It has been a week since a post on this thread, but I felt a need to comment on La Quinta. I have been a member for eight years now, and I have to say that someone at LQ HQ pretty much gutted their Returns Club program.

LQ does have uniformly good properties. I have never been surprised in a negative way anywhere that I have stayed. In fact, there is one town where I would rather stay at the LQ Inn and Suites than the Marriott! But what used to be a good reward program, and even recognized as such by the Freddies, has depreciated significantly.

For example, once, there was an associated Master Card. Points transferred quickly and easily. Combined with a moderate number of nights per year, points built up quickly. The old system utilized certificates for free nights, which came in the mail like clockwork and were easy to redeem. Today, the card is gone, the certificates are gone, and the program seems difficult.

True, there were no airline rewards, no restaurant rewards, etc. But the program was sweet and neat for those who wanted room rewards that were easy to redeem at good properties. That was precisely what I want; now the program is more complex and, as noted above, sometimes harsh as well.

So, I concur with the comments above. You will find La Quinta properties to be consistently good. I still take advantage of that fact, but much less frequently than I did during the better days of LQ's Returns Club. Stay with them for the room, not the program. And if you get something from the program, consider that a bonus.