Does anyone know if Ritz-Carlton or Doubletree hotels are participants in any major US frequent flyer or frequent guest program ?

And, Four Seasons?

My guess: the tres upscale Seasons and Ritz figure they wouldn't derive much benefit from mileage programs. Although some business travelers stay at the upscale joints, most corporate travel policies top out with the Marriotts, Westins, Hiltons and Hyatts. I do notice quite a few legal and medical conferences at Seasons and Ritzes, though. Those lawyers and doctors sure know how to live.

I was booking a room for my parents yesterday and called Ritz Carlton. I inquired whether they have any frequent-stay or club program. Their answer to both was a no.

Both Ritz and Four Seasons belong to The Leading Hotels of the World, which also does not have any program as far as I am aware of.

The LHW, Leading Hotels of the World - a marketing organization created by Swiss: Gauer (Schweizerhof, Berne), Scherz (Palace Gstaad) and Badrutt (Palace, St.Moritz) about 40 years ago) have a ff-guest program BY INVITATION ONLY: it is called THE LEADERS CLUB (I never asked for it - I didn't even know about it - mine has been sponsored by Mr. Alf Beyer, Regional Manager, LHW, Frankfurt Germany - I have never met that man! May be I got it, because I regularly stayed a whole week in July, just after Wimbledon, at the Palace Gstaad during the Swiss Tennis Open Championships - at a very reduced rate as a member of the Swiss Tennis Association).

During a limited time (I think it just ended late last year) some Ritz Carlton did participate in Marriott's Rewards program. Before the Ritz in Aspen turned into a Sheraton (a year ago?) it also gave me 500 UA miles for an early season stay in Nov 96 (over Thanksgiving for early and relatively cheap, season skiing).

Another LHW hotel that has it's own frequent-stay program are the Camino Real in Mexico City (the program is for all Camino Real hotels): PRESTIGE, the points are called REALES. This hotel was built for the members of the Olympic Games Committee for the Games in Mexico - it has Class and the rates for Weekend stays are reasonable (I think I paid last year, Friday-Monday US$ 125 for the Club Floor, which includes EVERYTHING (full butler service, etc).

I'm wondering if a frequent guest program would work for the Ritz Carlton and Four Seasons?

They could team up and call themselve "the Ultimate Frequent Guest Program." or the V-I-G program (very exceptional guest program.)

Maybe they don't need Frequent Guest programs since they have a built in Loyality among customers. And if we have to get miles we can charge the stays to our airline linked or Amex or Optima cards.

As for DoubleTree; I think a Frequent Guest program would be ideal for them. I remember when they bought out Red Lion (which had a guest program) the program was dissolved.

I think it was Doubletree who bought Red Lion. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Anyway, it's nice they give cookies (Provided HOlly doesn't eat them before I can have a crumb!)


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CATMAN

Well, interestingly enough, Doubletree (also) appears to not participate in any FF mileage programs.

Also interestingly, St. Regis in NYC, a Starwood peroperty that was formerly a Ritz, is also a member of LHW. So I guess a member of a "chain" can also be part of LHW if they meet all the qualifications?

All the Ritz hotels are not owned by one company, hence each property can and do have different polices. (A year or so ago I briefly consulted for a REIT that had purchased one of the Ritz properties.) I don't know if it is a license or what, but this REIT only owned one well known US Ritz.

MANY of the LHW Leading Hotels of the World belong to a "chain" (you find RKempinski, Mandarin Oriental, Sheraton, Hilton, New Otani, Meridien, CP Canadian Pacific; I also found one Ritz-Kempinski) and you actually can earn miles there: some examples (I just give LH, UA & SR mileage opportunities - as I know them best):

* Germany: Kempinski Bristol Berlin (LH), Kempinski Taschenbergpalais Dresden (LH), Kempinski Atlantis Hamburg (LH), Kempinski F�rstenhof Leipzig (LH), Kempinski Vier Jahreszeiten Munich (LH)
* Hungary: Kempinski Budapest (LH)
* Italy: Excelsior Venice Lido (Sheraton Luxury Collection: Starwoods & Airlines)
* Russia: Kempinski Baltschug Moscow (LH)
* Hong Kong: Oriental (UA, SR)
* Indonesia: Jakarta: Mandarin Oriental (UA, SR)
* Japan: New Otani Osaka (UA),
* PR China: Kempinski Beejing (LH)
* Philippines: Mandarin Oriental Manila (UA, SR)
* Singapore: The Oriental Singapore (UA, SR)
* Thailand: The Oriental Bangkok (UA, SR), Le Royal Meridien Koh Samui Suratthani (Air France), Le Royal Meridien Phuket Yacht Club Phuket (Air France)
* Canada: Ritz-Carlton Kempinski Montreal (LH), CP Canadian Pacific Chateau Whistler (Canadian)
* USA: Mandarin Oriental San Francisco (UA, SR), The Watergate (Swissotel) Washington (SR), Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hawaii (UA, SR), The Waldorf Towers New York (HHonors, Airlines), St. Regis New York (a Sheraton Luxury Collection hotel, Starwoods & Airlines)

and with the free, but on invitation only, "Leaders Club" card you get in add: upgrade to a suite (if available on arrival), late check-out, special check-in, welcome-present, special private concierge service from arrival till departure, vouchers for a drink or two, and they really know your preferred pillow etc. on file ....

[This message has been edited by Rudi (edited 03-10-99).]

Doubletree used to be associated with TWA's FFB program, but about three or four years ago they dropped out. I asked at a Doubletree about six months ago whether they were participating in any program, and was told "no".

If anyone finds out that they have hooked up with an airline program, please post it. I give quite a bit of patronage to that chain when it is inconvenient/impracticable to use Hilton or Marriott

Some Ritz-Carltons are still in the Marriott progrm. You need to ask easch time you talk to them.

Just checked out of the Ritz Carlton Buckhead (Atlanta). Typing from the CO president's lounge at ATL.

The Ritz Carlton still took my Marriot number, but explained that t the end of this month, all of their properties will no longer do so.......

I know when I call the Ritz reservation number, they ask for my name and number and I do show up in their database. So they are keeping track of my stays for some reason.