Summer is fast approaching and there might be some people out there who are just now thinking of cashing in their hotel points for a summer weekend vacation. This might come as old news for some FFs but I think this is worth sharing.

When you call the central reservations number to book a room using your hotel points, don't give up just because you were told that the inventory for reward stays have all been reserved. Call the property directly and ask for the local reservations office.

Just last week, I called HH's 800 number to book a PTS-3 stay at the Millenium HH in NY for July. I was told that there were no rooms available for reward stays. When I called the property directly, I got the free rooms just like that! Same thing with the Breckenridge MC for January 2000. I had to call the property directly to get a confirmed reservation.

Second tip: Once you book the reservation, ask for a written confirmation (fax or mail).

Aha! So that's the trick. I have just given up when told I couldn't use my reward points, so this is good to know. Thanks.

Always call them direct when you are also looking for those cheapo weekend stay rates.
The computer only allocates so many, but hotel has unlimited discretion. Have used this means to get rooms my travel agent could not book at lower rates.

I've started to call the local property with any hotel chain regardless of whether it's an award stay or not. When calling the 800 reservation line, they are staring at a computer screen. When calling the property directly, they're staring at their VACANCY sign and will more often than not, give you a MUCH better rate than they would have had you called the national number - just by asking. I saved over $70.00 on a two night stay in SFO just three weeks ago by doing this.

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aloha!
www.hotshirts.com

Sometimes you can also get the person at "reservation central" to call the hotel for you. I've often had great success with this appproach. My best reward with this technique was two free weekend nights at the Park Hyatt D.C.!

well, sometimes one can get higher rate by calling the hotel directly....it happend to me several times.

Good Luck

KSA_USA

Don't some hotels transfer you to the central booking office if you call and try to make a reservation with them anyway?

Yes, if you call before or after working hours. Also, some of the smaller properties do not have their own reservations office. Always request for the "local" reservations office when you call.

I will try to get free nights in October for a New York City hotel. Do you know if I can move my UA miles to an hotel, maybe to Hilton?

I read your message but my English it's not good enough to understand. If I call the reservations and they say no, what it mean to call the property directly?

SCCLgal - To explain: The "1-800" number most hotel chains use, and the website that takes reservations, is a central reservations hub for the entire chain. They usually can only go by what is in their computer.

Hotels (even members of a hotel chain) also have reservation desks at their hotel. Since they are at the specific hotel itself, their information is usually more up-to-date, and frequently they have more discretion to "release" rooms for a special rate than does the central reservations hub.

The suggestion is that if the central number (or website) can't give you what you want, you should call the individual hotel and speak to their reservations desk directly, and maybe they will give you what you're looking for.

It has worked for me, too.