Aug 9, 2017, 11:10 am
Last edit by: SanDiego1K
This is a continuation of the original discussion HERE.
Book online at thankyou.com or by phone at 1-877-288-2484 7/24.
Starting September 1, 2019 the complimentary 4th night benefit can be used up to two times per calendar year. Bookings made prior to September 1, 2019, will not count toward your two-stay cap for 2019. Starting September 1, 2019 bookings for the 4th night benefit must be made exclusively by visiting thankyou.com or calling 1 800 THANKYOU. Citi Concierge will no longer handle new 4th night benefit bookings but will continue to support bookings made prior to September 1, 2019. To utilize your benefit through our online travel site, and/or have the option to use your ThankYou points, please visit thankyou.com, select travel in the top menu bar, select hotels, choose hotel designated as “Complimentary 4th Night Eligible”, book at least 4 nights, see savings at checkout. Starting for reservations made on or after July 23, 2017, this benefit will give you the average nightly rate on stays of 4+ nights, and will NOT include taxes.
Reimbursement times vary but seem to have improved in 2017, now about 2 weeks is most common. See this thread for details.
Book online at thankyou.com or by phone at 1-877-288-2484 7/24.
Starting September 1, 2019 the complimentary 4th night benefit can be used up to two times per calendar year. Bookings made prior to September 1, 2019, will not count toward your two-stay cap for 2019. Starting September 1, 2019 bookings for the 4th night benefit must be made exclusively by visiting thankyou.com or calling 1 800 THANKYOU. Citi Concierge will no longer handle new 4th night benefit bookings but will continue to support bookings made prior to September 1, 2019. To utilize your benefit through our online travel site, and/or have the option to use your ThankYou points, please visit thankyou.com, select travel in the top menu bar, select hotels, choose hotel designated as “Complimentary 4th Night Eligible”, book at least 4 nights, see savings at checkout.
Reimbursement times vary but seem to have improved in 2017, now about 2 weeks is most common. See this thread for details.
Citi Prestige 4th night free hotel benefit July 2017 - August 2019
Oct 12, 2017, 11:49 pm
#151
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Bay area, CA
Programs: SW, AS, UA, AA, Delta, Hilton, Hyatt, Club Carlson, SPG, IHG, Choice
Posts: 183
I have 9 nights stay coming up. If I stay for 4 night at hotelA and 5 nights at hotelB, in same city..
Will I get ave. 4th night free benefit TWICE?
In past, I have called in for week long stays and I usually got reimbursed 4th night cost within 1-2 billing cycle. Is that still the case when you call and book hotel or does the statement automatically deducts the 4th night ave. cost?
Will I get ave. 4th night free benefit TWICE?
In past, I have called in for week long stays and I usually got reimbursed 4th night cost within 1-2 billing cycle. Is that still the case when you call and book hotel or does the statement automatically deducts the 4th night ave. cost?
Oct 13, 2017, 8:21 am
#152
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: NYC
Posts: 427
I have 9 nights stay coming up. If I stay for 4 night at hotelA and 5 nights at hotelB, in same city..
Will I get ave. 4th night free benefit TWICE?
In past, I have called in for week long stays and I usually got reimbursed 4th night cost within 1-2 billing cycle. Is that still the case when you call and book hotel or does the statement automatically deducts the 4th night ave. cost?
Will I get ave. 4th night free benefit TWICE?
In past, I have called in for week long stays and I usually got reimbursed 4th night cost within 1-2 billing cycle. Is that still the case when you call and book hotel or does the statement automatically deducts the 4th night ave. cost?
Even when you call now they will give you the avg cost for the free night. When you get reimbursed depends on when you pay, either at booking or checkout. I think the process is a faster now, around a week or less after the payment is made.
Oct 14, 2017, 7:58 am
#153
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: San Diego, Ca
Programs: AA 2MM LT PLT; AS MVP Gold75k; HHonors Diamond; IHG PLT
Posts: 3,502
Want the best rate? CALL, don't book via portal or email
Planning a long leisure weekend on Maui over President's weekend 2018, sent an email with specifics, a rate found on booking.com, advising AAA rate eligibility. While not surprised the agent was unable to match the booking.com rate, she instead booked the rack rate - which was $70 more (per night) than the nonrefundable rate shown on the property website, $81 more than the AAA refundable rate - latter was only $16 more than the booking.com rate. I sent an email back to cancel the reservation, slammed the transaction in the included survey, then called Connexions number, where a friendly agent booked the rates shown on the website, confirmed eligibility for the 4th night free benefit.
Experience yet again confirms that the Citi website travel portal and email "concierge" reservation service are NOT the same as the phone agents. If you are looking for the best rate, are attempting to apply a corporate or other special code: pick up the phone and call.
Experience yet again confirms that the Citi website travel portal and email "concierge" reservation service are NOT the same as the phone agents. If you are looking for the best rate, are attempting to apply a corporate or other special code: pick up the phone and call.
Oct 17, 2017, 10:39 pm
#154
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 456
Experience yet again confirms that the Citi website travel portal and email "concierge" reservation service are NOT the same as the phone agents. If you are looking for the best rate, are attempting to apply a corporate or other special code: pick up the phone and call.
Unless you have lots of time before you need to book and no free time to call immediately, calling is 100 times better than email or website. The other two are "conveniences" although sometimes have been more trouble than theyre worth.
A phone agent can and will book your reservation immediately. Email often takes 2 days for the first response, which is often going to be wrong, unless you wanted the best flexible rate (always their default). Then you have to do the back and forth for several more days to get it correct.
Oct 18, 2017, 8:18 am
#155
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: NYC
Posts: 427
+1
Unless you have lots of time before you need to book and no free time to call immediately, calling is 100 times better than email or website. The other two are "conveniences" although sometimes have been more trouble than theyre worth.
A phone agent can and will book your reservation immediately. Email often takes 2 days for the first response, which is often going to be wrong, unless you wanted the best flexible rate (always their default). Then you have to do the back and forth for several more days to get it correct.
Unless you have lots of time before you need to book and no free time to call immediately, calling is 100 times better than email or website. The other two are "conveniences" although sometimes have been more trouble than theyre worth.
A phone agent can and will book your reservation immediately. Email often takes 2 days for the first response, which is often going to be wrong, unless you wanted the best flexible rate (always their default). Then you have to do the back and forth for several more days to get it correct.
E-mail is fine if the rate you want is straight forward, visible on the website, no special code required, etc. Last time I e-mailed for a res, it was booked and confirmed within a couple hours.
Calling is the best if you're looking to use any special promos that require more than just clicking on the website.
Oct 18, 2017, 11:35 am
#156
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Upper Sternistan
Posts: 10,044
I just made a rez at a non-chain hotel on the site and it seemed pretty straightforward. Four nights for the price of three.
Am I missing any benefits by going that way? Since it's a one-off hotel, there are no elite benefits or anything. If I booked through Virtuoso, I'd get breakfast, but the fourth night is worth more than breakfast for all four for two people (and this way, I won't feel obligated to eat breakfast there).
Am I missing any benefits by going that way? Since it's a one-off hotel, there are no elite benefits or anything. If I booked through Virtuoso, I'd get breakfast, but the fourth night is worth more than breakfast for all four for two people (and this way, I won't feel obligated to eat breakfast there).
Oct 18, 2017, 12:08 pm
#157
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: NYC
Posts: 427
I just made a rez at a non-chain hotel on the site and it seemed pretty straightforward. Four nights for the price of three.
Am I missing any benefits by going that way? Since it's a one-off hotel, there are no elite benefits or anything. If I booked through Virtuoso, I'd get breakfast, but the fourth night is worth more than breakfast for all four for two people (and this way, I won't feel obligated to eat breakfast there).
Am I missing any benefits by going that way? Since it's a one-off hotel, there are no elite benefits or anything. If I booked through Virtuoso, I'd get breakfast, but the fourth night is worth more than breakfast for all four for two people (and this way, I won't feel obligated to eat breakfast there).
Oct 18, 2017, 12:15 pm
#158
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Upper Sternistan
Posts: 10,044
Very good call. There is more on the hotel's site. I'll email.
Oct 18, 2017, 10:50 pm
#159
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 21
Has anyone been able to book a hyatt rate with points-paid club upgrade?
Oct 19, 2017, 6:12 am
#160
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: NYC
Programs: AA 2MM, Bonvoy LTT, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,638
They don't book rates where they are required to login as you which you would need if any WoH redemption is required.
Oct 19, 2017, 12:53 pm
#161
Join Date: May 2013
Programs: N/A
Posts: 685
Can anyone kindly share which hotel promotions this may still work for?
The only one I was aware of was the Ritz Carlton's buy 3 get 4 nights free which effectively lowered the rate of all 4 rooms, and in turn allowing the stacking of the prestige benefit.
Does this still work and what other programs have similar promotions?
The only one I was aware of was the Ritz Carlton's buy 3 get 4 nights free which effectively lowered the rate of all 4 rooms, and in turn allowing the stacking of the prestige benefit.
Does this still work and what other programs have similar promotions?
Oct 19, 2017, 2:26 pm
#162
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 91
Can anyone kindly share which hotel promotions this may still work for?
The only one I was aware of was the Ritz Carlton's buy 3 get 4 nights free which effectively lowered the rate of all 4 rooms, and in turn allowing the stacking of the prestige benefit.
Does this still work and what other programs have similar promotions?
The only one I was aware of was the Ritz Carlton's buy 3 get 4 nights free which effectively lowered the rate of all 4 rooms, and in turn allowing the stacking of the prestige benefit.
Does this still work and what other programs have similar promotions?
It depends on the rate. It has be a base rate for that room. Some packages that Ritz Carlton offer, includes other items (i.e. valet parking and etc), which is higher than base rate, but still cheaper than paying for another night. Prestige won't accept that.
Oct 19, 2017, 3:43 pm
#163
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: SEA/NYC/IAD
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Titanium, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 1,925
Has anyone found the online portal to be excruciatingly slow and buggy? Is there a better way to search for qualifying hotels?
Oct 19, 2017, 3:49 pm
#164
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,957
There's really no need to search. Essentially all hotels qualify. We have a document that mentions the exceptions. I'll look for it.
It's HERE now:
It's HERE now:
The following property types, among others, are excluded from qualification: rooms in yachts, riverboats, cruises, campgrounds, castles, safaris, villas, and apartments.
Last edited by mia; Oct 19, 2017 at 4:04 pm
Oct 19, 2017, 4:36 pm
#165
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Upper Sternistan
Posts: 10,044
Apparently hotels that are also timeshares are similarly exclude. In my case, that's the Hyatt Residences Maui.