I am new to the forums so please forgive me if this has been posted before.

Most hotels I stay at in Asia give me 500 miles per stay, regardless of the length of stay.

Is the US policy the same? I seem to remember getting so many ponts per dollar spent. Was thinking of checking out each night so I would get credit for each night stayed. Any experience with this?

With most major programs, the check-out/check-in approach does not work to generate bunches of qualifying stays. If you want to do a "mattress run", you generally have to change properties each night. Obviously it isn't worth the hassle to earn 500 miles, but sometimes people do it during specific promotions (e.g., 4 stays to elite status, X stays earns Y bonus points, etc.) where the reward is bigger.

Also with most chains: you can opt for hotel points or miles. (Hilton is the exception that allows you to earn both.) Points are nearly always awarded on a per-dollar basis. Miles sometimes are as well. Check with the individual programs that interest you.

[This message has been edited by pinniped (edited Mar 24, 2004).]

What Pinniped said. Some hotels, even within the same chain, assign different numbers of miles based on if you are staying for example at a Hilton or a Hampton Inn, which airline program, etc.

Also, checking in and out at the same property usually won't get you daily miles, you have to change properties each night. Sometimes it's as easy as walking across the parking lot to another property in the chain and back again the following night.

Starwood gives points per dollar spent (# dependant on status), which are convertible 1:1 into airline miles.