Hotel Rewards Program Recomendation in India
Nov 18, 2012 | 7:21 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Somewhere near a Airstrip
Programs: BAEC Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriot Platinum
Posts: 693
Hotel Rewards Program Recomendation in India
Need some help for a buddy:
He recently moved to Middle Management and expected to travel for work.
I got him hooked to the FFP world and he asked me for a recommendation on hotel rewards program.
My recommendation was to look for Comfort / Easy of Access due to the following:
1. The amount of travel is not significant.
2. Most of the chains having a rewards program do not have availability in that price range & If available, not present in all metros.
3. The perks (for a Mid-Tier Elite) may not be worth to stick to a chain.
To get the best bang for the buck, is to look for Hotels crediting to Airline FFPs. At least he will get some miles.
Any Recommendations from FT community?
He recently moved to Middle Management and expected to travel for work.
- Mostly Metros, 2-3 Days each and 8-10 times a year.
- His travel budget is not big, so 5K INR per night is the limit set by Finance.
I got him hooked to the FFP world and he asked me for a recommendation on hotel rewards program.
My recommendation was to look for Comfort / Easy of Access due to the following:
1. The amount of travel is not significant.
2. Most of the chains having a rewards program do not have availability in that price range & If available, not present in all metros.
3. The perks (for a Mid-Tier Elite) may not be worth to stick to a chain.
To get the best bang for the buck, is to look for Hotels crediting to Airline FFPs. At least he will get some miles.
Any Recommendations from FT community?
Nov 18, 2012 | 11:14 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: India
Programs: DL Diamond, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, ALL Platinum, IHG Platinum
Posts: 30,697
he should sign up for both spg & taj....they have a number of properties that will fall within his price range....
while the taj program is pretty much useless in terms of benefits, they have some decent point redemption options....spg gold is a nice program to have in india....good upgrades & free internet....
while the taj program is pretty much useless in terms of benefits, they have some decent point redemption options....spg gold is a nice program to have in india....good upgrades & free internet....
Nov 19, 2012 | 10:39 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Somewhere near a Airstrip
Programs: BAEC Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriot Platinum
Posts: 693
Thanks!
Will pass that along.
Surprisingly, except 4/5 Star properties, the hotel sector is highly fragmented - so for a average biz traveler, it's always a Hit/miss.
Looks like few chains like IBIS / Lemon Tree / Ginger are coming up.
Will pass that along.
Surprisingly, except 4/5 Star properties, the hotel sector is highly fragmented - so for a average biz traveler, it's always a Hit/miss.
Looks like few chains like IBIS / Lemon Tree / Ginger are coming up.
Nov 20, 2012 | 2:01 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: India
Programs: DL Diamond, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, ALL Platinum, IHG Platinum
Posts: 30,697
i've stayed at a bunch of ginger properties over the last couple of years & for the price, i am very impressed with what they offer....
Nov 20, 2012 | 8:50 am
#6
Moderator: LGBTQ+ Travel, India-based Airlines and India; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Asia
Programs: Yes!
Posts: 15,582
he should sign up for both spg & taj....they have a number of properties that will fall within his price range....
while the taj program is pretty much useless in terms of benefits, they have some decent point redemption options....spg gold is a nice program to have in india....good upgrades & free internet....
while the taj program is pretty much useless in terms of benefits, they have some decent point redemption options....spg gold is a nice program to have in india....good upgrades & free internet....
SPG in particular has a lot of Alofts already in place (BLR, MAA etc) and several in the pipeline. They also have Four Points Sheratons open already (PNQ, BOM, Jaipur etc) and also several in the pipeline.
Both these brands should work under the 5k budget.