions, like how they are going to handle stays that start before the promotion or if you check out after the end date, along with many other things are answered at this FAQ page.
Like all hotel promotions, there’s no harm in enrolling even if you don’t think you’ll be staying at a Hilton Hotel for the rest of the year.
If you are going to be traveling for the rest of the year, remember to #stayhealthy #staysafe #washyourhands and #wearamask.
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
