What is LQs definition of
Jan 13, 2017, 2:48 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Auburn, WA
Programs: United Mileage Plus AAdvantage La Quinta Returns
Posts: 60
What is LQs definition of
Hi, all! I am not sure if I am just blind or not reading correctly, but LQ says I can do 10 nights or have 3 stays and get Gold Status. So this got me wondering What do hotels normally mean by Stays?
Jan 14, 2017, 9:02 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
One or more consecutive nights at the same hotel, no matter how many times you check in or check out.
It may be worded a bit differently at each hotel program (some confusing leave out "one or more") but they all really work the same way.
Ie, from the time you arrive at the hotel to the time you leave, no matter how many separate reservations it may have been, that's one stay.
Obviously, the fastest way to status with hotels that have a "stay" option is true one-night stays. If you need consecutive nights in the same city, you have to "hotel hop" (change hotels every night) to get maximize the number of "stays" in a period of time.
Having said that, LQ's Gold status isn't worth that much. It's a 20% bonus on points earned on hotel stays, but of course if you choose to earn airline miles (and LQ has some of best airline mile bonuses out there, also on a per-"stay" basis so also best if you're doing one-night stays), that's irrelevant. Its other benefit is two upgrade certificates per year, but the thing is, many LQ hotels don't have any upgrade rooms (or their upgrade rooms are so few that they're always booked up)!
I got up to Elite member (one level above Gold), and still the only benefit I notice (since I choose to earn miles) is a welcome gift (bottle of water and a snack).
The status level benefits are described here:
And if you go their T&C page:
and search for the word "stay", you quickly come up with their definition, which is:
A stay is defined as one or more consecutive nights at the same hotel, even if intermittent check-in/check-out events occur.
Last edited by sdsearch; Jan 14, 2017 at 9:07 am
Jan 15, 2017, 9:53 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Auburn, WA
Programs: United Mileage Plus AAdvantage La Quinta Returns
Posts: 60
The standard hotel definition of a stay (at all hotel programs) is:
One or more consecutive nights at the same hotel, no matter how many times you check in or check out.
It may be worded a bit differently at each hotel program (some confusing leave out "one or more") but they all really work the same way.
Ie, from the time you arrive at the hotel to the time you leave, no matter how many separate reservations it may have been, that's one stay.
Obviously, the fastest way to status with hotels that have a "stay" option is true one-night stays. If you need consecutive nights in the same city, you have to "hotel hop" (change hotels every night) to get maximize the number of "stays" in a period of time.
Having said that, LQ's Gold status isn't worth that much. It's a 20% bonus on points earned on hotel stays, but of course if you choose to earn airline miles (and LQ has some of best airline mile bonuses out there, also on a per-"stay" basis so also best if you're doing one-night stays), that's irrelevant. Its other benefit is two upgrade certificates per year, but the thing is, many LQ hotels don't have any upgrade rooms (or their upgrade rooms are so few that they're always booked up)!
I got up to Elite member (one level above Gold), and still the only benefit I notice (since I choose to earn miles) is a welcome gift (bottle of water and a snack).
The status level benefits are described here:
And if you go their T&C page:
and search for the word "stay", you quickly come up with their definition, which is:
One or more consecutive nights at the same hotel, no matter how many times you check in or check out.
It may be worded a bit differently at each hotel program (some confusing leave out "one or more") but they all really work the same way.
Ie, from the time you arrive at the hotel to the time you leave, no matter how many separate reservations it may have been, that's one stay.
Obviously, the fastest way to status with hotels that have a "stay" option is true one-night stays. If you need consecutive nights in the same city, you have to "hotel hop" (change hotels every night) to get maximize the number of "stays" in a period of time.
Having said that, LQ's Gold status isn't worth that much. It's a 20% bonus on points earned on hotel stays, but of course if you choose to earn airline miles (and LQ has some of best airline mile bonuses out there, also on a per-"stay" basis so also best if you're doing one-night stays), that's irrelevant. Its other benefit is two upgrade certificates per year, but the thing is, many LQ hotels don't have any upgrade rooms (or their upgrade rooms are so few that they're always booked up)!
I got up to Elite member (one level above Gold), and still the only benefit I notice (since I choose to earn miles) is a welcome gift (bottle of water and a snack).
The status level benefits are described here:
And if you go their T&C page:
and search for the word "stay", you quickly come up with their definition, which is:
A stay is defined as one or more consecutive nights at the same hotel, even if intermittent check-in/check-out events occur.
Thank you for your help. And the only real reason I even stay at LQ. Is that they are cheep and my company has a discount with them so when I Non-rev I can get a decent room and it's also nice for road trips or somewhere were I am just needing a bed and a bathroom.
Jan 16, 2017, 3:30 pm
#4
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 375
IMO, La Quinta has made it way too easy to obtain Elite Status, which now is 25 nights or 7 stays. You can make 7 stays on a week long road trip easily. The only problem I have with La Quinta is that room and hotel quality run the gamete. One night I could be sleeping in a room that smells like dog with a crappy breakfast, while the next night I could be staying in a beautiful clean room in a location with an amazing breakfast and an evening reception. My experience with Elite upgrades are that I get them around 50% of the time, and often I have to ask for them. Also, I only get the water and snack at check-in about 65%-75% of the time, and it's usually not worth complaining if I don't.
The one disadvantage to the guaranteed availability that comes with Elite is that it can only be booked at BAR and I can't use my corporate rate. Also, it's only good for a "standard room," which is up to the hotel's interpretation whether or not that is a 2 double/queen or king room.
The one disadvantage to the guaranteed availability that comes with Elite is that it can only be booked at BAR and I can't use my corporate rate. Also, it's only good for a "standard room," which is up to the hotel's interpretation whether or not that is a 2 double/queen or king room.
Jan 17, 2017, 4:16 pm
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
The first half of last year (2016) I was staying heavily at La Quinta, always as one-night stays (because I was choosing to stay there primarily for the 1000 UA mile promo -- 750 bonus plus regular 250 -- they had at the time; it's scaled back to 750 total -- 500 + 250 -- since then), and it wasn't until I'd done this about 25 times (certainly way more than 7 times) that they elevated me to Elite status.
Can you share which LQ properties have evening receptions? I never would have expected any LQ to have that if you hadn't mentioned it.
Jan 17, 2017, 8:58 pm
#6
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 375
When did this change?
The first half of last year (2016) I was staying heavily at La Quinta, always as one-night stays (because I was choosing to stay there primarily for the 1000 UA mile promo -- 750 bonus plus regular 250 -- they had at the time; it's scaled back to 750 total -- 500 + 250 -- since then), and it wasn't until I'd done this about 25 times (certainly way more than 7 times) that they elevated me to Elite status.
Can you share which LQ properties have evening receptions? I never would have expected any LQ to have that if you hadn't mentioned it.
The first half of last year (2016) I was staying heavily at La Quinta, always as one-night stays (because I was choosing to stay there primarily for the 1000 UA mile promo -- 750 bonus plus regular 250 -- they had at the time; it's scaled back to 750 total -- 500 + 250 -- since then), and it wasn't until I'd done this about 25 times (certainly way more than 7 times) that they elevated me to Elite status.
Can you share which LQ properties have evening receptions? I never would have expected any LQ to have that if you hadn't mentioned it.
I just stayed in one at Sioux Falls, SD that had an evening reception. I know I've had a few others as well, but I can't remember them off the top of my head. It's usually the newer (and typically more expensive) ones.
Last edited by NCLSEA123; Jan 17, 2017 at 9:08 pm
Feb 3, 2017, 12:35 pm
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: ORD, HKG
Programs: UA*G, AA Emerald, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt globalist
Posts: 10,279
The first half of last year (2016) I was staying heavily at La Quinta, always as one-night stays (because I was choosing to stay there primarily for the 1000 UA mile promo -- 750 bonus plus regular 250 -- they had at the time; it's scaled back to 750 total -- 500 + 250 -- since then), and it wasn't until I'd done this about 25 times (certainly way more than 7 times) that they elevated me to Elite status.
I had switched to the lower class hotel chains just so there is a higher chance to get properties that have smoking rooms.